HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (Oct. 13, 2020) — Before he travels to Tokyo as a member of the 2021 Philippines Olympic boxing team, amateur middleweight standout and Manny Pacquiao’s newest addition, Eumir Felix Marcial, has decided to follow in his hero’s footsteps.  Marcial, who landed at LAX on Sunday, will set up his training camp for his professional debut at world-famous Freddie Roach’s Hollywood-based Wild Card Boxing Club, the same gym where Pacquiao trained for his greatest in-ring performances.  Inasmuch as professional fighters are now allowed to compete in the Olympics, Wild Card will serve as a “one-stop shop” for preparing for professional and Olympic glory.  Promoted by TGB Promotions, Marcial, 24, from Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines, is expected to make his pro debut in the U.S. within the next few months.

            “It is an honor to work with the same trainer as my idol Senator Manny Pacquiao.  I consider Manny my mentor,” said Marcial.  “Every young fighter knows about Freddie Roach and his gym.  Wild Card Boxing Club is considered hallowed ground to every Filipino boxer.  I look forward to working with and learning from Sir Freddie.  It is a wonderful opportunity.”  

            “MP Promotions was thrilled to be selected by Eumir to guide his boxing career and we, along with TGB Promotions, will do everything we can to prepare Eumir for a successful professional career and a gold medal-caliber Olympic experience,” said Sean Gibbons, president of MP Promotions.  “Who else but Hall of Famer Freddie Roach would Eumir train under?  Freddie is very excited to give Eumir a tour of Wild Card and to begin training later this week.”    

             Before the pandemic shut the world down, Marcial had been on a roll.  He punched his ticket for the 2021 Olympics in March by winning all four of his bouts in the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifying tournament in Amman, Jordan.  Marcial was the top seed in his division.  Last December, he captured the gold at the 30th Southeast Asian Games as well as the silver medal in last year’s World Boxing Championships.  His illustrious résumé also includes being a three-time SEA games champion.

Reading, PA (October 12, 2020)–.On The heels of signing heralded light heavyweight prospect Atif Oberlton, King’s Promotions has added four more quality prospects to it’s already impressive roster of fighters.

The company announced that it has signed undefeated heavyweight Steven Torres; Junior Welterweight Elijah Seawright; Middleweight Eric Monroe and flyweight LeAnna Cruz to promotional contracts.

Torres of Reading, Pennsylvania has already amassed a record of 3-0 with three knockouts.

The 22 year-old Torres began boxing at the age of 12 to lose weight. Torres weighed in excess of 400 pounds, and because of boxing, he had shed a remarkable 200 pounds.

“Boxing has saved my life in so many ways. The weight loss and, plus it has kept me off the streets. I see a bright future in the sport, where years ago, I could not see that happening,” said Torres.

“This is great for me to sign with King’s Promotions. They are based out of my hometown, and I have followed Marshall Kauffman and his son Travis Kauffman for a long time. It’s great that Travis is now my trainer, and with this team along with my adviser Al Haymon, I feel that great things are in-store for me.”

Seawright of Columbia, South Carolina has yet to make his pro debut.

The 19 year-old began boxing at the age of 13 after he was bullied in middle school. “I just wanted to learn how to defend myself, and I started to get pretty good in it,” said Seawright.

That set off a very brief nine-fight amateur career, that saw him go 8-1, and capture two Golden Gloves championships in North Carolina.

Despite the short career in the amateurs, Seawright feels that it is time to begin his pro career.

“It was a good opportunity to make the jump now. I have not fought in over a year. I was ready, but now I am with King’s Promotions, this is the right time.”

Seawright describes his style as unpredictable, as he is good with feints and believes that his style is hard to figure out.

Monroe of Philadelphia also will be making his pro debut.

The 26 year-old Monroe, had a brief nine-bout amateur career. Monroe began boxing at the age of 15, but became serious about the sport at age 21.

“I am happy to sign with King’s Promotions, and get my career started off.”

Cruz, 22 of Philadelphia via Allentown, Pennsylvania is a natural athlete.

The former college basketball player is very excited and familiar with King’s Promotions.

“The first boxing event that I saw live was a King’s Promotions event. I have been to three of their shows. I am excited because one of my favorite fighters is Alycia Baumgardner, and now I am promoted by the same company as her. I have seen what King’s Promotions can do, and I am very excited to start my pro career.”

Torres, Seawright, Monroe and Cruz will have their next fight’s announced shortly.

Hannah Rankin has warned Savannah Marshall that she is in for a rude awakening if she is overlooking their WBO Middleweight World Title clash with one eye on a future showdown with her old amateur foe Claressa Shields.

Hartlepool’s Marshall (8-0, 6 KOs) remains the only fighter to have inflicted a ring defeat on three-division World Champion Shields. ‘The Silent Assassin’ outpointed America’s ‘T-Rex’ in China en route to cementing herself as Britain’s first ever female amateur World Champion in 2012.

Talk of a ‘rematch’ between the rivals has been building ever since Marshall signed promotional terms with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing in August last year, but Rankin – who lost to Shields in 2018 – is planning on ripping up the script by taking the WBO crown back to Glasgow with her. 

 “All we ever hear about is that fight,” said Rankin. “The amateur circuit is nothing like the professional ranks. Claressa has gone on to do amazing things. She’s one of the best female fighters we are going to see in this generation. To just talk about an amateur win over her is nothing as far as I’m concerned.

“If she’s concentrating on that fight and she’s looking past me then she’s in for a huge shock. She’s not getting past me on October 17^th. That World Title is coming home with me and I don’t know where she’s going to go from there.” 

Rankin (9-4, 2 KOs), a former IBO Super-Welterweight World Champion, has the edge in experience over Marshall in the pro ranks, and the 30-year-old believes her World Championship pedigree will be the difference when they clash in Peterborough this Saturday. 

“I’m not going to try something new,” added Rankin. “I’ve been there before and I know how my body is going to feel. I know how I react at championship distance as a Middleweight fighter. It’s going to be a bit of a disadvantage for her. She’s never made Middleweight, so she’s got to come down to make that weight first of all on the scales.

“I’m sure she will, her and Peter Fury are very professional. It’s how she’s going to feel when she makes that weight, we’re in the ring and we’re heading into the later rounds. How is her body going to hold up to that championship distance? 

“She’s not had much experience fighting anyone of a high level really. She hasn’t fought anyone actually at her weight. A lot of the girls have stepped up to fight her at her weight. This is going to be the first time she’s faced someone who’s had a full camp. I’m coming to win and I’m going home with that belt. It’s going to be a brand-new experience for her.”

Marshall vs. Rankin is part of a huge night of boxing at the East of England Arena in Peterborough, Geordie favourite Lewis Ritson (20-1, 12 KOs) takes on former long-reigning World Champion Miguel Vazquez (42-9, 16 KOs), 2016 Rio Olympian Qais Ashfaq (8-0, 3 KOs) meets Salford’s Marc Leach (14-1-1, 3 KOs) in a Final Eliminator for the British Super-Bantamweight Title, Joe ‘Benwell Bomber’ Laws (9-0, 5 KOs) takes on Norwich’s Rylan Charlton (5-0-1, 2 KOs) over six rounds at Super-Lightweight, West Rainton’s Thomas Patrick Ward (29-0, 4 KOs) fights Thomas Essomba  (10-6, 4 KOs) over ten rounds at Super-Bantamweight and Catford’s Ellie Scotney makes her professional debut against Bec Connolly (3-7) at Featherweight.

MUHAMMAD ALI CANNOT wait for the chance to unleash his formidable brand of featherweight fisticuffs on his rivals when he gets to make his return to the ring in the near future.

The 2016 Olympian and one of Britain’s Blue Chip prospects made his professional debut back in February, shortly before the trading of punches ceased due to lockdown.

His opening night didn’t pan out quite as he imagined because, in front of some 250 of his fans from Bradford at York Hall, his opponent Stefan Sashev did little else other than spoil and hold. The patience of referee Lee Every ran out just over half way through the second round and the Bulgarian was sent packing back to the dressing room.

Since this time, Ali has linked up with respected trainer and long-standing WBU middleweight champion Anthony ‘Arnie’ Farnell in Manchester to further his professional development.

“I’ve known Arnie since I was a youth and I sparred one of his boxers,” explained the 24-year-old. “We just kept in touch and I thought he was the right man for me. He is passionate about the sport and we get on well together.

“He was an aggressive fighter and I am the same. He is tweaking me up a little bit, but not changing me too much, more adding to what I’ve already got,” continued Ali, before looking back to his eventful debut.

“I hit the kid early on and after that he just wanted to grab on. It spoiled my debut a bit but I feel I will get the chance to shine as the opposition gets better. It will suit me more when they fight back and come to win.

“I will just take each fight as it comes, as long as I win, then you’ve just got to put each one to bed and not dwell on it too much.”

