Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz wishes to congratulate his fighter, David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez of Phoenix, Arizona, for his sensational eighth-round knockout over Mexico’s Rogelio “Porky” Medina on Saturday night at the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas.

With the star-making victory, Benavidez (18-0, 17 KOs) becomes a mandatory challenger for the WBC Super Middleweight Championship. And, depending on when it happens, a win in that fight could make 20-year-old Benavidez the youngest super middleweight world champion in boxing history.

“We were hopeful David would win the fight,” said Lewkowicz, “but I am amazed at how he won. He was incredible. Have you ever seen a knockout like that? An eight-punch combination that almost put Medina out of the ring? David is the best super middleweight in the world. No one can take his punches.”

Lewkowicz, who is often credited for spotting the early talent in champions Manny Pacquiao and Sergio Martinez, has been predicting stardom for Benavidez since early in his career. He now says the sky is the limit for his young charge.

“David’s first fight with me was in November 2015. I said after that fight he was something special and he will be champion by the end of 2017. Medina is a very good fighter. He gave (IBF Super Middleweight Champion) James DeGale a very tough fight not long ago. And David beat him up to the head and body. He works very hard to be who he is and deserves everything he gets.”

Lewkowicz says Benavidez will take a short time off to rest and then get back in the gym to begin training for his championship challenge.

“It doesn’t make a difference who he fights for the title. David will roll over everybody he fights. He is the new boss at 168 lbs. I am very happy to be his promoter and my congratulations also go to his father, Jose, who does a great job getting him ready for his fights.”
About Sampson Boxing
After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

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

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

New York, NY (5/22/17) – On Saturday, June 3, DiBella Entertainment will return to the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, CT, for the latest exciting installment of its popular Broadway Boxing series, presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, and Christos Steak House. The card will feature a bevy of New England talent, including fan favorite Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent in an eight-round special attraction featherweight bout, as well as lightweight Matt Remillard on the comeback and welterweight prospect Mykquan Williams on the rise.

“I am happy to bring another great card back to Foxwoods, which continues to be a terrific venue for Broadway Boxing,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Fans will not want to miss the always-entertaining Shelly Vincent, who is a great ambassador for women’s boxing. The stacked undercard will include local New England favorites Matt Remillard, Mykquan Williams, Jonathan Figueroa, and Khiry Todd, as well as Russian future world champion Radzhab Butaev and a battle between unbeaten heavyweight prospects Ruslan Shamalov and George Arias.”

One of the most popular fighters out of the New England area, Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent (19-1, 1 KO), born in New London, CT, but now residing in Providence, RI, will compete at Foxwoods for the seventh time, in an eight-round featherweight bout. Last August, Vincent entered enemy territory to challenge rival Heather Hardy in her adversary’s hometown of Brooklyn, NY. Their highly publicized grudge match was nationally televised by NBC Sports Net and was hailed by Ring Magazine as the “Female Fight of the Year” for 2016. Vincent was also honored by the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame as their “Fighter of the Year” for 2016, becoming the first female recipient of the award. She rebounded from her only defeat with a unanimous decision victory on December 2, back home in Rhode Island. Before turning pro in October 2011, Vincent was a Connecticut State, Connecticut Golden Gloves, and National Golden Gloves champion as an amateur. Managed by Mike Criscio and trained by Peter Manfredo Sr., Vincent signed with DiBella Entertainment in 2016.

Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard (24-1, 13 KOs), of Hartford, CT, will continue his comeback, following a six-year ring absence, in an eight-round lightweight bout. It will be his first fight in his home state since November 2010. A pro since 2005, Remillard is a former WBC Youth, WBC-USNBC, NABF and NABO featherweight champion. His only loss came in March 2011 to the unbeaten Mikey Garcia, now the WBC world lightweight champion. He is trained by Paul Cichon, a local legend and community leader, out of Manchester Ring of Champions Society boxing gym. As an amateur, Remillard accumulated a record of 115-25, and was a two-time Everlast Under-19 National amateur champion.

Highly touted East Hartford welterweight prospect Mykquan Williams (6-0, 4 KOs) has kept a busy pace since turning pro last April. Promoted by DiBella Entertainment and managed by Jackie Kallen, the 19-year-old Williams will return to Foxwoods, where he has built a strong following, for the sixth time, in his first scheduled six-rounder. Williams is also trained by Cichon, whom he’s known since he was a child and looks upon as a surrogate father. His biological father was murdered when Mykquan was just a week old. Williams was a decorated amateur with a 45-13 record, highlighted by three gold-medal performances at the Ringside World Championships, in addition to winning the PAL Tournament and Silver Gloves Championships.

Unbeaten New York-based heavyweights will collide in their toughest tests to date, when Russian Ruslan Shamalov (4-0, 3 KOs) meets Dominican George Arias (6-0, 3 KOs) in a six-round contest.

Born in Cherkessk, Russia, and now living in Brooklyn, the 6’5″ Shamalov was a two-time amateur MMA champion before switching to boxing and engaging in 30 amateur bouts while participating on the Russian National team. Shamalov turned pro in October 2016 and is trained by Eduard Kravtsov out of Wild Card Gym, in Los Angeles, CA. In his last bout on April 5, Shamalov returned home to Russia and registered a first-round knockout versus Oleksandr Nesterenko in 43 seconds.

Arias was born in San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic, then moved to New York City in 1996, at four years old. However, it wasn’t until graduating high school that Arias learned to box at Morris Park Boxing Gym near his home in The Bronx. He won the New York Golden Gloves tournament in 2014 then turned pro that October. Arias recently returned from a 13-month ring hiatus with a four-round unanimous decision versus Jamal Woods in Lawrenceville, GA, on April 29.

Cuban cruiserweight Luis Garcia (14-0, 11 KOs), based out of Peekskill, NY, will see action in a six-round bout. After being denied a berth on the Cuban Olympic team, despite winning in the Cuban Olympic qualifiers preparing for the Games in Beijing, Garcia defected from his native land and settled in Cork, Ireland, where he turned pro in September 2008. Having built his record to a perfect 11-0 over the next 26 months, Garcia then relocated to the United States to resume his career. On December 5, 2015, Garcia made his New York debut at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, earning a 63-second knockout versus Willie Williams. Anther first-round knockout followed in his last bout on June 25, 2016, at Buffalo Run Casino, in Miami, OK.

Russian amateur prodigy Radzhab Butaev (5-0, 4 KOs), co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc. and managed by Vadim Kornilov, will make his second appearance at Foxwoods in an eight-round contest. On November 19, Butaev earned an eight-round shutout victory versus experienced Hungarian Gabor Gorbics to win the NABF junior middleweight title. In his last bout, on April 5, Butaev returned to Russia to stop Baxrom Payazov inside one round. The 22-year-old Butaev, born in Salsk, Russia, and now living in Los Angeles, was a highly accomplished amateur, having compiled an incredible 304-12 record, with 164 knockouts. He participated in the World Series of Boxing as well, finishing at 9-1.

A native of the boxing rich city of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Jose Roman (3-0, 3 KOs) will make his US debut in a four-round welterweight contest. Roman began boxing at 13 years of age amassing a stellar 124-17 amateur record along the way. He joined the Puerto Rican National team in 2012, winning three consecutive National championships from 2013-2015.

Junior welterweight Jonathan Figueroa (2-1, 1 KO), of Hartford, CT, will fight in a four-round contest. Managed by Vinny Scolpino, Figueroa turned pro on a Broadway Boxing card held at Foxwoods on September 1 last year. Training out of Hartford PAL gym, Figueroa was a 2012 Golden Gloves champion as an amateur.

Welterweight Khiry Todd (3-0, 3 KOs), from Lynn, MA, will make his Connecticut debut in a four-round contest. The 25-year-old Todd had 40 amateur bouts and won the New England Golden Gloves tournament before turning pro last December with a 42-second demolition of Patrick Leal.

Tickets for the June 3 Broadway Boxing event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, and Christos Steak House, are priced at $125, $75 and $45. Tickets can be purchased online at Foxwoods.com, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-200-2882, or visiting the Foxwoods box office. Doors open at 7:00pm, with the first fight scheduled for 7:30pm.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (May 22, 2017) – Super Channel subscribers across Canada will be able to watch this Saturday’s mega-fight between International Boxing Federation (IBF) Welterweight World Champion Kell “The Special One” Brook and undefeated No. 1 mandatory contender Errol “The Truth” Spence, Jr., starting at 3 p.m. ET/ 12 p.m. PT, live from the outdoor Bramall Football Ground in Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

“Brook vs. Spence, Jr.” is a presentation of Matchroom Boxing. Super Channel will air four exciting fights from this card, headlined by one of the most anticipated fights of the year between two world-class prize fighters, exclusively in Canada.

“We are thrilled to be bringing back world-class caliber boxing to our viewers,” said Troy Wassil, Director of Programming, Domestic Distributors & Sports. “This is the type of high-quality, exclusive sports content that subscribers can look forward to seeing as part of the Super Channel Sports sub-brand.”

Brook (36-1, 25 KOs), fighting at home in Sheffield, captured the IBF 147-pound division title August 16, 2014, with a signature victory, by way of a 12-round decision, over Shawn Porter in Carson, California. The 31-year-old Brook has successfully defended his championship belt three times, including a pair of challengers from Canada, Jo Jo Dan and Kevin Bizier.

In his most recent fight this past September, unified world middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (35-0) ruined Brook’s perfect record, stopping the game Brit who had moved up two weight classes in five rounds.

Brock is 4-1 (3 KOs) in world title fights, 3-1 (1 KO) in fights against former or current world champions, defeating Porter, Lovemore Ndou and Vyacheslav Senchenko.

Kell Brook (R)
(photo courtesy of Matchroom Boxing)

Spence, Jr., 27, has been hyped by some as the possible successor to retired Floyd Mayweather, Jr. as the new face of boxing. Fighting out of Texas, Spence, Jr. was a 2012 US Olympian who fought in the London Games.

Spence Jr. has defeated the likes of former world champion Chris Algieri, as well as Leonard Bundu, Alejandro Barrera and Chris van Heerden, among the more notables during his 4 ½ year professional career.

Errol Spence, Jr.
(photo courtesy of PBC)

The 12-round co-feature for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Middleweight World Championship pits three-time World title challenger “Saint” George Groves (25-3-0, 18 KOs) against former WBA Super Middleweight World Champion Fedor Chudinov (14-1, 10 KOs).

Groves, fighting out of London, has defeated fellow countryman and current IBF Super Middleweight World Champion James DeGale and former World light heavyweight titlist Glen Johnson.

Last February, Chudinov lost his WBA strap to Felix Sturm in a rematch of a title fight the Russian had won. Chudinov has also defeated Frank Buglioni and Ben McCullough.

Kicking-off the three-hour, action-packed Super Channel broadcast is 12-round heavyweight clash between David “White Rhino” Allen (11-2-1, 8 KOs) and Lenroy “TNT” Thomas (20-4, 10 KOs) for the vacant Commonwealth Championship, followed by the professional debut of 2012 British Olympian Anthony Fowler versus Arturs Geikins (3-7-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round middleweight match.

