My name is Luis Torres.

They call me “Koreano.” I am using this letter to officially let my former promoters, Terry Hollan and Guy Taylor of the World Cup Boxing Series, know that due to your many violations of our contract, and violations of the Muhammad Ali Act, my manager, Emanuel Romo, and I have hired the services of San Antonio attorney Michael Miller to terminate my promotional contract with you immediately.

Also know that I fully intend to proceed with my 10-round fight against Claudio Gabriel Daneff for the WBC Continental Americas Lightweight Championship on October 21 at the Club Atletico Stockolmo in Montevideo, Uruguay.

May I remind you both:

You said I was scheduled for a July 7 fight against Fradimil Macayo, but then two weeks before the fight, you told my team the fight had been canceled. We later learned the fight was never scheduled and you were not being honest.

Next you offered me an August 12 fight against Raymond Muratalla. You said it was going to be in the co-feature of the Oscar Valdez vs Emmanuel Navarrete show in Phoenix. But then, even though it was broadcast nationally by ESPN and held in front of a live audience of more than 15 thousand people, you offered to pay me $20,000 for the fight. My team talked to Top Rank and their offer was $75,000 – they confirmed it in writing. You’re my promoters and you intended to keep $55,000.00 of my money? You both know my contract clearly stipulates your share should never be greater than 20% for any fight.

Then next you offered me a televised main event against Angel Fierro on September 15, for a pitiful $15,000. I assume you were trying to keep a big part of that purse as well?

And then when I told you I was tired of being lied to and was going to continue my career against Daneff in October in Uruguay, you tried to block the fight by claiming you had a fight locked in for me against Ryan Garcia for the end of November. We talked to Golden Boy. You lied again.

I would also like to let everyone know that your World Cup Boxing Series approaches and signs Mexican fighters while posing as American promoters, but you have never held a promoter’s license in the State of Texas or any other.

This is my only comment to you on this matter. Send me an immediate release from my contract or I’ll see you in court and they can sever it for me.

Sincerely,

Luis “Koreano” Torres

LAS VEGAS – October 11, 2023 – Pre-sale tickets will be available beginning today at 10 a.m. PT for the matchup between undefeated two-time super middleweight world champion David “El Monstruo” Benavidez and unbeaten two-division champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade taking place Saturday, November 25 headlining a SHOWTIME PPV from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Pre-sale tickets are available today from 10 a.m. PT until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com by using the code: PBC

Public on-sale begins tomorrow, Thursday, October 12 at 10 a.m. PT with tickets available through AXS.com. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.

#         #         #

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

The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee ordered the bout between Super Cruiserweight Champion Arsen Goulamirian and his mandatory challenger Yuniel Dorticos. 

The pioneer organization gave a 30-day period to negotiate the bout, which began this Tuesday, October 10, 2023 and will end next November 10. Both parties received the formal notification signed by Carlos Chávez, president of the championships committee of the organization. 

According to Championship Rule C.11, the champion must defend the title against the official contender every nine (9) months from the date he became the champion. In Goulamirian’s case, his last mandatory defense was November 11, 2022 and his next mandatory championship fight should have been before August 11, 2023.

On the other hand, WBA rule C.13- WBA Fighting Limitations, states that the champion cannot fight a boxer who is not the official challenger within sixty (60) days before the mandatory defense period expires.

In case both parties do not reach an agreement or any of them refuses to sign the contract, the WBA may call for a Purse bid under the WBA rules.

NEW YORK (October 11, 2023) -Tonight at the Montreal Casino, Split-T Management fighter Mary Spencer takes on Femke Hermans for the vacant IBF Super Welterweight World title in a rematch of a fight that took place on February 16th.

The fight, for which Spencer came in after battling an illness, saw Hermans win a unanimous decision.

Spencer of Montreal is 7-1 with five knockouts and is established as one of the hardest punching female fighters in the world. Spencer has a first-round stoppage over Cynthia Lozano (9-1) on her record.

Hermans of Belgium is 16-4 with seven knockouts. The 33-year-old has wins over Nikki Adler (16-1), Lili Jumali (1-0).

The fight will be streamed live on ESPN+ at 7 PM ET.

THE QUEENSBERRY NEWCOMER Gavin Gwynne will fight for the vacant European lightweight championship at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday December 2 in support of the big middleweight showdown between Hamzah Sheeraz and Liam Williams, live on TNT Sports. 

Tickets for Sheeraz vs Williams on Saturday, 2 December at the Copper Box are on sale now available from: ticketmaster.co.uk.

Gwynne (16-2-1, 4) will take on the veteran unbeaten Italian Emiliano Marsili (42-0-1, 16) for the EBU title following his signing of a multi-fight promotional deal with Frank Warren and Queensberry.

The 33-year-old, who joined the professional ranks in 2016 and became Welsh champion just over 12 months later, became holder of the Lonsdale belt in April 2022 following victory over Luke Willis before twice defending against fellow Welshman Craig Woodruff, with the first meeting scored a draw.

A pivotal fight for the Merthyr Tydfil-born star came when he upset the odds to defeat home fighter Sean McComb in February 2021, overwhelming the Irishman into a seventh round retirement to win the Commonwealth title. This followed unsuccessful challenges for the British title against Joe Cordina and James Tennyson.

Marsili, the 47-year-old southpaw, first won the vacant European title back in 2013 via a second round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Luca Giacon and subsequently made four successful defences of the belt. He won the vacant title back in 2022 with a points success over Frank Urquiaga and last fought in December of last year, recording a second round stoppage.

In 2012, Marsili travelled to the Liverpool Olympia and stopped home favourite Derry Mathews in the seventh round to win the IBO world lightweight title.

Also at lightweight, knockout artist Sam Noakes (11-0, 11) will defend his WBC International Silver title at the Copper Box, with his iBox Gym teammate Pierce O’Leary (13-0, 7) making a defence of his WBC International super lightweight championship belt.

Raven Chapman (7-0, 2) is scheduled to make a third defence of her WBC International featherweight title.

Cruiserweight talent Oronzo Birardi (6-0, 5) from Mainz in Germany will fight over eight rounds, with super lightweight Sonny Liston Ali (6-0) and Featherweight Umar Khan (7-0) in action over six.

“This is another bumper card for the fans following up on the Magnificent 7 show up in Manchester a couple of weeks before,” said promoter Frank Warren.

“It is a strong line-up of fights with a couple still to be added and I am delighted to welcome Gavin Gwynne to our ranks and get him going with a fully deserved European title shot against remarkable opponent in Emiliano Marsili, who is undefeated at the age of 47 after 43 fights at a high level.

“Our iBox Gym brigade is out in force with Sam Noakes and Pierce O’Leary all set for big fights, plus Raven Chapman with a defence of her WBC belt ahead of very significant fights next year.”

Tickets for Sheeraz vs Williams on Saturday, 2 December at the Copper Box are on sale now available from: ticketmaster.co.uk.

LONDON, ENGLAND – (Oct. 10, 2023) – European middleweight champion Franck Petitjean (24-6-3, 6 KO’s) travelled from Paris to London today for a face-off with British boxing’s brightest prospect, super-lightweight wonderkid Adam Azim (9-0, 6 KO’s), who aims to take his EBU title from him by force on November 18th when they clash in the main event of BOXXER: WOLVES AT THE DOOR.

The 21-year-old Azim and his opponent staged open workouts for the attending media before holding court for interview questions and face-off photos. They were joined today at Kensington Boxing Club, London by Tyler Denny, who will challenge EBU middleweight champion Matteo Signani next month.

A selection of videos and photos can be found at the links below, all of which are free for editorial use and/or can be hosted on your platform’s digital channels as desired.

QUOTES

Franck Petitjean, EBU European Super-Lightweight Champion

Fighting in the UK is like a dream come true for me because boxing is so important here and we don’t have that so much in France. So I’m very happy. It’s a big fight with a new big prospect. I’m at my best when my opposition is better. So I like it. And I boxed abroad before, I love it when I am the outsider.

I’m not too impressed. He looks very good but who has he fought? He’s not yet faced anyone who has a good career, I am the first. I’m a good boxer. I know what I’ve achieved. I has a lot of hype but I’m a four-time champion of my country, two-time European champion. I have to show to everybody that I’m a real champion. He wants my belt, then he has to come forward and take risks.

Adam Azim, EBU European Super-Lightweight Championship Contender

This fight is massive for me. The EBU European Championship is the next step towards winning a world title and I have to thank BOXXER and my trainer Shane McGuigan for getting me here. 

A win puts me in the world rankings and makes me a contender, it should ranked me insied the top ten in the world. Once you go up like this, you can’t go down. So first the European title, then maybe a couple of defences, then we go for the world title.

I looked right into [Petitjean’s] eyes and said I’m taking this belt in Wolverhampton and I’m bringing it home with me. Obviously I respect him and his achievements but that’s not going to hold me back from taking this belt off him in November. 

I actually enjoy fighting southpaws, I know a lot of people don’t but I fought a lot of southpaws in my amateur days and did well against them. And most of the southpaws I fought in the amateurs went on to be European champions and world champions, so it was a good experience for me.

Tyler Denny, EBU European Middleweight Championship Contender

It’s madness! There’s too many people who want tickets from me, demand just keeps building and building. It’s the highest level I’ve fought and even thought I could have fought for a British title next, a European title is better in my eyes. It’s been worth the wait. 

100% we get a new European middleweight champion on November 18th. I told Matteo Signani just make sure you bring the belt with you because I need to take it home with me. I’m looking forward to it.

===

Having been guided by BOXXER into a position to fight for the EBU title – a slot hotly contested by other British promoters – Azim is gunning for European gold in just his tenth professional bout. If victorious, he will follow in the footsteps of his oft-cited inspiration ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed in winning an EBU title while barely into his twenties and will catapult himself towards major world title contention.

After winning the French national championship and mounting three successful defences, southpaw Petitjean successfully stepped up to European level for his first stint as EBU super-lightweight level then challenged for the IBO world championship in 2018. He reclaimed the EBU title in June this year and will make the first defence of his second championship reign against Azim on November 18th.

BOXXER: WOLVES AT THE DOOR takes place Saturday, November 18th at The Halls, Wolverhampton and airs live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland. Further bouts for the card will be announced in the near future.

The event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.

Sign up for presale tickets at BOXXER.com. 

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to the APEX with a thrilling main event featuring No. 9 ranked middleweight contender Brendan Allen and No. 12 Paul Craig. In addition, a pivotal bout in the strawweight division is set as No. 9 Luana Pinheirotakes on No. 10 ranked Amanda Ribas. 