What the former storied amateur, with his ripped featherweight frame, does struggle to comprehend is how an earth he campaigned at flyweight in the vested code of the sport.

“I just don’t know!” he conceded. “I think back now and I cannot make sense of it with me weighing five kilos more. I was broken, I struggled and in my head day after day was just about making weight.

“Nobody could ever tell I was so drained because in my fights I was so aggressive. I’ve still got four or five kilos to lose to make featherweight, but it is mostly water so it comes off quite easily.”

What quickly becomes obvious with any footage featuring the feisty featherweight is that he enters the ring with destruction on his mind and he will be a lot of fun to watch as he closes in on the big fights and beyond.

In his own opinion, it is what fight fans want to see.

“It is one hundred per cent my style, to set about everyone from the first bell. It is like (Amir) Khan when he was younger; everybody loved him because you wouldn’t know if he would get caught himself or hit someone with a ten-shot combo.

“They didn’t know what would happen next, it was always exciting and people always tuned in. With me it will be similar because I will always be on my opponent and people will love it.”

Khan, of course, at times was considered vulnerable to return fire and this is something Ali hopes he does not share with the Bolton favourite.

“I f**cking hope not!” he retorted in jest. “Nothing has gone wrong yet so hopefully it won’t any time soon.”

Two all-action Super-Middleweight bouts have been added to November 14’s World Title triple-header undercard, live on Sky Sports and DAZN.

Jamie Cox meets Jack Cullen whilst John Docherty steps up against Jack Arnfield, supporting Katie Taylor vs. Miriam Gutierrez, Terri Harper vs. Katharina Thanderz and Ebanie Bridges vs. Rachel Ball.

Swindon Southpaw Cox (25-2, 14 KOs) returns with a new team after two years out the ring.

“I’ve been out a while now, I’m looking forward to getting back in there. I’ve got a new set up with Tony Borg down in Wales which has given my boxing a new dimension which I’ll show in November,” said Cox.

‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen (18-2-1, 9 KOs) looks to return to winning ways following a draw with Zak Chelli at Matchroom Fight Camp.

“This is a big name in Jamie Cox, I couldn’t have asked for a better opponent in the circumstances. He comes to fight and as you know I bring it as well. It’ll make for a fan friendly fight for those watching I’m sure,” said Cullen.

Big punching John Docherty (9-0, 7 KOs) has set his sights on domestic titles for 2021 but has Jack Arnfield to navigate first.

“Jack’s experienced but I’m levels above him and I’ll show that come fight night. I’ll smash him to pieces,” said Docherty.

Now campaigning at 168lbs, Arnfield (25-3, 6 KOs) believes the extra weight to play with will be telling in the next phase of his career.

“I was a tall Middleweight, the past 2/3 fights was a struggle but I’m feeling fit and healthier up a weight which will reflect in my punch power. I’m not overlooking ‘The Doc’ but I’ve set myself bigger goals,” said Arnfield.

“Two really good Super-Middleweight fights added to our World Championship triple-header on November 14,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “It’s great to see Jamie Cox back, he looks in great shape but faces a tough challenge in the always exciting Jack Cullen.

“A huge step up in class for John Docherty against two-time British Title challenger Jack Arnfield. Two 50-50 fights confirmed for what will be a great night of action live on Sky Sports and DAZN.”

Cox vs. Cullen and Docherty vs. Arnfield helps shape a huge night of World Title action with further undercard additions announced shortly; Irish star Taylor (16-0, 6 KOs) puts her Lightweight World Titles on the line once more against Mandatory Challenger Gutierrez (13-0, 5 KOs), Denaby’s Harper (10-0-1, 5 KOs) faces her first WBC Mandatory challenger in Spanish-Norwegian Thanderz (13-0, 2 KOs) and Walsall’s Ball (6-1) takes on undefeated Australian Bridges (4-0, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBA Bantamweight crown. 

Lewis Ritson believes the extra few months graft in the gym locked away with trainer Neil Fannon will pay dividends in the long run. 

The Geordie puncher has felt the knock-on effects from the pandemic, which ruled out his planned fight with Miguel Vazquez twice, back in April and then again June, but he insists the extra preparation has taken his game to the next level.

“It has probably benefitted me more than most other fighters,” said Ritson. “It has really allowed for us to gel and work on other areas of our game. Rather than wondering when a fight date may drop, despite the cancellations we have always had an end date in mind which has allowed for me to stay disciplined and sharp throughout.

“I’ve been in the gym the full year training hard and staying ready for whatever happens next. The start of lockdown gave me a chance to slow the pace down a little bit and work on a lot more of the technical stuff. I feel like I’ve improved a couple of levels compared to how I boxed against Robbie Davies Jr. We knew that we would get a new date confirmed eventually, we just had to stay in the gym.”

Currently ranked number two with the WBA, Ritson finds himself on the cusp of a shot at World honours and believes this Saturday’s Super-Lightweight showdown against former long-standing IBF ruler Vazquez, shown live on Sky Sports and DAZN, is the perfect bridge to the next level.

“If I bring my A game, I’ll be too much for Miguel and will stop him. I think he’s probably a little bit on the slide whereas I’m still on the way up, so we’re meeting bang in the middle. This is the exact type of fight where I can gain more experience to move to the next step. He’s been there and done it. We know what he is all about and what he will bring.

“Beating Robbie proved I’m at that European level, now it’s time to prove I can go to the interim world level stage with a good win against Vazquez. That will pave the way for more big fights. We never take anyone lightly and we definitely haven’t taken Vazquez lightly. If I bring my A game, I’ll have more than enough to beat him.”

Ritson vs. Vazquez headlines a huge night of boxing at the East of England Arena in Peterborough, Hartlepool’s Savannah Marshall (8-0, 6 KOs) meets Glasgow’s former World Champion Hannah Rankin (9-4, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBO Middleweight World Title, 2016 Rio Olympian Qais Ashfaq (8-0, 3 KOs) meets Salford’s Marc Leach (14-1-1, 3 KOs) in a Final Eliminator for the British Super-Bantamweight Title, Joe ‘Benwell Bomber’ Laws (9-0, 5 KOs) takes on Norwich’s Rylan Charlton (5-0-1, 2 KOs) over six rounds at Super-Lightweight, West Rainton’s Thomas Patrick Ward (29-0, 4 KOs) fights Thomas Essomba  (10-6, 4 KOs) over ten rounds at Super-Bantamweight and Catford’s Ellie Scotney makes her professional debut against Bec Connolly (3-7) at Featherweight.

NEW YORK – October 9, 2020 – Former world title challenger Diego Magdaleno shared insights into his training camp as he nears an IBF Lightweight Title Eliminator bout against Isaac Cruz that kicks off SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) action on Saturday, October 31 from the Alamodome in San Antonio in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

“This is my second fight working with ‘Bones’ Adams out of his gym in Las Vegas,” said Magdaleno. “I’ve actually known him since I was nine-years-old, so I consider him like my best friend. I trust him with my life. I’ve spent some time training for this fight in Scipio, Utah too, pulling hay bales and doing all sorts of interesting drills. I’ve gotten in some good sparring here in Vegas, and I even went out to California for some sparring, too.

“I was on one of the last fight cards pre-pandemic, and I’m honored to be on the first fight card with a live crowd since the pandemic began. It’s been a hectic year, but I’m happy with where things are for me heading into this fight. Coach Adams has been doing a great job with training, but he also handles my strength and conditioning. He’s got a huge gym with a lot of motivated fighters and it’s great to be around that kind of atmosphere. And my fiancé has been handling my nutrition for my last four fights. So, it’s great to have her involved also.”

Magdaleno returns to action after upsetting Austin Dulay in Dulay’s hometown of Nashville, Tenn. in February, dropping him in round seven on his way to a 10-round unanimous decision. He credits his team in training camp for the impressive performance against Dulay.

“I’ve always taken pride in being a professional, but I learned that I can be very dangerous with the right team around me,” said Magdaleno. “I went into that fight kind of being considered a steppingstone for Dulay, but I showed that I’m still a strong fighter. People counted me out and they made a mistake. I’m just super happy that I found Coach Adams and got a proper team organized around me. I was able to change people’s minds with just one fight. Now I’m in a title eliminator, and with a win on October 31, I’ll have my third shot at a world title.”

The 33-year-old has come up short in his most high-profile fights to date, dropping title bouts to Terry Flanagan and Roman Martinez, in addition to a 2019 loss against current lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez. With those experiences and an improved training structure around him, Magdaleno believes the lessons he’s taken from those fights will be instrumental going forward.

“The biggest thing that I’ve learned is to stay calm,” said Magdaleno. “When I start thinking too far ahead, that’s when things go wrong. Coach Adams has a great way of keeping me grounded and composed. He knows how to simplify things for me and communicate exactly what I need to do, which makes it less stressful for me. And we’ve done some other things, like correcting my footwork and the angles that I use.”

