LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (April 15, 2019): IBF Middleweight World Champion Daniel
Jacobs (35-2, 29KOs) of Brooklyn, N.Y. hosted a media workout today at CEA Fitness in Long Island, N.Y. ahead of his 12-round unification fight against Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico. Andre Rozier, his trainer, also attended the workout. The event will take place Saturday, May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Here is what today’s participants had to say at the workout:

DANIEL JACOBS, IBF MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION:

“I don’t necessarily think Canelo can bully me. I think that it’s going to be really hard for him being the smaller guy to dictate that. I’m a rough guy when it comes to being in the ring. From the outside looking in, it might look different. But in the ring, I’m a physically big guy with speed and power, so it’s more about the tactics that I choose to use to be victorious.”

“All I see is my hand being raised. I’ve envisioned KOs, decisions, all the positive things. As far as controversy or negativity, him being able to take my punches or push me back, that’s not entered my mind. We only think positively before going into the ring, we’re ready for every possibility, but ultimately, we are on a positive path to victory.”

“Victory would truly show the fans that whether you think I beat Golovkin or not. I am the best Middleweight in the world. I’ve always said that I am the best, and I’ve also always been vocal that the win over Golovkin was taken from me. So, a win over Canelo puts a new idea in the fans’ minds that this guy is the best as he’s proven it against a guy that bean Golovkin – and then I can give Golovkin the rematch and prove that I am better than him.”

“I’ve switched up the sparring partners a lot and we’ve worked a lot on footwork. I’ve been the come-forward aggressor in my previous fights, the power-puncher; Canelo takes a good shot and he’s very elusive with his upper body, so we wanted to make sure we’re faster on our feet, with our hands and with our combinations than in previous fights.”

“I give Canelo all the respect in the world. He’s definitely top-ten, pound for pound. There are some controversial fights that he’s had that where I thought he lost, including both Golovkin fights. But I respect any man that has the courage to fight as this is a kill or be killed sport, but that’s where the respect ends. As far as getting in the ring with him goes, I want to be the victor. I want to take his head off and prove that I am the best gladiator in the world. That’s my true intentions so there’s no respect when it comes to that. But we’re both gentlemen and in my opinion, we’re great ambassadors for the sport. But take that away, and it’s going to be a blood sport in the ring.”

“It’s a little annoying to have to keep talking about the judges and Canelo getting favoritism, but it’s also a fact in most people’s mind so that’s why it comes up so much. I don’t mind answering the questions, but it can be annoying as I don’t want the mindset to be going in there to fight Canelo and the judges. I don’t need any more stress in this fight as Canelo is a force in himself and it’s going to take a lot to figure him out.”

“I study all the fights, and the ones I believed he lost as those are the fighters that showed his bad habits and the opponents were able to exploit them. Canelo has great upper body and head movement, but his legs and his knees don’t hold up well. He doesn’t cut the ring off well like Sergey Derevyanchenko or Golovkin. We look at things like that. I’m one of the longest fighters that he’s faced too, and I’m so fast, so I think I can use all that to my advantage.”

“Sometimes in boxing you have to prove yourself. If you don’t have the name, the power and the brand to really be marketed to the world, you have to work harder to get recognition. I think that with the win over Canelo, I would be given everything I rightfully deserve. The pound-for-pound list doesn’t worry me as that’s for the fans. They can pick and choose who they see fit and who they like. That’s a favoritism thing anyway, so if I’m not the fans favorite after this fight, I’ve got a lot more work to do. I need to not worry about that but concentrate on winning the fight in the ring and the rest will come.”

“Controversy sells but that’s not who I am. That’s not where I came from. I’m not sure if that’s why I am not a household name, but I can’t concentrate on that. I stay true to who I am and how I was raised. I’ll always keep that integrity and try to be a stand-up guy. Also, by having a son, I know he watches everything that I do, and I can’t be acting up and being goofy to get more ratings. Boxing is my job, I have to stay professional and disciplined to get the job done.”

“I never look past any fighter, but it’s absurd that Golovkin and his team would always say that people are fearful of facing them and that they were in it for the love of the sport and to fight the best. Me getting the win over Canelo, you would think that they would want the rematch, but we heard it out of their own mouths that they still wouldn’t want the rematch if I win. They would rather fight Canelo. So, we see from that that boxing is a business. It’s a compliment for sure that he thinks that way. Golovkin knows he lost the fight against me. I saw it in his eyes when they gave me the decision, and he’s never been vocal about giving me the rematch. It’s either been small talk or just swept under the rug. So, for me, I just want to make sure that I not only fight Golovkin again and prove the naysayers wrong, but show him that he knows that I am better than he is.”

“I love energy. Regardless of the fans rooting for Canelo or booing me, I take it and use it as fuel. I want people to chant, roar, raise the roof, it doesn’t matter if it’s for me or against me, I just want that energy in the arena to feed off, and that’s what I am expecting on May 4.”

“I haven’t done anything majorly different than in any other training camp. We’ve had a lot of guys who spar similar to Canelo’s style, and I’ve kept my camp here in New York. We have everything we need here at Competitive Edge Athletics. I’ve been here for six years and this is the biggest fight I’ve ever had. I wanted to be at home and feel that energy from where it all started. I wanted feel the vibes and then go to Las Vegas for the victory.”

“We leave tomorrow, so I’m going to go to Brownsville before I go to get some love to take with me that I was raised from and go out and conquer the world. It’s Brooklyn versus everyone where I’m from. This is the opportunity and my one shot to achieve my dreams. It’s hard to explain the feeling you get of being from Brooklyn, so to go back and feel the love before I go to Vegas is important.”

ANDRE ROZIER, TRAINER OF DANIEL JACOBS:

“This is what we’ve groomed Danny for since he was 13 years old. Now is his time. It’s the biggest fight of his life and one of the biggest and best fights in boxing, and Danny will be the victor on May 4. This is not something that’s just fallen into Danny’s lap as a gift. This is many years of hard work and dedication and now his moment is here.”

“You train fighters to be ready for everything and anything you might get. You never know what Canelo might bring into the ring. He could show something new. So, we’re not training for Canelo the counter-puncher or Canelo the boxer-mover; we’re ready for everything, and there’s no particular way to prepare for that. We just have to stay sharp and smart, and we should be ready for anything.”

“He’s my baby, my boy. Danny showed early that he was elite and special. When he was afflicted with cancer, we thought we were going to lose him. God put his hand on him, kept him with us, and he started coming to the gym. Then, he had this huge brace on and he’d walk down the steps one and a time and the kids would help him. He’d do a little bit of shadow boxing and then a bit on the bag, and every day he would improve until he became a world champion. That’s why I believe that he’s still improving and will unify the titles.”

“Canelo and Golden Boy have been completely professional and great to work with from day one – but now it’s fight time. I know that they are getting ready and we’re getting ready. Danny has never let me down and in Las Vegas he becomes unified middleweight champion of the world. We did the ten pounds to win the IBF title against Sergey, so it won’t be a problem, he’ll make it easily.”

Canelo vs. Jacobs is a 12-round fight for the WBC, WBA, Lineal, Ring Magazine and IBF Middleweight World Titles presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.”The event will take place Saturday, May 4, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Jacobs are on sale now and are priced at $2,505, $1,505,
$1,205, $805, $605, $405, $305, and not including applicable service charges and taxes. There will be a limit of 10 per person at the $2,505, $1,505, $1,205, $805, $605, $405, and $305 price levels. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

For more information,visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,
http://www.matchroomboxing.com, and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @DanielJacobsTKO, @MatchRoomBoxing, and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, www.facebook.com/MatchroomBoxing
and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @DanielJacobsTKO, @MatchroomBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloJacobs.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/May4DAZN into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.

SAN ANTONIO, TX (April 15, 2019) – Professional boxing returns to the Scottish Rite Theatre in downtown San Antonio, TX, on April 20, 2019, when TMB & PRB Entertainment present, “A Ferocious Ending”. Welterweight Gilbert Venegas Jr. (10-1, 6 KOs), welterweight Hector Coronado (1-0, 1 KO), and featherweight Richard Medina (3-0, 2 KOs), who are managed by Greg Hannley of Prince Ranch Boxing, will fight in separate 4-round bouts. The 6-round main event will feature a middleweight showdown between Luis Villareal (4-0-1, 2 KOs) and Jimmie Strickland (3-0, 1 KO).

Venegas will square off against Adam Ealoms (3-16-3, 1 KO), Coronado will battle, Jesus Angulo (4-12, 3 KOs), and Medina will fight Alejandro Moreno (24-39-3, 11 KOs). All three fighters are promoted by TMB & PRB Entertainment.

“I’m ready to get back in ring and rebound from my first loss,” said Venegas Jr., who suffered his first defeat in his last outing. “I feel I’m a stronger fighter at welterweight as opposed to super lightweight, which is the weight I fought last. I was drained and it showed. I’ll be a full strength going into this fight.”

“I was supposed to fight in February, but my opponent pulled out after the weigh-in,” stated Coronado. “I’m in great shape and I’m looking forward to fighting this Saturday.”

“Although Moreno doesn’t have the best record, he’s got over sixty fights under his belt, so I know he has a few tricks up his sleeve,” said the 18-year old Medina. “I’m just happy to be back in the ring after just fighting in February. As always, I’m going to put on a great show for my hometown fans.”

“All my fighters on this card have bright futures,” said Greg Hannley, CEO of Prince Ranch Boxing. “Medina is still in high school and is already making a name for himself. Coronado was a tremendous amateur, and like Medina, he will be one of the top prospects in boxing. Venegas is at his best when he’s fighting at welterweight, so he’ll be campaigning there moving forward. In all, these guys are going to give their hometown fans their money’s worth.”

“We have a stacked card full of local talent,” said TMB & PRB Entertainment promoter Rick Morones Jr., “These kids are the future stars of boxing and San Antonio should come out and support them. This is a family event so bring the kids and let them see what all the hype is about.”

“This event is almost sold out so everyone should purchase their tickets now,” said Alex Draghici of TMB & PRB Entertainment. “Boxing is alive and well here in San Antonio and boxing fans of all ages are welcome.”

Tickets priced $40 General Admission $35 pre-sale, $100 Ringside, are on sale now, and can be purchased by calling (210) 449-5599 or (210) 322-9974. The Scottish Rite Theatre is located at 308 Ave E, San Antonio, TX 78205. Doors open at 6:00 PM, first bell at 7:30 PM

Plant City, FL (April 15, 2019) – WBC Latino middleweight champion Yamaguchi Falcao will defend his belt against Chris Pearson Thursday, May 2 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Falcao-Pearson is scheduled for ten rounds and will air live on DAZN. The bout headlines an outstanding evening of boxing brought to you by Golden Boy Promotions. Tickets from $15 are on sale by calling 702-693-5000 or online at hardrockhotel.com/las-vegas-entertainment/joint-falcao-vs-pearson-2019.php.

The two met in 2011 as part of the international amateur boxing event World Series of Boxing with Pearson winning a highly controversial split decision.

Fighting out of Plant City, FL by way of Sao Mateus, Brazil, Falcao captured a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics and is ranked #9 in the world by the World Boxing Council. As a pro, the skilled southpaw’s compiled a 16-0 record with 7 wins by knockout. Falcao was slated to fight Paul Mendez March 9 in New York but the bout was cancelled at the last minute due to issues with Mendez’ medicals.

During the last year and a half, Falcao’s repeatedly expressed his willingness to face any of the world’s best 160 pound fighters but must first get past a quality opponent.

Living and fighting out of Trotwood, OH, the hard-hitting Pearson has an excellent professional ledger of 16-2 (12 KO’s). The 28-year-old is no stranger to fighting on big platforms, most notably appearing on the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao PPV where he defeated Said El Harrak. After a setback against highly rated Justin DeLoach, he’s won his last two bouts by knockout and looks to make it three straight against Falcao.

“I am extremely grateful to be fighting on this platform,” said Falcao, who became a father last month. “It was heartbreaking when the Mendez fight fell apart on such short notice because I was looking forward to welcoming my son Roberto into this world after I beat Mendez but everything happens for a reason.”

He’s also pleased he’ll have a shot at redemption May 2.

“This fight is very personal to me. I’m planning to knock Chris out because he did not beat me the first time – the judges handed it to him! This is an even bigger opportunity than the Mendez fight because its two days before Canelo vs Danny Jacobs and now when I return home, baby Roberto will be waiting for me. This is my time to shine and show the world
I’m a problem in the middleweight division!”

Fans can interact with Falcao on Instagram @YamaguchiFalcao.

