OWEN COOPER started boxing to improve at football and impress his journeyman fighter Dad – now he has ambitions to fight at open air stadiums.

The Worcester Super-Lightweight prospect impressed on his Frank Warren debut last week knocking out Daryl Pearce inside a round.

Cooper, 20, who signed a promotional contract with Queensberry earlier this year, admitted he would have been lost to football had he not wanted to shed a few pounds as a boy.

He said: “From the age of eight to 12, I was a footballer and decent. I got scouted for Aston Villa, Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham Town and Walsall.

“I was quite a chubby kid so I went to the gym to lose a bit of weight and make myself more agile. I also wanted to impress my Dad all the time when I was a kid and boxing would do that.

“As soon as I started in the gym, I fell in love with boxing. I started going every day and said to my Mum: ‘I don’t want to play football anymore. I want to be a boxer.’ She didn’t like that.

“I was with Walsall for about a year and spent time at Cheltenham, but didn’t take the opportunities to go to Aston Villa or Bristol Rovers.

“Those chances came at the back end of playing football, but I wasn’t interested anymore.”

Owen’s Dad, Steve had 35 fights as a professional and retired in March 2009. The Father and Son team now run a painting and decorating business.

Owen who is managed by Errol Johnson of Black Country Boxing says: “I know this might sound silly, but my Dad is my boxing hero. He was a good amateur, but a journeyman on the professional scene.

“My Dad was happy on the road and I want the World as a boxer.

“Even when I was a footballer I would sit down with him and we would watch his fights, but he would never let me go because he was always losing.”

Cooper’s (4-0, 1 KO) first fight for his new promoter was a whirlwind. The fight was made at short notice, but the powerhouse performance that made people take notice was tinged with sadness

He explained: “When the MC was reading out the decision I was tapping on my chest because it was so close to the first anniversary of my best friend, Marlon Vella passing away.

“The anniversary was a few days after the fight and that was all that went running through my head. Inside I was all over the place.

“Before the fight I tried not to think about it too much and let my emotions get ahead, but afterwards I felt like breaking down.

“I couldn’t have ever imagined my first fight for Queensberry going so well in the ring. I knew Pearce was tough and thought it would be a nice shutout points decision, but I went a step ahead.

“I couldn’t believe it during one of the interviews. Frank Warren came up to me and said; ‘well done, what a shot.’

“I have known about Frank and his success as a promoter since I was a young kid. To have a chat with him was unbelievable.”

Worcester might be famous for a rugby union team, a picturesque cricket ground and sauce, but Cooper wants to bring some fighting spice to the city.

He added: “We haven’t had many boxers from Worcester. Paul Busby was the last one who had some big fights and won titles.

“I am trying to make a name for Worcester. There is Worcester Warriors rugby ground and I’m not that big yet, but in the future the dream is to fight there.

“I have ambitions and you have to dream of these things. Don’t get me wrong I’d love a British title, but if I can get further then that is what I am heading for.”

Evangelos Giovanis & George Giovanis have officially announced that they have entered the promotional ring, launching 15th Round Promotions, with their first show scheduled in Iowa for July. Filmmakers and boxing gym owners, the Giovanis brothers will mentor the careers of young fighters by maximizing their potential and providing them with the opportunities that may otherwise not be there for them. George Giovanis, a longtime boxing coach and gym owner will serve as 15th Round Promotion’s President and CEO, headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 

The brothers bring with them over a decade in coaching and managing experience in the boxing industry. “Boxing has and always will be my passion,” said George. “My brother and I look forward to developing talent into world champions.” Their fighters have already fought on prominent promotions such as Top Rank, 360, Red, Bash Boxing, All Star and more. 

“My brother and I intend to provide today’s fighters with the opportunities and guidance we didn’t have at the outset of our career. In the coming weeks, we will be rounding out our staff, expanding our stable of talented fighters and announcing several key initiatives and partnerships that will spur more regional growth and popularity in the sport of boxing.”

15th Round Promotions has already begun to scout for talent in an attempt to grow its roster. Highly touted prospect Alexander Enriquez (11-0-3) was climbing the ranks, until a career-ending injury suffered in sparring. The fearless, always-entertaining and true brawler Andre Marquez (8-2), is a fan-favorite whenever he fights and has moved with his team to South Dakota. “We anticipate our roster growing with many more male and female prospects working tirelessly to reach their goals.”

The Giovanis brothers also work in the entertainment industry and make award winning, feature films. “Bereave,” starring Malcolm McDowell, Golden Globe Winner Jane Seymour and Academy Award Winner Keith Carradine, was released on Amazon Prime domestically and MGM worldwide in 2021. 

We wish to deal with everybody. We’re looking for good fighters to put them on our cards. We’re looking for TV partners and aim to put on competitive and entertaining fights. Managers and coaches, feel free to reach out to us if your boxers need fights. The company is in talks to create a boxing series on a regular basis. The first boxing event will be held in Iowa on July 17, 2021.

Billy Joe Saunders says he has the boxing brain to dethrone pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez in their blockbuster Super-Middleweight unification battle on Saturday night (May 8), live worldwide on DAZN and distributed by TV Azteca in Mexico and Latin America.

LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN ON SALE AT SEATGEEK.COM

Unbeaten Briton Saunders (30-0 18 KOs) puts his WBO strap on the line for the third time against the Mexican star and is aiming to add the WBC and WBA Super belts held by the Mexican sensation.

Saunders has been widely regarded as having the ring smarts to be the man to hand Canelo a first defeat in eight years and be the man to take the next step to being undisputed at 168lbs – and the 31 year old says fighting Canelo on Cinco de Mayo weekend holds no fear.

“This fight is all about the brain,” said Saunders. “Not about power, muscle or skill, it’s the brain and the game plan, and being able to execute that game plan.

“I brush opinions off because I know what goes through my head and my mind, and what I have done in my career is through the will and want to win, and the day I lose that, I won’t put a pair of gloves on again.

“I can only control what I am in control of and that myself, not what is outside the ring. It’s going to be a great fight it’s one I’ve wanted for years and it’s finally landed. There’s a lot at stake for both of us. Would I like my fans there? Yes. Would I like UK media there? Yes. If the fight was moved to the Mexican border I wouldn’t care.

“I have my own way of approaching the fight and Canelo will have too, he’s done this nearly 60 times. I’ll get in there as the best that I can be and that’s all I can control.

“I’ve been the underdog before, I’ve been the away fighter before, it’s not a new position, but I’m just in with a better opponent this time. 

“If I go in there and I win, I’m not going to run and say never again, I’ll fight him again, I’ll fight anyone, anywhere, it doesn’t bother me. It’s good for boxing sometimes when the underdogs come through, and I don’t just mean me here, because it puts the sport on a higher platform to be watched.

“I’m at the top of the tree where I’ve done it all as an amateur, I’ve had 30 fights, I’m unbeaten, won every title coming through, two-weight World champion – I can sit back at night and say I’m top of the pile fighting the pound-for-pound king.”

Alvarez and Saunders clash on a huge night of action in Texas with a stacked undercard in support of the mammoth main event, with Elwin Soto (18-1 12 KOs) defending his WBO World Light-Flyweight title against Katsunari Takayama (32-8 12 KOs).

Kieron Conway (16-1-1 3 KOs) defends his WBA Intercontinental Super-Welterweight title against Souleymane Cissokho (12-0 8 KOs), Eddy Reynoso trained Cuban Heavyweight Frank Sanchez (17-0 13 KOs) meets Nagy Aguilera (21-10 14 KOs), Mexican-American talent Marc Castro (2-0 2 KOs) fights on his third Canelo undercard, Castro’s old amateur foe Keyshawn Davis (2-0 2 KOs) faces Jose Antonio Meza (6-4 1 KO) over six rounds and it’s a family affair on the night with Keyshawn’s brother Kelvin Davis (1-0 1 KO) fights for the second time in the paid ranks, with Mexican Welterweight Christian Alan Gomez Duran (19-2-1 17 KOs) celebrating Cinco De Mayo weekend over eight rounds against an opponent to be named soon.

Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders will face off in front of the fans on Friday, with the official weigh-in open to 5,000 fans at AT&T Plaza at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, with the fighters hitting the scales from 2pm ahead of Saturday night’s action, live worldwide on DAZN and distributed by TV Azteca in Mexico and Latin America.

LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN ON SALE AT SEATGEEK.COM

Alvarez (55-1-2 37 KOs) and Saunders (33-0 14 KOs) clash in a blockbuster unification battle on Saturday night with a stacked undercard in support of that battle, and fight fans can cheer their favorites onto the scales in the Texas sunshine.

Important notes for fight fans:

• Gates will open at 12.30pm for entry.
• No bags permitted
• First come, first served – attendance capped at 5,000

Alvarez and Saunders clash on a huge night of action in Texas with a stacked undercard in support of the mammoth main event, with Elwin Soto (18-1 12 KOs) defending his WBO World Light-Flyweight title against Katsunari Takayama (32-8 12 KOs).

Kieron Conway (16-1-1 3 KOs) defends his WBA Intercontinental Super-Welterweight title against Souleymane Cissokho (12-0 8 KOs), Eddy Reynoso trained Cuban Heavyweight Frank Sanchez (17-0 13 KOs) meets Nagy Aguilera (21-10 14 KOs), Mexican-American talent Marc Castro (2-0 2 KOs) fights on his third Canelo undercard, Castro’s old amateur foe Keyshawn Davis (2-0 2 KOs) faces Jose Antonio Meza (6-4 1 KO) over six rounds and it’s a family affair on the night with Keyshawn’s brother Kelvin Davis (1-0 1 KO) fights for the second time in the paid ranks, with Mexican Welterweight Christian Alan Gomez Duran (19-2-1 17 KOs) celebrating Cinco De Mayo weekend over eight rounds against an opponent to be named soon.

IRISH AMATEUR SUPERSTAR William Hayden has signed a promotional agreement to turn professional with Frank Warren and Queensberry.

The 19-year-old from Crumlin has 11 Irish National titles to his name and also won gold at the 2016 European championships. Hayden, who will campaign at super lightweight, reports that he has had upwards of 300 amateur fights, including club shows, while also holding the remarkable record of being undefeated in 45 championship fights staged in his home country.

One decision did go against him, but the verdict was considered such an injustice that the authorities marked it down as a victory on his amateur card.

Hayden – “My name is William but I am becoming known as Willo and that is what Frank has taken to calling me” – intended to pursue senior experience before Covid-19 restrictions prevented amateur activity and resulted in major competitions being cancelled.

“I never got to fight at senior level, but I have sparred the seniors at my weight and I got the better of them, so I am very confident,” said Hayden, who is a product of Crumlin BC under Head Coach and two-time Olympian Philip Sutcliffe.

“I was preparing for the seniors before the pandemic kicked in and I also had the world championships lined up, but Ireland didn’t take part in the end.

“Staying in the amateurs would mean too much waiting around now and I am ready to get going in the pro game.”

He will embark on his professional journey with Hall of Fame promoter Warren in his corner and Hayden insists this represents the perfect scenario for his development.

“I am delighted with it,” said the big-punching youngster, who proceeded to explain how the connection came about. “If I had to choose any promoter he would always be my No.1.

“I was over in Portugal training with Conor McGregor in preparation for his fight with Dustin Poirier and cutsman Andy O’Neill was over there, who does Connor’s wraps. He was able to put me in contact with (Queensberry whip) Simon Legg, who got in touch with Frank and they were interested in promoting me.

“Andy and Connor come from the same club as me in Crumlin, so we are all fairly tight.

“Frank has a strong record with developing young fighters and that seems to be his strategy. He has got a lot of top young prospects who he is investing in to see how they turn out in the future.

“I think we are looking at six fights a year and that is what the aim is. I am delighted I am going to be busy and Frank is also going to get me over as often as he can for top quality sparring.

“I am also 100 per cent delighted over the prospect of fighting over in England,” added Hayden, before going on to describe what fans can expect from him when he steps into the ring as a professional.

“I am very hard-hitting and I have a good few stoppages on my card. I can adapt as well, I am not just a big banger and I have a good boxing IQ, so I can adjust to any opponent.

“There have been loads of times where I have gone in aggressive then come out for the second round completely different and fought off the back foot. So I am completely adaptable, but I am mostly aggressive, come forward and strong.

“I will be exciting to watch.”

Promoter Warren added on his new Queensberry charge: “I am both delighted and excited to be adding Willo to our ranks. He was undoubtedly the finest amateur talent in Irish boxing and I am looking forward to him showcasing his ability on our shows and to a wider audience on BT Sport.

“We are continually looking to build young stars for the future and I am confident Willo possesses the application and natural ability to reach the very top of the sport. Much the same as with our other exceptional young fighters, our first job is to get him the experience he needs and he won’t be rushed.

“We will deliver the right fights for him at the right time and I am sure boxing fans will enjoy watching his development and progression towards title contention.”

