LAS VEGAS (June 13, 2017) – Nearly 36 years ago, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard came together at Caesars Palace for one of the most memorable nights in boxing history. On Sept. 16, 1981, in a WBA-WBC welterweight title unification bout, Leonard stopped Hearns in the 14th round of an incredible bout filled with pulsating action.

On Saturday, August 12, the rivals will come together once again when Leonard presents Hearns for induction into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame at its fifth annual gala at Caesars Palace.

“We’re very excited about adding Thomas Hearns to our Hall of Fame and who better to induct him than Sugar Ray Leonard?” said Michelle Corrales-Lewis, the Hall of Fame’s President and CEO. “We’ve had a tradition of having legends come together at our previous events and this made so much sense. They’re among the most popular fighters in the modern era of the sport and fans are going to love the chance to see them in person.”

Known both as “The Hitman” and the “Motor City Cobra,” Hearns had a 61-5-1 record with 48 knockouts, and won recognized world titles at welterweight, super welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight.

His 1982 bout with Leonard was one of his most memorable. Hearns used a stiff jab to keep Leonard at bay and build a solid lead on the scorecards. Dramatically, Leonard hurt Hearns near the end of the 13th round and finished him in the 14th.

“So many boxing fans love that fight so much and it’s appropriate to have them together at Caesars one more time,” Corrales-Lewis said.

Hearns headlines another stellar class for the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. He’ll be joined in the non-Nevada boxer category by Salvador Sanchez, Michael Spinks, Michael Carbajal and Lucia Rijker. Chosen in the Nevada resident boxing category was Leon Spinks, Ken Norton and Richie Sandoval.

Non-participants who will be inducted are referee Davey Pearl; public relations expert Debbie Munch; promoter Mel Greb; trainer/cut man Rafael Garcia and ex-Nevada Athletic Commission chairman Dr. Elias Ghanem.

Norton, Pearl, Sanchez, Greb and Ghanem will be inducted posthumously.

Remaining tickets for all events of the two-day NVBHOF induction weekend, August 11-12, including the gala dinner on Aug. 12, may be purchased at nvbhof.com. They can be purchased separately or as part of a Super VIP ticket, which gains access to all weekend events.

The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame was founded in 2012 by sportscaster Rich Marotta. It is an IRS 501-c-3 charitable organization with proceeds going to boxing-related causes. Ticket purchases, raffle and silent auction purchases are tax-deductible.

Follow the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame on Twitter: @nvbhof

Tyron Zeuge (20-0-1, 11 KOs) says Paul Smith (38-6, 22 KOs) will not take his title when they meet for the WBA World Super Middleweight Championship on Saturday, June 17 at the Rittal Arena in Wetzlar, Germany.

Zeuge captured the WBA strap with an impressive knockout victory over Giovanni De Carolis on November 5, 2016 at the MBS Arena in Potsdam. Having fought to a stalemate four months earlier, Zeuge claimed the title in style, stopping the Italian champion with just 19 seconds remaining in the final round.

The Berlin boxer then retained his belt with a technical decision against Nigeria’s
Isaac Ekpo. He was ahead on points when the referee stopped the fight in the fifth round due to a cut above his right eye following an accidental clash of heads.

The 25 year-old is now set for a second defence against former British Champion Smith, who returns to Germany for a third attempt at World honours following back-to-back defeats to Arthur Abraham in September 2014 and February 2015.

‘’Paul Smith is a good opponent with a lot of experience. I’ve watched both his fights with Arthur Abraham, and I know he will be coming to win,’’ said Zeuge. ‘’However, I believe his style is well suited to mine, and I’m confident I can beat him. I’m expecting a tough fight, but I guarantee Smith will not take my title!

‘’I’ve been training hard with my coaches Juergen Braehmer and Michael Timm. We’ve prepared a good game plan, and I feel fit and strong. It gives me a lot of confidence to have so much experience in my corner. Juergen has been in my position many times before, and he knows what I to do and what advice to give.

‘’I’m excited to be defending my title. I‘ve worked really hard to get to where I am today and I will not give it up easily. I’m the last World Champion left in Germany, and while I don’t allow myself to feel any additional pressure, I know this is an important fight, not just for me, but for my countrymen too.

‘’Germany and England have always had a big sporting rivalry. I hope we can give both sets of fans an exciting fight with lots of action. Smith has tried and failed to win a World title here twice before, and on Saturday, it will be 3-0 to Germany.‘’

The WBA World Super Middleweight Championship clash between Tyron Zeuge and Paul Smith will be shown live and exclusive on SAT.1 and ran.de in Germany, and Sky Sports in the UK. Limited tickets are still available online via www.eventim.de or by calling the ticket hotline on +49 (0) 1806-570044.

Oxnard, CA: Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) has an entirely new training philosophy as he prepares for his highly-anticipated rematch with Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) on June 17 live on HBO Pay Per View® at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has fired his strength and conditioning coach and has vowed not to make the same mistakes this time around. His new coach, Aleksandr Mikhailovich, has a new philosophy centered around his prior experience working with biathletes.

Kovalev, the 33-year old from Chelyabinsk, Russia, believes he over-trained for his first fight with Ward and, as a result, when he failed to knockout Ward in the early in the bout, the Krusher ran out of steam in the championship rounds. Describing his training regimen for the first fight, he said, “I ran a lot. I did a lot of workouts. I did three workouts a day. I over-trained because I did a lot. I had a conditioning coach and he was scared to say something to me. I don’t know why. He thought if he said to me I would dispute his comment or not pay him money. He is crazy. I was confused myself. I worked with him for the rematch with Jean Pascal. After these next two fights, he killed me: Chilemba and Ward. I said to him bye-bye.”

For the rematch, Kovalev has a brand-new strength and training philosophy that allows him to get the most out of his workouts. Krusher explained, “I do less workout this time to save energy. I spent a lot of energy and a lot of power in my last training camp and I was empty already one month before the fight. I never fought ten rounds of sparring for the last fight of training camp. I maximum, one time, I sparred eight rounds. Already, yesterday, I spar ten rounds. I feel tired but I feel much better than last training camp.”

“I said before my last fight with Andre Ward that I should to get more work, more training and I did it,” said Kovalev. But he realizes now this hurt him in the long run. He continued, “I understand that I made my mistake, big mistake. It’s good experience for me too. But right now, I just try to get back all my training camp experience what I did before the fight with Chilemba. Because Chilemba fight and Andre Ward is the worst two, similar shape. I fought very bad. I looked very tired in both of these fights. Right now, delete this and get back what I did before these two fights and I hope it will bring success June 17.”

His long-time trainer, John David Jackson, had this to say about Kovalev’s conditioning for the rematch: “I noticed that this time around his conditioning coach was a bit different. He has him resting more. The other coach had him doing a lot of things that to me were unnecessary. I don’t get in the way of the conditioning coach’s job and I’m not doing that with this guy, but he seemed more interested in keeping Sergey a little more relaxed and not over-training.”

Ward vs. Kovalev 2: “The Rematch,” a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Championships, is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Main Events, Andre Ward Promotions, Krusher Promotions and Corona Extra, sponsored by Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Jetlux, Life10 Electrolyte, Zappos, D’USSÉ Cognac, ProSupps and Powered by Monster. The championship event takes place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets for Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” are available on axs.com and at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office.

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New USBA Featherweight Champion Jose Haro has issued a brief statement regarding the status of his fallen opponent, Daniel Franco, through his promotional representative, Whitfield Haydon:

“I respect all fighters. My heart hurts knowing that my opponent from Saturday night is still in the hospital. I hope he has a full and speedy recovery. Nothing but love, brotha. We put everything on the line when we step inside the ring. I always tell my brother/trainer that I’m a father first, fighter second, and if he ever sees me badly hurt to stop the fight because my kids need their daddy. I’m very grateful that I won but it really doesn’t feel like I won. I always pray that my opponent and myself come out our fight in good health. Let’s go #TeamFranco, you got this!”

Swedish light heavyweight Erik Skoglund (26-0, 12 KOs) is targeting the division’s top names as he makes the move down to super middleweight.

Skoglund is currently ranked with all the major governing bodies at 175lbs (IBF #4, WBO #5, WBC #10 and WBA #11), but frustrated by a lack of opportunities, and following talks with his promoter Nisse Sauerland, the 26 year-old has decided to drop down to 168lbs.

At super middleweight, Skoglund is eager to prove himself at the highest level, and has already set his sights on the division’s champions George Groves (WBA Super), James De Gale (IBF) and Tyron Zeuge (WBA Regular), plus a Scandinavian showdown with Danish boxing legend Mikkel Kessler, who has recently announced his comeback.

‘’It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while,’’ says Skoglund. ‘’I’ve always made light heavyweight comfortably. I don’t have to drain fluids before a weigh-in, and I like to stay fit between fights, so I don’t see any problems making super middleweight.

‘’I’ve been waiting a long time for a chance to prove myself at light heavyweight, and it’s been difficult. A lot of the belts are tied up. I’ve not been getting the opportunities I need to reach the next stage of my career, and that’s why I’ve decided to move down.

”There are more opportunities available for me at super middleweight. I’m tired of waiting for my shot at light heavyweight. I want something big now. I want the chance to prove myself against the best fighters in the division, and the chance to fulfil my potential.

‘’I know I can mix it with the top guys at super middleweight. I’ve sparred a lot of them in the past, and I’ve always been comfortable handling the situation. I’ve improved a lot since then. I’ve had surgery to fix a herniated disc in my back, and I feel stronger than ever.

‘’There are a lot of big fights out there for me at super middleweight. George Groves, Mikkel Kessler and Tyron Zeuge all have the same promoter as me. They are three of the top names in the division, and these are fights that should be easy to make.

‘’I’d like to fight James De Gale fight as well. I wasn’t impressed with his last performance against Badou Jack. He started well but looked tired and like he lacked power in the later rounds. I think I could do well against a guy like De Gale.

‘’I also think I would have a good chance against Groves. I’ve sparred him twice before. Once in Copenhagen before Mikkel Kessler’s rematch with Carl Froch in 2013, and then again a year later in London before his rematch his with Froch.

‘’The Kessler fight would obviously be a massive one. A big Scandinavian derby! He’s a boxing legend, and someone I’ve looked up to him since I started my career. It would be an honour to fight him, and I think it would be an interesting match-up.’’

Although there is currently no date set for his super middleweight debut, Skoglund says he can be ready in a matter of months. ”Nothing has been decided yet,’’ he said. ‘’I’m looking at a lot of different options with my promoter at the moment, but I will be ready to fight from the middle to the end of the summer.”

Skoglund’s promoter Nisse Sauerland sees no issues with his fighter making the lower weight, and has tipped the Swedish star to have a big impact at super middleweight.

‘’This is an exciting development in Erik’s career. It’s something we’ve talked about before, and now, the time is right for him to launch his attack on the super middleweight division.

”He’s always been a consummate professional. He eats clean and lives right, so I have no doubt he can make the weight. I’m looking forward to sitting down with him and planning the next stage of his journey. There are a lot of big fights out there for him at super middleweight, and I believe he can become a major player in the division,” said Sauerland.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa “T-Rex” Shields announced today that she has signed a promotional agreement with promoter Dmitriy Salita and Salita Promotions.

Already a national sports figure and role model for women everywhere, the Flint, Michigan native is in position to realize her dreams as a professional boxer.

On Friday, June 16, Shields will fight at Detroit’s Masonic Temple, in her home state of Michigan, as part of Salita’s Detroit Brawl series.

Shields (2-0, 1 KO), of Flint, Michigan, is the only American boxer, male or female, to ever win back-to-back Olympic boxing gold medals (2012 and 2016). In only her second bout as a professional, Shields won the NABF Middleweight Championship on Showtime’s ShoBox: The New Generation in the first-ever women’s bout to headline a premium cable telecast. The event, held at MGM Grand Detroit, was presented by Salita Promotions.