MONTREAL, QC—Top lightweight prospect Mazlum Akdeniz added to his undefeated record on Saturday night, scoring an eight round unanimous decision over Jose Guillermo Garcia at the Montreal Casino in Montreal, QC.

Akdeniz turned in a complete performance, dominating his more experienced opponent from start to finish. His straight counter left hands and uppercuts bloodied Garcia, who is to be commended for his toughness in going the distance. Akdeniz also beat the Mexican warrior at his own game, adding a varied body attack, digging vicious shots downstairs in between his accurate attack up top.

In the end, all three judges deservedly gave Akdeniz all eight rounds on the scorecards.

“He was a good, experienced fighter. That’s what I need. I’m only 21 years old, so I’m trying to get more experience. I won every round. I’m very happy about my performance,” said Akdeniz following the bout.

The hype around Akdeniz has been building as his career as a professional under the Lee Baxter Promotions banner has evolved over the past two years. The 21-year old came out of the amateurs with a considerable amount of promise, as one of the more accomplished amateurs to come out of the Canadian program in some time. In addition to winning the 2015 Ringside Championships, Akdeniz also scored a win over Jorge Moiran Vinent, becoming the first Quebec-based boxer to defeat a Cuban fighter since the legendary Jean Pascal in 2005.

Akdeniz has been remarkably busy in his pro career. He scored five wins in 2018 alone, and has picked up two more in 2019.

“(Lee Baxter) keeps me active. I’m young, I’m hungry, and I want to fight. If I have to do it again in two weeks, I will,” said Akdeniz.

In the main event of the card, Marie Eve Dicaire successfully defended her IBF super welterweight title, scoring a unanimous decision over Mikaela Lauren. In addition, all-action slugger David Theroux, scored his third consecutive victory as he defeated Juan Orozco by unanimous decision.

“We’re very excited about Mazlum’s development, but it’s certainly not a surprise. We knew he was a blue chip prospect coming out of the amateurs, and as the Kurdish-Canadian community continues to grow in its support for him, his stock is only going to keep rising,” said Baxter.

Super flyweight Sunny Edwards has signed a contract extension with Queensberry Promotions as he proceeds with his push towards world level, starting with the defence of his European title against Portuguese-boxer Pedro Matos at The SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27th.

The Croydon man, who is managed by MTK Global, has seen himself join the ‘who needs him’ club domestically in recent times with many of his fellow countryman not willing to step up and fight the 23-year-old.

But Edwards still hasn’t given up on his quest to find a worthy challenger and will continue his search at a lighter division.

“I’ve been boxing at super flyweight when I’m actually a natural flyweight, I’ve spoken to my management team MTK Global and we’re looking to campaign at flyweight. I’m not small for super flyweight but by no means am I big at the weight.”

“Ideally, I would like some domestic names on my record but can’t see them happening anytime too soon- we looked at the Jay Harris fight but he’s now going for the European title.

“We also looked at Tommy Frank, he’s just won the commonwealth and I thought it would make sense with the British title vacant, he brings his Commonwealth and I bring my WBO International and European titles. We tried making that, he wasn’t interested.

“There is also Paddy Barnes, but he isn’t going to fight me.

“The annoying thing about these fighters are that they’re too content on taking these four or six rounders for too long for my liking. I was only 3 and 0 and I was asking to be pushed towards title fights.”

23-year-old Edwards currently holds the WBO European super flyweight title, winning the belt by knocking out Ross Murray in the 4th round of their contest, then successfully defended the title when he put on a classy performance to defeat former EBU European champ, Ryan Farrag.

Sunny added the WBO International super flyweight title in December 2018 when he soundly beat tough Mexican, Junior Granados, a win which ranks him at number 8 in the world- and the steel city gym fighter would have no issue with stepping up towards the big boys of the division.

“On my day, I can mix it with anyone around my weight in the world. Not saying I can beat them, but I know I can put in a good account of myself.

“There’s a reason why I’ve been called to be sparring partner multiple times for world champions. I have proved that I can mix it in there with them and it’s competitive.

“I really want to build my experience with different situations, different sort of opponents and push for fighting in different countries.”

Sunny Edwards is in action on the undercard of Daniel Dubois vs Richard Lartey at The SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27th where he will defend his WBO European super flyweight title against Portuguese-boxer, Pedro Matos.

Tickets are priced as £40, £50, £75, £100 and £150 and are now ON SALE to purchase via Eventim, Ticketmaster, the SSE Arena website and AXS.com

Andy Townend says he is expecting Joe Cordina to “run” when they meet for the British and Commonwealth Lightweight titles at The O2 in London this Saturday (April 20), live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Townend (22-4, 14 KOs) is undefeated in six fights since a loss to Cordina’s gym mate Martin J Ward in a failed bid for the British Super-Featherweight title in 2016, and Barnsley’s ‘KO Kid’ is convinced he will be crowned a British Champion at the second time of asking.

Team GB standout Cordina is unbeaten in eight fights since turning over in 2017, picking up the Commonwealth title against Sean Dodd last time out at the Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff. The ‘Welsh Wizard’ is being tipped to reach the top by many but Townend doesn’t buy into the hype.

“I’m expecting him to run and stay out of my way,” said Townend. “He’s going to bob and weave to stay out of my range. I think he’ll try to box clever. I’ll be going out there to enjoy myself. I’m going to take the fight to him. It’s going to be a great fight and as long as I’m 110%, he’s going to be in for a hard night.

“Joe has a good pedigree having been part of the Team GB squad for a number of years. It’s a different kettle of fish now he’s in the pro game. There’s longer rounds and tougher opponents. I’ve got more experience than him in the pro ranks but it’s all down to Saturday night. Let’s see what he’s got.

“If this fight goes my way then it won’t be going the distance. I just go out there to enjoy myself. If it goes in one round, it goes in one round. If it goes in twelve, it goes in twelve. I’m prepared for a hard night and may the best man win.

“It’s great to be back on TV involved in such a big show at The O2. To win the British title would be massive for me. Everyone in the gym is doing it now. Robbie Barrett had it and so did Josh Wale, so it would be nice to bring it back home to the gym.”

Cordina vs. Townend is part of a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen (16-4-2, 13 KOs) faces the biggest night of his career against Australia’s former WBA Heavyweight World Champion Lucas Browne (28-1, 14 KOs), Derek Chisora (29-9, 21 KOs) clashes with Senad Gashi (17-2, 17 KOs) in his first fight under new trainer Dave Coldwell, Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski, Ilford Welterweight prospect Conor Benn (13-0, 9 KOs) makes his long-awaited return to the ring, Brooklyn Middleweight prospect Nikita Ababiy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his UK debut and Watford Bantamweight Shannon Courtenay fights for the second time as a pro after her debut win at the Copper Box Arena.

General Sale tickets for April 20 are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS has challenged WBO super-middleweight champion Gilberto Ramirez to face him or ditch his world title.

The Mexican hinted after a winning light-heavyweight debut at the weekend that his future belongs in the bigger 175lb division.

Saunders (27-0,13 KOs) faces German based Albanian Shefat Isufi (27-3-2, 20 KOs) at Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium on Saturday May 18, live on BT Sport for the WBO interim super-middleweight crown.

Ramirez will be ordered to face the winner, unless he relinquishes the title he has held for three years.

If he does hand back his crown, the Saunders v Isufi fight is likely to be elevated to full world title status.

Former unbeaten WBO middleweight champion Saunders snapped: “I am raring to go for Ramirez, but if he doesn’t want to face me then give up the title and let me fight for the full championship.

“If it’s not going to happen against me after my ‘interim’ title fight then I would rather him say, now.

“He has said he can make 12 stone for Callum Smith so I don’t see the problem with myself. If he can make 12 stone for Callum, he can make 12 stone for me.

“I understand the rules of boxing. If you haven’t got the right style, opponents may not want to know you.

“His promoter Bob Arum has a good working relationship with Frank Warren and MTK, and he has most probably had a conversation with Ramirez.

“They know they can make the fight, but do they want it?

“Personally myself, I don’t think Ramirez will go ducking anybody, but unless he 100 per-cent knows he’s good at the weight I can’t see him taking the chance of fighting me.

“My way of winning fights is slick boxing so that takes a lot of steam out of the opponent especially if you’re weight-drained.”

Saunders cannot wait to appear at a stadium just 12 miles from his Hatfield home.

And although less than half of his wins have come inside the distance, Saunders reckons the open air crowd at the Lamex Stadium are in for a knockout night.

Saunders who is currently training in Manchester added: “I will carry more power up with me. We have been working on a few bits and bobs to improve my power.

“I’ve been sparring well, my timing is there, my speed is still there, but I have got to perform at the weight.”

Tickets for Saunders v Isufi at Stevenage FC are now on sale via www.borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£200 – Hospitality
£150 – Pitch
£100 – Pitch
£75 – Pitch
£50 – Stand
£40 – Stand

Oneida Indian Nation Homelands (April 15, 2019)- Preparations are well underway as Central New York prepares to host boxing’s biggest weekend of the year, International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend. Star Boxing, in partnership with Turning Stone Resort Casino, today announced a new event for an already impressive boxing weekend – Zab “Super” Judah (44-9, 30 KOs) vs. Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (23-1, 19 KOs). The fight will take place in the Turning Stone Event Center on Friday, June 7, 2019, as part of the 30th Anniversary of Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend. The evening’s co-main event will feature James “Buddy” McGirt Jr. (27-3-1, 14KO’s) facing off against David Papot (22-0, 3KO’s), the same weekend his father James “Buddy” McGirt Sr. will be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.

Boxing fans will also have an opportunity to mingle with some of the biggest names in boxing, including boxing VIPs and Hall of Famers. Turning Stone will offer a unique boxing fan experience for guests who purchase tickets for the June 7thJudah vs. Seldin fight. For $50 (plus the purchase of a ticket), guests will receive access to the Boxing Hall of Fame Lounge, where boxing VIPs will be socializing throughout the night.

Tickets for Judah vs. Seldin are now available at the Turning Stone Box Office in person or by calling 315.361.7469 and 12:00 p.m. online at Ticketmaster. Prices start at only $35, with ringside seats available for $89 and $75.

June 7th’s main event features, Zab “Super” Judah (Brooklyn, NY), a six-time world champion, and the last undisputed welterweight champion of the world. The three-time New York Golden Glove champion made his professional debut at the age of 18, later holding world titles in three weight classes, capped off by his undisputed welterweight reign. Judah has defeated some of the most notable names in the business, including, Micky Ward, Lucas Matthysse and Cory Spinks (Undisputed Welterweight Title), and fought many other top fighters including Floyd Mayweather, Amir Khan, Danny Garcia and Miguel Cotto .

Opposing the six-time and former undisputed champion will be New York’s feared knockout artist, Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (Shirley, NY). Born from a tough line of Jewish-Americans, Seldin won the Ringside Amateur World Championship in 2009. As a professional, Seldin created buzz throughout New York as a knockout artist packing the Paramount with his “Hamma Head” fans. He broke on to the national scene when he devoured Roberto Ortiz at the Nassau Coliseum in a featured HBO fight. One month later, Seldin became the first boxer alongside Hall of Fame world champions, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. to fight in featured fights on back to back months on HBO. 83 percent of Seldin’s wins have come via knockout.

The veteran craftsmanship of former undisputed champion Judah, will have to weather the storm of the heavy-handed New York brawler in Seldin. On the biggest weekend in boxing, with many Hall of Famer’s in attendance, #JudahSeldin is bound to set off fireworks at Turning Stone on June 7th.

In the co-feature bout, James “Buddy” McGirt Jr. (Vero Beach, FL) will look to tip his hat to his father, James McGirt Sr. who is being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame during the same weekend, when he takes on tough Frenchman David Papot (Saint-Nazaire, France). McGirt compiled an impressive amateur record of 44-4 winning the Sunshine State Games and the Southeastern Regional. As a professional McGirt has also found success and has faced some well-regarded fighters in his division, including, Carlos De Leon Jr., Edwin Rodriguez, and Raymond Joval. His opponent, undefeated Frenchman David Papot is taking the trip across the Atlantic Ocean with intentions of ruining the McGirt family weekend. Papot had 102 amateur bouts, 30 of which were with the French National team, earning French National Champion honors two times. In 2017 Papot earned the WBA Continental Middleweight Title, and later that year became the French National Super Welterweight Champion, having since defended the title three times.

Golden fighter lineage will be on full display in this co-feature bout. McGirt Jr. intends to cap off an already prolific day for the McGirt family with a victory at Turning Stone, while David Papot plans to play spoiler, and take another step towards a world title challenge.