TIJUANA, Mexico (May 5, 2021) – Two-division world champion and current WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Luis “Pantera” Nery will meet Brandon “Heartbreaker” Figueroa in a battle of unbeatens for supremacy at 122 pounds in a 12-round battle that headlines action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, May 15 from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The 26-year-old Nery will make the inaugural defense of his WBC crown in his first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING main event. Fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico, the undefeated champion has been training in his hometown just across the U.S.-Mexico border prior to relocating to Los Angeles this week ahead of his May 15 showdown with Figueroa. Now under the tutelage of his trainer Ismael Ramirez, Nery is confident ahead of this career-defining title fight which will set up a unification bout with WBO world champion Stephen Fulton, Jr. on September 11, live on SHOWTIME.

Nery shared his thoughts on training camp, the magnitude of his fight against Figueroa and more:

On what he’s done different in this camp:
“A lot has been different in this training camp. I am sparring against opponents that are very similar to Figueroa’s style. I am running more often. I am eating right. I am preparing in a very conscious manner. My knockout streak came to an end because I wasn’t fighting in my style. I am being more myself now like I was during my knockout streak. I have been loving how we have prepared for this fight as we continue on the road to success on May 15.”

On his mentality:
“My mentality is simple: It’s either me or him. I don’t get in the ring thinking of getting to the final bell and potentially losing because of the judges. I am not leaving anything in the hands of the judges. I am going to be aggressive and I will be myself. I plan to win fighting in my style.”

On his respect for Brandon:
“I have a lot of respect for Brandon, but inside the ring, I am going to be the rudest person he’s ever met. Respect goes out of the window inside that ring. I am going to do everything to get the win.”

On his sparring:
“I have not sparred with anyone that the general public would probably know but I have a lot of great competition with local guys here in Tijuana. They are very tough kids, very strong kids. They are probably stronger than the big name fighters.”

On Brandon’s reach advantage:
“Figueroa has long arms but I have fought against many fighters with long reach before. I have plenty of experience there. I will find opportunities and I will use those to my advantage.”

On the belief that Brandon is a ‘Pretty Boy’:
“I don’t care about how pretty his face is. I don’t care if he’s a sex symbol or if he’s someone who is very ugly. To me, bottom line, he is a threat. He is a threat to my career. He is a threat to my future plans. I need to eliminate that threat. Regardless of what he looks like or how pretty he might be, I am going to defeat him. I am not underestimating him in the least.”

On Stephen Fulton, Jr. sitting ringside ahead of a Sept. 11 unification bout with the winner:
“I really could not care less about Fulton being ringside on May 15. He’s a blabbermouth anyway. What I am focused on is beating Brandon Figueroa. The time will come to worry about Stephen Fulton. But for right now, I do not care about him.”

#

ABOUT NERY VS. FIGUEROA
Nery vs. Figueroa will see two elite undefeated 122-pound champions meet as Luis Nery defends his WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship against Brandon Figueroa in a 12-round showdown live on SHOWTIME Saturday, April 10 from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, former unified super bantamweight world champion Danny Roman faces Ricardo Espinoza Franco in a 10-round battle at 122 pounds, while undefeated rising star Xavier Martinez meets former world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos in a WBA Super Featherweight Title Eliminator scheduled for 12 rounds to open the telecast.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Martinez vs. Burgos is promoted in association with Mayweather Promotions.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event.

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.

LAS VEGAS (May 5, 2021) — Top Rank on ESPN boxing returns for a quartet of fight nights at Las Vegas’ newest world-class casino resort, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, owned by JC Hospitality, LLC.  
 
The debut event, Saturday, May 22 inside The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, features the previously announced undisputed junior welterweight world championship showdown between WBC/WBO champion Jose Ramirez and Scotland’s native son, WBA/IBF champion Josh Taylor (ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT). In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, two-time world title challenger Jose “Chon” Zepeda will now face Philadelphia veteran “Hammerin” Hank Lundy.
 
The action continues three weeks later, Saturday, June 12, when undefeated former featherweight world champion Shakur Stevenson, from Newark, New Jersey, fights Namibian contender Jeremiah Nakathila for the WBO interim junior lightweight world title. On Saturday, June 19, undefeated Japanese knockout sensation Naoya “Monster” Inoue defends his IBF and WBA bantamweight world titles against Filipino IBF No. 1 contender Michael “Hot and Spicy” Dasmarinas.
 
The grand finale at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas showcases the comeback of living legend and former three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, who seeks to get back on the winning track against Masayoshi Nakatani in the 12-round lightweight main event.
 
Fans will be permitted inside the venue for all four fight cards at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. A limited number of tickets for Ramirez-Taylor, priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50, go on sale TODAY, May 5 at 12 p.m. PT, and can be purchased by visiting Etix.com. Ticket information for the final three fight cards will be announced shortly.
 
“Las Vegas is synonymous with world championship boxing and we are proud to bring that excitement to Virgin Hotels Las Vegas through our partnership with celebrated Top Rank, offering our resort guests and boxing fans an unforgettable experience,” remarked Gary Scott, COO of JC Hospitality, LLC, owner of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
 
“Top Rank is honored to debut boxing at the beautiful new Virgin Hotels Las Vegas with many of the sport’s biggest stars in sensational fights,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “We begin May 22 with a genuine super fight, a precursor for the great action to come in June.”
 
June 12
Stevenson vs. Nakathila
ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Stevenson (15-0, 8 KOs) will headline in Las Vegas for the third time as he seeks to capture a world title in a second weight class. One of the world’s top pound-for-pound talents, Stevenson is tasked with turning back Nakathila (21-1, 17 KOs), who has won 10 consecutive fights by knockout since the lone defeat of his career.
 
June 19
Inoue vs. Dasmarinas
ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Japanese star Inoue (20-0, 17 KOs) has already cemented his legacy as one of his nation’s great fighters, winning world titles in three weight classes and sporting a record of 15-0 with 13 knockouts in championship fights. He made his Las Vegas debut last October and knocked out Australian contender Jason Moloney with a straight right hand that became an instant viral highlight. Dasmarinas (30-2-1, 20 KOs) is 12-0-1 since the last defeat of his career, a run that includes a 2018 knockout over three-time European bantamweight champion Karim Guerfi.
 
June 26
Lomachenko vs. Nakatani
Streaming Exclusively on ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
“Loma” is back. The Ukrainian superstar and future Hall of Famer fights for the first time since last October’s showdown against Teofimo Lopez for the undisputed lightweight world title. Lomachenko’s return comes against Nakatani (19-1, 13 KOs), a longtime Japanese contender who most recently knocked out Felix Verdejo in one of the best fights of 2020. Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs) won a pair of Olympic gold medals before turning professional in 2013, and he then proceeded to win world titles in three weight classes in his first 12 fights. The “pound-for-pound Picasso” will be giving up roughly five inches in height and six inches in reach to the naturally bigger Nakatani.
 
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 12.1 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).

Canelo Alvarez met the media at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX today, the stadium he’ll face Billy Joe Saunders in a blockbuster unification fight on Saturday night (May 8), live worldwide on DAZN and distributed by TV Azteca in Mexico and Latin America.

LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN ON SALE AT SEATGEEK.COM

Alvarez (55-1-2 37 KOs) and Saunders (33-0 14 KOs) lock horns at the home of the Dallas Cowboys for the WBC, WBA Super and WBO titles on Cinco De Mayo weekend, and the Mexican told reporters he is laser focused on the task ahead against the unbeaten Brit.

“He thinks he’ll give me a boxing lesson?,” said Alvarez. “We’ll see. I am not the same guy I was five or six years ago. I have experience, I am a more mature fighter. So he can say whatever he wants, on Saturday night, he is in a different level of fight. I hope that I don’t need the judges on the night.

“We have always been open about what are short and long term plans have been. I want to unify the 168lb division, and Caleb Plant would be next in line to secure that short term goal if successful against Billy Joe Saunders

“The goal is to be undisputed at 168lbs and then we’ll see. I think I could stay at Super-Middleweight until the end of my career. I think I have about seven years left until I retire, but I’m listening to my body and when it tells me to quit, I’ll quit

“Nothing frustrates me, I am just focused on winning on Saturday. He has to fight me on Saturday, that has to happen, it’s not a problem.

“I don’t care about anything; I am just going to go in there and do my job. Saunders has come up with other excuses, he’s had plenty of excuses, but I am just going to go in there and do what I have to do.”

“We have faced everyone, lefties, righties, champions, former champions, so to us this is nothing new,” added trainer Eddy Reynoso.

Alvarez and Saunders clash on a huge night of action in Texas with a stacked undercard in support of the mammoth main event, with Elwin Soto (18-1 12 KOs) defending his WBO World Light-Flyweight title against Katsunari Takayama (32-8 12 KOs).

Kieron Conway (16-1-1 3 KOs) defends his WBA Intercontinental Super-Welterweight title against Souleymane Cissokho (12-0 8 KOs), Eddy Reynoso trained Cuban Heavyweight Frank Sanchez (17-0 13 KOs) meets Nagy Aguilera (21-10 14 KOs), Mexican-American talent Marc Castro (2-0 2 KOs) fights on his third Canelo undercard, Castro’s old amateur foe Keyshawn Davis (2-0 2 KOs) faces Jose Antonio Meza (6-4 1 KO) over six rounds and it’s a family affair on the night with Keyshawn’s brother Kelvin Davis (1-0 1 KO) fights for the second time in the paid ranks, with Mexican Welterweight Christian Alan Gomez Duran (19-2-1 17 KOs) celebrating Cinco De Mayo weekend over eight rounds against an opponent to be named soon.

(May 4, 2021) — Former WBO junior middleweight world champion Liam “Beefy” Smith is set to enter enemy territory. Smith, from Liverpool, England, will battle undefeated Russian contender Magomed Kurbanov for the vacant WBO International junior middleweight title Friday at KRK Uralets in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Smith-Kurbanov will headline a scheduled five-fight card streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ starting at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT.
 
Smith (29-2-1, 16 KOs) held the WBO junior middleweight world title from 2015-2016 before losing to Canelo Alvarez via ninth-round stoppage. He is 6-1 since the Alvarez fight, including two wins over current middleweight contender Liam Williams. Smith is riding a three-bout winning streak since his latest world title challenge, a game 2018 decision loss to Jaime Munguia. Kurbanov (21-0, 13 KOs) is a six-year pro who has held the WBO International junior middleweight title twice before. His most notable victory came in November 2019, when he outlasted longtime contender Diego Chaves over 12 rounds. Kurbanov went 3-0 in 2020, including a decision win over Ismail Iliev.
 
In other streaming action on ESPN+:

• Welterweight contender Eduard Skavynskyi (13-0, 7 KOs), who was born in Ukraine and now resides in Yekaterinburg, will fight former world title challenger Joel Julio (39-5, 33 KOs) in a 10-rounder.
   
• In a 10-round showdown for the vacant WBO European junior featherweight belt, Evgenii Liashkov (8-1, 2 KOs) will go for his ninth consecutive victory against Mukhammad Shekhov (8-0-1, 3 KOs), a one-time amateur standout for his native Uzbekistan.
   
• Enriko Gogokhia (12-0, 7 KOs), a former professional kickboxing standout from the nation of Georgia, will look to extend his knockout streak to five against Gustavo David Vittori (24-7-1, 12 KOs) in an eight-round junior welterweight contest.
   
• Southpaw boxer-puncher Zafar Parpiev (9-2, 2 KOs), who is coming off a December knockout win over the previously undefeated Turat Osmonov, will fight Filipino veteran Alphoe Dagayloan (14-4-6, 5 KOs) in an eight-rounder at junior bantamweight.
   

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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 12.1 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 offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

NATHAN GORMAN is sweating on Joe Joyce helping him achieve his British Heavyweight title dream.

Joyce who holds the British championship is hoping to fight Oleksandr Usyk or another of the world’s top Heavyweights in his next fight.

He is unlikely to vacate his domestic crown until then. When he does relinquish Gorman (18-1, 12 KOs) is likely to be in line for a second crack at the title.

Gorman, 24, suffered his only professional defeat when he challenged Daniel Dubois for the vacant crown in July 2019.

Frank Warren insisted that the Nantwich man would bounce back from that setback and Gorman has won two on the spin since, repaying his promoter’s faith.

Last October he outpointed Richard Lartey and in March produced one of his most impressive performances stopping Pavel Sour inside two rounds – a win that included FIVE knockdowns.

“I had four days off after my last fight,  got back into the gym and I’m training hard for my next fight,” said Gorman who hopes to return in late June or July on a Queensberry show.

“I’d like to box for the British title, but it all depends what Joe Joyce is doing with the belt.

“If Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua fight, I’d imagine Joe will fight Oleksandr Usyk and vacate the British title.

“I’m guessing that Fabio Wardley and myself would be the most likely candidates to box for it.

“I returned after the long layoff since losing to Daniel and beat Richard Lartey, but since then I have been the most determined ever in my career.”

Gorman split amicably with trainer Ricky Hatton after the Dubois setback because he was finding the 110 mile round trip to Manchester difficult, especially with a young family.

He is now with his old amateur trainer Nathan Clarke and says he is also reaping the benefits from punishing strength and conditioning sessions.

“I have only been doing this type of training for about eight months and it’s really tough. I am still getting used to it.

“I never even took a protein shake before I started strength and conditioning. I am new to this, and it all adds to my performances.

