LAS VEGAS (March 22, 2021) — RJJ Boxing on UFC FIGHT PASS® returns to Mexico for the first time in 2021 on Thursday, April 1st – no April Fool’s jokes – presented by Roy Jones, Jr. Boxing Promotions and De La O Promotions, at Polideportivo Centenario, Los Mochia, Sonora, Mexico

A pair of Latino title fights will showcase a quartet of gifted boxers in the main event and co-feature, other fights are loaded with talent as well. The action will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. To sign-up for UFC FIGHT PASS, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

“We love promoting in Mexico with our friend, promoter Emanuel Romo (De La O Promotions),” RJJ Boxing CEO/co-founder Keith Veltre said. “This is unquestionably RJJ’s best show ever in Mexico. It’s stacked from top to bottom, including two title fights, and showcasing several potential stars of the future.”

World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion Antonio “Paulinho” Soares (11-1, 8 KOs), fighting out of Brazil, defends his crown against his Mexican challenger, Alan “Lachorro” Solis (12-0-1, 7 KOs), in the 10-round headliner. The Brazil vs. Mexico rivalry will certainly be heated inside the ring.

In the 8-round co-featured event, World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title holder Mauricio “Trompas” Pintor (23-3-1, 14 KOs), of Mexico, will defend his title against San Antonio’s Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda (17-3, 8 KOs), a former NABA super lightweight champion. Pintor is the nephew of Hall of Famer and -2-division World champion Lupe Pintor.

Mexican fan favorite Luis “Koreano” Torres (10-0, 7 KOs), the reigning WBC Youth Silver lightweight titlist, takes on his dangerous fellow countryman Jose “Cuate” Paez (13-1-1, 10 KOs) in an 8-round, non-title fight. Torres vs. Perez is an elimination bout with the victor advancing to the inaugural World Cup Boxing Series starting in June.

Undefeated Cuban super welterweight prospect Yoelvis “La Joya” Gomez (3-0, 3 KOs), living out of Guatemala, steps up in terms of quality opposition in an 8-roumd bout versus Mexican knockout artist Luis “Desarmador” Pina (20-4, 15 KOs). A technically sound, aggressive power puncher, the 2-time Cuban Youth National champion Gomez is the son of 1980 Olympic gold medalist Jose Gomez.

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard, off-UFC FIGHT PASS, is a trio of Las Vegas-based boxers in 4-rounders against opponents to be determined: flyweights Kevin Urrutia (1-0, 1 KO) and pro-debuting Yarida Bustillos, as well as super bantamweight Andy Beltran (1-0, 1 KO).

Card subject to change.

INFORMATION:

Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.ufcfightpass.com
Facebook: /UFCFightPass, /KeithVeltre
Twitter: @UFCFightPass, @Keith_Veltre, @RoyjonesJRfa @RoyJonesJrOfficial
Instagram: @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @RoyJonesJrBoxing

ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

Based in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable: NABF super flyweight champion, IBF #8 and WBC # 14 Jade “Hurricane” Bornea (15-0, 10 KOs); two-time world title challenger, bantamweight “Mighty” Aston Palicte (26-4-1, 22 KOs); NABF welterweight champion, WBC #15 and Santiago “Somer” Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs); former NABA welterweight champion Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda (17-3, 8 KOs), former Interim World middleweight title challenger John “The Phenom” Vera (20-1, 12 KO), unbeaten super middleweight prospect Juan “Just Business” Barajas (11-0-1, 7 KOs), and former WBC World Youth heavyweight titlist Alexander “The Great” Flores (18-3-1, 16 KOs).

ABOUT UFC FIGHT PASS®: UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. UFC FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combats sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

Philadelphia, PA (March 19, 2021) – A special Day-Night Doubleheader of boxing is planned for Saturday afternoon and evening at the 2300 Arena, where local favorites, Donald Smith & Dylan Price will headline respective shows.

The shows, which are promoted by Price Promotions, will begin at 4:30 and 8 PM

Headlining the evening card will be super flyweight Dylan Price taking on Gabriel Bernardi for an NBA Regional Super Flyweight title.

The eight-round bout will feature the undefeated Price, who has a record of 12-0 with nine knockouts.

The 22 year-old Price is a four-year pro and is coming off a fourth-round stoppage over Samuel Gutierrez on January 16th in Chester, Pa.

Bernardi of Puerto Rico is 5-1 with two knockouts. Bernardi is also a four-year pro, and is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Jose Ocasio on October 4, 2019 in Kissimmee, Florida.

Also in the evening session, Rashan Adams takes on Da’vaughtae Bess (0-1) of St. Louis in a super lightweight bout.

David Pena (0-4-1) of Annapolis, Md. takes on Antonio Allen (1-11-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia in a junior welterweight bout.

Boimah Karno takes on Rasheem Cook in a battle of pro debuting welterweights.

All three of those bouts are scheduled for four-rounds.

Headlining the afternoon session will be featherweight Donald “No Love” Smith taking on Braulio Avila in a fight scheduled for six-rounds.

Smith of Philadelphia, has a record of 10-1 with six knockouts, is a five-year veteran. Smith is looking to get back in the win column following dropping a six-round unanimous decision to William Foster III on February 6th at the 2300 Arena.

Avila of Tiaxcala, Mexico is 3-7 with one knockout. The 35 year-old is a seven year pro, and has faced four undefeated opponents. He is coming off a decision loss to undefeated Angel Israel Rodriguez on January 25, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

In four-round bouts, Isaiah Johnson of Sicklerville, NJ makes his pro debut against an opponent to be announced.

Sharif Rahman (4-0, 3 KOs) of Las Vegas takes on an opponent to be named in a super welterweight contest.

Naheem Parker (1-0, 1 KO) of Camden, NJ takes on an opponent to be announced in a lightweight contest.

Also now available is the 3rd episode of Dylan Price 7on7

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

San Juan, Puerto Rico – March 22, 2021 – Ring City USA has announced a loaded seven-fight undercard for this Thursday’s event, the third and final of the boxing outfit’s residency in Puerto Rico, which will be presented live from Plaza del Quinto Centenario in Old San Juan. The March 25 event will be broadcast live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports app in the United States and Puerto Rico. Outside the United States, Ring City’s undercard action will be available on Twitch.

Headlining Thursday’s event from Old San Juan is the previously announced 10-round title fight featuring seven-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Amanda Serrano (39-1-1, 29 KOs) defending her WBO and WBC featherweight world titles against current two-division titlist Daniela Bermudez (29-3-3, 10 KOs).

Co-featured on the NBC Sports Network broadcast, in an eight-round bantamweight clash, Puerto Rico’s Abimael ‘Manos de Piedra’ Ortiz (8-0-1, 4 KOs) battles Mexico-born Eduardo ‘Lalo El Gemelo’ Baez (18-1-2, 6 KOs), who now fights out of Calexico, Calif. A resident of Cidra, Puerto Rico, Ortiz has won six fights in a row, including a ten-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Chris Avalos in his most recent start on November 30, 2019. Baez is undefeated over his last ten bouts and returns to the Ring City USA ring following an eight-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Narek Abgaryan on the December 17, 2020 card at the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles.

Also featured on the NBC Sports Network card is an eight-round battle in the super-bantamweight division when hard-hitting Carlos ‘Purin’ Caraballo (13-0-0, 13 KOs) of Ponce, P.R., hits the squared circle against Leonardo ‘Leon’ Baez (18-3-0, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico. The 25-year-old Caraballo has earned a well-deserved reputation for his show-stopping knockouts, eight of which have come in the first three rounds. He returns to action following a first-round knockout of perennial contender Mike Oliver in February 2020 in San Juan, P.R. Also 25-years-old, the upset-minded Baez looks to return to the win column after suffering a loss to Jason Moloney in June 2020 following a six-fight win streak.

Headlining the Twitch portion of the broadcast, Juan Carlos ‘El Indio’ Camacho (11-1, 6 KOs) of Juana Diaz, P.R., clashes with Marvin Solano (23-5, 8 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round bantamweight bout. The 24-year-old Camacho anxiously returns to battle following a 15-month layoff. His last fight against Lucas Fernandez Leone in October 2019 was cut short in the fourth round due to a cut suffered by Leone as a result of an accidental headbutt. Fighting out of the boxing hotbed of Managua, Nicaragua, Solano is victorious in two of his last three fights, including a 10-round unanimous decision over contender Dewayne Beamon in November 2019.

Competing in an eight-round junior middleweight bout, two San Juan natives will battle when Luis Midyael ‘Diamante Negro’ Sanchez (8-1, 6 KOs) faces Ryan Pino (8-5-2, 4 KOs). The 26-year-old Sanchez, victorious in his first eight professional bouts, looks to re-enter the win column following a hotly contested eight-round defeat against Patrick Cora. The Bronx, New York-bred Pino also looks to hit the win column after an eight-round decision loss to Kevin Johnson in February 2020.

Hitting the squared circle in a six-round flyweight bout, highly touted prospect Oscar Collazo (2-0, 2 KOs) of Villaiba, P.R. challenges veteran Francisco ‘El Remanche’ Bonilla (6-9-3, 3 KOs) of Chihuahua, Mexico. Following a heralded amateur career including a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games, the Newark, New Jersey born Collazo has quickly impressed in the professional ranks, most recently scoring a second-round knockout against Kevin Jusino in December 2020.

Fighting in an eight-round women’s flyweight bout, former three-time world champion Arely ‘Ametralladora’ Mucino-Reyes (28-3-2, 10 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico battles Lucia ‘Maravilla’ Hernandez-Nunez (7-10) of Mexico City, Mexico. Victorious in her last seven fights, Mucino-Reyes is coming off of a nearly two-year layoff as she starts the path toward regaining a world championship. In her last start Hernandez-Nunez won a hard-fought six round decision over Esmeralda Torres on November 16, 2019.

Opening up the action on the Twitch portion of the broadcast in a four-round lightweight bout,

19-year-old Angel Carranza-Jimenez (1-0, 1KO) of Hatillo, P.R. faces off against battle-tested veteran Eduardo Melendez (5-29, 1 KO) of Ponce, P.R.