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: ALLEN vs. CRAIG takes place Saturday, November 18 in Las Vegas and will be available exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish). The prelims will start at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT, followed by the main card at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT. 

Allen (22-5, fighting out of Delray Beach, Fla. by way of Covington, La.) looks to make the most of his first UFC main event. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the South Carolina native has delivered submission wins against Bruno Silva, Andre Muniz, and Krzysztof Jotko in his last three outings. Allen now sets out with intentions of securing a sixth straight victory and position himself for a massive 2024 season. 

Scotland’s Craig (23-4, fighting out of Coatbridge, Scotland) returns to action seeking a second consecutive win in emphatic fashion. A versatile competitor who can do it all, Craig has collected wins against Andre Muniz, Nikita Krylov, and former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill. The always exciting Craig steps back inside the Octagon with the intention to dispose of Allen and crack into the Top 10 rankings.  

Judo black belt Pinheiro (11-1, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) sets out to claim her 10^th straight victory. The Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner has quickly risen through the division with strong wins against Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Sam Hughes, and Randa Markos. Pinheiro now aims to close out the year with a strong performance over Ribas. 

Ribas (12-4, fighting out of Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil) is determined to bounce back into the win column and find the path back to title contention. A fan favorite, Ribas has entertained with memorable wins against Mackenzie Dern, Viviane Araújo, and Paige VanZant. The Brazilian contender is more motivated than ever to claim a win against a formidable foe in Pinheiro.  

Additional bouts on the card include: 

• At bantamweight, Lucie Pudilová(14-8, fighting out of Pribram, Czech Republic) steps into the Octagon with Ailin Perez(8-2, fighting out of Buenos Aires, Argentina) 
• Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Cesar Almeida(4-0, fighting out of São Paulo, Brazil) takes on knockout specialist Christian Leroy Duncan(8-1, fighting out of Gloucester, England) in a middleweight matchup 
• Exciting welterweights Michael Morales(15-0, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) and Jake Matthews(18-6, fighting out of Melbourne, Australia) square off 
• A lightweight tilt sees Dana White’s Contender Series standout Chase Hooper(16-6, fighting out of Enumclaw, Wash..) take on Jordan Leavitt (11-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)  
• Trey Ogden(16-6, fighting out of Kansas City, Miss.) and Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Nikolas Motta(16-6, fighting out of Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil) are scheduled for three five-minute rounds at lightweight 
• A high-stakes heavyweight scrap sees Dana White’s Contender Series signees Mick Parkin (7-0, fighting out of Castletown, England) and Caio Machado (8-1-1, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada) collide 
• Charles Johnson (13-5, fighting out of St. Louis, Miss.) and Rafael Estevam (11-0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meet in an exciting clash of flyweights 
• Dana White’s Contender Series signee Payton Talbott (6-0, fighting out of Reno, Nev.) looks to stay undefeated as he faces fellow bantamweight Nick Aguirre (7-1, fighting out of Oswego, Ill.) 
• A Bantamweight contest pits John Castaneda(20-6, fighting out of Minneapolis, Minn.)against Kyung Ho Kang(19-9, 1 NC, fighting out of Busan, South Korea)  

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. Please click?here?to apply for the event. 

### 

About UFC^® 

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 243 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC. 

About ESPN+ 

https://espnpressroom.com/us/espnplus/

About ESPN 

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.?ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst. 

LAS VEGAS, NV (October 10, 2023) – Undefeated welterweight, Avious “Tha Underdog” Griffin (13-0, 12 KOs), a promotional free agent, is taking his career to the next level by collaborating with world-renowned strength and conditioning coach Larry Wade. The partnership, which initiated early this month, has set the stage for Griffin to enhance his training regimen and elevate his performance in the ring.

Larry Wade, known for his exceptional work with elite athletes, brings a wealth of experience to Griffin’s team. Together, they are working diligently to further refine Griffin’s skills, optimize his physical condition, and prepare him for the challenges that lie ahead in the world of professional boxing.

“Teaming up with Coach Larry Wade is a game-changer for my career,” said Griffin as expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership. “His expertise and training methods are second to none, and I’m excited about the progress we’ve already made. With Coach Wade’s guidance, I’m confident I can reach new heights and achieve my goals in the welterweight division.”

“Avious is an incredibly talented fighter, and we at CLW Performance are looking forward to a long working relationship with him,” stated Coach Larry Wade. “Our focus is on fine-tuning his physical attributes, enhancing his endurance, and sharpening his skills. Avious has the potential to become a force in the welterweight division, and I’m committed to helping him realize that potential.”

“Avious has always shown great promise, and joining forces with Coach Larry Wade is a significant step forward,” Brandon Stump, President of CTB Athletics who manages Griffin. “This partnership reflects our dedication to providing Avious with the best resources to excel in his career. The sky’s the limit for Avious, and we’re excited to see him reach new heights.”

Avious Griffin’s undefeated record and knockout power have garnered him attention in the welterweight division, as well as the Las Vegas boxing scene. With the addition of Larry Wade’s expertise and guidance, Griffin is poised to make a substantial impact in the world of professional boxing. His next fight will be announced soon. 

(Oct. 10, 2023) – Japanese world champion Takuma Inoue will defend his WBA bantamweight crown against Filipino former world champion Jerwin Ancajas on Wednesday, November 15, at Ry?goku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

Inoue, the younger brother of pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue, looks to make the first defense of his strap, while Ancajas aims to secure a world title in a second weight class.

In the world championship co-feature, Artem Dalakian puts his WBA flyweight world title on the line against Japanese contender Seigo Yuri Akui.

Inoue-Ancajas, Dalakian-Akui, and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. in the early morning hours on ESPN+.

Inoue (18-1, 4 KOs) is a nine-year pro who compiled a 13-0 record before challenging Nordine Oubaali for the WBC bantamweight world title in November 2019. Inoue was dropped early in the fight, but showed resilience down the stretch. He has not lost a fight since then. In April, the 27-year-old captured the vacant WBA crown with a decision win against former junior bantamweight world champion Liborio Solis.

Ancajas (34-3-2, 23 KOs) is a 31-year-old southpaw who captured the IBF junior bantamweight world title against McJoee Arroyo in September 2016. He made nine successful defenses, including stoppage wins over Jamie Conlan and Israel Gonzalez. He lost the belt via decision to Fernando Daniel Martinez in February 2022 and was bested in their rematch later that year. He returned in June with a fifth-round TKO against Wilner Soto.

Dalakian (22-0, 15 KOs) is a 12-year pro who captured the WBA flyweight world title with a unanimous decision win against Brian Viloria in February 2018. He has defended his title six times, including a decision win over David Jimenez in January. Akui (18-2-1, 11 KOs), winner of six straight, is making his first attempt at a world title. 

In other streaming action from Tokyo:

• Yuki Yonaha (13-5-1, 8 KOs) returns in an eight-round junior featherweight fight against Juiki Tatsuyoshi (14-0-1, 10 KOs). Yonaha will make his third appearance of 2023, following a unanimous decision loss to former multi-division kickboxing world champion Tenshin Nasukawa in April and a split decision win over Karoon Jarupianlerd in August. Tatsuyoshi looks to remain unbeaten after a fifth-round TKO against Taketo Yamahara in August.
   
• Bantamweight prospect Riko Masuda (3-1, 3 KOs) will lock horns against Filipino former world title challenger Jonas Sultan (19-6, 11 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Masuda looks to bounce back from his first pro loss, while Sultan is coming off a decision win over Frank Gonzalez last month.  

El Paso, Texas (October 10, 2023) –On Friday night, November 3rd, King’s Promotions will host their inaugural event at The County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas.

The eight-bout card will feature five undefeated fighters.

Topping the bill will be exciting middleweight prospect Euri Cedeno taking on 37-fight veteran Damian Ezequiel Bonelli in an eight-round bout.

Cedeno, who was a member of the 2020 Olympic team from The Dominican Republic is already 6-0 with six knockouts. The 23-year-old has been very impressive in taking out fighters such as Julio de Jesus Rodriguez (27-4), William Townsends (5-0) and his last outing when he stopped Fabrizio Rubino on August 4th in Bethlehem, PA.

Bonelli of Buenos Aries, Argentina is 24-13 with 20 knockouts. Rubino has victories over Alcides Alberto Juarez (3-0) and Derrick Cuevas (23-0-1). Bonelli is coming off a defeat to former world title challenger Steve Geffrard on March 25th in Delray Beach, Florida.

Newly signed King’s Promotions fighter, Jorge Tovar (6-0, 6 KOs) will look to thrill his hometown fans in El Paso when he fights Daniel Flores Garcia (3-9, 2 KOs) of Albuquerque, NM in a middleweight bout scheduled for eight-rounds.

King’s Promotions continues its commitment to being the leader in female boxing and will highlight three eight-round fights.

Stephanie Han (4-0, 1 KO) of El Paso, Texas fights Simone da Silva (17-27, 6 KOs) in a lightweight contest.

Amy Salinas (5-4) of Las Cruces, NM fights Ashley Sciscente (6-4, 2 KOs) of Charlotte, NC in a flyweight bout.

Brittany Sims (4-3, 2 KOs) of Salem, OR takes on Naomi Bosques (12-18-3, 2 KOs) of Saint Petersburg, FL in a bantamweight fight.

In a battle of undefeated junior middleweights, Victor Aranda (1-0, 1 KO) of El Paso, TX fights Tevin Watson (1-0) of Fort Worth, TX in a four-round bout.

Middleweight Josh Hatch (1-0, 1 KO) of El Paso and heavyweight Hugo Trujillo (5-4-1, 2 KOs) of Donna, Texas will take on opponents to be named in four-round bouts.

Tickets are $35, $50, $100 and $125 and can be purchased at the following link:

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

(Oct. 10, 2023) — The combat sports crossover event of the millennium will be beamed stateside from halfway around the globe.

WBC & lineal heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury is set to go toe- to-toe with lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou on Saturday, Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The long-awaited battle of behemoths kicks off Riyadh Season, one of the world’s leading entertainment festivals, which runs throughout the winter months in the Kingdom’s largest city.

Promoted by Queensberry, Top Rank and GIMIK Fight Promotions, the Fury-Ngannou card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV in the United States beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Priced at $79.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

The Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV, an all-heavyweight extravaganza, will also feature:

• Undefeated British standouts Fabio Wardley (16-0, 15 KOs) and David Adeleye (12-0, 11 KOs) facing off in a 12-rounder. The Wardley-Adeleye rivalry hit new heights at the Fury-Ngannou press conference in London last month, as the fighters and their camps brawled on the red carpet. The melee left Wardley with cuts above his left eye and under his chin.
   
• Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker (32-3, 22 KOs), a New Zealand-born veteran who trains with Fury, will fight Canadian knockout artist Simon Kean (23-1, 22 KOs) in a 10-rounder.
   
• Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs), a 260-plus pound power puncher fighting out of Montreal, Canada, will fight the upset-minded Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Wright replaces Agron Smakici, who withdrew from the contest.
   
• Moses Itauma (5-0, 3 KOs), Great Britain’s 18-year-old heavyweight hopeful, will see action in a six-rounder.

# # #
About Riyadh Season:
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October with a spectacular opening ceremony and an historic boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.

Top Rank presented by AutoZone: Janibek vs. Gualtieri will be presented live this Saturday, October 14, at 10:30 p.m. ET/ 7:30 p.m. PT, on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ from Fort Bend Epicenter, Rosenberg, Texas.

In the main event, reigning WBO world champion, Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly, will lock horns against unbeaten IBF world champion Vincenzo Gualtieri in a title unification showdown.

Janibek (14-0, 9 KOs) is a 2016 Olympian from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, who took the fast lane to top of the division. He became world champion in 2022 and has made two defenses, beating British champion Denzel Bentley via unanimous decision last November and Canadian contender Steven Butler via second-round stoppage in May.

Gualtieri (21-0-1, 7 KOs) debuted as a professional in October 2015. He went 15-0 before fighting to a draw against fellow unbeaten German Thomas Piccirillo in August 2020. He captured the vacant IBF middleweight world title this year with a unanimous decision win against then-undefeated Brazilian Esquiva Falcao.

In the 10-round lightweight co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver medalist from Virginia, Keyshawn Davis (9-0, 6 KOs), takes another step up in class against Philadelphia-born contender Nahir Albright (16-2, 7 KOs). This past July, Davis shut out former European champion Francesco Patera via 10-round unanimous decision, while Albright is coming off an upset majority decision win against U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas.

The undercard features U.S. Olympic Silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (6-0, 6 KOs) making his third appearance of 2023 in a six-round heavyweight battle against Tyrrell Anthony Herndon (21-4, 14 KOs). Torrez hopes to notch his third first-round victory of the year after first-round stoppages over James Bryant in February and Willie Jake Jr. in August.

The undercard Streams Exclusively on ESPN+ at 5:55 p.m. ET / 2:55 p.m. PT.

Calling the action will be Hall of Famer, Timothy Bradley, Jr., Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna.

ESPN+: On Demand Shows, Archives & Premium Articles

• Top Rank: Real Time– All-access with top fighters throughout fight week as they work their way to fight night. 
• Who Do U Fight 4?– Learn what drivesthe next generation of Top Rank stars. 
• State of Boxing– Post-show coverage of the biggest fights on ESPN and ESPN+. 
• Best of Boxing Spotlight – An archive of the all-time best Top Rank fights. 

Follow @ESPNRingside: Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok

Janibek vs. Gualtieri (All Times ET)

About ESPN

About ESPN+

HANOVER, MARYLAND (October 10, 2023)–Jeter Promotions returns to The Hall at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland on Saturday, October 14th with a huge night of championship boxing.

This will be the 13th championship boxing event promoted by Jeter Promotions at The Hall at Live! Casino Hotel Maryland.

In the main event, Jaqeem Hutcherson battles fan-favorite Brandon Chambers in an eight-round battle for the UBF All America and UBO Intercontinental super bantamweight titles.

This fight is a local showdown between Maryland based fighters.

Hutcherson of Capitol Heights, Maryland is 9-1-1. The 27-year-old won the ABF Atlantic Featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Prentice Canada. In Hutcherson’s last bout, he added more hardware by winning the ABF Mid Atlantic Super Bantamweight title with a six-round split decision over Vit Y on July 15th at The Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland.

Chambers of Gwynn Oak, Maryland has an identical record of 9-1-1 with five knockouts. The 37-year-old Chambers won the ABF Atlantic Featherweight title with a split-decision over Blake Quintana (4-0). Chambers won the ABF USA Featherweight title with a first-round stoppage over Paul Carroll. He made two defenses of that title with wins over TayShawn Autry and Vit Y. Chambers is coming off his only defeat which was to highly regarded Bruce Carrington on April 8th in Newark, New Jersey in a fight that was streamed live on ESPN+

In Six-Round Bouts:

Immanuwel Aleem (18-3-2, 11 KOs) of Richmond, Virginia takes on Antonio Luis Hernandez (7-16-2, 4 KOs) of Liberty, Missouri in a super middleweight contest.

Joseph Veazey (9-0, 6 KOs) of Baltimore fights Steven Brabson (3-7, 2 KOs) of Athens, Tennessee in a super lightweight fight.

Vitali Gubkin (8-4-1, 5 KOs) of Alexandria, Virginia rematches veteran Christopher Brooker (16-14, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia in a super middleweight clash.

Ahmad Muhammad Jones (5-0, 3 KOs) of Baltimore squares off with Dionte Burts (4-1-1, 2 KOs) of Washington, DC in a super lightweight bout.

Ervin Fuller III (4-0, 2 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland takes on Vit Y (7-5-1, 4 KOs) of Rock Hill, South Carolina in a super featherweight fight.

In Four-Round Bouts:

Jeffrey Yu (2-0, 2 KOs) of Vienna, Virginia fights Darus Somieari (0-2) of Roanoke, Virgina in a super featherweight contest.

Josiyah Giles (3-0, 1 KO) of Chesterfield, Virginia fights DeAndre Mesner (1-1, 1 KO) of Durham, North Carolina in a lightweight fight.

Marquel Johns (7-2-2, 6 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland takes on Antonio Dunton-El Jr. (3-2-2, 1 KO) of Baltimore in a super featherweight bout.

Eric Hernandez (9-1, 5 KOs) of Ashburn, Virginia takes on Markus Bowes (2-2, 2 KOs) of Roxboro, North Carolina in a lightweight fight.

Ezri Turner (1-0, 1 KO) of Dover, Delaware takes on pro debuting Joshua Nicolas Lamine Diop of Sarasota, FL in a lightweight bout.

Tabish Faqiri of Woodbridge, Virginia will make his pro debut against Antwion McCollough (0-2) of Kalamazoo, MI in a lightweight fight.

Renaldo Gaines (10-2-1, 3 KOs) of Suitland, Maryland takes on Darrel Harris (9-22-2, 6 KOs) of Sarasota, FL in a super featherweight fight.

Micah Terrill (1-0, 1 KO) of Landover, Martland fights debuting Dah-Quan Erdrington of Roanoke, VA in a light heavyweight contest.

Tickets Range between $65 and $105 and can be Purchased at the following Link:

?CLICK FOR TICKETS

Matchroom Boxing won the promotional rights for the World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight eliminator bout between Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Mexico’s Kevin Gonzalez, which was held this Monday morning, October 9, via zoom. 

Matchroom got the promotional rights after offering US$ 120,000.00 for the fight between the number one and the number two ranked boxers. 

As stated in the rules of the pioneer body, Matchroom gave three options to carry out the fight, December 9, in San Francisco; December 16, in Arizona and December 23, in Abu Dhabi. 

The signed contracts for the bout must be sent to the WBA Championships Committee within 20 days from the time of the bidding, so they should be received by October 29. 

As provided in such cases, the purse split will be 50% for each fighter and the fight must take place between November 23, 2023 and January 9, 2024.

Philadelphia, PA (October 9, 2023) — In a mouthwatering battle of undefeated prospects, Rashan Adams (5-0, 4 KOs) takes on Jabril Noble (4-0, 4 KOs) of Philadelphia in a six-round junior lightweight bout. that will be featured on a a huge night of boxing on Saturday, October 21st at Harrahs Philadelphia in Chester, Pennsylvania.

The 12-bout card is promoted by RDR Promotions.

-Rising junior welterweight prospect Isaiah Johnson will take on Paulo Cesar Galdino in the eight-round featured contest

Johnson of Philadelphia is 8-0 with six knockouts. The 21-year-old has been electric in his early career and is coming off a third-round stoppage over Marquis Hawthorne on May 27th.

Galdino of Sao Paulo, Brazil has a record of 12-7-2 with eight-knockouts. The 31-year-old has wins over Emerson Braz (4-1-1), Osvaldo de Melo Costa (3-0), Daniel Gonzalez (20-3-1). Galdino is coming off back-to-back draws with undefeated fighters Narciso Carnona (10-0-) and Myquan Williams (19-0-1) with the latter coming on June 9th in Verona, New York.

Also in six-round bouts:

Tahmir Smalls (10-0, 7 KOs) of Philadelphia battles Eduardo Rafael Reyes (11-19, 6 KOs) of Mexico in a super welterweight contest.

Tariq Green (4-2-1, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia fights Dewayne Williams (4-7-1, 4 KOs) of Philadelphia in a middleweight bout.

In Four-Round Bouts:

David Calabro (2-0, 2 KOs) of Aston, PA fights Jeffrey Williams (0-1) of Philadelphia in a bantamweight tussle.

Jalique Holden (4-0, 3 KOs) of Wilmington, DE fights Daniel McCall (0-1) of Stone Mountain, GA in a super featherweight contest.

Frankie Lynn (2-0, 2 KOs) of Chester, PA tangles with Anthony Young (0-6) of Philadelphia.

Francisco Rodriguez (2-0, 2 KOs) of Pleasantville, New Jersey fights Braulio Avila (3-16, 1 KO) of Mexico in a lightweight fight.

Monyae Gregory (1-0, 1 KO) of Owings Mills, Maryland takes on pro debuting Maurice Clemons (1-4) of Riverdale, GA in a middleweight fight.

Erron Peterson (4-0-1, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on Jermaine Corley (3-12, 1 KO) of Bronx, NY in a middleweight bout.

Eliezer Olmeda (3-4) of Gloucester, NJ takes on Raekwon Butler (5-6, 3 KOs) of Brooklyn, NY in a welterweight bout,

Tickets are $65, $75, $100 and $130 and can be purchased at rdrboxing@yahoo.com

Rising Welterweight star Pat McCormack will headline his first ever show when he puts his WBA Intercontinental Title on the line against undefeated American Peter Dobson at the Utilita Arena Newcastle on Saturday November 11, live worldwide on DAZN.

Matchroom return to Newcastle for their latest NXTGEN offering following Cyrus Pattinson’s unforgettable war with Welshman Chris Jenkins back in March, but this time all eyes will be on Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver Medallist McCormack who takes his biggest step up to date. 

