CARSON, CALIF. (April 13, 2021) – Sensational unbeaten contender Sebastián “The Towering Inferno” Fundora will look to strengthen his case as an elite up-and-coming Mexican-American contender when he takes on Jorge “El Demonio” Cota in FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View action Saturday, May 1 from Dignity Healthy Sports Park in Carson, California.

“It definitely motivates me to have PBC put me on such a big card with all of these Mexican and Mexican-American matchups and to be grouped with fighters of this caliber,” said Fundora. “I want to be looked at as part of the next generation of great Mexican-American fighters. Being in that class gives me a lot of pride, but I don’t necessarily feel any added pressure because of it. I just have to do my job on May 1 and the rest will come.”

Fundora and his father and trainer, Freddy Fundora, have been deep in training in their Coachella, California home as they near Fundora’s first fight of 2021. Fundora will look to build off of his 2020 campaign, which saw him score a unanimous decision victory over Daniel Lewis and stoppage wins over Nathaniel Gallimore and Habib Ahmed.

“This training camp is going great,” said Fundora. “Sparring has been really strong and I feel sharp. We’re covering all our bases so that we’re as ready as possible on May 1. I’m always training, so it’s really just a seamless transition from one camp to the next. We know we have to make sure that we do everything that we can to get this win.”

For the 23-year-old Fundora, his focus remains on each fight in front of him, instead of projecting about how his improvement may look fight-by-fight.

“I really try to take everything one fight at a time,” said Fundora. “Everything depends on how this fight unfolds. As soon as the bell rings, we’ll see what adjustments we need to make, if any, and go from there.”

Despite his patient approach, Fundora still has his sights set on making a big statement in his own unique way on May 1.

“I’m not like the other fighters Cota has faced,” said Fundora. “I want to make my own statement in the ‘Towering Inferno’ way. I expect him to come 100% ready for me, but his past experience won’t help him. This is a totally different fight for him.”

Fundora will be able to measure himself against past Cota opponents that include unified super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo, former unified champion Jeison Rosario and top contender Erickson Lubin. This past experience makes Cota perhaps Fundora’s toughest test to date, a fact that will do nothing to deter Fundora’s confidence heading into this showdown.

“I always consider it a tough fight, but I understand why the perception is that this is my toughest fight yet,” said Fundora. “I have faced a lot of fighters like Cota who like to come forward and engage on the inside. Cota is certainly one of the bigger names I’ve faced, but this is nothing different for me stylistically.”

#

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.

CORONA, CA (April 13, 2021) – Thompson Boxing Promotions returns on Sunday, April 18th, 2021, with yet another action-packed night of fights as 3.2.1. Boxing returns with three exciting bouts. Former super lightweight world title contender, Petr “Zar” Petrov (41-6-2, 22 KOs), who was scheduled to open up the show, is now off the card.

The 8-round main event featuring Ruben “Ace” Torres (14-0, 11 KOs) vs. Diego Contreras (11-3, 5 KOs), will remain intact. The 8-round co-main event will now showcase Mexican power puncher, Miguel “El Explosivo” Madueño (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.

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.

Madueño, who hails from Guasave, Mexico, will be making his USA debut. The knockout artist possesses power in both hands and promises to display ferociousness in the ring this Sunday.

“I want to make my USA debut a memorable day, showcasing an immense display of speed and power that God has blessed me with,” said Miguel Madueño, who is coming to U.S. soil for the first time will make his home in Santa Fe Springs, CA. “Anyone who has seen me fight, knows I like to throw a lot of power punches. I can’t wait to get going against Aguilar this Sunday afternoon.”

“We’re thrilled to show the world the talents of Madueño,” said promoter Ken Thompson. “It’s unfortunate that Petr Petrov couldn’t make it to the States, but we feel we have a fantastic bout to fill in the slot.”

“Everyone should be tuning in to see this kid Madueño,” said Alex Camponovo, Thompson Boxing’s general manager and creator of 3.2.1 Boxing. “We have been forced to delay his American debut due to the pandemic and I am sure he will make the bet of the opportunity that just opened up for him.”

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 and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.
Fight Hub TV is a proud Media Partner with Thompson Boxing’s 3.2.1. Boxing shows and a great resource for all things Boxing.

LAS VEGAS (April 13, 2021) – Rising, young boxing trainer Julian Chua believes he’s working with the No. 1 light heavyweight in the world, 41-0 Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (27 KOs), who was Mexico’s first world super middleweight champion.

Better than Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol and even Ramirez’ fellow countryman, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, if he returns to the 175-pound division in the near future.
The 29-year-old Ramirez, who recently signed an exclusive promotional contract with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, is currently ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, by the WBA and WBO.

Working out of Churchill Boxing (formerly Wild Card West) in Santa Barbara (CA), Chua became Ramirez’ head trainer two months prior to Gilberto’s’ fourth-round stoppage of Tommy Karpency two years ago. Last December, Chua prepared “Zurdo” for his fight against Alfonso Lopez, which Ramirez won by 10th round technical knockout in his promotional company’s (Zurdo Promotion’s) inaugural event.

Chua feels that Ramirez is a special fighter because of his ring IQ, aggressive attack, and innate ability to adapt prior and during fights, pending his opponent.

“No. 1,” Chua explained, “he’s special because of his intelligence. He’s very smart, knowing how to decoy, and even double decoy. He throws certain shots to see how his opponent reacts. And he throws non-traditional combinations, assaulting his opponent with strange angles, like (Manny) Pacquiao in a way, but different. ‘Zurdo’ knows what to do when there’s a hole, knowing where to attack and when. He throws a lot of smoke, lands a good shot, and continues battering his opponent.

“Gilberto’s willingness to attack is because of his cardio mindset. He’ll throw a 9-punch combination, then backs off like others, but he jumps right back in. He has a relentless attack, and his assaults are creative. He also has the ability to adapt. A lot of people remember him pressuring (Jesse) Hart, but they forget how he beat (Artur) Abraham by out-boxing him for 12 rounds. I’m not saying Gilberto isn’t good going forward…..he is Mexican! He works angles and I love his versatility. It’s easy to take his reins. He has 41 fights of experience that make my job easier. He moves a little awkwardly, but when he’s boxing, it’s effortlessly and smooth. He also moves his weights effortlessly while throwing combinations. Deception is his boxing style and that’s the way he thinks.”

Ramirez has openly targeted Beterbiev, Bivol, and eventually “Canelo.” Chua is confident that “Zurdo” can defeat the entire trio, if given the opportunity.

“Beterbiev and Bivol are both great champions,” Chua commented. “Beterbiev is very confident. He’s a world-class fighter, tough to fight no matter how old he is, but ‘Zurdo’ has the tools to beat him. He’s focused, in shape, and has the proper mindset.

“Bivol is a real fighter, too. You need to stay away from Bivol’s power. He’s a well-oiled machine with not many dips. He has strong rounds but also takes off a few rounds. You can tell when he wants to rest a little. Bivol has natural ability, and he controls the basics well. He’s hard to fight because of his style. He does what he does very well, but ‘Zurdo” has creativity. Bivol is masterful but he doesn’t have the same creativity as Gilberto. Not that he isn’t adaptable, but he’s not the same when the fight isn’t going his way. “Zurdo” has the willingness to fight until the wheels fall off. Bivol is more safety first. He’s not going to risk getting seriously hurt. I know Zurdo is.

“I highly welcome a fight with ‘Canelo’, just let ‘Zurdo’ get more experience against top level fighters. ‘Canelo’ is on a tear. (Callum) Smith is a good fighter, but you need good foot movement against ‘Canelo.’ His confidence is through the roof fight now. He’s can take a punch and slip punches, but he has had some trouble against boxers like (Floyd) Mayweather, (Austin) Trout and (Erislandy) Lara. If this fight gets made, ‘Zurdo” has the foot movement to give ‘Canelo’ trouble, plus he’s a southpaw and bigger, which also give ‘Canelo’ trouble.”

