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.

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

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions @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.

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Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.
For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes 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.”

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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.

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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.”

PHILADELPHIA (APRIL 8, 2021)–This past Saturday night, popular heavyweight Joey Dawejko knocked out Joe Jones in the opening round of their scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

The bout headlined a card promoted by RDR Promotions.

Dawejko was dominant in dropping Jones twice, with the final punch coming from a big left hook, and the fight was halted at 2:50.

Dawejko of Philadelphia improved his record to 21-8-4 with 12 knockouts. Jones falls to 11-4.

In the co-feature, surging lightweight Nahir Albright notched his third consecutive stoppage victory by stopping Dante Cox in round three of their scheduled six-round bout.

Albright dropped Cox twice in round two, and finished him off at 2:13 of the third frame.

Albright of Sicklerville, NJ is now 11-1 with five knockouts. Cox of Glen Burnie, MD is 6-2.

Former National Golden Gloves champion Mike Hilton shrugged off a knockdown to win a six-round unanimous decision over Twon Smith in a cruiserweight fight.

Smith put Hilton down for a flash knockdown in round three from a left. That was sandwiched around Hilton outboxing Smith, and Hilton took all three cards by 58-55 scores.

Hilton of Trenton, NJ is 11-0. Smith falls to 3-5.

Afunwa King scored a mild upset by taking a six-round majority decision over previously undefeated Benny Sinakin in a light heavyweight bout.

King took two cards by 58-56 tallies, while a third card read even at 57-57.

King is now 3-1. Sinakin of Philadelphia is 6-1.

Matthew Gonzalez of Brooklyn, New York remained undefeated by taking out Luis Eduardo Florez in round five of a scheduled six-round junior welterweight bout.

The time of the stoppage was 2:13 for Gonzalez, who is now 12-0 with eight knockouts. Florez is now 25-19.

Rasheen Brown stopped late-replacement Christopher Nelson in round three of their four-round featherweight fight.

Brown dominated with body shots, and the fight was stopped at 1:50 of round three. A West Philadelphia native, Brown is 7-0 with four knockouts. Nelson is 3-18.

Tahmir Smalls remained undefeated by winning a four-round unanimous decision over Andres Abarca in a welterweight bout.

Scores were 40-34 twice and 39-35 for Smalls, who is now 3-0. Abarca,is 2-4.

Jahdon Ervin made a successful pro debut by taking a four-round unanimous decision over Kareem Gladney in a middleweight fight.

Ervin of St. Clair, PA is 1-0. Gladney is 0-4.

A limited number of seats were available due to Covid restrictions, and were filled to that limited capacity. The fights were streamed worldwide on BXNGTV.com

RDR PROMOTIONS WILL BE BACK AT 2300 ARENA ON SATURDAY, MAY 8TH.

NEW YORK – April 8, 2021 – Undefeated rising welterweight star Jaron “Boots” Ennis and former world champion Sergey Lipinets previewed their 12-round welterweight showdown during fighter media availability Thursday before they square off in the main event live on SHOWTIME this Saturday, April 10 from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

Also discussing their respective clashes were unbeaten Eimantas Stanionis and hard-hitting Thomas Dulorme, who meet in a 12-round WBA Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-feature, and IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas and Mexico’s Jonathan Rodriguez, who will kick off the tripleheader with a title fight at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME.

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

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:

JARON ENNIS

“After I do my thing on Saturday night and I do it with a big statement, it’s only up from there. On to bigger and better things. The elite fighters and the top three guys and then maybe a world title by the end of the year. This fight is just going to elevate my ranking, my superstardom and it will be the start of me being a pay-per-view star.

“I’m not worried about what Lipinets is talking about. At the end of the day, he still has to get in the ring with me on Saturday night. And we’re going to see. They don’t know what I’m going to bring. I’m an all-around fighter. You don’t know how I’m going to fight. I can fight several different ways. He just needs to know he’s gotta be ready.

“Training camp went great. It was the same old but just taking everything to the next level. I added a new workout into my training camp which was the underwater treadmill. It’s good for your legs and your lungs. It’s crazy. I do it three times a week and it makes me feel phenomenal.

“Everybody knows my style. I’m in and out like a robbery. The main goal is to be smart, go in there and win in dominating fashion. If the knockout comes, it comes. But the goal is to look good, put on a beautiful performance and get the knockout at the end of the night.

“Being from Philadelphia, a city with so many great champions, at the end of the day you just have to put on for Philly and continue the legacy that those guys started. My goal is to continue their legacy and have more world champions from Philadelphia. I feel like we’re going to have more world champions from Philadelphia around this time next year.

“These are the types of fights I’ve been waiting for. This is the guy that’s going to take me to the next level because he has a good name and he was a former world champion at 140 pounds. After this, without looking past Sergey Lipinets, I feel like I’m ready for a top five or top three guy and then a world title at the end of the year. If any of the top guys need a dance partner, they can just call.

“I’ve been trying to get these types of guys in the ring for about two-and-a-half years. I’ve been trying to get former world champions and top ten guys. It just didn’t happen. I finally got my chance and you guys are going to see a whole different animal. A whole different beast. It’s time for me to do my thing. I’m real excited.

“His style is tailor-made for me. Him coming forward is picture-perfect for me. He’s going to be running into shots all night long. It’s going to be a long night for him.”

SERGEY LIPINETS

“Everything was perfect in training camp. It was not an easy camp at all. It was probably the hardest I’ve ever had. I made it through and I feel 100% ready to go.

“I think the opposition that I’ve faced is definitely better than what Ennis has faced. I went 12 rounds with Mikey Garcia and I faced a two-time champion in Lamont Peterson. Those guys have pushed me to the edge before. Ennis has more pro fights than I do, he just hasn’t been pushed in the same way in his fights.

