SHOWTIME Sports will deliver live coverage of women’s boxing sensation Katie Taylor’s first defense of her WBA World Lightweight Title against Jessica McCaskill tomorrow/Wednesday on social platforms. The full eight-fight card from York Hall in London will be available for free exclusive to the U.S audience on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and the SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page beginning at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

Coverage from London will be provided by Sky Sports and also feature Conor Benn, Lawrence Okolie, Josh Kelly and Joe Cordina in separate bouts.

This last-minute opportunity comes in cooperation with Matchroom Boxing and furthers this network’s industry-leading commitment to the resurgence of women’s boxing and to expanding boxing’s penetration on social media. This will be the fourth women’s world championship fight offered live by SHOWTIME in 2017, and the fifth world championship bout that the network has distributed live on its social channels this year.

THE FIGHT GAME WITH JIM LAMPLEY returns with a new edition WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13 (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Hosted by the four-time Sports Emmy® winner, who has hosted HBO Boxing since joining the network in 1988, the show is a provocative, engaging and informative experience that delves into intriguing storylines, news and issues that are top-of-mind in boxing.

The show is also available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

Segments on this edition of THE FIGHT GAME include: a review of Miguel Cotto’s final professional fight, with analyst Bernard Hopkins putting his remarkable career in perspective; a 20th-anniversary flashback to the intense Prince Naseem Hamed-Kevin Kelley bout; and a discussion of the sport’s hottest topics with Lampley and Max Kellerman.

Immediately following the show’s Dec. 13 debut, fight fans can log on to hbo.com for an exclusive overtime segment hosted by Lampley.

London (12th December) Heavyweight boxers Tyson and Hughie Fury are free to immediately resume their boxing careers after coming to a joint agreement with UKAD today to finally resolve the ongoing anti-doping proceeding.

Tyson and Hughie have always maintained their innocence after elevated levels of nandrolone metabolites were detected in urine samples provided after their fights in February 2015.

Whilst Tyson and Hughie were ready and prepared to see the hearing through, they decided to settle with UKAD and bring this long-running dispute to a close. In doing so, Tyson and Hughie avoid any further unnecessary distractions and interuptions to their careers.

Tyson, the current Lineal and The RING Magazine Champion and former Unified World Heavyweight Champion, is now determined to return and dominate the heavyweight division once again.

Since dethroning the legendary Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 in Germany – in one of the biggest upsets ever in boxing history – the World titles he was then forced to vacate opened the doors for many of his rivals to challenge for.

Now Tyson is cleared to fight again, he’s back on the path to regain his World titles. Tyson said, “I’m a fighting man through and through and I’ve never backed down from anyone in my life and I was certainly not going to back down from fighting this dispute. Hughie and I have maintained our innocence from day one and we’re now happy that it has finally been settled with UKAD and that we can move forward knowing that we’ll not be labelled drug cheats. I can now put the nightmare of the last two years behind me, which has been particularly hard on my family, but with their support and strength, along with my uncle Peter, Hennessy Sports and Morgan Sports Law, we’ve fought through relentlessly together and I can now enjoy Christmas with my family and new born daughter. Next year I will be back doing what I do best, better than ever and ready to reclaim the World titles which are rightfully mine. It’s time to get the party started #themacisback”

His cousin Hughie was allowed to fight the WBO World Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker in September in Manchester, but was the subject of some highly controversial scoring by the judges’ that saw Parker retain his title by majority decision when many experts felt he had lost.

Hughie is delighted that the dispute has been resolved and intends to fight once again for a version of the World Heavyweight title and would like to rule the division with Tyson. He said, “I’m a fighter and all I want to do is get in the ring and fight. Now that this matter has been resolved I can resume my career freely. Tyson and I were innocent from the very start and I’m delighted this is now the end of the matter. My goal, as it has always been, is to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World and I will now pursue that with everything I have. I should already be the WBO World Heavyweight Champion at the age of 23, but that was taken away from me by forces beyond my control. I’d like to to thank my dad, Hennessy Sports and Morgan Sports Law for their unwavering support through all of this.”

It has also been an incredibly difficult time for Peter Fury, the trainer and uncle of Tyson and father and trainer of Hughie, who said, “It has been an unbelievably tough and hard time for my son Hughie, nephew Tyson and the Fury family over the last two years. Through the sheer loyalty and hard work of my team, Hennessy Sports and Morgan Sports Law, we stuck together and saw this through to the end and reached a settlement with UKAD. I now just want to get back to training and creating champions with my team at Hennessy Sports.”

Tyson and Hughie’s Promoter Hennessy Sports, who stuck solidly with the Furys in fighting the case, stated, “We’re delighted this matter is finally over and that Tyson and Hughie are now free to continue in their boxing careers. From the very beginning, we one hundred percent believed that neither men would ever try to gain an unfair advantage and we fought a long and hard battle to get to this point. Hennessy Sports are proud to have supported Tyson and Hughie with our excellent legal team, Morgan Sports Law, to finally settle the dispute. We now look forward to Tyson’s big return to the ring in 2018 and seeing him reclaim his position as the real World Heavyweight Champion and with Hughie joining him on the throne.”

NEW YORK CITY (December 12, 2017) On Thursday, DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT will return to B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in Manhattan for the first time since March 2016, with its highly anticipated year-end BROADWAY BOXING “Season’s Beatings” event. The tremendous seven-bout card will include three outstanding matchups featuring six undefeated prospects as well as the return of former world lightweight champion Dejan Zlaticanin.

Tickets for the BROADWAY BOXING event are priced at $125, $100, $75 and $55. Tables are also available for purchase, with VIP tables going for $1,000 per table (5 seats at $200 per seat), Ringside tables for $500 (5 seats at $100), and $375 tables (5 seats at $75). Tickets are available for purchase by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout scheduled for 7:00pm. B.B. King Blues Club & Grill is located at 237 W. 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues in Times Square.

All bouts will be available for viewing by visiting the DiBella Entertainment Facebook page or by clicking HERE. The entire event will also be shown in the United Kingdom on BoxNation TV.

“This is the kind of boxing card that would make Showtime’s Gordon Hall very proud,” said LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Just like our recent ShoBox card in Cleveland, this event will match several undefeated prospects against one another as they vie to advance their careers. Former lightweight champion Dejan Zlaticanin will also begin his comeback on Thursday night. This is one of the best ‘Broadway Boxing’ shows we’ve had in the series and I’m thrilled to end the year with a bang for the local fight fans in attendance and those watching live on our Facebook page.”

Featured in an eight-round lightweight battle, Brooklyn’s WESLEY FERRER (12-0, 7 KOs) will face fellow unbeaten WILL MADERA (11-0, 5 KOs), of Albany, New York.

The 25-year-old Ferrer will be making his 2017 debut following two sensational knockout victories in 2016 versus Luis Alberto Pelayo and Angel Figueroa.

Fighting seven times in the Montreal area over a three-year period, the 26-year-old Madera returned to the United States in his last fight, earning an eight-round unanimous decision against Gabriel Duluc on September 23, 2017, in Schenectady, New York. The fight against Ferrer will be his fourth of 2017.

Co-featured this Thursday night in a six-round battle of top undefeated junior middleweight prospects,
Brooklyn’s HURSHIDBEK NORMATOV (4-0, 2 KOs) enters the squared circle against heavy-handed Puerto Rican NICKLAUS FLAZ (5-0, 4 KOs).

The 25-year-old Normatov, a native of Uzbekistan, has quickly impressed fight fans in the United States where all four of his professional bouts have taken place. Fighting for the second time in 2017, Normatov returns to battle following a stunning first-round knockout of Bruce Lutchmedial on October 28, at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Fighting on the same card as Normatov, the 22-year-old Flaz, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, won a dominant six-round decision versus veteran Elie Augustama.

In a six-round welterweight contest, LARRY FRYERS (5-0, 2 KOs), of Ireland, now fighting out of The Bronx, New York, faces fellow undefeated prospect CHARLES “Mr. Hollywood” NATAL (9-0-2, 3 KOs), of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

The 27-year-old Fryers will be making his fifth start of 2017, coming off a six-round decision against Heberto Persico on October 14, in Ontario, Canada.

Currently fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio, the 25-year-old all-action Natal is riding a five-bout winning streak and will be making his New York City debut.

In a special attraction eight-round junior welterweight bout, former WBC lightweight world champion DEJAN ZLATICANIN (22-1, 15 KOs), of Podgorica, Montenegro, faces Barranquilla, Colombia’s battle-tested veteran HEIVINSON HERRERA (22-13-1, 16 KOs).

Undefeated over eight years of his professional career, the hard-hitting Zlaticanin won the vacant world title with a third-round knockout of Franklin Mamani on June 11, 2016. In his first defense, he would lose the title in a shootout with current champion Mikey Garcia, on January 28, 2017.

Fast rising heavyweight prospect GEORGE ARIAS (9-0, 5 KOs), of The Bronx, New York, will clash with Taylor, Michigan’s JUAN GOODE (8-7, 6 KOs).

A native of the Dominican Republic, the 25-year-old Arias has shined brightly throughout his four victories in 2017, the two most recent taking place at Barclays Center. On July 29, Arias knocked out then-undefeated Elder Hernandez in the fourth round and followed up with a fifth-round stoppage of Mario Heredia, on October 14.

Goode has faced a number of top heavyweight prospects over his six years as a professional, including Darmani Rock, Cassius Chaney and Ed Latimore.

Also scheduled in an eight-round women’s middleweight clash, New York area fan favorite ALICIA “The Empress” NAPOLEON (8-1, 5 KOs) takes on SYDNEY LEBLANC (4-5-1), of Gretna, Louisiana.

Fighting out of Lindenhurst, Long Island, Napoleon is determined to extend her winning streak in short order, following a six-round shutout decision victory versus Nicolet Papp, on November 18, in Queens, New York.

Among the top names included on LeBlanc’s record are current world champion Claressa Shields, Franchon Crews, Maricela Cornejo and Savannah Marshall.

Rounding out the card, junior middleweight prospect JOSE “Cheito” ROMAN (4-0, 3 KOs), of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, will appear in a scheduled four-rounder. Just 23 years old, Roman won the first three bouts of his professional career by knockout and most recently won a four-round decision against William Hill, on June 3, 2017, at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Ryan Walsh (22-2-1, 11 KOs) will defend his British Featherweight Title against Isaac Lowe (14-0-2, 5 KOs) at the Manchester Arena, February 17.

The all-action contest will take place on the undercard of the World Boxing Super Series Super Middleweight Semi-Final clash between George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr.

“This is such a great platform for me to showcase my skills,” said 31-year-old Walsh.

“The Ali Trophy semi-final with Groves and Eubank is a mega fight, and I’m so happy that I am a part of this massive occasion.”

The intriguing match-up between Walsh and Lowe is more than just fight a between two skilled British featherweights. It is a genuine grudge match which began on social media:

“This is personal between me and Lowe. I’m going to make him pay for every stupid thing he has tweeted,” said Walsh, the defending British champion.

“Lowe is good, young talented and hungry fighter. But he seems to be a very angry person. If you tweet up, be prepared to get beat up. And that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to beat him up and teach him a life lesson.”

Lowe revealed his delight to be boxing in his hometown of Manchester once again, and the 23-year old insists that the pair’s styles will gel perfectly to make a crowd-pleasing encounter.

“I’m so pleased to be boxing again in Manchester in front of all my own fans. I cannot wait to finally prove myself on this platform and make a massive statement. The fans better get their popcorn ready, because this has the potential to be the fight of the year!”

The Ali Trophy super middleweight semi-final between George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr. and Walsh vs. Lowe will be live on ITV Box Office on February 17.

On November 1, 2017, USA Boxing launched the USA Boxing Alumni Association as a way of connecting former and current boxers, coaches and fans with the goal to raise money for current and future boxers.

As a local gym that is the home to many USA Boxing members we are requesting that if you are a USA Boxing Alumni, please join the Alumni Association for the annual donation of $40.00 to support the 31,924 boxers.

Not only will you support boxers from grassroots level to World Class competition, you will receive:

· Opportunities to attend national, regional and local events
· December 8: Inaugural Alumni Association Hall-of-Fame Reception in Salt Lake City, UT
· USA Boxing Alumni Association T- Shirt, Key Chain and E-Wallet
· Subscription to USA Boxing Alumni Association quarterly newsletter
· Opportunity to sponsor a USA Boxing boxers
· Select discounts on USA Boxing merchandise

It takes less than three minutes and you can make a huge impact on the lives of our young boxers just click the link below:

USA Boxing – Alumni Association

As a recently appointed member of the USA Boxing advisory board, this is a cause close to my heart and I hope you can help spread the word.

