PARK CITY, Kansas (November 27, 2017) – Due to an injury suffered by 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez last week at training camp, this Saturday night’s “KO Night Boxing: Gold & Glory” card, presented by KO Night Boxing LLC, has been postponed until February 10, at the same venue, Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas.

The 21-year-old Hernandez was scheduled to headline the event in his hometown against Hungarian flyweight champion Jozsef “Little Red” Ajtai (19-9, 12 KOs) in the eight-round main event for the vacant International Boxing Association (IBA) Americas flyweight championship.

The promoter plans to keep the card intact, as much as possible, and he is hopeful that Ajtai is available to challenge Hernandez for the IBA Americas title.

“Injuries are an unfortunate part of boxing, but the good news is that Nico will be 100-percent ready to go February 10th,” promoter John Andersen said. “I know that Nico feels that he’s letting everybody down but, at the end of the day, all that really counts is his health. He’s a tough kid who has his entire pro career ahead of him.”

“Over the last six months, Nico has become like family to the Hartman Arena staff,” said Hartman Arena Executive Director, Ben Bolander. “We wish the best for him and hope for a speedy recovery, so we can see him back here in February fighting for the title.”

TIckets to the December 2nd event will still be honored at the February 10 event. If ticket holders, are unable to attend the new event date, full refunds will be offered at the point of purchase. Tickets will remain on sale for the February 10, 2018 event date.

INFORMATION:

https://www.hartmanarena.com/events/upcoming-events/1.html, www.internationalboxingassociation.com

Twitter: @KONightBoxing, @IBABoxing

Facebook: /NeonStar, /IBABoxing

Follow @Nicomhernandez on Twitter and Instagram
About Neon Star Sports & Entertainment (NSSE)
NSSE is a content company whose focus is creating original and joint venter media properties – unscripted, scripted, events and digital programming – for cross-platform distribution. Visit us on Twitter @NeonstarSE or Facebook www.facebook.com/NeonStarSE. KO Night Boxing, LLC, is a subsidiary company of Neon Star Sports & Entertainment Inc.

About Hartman Arena
Hartman Arena, with a total seating capacity of 6,750, is the home to great live entertainment, indoor sports and community events, and is managed by VenuWorks, America’s emerging leader in venue management.

About VenuWorks
VenuWorks is a leader in venue management, providing customized solutions for multi-purpose sports, entertainment and recreation facilities, theatres and conference and convention centers throughout the country, offering full service management services including operations, event booking and marketing. VenuWorks is headquartered in Ames, IA and was founded in 1996. For more information, please visit www.venuworks.com

Sampson Lewkowicz proudly announces that budding superstar, and WBC World Super Middleweight Champion, David “El Bandera Roja / Red Flag” has renewed his exclusive Sampson Boxing promotional agreement.

20-year-old Benavidez (19-0, 17 KOs), became the youngest super middleweight world champion in boxing history by winning a split decision over Romania’s Ronald Gavril last September. The Phoenix-based slugger says he’s happy to continue his promotional relationship with Lewkowicz.

“Sampson is a great promoter and he’s done a lot for me,” said Benavidez. “He’s always treated me and my team with respect and I was eager to re-sign with him. I can’t wait to defend my title against the best and become the great fighter I am with Sampson on my team.”

Father, co-manager and trainer Jose Benavidez says signing with Sampson was an easy decision for Team Benavidez.

“We are all really happy and excited,” he said. “We started with Sampson and he’s done a tremendous job. We are super satisfied with what he’s done and where we are at. We didn’t even think twice about it. I think when this contract ends, we’ll sign another one with him.”

Co-manager David Garcia says continuing with Sampson Boxing means more big fights are on the horizon for the young champion.

“Sampson has been good to work with and David became a world champion within two years of signing with him, so we’re very excited to be able to continue that. Davis is a phenomenal talent. He is eager to take on the best in the division and then move up or down in weight and continue to dominate other champions.”

“I’m very proud to continue working with this wonderful team,” said Sampson Lewkowicz. “David, Jose Sr. and David Garcia are always gentlemen and very easy to work with. David has a long, distinguished career ahead of him and it’s an honor to be a part of his rise to the top of boxing.”
About Sampson Boxing
After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.

Uncasville, CT, November 26, 2017

Last night, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing presented another rendition of the “Slugfest at The Sun” series at the Mohegan Sun arena in Uncasville, CT. The card was headlined by Crusierweights Constantin Bejenaru and Thabiso Mchunu who fought for Bejenaru’s WBC International Cruiserweight title in a 10 round bout.

Bejenaru came away with a unanimous decision victory over Mchunu, the mandatory challenger, defending his WBC International title sucessfully. The bout often times saw each fighter playing the game if cat and mouse with one another. There was a brief explosion by Bejenaru in round 7 as he dropped Mchunu with a picture perfect left cross but Bejenaru couldn’t capitalize on his opportunity to knockout Mchunu. In the end the scores were 98-91 and 97-92 twice, all in favor of Bejenaru who improves to 13-0 3KO’S while Mchunu drops to 18-4 11KO’S.

The undercard certainly thrilled the crowd of some 3500 people at the Mohegan Sun arena, who were on their feet often throughout this exciting night of action.

The semi-final saw a shocking result as previously undefeated Queens, NY native Daniel Gonzalez suffered his first defeat as a pro at the hands of Framingham, MA native, Danny O’Connor in a bout scheduled for 10 rounds with the vacant WBC Interntional Silver Super Lightweight title at stake.

The fight was a barn burner from the opening bell as both fighters traded freely much to the delight of the crowd. O’Connor had the edge in the 1st round but Gonzalez opened a nasty cut over O’Connor’s left eye in round 2 as both fighters continued the torrid pace. Round 3 saw Gonzalez picking up where he left off in round 2 until a perfectly placed left hand by O’Connor found its mark on Gonzalez dropping the Queens native who gamely arose but was in no shape to continue forcing referee Steve Willis to call a halt to the action at 0:39 seconds of the 3rd round. O’Connor ups his record to 29-3 11KO’S and in the process wins the WBC International Silver Super Lightweight title while Gonzalez drops to 14-1-1 5KO’s.

Hometown favorite Anthony Laureano won a hard fought majority 6 round decision over Johnny Hernandez by scores of 58-56 twice, and 57-57 in a Jr. Welterweight fight. Laureano, who hails from nearby East Hartford, CT and Hernandez who calls Bayshore, NY his home, fought a fast pace, highly skilled fight that had the fans on their feet cheering throughout. There was little to separate the 2 fighters as they engaged each other freely over the course of the fight. Laureano improves to 6-0 3KO’S while Hernandez drops to 8-3 1KO.

A special attraction 6 round female Middleweight fight between Kali Reis and Tiffany Woodard brought the house down. Reis, who had a huge following in attendance, started fast, throwing bombs with both hands landing flush on the chin of Woodard who showed an incredibly strong chin as well as a huge heart as she tried to fend off the assault of Reis. The action was non- stop throughout the fight and by the time the 6th and final was coming to an end the crowd was in an absolute frenzy. The 2 fighters received a well deserved standing ovation as Reis came away with the unanimous victory by scores of 60-54, 60-53, and 59-55. Reis improves to 13-6-1 4KO’S while the tough Woodard drops to 4-9-3 3KO’S.

New Haven Light Heavyweight Charles Foster improved to 14-0 8KO’S scoring a 5th round TKO over Quentin Rankin, 12-4-2 9KO’S, in a bout scheduled for 8 rounds in the Light Heavyweight division.

In another war on the card, Dan Murray bested previously unbeaten Valerio Nocera, who was making his U.S. debut by scores of 38-37 twice for Murray while Nocera won on the other judges card by the same score of 38-37, in a 4 round Jr. Welterweight matchup. A debatable 3rd round knockdown scored by Murray was the difference in the fight. Murray improves to 3-1 while Nocera falls to 3-1-1.

Sequan Felton, 2-2, upset debuting Bridgeport fighter Carlos Marrero in a 4 round Jr. Lightweight contest by scores of 40-35 twice, and 39-35. Marrero drops to 0-1.

Promoter Joe DeGuardia had these comments on the night’s action “While the main event may not have been all fireworks and bombs, the rest of the card was. From start to finish the undercard and co-feature had everything you could ask for, knockouts, close matchups with razor thin decisions and upsets.
This show exemplifies why we have loyal fans in the New England area and at Mohegan Sun as they appreciate he unpredictability, and great matchups that has become customary with a Star Boxing card.”
MISSED LAST NIGHTS FIGHTS? DON’T WORRY…
STAR BOXING has made a deal with NESN SPORTS to have last nights “SLUGFEST at the SUN” fights aired on tape-delay next Sunday, December 3rd. More information to follow! Stay tuned…

UNCASVILLE, CONECTICUT, NOVEMBER 25, 2017

Main Event:
The 10 Round WBC International and Continental Cruiserweight Champ CONSTANTIN BEJENARU (12-0 3KOs) weighed in at 199.5 lbs, ahead of his title defense bout against #1 mandatory challenger, and former world title challenger THABISO MCHUNU, who weighed-in at 200 lbs.

Co-Feautre:
DANNY “El Gallo” GONZALEZ (14-0 5KOs) is prepared for his chance to earn the vacant WBC Silver International Super Lightweight Title, as he weighed-in earlier today at 139.2 lbs, but standing in his way is Irish-American and Massachusetts native DANNY “Danny O” O’CONNOR (28-3 11KOs), who weighed-in at 139.7 lbs. Both men are looking to take their careers to the next level by winning this co-feautre bout.

Undercard:
New England’s top prospect “Action” ANTHONY LAUREANO (5-0 3KOs) weighed in at 139 lbs., and is looking to continue his winning ways as he returns to his hometown to take on the tough New Yorker JOHNNY “Hitman” HERNANDEZ (8-2 1KO), who weighed in at a ready 137.2 lbs. You will not want to miss this one. This is a scheduled 6-round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Former Two time women’s world champion, KALI “KO Mequinonoag” REIS (12-6-1 3KOs) weighed-in at 158.2 lbs, and her opponent TIFFANY WOODARD (4-8-3 3KOs) of Wilson, North Carolina weighed-in at 159.5 lbs. This is a scheduled 160 lb 6-Round bout.

CARLOS MARRERO (debut) will be fighting in his backyard to make his pro-debut, as he tipped the scales at 129.7 lbs.; looking to derail his party is Rochester, New York native, SEQUAN FELTON (1-2), who weighed-in at 130.2 lbs. This is a scheduled 4-round, 131 lb. bout.

VALERIO NOCERA (3-0-1) is making his United States debut, as his previous four fights took place in his native Italy; he weighed in at 139.2 lbs. His opponent DAN MURRAY (2-1) comes in at 138.2 lbs. This is a scheduled 4-round, 140 lb. bout.

In addition to the stacked card, a swing bout has been added between local favorite and undefeated CHARLES FOSTER (13-0 7KOs) of New Haven, CT, as he weighed in at 179 lbs. against Charlotte, NC native , QUENTON RANKIN (12-4-2 9KOs)
who weighed in at 179 lbs.

Fight night is tonight, get your tickets to SLUGFEST at the SUN! Purchase them below.
Get your tickets to November 25th, #SLUGFESTattheSUN live from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
Tickets start at JUST $30.

BUY TICKETS HERE!

FACTS:
DATE:
Saturday November 25th, 2017

TIME:
Doors Open 6:30 PM
First Bout 7:30 PM

LOCATION:
Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut

MAIN EVENT:
WBC Cruiserweight Title Fight
CONSTANTIN BEJENARU vs. THABISO “THE ROCK” MCHUNU

CO-FEATURE:
WBC Super Lightweight Title Fight
DANNY “EL GALLO” GONZALEZ vs DANNY “DANNY O” O’CONNOR

TICKETS:
Available at TICKETMASTER
TICKET PRICES: $30, $45, $95 (+$5 facility fee)

BOUT SHEET:
View the bout sheet for SLUGFEST at the SUN HERE.
INFO:
STAR BOXING brings championship boxing to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT on Saturday, November 25 with two separate Championship Bouts along with a thrilling undercard of 6 additional fights.

WBC International and WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight Champion CONSTANTIN BEJENARU, (12-0, 3KO’S), of Brooklyn, NY defends his titles against #1 ranked mandatory contender THABISO “The Rock” MCHUNU, (18-3, 13KO’S) of Kato Ridge, South Africa, in the ten round main event.

Undefeated DANNY “EL GALLO” GONZALEZ (Woodhaven NY, 14-0 5KOs) will put his perfect record on the line against highly regarded DANNY “DANNY O” O’CONNOR (Framingham MA, 28-3 10KOs) in a 10-round bout for the vacant WBC International Silver Super Lightweight Title in the co-featured title bout on the card.

Headlining his first main event, Bejenaru is coming off two victories seen on the popular Showtime series ShoBox: The New Generation, over previously undefeated contenders Stivens Bujaj and Alexey Zubov. A native of the Eastern European country, Moldova, Bejenaru is a quick handed aggressive fighter. He captured both vacant WBC Cruiserweight Championships (International and Continental Americas) with his dominant victory against Bujaj.

Mchunu is no stranger to big fights having challenged Oleksandr Usyk for the WBO World Cruiserweight Title last year. While Mchunu fell short in that world championship effort, he has since come back with a recent victory in South Africa to secure the mandatory challenger position. Mchunu holds a victory over highly regarded Eddie Chambers which also took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in 2013. Mchunu will be coming all the way from his home in South Africa for this coveted title opportunity.

Undefeated Danny Gonzalez has been attracting the attention of fans in and out of the ring. Maintaining a very busy 2017, Gonzalez will look to cap off his year with a WBC title in the co-featured matchup.

O’Connor, an Irish-American amateur star, has enjoyed success in the pros as well, beating the likes of former WBC Continental Americas Champion Michael Clark and former WBC World title challenger Vivian Harris. He comes into Mohegan Sun boasting an impressive pro record and two fight winning streak including a win over another previously undefeated prospect.

