LOS ANGELES (April 15, 2016) – Golden Boy Promotions kept its promise in bringing the best to boxing fans, putting together the biggest fight to hit LA FIGHT CLUB yet. Former WBC Continental Americas and former NABF Welterweight Champion Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass (29-10-4, 18 KO) faced Japan’s mighty warrior and former OPBF Welterweight Champion Yoshihiro “Maestrito” Kamegai (26-4-2, 23 KO) in a spectacular 10-round super welterweight performance at The Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles broadcast live on Boxeo Estellaron Estrella TV. It was a packed house tonight at The Belasco Theater, and the stellar sold out show saw the likes of Golden Boy stablemates Jason “El Animal” Quiqley, Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia, Carlos “The Solution” Morales, Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis, Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr., Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete, Joet Gonzalez, and Pablo “The Shark” Rubio were in attendance, along with television star Mario Lopez and Golden Boy Promotions President & CEO Oscar de la Hoya, who met and mingled with fans during this action-packed night.

Former WBC Continental Americas and former NABF Welterweight champion, Soto Karass was matched in strength and power by opponent Kamegai, former OPBF Welterweight Champion. The two fighters refused to give the other the upper hand and battled it out until the end, exchanging hits, jabs, and blocks. Both boxers remained adamant against their opponents, each counter punching speedy hits and hard blows. Unable to decide a victor, the judges named a match a draw with scores of 97-93 (Kamegai), 96-94 (Soto Karass), and 95-95.

“This fight was a war, exactly what the fans expected,” said Jesus Soto Karass. “The people truly won tonight. I felt really good in the ring, but Kamegai was a true, Japanese warrior. I feel we both delivered an exciting night of boxing.”

“I’m still getting used to the time zone here, but I feel really good about my performance tonight,” said Yoshihiro Kamegai. “Soto Karass did catch me a few times, but every time he did, he was met with my counterpunches. Soto Karass was the kind of fighter I was expecting to fight-a true warrior.”

Golden Boy Promotions fan favorite, Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chigonsky” Shabranskyy (16-0, 13 KOs) of Los Angeles added another knockout under his belt tonight with his epic takedown of Chicago’s Derrick “Superman” Findley (23-19-1, 15 KOs) in the eight-round cruiserweight co-main event match-up. From the beginning of the first round, Slava delivered swift blows to Findley’s chest and by the second round, Shabranskyy had his opponent cornered. Findley could only fend off “Lion Heart-Chigonsky” with his blocks for so long as Shabranskyy boxed around his opponent and executed power punches securing him a third round knockout victory.

“I have the best teams and the best fans. I’m so happy Los Angeles has welcomed me to in to their familia,” said Shabranskyy of his victory. “In the ring, I’ve learned to become more patient, waiting for my opponent, but I’m also ready to pounce for an attack. I embrace my “chingonsky” and I’m looking forward to training hard to give my fans more shows.”

Starting off his professional career with a knockout victory, Genaro “El Conde” Gamez, (1-0, 1 KO) took on Archie Weah (1-6) of Norcross, Georgia in an impressive professional debut. The fight began with fire, as both fighters pounced to get their win. However, Weah could not keep up with Gamez’s speed and hard punches, landing a series of punching combinations that put a stop to Weah in the first round.

“I made sure to start the fight slow so I could figure out Weah,” said Genaro Gamez. “Once I was aware of Weah’s style I proceeded to take control of the fight and I am glad I was able to stop him early. I feel excited about this victory as my professional debut and look forward to the next fight.”

Making his professional debut tonight on the super middleweight division, Miami, Florida’s southpaw star Niko “Baby Face” Valdes (1-0, 1 KO) faced Roberto Ramirez (0-3) in a ground shaking first round knockout bash. Beginning the bout, Valdes knocked down his opponent with a hit, after Ramirez got back on his feet he was met first with a body punch and then a series of combination punches to the chest which stopped him the first round.

“Today was the day my dreams came true, just as I envisioned it,” said Valdes of his victory. “As I look forward to my career, I want to aspire to have a career like Canelo, because he is a world champion super-star. In Miami, I train alongside amazing world champs, and they have built me to be an aggressive fighter, prepared for it all.”

Representing East Los Angeles, Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro (5-0, 4 KOs)brought some serious rumble in to the ring with his third round knockout over Tavorous Teague (3-11-2, 2 KOs) of Paramount, CA in their scheduled six-round welterweight fight. Navarro was applying pressure to Teague the second the bell rang, with his consistent heavy-hitting jabs. In the second round, Navarro’s aggression was mounting and the force proved too much for Teague to handle as he lost his footing, but rebounded looking to catch Navarro. After an exchange of hits and jabs, Navarro came back and took his opponent down in the third round to win the fight via knock out.

“It was a good fight tonight. I came in more patient, waiting to strike,” said Navarro. “I learned a lot from this fight because it was my first time coming across my opponent’s fighting style. I feel ecstatic about adding another knockout, and I am very excited for my next fight.”

Eager to begin his professional boxing career, Glendora, California’s Jousce Gonzalez (1-0, 1 KO) entered the ring with a bang knocking out opponent Noe Perez (1-2) of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico in the first round as the opening bout of the night. Gonzalez has boxing in his blood as his brother Joet Gonzalez is a professional fighter and his sister is Jajaira Gonzalez is a finalist for the 2016 Olympic Women’s Boxing Team. Gonzalez impressively knocked down Perez three times before the fight was called off by the referee, awarding him his first victory by knockout.

“I feel so blessed to start off my professional career how I did tonight,” said Jousce Gonzalez of his winning knockout. “Coming out to my song, to the lights, and to the fans, I can’t help but feel excited for the future. I’m from a boxing family, and having Joet Gonzalez as my brother makes me really competitive against him, so I push to train harder in the ring and this is what makes me a better boxer.”

Jesus Soto Karass vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai was presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD and Carmelita Chorizo. Doors opened at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout began at 5:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast aired live on Friday, April 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT and streamed live simultaneously on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream began at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV and become a fanon 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.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a busy stretch of live combat sports and it begins tonight, Friday, April 15 at 10 p.m. with a live presentation of a surefire “Fight of the Year” candidate on Golden Boy Promotions’ LA FIGHT CLUB, as former WBC Contienntal Americas and NABF welterweight champion Jesus “Renuente” Soto-Karass (28-10-3, 18 KO) faces Japan’s mighty warrior and former OPBF welterweight champion Yoshihiro “Maestrito” Kamegai (26-3-1, 23 KO) in a 10-round welterweight showdown, co-headlined by an explosive clash between Los Angeles transplant Vyacheslav “Lion Heart” Shabranskyy (15-0, 12 KO) and seasoned Chicago native Derrick “Superman” Findley (23-18-1, 15 KO). The LA FIGHT CLUB broadcast from downtown Los Angeles’ Belasco Theater will be televised live across Canada.

Less than one hour later, Fight Network presents RFA 37: Viana vs. Clark via short tape delay on Saturday, April 16 at 1 a.m. ET. Emanating from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the championship doubleheader features Devin “Brown Bear” Clark (5-0) fighting for the vacant light heavyweight championship in his hometown against top Brazilian prospect Rafael “Gaucho” Viana (6-0). In the co-main event, Joey “The Beast” Miolla (8-1) and Leandro “Pitbull” Higo (16-2) will battle for the vacant RFA bantamweight crown. In other featured bouts, John Poppie (7-2) meets fellow American middleweight Joseph Gigliotti (6-0), while Matthew Lopez (7-0) looks to extend his perfect run in a bantamweight bout against Eli Finn (5-1). RFA 37: Viana vs. Clark will air live across Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

On Saturday, April 16 at approximately 11 p.m. ET, Fight Network will be joining the UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Evans post-fight press conference live from Tampa, Florida, featuring reactions from Saturday’s card headlined by top 10 light heavyweights Glover Teixeira and Rashad Evans. The press conference will air live on Fight Network in all territories, including the U.S.

On Sunday, April 17 at 9 a.m. ET, Fight Network shifts to live traditional martial arts, as the World Karate Federation presents the Karate1 Premier League Salzburg from Austria. The exclusive North American televised broadcast will air live in Canada and in the U.S. on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Suddenlink Communications, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable, as well as Roku devices across North America.

On Monday, April 18, Fight Network presents a two-part Combate Americas doubleheader from the Exchange L.A. in Los Angeles, Calif. First, at 9 p.m. ET, Combate Americas: LA Aftershocks will deliver 2+ hours of the first-ever U.S. Hispanic mixed martial arts franchise, including Angel Cruz (5-1) locking horns with submission specialist Mario Navarro (4-4), flashy striker Jonathan Santa Maria (3-2) throwing down with Kyle Estrada (2-2), plus undefeated Duke Roufus protégé Kevin Vazquez (3-0) colliding with aggressive-minded Adam Calderon (5-2). Fight Network re-joins live coverage at 12 a.m. ET (Midnight) with Combate Americas: Road to the Championships 3, headlined by Team Alpha Male member Erick Sanchez (6-2) and potent finisher Mike Segura (4-2) and also featuring a flyweight battle between Jonathan Martinez (7-1) and Jesse Cruz (8-5). The Combate Americas doubleheader will air live on Fight Network across Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

All the live action leads into another busy week, as Fight Network presents extended live coverage of UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux, plus a live broadcast of Hard Knocks Fighting 49 from Calgary, Canada on Friday, April 22 at 11 p.m. ET.

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.

Washington, D.C. (April 15, 2016) – Cruiserweight sensation Sam “The Vanilla Gorilla” Crossed (2-0, 1 KO) of Greenbelt, MD, will be stepping back into the squared-circle on May 13, at the DC Armory in a four round bout on the undercard of the BET televised throne boxing event headlined by D.C. native Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (29-0, 16 KOs) against California’s Mike “The Silent Assassin” Dallas Jr. (21-3-1, 10 KOs). This will be the third fight for Crossed since making his pro debut on December 4, 2015 in front of a throng of his supporters, a bout in which he scored a first round TKO against John Felty.

On the Sunday before his second bout on February 27, in front of a sold-out crowd at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown Washington, D.C., Crossed was hospitalized with a stomach virus that landed him in the ICU for two days. Against the advice of his doctors and management he went through with the scheduled match up. The fighter known as the Vanilla Gorilla went on to win a dominant four round decision over crafty veteran Martez Williamson.

“I sold a ton of tickets, not including all the people I knew would buy them at the door, so I didn’t want to let my fans down,” Crossed said. “I felt terrible in the ring that night, I just had to gut it out.”

“Honestly fights like that are what I am going to need to develop as a fighter. I would have loved to get a knockout, but knowing I could go the distance facing that kind of adversity told me a lot about myself as a fighter.”

Crossed is quickly becoming a powerhouse ticket seller in the Washington, D.C., region partially for the notoriety he gained by starring opposite Mike Tyson in a local Super Bowl commercial, but more so for his fan-friendly style and devastating power.

“It’s pretty funny people see me now and say – aren’t you the Vanilla Gorilla?” Crossed said. “It’s been a kind of a surreal experience since I am just a regular blue-collar guy.”

Working as a mechanic during the day and as bartender at night, Crossed still finds the time to train six days a week in addition to his grueling schedule.

“I didn’t have huge amateur background like a lot of fighters in D.C. so I just need to work twice as hard both inside and outside of the ring to reach my goals.”

Tickets priced at $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are available now online at www.SamTheVanillaGorillaCrossed.com .For local pickup and more information call (301) 448-9824 or (703) 863-4358.

Follow Sam Crossed on Twitter at @SamCrossed301 on Instagram at @VanillaGorilla301 and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VanillaGorilla301

15 April 2016 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), put on a spectacular show at the 20,000-capacity Mall of Asia Arena, featuring the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent. Geje Eustaquio turned in a masterful performance against young Malaysian prospect Gianni Subba to win by unanimous decision in the co-main event. In the main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren overcame a spirited performance from Russian contender Nikolay Aleksakhin to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight.

Visit the official ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ivh34n9pza3q94o/AADwuMwRg-gnDecd5AIBoQyTa?dl=0

In the main event of the evening, the United States’ Ben “Funky” Askren overcame a tremendous effort from Nikolay Aleksakhin of Seltso, Russia to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight. Askren put on an amazing display of high-level wrestling to score on multiple takedowns, maintaining control of Aleksakhin on the ground while doing damage from the mounted crucifix position. Aleksakhin connected on a few solid strikes, but it wasn’t enough to trump Askren’s overall solid performance.

