London, UK (28 January 2020) Promoter Mick Hennessy brings big-time boxing back to Coventry at the Sky Dome for the first time in a decade with an exciting clash between bitter rivals Shakan Pitters and Craig Richards for the Vacant British Light-Heavyweight Championship on Saturday 28th March, exclusively live on free-to-air Channel 5.

Presented by Hennessy Sports in association with Ladbrokes, Channel 5, Infinitum, Everlast and Jon Pegg, tickets will be priced at Standard £40, Ringside £70, Inner Ringside £100. An on-sale date and full ticket details will be announced shortly.

The Sky Dome was a boxing hotbed in the early to mid 2000s with a host of popular local boxers, including Neil Simpson, Dean Pithie, Richard Evatt, Steven Bendall and Andy Halder all featuring in glorious fight nights at the venue.

With the last championship boxing event staged there almost 10 years’ ago – Leicester’s Rendall Munroe in a WBC World Super-Bantamweight title eliminator in April 2010 – and with Coventry leading up to its year as 2021 City of Culture, Hennessy felt it was the ideal time and location to bring boxing back and stage one of the most eagerly anticipated fights in British boxing.

Since the British title was vacated by Joshua Buatsi and the British Boxing Board of Control announced purse bids for Pitters v Richards – which were won by Hennessy – the the showdown has got the British fight trade divided. It’s a real 50-50 encounter with both fighters evenly matched and with plenty of pride at stake, neither man will want to come second in this crucial 175lb clash.

The towering 6ft 6in Pitters, 30, hasn’t put a foot wrong since making his pro-debut in March 2017 and has amassed a perfect unbeaten 13-fight career with four knockouts. The Birmingham talent first came to attention when he cruised through the Ultimate Boxxer 2 tournament in November 2018, defeating Dec Spelman, Georgii Bacon and Sam Smith all in one night to win the Golden Robe. In ‘Shaks’ last fight in September he again faced Spelman, who by then had become the English champion, and relieved him of the title in a thrilling 10-round war where he had to overcome some tricky moments to emerge the winner on the scorecards.

Pitters said, “I’m not like any of the guys he’s faced before. He keeps going on about Andre Sterling, Jake Ball and Frank Buglioni, he just living off those names. I can’t wait until I get in the ring with him and find out how adaptable he is, then he’ll realise how good I am. It doesn’t matter where the fight is taking place, I don’t care where the fight is, the result will always be the same, I will win. I’m the better boxer and he’s going to find that out. He goes on about me being hurt against Dec Spelman, but I proved I had a great chin. His last fight against Chad Sugden was awful, if that was me in with Sugden he would have been out of there. For me the fight doesn’t go the distance and I want to know what his excuse is going to be when he loses.”

Richards, 29, from Crystal Palace, has built a solid record in his five years as a professional. He’s captured the Southern Area Super-Middleweight title and the WBA Continental Light-Heavyweight title in his 17-fight career. This will be Richards second shot at the British Light-Heavyweight title after his points loss to then Champion Frank Buglioni in October 2017 at the Principality Stadium on an Anthony Joshua card. Richards took the fight at just five days’ notice after original opponent Callum Johnson withdrew, but he took the fight to Buglioni and at one point in the third round he looked like he was going to cause a huge upset. Since then ‘Spider’ has remained unbeaten in six fights, although his last fight was scored a surprised draw to Chad Sugden.

Richards said, “Pitters is not ready to challenge for the British title, he should have defended the English and then fought an eliminator to prove he’s ready. People are getting carried away with him. Just take a look at his record, his four knockouts have been against a guy who lost 72 fights; someone who only had three fights; another one with 29 losses and someone making his debut. He was badly hurt in his last fight against Spelman. Is the fight taking place in Coventry to give him some kind of advantage? It will work against him and the pressure will all be on him. I’ve fought on an Anthony Joshua show in front of 86,000 people against Frank Buglioni for the British title at just five days notice. Fighting in Coventry means nothing to me. It won’t go the distance unless he gets on his bike for twelve rounds. When I hit him on the chin and he lands on Big Ben he’ll wish the fight would have taken place in London.”

A top quality undercard features some great Midlands match ups that includes a feisty Coventry derby between welterweights Jordan Cooke and Michael Green over six-rounds; Birmingham’s Ishmael Ellis takes on Walsall’s Shaun Cooper over six rounds at lightweight; Coventry’s Dilly Singh against Birmingham’s Matt Sen at cruiserweight over six rounds; Coventry light-middleweight River Wilson Bent in a four-round contest; Birmingham lightweight Tom Collins in a four-round contest; Birmingham super-featherweight Lewis Coley in a four-round contest; Leamington Spa lightweight Danny Quartermine makes his pro-debut in a four-round contest.

Also on the card will be exciting middleweight prospect Michael Hennessy Jr. from Sevenoaks, Kent, in his fifth professional bout in a six round contest.

Hennessy is thrilled to deliver the fight to the fans and for viewers live on Channel 5 and is expecting a memorable encounter between Pitters and Richards. He said, “It was a fight that really appealed to me when the purse bids were announced by the Board and I’m delighted to have won the rights to stage it. The once popular fight city of Coventry has been bereft of professional championship boxing for nearly 10 years and I felt that it was the ideal venue to host this cracking British title fight and bring boxing back once again and it will also be live on free-to-air TV on Channel 5. It’s a real 50-50 fight and has split the trade on who will win this one. Shakan is undefeated, skilful and with the physical advantages, but is facing his first big test and if he comes through he will really launch himself on the big stage. While Richards has the edge in experience having challenged for the British title before he is also highly regarded and skilled boxer, he’ll be hungry to get the victory over his rival. This has the makings of a great fight between the fierce rivals with plenty of pride on the line.”

For further information go to www.hennessysports.com or social media: Facebook @HennessySports, Twitter @HennessySports and Instagram @hennessysports and join the conversation at #PittersRichards

PHILADELPHIA — “Raging Babe” Michelle Rosado returns to the 2300 Arena, with the second installment of Philly Special, on Friday evening, March 27. This boxing series showcases up-and-coming local talent in competitive matches. The action begins at 7:30 p.m.

The event will build on a successful 2019 for Rosado, which kicked off with her first self-promoted Philadelphia event–Philly Special on Feb. 8–and included her Oct. 4 card, “Blood, Sweat & 50 Years,” celebrating the 50th anniversary in boxing for Hall-of-Fame Promoter J Russell Peltz. Rosado was mentored by Peltz in Philadelphia until she struck out on her own. He will handle matchmaking duties for March 27.

“Philly Special will showcase the type of fights that make Philadelphia a legendary fight town,” said Rosado. “Fighters that would rather be carried out than quit, and fights that are more about left hooks, and less about managers’ checkbooks. Real fans, real fighters, real fights.”

Club shows have been Rosado’s passion since she promoted her first event in 2011.

“Not every fighter is getting signed to a big promotional agreement out of the amateurs,” said Rosado. “Not every fighter is going to have a manager throwing money at his career. These boxers deserve a platform and an opportunity to advance in boxing–fighters that work their day job during the day, and train at night…they all deserve a shot. Robert Hines, Gary Hinton, Jeff Chandler, Charlie “Choo Choo” Brown, Charles Brewer, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Bernard Hopkins, Jason Sosa, Tevin Farmer, and Julian Williams all began their careers fighting on the Philly club show circuit and went on to become world champions. Club shows matter.”

The Philly Special lineup will be announced Wednesday, February 5th. Boxing fans can visit www.ragingbabe.com/phillyspecial to sign up for news and ticket announcements.

Tevin Farmer is still craving unification fights at Super-Featherweight before a move to Lightweight as he prepares to defend his IBF title against JoJo Diaz at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami on Thursday January 30, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING AT $40 (PLUS FEES)
 Farmer (30-4-1 6 KOs) has enjoyed a spell as the most active World champion, with his clash in Super Bowl week his fifth defense of the title he won in Australia in August 2018.

The Philadelphia star dismissed the challenges of James Tennyson, Francisco Fonseca, Jono Carroll and Guillaume Frenois in a ten month period and now welcomes the test of Diaz (30-1 15 KOs), who is gunning to win a World title at the second attempt in a bout fueled by a war of words on social media.

The ‘American Idol’ knows his clash with Diaz is arguably the toughest examination of his championship reign to date, but the 29 year old is confident of retaining his title – and wants to add more belts at 130lbs before moving up to Lightweight.

“After I win, I think I have one or two more fights at 130lbs and then I’ll move up, especially if the big fights don’t happen,” said Farmer. “It’s not frustrating, I want the unification fights and I want to be undisputed, but as long as I am still fighting and feeding my family, I am OK with that. 

“I go out there and do my thing, I don’t listen to what people say as you can’t win, I just focus on my job and I know what that job is, I don’t need to be told – I bust my ass in the gym and we get popping. 

“Talk about overlooking people is overused as you have to plan for the future, but it’s my future and I won’t let any other fighter determine my career – you don’t want to fight me, we move on. I will make my legacy with what I do and who I fight, I don’t care what anyone else does, it’s all down to me.

“It’s going to be a hell of a fight, he’s going to come ready and I am always ready to fight. I’ve had a great camp and we’ve added some new things to what I already have so I can’t wait, it’s going to be fireworks. You can never learn enough. I’m the first in the gym and I’m the last out, I put the work in and cut no corners. 

“He started calling me out on social media, usually I don’t pay attention to people but I thought that he would be a good name on my resume, he’s a hell of a fighter and I wanted to give him a shot at the title. I knew the fight would happen, if I say the fight is going to happen, it’s going to happen.

“He’s going to come out and try to bang, throw a lot of power shots, maybe he could try to box too. But anything he brings I’m ready for it.”

Andrade and Keeler clash on a huge night of action in Super Bowl week with Tevin Farmer (30-4-1, 6 KOs) defending his IBF World Super Featherweight title against JoJo Diaz (30-1, 15 KOs), unified World Super Bantamweight champion Daniel Roman (27-2-1, 10 KOs) defending his titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev (7-0, 6 KOs) and YouTube stars Jake Paul and AnEsonGib clashing on their pro debuts.

Super-Middleweight contender Anthony Sims Jr (20-0 18 KOs) fights for his first pro title against Roamer Alexis Angulo (25-1 22 KOs) and a host of young talents are in action in the form of Movladdin Biyarslanov (5-0 4 KOs), Austin Williams (4-0 3 KOs), Alexis Espino (4-0 3 KOs), Otha Jones III (4-0 1 KO) and Avril Mathie (4-0-1 2 KOs).

28 January 2020 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), today held the ONE: FIRE & FURY Official Open Workout in Pasay City. The world’s best martial arts talent came out to showcase their incredible skills in front of fans and media.

In attendance was reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of the Philippines, who faced off with the challenger, former champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Brazil. Also at the open workout were top Filipino athletes Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, Danny “The King” Kingad, Lito “The Thunder Kid” Adiwang, Gina “Conviction” Iniong, and Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres.

Athletes are set to compete at ONE: FIRE & FURY, scheduled for this Friday night, 31 January at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.

Photos of the event can be downloaded at this link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-hha2Bci9wQgUMs4FGzkVO5jTAcTTap2

A high-res copy of the highlight video can be downloaded here: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ot_J2M8d8OJuyJtd7cU4qq4KPPC_Mc1Z/

More information on ONE: FIRE & FURY is available at www.onefc.com.

Fight Club OC’s 10th Anniversary Year kicks off with a huge Boxing and MMA show on Thursday, February 20th in The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa. And if that wasn’t a reason to celebrate, check our our all new and updated website at www.socafights.com.