“I am going to weigh about 18-10 going forward. I am never going to be a boxer who is ripped to death, but I am going to put some physique in there.

“You get one go at this and I have to make the most. Right now, I am really pleased with everything and a happy fighter is a dangerous one.”

New York, NY (May 4, 2021) DiBella Entertainment has signed touted bantamweight prospect and former amateur star Mikiah Kreps (1-0, 1KO), of Niagara Falls, NY, to an exclusive promotional agreement.

The 24-year-old Kreps will make her debut under the DiBella Entertainment banner on Friday, May 14, against fellow undefeated prospect Alex Love (3-0, 2 KOs), of Brighton, CO, in an eight-round bantamweight clash on the stacked, first installment of Broadway Boxing Presents: Ladies Fight. Held at the Embassy Suites Nashville SE, in Murfreesboro, TN, the event will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading streaming service for combat sports, starting at 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT.

Tables for the event, priced at $800 and $600 (for a group of 10), and limited General Admission tickets for $35, are on sale now at MurfreesboroBoxing.EventBrite.com. The Embassy Suites Nashville SE is located at 1200 Conference Center Boulevard, Murfreesboro, TN 37129. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:30pm CDT, with the first bell at 7:00pm CDT.

Kreps is trained by her mother, Deborah Kreps, and managed by WBO lightweight world champion Jamel Herring along with Jerry Casarez, of First to Fight Management.

“I’m extremely blessed to be in this position and ready to showcase my talent to the world,” said Kreps. “Thank you to my managers, Jerry Casarez and Jamel Herring, for believing in me and thank you to Lou DiBella for giving me the opportunity. I will continue to work hard and be the best I can be, as we work toward our goal of becoming a world champion.”

“Mikiah was a very accomplished amateur fighter and has all the attributes to become a world champion,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “She’s very popular in the upstate New York area and our team will work with Jamel and Jerry to expand her popularity as we help to provide the biggest opportunities for her career.”

“I just want to thank Lou DiBella and the entire DiBella Entertainment family for giving Mikiah a great platform to truly showcase her talents in front of the world,” said Jamel Herring. “I’ve known Lou for years and, as a fellow Long Islander, he’s been a standup guy. I’m happy to work alongside him while guiding Mikiah toward a world title on the big stage.”

Continued Jerry Casarez, “I’m excited about Mikiah’s future and want to thank Lou DiBella and his staff for believing in her and signing her to a promotional deal. I’m confident that she’s on the fast track to a world title and has the right team behind her in order to make history.”

Following a stellar amateur career, Kreps made her highly anticipated professional debut with a second-round stoppage of Noely Ramiro on October 30, 2020, in Tijuana, Mexico.

Competing as an amateur, Kreps won gold at the 2018 Elite National Championships, the 2017 Eastern Elite Qualifier and 2014 National Golden Gloves, silver at the 2017 Elite National Championships and 2016 and 2017 National Golden Gloves, and bronze at the 2019 World Championships, 2018 Western Elite Qualifier and 2015 National PAL tournament.

Kreps vs. Love will serve as the co-feature on May 14 to the lightweight main event between former world champion Heather “The Heat” Hardy (22-1, 4 KOs) and top contender Jessica Camara (7-2), of Montreal, Canada.
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MIAMI – May 4, 2021 – Boxeo Telemundo, the #1 boxing program among Hispanics and longest-running sports show in Spanish-language television, debuts its spring season with a WBA Fedecentro Jr. Lightweight title bout featuring up-and-coming prospects Gadwin “El Abayarde” Rosa facing George “El Yuyu” Acosta, live on Friday, May 7 at 12 a.m. ET/ 11 p.m. CT from Osceola Heritage Park Events Center on Telemundo, TelemundoDeportes.com and the Telemundo Deportes app.

Gadwin Rosa (11-1 9 Kos), from Puerto Rico but now residing in Florida, will be making his Telemundo debut as he aims to capture his first regional title. In his last outing, Rosa defeated Danny Flores by knock out in the 2nd round. George Acosta (11-1 1 KO) is looking to stay active this year as he steps back in the ring after a shutout performance last month, where he was victorious, winning a unanimous decision against Edgar “Pito Lupillo” Ramirez.

Boxeo Telemundo’s season debut will also present a special four-round bout of undefeated Super Bantamweights as Pedro Salome (2-0-1) of Los Angeles, California faces undefeated Hector Bayanilla (2-0) of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Boxeo Telemundo’s spring season will feature three consecutive weeks of live match coverage coupled with fight analysis and discussions about the latest boxing and MMA news stories. The season wraps up with a final episode highlighting the best-of season look-backs, never-seen undercards, and news and segments from the world of boxing and MMA.

Throughout the season, host Karim Mendiburu will be joined by Jorge Calvo and Andres Bermudez as the core play-by-play and commentator team. The show will also feature a rotation of renowned boxing contributors including Claudia Trejos, Maria del Mar Torres, and Omar Amador, along with boxing world champions and MMA stars as special guests.

Leading to the season premiere, Mendiburu and Trejos will be in Dallas starting today to provide extensive news and information coverage around the Canelo Alvarez vs. Billy Jose Saunders bout. Coverage and special reports will air on TYM all week while Zona Mixta will feature the latest on fight night.

On the digital front, Boxeo Telemundo: Entre las Cuerdas, hosted by Mendiburu with contributors as special guests, continues tonight at 7 p.m. ET on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, with special coverage around Canelo and Saunders’ arrival to Dallas;  and Boxeo Telemundo Plus is back this Friday, giving fans the opportunity to connect with the Boxeo Telemundo’s experts via livestream each Friday night before Boxeo Telemundo goes on air, highlighting the latest around the live bouts and what’s coming, including all around Canelo and Saunder. The livestream is available at via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

CARSON, CALIF. (May 4, 2021) – Undefeated super bantamweight champions will meet for 122-pound supremacy when Luis Nery makes the first defense of his WBC world title against Brandon “Heartbreaker” Figueroa in the headline attraction of a three-fight card live on SHOWTIME Saturday, May 15 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will see former unified super bantamweight champion Danny Roman take on hard-hitting Ricardo Espinoza Franco in the 10-round co-main event, plus in the telecast opener undefeated super featherweight contender Xavier Martinez squares off against former world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos in a 12-round WBA Super Featherweight Title Eliminator.

Nery vs. Figueroa will see the powerful two-division champion Nery pursue a signature win at super bantamweight, while the rising Figueroa looks to use his all-action style to earn a career-best victory and announce his presence amongst the sport’s elite. The winner of this fight will be in line to face WBO 122-pound champion Stephen Fulton later this year in a unification showdown.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Martinez vs. Burgos is promoted in association with Mayweather Promotions.

“The super bantamweight division is one of boxing’s most intriguing, and this showdown between Nery and Figueroa will be a huge step towards declaring the king of the weight class,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “These two undefeated 122-pound champions will leave it all in the ring in front of the passionate Southern California fight fans on May 15. With two Mexican-warriors going toe-to-toe, this is a main event that you won’t want to miss a second of.”

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event.

The Tijuana, Mexico native Nery (31-0, 24 KOs) became a two-division world champion in September as he won a wide unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Aaron Alameda to capture his WBC crown. The 26-year-old had held an 11-fight knockout streak entering that 122-pound title fight, establishing himself as a premier knockout artist at bantamweight during a run that included stoppages of former champions McJoe Arroyo and Juan Carlos Payano. Nery first became champion in 2017, when he went to Japan and stopped Shinsuke Yamanaka in his home country to capture the WBC bantamweight world title.

“This is one of the biggest fights of my career,” said Nery. “I am going to win this fight in spectacular fashion. I’m training hard every day to make sure I get the win on May 15. This is my time to make history for Mexico.”

The 24-year-old Figueroa (21-0-1, 16 KOs) returns to the ring after his most recent outing saw him stop Damien Vazquez in round 10 of their September 2020 clash. Figueroa applied his all-action style scoring knockouts over veteran contenders Moises Flores and Oscar Escandon to move his way up the 122-pound rankings. He captured the WBA’s interim super bantamweight title by stopping Yonfrez Parejo in April 2019, before eventually being elevated to “regular” champion. Figueroa has trained for this career-defining bout in Southern California, alongside his brother and former world champion Omar Figueroa.

“Training camp out here in California with Joel Diaz has been amazing,” said Figueroa. “I’m in tremendous shape and I’ll be ready to go on May 15. This is really one of the best training camps of my career. I know Nery is a tough fighter, maybe my toughest test to date. I’m 24 now, so it’s time for me to start fighting these world class fighters and prove to myself that I belong in there with the best fighters. I know Stephen Fulton is lined up for the winner of this fight, but I’m preparing 110% for Nery. I know he’s not just any fighter, so I’m doing everything I can to come away with the win on May 15.”

Ranked in the top five by all four sanctioning bodies at super bantamweight, Roman (27-3-1, 10 KOs) will look to continue on his path back toward another world title when he steps in the ring on May 15. The 30-year-old from Los Angeles most recently won an exciting 12-round unanimous decision over former champion Juan Carlos Payano last September. Roman first became world champion in 2017, when he stopped Shun Kubo for the WBA title. Roman would go on to unify titles by beating TJ Doheny for his IBF strap in 2019, before losing a narrow split decision to Murodjon Akhmadaliev in January 2020.

“I’m delighted to be fighting once again and can’t wait to step into the ring May 15 on SHOWTIME,” said Roman. “Ricardo Espinoza is a very tough fighter with a lot of heart. I know this fight is going to be another war and I’m fully prepared to go to battle. I’ve stayed in shape since my last fight, so fans can expect to see me throw a lot of punches. I’m going to make this fight a classic Mexican showdown.”

The 23-year-old Espinoza (25-3, 21 KOs) has fought professionally since 2015 and has won 15 of his last 16 fights heading into May 15. Fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico, Espinoza dropped a bantamweight interim title fight to current world champion John Riel Casimero in 2019 via a 12th round knockout in a fight that was virtually tied on the cards. Espinoza bounced back with two straight victories, including his most recent triumph, a unanimous decision win over previously unbeaten Brandon Valdes last August.

“I’m training as hard as I ever have for this opportunity on May 15,” said Espinoza. “I feel strong and prepared for anything Roman is going to throw at me. I know that he’s an accomplished fighter, but I have all of the tools to be victorious and win an exciting fight that the fans are going to love.”

A Mayweather Promotions prospect from Sacramento, Calif., Martínez (15-0, 11 KOs) has trained for this fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 23-year-old earned a career-best victory in his last outing, defeating veteran contender Claudio Marrero by unanimous decision in October on SHOWTIME. Previously, Martínez added three stoppage victories to his record in 2019 to run up a seven-fight knockout streak heading into the Marrero fight.

“I’ve felt great in camp and have already been preparing hard for this opponent,” said Martinez. “My last fight was an incredible experience. The biggest thing it taught me is just because you’re winning, don’t fall asleep at the wheel. That’s the same mentality I’m taking into this fight. I proved in my last fight that I can box and can hang with the best in the sport. This is a side many haven’t seen because I’ve been decapitating my previous opponents. The world is going to see how much versatility I carry in my skill set. May 15 is another day in the office, and it’s time to work!”

The Tijuana, Mexico native Burgos (34-4-2, 21 KOs) has faced an impressive resume of top fighters throughout his extensive career, dropping world title bouts to Mikey Garcia and Hozumi Hasegawa, in addition to a draw in a 130-pound title tilt against Roman Martinez. The 33-year-old ended up on the short end of decisions in challenges of unbeaten champion Devin Haney in 2018 and undefeated Hector Tanajara in January 2020. Most recently, he won a unanimous decision over Juan Ramon Bernal in March 2020.

“This is another opportunity for me to show that I have a lot left to give in the ring,” says Burgos. “Martínez doesn’t have a strong chin, as everyone saw when he got dropped twice by Claudio Marrero in his last fight. I’ve been training hard and waiting for an opportunity like this. Fans can expect an explosive performance on May 15.”

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

Las Vegas – UFC^® delivers another action-packed card at UFC APEX in Las Vegas, headlined by a flyweight battle of strawweight contenders as No. 6 ranked Marina Rodriguez takes on No. 9 Michelle Waterson. The co-main event will feature an exciting welterweight bout between talented strikers, as Donald Cerrone squares off with Alex Morono.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: RODRIGUEZ vs. WATERSON will take place Saturday, May 8 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card will be available on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.

Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil signee Rodriguez (13-1-2, fighting out of Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil) has wasted little time securing herself as a potential title challenger since joining the UFC roster in 2018. During this time, she has delivered exciting wins over Amanda Ribas, Tecia Torres and Jessica Aguilar. Rodriguez now has her sight set on securing the biggest win of her career in her first UFC main event opportunity.

Perennial contender Waterson (18-8, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) looks to kick off her 2021 campaign by building on the momentum of her thrilling Fight of the Night win over Angela Hill last year. A former Invicta FC champion, she also holds notable victories against Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Jessica Penne and Paige VanZant. Waterson now hopes to make a statement by stopping Rodriguez’s momentum with another show-stealing performance.