Last year, Turning Stone and the International Boxing Hall of Fame announced a multifaceted partnership to spotlight the entire region, garnering national attention and boosting Central New York tourism. The program includes a series of nationally-televised boxing events at Turning Stone, culminating every year in June with an elaborate and bigger-than-ever International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend celebration.

Turning Stone will be announcing additional events for Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend shortly. For more information about events that have already been announced, visit here.

Media credential requests for the June 7thJudah vs. Seldin fight should be emailed to kelly.abdo@turningstone.com.

About Turning Stone Resort Casino:
A renowned, award-winning destination resort in Upstate New York, the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino features world-class amenities including four hotels, two luxurious spas, five golf courses, more than 20 dining options, a 125,000 square foot Las Vegas-style gaming floor, a cabaret style Showroom, a 5,000 seat arena, and several nightlife venues. Conveniently located 30 miles east of Syracuse at NYS Thruway exit 33, Turning Stone was named “Best Countryside Hotel/Lodge” in 2015 and “Most Excellent Golf Resort” in 2010 by Condé Nast Johansens. Turning Stone has also earned the prestigious Forbes Four Star Award for The Lodge, Wildflowers restaurant and Sk?:n??: spa, and for 12 consecutive years, the AAA Four Diamond Award for The Lodge, The Tower Hotel, and Wildflowers restaurant.

For more information and reservations, call (315) 361-7711 or (800) 771-7711. Visit the website www.turningstone.com.

ABOUT STAR BOXING ®:
For a quarter century, Star Boxing keeps on swinging! Star Boxing has consistently delivered boxing events of the highest caliber and attracts loyal fans from all corners of the globe. From the Antonio Tarver – Roy Jones trilogy to the meteoric rise of Chris Algieri and Joe Smith Jr. from the Rockin’ Fights Paramount Series, Star Boxing continues to work with and develop world rated contenders and red-hot prospects into future world champions. Star Boxing is revered worldwide throughout the industry for its credibility, integrity, and exciting fights.

For more information on Star Boxing, visit official website: www.StarBoxing.com

RICHARD LARTEY BELIEVES he has been the avoided man of the heavyweight division.

The 14-1 Ghanaian with 11 KOs to his name has fought just once outside of his native Accra when he travelled to Berne and suffered an injury-enforced defeat to the unbeaten Ergun Mersin in December 2014.

He will now embark on a long-awaited second away voyage to take on the 10-0 heavyweight star in the making Daniel Dubois at the SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27, live on BT Sport.

For Lartey, a big-punching trade-off with Dubois represents an opportunity to really announce himself in the heavyweight division and make a statement to his fellow ranked contenders who have chosen to bypass him.

“Heavyweights have been avoiding me for a long time now, when I knock out Daniel Dubois then I cannot be avoided any longer!” said Lartey with intent. “My goal is to become the world heavyweight champion!

“This is about my dream to become the first world heavyweight champion from Africa. When I beat someone with a big reputation like Dubois, I will get the opportunities and climb up the rankings.”

Lartey’s school of thought is that the clutch of highly-rated young heavyweights in world boxing are nothing but pretenders who always enjoy home comforts against easy touches.

“People talk too much about young heavyweights who have achieved nothing and beaten nobody. I am happy to do it the hard way and beat these people in front of their own fans.

“I will make a big statement against Dubois then no-one can deny me what I deserve.”

Daniel Dubois v Richard Lartey tops the bill at the SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27 on a card that also includes the Commonwealth super middleweight title fight between Lerrone Richards and Tommy Langford, as well as the Southern Area super middleweight title clash between Zak Chelli and Jimmy Smith. WBO European super flyweight champion Sunny Edwards and WBO European super featherweight champion Archie Sharp also feature.

Chorley-boxer Jack Catterall will be in action as he edges ever-closer to a world title challenge. Rangy Super Welterweight talent Hamzah Sheeraz will be back out after his impressive win over Rod Douglas Jnr. Hard hitting middleweight and Peacock gym product Denzel Bentley (9-0) and Belfast amateur middleweight star Caoimhin Agyarko will also return to action. There is a Queensberry debut for Sheffield middleweight Shakiel Thompson (2-0) – with Thompson being tipped by sparring partner Billy Joe Saunders as a star for the future. Ilford Super Middleweight Umar Sadiq (4-1) also returns as he looks to rebuild after his first career loss. Tunde Ajayi trained lightweight Bilal Ali (1-0) will have his second professional fight after making a successful start to his pro career, with Hoddesdon super lightweight Alfie Price set for his fifth.

Tickets will be priced as £40, £50, £75, £100 and £150 and are now ON SALE to purchase via Eventim, Ticketmaster, the SSE Arena website and AXS.com

Derek Chisora says he would be open to fighting former undisputed Cruiserweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk – should he come through his crunch Heavyweight clash with Senad Gashi at The O2 in London this Saturday, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Pound-for-pound star Usyk makes his Heavyweight debut against former Chisora foe Carlos Takam at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland on May 25, and the Finchley man says Usyk’s switch to Heavyweight spells big trouble for the other members of the division.

“Usyk will be a nightmare for everybody,” said Chisora. “The moment he puts his weight on, he will be a nightmare. He has the punching power and the boxing skills, his movement will kill most Heavyweights. I think to win with that guy you might have to foul him a little bit, a couple of low blows!”

“Is he holding hand luggage or a massive suitcase of money? I love fighting – whoever wants it can have it. We do the deal, we sign, we get ready for it, we fight. Parker or I might go to watch Usyk – I don’t mind having some of that. I just want to fight. Most people are scared of fighting but, if I could fight every week, I would do.”

Chisora recently split with long-time coach Don Charles and is feeling upbeat after moving up to Yorkshire to train with Dave Coldwell at his gym in Rotherham alongside rising Featherweight talent Jordan Gill and two-time World Champion Jamie McDonnell.

“I like Don but it was time for a change,” added Chisora. “In the Takam fight, he (Coldwell) was on the other side and I could hear him shouting instructions, – and Tony (Bellew) told me it was a good move. He is making my feet move fast, everything move faster – I am feeling great benefits and everything is working out great.”

Chisora vs. Gashi is part of a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen (16-4-2, 13 KOs) faces the biggest night of his career against Australia’s former WBA Heavyweight World Champion Lucas Browne (28-1, 14 KOs), Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski and Ilford Welterweight prospect Conor Benn (13-0, 9 KOs) makes his long-awaited return to the ring, Brooklyn Middleweight prospect Nikita Ababiy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his UK debut and Watford Bantamweight Shannon Courtenay fights for the second time as a pro after her debut win at the Copper Box Arena.

General Sale tickets for April 20 are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

Vineland, NJ – Diane Lee Fisher Cristiano, President and CEO of Dee Lee Promotions, LLC. is pleased to announce the signing of Middleweight Cleotis “Mookie” Pendarvis (21-5-2/9 ko’s) of Los Angeles, CA to a professional promotional contract. Pendarvis has fought for and won the WBA Super lightweight Title two different times in his career and Dee Lee Promotion’s hopes to guide him to another title fight or two in the very near future. Mookie, a southpaw, is just the kind of skilled fighter that other promoters avoid like the plague because as anyone in boxing knows, putting your fighter in with a skilled southpaw, is no blueprint for success’ and a real good way to get your guy beat. Cleotis has fought plenty of times in the other guys backyard and that accounts, in part, to his 5 losses. Fighting in places like Ontario, Guadalajara and Aguascalientes has more than its’ share of drawbacks and that’s before a fighter puts on the gloves. Both Dee Lee and Mookie are looking to avoid those same pitfalls this time around and with the very able assistance of Matchmaker, Nick Tiberi, hopes to see another title belt around his waist very soon.

AHEAD OF THEIR hugely anticipated World Title clash in June, champion Josh Warrington and mandatory challenger Kid Galahad faced off at the home of Leeds United yesterday.

Warrington (28-0) will be roared on by his hometown fans at First Direct Arena, Leeds when he defends his IBF world featherweight title against Galahad on Saturday June 15.

During half time of yesterday’s Leeds United v Sheffield Wednesday game, the unbeaten Leeds and Sheffield featherweights came face to face for the first time since the press conference to announce their fight back in March.

At the first press conference face off, it was Warrington who felt he left with the upper hand as he was able to cause a noticeable flinch from the Dominic Ingle trained Galahad (26-0) when he leaned in slightly with his head.

This time, there was no flinching and no words from Galahad as Warrington continued to taunt his Yorkshire rival.

He said: “Do you fancy me or something? You can’t take your eyes off me!” as Galahad refused to break his gaze.

As the thousands of fans in attendance began chanting that Warrington should knock Galahad out, Warrington continued to goad Galahad and warned “On June 15th they will get their wish!”

** Media are welcome to download the Elland Road clip including interviews with both fighters on this link **

Media can embed the youtube video using the below code:

Tickets for Warrington v Galahad are available via Ticketmaster and are priced as below:

£450 – Hospitality
£300 – Floor
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Floor/Tier
£75 – Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier

Las Vegas ­– UFC® today announced that former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin has been named to the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2019 as a Pioneer. The 2019 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires®, will take place on Friday, July 5 in Las Vegas. The event will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®.

“Rich Franklin is one of the original, big stars of UFC, from when we first bought the company,” UFC President Dana White said. “Rich helped us take the sport of mixed martial arts to another level and put UFC on the map during the early days. Rich has always been a class act. He’s a guy who would fight anyone and do whatever it took to help grow the sport of MMA. He is a true legend and I’m honored to call him my friend.”

Franklin will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as the 16th member of the Pioneer Era wing. The Pioneers Era category includes athletes who turned professional before November 17, 2000 (when the unified rules of mixed martial arts were adopted), are a minimum age of 35, or have been retired for one year or more.

“This induction is less of my doing and more of the culmination of the many hours each coach, training partner and my manager spent with me,” said Franklin. “So often people talk about the sacrifices an athlete has to make to succeed, but my friends and family sacrificed far more for my career. Few people in this world live out a childhood dream and turn a hobby into a career, let alone end with Hall of Fame recognition, and God has blessed me with both. I am humbled by the support of my fans over the years and those particularly persistent on this induction.”

A veteran of 37 professional fights during his 13-year career, Franklin compiled a record of 29-7, 1 NC (14-6 UFC), which included wins over UFC Hall of Famers Ken Shamrock and Chuck Liddell, former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner, and former PRIDE® middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva.

Franklin made his UFC debut as a light heavyweight on Saturday, April 25, 2003 at UFC® 42: SUDDEN IMPACT, defeating Evan Tanner via TKO (punches) in the first round. After winning his first three UFC bouts, Rich would headline UFC’s first-ever live network cable show, The Ultimate Fighter® 1 Finale, against Ken Shamrock. Franklin defeated Shamrock via TKO in the first round, earning him a title shot in a rematch against UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner at UFC® 53: HEAVY HITTERS.

UFC® 53: HEAVY HITTERS took place on June 4, 2005 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey and would mark Franklin’s first UFC bout at middleweight. Tanner, in his first title defense, entered UFC 53 having won eight of his previous 10 UFC fights, losing only to Franklin and UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz during a five-year stretch.

Franklin and Tanner both came out aggressive from the beginning, exchanging punches and kicks throughout the first round, with Evan landing a right hand that floored “Ace” with :30 seconds left, stealing the round. Franklin recovered for the second round, setting the pace through the fourth round, out-striking Tanner. At the 3:25 mark of the fourth round, the bout was stopped by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission doctor due to a large cut over Tanner’s left eye. As a result of his victory, Rich earned a spot as a coach for season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter®, opposite his good friend, UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes.

Franklin, who won his first seven UFC fights, successfully defended his middleweight title against Nate Quarry and David Loiseau, before losing the belt to Anderson Silva in October 2006. Franklin’s career was far from over after his lost to Silva, as he repeatedly battled the best inside the Octagon, compiling seven more wins before retiring in 2012. Following his UFC career, Rich became a combat sports executive, joining ONE Championship as Vice President in 2014.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Franklin earned both his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Master’s degree in Education from the University of Cincinnati. Rich began his post-college career as an educator, teaching math at Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati. His unique path to the Octagon led Franklin to become one of the sport’s most respected and popular ambassadors, as he helped to educate a generation of fans about MMA, making him a key figure in the growth of UFC following the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.

The remaining inductees of the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2019 will be announced in the coming weeks leading to the 8th Annual UFC International Fight Week™, taking place from Wednesday, July 3 – Sunday, July 7 in Las Vegas.

To view Franklin’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection please visit: https://www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-hall-of-fame-rich-franklin-2019.