“We’re not basing our training on him weakening over the second half of the fight. We prepared for someone ready to go 12 hard rounds. We’re going to stay consistent, come forward and throw punches. We’re going to push ourselves and try to push Jaron as well.

“The main thing I learned from my last fight is to not depend on the judges. I know that we’re both coming to knock each other out. That’s what makes for an attractive fight. We’re hunting for opportunities to hurt him.

“I don’t worry about any outside noise or what people say about this fight. It doesn’t matter to me if I’m the underdog. I’m coming in there to do my job and put on the best performance possible.

“Ennis is young and up-and-coming fighter. All we want is a shot at the title and everything that comes with it. A win in this fight will give us all of that. I want to get my crack at the big dogs in the division.

“From what I’ve seen, Ennis can fight inside or box on the outside. He’s the whole package. Whatever he brings into the ring, I’ll be ready for it. We have multiple game plans and multiple ways that we can get this victory.

“If you follow my career, you know that I never turn down a fight. Ennis is still just another fighter. A lot of people have his skills. I love fighting boxers who are a challenge, and he presents a big challenge. That’s what excites me.

“We’re both looking to control the action, but we’ll see what happens when the bell rings. I’m focused on what I have to do to put myself in position to execute my punches. I’m looking to capitalize on any mistakes or openings he gives me.

“Custio Clayton is a very good fighter, I don’t see a lot of people lined up to face him. After a couple rounds of action though, he was trying to fight an evasive fight. It was a very competitive fight and I still feel like I won.”

EIMANTAS STANIONIS

“We are entertainers, so I definitely want the knockout. That’s part of my job. I have to do my best to give the fans something to remember. I always put 100% of my heart into a fight and that makes me happy no matter what the result is.

“Both Ennis and I have step up fights on Saturday like everyone is saying. We both have our toughest challenges yet and I think we’re both on the same track now as the next champions in the division.

“Everything was good in training. I’ve been training nonstop. I haven’t taken a break since my last fight, so I’m always in shape. You never know when the call is going to come for your next fight.

“There is some pressure to be the first world champion from Lithuania. Everybody is going wild for this fight because they’re going to show it over there. It’s amazing and it’s very exciting for me.

“I think on Saturday I’m going to answer a lot of questions about me. I believe that I can beat any of the welterweight champions. Everyone will see my level and what I’m capable of. I know I have to step up every fight and prove it again and again.

“For me, it doesn’t matter who I fight next. I’ll never say no to a fight. It can be two against one and I’ll be up for it. I’m just that kind of person. I want to give it my best no matter what.

“I’m very thankful to have this opportunity on a stage like this. It’s a new era coming up of young hungry fighters in the welterweight division. I think my will to win and get knockouts will separate me. I also think my style is fan-friendly and that will help me stand out.

“I would accept a fight against a champion next, but I know that experience is important. I want experience against good opposition like Dulorme. I know that will get me ready and show my team that I’ll be ready for the champions when that time comes.”

THOMAS DULORME

“Fights don’t always go the way we expect them to, so I’m prepared for anything that happens in the ring. I have enough experience that I’m prepared for any way that Stanionis plans to fight.

“I learned a lot against Jamal James. He was a tall and awkward fighter. I think it was a good experience for me. Stanionis is a very different fighter, so we’re focused on what we need to do against a fighter with his skills.

“This is a good fight for the fans and for me and my career. I’m ready to show everyone that I’m still a serious contender in the welterweight division.

“Training camp was great. I worked in the gym for the last 10 weeks every day. Right now I’m feeling perfect and ready for Saturday night.

“I have to win this fight. I know that with a win I’m going to get the bigger opportunities that I’m looking for. My experience is going to be a big factor. I’m planning to test him and see how he holds up in the later rounds.

“Stanionis is a fighter who comes forward and throws punches. He stands in the middle, unlike Jamal James who was more evasive. That style is going to make it easier for me to put on the kind of fight that I want.”

JERWIN ANCAJAS

“This fight is very important to me. I want to defend my title again badly. Every fight is very important and that’s how I prepare. That’s why I still have my title and why I must keep it.

“It hasn’t been frustrating being out of the ring for 16 months because we are always training and always in the gym. We always believed that a big fight was going to come. I stayed focused and stayed ready. From March until October in the pandemic, I was able to train and stay focused. In October, I arrived to the U.S. and I’ve never stopped training. I feel very prepared to meet the challenge on Saturday night.

“Every fight I always want to perform my best and put on a good fight because I want people to know my name. Everybody always talks about Estrada, Chocolatito and Rungvisai so that’s why I’m excited to have this opportunity to showcase my skills and challenge those guys.

“I promise that on Saturday night I’m going to put on a great fight. I’m ready for what Jonathan Rodriguez will bring. It’s Mexico vs. Philippines, which is a great rivalry with great history. I’m prepared. I watched Jonathan and I know that he’s hungry and coming for the title. It will be a really good action fight.

“I want people to remember me for being a champion and giving my all every time I get in the ring. After this fight, I want to face some of the top guys in my division. I always come to the fight and give the fans my best and that’s how I want people to remember me.

“I’m very comfortable right now at 115 pounds. I’m looking to win on Saturday night and I want to fight whoever is left after the four-man tournament between Rungvisai, Chocolatito, Estrada and Cuadras. I’m always calling the name of any titleholder in my division, so I would fight Ioka too. I want a signature fight because I’m tired of people criticizing me for not fighting anybody. After this, that’s what I’m targeting and then once I get that fight I plan to move to 118 pounds sometime next year.

“If I had to choose one name, I would want to fight Chocolatito because I always watched him on TV and he’s my idol. Now, if I have the opportunity to fight Chocolatito I really want that fight.

“It doesn’t bother me that everybody is always talking about Chocolatito and Estrada and those guys. It’s a compliment. I know that one day it will come and I will get the opportunity to fight those guys. A lot of people will be watching on Saturday night so I want to make a great statement so that my name can still be in the mix with all of those guys.”

JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ

“I had a great training camp over the last two months. I’ve been looking forward to this fight for the last two years and I can’t wait to get into the ring Saturday night.

“Ancajas is a great champion, but he’s never faced someone like me. I’m going to put the pressure on him from the very beginning Saturday night and show him that he has a great Mexican fighter standing in his way.

“I’m very excited for this fight. My daughter was just born five days ago and that gives me extra motivation to put on a great show and make my name known in the United States.

“We have been preparing the whole time since my last fight and I really couldn’t feel any better heading into Saturday. I’ve been studying Ancajas for two years now, so I feel like I know everything about him.

“The Mexico vs. Philippines rivalry is a great one and I definitely remember watching the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez fights. I’m excited to carry the Mexican flag after I win on Saturday.

“This is a stacked division with a lot of great fighters. Ancajas is a world champion, but I don’t compare him to the other champions in the division. I’m just focused on what I have to do Saturday.”

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ABOUT ENNIS VS. LIPINETS
Ennis vs. Lipinets will see rising welterweight star Jaron “Boots” Ennis face former world champion Sergey Lipinets in a 12-round showdown headlining action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, April 10 from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, a pair of hard-hitting welterweights square off as Eimantas Stanionis takes on former world title challenger Thomas Dulorme in a 12-round WBA Welterweight Title Eliminator. The telecast opener features IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas defending his title against Jonathan Rodríguez in a 12-round bout.

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

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.

Rugby player turned Heavyweight boxing debutant Nick Campbell says he has been inspired by darts World Champion Gerwyn Price and former British Super-Lightweight Champion Curtis Woodhouse as he prepares to take on Petr Frohlich over six rounds this Saturday, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

The Jersey-based Scot, who has won regional and national Heavyweight Titles in his homeland since switching sports in 2017, played eight years of professional rugby with Glasgow Warriors and Jersey Reds but now has his sights set on becoming his country’s first ever British Champion. 

‘The Glasgow Warrior’, 31, will look to follow in the footsteps of former professional Welsh rugby hooker Price, who started competing on the PDC tour in 2014, and former Sheffield United and Birmingham City midfielder Woodhouse, who made his professional debut in 2006, as he aims to make a name for himself in a new sport. 

“Gerwyn Price was on loan at Glasgow for six months from the Newport Gwent Dragons when I was there, and he’s now the darts World Champion!” said Campbell. “He’s an example of a guy that completely transitioned sports. I know it’s not boxing but it just goes to show you that it can be done. 

“Curtis Woodhouse is another one, football to boxing. He became a British Champion. Nobody can ever take that away from him. They’re probably the biggest two and the first that come to my mind. Sonny Bill as well over in New Zealand is having another dabble at the boxing. 

“There is so much that applies between sports – discipline, getting up early in the morning, doing your recovery, doing rehab, doing the things that aren’t fun, the things that people don’t see. There are so many things I can take from rugby and apply it to boxing.

“I’m 6’7” and 18 stone – if I didn’t use those physical attributes, I’d be crazy. I want to get behind my jab, take the centre of the ring, I am very well-conditioned and take pride in how fit I am. No disrespect to some of the Heavyweights but some of them can’t condition themselves. I like to think, if I get the opportunity, I can put people out of there. I want knockouts, to get people excited.

“There has never been a British Heavyweight Champion from Scotland. If you are turning professional that’s what you have to aspire to. People laughed at Curtis Woodhouse but he became a British Champion. Why should it be different for me?

“To challenge for a British Title would be an amazing achievement. The last Scotsman to do it was Gary Cornish who was beaten by Sam Sexton. I understand the level of these fighters – Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce competed for it last. I’m under no illusions. I’m prepared to sacrifice, dig down, work a lot to get there.”

Campbell vs. Frohlich 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, Hartlepool’s Savannah Marshall (9-0, 7 KOs) defends her WBO Middleweight World Title against Sweden’s Maria Lindberg (19-6-2, 10 KOs), Glasgow Bantamweight Kash Farooq (14-1, 6 KOs) challenges Alexander Espinoza (20-2-2) for the WBC International Silver Title and Takeley prospect John ‘The Gentleman’ Hedges (1-0) looks to build on his pro debut win last October.

Eddie Hearn:

“We’re here back in London after a whirlwind global tour that continues. Two weeks ago we were in sunny Gibraltar for an incredible event with Dillian Whyte against Alexander Povetkin. Last weekend in Uzbekistan for a thrilling night with over 10,000 people in attendance for the homecoming heroes.

“Back in London now for a huge card live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN around the world. Conor Benn returns against the fantastic Samuel Vargas in what should be a thrilling fight. Two women’s World Title fights on the card as well, Savannah Marshall against Maria Lindberg and of course Shannon Courtenay against Ebanie Bridges for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title.

“Next week we have the WBO Middleweight World Championship in Miami between Demetrius Andrade and Liam Williams. Then we’re in Barcelona, two Brits going for the European Championships and then the huge card on May 1^st of course – Chisora vs. Parker and Katie Taylor vs. Tasha Jonas, Chris Eubank Jr against Marcus Morrison, Dmitry Bivol against Craig Richards, Scott Fitzgerald and Campbell Hatton on the card.

“Then there’s the small matter of 70,000 people at the fantastic Dallas Cowboys Stadium for Canelo against Billy Joe Saunders. Then we’re back in the UK for a May 15^th show that will be announced next week. Just a little few things coming up for you.”

Conor Benn – Essex, England – 17-0, 11 KOs – defending his WBA Continental Welterweight Title against Samuel Vargas:

“This is definitely one for the fans. I’m chomping at the bit; this is a fight I’ve been calling for a long time now and this is another fight where I can show my levels and experience.