INFORMATION:
www.SuperChannel.CA
Twitter: @SuperChannel
Instagram: @SuperChannelTV
About Super Channel:

Super Channel is a national premium pay television network, consisting of four HD channels, four SD channels, and Super Channel On Demand.

Super Channel’s mission is to entertain and engage Canadian audiences by providing a unique and exclusive entertainment experience. With a core foundation of integrity and accountability, we dedicate ourselves to implementing innovative programming strategies and unparalleled team work that provides viewers with exceptional value and variety.

Super Channel is owned by Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc., an Edmonton-based media company.

Super Channel is currently available on Bell TV, Shaw Direct, Rogers Anyplace TV, Shaw Cable, Cogeco Cable, Access Communications, Bell Aliant TV, Source Cable, SaskTel, MTS, Novus, EastLink, TELUS, Videotron, Westman Communications and other regional providers.
www.superchannel.ca

Tommy McCarthy and Mike Perez will meet in a crunch Cruiserweight clash at the SSE Arena Belfast on June 10, live on Sky Sports.

It’s a must-win night for both men as McCarthy is looking to bounce back from missing out on the mandatory spot for the British title when he faced Matty Askin in November. Askin fights for the vacant title this weekend and Belfast man McCarthy will be desperate to land a big win to get back in the frame to fight for the Lord Lonsdale belt later in the year.

Perez has made the move down to Cruiserweight to reignite his career as the talented Cuban-born Cork-based banger returns to action – with today marking two years to the day since his last contest, a WBC World Heavyweight title eliminator against Alexander Povetkin in Russia.

“I’m shocked this fight is up and running but its great news for fight fans,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Mick Conlan tweeted me and asked that Tommy be on the card and at the same time I had a request from Mike Perez to be on the show.

“I contacted both teams and they instantly accepted the fight. It’s a career defining clash for both. Lose and it’s all over – win and it kick-starts a whole new career at championship-level. It’s going to be a big night of boxing on June 10 in Belfast.”

McCarthy and Perez clash on a huge night of boxing in Belfast as unbeaten local talent Ryan Burnett challenges IBF World Bantamweight champion Lee Haskins.

An exciting undercard features Ian Tims vs. Luke Watkins for the Irish Cruiserweight title and local favourites James Tennyson, Paul Hyland Jnr, Paddy Gallagher, Matthew Wilton, Feargal McCrory and Tyrone McCullagh.

Tickets are on general sale at midday today priced at £30, £40, £60 and £100 from the SSE Arena Belfast at http://www.ssearenabelfast.com/belfast-boy-burnett-v-haskins

VIP tickets priced at £150 are exclusively available from http://www.matchroomboxing.com/

Face value tickets for June 10 are also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

Today Steed Tailors have announced that former Two-Weight World Champion and Award-Winning Showtime Sports Boxing Analyst, Paulie Malignaggi has become their first official Ambassador. As Steed’s Ambassador, Paulie will exclusively be dressed in the finest Savile Row Bespoke Clothing, both sides of the Atlantic, whenever he is working as an Expert Boxing Analyst for both Showtime Sports & Sky Sports UK.

Since 2015, Malignaggi has commissioned many handcrafted Bespoke pieces from Steed, most recently, a Steed Bespoke Sport Coat worn during the weigh-in to the Blockbuster Heavyweight Showdown between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium, London.

Malignaggi’s next appearance will feature a newly commissioned Steed Bespoke Suit on May 27th, when he will be working as a ringside announcer at the Kell Brook vs Errol Spence Jnr World Title Fight in Sheffield, England.

For fans of Malignaggi that can’t make it across the Atlantic, Steed makes 5 trips per year to New York City and 3 trips per year to 7 other U.S. cities to ensure their American clients have access to the finest suits Savile Row has to offer.

Quotes From Paulie Malignaggi:
“I’ve always prided myself on my appearance – and I know there’s no other suit out there that compares to my bespoke suit made for me, personally by Matthew & Edwin at Steed Tailors. They’re world class experts in tailoring, and I know I won’t have my suits made anywhere else. The fact they come out to the U.S. so often is an added bonus!”

On his relationship with Matthew DeBoise:
“I think we’ve developed a friendship while working together and to me, that’s meant a lot.”

Quotes From Matthew DeBoise, Managing Partner of Steed:
“It’s an honour to announce Paulie as Steed’s first ever brand Ambassador. To have started as an admiring fan during his illustrious Boxing to career, beginning with his fight against Miguel Cotto in 2006 when I was just 17 years old. Culminating with meeting and subsequently, building a strong friendship, alongside a key working relationship over the past 18 months is amazing if not a little surreal!
I’m excited to get working on the new Bespoke commissions we are lining up for the various Boxing Events that you’ll see him in the future.”

Special Thanks to Anthony Catanzaro & Mark Dunsford:
Both Edwin & Matthew DeBoise would like to say a special thank you to Paulie’s Long-Time Manager and close friend, Anthony Catanzaro who facilitated the agreement, swiftly and has been a pleasure to work alongside from day one.

Thanks also go to Mark Dunsford, owner of Harrison’s of Edinburgh who will be working with Steed to provide the world’s finest fabrics for all of Paulie’s Bespoke clothing.

About Steed Tailors

Established in January 1995, Steed has gained a reputation as one of Savile Row’s finest Bespoke Tailors, offering clients a soft, understated elegance. Founded by Edwin DeBoise, Savile Row, Master Tailor and his son, Matthew DeBoise, who is now both a Managing Partner and Chief Stylist. The last few years has seen Steed’s client list gain other well-known Sportsmen such as Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal & Wales International Footballer), Darren Barker (World Champion Boxer) and Darren Clarke (2016 European Ryder Cup Captain & Former Open Champion).

The Belfast banger made a sensational start to his career when he dazzled in front of a sold-out partisan crowd at Madison Square Garden on St Patrick’s Day, stopping American Tim Ibarra in round three.

‘The Channel of Champions’ BoxNation will once again be the place to see the 25-year-old in LIVE action when he takes on Alfredo Chanez from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.

Mexican Chanez will be aiming to give the Irishman a rough introduction into the paid ranks when they square off in their six-round featherweight fight.

For his debut, Conlan was led into the ring by UFC superstar Conor McGregor, before doing his thing in the ring by out-boxing Ibarra and claiming his first win.

He will be looking to do much of the same this time around and can’t wait to impress the Chicago crowd.

“I’m delighted to be boxing in Chicago,” said Conlan. “Chicago being heavily populated with Irish, I’ve already had a huge amount of people contacting me about the fight. And for Top Rank to have me as a main event again with a fantastic undercard is great. I’m looking forward to going there and putting on a great show for the fans!”

“Michael is looking better and looking sharper in the gym. You will definitely see an even greater fighter in the ring in Chicago,” said Manny Robles, Conlan’s trainer. “Michael is eager to grow and learn each day. He understands his responsibility not only to his management and promoter but to his people and entire country. He wants to become a world champion and make his country proud. It is my job to help get him there.”

“I’m really looking forward to Michael’s next fight in Chicago. His debut was a huge success and I’m sure he will be receiving a similar reception from the Irish community in Chicago and from the Chicago fight fans,” said Matthew Macklin, a former three-time world champion challenger and Conlan’s manager. “Michael took a week off and was back in the gym sparring Jessie Magdaleno and working on all aspects of his game. He’s very much a work in progress but he has all the talent in the world and is very dedicated. I expect him to settle down more in this fight and put on a great performance.”

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “BoxNation are delighted to once again feature Michael Conlan live on the channel. He is undoubtedly one of the sport’s most popular young fighters and has the world at his feet. We are pleased that BoxNation subscribers will be able to watch his journey as he looks to make it right to the very top, continuing with Alfredo Chanez this Friday night.”

The card will also feature former world champion “Mile High” Mike Alvarado and undefeated Top-10 welterweight contender Alex “El Cholo” Saucedo in separate 10 and eight-round bouts, respectively.

Conlan v Chanez is live on BoxNation this Friday night. Buy now at www.boxnation.com for only £12 per month with free registration (Sky customers use offer code: MAYBOXING)

-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

SOCHI, Russia (May 21, 2017) – Two-time M-1 Challenge Light Heavyweight Champion Viktor Nemkov has positioned himself for another title shot, defeating Brazilian challenger Ronny Markes, last Friday night in the M-1 Challenger 77 main event at Sochi, Russia.

Eleven exciting fights were held with athletes representing 10 different countries in true International competition: Russia, Brazil, USA, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbajjan.

Nemkov (25-6-0, M-1: 18-5-0), fighting out of Russia, took care of Markes (16-4-0, M-1: 0-1-0) early, by submission in the opening round by way of a guillotine choke. “I waited for the right moment,” Nemkov said after the fight, “concentrating on the guillotine-choke to finish the fight.”

Rising Russian middleweight prospect Artem Frolov (9-0-0, M-1: 6-0-0) needed only 1:14 to knockout Talekh “The Azerbaijan Terminator” Taleh. “It’s hard to tell if the fight could have gone a little longer,” Frolov commented, “but I think it’s a big deal to hurt your opponent like I did. I hope to get a title fight soon.”

In a fascinating battle between unbeaten American lightweight “Motown” Moses Murrieta and Russian Andrey Seledtsov (6-4-0, M-1: 0-3-0), Murietta (5-0-0, M-1: 1-0-) won a hard-fought three-round unanimous decision in his M-1 Global debut. “My opponent never gave up, he’s a strong opponent, Murietta remarked. “I always work on physical training. I wanted to finish the fight early, but maybe next time. I signed a six-fight contract with M-1 Global. The atmosphere here in Sochi and the fans are excellent.”

Georgian lightweight Raul Tutarauli (10-3-0, M-1: 5-1-0) won a three-round unanimous decision against Artur Lemos (8-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Portugal, while Russian Viktor Kolesnik (10-2-1, M-1: 1-0-1) did the same versus Philip Rego (10-4-0, M-1: 0-2-0), of Brazil.

On the preliminary card, Russian lightweight Alexey Bruss (2-1-0) submitted Spaniard Daniel Palomo Diaz (3-2-0) by second-round submission (choke), Russian middleweight Sergey Klyuev (1-0-0) punched out Ukrainian Sergey Voloshin (3-1-1) a mere 22 seconds into round one, Russian light heavyweight Nikolay Savilov (5-2-0) stopped German Frank Kortz (4-3-0), Russian lightweight Lom-Ali Nalgiev (13-5-0) won a three-round unanimous decision from Belarusian Sergey Faley (20-10-0), Ukrainian featherweight Andrey “Iron” Lezhnev (16-7-0) knocked out Russian Kurbanali Abdusalmov (6-4-0) in round one, and Russian lightweight prospect Paul Gordeeva (7-1-0) won a three-round unanimous decision against Tinn Kinne (4-2-0), of Germany.

