LA-CHENKO: Lomachenko Headlines Staples Center Card April 12 Against Anthony Crolla Exclusively on ESPN+


LOS ANGELES (Feb. 25, 2019) — After thrilling Big Apple audiences in his last three bouts, Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko is ready to bring his lightweight world titles to the City of Angels.

Lomachenko, the pound-for-pound Picasso and the WBA and WBO lightweight world champion, will defend his titles against former lightweight world champion Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla on Friday, April 12 at Staples Center. In the co-feature, longtime WBO super middleweight world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez will make his light heavyweight debut against an opponent to be announced in a 10-rounder.

Lomachenko-Crolla and Ramirez’s fight will stream live and exclusively in the United States beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on ESPN+ — the direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, which will mark its one-year anniversary since launching on the day of the fight. The entire undercard will also stream live on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing USA, tickets priced at $310.50, $207, $103.50, $77.65, and $51.75 (including facility fees) go on sale Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 12 p.m. PT. Lomachenko’s last headlining appearance in Los Angeles came in August 2017 at the Microsoft Theater when he defended his 130-pound world title against Miguel Marriaga via seventh-round TKO.

“Staples Center is the perfect venue to showcase one of boxing’s great fighters, Vasiliy Lomachenko, who will test himself against a top contender in Anthony Crolla of Great Britain,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.

“Los Angeles boxing fans are passionate and knowledgeable, and I look forward to putting on a spectacular show for them at Staples Center,” Lomachenko said. “Crolla is my mandatory challenger, and I like that he always comes to fight. He’s going to make the most of this opportunity.”

“I cannot wait for this. These are the fights you are in the sport for,” Crolla said. “People will say that I have got nothing to lose, but I am genuinely going over to LA to shock the world. I will concentrate on me. Firstly, I have to make sure the best Anthony Crolla turns up that night. I’m not worried about that. Preparing for Lomachenko is hard because he’s so unorthodox. He’s that good that when he does something wrong he gets away with it. You wouldn’t teach some of the things that he does. He’s so unique in that respect.”

“I’m delighted that Anthony gets another chance at a world title, this time against pound-for-pound star Vasiliy Lomachenko,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “After losing his world title to Jorge Linares, Anthony has fought his way back into the mandatory position, and he is more than ready for the challenge. It’s been a fairytale story for him and now he gets another big chance on the big stage in a fight that means everything to him.”

Lomachenko (12-1, 9 KOs) entered the professional ranks following an amateur career that included a pair of Olympic gold medals for his native Ukraine and an unprecedented 396-1 record. He set a boxing record by winning world titles in three weight classes in 12 fights, shattering the previous mark of 20 set by Jeff Fenech 30 years prior. He was named 2017 Fighter of the Year by most boxing outlets after forcing all three of his opponents — Jason Sosa, Marriaga and fellow two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux — to quit on their stools.

In May 2018, he moved up in weight and captured the WBA lightweight title when he rebounded from a torn labrum and a sixth-round knockdown to stop Jorge Linares at Madison Square Garden with a body shot in the 10th round. That December, in front of a sold-out Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden crowd, he scored a pair of knockdowns and won a wide unanimous decision over WBO lightweight champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza to unify titles.

Crolla (34-6-3, 13 KOs), from Manchester, England, turned pro in October 2006 and won the British lightweight title in 2011. He won the WBA lightweight title with a fifth-round knockout over Darleys Perez in November 2015, knocking Perez out for the count with a vicious left hook to the liver. Crolla defended the belt with an upset seventh-round knockout win against Ismael Barroso, scoring the finishing blow on a right hand to the body. He lost the title via competitive unanimous decision to Linares in September 2016, then lost the immediate rematch by unanimous decision the following March. Crolla earned another world title shot by authoring three consecutive decision wins, including a unanimous decision over former three-weight world champion Ricky Burns in October 2017.

Ramirez (39-0, 25 KOs) is ready to make his mark at light heavyweight after making five successful defenses of his WBO world title. The native of Mazatlán, Mexico, is a 10-year pro who won the world title in April 2016 with a shutout unanimous decision over two-weight world champion Arthur Abraham. In his last bout, Dec. 14 in Corpus Christi, Texas, he closed the show strong and defeated Jesse “Hollywood” Hart via majority decision. Ramirez, who has not ruled out returning to super middleweight to defend his title, also has his sights set on the light heavyweight division’s leading names.

“I am very motivated because of all the new things I have been doing to advance my career,” Ramirez said. “I am very excited to fight at Staples Center for the first time, as I consider Los Angeles my second home. I knew there will be many Latino fans supporting me. I want to become an idol of Mexican boxing, and nothing will stop me as I work to fulfill my dreams. I am also working with a new trainer, Julian Chua, who is pushing me to become the best fighter possible.”

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

Use the hashtag #LomaCrolla to follow the action on social media.

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Bryan De Gracia to Face Eduardo Ramirez in 12-Round Featherweight Showdown on Saturday, March 2 Live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center in Brooklyn – Edner Cherry Forced to Withdraw from Fight Against Ricardo Núñez Due to Medical Issue

BROOKLYN (February 25, 2019) – Hard-hitting Bryan De Gracia will face once-beaten contender Eduardo Ramirez in a 12-round featherweight match live on SHOWTIME Saturday, March 2 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™, and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

De Gracia vs. Ramirez replaces the previously scheduled Ricardo Núñez vs. Edner Cherry match after Cherry was forced to withdraw due to a medical issue. The winner of De Garcia vs. Ramirez will capture the WBA Gold Featherweight Championship and be in line to face WBA (Regular) Featherweight World Champion Can Xu.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is headlined by former world champion Erislandy Lara challenging undefeated WBA Super Welterweight Champion Brian Castaño and also features Cuban heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz battling Christian Hammer.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment, are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

The Panamanian De Gracia (24-1-1, 20 KOs) will be fighting for the first time in the United States on March 2. The 25-year-old has knocked out seven of his last eight opponents and scored four straight stoppage victories since his one loss to Jorge Sanchez in 2017. De Gracia, who is ranked No. 2 by the WBA at 126 pounds, picked up two victories in 2018, including most recently stopping previously unbeaten Edinso Torres Jr. in August.

Ramirez (21-1-3, 8 KOs) suffered the only loss of his career when he dropped a unanimous decision to then-featherweight champion Lee Selby in December 2017. The 26-year-old southpaw from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico had fought unbeaten Leduan Barthelemy to a draw prior to the Selby fight and most recently bounced back from that loss with a TKO victory over Carlos Jacobo in November.

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




Perrella dominates Prescott; ready for next challenge

Minneapolis, MN (February 25, 2019) – Welterweight contender Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella improved to 16-2 with 13 knockouts after impressively defeating Breidis Prescott via unanimous decision.

The eight round fight aired Saturday, February 24 on FS2 as part of a Premier Boxing Champions card from the Minneapolis Armory in Minneapolis, MN.

Fighting for the first time since a gutsy majority decision defeat against Luis Collazo the 29-year-old spent time in Las Vegas training alongside some of the world’s top fighters. During a sparring session, He caught the eye of boxing legend Jesse Reid, who then joined Team Perrella.

The Fort Myers, FL native found an early home for jabs, straight left hands and crisp body shots. Perrella displayed excellent ring generalship throughout the fight while confidently showing Prescott it wouldn’t be his night. Prescott did land a few solid shots and knew he’d need a knockout to win in the later rounds but Perrella didn’t falter.

Scores were 79-73 twice and 78-74. “Mindset is everything in boxing,” Perrella said of his victory.

“I’ve got the right team around me and they’re helping me realize who I am as a fighter and what I’m able to do. The fighter you saw in there is the real me. The confidence, ring generalship, the swagger; that’s who Bryant Perrella truly is.”

With Reid joining head trainer Michael Nowling, Perrella’s plan is to return to the gym after a short rest and continue to sharpen his skills before the next fight.

“I’m always looking for tough challenges and am down to face anybody in the welterweight division. What you saw against Prescott is just a preview of who Bryant Perrella really is.”

Fans can follow and interact with Perrella on Instagram and Twitter @BryantPerrella or via Facebook at Facebook.com/TeamPerrella.




TICKETS ON SALE FOR CANELO ALVAREZ VS. DANIEL ‘MIRACLE MAN’ JACOBS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27 AT 10:00 A.M. PS


LOS ANGELES (February 25, 2019) — Tickets for the highly anticipated 12-round unification fight between Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs), WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion, and Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs), IBF Middleweight World Champion,will go on sale this Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 10:00 a.m. PST. The champion-vs.-champion event will take place Saturday, May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Jacobs are priced at $2,505, $1,505, $1,205, $805, $605, $405, $305, $205 and $105, 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 with a limit of two (2) per person at the $205 and $105 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.

To purchase tickets during the pre-sale, subscribe to our newsletter by going on www.goldenboypromotions.com and clicking VIP Connect or by following us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing.

Canelo vs. Jacobs is a 12-round fight for the WBC, WBA, Lineal, Ring Magazine and IBF Middleweight World Titles presented by Golden Boy Promotions 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.

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 @GoldenBoyBoxing, @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 Promotions for any photo and/or video usage.




HAVNAA AND RASHID COME FACE-TO-FACE IN OSLO

Kai Robin Havnaa (13-0, 11 KOs) and Rad Rashid (16-4, 13 KOs) came face-to-face for the first time at a press conference today in Oslo ahead of their IBO International Cruiserweight title fight on Saturday at the SØR Amfi in Arendal.

Their championship clash will be the first time in over 40 years that a male boxer has contested an international title on Norwegian soil following Harald Skog’s WBA World Light Heavyweight title fight with Victor Galindez in 1976.

Havnaa says he is motivated by the chance to claim his first professional belt, and is looking forward to fighting in front of his home fans for the second time following his stoppage win over Daniel Vencl at the SØR Amfi last year.

“It’s amazing to be fighting for my first title,” said Havnaa. “I would like to thank my promoter Nisse Sauerland for working hard to make this possible. This is a huge opportunity for me, and I will give everything to make sure I take it.

“My training has gone well and I’m in great shape. I can’t wait to walk out in front of my supporters again. It was special feeling last time, and it’s going to be even better this time. Nothing will stop me from taking home the title.

“Rad Rashid is a good boxer, the toughest I have faced. I can see that he is serious and he has come here to win, but I believe I can beat him.”

A confident Rashid had just one message for Havnaa and the Norwegian media in attendance, stating: “I’m here to fight and I’m here to win.”

The rest of the talking was left to his manager Arjan Bajrami, who said: “Rad is not a man of words, he is a man of action. He has the heart of a lion, and he is going to stop your boy. Havnaa is going to learn the meaning of pain.”

“We’re delighted to be back in Norway,” said promoter Nisse Sauerland. “Rashid is a dangerous opponent, but someone Kai must overcome to continue his journey to the top. Kai is already a hero in his hometown, but by winning this fight and claiming his first title, he can become a national hero in Norway.”

Kai Robin Havnaa tops the bill at the SØR Amfi in Arendal with a historic IBO International Cruiserweight title fight against Rad ‘Thunder’ Rashid.