“I thank Salita Promotions for the commitment they have shown to me,” said Claressa Shields. “I promise all boxing fans that I will dedicate myself to being not only the world’s #1 female boxer and #1 pound-for-pound, but also a torch-bearer for boxing and women the world over. I can’t wait to get in the ring on June 16 to continue the journey.”

“Salita Promotions is to be commended for their commitment to Claressa Shields,” said Mark Taffet, Shields’ co-manager. “Dmitriy’s knowledge and expertise in Claressa’s home-base market of Detroit provides the perfect complements to Claressa’s once-in-a-century talent and determination to advance women’s boxing and change the sport of boxing forever.”

“Claressa is an outstanding world-class athlete, who has the ability to transcend sports like Michael Jordan and Serena Williams,” said Dmitriy Salita. “She also has the charisma to appeal to a broad new generation of fans, who will tune in to watch her fights and will want to come to arenas to experience her performance live. Every one of her fights is a unique experience that is memorable and transcends boxing. Claressa is a rare combination of the great fighter and a sports icon that come along in every generation. The state of Michigan has been home to many, like Joe Louis, Tommy Hearns, Floyd Mayweather and now Claressa Shields. I look forward to working with Claressa on her already historic career. At only 22 years old I believe Claressa will continue to break records, set new limits and break boundaries in and out the ring.”

Tickets for “Detroit Brawl” are priced at VIP $200, Box Seats are $100 and $55, Seating is $40, and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com.

###

For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visit www.salitapromotions.com. Facebook and Twitter: @DetroitBrawl

About Salita Promotions
Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Paul Smith (38-6, 22 KOs) is aiming to make it third time lucky when he returns to Germany to challenge Tyron Zeuge (20-0-1, 11 KOs) for the WBA World Super Middleweight title on Saturday, June 17 at the Rittal Arena in Wetzlar.

The 34 year-old had back-to-back World title bouts with Arthur Abraham in September 2014 and February 2015. Dropping a somewhat contentious points decision to the German veteran in their first fight in Kiel, followed by a more comprehensive defeat five months later at the O2 World in Berlin.

With this experience behind him, Smith believes he is now ready claim World honours as he returns to familiar territory for his third attempt against the undefeated 25 year-old Zeuge, Germany’s only current World Champion.

‘’It’s always been my dream to become World Champion,’’ said Smith. ‘’It’s what I wanted since I was a kid, and I came so close in the first fight with Arthur Abraham. The second fight, I admit I lost fair and square, but I still believe I won that first fight, and I should have already been a World Champion.

‘’But boxing is a funny game, and now, I’ve got another chance, I see no reason why I can’t win. The timing is right for me. I’ve got more experience now. I’ve been there and done it. I’ve fought at World level and I know what to expect.

‘’Zeuge is a decent fighter. Technically he is very good. He’s strong. He throws good straight shots, and stylistically he’s not too dissimilar to me, but I’ve seen some weaknesses I can expose, and with my experience, I’m confident I can win.

‘’I know this is my last chance and I’ve got to make it count. If I had won the first fight with Abraham, I would have probably retired by now, but instead, I’m going back to Germany for another shot, and this time, I’ll be taking the title home!’’

The WBA World Super Middleweight Championship clash between Tyron Zeuge and Paul Smith will be shown live and exclusive on SAT.1 in Germany and Sky Sports in the UK. Tickets are available online via www.eventim.de or by calling +49 (0) 1806-570044.

ATLANTIC CITY (JUNE 12, 2017) — This past Saturday, welterweight Thomas LaManna won an eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Carlos Winston Velasquez that headlined a card at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.

The show was the 8th consecutive capacity capacity crowd promoted by Rising Promotions at the Claridge

LaManna dominated the action with power shots that he landed behind a long jab throughout the contest. Velasquez was game as he took a lot of shots and landed an occasional power shot. LaManna sealed the deal in the final round when he landed a flush 4-punch combination that put Velasquez on the canvas.

LaManna of Millville, NJ won on all cards by scores of 80-71 to raise his mark to 23-2. Velasquez falls to 24-29-2.

“Velasquez was tough and durable,”said LaManna following the fight.

“I needed this fight, and now I would like to fight Kermit Cintron if he should win his fight with Tyrone Brunson on June 24th. Maybe he will stop ducking me, I want to fight a big name like Cintron, Zab Judah or a rematch with Dusty Harrison. We at Rising Promotions will be back here at the Claridge on August for our 9th event.”

Anthony Young won a eight-round unanimous decision over George Sosa in an entertaining welterweight contest.

Young was extremely active as he landed hard combinations with Sosa landing an occasional hard shot to the head.

Young of Atlantic City won by scores of 80-72 twice and 80-71 to raise his mark to 17-2. Sosa of Reading, PA is 15-9.

Donald Smith remained undefeated by winning a four round unanimous decision over Sidell Blocker in super featherweight bout.

Smith of Philadelphia won on all cards 40-36, and is now 5-0. Blocker of Pleasantville, NJ is 1-8-1.

Chris Thomas and Oscar Valdez battled to a four round majority draw in a middleweight contest.

Thomas of Beachwood, NJ took a card 39-37, while two judges saw it even at 38-38.

Thomas is now 6-0-1. Valdez of Batesville, ARK is 1-2-1.

Gabriel Pham won a six round unanimous decision over Edgar Perez in a light heavyweight bout.

Pham won on all cards 60-54 and is now 9-1. Perez of Chicago is 7-21.

Tomas Romain won a four round unanimous decision over Lamont White in a lightweight bout.

Romain of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37, and is now 3-1. White of Washington, DC is now 1-8.

Elijah Vines remained perfect with a 3rd round stoppage over Harry Tyrone Paige in a scheduled four round junior middleweight bout.

In round one, Vines dropped Paige with a perfect right hook. In round three, Vines dropped Paige with a right to the body. Paige got to his feet, but his corner pulled the plug at 1:42.

Vines of Philadelphia is 4-0 with 4 knockouts. Paige of Batesville, ARK is 0-5.

Frederick Julan stopped Jose Valderrama in the 6th and final round of their light heavyweight bout.

Julan dropped Valderrama in round six with a body shot. Julan finished off the when he dropped Valderrama for a 2nd time with a right hook to the head, and the fight was stopped at 1:17.

Julan of Brooklyn, NY is 5-0 with three knockouts. Valderrama of Manati, PR is 5-20.

Dan Pasciolla and LeMarcus Tucker battled to a majority draw in a rematch of Heavyweights.

In round one, Pasciolla began to bleed from his nostrils.

Pasciolla took a card 58-56. That was overruled by 57-57 scores.

Pasciolla of Brick, NJ is 9-2-3. Tucker of Batesville, ARK is 4-2-1.

Photo by Matthew Heasley

WORCESTER, Mass. (June 11, 2017) – Boxing returned to DCU Arena (Exhibition Hall) for the first time in 11 years and Worcester’s newest budding star, Irvin Gonzalez, entertained the hometown crowd, capturing the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) Featherweight Championship, last night in the “New England’s Future 3” main event.

“New England’s Future 3” was presented by Rivera Promotions Entertainment (RPE), which is owned and operated by retired three-time, two-division world champion Jose Antonio Rivera and his son, Anthonee (A.J.) Rivera. RPE will return to the DCU Center on October 28th for its final installment of “New England’s Future” series in 2017.

In the co-featured attraction, popular New York City heavyweight Sonya “The Scholar” Lamonakis, by way of Greece and Turners Falls, MA, faced Laura “Lady Ram” Ramsey in a female battle of former world champions for the vacant UBF World title,

The 21-year-old Gonzalez (7-0, 6 KOs) was fighting in his first scheduled eight-round bout, against Raul Lopez (10-32-1, 5 KOs), of Bronx (NY). The two fighters came out fast in a firefight, both throwing leather from all angles, although neither was hurt in the opening round. The pace picked up even more in the second as both fighters landed solid shots.

Fighting in the third round for the first time in his young professional career, Gonzalez turned up the heat, ripping effective combination to the head and body of Lopez, who responded by pounding Gonzalez on the ropes.

Gonzalez dropped Lopez early in the fourth with a strong right to the chin, followed by a brawling fifth round, and the action slowed slightly in the sixth. Gonzalez, who took control in the final two rounds, went the distance for the first time, taking a hard-fought eight-round unanimous decision (79-73 X 2, 76-75).

“He was definitely the toughest I’ve fought,” Gonzalez said after the fight. “I still have to work on things in the gym. I didn’t go to the body like I did in my last few fights. I was head-hunting tonight. The dude was tough, I had to out-box him. I hurt my left hand late in the later rounds and stayed southpaw.

“I definitely learned a lot. My conditioning was there and I went eight strong rounds. I feel good, I could go another eight rounds. Fighting at home was good, I have a big fan-base here. I hope to be back here in October 28th.”

Lamonakis (10-2-3, 1 KO), a former IBO world champion, and past GBU world titlist Ramsey (108-1, 5 KOs) went toe-to-toe from the opening bell for 10 competitive, non-stop rounds, ending in a 10-round draw by three judges’ scores of 95-95.

Undefeated Worcester heavyweight Bryan Daniels (5-0, 3 KOs) unloaded on an over-matched Christopher “The Archbishop” Boykins (1-9), dropping the Floridian three times in the second round until referee Leo Gerstel mercifully waved off the fight at the end of the second.

Former No. 1 USA amateur boxer Bobby Harris III, the son of multiple national amateur champion and retired pro heavyweight, Bobby Harris, made his long-awaited pro debut. Fighting out of Worcester, Harris overcame early roughhouse tactics by Brazilian light heavyweight Rodrigo Almeida, of Woburn, MA, to earn a four-round “shutout” decision.

In a rematch of a fight this past April, Antonio Chaves Fernandez (8-32-4, 2 KOs), of Brockton (MA), defeated Worcester welterweight Andy Gonzalez (6-2, 5 KOs), by way of a six-round majority decision, to even their rivalry at 1-1.

Southbridge, MA welterweight Wilfredo “El Sucaro” Pagan (2-0) and his Lawrence, MA opponent, Anthony Everett (1-6), turned in an entertaining performance as Pagan won a four-round majority decision, despite him being decked in the final round.

Lawrence, MA welterweight Adrian Sosa (3-0, 3 KOs) needed only 41-second to stop New York City’s Zach Johnson (0-2). Sosa dropped Johnson in the first 10 seconds and again moments later, after which referee Gerstel halted the action.

Springfield, MA welterweight Derrick “Double Impact” Whitley (2-0), the son of a retired professional boxer, improved to 2-0 with a four-round unanimous decision over veteran Connecticut fighter Shaka Moore (12-23-3, 2 KOs).

Worcester’s pro-debuting Neal Sullivan (0-0-1) and Brazilian super middleweight Saul Almeida (0-8-1) opened the night fighting a four-round majority draw.