The bottom line is “Zurdo” wants to fight the best and as Chua said, “Gilberto is willing to take the hardest route.”

2021 promises to be the “Year of Zurdo!”

INFORMATION:
Website: www.ZurdoPromotions.com
Instagram: @zurdoramirez, @zurdopromotions
Twitter: @ZurdoPromotions, @GilbertoZurdoRamirez

LOS ANGELES (April 13, 2021) – Undefeated super lightweight sensation Omar “El Relampago” Juárez will take 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.

Veteran Jessie Román was originally scheduled to face Juárez, but was forced to withdraw due to injury.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is headlined by former WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Tony “Superbad” Harrison entering the ring to face hard-hitting southpaw Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella. The telecast opener will see the return of sensational prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. against James Martin in an eight-round welterweight matchup.

Preceding the FOX broadcast, a special one-hour FOX PBC Fight Night Prelims on FS1 and FOX Deportes will see undefeated cruiserweight contenders Efetobor Apochi and Deon Nicholson meet in a 12-round WBA title eliminator headlining action beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

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.

Juárez (10-0, 5 KOs) has been lauded as much for his work outside the ring as he has for what he’s accomplished in it. After graduating high school in his native Brownsville, Texas, Juárez dedicated himself to giving back to the state’s youth. Still only 21, he has spoken to close to 40,000 community members and received recognition from the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. In the ring, Juárez was a highly decorated amateur who turned pro in September 2018. He notched four wins in 2020, including a vicious first-round TKO over Raul Chirino on December 26 that signaled his readiness for the next level.

The 33-year-old Araujo (21-2, 8 KOs) enters this fight having won three of his last four contests, including his most recent triumph in winning a unanimous decision over Javier Cabrera in December 2019. Fighting out of Santa Fe, Argentina, Araujo will fight in the U.S. for the second time as a pro after his stateside debut saw him drop a narrow split decision to Yeis Gabriel Solano in June 2019. Araujo has gone the distance in both of his losses and won his first 21 pro fights before tasting defeat.

#

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.

ZACH PARKER WOULD happily take on the best of British at Super-Middleweight if he is forced to wait for a World Title opportunity.

Parker, No.1 ranked by the WBO, returned to the ring in a fearsome fashion at the end of March by obliterating the defences of the typically durable Vaughn Alexander, who had not previously been stopped, inside of two rounds at the Copper Box on his Queensberry and BT Sport debut.

Coming off a year of inactivity, it was an emphatic statement of intent that he is keen to build on with a couple of marquee matches ahead of his world title mandate.

Top of the list of big names that Parker would be keen to knock out are John Ryder, Rocky Fielding and Chris Eubank Jr.

Eubank Jr, who has dabbled across super middleweight and middle since the beginning of 2017, is himself ending 17 months of sitting on the sidelines when he takes on Marcus Morrison in a comeback assignment on May 1.

There would be a neat symmetry to Parker entering into a leather trade war with Eubank Jr because their fathers fought back in 1988 at the Effingham Park Country Club, where the future world champion scored his sixth professional victory via a first round KO.

Parker, 26, would have no issue in rekindling the family affair now he is back firing on all cylinders if he is to be held in a queue for his shot at the WBO world title currently held by Billy Joe Saunders, who is about to embark on a unification mission against Saul Alvarez.

“If the World Title came about for my next fight I would want it, but if I am waiting around I want to get on with my career and get some more fights in,” reasoned the Derbyshire native. “With every fight I will keep getting better and better with more experience.

“You can’t put your career on hold and have to push on, so that is what I’m going to do.

“I want to be a bigger name in Britain so it would make sense to go for the big British clashes. People like Chris Eubank Jr., John Ryder, Rocky Fielding – there are quite a few. If the fight is right, I am up for any of them.

“With Eubank, my dad obviously boxed him when he was a pro, so it would be a good fight, me and him. I am one hundred percent confident I would beat him and would probably stop him late.

“I have got a lot of self-belief and I know what I can do. People who are with me see it and now I just want to show it to everyone.

“He gets everyone talking, especially if there is some bad blood about it. That is what I want in boxing, I want to get my name out there a lot more and if big fights are there to be made then that is what I am going to do.

“I am gonna put on a performance like nobody has seen, so you will have to wait and see,” added Parker, who pointed out that his dad Darren’s fight CV amounted to much more than a modest 3-7-1 record as a pro.

“The Eubank Sr. was six years before I was born and my dad has mentioned it a couple of times because he used to be my trainer and he took me through the amateurs. He doesn’t talk much about his career and he focuses on me.

“He had around 200-300 amateur bouts and won by stoppage in a 100 of them at least. Everyone used to call him the ‘Bodysnatcher’ and, in those days, people used to box every single week and there weren’t many championships or stuff like that.

“He was managed quite hard as a pro, what with fighting Eubank and then Cornelius Carr, so he was put in there with the top dogs. He is now giving me pointers so it is good to have a boxing background in the family.”

Parker’s own progression will be accelerated following his link up with Frank Warren and he was delighted to deliver an eye-catching performance on his opening night.

“Obviously I am absolutely buzzing to have got back out there, especially with a new TV company and a promoter in Frank Warren. From what I have seen on social media, I am glad everyone enjoyed it and I am just so happy to be back.

“A lot of people said it would go the distance or maybe a late stoppage if I could catch him, but I caught him right at the end of the first and capitalised on it into the second to get a good win.

“He was saying to my trainer at the weigh-in ‘I’m gonna knock your boy out’ and stuff like that so he was there to try and beat me.

“I can’t wait to get back out there now because it was a quick win. I wanted to get a couple more rounds in to get the cobwebs off, but I did feel back to normal in there.

“You want the knockouts to get some excitement about you and now I want to push on to big fights and bigger titles.

“I had a little chat with Frank straight after before I had to do the BT stuff and he said he was happy to have me. I am happy to be part of the team now after flying under the radar for so long and next time hopefully more people will tune in to see me.”

Los Angeles – April 13, 2021 – Ring City USA today announced the entire loaded undercard for its Thursday, April 22 event from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y, the first professional fight card to take place in the state since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. Five professional fights including top prospects and four amateur bouts featuring West Point cadets will highlight the undercard, which will be available around the world on Twitch.

The previously announced main card, which begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Network, will be headlined by a heavyweight clash between undefeated contenders Jermaine Franklin (20-0, 13 KOs) and Stephan Shaw (14-0, 10 KOs). The Armed Forces Network Europe and Pacific will also make the broadcast available to U.S. Forces serving overseas on AFN TV. 

In the main event on Twitch, Kazakhstan’s Bobirzhan Mominov (12-0, 8 KOs) will face the most difficult test of his professional career when he takes on Angel Ruiz (16-1, 12 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico in a welterweight fight scheduled for eight rounds. Now fighting out of California, the unbeaten 29-year-old prospect notched two impressive decision wins in 2020 as he continues his ascension to contender status. Standing in his way is the hungry 23-year-old Ruiz, who is trained by Manny Robles out of Southern California and returns to the ring after a nearly 18-month layoff following his first professional loss in 2019.

In the chief support bout on the Twitch undercard, 25-year-old Christian Mbilli (17-0, 16 KOs) will return to take on rugged ring veteran Jesus Antonio Gutierrez (27-4-2, 14 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico in a super middleweight fight scheduled for eight rounds. Mbilli, who hails from France, has flashed impressive power over his four-year professional career with a near perfect knockout ratio. In his only other fight in the U.S., he faced Humberto Gutierrez Ochoa in 2019 and went to the scorecards for the only time as a pro. The 26-year-old Gutierrez enters the fight riding a two-fight KO streak and has proven his status as a warrior against top opposition such as world title challengers Gabriel Rosado and Steven Butler.