Sunderland’s McCormack (5-0, 4 KOs) has breezed through his first five opponents since turning pro in March 2022, claiming his first title in the paid ranks last time out in July as he retired Ton Dixon in four rounds to earn the WBA ranking title.

The Ben Davison-trained talent returns to the Utilita Arena Newcastle for the third time as defends his belt against New York’s Dobson (16-0, 9 KOs), who arrives on these shores full of confidence having won all 16 of his professional contests since turning over in 2014.

Residing in The Bronx, Dobson has fought exclusively in the US throughout his pro career, and the 33-year-old known as ‘Pistol Pete’ will be aiming to win his second title after outpointing Jeremy Nichols to claim the WBC USA Silver Welterweight crown in 2017.

Jarrow Super-Welterweight Ewan Mackenzie (8-0, 3 KOs) takes on Leeds’ Ishmael Davis (11-0, 5 KOs) in an Eliminator for the English Title and West Rainton’s Mark Dickinson (5-0, 1 KO) takes on Chatham’s Grant Dennis (18-5, 3 KOs) in an Eliminator for the English Middleweight Title, with the undefeated former Team GB standout looking to make it six wins from six fights since turning pro in October 2021.

Gateshead Lightweight Calum French (4-0, 1 KO) fights Shaun Cooper (13-5) over eight rounds, Essex Middleweight Jimmy Sains (1-0) looks to build on his debut win in Wembley last week, Newcastle Lightweight amateur standout Cameron Vuong steps through the ropes for a second time as a pro, Birltey Super-Lightweight Owen Rees (1-0, 1 KO) fights over six rounds and is joined on the card by his brother Ben Rees (1-0-1, 1 KO) who fights over six rounds at Light-Heavyweight. 

 “It’s a dream for me to headline a card in Newcastle, against an unbeaten American, it’s a step up and a chance for me make a statement,” said McCormack. “The goal is to eventually bring the regular big nights back to Newcastle.”

“Firstly I’d like to thank Matchroom for giving me the opportunity to showcase my talent,” said Dobson. “I was scheduled to fight Caoimhin Agyarko last year when he pulled out with an injury. My team has stayed in contact and this opportunity arose.

“Pat McCormack was a good amateur but with all due respect he’s never seen anything remotely close to my level as a pro. If you check my credentials, I’ve made a career out of showing up and beating guys I wasn’t expected to beat. This won’t be any different. I’ll break him down and stop him in his backyard.

“To be honest I’d stop this muppet and his brain dead brother in the same night. I genuinely think Eddie Hearn is one of the smartest guys in boxing. Unfortunately I’m going to show him that he f***d up in investing in this liability that is going absolutely nowhere in this sport.”

“The North East’s brightest star Pat McCormack returns to the Utilita Arena Newcastle to headline his first ever show as he defends his WBA Intercontinental Title against undefeated American Peter Dobson at the top of our latest NXTGEN show,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “Pat has looked flawless since joining the professional ranks in 2022 and I strongly believe that it won’t be long before he is bringing World Title fights back to the arena.He faces his toughest test to date in the shape of unbeaten Bronx hard man Peter Dobson who is supremely confident of handing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver Medallist his first loss in the pros – this promises to be an electric fight. Some of the North East’s best up and coming talent get another chance to impress on home turf including Mark Dickinson, Calum French and Cameron Vuong. Catch it live around the world on DAZN.”

Ticket details will be announced soon. 

wo-time Featherweight World Title challenger Michael Conlan returns to the SSE Arena Belfast to take on former European and Commonwealth Champion Jordan Gill on a huge night of Irish boxing on Saturday December 2, live worldwide on DAZN.
 
Conlan (27-2-1, 8 KOs) was last seen in action in May when he was stopped in five rounds by Mexico’s IBF Featherweight World Champion Luis Alberto Lopez, his second successive World Title loss following his epic Fight of the Year clash with Leigh Wood in 2022.
 
The Belfast star has linked up with Cuban-American trainer Pedro Diaz for his eagerly anticipated comeback fight and will return at Super-Featherweight has he looks to rebuild towards further World Title shots.
 
Gill (27-2-1, 8 KOs) fights for the first time since his fourth-round stoppage loss to Spain’s two-weight World Champion Kiko Martinez at Wembley Arena back in October 2022, and the Chatteris man is hoping to throw his name back into the mix for World Title action by upsetting the local hero.
 
A huge undercard sees Belfast Super-Welterweight contender Caoimhin Agyarko (13-0, 7 KOs) step up for the biggest challenge of his career to date against Darlington’s former British Champion Troy Williamson (20-1-1, 14 KOs), Tyrone McKenna (23-3-1, 6 KOs) and Lewis Crocker (17-0, 10 KOs) clash in a much-anticipated 147lbs all-Belfast showdown and local Super-Lightweight Sean McComb (17-1, 5 KOs) takes on Liverpool’s former British and Commonwealth Champion Sam Maxwell (17-2, 11 KOs) over ten rounds.
 
“I’m delighted to be coming back to the SSE Arena Belfast with Matchroom Boxing and a new coaching team,” said Conlan. “I’ve had many great nights here and I’m looking forward to creating more. Jordan is a good fighter but one standing in my way to where I want to go. December 2 will be a fantastic night of boxing and I can’t wait to see you all there.”
 
“This is a great fight,” said Gill. “I think Mick is a world class fighter, and I’m buzzing to get the opportunity to prove my skills. We’ve both had our setbacks and are hungry for World Titles. Belfast will be bouncing and I can’t wait to come over and give everyone a show!”
 
“I can’t wait to return to the famous fighting city of Belfast for our first show since 2017,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “Two huge back-to-back weeks of Irish boxing as two-time World Title challenger Mick Conlan looks to get back to winning ways up at Super-Featherweight following his loss to Luis Alberto Lopez. The Irish star has a new training team in his corner, and he’ll be looking to make a statement against former European and Commonwealth Champion Jordan Gill as he targets World Title action in the competitive 130lbs division.
 
“A brilliant main event supported by a stacked undercard as Belfast Super-Welterweight Caoimhin Agyarko faces the biggest step up of his career against former British Champion Troy Williamson, Tyrone McKenna and Lewis Crocker meet in an all-Belfast Welterweight clash and local Super-Lightweight Sean McComb takes on former British and Commonwealth Champion Sam Maxwell over ten rounds. Another huge night of boxing in store for fight fans around the world live on DAZN.”
 
Ticket details will be announced soon.

Sheffield, England – 7 October 2023 – Promoter Izzy Asif, CEO of GBM Sports, set the bar high with his Clash On The Court event for the grand opening of the brand new Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield last night.

Asif promised that his sixth Championship Boxing event would be his biggest and best to date and he delivered a spectacular night of action and entertainment in the inaugural event at the stunning arena.

Boxing royalty and stars were in attendance at ringside, including reigning World Champions Ebanie Bridges and Sunny Edwards, Former Two-Weight World Champion Billy Joe Saunders, Sheffield icon Johnny Nelson and MC David Diamante.

Despite the early disappointment of the Reece Mould-Martin McDonagh title fight falling through, it didn’t dissuade the fans’ turning out in their droves to pack out the arena and create an electric atmosphere as they stayed to watch all the fight action.

In the main event, Commonwealth Super-Flyweight Champion Emma Dolan, from Newark, successfully defended her title in a pulsating, all-action, fight against the tough and game Worksop challenger Nicola Hopewell to win by wide margins on all three judges’ scorecards.

Red-hot GBM Sports’ Sheffield talents Faraqat ‘Frak’ Ali, Nohman Hussain, Naphtali Nembhard and Conisbrough Joe Hayden, all signed to and guided by Asif, showcased their skill and extended their winning records to highlight themselves as exciting future stars of the company.

Super-featherweight ace Ali took his record to 8-0 by winning every round against Mexican Christian Lopez Flores and is knocking on the door for his first title fight in the near future.

Welterweight prospect Hayden took his record to 11-0 with a four rounds points victory over MJ Hall.

A real star in the making, super-featherweight Hussain erupted the arena with a first round stoppage of Caine Singh.  That was the third stoppage for ‘Stormin Nohman’ in four fights as he continues on his road towards a first title challenge.

In his pro debut, flash middleweight Nembhard, who previously played for the Sheffield Sharks, made a seamless transition from basketball to boxing with a shut-out points victory over hard Russian Vasif Mamedov to show he means business in his new career.

Boxing in Yorkshire and Sheffield in particular is seeing a strong resurgence thanks to GBM Sports’ events in the region and the talented prospects under its banner.

An exciting new name will soon feature alongside Ali, Hussain and Nembhard in the six-time national champion MyKyle Ahmed who was unveiled as its latest star signing.  Ahmed will be jointly-managed by Asif and Billy Joe Saunders who both have extremely high hopes for the precocious talent and he will make his pro debut on a GBM Sports card very soon.

Further Sheffield fight favourites featured on the card with Liam Cameron, Red Johnson and Sam O’maison all in action.

Making an incredible return to the ring after 5 years out following a ban for failing a post fight drugs test and overcoming personal issues and a family tragedy, former Commonwealth Middleweight Champion Cameron defeated Robbie Connor on points over six rounds.

Brash light-heavyweight Johnson put on a show for his fans as he won every round against Ben Thomas as he took his record to unbeaten in four fights.

Former English Super-Lightweight Champion O’maison got back in the winning column with a four round points victory over Jake Smith and looks to return into the title mix again.

Worksop welterweight Declan Cairns completed the card who defeated Rustem Fatkhullin on points over four rounds.

Asif was delighted with his centre piece event and promises that this is still early days for GBM Sports and the best is yet to come.

He said, “We’re just getting better and better with each event and look how far GBM Sports has come in a very short space of time.  We’ve completed our first arena event with a first class production and we’ve got so much more to come, we’ve still really only just started.  Sadly we lost Reece Mould v Martin McDonagh earlier in the morning, but what a great fight it was between Emma and Nicola who both really stepped up to make it top of the bill.  Nicole showed real grit and skill and will come again, but Emma is a quality fighter.  We had a fantastic undercard with Naphtali starting his pro boxing career with a victory in his pro debut, Frak getting another win and then Nohman’s explosive finish to his fight.  Congratulations to all the lads’ on their wins, Liam, Red, Sam, Declan and Joe and I look forward to getting them back on soon.  To further add to the depth and quality of the GBM Sports stable and Sheffield boxing, I’m thrilled to have signed MyKyle Ahmed with Billy Joe and he’s going to be a real star in the future.  As the famous saying goes, You haven’t seen nothing yet!”

