LOS ANGELES, April 16, 2021 —– Triller Fight Club (TFC) took another major step in its growing sports and entertainment business today when it added one of the world’s most respected and accomplished athletes, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, to its lineup of elite fighters, legends, rising stars and leading entertainment personalities. Holyfield, the only person ever to win the world heavyweight title four times, will return to the ring to fight Kevin McBride in a six-round bout in Florida on Saturday, June 5. He will join a card that already has the title fight between Teófimo López and George Kambosos Jr. The veteran McBride (35-10-1) is best known for ending the career of Mike Tyson in June of 2005 when Tyson retired in the sixth round in Washington, D.C. Triller Fight Club is a partnership between Triller and Snoop Dogg and is spearheaded by Ryan Kavanaugh. All professional fight rules will apply.

The location and times for Triller Fight Club on June 5 will be announced officially in the coming days.

“Our continued reinvention of boxing as four-quadrant entertainment now adds one of the biggest names in the history of boxing, Evander Holyfield, against one of the best opponents, Kevin McBride,” Kavanaugh said. “He joins a lineup featuring some of the most elite fighters who are on their way up the ranks and world-class musical entertainment as we present a multifaceted experience for fans of every interest in four action-packed and exciting pay per view hours.”

“I am proud to be able to join Triller Fight Club as they are exactly what our industry needed. They have reimagined the sport of boxing in a very exciting new way,” Holyfield said. “Their combination of young talent, music, entertainment and special matchups is setting a new standard for our sport, and my return to the ring for this fight is one that everyone, myself included, will enjoy, and I am proud to help take this to the next level.”

Holyfield is the only professional fighter to win the heavyweight championship four separate times, surpassing the record of Muhammad Ali, who won it three times. After a standout amateur and Olympic boxing career, Holyfield turned professional, and in 1986 he won the junior heavyweight title by upsetting World Boxing Association (WBA) champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi in a 15-round split decision. In April 1988, with an eighth-round knockout of Carlos DeLeon, Holyfield became boxing’s first undisputed cruiserweight champion. Three months later he fought his first heavyweight bout, knocking out James Tillis in five rounds. On October 25, 1990, he scored a third-round knockout of James (“Buster”) Douglas to win the undisputed heavyweight title of the WBA, the World Boxing Council (WBC), and the International Boxing Federation (IBF). After successful defenses against former champions George Foreman and Larry Holmes, Holyfield lost the title on November 13, 1992, dropping a 12-round decision to Riddick Bowe. In a rematch with Bowe one year later, he recaptured the WBA and IBF titles in another decision. Holyfield met heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in a much-anticipated WBA bout on November 9, 1996, scoring a TKO in the 11th round, becoming the heavyweight champion for a third time. Holyfield regained the IBF title by knocking out Michael Moorer in the eighth round of their November 8, 1997 rematch. He retired in 2014 with a career record of 44 wins (29 by knockout), 10 losses, and 2 draws. Holyfield was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.

Fight Club has created and named this match the Legends Title Fight and will be delivering the winner the Triller Fight Club Legends Champion Gold Belt, the first of Fight Club’s championship belts.

López, 23, is the current unified lightweight world champion, having held the IBF title since 2019 and the WBA (Super), WBO and Ring magazine titles since defeating Vasyl Lomachenko in 2020. López is ranked as the world’s fifth best active boxer, pound for pound, by ESPN and Boxing Writers Association of America, and sixth by The Ring. He is also ranked as the world’s best active lightweight by BoxRec, ESPN and the TBRB.

The Australian Kambosos has held the IBF Pan Pacific lightweight title since 2017. He previously held the Australian NSW, Australian, WBA-PABA, and WBA Oceania lightweight titles between 2013 and 2017. Kambosos (19-0, 10 KOs) became the IBF mandatory challenger after defeating Lee Selby by split decision in October.

In the headline matchup of Triller Fight Club’s first event of 2021 on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Jake Paul takes on former Bellator and ONE FC champion Ben Askren, while Regis Prograis (New Orleans), a former world champion and arguably one of the top two super lightweights in the world, battles Ivan Redkach (Shostka, Ukraine); heavyweight MMA Bad Boy Frank Mir (Las Vegas) opposes Steve Cunningham (Philadelphia); and Joe Fournier (London) challenges music icon and worldwide star Reykon (Envigado, Colombia). Several undefeated boxers put their records on the line Saturday: welterweight Quinton Randall (Houston, 7-0), super middleweight Junior Younan (Brooklyn, N.Y., 15-0-1) and middleweight Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson (Baltimore, Md., 9-0). Simpson will meet Francisco Torres (Buenos Aires, 16-3-1), while Younan will take on Jeyson Minda (Quito, Ecuador/Salem, Mass., 14-4-1) and Randall will battle Cincinnati veteran William Jackson (13-2-2, 2 KOs).

The lineup for Saturday’s four-hour Pay Per View show will include performances by Justin Bieber, The Black Keys, Doja Cat, Saweetie, Diplo, Major Lazer, and the exclusive world premiere of the hip hop supergroup Mt. Westmore (Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Too $hort and E-40) performing for their first time ever together. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Bert Marcus will lead and direct the creative storytelling for the Triller Fight Club event.

In addition to being a co-owner, Snoop also provides strategic counsel to Triller Fight Club, helping to select fighters and musical acts for the show-stopping events. An entertainment expert who has successfully maneuvered through a range of projects in a variety of different fields, Snoop secured his spot as a fan favorite during Triller’s first sporting event, Tyson vs. Jones.

**HOW TO WATCH THE APRIL 17, 2021, TRILLER FIGHT CLUB PPV EVENT**

TV: Cable, satellite & telco PPV providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, DIRECTV & U-Verse TV, Fios, and Optimum (U.S.), as well as leading providers in Canada.

Worldwide Streaming: FITE.TV and all FITE mobile, Smart TV, game controller and OTT apps as well as the event microsite hub: TrillerFightClub.com

ABOUT TRILLER FIGHT CLUB /TRILLERNET

Triller Fight Club is owned by TrillerNet, a first-of-its-kind company consolidating technology and content platforms to lead the move to Internet 3.0. TrillerNet pairs the culture of music with sports, fashion, entertainment and influencers through a 360-degree view of content and technology. TrillerNet—which owns the globally popular Triller app used by musicians, celebrities, athletes, and overall culture setters—has more than 300 million users worldwide. The Triller app—unlike other popular short-video apps it is often compared to, encourages its users to post the content created on the app across other social media platforms and websites. The app uses proprietary AI and Machine Learning technology, which is uniquely tied to the content rather than the user. By tracking the content, Triller empowers its tastemakers and users to push their content virally to affiliated and non-affiliated sites and networks reaching hundreds of millions of additional users. Data and insights gleaned from the Triller network, its creators, artists and users (from the app and off network) are used to program longer-form content, connect users across the web with the content, and provide unprecedented opportunities for engagement and monetization. TrillerNet has developed highly successful campaigns that begin with the app and continue throughout the entire content and technology ecosystem with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Pepsi, McDonalds, Weedmaps, DraftKings, L’Oreal, and many others. TrillerNet offers brands a unique content and technology solution, including direct deals with the influencers and celebrities. This branded content journey starts with short-form video and can easily expand into valuable long-form content distributed through the Triller Network, such as live-event boxing and music PPVs, fashion shows, and episodic reality content on TrillerTV. Some of the more than 65 original half-hour TrillerTV shows include The D’Amelios Family’s “Ask a DAM Question,” Jennifer Lopez In The Morning, Jake Paul: Staying On Top, 2 Chainz Let’s Do It, DJ Khaled’s Spreading Love, Hype House’s Thomas Petrou’s Coffee Talks, Josh Richards’ Josh Pong, Ur Lov’d: the Noah Beck Show, Fat Joe’s Masterclass, The Perez Hilton Show, and Violet Benson’s Too Tired To Be Crazy, among others. TrillerNet additionally owns Verzuz, the massive live-stream music platform launched by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, Triller Fight Club (www.TrillerFightClub.com) which launched last year with the highly successful Tyson-Jones Fight which shattered digital PPV records. Other holdings include leading AI-powered customer engagement platform Amplify.ai, and FITE, the premier live event and PPV, AVOD, SVOD streaming platform.

DANIEL DUBOIS WILL make his long-awaited return to the ring on Saturday June 5 with a challenge for the vacant WBA Interim heavyweight title against the towering Romanian Bogdan Dinu.

The 23-year-old Dubois was last in action at the end of November 2020 in a multi-titled collision with fellow Brit Joe Joyce in London. An absorbing battle came to a halt when Dubois, who suffered a horrific eye injury, removed himself from further danger by taking a knee in the 10th round.

It was later confirmed that he had sustained significant damage to his orbital bone and taking himself out of the firing line almost certainly preserved his career and protected against an even more serious injury.

Having now been given the all-clear from specialists, the 15-1 Dubois is ready to pick up where he left off prior to the Joyce fight and get back into the business of winning titles. Dubois is formerly the holder of the WBC Youth world, the Southern Area, English, British, WBO European, WBO Global, WBO International, Commonwealth and WBC Silver belts.

Dinu, 34, from Bucharest, holds a record of 20-2, with 16 of his wins coming via knockout. The 6ft 5″ puncher, ranked #2 by the WBA, returned to winning ways with two KO victories after suffering his only career losses in the USA when he went up against the unbeaten ex-contender Jarrell Miller and the hugely experienced campaigner Kubrat Pulev.

The show will be co-promoted by Dinu’s US promotional vehicle, Greg Cohen Promotions.

“I am excited to be back in the ring on June 5 after the frustration of being kept out of the gym and doing what I love to do for a number of months after my last fight,” said Dubois.

“This is my chance to remind people of what I am really about, which is winning fights in a devastating fashion. I don’t need to make any excuses for the Joe fight because everybody could see the issue with my vision, but Joe won fair and square and we move on.

“Time is on my side but I don’t intend to slow down my progress and I am more than happy to be returning to the ring in a big title fight that puts me right back in the picture.

“I respect Dinu and accept that he could provide a tough test, but I can only see one outcome and that is me leaving the ring with another major championship belt for my collection.”

Dinu, who last fought in October 2020 with a second round stoppage, said: “This is the most important fight for me and I will be prepared for a war in the ring. It’s my perfect moment to win and to get to the big fights. I’m fighting in London to become the first Romanian heavyweight champion of the world.”

Promoter Frank Warren added: “I’m delighted to get this fight over the line for Daniel and really pleased to be working with Greg Cohen on this event. A win for Daniel in this Interim title fight will see him become the mandatory challenger for the WBA world title and, if he can get past Dinu on June 5, he is back in contention and right in the mix with the top contenders.

“It is an opportunity for Daniel to post a ‘business as usual’ statement to the public and the rest of the heavyweight division following his setback against Joe. Daniel’s enthusiasm to reach the very top has not diminished in the slightest and, even though it is a bit of an old cliche, it is true that he will only learn and benefit from the experience of taking a first loss and rebuilding from it.

“Dinu is a high quality and respected opponent who in no way can Daniel take lightly. It is exactly the sort of challenge he needs at this stage in his career. Daniel achieved so much, so early on his professional journey and remains so young in heavyweight terms.

“There will be significant pressure on Daniel coming back after a first defeat and the focus will be right on him to see how he reacts. He is returning in a big fight, everything will be on the line and the prize on offer is a shot at the world title.”

Greg Cohen, founder and CEO of Greg Cohen Promotions, said: “This is the career defining bout that Bogdan Dinu has been waiting for his entire life. The opportunity to not only fight for, but WIN a WBA Heavyweight Title, against a top rated and well respected fighter in Daniel Dubois will put Bogdan at the top of the heavyweight division and open the doors to mega fights for him in the near future. His entire team has been assisting him in preparing for this moment and he will undoubtedly seize the moment. It won’t be easy, but the years of hard work, sacrifice and experience are going to pay off.

“I’d like to thank the entire team at Queensberry for their professionalism and assistance in making this bout a reality. I’d also like to thank Sorin Florea, Bogdan’s long time manager from Romania who’s support, attention to detail and class are always instrumental and appreciated.  We look forward to a great night of boxing and a spectacular heavyweight matchup!”

THE PROFESSIONAL AMBITIONS of Karol Itauma are not open to charges of ambiguity. The Olympic Youth gold medallist simply plans on ruling the light heavy mob.

‘Undisputed’ is the Itauma buzzword and the now 20-year-old even pencilled himself a little reminder to post by his bedside while growing up in Kent.

Also an eight-time national champion as an amateur, Itauma set off on his professional journey on short notice in December after willingly accepting an invitation to jump on big Lyndon Arthur-Anthony Yarde show in London.

He gave a good account of himself against the redoubtable Lewis van Poetsch, who was drafted in to get the storied amateur – who initially hails from Slovakia – off the mark in the pro ranks. Itauma will have a second outing, this time with a full preparation period, when he takes his place on the Denzel Bentley-Felix Cash British middleweight title card on April 24.

But Itauma has far grander plans for a glittering future of dominance in his division. He is setting his goals high and has every intention of reaching for the stars.

“That is my dream, undisputed champion,” said the 6ft 1″ southpaw, who was less emphatic over placing a timeframe on achieving such lofty heights. “From when I started boxing I had a little note by my bedside and the aim has always been to be undisputed and win those titles.

“I didn’t put a year alongside it because, in my opinion, if you put a date to it you could arguably start to rush things. You have to take your time with things like that and mature properly and develop.”

For now though, the Itauma development will continue at York Hall, where he will seek to demonstrate that preparation and practice make perfect.

“I wasn’t meant to box until this year, but when I got offered a debut on 10 days notice I wasn’t going to not take an opportunity I’d been given.

“In my opinion, obviously you are going to be in better shape – physically and mentally – after a four to six week training camp, rather than 10 days notice.

“It is all about the marginal gains and, if I had more time, I could have been better.

“I just look at this one coming up as a next fight and one I am taking very seriously. For me, it is all about learning, gaining experience, getting better and improving.”

Aside from the British and Commonwealth middleweight title showdown, there is a strong light heavyweight theme running throughout the April 24 bill. Callum Johnson makes his Queensberry return against the experienced Emil Markic, while Anthony Yarde will be bidding to get back to winning ways against the unbeaten German Emin Atra.

“Absolutely and it is obviously great to see the division thriving. They all have their strengths and weaknesses and are effective in their different ways.

“Tommy Fury is around too. At the moment we are on different tracks but I have to focus on myself and on getting better each day. In every fight I want you to be able to see an improvement,” added Itauma, who admits executing a spectacular finish does carry some appeal.

“A part of me does want it, but I am not the type of fighter to go in there and have that on my mind because that is when things go wrong. I just want to stick to the game plan and go from there.