Complete results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS
(winners listed first each fight)

MAIN EVENT – VACANT UBF ALL-AMERICAS FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Irvin Gonzalez (7-0, 6 KOs), Worcester, MA
WDEC8 (79-73, 79-73, 76-75)
Raul Lopez (10-3-1, 5 KOs), Bronx, NY
(Gonzalez won vacant UBF All-Americas featherweight title)

CO-FEATURE – VACANT UBF HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Sonya Lamonakis (10-2-3 (1 KO), New York, NY by way of Greece
D10 (95-95, 95-95, 95-95)
Laura Ramsey (10-7-1 (5 KOs), Winter Haven, FL

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Bryan Daniels (5-0, 3 KOs), Worcester, MA
WTKO2 (2:35)
Christopher Boykins (1-9, 0 KOs), Orlando, FL

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Bobby Harris III (1-0), Worcester, MA
WDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 40-36)
Rodrigo Almeida (1-7, 0 KOs), Woburn, MA

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Neal Sullivan (0-0-1), Worcester, MA
D4 (37-39, 38-38, 38-38)
Saul Almeida (0-8-1), Framingham, MA

WELTERWEIGHTS
Derrick Whitley (2-0, 0 KOs), Springfield, MA
WDEC4 (40-36, 39-37, 38-37)
Shaka Moore (12-23-3, 2 KOs), Norwalk, CT

Antonio Chaves Fernandez (8-32-4, 2 KOs), Brockton, MA
WDEC6 (58-56, 58-56, 57-57)
Andy Gonzalez (6-2, 5 KOs), Worcester, MA

Adrian Sosa (3-0, 3 KOs), Lawrence, MA
WTKO1 (0:41)
Zach Johnson (0-2), New York, NY

Wilfredo Pagan (2-0, 0 KOs), Worcester, MA
WDEC4 (38-37, 38-37, 38-38)
Anthony Everett (1-6, 0 KOs), Lawrence, MA

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

Sloan, Iowa (June 11, 2017) Featherweight contender DANIEL ‘Twitch’ FRANCO suffered severe head injuries in his knockout loss to JOSE HARO on Saturday night, June 10 at the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa in a bout telecast on CBS Sports Network.

Following the eighth round stoppage, the popular 25-year-old Franco of Rancho Cucamonga, California was transported to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery to stop two brain bleeds.

Said manager Ray Chaparro from the hospital, “At this point the doctors have told us the next 48 hours will be critical in regards to him making a complete recovery. We ask for prayers from the boxing community at this time.”

“Roc Nation’s thoughts and prayers are with Daniel Franco and his family during this critical recovery period. He is a tenacious talent and champion, and will always have our support,” said Michael R. Yormark, Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy

Bergen, Norway (June 10, 2017) Friday night in Bergen, Norway, “The First Lady of Boxing”, CECILIA BRAEKHUS, (31-0-0, 8 KO’s), was victorious once again defending all five major welterweight world titles (WBC/WBA/WBO/IBF/IBO), over current WBC Junior Welterweight World Champion ERICA “La Pantera” FARIAS, (24-2-0, 10 KO’s), of Buenos Aires, in front of a massive crowd at the country’s major concert venue, Bergenhus Fortress – Koengen.

Scores were 99-91, 99-91 and 98-92.

Universally recognized as the #1 Pound-for-Pound Women’s Fighter and the only undisputed champion in boxing, Braekhus took advantage of her height and controlled the action with her range finding jab.

Farias upped her aggression as the fight headed to the middle rounds but Braekhus continued to win rounds with excellent counter punching. Braekhus closed strongly through the championship rounds much to the roaring delight of the crowd.

CECILIA BRAEKHUS
“This is very emotional for me to fight here; Bergen is my home.”
“This is the highlight of my career.”

“We’ve worked very hard to make this happen, but all the people of Bergen make it worth it. This is unreal. I don’t know how you can top this.

On what happens next:

“Maybe I should take all the people of Bergen to Las Vegas to see me fight in the United States.”

“She was a very tough opponent as I mentioned earlier in the week, I have a lot respect for Farias.”

ERICA FARIAS

“I am left with a feeling of uncertainty and doubt. I really want a rematch. A fight where I can do my absolute best. I feel I deserve that.”
“Cecilia is one of my idols. I would love to ask what she thought of the match.”

BRAEKHUS vs. FARIAS was the third professional boxing event to take place in Norway following the decades long ban on professional boxing.

MAIN EVENT – VACANT UBF ALL-AMERICAN FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
(L) Irvin Gonzalez (6-0, 6 KOs), Worcester, MA 126 lbs.
(R) Raul Lopez (10-2-1, 5 KOs), Bronx, NY 126 lbs.

CO-FEATURE – VACANT UBF HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (8)
Sonya Lamonakis (10-2-2 (1 KO), New York, NY by way of Greece
Laura Ramsey (10-7 (5 KOs), Winter Haven, FL
WEIGHING IN TOMORROW

HEAVYWEIGHTS 205 lbs. (4)
Bryan Daniels (4-0, 2 KOs), Worcester, MA 203 lbs.
Christopher Boykins (1-8, 0 KOs), Orlando, FL 206 lbs.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)
Bobby Harris III (pro debut), Worcester, MA 165 lbs.
Rodrigo Almeida (1-6, 0 KOs), Woburn, MA 167 lbs.

Neal Sullivan (pro debut), Worcester, MA 168 lbs.
Saul Almeida (0-8), Framingham, MA 168 1/2 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS (4)
Derrick Whitley (1-0, 0 KOs), Springfield, MA 149 lbs.
Shaka Moore (12-22-3, 2 KOs), Norwalk, CT 150 lbs.

Andy Gonzalez (6-1, 5 KOs), Worcester, MA 149 lbs.
Antonio Chaves Fernandez (7-32-4, 2 KOs), Brockton, MA 151 lbs.

Adrian Sosa (2-0, 2 KOs), Lawrence, MA 141 lbs.
Jack Grady (0-5-1), Buffalo, NY 146 lbs.

Wilfredo Pagan (1-0, 0 KOs), Worcester, MA 143 lbs.
Anthony Everett (1-5, 0 KOs), Lawrence, MA 147 lbs.

WHAT: “New England’s Future 3” professional boxing event

WHEN: Saturday, June 10, 2017

WHERE: DCU Center, Exhibition Hall, Worcester, MA

PROMOTER: Rivera Promotions Entertainment

TICKETS: Priced at $75.00 (ringside) and $45.00 (general admission), are on sale and available to purchase at the DCU Center box office, www.dcu.centerworcester.com, by contacting Jose Rivera (elgallojar@gmail.com/508.864.6954), AJ Rivera
(anthoneerivera@gmail.com/774.272.2269) or any of the fighters.

DOORS OPEN: 6:00 P.M. ET

FIRST BOUT: 7:00 p.m. ET

RING ANNOUNCER: John Vena

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

Main Event – Vacant USBA Featherweight Championship — (10) – CBSSN
(L) Daniel “Twitch” Franco (15-1-3, 10 KOs), Rancho Cucamonga, California 125 ½ lbs.
(R) Jose “Pepito” Haro (13-1-1, 7 KOs), West Jordan, Utah 125 lbs.

Co-Feature — Lightweights (10) — CBSSN
(L) Zhimin Wang (8-1, 3 KOs), Wuhan, China 136 lbs.
(R) Manuel Rey “The Punisher” Rojas (14-3, 4 KOs), Dallas, 134 TX lbs.

Super Featherwights (6) — CBSSN
Giovanni Mioletti (7-0, 1 KO), Chicago, IL 130 lbs.
Sal Lopez (4-1, 0 KOs), Las Vegas, NV 130 lbs.

WHAT: “KO Night Boxing: WAR In Winnavegas” professional boxing

WHEN: Saturday, June 10, 2017

WHERE: WinnaVegas Events Center in Sloan, Iowa

PROMOTER: KO Night Boxing LLC in association with Roc Nation Sports

TELEVISION: Live on CBS Sports Network

BROADCASTERS: Sean Wheelock & Patrick Ortiz

DOORS OPEN: 6:30 p.m. CT

FIRST BOUT: 7:30 p.m. CT

FIRST TV BOUT: 10:00 p.m. ET

TICKETS: WinnaVegas box office and online at www.tickets.winnavegas.biz: $35.00 ringside (rows 1 & 2), $35.00 VIP Reserved Seating (rows 3 & 4), $20.00 General Admission Reserved Seating (rows 3 & 4) and $15.00 General Admission Standing Room Only. A special Resort/Hotel package for two is also available for $199.00, which includes two VIP Reserved Seats, WinnaVegas hotel room, two dinner vouchers and two $5.00 Sunday breakfast buffet voucher.

OTHER: TITLE Boxing is the official apparel and gloves partner for Knockout Night Boxing.

INFORMATION:

Twitter: @KONightBoxing, @NeonStarSE, @WinnaVegasIA

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. In this highly competitive digital age, NSSE specializes in the development and production of corporate branding designed with your target audience and accelerated consumer growth in mind. Visit us on Twitter @NeonstarSE or Facebook www.facebook.com/Neon-Star-Media. KO Night Boxing, LLC, REV Sports Entertainment Inc. (MAVTV Canada) and Neon Star Media LLC and KO Night Boxing LLC are subsidiary companies of Neon Star Sports & Entertainment Inc.

Atlantic City, NJ (June 9, 2017)–Weights for Saturday night’s card at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.

Thomas LaManna 149.5 – Carlos Winston Velasquez 149
Anthony Young 149 – George Sosa 147.9
Donald Smith 127.5 – Sidell Blocker 129
Oscar Valdez 158 – Chris Thomas 156.8
Edgar Perez 172.5 – Gabrel Pham 170.9
Lamont White 137.5 – Tomas Roman 133.5
Elijah Vines 153.4 – Harry Tyrone Paige 156.2
Jose Valderrama 169 – Frederick Julan 172.3
Dan Pasciolla 247 – Lemarcus Tucker 219.3

Promoter: Rising Promotions
1st Bout: 7 PM ET (Doors 6 PM )

Tickets for this great evening of boxing are priced at $150, $125, $100, $80 and $55 and can be purchased at www.rspboxing.com

12 x 3 mins IBF Bantamweight World Championship @ 8st 6lbs
LEE HASKINS 117.3 lbs v RYAN BURNETT 117.3 lbs

10 x 3 mins vacant IBF Eastern/Western Europe Lightweight Championship
PAUL HYLAND Jr 134 lbs v ADAM DINGSDALE 134 lbs

6 x 3 mins Cruiserweight Contest
MIKE PEREZ 198 lbs v VIKTOR BISCAK (N/A)

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA International Super-Featherweight Championship
JAMES TENNYSON 129 lbs v RYAN DOYLE 129 lbs

6 x 3 mins Super-Bantamweight contest
SEAN McGOLDRICK 120 lbs v RICKY STARKEY 122 lbs

Photo by Lawrence Lustig / Matchroom Boxing

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has featured over 50 world title fights.

AWE has brought boxing fans some of the most exciting and controversial bouts, including the matchup of Ricky Burns against Ray Beltran for the world title. AWE featured live and exclusively the crowning of American Terence Crawford over Ricky Burns. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson. In 2017, AWE was the exclusive United States television provider of the historic matchup between legendary British heavyweight David Haye and Tony Bellew.

About AWE –
A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is available on over a hundred cable systems, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD. and DirecTV, ch 387.

For more information, please visit www.awetv.com

LOS ANGELES (June 9, 2017): A rapid rise up the welterweight division will be at stake as two top contenders — former Olympian Sadam “World Kid” Ali (24-1, 14 KOs) and former Interim WBA World Super Lightweight Champion Johan “El Terrible” Perez (22-3-4, 15 KOs) – will slug it out over 10 rounds for the vacant NABA Welterweight title in the main event of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN on July 29 from Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona.

Ali, a 28-year-old representative of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team who holds impressive wins over Francisco “Chia” Santana and Luis Carlos “El Potro” Abregu, is coming off back-to-back victories after falling short in his first attempt at a world title last year.

“A win in this fight puts me right back in position to compete for a world championship,” Ali, who fights out of Brooklyn, New York, said. “I can’t wait to get back in the ring and demonstrate the speed and power that has led me to be a top contender in the welterweight division.”

Perez, a 33-year-old from Caracas, Venezuela who has held the interim WBA World Super Lightweight Championship and regional titles in the welterweight division, has defeated a number of top fighters including contender Yoshihiro “El Maestrito” Kamegai andformer world champions Steve “2POUND” Forbes and dealt Paul “The Pittsburgh Kid” Spadafora the first and only defeat of his career.