In the 22-year-old Cruz, Magdaleno will be opposed by a fast-rising and exciting Mexican fighter looking to make a mark in his biggest fight to date. With an 11-year age gap, Magdaleno plans to use his extensive experience to his advantage on October 31.

“Cruz is something I’ve seen before,” said Magdaleno. “I’ve fought lots of Mexican-style fighters like him who don’t have a lot of technical skill but possess a come-forward style. So, I think I’ll be able to go back to what I know. I’ll just have to stay fluid and pick Cruz apart. He’s a guy who likes to fight on the inside and throw lots of overhand punches and hooks. I’ll break him down like I did my last opponent.”

Magdaleno will look to continue his career renaissance against Cruz and put himself back on track for another world title opportunity. With all that he’s been through during his career, Magdaleno remains highly motivated to prove critics wrong and achieve his goal of becoming a world champion.

“What I know is that when everyone counts you out, you just have to believe in yourself,” said Magdaleno. “When I decide to hang up the gloves, it’ll be because I want to, not because others say I should. I have my confidence back now and I’m very happy with where I’m going

. Being one shot away from the title that I dreamed of as a child is a huge motivating factor for me. And I fight for my family, too. I’m a different person now. I’m more mature and I think I’ll be able to prove that to people in this fight.”

ABOUT DAVIS VS. SANTA CRUZ

Davis vs. Santa Cruz will see three-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis and four-division world champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz battle for the WBA Super Featherweight and WBA Lightweight Championships headlining a SHOWTIME PPV Saturday, October 31 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

The stacked undercard will feature unbeaten San Antonio native and WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios defending his title against hard-hitting Ryan “Cowboy” Karl in the co-main event and former super lightweight world champion Regis “Rougarou” Prograis will take on unbeaten contender Juan Heraldez in a 10-round showdown. In the telecast opener, lightweight contenders Isaac Cruz and Diego Magdaleno will battle in an IBF title eliminator bout.

The event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions, GTD Promotions and Santa Cruz Boxing Club. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. The Alamodome has implemented a comprehensive health and safety plan to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. All fans attending the event will be screened upon entry and are required to wear a mask as well as follow social distancing guidelines. Tickets will be distributed in seat blocks known as “pods” to maintain distance between groups not from the same party. For more information, visit Alamodome.com

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

Fan favourite Dave Allen returns to action against Christian Hammer live on Sky Sports Box Office and DAZN, Saturday 31st October.

The 28 year old Conisbrough Heavyweight scored an early KO over Dorian Darch on his first outing of the year back in February, which followed a topsy-turvy 2019 with victory over Lucas Browne but defeat to David Price.

“I’m really happy to fight Christian Hammer,” said Allen. “He’s highly ranked and is a tough, strong man. A win here puts me back to fringe World level. He’s got a win over David Price so that would half put my defeat to bed.”

‘The White Rhino’ has been sparring Oleksandr Usyk in Kiev for the past two weeks and believes the experience will stand in him good stead as he links back up with trainer Jamie Moore for their first fight together.

“Sparring Usyk has taken me to another level. He’s one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. I’ve picked up so much from him and it’s given me the confidence that I will need to get through ten rounds with Hammer.”

“I am very much looking forward to this fight, I love to box in the UK. I fondly remember the victory over David Price,” said Hammer. “That is exactly where I will continue against Allen. Once I beat Allen the big fights will come my way. I appreciate this opportunity and I will not be defeated.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn added: “This is a great fight for Dave, and absolute sink or swim time. Hammer has shown the highest of levels consistently and both fighters are looking at this opportunity as springboard to major fights. I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen or who is going to win, there’s only one way to find out!”

Allen vs Hammer joins Selby vs Kambosos Jr, McCarthy vs Laggoune and Timlin vs Skelly on the huge Usyk vs Chisora card, Saturday 31st October 2020.

Las Vegas – UFC^® will continue its run of shows on UFC FIGHT ISLAND with a highly anticipated bout guaranteed to deliver fireworks as No. 2 ranked Brian Ortega takes on No. 4 ”The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in a clash of featherweight contenders. Also, recent women’s flyweight title challenger and No. 1 ranked contender Katlyn Chookagian looks to spoil the 125-pound debut of former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+^®: ORTEGA vs. THE KOREAN ZOMBIE will take place Saturday, October 17 from UFC FIGHT ISLAND on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island. The main card will begin at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT in English and Spanish on ESPN+, with the prelims kicking off at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT. The event is in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

Former featherweight title challenger Ortega (14-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) returns to action for the first time in almost two years and hopes to deliver another show-stealing performance. Throughout the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt’s UFC run, he has earned spectacular finishes over Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson, Renato Moicano and Clay Guida. He now seeks to get the last laugh against Jung and secure himself another world championship opportunity.

Perennial fan-favorite Jung (16-5, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) has been thrilling fans for years with exciting bouts and highlight-reel finishes. Having ended 14 of his 16 wins before the final bell, Jung has turned heads with sensational stoppage victories over Frankie Edgar, Dustin Poirier, Leonard Garcia and Mark Hominick. Jung now aims to put his rivalry with Ortega to bed and stake his claim as the next UFC featherweight title challenger.

Chookagian (14-3, fighting out of Kenilworth, N.J.) has her sights set on building off her most recent victory over Antonina Shevchenko and defending her spot atop the women’s flyweight rankings. During her UFC run, she has netted exciting victories over Jennifer Maia, Joanne Calderwood and Alexis Davis. Chookagian now aims to keep her momentum going by finishing a former UFC champion and earning another title opportunity.

Former strawweight champion Andrade (20-8, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) looks to waste no time in her move up to flyweight by taking out the division’s top contender. A powerful grappler and heavy-handed striker, she has delivered incredible finishes against Rose Namajunas, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Joanne Calderwood. Andrade now hopes to make an immediate impact at 125 pounds by stopping Chookagian to secure herself a flyweight title shot.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Undefeated No. 13 ranked heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane (6-0, fighting out of Paris, France) takes on UFC newcomer Ante Delija (17-3, fighting out of Dubrovnik, Croatia)
• Jimmy Crute (11-1, fighting out of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia) goes for another show-stealing finish against streaking Modestas Bukauskas (11-2, fighting out of London, England by way of Klaipeda, Lithuania) in a light heavyweight contest

·         Thomas Almeida (22-3, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) returns to the Octagon to take on Jonathan Martinez (12-3, fighting out of Plainview, Texas) in a featherweight bout

·         Undefeated Mateusz Gamrot (17-0 1NC, fighting out of Poznan, Poland) takes on Guram Kutateladze (11-2, fighting out of Georgia) in a clash of lightweight newcomers

• No. 15 ranked women’s flyweight contender Gillian Robertson (8-4, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Niagara Falls, Ont., Canada) meets fellow finisher Poliana Botelho Lopes (8-2, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Claudio Silva (14-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) goes for his 15^th straight victory against tough veteran James Krause (26-9, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.)
• Junyong Park (12-4, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) faces John Phillips (22-10 1NC, fighting out of Swansea, Wales) in what promises to be an entertaining middleweight bout
• In a battle of lightweight hopefuls, Jamie Mullarkey (12-3, fighting out of Central Coast, Australia) locks horns with Fares Ziam (10-3, fighting out of Givors, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France)
• Gadzhimurad Antigulov (20-7, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) aims to return to the win column against fellow light heavyweight Maxim Grishin (30-8-2, fighting out of Grozny, Chechen Republic, Russia)
• Exciting bantamweight prospects collide when Said Nurmagomedov (13-2, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) takes on Mark Striegl (18-2-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, NV by way of Baguio City, Philippines)

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

A full line of UFC FIGHT ISLAND products, including t-shirts, hats, water bottles, tote bags, and more are available now on UFCStore.com.

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 318 million fans and 102 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 nearly one billion TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 65 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 and Instagram: @UFC.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to 8.5 million subscribers, offering fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. 

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.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 enterprise, features more than 50 assets – nine U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine 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 (October 9, 2020) – TONIGHT!! at the MGM Conference Center in Las Vegas, highly-touted Kahshad Elliott makes his professional debut against Akeem Jackson in a four-round junior middleweight bout.

Elliott of Plainfield, New Jersey is signed to Split-T Management, under the guidance of Tim VanNewhouse, was a 10-time National champion in the 165-pound division, but will campaign as a junior middleweight as he made the weight easily at Thursday’s weigh-in when he checked in at 152.8 lbs, while Jackson was 151.5

“I am feeling great. I have been waiting to turn professional, and finally got my first weigh-in done. I am ready to go out there and perform to show people that I am the one,” said Elliott.

“I have no thoughts on my opponent. I know that he has had some professional fights, but I have experience, I am excited to get in there because I know that there are a lot of people waiting to see what I bring to the table.”

Elliott had an outstanding amateur career that saw him win 117 of 140 fights.