To view the Hall of Fame fight library, please visit UFCHOF. To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFCHOFFAQ. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts more than 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME| IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to more than 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram: @UFC.

HAMPTON, N.H. (April 13, 2019) – Popular Derek “The Surgeon” Silveira operated last night on previously undefeated Roberto “El Viejo, Jr.” Valenzuela, Jr., re-capturing the New England welterweight title, by way of an eight-round unanimous decision in the main event on the “Riot at the Rim” card, presented by Granite Chin Promotions (GCP), at The Rim in Hampton, New Hampshire.

Silveira (16-2, 8 KOs), fighting out of Salem, MA, rocked his 19-year-old Mexican challenger, Valenzuela (14-1, 13 KOs), whose father and cousin also fought on the card, in the first round with a right that dropped his tall, lean opponent. In fact, Silveira stopped Valenzuela’s father two years ago via a second-round stoppage.

The aggressor for most of the fight, Silveira was cruising along until the seventh round, when he suffered a low blow that, naturally, slowed him down considerably, eventually leading to a knockdown in the eighth round, the result of a shot taken to the back of his head,

Silveira originally won the N.E. welterweight title in 2011, holding it for two years, but he never lost the strap in the ring. He was inactive for nearly 3 ½ years and relinquished his title because of inactivity. “I never really lost the belt,” Silveira said after the fight. “I got back what I was supposed to have. This kid hit hard. One of the reasons for this (performance) is that I stayed in shape and had a real training camp instead of training only after work (carpenter). I thought it showed in the ring tonight.

“From watching video of him, I was looking for his right. My coach said to slip it and come back with a right, and I hit him right on the button. But he hit me with some good shots, too, and I was a little gassed in the last two rounds.”

Silveria has some unfinished business, though. He was supposed to face Travis Demko for the N.E. title in an intra-Massachusetts battle for the belt and Bay State bragging rights. Unfortunately, though, Demko suffered an injury during training and withdrew from the title fight.

“He was injured,” Silverira added, “and I respect that. I was excited to be in a title fight with two local guys. I’d definitely like to fight Demko.”

New England cruiserweight champion Chris Traietti (27-4, 21 KOs), who is the GCP promoter, was supposed to fight Gilberto “El Magico” Matheus Domingos for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC), but the Brazilian was unable to enter the U.S. to fight due to visa issues.

“I was disappointed with Gilberto’s visa situation, but there was no time to let it get me down,” Traitti remarked. “As the promoter, I had to focus on the rest of the card, and it turned out to be awesome. I had every intention of this being the biggest Granite Chin Promotions show and it exceeded my expectations. Hopefully this was the start of our next chapter, upping my game, and I plan to promote two more shows this summer.”

In the most competitive fight of the night, French junior welterweight Romain Tomas (8-2, 2 KOs) pulled off a mild upset in the co-featured event, winning a six-round split decision over previously unbeaten Omar “The Beast” Bordoy (7-1, 2 KOs), fighting out of Danbury, CT.

Omar Bordoy (L) and Romain Tomas turned in the Fight of the Night

Lynn, MA welterweight Khiry “TNT” Todd (8-1, 6 KOs) rebounded from his lone pro loss, destroying Mexican challenger Francisco “El Mono” Medal (13-17, 8 KOs), dropping him three times for a statement-like first-round technical knockout.

Khiry Todd (R) destroyed Francisco Medal

WBC Latino cruiserweight champion Vinnie “American Nightmare” Carita (20-1-1, 19 KOs), of Pembroke, MA, added another title belt to his display case, stopping Brazilian Claudio “Quexada” Porto (8-5-1, 7 KOs) with a devastating left hook to the liver, resulting in a first-round knockout for the vacant ABF Continental Americas Championship.

Highly-regarded featherweight Tramaine “The Mighty Midget” Williams, a 10-trime national amateur champion from New Haven, CT, remained undefeated and continued his journey towards a world title shot. Williams (17-0, 6 KOs), who was ranked as high at No. 3 in the world before an inactive period, displayed his vast skills during a workmanlike effort en route to an eight-round unanimous decision victory over his veteran Mexican foe, Ernesto “Monito” Guerrero (30-27, 20 KOs). Williams is promoted by Roc Nation Spots.

“Handsome” Henry Gedney (3-0, 2 KOs), fighting out of Gloucester, MA, battered the body of veteran Mexican super middleweight Roberto “El Viejo” Valenzuela (67-79-2, 56 KOs) at the beginning of the opening bell and he continued peppering his opponent upstairs and downstairs throughout their fight. Gedney, a 2017 Rocky Marciano Tournament novice champion, won by way of a fourth-round technical knockout, when referee Leo Gerstel halted the one-sided fight.

In only his third pro fight, Henry Gedney (L) defeated a fighter, Robert Valenzuala, who has had 148

Undefeated Providence prospect Anthony “Ai” Marsella, Jr. (12-0, 6 KOs), the reigning IBA Americas welterweight champion, dropped his Mexican opponent, Engleberto “Guarura” Valenzuala (11-16, 3 KOs) early in the first round, then a little later he caught Valenzuela with a powerful left to the body for a knockout. Marsella is promoted by Mayweather Promotions.

In a battle between a pair of pro-debuting junior welterweights, Nelson Perez (1-0, 1 KO) finished off Emmerson Noguiera (0-1) with a vicious right to the body midway through the opening round.

Nelson Perez (R) had an impressive pro debut

Brooklyn junior welterweight Sidney “Keelo” Maccow (6-8, 3 KOs) pitched a shutout against Andy Aiello (1-3-1), winning all six rounds on the three judges’ scorecards for a six-round unanimous decision.

Andy Aiello (L) showed tremendous grit in his fight vs. Sidney Maccow

New Britain, CT featherweight prospect Nathan Martinez (3-0, 1 KO), the 2017 New England Golden Gloves Most Outstanding Boxer, out-classed North Carolina featherweight Chantae “Malik” Bowens (0-2) for an impressive first-round knockout. Martinez trapped Bowens in the red corner and unleashed six rapid-fire punches to close the show.

Boston super middleweight Rob Butler (1-0) won his pro debut in an action fight that opened the night, taking a four-round unanimous decision from journeyman Rodrigo Almeida (1-10).

Official results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS

MAIN EVENT – VACANT N.E. WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Derek Silveira (16-2, 8 KOS), Salem, MA
WDEC8 (79-72, 78-72, 77-73)
Roberto Valenzuela, Jr. (14-1, 134 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonoma, Mexico
(Silveira won the N.E. welterweight title)

VACANT ABF CONTINENTAL AMERICAS CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Vinnie Carita (20-1-1, 19 KOs), Pembroke, MA
WKO1 (2:37)
Claudio Porto (8-5-1, 7 KOs), Sao Paulo, Brazil
(Carita won ABF Continental Americas cruiserweight title)

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Henry Gedney (3-0, 2 KOs), Gloucester, MA
WTKO4 (1:53)
Roberto Valenzuela(67-79-2, 56 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonoma, Mexico

Rob Butler (1-0), Boston, MA
WDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 39-37)
Rodrigo Almeida (1-10), Woburn, MA

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Anthony Marsella, Jr. (12-0, 6 KOs), Providence, RI
WKO1 1:19)
Engleberto Valenzuela (11-16, 3 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonoma, Mexico

WELTERWEIGHTS
Khiry Todd (8-1, 6 KOs), Lynn, MA
WTKO1 (1:30)
Francisco Medal (13-17, 8 KOs), Urupan, Mexico

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Romain Tomas (8-2, 1 KO), Brooklyn, NY by way of France
WDEC6 (59-55, 58-56, 56-58)
Omar Bordoy (7-1, 2 KOs), Danbury, CT

Nelson Perez (1-0, 1 KO), Marlborough, MA
WKO1 (1:17)
Emmerson Noguiera (0-1), Woburn, MA

Sidney Maccow (6-8, 3 KOs), Brooklyn, NY by way of St. Marteen
WDEC6 (60-53, 60-64, 60-64)
Andy Aiello (1-3-1), Bridgewater, MA

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Tramaine Williams (17-0, 6 KOs), New Haven, CT
WDEC8 (80-72, 80-72, 78-74)
Ernesto Guerrero (30-27, 20 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Mexico

Nathan Martinez (3-0, 1 KO), New Britain, CT
WKO1 (1:03)
Chantae Bowens (0-2), Wilson, NC

INFORMATION:
Facebook.com/GraniteChin
Twitter: @Granite_Chin

PHILADELPHIA – Tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, April 14, 2019, the 12th Annual Briscoe Awards will be presented at Xfinity Live! in South Philly. The event begins at 1:00 PM. The Briscoe Awards recognizes the biggest achievements for the Philly boxing scene. Tickets for the event cost $10 and will be available at the door of Sunday.

This year’s winners include IBF world champion Tevin Farmer, former champ Danny Garcia, Hall of Fame promoter J Russell Peltz, former ring legend Stanley “Kitten” Hayward, and several others. Award categories include the Fighter of the Year, Fight of the Year, Prospect of the Year, Amateur of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Upset of the Year, and more.

The Briscoe Awards brings together the Philly boxing community and is usually attended by the winners, current boxers, former champions and stars, other boxing people, and local boxing fans.

Among those expected to be in attendance this year are former champions Tim Witherspoon, Nate Miller, Buster Drayton, Charles Brewer, and Robert Hines, plus Kitten Hayward, J Russell Peltz, Sweet Pea Adams, Curtis Parker, Ivan Robinson, Bert Cooper, Nigel Collins, Danny Garcia, Thomas LaManna, Mike Everett, Garrett Wilson, Joey Eye, and many others.

The awards, named after Philly middleweight boxing legend Bennie Briscoe, have been recognizing the best achievements of the Philly boxing scene since 2007.

This year’s event will be held tomorrow, Sunday, April 14, 2019, at Xfinity Live! in South Philadelphia (1100 Pattison Avenue), 1-4 PM. Tickets for the Briscoe Awards cost $10 each, and can be purchased at the door.

The Briscoe Awards are presented by Philly Boxing History Inc., a 501c3 Non-Profit organization, dedicated to preserving and honoring the great legacy of boxing in and around the city of Philadelphia. For more information, call John DiSanto at 609-377-6413.

NEW YORK (April 12 2019)–This past Wednesday night at Sony Hall in the heart of Manhattan, four prized members of the Split-T Management stable had their hand raised in victory on a DiBella Entertainment Broadway Boxing card.

In the main event, welterweight Ivan Golub defended his WBC USNBC title with an easy ten-round unanimous decision over Manuel Alejandro Reyes.

Golub used good body work in the beginning of the fight that slowly set up hard right hands, and the Ukranian came home with the victory by scores of 100-90 twice, and 99-91 to raise his impressive mark to 16-1.

Junior Middleweight Hurshidbek Normatov won a six-round unanimous decision over Calvin Metcalf.

Normatov of Uzbekistan established his jab early, and dropped Metcalf with a right hook in the 3rd frame. Metcalf (9-2) was able to survive, but it was to no avail as Normatov won by scores of 60-53 on all cards and his his mark to 8-0.

Five-time New York Golden Gloves champion, Brian Ceballo was impressive in stopping Ricardo Garcia in the 2nd round of their welterweight contest.

Ceballo of New York City decked Garcia in round two with a perfect right hand to the chin. Garcia was able to get to his feet, but Ceballo was able to pummel Garcia with a combination, and the bout was stopped at 2:33.

Ceballo, who is promoted by 360 Promotions raised his perfect mark to 8-0 while notching his fourth knockout.

Joseph Williams remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Mario Flores in a cruiserweight bout.

After being off for two years, Williams looked very sharp landing combinations to the head and body, won by scores of 60-54 on all cards to go to 13-0.

What made the win more impressive that Reyes was coming off a win over 16-0 Armando Pina.

Williams is looking to move down to the light heavyweight division by the end of 2019, and challenge for a title.

ATLANTIC CITY (April 12, 2019) – Undefeated middleweight champions Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer went face-to-face one final time during a tension-filled official weigh-in for the most significant event in women’s boxing history. Both fighters made weight as the two champions aim to become the undisputed middleweight champion tomorrow in the main event of SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION live on SHOWTIME (9:10 p.m. ET/PT) from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

Top American heavyweight prospect Jermaine Franklin will take on former No. 1-ranked U.S. amateur Rydell Booker in the 10-round co-featured bout while undefeated Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin will battle highly decorated amateur Nick Kisner in a 10-round clash that will open the tripleheader.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are priced at $150, $100, $55 and $35 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster and at boardwalkhall.com.