In a much-awaited bantamweight contest, Team Lakay’s Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio completely outclassed top Malaysian prospect Gianni Subba in an exciting three-round bout in front of Eustaquio’s home crowd in Manila. Eustaquio kept Subba at bay all night at the end of his lightning fast kicks and sharp counterpunching. Subba could not get his offense going as Eustaquio dominated from end-to-end to earn the unanimous decision.

Lightweight standout Lowen Tynanes of Ewa Beach, Hawaii defeated highly-regarded Japanese veteran Koji “The Commander” Ando by unanimous decision in a gruelling contest. Tynanes used his superior wrestling skills to control the action in the cage, while also getting the better of Ando in the stand-up with his powerful leg kicks and straight right hand. After three rounds, Ando couldn’t amount to much as Tynanes ran away with the judges’ nod.

Filipino-Australian fighter Reece “Lightning” McLaren showed the world that he is an absolute force to be reckoned with by dominating former combat sambo world champion Muin “Tajik” Gafurov over three rounds. McLaren completely shut down Gafurov with his impeccable mat and cage control, displaying a high-level grappling game that Gafurov had no answer to. McLaren wins a unanimous decision in a very technical affair.

A memorable lightweight contest ensued between Filipino combatants Honorio “The Rock” Banario and Vaughn “The Spawn” Donayre. Banario dominated the striking exchanges, landing the right hand over the top frequently and with good, solid power. The former featherweight champion also controlled action on the ground, almost finishing the fight with an armbar submission, showcasing his improved grappling. In the end, Banario did just enough to earn the unanimous decision.

In an intense, crowd-pleasing fight, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen and China’s Li Kai Wen brought fans up to their feet with a display of fierce and explosive striking exchanges. The two fighters unloaded on each other from the opening bell. As they traded blows, Li dropped Nguyen with a punch but Nguyen was able to withstand the damage and recover. Once on the ground, Nguyen’s superiority showed as he was able to control Li’s back and finish the fight with punches from the top.

Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio debuted for ONE Championship with a solid victory over Rabin Catalan, remaining an unbeaten young prospect. Pacio controlled the action from top position after scoring on a big slam over Catalan, landing some heavy blows in the first round. In the second round, Pacio again scored with a big overhead slam. This time, Pacio was able to step over into mount and finish the fight with ground-and-pound.

Team Lakay’s lady warrior April Osenio impressed the crowd with vastly improved grappling skills to win by submission over British-Filipina fighter Natalie Gonzales Hills in a battle of female atomweights. Although Hills was able to take Osenio down successfully, it was Osenio who was dangerous on the back. In her rubber guard, Osenio needed only a brief moment to latch on the fight-ending armbar.

Indonesia’s Sunoto overcame an ill-advised kimura attempt by Filipino contender Burn “Hitman” Soriano to win by technical knockout. After Sunoto found himself in mount position, the Indonesian fighter unloaded a volley of strikes to force the stoppage just minutes into the first round.

Team Lakay’s Danny Kingad made an impressive ONE Championship debut with a victory over Malaysia’s Muhamad Haidar to kick off an exciting evening at ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS. Kingad showcased his wrestling ability by shooting for a double-leg takedown and taking Haidar for a ride with two emphatic slams before finishing the Malaysian off with ground-and-pound.

Official results for ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS
Catchweight Super Fight (85.3kg): Ben Askren defeats Nikolay Aleksakhin by Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight bout: Geje Eustaquio defeats Gianni Subba by Unanimous Decision
Lightweight bout: Lowen Tynanes defeats Koji Ando by Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight bout: Reece McLaren defeats Muin Gafurov by Unanimous Decision
Lightweight bout: Honorio Banario defeats Vaughn Donayre by Unanimous Decision
Featherweight bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Li Kai Wen by TKO (Strikes) at 4:44 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (57.4kg): Joshua Pacio defeats Rabin Catalan by TKO (Strikes) at 3:19 minutes of round 2
Women’s Atomweight bout bout: April Osenio defeats Natalie Gonzales Hills by Submission (Armbar) at 3:23 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (67.3kg): Sunoto defeats Burn Soriano by TKO (Strikes) at 3:50 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Danny Kingad defeats Muhamad Haidar by TKO (Strikes) at 2:20 minutes of round 1

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

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

New York, April 15-Star Boxing president and founder Joe DeGuardia has shown a unique ability of identifying young, skilled fighters and then guiding them to championship contention…and beyond.

Chris Algieri (21-2, 8 KOs), who returns to the scene of his greatest triumph when he headlines Saturday’s nationally-televised Premier Boxing Champions card at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center against undefeated Olympian Errol Spence, Jr. (19-0, 16 KOs), is a case in point. The Pride of Huntington vaulted from crowd-pleaser on his home turf at The Paramount to champion of the world with an upset victory of Ruslan Provodnikov for the super lightweight world title on June 14, 2014. The monumental triumph earned him a mega-fight against the legendary Manny Pacquiao later that year.

“Joe has a magical formula at The Paramount,” says former heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney. “DeGuardia is a former boxer (1988 NY Golden Gloves champion), and I believe that really helps him. He understands the fighters, and watches out for them. He makes these guys fight durable guys. He and matchmaker Ron Katz are a great combination. They put them in tough fights.”

“He has done a great job with Chris Algieri, and now Joe Smith, Jr. is an up-and-coming light heavyweight. Hats off to Joe. It’s sold out every time at the Paramount, so the fighters have also been able to build the fan base.”

Former NYSAC Randy Gordon, now a boxing commentator and radio host, and a NYS Boxing Hall of Famer, echoes Cooney’s sentiment. “As a former boxer himself on a high level, Joe understands the boxer’s mentality. Building a fighter’s career is not about one fight, it’s a process. With Algieri, he saw the skill, and was able to grow him. Coupled with a great matchmaker in Ron Katz, they walk the fighters through the process. I actually picked him to beat Provodnikov because I watched the process take place at the Paramount. As for Joe Smith, Jr., he may have Kovalev power.”

Algieri, the former WBO World super lightweight titlist, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Erik Bone on December 5 at Barclays. Airtime for the PBC broadcast is at 8:30 p.m. on NBC.

The belief is that Joe Smith, Jr. (20-1, 16 KOs) will take a similar path to Algieri. The Mastic, Long Island product looks to continue his climb up the light heavyweight ladder when he faces tough and dangerous Brazilian Fabiano Pena (16-4-1, 13 KOs) in the main event in the 23rd installment of Star Boxing’s Rockin’ Fights series on Saturday night, April 23, at the Paramount in Huntington, New York.

“Joe Smith has all of the tools to be a top light heavyweight,” says DeGuardia. “His power and strength, combined with boxing skills and stamina have him earmarked for a big fight.”

Dubbed the “Irish Bomber” because of his knockout power, Smith is highly-regarded among the light heavyweight prospects during a young career guided by DeGuardia. Smith, Jr. has reeled off 14 straight triumphs, including nine by way of KO, will be making his fourth appearance on his home turf at The Paramount.

In his latest win, the Irish Bomber scored a thrilling, unanimous 10-round decision over Will Rosinsky while showcasing his talents in the Barclays Center ring on December 5. Joe is a Union 66 laborer (concrete) in between fights. Trained by Gerard Capobianco, a former light heavyweight contender himself, Smith fights out of the Heavyhitters Boxing Gym on Long Island.

DeGuardia teamed with Banner Promotions as co-promoters of crafty southpaw Demetrius Andrade on the former U.S. Olympian’s path to the WBO Junior Middleweight Championship. “Boo Boo” will appear on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, June 11 to face hard-hitting perennial contender Willie Nelson in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator.

The winner of the 12-round co-feature will become the mandatory challenger to the winner of the May 21 showdown between Jermell Charlo and John Jackson, who face off for the vacant WBC 154-pound title on SHOWTIME.

Fighting out of his native Providence, R.I., the 28-year-old Andrade has compiled an unblemished record of 22-0 with 15 knockouts since turning professional in 2008 after representing the United States in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Andrade is known for his piston-like jab and knockout power in each hand, Andrade won the vacant WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship with a career-best performance over Vanes Martirosyan on November 9, 2013 and successfully defended the title against No. 1-ranked mandatory challenger Brian Rose on June 14, 2014. Most recently Andrade, who is a consensus top-5 super welterweight, scored a second-round knockout over Dario Fabian Pucheta on October 17, 2015.

Antonio Tarver, the former WBC, WBA, IBF World Champion, fueled the Star Boxing rise to glory with his KO over Roy Jones Jr. to win the world light heavyweight championship on May 15, 2004.

DeGuardia is enshrined in both the New York State (2016) and Connecticut (2013) Boxing Hall of Fame.

A keen eye for talent, combined with a dedication to promoting future champions have become DeGuardia’s trademark combination which has provide success for his fighters and action for the fans.

website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow on Twitter at @Star Boxing, Instagram at StarBoxing, and Facebook.com/StarBoxing.

Hall of Fame legend Prince Naseem Hamed has backed his explosive Wraysbury welterweight prodigy Tony Bange to make a name for himself as the division’s hottest property.

Bange, 25, goes by the nickname of TNT due to his ferocious punching power and will be looking to light up the welterweight division with his all-action style of boxing; starting with his professional debut at the Copper Box Arena against Teodor Stefanov on Saturday 30th April, exclusively live on BoxNation.

Hamed, regarded by many as the most entertaining boxer Britain has ever produced, has likened Bange to former undisputed world heavyweight champion ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson and says his man has what it takes to reach the very top of the fight game.

Hamed said, “One of the things that I’ve seen him do really well is emulate Mike Tyson. I’ve always loved watching Mike Tyson; for me he’s possibly the best heavyweight that has ever lived. I’m talking about Mike Tyson at the age of 20 to 22, I couldn’t see anybody beating him in any era,”

“I watched Tony mimic Mike Tyson by trying certain moves and throwing certain punches. He pulls off really well and I told him if he can do that in a fight then people are going to love watching him because everyone loved watching Mike Tyson in the early days,”

In a professional career which spanned ten years, Prince Naz held the WBC, IBF, WBO and lineal featherweight titles, as well as the European bantamweight title. If anyone can spot potential greatness then it’s Naz and the born entertainer has tipped Bange to become a future champion.

He said: “Do I think he’ll win titles? I think he will win titles. I’m hoping with the help of Frank and the family there’s a good chance that his career can go the right way and he’ll fight the right fights at the right time and do really well. God willing he is one to look out for in the future.”

Hotshot Bange first caught the eye of Hamed when he was working out on the pads with trainer Anas Oweida and the Wraysbury man impressed the former champ so much that he decided to take him under his wing.

He said: “He was training with Anas and I noticed that he had a hell of a lot of explosive power; real concussive power. I remember thinking that whoever he hits is going to get properly knocked out. Obviously he’s just starting out and in anyone’s eyes on paper he’s a novice but he’s not, he’s experienced beyond his years.”

Heavyweight sensation Hughie Fury headlines the card when he challenges American Fred Kassi for the Vacant WBO Intercontinental Title; Red-hot Liam Walsh defends his British and Commonwealth Super-Featherweight titles against Troy James; Ovill McKenzie and Dmytro Kucher clash for the Vacant European Cruiserweight Championship; Ryan Walsh defends his British Featherweight Championship against James Tennyson; Anthony Nelson defends his Commonwealth Super-Flyweight Championship against Jamie Conlon. The undercard features big-hitting light-heavyweight star Anthony Yarde, Southampton super-welterweight Joe Pigford, Erith super-bantamweight Lewis Pettitt; Chingford super-featherweight Boy Jones Jnr; Indian middleweight sensation Vijender Singh; Chelmsford super-middleweight Billy Long, West Ham super-welterweight Sammy McNess; Sidcup super-featherweight D.P Carr; West Ham super-lightweight Ben Smith; Hornchurch super-lightweight Sanjeev Sahota; Nantwich heavyweight Nathan Gorman; Enfield super-middleweight Barney Joe Jones, and Stains-Upon-Thames welterweight Tony Bange.

Tickets priced at £30, £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200 are available from See Tickets 0871 230 7148 and www.seetickets.com, Eventim 0844 249 1000 and www.eventim.co.uk, Ticketmaster 0844 8440 444 and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

WBC FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Gary Russell Jr. – 126 Pounds

Patrick Hyland – 126 Pounds

IBF JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Jose Pedraza – 129 Pounds
Stephen Smith – 129 Pounds

Here is what the fighters had to say Friday:

GARY RUSSELL JR.

