BENSALEM, PA—Anthony Prescott, of Cherry Hill, NJ, has agreed to a rematch with Isaiah Wise, of North Philadelphia, following their terrific fight March 9 at the Parx Casino®.

The entertaining six-round junior middleweight fight will serve as the semifinal to the eight-round main event of Xcite Fight Night 2 between flyweights Miguel Cartagena, of Philadelphia, PA, and Carlos Maldonado, of Los Angeles, CA, at Parx Casino® on Friday, June 29. The seven-fight card begins at 7:30 pm.

The following is a training-camp update from each of the fighters on this Friday’s triple header.

SEMIFINAL TRAINING CAMP NOTES

ANTHONY PRESCOTT
Q: When you were first presented with the rematch with Isaiah Wise, what were your thoughts?
A: My initial thought was: Sure! I fought a lot of guys that I would love to fight again, so I let him get his rematch. The fight was too close to my liking anyway.

Q: What does this rematch do for you?
A: If I beat Isaiah again, who knows. I got my face on a poster for once, after 20 fights! That’s a start.

Q: How did you prepare for this fight differently, or did you?
A: Yes, I stepped it up. I’m working harder. I know he’s trying to revenge a loss and coming with it. I’m not going to sleep on it. I want to be more impressive and beat him decisively this time. I know I won the first fight. But it was too close.

Q: What advantages do you feel you have over Wise that will enable you to beat him again?
A: My experience. I know he’s younger and strong, but I’m more experienced.

Q: What are your thoughts on Wise as a fighter?
A: He’s a tough guy, relentless and I know he’s going to come with it. That’s why I’m training the way I’m training. It’s going to be a good rumble.

Q: Were you confident going into the first fight knowing they were using you as a stepping stone?
A: I came into the fight with a 7-8 record. That is pretty much how it goes for me. Every time I’m in somebody’s yard, that’s how it is. I wasn’t even asked to sell tickets. I know what that means. They just wanted me to show up. That’s less pressure for me.

Q: After the knockdown (in the second round), did you ever feel you were in control or losing control of the fight?
A: After the knockdown, I just wanted to keep level-headed and stay in control. Previously, I’ve knocked people down and went wild and gassed myself out. This time, I tried to maintain and stick to the game plan. In the later rounds he caught me a couple times, but I was in control. I stuck to the game plan and that’s what the judges saw.

Q: How do you foresee the rematch playing out?
A: This fight will be a little more composed in the beginning and then it will turn into a war again. Our styles make for a good fight. I’m bringing my A-game.

NICK ROSARIO, trainer of Anthony Prescott
Q: Why did you guys agree to the rematch?
A: We agreed to the rematch because the first fight was a great match up, but it seemed like unfinished business. Anthony has another set of gears that he did not tap into in the last fight, but I believe in this fight it will be the difference.

Q: How important is it for Prescott to beat Wise again?
A: Every fight is important at this point in Anthony’s Career, but I believe the pressure in this fight is on Isaiah Wise. With his inability to solve the puzzle that is Anthony Prescott and with Anthony still having many more levels to showcase in this fight I believe we have some business to finish.

ISAIAH WISE
Q: Why was this rematch so important to you? Why did you want it?
A: I wanted it because I lost, but I didn’t feel like I lost. But it doesn’t matter. There are three judges that have more power than I do. I want to prove that I can beat this guy. I want to get my victory. I feel like I won the fight the first time. I need to prove this to myself.

Q: What happened in the first fight?
A: After the knockdown, I wanted to get him back. I wanted to finish the fight. I lost my cool. I lost my focus. I went off strategy. The first time I got knocked down in my career, I came back and stopped the guy. In the fight with Prescott, I got knocked down and went the distance and I lost. Now I know what to expect. I know how to recover. I don’t have to swing for the fences. I must stick to my game plan. The knockdown was the deciding factor in the fight.

Q: Would it have been better to take an easier fight first before the rematch?
A: No! An easier fight for what? That’s not going to do me any good. I’m not here for the easy way. If I was, I wouldn’t be signed to Russell Peltz.”

Q: Have you watched the first fight? Have you seen anything on him to be able to prepare for him better?
A: Yes. Definitely. But I can’t tell you [laughter]. I will be better prepared. It won’t be an easy fight for either one of us.

Q: What are your thoughts on Prescott as a fighter?
A: He’s experienced. He knew how to survive when he was hurt. He has more fights than I have. He’s very awkward. But I need that.

Q: Which advantages do you feel you have over Prescott that will enable you to beat this time?
A: I’m more skilled and I have more tools in the shed than he does. This fight, I plan on using them all.

Q: Have you done anything differently in this camp?
A: There’s a next level of intensity for sure.

Q: Tell us about training with Terrence Crawford in Colorado Springs? What did you take from that experience?
A: I saw with my own two eyes why Terrence he is the #1 fighter in the world. He’s very dedicated to his craft. He is a human being. He has a family and responsibility, but when it comes time to box, he’s 100% committed. Being out there taught me that boxing is a lifestyle. You have to be committed mentally and physically. That was the biggest thing that I took from going there. The experience has helped me and I’m more focused now. When it is time to fight, it is time to fight.

Q: What does a win do for you?
A: You’re only as good as your last fight. A win will show me and everyone that I am an up-and-coming prospect from Philly. I have to beat a 50/50 fighter.

WALT MOURA, trainer of Isaiah Wise

Q: Was it a mutual desire and decision between you and Isaiah to rematch Prescott?
A: Yes, we wanted the rematch. We thought that he was so close to the win. We had to get the rematch as soon as possible.

Q: Have you watched the first fight?
A: We watched it together and I’ve watched it several times. We had a great game plan for the first fight. He must stick to it. He got drawn into the crowd instead of fighting his fight. He has such a strong fan base. They encourage him to try to land the big heavy shots. But, being more technical will help him get the guy out of there. That was his second time knocked down in a fight. In the corner, I tell him, it’s over, don’t go after the guy. He has to follow instructions. You’re not going to get the knockdown back. He fights emotional. With maturity that will come.

Q: Have you done anything different this camp with Isaiah? Tell us about this camp.
A: Isaiah was in Colorado Springs with Terrence Crawford. He really liked it and we’ve incorporated some things into our camp that he acquired out there. Crawford taught Isaiah to be calm and composed. I think that will help Isaiah the most.
Purchase Tickets

ABOUT JUNE 29

The June 29 card will consist of eight fights, beginning at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm. The card is promoted by Joe Hand Promotions. This event is only for adults age 21 and older. Tickets priced at $50, $75 and $100 are on sale at Joe Hand Promotions (215-364-9000). You can also purchase tickets from the Hold My Ticket Call Center at (1-877-466-3404) and at www.parxcasino.com.

ABOUT PARX CASINO®

Parx Casino® is owned and operated by Greenwood Racing, Inc. Parx Casino® is conveniently located 20 minutes north of center city Philadelphia, I-95 exit 37 or PA Turnpike exit 351 (westbound), exit 352 (eastbound) onto Street Road in Bensalem. Parx features over 200,000 square feet of gaming; over 3,300 slot machines and 133 live table games; a private poker enclave with over 80 poker tables; live racing & simulcast action;Parxgrill, an upscale signature restaurant; Liberty Bell Gastropub, farm-to-fork inspired menu; Foodies quick service dining; Chickie’s & Pete’s Crab House and Sports Bar; 360bar and live music venue; Jax sports bar; Circle Bar; Bambu Noodle House; Earl of Sandwich®; Xlounge, ultramodern luxury lounge; the Xcite Center, an over 1,500-seat live entertainment venue and complimentary parking for 5,000 cars. For more information on Parx Casino®, visit www.parxcasino.com.

Uncasville, Connecticut (June 22, 2018)

New England’s passion for the sweet-science is as alive as ever for STAR BOXING’S “SLUGFEST AT THE SUN” on June 30th. Ringside seats for the long awaited return of the “Common Man”, Long Island light heavyweight JOE SMITH JR. (23-2 19KOs) against Kentucky’s MELVIN “THE ROMANTIC REDNECK” RUSSELL (11-4-2 7KOs) at the Mohegan Sun have been officially sold out.

Joe Smith Jr. vs. Melvin Russell will be a scheduled 10-round fight in what should be one of the most anticipated returns in boxing this year for the Long Island fan-favorite. After eleven months out of the ring due to a broken jaw, the #3 (WBC) and #7 (WBA) world rated light heavyweight, Joe Smith Jr. returns in a big way, at the beautiful Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. After coming off a stellar KO win on NBC against Andrzej Fonfara, and defeating the legend Bernard Hopkins on HBO, Smith Jr. has his eyes set on getting a world championship later this year.

JOE DEGUARDIA, President and CEO of Star Boxing said, “Ringside seats sold out immediately. It thrills me that New Englanders will be packing the arena alongside the throngs of Long Island and other New Yorkers eager to see the return of Joe Smith Jr , as well as Kali Reis, Anthony Laureano and all of the other great New England talent we are bringing to the Mohegan Sun on June 30th.”

The co-featured event on the card will showcase Rhode Island’s two-time middleweight champion KALI “KO MEQUINONOAG” REIS (13-7-1, 4 KOs) against former world title challenger PATY “LA ELEGANTE” RAMIREZ (11-5, 5 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round contest. Reis is coming off a breakout performance last month when she faced the #1 pound-for-pound female fighter and undisputed women’s world welterweight champion, CECELIA BRAEKUS (33-0).In what would be the first female bout ever featured on HBO, “KO” dropped Braekhus in the seventh round, the first time the pound-for-pound champ had ever been knocked down in her career.

June 30th’s card promises to deliver a night of action-packed entertainment that will leave audience members off their seats. Tickets at $30 and $45 are still available, however they’re going quickly.

THE UNDERCARD:
Along with the much anticipated return of Joe Smith Jr., and the homecoming of co-feature Kali Reis, the undercard features the top talent New England has to offer. Highlighting six-undefeated New England rising stars, including
Star Boxing’s 2017 Prospect of the Year” ANTHONY LAUREANO, New London Heavyweight, CASSIUS CHANEY, New Haven native, WILLIAM FOSTER III, and Union Local 941 laborer, JOE FARINA.
Get your tickets to JUNE 30th, #SLUGFESTattheSUN live from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
Tickets start at JUST $30.
BUY TICKETS HERE!
MEDIA:
SLUGFEST AT THE SUN: THE RETURN OF JOE SMITH JR.

SLUGFEST AT THE SUN: THE RETURN OF JOE SMITH JR.
INFO:
“SLUGFEST at the SUN”: THE RETURN OF JOE SMITH JR.
After eleven months out of the ring due to a broken jaw, “THE BEAST” Joe Smith Jr. returns in a big way, at the beautiful Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. After coming off a stellar KO win on NBC against Andrzej Fonfara, and defeating the legend Bernard Hopkins on HBO, Smith Jr. has his eyes set on landing in the win column in his first bout of 2018.

FACTS:
“SLUGFEST at the SUN” is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. The event takes place Saturday, June 30th at Mohegan Sun, in Uncasville, CT.

Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing “SLUGFEST at the SUN” series is the a premier professional boxing experience in Connecticut. Live from the beautiful Mohegan Sun Arena, “SLUGFEST at the SUN” has seen some of the best and brightest in boxing. This includes, two-time world champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade and world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez, amongst many others.

Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, Joe DeGuardia, has consistently given the boxing fans of Connecticut, world class fights, right in their own backyard. “SLUGFEST at the SUN” also gives the north east’s rising boxing stars an avenue to world title contention. From world title fights, to world class boxing skill, Mohegan Sun has seen it all, delivered by Star Boxing.

The “SLUGFEST at the SUN” series offers an affordable, fan friendly action packed, entertaining night out, that is guaranteed to have you on your feet from the opening bell.

On June 30th, Star Boxing plans to start your summer off right, with yet another thrilling “SLUGFEST at the SUN.”
PREVIOUS RELEASES
June 30th Fight Announcement
Joe Smith Jr. Main Event Announcement
Kali Reis Fight Announcement
Joe Smith Jr. vs Melvin Russell Main Event
Media Credential Application –Accredited Media ONLY
Anthony Laureano Mohegan Announcement
Undercard Bout Announcements
TICKETS:
Tickets for the live event start at $30 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com by clicking HERE or by going to www.StarBoxing.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
MOHEGAN SUN:
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Mohegan Sun Arena was also ranked among the top 10 arena venues in the nation for 2014, regardless of size. In 2015, Mohegan Sun took home the IEBA award for “Casino of the Year.” Mohegan Sun also won “Casino of the Year” in 2 categories at the 2013 & 2016 Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information on concerts and other great events, visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
MONTAUK ULTRA H20:
Montauk Ultra H20, a new Chlorine and Florine free alkaline water, with a pH of 9.5. Hydrate like the pro’s.

New York, NY (June 21, 2018) Undefeated world-ranked lightweight contender
“Ferocious” George Kambosos Jr. (14-0, 8 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, will return to battle in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday, July 15 (Sat. July 14 in the United States) in a 10-round clash against JR “Star Boy” Magboo (17-1-2, 8 KOs), of Batangas, Philippines, it was announced today by DiBella Entertainment.

“I’m thrilled and very excited to get back in the ring on Manny Pacquiao’s undercard,” said the 25-year-old Kambosos. “Manny and I have had some excellent training sessions for this camp and I can’t wait to fight in Kuala Lumpur. I know that Magboo has lost only once, but I’ll be well prepared after training with Manny to be victorious.”

“I would like to thank Manny Pacquiao for giving George Kambosos this great opportunity to fight on his undercard in Malaysia,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “All of us at DiBella Entertainment believe that Kambosos is a star with the potential to become a champion. This is a great opportunity for him to showcase his talent on the undercard of a future hall-of-famer and a legend.”