“The time has come for me to re-establish my name in the welterweight division, and that’s exactly what I’m planning to do on July 29,” Perez said. “Whether it’s by knockout or decision, when the fights comes to an end, I know I will have my hand raised in victory.”

“When we launched Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN, I promised that we would showcase competitive fights every time out,” Golden Boy Promotions CEO and Chairman Oscar De La Hoya said. “We have delivered on each and every card, and the July 29 main event between two hungry contenders in Ali and Perez will give fans exactly what they have come to expect from this series.”

A contender and numerous prospects are also scheduled to appear on the card.

Super welterweight contender Patrick Teixeira (26-1, 22 KOs) from Santa Catarina, Brazil, returns from his first defeat as a professional against a soon-to-be-determined opponent in a eight-round affair.

Looking to make TV, undefeated super bantamweight Pablo “The Shark” Rubio, Jr. (9-0, 3 KOs) from Los Angeles, California will be featured in a six-round fight against a soon-to-be-named opponent. Additionally, local Phoenix favorite Eben Vargas (5-0, 3 KOs) will take on an opponent to be named later in a six-round welterweight fight.

Super welterweight Daquan Arnett (15-1, 9 KOs) from Winter Park Florida is scheduled for an eight-round fight against Tijuana, Mex.’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva (21-13-2, 17 KOs). Opening up the card, Miguel Angel “Miguelito” Gonzalez (20-2, 17 KOs) of Los Mochis, Mex. will be participating in a six-round super featherweight affair against a soon-to-be-named opponent.

Tickets for the show will go on sale Saturday, June 10 and range from $45.00-$125.00 (includes convenience fee). Tickets are available for purchase at the Casino Del Sol gift shop and online at casinodelsol.com.

Ali vs. Perez, a 10-round fight for the vacant NABA welterweight title set for July 29, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Showdown Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, Born BOLD and Hennessy “Never Stop, Never Settle.” ESPN Deportes and ESPN2 will air the fights at midnight ET/ 9 p.m. PST. ESPN3 live stream of the undercard fights will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST

Videos and images are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/Ali-Perez. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for any photos/video.

Media interested in attending Ali vs. Perez on July 29 must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are due Friday, July 21, 2017 at 5 p.m., and can be found here. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval for a credential. You cannot transfer your credentials to someone else. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

About Casino Del Sol:
Located in southwest metropolitan Tucson, Ariz., the Pascua Yaqui Tribe is a federally recognized tribe with nearly 20,000 enrolled members. The Tribe owns and operates several enterprises including Casino Del Sol. Arizona’s only Forbes Four Star and AAA Four Diamond casino resort, one of the Best Hotels in Arizona named by U.S. News & World Report; Casino of the Sun; AVA Amphitheater, a 5,000-seat open-air concert venue named Casino Arena/Amphitheater of the Year by Casino Entertainment Awards; Sewailo Golf Club a par-72 championship course designed by Notah Begay III; and the Del Sol Marketplace. For more information, call 1-855-SOL-STAY (765-7829) or visit www.CasinoDelSol.com; Follow Casino Del Sol on Facebook and Twitter.

LONDON (9 June) – Big-hitting Russian heavyweight Alexander Povetkin returns to the ring on July 1st to take on the teak-tough Andriy Rudenko, exclusively live on BoxNation.

The heavyweight scene has enjoyed a resurgence in recent times with a host of young and talented fighters emerging to rekindle what has historically been boxing’s glamour division.

‘The Channel of Champions’ BoxNation has showcased some of the very best, including Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, the legendary Wladimir Klitschko and thrilling young British prospect Daniel Dubois.

With the world titles being scattered around since Fury shocked the boxing world by defeating Klitschko in 2015, the doors have been opened for a number of heavyweights to stake their claim as the new number one of the division.

37-year-old Povetkin, who has undergone a tumultuous few months, will be looking to throw his name back into the hat when he faces the Ukrainian Rudenko.

Both men will have their eyes on landing a world title shot, with Povetkin, who has lost just once in 32 fights, that being against Klitschko in 2013, going in as the favourite.

Rudenko, however, will be no easy feat having taken both Hughie Fury and Lucas Browne the distance, despite subsequently losing on points to both undefeated fighters.

The 33-year-old has a streak of seven wins and in his previous fight in Kiev in December he emerged victorious against American fighter Jason Bergman.

BoxNation will broadcast the fight exclusively live from the Russia Central Concert Hall in Moscow from 8pm on Saturday July 1st.

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “The heavyweight division is amongst boxing’s most exciting. Alexander Povetkin has been touted as one of the division’s best for a while and he will now be hoping to prove that over the coming months. In Andriy Rudenko he faces a fighter who British fans will know from his clashes against Hughie Fury and Lucas Browne. He is a very capable and dangerous fighter on his day. BoxNation subscribers will be able to enjoy top heavyweight action once again on the channel when we broadcast this fight exclusively live on July 1st.”

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 Khan vs Canelo.
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

NEW YORK (June 9, 2017) – As veteran boxing experts Barry Tompkins and Steve Farhood prepare for their induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this Sunday, the ShoBox: The New Generation sportscasters reflect on their most memorable boxing moments of their distinguished careers.

On Friday, Tompkins and Farhood will call a ShoBox tripleheader (live at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME) from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y., just down the road Canastota, where they’ll join a 2017 class headlined by boxing greats Evander Holyfield, Marco Antonio Barrera and Johnny Tapia.

Hall of Famers Al Bernstein and Jimmy Lennon Jr. will join the announce team as part of the special Hall of Fame edition of ShoBox. Lennon Jr. returns to Canastota for the posthumous induction of his father, world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Sr.

“To be honored by the boxing community for my tenure in the sport, it really blows me away,” Tompkins said. “I pride myself on the fact that I do a lot of different sports, and I’ve never really thought of myself as just a boxing guy. I’m truly honored.”

“I’m very humbled to receive this honor,” Farhood said. “I’ve been to the Hall of Fame several times sitting in the seats, but not up there on stage. As a member of the media, you don’t think of yourself ever getting up there, but I’m very honored and surprised. This will be a different experience and one that, in my mind, validates my 39 years in one industry. It reminds me how lucky I’ve been to cover the sport I love. I’ve done it 24/7, and I’ve never been bored.”

While Tompkins and Farhood approach this weekend’s induction tied together by their current partnership on ShoBox, the close friends come from vastly different broadcasting and media backgrounds.

The award-winning Tompkins is one of the most versatile broadcasters in sports. He has served as play-by-play commentator for the Super Bowl, the Rose Bowl, the NCAA Final Four, eight Olympic Games, the Tour de France, Wimbledon, the Tennis U.S. Open, the Triple Crown, and more during his illustrious 47-year-plus career. A Bay Area native and resident, Tompkins has also called some of the biggest fights in boxing history, and earned the Boxing Writers Association’s Sam Taub Award for excellence in broadcasting among his many accomplishments. Before joining the SHOWTIME family in 2012, Tompkins was the No. 1 voice of boxing at NBC (1974-1979), HBO (1979-88), ESPN (1988-1996) and FOX Sports (1996-2011).

A backbone in the boxing community for nearly 40 years and counting, Farhood is a noted author and historian of The Sweet Science. The lifelong New Yorker served as editor-in-chief of “The Ring” and “KO” magazines for 19 years, where he chronicled historic events including Muhammad Ali’s final fight and legendary matchups like Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran. Farhood has been the voice of ShoBox since its inception in 2001, holding the role of “ironman” of the acclaimed series having served on all but one of 234 telecasts. Farhood was the first vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America and is a four-category winner of awards by the BWAA.

Below is a snippet of the most memorable boxing moments held by Tompkins and Farhood:

BARRY TOMPKINS:
· First time interviewing Muhammad Ali at a gathering in the Bay Area in 1960s – I witnessed first-hand his otherworldly personality and the tremendous effect he had on his fans and followers.
· Aaron Pryor vs. Alexis Arguello I – The magnitude of the event at the Orange Bowl in Miami was equally matched by the volatility between the fans, the tension in the arena and the brutality of the fight.
· Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney – The narrative of the promotion overshadowed the fight itself, particularly the contentious environment at the racially-charged the weigh-in.
· Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard – Being close personally with both fighters made this a unique event to cover as a broadcaster. The buildup to the event and the intensity prior to the opening bell was palpable and nearly overwhelming.
· Reliving the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frasier trilogy decades later for a documentary and observing the respect and sensitivity between the champions, as well as the toll boxing had taken on both fighters.

STEVE FARHOOD:
· My proudest boxing moment: Organizing and running a charity event at Gleason’s Gym a few weeks after 9-11. The event raised $50,000 for the city that I love so much.
· Spending a day in Deer Lake at the longtime training camp of Muhammad Ali with “The Greatest.” He was so comfortable there, and there was so much history to soak up.
· The first Pryor-Arguello fight in Miami. Fla. Still, 35 years after the fact, the best fight I’ve ever covered. Barry Tompkins served as the TV broadcaster for that fight.
· The first ShoBox show at Bally’s in Atlantic City, in July 2001. Who knew we’d still be here 16 years later?
· Launching “KO” magazine in 1980, and seeing it grow to the point at which it was competing evenly with the far more established “The Ring.”

# # #

In Friday’s ShoBox main event, undefeated super lightweights Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (19-0, 16 KOs) and Joel Diaz Jr. (23-0, 19 KOs) will clash in a 10-round matchup of two rising prospects. In the co-feature, unbeaten Canadian super middleweight Steve Rolls (15-0, 9 KOs) takes on the dangerous Demond Nicholson (17-1-1, 16 KOs) in an eight-round bout. The telecast will open with Sergio Martinez’s protégé, Jon “Jonfer” Fernandez, (12-0, 10 KOs), in a lightweight scrap against Juan “Pochito” Reyes (14-3-3, 2 KO’s).

Tickets for the event, co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and AASHA Record Breakers, are priced at $65 for ringside, $50, $40 and $30 (may be subject to additional fees) and are available at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877-833-SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m., with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 69 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Errol Spence Jr. and more.

Bradley Skeete will have the chance to win his British Welterweight strap outright when he takes on Welshman Dale Evans at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday 8th July, live on BT Sport and BoxNation.

Penge star Skeete outboxed and outclassed Birmingham’s Sam Eggington to claim the prestigious Lord Lonsdale Belt back in March 2016 before making successful defences against John Thaine and most recently Shayne Singleton.

Victory for Skeete will not only secure his dream belt, but also move him closer to a shot at World honours with his high ranking in both the WBO and IBF.

“It has always been my dream to win the British belt outright,” said Skeete. “I have worked incredibly hard to get into this position and I want to get beautiful belt for keeps. I want to move up in levels and I’ll be able to do that after this win; I’m a stubborn man!

“My hands are fine, I’ve got no cuts and no bruises and I’m ready to go. I proved I was levels above Shayne Singleton and I’ll do the same against Dale Evans. He is a strong opponent and will give his all to take the belt from me but I’ll have an answer for everything he throws at me.

“Let’s make everyone happy, give Frank what he wants, get the belt outright and move on to bigger and better things. Once I’ve got the belt for keeps I’ll be looking to move onto the World level and get the big fights everyone dreams of.”

Evans, 25, says he wants to win the British title as a tribute to the late Mike Towell. The Scotsman passed away after being injured in a final Eliminator for the British title with Evans in Glasgow in October last year.

“Nothing would make me happier than winning the British title and taking it up to Dundee and showing Mike’s family and his friends,” said Evans. “Winning it would make me so proud, and I think it would make my family proud and Mike too.

“Bradley is a class operator and is the Champion for a reason but this is my opportunity to propel myself onto another level. Many people will see me as the underdog going into this fight but that will only make me more determined.”

Another exciting addition to the card sees gifted Leicester Super-Featherweight Lyon Woodstock look to move to 10-0. Woodstock forced an impressive third round TKO over Birmingham’s Paul Holt to pick up the Vacant Midlands Area strap in April and is quickly making a name for himself as a rising star in the division.