Kell Brook will face Sergey Rabchenko on his debut at Super-Welterweight at the FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield on March 3, live on Sky Sports.

Brook is gunning to become a two-weight World champion and that journey starts in his seventh outing in his hometown arena, and marks a return to action following his IBF World Welterweight showdown with Errol Spence at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane ground in May, hot on the heels of his showdown with Middleweight beast Gennady Golovkin

‘The Special One’ is wasting no time in testing himself at his new weight by taking on Rabchenko. The Belarussian is ranked number seven in the WBC and won the European title by stopping Brook’s fellow Ingle Gym product and Steel City son Ryan Rhodes, so Brook knows that the stakes are once again high as he looks to make a statement at 154lbs.

“I can’t wait to get back in there and it’s going to be special returning to the arena,” said Brook. “The Spence defeat cut deep and it took me some time to come to terms with it but now I’m back with a new challenge at 154lbs. I believe I will be stronger and better than ever in the division and my focus now is on becoming a two-weight two-time World champion.

“Rabchenko is a dangerous fight for the return but I want to jump straight back in at World level and I think out styles will gel for an electric fight. I’m already deep in camp and I can’t wait to feel the atmosphere again in my home town on March 3.”

“I’m really looking forward to this fight with Kell Brook and it’s going to be a war,” said Rabchenko. “I have fond memories of Sheffield and I believe the result will be the same. This is a high profile fight in the division that has always been mine, and the winner will go on and challenge for the World title – it’s a must win fight for both of us.”

“I’m so pleased to see Kell back in camp and moving up for a fresh start at 154lbs,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “He refused to vacate the title for Spence but was could never fight at his full potential making 147lbs anymore. This is a tough, tough test, probably tougher than I would have liked but Kell wanted to be straight back in at top level.

“The Spence loss hurt him badly especially being at Bramall Lane but we are going to get this Arena jumping for his return – Kell is one of the top fighters in world boxing and you will see a new animal on March 3 at the FlyDSA Arena.”

Tickets for Brook’s clash with Rabchenko are priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £150 and £250 VIP. Tickets go on sale at 9am tomorrow (Tuesday December 12) to Matchroom Fight Pass members from www.stubhub.co.uk and on general sale from 9am on Wednesday December 13 from the FlyDSA Arena at www.flydsaarena.co.uk and on 0114 2565656. VIP tickets are exclusively available from www.matchroomboxing.com

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you to the media for joining us today in this International Media Conference Call for Saunders versus Lemieux. We are kicking off fight week with this call and have a week of events leading up to Saturday’s events, which will surely be a showdown between two heavy hitters this Saturday, December 16th, at the brand new Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada. WBO Middleweight World Champion Billy Joe Saunders will battle the heavy-handed David Lemieux for Saunders title, which is a WBO title. This event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Eye of the Tiger Management in association with my partner Frank Warren.

Additionally, we have a spectacular co-event as part of the HBO telecast. Antoine “Action” Douglas versus Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan will be a ten-round fight for the WBO International Middleweight title presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Eye of the Tiger Management, and in association with GH3 Promotions and Murphy’s Boxing.

And opening up the HBO telecast, we will have Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin returning to the ring just more than a month after his dominating knockout victory. He’s taking on a highly regarded Yves Ulysse Jr., and that’s a ten-round super lightweight, and that will be opening up the telecast on HBO, which begins at 9:40 Eastern/Pacific time.

Tickets for the Saunders-Lemieux are priced beginning at $45 all the way up to $500. They’re still for sale. Tickets are going fast. We’re going to have a full house at the brand new arena.

So at this time, it is my pleasure to introduce to you the president of Eye of the Tiger Management, my good friend and partner at Golden Boy Promotions, Camille Estephan.

Camille Estephan: Hello, everyone. It’s fight week. We’re here. We’re ready. This fight is going to be a war. We expect a show that we’ll talk about for the next decade. HBO undercard as well, two styles that, I think, will marry very well. Great fight, Action Douglas against O’Sullivan. I can’t wait to watch the fight myself as a fan. We thank you for supporting HBO, Golden Boy, Frank Warren. Everybody’s involved. So many promoters, so many people got together to put this great, great event together.

Oscar, Eric, and the team, wonderful job. Thank you very much. We’re ready here.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you very much, Camille.

Let me introduce now the trainer for David Lemieux. Obviously, he’s been doing an amazing, amazing job. They’ve been training for months now getting ready for this incredible showdown on December 16th. Here is Marc Ramsey to say a few words. Marc?

MARC RAMSEY: First of all, I would like to thank everybody who made this happen, HBO, Golden Boy, Camille Estephan, and Eye of the Tiger Management, Frank Warren.

I proposed to David Lemieux a couple of tough, tough training camps, but a very successful training camp where we reached every single goal in camp. I’m very enthusiastic about the performance of David Saturday night and a very nice victory just before Christmas for our fans here in Montreal.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you. Thank you very much. So now it’s my pleasure to introduce to you Canada’s biggest star. He’s a former IBF Middleweight World Champion. He has a stellar record of 38 wins, 3 losses, and 33 knockouts. David is a thunderous puncher with tremendous, tremendous power in both hands. He captured the IBF World Middleweight Title against Hassan N’Dam in 2015, knocking the then world title holder out four times en route to a decision victory.

This year, Lemieux blasted out title contender Curtis Stevens in a third-round impressive knockout, which is a contender for the Fight of the Year. And then also he went on to beat Marcos “Dorado” Reyes. Now he’s up for another big challenge in Billy Joe Saunders, and that will be for the WBO Middleweight title. It is my pleasure to introduce to you from Canada, David Lemieux.

DAVID LEMIEUX: Thanks, Oscar. Hi, everybody. I’m so excited for this week. Very, very grateful for another great opportunity to become world champion again. I’m thankful for everybody to be part of this. Thanks to Golden Boy Promotions, Eye of the Tiger Management, HBO, and everybody around. Thank you, guys.

It’s been a great camp. I’m really excited for this fight. I’m more excited, actually, just to lay my hands on Billy Joe Saunders more than anything else. He’s got a big mouth. It’s rare I see fighters with such a big mouth. I just hope his fighting is going to come as close as his mouth on Saturday night. He has a very, very aggressive Lemieux on his back, and I’m going to be ready. I’m extremely prepared for this fight. So, it’s not going to be easy for him. It’s actually going to be hell for him.

I’m here to knock him out. I’m here to destroy him every round. It’s 12 rounds. It’s unfortunate for him, but I’m ready for 12 big rounds. I’m excited for this fight to give the fans their money’s worth and finish the year with a new WBO title.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: All right. Thank you, David. Do we have Team Saunders on?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Here ready to rock and roll.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: All right. It is my pleasure to introduce to you the man behind the WBO World Champion. Obviously, when you have a world champion like Saunders, you need a great trainer, and so it’s my pleasure to introduce to you Dominic Ingle. Dominic?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: No, this is Billy Joe. Dominic is not here. It’s the champ here, just the champ alone.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: All right. So, let me — it is my pleasure to introduce to you, hailing out of Hatfield, United Kingdom, Saunders is undefeated coming off back-to-back defenses. He is the WBO World Champion. He demolished Irish Andy Lee in 2015. He is the WBO Middleweight Champion, fighting the likes of Willie “The Mongoose” Monroe.

And on Saturday night he’s looking to stay undefeated, and he’s ready. He trained hard for this fight. So, it is my pleasure to introduce the WBO Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Good afternoon, everybody. Training camp is very, very good. It’s come to an end now. Lovely, beautiful, it’s done. Fitness is done. Feeling in the best shape ever. No excuses. No excuses. Don’t need no excuses about injuries or anything else. It’s going to be a very good fight. I think David is a good fighter, but at the minute, he’s just the last bit of dog meat for me because (indiscernible) Golovkin told me I am the dog himself. And I know he’s given David a bit of a beating and also set that big fire out for me.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: We will now open it up for questions from the media.

Q. My first question for David is I guess this is going to be the first time there’s going to be a boxing event in this particular arena they opened this year in Laval. I wonder, just from your perspective, I know you’ve had a lot of fights in Quebec and in Montreal in particular, but what would it mean for you to win a world title in front of your hometown, the way you did the first time you won a world title belt, especially in a new building, and excited about the fight?

DAVID LEMIEUX: Well, it’s been done once. It’s going to be done twice. I think it’s going to be a great night for the fans, what I’m going to bring to the ring and how I’m going to fight. People are just talking about my punching power and this and that, but they’re going to be surprised once I start mixing it up with Saunders, and not just the punching behind here, there’s a boxer too. So, we’ll see how he holds up.

Q. When you fought in your last fight that was — in a world title fight and you lost that fight. What makes you believe that your performance against Saunders is going to be a whole lot different than the way it went down against Golovkin? I know that wasn’t your best performance.

DAVID LEMIEUX: I’m a whole different guy than I am facing Golovkin. I’m a whole different guy. You put Golovkin back in front of me, and it’s going to be a whole different scenario. Now I’ve got Saunders to take care of. We’ve done everything we need to do in camp. I don’t think it’s going to be very difficult in the ring against him.

I’m going to be nice manners because it’s going to be hell for him. But I’m ready. I’m ready to take the title now.

Q. You made it clear, David, in your opening remarks that you don’t really seem to have much like for Billy. I wonder where does that come from? What’s the reason? I’ve heard you talk in other fights, and you didn’t have that kind of animosity between Gennady Golovkin or even Curtis Stevens, necessarily. What is it about Saunders that has you going in the wrong way?

DAVID LEMIEUX: I’m going to make him pay in the ring. All this animosity is going to come out in the ring. If he thinks he can run away for 12 rounds, he’s in a lot of trouble.

Q. Is there something he said that got you upset or something he did?

DAVID LEMIEUX: Well, he said a whole bunch of things. Just his character, he is who he is, and I don’t like him.

Q. Billy, can you give me your perspective about traveling to your opponent’s hometown to defend your title. Your previous world title fights have taken place in front of the more friendly crowds over in the UK. Give me your mindset about coming to enemy territory.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: I go to enemy territory all the time. Where I’m from, when I boxed Andy Lee, it was the biggest feud amongst possible gypsy culture, English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh all there in one mixture. Most of them there for Andy Lee.

I perform under pressure. I’ve seen David’s absolute best performance against Gennady Golovkin. I think David is very weak in the mind. And at the end, I don’t care if it’s in his backyard, put the ring there. As long as there’s a ring we can get in, that’s all that matters.

I’m quite happy to know I’m under his skin because, if he wants to play a boxing match, then bring a blindfold, and I’ll put it on, and I’ll beat him. That’s how confident I am.

Q. Do you have any regard for his punching power? Most people watch David fight, they think — and have seen knockouts he had against Curtis Stevens, and think of David honestly as one of the top punchers in the sport regardless of weight class. Do you have any thoughts about the kind of punching power he possesses?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Against bums, yeah, knocking out old men, but he got stuck against Rubio. He’s a tough man with power. He lost his next and then fought bums all the way up until Golovkin. Curtis Stevens, he’s not an A-level fighter. He’s just a step up, a bit of a seasonal fighter. He’s really nothing special. He dealt with him, fair play. But he got spanked by Golovkin previous to that.

When you mix him up against the very, very best of the league, he’s not quite comfortable. He didn’t win a round against Golovkin.

Q. One more question for you, Billy. Since you’re so confident you’re going to win this fight, what kind of big fight in the middleweight division or maybe a different division do you want after this fight? There’s obviously a possibility of a Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin rematch. What do you want to do after you beat him?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: I want whoever’s next. I would love to fight Canelo Alvarez. I would love to fight him. As long as it’s all a fair playing field here in Canada, which I’m sure it will. I don’t want no Canelo-Golovkin results. I want a fair result. If David Lemieux beats me fair and square, I will shake his hand. But when I beat him fair and square, he won’t even shake my hand, and rightly so.