“I feel like I need to get my foundations correct now, while I am learning and maturing. I am not a man yet so I need to get my fundamentals right first. Then when I do mature and get my man strength it will come together nicely.”

Demetrius Andrade – Providence, Rhode Island – 29-0, 18 KOs – defending his WBO World Middleweight Title against Liam Williams:

“I don’t know until I get in there with Williams. They all say they’re going to do something to me, knock me out, beat me up, snatch my belt, they’ve all got a plan until they get hit and then it’s a different story.”

“It’s all good, it’s part of the hype, it’s part of their job to do what they need to do to get in their mind but at the end of the day I end up getting mind control over them anyway and we do what we do and get the W.”

“I’m very excited, it’s been since January last year since I last put my hands on somebody. We got the knockout against Luke Keeler who was supposed to come and take what rightfully mine. Same thing going on here, I’m back in action in Miami, this is my second home.”

“It’s going to be a great showing, I’m ready, I’m going to turn up. If Williams is going to bring the fight that we all want to see, then I’m all for it. There’s nothing wrong with it, I’m here, I signed and I’m here to show the people what they want to see.”

“Nobody is going to know until the bell rings at the end of the day. I don’t sit here and say that Williams is or isn’t going to bring the fight. Once we get in there and if he does then we’ll see, if he doesn’t then he doesn’t. We all know I’m going to bring the fight.”

“At the end of the day I train hard and smarter every single day, I’ve been doing this a very long time. I’ve fought all of them already, there’s nothing new I’ve seen from Williams. Okay he’s tough and bringing it forward, alright well at the end of the day I’m going to have the answers for whatever he brings forward.”

“I’m going to be glad to sit back and watch the beautiful boxing match that I put on after I’ve beat him. I’ll watch and say hey you’ve done a great job banging a guy that came to fight.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing, schooling people, I’m an educator.”

Paul Andrade – father and trainer of Demetrius Andrade

“Every fight is a tough fight; nobody goes in there to lose. He’s going to try and put a lot of pressure on us, but we’ve been there and done that, I only feel like he’s a one-dimensional fighter.”

“All he can do is come forward, we’ll do everything we have to do, he’s not going to be to put the pressure on. I don’t think he has the footwork to keep up with Demetrius.”

“I don’t think anybody has seen Demetrius’ best fight yet, no one has brought it out of him. Boo Boo has it in him to preform even at a higher level, but somebody’s got to bring it out of him. If he’s the one, congratulations, bring it out of him because we’ll give it right back to you.”

“We know we’re going to win; we’ve been winning, and we don’t know how to lose. We’re going to have a good fight come Saturday and we’re going to keep our belt.”

Liam Williams – Clydach Vale, Wales – 23-20-1, 18 KOs – mandatory challenger for WBO World Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade:

“It is a massive opportunity for me, and I really can’t wait to get my chance on Saturday night to prove I’m the best at 160lbs. I’m very excited and can’t wait to get my hands on him this Saturday.”

“Not to get it twisted, I do respect him, he’s a great fighter and obviously three-time world champion in two different weight divisions, what’s not to respect? I’d be a bit of a fool to not think he’s any good wouldn’t I, but I see things, weaknesses that I can exploit, I’m fully confident I’m going to do that Saturday night and not just going to win but win in devastating fashion.”

“I don’t plan on going in there and winning on points. If it goes twelve then happy days I still plan on winning, I’m going in their crash, bang, wallop and looking to take him out simple as that.”

“If I win this, I’ll be massive star in Wales and in Britain. I’m just very excited, it’s a big opportunity and for me to win this it’s going to be life changing for me.”

Dominic Ingle – trainer of Liam Williams

“It’s a great fight, Demetrius is a good fighter, we’re not underestimating him, he’s very skilful and tricky. He’s a quality fighter.

“Look he’s [Andrade] 33 years old, Liam’s 28, he’s bringing youth and aggression and on Saturday night we’re expecting a good fight. Demetrius is calm and collected, a very cool customer and relaxed under the lights, very experienced, but this is Liam’s biggest opportunity and he’s not going to waste it.”

“Demetrius is used to the pressure, that’s what southpaws like, the pressure coming and walking onto the shots. It’s got to be calculated pressure, Liam can box, and he’s shown that – he likes to have a tear up and that’s sometimes his worst attribute.”

“We’ve got a plan on Saturday night; he can fight when he needs to fight, and he can box when he needs to box. We’ve studied Demetrius, he’s a good fighter and calculated in what he does. Like I said, we’re not underestimating him.”

Francis Warren – Queensberry Promotions, promoter of Liam Williams

“I’m very confident about it. For me Liam Williams is world class, this is a huge opportunity for him to prove that. He’s had a world title fight before against Liam Smith in 2017, had the rematch and didn’t go his way.”

“Since then, he went away, re-evaluated what weight he was going to campaign at, and middleweight was the decision. Since then, he’s gone on a hot streak, 7 knockout wins and he’s gone from strength to strength with a brilliant performance against Atlantis Fox. I know him and Demetrius share that opponent and on paper Liam did a better job.”

“I fancy Liam to be the new WBO champion on Saturday night and it’s going to be a fun plane ride back to Heathrow.”

“If you want to talk about raw aggression, raw talent, Liam’s got it all. This guy’s not been brought up to talk the talk, he’s going to walk the walk, fight the fight and I really hope Demetrius has brought his A-game because with all due respect this guy is on a different level. I’m thrilled he’s got the opportunity to show what he can do.”

Joe Markowski – EVP, DAZN

“This is the start of a fantastic run of events for us, spring rolling into the summer, we’ve obviously got Canelo coming up next month in a similar weight class. It’s a great opportunity for these two guys to make their claim on a fantastic schedule and a platform that is designed for boxing fans around the world.”

“As a Brit in the States it’s great to have the time zone accommodated for the time zone back at home and I think that’s going to help our fans enjoy it and our subscribers get value for money which is what we’re all about.”

Carlos Gongora – Esmeraldas, Ecuador – 19-0, 14 KOs – defending his IBO World Super-Middleweight Title against Christopher Pearson:

“I’m ready to compete again, I feel a lot better and I’m ready for the next fight and to give it my all.”

“The fight was rushed; it was a complicated year with Coronavirus and everything else – athletes couldn’t compete, and I was on standby. It was a title fight, and I was ready to do that, it all went well. I’m always trying to stay ready in the gym, I’m always trying to prepare because of the discipline I have.”

“I’m very grateful to represent my country with pride. For a long time, there was no representation, my uncle was the first and now it’s me. I’m grateful I can represent my country.”

Christopher Pearson – Dayton, Ohio – 17-2, 12 KOs – challenging Carlos Gongora for the IBO World Super-Middleweight title:

“I’m ready to step up to the plate and deliver a sensational performance. I’ve got a lot of respect for Carlos, he came in this past December and put on a spectator performance. A lot of credit to him but he’s dealing with a different beast with me, and I look forward to displaying that Saturday night.”

“At this point all there’s left to do is fight. This is the easy part; all the hard stuff is done so I look forward to getting in the ring and displaying my talent Saturday night.”

“168 is a glamour division because you’ve got guys who are very technically sound, throw a lot of punches, got heavyweight knockout power. Anything can happen in this division; I think that fans are going to enjoy these two athletes you have on display. I think we’re going to be able to showcase our boxing and it’s still the ultimate combat sport.”

Mahammadrasul Majidov – Baku, Azerbaijan – 3-0, 3 KOs – fighting Andrey Fedosov over ten rounds at Heavyweight:

“This is good fight for me, it’s a big fight. I’m going go in there and show all my power. I’m happy that we’re starting to fight again. I will try to put on a great fight.”

“I had a tremendous career in the amateurs, but it doesn’t matter now. I’m here, stepping up every fight and I want the bigger names and fights every time.”

Andrey Fedosov – Shuya, Russia – 31-3, 25 KOs – fighting Mahammadrasul Majidov over ten rounds at Heavyweight

“I was ready to fight all the time when I was off, ready at the camp training all day.”

“Everybody in the heavyweight division is a dangerous guy.”

“Of course, it’s a tough fight, of course.”

Otha Jones III – Toledo, Ohio – 5-0-1, 2 KOs – fighting Jorge Castaneda over eight rounds at Lightweight

“The opportunity is great; Mexico didn’t go how I planned – that was my fault. I wasn’t listening to my pops but I went back to square one. I got cool with my pops, moved my camp, I’m ready.”

“That’s why I can’t let Jorge do that. Mexico set me back, I’m looking for revenge and he’s in my way. I got to beat his ass like he stole something now.”

“It’s crunch time for me, I’m back on and looking great, feeling great. I’m going to show that Saturday night.”

Jorge Castaneda – Laredo, Texas – 13-1, 11 KOs – fighting Otha Jones III over eight rounds at Lightweight

“This is a big opportunity for me and I’m here to make a statement.”

“This is a really great opportunity for me to fight Jones, with a lot of amateur experience. It’s just motivation for me, to come and beat him and get a spot.”

Arthur Biyarslanov – Toronto, Canada – 7-0, 6 KOs – fighting Israel Mercado over eight rounds at Lightweight

“I want to fight ever fight with better opponents. I want to say thank you to Israel for taking this fight. We had a great camp, even though the last fight got cancelled, it gave me more time to train, and I feel more than ready.”

“Thank you to Israel for taking this fight. He’s undefeated, 9-0, I’m undefeated, we’re young and hungry. We had a tremendous camp, 12 weeks, it was amazing. If you want to get known you have to fight better opponents and I’m looking forward to it.”

“I had a great amateur background, 2015 Pan American champion, 2016 Olympian, I’ve been to many international tournaments too, so I have a lot of experience. When it comes to professional boxing, I feel like I fit into it more. The better fights and opponents I fight will show how good I actually am. I’m very happy to be here and I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

Israel Mercado – Pomona, California – 9-0, 7 KOs – fighting Arthur Biyarslanov over eight rounds at Lightweight

“It’s going to be a great fight; I’m looking forward to it as well. I’m excited for it, I stay in the gym all year round. I got the call about a month out and just continued doing what I was doing, sparring contenders and ex-champions, I’m ready for it.”

“Victory on Saturday will be huge, especially on a platform like this. I’m ready, I know he has a lot of experience and he’s signed; I’ve taken the harder way coming up but I’m ready for it.”

Alexis Espino – Las Vegas, Nevada – 7-0, 5 KOs – fighting Ty McLeod over six rounds at Super Middleweight

“After training all year in 2020, for me to finally get back in the ring in 2021 it felt good, and I feel like I’m getting back in my rhythm after that fight.”

“My team and I have been training really hard. If Robert thinks I’m ready for this then I know for a fact I’m ready. I get top notch sparring and I’ve been in the gym and haven’t stopped training since my last fight. I’m excited for this, I love a challenge.”

“I get to get all kinds of sparring with other prospects, world champions. I sparred with Bivol this camp, I only sparred him twice but I’m looking to go back after this fight.”

Ty McLeod – Bradenton, Florida – 6-0, 6 KOs – fighting Alexis Espino over six rounds at Super-Middleweight

“I’m ready to go in there on Saturday and prove my worth, fight hard and we’ll find out what happens.”

“That what I plan on doing, I’ve trained hard for it so I plan on going in there and making a big statement on Saturday night.”

Aaron Aponte – Hialeah, Florida – 2-0, 1 KO – fighting Javier Martinez over four rounds at Super-Lightweight

“Everything’s working out, you keep coming out to Miami and putting on the cards – I’m very grateful.”

“It was amazing hearing everybody cheer my name; I got the and showed out for Miami. It was a great experience.”

“Now that I’ve experienced it and I was on such a big stage, I don’t think I’ll ever be intimidated at all. I was a little nervous from being on such a big stage but now I’ve experienced it I’ll be able to handle it better and finish the job.”

“I see myself at the front, I want to shine and make a big statement this fight.”

LENNOX CLARKE has vowed to “iron out” Lerrone Richards and doesn’t even want paying for their rematch.

The Halesowen roughhouse suffered his only defeat in 22 fights when he dropped a split decision against Richards, who Clarke challenged for the British and Commonwealth Super-Middleweight titles in November 2019.

Clarke won those titles at the second attempt in March after they became vacant when he knocked out Willy Hutchinson inside five rounds.

“I will give Lerrone my purse to get in the ring with him again. I’d fight him for free because I know what I will do to him,” snapped the punching car mechanic.

“It was a fight I had to take and a chance I took, but I fell short. I have the beating of Lerrone. I’ll knock him out next time.

“I have spoken more about Lerrone than Willy because it is a bitter pill. I want to iron him out.”

“I have always had belief in myself and even more so when I lost to Lerrone. I only had one hand when I boxed him.

“At the time he was touted to be a top prospect. I gave him hell for 12 rounds and was handicapped so I got confidence from that.

“I took the chance and I had really good feedback from David Haye and Richie Woodhall who were there.

“They both messaged me afterwards and said they had become fans and thought I nicked the fight.

“It’s horses for courses. One judge favoured me and the other judges favoured him.”

Clarke damaged his right shoulder before the fight and admits he was close to pulling out hours before the closely fought contest against Richards.

Lennox revealed: “I was going pull out of that fight on the day. I was having a cortisone injection in my right shoulder three hours before the fight.

“I wasn’t able to use my right hand because of the pain. I was the mandatory challenger and if I pulled out I might not have got a chance again.

“After that fight I had rehab on my shoulder for eight months, but I knew afterwards that I was British title level and more.”

Clarke’s upset win against Hutchinson followed a 16-month layoff caused by his injury and shortage of promotions to box on during the pandemic.

Even when he stepped in the ring to face the fancied Scot Hutchinson, Clarke still doubted his right hand.

Clarke, 29, explained: “The sweetest thing for me was hitting Willy with the right hand because that was my injured shoulder and I have had a mental block.

“I’ve been using it in training, but I never let it go. I let it go that night and Willy was gone. The physios told me to use it and Errol Johnson kept telling me to let it go in the corner.

“I hadn’t thrown it with bad intentions, but it worked against Willy.”

DERRY, N.H. (April 16, 2021) — The official weigh ins for tomorrow’s “Crossroads” day-night doubleheader (Apr. 17) was held today at the same venue as the event, New England Sports Center in Derry, New Hampshire.

Tickets are available to purchase online at www.ticketriver.com (Search: crossroads) and priced at (separate day-night admissions) $35.00 (Day Show) / $45.00 (Night Show) for general seating (unassigned) and $220.00 (Day Show) / $300.00 (Night Show) for ringside tables (assigned and seats 4) and available to purchase

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

Fighters’ weights below:

NIGHT CARD

MAIN EVENT – VACANT WBC USNBC SILVER SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
Kendrick Ball, Jr. (15-1-2, 11 KOs), Worcester, MA 166 ½ lbs.
Bryan “The Warrior” Vera (28-16, 18 KOs), Austin, TX 168 lbs.