(On how he feels)

“I feel good. I can eat, I can drink, I feel a lot better.”

(On what fans should expect tomorrow)

“The same as always. I’m just going to go in like a genuine gentleman, pushing with everything I have to the line.”

(On his prediction)

“Hopefully we can get this guy up out of here early with no ill intent, no injuries or anything like that. We’re not going in there looking for the knockout. If it happens, it happens.”

PATRICK HYLAND

(On how he’s feeling before the fight)

“I feel great. Nice and strong and I’m ready for tomorrow night.”

(On what his fans should expect tomorrow)

“Hey, I just want everyone to come follow me, have fun and be a part of me bringing the belt back to Ireland.”

JOSE PEDRAZA

(On how he feels after making weight)

“I feel good, really good, we made weight which was the most important thing for today. We’re happy and ready fight.”

(On what fans should expect)

“A grand fight. One more challenge that we will overcome. It will be a big challenge but we’ve done great work and I know we will come out on top.”

STEPHEN SMITH

(On how he felt after the weigh-in)

“You know, it’s always nice to get the weigh-in out of the way and now be fully focused on the fight. I’m feeling good.”

(On what fans should expect)
“A good fight. We’re two very competitive fighters. Two fighters who believe that the training has gone as well as possible. We will put everything on the line tomorrow night and we are very confident that I’ve got what it takes. I will do anything that it takes to win this fight and bring the world title back to the UK.”

# # #

Russell Jr. vs. Hyland, a 12-round bout for Russell’s Jr.’s WBC Featherweight Title taking place on Saturday, April 16 at the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., is promoted by DiBella Entertainment. In the co-feature, Jose Pedraza and Stephen Smith will meet in a junior lightweight world title bout for the IBF belt. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader will air live on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).

For more information, visit www.SHO.com/Sports, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @MrGaryRussellJr, @PajPunisher, @Sniper_Pedraza, @SwiftySmith, @LouDiBella, @FoxwoodsCT and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.

New York, NY (April 15, 2016) – WBC USNBC junior middleweight champion Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson is remaining busy outside of the squared circle raising funds, speaking to various groups and helping multiple causes.

Last month, Melson spearheaded a fundraiser at SPiN NYC that netted $5,000. To help fundraising efforts, Melson literally let anybody who donated $50 or more at the event get in the ring with him for three minutes and throw punches at him. The funds were split 50/50 between Team Fight to Walk an BOXER INC. Melson recently joined the Board of Directors for BOXER INC. which is a NYC based nonprofit founded by Melson’s close friend and former amateur boxer Mustafa Abullah. BOXER INC. is a mentorship program through the use of boxing to help develop leadership, discipline and offer exercise to youth at inner-city schools in New York City. Academy Award Winner Susan Sarandon, a part owner of SPiN, helped promote the event on social media and personally expressed her interest in running a second fundraiser this fall.

Less than 24 hours after the SPiN event, Melson was a special guest speaker at the United Spinal Association Connecticut Chapter’s annual gala. The Connecticut Chapter honored Melson’s speaking at their gala by donating $2500 to Team Fight to Walk.

On Tuesday, April 12, Melson, a 2003 West Point grad, headed to the the army base of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. During his time at Fort Bragg, he spoke to Delta Company, 3rd Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne). This Battalion is a PSYOP (Psychological Operations) Battalion in the US Special Operations Command that directly supports the United States Army Special Forces. At the end of Melson’s speech to Delta Company, he was asked to return two more times this year.

This request involves Melson, an Army Reserve Captain himself, returning in July to deliver a speech to the entire 3rd Military Information Support Battalion followed by a speech to the United States Special Operations Command Care Coalition in the fall. The Care Coalition was formed to offer support to Armed Forces members that served in the Navy Seals, Delta Force, Special Forces, or Ranger Battalion, and were injured in combat now facing physical disabilities.

In the last few months, the “Rainmaker” has voluntarily offered his time addressing youth of all ages at multiple tri-state area elementary, middle and high schools as well as delivering a pre-game pep talk to the Johns Hopkins University Women’s Basketball Team prior to their game. Melson, upon invitation, attended the Jewish Youth Organization BBYO’s (B’nai B’rith) annual event in Baltimore. He was partnered with former NFL Quarterback Jay Fiedler as they both took turns sharing their individual journeys as Jewish professional athletes with a few hundred Jewish high school aged teens.

Four days after visiting Fort Bragg, Melson will be in Aston, Pennsylvania for a three day Spinal Cord Injury and Concussion forum. The event features a special exhibition hockey game featuring many former NHL players and other notables helping raise money for both of these physical challenges. The event is sponsored by Johnson&Johnson, a company Melson once worked for. During this event, Melson will speak on Spinal Cord Injuries and perform a ceremonial puck drop to kick the game off.

“The universe continues to conspire. When you follow what is in your heart with divine love, I believe that the universe submits. When this submission takes place allowing its elements to conspire, what is beating in your heart with divine love becomes a tangible space. I just have to keep moving forward with the same type of stamina I needed inside the ring. I can’t get tired. This fight has many rounds to it. Our FDA Approval to begin conducting this study is less than a year out- that round is almost here!

VERONA, N.Y. (April 14, 2016) – All six fighters made weight on Thursday for the ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader taking place tomorrow/Friday, April 15 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.

The tripleheader features six prospects with a combined record of 99-1-2 with 59 KOs.

In the 10-round main event, Russian Nikolay Potapov (14-0, 6 KOs) will take on St. Louis native Stephon Young (14-0-2, 6 KOs) in a matchup of undefeated bantamweight prospects.

In the eight-round co-feature, undefeated Dominican Eudy Bernardo (21-0, 15 KOs), a 5-foot-10 lightweight trained by former Olympic Gold Medalist Frank Tate, will take on once-beaten Mason Menard (30-1, 22 KOs), of Rayne, Louisiana.

In the eight-round opening bout of the telecast, Alexey Zubov (10-0, 6 KOs, who trains under Sugar Hill at the New Kronk Gym in Detroit, will meet fellow undefeated cruiserweight Constantin Bejenaru (10-0, 4 KOs), of Brooklyn by way of Moldova.

Tickets for the event, which is presented by Salita Promotions in association with AASHA Record Breakers, are currently on sale and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Box Office, by calling 877.833.SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster.com. They are priced at $60 for ringside seats, $35 and $25.

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS:
Potapov – 117 Pounds
Young – 116 ½ Pounds

Bernardo – 135 ½ Pounds
Menard – 135 Pounds

Zubov – 198 Pounds
Bejenaru – 198 Pounds

Here’s what the fighters had to say on Thursday:

NIKOLAY POTPAPOV:
“I’m looking to make a statement. My goal is to control the fight at every moment. Whether that leads to a KO or decision depends on the situation. The most important thing is I want to control every second of the fight and impress the fans.

“I don’t think he’s the best opponent I’ve faced. I plan to box him, control the fight and be explosive.

“My preparation has been different for this fight. I did a lot more sparring and I plan to be more aggressive. This is my first big fight on U.S. television and I want to make a statement.

“I trained in Moscow for this fight, and I didn’t come to the U.S. to lose.

“This is only my second fight in the U.S. The most important thing is to win. After that, we’ll look into moving to the U.S. to train. I travelled a lot in the amateurs, so coming to the U.S. and fighting isn’t an issue for me.

“I’d love to fight full-time in the U.S. We know that our best chance to win a world title is to fight here.

“I’ve only fought one southpaw as a pro, but I faced plenty in the amateurs. I won’t have any issues.

“He may be awkward because he is a southpaw. He also has fast hands and is a good boxer. And he’s undefeated, so I know he will be ready and motivated.

“I learn with every fight and expand my arsenal in every fight. I’m looking to show I have all the tools.”

STEPHON YOUNG:
“Since I’ve moved to Miami in January, I’m finally focused full-time on boxing. Everything is different now that I’m training down in Florida.

“I’ve been sparring with Juan Carlos Payano, the bantamweight champion of the world. That is the type of guy that I’ve been in the gym with, and I know Nikolay can’t punch like him. We’ve easily sparred over 100 rounds the past few months.

“This is a big opportunity for me. I know I need to be more active and throw more punches against this guy.

“He doesn’t have anything I can’t handle. He’s never fought an American. It’s a big step for me, but it’s a big step for him. He has a basic style and doesn’t like to be backed up.

“I’m hungry. This is the biggest fight of my career and I’ve never been this focused ever in my life. I’m hungry to become a champion.

“This is my hardest fight on paper, but I have no doubt in my mind that I can get that guy out of there.

“Everyone he fought comes straight forward, and I’m not that type of guy. He’s got to work to hit me.

“My opponent – he’s beatable. I believe that on April 15, he’ll get his first loss.”

EUDY BERNARDO:
“I feel like my career is starting right now. I’ve learned so much training with Frank Tate. I can’t wait to get in the ring to show it off. Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned from Frank Tate.

“The sparring in Houston has been great. I’ve really changed since I moved to the U.S. I eat healthy, I train differently. It’s all hard work in the gym.

“I describe myself as ready for anything. I’m aggressive, but I can box and move, depending on who I’m fighting. We are coming fast, hard and with everything we have.

“People might not know much about me because I’ve fought mostly in the Dominican Republic. This is my opportunity to prove myself.”

MASON MENARD:
“We’ve just been hiding behind the scenes until now. When we get to the big screen on Friday, people will know what I can do.

“It’s my time. I’m 30-1, I’m 26 years old. I need to make my move. If I beat this guy, it will open up some major doors for me.

“I fought Jerry Belmontes and Terence Crawford in the amateurs. We know we need to use our footspeed to our advantage.

“We’re fighting a tall guy and know it may be tough to land shots, but I’ve faced guys as tall as him before.
“This is an opportunity for me to rise up and surprise people. I want fans to say, ‘wow, where did this kid come from?’

“This is make or break for me. It’s as simple as that.”

ALEXEY ZUBOV:
“I wanted to work with Sugar Hill, that’s why I moved to Detroit. I first met Sugar when I sparred with Jonathan Banks before he fought Seth Mitchell. After that, I knew I wanted to work with him.

“I’ve trained with all the guys at the New Kronk Gym – Anthony Dirrell, Adonis Stevenson. Now I’m in my first official fight with Sugar as my trainer. I feel different after training with him, and I want to show what I’ve learned.

“I don’t know if this is the toughest guy I’ve faced. We’ll see.

“I don’t care fighting southpaws, I can fight anyone. My last two fights were with southpaws, so it’s not a problem for me.

“I’ve waited a long time for this moment. Now is my chance to make a statement in the cruiserweight division.”

CONSTANTIN BEJENARU:
“Zubov is a good opponent. He’s technical, he’s big and he has a good background. We’re happy to have this fight. We need to go in there and do our job.

“I’m the shorter fighter, so I know I need to get inside and attack.

“We’ve been training for this fight for almost four months. I’m ready to get in there and go to work.”

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

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About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 65 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

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.

About Turning Stone Resort Casino
A renowned, award-winning destination resort in Upstate New York, the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino features world-class amenities including four hotels, two luxurious spas, five golf courses, more than 20 dining options, a 120,000 square foot Las Vegas-style gaming floor, a cabaret style Showroom, a 5,000 seat arena, and several nightlife venues. Conveniently located 30 miles east of Syracuse at NYS Thruway exit 33, Turning Stone was named “Best Countryside Hotel/Lodge” in 2015 and “Most Excellent Golf Resort” in 2010 by Condé Nast Johansens. Turning Stone has also earned the prestigious Forbes Four-Star Award for The Lodge, Forbes Recommended Ratings for TS Steakhouse and Wildflowers restaurant and, for 10 consecutive years, the AAA Four Diamond Award for The Lodge, The Tower Hotel, and Wildflowers restaurant.

For more information and reservations, call (315) 361-7711 or (800) 771-7711. Visit the web site www.turningstone.com.

LOS ANGELES (April 14, 2016) – A night of action awaits boxing fans of the Coachella Valley, as top welterweight contender Eddie “E-Boy” Gomez (18-1, 11 KOs) and the pride of the Bronx, N.Y., gets one step closer to seizing a shot at a world title in 2016 when he takes on Puerto Rican welterweight standout John Karl Sosa (13-1, 6 KOs) on Friday, May 20. The 10-round welterweight fight will be broadcast live nationally on Boxeo Estelar on Estrella TV and streamed live on Ring TV from Golden Boy Promotions’ home in the desert at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

“We have a great night of fights set for Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on May 20,” said Oscar De La Hoya, chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “2016 should be a big year for Eddie’s career and this fight is one that will give him another opportunity to demonstrate he is a force to be reckoned with in the hot welterweight division. Similarly, John Karl Sosa is taking his career to the next level with this challenging fight and moving up in weight. Sosa is tough and is going to make Eddie fight with all he’s made of on May 20.”