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS:

IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO Middleweight World Championship – 10 Rounds

Claressa Shields: 159 ½ pounds

Christina Hammer: 159 pounds

Referee: Sparkle Lee; Judges: Lynne Carter (Pa.), Guido Cavalleri (Italy), Ruben Taylor (Ariz.)

Heavyweight Co-Feature – 10 Rounds

Jermaine Franklin: 245 ¼ pounds

Rydell Booker: 238 ¾ pounds

Referee: David Franciosi; Judges: Eugene Grant (N.J.), Alan Rubenstein (Pa.), James Kinney (N.J.)

Heavyweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Otto Wallin: 227 ¼ pounds

Nick Kisner: 221 pounds

Referee: Earl Brown; Judges: Eugene Grant (N.J.), Alan Rubenstein (Pa.), James Kinney (N.J.)

FINAL QUOTES:

Claressa Shields

“I’m very relaxed. When I feel this relaxed, I know it’s going to be a good fight. I don’t even feel like there’s a fight; I feel very calm and I always fight better when I feel this way. I’ve checked all the boxes for this fight. The conditioning, the nutrition, the training, everything. I am entirely focused on the fight.

“I’ve played this fight in my head many times. The first round is a very important round. She’ll find out just how strong I am in the first round and I’m going to let her know she’s in with a fighter. I’m going to let her know she won’t control this fight in any aspect. I can outbox Hammer. I’m way faster and I have great head movement. I came to fight. I want to see where her heart is and how strong she is. If she’s not as strong as she says she is, she’s going to want to get out of there.

“Every time I box, I feel like I need to go out there and perform so that women’s boxing isn’t in the position we’re in now. I want the little girls coming up not to have to go through what I’ve gone through in terms of equal pay and trying to get on TV. I was able to box my way up to get here and it shouldn’t be as hard for other women to do the same. This fight is bigger than me.”

Christina Hammer

“I’ve worked really hard for this. I’ve sacrificed everything for this fight and it’s time to show who’s the real champion and who Christina Hammer is. I feel like I’m the stronger one, mentally. I showed her at the stare down that I’m not scared. Every fight, there’s a mental battle and I think I won the mental battle for this fight.

“I have to stick to my game plan and not worry about hers. Shields is beatable. Hanna Gabriels showed that. I have to make her pay for every mistake. We’ve analyzed her a lot and I’ve known for a long time that I would one day fight her.

“I’m not scared of her one bit. Why would I be scared of her? I worked really hard for this opportunity and now it’s the point where I have to show it. I have to focus in every single round. This will be a tough fight and I know my opponent also wants to win but on Saturday night, I will be the undisputed champion of the world.

“I hope that a lot of women will be inspired by this fight. I want women to know that if they work hard, they can make it to whatever level they aspire to be in whatever sport it is they do.”

Jermaine Franklin

“I always study my opponents and watch tape. I see a guy in Booker that likes to slow the pace and try to control the distance. I’m very active. I call myself a boxer-puncher, and I adjust my game plan depending on my opponent. I will capitalize on his weaknesses.

“I want to fight the best. That’s a mindset that I’ll always have, but I understand how boxing works and I might have to wait for my time. It’s a great time to be a heavyweight and I feel like it will be my time soon.

“I’m going to take him to the deep waters, and he may not be able to survive once I take him there.”

Rydell Booker

“I’ve been boxing since I was seven years old. I’ve always had a passion for boxing and while I was away, I took care of my body and I always knew I wanted to fight again. I was able to do a little bit of training and did the best I could, but being in prison definitely wasn’t conducive to being a boxer.

“I have a gift that a lot of fighters don’t have. I have a good jab. I have the ability to be an effective counter-puncher and I can fight when I need to. Jermaine Franklin has never been in with somebody with the talent and experience that I have. I’m a better fighter than I was 15 years ago because I’m smarter and stronger mentally. My skills have not deteriorated at all and my body has been preserved.”

Otto Wallin

“I’ve been in New York for three years with Joey [Gamache]. I’m used to the training. To be fighting on such a big card, there’s a lot more press than I’m used to. There’s been a lot of interviews and press conferences and I can feel that this is a big event.

“Sweden needs a boxing superstar that stands out, and I want to be that person. I see good fighters in the heavyweight division. The top three fighters are really good. I want to take care of Saturday night, fight a couple more times this year and then next year I will be ready for a step-up in competition.”

Nick Kisner

“I sought this fight. I asked for it. Wallin is good but I really like to challenge myself. I think he’s one of the best heavyweights out there. This is a great opportunity. I think it’s going to be a challenge but at the same time I think I can win this fight. It doesn’t get much bigger of an opportunity than to fight live on SHOWTIME.”

# # #

ABOUT SHIELDS vs. HAMMER

Shields vs. Hammer will pit undefeated middleweight world champions Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer against each other in a battle to crown the undisputed 160-pound world champion, in what is arguably the most significant women’s boxing event in history. The co-feature will pit Jermaine Franklin taking on Rydell Booker in a thrilling 10-round heavyweight bout and in the telecast opener, heavyweights Otto Wallin and Nick Kisner will battle in 10-round clash. The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION tripleheader will air live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

NEW YORK CITY (April 12, 2019) — The undefeated pound-for-pound king, three-division world champion and reigning WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford will headline the inaugural Top Rank on ESPN pay-per-view broadcast against former unified super lightweight world champion Amir “King” Khan Saturday, April 20 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Madison Square Garden.

Crawford vs. Khan will be available via all major cable and satellite providers with a suggested retail price of $59.95 (SD) or $69.95 (HD).

All undercard bouts will air live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs), the fighting pride of Omaha, Nebraska, unified all four super lightweight titles in August 2017 and moved up to the welterweight division intent on doing the same. In June 2018, he won the WBO welterweight title with a dominant ninth-round stoppage over Manny Pacquiao conqueror Jeff “The Hornet” Horn. Four months later, in front of a packed hometown house at the CHI Health Center Omaha, he stopped bitter rival Jose Benavidez Jr. in the 12th round.

Khan (33-4, 20 KOs), who captured an Olympic silver medal in 2004 for Great Britain at the age of 17, has long been one of boxing’s most captivating performers. He won his first world title in 2009 and has victories over Marco Antonio Barrera, Zab Judah, Marcos Maidana, Paulie Malignaggi, Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander. He is undefeated as a welterweight and is once again attempting to prove his greatness against boxing’s best.

In other action on the pay-per-view broadcast:

• Lightweight sensation Teofimo Lopez (12-0, 10 KOs) will face former world title challenger and two-time European lightweight champion Edis Tatli (31-2, 10 KOs) in a 12-round co-feature. Lopez is ranked in the top five by all four major sanctioning organizations and is coming off a savage seventh-round knockout over Diego Magdaleno.

• In the other co-feature attraction, Shakur Stevenson (10-0, 6 KOs), the 21-year-old featherweight phenom who earned a silver medal for the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will face former world title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz (24-1, 16 KOs) in a 10-rounder.

• Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo (24-1, 16 KOs), one of Puerto Rico’s most popular fistic attractions, will fight former interim world champion Bryan Vasquez (37-3, 20 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight duel with potential world title implications.

CRAWFORD vs. KHAN is a 12-round fight for the WBO welterweight championship of the world, presented by Top Rank in association with Matchroom Boxing and Khan Promotions. The event is sponsored by Geico. CRAWFORD vs. KHAN will take place Saturday, April 20, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT at Madison Square Garden, and will be produced by Top Rank and ESPN and distributed live by ESPN Pay-Per-View.

Tickets for this world championship event priced at $606, $406, $306, $206, $106, $81, and $56 (including facility fees) can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

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

Newly established Double V Boxing Management is proud to announce the signing of welterweight contender Ed “The Lion” Paredes.

Paredes, fighting out of Miami, FL, boasts a professional record of 38-8-1, 25 KOs and will immediately return to the ring on April 27, 2019 in the Dominican Republic. Paredes reunites with former Cuban National Team coach Jorge Rubio. The duo was a perfect 13-0 and both are excited to re-start their winning ways. The former #3 ranked world contender in the WBC at 147 is looking forward to a busy 2019, where he hopes to land a major fight against one of the division’s best.

“I’m very excited to work with Double V Boxing Management,” said Paredes. “With Vinny, Vic, and Jorge by my side I am fully confident they can get me back to the big stage. I understand this is my last run, and I will make the best of it. A world title fight is the goal and now I have the right team to make it happen.”

Double V Boxing Management is the union of established boxing manager Vincent Scolpino (VMS Management, Inc.) and attorney Victor Wainstein. Scolpino is best known for managing former world champions Joshua Clottey, Joseph Agbeko, and Alejendro Berrio, as well as numerous world ranked contenders, while Wainstein previously represented 2008 Olympians Tureano Johnson and Azea Augustama.

“I was introduced to Vic by veteran matchmaker Zac Pomilio, and immediately my wheels started spinning on how we could put something together,” said Scolpino. “Quickly we realized we were on the same page and Double V Boxing Management was created. With Vic’s legal and boxing background combined with my experience, we have a great team to bring our fighters to the top.”

“I have been looking for the right opportunity to get back into boxing and when I was introduced to Vinny, I knew it was the perfect fit,” said Wainstein. “We are ready to get started, and I believe we have the solid foundation to assist our fighters in all of their career goals.”

Together, they are confident that Double V can become a major force in the boxing industry, providing highly experienced managerial and legal representation for its clients.

Double V Boxing Management has also recently signed super lightweight “Lethal” Larry Fryers and has quickly secured a spot for Fryers on a major card. Fryers, fighting out of Yonkers, NY by way of Clones, Ireland, will be fighting on April 20, 2019 at Madison Square Garden on the undercard of the ESPN PPV show headlined by Terrance Crawford vs Amir Khan. Fryers is expecting a huge Irish turnout from his loyal New York fan base and promises an explosive performance.

Interested boxers, trainers, and advisors can contact Vinny Scolpino at (201) 394-5026 or Victor Wainstein at (305) 308-4238 to find out more about Double V Boxing Management and all potential management opportunities.

12 April 2019 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), once again ignited the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila for another evening of world-class martial arts action. ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR highlighted the biggest and brightest stars of ONE Championship who came out to showcase their incredible skills. In the main event, reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen retained his title with a scintillating knockout of Narantungalag Jadambaa. In the co-main event, Joshua “The Passion” Pacio avenged a prior loss to Yosuke Saruta to be crowned 2-time ONE Strawweight World Champion.

Visit the official ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event of ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Vietnam and Australia continued his reign over the featherweight division with a spectacular knockout victory over former World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia to retain the ONE Featherweight World Title. Nguyen and Jadambaa exchanged thunderous strikes in the opening round, both looking to end the night early. In the second round, Nguyen punished Jadambaa with powerful kicks to the leg before unleashing a perfectly-placed flying knee to take the Mongolian star out and remain the featherweight division’s king.

In the co-main event, Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of the Philippines reclaimed the ONE Strawweight World Championship in highlight-reel fashion after knocking out Japan’s Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta in their highly-anticipated World Title rematch. Pacio survived some early trouble courtesy of a first-round knockdown from Saruta and began getting more comfortable with his strikes as the bout wore on. In the fourth round, Pacio caught Saruta with a well-timed high kick that instantly knocked Saruta out.

Japan’s Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada booked his ticket to the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Semi-final round after defeating Cuban Greco-Roman Wrestling World Champion Gustavo “El Gladiador” Balart via unanimous decision. The former DEEP Flyweight World Champion Wada utilized his height and reach advantage to outstrike Balart and keep the relentless Cuban grappler at bay. After three rounds of action, Wada earned the victory and the right to face Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in the next round of the flyweight tournament.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Leandro “Brodinho” Issa showcased his elite grappling skills with a first-round submission win over China’s Fu Chang Xin. Issa brought the action to the ground early and wasted no time in imposing his will on the mat, working his way into an armbar with relative ease. Issa then transitioned into a triangle choke before locking in another deep armbar to force the tap from Fu in the opening round.

Romanian kickboxer Andrei “Mister KO” Stoica prevailed over Morocco’s Ibrahim “Mr. Cool” El Bouni in an action-packed ONE Super Series kickboxing bout. The two world-class light-heavyweight strikers figured in an intense back-and-forth bout as they stood toe-to-toe and went strike-for-strike until the final bell. After three rounds of action, it was Stoica who was declared the winner.

Unbeaten American James Nakashima picked up a massive win after an apparent knee injury rendered former World Title contender Luis “Sapo” Santos of Brazil unable to continue in the second round of their welterweight contest. Santos found success in the early moments of the bout, using his elite-level Muay Thai striking to punish Nakashima in the stand up. In the second round however, Nakashima countered a kick with a takedown and landed awkwardly on Santos’ left leg, ultimately leading to the stoppage.