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. 

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 22, 2021) – Thompson Boxing Promotions’ bantamweight contender, Saul “The Beast” Sanchez (16-1, 9 KOs), is looking to fight for a bantamweight world title by the end of the year. Sanchez, who is trained by Manny Robles, is currently on a four-fight win streak and ranked #3 in America on BoxRec.com for bantamweights.

This past Friday, March 19th, Sanchez defeated Frank “El Castigador” Gonzalez (8-2, 4 KOs), by way of a first-round knockout on a card promoted by All Star Boxing. Sanchez, who showed utter dominance in the bout, is now looking for the top names in the division.

“I am open to any and all world champions in the bantamweight division,” said Sanchez, who won the WBA Fedecentro Bantamweight Title on Friday. “Whether it is Naoya Inoue, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Reymart Gaballo, or any of the other world champions – I am ready! I have trained my whole life for this moment, and I am prepping to seize upon the opportunity.”

“Saul has come along way since he suffered his only defeat, which was a split decision loss,” stated promoter Ken Thompson, “Sanchez is on a nice winning streak and we will do out part to get him in position to fight a top name. His future is bright.”

“We believe Saul has made that turn in his career, where he is ready for the championship level,” said Alex Camponovo, Thompson Boxing’s general manager. “Right now, we are looking at the landscape of the bantamweight division with the goal of getting Sanchez in a big fight.”

“I know that I have made great strides to get to the highest levels of the sport, and I feel that after this past performance, I am putting myself in the best position for a world title,” continued the 23-year-old Southern California boxer. “I have a great promoter in Thompson Boxing, and I know my time is coming soon.”

ELITE FORMER AMATEUR and 2-0 professional Charles Frankham has signed with Frank Warren to fight under the Queensberry banner.

‘Boom Boom’ began life in the pro ranks in May 2018 with a points victory over Tzemal Xouseinoglou in Nottingham before returning to the ring the following month to score a first round stoppage over Ilgvars Krauklis at York Hall.

Prior to turning pro, the 21-year-old enjoyed a hugely decorated stint in the amateurs that yielded 11 National titles – including the junior ABAs and the Three Nations twice – along with a World Youth Championship bronze medal and gold at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

Frankham trains in Loughborough under the stewardship of Angel Fernandez.

“I needed a change and Frank is a great promoter,” said Frankham, grandson of former British light heavyweight champion Johnny Frankham. “He has got so much great talent at the moment – including another Frankham (Josh) as well – and at this point in time, and in the future, Frank is right for me.

“Queensberry and Frank is definitely the place to be for young fighters, one million per cent. Frank has been getting all his fighters out during this difficult period and, now I am part of the team, I am looking forward to getting back in the ring myself.

“I am still young and I have got a load of time to achieve my goals. I just want to be active and I have said all along that if I just get a couple of fights then I will fight anyone. I think I settled into the pro style pretty well and I believe I was always suited to it, although I know every young fighter says that when they turn over.”

A rare blot on Frankham’s amateur card came in the 2018 senior ABAs when he was defeated over three rounds by now promotional stablemate Mark Chamberlain. Frankham doesn’t rule out a revenge mission in the paid ranks.

“Definitely, that is not a problem and it will be a good fight down the line. A card with us Frankhams on would be a good one too.”

Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren added: “I am delighted to welcome Charles to the team. He was an exceptional amateur and he clearly has a bright future as a professional.

“He wants and needs to be kept busy and our track record over recent times during this pandemic has demonstrated our total commitment to the ongoing development of our young fighters and we will quickly get Charles’ career back on track and guide him towards a successful future.”

MIAMI (March 22, 2021) – Representatives of Evander Holyfield expressed frustration after Mike Tyson’s representatives refused to accept a $25,000,000 guarantee from Team Holyfield to participate in Tyson v Holyfield 3 at the Hard Rock Stadium to kick off Memorial Day weekend. The parties have been in intense negotiations for several months and Team Holyfield sincerely believed a deal was imminent, especially after the Hard Rock threw its support behind the project, and there were multiple other offers conveyed to Team Tyson. However, Team Tyson’s demands recently became untenable, and not what Mike Tyson had originally agreed on in direct conversations with Holyfield.

The event was to occur at the beautiful Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins NFL franchise, Super Bowl games, and many other world class sporting events and entertainment, and would have been the ideal setting for the trilogy finale of this great rivalry between two of the greatest legends in the history of boxing. While neither side has announced publicly that the fight is not going to happen, with negotiations at a standstill and the date rapidly approaching, it seems unlikely that this fight will occur as planned.

“We thought this was a done deal but it quickly fell apart when Tyson’s people declined all offers,” said Kris Lawrence, Evander Holyfield’s manager. “We were negotiating in good faith all along and it appears we just ended up wasting our time.”

BoxNation and Premier Sports have today announced live coverage of the rescheduled fight between Joe Smith Jr. (26-3, 21 KOs) and Maxim Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs) for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight Title in Tulsa, OK including top heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba in the co-feature. Vlasov had to pull out last month when he tested positive for Covid-19 but having recovered, the fight with Smith Jr is back on and scheduled for April 10^th.

Smith, the 31-year-old native hailing from Long Island, rose to prominence when he brutally knocked out the legendary Bernard Hopkins in 2016. In 2020, he began the year off with a split-decision victory over Jesse Hart and ended it with another vicious knockout victory over former world champion Eleider Alvarez. 

34-year-old Vlasov, meanwhile, is a veteran of the sport who previously established himself as a contender in the Cruiserweight division, where he challenged for an interim world title. Since moving down to Light Heavyweight, he’s gone 3-0, knocking out Omar Garcia before scoring back-to-back decision victories over Issac Chilemba and Emmanuel Martey.  

In the 10-round co-feature, unbeaten heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba will take on Brian “MVP” Howard. Ajagba (14-0, 11 KOs), a 2016 Nigerian Olympian, is one of world boxing’s most accomplished young heavyweights. At 26 years old, he’s already knocked out the likes of longtime contender Amir Mansour and former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu. He made his Top Rank debut last September and outlasted veteran Jonathan Rice via decision over 10 rounds. Howard (15-4, 12 KOs) is an 11-year pro who has split a pair of bouts since moving up to heavyweight. In August 2019, he knocked out 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian Carlos Negron in the first round.

New customers signing up to watch this event can do so easily via the Premier Sports website. More upcoming fights for April and May are expected to be announced shortly.

ENDS

ABOUT PREMIER SPORTS

Premier Sports was founded in 2009 is available on Sky, Virgin TV and the Premier Player. In the Premier Sports bundle on Sky, Virgin TV and Premier Player, customers can enjoy Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports 2, BoxNation and LaLigaTV.

Premier Sports 1 is on Sky channel 412 and Virgin channel 551. Premier Sports 2 is on Sky channel 435 and Virgin Channel 552. FreeSports is available free on Sky Channel 422, Virgin Media Channel 553, on Channel 64 on Freeview and BT and on Freesat Channel 252.

The channels are also available to pubs, clubs and other commercial premises throughout the UK.

Premier Sports also broadcast LaLiga, Serie A, Scottish Cup football, 152 games from the Guinness PRO14, 15 games a week from the NHL, GAA and the home of NASCAR in the UK.

ABOUT BOXNATION

BoxNation began broadcasting in 2011 and has featured some of the best fights from home and abroad in the 9 years it has been on air. BoxNation is currently available on Sky channel 427, Virgin TV channel 546, BT TV and Talk Talk channel 415.

Premier Sports: www.premiersports.com                                            FreeSports: www.freesports.tv

Los Angeles, CA (March 22, 2021) – This past Saturday, heralded featherweight prospect Jalen Walker remained perfect by stopping veteran Julian Aristule in round three of a scheduled six-round bout at the Airport Hilton in Miami.

Waker came out very composed as he calmly landed solid combinations to the head and body of Aristule.

In round two, Walker began to pick up the pace and then placed a nice left to the body that put Aristule down to a knee. With Walker in control, he came out in round three and landed another perfect right to the body that sent Aristule down for a second time, and the bout was halted.

With the win, Walker continues to ascend, and the native of Los Angeles raises his perfect mark to 8-0 with seven knockouts. Aristule of Argentina, falls to 34-15.

“I’m happy with my performance. When I was in there, I had seen how I improved since my last fight, especially with the combination punching and the body shots I was landing in there,” said Walker.

“After the first knockdown, I knew that it was a matter of time it was going to be over with. I just want to get back in there and I want to fight again soon very soon.”

“It’s always good to see and gauge progress with a young fighter like Jalen, and we’re very happy with what we saw. We thank Aristule and his team for taking the match,” said Clemente Kwan of Waterfront Management.

Co-manager Rene Symonds stated, “This was a very composed performance against a 48-fight veteran. He put money In the bank by going to the body, and eventually knocking him out with a stabbing punch to the mid section. Jalen showed ring IQ, and real power on Saturday!”

Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker will collide in a huge Heavyweight clash on a blockbuster night of action that sees Irish star Katie Taylor defend her Undisputed Lightweight crown against former amateur rival Natasha Jonas and undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol put his Title on the line against Craig Richards, as well as the return of Chris Eubank Jr, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all markets excluding the UK, Ireland, China, New Zealand and Samoa.

Former World Title challenger Chisora (32-10, 23 KOs) was last seen pushing Ukraine’s pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk all of the way in their 12-round battle for the WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title at The SSE Arena, Wembley last October, and the fan favourite is chomping at the bit for his next challenge.

A meeting between the pair scheduled for October 2019 fell through at three-and-a-half weeks’ notice when Parker’s team revealed he was suffering from the aftereffects of a spider bite. Chisora, who was unconvinced with Team Parker’s reasons for pulling out in 2019, has labelled Parker a ‘chicken’ in recent weeks and says he has unfinished business with the Heavyweight contender. 

Former WBO World Champion Parker (28-2, 21 KOs) is fresh off a hard-fought 12-round decision over long-time amateur nemesis Junior Fa at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand last month that settled an 11-year old rivalry with his compatriot, a win that he hopes will kickstart his route back to the top of the Heavyweight division. 