Kambosos vs. Magboo will take place at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the undercard of the WBA welterweight world title bout between boxing legend and challenger Manny Pacquiao and champion Lucas Matthysse.

Currently ranked #11 by the World Boxing Organization and #14 by the International Boxing Federation, the all-action Kambosos made his triumphant United States debut on May 5, with a stunning first-round knockout of Jose Forero at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.

For the last few weeks, Kambosos has trained and sparred alongside Pacquiao as he prepares to win another welterweight world title. Trained by former heavyweight contender Justin Fortune, Kambosos also worked with Pacquiao in Los Angeles last summer in preparation for the Filipino’s clash with Jeff Horn.

A sports star in his native Australia, Kambosos stopped Krai Setthaphone in the ninth round on October 13, 2017, in front of a huge crowd headlining at the Melbourne Pavilion in Victoria, Australia.

Most recently, Magboo stopped Prell Tupas in the first round on May 13, in Marilao, Philippines.

Social Media/Kambosos
Twitter: @GeorgeKambosos
Facebook: George.Kambosos
Instagram: GeorgeKambososJr

After a dominant performance earlier this month, a unanimous decision over rugged veteran, Emmanuel Dominguez, Toka Kahn Clary (25-1, 17 KO) is on the verge of a world title shot in the featherweight division.

However, it’s been a long and difficult road for the contender who celebrates his 26th birthday tomorrow. After immigrating as a child to America from the war torn country of Liberia, Clary lost his father to drug abuse and was left homeless before being adopted and finding his calling in the sport of boxing.

Now signed to The Real Deal Boxing, the ultra friendly Clary, who lives in Providence, Rhode Island with his wife and baby daughter, sat down to discuss a host of topics including his thoughts on a world title shot, what he’d change about the sport, the best boxing movie of all time and the powerful advice he would give to a younger version of himself.

Happy Birthday Toka! Will you be celebrating out in California or are you back on the east coast?

Back on the east coat!

Sounds like you are happy to be home.

Happy as hell. (Laughs.)

What was the hardest part about being away for your training camp?

I missed my wife and my daughter.

Have you ever done a training camp away from home before?

Not like this one. This was my first time.

How’d you make it? Lots of FaceTime?

Oh yeah. FaceTime everyday.

What’s the biggest difference between training on the east coast and the west coast?

I was training with Freddie Roach for starters. They got a lot of talent out there on the west coast. Every sparring day was a tough day. Like, back home there’s a lot of amateurs. Sometimes that’s all that is available to spar with and you just have your way with them. On the west coast you’re sparring with top notch professional fighters all the time. It was good for my confidence.

Did you see any celebrities while you were in Hollywood?

I saw Mario Lopez! He was boxing in the gym. Looked pretty good too.

Out of all the celebrities that use boxing as a workout, a lot of people consider him the most talented.

Yeah. I can believe that. Looks like he’s been training for some years. You can tell the difference.

Besides seeing Mario Lopez, what’s it like working with Freddie? Obviously he’s one of the all time greats but he has so many high level fighters, were you able to get the attention you needed?

I loved it. Freddie is so experienced. Especially with me being southpaw. He’s had the best southpaw fighter in the world. He was able to show me some tricks. Little movements that make a big difference in a fight. I liked working with him. It was a really good experience for me. He showed me a lot and taught me a lot in the short time I was out there and it showed in my recent fight. Can’t wait to start the next camp.

On a serious note, you had a very, very difficult and unique childhood. I’m sure it’s not the most comfortable thing to talk about but if someone wasn’t familiar with your early background, from being born in a war torn country, to losing your father, to being homeless as a child, how would you describe how you came to America and the difficult circumstances you had to deal with.

Luck. There was a lot of trials and tribulations. It was a very difficult childhood. That’s why I’m so glad to be here now. I’m happy to be in the position I’m in. Doing something positive in my life and helping my family.

I know you say you were lucky. But do you feel like anything else contributed to that? Divine intervention? Hard work? Most people in the position you were in as a child don’t turn into success stories. What was different in your case?

For me it was boxing. I’m serious. When I found boxing, I stuck with it. I wasn’t an A student. I wasn’t gonna go to college. When I found boxing it was an opportunity for me to do something with my life. It gave me a purpose. I ran with it.

What in your opinion is boxing’s biggest problem? If there’s one thing you could change what would it be.

There’s a lot of things I’d change about boxing. (Laughs.) I mean boxing is a good sport and gives people a lot of opportunity but most people don’t know that. I feel what boxing is missing is, if you look at the NFL, these guys they go to hospitals, charities and they do different functions. People see that and don’t think it’s a barbaric sport. A lot of parents don’t want their kids to be involed in boxing cause they think that it’s not a good sport. I disagree with that. I think boxing is a beautiful sport but we need to show it in a different light, a different image. NFL players go out there and have events with the kids and I see that Evander Holyfield and Real Deal fighters are starting to do that. I feel the sport needs more of that. I think that would put the sport in a better position. I feel like boxing needs to give back more. Not just giving back to the fans by going into the ring and putting on a terrific fight but I’m talking about world champions going to hospitals or going to a school and having a field day. Set up a ring and speed bag outside on a playground, so kids have fun learning how to hit the bags and do mitts. Introduce them to the sport. Show kids and parents what’s great about it. Maybe it can save a kid like it saved me.

Who’s your all time favorite fighter?

All time? I’d have to say Sugar Ray Robinson. If you see how he moved back in those days, how he was generating power, he was doing such remarkable things that a lot of fighters now don’t respect. I watch a lot of his old fights. I love Ali but for me, Sugar Ray Robinson is the pound for pound greatest.

It’s refreshing to hear a young fighter respect the sport’s history.

I watch a lot of old fights. Like the other day I was watching fights from the heavyweights in that great era with Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis, Bowe, Rahman. There was like a great heavyweight fight every week. We don’t have that now. We only got 2 or 3 good heavyweights and they won’t fight each other but they still get to make all the money. (Laughs.)

Alright, the only question that matters. What’s the best boxing movie ever made?

(Laughs.) Wow. Best boxing movie ever made? Let me peep my movies for a sec. We got Southpaw, that just came out. It was ok. Creed was really good. You know what though? I mean, the original Rocky has to be it. You gotta go with it cause it helped bring boxing back in a big way. Every kid who saw that wanted to box. It still gives you chills watching it. When I was young I couldn’t believe guys got hit like that and didn’t die.

Then you find out later, the punch sounds are actually a guy in a sound studio hitting a slab of beef with a baseball bat.

(Laughs.) Right. Right.

So you are ranked in the top 10 in the world in two of the four major sanctioning bodies. Maybe all four when next month’s rankings come out. There is talk that your next fight could be a title eliminator. You are as close as you’ve ever been. Is that the ultimate goal for you in boxing? To win a world title?

When I was growing up my ultimate goal in boxing was to win a world title. But now my overall goal is to make enough money to provide for my family. I got a little daughter at home. I want her to have things I never had growing up. I don’t want her to struggle. She doesn’t need to ever experience what I did. So that’s the ultimate goal for me. To provide for my family. But to be a world champion is still one of my goals. Who doesn’t want to be a world champion? Nobody can ever take that from you. That’s something that will always be with you. When they look you up they’ll always see you were a world champion. And that is a goal that I definitely, definitely have to accomplish.

Do you feel like mentally and physically you are ready to challenge for a world title in 2018?

I feel like if I’m not ready now, I’ll never be ready. If I’m going do anything with my career now is the time to do it. I’m happy to be with a promoter and a trainer that believe I can win a world title. I want a title eliminator in my next fight so I can be the mandatory challenger for one of the sanctioning bodies. I will fight any of the current featherweight champions anywhere in the world they want.

One last question. If you were to go back in time and talk to that young version of yourself that was in such a terrible place, what would you tell him to keep him going and have hope?

It is funny you say that. I was just in California and I saw a lot of homeless people out there. It seemed like they had no motivation to better themselves. I was thinking damn what can people do to help these people? If anything I’d tell them, and anyone in that place, to find something you’re good at. It could be school, it could be sports, it could be construction. Whatever it is you’re good at, find it. When you do hold on to it. Work hard at it. In life nobody gives you anything. And if they do, it’s only gonna be for a little bit. You need to find that thing you can learn and be good at and use it to support yourself. People have different talents in the world. I hope that everybody can find their talent and work hard to get to the highest level. They’ll be times that you don’t want to put the work in. There’s days I just don’t wanna run but those are the days that I need to run even harder and further. You got to push yourself. And to that young version of myself, I’d let him know… there are better days ahead.

Several prospects in Britain’s talent stacked super-featherweight parish might presently profit from higher profiles but none bring better pedigree than unbeaten Sidcup skill merchant Archie Sharp.

A former European schoolboy finalist and nine-time national junior champion, the 5ft 9in ‘Sharpshooter’ from Kent has quietly romped to a dozen straight wins since vaulting to the pros in July 2015. Seven victims were dispatched early, the other five failed to take a single round from him.

‘I’m only 23, only 12 fights in. When it’s my time, I’ll shine,’ insists the MTK managed starlet who showcases his wares in a scheduled eight rounder on Saturday’s fight fiesta at London’s O2 Arena.

‘I made big statements as an amateur and, in time, I’ll do the same as a pro. When I eventually hit the top, I intend staying there for a very long time.

‘Last fight, I performed alright. The kid (Spain’s Ivan Ruiz Morote) had a good record and we thought he’d have a go but after I clipped him with a few shots in the first round, he just went on his bike. I hardly got hit, won every single round clearly before finishing him in the seventh (body shots). I’m ready to step up.

‘I mixed with the very best as an amateur and I’ve always acquitted myself well sparring against the best as a pro. As a kid, I did work with the Walsh twins (British champions Liam and Ryan) plus Carl Frampton and, lately, I’ve sparred Ricky Burns, Joey Cordina and Martin J. Ward. So I’m not fazed by the prospect of fighting anyone in the UK.

‘After Saturday, I’ll have done my apprenticeship and it’ll be time to chase titles in the new season, Southern Area, English, WBO European……. I’m ready for 10 rounders now and I’m not far off 12 rounders. I’m quite happy to be chucked in the pot with any of these other prospects.

‘The one that makes most sense is Lyon Woodcock. We’re the same age, same record, same promoter. Let’s do it this September.

‘No disrespect to Lyon, I just believe I can find a way to beat any other super-featherweight. I’ve shared a ring with far better boys, several top Olympians. He’s been making very hard work, been getting bumped up, against opponents he really shouldn’t be getting hit by.

‘I’ve agreed to fight him three times but was told he’s not ready. I’m certainly not avoiding him. All I request is a full, fair camp. No playing games.’

Having sizzled on four arena shows at the Copper Box Arena, Chelsea fan Archie makes his O2 debut this weekend in a fourth successive scheduled eight rounder against an as yet unnamed opponent.

‘This will be my first fight with a nutritionist. Previously, I’ve been making super-featherweight way too easily. Lately, I’ve been working a lot on my power and strength. Let’s see what I can deliver at the top end of the weight,’ says the Richard Sawyer coached starlet who recently became a father to son Presley.

‘Some say I’d be better served fighting higher up the bill on smaller shows but I actually like being among all the big names at the biggest venues. I’m only a fight or so away from playing a more prominent part in more testing fights on these huge bills. You’ll see me thrive off pressure; on bigger stages against better opponents.

‘On Saturday at The O2, people will see I bring the class to this sport. You’ll see me throw and land shots that I’m not supposed to throw. I do things no one else can do. The aim of boxing is to hit and not get hit and on Saturday I’ll deliver a masterclass.

‘Then I’m aiming for a title shot on the next big London show, probably in September. If Woodstock’s in the opposite corner, all well and good.’

Ryan Garner may be barely out of his teen years but already the spiteful punching Southampton starlet has designs on proving himself ‘The Daddy’ of the domestic featherweight division.

Once a European schoolboy champion, the aptly named ‘Piranha’ has already shredded seven significantly more seasoned circuit fighters since debuting in June 2016, and only two managed to complete the scheduled four rounds.

‘I know that, outside the ring, I still look a baby-faced kid but I’ve never felt like the ‘boy’ between the ropes,’ states the 5ft 6in angel-faced assassin who steps up to six round level on Saturday’s talent-stacked bill at London’s O2 Arena.

‘Already, I’m as strong as every opponent I’ve fought – I’ve pushed ‘em all back – and I’ll only get stronger. I do a lot of S and C work against my own body weight, loads of stability and core work.

‘As a very young kid, I was really mouthy and my two older brothers used to batter me. I had to learn to fight back from a very young age. They toughened me up pretty quickly. I may only be 20 but I’ve been at this a long time. I just really love fighting.’

The 20 year old’s 7-0 slate lists just 21 paid rounds but already the fearless Frank Hopkins managed prospect is eyeing the domestic 9st elite.

‘Right now, the British featherweight division is booming and I can’t wait to get involved,’ claims the ex-carpenter’s apprentice who is trained by Wayne Batten on England’s south coast.

‘You’ve got Frampton, Warrington and Selby at world level. Ryan Walsh is a real top quality British champion who can really switch it on, on his best nights. He’s very well drilled, no glaring weaknesses. I think he’ll come through his rematch with Isaac Lowe. I didn’t really rate Isaac when we sparred.

‘Recently, I won a lot of money on Ryan Doyle against Reece Bellotti. While Bellotti has heavy hands, his boxing ability is shocking.

‘But in a couple of years down the line, I’ll be happy to get in with any of them. I just need to get valuable experience at six, eight and ten round level. If I want to be a major champion, I’ll HAVE to fight someone good.