Filipino featherweight contender Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly weathered a storm of submission attempts from South Korean grappler Sung Jong Lee to score a second-round TKO win in front of his hometown crowd. Kelly fought off a wave of kneebar and heel hook attempts from Lee, who was in constant pursuit of grappling exchanges. Kelly turned the tables in the second round however, as he fended off yet another submission attempt and pounded Lee out with piston-like punches for the stoppage win.

Brazilian kickboxing World Champion Anderson “Braddock” Silva announced his arrival to the global stage of ONE Championship, knocking out Australia’s Andre “The Giant” Meunier in the first round of their ONE Super Series kickboxing bout. The hard-hitting heavyweights wasted no time in providing fireworks as they traded massive combinations right off the bat. Midway through the opening round, Silva connected on a counter-right hook that knocked Meunier out cold instantly.

“Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il of South Korea bounced back in a big way after making quick work of Filipino veteran Eric “The Natural” Kelly with a flash knockout in the first round. Kwon landed a well-placed right straight that rocked and dropped Kelly. The Korean prospect finished things off with some ground-and-pound for the stoppage win in just 19 seconds.

Thai legend Saemapetch Fairtex was once again victorious on the ONE Super Series stage, as he outstruck Serbian-American Ognjen Topic en route to a hard-earned a majority decision win. Saemapetch was aggressive from the opening bell, overwhelming Topic with a seemingly unending barrage of strikes. Topic rallied late in the final round, but it proved to be too late, as Saemapetch walked away with the judges’ decision.

China’s “The Stalker” Xie Bin scored another impressive win after submitting Afghanistan’s Ahmad Qais Jasoor in the second round. It was a competitive opening round between the two bantamweight contenders, as they displayed their grappling skills by trading submission attempts. In the second round, Xie wasted little time in getting the action to the ground and worked his way into a deep D’Arce choke that left Jasoor with no other option but to tap out.

Singaporean flyweight Niko Soe was triumphant in his return to the ONE Championship Circle, defeating Indonesian wrestling champion Eko Roni Saputra via doctor stoppage due to injury. Soe connected on a glancing elbow midway through the first round that opened up a cut on Saputra’s head, prompting an official halt to the action. After getting inspected by the cageside physician, it was ruled that Saputra would be unable to continue and Soe was awarded the TKO victory.

Lerdsila Phuket Top Team of Thailand put on a striking clinic as he defeated Japan’s Momotaro via unanimous decision in their ONE Super Series Flyweight Muay Thai bout. The multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion utilized a masterful mix of thunderous kicks and well-timed throws to outclass the Japanese striker on all fronts. After three rounds of action, Lerdsila earned the nod from all three judges.

Vietnamese-American women’s atomweight and ONE Championship newcomer Bi “Killer Bee” Nguyen was impressive in her promotional debut, dominating Indonesia’s Dwi Ani Retno Wulan en route to a first-round TKO win. Nguyen was relentless as she took Wulan down to the mat early in the opening round. From there, Nguyen seamlessly transitioned into full mount and punished her opponent with strikes from the top to pick up the stoppage victory.

Kicking off the action at ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR, Filipino flyweight Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales continued his impressive run in ONE Championship by making quick work of Japan’s Akihiro Fujisawa with a submission win in the first round. Fujisawa attempted a takedown early in the first round but found himself getting caught in a deep guillotine choke. Gonzales postured up and tightened the choke, forcing Fujisawa to tap out abruptly.

Official results for ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR
ONE Featherweight World Championship bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Narantungalag Jadambaa by Knockout (KO) at 1:07 minutes of round 2
ONE Strawweight World Championship bout: Joshua Pacio defeats Yosuke Saruta by Knockout (KO) at 2:43 minutes of round 4
ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Quarter-final bout: Tatsumitsu Wada defeats Gustavo Balart by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Catch Weight (68.0 KG) bout: Leandro Issa defeats Fu Chang Xin by Submission (Armbar) at 3:03 minutes of round 1
ONE Super Series Light Heavyweight Kickboxing bout: Andrei Stoica defeats Ibrahim El Bouni by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Welterweight bout: James Nakashima defeats Luis Santos by TKO (Injury) at 0:56 minutes of round 2
Featherweight bout: Edward Kelly defeats Sung Jong Lee by TKO (Strikes) at 2:51 minutes of round 2
ONE Super Series Heavyweight Kickboxing bout: Anderson Silva defeats Andre Meunier by Knockout (KO) at 1:14 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Kwon Won Il defeats Eric Kelly by Knockout (KO) at 0:19 minutes of round 1
ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai bout: Saemapetch Fairtex defeats Ognjen Topic by Majority Decision (MD) after 3 rounds
Bantamweight bout: Xie Bin defeats Ahmad Qais Jasoor by Submission (D’Arce Choke) at 2:27 minutes of round 2
Flyweight bout: Niko Soe defeats Eko Roni Saputra by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 3:03 minutes of round 1
ONE Super Series Flyweight Muay Thai bout: Lerdsila Phuket Top Team defeats Momotaro by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Women’s Atomweight bout: Bi Nguyen defeats Dwi Ani Retno Wulan by TKO (Strikes) at 3:55 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Ramon Gonzales defeats Akihiro Fujisawa by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:19 minutes of round 1

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Aussie hardman Lucas Browne is expecting a bloody and bruising affair when he collides with Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen at The O2 in London on April 20, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

The Heavyweight rivals came face-to-face for the first time at today’s Public Workout at Old Spitalfields Market and both men were in good spirits as they embraced and joked, but the former WBA Heavyweight World Champion insists it will be strictly business come fight night.

“This is the first time I’ve met Dave and I really like him,” said Browne. “I’ve never had a bad word to say about him and I still don’t. He’s a cool guy and you can see how popular he is from today’s turnout at the workout, there was hundreds of the people there. It is what it is. We’re both professional fighters and I’m just going to do my job on the night.

“I don’t think he’s ever going to be a World Champion but he’s definitely a great fighter. If you put him up against anyone else in Australia, I think he beats them. He’s got a chin like a brick so it’s going to be a long night for me. I’m not going to bowl him over in one round but I’m prepared for all scenarios. We’re going to knock lumps off each other.

“I think there’s going to be blood, some cuts and some big punches. The fans are going to be the real winners. I genuinely believe this has got the potential to be Fight of the Year if everything gels. He looks like he’s started to take things very seriously and you can tell that by the shape he’s in. I think you’ll see the best versions of us next week.”

Browne returns to the scene of his sole career loss to Dillian Whyte determined to redeem himself. Since that loss, ‘Big Daddy’ (28-1) has made changes to his training team and bounced back with three wins. He believes another victory on April 20 will fire his name back into the World mix.

“My mental state wasn’t right heading into the Dillian Whyte fight. Everything that I was doing at home with training and going away from the family and all that sort of stuff wasn’t right, so that did affect everything else as well. My head wasn’t right and I think that had a big impact on everything leading up to the fight.

“My boxing trainer Rodney Williams who came over with me last time, he’s an absolute legend of a bloke as well as a boxing trainer, but I wasn’t doing any of the strength and conditioning and all that other stuff. I think I was definitely lacking in that regard.

“Now I’m hooked up with Jay Gray my Head Coach. I’m in Perth with my kids and family and that’s a full time thing there. Jay does everything in the one gym so not only my boxing, sparring and pad work, but all of the strength and conditioning, fitness and everything all in one spot.

“I think it’s something that I needed to do instead of spending so much time away from my family. I’m in a really good place now and I feel happy. I think that’s going to make a big difference to my career moving forward. This is the start of my journey to another Heavyweight World title.”

Allen vs. Browne is part of a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

Derek Chisora (29-9, 21 KOs) clashes with Senad Gashi (17-2, 17 KOs) in his first fight under new trainer Dave Coldwell, Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski and Ilford Welterweight prospect Conor Benn (13-0, 9 KOs) makes his long-awaited return to the ring, Brooklyn Middleweight prospect Nikita Ababiy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his UK debut and Watford Bantamweight Shannon Courtenay fights for the second time as a pro after her debut win at the Copper Box Arena.

General Sale tickets for April 20 are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

DANIEL DUBOIS INSISTS he will have no issue in taking on the next available contenders should his proposed British title showdown with Joe Joyce not come to fruition.

The 21-year-old heavyweight and his team are adamant he will not be withdrawn from the mandated collision for the Lonsdale belt should he be successful in overcoming the threat posed by the world-ranked Ghanaian Richard Lartey at the SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27.

That being the case, it would be down to the Olympic silver medallist to choose whether he accepts the mission of attempting to de-rail the rapid progress of the 10-0 Dubois or look elsewhere to build on his success of stopping former world champion Bermane Stiverne last time out.

Dubois earlier today stated on his official Twitter account that he would like to win the British Title this year. Alternatives to Joyce could include the likes of David Allen and Derek Chisora.

Dubois is relishing the prospect of taking on Joyce, but when asked whether other names in the British frame such as Dereck Chisora and David Allen would hold any fears for him, ‘Triple D’ asserted he has no issues.

“I am not out to duck anybody and these guys are further on or roundabout the same stats as me in the rankings, so I have got to face them and I will do,” said the executor of nine KOs out of 10 fights, who acknowledges that the threats to his unbeaten progress are getting very real now.

“This is what we have been working towards and why I turned pro, to be moving up the rankings and progressing as I am.

“I haven’t really seen too much of Lartey, but I am sure he is going to be game and come ready for a fight, so I’ve got to be prepared one hundred per cent. I cannot cut any corners and I will be ready.”

Meanwhile, Dubois credits Joyce for adding a stellar name to his list of eight vanquished opponents and winning the Commonwealth title.

“It was a good win for Joyce and a good name for his resume. It was not the best Bermane Stiverne because he is at the end of his career now, but it was a good win and a good scalp for his CV against a former world champion.”

Daniel Dubois v Richard Lartey tops the bill at the SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27 on a card that also includes the Commonwealth super middleweight title fight between Lerrone Richards and Tommy Langford, as well as the Southern Area super middleweight title clash between Zak Chelli and Jimmy Smith. WBO European super flyweight champion Sunny Edwards and WBO European super featherweight champion Archie Sharp also feature.

Chorley-boxer Jack Catterall will be in action as he edges ever-closer to a world title challenge. Rangy Super Welterweight talent Hamzah Sheeraz will be back out after his impressive win over Rod Douglas Jnr. Hard hitting middleweight and Peacock gym product Denzel Bentley (9-0) and Belfast amateur middleweight star Caoimhin Agyarko will also return to action. There is a Queensberry debut for Sheffield middleweight Shakiel Thompson (2-0) – with Thompson being tipped by sparring partner Billy Joe Saunders as a star for the future. Ilford Super Middleweight Umar Sadiq (4-1) also returns as he looks to rebuild after his first career loss. Tunde Ajayi trained lightweight Bilal Ali (1-0) will have his second professional fight after making a successful start to his pro career, with Hoddesdon super lightweight Alfie Price set for his fifth.

Tickets will be priced as £40, £50, £75, £100 and £150 and are now ON SALE to purchase via Eventim, Ticketmaster, the SSE Arena website and AXS.com

JACK CATTERALL IS hopping mad over being likened to an insect by his forthcoming world title foe Maurice Hooker.

The 25-year-old from Chorley – who returns to the ring at the SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27 – has worked his way into the mandatory challenger position for the WBO world super lightweight title held by the Texan Hooker.

The unbeaten Catterall undertook a little working holiday recently to watch Hooker make a second defence of his title against Mikkel LesPierre in New York, where the 29-year-old laboured to a points victory.

Since Catterall made himself known to ‘Mighty Mo’, the champion has acknowledged his challenge across social media by describing him as a ‘little grasshopper’.

Definition: A plant-eating insect with long hind legs which are used for jumping and for producing a chirping sound.

“He has since called me a ‘little grasshopper’ twice, which I am not happy about,” responded Catterall this week in his Fighter Diary posted on frankwarren.com.

“I don’t even know what he means by it or trying to get out of it.”

Insect references aside, Catterall is happy to have made the acquaintance of his future opponent and is convinced he will soon be parting him from his title.

“I treated it like a work trip, just in and out, because I am not a loud person and didn’t want to make too much noise.

“The way it unfolded went well for me, I got a bit of publicity from it and people know now that I am the No.1 contender. He certainly knows and I made a statement by travelling out to watch him, which I think was a smart move.

“I got to see him up close again for the second time and now I am even more convinced that I can beat him. I saw him before the fight, a couple of hours before the show started, and I wished him luck for the fight.