Highlighted on the Twitch undercard is undefeated phenom Jalan Walker (8-0, 7 KOs) who will battle Angel Antonio Contreras (11-4-1, 7 KOs) in a super bantamweight fight scheduled for six rounds. Walker turned pro at 17 years old in 2019 and collected five first-round knockouts to start his career. As the highly touted prospect continues to develop, he will be in with a sturdy, experienced fighter in 26-year-old Contreras of Mexico.

Rounding out the Twitch undercard, undefeated prospect Daniel Bailey (3-0, 2 KOs) faces Luis Alvarado (1-2) in a four-round junior lightweight fight, while David Blyumkin will make his professional debut against Michael Honesto (0-1). Bailey was a decorated amateur with more than 100 fights while serving for the U.S. Army.

It was announced last week that the co-main event of the evening (NBCSN, 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) is a women’s featherweight world title bout between WBA World Champion Jelena Mrdjenovich (41-10-2, 19 KOs) of Edmonton, Canada, and world ranked contender Erika Cruz Hernandez (12-1-0, 3 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico, scheduled for ten rounds. Also featured on the NBC Sports Network main card is a highly anticipated clash between top undefeated junior welterweight prospects Juan Pablo ‘El Pivi’ Romero (13-0, 9 KOs) of Villa del Carbon, Mexico and Jonathan ‘Thunder’ Navarro (17-0, 9 KOs) of East Los Angeles, Calif.,

Follow Ring City USA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates or visit www.ringcityusa.com.

About Ring City USA

Ring City, which launched in 2020, is boxing’s newest sports media platform. Working in tandem with a variety of promoters and talent, its new boxing series places an emphasis on competitive matchups that genuinely test the fighters and excite the fight fans. Ring City provides great fights in the ring and compelling shoulder programming outside of the ring. Ring City is the proving ground where up-and-coming talent can earn their stripes and launch themselves into the upper echelon of boxing stardom. 

About West Point

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America’s first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission remains constant—to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 13, 2021) – Rising lightweight star Ryan Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) will defend his interim WBC Lightweight Championship against experienced southpaw contender Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs) in a 12-round battle. The fight will take place on Friday, July 9 and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, including the United States, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

Information regarding the venue and the undercard will be announced shortly.

“Little by little, Ryan Garcia is silencing all of the skeptics,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “And the only way to keep doing that is by continually facing tougher challenges. Javier Fortuna is an experienced southpaw who can be very slippery when he wants to avoid punches. It’s a dangerous fight for Ryan, but I expect him to show newer elements in his arsenal before ending matters by knockout.”

Garcia is a 22-year-old contender who has become one of boxing’s most popular young athletes. Since joining the Golden Boy stable in 2016, he steadily made his case for a world title opportunity by defeating the likes of “Ruthless” Romero Duno, Francisco Fonseca, Carlos “The Solution” Morales and Jason “La Maravilla” Velez. Since joining forces with renowned trainer Eddy Reynoso, the native of Victorville, Calif. has looked better than ever, improving his technical abilities and scoring knockout wins in his last six fights, including one against “Cool Hand” Luke Campbell to capture the interim WBC Lightweight Championship. On July 9, he is once again taking a big step forward in his career by facing a tough challenge in Fortuna

“Fortuna is eager and will be ready, but so will I,” said Ryan Garcia. “No one can beat me in the lightweight division, period. I’m going to show the world who I am.”

Fortuna is a 31-year-old southpaw who is currently ranked No. 2 by the WBC in the lightweight division. The native of the Dominican Republic is a proven veteran who captured the interim WBA Featherweight Title against then-undefeated Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland in 2012, while in 2015, he defeated once-beaten Bryan “El Tiquito” Vazquez to capture the WBA Super Featherweight Title. In his last shot at a world title, Fortuna lost via close split decision to Robert Easter Jr., and in his last outing, he dominated Antonio Lozada Torres in November 2020.

“Ryan Garcia should take this fight very seriously and train properly because he will be facing, by far, the best fighter of his career,” said Javier Fortuna. “Hopefully on fight night, there will be no excuses for his loss. I expect this fight to be a war while it lasts, but I have too much of everything for Ryan Garcia. His last fight showed how easy he is to hit. And his power won’t mean anything to me. But mine will put him to sleep.”

“I’ve had a good relationship with Golden Boy Promotions for 20 years and that made these negotiations very easy,” said Sampson Lewkowicz, President of Sampson Boxing. “I commend Oscar De La Hoya and Eric Gomez for their professionalism and for letting one of their big names take such a huge risk against Javier Fortuna. Here is my prediction. Fortuna will win the fight against Garcia, and then he will become the full WBC world champion because Devin Haney’s team will vacate and run to 140 pounds to avoid fighting him.”

#

Garcia vs. Fortuna is a 12-round fight for the interim WBC Lightweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Sampson Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Friday, July 9 and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, including the United States, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

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

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

WHAT: “Crossroads” day-night doubleheader professional boxing event

FEATURED FIGHTS:

NIGHT CARD

MAIN EVENT – VACANT WBC USNBC SILVER SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
Kendrick “Peppa” Ball, Jr. (15-1-2, 11 KOs), Worcester, Massachusetts
vs.
Bryan “The Warrior” Vera (28-16, 18 KOs), Austin, Texas

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

VACANT ABF ATLANTIC JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
Dormedes Potes (12-2-1, 9 KOs), Woburn, Massachusetts)
vs.
Jahyae Brown (8-0, 7 KOs), Schenectady, New York

DAY CARD

MAIN EVENT – UBO ALL-AMERICA WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
Brandon “The Cannon” Berry (20-5-2, 12 KOs), Champion, West Forks, Maine
vs.
Gael Ibarra (5-2, 4 KOs), Challenger, Bisbee, Arizona

CO-FEATURE – HEAVYWEIGHTS (8)
Mike “Fly” Marshall (4-1, 3 KOs), Brooklyn, New York
vs.
Tracey Johnson, (4-9-6, 0 KOs), Boston, Massachusetts

(card subject to change)

WHERE: New England Sports Center in Derry, New Hampshire

WHEN: Saturday, April 17, 2021

PROMOTER: Granite Chin Promotions

RING ANNOUNCER: John Vena

TICKETS: (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 online at www.ticketriver.com (Search: crossroads).

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

NEW YORK – April 12, 2021 –In boxing, it is said that styles make fights. From 1980 through 1989, it was the style of four great fighters that not only made legendary fights, it ushered in a boxing renaissance. The fierce rivalry between world champions and future Hall of Famers known as the “Four Kings” – Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Durán, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard – produced a Golden Age defined by the nine world championship fights between them and solidified their place among the greatest to ever live.

SHOWTIME SPORTS DOCUMENTARY FILMS today announced THE KINGS, a four-part series chronicling the four fighters’ dramatic and divergent ascents to greatness and the legendary matches they produced. 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.

THE KINGS spotlights boxing’s evolution from the end of Muhammad Ali’s era to the era of the Four Kings, set against the seismic political and socio-economic shifts taking place in the United States. The Four Kings rose to fame as the presidency of Jimmy Carter and economic recession gave way to the boon of 1980s capitalism and excess harnessed by the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Through in-depth interviews and archival footage, the series also examines the very personal battles that each man waged on his unique journey to the center of the sports world.

“These four men defined an era in boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, SHOWTIME Sports. “Their individual stories, forever linked by the spectacular battles they waged, reflect a tumultuous period in American culture and history. THE KINGS takes the viewer beyond the glorious action of some of history’s most memorable prizefights to illuminate each man’s dramatic journey and the societal context that made them stars of sports and popular culture.”

Following a brief fallow period in the wake of Ali’s retirement, boxing was revitalized when Leonard became a world champion in 1979 and waged his first battle with Durán in 1980. From that point, the Four Kings engaged in a decade-long run of riveting fights that far outperformed any other sport in attention and revenue. They were the most popular stars of sports and American culture.