Q. Billy, just what you just mentioned about going to basically his hometown and you want fair play, how concerned are you about the judging if the fight goes the distance?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Listen, I’m not concerned at all. We’ve got one Canadian, one English, and one other nationality. So it’s going to be a fair playing field. Listen, David’s already said that he’s going to knock me out. So we don’t need judges, do we? He’s already put that pressure on himself. He has to come and knock me out, and if he doesn’t knock me out, there’s no way in God’s name that he’s going to win this fight because, to me, he will be a walking punch bag.

Q. Obviously, if you win this fight, you’re in a great position because they haven’t made the Canelo-Golovkin rematch. How do you feel about possibly getting Canelo, as you just mentioned, if you win this fight?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: When I win this fight, that’s the one I want is Canelo. He’s a global superstar. He’s the one you have to beat to get recognized at the high potential of this game. I would love to work with Oscar De La Hoya and Frank Warren Promotions to make that fight after, but I’ll be up for that fight with Canelo.

Q. And you obviously have no trouble coming to Las Vegas or something like that based on what you said, right?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Listen, if I will come to Canada to spank David, I will go to Las Vegas, Mexico, wherever they want, to be in the fight. I’m not in it for money. I’m not in it for anything else. I’m in it because I want to be involved in big fights. Now I’ve got my hand in the big pot, I don’t want to make any slip-ups. So I’ve got to make sure I’m 100 million percent on Saturday night, which I will be.

Q. David, what is your perspective on possibly getting another — if you win this fight, possibly getting another shot at Golovkin or possibly facing Canelo?

DAVID LEMIEUX: These are all names that will come up sooner or later, so I will be prepared when their time comes.

Q. Hi, David. I just wonder, you’re up against a left-hander, unbeaten guy who doesn’t have a lot of knockouts on his record. So the obvious thing would be power against — puncher against boxer. Is that the way you see the fight?

DAVID LEMIEUX: You know, we’ve prepared for many scenarios. I’ve had multiple sparring partners. We’ve been training to brawl. We’ve been training for everything. Come fight night, there will be no surprises. But I have an idea about how he’s going to fight against me, and we’ve prepared very well for it. So there’s going to be no surprises for me.

In regard of fighting a left-handed guy, I’ve always done good against left-handed guys. It’s not a problem.

Q. Were you inspired at all by Jean Pascal winning his farewell fight?

DAVID LEMIEUX: Inspired? No, but I guess he did do good. I didn’t really see the fight, but congratulations to him. He had quite a comeback.

Q. David, I’m sure that Saunders points to your record and says, well, he has losses, and I don’t. However, do you think that those losses give you a level of improvement and learning that somebody with an O on their record doesn’t have? In other words, is that an advantage to you?

DAVID LEMIEUX: If you look at those losses, there’s really only one loss that I can credit. The two losses were early in my career, the first one against Rubio, and the one against Alcine is very debatable, in my eyes. I still don’t believe I lost that fight.

The one against Golovkin, I had my issues. Right away the fight was done. No excuses. I worked my way back up, and I’m very confident in getting those defeats back to a win on Saturday. The first thing to do is to get this deal settled, and we’ll talk about Golovkin or Canelo or whoever it is.

Q. And earlier you were asked about fighting in this new arena in front of the Canadian fans. I think many people are surprised how avid the Canadian fans are, that there are so many very strong Canadian boxing fans. Why do you think that that is? That doesn’t strike people immediately as a country that is very strong with boxing.

DAVID LEMIEUX: We love boxing. We have a lot of good fighters. There’s been a lot of good fighters out here, and boxing has been very active.

Q. Well, they love it, and they show it. The question for you, Billy Joe, you have fought all of your previous professional fights in Great Britain. For your first fight, you choose to come to Canada. Why was that the choice for your first overseas fight?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Because David’s team wouldn’t come to England. I wasn’t going to come to Canada at first, but then if this fight was going to get made, it was going to be after Christmas. I said, listen, I want to beat out twice before the new year, and twice I will be. So traveling is nothing to me. I’m a born traveler. Traveling is nothing to me. I’ve been boxing all over the world since I was 10 years of age, from Russia, from Australia, from Beijing — you name the countries, I’ve been there. I know it’s only amateur boxing, but I’m so used to traveling and preparing to fight the same nervous system, the same energy you need to play.

I’ve seen David. I’ve seen David at his very best, his extreme best. That don’t worry me. He has to bring more than that.

Like I say, boxing is a dangerous sport. One punch can change everything. As David says, he’s a very, very big puncher. So I have to be on my game.

Q. And a final question to the both of you. Are you motivated by the animosity between you? I mean, there’s no love lost at all. Your comments today have been mild compared to Twitter.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: I don’t know David. All I know is he’s got short legs. That’s all I said is he’s got short legs. I think with such a nervous — the nerve button a bit. Listen, I don’t not like David. As a matter of fact, after I beat him, I’ll give him a kiss on the cheek, no problem.

Q. Any response, David? And I’ll end my remarks there.

DAVID LEMIEUX: You kiss me on the cheek, you’d better watch out for my hook.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: For the hook? I’ll watch out for that one, yeah. I’ll watch out for the hook, David. Careful you don’t pull that shoulder out as well.

DAVID LEMIEUX: What was that?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: I said be careful you don’t strain too hard on your shoulder when you try that hook, okay?

DAVID LEMIEUX: I’m ready. Both shoulders are good. Let’s see if your chin holds up.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Good, good, good. My chin will hold up. I’ll promise you that. That’s one thing I’ll promise you, my chin will definitely hold up. If it don’t, you can have my purse. How about that? No problem.

DAVID LEMIEUX: I’ll keep that in mind after the fight.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Keep that in mind because you need it. You’re only getting a small one this time, aren’t you?

DAVID LEMIEUX: I got you in Canada at least.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Yeah, you got me in Canada, no problem. At least it’s a ring, isn’t it? You’ve got me in Canada. I’ll just look at it a little bit and smack you up and go do what I need to do after. That’s what we’ll do.

DAVID LEMIEUX: We’ll see on Saturday.

Q. Billy, you just mentioned something about David’s shoulder. Do you suspect that he has a shoulder injury? Is that what you mean?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: I don’t expect nothing. Every fight has had injuries, but some are worse than others. We seen James DeGale last week. He had a shoulder injury, and he rushed back too soon, and he should have waited a bit longer. Look, the way I look at it, I’m sure David is healthy and ready to go because he wouldn’t be in the ring if not. His management team wouldn’t be advising him to get in that ring, I’d like to hope so. If I had an injury, then I wouldn’t be here. So we’ve both got to be 100 percent. Thank God we’re both 100 percent, and we can both go to work on Saturday night.

Listen, I’m not hoping for no advantage or disadvantage for injuries. I’m hoping to get in there against the best guy myself and get the win fairly.

Q. This is a question for Billy Joe Saunders. Hello, champ. It’s great to speak with you, sir. No matter what both of you and David say, the bad blood element of this fight is a big, big talking point. You had a bad blood fight with Eubank, Jr., of course, which you won and still talk about a rematch and various things. Is this more bad blood in this fight, do you think? Do you see this as more of a fight where you dislike your opponent?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Like I said earlier on, I don’t dislike David. I don’t know him to dislike him. I don’t really keep track of him, how he goes on and how he don’t. All I know is that he said some — he mentioned about putting people in a coffin dead on Twitter. Now, I’ve only got respect for the boxing world, and we recently lost someone who passed away in the ring and also somebody again the other day. So I just don’t like that talk because it’s stupid talk because to those people’s family, it is very upsetting and very discrediting to boxing.

So if he knocks me out, he knocks me out. If I knock him out, I knock him out. But a death situation, that’s the only thing I didn’t like, which personally, myself, it don’t hurt me, but I love boxing, and it discredits boxing. So that’s the only reason why I got a little bit of a — why I said he had short legs and something else, why I said that.

I’m only saying the truth. He’s got short legs. David, my son’s got some size 22 jeans I brought over for you for after the fight. I’ve got them as a present for you, 22-inch legs.

DAVID LEMIEUX: You talk in English. I don’t understand what you’re saying.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: I’ve got very nice jeans for you, good gesture. They’re very short in leg for you.

Q. Also, Billy, you look to be in absolutely fantastic shape. Is it fair to say you’re in the best physical condition you’ve ever been in before? Because people have remarked on the way you look so ripped. Have you trained harder than ever before?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: Listen, when I come into somebody’s backyard in Canada — I flew over here — I’m never going to leave a stone unturned. I am at my physical, best shape I possibly can be in. There is no better Billy Joe Saunders turning up here on Saturday night, and I can guarantee that. So I hope David can be the same.

Q. This question is for Billy. You’ve taken a lot of criticism from a lot of people who say you’re ducking Gennady Golovkin. I wasn’t interested in the question myself, but I see on my Twitter feed that you mentioned Canelo over Gennady. Would you like to comment on that?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: I know that Golovkin and Canelo, they hold the ace card. I offered to fight Golovkin in June, but he passed up on the opportunity. Not that he was scared or frightened, but he had big business to do with Canelo. So if them two aren’t fighting, it makes more sense now that, me beating one of Oscar De La Hoya’s boxers in Canada, also gives me more of a chance to fight Canelo. Either one of them come along, I would love to fight Canelo.

Q. David, have you altered your training at all to face Saunders or no? In other words, you’re fighting a slickster this time. You’re not fighting a Stevens or a Canelo or even a Triple G. You’re facing someone who’s a little more slippery. Have you altered your training at all?

DAVID LEMIEUX: For every fighter there’s a new planning. I’m in the best shape of my career. Come Saturday night, you guys watch what I’ll do. You can judge for yourself.

Q. (In French).

DAVID LEMIEUX: (In French).

THE MODERATOR: Camille, can you translate the question and the answer for others on the call. Camille or David, are you able to translate the question and response that was just given in French?

CAMILLE ESTEPHAN: Basically, how David feels about fighting, and David is very excited to be able to fight for a second time for a world title in front of his fans, this time in his own backyard. He’s very proud of being able to do an event of this magnitude for the city of Laval.

With regards to the second question was about how he’s going to fight Canelo and Golovkin after his fight. And he says, looking back, David is making a big mistake to talk about what he’s going to do after Saturday, and David would prefer to not talk and just do. Show him on Saturday rather than just talk about it.

THE MODERATOR: We’re going to transition to final comments. David, do you have any final comments you want to share with the media on the call today?

DAVID LEMIEUX: Saturday night I’m going to be the new world champion.

THE MODERATOR: Billy Joe, do you have any final comments you’d like to give?

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS: LOL. See you Saturday. God bless you all.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for joining us on today’s call. We will see you Saturday at Place Bell for Saunders vs. Lemieux. Have a great day.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Saunders vs. Lemieux, a 12-round fight for the Saunders’ WBO World Middleweight Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Eye of the Tiger Management in association with Frank Warren. Douglas vs. O’Sullivan is a 10-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Eye of The Tiger Management in association with GH3 Promotions and Murphy’s Boxing. Seldin vs. Ulysse, Jr. is a 10-round super lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Eye of The Tiger Management and Star Boxing. The event will take place Saturday, Dec. 16 at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for Saunders vs. Lemieux are priced beginning at $45 to $500 and are on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the Place Bell Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com, www.goldenboytickets.com or www.placebell.ca/en.

Visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.eottm.com, www.frankwarren.com, www.StarBoxing.com and www.hbo.com/boxing for more information. Follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EOTMVD, @hboboxing, @bjsaunders_, @LemieuxBoxing, @Action_Douglas, @spike_osullivan, @StarBoxing, @LifeOfCletus, @frankwarren_tv; and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing. Visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @eottm_boxing, @saundersbillyjoe, @davidlemieuxboxing, @action_douglass @garyspikeosullivan, @StarBoxing, @BearJewUSA; and follow the conversation using #SaundersLemieux.

Photos and videos are available for download via the link: http://bit.ly/SaundersLemieux. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used. Download the French language version of the Saunders vs. Lemieux press kit here: bit.ly/SaundersLemieuxFR. Photo credit: Vincent Ethier / Eye of the Tiger Management.

AGUASCALIENTES, MX (December 11, 2017) – Prince Ranch Boxing is happy to announce the signing of super-middleweight Humberto Torres (18-1-1, 12 KOs) and undefeated female bantamweight Cristina Mora (6-0-2, 4 KOs), who both hail from Aguascalientes, Mexico. The duo also signed promotional agreements with Damien Vazquez’ Sugar Promotions.