Fight fans are in for a treat on February 20th as they will not only see three pro boxing bouts but also three pro mma bouts inside the 24’x24’ hybrid ring, ….win free pizza’s from Gina’s Pizza….rib dinners from Newport Rib Company….$200 in cash….great merchandise from the Kings & Legends booth….and free samples by Tong Jerky, the best beef jerky this side of Texas.

It all takes place on February 20th inside The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center. Also new for 2020 we are going back to our 6pm door open time and sticking with the 7pm start time. Tickets for this Feb 20th show are available now at www.socafights.com with all tickets priced at $60.

Season Seats with locations starting in the 3rd and 4th row, and free parking are on sale now by calling Drew at (949) 760-3131.

?FEATURED BOXING
BOUT OF THE NIGHT
Headlining the boxing side of things for opening night will be Newport Beach’s Andrew Segura 2-0 (2KO’s). As he is set to face the Huntington Beach legend in Guadalupe Arroyo, a veteran of 20 fights in a four round Super Featherweight boxing match! Segura hopes his undefeated record and brutal power can match the experience of the battle tested Arroyo.

FEATURED MMA
BOUT OF THE NIGHT
On the MMA side our Featured MMA bout will see Fullerton’s Trent Meaux 7-6 (3KO’s) as he battles Benji Gomez 9-12 (2KO’s) of Oxnard in a 3 round Bantamweight bout. The MMA action at Fight Club OC always goes off and we expect nothing less when Meaux and Gomez meet in the ring for this bout that was supposed to take place on our Dec 5th 2019 FCOC show.

Undercard Bouts Set For Opening Night 2/20/20
Uriel Villanueva of Santa Ana and John Ornelas of Lake Elsinore make their pro boxing debuts against one another in a 4 round Super Lightweight standoff! Both fighters come into this match with something to prove. They each want to impress as they embark on their pro careers and that means we’re in for a great fight!

Danny Silva 2-0 from Santa Ana vs. Chula Vista’s Dennis Fisher a veteran of two pro fights in a 3 round Featherweight match. Fight Club OC fighters always open the show with a bang. So get there early and get ready for an excellent night of boxing/MMA action from the only hybrid show in the southland!

Two more fighters will make their pro boxing debuts against one another as Vista’s Austin Brooks takes on Javier Francisco Navarro, in what should be a scintillating 4 round Featherweight war!

Opening the show will be the exciting and explosive Joey Dorado 1-0 from Santa Ana, CA as he goes up against San Diego’s Adrian Najera 2-0 in a 3 round Bantamweight encounter! Somebody’s 0 must go in what promises to be an MMA shootout!

Tickets for this Feb 20th show and all 2020 Fight Club OC and Garden Casino Fight Night shows are available now by visiting www.socafights.com with all tickets priced at $60!

Demetrius Andrade has laughed of Luke Keeler branding him ‘deluded’ as he prepares to defend his WBO World Middleweight title against the Irishman at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami on Thursday January 30, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING AT $40 (PLUS FEES)
 Andrade (28-0 17 KOs) puts his strap on the line for the third time having landed become a two-weight king having won the vacant title against Walter Kautondokwa in October 2018 in Boston and then seeing off Artur Akavov with a final round stoppage in New York in January 2019 and then thrilling his hometown of Providence, RI with a dominant points win over Maciej Sulecki.

‘Boo Boo’ has been hunting showdowns fellow champions and elite names like Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Jermall Charlo, but challenger Keeler (17-2-1 5 KOs) labelled those ambitions as delusional and believes the 31 year old is making the mistake of looking past Thursday night’s fight.

Andrade told Keeler he was wide of the mark with those comments as the pair faced-off for the first time today in Miami, and the champion wants to prove his credentials at the top level 

“Delusional? That’s a good one!” said Andrade. “I’ll give Luke credit where it’s due, it’s hard to get people to get in there with me and it’s his first World title fight, so I am expecting him to bring his A-game 

“I’m bringing mine too as I know what it’s like. I’ve been to the Olympics and to me there’s no bigger platform, but this is a massive stage and no other fighter or network has done this, I’m going to give him the beating of his life. He’s said that he would fight me for free, I’d say that you should want to get paid because these shots don’t come easy! I’m just very excited to get things in motion and prepare myself to get in great shape.

“I’ve never watched a lot of fighters, I just concentrate on me. It’s all about me and doing what I need to do to beat anyone that’s put in front of me, and that’s get in shape, stay fast, work on my range and timing. Whatever is being brought to me, through my work ethic and preparation I am able to weather any storm, adjust, land the shots I need to land and relax, because I’ve been doing this for a very long time and there’s nothing I haven’t seen style-wise. 

“I’ll never get too comfortable though and think ‘I’m better than you so I don’t have to train’ – every fight is a multi-million dollar fight because if I don’t perform and win, the opportunities go out the window. I don’t slack on one punch or one training session because of that.”

Andrade and Keeler clash on a huge night of action in Super Bowl week with Tevin Farmer (30-4-1, 6 KOs) defending his IBF World Super Featherweight title against JoJo Diaz (30-1, 15 KOs), unified World Super Bantamweight champion Daniel Roman (27-2-1, 10 KOs) defending his titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev (7-0, 6 KOs) and YouTube stars Jake Paul and AnEsonGib clashing on their pro debuts.

Super-Middleweight contender Anthony Sims Jr (20-0 18 KOs) fights for his first pro title against Roamer Alexis Angulo (25-1 22 KOs) and a host of young talents are in action in the form of Movladdin Biyarslanov (5-0 4 KOs), Austin Williams (4-0 3 KOs), Alexis Espino (4-0 3 KOs), Otha Jones III (4-0 1 KO) and Avril Mathie (4-0-1 2 KOs).

WHAT: RJJ Boxing on UFC FIGHT PASS professional boxing

MAIN EVENT – VACANT NABF SUPER FLYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10)*
Ernesto Delgadillo (11-0-2, 2 KOs), Dallas, TX
vs.
Jade “Hurricane” Bornea (14-0, 10 KOs), General Santos City, Cota del Sur, Philippines

CO-FEATURE – WBC UNITED STATES SILVER WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)*
Santiago Dominguez (20-0, 16 KOs), Champion, Fort Worth, TX by way of Mexico
vs,
Vitor “La Amenza” Jones Freitas (16-5, 10 KOs), Challenger, Salvador Bahir, Brazil

MIDDLEWEIGHTS (8)*
Connor “The Kid” Coyle (11-0, 4 KOs), Derry, Northern Ireland, UK
vs.
Miguel Dumas (11-2, 8 KOs), Tijuana, Mexico

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (6)*
Richard Van Sicien (7-0, 3KOs), Seattle, WA
vs.
Abraham Martin (5-0, 5 KOs), Medford, OR by way of Mexico

FEATHERWEIGHTS (4)
William Hernandez-Gomez (3-0, 2 KOs), Burlen, WA
vs.
Jerald Gregori (0-2), Grand Falls, MT 0-2

SUPER WELTERWEIGHTS (4)
Margarito Hernandez (0-0-1), Wapato, WA
vs.
Joshua Wheeler (0-0-1), Blaine, WA

FEATHERWEIGHTS (4)
Jerrell Barbour (pro debut), Tacoma, WA
vs.
Steven Hellman (0-2), Grand Falls, MT

MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)
Glenn Hagler, Jr. (4-1, 2 KOs), Daytona Beach, FL
vs.
Charon Spain (1-13-1), Portland, OR

(card subject to change)
*denotes streaming live on UFC FIGHT PASS

WHERE: Legends Casino in Toppenish, Washington

WHEN: Thursday, January 30, 2020

PROMOTER: RJJ Boxing Promotions in association with Sanman Boxing

LIVE STREAM: 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, live from Legends Casino

To sign up for UFC FIGHT PASS, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com

BROADCASTERS: Sean Wheelock (blow-by-blow), and James “Smitty” Smith (color commentator)

RING ANNOUNCER: Michael Vale

OFFICIAL WEIGH IN
: Wednesday, Jan. 29, in the foyer of the Event Center at Legends Casino & Hotel

TICKETS: Range from $15.00 to $50.00 and are available for purchase by going HERE and also on fight night at the Legends Casino box office

OTHER: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. PT, first fight at 6:00 p.m. PT, and FIGHT PASS starts at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT)

INFORMATION:

Websites: www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.ufcfightpass.com, www.yakimaNationalLegendsCasino.com
Twitter: @RoyjonesJRfa, @RoyJonesJrOfficial, @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @YNLegendsCasino
Instagram: @RoyJonesJRboxing, @artofmusiclv, @rivalboxinggear, @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @LegendsCasino
Facebook: /KeithVeltre, /UFCFightPass

Murodjon Akhmadaliev is chasing history as he prepares to challenge WBA and IBF World Super-Bantamweight champion Daniel Roman at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami on Thursday January 30, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING AT $40 (PLUS FEES)
 Akhmadaliev (7-0 6 KOs) can equal Leon Spinks’ record of becoming a men’s unified World champion in just his eighth pro fight and will become the first unified ruler from Uzbekistan with victory over Roman (27-2-1 10 KOs).

‘MJ’ has blasted his way to the mandatory spot with the WBA since turning pro in March 2018 and for the 25 year old, his meeting with the Baby Faced Assassin represents an opportunity to become a hero in his boxing-mad country.

“It’s history in the making,” said Akhmadaliev. “To become a unified champion in just eight fights and the first from Uzbekistan is really some great history for me to make, I want to make my country proud. Boxing is the number one sport in Uzbekistan and with God’s blessing, I think everything will play out well. 

“It’s a dream come true for me. I have been climbing this mountain for 17 years, in the gym twice a day in that time. I’ve broken my wrists, my fists, my nose, bloodied face, had cuts; all that sacrifice is for fights like this. I know people think I am inexperienced and Danny will take me out or something like that, but trust me, I have given it my all for 17 years and it will be no different for fight night.

“This is the most important fight in my career so far. I’m fighting the unified champion, the best in the division, so it’s a big step up for me but we’re very well prepared for this fight with my coaches Antonio and Joel Diaz. 

“I’ve only had seven fights and I haven’t felt challenged in any of those fights. I am not comparing those fights to this one as I know they are different and this is a hard fight. All the talk about his experience that he brings to the ring is fine but it’s only when we get in the ring together that we will see who is the best fighter, the most experienced, who is stronger, faster, sharper and smarter. I don’t like to talk too much; I love to fight, and I can’t wait to fight him.”

Akhmadaliev’s clash with Roman is part of a huge night of World championship boxing as Demetrius Andrade (28-0, 17 KOs) defends his WBO World Middleweight title against contender Luke Keeler (17-2-1, 5 KOs) and Tevin Farmer (30-4-1, 6 KOs) defending his IBF World Super Featherweight title against JoJo Diaz (30-1, 15 KOs).

YouTube sensations Jake Paul and AnEsonGib make their pro debuts against each other, Super-Middleweight contender Anthony Sims Jr (20-0 18 KOs) fights for his first pro title against Roamer Alexis Angulo (25-1 22 KOs) and a host of young talents are in action in the form of Movladdin Biyarslanov (5-0 4 KOs), Austin Williams (4-0 3 KOs), Alexis Espino (4-0 3 KOs), Otha Jones III (4-0 1 KO) and Avril Mathie (4-0-1 2 KOs).

NEW YORK (January 27, 2020) – The New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF) has officially announced its 28-member Class of 2019. The ninth annual NYSBHOF induction dinner will be held Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30 p.m. ET), April 19, at Russo’s On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York.