Katharina Thanderz provides chief support with a super featherweight contest against Rachel Ball, Deniz Ilbay faces Jonathan Jose Eniz for the IBO Intercontinental title, Hadi Srour is back in the professional ring to meet Zoltan Szabo, and Kristiansand’s Jamshid Nazari takes on Ivica Gogosevic.

Tickets are available via www.ticketmaster.no or by calling (+47) 22 82 81 97.




GARTON SWAPPED PINTS FOR PUNCHES

JOHNNY GARTON INSISTS that putting on the gloves for the first time had nothing to do with improving his prospects in the pecking order of Peckham, where he grew up and remains a man about town to this day.

The Pexican, as he is fondly known, did not venture into the local gym as a sporting route to escape a life of potential crime. His story is far more mundane – and familiar to many – in that he simply needed to shed some inches from his waistline.

However, Garton does admit to being something of a street urchin in his younger days and his fists weren’t exactly unemployed, in a town where they breed them tough, before he took up punching for a living.

“It is known as a pretty tough town but, to be honest, I’ve lived there all my life so I don’t know any different,” explained the now 31-year-old, who defends his recently won British welterweight title for the first time against Chris Jenkins at the Royal Albert Hall on March 8. “To me it is just normal.
“I grew up on the Clifton Estate – which is just off the Queen’s Road – and I loved it because there was loads of kids about and everybody knew each other. We were always playing up, getting into trouble and, obviously, having a tear-up every now and then.

“At the end of the day we all got along and it was only when we turned into teens that it got a bit hairy. We got into more trouble and started to get into fights with other estates.”

In what could be described as an echo of the grown up Garton, the younger version would also always give a good account of himself when drawn into a scrap, although he admits he wasn’t leader of the pack.

“Not really, I wasn’t one of the hierarchy, but I think I had everyone’s respect because they knew if they did pick a fight, they would get a fight. Not many started on me so I didn’t have to be fighting all the time.”

The turning point for Garton – and his waistline – came when he was inspired to swap pints for punching and followed a friend into the local boxing gym. On starting work he wasn’t just earning pounds, but also putting them on.

“It was just to lose weight,” admitted the 23-1-1 British champ. “I started work when I was 15 on Saturdays as a mechanic and they put me on an apprenticeship when I finished school. So as soon as I finished work I was just going down the pub, eating a lot, drinking a lot…

“Then one of my mates said he was going to the gym to lose some weight and I went with him.

“I went a few times and some of the kids asked me to do some sparring and bashed the crap out of me, with me just being a kid off the street thinking I could fight everyone. Boxing is a totally different game and I kept going back trying to get the better of them.

“Slowly, after time, I noticed that people didn’t want to spar me as much and it went from there.”

Peckham is perhaps most famous for being the south east London setting of the comedy Only Fools and Horses, where the exploits of Del Boy and Rodders charmed the nation for over 20 years.

Garton reports that the suits and swagger, along with the vocabulary, that characterised Del Boy didn’t catch on in a big way on the real life streets and pubs of Peckham when he was growing up.

“Not really, it was more kids being as we call them, roadmen, people walking around with their hoods up or a hat on trying to keep their faces covered up or trying to be a tough man.

“There was a bit of the talk used, but not too much because Del Boy was just a bit before my era, so it was as the kids talk now and a bit more street.”

The British welterweight title clash between the Pexican, Johnny Garton and Chris Jenkins takes place at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday March 8, live on BT Sport. Daniel Dubois v Razvan Cojanu and Anthony Yarde defending his WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight title against Travis Reeves tops a huge night of boxing that also includes the British middleweight title clash between Liam Williams and Joe Mullender. Also on the bills is unbeaten featherweight Lucien Reid, who takes on his toughest test to date against Birmingham’s Indi Sangha, while unbeaten prospects Hamza Sheeraz, Denzel Bentley, Jake Pettitt, James Branch jr and Harvey Horn feature on the show.

Tickets are priced from £40 and are available to buy via www.RoyalAlbertHall.com




FEB 22. ROCKIN’ FIGHTS 34 OFFICIAL RESULTS

New York, February 24, 2019

Star Boxing’s “Rockin’ Fights” series had its 34th event Friday night at the Paramount in Long Island, New York. The night included six compelling bouts that included the return of Huntington’s own JOHNNY “HITMAN” HERNANDEZ who went to battle with Texas native MARQUIS “THE HAWK” HAWTHORNE. In the international co-main event, JOEL “BIG JOE” DJEKO and SIMONE “TYSON” FEDERICI settled their differences in the squared circle. On the undercard, TERELL “THE PROBLEM CHILD” BOSTIC. DASHAUN “TOOSWEET” JOHNS. ALEX “EL TORO” VARGAS and JEFFREY GONZALEZ took care of business in worthy fashion.

JOHNNY “HITMAN” HERNANDEZ (now 10-4 1KO) and MARQUIS “THE HAWK” HAWTHORNE found themselves in a tactical battle over the scheduled 8-round bout. From the first round on, both fighters continued to make in ring adjustments, seemingly trading rounds between in a good scrap. Hernandez found success using his speed and footwork to score on Hawthorne, however as the fight went on, Hawthorne (6-10 1KO), used his length to subdue Hernandez’s attack, in an effort to get to him first. At the finish of the competitive 8-round, contest, the judges’ scorecards read, 76-76, 77-75 (x2) as Hernandez outpointed the game Hawthorne by close majority decision.

Cruiserweights, JOEL “BIG JOE” DJEKO (now 15-2-1 7KO’s) and SIMONE “TYSON” FEDERICI (now 14-2-1 6KO’s) finally had the chance to glove up, and settle their differences in the ring, after Djeko pushed Federici at Thursday’s weigh-in. Federici came out of the gate strong, working effectively on the inside, landing a strong, short, combination that unsteadied the big Belgium. Djeko later returned the favor, with a vicious body attack on the Italian. The two continued to trade over the full 10-rounds in a fight that seemed very close. Upon the final bell the Italian jumped on the ring ropes assuming he won with his aggression. Ultimately the scorecards were read and the judges scored in favor of Djeko unanimously (97-93 (x2), 99-91). The fans in attendance voiced displeasure with the decision, but the commentators on Facebook seemingly thought Djeko had edged out the victory.

TERELL “THE PROBLEM CHILD” BOSTIC (now 4-1 1KO) of Wyandanch, Long Island took on JAVIER MARTINEZ (now 4-6 3KO’s) of Laredo, Texas. Bostic returned last night to The Paramount in search of vengeance for his first professional loss, by close split decision, at the last “Rockin’ Fights”. The two super lightweights waged war for the scheduled 6-round bout, as Bostic picked his spots, landing to both the body and the head of Martinez. Martinez however was not backing down, as he spent most of the bout coming forward in attempt to create openings. In the end, Bostic earned the unanimous decision victory by scores of 60-54 (x2) and 59-55.

DASHAUN “TOOSWEEET” JOHNS (now 2-0 1KO) showed extreme fortitude in his bout against DERON “KING” LAWSON. Lawson came on strong in the first round, getting the best of Johns, causing the Bronx native to be on unsteady legs for most of the three minutes. However, to Johns credit, he resisted the onslaught, and managed to finish out the round. A clear game plan change from John’s corner heading into the second round paid major dividends, managing to out box Lawson (now 0-3) for the remainder of the four rounds to a win a tough unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight the same, 39-37.

ALEX “EL TORO” VARGAS (now 3-0 1KO), made his third straight appearance at The Paramount, against Ghana native, BENJAMIN BORTEYE (now 4-5 4KO’s) and did not waste any time. Vargas effectively cut off the ring, pinning Borteye in the corner, and landed a straight right, dropping Borteye early in the first round. Vargas continued the onslaught, dropping Borteye a second time in the second round. Vargas earned a TKO victory 3 seconds into the third, remaining undefeated in his young professional career, as well as at The Paramount.

In the opening bout of the evening, JEFFREY GONZALEZ (Pro-Debut) took on EARL HENRY (0-0-1) of Florida in a scheduled 4-round super middleweight bout. The crowd was filled with oh’s and ah’s as both fighters traded freely and fiercely at the center of the ring landing at will. After the full four rounds, Gonzalez notched his first professional win by scores of 40-36 (x3).

Star Boxing head, JOE DEGUARDIA had this to say about Friday’s entire “Rockin’ Fights” event, “It was another fun night at the Paramount and the fighters once again gave fans a thrilling action-packed night. We look forward to our next stop-March 9th when Joe Smith Jr., another Paramount favorite, gets his World Championship title fight vs Dmitry Bivol at Turning Stone Casino.”

Rockin’ Fights 34 was promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing




EROS CORREA SCORES SIXTH CONSECUTIVE KNOCKOUT TO START OFF HIS CAREER

TIJUANA, MX (February 24, 2019) – Cali Boxing’s undefeated super bantamweight prospect, Eros Correa (6-0, 6 KOs), scored his sixth consecutive knockout to start off his career when he stopped Jose Pech by way of a second-round knockout. The 4-round bout took place in Tijuana, Mexico and was promoted by GM3 Boxing Promotions and Gonzalez Boxing Promotions.

After a dominating first round, Correa came out with a vengeance in round two, dropping Pech twice with his signature left hook to the body. After Pech got up, Correa finished him off with a left hook to the head.

“Fighting in Mexico has been a tremendous blessing to my career,” said Eros Correa, who lives and trains in San Jose, CA. “I feel I have the power and skills to compete with anyone in the super bantamweight division. I’ll be back in the gym next week with the goal to fight next month. My team is doing a great job and soon I’ll be knocking on the door, looking for a big fight.”

“Eros is the real deal,” said Andrew Bocanegra, from Cali Boxing Management. “He’s dominating everyone that steps in the ring with him. We are working on getting him a fight in the Bay Area for his next bout. Right now, we feel Eros is the best rising prospect in the super bantamweight division.”

“This kid has tremendous power to go along with his high ring IQ,” said Jessie Sanchez, of Cali Boxing Management. “He’s developing well and I can see him in a big fight by the end of the year.”




Rising Prospect Ricky Medina Remains Undefeated With Dominate Performance

FLORESVILLE, TX (February 24, 2019) – Last night at the sold out Floresville Event Center, in Floresville, TX, Prince Ranch Boxing’s rising star and 5-Time National Champion, Ricky “El Castigo” Medina (3-0, 2 KO), was dominate in defeating Jose Casiano (1-1-1), going the distance (4-rounds) for the first time in his career. The event titled “Small Town Big Showdown” was promoted by Medina’s promoter, TMB & PRB Entertainment.

In the first round the 18-year old high school senior Medina, who resides in San Antonio, Texas, dictated the pace using his jab to set up his power shots. Casiano did his best to apply pressure throughout the fight but was unsuccessful as Medina used his superior boxing skills to counter his attack. Medina finished off the final round boxing on his toes as he cruised to victory.

“Casiano came to fight and was my toughest opponent so far in my career,” said Medina. “He kept coming forward, so I had to use my boxing ability to set up my shots. I know I’m not going to knock everyone out so going the distance for the first time was good for my confidence. I want to thank my team for all their hard work, and I can’t wait to get back in the ring.”