Photos are available at: https://yadi.sk/d/_QfsW-NE3JLsPd

INFORMATION:

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

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:

M-1 Challenge 78: Divnich vs. Ismagulov – May 26, 2017 in Orenburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey – June 1, 2017 in St. Petersburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 80: Kharitonov vs. Lopes – June 15, 2017 in Harbin, 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 promises to be 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!

German cruiserweight Noel Gevor (22-10, KOs) says he is confident of causing an upset when he meets former IBF and WBC World Champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (52- 3-1, 37 KOs) tomorrow at the Hala Arena in Poznan, Poland.

In what promises be his toughest career test, Gevor takes on the former two-time division ruler in a final eliminator for the IBF World title, which is currently held by Russian Murat Gassiev following his victory over countryman Denis Lebedev.

Wlodarczyk will look to use his considerable experience and home advantage to inflict the 26 year-old’s first defeat, but despite entering the fight as the underdog, Gevor believes he is ready to secure his first World title challenge.

‘’Yes, Wlodarczyk is the favourite. He is fighting at home in front of his fans and he has more experience than me, but I’m the younger, hungrier boxer. I believe the time is right for me now, and I think that will show in the ring,’’ says Gevor.

‘’There is no denying that Wlodarczyk is a great fighter. I have a lot of respect for him and what he has achieved in the sport, but he is just a man, and he has strengths and weaknesses just like every other fighter.

‘’This is a big opportunity for me, and one I will not give up. I have been training hard for over three months, and now, I can’t wait to get in the ring. Tomorrow, I will prove I’m ready for the World title.’’

Both fighters weighed in today in Poznan ahead of their IBF final eliminator with Gevor tipping the scales at 90.2kg and Wlodarczyk coming in marginally heavier at 90.3kg.

Fight # 1 16.30
6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Middleweight Contest
LERRONE RICHARDS 171lbs V ANTHONY FOX 174lbs

Fight # 2
6 X 3 Minute Rounds Featherweight Contest
LUCIEN REID V MICHAEL MOONEY

Fight # 3
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Lightweight Contest
BEN SMITH V YOUSEF AL HAMIDI

Fight # 4
6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Featherweight Contest
BOY JONES JNR 132lbs V NORBERT KALUCSA 130lbs

Fight # 5
6 X 3 Minute Rounds Lightweight Contest
MITCHELL SMITH 139lbs V LEE CONNELLY 138lbs

Fight # 6
6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Featherweight Contest
ARCHIE SHARP 131lbs V TAMAS LASKA 131lbs

Fight # 7
THE BRITISH FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
RYAN WALSH 126lbs V MARCO McCULLOUGH 126lbs

Fight # 8
8 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Welterweight Contest
JOE PIGFORD 155lbs V AARON MORGAN 154lbs

Fight # 9
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Heavyweight Contest
DANIEL DUBOIS 234lbs V DAVE HOWE 256lbs

Fight # 10
THE SOUTHERN AREA LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
CHRIS HOBBS 175lbs V ANTHONY YARDE 175lbs

Fight # 11 LIVE SWING
6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Welterweight Contest
SAM McNESS 155lbs V ZAURS SADIHOVS 154lbs

Fight # 12
THE IBF WORLD JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
GERVONTA DAVIS 130lbs V LIAM WALSH 130lbs

Fight # 13 TV FLOATER 1
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Flyweight Contest
SUNNY EDWARDS 115lbs V GYULA DODU 113lbs

Fight # 14 FLOTER 2
6 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Lightweight Contest
SANJEEV SAHOTA 142lbs V STEVE BACKHOUSE 143lbs

All floor seating at the Copper Box Arena has SOLD OUT.

Remaining tickets priced £40 and £50 are available from www.seetickets.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

LAS VEGAS, NV (May 19, 2017) – At 25 years old, Savannah “Silent Assassin” Marshall,is the third female boxer to join the Mayweather Promotions stable, joining former 4-time world champion Layla McCarter, and junior middleweight undefeated prospect, LaTondria Jones.The Hartlepool-based fighter who garnered attention in the amateur boxing ranks has closed that chapter, and is ready to build a name for herself amongst the greatest women in professional boxing.

Marshall began boxing at 12 years old after joining a local Hartlepool Headland club. The young boxing star earned her ring name due to her innate shyness, but inside the ring she possesses the complete package accompanied with a long list of honors representing her home country of Great Britain.

With women’s boxing on the rise, Savannah Marshallwill join her stable mates in Las Vegas, NV to begin her journey to becoming a top prospect in the sport of boxing. Marshall holds an impressive amateur resume, as she was a two-time Olympianand Britain’s first women’s boxing world champion. Marshall won gold at the 2012 World Championships, 2014 Commonwealth Games, and participated in the Summer RioOlympics this past summer, advancing to the middleweight quarterfinals. The “Silent Assassin” touts a win, many have failed to accomplish, being the only fighter to defeat the American star and Olympic gold medalist, Claressa Shields.

“When I left GB, I had nothing lined up, I just wanted to train and look at what options were out there. Then this opportunity came up and I could not have been happier,” said Marshall. “It does not come any better than signing with Floyd Mayweather, does it?”

“We have been diligent in our strategy when it comes to signing new fighters, we scout top talent across the world and Savannah Marshall is the perfect addition to our stable,” says Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe.

Follow us on Twitter at: @MayweatherPromo, @SMarshall1991 and Instagram @mayweatherpromotions, @SMarshall1991 become a fan on Facebook at: www.mayweatherpromotions.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/smarshall1991/ for news and updates.

May 19, 2017 – In advance of the highly anticipated light heavyweight championship rematch between world-class prizefighters Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev, HBO Sports will air “24/7 Ward/Kovalev 2,” an exhilarating 30-minute special examining the upcoming encounter. The intriguing pay-per-view event featuring the two pound-for-pound aces takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

The “24/7 Ward/Kovalev 2” special will premiere Friday, June 2 at 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The special will look back at their first fight and will preview the hotly anticipated rematch between two accomplished and tenacious ring warriors who first met last November under the red-hot Las Vegas spotlight. Ward, who has not lost a fight since his teen-age years, scored a razor-thin decision over Kovalev and collected all the title belts that the Russian knockout specialist had accumulated. The special will provide all-new content including portraits of both fighters’ path to this impactful showdown. Each has set up training camp on the west coast; Ward in his hometown of Oakland, CA and Kovalev farther south in both Big Bear and Oxnard, CA.

The 30-minute special narrated by Liev Schreiber and produced by HBO’s Emmy-Award-winning “24/7” production team will also be available on HBO On Demand®, HBO GO®, HBO NOW and affiliate portals as well as at www.hbo.com/boxing and various other new media platforms that distribute the show.

Philadelphia, PA (May 19, 2017) – King’s Promotions is pleased to announce that Tonight’s big card will air LIVE on Eleven Sports

The two-hour broadcast will air this TONIGHT from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia as Carlos Rosario (7-1, 4 KO’s) of Pennsauken, Nee Jersey battles Josh Davis (10-1, 4 KO’s) of Washington, D.C. in a lightweight bout scheduled for eight-rounds.

The live broadcast will begin at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT

“We are very excited to be able to bring this great event to the fans around the country,” said Kings Promotions CEO Marshall Kauffman.

“This should be a terrific card, and great fighters in very competitive fights will be featured on this broadcast. Fights from Philadelphia always deliver excitement, and we are looking forward to showcasing these fights to the great boxing fans all over the country.”
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In the six-round co-feature, it will be a battle of light heavyweight’s as Amir Shabazz (4-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will take on Antowyan Aikens (10-3-1, 1 KO) of Atlantic City.

About ELEVEN SPORTS:

Founded in 2015, ELEVEN SPORTS is an award winning global sports provider dedicated to delivering world-class international and domestic sports and lifestyle entertainment. Initial launches include multiple channels across select domestic markets with each country receiving up to 4,000 hours of live coverage of premium sporting events annually, along with news, comprehensive analysis, digital content and local programming. The channels are 24/7, multiscreen, full HD and locally produced to the highest international production standards, with local language commentary.

Among the many providers, Eleven Sports is available on DirecTV channel 623, Verizon Fios Channel 597, Cablevison channel 1159

Like us on Facebook: Eleven Sports
Follow us on Twitter: @ElevenSportsHQ
Follow us on LinkedIn: Eleven Sports HQ

A jam packed undercard as been assembled, and in six-round bouts:

Tyrone Crawley, Jr (6-0) of Philadelphia will take on Juan Rodriguez (7-6, 5 KO’s) of Haymarket, Virginia in a lightweight fight.

Steven Ortiz (5-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia takes on Hector Rivera (3-1, 2 KO’s) of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a lightweight bout.

Thomas Velasquez (8-0, 5 KO’s) of Philadelphia will battle Brandon Sanudo (5-3, 2 KO’s) of Baja California, Mexico in a lightweight bout.

In four-round Bouts:

Vincent Floyd (2-2-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will square off with Rafael Montalvo (3-3, 3 KO’s) of St. Clair, PA.

Antonio Allen (0-5) will take on Demetrius Williams (0-2) in a battle of Philadelphia based junior welterweights looking for their first win.

Rounding out the card will be a four round junior welterweight bout between Titos Gosalves of Philadelphia (0-1) and pro debuting Gerardo Martinez of Phoenixville, PA.

Tickets for this great night of boxing can be purchased at www.2300arena.com for $100, $75 and $50

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents an action-packed weekend of live combat sports, beginning this afternoon, Friday, May 19, at 12 p.m. ET with M-1 Selection and M-1 Challenge 77: Nemkov vs. Marques from Sochi, Russia. Later tonight, at 9 p.m. ET, Legacy Fighting Alliance returns to Prior Lake, Minn. for a live broadcast of LFA 12: Krantz vs. Neumann. And on Saturday, May 20, GLORY, the world’s premier kickboxing league, returns to Holland for a live doubleheader, beginning with GLORY 41 Holland at 1 p.m. ET, followed by GLORY 41 SuperFight Series at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Airing live on Fight Network in Canada, the U.S. and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, today’s M-1 Selection undercard at 12 p.m. ET will feature a bantamweight showdown between Sergey Voloshin and Sergey Klyuev, lightweight matchups pitting Daniel Palomo Diaz against Alexey Bruss and Sergey Faley against Lom-Ali Nalgiev, a welterweight contest between Andrey Lezhnev and Kurbanali Abdusalamov, plus Russian prospect Pavel Gordeev throws down with Germany’s Till Kinne in the featured M-1 Selection preliminary bout.

Airing live exclusively in Canada at 2:30 p.m. ET, M-1 Challenge 77: Nemkov vs. Marques is headlined by an explosive light heavyweight clash, as Russia’s Viktor Nemkov (24-6) battles Brazilian veteran Ronny Marques (16-4). In other featured bouts, middleweights Talekh Nadzhafadze (5-1-1) and Moses Murrietta (4-0) enter enemy territory against Russian stars Artem Frolov (8-0) and Andrey Seledtsov (6-3), respectively, Portuguese lightweight Artur Lemos (8-2) meets Georgia’s Raul Tutarauli (9-4), plus Brazilian Felipe Rego (9-3) takes on rising Russian featherweight Viktor Kolesnik (9-2-1).