(Oct. 6, 2023) — Canadian Olympian Mary Spencer will attempt to avenge her only defeat when she takes on Belgian former world champion Femke Hermans in a 10-round rematch for the vacant IBF junior middleweight world title on Wednesday, October 11, at Casino de Montréal in Montreal, Canada. 
 
Promoted by Eye of the Tiger, Spencer-Hermans II headlines a loaded fight card streaming live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
 
Spencer (7-1, 5 KOs) represented Canada at the 2012 London Olympics. Nearly a decade later, she turned pro with a first-round knockout victory against Maria Esquivel Zamora in August 2021. She secured her first regional title by blasting out Cynthia Lozano in the first round of their September 2022 battle. Hermans (16-4, 7 KOs), a seven-year pro, captured the WBO junior middleweight world title with a decision win over Nikki Adler in May 2018. Later that year, she moved up to middleweight and made an unsuccessful bid for Claressa Shields’ unified crown. She then faced the likes of Savannah Marshall and Elin Cederroos before returning to junior middleweight. In their first encounter last December, Hermans beat Spencer via decision in a fiercely contested battle. Less than a year later, the stakes are even higher.
 
In the 10-round super middleweight co-feature, unbeaten southpaw Erik Bazinyan (30-0, 21 KOs) defends his NABF and NABA titles against American veteran Ronald Ellis (18-3-2, 12 KOs). Bazinyan, who is ranked No. 3 by the WBA, WBC and IBF, is inches away from a world title opportunity. He will make his third appearance of 2023 after decision wins against Alantez Fox in February and Jose de Jesus Macias in June. Ellis returns following a two-year layoff after providing stiff tests to David Benavidez and Christian Mbilli in 2021.
 
In other streaming action from Montreal:
 
Christopher Guerrero (8-0, 4 KOs) vs. Jose Lopez (30-8-2, 16 KOs), 8 rounds, welterweight
 
Leila Beaudoin (9-1, 1 KO) vs. Estrella Valverde (19-11-2, 4 KOs), 8 rounds, junior lightweight 
 
Jhon Orobio (4-0, 4 KOs) vs. Jesus Solis Reyes (4-1), 6 rounds, lightweight 
 
Wilkens Mathieu (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Cesar Lopez Romo (2-0, 1 KO), 4 rounds, super middleweight
 
Imam Khataev (3-0, 3 KOs) vs. David Benitez (9-8, 2 KOs), 8 rounds, light heavyweight
 
Mehmet Nadir Unal (5-0, 4 KOs) vs. Luca Spadaccini (9-5-3, 4 KOs), 8 rounds, light heavyweight 

MONTREAL (October 6, 2023) – The official weigh in was held today for tomorrow night’s “The Reconquest” Pro Am card at Place Bell in Laval, Canada.

“The Reconquest”, promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM)  in association with O.R. Promotions, is presented by Mise-O-Jeu in collaboration with Bell Media.

Tickets are on sale and available to purchase online at www.ticketmaster.ca and directly at GYM at info@groupeyvonmichel.ca.

Fighters’ Weights Below:

_____________________________________________________________________ 

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

MAIN EVENT – WBO/IBF WORLD JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10)

Evelin Bermudez (18-1-10, 6 KOs), Champion, Roario, Santa Fe, Argentina 106.6  lbs.

Kim Clavel (17-1, 3 KOs), Challenger, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 107.8 lbs.

CO-FEATURE – VACANT WBC INTERNATIONAL WELTERWIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10)

Sebastien Bouchard (20-2-1, 9 KOs), Quebec, Quebec, Canada 147.2 lbs.

Mazlum Arkeniz (18-0, 8 KOs), Longueil, Quebec, Canada 146.8 lbs.

FEMALE SUPER LIGHT WEIGHTS (8)

         Marie-Pier Houle (8-1-1, 2 KOs), Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada 138.5 lbs.

Cindy Reyes Espinoza (4-1, 0 KOs), Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico 140.0 lbs.

FEMALE FEATHERWEIGHTS (8)

 Caroline Veyre (5-0, 0 KOs), Montreal, Quebec, Canada 125.0 lbs.

Jessica Bellusci (4-0, 2 KOs), Lurago Marininone, Italy 125.2 lbs.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS (6)

Derek Pomerleau (5-0, 3 KOs), Chateauguay, Quebec, Canada 159.0 lbs.

Michal Chludil (3-1-2, 2 KOs), Most, Czech Republic 158.0 lbs.

PLUS, TWO AMATEUR MATCHES FEATURING ARTURO GATTI, Jr.

(card subject to change)

______________________________________________________________________ 

-30-

ABOUT YVON MICHEL GROUP (GYM):  Groupe Yvon Michel is a professional boxing promotion organization, founded in 2004 by Yvon Michel, Alexandra Croft and Bernard Barré, who are still active in the company, the most prolific in the history of professional boxing in Canada. Since its foundation GYM has set up 167 galas in Quebec, all broadcast in Quebec on RDS, TVA Sports or Radio-Canada, and participated in 37 international galas outside Quebec. Eight boxers have become world champions, Joachim Alcine, Jean Pascal, Adonis Stevenson, Artur Beterbiev, Eleider Alvarez, Marie-Eve Dicaire (twice), Oscar Rivas and Kim Clavel. 19 boxers from the organization have delivered 56 world championship fights maintaining an excellent record of 30 wins, 24 losses and 2 draws. During this period, the major American television networks were more active than ever in coming to Quebec to broadcast the most important events of the organization.

6 x 3 mins International Bantamweight contest 
KOBY MCNAMARA 117.8 lbs v FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ  118.8 lbs
(Leeds, England)                        (Alfacar, Spain)

followed by

6 x 3 mins International Lightweight contest
CAMERON VUONG 137.4 lbs v ENGEL GOMEZ 138.1 lbs
(Bluth, England)                         (Chinandega, Nicaragua)

followed by

8 x 3 mins International Super-Bantamweight contest
NICO LEIVARS 123.5 lbs v RYAN WALKER 123.1 lbs
(Mansfield, England)          (Newham, England)

followed by

19:00 LIVE ON DAZN

8 x 3 mins International Super-Welterweight contest
JUNAID BOSTAN 155.7 lbs v COREY MCCULLOCH 154.9 lbs
(Rotherham, England)            (Arbroath, Scotland)

followed by

12 x 3 mins Final Eliminator For British Featherweight Title & WBA Continental Featherweight Title
HOPEY PRICE 125.3 lbs v CONNOR COGHILL 125.4 lbs
(Leeds, England)                (Hull, England)  

followed by

12 x 3 mins Final Eliminator for British Middleweight Title & WBA Intercontinental Middleweight Title
KIERON CONWAY 159.6 lbs v LINUS UDOFIA 159.4 lbs
(Northampton, England)         (Luton, England)  

followed by 

10 x 2 mins WBA & WBO Super-Welterweight World Titles
TERRI HARPER 150.4 lbs v CECILIA BRAEKHUS 153.9 lbs
(Denaby Main, England)      (Bergen, Norway)

followed by

12 x 3 mins WBA Featherweight World Title
LEIGH WOOD 125.7 lbs v JOSH WARRINGTON 125.3 lbs
(Nottingham, England)      (Leeds, England)

New York, NY (October 6, 2023) Undefeated Light Heavyweight Powerhouse Umar Dzambekov, (7-0, 5 KOs), of Los Angeles, CA will battle Brooklyn, NY based, Hard-Hitting Frederic ‘The French Revolution’ Julan, (13-2, 10 KOs), in a scheduled eight round bout on the undercard to the ‘King’ Callum Walsh vs. Ismael Villarreal title fight set for Thursday, November 9 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden and broadcast globally on UFC FIGHT PASS.

Said promoter Tom Loeffler, “Bringing Hollywood Fight Nights to Madison Square Garden has gotten a tremendous reaction. Now adding another great matchup; Umar Dzambekov versus Frederic Julan demonstrates to boxing fans the quality of the show we are promoting on November 9.”

“We are excited to bring the first boxing show on UFC FIGHT PASS to Madison Square Garden, especially during one of the biggest UFC fight weeks ever.”

Stated Austrian native Umar Dzambekov, “it‘s every boxer‘s dream to fight at Madison Square Garden and I‘m already doing that in my 8th professional fight. With each fight I‘m getting closer to my goal and I can‘t wait for November 9 to shine on UFC FIGHT PASS, it’s another big step in my career.”

About the outstanding matchup, the Paris, France born Frederic Julan said, ”I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to fight at Madison Square Garden for the second time in less than a year.  For a fighter, there’s nothing like it.  I can’t wait to put on a great show at The Mecca of Boxing on November 9.”

Since turning professional in July of 2017, the 25-year-old, southpaw Dzambekov has demonstrated tremendous power in addition to his ability to quickly cut off the ring against his opponents. Now training under the guidance of Marvin Somodio and Pepe Reilly at the famed Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles, CA, he has proven to be a can’t miss action fighter at Hollywood Fight Nights events in Southern California.

Fighting on November 9 for the sixth time in 2023, Dzambekov debuts at Madison Square Garden following a first-round knockout of David Zegarra on August 26, 2023.

Highly touted Julan enters the ring on November 9 looking to stay in the win column after defeating Decarlo Perez on February 23, 2023 over eight rounds at Sony Hall in Manhattan. Fighting on December 10, 2022 at Madison Square Garden, Julan battled popular Irishman Joe Ward losing a hotly contested eight-round decision.

Presented by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions, tickets for the night of world class boxing priced at $205, $155, $55, and $35 can be purchased online at www.msg.com or at the Madison Square Garden box office and via Ticketmaster locations.  Accessible and companion seats are available via the Accessibility Department at 888.609.7599.

Additional fights for the November 9 event will be announced shortly.

Social Media

#HollywoodFightNights

#UFCFightPass

Instagram

@callum_walsh1

@ufcfightpass

@360BoxingPromotions

@TomLoeffler1

@howlerheadwhiskey

@forgedirishstout

Twitter

@KingCallumWalsh

@UFCFightPass

@360BoxingPromos

@TomLoeffler1

 @howlerhead

Facebook

@UFCFightPass

@360BoxingPromos

@howlerheadwhiskey

Website

www.360Promotions.us

For photos click photos

For video click video

LONG BEACH, CA (October 6, 2023) – CBN Promotions is happy to announce its second edition of “New Blood” taking place November 4, 2023, at the trendy Infinite Reality Studios in Long Beach, California, formerly known as Thunder Studios. Televised fights will broadcast live in Spanish on FOX Deportes, and the entire card will stream live on, www.FightStars.Network?. In addition, fans will be able to see the fights tape delayed on Estrella TV.