Joining this thrilling night of fights will be skilled southpaw fighter Fidel “The Atrisco Kid” Maldonado Jr. (21-3, 18 KOs) of Albuquerque, N.M. as he hopes to defeat Glendale, Calif.’s Art “Lionheart” Hovhannisyan (17-2-2, 9 KOs) in the 10-round lightweight televised co-main event. Hoping to make TV time, Chinese heavyweight sensation Taishan Dong (6-0, 3 KOs) of Beijing, China will return to the ring to participate in a four to six-round heavyweight swing bout against an opponent to be named shortly.

Rounding out the non-televised undercard, which will stream live on Ring TV, East Los Angeles native, Roy “Pitbull” Tapia (11-1-2, 6 KOs) will face Jose “The Flash” Bustos (11-6-3, 7 KOs) hailing from Ciudad, Juarez, Mexico in an exciting eight-round super bantamweight battle. Also featured as part of the Ring TV live stream, D’Mitirus Ballard (12-0, 8 KOs) of Washington, D.C. will put his undefeated record on the line in a scheduled eight-round super middleweight fight, Riverside, Calif.’s Joseph “Diamante” Aguirre (12-0, 8 KOs) will participate in a six-round lightweight bout and kicking off the fight night activities, Livan “Machine Gun Kid” Navarro (2-0) of Miami is scheduled to face off in a six-round super lightweight fight. Opponents will be named shortly.

Tickets for the event are on sale Friday, April 15 and are priced at $45, $35, $25 and can be purchased at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

A Golden Boy Promotions stablemate since 2010, Bronx, N.Y. native Eddie “E Boy” Gomez was born to become a boxing champion. A two-time Junior Olympic National Champion and son of a Honduran boxer Eddie Sr., Gomez has made a bold mark on professional boxingtaking on tough opposition in his career. Victorious in his last two bouts against James Winchester and Jonathan Batista, the 23-year-old is the owner of defeats over well-known boxers Steve Upsher Chambers, Luis Hernandez, and Jovany Javier Gomez. Making his second appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Gomez will look to put on a performance for all the fight fans in the Coachella Valley in his first scheduled fight of 2016.

On the other side of the ring, super lightweight Puerto Rican boxer John Karl Sosa will fight for the first time this year when he goes up in weight to face Eddie Gomez in the welterweight division. Between fighting in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Sosa has established quite the name for himself with 13 victories in his career over Alexis Peña, Luis Bello and Joaquin Chavez. After a shocking loss to Alan Sanchez last November at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Café during the Cotto vs. Canelo fight week, Sosa is pumped up and ready to exact revenge on his newest opponent. As a previously undefeated fighter, Sosa has an impressive record and will be making his Fantasy Springs Resort Casino debut this May.

Dubbed the “Yao Ming of boxing” seven-foot heavyweight Taishan Dong of Beijing, China has enjoyed two years of professional boxing in the U.S. Undefeated, Taishan has fought at Fantasy Spring Resort Casino four times previously, most notably knocking out opponents Lance Guach and Tommy Washington Jr. With a background in mixed martial arts and kickboxing, Taishan brings his unique style with him and will be ready to impress fight fans on May 20.

Albuquerque, N.M. southpaw standout Fidel “The Atrisco Kid” Maldonado Jr. is one of Golden Boy Promotion’s most aggressive fighters on the roster. At the height of Maldonado’s amateur career, “The Atrisco Kid” was ranked number two in the U.S. with an eye-catching record of 118-12. After going professional in 2009, Maldonado snatched up the WBC Youth Silver lightweight title from Eric Cruz in 2011 adding to his impressive boxing resume which also includes a fight for the WBC Continental Americas Super Lightweight Title. Now the contender will be looking to write a new chapter in his career in the lightweight division.

A natural-born fighter, Art “Lionheart” Hovhannisyan began his amateur boxing career at the age of 13 winning the Armenian National Championship in the lightweight division under the direction of internationally-renowned trainer Varuzhan Davtyan. Hovhannisyan’s has competed in international championships in China, Iran, Czechoslovakia, Croatia, France, and Ukraine to name a few. Hovhannisyan currently resides in Glendale, CA and trains at the Glendale Fight Club . This clash at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino will be his first since 2014 as he looks to bring his worldly boxing experience in to the ring when he faces Fidel Maldonado Jr. as the co-headliner of the night.

Representing his hometown of East Los Angeles, Golden Boy Promotions fighter Roy “Pitbull” Tapia can be always be counted on for his hard-hitting fights. In 2011, Tapia entered into the professional sport and quickly snagged victories and knockouts left and right all over California most recently from Erik Ruiz and Juan Luis Hernandez. After the way Tapia’s last bout at Fantasy Springs ended with a shattering knockout over former WBC Youth World flyweight titleholder Luis “Titi” Maldonado, boxing fans can count on him showing his strength come May 20.

Hailing from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Jose “The Flash” Bustos has been riding a winning knockout streak after shutting down Isaias “El Moyote” Orozco, Vidal Cruz, and Marcos “Chicharito” Villarreal. Primarily fighting in Mexico, “The Flash” will be making his fourth visit to U.S. in what is to be his first appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

Undefeated Washington, D.C. prospect D’Mitirus Ballard will be returning to California for the second time in his career and will look to impress in his super middleweight fight at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. A professional since 2013, the 23 year-old fighter has executed every opponent he has faced utilizing his powerful punches and heavy hits most recently facing Fabiano “Pitbull” Pena in December 2015 and Leosvy Mayedo in March 2016. With a 62 percent knockout rate, Ballard will look to add another knockout victory to his record.

Joseph “Diamante” Aguirre of Riverside, CA has defeated every opponent he has ever faced and hopes to add his upcoming opponent to his list of victories as he fights for the first time in the U.S. With a recent victory against Oscar Arjona via first round knockout in March of 2016, Aguirre has stayed busy fighting twice in 2015 and five times in 2014. This young knockout artist has a promising boxing career ahead of him and the boxing community can’t wait to see what he will bring in the ring on this card.

Miami, FL’s Livan “Machine Gun Kid” Navarro, who is new to the fight game, has had success so far as a professional with two victories over Farkhad Sharipov and Kevin Walker in unanimous decisions. By kicking off the round of fights, “Machine Gun Kid” is anxious to fire punches to attain the first knockout of his career and of the night.

Eddie Gomez vs. John Karl Sosa, is a 10-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD.” 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 Fenomeno Studios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, http://www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing and @EstrellaTV; and follow the conversation using #BoxeoEstelar.

BROOKLYN (April 14, 2016) – As they near the weigh-in and fight night for their Saturday, April 16 showdowns at Barclays Center, Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC fighters and undercard fighters spoke about their upcoming bouts.

PBC on NBC fighters Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr., Chris Algieri, Krzysztof Glowacki, Steve “U.S.S.” Cunningham and “Sir” Marcus Browne, plus undercard fighters Heather “The Heat” Hardy, Chris Colbert and Earl Newman talked about why fight fans should watch on Saturday, why they believe they will win and shared what they will be eating after they weigh-in.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Star Boxing, start at $25, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:

ERROL SPENCE JR

On why fight fans should watch his fight: “This is a great card from top to bottom. These are all competitive fights. I’m an exciting fighter and I’m going to give the fans something to remember.”

On why he believes he will win: “I believe I’m going to be victorious because I trained too hard not to be. We have a great game plan and I believe in my abilities as a fighter.”

On what he will eat after he weighs-in: “I’m going to have some pasta and probably a sweet potato. I’m going to keep it healthy but still gain some weight.”

CHRIS ALGIERI

On why fight fans should watch his fight: “My fights are always exciting. I bring the action and you can expect a fast-paced technical fight.”

On why he believes he will win: “I’m going to win because styles make fights and I have the style to beat Errol Spence Jr.”

On what he will eat after he weighs-in: “Spaghetti and meatballs are my go to after a weigh-in.”

KRZYSZTOF GLOWACKI

On why fight fans should watch his fight: “We are going to steal the show, just like when I fought Marco Huck. The main event is going to be before the main event. It’s going to be an explosive fight. There is no way I’m going back to Poland without the belt.”

On why he believes he will win: “I am a champion and I trained too hard to get to this point to just give it away. I’m even more confident and better prepared than I was for my last fight. I will win not just for myself, but for my family.”

On what he will eat after he weighs-in: “I’m going to have the great American steak at Peter Luger’s.”

STEVE CUNNINGHAM

On why fight fans should watch his fight: “It’s always good to watch a veteran of the United States military fight. We know how to fight. We don’t know how to quit. You know you’re going to be entertained.”

On why he believes he will win: “Because I work hard and put all my effort into this. I’m going to do my best to force a win.”

On what he will eat after he weighs-in: “I am going to grab a nice juicy steak after the weigh-in. That will put me to sleep and take away the nerves you get the night before a fight.”

MARCUS BROWNE

On why fight fans should watch his fight: “Because I’m going to bring some spizazz, some swag and some fun and power to NBC.”

On why he believes he will win: “I worked hard and this is another step on the journey to becoming a world champion.”

On what he will eat after he weighs-in: “I’m going to eat pasta and I can’t wait.”

RADIVOJE KALAJDZIC

On why fight fans should watch his fight: “Marcus and myself both have a lot of power so you can expect fireworks. We’re both coming to win.”

On why he believes he will win: “I’m going to be the fighter with the better game plan. I’m just as fast and much smarter in the ring than he is.”

On what he will eat after he weighs-in: “I’m going to eat some pasta, chicken and a sweet tea.”

HEATHER HARDY

On why fight fans should watch his fight: “Everybody should come out to watch my fight on April 16 because I’m always in exciting fights.”

On why she believes he will win: “I’m going to win this fight because I’m not fighting me.”

On what she will eat after he weighs-in: “After I get off the scales I’m going to drink about a quart of Pedialyte and then have my favorite salmon.”

CHRIS COLBERT

On why fight fans should watch his fight: “I’m from Brooklyn and I rep my borough hard. You could say I’m an actor, because I always put on a show when I step inside the ring.”

On why he believes he will win: “We had a tremendous training camp. I’ve been on weight for two weeks. It’s really been the best training camp that I’ve ever had.”

On what he will eat after he weighs-in: “Everything. I’m eating everything.”

EARL NEWMAN

On why fight fans should watch his fight: “This will be my professional debut at Barclays Center. It’s been two years since I fought on the Golden Gloves and I’ve been putting in the work to get here. The fans will get a great show.”

On why he believes he will win: “I’ve just trained too hard not to win. I feel that this is my calling.”

On what he will eat after he weighs-in: “I have to eat some Spanish food. Rotisserie chicken and black beans and rice.”

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. PBC on NBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.nbcsports.com/boxing, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,@ErrolSpenceJr, @ChrisAlgieri, @USSCunningham, @Marcus_Browne, @LouDiBella, @StarBoxing,@NBCSports, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions.

Joe Gallagher admits that preparing Stephen Smith to challenge Jose Pedraza for the IBF World Super-Featherweight title has been a nightmare – but believes the Liverpool man has the tools to land the title in Connecticut on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.

Pedraza defends the title for the second time after holding onto his belt via a split decision in October over Edner Cherry, extending his unbeaten run in the paid ranks to 21 fights, with 12 of his wins coming inside the distance.

The talented Puerto Rican poses plenty of threat to ‘Swifty’s’ World title dreams, but the 2015 RING magazine trainer of the year Gallagher believes that while the multi-faceted champ is hard to prepare for, Smith has done everything right ahead of his big night.

“Pedraza is a very good fighter,” said Gallagher. “He’s good orthodox, good southpaw, he can mix it up and we’re prepared for whatever style he wants to bring on Saturday.

“It’s hard enough when you’re fighting a quality orthodox or a quality southpaw, of which he is, but not only that. He can also box on the back foot and on the front foot so we’re varying sparring partners, we’re mixing up the sparring in between the rounds, switching stances, and whichever way Pedraza wants to fight at the end of the night, I’m sure we’ll have an answer for.