Airing live tonight at 9 p.m. ET in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, LFA 12: Krantz vs. Neumann will feature a welterweight championship bout between American up-and-comers Derrick Krantz (19-9) and Ben Neumann (12-4). In other action, Chase Waldon (10-2) takes on Cully Butterfield (14-5) in a middleweight matchup, undefeated Bobby Lee (6-0) risks his perfect record in a lightweight clash against Jeff Peterson (4-3), Cameron Olson (7-2) faces Julian Marquez (4-1) in a light heavyweight tilt, Dan Moret (11-3) and Brandon Jenkins (10-4) square off in lightweight action, featherweight Nate Jennerman (8-2) meets Damion Hill (12-7), plus Chad Curry (8-1) seeks his second straight triumph opposite fellow welterweight Kyle Kurtz (7-4).

This Saturday, all eyes shift to the kickboxing world, as GLORY presents a star-studded live doubleheader across Canada and Turkey.

First, at 1 p.m. ET, GLORY 41 Holland will be co-headlined by No. 6 ranked Egyptian slugger Hesdy “Fighterheart” Gerges (49-18-1, 23 KO) and 6’9″ behemoth “Chopper” Chi Lewis-Parry (8-1, 4 KO), ranked No 8. Gerges and Lewis-Parry were initially booked to do battle at GLORY 39 SuperFight Series last month, but the bout was ultimately called off on fight night, leaving no love lost between the heavyweight competitors set to square off again.

GLORY 41 Holland will feature three additional heavyweight tilts, pitting the roster’s hardest hitters against each other in a one-night, four-man heavyweight contender tournament.

German prospect Mohamed Abdallah (12-1, 5 KO) competes in the first of two heavyweight tournament semifinal match-ups, taking on Curaçaoan-Dutch striker D’Angelo Marshall (14-2, 8 KO), while Greek standout Giannis “Hercules” Stoforidis (19-5, 11 KO) draws a tough opponent for his GLORY debut, competing against No. 9 ranked Brazilian veteran Anderson “Braddock” Silva (40-16-1, 25 KO) in the tournament opening round.

Also featured on the GLORY 41 Holland card is a featherweight tilt between two debuting prospects in China’s 19-year-old Chenglong Zhang (38-5, 11 KO) and 23-year-old Dutchman Wilson Sanches Mendes (5-2-1).

The complete five-fight card for GLORY 41 Holland can be found below:

-Heavyweight Tournament Final Bout: Winner of Bout A vs. Winner of Bout B
-Heavyweight Co-Headline Bout: Hesdy Gerges vs. Chi Lewis-Parry
-Featherweight Bout: Chenglong Zhang vs. Wilson Sanches Mendes
-Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal Bout B: D’Angelo Marshall vs. Mohamed Abdallah
-Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal Bout A: Anderson Silva vs. Giannis Stoforidis

At 3:30 p.m. ET, GLORY 41 SuperFight Series will feature heavyweight world champion Rico Verhoeven (50-10, 14 KO) welcoming former Enfusion heavyweight champion and current Enfusion No. 1 heavyweight contender Ismael “The Star” Lazaar (30-2-2, 15 KO) to the GLORY ring for a five-round, non-title superfight.

Plus, former lightweight and featherweight world champion Robin “Pokerface” van Roosmalen (37-7, 21 KO) will battle 21-year-old prospect “The Professor” Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao (156-35-2, 25 KO) to determine the featherweight division’s next champion, as the vacant GLORY featherweight world title is on the line.

The complete six-fight card for GLORY 41 SuperFight Series can be found below:

-Heavyweight Superfight Headline Bout: Rico Verhoeven vs. Ismael Lazaar
-Featherweight World Title Bout: Robin van Roosmalen vs. Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao
-Welterweight Bout: Murthel Groenhart vs. Alan Scheinson
-Light Heavyweight Bout: Michael Duut vs. Mourad Bouzidi
-Lightweight Bout: Tyjani Beztati vs. Youssef Assouik
-Featherweight Bout: Zakaria Zouggary vs. Yetkin Ozkul

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

No one is watching tomorrow night’s fight for the vacant WBA World middleweight title between Japan’s Ryota Murata #2-rated and France’s #1-rated Hassan N’Dam, at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan, more closely than WBA #3 contender Rob “Bravo” Brant and his promoter, Greg Cohen.

Brant (22-0, 15 KOs), of Saint Paul, Minnesota, is mandated by the WBA to face the winner within 120 days.

The fight, which will be Brant’s first for a world championship, will be the culmination of a fantastic 2016-2017, that saw him win the WBA-NABA Middleweight Championship via spectacular knockout over Decarlo Perez in January of last year and then go on to defend it successfully twice more.

Cohen, whose expert guidance has led Brant to fighting on national television numerous times while gaining a large following of fans, especially in his home state, says he’s probably more excited for Brant than he is.

“Rob is a special fighter and an outstanding person and I’m so happy for him,” said Cohen. “He has worked so hard to get here and after tomorrow night, he’ll know who he’s facing for his first world title. I have always believed in Rob Brant and I know he’ll be victorious when the day comes. He’s a winner. That’s what he does.”
About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen first made promotional headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.

Cohen currently promotes Undefeated WBO NABO Heavyweight Champion and top 10 world-rated contender Jarrell Miller, Undefeated WBA NABA Middleweight Champion and top 5 world-rated contender Robert Brant, WBO NABO Lightweight Champion and top 5 world-rated contender Mason Menard, former WBA Interim World Lightweight Champion and top 10 world-rated contender Ismael Barroso, top 10 world-rated contender Rico Mueller, undefeated WBA International Bantamweight Champion and world-rated contender Mzuvukile Magwaca, WBO Oriental Super Welterweight Champion and world-rated contender Dennis Hogan, IBO World Featherweight Champion Lusanda Komanisi, former WBO Super Lightweight World Champion Kendall Holt, as well as current top 10 world-rated contenders cruiserweight Olanrewaju Durodola, Filipino Jr. Lightweight star Harmonito Dela Torre, Filipino Super Lightweight Czar Amonsot, and top 15 world-rated contenders featherweight world title challenger Eric Hunter and Guyanese bantamweight Elton Dharry.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including CBS Sports Network, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

For more information, visit gcpboxing.com. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing. Twitter: @GCPBoxing.

LAS VEGAS (May 19, 2017) – Unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman is recovering from surgery on his right elbow and expects to be out of action until the end of 2017.

Thurman, who held the WBA 147-pound title, defeated WBC 147-pound champion Danny Garcia at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on March 4 to become the unified 147-pound champion. Thurman fought through severe pain in his right elbow to secure the 12-round unanimous decision victory.

A few weeks later, he traveled back to New York to have surgery to remove calcium deposits in his right elbow. The surgery was performed by Dr. Riley Williams at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan on April 19. The surgery was successful and Thurman is currently undergoing rehabilitation on his arm. The doctors have told him he will need six months to recover.

“I had loose bodies in the elbow, similar to what baseball pitchers have. They had to go in and take out the loose bodies and calcium deposits,” Thurman said. “It was getting in the way of the hinging of the elbow and when I threw a punch. It was causing pain and inflammation. I noticed it before the Danny Garcia fight. There was no way to get rid of it without the surgery. I’m healing and getting the function back so that I can be pain free.”

The healing process is slow and frustrating for Thurman.

“One thing for sure, the doctor doesn’t want me to rush back into action,” he said. “You can’t jump back into the race too soon. It might start to feel good after a month or two, but you don’t want to rush it. My right elbow’s job is to launch punches like a missile. It might feel good, but it might not be able to sustain that. It might cause inflammation to develop, and then you have to wait to let it calm down and feel better. I figure a 4-month recovery will be quick. The doctor recommended 6 months of no action, before training. I won’t rush it.”

Thurman has a special message to his fans who want to see him back in the ring as soon as possible.
“I worked hard to be where I am. We’re excited to move forward. This is just the real struggle of an athlete,” he said. “It’s not always picture perfect. It happens in every sport and that’s because we demand a lot from our bodies and ourselves. It has repercussions. Cars break down. We get them fixed and put them back on the road. We’re looking forward to getting back into the ring and giving you another fight before the year is out.”

In the meantime, Thurman will be closely watching the title match between Errol Spence, Jr. and Kell Brook from Sheffield, England on Saturday, May 27.

“I’ll be tuning in and looking forward to the belt coming back to America and looking forward to seeing what Kell Brook has to offer at 147 pounds. I want to see if he wants to make his stand at 147. I like the idea of Spence showing everybody he’s the “Truth” and Kell trying to show everybody how “Special” he is.”

LOS ANGELES (May 18, 2017) – The Canelo Alvarez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. fight on Cinco De Mayo weekend will generate more than one million buys on HBO Pay-Per-View, locking in Canelo’s status as the brightest light in boxing, Golden Boy Promotions announced today.

“Everything I do is for the fans, and I want to express my gratitude for everyone who watches my fights and shows their support,” Canelo said. “My fans are the greatest in the world and this year in September on Mexican Independence weekend, everyone can look forward to another incredible performance.”

Some facts about Canelo’s PPV performance:

Canelo will be the youngest A-side fighter in history to generate a seven-figure pay-per-view audience;
This will be the largest Pay-Per-View audience to watch in a boxing match in two years;
Canelo will be the first A-side fighter in 15 years not named De La Hoya, Mayweather or Pacquiao, to draw a million buys.

“These numbers solidify Canelo as the undisputed biggest name in the sport of boxing-simple as that,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “At 26 years old, there is no limit to Canelo’s star power as he continues to cross over to mainstream audiences. Canelo only wants to take on the best and the biggest, and we’re confident he will continue to shatter records as boxing’s new pay-per-view king.

GB Olympian Josh Kelly will top the bill against Tom Whitfield in the latest JD NXTGEN show at the Walker Activity Dome in Newcastle on Friday June 23, live on Sky Sports and on Sky Sports Facebook.

Kelly has impressed in his opening bouts in the paid ranks, landing his first stoppage win in Birmingham with a clinical display against Jony Vina to add to his debut win over Jay Byrne.

Adam Booth’s 23 year old charge represented Team GB in Rio at Welterweight and will face Birtley’s Tom Whitfield, the 30 year old that challenged for the Northern Area strap in his last outing in October.

‘Pretty Boy’ has expressed his desire to move quickly as a pro and the Sunderland man is looking for another stand out performance to put both his style and boxing in the North East into the spotlight.

“This is going to be brilliant and I’m so happy to be fighting in the North East,” said Kelly. “It’s going to be a great night for the fans and I’m buzzing to be topping the bill with some great fighters from up there.

“Boxing in the North East is buzzing right now, there’s so much talent and we need the platform to showcase that.