Elliott’s fight will be streamed live on ESPN+ beginning at 7:30 PM ET

Boxing returns once more to the BT Studio tomorrow night at 7pm on BT Sport 1. In the headline fight, Liam Williams defends his British title against mandatory challenger Andrew Robinson.

Elsewhere on the stacked card, Nathan Gorman meets heavy-handed Ghanaian Richard Lartey and Willy Hutchinson takes on Spaniard Jose Miguel Fandino.

Muheeb Fazeldin and Mark Chamberlain also return.

Photos from todays weigh-in can be found here

Official weights below:

Liam Williams – 11st 6lb
Andrew Robinson – 11st 5lb 5oz

Nathan Gorman -19st 7lbs 3oz
Richard Lartey – 18st 4lb 6oz

Willy Hutchinson – 12st 1lb 7oz
Jose Miguel Fandino – 12st 1lb 8oz

Muheeb Fazeldin – 9st 3lb 6oz
Luke Jones – 9st 4lb 8oz

Mark Chamberlain – 9st 12lb 5oz
Shaun Cooper – 9st 10lb 7oz

MIAMI, FL (October 9, 2020) – Highly touted heavyweight prospect Jeremiah Milton (1-0, 1 KO), who relocated from his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma to Las Vegas, Nevada, has now gone to Florida to be part of world title contender Luis “King Kong” Ortiz’s training camp. Luis Ortiz will be headlining on PBC on Fox against Alexander Flores on November 7th.

“It is a great honor to be in camp with a world class fighter like Luis Ortiz,” said Jeremiah Milton. “Ortiz is essentially an uncrowned world champion and the experience I am gaining from working with him is just adding to my experience that I’ve gained this past year.”

Earlier this year, Milton sparred 2016 Italian Olympian Guido Vianello as well as Joe Joyce, as the runner-up at the Olympic Trials in 2019 is bursting onto the professional boxing scene and getting massive experience early on.

“My team is putting me in every position to win,” said Milton. “I have been getting great opportunities in which I can fine-tune my skills and harness them against the world’s best fighters.”

“We like having Jeremiah in camp with us because he’s a true professional with a great work ethic,” said German Caicedo, who is the head trainer for Luiz Ortiz. “He’s a tremendous talent and I see a bright future for him.”

Milton, who is signed with Victory Sports & Entertainment is one of the most promising American heavyweights in boxing.

“Jeremiah is sparring some of the best fighters in the world right now,” said Mike Leanardì, CEO of Victory Sports & Entertainment. “Jeremiah didn’t have the deepest amateur career, but he did extremely well quickly, and since turning pro, he has just translated his development from the amateurs into the pros. To put it simply, Jeremiah Milton is special.”

“Jeremiah is going to the next level,” said Rick Torres, of Victory Sports & Entertainment. “In just one year he has sparred three of the best heavyweights in the world in Joe Joyce, Luis Ortiz and Guido Vianello. I can’t think of another heavyweight in his position getting this much experience so early in his career. Jeremiah is learning how to train like a champion by being around world class fighters.”

Amy Timlin and Carly Skelly will contest the vacant Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight Title live on Sky Sports Box Office and DAZN, Saturday 31st October.

The unbeaten pair were scheduled to fight earlier this month but now find themselves on the undercard to Oleksandr Usyk’s monster fight against Derek Chisora.

Rising star Timlin (4-0) is tipped for a bright future, training under the tutelage of Kieran Farrell and managed by Dave Coldwell.

“I’m buzzing for this. I’ve been training throughout lockdown and I’m ready to go. This fight will push me on, it’s all about learning. The pressure is on her, Carly will come out all guns blazing but we’ve got a steady game plan. I can’t wait for the first bell, this platform is huge,” revealed Timlin.

“I’m really exited to have Amy on such a massive show like this. Thanks to Eddie for giving us a slot in these testing times. Amy is a fantastic fighter, at 20 years old I think she’ll show people in the next year or two she is the next generation of flag bearers coming through in Women’s boxing,” said Coldwell. 

Southpaw Scouser Skelly (3-0) splits her time working in Children’s nursing, training out of the North Mersey ABC gym and raising her two young children.

“It’s been a long camp having to juggle things about but I’ve had some time off recently to concentrate on the fight,” said Skelly. “It’s a massive risk for Amy to take at her age, she won’t have felt power like this from a more mature fighter. This fight opens doors, I believe in myself and want to reach World level.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn added: “We’ve seen some amazing domestic fights recently in women’s boxing and this is another cracker. Two unbeaten fighters gunning for a World Title, the winner here will put themselves into contention for just that in 2021.”

Timlin vs Skelly joins McCarthy vs Laggoune and Selby vs Kambosos Jr on the Usyk-Chisora undercard with more additions to be confirmed shortly.

NEW YORK (October 9, 2020) – On Thursday, Split-T Management Super Middleweight DeAndre Ware was awarded the key to the city in his native Toledo, Ohio.

Ware, who is a Toledo Fire Fighter, got the well-deserved honor because of his heroic effort when he saved the life of longtime Top Rank coordinator Pete Susens after Susens fell ill and collapsed just before weigh-in on September 4th in Las Vegas.

Ware was in Las Vegas to fight undefeated Steven Nelson the following evening at the MGM Grand.

Ware jumped into action and used his talents of being an EMT to perform CPR until medical personnel arrived.

“It was unexpected, and a bit of a surprise,” said Ware. “I am so honored to receive this. This is the biggest honor that a city can give to someone. I actually did think that one day, I would get a key to the city, but I thought it would be for winning a world title. In a way it did come from boxing though as this happened at one of my fights, so it is the best of both worlds.”

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO OF CEREMONY–VIA WTOL NEWS 11 IN TOLEDO

NATHAN GORMAN BELIEVES that, with a good win under his belt tomorrow, he will be right back in the heavyweight title mix.

The affable giant from Nantwich, 16-1 (11KOs) returns to the ring this weekend at the BT Studios for the first time since suffering a sole career setback against former amateur rival Daniel Dubois at the 02 Arena in July of last year.

Gorman, who was at the time dealing with a multitude of domestic distractions he insisted would not knock him off course, was knocked to the canvas twice with the fight ending on the second in the fifth round.

After a lengthy period on the sidelines he is now back firing on all cylinders and determined to remind people of what he is all about when he takes on the unpredictable Ghanaian Richard Lartey, 14-2 (11KOs) tomorrow night on BT Sport.

Both Gorman and Lartey share the statistic of having Dubois as their last opponent, with Lartey engaging in a firefight with the current British champion before succumbing in the fourth, three months prior to Dubois-Gorman.

At the time, Gorman was dismissive of Dubois’ accomplishment of putting out Lartey’s fire at Wembley Arena.

“Yes I was critical,” said the 24-year-old on the level of Lartey. “But now I am fighting him he is the best thing since sliced bread!

“In all fairness to me I was building the fight with Daniel with what I said at the time but, being sensible, Lartey is a dangerous man, isn’t he? He comes for a fight, as everyone knows, and we also know he hasn’t got on that plane to lie down in the first round.”

Lartey and Dubois famously and ferociously traded bombs on a frequent basis across their four rounds of warfare and Gorman is not against the idea of doing likewise.

“If it comes, it comes. Ideally it is not my thing but sometimes the heart can rule the head. First and foremost I just want to win and that is the main objective. If it takes having a dogfight, knocking him out in the first round or winning hands down on points.

“If the knockout is there I am going to go for it, but winning is the main objective.

“If I do the job on Lartey on Saturday I am back in the mix. He is quite known in Britain and there is interest because it is a good fight. We are both coming off losses to Daniel and some will say he gave him his toughest test to date.

“I haven’t got too much ground to make up and, if I wanted to, I could have just had a six or eight rounder to come back against someone nobody had heard of. Then I heard about the Lartey fight and thought if I beat him and beat him well it puts me in good stead to get back to where I need to be.

“This is a good fight for me. I would imagine the winner out of Daniel and Joe Joyce will push on for a world title and I could fight for a vacant British and, ideally, Commonwealth title.”

Nathan Gorman v Richard Lartey features on a bumper night of action from the BT Studios, with live coverage beginning at 7pm on BT Sport 1 tomorrow night.

Heavy-handed lightweight Mark Chamberlain and super featherweight Muheeb Fazeldin round out the card.

Saul Sanchez 121.8 lbs vs. Daniel Lozano 121.8 lbs
(Vacant WBA Fedecentro Super Bantamweight Title – 10 Rounds)

Television (Telemundo) Check Your Local Listing

• Emanuel Navarrete 126 lbs vs. Ruben Villa 125 lbs
  (Vacant WBO Featherweight World Title – 12 Rounds)

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

Queensberry Promotions, in conjunction with the BBBofC, can confirm that two positive tests have been returned after the most recent batch of testing carried out by Prenetics.