“Stephen’s camp boiled up nicely to Callum’s win over Hadillah Mohoumadi. There’s a good momentum. It’s been a slow burning rise with Stephen but he’s got, as I call it ‘his World Cup final’ – something that is going to take heart and strength. His strength is going very well.

“I think it’s all up to Pedraza how it goes. Looking back at a few of his fights, he boxes slow and gets off to a good start but then he seems to lose his way a little in rounds. When you watch him against Andrey Klimov, he started out very well, put him under manners very quickly and had him nearly beat by the fourth round but Klimov managed to stay in very well and boxed really well.

“He got to the middle rounds, lost his way a little bit, switched southpaw, so either way it’s going to be fascinating. We’ve just got to make sure we don’t get caught to early when he’s quick and he’s sharp and he’s try to take him into the deep waters like Edner Cherry did.”

Las Vegas – Following today’s landmark bill signing by Governor Andrew Cuomo to legalize and regulate professional mixed martial arts (MMA) in New York, UFC® announced that it will host a major Pay-Per-View event at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 12.

Additionally, UFC will be adding another live event in Upstate New York before the end of the year. The organization has pledged four events per year for the first three years after passage of the bill. The events will be held in Upstate cities such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany, in addition to Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center.

Today’s bill signing and event date announcements cement mixed martial arts’ incredible future in the state of New York, and reaffirm UFC’s commitment to a market that is home to many top stars including former UFC champions Jon Jones, Chris Weidman and Rashad Evans, and countless other title contenders.

“I want to thank Governor Andrew Cuomo, Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, Senator Joe Griffo and the many other leaders in the state of New York for legalizing and regulating the sport of mixed martial arts,” said UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. “Our commitment to bringing incredible live events to New York starts immediately, as we’ve planned a major Pay-Per-View event at Madison Square Garden on November 12. It’s going to be a historic, monumental moment for this sport and our passionate fans when the Octagon finally arrives in New York.”

“Today marks a great day for both MMA fans and New York,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, Marquee Events and Operations, The Madison Square Garden Company. “We think it’s only fitting that the first UFC event is taking place at The World’s Most Famous Arena and look forward to these world-class athletes becoming part of The Garden’s storied history.”

Further information about the upcoming live event at Madison Square Garden will be announced in the weeks to come.

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About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

Big Bear Lake, CA (April 14, 2016) Boxing Superstar and Unified Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin hosted a Media Workout this past Tuesday at his training camp, The Summit High Altitude Training Facility in Big Bear Lake, California. Golovkin is preparing to defend his titles against undefeated mandatory challenger Dominic Wade on Saturday, April 23 at the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles, California televised live on HBO beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Joining Golovkin was his renowned trainer, the 2015 Trainer of the Year, Abel Sanchez and promoter Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions.

At the media workout, it was announced that Jordan Brand had added “GGG” to their roster of world class athletes. “We are excited to add Gennady to the Jordan Brand family,” stated Larry Miller, Jordan Brand President. “Gennady’s work ethic, dedication to his craft and style make him a perfect fit.”

Gennady was presented with a unique Jordan Brand shoe displaying the flag of his native Kazakhstan which he represented in the 2004 Olympics in London, England winning the Silver Medal.

Gennady “GGG” Golovkin
“We’re working hard every day, focused only on Dominic Wade. It’s a very important fight for me, he’s an undefeated challenger. Every fight for me is important to achieve my goal of all the belts.”

“I’m very excited to return to the Forum, Los Angeles is my second home, my family lives here now. I have a lot of friends and many fans who want to see me fight and I’m very thankful for that. The people love my style.”

“Every athlete wants to be with with Jordan Brand. It was my dream and I’m very happy to be a part of the Jordan family and I’m thankful to them for this opportunity. “

Abel Sanchez
“Dominic presents a challenge because he’s young, hungry and undefeated. We haven’t any changes in training camp because I train my fighters to be the best they can be. They have to adapt to us, we’re not going to adapt to them. Gennady works hard, he will have sparred 70-75 rounds by the end of camp, a similar amount to what he’s sparred for the last 5-6 fights.”

“Gennady understands that this fight is for the IBF mandatory, if we don’t fight this guy we lose the title.”

“We’re willing to fight any middleweight champion. BJ Saunders was offered the fight and he turned the fight down for this time.”

“Big Bear is so slow and tranquil; it makes training easy. The altitude and weather is very important.”

“Gennady has a streak going of 21 knockouts for a lot of different reasons, he was blessed with God given talent but works very hard on balance, distance and technique.”

“The power that Gennady possesses with his exciting style, he’s giving the fans what they want, always pressing the action and that’s why he’s selling out arenas.”

Tom Loeffler
“It’s been a great promotion and the fans are speaking loudly by purchasing their tickets. We’re headed to another sellout which means in his last two fights, Gennady will have sold out two of the premier venues in America, Madison Square Garden and the Fabulous Forum, with over 37,000 tickets sold.”

“We have some tickets left but I would encourage fans to purchase them quickly for the next ‘Big Drama Show.’”

Boxing Superstar and Undefeated, Unified World Middleweight Champion Gennady, “GGG” Golovkin, 34-0 (31KO’s) will defend his titles (WBA, IBF, IBO and WBC “Interim’) against Undefeated Mandatory Challenger Dominic Wade, 18-0 (12KO’s) on Saturday, April 23 at the Fabulous Forum in the main event at UNDEFEATED.

Co-featured will be Consensus #1 Pound-For-Pound Fighter and WBC Flyweight World Champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, 44-0 (38KO’s) battling World Ranked Contender McWilliams Arroyo, 16-2 (14KO’s) of Puerto Rico.

Both bouts will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for UNDEFEATED, priced at $400, $300, $200, $100, $60 and $30, are now on sale through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000) and the Forum Box Office.

Golovkin vs. Wade is promoted by K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions and in association with TGB Promotions. Gonzalez vs. McWilliams is presented by K2 Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions and PR Best Boxing Promotions.

SOCIAL MEDIA: For more information, visit www.K2Promos.com, www.GGGBoxing.com, www.TGBPromotions.com, www.FabulousForum.com and www.HBO.com/boxing.

Follow on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin @GGGBoxing, Dominic Wade @_DomoWade,
Roman Gonzalez @chocolatitobox, Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions @TomLoeffler1, TGB Promotions @TGBpromotions, the Forum @theForum and HBO Boxing @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/GGGBoxing, www.facebook.com/TheForum and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Use the hashtags #GolovkinWade and #GonzalezArroyo to join the conversations on social media.

Heavyweight destroyer Hughie Fury says there’s nobody that can stop him on his rise to the very top of the glamour division.

Hughie, the younger cousin of Unified World Heavyweight Champion Tyson, joint headlines an action-packed card at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday 30 April where he takes on Fred Kassi for the Vacant WBO Intercontinental title, exclusively live on BoxNation.

The exciting and undefeated Manchester star has ripped through the heavyweight division, stopping ten out of nineteen opponents early with eight coming inside three rounds. The 21-year-old is looking to bag his first title against the big-hitting Kassi before joining cousin Tyson as a world champion.

“I don’t see many people out there in the heavyweight division that are capable of stopping me; it’s wide open. I’m going to get the right fights under my belt and make my mark on the division. The aim is to follow in the footsteps of Tyson and become a world champion,” said Fury.

He added: “It’s going to be a massive year for me. Now I’ve teamed up with Frank I’m going to be fighting more regularly against strong opponents; I’ve got some good nights ahead of me.”

Hard-hitting ‘Big Freddy’ has a fearsome reputation with ten knockout wins in 19 career victories; nine of them coming inside two rounds. Fury knows he’ll have his work cut out if he is to bag himself a first professional title.

He said: “He’s another level up from my previous opponents. He’s a very awkward fighter; not many people fancy facing him. He can mix it up a bit by switching between southpaw and orthodox so it should be a tricky fight.

“I’m fighting people that nobody else wants to fight. These guys are capable of making you look bad. Unlike some people I’m willing to do things the hard way. Peter picks my fights so I can learn and improve properly; I need to be able to deal with different styles.”

With the heavyweight division in a new era after the Klitschko brother’s long dominance, Fury is in a perfect position to capitalise. Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren is confident his new Heavyweight prodigy has what it takes to make it to the very top of the division.

He said: “Hughie is a fighting man; he’s done things the hard way. 19 fights in three years is a phenomenal record for a heavyweight fighter. We know he’s got gas and can get through ten rounds with no problems. Within the next 12 months I wouldn’t be surprised if Hughie was fighting for a version of the world title.”

Heavyweight sensation Hughie Fury headlines the card when he challenges American Fred Kassi for the Vacant WBO Intercontinental Title; Red-hot Liam Walsh defends his British and Commonwealth Super-Featherweight titles against Troy James; Ovill McKenzie and Dmytro Kucher clash for the Vacant European Cruiserweight Championship; Ryan Walsh defends his British Featherweight Championship against James Tennyson; Anthony Nelson defends his Commonwealth Super-Flyweight Championship against Jamie Conlon. The undercard features big-hitting light-heavyweight star Anthony Yarde, Southampton super-welterweight Joe Pigford, Erith super-bantamweight Lewis Pettitt; Chingford super-featherweight Boy Jones Jnr; Indian middleweight sensation Vijender Singh; Chelmsford super-middleweight Billy Long, West Ham super-welterweight Sammy McNess; Sidcup super-featherweight D.P Carr; West Ham super-lightweight Ben Smith; Hornchurch super-lightweight Sanjeev Sahota; Nantwich heavyweight Nathan Gorman; Enfield super-middleweight Barney Joe Jones, and Stains-Upon-Thames welterweight Tony Bange.

Tickets priced at £30, £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200 are available from See Tickets 0871 230 7148 and www.seetickets.com, Eventim 0844 249 1000 and www.eventim.co.uk, Ticketmaster 0844 8440 444 and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 14th, 2016) — Certain fights need no formal introduction or any additional explanation as to why they make sense or why you should care. Every so often, the names alone speak volumes.

When “The Pride of Providence” Peter Manfredo Jr., three-time world title challenger and former reality television star, returns to the ring Friday, May 13th, 2016 at Twin River Casino for the first time in more than two years, he’ll do so with the same unrelenting courage and confidence he’s carried throughout the course of his career, again answering the bell against a hungry, up-and-comer, fellow Providence native Angel Camacho Jr.

The 10-round Manfredo-Camacho showdown headlines the latest installment of CES Boxing’s 2016 Twin River Casino Fight Series, a loaded lineup featuring two title bouts and the Rhode Island debuts of CES’ newest additions to the roster.

“These are the kind of fights the fans want to see in this modern-day boxing climate. These are the fights that will keep this sport alive,” CES Boxing president Jimmy Burchfield Sr. said. “On May 13th, you have two fighters willing to put everything on the line, one who is a Rhode Island icon and the other who needs to put aside his own admiration and respect for his opponent in order to earn his spot among the elite fighters in his weight class.

“We bring our fans major-league fights with major-league ramifications and that tradition continues May 13th. From top to bottom, you won’t see a better fight card in New England or anywhere else in 2016. Every fight is competitive. Every fight is a pick-’em fight.”

Tickets for May 13th are priced at $46.00, $66.00, $101.00, $151.00 (VIP) and $201.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com, www.twinriver.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

May 13th is Manfredo’s first fight since November of 2013, when he stopped Rhode Island’s Rich Gingras in the 8th round of a scheduled 10-round bout. Coincidentally, Camacho’s last win was also against Gingras via 8th-round stoppage in September for the then vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) International Light Heavyweight Title.

Citing he feels “great,” the 36-year-old Manfredo expresses a desire to make one more run to the top while leaning on his experience and ring generalship to carry him past the younger Camacho, who turns 33 in July.

“I had two and a half years off and when I approached Jimmy and told him I wanted to fight again, I said, ‘Whoever you’ve got,'” Manfredo said at Tuesday’s Media Day to officially announce the May 13th bout. “I feel young. I feel good.

“I’m already ready. If the fight were tomorrow, I’d be ready. If you feel good and you look good, then there’s really no fear. There’s nothing he’s going to show me that I haven’t seen. I’ve been in there with the best fighters in the world and have only lost to the best. I don’t feel like he’s on my level. I’m a better fighter than him. I’ve got a lot of respect for him, don’t get me wrong, but I still feel like I’m on a different level.”

Camacho shares in the respect and admiration for his opponent, a Rhode Island icon who he admits he grew up watching on public access and openly rooted for when Manfredo fought Joe Calzaghe for the super middleweight title in 2007. Now the two stand toe-to-toe May 13th and the stakes couldn’t be any higher.