“Medina was spectacular and showed he can box his way to victory,” said Greg Hannley, CEO of Prince Ranch Boxing. “He had a great crowd that came up from San Antonio and all of them got their money’s worth. Medina is a rising star in this sport, and we will have him back in the ring very soon.”

“Ricky Medina has all the tools to be something special in boxing,” said Rick Morones, of TBM & PRB Entertainment who promotes Medina. “His amateur pedigree showed in this fight as he boxed beautifully for the full four rounds. He dominated this fight and we are all happy with his performance.”

“I was really impressed with how Medina handled Casiano’s pressure,” stated Alex Draghici, of TMB & PRB Entertainment. “He countered his attach with a nice jab, throwing his power shots off angles. His future is bright, and we have big plans for him.”




Eight-Time National Champion Diego Pacheco in Action Tonight in Tijuana


NEW YORK (February 23, 2019)-Eight-time national amateur champion and now undefeated professional Diego Pacheco will see action tonight as he takes on fellow undefeated Alberto Aguilar in a middleweight bout at Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Mexico.

Pacheco of Los Angeles was the number-one middleweight in both the United States and Mexico.

Pacheco was a 2017 National Junior Golden Gloves champion, and the 2018 United States Junior Olympic National champion.

Pacheco, 17 years-old made his professional debut on December 22nd with a 1st round stoppage over veteran Luis Gonzalez.

In Aguilar he is taking on a foe who also is 1-0 with a 1st round knockout to his credit.

“Since the amateurs I’ve been fighting in Tijuana, and it feels great to get back there for my second pro fight,” said Pacheco.

“I’m tall and I have long reach so I like to keep my distance, but I also like to walk them down. Everyone’s told me I hit pretty hard. I feel like I’m a power puncher, but I stay within a distance. I don’t like to smother myself.”

“By the end of this year, I just want to get as much experience as I can. I’m only 17 so there’s no rush. Personally, I have a lot of guys that I want to get. I just want to put a good few first fights in and just take over when the time is right, I have a great team around me and we won’t be rushed.”

Pacheco is managed by Split-T Management, and is promoted by Matchroom Boxing. Pacheco’s fight with Aguilar will be streamed live on DAZN beginning at 7 PM ET.




Former World Title Challenger Dominic Wade and Top Prospect Roney Hines in action TONIGHT in North Carolina

NUTLEY, NJ – February 23, 2019 – Former world middleweight title challenger Dominic Wade & 2018 National Golden Gloves champion Roney Hines will in action for the 2nd time in three weeks as they will appear tonight at Center Stage in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Wade of Largo, Maryland will take on 42 fight veteran Josue Obando while the undefeated Hines battles Kendrick Houston in a four-round heavyweight bout.

Obando has wins over Ronald Hearns (28-5) and Jose Garcia Luis Perez (14-0)

Wade (19-1, 13 KOs) is coming off a 1st round stoppage over Martin Fidel Rios on February 1st in Rochester, New York.

Hines (4-0, 4 KOs) of Cleveland is coming off a 1st round stoppage Sherman Artis on February 1st in Rochester.




WEIGHTS FROM PHILADELPHIA

Jeremy Cuevas 134.1 vs. Steven Ortiz 134.2
(Pennsylvania State Lightweight Title)
Malik Hawkins 144.9 vs. Gladwin Ortiz 146.3
Sammy Teah 139.1 vs. Tre’Sean Wiggins 140
(Pennsylvania State Super Lightweight Title)
Branden Pizarro 138.8 vs. Zack Ramsey 140.1
Gadwin Rosa 130.5 vs. Jose Luis Santos Guzman 129.2
Christian Tapia 135.2 vs. David Veras Pena 136.3
Emanuel Rodriguez 117.1 vs. Jose Lopez 116.1
Tamar Israeli 125.4 vs. Karen Dullin 123.5
Benjamin Sinakin 173.3 vs. Ronald Lawrence 173.3
Josue Rosa 118.7 vs. Willie Anderson 119.2

Promoter: Hard Hitting Promotions
Venue: Met Philadelphia
Facebook Fight Night Live

TICKETS are $100, $75, $50 & $25 and can be purchased at TheMetPhilly.com or Please call 1-800-745-3000 to order your tickets by phone.

The Met Philadelphia is located at 858 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19130




EYE OF THE TIGER PROMOTIONS JOINS FORCES WITH GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS TO PROMOTE THE CAREERS OF ULYSSE, BUTLER AND BAZINYAN

Montreal, February 22 2019 – This is a new and exciting chapter for boxers Yves Ulysse Junior (17-1, 9 KOs), Steven Butler (26-1-1, 23 KOs) and Erik Bazinyan(22-0, 17 KOs) as Eye of the Tiger Promotions joins forces with Golden Boy Promotions by signing an exclusive long-term promotional agreement.

This is a major step forward for the Quebec pugilists who will make their names known in America, being involved in major fights that will allow them to obtain significant American and international visibility. EOTTP President Camille Estephan, however, adamantly insisted that his protégés have the opportunity to fight in Quebec, at least once a year.

“It was extremely important for us to be able to come back and fight at home, in Quebec, out of respect for our fans, who have been supporting our athletes and encouraging them since the start of their careers. Our partners at GBP agreed with us,” said Camille Estephan. “We have been working with the Golden Boy Promotions team for four years now as co-promoters of David Lemieux. We have developed a great relationship of respect and mutual trust. We firmly believe that this association is beneficial for our boxers and will help shine a light on the talent of our athletes on the international scene.”

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with Eye of the Tiger Management,” said
Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “We made big waves in the sport as we worked together to make David Lemieux a world champion and a recognized name in the boxing world. Now we will have the opportunity to do exactly the same with Ulysse, Butler and Bazinyan. I look forward to having these rising contenders on our Golden Boy cards as they inch closer to fulfilling their dreams of becoming world champions.”

During his second visit to the United States on December 15, the charismatic Yves Ulysse Jr. faced Maximilliano Becerra (16-3-2, 8 KOs) at the Madison Square Garden in the undercard of the fight between Canelo Alvarez against Rocky Fielding. A convincing victory live on the DAZN network was added to the record of the Montrealer, who has so far accumulated significant performances against tough boxers in the super lightweight division, including the likes of Cletus Seldin, Zachary Ochoa and Ricky Sismundo.”All these sacrifices and efforts are paying off for my team and myself. A special thought goes out to my coach Rénald Boisvert, who has been with me from the beginning, has supported me in my ups and downs since the amateurs. It’s my opportunity to demonstrate that I’m part of the elite of my division and I intend to seize it,” said Ulysse, who is currently ranked 6th in the WBC, 8th in the WBO and 9th in the IBF.

Steven Butler, currently ranked 4thin the WBO division at middleweight, has said that he is ready to take the next step in his career: “First, I want to thank Camille Estephan for the work he does for us, to look after our interests so that we get the best of both worlds; both professionally and personally. I am proud to join the Golden Boy Promotions team and thank them for believing in me. I’m ready for this next big step in my career and ready to face all the challenges that are presented to me,” notes Bang Bang in reference to his reputation as a slugger. “This is a golden opportunity for us, not only to be able to shine in the United States but also to be able to bring back major boxing events at home in Quebec,” adds Butler.

Erik Bazinyan, one of the most promising super middleweights in the world, with an amateur record of 108-1 and undefeated in 22 professional fights with an impressive KO ratio, vies to be the cream of the crop of his division : “It’s a childhood dream that is coming true to go fight in the United States, and it motivates me a lot to work even harder to become world champion. With EOTTP and GBP, I have the best team behind me to reach my goals,” adds Bazinyan, current title holder of NABO and NABA titles at super middleweight.

More details will follow as to the dates of the next bouts of these three athletes. For more information, visit www.eottm.com or follow the organization on Facebook @Eye of the Management Tiger, on Twitter @ EOTMVD or on Instagram @eottm_boxing.




Former Heavyweight Champion Charles Martin Battles Unbeaten Dallas-Native Gregory Corbin in Premier Boxing Champions Prelims on FS1 Leading up to the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Mikey Garcia PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View Event


ARLINGTON, TX. (February 22, 2019) – Former heavyweight world champion Charles Martin will square off against unbeaten Dallas-native Gregory Corbin in a 10-round bout on Premier Boxing Champions Prelims on FS1 leading up to the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Mikey Garcia PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event Saturday, March 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Prelims begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will lead up to the pay-per-view event at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT that is headlined by unbeaten IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. defending his title against undefeated four-division champion Mikey Garcia in a highly anticipated and historic showdown.

Tickets for this showdown, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Ringstar Sports, are on sale now, and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium.

Born in St. Louis but now fighting and training out of Southern California, Martin (25-2-1, 23 KOs) showed heavy hands in racking up 20 knockouts in 23 fights before he captured a heavyweight world title with a victory over Vyacheslav Glazkov in January 2016. The 32-year-old bounced back from a defeat against Anthony Joshua to score two stoppage victories before losing a close decision to unbeaten Adam Kownacki in September.

Fighting out of his hometown of Dallas, Corbin (15-0, 9 KOs) will look to remain unbeaten in front of a friendly crowd. The 38-year-old has stopped five of his last six opponents, including his most recent victory over Homero Fonseca in August. He will fight in his home state for the ninth time as a pro on March 16.

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ABOUT SPENCE VS. GARCIA
Spence vs. Garcia is a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event that is headlined by unbeaten IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol Spence Jr. defending his title against four-division world champion Mikey Garcia on Saturday, March 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View undercard will feature undefeated former super middleweight champion David Benavidez battling veteran contender J’Leon Love, unbeaten former bantamweight champion Luis Nery taking on former champion McJoe Arroyo and fan-favorite Chris Arreola facing unbeaten Jean Pierre Augustin.

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

About AT&T Stadium:
AT&T Stadium is one of the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venues in the world. Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year round. The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 50 pieces from an international array of curated artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue. In addition to being the Home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches, and other special events. For more information, go to www.attstadium.com.




STAMP FAIRTEX OUTLASTS JANET TODD TO WIN ONE ATOMWEIGHT MUAY THAI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

22 February 2019 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), delivered another amazing spectacle at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, delighting the packed crowd with a display of world-class martial arts action. ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS featured 11 exciting bouts. In the main event, Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex defeated Janet Todd of the United States to capture the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title.

Visit the official ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event, reigning ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Stamp Fairtex of Thailand defeated Janet Todd of the United States via unanimous decision to also become the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion. Stamp implemented a solid game plan as she pushed the pace and punished Todd with a punch-heavy attack. After five grueling rounds, Stamp was declared the winner on all three of the judges’ scorecards to make history as the first-ever two-sport World Champion in ONE Championship history.

Costa Rican submission specialist Ariel “Tarzan” Sexton grappled his way into the Semi-Finals of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix after submitting former ONE World Title contender Amir Khan of Singapore with a rear-naked choke in the third round. Sexton managed to survive a number of precarious situations and remained relentless in his pursuit to take the action to the ground. Early in the third round, Sexton easily took Khan down and immediately fastened the submission to force Khan to tap.

Turkey’s Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev punched his ticket into the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Semi-Finals after knocking out former ONE World Title challenger Ev “E.T.” Ting in just 25 seconds. One shot was all Arslanaliev needed, as he landed a massive left hook that immediately dropped Ting to the mat. “Dagi” finished the job with a series of thunderous ground strikes to earn the stunning knockout win.