“I am proud that we are continuing to honor New York men and woman in boxing for their dedication to the sport that they’ve served,” NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy said. “This is our way to thank them all and let each new inductee know that we do remember all that they did and continue to do. The Class of 2020 is strong across the board, boxers and non-participants, continuing the NYSBHOF tradition of honoring our own.”

Living boxers heading into the NYSBHOF include three-time World light heavyweight title challenger Jorge Ahumada (42-8-2, 22 KOs), of Woodside, Queens by way of Argentina; (1975-78) WBC super featherweight World Champion Alfredo “El Salsero” Escalera (53-14-3, 31 KOs), of New York City by way of Puerto Rico; WBC super featherweight World title challenger Freddie “The Pitbull” Liberatore (20-4-1, 11 KOs), of Bayside, Queens; WBC middleweight World Champion and four-time New York Golden Gloves winner Dennis “The Magician” Milton (16-5-1, 5 KOs), of Bronx; World heavyweight title challenger and two-time New York Golden Gloves winner Lou Savarese (46-7, 38 KOs), of Greenwood Lake; and WBA super middleweight title World title challenger Merqui “El Corombo” Sosa (34-9-2, 27 KOs), of Brooklyn by way of the Dominican Republic.

Posthumous participants being inducted are Brooklyn welterweight Soldier Bartfield (51-29-8, 33 KOs), who fought a reported 55 world champions; Bronx middleweight Steve Belloise (95-13-3, 59 KOs); NYSAC and World lightweight champion (1925) Jimmy Goodrich (85-34-21 (12 KOs), of Buffalo; World heavyweight title challenger Tami Mauriello (82-13-1, 60 KOs), of Bronx; WBA light middleweight World champion (1982-83) and four-consecutive New York Golden Gloves titlist Davey “Sensational” Moore (18-5, 14 KOs), of Bronx; and World lightweight champion Freddie “The Welsh Wizard” Welch (74-5-7, 34 KOs), of New York City by way of Wales.

Living non-participants heading into the NYSBHOF are Oneida judge Don Ackerman, Wantah, Long Island journalist/producer Bobby Cassidy, Jr., Buffalo manager Rick Glaser, Rockaway Beach journalist Jack Hirsch, Bronx boxing broadcaster Max Kellerman, Ardsley ringside physician/NY Medical Director Dr. William Lathan, Orangeburg judge Julie Lederman, Hyde Park referee Ron Lipton, and Staten Island/Catskill trainer Kevin Rooney.

Posthumous non-participant inductees are Brooklyn’s Ring Magazine editor Lester Bromberg, New York City sportswriter Dan Daniel, Brooklyn’s Gleason’s Gym founder Bobby Gleason, Sunnyside, Queens boxing writer Flash Gordan, Manhattan journalist A.J. Liebling, Long Island City’s NYSBHOF co-founder Tony Mazzarella and New York City manager Dan Morgan.

There are a number of firsts regarding some Class of 2020 inductees: husband-wife – Dr. William and Melvina (Class of 2018) Lathan; daughter-father – Julie and Harold (Class of 2012) Lederman. Bobby Jr. and Bobby Cassidy, Sr. (2013) are the fourth son and father inducted into the NYSBHOF, but the first boxer/journalist combination. The others are boxers Floyd and Tracy Patterson, executive administrators Bobby and Murray Goodman, and referees Arthur, Sr. and Arthur Mercante, Jr.

Welch is going into the NYSBHOF as a boxer, but he also managed fellow Class of 2020 inductee Goodrich.

Each attending inductee will receive a custom-designed belt signifying his or her induction into the NYSBHOF.

The 2020 inductees were selected by the NYSBHOF nominating committee members: Randy Gordon, Henry Hascup, Don Majeski, Ron McNair, Jim Monteverde and Neil Terens.

All boxers needed to be inactive for at least three years to be eligible for NYSBHOF induction, and all inductees must have resided in New York State for a significant portion of their boxing careers or during the prime of their respective career.

Tickets are priced at $150.00 per adult and $60.00 for children (under 16) and includes a complete brunch and cocktail hour upon entry, starting at 12:30 p.m. ET, as well as a full course dinner (prime rib, fish or poultry) and open bar throughout the day. Tickets are available to purchase by contacting NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy at 516.313.2304 or depcomish@aol.com. Ads for the NYSBHOF program are available: half-page $100.00, full page $200.00 front and back inside covers are $400.00 each, and $500.00 for back cover. Mail checks and ads by the April 6 deadline to Bob Duffy, 1112 Whitewood Landing, Massapequa Park, NY 11762. Checks should be payable to NY Stare Boxing Hall of Fame, call Duffy to charge on a credit card.

NEW YORK STATE BOXING HALL OF FAME

CLASS of 2012: Carmen Basilio, Mike McCallum, Mike Tyson, Jake LaMotta, Riddick Bowe, Carlos Ortiz, Vito Antuofermo, Emile Griffith, “Sugar” Ray Robinson, Gene Tunney, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Harold Lederman, Steve Acunto, Jimmy Glenn, Gil Clancy, Ray Arcel, Nat Fleischer, Bill Gallo and Arthur Mercante, Sr.

CLASS of 2013: Jack Dempsey, Johnny Dundee, Sandy Saddler, Maxie Rosenbloom, Joey Archer, Iran Barkley, Mark Breland, Bobby Cassidy, Doug Jones, Junior Jones, James “Buddy” McGirt, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Bob Arum, Shelly Finkel, Tony Graziano, Larry Merchant, Teddy Brenner, Mike Jacobs, Tex Rickard and Don Dunphy.

CLASS OF 2014: Floyd Patterson, Tracy Harris Patterson, Billy Backus, Kevin Kelley, Juan LaPorte, Gerry Cooney, Mustafa Hamsho, Howard Davis, Jr., Lou Ambers, Jack Britton, Terry McGovern, Teddy Atlas, Lou DiBella, Steve Farhood, Gene Moore, Angelo Prospero, Whitey Bimstein, Cus D’Amato, William Muldoon and Tom O’Rourke.

CLASS OF 2015: Saoul Mamby, Joey Giamba, Johnny Persol, Harold Weston, Lonnie Bradley, Paul Berlenbach, Billy Graham, Frankie Genaro, Bob Miller, Tommy Ryan, Jimmy Slattery, Bob Duffy, Mike Katz, Tommy Gallagher, Bruce Silverglade, Charley Goldman, Jimmy Johnston, Cedric Kushner, Harry Markson, Damon Runyon and Al Weill.

CLASS OF 2016: Aaron Davis, Charles Murray, Vilomar Fernandez, Edwin Viruet, Hector “Macho” Camacho, Rocky Graziano, Rocky Kansas, Joe Lynch, Joe Miceli, Ed Brophy, Joe DeGuardia, Randy Gordon, Dennis Rappaport, Howie Albert, Freddie Brown, Howard Cosell, Ruby Goldstein and Jimmy Jacobs.

CLASS OF 2017: Gaspar Ortega, Renaldo “Mr.” Snipes, Doug Dewitt, “The Bronx Bomber” Alex Ramos, Dick Tiger, Jose Torres, “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey, Don Majeski, Ron Katz, Stan Hoffman, Bobby Bartels, Hank Kaplan, Al Gavin, Arthur Donovan and Dan Parker.

CLASS OF 2018: Lou “Honey Boy” Del Valle, Jake Rodriguez, Terrence Alli, “Baby” Joe Mesi, Kid Chocolate, James J. “Gentleman Jim” Corbett, Jack McAuliffe, Billy Costello, Melio Bettina Ralph “Tiger” Jones, Charley Norkus, Dave Anderson, Pete Brodsky, Herb Goldman, Bobby Goodman, Melvina Lathan, Ron Scott Stevens, Johnnie Addie, Johnny Bos, Murray Goodman, Bert Randolph Sugar and Sam Taub.

CLASS OF 2019: Wilfredo Benitez, Dick DiVeronica, Rogelio Tuur, Davey Vasquez, Michael Olajide, Monte Barrett, Jimmy Carter, Al “Bummy” Davis, Marty Servo, Roland LaStarza, Paddy DeMarco, Sid Terris, Leach “The Fighting Dentist” Cross, Don King, John McKaie, Steve Albert, Arthur Mercante, Jr., Bob Jackson, Dewey Fragetta, Johnny LoBianco, Wayne Kelly, Harry Hill, Jimmy Cannon, and Joe Dwyer.

Anthony Tomlinson can take one step closer to fulfilling a promise to his son when he meets Stewart Burt in an Eliminator for the British and Commonwealth Welterweight titles at FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield on Saturday February 8, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

‘The Truth’ (11-0, 6 KOs) steps up to fight former Scottish Champion Burt on the undercard of Kell Brook’s ring return against Mark DeLuca in what is a big breakthrough opportunity for the Sheffield born man and his toughest career test to date. 

Despite taking an unconventional route into the realms of professional boxing, 28-year-old Tomlinson has notched 11 straight victories since his 2017 debut points win in Doncaster, with his current knockout form seeing him climb the rankings and establish himself as a domestic force at 147lbs.

Having captured the Central Area title and the IBO Continental strap in his eighth and eleventh fights respectively, Tomlinson heads into February 8 on the back of four explosive KO wins, most recently dispatching of former Midlands Champ, Rob Hunt in the sixth of a scheduled ten. 

“Anybody that I fight I know that I have the power to get them out of there and I know if I do land it will be an early night”, said Tomlinson. “This fight brings me one step closer to where I want to be so it’s about overcoming this challenge and showcasing to everybody around the world what I can do.

“My skillset and awkwardness will cause anyone in this division problems and I don’t believe that Stewart Burt has been in the ring with anyone like me. The power and presence I have in the ring will be new to him and I’m more than confident of getting the win on February 8.”

Fighting out of Doncaster under the tutelage of Stefy Bull, Tomlinson is driven by a promise he made to his young son since turning his life around and believes his ability will soon see him fight the best Welterweights in the country. 

“My son was in the gym and he pointed to a photo and told me he wants that rainbow belt, so that is my motivation for him, to fulfil that promise to my son – I won’t stop until I win that belt”, he added. “I started boxing at 22 and had a troubled past, being involved with gangs and I was in and out of prison. When my son was born and I started boxing it changed my life and gave me that extra light. 

“I originally got into boxing to start MMA but everything seemed to fall naturally to me in the ring. I have great people around me who have helped me to be where I am now.

“I don’t call people out but I believe that I am at the level to be fighting the best in Britain. I feel we are all at a similar level and they also need to fight people like me to prove that they’re the best. If them big domestic fights come along then I will be more than happy to take them.

“I have never been hungrier for a fight than this one because I know how close I am to fulfilling a promise to my son. I am so thankful for everyone who supports me and has bought tickets because they are making my dreams come true.”

Tomlinson vs. Burt is part of a huge night of action in Sheffield.

Kell Brook (38-2, 26 KOs) will be aiming to shake off the ring rust and fire his name back into the mix for a Word Title shot in 2020 when he meets the USA’s Mark DeLuca (24-1, 13 KOs), Kid Galahad (26-1, 15 KOs) takes on Claudio Marrero (24-3, 17 KOs) in a Final Eliminator for the IBF Featherweight crown, Terri Harper (9-0, 5 KOs) clashes with Finland’s Eva Wahlstrom (23-1-2, 3 KOs) in a unification for the WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles, Dave Allen (17-5-2, 14 KOs) makes his long-awaited return after eight months out of the ring, Brentwood Super-Featherweight Martin Joseph Ward (23-1-2, 11 KOs) returns, Sheffield Super-Featherweight prospect Donte Dixon (2-0, 1 KO) returns, Super-Middleweight John Docherty (7-0, 5 KO) continues his march towards a first title, Leeds Featherweight Hopey Price (2-0, 1 KO) looks to go 3-0 and Sheffield Light-Heavyweight Callum Beardow (1-0) fights for the second time as a pro.