“We are pleased to add Torres and Mora to our outstanding roster,” said Greg Hannley, president of Prince Ranch Boxing. “As we establish our foundation in Aguascalientes, Mexico, it’s important that we sign the top talent from that region, and Torres and Mora fit that mold. Both are very popular fighters from the area and we know our shows will be sell outs, with exciting local talent performing. Sugar Promotions is the perfect fit for these two talented fighters.”

“Damien and I have done our homework and we know Torres and Mora are going to be a great addition to Sugar Promotions.” Oscar Vazquez, CEO of Sugar Promotions, stated. “We have big plans to promote a massive amount of shows in Aguascalientes and establish ourselves as the next great promotional company from Mexico.”

Humberto Torres is an orthodox fighter who stands 6’1″, with power in both hands. He has a crowd-pleasing style and is happy to join forces with Prince Ranch Boxing and Sugar Promotions.

“I’m looking forward to a great working relationship with Greg Hannley and Oscar Vazquez.” Humberto Torres said. “It’s going to be an exciting next couple of years with all the fights coming to Aguascalientes, my hometown. I can’t wait to get in the ring and preform for my people.”

Cristina Mora is a slick boxer with great movement who is thrilled to be under the guidance of Greg Hannely, in addition to being promoted by Oscar Vazquez and Sugar Promotions.

“It’s a dream come true to be signed to a promoter like Sugar Promotions, who will be promoting all their shows in Aguascalientes, where I was born and raised” said Cristina Mora. “Prince Ranch Boxing is an elite management company with the best fighters from Mexico. Right now, I’m happy to be associated with a great group of people. As soon as they let me know when I’ll be fighting, I’ll be ready to go.”

New York (December, 11, 2017)–On December 1st, welterweight prospect Poindexter Knight, Jr. won his anticipated professional debut when he stopped Samuel Forjoe in the first round of their scheduled four-round bout at The Strand Ballroom and Theater in Providence, Rhode Island.

The 2017 National Golden Gloves champion out of Philadelphia landed a hard combination the corner that had Forjoe bending over, and the bout was stopped in just 63 seconds.

Knight is the latest top-prospect to debut for Split-T Management, and he is promoted by Evander Holyfield’s Sports and Entertainment.

“Everything went well, I was excited and nervous, but I got through it,”said Knight.

“I thought my opponent would have a little more for me, but I did what I had to do in there and I got him out of there. It was great to get the knockout in my pro debut,” continued Knight.

Knight is eager to get his next victory, and he is looking to do in front of his hometown fans.

“I am hoping to fight in front of my hometown fans in 2018. That would be a goal for the upcoming year. I can’t wait as I am coming strong in 2018.”

Knight is trained by his father Poindexter Knight, Sr, and the elder Knight was happy with his son’s performance.

“Poindexter looked relaxed, and it looked like it was his 10th fight. I am happy to be with Split-T Management. They gave us a chance when no one else did. We wanted to turn pro for a while and a lot of managers made a lot of broken promises. I put Poindexter back in the Golden Gloves, and he won, which opened a lot of doors,” Said Poindexter Knight, Sr.

“Like my son said, I would like to see him get at least five fights for 2018. That will keep him sharp, and he will continue to learn. We had a great 1st fight, and we will continue to work hard and get better with each fight.”

Said David McWater, CEO of Split-T management, “I’m truly excited about Poindexter Knight’s future – he has the skill and more importantly the drive to be one of the very best.”

NEW YORK CITY (December 10, 2017) Boxing’s newest star, undefeated junior welterweight CLETUS “The Hebrew Hammer” SELDIN, (21-0, 17 KO’s) of Long Island, New York makes an almost unprecedented return to HBO World Championship Boxing in back to back months, returning to battle YVES ULYSSE JR., (14-1, 9 KO’s), in a ten round clash this Saturday night, December 16 at the Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada, just outside of Montreal. The bout will open the telecast at 9:40 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, Seldin makes his quick return to HBO World Championship following his sensational debut on the network November 11 from Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale where he dismantled once-defeated Mexican veteran Roberto Ortiz. Dropping Ortiz twice in the first round in the televised opener, Seldin would earn the stoppage in the third round as referee Shada Murdaugh stopped the aggressive onslaught at the 2:43 mark of star-making performance.

Only boxing legends Mike Tyson in 1986 and Roy Jones Jr. in 1996 have previously appeared on HBO in back-to-back months.

“Friday after the Ortiz knockout I got the call to fight Ulysse on December 16 and said yes immediately. This is my job, I’m a prizefighter and I love to fight and entertain,” said Seldin who had a huge crowd of passionate supporters at Nassau Coliseum known locally as the ‘Hamma Heads’.

“I truly want to fight every month so it was easy to get back in the ring so quickly. It’s an honor to be asked to fight on HBO in such a quick return and I plan on making the most of it.”

“Some of these more modern fighters want to fight every six months but I’m a throwback to a different era when top fighters fought much more often.”

“From the moment I hear my ring walk music and hear the crowd erupt I’m ready. Most boxing fans love aggression and they love knockouts and that’s what I bring, always.”

About fighting in Canada and facing Ulysse, Seldin stated, “We’ve studied him but my job is to take the fight right to him with no hesitation and let him know who’s the boss. While most of my fights have been at home it’s another ring in Canada, same size ‘office’. No affect at all fighting on the road. I’ll go anywhere and fight any junior welterweight.”

“For me I don’t change anything, not my trunks, shoes or warmup. I noticed today while I was packing for Montreal that there’s some of Ortiz’s dried blood on my shoes from November 11, sort of like a badge of honor from my fight.”

“This Saturday night is another chapter for me, I belong on HBO fighting in big fights, this is why I train so hard. I’m a gladiator coming to hurt and coming to win.

Tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) are on sale now via bilesuserviss.lv with prices starting at €50.

This biggest Cruiserweight unification fight for several years, takes place at the Arena Riga in Latvia on 27 January 2018.

Ukrainian Usyk has promised a night to remember for boxing fans at the arena and around the world: “Fans at the arena and in front of their TV’s can look forward to a beautiful and interesting battle between two world champions.”

Said Briedis: “I can’t wait to hear the noise of the devoted Latvian fans again. I will prepare myself over the next weeks to give them a show against Usyk.”

Tickets for Usyk vs Briedis start at €50 and are on sale now via bilesuserviss.lv

Nutley, NJ (December 11, 2017)–This past week in Salt Lake City, Utah, Vito Mielnicki, Jr. captured the United States Junior National championship in the 145-pound division.

Mielnicki of Roseland, New Jersey moved up an unprecedented 10 weight classes where he competed at 106-pounds at the 2017 tournament, and defeated the number-two seed, Adam Calixto of Tampa, Florida in the semifinals. In the finals, Mielnicki defeated top seeded Obed Bartee-El of Huntsville, Alabama.

With the title, Mielnicki gained a spot in the 2018 United States Junior National Team, Where he will be heading to train with teammates on February 4th at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado to get ready for international competition.

Mielnicki is trained by Ahmad Elliot and Willie Moses, as well as strength and conditioning coach Fred Caruso.

Mielnicki is the son of the GH3 Promotions CEO Vito Mielnicki.

Last night’s fight between Vasiliy Lomachenko (10-1-0, 7 KO) vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-1-0, 11 KO) delivered big on ratings, making it the second highest-rated boxing telecast on cable in 2017, according to Nielsen overnight ratings. It was an electric, full house at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City that watched two of the top ten pound-for-pound fighters in the world, both two-time Olympic gold medal winners, battle it out for the WBO Junior Lightweight World Title. Lomachenko wowed with a sixth-round TKO.

Three additional fights rounded out Saturday’s cable television card with marquee appearances by rising stars Shakur Stevenson, Chris Diaz and Mick Conlan, all three placing in the top ten fights of the year.

With the Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux results in, ESPN now has secured seven of the top ten rated fights of the year and the highest-rated fights on cable television since July 1. In just six months, since the Top Rank on ESPN debut, ESPN has generated impressive ratings results with its boxing events starting with its telecast of Pacquiao vs Horn, the #1 rated fight of the year.

2017 Top Ten Fights on Cable Television

DATE
NETWORK
FIGHT
MTRD MKT RTG
07/01/2017
ESPN
Manny Pacquiao vs Jeff Horn
2.4
12/09/2017
ESPN
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Guillermo Rigondeaux
1.5
12/09/2017
ESPN
Shakur Stevenson vs. Oscar Mendoza
1.1
12/09/2017
ESPN
Michael Conlon vs. Luis Molina
1.1
11/25/2017
HBO
Sergey Kovalev vs. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy
1.1
08/19/2017
ESPN
Terence Crawford vs Julius Indongo
1.0
11/11/2017
ESPN
Artur Beterbiev vs. Enrico Koelling
1.0
12/09/2017
ESPN
Chris Diaz vs. Bryant Cruz
1.0
11/25/2017
HBO
Sullivan Barrera vs. Felix Valera
1.0
Multiple tied at
0.9

Top Things to Know
· Last night’s Top Rank on ESPN telecast featuring Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux averaged a 1.3 metered market rating
· Based on overnight ratings, last night’s event alone also secured four of the year’s top ten rated boxing fights on cable
· Based on overnight ratings, this is the second highest-rated boxing telecast on cable in 2017 and the second highest-rated boxing telecast on ESPN since the start of 2016
· Las Vegas was the top local market, where the telecast averaged a 3.0 metered market rating, including a 4.5 rating during the main event

Top Local Markets
Las Vegas and Tulsa were the top two markets for the full telecast, with a 3.0 metered market rating.

Rank
Market
Metered Market Rating
1
Las Vegas
3.0
2
Tulsa
3.0
3
Oklahoma City
2.7
4
Knoxville
2.5
5
Norfolk-Portsmith-Newport
2.3

Next up on Top Rank on ESPN is the title fight between boxing’s Cinderella Man, Jeff “the Hornet” Horn and Gary “Hellraiser” Corcoran. The WBO Welterweight championship fight will air live from Brisbane, Australia Wednesday, December 13, at 6:30 a.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and stream live on the ESPN App. Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs) will be risking his newly-minted World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown against Top-10 contender Gary “Hellraiser” Corcoran (17-1, 7 KOs), of London. It will be the Brit’s first fight outside the United Kingdom. Horn vs. Corcoran will re-air the same day at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

HAMPTON, N.H. (December 9, 2017) — Colorful light heavyweight prospect Richard “Popeye The Sailor Man” Rivera remained undefeated (5-0, 4 KOs), veteran Roberto “El Viejo” Valenzuela, last night (Sat.) in the “Rumble at The RIM” main event, presented by Granite Chin Promotions, at The RIM Sports Complex in Hampton, New Hampshire.

Rivera, fighting out of Hartford (CT), controlled the action from the opening bell against his battle-tested opponent from Mexico, who had a tremendous experience advantage in his 147th pro fight, compared to Rivera’s fifth.

Valenzuela spent most of the time on the ropes, while Rivera teed-off on him, until a beautiful placed left hook by Rivera decked Valenzuela, who failed to get up until after referee Mike Ryan completed the 10-count.

A busload of Rivera’s fans drove five hours from Hartford through a snowstorm, arriving just before Rivera entered the ring. “That means a lot to me,” Rivera smiled as he spoke about his fans. “We’re more than a gym, we’re family.

“I was so used to an amateur style but now I’m a pro. I’m relaxing and picking my punches. Next, I want to win the New England title. It’s vacant and I want it!”

“This was our first show in New Hampshire and I consider it a success,” co-promoter Chuck Shearns said, “despite some things going against us like tonight’s weather. We’re grateful for the support we received from Hampton, New Hampshire, the commission and local businesses. They worked with us and we can’t wait to return.”

The son and nephew of multiple-time world kickboxing champions – father Tommy and uncle – worked his corner — Peabody, MA Russell Kimber had a promising pro debut against tough Nathan Schulte in a match contested at a 185-pound catchweight. The 32-year-old Kimber, who was the crowd favorite having lived several years in New Hampshire, overcame the determined Schulte for a hard-fought victory by way of a four-round majority decision.

“I was a little nervous with this being my first time in a pro ring,” Kimber admitted after his fight. “I hadn’t been in a ring for 1 ½ years and there was some ring rust. Now, I know what I need to good, and I’ll be a lot better next fight. This was my first camp and I’ve learned a lot. I’d like to stay busy, come back in late January, early February.”