The positive tests have come from the camps of boxer’s Jack Flatley and Dan Booth, although both Boxers tested negative themselves.

Consequently, the scheduled bout for the Commonwealth Super-Welterweight Championship between JJ Metcalf and Jack Flatley and the undercard bout between Micky Burke Jr and Dan Booth have now been cancelled in line with the protocol of the British Boxing Board of Control and the Promoter.

The rest of the show’s participants, who have all been isolating at a London base this week have tested negative and the show, being headlined by Liam Williams and Andrew Robinson for the British Middleweight Championship, will continue as planned.

A Queensberry spokesman said;  “Whilst it is unfortunate that two corner-men have tested positive it shows that the superb protocols and safety measures put in place for the sport works. These excellent measures have, of course, been carried out so to preserve the safety of everyone involved in the event and of course we wish those affected well.”

NEW YORK – October 8, 2020 – Former world champion Sergey Lipinets has not let anything, be it the pandemic or a change in fight date, distract him from preparations for his battle against unbeaten Kudratillo Abdukakhorov, as they fight for interim IBF Welterweight Title headlining action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, October 24 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

“I took the change in date like a champion, and I’ll do the same thing on October 24 that I would have done on October 10,” said Lipinets. “I’m very strong mentally, so there’s really no issue with the timing change. Training camp has been going great and I’m 100% ready for this one. I’ve been working with Joe Goossen and sparring with a lot of great fighters including Rashidi Ellis and Ronald Cruz.”

The 31-year-old Lipinets credits the renowned coach Goossen for the level of performance he has shown in the ring in the two years that they’ve worked together. The union between Lipinets and Goossen followed Lipinets’ run at 140-pounds, which saw him defeat Akihiro Kondo for the IBF Super Lightweight Championship on SHOWTIME in 2017 before losing the title by decision to Mikey Garcia the following year.

“My progression is totally attributed to working with Joe Goossen,” said Lipinets. “It’s like going from a high school education, then to college, and now I feel like I’m in graduate school. I’ve learned more with Joe than in all my previous time in the sport.

“Joe Goossen has taught me a lot about the short game and working on the inside. He’s also helped me with my lateral movement and made me way more durable. That’s all combined with my power increasing at 147 pounds. I’m ready to show all of it on October 24.”

Lipinets added two knockout victories to his ledger in 2019. In March he stopped two-division champion Lamont Peterson in a memorable firefight before blasting out Jayar Inson in the second-round in July. A win on October 24 not only puts Lipinets in line for the winner of the matchup between IBF and WBC Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. and two-division champion Danny Garcia, but also will help solidify his spot amongst the best in the star-studded 147-pound weight class. However, these potential high-profile matchups don’t take anything away from his focus heading into his upcoming fight.

“I don’t really think about the other top welterweight fighters like Errol Spence Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter or Terence Crawford,” said Lipinets. “In order to get to them, I have to win on October 24. Then everything else will fall into place. The top guys will fight me when they have to. That’s been the story of my career. Nobody has fought me because they wanted to, but usually because they had to.”

The unbeaten Abdukakhorov presents a challenge that Lipinets embraces. Abdukakhorov enters this fight after a victory over former champion Luis Collazo in addition extensive amateur experience that Lipinets knows will make him a formidable opponent when they square off October 24.

“Nobody is at the top of the IBF rankings for nothing,” said Lipinets. “Abdukakhorov had a successful amateur career with a lot of fights. He moves fast and knows his way around the ring. I know he’s tough, strong and he’ll do his best to stay in there with me. But I’m going to box him, fight at a distance if I have to, and pile up points against him. I expect a great fight. I’ll have a plan for whatever he brings to the table and get the win however I have to!”

ABOUT LIPINETS VS. ABDUKAKHOROV
Lipinets vs. Abdukakhorov will see former world champion Sergey Lipinets take on unbeaten Kudratillo Abdukakhorov for the interim IBF Welterweight Title headlining action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, October 24 in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will see undefeated contender Xavier Martínez battle hard-hitting Claudio “The Matrix” Marrero in a 12-round WBA Super Featherweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event. Rising super lightweight Malik “Iceman” Hawkins will duel knockout artist Subriel Matías in a 10-round showdown to kick off the televised action.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and Mayweather Promotions.

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

LAS VEGAS (October 8, 2020) — The breakout star of the Bubble, “Cassius” Clay Collard, is back for more.

Collard, the MMA pro-turned contender for 2020 “Boxing Prospect of the Year,” will fight Quincy LaVallais in an eight-round middleweight bout on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Teofimo Lopez undercard on Saturday, Oct. 17 from the MGM Grand Las Vegas Conference Center. It is a rematch of their June 2019 fight, which was ruled a draw.

Collard-LaVallais 2 and additional undercard bouts, including a 10-round junior welterweight clash between top prospect Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas and Kendo Castaneda, will stream live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Lomachenko-Lopez world championship main event, the 10-round junior welterweight battle between Alex Saucedo and Arnold Barboza Jr., and an eight-round super middleweight tilt featuring knockout king Edgar Berlanga against Lanell Bellows will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET.

“A marquee main event deserves marquee supporting fights, and we have an incredible lineup in store underneath Lomachenko-Lopez,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Vargas can graduate to contender with a win over Castaneda, and Clay Collard is back to once again put on a show. Tune in early to ESPN+ to kick off an incredible night of boxing.”

Collard (9-2-3, 4 KOs), who is 5-0 with 3 knockouts in 2020, began the year with three victories over previously undefeated prospects. In January, he toppled the 9-0 Quashawn Toler by unanimous decision in Toler’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. The following month, he knocked out the 5-0 Raymond Guajardo in the second round of a bout that saw both men hit the canvas. He made his Bubble debut June 18 and battered the 6-0 David Kaminsky en route to a split decision nod. Collard has notched knockouts in his last two Bubble bouts and returns against LaVallais (9-0-1, 5 KOs), a native of Kenner, La. Collard and LaVallais fought in New Orleans, and LaVallais escaped with the draw. LaVallais has won two fights since, both by first-round stoppage.

“I’m a born fighter, and I’m grateful to be back on such a significant card,” Collard said. “When Quincy and I fought the first time, I knew I’d done enough to win, but we were in his hometown. We’re fighting on neutral ground this time.”

Vargas (17-1, 9 KOs), and his teeth, made an impression in his last bout. Vargas lost a veneer, but still managed to nearly shut out Salvador Briceno over 10 rounds in an ESPN-televised co-feature. He has won 11 consecutive fights and takes a step up against Castaneda (17-2, 8 KOs), a San Antonio-born boxer-puncher coming of a competitive decision loss in July to Jose “Chon” Zepeda.

In other undercard bouts scheduled for ESPN+:

Jose Enrique Vivas (19-1, 10 KOs) vs. John Vincent Moralde (23-3, 13 KOs)
8 Rounds, Featherweight

Vivas’ last fight was one of the best of 2020, a 10-round war against Carlos Jackson that took place July 2 inside the Bubble. Vivas and his hellacious body attack earned him the unanimous decision nod. Moralde, a top Filipino contender, is 3-1 since a September 2018 decision loss to Jamel Herring at junior lightweight.

Quinton Randall (6-0, 2 KOs) vs. Jan Carlos Rivera (4-0, 4 KOs)
6 Rounds, Welterweight

Former USA Boxing amateur star Randall takes a step up in class against Rivera, a Puerto Rican knockout puncher who has yet to see the third round as a professional. Randall, from Houston, Texas, defeated Clay Collard via unanimous decision in June 2019.

Jahi Tucker (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Charles Garner (1-0)
4 Rounds, Welterweight

The 17-year-old Tucker, who signed with Top Rank earlier this year, made his professional debut Sept. 19 and scored a first-round stoppage over Deandre Anderson. 

Use the hashtag #LomaLopez 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 from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to 8.5 million subscribers, offering fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. 

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.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.

NEW YORK (October 8, 2020) – Three member of Split-T Management scored impressive victories on Wednesday night at The Mohegan Sun Arena, with two of the wins televised live as part of a ShoBox: The New Generation card live on SHOWTIME®

In The main event, 2016 United States Olympian Charles Conwell remained undefeated with a crushing 9th round stoppage over previously undefeated Wendy Toussaint in a junior middleweight bout.

Conwell dominated the 1st eight rounds with terrific boxing ability as he was able to get inside and get the better of the action. In round, nine, Cinewell landed a blistering uppercut that may have broke the nose of Toussaint. The New Yorker took a couple steps back, and took a knee for the 10-count at 2:42.

With the win, Conwell of Cleveland, Ohio is now 13-0 with 10 knockouts,

“I think this was a good fight for my first fight back, getting the ring rust off, but at the end of the day we got the job done,” said Conwell, a 2016 U.S. Olympian. “The game plan going in was to break him down round by round, go to the body until we got him to where we wanted him. I give my performance a C-plus, there were a lot of things I could have done better. I’m going to get back in the gym and continue to work hard to become the champion I know I can be. I’ll fight anybody next, but I really want an ex-world champion or ex-title challenger so I can get the championship rounds under my belt. Then it’s on to a world title.”