THE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED rematch between unbeaten super bantamweights Brad Foster and Lucien Reid with the British and Commonwealth titles on the line will take place at York Hall on February 22.

The stacked card also features an intriguing battle at super middleweight between the unbeaten former Team GB amateur Kody Davies and the exciting ‘Top Boxer’ Umar Sadiq.

Also on the bill is thrilling super bantamweight prospect Dennis ‘The Menace’ McCann for his sixth professional assignment, Southampton snapper Ryan ‘The Piranha’ Garner (8-0) aiming to make a timely return and make up for lost time at super featherweight, as well as featherweight starlet Louie Lynn (5-0) from Banstead looking to build on his impressive Queensberry Promotions debut in December.

Top drawer former amateurs and now new professionals Henry Turner (super lightweight, 1-0), Eithan James (super lightweight, 2-0) and Sam Noakes (lightweight, 2-0) get to take the next step towards early title contention, while Muhammad Ali – elite amateur and 2016 Rio Olympian – makes his professional debut at bantamweight.

News on further exciting additions to the bill will be confirmed shortly.

The majority draw declared between the champion Foster and Reid in mid-September proved to be a source of significant controversy, with many observers marking the challenger as the winner in his first 12 round assignment.

The 22-year-old Foster completed his third 12 round test of a productive 2019 and considered himself in need of some time out having suffered a cut above his left eye early in the second round.

The Lichfield man now makes a third defence of the British title he won by beating Josh Wale from the away corner in Barnsley in March of last year. It represents a second defence of the Commonwealth crown he prized via a 12th round knockout from Ashley Lane at Stevenage in May.

“It will be another good scrap and one where I need to put things right,” insisted the champion. “I need to win this one and close this book. Simple as that.

“A draw is not the way I want to keep my titles and it was disappointing to keep them with one. This time I’ve got to win the fight convincingly.

“I can take a lot from it but he can as well because he knows what I’m like now and that is what makes it a tasty fight.

“I’ve had a nice little break to get over a few injuries including a broken knuckle after the last one. I am back at it now and on February 22 I will be the winner.”

Reid, 26, insists he is on a mission to right a wrong and will carry a sense of injustice into the ring with him.

“A million per cent and I can’t wait to prove that I did win the fight and I will do it in a fine fashion,” said the pupil of the Queensberry iBox Gym. “I am not going in there to do anything less or the same as I did last time. This time you will see a totally different me as well and I will change it up.

“Every single person knows that even if I won it by one round I still won the fight. When I get in there with Brad I am going to old man him again, move him about and prove that I am the rightful champion.

“I am also going in there thinking he will come out unbelievable so I am looking forward to seeing that and how I adjust to it because I know I can.”

Tickets are available via TicketMaster

LAS VEGAS – UFC^® returns to Columbus, Ohio for the first time in 11 years with a thrilling heavyweight contenders’ bout featuring No. 2 ranked Francis Ngannou and undefeated No. 5 Jairzinho Rozenstruik. In an exciting clash of top bantamweights, No. 5 ranked contender Raphael Assuncao faces former champion and current No. 9 Cody Garbrandt.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN^®: NGANNOU vs. ROZENSTRUIK will air live from Nationwide Arena on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 28. Prelims will kick off at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Doors open at 3 p.m. ET.

A former heavyweight title challenger, Ngannou (14-3, fighting out of Paris, France by way of Batié, Cameroon) has delivered some of the most spectacular knockouts in the division’s history. Over the course of his career, he has earned stoppage victories over Junior Dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Alistair Overeem and Curtis Blaydes (twice). Ngannou now looks to be the first fighter to defeat Rozenstruik and re-assert himself as the top contender for a heavyweight title shot.

The breakout UFC star of 2019, Rozenstruik (10-0, fighting out of Paramaribo, Suriname) wasted no time cracking the heavyweight division’s top five. Since debuting on the roster last February, he has delivered four consecutive knockout victories—including a dramatic comeback win against Overeem with four seconds left on the clock. Rozenstruik now hopes to secure his first title shot with another show-stealing knockout against one of the division’s most feared strikers.

A perennial bantamweight contender, Assuncao (27-7, fighting out of Alpharetta, Ga. by way of Recife, Brazil) has bested many of the top 135-pound fighters in the UFC. Throughout his career, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt has netted victories against TJ Dillashaw, Aljamain Sterling, Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font. With Garbrandt in his sights, Assuncao now looks to regain momentum by going behind enemy lines and taking out another former UFC champion.

A native of Uhrichsville, Ohio, Garbrandt (11-3, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) aims to begin his ascent back to the top of the 135-pound division with a highlight-reel win in his home state. Known for his spectacular knockout power, he has finished the likes of Takeya Mizugaki and Thomas Almeida. In 2016, he became the first fighter to defeat former champion Dominick Cruz in almost a decade. Garbrandt now aims to get back on the winning track and re-stake his claim as one of the top bantamweights in the world.

Announced bouts on the card include:

• In a pivotal clash of bantamweight contenders, No. 3 ranked Aspen Ladd (9-1, fighting out of El Dorado Hills, Calif.) meets No. 4 Julianna Peña (10-3, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.)
• Hard hitting heavyweights collide when Greg Hardy (6-2 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) squares off with Yorgan De Castro (5-0, fighting out of Fall River, Mass. by way of Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde)
• No. 12 ranked strawweight contender Tecia Torres (10-5, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo.) takes on Mizuki (14-5, fighting out of New York, N.Y. by way of Fukuoka, Japan)
• 15-year MMA veteran, and Columbus’ own, Matt Brown (24-16, fighting out of Columbus, Ohio) looks to blow the roof off Nationwide Arena when he takes on undefeated prospect Miguel Baeza (7-0, fighting out of Davie, Fla.)
• Louis Smolka (16-6, fighting out of Kapolei, Hawaii) faces Davey Grant (11-4, fighting out of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England) in an exciting bantamweight bout
• Khalil Rountree Jr. (9-4 1NC, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) locks horns with Sam Alvey (33-13 1NC, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) in a battle of light heavyweight strikers
• Dana White’s Contender Series signee Punahele Soriano (6-0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) goes for another big finish against battle-tested Eric Spicely (12-6, fighting out of Olneyville, R.I.)
• Undefeated heavyweight Carlos Felipe (8-0, fighting out of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil) debuts against Ohio’s own Jeff Hughes (10-3 1NC, fighting out of Independence, Ohio)
• Laureano Staropoli (9-2, fighting out of La Plata, Argentina) squares off with Dana White’s Contender Series signee Philip Rowe (7-2, fighting out of Orlando, Fla.)
• Martin Day (9-3, fighting out of Kailua, Hawaii) takes on Randy Costa (5-1, fighting out of Taunton, Mass.) in a bantamweight bout

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

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

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN^®: NGANNOU vs. ROZENSTRUIK go on sale Friday, January 31 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com or through the Nationwide Arena box office. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, January 29 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, January 30 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 318 million fans and 80 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 170 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 Nationwide Arena

Nationwide Arena is the centerpiece of the downtown Arena District featuring an exciting mixture of restaurants, business, entertainment and residential space that attracts visitors from across the country.   Located on the corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Front Street, the venue opened to great fanfare in September of 2000 and has since hosted the NHL All-Star Game, regular season and playoff hockey, NCAA championships, local, regional and national conferences and a multitude of concerts and touring events.

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.

Abass Baraou (9-0, 6 KOs) produced a devastating performance to claim a fifth-round TKO win over Abraham Juarez (16-5, 5 KOs) last night at the Work Your Champ Arena in Hamburg, Germany.

The historic evening saw Germany’s oldest promoters Team Sauerland and Universum co-promote a show for the first time in history, and Baraou, the headline act, put in a spectacular performance befitting of such an occasion.

From the first bell the 25-year-old demonstrated why many fight fans believe he is the man to restore German boxing to its glory days, showcasing slick combinations and unnerving power to unsettle his opponent and delight the crowd.

With just 10 seconds remaining in the fourth round, the WBC International Super Welterweight Champion produced an electric eight-punch combination to send Juarez crashing to the canvas, and as the fifth round approached, Juarez’s corner waved off the fight to seal Baraou’s sixth stoppage victory in nine pro fights.

“I started well and I wanted a fast knockout,” said Baraou. “I boxed cleverly and stuck to my tactics. When he met me in the ring I was angry and I wanted him to feel that.

“It’s a shame he couldn’t compete for longer but he was a tough opponent who deserved every respect. My goal for the rest of the year is to improve my boxing and to fight for more international titles!”

Team Sauerland’s Danish heavyweight Kem Ljungquist (10-0, 5 KOs) was also in action, boxing intelligently to win a wide unanimous decision over Ukraine’s German Skobenko (5-5, 2 KOs).

“I wanted the knockout and I know I can do better,” said Ljungquist. “I am a perfectionist so I will never be 100% satisfied, but a victory is a victory. I am ready for the next step and would like to fight for titles soon!’

Promoter Nisse Sauerland was delighted with the evening’s proceedings and predicted a big year ahead for both the Team Sauerland fighters.

“Every time Abass Baraou steps through the ropes you know he’s going to bring excitement,” said Sauerland. “It’s a delight to watch such a special talent in action. It was another sublime display from Abass and we truly believe he is going all the way to the top.

“Kem produced another assured performance to get his tenth victory tonight,” Sauerland continued. “He knows he can do the rounds so it’s time for him to step up and fight for titles.”

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 24, 2020): “It is extremely unfortunate to learn that WBC and WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Alejandra Jimenez (13-0-1, 9 KOs) has tested positive for banned substances after her title fight with Franchon Crews-Dezurn (6-2, 2 KOs) on January 11,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “As Franchon’s promoter, we are incredibly disappointed for her as she worked incredibly hard to defend her titles. However, our job is to ensure the safety of our fighters both inside and outside of the ring. Thus, we have always insisted and supported testing through the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) for all of our world championship fights. Jimenez’s fight against Franchon Crews-Dezurn is no exception. Now our job is to find justice for Franchon by working closely with the WBC and the WBO in order to re-instate her as a world champion.”

Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing proudly announces he has won today’s IBF purse bid for the right to promote Scottish IBF Junior Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor’s mandatory defense against Thailand’s Apinun Khongsong.

Held at the IBF’s office in Springfield, NJ, Lewkowicz submitted a winning bid of $1.32M, topping Top Rank’s submission of $1.26M.

Under IBF rules, the fight must take place within 90 days of the bid or by April 20, 2020. Champion Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs) will be entitled to 65% of the winning bid ($858,000) while Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs) will receive 35% ($462,000).

While the exact date and site are, as of now, unknown, Lewkowicz says he will get to work immediately arranging the particulars and wishes to reassure Taylor’s UK fans they will not be deprived of seeing their hero in action.

“I am honored to be promoting this fight between these two warriors and I want to make it clear I would not cheat UK fans of seeing this fight live,” said Lewkowicz. “It will be in Great Britain or Scotland. Please be patient, I will announce the full details very soon.”
About Sampson Boxing

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America. Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, ESPN+, DAZN, VS., FOX, Fox Sports and several international networks. For more information, visit sampsonboxing.com.