‘Ideally, I want to be 11-0, 12-0 and fighting in eight rounders by the end of this year, knocking at the door for 10 round title fights. Without doubt, I know I’ll get there.’

Latterly, Saints fan Ryan has accelerated his apprenticeship with extensive spars against white hot Irish double Olympian Michael Conlan.

‘I’ve been having quality spars two or three times a week with Mick at Adam Booth’s gym in London, ahead of his homecoming in Belfast next weekend,’ says Garner who represented England on 19 occasions as an amateur.

‘We really push each other and you’d pay to watch us. He’s 26 and I’m still only 20. Mick’s punch variety is very good and he’s so smart. He forces me to think more. My boxing intelligence has come on hugely.

‘He’s also a really nice guy who helps me massively. He tells me that I’m more than capable of winning titles. I’m learning far more sparring him than I am in my fights.’

Saturday’s bonanza bill features several of the nation’s most gifted young talents and the scramble for post-fight accolades and column inches is sure to be intense. Garner, who confronts Hungary’s 6-3 Norbert Eszenyi, will need to be at his vicious best if he is to court attention.

‘Fight night is feeding time for ‘The Piranha’!’ he quips.

‘I turned pro for these kind of nights. Hopefully, fans will enjoy my all-action style and my passion. I throw a lot of punches, that’s my main attribute. As opponents fade, I get more into it.
‘It’s a good test. From what I’ve seen on tape, my opponent’s a very game boy, likes to fight back. But that’s how you learn, get rounds. I intend to stop him, but hopefully, it won’t happen too early.

‘I can’t wait to show the fans what I’m made of. I promise people won’t be disappointed.’

English Super-Middleweight czar Darryll Williams is all fighter; built like a fighter, scowls like a fighter, struts like a fighter, barks like a fighter.

But the 5ft 9in slab of black marble who sports a ‘Built for War’ tattoo and owns a maximum security glare is promising fight fans a style make-over that would flatter Gok Won, when he returns to duty after 11 months of exile at London’s O2 Arena on June 23rd.

After a brief stint under two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton up in Manchester, ‘Ferocious’ from Forest Hill recently relocated to Swansea, Wales to rekindle his alliance with native Welshman Dave John, the coach who first instructed the rough and rugged 18 year old in the nuances of The Noble Art at the Double Jab gym in Herne Hill.

People are in for a shock regarding my boxing ability,’ warns the dipping, ducking, slugging, hooking south Londoner who makes no secret of his past life as a hoodlum on the unforgiving streets of SE23.

‘I’m back with the man who gave me my raw style as a teenage amateur. David realised that my personality determined I was never going to allow myself to be put on the back foot. But lately I’ve been working on different things; everything off the jab, feinting.

‘Look, the fighting part, the raw aggression, the heart, the chin, can’t really be taught. You get that from the street and it’ll always be there. After my fights, people often said: ‘That would’ve been a good fight OUT of the ring!’

‘The excitement will always be there, guaranteed, but now there’ll be boxing within the fighting. I’ve just added subtleties and science picked up at other gyms to the aggression and rawness I always had.

‘In Wales, I’ve become associated with a company, AJM Boxing, that’s looked after me really well, handled my strength and conditioning, introduced me to yoga and gymnastics. It’s really improved my flexibility. My patience and timing are better and I deliver my punches in a unique way. There’ll be a lot more finesse and technicality.’

Last November, aged just 27, sporting a perfect 16 fight slate (six stoppages) and fresh off a brace of impressive English title wins against Leicester man Smyle, headstrong Williams astounded the trade by announcing his ring retirement, citing lack of opportunities. Hence, the dormancy.

However, he re-considered earlier this year after receiving re-assurances from Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren.

‘On Saturday, I’ve got to make myself look like I’m worth the hassle,’ claims the 28 year old who is managed by Mickey Helliet.

‘It’s been very frustrating and a lot of mental strength was required to keep going but we’re here now and I’m chomping at the bit, ready to go.

‘As much as it’s been difficult to retain focus, the time away has been beneficial because it’s allowed me to become comfortable with the changes I’ve made.’

On Saturday night, warlord Williams makes his return on a stacked London show with outstanding young talent.

‘It’ll be great to be part of the history of an arena that’s hosted so many iconic fighters, musicians, comedians,’ concludes ‘Ferocious’, a father of one, who relaxes by reading books on war strategy!

‘Once I get through next weekend, I just want to remain busy. I’d rather have four smaller fights in quick succession than wait for one big one.

‘I may not be respectful to the opposition once a fight is made but I don’t waste time calling people out.

‘The one that does interest me is (Chris) Eubank Jr. We’ve history dating back to 2012 when, as I was walking back to my corner before a spar, he ran up behind me and hit me on the back of the head. I’m not having that crap! When the spar started, it was more of a street brawl and he just kept holding. Even his coach Ronnie Davies had to tell him to stop holding on. Eventually his Dad pulled me off.

‘Junior can only fight one way, front foot, and nobody pushes ‘Ferocious’ back!’

Las Vegas (June 20th, 2018) – Great News for Boxing fans and for the Boxing industry with the announcement of the fourth annual Box Fan Expo, returning once again at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Saturday September 15, 2018 from 10 am to 5 pm, during Mexican independence weekend.

Over this traditional and special holiday weekend which will see the much-anticipated rematch with Saul ‘Canelo” Alvarez battling once again Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the Box Fan Expo is thrilled of opening its doors to boxing fans from all over the world as well to all major companies, promoters and industry people involved in the sport of boxing.

From Las Vegas, the boxing mecca of the world, enthusiastic fans from all over will be able to meet and greet some of their favorite fighters, including current and former world champions, top fighters of today and many of the boxing celebrities that will attend the Boxing Expo.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on the Box Fan Expo is available at: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

You can follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo

and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

SINGAPORE – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and AirAsia today announced that current “OnePride MMA Pro Never Quit” women’s strawweight champion of Indonesia, Linda Darrow (6-0), has been selected as the first-ever student to be admitted into its UFC® Scholarship program. As part of this scholarship, Darrow, 28, will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the United States to train at the UFC Performance Institute® in Las Vegas, Nevada. Once at the Performance Institute, Darrow will have access to the facilities staff of experts in the fields of strength and conditioning, nutrition and physical therapy to help hone down her skills.

“We are excited to award this scholarship to Linda, as she is a wonderful role model for all aspiring mixed martial artists around the world,” UFC Vice President of International Partnerships Rene Valencia said. “Her journey is just beginning and we are immensely proud of our ground-breaking partnership with AirAsia, who are helping us create new MMA development opportunities for athletes. We look forward to warmly welcoming Linda to Las Vegas and the UFC Performance Institute.”

The four-week curriculum, devised by UFC, will give athletes the opportunity to test themselves and train with the best MMA athletes in a world-class training facility.

“We are very pleased to receive this exciting news that Linda Darrow of Indonesia has been selected as the inaugural UFC training scholarship recipient,” Chairman Komite Olahraga Beladiri Indonesia (KOBI) A. Ardiansyah Bakrie said. “KOBI was established under the Ministry of Sports in Indonesia to support the growth and development of MMA in Indonesia, we appreciate the efforts of UFC and AirAsia as sponsors, and recognise both organisations as further enhancing the credibility of MMA in Indonesia and globally.”

“This is a great honour for the Indonesian MMA community, we are honoured that Linda Darrow the “OnePride MMA Pro Never Quit” Women’s Strawweight Champion of Indonesia, has been selected for this prestigious scholarship,” Chairman, OnePride MMA Indonesia David Burke said. “We would like to thank both UFC and AirAsia for this sponsorship, and hopefully in the future other Indonesian MMA fighters might also be capable of qualifying for other UFC scholarships, this will go a long way to motivating Indonesian MMA Fighters and without a doubt have a positive impact to the MMA community in Indonesia.”

As the world’s first mixed martial arts multi-disciplinary research, innovation and performance center, the Performance Institute is a state-of-the-art 30,000 square-foot facility providing benefits and services to all athletes competing under the UFC banner.

“We’re thrilled to support UFC’s scholarship and contender series programs,” AirAsia Group Head of Branding Rudy Khaw said. “AirAsia is committed to helping people make their dreams come true, whether it’s connecting them to one of our 130 destinations or helping them to become world-class mixed martial artists. We look forward to working together with UFC on these two opportunities for eligible athletes in the Asia-Pacific region.”

UFC’s partnership with AirAsia will also see one athlete from the Asia-Pacific region take part in the UFC’s original content series, Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. This UFC FIGHT PASS® program is focused on finding the next generation of UFC ready athletes by providing access to the world’s biggest MMA stage in front of UFC President Dana White. Fans can tune in to watch the program on UFC Fight Pass®, the global brand’s digital subscription service.

For more information on AirAsia, please visit airasia.com or follow AirAsia on Facebook and YouTube (AirAsia), Twitter and Instagram (@airasia), Weibo (@????) or WeChat and Zhihu (@????). For more information on UFC, please visit UFC.com. Follow us on, WeChat, Youku, QQ, Facebook (UFC Asia), Twitter and Instagram (@ufc).

About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018, UFC boasts more than 284 million fans worldwide and has produced over 400 events in 21 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to more than 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About AirAsia

AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia by passengers carried, services an extensive network of more than 130 destinations. Since starting operations in 2001, AirAsia has carried more than 500 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to over 200. The airline is proud to be a truly Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines as well as India and Japan, servicing a network stretching across Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Middle East and the US. AirAsia has been named the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards nine times in a row from 2009 to 2017. AirAsia was also awarded World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the fourth consecutive year at the 2016 World Travel Awards, where it beat a field of full-service carriers to become the first ever low-cost carrier to win World’s Leading Inflight Service.

Weekly MMA Show with Ariel Helwani and Chael Sonnen available today
New Podcast “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” to Debut Monday, June 25, Live on Twitter
https://espnmediazone.com/us/files/2018/05/logo-600px-300×130.jpg

ESPN+ will debut today “Ariel & The Bad Guy”, a weekly MMA program hosted by award-winning mixed martial arts (MMA) journalist Ariel Helwani, alongside ESPN MMA analyst, Chael Sonnen. The show will be available today exclusively in the United States on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

“Ariel & The Bad Guy” will be a fast-paced 30-minute weekly breakdown of the top stories, developments and upcoming fights. A new episode will be available on ESPN+ each Wednesday starting today. In addition to the regularly scheduled episodes, ESPN+ will stream special episodes before and after major mixed martial arts events.

Helwani will also host a new weekly podcast, “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show,” which will debut live on Twitter on Monday, June 25. Each episode of Helwani’s podcast will be streamed live on Twitter and be available on the ESPN App, ESPN.com and wherever podcasts are available. Helwani will also contribute on MMA on ESPN.Com.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks.

The ESPN+ lineup includes 18 exclusive, live Top Rank events per year, dozens of fights from other Top Rank undercards, an unmatched library of the greatest fights in boxing history, and two exclusive, original boxing programs: The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays) and In This Corner (twice monthly).

It also features hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (June 20, 2018) — The next chapter of Jose Ramirez’s career — this one as a world champion — will occur with a new voice in his corner. After a long and successful partnership with Freddie Roach, Ramirez (22-0, 16 KOs) hired Robert Garcia as his head trainer following his unanimous decision victory over Amir Imam on March 17 to win the vacant WBC super lightweight championship.

Ramirez, from Avenal, California, will make his first title defense on July 7 at the Save Mart Center in nearby Fresno against Danny O’Connor (30-3, 11 KOs).

Ramirez worked out for the media Wednesday at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy.

This is what Ramirez and Garcia had to say.

Jose Ramirez

On fighting in Fresno as a champion

“I believe the excitement of the people to see me return home as a world champion is going to be huge. Everybody in the Central Valley watched my fight March 17 at Madison Square Garden when I beat Amir Imam to become world champion. I think the excitement and the pride that they’re going to come into the Save Mart Center with is going to make the atmosphere so much better.”

“My goal was to fight in Fresno, to showcase my skills in front of my fans, family, and friends. Once that happened, I was able to headline a show in Fresno, and everything started to fall into place. I’m honored that we’re able to defend the title in Fresno, thanks to Top Rank and the team that worked hard to get this fight done. I’m living a dream.”

On being a big favorite against Danny O’Connor.

“I feel like I have a responsibility as a world champion, so that responsibility helps me stay focused and grounded. This fight will only lead to bigger fights. It’s another step to fighting the big fights.”

On the 140-pound division

“I want to fight all of the champions, but I have to take care of business July 7 against Danny O’Connor first. I am excited to come home and defend my title. It’s going to be a great night for the Central Valley of California.”

Robert Garcia

On working with Ramirez

“I’d met him before. In the amateurs, everyone knew about Jose. I saw him fight in Fresno, and he would come to my gym in Oxnard, spar a few rounds. I’ve known him for a long time, and it’s great to be working with him.”

Ramirez vs. O’Connor will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET. Undercard bouts, including appearances by Central Valley prospect Bryan Lua and heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr., will stream on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. Also appearing on ESPN+ in a six-round special attraction will be blue-chip prospect Gabe Flores Jr. of Stockton, California, who signed with Top Rank as a 16-year-old in November 2016, becoming the youngest fighter ever signed by the promotional company.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Star Boxing and Murphys Boxing, tickets to this world championship event, priced at $150 (floor), 90, $60, $35, $20, and $10, plus applicable fees, are ON SALE NOW and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000, or at the Save Mart Center box office. For more information and box office hours, visit www.savemartcenter.com

DETROIT (June 20, 2018) – Unified Women’s Super Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shields and unified 154-pound champion Hanna Gabriels met face to face during the final press conference in advance of their fight to decide the IBF and WBA Women’s Middleweight World Championships this Friday live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT).