“I had a couple of days off following Birmingham and was then straight back in the gym. That’s what I want to do, I want to stay busy and keep learning, go from strength to strength with the great team behind me and move forwards as quickly as I can. I know that by the end of next year I can be in big fights.”

A host of local stars appear on the bill as former World champion Stuart Hall as he looks to build to another World title shot, Bradley Saunders returns to the ring, unbeaten Super-Middleweight Jordan King looks to build on his 8-0 start, Cruiserweight pair Simon Vallily and Warren Baister continue their assault on the division, while Preston’s Super-Welterweight Scott Fitzgerald is also in action.

Tickets are on sale now priced £30 unreserved balcony, £40 unreserved tier, £60 reserved floor seats and £100 reserved VIP seats – tickets are available from www.matchroomboxing.com.

Danbury, CT (May 19, 2017) – Rising Junior Welterweight Cristobal ‘Bazooka’ Marrero (4-0, 2KO’s, New London, CT) has bolstered his camp by hiring A.J. Galante as his manager.

Galante, of Danbury, CT, has been managing and advising professional boxers for 6 years. In addition to Marrero, Galante currently manages Omar ‘The Beast’ Bordoy (1-0, Danbury, CT) and is an adviser to Frank ‘Notorious’ Galarza (17-2-2, 11KO’s, Brooklyn, NY). He notably managed the career of Delvin Rodriguez (29-4-4, 16KO’s, Danbury, CT) from his fight of the year against Pawel Wolak in 2011, to his HBO Main Event bout against Miguel Cotto in 2013.

Galante thinks with a good plan in place, the sky is the limit for the 22 year old Marrero. “I’m really excited and appreciative to be hired by Cristobal. It’s always humbling when somebody of his talent and caliber seeks you and wants you to be part of their team. He has all the tools, the hunger, amateur experience (82 fights), and personality to be a star. I’ve been brought onboard to monitor and add structure to his camp, and map out the future both for the short and long term. I’m looking forward to working with and building a successful relationship with his promoter, Jimmy Burchfield and CES, one of the most respected names in professional boxing.”

In speaking with Marrero, it’s clear to see he is optimistic on his future. “My Dad and I have followed A.J. and have seen the great things he has been doing with everybody that he handles, as well as his gym and amateur program. When we met with him the first time, we left knowing this was a guy we could trust, and has what it takes to take me to the next level, we knew we had to hire him. He is a man of his word and I’m so excited about some of the ideas he has for my career. It just makes me hungrier!”

His hunger will be on display on Friday June 9 at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island, as ‘Bazooka’ aims to extend his undefeated record to 5-0 against fellow undefeated prospect Miguel Ortiz (2-0, 1KO, Springfield, MA). Tickets are priced at $47, $102, $127 & $152, and are available online at CESBOXING.COM or by Phone at 401-724-2253.

New York, NY (5/19/17) – On Thursday evening, DiBella Entertainment’s popular Broadway Boxing series returned to New York for the first time in almost a year with a special edition, one-time-only event, held at Brooklyn’s historic Paramount Theater at Long Island University.

Brooklyn’s Heather “The Heat” Hardy headlined the card facing Hungarian Edina Kiss in an eight-round featherweight rematch. Before becoming a staple at Barclays Center (where she has fought seven of her last nine bouts), Hardy, now a two-division WBC International champion, was regularly featured on Broadway Boxing, making her pro debut on the series in August 2012.

Hardy’s first bout against Kiss, of Budapest, Hungary, took place on the undercard of the March 4 welterweight unification battle between Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia, with the Brooklynite earning a unanimous points win. In the rematch, Hardy, 125.6, applied pressure from the outset and never let up, intent on establishing herself as the more physically imposing fighter. Determined to wear Kiss down, Hardy primarily focused on landing her power shots. In round four, a left hook and straight right rattled Kiss, who tired over the latter half of the bout. At this stage, Kiss’ offense amounted to winging haymakers, which Hardy easily evaded and countered. Scorecards read 80-72 twice, and 79-73, all in favor of Hardy via unanimous decision. With the loss, Kiss’ ledger fell to 14-4 (8 KOs).

At the conclusion of the bout, Hardy, now 20-0 (4 KOs) as a boxer, officially announced that she would be a two-sport athlete, making her MMA debut on the Bellator-promoted event at Madison Square Garden on June 24.

In his New York debut, 2016 American Olympian Charles Conwell, 153.2, of Cleveland, OH, handed Jeff Souffrant, 153.6, of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, his first knockout defeat, in the opening stanza. Co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Holden Productions, and managed by David McWater’s Split-T Management, the 19-year-old Conwell used his jab to bring up Souffrant’s guard, leaving his midsection an open target. Several well-placed straight rights to the body led to an overhand right to the temple that wobbled Souffrant. Conwell pounced on his adversary, throwing a barrage of shots until the referee jumped in to end the contest at 2:43 of the round. Earning his second straight first-round knockout, Conwell is now 2-0 (2 KOs), while Souffrant’s record fell to 3-2 (1 KO). Building an amateur record of 132-14, Conwell was an 11-time National champion.

Irish Noel Murphy, 145.8, of County Cork, Ireland, but now living in Woodlawn, NY, faced his most experienced opponent yet in Brian Jones, 146.6, of Los Angeles, CA, and outworked him over eight exciting rounds. Murphy showed impressive accuracy, placing sneaky straight rights through Jones’ guard and countering well when the Californian was moving forward. The Irishman employed a sustained body attack in the middle rounds to diminish his foe’s offensive output as well. In round six, with Murphy on the hunt for a stoppage, thrilling exchanges developed to the delight of the crowd. With scores of 80-72, and 79-73 twice, Murphy earned a unanimous decision to improve to 10-0 (2 KOs). Jones’ record is now 14-8 (8 KOs). Entering the bout, Murphy was coming off his first pro victory at home in Ireland to pick up the BUI Celtic welterweight title in February. Murphy was a multi-time National champion as an amateur before relocating to Yonkers, NY, and embarking on his professional career in November 2014.

Fighting for the first time as a professional in his adopted home borough of Brooklyn, Ukrainian Iegor Plevako, 223.4, halted Lamarco Ellis, 313.6, of Wilson, NC, inside one round. Ellis charged at Plevako at the opening bell hoping to overwhelm him, but the Ukrainian found the proper distance and established his stiff jab. Plevako began to follow up his jab with straight rights, which often found his foe’s chin. Ellis kept his hands high attempting to block these shots then would counter with wild hooks. Late in the frame, a barrage of shots hurt Ellis, no longer able to defend himself, prompting the TKO stoppage at the 2:38 mark. Managed by David McWater’s Split-T Management, Plevako is now 3-0 (2 KOs), while Ellis dropped to 2-4 (1 KO). As an amateur, Plevako, born in Kharkov, Ukraine, was a two-time Ukrainian National champion before relocating to the United States and becoming a two-time New York Metro Golden Gloves champion.

Saturday’s HBO World Championship Boxing® doubleheader telecast begins at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Opening up the telecast from Madison Square Garden., is a 12-round lightweight attraction between Ray Beltran and Jonathan Maicelo.

The main event of the evening will be a 12-round junior welterweight title contest featuring Terence Crawford defending his title against Felix Diaz.

Official Weights from New York City:

Ray Beltran: 134.6 lbs.
Jonathan Maicelo: 134.8 lbs.

Terence Crawford: 139.2 lbs.
Felix Diaz: 139.4 lbs.

MIAMI, FL (May 19, 2017) – Yesterday, reigning WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs) and USBA Middleweight Champion Luis “Cuba” Arias (17-0, 8 KOs) participated in a media workout at the historic Tropical Park boxing gym in Miami. Both fighters are preparing for championship defenses on the HBO Pay-Per-View telecast of Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” on Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Rigondeaux will face interim WBA title holder Moises “Chucky” Flores (25-0, 17 KOs), while Arias takes on rising prospect Arif “The Predator” Magomedov (18-1, 11 KOs). 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.

The fighters put on a showcase that included shadow boxing, heavy bag, mitt work and stretching. They were joined by Roc Nation Latin artist Victoria La Mala, who will be the national anthem performer for June 17.

Below is what the fighters and La Mala had to say during the media workout:

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX, WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion:

“Training has been going excellent in Miami, we have been preparing for a great battle with Moises Flores. I respect Chucky, he’s a great fighter and these are the types of big fights that are great for boxing. Nothing better than two undefeated fighters putting their records on the line.

“Flores is going to come prepared for the fight of his life and so am I. We never underestimate anyone and two undefeated warriors will be getting in the ring for an exciting fight on June 17.

“I have been constantly avoided by all the fighters in my division. I am the best in the world at 122 pounds and one of the top pound-for-pound fighters. I can’t wait to show the world that I am still the best. I thank Flores for having the courage to get in the ring with me unlike many top contenders that have avoided the challenge. Tune in June 17 to watch two fighters bring all that they have to the ring. It’s going to be an exciting co-main event on this year’s biggest boxing card.

“I’m happy for the opportunity to be part of such a big Pay-Per-View event, one of the biggest anticipated fights of the year – Ward vs. Kovalev 2. I’m very grateful to fight on such a big platform, and I want to let boxing fans know to expect nothing but an exciting fight. My opponents feel my power and run after the first round. Chucky Flores is a brave undefeated boxer that is coming with all he has, and we’re ready to show why each of us is the best come June 17.

“I’ve had everyone in my division run away from any mentions of me in the ring with them. My team is first focused on the Flores fight, and we’re ready to come and fight the best names in my division so that we can give the fans what they pay big Pay-Per-View money for, big exciting fights.

“I’m grateful to be a part of such a close community here in Miami, FL especially my boxing family at Tropical Park Boxing Gym. Miami is my home and I have all the support with me down here. I’m thankful for all the support that my fans brought during my training camp here in Miami. We have been able to bring boxing back here in Miami and make a great impact on the community, especially all the families that come to the park.”

LUIS ARIAS, USBA Middleweight Champion:

“June 17, I start cementing my name and legacy in this game! I’m ready to steal the show and prove that I stand amongst the best in the division.

“I’ve stepped up all levels of training. I train six days a week with two hours of boxing, one hour of strength and conditioning, and run 3.5 – 5 miles on average. I’m also working with one of the top nutritionists, Chris Alergi. He helps me with what to eat and how to monitor my weight. Can’t wait to show all of my progress on June 17.

“My message to Magomedov is simple…I hope he comes ready. He better be doing ‘em sit-ups. I’m coming!

“When I step in the ring, it’s not just about getting a win anymore. It’s about winning and looking good. I’ve built up my record. Now, I’m looking to put on an A-class performance. That’s what is going to make me stand out.

“My goal for the second half of 2017 is to put myself in top ‘contender’ position for what is probably the most stacked division in professional boxing. GGG, Canelo, Lemieux…bring them on!”