WORCESTER, Mass. (November 24, 2017) – The first year of Rivera Promotions Entertainment (RPE) as a promotional company was a resounding success, as well as an invaluable learning experience for its owners and operators, retired three-time, two division world champion Jose Antonio Rivera and his son, Anthonee (A.J.) Rivera.

RPE promoted for “New England’s Future” events this past year, all held in their hometown of Worcester, located in central Massachusetts, at two different venues, DCU Center and the Palladium.

“I think we exceeded our initial expectations,” RPE CEO Jose Rivera said, “promoting four shows in only 10 months. I still have high expectations and I believe we will be even better in 2018. Believe it or not, what we learned the most was about the extra costs that come with promoting boxing events. We knew the cost of the venues, purses, flights and hotels, but there are so much more in terms of cost to promote shows, and doing four in 10 months helped us learn quickly. We need to bring our A game in 2018.

“I’m most proud of my son’s growth as a matchmaker and RPE president. He is so passionate about boxing and making RPE a successful promotional company in professional boxing.”

RPE’s philosophy is to provide a platform for young, local boxers to develop their skills and gain public and media exposure. As a former pro boxer, Jose understands how critically important that is for boxing prospects.

“It means a lot to me that we started with a dream of how we wanted to represent ourselves in the boxing game and accomplished that in our first year,” Jose continued. “Boxing has a reputation for taking advantage of boxers and RPE wants to make sure that boxers know about all the sacrifices I made to become world champion and that, if they’re willing to work with us – let us help them – we would love helping them get to the top as well.”

AJ grew up in boxing, always at his father’s side in the gym and at fights, and the young Johnson & Wales University graduate realized early on that he was born with boxing running through his veins. As the youngest matchmaker in U.S. boxing, AJ gained invaluable experience this past year, especially in the behind-the-scenes part of pro boxing.

“I would like to thank Worcester and all the fans who supported us during our first year,” the 24-year-old AJ commented. “This year was fun and full of memories. Never did I imagine in our first year of business we’d be as successful as were. We’re truly blessed and thankful for those who have supported and believed in us this past year. Because of the support people gave Rivera Promotions Entertainment, we are going to expand at a rapid rate. RPE is looking in to promoting shows in other states, as well as opening a new music division to promote concerts.

“I also want to give a special shout out to Connecticut. In my first year of business, I learned very quick that Connecticut breeds some bad boys! The Connecticut guys can really fight! and it’s been a pleasure to develop a working relationship with its fighters who brought tremendous amounts of excitement to our shows, and to their loyal fans who traveled to show their support. It will be an honor for RPE to give Connecticut fighters an opportunity to fight in their hometowns in 2018, the same way we did for Worcester-area fighters this past year.”

RPE plans to make a major announcement after Thanksgiving about its first event of 2018 and some of the boxers who’ve agreed to work with RPE next year.

This was only the beginning for RPE, the best is yet to come!

LONDON (24 November) – The heavyweight division has been booming in recent times and this Saturday night BoxNation subscribers will be able to watch Alexander Ustinov and Manuel Charr clash for the vacant WBA World Championship exclusively live.

Taking place at Koenig-Pilsener-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, the two big men will be looking to make their mark and fire a warning shot to the other leading fighters in the division.

WBA number two rated heavyweight Ustinov goes into the ring with 34 wins, 25 by knockout, and just one loss on his record, that being against sturdy Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev.

Nicknamed Alexander ‘The Great’ the 40-year-old will be out to grab what may be his final opportunity at the big time.

An accomplished and respected fighter in Charr, who has fought some of the very best including Vitali Klitschko, stands in his way.

The 33-year-old has impressive wins over the likes of Michael Grant and Kevin Johnson and will be looking to add another victory to his 30 wins.

Charr will return to action after having had hip replacement surgery in May.

In his last fight in September 2016, the ‘Diamond Boy’ dominated previously unbeaten Sefer Seferi to win the WBA International Championship.

Ustinov had his last fight in May of this year in Bolton when he annihilated Brazilian journeyman Raphael Zumbano Love in one round.

Now, though, both men have the opportunity to capture a vacant world title belt and set up a major fight down the line.

Ustinov v Charr will be broadcast live on BoxNation on Sky Channel 437 from 6.45pm this Saturday night.

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “The heavyweight scene is really exciting at the moment with a lot of big names all looking to establish themselves as the undisputed number one in the division. In Alexander Ustinov and Manuel Charr we have two fighters who are hungry to throw their names into the hat and set up some of the biggest matchups for themselves. This Saturday night’s clash will be a thrilling fight between two big heavyweights as they look to win the WBA world title exclusively live on BoxNation.”

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

aturday’s HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Opening the telecast from the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City is Yuriorkis Gamboa taking on Jason Sosa in a 10-round fight.

In the co-feature of the night, Sullivan Barrera battles Felix Valera in a 10-round light heavyweight showdown.

In the main event of the evening, former unified light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev returns to action against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in a 12-round light heavyweight title bout.

Official Weights from New York City:

Sergey Kovalev: 174.0 lbs.
Vyacheslav Shabranskyy: 174.8 lbs.

Sullivan Barrera: 174.8 lbs.
Felix Valera: 174.2 lbs.

Yuriorkis Gamboa: 130.6 lbs.
Jason Sosa: 131.2 lbs.

LONDON (24 November) – British welterweight ace Gary Corcoran’s world title bid against Manny Pacquiao conqueror Jeff Horn will be shown exclusively live on BoxNation next month.

The 27-year-old will face the unbeaten Australian at the Brisbane Convention Centre on December 13th as he looks to cause an upset in Horn’s hometown by capturing his WBO welterweight world title.

29-year-old Horn shocked the boxing world with his impressive display against the legendary Pacman this summer when his come-forward and all-action approach caught the judges’ eyes as he went onto win the world title belt via a unanimous decision.

51,000 fans crammed into Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium to cheer on the 12-to-1 underdog that day and were not left disappointed when the former high school PE teacher and 2012 Olympian dethroned the Filipino.

However, this time around he will have the odds in his favour as he returns home for his first defence against Top-10 contender Corcoran.

Nicknamed ‘Hellraiser’ the Londoner has won 17 of his 18 professional fights with just one loss – that coming against Welsh star Liam Williams.

He has bounced back well from that 11th round knockout defeat in July of last year by winning his last two fights, including a split decision victory over Larry Ekundayo in which he captured the vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title.

The winner of Horn-Corcoran will be obligated to make his next defence against newly installed mandatory challenger and former light-welterweight unified champion Terence Crawford.

The American is one of the sport’s best pound-for-pound fighters and the chance to share the ring with him will be extra motivation for both men as they look to deliver fight fans an early Christmas present exclusively live on ‘The Channel of Champions’.

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “Jeff Horn caused a massive upset against Manny Pacquiao when he became the WBO welterweight world champion. He was the underdog in that fight but still rose to the challenge and shocked the boxing world. Gary Corcoran will be looking to do exactly the same thing when he shares the ring with Horn next month, exclusively live on BoxNation. It is a very intriguing fight and a great opportunity for Corcoran to hit the big time and become another British world champion. BoxNation subscribers can tune in on December 13th and witness a very exciting world title matchup.”

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

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events:

It’s Thanksgiving week in New York City. It’s a time for people to consider what they are thankful for; to count their blessings. I can speak for everyone at Main Events and say how thankful we are to have the opportunity to put on a show for boxing fans at the greatest venue for boxing in the United States, Madison Square Garden. We’re thankful we can offer these talented, dedicated athletes the chance to reach for their goals and better their lives through boxing. Tickets starting at $50 are still available through Ticketmaster and the Madison Square Garden box office for Saturday’s event or you can watch live on HBO World Championship Boxing® starting at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time.

Our card features two bouts in the competitive light heavyweight division: Sullivan Barrera vs. Felix Valera and our main event, the Next Chapter in Sergey Kovalev’s career, the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title fight against Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chingonskyy” Shabranskyy.

The opening bout of the HBO telecast brings together two action-oriented junior lightweights, Jason Sosa and Yuriorkis Gamboa, in a must win 10-round fight. On our off TV undercard, we have three talented and undefeated Eastern European fighters out of the famed Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, California with Bakhram Murtazaliev, who is co-promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions, facing Carlos Galvan in a ten-round super welterweight bout, a battle of the unbeaten between middleweights Meiirim Nursultanov and Eric Moon and Enriko Gogokhia versus Jose Antonio Abreu in a welterweight showdown.

And, a little treat for all the New York fans, we have three born-and-bred local fighters getting the chance to perform in front of their friends and family on Thanksgiving weekend. They include Brooklyn’s Frank Galarza making his Madison Square Garden debut against Jaime Herrera, Long Island-native LeShawn “Lightning” Rodriguez, who has promised to put on his own Winter Spectacular versus Alex Duarte and, making his pro debut, Ismael Villarreal, from the Bronx, will face Race Sawyer.

We are thankful to our sponsors Medoff Vodka and Leon.RU. We are thankful for all our partners in this card; working with so many good people proves you cannot succeed alone. I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions, Shuan Boxing Promotions, Peltz Promotions and Krusher Promotions for a wonderful working relationship making this event possible. I want to thank HBO, especially Peter Nelson and Tony Walker, for their unwavering support. We will not let you down. As always, we thank you for the opportunity.

Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President – HBO Sports:

I want to thank all the press for being here. It’s a great privilege to be associated with such a great event and to see you all turn out here before a holiday. I want to thank, first and foremost, everyone at Main Events, constant professionals. We always know we can rely on Main Events to, not only deliver us a great show, but also on the undercard, off HBO, Kathy is giving us a glimpse into the future. The fighters she just named are all apart of budding generation you will be seeing on HBO in the coming years. I would also like to thank the different parties working together in order to make this event happen, obviously Krusher Promotions as well as Golden Boy Promotions. I want to thank everyone on team Barrera as well as team Valera, in addition to Russell Peltz. This guy gives the best talks in all of boxing and he is just sitting there right now. I don’t understand what we are doing here. Every time he gets up here he schools everybody. You never want to talk after Russell Peltz.

I want to thank everyone who is really committed to making the best fights in boxing and constantly working together in order to do that. It is important to work with people who want to put the fights together that the fighters want. They have to be willing to work with anybody, anywhere and the fighters we want on the network are the ones who want to fight anyone, anytime and anywhere. As I can attest with all these fighters up here, I have never had that problem with any of them. They have never turned down a fight. Those are the kind of fighters people want to watch. Those are the kind of fighters that make the fights people want to see. And those are the kind of fights that lead to bigger and better things for each of the fighters involved. Our start time is 10 p.m. and we have a triple header.

We have all action fights on HBO. In the super featherweight division with Jason Sosa and [Yuriorkis] Gamboa are going to compete in order to see what the big next step is to come in their career. The light heavyweight division, as Kathy said, is a stacked division. Two great fights there. Maybe we see the winners meet up down the road. We see some others fighters who are in great position to try and take dominance over an open division right now and have a world title fight like Sergey vs. Shabranskyy. If you aren’t going to be at home or watching it on television, set your DVR. Hopefully you will be at the arena on Saturday night. We look forward to seeing you all. Thanks very much.

Joel Fisher, Executive Vice President – Madison Square Garden:

I really want to welcome everybody here to this final press conference at MSG. This is really an exciting time at The Garden as we get ready to host three consecutive weekends of great fights. We haven’t done that since the 1960s. The two guys that are fighting this weekend will follow in the footsteps of all the great boxers and fighters that fought in the MSG ring. Sergey is really one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and we know that he is ready to start the next chapter of his brilliant career. We are thrilled to host the light heavyweight world championship fight between Sergey and Vyacheslav. It will be another night in a long history of great fights at The Garden. As all you know The Theater is actually a tremendous place to host a fight and view one. We are sure all the loyal fans will come out. It’s just going to be a great atmosphere on fight night with top quality boxing at The Garden. Those two things are synonymous. The Garden has been in the boxing business for over 130 years. This will just add to the rich history of all the MSG fighters: Sugar Ray Robinson, Ali, Joe Frazier and the list goes on and one. As I said this kicks off three fights in a row. Three weekends in a row so it really is an exciting time for us. I really want to thank Kathy, Peter, their staffs from myself, Sal Federico and my staff. It’s just been great to work together with everybody. I want to take this time to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving. As Kathy said its Thanksgiving weekend and for everybody to come out is great. Hopefully everyone has a great Thanksgiving, a great holiday and end it with a great night of boxing here at MSG. I look forward to seeing everyone and have a great holiday.

Duva:

Finally, to the media present and watching live, thank you for your time and attention. I promise you, in the months and years to come, you’ll remember you were here to witness The Next Chapter in Sergey Kovalev’s career.

We have an exciting undercard – this is a full Thanksgiving meal with plenty on the table. Opening our bout on the HBO card is former unified featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (27-2, 17 KOs) stepping in to fight former WBA World Super Featherweight Champion, Jason Sosa (20-2-4, 15 KOs) in a ten-round super featherweight fight. Gamboa is a native of Guantanamo, Cuba, an Olympic gold medalist. This is a fight he wanted. Sosa is one of our many local fighters on the undercard, from Camden, New Jersey. These guys both want to start the next chapter of their careers on a winning note.