The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast features the No. 1 fighter at 168 pounds facing the No. 1 fighter at 154 pounds as they both attempt to become champions for the first time in the middleweight division. In the telecast co-feature unified women’s middleweight champion Christina Hammer defends her WBC and WBO titles in her U.S. debut against former world champion Tori Nelson. Also, light heavyweight prospects Umar Salamov and Brian Howard will meet in a 10-round matchup that will open the tripleheader from Masonic Temple in Detroit.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are available at Ticketmaster.com or at the Masonic Temple Box Office at (313) 832-7100. VIP tickets are priced at $300, ringside tickets at $125, and remaining tickets at $75, $50 and $35.

Here is what the principals had to say on Wednesday at the St. Regis Hotel in Detroit. Howard was not able to attend because of weather-related travel issues.

CLARESSA SHIELDS

“We have a women’s main event. We have another women’s fight for world titles as the co-main event and then, we have a male fight opening up the show. I’ve never seen anything like that before.

“After my second fight, I told Mark [Taffet] what my dreams were. My goal was to fight Christina Hammer my seventh fight to take all of her belts. That was the way that I saw it going but my professional career took off very fast and that’s why I’m the greatest female fighter of all time. I say that because where I’m from in Flint, Michigan, people have dreams all the time but we’re not given that opportunity. I was in a dark place from the age of five until I was 17.

“For someone to take away my accomplishments and say that I’m not the greatest of all time, you have to show me. When I’m in the gym training two times a day, I think about what I went through and what my family goes through and I push myself. When somebody says that they’re going to beat me, it angers me. I get mad and I punch the bag until it falls. When you tell me that I’m not the greatest woman of all time, I really hope Hanna has trained hard because it’s not going to be an easy task. I really hope that Christina Hammer has trained hard because in the future it’s not going to be an easy task either. To beat me, you’re going to have to kill me. I’m not going to go down.

“I’m the fastest woman to win a world title. I did it in my fourth fight. I was 21 years old and I was coming off winning two Olympic Gold Medals. I whipped this body into shape. In the Olympics, you fight four two-minute rounds. June 22, we’re fighting 10 two-minute rounds. I’ve been pro for a year and a half so you can’t tell me I haven’t worked hard to get to where I am. When I say that I am the greatest woman of all time, I’ve proved it. I have the belts. I have the gold medals. There’s more footage of me boxing out there than any other woman. Every fight, I improve. Just because somebody has been professional more than me, it’s not going to make it any easier for you. You have to come in there and you have to show me. I’m fighting the best and if anybody ever stands up to me, man or woman, I’ll never lose. I can’t wait until Friday night.”

HANNA GABRIELS

“I think Claressa is a great fighter. I think she has accomplished a lot. I wish that I got the chance to go to the Olympics but when I started women’s boxing wasn’t an Olympic sport. I didn’t have that chance and I’m just happy that so many women are now able to dream about that and accomplish that.

“I only have one amateur fight and people laugh at me for that. I didn’t have the same opportunities coming up in Costa Rica. I didn’t have that privilege and it’s very difficult. I didn’t have the opportunity to fight anybody so I turned professional and here we are. My path has been difficult and unexpected. Many people thought I was too old by the time I got started. It’s been an amazing journey and I came prepared for this fight. When you are a true competitor and you like to push yourself to the fullest, then you like great competition. I am glad that Claressa and I will be facing each other on Friday. I hope everybody enjoys the fight.”

CHRISTINA HAMMER

“I’m ready for this. I’m ready for you Tori. You want these two belts? You have to pass through me first. It’s time for me to shine and I’m ready.

“It was disappointing for me not to fight in January. I had some visa issues but now I have everything in order for me to make my debut. I’m so excited to finally step into the ring in the U.S.

“Right now, I’m only focused on my next fight and Tori is my target. Whatever Claressa does, I’m not focused on that. After the fight, I’m looking forward to fighting her but at the moment it’s only Hammer and Nelson.

“I saw Tori fight against Claressa. Tori is a tough fighter who likes to come forward and land some punches from the outside. I’m a longtime champion and I know how to fight against these types of fighters who come forward.

“I feel that I’m in the best shape of my life right now. I prepared very well and I have my weight already. I ate very disciplined and clean. I spent a week in Ft. Lauderdale and now I’m in Detroit so I feel ready to go and looking forward to the fight.

“I think Shields is looking forward to fighting me and is not so focused on Gabriels like she should be. I am focused only on Nelson and that’s who I prepared to beat. After this fight, we can talk about Hanna or Shields.”

TORI NELSON

“I must say that I was very hurt to get my first loss but to have it against Claressa, I’m honored. She carries herself as a champion and in order to find out if you are the best, you have to fight the best. That’s what I did. I went up a weight class and I fought the best. She showed me she was.

“Styles make fights and it’s going to be interesting but we’re going to take this win home.”

UMAR SALAMOV

“This is a tough, exciting fight for me but I’m ready for the top light heavyweights in the world and I’m going to prove that on Friday night. I know I’m a strong, heavy puncher and I’m going to show that and give my best.

‘I will bring a high-level and lots of energy. I’m going to show that I belong in the championship picture. It feels incredible and I’m honored to be fighting on SHOWTIME.”

JOHN DAVID JACKSON, SHIELDS’ TRAINER

“It’s a pleasure to work with Claressa. She beats most of the men that I train. She comes to fight. This Friday night, she’s going to showcase her talents once again. Since day one, she’s been a pleasure to work with. Whatever I’ve asked her to do, she tries. She’s perfecting her craft. This fight should be a wonderful event. She’s bringing boxing back in two ways. One, for the female fighters but also for the boxing community. She’s refreshing. When the bell rings, somebody’s getting hurt. Her whole intention is to be undisputed champion in multiple divisions, not just one. She’s definitely on the right path for that.”

HECTOR FERNANDEZ de CORDOVA, GABRIELS’ TRAINER

“It’s been some road getting here. It’s been hard. Female boxing doesn’t get the attention or the money that they deserve. We have amazing warriors over here. During this two-month period, all I’ve heard is, ‘The greatest woman of all time.’ How can you call yourself the greatest woman of all time when you have five professional fights? That’s disrespectful to the fighters such as Christina Hammer and Hanna Gabriels. There are so many great champions in the past as well. I just think it’s disrespectful.

“Hanna Gabriels is a three-time world champion and a great human being. Everybody is going to have to pay attention to her after this fight and what’s coming next.”

CRAIG FLADAGER, NELSON’S TRAINER

“They say that lightning doesn’t strike twice in one spot but we were fortunate enough to get a second opportunity on SHOWTIME. There’s no shame in losing to probably the best female fighter there’s ever been. Mad respect for Claressa. We like our chances against Christina Hammer, who we have a lot of respect for. Styles make fights. In this one, it’s kind of like Ali vs. Frazier. You have the tall, long Christina with the great jab and you have Tori at her best fighting weight. It’s going to be a really good contrast of styles and a great fight to watch.”

JAVAN SUGARHILL STEWARD, SALAMOV’S TRAINER

“This reminds me of when I was a kid and championship boxing was in Detroit in full stride. We have exciting boxing with the top female boxers in the world here performing in Detroit. Female boxing is on the rise and it’s become more entertaining than men’s boxing in a lot of ways. I’ve always thought that Claressa Shields was the big star in boxing to bring women’s boxing back to the forefront.

“There’s been a lot of good boxing here in Detroit. We have brought over a lot of fighters from Russia, one of them being Umar Salamov. I’ve been very impressed with his performances in the short amount of time that he’s been training with me. He learns very fast. He has a lot of talent, good footwork, good punching power and he likes to have fun. He has a tough fight on Friday against Brian Howard, but if you want to build a champion you have to put him in tough fights at the right time.”

GORDON HALL, VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCTION, SHOWTIME SPORTS

“SHOWTIME Sports continues to lead the boxing industry by delivering the largest slate of live events. This year alone, we featured 22 world title bouts and our ShoBox: The New Generation series continues to develop prospects, turning them into contenders. Most recently, we had our 76th fighter in Maurice Hooker win a title. We are very proud of this developmental series as it has helped the sport of boxing.

“SHOWTIME has a long history of women in combat sports. Our MMA platforms have seen the likes of Gina Carano, Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey and our boxing is headlined by Laila Ali, Christy Martin and most recently, Claressa Shields, Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor. This will be SHOWTIME’s eighth telecast since 2016 presenting women’s boxing. Male or female, we are delivering the best fighters in their best fights and Friday will be no different.”

DMITRY SALITA, FOUNDER OF SALITA PROMOTIONS

“We have a full card stacked from top to bottom on Friday night. There are a million ways to say no, but only one way to say yes, and Hanna Gabriels said yes. She’s on many pound-for-pound lists and is a superstar in her own right, especially in Costa Rica where she’s fought in front of 10, 15, 20,000 people. She’s a trend-setter and record breaker in women’s boxing in her home country.

“Claressa Shields has the ability to become a Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Pele, Michael Jordan – someone very special and someone who can take the sport to the next level and she has already done that by becoming the first women to fight in the main event on a premium sports channel.”

MARK TAFFET, SHIELDS’ MANAGER

“I promise you that we’ll look back some day and June 22, 2018 will be the day that people will point to and they will say, that’s the day that the glass ceiling was broken.

“You don’t get champions with the talent and level of commitment these women have, inside and outside of the ring, that often. And we have them all in one night, in one card. It is the best night of women’s boxing to date.”

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.

RED CORNER BLUE CORNER

10 ROUNDS – WELTERWEIGHTS
Mikkel LesPierre vs. Gustavo Vittori
Brooklyn, NY Concordia, Argentina
19-0-1, 8 KO’s 20-3-1, 11 KO’s
144.2 lbs. 146.6 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS
Jude Franklin vs. Enrique Aguilar
Brooklyn, NY Mexico City, Mexico
7-0, 6 KO’s 8-14, 1 KO
127.6 lbs. 130 lbs.

10 ROUNDS – LIGHTWEIGHTS
Dejan Zlaticanin vs. Roberto Ramirez
Podgorica, Montenegro Tijuana, Mexico
23-1, 16 KO’s 17-2-1, 12 KO’s
135.4 lbs. 135.8 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Raquel Miller vs. Szilvia Szabados
San Francisco, CA Miskolc, Hun.
5-0, 3 KO’s 17-11, 8 KO’s
159.8 lbs. 154.8 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Jose Roman vs. Marcus Beckford
Bayamon, Puerto Rico Patchogue, NY
5-0, 3 KO’s 5-8-3, 1 KO
149.6 lbs. 151.4 lbs.

All Bouts Subject to Change

Tickets, starting at $50, can be purchased through the Melrose Ballroom website or by clicking HERE, by phone at 718-255-6921, and will also be available at the venue on fight night. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. with the first bell at 7:00 p.m. Broadway Boxing is presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, Christos Steakhouse and Gagliardi Insurance.

Melrose Ballroom is located at 36-08 33rd Street (at 36th Avenue), Astoria, NY, 11106, and is easily accessible via public transportation or a drive from any of the five boroughs (just a 15-minute drive from Manhattan), and a short walk from the subway. Take the E/M/R trains to the 36th Street stop in Queens or the N/W trains to Broadway. Specific directions, by car, train and bus, can be viewed on their website,www.MelroseBallroomNYC.com/directions/.

The entire card originating from Melrose Ballroom, in Astoria, Queens, NY, is available to watch across the world for $6.95. Fans can purchase the event immediately by visiting live.dbe1.com.

WORCESTER, Mass. (June 20, 2018) — This past Father’s Day was considerably different for three-time, two-division world champion “El Gallo” Jose Antonio Rivera and his pro-debuting son, A.J. Rivera, because they will be “Making History,” presented by Rivera Promotions Entertainment and Granite Chin Promotions, August 17 at The Palladium.

Rivera and his son, respectively, are the promoter and matchmaker for Rivera Promotions Entertainment (RPE), which will co-promote “Making History” with Granite Chin Promotions (GCP).

“We are excited to be teaming up with GCP for this historic boxing event,” Jose commented. “We have had the pleasure of working with Chris (Traietti) and Chuck (Shearns) in the past. We are grateful that they are able to work with us again to make sure we put together a great boxing event.”

The Riveras will become the first world-champion father-son combination to fight on a pro show that is promoted by their company. More significantly, A.J. will become the first pro boxer to be born with Spina Bifida.

Now 45 years old, Rivera is making his second comeback, but this time it’s solely to fight on the same card as his son. Due to a variety of reasons, “El Gallo” retired from the ring in 2008, but he came back in 2011 for two fights, both victories, before hanging up his gloves again.

In 1997, Rivera captured the International Boxing Organization (IBO) World welterweight title, stopping Gilberto Flores in the second round. Six years later, he traveled to Germany to take on undefeated, hometown favorite Michel Trabant (38-0) for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) World Welterweight Championship, in which Rivera won a 12-round decision and the belt.

Two fights later, in front of nearly 10,000 hometown fans in Worcester, Rivera won a 12-round unanimous decision over defending champion Alejandro Garcia (25-1) for the WBA World super welterweight title.

“I am boxing at 45 years old because of this great opportunity that has arisen for my son and I,” Jose explained. “Boxing on the same card with my son is going to be exciting and, even more so, because we will be a part of history! I am fortunate to be healthy, physically, and I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for not having any brain issues from my prior years of boxing. I’ve lost 20 pounds, so far, and need to lose 12 more to make the 160-pound weight class.

“I am not sure how the night of the fight is going to go. I play it in my head over and over about how I would like it to go, but in the end, I’m confident we will both be ready for tough fights because of the hard work we’re both putting in at the gym.