Undefeated Whitman, MA junior welterweight prospect Mike “Bad Man” Ohan, Jr. charged across the ring, unloading a powerful right that immediately sent Bardraiel Smith to the canvas. Smith somehow got to his feet but Ohan quickly ended Smith’s night, only 30-second into round one, as referee Ryan waved off the action.

New England cruiserweight champion and the show’s co-promoter, Iraq War veteran Chris Traietti (25-5, 19 KOs) outclassed Fabian Valdez en route to a win by second-round knockout in a stay-busy fight to close out 2017. In a non-title fight contested at a 185-pounds catchweight, the Quincy, MA-based Traietti floored his game Mexican opponent with a straight right midway through the opening round, closing the show in the second round with a series of unanswered punches.

The only New Hampshire native on the card, Claremont junior middleweight Ricky Ford (1-1-1) won his first pro fight, taking a lop-sided, four-round unanimous decision over pro MMA fighter Andy Aiello, who made his pro boxing debut.

In another stay-busy fight, former world-rated Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (27-3, 9 KOs), fighting out of Quincy (MA), needed only 51-seconds to finish off Mexican lightweight Francisco “El Mono” Medal. Kielczweski hit Medal with a with a lethal left to the body, leaving Medal in obvious pain and unable to rise before the 10-count.

New Jersey middleweight Chris “Sandman” Thomas (7-0-1, 4 KOs) kept his unbeaten pro record intact with a second-round stoppage of Demetrius Thomas. Thomas used a rapid-fire combination to drop Thomas, who beat the count, but he was getting hammered when referee Ryan stopped the fight late in the second round.

Complete results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS

185-LBS. CATCHWEIGHT
Chris Traietti (25-4, 20 KOs), Quincy, MA
WKO2 (1:13)
Fabian Valdez (2-2, 1 KO), Cananea, Mexico

Russell Kimber (1-0, 0 KOs), Peabody, MA
WDEC4 (39-37, 38-37, 38-38)
Nathan Schulte (0-4), Woburn, MA

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Richard Rivera (5-0, 4 KOs), Hartford, CT
WKO2 (1:48)
Roberto Valenzuela (69-76-2, 56 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Mexico

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Chris Thomas (7-0-1, 4 KOs), Beachwood, NJ
WTKO2 (2:55)
Demetrius Thomas (0-7), Philadelphia, PA

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Ricky Ford (1-1-1), Claremont, NH
WDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 39-37)
Andy Aiello (0-1), Bridgewater, MA

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Mike Ohan, Jr. (4-0, 2 KOs), Whitman, MA
WTKO1 (0:30)
Bardraiel Smith (0-3), Philadelphia, PA

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Ryan Kielczweski (27-3, 9 KOs), Quincy, MA
WKO1 (0:51)
Francisco, Medel (11-11, 7 KOs), Uruapan, Mexico

Event sponsors included Seabrook Inn, Tobin Scientific, Jeremy’s Pizzeria and Sports Bar, and Matrix Aerospace.

INFORMATION:
Facebook.com/GraniteChin
Twitter: @Granite_Chin

09 December 2017 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), sent shockwaves throughout the iconic Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand with an exciting evening of world-class martial arts action. ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD showcased a series of compelling bouts, punctuated by a thrilling headliner that left fans on the edge of their seats. In the main event, Brazilian submission wizard Alex “Little Rock” Silva captured the coveted ONE Strawweight World Championship with a masterful display of striking, edging out previously unbeaten champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Japan.

Visit the official ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD photo gallery by clicking: http://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event of ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD, Alex “Little Rock” Silva wrapped the ONE Strawweight World Championship belt around his waist following a dominant striking performance, unveiling a new dimension to his evolving skillset by putting together dynamic combinations. Figuring in an offensive clinic against his Japanese counterpart, Silva overwhelmed Naito from the beginning of the bout, peppering his opponent with lashing leg kicks and rocking right hands. Although Silva had the upper hand in the first three rounds of the championship clash, he had to overcome a spirited performance from Naito, who did his best effort to wear down the Brazilian challenger in the last two periods of the contest. Relying on his exquisite jiu-jitsu background, Silva managed to defend Naito’s grappling advances to walk out of the Impact Arena with the unanimous decision victory and the prestigious ONE Strawweight World Championship in his possession.

Alex Silva, newly-minted ONE Strawweight World Champion, stated: “I don’t know man, it feels like a dream. If this is a dream, please wake me up. I can’t believe I’m here. Hard work, works. It pays off. I want to say thank you to all the fans who came out to watch and support me. I want to thank everyone at Evolve. This is not only my belt guys, this is ours. Those guys smash me in the gym, making me stronger everyday. I can’t believe I’m here.”

In the co-main event of the evening, Russian veteran Rasul Yakhyaev made a triumphant return to the ONE Championship cage, upsetting hometown hero Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai in their three-round lightweight encounter. From the opening bell to the last round, Yakhyaev pacified Wiratchai’s exciting cage style by consistently landing his solid overhand right. Aside from taking control in the stand-up exchanges, Yakhyaev also proved his mettle on the ground with a technical grappling showcase, converting several takedown attempts and catching Wiratchai in two near-submission finishes. Yakhyaev punctuated the tactical encounter by grinding out Wiratchai in the third frame, earning the undivided nod from the three judges at cageside.

19-year-old martial arts prodigy Christian “The Warrior” Lee scored perhaps his most impressive victory yet, with complete and utter domination of Japanese martial arts veteran Kotetsu “No Face” Boku. Opening up the contest by taking the action right to Boku, Lee connected on a series of fast and powerful strikes, pushing Boku constantly back up against the cage. After taking Boku’s back however, Lee took the Japanese competitor for a ride with a belly-to-back suplex, sealing the stoppage with hammer fists to record his seventh first round finish.

Former world title challenger Riku “The Outsider” Shibuya of Japan placed himself back on the winning track by capturing an impressive submission conquest of former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke. After a brief moment on the feet, Shibuya wasted no time in taking the action to the mat, where he worked on the submission finish by latching on a guillotine choke to force the tap and the victory.

Rising Thai martial arts superstar Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige showcased an improved striking arsenal, comfortably exchanging combinations with opponent Rome Trinidad of the Philippines over the course of two rounds before scoring an exciting submission finish. Ishige and Trinidad kept the action focused primarily at the center of the ONE Championship cage for the majority of the bout. Towards the end of the second round however, Ishige took Trinidad’s back, brought her to the mat and sunk in a bout-ending rear naked choke to force the tap.

“The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China pulled off a successful promotional debut in ONE Championship, stopping Team Lakay’s April Osenio in the opening round of their catchweight clash. Living up to the billing as one of the top leading female martial arts talents in China, Xiong looked for the early finish by fastening a deep guillotine choke on Osenio. Although Osenio managed to break the submission hold and return to her feet, Xiong charged right back and drilled Osenio with a volley of crisp punches. Xiong then secured the stoppage after dazing Osenio with a staggering overhand right to notch another spectacular knockout.

Highly-decorated Muay Thai legend Sagetdao “Deadly Star” Petpayathai authored another sensational victory in front of a jubilant Thai crowd, defeating Filipino competitor Jimmy Yabo in the first round of their featherweight encounter. Relying on his well-regarded clinch game, Petpayathai scored his third consecutive knockout victory inside the ONE Championship cage by driving a hard knee to Yabo’s midsection, causing him to drop to the canvas in excruciating pain.

Former WBA Featherweight World Champion Yodsanan “Little Tyson” Sityodtong of Thailand made quick work of opponent Dodi Mardian of Indonesia, finishing with a beautiful left hand straight down the middle. In an impressive display of ferociousness, Sityodtong tagged Mardian repeatedly with the kind of punches he became known for as a professional boxer. In the end, Mardian just couldn’t deal with Sityodtong’s power as he fell in the first round by knockout.

Thai wrestling champion Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai drew loud cheers from the packed crowd with another dominant victory, this time over Filipino competitor Rabin “The Rock” Catalan. Blasting Catalan with a furious offensive featuring his best striking combinations, Kongsrichai took matters to the ground and quickly got mount, finishing Catalan off with elbows and punches.

Kicking off all the action at ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD were bantamweights Tang De Pan of China and Asraful “Warrior” Islam of Bangladesh, who gave fans a spirited effort over three rounds. After a gruelling bout, it was Tang who emerged victorious via unanimous decision.

Official results for ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD
ONE Strawweight World Championship bout: Alex Silva defeats Yoshitaka Naito by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds
Lightweight bout: Rasul Yakhyaev defeats Shannon Wiratchai by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Featherweight bout: Christian Lee defeats Kotetsu Boku by Knockout (KO) at 3:24 minutes of round 1
Strawweight bout: Riku Shibuya defeats Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:36 minutes of round 1
Women’s atomweight bout: Rika Ishige defeats Rome Trinidad by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:05 minutes of round 2
Women’s catchweight bout (57.3kg): Xiong Jingnan defeats April Osenio by TKO (Strikes) at 3:44 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Sagetdao Petpayathai defeats Jimmy Yabo by Knockout (KO) at 2:44 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Yodsanan Sityodtong defeats Dodi Mardian by Knockout (KO) at 1:32 minutes of round 1
Strawweight bout: Kritsada Kongsrichai defeats Rabin Catalan by TKO (Strikes) at 3:01 minutes of round 1
Bantamweight bout: Tang De Pan defeats Asraful Islam by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

INDIO, CALIF. (Dec. 8, 2017): Argentine knockout artist and former interim WBC Super Lightweight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse will be the special VIP guest for the Dec. 14 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. The event will be headlined by the 10-round fight between current NABF and NABO Super Bantamweight Champion Diego De La Hoya (20-0, 9 KOs) and tough challenger José “Sugar” Salgado (35-4-2, 28 KOs).

ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will air the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 8:50 p.m. ET/5:50 p.m. PT. Doors to the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center open at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Matthysse, the 35-year-old power puncher who is one of the best 140-pounders of this era, has defeated some of the very best of that division, including former two-division world champion Lamont “Havoc” Peterson, former WBO Junior Welterweight Champion Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and former three-division titlist Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto. The native of Chubut, Argentina recently entered welterweight division when he stopped Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor in the fifth round of a bout that was part of the televised undercard of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr.

Though he is busily preparing to clash against Thai superstar Tewa Kiram in a 12-round battle for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship on Jan. 27, Matthysse will be in attendance for this event to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center before the ESPN transmission begins. The meet-and-greet is open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to the event.

Tickets for the event start at $25 and will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

In the night’s co-main event, Carlos “The Solution” Morales (16-2-3, 6 KOs) will face Kosovo’s Dardan Zenunaj (14-3, 11 KOs) in a ten-round clash for the NABF Super Featherweight Championship that Morales lost to current WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Alberto “Explosivo” Machado earlier this year. In the night’s swing bout, 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Marlen Esparza (3-0) of Houston, Texas will take on Mexico’s Karla Valenzuela (3-16-3, 1 KO) in a six-round super flyweight battle.

Joet Gonzalez (17-0, 9 KOs) will take on Isao Carranza (15-10-1, 8 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico over a scheduled 10 rounds of 126-pound action. Ferdinand Kerobyan (6-0, 3 KOs) will fight Tavorus Teague (4-18-2, 3 KOs) in a schedule four-round clash in the welterweight division. Southern California favorite

San Antonio’s Joshua “The Professor” Franco (12-0, 6 KOs) will participate in a scheduled eight rounds of super flyweight fury against Los Angeles’ Carlos Maldonado (9-1, 7 KOs). Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro (11-0, 6 KOs) will fight Nicaragua’s Nelson Lara (17-8-5, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight fight.

To close off this exciting boxing evening, two fights will take place after the main event. Mexican Olympian Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (1-0) will take on Mexico City’s rugged Israel Villela (6-7, 2 KOs) in a welterweight bout scheduled for six-rounds, and Ryan Caballero (3-0, 1 KO), the younger brother of Coachella, California’s Randy “El Matador” Caballero, will open the boxing evening at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in a six-round welterweight fight against Franco Gutierrez (1-0) of Sonora, Mexico.

De La Hoya vs. Salgado is a 10-round super bantamweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Don Chargin & Paco Presents Boxing.The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy, “Never Stop, Never Settle.” The fights will take place live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Doors open and the first fight begins at 4:30 p.m. PT. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will transmit the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 8:50 p.m. ET/5:50 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and http://www.espn.com/boxing/; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @ESPN, and @ESPNBoxeo; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya. Follow the conversation using #GBPonESPN.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting link: http://bit.ly/DeLaHoyaSalgado into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

Saturday’s HBO Boxing After Dark® telecast begins at 10:20 p.m. ET/PT.