Dutch kickboxing star Nieky “The Natural” Holzken was clinical in his approach as he dominated Italian striker Mustapha “Dynamite” Haida to earn a unanimous decision win. Holzken was a step ahead for the majority of the three-round contest, catching Haida with precise punches and well-placed kicks. Haida attempted to mount a comeback late in the match, but his rally came up short, as Holzken was hailed victorious on all of the judges’ scorecards.

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke of Thailand avenged a prior loss to Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado, defeating the Filipino via technical knockout in the second round. It was an exciting opening round between Dejdamrong and Miado, as the two strawweight contenders traded ferocious combinations. It was all Dejdamrong in the second round however, as the Thai legend stuffed a takedown from Miado and proceeded to unload a barrage of unanswered knees to earn the stoppage victory.

Thailand’s Petchdam Petchyindee Academy turned in a tremendous striking performance to defeat Masahide “Crazy Rabbit” Kudo of Japan in a ONE Super Series kickboxing contest. Operating behind his southpaw stance, Petchdam torched Kudo with his piston-like left roundhouse kicks right off the bat. The Muay Thai star fished for the finish in the second round, knocking out Kudo with a solid left straight.

China’s Zhang Chenglong emerged triumphant against Kong Sambo of Cambodia by way of split decision. In an exciting three-round affair, the two world-class strikers stood toe-to-toe and went back-and-forth as they traded blistering combinations. In the end, Zhang did enough to earn the decision on two of the three judges’ scorecards to come out victorious in his maiden ONE Championship appearance.

Regian “The Immortal” Eersel of the Netherlands authored a jaw-dropping victory in his second appearance on the ONE Super Series stage, defeating Nigeria’s Anthony “The Assassin” Njokuani. Eersel patiently waited for the right moment to pounce on his hard-hitting counterpart. When he saw a good opening to strike in the second round, Eersel delivered a hard right hand and a follow-up knee to the midsection to send Njokuani to the canvas. Njokuani failed to answer the count of ten, compelling the referee to halt the bout.

Ayaka Miura of Japan left a lasting impression in her ONE Championship debut, defeating former ONE World Title contender Laura “La Gladiadora” Balin of Argentina. Miura showed off her impressive grappling prowess as she locked in a wrenching Americana to force her opponent to tap in just under two minutes, announcing her arrival in the talent-filled women’s strawweight division.

Japanese legend Masakazu “Ashikan Judan” Imanari marched to a highlight-reel victory early in the evening, submitting “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il of South Korea in just 53 seconds. Imanari coerced Kwon to wave the white flag with his patented heel hook, registering his 27th career win by way of submission.

Setting the tone for an action-packed evening was Indonesian standout Rudy “The Golden Boy” Agustian’s quick work of Cambodian striker Khon Sichan. Driven to claim his third consecutive victory in the promotion, Agustian caught Sichan with a rear-naked choke midway through the first frame. With Sichan in no position to escape, Agustian applied pressure on the submission and forced the tap.

Official results for ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS
ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship bout: Stamp Fairtex defeats Janet Todd by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds
ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarter-Final bout: Ariel Sexton defeats Amir Khan by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:13 minutes of round 3
ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarter-Final bout: Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev defeats Ev Ting by Knockout (KO) at 0:25 minutes of round 1
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Lightweight bout: Nieky Holzken defeats Mustapha Haida by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Catch Weight bout (56.9kgs): Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke defeats Jeremy Miado by TKO (Strikes) at 2:38 minutes of round 2
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Flyweight bout: Petchdam Petchyindee Academy defeats Masahide Kudo by Knockout (KO) at 0:35 minutes of round 2
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Bantamweight bout: Zhang Chenglong defeats Kong Sambo by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Lightweight bout: Regian Eersel defeats Anthony Njokuani by Knockout (KO) at 1:03 minutes of round 2
Women’s Strawweight bout: Ayaka Miura defeats Laura Balin by Submission (Americana) at 1:13 minutes of round 1
Bantamweight bout: Masakazu Imanari defeats Kwon Won Il by Submission (Heel Hook) at 0:53 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Rudy Agustian defeats Khon Sichan by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:14 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.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, Great Sports, Tencent, and more.

Media Contact:




RYAN GARCIA RETURNS AGAINST JOSE ‘WONDER BOY’ LOPEZ IN MAIN EVENT OF STACKED GOLDEN BOY CARD


INDIO, CALIF. (Feb. 22, 2019): Popular lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia (17-0, 14 KOs) will look to inch closer to a world title opportunity when he returns against Jose “Wonder Boy” Lopez (20-3-1, 14 KOs) in a 10-round battle that will headline a stacked night of Golden Boy action. The event will take place on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live on DAZN .

“These are the kinds of fights that Ryan Garcia must win to become a world champion,”
said Oscar De La Hoya, CEO and Chairman of Golden Boy Promotions. “He has all the makings of a global star, so it will be interesting to see how he can overcome this challenge. At the same time, Lopez is a tough fighter who really needs a win, so he’ll do everything he can to end Ryan’s undefeated streak. I expect a sold-out crowd at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino to be present for a full card of action and on the best platform in boxing, DAZN.”

Garcia is a rising talent who had a spectacular year in 2018, fighting four times and earning the NABF and NABO Super Featherweight Titles. The 20-year-old native of Victorville, Calif. also made an important change to his stable, adding Eddy Reynoso as his head trainer before stopping Braulio “El Chavo” Rodriguez in his last bout. Garcia plans to demonstrate new skills as he seeks to earn a shot at a title.

“I’m excited to come back for my first fight of 2019,” said Ryan Garcia.”We sold out Fantasy Springs last March when I knocked out Fernando Vargas, and I expect this fight to be exactly the same: a big win in front of a huge crowd. Let’s get this win!”

Lopez is a 24-year-old contender who has earned two regional titles since making his debut in September 2011. The native of Carolina, Puerto Rico has fought the likes of Jonathan “Polvo” Oquendoand Avery Sparrow. Lopez’s biggest win was against Miguel Angel “Miguelito” Gonzalez in April of last year, and he’ll look to prevent Garcia from becoming a big star in the sport.

“I’m very excited for this opportunity,” said Jose Lopez. “Ryan is a great fighter and a top prospect at Golden Boy. I know the challenge that I have in front of me, and I am getting ready to make a great fight. I will get the victory no matter what.”

“This is a great fight for both fighters,” said Miguel Cotto, President of Miguel Cotto Promotions. “This will be a classic battle between two young lions. Anything can happen inside the ring, so you can’t miss this fight.”

In the co-main event, hard-hitting Angel “Tito” Acosta (19-1, 19 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico will defend his WBO Light Flyweight Title against Ganigan “El Maravilla” Lopez (35-8, 19 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico in a 12-round battle. Acosta, who is part of a co-promotion with Miguel Cotto Promotions, is coming off a sensational first-round knockout win over Abraham “Choko”Rodriguez in October 2018.

Rising super featherweight Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez(27-0, 24 KOs) will make his debut in the United States when he takes on Ibrahim Class (22-5, 10 KOs) of Dar es Salaam, Tazania in a 10-round clash. Hernandez is co-promoted by Promociones del Pueblo as Golden Boy looks to introduce yet another future Mexican star to an even larger audience.

NABO Featherweight Champion Joet Gonzalez (21-0, 12 KOs) will defend his regional strap in a 10-round fight.

Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (27-1, 17 KOs) will return to the ring after his first world title opportunity in a 10-round super lightweight fight.

Danielito Zorrilla (10-0, 8 KOs) of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico will participate in an eight-round battle in the super lightweight division.

Neeco “The Rooster” Macias (17-1, 10 KOs) will look to bounce back from his first loss in an eight-round super lightweight fight.

Herbert “Ace” Acevedo (15-2, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. will fight in an eight-round 140-pound battle.

Aaron “Silencer” McKenna (6-0, 4 KOS) of Monaghan, Ireland will return in a six-round welterweight fight against Loretto Olivas (3-0, 1 KO) of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Rommel Caballero (5-0, 4 KOs) of Coachella, Calif. will participate in a six-round super featherweight bout.

Opponents for the undercard fighters will be announced shortly.

Garcia vs. Lopez is a 10-round lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, Feb. 22, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. PT and are priced at $35, $45 and $55. Tickets will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

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 #GarciaLopez

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/March30DAZN into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy Promotions for any photo and/or video usage.




JAMES DEGALE vs. CHRIS EUBANK JR. FINAL WEIGHTS


LONDON – February 22, 2019 – Former two-time world champion James DeGale and former world title challenger Chris Eubank Jr. both weighed-in within the 168-pound limit for their 12-round super middleweight clash that headlines a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader tomorrow/Saturday live on SHOWTIME (3:45 p.m. ET/12:45 p.m. PT) from The O2 in London.

DeGale (25-2-1, 15 KOs) measured 166 pounds while his fierce rival tipped the scales at 167 pounds for their all-British grudge match. At stake for both men in the long-awaited showdown are British bragging rights, but more importantly a chance for another world title shot in the deep super middleweight division.

“I’m in the best shape I’ve been for a long, long time,” said DeGale, who reigned as champion for more than two years. “When I feel like I feel no one can beat me.”

Eubank Jr., the son of British legend and former two-division champion Chris Eubank Sr., has faced champions George Groves and Arthur Abraham and is now seeking a signature win against DeGale, the first British boxer to win an Olympic gold medal and a world championship.

“I know this is the defining fight of my career,” Eubank Jr. said. “Beating James DeGale sets me up for a world title, which is the whole reason I started in this game.”

Undefeated heavyweight Joe Joyce has knocked out all seven of his professional opponents but will face the toughest test of his professional career in Bermane Stiverne, a former WBC Heavyweight World Champion and the first fighter to push reigning champion Deontay Wilder the distance. The 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist Joyce (7-0, 7 KOs) measured 265 pounds while Stiverne tipped the scales at a career-high 273 pounds for their 12-round bout for the British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship.

“Each fight is getting me closer and closer to a world title shot,” said Joyce, who is hoping to join Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua as recent winners of the British Commonwealth Heavyweight Title. “This is quite a step up for me but I’m confident that towards the end of the year my name will be amongst the top five heavyweights in the world.”

Stiverne (25-3-1, 21 KOs) is looking to bounce back from a one-sided defeat to Wilder in a 2017 rematch and prove that he’s still a threat in the deep and vibrant heavyweight division.

“That’s why I’m hungry,” Stiverne said on Friday. “I feel I have more to offer in this division.”

Veteran broadcaster Brian Custer will host the doubleheader from London with versatile combat sportscaster Mauro Ranallo calling the action ringside alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein. Three Hall of Famers will round out the telecast team – Emmy® award winning reporter Jim Gray, boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial ringside scorer, and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS:

12-Round Super Middleweight Bout

James DeGale – 166 Pounds

Chris Eubank Jr. – 167 Pounds

Referee: Howard Foster; Judges: Michael Alexander (U.K), Phil Edwards (U.K.), Terry O’Connor (U.K.)