“Fan response has been good, positive and supportive of what we both are doing and attempting to accomplish. To look back at the day I was told my son was going to be born with Spina Bifida, preparing myself mentally for the worse, and now 25 years later here we are close to fulfilling his childhood dream. It’s amazing! I feel blessed to share this moment with my son. I am also happy that we can do this in front of our family, friends & fans in our City of Worcester, where my son was born, and I was raised since I moved there when I was 16.”

On Aug. 17, Rivera will face battle-tested middleweight Ryan “Dangerous” Davis (24-19, 9 KOs), fighting out of East Saint Louis, Illinois, in the eight-round main event. Davis has been in with the iron, including six-time, two division world champion Zab Judah, former International Boxing Federation (IBF) world champion Ishe Smith, two-time world title challenger and 2004 US Olympian Vances Martirosyan, world title challenger Jonathan Reid, reigning International Boxing Association (IBA) world junior middleweight champion Mark DeLuca, plus other notables such as Rob Brant, Mikael Zewski, Carlos Bojorquez and Dominik Britsch.

Twenty-five-year-old A.J. will fight an opponent to be determined in a four-round welterweight match. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales with a major in sports management, who has quickly become one of the most respected matchmakers in New England.

A.J. grew-up in a gym, watching his father train, and he also fought as an amateur boxer. “I’ve always wanted to fight as a pro and what better way than to make my pro debut on the same card headlined by my pops,” Rivera said. “This is a one and done, I’m not going to box as a career and, hopefully I will leave the ring on August 17th and retire undefeated. I plan to make matchmaking a career. I can stay in the sport I’ve always loved and matchmake for our company and for other promoters.

“I was born with Spina Bifida. A layer of skin covered a hole in my back, preventing water from getting in, which would have damaged my system and left me paralyzed, unable to speak and with a shunt in my head to drain fluid. The doctors told my parents that, if I survived, I’d only live to be 19, in a wheelchair and a little autistic. I had surgery the next day and my pops kept hope. As I got older, I played basketball, football, baseball and boxed. I was inactive for seven years when I went away to school and started matchmaking.”

In addition to sacrificing to make weight, instead of having a Father’s Day cookout, he watched what he ate and, of course, workout with his father in the gym to prepare for his pro debut.

“I wasn’t able to celebrate my 25th anniversary on June 2 either,” A.J. added. “I plan to celebrate my birthday and Father’s Day when I step out of the ring on August 17th. Then, I’ll go back to focusing on my craft and become a full-time matchmaker.”

Red-hot Richard “Popeye The Sailor Man” Rivera (8-0, 7 KOs), fighting out of Hartford, CT, will be showcased in the eight-round co-featured event. Rivera is the reigning UBF All Americans light heavyweight and ABF International cruiserweight champion.

Schedule to fight on the undercard in separate bouts are Worcester junior middleweight Khiary Gray (15-4, 11 KOs), promoted by CES Boxing, Danbury, CT junior welterweight Omar “The Beast” Bordoy, Jr. (6-0, 2 KOs), Springfield, MA welterweight Jose Angel “KO” Ortiz Jose Angel “KO” Ortiz (4-13-1, 1 KO) and pro-debuting featherweight Joshua Orta, Southbridge, MA welterweight Wilfredo “El Sucaro” Pagan (4-0, 2 KOs), Worcester lightweight Francisco Irizarry (4-0, 2 KOs) and pro-debuting lightweight Eslih Owusu.

Opponents will soon be announced. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $75.00 (ringside) and $45.00 (general admission), are on sale and available to purchase at www.ThePalladium.net or the Palladium box office (general admission only), or by contacting Jose Rivera (elgallojar@gmail.com/508.864.6954), AJ Rivera (anthoneerivera@gmail.com/774.272.2269) or any of the fighters.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET, first bout 7 p.m. ET.

Event sponsors include Lundgren Hondo, Atty. Maria M. Rivera-Cotto, USANA, Chieftain Liquors and ChrisFIT Xperience.

A portion of the proceeds will go to Spina Bifida Association of Greater New England.

INFORMATION:
Facebook.com: /RiveraPromotionsEntertainment, /GraniteChin Promotions
Twitter: @RiveraPromoEnt @joseriverachamp @KingRivera_, @Granite_Chin

PROMOTER Frank Warren today held the ?nal press conference ahead of Saturday’s o2 Arena show topped topped by Roberto Garcia’s WBC Silver Middleweight Title defence against Martin Murray.

The likely prize for the winner is being made mandatory challenger for WBC world champion, Gennady Golovkin.

Other title bouts on the bill that is being televised by BT Sport are Anthony Yarde’s WBO Intercontinental and European light-heavyweight title defence against Dariuz Sek, KO King Daniel Dubois meets trash talking Tom Little for the vacant English heavyweight crown and Britain’s most controversial boxer Ohara Davies challenges WBC International Super-Lightweight champion Paul Kamanga.

Also in action are Darryl Williams, Johnny Garton, Raza Hamza, Archie Sharp, Umar Sadiq and Harvey Horn.

FRANK WARREN
“There is a bit of football on, but this is a good ?ghting bill with competitive ?ghts. “There have been changes to the card with Billy Joe Saunders pulling out, but we have worked hard to secure a good opponent for Martin and we have done that. Martin is one of the stalwarts of British boxing and always in good ?ghts, but he cannot afford to lose this ?ght. It’s a cracking ?ght between two very good ?ghters and the winner becomes an A side attraction. “Anthony Yarde was offered a ?ght with Kovalev but we turned it down. He needs that experience. The objective is to win it and defend it. Each time he ?ghts he will step up. “Daniel Dubois is the best young heavyweight I have been involved with.”

ROBERTO GARCIA
“I have always been on the B side and built a career of pulling off upsets. This is something I’m used to and I am the last throwback ?ghter. We thought we had the Gennady Golovkin ?ght a couple months back, and it has been frustrating. I told Don King I wanted a big ?ght and I pleaded for a big ?ght and he got this overnight. I have a lot to ?ght for and I need this ?ght more than Martin. I go hard, as hard as I have to.”

MARTIN MURRAY
“When Billy Joe pulled out I thought I would’t ?ght, but getting a meaningful ?ght means a lot. I was gutted that Billy Joe pulled out, but never took my eyes off the ball. Garcia was calling for the ?ght on Twitter and he can bring that. He is the opposite of Billy Joe and I won’t have to go looking for him. It is about levels and I will show that on Saturday. Being so close before in world titles makes me more hungry and determined. As soon I feel I can’t offer anything to the sport I will gone.”

ANTHONY YARDE
“I don’t know too much about Dariusz, but I go out and do my job. It doesn’t matter if he is southpaw, northpaw or westpaw. Sparring with southpaws have been different but nothing to worry me. When you have power, that relaxes you. I am not thinking this is a pushover. People talk about world title offers, but boxing is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.

DARIUSZ SEK
“I am looking forward to the ?ght and I will win. I have seen his ?ghts and we have adapted our training techniques to win the ?ght on Saturday. I will keep my distance and show him how it is done.

DANIEL DUBOIS
“I don’t like or dislike Tom, but I am ready to do the business. I am prepared to ?ght whether it ends in the ?rst round or last. He can try what he wants I am ready for it. Tom is a weak man mentally and I will show that. He is nothing.”

TOM LITTLE
“I’m much more than a four day notice man coming to pick up a pay cheque. I will be drilling that rib cage and I will drown Daniel very slowly. I should have bought him armbands. He is going to get welcomed to a man’s world. This ?ght is way too early for Daniel. I am not the superstar and have zero pressure. He is the one who has got to impress. When it gets down and dirty I will be the tougher. I’ve dreamt of this chance and will not put it to waste.”

OHARA DAVIES
“This guy is bum. He gives a story of coming up the hard way but we all did. This is an easy ?ght, a walk in the park. I am smarter than him and all I need is a ring IQ. He is gonna get beat, paid and be on the next ?ight back to Congo. I am gonna eat as much food as a I can after I win. When he is on a plane home and I have crushed his dreams I will be on a plane to Marbella celebrating. It will be so easy I will tell him what shot I am going to throw. When I beat him I want Jack Catterall.”

PAUL KAMANGA
“I don’t share the same sentiment as many do regarding Ohara’s boxing. He is average at best. It is a short notice ?ght for me, but I don’t see him going ten rounds. I am going to do the British public favour. I am no replacement coming for a payday. I am not a champion by luck and I will put this kid away.”

Lewis Ritson has signed a new five fight deal with Matchroom Boxing.

The Newcastle ace landed the Lord Lonsdale belt for keeps last weekend on his home patch, drilling Paul Hyland Jnr inside a round in front of a raucous Metro Radio Arena crowd.

Ritson initially signed with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom after ripping the British Lightweight title from Robbie Barrett in seven rounds in Manchester in October and thrilled in quickfire defences earlier in the year, putting Joe Murray away in the opening round in Manchester in February then ending Scotty Cardle’s attempts to regain his old title in a two-round shootout.

The 24 year old will now target European honours and beyond, and the ‘Sandman’ is delighted to put pen to paper and continue his incredible rise with Hearn and Sky Sports.

“I’m delighted to extend my deal with Matchroom,” said Ritson. “It’s been a rapid rise but one that I have enjoyed fighting on the big stage live on Sky Sports.

“We’re going to keep busy and I can’t wait to see where we go from here, but I can’t get complacent I need to keep focused and keep winning.

“Since the Barrett fight we have fought everyone Eddie has presented to us no problem, I’m a fighter at the end of the day and have no problem jumping in there with anyone my team believe I’m ready for.

“The atmosphere in Newcastle was unreal. I had a little moment before the bell went to soak it all up. The plan is to return there in October and I hope we can continue to build.

“There’s no pressure on me to talk about St James’ Park, it’s an aspiration and something to aim towards – A year ago I was a massive underdog to win the British so let’s roll the dice and see where we end up.

“It’s been a fantastic year, everything is improving not just in the ring but in my home life as well as a result.

“The European title is the logical next step, I’d like to prove to myself I can win that which is a move up and there’s some talk of a fight in America before the close of the year but that’s all up to Eddie and the team to lock down and for me to keep doing what I do best.”

“I’ve been completely blown away with what Lewis has done over the past 8 months and last Saturday in Newcastle was epic,” said Hearn. “I think he is one of the most exciting fighters in World boxing right now and has a huge future in the sport.

“We are looking forward to working with Phil, Dave, Neil and the team in guiding him at the right pace to major titles. I really believe the Sky is the limit for Lewis Ritson.”

St. Petersburg, FL (June 20, 2017) – Middleweight up and comer Connor “The Kid” Coyle became the NBA Intercontinental middleweight champion by scoring an impressive sixth round stoppage of local rival Danny “El Bebo” Pastrana Saturday, June 16 at The Coliseum in St. Petersburg, FL.

The card was promoted by Fire Fist Boxing Promotions in association with Money Round Boxing League.

Fighting in front of a sold out crowd, both men looked to impose their will in the early going. Eventually, Coyle found his range and peppered Pastrana with jabs while using good movement to steer clear of return shots. With the fight under his control, Coyle buzzed Pastrana with a right hand in round six. Moments later, the 28-year-old uncorked a massive right hand that sent his Orlando, FL based foe crashing to the canvas. The game Pastrana beat the 10 count but was clearly out of it, forcing the stoppage at 2:50.

Coyle, who hails from Derry, Northern Ireland but trains out of Tampa, FL, improves to 8-0 with 3 wins by knockout. Pastrana slips to 6-5 (1 KO).

In the co-featured bout of the evening, two-time Olympic medalist Ivan Dychko destroyed former title challenger Mike Marrone of Vero Beach, FL in in less than a round. Originally from Kazakhstan and now fighting out of Kissimmee, FL, Dychko scored three knockdowns before the bout was stopped at 2:19.

The 6’9 Dychko ups his professional ledger to 6-0 with all of his victories by knockout. Marrone is now 21-9 with 15 KO’s.

Grand Rapids, MI featherweight Vincent Jennings scored a shocking six round majority decision over local favorite Jose “Lil Pacquiao” Resendiz of St. Petersburg. In a battle between boxer and brawler, Jennings did all he could to keep the aggressive Resendiz, who also had to overcome a cut, on the outside.

Judge Chris Young’s 57-57 tally was overruled by scorecards of 58-56 from both Efrian Lebron and Mike Ross.

Jennings is now 6-5-1 with 4 victories by way of KO while Resendiz falls to 5-2.

Welterweight phenom and crowd favorite Mark Reyes Jr., 7-0 (5 KO’s) Demolished Puerto Rican veteran Javier Garcia in 2:25. Representing Tampa, FL, Reyes displayed impressive speed and dynamic power, scoring a knockdown following a vicious combination that left Garcia unable to continue.

“I am pleased with the card,” said Jody Caliguire of Fire Fist Boxing Promotions. “We were able to showcase a number of top fighters from the Sunshine State and had a great crowd. Connor looked fantastic and we believe the sky is the limit for him. Mark Reyes Jr. Is a great young talent as well and Ivan Dychko is a force to be reckoned with. I’d like to thank all the fighters and every fans who came out to show their support along with Money Round Boxing League for showing the fight worldwide via their website.

Fire Fist returns to the St. Pete Coliseum Saturday, October 6 and details will be available shortly. For more information, visit Firefistboxing.net or Facebook.com/firefistboxing.