Russell Peltz, President – Peltz Boxing:

When they get to this part of the press conference, they start with the main event. Teddy Brenner was the greatest matchmaker in the history of boxing. For those of you who don’t know who he was, he was the matchmaker here at MSG from the late 50s to the late 70s before that he ran what they call the House of Upsets in the Eastern Parkway of Brooklyn where about a third of the 200 main events he made became rematches in The Garden. No one will ever surpass Teddy because Teddy promoted fights, he did not promote fighters. He had three criteria for what made a good fight: 1. Do the styles mesh? Gamboa and Sosa are each 5’6. They each try to hurt people. 2. Does the fight lead somewhere? The winner has been promised a shot at a world title. 3. The most important is, would I buy a ticket to see this fight? Absolutely. That’s why I think it’s the most compelling, the most intriguing, the most interesting fight on this card. Gamboa cannot afford a loss. People say he is washed up. He is 25-2. I don’t know how washed up you can be at 25-2. We expect to see the best Gamboa there has been. The one I have ran into here a few years ago when he knocked out a fighter I had Rogers Mtagwa. Jason Sosa is coming off a defeat to Lomachenko and I was in the dressing room with him after that fight. It was a tearful scene. Peter Nelson from HBO came in and said, ‘I promise I won’t forget what you did for us this night. You stepped in when no one else wanted to fight Lomachenko at that time for any reasonable amount of money.’ Jason took the challenge and everybody said it’s the end of his career and here we are back again. Peter made good on his promise and we are one fight away from fighting for the world title. We would love to fight any of the guys that are fighting on the HBO show on December 9th.When Robert Diaz or Eric Gomez or Peter Nelson call me I don’t even say hello. I say will take it because that’s what fighters do; they fight. I’m really looking forward to this thank you.

Jason Sosa, former WBA Super Featherweight World Champion:

First I don’t really have a lot to say because tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we are not gonna have the privilege to eat at least four or five plates. I would just like to give thanks. Thanks to the media. Thanks to Peter Nelson and Main Events. I am thankful for my family, my two kids and my mom. And I’m thankful for the opportunity to, once again, showcase my talent on HBO.

Raul Rivas, Trainer of Jason Sosa:

First and foremost I want to thank the man up above; without him nothing is possible. Thanks to the media, HBO, of course, Golden Boy and Krusher Promotions for giving us the opportunity to showcase again on HBO. I want to thank Gamboa’s team for taking the fight. It’s going to be a good fight, a perfect fight with two aggressive, strong fighters .The are the great height for each other and they both need this fight. We know if we lose, we will have to sit for a while. He loses and he has to sit for a while. The best thing for me is that I know that Gamboa is going to bring the best out of Jason. Loma is a special talent. One like that comes every ten years. We fought. Loma, when no one wanted to fight him. We relinquished our WBA title to take that fight, which says a lot about that young man. Russell Peltz I thank you for believing in us. I want to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I know that you are missing your family like we are. And for the fighters in general, like Jason said, they cannot have three meals and enjoy the family and the Thanksgiving. This sport is very demanding with time. So thank you for taking your time.

Robert Diaz, matchmaker – Golden Boy Promotions:

It’s going to be tough, going against Russell Peltz and Jolene Mizzone [Main Events’ matchmaker] on the same night! But I want to thank Peter. Everybody is thanking everybody. Of course, thanks to the media, thanks to the fans, thanks to Madison Square Garden; it’s a privilege to be here. But Peter, thank you for not focusing on those pretty records, for focusing on fighters that want to fight and bringing them back even after a loss or two because these are fighters that want to fight. I’ve got to disagree with Russell on one thing. In this fight, the super featherweights, they have a lot in common to the main event. All four fighters know what a loss or victory means for their career. In all four cases, neither can afford a loss. In one case, the winner goes on to fight for a world title. In the main event, the winner will walk out a world champion. You all know Gamboa. You know what he can do. He’s a special fighter. It’s all about preparing. They put in the hard work. He is more than ready.

Yuriorkis Gamboa, former IBF and WBA Featherweight World Champion

Thank you for the new opportunity to try again on HBO. (Spanish from here, no translation)

Jesse Rodriguez, Manager – Yuriorkis Gamboa

What an event this weekend. I know everyone’s thanking, this is the right time to thank HBO. Peter, thank you for believing in Yuri and giving him another opportunity. To Golden Boy thank you for bringing Gamboa back. The guy has fought four times this year when previously in the last four or five years, he’s fought only four times of five times. Thank you Golden Boy; you’re going to see a great fight this weekend. Gamboa is definitely ready. We’ve got one of the best in the world and we thank him for taking on the challenge. Gamboa has put in a lot of work and you’re going to see it this weekend. Thank you again everybody and thank God for the opportunity.

Duva:

I think of this like our Thanksgiving boxing dinner, where we have an amazing appetizer that whets our appetite for the rest of the meal. With all due respect for Russell, we’re now going to move on to the main course and the dessert. The light heavyweight division is on fire right now and we really can’t get enough. We’re excited to feature a second top fight in the light heavyweight division as our co-feature Saturday night. Cuban Sullivan Barrera is 20-1, 14 KOs and former WBA Interim Light Heavyweight World Champion Felix “Mangu” Valera is 15-1, 13 KOs of the Dominican Republic are making it a hot island showdown. This bout is presented by Main Events in association with Shuan Boxing Promotions and we’re very happy to work with them. Sullivan is ranked #1 one at light heavyweight by the WBA. If he can defeat Valera, Sullivan will be first in line for Dmitry Bivol’s WBA Light Heavyweight World Championship belt as the mandatory challenger. Sullivan is another distinguished amateur, a former member of the Cuban National Team who defected from Cuba in 2009. He quickly made a name for himself in the light heavyweight division winning his first 17 bouts, with 12 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

Sullivan Barrera, Ranked #1 in WBA:

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for coming. My English is not very well, but I would like to try. I’m so happy for this day here at The Garden. Thank you to HBO, Peter Nelson and my promoter, Main Events. This weekend is a great weekend, Thanksgiving. We work hard at the gym to put on a great show for the fans, the boxing fans. My opponent, Felix Valera, I respect him. He’s a great boxer too. We will put on a great show for the boxing fans. Thank you everyone, and see you Saturday.

Derik Santos, Trainer – Sullivan Barrera:

Hello to everyone, I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. I’d like to thank Peter Nelson, HBO, Madison Square Garden, our promoter Main Events and Luis Molina, our manager. I’d also like to thank Sullivan, because I tell you he’s a pleasure to work with. We’ve worked hard to be here. I’d like to thank Team Valera for accepting the opportunity. Like he said, it’s cold here but we’re going to bring the heat on Saturday night and we will put on a show for the fans.

Duva:

Sullivan will have his hands full with Felix Valera, a knockout artist with 13 knockouts in his 15 professional wins. His only loss is to the man waiting in line for the winner of this fight, Dmitry Bivol. This is the first professional bout in the United States for Felix. You can’t do much better starting out making your US debut in Madison Square Garden.

Felix Valera, Former WBA Interim Light Heavyweight World Champion

First, I want to thank Main Events, HBO and my promoter, Shuan Boxing. I feel happy to be here, feel happy to put on a good fight and Saturday night you’ll see a good fight from me. For me, it’s an honor to fight such a great fighter like Sullivan Barrera. It’s also an honor to want to fight all the best in the light heavyweight division.

Belgica Péña, Shuan Boxing:

We’re happy to be here in the United States, providing a showcase for Dominican fighters. Everybody will see he’s talented and he belongs on this level.

Luis Perez, Trainer of Felix Valera:

I also want to thank Main Events, Shuan Boxing and HBO. I feel we’re actually fighting the best fighter in the light heavyweight division. It’s only my opinion once again, no disrespect to nobody. He’s from a long Cuban boxing school. He’s a great counterpuncher; he’s got power. He’s been down and got up off the floor to win by knockout. So in my opinion, we have the toughest fight in the light heavyweight division. Coming through Saturday the way that we planned it, I feel we are on top once again. To me, Sullivan Barrera is the best in the light heavyweight division. We prepared very well for him. Thanks to him and thanks to Main Events for giving us this opportunity.

Duva:

When we put together Sergey Kovalev’s first fight in The Next Chapter of his career, he wanted it to be memorable and exciting: a real test of his new approach and attitude. We found the right opponent in a guy with the longest nickname in boxing, and it says everything about his come-forward style, Lion Heart.
Diaz:
It’s such a pleasure to be working with different promoters putting their best against our best fighters. At the end of the day, you’re going to get the best fights and the fans are going to walk away happy. Jolene [Mizzone], you owe me. This is a tremendous fight. I want to thank Team Krusher for this opportunity. Utmost respect for you and your team, Egis, we go way back. This is a real fight. This is a real fight because of what it means to both fighters. Put the world title aside, which is very meaningful, this fight means the next chapter, not only for you, but also for Slava. We are very confident because he has a good team behind him.

Manny Robles, trainer – Slava Shabranskyy:

Thank you all for being here today. I’d like to thank HBO, Main Events and, of course, Golden Boy. Thank you very much, for the opportunity, for my fighter here, Slava, to fight for the world title. I just want to say, we had a great camp, great sparring. It was probably the best camp we’ve ever had. I’d like to thank everyone for being here today and I wish everyone a great Thanksgiving. Saturday night we’re going to walk away with the world title, God willing. We’re well-prepared and we’re ready for, with all due respect to Kovalev, we’re ready for everything that may come our way.

Slava Shabranskyy – WBC USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion:

First I want to thank my promoter for believeing in me and giving me the opportunity to fight the best. A fight in Madison Square Garden alone is a dream come true. I’m now fighting for the title, it’s an amazing feeling. I’m working really hard to be where I am now. I’m ready, let’s go!

Duva:

Finally, our former unified light heavyweight champion in the main event sits here today knowing what it is like to feel thankful and to understand the importance of teamwork. Sometimes life delivers a hard lesson but you can learn and move forward. You can be stronger and wiser. You can reach your goals for a second time in life. How many of us can say we’ve reached the very top even once? Sergey Kovalev has been a world champion. He rose from nothing – you all know his story. There is no reason to believe he can’t do it again. It will be exciting to watch it happen. I think it will be even more satisfying for us than the first time we saw it. We have heard from a lot of people who have talked to Sergey and watched him these past few weeks during training – including many of you. They have pulled us aside and told us how amazed they are at his change in appearance and his change in attitude. When Sergey defeated the great Bernard Hopkins, Bernard told Sergey right after the right he would be world champion as long as he wanted to be. He was right – Bernard is always right! I you don’t believe me, he’ll tell you! It turned out the only person who could really beat Sergey Kovalev was himself. Now that he has learned this lesson, he is ready to begin the next chapter. Everyone in the light heavyweight division should be very, very afraid of what a focused Sergey Kovalev can do.

Egis Klimas, Manager – Sergey Kovalev:

Hello everybody, good afternoon. Welcome to New York City, Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden. As always it is a pleasure to be here. I wanted to thank everybody and I want to thank, just not to repeat it, and repeat it again, I want to thank everyone who put in an effort to this fight. I’m very honored to represent a different, a completely different Sergey Kovalev than what I knew in 2009. In the beginning of his career, he was very patient and we walked very long road to get into the position. After he became a champion, he started doing thing a champion isn’t supposed to do. He didn’t pay much attention about his training; he was always on his own. He was trying to tell trainers and everybody what to do, how to do. After every fight, he used to go back home to Russia, spending, two or three months there until he’s going to get a next fight. Finally he got that last call, which reached his mind. I was trying to give some advice during his career but he didn’t pay much attention. He just walked on the other side and did what he’s supposed to do. Usually we can’t give to a grown man advice; he’s not going to take it seriously until it reaches into his mind. He got that bell. Somebody told him, ‘you’ve got to stop it. You’ve got to go a different road if you want to go somewhere in this life.’ I’m very happy, I’m really happy to represent a different Sergey Kovalev.

On another note, as soon as I walked in today to Madison Square Garden, Robert Diaz stepped to me and he said, ‘You know what, Slava got a phone call when he landed in New York. His wife called him and said guess what? Our children are playing. Both their children playing in the background and the two men are going to step in the ring and going to fight each other.’ That’s a wonderful story. I’ll see you guys on Saturday night, have a good time.

Duva:

No matter what any of us say, no matter what Sergey says, whatever story we have to tell you, what really matters is what we’re all going to see Saturday night. That is really the only thing that means anything .Up until that moment, we have to wait. Until then, it is my privilege to introduce the newly energized and focused Krusher Kovalev.

Sergey Kovalev, former unified light heavyweight world champion:

Hi everyone, I’m happy to be here at Madison Square Garden and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I want to say thank you to HBO for this opportunity to get back on this level of boxing, where I can prove for myself who I am. Also, thank you to my manager, to my team, to Kathy Duva and to Madison Square Garden. I’m here fighting for all boxing fans, here and worldwide. I want to thank God, that he blessed me, and that I’m still alive, that I’ve reloaded and got a lot of new motivation in my head, mentally. From my last losses, I didn’t break. These losses didn’t break me mentally. It was a good experience for me. I should follow my goals on a clear road without any wrong things, any baggage on my back. Right now, I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for this fight and especially for Slava Shabranskyy. I respect this guy because he’s a real fighter. His nickname proves he’s a Lion, a Lion Heart, and we will show you on Saturday a great fight. Because on top of this will be the WBO title. From the WBO title, I began my first successful boxing career. I will repeat it and after this we can speak of my future boxing career. Thank you to everyone who came here. I love life; I love boxing.

Duva:

For boxing people, this is hallowed ground. Every time I walk in the door here, I remember the first time I came here. It was more than 40 years ago. Main Events is about to celebrate our 40th anniversary next year if you can believe that. Many of you weren’t born yet. I remember being here and I took a picture of Joe Frazier. He actually stood right in front of me, I had my camera and I took a picture. It’s still hanging across from my desk. I look at it every day, black and white and fading, but it’s him. There’s one thing you gain from having this many years on you, experience. It’s learning that life is nothing but a series of reinventions. Those who can continue to reinvent will thrive and those who can’t will fall behind. The reinvention begins on Saturday.

As you all go off to your Thanksgiving dinners, I want to ask all of you to think about these fighters. They won’t be, as Jason pointed out, be sitting down to a big meal because they have make to weight on the scale Friday. God knows Jolene hopes they all do! This is a rough assignment during a holiday like this.