CO-FEATIURE –NEW HAMPSHIRE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (6)
Ryan Dibartolomeo (3-1-1, 1 KO), Champion, Leominster, MA 146 ½ lbs.
Marquis Bates (7-4, 5 KOs), Challenger, Taunton, MA 145 lbs.

VACANT NEW HAMPSHIRE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (6)
Scott Lampert (1-1, 1 KO), Dover Plains, NY 180 lbs.
Larry Pryor (13-23, 7 KOs), Frederick, MD 190 lbs.

VACANT NEW HAMPSHIRE JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (6)
Francis Hogan (4-0, 4 KOs), Weymouth, MA 153 lbs.
Larry Smith (12-45-2 (8 KOs), Dallas, TX 153 lbs.

HEAVYWEIGHTS (6)
Alfredo Trevino (9-8-1, 1 KO), Douglas, AZ 253 lbs.
Justin Rolfe (4-2-1, 3 KOs), Fairfield, ME 263 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS (4)
Aquilando Brandao (0-3), Boston, MA 148 ½ lbs.
Denzel Whitley (3-0, 3 KOs), Holyoke, MA 149 lbs.

VACANT ABF ATLANTIC JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
Dormedes Potes (12-2-1, 9 KOs), Woburn, MA 153 lbs.
Jahyae Brown (8-0, 7 KOs), Schenectady, NY 151 lbs.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)
Julien Baptiste (1-0, 1 KO), Woburn, MA156 ½ lbs.
Bruno Dias (0-4), Boston, MA 158 lbs.

WELTERWEGHTS (4)
Anthony Andreozzi (pro debut), Swansea, MA 146 ½ lbs.
Dustin Reinhold (5-4, 2 KOs), Fall River, MA 149 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT (4)
Carlos Castillo (pro debut), Holyoke, MA 155 lbs.
Theo Desjardin (0-6), Attleboro, MA 155 lbs.

DAY CARD

MAIN EVENT – UBO ALL-AMERICA WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
Brandon Berry (20-5-2, 12 KOs), Champion, West Forks, ME 147 lbs.
Gael Ibarra (5-2, 4 KOs), Challenger, Bisbee, AZ 147 lbs.

CO-FEATURE – HEAVYWEIGHTS (8)
Mike Marshall (4-1, 3 KOs), Brooklyn, NY 244 lbs.
Tracey Johnson, (4-9-6, 0 KOs), Boston, MA 235 lbs.

HEAVYWEIGHTS (4)
Marco Nascimento (pro debut) Bow, NH 202.8 lbs.
Jimmy Torney (2-0, 2 KOs), Boston, MA 269 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS (4)
Jader Alves (0-4), Woburn, MA 146 lbs.
Eric Goff (pro debut), Weymouth, MA 145 ½ lbs.

CRUISERWEIGHTS (4)
Demek Edmonds (pro debut), Worcester, MA 199 lbs.
Francisco Neto (1-11), Woburn, MA 200 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (8)
Mike Ohan, Jr. (11-5, 5 KOs), Holbrook, MA 145 lbs.
Rynell Griffin (8-45-2, 2 KOs), Las Vegas, NV 153 ½ lbs.

VACANT ABF ATLANTIC CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
Steve Walker (26-36, 18 KOs), Hannibal, MO 200 lbs.
Yan Pellerin (10-1, 4 KOs), Montreal, Quebec, Canada 198 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS (8)
Omar Borday, Jr. (10-1, 3 KOs), Danbury, CT 146 lbs.
Dewayne Wisdom (7-55-2, 3 KOs), Indianapolis, IN 149 lbs.

(card subject to change)

INFORMATION:
Facebook.com/GraniteChin
Twitter: @Granite_Chin

Philadelphia, PA (April 16, 2021) – Weights for Saturday night’s Price Promotions show at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia

Dylan Price 117.6 – Elias Joaquino 118.6
Donald Smith 129.5 – Braulio Avila 134.2
Isiah Johnson 138.6 – David Loureiro 138.8
Naheem Parker 135.6 – Matt Apolinaris 134.1
Boimah Karmo 148.2 – Rahiem Cooke 152.2

Promoter: Price Promotions
Venue: 2300 Arena
1st Bell: 6:30 PM ET
Stream: BXNGTV.com
Price Promotions Weigh In April 16, 2021 featuring Dylan Price vs Elas Joaquino

Tickets for this special night range from $250 VIP (which includes food and beverage) and $50-1$150 for the evening show; And $200 for VIP and $50-$150 for the afternoon show and Tickets can be purchased by calling 856-842-7577 or pboxingpromotions.com

PHILADELPHIA (APRIL 16, 2021)–Former Boxcino Heavyweight champion, and, current contender, Andrey Fedosov weighed in for his bout against Mahammadrasul Majidov that takes place tomorrow at The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Fedosov of Shuya, Russia, will be making his first ring appearance of 2021, and has a record of 31-3 with 25 knockouts.

The former Boxcino champion, who began his career in his native country, has been very successful when taking his career stateside, as he has a record of 12-2 with 11 knockouts, which includes scoring three knockout victories to win the Boxcino Heavyweight title

Fedosov, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Newsboy Boxing, is a former WBO Intercontinental and WBA Fedlatin Heavyweight champion.

Majidov is 3-0 with three and knockouts, and is a three-time world amateur champion.

At Friday’s weigh-in, Fedosov checked in at 224 lbs, 8 OZ. Majidov was 232 lbs.

The fight will be streamed live on DAZN at 3 PM ET

Photo by Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing USA

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

LOS ANGELES (April 16, 2021) – Undefeated lightweight prospects Frank Martin and Jerry Perez will go toe-to-toe in a 10-round battle that headlines FS1 PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes on Tuesday, April 20 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

The telecast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will see unbeaten middleweight prospect Jose Resendiz square off against Quilisto Madera in the eight-round co-main event. The telecast will also feature exciting prospect Atif Oberlton in a light heavyweight attraction against Jesse Bryan, super middleweight prospect Burley Brooks taking on Cameron Rivera, the pro debut of Travon Marshall in a super welterweight showdown against Christian Marron, and Amon Rashidi meeting Jesus Silverya in a super lightweight bout to open the telecast.

The event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and will take place without fans in attendance at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.

The 26-year-old Martin (12-0, 9 KOs) added two victories to his ledger in 2020, stopping Tyrone Luckey in December and Reymond Yanong in February. A seven-time national champion as an amateur, including a first place finish at the 2016 National Golden Gloves, Martin was raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana and now resides in Indianapolis. Martin has fought professionally since 2017, scoring knockouts in five of his first six fights.

Trained alongside four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz and his family, Perez (13-0, 10 KOs) is riding a three-fight knockout streak into this bout on April 20. Most recently the 28-year-old scored a career best victory in blasting out Joshua Zuniga in their October 2020 matchup, winning by third-round knockout. The Oak Hills, California native had previously earned stoppage victories over Tyrone Luckey and Ivan Leon Benitez in 2019.

The 22-year-old Resendiz (11-0, 8 KOs) will make his U.S. debut when he steps into the ring on April 20. Fighting out of Nayarit, Mexico, Resendiz has won eight consecutive fights by knockout, after his first three pro outings saw him win unanimous decisions. In his last fight, Resendiz stopped Joaquin Murrieta in the eighth round of their January 2020 clash.

Born in Mount Vernon, Washington, Madera (12-2, 8 KOs) now resides in Fresno, California as he prepares to face Resendiz. Most recently, Madera won a unanimous decision over Osbaldo Camacho Gonzales in May 2019. That victory gave the 28-year-old back-to-back triumphs and wins in five of his last six contests overall, dating back to 2018.

Oberlton (1-0, 1 KO) made his pro debut on January 30 as the 22-year-old stopped Nathan Sharp in the third round. Representing the fighter-rich city of Philadelphia, Oberlton won the 2018 and 2016 National Golden Gloves tournaments and reached the finals of the 2018 U.S. National Championships prior to turning pro. He will be opposed by the 36-year-old Bryan (19-5-2, 15 KOs), who returns to the ring after a decision loss in February of this year. The Jefferson City, Missouri native had won 10 consecutive fights before dropping his last two contests.

Brooks (6-1, 5 KOs) trains with unified welterweight champion Errol Spence in Dallas, Texas under the tutelage of coach Derrick James. The 25-year-old Brooks is looking to bounce back from a split decision loss to Marco Delgado in his last fight in September. Rivera (8-6-3, 6 KOs) fights out of Fife, Washington and is coming off a TKO victory over Roberto Salas in his last fight.

The 20-year-old Marshall will turn pro on April 20 after an impressive amateur career. Marshall was born in Landover, Maryland and now resides in Capitol Heights, Maryland as he embarks on his professional journey. He will be opposed by the 31-year-old Marron (0-1) who fights out of Bakersfield, California.

The 28-year-old Rashidi (8-1-1, 6 KOs) works out of the same gym in Dallas as Spence and Brooks and is coming off a TKO victory over Rynell Griffin in his last fight. He will face Silverya (8-6-2, 3 KOs), who is from Nuevo Leon, Mexico and is coming off a loss to Fazliddin Gaibnazarov in his last fight.

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

LOS ANGELES (April 15, 2021) – Middleweight contender Jaime Munguia (36-0, 29 KOs) will now make his highly anticipated return to the ring on June 19 live on DAZN at The University of Texas at El Paso’s Don Haskins Center. His initial return date of April 23 has been rescheduled following an elbow injury suffered by D’Mitrius Ballard (20-0-1, 13 KOs).

Additional details for the event, including his opponent, will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the event will be honored for the rescheduled date. For more information, please call the UTEP Box Office at (915)-747-5234.

DENZEL BENTLEY will wear his Lonsdale belt AND his Ghanaian heritage with pride when he looks to defeat Middleweight challenger Felix Cash on April 24th.

Denzel has been hard at work at the Peacock Gym readying himself for the biggest fight of his life, but was delighted he had the time to take the trappings of his British title success on a whirlwind tour of his region of Ghana after his last scrap.

Bentley, 26, won the middleweight Lonsdale belt after a brutal stoppage of Mark Heffron and, with it being his third fight in under four months, he took himself off on holiday to the birthplace of his parents, where he still enjoys strong family connections.

The trip turned into something of a victory parade and the champ, along with his belt, was the cause of much celebration amongst the local population.

For the 14-0-1 man from Battersea, it was a source of great pride for his accomplishment to be received with such joy in his second home.

“It meant a lot and let me know how proud everyone was back home and how much they supported me and continue to support me,” said the fighter known as ‘2Sharp’.

“It has kind of got me feeling that I don’t want to let them down now by going back there empty handed or having taken a step back. It is a good sort of pressure that will make me keep my head down and keep grinding towards the success that I want.”

The London-born Bentley fully embraces his dual-nationality.

“I am Ghanaian by blood and British by birth. I am proud to be British, I was born and grew up here aside from going to Ghana for a couple of years when I was younger. This is home, but also where my parents are from is home too so when I go back I am a mix of the two together and I know I have got both of my people behind me.

“It is amazing really and I couldn’t ask for any more. You could say I have got the best of both worlds. Being back and forth is good because I am accepted in both countries.”

The pinnacle of Bentley’s most recent foray to Ghana was an audience with the King of the Ashanti Kingdom, Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, which he does admit was a nerve-racking experience.

“Yes! Oh my days, I haven’t been so nervous before, more than even when I made my debut. I didn’t want to get anything wrong, there are a few protocols you need to observe and I haven’t been in that position before.

“I was presenting myself in front of royalty to be congratulated and I needed to get it right. I wanted it to be like the perfect day because it is something I will remember forever. As soon as they called out my name to come and meet him the nerves struck and everyone around me was telling me how to approach it.

“When I got there he was nice and relaxed, giving me blessings and congratulating me, saying how proud he and the people of the Ashanti are of me. It was good to hear those words because I’m just a kid that has come from, really and truly, nowhere.

“For him to take me in, congratulate me and show me love was special.”

If Bentley manages to add the Commonwealth title to his British when he takes on Felix Cash on April 24 in a highly-anticipated collision, he will emulate one achievement of a true Ghanaian hero, Azumah Nelson, who held the belt at featherweight in 1983.

“Yes, and I met him out there as well,” he reported. “It means a lot in Ghana because they are part of the Commonwealth and, although it is not the world title, they do appreciate and would be proud of me winning it.

“When I met Azumah he was telling me to go out there and be better than he was. I am sure he would be proud if I win it and it is a good title to go out and win.”

Denzel Bentley (14-0-1) vs Felix Cash (13-0) for the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles headlines a bumper night of boxing, live on BT Sport on April 24.

The show will also see the return to action of Queensberry starlet’s David Adeleye (5-0), George Davey (3-0), Henry Turner (4-0), James Heneghan (4-0) and Karol Itauma (1-0).

BBC Radio 5 Live will broadcast three huge fight nights live on the radio, kicking off this weekend with Demetrius Andrade defending his WBO World Middleweight title against Liam Williams in Florida on Saturday night, then from Manchester on May 1 with the stacked card led by the Heavyweight clash between Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker and Katie Taylor’s undisputed Lightweight defence against Natasha Jonas, and the blockbuster World Super-Middleweight unification clash between Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders from Texas on May 8.

Andrade (29-0 18 KOs) puts his title on the line for the fourth time against Welsh mandatory challenger Williams (23-2-1 18 KOs) and fight fans in the UK will be able to tune into the crunch battle from 11pm GMT on the BBC on Saturday night.

On May 1, it’s a huge night of action in Manchester as Heavyweight favourite Chisora (32-10 3 KOs) faces former World ruler Parker (28-2 21 KOs), undisputed World Lightweight champion Taylor (17-0 6 KOs) defends her titles against Jonas (9-1-1 7 KOs) in a rematch of their 2012 Olympic scrap and WBA World Light-Heavyweight king Dmitry Bivol (17-0 11 KOs) defends his crown against Londoner Crag Richards (16-1-1 9 KOs).

One week later, the biggest fight of the year so far takes place at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas as pound-for-pound king Alvarez (55-1-2 37 KOs) battles unbeaten Briton Saunders (30-0 14 KOs) for the WBC, WBA Super, WBO and Ring Magazine straps at 168lbs.

Louise Sutton, 5 Live Sport Editor, said: “BBC Radio 5 Live Boxing has provided superb live coverage of some colossal fights over this past year, with many more to come.
This deal with Matchroom confirms another three thrilling nights of action for fans to enjoy, including some of the most anticipated fights of the year. We’re delighted to be providing UK boxing fans with live free-to-air coverage of each head-to-head, alongside expert analysis, opinion and some special guests.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn said: “I am delighted that BBC Radio 5Live will be covering these three massive nights of action. Andrade vs. Williams is a great fight in Florida on Saturday, as Demetrius aims to make a statement and Liam can become Wales’ 13th World champion.