Opening the telecast from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas is Francisco Vargas battling Stephen Smith in a 10-round super featherweight fight.

Leading up to the main event, Tevin Farmer takes on Kenichi Ogawa in a 12-round bout for the junior lightweight world title.

In the main event of the evening, Orlando Salido goes up against Miguel Roman in a 10-round junior lightweight match.

Official Weights from Las Vegas:

Orlando Salido: 131 lbs.
Miguel Roman: 130.5 lbs

Tevin Farmer: 129.5 lbs.
Kenichi Ogawa: 129.5 lbs.

Francisco Vargas: 130 lbs.
Stephen Smith: 130 lbs.

Tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) go on sale on Monday December 11th at 12.00 (Noon) CET, via bilesuserviss.lv with prices starting at €50.

This biggest Cruiserweight unification fight for several years, takes place at the Arena Riga in Latvia on January 27, 2018.

“Usyk, World Champion and the number one seed in the tournament collides with Briedis, national hero and World Champion. It doesn’t get much bigger than this,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer. “The noise from 10.000 fans when Mairis Briedis faced Mike Perez at the Arena Riga in September was one of the highlights of the quarter-finals in the World Boxing Super Series.”

And Ukrainian Usyk promises another night to remember for boxing fans at the arena and around the world: “Fans at the arena and in front of their TV’s can look forward to a beautiful and interesting battle between two world champions.”

Said Briedis: “I am looking forward to fight once again in front of the incredible crowd at the Arena Riga and I will do everything to make them proud with another victory.”

Fans are asked to sign-up for ticket alerts at worldboxingsuperseries.com to receive the ticket link emailed directly to their inbox and avoid disappointment

FIGHT # 1 – 16:30 HRS
4 X 3 Minute Rounds International Flyweight Contest
HARVEY HORN 8st 2lbs V DENIS BARTOS 8st 7lbs 8oz

FIGHT # 2
6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Welterweight Contest
SANJEEV SAHOTA 10st 2lbs V IVAN GODOR 10st 1lb 10oz

FIGHT # 3
8 X 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Featherweight Contest
ARCHIE SHARP 9st 7lbs 4oz V RAFAEL CASTILLO 9st 2lbs 12oz

FIGHT # 4
THE VACANT IBF EUROPEAN WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
JOHNNY GARTON 10st 6lbs V MIHAIL ORLOV 10st 6lbs 8oz

FIGHT # 5
THE VACANT IBF EUROPEAN MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
JOE MULLENDER 11st 5lbs 8oz V LEE CHURCHER 11st 4lbs 6oz

FIGHT # 6 (FLOATER # 1)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Middleweight Contest
UMAR SADIQ V YAILTON NEVE

FIGHT # 7
10 X 3 Minute Rounds Heavyweight Contest
DANIEL DUBOIS 17st 1lb V DORIAN DARCH 16st 5lbs

FIGHT # 8 (FLOATER # 2)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds International Welterweight Contest
HAMZA SHEERAZ V VICTOR EDAGHA

FIGHT # 9
THE WBO INTERCONTINENTAL LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
ANTHONY YARDE 12st 5lb 8oz V NIKOLA SJEKLOCA 12st 6lbs 6oz

FIGHT # 10
THE IBF WORLD FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
LEE SELBY 8st 12lbs 12oz V EDUARDO RAMIREZ 9st 2lbs 8oz

FIGHT # 11
THE IBF WORLD SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
JAMES DeGALE MBE 12st V CALEB TRUAX 11st 13lbs

LONDON (8 December) – Vasily Lomachenko believes he will knockout Cuban foe Guillermo Rigondeaux in one of the most anticipated fights in recent years.

Two of boxing’s most decorated amateurs are set to do battle this Saturday night, exclusively live on BoxNation, in a showdown that will see Ukrainian superstar Lomachenko’s WBO super-featherweight world title up for grabs.

Despite the belt being on the line both men are regarded by most observers as the sport’s two most skilled fighters, with 29-year-old Lomachenko aiming to make a quick night of it.

“I am going to walk through him like a tank and knock him out. I am like every single fighter – going into the ring I have in my mind ‘finish the bout before all the rounds are over and to get the victory before that,” said Lomachenko.

“There is a good possibility that the fight will end before the twelfth round. I am not promising to knock him out but I am promising to squash him.

“I have a plan in my head, a picture of what I am going to do but I don’t think it would be too smart to talk about it right now. I think it is better one time to see than 100 times to say,” he said.

It looked unlikely that the pair would ever share the ring but this historic clash will now mark the first time two-time Olympic gold medalists have fought each other professionally at the highest level.

“I agree that it is a historical bout, it is an interesting bout and most importantly it is an interesting bout for me,” said Lomachenko.

“A lot of time was spent to make this bout. For a while it was never happening and finally it happened. It is very, very interesting and all of the boxing fans wanted to see the fight and finally we can deliver it,” he said.

37-year-old Rigondeaux has held multiple world titles at super-bantamweight but will be moving up eight pounds to take on Lomachenko at the 130-pound super-featherweight limit.

However, ‘The Jackal’ is unconcerned at this and believes he will be just as strong at the new weight, as he looks to give fans a fight to remember at the sold-out Madison Square Garden.

“I went up to 130 because it was the only way I could get this fight made. I would rather it have been at a lower weight, but I want to show the world that I can do it by moving up two weight classes,” said Rigondeaux.

“I feel stronger than ever and I am going to do it and do it right. Moving up has had no negative effect whatsoever on my speed or power.

“It is the first time in history that two multiple Olympic champions are going to fight each other and it is going to be a very good fight.

“It’s going to be a great fight for the fans and it’s going to be a great historical fight that fans will forever look back on,” he said.

Prior to the monster clash from New York, BoxNation will also be live from the Copper Box Arena in London in a stacked card that sees IBF super-middleweight world champion James DeGale defend his title against the dangerous American Caleb Traux.

‘Chunky’ DeGale fights in the UK for the first time in three years following his 2014 third round win over Marco Antonio Periban and will headline a card that also sees IBF featherweight world champion Lee Selby back in action.

The Welsh star goes up against Mexico’s Eduardo Ramirez, with rising stars Anthony Yarde and heavyweight Daniel Dubois featuring on the night.

The live action from London starts at 6.35pm this Saturday evening, with Lomachenko v Rigondeaux taking place later that night exclusively live on ‘The Channel of Champions’.

BoxNation is available on Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/EE/Apple TV/ online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon) for just £12 a month. Buy now at boxnation.com.
– ENDS –

About BoxNation

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated boxing channel. From £12* per month with no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Canelo vs Golovkin.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon, Apple TV). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

Available on selected internet-connected Freeview products only, subject to coverage. Visit freeview.co.uk/availability.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV customers

LAS VEGAS (December 7, 2017) – The final press conference was held today for “Warriors Collide”, the outstanding boxing event set for this Saturday, December 9 at the beautiful Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV and telecast live on HBO Boxing After Dark (10:20 p.m. ET/PT) and HBO Boxing Latino beginning at 1:05 a.m. ET/PT (tape delayed).

Among the boxing legends headed to Las Vegas to witness the fights are newly elected International Hall of Fame inductee ERIK MORALES, ‘El Grand Campeon Mexicano’, JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ SR. and Four Division World Champion JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ.

Presented by Zanfer Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Tom Loeffler, tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100 and $30 are now on-sale and can be purchased at AXS.com or in person at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office.

Below are quotes from the ten fighters on the HBO Boxing After Dark and HBO Latino telecasts.

ORLANDO SALIDO

“Thanks to everyone who’s made this possible, all the promoters in charge. I want to thank my trainer Santos Moreno for all his help. We know we’re in a very difficult fight and expect the best of Miguel Roman. There will be a fight in the ring on Saturday night and the fans know to expect that.”

MIGUEL ROMAN

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity and want to thank everyone involved. Thanks to HBO for putting this show together and putting me in the main event. My training was great with Rudy Hernandez and we’re prepared for the fight. I have a great deal of respect for Orlando Salido and that’s why I’ve trained so hard.”

TEVIN FARMER

“Thanks to HBO and Peter Nelson for this opportunity. Saturday night is a big night for me. I’ve worked very hard for a long time to become a world champion. I’ve earned my spot and I’m ready to become a world champion. I’ve watch Ogawa’s tapes, I’m sure he’s coming to win but I will be victorious on Saturday night.

KENICHI OGAWA

“Thanks very much to HBO and Teiken Promotions and Tom Loeffler. I’m not here as tourist, I’m here to win and go home a champion.”

FRANCISCO VARGAS

“Thanks very much to HBO, Golden Boy Promotions and my manager, Ralph Heredia for this great opportunity. I’m excited to get back in the ring, I took some time off but I’m ready to go now. I’m also very happy for the training that I’ve had with my new trainer Joel Diaz. I’m ready to give all the fans an action-packed fight and a great fight.”

STEPHEN SMITH

“Thanks very much to my team, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing along with my trainer Joe Gallagher. I’m very excited to be fighting in Las Vegas and against such a formidable foe in Francisco Vargas. Camp in England has been great and I’m ready to put on a show for the fans watching on HBO.”

DENIS SHAFIKOV

“I’m very thankful to Tom Loeffler and HBO for this opportunity, I’m very well prepared for victory.”

RENE ALVARADO

“I’ve prepared very well and I’m ready for a great fight against Denis Shafikov on Saturday night.”

JAIME MUNGIA

“As everyone knows I’m 25-0 and ready to put that perfect record on the line against Paul Valenzuela. I’m looking forward to putting on a show this Saturday night, my first time fighting in the United States.”

PAUL VALENZUELA

“I believe in myself and I’m ready to put on a great show. I’ve trained hard and may the best man win.”

The HBO Boxing After Dark tripleheader is headlined by the highly anticipated return of four-time world champion in two weight divisions, ORLANDO “Siri” SALIDO (44-13-4, 31 KOs), of Sonora, MX, facing off against fellow Mexican warrior MIGUEL “Mickey” ROMAN (57-12, 44 KOs), of Chihuahua, MX, in a 10-round junior lightweight clash.

Also featured on the card is a bout between TEVIN “American Idol” FARMER (25-4-1, 5 KO’s), of Philadelphia, PA as he squares off against KENICHI OGAWA (22-1-0, 17 KO’s), of Tokyo, Japan for the vacant IBF Junior Lightweight World Title. Farmer vs. Ogawa is presented in association with DiBella Entertainment and Teiken Promotions.

Opening the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast is former WBC World Super Featherweight Champion FRANCISCO “El Bandido” VARGAS (23-1-2, 17 KOs) who will return to the ring once again to make a case for title contention when he takes on former two-time world title challenger STEPHEN “Swifty” SMITH (25-3, 15 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight fight. Vargas vs. Smith is presented in association with Matchroom Boxing.

Headlining the HBO Latino Boxing telecast in a ten-round junior lightweight contest, two-time world title challenger DENIS SHAFIKOV, (38-3-1, 20 KO’s), of Miass, Russia now fighting out of Big Bear Lake, California will face-off against Managua, Nicaragua native RENE ALVARADO, (27-8-0, 19 KO’s).

Co-featured on the HBO Latino Boxing telecast, highly touted and undefeated junior middleweight prospect JAIME MUNGUIA, (25-0-0, 21 KO’s), of Tijuana, Mexico will face off against PAUL VALENZUELA (20-6-0, 14 KO’s) of Santa Rosalia, MX in a scheduled eight rounder.

SOCIAL MEDIA
#SalidoRoman
@Siri_Salido
@TevinFarmer22
@ElBandido130
@SwiftySmith
@ZanferNews
@GoldenBoyBoxing
@TomLoeffler1
@DiBella Entertainment
@MatchroomBoxing
@TheRealDealBox
@HBOBoxing
@MandalayBay

Los Angeles, CA (December 7, 2017) Following the overwhelming success from the first SUPERFLY event this past September, Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions in association with Nakornluong Promotions and Zanfer Promotions is proud to announce the highly anticipated second installment, SUPERFLY 2, set for Saturday, February 24 at the Forum in Los Angeles, CA televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

SUPERFLY 2 will be headlined by WBC Super Flyweight World Champion SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (43-4-1, 39 KO’s), of Si Sa Ket, Thailand, defending his title over 12-rounds for the second time against former world champion and #1 ranked mandatory challenger JUAN FRANCISCO “El Gallo” ESTRADA, (36-2, 25 KO’s), of Sonora, Mexico.