Tickets starting at $50 and are still available through Ticketmaster and Madison Square Garden box office for Saturday’s event. Or you can watch live on HBO World Championship Boxing® starting at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

We have a lot of people here behind the scenes giving up their holiday. They’re working hard to put on an entertaining night of boxing for your Thanksgiving weekend. I want to particularly make a shout out to every member of my wonderful staff: Jolene, Nicole, Alexis, Lisa and Joe. I want to make a shout out to Ed Keenan, our trusty sidekick and to Gayle Falkenthal who is pinch-hitting admirably for Ellen. We all have her and her family in our thoughts and prayers. She’s going through a rough patch. Hopefully she’ll be back again too. I think it’s only appropriate as we’re all giving thanks, that we give these people a big round of applause, please. And to all of you because I know you’re all working today too and we’d rather not be. So thank you for coming.

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Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Medoff Vodka and Leon.ru. Barrera vs. Valera is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Main Events in Association with Shuan Boxing Promotions. Gamboa vs. Sosa is a 10-round super featherweight fight promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Peltz Boxing and ZR Entertainment. The event will take place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

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PARK CITY, Kansas (November 24, 2017) – Undefeated, rising star Tramaine “The Mighty Midget” Williams is returning to the “Sunflower State” with his own “Gold & Glory” plan as he battles for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) International junior featherweight title co-main event on the “KO Night Boxing: Gold & Glory” card, at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas.

“KO Night Boxing: Gold & Glory” is a presentation of KO Night Boxing LLC., in association with Roc Nation Sports and Hartman Arena. The event is sponsored in part by Park City KS, Twister City Harley-Davidson and Metro PCS.

The action will be taped live for future airing on CBS Sports Network.

Williams 13-0, 5 KOs) will be fighting for the third time in Kansas, each on a “KO Night Boxing” card headlined by hometown hero and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez (3-0, 2 KOs). Hernandez will be fighting for his first pro title Dec. 2 in only his fourth pro fight, versus Hungarian flyweight champion Jozsef “Little Red” Ajtai (19-9, 12 KOs) in the eight-round main event for the vacant International Boxing Association (IBA) Americas flyweight title fight.

A 10-time national amateur champion from New Haven (CT), the 24-year-old Williams is moving down one weight class to fight Alexei “The Hurricane” Collado (23-2, 20 KOs) for the vacant WBO Junior Featherweight Championship in the 10-round co-featured event.

Williams, who is the No. 2-rated featherweight in the United States Boxing Association (USBA), won eight and 10-round decisions, respectively, to Eduardo Garza and Derrick Murray, this past March 3 and September 23, on “KO Night Boxing” events in Kansas. On another “KO Night Boxing” card, Williams registered a sensational opening-round knockout of 30-7 William Gonzalez, this past July at the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

“Fighting for the WBO International Junior featherweight title is a huge opportunity for me and I’m thankful for Roc Nation’s support in arranging this fight,” Williams said. “I know my potential and winning this belt would be the first step toward putting myself in position to fight for a world title.

“I’m looking forward to competing for this honor at Hartman Arena, in front of the fans in Kansas, who have always supported me.”

Collado was a decorated amateur boxer in his native Cuba, where he defected from to Miami, where he lives and trains. In his last fight, Collado stopped Walter Rojas in the first round, May 28th in Trinidad, to capture the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Latino junior featherweight title.

The opening televised bout is an eight-round welterweight match featuring unbeaten Wellington Romero (13-0-1, 7 KOs), a 2012 Dominican Republic Olympian who now fights out of Newburgh, New York, against his fellow Dominican, Victor Abreau (9-2, 5 KOs).

Arizona welterweight Abel Ramos (18-2-2, 13 KOs) takes on battle-tested Mexican invader Cesar Soriano (28-36-1, 17 KOs) in an eight-round throw-down.

Also fighting on the undercard in a six-round match between undefeated junior lightweights, Californian Joshua Zuniga (8-0, 3 KOs) and Moldova-native Piotr Apostol (4-0, 2 KOs), fighting out of Seattle.

Wichita middleweight Jeff Sturm (1-0) faces intra-state rival Brian Clements (0-01), of Topeka, while another Wichita fighter, junior middleweight Ramon Barber (7-16, 6 KOs). meets Milwaukee’s Akeem Black (3-1, 1 KO), in a pair of four-round bouts.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 24 @ 10 a.m. CT) at the Hartman Arena box office and http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/50551?Brand=Hartman. Prices are $115.00 (VIP), $75.00, $50.00, $35.00, $25.00 and $20.00 (prices do not include service fees). Student tickets are available – kindergarten through college – for $15.00 dollars but are only sold at the arena. Student Identification is requited.

This is an all-ages show. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. CT with the opening bout scheduled at 6:00 p.m. CT.

INFORMATION:

https://www.hartmanarena.com/events/upcoming-events/1.html,
www.internationalboxingassociation.com

Twitter: @KONightBoxing, @IBABoxing

Facebook: /NeonStar, /IBABoxing

Follow @Nicomhernandez on Twitter and Instagram

24 November 2017 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), electrified the packed Singapore Indoor Stadium with another evening of authentic world-class martial arts action. The Lion City once again played host to ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT, featuring the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent. In the main event, Ben “Funky” Askren of the United States retained the ONE Welterweight World Championship with a quick stoppage victory over Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Japan. In the co-main event of the blockbuster card, Amir Khan of Singapore withstood a gallant effort from Australia’s Adrian Pang to emerge triumphant in their three-round lightweight showdown.

Visit the official ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT photo gallery by clicking: http://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event of ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren of the United States left an indelible mark in what was billed as the last bout of his illustrious martial arts career, defeating Japanese legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki by way of first-round technical knockout. It only took Askren 57 seconds to retain the most prestigious award in ONE Championship’s welterweight division. Askren effortlessly secured the stoppage after Aoki pulled his American counterpart into his patented guard, giving the champion an opening to unleash heavy blows with ease. As Aoki started to cover up to defend himself, Askren relentlessly poured down a barrage of solid punches that left the referee with no other choice but to call a halt to the championship clash.

Ben Askren, ONE Welterweight World Champion, stated: “I think this is it. If I get the opportunity to prove I’m number one, then I’ll take the opportunity. I don’t need any more money. I just want to show the fans that I’m the best welterweight in the world. Other than that, I’m out.”

In the co-main event of the evening, Evolve lightweight standout Amir Khan of Singapore figured in his most impressive performance yet, overwhelming lightweight veteran Adrian “The Hunter” Pang with a showcase of impeccable striking and great takedown defense. The 22-year-old Khan consistently kept Pang out of range with his combinations from the outside, while circling away from Pang’s most powerful blows. In the end, all three judges scored in favor of Khan who wins by unanimous decision after three rounds.

A gruelling bantamweight showdown between Brazil’s Leandro “Brodinho” Issa and South Korea’s Dae Hwan “Ottogi” Kim transpired inside the ONE Championship cage, as neither of the two warriors would give each other any quarter for three whole rounds. Although Kim would have his moments on the feet, most of the action took place on the ground where Issa enjoyed an advantage. In the end, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Issa turned in another well-rounded performance to claim victory via unanimous decision.

After pulling off an impressive promotional debut last August, “Mighty” May Ooi of Singapore continued her winning ways inside the ONE Championship cage by toppling Cambodia’s Vy Srey Khouch in the first round via submission. Leaning on her impressive grappling prowess, Ooi made Srey Khouch wave the white flag with a deep rear-naked choke, cementing her place in the organization’s female strawweight division.

A heated featherweight matchup ended abruptly, when China’s Li Kai Wen was disqualified for illegal blows to the back of the head of opponent Ahmed “The Wolverine” Mujtaba of Pakistan. Mujtaba was given five minutes to recover from injury, but was unable to continue after the allotted time expired.

Rising martial arts star Tiffany “No Chill” Teo of Singapore kept her unblemished professional record intact by making quick work of Indian opponent Puja Tomar to win via submission in the very first round. With 53 seconds remaining in the period, Teo latched onto a wrenching armbar to compel Tomar to tap, claiming the victory.

Japanese martial arts veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi pulled off a sensational victory in front of a passionate Singaporean crowd by routing Filipino standout Gina Iniong, solidifying her position as the top contender in ONE Championship’s talented female atomweight bracket. After dealing with Iniong’s signature right hand and takedowns in the first round, Yamaguchi turned the tide in the second stanza by resorting to her superb grappling pedigree. On the canvas, Yamaguchi continuously pummeled Iniong with thudding strikes and tried to bring the bout to a close with savvy submissions attempts. Yamaguchi punctuated the marquee match-up by grinding out Iniong in the third frame, steering the former world title contender to a unanimous decision victory.

Asian martial arts veteran Arnaud “The Game” LePont made a successful return to the ONE Championship cage, submitting the Philippines’ Richard Corminal with an arm triangle choke in round one. After a brief moment on the feet, LePont wasted no time in taking the action to the mat, where he slowly took mount and worked on the submission finish to force the tap.

In the second preliminary bout of the evening, Malaysian standout Muhammad Aiman reinserted his name into the winner’s column by outworking promotional newcomer Yang Fei of China in a tactical three-round catchweight contest. Aiman and Yang employed efficient strategies from bell to bell, with the Malaysian utilizing his speed and power to connect on a handful of thudding strikes on Yang, who responded with solid hooks and takedown attempts. After going back-and-forth for three rounds, Aiman was declared the victor by way of unanimous decision.

Kicking off ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT was a high-octane strawweight encounter as the debuting Miao Li Tao of China shared the ONE Championship cage with Cambodian striking specialist Sim Bunsrun. In his first outing as a ONE Championship competitor, Miao delivered an outstanding performance by stopping Bunsrun in the first round. The 25-year-old native of Beijing, China got the job done by catching Bunsrun with a perfectly-executed right cross and then going for the finish with follow-up blows on the mat.

Official results for ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT
ONE Welterweight World Championship bout: Ben Askren defeats Shinya Aoki by TKO (Strikes) at 0:57 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Amir Khan defeats Adrian Pang by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Bantamweight bout: Leandro Issa defeats Dae Hwan Kim by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Women’s strawweight bout: May Ooi defeats Vy Srey Khouch by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:58 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Ahmed Mujtaba defeats Li Kai Wen by Disqualification (Illegal Blows)
Women’s catchweight bout (58kg): Tiffany Teo defeats Puja Tomar by Submission (Armbar) at 4:07 minutes of round 1
Women’s atomweight bout: Mei Yamaguchi defeats Gina Iniong by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Lightweight bout: Arnaud LePont defeats Richard Corminal by Submission (Arm Triangle) at 3:16 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (69.4kg): Muhammad Aiman defeats Yang Fei by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Strawweight bout: Miao Li Tao defeats Sim Bunsrun by TKO (strikes) at 1:49 minutes of round 1

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.

London (23 November 2017) On 30 October 2017, Robert Smith of the BBBoC blamed Tyson Fury for delays to his anti-doping hearing. He said to Sky Sports, “We [the BBBoC] are ready to go, UKAD are ready to go on our behalf, and the independent panel are waiting for a confirmed date. It’s up to them [Team Fury] now [to propose a date].”

Then, on 23 November 2017, Mr Smith reiterated to Sky Sports, “The reason why this has taken so long, so I have been led to believe, is because Mr Fury’s legal team could not agree a date for the recommencement of the hearing. They obviously now have, and the hearing will recommence [in December 2017].”

Mr Smith is incorrect. While Team Fury have been advised not to discuss this matter until it is over, we would like to clarify as follows:

(i) This matter started in February 2015 – almost 3 years ago – after routine doping control tests.
(ii) Tyson and Hughie were not notified of the results of those tests for 7 months, and even then UKAD simply asked them about their diet. There was never any suggestion that Tyson and Hughie had done anything wrong or that they might be in any sort of trouble.
(iii) Then, without warning, UKAD charged Tyson and Hughie in June 2016 in relation to the February 2015 tests – i.e. 16 months after the tests.
(iv) A hearing eventually took place in May 2017 but was halted after UKAD objected to the participation of a tribunal member.
(v) Hearing dates were then proposed for early October 2017 but UKAD’s team (not Team Fury’s team) was unavailable.
(vi) A hearing has now been fixed for December 2017.

Contrary to the BBBoC’s suggestion, therefore, the delays have not been caused by Team Fury.

Tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the super middleweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between WBA Super World Champion George Groves (27-3, 20 KOs) and Chris Eubank Jr. go on sale on Tuesday November 28 at 9am via eventim.co.uk and WorldBoxingSuperSeries.com with prices starting at £30.

The mouthwatering all-British clash will take place at the Manchester Arena, United Kingdom on February 17, 2018.

Said Roberto Dalmiglio, CEO of Comosa: “The Ali Trophy keeps increasing its global appeal. The Battle of Britain will showcase once more the winning concept that Comosa deployed during its successful quarter-final phase. This semi-final features two of the most recognised fighters on the world stage; this fight represents the boxing event fans cannot afford to miss.”

“There are fights that can capture a generation of fight fans, on February 17 in Manchester we have one,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer.

“Groves vs Eubank will not only be one of the richest fights in UK history, it will be a fight and build up that will capture an entire nation. The Ali Trophy has made a sensational start across the globe but the largest indoor arena in Europe is a fitting stage for a fight that transcends the sport of boxing.”

Both Groves and Eubank Jr. have expressed their desire to win the Muhammad Ali trophy and both fighters impressed in their quarter-finals. 28-year-old Eubank Jr. went to Stuttgart in Germany on October 7 and produced a clinical display at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle to stop Turkish Avni Yildirim inside three rounds.

29-year-old Groves excited in London on October 14 when he defeated fellow British fighter Jamie Cox at the SSE Arena with a crumpling fourth-round right-hook body shot.

“Eubank Jr. has improved over the years but he hasn’t boxed anyone on my level,” said Groves. “I came into this World Boxing Super Series as the number one seed, and I will go out as the winner with the Muhammad Ali Trophy.”