“The May 1 show is a monster. It’s topped by the Heavyweight showdown between Chisora and Parker which is sure to set fire early and leads a stacked bill with two great World title fights in Taylor vs. Jonas and Bivol vs. Richards.

“Completing the trio is the biggest fight of the year so far, as the pound-for-pound boss Canelo Alvarez taking on the UK’s finest in Billy Joe Saunders in front of over 70,000 fans on Cinco De Mayo weekend in Dallas on May 8 – that is going to be an unforgettable occasion and a mammoth fight.”

NEW YORK – April 15, 2021 – SHOWTIME Sports and Premier Boxing Champions today unveiled a loaded five-month boxing schedule of nine high-stakes world championship events beginning Saturday, May 15, live on SHOWTIME. The schedule delivers two events per month through August. Thirteen matchups have been announced thus far with no less than seven world title fights, and 12 fighters defending undefeated records. The lineup features many of boxing’s best young fighters taking on career-defining challenges in their primes. All fights on the schedule will take place before a live audience, keeping with applicable local COVID-19 safety protocols.

The sizzling summer run features the dynamic Charlo twins as undefeated electrifying champion Jermall Charlo defends his WBC middleweight world title against Juan Macias Montiel in a special Juneteenth homecoming in Houston on Saturday, June 19, live on SHOWTIME.

The following Saturday, June 26, unbeaten Mayweather Promotions star Gervonta “Tank” Davis moves up two weight classes for a chance to become a three-division world champion when he takes on fellow undefeated champion Mario Barrios for his super lightweight world title in what will be Davis’ second pay-per-view showdown.

The next month, WBC, WBA and IBF 154-pound charismatic world champion Jermell Charlo looks to make boxing history when he takes on WBO junior middleweight world champion Brian Castaño in a mega-fight to crown the first four-belt 154-pound world champion. The World Championship Unification bout takes place on Saturday, July 17, live on SHOWTIME.

The SHOWTIME boxing schedule features eight editions of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and one premier SHOWTIME PPV event, all presented by Premier Boxing Champions:

• MAY 15 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
  • Luis Nery vs. Brandon Figueroa, WBC Super Bantamweight World Title Fight
  • Danny Roman vs. Ricardo Espinoza Franco, Super Bantamweight Fight
  • Xavier Martinez vs. Abraham Montoya, WBA Super Featherweight Fight
• MAY 29 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
  • Nordine Oubaali vs. Nonito Donaire, WBC Bantamweight World Title Fight
  • Subriel Matias vs. Batyrzhan Jukembayev, IBF Super Lightweight Title Eliminator
• JUNE 19 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING 
  • Jermall Charlo vs. Juan Macias Montiel, WBC Middleweight World Title Fight
• JUNE 26 – SHOWTIME PPV
  • Gervonta Davis vs. Mario Barrios, WBA Super Lightweight World Title Fight
  • Erickson Lubin vs. Jeison Rosario, WBC Junior Middleweight Title Eliminator
• JULY 3 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
  • Chris Colbert vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa, WBA Super Featherweight Interim Title Fight
• JULY 17 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING 
  • Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castaño, Undisputed IBF, WBA, WBC & WBO Junior Middleweight World Title Unification Fight
• AUGUST 14 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING 
  • Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. John Riel Casimero, WBO Bantamweight World Title Fight
• AUGUST 28– SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING 
  • David Benavidez vs. Jose Uzcategui, WBC Super Middleweight Title Eliminator
• SEPTEMBER 11 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
  • Stephen Fulton, Jr. vs. winner of Nery-Figueroa, Super Bantamweight World Title Unification Fight

“High-impact, meaningful fights amongst many of the biggest names and brightest stars in combat sports. That is what SHOWTIME promises and that is what we are delivering,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, SHOWTIME Sports. “With an opportunity to crown an undisputed world champion at 154 pounds, a highly anticipated super bantamweight title unification, a stacked pay-per-view showdown and more than a dozen fights between 118-168 pounds, SHOWTIME is presenting boxing’s best young fighters, all daring to be great by putting their world titles and undefeated records on the line. This schedule’s caliber and volume – the deepest and most consistent of any network or platform – exemplifies our commitment to the sport. Between this incredible lineup of boxing events and our new partnership with BELLATOR MMA, with a live event nearly every week, there is no better value proposition in combat sports.”

The boxing action begins on SHOWTIME on Saturday, May 15 with the highly anticipated WBC super bantamweight world championship fight between Luis Nery and Brandon Figueroa. The battle of two unbeaten champions who have been on a collision course for supremacy in the 122-pound division headlines a three-fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast. Rounding out the May 15 event, former unified super bantamweight world champion Danny Roman faces the tough, hard-hitting Ricardo Espinoza and super featherweight rising contender Xavier Martinez takes on the experienced Abraham Montoya.

Two weeks later on Saturday, May 29, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will present the long-awaited title tilt between Nordine Oubaali and future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire for the WBC bantamweight world championship. The undercard will feature Subriel Matias taking on undefeated Batyrzhan Jukembayev in the stiffest test of their professional careers as they meet in an IBF super lightweight title eliminator.

This summer, the thrilling Charlo twins will headline separate SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING events to defend their titles.

In a Juneteenth Day celebration on Saturday, June 19, in his hometown of Houston, unbeaten WBC middleweight world champion Jermall Charlo takes on the power-punching Juan Macias Montiel. After claiming a championship in the 154-pound division, Charlo moved up in weight and has been just as dominant. The battle against Montiel will be Charlo’s fifth defense of his 160-pound title. Charlo is coming off a career-defining victory over Sergey Derevyanchenko in September.

On Saturday, June 26, current two-division world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis looks to become a three-division world champion when he returns to headline his second SHOWTIME PPV event. Davis, 26, will jump up two weight classes from his last contest to face unbeaten super lightweight world champion Mario Barrios. Davis is coming off a career-best victory over world champion Leo Santa Cruz. The co-main event that evening will feature a high-stakes WBC junior middleweight world title eliminator between Erickson Lubin and former unified 154-pound world champion Jeison Rosario.

Then, on Saturday, July 17, one month after his brother’s fight, Jermell Charlo looks to make boxing history when he defends his WBC, WBA and IBF junior middleweight world titles against undefeated WBO world champion Brian Castaño in one of the most highly anticipated and important matches of the year. Charlo aims to achieve something that has never been done in boxing history by becoming the first fighter to be undisputed champion at 154 pounds in the four-belt era. Charlo has held the WBC title since 2019 and added the WBA and IBF titles with a stunning knockout victory over Jeison Rosario in his last fight in September.

Also in July, undefeated rising star Chris Colbert of Brooklyn, N.Y. will defend his WBA super featherweight interim title against three-division world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in a crossroads bout on Saturday, July 3. The 24-year old Colbert is coming off a career best victory, a knockout win over Jaime Arboleda in December 2020. The Cuban-born Gamboa seeks to reassert himself by moving back down to super featherweight where he has excelled throughout his career.

August will feature another pair of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING events. On Saturday, August 14, two of the best bantamweights in the world will meet when former unified world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux faces John Riel Casimero for Casimero’s WBO bantamweight world title.

Two weeks later, on Saturday, August 28, undefeated two-time former super middleweight world champion David Benavidez will face former super middle champion Jose Uzcategui in a fight that will put the winner one step closer to a world championship opportunity. Benavidez, 24, made boxing history when he became the youngest super middleweight world champion at age 20 with a victory over Ronald Gavril in 2017.

On Saturday, September 11, the red-hot 122-pound division will take center stage once again on SHOWTIME as the WBO junior featherweight world champion Stephen Fulton, Jr. will make the first defense of his title against the winner of the May 15 clash between undefeated champions Nery and Figueroa. The unification fight will be the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

Earlier this month, SHOWTIME doubled its live combat sports schedule with the start of a partnership with BELLATOR MMA that delivers two world class mixed martial arts events per month to SHOWTIME subscribers. Coupled with live world championship boxing events, SHOWTIME will now deliver upwards of 40 live sports events per year and has established itself as the premier combat sports destination for fight fans. As part of the launch, which continues this Friday with the next two Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix opening round fights, the network is offering viewers who are new to the SHOWTIME streaming service a 30-day free trial followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months.

For more information and future fight announcements 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.

LOS ANGELES (April 15, 2021) – Former WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Tony “Superbad” Harrison and hard-hitting southpaw Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella previewed their main event showdown on a virtual press conference Thursday before they enter the ring on FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes this Saturday, April 17 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features undefeated super lightweight sensation Omar “El Relampago” Juárez battling Argentina’s Elías Araujo in the 10-round lightweight co-main event. The telecast opener will see the return of rising prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. against James Martin in an eight-round welterweight matchup.

The event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and will take place without fans in attendance at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.

Here is what Harrison and Perrella had to say Thursday from Los Angeles:

TONY HARRISON

“We’re looking forward to something exciting Saturday. It’s going to be a great fight and I’m looking to provide a strong and emphatic finish.

“I wouldn’t have picked Perrella for my fight to come back. I would have picked someone with more to lose, but to his credit, he’s coming up to an unfamiliar weight class to take me on. He’s going to be a great challenge and I appreciate him stepping up to the task. It shows the confidence he has in himself and in his training.

“My brother LJ has always been in my corner, it’s just taken my father’s passing for him to become the leader in my corner. He was a great basketball player and I think that’s played a big part in how he views a fight. He was a point guard, so he had to see the whole floor. He can see so much of what I need to do in order to be successful on fight night.

“My father taught me how to fight, so what I needed in a new trainer is someone who gives me an energetic boost. My brother is someone who knows how to reach me when the time comes where I need to be reached. I couldn’t find that from someone who was just getting to know me. I had to find someone who already knew me.

“When it comes to fighting, I know how to keep my emotions intact, because I’ve been doing it my whole life. It’s something I just go in there and do. I got my ass kicked in my first couple sparring sessions of this camp, or I felt like it at least, because I was coming off of 16 months off. My body had to get re-accustomed to what I had been going through my whole life previously. I used that struggle as motivation. It showed me what I had to do in order to be victorious in this fight. Now I’m the one busting other people up. I came a long way from the beginning of camp.

“Everyone knows I would love a third fight against Jermell Charlo. He’s a guy who I know I can beat. But I’m not going to take the spotlight away from Perrella. That’s the guy who’s in front of me. If I don’t take care of this first step, I don’t get the Charlo fight. Perrella is coming to win and he’s just as motivated as me.

“I’m going to go out there and look exciting. Both of us are heavy hitters and we’re both coming in with new trainers. Whoever executes their plan the best will be successful in this fight.

“The 154-pound weight class is the best division in boxing. You can match up anyone one through ten in the rankings and get a great fight every time out. What makes it the best is that we continue to fight each other time and time again. All of these fights people want are going to happen. We’re going to keep competing no matter who wins or loses.

“Ring rust is always a factor, but I think he’s going to have it too. It’ll take a couple of rounds, but I’ve been doing this so long I don’t expect it to take much more. Once I get used to it, I’m going to be comfortable. If I touch him up in round one or two, then this fight is not going to last very long.

“The king is back. I see nothing less for myself than the standard I set, which is getting the knockout. It’s either going to be a knockout, referee stoppage or Roy Jones Jr. throwing in the towel. It’s going to be electric on both sides as long as it lasts. My opponent is no pushover, but this fight is going to end with me knocking Perrella out.”

BRYANT PERRELLA

“I had an amazing training camp on a farm with the GOAT, Roy Jones Jr. I got lots of knowledge and experience, plus great sparring. It’s a huge blessing and a great opportunity to have this chance to fight and I can’t wait to showcase my skills and put on an exciting fight.

“Roy has been there and he’s done that, and he’s done it against people who everyone said he had no chance against. I know I’m the underdog, but that’s okay, because the fans don’t fight. It’s just me and Tony. It’s my hard work and preparation against his. I have 100% faith in my ability and I’m ready to put on a great show.

“Tony has a big name in this sport as a former champion. He’s been at the top of his game for a while. Me coming out and dethroning him, will put a lot of shine on myself. This is a tremendous opportunity to catapult my career.

“Not having to get to 147 pounds in camp was great. I always work hard and I might have even worked harder for this one. I was soaking up so much knowledge with Roy. I’m going to be strong, powerful and fast at this new weight. I’m going to be a full blown lion on fight night and I can’t wait to get it on.

“This win means everything for my career. Beating Tony Harrison sends me straight to the top. I’m coming for the straps. I want to be world champion so bad. I know my ability and I know what I’m capable of. This weight class is going to be perfectly suited to me. Fighting someone like Tony is so motivating.

“I’ve done everything necessary so that I can showcase my talents in this fight. I’m going to show something that I’ve never been able to show before. Even in my wins, it wasn’t fully who I am. I’m planning to go out there and look spectacular.

“I see my hand being raised at the end of this fight, however it comes. Knockout or decision. It’s going to be an exciting fight, so everyone should tune-in. Everyone sees me as an underdog, but you’re going to see I’m on this level Saturday night.”

TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions

“This is the type of fight that I really love. This is a fight with two veterans in a crossroads clash, with the winner back in contention on the path to a world title fight.

“The late great matchmaker Teddy Brenner had three criteria for a great matchup, and one of them was if the winner would get something big from being victorious. This fight is a big yes to that question.

“Tony wants to reclaim a world championship, and he will have all he can handle in the hard-hitting and talented Perrella. The 154-pound division is stacked with talent, so I can’t wait to see who comes out on top Saturday night and takes the next steps towards a world title.”

#

ABOUT HARRISON VS. PERRELLA
Harrison vs. Perrella will see former WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Tony “Superbad” Harrison enter the ring to face hard-hitting southpaw Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella in the super welterweight main event of FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, April 17 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features undefeated rising contender Omar “El Relampago” Juárez battling Elías Araujo in the 10-round super lightweight co-main event. The telecast opener will see the return of sensational prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. against James Martin in an eight-round welterweight matchup.

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

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

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (April 15, 2021) — Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas was born in Isabel, Puerto Rico, and idolized the great Felix “Tito” Trinidad. For the first time in his professional career, he’ll have a building full of Puerto Rican fans cheering him on. Vargas will fight Willie Shaw in a 10-round junior welterweight bout Saturday, April 24 at a sold-out Silver Spurs Arena in the Puerto Rican enclave of Kissimmee, Florida.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with All Star Boxing, Vargas-Shaw will highlight a loaded undercard showcasing Puerto Rico’s top young talent streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. Following the undercard, Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete defends his WBO featherweight world title against Puerto Rican contender Christopher Diaz, and super middleweight Edgar Berlanga (16-0, 16 KOs) seeks to score his 17th consecutive first-round knockout against Demond Nicholson (ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

“It is time to show the world who ‘The Prodigy’ is,” Vargas said. “Fighting in Kissimmee is like fighting in Puerto Rico. After this fight, the Puerto Rican fans will talk about me. I am going to put on a show. I’ve seen some videos of Shaw on YouTube. I’m not going to take anything away from him, but he doesn’t have skills like I do. I have more experience than him. It’s time for me to break him down and show the world I’m a contender.”