Ranked at No.3 with the WBO, New Zealand’s Parker is well known on these shores having defended his WBO Title against Hughie Fury at Manchester Arena in September 2017, before taking unified ruler Anthony Joshua the distance at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in March 2018. His last appearance in the UK came against Dillian Whyte in a dramatic points loss in July 2018.

“We’ve been here before, in 2019 I flew to Vegas to film the ‘Face To Face’ with Parker, I called Haye as soon as I left and told him, ‘This guy isn’t going to get in the ring with me’, I could see the fear in his eyes,” said Chisora. “Now, second time around I hope he fights, I’m looking forward to the fight, I cannot wait to get back in the ring! I love fighting, it is what I love the most. Good luck to Joseph Parker and his new team, we shall see you for WAR on May 1^st!”

“I’m excited to start this new chapter in my career with a new coach and some fresh ideas,” said Parker. “I’ve settled in and Andy and I are bonding well. Chisora and I have unfinished business and inside the ring one of us will get the job done. I am well aware that a win on British soil and on world-wide television will put me in pole position whereas a loss will be catastrophic.  I am more than up for the challenge. Bring it on Del Boy.”

Taylor (17-0, 6 KOs) defeated Jonas (9-1-1, 7 KOs) in the quarter-final stages of the London 2012 Olympic Games on route to capturing Ireland’s first gold medal of the summer. The pair will meet again nearly ten years down the line with Taylor’s WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles on the line. 

Since their first meeting in the amateurs, Taylor has gone on to cement herself as the best female fighter on the planet by winning World Titles in the Lightweight and Super-Lightweight divisions and remaining undefeated in all 17 of her professional contests. ‘KT’ was last seen outclassing her WBA Mandatory Challenger Miriam Gutierrez with a masterful display in November. 

‘Miss GB’ came agonisingly close to winning her first World Title at the age of 36 last summer when she battled to a thrilling draw with WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight Champion Terri Harper at Matchroom Fight Camp. It was the first time that two British women had competed against each other for a Word Title, and the all-action fight more than lived up to the occasion. 

“Natasha proved in her last fight that she is still performing at the highest level so it’s a great challenge for me and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Taylor. “It’s a fight that people have been asking for and those are the type of fights you want to be part of.

“People still talk about our fight in the 2012 Olympics and I think that proved to be a real eye opener for people in terms of what women’s boxing is all about. I’m expecting another tough fight on May 1^st and I’m looking forward to successfully defending my Titles.”

“I’m really excited about getting the fight, I made a lot of noise about not wanting to go down in level or class after establishing myself on the world stage in my last fight,” said Jonas. “I know Katie is a different type of animal to Terri Harper, but I believe every time I’m asked to step up, I do. I said I wanted to be a champion and anybody at 130 to 140 was in my sights, I know I’m a world class boxer and I can win a World Title. 

“From the minute Eddie signed me this fight has been on the cards. Me and Katie had a great story from the Olympics, and we have both been pioneers in our own way. I’m glad that it’s happening and it’s a great fight for women’s boxing and for British and Irish boxing.”

Russia’s Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs) is regarded as one of the best technical boxers in the sport, mixing his dazzling skills with KO power. The 30-year-old was elevated to full WBA 175lbs World Champion from interim champion ahead of his 12th pro fight with Trent Broadhurst in Monte Carlo in November 2017 and celebrated with a devasting one-punch KO in the first round.  Bivol has subsequently defended his crown five times, but has been away from the ring since October 2019 when he widely outpointed Lenin Castillo at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Richards (16-1-1, 9 KOs) delivered a Fight of the Year contender last time out in December against fierce rival Shakan Pitters as he stopped the Birmingham man in nine rounds to earn the British Light-Heavyweight crown. ‘Spider’ is ranked at No.8 in the WBA world rankings and has earned his shot by remaining undefeated since sole career loss against former World Title challenger Frank Buglioni in October 2017.

“I have been out of the ring for a year and a half and I have sorely missed boxing,” said Bivol. “I can’t wait to step through the ropes for my next fight on May 1^st. I have always wanted to fight in the UK and I’m happy to tick that box. Craig Richards is a fast and technical boxer and I’m expecting a great fight as I make another defence of my World Title.”

“I feel good and I feel very confident,” said Richards. “I know that he’s renowned as one of the best fighters out there, but I just believe that I’ve got the tools to beat him and I’m very confident in my abilities. I know I’ve got power as well, and I’ve got a very good chin. We’ve been planning for everything and anything.

“We know he’s been operating at world level for a long time and can bring different things to the table. I raise the level of my performance against my better opponents. The bigger the fight the better I perform. A fight like Bivol will allow me to go through my gears to show what I’m really about.”

Having previously campaigned at Super-Middleweight, Eubank Jr (29-2, 22 KOs) returned to the Middleweight division to claim the WBA Interim Middleweight World Title for the second time with a TKO win over former World Title challenger in December 2019, while making his US debut at the Barclays Centre in New York. In what will be his first fight back in the UK in over two years, the Brighton man faces Manchester’s Marcus Morrison (23-3, 16 KOs), who is enjoying a seven-fight winning streak that stretches back to June 2018.

“This is a good fight for me,” said Eubank Jr.  “Since signing with Sauerland my camp has been firing on all cylinders, I’ve been training with Roy in Miami and focussing on improving my game. I have the absolute best people around me, I have everything I need to push on to that next level and dominate the Middleweight scene.

“People have a lot to say about me and my career. There’s talks about why fights haven’t happened previously, but all I’ve been doing is focussing on number one, training hard and making sure I’m always ready. I’m now in the best place I can be and I’m ready to take what is mine.”

“I’m well aware that this is a massive opportunity and fight for me and my career,” said Morrison. “I got into boxing at the age of 7, and these are the type of fights I’ve always wanted to be involved in. Chris is a very good fighter, and I know what he brings to the table. I honestly believe the best version of me is still to be seen, and I look forward to showing it on the night. I can’t afford to not leave everything in there on May 1.”

“This is one of the strongest shows we’ve promoted and there is still even more to come,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Chisora vs. Parker is a brilliant style match up that has been brewing for years and Taylor vs. Jonas is one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing. The Eubanks are always box office and it’s a massive chance for Marcus Morrison after his brilliant win in Italy. Craig Richards goes for World Title glory against the brilliant Russian Dmitry Bivol and there are further announcements to follow. Buckle up and enjoy this one!”

“WAR Chisora realises this is a massive opportunity to gate-crash the Heavyweight division,” said David Haye of Hayemaker Promotions. “He has come close, in his last battle against unified Cruiserweight World Champion and No.1 ranked Heavyweight Usyk, two of the judges’ score cards had it 7 rounds to 5 –  winning just one more round would have captured a draw and Derek would have retained his WBO International Title that night. Since, he has been working, living the life of a professional. Derek doesn’t simply want to beat Joseph Parker, he wants to make a statement to the world. This is his time.”

“There’s definitely unfinished business between Parker and Chisora,” said David Higgins, Founder and Director of DUCO Events. “I think the fight will be a real fan pleaser. It could be the Heavyweight Fight of the Year. You’ve got Chisora who likes to stand and trade and come forward, and then you’ve got Parker who has the speed and the pedigree. This fight has got a bit of history and it has been building for a while. It’s fantastic that it’s finally happening. This is a proper 50-50 matchup where the winner could go on to a World Title shot and the loser will go to the scrapheap. Credit to both Parker and Chisora for putting it all on the line.”

Tickets for the huge Heavyweight rematch between Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte taking place at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar on Saturday March 27 are on sale TOMORROW (Saturday March 20) at 10am GMT and 11am CET via www.buyticket.gi – Gibraltar’s first online tickets sales platform.
 
‘The Body Snatcher’ (27-2, 18 KOs) has a chance to exact revenge over Russia’s Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs) following his shock defeat to the former World Champion in the final weekend of Matchroom Fight Camp last August. 
 
Tickets for the much-heralded Interim WBC Heavyweight World Title clash are priced as follows:
 
VIP: £150 including Hospitality + £35 for a government-mandated Antigen test (provided locally by MMS) + a [£10] Booking Fee
 
VVIP: £350 including Enhanced Hospitality + £35 for a government-mandated Antigen test (provided locally by MMS) + a [£15] Booking Fee 
 
Doors for the event open at 5.45pm local time and bouts for fans will begin at 6pm. The Hospitality area will remain open from 6pm until 11pm. All interested ticket purchasers will be advised of all of the applicable conditions for attendance including the requirement to undertake a rapid test on Sat 27^th March.
 
 Ticket Purchase Requirements

• STRICTLY only those who are GIBRALTAR HEALTH AUTHORITY registered may attend this event 
• Negative lateral flow test on the day of the event
• Photo ID and Vaccination card or proof of contracting Covid 19 within the last 180 days by way of certificate from the GHA (please note this certificate can take up to 24hrs week days to receive). 
• Further requirements to attend this event are available on www.buyticket.gi

Povetkin vs. Whyte 2 tops a huge night of action in Gibraltar, Bermondsey’s Ted Cheeseman (16-2-1, 9 KOs) meets Liverpool’s James Metcalf (21-0, 13 KOs) for the vacant British Super-Welterweight Title, Ipswich Heavyweight talent Fabio Wardley (10-0, 9 KOs) steps-up again against USA’s former World Title challenger Eric Molina (27-6, 19 KOs), Manchester Super-Featherweight Campbell Hatton – son of British fight legend Ricky Hatton – makes his professional debut and undefeated Welterweights Chris Kongo (12-0, 7 KOs) and Michael McKinson (19-0, 2 KOs) will collide for the WBO Global Title.

18:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

8 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
BRADLEY REA 11st 5lbs 0oz v LEE CUTLER 11st 4lbs 5oz
(Stretford, England)                    (Bournemouth, England)

followed by

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS & DAZN

6 x 2 mins Featherweight contest
RAMLA ALI 9st 0lbs 6oz v BEC CONNOLLY 9st 0lbs 5oz
(Bethnal Green, England via Somalia)     (Swindon, England)

followed by

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA Continental Cruiserweight Title
CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH 14st 3lbs 0oz v VASIL DUCAR 14st 2lbs 8oz
(Bournemouth, England)                       (Brno, Czech Republic)

followed by

6 x 2 mins International Featherweight contest
ELLIE SCOTNEY 8st 10lbs 13oz v MAILYS GANGLOFF 8st 6lbs 13oz
(Catford, England)                          (Aix-les-Bains, France)

followed by

10 x 3 mins WBA Intercontinental Super-Welterweight Title 
ANTHONY FOWLER 10st 13lbs 13oz v JORGE FORTEA 10st 12lbs 7oz
(Liverpool, England)                               (Sueca, Spain)

followed by

10 x 3 mins International Super-Featherweight contest
JOE CORDINA 9st 6lbs 6oz v FAROUKH KOURBANOV 9st 4lbs 8oz
(Cardiff, Wales)                         (Liege, Belgium)

followed by

12 x 3 mins vacant WBO Cruiserweight World Title
LAWRENCE OKOLIE 14st 3lbs 6oz v KRZYSTOF GLOWACKI 13st 13lbs 13oz
(Hackney, England)                             (Walcz, Poland)

Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders will clash in front of over 60,000 fans in a World Super-Middleweight title unification blockbuster at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday May 8, live worldwide on DAZN. Pre-sales for the blockbuster fight will start on Tuesday March 23 with general sale beginning on Friday March 26 at SeatGeek.com. 
 
Mexican superstar Canelo puts his WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine titles on the line at the Home of the Dallas Cowboys on Cinco de Mayo weekend, as British favorite Saunders brings his WBO strap across the pond and looks to extend his unbeaten pro record against the pound-for-pound king in front of the biggest sporting crowd for over a year in the US.
 
“We are proud to host a boxing match of this magnitude as we welcome back Canelo Alvarez to AT&T Stadium to take on Billy Joe Saunders,” said Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones. “AT&T Stadium was built to house the greatest sporting events on the planet, and we feel we have another incredible boxing event on the horizon with this matchup taking place in Arlington on May 8th.”
 
Saunders is the fourth Briton to face the Mexican star and the second to do so at AT&T Stadium, after Canelo defeated Liam Smith there in September 2016. May 8 will also be the fifth stadium show for Canelo in the Lone Star state having fought twice at the Alamodome in San Antonio and at Minute Maid Park, Home of the Houston Astros.
 
“It’s an absolute honor to bring this huge event to the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on May 8,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “Last year Canelo missed out on his historic Cinco De Mayo fight, and to bring over 60,000 fans together at this iconic stadium this year is a dream come true.
 
“This fight is the biggest of 2021 so far with Canelo looking to unify the division once more against undefeated two-weight World champion Billy Joe Saunders. We want to thank Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium for their efforts to bring this global event to their stunning facility and we look forward to giving the fans a momentous occasion and a Cinco de Mayo celebration they will never forget.”
 
“For 2021’s biggest boxing event to date, it’s hard to imagine a better place than AT&T Stadium,” said DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski. “We look forward to delivering a world-class event from this world-class venue to DAZN subscribers across the globe.”
 
Tickets go on pre-sale on Tuesday March 23 from 10am CT, with tickets starting from just $40 (plus fees. Pre-sale ends at 10pm CT on Thursday March 25, and tickets then go on general sale at 10am CT on Friday March 26 at SeatGeek.com
 
 
About AT&T Stadium:
AT&T Stadium is one of the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venues in the world.  Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world.  Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year-round.  The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 50 pieces from an international array of curated artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue.  In addition to being the Home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches, and other special events.  For more information, go to www.attstadium.com.

(ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)

    •    Artur Beterbiev 174.6 lbs vs. Adam Deines 174.3 lbs 
(Beterbiev’s WBC/IBF Light Heavyweight World Titles — 12 Rounds)

•      Azizbek Abdugofurov 167.9 lbs vs. Pavel Silyagin 167.9 lbs 
(Abdugofurov’s WBC Silver Super Middleweight Title — 12 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)

•   Khariton Agrba 140.1 lbs vs. Helber Rojas 138.2 lbs 
(Jr. Welterweight — 10 Rounds)

•     Alexander Besputin 150.6 lbs vs. Viktor Plotnikov TBA
(Jr. Middleweight  — 10 Rounds)
* Plotnikov’s official weight will be available later 

FORMIDABLE KAZAKH HEAVYWEIGHT Zhan Kossobutskiy has signed a co-promotional agreement with Queensberry as he seeks to close in on a shot at a world heavyweight title.

The 15-0 (14 KO’s) knockout-artist has stopped all but one of his opponents since turning professional in September 2017 and is considered as a heavyweight version of Gennady Golovkin in his homeland.

In August of last year the 32-year-old became only the third fighter to inflict a stoppage on the Brit-based Pole Kamil Sokolowski and his recent record features opponents heavily weighted in the winning column, such as the previously 15-0 Croatian Agron Smakici – who was dispatched inside one round – and the then 17-3 Ghanaian Abraham Tabul, who lasted until the halfway point of the second.

Kossobutskiy recently beat Nigerian Abraham Tabul, who held a record of 18-1, for the vacant WBA International heavyweight title.

“The collaboration between Universum Box-Promotions and Queensberry comes at exactly the right time in my career,” said the southpaw Kossobutskiy.  “I want to compete for the World boxing championship this year and I’m looking forward to the big fights that are coming now.”

Francis Warren added: “I can’t wait to show people first hand what Zhan is capable of. I think UK boxing fans will really take to him. 

“I rate him massively and he is knocking people out for fun!”

Los Angeles, CA (March 19, 2021) -This Saturday night, one of the top prospects in boxing will be back in action at the Miami Airport Hilton in Miami, Florida as undefeated featherweight Jalen Walker takes on grizzled veteran Julian Aristule in a bout scheduled for six-rounds.

Walker of Los Angeles is 7-0 with six knockouts and is looking to add his most experienced foe to his resume.

After a successful amateur career that saw him amass a record of 108-13, and was a three-time National PAL champion; Two-Time Silver Medal winner in the Junior Olympics; Time-Time Silver Medal winner in the Adidas Nationals among his endless accolades. Walker turned professional at the age of 17.

Walker won his first six bouts in Tijuana, Mexico before winning his American debut, which was a unanimous decision over Diuhl Olguin.

“I am ready to put on a show. I have put in a lot of hard work for this fight. I have seen a little bit of Aristule. I do not look at too much of my opponents, I let my team do that, but what I have seen is that he is on his way out,” said Walker.

Aristule of Argentina has had a successful career by amassing a record of 34-14 with 17 knockouts, and is a former WBO Latino Super Bantamweight champion. He defeated two undefeated fighters, and has wins over several more quality opponents.

The ambitious Walker kept in good shape during the Coronavirus lockdown, and was ready for action when he took on Olguin last December 20th.

“I never stopped training. I stayed in shape, and continued to run and spar,” continued Walker.

Walker, who started boxing at age seven as he followed in the footsteps of his father Norman and grandfather, who were both amateur boxers.

Walker is one of the most followed boxers on social media as he boasts over 137,000 followers on Instagram knows that platforms like that are very important in today’s world of sports and entertainment.

“I think the key to that is consistency. When I first started getting 1,000 views or so, I thought it was a big deal. I had about 6,000 followers before my pro debut, and it has continued to grow. When I start to fight on bigger cards, I can see that even skyrocketing. There are many world champions that don’t get nearly the views that I get. I am just waiting patiently, and when everything happens, things will click perfectly, It is going to be big.”

Walker has gained valuable experience sparring with several world champions such as Danny Roman, Angel Acosta, Joseph Diaz Jr. and Murodjon Akhmadaliev .

Jalen is on the cusp of signing with a major promoter, and he knows that he brings a lot to the table both in and out of the ring.

“I bring what I can do as a fighter, but also with social media, that even helps promote their events when I am fighting. I am the total package

Walker is managed by Waterfront Boxing, which is headed up by the duo of Rene Symonds and Clement Kwan.

The pair see a huge future for Walker.

“Our job as managers to a top talent like Jalen is to build a foundation for him to showcase his talents, flourish as a brand and to develop as a young man,” said Kwan.

Symonds added, “Jalen is an incredibly exciting fighter who eats, sleeps and breathes boxing. We’re incredibly proud of how active he has been during the pandemic – with five outings last year. This bout against a 48-fight veteran is another step towards fulfilling his destiny”

Las Vegas – UFC^® continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with a highly anticipated main event that features a rematch between UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and No. 1 ranked contender Francis Ngannou. In the co-main event, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski takes on one of his most dangerous opponents yet in No. 2 ranked Brian Ortega.

UFC 260: MIOCIC vs. NGANNOU 2 will take place Saturday, March 27 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Early prelims will stream on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT along with UFC Fight Pass. The prelims will continue on ESPN+ and simulcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card will kick off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Miocic (20-3, fighting out of Independence, Ohio) is widely recognized as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history. The record holder for most title defenses and most post-fight bonuses in the division, he cemented himself as an all-time great by defeating former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier twice during their historic trilogy. Miocic also holds the record for most heavyweight strikes landed in the Octagon with an impressive 1,525, a number he accumulated with victories over former champions Junior Dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski. He now looks to improve upon his 2018 win over Ngannou by becoming the first man to finish him.

Devastating finisher Ngannou (15-3, fighting out of Paris, France by way of Batie, Cameroon) intends to make the most of his second shot at UFC gold by landing another signature knockout. Among the most feared athletes to ever compete in the UFC, Ngannou boasts an imposing 100 percent finishing rate, which includes first round stoppages over former champions Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski. He now seeks to continue his current momentum by vanquishing Miocic and becoming just the third African-born champion in UFC history.