The 8-round main event will showcase welterweight Louie Lopez (14-2-1, 5 KOs), from Corona, CA, vs. Salvador Briceno (17-7, 11 KOs) from Guadalajara, Mexico. Undefeated super welterweight Alejandro Luis Silva (20-0-1, 15 KOs) from Buenos Aires, Argentina, will face an opponent TBA in the 8-round co-main event.

Doors open at 5:00 pm PT with the first fight starting at 6:00 pm PT. Televised fights on FOX Deportes will start at 8:00 pm PT. Tickets priced $50, $75, $100, $150 (Plus applicable fees), are available for purchase now by calling 800-283-8699, by text at 702-591-1638, or online at www.cbnpromotions.com. Infinite Reality Studios is located at 20434 S Santa Fe Ave, Long Beach, CA 90810.

“This will be our second show in Long Beach, and we are anticipating another action-packed card,” said Alex Camponovo, president of CBN Promotions. “We’ve gained great momentum from our last event, and we want to continue delivering all-action shows as we develop the future starts of the sport. I encourage all fans of boxing to come out and enjoy a great night of fights – we guarantee that sparks will fly inside the ring.”

“We are absolutely ecstatic to be hosting the second edition the ‘New Blood’ series at our studios,” expressed Rolando Nichols, President of Infinite Reality Studios. “The fusion of our cutting-edge production facilities with the vibrant energy of live boxing promises to craft another indelible experience, leaving an enduring impression on both the fighters and the fans.”

UNDERCARD BOUTS:

Middleweight Nelson Oliva (9-0, 8 KOs), from Los Angeles, CA, will face an opponent TBA. (6-rounds)

Super flyweight Daniel Barrera (4-0-1, 3 KO) from Riverside, CA, will battle Hector Ivan Valdes (4-0-1, 2 KOs) from Tijuana, Mexico. (6-rounds). Super featherweight 

Abel Mejia (1-0, 1 KO) from Orange, CA will face an opponent TBA. (4-rounds). Barrera and Mejia are promoted by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions.

Welterweight Chris Gonzalez (2-0, 2 KOs) from Palmdale, CA, will square off Jose Mejia (6-5-1, 1 KO) from Palmdale, CA. (4-rounds)

Opening the card will be super welterweight Anthony Saldivar (4-0, 2 KOs) from Ontario, CA, facing an opponent TBA. (4-rounds)

This event is sponsored by Bud Light, HUSTLER Casino – LA’s only luxury Casino. Tequila Mandala – 100% Agave Azul, and Shoe Palace, Community comes first.

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 6, 2023) —Tickets for the special world title doubleheader headlined by the vacant WBC lightweight world title showdown between Shakur Stevenson and Edwin De Los Santos — Thursday, Nov. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas — ARE ON SALE NOW. 
 
In the world championship co-feature, Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete defends his WBO junior lightweight strap against Brazilian two-time world title challenger Robson Conceição.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Sampson Boxing, tickets can be purchased at AXS.com.
 
This world title twofer — broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT — kicks off the highly anticipated race week in Las Vegas. 
 
Undercard action includes Brian Norman Jr. (24-0, 19 KOs) against Quinton Randall (13-0-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-round battle of unbeaten welterweights, U.S. Olympian Troy Isley (10-0, 4 KOs) versus noted spoiler Vladimir Hernandez (14-5, 6 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight clash, Floyd Diaz (9-0, 3 KOs) fighting Max Ornelas (15-1-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-rounder at bantamweight, and lightweight sensation Emiliano Fernando Vargas (7-0, 6 KOs) returning in a six-rounder at lightweight against Chilean veteran Cristian Olivares (10-0, 5 KOs).

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – October 6, 2023 – Undefeated Australian superstar and WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion Tim Tszyu will look to make the first defense of his world title when he battles streaking top contender Brian Mendoza headlining action live on SHOWTIME^® on Saturday, October 14 (Sunday, October 15 in Australia) from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL^® telecast begins at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT and will also feature Australia’s rising contender Sam Goodman squaring off against former world title challenger Miguel Flores in a 12-round featherweight bout.

The event is promoted by No Limit Boxing and The Rose Brothers, in association with TGB Promotions.

“Tim Tszyu is one of the sport’s busiest stars and will once again look to challenge the best when he faces the fast-rising Brian Mendoza on SHOWTIME October 14 in Australia,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “We’ve seen in recent outings that both of these fighters have the ability to end a fight at any moment, and that should lead to yet another memorable fight in the stacked 154-pound division.”

The 28-year-old Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) will look to continue his red-hot 2023 that began with him stopping former world champion Tony Harrison in March on SHOWTIME in a career-best performance that earned him the interim title. He followed that up in June with a first-round KO over Carlos Ocampo and was recently elevated to the full WBO champion when former Undisputed Junior Middleweight World Champion Jermell Charlo challenged Undisputed Super Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez in a losing effort on September 30. A native of Sydney, Australia, Tszyu made his U.S. and SHOWTIME debut against U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha in March 2022, earning a unanimous decision. Tszyu grew up playing soccer, but soon gravitated toward boxing. The decision led to him following in the legendary footsteps of his father, Kostya Tszyu, who was an undisputed 140-pound champion and who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.

“There was no celebration, no nothing when Charlo stepped in the ring against Canelo and I became world champion. I’ll feel like a world champion once this fight with Mendoza is done,” said Tszyu. “I want to earn it that way Brian and I are both in that top one percent of fighters in the world. He’s a style I haven’t faced before and I know he thrives on that underdog mentality. So, he of course has my respect. But he’s in there with someone that’s a different breed and it’s not going to end well for him. I promise to turn any remaining non-believers into believers. This is my time and my division now.”

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico and now fighting out of Las Vegas, Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) scored one of the year’s biggest upsets in April as he blasted out the previously unbeaten Sebastian Fundora with a sensational one-punch knockout in round seven, solidifying his own status at 154 pounds by capturing the interim WBC title. Reinvigorated since teaming with renowned trainer Ismael Salas, Mendoza had previously knocked out former unified 154-pound champion Jeison Rosario in November 2022. Mendoza has won three fights in a row since dropping a decision to highly touted knockout artist Jesus Ramos in September 2021. Mendoza also owns a 10-round unanimous decision triumph over Thomas LaManna in August 2020 and began his career with eighteen consecutive victories.

“Fighting for the world title is an incredible opportunity and I’ll be ecstatic when I win, because the dream isn’t just to fight for the title, the dream is to bring it home to my family,” said Mendoza. “I’m finishing up training camp and feeling sharper than ever. I’m in the best shape of my life and ready to put on another explosive performance. I’m going in there to lay it all on the line, because I know that winning this fight will change my family’s life for generations to come.”

The 25-year-old Goodman (15-0, 7 KOs) burst through to become a top contender in June as he earned a career-best decision in edging out elite 122-pounder Ra’eese Aleem. It was Goodman’s second consecutive win over a name brand contender as he had previously dominated former world champion T.J. Doheny in March on his way to a unanimous decision. After an impressive amateur career that included four national championships and an appearance in the 2017 World Amateur Championships, the Australian from Albion Park, New South Wales turned pro in April 2018 and began compiling his unbeaten record.

Flores (25-4-1, 12 KOs) returns to action having most recently battled former three-division champion Abner Mares to a competitive draw in September of last year. Before that fight, the 31-year-old stopped a two-bout losing streak with a decision over Diuhl Olguin in June 2021. Those losses had come in a 130-pound title fight against four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz and against top contender Eduardo Ramirez. Born in Mexico and now residing in Spring, Texas, Flores turned pro in 2009 at just 17-years-old and was victorious in his first 22 bouts.

#         #         #

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

UNDEFEATED MIDDLEWEIGHT STAR, Hamzah Sheeraz, will face the most severe test of his career to date when he takes on former world title challenger Liam Williams at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday, 2 December, live on TNT Sports.

Tickets for Sheeraz vs Williams go on sale at 12pm on Tuesday, 10 October available from: ticketmaster.co.uk

Sheeraz (18-0, 4 KOs), the WBC Silver champion, comes into the fight off the back of two hugely impressive quick stoppages over River Wilson-Bent and Dmytro Mytrofanov, who were both brutally dispatched in the second round.

The 26-year-old is making a third defence of his WBC belt and a second defence of the Commonwealth title he won against Wilson-Bent.

Welshman Williams (24-4-1, 19) returned to winning ways in November with a quick-fire victory over Nizar Trimech at York Hall after being on the wrong end of two 12 round points decisions against then middleweight world champion Demetrius Andrade and Chris Eubank jr.

Prior to his Andrade encounter, the 31-year-old became a two-weight British champion and embarked on a run of wins at middleweight that saw him win the WBC Silver and WBO Intercontinental titles in a five-fight reign of terror that resulted in as many showreel stoppages.

Sheeraz believes success against a fighter of the calibre and profile of Williams will serve to raise his own stock in British fight fan circles.

“It is definitely a great fight and a great fight for me at this stage of my career,” he reasoned. “Obviously, for him, it is a comeback fight and if he were to beat me, he would be back on the scene again, but this is a fight I feel I am more than ready for.

“It is something I almost need to get the attention of the British public. He has fought for world titles, and it is definitely my hardest fight to date, but it is a challenge I am relishing, and I know what I can do.

“I’ve just got to go in there and do what I do best. People have got to remember though, that he is a dangerous fighter with a lot to prove and he will come in hungry. I’ve got to prepare for the best version of Liam Williams.”

‘The Machine’ Williams is looking forward to getting back into championship contention on his previous stage.

“I am excited to be back on TNT Sports,” he said. “It is a really great platform, and I am excited for the fight. I think it is one all the people want to see, and I saw that fans are getting excited about it after one or two things leaked out on social media.

“People seem to be loving the idea of this fight already. Hamzah is a very good fighter and is obviously very tall and rangy, he can punch a bit and, overall, it will be a good challenge and one that I am really up for.

“I cannot wait for December, so bring it on!”

Promoter Frank Warren added: “This has got all the makings of a middleweight classic. We know all about Liam from working with him for a large part of his career and he always delivers the goods, entertainment-wise, plus he is a ferocious competitor.

“Making this fight for Hamzah shows the confidence we have in him and how impressed we have been with his development as a middleweight force.

“This will be his toughest fight, no question about it. Liam has operated at the top level and, should Hamzah overcome him, he will be ready to take the step up himself.

“Most of all, I am sure it will be a thrilling fight from start to finish.”

Tickets for Sheeraz vs Williams on Saturday, 2 December at the Copper Box go on sale at 12pm on Tuesday, 10 October available from: ticketmaster.co.uk

Jaime “The Hurricane” Clampitt is looking to pick a fight. The former 5-time, 2-division world champion has been surveying the women’s featherweight and super-featherweight landscape in search of a high-profile opponent or a title shot.