Cerrone (36-15 2NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) makes his record-tying 37^th Octagon appearance. The owner of most wins (23) and tied for most finishes (16) in UFC history, Cerrone has earned epic stoppages against Matt Brown, Rick Story and Edson Barboza. Cerrone now aims to deliver another vintage “Cowboy” performance to further etch his name in the record books.

Morono (18-7 1NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas) steps in on short notice looking to secure the biggest win of his 11-year career. A diverse striker and grappler, he has delivered memorable victories against Max Griffin, Song Kenan, Zak Ottow and Josh Burkman. Morono is now gunning to turn heads in his first UFC co-main event opportunity by finishing a legend.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Phil Hawes (10-2, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) takes on Kyle Daukaus (10-1, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) in a middleweight battle between Dana White’s Contender Series veterans
• In an exciting clash of welterweight contenders, No. 9 ranked Neil Magny (24-9, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) squares off with No. 10 Geoff Neal (13-3, fighting out of Dallas, Texas)
• No. 12 ranked lightweight contender Diego Ferreira (17-3, fighting out of Pharr, Texas) locks horns with returning No. 14 Gregor Gillespie (13-1, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y.)
• Heavyweight finishers collide when Maurice Greene (9-6, fighting out of St. Cloud, Minn.) meets Marcos Rogerio de Lima (17-8-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• No. 11 ranked women’s strawweight contender Amanda Ribas (10-2, fighting out of Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil) takes on No. 12 Angela Hill (13-9, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.)
• Ben Rothwell (38-13, fighting out of Kenosha, Wisc.) faces Philipe Lins (14-5, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil) in an intriguing heavyweight bout
• Ludovit Klein (17-2, fighting out of Nove Zamky, Slovakia) goes for his ninth consecutive win when he meets The Ultimate Fighter season 27 winner Mike Trizano (9-1, fighting out of Ramsey, N.J.) in a featherweight bout
• Christian Aguilera (14-7, fighting out of Brea, Calif.) battles UFC newcomer Carlston Harris (15-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a welterweight contest
• Ryan Benoit (10-7, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) meets Zarrukh Adashev (3-3, New York, N.Y. by way of Samarkand, Uzbekistan) at flyweight
• Junyong Park (12-4, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) squares off with undefeated Tafon Nchukwi (5-0, fighting out of Temple Hills, Md. by way of Bamenda, Cameroon) in a clash of middleweight prospects

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

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 155 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to approximately 900M TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 70 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 12.1 million subscribers.

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

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features nine U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

CAOIMHIN AGYARKO INSISTS his clock has now stopped when it comes to time-wasters calling him out on social media and then not being prepared to back up their bravado.

The powerful middleweight recently engaged in some Twitter beef with former Love Island contestant and outspoken Birmingham prospect Idris Virgo.

The solution to the squabble, as far as Agyarko is concerned, was simple. Fix up a fight date and get it on.

This appears to be the point where the Twitter thread reached a conclusion.

“It was last year some time that he called me out on Twitter,” reported Agyarko on the history of his exchanges with Virgo, 9-0-1. “It has gone back and forth since then and he asked for a ridiculous amount of money to fight me and then he commented on one of my videos not long ago, saying I had no power, considering I am eight fights with five KOs and he is 10 fights with one.

“And if you look at the opposition we have both faced, I have definitely gone in with tougher fighters, so I don’t know where he gets that from. He has been calling me out, but he is not going to take the fight as we have already offered it to him and he has turned it down.

“So I am not focused on him at all anymore,” added the Belfast boy, who is booked in for a first title challenge in June.

“I understand why he is doing it. I am not one to call people out because I let my boxing do the talking and I’ve got the backing from Frank Warren and my amateur pedigree with all the experience. I don’t need to go on social media and hype myself up.

“He is someone who doesn’t have that. He has come in off the back of Love Island, a TV reality show and people know him from there. He is trying to use that to make his name bigger in the boxing world and I respect that.

“But I am the wrong person to do this with. If I say anything I don’t just talk the talk, I walk the walk as well. He is not one of these people, he just talks the talk.

“I’ve no time for people like that. Listen, if you’re gonna call me out, then be prepared to fight. It is the same with another middleweight called Mick Hall, who also called me out before Christmas and then didn’t want it.

“If I do any talking I will definitely back it up.

“I will ignore it from now on, although it does keep me entertained in camp sometimes and gives me something to do. I don’t like wasting my time with people though, if you are serious about a fight, then let’s fight. I have no problem with that.”

Joshua Buatsi continues his push for a World Title fight when he faces Daniel Blenda Dos Santos, a fellow unbeaten contender, for the WBA International Light-Heavyweight Title at the AO, Arena Manchester on Saturday May 15, live on Sky Sports in the UK andon DAZN in the US and more than 200 countries and territories.

The explosive 178lbs contender, one of Britain’s hottest talents, stopped Marko Calic in October to continue his destructive rise up the rankings and has since travelled to America to team up with new trainer Virgil Hunter, who guided the career of pound-for-pound star Andre Ward. 

France’s Dos Santos is undefeated in 15 fights, with eight of his wins coming inside the distance, and the 30-year-old from Pont-Sainte-Maxence has been more active than Buatsi in recent months, fighting twice in 2021 and earning a first round stoppage last time out. 

“I’ve got an unbeaten opponent, that makes him ambitious,” said Buatsi. “Obviously it’s the first fight under Virgil, so it’s should be interesting. I’m looking forward to showing what I’ve been working on with Virgil. He’s going to want to hold onto his undefeated record, as I am. When that’s at stake you really dig deep.

“It’s mainly the style that I like. Each of his fighters translate it differently. The public haven’t seen how good I can be, or I will be. I want to unlock the potential that I have got. This addition to the team will 100 per cent bring the best out of me.”

Buatsi vs. Dos Santos is part of a huge night of boxing in Manchester, Terri Harper (11-0-1, 6 KOs) attempts to add Hyun-Mi Choi’s (18-0-1, 4 KOs) WBA belt to her WBC and IBO World Titles as she battles for supremacy at 130lbs, there is also a triple-header of European Title fights with Gamal Yafai (18-1, 10 KOs) defending his Super-Bantamweight Title for the first time against Jason Cunningham (28-6, 6 KOs), Tommy McCarthy (17-2, 18 KOs) defending his Cruiserweight crown against Romania’s Alexandru Jur (19-4, 7 KOs) and Lerrone Richards (14-0, 3 KOs) taking on Italy’s Giovanni De Carolis (28-9-1, 13 KOs) for the vacant Super-Middleweight strap, Dalton Smith (7-0, 6 KOs) also takes on Lee Appleyard (16-5-1, 5 KOs) for the vacant English Super-Lightweight Title after their February clash fell through at short notice.

LOS ANGELES (May 3, 2021) —– Triller today announced it has opened a website for anyone who pirated the April 17 Triller Fight Club event to pay the original $49.99 PPV price before June 1st, after which the company will be pursuing individuals for the maximum civil penalty of $150,000 per illegal stream. The payment site is https://www.fite.tv/page/041721piracysettlement/.

On the FITE.tv payment page, Triller has embedded an agreement that upon paying the $49.99 fee it will release and agree not to pursue the user for the $150,000 civil penalty that it would be entitled to against each and any individual who pirated the PPV event. 

“VPN firewalls all have to comply and turn over the actual IP addresses of each person who stole the fight in discovery,” said Matt St. Claire, Head of Piracy for Triller. “We will be able to identify each and every person, VPN or not, as each stream has a unique fingerprint embedded in the content. Triller will pursue the full $150,000 penalty per person per instance for anyone who doesn’t do the right thing and pay before the deadline.”

Triller filed legal action on April 23 in U.S. District Court of Central California against the owners of the H3Podcast website for piracy of the April 17 event and a dozen other sites that restreamed and profited from as many as hundreds of thousands of users each. More than two million illegal streams of the event occurred for the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren boxing match.

In the case of H3Podcast, Triller added the site to its legal action after the site’s owner admitted on his own podcast that he pirated and shared the Paul vs. Askren fight. The legal action could result in civil fines up to $150,000 per illegal stream, as well as potentially $250,000 in criminal fines and up to 5 years in jail. The fines are calculated at $150,000 per instance, so for H3 and other sites who rebroadcast the event to many people, the damages are large.

“We are taking this position because it is outright theft,” St. Claire added. “It is no different than walking into a store and stealing a video game off the shelf. In the case of the offending sites, it’s worse, because they also then resold it to many people, illegally profiting from work they do not own.”

Violation of federal anti-piracy laws for protected works automatically carries up to a $150,000 civil penalty, as well as up to a $250,000 criminal penalty and up to 5 years in jail per instance.

“We encourage anyone who pirated the event to visit the site before June 1, pay their $49.99 and receive a full and complete release from Triller to avoid further action,” said St. Claire.

London, UK (3 May 2021) Proud Brit Sam Eggington has vowed to end the run of high-profile Mexican victories on these shores this year when he faces ‘King’ Carlos Molina for the Vacant WBC Middleweight Championship on Saturday 22nd May at the Coventry Skydome Arena, exclusively live and free on Channel 5.

Battle-hardened Eggington, 27, has seen Josh Warrington halted in nine rounds by Mauricio Lara; Robbie Davis Jr’s points loss to Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela and the latest on Saturday night with James Tennyson blitzed in the opening round by Jovanni Straffon.

The Birmingham star has not yet experienced trading leather with a Mexican fighter in his 37-fight career and knows that he’s up against it and in a real acid test for his first one against the fearsome Molina, 37, a former IBF World Super-Welterweight Champion.

From Patzcuaro, Michoacán de Ocampo, Molina has never been stopped in his 18-year and 50-fight career that has seen him mix it with some of the best and hardest punchers around the division, including Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (twice), Mike Alvarado, Erislandy Lara, Kermit Cintron, James Kirkland, Ishe Smith, Cory Spinks and Cornelius Bundrage, that validates his danger.

Although the warning signs are there, former British, Commonwealth, European and International Champion Eggington is ready for a toe-to-toe war with the teak tough Molina and put a stop to the run of Brits falling to the marauding Mexicans.

“They say you haven’t been in a fight until you’ve been in with a Mexican fighter. They are renowned for their extreme toughness and they have some of the greatest champions in the sport’s history, I’m mindful of that and it is a warning to me to not underestimate Molina,” Said Eggington.

“I’ve seen what Lara did to Warrington, Valenzuela’s win over Davis Jr. and just on Saturday night what Straffon did to Tennyson, I’d be a fool not to realise and prepare for what is in front of me against Molina, but I’m preparing for a trench war if need be against him. There’s no way he will be leaving the UK with my scalp and the WBC Silver title. This will be a war and he’d better be ready for what I’m prepared to go through to win,”

“Whilst the Mexicans have been running rampant over here this year, that will come to a stop against Molina on May 22nd. I know that Chavez, Alvarado, Lara, Kirkland and Bundrage couldn’t stop him, but it will be a real statement of where I’m at if I can be the first. I know that everything is on the line with this fight, if I lose then I won’t get the World title shot that I’m so close to which is why I must win and it will be in devastating style.”

Presented by Hennessy Sports in association with William Hill, Infinitum, Numan, Everlast and King Carlos Promotions, Eggington v Molina will headline the exciting nine-fight card exclusively live and free-to-air across the UK and Ireland on Channel 5.

Main event features Birmingham warrior Sam Eggington (29-7-0, 17 KO’s) against Mexico’s hard-as-nails Carlos Molina (37-11-2, 12 KO’s) for the Vacant WBC Silver Middleweight Championship. Chief support features a cracking showdown between Birmingham’s Kaisee Benjamin (11-1-1, 2 KO’s) and Dumbarton’s Martin Harkin (13-1-0, 5 KO’s) in an Eliminator for the British Welterweight Championship (Subject to BBBofC approval).

Also on the card, Coventry sensation River Wilson-Bent (8-0-0, 4 KO’s) makes the first defence of his Midlands Area Middleweight title against Derby’s George Farrell (5-0-0, 1 KO). Former British Light-Heavyweight Champion Shakan Pitters (14-1-0, 4 KO’s) has his first back against Bradford’s Jermaine Springer (7-2-0, 1 KO) in an eight-rounder since losing his title to Craig Richards last December. County Monaghan super-lightweight dynamo Stephen ‘The Hitman’ McKenna (7-0-0, 7 KO’s) features in a six-rounder, but the undefeated red-hot 24-year-old prospect has not needed to go the distance yet with all his fights ending inside. Birmingham middleweight bombshell Idris ‘The Bodybreaker’ Virgo (9-0-1, 1 KO) goes in over six-rounds. Sevenoaks all-action super-welterweight Michael Hennessy Jr. (5-1-1) is in a six-rounder against Warminster’s Paul Cummings. Irish super-welterweight ace Brett McGinty (1-0) follows up his thrilling pro debut last December when he features in a four-rounder against Birmingham’s Josh Hodgins. Brighton heavyweight talent Tommy Welch (1-0-0, 1 KO), son of the former British, Commonwealth and World Heavyweight title challenger Scott, follow’s up his explosive debut last December when he stopped Matt Gordon in the second round and features in a four-round contest.