Undisputed UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski (22-1, fighting out of Windang, New South Wales, Australia) looks to continue building his legacy following two victories over former titleholder Max Holloway. Unbeaten in almost eight years, including nine straight wins in the UFC, he proved himself as one of the best with dominant performances over Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes and Darren Elkins. Volkanovski now plans to make an example out of top contender Ortega and remind the world why he is ranked as one of the top five male pound-for-pound fighters.

Ortega (15-1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) believes he is more prepared than ever to make good on his second UFC title opportunity. Two years removed from his first title challenge, Ortega most recently defeated highly respected Chan Sung Jung in convincing fashion over five rounds. This was his first decision win in the UFC, having finished all of his previous victories by stoppage including Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson and Renato Moicano. Ortega now aims to become the first person to defeat Volkanovski in the UFC and begin his reign as champion.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Former UFC welterweight champion and No. 7 ranked contender Tyron Woodley (19-6-1, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) intends to prove that he can still compete with the best in the world when he takes on dangerous No. 10 ranked Vicente Luque (20-7-1, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil)
• Bantamweight standout Sean O’Malley (12-1, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) looks to secure another highlight victory when he battles Thomas Almeida (22-4, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• In a lightweight bout guaranteed to deliver action, Jamie Mullarkey (12-4, fighting out of Holgate, New South Wales, Australia) faces Khama Worthy (16-7, fighting out of Pittsburgh, Penn.)
• William Knight (9-1, fighting out of Vernon, Conn.) locks horns with Alonzo Menifield (9-2, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) in a clash of Dana White’s Contender Series veterans at light heavyweight
• UFC women’s strawweight Jessica Penne (12-6, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) returns to the Octagon for the first time in four years when she meets Hannah Goldy (5-1, fighting out of Orlando, Fla.)
• Welterweights Jared Gooden (17-5, fighting out of Duluth, Ga.) and Abubakar Nurmagomedov (15-3, fighting out of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia) vie for their first UFC victories
• Modestas Bukauskas (11-3, fighting out of Sarratt, England) and Michal Oleksiejczuk (14-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Leczna, Poland) face off in an intriguing light heavyweight bout
• No. 15 ranked UFC women’s flyweight Gillian Robertson (9-5, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada) intends to defend her spot in the rankings against Miranda Maverick (10-2, fighting out of Suffulk, Va.)
• Shane Young (13-5, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand) matches up with Omar Morales (10-1, fighting out of Miami, Fla. by way of Caracas, Venezuela) in an all-action featherweight bout
• Marc-Andre Barriault (11-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada) seeks to secure his first official UFC victory when he battles Abu Azaitar (14-1-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Cologne, Germany)

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

###

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 12.5 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

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. 

NEW YORK, NY (March 18, 2021) – Toronto’s Amanda Galle has conquered the national stage in Canada. Now she’s ready to conquer the world. Galle, one of the top female super bantamweight prospects in boxing, has signed a co-promotional agreement with DiBella Entertainment and Lee Baxter Promotions.

The three-time Canadian National champion is now 4-0 as a professional and holds the Canadian women’s super bantamweight title, coming off of a dominant victory against Shelly Barnett in January of 2020. Like many fighters, her career has been slowed by the global pandemic, but an affiliation with DiBella Entertainment, perhaps the most committed promoter of women’s boxing in the United States, will correct that course. Galle’s amateur accomplishments also include four Ringside National titles. As a professional, she’s looking to meet up with some of her elite amateur contemporaries in pursuit of a world title down the road.

That road might not be particularly long for Galle, who showed in her shutout of Barnett that she is ready to be on the fast track. Barnett most recently went the distance with Olympic medalist Marlen Esparza.

“I am super excited to be working with the most renowned promoter of female boxing, Mr. Lou DiBella, with DiBella Entertainment out of New York, in a co-promotion with Lee Baxter from my backyard in Toronto,” said Galle. “The timing is in accordance with the huge leap forward that I’ve seen in women’s boxing, with the recent pay-per-view event featuring several prominent female fighters and all-women’s cards on the horizon. I have the best of both worlds, the ability to stay active locally with Baxter and DiBella matching me against international competition to move up the world rankings, as he has done with so many of his fighters.”

“Amanda is a very skilled fighter with the potential to become a world champion,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Under Lee Baxter’s guidance, she will be developed at home in Toronto and, with DiBella Entertainment, Amanda will expand her fan base and stature in the US and abroad, as she moves up the ladder facing top opposition.”

“We think that Amanda has all the tools to become the next breakout boxing star in Canada, regardless of gender,” said promoter Lee Baxter. “It’s obvious that she’s ready to be fast-tracked toward a world title, and she carries herself like a superstar. She’s a phenomenal fighter, but she’s also a big personality and an entertainer. She belongs on the big stage and, along with Lou DiBella, we’ll be able to give her the platform to truly shine.”

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (March 18, 2021): Vergil Ortiz Jr. (16-0, 16 KOs) and Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (27-1-3, 19 KOs) hosted a final press conference today ahead of their 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title. The action will take place this Saturday, March 20 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, including the U.S. and Mexico.

Below is what today’s main event participants had to say at the press conference:

VERGIL ORTIZ JR, WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER:
“I’m very thankful to be fighting back at home again, especially after fighting in a bubble last year. It was a really cool experience. I found that I really love the fans. I enjoy the fans. So, what better place to come back and fight than in the Dallas Fort Worth area?”

“This fight is really special to me. I asked for this fight at 140 pounds. He was a good fighter then, and he is a good fighter now. I want to fight the best. The only way to be the best is to fight the best. I feel very confident. I have the confidence of my promoter and team behind me. I had a great camp, and I am ready to go.”

“We will find out on Saturday if my power and size will be too much for him. I have never been in the ring with him before, so I don’t know how he will take it. But it’s not just power with me. It’s not just my physical attributes. My best attribute is my thinking ability, and I’m going to do a lot of that on Saturday.”

“This is going to be one of the first fights in Dallas between two world class natives of the area. We are going to put a really great show. I’m really excited about it. We’ve trained really hard, and I hope you all enjoy the show.”

MAURICE HOOKER, FORMER WBO JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION:
“This fight will mean everything to me. I’m happy to be back at home where fans at home can see me. And it’s great to give to the fans something special after all they have been going through.”

“I have been watching Vergil Ortiz for a while now. I have been supporting him since he started because he is from Dallas. His 16-0 with 16 knockouts don’t mean nothing to me until we get in the ring. I mean, it’s cute, but we will see in the ring.”

“I’m excited. My team is excited. I’ve worked hard. The fact that I’ve been called the underdog has pushed me more. I’ve prepared well for this fight. I’m going to go in the ring, do my business, and have fun with it.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY:
“Everyone is saying that he is the next big thing in the welterweight division. And he is. But first he has to get past Maurice Hooker, and that is no easy test. This is a real fight and a tough test for him. If he beats him, then he is going straight to the top of the division, where are lots of big fights to make. I can’t say who I want him to see next because this Saturday’s fight is a big test.”

“Hooker’s style, abilities and experience make him dangerous. He’s going to show Vergil different angles. It’s a different style than what Vergil has faced in the past. But Vergil has a great corner. He is a great fighter and has great team. They’ve studied Maurice. So that’s why I feel this will be an amazing fight.”

Ortiz Jr. vs Hooker is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Championship presented by Golden Boy. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 20 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, including the U.S. and Mexico.

Tickets for Ortiz Jr. vs. Hooker are on sale and are priced at $200, $100, $60 and $40, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.dickiesarena.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

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 #OrtizHooker

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

MOSCOW (March 18, 2021) — After nearly 18 months, WBC/IBF light heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs) will make his first title defense as a unified world champion Saturday against Adam Deines (19-1-1, 10 KOs) from Megasport Arena in Moscow. Beterbiev, boxing’s only world champion with a 100 percent knockout rate, returns to his home country for the first time as a professional. 

Deines, who resides in Germany, has won a pair of bouts since the lone loss of his career.

Programming Note: Undefeated welterweight contender Alexander Besputin (13-0, 9 KOs), who was originally scheduled to fight Maximiliano Ricardo “El Picante” Veron, will now take on Viktor Plotnikov (33-10, 15 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Besputin-Plotnikov will open the ESPN+exclusive portion of the broadcast (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT). The 12-round super middleweight battle of unbeatens – Azizbek Abdugofurov vs. Pavel Silyagin — is the new co-feature and will air immediately preceding Beterbiev vs. Deines on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.
Here are some of Beterbiev’s thoughts before his showdown against Deines.

Artur Beterbiev

“It’s been a difficult year for everyone. Now, I’m feeling good. I had a very good preparation, very good camp in Russia. We’re ready for a fight.”

“I’m very happy to have a fight in my home country. We studied Adam. We watched some videos. We have a couple of strategies.”

“You never hear predictions from me. I’m a simple boxer. I’m not like Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali can say, I’ll knock him out in eight rounds, or 10 rounds, but I’m not like this. I’m focused on doing my best.”

SATURDAY, March 20, 2021

ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT

Artur Beterbiev vs. Adam Deines, 12 rounds, Beterbiev’s WBC/IBF Light Heavyweight World Titles

Azizbek Abdugofurov vs. Pavel Silyagin, 12 rounds, Abdugofurov’s WBC Silver Super Middleweight Title

ESPN+, 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

Khariton Agrba vs. Helber Rojas, 10 rounds, junior welterweight

Alexander Besputin vs. Viktor Plotnikov, 10 rounds, welterweight

BOSTON (MARCH 18, 2021) — Miami super lightweight Ernesto “Erny” Matos is the latest boxer to sign a managerial contract with Ryan Roach’s Fighter Locker.

A standout amateur who captured top honors at the 2014 and 2019 USA National Championships, Matos will soon make his professional debut.

“I signed with Ryan Roach because, ever since I met him, he has been very attentive towards me, always checking up on me, and I realized how well he treats his fighters. Ryan definitely has the right head on his shoulders, and I believe he can definitely help me make some noise in the sport.”

The 25-year-old Matos, who trains at the famed 5th Street Gym in Miami, started boxing at the age of 12. He was introduced to boxing by his father, who trained his son everyday at a park in Miami Beach. “Shortly after, I told him I wanted to fight, and he was shocked,” Matos remembered. “We haven’t stopped since.”