From 1979 through 1985, as a mark of their incredible achievements, the Boxing Writers Association of America bestowed these men the coveted title of “Fighter of the Year” annually with the lone exception of 1982 – with Leonard, Hagler and Hearns each winning twice. In the nine world title fights between them, there were four knockouts and three of the bouts were recognized by The Ring magazine as “Fight of the Year.” The Ring magazine “Round of the Year” (and to many, the round of all time) from round one of Hagler-Hearns is, perhaps, the most iconic single round of boxing of all time. Fittingly, THE KINGS premieres in the 45th anniversary year of Leonard winning an Olympic gold medal, and the 40th anniversary year of the welterweight world title unification battle between Leonard and Hearns, widely considered their greatest fight and a symbol of the era.

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

DETROIT (April 12, 2021) – Former WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Tony “Superbad” Harrison shared updates from his first training camp since the passing of his father and trainer Ali Salaam, as he prepares to return to the ring against Bryant Perrella in the main event of FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes this Saturday, April 17 from Los Angeles.

“We’re doing things a lot more strategically these days in order to do what’s best for my age and body,” said Harrison. “I’m not a young kid anymore, so we needed to do what’s appropriate for my age, sort of like Tom Brady and what he has to do to stay at the top of his game. I have to be smart now.

“We’ve had great sparring in this camp. I’ve been working with Chordale Booker, John Vera, Lance Smith and Kedar Jainous. They’re all youthful sparring partners, which I needed so that they could push the pace and push me. I have to think fast against those young guys, which got me in the right place mentally. I think we’ve covered everything that Perrella could bring on fight night.”

Harrison returns to the ring for the first time since his championship rematch against Jermell Charlo in December 2019 on FOX. Despite the significant layoff, Harrison is aware of the adjustments he’ll need to make returning to the ring and doesn’t believe it will deter him on fight night.

“I’m not really concerned about ring rust, but it may take a couple rounds to get acclimated and get into it,” said Harrison. “It’s a fight, this isn’t cheerleading. You just have to be able to adapt to the environment in the ring. He’s coming off a long layoff too, though. I think I actually have the edge heading into this fight.”

In the Charlo fight, Harrison was making his first title defense after winning the belt from Charlo in their first fight via a unanimous decision in December 2018. Despite losing the rematch via an 11th-round stoppage, Harrison put on a memorable performance against Charlo in a fight that was razor thin on the scorecards at the time the fight ended.

“On a positive note, I thought I did an amazing job of walking Charlo down,” said Harrison. “That performance took my mental game to a spot where now I know what I’m capable of doing. I can push anyone back if I can push Jermell back. I had fun in there and I was confident. I know I chose the right sport for me and that fight let me know how comfortable I am in there. My father did a great job bringing me up as a fighter to succeed against any style. I can make the adjustments and hold my own in any situation.

“I learned a lot from that fight. I just have to make sure I stay focused. Also, when it comes to cutting weight, I have to do it smart and the right way. But I’ve taken every precaution this time, and I’m doing everything to help my recovery during this training camp.”

For his return to the ring, Harrison will be opposed by a tricky southpaw in Perrella, who will be making his 154-pound debut on April 17 under the tutelage of a new head trainer, all-time great Roy Jones Jr.. For Harrison however, his focus is purely on his own game and what he will bring into this showdown.

“I don’t really know that much about Perrella, just that he’s a southpaw,” said Harrison. “I know that he’s gotten some knockouts. But it’s mostly about how I’m going to move and step on fight night when I’m going up against a lefty. Like anyone on this level, I expect Perrella to come in there and do his best to compete with me. He’s no tune-up fight. I’m treating this fight like I’m 0–0 and this fight is for everything.”

Since their second fight, Charlo has gone on to add the WBA and IBF titles to the WBC belt he won back from Harrison. While Harrison knows that a future third fight against Charlo is looming and could be even bigger than the first two, his focus is squarely on passing the test April 17 first.

“I’m always looking to make a statement, but I’m not rushing into it and making mistakes that’ll cost me,” said Harrison. “I definitely want to win by knockout, but you’re never going to make everybody happy. I’m just looking to go in there and do what I know how to do. Winning is the biggest thing to me. I just need to walk away with the win. I’ve got my brother L.J. with me as my new head trainer and I’m doing this for me and my team. I know great things will come from a win, however I get it.”

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.

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 12, 2021) – Thompson Boxing Promotions’ lightweight prospect, George “El YuYu” Acosta (10-1, 1 KO), returns Sunday, April 18th, at the Omega Products Event Center in Corona, California, as part of TBP 3.2.1 event. The co-main event bout, scheduled for 6-rounds, will showcase Acosta vs. Reymond “RoboCop” Yanong (11-6-1, 9 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.

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

On recent training camp:

“My training camp was in solid. Since my only loss in my career, I am on a three-fight winning streak, including a win over an undefeated fighter, and after Sunday I will be on a four-fight winning streak. I am ready for big names and big fights. I plan to push myself against the best and this camp showed where I’m at in terms of maturity, and growth in the gym.”

On his upcoming bout:

“I am facing a fighter with nearly twice as many professional fights as myself, so I am fighting against someone with a lot of experience. I am expecting to have to show every aspect of my boxing ability in this fight and am ready for whatever he brings.”

On what this win will do for his career:

“This win should get me in the mix with another up-and-comer or contender. I want to get a world title shot and to do that I have to keep fighting tough opponents. I am looking to put on a great performance and put myself in the position to get a main event fight in the future.”

On Fighting on 3.2.1 Boxing events:

“I really love fighting on Thompson Boxing 3.2.1 Boxing cards. I want to thank my promoter Ken Thompson and Alex Camponovo for bringing me back on this card, and I’m going to perform at a high level for the fans watching.”

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 and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.
Fight Hub TV is a proud Media Partner with Thompson Boxing’s 3.2.1. Boxing shows and a great resource for all things Boxing.

Eddie Hearn and Matchroom are delighted to announce the signing of Team USA podium starlet Khalil Coe.

Coe will make his professional debut on the undercard of Devin Haney’s WBC World Lightweight title defense against Jorge Linares at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Saturday May 29, live worldwide on DAZN.
TICKETS STARTING AT $50 (PLUS FEES) ARE ON SALE NOW VIA AXS.COM

The 24 year old, who will be guided by comanagers Keith Connolly and David McWater, hit the headlines when he knocked out Cuba’s 2016 Olympic gold medal man Julio Cesar La Cruz in June 2018 on his first international assignment.

The Jersey City talent will debut at Light-Heavyweight with a view to moving down to 168lbs, and he’s thrilled to be joining the paid ranks and is ready to make a big impact.

“This is what I’ve been working for and to be able to have Matchroom behind me makes it even better,” said Coe. “I cannot wait to put on a show and give the boxing world what they’ve been waiting for.

“I want to thank Keith Connolly, David McWater and Eddie Hearn for making this possible, and I am excited to start my journey on May 29.”

“Khalil is a real talent, and I am delighted to add him to the team,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “A big puncher with an interesting story and a good team behind him, there’s nothing to stop Khalil from making a big impact in the sport, and it’s going to be great to see him develop with Matchroom and DAZN.”

MGM Resorts will implement its comprehensive Seven Point Safety Plan and its Entertainment & Sports “Convene with Confidence” program, which outline the company’s approach to protecting the health and safety of guests and employees. The multi-layered plans include everything from sanitation stations, masking and physical distancing to digital solutions that minimize touch points as well as enhanced cleaning protocol. Details can be found at MGM Resorts Entertainment Convene with Confidence.