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

ANGELES, CA (May 3, 2021) – Thompson Boxing Promotions’ super featherweight prospect, George “El YuYu” Acosta (11-1, 1 KO), is scheduled to make his televised debut against Gadwin Rosa (11-1, 9 KOs), on Friday May 7, 2021. On the line will be the WBA Regular World Title. The 10-round bout, promoted by All Star Boxing, will air live on Telemundo. Check your local listing for programing.

Acosta, who is training with coach Jeff Flotree at the Maywood Boxing Gym in Southern California, gives his thoughts on his matchup with Rosa, training camp, fighting in his first 10-round bout, and more.

On his recent training camp:

“I’m in great shape as I just fought in April, so training camp has just continued on from my last fight. I’ve been sparring with a lot of good fighters and my coach Jeff Flotree has been pushing me to my limit. This will be my first 10-rounder and I’m confident I can go the distance if I have too.

On his matchup with Gadwin Roas:

“Rosa and I are at a crossroad in our careers. We both need to win to take everything to the next level. I know he has a lot of power, so I’ll be looking to counter all his power punches. I believe I have the superior boxing skills to come out on top. This will be a very difficult fight, but I’m convinced I’ll be victorious.”

On fighting for the WBA Regular World Title:

“It’s this type of opportunity that a fighter always dreams of when we first start boxing. I’ve been waiting for a big fight and now its here. I going to take full advantage of this moment. I want to thank my promoter Thompson Boxing for always having my back. Kenny and Alex a great people and it will be a special moment to bring home this belt for them.”

On making his televised debut on Telemundo:

“Telemundo has been a staple network for boxing, giving us fighters a platform to showcase our talent to the masses for many years. The fans will see me at my best and I’m looking forward to a great night of boxing. This is my time to shine.”

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (April 30, 2021)—WBA Heavyweight Champion Trevor Bryan is chomping at the bit to take on all comers as he continues training in Florida following winning the title.

“I’m the only heavyweight champion in the United States,” said Bryan, who calls himself “The Dream”.  “I’m the young lion and I’m hungry.  “Bring on Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.  I’ll take their belts and become the undisputed heavyweight champion.  I’ll even give Iron Mike Tyson the opportunity to come back and fight me for my title.”

“I’m more than ready, so let’s get it on.  We are ready to go.  I’ll take on Mike Tyson for a tune-up and then I’ll fight either Joshua or Fury the same night.”

Bryan’s promoter, Don King, is ready to get Bryan back into the ring with his belt.

“Let’s make a deal,” said King.  “Trevor is ready to get back into the ring and claim the other belts.”

The 31-year-old Bryan won the regular WBA championship on Jan. 29 of this year as he stopped Bermane Stiverne in the 11^th round.  Bryan is 21-0 with 15 KOs.

London, UK (30 April 2021) Former British Light-Heavyweight Champion Shakan Pitters will be backing old foe Craig Richards in his WBA World title challenge against Dmitry Bivol tomorrow night.

Pitters lost his British title to Richards last December when ahead on the judges’ scorecards he was stopped in the ninth round by the hard-hitting Londoner, but he wants to see his rival win the title which could set up future rematch between the pair.

‘Big Shak’ begins his comeback on Saturday 22nd May at the Coventry Skydome Arena, exclusively live and free on Channel 5, when he takes on Bradford’s Jermaine Springer in an eight-rounder on the undercard of the big showdown between Sam Eggington and Carlos Molina for the WBC Silver Middleweight Championship.

He said, “Anything can happen in boxing and he’s got a good chance tomorrow night. He’s stepped up to face Bivol who’s unbeaten and won the world title in just his seventh fight and he can punch. I’ve spoken to Richards since our fight and we’re cool, I wished him all the best and it’s great for British boxing if he wins.”

The 31-year-old from Birmingham is hungry to return to the ring and do a good job on Springer and then push his case for a championship title opportunity.

He added, “I’d like the rematch with Richards, but I’m not going to chase it, I’m going to focus on my own career and keep winning and get the belts coming in and then in time I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

“I’ve been working hard in the gym since the Richards fight with my trainer Jon Pegg and we’ve been focusing on ring generalship and aggression so you’ll be seeing a more attacking Shakan Pitters on his return,”

“I’m looking for a more clinical performance and do what I do best and show the skills and make a real statement.”

Presented by Hennessy Sports in association with William Hill, Infinitum, Numan, Everlast and King Carlos Promotions, Eggington v Molina will headline the exciting nine-fight card exclusively live and free-to-air across the UK and Ireland on Channel 5.

Main event features Birmingham warrior Sam Eggington (29-7-0, 17 KO’s) against Mexico’s hard-as-nails Carlos Molina (37-11-2, 12 KO’s) for the Vacant WBC Silver Middleweight Championship. Chief support features a cracking showdown between Birmingham’s Kaisee Benjamin (11-1-1, 2 KO’s) and Dumbarton’s Martin Harkin (13-1-0, 5 KO’s) in an Eliminator for the British Welterweight Championship (Subject to BBBofC approval).

Also on the card, Coventry sensation River Wilson-Bent (8-0-0, 4 KO’s) makes the first defence of his Midlands Area Middleweight title against Derby’s George Farrell (5-0-0, 1 KO). Former British Light-Heavyweight Champion Shakan Pitters (14-1-0, 4 KO’s) has his first back against Bradford’s Jermaine Springer (7-2-0, 1 KO) in an eight-rounder since losing his title to Craig Richards last December. County Monaghan super-lightweight dynamo Stephen ‘The Hitman’ McKenna (7-0-0, 7 KO’s) features in a six-rounder, but the undefeated red-hot 24-year-old prospect has not needed to go the distance yet with all his fights ending inside. Birmingham middleweight bombshell Idris ‘The Bodybreaker’ Virgo (9-0-1, 1 KO) goes in over six-rounds. Sevenoaks all-action super-welterweight Michael Hennessy Jr. (5-1-1) is in a six-rounder against Warminster’s Paul Cummings. Irish super-welterweight ace Brett McGinty (1-0) follows up his thrilling pro debut last December when he features in a four-rounder against Birmingham’s Josh Hodgins. Brighton heavyweight talent Tommy Welch (1-0-0, 1 KO), son of the former British, Commonwealth and World Heavyweight title challenger Scott, follow’s up his explosive debut last December when he stopped Matt Gordon in the second round and features in a four-round contest.

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

JOSHUA FRANKHAM RECKONS we can expect some explosive performances from Levi Frankham, now that his younger cousin is joining the pro ranks.

Super welterweight Levi will make his entry into the professional arena on Friday evening on the same card as Joshua – who is working his way down to welterweight – and one headlined by the IBF world flyweight title showdown between Moruti Mthalane and Sunny Edwards.

Joshua is better placed than most to give us the lowdown on Levi, with the pair having grown up together in the amateurs and currently sharing a gym in Southampton under trainer Wayne Batten as professionals.

According to Joshua, 22, his 20-year-old cousin likes to apply the Big Bang Theory when he gets to work.

“He will be in exciting, exciting fights – every fight is gonna be exciting with big knockouts,” predicted the Reading-based Frankham. “You are guaranteed knockouts with him, he is a big puncher and massive at the weight.

“So there will be some amazing nights for both of us, but Levi particularly.

“He goes for the jugular and when he hits it is game over. He will be fan friendly, people love knockouts and that is what you will get with Levi, definitely,” added the 2-0 pro, hoping to make it a treble on Friday, who says Levi has employed a technical side since joining his gym.

“He is learning a lot and has improved so much under Wayne. Before he was come forward, pressure, pressure, pressure and he would beat them down, but now he is sort of learning to box a little bit and is more relaxed and calmer.

“He is looking a lot better and I am looking forward to a big performance from him.

Of course, there is another Frankham – Charles – who is now moving in Queensberry circles and Joshua reveals the three cousins were a formidable trio growing up.

“Charles is a tremendous talent, who can go all the way. We are all close, but we haven’t been together as much as when we all boxed together as amateurs.

“We were a tight team, especially at Pinewood and The Ring and we were running amateur boxing at one stage. We will look to do it again in the pros.

“Charles was always the Daddy during the schoolboy years because he won everything, but I started holding my own with him and won titles, so we all did equally as good.

“It would be a sell-out if we were all on the same bill. Guaranteed! York Hall in September, what a night that would be.”

In the main event of the behind closed doors London card brilliant South African Moruti Mthalane (39-2, 26 KOs) defends his IBF World Flyweight championship against Croydon’s Sunny Edwards (15-0, 4 KOs).

Southampton Super-Featherweight Ryan Garner (9-0, 6 KOs) is also in action, along with a debut for super welterweight Jonathan Kumuteo.

Joseph Parker hopes that a win over Derek Chisora at the AO Arena, Manchester this Saturday May 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in all markets excluding the UK, Ireland, China, New Zealand and Samoa, will kickstart his route back to the top of the Heavyweight division. 

Former WBO World Champion Parker (28-2, 21 KOs) is fresh off a hard-fought 12-round decision over long-time amateur nemesis Junior Fa at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand that settled an 11-year old rivalry with his compatriot.

Ranked at No.3 with the WBO, Parker recently teamed up with former Middleweight World Champion Andy Lee, and the 29-year-old knows an impressive stoppage of the teak-tough Chisora would propel him closer to his ambition of becoming a two-time World Champion.

“I’m very prepared for this fight, I’ve had a great training camp with Andy in Ireland, then we moved over to Morecambe and got some great sparring under our belt, great pad work, bag, everything,” said Parker. “I feel like with this fight, physically and mentally, I’m in a great place – probably the best I’ve been in a while.

“You will see some good changes. I’ll be sharper, with better movement and better footwork. I’ll be focused for the whole fight. If I execute the game-plan that Andy has put in place, it should be a good night for Team Parker. I expect Derek to be Derek – to apply pressure from the beginning, throwing punches and bombs. 

“Two totally different styles, Junior Fa’s style was move and hug, punch every now and then. With Derek it’s no secret, he’s going to come forward and apply the pressure, throw punches everywhere. My hands are going to have to be up, down and all around.

“I’ve been a World Champion before and I want to be World champion again. In order to achieve that goal I have to get Derek out of the way first. Then set up the other fights that are out there. We’ve done everything we can to prepare for whatever he brings.

“I think this is the perfect fight at the right time. We’re right there, get a good victory and there’s many other great fights out there to be made and to position yourself when the titles are free to fight for. This is a big card, not only the main event but the undercard fights are very exciting, I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

Chisora vs. Parker tops a huge night of action in Manchester, Irish star Katie Taylor (17-0, 6 KOs) defends her Undisputed Lightweight crown against former amateur rival Natasha Jonas (9-1-1, 7 KOs), undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs) puts his Title on the line against Craig Richards (16-1-1, 9 KOs), Chris Eubank Jr (29-2, 22 KOs) returns against Marcus Morrison (23-3, 16 KOs), Belfast’s James Tennyson (28-3, 24 KOs) faces Mexico’s JovanniStraffon (23-3-1, 16 KOs) for the IBO Lightweight World Title, Preston’s Scott Fitzgerald (14-0, 9 KOs) makes his long awaited return against Gregory Trenel (13-6-2, 3 KOs) and Lightweight prospect Campbell Hatton (1-0) fights in his home city for the first time as a pro against Levi Dunn (0-4).

Kieron Conway says fighting in front of 70,000 fans in Dallas will be ‘surreal’ but he’s ready to turn on the style against Souleymane Cissokho on the undercard of the unification blockbuster between Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders at AT&T Stadium on Saturday May 8, live worldwide on DAZN and on TV Azteca in Mexico. 

LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN ON SALE AT SEATGEEK.COM

Conway (16-1-1 3 KOs) fights on the biggest stage of his career just under two years since the Northampton man boxed in front of a tiny crowd in his hometown over four rounds. Since that night, the 24 year old has gone to a whole new level; a war with Ted Cheeseman for the British Super-Welterweight title in London in June 2019 ending in a split draw but also a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.

‘Too Class’ has won four fights since that barnburner with ‘The Big Cheese’, with wins over Nav Mansouri at the Matchroom Fight Camp in Essex, UK in August and a shut-out over Macaulay Magowan in London in December standing out in that run.

Magowan stepped in to replace Cissokho (12-0 8 KOs) on the Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev undercard after administrative reasons forced the Frenchman out of the bout on the bill of his manager Joshua, but that frustration for Conway has been replaced by excitement now that he gets to defend the WBA Intercontinental Super-Welterweight title on the biggest platform possible.

“It’s a massive opportunity for me, coming off the AJ card last time out, that was a big stage and now this has come up,” said Conway. “It feels a bit surreal but I’m really looking forward to it and it’s a big stage and a good fight.

“I came up the hard way in the small hall shows where sometimes you are not even getting paid, so to be where I am at now it mad and I need to keep winning, keep entertaining and keep performing so people keep wanting to watch me.

“When I boxed at the Deco Theater in Northampton in front of about 1,000 people not being paid, I told people that I would be boxing on the biggest stages one day and in the space of about two years, i am. AJ cards, Canelo card in front of 70,000 in America – that’s unreal.