Vargas (18-1, 9 KOs) had a breakthrough performance last October on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Teofimo Lopez undercard, dominating contender Kendo Castaneda via unanimous decision. He made headlines last June when he conducted his post-fight interview on ESPN after Salvador Briceno knocked out a pair of his upper front teeth. Despite the dental mishap, Vargas nearly shut out Briceno. Vargas has won 12 consecutive fights since a controversial disqualification loss.

“I’ve shown my intelligence in the ring. I barely got touched against Castaneda,” Vargas said. “I threw more than 800 punches in 10 rounds. It showed me that I belonged with higher-level fighters. I was letting him survive. That was me being nice. This time, I’ll apply more pressure and get the stoppage.”

Shaw (13-2, 9 KOs), from Oakland, California, enters the lion’s den as an experienced road warrior, having fought six times in Mexico since turning pro in 2017. Last August, Shaw pushed top prospect Omar Juarez before losing a six-round decision. He rebounded in January with a second-round stoppage in Tijuana.

In other undercard action:

Joseph Adorno (14-0-1, 12 KOs) vs. Jamaine Ortiz (14-0, 8 KOs)
8 Rounds, Lightweight

Adorno returns from a nearly 16-month layoff hoping to return to the win column following his January 2020 draw against Hector Garcia. He has a chance to advance from prospect to contender against the unbeaten Ortiz, who is coming off last November’s seventh-round knockout over Ugandan veteran Sulaiman Segawa on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. undercard.

Orlando Gonzalez (16-0, 10 KOs) vs. Juan Antonio Lopez (15-8, 6 KOs)
8 Rounds, Featherweight

Puerto Rican southpaw stylist Gonzalez makes his 2021 debut against Lopez, a Texas resident who has upset a few undefeated prospects during his nearly nine-year pro career. Gonzalez went 162-16 as an amateur and inked a promotional deal with Top Rank in 2019.

Xander Zayas (7-0, 5 KOs) vs Demarcus Layton (8-1-1, 5 KOs)
6 Rounds, Welterweight

Puerto Rican prodigy Zayas, an 18-year-old who signed with Top Rank at 16, makes his third pro appearance in Kissimmee. He last fought Feb. 20 in Las Vegas and was pushed the six-round distance by James Martin. Zayas, who won 11 national titles as an amateur, recently spent time in his Florida training camp sparring Gervonta Davis and former world champions Adrien Broner and Robert Easter Jr. Layton is unbeaten in three bouts since a 2019 TKO loss.

Jeremy Adorno (4-0, 1 KO) vs. Ramiro Martinez (2-0-2, 1 KO)
4 Rounds, Junior Featherweight

Adorno, a 2017 U.S. Youth National Championship gold medalist, turned pro under the Top Rank banner in March 2019. The younger brother of Joseph Adorno, he’ll fight for the first time since a January 2020 decision win on the Joe Smith Jr.-Jesse Hart undercard in Atlantic City. Martinez, who fights out of Hurst, Texas, fought last November and won a one-sided decision over the 1-0 Tevin Moore.

Jaycob Gómez (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Mobley Villegas (3-1, 2 KOs)
4 Rounds, Junior Lightweight

Gómez is a 19-year-old upstart from Caguas, Puerto Rico, the same city that produced Miguel Cotto. He turned pro last October and scored a sensational first-round knockout. Villegas has never stopped as a professional.

Use the hashtags #NavarreteDiaz and #BerlangaNicholson to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit 

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).

Salita Promotions proudly announces that women’s boxing superstar, unified world champion and Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields has signed a long-term promotional-contract extension with the company.

Salita, who has been with Shields since early in her historic journey, will continue to help guide the professional boxing side of Shields’ legendary career.

In March, the 26-year-old Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) furthered her claim as boxing’s “GWOAT” and became the unified WBC, WBO, IBF & WBA Super Junior Middleweight World Champion, by scoring a dominant, one-sided 10-round unanimous decision over Marie-Eve Dicaire of St-Eustache, Quebec, Canada.

With several high-profile fights on the horizon, Shields is confident that sticking with her long-time promoter is the right move.

“This is an important time for me, as I begin my two-sport journey,” said Shields. “Dmitriy has been with me for the majority of my career and his support of me and women’s boxing is unwavering. I appreciate what Dmitriy, and his company Salita Promotions, have done for me. I’m happy to extend our relationship moving forward in boxing as I take on MMA at the same time. Boxing history will continue to be made.”

Mark Taffet, President of Mark Taffet Media and Shields’ manager, has worked closely with Salita during Shields’ groundbreaking career and helped her bring women’s boxing to new heights and new platforms while gaining tremendous exposure for the sport.

“No one has supported Claressa’s efforts and goals more than Dmitriy and Salita Promotions,” said Taffet. “He is one of the leading advocates of women’s boxing in the world. We are proud to work with him and have him on our team as Claressa Shields continues to make history and blaze new trails for women’s boxing and women’s combat sports.”

Salita, whose still relatively new promotional company has quickly risen to a spot among the next generation of promotional powerhouses in boxing, says extending Shields’ agreement was an easy decision.

“I am delighted to extend my relationship with Claressa Shields,” said Salita. “She is a once-in-a-generation athlete who is breaking records and stereotypes every time she steps in the ring. I look forward to many more HERStoric accomplishments together.”

The trio say that Shields’ next move in boxing will be announced shortly.

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

Check the Salita Promotions YouTube Channel for regular video updates of boxing’s greatest legends, its best fighters, toughest contenders and brightest prospects in action.

NEW YORK – April 15, 2021 – From 1980 through 1989, four great champions and future Hall of Famers raised the level of their sport. It was boxing at its best, at its most enthralling. Over the span of one glorious decade, they fought each other nine times.  Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Durán, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard, known collectively as the “Four Kings,” formed a fierce rivalry and arguably the greatest period in the history of the sport. 

SHOWTIME SPORTS DOCUMENTARY FILMS will be presenting THE KINGS, a four-part series chronicling the four fighters’ dramatic and divergent ascents to greatness and the legendary matches they produced. They dominated an era of their own creation, but not each other. The weekly series premieres on Sunday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET / PT on SHOWTIME, with all episodes being made available across the network’s on-demand and streaming platforms at premiere.

Today marks the 36th anniversary of the epic middleweight championship battle between Hagler and Hearns. Long considered the high-water mark of the Four Kings era, Hagler-Hearns stands out for the drama and brutal non-stop action that was compressed into just over eight minutes from start to finish. The fight and the opening stanza were consensus Fight of the Year and Round of the Year, respectively, but many consider both as one of, if not the, all-time best in their respective categories.

Below, please find the observations and recollections of those who covered that fight, many who are featured in THE KINGS.      

“I remember the week of the fight, Hagler wore a baseball hat with ‘WAR’ on the front, and I thought, ‘eh, the usual pre fight hype’, until the first bell, then I said, “WOW, Hagler was right.”

– Teddy Atlas, Hall of Fame trainer and boxing analyst

“I covered the fight as a columnist for The New York Times. Here was my lead: Until Thomas Hearns fell, with the assistance of a smashing right to the face by Marvelous Marvin Hagler, and was ruled the loser at 2:01 of the third round, hardly a second passed that one of the fighters wasn’t throwing and landing a stunning blow.”

– Ira Berkow, ringside for The New York Times

“The excitement at the outdoor arena at Caesars Palace was palpable. As I sat ringside I did something I now do regularly before a match. When both Hagler and Hearns had entered and were in the ring I took my headsets off just to feel the emotion of the crowd better. I wanted to live that moment. Now, I do that before every big match just before it begins. At the end of the first round, I said on the telecast, ‘This is one of the best rounds in middleweight boxing history.’ I may have been underselling it.”

– Al Bernstein, SHOWTIME Boxing analyst /ringside, called the fight as part of the live closed-circuit telecast team

“I knew trouble was brewing when in the last leg of their nationwide press tour, Marvin stuck dinner napkins in both ears as Tommy stood to continue three weeks of boasting about a third-round knockout. ‘He’s half right,’ Hagler later groused. The first round sucked the air out of the arena and the finish was Hagler’s violent response to all the forces he believed had tried to deny him greatness his whole career.  Marvin took all his frustrations out on poor Tommy and left him in a heap on the floor, broken like an old beach chair.”

– Ron Borges, ringside for the Boston Globe

“I was sitting first-row ringside that night next to Ed Schuyler Jr., the great AP boxing writer. We were anticipating a good fight, but we had no idea how good. The bell rang and suddenly Hagler and Hearns were fighting in a fury that was hard to comprehend and just as hard to describe. When the round ended, I remember looking at Schuyler shaking my head, not saying a word, and he did the same to me back. It was like ‘What did we just see?’ I’ve seen thousands of fights, but to this day that three minutes of mayhem is forever etched in my mind. No need to watch the old video, I remember it almost punch by punch. Greatest first round ever, and top five in greatest fights I’ve ever covered.”

– Tim Dahlberg, ringside for the Associated Press

“A wise old journalist once told me, ‘If you’re covering a fight, or anything for that matter, that’s truly sensational, don’t try to write it that way. Underplay it.’ I think of that advice whenever anybody mentions Hagler-Hearns. For fight fans, it was invigorating, inspiring, incredible – everything we could ever hope for. For fight writers, it was a bit different. How could we describe that first round without overstepping our bounds?  Sometimes it’s easier being a fan.”

– Steve Farhood, SHOWTIME Boxing analyst / Covered the fight as senior writer for KO magazine

“I will always remember sitting in the truck, as the producer of the telecast, and telling Marc Payton, the director, to stick with the hand-held camera in the last minute of the first round, mesmerized that they had planted themselves in front of that camera. It was the longest three minutes of action in my entire career. I turned to Marc at the end of the round and just asked, ‘What the hell was that?’ It was actually a more emphatic expletive than that.”

– Ross Greenburg, executive producer of the fight telecast 

“At the end of the first round I was literally speechless. The action had been so incredibly intense – they had attacked each other with the kind of ferocity you only see in a horror movie – that I had watched it all with my mouth wide open, and in the dry desert air my mouth had become completely bone dry, so I was unable to get a word out when Ian Darke asked me for my comment. Eventually I managed to say, ‘That’s the greatest round of boxing I’ve ever seen.’ And all these years later, it still remains so.”

– Colin Hart, ringside for The Sun and BBC Radio

“Whenever I’m asked to name the most exciting sporting event I ever attended, I respond, ‘Hagler-Hearns.’ Never do I have to explain.”

– Barry Horn, ringside for the Dallas Morning News

“Greatest first round in the history of boxing at any weight. Hearns hits him with the best right hand he ever threw, wobbles him, opens a cut on his forehead but two rounds later Marvin fights off the blood and knocks him out. Seventy years covering boxing and I never saw anything like it.”

– Jerry Izenberg, ringside for The Star-Ledger  

“Being at ringside for the eight minutes of fury known as the Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns fight was as close as anyone could come to understanding the days of gladiators in the Roman Colosseum. The first round was all-out warfare with both fighters exchanging their best power shots. Hearns tried to box in the second, but Hagler wouldn’t let him, and when the blood started pouring from a cut on Hagler’s forehead in the third and there was a danger the fight might be stopped, Hagler later said, ‘It turns me on, the monster comes out.’ Boy, did it! I never will forget the image of one of Hearns’ handlers cradling him like a child and carrying him to the corner, which is why I led with that picture. Easily the most savage boxing match I’ve witnessed between two all-time greats.”

– Greg Logan, ringside for Newsday  

“Although the action and drama lasted eight-plus breathless minutes, it actually was over in the first minute or so when KO star Hearns landed a flush right and Hagler didn’t blink. It was then I realized that Hagler, normally a patient stalker, had signaled his intention to use his middleweight strength to challenge a big welterweight by pounding his chest defiantly just before the opening bell rang. A night and fight to remember.”

– Larry Merchant, ringside commentator for delay telecast

“Obviously the greatest round of boxing I’ve ever seen, let alone called. One of those moments that you knew the magnitude of as it was happening. That first round felt like it was a half hour long.”

– Barry Tompkins, SHOWTIME Boxing analyst / ringside to call the delay fight telecast

“I didn’t know what to expect since it was my first time watching a fight at a movie theater. Whites and Blacks in Memphis only socialized around sports back then. It was a mixed crowd in the theater, but the same reaction: pure joy and excitement. Everyone stood throughout the entire fight. It was violent, courageous, and thrilling.”

– George Willis, covering from a closed-circuit outlet in Memphis for The Commercial Appeal

“I covered that fight, and many others, for The Detroit News. I’ll never forget the absolute savagery in the way Hearns and Hagler went at each other from the opening bell, and the way the crowd roared with every punch. One telling moment: Hearns connected with a wicked left hook that turned Hagler half around from the force of the punch — but never fazed him.  It has been called the greatest short fight in history, and that stands up to this day. The first round set the tone. I remember after the fight someone asked Larry Merchant of HBO how he scored that first round. ‘I gave them both 11,’ he replied.  That said it all.”

– Mike O’Hara, ringside for The Detroit News 

“My memory of the first round: action so immediate and reckless that spectators were left breathless. So were the reporters at ringside. I was there for the Boston Globe, and I remember the veteran scribes who sat paralyzed after the bell, unable to type or scratch notes, me included.  A deep gash opened above Hagler’s right eye, and Hearns’ right hand fractured. In the third round, with blood running down Hagler’s nose, the referee stopped the bout and asked Hagler if he could continue. Hagler snapped: ‘I’m not missing him, am I?’  When the bout resumed Hagler attacked quickly, bounced three long rights off of Hearns’ head, and watched him twist downward to the canvas.”

– Steve Marantz, ringside for the Boston Globe

“I remember how difficult it was, on a tight deadline, to give justice to that spectacular first round. How many superlatives could I pack into the story without inducing nausea?  Hagler quietly, confidently selling the fight – simply, wearing a cap with ‘War’ emblazoned on the front. Then that nail-hard infantryman, coming, always coming after Hearns. Hearns out on his feet, chin on referee Richard Steele’s shoulder and then carried to his corner. I can still hear the crowd roaring throughout the short fight, knowing all of us were witnessing a brawl for the ages.”