Conwell is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Holden Productions.

In the co-feature, undefeated welterweight Janelson Figueroa Bocachica announced himself to the world with a opening round destruction of Nicklaus Flaz.

Bocachica scored a crushing knockdown in the opening seconds of the fight as he landed a perfect left hook on the jaw. Bocachica kept up the onslaught has he landed tremendous power shots that culminated with another left hook that sent Flaz down for a second. It was only matter of time before Bocachica ended things with a big barrage of punches that forced the stoppage as Flaz was falling for a 3rd time at 2:43.

With the win, Bocachica of Detroit is now 16-0 with 11 knockouts.

Figueroa Bocachica is promoted by King’s Promotions.

“I came in and they said he wanted to brawl, and as soon as he did, the fight was over,” said Bocachica, a Detroit native, who like Flaz is of Puerto Rican descent. “The game plan was to showcase my boxing. I didn’t get to do that but I’m happy either way. I’m not shy calling out guys, but I’m trying to be respectful to the best in my division. I’m here, so bring them on. One-hundred forty-seven [pounds] is mine. It was easier than I thought, I’m not going to lie. But I didn’t think it was going to be hard.”

Featherweight prospect David Navarro made an impressive debut by stopping Nathan Benichou in the opening round of their scheduled four-rounder.

Navarro scored two knockdowns, and he showed why he was a much talked about singing for Split-T Management. The end came at 1:32 for native of Los Angeles.

Highlights of Navarro’s victory were shown on the ShoBox Telecast.

NEW YORK – October 8, 2020 – SHOWTIME Sports will chronicle the buildup to the battle for championships in two weight divisions between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz with a new installment of the Emmy Award-winning series ALL ACCESS. The two-part series premieres Friday, October 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME with episode two premiering Friday, October 23, in advance of the four-fight SHOWTIME PPV® event on Saturday, October 31.

ALL ACCESS: DAVIS VS. SANTA CRUZ peels back the curtain to reveal how the two champions, with contrasting styles, are more alike outside the ring as they prepare to headline their first pay-per-view event during unprecedented times. The series reveals how Davis and Santa Cruz, with a shared love of their respective cities and the sport of boxing, fight for much more than themselves.

Filming is underway as Baltimore native Davis prepares with longtime trainer Calvin Ford and mentor and promoter Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas. Proud Mexican-American Santa Cruz is in training camp in Los Angeles with his father and trainer Jose, who is in an ongoing battle with cancer.

Episode two of ALL ACCESS: DAVIS VS. SANTA CRUZ will premiere Friday, October 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.

ARLINGTON, TX. (October 8, 2020) – Unified welterweight world champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. will duel two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia in the blockbuster main event of a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Saturday, December 5 with fans in attendance at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features unbeaten super welterweight sensation Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora taking on Jorge Cota in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event. The lineup will also see all-action contenders Josesito “The Riverside Rocky” Lopez and Francisco “Chia” Santana squaring-off in a 10-round welterweight affair, plus former champion Julio Ceja faces featherweight contender Eduardo Ramirez in a WBC Featherweight Title Eliminator to kick off the pay-per-view.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, Man Down Promotions and DSG Promotions, are on sale Wednesday, October 14 at 10 a.m. CT, and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium. Spence vs. Garcia was originally scheduled for November 21.

AT&T Stadium, which has hosted NFL fans during the 2020 Dallas Cowboys season, will be following guidelines from the CDC with protocols regarding COVID-19 safeguards and cleaning procedures. All fans attending the event will be required to wear a mask. Tickets will be distributed in seat blocks known as “pods” to maintain distance between groups who are not known to one another. For more information on AT&T Stadium’s Safe Stadium Policy, please visit the site here: https://attstadium.com/safestadium/.

The hometown hero Spence will return to fight at AT&T Stadium after putting on a masterful performance in front of an enormous crowd at the Dallas Cowboys’ home last March, when he dominated four-division champion Mikey Garcia on his way to a unanimous decision victory. Possessing dangerous one-punch knockout power, two-division champion Danny Garcia was an indomitable force in the 140-pound division and has been equally powerful at welterweight, winning the WBC title in 2016. He will be looking to regain his 147-pound world title against Spence.

“In the tradition of memorable PBC welterweight clashes, Errol Spence Jr. vs. Danny Garcia will pit two fighters with elite skills and heavy hands against each other in a high-stakes showdown on December 5,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Every time Spence fights in front of his hometown fans it is an unforgettable and energetic evening. We’re excited to be able to bring those fans this great matchup with Spence going up against an elite and always dangerous two-division champion in Danny Garcia. With three all-Mexican wars on the undercard, this FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View is lined up to deliver action fights all night long.”

“We’re thrilled to deliver fans a blockbuster night of boxing headlined by Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr. battling Danny ‘Swift’ Garcia in an exclusive FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View special event,” said Bill Wanger, Executive Vice President, Head of Programming and Scheduling for FOX Sports. “This should be an epic evening of must-see fights, and we’re excited to deliver viewers the next best things to front row seats.”

“What an exciting event to look forward to as we welcome yet another championship fight to AT&T Stadium,” said Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones. “We are honored to once again partner with TGB Promotions and Premier Boxing Champions and provide a top flight boxing match between Errol Spence Jr. and Danny Garcia on December 5.”

This will be the third FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View headlined by Spence (26-0, 21 KOs), whounified welterweight titles in September by besting Shawn Porter in one of the best fights of the year. Spence was launched into stardom when the 30-year-old first captured a welterweight crown by traveling to the U.K. to stop Kell Brook in front of his hometown fans in 2017. He followed up his title-winning victory with triumphs over Lamont Peterson and Carlos Ocampo in 2018.

Fighting out of his native Desoto, Texas, Spence will return to the ring for the first time since miraculously surviving a car accident last October where he was thrown from the vehicle before it crashed. Spence represented the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics before turning pro later that year and scoring knockouts in 10 of his first 12 fights, showing the promise that he would eventually fulfill on the biggest stages of the sport.

“Having my comeback fight be in front of my hometown fans at AT&T Stadium is added motivation and a dream come true,” said Spence. “It means even more because I’m going up against a great champion in Danny Garcia. I know people are looking out to see if I’ve lost a step or won’t be at my best, but I’m 100% focused and everything is on point in training camp. I just can’t wait to go out there on December 5 and put on a show.”

Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) is the latest in a long line of great boxers from Philadelphia who have made their mark on the sport. His run through the super lightweight division and two-year reign as a unified champion is one of the most impressive in modern history as he defeated a string of champions, including, Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Nate Campbell and Kendall Holt. Garcia also has been equally impressive at welterweight, defeating former world champions Lamont Peterson, Paulie Malignaggi, and Robert Guerrero.

After dominating the super lightweight division, the 32-year-old Garcia moved up to welterweight where he won the vacant WBC title with a unanimous decision over Guerrero in 2016. He lost a split decision to Thurman in a unification match in 2017 and dropped a narrow unanimous decision to Shawn Porter for the WBC title in 2018. Many observers and fans thought he deserved the decision in those matches. He bounced back from the Porter fight to score a spectacular knockout victory over Adrian Granados in 2019 and most recently dominated Ivan Redkach on his way to a unanimous decision in January.

“I’m very excited to get back in the ring,” said Garcia. “This is going to be my second fight of 2020, even though it’s been a crazy year with the pandemic and everything. I’m glad we’re finally getting back to where we were and that we’ll be able to bring this fight to the fans. This matchup is a mega-fight unification bout. It’s my opportunity to reclaim my spot at the top in this division and become a five-time world champion. Training and sparring has been going really well. I’m extremely prepared for this already and it can’t get here soon enough. Come December 5, I will be crowned unified champion!”

Towering at nearly six-feet six-inches, Fundora (15-0-1, 10 KOs) has used his height and length, combined with power and aggressiveness, to rack up an unbeaten record since turning pro in 2016. The 22-year-old owns two victories in 2020, beating then unbeaten Daniel Lewis by decision in February, before most recently becoming the first fighter to knock out Nathaniel Gallimore with his August triumph on FOX. Fighting out of Coachella, California, Fundora entered the ring three times in 2019, including TKO victories over then unbeaten fighters Donnie Marshall and Hector Manuel Zepeda, plus an exciting split-draw against fellow contender Jamontay Clark.

“I’m thrilled to be back in action on a card of this magnitude to finish the year off,” said Fundora. “We’ll be facing a very experienced opponent in Jorge Cota, who’s someone that always comes to fight and give the fans a great show, just like me. We’re going to train hard to go up against this challenge. I’m certain Cota is doing the same, which is going to make this a great fight on December 5.”