Trenton, NJ (January 24, 2020) – Weights for Saturday’s boxing card at The Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton,New Jersey. Silver Bow will present ChampBox 1 with an exciting six bout card.

Mike Hilton 200 – Baldimir Hernandez 197
Shinard Bunch 147 – Fabian Lyimo 145
Chris Thomas 178 – Engleberto Valenzuela 176
Frederic Julan 176 – Fidel Munoz 173
LaQuan Evans 154 – Alberto Delgado 155
Mike Moore 200 – Jakub Sowirko 198

Promoter: Silver Bow
Venue: Cure Insurance Arena
1st Bell: 7:30 PM ET

Photo by Daniel Cork

Highlighting the amateur portion of the card will be locals, Zaire Gross, Kevin Alexander and Jabbar Abercrombie.

Tickets for this special evening of boxing are $25, $39, $59, $79 and the 1st two rows are $99. Tickets can be purchased at the following link:

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS:

The event is being sponsored by Flash Tech IT and CyberSecuirty since 1992. www.flashtech.com

TO FOLLOW SILVER BOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

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SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® – 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME

WBC Welterweight Title Eliminator – 12-Rounds

Danny Garcia – 147 lbs.

Ivan Redkach – 146 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Benjy Esteves; Judges: Glenn Feldman (Connecticut), Tony Paolillo (New York), Don Trella (Connecticut)

Super Welterweight Bout – 10-Rounds

Jarrett Hurd – 154 ½ lbs.

Francisco Santana – 155 lbs.

Referee: Arthur Mercante; Judges: Larry Hazzard, Jr. (New Jersey), Julie Lederman (New York); Kevin Morgan (New York)

WBO Junior Featherweight Title Eliminator – 12-Rounds

Stephen Fulton, Jr. – 122 lbs.

Arnold Khegai – 121 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Steve Willis; Judges: Frank Lombardi (Connecticut), John McKaie (New York), Waleska Roldan (New York)

FLASH QUOTES:

DANNY GARCIA

“We’re going to go in there and fight the Danny Garcia fight. If he wants to brawl, he can do his thing, but just don’t get too excited because I’ve got two hammers waiting for him. Don’t try too hard because you might knock yourself out.

“I love the Barclays Center. Brooklyn, New York has always shown me a lot of love, all my fans from Philly, all my fans from all around the world show me love. The atmosphere is going to be crazy tomorrow, I can’t wait.”

IVAN REDKACH

“This training camp, I didn’t have to work at losing weight, I just had to work at beating Danny. I believe in my game plan, I believe in the training camp that we had, that’s why I’m going to knock him out. I’ve already visualized it.”

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING COUNTDOWN Live Streaming Online – 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT

Super Lightweight Bout – 8-Rounds

Patrick Harris – 140 ¾ lbs.

Clay Burns – 139 ½ lbs.

Welterweight Bout – 8-Rounds

Keeshawn Williams – 150 lbs.

Gaku Takahashi – 147 ¼ lbs.

Middleweight Bout – 6-Rounds

Lorenzo Simpson – 159 ½ lbs.

Antonio Hernandez – 159 lbs.

The digital offering will be streamed live on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page leading into the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast.

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ABOUT GARCIA VS. REDKACH

Garcia vs. Redkach will see two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia take on hard-hitting Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach in a WBC Welterweight Title Eliminator headlining action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, January 25 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™, in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features unified champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd battling Francisco “Chia” Santana in the 10-round co-feature, and unbeaten sensation Stephen Fulton facing fellow unbeaten Arnold Khegai in a Super Bantamweight Title eliminator. The Fulton vs. Khegai bout is promoted in association with Salita Promotions.

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

Philadelphia, PA (January 24, 2020) – Tough and battle tested veteran Samuel Teah will headline a big night of boxing that will take place on Saturday, March 7th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia when he takes on Dieumerci Nzau in the six-round junior welterweight main event,

The show will be the 1st promoted by RDR Promotions.

Teah of Philadelphia has a record of 16-3-1 with seven knockouts. The 32 year-old is a seven year professional has scored some very high-profile wins on national television.

Teah has defeated world-ranked O’Shaquie Foster (8-0), David Gonzalez (8-0-2), Maynard Allison (9-2), Kenneth Sims Jr. (13-1-1) and in his last bout, Teah won the USBA Junior Welterweight title with a 10-round majority decision over Sonny Fredrickson (21-1) on November 14th in Washington, D.C.

Nzau of Silver Spring, Maryland, has a record of 11-11 with eight knockouts. Nzau, 31 years-old is an 11 year professional who is coming off a loss to Omar Bordoy on December 19th in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Seeing action in separate six-round bouts will be undefeated welterweight Mark Dawson (6-0-1, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia as well as popular super middleweight Brandon Robinson of King’s Promotions (14-2, 9 KOs) of Upper Darby, PA.

The undercard will feature some up and coming fighters from the Philadelphia area in four round bouts.

Ryan Umberger (3-0, 3 KOs) of Bensalem, PA fights Estevan Payan (1-8, 1 KO) of Glendale, AZ in a middleweight bout.

Naheem Parker of Philadelphia makes his pro debut against Anthony Carter (0-1) of Philadelphia in a lightweight bout.

Also seeing action against opponents to be named will be super bantamweight Victor Medina (1-0,1 KO) of Hartford, CT; super lightweight Nafear Charles (2-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia; super featherweight Nasir Mickens (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia; pro debuting Rasheim Jefferson; middleweight Laquan Evans (2-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia.

Opponents and more fights will be announced shortly.

Tickets are $125 VIP with a drink; $75 Ringside and $55 General Admission and can be purchased at 2300arena.com

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 24, 2020): Welterweight prospect Alexis “Lex” Rocha (15-0, 10 KOs) will take an important step up in competition as he defends his WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Title against Brad “King” Solomon (28-2, 16 KOs) in a 10-round bout on the undercard of Garcia vs. Fonseca. The event will take place Friday, Feb. 14 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Rocha is a 22-year-old southpaw of Santa Ana, California who is widely considered as one of the best rising prospects of the welterweight division. Since making his debut in 2016, Rocha has steadily climbed the rankings by fighting some of the biggest cards that Southern California has hosted in recent years. After defending his regional title against the likes of Berlin Abreu and Roberto Valenzuela Jr., Rocha will look to pass the toughest test of his career when he takes on tough contender Solomon.

“I’m excited and looking forward to fighting in my backyard at the Honda center,” said Alexis Rocha. “Brad Solomon is a big step up and will present a challenge, but I am more than ready. I’m looking to make a statement on February 14, and hope I get the recognition I deserve as one of the best fighters in the welterweight division”

Solomon is a 36-year-old contender of Lafayette, Lousiana who was a standout amateur boxer before debuting as a professional in 2008. Aside from winning several Golden Gloves titles, Solomon also possess an amateur win over Javier Molina. As a professional, he as defeated tough fighters such as Freddy “The Rail” Hernandez
and Adrian “El Tigre” Granados. Solomon is coming off a loss against Vergil Ortiz Jr. in what was a valiant effort. He’ll now look to have better success against Rocha.

“I’m coming to make a statement in this fight,” said Brad Solomon. “I just fought on a Golden Boy card in December, but I’m coming right back to show what I’m made of. So, make sure you tune into my fight on Feb. 14 because I will demonstrate that I have a lot of unfinished business in the boxing game.”

As previously announced, Ryan Garcia (19-0, 16 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. will defend his WBC Silver Lightweight Title against Francisco Fonseca (25-2-2, 19 KOs) of Managua, Nicaragua in the 12-round main event.

In the co-main event, Jorge “El Niño de Oro” Linares (46-5, 28 KOs) will take on Carlos Morales (19-4-4, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles in a 10-round lightweight battle.

Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0, 10 KOs) of Las Vegas will defend his NABF Welterweight Crown against Samuel Kotey (23-2, 16 KOs) of Baltimore in a 10-round bout.

Tenochtitlan “T-Dog” Nava (7-2, 1 KO) of Los Angeles will face Anthony Casillas
(8-1, 4 KOs) of Southgate, Calif. in a six-round featherweight fight.

Bektemir Melikuiziev (4-0, 3 KOs) of Shoimbek, Uzbekistan will defend his WBA Continental Americas Super Middleweight Championship against Marco Antonio Periban (25-5-1, 16 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico in a 10-round clash.

Newly signed prospect Evan Sanchez (6-0, 5 KOs) of Parlier, Calif. will participate in a six-round welterweight bout.

Alejandro “PinPon” Reyes (2-0, 2 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico will return in a four-round lightweight battle.

Garcia vs. Fonseca is a 12-round fight for the WBC Silver Lightweight Title presented by Golden Boy. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 14 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for the event are on sale and are priced at $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at goldenboytickets.com, ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 800-943-4327 and at the Honda Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 5 p.m. PT and Sat 10 a.m. PT to 4 p.m. PT).

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

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

Terri Harper is targeting a life-changing win over Eva Wahlstrom at the FlyDSA Arena on Saturday February 8 when they clash in a huge unification battle for the IBO and WBC Super-Featherweight World Titles, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Harper (9-0, 5 KOs) got off to a flying start under the Matchroom Boxing banner with a polished performance to outpoint tough Brazilian Viviane Obenauf in the first defence of her IBO crown on her 23rd birthday in November.

‘Belter’ admits the pressure she felt to perform on her big Matchroom debut may have caused her to play it safe at Manchester Arena but the undefeated Denaby star, South Yorkshire’s first female professional boxer, has promised to take it to her opponent next month.

“Watching the Obenauf fight back I feel I held back a bit,” said Harper. “I had a lot of pressure on me to perform on my Matchroom debut and maybe played it a bit too safe. In this fight I feel I will be more adventurous, I know what Eva is going to bring and I will go out there and show my ability. I’m ready to show everyone what I can do.

“One of the main changes is that we have been sparring straight away, getting lots of rounds in with different girls and training twice a day alongside Anthony Tomlinson who is also on the bill. I have my feet through the door now and I am ready for February 8, a date I will hopefully come home as WBC World Champion.”

Wahlstrom (23-1-2, 3 KOs), a pro since 2010 and who has only lost to Irish sensation Katie Taylor, promises to be a career-defining fight for Harper. The Finnish 39-year-old has held the WBC title since 2015, making fives defences of the green and gold belt during her reign.

Guided by Stefy Bull from his gym in Doncaster, Harper has passed every test of her career with flying colours since turning professional in 2017 following a successful stint in the amateurs and the 23-year-old believes she has what it takes to overcome Wahlstrom in a clash of youth versus experience.

“Eva is a solid opponent who has shared the ring with some great female boxers over a long career. She has more experience than me but she is nearly 40 and I feel it is my time now, to take the baton and get the win. I feel like I have long range and won’t get dragged into a brawl. We have seen that she is open to that back hand so that is what we have been working with in the gym, I want to get back on my knockout streak!

“It’s a 50:50 fight but I feel like I have got youth on my side. I am so hungry to win this and have prepared for the best version of Eva Wahlstrom possible. I have put 110% into this camp because I know that if I prepare correctly that I can change my life on February 8. I have dreams of boxing in America and I see that as the next goal for me after winning this WBC title.

“All I see in this fight is me being dominant with my jab and then stopping her with my back hand, I just feel like it’s something she will not be able to deal with. I feel my fitness will come through and the fight will be over in the mid to late rounds.”

Harper vs. Wahlstrom is part of a huge night of action in Sheffield.