News on teenage Heavyweight sensation Daniel Dubois’ next opponent will be announced early next week. 19-year-old ‘DDD’ has ripped through his first three opponents and is already becoming an avoided man in the division.

Elsewhere on the card Gary Corcoran faces Larry Ekundayo in an intriguing battle for the Vacant WBO Intercontinental Welterweight strap; Darryll Williams and Jahmaine Smyle rematch for the English Super-Middleweight belt after their Fight of the Year contender in April; Sam McNess gets his first pro title shot against Southern Area Super-Welterweight Champion Asinia Byfield and teenage Heavyweight sensation Daniel Dubois looks to move to 4-0.

A talent-packed undercard also features rising Welling Super-Featherweight Archie Sharp; red-hot Southampton Featherweight Ryan Garner; explosive Manchester Cruiserweight Jordan Thompson and Sikh sensation Sanjeev Sahota; plus the professional debuts of Kent Middleweight Sean Phillips and Iver Middleweight J.D Smith.

Tickets for Skeete v Evans priced £40, £50, £100, £150 and £250 are available from:

www.eventim.co.uk

www.seetickets.com

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (June 9, 2017) — World-class MMA middleweights Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko and Brandon “Bull” Halsey have fought twice with each opponent imposing their wills from the opening bell to secure a quick victory.

Will they complete a rare MMA trilogy? Only if it’s a light heavyweight fight, according to Halsey.

“I’d take the fight in an instant at 205 (lbs); I can’t make it down to 185,” Halsey said. “I think the fans would really love to see this fight. I’d be healthy, he’d be healthy. It would last more than 30 seconds. It would be a war!”

The two-fight split outcomes, which totaled only 56 seconds, calls for a “rubber match” to determine which one is the better fighter.

Shlemenko-Halsey 1 was held September 26, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona (USA) as the Bellator 126 main event, in which Shlemenko defended his Bellator middleweight title. Halsey, a former Division I, All-American wrestler at California State University at Bakersfield, started strong and used his wrestling skills to win only 35 seconds into the match, by way of a technical submission via a rare-naked choke. The gifted American become the new Bellator middleweight champion.

Last Thursday night at M-1 Challenge 79 in Saint Petersburg, Shlemenko-Halsey 2 was the main event. Shlemenko stormed out of his corner, blasting powerful kicks and punches on Halsey;s body, until the referee halted the action at the 21-second mark for a stunning technical knockout triumph for the rugged Russian.

“We have to see how confident he is about himself,” Halsey continued. “He has to feel really good right now, breaking my rib on his first kick, and punching me out on the ground. He must feel great about it. I don’t see why he wouldn’t want to do it again. I felt great about our first fight after I choked him unconscious in 30 seconds. I thought I could do it again, even with significant health problems. He must think he can do it again, even if we move up one weight class. Otherwise, what kind of champion is he, right?

“I believe that this trilogy fight could be a war, maybe something that will go down in the M-1 history books. The ball is in Shlemenko’s court. I’ll do the travelling. I’d come back to Russia and fight in front of his fans. The question is will he come up one weight class and fight me (at a weight) where I’m healthy? If he says no, well, then that’s on him. I know fight fans will be disappointed if he doesn’t take the fight just because he’s a little small, but that’s something he’s going to have to think about.

“Look, if Fedor (Emelianenko) can walk around at 230 and fight guys that have 50-70 pounds on him, I don’t know why Shlemenko can’t win a fight at just 20 pounds heavier. Right? M-1 Global is a great outfit and I’m very glad to be fighting for them. They’ve got some studs at 205 that I’d love to a fight. And I know I’ve got a lot to prove after that embarrassing loss, so I’ll take whoever they want to give me. If I get my head smashed in again, well, at least it will be more entertaining, but if I smash some guy’s head in, well, that’s what I expect and I can’t imagine anything less.

“I’ll take the next couple of weeks to get my health back, then start training. I’ll be ready to fight whoever they put in front of me this time. No more getting my ass kicked by the weight cut. That’s all behind me now. Let’s see what happens.”

According to Halsey, he never should have agreed to fight Shelemnko in their rematch.

“For the last two years,” Halsey explained, “I’ve been struggling and I think it’s time to let people know what’s been going on. My stubbornness and pride got the better of me. Against the advice of my coaches, many of my trainers, my mentors and friends, I’ve tried to stay down at 185, while my body long outgrew that weight class. I believed I knew better than everyone else. I thought that I would simply will myself to the weight and believed that, because I was the champion at 185 and that I had won nine straight fights at 185, going up to 205 would be cowardice, laziness and weakness. And I was wrong.

“I was recently finally released from the hospital. I had several things wrong with me: renal failure from my kidneys shutting down from the weight cut, blood clot threatening my heart, broken rib causing internal bleeding, extreme hypotension (low blood pressure). The broken rib was from the fight, but the rest is from the weight cut. My doctors have told me that 185 is not a weight that I can safely make anymore. I hate to admit it but that’s the truth.

“Shlemenko is a good fighter and right now we are one and one. I got him in 30 seconds, he got me in 25. Neither was a very good fight for the loser. And while he did break my rib with that very well-placed kick, I don’t feel like he beat me. The scale beat me before I ever got into the ring.

“I do believe we should finish this trilogy and find out who is the best, once and for all, but it’s going to have to be at 205. I understand if Shlemenko is nervous about fighting me at 205; he is small. In that case, I welcome a fight with whoever M-1 Global wants me to fight. If Shlemenko accepts the fight, as he did with Tito Ortiz, I hope we can finally have a war that lasts more than 30 seconds. If he doesn’t, I’m sure fans will be disappointed to know he refused the fight just because of his size.”

M-1 Global TV announcer Sean Wheelock not only called the original Shlemenko-Halsey fight, he also worked their rematch last week in Russia.

“In the first fight,” Wheelock offered his unique, first-hand perspective, “Halsey came out and implemented his wrestling skills, hitting a takedown, took the back, and locked in a power rear-naked choke. Shlemenko is not one to tap-out, so he went to sleep (technical submission), which is what Halsey does best. Their last fight was the opposite, though, as Alexander Shlemenko came out right away with a body kick to the liver, then he went to work, eliminating Halsey’s grappling and takedowns.

“They’re two of the best fighters in the world. Both did what they do best to win, taking away what their opponent does best. I think a third fight would be great. I love doing commentary for both fighters; I’d happily call 50 Shlemenko-Halsey fights. A third fight would be very interesting.”

Shlemenko’s (56-9-0, 1 NC, M-1: 6-0-0) ground-and-pound vs. Halsey’s (9-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0) wrestling-and-grappling in their trilogy fight. Who do you like in Shlemenko-Halsey 3? Keep in mind, though, the only chance of their trilogy fight is if Shlemenko agrees to fight Halsey at 205 pounds. Stay tuned!

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
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@M1Global

Facebook:

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M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:

M-1 Challenge 80 – June 15, 2017 in Habin, China
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 200 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2017 has been another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

WBO Middleweight World Champion Billy Joe Saunders will no longer feature on the Saturday 8th July show at the Copper Box Arena after his mandatory challenger Avtandil Khurtsidze was arrested in New York.

Khurtsidze’s promoter Lou DiBella has confirmed that the Georgian will be unable to travel following his indictment under The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). As a result, Saunders’ promoter Frank Warren has been left with no choice but to cancel the bout.

Due to Saunders’ obligation to make a mandatory defence in his next contest, a voluntary defence on the July 8th card will not be possible.

The WBO World Championship Committee has notified Khurtsidze that he needs to inform them why his WBO Interim World Middleweight title should not be stripped from him immediately after “criminal allegations of organised crime”.

Undefeated Hatfield star Saunders is bitterly disappointed that he won’t be able to defend his crown against Khurtsidze next month and commented on the bizarre circumstances surrounding his opponent’s arrest:

“I don’t know him personally but these serious allegations have got in the way of his big chance and I suppose if he did this stuff, he only has himself to blame; it’s down to him.

“I’ll be in the gym training hard and ticking over. Frank is waiting to hear from the WBO to find out who I have to fight next as I am overdue a Mandatory defence. Until then, I’ll have to stay focused and show a bit of patience.

“Hopefully, Frank will get news on that soon and then we can look at the options. I know the fans will want me to still fight but it’s not that simple. I have to get my Mandatory defence out the way if I want the winner of Canelo v Golovkin and that is still my number one priority.

“Everything happens for a reason. I’m gutted but this is boxing and anything can happen. I feel sorry for the fans but you can’t plan for something like this to happen.”

Promoter Frank Warren said: “Obviously we are all very disappointed and frustrated but this is a situation that is completely out of our hands. I’m currently speaking with the WBO to see what the next step is for Bill.

“The WBO have ordered that Billy must have a Mandatory defence next. At the moment, that is could still be against Khurtsidze but we will not know for sure until the WBO give their ruling. Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple as going out and finding someone to step in for Khurtsidze.”

“We should have some news next week and it’s a case then of regrouping and doing what is best for Billy’s career. He and I want the winner of Canelo v Golovkin after his Mandatory. That’s still the plan and I will do everything I can to make that happen.”

Refunds for the show on Saturday 8th July are available from the original point of purchase until 5.00pm on Friday 16th June.

By Norm Frauenheim–

One is portrayed as scary and angry, yet Sergey Kovalev has a keen sense of humor with an engaging ability to deliver one-liners as though they were jabs.

The other is seen as stubborn and aloof, yet Andre Ward talks about home, controversy and maturity like a philosopher willing and ready to adjust his thoughts as though they were tactics.

Contradictions abound in a rivalry as fascinating as it is unappreciated. There is mutual respect for the dangerous skills that each possesses. There is mutual contempt for what one thinks he has heard and seen from the other.

All of that and so much more were abundantly evident in back-to-back conference calls this week, first with Kovalev on Tuesday and then Ward on Wednesday in the buildup for their light-heavyweight rematch on June 17 at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay.

They are picking up where they left off after Ward’s victory over Kovalev in November. The decision was unanimous in name only. It angered Kovalev.

Yet in one of the surprising twists to the rivalry, it also won the Russian some fans he might not have had if not for the outrage expressed by so many after scores — 115-113 on all three cards — were announced.

Mention Russia in the United States these days and a lot of people think collusion. Mention Kovalev and lot of people think People’s Champ.

“Even in America, boxing fans of Ward text me by Facebook, by Instagram, by social media that I won the fight,’’ Kovalev (31-1, 26 KOs) said Tuesday during a call when he cracked wise, saying Adonis Stevenson fights only Uber drivers and other guys he can beat. “They right now are going to support me in (the) next fight.’’

In the immediate wake of the November bout at Vegas T-Mobile Arena, social media became a noisy megaphone for those fans who thought the judges had colluded. It was surprising, even suspicious enough to wonder if both fighters got robbed.

Only 160,000 were reported to have bought HBO’s pay-per-view telecast. But the social-media reaction was huge, seemingly much bigger than the PPV number. It was as if everybody had watched. In a hackers’ world, there are many ways not to pay anymore. But that’s a story for another day, perhaps the day when HBO’s PVV results for the June 17 rematch are reported.

For now, the lingering outrage from November’s bout is a source of motivation for Ward, who might find himself in a curious position before opening bell next week. Ward is the last American to win an Olympic gold medal —at the 2004 Athens Games. Yet, he might not be the fans’ favorite in his home country in the rematch because of controversial scorecards in the first one.

“I enjoyed my victory just like I would any other victory,’’ said Ward, whose unbeaten record (31-0, 15 KOs) matches the playoff mark of his hometown Golden State Warriors as they go into Friday’s Game 4 of the NBA Finals against Cleveland. “People have to understand that anytime there’s a close decision, you’re going to have opinions either way. I’ve never refuted the fact that it was a close decision. But all those out there that say that it’s some home cooking, they’ve got to remember that I’m not, you know, from Las Vegas, Nevada.