“You can judge me on my last performance, or the performance before that, but I’m always evolving and learning from previous fights and the mistakes I’ve made. This is the sort of fight where I really do show what I’m capable of.

“We don’t know the ceiling to my career, we don’t know where the limit is because I came into the game raw and naive. I’m learning and I plan on displaying all of that come Saturday night.

“If you watch Vargas’ fights he comes in and he brings it but so do I. Of course, he’s tested at a higher level and got more experience than me, but everyone I fight moving forward is going to have experience on me, I’ll always go into the fight the less experienced fighter because of my lack of amateur background, because I’m only 24.

“People will question that, it’s my job to prove them wrong, it’s my job to get in there and do a number on him Saturday night. It’s going to be my hardest nights work, I know what he brings, he’s a tough South American who loves to fight and fights with his heart on his sleeve. You’ve got to give him credit where it’s deserved.

“I keep getting asked now about other fights, I made the mistake once in my career looking past opponents and look what happened – I hit the deck twice and it turned out to be my hardest nights work in my career. I’m fully focused on Vargas; I know what he brings and he’s in there to win and show me how it’s done.

“I’ve been training hard for this fight; I’ve been working hard and visualising this fight and I’m ready to go. Whatever he brings, I’ll match it – it’s going to be a shootout at some stage of this fight.

“Every time we’ve said it’s a test I’ve passed with flying colours. With Koivula people were writing me off again, saying he’s too experienced, and then what happened. I stepped up again against Sebastian Formella and what happened. I rise to the occasion and I will rise to the occasion, I will make sure I match it.

“Tony’s trained me harder than ever for this camp. He’s really pushed me; I don’t often say I need a break, but I needed a few this camp. When you’re talking about sacrifices try four years, not being with family – that’s really hard.

“My little son now, we only had a few days off when he was born to spend time with him, so your mind and emotions are still on the fight. Even when I’m holding him, I’m thinking about the fight. Twitching in my sleep about the fight. It’s going to be nice after this to sit down and emotionally relax with my new family.” 

Samuel Vargas – Bogota, Colombia – 31-6-2, 14 KOs – challenging Conor Benn for his WBA Continental Welterweight Title:

“I’m blessed, I’m happy and had a good training camp. I feel like everything has fallen into place for me to have a great show Saturday night. I’ve put my heart and soul into this training camp, working with Bones Adams. I’ve lots of rounds in the gym and I’m really excited to be here. The moment is here, it’s time.

“I don’t really compare, I was 24 once, I was young once upon a time and when I look at myself then and now, I just laugh. I just think I bring too much into the ring for him.

“It’s kind of sad we don’t have fans in the venue, I was looking forward to having a lot of fans there because it would’ve beee a great energy, you need that. The fans in London have a lot of love and support which I’m thankful for.

“This is a fan friendly fight, he fights, I fight my ass off. I fight for my family, for everything I have, for the desire to win and become better at life and boxing, there’s so many motives I have to fight for.

“I never make no excuses, even in my loses, I always work my ass off in training camp. This fight in particular, I haven’t seen my family or Lee in two months. Everybody keeps telling me how focused and driven I am because it’s all I’ve done, there’s nothing else to do but box, study, know my enemy and do my job.” 

Savannah Marshall – Hartlepool, England – 9-0, 7 KOs – defending her WBO Middleweight World Title against Maria Lindberg:

“If anything, this is a tougher fight than the original fight we had. Maria is very experienced, tough and been in with some of the best in the world – Christian 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 think it’s every boxers dream of being the Undisputed Champion and I do believe that is the biggest fight in female boxing, but I can’t look past Maria at the moment.” 

Maria Lindberg – Malmo, Sweden – 19-6-2, 10 KOs – challenging Savannah Marshall for her WBO Middleweight World Title:

“Unfortunately, this was so sudden, and I didn’t have much time but I’m more or less always in training. I’m prepared, this is a new experience for me as I’ve never taken a fight like this with such short notice. There’s a first time for everything, I’m excited and looking forward to Saturday.

“I’m more experienced as a professional, I think I have three times more fights than Savannah and many Title fights. I’ve fought some really good fights, so the experience is definitely on my side. I have my style and I know how I’m fighting, that’s the way I’m going to make it hard for her on Saturday.”

Shannon Courtenay – Watford, England – 6-1, 3 KOs – fighting Ebanie Bridges for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title:

“This is more than just a fight, this is an opportunity for me to change my entire life, my family’s life. This is the reason I got into boxing and I’m excited to achieve my dream Saturday night.

“We have very different opinions when it comes to fighting. She talks more about the weigh-in, all I care about is the fight – I’m a fight fan. This to me is a World Title, why are we not talking about the fact this is a world title fight. This is a fantastic fight.

“She’s an exciting fighter, she’s aggressive and comes forward, I’m aggressive and I come forward. Our styles are going to mix, so let’s talk about the fight, there’s nothing else to discuss.

“I’m just excited to fight. I can understand why she’s saying she wants to get more eyes on the sport, but I want to get more viewers for the correct reasons. Katie Taylor didn’t work her backside off to pave the way for women like Ebanie and I to talk about underwear.

“I’ve got a 14-year-old sister, my coaches have daughters, my god-daughter, I want to be a good role model and show them hard work and motivation gets you here. Not flaunting your body.

“I’ve got a cool, calm and collected head. We’ve had a game plan since day one of this fight, I’ve got the best team behind me keeping me nice and calm. My game plan is my game plan, we’ve stuck to it in sparring, and it’s worked beautifully – it’ll work even better on Saturday.

“This fight isn’t my Everest; this is just the start for me. Win the World Title, join the likes of Savannah Marshall, Katie Taylor, Terri Harper and another British woman to hold a World Title. I want to bring another World Title to Britain; we saw it with Lawrence Okolie a few weeks ago and I want to be the next one.” 