Kell Brook (38-2, 26 KOs) will be aiming to shake off the ring rust and fire his name back into the mix for a Word Title shot in 2020 when he meets the USA’s Mark DeLuca (24-1, 13 KOs), Kid Galahad (26-1, 15 KOs) takes on Claudio Marrero (24-3, 17 KOs) in a Final Eliminator for the IBF Featherweight crown, Anthony Tomlinson (11-0, 6 KOs) takes on Stewart Burt (13-1-1, 1 KO) in a Eliminator for the British and Commonwealth Welterweight titles, Dave Allen (17-5-2, 14 KOs) makes his long-awaited return after eight months out of the ring, Brentwood Super-Featherweight Martin Joseph Ward (23-1-2, 11 KOs) returns, Sheffield Super-Featherweight prospect Donte Dixon (2-0, 1 KO) returns, Super-Middleweight John Docherty (7-0, 5 KO) continues his march towards a first title, Leeds Featherweight Hopey Price (2-0, 1 KO) looks to go 3-0 and Sheffield Light-Heavyweight Callum Beardow (1-0) fights for the second time as a pro.

TIJUANA, MX (JANUARY 24, 2020) – Undefeated super bantamweight prospect, Eros Correa (8-0, 6 KOs), who is managed by Cali Boxing Management, returns to the ring on this Saturday January 25, 2010, at the Big Punch Arena, promoted by GM3 Boxing and Gonzalez Boxing Promotions. Correa will battle Genaro Rodriguez (6-7-1, 2 KOs), who hails from Baja California, Mexico. The fight will be an eight-round bout, the first of Eros Correa’s career.

“I am really focused right now, and I believe this will be a very big year for me starting with this fight,” said Eros Correa, who resided in San Jose, CA. “I am staying in the gym and constantly improving every single day. I am ready to put on a great performance to start the year.”

“Eros is very focused, he has an exciting crowd-pleasing style,” said Andrew Bocanegra, of Cali Boxing Management. “Eros is one of the most exciting fighters in the lower weight classes right now and January 25th people will see why.”

“I want to fight the big names in my division,” continued Correa. “Godinez has fought fighters who have fought for world titles, I want to show the world the fighter I am by making a statement and beating him by knockout.”

“Eros is focused right now,” said Jessie Sanchez, of Cali Boxing Management. “He’s been as active as ever and this fight will continue to show all of his progress.”

(Jan. 23, 2020) — Former WBA super featherweight world champion Andrew “El Chango” Cancio, the working man’s hero who reached the pinnacle of the sport, has signed a multi-fight promotional contract with Top Rank. Cancio, who still holds down a full-time job at Southern California Gas Company, is expected to make his Top Rank on ESPN debut in April.
 
“Andrew Cancio is one of the very best fighters at 130 pounds, a hard-working young man who deserves another opportunity to fight at the sport’s highest level,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He was a free agent, miraculously, and we didn’t hesitate to make a deal with him and his team.”
 
“I’m very grateful to begin the next chapter of my career with Bob Arum and the entire Top Rank team in my corner,” Cancio said. “I look forward to returning to the ring in front of my army of supporters and am fully prepared to fight my way towards becoming a world champion again. Thanks very much to my team, particularly my manager, Ray Chaparro, who has always believed in me and has been incredibly supportive of my career and instrumental in the success I’ve achieved.”
 
Said Chaparro: “Andrew and I are honored to join Top Rank as we move forward towards the rest of his career. I’ve known for a long time that Andrew is a world-class fighter and am very happy to begin working with Bob Arum and his outstanding team on our march towards another world title. I’d specifically like to thank Top Rank matchmaker Brad Goodman, who has worked diligently to welcome us to Top Rank. We both look forward to working closely with him in the future.”
 
Cancio (21-5-2, 16 KOs), from Blythe, Calif., knocked out Alberto Machado last February in four rounds to win the WBA super featherweight world title. Four months later, he repeated the deed, this time stopping Machado in three rounds. Cancio’s title reign ended last November when Nicaraguan veteran Rene Alvarado knocked him out in seven rounds.
 
Cancio is one of the sport’s top regional ticket-sellers, as he routinely draws sold-out crowds to the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, Calif., a 90-minute drive from Blythe. After the Alvarado defeat, Cancio was released by his previous promoter, paving the way for him to sign with Top Rank. WBO world champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring, WBC world champion Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt, former featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez, former two-weight world champion Carl “The Jackal” Frampton and former world champion Masayuki “The Judge” Ito are Top Rank-signed fighters who currently campaign at 130 pounds, leaving Cancio with a plethora of options as he resumes his career.

Eddie Hearn:

“Good afternoon everyone. Welcome. I think this is the first one of 2020. 2019 seems to have passed us by and a great great year of boxing in Britain, in America, of course finishing with that wonderful event in Saudi Arabia where Anthony Joshua reclaimed the unified World Heavyweight Championship, one in Dallas for Jacobs vs. Chavez Jr. Next week we kick everything off, live on Sky Sports and live on DAZN, in Miami with a huge card, Super Bowl week in Miami with Demetrius Andrade vs. Luke Keeler, Tevin Farmer against Jo Jo Diaz, Daniel Roman against Murodjon Akhmadaliev, Jake Paul against AnEsonGib – Adam’s particular favourite – we can’t wait to be in Miami next week ahead of the start for the UK. 

“Kell Brook returns to the ring on February 8th at Sheffield Arena against Mark DeLuca, but Manchester, we’re back here on March 7th with a great great great fight. So many great memories in this very room here, I see Anthony Crolla up the back, and of course I remember the great build-up to the fight between Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton at Manchester Arena – so many great press conferences in this room here – that was a feisty feisty build-up. We’re going to get exactly the same thing in this build-up between two great fighters in very similar positions. Both guys who have been a World Champion in Scott Quigg, a World Title challenger in Jono Carroll – a great fight against Tevin Farmer in Philadelphia. Of course Scott Quigg, former Super-Bantamweight World Champion attempted to unify that in one of the biggest fights that Manchester has seen in the Carl Frampton fight. This is an absolute must-win fight for both guys. 

“I was gutted when we lost this fight in Saudi Arabia, and when we put it to them for March 7 Scott accepted and of course Jono jumped at it straight away. This is a must-win for both guys, high stakes. There’s a big card coming for March 7, some of those guys are here today and some of them are in camp already abroad. We have the return of Hughie Fury, good to see him back, disappointed in Monte-Carlo when he fell ill during fight week, but he’s returning to the venue where he fought for the Heavyweight World Title against Joseph Parker. Scott Fitzgerald will be on the card as well, and also, late last night we awaited final confirmation that Zach Parker will be on this card fighting in an eliminator for the No.1 spot for the Super-Middleweight World Title, a very important fight to become mandatory challenger to Billy Joe Saunders, against Rohan Merdoch the Australian on this card as well. Ibrahim Nadim, a great young fighter, with Paul Speak and Ricky Hatton coming through. Jack Cullen returns on this card – what a fight with Felix Cash! It was probably one of my favourite fights of 2019. Dalton Smith as well, one of the top top GB talents coming through who had a wonderful start to his career last year.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing: 

“Thanks Eddie. It’s fantastic to be back in Manchester and I think this is the fight for Manchester. Like you I was gutted that it was called off in Saudi, which was an amazing night for Anthony Joshua and for the whole of British boxing. It gives us such a huge amount to look forward to in 2020, there’s some really fantastic shows coming up, Kell Brook in Sheffield, we’ve got a load of stuff coming from the States, obviously we’ve seen the likes of Dillian Whyte coming back and Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua brought his titles back. There’s so much to look forward to ahead. Also, the women’s scene is one fire, I was talking to Peter Fury earlier and Savannah Marshall will be going great guns this year, Katie Taylor we’ll see maybe Stateside but it would be great to have her here too, it was fantastic in Manchester last time when she become a two-weight World Champion. 

“There’s some super stuff going on out there and we’re really please to be back, first of all in Manchester, I walked in with Anthony Crolla – he still loves it doesn’t he! He was working with us a little bit towards the end of last year doing a fantastic job on the safe side of the ropes. We loved watching him throughout his career. We followed Scott Quigg throughout his, he’s been a brilliant fighter, he’s always been so down to Earth, so easy to deal with and so wonderful in the ring. He’s had a fantastic career already, becoming a World Champion, Eddie mentioned that huge fight with Carl Frampton. He goes on, his dedication is incredible and I love that in Scott.

“I also love this guy, Jono Carroll, he’s brilliant. This fella has been in some fantastic fights. It was a terrific effort, we were there ringside when he pushed Tevin Farmer the whole way. He’s a colourful character, he’s fantastic. It’s a brilliant fight to make for the Manchester fight crowd – you guys know your stuff up here. The likes of Ricky Hatton, Anthony Farnell, Michael Gomez, Anthony Crolla through the years. Scott Quigg has got some life left in him the old dog, he looks fantastic doesn’t he – he always does. Jono Carroll will be pushing him all the way. It’s a tremendous bill with some terrific fighters on card. Jack Cullen – what a great fight that was with Felix Cash. It’s great to see Hughie Fury back and so many great youngsters coming through. I think it’s going to be a brilliant 2020 and we cannot wait to be here back in Manchester where they love their boxing, and you’re going to love this show. It’s a fantastic top of the bill Eddie.”

Scott Quigg: 

“It’s good to be back in Manchester in an exciting fight. I have been out the ring a long time and it has been frustrating but now I am back with Joe and really looking forward to March 7. 

“This is a fight that really excites me, he is going to come and try and have a go but he will get demolished. 2020 is going to be a very successful year for me. 

“I want to get in the ring and if he wants to have it then great but I think he will be on his bike! We will see if he backs up everything he is saying. 

“I know that I’ve still got it and can still do it. I am improving and on March 7 all the doubters will see that there is still plenty left in the tank. I will take Johno Carroll out, get my arm raised and move on. It’s a simple as that.”Jono Carroll:

“First of all I want to thank Eddie and and Adam for having me on such a big show and I’m finally topping a bill again. 

“After Saudi got cancelled I genuinely thought that Scott bottled it, I had no issues with him but I just remember thinking he better not have bottled that. 

“This is a career shift, I have always wanted to top bills and I remember being at Manchester Arena when Scott fought Kiko Martinez thinking I cannot wait until that is me and now I’m here. 

“I am delighted to be here and if you know me personally you will know this is just business. I was more than happy to go out to Philadelphia and help Tevin Farmer after our fight and I am actually have disappointed that I won’t be there. 

“I will be working my ass off in Spain to go and smash Scott Quigg up. I want to gain as much experience as possible in this game and I welcome failure. I like it when I fail because it means I am pushing myself hard enough. 

“My loss to Farmer woke me up and I want to be the best I can possibly be. Anything that will push me mentally and physically I am up for. It keeps me focused, disciplined and gives me guidance. This is going to be a fantastic fight. I am already fit so this is just about fine-tuning now. I know that I am that world level now. I go to war, I think it is the Irish blood in me.

“One thing I just have to question is why does he feel he has to change trainer? To me that’s weakness in the mind, that’s weakness in the head. You change trainer before such a big fight? I know he’s going back to Joe. Joe is an amazing trainer, but at the same time, that’s weakness, in my own opinion. That might be a bad mistake mate.”Hughie Fury:

“I was absolutely devastated not to be able to box in Monte-Caro after all of that hard work. It wasn’t meant to be, but it has given me that bit longer with the stuff I’ve been working on in the gym. It’s exciting to be back in Manchester where I fought for the World Title, it wasn’t my night, but it’s all about learning and all of these fights put me where I am today, they’ve made me a better fighter, and people are in for a shock the next time around. It’s going to be an exciting year. 