Representing his native Sinaloa, Mexico, Cota (30-4, 27 KOs) bested 154-pound contender Thomas LaManna in his last fight, battering LaManna before stopping him in the fifth-round. The 32-year-old has bounced back from a loss to unified 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo with back-to-back stoppage victories. Cota had won 12 of 14 fights prior to facing Charlo, with his only defeats coming to former unified champion Jeison Rosario and top contender Erickson Lubin.

“I’ve been fighting professionally for 11 years and I know that this fight is do-or-die for me,” said Cota. “I know that if I lose, that could be my last chance to fight for a world title. I will be prepared to retire. So I’m training like everything in my life depends on beating Fundora and that’s how I’m going to fight him on December 5.”

Lopez (37-8, 20 KOs) has long established himself as a fiery competitor and top contender in multiple weight classes and has compiled an impressive resume. He owns victories over Victor Ortiz, Miguel Cruz and Mike Dallas Jr., having given the last two the first defeat of their careers. Additionally, he has squared off against Canelo Alvarez, Andre Berto, Marcos Maidana and Jessie Vargas. In 2019 the Riverside, California native lost a majority decision to Keith Thurman, before most recently knocking out John Molina Jr. last September.

“I’m ready to get back to fighting,” said Lopez. “This is an all-action card, so it’s only right that I’m included on it. I’m expecting a great fight against an excellent fighter in Santana. I’m just working hard to put on the best performance that I possibly can on December 5. This is going to be a fun, tactical fight, but we’re also going to be very aggressive. This type of fight belongs on a huge pay-per-view event like this one. My training camp has gone really well and I can’t wait to steal the show on what I think will be the card of the year.”

Santana (25-8-1, 12 KOs) has taken on the toughest challenges at 147 and 154 pounds and has made his name with his action style throughout a long career as a contender. Santana returns to the ring after losing to former unified champion Jarrett Hurd in January. The Santa Barbara, California native owns a victory over Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz in April 2018 and has faced unified champion Jermell Charlo and former champion Sadam Ali, while also fighting to a six-round draw against former unified champion Julian Williams in 2011.

“Me and Josesito are both throwback blood and guts gladiators,” said Santana. “I have nothing but respect for Josesito. We’re both fighters who have been underdogs throughout our careers and caused problems for the best fighters in the world. That combination is going to make this all all-out war and an instant classic. My motto is train, fight, win. On December 5, there is no other option.”

A former super bantamweight champion, Ceja (32-4-1, 28 KOs) will move up to featherweight as he seeks an opportunity to capture a championship in a second division. Ceja’s 2019 saw him engage in two action-packed battles, dropping a June contest to former champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and most recently fighting unbeaten super bantamweight champion Brandon Figueroa to a draw in November. The 27-year-old captured his 122-pound title with a stoppage of Hugo Ruiz in 2015, and has also challenged for a bantamweight title throughout his career.

“I’m very excited for this upcoming war between two Mexican fighters,” said Ceja. “I’m in Las Vegas and training hard every day. Camp is going perfectly and I will be 100% on December 5 so I can get one step closer to becoming world champion again.”

The 27-year-old Ramirez (23-2-3, 10 KOs) has risen up the featherweight rankings with wins in three of his last four fights since losing to then 126-pound champion Lee Selby in 2017. Fighting out of Sinaloa, Mexico, Ramirez most recently gave Leduan Barthelemy his first career loss via a fourth-round stoppage in their rematch last November, following up on their split-draw the first time they faced off. Overall, Ramirez has won 14 of his last 17 outings.

“I am in fantastic shape for this fight and I’m looking forward to showing off my improved skills once again,” said Ramirez. “I learned a lot in my loss against Claudio Marrero. I believe that I displayed those improvements when I beat Leduan Barthelemy. It was a big statement knocking him out and I can’t wait to make another statement in this fight against Ceja.”

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

LIAM WILLIAMS POSSESSES the power and tools to part Demetrius Andrade from his WBO world middleweight title, according to shared foe Alantez Fox.

The Maryland man, known as SlyAsa, was spectacularly knocked off his WBO No.1 ranked perch by the formidable middleweight force of Welshman Williams in December of last year, with ‘The Machine’ pounding the American before forcing a fifth round stoppage.

Fox’s only other reverse came against the current champion back in 2017 when Andrade clocked up a wide points victory over his countryman.

It makes the 6ft 4″ 28-year-old ideally placed to assess the prospect of mandatory challenger Williams taking on Andrade, once he has dealt with the domestic duty of defending his British title against Andrew Robinson, live on BT Sport 1 on Saturday.

“I don’t think Liam was better than I thought. He was everything I expected him to be – aggressive, strong and hitting hard. I just don’t think I was all the way there.

“I believe he is a good fighter though, definitely, I don’t think I would have lost if he wasn’t,” added Fox, who suspects an intriguing clash of styles will come into play when and if the pair meet.

“I believe the comparison between Andrade and Williams is the classic boxer versus kinda sort of brawler. Liam Williams is very aggressive and he comes to fight. He comes to box a bit, but he comes for war and to get in there to fight on the inside, which is what he will try and do against Andrade.

“If Andrade doesn’t box enough, or doesn’t box well, more than likely Liam Williams will take that victory. I want to say Williams hits harder than Andrade and I understand why people would ask the question because he ended up stopping me in the fifth round.

“Liam Williams does hit hard and he does have good punch placement.”

Fox concluded that geography, as well as styles, could be the making of having a new middleweight champion.

“I think some factors play into this fight. If Demetrius Andrade goes over there, it is a big ass difference. If Liam Williams has to fight here (the USA) that is a big difference too and I believe an Andrade win.

“It will be a boxer v brawler type of fight, but Andrade isn’t weak. He will have to be on his P’s and Q’s though against Williams,.

“That isn’t to say Liam Williams doesn’t possess the strength and guile to go in there and upset a lot of people. I am kind of on the fence over this one.”

“I would love to see these two clash and I hope it does happen.”

WATCH LIAM WILLIAMS vs ANDREW ROBINSON, SATURDAY, 7PM, BT SPORT 1

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 8, 2020): One of the most highly anticipated lightweight showdowns in recent years is set to finally take place as rising star Ryan Garcia (20-0, 17 KOs) faces off against experienced contender and Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs) in a 12-round battle for the interim WBC Lightweight World Championship. The fight will take place on Saturday, Dec. 5 and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN in the U.S.

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

“For years, the world of boxing has been clamoring for a crossover star who can reach new audiences that have gone untapped for far too long,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “Ryan Garcia stands at the precipice of doing the same thing at an incredibly young age when he takes on Luke Campbell. While transitioning Ryan’s enormous social media following to DAZN viewers is good business for Ryan, Golden Boy and DAZN, it’s more importantly good for the sport of boxing, which needs a shot in the arm right now more than ever. For the next months, we are going to work tirelessly with our partners to promote this fight — by far Ryan’s biggest test of his career —which can catapult Ryan’s career to an entire other level.”

Garcia is a 22-year-old contender who has quickly developed into one of boxing’s most popular young athletes. Since joining the Golden Boy stable in 2016, he has steadily made his case for a world title opportunity by defeating the likes of “Ruthless” Romero Duno, Francisco Fonseca, Carlos “The Solution” Morales and Jason “La Maravilla” Velez. Since joining forces with renowned trainer Eddy Reynoso, the native of Victorville, Calif. has looked better than ever, improving his technical abilities and scoring knockout wins in his last five fights. But now, the toughest test of his career lies before him in Campbell, a man with whom he can prove definitively that he is championship material.

“I’ve been eagerly waiting to get back in the ring and have been working harder than ever to get here,” said Ryan Garcia. “It’s been a tough year for everyone, but I’m excited to bring the fans an escape for the night… or based on my track record, a few minutes at most. Luke’s record speaks for itself, but I’m ready to prove the doubters wrong. This is my era now and December 5th just the start of it.”

Campbell, a former WBC Silver Lightweight champion who took home a gold medal in front of his English countrymen in the 2012 London Olympic Games, is an elite fighter. Along with wins against Darleys Perez and former world champion Argenis Mendez, 33-year-old southpaw has been in very competitive fights against former unified 135-pound champion Jorge “El Niño de Oro” Linares and current unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko. Whether due to his experience or his skill, Campbell is confident he can break Garcia down.

“2020 has been an extremely tough year for everyone, so I’m really pleased we can finally get this fight officially on and give the fans something to look forward to,” said Luke Campbell. “There’s been a lot of talk and he’s clearly a very highly regarded fighter, but I’m going to prove that this is far too much, far too soon and that I’m on a completely different level. I’ve fought in America before, so this will be nothing new for myself and my team. Fans or no fans, the one thing I can guarantee is that I will be coming back to the UK with the victory. Training hasn’t stopped for me, and I’m going to be in peak condition to show something very special from Luke Campbell on December 5.”