A win over Manfredo could propel Camacho’s career to new heights. The 32-year-old Providence native is at the top of his game, having won each of his last three fights since ending a three-year layoff in November of 2014 with a win over Paul Gonsalvez. Since then, Camacho has beaten regional favorite Chris Chatman and Gingras, cementing his status as one of the top super middleweights in the northeast.

“I will win this fight and it’s going to launch me into the stratosphere,” Camacho said. “I’m getting the opportunity to fight someone I looked up to as a young buck before I even started boxing in the amateurs. I get to fight Peter Manfredo, my hometown hero? Absolutely, I’ll fight him.”

Manfredo’s resume is well publicized. The Providence native rose to fame as a finalist on Season 1 of The Contender and became a global star with knockout wins over regional rivals Scott Pemberton and Joey Spina in 2006. Manfredo parlayed his newfound success into a Pay Per View bout in Las Vegas against Jeff Lacy in addition to world-title bouts against Calzaghe, Sakio Bika and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Upon returning to the regional scene in 2012, Manfredo dazzled in wins over Rayco Saunders and Walter Wright before knocking out Gingras a year later.

On May 13th, his latest return to Twin River highlights a tremendous lineup featuring two title bouts. In addition to Manfredo-Camacho, undefeated Worcester, Mass., junior middleweight Khiary Gray (12-0, 9 KOs) defends his UBF Northeast Title against Fort Meyers, Fla., vet Quinton Willis (10-3-2, 5 KOs) in an 8-round bout.

“I’m proud to be on this card,” said Gray, who last fought in February in a unanimous decision win over Eduardo Flores. “The dude I’m fighting, I don’t know anything about him. This is nothing new to me. I don’t take him lightly. He’s got 10 wins and five knockouts, but he has nothing to lose. He has three losses. I have everything to lose, but he’s not going to take my belt. He’s not going to win a round from me.

“This is either going eight rounds or not, because I’m not losing my ‘0’ for anybody.”

In a fight that could steal the show, regional standouts Nick DeLomba (8-1, 2 KOs) of Cranston, R.I., and the undefeated Freddy Sanchez (7-0, 5 KOs) of Worcester face off in a 6-round bout for the vacant New England Super Featherweight Title. DeLomba is looking to rebound from a first-round knockout loss to Gledwin Ortiz in September while Sanchez returns to the ring for the first time in two and a half months after suffering a no decision against Antonio Fernandes due to an accidental head-butt and subsequent cut over his right eye.

“There’s really not much to say about this fight,” Sanchez said at Wednesday’s pep rally / press conference in Worcester. “I’m just going to go in there and do what I’ve got to do. I do my talking in the ring.”

Added DeLomba: “I’ve never worked so hard in my life or been as excited about a fight as I am for this one. You’re going to see a whole new fighter on May 13th.”

The undercard also features the Rhode Island return of New Haven, Conn., welterweight Jimmy Williams (10-0-1, 5 KOs), who puts his unbeaten record on the line against the hard-hitting Juan Rodriguez Jr. (12-4, 5 KOs) of Union City, N.J., and the northeast debut of CES’ latest acquisition, lightweight Divante Jones (7-0, 5 KOs) of Columbia, S.C., in a 4-round bout.

Rivalries will renew May 13th in a highly anticipated rematch between Stoughton, Mass., super featherweight Travis Demko (4-0, 1 KO) and Mohamad Allam (2-1, 1 KO) of Holyoke, Mass. The two faced one another in September with Demko winning by unanimous decision in a 4-round bout. They will now settle the score May 13th in a 6-round bout.

“All the shit-talking is done. I don’t have much to say. You all saw the last fight. This is going to be a different fight,” Allam said. “I’m in a much better place mentally, physically. I’ve never trained like this in my life.

“When you see me, you’re going to see a different person. I’m going to have everyone there asking, ‘Who’s that kid?'”

Also returning to Twin River, unbeaten Framingham, Mass., lightweight Julio Perez (4-0) faces Providence’s Cido Hoff (0-0-1) in a 4-round bout, while two fighters from Worcester make their professional debuts.

Kendrick Ball Jr., the son of Gray’s head trainer, Kendrick Ball, debuts in a 4-round super middleweight bout against Providence’s Tunde Odumosu, trained by Rhode Island’s Victor Fagnant.

“I’m thankful to Jimmy for allowing me to make my pro debut on this exciting card,” Ball Jr. said. “I’ve been working hard and I’m ready to go in there and get the job done.”

Also from Worcester, decorated amateur Jamaine Ortiz, another new member of the CES team, debuts in a 4-round super lightweight bout against Skowhegan, Maine vet Josh Parker (0-2-1). Ortiz signed a long-term promotional agreement with CES during a special announcement at Wednesday’s rally. A former New England Golden Gloves champion, Western N.E. Golden Gloves titlist and semifinalist in the 2015 U.S. Olympic Trials, Ortiz turns 20 later this month.

“I’m very excited about being showcased on this card and I’m excited to be with the CES family,” Ortiz said. “From here on out, it’s going to be fireworks and the whole team is going to blow up. Worcester is going to blow up, and that’s what I’m here to do, to showcase Worcester and show we produce great fighters.”

Visit www.cesboxing.com, www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.facebook.com/cesboxing for more information and use the hashtag #ManfredoCamacho to join the conversation.

Stuart Hall is putting it all on the line in his final eliminator for the IBF Bantamweight title against as he takes on Rodrigo Guerrero at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports – and a win can get him closer to regaining his World title and sweet revenge over Lee Haskins.

Haskins defends Hall’s old strap on May 14 in Cardiff, and Hall is hunting a win in Leeds to line-up a rematch with the Bristol man who defeated him in 2012 for the European title – revenge is on Hall’s mind and he believes he’d silence the 32 year old if they met.

“I want to win because I want to fight Lee,” said Hall. “If he comes through his fight we will have an all-British showdown and I will get my title back and I will be beating somebody who has beaten me before and he is really mouthy.

“In my last few fights I have been classed as the home fighter, but l think I got stitched up against Paul Butler – I wasn’t the home fighter even though it was in Newcastle. I wasn’t the home fighter in Monte Carlo when I fought Randy Caballero; that was a close fight. I am the home fighter and I think that is going to give me the edge. He is coming over here from Mexico and I have more pros than cons to win this fight.

“I gave Lee time and I didn’t do anything in our fight. I was a baby in boxing terms back then. I am a man now and I will give him no space at all. But I can’t talk about Lee Haskins really because I have Guerrero in front of me. Beat Guerrero and we can have a big conversation about Lee Haskins. He won’t be going ten rounds, he won’t even be going eight rounds with me next time. I need to win on Saturday then go in there and bully Haskins all over the ring.

“The way he goes on gets under my skin. I want the rematch because he is a big head and I don’t like big heads in boxing, I like humble people, the likes of Jamie McDonnell – he is a great bloke, he is humble. I want the rematch with Jamie and he knows that but I need to get into a position where I have a belt because he has shot away from us all at the minute, and fair play to him.

“But beat Guerrero in good style, smash Haskins and then have a massive fight with Jamie McDonnell and retire a happy man.

“It is the rematch I want. I already have an IBF World title belt in my cabinet and it would be nice to get another one, but it will be even nicer to beat Haskins.”

Hall is putting it all on the line against Guerrero and the Darlington man is under no illusions as to the type of fight he faces in the Mexican, and believes the sacrifices he’s made by moving to train in Birmingham with Max McCracken will see him prevail.

“Guerrero comes forward, he wants a row and if you put us in a phone box he would be happy,” said Hall. “I have to box to orders and I think I will win comfortably.

“Everybody knows I like a fight, I will stand there toe-to-toe with any Bantamweight in the world. If he comes to fight it will suit me down to the ground, I think he is made for me. If you look at people who have beaten me, they are always on the back foot, but he will come to fight.

“The crowd will be the winners on the night because me and him going toe-to-toe with each other is going to be good. I have a game plan, I need to use my boxing skills and if I can get the first few rounds in the bank then I will have a war.

“Eddie Hearn has kept me busy and kept me active and I have also done umpteen rounds in sparring. I am a 12-round fighter and I thrive off the distance, I am really looking forward to it.

Hall’s clash with Guerrero is part of a huge night of action in Leeds with Josh Warrington headlining in his toughest fight in the paid ranks to date against Japanese puncher Hisashi Amagasa.

Dave Ryan can regain the Commonwealth Super-Lightweight title against Martin Kaikili, Martin J. Ward defends his WBC International Super-Featherweight belt against Ruddy Encarnacion, and there’s a host of talent on the bill with Jake Ball, Isaac Chamberlain, Jeff Saunders, Maxi Hughes Darren Tetley and Daryl Baptiste, and a debut for Reece Mould.

Tickets are on general sale priced at £30, £40, £60 and £100 from the First Direct Arena at www.firstdirectarena.com and on 0844 248 1585. VIP tickets priced at £150 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com.

Tickets for April 16 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing.

14 April 2016 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE) has just announced a monumental deal with the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment company, ABS-CBN. The multimedia conglomerate, with a reach that spans the entire nation and millions of homes all around the globe, will broadcast coverage of live ONE Championship events in Asia to fight fans across the Philippines on its sports channel ABS-CBN Sports + Action. ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history and the largest media broadcast in Asia with streams to a potential one billion homes in over 75 countries. Among the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions in ONE Championship are Filipino mixed martial artists who have exemplified courage and honor inside the ONE Cage, helping make ONE Championship what it is today.

Apart from unprecedented coverage of live ONE Championship mixed martial arts (MMA) events across the region via ABS-CBN Sports + Action, ABS-CBN will also bring to Filipino fight fans ONE Championship’s events in glorious High Definition (HD) on ABS-CBN Sports + Action HD on SkyCable Ch166. Morever, regular weekly programming of ONE Championship’s world-class content will also be seen on free TV on ABS-CBN Sports + Action, bringing Asia’s favorite local and global MMA superstars closer to Filipino audiences several days a week, all year round.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated: “ONE Championship is proud to announce its partnership with television network giant ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN is by far the largest TV broadcaster in the Philippines with reach that spans the entire country, as well as internationally to millions of homes across the globe. We’re excited at the multitude of possibilities this tremendous opportunity presents to bring our unique brand of world-class mixed martial arts action to Filipino fight fans all over the world.”

“The Philippines is fortunate to enjoy such a rich martial arts culture. We are also proud to have one of the greatest Filipino combat sports athletes in history, boxing’s only eight-division world champion and Filipino ring icon Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao, as co-owner of ONE Championship. The possibilities are endless, and it has everyone at ONE Championship buzzing with excitement at what’s to come,” Cui added.

ABS-CBN Integrated Sports head Dino Laurena, meanwhile, said the network’s partnership with ONE Championship is another step towards ABS-CBN’s goal of promoting sports development in the nation. “When we said we are committed to helping develop sports in the country, we knew we would have to give exposure not just to popular sports like basketball or boxing. ABS-CBN has played a big role in promoting mixed martial arts in the country for many years, and we hope to continue leading the way by supporting exciting and quality fight leagues in MMA or mixed martial arts, such as ONE,” he said.

ABS-CBN Corporation is the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment organization. Primarily involved in television and radio, the company has since expanded and now owns the leading cinema and music production/distribution outfits in the country, and operates the largest cable TV service provider as well. ABS-CBN also has business interests in merchandising, licensing, mobile and online multimedia services, publishing, video and audio post production, overseas telecommunication services, money remittance, cargo forwarding, TV shopping services, food and restaurant services, theme park development and management, and property management. These investments are all aimed at making positive changes in the media landscape and strengthening the fiscal position valued by stakeholders.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA. For more information on ABS-CBN Sports, visit sports.abs-cbn.com and follow ABS-CBN Sports’ official Facebook and Twitter accounts, @abscbnsports.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

About ABS-CBN Corporation
ABS-CBN Corporation is the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment organization. The Company is primarily involved in television and radio broadcasting, as well as in the production of television and radio programming for domestic and international audiences and other related businesses. ABS-CBN produces a wide variety of engaging world-class entertainment programs in multiple genres and balanced, credible news programs that are aired on free-to-air television. The company is also one of the leading radio broadcasters, operating eighteen radio stations throughout the key cities of the Philippines. ABS-CBN provides news and entertainment programming for eight channels on cable TV and operates the country’s largest cable TV service provider. The Company also owns the leading cinema and music production and distribution outfits in the country. It brings its content to worldwide audiences via cable, satellite, online and mobile. In addition, ABS-CBN has business interests in merchandising and licensing, mobile and online multimedia services, glossy magazine publishing, video and audio post production, overseas telecommunication services, money remittance, cargo forwarding, TV shopping services, theme park development and management, property management and food and restaurant services, all of which complement and enhance the Company’s strength in content production and distribution. The Company is also the first TV network in the country to broadcast in digital. In 2015, it commercially rolled out its digital TV box, ABS-CBN TVplus, to prepare for the country’s switch to digital TV.