“You can’t just highlight that side of it. You got to highlight the people that also felt I deserved the victory and (that it) was a tremendous comeback. It doesn’t take a close decision to get criticism. I’ve shut guys out for 12 rounds and got criticism. So you become immune to it after a certain period of time.’’

Philosophical about it, too

VERONA, N.Y. (June 8, 2017) – Regis “Rougarou” Prograis and Joel Diaz Jr. made weight on Thursday just hours after the “Opening Bell” to kick off festivities for the 2017 International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend.

The undefeated Prograis (19-0, 16 KOs) and fellow unbeaten Diaz (23-0, 19 KOs) will square off in the 10-round super lightweight main event of a Hall of Fame edition of ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow/Friday, June 9, live on SHOWTIME (10:30 p.m. ET/PT) from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.

The ShoBox tripleheader will celebrate longtime analysts Barry Tompkins and Steve Farhood just two days before their induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Farhood and Tompkins were joined at the Opening Bell on Thursday by a handful of their fellow 2017 inductees: boxing legend Marco Antonio Barrera, Australian trainer Johnny Lewis, and the wife of the late Johnny Tapia, Teresa Tapia.

In the ShoBox co-feature, undefeated super middleweight Steve Rolls (15-0, 9 KOs) will take on the hard-hitting Demond Nicholson (17-1-1, 16 KOs) in an eight-round bout. In the opening bout of the telecast, Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez’s protégé, Jon Fernandez, (12-0, 10 KOs) faces Juan Reyes (14-3-3, 2 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight matchup.

Tickets for the event, co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and AASHA Record Breakers, are priced at $65 for ringside, $50, $40 and $30 (may be subject to additional fees) and are available at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877-833-SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m., with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

10-Round Super Lightweight Main Event:
Regis Prograis – 139 ½ pounds
Joel Diaz Jr. – 137 ¼ pounds
Referee: Mark Nelson; Judges: Don Ackerman, Tom Schreck, John McKaie

Eight-Round Super Middleweight Co-Feature:
Steve Rolls – 161 pounds
Demond Nicholson – 162 ½ pounds
Referee: Benjy Esteves; Judges: Glenn Feldman, Don Trella, Wynn Kintz

Eight-Round Lightweight Telecast Opener:
Jon Fernandez – 132 ½ pounds
Juan Ramon Reyes – 131 ½ pounds
Referee: Charlie Fitch; Judges: Don Ackerman, Glenn Feldman, John McKaie

FINAL QUOTES:

Regis Prograis
“The person that wins this fight goes up, hopefully, to a title fight. I’m 19-0, he’s 23-0. I feel like this is a real big fight.

“I take all my opponents seriously, but I’m taking this one even more seriously than others in the past. He’s 23-0, and there’s a reason he’s undefeated. He’s good, and he has the best record I’ve ever faced.

“I’m at a stage in my career where every fight can lead to the next big thing and I think this fight may be it for me. I’m patient, but I’m ready for more. I want a shot at a title.

“He’s a brawler fighter, but I have the better punching power, and the speed.

“If I feel like he [Diaz] can’t hurt me from the first round, I’ll probably just walk him down the whole night and punish him.

“Seeing what [Errol] Spence did motivates me, especially the way he did it in his opponent’s hometown. It got me thinking: that can be me one day. We went at it in the amateurs, so I know how good he is, but I’m good too. Just seeing him go over there and take the title away, I know my time is coming next.

“I grew up watching Macho Camacho, Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson, but I watched more Duran than anything. I really liked his style. I learned a lot watching the boxing greats on tape.

“Terence Crawford, Adrien Broner, Victor Postol. Those are the type of guys I want to fight.

“I started boxing in New Orleans, and if it wasn’t for Katrina, I probably wouldn’t be where I am right now. When I moved to Houston, I got into the boxing scene and started taking it seriously. It was a horrible situation [in New Orleans], but it changed my life.

“My family went back [to New Orleans], but not me. I stayed in Houston to box. I feel it’s not time for me to go back home just yet. I’ll come back when I become a superstar, like I’m supposed to be.”

Joel Diaz Jr.
“This is my chance, this is my opportunity. I’ve been told, ‘you only get one chance’, and this is it for me. I know Regis is good, but we’re going to put it on him. I’m going to be on him like flies on shit. This is one of the opportunities I can’t let pass.

“We’re going to break him down mentally, find our way in, and drop the bomb.

“He throws combos, and that’s what I have to take away from him. I have to be on him and be the first to attack. My power will take care of his speed.

“This means a lot to me, getting to show the world who the ‘secret’ is. People haven’t really seen what I have, but there will be no more secrets after tomorrow.

“I’m going to show the world who the real Joel Diaz is. I’m now at the right weight for me and I’m 110 percent. I didn’t waste four weeks of training camp trying to lose weight. I feel strong.

“A world championship after this fight, that’s what I want. This is my opportunity to actually show who I am and I can’t let it go. If I let this go, I might as well go back to school. This is going to open all the doors for me.

“We’ve been ready for this step for a while. I’d like to fight the winner of [Adrien] Broner- [Mikey] Garcia, but we’ll see. I know Broner doesn’t want to fight me. I tried to fight him and he turned it down. He knows I’ll give him trouble.

“I changed trainers. I used to be with Abel Ramos, now I’m with Chris Byrd. With Coach Chris, it’s more defense than offense. Working with Chris is amazing. He was a fighter, so he knows what it takes to step in that ring. He’s been there, so he understands me from a fighter’s perspective and that’s very important for me. The bond we have inside and outside the ring is special.

“You’re going to see a more active Joel Diaz and a more defensive Joel Diaz. I’m going to show the world who Joel Diaz is at 140 and trust me, they will ask for more after they see it.”

Steve Rolls
“My last fight on ShoBox [against Steed Woodall in December 2015] was a learning experience. I was knocked down in the third, but I rebounded. You never know how you are going to react in the face of adversity until you are put in that position. I’m glad that happened early on in my career. It taught me a lot.

“I’m know I’m 33, but I feel better than when I was younger. I take care of myself. I have a clean lifestyle. Age is not a thing for me.

“Nicholson has a good jab. I’ve seen him fight before. I’m not sure if he’s made adjustments or if he’s coming with a different game plan. I’m ready for whatever he brings.

“From what I’ve seen, he can fight. He knows what he’s doing in there and it looks like he has some experience.”

Demond Nicholson
“This guy [Rolls] is not as experienced as me. I’m a big step-up for him.

“My last fight [against Immanuwel Aleem] was a big step up, and I fought to a majority draw. It was a slow start, but I’m a fighter, and I soldiered through. That fight really opened my eyes up to better my career, my future.

“Look at what Aleem has done since we fought. He knocked out an undefeated guy [Ievgen Khytrov] that no one wanted to face.

“My experience is going to get us over the hump against this guy. He has a dangerous right hand, but I’m going to take that away from him.

“I’m a natural boxer, but people were calling me a brawler after my performance with Aleem and that’s not who I am. But I get it – I didn’t box at all in that fight. That’s why I had to go back to the drawing board.

“I learned a lot training at Head Bangers in Washington, D.C. with Barry Hunter, Lamont Peterson and all those guys. I’ve learned from Lamont, from Adrien Broner, from Austin Trout. They spar with top fighters and that’s why they perform at the highest level – because they’ve sparred with the best. So I’m doing the same.”

“I have one loss, and that taught me a lot. I had to lose 15 pounds in three days for that fight and that took a toll on me. There are no issues making weight for this fight.”

Jon Fernandez
“This is my second fight with my new trainer Tinin Rodriguez. I always try to get better and changing trainers seemed to be the best path for me. He’s helping me round up the fundamentals of boxing.

“I know I’m tall for my weight class, but I feel OK. I think 130 is my ideal weight, but I might go up in weight in the future. We’ll see. I’m still young and I have a long career ahead of me.

“I used to watch tape of Maravilla when I was growing up. He inspired me to be serious about boxing. He was so good. It’s such of honor to be working with him. I respect him a lot.”

Juan Reyes
“I haven’t fought anybody that tall, but I have a good game plan. I know he’s a volume puncher, but that’s just going to get me excited. It’ll get my adrenaline pumping.

“I’m excited that I’m fighting on TV and in such special weekend, it’s the Boxing Hall of Fame. This is a dream come true. If I beat this guy it could change my life.”

Sergio Martinez – Jon Fernandez Co-Promoter
“Jon is a thinker. He knows when to attack and when to defend himself. He’s truly gifted.

“Some may draw comparisons of him with Paul Williams, but I fought Williams twice and let me tell you they are not alike. Paul was the type of fighter that would get in the ring and go from first, to second, to third gear without thinking. JonFer will read you, will go to whatever gear he needs to be to defeat his opponent. He has a very high boxing IQ.”

Chris Byrd – Diaz’s Trainer
“Joel is an aggressive machine, so my main focus has been on developing his defense. He’s a talented boxer, but his aggressiveness sometimes opens holes in his defense. In this training camp, we worked on that. We have a good strategy going.

“He already knew how to fight, but you just have to push him a little bit on defense. He’s still aggressive as ever, but he needed to think about what’s coming back at him.

“My main thing is life after boxing. I have two brothers that are messed up from boxing. That’s why I focus on defense so much. He has an aggressive style, but he also has talent, good feet and eye coordination. He’ll go on to do great things.

“You’re going to see something special. Regis is good, I give him props, but you’re going to see something special from Joel. And a great fight.”

# # #

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

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

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 69 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Errol Spence Jr. and more.

NEW YORK CITY (June 8, 2017) — Boxing fans may watch tomorrow night’s entire CES Boxing card, starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, simply by downloading the FITE app and then cast the fight to the big screen by using the instant stream-to-TV function. The FITE app works with any Wi-Fi connected television around the world, iOS and Android devices, as well as streaming devices such as Roku, Chromecast and more. Fans may also watch the fights live on the FITE website at www.fite.tv from any computer.

Main Event – New England Junior Middleweight Championship (8)
Greg Vendetti (14-2-1, 10 KOs), Champion, Stoneham, MA 152 lbs.
Khiary Gray (14-2, 11 KOs), Challenger, Worcester, MA 154 lbs.

Co-Feature – Junior Middleweights (8)
Mark DeLuca (18-0, 12 KOs), Quincy, MA 154 lbs.
Chris Chatman (14-6-1, 5 KOs), Chicago, IL 156 lbs.

Heavyweights (6)
Juiseppe Cusumano (10-1, 8 KOs), Richmond, VA 235 lbs.
Dan Biddle (9-6, 5 KOs), Wilmington, DE 224 lbs.

Middleweights (6)
Kendrick Ball, Sr. (6-0-2, 5 KOs), Worcester, MA 163 lbs.
Godson Noel (6-0-1, 4 KOs), Newark, NJ 162 lbs.

Lightweights (6)
Anthony Marsella, Jr. (4-0, 2 KOs), Providence, RI 135 lbs.
Abraham Torres (3-1, 1 KO), Dallas, TX 136 lbs.

Lightweights (4)
Michael Valentin (pro debut), Providence, RI 137 lbs.
Kevin De Freitas (pro debut), Somerville, MA 137 lbs.

Matt Doherty (6-3-1, 4 KOs), Salem, MA 138 lbs.
Placido Hoff (1-1-1), Providence, RI 136 lbs

Featherweights (4)
Ricky Delossantos (1-0), Pawtucket, RI 126 lbs.
Malcolm Simms (0-0-1), Newark, NJ 124 lbs.

WHEN: Friday, June 9, 2017

WHERE: Twin River, in Lincoln, RI, USA

PROMOTER: CES Boxing

LIVE STREAMING: Available to watch live on the FITE app and its website for a suggested retail price of $14.99.