“People are going to see a major turn around. I want all of those fights again. I was basically fighting with one hand and they still couldn’t do no good with me. They’re the fights I want again. It was frustrating for myself to not let that right hand go against Povetkin. I kick myself all the time about it but it’s one of them, it happens and people are going to see a big difference next time.”

Jack Cullen:

“Yeah the Cash fight was a good experience. I’d just like to say thanks for getting me back out on these shows. 2020 is going to be my year. I’m not going to come up with any excuses for Felix Cash, it’s time to get back wining and hopefully we’ll get it again. I’m not looking past anybody, I’m looking forward to my next fight, I’ve just got to keep on going and keep on winning. To be honest I wasn’t myself, I’m not going to come up with any excuses, I wasn’t myself, if it happens again I will be wining that fight. Hopefully before the end of the year we’ll get it again.”

Dalton Smith:

“I enjoyed last year stepping into the professional ranks. I had four fights, settled in well, but the new year is here now and it’s time to step up the rounds and the opposition. I just want to stay active this year, stepping up the rounds and we’ll see how the year pans out. If it were up to me I’d jump into those big fights now but you’ve got to be realistic, it’s a tough game to be in and you’ve got to learn your trade.

“Sometimes it’s not just about your ability, you’ve got to become a 12 round fighter and get the experience. I just listen to my team. I just do what they say. Obviously I’ve got the best promotional team around me, one day I want to become a World Champion but I just need to listen to my team, I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me.”

Ibrahim Nadim:

“First of all I’d like to thank Eddie, Matchroom and Sky Sports Boxing for giving me this opportunity to fight on the undercard of a great main event. I’ll show you all what I’m about on March 7. I’m still getting used to the transition into the pro game, I need to learn to plant my feet a bit more and let some more power shots go.”

(Jan. 23, 2020) — Jose Ramirez’s WBC/WBO junior welterweight world title defense against former world champion Viktor “The Iceman” Postol — originally scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPN from Mission Hills Haikou in Hainan, China on Saturday, Feb. 1 — has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak in China.
 
 The Ramirez-Postol bout will be contested at a date and venue to be determined.
 
 “The health and safety of our fighters and everyone working on the event is the most important thing,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “We hope the situation is brought under control soon. We look forward to staging events at Mission Hills Haikou in the very near future.”

WBA and IBF World Super-Bantamweight champion, Daniel Roman, held a workout for the media today at the City of Angles Boxing gym in Los Angeles. Roman defends his titles against unbeaten WBA mandatory challenger Murodjon Akhmadaliev on the stacked World championship triple header bill on Thursday January 30 at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING AT $40 (PLUS FEES)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH DANIEL ROMAN’S EPISODE OF ‘BORN FIGHTER’ ON MATCHROOM BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL
 Roman, who is the only unified champion in the super-bantamweight division, has remained unbeaten since 2013, becoming one of the most accomplished fighters in boxing. Here is what he and his team had to say about this sensational matchup. 

“Murodjon Akhmadaliev beat my teammate Isaac Zarate so I’m very familiar with him,” said Roman. “I know he’s a strong kid, an aggressive fighter, he’s hungry and he’s going to try to take me out as best he can.”

“He makes a few mistakes, he likes to fight with his hands down, not sure if that’s his style, but those are the flaws I see in him,” Roman continued. “Akhmadaliev might not have the experience as a pro, but he was a great Olympic amateur who won a bronze metal. At this level there are no easy fights. His style and my style are going to make for a great bout.”

“It was a great training camp like always,” concluded Roman. “We expect Akhmadaliev to come with his best and we are not taking him lightly. My shoulder injury is behind me and I’m feeling 100%. This is a world championship fight and we are ready to go.”

“Danny is a true professional, he’s discipline, he sacrifices, he works hard,” stated trainer and manager Eddie Gonzalez. “If I ask him to do something he goes beyond. I’m very confident his going to beat Murodjon Akhmadaliev.”

“I think Roman is one of the best fighters in boxing period,” said Ken Thompson, CEO of Thompson Boxing Promotions. “He’s fought all over the world and won world titles. He’s the best fighter we’ve ever had at Thompson Boxing. I’m expecting him to have a spectacular performance.”

“I can’t think of any fights the Danny Roman has been in that wasn’t action packed,” said Thompson Boxing matchmaker Alex Camponovo. “He hasn’t lost many rounds in his career and I expect him to dominate in this fight.”

Roman’s clash with Akhmadaliev is part of a huge night of World championship boxing as Demetrius Andrade (28-0, 17 KOs) defends his WBO World Middleweight title against contender Luke Keeler (17-2-1, 5 KOs) and Tevin Farmer (30-4-1, 6 KOs) defending his IBF World Super Featherweight title against JoJo Diaz (30-1, 15 KOs).

YouTube sensations Jake Paul and AnEsonGib make their pro debuts against each other, Super-Middleweight contender Anthony Sims Jr (20-0 18 KOs) fights for his first pro title against Roamer Alexis Angulo (25-1 22 KOs) and a host of young talents are in action in the form of Movladdin Biyarslanov (5-0 4 KOs), Austin Williams (4-0 3 KOs), Alexis Espino (4-0 3 KOs), Otha Jones III (4-0 1 KO) and Avril Mathie (4-0-1 2 KOs).

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 23, 2020) – Thompson Boxing Promotion’s WBA and IBF World Super-Bantamweight champion, Daniel Roman, held a workout for the media today at the City of Angles Boxing gym in Los Angeles. Roman defends his titles against unbeaten WBA mandatory challenger Murodjon Akhmadaliev on the stacked World championship triple header bill on Thursday January 30 at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

Roman, who is the only unified champion in the super-bantamweight division, has remained unbeaten since 2013, becoming one of the most accomplished fighters in boxing. Here is what he and his team had to say about this sensational matchup.

“Murodjon Akhmadaliev beat my teammate Isaac Zarate so I’m very familiar with him,” said Daniel Roman. “I know he’s a strong kid, an aggressive fighter, he’s hungry and he’s going to try to take me out as best he can.”

“He makes a few mistakes, he likes to fight with his hands down, not sure if that’s his style, but those are the flaws I see in him,” Roman continued. “Akhmadaliev might not have the experience as a pro, but he was a great Olympic amateur who won a bronze metal. At this level there are no easy fights. His style and my style are going to make for a great bout.”

“It was a great training camp like always,” concluded Roman. “We expect Akhmadaliev to come with his best and we are not taking him lightly. My shoulder injury is behind me and I’m feeling 100%. This is a world championship fight and we are ready to go.”

“Danny is a true professional, he’s discipline, he sacrifices, he works hard,” stated trainer and manager Eddie Gonzalez. “If I ask him to do something he goes beyond. I’m very confident his going to beat Murodjon Akhmadaliev.”

“I think Roman is one of the best fighters in boxing period,” said Ken Thompson, CEO of Thompson Boxing Promotions, Roman’s promoter. “He’s fought all over the world and won world titles. He’s the best fighter we’ve ever had at Thompson Boxing. I’m expecting him to have a spectacular performance.”

“I can’t think of any fights the Danny Roman has been in that wasn’t action packed,” said Thompson Boxing matchmaker Alex Camponovo. “He hasn’t lost many rounds in his career and I expect him to dominate in this fight.”

LAS VEGAS – Today, FOX Sports and ESPN announce an extensive preview programming lineup in advance of the highly anticipated rematch between undefeated heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and unbeaten lineal champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury taking place on Saturday, February 22 in a historic, joint presentation by FOX Sports PPV & ESPN+ PPV live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Their first meeting took place on Dec. 1, 2018 and saw Wilder retain his title via split draw after Fury miraculously rose from a 12th-round knockdown to finish the fight. Now, as the two prepare for the rematch, preview programming coming to both networks include the in-depth four-part INSIDE WILDER VS FURY II series, the one-hour COUNTDOWN: DEONTAY WILDER VS. TYSON FURY II special, as well as a live PRESS CONFERENCE.

With a first look into the fighter’s preparation for their upcoming battle, INSIDE WILDER VS FURY II (Part 1) premieres on Saturday, Jan. 25 (3:30 PM ET) on FOX and on ESPN2 on Thursday, Jan. 30 (8:30 PM ET).

Then, both Wilder and Fury escalate their war of words in the one-hour PRESS CONFERENCE: DEONTAY WILDER VS. TYSON FURY II simulcast live on FOX and the ESPN App, Saturday, Jan. 25 (4:00 PM ET). The press conference will also be broadcast in Spanish on FOX Deportes and ESPN Deportes.

The hour-long COUNTDOWN: DEONTAY WILDER VS. TYSON FURY II, premieres on FOX on Saturday, Feb. 1 (5:00 PM ET), and on ESPN, Sunday, Feb. 2 (7:00 PM ET), going behind the scenes and inside the lives of both fighters as they prepare for their long-awaited rematch.

The INSIDE WILDER VS FURY II series continues to build anticipation for the heavyweight showdown throughout February: Part 2 premieres on FOX, Saturday, Feb. 1 (4:30 PM ET) and on ESPN, Sunday, Feb. 2 (8:30 PM ET). Part 3 airs on FOX, Saturday, Feb. 8 (11:30 PM ET/PT) and on ESPN2 on Sunday, Feb. 9 (12:30 AM ET), while Part 4 wraps on FOX on Sunday, Feb. 16 (12:30 PM ET) and on ESPN on Sunday, Feb. 16 (7:00 PM ET).

The COUNTDOWN and INSIDE WILDER VS FURY II series are produced by Five Films, the multi-Emmy Award winning production company founded by Scott Boggins and Craig Jenest that established the popular “athlete-follow” and “team-follow” formats in sports television.

Below is the program premiere time and date for each network. Shows will re-air numerous times across FOX Sports and ESPN networks:

INSIDE WILDER VS FURY II (Part 1)

FOX, Saturday, Jan. 25 (3:30 PM ET)
FOX Deportes, Sunday, Jan. 26 (8:00 PM ET)
ESPN2, Thursday, Jan. 30 (8:30 PM ET); ESPN Deportes (8:00 PM ET)

PRESS CONFERENCE: DEONTAY WILDER VS. TYSON FURY II
FOX, FOX Deportes, Saturday, Jan. 25 (4:00 PM ET)
ESPN Deportes, Saturday, Jan. 25 (4:00 PM ET)

INSIDE WILDER VS FURY II (Part 2)
FOX, Saturday, Feb. 1 (4:30 PM ET)
FOX Deportes, Monday, Feb. 3 (9:30 PM ET)
ESPN, Sunday, Feb. 2 (8:30 PM ET)
ESPN Deportes, Saturday, Feb 8 (4:00 PM ET)

COUNTDOWN: DEONTAY WILDER VS. TYSON FURY II
FOX, Saturday, Feb. 1 (5:00 PM ET)
FOX Deportes, Sunday, Feb. 2 (11:00 PM ET)
ESPN, Sunday, Feb. 2 (7:00 PM ET)
ESPN Deportes, Thursday, Feb. 6 (9:00 AM ET)

INSIDE WILDER VS FURY II (Part 3)
FOX, Saturday, Feb. 8 (11:30 PM ET/PT)
FOX Deportes, Monday, Feb. 10 (9:30 PM ET)
ESPN2, Sunday, Feb. 9 (12:30 AM ET)
ESPN Deportes, Thursday, Feb. 13 (8:00 PM ET)

INSIDE WILDER VS FURY II (Part 4)
FOX, Sunday, Feb. 16 (12:30 PM ET)
FOX Deportes, Monday, Feb. 17 (10:30 PM ET)
ESPN Sunday, Feb. 16 (7:00 PM ET)
ESPN Deportes, Thursday, Feb. 20 (10:30 PM ET)

Viewers can live stream the shows on the respective FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com or on the ESPN App or at ESPN.com.