OTHER RESULTS:

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS – Joseph Fernandez (8-3-3, 1 KO – Arcadia, FL) UD6 Larry Yanez (4-10-2, Fort Lauderdale, FL) 60-54, 60-54, 60-54

WELTERWEIGHTS – Leonel Jimenez (5-23-1, 4 KO’s – Eagle Pass, TX) SD6 Ali Tareh (13-14-5, 6 KO’s – St. Petersburg, FL) – 58-56, 59-55, 56-58

BANTAMWEIGHTS – Brian Cannady (3-0, 2 KO’s – Fort Myers, FL) TKO4 Michael Wooten (0-1 – Orlando, FL)

HEAVYWEIGHTS – Rodriguez Cade (2-1, 2 KO’s – Monroe, GA) KO2 Gary Kelly (1-7 – Montgomery, AL)

Dina Thorslund (11-0, 5 KOs) meets Mexico’s Yessica Munoz (17-1-1, 5 KOs) for the WBO Female World Super Bantamweight Championship on August 25 in Struer, Denmark.

Thorslund claimed the interim WBC World Super Bantamweight title on March 10 at the Struer Energi Park with an impressive performance to outpoint former two-time World Champion Alicia Ashley via unanimous decision.

In doing so, she became the first Danish World Champion since Mikkel Kessler captured his fifth World title in 2012, and only the second ever female World Champion from Denmark following former WBC and WBA bantamweight queen Anita Christensen.

The undefeated 24 year-old now has the opportunity to add another title to her collection as she meets Munoz for the WBO super bantamweight crown.

“It’s great to have another World title fight with one of the big federations,” said Thorslund. “It is very important to me that my career continues on an upward curve. I only want to face the best to prove I am the best in the world.”

Following two sell-out shows at the Struer Energi Park, Thorslund will once again be counting on home support to overcome her Mexican opponent.

“It’s amazing the fight will take place in my hometown Struer,” she says. “This will be the third time I get to fight in Struer and it’s getting wilder and wilder every time, and my feeling tells me this event will be the wildest one yet.

“My diet and weight is already under control. My shape is really good and I feel I’m at the best starting point ever before a fight.

“It’s amazing the fight will take place in my hometown Struer. It’s like it’s getting wilder and wilder for every time. It’s the third time now I’m going to fight in Struer, and my feeling tells me this event will be the wildest one.

“I haven’t had the chance to study my opponent too much yet, but I’ve heard that she’s a very busy fighter, so there will be more pressure and more physicality in this fight compared to my last.

“Mexican boxers have the reputation of being really, really strong. They come at you like a freight train. So I have to prepare for that. I will have to keep the pace down a bit, because I want to be the one who dictates the pace. I am confident that my will and strength will make me victorious.”

Thorslund’s can expect a tough test from Munoz, who inspired by fellow female fighters Jackie Nava and Ana Maria Torres, subscribes to the all-action ‘Mexican style’, which she has combined with speed and grace to earn the nickname ‘La Gacela’ (The Gazelle).

“Winning a World title is a great motivation for me,” said the 27 year-old. “Dina is a strong rival who likes to fight on the front foot but with my technique and speed I will defeat her.

“I am giving 100% in every training session and I will be prepared for whatever she has to offer. Fighting in her hometown motivates me to be even stronger. I am ready for a great challenge, and like all Mexican fighters I will leave everything in the ring!”

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: “This is a great opportunity for Dina to establish herself on the World scene. Winning the WBO World title can make her a global star and open the doors to high-profile unification fights in one of female boxing’s strongest divisions.

“She faces a dangerous opponent in Munoz. Mexican fighters are known for the heart and aggression. Two attributes Dina has also shown throughout her career. Like GGG, Dina fights with the Mexican style. Reminiscent of great fighters like Chavez or Barrera.

“She comes forward, she doesn’t back down and she wants to take her opponents out early. That’s what makes her so entertaining to watch and exciting to promote. On August 25, fans can expect an all-action Mexican style showdown in Struer!”

Tickets for the WBO World Super Bantamweight Championship contest between Dina Thorslund and Yessica Munoz on August 25 at the Sruer Energi Park are on sale now and available via www.ticketmaster.dk or by calling (+45) 70 15 65 65.

DETROIT (June 19, 2018) – Unified Women’s Super Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shields and unified 154-pound champion Hanna Gabriels spoke to the media at a workout session in Detroit just days before the two clash to decide the IBF & WBA Women’s Middleweight World Championships this Friday on SHOWTIME.

The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/PT and features the No. 1 fighter at 168 pounds facing the No. 1 fighter at 154 pounds as they both attempt to become champions for the first time in the middleweight division. The telecast also features unified women’s middleweight champion Christina Hammer defending her WBC & WBO titles in her U.S. debut against former world champion Tori Nelson. Also, light heavyweight prospects Umar Salamov and Brian Howard will meet in a 10-round matchup that will open the tripleheader from Masonic Temple in Detroit.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are available at Ticketmaster.com or at the Masonic Temple Box Office at (313) 832-7100. VIP tickets are priced at $300, ringside tickets at $125, and remaining tickets at $75, $50 and $35.

Here is what Shields and Gabriels had to say today at the Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit:

CLARESSA SHIELDS

“It’s been seven weeks of really hard work. A lot of people don’t know and I really don’t like to be open about it, but I got to 183 pounds after my last fight in January and now I’m 160. That’s 23 pounds. I was in camp running and getting ready for the fight and having to focus on weight was very different for me.

“I feel good and ready to go. I’m happy that she made it in safe and all that but now I’m just excited. You all know how I get before fights. The champ is here.

“So much has changed since I first turned pro. In my first fight, I was frustrated against Franchon (Crews Dezurn) during our fight. I was frustrated throughout camp and I really couldn’t handle everything that was going on. Now I know how to handle the media, the workouts, the interviews and still remain disciplined. The fact that I had to lose so much weight this camp only added more discipline.

“It makes me so happy and it just touches my heart to see four female fighters on the main fight poster. I was so happy that they decided to put them on TV. They have put me on before but it’s always been my goal to put other women on so when they decided to put Tori Nelson and Christina Hammer on I was so excited because this has never been done before. Women’s boxing is going somewhere.

“I always knew that it would take me to turn professional for women’s boxing to go to a higher level. That’s why I waited to win a second Gold Medal before I turned professional. To be the one to be the leader is special. I feel like I go out there every fight and give my best and show that I can box better than 90 percent of the men that box. If you have a choice to make a man the main event or me the main event, I always want them to choose me.

“There’s always mutual respect between me and my opponents. I’m thankful for them because I can’t do this by myself. I thank Hanna for stepping up and it’s mutual respect until Friday. I start getting really mean on Thursday, Friday is the fight and then after that we can exchange numbers and be friends.

“I expect her to use her gifts. She’s really good on her legs and she’s strong up top. I think she lacks in speed so I expect her to try to counter me and try to force me to make mistakes with her movement. I think she underrates my power.

“I never said that I wanted to get more knockouts. I’m perfectly fine being 5-0 with two knockouts. At the end of the day, I’m fine with that. The longer I’m in the ring boxing, the better. The more they get to see me on TV, that’s fine. Of course I would love to get the big knockout but look how disappointed Errol Spence Jr. was to get such a quick knockout of Ocampo. That didn’t please his fans. If the knockout comes, it comes.

“This will be my toughest fight. She’s the most skilled and has the most experience. She’s a three-time world champion. I’ve fought former world champions but she’s a three-time world champion to date. The girl that beat her, Hanna avenged that loss. I’m looking forward to her coming out and putting 100 percent in and I hope for us to have a great fight.

“I’m always confident going into fights. I’m not leaving the ring without having two new belts.”

HANNA GABRIELS

“I think that this is a time right now where women can have this type of platform. Claressa is a great champion and I have faced great women’s champions. I think it’s a great time for boxing fans to enjoy a quality fight. She’s a champion. I’m a champion. This will be a great matchup.

“You are going to see a very technical and aggressive fighter. That’s the only way that you can fight Claressa because she’s so aggressive herself and so tough, you can’t go in the ring passive against her. You have to put your life on the line in there and that’s what I’m planning to do.

“I feel honored to be on such a great card. This is a great opportunity and I just hope everybody sees this the way that I do. We trained hard. In my case, I wanted to bring the very best out of myself so the fans could leave the arena feeling great. This is what boxing is all about. Bringing entertainment and emotions that most other sports don’t bring to people.

“This fight means a lot to me. Every person that I love is going through a hard time right now, including my family. I just want to lead by example and show everybody that all odds are nothing. You can still fight the battle with as many resources or as little resources as you have. I’m dedicating this fight to all my loved ones because I promise there will be better times for us.

“When I was five years old I was sexually abused so my teenage years were tough. Sports always took me away from that. When I got an injury and I had to stop competing in track, I thought my life was over. For the next five or six years, I was very destructive and felt like I didn’t have a purpose. When I turned 24, I started a different passage and learned that everything that happened to me just made me the person I am today.

“We don’t really focus on anybody’s weaknesses because we believe if you’re a good professional and you are dedicating your life to this, you are supposed to get better at your weaknesses. So we focus on her strengths and I think we have a great plan. They say that she’s been underestimating me a lot but I think it’s part of her game and part of what she does.

“I think her strengths are pretty obvious. She has great feet. I don’t know if she punches hard but she’s very explosive. She must have a lot of power and she’s very defensive. She keeps her distance and she’s so big and I’m so small that we will have to risk a lot of things. Her confidence is one of her biggest strengths.

“This will probably be my toughest fight so far. I never had an amateur career, I had just one fight. Claressa has fought 80-something times so my schooling has been in the professional environment and I have had to learn in the process. Every fight has been a hard fight because I have to solve problems and I think she is definitely the toughest opponent because she’s so tall and so fast. She must walk around normally at 185 pounds and I’m not as big so we were a little worried at the beginning at how we would reach her body but we finally were able to figure that out in training and I’m confident that my game is going to surprise her a lot.

“Hopefully we can bring a surprise and people will get to see me and let everybody know that there are more great boxers out there that aren’t getting the same exposure or marketing that Claressa is getting. I don’t feel disrespected, I see this is an opportunity to show what I’ve been working on. Let them plan. Maybe those plans will fall.

“It’s going to be a great fight. She’s coming for the victory and I’m coming for the victory as well. She’s in for a big surprise.”

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.

Uncasville, CT (June 19, 2018) – Many of New England’s best and most promising boxers will be in action JUNE 30 on the “SLUGFEST AT THE SUN” card, presented by JOE DEGUARDIA’S STAR BOXING, at Mohegan Sun Area in Uncasville, Connecticut.

“SLUGFEST at the SUN” featuring JOE SMITH JR.

The “Common Man,” Long Island light heavyweight JOE SMITH, JR. (23-2, 19 KOs), returns to the ring after being inactive the past 11 months recovering from a broken jaw. The popular Irish-American will face MELVIN “THE ROMANTIC REDNECK” RUSSELL (11-4-2, 7 KOs) in the 10-round main event.

Smith burst onto the boxing scene in 2016 when he defeated, top rated light heavyweight, Andrzej Fonfara on NBC in Chicago, and again later that year, when he knocked living legend Bernard Hopkins clear out of the ring, becoming the first person to ever KO the former multi-division world champion and future Hall of Famer.

JOE DEGUARDIA, CEO of Star Boxing had this to say about June 30th, “We are thrilled to be up in New England for this sensational show at Mohegan Sun on June 30th that will be filled with local favorites and headlined by an international favorite (Joe Smith Jr). Boxing history is full of exciting fighters from New England and on June 30th fans will be treated to local fighters aiming to continue a rich tradition of tough New Englanders.”

In the eight-round co-featured event, two-time middleweight champion (pictured to left) KALI “KO MEQUINONOAG” REIS (13-7-1, 4 KOs), fighting out of Cranston, RI, is coming off her eye-opening performance last month against undisputed women’s world welterweight champion and pound-4-pound Queen, 33-0 CECELIA BRAEKUS, in the first female bout ever featured on HBO. Reis floored Braekhus once, but she lost a 10-round decision. The former WBC and UBF World middleweight champion will meet former world title challenger PATTY “LA ELEGANTE” RAMIREZ (11-5, 5 KOs), of Mexico, on Aug. 30 at Mohegan Sun.

Six New Englanders are scheduled to provide support on the undercard, including 2016 N.E. Golden Gloves champion “ACTION” ANTHONY LAUREANO (7-0, 3 KOs), of East Hartford (CT), in a six-round junior welterweight match against Mexican knockout artist JUAN de la cruz RODRIGUEZ (8-9-1, 6KOs). Laureano earned an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Manchester Community College.

Former University of New Haven basketball star, New London, CT undefeated heavyweight CASSIUS CHANEY (12-0, 6 KOs), meets ELDER “BARON” HERNANDEZ (5-2, 3 KOs), of Mexico, in a six-round bout. Chaney is coming off a vicious second round KO win at Madison Square Garden against Tim Washington.Chaney is promoted by Main Events.

New Haven, CT junior lightweight prospect WILLIAM FOSTER III (8-0, 6 KOs), a three-time N.E. Golden Gloves champion, puts his undefeated pro record on the line in a six-rounder versus TRYROME JONES (4-3-1, 1 KO). Foster is promoted by Murphy’s Boxing.

Exciting South Boston, MA junior welterweight, and Union Local 941 railroad laborer, JOE FARINA (2-0, 2 KOs) throws-down with STEVE MOORE (1-3, 1 KO) in a six-round junior welterweight battle.

In a pair of six-round fights, Worcester, MA junior middleweight ANDY GONZALEZ (6-2, 5 KOs) has prepared to upset unbeaten WENDY “HAITIAN FIRE” TOUSSAINT (8-0, 2 KOs). Toussaint’s last three fights have ended via TKO, and the Long Island fighter plans on extending the streak to four,while Springfield, MA junior middleweight ANTHONY VELAZQUEZ (2-0, 2 KOs) will try to make an impression against ANTHONY WOODS (1-6-1).