– John Phillips, ringside for Reuters

“What I remember about this war was there was no feeling (each other) out, they just came out slugging from the opening bell! It was so loud outside at Caesars Palace, the most iconic venue, that made this fight even more special. I wish more fights were outside. I also thought that Referee Richard Steele did a great job and just let them fight!”

– Marc Ratner, Nevada State Athletic Commission Inspector for Hagler-Hearns

“Hagler-Hearns was the first major fight I covered and the first time I was ever in Las Vegas. I was there to do sidebars and run quotes for Greg Logan, who was doing the main story for Newsday. I got a seat in press row when press row was truly ringside, literally within 10 feet of the ring apron. And after the incredible first round, I was on my feet, my legs quivering, when I noticed all the other older, more grizzled reporters were standing too, stunned by what we all had just seen. At that moment, Eddie Schuyler of the AP turned to me and deadpanned in that sardonic manner of his, ‘You know, kid, they aren’t all like this.’ He turned out to be right. Over the next 38 years and who knows how many first rounds, I have yet to see another one like that.”

– Wally Matthews, ringside for Newsday

THE KINGS is produced by Box To Box Film in association with Ingenious Media.  The series is executive produced by James Gay-Rees (Amy, Senna, Drive To Survive) and Paul Martin (Diego Maradona, Drive To Survive), produced by Fiona Neilson (Oasis: Supersonic, Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams) and directed by Mat Whitecross (Oasis: Supersonic, Road To Guantanamo, Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams).

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

BRITISH and Commonwealth champion Lennox Clarke admits that he understands why world champions are “hiding” from fellow Super-Middleweight Zach Parker.

Clarke, 29, stunned hot prospect Willy Hutchinson in March, knocking out his Scottish rival in five exciting rounds in a huge upset to become a double champion.

He credits sparring hundreds of rounds with Frank Warren stablemate Parker, the number one contender for Billy Joe Saunders WBO World Super-Middleweight title for part of his success.

“If I was a World champion I would carry on hiding from Zach Parker,” declared Clarke who hopes to make the first defence of his shiny new belts in June.

During Clarke’s professional career that spans more than seven years he has also sparred with Kell Brook, Saunders, Callum Smith and another Warren promoted fighter Liam Williams,

Halesowen’s Clarke added: “I have sparred with Zach the most. We bang the hell out of each other and we’re both friends, but I would put Zach on top of all them kids. That is me being honest.”

“We have real wars and when we stop everyone in the gym is clapping.

“Liam Williams and myself have sparred loads of rounds and he is a really good aggressive kid.

“All the spars I have are competitive, but Zach deserves the praise the most. He is the man right now.”

Training alongside Parker at the  BCB Gym in Wednesbury has also given former white collar boxer Clarke the belief he can reach for the stars and get to world level.

Clarke said: “I’m a white collar kid and I’ve already over-achieved, but I’m hungry and happy for the opportunities Frank will get for me.

“Hopefully my rawness can take me further. I won a IBO Intercontinental title against Jahmaine Smyle and I wasn’t happy with that. I never paraded it.

“Nathan Heaney has now got the same belt and parades it around like he’s a World champion.

“That was nothing for me. The British title is something for me, but I have not plateaued. I am hungry and my mentality is that no one can beat me.”

Guadalajara, Mexico (April 15, 2021) – Tickets are NOW on-sale for Tribute To the Kings that will take place on Saturday night, June 19th, at The Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The card can be seen LIVE on Pay-Per-View in North America

On the Pay-Per-View portion of the card:

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr will take on Hector Camacho Jr. in a six-round exhibition fight.

In this very special battle between Mexico and Puerto Rico, Camacho will look to get even from the historic bout that Chavez had with Camacho’s legendary dad on September 12, 1992.

MMA legend, Anderson Silva will fight former world middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in an eight round light heavyweight bout.

Ramon Alvarez and Omar Chavez will do it for a third time in their rubber match in a 10 round middleweight bout.

Kevin Torres (17-1-1, 14 KOs) will take on an opponent to be named in an eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Opening the pay-per-view, an exciting title fight pitting Damian Sosa (17-1, 10 KOs) taking on undefeated Abel Mina (13-0, 7 KOs) for the WBO Super Welterweight Latino Championship

Tickets are now on sale by clicking https://boletomovil.com/jcchavez and are priced for all fans in a wide variety of price ranges from $10 up to $350 for ringside tickets.

Gates open at 4:00 pm CST and first undercard fight starts at 4:30 pm CST.

The Pay-Per-View portion will begin at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT / 6 PM PT

There will be a a total of 12 bouts on the show, with the first eight being streamed on www.globalsportsstreaming.com and many other digital platforms to be announced.

ABOUT TRIBUTE TO THE KINGS

This Massive Event “Tribute to The Kings” will be live on Pay-Per-View and will feature a special Exhibition bout that will see Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. make his final ring appearance against Hector Camacho Jr. Camacho will be honoring the legacy of his late Hall of Fame father.

Anderson Silva, considered by many to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time, will take on former WBC Middleweight Champion of the world Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. in a boxing match on June 19th at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico. Silva of Curitiba Brazil was the longest reigning middleweight Champion for the UFC and compiled a record of 34 victories with 11 losses and 23 stunning knockouts. His boxing record is 13 – 1. Chavez, Jr. has a record of 52-5-1 with 34 knockouts.

The show is promoted by Borizteca Boxing and Tosacano Promotions, and is produced by Global Sports Streaming.

Use the Following Hashtags and Social media handles to keep up with news and content for Tribute to the Kings

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CORONA, CA (April 14, 2021) –The rising star of Thompson Boxing Promotions’, undefeated super lightweight prospect, Ruben “Ace” Torres (14-0, 10 KOs), returns to headline 3.2.1. Boxing this Sunday, April 18th, at the Omega Products Event Center in Corona, California. The 8-round main event bout will see Torres put his unbeaten record on the line against Diego Contreras (11-3, 5 KOs).

The free stream will air live on the Thompson Boxing Promotions website (www.thompsonboxing.com), as well as their Facebook and YouTube
pages. 3.2.1. Boxing will take place at the Omega Products International Event Center in Corona, CA, and will start at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET.

The 8-round co-main event will showcase Mexican power puncher, Miguel “El Explosivo” Madueno (22-0, 20 KOs) vs. Bergman Aguilar (15-6-1, 5 KOs). The opening bout will stage TBP’s George “El YuYu” Acosta (10-1, 1 KO) vs. Edgar “Pito Lupillo” Ramirez (17-16-1, 14 KOs) in super lightweight bout scheduled for 6-rounds.

Here is what Ruben Torres had to say about his upcoming fight, training camp, and more.

On his upcoming bout:

“Contreras is a tough Mexican fighter that brings a lot of grit to the ring. I want to thank my manager and trainer Danny Zamora, as well as my promoter Thompson Boxing, for putting in me in a great position in which I am viewed as one of the up-and-coming top prospects in the country. We have a great game plan in place. This will be my sixth bout scheduled for eight rounds, and in my last fight, I went the distance for the first time. My confidence is at an all-time high and I’m looking forward to getting a win. I’m hoping to be in ten-round fights in the near future.”

On recent training camp:

“My training camp was held at the Fundamentals 19 Boxing Gym in Bell Gardens, CA. It was spread amongst myself, my coach’s Danny Zamora and Javier Gomez, and my stablemate Michael Dutchover. I got good sparring with Arnold Barboza and Alex Luna. I loved every minute of this camp, now I just have to make it pay off in a big way.”

On nearing a toward a world ranking:

“I am looking to get into a ten-round fight, once I accomplish that goal, then it is all about who I can fight to get ranked. I am eager to put on fights that people want to see. It is mostly just about if we can make the big fights happen. Once I go to the next level I don’t plan on coming down.”

On Fighting on 3.2.1 Boxing:

“I am grateful to Thompson Boxing, Ken Thompson, Alex Camponovo, and my trainer and manager Danny Zamora. Thompson Boxing has always looked out for me, kept me active, and my family has been able to attend most of my fights, pre-pandemic thanks to most of the shows being in Southern, California. My focus is to do my part and complete the journey by becoming a world champion to show that the belief they had in me was valid.”

Beto Duran will operate as the blow-by-blow commentator with expert commentary by Doug Fischer and Steve Kim. Jessica Rosales will serve as the onsite ringside reporter.

3.2.1 Boxing is sponsored by Thompson Building Materials, transforming spaces in beautiful places; Omega Products International, the leading stucco manufacturer in the United States; Henry / Fortifiber, moisture system control as easy as 1,2,3, and Makita, rule the outdoors.

For more information, regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. You can also follow the conversation on social media, please use #321Boxing and #ThompsonBoxing.

Please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson Boxing TV, watch our media partner Fight Hub TV and follow us on
Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

Las Vegas – UFC^® welcomes fans back to the fight capital of the world at full capacity as T-Mobile Arena opens its doors on Saturday, July 10 for one of the biggest fights in UFC history. Headlining the event will be the rubber match of the trilogy between former interim UFC lightweight champion and current No. 1 ranked contender Dustin Poirier and former two-division UFC champion and No. 6 Conor McGregor.

UFC 264: POIRIER vs. McGREGOR 3 will take place Saturday, July 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All bouts will be simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT with the UFC Fight Pass prelims. The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPN & ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card will kick off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

UFC 264: POIRIER vs. McGREGOR 3 tickets will go on sale Friday, April 16 at 12 p.m. PT and are available for purchase at axs.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Thursday, April 15 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, April 15 starting at 2 p.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

No. 6 ranked men’s pound-for-pound fighter Poirier (27-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) plans to repeat his performance over McGregor from UFC 257 earlier this year and leave no doubt who the better fighter is. A member of the UFC roster for over 10 years, he has proven himself as one of the best in the world with wins over former UFC champions Max Holloway (twice), Eddie Alvarez and Anthony Pettis. Poirier now looks to retain his spot at the top of the lightweight ranks and cement himself as the next in line for the belt.

No. 15 ranked men’s pound-for-pound fighter McGregor (22-5, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland) has his sights set on avenging his loss earlier this year by showing he is still one of the best in the world. Arguably the most popular UFC star in history, he rose to prominence with iconic knockouts of Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez and Chad Mendes. McGregor now aims to make a statement by delivering a vintage performance against Poirier.

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

(April 14, 2021) —From two continents, #MTKFightNight returns this week with a pair of evenly matched main events.

The action begins Friday at Verité Social Venue in Monterrey, Mexico, as former lightweight world champion Miguel Vazquez battles Isai Hernandez in the 10-round junior welterweight main event.

The fights continue Saturday from University of Bolton Stadium in Bolton, England, as undefeated middleweight contender Danny Dignum will make the second defense of his WBO European middleweight belt in a 10-rounder against Russian veteran Andrey Sirotkin.
 
Vazquez-Hernandez will be an evening affair, streaming live on ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The Dignum-Sirotkin card will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ starting at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.
 
Vazquez (42-10, 16 KOs) held the IBF lightweight world title for more than four years, from August 2010 to September 2014, and made six successful title defenses. He is 8-6 since losing the world title via split decision to Mickey Bey, but a few of those defeats have been controversial in nature, including last October’s split decision nod at the hands of Lewis Ritson. Hernandez (10-1-1, 7 KOs), from La Paz, Mexico, has won four consecutive fights since the lone defeat of his career.
 
In other streaming action from Mexico:

• Former Cuban amateur standout Ariel Perez (5-0, 4 KOs) will take on Mexico’s Brandon Romero (11-1-1, 6 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the WBC Youth Intercontinental super bantamweight belt.
   
• In an eight-round lightweight battle, Argentina’s Ronan Sanchez (5-0, 3 KOs) will fight Mexico’s Jonathan Escobedo (4-1, 1 KO).
   
• Jonathan “Geo Don” Lopez (2-0, 2 KOs), a 17-year-old phenom who was born in Puerto Rico and had extensive success as a U.S. amateur, will face Omar Santillan (5-1) in a six-round featherweight tilt.
   
• In other six-round bouts, welterweight veteran Ricardo Salas (15-1, 11 KOs) will face off against Sergio De Leon (8-4, 1 KO), while junior welterweight puncher Jimerr Espinosa (9-0, 8 KOs) looks to extend his knockout streak to three against Ricardo Diaz (8-4-1, 1 KO). 

Dignum (13-0, 7 KOs), from Essex, England, won the WBO European middleweight belt in November 2019 with a fifth-round knockout over Conrad Cummings, then defended it less than four months later with a ninth-round stoppage over Alfredo Meli. He returns against Sirotkin (19-1, 7 KOs), a former WBO European super middleweight champion who has won four in a row since a TKO loss to John Ryder.

In other streaming action from England:

• Dan Azeez (12-0, 8 KOs) will defend his English light heavyweight title in a 10-rounder against former British title challenger Ricky Summers (17-2-1, 6 KOs); junior featherweight prospect Jack Bateson (12-0, 3 KOs) will step up against Joe Ham (16-2, 6 KOs) in an eight-rounder; upstart super middleweight Lewis Edmonson (4-0, 1 KO) will battle former Commonwealth king Luke Blackledge (26-9-2, 9 KOs) in a six-rounder; middleweight Paul Ryan will make his professional debut in a four-rounder against Kyle Hughes (2-2); and middleweight prospect Fearghus Quinn (2-0) will fight Jan Ardon (2-6) in a six-rounder.

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

Carlos Gongora wants to build on his newfound fame as he prepares to defend his IBO World Super-Middleweight title against Christopher Pearson at Hard Rock Live at Hard Rock Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Fl. on Saturday April 17, live worldwide on DAZN.
 
Gongora (19-0 14 KOs) returns to the scene of his biggest win in the paid ranks, his dramatic 12^th round KO victory over Kazakh talent Ali Akhmedov at the Hard Rock Casino in December to land the strap he puts on the line against Pearson (17-2 12 KOs).
 
The timing of the win and his subsequent deal with promoter Eddie Hearn couldn’t have come at a better time for the Ecuadorian, who admits he was getting frustrated with his lack of opportunities.
 
The 31 year old has been hailed in his homeland and is driven on by his family to achieve even more, and that starts with a successful defense against Pearson, before targeting the big name showdowns.
 
“I went through some pretty hard times,” said Gongora. “I still kept my hopes up, the will to keep fighting, the dream of becoming a World champion, and it came, thank God.
 
“I was training with Hector Bermudez and I kept up my training. He was the one who was always pushing me to train and train and train, because I was really unmotivated, because I have my family and I am here fighting, more than anything. Trying to keep pushing forward for them, so not getting fight makes it difficult to stay motivated.
 
“Hector was always telling me to keep going, keep training. He would push me. And we kept training, we stayed in shape, and I told myself I’d been here a long time and wasn’t going to fight.
 
“So, I went back to Ecuador and stayed there a while, I was training but not at 100 per cent. I was going on runs and staying in shape, until they called me to tell me we had a fight with Akhmedov and we only had around 15 days to prepare.
 