Ebanie Bridges – New South Wales, Australia – 6-0, 2 KOs – fighting Shannon Courtenay for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title:

“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.” 

Alexander Espinoza – Managua, Nicaragua – 20-2-2, 8 KOs– defending his WBC International Silver Bantamweight Title against Kash Farooq:

“We know there are some great champions from Nicaragua, and you’ll see another one Saturday night.

“I believe very much in myself and I’m looking forward to retaining my International crown. I believe I can beat anyone at world level and go on to win a World Title myself.” 

Kash Farooq – Glasgow, Scotland – 14-1, 6 KOs – challenging Alexander Espinoza for his WBC International Silver Bantamweight Title:

“I’m been preparing for this fight; I know what to expect on the night and I’m really confident I’ll put in a good performance and get the win. He’s going to bring it.

“I was pleased but there’s always room for improvement. I went back, took a couple of days off and went right back to the gym. I trained right through Christmas, New Year and my birthday. It was a good performance, but I want to improve every fight, I want to get better, and this is another fight where I’m going to showcase my skills and look good.

“I think he [Alexander] will be there all night, but that’s going to make me look even better. It’s going to give me opportunities I didn’t get last fight. Expect a good performance off me but never say never he may surprise me.”  

John Hedges – Takeley, England – 1-0 – fighting Stanko Jermelic in a four-round International Light-Heavyweight contest:

“It was a hard debut but looking back on it now and I couldn’t have asked for a better one. It’s prepared me for what’s to come in the future. Taking a southpaw one a couple days’ notice was probably something I shouldn’t have done, but I’m glad I did, we got the win, and we push on now for my second fight and I’m looking to shine.

“I’ve trained hard, I’ve had some class sparring and sparred some great names – British Champions all at Light-Heavyweight. I’ve trained hard, been around some good boys and putting everything in, Mark’s been away but I had a few weeks with him.

“Me, Steven Andrews, Mark Tibbs, Jimmy Tibbs and Ian have all been down there doing the job, putting the work in and making sure I can have a good performance this time.

“It’s a proper Essex gym, we’re having it down there – it’s lively. I can’t knock it, it’s a proper gym and I’m enjoying it down there. I’m enjoying being in good company and training hard.

“I’m trying to take the pressure off myself, I don’t want to swallow on it. I’m ready to go, I’ve put the work in, and this is the fun part. I want to prove to people what I know I can be and what I’ve done before – I’m ready to go now.

Stanko Jermelic – Split, Croatia – 0-5 – fighting John Hedges in a four-round International Light-Heavyweight contest:

“I’ve had good training camp; I feel like I’m ready to face John. I’ve watched John’s previous fight and I’m ready to fight on Saturday.” 

Nick Campbell – Glasgow, Scotland – Professional Debut – fighting Petr Frohlich in a six-round International Heavyweight contest:

“I suppose you do need to be mad to get into boxing, but I love it. I’ve loved the sport since a young age, so it just felt like the right thing for me to do at the time – give up rugby and go to boxing.

“Here we are, no better stage to make your debut and I’m buzzing for it I can’t wait.

“Scotland is famous for their lighter weights; we’ve got Josh Taylor and Kash Farooq who is fighting with me on this card at the weekend but there’s never really been a good Heavyweight. There’s a void there, one that I want to fill.

“My rugby background is going to help me with this, with the pressure. I’m taking it in my stride, using the pressure to perform, put on a show Saturday night and show that I’m here to make a statement.

“I got into this four years ago, I went through the amateur set up and been down Sheffield sparring guys in the GB squad. I’ve been over the world the Scotland, always testing myself and see how I went.

“As far as I’m concerned, the only way is up and anybody who doubts me is just more fuel to my fire.

Petr Frohlich – Most, Czech Republic – 2-30-1, 1 KO – fighting Nick Campbell in a six-round International Heavyweight contest:

“I’m so pleased and grateful for this opportunity to fight here in London, particularly given the current climate. I’m going to give my best and show what a quality boxer I am.” 

TULSA, OK (April 8, 2021) — Joe Smith Jr., the small business owner and former union construction worker from Long Island, just wants to fight. Smith, who operates Team Smith Tree Service with his father, hopes to chop down Maxim Vlasov and win the vacant WBO light heavyweight world title Saturday evening at Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma (ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN, 10 p.m. ET).

Smith and Vlasov were scheduled for a pre-fight press conference once before, Feb. 11 in Las Vegas. Vlasov tested positive for COVID-19 that day, and their scheduled Feb. 13 fight was temporarily derailed. Vlasov recovered, went home to Russia, and then finished training camp in Las Vegas.

Smith got married, but he delayed his honeymoon to focus on the task at hand. Instead of the bright lights of Las Vegas, they will do battle in the Sooner State in front of a sold-out crowd.

Before fight night, this is what both fighters had to say.

Joe Smith Jr. 

“I was 100 percent ready to go back in February, but it’s OK. I had time to enjoy my wedding day and now I’m just ready to go once again.”

“I know what I’m going up against. He is a busy and aggressive guy with a lot of experience, but I have prepared well and I’m going to give 100 percent of myself to come out victorious.”

“Becoming world champion and hearing the words, ‘and new!’ it’s going to be an amazing feeling. This is everything I have been working for since I was 15 years old.”

Maxim Vlasov

“I’m sure that you will see no ring rust at all this time. I’ve been preparing well. I’ve been sharpening my skills, and I’m ready to give it my all, 100 percent.”

“I feel the same as a younger boxer who is less experienced because this is a great chance for me. This is a great responsibility, a great risk. I am very excited and motivated for this fight.”

“I have taken preparation seriously, watched many of his fights, and learned some things. I don’t like to talk about his weakest or strongest points or divulge any strategies or plans related to the fight.”