Get your tickets to JUNE 30th, #SLUGFESTattheSUN live from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
Tickets start at JUST $30.
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MEDIA:
SLUGFEST AT THE SUN: THE RETURN OF JOE SMITH JR.

SLUGFEST AT THE SUN: THE RETURN OF JOE SMITH JR.
INFO:
“SLUGFEST at the SUN”: THE RETURN OF JOE SMITH JR.
After eleven months out of the ring due to a broken jaw, “THE BEAST” Joe Smith Jr.returns in a big way, at the beautiful Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. After coming off a stellar KO win on NBC against Andrzej Fonfara, and defeating the legend Bernard Hopkins on HBO, Smith Jr. has his eyes set on landing in the win column in his first bout of 2018.
FACTS:
“SLUGFEST at the SUN” is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. The event takes place Saturday, June 30th at Mohegan Sun, in Uncasville, CT.

Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing “SLUGFEST at the SUN” series is the a premier professional boxing experience in Connecticut. Live from the beautiful Mohegan Sun Arena, “SLUGFEST at the SUN” has seen some of the best and brightest in boxing. This includes, two-time world champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade and world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez, amongst many others.

Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, Joe DeGuardia, has consistently given the boxing fans of Connecticut, world class fights, right in their own backyard. “SLUGFEST at the SUN” also gives the north east’s rising boxing stars an avenue to world title contention. From world title fights, to world class boxing skill, Mohegan Sun has seen it all, delivered by Star Boxing.

The “SLUGFEST at the SUN” series offers an affordable, fan friendly action packed, entertaining night out, that is guaranteed to have you on your feet from the opening bell.

On June 30th, Star Boxing plans to start your summer off right, with yet another thrilling “SLUGFEST at the SUN.”
PREVIOUS RELEASES
June 30th Fight Announcement
Joe Smith Jr. Main Event Announcement
Kali Reis Fight Announcement
Joe Smith Jr. vs Melvin Russell Main Event
Media Credential Application –Accredited Media ONLY
Anthony Laureano Mohegan Announcement
TICKETS:
Tickets for the live event start at $30 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com by clicking HERE or by going to www.StarBoxing.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
MOHEGAN SUN:
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Mohegan Sun Arena was also ranked among the top 10 arena venues in the nation for 2014, regardless of size. In 2015, Mohegan Sun took home the IEBA award for “Casino of the Year.” Mohegan Sun also won “Casino of the Year” in 2 categories at the 2013 & 2016 Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information on concerts and other great events, visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
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Montauk Ultra H20, a new Chlorine and Florine free alkaline water, with a pH of 9.5. Hydrate like the pro’s.

LAS VEGAS (June 19, 2018) — Top Rank has signed former two-time interim WBA super featherweight champion Bryan Vasquez to a promotional contract, Bob Arum announced today. Vasquez (37-3, 20 KOs), from San Jose, Costa Rica, is 30 years old and has been fighting at the world level for nearly a decade. His debut under the Top Rank banner will be announced soon.

Vasquez is currently ranked No. 8 by the WBA at 130 pounds and is angling for a third world title shot.

“I feel really happy. I feel blessed to be signed by the biggest company in the sport of boxing,” Vasquez said. “I want to rule the 130-pound division. I’m ready for big names, whether it’s Christopher Diaz or Oscar Valdez. They better watch out now that I’m with Top Rank. I will show everyone that Vasiliy Lomachenko is beatable, and in the near future, I want the rematch with Ray Beltran with proper notice now that I have a real promotional company behind me. I’m happy and motivated.”

“We are really grateful for this opportunity,” said Hector Cordova, Vasquez’s manager. “Bryan fought Beltran with three weeks’ notice and a broken hand in the second round and still managed to make him look bad. We will be working with Jose Benavidez Sr. in our corner, and we are here to make history. We are with the top promotional company in the sport, so we’ll see if the top guys keep on hiding.”

Vasquez fought Beltran last August for the NABF and NABO lightweight titles, dropping a majority decision after putting forth a spirited effort. Beltran would go on to win the WBO lightweight title in his next bout. Vasquez rebounded on Feb. 24 in Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica, stopping Miguel Gonzalez in the 11th round of a bloody contest. The Gonzalez victory earned Vasquez the WBA Fedelatin belt.

After more than 100 amateur bouts, Vasquez turned pro in 2005 and won the interim WBA super featherweight title in 2011 with a 12-round unanimous decision against Santos Benavides. Following a ninth-round TKO over Jorge Lacierva, Vasquez fell short in his first world title challenge, getting knocked out in the seventh round by longtime WBA super featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama. In 2013, Vasquez won the interim WBA super featherweight title for a second time with a technical decision over René González and defended the belt with a unanimous decision over Jose Felix Jr. in April 2014 on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley rematch in Las Vegas.

His second world title challenge — for the vacant WBA super featherweight title — came on May 29, 2015, in Brooklyn, New York, and he was outboxed by Javier Fortuna en route to a unanimous decision loss.

Vasquez is 2-1 since the Fortuna defeat and is re-energized as he sets his sights on another world title run. A boxer-puncher who is a natural southpaw, Vasquez fights out of the orthodox stance but is effective fighting as a southpaw as well. Boxing also runs in his family. He is married to WBA and WBO female 154-pound world champion Hanna Gabriels (18-1-1, 11 KOs).

Triple Olympian Paddy Barnes will challenge Cristofer Rosales for the WBC World Flyweight Title on the undercard of Carl Frampton v Luke Jackson at Windsor Park on August 18.

Barnes (5-0-KO1), who has two Olympic bronze medals to his name, will enjoy home support in Belfast as he bids to conquer the world in just his sixth bout as a professional.

Nicaragua’s Rosales (27-3-KO18) has been outpointed by Kal Yafai and Andrew Selby in the past but won the WBC crown with a stunning ninth-round stoppage of Daigo Higa back in April.

Barnes said: “I’m extremely excited. I’ve been boxing for 20 years and I made history by becoming a two-time Olympic medallist. Now I can become a world champion early in my pro career and make more history.

“My last fight was back in November but I’ve been in training camp since January as the original plan was to fight in March. It’s been frustrating but I always have faith in MTK Global and they’ve delivered.

“As for Rosales, he’s on a knockout streak so I know he can punch but he’s also a very good boxer. I think our styles will gel perfectly and the fans are in for a real war.

“He’s only lost three times to high-class opponents like Kal Yafai and Andrew Selby. Yafai outmuscled him and Selby outboxed him. I’m hoping I can do a bit of both.

“The atmosphere on the night will be absolutely incredible. Belfast as a city is full of knowledgeable boxing fans and they’ll get behind me against a very good world champion.

“I’ve fought all around the world in massive arenas and I loved it every time. This one will be extra special as it’s in my home city. I won’t be fazed by it – it will inspire me.”

A red letter night of boxing includes WBO interim world featherweight champion Carl Frampton – also from Belfast – clashing with the unbeaten Luke Jackson, with lineal world heavyweight king Tyson Fury starring on the bill.

DARRYLL WILLIAMS appears to have found his mojo after going back to where his boxing love affair started.

The English super-middleweight champion dramatically retired from boxing last July after the second of his thrilling back-to-back wins against Jahmaine Smyle.

The South Londoner is returning after reuniting with David John, his ?rst ever boxing coach when Darryll was a teenager. It meant leaving Ricky Hatton’s camp in Manchester and moving to Swansea. He believes the switch will pay off when he returns on Saturday’s o2 Arena bill, that is being screened live on BT Sport.

Williams who has won all 16 ?ghts said: “I will be winning in good fashion on Saturday. “It was a good time in my career when I retired though because people were talking about me, but things happened and I had to deal with issues.

“I am back now and with a new training team. I am in Swansea with my old trainer, David John and things are really starting to look up even though it is a long way from South London.

“I had been with Ricky Hatton in Manchester, but that was costing me a lot of money going back and forward. Luckily in Swansea I was able to get sponsorship.”

Williams, 28, had personal problems which pushed him towards his shock quit announcement and the exciting puncher was also vocal on social media.

He added: “I’ve had some issues and some of the stuff I put on social networks when I said I leaving boxing may have upset some people, but I apologise to my manager Mickey Helliet and promoter Frank Warren.

“I made a rash decision on impulse. I was very emotional at the time. I had just lost my grandmother who I was very close to.

“Things were very awkward for me at that time and I needed that space. Now it is time to cultivate, go further and not have time out of the ring.”

Williams has been linked with a ?ght against con?dent new pro Umar Sadiq who has called him out even though he will be having only his third professional ?ght on Saturday’s bill.

Darryll is refusing to rise to challenges or give a hit list, but added: “I just want to stay active in 2018 and keep ?ghting.

“That is the only way I am going to get better and learn. Stay in the ring, stay ?ghting and you can always correct your mistakes.

“People fancy it against me, but they haven’t come up against my character. That is what throws a lot of people off.”

Williams is back in action on a bill topped by Roberto Garcia’s WBC silver middleweight title defence against Martin Murray.

The high quality bill includes Anthony Yarde’s WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight title defence against Dariuz Sek. In a battle for the vacant English heavyweight championship KO King Daniel Dubois meets trash talking Tom Little. Others stars on the bill include Ohara Davies, Johnny Garton, Raza Hamza, Archie Sharp, Umar Sadiq and Harvey Horn.

UMAR SADIQ wants to face English super-middleweight champion Darryll Williams in his fourth professional ?ght.

Both men are in action on Saturday’s big bill at London’s o2 Arena, but will only be sharing the dressing room corridor on this occasion.

Sadiq, 30, who gave up a lucrative accountancy career to box professionally will be having his third professional ?ght, but is in a rush to face his fellow Londoner.

He said: “Some people think it is bold wanting to ?ght Darryll Williams so soon in my career, but I believe in my ability.

“Darryll is good for what he is, but what you see is what you get. He looks robust, aggressive and strong. That is exactly what he comes with.

“Unfortunately with my pedigree and skill he is going to need a lot more than that to deal with me. “I look at the guys ?ghting at English level and I am con?dent that I can compete with them.

“I get a lot of con?dence from all the very good men I boxed in the amateurs and who I spar with now. I have sparred Lawrence Okolie, James DeGale and Joshua Buatsi.”

Williams is unbeaten in 16 ?ghts and although Sadiq is a novice pro he added: “Hopefully Darryl wins his ?ght at the o2 as well and hopefully at some point this year, the ?ght can be made.

“It might only be my third professional ?ght coming up but anytime after that I will go for the ?ght against Darryll.”

Sadiq has won both professional ?ghts on points and has prepared for Saturday’s contest at the Mayweather gym in Las Vegas and in Los Angeles at the Wild Card.

He sparred with the likes of Lateef Kayode and unbeaten cruiserweight Andrew Tabiti. “I have developed majorly in the United States and people have got to turn up or tune in on BT Sport to see how much good it did me,” said Sadiq.

“I went to Los Angeles to the Wild Card gym and in Las Vegas I used the Mayweather gym. “I put my face around, but didn’t mention I had been an accountant. A lot of the coaches out there said I was going to make it to the top which was nice to hear.”

Sadiq boxes on a bill topped by Roberto Garcia’s WBC silver middleweight title defence against St Helens Martin Murray.

Washington D.C. (June 18, 2018) — Undefeated welterweight Dusty Hernandez-Harrison is now a promotional free agent after being granted his release from promoter Roc Nation Sports. The former USBA, WBC Continental Americas and WBC Youth Champion is eager to get back in the ring after a 22-month hiatus from the sport.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to get back into the ring and fulfill my goal of becoming a World Champion,” Hernandez-Harrison said. “I am in the gym and I am working hard to get back to where I was two years ago.”

“I just want to fight at this point; it’s been way too long,” Hernandez-Harrison added.

Hernandez-Harrison sports a record of 30-0-1, with 16 knockouts and is huge draw in his native Washington, D.C.

“I would really like to have a few fights at home,” the Southeast D.C., native said. “I love fighting in D.C., and I can’t wait to fight in front of my hometown fans again.”

That opportunity could come sooner rather than later if current plans come to fruition.

Washington, D.C. (June 18, 2018) — Knockout artist Sam “The Vanilla Gorilla” Crossed of Greenbelt, Maryland, was triumphant in his ring return following an 11-month hiatus. Crossed won in spectacular fashion knocking out his previously undefeated opponent, Josh Jones, just 23 seconds into the first round with a brutal overhand right. Crossed improves his perfect record to 7-0, with 5 knockouts. The bout took place this past Saturday June 16, 2018, at The Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Maryland and was co-promoted by Jeter Promotions and GQ Promotions.

“It was a shot my trainer and I had been working on in the gym,” Crossed said. “This was the best camp I have had in my career and I felt more relaxed than ever before.”

Crossed should be back in action in August if things go as planned for the Washington, D.C., region fan favorite.

“It looks like we could have Sam back in the ring and possibly in a televised fight next time out if everything falls into place,” Crossed’s manager Mike Walters said. “He had a huge crowd for this fight and put on a hell of a performance for as long as it lasted.”

“The promoter (Jeter Promotions) was very happy with his performance and with the number of tickets he sold.”

Crossed has a rabid fan base in the Washington, D.C., region, which was evident on Saturday night as he received arguably the loudest cheers of any boxer on the card and by the number of fans in attendance wearing Vanilla Gorilla T-shirts. Dan Rafael of ESPN fame described the fighter as having a “cult like following” in an article he wrote in May 2016.

“I just want to get back in the ring as soon as possible,” Crossed said. “I feel like I have improved leaps and bounds since I made my debut and I am looking to step up in my next fight.”

“I want to fight as often as possible against better opposition every time out.”