“This is a great fight in what is probably the hottest division in boxing right now,” said Eddie Hearn,” Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “Luke is fearless in the challenges he takes and is ready to score a major victory in December against Ryan Garcia. Luke has been operating at the elite end of the division for a long time, and although Ryan is an exceptional young talent, I truly believe Luke’s pedigree and experience will be too much for him.”

Garcia vs. Campbell is a 12-round fight for the interim WBC Lightweight World Championship presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Dec. 5, 2020 and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN in the U.S.

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

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

LAS VEGAS (October 7, 2020) -Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete has won 27 consecutive bouts. Ruben Villa has never lost as a professional. Something will give Friday evening (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET), when the two battle for the vacant WBO featherweight world title, which became available after Shakur Stevenson moved up to the junior lightweight ranks.

The ESPN-televised co-feature will see Kazakh middleweight phenom Janibek Alimkhanuly against Gonzalo Coria in a 10-rounder. Undercard bouts, including middleweight prospect Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson against Sonny Duversonne and junior welterweight puncher Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez against Cameron Krael, will stream live on ESPN+ at 7:15 p.m. ET.

Navarrete (32-1, 28 KOs) reigned as WBO junior featherweight world champion and became boxing’s most active world champion. He made five defenses of the title he won from Isaac Dogboe in a nine-month span and most recently knocked out Uriel Lopez in a June non-title bout in Mexico City.

Villa (18-0, 5 KOs), from Salinas, Calif, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing, earned this title shot with wins over the likes of Alexei Collado and Jose Enrique Vivas, but Navarrete represents a giant step up in class. Villa fights for his Salinas Valley home region, which has been ravaged by wildfires in recent months. The poor air quality has forced him to wear a mask during roadwork. The field workers are still out there, providing Villa with ample motivation as he awaits his first world title opportunity.

At Wednesday’s press conference, this is what Navarrete and Villa had to say.

Ruben Villa

“There have been a couple of restrictions and stuff due to COVID, but I’ve been in the gym, I’ve been active. It hasn’t gotten in the way of me training and my team’s training. Yeah, we trained hard, another hard camp, and we’re ready for Friday night.”

“My last couple of fights, they’ve been aggressive guys who come to beat me and think they’re going to get me off my game plan. But I adapted well. We always had good game plans and stuck to game plans, and now we’re here fighting for a world title. I feel like I’m ready. I feel like he’s beatable, and my style is the one to do it.”

“He’s an aggressive guy who throws 100 punches a round. I feel like it’s just going to bring the best out of me to do my job as well as I can.

“I feel like you’re going to see a bigger and better Ruben Villa this Friday.”

“Running with the mask on, seeing the field workers working during the pandemic and fires, it’s just another motivation for me to win this fight and bring Salinas its first world title. I just can’t wait to show you guys what I got.”

“I want to see the best Ruben Villa. I haven’t even seen him yet. I feel like Navarrete will bring it out of me. I’m just excited to perform and, like I said, show you guys what I got. I feel like I’ve been slept on. Maybe a lot of people think I don’t belong here, but I’m going to show everyone I’m an elite 126 fighter. Yeah, I’m coming to win and coming to fight.”

Emanuel Navarrete

“With the current situation and the camp we’ve had, {my team} has done a great job. We’ve worked through it, and we’re ready for this match.”

“My body is doing a lot better. I’m growing a little bit more. It was getting a little bit difficult making 122, but now going up to 126, I think I’m more prepared for that.”

“For now, we’re pretty much ready. We’re ready for this weight. We’re ready for this fight on Friday night, so I think we’re ready to go with what we have. After this fight, we’re going to keep moving forward.”

Use the hashtag #NavarreteVilla to join the conversation on social media.

LAS VEGAS, NV (October 7, 2020) – Undefeated WBC Lightweight champion, Devin “The Dream” Haney (24-0, 15 KOs) is back in camp for his fight on November 7th against 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (30-3, 18KOs). The 12-round fight being promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing is scheduled to take place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, live on DAZN.

“Today was the first day of hard sparring,” said Devin Haney after finishing sparring for the day. “I am glad to be back in the ring after my shoulder injury, and I am glad to be doing what I love, competing at the highest level of the sport of boxing. Injuries are a part of the sport, but it still doesn’t make working through them any less difficult. I feel better now than before my injury.”

Haney, a world champion at the age of 21-years-old, is looking to show why his name has been mentioned amongst the best of the division, such as Vasiliy Lomachenko, Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia, Gervonta “Tank” Davis, and many others.

“It takes a lot to come back from an injury and still have the same belief in yourself,” said Haney reflectively. “The hurdles are mental and they’re not always apparent, they lurk beneath the surface and appear in training when you don’t expect them. I faced them and conquered them, and now am a better fighter for it.”

Haney will defend his belt against a formidable foe in his second world title defense when he steps in the ring with Gamboa, a former two-time world champion.

“People will say this fight is easy, but it is not, Gamboa is a former world champion, who has nothing to lose and the shot of a lifetime,” concluded Haney. “I have to be in the best shape of my life and put on a vintage Devin Haney performance to let my fans know that I never left. I’m on a quest to be the best fighter in boxing.”

Last month Brandon Figueroa and Damien Vazquez engaged in an exciting battle for the WBA super bantamweight title at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut on a high profile Showtime pay-per-view event.  The first few rounds had tremendous two-way action as both fighters landed several clean shots.  

Unfortunately, that all changed in the 4th round as Figueroa began landing several rabbit punches. The rabbit punches began to take their toll and after the middle rounds it was clear that Vazquez wasn’t himself. The fight ended up being stopped in the 10th round.

“I can’t remember much after the third round,” Vazquez said after the fight. “My head was so swollen and I had lumps all over the back of my head.  I am just thankful that I feel better now and that my CT scan came out clean.”

When the illegal punches began connecting, Vazquez’s father and co-trainer Oscar repeatedly pleaded with the referee to admonish Figueroa. In what appears to be a gross case of negligence, the referee failed to issue a single warning to Figueroa for his habitual rabbit punching.

After the Prichard Colon tragedy in 2015 and more recently with up and coming fighter Shawn Simpson injured by a rabbit punch with 16 ounce gloves in sparring, it is imperative that the sport cleans up these dangerous and illegal punches.  

That starts with the referees that are in charge of the action and Gary Rosato, who is a veteran referee, failed to protect Vazquez from the illegal punches. Prior to the fight, Vazquez’s team even specifically told Rosato to keep an eye out for the illegal blows.

In an effort to help prevent another tragedy from occurring in the future, Vazquez has retained the services of John Strafaci, Esq. who specializes in Tribal Law and has won several high profile cases in the region. He has filed an appeal to the Mohegan Tribal Department of Athletic Regulation. 

 “We are filing this appeal on behalf of Damien, based on egregious illegal punches that happened throughout the course of the fight that should have never happened. The ref should have taken action early on and stopped the fouls that clearly affected the outcome of the fight. These illegal and dangerous punches put this young man in the hospital and caused him serious injury. This needs to be addressed because the next fighter may suffer worse injuries than Damien has suffered,” said Strafaci. 

(October 7, 2020) — Lightweight contender Viktor Kotochigov will defend his WBC International belt against British contender Maxi Hughes in the 10-round main event Friday, Oct. 9 from Caesars Bluewaters Dubai. Kotochigov-Hughes and undercard contests — the Rotunda Rumble IV — will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.
 
Kotochigov (12-0, 5 KOs), from Kazakhstan, won the vacant WBC International belt last July with a unanimous decision over Jairo Lopez. A world traveler, he’s fought in seven countries since turning pro in December 2015. He last fought Aug. 23 and knocked out Belarusian veteran Andrei Isayeu in three rounds. Hughes (21-5-2, 4 KOs), from Rossington, England is coming off an upset decision victory Aug. 12 over longtime contender Jono Carroll. The Carroll win marked a turning point in the 10-year career of Hughes, who previously fell short in bids for the British super featherweight, WBC International super featherweight and WBO European lightweight titles.
 
In other streaming action on ESPN+:

• Armenian amateur superstar Hovhannes Bachkov will make his professional debut in an eight-round junior welterweight bout against 28-fight Venezuelan veteran Samuel Gonzalez (22-6, 13 KOs). Bachkov, a two-time World Championships bronze medalist (2017 and 2019), represented Armenia at the 2016 Rio Olympics and won a gold medal at the 2017 European Championships in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
   
• Junior welterweight knockout artist Faizan Anwar (4-0, 4 KOs), a 19-year-old from Calcutta, India, will take on JR Mendoza (11-19, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder. The durable Mendoza has not been knocked out since 2012.
   
• Junior bantamweight prospect Blane Hyland (3-0), from Liverpool, England, will fight Mohamed Salah Abdelghany (3-2) in a six-rounder.

 
About ESPN+
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Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.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.