LOS ANGELES (April 13, 2016) – Fighters Jesus Soto “Renuente” Karass (28-10-3, 18 KOs), Yoshihiro “Maestrito” Kamegai (26-3-1, 23 KOs) and Jousce Gonzalez, who will make his professional debut, today hosted a Los Angeles media workout ahead of their respective bouts on the April 15 edition of LA FIGHT CLUB.

The fighters came out to show their skills at Westside Boxing Club ahead of Friday’s highly anticipated bouts. Below is what the fighters had to say at the media workout:

JESUS SOTO-KARASS, Super Welterweight Star of the Future:

“Everyone knows I’ve never ducked anyone, I’ve never been scared of anyone, and it’s the same thing now as at the beginning of my career. I’m not afraid of anyone and I’ll fight anyone.

“I would have to say I have had a lot of fights, such as Marcos Maidana, Keith Thurman and Mike Jones, but if I had to pick one out as my best, I’d have to say my fight against Andre Berto, that’s the fight that took me to the next level.

“I’ve faced a lot of power punchers in my career, but if I had to pick one I’d say Mike Jones was the hardest puncher. Kamegai is a warrior and a tough challenge, but I think I won’t have a problem taking his punches.

“As a veteran, I don’t feel old. And like I said, it’s going to be a war. It’s an honor to fight a warrior like Kamegai is.

“Everyone knows that Japanese fighters are warriors, but the winners are going to be the fans that get to watch the fight.”

YOSHIHIRO KAMEGAI, Super Welterweight Star of the Future:

“I think I am going to be able to put on an exciting bout.

“[Soto] I’ve seen him in so many fights…I have the highest respect for him and am honored to be able to fight him.

“If it turns out to be a brawl, I am going to go out there to win. I am here to win, but I also want to please the fans.

“The excitement of this fight really motivates me to do well. Winning this fight will bring me bigger opportunities

“I remember watching boxing on television, and I got together with my brothers and friends. We would put on gloves and would have boxing matches for fun, and I found this exciting and thrilling. That is when I decided to continue in the sport.

“In Japan boxing is very popular, and they are starting younger now. Since the sport has grown so much and the youth have more interest in the sport, it has contributed to more high-level Japanese boxers in the sport.”

JOUSCE GONZALEZ, Lightweight Star of the Future:

“I am excited. I have been waiting for this for a while.

“I started boxing with my brother (Joet Gonzalez) who is signed with Golden Boy Promotions, and he’s given me the best advice. We try to make each other better.

“My style of fighting…I like to say I’m a boxer puncher. I like to adapt. I have the ability to adapt to any style. I take advantage of my length and power shots inside.

“I’m going to go out there and execute what I did in camp, and I expect a good outcome.”

To accommodate the high demand for the sold-out April 15 LA FIGHT CLUB show featuringsure-fire ‘Fight of The Year’ candidate throwdown between Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass and Yoshihiro “El Maestrito” Kamegai, an additional ballroom viewing section will open at the Belasco Theater for the first time in LA FIGHT CLUB history. Fans will be able to enjoy the festive fight atmosphere from the upstairs ballroom lounge, complete with live fight commentary, DJ, food, full bar and bottle service. Tickets for Ballroom viewing are just $10 for this Friday’s show and are available for purchase at www.goldenboypromotions.com, the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, by calling 213-233-2957 or by emailing LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com.

Jesus Soto Karass vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold” and Carmelita Chorizo. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Friday, April 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT and will stream live simultaneously on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV and become a fanon 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.

NEW YORK (April 13, 2016) – WBC Featherweight Champion Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Md., and Irish contender Patrick Hyland (31-1, 15 KOs), of Dublin, faced off at the final press conference Wednesday at Highline Ballroom in New York, as they approach this Saturday’s Featherweight World Title fight live on SHOWTIME® from the Fox Theater in Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast begins live at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME with IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship clash between unbeaten Puerto Rican Jose Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) and mandatory challenger Stephen Smith (23-1, 13 KOs), of Liverpool, England.

Here’s what the fighters had to say at Wednesday’s final press conference.

GARY RUSSELL JR.

(On Patrick Hyland…)

“First and foremost, I gotta tip my hat off to him. I heard him say he was being trained by his father. Me and my younger brothers are also trained by my dad. My father is my favorite superhero, so it is very hard to deal with a situation like this and to bounce back and to grind and put all the hard work and effort into it after all the heartache and loss, I gotta tip my hat off to him for that.

I know that anytime you have a fighter that trains for six to eight weeks and prepares for no one else but you, is a dangerous fight. He’s tall, he’s long, but we can take him. We’re going to handle it.”

(On returning from injury…)

“I feel good. I’m ready; I put the work in at the gym. Like I said earlier, I got cussed out several times and sometimes I left the gym feeling like the worst fighter ever. But, right now, we’re ready and we’re prepared to invest in my ability.”

(On what it means to have his brother Antonio on the card he’s headlining…)

“It means a lot. I’m looking forward to it. I’m actually more looking forward to watching my brother compete than my own fight. I will definitely be working his corner in that fight. It means a lot for us to be able to pass this information down from generation to generation and watch it grow and watch us build as a family and as a unit. It’s amazing.

“He definitely has the potential to be the best. Him as well as Antuanne, who is now on the 2016 Olympic team. It’s all information passed down from generation to generation. I feel as though they definitely have the ability to be better than me. I would want them to be anyway.”

(On what he needs to win the fight…)

“I need to maintain control of the fight, close the distance and maintain the jab. Complete dominance; I want to touch the body early. He likes to move a lot, so we’re going to cut all that down.”

(On potential future opponents…)

“God willing, everything goes right come April 16, we would love to unify with Lee Selby. If I had my choice, I would go with Lee Selby first to unify. Immediately after that, I want Leo Santa Cruz and after that I need Lomachenko.

“I don’t care where [Lomachenko] moves. He can lose his next 10 fights, but before my career’s done he has to see me.”

PATRICK HYLAND

(On what gives him the sense of satisfaction in boxing…)

“To fight for the WBC title is everything I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid and all of the hard work that I have put in to get to this position to fight for it. I am happy and I am just living for it now for Saturday night.”

(On being the first Irish boxer since Barry McGuigan to hold a featherweight world title…)

“It’s a whirlwind and it’s great. I’m just a local lad from Johnstown in Dublin and to be fighting on the big stage and to be fighting for a major world title, and again to be named the second featherweight ever to win a world title would be just amazing; a real dream come true for myself.”

(On Gary Russell…)

“I know he’s got fast hands. He’s a great southpaw and a great boxer so I have to be at the best of my ability on Saturday night for that. I worked on a game plan in the gym to counter his hand speed and it all has to come together on fight night. I can do all this and say all that, but I just have to perform on Saturday night and put it in by doing everything I’ve worked on to become champion.”

JOSE PEDRAZA

(On training camp…)

“I am feeling really good, we’re in the last stretch of conditioning. It was a very long and intense training camp but we saw improvements in my abilities. I have been waiting a long time for this day to come and we are going to demonstrate to Smith that I am a weapon.

(On Stephen Smith…)

“Smith is a very good boxer, he has a lot of abilities and intelligence. He’s a boxer with very good defense, but we already utilize a variety of strategies to be able to neutralize all of his abilities.”

(On what he plans to demonstrate on Saturday…)

“With my abilities, come Saturday, I will demonstrate that I am above Smith and that I am at the level of what I am, a champion. Overall, I just want to put on a show and I hope that the fan base will enjoy this great card.”

(On what he learned from fighting Edner Cherry…)

“I learned what I have always said and what I have always done to this very day, which is never watching. I never watch too many videos of my opponent because on the day of the fight he could be a completely different fighter and I think that is what occurred then. Aside from that, he utilized a great strategy.”

(On his thoughts on other Puerto Rican boxers…)

“Actually I am a world champion just like Rocky Martinez; there are many Puerto Rican prospects. Like [Felix] Verdejo but I don’t consider him as a world title contender just yet. He hasn’t fought with a boxer of championship caliber but he is currently among the top fighters in Puerto Rico.”

(On other fights he may be interested in at 130 pounds…)

“I have always said that the less Puerto Ricans I fight, the better. If it is the last option, I will fight with Puerto Ricans too but aside from that Rocky [Martinez] the world champ, there’s Francisco Vargas, [Javier] Fortuna, to name a few that are at the top of my list.”

STEPHEN SMITH

(On his first time fighting in the U.S….)

“I’m excited. If you want to make a name in boxing, then you’re going to do it in the states and that’s what I plan on doing by becoming a world champion Saturday.”

(On what he knows about Pedraza…)

“Well, not quite a lot. I know his name from the amateur days. He’s well established, he’s an Olympian and he’s a talented man. To fight somebody consists of winning or not, it goes beyond tactics, beyond style and beyond skillset really. I believe I have what it takes to fight anyone and nothing will keep me from becoming a world champion.”

(On what he needs to do to get the victory…)

“It can be a different type of fight; we know he likes to switch it up and box from different stances. He’s obviously talented so it’s going to take a different set from each way but we know what to expect. I’ve gone over everything with my trainer Joe Gallagher and we’re ready to go.”

(On his brothers Liam and Callum being hampions and what it could mean to potentially join them…)

“It’s special. Two weeks ago Liam and Callum won a European world title and it just gives me the confidence, the spirit to hike. I’m in a really good place mentally and I couldn’t be feeling better going into it. After my boot camp going successfully, it just makes you feel better going ahead to become a world champion.”

(On UK champions on the rise in the past year…)

“There’s a lot of history there and for myself and my family, so we do what we’ve always wanted to do and we’re looking to just keep moving forward.”

TRAINER JOE GALLAGHER

(On training camp…)

“It was good. Obviously it boiled up to Callum’s win. There’s a good momentum. Callum and then Stephen has his world title opportunity. It’s been a slow burning rise with Stephen but he’s got, as I call it ‘his World Cup final’ — something that is going to take heart and strength. His strength is going very well. Pedraza is a very good fighter, good orthodox, good southpaw, he can mix it up and we’re prepared for whatever style he wants to bring on Saturday.”

(On the process of preparing for a fighter like Pedraza…)

“It’s a nightmare. It’s hard enough when you’re fighting a quality orthodox or a quality southpaw, of which he is, but not only that. He can also box on the back foot and on the front foot so we’re varying sparring partners, we’re mixing up the sparring in between the rounds, switching stances, and whichever way Pedraza wants to fight at the end of the night, I’m sure we’ll have an answer for.”

(On how he feels the fight will play out…)

“I think that’s all up to Pedraza, looking back at a few of his fights, he boxes slow and gets off to a good start but then he seems to lose his way a little in rounds. When you watch him against [Andrey] Klimov, he started out very well, put him under manners very quickly and had him nearly beat by the fourth round but [Andrey] managed to stay in very well and boxed really well. He got to the middle rounds, lost his way a little bit, switched southpaw, so either way it’s going to be fascinating. We’ve just got to make sure we don’t get caught to early when he’s quick and he’s sharp and he’s trying to put manners in Stephen Smith and then take him into the deep waters like Edner Cherry.”

(His prediction…)

“Stephen Smith. Possibly by knockout. No, definitely by knockout.”

# # #

For more information, visit www.SHO.com/Sports, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @MrGaryRussellJr, @PajPunisher, @Sniper_Pedraza, @SwiftySmith, @LouDiBella, @FoxwoodsCT and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.

BROOKYLN (April 13, 2016) – Undefeated rising welterweight star Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and former world champion Chris Algieri went face-to-face Wednesday to kick-off fight week activities with the final press conference before they meet in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC this Saturday, April 16 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Also in attendance at the Highline Ballroom in Manhattan were cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Glowacki and former champion Steven “U.S.S” Cunningham plus undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian “Sir” Marcus Browne and unbeaten light heavyweight Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic who round out a stacked tripleheader on Saturday night. In addition, popular Brooklyn undefeated fighter Heather “The Heat” Hardy was in attendance as she nears her undercard bout against Sweden’s Anna Hultin.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Star Boxing, start at $25, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Wednesday:

ERROL SPENCE JR.