VICTORIA LA MALA:

“It’s an honor to be singing the national anthem at such an anticipated boxing event. Being from a Mexican family, I grew up watching boxing and am a huge fan of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. I can’t wait to cheer on my Roc family–Andre, Rigo and Luis–on June 17.”

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 Water, Zappos 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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Philadelphia, PA (May 18, 2017) – Weights for Friday night’s King’s Promotions fight card at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia

Carlos Rosario 130.7 – Joshua Davis 131.5
Antowyan Aikens 172,2 – Amir Shabazz 174.2
Thomas Velasquez 134.4 – Brandon Sanudo 142
Tyrone Crawley, Jr. 143.6 – Juan Rodriguez 139.3
Steven Ortiz 143.7 – Hector Rivera 133.8
Tito Gosalves 136.7 – Gerardo Martinez 136.3
Vincent Floyd 146.8 – Rafael Montalvo 148.0
Antonio Allen 141.3 – Demtris Williams 141.9

Promoter: King’s Promotions
Venue: 2300 Arena
1st Bell: 6:30 PM (doors 6 PM)

Tickets for this great night of boxing can be purchased at www.2300arena.com for $100, $75 and $50

For more information, and media credentials, Contact:

Marc Abrams at 856 287 7611 or phillyboxing@gmail.com

ORANGE, Calif. (May 18, 2017) – Erick Ituarte (16-1-1, 2 KOs) and Isaac Zarate (12-2-2, 2 KOs) successfully weighed in for Friday’s Junior NABF featherweight championship scheduled for eight compelling rounds from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Ituarte (126 lbs.) and Zarate (125.8 lbs.) both hail from Southern California, Santa Ana and San Pedro, respectively. They each are familiar with one another’s style with pre-fight chatter indicating a back-and-forth battle.

Click on the graphic above to view the final “New Blood” promotional video, or access the link here.

Thompson Boxing’s 17 year anniversary show will be live streamed on its website and Facebook Live beginning at 7:45 p.m. PDT this Friday.

WEIGHTS

Erick Ituarte, 126 vs. Isaac Zarate, 125.8 (8-rounds)
Ricardo Espinoza, 115.5 vs. Christian Nieto-Ayala, 115.7 (8-rounds)
Ruben Villa, 130 vs. Anthony de Jesus Ruiz 129.1 (6-rounds)
Mario Hernandez, 117 vs. May Garduño, 116.7 (4-rounds)
Juan Garcia Mendez, 139 vs. Cesar Villarraga, 139.1 (6-rounds)
Brandon Trejo, 135.8 vs. Pablo Capul, 134.6 (4-rounds)

Tickets for “New Blood” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase on Friday beginning at 5:30 p.m. local time from the will call booth at the Doubletree Ontario.

Friday’s live stream, titled “TB Presents: New Blood,” will be anchored by blow-by-blow announcer Beto Duran with Steve Kim providing expert color commentary.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. local time with the first bell at approximately 7:45 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave., Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at (909) 937-0900.

“New Blood” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with Everlast.

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

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook Page, find us on YouTube and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

Claressa “T-Rex” Shields had a very special visitor at her gym yesterday, none other than all-time Michigan great Thomas “Hitman” Hearns.

Hearns, from Detroit, is the 1980 and 1984 The Ring Magazine “Fighter of the Year” and the first boxer in history to win world titles in five weight divisions: welterweight, light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight.

22-year-old Shields (2-0, 1 KO) of Flint, is currently preparing for her eight-round main event against Mery Rancier (7-8-3, 5 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for the WBC Silver Super Middleweight Championship at Salita Promotions’ “Detroit Brawl” on Friday, June 16, 2017 at the Masonic Temple in Detroit.

Once again sponsored by the Greektown Casino Hotel, 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.

“I came out to see her because I want her to do well. I think it’s wonderful that a female fighter is the best from Michigan right now,” said Hearns. “The world is all about change and this is change for the better. I feel good about it. The champions from the past from Michigan are passing the torch to the next great fighter from here and that’s Claressa. The fans in Michigan should come out and help support her because she is the future.”

Shields said she was humbled to have such an all-time great supporting her.

“To have Tommy Hearns come out to my gym means a lot to me, I feel like I’m moving my career in the right direction and getting the right attention. I’m not just some girl putting on some gloves. It means a lot to be the latest big-name fighter to come from Michigan. I’m glad Tommy Hearns chose to come here and it does feel like a passing of the torch. He is very supportive and it feels great to be respected by such a great world champion.”

Shields says her training is going extremely well for her third professional and second championship fight.

“Training so far has been going really good. We’re 29 days out of the fight and I’m in the best shape of my life. I trained hard for my six-rounder and that only went four rounds and I feel like I’m still in shape from that. Now I’m getting ready for eight rounds and I feel great. I’m fighting at 168 pounds and I’m at 168 right now. I haven’t been having weight problems and I’m eating right and running every day.”

Shields promoter, Dmitriy Salita, says Hearns indicated he was very impressed with Shields’ gym work.

“Claressa is the next boxing superstar from the state of Michigan,” he said. “It’s a very special passing of the torch from such a living legend who lives in Detroit as Tommy Hearns. Mr. Hearns, who is a Detroit boxing icon and a great ambassador of the sport, was very impressed with Claressa’s skills and training regimen.”

Salita says he sees Shields’ potential for superstardom and her ability to revive the energy in Michigan boxing.

“Detroit is Americas Greatest Comeback city. We are going to see a revival of world-class boxing, ushered in by a young lady from Flint who despite growing up in very difficult circumstances, is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, the most accomplished boxer every to come out of the USA boxing program. This is only her third pro bout, and she is fighting for the WBC Silver title on June 16. We are witnessing something very special here and it’s very ironic that it’s all taking place close to Detroit, which is fighting back for its own recognition again as one of Americas Greatest cities.”

More fights, opponents and rounds will be announced shortly. On fight night, doors open at 7:00 pm and the fights begin at 8:00 pm.

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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.

NEW YORK (May 18, 2017) — Undefeated World Junior Welterweight Champion and top pound for pound fighter TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (30-0, 21 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., will make his 2017 debut, This Saturday! May 20, at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden. This will also be his debut headlining in the big room — a testament both to his talent and his growing popularity. Crawford will be defending his unified World Boxing Organization (WBO) / World Boxing Council (WBC) / Ring magazine titles against former Olympic gold medalist and top-rated contender FÉLIX DÍAZ (19-1, 9 KOs), of Brooklyn by way of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in a marquee all-action fight. It will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Crawford, Díaz, the Pride of Newark and 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist SHAKUR STEVENSON, world-rated lightweight contenders RAY “Sugar” BELTRAN and JONATHAN “The Last Inca” MAICELO hosted a Final Press Conference at Madison Square Garden. Here is what they had to say:

TERENCE CRAWFORD
“I‘m excited to be fighting in The Garden’s main arena and following in the steps of great fighters – legends. I am proud to continue the tradition. I don’t feel any pressure fighting at The Garden. The ring, no matter where it is, always feels like home to me. I just have to keep winning. If I keep winning then the opportunities for even bigger fights will present themselves. But this is a really big fight to me. Diaz is a worthy challenger and you can’t bring just any fight to The Garden. I didn’t get this far without winning. I ‘m ready for any opportunities at 140 or 147 pounds. I want to put a show on for everyone on Saturday night. I WILL make a statement.”

FÉLIX DÍAZ
“I‘m up for this challenge. I really believe this will be a war on Saturday night. I’m going to have massive support from my fellow Dominicans. I have a great chance of winning this fight. I see a lot of weaknesses in his game that I know I can take advantage of. He is one of the best, but I have fought at welterweights and he hasn’t. I believe I have the power to hurt him.”

RAY BELTRAN
“This fight is so important to me. It’s for a shot at world title and for my Green Card. If I win this fight, my next stop is Trump Tower where I can wave my Green Card at the building for everyone in there to see it. I’ve had so many struggles to get here today. My family’s future depends on my winning the fight. Everything is riding on this.”

JONATHAN MAICELO
“The Garden will feel like Peru to me on Saturday night. I have a lot of Peruvian fans coming to the fight to root for me. With a world title shot at stock I’m going to give it everything I’ve got on Saturday night.”

SHAKUR STEVENSON
“I’m excited and ready to put on a show. I want to prove to everyone that I’m the best prospect to come out of the 2016 Olympics. The Olympics was a great experience because I was seen by a lot of people. It was great being in training camp with Terence [Crawford]. I learned a lot from sparring with him. Every punch he threw, even the narrow misses were like, ‘WOW!’ It’s been a long time since I have fought this close to home. Newark will be in The Garden in a big way on Saturday”

********************************

The HBO telecast will open with Beltran (32-7-1, 20 KOs), of Phoenix, AZ by way of Los Mochis, Mexico, and Maicelo (25-2, 12 KOs), of North Bergen, New Jersey by way of Callao, Peru, going mano a mano in a high-stakes battle of world-rated lightweight contenders. Sanctioned by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) as a world lightweight title elimination bout, the winner of the 12-round rumble will also lay claim to the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) International and the NABF and NABO lightweight titles, currently held by Beltran. The world championship event will also feature the Pride of Newark and 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist SHAKUR STEVENSON (1-0) on the non-televised undercard. All the non-HBO televised undercard bouts will be streamed live exclusively via www.toprank.tv.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with DiBella Entertainment, Tecate and Madison Square Garden, remaining tickets to the Crawford vs. Díaz world championship event are priced at $250, $150, $100, $75, $50 and $35. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

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For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo Facebook.com/dibellaentertainment, https://www.facebook.com/felixmanuel.diazguzman, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014790258442 or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, www.twitter.com/LouDiBella, www.twitter.com/felixmldiaz or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordDiaz to join the conversation on Twitter.

Las Vegas, NV (May 18, 2017) – Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions will team with Linacre Media and Facebook to bring the fans from across the globe together with one purpose – the love of boxing – and will give all a ringside seat for “FIGHTNIGHT LIVE” on Facebook.

Record numbers and 5-star reviews are still pouring in following last Thursday’s debut of FIGHTNIGHT LIVE as it received a standing ovation from fans across the globe, and Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions has accepted the invitation to join the future of live FREE streaming. Fans from all around the world can tune-in to Facebook FIGHTNIGHT LIVE on Saturday, July 15 at 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET) to catch a fan-friendly, interactive, high quality Facebook Live broadcast on every enabled device. Roy Jones Jr. Boxing will “go live” from Wild Horse Pass Casino and Hotel to bring behind-the-scenes interviews, exclusive first-hand looks at the fighters and the raw emotion of each fighter’s win, lose or draw.

Promoted by Roy Jones Jr. and Keith Veltre of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions, this card will give fans back-to-back championship action. The event will showcase a main attraction featuring NABA Super Welterweight Champion John “The Phenom” Vera Jr. (16-0, 10KOs) as he takes on the former WBO Latino Champion Daniel Rosario (11-2, 10KOs) in a 10-round contest at the Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler, AZ. Former WBA Super Bantamweight, Rico Ramos (25-5, 13KOs) will go toe-to-toe for the vacant NABA Super Bantamweight Belt, along with Arizona area heroes. Additional fights and fighters are subject to change.