FITE TV is a Combat Sports Network that features boxing, MMA and wrestling programming. FITE gives viewers the choice to watch the program on line at www.FITE.tv, on their mobile device or on their WiFi connected television using the FITE app. The FITE app can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the iTunes app stores.

ATTENTION WEBMASTERS

Our program is simple: become an affiliate of FITE TV and receive $1 U.S. for every user who installs the FITE app and $1 for every PPV purchase from every user who was registered through your affiliate account.
To put the video player on your website, simply add this line of embedded code:

Additional PPV fights are scheduled on FITE TV on a weekly basis.

INFORMATION:
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ABOUT FITE TV: FITE TV (www.fite.tv) is a programming network that brings live and on-demand ring sports programs to MMA, Muay Thai, wrestling and boxing fans around the world. With only access to a smartphone and a connected TV, with the FITE app, viewers can watch live events, on-demand programming, interviews and fighting sports related movies and documentaries on the big TV screen.

FITE TV has worked with the leading combat sports promoters in the world including Golden Boy Promotions, Sauerland Boxing, Ring of Honor, TNA, World Series of Fighting, Rizen, Max Muay Thai and others.

During the last few months, FITE has tripled the viewing time by user and has become a shared-space for die-hard fight fans to stay connected to their favorite sport every day. As a full-fledged TV programming network, FITE televises live pay-per-views and TV tapings on a weekly schedule.

FITE was launched on February 9th, 2016 as a product of Flipps Media Inc, a company that brings digital entertainment content (movies, news and video) on television with its patented tap-to-stream functionality. Flipps Media Inc. is funded by EarlyBird Venture Capital, Tim Draper and LAUNCHub.

LAS VEGAS, NV (June 8, 2017) – Yesterday, Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) participated in an international media conference call ahead of his highly-anticipated rematch against former titleholder Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs). Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” takes place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The championship event, presented by Corona Extra, will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Here are some of the highlighted comments from Team Ward:

Andre “S.O.G.” Ward – Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion

“It’s a blessing, what the Bay Area fans have always done for me and for what they do for their athletes, whether they’re homegrown or transplants from other cities. They just appreciate the people that go out there and represent them well. And they always return the favor.

“I enjoyed my victory just like I would any other victory. People have to understand that anytime there’s a close decision, you’re going to have opinions either way. I’ve never refuted the fact that it was a close decision but all those out there that say that it’s some home cooking, they’ve got to remember that I’m not, you know, from Las Vegas, Nevada. You can’t just highlight that side of it. You got to highlight the people that also felt that I deserved the victory and (that it) was a tremendous comeback. It doesn’t take a close decision to get criticism. I’ve shut guys out for 12 rounds and got criticism. So you become immune to it after a certain period of time.

“Like I said before, [Kovalev’s] a good fighter. It’s not what it’s cracked up to be and but I give him his respect. He’s a champion and once you become a champion and have defended your belt, you’re a champion for life.

“I thought I won the fight by at least two rounds. But at the end of the day, there’s close rounds that you can call a swing round. I don’t know how this individual is judging the round or how they feel about it but if you look at the scorecards, I think the judges did a tremendous job because they were on one accord.

“I’m honored to represent my country which I’ve done since I’ve been fortunate enough to do [as] a little boy at the Junior Olympic level all the way up to the Olympics. I’ve had a lot of international competition as a professional and it’s an honor and a privilege to live here in the United States and to represent my country. And I’ve always tried to do that, no matter who I’m fighting.

“I think the first fight was a great fight. I think there was a lot of drama in the first fight, more drama than I wanted. I think it was a tremendous fight and I believe, round two is going to be a tremendous fight.

“I’ve faced a lot of adversity inside the ring. You know, some of it the public has seen. A lot of it, maybe, the public hasn’t seen in the many gyms or the many sparring sessions and everything you’ve got to do to get to a certain level in the sport. I knew what I had in me. I’ve been on the canvas before. I’ve been hurt in fights. I’ve been cut. Things have happened and, you know, my response has always been the same where if I’m physically able, I want to come get that back. I also have a tremendous coach who is my godfather. You saw him shift and go into a different gear to tell me what I needed to hear. He didn’t panic but he had a sense of urgency and he told me what I needed to hear. He just reminded me of all of the greats that had their moment. And he just reminded me that this is [my] moment. And sometimes in fights, especially in moments like this, it’s not so much technical… it’s a feeling.

“On the physical side, it was Virgil having the foresight early on when I was a young boy. He saw that I had a lot of ability and skills. He always told me that I don’t look at the things [I] do well, I look at where you can be beat. He said when I was 11, 12 (or) 13 years old, ‘The only style that can give you trouble right now is a buzz saw.’

“The jab is a lost art today. Skilled inside fighting is really a lost art and a lot of guys don’t want to be there. They want you at range. They want you in a certain place and if they can’t have you there then you see a totally different fighter.

“So outside of my family, I didn’t really have a lot of ex-fighters that I could pick up the phone and call. So I just try to be available, have my phone available, and make the time where I need to make the time (for some of the younger fighters). They’ll let you know what they need to talk about and what they want to talk about. If I have the answer, I’m going to definitely give them everything that I can give them. If I don’t, I’ll try to help them find it because at the end of the day, whether it’s Claressa [Shields] or Shakur [Stevenson], I’m for the fighter. I’m pro fighter. We talk about [training] stuff but it’s also more about life—being stable and making the right decisions now so that down the road, you’re happy that you did what you had to do. It’s an honor and a privilege to be someone that any of those fighters would want to pick up the phone and call. I don’t look at it like a burden. It’s an honor and a privilege.”

Virgil Hunter – Trainer of Andre Ward

“We’ve had a good camp. We’ve had a very smooth camp, the way you would like them to be. Sometimes it can’t always turn out that way but we are fortunate enough this time to have everything clicking. It’s good to see Andre in the gym after four fights and see him getting back and closer and closer to who he truly is—not just as a warrior and a battler and an individual who has a lot of dog in him but also that very skilled pugilist. I’m looking forward to June 17 and let Andre do the talking that night with his left and his right hand.

“[Andre is] a professional and he’s been through this for the 24 years of his life. You have to understand when he went to the Olympics he wasn’t with me at all for three months. So he’s a professional. He knows what to do. He’s my least worry of leaving town for a week. It’s part of the sport. It’s part of the game. And when you have a professional like Andre, you know, you don’t worry about those things.

“Well the opponent definitely won’t see the same fighter in this fight for a number of reasons. No need to disclose but we always go in with several plans or any plan that needs to be implemented at any given time. Of course, I’m not going to ask him to do anything that I know he can’t do or hasn’t worked on or hasn’t practiced but we’re fortunate enough to be able to adjust and also adapt. I believe that what we worked on for Plan A is going to be more than enough.

“An amateur is when you’re at the top level and you fight at a top level. You go into national tournaments and tend to see some opponents more than once and more than twice. So in a sense, [Andre] has had rematches. As far as this rematch is concern all I can say is ‘oh boy.’ That’s all I can say.

“There wasn’t any fear or trepidation going into the first match. You can’t have that. Of course, you’re aware of what the opponent brings. We’re aware that you have a bigger opponent or a stronger opponent, an opponent that can punch. We’re aware of all that but we’ve been through that before. I mean when he fought in the Olympics at light heavyweight people don’t know or they never acknowledge the fact that he was only 170 pounds. So, he was giving up weight, height and size there. So, he’s used to it. He’s accustomed to it. And because of his physical strength and his stamina and his IQ he’s able to overcome all of these so-called advantages that the other fighter might have. So, once again we respect our opponent and we respect Kovalev on what he has done and what he’s capable of doing. And it’s a healthy respect but it’s not a respect that’s going to stop him from getting smashed June 17.

“My job is to be in that realistic moment. I know [Andre] would embrace and understand what I was saying because it’s been between he and I, things we’ve talked about over the years many, many times. Sometimes you just have to put the strategy out the window and appeal to who you know that fighter is. And I know who he is.”

Josh Dubin – Advisor and Attorney of Andre Ward

“On behalf of James Prince and myself, I just want to thank everybody for participating in the call. We are extremely grateful for the support of HBO, all of our sponsors that have stepped up and of course, Roc Nation. At the risk of making Virgil a little bit more uncomfortable, I do feel like from top to bottom we just have the best team out there and certainly, the best trainer in the world. I feel blessed to be part of such a historic event. I know that on June 17 you’re going to see magic in that ring and one of the best, if not the best ever, step into the ring to do his thing yet again.”

Michael R. Yormark – Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy

“Obviously, Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” has the potential to be the fight of the year. As you have heard and as you’ve written these fighters don’t like each other. These fighters don’t have respect for one another and this obviously creates a lot of buzz, a lot of curiosity and a lot of anticipation for next week’s fight.

“As you’ve heard Andre state time and time again after this fight there will be no excuses. And without a doubt the winner of this fight will absolutely be the pound-for-pound king in the sport of boxing.”

Ward vs. Kovalev 2: “The Rematch,” a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Championships, is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Main Events, Andre Ward Promotions, Krusher Promotions and Corona Extra, sponsored by Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Jetlux, Life10 Electrolyte, Zappos, D’USSÉ Cognac, ProSupps and Powered by Monster. The championship event takes place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets for Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” are available on axs.com and at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office.

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Star Boxing® regrets that it will postpone the upcoming June 15th date at the Paramount in Huntington, NY due to medical issues surrounding main event participant, Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.

Cletus has been under a doctor’s care and receiving testosterone therapy for an abnormally low testosterone count. Although Cletus voluntarily disclosed such therapy to the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) and VADA, an anti-doping athlete drug testing program that Seldin voluntarily participates in, the NYSAC has determined that it will not issue Cletus a license to box on June 15th.

On the advice of Doctor Jeff Vacirca, Cletus began testosterone replacement therapy due to an abnormal testosterone count, hypogonadism, and testicular dysfunction. The treatments are meant to bring his testosterone levels to a normal limit and not for enhancement. This is undisputable and there has been no claim that he would have an unfair advantage due to this replacement therapy as his testosterone count has remained below normal levels for a male of his age.

As a result of such treatment, Seldin’s T/E lab result was elevated beyond the NYSAC permissible ratio, which was the basis of the license denial. However, T/E is a ratio formula used as a method to detect the presence of exogenous testosterone as opposed to testosterone produced naturally by the body. Since Seldin admitted and even volunteered that he gets testosterone therapy, the elevated T/E ratio only confirms Seldin’s own acknowledgement. It is vital to recognize that Seldin’s total testosterone count remains and has always been lower than that of the normal average similarly aged male, thus reinforcing that this therapy has not enhanced his performance to give him any unfair advantage in competition.

Seldin’s manager and trainer, Pete Brodsky, had this to say about the situation, “The treatments began in the fall of 2016. When I received Cletus’ contract for the June 15th fight and the NYSAC drug acknowledgement form I noticed that testosterone was listed as a banned substance. Both Cletus and I were unaware of this since the drug acknowledgement forms for all of our previous fights were different and didn’t list testosterone. Upon reading the form, I immediately called NYSAC to advise them that Cletus has been undergoing therapeutic testosterone treatments administered by his doctor. My call was in the 3rd week of April and I asked the NYSAC to instruct me how to proceed with this situation. I was told that they would get back to me. However, after numerous attempts to get an answer from the NYSAC to no avail, Cletus and I decided it would be safer to immediately stop the treatments. His last treatment was April 27th, which was prior to him coming to Florida for training camp for this fight. Unfortunately, the NYSAC does not allow even therapeutic treatments of testosterone. They alerted Cletus via email yesterday that his license was denied because of these treatments. We are both very sorry that they decided to take this path. Cletus works very hard in the gym, is never in trouble, and active in the community and unknowingly did something that was not allowed by the NYSAC”.