12-Round Heavyweight Bout

Joe Joyce – 265 Pounds

Bermane Stiverne – 273 Pounds

Referee: Michael Alexander; Judges: Howard Foster (U.K), Jerome Lades (France), Olena Pobyvailo (Belgium)

Note: Former featherweight world champion Lee Selby and Omar Douglas will fight in a 12-round lightweight swing bout. Selby measured 134 ½ pounds for his lightweight debut while Douglas weighed-in at 132 pounds.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports, subscribe to the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.




Full Card Announced for “Rumble at the Rock IV” on Friday, March 1, at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

The full card has been announced for “Rumble at the Rock IV” on Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at the Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and live on Boxeo Telemundo (11:35 PM ET/PT).

Headlining the undercard will be undefeated Cuban super featherweight Hairon “El Maja” Socarras (20-0-3, 13 KOs) of Miami taking on Mexico City’s Carlos “Fino” Ruiz (16-5-2, 6 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

With natural talent, youth, speed and power in both hands and a classic Cuban style, 26-year-old Socarras has been considered one of Cuba’s best prospects. Former WBO Latino Super Featherweight Champion Ruiz, however, has a high-pressure approach to fighting and has never been stopped.

Presented by Kris Lawrence and The Heavyweight Factory, in association with All Star Boxing, the “Rumble at the Rock IV” main event will feature highly touted WBO No.1-ranked and WBO Bantamweight Latin Champion Ricardo “Hindu” Espinoza (22-2, 19 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, taking on Panama’s rugged veteran Ricardo “El Matematico” Nuñez (29-8, 23 KOs) for the WBO-NABO Bantamweight Championship.

In the 10-round welterweight co-main event, Miami via Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (19-0-1, 14 KOs) will face fellow Floridian Ed “The Lion” Paredes (38-7-1, 25 KOs) of Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Tickets for “Rumble at the Rock IV” cost $60, $100, $150, $250 and $500 and are available through ticketmaster.com.

Several other notable Florida-based prospects will also be in action that night, including a six-round welterweight duel between Chris Velez (10-0-1, 6 KOs) of Fort Lauderdale and Ryan Pino (8-4, 4 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Also showcased will be a six-round light heavyweight match-up between undefeated KO machine Ulysses Diaz (9-0, 8 KOs) of Miami and Gilberto Rubio (8-7, 6 KOs) of Sinaloa, Mexico, as well as a six-round welterweight showdown for JD Martinez (10-1, 8 KOs) of Miami and Matias Garcia (17-16-1, 14 KOs) of Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua.

Undefeated Miami-based crowd favorite Jorge De Jesus Romero (13-0, 10 KOs) will return in a bantamweight eight-rounder against El Paso’s Felipe Rivas (17-23-4, 11 KOs).

In a treat for the fans, the “Gatti of Florida” featherweight Jessy Cruz (15-7-1, 7 KOs) of Miami will bring his flare for the dramatic against Buenos Aires, Argentina’s David Michel Paz (4-6-1) over six rounds; while Miami’s undefeated super welterweight Eduardo Perez Diaz (6-0, 4 KOs) will go four against Fort Myers, Florida’s Hector Mercado (2-10).

Newcomers will start out the night in four-round battles, as featherweight Luis Melendez (3-1, 3 KOs) of Miami will look for his fourth victory against Mexico City’s Isaac Cerda (6-3, 1 KO); and Fort Lauderdale’s Blake Davis will make his light heavyweight pro debut against Alabama’s Rashad Jones (6-20-3, 3 KOs).

Also scheduled for action, but with an opponent TBA, is unbeaten Kazakhstani strongman Mussa Tursyngaliyev. His fight will be scheduled for six rounds.

On fight night, the Hard Rock Event Center doors open at 6 p.m., and the action starts at 7 p.m. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is located at 1 Seminole Way in Hollywood, Fla.

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About Hard Rock Event Center
Hard Rock Event Center is the newly constructed 3,600-seat venue located in the northwest corner of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood. As part of the $1.5 billion property expansion, the former Hard Rock Live arena will be razed and replaced with a state-of-the-art 6,500-plus-seat venue in a theater-style configuration, slated to open in 2019. In the interim, a full schedule of concerts, comedy shows and other events will take place in the Hard Rock Event Center. Seminole Hard Rock has hosted some of the hottest musical acts such as John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Marc Anthony, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli, Tim McGraw and Carlos Santana; top comedians including Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, George Lopez and the late Robin Williams; as well as major sporting events and events of major sports stars, from UFC matches to charity galas for Jason Taylor, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and more. For additional information, please visit www.myhrl.com.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is the flagship casino resort of Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It is a world-renowned entertainment, gaming and hospitality destination that features a AAA Four Diamond-rated luxury hotel; expansive gaming offerings including first-in-class slots, high-stakes table games and South Florida’s premier poker room; spa and fitness center; award-winning dining and nightlife; and the popular Hard Rock Event Center which hosts A-list entertainers, comedy and sporting events. A $1.5 billion expansion slated to open in fall 2019 will bring 638 luxury guestrooms to a first-ever, iconic, guitar-shaped hotel and 168 upscale guest accommodations in an adjacent hotel tower overlooking a lush, “Bora Bora” style, private cabana environment; a 42,000 square-foot Rock Spa®; a 13.5 acre recreational water-focused experience for sunbathing, swimming, kayaking, sailing and paddle boarding; 21 distinctive restaurants, bars and lounges; an expanded gaming floor featuring 3,100 slots, 193 table games and a 45-table poker room; 120,000 square feet of premier meeting and convention space; and 26,000 square feet of new retail space. The highly anticipated 6,500 seat Hard Rock Live theater-style concert venue will feature headline performances and live broadcast capabilities. The resort is located on 87 acres of the Hollywood Seminole Reservation along State Road 7, (U.S. Highway 441). The resort is 10 minutes from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and 30 minutes from downtown Miami and Miami International Airport. For more information, visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, call 800-937-0010 or follow us:
Facebook: SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly




PRO BOXING: FIGHTNIGHT LIVE HITS NORTH BROAD STREET ON SATURDAY, FEB. 23, FROM THE HISTORIC MET IN PHILADELPHIA


NEW YORK (Feb. 22, 2019) – Returning to the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday to complete a doubleheader weekend of FREE fights on Facebook, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast heads to hallowed ground on North Broad Street and the newly-refurbished Met Philadelphia for an outstanding card with Hard Hitting Promotions and Live Nation. Beginning at 8 p.m. E.T. from the city earning its moniker as the “Reigning Fight Capital,” the fan-friendly FNL platform will feature eight highly-anticipated bouts in the renovated venue.

“The Met in Philadelphia has undergone an incredible transformation, and we’re honored to showcase that transformation and Saturday’s red-hot card from that hallowed and historic venue,” said Mark Fratto, Principal and Director of Business Development, Linacre Media. “The main event has the makings of a thriller for fight fans in Philly and beyond, and the undercard features some of our favorite up-and-coming Philly prospects and the return of Charm City Champion Malik Hawkins, who has been a longtime friend of our entire crew.”

The free, interactive series – which has entertained more than 4.5 million fight fans since its platform premiere in May of 2017 – heads to Philadelphia once again as part of a FIGHTNIGHT LIVE doubleheader weekend spanning Feb. 22-23. The three-show February is part of a 2019 first quarter that showcases an outstanding six-card lineup featuring six different promotions and spanning four cities, which began with 203,000-plus views for Raging Babe’s Philly Special on Feb. 8 live from South Philly and includes tonight’s Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing Rockin’ Fights 34 from the Paramount in Huntington, N.Y.

A pair of Pennsylvania State Title bouts headline Saturday’s show. The Keystone State lightweight championship and two undefeated records will be on the line as two Philadelphians battle for supremacy – Jeremy “King” Cuevas (11-0, 8 KOs) takes on Steven Ortiz (9-0, 3 KOs). In the co-feature of the evening Samuel Teah (15-1, 7 KOs) – fresh off of his impressive November 2018 victory on ShoBox – will face dangerous southpaw Tre’Sean “Trigger” Wiggins (10-4-1, 6 KOs). Several other prospects dot the card, including former top-rated amateur lightweight Brandon Pizarro (13-1, 6 KOs), Baltimore welterweight Malik Hawkins(13-0, 9 KOs), super featherweight Floridian Gadwin Rosa (9-0, 7 KOs), Puerto Rican lightweight Christian Tapia (7-0, 6 KOs), bantamweight Emmanuel “Salserito” Rodriguez (3-0), Benny “The Jewish Bulldog” Sinakin (2-0, 1 KO) and Tamar “Princess” Israeli (2-0, 2 KOs).

Now in its second season, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast is the fan-friendly Facebook platform that – among other aspects – prides itself on the real-time conversations held between fight commentators and the viewing audience. FIGHTNIGHT LIVE has showcased more than 460 fighters and 16 promotions during 27 live event broadcasts from 18 different cities since May 2017, and in doing so, the interactive platform has generated the loyal interest of fight fans from across the United States and around the globe, including significant audiences in Mexico, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, and even fans in South America, Asia and Australia.

Since May 2017, the numbers on the 27-show FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series showed promise and potential for the new platform with an average of 167,871 views per event and more than 4.5 million total views for the franchise. Since Sept. 2018, Season II shows have averaged almost 311,000 views.

The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” (594,447) from the Sands in Bethlehem, the Dec. 2018 “Queens and Kings of Queens Card” (379,758) in New York, the Nov. 2018 “Hard Hitting Showtime Collaboration” (372,662), the Dec. 2018 “Roy Jones Jr. Texas Throwdown” (318,886), the Oct. 2018 “Hard Hitting Philly Special” (297,545), the Oct. 2018 hour-long Bareknuckle “Freeview” (292,253), the Nov. 2018 “Titans In The Capital” (256,871), the Sept. 2017 “Real Deal Promotions: Empire State” from Resorts World Casino (225,000), the Feb. 2019 “Raging Babe Philly Special” (203,000) and the August 2017 CES “Super Saturday” from Foxwoods (203,000) all logged 200,000 or more views, and collectively the 26-show series has seen a total of more than 4,532,526 views across all devices.

In addition to the raw viewership numbers, the fully-interactive, fan-friendly productions have seen more than 388,000 collective live post engagements (more than 14,300 per show), including more than 300,000 “likes” or “loves,” more than 48,000 comments and almost 16,500 shares.

The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” from the Sands in Bethlehem set a new bar with 594,447 views and the Sept. 2017 DiBella-CES doubleheader carried the series to three-quarters-of-a-million views in just over four months. The Sept. 2017 DiBella card saw more than 40,000 viewer interactions including almost 39,000 “likes” or “loves” and the March 17, 2018, Murphy’s “St. Patrick’s Day Clash” set a new high-water mark for shares with 2,182.

The FIGHTNIGHT LIVE page on Facebook has more than 86,000 fans and more than 93,000 followers.