“Erny is a great addition to the team because he was one of the top amateurs in the United States,” Fighter Locker president Ryan Roach remarked. “He will transition smoothly to the professional ranks. He has a ton of talent and is a very smart fighter. I can’t wait to get him going.”

A self-claimed strategic, counter-puncher, Matos also says he has no problem whatsoever getting into a brawl, and like most young boxers his long-range goal is to fight for a world title, although he’s also a student of boxing.

“I definitely want to fight as much as possible to get the ‘professional fighting feel” and slowly gain experience and get my name known,” Matos added. “Of course, the main goal is to fight for a world championship, and I know that with hard training and dedication it will come.

“I’ve always been a (Floyd) Mayweather (Jr.) fan, but I’m also a huge fan of (Vasyl) Lomachenko and (Gennady) Golovkin. I believe a mixture of those three will make the unstoppable boxer.”

Fighter Locker’s growing stable of gifted boxers includes California super flyweight Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (21-1, 6 KOs), Troy, NY ABF American West super lightweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (12-0, 9 KOs), Toronto, Canada welterweight West Haven, CT super welterweight Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (16-5-2, 5 KOs), super middleweight “The Amazing” Shawn McCalman (7-0, 4 KOs), U.S. Army super bantamweight Daniel Bailey, Jr. (2-0, 1 KO), lightweight Leonel de los Santos (2-0, 2 KOs),, a 2-time Dominican Republic Olympian, pro-debuting Boston featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah super lightweight Ignacio (7-0-1, 4 KOs) and junior lightweight Gabriel Chairez (3-0, 2 KOs), and pro-debuting Dominican Republic welterweight Juan Solano.

INFORMATION:
WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com
FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker
TWITTER: @RoachRyan
INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER: Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.

Fighter Locker uses four creative steps because it believes in “the foundation is everything”: 1. wisely conceived, 2. creatively restrained, 3. Proudly judged, 4. sharply targeted.

Savannah Marshall will make the first defence of her WBO Middleweight World Title against former World Champion Femke Hermans on Saturday April 10, 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 Title 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.

Hermans (11-3, 4 KOs), another former opponent of Shields, took the American star the distance in a challenge for her WBC, WBA and IBF Middleweight crowns in December 2018, before falling short in a challenge for the IBF Super-Middleweight Title against Elin Cederroos four months later. 

She won the vacant WBO Super-Middleweight World Title by outpointing Nikki Adler on away territory in Germany back in May 2018, and will be hoping to cause another upset when she locks horns with Hartlepool’s Marshall. 

The 31-year-old from Londerzeel in Belgium picked up the vacant EBU European Middleweight Title with a unanimous decision against Russia’s Luiza Davydoza in December and her latest World Title challenge will be the first time that she has fought in the UK.

“I’m really happy and I can’t wait for fight night in three weeks’ time,” said Marshall. “I’m very aware of Femke Hermans, a very good fighter. She’s been in with the best, she’s a former WBO World Champion, so I’m sure she’s going to try and get her belt back.

“I know she’s no pushover and I’m looking forward to getting in there. For me, this is probably my toughest test to date. The reigning European Champion. She lost out on a close decision to the World Super-Middleweight Champion, so I know it’s going to be a tough fight. 

“I never go into a fight thinking I’m going to stop someone but I know if I land, whoever I land on, I will hurt them. I’m just looking forward to putting on a good display and showcasing my skills.”

Marshall vs. Hermans is part of a big night of action on April 10, 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) returns after his masterclass win over Angel Aviles and Takeley Super-Middleweight John ‘The Gentleman’ Hedges (1-0) looks to build on his pro debut win last October, with more fights to be added soon.

Krzysztof Glowacki says there are weaknesses in Lawrence Okolie’s game and has promised to take ‘his’ WBO Cruiserweight World Title back home with him to Poland after he beats the Hackney contender at The SSE Arena, Wembley this Saturday, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

Glowacki (31-2, 19 KOs) climbed off the canvas to score an eleventh round knockout over Germany’s Marco Huck to claim the WBO crown in 2015 before widely outpointing America’s Steve Cunningham at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn in his first defence.

‘Glowka’, who is trained by Fiodor ?apin, was originally scheduled to face former Team GB star ‘The Sauce’ on December 12, however, the week prior to the fight, Glowacki, who is rated No. 3 by The Ring at 200 pounds, tested positive for COVID-19.

The 34-year-old former Interim belt holder, who suffered a controversial stoppage loss to Mairis Briedis in Riga last time out, has since been given a clean bill of health and is chomping at the bit for his ring return following a 21-month hiatus.

“I’m very happy I can finally fight after such a long layoff,” said Glowacki. “I was absolutely devastated when I found out I was Covid positive, but every cloud has a silver lining. Now I feel better than in December. When I came back to training after Covid, I had some stamina issues, but everything is OK now. I feel pumped up and ready.

“I’m hugely motivated for this fight. I’m going to have a great opponent in front of me who has big ambitions of his own. I heard Okolie had some plans to unify, but he has to beat me and it’s not going to happen. I will retrieve my belt and I will bring it back to Poland. I will become WBO World Champion for the third time in my career, there is no other option.

“Okolie is unbeaten, he’s big and he’s strong. He has long arms and a huge reach, but I’ve noticed some weaknesses that you will see on the night. I’m ready for this fight and I’m ready to beat him. You will see on Saturday how I will beat him up. I’ve had a lot of sparring partners who were tall and uncomfortable. 

“The support I receive from the Polish people will always motivate me. It’s a shame that they cannot support me in person because a lot of people would have turned out to support me in London, but instead they will be cheering me on in front of their televisions. I’ll bring the belt home for them.”

Okolie vs. Glowacki tops a huge night of action in London, Welsh Super-Featherweight Joe Cordina (11-0, 7 KOs) meets Belgium’s Faroukh Kourbanov (17-2, 3 KOs) over ten rounds, Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (13-1, 10 KOs) returns against Spain’s Jorge Fortea (21-2-1, 7 KOs) with the WBA International Title on the line, Bournemouth Cruiserweight Chris Billam-Smith (11-1, 10 KOs) looks to keep his KO streak going against Vasil Ducar (9-3-1, 8 KOs), Ramla Ali (1-0) faces Bec Connolly (3-8) in her second pro fight, Catford Featherweight Ellie Scotney (1-0) meets Mailys Gangloff (4-1, 1 KO) over six rounds and Stretford Middleweight Bradley Rea (9-0, 3 KOs) takes on Bournemouth’s Lee Cutler (7-0, 4 KOs).

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – March 17, 2021 – Former world champion Alberto Machado (22-2, 18 KOs) of Puerto Rico and rising prospect Angel Fierro (17-1-1, 13 KOs) of Mexico both made weight successfully ahead of their 10-round lightweight fight, the main event of a three-fight card tomorrow, Thursday, March 18 on NBC Sports Network (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), live from Albergue Olimpico (Olympic Center) in Salinas, P.R.,

In tomorrow’s co-main event, Jose ‘Chiquro’ Martinez, (21-1-2, 14 KOs), of Las Marias, Puerto Rico, clashes with three-time world title challenger Israel ‘Jiga’ Gonzalez (26-4, 11 KOs) of Los Cabos, Mexico, in a ten-round bantamweight bout. A six-round light heavyweight fight will round out the main card on NBC Sports Network featuring Irish’ Joe Ward, (2-1, 2 KOs), of Moate, Ireland, who will look to avenge his pro debut setback against Marco ‘El Muneco’ Delgado, (7-1, 5 KOs), of Turlock, Calif.

Headlining the Twitch undercard broadcast, which begins at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, three-time world title challenger Maricela ‘La Diva’ Cornejo, (13-4, 5 KOs), of Los Angeles, Calif. faces off against Alma Ibarra (7-1, 4 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico. In an eight-round super flyweight battle, former world champion and knockout artist Angel ‘Tito’ Acosta, (21-2, 21 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, battles Gilberto Mendoza (17-9-3, 8 KOs) of Modesto, Calif. Also on the Twitch undercard is an eight-round welterweight fight between Jose “Cheito” Roman (10-0, 5 KOs) and Roque Junco (10-7-1, 6 KOs) and a six-round lightweight battle featuring top undefeated prospect Edwin ‘The Chin’ Valentin (9-0, 8 KOs) fighting in his hometown of Salinas when he faces veteran Hector Marengo (7-14-4, 4 KOs) of Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Official weights and officials from Puerto Rico:

Lightweight Fight – 10 Rounds

Alberto Machado – 135.0 lbs.

Angel Fierro – 134.8 lbs.

Referee: Jose Hiram Rivera

Judges: Robin Taylor, Donald Trella, Hernando Steidel

Bantamweight Fight – 10 Rounds

Jose Martinez – 117.8 lbs.

Israel Gonzalez – 117.0 lbs.

Referee: Melba Santos

Judges: Charlie Ruiz, Gerardo Martinez, Hernando Steidel

Light Heavyweight Fight – 6 Rounds

Joe Ward – 173.8 lbs.

Marcos Delgado – 173.6 lbs.

Referee: Jose Hiram Rivera

Judges: Jose Roberto Torres, Charlie Ruiz, Gerardo Martinez

Middlweight Fight – 8 Rounds

Maricela Cornejo – 158.2 lbs.

Alma Ibarra – 156 lbs.

Referee: Melba Santos

Judges: Charlie Ruiz, Gerardo Martinez, Hernando Steidel

Super Flyweight Fight – 8 Rounds

Angel Acosta – 114.0 lbs.

Gilberto Mendoza – 113.0 lbs.

Referee: Jose Hiram Rivera

Judges: Jose Roberto Torres, Gerardo Martinez, Charlie Ruiz

Welterweight Fight – 8 Rounds

Jose Roman – 146.6 lbs.

Roque Junco – 146.0 lbs.

Referee: Melba Santos

Judges: Hernando Steidel, Gerardo Martinez, Charlie Ruiz

Lightweight Fight – 6 Rounds

Edwin Valentin – 135.0 lbs.