ORANGE, Calif. (June 18, 2018) – WBA Champion Danny Roman (25-2-1. 9 KOs) is just days removed from his second successful title defense, yet he is already looking ahead to his next fight and he would like it to be against one of the other belt holders.

“I think a unification fight is in everyone’s best interest,” Roman said. “I’ll face any of the other champions. Bring them on. I just want to fight the best that this division has to offer.”

Roman’s options include Rey Vargas (WBC), Ryosuke Iwasa (IBF), and Isaac Dogboe (WBO).

Roman’s fight on Saturday, a dominating points win against mandatory challenger and previously unbeaten Moises Flores (25-1, 17 KOs), has cleared the decks for the Los Angeles native. With the mandatory behind him, Roman has the flexibility to make a unification fight happen.

“We’re definitely going to push to fight one of the other three champions,” said Alex Camponovo, matchmaker and general manager for Thompson Boxing. “It’s the logical choice moving forward. There are some scheduling hurdles to overcome, but I think it gets done at some point this year and we’ll have a huge fight to look forward to.”

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

Moscow, Russia (June 18, 2018) Women’s #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and Boxing’s Only Undisputed World Champion, ‘The First Lady’, Cecilia Braekhus, (33-0, 9 KO’s), defends her world titles (WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO) against Undefeated WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Champion Inna ‘The Ice Queen’ Sagaydakovskya, (7-0-0, 3 KO’s), on Saturday, July 21 at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia, it was announced today at a press conference in the Russian capital attended by both women.

Braekhus vs. Sagaydakovskya will be the chief support to the highly anticipated World Boxing Super Series Final between cruiserweight world champions Murat Gassiev of Russia and Alexander Usyk of Ukraine. The event takes place just six days after the final of the World Cup.

“I’m very excited to be here today announcing my next fight,” said Braekhus who returns to battle following a tremendous performance in a decision victory over Kali Reis on May 5, 2018 at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA which garnered the second highest TV ratings in 2018 for a

boxing match shown on premium cable in the United States.

“This is a huge international event, a great event for women’s boxing. Oslo is not so far from Moscow and I believe many of my fans will be able to come to the fight.

“I want to be a global champion — I fought in Germany, in Norway, in the USA. And I will fight in Moscow now.”

“Inna is dropping down in weight but she is very strong physically and mentally. She has experience and this is not going to be easy at all. This will be a great fight.”

Said Sagaydakovskaya: ”I was waiting for this moment, finally this fight will be held. I expect to have a great training camp with my new coach Andrei Ivichuk and I expect that victory will be mine.”

“I’ve boxed on the national team for many years, I have a lot of experience – and it’s not even about who has so many fights but who is more prepared and more ready to win on July 21.”

Continued Braekhus, “I was thrilled to fight for the first time in 10 years in the United States and proud to be part of the first women’s bout on HBO and now this fight in Moscow is a new journey for me. I fought here as an amateur and look forward to fighting in front of a huge crowd of up to 30,000 on July 21 against Inna Sagaydakovskya.”

“I know that Inna is a very strong, hard-hitting fighter judging by her recent knockout of Jennifer Retzke but my trainer Johnathon Banks and I have studied her fights and we are confident of victory.”

Braekhus has opened training camp in Kiev, Ukraine where she will prepare with her trainer Johnathon Banks until leaving for fight week in Moscow.

“This year has been one of taking chances and taking different paths than I have in the past. This fight on July 21, which will be telecast worldwide, is very big not just for me but for all of women’s boxing.”

Braekhus has held all of the sanctioning body world titles in the welterweight division since defeating Ivana Habazin in September 2013.

Sagaydakovskya defeated Maria Lindberg on September 29, 2017 in Bilbao, Spain by ten-round decision to earn the vacant WBC Silver Women’s Super-Welterweight Title. In her next bout, she stopped Jennifer Retzke in the second round on December 30, 2017 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, winning the WBC Interim Women’s Super Welterweight Title.

I. BACKGROUND AND FINDINGS

A. Over the years, the WBC has implemented procedures to facilitate boxer’s
methodical weight loss and to prevent sudden weight loss and extreme dehydrations on
the eve of WBC-governed bouts. Those procedures which include, but are not limited to,
monitoring weigh-ins 30- and 7-days before the bout, and having the official weigh-in
ceremony the day before the fight, have yielded very positive results.

B. On August 15, 2017, Luis Nery became WBC World Bantamweight Champion
by defeating then reigning Champion Shinsuke Yamanaka via 4th Round technical
knockout.

C. On August 22, 2017, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) reported to
the WBC that Mr. Nery’s sample collected on July 27, 2017 in Tijuana, Mexico, yielded
adverse analytical findings for the banned substance Zilpaterol (the “Finding”). Zilpaterol
is a banned substance, under the WBC Clean Boxing Program in which Mr. Nery is
enrolled.

D. After thoroughly investigating the circumstances that lead to the Findings,
including any extenuating circumstances, the WBC issued, among other mandates, the
following:
1. The WBC could not make a determination with sufficient certainty of whether
Mr. Nery’s Finding was the result of intentional ingestion of a banned
substance to improve performance or consumption of contaminated food
products;
2. The WBC ordered an immediate rematch between Mr. Nery and Shinsuke
Yamanaka; and
3. The WBC ordered Mr. Nery to be subjected to a strict dietary regime supervised
by a nutritionist approved by the WBC.

E. The WBC selected a highly-qualified nutritionist to supervise Mr. Nery’s dietary
regime who reported to the WBC that Mr. Nery failed to follow his recommendations.
Instead, Mr. Nery hired his own nutritionist who placed him on a dietary regime
comprising the ingestion of high volumes of water. The desired effect was, among others,
to control Mr. Nery’s weight. Credible scientific literature has reported such regime as
being ineffective and potentially dangerous for athletes who practice it.

F. Mr. Nery’s camp reported that his 30- and 7-days weight were compliant with the
WBC requirements; i.e., no more than 10% above the weight limit 30-days before the
fight and no more than 5% above the weight limit 7-days before the fight.

G. On February 28, 2018, Mr. Nery missed his first attempt to make weight the day
before his rematch with Mr. Yamanaka by 5 pounds. After attempting to lose some of
the excess weight within the 2-hour time period provided in the WBC Rules &
Regulation and the Local Commission Rules, Mr. Nery weighed 121 pounds, 3 pounds
above the Bantamweight Division.

H. Accordingly, the WBC stripped Mr. Nery of his World Title. Mr. Nery won his
March 1, 2018, rematch against Mr. Yamanaka thus rendering vacant the WBC World
Bantamweight Title.

I. On March 2, 2018, the WBC issued a Bantamweight Division Update in which
the WBC:
1. Deemed “unacceptable” for a WBC World Bantamweight Champion (118
pounds) to arrive at the official weigh-in 5 pounds over the weight limit;
2. Suspended Mr. Nery indefinitely; and
3. Mandated Mr. Nery to appear at a hearing to allow the WBC to conduct
a thorough investigation of the circumstances leading to Mr. Nery’s failure
to make the required weight in connection with his rematch against Mr.
Yamanaka.

J. In anticipation of the ordered hearing, the WBC received and analyzed the
following reports and comments:
a. Report of WBC Supervisor Duane Ford;
b. Findings of Japan Boxing Commission;
c. Report of WBC Safety Committee Chairman, Mr. William
Boodhoo;
d. Report from WBC Nutrition Committee Chairman, Dr. Phil
Goglia;
e. Comments WBC Disciplinary Committee; and
f. Comments from the WBC Board of Governors.

2. Based on the above reports and comments, the WBC concluded that:
a. Mr. Nery disregarded the advice and guidance of the WBCapproved
nutritionist, which shows lack of discipline;
b. Mr. Nery adopted and implemented for the first time in his boxing
career a new, unproven and potentially dangerous weight loss
program which constitutes reckless behavior;
c. Mr. Nery lost his World Title by failing to make weight in his first
title defense; and
d. Immediately after knocking out his opponent, Mr. Nery, his corner
and other members of his entourage celebrated in a
unsportsmanlike manner, in violation of the WBC Code of Ethics
and the general rules of fair play.

K. On March 9, 2018, the WBC President conducted a hearing in Mexico City,
Mexico. At the hearing, Mr. Nery:
1. Admitted the nutritional errors he and his camp committed which
led to him not making the required weight and being stripped off
his title and the acts set forth immediately above and showed great
remorse; and
2. Was given the option of going to another organization and being
taken off the WBC ratings, which option Mr. Nery did not wish to
adopt. Instead, Mr. Nery Confirmed his desire to remain in the WBC
ratings, compete for WBC titles and abide by any measures the WBC
might want to impose.
II. WBC BOARD OF GOVERNORS’ RULING

The present WBC Board of Governors’ ruling is based on the facts as known to the WBC
at the time of the ruling and on any extenuating circumstances.

A. In light of his wrongful acts and omissions, as set forth above, Mr. Nery lost the
WBC World Title, which, in itself, constitutes a severe penalty

B. The WBC Board of Governors hereby suspends Mr. Nery from participating in
any WBC-sanctioned activities for 6 months from the date he failed to make weight or
through September 1, 2018.

C. Mr. Nery shall undertake a complete Mass Index examination given by a health
care provider approved by the WBC to confirm if he is suitable to compete in the
Bantamweight division.

D. The WBC Ratings Committee shall consider Mr. Nery for inclusion in the WBC’s
ratings for the month immediately following Mr. Nery`s comeback fight, based on his
pugilistic merits and record.

E. The WBC shall select a nutritionist who shall work with Mr. Nery to establish a
nutrition program and supervise Mr. Nery’s dietary regime at Mr. Nery’s own cost for a
period of six (6) months from the date of this ruling. Mr. Nery shall strictly follow the
WBC-selected nutritionist’s indications and recommendations.

F. The WBC-selected nutritionist shall report to the WBC the monthly status of Mr.
Nery’s program. If Mr. Nery fails to follow the WBC-selected nutritionist’s program and
recommendations, the WBC shall: (1) suspend Mr. Nery indefinitely from any WBC
activity, pending a subsequent investigation of the circumstances of Mr. Nery’s failure;
and (2) impose a monetary fine to Mr. Nery in an amount to be determined.

ORANGE, Calif. (June 18, 2018) – Thompson Boxing Promotions returns this Friday night with a seven fight card featuring familiar faces within the Southern California boxing scene, and five undefeated prospects eager to make their mark in the sport.

Super bantamweight Isaac Zarate (14-3-3, 2 KOs) of the Los Angeles port city of San Pedro headlines the “New Blood” show against fellow lefty Ramiro Robles (15-7-1, 8 KOs) of Mexico this Friday, June 22, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. (8-rounds).

Zarate, who holds a unanimous decision win over former world title challenger Carlos Carlson, is coming off an entertaining points win over Christian Ayala in February. Robles has also seen top rate competition having faced current WBA champion Danny Roman while Roman was a highly ranked challenger, and top talents Oscar Negrete and Diego De La Hoya.

“Robles has fought a lot of quality boxers, but so have I,” Zarate said. “I spar with world champion Danny Roman all the time so I’m confident going in against Robles. Without question, I know I can beat him.”

Tickets for “New Blood” are priced at $40, $75, & $100, and are available for purchase by calling 714-935-0900, or online at ThompsonBoxing.com.

In the 8-round co-feature, lightweight Manuel Mendez (15-2-3, 11 KOs) of Indio, Calif. looks to rebound from a draw and knockout loss in his previous two outings when he faces unbeaten prospect Gilberto Espinoza (9-0, 5 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico.

Mendez appeared to be making a name for himself in the lightweight division until a knockout loss to Mohamed Rodriguez and a majority draw to Abraham Cordero last year dropped him from the conversation.

Now, in his first start of the year, Mendez meets an undefeated fighter searching for that first big win of his career.

“Espinoza is coming to fight,” Mendez said. “I’ve been ready for months and can’t wait to start another winning streak.”

The “New Blood” undercard features five undefeated prospects in bantamweight Saul Sanchez (8-0, 4 KOs), super bantamweight Brandon Valdez (10-0, 6 KOs), lightweight George Acosta (5-0, 1 KO), featherweight Anthony Chavez (5-0, 1 KOs), and lightweight Luis Zarazua (8-0-1, 4 KOs).

Sanchez, fighting out of Pacoima, Calif., will put his unbeaten record to the test against Leonardo Torres (4-11, 1 KO) of Mexico in a 6-round bout. Sanchez, 20, is among the finest prospects in the lower weight classes. Torres will need to adjust to a shifty defense and aggressive offense in order to pull out the upset.

The Colombian-born Valdez will be making his U.S. debut against Mexico’s Jose Fabian Naranjo (3-8-2, 1 KO) in a match set for 6-rounds. Prior to this fight, Valdez fought in Colombia and Mexico. The 19-year-old is loaded with talent and is far more developed than most prospects at this stage of their careers.

Acosta, representing Whittier, Calif., takes on Alberto Castillo (1-0, 1 KO) of Mexico (4-rounds). The 21-year-old Acosta is coming off a knockout win of Bryan Tovar in April.

Chavez, who fights out of Redlands, Calif., faces Josafath Vazquez (5-3, 3 KOs) of Mexico in a battle set for 4-rounds.

Opening the “New Blood” show will be the aforementioned Zarazua fighting an opponent to be named later (6-rounds).

All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: New Blood via our Facebook page and ThompsonBoxing.com.

The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET with Beto Duran as the blow-by-blow announcer and Steve Kim providing expert, color commentary.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. local time with the first bout at approximately 8:00 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave. in Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at 909-937-0900.

“New Blood” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Everlast.

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. To follow the conversation on social media, please use #NewBlood, #TBPresents, and #ThompsonBoxing.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.