Created and produced by Linacre Media out of New York City, the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series features professional announcers, multiple camera angles, television graphics, replays and behind-the-scenes access and interviews. The streamed shows are available globally wherever Facebook is available. The initiative not only enables fans from around the world to tune in, but also gives up-and-coming fighters a global platform to showcase their abilities, gives promoters an accessible “broadcast” solution and gives sponsors the ability to reach a mass audience via branded content

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Winter and Spring 2019 dates will be officially announced in the coming weeks.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE is available online at: https://www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE/

Follow all the action via social media at FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Facebook, @FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Instagram and@FIGHTNIGHTLIVE_ on Twitter, or by using the hashtag #FIGHTNIGHTLIVE. For the latest Linacre Media events and broadcast schedule, follow @LinacreMedia across all social platforms or use the tags #LinacreMediaEvents or #LinacreMediaOnTV.

About Everlast Worldwide Inc.
The preeminent brand in boxing since 1910, Everlast is the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer and licensor of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment. From legendary champions Jack Dempsey and Sugar Ray Robinson to current superstars Deontay Wilder and Dustin Poirier, Everlast is the brand of choice for generations of world champion professional athletes. Built on a brand heritage of strength, dedication, individuality and authenticity, Everlast is a necessary part of the lives of countless champions. Based in Manhattan, Everlast’s products are sold across more than 75 countries and 6 continents. For more information, visitwww.everlast.com.




TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR ATLANTIC CITY BOXING HALL OF FAME 3RD ANNUAL INDUCTION WEEKEND JUNE 21, 22 & 23, 2019

TLANTIC CITY, NJ – FEBRUARY 21, 2019 – Tickets on sale now for third Annual Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame Celebration & Induction Weekend. The Claridge a-Radisson Hotel will serve as the backdrop for this historic event to be held June 21 – 23, 2019

Fighters confirmed: Bernard Hopkins, Tim Witherspoon, Iran Barkley, Roberto Duran, Micky Ward, Kevin Watts, John Brown, and Virgil Hill

“We’re excited to continue honoring all of those who have helped establish Atlantic City as a boxing destination throughout the world,’ ACBHOF president Ray McCline said. “This year’s inductees did so much to advance boxing in Atlantic City, whether they were fighters or non-participants. Our goal is to continue to bestow this honor on as many as we can for many years to come.”

Weekend Description:

Friday, June 21st VIP Reception / $40.00 / 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Celebrate the kickoff of the 2019 ACBHOF Weekend and launch of the ACBHOF pop-up Legends Café in the lower level of the elegant Art Gallery at the Claridge -A Radisson Hotel.

Saturday, June 22nd Legends Fan Experience / Free Admission / 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Join us for Conversation and Coffee in our intimate pop-up ACBHOF Legends Café! Moderated and activated with a panel comprised of top boxing influencers.

Sunday, June 23rd Induction Ceremony / $80.00 – $100.00 / 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
We invite you to an up close and personal experience as you witness firsthand the ACBHOF Class of 2019 be enshrined into hall of fame history. Hear the stories, live the experience, and capture the moment!

Rod Green, ACBHOF Vice President of Business Strategy said, “the third annual ACBHOF will deliver high-quality programming that is both financially friendly within a family hospitable atmosphere.”

Additional entertainment and events are being planned. For tickets, rooms and more information visit www.acbhof.com.

Program is subject to change

When booking at Claridge ~A Radisson Hotel: use promo code: ACBH09 for discounted room rate.

We are pleased to recognize and thank our sponsors:

The Claridge Hotel, City of Atlantic City, FantaSea Resorts, Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall, Adams Boxing, SparBar, WBC, IBF, and Fight Night Apparel

Graphics and Website Developed by: Jay Torres and Expressions Web Graphic Specialist & Fight Night Apparel




COJANU: THIS WON’T END WELL FOR DUBOIS

RAZVAN COJANU HAS issued a chilling warning to Daniel Dubois ahead of their heavyweight encounter at the Royal Albert Hall on March 8, predicting the fight is not going to end well for the young Londoner.

Dubois enters into his tenth professional fight at the stunning South Kensington venue, which will stage boxing for only the second time in the last 20 years when the 21-year-old, along with Anthony Yarde, headline a card that also features two British title battles.

In his nine fights to date, Dubois has already collected three championship belts – the WBC world youth, Southern Area and English titles – and, against Cojanu, he will bid to add the WBO Global title to his fledgling CV.

He will be up against his toughest test yet when he takes on the California-based Romanian, who challenged for the WBO world title against Joseph Parker in 2017 and extended the New Zealander the full 12 rounds.

The 31-year-old subsequently lost to Luis Ortiz before accepting the challenge of another top young heavy, Nathan Gorman, in Manchester last December. Cojanu was originally scheduled to fight Dubois, but the Peacock Gym protégé was laid low by a seasonal virus.

Gorman prevailed on points at the Manchester Arena and successfully defended his WBC International Silver title, but was never able to establish an effective rhythm against the awkward and ungainly Cojanu.

Dubois himself has previously stated that he will be seeking to make a statement with a stoppage victory, but Cojanu insists the power possessed by the young knockout artist holds no fears for him.

On the contrary, the 16-5 man with nine KOs claims it is Dubois who should be fearful of hitting the canvas.

“I’m not worried about Daniel’s punching power, he should be worried about mine,” said Cojanu ahead of making a swift return to a UK ring. “Nobody has hit him yet. When I hit him, he will know about it.”

Cojanu added that Dubois’ youth will count against him and that experience will be a telling factor on the night.

“Daniel is a young boxer. He is fighting a proper man for the first time and it’s not going to end well for him.”

Daniel Dubois v Razvan Cojanu and Anthony Yarde defending his WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight title against Travis Reeves tops a huge night of boxing at the Royal Albert Hall that also includes the British middleweight title clash between Liam Williams and Joe Mullender, while British welterweight champion Johnny Garton makes a first defence of his belt against the Welshman Chris Jenkins. Unbeaten featherweight Lucien Reid takes on his toughest test to date against Birmingham’s Indi Sangha. Unbeaten prospects Hamza Sheeraz, Denzel Bentley, Jake Pettitt, James Branch jr and Harvey Horn also feature on the show.

Tickets are priced from £40 and are available to buy via www.RoyalAlbertHall.com




PBC FIGHT CAMP: ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. MIKEY GARCIA DEBUTS THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23 AT 4:30 P.M. ET ON FOX & THE FOX SPORTS APP


PBC FIGHT CAMP: ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. MIKEY GARCIA will premier this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app, as FOX Sports gives fans an all-access look into the training camps of IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. (24-0, 21 KOs) and four-division world champion Mikey Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) leading up to their March 16 FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View showdown.

The four-part documentary series follows Spence Jr., nicknamed “The Truth,” as the 28-year old titleholder is moving up the pound-for-pound rankings and facing his toughest challenge yet. Training alongside his longtime trainer Derrick James and joined by his father Errol Sr., Spence is looking for the biggest victory of his career on Saturday, March 16.

Garcia, meanwhile, is making the move up to welterweight in search of his biggest triumph to date and a title in a fifth weight class. The fellow top pound-for-pound fighter is joined in his California training camp with his brother and trainer Robert Garcia, his father Eduardo, and his nephew Robert Jr.

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

Programming leading up to the FOX Sports PBC PPV will continue this Sunday with FOX PBC FACE TO FACE: ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. MIKEY GARCIA on FOX (1:00 p.m. ET) as the two fighters sit down in front of each other before battling in the ring.

Part 2 of PBC FIGHT CAMP: ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. MIKEY GARCIA airs on FOX on Sunday, March 3 at 1:30 p.m. ET, immediately followed at 2:00 p.m. ET by FOX SPORTS PBC COUNTDOWN: ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. MIKEY GARCIA.

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports app, through the FOX, FS1, FS2 and FOX Deportes streams. The shows are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store or on connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information, visit FOX Sports Press Pass.

About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century Fox’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1, FS2; FOX Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; FOX Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App and FOX Sports GO. Also included in the Group are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.

About Five Films
Critically acclaimed, cinematic, authentic, compelling, smart – Five Films creates all-access, character-driven content. The multi-Emmy award-winning production company founded by Scott Boggins and Craig Jenest established the popular “athlete-follow” and “team-follow” formats in sports television. Five Films remains at the forefront of that format and continues to develop all-access programming in other genres, producing a diverse range of premium content that spans from episodic series (The Circus, The Boardroom, Chain of Command) to documentaries (Being Liverpool, Rise as One, and HBO’s 24/7).

About Premier Boxing Champions
The Premier Boxing Champions series was created and is produced by Haymon Sports, LLC. It features the most accomplished and decorated array of international professional boxing talent across the most popular weight divisions.




ANTHONY DIRRELL VS. AVNI YILDIRIM FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES


MINNEAPOLIS (February 21, 2019) – Former champion Anthony Dirrell and 168-pound contender Avni Yildirim exchanged words at a heated final press conference on Thursday before they battle this Saturday for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight World Championship in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes from the Armory in Minneapolis.

The press conference also featured Minneapolis-native Jamal James and Janer Gonzalez, who battle in a welterweight attraction as part of televised coverage 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.

Dirrell and Yildirim had to be separated during their portion of the press conference, as both fighters and their teams exchanged words ahead of Saturday’s showdown. Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from the Armory:

ANTHONY DIRRELL

“At the end of the day, he’s getting knocked out. That’s it.

“He doesn’t have what it takes. I’m just a higher level fighter than him. I’m coming to take him out.

“I’m thankful to my team for helping me get another shot at the championship. I’ve already proven everything I have to in this sport. Saturday night, I’m taking back what’s mine.”

AVNI YILDIRIM

“I’m very happy to be here. Saturday, I’m ready to do my talking. I’m going to show everyone what happens in the ring.

“Everybody knows that I’m coming to win that world title. This is my time on Saturday night. I will leave the ring with that belt.”

JAMAL JAMES

“All the work has already been put in. Now it’s time to give everyone a show. We’ve had a great camp. I’ve been training hard with my guys, including some work down in Miami. Now we’re ready to show the action on Saturday night.

“At this point in my career, every fight is a championship fight, because I’m so close to that level. If you slip up once, then you fall back. We have to stay ready.

“We’ve been training hard. There’s been a lot of work on technique and work on being prepared for anything that comes in the ring. In my mind, I train for him like he’s the ultimate opponent.

“I’m a lot more comfortable in my hometown after fighting here a lot recently. Sometimes you want to perform so well in front of all your people that you press, but now I’m a lot more calm. I’m not overlooking this fight at all, but I’m gunning for that title fight.”

JANER GONZALEZ

“I’m very thankful for this opportunity to be in this great fight. My team has me prepared for this fight and has given me great support throughout training camp.

“I’m 100 percent ready. I’m going to bring this fight and leave it all in the ring for my home country of Colombia.

“I had been preparing in Colombia with Breidis Prescott and it’s gotten me in top condition for the fight. I’m ready to do it in the ring.

“I know James is fighting at home but they can’t help him in the ring. It’s just me and him and I plan on breaking him down and getting the win.”

LEON MARGULES, President of Warriors Boxing

“It’s great to be back at the Armory in Minneapolis. This is our third PBC event here and it’s just a terrific venue with an enthusiastic and great crowd for boxing.

“This is a fantastic card headlined by a world championship fight. This is going to be a terrific fight to prove who is the best super middleweight. You don’t want to miss a high level fight like this one on Saturday night.