Advance tickets for SUPERFLY 2, priced at $250, $150, $100, $60 and $30 will go On-Sale Tuesday, December 12 at 12:00 p.m. PT and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000) and the Forum Box Office. The Forum is located at 3900 W. Manchester Blvd, Inglewood CA 90305.

“It’s very exciting to announce the main event for the second installment of our SUPERFLY series. With the tremendous response from fans and media from our first event and overwhelming anticipation to our second, we join boxing fans in saying that we ‘can’t wait’ until February 24 at the Forum,” said Loeffler.

“Srisaket Sor Rungvisai had a remarkable year in 2017 upsetting ‘Chocolatito’ by controversial decision on March 18, 2017 at Madison Square Garden for the WBC Super Flyweight Title and decisively defeating him again in his first defense on September 9 at the Stubhub Center at our first SUPERFLY event.”

“Juan Francisco Estrada won a terrific fight against Carlos Cuadras on September 9 at the Stubhub Center and is very anxious to challenge for a world title in the super flyweight division against Sor Rungvisai.”

“The Forum has played host to many nights of memorable battles for more than 40 years and we expect this event to be another chapter in the annals of this iconic venue.”

Said Fernando Beltran, President of Zanfer Promotions, “On February 24 our talented and pride of Mexico, Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada will show that he is the best flyweight in the world by beating the WBC Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in another great night at SUPERFLY 2.”

“HBO has given us a great opportunity to showcase the smaller divisions and the fans will be very happy to see it. If SUPERFLY 1 was a great night of quality boxing and action, I am sure that SUPERFLY 2 will surpass it.”

Mauricio Sulaiman of the World Boxing Council stated, “SUPERFLY 2 must be celebrated as it will bring excitement to boxing fans and it marks the return of real boxing promotion as this concept has found great interest around the world. It is great to see that the smaller weight divisions receive this type of opportunities to shine on the biggest stage of the world for boxing. The WBC fully supports SUPERFLY 2 and looks forward to this spectacular night of boxing.”

Said Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, “The super flyweight division is the deepest division in the world at the moment. I have great respect to Tom Loeffler and HBO for making SUPERFLY so successful, and SUPERFLY 2 will continue to deliver. We have so many great fighters in the super flyweight division, and it is exciting for me because there are many world class opponents that can make terrific fights.”

“Juan Francisco Estrada is definitely among the top-class fighters in our division. When someone is a former unified champion that moved up without losing his titles, you know he is a world class fighter in his prime. However, I am confident that I will be successful in this fight because I will be at my best on fight night again. We will give the fans an incredible fight and I plan on another impressive win.”

“I would like to invite all Thais in the United States, especially those in Los Angeles to attend my fight at the Forum on February 24. Together our Thai hearts will beat and our Thai blood will be pumped with pride and excitement. Let’s show the world our Thai power together on that day!”

Said Estrada, “I am very excited about facing Sor Rungvisai for the WBC Super Flyweight World Title on February 24 at the Forum. He will be a difficult challenge as he defeated Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez twice in a row with a vicious KO in their last fight. Sor Rungvisai is a very tough and skilled boxer so I will have to prepare very well to be ready to challenge him for his belt.”

The 30-year-old Sor Rungvisai made his United States debut on March 18 shocking the boxing world with a 12-round majority decision over then undefeated and consensus #1 pound-for-pound fighter Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez at Madison Square Garden. Dropping Gonzalez in the first stanza, Sor Rungvisai would capture the WBC Super Flyweight World Title in a hotly contested battle that had the massive crowd on their feet throughout.

Rematching Gonzalez on September 9 at The Stubhub Center, Sor Rungvisai would drop the four-division world champion twice in the fourth round, the second resulting in Sor Rungvisai being awarded the knockout stoppage erasing any controversy from the first fight.

Sor Rungvisai also previously held the WBC Super Flyweight World Title defending it once before losing the title to Carlos Cuadras on a technical decision on May 31, 2014. Sor Rungvisai had won the title in his hometown of Si Sa Ket, Thailand on May 3, 2013 by knocking out champion Yota Sato in the eighth round.

Known for his true ‘Mexican Style’ of fighting, Juan Francisco Estrada has remained one of the most popular fighters in the flyweight and super flyweight divisions throughout his nine-year professional career.

The 27-year-old Estrada won the WBC and WBA Flyweight World Titles on April 6, 2013 with a 12-round decision victory over Brian Viloria in Macau, China. Estrada defended both titles six times before moving up to the super flyweight division.

At the inaugural Superfly event on September 9, Estrada fought brilliantly in winning a 12-round unanimous decision over former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Carlos Cuadras at the Stubhub Center.

Estrada has not lost a fight in over six years. On November 17, 2012, he challenged then WBC Flyweight World Champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, losing a very close, 12-round decision at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Additional information on this tremendous night of world class professional boxing will be announced shortly.

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TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a jam-packed weekend of live combat sports, beginning this Friday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET with TKO 41: Champions live from Montreal, Canada’s Bell Centre. The live action continues on Saturday morning, Dec. 9 at 8:30 a.m. ET with ONE Championship: Warriors of the World from Bangkok, Thailand followed immediately by a GLORY kickboxing doubleheader featuring GLORY 49 Rotterdam live at 11:30 a.m. ET and GLORY 49 SuperFight Series live at 1:30 p.m. ET. Finally, on Saturday night, Dec. 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live broadcast of the UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Ortega PRELIMS from Fresno, Calif.

Friday’s live broadcast of TKO 41: Champions from Montreal, Canada kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET and is headlined by an exciting featherweight championship bout pitting Windsor, Ontario’s TJ Laramie (6-2) against undefeated local favorite Charles Jourdain (5-0). In other championship bouts, Marc-Andre Barriault (9-1) collides with Strahinja Gavrilovic (8-4) for the middleweight title, Jesse Ronson (18-8) tangles with Derek Gauthier (8-7) in a rematch for the lightweight crown, Adam Dyczka (6-0) looks to keep his momentum rolling against Bakary Sakho (1-0) in a heavyweight championship clash, plus Jesse Arnett (13-4) squares off with Dimitri Waardenburg (13-7) in what promises to be an all-action affair for the bantamweight title.

Airing live on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. ET, ONE Championship: Warriors of the World emanates from Bangkok, Thailand, headlined by a showdown for the ONE strawweight title, as Japanese titleholder Yoshitaka Naito (12-0) risks his gold and perfect record against Brazil’s Alex Silva (6-1). In other featured bouts, Thailand’s Shannon Wiratchai (8-1) meets Russian Rasul Yakhyaev (10-6) in a lightweight bout, battle-tested Japanese veteran Kotetsu Boku (26-11-2) takes on American Christian Lee (7-1) in featherweight action and former 115-pound kingpin Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke (8-2), of Thailand, returns home for a flyweight encounter with Japan’s Riku Shibuya (7-4).

Fight Network’s live broadcast of GLORY 49 Rotterdam begins on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET, headlined by the final round of a one-night, four-man lightweight contender tournament, as Danish dynamo Niclas “The Destroyer” Larsen (46-9-2, 24 KO) battles Dutch-Moroccan wunderkind Tyjani “The Wonderboy” Beztati (14-1, 5 KO) and Bulgarian bruiser Stoyan “The Sniper” Koprivlenski (7-1, 3 KO) meets returning Brazilian Maykol Yurk (8-5, 6 KO) in opening round matchups. In addition, Angola’s Christian “Bad News” Baya (59-5-1, 34 KO) looks to spoil the debut of Slovenian lightweight Samo Petje (32-6-1), while American Muay Thai stylist Omar Moreno (25-7-1, 9 KO) fights Chinese UFC veteran Anying “Smiley” Wang (10-3).

The card leads directly into GLORY 49 SuperFight Series at 1:30 p.m. ET, headlined by newly crowned GLORY middleweight champion Alex “Po Atan” Pereira (26-6, 16 KO) making his first title defense against 25-year-old Dutch-Tunisian Yousri Belgaroui (23-3, 11 KO). Also on the bill, former welterweight champion Nieky “The Natural” Holzken (90-13, 46 KO) faces 23-year-old Russian up-and-comer Alim “Professor” Nabiyev (47-6, 21 KO), Holland’s Eyevan “Mister Cool” Danenburg (25-6, 13 KO) locks horns with Road to GLORY UK winner Jamie Bates (24-6, 3 KO) and Englishman Bailey “Bad Boy” Sugden (9-1, 2 KO) takes on China’s Chenglong Zhang (41-5, 11 KO) in a clash of 19-year-old featherweight prospects.

The two-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS begin on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET with four exciting bouts, as No. 10-ranked bantamweight Alexis Davis (18-7) and No. 11 Liz Carmouche (10-5) move to 125 pounds for a flyweight bout, bantamweight Luke Sanders (11-1) faces Andre Soukhamtath (11-5), Carls John de Tomas (8-1) and “Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series” contract winner Alex Perez (18-4) square off in a flyweight battle, while Frankie Saenz (11-5) and Merab Dvalishvili (7-1) open the telecast with another bantamweight bout.

Ahead of the live PRELIMS, Fight Network will live broadcast the UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW at 7:00 p.m. ET, featuring coverage from the industry’s premier mixed martial arts analysts, as Megan Olivi makes her hosting debut on the FOX Sports desk with analysts Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian, while Laura Sanko adds reports and interviews fighters on-site. At the conclusion of Saturday’s live main card on TSN5, the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT POSTFIGHT SHOW airs at approximately 1:00 a.m. ET, recapping all the exciting action.

This weekend’s live slate of combat sports airs exclusively on Fight Network across Canada.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

Philadelphia, PA (December 6, 2017) – On Monday, December 11th, The Abrams Boxing Hour will debut on Wildfire Radio.

The weekly show will begin at 5:30 PM ET, and will be an innovative look into the world of professional boxing.

The show will feature the biggest names in the sport as well as the latest news inside the sweet science. Fans will be able to participate and have their comments and questions read via multiple social media platforms.

“I am excited to be able to bring a different perspective of boxing to the fans around the world,” said host Marc Abrams.

“I plan to bring thought provoking topics, and have the most interesting guests for unique interviews that will bring not only knowledge but entertainment to the fans that will be listening all around the globe. Wildfire features some terrific hosts such as Dei Lynam, Mike Kern, Kevin Cooney, Ron Burke, Big Daddy Graham, Glen Macnow, Leslie Gudel, Brandon Noble and Hollis Thomas. I am to be thrilled to be added to that lineup.”

The show will be able to be heard live around the world on www.wildfireradio.com

LAS VEGAS, NV (December 6, 2017) – Prince Ranch Boxing’s undefeated featherweight prospect, Victor Pasillas (11-0, 4 KOs), shares his thoughts on sparring with WBO Super-Featherweight Champion Vasyl Lomachenko (9-1, 7 KOs), as he prepares for his showdown with WBA Super World Super Bantamweight champion, Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs).

Pasillas, a southpaw from East Los Angeles, marveled at the speed and quickness of Lomachenko, the Ukrainian star who trains in Oxnard, CA.

“Sparring with Lomachenko was a great experience,” said Victor Pasillas, who trains in Northern California with coach Brian Schwartz. “He has extraordinary speed and precise accuracy with his punches. Being in the ring with a fighter like Lomachenko, you learn a lot. Moving forward, I’m going to take this experience and apply what I’ve picked up to better my game. I feel Vasyl will be to big and powerful for the smaller Rigondeaux who is moving up in weight.”

Victor, who has been out of the ring for over two years, will look to get back in the ring in early 2018.

“Unfortunately, I had a few fights fall out,” Pasillas continued. “That happens in boxing sometimes, so I just have to deal with it. I’m looking forward to a fresh new start in 2018. I’m happy to be part of the Prince Ranch Boxing team and I can see myself in some big fights in the upcoming year. I’m just going to keep working hard and and take advantage of my opportunity when it presents itself.”

“Victor Pasillas has a lot of talent and we plan to keep him busy in 2018,” stated Greg Hannely, president of Prince Ranch Boxing. “We will be announcing his next fight shortly. He definitely has a bright future.”