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 12, 2021) – Undefeated heavyweight standout, Jeremiah Milton (3-0, 3 KOs), is fresh off his first-round knockout against Jayvone Dafney (2-3, 2 KOs), a fight that took place at the Osage Casino this past Saturday in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A powerful right hand ended the bout in the opening minutes of round one when Milton landed a powerful head shot. Dafney was out on his feet, with the ropes holding him up, when the referee halted the action. The video clip has gone viral with over 1.4 million views on TikTok.

The 4-round bout, promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tony Holden Production, aired live and exclusive on ESPN+.

Milton, who was born and raised in Tulsa, believes his hometown can become a thriving city for future boxing show, as the event sold out quickly after the tickets went on sale.

“It was very special to perform on the biggest stage with my people right there with me,” said Jeremiah Milton. “This show will always hold a special mark in my career as a turning point for things to come. Tulsa is in the mix of becoming a big boxing town and I’ll do my best. I plan on being a big part of that.”

“Although the venue only allowed a limited number of fans, the atmosphere was amazing,” said Mike Leanardì, CEO of Victory Sports & Entertainment, who manages Milton. “I can see Tulsa becoming a great boxing city when covid restrictions loosen up. We want Jeremiah to come back here and fight in front of his hometown fans, of course with a huge crown in attendance.”

“Jeremiah looked fantastic in this fight,” said Rick Torres, of Victory Sports & Entertainment. “Tulsa is great city with a lot of fans that support their local sports. As Jeremiah ascends to the top of the boxing world, I can see some big crowds coming to support him here in Tulsa. We just want to keep him as busy as possible to continue this momentum.”

Joe Calzaghe has backed Liam Williams to become Wales’ latest World champion as he prepares to face Demetrius Andrade for the WBO World Middleweight title on Saturday night at Hard Rock Live at Hard Rock Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Fl. on Saturday April 17, live worldwide on DAZN and in association with Queensberry Promotions.
 
Williams (23-2-1 18 KOs) would become the 13^th World ruler from Wales if he can prize the strap away from the unbeaten Andrade (25-0 18 KOs), who puts his title on the line for the fourth time.
 
Hall of Famer Calzaghe famously brought the curtain down on his glittering career with wins on American soil against fellow legends Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr., and he’s backing Williams to produce his own memorable night Stateside.
 
“I would be thrilled to see Liam become World champion,” said Calzaghe. “He’s earned his spot at the table and now he just has to go out there and deliver. Everyone in Wales is behind him.
 
“It’s not going to be an easy night, but he’ll know that. Demetrius is a slippery customer with bags of skill, but I think Liam needs to get in there, get close to him, unsettle him, make him work and not give him one second’s rest.
 
“If he does that, I think he could take the belt on points and even force a late stoppage. It’ll be a hard night’s work, but he’s got the tools to get it done and I’d love to see him bring the belt back to Wales.”
 
Williams’ clash with Andrade is part of a stacked night of action in Florida as Carlos Gongora (19-0 14 KOs) defends his IBO World Super-Middleweight title against Christopher Pearson (17-2 12 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).

FEROCIOUS PUNCHING SUPER featherweight Ryan ‘The Piranha’ Garner will make his long-awaited return to the ring, with the Southampton starlet having been added to the undercard of the IBF world flyweight title encounter between Sunny Edwards and the decorated champion Moruti Mthalane on Friday April 30, live on BT Sport.
 
In chief support to Sunny’s shot at the star from South Africa, Belfast favourite Michael Conlan enters into his opening assignment at super bantamweight against the in-form Ionut Baluta from Madrid, plus Troy Williamson and Kieran Smith will do battle at super welterweight in a final eliminator for a British title challenge.
 
Garner, 23, has long been touted as one of Britain’s brightest prospects and he last saw action in February of last year in the final Queensberry show before lockdown restrictions took hold. Several setbacks over the last couple of years resulted in his promising career threatening to not reach its potential, but the 9-0 Garner is determined to push on and move from strength to strength.
 
“I cannot wait to get back in there after more than a year and I am in the best shape – both physically and mentally – that I have ever been in,” said the Wayne Batten-trained puncher, who takes on Birmingham’s Paul Holt over six rounds. “It is up to me to make it count and put on a show.
 
“This is a sort of relaunch for my career and I will give it my absolute best shot. There is no turning back for me and once I get this fight and maybe one more under my belt, I want to jump into big fights that will really show everyone what I am all about.
 
“I intend to remind people who watch boxing why I was considered one of the best young talents a couple of years ago. My apprenticeship is coming to an end and I want to be in the title mix by the end of the year.
 
“This is an amazing show to be on, headlined by a big world title fight, which is where I want to be before too long.”
 
Reading’s Joshua Frankham goes into his third fight at super welterweight, having made his debut in September of last year and moved to 2-0 in November.
 
“I am so happy and grateful to be out for a third time since restrictions came in last year,” said the 22-year-old. “I know I am lucky and I am being well looked after by Frank Warren, so it is up to me to repay the faith that has been shown in me and put on a big performance.
 
“I was pleased with my first two fights, but there is so much more to come from me and I want to showcase the improvements I am making on a daily basis working hard with Wayne (Batten) in the gym.
 
“It is quite something that three of us from our gym are getting on this show and it is a tribute to the hard work Wayne puts in with us young fighters.”
 
The third of the Southampton-based Batten’s trio on the card is the debut-making super welterweight Levi Frankham from Cranleigh, who is cousin to Joshua and new Queensberry recruit Charles Frankham.
 
“This is the most fantastic stage to begin my professional career,” said the 20-year-old former winner of two Junior ABA titles, a Three-Nations, an NABC title and National amateur champion. “I have had to wait for quite a while and be fairly patient, but it will be well worth the wait to get out under the lights on such a massive show.
 
“The only thing that could make it better would be if my family and friends could be there to see me and fans were allowed in, but that will be something else to look forward to.
 
“I have worked so hard preparing for this moment and I am determined to make the most of it and make a big impression on my promoter and those watching on TV.”
 
Completing the card is the debut of Muswell Hill super welterweight Jonathan Kumuteo, who will be trained by Ross Pearce has targeted five fights in his first 12 months as a professional
 
“I’m not too excited at the moment because I have been waiting for 12 months to make my debut as the pandemic caused a big delay,” said the former London ABA Champion.
 
“It is what it is, but once I go into the bubble, have my COVID test and jump on the scales to weigh-in I will know it is real.”
 
In 2016, Kumuteo was diagnosed with a rare skin condition that needed several operations and wearing dressings for two years.
 
He added: “I’ve been through a lot of at times, but it made me believe and prepared for this.”
 

NEW YORK (April 11, 2021)-Sonny Conto remained perfect as he dismantled Waldo Cortes inside of one-round of their scheduled four-round heavyweight bout at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

In the opening frame, Conto landed a booming right hand that was preceded by a jab that sent Cortes plummeting down to the canvas, and the fight was stopped 101 seconds into the bout.

Conto, who was making his first start in 15 months, looked very sharp in his brief appearance. Conto of Philadelphia, raised his record to 7-0 with six knockouts. Cortes of Phoenix, Arizona is 6-4.

Conto is managed by Split-T Management, and is promoted by Top Rank

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

NEW YORK, NY (April 10, 2021) – Undefeated heavyweight prospect Mike Balogun (16-0, 12 KOs) returns to the ring tonight at The Rustica, in Vero Beach, FL. The “Rumble at Rustica” event, promoted by Christy Martin Promotions, will be streamed live via LDLTV’s YouTube page, starting at 7:00pm ET.

Balogun, a southpaw from Upper Marlboro, MD, will be facing the crafty and experienced Keith Barr in an eight-round contest. Before the pandemic, the heavy-handed Balogun was coming off of four knockouts in his last five victories. Showing athleticism throughout his youth, Balogun excelled in football before turning to boxing. As a college football standout, Balogun started for the Oklahoma Sooners and then played in the NFL for three years.