For more information, visit FOX Sports Press Pass, FiveFilmsInc or ESPNPressRoom.

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About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing FOX Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports’ digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Additionally, FOX Sports and social broadcasting platform Caffeine jointly own Caffeine Studios, which creates exclusive eSports, sports and live entertainment content. Also included in FOX Sports’ portfolio are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.

About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – 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.

BROOKLYN (January 23, 2020) – Two-division world champion Danny “Swift” García and hard-hitting Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach went face-to-face at the final press conference Thursday before they battle in a WBC Welterweight Title Eliminator that headlines action this Saturday, January 25 live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™, in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The press conference also featured former unified champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd and Francisco “Chia” Santana squaring off before they compete in the 10-round super welterweight co-feature, plus unbeaten sensation “Cool Boy Steph” Stephen Fulton Jr. and fellow unbeaten Arnold Khegai previewed their super bantamweight title eliminator that opens SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and DSG Promotions, are on-sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com and barclayscenter.com. Tickets also can be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from the Tillary Hotel in Brooklyn:

DANNY GARCIA

“It’s been a long, 10-week training camp putting in the hard work. We did everything we were supposed to do. We covered everything we needed and we’re ready to go. I’m glad I had a safe camp with no injuries, because you should see the best Danny Garcia on Saturday night.

“It feels great to be back at Barclays Center. This feels like my home away from home. My fans from all over will be here and I’m excited to show my skills for them. I feel like I have unfinished business in Brooklyn. On Saturday, we’re going to get the job done.

“Every fight from now on is a fight for my legacy. I’m a young veteran now. I feel great and I know that I’m one of the best fighters in the world. I’m here by popular demand. The rankings are what they are, so I just go in and do the fighting. I’m focused on showing the world that I’m a force to be reckoned with.

“I’m not Devon Alexander and I’m not any of the people that Redkach has knocked out. Don’t try too hard in there because you might knock yourself out.

“There’s no pressure on me. I just have to go in there and get this victory. Whatever the future brings I’m ready, whether it’s Errol Spence Jr. or Manny Pacquiao. None of it happens without a win on Saturday.

“My mind is fully focused on Saturday night. I trained 10 weeks for this fight and I can’t overlook him. He wants to have a breakout fight, but I’m prepared for what he brings to the table. After that, I’m ready for whoever wants to fight me.

“I think fighting Zab Judah in Brooklyn was my favorite at Barclays Center. He was from Brooklyn and we had a lot of bad blood, it was a crazy atmosphere. Every fight at Barclays Center has been a great experience though.

“I just have to stay locked in mentally, while also enjoying every minute of the buildup. You have to embrace every minute and make the most of it.

“It doesn’t matter who I beat or who I lost to, come Saturday night, Redkach is going down. I’ve worked too hard not to leave Saturday with this win.”

IVAN REDKACH

“I want to thank my team and everyone who was with me during training. This Saturday night I’m going to give everyone a great fight. Thank you to Danny for taking this fight, we’re going to put on a great show. You don’t want to miss it.

I had a very long camp for this fight. It was a really good camp. We had a routine that we worked on and we’re going to use it in the ring on Saturday night.

“Danny García is a good fighter, but I have a game plan. That game plan is going to end with me knocking him out. You’re all going to see it on January 25.

“I respect Danny García and what he’s done, but what I’m bringing to the ring will be the best performance of my career.

“It’s going to be a very exciting fight for the fans. Danny García has lost in the arena before and I’m going to make it happen again. This is going to be a very interesting fight.

“Fighting at welterweight lets me work on my skills and my strategy even more during training. I have more power and I feel like a smarter and more prepared fighter at this weight.

“I know that he picked me because I’m a southpaw, but I’m ready to give Danny a rude wake up. If he’s not 100% and focused mentally, he’s going to be in trouble when the bell rings.”

JARRETT HURD

“This is the second time I’m on a card with Danny García. We have two ‘Swifts’ on same card. I like to call it ‘Swift’ squared. We’re both bringing excitement and I’m sure it’ll be a great turnout. There’s definitely going to be a storm coming on Saturday, because I always bring it.

“I always come ready to fight. I know that Francisco Santana is going to bring his A-game and I can’t wait to get in there and compete.

“Julian Williams losing didn’t affect my motivation. I still have that same motivation no matter what. I’m focused on this fight and I wasn’t worrying about Julian’s fight. I’m sure he’ll bounce back again. We still have this task on Saturday and we haven’t thought about anything past it.

“I definitely want to get hit less, that’s first and foremost. I’m in a lot of Fight of the Year candidates, but I don’t want more of those back and forth fights. I want to control the fight and give a dominant performance Saturday and for the rest of my career.

“I’ve been working on using my height and reach in a different way. I usually use my size to pressure and walk guys down. I think now I can be the taller and rangier fighter in the ring. But at the same time I still have that pressure style in my back pocket.

“We still don’t know who’s the best at 154 pounds. I know in my heart that I’m number one and just had a bad night. I still want to stake my claim to that title.

“Even if I say I will be more defensive, I’m always going to bring the storm. I just have it in my heart to be an action packed exciting fighter.”

FRANCISCO SANTANA

“I want to thank Jarrett Hurd for giving me this opportunity. It’s going to be an honor to step foot in the ring with an elite fighter and a former unified champion.

“I said at the last press conference that no one gives me a shot to win. I was checking the betting spread and I’m a big underdog. They think I should just stay home, but everybody knows I come to fight. Regardless of whether I’m the underdog or not, I’m going to bring it.

“I love to fight. That’s what I come to do. I’m excited to be in a position to perform again on Saturday night. I’m going to give everyone a great fight when that bell rings.

“This is the biggest fight of my career. Like he said before, just because he lost, doesn’t mean that he’s out. He’s still an elite fighter in this division. Once you’re in the elite division, you have to have respect for every single person that steps foot in that ring. It just takes one punch to end the fight.

My motivation has always been there, because of who I’m facing in this fight. This is the biggest opportunity of my life. I get my motivation from my family and from my kids. It’s been a long sacrifice, but there are always great rewards after the sacrifice.

“You have to tune-in Saturday. The people have only seen a small portion of what I can do. I’m known as a guy who just comes forward. But I’ve been doing this for a long time and I think my experience will speak for itself on fight night. It’s going to be a hard task, but I’m prepared and ready.”

STEPHEN FULTON JR.

“I’m ready. There’s no secret why I’m here. They know everything about me. They know my style. So I know their game plan. Opponents always think they’re going to come in there and rough me up. But I can take care of everything he brings and I’m going to show it again on Saturday.

“It’s going to be the same as every other undefeated fighter I fought before. They lack the knowledge of fighting me and what that’s really like. They all try to fight me the same way, but no matter how they fight me, I find a way to win.

“I plan on being myself. I’m going to put on a great performance against another good fighter. When I’m cool, calm and collected, I cannot be stopped. It just naturally happens.

“Like he’s said, we’ll see it all in the ring on Saturday. We’re just talking now, but I can’t wait to get in there on this big stage and continue to make a name for myself.”

ARNOLD KHEGAI

“I’m very thankful for this opportunity and for everyone who helped to make this fight happen. You guys will get a great fight on Saturday night. I came here for the belt and we’ll decide it all in the ring on Saturday night.

“We will see what happens Saturday night. He can talk about his style and his competition, but none of it matters when we’re standing across from each other.

“This is a big opportunity for me. This is a step in my career to where I want to go. I’m going to give everything in the ring against a very good opponent.

“I will be the first fighter to defeat Stephen Fulton. It’s what we’ve worked on during training camp. I know that I have exactly what I need to take care of business in the ring.”

CHRIS DEBLASIO, Senior Vice President of Communications, SHOWTIME Sports

“SHOWTIME is in the midst of an excellent run, with eight live boxing shows across 10 weeks, featuring the biggest names in the sport. It began with Gervonta Davis, Jean Pascal and Badou Jack. It also includes Gary Russell Jr. and Guillermo Rigondeaux coming up, plus the men seated up here today.

“On Saturday we have a great mix of bouts. There’s three young prospect on our SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING COUNTDOWN show, featured globally on Facebook and YouTube. Then at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, we have three high stakes bouts. For different reasons each of these men up here today are in a must-win situation.

“For Fulton and Khegai, this is more than a chance to shine under the bright lights. This is a chance to earn a fight for a world title next. For Danny Garcia and Jarrett Hurd, these are two men in the top-five of the two deepest divisions in boxing. They need strong performances on Saturday night to maintain their status and regain their titles.

“Ivan and Francisco have the chance to break into the ranks of the elite on Saturday, and with a strong performance, win, lose or draw, they too can stay into the hunt for a world title. We have high stakes, intriguing fights up and down the card and we look forward to a great night on Saturday.”

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ABOUT GARCIA VS. REDKACH
Garcia vs. Redkach will see two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia take on hard-hitting Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach in a WBC Welterweight Title Eliminator headlining action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, January 25 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™, in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and featured unified champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd battling Francisco “Chia” Santana in the 10-round co-feature, and unbeaten sensation Stephen Fulton facing fellow unbeaten Arnold Khegai in a Super Bantamweight Title eliminator. The Fulton vs. Khegai bout is promoted in association with Salita Promotions.

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

Demetrius Andrade has signed a four-fight extension to his contract with Matchroom Boxing USA.

Andrade (28-0 17 KOs) defends his WBO World Middleweight crown for the third time against Luke Keeler in Miami on January 30 live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING AT $40 (PLUS FEES)

‘Boo Boo’ landed the vacant title in Boston in October 2018 with a win over teak-tough African Walter Kautondokwa and followed that win by stopping Artur Akavov in the final round of his first defense in New York in January 2019.

The Rhode Island ace went home for his second defense and thrilled his hometown fans at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence in June by putting Maciej Sulecki on the deck in the opening round en-route to a shut-out win over the Pole.

Irishman Keeler (17-2-1 5 KOs) travels to Miami in a bid to shock the world in his first World title fight, but Andrade wants to hold onto his title in style before attacking the big guns and fellow World rulers at 160lbs.

“I’m delighted to have signed an extension to my deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing USA,” said Andrade. “We have had a great 18 months and we’ve got plans to have an even bigger 2020 and 2021.

“I’ve matured in the ring as I’ve been more active and sometimes I think, if these guys had fought me before they might have had a better chance against me, but now they are giving me the time to sign with Eddie and DAZN, get active and fight four times, sharpen the tools and get the ring rust off. So, when it comes their time, it’s going to be hell for them!

“As long as I am building my legacy, performing the way I need to perform and people are loving my style and the things I am doing, I am not worried about anything else as the fans are going to start demanding that these guys fight me.”

The two-weight World ruler was one of the first fighters to team up with promoter Eddie Hearn in July 2018 as he expanded the Matchroom Boxing empire to America with a billion-dollar deal with DAZN, and Hearn expects the Rhode Island ace to have a big year in 2020.

“I am thrilled to have signed an extension to Demetrius’ deal with Matchroom Boxing USA,” said Hearn. “Demetrius is one of the best 160lb fighters in the world and now is the time to deliver him the fights against the other elite Middleweights in the division, live on DAZN.”