“I can’t wait to be in there with such a massive crowd, reacting to your punches and cheering, it makes it feel less like a sparring session. It’s back to big things, this is the biggest stage I’ve ever been on, I’ve got a good spot on the show so there will be a big crowd already in the stadium, so I can’t wait.”

Conway and Cissokho clash on a huge night in the Lone Star State, topped by the unification showdown between Alvarez and Saunders.

There’s more World title action on the card as Hearn’s latest Mexican World ruler added to the roster, Elwin Soto (18-1 12 KOs) fights under the Matchroom banner for the first time, defending his WBO World Light-Flyweight title against Katsunari Takayama (32-8 12 KOs).

Eddy Reynoso trained Cuban Heavyweight Frank Sanchez (17-0 13 KOs) meets Nagy Aguilera (21-10 14 KOs), Mexican-American talent Marc Castro (2-0 2 KOs) fights on his third Canelo undercard, Castro’s old amateur foe Keyshawn Davis (2-0 2 KOs) faces Jose Antonio Meza (6-4 1 KO) over six rounds and it’s a family affair on the night with Keyshawn’s brother Kelvin Davis (1-0 1 KO) fights for the second time in the paid ranks, with Mexican Welterweight Christian Alan Gomez Duran (19-2-1 17 KOs) celebrating Cinco De Mayo weekend over eight rounds against an opponent to be named soon.

CARSON, CALIF. (April 29, 2021) – Fighters competing on this Saturday’s stacked FOX Sports Pay-Per-View undercard and FOX PBC Fight Night event previewed their respective showdowns during a press conference Thursday before they step into the ring at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California in the event headlined by former unified heavyweight champion Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz Jr. taking on all-action heavyweight Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola.

Featured at Thursday’s press conference and competing in pay-per-view action were former world champion Omar “Panterita” Figueroa Jr. and Abel Ramos, who meet in the co-main event, sensation super welterweight Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora and Jorge “El Demonio” Cota, who face off in a 12-round duel, and rising unbeaten Jesus Ramos and Olympian Javier “El Intocable” Molina, who battle to kick off the pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The press conference also featured WBA Super Welterweight Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara and Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna, who headline FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes in a battle for the WBA Middleweight title. Rounding out Thursday’s press conference participants were top Mexican featherweight contenders Eduardo Ramirez and Isaac Avelar, who duel in the co-main event of the FOX broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

The press conference was streamed live on the Premier Boxing Champions YouTube page, and can be watched HERE.

The May 1 event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:

FOX SPORTS PBC PAY-PER-VIEW UNDERCARD QUOTES

OMAR FIGUEROA JR.

“I’m really thankful to my team for believing in me and everyone who helped me along the way. I’m going to show everyone my very best in the ring on May 1.

“We had a wonderful training camp. I’m finally healthy. We had a camp like I used to have 10 years ago when I was just a young kid full of hope. Everything has gone great.

“I’ve gotten rid of all the bad stuff physically that was looming over me in recent years. We had no distractions in training camp, we were able to just work.

“I go in there to end fights as soon as possible. With that mentality, I’m going to make sure he’s not making it to the sixth round.

“I’m going to show that same aggression like I always do on Saturday, but more refined. I’m going to be a much more efficient fighter.”

ABEL RAMOS

“I’m happy to be here and I’m excited to kick off Cinco de Mayo festivities with this great card. I can’t wait for all of these fights, as well as my own.

“This is the type of exciting fight the fans are going to enjoy. When I was kid, I always wanted to watch these kind of close combat matchups. That’s what we’re going to have on Saturday. Whoever wants it more is going to win this fight.

“I can’t wait to see the fight between my nephew Jesus and Javier Molina. It’s going to be explosive. I’ll just have to keep my excitement at a normal level, because I’m still going to have to go out there and perform myself.”

SEBASTIAN FUNDORA

“I’m thrilled to be here and fighting in front of fans. It’s exciting to have fans there Saturday to watch us at one of the meccas of boxing.

“We’ve had two great camps for Cota, so we’re prepared for anything he’s going to bring. I would tell Cota to bring his best, because we’re coming to win.

“We trained to get the knockout. My dad always tells me not to leave it to the judges and that’s what we’re going to do Saturday.

“I love that Cota comes forward. He says he’s planning to make it a war and that’s what I’m ready for. I wouldn’t expect anything less from another Mexican warrior.

“It’s in my blood to fight toe-to-toe. We Mexicans have the pride of the warrior. I just love to mix it up.”

JORGE COTA

“I just want to show what I’m capable of on Saturday. I’m always eager to go and I feel as prepared as ever for this fight.

“Fighting someone undefeated like Fundora motivates me a lot. These are the challenges that I live for. I’m up for a fight like this anytime, anywhere.

“This fight is going to steal the show. I stand by what I said last time in regard to knocking him out. I don’t think there’s any way this fight goes 12 rounds.

“There is no message to send right now. My message is going to be plenty clear on Saturday night.”

JESUS RAMOS

“This is going to be a tough fight. He’s got a lot of experience. I expect nothing less from him than a great fight, but I’m prepared. I’m ready for the best Javier Molina.

“I feel like I’m ready for this big step up. To get to the next level, I have to beat guys like Javier Molina. I’m prepared for this level of competition.

“It’s huge for my family to have me and Abel share this card. We used to watch the pay-per-views together and now we’re a part of one. It’s big and I can’t wait for Saturday.

“The Mexican fans tuning in to kick off Cinco de Mayo week are going to be in for a treat. It’s going to be a great fight. I’m coming to win. If the knockout presents itself, we’re taking advantage of the opportunity.”

JAVIER MOLINA

“I’m excited to be fighting a good young fighter Saturday. I’ve been training hard for two months getting ready for it. I can’t wait to put on a show in front of my people so close to my hometown.

“Ramos is a good undefeated fighter. A win over him will get me to the next level and that’s what we’re looking to do on Saturday.

“My experience is definitely going to play a role in this fight. We’ve watched his fights. He has a lot of talent, but he hasn’t been in there with anyone of my class. I know he’s hungry though, so I have to be 100% prepared.

“He has a good team behind him, so I’m not too focused on if he’s ready to go the distance. I just have to be ready to do my job. Whether it’s a decision or knockout, we’re getting the win.”

FOX PBC FIGHT NIGHT QUOTES

ERISLANDY LARA

“We are so ready for this fight on Saturday. We’re going to see how this fight goes, but no matter what, my goal is to put on a great show for the fans.

“I have talked about moving up to 160-pounds for a while. My team asked if I was ready and I jumped on the opportunity. I’m open to big fights at 154-pounds, but right now, I’m going after the middleweight crown.

“I came here to fight. If he’s coming to knock me out, then I’m coming to take him out first. I’m excited for this fight. Everyone has tried to knock me out, we’ll see if he has what it takes.

“I have plenty of experience, and he can say whatever he wants, but I’m going to be ready. I’m looking to knock him out in round four or sooner.”

THOMAS LAMANNA

“I’m grateful for this opportunity. I trained my entire life for this one moment. Every fighter dreams of becoming world champion and Saturday I’m going to fulfill those dreams. It’s going to be a huge statement.

“I’m fighting a bonafide world champion, but at the end of the day, I’m hungrier than him. I want this more than anything. I’ve trained hard for the last nine weeks to make sure I secure that victory. No matter what it takes, I will become champion on Saturday.

“I’m hoping the fans see that I belong at this high level. I belong here. Win, lose or draw, I’m going to earn that respect.

“I’m coming to knockout Erislandy Lara. That’s the goal and that’s what I’m going to accomplish. This is my one shot, and I’m going for it.”

EDUARDO RAMIREZ

“I want to let everyone know that I’m ready to put on a show Saturday night. I’m going to keep piling up the wins with this fight against Avelar.

“We’re ready for an explosive fight. But we’ll be ready for anything as well. I can pressure and attack, but if the circumstances dictate it, we’ll be ready to take a step back and take our time.

“It’s going to be a great fight and like always, I expect myself to come out with a win. I’m ready to get the win no matter what I have to do.”

ISAAC AVELAR

“I’m really motivated and excited to give my all in the ring on Saturday night. I’m going to leave everything in there against Eduardo Ramirez.

“I’m thrilled to be competing on this card. This is a great event and a great opportunity for me to showcase what I’m capable of in this fight. I’m ready to show everyone what I can do.

“People can expect this to be an exciting fight. We both want this belt and we both want to win. We’re going to give it our all and provide the fans with a great show.”

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Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Sport:

“What a delight to be here in Manchester ahead of a huge night of boxing this Saturday from the AO Arena, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN around the world. This is the card of the year so far. There’s so much to talk about here today from the big Heavyweight main event to the Undisputed World Championship, to the World Light-Heavyweight Championship and much more.”

Derek Chisora – Finchley, London – 32-10, 23 KO’s – fighting Joseph Parker for the vacant WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title:

“I love fighting, throwing yourself in the World Title shot is okay. Dillian Whyte has been in the World Title shot for the last five years, he hasn’t gone anywhere. I don’t to put myself in those positions, I want to put myself in positions where I get to fight good fights. This is right, I’m fighting Joseph Parker and after that we’ll see what happens.

“I want to do what I do best, come forward, fight, chuck hell and do what I do every day. Roll the dice and rock and roll – go at it. I’ll come out of the gates and just go.

“The guy has a spider bite, we can’t deny it, we don’t know if it’s true or not, but he had it and now he’s here – we’re not going to cry over spilled milk. David did a good impression wearing the spiderman suit early on the morning, it was okay. The fight is here now so we’re not going to talk about history anymore, that’s why it’s called history.

“It’s going to be a great night; good things are happening. It’s a big card, but we don’t have that little edge on with the fans, it’s depressing but what can we say.

“The king is back, long live the king – I’m back. I’m buzzing, to all those fans at home, I’m going to bring smoke and I know my opponent is going to bring something which is going to be on his bike – but it’s going to be okay. He’s going to be cycling back to Australia but it’s all good. I know right now I’m still laughing and joking but when I come tomorrow, you’re going to know what time it is.”

David Haye, Hayemaker Promotions:

“Derek wants the biggest fights; he wants to leave a legacy and wants to go out there for people to know Derek Chisora means war and destruction. We pushed it to the wire with Usyk last time out, someone who’s ranked number one in the world, I thought he won the fight. It was a close fight, two judges only had it by two points, this time round he’s not going to leave it to the judges. No mind set to try and win this fight on points.  

“Joseph Parker, we know is an excellent boxer, one of the best jabs in the business. Ask Andy Ruiz, Carlos Takam, it’s a killer. So, it’s a simple solution, we’re not having a boxing match with Parker it must be a fight. I can guarantee a knockout in this fight, this is not going the distance. This is about how much Joseph Parker can take.

“He’s got a great chin, he went twelve rounds with AJ, twelve rounds with Dillian Whyte who hit him on the button many times. Derek’s going to have to do something very special on Saturday night and he’s brought in the big guns – Buddy McGirt Hall of Fame trainer. We’re adding whatever we can to give Derek what’s needed to do the impossible.

“A lot of people are not giving Derek a shot in this fight, but when you see how Derek comes across the ring in the first round, I think you’ll understand where this fight is going and going in a very destructive manner. It’s going to be all out explosion from the first round and get your popcorn and don’t go to the toilet.

“Anybody who watches Derek Chisora will want to keep him on the outside, because once Derek’s on the inside – ask David Price who said when Derek was inside, he didn’t know where the punches were coming from. When you’re inside with those little gloves, a big Heavyweight with short cuffing shots. He’s been practicing this stuff; his inside game is very destructive.

“Joseph Parker is going to be in a situation he hasn’t been in before, he’s fought come forward fighters before, but he’s been able to keep them at arm’s length. Derek must do his work in the inside, drag him into the deep end from round one. It’s going to have to be brutality from round one and I’m excited.” 

Buddy McGirt, trainer of Derek Chisora:

“It’s been interesting, but it’s been great – I have no complaints. Derek, David and the team have made me feel at home, welcomed me well so I really can’t complain.

“I expect Parker to do both, Andy Lee has got an old way of thinking. I think they’re going to box, but also try to fight on the inside when they want to fight on the inside – they want to dictate it. That I know, because they’re not going to try and box all night, I know guys like Andy and how he thinks. Sometimes you’ve got to try and beat a guy at his own game a little while, we’ve got to get down and dirty.

“We’ve got to drag it down like that, it’s no secret. He’s got to be Derek, just smooth the rough edges. They’re going to try and box, yeah, but I also know in the later rounds they’re going to fight him in the inside and break our man down – we’re prepared for that.”

Joseph Parker – Auckland, New Zealand – 28-2, 21 KOs – fighting Derek Chisora for the vacant WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title:

“I’m very prepared for this fight, I’ve had a great training camp with Andy in Ireland, then we moved over to Morecambe and got some great sparring under our belt, great pad work, bag, everything. I feel like with this fight, physically and mentally, I’m in a great place – probably the best I’ve been in a while.

“Two totally different styles, Junior Fa’s style was move and hug, punch every now and then. With Derek it’s no secret, he’s going to come forward and apply the pressure, throw punches everywhere. My hands are going to have to be up, down and all around.