NEW YORK (April 9, 2021)-Tomorrow night at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, undefeated heavyweight prospect Sonny Conto returns to the ring when he takes on Waldo Cortes in a scheduled four-round bout.

Conto is managed by Split-T Management and is promoted by Top Rank.

The fight will be streamed on ESPN+ beginning at 5:30 PM ET.

Conto of Philadelphia, has a record of 6-0 with five knockouts, and is making his 1st ring appearance since stopping Curtis Head in one round on January 11, 2020 in Atlantic City.

Cortes, of Arizona is 6-3 with three knockouts, who himself is coming off a 1st round stoppage of Daviante Jones on October 29th. He also holds a win over then-undefeated Kingsley Ibeh.

At Friday’s weigh-in Conto weighed in at 230.4 lbs. Cortes was 262.

Photo By Mikey Williams (Top Rank via Getty Images)

Eddie Hearn and Matchroom are delighted to announce the signing of WBO World Light-Flyweight champion Elwin Soto.

Soto (18-1 12 KOs) ripped the WBO strap from Angel Acosta in dramatic fashion with a final round KO win in California in June 2019 and has since defended the title twice with distance triumphs over Edward Heno in October 2019 and Carlos Butrago last October.

The 24 year old will be back in action soon with his first fight under Hearn to be announced shortly, and the young Mexican talent cannot wait to be back in the ring and wants to chase his fellow champions.

“I want to thank Eddie Hearn from Matchroom and Zanfer for this great opportunity,” said Soto. “I’m very excited to announce my next defense and then going on to unify the division.”

“I am delighted to welcome another Mexican World champion to the roster in Elwin Soto,” said Hearn. “His World title win over Acosta was a dramatic fairytale moment, and this young man is really growing into being a World champion.

“We know that the smaller weight classes always guarantee exciting fights, and I can’t wait to see Elwin continue his journey to the biggest fights at Light-Flyweight and above, starting very soon.”

(ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT)

    •    Joe Smith Jr. 174.8. lbs vs. Maxim Vlasov 175 lbs 
(vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title — 12 Rounds)
Judges: David Sutherland, Pat Russell, Gerald Ritter
Referee: Gary Ritter

•          Efe Ajagba 239.6 lbs vs. Brian Howard 218 lbs 
(Heavyweight— 10 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT)

•   Jared Anderson 251.8 lbs vs. Jeremiah Karpency 226.6 lbs 
(Heavyweight — 8/6 Rounds)

•         Albert Bell 132.2 lbs vs. Manuel Rey Rojas 132 
(Junior Lightweight  — 8 Rounds)

   •   Robson Conceição 128.4 lbs vs. Jesus Antonio Ahumada 129
 (Junior Lightweight  — 8 Rounds)

•       Trey Lippe Morrison 225.8 lbs vs. Jason Bergman 256
 (Heavyweight  — 8 Rounds)
•      Duke Ragan 125.8 lbs vs. Charles Clark 126.6
 (Featherweight  — 6 Rounds)

•        Jeremiah Milton 231.8 lbs vs. Jayvone Dafney 222.6
 (Heavyweight — 4 Rounds)

•        Sonny Conto 230.4 lbs vs. Waldo Cortes 262
 (Heavyweight — 4 Rounds)

NEW YORK (April 9, 2021)-Tomorrow at the Copper Box Arena in London, undefeated Ebanie Bridges takes on Shannon Courtenay for the WBA Bantamweight title.

Bridges of New South Wales, Australia is managed by Split-T Management under Brian Cohen.

Bridges has a record of 5-0 with two knockouts, just competed four-weeks ago as she won an eight-round unanimous decision over Carol Earl in Australia. Within hours of her victory over Earl, Ebanie hopped on a plane, and trained for the championship opportunity in Philadelphia.

Bridges, 34, has been at odds with Courtenay for the past several weeks. Tomorrow night they will do battle over 10-rounds to become world champion. The fight will take place under the Conor Benn – Samuel Vargas main event, and will be streamed LIVE on DAZN (2 PM ET / 11 AM PT)

At Friday’s weigh-in, Bridges weighed in at 117 lbs. Courtenay, who comes in with a record of 6-1 with three knockouts, checked in at 117.875 pounds

EBANIE BRIDGES PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

“This same way I’ve got noticed is the same way I’m getting this fight noticed. I feel like women’s boxing needs more eyes on the sport, we need to do whatever we can. I truly believe that the reason this fight has got so much talk about it is because of me, because of the different approach. I think that’s what’s helping getting eyes on the sport, getting talk on the sport and building it.

“What does matter is what happens in the ring, that’s all that matters. If we can get as many people as possible to watch the fight, then Shannon and I can show to more diverse number of viewers that women can fight. That’s my goal, get the views and once the people are watching Shannon and I are going to put on a show.

“I’ve been fighting and into martial arts since I was five, I haven’t been a boxing fan for just five or six years, I was boxing fan well before I started in the sport. For me, the boxing part is very important to me, but I feel like we need to get more views on women’s boxing and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get that.

“I think me winning this World Title will show people you don’t have to be like everybody else to achieve these goals. That’s what I’m going for.

“I’m savage, I want to go in there and f**k this shit up. I’m not here to play around, I’m here to get the job done. I don’t play around in boxing, when I fight, I’m there to hurt you. I might look the way I look, but I can’t wait to get in the ring and show people how I fight. The more people I can get to tune in to watch the Bomber, I couldn’t have asked for a better platform, I’m going to do whatever I can.

“We both have the power to knock people out, so a knockout or stoppage is very possible. It’ll come down to our conditioning and heart to see if it goes the ten rounds. If it does go the ten rounds, it’ll be a very exciting ten rounds.

“I truly believe if I win this fight on Saturday night, I’ll become a superstar. If Shannon wins it she’s still Shannon, she still has to beat Rachel Ball. She’s a World Champion but I just think it’s different. I’m very excited to be that person and to be a new face and character in women’s boxing.”

FACE OFF: Shannon Courtenay vs Ebanie Bridges (Full & Uncut)

LOS ANGELES (April 9, 2021) – Undefeated cruiserweight contenders Efetobor Apochi and Deon Nicholson will meet in a 12-round WBA title eliminator headlining a special one-hour FOX PBC Fight Night Prelims on FS1 and FOX Deportes Saturday, April 17 from the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Center in Los Angeles.

The FOX PBC Fight Night Prelims telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and will serve as the lead-in to FOX PBC Fight Night live on FOX and headlined by former WBC Super Welterweight Champion Tony Harrison against Bryant Perrella in the main event.

Super bantamweight teenage twins Chávez “The Beast” Barrientes and Ángel “AK-47” Barrientes will serve as swing bouts in separate fights.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions.

A native of Nigeria who now trains with renowned coach Ronnie Shields in Texas, Apochi (10-0, 10 KOs) has knocked out all of his opponents since turning pro in 2016. The 32-year-old added three stoppages to his tally in 2019, including an impressive knockout over tough prospect Earl Newman in May of that year. Apochi most recently delivered a third-round stoppage over Joe Jones in November 2020 on FS1.

The 30-year-old Nicholson (14-0, 13 KOs) earned a career-best victory over Earl Newman in February 2020, earning a 10-round unanimous decision. Fighting out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Nicholson scored knockout victories in his first 12 pro fights, and most recently knocked out Juan Reyna in December 2020.

Chávez Barrientes (5-0, 4 KOs) is one half of a brother duo with a brilliant future in boxing. The 18-year-old Barrientes was born in Honolulu, Hawaii but now lives and trains in Las Vegas. He is coming off a knockout victory over Paul Carroll in his most recent fight last December.

The younger twin by 13 minutes, Ángel Barrientes (4-1, 3 KOs) had an impressive amateur career, winning 14 national tournaments and three international. The 18-year-old turned pro in November 2019, winning his first three fights before dropping a December 2020 contest to Travon Lawson.