“I’m itching to get back in the ring,” says Clampitt (25-6-2, 7 KOs), who has 2 wins in 2023, the most recent one an 8 round unanimous decision in August over tough Ecuadorian Josefina Vega. “We’re staying in the gym, sparring a few times a week. I’d love to get one more fight before the end of the year, like late November or early December, or January at the very latest.”

The Hall-of-Famer, who is 3-1-1 since returning to the ring in 2021 following an 8-year layoff, feels that she’s removed all the ring rust and is ready for another world title run. The Warwick, Rhode Island resident even has a few names in mind.

“I saw Skye Nicolson commentating a few weeks ago and talking about how she wants to fight a veteran before the end of the year,” says Clampitt. “That got me thinking: she’s a tricky boxer, but we would have a great fight and that’s the kind of opportunity I’m looking for.”

Nicolson (8-0) is a 28-year-old Australian prospect on the rise. The popular southpaw recently picked up the WBC interim World Featherweight title against Sabrina Perez in Tijuana, Mexico.

A fight between Nicolson and Clampitt would be an intriguing crossroads fight between an up-and-coming prospect and a savvy former 2-weight world champion. While Clampitt acknowledges that Nicolson is much younger, she is confident that her experience and drive would give her the edge in a head-to-head matchup.

“She’s very marketable and has a good amateur background, but I have a lot of experience and I feel like my age is an advantage with how much I’ve learned over the years,” reasons the 47-year-old. “For me it’s a big confidence boost, not something that would hold me back.”

Clampitt has seen women’s boxing explode over the past few years. Whereas women were once mostly relegated to the untelevised portion of undercards, many of them are now headlining shows, becoming household names and commanding much higher purses. This has led to an influx of talent in need of experience against veteran fighters.

“You see a lot of young women that are newer to the pro game with 8, 10 fights and they are looking to fight veterans to gain that experience,” says Clampitt. “I’m willing to jump in there with them and I feel confident that I can beat them.”

Another boxer Clampitt has her eyes on is fellow Canada native Laila Beaudoin. The 27-year-old Quebecois is 9-1 with 1 knockout and is scheduled to fight this Saturday in Montreal.

“I think that would be a great fight,” says Clampitt. “There aren’t many Canadians in women’s boxing, but we happen to be in the same weight class and she’s ranked #1 and I’m ranked #2 on boxrec. Laila has a great style and I know that she’s young and hungry, but I just feel very confident going into a fight like that with my experience.”

While these bouts would be compelling matchups for Clampitt to test her experience against rising contenders, there is a veteran fighter that Jaime believes would make for an instant classic against her, particularly on the east coast.

“Heather Hardy and I have kind of been on the same path over the last few years,” says Clampitt of the 41-year-old featherweight, who recently went the distance with undisputed featherweight champion Amanda Serrano for the second time in August. “The Serrano fight was really tough for her. Heather is almost too tough for her own good sometimes, but she did say that she’d like to fight again.”

Heather “The Heat” Hardy (24-3, 4 KOs) is a tough-as-nails fighter out of Brooklyn, NY who does not take a backward step. Although she was outgunned in her 2 fights against Serrano, Hardy never stopped trying to win against one of the biggest punchers in women’s boxing. A bout against Clampitt is sure to be an all-action brawl.

“I think we would be a great match up because we both throw so many punches,” opines ‘The Hurricane’. “She loves to come forward. I think I’m more of a technical boxer, but she does not stop and I know that I would have to be in phenomenal shape for that fight.”

While these are all captivating matchups, they would be even better with a world title on the line. Alycia Baumgardner is currently the undisputed super featherweight champion, but the Michigan native recently tested positive for banned substances following a homecoming victory in July over Christina Linardatou. Depending on the outcome of the subsequent investigation, some or all of Baumgardner’s titles may become vacant.

“We haven’t heard anything since the test results came out and people are just waiting to see what will happen,” says Clampitt. “Obviously, Alycia wants to be cleared of everything and I hope that happens for her. In the meantime, there may be some decisions that are made about the titles.”

All Jaime Clampitt can do to remain in the mix is to keep on winning.

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast. Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.

Sheffield, England – 6 October 2023 – WBA Continental Lightweight Title Challenger Martin McDonagh has withdrawn from his title fight with Reece Mould tonight at the Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield following last minute medical advice.

Doncaster star Mould was due to make the first defence of the title against McDonagh, from Kent, in the headline attraction of the inaugural event at the opening of the brand new arena.

Beyond the BBBofC’s deadline to get a suitable replacement opponent approved for the title and, understandably, Mould not wanting to take part in an eight-round contest after preparing mentally and physically for a Championship contest, Mould took the decision to withdraw from the card tonight.

Emma Dolan’s Commonwealth Super-Flyweight title defence against Nicola Hopewell, that was chief supporting contest to Mould-McDonagh on the show, will now be the main event with the rest of the undercard remaining the same.

Promoter Izzy Asif, CEO of GBM Sports, understand’s the importance and confidentiality of McDonagh’s medical condition and fully supports his decision.

Despite investing substantially in tonight’s event, Asif was insistent that despite the main event falling through that the show continue with Dolan-Hopewell placed top of the bill.

He said, “Our first thought, of course, is with Martin and for his health and safety. It’s disappointing to lose what would have been a great fight between Reece and Martin but a boxer’s health is paramount in our sport. In the Commonwealth Title showdown between Emma and Nicola we had a show topper in it’s own right and that will be the headliner for tonight and the rest of the lads’ on the undercard still get to fight.”

The GBM Sports show ‘Clash On The Courts’ will be streamed LIVE on the talkSPORT Boxing YouTube Channel commencing at 1815hrs. Go to

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (October 5, 2023) – Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) of Mazatlán, Mexico and Joe “Common Man” Smith Jr. (28-4, 22 KOs) of Long Island, New York hosted a press conference today ahead of their WBA Cruiserweight Eliminator match. Scheduled for 10-rounds, the fight night, presented in collaboration with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, will take place live from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and live around the world on DAZN beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT.

The undercard of Zurdo vs. Smith Jr. was also on hand to promote their upcoming fights. As co-main event, Bektemir “The Bully” Melikuziev (12-1, 9 KOs) of Shoimbek, Uzbekistan, who also proudly represents Indio, California, will face Upper Marlboro, Maryland’s Alantez “SlyAza” Fox (28-4-1, 13 KOs). “The Bully” will defend his WBA Intercontinental Super Middleweight Title in a 10-round fight. Darius “DFG” Fulghum (7-0, 7 KOs) will fight Alan Campa (18-8, 12 KOs) of Guaymas, Mexico in an eight-round light heavyweight bout. Opening the broadcast, Fort Lauderdale’s Eric Tudor (9-0, 6 KOs) will participate in an eight-round super welterweight fight against Jose Sanchez (13-3-1, 4 KOs) of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

On the preliminary undercard Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (11-1, 8 KOs) of Carlton, Texas will face Aaron “Ghozt Mas” Casper (7-4-2, 5 KOs) of Augusta, Georgia in an eight-round cruiserweight fight. Daniel “Ikaika” Luna (3-0, 3 KOs) will hope to repeat history with a four-round super lightweight fight against Erick Benitez (4-5, 1 KO) of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Also part of the preliminaries, in an eight-round junior middleweight fight is Star Boxing’s Jahyae “Golden Child Brown (13-1 9KO’s), who will face off against Youngstown, Ohio’s Victor Toney (7-2-1 6KO’s). Also on the undercard is Star Boxing’s undefeated, New Jersey prospect, Rajon “Picasso” Chance (8-0-1 6KO’s), who will measure up in an eight-round featherweight fight against Orlando Perez Zapata (13-0 9KO’s) of Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic.

Here’s what some of today’s participants had to say:
GILBERTO “ZURDO” RAMIREZ, FORMER WORLD CHAMPION:
“Thank you everyone for being here. I want to thank God for this. I am blessed to be here. Thank you Golden Boy, and Joe Smith for taking the fight. The first time I fought in Las Vegas was at the Cosmopolitan and I want to repeat what happened last time and have my hand lifted in the air in victory.”
JOE SMITH JR., FORMER WORLD CHAMPION:
“Like I said, I’m glad to be back. I’d like to thank Golden Boy Promotions and Star Boxing for this opportunity. Looking forward to this Saturday. Thank you Zurdo for this opportunity. This weekend, I’m looking to make another statement.”
BEKTEMIR MELIKUZIEV, WBA INTERCONTINENTAL SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLEHOLDER:
“I am super happy to be back on a great card against a very good opponent. I want to thank my promoter, Golden Boy, and my team for making this happen. One thing I can promise you for sure is that you won’t want to miss this fight.”
ALANTEZ FOX, SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHTER:
“First and foremost I want to thank God for blessing me. I want to thank my fans watching from home. I also want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for this opportunity. I can’t wait for Saturday, this is my season.”
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY:
“Welcome to my new home here in Las Vegas! I’m very excited to be showcasing this amazing card and this is what I’m talking about when working with other promoters.”

“When you have a former world champion — the first 168-pound Mexican champion of the world and you have Joe Smith Jr., the common man who comes to fight and is a legend killer fighting the likes of Bernard Hopkins and more — this has the makings of a great fight.”

“From top to bottom we have an amazing fight card. We’re showcasing the young talents and the must-watch prospects.”
BERNARD HOPKINS, PARTNER OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
“We’re closing out 2023 and entering 2024 on a high. We have these two, credible fighters ready to put on a show for everyone.”
JOE DE GUARDIA, FOUNDER AND CEO OF STAR BOXING:
“It’s certainly special to be here for a fight like this because these are both two guys that really have to put everything on the line. Two former World Champions fighting each other, and both of them are stepping up taking this real challenge.”

#

Zurdo vs. Smith Jr. is a 10-round cruiserweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Star Boxing. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

Tickets for Zurdo vs. Smith Jr. are priced at $200, $150, $100 and $50 plus applicable fees. A limited amount of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available for purchase with exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades included. Standard and VIP tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

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

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:

“This is a true British classic, two two-time World Champions battle it out on Saturday night in front of 10,000 in Sheffield, the atmosphere is going to be incredible. 

“Two British greats, I think that is the best way to describe them. I’ve seen both guys at their highest and both at their lowest, and what they have always done is given us unbelievable entertainment, and on Saturday night, they put it all on the line once again.

“This is a top-class card from top to bottom, from Before The Bell, into local derbies, British Title Eliminators and unified World Titles, it’s a top night of boxing live across the world on DAZN.”