Cletus Seldin said, “Unfortunately, for my fans and the general public, I am very sad that my fight on June 15, 2017, has been postponed. Miscommunications or misunderstandings with the NYSAC as to certain medical issues prompted the postponement of this fight. Please note, I will swiftly resolve this issue with the NYSAC that caused the postponement of my fight. To all my great fans and boxing public in general, I will be returning the ring to continue my quest for the world championship and I appreciate all your support.”

Joe DeGuardia, President of Star Boxing®, stated, “I am very disappointed by this situation and it is extremely unfortunate for all the fighters on the show, our partners at the Paramount, and our loyal fans”.

All tickets purchased for the June 15th date will be honored for the rescheduled date which Star Boxing® will announce early next week or may be returned to the point of purchase for a full refund.

SAN DIEGO (JUNE 8, 2017) – Ryan Burnett says he can follow in Carl Frampton’s footsteps and become a huge star in Belfast as he challenges Lee Haskins for the IBF World Bantamweight title at the SSE Arena Belfast on Saturday, LIVE on AWE- A Wealth of Entertainment at 3 PM ET / 12 PM Noon PT.

Burnett tackles his first World title fights in his first fight on home-turf in nearly three years, while the Bristolian puts his crown on the line for the third time.

If Burnett can rip the IBF crown from Haskins, he’ll become the latest World champion from Belfast, following in the footsteps of Carl Frampton. ‘The Jackal’ also made the red belt his first World title in the Titanic Quarter back in September 2014, and Burnett hopes that Saturday is the first step on emulating the former two-weight World champion.

“People keep saying that I am the second coming of Carl Frampton – that’s a big statement,” said Burnett. “I do believe that I can emulate his success and be a big hit in Belfast. I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from Carl and seeing a Belfast lad become a World champion.

“He’s taken the steps that I am taking now and seeing the level that he’s got to and what he’s achieved – and what he can still achieve – is massive. He’s done so much for boxing in Belfast, and I want to have the same impact.”

Burnett’s clash with Haskins is part of a huge night of action in Belfast where Paul Hyland Jr faces Adam Dingsdale for his first pro title with the IBF European Lightweight strap on the line.

James Tennyson tackles Ryan Doyle for the WBA International Super-Featherweight belt, Ian Tims and Luke Watkins meet for the Irish Cruiserweight title, there’s the Cruiserweight debut of Mike Perez, and local favorites Paddy Gallagher, Matthew Wilton, Feargal McCrory and Tyrone McCullagh.

Photos By : Lawrence Lustig

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has featured over 50 world title fights.

AWE has brought boxing fans some of the most exciting and controversial bouts, including the matchup of Ricky Burns against Ray Beltran for the world title. AWE featured live and exclusively the crowning of American Terence Crawford over Ricky Burns. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson. In 2017, AWE was the exclusive United States television provider of the historic matchup between legendary British heavyweight David Haye and Tony Bellew.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is available on over a hundred cable systems, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD. and DirecTV, ch 387.

For more information, please visit www.awetv.com.

Atlantic City, NJ (June 8, 2017)–Welterweight contender, Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna feels that he is on the brink of a breakthrough win, and he is looking to fight a big name later this Summer that will help catapult himself up the rankings, and on his way to a world title shot.

This Saturday night at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, he first must get through 54-fight veteran Carlos Winston Velasquez in the eight-round main event of a card promoted by Rising Promotions.

LaManna, 22-2 with nine knockouts of Millville, New Jersey, will be looking for his 2nd consecutive win, and a win over Velasquez would set up a coveted fight with highly thought of foe.

“I am looking forward to a great fight on Saturday. I am not taking Velasquez lightly as he is a tough veteran who has had 54 fights,” said LaManna. “After I win, I want something big. Myself and Rising Promotions have regional title bouts in mind. Fights with Zab Judah and Kermit Cintron have been brought up. The ultimate goal is to get world rated, and climb up the ladder with meaningful fights that I would like to take place in Atlantic City.”

“Because I have two losses, I get calls all the time to be an opponent. I don’t look at myself as being one. I am one of the biggest, if not the biggest tickets seller in New Jersey, with a tremendous fan base, and myself and my Rising Promotions team would like to capitalize on that and move me along like a real promotional company is supposed to move a fighter. Atlantic City is a great fight town, and I think that we can bring the type of bouts back to the boardwalk that made this town the mecca of boxing that it once was. I think a fight with a big name opponent later this Summer would create great buzz in the Atlantic City boxing scene, and it would keep me moving towards my goal of being a world champion.”

In the eight-round co-feature, Anthony “Juice” Young (16-2, 6 KO’a) of Atlantic City battles George Sosa (15-8, 15 KO’s) of New Jersey in a welterweight bout.

In six-round bouts:

Gabriel Pham (8-1, 4 KO’s) of Atlantic City, NJ will battle Edgar Perez (7-20, 3 KO’s) of Chicago in a super middleweight clash.

Frederick Julian (4-0, 2 KO’s) of Cambaul, France will take on Jose Valderrama (5-19, 3 KO’s) of Manati, PR in a light heavyweight bout.

Dan Pasciolla (9-2-2) of Brick, NJ will battle Lemarcus Tucker (4-2, 2 KO’s) of Batesville, AR in a rematch of heavyweights. Pasciolla took the first bout this past March via six-round split decision.

In four-round bouts:

Donald Smith (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on Sidell Blocker (1-7-1) of Pleasantville, NJ in a super featherweight bout.

Chris Thomas (6-0, 3 KO’s) of Toms River, NJ will take on Oscar Valdez (1-2, 1 KO) of Batesville, AR in a middleweight bout

Elijah Vines (3-0, 3 KO’ts) of Philadelphia will take on Henry Tyrone Paige (0-4) of Batesville, ARK in a junior middleweight tilt.

Tomas Romain (2-1) of Brooklyn, NY will fight Lamont White (1-7, 1 KO) of Washington, DC in a lightweight bout.

THE WEIGH IN WILL BE STREAMED LIVE THIS FRIDAY AT 3 PM ET ON THE RISING PROMOTIONS FACEBOOK PAGE

Tickets for this great evening of boxing are priced at $150, $125, $100, $80 and $55 and can be purchased at www.rspboxing.com

TOLEDO, OH (June 8, 2017) – Super welterweight contender Julian “J-Rock” Williams (22-1-1, 14 KOs) will match-up against once-beaten Joshua Conley (14-1-1, 9 KOs) in televised action on Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce live from the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio on Friday, June 30.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature unbeaten welterweight prospects Jamontay Clark (11-0, 7 KOs) and Ivan Golub (13-0, 11 KOs) squaring-off in an eight-round matchup. The June 30 event is headlined by unbeaten lightweight world champion Robert Easter making his second title defense against mandatory challenger Denis Shafikov.

“I am definitely excited to get back in the ring,” said Williams. “I can’t wait. It feels like it has been two years, not six months. I took my loss on the chin. I tried to learn as much as possible from it and I’m moving forward. Conley is a solid fighter. He only has one loss and it was to Daquan Arnett, who is another good fighter. I know he is coming to win. If he beats me, it opens a lot of doors and takes him to the next stage of his career so I have to come prepared.”

“This is a great opportunity for my career and I feel like a win here puts me on the list of up-and-coming 154-pound fighters,” said Conley. “Training camp has been going well. I’m ready to do whatever it takes. I know that it’s going to be a tough fight. I expect Julian to come out fast and try to prove something, but I’m going to stay composed and do what I have to do.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by About Billions Promotions in association with Warriors Boxing, are priced at $225 $125, $100, $75, $55 and $35, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

The 27-year-old Williams earned his first world title shot last year after defeating Marcello Matano to become the top contender before eventually falling short against unbeaten Jermall Charlo. Fighting out of Philadelphia, Williams has been highly regarded since a strong amateur career and proved his worth in the pro ranks by stopping veterans Arman Ovsepyan and Luciano Cuello in addition to a shutout victory over Joey Hernandez. He returns to the ring on June 30 looking to put himself in position for another world title opportunity.

Fighting out of San Bernadino, California, Conley enters this bout have won his last three contests, including two stoppage victories last year against Juan Manuel Mares and Adrian Arenas. The 25-year-old was unbeaten in his first 12 pro starts and his only blemish came via a split decision against Daquan Arnett in 2015. He will make his 2017 debut when he enters the ring against Williams on June 30.

An unbeaten prospect from Cincinnati, the “Quiet Assassin” Clark picked up two victories in 2016 over increasingly quality competition as he stopped Elvin Perez in six rounds and earned a unanimous decision over Edgar Ortega. The 22-year-old made his 2017 debut in March and stopped Gaku Takahashi in the seventh round of a fight on FS1 and FOX Deportes.

Originally from Ukraine but now fighting out of Brooklyn, Golub has fought exclusively in the U.S. since turning pro and comes off of a stoppage victory over veteran James Stevenson last September. The 28-year-old southpaw has stopped his last seven opponents inside of the distance as he enters this fight on June 30.

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For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @RobertEaster_Jr, @BounceTV, and @Swanson_Comm and follow the conversation using #PBConBounce, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.Facebook.com/BounceTV. PBC on Bounce is sponsored by Corona: La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Bounce is the fastest-growing African-American (AA) network on television and airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage. The network features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more. Bounce has grown to be available in more than 94 million homes across the United States and 93% of all African American television homes, including all of the top AA television markets. Among the founders of Bounce are iconic American figures Martin Luther King, III and Ambassador Andrew Young.

For local channel location, visit BounceTV.com.

LANCASTER, CA. (June 8, 2017) – Unbeaten rising contender Mario Barrios shared his thoughts about his training camp and more as he nears a showdown against Mexico’s Jose Luis Rodriguez on Sunday, June 11 in Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes action live from The Pioneer Event Center in Lancaster, California.

Televised coverage begins at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT after the Mexico vs. USA World Cup qualifier on FS1 and FOX Deportes and is headlined by former world champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios returning to the ring to take on Mexico’s Aaron Herrera plus undefeated prospect Jose Miguel Borrego will battle once-beaten Kevin Watts in a super lightweight bout.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $30 and are on sale now. To purchase tickets visit the Pioneer Event Center’s website: www.uavpec.com

Here is what Barrios had to say about training camp, his matchup and more:

On fighting Jose Luis Rodriguez:
“Unfortunately, in the last twelve months, I’ve had two opponents come in overweight when I was scheduled to fight on national television. I was ready to fight both times but my team advised me to cancel the bouts because the fighters were at least 10 pounds above the contracted weight. Jose Luis Rodriguez is a very tough fighter who went the distant with Felix Verdejo, who many people consider a top prospect. I just hope Rodriguez makes weight and the fight happens because I’m ready to shine.”

On his return to FS1 & FOX Deportes as the co-main event:
“I’m very excited to be returning on FS1 even though I’m not the main-event as I was scheduled to be last month. My management team once again is putting me in a great position on national television. In this fight, I’m the co-main event and I’m eager to showcase my talents at super-lightweight. I’m going to put on a great show for everyone watching.”

On his recent training camp with Virgil Hunter in California…
“Virgil and I are working great together. I feel I’m constantly getting better with Virgil each and every day we are together. He’s a great motivator and I’m pushing myself to become a stronger, faster fighter. I’ve been in camp for the last three months and I’m like a lion ready to come out of his cage.”

On fighting in Lancaster, CA…
“I’ve fought several times in California and the fans out here are incredible. This will be my first time fighting in Lancaster and I’m expecting the same lively crowd. The fans are what make this sport go so expect me to come out guns blazing. I’m going to explosive in this fight.”

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Fans can live stream the fights on FOX Sports GO, available in English or Spanish through the FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSportsGO.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku. In addition, all programs are also available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage, www.foxdeportes.com and www.TGBPromotions.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @FS1, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. PBC on FS1 & FOX Deportes is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.