#

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

Savannah Marshall believes her late stand-in opponent Maria Lindberg will prove to be a tougher assignment than her original opponent Femke Hermans when they meet for the WBO Middleweight World Title tomorrow night, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

Marshall (9-0, 7 KOs) stopped Hannah Rankin in seven rounds to win the vacant WBO crown last October, the former amateur World Champion was a class above her Scottish rival from the opening bell and managed to go one better than her old foe Claressa Shields by ending the fight inside the distance.

The Hartlepool fighter was due to face Belgium’s Hermans in her maiden defence until the European Champion was forced to pull out of their contest just days ago due to two positive Coronavirus tests in her camp. 

Sweden’s Lindberg, a former four-time World Title challenger, has shared the ring with the likes of Christina Hammer, Ema Kozin and Marie Eve Dicaire, and Marshall says she is prepared for a hard night’s work in her first fight of 2021.

“If anything, this is a tougher fight than the original fight we had,” said Marhsall. “Maria is very experienced, tough and been in with some of the best in the world – Christina Hammer twice. I’m expecting a tough fight come Saturday.

“I’ve had a twelve-week camp, so I’ve prepared for everything. Whatever Maria brings I’m more than confident I’ve got the answer for. I found out about Femke Hermans being off on Saturday and I thought there was no way they’d get me a replacement opponent at such short notice. 

 “Luckily Matchroom pulled it out of the bag and got me an opponent. She’s had three times as many fights as me so I’m sure she knows all of the little tricks of the trade. She’ll probably never get a chance like this again so really it’s the last roll of the dice for her. She’s definitely going to come all guns blazing.”

Marshall vs. Lindberg is part of a big night of action, rising Welterweight star Conor Benn (17-0, 11 KOs) defends his WBA Continental Title against Samuel Vargas (31-6-2, 14 KOs) in the main event, Watford’s Shannon Courtenay (6-1, 3 KOs) faces Australia’s Ebanie Bridges  (5-0, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title, Glasgow Bantamweight Kash Farooq (14-1, 6 KOs) challenges Alexander Espinoza (20-2-2) for the WBC International Silver Title, Glasgow Heavyweight Nick Campbell makes his professional debut and Takeley prospect John ‘The Gentleman’ Hedges (1-0) looks to build on his pro debut win last October.

Welterweight Bout – 12 Rounds

Jaron Ennis – 146 ½ lbs.

Sergey Lipinets – 146 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Arthur Mercante; Judges: Glenn Feldman (Conn.), Don Trella (Conn.), Fernando Villarreal (Calif.)

WBA Welterweight Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds

Eimantas Stanionis – 147 lbs.

Thomas Dulorme – 146 ½ lbs.

Referee: Harvey Dock; Judges: Tom Carusone (Conn.), Frank Lombardi (Conn.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)

IBF Junior Bantamweight World Title Bout – 12 Rounds

Jerwin Ancajas – 114 ¾ lbs.

Jonathan Rodriguez – 115 lbs.

Referee: David Fields; Judges: Tom Paolillo (N.Y.), Tom Schreck (N.Y.), Don Trella (Conn.)

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer hosts the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo handles blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Three Hall of Famers round out the telecast team: ringside reporter Jim Gray, boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial scorer, and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. The executive producer is four-time Emmy® award winner David Dinkins, Jr. The telecast will be produced by Raymond Smaltz and directed by Chuck McKean. Former junior middleweight world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna serve as expert analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Ennis vs. Lipinets is promoted in association with D&D Boxing.

SHOWTIME 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. Viewers can sign up here.

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

CARSON, CALIF. (April 9, 2021) – Hard-hitting Mexican contender Jorge “El Demonio” Cota vowed to be the first person to beat rising contender Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora when they meet in FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View action on Saturday, May 1 from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

“My style makes a very difficult fight for anyone,” said Cota. “He’s definitely a unique boxer and a good prospect. The only way to beat him will be to use my experience. I will destroy his confidence and take advantage of his youth and inexperience.”

Cota has a tall task literally in Fundora, who stands an astounding six-feet six-inches tall. Cota was originally supposed to face Fundora last December, and has now had another extended period of time to prepare for the undefeated foe.

“I’ve never spent more time preparing for one opponent,” said Cota. “I know him very well. I have followed his career from the beginning. Having this extra time gave me more opportunity to study and get ready to surprise him. I’ve fought fighters who are tall and use their height. They weren’t quite as tall as Fundora, but I’m confident that with the sparring I’ve had I’ll be 100% ready.”

The 33-year-old Cota has faced current unified 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo and former unified champion Jeison Rosario, in addition to most recently stopping Thomas LaManna in January 2020. For this fight, Cota has been training in the altitude in Tucson, Arizona to help give him an edge.

“Me and my whole team are here in Tucson for training and we love it,” said Cota. “I’ve worked very hard every day in the high altitude. The improvement that the altitude has had on my stamina is going to show and be the difference against Fundora.”

On May 1, the Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico native will enter the ring on a card headlined by a battle between Mexican-American heavyweight stars as former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. battles all-action Chris Arreola. In addition, the entire pay-per-view undercard is filled with Mexican and Mexican-American fighters going toe-to-toe, adding to the motivation to put on a memorable show.

“It’s an honor to be on the undercard of such a great all-Mexican event,” said Cota. “Every fight is going to be a war, because this card is full of proud Mexican warriors.”

For Cota, he believes his preparation and will to win will combine for him to deliver not just a great performance, but steal the show on a night full of exciting style matchups.

“I want to be sure that my head, heart and body will be in perfect condition to provide the fight of the night on May 1,” said Cota. “I’m going to be mentally and physically ready for anything this test throws my way.”

#

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.

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.

EL PASO, TEXAS (April 9, 2021) – Heavyweight monster Arslanbek “Lion” Makhmudov (11-0, 11 KOs) will make his highly anticipated United States debut as he defends his NABF title against Nagy “Dominican Dynamite” Aguilera(21-10, 14 KOs) in the 10-round co-main event of Munguia vs. Ballard. The bout will be presented in association with Eye of the Tiger Management.

The event will take place on Friday, April 23 at The University of Texas at El Paso’s Don Haskins Center and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, excluding
Mexico, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. MDT/9:00 p.m. ET.

The event will be held under strict COVID-19 fan safety protocols and with a reduced event capacity below 40%. For detailed COVID-19 event safety fan protocols, click here or visit http://www.utepspecialevents.com.

“Arslanbek Makhmudov is perhaps the most dangerous fighter in the heavyweight division,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “We are very proud to be working with our partners at Eye of The Tiger Management as we enter a new phase in Makhmudov’s career, one which will see him become a world champion and dominate the biggest names of this weight class.”

Standing at six feet five and a half inches tall, Makhmudov is a Russian monster who weighs as much as 260 pounds when stepping into the ring. Before turning professional in 2017, he was an international amateur standout, where he competed in various tournaments, including the World Series of Boxing. As a professional, the 31-year-old contender has ended all of his fights by knockout, including a first-round win against former world champion Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter to win the NABF Heavyweight Title. Makhmudov, who now calls Montreal, Quebec, Canada his home, has no doubts about what he wants do with his professional career.

“The ‘Lion’ is coming to destroy everyone in the heavyweight division,” said Arslanbek Makhmudov.

“We are excited to show America the biggest threat to the heavyweight division,” said Camille Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger Management. “Arslanbek is a consummate professional. He is dedicated and skilled—the total package.”

Aguilera is a 34-year-old boxer who made his professional debut in August 2007. The native of Newburgh, New Jersey has faced the likes of Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver, Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola and Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale. Aguilera is coming off a unanimous decision win against Terrel Jamal Woods in November 2020.