“Roy and I have always felt that live streaming would take the place of the old platforms of delivering fights,” stated Keith Veltre, CEO & Co-Founder of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions. “To partner up with Linacre Media and showcase our talent live with Facebook is years ahead of anyone else in the industry. This will give us the ability to reach millions of boxing fans around the world and enable us to deliver our sponsors triple the exposure we would normally get from traditional T.V. Mark Fratto, the brains behind this envisioning series, is giving fighters the opportunity to showcase their talent to the world and gain a fan base. We are thrilled that his vision lines exactly where Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions wants to be.”

The July 15th card will be called by world-renowned blow-by-blow announcer Ray Flores of Premier Boxing Champions, Showtime Boxing, HBO Boxing and CBS Sports Networks. Commentating ringside alongside Flores will be boxing analyst Michael Woods of the TalkBox Podcast, NYFights.com and Ring TV. Sports fans will have a fully-interactive ringside experience as commentators respond to and answer questions and comments from the Facebook audience and fight fans from around the globe throughout the entire broadcast.

“I was inundated with complimentary texts, emails and calls almost as soon as the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE pilot started, and it was a lot of fun watching the numbers swell from 27 views at the start of the broadcast to 43,000-plus by now,” said Mark Fratto, Principal of Linacre Media. “Like many others, we believe that the present and future of ‘televised’ boxing, MMA, Muay Thai and really all live sports is digital. Further, by putting these events on Facebook we’re providing an interactive environment for fight fans to not only view the events, but to connect with each other and provide their own real-time commentary during the bouts. We believe in high-quality, cost-efficient production that can give fans free access to hundreds of global, national and regional live fight nights without breaking the bank of the promoter and also without sacrificing what sports fans have come to expect from their viewing experience – multiple camera angles, graphics, replays and behind-the-scenes access and interviews. We don’t want traditional fans, digital customers and cord-cutters to be relegated to trying to watch other spectators’ live feeds off their cell phones.”

Created and produced by Linacre Media out of New York City, the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series features multiple camera angles, graphics, replays and behind the scenes access and interviews. The streamed shows are available globally wherever Facebook is available. The initiative not only enables fans from around the world to tune in, but also gives up-and-coming fighters a global platform to showcase their skills, gives promoters an accessible “broadcast” solution and gives small business sponsors the ability to reach a mass audience via branded content.

INFORMATION:
Websites: www.linacremedia.com, www.royjonesjrboxing.com, www.wingilariver.com/WildHorsePass,
Twitter: @FIGHTNIGHTLIVE_, @Royjonesjrfa
Instagram: @faceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE, @Royjonesjrboxing, @LinacreMedia, @KeithVeltre
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE, www.facebook.com/RoyjonesjrBoxing, www.facebook.com/WildHoresePasscasino

LOS ANGELES (May 18, 2017) -Looking to follow up on a stellar knockout victory in March, slick Armenian fighter Azat “Attack” Hovhannisyan (11-2, 10 KOs) is stepping up to take on tougher competition in rugged Tijuana, Mexico warrior Neftali “Lenguas” Campos (12-2, 9 KOs). The two will meet in an eight round super bantamweight main event at the Belasco Theater televised live on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar.

In the televised co-main event, someone’s ‘0’ must go, as Santa Ana, CA fighter Alexis Rocha (7-0, 5 KOs) faces Cesar Valenzuela (7-0, 2 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in a guaranteed action-packed welterweight war scheduled to go eight rounds. A rising up and comer on the Golden Boy roster, Rocha earned a fifth round stoppage in his last fight over Marcus Beckford.

Having knocked out every opponent he has faced, LA FIGHT CLUB fan favorite Niko “Baby Face” Valdes (4-0, 4 KOs) is back and ready to take on Ernesto “Gatti” Berrsope (14-11) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a super middleweight bout going six rounds as the televised opener. Known for crowd-pleasing performances, Valdes was last seen knocking out opponent Alejandro Osuna at the end of the fourth round on the March 10 LA FIGHT CLUB undercard.

Participating in a four round super featherweight bout, Tenochtitlan “T-Dog” Nava (5-0, 1 KO) will face an opponent to be named shortly. Each of Nava’s fights has taken place at the Belasco Theater, and he was last seen defeating Thomas Smith via unanimous decision.

Kicking off LA FIGHT CLUB, the pride of Glendora, CA, Jousce “Tito” Gonzalez (4-0, 4 KOs) will take on a soon-to-be announced opponent in a super featherweight fight to go four rounds. With a budding reputation for heavy hands, Gonzalez was last seen in February knocking out Emmanuel Valadez in the first round.

Hovhannisyan vs. Campos is an eight-round super bantamweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate “Born BOLD”, Casa Mexico Tequila, and Adriana’s Insurance. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 5:30 p.m. PT. The Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Estrella TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The card will also stream live on EstrellaTV.com and on YouTube via LBI Media, Inc.’s Fenomeno Studios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m. Mark your calendars and buy your tickets for the upcoming show on July 14.

Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB are starting at only $20 with Flex Passes for multiple fight packages, Group Tickets and Knockout Experience upgrade are available for purchase now at www.goldenboypromotions.com, the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, by calling 213-233-2957.

Media interested in attending the June 2 installment of LA FIGHT CLUB must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are due Friday, May 26, 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.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TheBelascoLA, www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @belascola and @EstrellaTV, follow the conversation using #LAFIGHTCLUB and #BoxeoEstelar.

LONDON (May 18, 2017) – IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Gervonta Davis, undefeated No. 1 contender Liam Walsh and promoter Floyd Mayweather got into a jarring session during Thursday’s final press conference at Landmark Hotel in London just two days before Saturday’s world title clash on SHOWTIME from Copper Box Arena.

Baltimore’s “Tank” Davis, America’s youngest world champion, will attempt to become the first American to successfully defend his title on British soil in nearly a decade*, while Walsh (21-0, 14 KOs) aims to dethrone the man that Mayweather has christened the “future of boxing.” (*Note: Paulie Malignaggi vs. Lovemore Ndou in 2008)

Davis vs. Walsh is part of a split-site, four-fight SHOWTME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast that begins on Saturday, May 20, at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. In the main event, Gary Russell Jr. will make his second featherweight title defense and long-awaited homecoming against mandatory challenger Oscar Escandon live from MGM National Harbor just outside of Washington, D.C.

The 22-year-old Davis, who has won by knockout in 16 of his 17 professional fights, will make the first defense of the IBF belt to won via KO over previously unbeaten Jose Pedraza in January. The 30-year-old Walsh has won by knockout in three of his last four bouts and will be a decided local favorite at an expected sold-out Copper Box Arena.

The pound-for-pound great turned promoter Mayweather and Walsh’s two brothers, fellow professional fighters Michael and Ryan, led the jarring during Thursday’s festivities with Mayweather claiming “I’m 40 years old and I’ll kick all three of your asses in the same night.”

Team Walsh was “not intimidated one little bit” by Mayweather or Tank, while the southpaw Davis promised “On Saturday night you’ll be on your ass. And then your brothers can get in next.”

Below are highlights of what the participants had to say on Thursday:

GERVONTA DAVIS:
“I’m just on a whole different level. I do know they built you good, but you’ve been dropped before. They’ve been protecting you from the power, so I know you have no chin. On Saturday night you’ll be on your ass. And then your brothers can get in next.

“Please don’t run Saturday night.

“I’ve just been trying to stay level-headed. Getting that belt brings me that much closer to what I want to do – to take over the sport of boxing. With the performance I put on Saturday night it will bring me a step closer to being the star of boxing and follow after Floyd Mayweather.

“Having Floyd in my corner gives me a lot of confidence. Floyd has been pretty hands on with me, he’s been getting up and training and running with me. He was my hero in the sport of boxing coming up so to just have him in my corner now is amazing.

“I won the belt and now my focus is to take over the sport.

“Growing up in Baltimore, it has a high crime rate. It’s been tough. Where I’m from the gym is in the hood. If it wasn’t for the gym I’d either be in jail or dead. That’s not what I want to be. Boxing saved my life.”

LIAM WALSH:
“I’m always confident. As I’ve said many times, his performance against Pedraza was very good. I applaud him. Tank is the best fighter I’ve come up against in my career so far, but I’m also the best fighter he’s going to come against in his career so far. So it makes for a great fight.

“He’s physically very good. He’s very fast, very powerful. He’s a good puncher and performed beyond his years against Pedraza. You can’t knock his performance whatsoever, but there’s still a lot of questions that he has to answer.

“The southpaw stance doesn’t affect me too much. I can switch between the two. I’m comfortable in both stances so that doesn’t bother me.

“I don’t think I can put it into words what it would mean to win the title. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little child. The feeling, the emotion, I can’t put it into words. This is the biggest night of my life.

“There are definitely flaws in his game and they’re there for me to exploit. I plan to take advantage of his mistakes. When I was 22, there were definitely mistakes I made that I wouldn’t make now. So maybe it’s the perfect time to fight him.

“I’m not intimidated one little bit. Not by Floyd, not by Tank, not by anyone.

“I predict I will win the fight. I wouldn’t be shocked if I won by knockout, I wouldn’t be shocked if I won on points. You won’t see me celebrating like a mad man if I knock out Tank because I know I’m capable of it.”

FLOYD MAYWEATHER:
“It’s not just one performance. It takes more than just one performance. We truly believe that he can be a great fighter, but he came in his last fight with only 16 fights and beat the champion. We know he’s not going to lay down. This kid has dynamite in both hands. If he keeps going out there beating great fighters he cannot be denied.

“When its lights, camera, action and the bell rings, 17 times he came out victorious and 16 by way of (knockout).

“His team does a remarkable job, but it’s my job as a friend and a father figure to tell him to come to Vegas to get him the best work. We wanted him to have different looks. We want guys that were going to push him, give him different styles.

“This kid, he busts his ass day in and day out. We’re going to continue to go out there and do what we do.

“I already conquered your country once (with Ricky Hatton) and now we’re going to conquer it again on Saturday.

“I don’t miss being in the gym at all. If I can push this fighter to surpass me and break every record, that’s a goal of mine. That’s what we’re here to do. Records are made to be broken.

“I remember when I met Tank on the Canelo (Alvarez) press tour and he asked to take a photo with me. When I took a photo with him I said, ‘there’s something about that kid that looks special.’

“He came to my gym and put in some real good work and I reached out to him and said, ‘whatever it takes to work with you and get you to the next level, let’s make it happen.’ I told him, ‘if you listen to me and continue to work hard I truly believe you can be world champion within 24 months.’ And that’s just one stepping stone. As of right now he’s one of the only fighters in boxing facing back-to-back undefeated fighters.

“Frank Warren, Liam Walsh, we just want to commend you guys for stepping up to the plate and making this fight happen and giving the fans what they want to see. The fans want to see blood, sweat and tears.