Said Eubank Jr., the tournament’s third seed: “As far as I’m concerned, I’m the number one seed and soon people will know why. We have an opportunity to put on a mega fight not only for UK fight fans but for boxing all over the world. I can’t wait, this fight is going to be epic!”

Groves and Eubank Jr. come face-to-face at a kickoff press conference on Tuesday November 28 in London with tickets going on sale in the morning at 9am via eventim.co.uk and WorldBoxingSuperSeries.com with prices starting at £30.

Fans can sign-up for Ticket Alerts to be notified when tickets go on sale here: WorldBoxingSuperSeries.com/TicketAlerts

London (23rd November 2017) Female fighting sensation and WIBF and GBU World Super-Featherweight Champion Pink Tyson had her first UK press conference yesterday ahead of her world title defence tomorrow night (Friday 24th November) at the Tolworth Recreation Centre, Surbiton.

Pink Tyson (Kallia Kourouni) headlines an action-packed show, exclusively live on YouTube (www.youtube.com/TheBoxingChannel), when she puts her titles on the line against Poland’s Bojana Libiszewskas, alongside the 2012 Olympic Silver Medallist and Irish star John Joe Nevin.

The show will be available to watch live at www.youtube.com/TheBoxingChannel in 46 countries anywhere online or on your smart TV, game console, PC, Mac, mobile, tablet and more for just £1.49 in the UK and €1.49 in the R.O.I and the rest of Europe and $1.99 in the USA.

www.youtube.com/TheBoxingChannel is the home of Hennessy Sports’ YouTube Channel.

Here’s what Pink Tyson had to say yesterday:

On women’s boxing…
“My goal is to change women’s boxing and Friday is the beginning of this. With my coach John Edwards we are going to show there is different options in woman boxing. They think women are just tough and strong but we must show we are something different, but we are beautiful, we wear our skirts and we give our power punches, this is something different,”

On becoming the next big female boxing name in Britain alongside Katie Taylor and Nicola Adams…
“I’m Pink Tyson, I’m already a big name, but in the future I have to fight with those girls. I respect them, they are very good boxers, but I’m better. If you want someone to respect you, you must fight for this. I’ve come to the UK to fight because I want them all to respect me,”

On her combat career…
“I’ve had 50 fights in K1, 49 wins, I’ve had MMA fights, I want to fight in the UFC in the future, but its one step at a time. Now my first goal is the 24th November and to win my fight and then after that I’ll sit with my manager and we’ll see what my next goal is, I hope in one year’s time I get to fight Katie Taylor,”

On the outcome of a fight against WBA World Lightweight Champion Katie Taylor…
“I am ready. All fighters must believe, I believe in myself very much and I feel ready. Of course Katie Taylor has more experience and technique, she’s more clever when she fights, but I have bigger balls! If you tell me tomorrow I have to fight her, I’ll fight her. She has five good things, but, I have one thing and that is the most important in boxing,”

On her introduction to the UK fans…
“I do realy good training with John Edwards my coach, and my three coaches. I’m training everyday and I’m very fit and I am very focused on my fight because it’s my first fight in the UK and people will ask ‘who is Pink Tyson?’, Oh, she is a good fighter and she wears pink and has blonde hair. Of course I feel a little funny, but I’m very focused and I’ve had very good training camp and I’ll do my best on the night.”

Trainer John Edwards on Pink Tyson…
“She’s a big name in Germany and boxed under the Sauerland group. She’s got the WIBF and GBU World titles, you don’t have them give to you. She’s very famous in Greece already, she’s on TV, but we’ll make her a big star in the UK. She’s come to the UK to get better technique which I think she can get with me at Guildford City with all my coaches. Katie Taylor will not be a problem, she’s a name, but the name we want to be hearing is Pink Tyson. She’s the number one I’ve never trained anyone like her. If I say jump, she jumps three foot, If I say four foot she jumps five. But I’m known quite over for technical boxers and with her art I call her Roberto Duran, she’s got that style, but I’ve got to put a bit of Floyd Mayweather in her. Once we get that right and get her in condition, we won’t have two here we’ll have all the belts, and everyone will be on board, get on board with Pink Tyson!”

Two-time Olympian John Joe Nevin from Mullingar, Ireland, has his first in Britain as the supremely talented 28-year-old continues to build on his unbeaten record. Nevin is heralded as one of the most decorated amateur boxers ever with an illustrious record that reads: Double Olympian, 2012 Olympic Silver, 2 World Bronze, European and European Union Champion, 15 times All Ireland Champion; a staggering 255 amateur contests – of which 210 were Internationals – with just 15 losses.

Heading up an exciting undercard will be: Iver Heavyweight Naylor Ball; Croydon Super-lightweight Nathaniel Wilson; Farnborough’s George Lamport, Chertsey Lightweight and standout amateur Tony James Vincent makes his professional debut and super-lightweight Zahayr Al Quahtani.

*YouTube PPV is available in the following countries: Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bosnia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, China, Costa Rica, Germany, Denmark, Ecuador, Spain, Finland, France, UK, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, India, Iceland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Macedonia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, New Zeland, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, Senegal, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uganda, US.

WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE WITH PINK TYSON BY CLICKING HERE

PHILADELPHIA, PA (November 22, 2017) World title challenger TEVIN “American Idol” FARMER (25-4-1, 5 KOs) is spending this year celebrating a very special Thanksgiving. On December 9, the 27-year-old will challenge for his first world title against KENICHI OGAWA (22-1-0, 17 KOs), of Tokyo, Japan, with the vacant IBF junior lightweight championship on the line, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and live on HBO “Boxing After Dark” beginning at 10:20 p.m. ET.

Slated for his first world title opportunity after having compiled an extraordinary 18-bout winning streak over the last five years, Farmer was also the victim this past July 29 to an act of senseless violence. When a neighborhood domestic dispute erupted involving Farmer’s brother, Tevin intervened to play peacemaker. The incident left him shot in the right hand and his brother shot in the face. Miraculously, neither Tevin nor his brother were seriously injured. The resilient Farmer was back in the gym training the following week, focusing on his left hand while waiting for his right to fully heal.

“This is truly a blessed Thanksgiving for me. From tearing my biceps in the second round against Ivan Redkach on April 29 to thankfully recovering from the gunshot wound to my right hand to now fighting for my first world title, I have so much to be thankful for,” said Farmer.

“I’m excited to spend the holiday with my family. They all want to talk about the fight and many of them will be in Las Vegas.”

About his unique path to the world title fight, having begun his career with a 7-4-1 record, Tevin’s message is, “I needed to get serious about my career. I always had the skills, but I needed to make the right decisions. That’s what I would tell anyone who has a dream like I do.”

Farmer, a great, great nephew of boxing legend Joe Gans, started working with Lou DiBella and DiBella Entertainment in 2014. “Lou has been terrific for me, not just as a promoter but as a person. He’s very caring about what happens to me. We’ve always been on the same page and he told me ‘keep winning and I’ll get you a title shot’ and he most certainly did.”

In regard to fighting Ogawa, Farmer said, “I’m just better and I will be victorious. None of these dudes can beat me.”

NEW YORK – Throughout boxing history, women have made a significant contribution to the sport, both in and out of the ring. These contributions have often been met with little recognition from the media and the public at large, including those within the boxing world. But today, the Boxing Writers Association of America is pleased to announce that beginning with the 2017 award season, the organization will present a Women’s Fighter of the Year award, to be presented each year at the BWAA’s annual dinner.

“With the recent influx of talent from the amateur ranks, the beginning of network television support and the willingness of major promoters to have female fights on their shows, we’re entering a Golden Age of women’s boxing,” said Thomas Gerbasi, chairman of the BWAA women’s boxing committee. “And as such, there is no better time than now for the Boxing Writers Association of America to start recognizing the women who are not just deserving of this award, but all women who step through the ropes to compete.”

Joining Gerbasi, the current women’s boxing columnist for The Ring magazine, on the voting committee for this award will be:

· Sue Fox, a former boxer and pioneer of women’s boxing coverage who created WBAN (Women’s Boxing Archive Network) and the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame (IWBHF).

· David Avila, a respected journalist and longtime supporter of the sport who is currently chief editor for ThePrizefighters.com and writer for TheSweetscience.com.

“While women’s boxing can be loosely traced in its beginnings to London in the 1720s, and throughout the ensuing decades with various exhibitions and scattered bouts, efforts to legitimize the sport came up short in the 1950s and 1970s,” said Fox. “As with most other sports, it was not until the media began covering the sport in the last decade of the 20th century that women were afforded the opportunity to display their ring skills.

“And it was a boxer named Christy Martin who took that opportunity and, presented with a 1996 undercard spot against Ireland’s Deirdre Gogarty on a Mike Tyson PPV telecast, demonstrated to boxing fans everywhere that women, indeed, could not only climb through the ring ropes but, once there, give positive proof that they belonged. Since then, the sport of women’s boxing has increased in both size and the talent of the athletes, culminating in 2012 when the sport was accepted for Olympic competition, more than a full century after it was granted exhibition status at the 1904 Games.

“A natural progression, at this point, is to afford the sport a deserving spotlight with the establishment of a Women’s Fighter of the Year award in conjunction with, and under the auspices of, the Boxing Writers Association of America.”

“Women’s prizefighting has gained a foothold around the world and has already anchored itself in many countries,” said Avila. “This year, the U.S. has been televising female boxing and that was the first major move in this country in a long time. Female boxing continues to grow rapidly and is supplanting male boxing as the main event in countries such as Argentina, Mexico, Germany and Japan. In the U.S., it’s only a matter of time until fans will discover what other countries have learned: women’s boxing attracts fans.”

The first order of business for the committee was to name the award, and it was unanimously decided that each year, the top female boxer in the world will receive the Christy Martin Women’s Fighter of the Year award.

Martin introduced herself to the boxing world as “The Coal Miner’s Daughter,” and her tenacious fighting ability landed her on several Mike Tyson undercards in the 90s, as well as on the cover of Sports Illustrated. For many, Martin was the first female boxer they had ever seen, and she opened the doors for the boxers to come. Owner of a 49-7-3 record over the course of a 23-year pro career, Martin’s impact has been felt far beyond the ring over the last few years, as she survived an attempt on her life by her ex-husband in 2012 and has been a staunch advocate for bringing awareness to the epidemic of domestic violence. Now working as a teacher in Charlotte while also leading Christy Martin Promotions, the 49-year-old is the epitome of a fighter.

“It’s really overwhelming and satisfying because now I feel people did take notice of my career and they remember that what I did open a lot of doors for the women that are coming along these days,’ Martin said. “This is forever. In five, ten, fifteen years, they’re going to say it’s the Christy Martin Award, so people are going to have to Google Christy Martin to see what she did. (Laughs) There’s satisfaction in that because everything I did will live on forever.”

As for the award that bears her name, Martin said, “It’s important because it shows that women are now finally getting recognition with a Fighter of the Year award. In the past, it’s always been the male fighters and the female fighters never got the same recognition. But I think with amateur boxing programs now being an option for women, it’s opened up and the sport is finally getting exposure worldwide.”

The inaugural BWAA Christy Martin Women’s Fighter of the Year award will be presented in the spring of 2018 at a date and location to be announced

LOS ANGELES (November 22, 2017) — Boxing’s No. 1 superhero and undefeated WBC/WBA/IBF/IBO middleweight world champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN is back home in the Los Angeles area after his well-received visit to the Mexico, the motherland of his boxing style,. Joined by his trainer Abel Sanchez and promoter Tom Loeffler, Golovkin traveled to Mexico City this week to meet with his fans and thank them for the support they have given him throughout his career and especially in the lead up and aftermath of his September 16 title defense against Canelo Alvarez. Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), boxing’s longest-reigning active world champion, has successfully defended the middleweight title 19 times — one short of the record — since 2010.

Golovkin’s whirlwind tour of Mexico City included a sustained standing ovation from 100,000 fans at Azteca Stadium at halftime of the game between the Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots. Golovkin, wearing his WBC world title belt, was introduced on the field at halftime and greeted by an entire stadium chanting ‘Triple G’ repeatedly. The following day, the Mayor of Mexico City, Miguel Angel Mancera, honored Golovkin with a proclamation declaring him a distinguished guest of the city. The proclamation was in recognition of Golovkin’s generous support of the victims of the earthquake. The highlight of Golovkin’s trip was an extended visit to the Moctezuma Pediatric Hospital to give hugs, high fives and toys to children who are battling cancer. He also spent time with the relatives of the children, accompanied by the head of the Ministry of Health, Armando Ahued Ortega, and the president of the World Boxing Council (WBC) Mauricio Sulaiman.

“It really touched my heart to visit the children in the hospital, it was nice to bring them a special moment for a day,” said Golovkin. “I have so much respect for the doctors and nurses who treat the children and their families every day. I am just thankful to God that I am in a position to be able to visit them and bring a smile to their faces.
It was a big honor to receive the official declaration from Governor Mancera, recognizing me as an official guest and International Ambassador of Mexico City. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we should all give thanks for the blessing we have received. My trip to Mexico certainly did that for me.”

“Gennady has won the hearts of Mexican people and is considered one of their own,” said Sulaiman. “His kindness and much love given to those little champions fighting for their lives was humbling and brought tears of joy to many of us. I’m so proud to have GGG as the WBC middleweight champion. He truly represents the best of boxing in and outside the ring.”

“When we walked onto the field in front of 100,000 fans at Azteca Stadium and they were chanting ‘Triple G,’ it was one of those moments that you will remember forever, said Loeffler. “The secret to his success is GGG does more promoting of his career on a world-wide basis when he is not fighting than most fighters do when they have a fight coming up. Last week he was in China with Jack Ma and this week he was in Mexico at the invitation of the president of the WBC.”