SATURDAY, April 10, 2021

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

Joe Smith Jr. vs. Maxim Vlasov, 12 rounds, Vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title

Efe Ajagba vs. Brian Howard, 10 rounds, heavyweight

ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT

Jared Anderson vs. Jeremiah Karpency, 8 rounds, heavyweight

Albert Bell vs. Manuel Rey Rojas, 8 rounds, junior lightweight

Trey Lippe Morrison vs. Jason Bergman, 8 rounds, heavyweight

Duke Ragan vs. Charles Clark, 6 rounds, featherweight

Jeremiah Milton vs. Jayvone Dafney, 4 rounds, heavyweight

EL PASO, TEXAS (April 8, 2021) – Middleweight contender D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard (20-0-1, 13 KOs) will step in to face Jaime Munguia (36-0, 29 KOs) for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Championship after Maciej Sulecki was forced to pull out of the fight due to an injury. The event will now 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.

Updated ticket information is available at the bottom of this release.

“D’Mitrius Ballard has been deserving of an opportunity like this for a while now,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “This is the chance to finally demonstrate to the world that he’s ready for the top guys in the division. We wish Maciej Sulecki a quick recovery, but we also we want to emphasize that Ballard is no mere replacement. He’s a real threat.”

Ballard is a 28-year-old contender who boasts a decorated amateur career in which he won several national championships. In 2013, the native of Temple Hills, Maryland began his professional career with a knockout victory against Kelly Henderson. Since then, Ballard has steadily moved up the rankings, taking on tough competitors such as Victor “Sina” Fonseca and Alan “Amenaza” Campa. Ballard, who is anxious to make his mark on the division on April 23, is coming off a majority draw against Olympic bronze medalist Yamaguchi Falcao.

“I feel very fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to fight against Jaime Munguia,” said D’Mitrius Ballard. “I feel extremely blessed especially because of the condition the world is now in with COVID-19 and all the issues we are facing. This is the perfect opportunity to really showcase who D’Mitirus Ballard is and demonstrate my boxing abilities. I’m going to use this fight to re-introduce myself to the world.”

“These things happen in boxing, and I’ve always had the mentality that I have to be prepared for any opponent,” said Jaime Munguia. “I know that D’Mitrius Ballard is a great fighter with a lot of experience as an amateur and a professional, so I expect to deliver a great fight to get even closer to the world title opportunity.”

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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.

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.

Los Angeles – April 8, 2021 – Ring City USA today announced two compelling undercard matchups that will round out the main card for its Thursday, April 22 event from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. and live on NBC Sports Network (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

The co-main event of the evening 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., scheduled for ten rounds.

Mrdjenovich, 38, returns to the Ring City USA squared circle following her fifth world title defense, a 10-round unanimous decision victory against Iranda Paolo Torres on December 17, 2020 at the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles, Calif. The three-division world champion won the WBA world title in March 2016 defeating champion Edith Matthysse. A pioneer for women’s boxing in Canada, Mrdjenovich is currently the second-ranked featherweight in the world by Ring Magazine, behind only recent Ring City victor Amanda Serrano.

Upset-minded Cruz Hernandez, 30, will be challenging for her first world title. The southpaw is currently riding an 11-bout winning streak including victories over world ranked contenders Vissia Trovato and Jocelyn Morales Torres. 

Making his United States debut, heavy-handed Juan Pablo Romero arrives for battle following a ten-round unanimous decision over Sergio Torres on November 28, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico. Prior to his most recent outing, Romero, 31, has faced top competition for a rising prospect and performed well by knocking out four consecutive opponents within the first four rounds.

The 24-year-old Jonathan Navarro has become one of the most highly touted prospects in the United States since turning professional five years ago. The nephew of former perennial contenders Jose and Carlos Navarro, Jonathan is trained by the renowned Robert Garcia. Coming off a 17-month layoff, he hits the ring following a tremendous second round knockout of Lebin Morales on October 24, 2019 in Indio, CA. Among the victories on his ledger include a seventh-round knockout over then-unbeaten contender Damon Allen in August 2018.

The April 22 event from West Point, N.Y. is headlined by the previously announced heavyweight clash between undefeated contenders Jermaine Franklin (20-0, 13 KOs) and Stephan Shaw (14-0, 10 KOs). Bonus undercard action will stream live around the world on Twitch. Armed Forces Network Europe and Pacific will also make the broadcast available to U.S. Forces serving overseas on AFN TV. 

More details on the Ring City USA event on April 22 from West Point will be announced at a later date. 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.

PHILADELPHIA (APRIL 8, 2021)–Former Boxcino Heavyweight champion, and, current contender, Andrey Fedosov returns to action when he takes on Mahammadrasul Majidov on Saturday, April 17th 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.

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

“I am excited to be back in the ring. The Pandemic held me back, but I am ready to go on April 17th. I know my opponent was a decorated amateur, but I am a very experienced professional. That will be the difference on fight night,” said Fedosov

“With a win, Andrey puts himself back in the mix in the heavyweight division. He has the ability to defeat anybody, and we look forward to him putting on a major performance on April 17th, said Banner Promotions President, Artie Pelullo.

“I am excited to be part of the team with Banner Promotions. We are looking forward on Andrey having a great performance and working towards being a top contender in the heavyweight division,” said Gary McCarthy of Newsboy Boxing Promotions.

Said Steve Burman of Newsboy Boxing Promotions, “This is going to be a great fight for Andrey. I can not wait for Andrey to get in there and display that he is one of the top heavyweights in the world. With a win, the sky is the limit for his success.”

The fight will be streamed live on DAZN.