“Everybody in Minnesota knows Jamal James, as he’s become one of the stars of the boxing community here. I believe someday he’s going to be a world champion.”

# # #

ABOUT DIRRELL VS. YILDIRIM
Dirrell vs. Yildirim will see former super middleweight world champion Anthony Dirrell face top contender Avni Yildirim for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight World Championship in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes on Saturday, February 23 from The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features welterweight championship contender Jamal James fighting in his hometown for a third straight time against Janer González in a special 10-round attraction in the co-feature.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX, FS1, FS2 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.




OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS AHEAD OF TOMORROW’S (2/22) ROCKIN’ FIGHTS

New York, February 21, 2019

The entire card for Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing’s, “Rockin’ Fights” 34 weighed in today at Modell’s Sporting Goods in Huntington Station on Long Island. All twelve fighters looked fit and ready to go, ahead of tomorrow’s stellar night of fights at The Paramount in Huntington.

A great card is topped off by co-main events, in which fans will see the return of Huntington’s own JOHNNY “HITMAN” HERNANDEZ who will be taking on upset minded, MARQUIS “THE HAWK” HAWTHORNE. In a truly international fight, European Champion and Belgium native, JOEL “BIG JOE” DJEKO, will take on Italian Champion, SIMONE “TYSON” FEDERICI in an intriguing 10-round cruiserweight bout. Doors open at 7:00PM, and Rockin’ Fights 34 is set to start at 7:45PM.

Weigh-In Results:

8-ROUND SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT
JOHNNY “HITMAN” HERNANDEZ: 138.6 lbs.
MARQUIS “THE HAWK” HAWTHORNE: 137.8 lbs.

10-ROUND CRUISERWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT
JOEL “BIG JOE” DJEKO: 198.2 lbs.
SIMONE “TYSON” FEDERICI: 197.6 lbs.

6-ROUND SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
TERELL “THE PROBLEM CHILD” BOSTIC: 139.2 lbs.
JAVIER MARTINEZ: 137 lbs.

4-ROUND WELTERWEIGHT BOUT
DASHAUN “TOO SWEET” JOHNS: 138.6 lbs.
DERON “KING” LAWSON:. 142.2 lbs.

4-ROUND WELTERWEIGHT BOUT
ALEX “EL TORRO” VARGAS: 141.6 lbs.
BENJAMIN BORTEYE: 142.2 lbs.

4-ROUND SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
JEFFREY GONZALEZ: 153 lbs.
EARL HENRY: 153.8 lbs.




Rising Star Eros Correa (5-0, 5 KOs) Returns to the Ring this Saturday n Mexico

SAN JOSE, CA (February 21, 2019) – Undefeated super bantamweight prospect and rising star, Eros Correa (5-0, 5 KOs), returns to the ring this Saturday in Tijuana, Mexico. The 4-round bout is being promoted by GM3 Boxing Promotions and Gonzalez Boxing Promotions, and will take place at Cheer’s Bar, in Tijuana. Correa will face Jose Pech, a veteran of over 30 fights.

“I’m looking forward to this fight,” said Eros Correa, who’s guided by Cali Boxing Management. “My last fight in Tijuana was my toughest opponent to date so I’m not looking past Pech. Fighting in Mexico has been great for my career. With each fight I feel I’m getting better and better. I’m gaining a lot of experience and my confidence is at an all time high. I’m also starting to build a fan base out there. I want to thank my team for all their hard work. This Saturday I’ll be going for another knockout.”

Since signing with Cali Boxing Management last summer, Correa has been fighting on a consistent basis, going undefeated in four fights, all by knockout. This will be Correa’s second fight of 2019. In his last bout he scored a fourth round TKO.

“We are happy with Eros’ progress and we feel he’s developing into a great fighter, one that we believe will make some serious noise in the super bantamweight division,” said Andrew Bocanegra, of Cali Boxing Management. “After this bout we have plans to have him fight in the Bay Area, where all his family and friends will be in attendance. He’s an incredibly talented fighter to say the least.”

“Eros’ amateur pedigree being an alternate on the 2012 Olympic team is evident and its transitioning in the pros,” said Jessie Sanchez, of Cali Boxing Management. “Fighting in Mexico has been tremendous for his development.”




RIOS: I WANT A WORLD TITLE FIGHT WHEN I BEAT SOTO


Brandon Rios says his clash with Humberto Soto is the final hurdle between him and a fourth World title fight as they clash at the Auditorio Municipal Fausto Gutierrez in Tijuana, Mexico on Saturday February 23, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW PRICED FROM $165 (MEXICAN PESOS) HERE

Rios returned to action in stunning fashion in Kansas in November, stopping Ramon Alvarez in the ninth round of a pulsating contest live on DAZN.

‘Bam Bam’s’ return to the ring has been inspired by a promise made to his daughter to become a World champion once again, and a big all-Mexican clash with Soto is just the type of fight that will light a fire under him to produce a performance to land a huge fight next.

“It feels nice to fight back in Mexico,” said Rios. “Especially right now with everything that’s going on, all the politics. Not only that, but it’s good to give the Mexican fans a great show, they get see me live which is awesome.

“I’m fighting a guy that lives in Tijuana. He’s from Mexico, so I’m pretty sure the crowd’s going to be on his side, 100 per cent, but it feels good to be back out in front of Mexican fans. I’m ready to go and show the world that I’m ready to get back to the top again.

“I have some fans from LA going over the border to watch the fight, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to have more support. Anything can happen though, at the end of the day it’s not about who has what, it’s about me and him in the ring.

“The main decision for me to come back was when I was watching a fight on TV and I told my wife ‘Baby, that can still be me. I can still do that shit. I know I can still do that shit.’ I just had bad camp, bad habits. She told me ‘I’m going to let you do what you want to do, you’re a grown man. But if you come back, you’ve got to promise me you do it right.’ None of the half-assed shit, with the dieting, and all that. So, I thought about it for about a day or two, and I had the urge for it.

“I got my first fight and it was great, and the second one with Danny Garcia which wasn’t all that – shit happens in boxing. And then I got to meet Eddie Hearn who gave me a three-fight deal thanks to him.

“Nobody was really paying attention to me anymore, and Eddie gave me an opportunity, and I really appreciate that. I’m fighting my second fight with him, and I can’t wait to go again.

“My main target is to get a title shot. Not only the reason why, is because I promised my little girl. She does karate. I told her, if you become a black belt, you give me that title. When I become a champion again, I give you my belt.

“We made that promise, and I don’t want to break her heart, so that’s why I want to be a champion again before I retire. I keep my word. Every day, I kid you not, she says ‘Dad, remember you promised me?’ Every day. I come to the gym today, she’s asking me if I’m bringing back a title. That’s 100 per cent my drive.

“You know what, it could be soon. It could be my next fight, who knows with Eddie Hearn. For now I’m just concentrating on this guy. I’m ready for whatever falls next.

“Soto is a veteran, he’s 30 years old. he knows some tricks, he’s a former three-time World champion, so we’ve got to be ready for whatever he brings. That’s why I’m working so hard to correct the mistakes.

“Working with Matchroom Boxing and being on DAZN, they’ve giving me fights back-to-back which is great. I haven’t got that wasted time, rested time, they’re giving me fights right away. I’m grateful and happy to be a part of the team. I’m ready to get back to the top.

“It’s going to be a great fight. You’ve got a three-division former champion Soto comes to fight, very talented and very skillful, he’s a big counter puncher. Then you’ve got myself, Bam Bam, who comes to brawl and always gives the fans a good show, but what always makes a perfect fight is a counter and brawler. There’s always going to be punches thrown, always something going to happen.”

Rios and Humberto clash in an all-Mexican affair, in association with Zanfer and Paco Presents, on a huge night of action in Tijuana.

There’s a stacked undercard in support of the main event, led by the rematch between Jose ‘Gallito’ Quiniro (20-2-3 9KOs) and Joel Cordoba (7-4-2 1KO). The Mexicans shared a draw in a Christmas cracker in December and will return to the same venue as that clash to find a winner this time.

Alexis Espino makes his professional debut on the card, with the 19 year old Las Vegas native and decorated amateur itching to get life in the pro game underway on a proud night for his Mexican family. Diego Pacheco (1-0 1KOs) made his debut in this arena in December with a stoppage win, and the talented teen fights for the second time in the pros on Saturday.

A trio of unbeaten Mexicans complete the current line-up in the shape of 2016 Olympian Joselito Velasquez (7-0 6KOs), Omar ‘Pollo’ Aguilar (11-0 10KOs) and Sulem Urbina (8-0 1KO).




Former World Champions Collide as Peter Quillin Takes on Minnesota-Native Caleb Truax in Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes Main Event Saturday, April 13 from The Armory in Minneapolis


MINNEAPOLIS (February 21, 2019) – Former world champions will go toe-to-toe as Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin faces Minnesota-native Caleb “Golden” Truax 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.

Televised coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will feature top middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko taking on Jack Culcay in a 12-round IBF title eliminator, plus unbeaten rising prospect Chris Colbert will compete in an undercard attraction.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing and TGB Promotions, go on sale Saturday, February 23, and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

“Quillin vs. Truax is a true 50-50 matchup of former world champions looking to put themselves in position to grab another world title,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing. “Truax will have the hometown crowd in Minnesota behind him, but Quillin has fought at the highest level against top competition for years. It has all the makings of a dramatic fight, and combined with the Derevyanchenko vs. Culcay middleweight eliminator, it’s going to make for an action packed night at the Armory and on FS1 and FOX Deportes.”

“Both of these are fantastic matchups because there are championship implications on the line,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “That adds to the motivation for each of the guys stepping into the ring. For Qullin and Truax, they both know what it means to be a world champion and this is their opportunity to return to that status. There is always a lot of energy in the Armory for these types of matches and that really carries over to the FS1 and FOX Deportes broadcast for those watching at home. It promises to be a very entertaining evening for all boxing fans.”

A former middleweight champion, Quillin (34-1-1, 23 KOs) delivered in his second bout at super middleweight, defeating J’Leon Love last August by unanimous decision. Born in Chicago and raised Michigan, Quillin has called Brooklyn, N.Y. home throughout a pro career that saw him win a world title against Hassan N’Dam in 2012 and defend it three times. His only loss came to Daniel Jacobs in 2015 after battling former champion Andy Lee to a draw earlier that year.

“I’m approaching this fight very seriously because I know Truax is a durable guy who knows how to fight,” said Quillin. “He comes from a background where people don’t give him credit for what he’s done, and those are the most dangerous guys. I’m no stranger to fighting in my opponent’s backyard. My job is to go into the ring and go home with the win. I’m looking to walk away with some of his fans on my side by winning the fight and putting on a great performance.”

Fighting out of Osseo, Minnesota, Truax (30-4-2, 19 KOs) pulled off one of 2017’s biggest upsets when he traveled to London to defeat James DeGale and become a 168-pound world champion. The 35-year-old lost a hard-fought rematch to DeGale in 2018 and most recently scored a third-round stoppage of Fabiano Soares at the Armory in August.

“Peter Quillin is someone I’ve wanted to fight since I first sparred with him in 2012,” said Truax. “I walked away from that experience confident that I could get the job done if we were ever matched together. The fact that it’s taking place at home in Minnesota is even better because my fans are going to give me a huge advantage. My goal is to get back into title contention and win my second world title.”