New York, NY: On Saturday night, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) will look to regain the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title from The Theater at Madison Square Garden live on HBO World Championship Boxing against Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chingonskyy” Shabranskyy (19-1, 16 KOs). The scouting report for this much-anticipated battle is below:

Category
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
Vyacheslav “Lion Heart” Shabranskyy
Age
34
30
Record
30-2-1 (26 KOs)
19-1-0 (16 KOs)
Strength
The Krusher has knockout power in both hands and can end a fight with any punch he throws. He has a sharp jab that has been effective in keeping his opponents at bay and has plenty of big-fight experience coming into this bout.
Shabranskyy is one of the division’s toughest fighters. He has an aggressive style with heavy hands and a granite chin. He applies steady pressure throughout the fight and does a superb job of breaking down his opposition.
Weakness
He tends to leave openings in his guard, which could be costly considering the power of his opponent.
His aggressive style can get sloppy at times, which has resulted in him hitting the canvas in prior bouts. He will need to fine-tune his defense to avoid a shot from one of the division’s biggest punchers.
Experience
Sergey has more professional bouts under his belt and has faced-off with the best in the sport. His previous 11 bouts have been world title fights.
Slava lacks the top-level opposition that Kovalev has faced; this will be the biggest fight of his career thus far.

Power
Kovalev is called the Krusher for a reason. His main strength throughout his career has been his power. He throws each punch with bad intentions and can finish the fight in an instant.
Shabranskyy is extremely heavy-handed. He has remarkable power in both hands and possesses a straight right hand that can end any fight if landed clean.
Speed
Sergey has average speed that picks up once he smells blood and goes for the finish.
Slava has average speed and really turns it up a notch when he senses that his opponent is in trouble.
Endurance
Sergey has proven in recent years that he can go a full twelve rounds, but we’ve also seen him lose steam in later rounds.
Shabranskyy’s endurance has yet to be tested. He has gone 10 rounds just once in his career, which resulted in a decision win over former ranked contender Yunieski Gonzalez.
Accuracy
He has a pin-point accurate jab and delivers rigorous shots to the body that have ended fights in the past.
Slava’s most accurate punch is his right hand. If timed correctly, it can be a game-changer in the fight.
Defense
Sergey’s best defense is his offense. His power has always been a game-changer in bouts. It forces opponents to rethink their game plan.
The Ukrainian relies on offense more than anything. He likes to attack his opponents and break their will from start to finish.
Chin
Although he was stopped in his previous bout under questionable circumstances, Kovalev has proven throughout his career that his chin is more than durable.
Vyacheslav was stopped in his lone career defeat, however, he has proven that his chin is durable. He has been knocked down in numerous fights and made it back to his feet to take the win.
Style
Sergey is an offense-minded fighter who likes to walk his opponents down until he smells blood and can go for the finish.
Shabranskyy is an aggressive, in-your-face fighter who wastes little time in trying to break his opponents down and finish the fight.
Crowd Support
The Krusher should have the advantage; he spent over three years as the champion at 175 lbs. and has a crowd-pleasing style of fighting.
The Ukrainian may not have the crowd support that his opponent will have, but his aggressive style will undoubtedly earn him some new fans by the end of the fight.
Intangibles
Since suffering his only two career defeats in his pro career, The Krusher wants to get right back in the ring and get back one of his titles. Kovalev has been through the gauntlet in the light heavyweight division – he has faced nothing but the best throughout his career. He does not plan to break that trend anytime soon.
There was no title on the line when Shabranskyy originally accepted this fight. The Ukrainian is willing to take any fight to climb the ladder in this stacked division. He will attempt to impose his will and fight fire with fire when facing an opponent whose style is almost identical to his own.
The Match-Up
1. Will Sergey be mentally prepared for this fight?
2. Will Shabranskyy be able to handle Sergey’s power?
3. Will Sergey get back to being the Krusher?
4. Will Shabranskyy be able to shine under the big lights?

According to Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “This is the type of fight every fight fan should want to see because both fighters can punch! After going through over 10 different potential opponents who turned down a fight with Kovalev, I give Shabranskyy credit for taking less than one day to accept the fight. Kudos to both guys for accepting this fight. Sergey, who is coming off two losses, was still ready to fight anyone. Shabranskyy accepted this opportunity before it was sanctioned for the vacant title, when no one else was willing to get in the ring with The Krusher.”

Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Medoff Vodka and Leon.ru. Barrera vs. Valera is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Main Events in Association with Shuan Boxing Promotions. Gamboa vs. Sosa is a 10-round super featherweight fight promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Peltz Boxing and ZR Entertainment. The event will take place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

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Atlantic City, NJ (November 21, 2017)– Las Saturday night, Thomas LaManna took home a ten round unanimous decision over rugged Samuel Amoako in the headline bout of an eight bout card at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.

The card, which was promoted by Rising Promotions was the 10th consecutive sellout at The Claridge for the promotion, who continued to solidify themselves the premier boxing promoters Atlantic City.

The victory earned LaManna the LBF Intercontinental title.

LaManna worked behind a strong jab and constantly had Amoako in a defensive mindset. LaManna kept up what was working for him as he used a stiff jab to set up hard body shots. LaManna out on continuous pressure for which Amoako had no answer for.

LaManna, 147 lbs of Millville, NJ won on all cards by the shutout margin of 100-90 and is now 25-2. Amoako of Silver Spring, MD via Ghana is 23-17.

Thomas LaManna Post fight ring interview

Raymond Serrano won the WBC Fecarbox Welterweight tittle with a eighth round disqualification victory over previously undefeated Enver Halili.

The fight was a war that thrilled the crowd at the Claridge. Both guys were rocked several times throughout the contest.

The punches started to get to Halili as he was docked points in rounds six and seven for spitting out his mouthpiece. He spit put the mouth-guard one more time in round eight, and referee Eric Dali called off the bout at 1:34.

Serrano of Philadelphia is now 24-4. Halili is now 10-1.

Jorge Diaz got off the deck to take home a eight-round unanimous decision over Adam Lopez and capture the WBC Fecarbox Super Bantamweight title.

In round two, Lopez dropped Diaz with a short right hand. Diaz gathered himself and began countering well and taking rounds. It was a close and competitive fight down the stretch with Diaz taking all cards by 76-75 tallies.

Diaz, 121.4 lbs of New Brunswick, NJ is now 19-5-1. Lopez, 121.4 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 16-2-2.

Yurik Mamedov won a workmanlike six-round unanimous decision over Vincent Floyd in a welterweight bout.

Mamedov, 146.7 lbs of Brooklyn, N y won by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 twice to remain perfect at 8-0. Floyd, 146.3 lbs of Philadelphia drops to 3-4-1.

Alvin Varmall destroyed Nicholas Lavin 97 seconds into their scheduled six-round cruiserweight bout.

Varmall jumped all over Lavin, and finally put him down for the ten-count.

Varmall, 183 lbs of La Place, LA is now 14-0-1 with 12 knockouts. Lavin, 192 lbs

Tomas Romain made it two straight over Sidell Blocker by winning a unanimous decision in a six-round

In round six, Blocker began to leak blood from his right nostril.

Romain, 131.4 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 60-54 twice and 60-55.

Romain is now 5-1. Blocker, 13o.5 lbs of Pleasntville, NJ s 1-10-1.

Jonathan Arroyo was dropped, but hung on to make his pro debut a successful one as he took a four round unanimous decision over Steve Moore in a welterweight bout.

Arroyo controlled the action, but in round four, Moore landed a hard right that sent Arroyo to his knees.

Arroyo, 145.7 lbs of New York is 1-0. Moore, 146.5 lbs of Orange, NJ is 0-2.

Frederick Julan remained perfect by stopping Willis Lockett after five rounds of their scheduled six-round cruiserweight bout.

Julan dominates the bout until Lockett had enough, and the fight was stopped in the corner following the 5th stanza.

Julan, 181.5 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Lockett, 182 lbs is now Takoma Park, MD is now 15-22-6.

London (22nd November 2017) Hennessy Sports is delighted to announce that YouTube will broadcast exclusively live worldwide the female boxing sensation Pink Tyson’s UK debut on Friday 24th November at the Tolworth Recreation Centre, Surbiton.

WIBF and GBU Female World Super-Featherweight Champion Pink Tyson will headline an action packed show that includes the return of all-action former Two-Time British and European Super-Lightweight Champion Lenny Daws and 2012 Olympic Silver Medallist and Irish star John Joe Nevin.

The show will be available to watch live at www.youtube.com/TheBoxingChannel in 46 countries anywhere online or on your smart TV, game console, PC, Mac, mobile, tablet and more for just £1.49 in the UK and €1.99 in the R.O.I and the rest of Europe and $1.99 in the USA.

www.youtube.com/TheBoxingChannel is the home of Hennessy Sports’ YouTube Channel.

Pink Tyson, (Kallia Kourouni) from Sparta, Greece, headlines the show, promoted by Hennessy Sports in association with Joey Pyle and John Edwards.

Two-time Olympian John Joe Nevin from Mullingar, Ireland, has his first in Britain as the supremely talented 28-year-old continues to build on his unbeaten record. Nevin is heralded as one of the most decorated amateur boxers ever with an illustrious record that reads: Double Olympian, 2012 Olympic Silver, 2 World Bronze, European and European Union Champion, 15 times All Ireland Champion; a staggering 255 amateur contests – of which 210 were Internationals – with just 15 losses.

Morden hero “Lightning” Lenny Daws making his long awaited return to the ring as he works towards becoming a European Super-Lightweight Champion.

Heading up an exciting undercard will be: Iver Heavyweight Naylor Ball; Croydon Super-lightweight Nathaniel Wilson; Farnborough’s George Lamport, Chertsey Lightweight and standout amateur Tony James Vincent makes his professional debut and super-lightweight Zahayr Al Quahtani.

*YouTube PPV is available in the following countries: Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bosnia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, China, Costa Rica, Germany, Denmark, Ecuador, Spain, Finland, France, UK, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, India, Iceland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Macedonia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, New Zeland, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, Senegal, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uganda, US.

WATCH TODAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE WITH PINK TYSON BY CLICKING HERE

HBO Sports celebrates the holiday weekend with an action-packed tripleheader, including the return of light heavyweight powerhouse Sergey Kovalev, when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: SERGEY KOVALEV VS. VYACHESLAV SHABRANSKYY AND SULLIVAN BARRERA VS. FELIX VALERA AND YURIORKIS GAMBOA VS. JASON SOSA is seen SATURDAY, NOV. 25 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. 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.

The main event features the return of the feared Sergey Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) as he battles heavy-handed Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (19-1, 16 KOs) for a vacant light heavyweight title in a scheduled 12-round bout. Following a light heavyweight title reign that spanned more than three years and featured eight successful defenses, polished Russian knockout artist Kovalev, 34, is eager to reclaim the belts he lost in 2016 to future Hall of Famer Andre Ward.

Standing in his way is Ukraine’s Shabranskyy, 30, who turned pro in 2012 after a long amateur career in his home country and has been knocking out top contenders on the way to his biggest fight to date. Both men have been active lately, this being Kovalev’s tenth fight since Jan. 2014 and Shabranksyy’s tenth fight since Jan. 2015. The bout marks Kovalev’s 11th appearance on HBO, while Shabranskyy is making his debut on the main channel after fighting on HBO Latino in 2015.

In the co-main event, one of the top light heavyweight contenders, Sullivan Barrera (20-1, 14 KOs) of Miami via Cuba, closes out his tremendous 2017 by taking on Felix Valera (15-1, 13 KOs) of the Dominican Republic in a ten-round fight. Barrera, 35, is fresh off the biggest win of his career, a unanimous decision victory over Joe Smith Jr. in July and hopes to set himself up for another title shot in 2018 by defeating Valera. Making his U.S. debut, the hard-punching Valera, 29, seeks an upset that would insert him into the light heavyweight championship conversation.

In the opening bout, former unified featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (27-2, 17 KOs) of Miami, Florida squares off against Camden, NJ native Jason Sosa (20-2-4, 15 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round super featherweight contest. Gamboa, 35, is an accomplished veteran with success at all levels, including a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics while representing Cuba and a dominating stretch as a world champion in the pro ranks. Sosa, 29, looks to bounce back after a difficult loss to junior lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko and return to the championship ranks. Sosa is making his third HBO appearance, while the bout marks Gamboa’s tenth fight on HBO.

Immediately following the boxing action, HBO Sports presents a half-hour special spotlighting the career of all-time great Miguel Cotto, who is slated for his professional farewell against Sadam Ali on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Madison Square Garden in a fight to be seen on HBO.