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

Las Vegas – UFC® will deliver a middleweight main event almost three years in the making, as former champion and No. 1 contender Robert Whittaker takes on No. 8 Kelvin Gastelum. In an exciting co-main event, No. 9 ranked featherweight contender Jeremy Stephens returns to lightweight for the first time in eight years to face Drakkar Klose.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: WHITTAKER vs. GASTELUM will take place Saturday, April 17 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The entire card will air on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and be simulcast on ESPN+ (English and Spanish), with the prelims kicking off at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

No. 13 men’s pound-for-pound fighter Whittaker (23-5, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) looks to build off the recent momentum of two impressive victories over Jared Cannonier and Darren Till. Throughout his run in the 185-pound division, he has delivered memorable wins over Yoel Romero (twice), Jacare Souza and Derek Brunson. Whittaker now has his sights set on another show-stealing performance to stake his claim for an opportunity to regain his crown.

The Ultimate Fighter season 17 winner Gastelum (17-6 1NC, fighting out of Yuma, Ariz. by way of Huntington Beach, Calif.) steps in to replace Paulo Costa to finally get his shot at Whittaker after their UFC 234 encounter was cancelled. A talented striker and grappler, he holds notable wins over Michael Bisping, Johny Hendricks and Tim Kennedy. Gastelum now hopes to take out another former UFC champion and re-enter the middleweight division’s top five.

Perennial fan favorite Stephens (28-18 1NC, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) has delivered a series of spectacular knockouts during his 14-year stint on the UFC roster. Included on his resume are KO wins against Josh Emmett, Dennis Bermudez and former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Stephens now aims to turn heads once again at 155 pounds with another vintage performance.

Klose (11-2-1, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) is gunning to make the most of his first UFC co-main event appearance by securing the biggest win of his career. A gritty competitor and striker, he has delivered entertaining victories over Bobby Green, Lando Vannata and Marc Diakiese. Klose now hopes to secure his first UFC finish by taking out another seasoned veteran.

Additional bouts on the card include:

Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski (30-20 2NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) squares off with Chase Sherman (15-6, fighting out of D’Iberville, Miss.)
Abdul Razak Alhassan (10-3, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) moves up to middleweight to face Jacob Malkoun (4-1, fighting out of Sydney, Australia)
Luis Pena (8-3, fighting out of Gilroy, Calif.) returns to action against Dana White’s Contender Series veteran Alex Munoz (6-1, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) in a lightweight bout
Ricardo Ramos (14-3, fighting out of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil) squares off with Bill Algeo (14-5, fighting out of King of Prussia, Penn.) at featherweight
Women’s flyweight prospects collide when Tracy Cortez (8-1, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) faces Justine Kish (7-3, fighting out of Cramerton, N.C.)
Alexandr Romanov (13-0, fighting out of Comrat City, Republic of Moldova) takes on Juan Espino (11-1, fighting out of Gran Canaria, Spain) in a battle of surging heavyweights
Former women’s strawweight title challenger Jessica Penne (12-6, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) returns to the Octagon for the first time in four years when she meets debuting Lupita Godinez (5-0, fighting out of Vancouver, Canada by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico)
Bartosz Fabinski (15-4, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) takes on Gerald Meerschaert (31-14, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) at middleweight
Zarah Fairn (6-4, fighting out of Paris, France) goes for her first UFC victory against UFC newcomer Josiane Nunes (7-1, fighting out of Fazenda Rio Grande, Parana, Brazil) in a women’s bantamweight contest
Tony Gravely (20-6, fighting out of Christiansburg, Va.) locks horns with Anthony Birchak (16-7, fighting out of Tucson, Ariz.) at bantamweight

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

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About UFC®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 142 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to approximately 900M TV households across more than 175 territories. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 70 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

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

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

About ESPN

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

QUINCY, Mass. (April 8, 2021) – Granite Chin Promotions is bringing old-time, local rivalry pro boxing back Saturday night, April 17, with the presentation of the “Crossroads” day-night doubleheader, featuring seven regional and local title fights, at New England Sports Center in Derry, New Hampshire.

Former New England middleweight champion Kendrick “Peppa” Ball (15-1-2, 11 KOs) steps up in terms of competition against Texas veteran Bryan “The Warrior” Vera (28-16, 18 KOs) in the 8-round main event for the vacant WBC USNBC (U.S.) Silver super middleweight title

Fighting out of nearby Worcester, Massachusetts, Ball is 11 years younger than Vera, who needs to win or retire, and riding a 6-fight win streak with a 3-inch height and reach advantages.

Fighting out of Austin, the 39-year-old Vera was originally known for his participation in the first season of The Contender, Reality Television series. He went on to defeat a trio of world champions – Andy Lee, Sergio Mora (twice) and Serhiy Dzinziruk – capturing five regional titles including the NABO middleweight crown.

Ball vs. Vera, the evening headliner of the day-night doubleheader (separate admissions), is co-promoted by Ball’s promoter, Classic Entertainment and Sports (CES).

“Events like this is what local boxing is all about,” Granite Chin’s Chris Traietti said. “’Crossroads’ is more than just the name for this event. It’s a reality for a lot of guys on this show. It is time to find out if some of these young up-and-comers are really as good as the hype, as well as learning if some of the veteran fighters have hit the end of the road. Our two shows offer a ton of boxing for fans to watch. On top of all the boxing, we will have live music from The Freight during the afternoon show.

“For the last 6-7 years, I have been learning, absorbing and, at times, failing to figure out how to make Granite Chin work. We hit our stride about 1 ½ years ago and not even a pandemic has been able to slow us down. This is only the beginning of a bright Granite Chin future. Thank you to everyone who has been supporting Granite Chin to allow us to grow to this point.”

In the co-featured event, New Hampshire welterweight champion Ryan Dibartolomeo (3-1-1, 1 KO) faces title challenger Marquis Bates (7-4, 5 KOs) in a 6-round bout.