“I think this is the perfect fight at the right time. We’re right there, get a good victory and there’s many other great fights out there to be made and to position yourself when the titles are free to fight for. This is a big card, not only the main event but the undercard fights are very exciting, I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

Andy Lee, trainer of Joseph Parker:

“I can only see the fight playing out one way, with Derek coming forward and bringing war which he has done over numerous fights in recent years. I see Joseph boxing a smart fight, if he can put in the practice what we’ve been rehearsing in training the I can Joseph winning by late stoppage. We don’t want to leave anything to the judges, the only way to guarantee victory in this game is by getting a knockout, as much as they’re going for it, we’ll be going for it as well.

“We might surprise you, we surprised everybody with Tyson Fury against Wilder, we just might do the same, but you’ll have to wait and see.”

Katie Taylor – Bray, Ireland – 17-0, 6 KOs – defending her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles against Natasha Jonas:

“This is why we’re taking the fight; we don’t take any easy fights. I’m in this sport to fight the best, in terms of training camps every one’s the same, we train for every single fight as if it’s going to be my hardest. My mind set and mentality doesn’t change fight to fight so I’m looking forward to a great fight on Saturday.

“The fight was nine years ago, we were both very different fighters to what we are now. I think we’ve both developed and matured into great pro fighters. The fight is going to be completely different Saturday night then it was in the London Olympics. What works in the pro game doesn’t work in the amateur game – this is a completely different fight.

“I think my last few performances have shown I’m at my peak, I’ve shown my best in the last few performances. My last three fights were probably my best performances as a pro, so I feel like I’m definitely improving and getting better each time.” 

Ross Enamait, trainer of Katie Taylor:

“We’re here to win the fight, we train hard for every fight. This is Katie Taylor’s twelfth World Title fight; this is there twelfth fight period. Every fight is a big fight, we’re coming to win and we’re here to win on Saturday.

“She’s going to be as sharp as ever, we looked great the last fight, we beat Persoon clear in the second fight regardless and what he’s [Joe Gallagher] saying over here. The fight before that we looked great, there’s no slide, you’re going to see the best Katie on Saturday.” 

Natasha Jonas – Liverpool, England – 9-1-1, 7 KOs – challenging Katie Taylor for her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles:

“Every time I’m asked to step up, I do, and I perform. Being the underdog for me is no different, I’m always the underdog on the big night. The more you tell me I can’t do it, the more I’ll prove you that I can.

“You’ve got to remember that going into the Harper fight we’d just come off a lockdown, financially I didn’t know when I was going to box again, I had the baby 24/7 because the schools were shut, and I was in a bit of pickle of where I was going to go or where my opportunity was going to arise.

“Obviously we got that opportunity, and the baby came along to all the sessions, she was a big part of that camp. It was great to be back, and I was starting from down the mountain mentally, physically, emotionally. Now I’m not there, after the Harper fight, I’m at the top of the mountain. I’m starting at the Harper fight and building up from that. Everything says that I’m much better than from the Harper camp and I know I had to be there.

“I think in boxing one punch changes everything. I do believe I have power; I don’t want to make prediction or disrespect anybody by saying that. After the traumatic experience of round 8 against Harper, I promised myself that they are learning curves and that will never happen again. If I get that opportunity, it’ll be the end of the fight.” 

Joe Gallagher, trainer of Natasha Jonas:

“It’s good to see the bookies are giving Natasha a better chance against Katie then they did against Terri Harper, that’s good for a start. Its friends reunited, Katie Taylor – what can you not say about her. What she’s achieved, she’s a national hero back in Ireland, what she’s done for female boxing across the world, nothing but respect for her.

“This is the fight business; come Saturday night this is strictly business. Katie Taylor, she’s the media darling, Natasha Jonas is going into the fight after a great career performance. She won the WBC Super-Featherweight title, only two people in the world didn’t think she got it, but apart from that she’s a World Champion in my eyes.

“Natasha Jonas now moving up to Lightweight, here she is now taking on what people describe as the greatest all time female fighter. This is a fight that if there was to be three-minute rounds for women’s boxing, this would be it. If you go back and watch their London 2012 Olympic fight, it was brilliant. But to show how much both have improved since then, it would be better in 12 x 2 or 10 x 3 contest.

“We’ve got a ten round sprint here; we’re seeing that with Natasha fight of the year with Teri Harper. We’re going into this fight with the bookies siding with Natasha more, the judges are to come and do what they need to do, not to be here in awe of Katie or Matchroom. They come here and score what happens, Sky have got to commentate on punches landed, not where they’re from or what’s going round.

“Natasha is a strong live underdog, I’m telling you now Katie Taylor, whether she wants to say it or not, this will be the hardest and most disciplined training camp she’s ever had for any of her fights. She knows the serious threat Natasha Jones brings. They know the threat, what we want in this fight is fairness by the judges and the commentary to score on what’s seen. If everyone does their job, including me and Natasha, we’re going to have a new Undisputed World Champion come Sunday morning.

“Sit back, enjoy your popcorn and enjoy what it is – it’s the biggest female fight the UK and Ireland has ever seen. We’re privileged to be part of it and see this event. We’ll roll onto Saturday night.”

Dmitry Bivol – Saint Petersburg, Russia – 17-0, 11 KOs – defending his WBA Light-Heavyweight World Title against Craig Richards:

“I missed fighting, I’m really looking forward to getting in the ring and making a great fight for all of the boxing fans. I have a dream to be the Undisputed Champion, I have goals to fight in Saint Petersburg, to fight in the America, to fight in England. Now I’ve accomplished one of my goals.

“I just believe in my skills; I believe I can beat him and move forward again. Of course, I think about my life, I’m living until May 1^st then we’ll see what will happen. I believe, I trained all my life, I’ve boxed since I can remember, and I have to be the winner.”  

Vadim Kornilov, World of Boxing:

“It’s been frustrating for everybody with COVID and everything going on, there are a couple of opportunities but I’m really excited for Dmitry to have his first debut in the UK. The fans here are great, we’ve had a lot of success with Povetkin, getting a lot of attention.

“This is important for him and his career, I can see the ambition on the other side, I can see the professional team, that will make the fight even more exciting. Both guys are coming to win and both guys have a lot of confidence. We feel very excited, and we look forward to Saturday.”

Craig Richards – Crystal Palace, England – 16-1-1, 9 KOs – challenging Dmitry Bivol for the WBA Light-Heavyweight World Title:

“I believe that I can become the next champion. I’ve come off a good win for the British Title, it’s not like I was in dark place in my career, and this was the only opportunity. I’ve got momentum in my career; I only took the fight because I believe I can win, and I want more momentum.”

“People talk about me stepping up from the British scene and moving on. My careers been a bit backwards, although it looks like I’ve just won the British and moved on I’ve been beating unbeaten guys early on my career.

“If you look at all the other Brits that have pushed on, they’ve had one domestic dust up and then moved on to the world scene. I’ve had loads of experience, when’s the time to move on – I can’t keep fighting domestically, it’s time to push on I’ve got enough experience. I’m ready to go.

 “I think he’s [Bivol] one of the greatest fighters in the Light-Heavyweight division. This is why he’s perfect for the job. People mentioned the other Light-Heavyweights, sometimes I wasn’t getting mentioned, but I believe I was getting overlooked. Beating someone like Dmitry Bivol, who’s one of the best out there, I’ll get the credit I deserve.”

Peter Sims, trainer of Craig Richards:

“We had a conversation before the Shakan Pitters fight and I said to him, it’s not about if you win this fight, it’s how you win this fight – this will define whether you’ll step up or stay at the British level for a little while. The way he dismantled Shakan Pitters was a sign for him to step up.

“He’s fifth in the WBO rankings, he’s 3^rd or 4^th in the British rankings. I believe he’s the best British Light-Heavyweight at the moment.”

“Boxing is made of upsets, if we go back to Nigel Benn vs. Gerald McClellan fight, or recently Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua, conspiring to upset the boat and beat Dmitry Bivol – I think he can.

“You can’t deny that Dmitry Bivol is a class fighter, his amateur pedigree is absolutely spot on. We’re going into the fight with total 100 respect for Bivol. He’s the WBA Super Light-Heavyweight World Champion for a reason.

“His speed is good, he’s got great feet, he’s got the whole package, but we believe with the assets Craig’s got and what he’s developed and how he’s progressed in the gym, he can do the job and upset the boat.”

Campbell Hatton – Manchester, England – 1-0– fighting Levi Dunn in a four round Lightweight contest:

“I learnt a lot; the whole week was a great experience for me – I enjoyed every minute. I learnt just how hard a game it is, the opponent I faced was a tough, durable lad. I got the 8-ounce gloves on and thought he’s not going to last two rounds with these on. They are tough blokes; you don’t just knock them over. Now I know to keep calm and not try and force things.

“I’ve known Levi, I’ve sparred him and know what to expect. It’s a good thing at this stage in my career to put a bit of a game plan together which you don’t normally get. That’s going to help me stay calm as well, I know the specific things I need to do. The United top makes things a lot better.

“I think in my first fight I showed little glimpses of what I can do. I set high pace that I could fight, but I didn’t show my boxing brain and the classy work I can do. This time I do want to show that patience and put in a more classy performance.”

Levi Dunn – Prestwich, England – 0-4– fighting Campbell Hatton in a four round Lightweight contest:

“I only started boxing when I was 17, from when I started, I always saw myself on Sky and Matchroom. I didn’t think it would happen this fast but now I’m here.

“I’m just blessed to be here in the first place, with this pandemic I didn’t think it was going to happen like this. The only fights have been hard fight out there, but I’ve got to win and try my best. Each fight I know I’m improving a hell of a lot, it’s only a matter of time before I feel like I’ll be able to beat everyone in my weight class.

“Since we sparred, I’ve had 3 pro fights since then and sparred a lot of top kids so I feel like I’ve improved a hell of a lot since then.”

Chris Eubank Jr – Brighton, England – 29-2, 22 KOs – fighting Marcus Morrison in a ten round Middleweight contest:

“That’s what this fight is about, to see if that sauce is still there. I haven’t fought a ten-round fight in a long time, I’ve been out of the ring for a long time. My last fight was in New York end of 2019 and lasted two rounds, so the last real fight was February 2019. So this is my opportunity to get back in the ring and showcase everything me and Roy have been working on over the last year and a half.

“We’ve done a lot of work, I have been inactive in terms of not being in the ring fighting, but in terms of what I’ve bene doing with Roy at his gym, super active – everyday week in week out. Learning, improving, I’m one of the only fighters in the game that can say during COVID I improved as a fighter, I think I’ve ascended so it’s just up for me now to go out there and show off the skills.

“What I was doing worked for me for a long time, but I got to a point where I realised that once you reach a certain level you need as much support as you can get, as many eyes on you as possible. Going into the gym on your own schedule, doing what you want, controlling the gym, it’s not necessarily the best way to do things – especially if there’s somebody that can guide you better than you can guide yourself.

“I had a very hard time finding that in a trainer, which is why I chose not to have one for so long. In meeting Roy, I found someone I fully trust, when he tells me to do something I can second guess it. It’s been a very eye-opening experience. Everything happens for a reason and I think this is the perfect time we met, during COVID, I’m very happy.”

Kalle Sauerland, promoter of Chris Eubank Jr:

“That’s what boxing’s about, it’s about opportunities. But you know it’s exciting to be working with Roy, what a legend and one of my all-time favourite fighters. Roy came in as a bonus, we were talking with Jr before, and we weren’t sure the relationship with Roy and Chris because everybody was in lockdown and working behind closed doors.

“Chris is one of those talents and personalities that only come around so often, and he reminds me of a throwback to the days of the UK where his dad performed. He’s a combination, he’s throwback fighter, he’s got the charisma and warrior like approach of his father, he’s got the bang of Benn, he’s got the speed of Naseem, he’s got the set on him like Collins.

“You’ve got everything you need in a fighter and now he’s got Roy in the corner. He’s got Wasserman Boxing in his corner, a powerhouse, no disrespect to the other side but we are here to take over and Saturday in the first step of a massive year.”

Roy Jones Jr, trainer of Chris Eubank Jr:

“I really love the atmosphere, really loved being here. For me and Joe outside the ring we’ve got to play mental chess as well. We’re here to give our athletes the best opportunities to go out and showcase what they are. This kid has the ability to be anything he wants to be in boxing, I’m sure his kid feels the same.

“When you get a horse that can win the Kentucky Derby, you’ve just got to get him with the right trainer and situation, and the sky’s the limit. That’s what’s happened with Chris, he’s been doing so much on his own and got so far on his own, you’ve got to take your hat off to it. Now the fact he came to my gym and he stayed there, shows me he wants to get better; he wants to the top of the heat, he wants to win the triple crown.

“I’m so glad to him get this opportunity, so glad to see Marcus get this opportunity, I’m looking forward to being a part of this.

“You never know what God has in store for you, you never say never because you never know. Because we didn’t become rivals [Chris Eubank Sr] or enemies, I’m able to help his son.”