“So he knew I was there and then you will have seen the little clip in the ring when he got his victory. He let me know that I would be getting my shot at the title soon enough.”

The 23-0 Catterall, who calls himself ‘El Gato’, was not overly impressed with Hooker’s display against LesPierre after the champion was forced to make several return visits to the scales the day before the fight.

“Looking at the fight in comparison to when he beat Terry Flanagan, I would say that it wasn’t his greatest performance and he was much better against Terry and in his first defence.

“Whether him going downhill is to do with weight issues? I know he struggled to make it this time, so maybe that is why he didn’t perform.

“I didn’t think the opponent, even though he was undefeated, had really earned a shot at the title and I was a bit surprised over the success he had in snippets in the fight. I thought Hooker would make a statement with this guy and blow him out of the water, but it proved to be different.

“He is an awkward customer though with his long reach and the height, but if you look at my record I have boxed them all and had plenty of tall opponents like Nathan Brough, Tyrone McKenna, Tyrone Nurse – and Ohara with his extra-long arms!”

It is now a waiting game for Catterall due to Hooker’s stated intention of having an interim fight on home soil.

“I am still in the waiting room for my shot at the title and it seems like he is going to have another fight before defending against me. I’m hearing he will have a summer defence as a homecoming in Dallas and I’m hoping not too long after that we can get it on.

“I am prepared to go to America if needs be and there are a couple of ways I have looked at it. As a child, when you think of big fights, you always dream of winning in America and fighting away from home. I know he is the champion and you have got to make a statement and really take the belt off him.

“It honestly won’t bother me where the fight is, whether it is over here or over there.”

Daniel Dubois v Richard Lartey tops the bill at the SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27 on a card that also includes the Commonwealth super middleweight title fight between Lerrone Richards and Tommy Langford, as well as the Southern Area super middleweight title clash between Zak Chelli and Jimmy Smith. WBO European super flyweight champion Sunny Edwards and WBO European super featherweight champion Archie Sharp also feature.

Chorley-boxer Jack Catterall will be in action as he edges ever-closer to a world title challenge. Rangy Super Welterweight talent Hamzah Sheeraz will be back out after his impressive win over Rod Douglas Jnr. Hard hitting middleweight and Peacock gym product Denzel Bentley (9-0) and Belfast amateur middleweight star Caoimhin Agyarko will also return to action. There is a Queensberry debut for Sheffield middleweight Shakiel Thompson (2-0) – with Thompson being tipped by sparring partner Billy Joe Saunders as a star for the future. Ilford Super Middleweight Umar Sadiq (4-1) also returns as he looks to rebuild after his first career loss. Tunde Ajayi trained lightweight Bilal Ali (1-0) will have his second professional fight after making a successful start to his pro career, with Hoddesdon super lightweight Alfie Price set for his fifth.

Tickets will be priced as £40, £50, £75, £100 and £150 and are now ON SALE to purchase via Eventim, Ticketmaster, the SSE Arena website and AXS.com

MONTERREY, MEXICO (April 11, 2019): WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion Jaime Munguia (32-0, 26 KOs) and mandatory 154-pound challenger Dennis Hurricane” Hogan (28-1-1, 7 KOs) hosted their final press conference today ahead of their 12-round fight for Munguia’s title. They were joined by Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy, along with Fernando Beltran, CEO of Zanfer Promotions, among others.The event will take place Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

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

JAIME MUNGUIA, WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion:

“I feel very happy and proud to be here. We have been advancing, little by little. had four very tough world title fights. We’ve been learning a lot, and we’ve been gaining a lot of experience during the past year. I also want to say that I will leave everything in the ring this Saturday. I want you all to see a different Jaime Munguia, a better version with better abilities. I want to tell Dennis Hogan that this world title will stay in Mexico. He is not a better fighter than me. This fight is dedicated to all of Mexico!”

DENNIS HOGAN, WBO Number 1 Contender:

“I’m happy to be now as my chance to become world champion gets closer. I want to say that as an Irish man living in Australia who is fighting a Mexican in his own land, I am honored. I know that Ireland, Australia and Mexico are great boxing nations with people who always fight with determination and will. So, I know this will be an excellent fight for everyone in the world. I’m happy and proud to be part of it. To put the icing on the cake, I will be going out there to take that world championship. I’m winning on April 13.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy:

“Golden Boy has been here before in this great city of Monterrey back in September 2008 when Antonio Pitalua and Jose Armando Santa Cruz fought in the main event. Monterrey, the land of great fighters such as Lauro “El Tigre” Salas and Clemente Sánchez, will be in for a show on Saturday when knockout artist Jaime Munguia faces the tough Australian contender, Dennis Hogan.”

“Munguia became known to the world by beating Sadam Ali by knockout in May 2018 when he was crowned WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion. Since then, this powerful Mexican warrior has defended his crown three times. Now, he has a very difficult test against Dennis Hogan, WBO No. 1 contender. We know it will be a great battle between two of the best 154-pound fighters in the world.”

“Also, the co-main event will feature Diego de la Hoya against Enrique Bernache in his featherweight debut. We are also going to present to the local fans the strong Brazilian contender Patrick Teixeira, who will face Mario Lozano in a match for the WBO Latino Junior Middleweight Title. At Golden Boy, we are committed to offering the best fights in boxing.”

FERNANDO BELTRAN, CEO of Zanfer Promotions:

“When I talk about Jaime Munguia, I talk about a young man who I have had the pleasure of knowing since he was a boy. He was a young boy with a lot of dreams. His father, Jaime Munguia Sr., would go to the office and say, ‘My kid, he’s good!’ He will be someone important!”

“We helped him with what we could. We helped him during his amateur career. Logically, he debuted with us and he had a great run in different parts of Mexico. We debuted him in Las Vegas where he won by knockout. Then, Golde Boy called us, and gave us the great opportunity with Sadam Ali. We fought him, and then began a co-promotion with Golden Boy. That initiated his jump toward international fame.”

Munguia vs. Hogan is a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight World
Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for Munguia vs. Hogan can be purchased online at www.ArenaMonterrey.com or by clicking here.

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

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

• Vasiliy Lomachenko 134.4 lbs vs. Anthony Crolla 134.8 lbs
(Lomachenko’s WBO/WBA Lightweight world titles – 12 Rounds)

• Gilberto Ramirez 174.6 lbs vs. Tommy Karpency 174.6 lbs
(Light Heavyweight – 10 Rounds)

ESPN+ (8 p.m. EST)

• Arnold Barboza Jr. 140 lbs vs. Mike Alvarado 139.6 lbs
(Barboza’s NABF Jr. Super Lightweight title – 10 Rounds)

• Alexander Besputin 147 lbs vs. Alfredo Blanco 146.4 lbs
(Besputin’s USBA Welterweight title – 10 Rounds)

• Janibek Alimkhanuly 160 lbs vs. Cristian Olivas 159.2 lbs
(Vacant WBC Continental Americas and WBO Global Middleweight titles – 10 Rounds)

• Guido Vianello 244.6 lbs vs. Lawrence Gabriel 208 lbs
(Heavyweight – 6 Rounds)

• Ruben Rodriguez 144.8 lbs vs. Ramel Snegur 142.8 lbs
(Welterweight – 6 Rounds)

• Christopher Zavala 129 lbs vs. Sergio Gonzalez 129.4 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 4 Rounds)

• Elvis Rodriguez 139.4 lbs vs. Kevin Luna 139.8 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 4 Rounds)

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing USA, tickets priced at $310.50, $207, $103.50, $77.65, $51.75 and $25.90 (including facility fees) are available now and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.

HAMPTON, N.H. (April 11, 2019) – The official weigh in was held today at Best Western Plus for tomorrow night’s “Riot at The Rim,” presented by Granite Chin Promotions, at The Rim in Hampton, New Hampshire.

Official fighters’ weights below:

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

MAIN EVENT – VACANT N.E. WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
Derek Silveira(15-2, 8 KOS), Salem, MA 145 lbs.
Roberto Valenzuela, Jr. (14-0, 134 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonoma, Mexico 147 lbs.

VACANT WBC FECARBOX CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10)
Gilberto Matheus Domingos (22-10, 20 KOs), Sao Paulo, Brazil TOMORROW
Chris Traietti (27-4, 21 KOs), Quincy, MA 195.6 lbs.

VACANT ABF COLONIAL ATLANTIC CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
Vinnie Carita (19-1-1, 18 KOs), Pembroke, MA 198.2 lbs.
Claudio Porto (8-4-1, 7 KOs), Sao Paulo, Brazil 194.2 lbs.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)
Robert Valenzuela (67-78-2, 56 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonomo, Mexico 169.6 lbs.
Henry Gedney (2-0, 1 ko), Gloucester, MA 163 lbs.

Rob Butler (pro debut), Boston, MA 158.6 lbs.
Rodrigo Almeida (1-9), Woburn, MA by way of Brazil 172.6 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (6)
Engleberto Valenzuela (11-15, 3 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonoma, Mexico 152.4 LBS.
Anthony Marsella, Jr. (11-0, 5 KOs), Providence, RI 156.8 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS (6)
Khiry Todd (7-1, 5 KOs), Lynn, MA 149.6 lbs.
Francisco Medal (13-16, 8 KOs), Urupan, Mexico 143 lbs.

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS (6)
Romain Tomas (7-2, 1 KO), Brooklyn, NY by way of France 137 lbs.
Omar Bordoy (7-0, 2 KOs), Danbury, CT 139.2 lbs.

Andy Aiello (1-2-1), Bridgewater, MA 138.2 lbs.
Sidney Maccow (5-8, 3 KOs), New York, NY by way of St. Marteen 139.6 lbs.

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS (4)
Nelson Perez (pro debut), Marlborough, MA 137.4 lbs.
Emmerson Noguiera (pro debut), Woburn, MA 143.8 lbs.

FEATHERWEIGHTS (8)
Tramaine Williams (16-0, 6 KOs), New Haven, CT 123,2 lbs.
Ernesto Guerrero (30-26, 20 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonomo, Mexico 123,6 lbs,

FEATHERWEIGHTS (4)
Nathan Martinez (2-0), New Britain, CT 124,6 lbs.
Chantae Bowens (0-1), Wilson, NC 125.6 lbs.

(all fights & fighters subject to change)

INFORMATION:
Facebook.com/GraniteChin
Twitter: @Granite_Chin

VANCOUVER, B.C.– Big time boxing will finally hit one of Canada’s big time markets on May 11, as Lee Baxter Promotions presents a night of world class professional boxing at the Vogue Theatre in downtown Vancouver.

There hasn’t been a professional boxing event in Vancouver since 2012, and in total, there have been only four since the year 2000.

In the main event, B.C.’s own heavyweight threat Adam Braidwood will be in action as he continues his journey towards the Canadian heavyweight title. Braidwood is one of the division’s most dangerous punchers, and his only two losses have come at the hands of UFC veteran Lee Mein (one he avenged) and to Canadian Olympian Simon Kean.

The former CFL standout-turned heavyweight slugger was born in Delta, BC, and now resides in Victoria, BC, and is sure to have plenty of fans eager to see him fight in his home province for just the second time.

“We’re extremely proud to be the ones to bring boxing back to Vancouver. It’s been a mystery why this market hasn’t been served at all, but those days are over,” said Lee Baxter. “With Adam Braidwood in the main event, you know it’s going to be a night you’ll remember, because he doesn’t know how to fight any other way.”

In the co-feature, fellow heavyweight standout Kristian Prenga will face an opponent to be named later. Prenga is riding a five-fight knockout streak, and all of his professional wins have come by KO. Aside from the action in the ring, he is known for his rabid fanbase and following from the Albanian-Canadian community, who have made for some of the more incredible live boxing atmospheres in recent memory on Canadian turf.

“Both Braidwood and Prenga have huge fanbases and the same mindset inside the ring. If they get past their respective tests, who knows, it’s a possibility that we see them in the ring against one another at some point this year,” said Baxter. “Who wouldn’t want to see two punchers of that calibre face off?”

The night will also feature undefeated super bantamweight Ross Mylet, who will be boxing for the first time outside of Ontario. In terms of fighting outside of his home province however, Mylet is no stranger. The 28-year old is a former North American kickboxing champion, representing Canada for many years. Mylet remains closely connecting with the kickboxing and combat sports community across the country, and is eager to show his skills in British Columbia once again.

In addition, Canadian national amateur champion Amanda Galle will be making her second professional appearance after thrilling a Toronto crowd in her debut with a dominant win over Perla Rojas.

The full undercard, including British Columbia’s amateur light heavyweight champion Buneet Bisla making his professional debut, will be announced shortly.