Larry Pryor (13-23, 7 KOs) takes on Scott Lampert (1-1, 1 KO) for the vacant New Hampshire cruiserweight crown in a 6-rounder. Undefeated prospect Francis “The Tank” Hogan (4-0, 4 KOs), of Weymouth, MA, meets veteran Larry “Slo Mo” Smith (12-45-2, 8 KOs) in a 6-rounder for the vacant New Hampshire junior middleweight championship, and undefeated Schenectady, NY junior middleweight Jahyae Brown (8-0, 7 KOs) fights Dormedes Potes (12-2-1, 9 KOs) in an 8-round brawl for the vacant ABF Atlantic junior middleweight strap.

Former New England heavyweight champion Justin “Crazy Train” Rolfe (4-2-1, 3 KOs) squares off against Alfredo “Choncho” Trevino (9-8-1, 1 KO) in 6-round bout.

Also fighting on the evening’s undercard is unbeaten Holyoke, MA welterweight Denzel Whitley (3-0, 3 KOs) vs. Aquilando Brandao (0-3), and Fall River, MA welterweight Dustin Reinhold (5-4, 2 KOs) vs. pro-debuting Anthony Andreozzi.

Julien Baptiste (1-0, 1 KO), of Woburn, MA, and pro-debuting Holyoke junior middleweight Carlos Castillo are in separate 4-round bouts against opponents to be determined.

UBO All-America welterweight champion Brandon “The Cannon” Berry (20-5-2, 12 KOs) headlines the afternoon segment of “Crossroads” in an 8-round title defense versus challenger Gael Ibarra (5-2, 4 KOs).

Heavyweights Mike “Fly” Marshall (4-1, 3 KOs) and Tracey Johnson (4-9-6) throwdown in in the 8-round co-feature.

Canadian cruiserweight Yan “Wild Thing” Pellerin (10-1, 4 KOs) meets Steve “The Spoiler” Walker (26-36, 18 KOs) for the vacant ABF Atlantic cruiserweight title in an 8-round encounter.

In a pair of scheduled 8-round bouts, Danbury, CT junior welterweight Omar Bordoy, Jr. (10-1, 3 KOs) stays busy against Dewayne Wisdom (7-55-2, 3 KOs), while New England welterweight champion Mike “Bad Boy” Ohan, Jr. (11-1, 5 KOs) stays busy against Rynell Griffin (8-45-2, 2 KOs) in a non-title fight.

Also fighting on the afternoon undercard in 4-rounders are Jimmy Torney (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. pro-debuting Justin Velmure in battle of Boston heavyweights, Weymouth, MA pro-debuting welterweight Eric Goff vs. Jader Alves (0-4), and the pro debut of Demek Edmonds vs. Francisco Neto (1-11).

All bouts subject to change.

Tickets are priced at $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).

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 p.m. ET.

INFORMATION:
Facebook.com/GraniteChin
Twitter: @Granite_Chin

TROY WILLIAMSON insists he will see off Kieran Smith in their British Super-Welterweight title final eliminator on Friday April 30, live on BT Sport.

The Darlington man will be looking at the big time if he wins and guaranteed a shot at British champion Ted Cheeseman.

Williamson (15-0-1, 11 KOs) who has recovered from recent laser eye surgery said: “Me and Cheeseman would be a war.

“We have got a similar sort of style. We can box and come forward. I think at some stage it would catch fire and be explosive.

“I’m not sure if he wants to stick around and move on. If he does, we will meet and if not I will still get my shot once I come through Kieran.

“If I get the opportunity this year I will become British champion. I don’t run my mouth because I deserve the opportunity.”

Williamson admits that Smith (16-0, 7 KOs) will be his toughest opponent to date as a professional.

The Scottish southpaw is on a revenge mission having narrowly lost against Williamson when there were amateurs at the 2015 Tri-Nations tournament.

“We are the two underestimated guys in the division and nobody wants to fight us so we’re putting it on the line fighting each other,” said Williamson

“One million per-cent this is the biggest fight for me so far as a professional.

“I’m not looking at my Tri-Nations win. It’s now smaller gloves, longer rounds and we’ve both matured as fighters. It’s still 1-0 though and that will be in the back of his head.

“I’m more explosive, I hit harder, I believe I am going to be fitter on the night. I will be mentally and physically ready just like I always am.

“As a professional I have boxed higher calibre boxers. In his last fight he boxed somebody who was unbeaten but it was a padded record and they didn’t turn up to win.

“What makes me different is that I am hungry to succeed. I am a  complete athlete. I live and breath boxing. It will show on April 30.

“Fans can expect a great fight. It will catch fire at some point and be explosive. I will win.”

Another potential opponent for Troy is a mouth-watering meeting with young unbeaten hopeful Hamzah Sheeraz, a Frank Warren stablemate.

Hall of Fame promoter Warren has been desperate to make the fight, but it has fallen through twice inside the last few months.

Williamson promised Warren: “It will happen this year or early next year.”

‘Trojan’ who has been travelling around the country with trainer Craig Carney to get top class sparring added: ”I was due to fight Hamzah last November, but I injured my eye in sparring.

“I went back to training too early after the laser eye surgery. I took a thumb in the eye and it closed up so I couldn’t train.

“It got rescheduled for last month. Then he got injured so it’s not happening.

“I think we’re Frank Warren’s best two Super-Welterweights so that fight needs to happen.

“Hamzah is a good fighter. If we boxed now I think it is a bit too early for him and I’d show a bit of man strength.

“My full focus is Kieran and we will see where we go after whether it is Cheeseman or Hamzah next.”

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

In a ten rounder Belfast’s Michael Conlan (14-0, 8 KOs) faces dangerous Romanian Ionut Balata (14-2, 3 KOs)

Sunny’s older brother, Charlie Edwards (16-1, 6 KOs) the former WBC World Flyweight champion has his second fight as a Bantamweight on the undercard.

FOR TROY’S FULL INTERVIEW WITH DEV SAHNI ON THE LOWDOWN CLICK HERE