Alfie Sharman, VP DAZN:

“We’re incredibly proud to be part of such an amazing schedule, delivering for our customer base. We can’t wait for this event on Saturday, you have two British greats in one of the biggest domestic shows out there, two fighting men with fighting cities behind them. We wish the both the best of luck. 

“There’s some amazing fights coming up and in the UK most are part of your DAZN subscription. It’s incredible value and a  continued commitment from us to provide the best value to boxing fans, we truly believe our current schedule is unrivalled in the business worldwide.”

Leigh Wood:
 
“I don’t think that my power will be the key to victory, but I have got it if I need it. Three fights inside eight months, I’m coming towards the end of my career and I said I wanted to be busy while I’ve got the chance to be busy, because there’s a time I can see creeping up on me where I won’t have the choice. I love boxing, I love this fight with a former champion in the other corner, and I am ready. Power won’t be the deciding factor, there’s a lot of other things that go around it. The culture of trainers in this country that say ‘whoever wants it more will win, whoever is the strongest and hits the hardest will win, whoever is the fittest will win’. It’s not, my team are changing the game and there’s a lot more to boxing than people see. My perception has changed since being with Ben and you will see that on Saturday night.

“The Lara rematch was the best I’ve felt. After the loss, I said I could have gone back in with him ten minutes later, I knew the mistakes I made and the adjustments needed, it was a frustrating night in Nottingham packed with my own fans, but the fast turnaround suited me, I’ve had a little break and holiday to switch off but then back in the gym, and here we are, it’s come around just like that.

“Josh has had some really good wins, possibly better than mine. He’s here because of those credentials, not any other reason. It’s going to be an electric atmosphere and I’m expecting it to be the best I’ve ever witnessed, especially on my ring walk, we’ve sold more tickets than we’ve ever done so it’s going to be a great night and one that will go down in history. I want to remembered as one of the best Featherweights from this country and one of the best fighters from my own city. 

“A KO is a possibility, I am not going to go out there banking on knocking him out, but I am going to be dominant. I know Josh is very tough, I’ve been ringside for a number of his fights, especially the Kiko fight, that sticks out for me. He got hurt and he was close to being stopped himself when he got his stoppage, so I know he can bite down and give everything he needs to, but at what cost because there will be times in this fight when he needs to work extremely hard just to win a moment, and I will make him pay for those moments.”

Josh Warrington:

“I’m not offended that I am not the favourite, if anything it’s motivation. Leigh is the champion, and I’ve been given this opportunity so I am very grateful for that. What does annoy me is being written off, I’m finished, that’s given me the bit between my teeth. Last year I dominated Kiko Martinez inside seven rounds and I dominated the second half of the Lopez fight, and people are talking about how well he’s done since our fight. 

“I’m hungry, I haven’t felt like this for a long time and throughout this camp and the whole year, my head has been in a very good place, focused, and I think that the only reason I’ve lost before is mindset. Physically I’m always good, I live in the gym and I am obsessed with training, so the mindset has let me down in the past.

“Time goes on, I’ve been in this sport a long time and there’s a few more grey hairs and the hairline starts a bit further back now, but I feel mature as far as my boxing brain. I would think about the big fights and that 12 rounds is a long time, but it’s not, 36 minutes is not a long time. I know I can adapt and my boxing brain has matured, working on setting up shots, my power and strength have developed. At times, I’ve been economical with punches instead of throwing 85 punch combinations, setting up the shots a little more. You have stages of your career and I am at a good one in this moment in time, but it’s easy to say that, I need to show it on Saturday night.

“My knockouts have come at championship level, the stoppages have come when it’s mattered the most. I know I can dig. It was 15 fights before I got my first stoppage, I didn’t get any coming up against journeymen and people were maybe right to think that I wasn’t a puncher but that was a bit down to my style, not sitting down on the punches. But I have got the KOs and stoppages when it has mattered. I am not a one-punch KO guy, an Edwin Valero type, but I know I have enough to hurt you and I don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, I know I have enough to hurt Leigh and I am very confident that he doesn’t hear the final bell.

“I always visualise different moments and scenarios, I just have a really strong feeling that this one doesn’t see the final bell. It’s alright having power, but being able to take a shot is another thing, so it’s something that’s stuck with me through this camp that this is going to end early and I will be once, twice, three times a champion.”

Ben Davison:

“They are two ultimate professionals and not the type of guys that are going to have a push and a pull. Every single time they step through the ropes they bring the heat, there’s a lot of mutual respect as there should be. We’re under no illusions that Josh is a tenacious MF when he gets in there and with the atmosphere, everything on the line and the two fanbases, it’s rare that you get two fighters that thrive off the atmosphere, I just think all roads lead to an absolute barnstormer.

“(Inactivity) I’m sure Josh doesn’t spend too much tie out of the gym, Leigh certainly doesn’t, so I don’t think you can read too much into that. Both of them are more versatile then they are given credit for so there’s lots of scenarios and outcomes in the fight and how it might play out. I think once it catches fire it’s going to be one for the history books.”

Terri Harper:

“When the fight first got announced it went down so well with boxing fans, and when Cecilia had to pull out on the moving of the fight I was gutted. Luckily I got out the following week so the camp didn’t go to waste, but now it’s been rescheduled and in front of a home crowd and there’s another belt up for grabs, it’s a much bigger fight and I am excited to get out there in Sheffield Arena, a place I’ve had the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Saturday night is made for me, I’ve been under the radar in my last couple of fights just rebuilding, and this is where I am going to get back up there and have people talking about me.

“I feel that I am at the stage of my career where I want to push on for the big fights. I want the money, I want a good house, and I feel I am ready now. So get a good win again Cecilia on Saturday and it really opens up the doors for me, but I have to remember I am in the ring with a great athlete, great fighter, she’s shared the ring with some great champions and it’s a fight that I feel I will learn a lot from, but I am ready to be let out of the cage now and get the job done in a good style.

“The support is always great and I think everyone is going to be at the arena on Saturday night. I got goosebumps driving over just remembering how great this arena is on a fight night. The last time here I was mardy because the plans had changed but this week I’m going to soak up every moment of it.”

Cecilia Braekhus:

“Second time around, last time I woke up on fight day and I was sick. I knew right away when I opened my eyes that this is not going to happen. I went to the bathroom and I was dizzy, and when that happens, you are not going to get in the ring, so I just called and said ‘this is off’. It wasn’t even for discussion. It was heartbreaking of course, I want to thank Matchroom and Team Harper for giving me the fight again. They didn’t have to, they could have gone another way. We know that this is going to be a great fight, we’ve been locked in on each other for two camps now and I think there’s a whole different energy right now. It’s going to be twice as good as it was going to be and there’s another belt on the line too. It’s not a must-win, I want to win and I will win, that’s more my mindset.

“Terri was bigger than me when we did the weigh-in last time, she’s a big Welter, so I don’t think that size is going to be the big factor in this fight, it’s going to be boxing skills and I think I have the boxing skills to win.”

Kieron Conway:

“This is very important for me and I see it as a must-win fight. I came off the loss in Las Vegas and I am putting it right with this performance. I need to prove to myself and everyone else what I am about, and what I say I am, I am. I don’t believe I win this fight, I know I win this fight.

“I welcome the pressure. It’s not a fight that I necessarily had to take but we chose this fight. It’s a good fight, I need a good domestic win and this could put me in good stead moving forward. I’m coming in knowing I will win. I’ve been putting things right in and out of the gym, and now it’s time to put it all together.”

Linus Udofia:

“This is must-win, 100 per cent. It’s a good fight for boxing, two good styles, we both really want it, and on Saturday that will show.

“We’ve both had big nights, I’ve headlined shows, been on big cards and I’ve had my fair share of experience, and that all comes out on Saturday night. This is the best Linus Udofia you are going to see out there.”

Junaid Bostan:

“If you don’t ask, you don’t get – it was this time last year I was in the same room giving you stick Eddie because you weren’t signing me; now I am asking you to put me higher on the card.

“Life is good, I’m performing well. Back-to-back fights in Sheffield Arena, I can’t complain being from these ends, it’s a massive card to be part of and I’m privileged to be on it.

“December 16 in Arizona is in the back of my mind, but I cannot look past Saturday and getting a stoppage.”

Hopey Price:

“I’ve got an undefeated fighter in front of me, 14-0, but who has he boxed? I believe I have been in with far better opposition, so for me this isn’t a step-up, it’s a stepping stone to get me that British title and you’ll see the difference in levels on Saturday night, he’s in serious trouble.

“It will be a straightforward victory for me, whatever he’s got, I’ve got an answer for, I’m just an all-round better boxer, better fighter; if he wants to mix it up I can mix it up, I just believe i’m better in every aspect and everyone will see on Saturday night that I am going to win and do it in tremendous style.

“It’s going to be rocking, there will be plenty of Leeds supporters in there, o want to put on a good performance and show everyone that I am the next star from Leeds and will carry that flag moving forward.”

Connor Coghill:

“It’s a massive opportunity for me being on the big stage, but it’s one I think I deserve. I’m 14-0, I’ve been hustling on the small hall shows, selling tickets, waiting for these opportunities so I have done it the hard way. I got this opportunity on Saturday and I’ve sacrificed a lot, I’ve been sleeping on a sofa in the gym for the last ten weeks, I’ve given everything for this fight.

“I’ve done everything I can to make myself right so I am going to give everything in there. If I have to change the gameplan halfway through, I will, but I am here to win and that’s the main thing.

“A win on Saturday night changes my life so I am going all in.”

Cameron Vuong:

“I’m ready to go and ready to show why I am one of Matchroom’s best prospects, and make a big statement on Saturday night.

“I’ve got a great team and it’s a big thank you to Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis for taking me on. I think it’s the best move for my career, getting away from any distractions and putting the graft in. I’ve had a really good camp, training and sparring with Jack Catterall for his fight with Jorge Linares, and I’m looking forward to showing you what I am all about.

“I want to stay active and hopefully have two or three more fights before the end of the year.”

Nicole Leivars:

“It’s a step-up but one I am more than ready for, it’s more rounds and a better opponent who’s got pedigree from who he’s faced, but I think it will bring the best out of me and you’ll see that in my performance.

“After my last win, after a few weeks I was back in the gym, doing ten rounds in sparring, training hard in Tenerife, it’s been a really good camp and you’ll see the hard work.”

Koby McNamara:

“I’m buzzing to be back on the big stage again. I can’t wait to get in that arena on Saturday night, put on a good performance and hopefully it opens more doors for me. 

“It’s going to be a big night for Leeds, we’ll be getting three wins here.”