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

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein; producer, Thomas Odelfelt; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

New York, NY: This Saturday’s Kovalev-Shabranskyy HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast will include a battle between two of the light heavyweight division’s biggest punchers when Sullivan Barrera and Felix Valera square off at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Below is the scouting report for this exciting match-up:

Category
Sullivan Barrera
Felix Valera
Age
35
29
Record
20-1 (14 KOs)
15-1 (13 KOs)
Strength
Barrera has solid endurance and a granite chin. He has a strong jab that he uses well and has shown great patience in breaking his opponents down.
Valera is a crafty southpaw who has one-punch knockout power in both hands. He moves around well and does his best to utilize the whole ring to his advantage.
Weakness
Sullivan is known to get somewhat wild, he needs to keep it together and stay sharp in order to avoid one of his opponent’s thundering blows.
Felix gets careless at times. He likes to drop his guard and taunt his opposition. Barrera is a sharp fighter who can capitalize on this if Felix is not careful.
Experience
He is an experienced fighter who has been in with some of the best fighters in the division: Andre Ward, Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, Karo Murat and Joe Smith Jr. Barrera He came back from a first-round knockdown in his last fight against Smith Jr. to secure a unanimous decision victory. His ability to overcome adversity has made him a stronger fighter.
Although, he has not faced the same level of opposition as Barrera, Valera is still a former world champion. He managed to accomplish a lot in his career despite only being 16 pro fights deep. He earned the WBA Interim Light Heavyweight World Championship against Stanislav Kashtanov in Russia before losing it to current titleholder Dmitry Bivol.
Power
Sullivan has a powerful jab and a devastating right hand that has been very influential in a majority of his stoppage wins.
Valera delivers thunderous blows to his opponents. He relies heavily on his power, which has been a very successful strategy thus far.
Speed
Sullivan has average speed and maintains a steady pace throughout the fight. He understands when to turn it up a notch if he feels he can finish his opponent.
Valera uses many different gears in hopes of throwing his opponents of off their game.
Endurance
Barrera proved he could go 12 rounds when he came up short in a decision loss to former titleholder Andre Ward. He also earned a 10-round decision win over ranked contender Joe Smith Jr. in his most recent bout.
After starting his career with 11 knockout wins, all occurring in the first and second rounds, Valera proved that he is durable when he captured the WBA title in a 12-round decision win over Stanislav Kashtanov.
Accuracy
Sullivan’s is on point when he gets his jab going and puts his punches together behind the jab.
Felix does not utilize his jab as well as his opponent.
Defense
If he commits to the jab, then Barrera can be very effective in taking his opponents out of their element, making it that much more difficult to get anything going offensively.
Although he relies heavily on his power, Valera is a very effective defensively. He is very agile in the ring and is a sharp counter puncher.
Chin
Sullivan has a granite chin. He has been knocked down in prior bouts, but has risen to the occasion to finish strong.
Valera has a solid chin. He was the first opponent to overcome knockdowns and go the distance with knockout artist and current titleholder Dmitry Bivol.
Style
Sullivan is a technical fighter that likes to stick his jab and set up his shots. He also has a brawling style that inevitably comes out when his opponents show that they are willing to engage.
Valera is a knockout artist and a crafty southpaw who relies heavily on his power. He also likes to taunt his opponents, hoping to catch them off-guard and deliver one of his many thunderous blows.
Intangibles
Barrera has taken on some of the division’s best fighters in recent years. He has been extremely vocal about his desire to fight the best in the world on his way to a title shot. There are very few light heavyweights riding the same momentum and, after taking out two of the biggest punchers in the division in Joe Smith Jr and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, he will risk his ranking against another heavy-hitter in Felix Valera. A win over Valera can almost guarantee Sullivan his long-awaited shot at the world championship.
In just 16 professional bouts, Felix Valera has already made a name for himself in the light heavyweight division. He earned the WBA world title in his 13th pro bout and although he lost the title in his next fight, he lasted 12rounds against one of the biggest punchers in the sport, Dmitry Bivol. Since then, Valera has gotten back to his winning ways and is aiming to seize an opportunity by taking out one of the hottest fighters at 175 lb in Sullivan Barrera. A win over Barrera will catapult him into the top of the ratings.
The Match-Up
1. Will Barrera be looking past Valera to future fights?
2. Is Valera in over his head with an active Barrera?
3. Will Barrera be able to handle the power of Valera?
4. Will Valera be mentally prepared for his first fight on US soil on such a big stage?

According Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “This is a fight in a very hot division. This is fight, like the main event, is must see! Both guys can punch, which means fans should not miss a minute or it could all be over. These two fighters want to prove they belong in the mix with all the champions and future champions in this division. This fight is not about whose zero will go, it is about who will prove they deserve a title shot next!”

Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Madoff Vodka and Leon.ru. Barrera vs. Valera is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Main Events in Association with Shuan Boxing Promotions. Gamboa vs. Sosa is a 10-round super featherweight fight promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Peltz Boxing and ZR Entertainment. The event will take place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

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LOS ANGELES (Nov. 21, 2017): A pair of middleweights looking to fight their way into title contention will face off on Saturday, Dec. 16 in Montreal as once-defeated Virginian Antoine “Action” Douglas (22-1-1, 16 KOs) and Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (26-2, 18 KOs) of Cork, Ireland go toe-to-toe for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title in the 10-round co-main event of HBO World Championship Boxing beginning live at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT.

The fight will be the chief support of the WBO World Middleweight Championship showdown between Champion Billy Joe Saunders and challenger and former IBF World Middleweight Champion David Lemieux.

At the young age of 25, Douglas has already held numerous regional title belts and has taken the undefeated records of fighters including Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna and Istvan “The Prince” Szili. Douglas is riding a three-fight knockout streak since suffering the only defeat of his career.

“Fighting on such a great middleweight card on HBO will be a great opportunity,” said Douglas. “I’ve seen some fights of Gary’s, and I never underestimate my opponent. I know he’s got a good record and that he always comes to fight. I’ve never been to Canada, so I look forward to expanding my fan base there.”

Known as a true showman with booming knockout power, O’Sullivan is riding a four-fight winning streak culminating with a brutal beating and TKO over Nick Quigley in the main event on Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN in September. At 33 years old, O’Sullivan has faced some of the top middleweights in the division throughout his career including Saunders and Chris Eubank, Jr.

“I’m coming off a tremendous knockout win, and that high has carried into my training for this huge co-main event opportunity,” said Gary O’Sullivan. “I’m excited to be making my HBO debut on such a tremendous card, and will not disappoint in giving everyone a show. Antoine Douglas should be prepared to face the very best version of myself in the ring.”

“The Middleweight division is absolutely stacked, and fans will get to see four of the top-tier fighters on one night in Quebec, Canada,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “While Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin sit atop the division, these two fights will likely determine their challengers in the near future. Everything is on the line for all these guys.”

On the non-televised undercard, rising 130-pound star Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (12-0, 11 KOs) will look to defend his Junior NABF Super Featherweight Title in an eight-round fight against Noe Martinez (10-9-2, 6 KOs) of Michoacan, Mexico. The 19-year-old native of Victorville, Calif. is coming off eight knockout victories and will look to defend his title for the second time after earning the title with a spectacular first-round knockout win against Miguel Carrizoza in September and defending it impressively via third-round technical knockout against Cesar Valenzuela in November.

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. The event is sponsored by Coors Light. The event will take place Saturday, December 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.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.eottm.com, www.frankwarren.com and www.hbo.com/boxing. Follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EOTMVD, @hboboxing, @bjsaunders_, @LemieuxBoxing, @Action_Douglas, @spike_osullivan, @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 and follow the conversation using #SaundersLemieux.

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

Bethlehem, PA (November 21, 2017) – Weights for Tonight’s card at The Sands Bethlehem Event Center

Myke Fox 143 – Manuel Reyes 147.9
Victor Vazquez 137.3 – Rcardo Garcia 136.7
Joseph Adorno 133.9 – Corben Page 132.8
Juan Sanchez 126 – James Early 129.2
Harold Lopez 113.6 – Jerrod Miner 116.7
Michael Coffie 273.8 – Ralph Alexander 229
Hector Bayanilla 121.8 – Jose Elizondo 119.9
Martino Jules 126.3 – Weusi Johnson 1279.9

*The Frank De Alba – Ivan Najera bout was cancelled due to Najera being 15 pounds over weight

Promoter: King’s Promotions
Venue: Sands Bethlehem Event Center
1st Bell: 7 PM / 6 PM ET
TV: Eleven Sports (Tape Delayed)

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $50, $75 and $100, not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

BROOKLYN (Nov. 21, 2017) – Undefeated IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. will make the first defense of his title when he takes on former two-division world champion Lamont Peterson on Saturday, January 20 live on SHOWTIME. The event is presented by Premier Boxing Champions from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING coverage begins live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature undercard attractions that will be announced in the near future.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, are priced starting at $50, and go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center starting Thursday, Nov. 23 at noon. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

“I’m pleased to be promoting Spence vs. Peterson, one of the very best matchups in the welterweight division and in all of boxing,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Spence is not only one of the best welterweights in the world, but one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing. In Peterson, he faces another elite welterweight and a two-time world champion. Spence vs. Peterson will bring the heat to Barclays Center on a chilly January 20. This is yet another night in the outstanding run of big time fights on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.”

“Spence vs. Peterson is an intriguing matchup between two elite welterweights looking to reach the top of this marquee division,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Errol Spence is a rising star with his sights set on title unification and the top of the pound-for-pound list, but he’s going to receive a stern test from Lamont Peterson, a multiple division champion whose resume is filled with top class opponents. It’s going to be another fantastic atmosphere at Barclays Center and a great night of fights live on SHOWTIME.”

“With his breakout performance against Kell Brook, Errol Spence established himself as one of top fighters in the welterweight division, if not in all of boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “Never one to rest on his laurels, Errol continues to seek out the toughest available opponents, and he has found exactly that in Lamont Peterson. Lamont has never backed down from a challenge, and as a result, he has a wealth of experience with one of the strongest resumes in the division. This type of high profile, dangerous matchup is the quintessential SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING main event.”

“BROOKLYN BOXING enjoyed a banner year in 2017, and we are looking forward to carrying that momentum into 2018,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “Spence vs. Peterson sets a strong precedent for the year, with two top welterweights returning to the ring at Barclays Center to compete for recognition in one of the sport’s most talented divisions.”

Spence (22-0, 19 KOs), of Dallas, traveled to England to dethrone IBF 147-pound champion and hometown favorite Kell Brook on May 27 on SHOWTIME in one of the defining fights of 2017. The 27-year-old, who had long been touted as boxing’s next big thing, fulfilled his promise with a breakthrough performance, fracturing Brook’s orbital bone en route to an 11th round TKO. A 2012 U.S. Olympian, Spence will enter the ring at Barclays Center for the third time after most recently stopping former champion Chris Algieri in an April 2016 main event. He will fight in Brooklyn for the fourth time; he earned his title shot by knocking out Leonard Bundu at the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk in August 2016.

“My goal is to unify the welterweight division in 2018, but this fight is a true test and Lamont Peterson is a veteran that I definitely will not overlook,” said Spence. “I sparred him in the amateurs and I know what he brings to the table. I have to get through him to achieve my goals and that is what I plan on doing January 20th.”

Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KOs), of Washington, D.C., has won titles at 140 and 147 pounds while facing some of the biggest names in the sport, including Danny Garcia, Amir Khan and Timothy Bradley. The 33-year-old won the WBA 147-pound title in his last outing Feb. 18 on SHOWTIME before relinquishing the belt for the chance to challenge Spence. Peterson has won four of his last five outings, twice fighting at Barclays Center. His Brooklyn debut saw him defeat Edgar Santana by TKO in 2014 before dropping a narrow majority draw to Garcia in a 2015 main event in Brooklyn.

“First off, I’m happy to be getting back in the ring,” said Peterson. “I’ve stayed in the gym and I’m ready to go. This is a fight I wanted and as I said before when I became a welterweight, I want to fight the best and make the fights that people want to see. I’m ready to give it my all and give the fans a great show.”

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports , www.premierboxingchampions.com,
follow us on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter,
and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. PBC is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

David Haye has been forced out of the rematch with Tony Bellew after injuring his bicep in freak accident.

Haye and Bellew were set to renew hostilities again at The O2 in London on December 17 following their rollercoaster first meeting in March won by Bellew, but the two teams will now work towards a new date for the rematch early in 2018, with news on that to come this week.

“I am devastated to announce my much-anticipated rematch against Tony Bellew has been postponed until March 24 or May 5, subject to scheduling,” said Haye. “Despite the recent injury rumours, I was in perfect condition with an incredibly strong training camp, currently weighing lighter than I have for more than five years, I couldn’t wait to get back in the ring. I was ready to rewrite the ending of the Haye Bellew saga.

“Unfortunately, after a freak accident during a stair conditioning session, which I’ve done with no incident hundreds of times, I lost my footing, slipped, so instinctively grabbed the bannister to stop myself toppling down the stairwell, in doing so I somehow managed to damage my bicep in the process. This afternoon I underwent a procedure to repair it, this was pretty straightforward and my doctor and physiotherapist have no doubt that not only will I make a full recovery but will be able to be back in the gym to start my arm rehabilitation in two weeks.

“I would like to apologise to Tony, his family and his training team, as well as all our fans who have been left disappointed. I’ve been solely focussed on this fight and it’s extremely frustrating that I couldn’t finish 2017 with just my ring performance doing the talking. I look forward to getting back to training and into the ring in early 2018 with excitement and determination.”

“I’m gutted that the rematch with David has been postponed, both for myself but more for the fans,” said Bellew. “I’ve had a tough camp with a lot going on in my life but was ready to repeat my win from March.

“I’ll get over this disappointment over Christmas with my family and will be straight back into camp for a new date, it’s a big disappointment but as always I leave my career in the hands of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing who will get me back in there ASAP.”
All original tickets will be valid for the future date. Fans should visit their point of purchase should they require a refund.

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 20, 2017): Four-division world champion Miguel Cotto (41-5, 33 KOs) hosted a media workout today at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles ahead of the final fight of the future Hall of Famer’s career, which will be against Sadam “World Kid” Ali (25-1, 14 KOs) for Cotto’s WBO World Junior Middleweight Championship. The action will take place at the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Also participating in the workout was NABF Bantamweight Champion Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (17-0, 7 KOs), who will challenge Rey Vargas (30-0, 22 KOs) for the WBC World Super Bantamweight belt in the HBO-televised co-main event, along with Ronny Rios (28-2, 13 KOs) and Aaron “Silencer” McKenna who will also be on the card in separate bouts that will be streamed on RingTV.com.

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

MIGUEL COTTO, Four Division World Champion:
“Though it has been my last training camp, everything has gone well and been the same. The fact that it is my last fight has not changed anything. I have always dedicated myself fully and have worked hard, and that’s why I’m here now, finishing my career on my terms. I haven’t really felt nostalgia yet during the final days of my camp. I’m just grateful for what boxing has given me and for the life it has allowed me to give to my children.”

OSCAR “EL JAGUAR” NEGRETE, Current NABF Bantamweight Champion:
“I’m so excited for this opportunity. This is everything that I have worked for so far in my career. Being undefeated doesn’t make him [Rey Vargas] invincible. I’m a forced to be reckoned with. People may underestimate me, but I know what I’ve done to make sure I walk away with the victory.”