“I went into the second round and got hit by a really powerful shot, I mean, he hit me in the back of my head. But I had that will… the will to fight, that will get me through those moments. We kept improving as the rounds went on and, in this case, technique prevailed and the preparation I made in order to win the fight.
 
“I really, really wanted to win it. I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity that presented itself. It was something that helped me stay on my feet. I said I wouldn’t go down until the final bell rang, and that pushed me forward until I got the victory.
 
“My uncle is Segundo Mercado. He’s someone who fought for World championships. He fought Bernard Hopkins, he challenged twice for the World title. He couldn’t get them, but I followed in his footsteps and got the World title. My family motivates me and people who are fighters motivate me, the ones always persevering and pushing forward, they don’t just sit back, and they put in the work for all their accomplishments.
 
“The people were very happy where I’m from, in the Napa province, because they saw me grow up as an athlete, and they have been so excited to this point. They consider me their athlete in that province and a lot of people in the country. I received a lot of messages from many people, many people from other countries, Ecuadorians who are based in other countries. I’m very proud to have this achievement.
 
“The thing is that many boxers get stuck on one style, and they always stay in the same style, so it becomes predictable. So, we are always changing and that’s important. To keep improving as an athlete, not getting too comfortable and getting stuck.
 
“In order to become number one, you have to fight the best, so I am waiting for the opportunity to present itself to fight against Canelo Alvarez. It’s a dream I’ve always had since I started boxing professionally, and that’s what I keep chasing, and hoping that one day the opportunity to fight him will present itself.
 
“I haven’t actually had the opportunity to really meet Eddie Hearn properly yet. I’m looking forward to seeing him in Florida and shake his hand, to thank him for the opportunity that he’s presented me to advance my career.”
 
Gongora’s clash with Pearson is part of a stacked night of action in Florida headlined by Demetrius Andrade (29-0 18 KOs) defending his WBO World Middleweight title against Liam Williams (23-2-1 18 KOs).
 
Heavyweight Mahammadrasul Majidov (3-0 3 KOs) is back in action and looking for a fourth straight KO win against Andrey Fedosov (31-3 25 KOs), Otha Jones III (5-0-1 2 KOs) returns to the ring in a rescheduled eight round clash with Jorge Castaneda (13-1 11 KOs), Arthur Biyarslanov (7-0 6 KOs) faces fellow unbeaten man Israel Mercado (9-0 7 KOs), Alexis Espino (7-0 5 KOs) returns quickly over six rounds against unbeaten Florida man Ty McLeod (6-0 6 KOs) and Florida native Aaron Aponte (2-0 1 KO) returns at the same speed for his third fight over four rounds against Javier Martinez (4-7 3 KOs).

CASA GRANDE, AZ. (April 14, 2021) – Welterweight contender Abel Ramos and his nephew, rising welterweight star Jesús Ramos, discussed their family’s bond through boxing while previewing their upcoming respective showdowns taking place Saturday, May 1 in FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View undercard action from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Abel Ramos will step in to face former world champion Omar “Panterita” Figueroa in the co-main event of the pay-per-view, while Jesús Ramos will battle Javier “El Intocable” Molina in a welterweight attraction that kicks off the pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Abel and Jesús are trained by Abel’s brother and Jesús’ father, Jesús Ramos Sr. in their hometown of Casa Grande, Arizona. Both have spoken effusively about how training alongside a family member, and a fighter at a different point in their career, helps push them during camp.

“It’s great working with Abel,” said Jesús. “We both have the same goal, which is to win on May 1. If I’m ever tired, I just look to Abel and know that I have to keep pushing. I’m always able to ask him for advice and we help each other a lot.”

“It’s great training with a young, hungry fighter like Jesús,” said Abel. “We feed off of each other’s energy, and there’s lots of competitiveness when we train. I think that’s a good thing for both of us.”

Both Abel and Jesús have known since Jesús was little that this was a path the younger Ramos would eventually walk. For Jesús, he’s always used Abel as his inspiration to help get him where he is today.

“Deep down I always knew he’d get into boxing,” said Abel. “He was at all of my fights when he was younger and he always showed an interest in the sport.”

“Abel is the guy that I’ve looked up to since I was a little kid,” said Jesús. “I watched him box from a very young age and have learned a lot from him. Seeing him do it has always inspired me. He’s always taken tough fights and that’s inspiring too. He’s played a huge role in getting me to where I am today.”

While the 20-year-old Jesús is considered a young up-and-comer in the sport, who will be taking on his toughest test May 1 in Javier Molina, Abel believes that his nephew will show wisdom beyond his years in this fight.

“People think because Jesús is young that he doesn’t have experience, but that’s where they’re wrong,” said Abel. “At a very young age he displayed a lot of the abilities of a veteran fighter. He’s always had great patience, as well as the ability to think in the ring. His ring IQ is really high for his age.”

Ahead of the two fighting Ramos’ sharing the pay-per-view undercard on May 1, here is what Abel and Jesús had to say about their training camp, their respective showdowns and more:

ABEL RAMOS

“We’re less than three weeks away now, and every week I feel stronger and more ready for May 1. I’ve been sparring with a bunch of local fighters from Arizona who are helping prepare me. The hardest part is yet to come, but I’m just focusing on the game plan and executing the same program that’s worked in the past.

“It’s great to be a part of this event and show the fans the warrior mentality that us Mexican and Mexican-American fighters have. I can’t wait to put on a great show! It’s motivating for me to showcase our warrior style and it’s making me work my absolute hardest in order to give my best on fight night.

“I learned a lot from facing Yordenis Ugas. I went back and watched that fight, and I saw some things I can improve on. It serves as motivation, but it also showed me that I belong in there with the best in the division. I don’t feel like it was a total loss because I learned from it. But in this fight, I’m going to show all the improvements I’ve made since the Ugas fight.

“I watched Figueroa’s fight against Ugas. But styles make fights and I think my fight against Figueroa is going to be different than what Figueroa and Ugas had. I expect way more action when I face Omar.

“The majority of the game plan is preparing for Figueroa to come forward. We’re getting sparring partners that mimic what Figueroa does. Even when I’m working on the heavy bag, we’re keeping that in mind. I’m constantly imagining someone in front of me who I know is going to throw a lot of punches.

“At the end of the day, I just want the win by any means necessary. I love that people are expecting a great fight from us and I just use that as motivation to prepare myself for what I know will be a grudge match.”

JESÚS RAMOS

“Everything is going how we planned for in this training camp. It’s a grind seven days a week. I’m just keeping up a good diet and focusing on strength and conditioning. We’re going 12 rounds in sparring and I’m feeling ready. I’m in great shape already and we still have two and a half weeks to go. I’ve been sparring with my uncle Abel, Jorge Cota and some other local fighters from Arizona.

“I think Molina has a lot of experience, which I know he’ll try to use against me. He’s a fighter with good speed. But when he fought Jose Pedraza, he struggled against a southpaw. So, I might cause him some problems there, but I’m also bigger than Pedraza. I’m a legit welterweight.

“This fight being so close to Cinco De Mayo, this is a huge deal for me. There are going to be tons of events and festivities that week and to be a part of all of that is an honor. I just want to represent Mexico in the best way that I can.

“A victory over Molina would be a big statement. A lot of people are saying that he’s my toughest opponent to date. And beating him will get me fights with some even bigger names. But I have to beat Molina first.

“I’d love to get a knockout against Molina. He’s faced some tough fighters and nobody has been able to knock him out. But if I can’t get the knockout then I just want to dominate him and look good getting the win however I can.”

#

ABOUT FOX SPORTS PBC PPV: RUIZ VS. ARREOLA
Ruiz vs. Arreola will see former unified heavyweight world champion Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz, Jr. battle all-action heavyweight Chris “The Nightmare’’ Arreola in the main event of an all-Mexican boxing extravaganza on Saturday, May 1 headlining a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features former world champion Omar “Panterita” Figueroa, Jr. clashing with Abel Ramos in the 12-round welterweight co-main event. Sensational super welterweight contender Sebastián “The Towering Inferno’’ Fundora takes on hard-hitting Jorge “El Demonio’’ Cota in a 12-round battle and rising welterweight star Jesús Ramos duels U.S. Olympian Javier “El Intocable” Molina for 10-rounds of welterweight action in the pay-per-view opener.

The 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.

The FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View is priced at $49.99. Buy now on foxsports.com/ppv and watch on any screen!

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

SAN ANTONIO, TX. (April 14, 2021) – Undefeated super lightweight sensation Omar “El Relampago” Juárez will look to continue his ascent up the 140-pound rankings when he takes on Argentina’s Elías “El Macho” Araujo in a 10-round showdown that serves as the FOX PBC Fight Night co-main event and on FOX Deportes this Saturday, April 17 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

The 21-year-old Juarez (10-0, 5 KOs) will return to action after a dominant 2020 that saw him add four victories to his resume. This included fighting to eight rounds for the first time, which he did twice in winning unanimous decisions over Dakota Linger and Willie Shaw.

The Brownsville, Texas native most recently dropped Raul Chirino three times in December on his way to a first round knockout victory. His 2021 will kick off with him facing Araujo (21-2, 8 KOs), an Argentine fighter who on paper is the stiffest test of Juarez’s career.

Here is what Juarez had to say about facing that test, training camp and more:

On his recent training camp:

“It was another brutal camp in San Antonio with coach Rick Nunez. We got a lot of hard rounds in with some very tough sparring partners. I’ve been working on throwing more power shots while sustaining good defense. I’ve made all the sacrifices necessary to be in the best shape of my life and I’ll be at my best come this Saturday.”

On his upcoming fight with Elias Araujo:
?
“Araujo has a good record with a lot of experience, and he has double the number of fights that I’ve had. Since Araujo has only fought once in the U.S., I know he’s coming to fight, so I’m expecting to go to war. This will be my toughest fight so far in my career, and I’m going to be ready for anything he brings to the ring.”

On making his 2021 debut on FOX:

“I’m so grateful to be fighting once again FOX PBC Fight Night. It’s the big stage that gets me excited and I want nothing more than to put on a great performance for the fans. It doesn’t get bigger than FOX, so believe me when I say I’m ready to let my hands go.”

On what fans can expect to see in this fight:

“I’m coming to make a statement in this fight. Araujo has never been stopped, so to end this fight early will be something special that no one has ever done. Fans can expect to see me throw a lot of power shots with bad intentions.”

#

ABOUT HARRISON VS. PERRELLA
Harrison vs. Perrella will see former WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Tony “Superbad” Harrison enter the ring to face hard-hitting southpaw Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella in the super welterweight main event of FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, April 17 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features undefeated rising contender Omar “El Relampago” Juárez battling Elías Araujo in the 10-round super lightweight co-main event. The telecast opener will see the return of sensational prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. against James Martin in an eight-round welterweight matchup.

The event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and will take place without fans in attendance at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.

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

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

James Tennyson will face Jovanni Straffon for the vacant IBO Lightweight World Title on the undercard of Derek Chisora vs. Joseph Parker in Manchester on Saturday May 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all markets excluding the UK, Ireland, China, New Zealand and Samoa.
 
The hard-hitting Belfast man further enhanced his reputation as one of the most exciting contenders in the red hot 135lbs division by taking out Canada’s Josh O’Reilly in one round last time out on the Saunders vs. Murray undercard in December. 
 
‘The Assassin’, 27, produced a ferocious display before the WBA World Title Eliminator was stopped by referee Marcus McDonnell after two minutes and 14 seconds – Tennyson’s sixth straight stoppage win since moving up to Lightweight
 
Mexico’s Straffon (23-3-1, 16 KOs) has notched 23 wins since turning professional in December 2010, with 16 of those wins coming inside the distance for the 27-year-old southpaw from Torreon. ‘Impacto’ has lost just three times in 27 fights and has never been stopped. 
 
“Winning the IBO World Title will be a dream come true for me,” said Tennyson. “I have worked my whole life for this moment. This is my big opportunity to complete my collection of belts. I’ve won British, Commonwealth, European and two WBA Titles. All that’s missing is a World Title. 
 
“The other guys holding belts at Lightweight haven’t been putting their belts on the line against each other. Winning the IBO will hopefully dangle a carrot in front of the other World Champions and entice them into a big unification fight. I’m expecting a tough fight, Mexican’s are well known for their toughness. I’ll have to bring my A game.”
 
“I’ve been working hard for many years to get a fight like this,” said Straffon. “I will not waste it. I will go up in the ring thinking about my two little daughters and how I need to win this for them. Maybe if I win, Eddie Hearn will want to work with me and my team in the future.”
 
“I am delighted for James Tennyson to be given this World Title opportunity by Eddie Hearn and Matchroom,” said Mark Dunlop, Manager of Tennyson. “James is a role model to not only his community but every up and coming young boxer who has the same dream. His dedication to myself, his coach and Eddie Hearn is a lesson to all in the sport of professional boxing and he has been rewarded for that time and time again. He is fully aware Straffon is a dangerous opponent who is coming to take his shot at glory. This fight is only going to end in a shootout.”
 
“I’m very thankful to Eddie Hearn for giving us this opportunity and I’m delighted to be working with Mark Dunlop,” said Manuel Garrido, promoter of Straffon. “It is a very exciting fight, Straffon will go out there to give the fight of his life because this is the biggest opportunity he has been given in his career.”
 
Tennyson vs. Straffon is part of a huge night of action in Manchester, Derek Chisora (32-10, 23 KOs) and Joseph Parker (28-2, 21 KOs) collide in a huge Heavyweight clash, 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) and Chris Eubank Jr (29-2, 22 KOs) returns against Marcus Morrison (23-3, 16 KOs).

KO KING Anthony Yarde aims to be back with bang when he meets unbeaten German Emin Atra in London on Saturday April 24.

The Ilford man last boxed in December when he was outpointed by Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur over 12 rounds.

Their promoter Frank Warren is targeting a rematch later in 2021, but Yarde must impress against Atra (17-0, 12 KOs) in a ten rounder, live on BT Sport.

Yarde (20-2, 19 KOs) who came close to toppling then WBO World champion Sergey Kovalev in August 2019 said: “I am just looking forward to getting back in action and blowing away the cobwebs

“It has been a bit of a rollercoaster personal and business wise, but I am getting back and right now I feel very good. Things are going well.

“I wanted the rematch with Lyndon immediately, but it didn’t work out that way. There is still a rematch clause, but for now I need to stay active.

“I gave myself time to sit back, analyse and look through everything that has happened. It is about re-assessing everything and getting myself back out there.”

Yarde, 29, is keeping schtum on changes he has made since the Arthur setback, but vowed that he will be going for the KO against Atra and Arthur when they do meet again in the anticipated return.

“I have watched the Lyndon fight five times. I still have myself winning, but a lot closer than when I was actually in the ring,” admitted Yarde.