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 6, 2017): Carlos “The Solution” Morales (16-2-3, 6 KOs) hosted a media workout today ahead of his co-main event feature on the Dec. 14 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. The event will be headlined by the 10-round super bantamweight clash between current NABF and NABO Super Bantamweight Champion Diego De La Hoya (20-0, 9 KOs) and tough challenger Jose “Sugar” Salgado (35-4-2, 28 KOs).

Several fighters from the stacked undercard also participated in the workout. Ferdinand Kerobyan (6-0, 3 KOs) will face Tavorus Teague (4-18-2, 3 KOs) in a four-round welterweight bout. San Antonio’s Joshua “El Profesor” Franco (12-0, 6 KOs) will participate in a scheduled eight rounds of super flyweight fury against LA’s Carlos “Mighty” Maldonado (9-1, 7 KOs) and East LA’s Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro (11-0, 6 KOs) will engage in eight rounds of super lightweight action against Nicaragua’s Nelson Lara (17-8-5, 9 KOs). Opening up the action at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Mexican Olympian Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (1-0) will take on Mexico City’s rugged Israel Villela (6-7, 2 KOs) in a welterweight bout scheduled for six-rounds.

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

CARLOS “THE SOLUTION” MORALES, Super Featherweight Contender:
“The fight against Alberto Machado was a great experience for my career. It did not go the way I wanted, but I learned from it. We learned to start strong from the beginning, especially in foreign territory.

“I’m going to give a great show. Fans can expect a spectacular win and an exciting fight. After that, I want a rematch with WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Alberto Machado. But this time, I want it on US territory.”

FERDINAND KEROBYAN, Welterweight Prospect:
“I have a strong amateur background. I earned national titles and was a contender for the Olympics. My amateur background made me the person I am today. This fight will mark one year since I debuted and will be my seventh fight as a professional. I am hoping to come out with a victory and to see that I have made good changes in that year.”

JOSHUA “THE PROFESSOR” FRANCO, Current WBC Youth Silver Super Flyweight Champion:
“Winning my first youth title was an important step for my career. It was even more special because I fought in front of his backyard. I went in confident, and I knew what I wanted. When I spar, I spar with world champions. I’ve gotten to work with Abner Mares and Carlos Cuadras.”

“I just want to look good and show what I’ve been learning in this next fight. I want to use my jab more, but most of all I need more experience. For 2018, I want to fight for more rounds and grab another title.”

JONATHAN “THUNDER” NAVARRO, Super Lightweight Prospect:
“It feels great to know I’ll be able to eat during Christmas, especially since I missed Thanksgiving. For my last performance, I give myself a 7 out of 10 because there is always room for improvement. We’ve been working on our technical skills, so hopefully in this fight we get to work on that. I’m looking to get more experience, but if the knockout presents itself, I’ll take it.”

RAUL “EL CUGAR” CURIEL, Welterweight Prospect:
“I always try to do my best and give a great performance. Each boxer wants to write his story, and I want to reach the pinnacle of the sport. I’ll make sure to put on a great show at Fantasy Springs.”

De La Hoya vs. Salgado is a 10-round super bantamweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Don Chargin & Paco Presents Boxing.The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy, “Never Stop, Never Settle.” The fights will take place live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Doors open and the first fight begins at 4:30 p.m. PT. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will transmit the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and http://www.espn.com/boxing/; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @ESPN, and @ESPNBoxeo; become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya. Follow the conversation using #GBPonESPN.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting link: http://bit.ly/DeLaHoyaSalgado into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

Tickets for the event start at $25 and are now on sale at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

The bright lights of Las Vegas shine on the junior lightweight division when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: ORLANDO SALIDO VS. MIGUEL ROMAN, TEVIN FARMER VS. KENICHI OGAWA AND FRANCISCO VARGAS VS. STEPHEN SMITH is seen SATURDAY, DEC. 9 at 10:20 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Mandalay Bay Events Center. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

The fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

In a night of three 130-pound clashes, the main event features four-time world champion Orlando Salido (44-13-4, 31 KOs) from Ciudad Obregón, Mexico, now living in Phoenix, taking on Miguel Roman (57-12, 44 KOs) of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico in a 10-round bout.

With 130 fights between them, veterans Salido and Roman are known for tenacity and fan-friendly styles. Salido was last seen on HBO in June 2016 when he fought Francisco Vargas in an evenly pitched consensus Fight of the Year, resulting in a majority draw decision. Roman was last seen on HBO in January, suffering a memorable hard-fought loss to Takashi Miura.

The co-main event spotlights Philadelphia’s Tevin Farmer (25-4-1, 5 KOs) and Tokyo’s Kenichi Ogawa (22-1, 17 KOs) in a 12-round world title contest. Farmer was on an 18-bout win streak until he was shot in the hand while attempting to break up an altercation at a party. Now recovered, he seeks to resume his championship quest. Fighting in the U.S. for the first time, Ogawa has won 14 straight bouts following his only loss, in 2012. The fight marks the first shot at a world title for either man.

The night opens with Francisco Vargas (23-1-2, 17 KOs) from Mexico City, Mexico taking on Stephen Smith (25-3, 15 KOs) of Liverpool, UK in a 10-round contest. Vargas looks to get back on a win streak following a majority draw against Orlando Salido and a KO loss to Miguel Berchelt in a brutal fight seen last January on HBO. Smith has knocked out more than half his opponents and is fighting in the U.S. for just the second time.

The action-packed night of boxing action continues on the HBO Latino service starting at 1:05 a.m. ET or immediately following the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast. The HBO Latino Boxing doubleheader (tape-delayed) is headlined by a scheduled 10-round junior lightweight fight between Russia’s Denis Shafikov (38-3-1, 20 KOs) and Nicaragua’s Rene Alvarado (27-8, 19 KOs). The opening bout on HBO Latino Boxing pits undefeated prospect Jaime Mungia (25-0, 21 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, against Paul Valenzuela (20-6, 14 KOs) of Baja, Mexico, in a scheduled eight-round matchup in the junior middleweight division.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jonathan Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

The Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) hits the Arena Riga, Latvia on January 27, 2018.

“The stand-out atmosphere in the quarter-finals was the noise the fans made in the sold-out Arena Riga,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer.

“We are very excited to bring the Ali Trophy to Latvia on January 27. Usyk is Olympic Champion, World Champion and the number one seed in the tournament but when he collides with national hero and World Champion Briedis he will meet by far his toughest challenge in his career. This is the biggest unification fight in the division since many, many years.”

2012 Olympic Champion, 30-year-old Usyk expressed before the tournament his desire to unify the belts in the cruiserweight division and to take home the Muhammad Ali Trophy. And he kicked off in style:

The Ukrainian went to Berlin in Germany on September 9 in the tournament opener and produced a spectacular display at the Max-Schmeling-Arena to stop former world champion Marco Huck in the 10th round. Now he travels to another opponent’s backyard to face a current champion.

“I do not care where I fight,” said Usyk, the tournament’s number one seed.

“In Riga, there will be 10.000 fans and that’s great. The fans should expect a beautiful and interesting battle between two world champions.”

32-year-old Briedis excited an ecstatic hometown crowd at a sold-out Arena Riga on September 30 to score a unanimous decision in his quarter-final over the tough Cuban challenger Mike Perez.

“I had a gut feeling that the World Boxing Super Series might return to Riga because of the incredible crowd at the Arena Riga in the quarter-final bout against Mike Perez,” said Briedis, the tournament’s third seed.

“I’m really happy with how it has turned out. I am thankful to the Latvian fans who made it possible by being so passionate and devoted. Now it’s all about preparing for Usyk and put up a great show when January comes.”

Usyk and Briedis will soon come face-to-face at a kickoff press conference in Riga and tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final between are going on sale next week with the exact time to be announced shortly. Fans are asked due to the huge demand to sign-up for ticket alerts at worldboxingsuperseries.com to avoid disappointment.

06 December 2017 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently hosted the ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD Official Face-off on Wednesday, 6 December atop the 61st floor of the Vertigo Restaurant in the Banyan Tree Bangkok Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. In attendance was ONE Championship President of Thailand, Mr. Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp and main event competitors Yoshitaka Naito and Alex Silva, as well as co-main event competitors Shannon Wiratchai and Rasul Yakhyaev. The rest of the athletes also faced off.

Visit the official ONE : WARRIORS OF THE WORLD OFFICIAL Face-off photo gallery by clicking here
The press conference was held in lieu of all the action which takes place Saturday, 9 December at the Impact Arena, as the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent take the ONE Championship cage to showcase their skills in front of a global audience at ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD.
Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp, ONE Championship President of Thailand, stated: “ONE Championship is back in Bangkok for another evening of world-class martial arts. This is an exciting one for fans, as ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD is set to feature some of the best and most talented Thai martial arts superstars on the biggest stage of global competition. Fans will not want to miss all the action that goes down at the Impact Arena on Saturday night. Get ready as we have an amazing card prepared for you all!”
Yoshitaka Naito, ONE Strawweight World Champion, stated: “Hayato [Suzuki] is known as one of the best wrestlers in Japan, so I was shocked to see him lose against a jiu-jitsu champion. Alex Silva’s grappling is extremely good. Silva’s strength is of course his ground techniques, but his striking is probably not a big threat. Silva has never gone five rounds, so if it goes the distance, it will be my time. I am confident in my abilities and that I will successfully defend my belt.”
Alex Silva, ONE Title Challenger, stated: “It is most important that before you are even a champion, that you have a good personality, and a good character. You need to be humble. That is how I want to inspire people. That is very important to me. I think that is what has brought me to where I am today — being humble and having a good character, whether you are a champion or not. I am grateful for the opportunity to challenge for the title, and will do my best to take home the win on Saturday night.”
Shannon Wiratchai, ONE Athlete, stated: “Competing in front of my hometown fans is always a great pleasure, and huge pressure at the same time. Life is all about changing. In every change there is always an opportunity. Rasul is dangerous everywhere. But I think I can handle him on the feet. Chechen wrestlers are always some of the best in the world, but I have wrestled with many high-level wrestlers. 2017 is a year that I have been working very hard. I hope I win this match, and 2018 will be another year that I keep working hard. Not just for myself, but for Thai martial arts.”
Rasul Yakhyaev, ONE Athlete, stated: “My defeats taught me to take more care of myself — of my health, my diet, and my training schedule. Shannon is a decent athlete with a lot of experience in the cage. I have not watched all of his matches, but I am sure I can win. I have the complete skill set to achieve victory. Shannon is going to be a tough challenge, but I wish him to have a good training camp with no injuries. When the big day comes, one of us must win and one will lose. I will be the one who wins.”
Reigning and defending ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Matsudo, Japan, is unbeaten in his professional career with a perfect 12-0 record. He owns six victories by submission and one by knockout. The 33-year-old, who made a name for himself at Japan’s world famous Korakuen Hall competing for Shooto as its Flyweight Champion, captured the ONE Strawweight World Championship by submitting Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in his promotional debut in 2016. Naito makes the second defense of his strawweight belt against Alex Silva.
Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a second-degree black belt and Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion feared for his relentless pursuit of submission finishes. Silva is riding high on a five-bout winning streak, rapidly climbing ONE Championship’s stacked strawweight ranks. He is a technical grappling specialist with a penchant for securing highlight-reel submissions. With steadily increasing confidence, Silva’s last five victories have all ended in spectacular fashion. In his most recent contest, Silva made quick work of the highly-regarded and previously unbeaten Hayato Suzuki, earning him an opportunity for the ONE Strawweight World Championship.
Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand is one of the most thrilling offensive innovators in ONE Championship. The creator of the OneShin Striking System, Wiratchai developed his own style which incorporates various elements from Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Training out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab, Wiratchai emerges as Thailand’s biggest and most exciting martial arts star. In his last bout, Wiratchai made quick work of Rajinder Singh Meena, stopping his foe with a knee to the abdomen in less than 30 seconds into the first round. Wiratchai seeks to continue his winning ways as he faces Rasul Yakhyaev in the co-main event of the evening.
26-year-old Rasul Yakhyaev of Grozny, Russia, is a lightweight who has racked up a solid following over his seven-year professional career. A jiu-jitsu and combat sambo practitioner, he is adept in both striking and mat techniques, and is considered a solid contender with tremendous combat skills. A well-rounded warrior, four of Yakhyaev’s victories have come by submission while three have come by knockout. After establishing a name for himself in Eastern Europe, he made his ONE Championship debut in December of 2015, and now seeks to take his career to the next level against Shannon Wiratchai.
For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.
About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.