RONNY RIOS, Featherweight Contender:
“I learned a lot from my last fight. I feel like that’s prepared me a lot for this next one. From my last fight I learned that I need to throw more punches and be more aggressive. If I would have just thrown 20 more punches in every round, things would have looked a lot different. I’m prepared for [Deivis] Julio, and I’m ready for fight night. As soon as I got the call, I was ready. I always stay ready in between fights.”

AARON “SILENCER” MCKENNA, Welterweight Prospect:
“Today’s workout and meeting the LA press was fantastic! I had a tremendous training camp and have had some really strong sparring at Maywood Gym. Ever since I put on my first pair of gloves at the age of 6, all the hard training, tournaments, amateur fights have led to me fighting at Madison Square Garden Dec. 2. I’m a delighted to be making my pro-debut and look forward to putting on a great show for the fans!”

Cotto vs. Ali, a 12-round fight for the Cotto’s WBO World Junior Middleweight Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. Vargas vs. Negrete is a 12-round fight for Vargas’ WBC World Super Bantamweight Title and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions in association with Promociones del Pueblo. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” “Hennessy: Never Stop. Never Settle.”, and Casa Mexico Tequila. The event will take place Saturday, December 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The RingTV.com livestream will begin at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Cotto vs. Ali are priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50 and are on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com, www.goldenboytickets.com or www.MSG.com.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, and www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, and www.hbo.com/boxing. Follow on Twitter at @cottopromotions, @GoldenBoyBoxing, and @hboboxing, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/realmiguelacotto. Visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing and @realmiguelacotto and follow the conversation using #CottoAli.
Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/CottoAli into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

LAS VEGAS, NV (November 20, 2017) – This past Saturday Prince Ranch Boxing’s super-lightweight prospect, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (7-0, 6 KOs), remained undefeated with a dominating performance against Ousmane Sylla (1-3-1, 1 KO), scoring a 4th round TKO. The scheduled 6-round bout took place at the at the Fitzgerald’s Casino & Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi.

“From the opening bell, Cobbs applied a tremendous amount pressure as he walked down Sylla, forcing him to fight going backwards. Cobbs was digging to the body with vicious intent. Cobbs continued to overwhelm Sylla with an all-out attack, landing multiple power shots to the head and body in rounds two and three. Finally, Cobbs landed another solid right hook to the head forcing the referee to stop the bout in the fourth round, giving him the TKO victory.

“Going into this fight I felt I had to get the knockout,” said Blair Cobbs. “I did exactly that by applying a lot of pressure and going to the body. After round three I knew he was wearing down, and that’s when I went for the knockout. Everything went great…now it’s time to get back in the gym and continue grinding.”

“Blair Cobbs is taking advantage of all the opportunities that have come his way,” stated Greg Hannely, president of Prince Ranch Boxing. “I believe he has all the talent to become a world champion in the next couple of years. We are going to keep him very busy moving forward. Sky is the limit for this kid.”

PARK CITY, Kansas (November 20, 2017) – USA Olympian and hometown hero Nico Hernandez and Hungarian flyweight champion Jozsef “Little Red” Ajtai took completely different paths into the professional ranks.

Hernandez vs, Ajtai is the eight-round main event for the vacant International Boxing Association (IBA) Americas flyweight title fight, Saturday night, December 2, on the “KO Night Boxing: Gold & Glory” card, at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas.

“KO Night Boxing: Gold & Glory” is a presentation of KO Night Boxing LLC., in association with Hartman Arena, and sponsored in part by Twister City Harley-Davidson Metro PCS, Mort’s Cigar Bar and Jimmy’s Egg.

The action will be taped live for future airing on CBS Sports Network.

The 21-year-old Hernandez (3-0, 2 KOs), fighting out of Wichita, was a decorated amateur boxer who compiled a sterling 123-12 record, highlighted by his bronze-medal winning performance at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Hernandez made his pro debut last March. All his fights have been at home, each has been in the main event, and on national television. His fight against Ajtai, however, will be his first title fight, coming in only his fourth pro bout.

Ajtai, who is one year and six days younger than Hernandez, made his professional debut 2 ½ years ago, and he’s already fought in five title fights.

Hernandez’ amateur pedigree versus Ajtai’s pro experience?

“I feel like I’m already at the level of a lot of top pro fighters,” Hernandez said. The only advantage he has is he’s used to fighting more rounds than I (this is Nico’s first scheduled 8-rounder), but I don’t plan on letting it go the distance anyways.

“I feel blessed to have this IBA title fight opportunity so early in my pro career. It honestly couldn’t come any faster. I do believe it will be special and open a tot of opportunities to fight bigger names once I win this fight. A win should open-up additional title fight opportunities, both overseas and, hopefully, back here at home to help us continue building Wichita into a fight town.”

Ajtai (19-9, 12 KOs) has already had 28 pro fights, including a full 10-round distance loss by decision last year at Madison Square Garden in New York City to two-time Olympic gold medalist Shiming Zou, the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) flyweight world champion. The Hungarian has fought at home in Hungary, as well as on the road in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Ukraine and Slovakia. A trip to America’s heartland doesn’t faze him in the least.

“He will be at home, where everybody wants to fight, but this isn’t a problem for me,” Ajtai explained. “I know he is a good boxer, but I will try to be a bit better December 2nd. When my condition is good, as it is for this fight, nobody likes to fight me.

“This is a big opportunity for me. It’s always difficult to beat a good fighter but doing so is real success. Fighting Shiming Zou in only my fourth fight was very nice for me. I want that feeling again in this fight against Nico.”

Hernandez realizes that this fight could be his last at home for a while, due to the lack of quality American flyweights, and that most world-class fighters in his weight class are from Central America, Thailand and Japan.

“I don’t think I’ll have many more fights at home,” Hernandez admits. “I don’t think that will matter too much because I feel more pressure fighting at home than elsewhere. I will miss everyone cheering my name like they do at home. I think I’ll be traveling more to fight bigger names to work my way up the ladder until I’m at the top.

“I think the early rounds in this fight (vs. Ajtai) will be a chess match because, from what I’ve seen, he runs a lot. I feel that once I start landing my body shots, he’ll slowdown in the latter rounds. and, like I’ve said, I don’t plan on this fight going the distance.”

Ajtai, of course, isn’t traveling all the way to Kansas to visit Dorothy or the Wizard of Oz, he’s coming to win!

“Nico will not know where I will be in the ring,” Ajtai predicted. “When he looks to the left for me, I will go to the right; when he tries to find me on the right, I will be on the left. When he wants to rest, I will come forward punching; when he wants to punch, he won’t find me.

“I have a plan for this fight and I’m sure he does as well. But, in the ring, only one fighter’s plan can succeed. It’s going to be a good fight, but I can’t promise the public that Nico will be the winner.”

The full “Gold & Glory” card will be announced later this week. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 24 @ 10 a.m. CT) at the Hartman Arena box office and http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/50551?Brand=Hartman. Prices are $115.00 (VIP), $75.00, $50.00, $35.00, $25.00 and $20.00 (prices do not include service fees). Student tickets are available – kindergarten through college – for $15.00 dollars but are only sold at the arena. Student Identification is requited.

This is an all-ages show. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. CT with the opening bout scheduled at 6:00 p.m. CT.

INFORMATION:

https://www.hartmanarena.com/events/upcoming-events/1.html, www.internationalboxingassociation.com

Twitter: @KONightBoxing, @IBABoxing

Facebook: /NeonStar, /IBABoxing

Follow @Nicomhernandez on Twitter and Instagram

New York City (November 19, 2017) On Saturday night, Evander Holyfield’s Real Deal Sports & Entertainment returned to Resorts World Casino New York City with another sold-out, action-packed nine-bout card for the latest installment of its popular “Real Deal Championship Boxing” series, proudly sponsored by Medical Arts Radiology, Venum, and Nissan of Queens.

“It was a tremendous event for our second show in New York City and we are thrilled with the overwhelming response from the media and fans,” said Eric Bentley COO of Real Deal Boxing.

In the main event, Bryant “Peewee” Cruz, 129.8 lbs., of Port Chester, NY, impressively demolished Dominican Angel Luna, 128.8 lbs., of Yamasa, in three rounds. Cruz got off to a slow start, with Luna the aggressor during the first two frames. In the third, Cruz exploded with two straight rights upstairs to fell his opponent. With Luna unable to rise, the bout was halted at the 0:42 mark. Cruz’ record is now 18-2 (9 KOs), while Luna, who previously went the distance with Toka Kahn Clary and Tevin Farmer, dropped to 12-4-1 (7 KOs).

Highly touted middleweight prospect Edgar Berlanga, 161.4 lbs., of Brooklyn, NY, needed just 102 seconds to up his perfect record to 6-0 (6 KOs) against Enrique Gallegos, 161.8 lbs., of Medford, Oregon, now 7-6-1 (2 KOs). Left hooks to the body and head from Berlanga resulted in the first knockdown. When Gallegos arose, Berlanga launched a barrage of shots, finishing with an overhand right, to drop his foe a second time to secure the TKO stoppage. As an amateur, Berlanga became an eight-time National champion while compiling a 162-17 record.

Duke “The Baby Faced Terminator” Micah, 117 lbs., a 2012 Olympian for Ghana now living in The Bronx, NY, engaged Mexican Jose Santos Gonzalez, 117.2 lbs., of Guadalajara, in a very entertaining 10-round battle of attrition. It was the US debut for both of them. The first half belonged to Micah, countering Gonzalez’ aggression. A left hook wobbled Gonzalez to end round one. Chopping straight rights were a primary tool for Micah and a cut was opened above Gonzalez’ left eye in round four. The orthodox Gonzalez consistently switched to southpaw throughout as he worked to get inside. Over the next few frames, Gonzalez was pressuring and walking Micah backward, banging away at the body. Micah made an effort to box and move in the eighth, using his jab and straight right to regain control. However, the relentless Gonzalez continued to attack and the two were trading power shots at the final bell. An even scorecard of 95-95 was overruled by two tallies of 96-94 in favor of Micah, winner by majority decision. With the win, Micah, now 21-0 (18 KOs), defended his WBC International bantamweight title for the first time. Gonzalez’ record moved to 23-6 (13 KOs).

Alicia Napoleon, 154.8 lbs., of Lindenhurst, NY, out boxed Budapest, Hungary’s Nikolett Papp, 159.6 lbs., over six rounds en route to a shutout decision victory. Napoleon circled her game opponent each frame, landing an array of punches with bad intentions. Outworking her adversary, Napoleon blasted Papp with overhand rights, left hooks and jabs and hooks downstairs. A left hook opened a cut above Papp’s right eye in round three and a straight right stunned her in the fourth. With three tallies of 60-54, Napoleon improved to 8-1 (5 KOs). Papp returned home with a 4-2 (2 KOs) record.

Rafael Castillo, 118.4 lbs., of The Bronx, NY, evened up his record at 1-1, earning a unanimous decision over four rounds in an upset against favorite Saleh Almulaiki, 118.2 lbs., of Richmond Hill, NY, now 1-1 (1 KO). Scorecards read 40-36, and 39-37 twice. Castillo applied pressure for the entire route. Almulaiki, whose best round was the last, was forced to play the role of counterpuncher for much of the contest.

Ghanaian Fredrick Lawson, 149.6 lbs., of The Bronx, NY, who won the WBC International Silver welterweight title in March, stayed on his toes to outbox Colombian Fidel Monterrosa, 150.8 lbs., of Barranquilla, and methodically break him down with hooks to the body. Monterrosa hit the canvas twice in round two, first by a right hook to the body-straight right to the head from Lawson. Following three completed rounds, Monterrosa could not come out of his corner for the fourth due to an injury suffered to his right hand. With the TKO victory, Lawson’s record increased to 26-1 (21 KOs), while Monterrosa fell to 38-14-1 (30 KOs).

Middleweight southpaw Justin “The Brooklyn Knight” Biggs, 158.2 lbs., a three-time Junior Olympics gold medalist, controlled the first six minutes against Newark, NJ’s Simon Saye, 159.2 lbs., probing with his jab to get in close enough to land combinations and was particularly effective with right hooks to the body. Early in the third, Biggs caught Saye wide open with a counter right hook upstairs to drop him hard. The referee immediately waved off the bout without a count, awarding Biggs his second straight knockout victory in as many pro bouts, at the 0:59 mark. Saye remains winless at 0-2-1.

Panamanian welterweight prospect Cesar Francis, 143.6 lbs., of Brooklyn, NY, took on the always-game Maxito Sainvil, 142 lbs., of Spring Valley, NY, and used his height advantage to keep his foe at bay with stiff jabs setting up straight rights and left hooks. Sainvil tried his best to close the gap by leaping in with wild haymakers. Francis countered one of those shots with a left hook-right hook combination to fell Sainvil in round two. Sainvil remained game and willing to trade until a barrage of punches from Francis forced the referee to halt the contest at the 1:10 mark of round three. Francis is now 3-0 (2 KOs) with Sainvil, suffering his second consecutive loss, at 4-2-1 (2 KOs).

Ukrainian heavyweight Iegor Plevako, 215.6 lbs., stalked Sherman Artis, 221.2 lbs., Severn, MD, throughout four scheduled rounds, increasing in intensity each frame, to earn a unanimous decision with three scores of 40-36. Artis attempted to circle the ring and box from a distance, but Plevako planted jabs to the midsection to quell that movement. By round two, Plevako began unleashing his straight right upstairs then landing in combination over the second half. With the win, Plevako, based in Brooklyn, NY, upped his record to 5-0 (3 KOs), while Artis fell to 3-2.

Real Deal Sports & Entertainment is proud to partner with Medical Arts Radiology (www.medicalartsradiology.com) and Venum (www.venum.com). Nissan of Queens, NY is a proud sponsor of Real Deal Boxing.