A 2008 Olympian for his native Ukraine, Derevyanchenko (12-1, 10 KOs) has made his home in Brooklyn, N.Y. since turning pro in July 2014. The 33-year-old was unbeaten in his first 12 fights, earning a world title fight with a final-round stoppage of Tureano Johnson in 2017. He most recently dropped a narrow split-decision to Daniel Jacobs in a middleweight title fight in October.

Culcay (25-3, 13 KOs) is originally from Ecuador, spent much of his career fighting out of Germany, and now lives in Florida. He enters this bout on a three-fight winning streak after picking up a trio of wins in 2018. He had previously held an interim 154-pound titles before losing close decisions against Demetrius Andrade and Maciej Sulecki.

Representing his hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (10-0, 3 KOs) has begun to make a name for himself showing off tremendous skills across his first 10 pro victories. The 22-year-old most recently dominated Josh Hernandez on FS1 in January and he will return to fight at The Armory for the second time after defeating then unbeaten Austin Dulay on FS1 last April.

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.




HALL OF FAME BROADCASTER AL BERNSTEIN CONFIRMED FOR FIFTH ANNUAL BOX FAN EXPO, DURING CINCO DE MAYO WEEKEND, SATURDAY MAY 4, IN LAS VEGAS


Las Vegas (February 21, 2019) – Hall of fame broadcaster Al Bernstein has confirmed that that he will appear and hold a Meet & Greet with his fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the fifth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 4, 2019 from 10am to 5pm, during Cinco De Mayo weekend. The Boxing Expo will also coincide with the highly anticipated fight between Canelo Alvarez vs Danny Jacobs, that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena.

Bernstein will make his 3rd appearance at this years’ Expo, at the Hannibal Boxing Media booth and will be signing copies of the book Off The Ropes: The Ron Lyle Story, featuring a foreword by Al Bernstein. He will also be available to sign photos and boxing items, as well as taking pictures for fans to enjoy.

Bernstein joins Michael Spinks, Erik Morales, James Toney and Jessie Vargas as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo.

About Al Bernstein
Al Bernstein is best known to a national audience as the voice of boxing, first for ESPN, and now as the analyst for Showtime Championship Boxing. This Hall of Fame broadcaster is considered by many as the most recognizable and respected boxing commentator. In 2012, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He also hosts online shows, Al Bernstein’s Boxing Hangouts and Quick Hits, giving Al a chance to talk boxing and provide great insights for fans around the globe.

About Box Fan Expo
Box Fan Expo has been a huge success with fans and boxing industry people. Many boxing stars have attended the last four Expos such as Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Roy Jones Jr., Marcos Maidana, Andre Ward, Errol Spence Jr., Sergio Martinez, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Tim Bradley, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Zab Judah, James Toney, Vinny Pazienza, Mikey Garcia , Mia St.John, Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares Maricela Cornejo, Badou Jack, Terry Norris , Riddick Bowe , Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks, Danny Jacobs, Jorge Linares, Brandon Rios and many more…

Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, new equipment’s, energy drinks, alcohol, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies and other companies who wish to participate will once again have a chance to showcase their brand to fans, media and the boxing industry.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at:
https://boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to Meet and Greet Boxing Superstars of today, current and former world champions, Legends of the sport and other boxing Celebrities at their booth. On Site, fans will experience different activities from Autograph Sessions, Photo Sessions, FaceOff with your favorite boxers, as well as a chance to purchase merchandise and memorabilia from their booth, plus so much more… you won’t want to miss this must-attend Expo!

Box Fan Expo will also feature top boxing organizations, promoters, ring card girls, famous trainers and commentators as well as boxing gear companies “ALL UNDER ONE ROOF”.

Throughout the next several months leading up to the Event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo. And for anyone in the Boxing industry or other Exhibitors (non-industry), who would like to be involved and reserve a Booth, contact Box Fan Expo:

Telephone number: (514) 572-7222 or Las Vegas Number (702) 997-1927

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

For More information on Box Fan Expo visit: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

Follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter and Instagram: @BoxFanExpo

Follow Box Fan Expo on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo




RIAKPORHE – McCARTHY EASIER FIGHT THAN HYDE

Richard Riakporhe is expecting an easier night’s work when he makes the first defence of his WBA Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title against Belfast’s highly-touted Tommy McCarthy at the East of England Arena on Saturday March 2, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

The undefeated Dillian Whyte-mentored Londoner produced a stunning comeback to stop the previously unbeaten Sam Hyde in an epic battle at the Manchester Arena in November and is fully confident of making a successful first defence of the World ranking title next week.

“I’m feeling good going into this fight as I believe Sam Hyde is a better opponent than Tommy McCarthy,” said Riakporhe. “That’s meant as no disrespect to Tommy as he’s a fighter that I’ve watched a lot of and have admiration for. I remember watching the Commonwealth games back in 2010 and he looked pretty decent then.

“He’s got a good skillset and a solid background, but I believe that this is my time now and the momentum is in my corner. I’ll do anything to win and to keep on winning. There’s no way I’m overlooking Tommy as every fight is a huge risk and anything can happen, but I’ve got the bit between my teeth and I’ll be prepared come fight night.”

With one eye seemingly set on British Champion Lawrence Okolie, Riakporhe hasn’t let a potential clash with his fellow Londoner disrupt his focus when preparing for McCarthy, but the Walworth man couldn’t resist speaking about the current Lonsdale belt-holder.

“Lawrence Okolie has the British title at the moment and I believe that would be a good fight for me in the future if he still has the belt. I was focusing on individuals at one point in my career, but I soon realised that despite making noises, a lot of people don’t really want to fight you. I’d rather just focus on the titles right now, so I can progress in my career and get the experience that I need.

“I’d like the Okolie fight down the line for sure. We’ve been close to fighting twice but it doesn’t sound like he wanted it. Granted he’s ahead of me with the belts and in the pecking order but a couple of wins and why not? He must be shying away from it for a reason.

“Having watched a few of his fights Okolie has issues with movement. I train out in Cuba quite a lot, working on my lateral movement so that mixed with my punching power I think will cause him big problems.

“It’s a good division at the minute with the likes of Craig Glover coming through. Win this on March 2 and I want them all over the next year or two, what’s the point in holding back? I would like to box overseas at some point as well. I want to carry on getting experience for the big day one day, which I know is going to come – and that’s for a World title challenge.”

Riakporhe vs. McCarthy is part of a huge night of boxing in Peterborough.

Jordan Gill headlines his first show as he goes for his second pro title in a WBA International Featherweight clash with Mexico’s Emmanuel Dominguez.

Unbeaten Indiana Super-Middleweight contender Anthony Sims Jr fights for the second time in the UK after an explosive debut in Cardiff last summer.

Nottingham’s Leigh Wood clashes with Ghana’s Abraham Osei Bonsu for the vacant Commonwealth Featherweight crown.

Heavy-handed Super-Middleweight prospect John Docherty looks to make if four knockouts from four fights after impressing again on the Garcia vs. Cheeseman undercard at The O2 and Leeds Super-Bantamweight and former Team GB amateur standout Qais Ashfaq aims to go 5-0, and there’s also action on the undercard for Northampton Super-Welterweight Kieron Conway, Wisbech Super-Welterweight Joe Steed and St Ives Super-Lightweight Bradley Smith.




Errol Spence Jr. and Mikey Garcia Square Off in Welterweight World Championship Broadcast Live in Movie Theaters Nationwide on Saturday, March 16


DENVER – February 21, 2019 – On March 16, IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. will defend his title against unbeaten four-division world champion Mikey Garcia. For the highly-anticipated bout, broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, Garcia will move up to try and capture a title in a fifth-weight class against Spence. “Spence Jr. vs. Garcia,”and its co-featured fights, will be shown on big screens across the nation.

Tickets for “Spence Jr. vs. Garcia” can be purchased online atwww.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices now.

The live broadcast of “Spence Jr. vs. Garcia” presented by Fathom Events, FOX Sports, and Premier Boxing Champions, is set for Saturday, March 16 beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. CT / 7:00 p.m. MT / 6:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. AK / 4:00 p.m. HI. Boxing fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 300 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). A complete list of theater locations is available on the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Spence (24-0, 21 KOs) is no stranger to big stadium events, as he won the IBF title by traveling to England to take on then-champion Kell on May 27, 2017. In front of a raucous crowd of over 27,000 loyal Brook supporters, the 28-year-old Spence stopped Brook in round 11 to wrest away the title.
This will be Spence’s third defense of the title. After beating Brook, he successfully defended it with an eighth-round stoppage of two-division champion Lamont Peterson and then knocked out mandatory challenger Carlos Ocampo in the first round in his last fight at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Tex., near his hometown of Desoto, Tex. on June 16. Spence turned pro shortly after representing the U.S. at the 2012 London Olympics with much promise and rose to the championship ranks with wins over former champion Chris Algieri and veteran contenders Leonard Bundu, Alejandro Barrera and Chris van Heerden.

Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) is striving to put together a legendary career and is aggressively pursuing that goal. He has won world championships at featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight. He now eyes a welterweight title against the consensus class of the division in Spence. Fighting out of Moreno Valley, Calif., Garcia unified the IBF and WBC Lightweight World Championships in his last bout by scoring unanimous decision victory over Robert Easter, Jr. on July 28.
The 31-year-old first reached the championship ranks by blitzing through the featherweight and junior lightweight division, defeating Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, and Juan Carlos Burgos to establish himself as a star in the sport. Garcia has been on a fast track since ending a nearly 2.5-year hiatus with a knockout victory over Elios Rojas in 2016. After the victory over Rojas, Garcia scored a KO victory over Dejan Zlaticanin for the WBC lightweight championship in January 2017, before defeating four-division champion Adrien Broner in July, and then captured a title at 140 lbs. by dropping down and defeating Sergey Lipinets last March.

“Boxing fans won’t want to miss this chance to find out who is the best pound-for-pound fighter when ‘Spence Jr. vs. Garcia’ comes to local cinemas across the country,” Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt said. “As a tradition for fight fans, there’s nothing better than watching bouts live on the big screen from AT&T Stadium.”

For artwork/photos related to “Spence Jr. vs Garcia”visit the Fathom Events press site.

About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is the leading event cinema distributor with theater locations in all top 100 DMAs® (Designated Market Areas) and ranks as one of the largest overall theater content distributors. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L), Fathom Events offers a variety of unique entertainment events in movie theaters such as live performances of the Metropolitan Opera, top Broadway stage productions, major sporting events, epic concerts, the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series, inspirational events and popular anime franchises. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes for unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live Digital Broadcast Network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 975 locations and 1,578 screens in 181 DMAs. The company also provides corporations a compelling national footprint for hosting employee meetings, customer rewards events and new product launches. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.

About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century Fox’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1, FS2; FOX Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; FOX Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App and FOX Sports GO. Also included in the Group are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.

About Premier Boxing Champions
The Premier Boxing Champions series was created and is produced by Haymon Sports, LLC. It features the most accomplished and decorated array of international professional boxing talent across the most popular weight divisions.