“Tank is always in tremendous fights, he’s a big knockout artist. I truly believe in my man, and I want to work with him until the end of his career.”

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing. To become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

NATIONAL HARBOR (May 18, 2017) – Featherweight world champion Gary Russell Jr. and top challenger Oscar Escandon went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they square-off in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING this Saturday, May 20 from MGM National Harbor in Maryland.

Also in attendance at Thursday’s press conference and competing in action on SHOWTIME were super middleweight contenders Andre Dirrell and Jose Uzcategui, who battle for the IBF Super Middleweight World Championship, plus two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy and former title challenger Kiryl Relikh, who meet in a 140-pound title eliminator. The telecast begins at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with Gervonta Davis putting his IBF Jr. Lightweight Title on the line against Liam Walsh from Copper Box Arena in London.

Tickets for the live event at MGM National Harbor, promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $200, $150, $100 and $50, and are now on sale. To purchase tickets go to http://mgmnationalharbor.com/.

Russell Jr. was joined by his brothers, 2016 U.S. Olympian Gary Antuanne Russell and unbeaten prospect Gary Antonio Russell, as the trio of brothers look to pick up a hat trick of victories in their hometown Saturday night and on the birthday of their father and trainer, Gary Russell Sr.

Here is what the participants had to say Thursday from MGM National Harbor:

GARY RUSSELL JR.

“I never magnify an event, even though it’s at home. The end objective is still the same. But I think it’s cool that everyone in our neighborhood has the opportunity to be in the arena and see what we do.

“I’m 100 percent physically and mentally ready for the challenge and I’m on top of everything I can be.

“When you get caught up in the hype, it’s a deficiency in yourself. You have to be able to focus on the objective over everything else.

“I believe in my ability but also the ability of my brothers. So I’m not nervous for them. I know what they’ve been taught. They conduct themselves like young men in and out of the ring.

“I want a unification bout after this. I’m ready for any of the other world champions. We can line them all up in the same night if you want. If I can’t get those fights, I’m going to move up in weight and bully around these bigger guys.

“I look at each fighter as their own individual. We don’t prepare the same way for every opponent. He’s a tough fighter who comes forward. He’s very physical and I expect him to be at his best on Saturday. It’s up to me to counteract what he does.

“I love this sport. I love what I do. I love being able to prepare for no one else, but the person across the ring and then dismantling him.

“We worked on versatility most. We believe in the sweet science. A lot of these guys just win because they’re stronger and faster. We want to be more technically sound too.”

OSCAR ESCANDON

“This is a very important fight for my career. This is going to elevate me to where I want to be and give me the platform to do anything in the sport. I’m very well prepared for this.

“I feel strong and healthy at 126-pounds. I’m focused on this fight Saturday night. I’ll fight anyone but right now I have to get past Gary Russell Jr.

“In my last fight I was the underdog. People counted me out. Same thing applies here. I’ve done the work and I’m confident that I’m going to win.

“I didn’t have complete training camps with my past trainers, but now I’m with Ruben Guerrero. I’m learning so much. You can look at me in my previous fights and you’ll see a vast improvement now.

“I want that green (WBC) belt a lot. Green is my favorite color. I want to be the best and to me, winning that title signifies that I am the best. To do that I have to beat the best, and that is Gary Russell Jr.

“I don’t like to talk much but I will say that I’m coming to bring this world title back to Colombia. I respect Gary but my mindset is that I’m taking this title home.”

ANDRE DIRRELL

“It’s been a long hard journey for me. But I’ve always managed to climb back on top. The hard work that I’ve put in will make Saturday night easy work.

“My opponent is a fantastic fighter. If anyone should be in line for a title it’s this guy. He has the the power and he has the skill. I just believe he’s up against a better and tougher opponent.

“I’m going to get in the ring and display all of my abilities. I’m very confident and ready. It’s time for Andre to get on top and stay on top.

“I’ve been out of the ring for a while but most importantly, I’ve stayed in the gym in training the whole time. I’ve kept positive mentally as well. Everything is going upward right now and I’m going to take advantage.

“Uzcategui has everything a world champion needs to get to that title, but he’s facing a more skilled competitor on May 20. He’s deserving of the opportunity and that’s why I trained so hard for this fight.

“The title means the world to me. We fight for the titles first. We’re all coming from the amateurs where we got trophies. My love will always be here with the sport until the day I retire.”

JOSE UZCATEGUI

“You won’t want to miss any of these fights on Saturday night. It’s a great card and I’m planning to steal the show.

“I like when my opponent talks a lot. None of the stuff my opponent says can help him in the ring. It’s just me, him and our fists.

“It’s a lot of responsibility to be the top contender for the belt. I have to make it clear that we deserve this so that I can move on to bigger and better things.

“People are going to get to see my power on display Saturday night, but also my other skills. I can do it all in the ring and I’m going to prove it.

“After this I want to take on James DeGale and Gilberto Ramirez. I’m coming to clean out this whole division and be undisputed. It starts on Saturday.”

RANCES BARTHELEMY

“I’m living a dream right now that I myself never in a million years imagined. Every time I get to speak with my mother in Cuba, I tell her of this dream that I am currently living and how it is still surreal to me. To be able to fight on these big cards in the U.S. after the long journey, after all the setbacks, I could not be any more grateful.

“Being a world champion in two different weight divisions is something still unreal to me after people doubted whether I would even become a world champion one day. But this journey does not stop here for me. I have the urge to keep on going, make history for my people, and fight the big names in boxing.

“Everyone in my team supports and motivates each other because we know we as Cubans have to work twice as hard as everybody else. There is an unfair representation of Cuban boxers among the press and fans here in America. We are misconstrued as being boring fighters therefore we are determined to erase that stigma and prove to everyone that we can brawl and put on a good show just as much as we can box.

“I have been working on some new and different things to add to my arsenal this training camp. My whole team has been incredible and pushed me every day.

“Don’t miss this fight on Saturday night. It’s going to be eventful and exciting. I’m coming to get a spectacular win.”

KIRYL RELIKH

“I’m very happy to be here and be a part of this great show. I will do my best to give a great fight on Saturday.

“Camp was perfect. I have a great team and I’m ready for anything. We worked hard and it’s going to be a great performance.

“I’m ready for any style that that Rances Barthelemy can bring into the ring. We thought that we got the win in Scotland against Ricky Burns, but it is very hard to win on points on the road.

“I always fight in different countries so this is just another one on my list. It’s normal for me. I’m very ready for the challenge and I’m expecting a great fight.

“I hope that people like my style. I’m going to entertain the fans and get a victory over Rances Barthelemy on Saturday night.”

GARY ANTUANNE RUSSELL

“I get to pick up right where I left off after the Olympics. I’m fighting on the same night with my brothers for the first time in so long. It was one of my first amateur fights when we last did it.

“I’m feeling really good. We’re making a statement and we’re making history. What’s not to be excited about?

“Mentally and emotionally the Olympics really helped me for the pros. You have to develop over time. We’re constantly training and sharpening our tools. This is a different stage, that’s all.

“I hope everyone is ready for Saturday night. There were some mishaps at the Olympics. Life is going to throw you bumps to get over, and that’s what I’m going to do. Everyone better keep their eyes open Saturday, because it might be quick.”

GARY ANTONIO RUSSELL

“I’m really excited about this fight and competing alongside my brothers. It feels good to come home and fight. My family and friends will be in the building.

“I can’t wait to get in the ring and show what we’ve been working so hard on. All the hours in the gym with my dad and brothers is going to pay off on fight night.

“I’ve seen some video of my opponent. I know his weaknesses and strengths. We’re going to come exploit it on fight night.”

GARY RUSSELL SR., Father and Trainer of the Russells

“We work hard in the gym. Everybody has a plan until they get hit. We know that he’s going to bring pressure and we’ll be ready for it.

“I’m really happy about this opportunity. We can get it all done in one night and put on a great show for everyone.

“I’m definitely in fight mode. There are no extra nerves at all. I just want to get this done and get it done right.

“I can’t really put Escandon in the same category with the top guys we’ve faced. He’s a short fighter. Most people in these weight classes are taller than Gary. At that size, the only way you can fight is straight forward. He’s not going to out box us.”

RUBEN GUERRERO, Escandon’s Trainer

“We’re ready over here. We’re going to do what it takes. We know what we’re up against. He’s one of the best. We’ll prove who is the best on Saturday. This is going to come down to a war. Gary knows what he’s going against.

“I helped Escandon set up a camp in Las Vegas for this fight because this was a huge opportunity. We were up in the mountains and that’s where I wanted him. He’s going to be great on fight night. He’ll be ready to go. It’s not easy to train in Vegas.

“We’re coming to win. We can’t control the judges but we know they’re fair. We’re expecting a fair shake. We’re going to control what we can.”

# # #

ABOUT RUSSELL JR. vs. ESCANDON

Gary Russell Jr. vs. Oscar Escandon is a featherweight world championship showdown that headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, May 20 from MGM National Harbor in Maryland. Televised coverage begins on SHOWTIME at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and features super middleweight contenders Andre Dirrell and Jose Uzcategui in a matchup for the Interim IBF Super Middleweight World Championship plus two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy in a WBA 140-pound world title eliminator against Kiryl Relikh. In the telecast opener, from Copper Box Arena in London, Gervonta Davis puts his IBF Jr. Lightweight Title on the line against Liam Walsh.

For more information, follow on Twitter @MrGaryRussellJr, @TGBPromotions, @MGMNatlHarbor and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/MGMNationalHarbor. The event is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Team GB stars Lawrence Okolie and Joe Cordina have been added to the packed Kell Brook vs. Errol Spence undercard at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on May 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

The Rio Olympic duo have enjoyed great starts to life in the paid ranks with both men boasting a pair of stoppage wins from the first two fights with Okolie blasting away his first two opponents inside a round and Cordina landing a fourth round KO at Wembley Stadium as he kicked off the Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko card in April.

Okolie was set to appear on that bill but time defeated his chance to fight Russell Henshaw, so they will meet at the home of Sheffield United, and their addition to the card makes it a hat-trick of GB Olympic stars on the bill as Anthony Fowler makes his pro debut.

Brook and Spence top the action in the steel city where George Groves faces Fedor Chudinov for the vacant WBA World Super-Middleweight title.

Jamie Cox meets Lewis Taylor for the WBA Inter-Continental Super-Middleweight title on his Matchroom Boxing debut while Dave Allen takes on with Lenroy Thomas for the vacant Commonwealth Heavyweight title.

Tickets for the night are still on general sale priced as follows: tiered seating at £40, £60 and £80 and pitch seats at £80, £100, £150 and £200 –VIP Packages are sold out.

Tickets are on sale from Sheffield United’s Box Office at http://www.sufc.co.uk/tickets/, on 0114 253 7200 and in person from the box office at Bramall Lane – all tickets purchased from Sheffield United are subject to a 10 per cent booking fee.

Face value tickets for May 27 are also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.