Tickets are available now, and start at just $48.50. Doors will open at 7 PM, with the first bell sounding at 8 PM.

MINNEAPOLIS (April 11, 2019) – Former world champions Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin and Caleb “Golden” Truax went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they meet in an IBF Super Middleweight World Title Eliminator that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes this Saturday from the Armory in Minneapolis.

Also in attendance at the press conference were top middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Jack Culcay, who battle in an IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator, and sensational prospect Joey Spencer, who takes on Osias Vasquez to kick off the telecast beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing and TGB Promotions, are on sale now, and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from the Generals Hall at The Armory:

PETER QUILLIN

“I’m here to put on a great fight. That’s what we worked so hard to do on Saturday night. I’m excited to showcase my talents on FS1 and FOX Deportes and make a statement at super middleweight.

“My wife just had a daughter, and that’s been my biggest motivation all training camp. I’m fighting for my family, not just myself. I’m hoping to inspire people who see my story and realize it’s not just about the fight, but about what we’re fighting for. I’m here to spread a positive message.

“When we’re in that ring, all I’m going to see is Caleb Truax, nothing else matters. I’m very fortunate to be here and have the chance to display my skills. He has to look good in front of his fans, and I’m just here to give the fans a good fight. There’s no pressure to do anything extra.

“The weather here kind of reminds me of back home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Going to new cities is kind of like having new places to conquer. I’m here with the right mindset that Minnesota is going to be a place I’m remembered and that I’ll have a great memory from.

“When I sparred Caleb I remember I knocked his headgear off and it flew across the ring, that’s the only thing I really remember from that. I knew our paths could eventually cross. I’ve had my eye on him and I was really happy for him when he won his title. I have a feeling we’re going to combine for a great fight.

“I have a very determined opponent and I’m fighting in his backyard. It’s a tough fight for both of us. I have to put my authority down on this fight and control it. It’s going to be hard with all his fans in there, but what I’ve always done is take negative circumstances, and turn them into positives.”

CALEB TRUAX

“I’m excited for Saturday night. It’s a big fight and important for me that I’m in the main event and in a title eliminator. I’m looking to earn a chance at another title and I know that I have to take care of business on Saturday to get there.

“I’m looking forward to sharing the ring with Peter Quillin, a guy I’ve known and respected for a while. He’s accomplished a lot. I think that our styles are really going to clash and give the fans a lot of action and drama.

“Peter and I sparred a long time ago, back in 2012. I came away feeling confident that if we ever fought, I’d be able to get the job done. I don’t remember much of the specifics, but I felt confident from the experience. At the same time, I’m expecting an even better Peter Quillin on Saturday night and that’s what I trained for.

“I’ve tried to train a little bit smarter for this one. I need to focus more on recovery at this point in my career. I’ve had pretty much the same team around me for a while now. We do the old school training and work hard every day.

“The stakes are high for this fight. Whoever wins hopefully gets a crack at the title. It’s going to be tough for the loser to bounce back. If I want to keep fighting I have to leave Saturday with my hand raised.

“It’s a thrill to be in this fight and have it here at The Armory in front of my hometown fans. I saw the support that (fellow Minnesota-native) Jamal James got for his last fight, and I’m expecting more of that on Saturday. It’s going to be special and I’m going to take advantage.”

SERGIY DEREVYANCHENKO

“I’m happy to be here for this world title elimination fight. This fight is important for my career to get back to where I want to go and to show what I am capable of.

“On Saturday night I’m going to put on a really good show and give the fans a beautiful fight. Everyone knows I always bring action and great technical skill. I am confident that I will be victorious on Saturday and go on to win a world championship.”

JACK CULCAY

“It’s nice to be here and I’m very thankful for this opportunity against Derevyanchenko. It’s a great honor for me to be in this fight against one of the best middleweights in the world. This the step that I was looking to take in my career.

“I’ve been sparring with Caleb Truax, and I feel it’s gotten me completely ready for this challenge. I’m going to show it in the ring on Saturday night. It’s going to be a lot of action and a lot of skill in the ring.”

JOEY SPENCER

“I’m really excited to be fighting on this card headlined by Peter Quillin and Caleb Truax. I want to thank everyone for the support, both my fans and my team for everything that’s gotten me here. We’ve worked really hard every day in training camp and I can’t wait to put on a show.

“The Armory is a great venue with great energy. I’ve fought here before and I’m looking forward to coming out and putting on another great performance for this Minneapolis crowd.”

LEON MARGULES, President of Warriors Boxing

“I’m excited to welcome everyone back to the latest PBC fight night at the armory. Those who have come to the previous shows have noticed that the crowds have gotten larger and larger. These shows are generating great excitement and Saturday is another example of a card loaded with elite fighters.

“It’s really a terrific treat to be promoting this card. It should be a great night of boxing for everyone at The Armory and watching on FS1 or FOX Deportes. This card is stacked from top to bottom and is set to deliver from start to finish.”

# # #

ABOUT QUILLIN VS. TRUAX
Quillin vs. Truax will see former world champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin and Caleb “Golden” Truax battle in a 12-round IBF Super Middleweight title eliminator that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes Saturday, April 13 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features top middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko taking on Jack Culcay in a 12-round IBF title eliminator and sensational undefeated prospect Joey Spencer stepping into the ring for a six-round super welterweight fight.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX, FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @WarriorsBoxingProm, @TGBPromotions, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

BILOXI, MS. (April 11, 2019) – Former super welterweight champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout returns to the ring to take on former title challenger Terrell Gausha in a 10-round super welterweight bout that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes on Saturday, May 25 from Beau Rivage Resort Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

In the co-feature, unbeaten super welterweight contender Chordale Booker battles rugged veteran Wale Omotoso in a 10-round bout, while sensational unbeaten welterweight prospect Eimantas Stanionis will open the broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT in an eight or 10-round welterweight fight.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, go on sale Monday, April 15 and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office and through Ticketmaster.

“Austin Trout has one of the best resumes at super welterweight in the sport today,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “He’s been in the ring with some of the best boxers at 154-pounds of this generation and I’ve never seen him in a bad fight. Terrell Gausha doesn’t back down from anyone and that will make for an exciting match against Trout. Chordale Booker will be putting his unbeaten record on the line against Wale Omotoso in what will be one of his toughest tests to date. It’s a show that has something for everyone that attends at Beau Rivage or tunes in to FS1 and FOX Deportes.”

Trout (31-5, 17 KOs) has tangled with some of the top super welterweights of this generation, including Saul Alvarez, Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto, Jermell and Jermall Charlo and Jarrett Hurd. The 33-year-old from Las Cruces, Mexico, will look to rebound from a majority decision defeat to Jermell Charlo last June. His knockout victory over Joey Hernandez in 2015 headlined the first PBC show on FS1.

“I’m excited to be back in the ring,” said Trout. “I’m ready to take another chop at the world title and this is my way back. I’m really motivated to get that championship belt again. Gausha is a strong, technical fighter with an Olympic pedigree. I’ve got to get in there and take care of him and look good doing it. A good win over him will get me right back in the mix.”

The 31-year-old Gausha (21-1, 10 KOs), a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic boxing team from Cleveland, Ohio, will look to put himself back into title contention with a victory over Trout. He came up short in his first title fight against Erislandy Lara, losing a unanimous decision in 2017, before rebounding with a knockout victory over Joey Hernandez in his last fight in December.

“I feel good about this fight and I think it’s the perfect fight for me,” said Gausha. “With Austin Trout being a former champion and having experience fighting all the top guys in the division, it gives me a chance to show where I’m at. It’s not only about winning, but it’s the way I’ll win that will put people on notice.”

Booker (14-0, 7 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Juan De Angel in January on FS1. The 27-year-old southpaw from Stamford, Conn., was busy in 2018, going 5-0 with three knockouts. Booker is very active in his Stamford community as well, running his charity for at-risk youth and training amateurs for the Golden Gloves.

“My expectations for myself are to put on the best performance I’ve had in boxing period – amateur or pro,” said Booker. “I’m looking to showcase every ability that I have, not just brute strength. I want to show people that I’m championship caliber. What I see from him is that he’s a game fighter and comes to fight. He likes to come forward. He’s going to try to take it to me. But I can do a lot of things, box going forward, backwards, sideways, or anything it will take to get this win.”

The 33-year-old Omotoso (27-3, 21 KOs) is a hard-nosed veteran who will present Booker with his toughest test to date. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Omotoso learned to fight in the streets before honing his skills in the boxing gym. He calls himself “Lucky Boy” because he feels fortunate to have made it off the streets alive and become a successful professional boxer. Now training in Los Angeles, Omotoso most recently defeated Freddy Hernandez in December 2017.

“I got the call to fight a young, undefeated fighter in Booker and I said bring it on,” said Omotoso. “I’m really happy he took the fight because most people say I’m too dangerous and too tough. I will give it all I got. When I go to the ring I put all my effort and training into the fight. That’s the way this sport is. I know he’s going to come in with all he’s got, but the toughest man will win.”

Stanionis (8-0, 5 KOs) is from Kaunas, Lithuania and was a member of the 2016 Lithuanian Olympic boxing team. The 24-year-old, who now lives in Oxnard, California, and trains with Ronnie Shields in Texas, is on the fast track toward being a top contender. He’s continued to impress with victories over durable veterans Levan Ghvamichava and Samuel Figueroa in his last two bouts.

# # #

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX, FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

WESLACO, TX. (April 11, 2019) – Unbeaten super bantamweight contender Brandon Figueroa is on a rapid ascent in the 122-pound division and shared his thoughts on his rise and his matchup against Venezuela’s Yonfrez Parejo that takes place Saturday, April 20 in Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes action from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Trained by his father Omar Figueroa Sr. at their gym in their native Weslaco, Texas, Brandon credited their hard work in the gym as leading to his most recent and impressive victories, knockout wins over Moises Flores and Oscar Escandon.

“I feel like my power has really come together in the last year,” said Figueroa. “We’ve worked hard on my positioning when I throw my punches, especially to the body, and the results have shown up in my fights. I’m more aggressive and my punches are just more in-tune.

“My confidence has continued to grow as well with these performances. Winning these fights the way I’m winning them has given me a boost and I’ve taken that into training camp. It’s given me that energy to fight even better and believe in myself even more.”

Figueroa can capture an interim 122-pound title with a win on on April 20, but he first must get by a durable opponent in Parejo, who has challenged former champions Ryan Burnett, Hugo Ruiz and Zhanat Zhakiyanov.

“I’m facing a game opponent who’s fought a lot of great fighters,” said Figueroa. “I know he’s a boxer who likes to jab and move. He’s going to give me the straight right-left hook combo, so I have to attack the body. It’s going to be a chess match to see how he deals with my pressure.”

With this win, Figueroa could set himself up for even more significant bouts at the end of this year, a path that the 22-year-old envisions will eventually lead him to multiple weight-divisions.

“I can only take it one fight at a time, but I believe I’m going to be on that world class level soon,” said Figueroa. “Everything is going the way it’s planned and I know if I stay focused and take care of business, I’ll be fighting for a world title by the end of the year.

“The plan would eventually be to move up and continue to challenge myself at featherweight and even beyond that. I want to reach the top of several divisions. But that’s for the future, and I can’t look past April 20.”

The younger brother of unbeaten former world champion Omar Figueroa, Brandon made his pro debut in 2015 as an 18-year-old on the undercard of his brother’s fight against Ricky Burns. As he grew into a world title contender, Figueroa has made his own name in the sport.

“I’m still proving myself in every fight,” said Figueroa. “I don’t mind being talked about with my brother at all, but I think I’ve proven I’m more than Omar’s little brother. I’m proud of what we’ve both accomplished and the legacy we’re creating in Weslaco and the boxing world.”

Riding a five-fight knockout streak into April 20, Figueroa plans to put on another signature action-packed performance for fight fans watching on FOX and FOX Deportes and at Dignity Health Sports Park.

“I’m going to be the same Brandon Figueroa who comes forward and relentlessly attacks the body,” said Figueroa. “This is one of the biggest fights of my career with this title on the line. I feel strong and ready. I can’t wait for April 20.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in association with DSG Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com or at the Dignity Health Sports Park box office from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

# # #

ABOUT GARCIA VS. GRANADOS
Garcia vs. Granados will see former two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia battling rugged veteran Adrian Granados in a 12-round welterweight bout that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, April 20 20 from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California.

Heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz takes on Alexander Dimitrenko in a 10-round bout in the co-feature and unbeaten contender Brandon Figueroa battles Venezuela’s Yonfrez Parejo in a 12-round match for the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight title that opens the primetime FOX broadcast that begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.