”Training camp is going great,” said Nagy Aguilera. “The time off really helped me heal. People don’t know I had a lot of injuries in my career but no excuses. I always showed up to fight. I am coming to win. I’m not coming to lay down.”

Additionally, Ibeth “La Roca” Zamora (32-6, 12 KOs) of San Cristobal Huichochitlan, Toluca, Mexico will defend her WBC flyweight world championship against Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza (9-1, 1 KO) of Houston, Texas in a 10-round fight.

“I am so excited for this world title defense against Marlen Esparza,” said Ibeth Zamora. “It will be my first fight in the United States, so this is a great chance to show everybody what I am capable of by fighting on a massive stage on a Golden Boy event live on DAZN. I´m proud to bring my title and defend it against a fighter with Esparza’s experience. I am fully confident that my skills will help me come out on top, and I will prove to everybody why I am the WBC reigning flyweight champion and the best in the division.”

“I’m excited,” said Marlen Esparza. “I want to offer my thanks and appreciation to the WBC and Golden Boy for the opportunity to fight the world title. It’s been a dream and vision of mine to fight representing the WBC. I want people to see another great fight. I’m proud to be on the stage again with a great fighter, and I know there are a limited amount of major women’s fights, so I’m honored to have this opportunity. I am training hard and I am bringing my best. I can’t wait for the opening bell!”

Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (14-0-1, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada will put his undefeated record on the line in the opening bout of the DAZN stream against James Bacon (26-4, 17 KOs) of Cebu City, Philippines in a 10-round welterweight clash.

Additional undercard fights will be streamed live via Facebook Watch, including a highly competitive 10-round welterweight showdown between Ferdinand Kerobyan (14-0-1, 9 KOs) of North Hollywood, Calif. and Brad Solomon(29-3, 9 KOs) of Douglasville, Georgia.

Irish prospect Aaron “Silencer” McKenna (11-0, 7 KOs) will fight in an eight-round middleweight clash against Carlos Ortiz (12-5, 12 KOs) of Torreon, Mexico.

Evan Sanchez (8-0, 6 KOs) of Parlier, California will return in a six-round bout in the 147-pound division.

Chris “Milly” Ousley (12-0, 9 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois will participate in a six-round junior middleweight battle against Sanny Duversonne (11-3-2, 8 KOs) of Avon Park, Florida.

Yahu Blackwell (3-1, 2 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland will initiate the night of action in a six-round heavyweight bout.

Opponents for Sanchez and Blackwell will be announced shortly.

#

Munguia vs. Ballard is a 12-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate “The Official Beer of Boxing” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The fight will take place on Friday, April 23 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, excluding Mexico, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. MDT/9:00 p.m. ET. Additional undercard bouts will be streamed live on Facebook Watch via the Golden Boy Fight Night Page beginning at 1:30 p.m. PT/2:30 p.m. MDT/4:30 p.m. ET

Tickets for Munguia vs. Ballard are on sale now and are priced at $200, $100, $60 and $35 not including applicable service charges. In an effort to promote social distancing, tickets will be sold in pods/groupings of 2, 3, 4 and 6 people only. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 915-747-5234. Tickets will also be available for purchase at http://www.utepspecialevents.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Fans who have already purchased tickets for Saturday, April 24 and would like to still attend Munguia vs. Ballard, your tickets and seating location are still valid for the new date and no further action is required. Ticket buyers who purchased tickets for April 24 through Ticketmaster or the UTEP Box Office and would like a refund, you can go back to your original point of purchase and request a full refund. Refund requests will be honored up until Wednesday, April 14.

Fans who purchased tickets on StubHub, or any other secondary ticket provider, should contact the provider’s customer service staff regarding the impacted date change. The UTEP box office, nor Ticketmaster, are not able to facilitate any credits, exchanges or refunds for tickets not purchased directly through them.

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

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

18:20 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

4 x 3 mins International Light-Heavyweight contest
JOHN HEDGES 12st 9lbs 2oz v STANKO JERMELIC 12st 6lbs 6oz
(Takeley, England)                      (Split, Croatia)
 
followed by

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS & DAZN

6 x 3 mins International Heavyweight contest
NICK CAMPBELL 17st 10lbs 13oz v PETR FROHLICH 16st 2lbs 10oz
(Glasgow, Scotland)                           (Most, Czech Republic)

followed by

10 x 3 mins WBC International Silver Bantamweight Title
ALEXANDER ESPINOZA 8st 5lbs 8oz v KASH FAROOQ 8st 5lbs 0oz
(Managua, Nicaragua)                             (Glasgow, Scotland)

followed by

10 x 2 mins vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title 
SHANNON COURTENAY 8st 5lbs 14oz v EBANIE BRIDGES 8st 5lbs 0oz
(Watford, England)                                     (New South Wales, Australia)

followed by

10 x 2 mins WBO Middleweight World Title
SAVANNAH MARSHALL 11st 5lbs 10oz v MARIA LINDBERG 11st 0lbs 2oz
(Hartlepool, England)                                  (Malmo, Sweden)

followed by

12 x 3 mins WBA Continental Welterweight Title
CONOR BENN 10st 6lbs 12oz v SAMUEL VARGAS 10st 6lbs 10oz
(Essex, England)                         (Bogota, Colombia)

TALENTED SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT Eithan James has been carrying out his research with a view to placing himself in the title mix at Area level.

The 20-year-old five-times National champion and Commonwealth Youth gold medallist moved himself to 5-0 as a pro last weekend with a convincing points victory over Clayton Bricknell at the Copper Box Arena.

The Northampton resident, who goes by the nickname of ‘Jammy’ was pleased with his night’s work in what was his first six-rounder.

“It was good and I enjoyed it,” reflected James, who was also a two-times Tri-Nations and Haringey Box Cup winner as an amateur. “It was a step up, although I had a change of opponent at the last minute that threw me off a bit. I thought I boxed well and it was a good first six rounds.

“I think it is going good for me and I think in the first four fights it was good to get that journeyman experience under my belt – tough lads who would give me the rounds and get me used to being around the environment. Now I have stepped up to lads with a winning record and that is what I want to keep doing now.

“I have been looking at Area titles and at a few lads from around my way. There are a couple who hold titles who I know I could have a good shot at before the end of the year, maybe next. I probably need to have a couple more six and eight rounders and then look at the beginning of next year.”

James brought about a change of circumstances ahead of his fourth fight when he departed Bromley’s iBox Gym in favour of working closer to home. He was not unsettled or unhappy with his progression, it was purely geography and petrol money that saw to it that change became inevitable.

“I’ve moved back up to Northampton and had to leave the iBox. It was just the travelling and work was getting too much, so I spoke to Alan Smith and Eddie Lam and they said they could tell I was struggling.

“I was having to miss sessions every now and again just because of traffic and not finishing work early enough. So I have moved back near home and I am enjoying it. It was difficult to make the switch because they gave me a good start and everything was going how I wanted it to. I didn’t really want to move away from where everything was working.

“I had to make a choice because it was costing me a lot of money just to travel down there and, at the moment, I can’t move away from work so it was a bit of a struggle.”

James opted to return to his amateur roots and reunite with former amateur trainer James Conway.

“I have been with James since I was 13 so he knows how everything works with me and he is doing a good job with Kieron (his 16-1-1 super welterweight son) and it is going well.

“We travel a lot for sparring and my last spar before my fight was at Adam Booth’s gym, where I sparred the welterweight Ryan Martin. We travel to Birmingham a lot as well.”

The next staging post in the pro journey of James is to finish a fight before the final bell. It was noticeable against Bricknell that the usually style-conscious youngster started to plant his feet and was prepared to trade a few shots.

“Yeah I wanted to see what I could do, empty my tank and see where I was at. At the end of six I felt I could have done another two rounds and I wanted to test my fitness. I’m not too bothered about the stoppages as long as I keep getting the wins and look good doing it. That is all I’m fussed about.”