Hector Marengo – 135.2 lbs.

Referee: Billy Rosario

Judges: Jose Roberto Torres, Hernando Steidel, Charlie Ruiz

Calling all the action ringside in Puerto Rico on NBC Sports Network will be former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter joined by NBC Sports blow-by-blow commentator Bob Papa. Brian Campbell serves as fight night analyst with Curran Bhatia reporting from ringside.

Catch up on fight week in Puerto Rico ahead of tomorrow’s stacked card, including a look at the Boxing Rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, “The Story of Alberto Machado” with Curran Bhatia and “The Story of Angel Fierro” with Curran Bhatia.

Subscribe to Ring City USA on Twitch for undercard action and an exclusive post-fight presentation following the evening’s main event. Follow Ring City USA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates during fight week in Puerto Rico or visit www.ringcityusa.com for more information. 

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. 

TULSA, OK (March 17, 2021) — If at first you can’t fight, try again.

Joe “The Beast” Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov are headed to the Sooner State to fight for the vacant WBO light heavyweight world title Saturday, April 10 at Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

They were originally scheduled to fight Feb. 13, but Vlasov tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the weigh-in, forcing a postponement.

In the 10-round co-feature, unbeaten heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba will take on Brian “MVP” Howard.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tony Holden Productions, Smith-Vlasov and Ajagba-Howard will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 5:30p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT, including a trio of big-punching heavyweights: Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson and Tulsa natives Trey Lippe Morrison (16-0, 16 KOs) and Jeremiah Milton (2-0, 2 KOs).

Ticket information for this world championship event will be announced shortly.

“Joe Smith Jr. deserves this opportunity, and I know Maxim Vlasov will give him a great challenge,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “The light heavyweight division is one of the hottest in boxing, and the winner will have no shortage of lucrative opportunities.”

Smith (26-3, 21 KOs), the “Common Man” from Long Island, hopes his 2021 kicks off where 2020 concluded. Last August, he broke through inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, knocking former world champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez out and through the ropes. Smith has won three straight bouts since his first world title opportunity in March 2019, a unanimous decision loss to Dmitry Bivol. He became a household name in boxing in 2016 when he knocked living legend Bernard Hopkins through the ropes and into retirement.

“I am extremely motivated after all I have been though in my career,” Smith said. “I am proud of all I have accomplished, and I am confident I will bring the belt home on April 10 and move forward with my goal of unifying belts and proving I am the best light heavyweight in the world.”

Said Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing, “We all worked very hard to get Smith and Vlasov back in the ring as soon as possible, not just for the fans that love to watch the ‘Common Man’ fight, but for Joe, who is very anxious to become world champion. The blue-collar banger that is Joe Smith Jr. will be ready to fight and thrill the fans. He is laser-focused and fully intends on bringing the WBO world title to Long Island on April 10.”  

Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs), from Samara, Russia, is 3-0 at light heavyweight since moving down from cruiserweight, where he became a top contender and challenged for an interim world title. He had a banner 2019 at light heavyweight, knocking out the 14-1 Omar Garcia, avenging a previous defeat with a unanimous decision over Isaac Chilemba, and shutting out the 15-0 Emmanuel Martey over 10 rounds.

“I am ready to return to the ring and become the new WBO light heavyweight world champion,” Vlasov said. “The postponement was a minor setback, but it will be worth the wait when I have that belt around my waist.”

Ajagba (14-0, 11 KOs), a 2016 Nigerian Olympian, is one of world boxing’s most accomplished young heavyweights. At 26 years old, he’s already knocked out the likes of longtime contender Amir Mansour and former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu. He made his Top Rank debut last September and outlasted veteran Jonathan Rice via decision over 10 rounds. Howard (15-4, 12 KOs) is an 11-year pro who has split a pair of bouts since moving up to heavyweight. In August 2019, he knocked out 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian Carlos Negron in the first round.

Use the hashtag #SmithVlasov to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing;twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

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

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $12.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $18.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

Chicago, IL (March 17, 2021) – Fresh off her second consecutive victory over future Hall of Famer, Cecilia Braekhus, undisputed welterweight champion, Jessica McCaskill is looking to fight the biggest names on the female circuit.

McCaskill of Chicago, easily outpointed the legendary Braekhus by scores of 100-89, 99-90 and 98-91 to win her fifth consecutive and raise her record to 10-2.

“I felt my aggression was really good, just keeping the pressure non-stop, and we are ready for what is next. She was running in, and crowded herself, and I figured if she was going to run in, I would have to get at least one or two shots off, and she kept doing it, so I kept doing it as well. I wanted to move and show some more angles, but she kept coming straight in, so she was right there,” said McCaskill.

“A fight with Katie Taylor might be the next thing on the agenda. If that is what it is, that would be great. If that does not work out, then there are a couple of other names out there. As for Claressa Shields, McCaskill thinks a fight with her can happen, “That could be a possibility if Claressa could come down to 147 pounds. At first, she said that she would not give up any weight, and now she is saying she would, so we are just going to have to see if they are going to take this seriously.”

Said McCaskill’s promoter, Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing, “Jessica proved yet again that she is one of the top fighters in the world. She has now dominated the fighter that has been the long-time pound for top boxer. We would love to fight anyone, and a fight with Katie Taylor would most certainly have a different outcome then their first fight. Fights with Taylor or Claressa would be historic fights as it would match two of the reigning undisputed champions against each other.”

Miami, FL – March 17, 2021 – Boxeo Telemundo, the #1 boxing program among Hispanics and longest-running sports show in Spanish-language television, returns this Friday with a WBA Fedecentro Super Bantamweight title bout featuring former division champion Saul “The Beast” Sanchez of Encino, California against Frank “El Castigador” Gonzalez of Miami, FL. Boxeo Telemundo will air live on Telemundo at 12am ET/11pm C from the Bryan Glazer JCC center in Tampa, FL.

Sanchez (15-1 8 KOs) returns to Telemundo for the second time in his career after an impressive performance in last year’s fall series when he wiped out favorite Daniel Lozano in just one round. Sanchez returns to the ring dropping back to the bantamweight division where he hopes to gain a title opportunity. On the other side of the ring, Gonzalez (8-1 4 KOs) looks to gain traction in the boxing scene in what will be his first regional title fight in his career.

Boxeo Telemundo’s new host, Karim Mendiburu, will anchor the show alongside Andres Bermudez calling the action and Jorge Calvo providing match analysis. To complement the live bout coverage, they will be joined by Claudia Trejos who debuts this week as commentator on the show. As special guests, Boxeo Telemundo will also welcome Teofimo Lopez and his opponent George Kambosos to speak about their upcoming fight. Lopez has held the IBF title since 2019 as well as the WBA, WBO and Ring magazine titles since defeating Vasyl Lomachenko in 2020. Kambosos is the IBF mandatory challenger for Lopez. In addition, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez will appear on the show to speak about his much-anticipated bout.

Leading to Friday, Boxeo Telemundo will provide an extensive lineup of content across the Telemundo Deportes app, TelemundoDeportes.com and social media including Boxeo Telemundo: En Esta Esquina, featuring an interview with Oscar De La Hora and Boxeo Telemundo Plus, a social livestream on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to be produced Friday evening from the studio just before the broadcast, to recap the week’s action and what’s coming.

TelemundoDeportes.com will also feature profiles on each fighter prior to every event, followed by special reports from the weigh-in on Thursday, via social media platforms. In addition, Boxeo Telemundo: Entre las Cuerdas, continues every Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook bringing the latest combat sports news.

Debuting in 1989, Boxeo Telemundo has grown to become the #1 boxing sports program in the U.S. among Hispanics, across the broadcast and cable landscape. Since its launch, “Boxeo Telemundo” has broadcast over 350 title fights, showcasing some of the biggest boxing stars as they rose to stardom and won their first championship titles, earning a reputation as the show “where champions are born.” Among these stars is Saúl Canelo Alvarez, who won his first pro boxing title on “Boxeo Telemundo” in 2008. Other notable Champions featured include?Juan Manuel Marquez,?Diego Corrales, Carlos Maussa,?Floyd Mayweather,? Israel Vázquez,? Wilfredo Vázquez,? Rafael Ruelas,? Jorge Solis and many others. In addition, renowned boxing Hall of Famers have also appeared on the show including? Erik Morales,? Marco Antonio Barrera and?Felix Trinidad.? 

NEW YORK – March 17, 2021 – Rising welterweight star Jaron “Boots” Ennis faces his most difficult test in pursuit of a world title shot as he headlines his first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® against former world champion Sergey Lipinets. These formidable contenders meet in a 12-round, crossroads fight with welterweight world title implications on Saturday, April 10 live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT 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 another step up in class as he faces 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.

“Ennis vs. Lipinets is a fantastic fight in the welterweight division that pits an ascending force in Ennis against a former world champion in Lipinets,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “It’s a very competitive fight that presents a fascinating clash of styles and will have big implications on the future of the 147-pound division. Another sensational young welterweight will look for a career best win in the co-feature, as Eimantas Stanionis takes on his toughest test to date in the veteran Thomas Dulorme. Adding in 115-pound champion Jerwin Ancajas seeking an impressive ninth title defense against Mexico’s Jonathan Rodríguez, and all the ingredients are in place for an action-packed night on SHOWTIME April 10.”

Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) is the latest in the pantheon of outstanding Philadelphia fighters, combining sublime boxing skills with natural power in both hands. After numerous appearances on ShoBox: The New Generation, the 23-year-old Ennis has graduated to headlining his first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast. Heading into his last bout against Chris van Heerden, Ennis was riding a streak of 16 consecutive knockouts. That streak ended when the fight was stopped after the first round due to an accidental clash of heads that opened a severe cut on the forehead of Van Heerden.

“I’m excited to be back April 10,” said Ennis. “This is the type of fight I’ve been waiting for. I can’t wait to perform and put on a beautiful show. Y’all will see something special out of me come fight night. I’m excited to be the main event. It’s time for me to shine!”