Marcus Morrison – Hattersely, England – 23-3, 16 KOs – fighting Chris Eubank Jr in a ten round Middleweight contest:

“This is a massive fight for me and I’m well aware this is levels above what I have previously been in with before. When I got the phone call, there was no way I was turning it down, this is a great fight and I think it’s going to be full of excitement come Saturday.

“I don’t think being inactive is going to play a massive part in this fight. If you’re a true athlete and professional, you’ll stay in the gym. Even if you’ve not got a fight you’ll stay in and work on your craft. Both of us are that type of fighter, I believe Chris has stayed in the gym and stayed busy, it’s the same with me. I can’t wait and the fans are in for a treat.” 

Joe Gallagher, trainer of Marcus Morrison:

“It’s a huge opportunity, in my opinion it will be a rough, tough, rugged type of fight – all action. Obviously, you’ve got Roy Jones Jr, what a legend of a fighter but also a gentleman outside the sport. It’s fantastic to have him here in Manchester, he’s always gracious, kind and has time for people. Having him involved has added that little bit of spice.

“Macus has been at this arena 8 or 9 times now. We’ve pushed him once before with Welborn, it was man against boy at the time. Welborn then went on to win a British Title. Marcus then had a win in Italy, showed he had power late.

“It’s hard this fight, I’m a huge fan – I like the kid, he reminds me of Callum Johnson last week. He’s coming for it; he’s having a straightener with you whether you like it or not it’s a fight. That’s what we like, and I think that’s what boxing is missing nowadays, fighters that want to fight – this kid wants to fight.

“Marcus Morrison, he likes to fight as well, this is going to be a good one. Marcus carries power in both hands, we know he’s an underdog but when anybody in a fight can punch you’ve got to be wary and respectful of that. Marcus on Saturday night will be going in there hoping to land, if he lands it’ll be what happens next. Can he finish? We don’t know. Can Chris survive? We don’t know. We will have a moment in this fight, how the fight plays out after that remains to be seen.

“We had Marcus going over some of Chris’ old fights early one, very sharp. We’ve had Chris in the gym before, I know him and I can’t talk bad of him, he’s a good fighter. He carries himself well and is a personality in boxing. When the bell goes it’s down to both Marcus and Chris, Chris is going to try to implement things Roy has taught him. I’m not going to say they’ve overlooked Marcus but if eh they have, they could come unstuck Saturday night.”

James Tennyson – Belfast, Northern Ireland – 28-3, 24 KOs – fighting Jovanni Straffon for the vacant IBO Lightweight World Title:

“It’s a huge opportunity for me to put myself up there and earn some fights with the top Lightweights in the world.

“This is it; this is the belt that I need to get me up there. This is going to put me in a great position, like you said the other belts are taken and I want a piece of the action.

“I’m looking forward to a good fight, these Mexicans have got a reputation for their toughness and durability – they bring it every time. I’m excited, I love these kinds of fights this is what I’m up for.

“This has got the makings to be a very exciting fight. I’m praying, ready and very confident – I’m looking forward to it.” 

Jovanni Straffon – Mexico City, Mexico – 23-3-1, 16 KOs – fighting James Tennyson for the vacant IBO Lightweight World Title:

“I come here for the upset, I come here for the win and I want all the people in the UK and world to watch me fight.

“He [Tennyson] might fight as a Mexican but he’s never faced a Mexican so he can expect a war.”

Scott Fitzgerald – Preston, England – 14-0, 9 KOs – fighting Gregory Trenel in an eight round Super-Middleweight contest:

“I’m buzzing to be back. It’s been a long time, 18 months, this is all new to me. That’s how long it’s been. I’m looking forward to getting in there Saturday, do a job and get myself back in the mix.

“At one point I wasn’t sure if I was going to be back in the ring. I’ve been working hard and I’m happy to be back here and about to get back in the ring. I’ll do a job Saturday night and I look forward for what’s to come.

“I know that a lot of people want to see that fight again [Fowler]. I think I can do a better job on it as well. I’d like to get this fight out the way, you’ve mentioned another fight in July, look for one of those big fights whether it’s the Fowler rematch of whatever – for October time.

“Sometimes things aren’t going great, but it’s not going to be like that for the rest of your life. You just get up and keep trying, you’ll get back.” 

Gregory Trenel – Dainville, France – 13-6-2, 3 KOs – fighting Scott Fitzgerald in an eight round Super-Middleweight contest:

“This is the perfect moment for me against a beautiful opposition. I am dangerous for Scott because I’m crazy.”             

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (April 29, 2021) — The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame officially announces its 5th Annual Induction Weekend scheduled for August 20 through August 22, 2021. Boxing enthusiasts will enjoy the experience of a lifetime with an action-packed weekend of festivities hosted at Atlantic City resort industry leader, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, along with FantaSea Resorts and the historic Claridge – A Radisson Hotel who will team up to rollout the red carpet for this memorable event.

It’s a GREAT day for the City of Atlantic City as I’m elated to welcome the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame back to our great city. Ray McCline and his organization continue to pay homage to our storied boxing history by honoring the legends who made Atlantic City the home of many great fights,” said Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr. “My administration will continue to support the efforts of the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame and I can’t wait for the festivities.”

The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Celebration will offer boxing enthusiasts a weekend full of great programming which will include a kick-off cocktail reception, meet & greets, spectacular artwork and exhibits. In addition, ACBHOF will partner with New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream “Girls in Gloves” non-profit and CareSparc Consulting to bring an all-inclusive Sustainable Health & Wellness and Fitness Village “Going the Distance to a Healthier Atlantic City.” The village will offer screenings, seminars, pop-up vendors, healthy food choices, music, and fitness as well as a live amateur boxing show, “Atlantic City Invitational featuring Team Puerto Rico versus Team Select” and much more all taking place with the Atlantic Ocean and Historic Boardwalk as the perfect backdrop.

“We are thrilled to host the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame for their Induction event. Boxing has such a deep and meaningful history in the Atlantic City community, and we are humbled to be a part of it,” said Shelley Williams, Vice President of Sales at Hard Rock Atlantic City. “We are eager to welcome guests back to our meeting space safely with our market-leading ‘Safe + Sound’ protocols.”

The finale of the weekend will be the Combined Induction Ceremony honoring the 2020 & 2021 Classes taking place inside the Sound Waves showroom at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

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

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

“We’re extremely excited about our Class of 2021 and Class of 2020 Inductees and are very much looking forward to honoring these esteemed honorees. While the past year has been difficult and challenging for many of us, our partners Roxanne Passarella the CEO of FantaSea Resort and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and myself hope that this event-filled weekend provides the boxing community and our guests with a bit of normalcy,” said Ray McCline, President of the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame.

Tickets for this unprecedented event go on sale May 10 through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are limited due to venue COVID guidelines. Please visit the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame website at www.acbhof.com or call (609) 829-8711 for more information.

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A special thanks to our partners, sponsors, and supporters – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr., Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), FantaSea Resorts, SparBar, WBC, IBF, Expressions Graphic Designs, Icons of Boxing, Adams Boxing, Fight Night Apparel and the Claridge – A Radisson Hotel, Sampson Boxing, CareSparc Consulting and New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream non-profit organization.

WORCESTER, Mass. (April 29, 2021) – Despite a disputed draw with unbeaten Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno (14-0-2, 12 KOs) last Saturday night in Kissimmee, Florida, lightweight prospect Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz (14-0-1, 8 KOs) displayed his vast skills and courage on ESPN+.

Recovering from two knockdowns (the first from an illegal punch behind the head) and still taking the fight to the promoter’s fighter, Ortiz won six of the eight rounds but, unfortunately, he had to settled for an 8-round majority draw with (76-74, 75-75-75) Adorno.

Ortiz, fighting out of Worcester, Massachusetts, is the reigning WBC USNBC (U.S.) Silver lightweight champion, as well as a former WBC World Youth lightweight titlist.

“I didn’t fight my fight,” Ortiz evaluated his performance. “I fought too much instead of being ‘The Technician.’ Before the fight, I thought I was the B-side fighter and wanted to please the crowd. I didn’t realize that I was on the A-side (thanks to his promoter, Jimmy Burchfield) and the betting favorite. I was fighting a Top Rank guy and felt that I had to bring the fight to him. Muscle memory, I guess, from back in the amateurs. I was fighting on his stage, so I put pressure on him. If the fight went the distance, I wanted to make sure the scoring was clear and obvious. I knew I’d break him down because I had better stamina and skills.

“I fought him too much, but I still thought I won the fight. The 76-74 score made sense. I won every round but the second and seventh (rounds of knockdowns). I didn’t agree with the one judge who had him (Adorno) winning the sixth. He hit me behind the head in the third round and I was off balance. But the referee does his job and mine is to fight. Nothing I could do about it. The plan was to box him, going to the body, but not switch stances because it would expose me. I had to go to the body, always part of my plan, but I wasn’t ‘The Technician.’ Sometimes I switch stances without realizing it. I got clipped in the seventh round (uppercut that resulted in a standing 8 count) when I was switching for first time. I handled it like a pro. I got up and felt good. I survived the round by holding a few times and then I came back again.”

Burchfield, head of Classic Sports and Entertainment (CEO), knows Ortiz showed that he’s somebody lightweights will have to reckon with in the immediate future.

“Jamaine’s stock went up for the second fight in a row (last November he registered a sensational stoppage of Sulaiman Segawa (13-3-1, 4 KOs), who had never been previously stopped, in seventh-round on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones, Jr. pay-per-event),” Burchfield added. “Adorno is an animal when he’s in control of a fight. Jamaine had to take control of the fight by being the aggressor but, as ‘The Technician, knowing when to fight and when to box. The punch in the second round was, definitely, behind the head, clearly a foul, and it was more of a slip than a knockdown because he was off balance. If that punch was disallowed, Jamaine wins the fight, even if he had lost the round. He (Emil Lombardi) is a quality ref who made a mistake. Maybe he didn’t catch it because of the angle he had, which is why I’m a firm believer in instant replay, and It would have been ruled a non-knockdown.

“Going into the seventh, I thought Jamaine led by 2-3 points having taken five of the previous six rounds. Jamaine showed the world his endurance when he came back so strong in the eighth round. If the fight had been 10-round, or even 30-sconds longer, no disrespect to Adorno, Jamaine would have knocked him out. Jamaine is the real deal. He certainly proved he’s TV friendly after his last two fights and he deserves to be mentioned among the top 135-pounders in the world. Any takers?”

Ortiz’ manager, Dick Shappy, had mixed emotions after the fight, understanding that Ortiz raised the bar, even though he fought to a draw.

“I wish he had won,” Shappy remarked, “but a draw wasn’t too bad under the circumstances. I though Jamaine won the fight outright. If not for that illegal punch in the second, he won the fight on their scorecards. It still shouldn’t have been ruled a knockdown, more of a slip, because he was going forward and lost balance. It never should have been 10-8. Adorno would have lost if they had to go into the championship rounds. Jamaine was more skilled, he did a good job.”

Count no less than former Olympic gold medalist and 2-division World Champion Andre Ward, who served as color commentator for Ortiz-Adorno, among those impressed by Ortiz.

“Ortiz outworked Adorno, no doubt, and he never backed down,” Ward commented on air. “I want to see more of Ortiz!’

As entertaining as Ortiz-Adorno was – it may have stolen the entire show – it’s unlikely that there will be a rematch.

“I don’t think he wants to fight me again,” Ortiz reported. “He said something about maybe when we both have world title belts.”

Ortiz has taken advantage of the tremendous opportunities for worldwide exposure in his last two fights. His reward will certainly come, in time, moving up the ratings as people continue jumping on “The Technician” bandwagon.

Boxing is back live on BT Sport for a second consecutive week, this time boasting a World Title fight. The action kicks off tomorrow night, live on BT Sport 1 HD at 7pm.

In the main event, brilliant South African Moruti Mthalane (39-2, 26 KOs) defends his IBF World Flyweight championship against Croydon’s Sunny Edwards (15-0, 4 KOs).

In a ten rounder Belfast’s WBO number one ranked Super-Bantamweight Michael Conlan (14-0, 8 KOs) faces dangerous Romanian Ionut Balata (14-2, 3 KOs).

Big punching Southampton Super-Featherweight Ryan Garner (9-0, 6 KOs) and Reading Super-Welterweight Joshua Frankham (2-0) are also in action.

Joshua’s cousin, Levi Frankham is one of two debutants alongside Finchley Super-Welterweight Jonathan Kumuteo.

All participants weighed-in successfully today and pictures will be uploaded here

Weigh-in results below:

Sunny Edwards 111lbs 5oz
Moruti Mthalane 111lbs 14oz

Michael Conlan 121lbs 15oz
Ionut Baluta 122lbs

Troy Williamson 153lbs
Kieran Smith 153lbs 7oz

Jordan Ellison 141lbs
Ryan Garner 136lbs 12oz

Naheem Ali 156lbs 3oz
Joshua Frankham 152lbs 15oz

Paul Cummings 155lbs 11oz
Levi Frankham 158lbs 4oz

Dale Arrowsmith 159lbs 10oz
Jonathan Kumuteo 158lbs 5oz

Stephen Jackson 119lbs 12oz
Andrew Cain 121lbs 10oz