“I am inexperienced but that has taught me my method in boxing is to knock people out and not prove I can go rounds.

“When you’re in there things seem to be going a certain type of way. I kind of think Lyndon’s response in our exchange after the fight showed us both who he thought won the fight.

“Afterwards he said he said he thought it was close. In there,  I thought I won clearly and one judge had it wide. When I actually watched it again it was closer than I thought.

“The next day I was over the Lyndon fight. I am not a person who holds onto things, especially as it’s something you can’t change.

“That wasn’t the right result or the best result on the night for myself or performance.

“Things happen at certain stages to remind you, what you’re meant to be doing and your purpose in the sport.

“I have changed a lot. I am going to hold back saying what I’ve changed. There are things what have been changed, but I want to lock things in first and make sure I’m happy before I make any announcements.”

Yarde, 29,  who is still highly ranked by the IBF, WBC and WBO could also be on a collision course with another British former World Light-Heavyweight title challenger, Callum Johnson.

The Boston man recently returned to Warren’s stable and is also in action alongside Yarde on the big behind closed doors show at York Hall, Bethnal Green.

Johnson (18-1, 13 KOs) meets WBO number 15 ranked Emil Markic (32-2, 24 KOs) for the organisation’s vacant Global championship.

“Although I only focus on myself that is potential fight like any Light-Heavyweight in the division is,” says Ilford’s Yarde.

Heading the bill is Battersea’s Denzel Bentley (14-0-1, 12 KOs) who makes the first defence of his British Middleweight title against mandatory contender Felix Cash (13-0, 9 KOs) whose Commonwealth crown is also on the line.

Some of the best prospects in the Queensberry stable are also on show including London Heavyweight banger David Adeleye (5-0, 5 KOs) who boxes a six rounder.

Also in six round action York Super-Welterweight George Davey (3-0) meets Jamie Stewart (2-1-1) and Super-Lightweight Henry Turner (4-0) who faces Clayton Bricknell (3-3-1).

In four rounders are Liverpool Middleweight James Heneghan  (4-0) and Chatham Light-Heavyweight Karol Itauma (1-0) a Youth Olympic Gold Medallist.

NEW YORK (April 14, 2021) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, today announced the world’s best female boxer and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Claressa Shields, will make her PFL MMA debut against Brittney Elkin on June 10. The match will be aired live and in primetime on ESPN 2 and ESPN 3 (Spanish) in the U.S. and on leading broadcast and streaming outlets in more than 160 countries worldwide.
 
The 26-year-old has been training with some of the sport’s biggest stars ahead of her debut in Atlantic City. Since announcing her decision to join PFL last December, Shields has been prepping at Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico alongside former world champions Jon Jones and Holly Holm. The three-division boxing champion is set to enter the 2022 PFL season.
 
“I am very excited to cement my legacy as the Greatest Woman of All Time,” said Shields. “I cannot wait to step into the PFL cage for the first time on June 10 and show the world that I never back down from a challenge. I have shown I am the best boxer in the world and eventually I intend to do the same thing as a mixed martial artist.”
 
Elkin has a career record of 3-6-0 and the brown belt jiu-jitsu athlete has experience competing across Bellator, Sparta Combat League and Fight 2 Win. Her first and only matchup with the PFL came in June 2018 when she battled future PFL champion Kayla Harrison, losing via submission in Round 1.
 
“I’m very grateful to be back in the PFL and to have this opportunity to square off with Claressa Shields,” Elkin said. “I know she is a great boxer but this is MMA and I plan to show everyone that I am a well-rounded fighter who can compete wherever the fight takes me.”
 
“We’re thrilled to announce the highly anticipated PFL debut of the world’s consensus top female pound-for-pound boxer, Claressa Shields,” said PFL President of Fighter Operations, Ray Sefo. “We’ve seen the videos of her training inside the cage and can’t wait to see the showdown between her and Brittney Elkin on June 10.” 
 
The rest of the June 10 card will be announced in the coming weeks.  
 
Professional Fighters League has quickly established itself as the No. 2 MMA company in the world. The league has experienced tremendous YoY growth across digital channels – 68% follower increase on Instagram, 30% total audience growth across digital and a 200% social engagement spike.
 
With the addition of world-class talent – from elite fighters to established business executives – and partnering with industry-leading brands such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, GEICO, CarParts.com and Socios, the PFL continues to accelerate its global expansion. Sports fans across more than 160 countries around world will be able to tune in to the league’s highly anticipated return on April 23 in Atlantic City, NJ. 
 
About Professional Fighters League
Professional Fighters League (PFL) is the first and only to present MMA in the sports-season format where individual fighters compete in Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship. PFL is the innovation leader with the PFL SmartCage delivering viewers on-screen fight analytics and real-time prop bets. PFL Roster is second to none with 25% of its fighters ranked in the top 25 in their weight-class. All PFL 2021 Season events are live primetime on ESPN2/ESPN+ in the U.S. and available on leading broadcast and streaming outlets in 160 countries worldwide. 
 
For more info visit www.PFLmma.com and follow PFL on Instagram (@PFLmma), Twitter (@PFLMMA) and Facebook (/PFLmma).

LOS ANGELES (April 14, 2021) —— TrillerNet (aka Triller Hold Co LLC), parent company of the global AI-driven short video social app Triller, today announced it has acquired FITE, the premier global live-event and Pay-Per-View, SVOD and AVOD and streaming platform for sports and entertainment.

The deal gives Triller a major foothold in the live-event PPV and streaming space, greatly expanding the reach of Triller’s fast-growing AI-powered content and distribution ecosystem and allowing the company to continue to invest in new lifestyle and entertainment programming.

“FITE has been a fantastic partner, and the synergy between the two businesses and teams was clear from day one,” said Bobby Sarnevesht, Chairman and Co-owner of Triller, and Ryan Kavanaugh, Co-owner of Triller, jointly. “With our acquisition of FITE, we bring into TrillerNET their stellar technology, valuable customer and content partner base, and one of the most experienced executive teams in this space. The deal represents our ambitions to not only expand Triller Fight Club and grow FITE’s distribution relationships, but also to reimagine what, how and when premium music, sports and entertainment is delivered to today’s audiences.”

“Triller has an exceptionally visionary executive team that is revolutionizing the world of sports and entertainment. We are very excited to be a part of and play a role in this process,” said Kosta Jordanov, FITE Co-Founder and CEO. “As part of the TrillerNet, FITE will become the exclusive global digital distributor of all Triller Fight Club events going forward, and this content relationship is planned to expand in exciting new ways. We will continue to work with and serve all our content partners, and we look forward to bringing Triller’s significant user base and promotional clout to all the major events we carry on the FITE platform.”

Triller is used by musicians, athletes, digital talent and other culture-setters and serves hundreds of millions of fans worldwide while also providing specialized opportunities for major brands across music, sports, entertainment, fashion and pop culture. The addition of FITE is a key strategic addition as Triller seeks to capture the burgeoning ‘culture graph,’ the next generation of creators and users leading the move to Internet 3.0.

“With over 10 million users, FITE is the perfect long-form platform for Triller to continue releasing its cultural content spanning fighting, sports, fashion, music and pop culture,” added Ryan Kavanaugh. “We have officially completed our 360-degree content engine with this acquisition.”

The FITE acquisition is the latest major move for TrillerNet, which on March 9 acquired leading live-music streaming platform Verzuz, the popular live streaming music platform founded by music stars Swizz Beats and Timbaland. TrillerNet also owns Triller Flight Club, a live-event platform in partnership with Snoop Dogg that reimagines boxing as four-quadrant entertainment, and TrillerTV, a long-form content streaming platform with more than 65 original half-hour digital series from trendsetters such as Jennifer Lopez, The D’Amelio Family, 2 Chainz, Jake Paul, Perez Hilton and others.

With over 10 million users and 4 million registered sports and entertainment fans, FITE has streamed over 5,000 live events over the past 5 years. FITE’s partners include the most elite combat sports brands including Top Rank, AEW, PBC, ONE Championship, WWE, Impact, Golden Boy Promotions, and Matchroom Boxing. FITE has one of the industry’s most scalable and reliable live digital streaming capabilities, a large loyal audience for premium events, and content relationships with over 300 sports rights holders across 5 continents. In collaboration with its partners, FITE has already streamed the biggest names in combat sports, including Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Tyson Fury, Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, Roy Jones Jr., Deontay Wilder, Terance Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., Teofimo Lopez and Vasyl Lomachenko among hundreds of others as well as the boxing matches of YouTube celebrities KSI, Logan Paul, and Jake Paul. The investors in FITE include Earlybird Digital East, LAUNCHub Ventures, Tim Draper, and BrightCap who have now joined the list of investors in Triller.  

Alantra acted as a financial adviser to FITE for the transaction. 

Next up for Triller and FITE is the highly anticipated 2021 debut of Triller Fight Club, featuring the headline fight Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren in Atlanta on April 17^th, and live performances by some of the music industry’s top talent, including Justin Bieber and hip hop supergroup Mt. Westmore (Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Too $hort and E-40), as well as The Black Keys, Doja Cat, Saweetie, Diplo and Major Lazer. The two companies will announce next month several more four-quadrant events of this magnitude, including the highly-anticipated, post-retirement return of Oscar De La Hoya to the boxing ring at Triller Fight Club’s upcoming July 3 event.

ABOUT TRILLERNET

TrillerNet is a first of its kind company consolidating technology and content platforms to lead the move to Internet 3.0. TrillerNet pairs the culture of music with sports, fashion, entertainment and influencers through a 360-degree view of content and technology. TrillerNet—which owns the globally popular Triller app used by musicians, celebrities, athletes, and overall culture setters—has more than 300 million users worldwide. The Triller app—unlike other popular short-video apps it is often compared to, encourages its users to post the content created on the app across other social media platforms and websites. The app uses proprietary AI and Machine Learning technology, which is uniquely tied to the content rather than the user. By tracking the content, Triller empowers its tastemakers and users to push their content virally to affiliated and non-affiliated sites and networks reaching hundreds of millions of additional users. Data and insights gleaned from the Triller network, its creators, artists and users (from the app and off network) are used to program longer-form content, connect users across the web with the content, and provide unprecedented opportunities for engagement and monetization. TrillerNet has developed highly successful campaigns that begin with the app and continue throughout the entire content and technology ecosystem with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Pepsi, McDonalds, Weedmaps, DraftKings, L’Oreal, and many others. TrillerNet offers brands a unique content and technology solution, including direct deals with the influencers and celebrities. This branded content journey starts with short-form video and can easily expand into valuable long-form content distributed through the Triller Network, such as live-event boxing and music PPVs, fashion shows, and episodic reality content on TrillerTV. Some of the more than 65 original half-hour TrillerTV shows include The D’Amelios Family’s “Ask a DAM Question,” Jennifer Lopez In The Morning, Jake Paul: Staying On Top, 2 Chainz Let’s Do It, DJ Khaled’s Spreading Love, Hype House’s Thomas Petrou’s Coffee Talks, Josh Richards’ Josh Pong, Ur Lov’d: the Noah Beck Show, Fat Joe’s Masterclass, The Perez Hilton Show, and Violet Benson’s Too Tired To Be Crazy, among others. TrillerNet additionally owns Verzuz, the massive live-stream music platform launched by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, and Triller Fight Club (www.TrillerFightClub.com) which launched last year with the highly successful Tyson-Jones Fight which shattered digital PPV records.

LIAM WILLIAMS has promised promoter Frank Warren that he’ll become his 149th World Champion by “smashing” WBO World Middleweight Champion Demetrius Andrade this weekend.

Mandatory challenger Williams (23-2-1, 18 KOs) faces unbeaten Andrade (29-0, 18 KOs) in Miami on Saturday, following a tense build-up where both men have chucked verbal artillery.

Williams has been in Florida for more than a week, paying extra to acclimatise better to the five hour time difference. He arrived in the Sunshine State four days earlier than expected.

“I am going to smash his face in on Saturday night and do some serious damage,” said Williams to host Dev Sahni on The Lockdown.

“When he is in with lower level fighters he has a bit of time to fuss around and do that stuff. I am going to be in his face giving it to him.

“You wont see any showboating or fussing around from Andrade because he will be under too much pressure.

“I don’t think he will cope with my intensity. I am going to hit him and hurt him regularly as well. He will be doing the running.

“Everybody says Andrade has underestimated me, but he isn’t a silly man. He is a three-time world champion for a reason.

“He has seen me, he knows what I brings to the table and I don’t think he will be dumb enough to underestimate me because he knows what I bring.”

The fired-up Welsh ace insists he will even be ready for the American champion before the first bell if Andrade continues the trash talk.

Liam said: “He doesn’t want to front me up before the fight because I’ll stick it on him a little bit earlier than Saturday if that’s what he wants.

“I am confident in my own ability. I am not big-headed and don’t boast. I just feel confident in my ability and he is a idiot with what he chats.

“He talks about his power, but how many people has he knocked spark out and you see them sleeping? Not many.  He has decent power, average but nothing more.

“Maybe I am getting into his head a bit, but that is not really my ultimate goal. I don’t feel I need to get under his skin to beat him.”

When Williams returns home, hopefully with the WBO World title wrapped around his waist he is looking forward to two weeks of top class action live on BT Sport.

Denzel Bentley makes the first defence of his British Middleweight title against Commonwealth champion Felix Cash on Saturday April 24.

If Bentley comes through against his mandatory contender a fight against Williams becomes a serious possibility.

Williams isn’t looking that far ahead, but he cannot wait to see Battersea’s Bentley and Cash slug it out for his old belt.

Williams who has sparred with Cash added: “Bentley looks very good but I’ve not seen enough of him to comment.

“Of course he beat Mark Heffron who I defeated. No disrespect to Mark, but I do feel I took the fight out of him a little bit.

“I don’t think he has shown the same bad intentions or been the same since. I think Bentley beat a bit of a faded Heffron.

“It’s a good fight, but if I put my money on one man from what I’ve seen it’s Bentley, but Cash has a good work rate and can punch.

Six days later on Friday April 30, two of Williams friends Troy Williamson and Kieran Smith face each other in a final eliminator for the British Super-Welterweight title, another of Liam’s former belts.

“As much of a good fight that it is I didn’t really want to see it because I like both men,” Williams says.

“I wouldn’t like to see either of them lose, but it is boxing and we’re all in it for the same prize. If somebody else is in your path you have to dispose of them.

“I honestly don’t know who will win. It’s a very good fight. I think it’s 50-50.

“Kieran is slightly technically better, Williamson is technically good as well, but brings more pressure. I wouldn’t have a bet and it could be a draw.”

TO SEE LIAM’S INTERVIEW WITH DEV SAHNI ON THE LOWDOWN CLICK HERE