The 31-year-old Lipinets (16-1-1, 12 KOs) established himself as a force at 140 pounds when he won the IBF world title with a victory over Akihiro Kondo in 2017. He lost the title to four-division world champion Mikey Garcia in 2018 and then moved up to welterweight in 2019. He served notice that he would be a contender at welterweight when he scored an impressive stoppage victory over two-division champion Lamont Peterson in 2019. Born in Kazakhstan and representing Russia, Lipinets now lives in Woodland Hills, California and is trained by renowned trainer Joe Goossen. Lipinets is coming off a hard-fought majority draw against undefeated Custio Clayton in October 2020.

“Training is grueling and I’m working hard with Joe Goossen to be at my best on fight night,” said Lipinets. “We have a tough, young fighter in Ennis who thinks I’m a stepping stone for him. But sometimes stepping stones trip you up, and I’ll be doing my best to trip him up on April 10. I’m just doing my best to get prepared for what I expect to be a dog fight. Every fan that knows boxing knows that this is going to be a real war and worth tuning in for. I expect we’ll be fighting in a phone booth at times, but I also expect him to try to use his reach and fight me at a distance at times. But no matter what he does, I’ll be ready for him.”

Stanionis (12-0, 9 KOs) has put together a string of impressive victories as he has climbed up the ranks from prospect to contender. He enters the match against Dulorme with four consecutive knockout victories. The 26-year-old from Lithuania, who now lives and trains in California, looked impressive as he picked up three solid victories in 2019, beating Samuel Figueroa via unanimous decision and scoring early stoppages against Julio Cesar Sanchez and Evincii Dixon. The undefeated welterweight has put the division on notice with back-to-back dominating main event performances in November and December 2020, when he notched ninth-round knockouts over Justin DeLoach and Janer Gonzalez respectively.

“This is my first time fighting on SHOWTIME and it feels like a dream come true,” said Stanionis. “Dulorme is experienced and has been a good fighter for a long time. On paper, this is my toughest fight, but I’m ready. I’ll be prepared for whatever he brings. With our styles, it’s going to be a war. I’m ready to fight right now. Somebody is going down and no matter what happens, the fans are going to win.”

The 31-year-old Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs) has amassed a solid resume at 140 and 147 pounds during his career, climbing into the ring with world champions Yordenis Ugas, Jessie Vargas and Terence Crawford. Born in Marigot, Guadeloupe but fighting out of and representing Carolina, Puerto Rico, Dulorme rebounded from a loss to Crawford for a 140-pound title by scoring back-to-back knockouts, followed by a narrow decision loss to top welterweight Yordenis Ugas. The world title challenger is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Jamal James in his last fight in August.

“I’m very excited for this fight on April 10,” said Dulorme. “I came up short in my last fight for the title, but a win against Stanionis will put me right back into the position I want. He’s young and strong, but I have a lot more experience and I will show it in the ring and it will lead me to victory.”

Representing the Philippines, Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs) was only 15 years old when he was spotted by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. The young fighter blossomed with Pacquiao’s guidance, becoming the first world champion under Pacquiao’s promotional banner when he outpointed McJoe Arroyo for the IBF World Junior Bantamweight title in September 2016. The 29-year-old southpaw hasn’t lost since and will be making the ninth defense of his title when he faces Rodríguez. In his most recent outing in December, Ancajas stopped Miguel Gonzalez in six rounds.

“I am really looking forward to returning to the ring on April 10 for my first fight on SHOWTIME,” said Ancajas. “Everybody knows the great rivalry between the Philippines and Mexico, and I look forward to adding another explosive fight to that history. Fight fans know where all the action fights are right now, and that’s the 115-pound division. I’m thankful for this opportunity and I plan to make the most of it.”

Mexico’s Rodríguez (22-1, 16 KOs) was given the nickname “Titan” because of his prodigious power. Since suffering a disputed split-decision loss to Jose Martin Estrada Garcia in March 2018, the 25-year-old has won six straight, including a first-round knockout victory over Julian Yedras last December. He will be making his U.S. debut against Ancajas.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me,” said Rodríguez. “When I started boxing, it was my dream to fight for the world title and win it. On April 10, all of my dreams and hard work will come true when I hear ‘and the new IBF champion of the world.’”

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. Two Hall of Famers round out the telecast team: 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 director is Bob Dunphy, son of legendary Hall of Famer Don Dunphy. Former junior middleweight world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna serve as expert analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).

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.

QUEBEC CITY, Ontario, Canada (March 18, 2021) – World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 1 rated bridgeweight contender Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas (27-1, 19 KOs) returned to the ring last night for the first time in 20 months on top of “The Homecoming: Rivas vs. Louis 2” card, promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) in association with New Era Fighting & Promotion and Lee Baxter Promotions, at Quebec Plaza Hotel in Quebec City, Ontario, Canada.

The 8-round main event was a rematch between Rivas (26-1, 18 KOs) and Sylvera “Sly” Louis (8-4, 4 KOs) of a fight Rivas, a 2008 Colombia Olympian, won by way of a 4-round majority decision nearly nine years ago.

Making his bridgeweight debut, Rivas outclassed his opponent until Louis failed to continue fighting after three rounds, headlining GYM’s first promotion in 16 months due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

“I felt very strong physically and my reflexes were sharp,” Rivas said after the fight. “I feel like I’m going to show some great things in this new weight class (201-224 lbs.). My goal is to become world champion and I will wait for what comes.”

In the co-featured event, popular Canadian welterweight Sebastien Bouchard (19-2, 8 KOs) took a 6-round unanimous decision from always tough Mario Perez (20-8-5, 12 KOs). Bouchard bounced back from his only loss a professional, when Avez Hussian (13-1) stopped him in the fourth round November 23, 2019, for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) USA and Canadian crowns.

In an All-Canadian super middleweight clash, undefeated world-rated middleweight Patrice Volny rolled to his 16th straight victory without a defeat, registering his 10th knockout in the fifth round of a rematch against former Canadian middleweight champion Janko Trotter, which Volny won three years ago by way of a first-round technical knockout. Volny is rated No. 6 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), as well as No. 10 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO).

GYM president Yvon Michel commented, “This gala was made possible thanks to a colossal collective effort on the part of all stakeholders, starting with the entire GYM team, Santé Public Québec, the RACJ (Quebec commission), the management and employees of the Hotel Plaza Québec, our partners and associates and by all the participants who subjected themselves to difficult conditions, the required tests and who all fought with heart and determination! Thank you to everyone who attended the event on site or via television. This is a fresh start, and we will be back very soon.”

Also fighting on the undercard was promising Canadian heavyweight Alexis Barriere (1-0, 1 KO), whose auspicious pro-debut resulted in his second-round stoppage of Colin Sangster (2-1, 2 Kos), while Francis Charbonneau (3-1, 2 KOs) won a 6-round split decision versus Alexandre Roberge (1-1).

“The Homecoming” was streamed live by FITE worldwide on the FITE mobile apps, all major OTT apps and website (www.FITE.tv), starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, for $29.99 USD (available in English or French). It was also available to watch in Canada via Canal Indigo, Bell TV, Shaw TV and YOOP.

Official results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS

MAIN EVENT – BRIDGEWEIGHTS
Oscar Rivas (27-1, 19 KOs), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
WTKO3 (3:00)
Sylvera Louis (8-5, 5 KOs), Montreal, Quebec, Canada

CO-FEATURE – WELTERWEIGHTS
Sebastien Bouchard (19-2, 8 KOs), Baie-Saint-Paul, Ontario, Canada
WDEC6 (60-54, 59-55, 58-56)
Mario Perez (20-8-5, 12 KOs), Toronto, Ontario, Canada

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Alexis Barriere (1-0, 1 KO), Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
WTKO2 (1:20)
Colin Sangster (2-1, 2 KOs), Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Francis Charbonneau (3-1, 2 KOs), Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
WDEC6 (60-54, 58-56, 56-58)
Alexandre Roberge (1-1, 0 KOs), Lanoraiem Quebec, Canada

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Patrice Volny (16-0, 10 KOs), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
WTKO5 (1:56)
Janko Trotter (10-6-2, 10 KOs), Calgary, Alberta, Canada

FACEBOOK: @groupeyvonmichel
INSTAGRAM: @groupeyvonmichel
TWITTER: @yvonmichelGYM

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RivasLouis2

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 17, 2021) – Thompson Boxing Promotions’ top contender, Saul “The Beast” Sanchez (15-1, 8 KOs), will be looking to make a statement in his first bout of 2021 this Friday, March 19th, when he takes on Frank “El Castigador” Gonzalez (8-1, 4 KOs), in a bout scheduled for 10-rounds.

The card, which will be promoted by All-Star Boxing and televised on Telemundo, will see Sanchez competing for the WBA Fedecentro Bantamweight title, which will take place at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC in Tampa, Florida. Please check your local listing for the channel and designated time.

Here is what Saul Sanchez had to say about fighting for the WBA Fedecentro Bantamweight title, training with Manny Robles, his matchup with Frank Gonzalez, and how far he is from a world title opportunity.

On making his 2021 debut on Telemundo:

“This is another great opportunity to fight on Telemundo, the premier Spanish network for boxing. I had an incredible performance last time I fought on Telemundo, and I plan to do the same in this fight. I know I’m close to getting a very big fight. There are some major fights down the road, which are coming shortly.”

On recent training camp:

“My training camp was great, working with coach Manny Robles and Edgar Jasso was amazing. I am learning a lot in the gym, and I’m being pushed daily. I got a lot of hunger in me and I’m a motivated fighter. I feel like I am coming into my own.”

On what a win will do for his career:

“This will be a major win as I will pick up the WBA Fedecentro Bantamweight title, which means that I will get a higher world ranking, and that sets up the fights I have been hoping for against the best fighters in the division. A win will get me that much closer to my dream of boxing a world champion.”

On his matchup with Gonzalez:

“Frank Gonzalez is a good fighter, but I also see he makes a lot of mistakes. I’m going to capitalize on those mistakes, and I feel like he is the perfect opponent for me at this time. I’m going to show the world what I am truly capable of, and prove that I’m worthy of a top 15 ranking.”