“This is a great card with great fighters and its a fantastic opportunity. A lot of people think I’m a prospect on the verge of being a contender. Saturday night is going to be a great performance.

“I never thought fight week would come. I’m just so excited to put on a show. It’s going to be the best Errol Spence you’ve ever seen.

“I just need to stick with my game plan. The game plan that my coach laid out for me and do what I do and get the win.

“Whatever happens, happens. I’m going to have to feel it out in the first round. I just need to fight smart.

“I’ve always felt like I was ready for this level. Saturday night, I’m looking for a coming out party. My focus is 100 percent on this fight.

“I was ready two fights ago to fight for a title. After this fight we can talk about what’s next, but right now, Chris Algieri is in front of me.

“Chris has been in a lot of hard fights. At the end of the day he’s a boxer and so am I. It’s going to be a war.”

CHRIS ALGIERI

“Brooklyn has treated me very well. I’ve had some of my best performances here at Barclays Center and I look forward to another.

“It’s always an honor to share the stage with such illustrious guys in our sport. A lot of these guys really bring honor and respect to the business that we do.

“I don’t think I’ve gotten as much respect as I deserve throughout my career. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t really matter. At the end of the day I go out there and perform. More often then not I’m victorious.

“I think everyone knows that I’ll fight anybody. Spence is a guy people don’t want to fight, so they brought him to me.

“The best thing about working with John David Jackson is the confidence he gives me. He let’s me be who I am. He gives me the faith to trust in my abilities. I’m looking forward to putting on another great display with him in my corner.

“The hard work is done. Training camp was long, hard and grueling. Not much more to be said. It’s time to fight. It’s going to be a great night of fights. ”

KRZYSZTOF GLOWACKI

“I’m so happy to be back in the United States and I’d like to thank my team for preparing me so well.

“I’m very happy to be healthy. Training camp went the way I wanted to and I feel 100 percent ready to get in the ring

“I have to win. That’s the most important thing. It’s nice to be fighting on such a great card, but all that matters is keeping my belt.

“Fans can expect to see beautiful boxing. It will be a war inside of the ring. Most importantly, I will win.

“A lot of things have changed since I won my world title. Nobody used to know me and now everyone knows me. I’m happy with my career so far. I don’t like to talk about the future of my career until after the fight.

“Steve Cunningham is not only a great fighter but a great human being, so I expect a tough fight. He wants to take the belt from me but it’s not going to be easy. I want everyone to come out for a great show on Saturday.”

STEVE CUNNINGHAM

“This is my first time fighting at Barclays Center and I’m very excited about that. I’m ready to fight. Training camp is over. You know it’s grueling and hard work.

“I know I have a great opponent. He took the belt from the champion. He got up off the canvas so I can’t look at him lightly at all. But I’m here to do a job.

“I’m was sick of getting cheated and robbed of opportunities at the heavyweight division. I decided to come back down. It’s no problem. Three pounds or four pounds, no big deal. Here we are.

“We are coming to steal the show. I’d like to steal the show without me getting hit too much. A fight is a fight. You know I come to win, so we’re going to have some fun.

“There are some adjustments you have to make when you fight a southpaw. A guy throwing two gloves at you and you have to throw gloves back at him. Doesn’t matter if he fights me upside down, I have to fight smart and beat him regardless.

“There’s always something special with Naazim Richardson. He’s a great mind. One of the great trainers out there. We’ve always got something special prepared. We have to do what we have to do and that’s win.

“When you beat a guy like Marco Huck who was about to make history and you beat him like Glowacki beat him, you have to think he’s good and realize you can’t take Glowacki lightly. He’s a warrior. He’s a problem, something I’m going to have to deal with.

“I’m not 40-years-old yet. Give me a few more months! I don’t feel 39 or 40. I feel great. I just want to go in there and perform and do what I do.

“I’m not one of those predicting guys. I know things happen in the ring. But come Saturday night, I want things to go my way. If not, we’re able to evolve. Let’s go, it’s work time.”

MARCUS BROWNE

“We’ve done a lot of talking leading up into this fight. I want to talk with my hands. He said he’s ready to fight. We’ll see on Saturday night.

“I feel great. Training camp has gone great. Right now the focus is to win and look good. Whatever happens after that is going to happen.

“I’m going to do what I do best and that’s take care of business no matter what.

“I’m ready for whatever he brings to the table. We will know that after the first minute of the first round.

“It’s an incredible honor to be representing my hometown. Fighting in front my home fans is always very motivating and I can’t wait to put on another show for them.

“People have said a lot about how this will be my toughest fight. I can’t listen to anything on the outside. I’m prepared to my fullest and we’ll see what he has on Saturday night.”

RADIVOJE KALAJDZIC

“I’m ready. I don’t have too much to say. I’m just ready to fight.

“Training camp went great. We got a full eight weeks in. Roadwork, conditioning, everything. I’m just ready to fight.

“I want to introduce myself to the fans by knocking out Marcus Browne. If that doesn’t come, I want to put on a great performance. Being on the big stage doesn’t bother me, once the bell rings its just another day.

“I know Marcus is fast and has pop to him. I don’t want to give too much away.

“I’m a boxer puncher. I’ve got the power to knock a fighter out. Most of my knockouts have come in the first round.

“I feel like I came up the right way. I didn’t have that much amateur experience, but I stepped up to this big opportunity at the right time.”

HEATHER HARDY

“I’m expecting to face a good strong boxer on Saturday night. She’s coming down in weight to fight me, so don’t miss it.

“We changed a little bit during this training camp. I added another conditioning coach. A guy that has been putting me through torture three times a week.

“My opponent is strong, she has a good record, she’s from overseas. I know I have my hands full.

“It’s a real honor to fight at Barclays Center. I couldn’t ask for a better place. There’s nowhere in the world I’d rather fight than right here at home. As far as my career progressing, I’d like to be up there on stage and be on TV.

“I can’t wait to fight (unbeaten contender) Shelly Vincent. I think that will be the big breakthrough fight that let’s me establish who I am in this game and who I am for the bigger competition. That’s a perfect fight for TV. Fingers crossed.”

LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment

“This great card features a fighter who is believed to be the top prospect in boxing, in Errol Spence Jr. versus New York’s own, a former world champion in Chris Algieri in what promises to be an exciting primetime main event.

“Marcus Browne has fought more times at Barclays Center than any other professional fighter. He has the chance to make the jump towards a world title by taking out another young undefeated fighter. ‘Hot Rod’ is not planning on letting that happen without serious resistance.

“Glowacki’s fight with Huck was one of the best of last year and he can expect the Polish fans in Brooklyn to be behind him on Saturday night.

“Steve Cunningham is one of the most respected fighters by his peers. Not just for his quality in the ring, but his quality as a family man and as a human being. He knows he’s fighting a great champion and I know he’s got a great game plan.”

JOE DEGUARDIA, President of Star Boxing

“It’s a pleasure to be back in Brooklyn and to have Chris Algieri fighting at Barclays Center again. It’s very rewarding that he will be in the main event on national television on NBC. It’s a real testament to this fight.

“Chris has had some great performances at Barclays Center. He’s going to have another one in front of him on Saturday. Spence Jr. is a challenge that Chris is looking forward to and one he has faced before.

“Everyone wrote him off when he faces Ruslan Provodnikov. We’re looking forward to Chris Algieri pulling off a surprise just like that on Saturday night.”

BRETT YORMARK, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment

“Barclays Center is thrilled to have Chris Algieri back for his fourth fight and we expect a great turnout from the Long Island fans who are looking forward to Saturday as well. We’re also looking forward to a new name to headline Brooklyn and we welcome Errol Spence Jr.

“We welcome Marcus Browne back for your 11th fight and we thank you for calling Barclays Center home. Heather Hardy is also back at Barclays Center for the sixth time and we are thrilled to have all of them fighting in our building.

“It’s fitting that Saturday nights card features Chris Colbert and Earl Newman who got their start at Golden Gloves.

“I think 2016 will be our biggest year yet and we look forward to welcoming everybody back in the coming months.”

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. PBC on NBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.nbcsports.com/boxing, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,@ErrolSpenceJr, @ChrisAlgieri, @USSCunningham, @Marcus_Browne, @LouDiBella, @StarBoxing,@NBCSports, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions.

LAS VEGAS (April 13, 2016) – The 154-pound division will take center stage on Saturday, May 21 in a stacked tripleheader featuring three world title fights in the same division. Five of the division’s top-six fighters* will square off live on SHOWTIME from The Chelsea, a one-of-a-kind 40,000-square-foot venue, inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

In the main event, Cuban sensation Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will defend his WBA Super Welterweight World Championship against U.S. Olympian and top contender Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan in a rematch of their 2012 bout that ended in a technical draw.

Brothers Jermall and Jermell Charlo will look to make history in co-featured bouts as the first twins to hold world titles in the same division. Unbeaten IBF Super Welterweight World Champion Jermall faces his toughest test when he makes the second defense of his belt against former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout. Jermell will take on exciting contender John Jackson in a bout for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Championship.

Promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, venue pre-sale tickets will go on-sale Thursday, April 14 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets for the general public will go on-sale Friday, April 15 at 10 a.m. PT. Ticket prices start at $39, and are available online at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 and www.ticketmaster.com.

Doors to The Chelsea will open at 3 p.m. PT with SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXINGâ action beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The versatile yet intimate space inside The Chelsea will create an unparalleled experience for viewers and boxing fans alike.

“I’m looking forward and I’m excited to be making my 2016 debut in the boxing capitol of Las Vegas come May 21,” said Lara. “I can’t wait to get in the ring as I have unfinished business to take care of with Vanes. I’m the champion and will remain the champion. I will leave no doubt who the better fighter is and will show the world that I’m the best fighter in the 154-pound division. I am dedicating this fight to a great man and boxing idol Gilberto Mendoza Sr. May he rest in peace and enjoy this display of master boxing from heaven, that I will put on for him when I step in the ring on fight night.”

“Erislandy Lara and I have unfinished business from our first fight,” said Martirosyan. “I had him beat that night and I’ll beat him on May 21. My time is now and I know I will be the new champion of the world on May 21.”

The 25-year-old Charlos are aiming for history against stiff opposition from a former champion in Trout and the Olympian from the Virgin Islands in Jackson.

“This will be a history-making, record-breaking night for the Charlo twins,” said Jermall Charlo. “It means everything to us to be able to fight in two championship fights on the same card. This is everything we’ve ever dreamed of. This is going to be a great night of boxing and I’m preparing myself for war. Austin Trout is a seasoned vet. He’s fought world champions and beaten a future Hall of Famer in Miguel Cotto. This is one of my biggest fights to date, but I’m preparing the same way I always do. I’m going to be on my ‘A’ game. I’m ready to make history.”

“I’m extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to fight for the world title on May 21,” said Trout. “It’s a twice-in-a-lifetime chance for a second world title and I’m going to take full advantage of it. I’m working hard and have already been in training camp in D.C. and ready to take full advantage of the moment. I’ve sat at the champions’ table before and am ready to go back again and eat from it again. Destiny brought me here not to lose, but to win. I’m going to show up and show out and this world title.”

“This is a huge fight for me,” said Jermell Charlo. “It’s my first opportunity to fight for a title and my brother is on the same card defending his belt. There have never been identical twin brothers that are both world champions in the same weight class. We’re going to go out there and make history and send a message to the whole division. I’m excited to get in the ring and I know John Jackson is too. This is an important time in my career and I will be well prepared. Let the best man win.”

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity to become a world champion,” said Jackson. “I’ve been training very hard for the last two months for this fight and come May 21 I will be victorious over Jermell Charlo and realize my lifelong dream of becoming a world champion, like my dad, the great Julian Jackson.”

“This is yet another example of SHOWTIME Sports’ commitment to delivering the best lineup in boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “We’re featuring three important championship fights in one of boxing’s most intriguing young divisions – a tripleheader that will bring our 2016 tally of world title bouts to 14 – all free to SHOWTIME subscribers. We’re excited to offer this rare opportunity to see the top fighters in a division all on the same telecast.”

“Mayweather Promotions is thrilled to bring this fantastic tripleheader of super welterweight world champions to fight fans,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “The best of the 154-pound division will be on display on May 21 and we expect an action-packed night of drama.”

“We’re very excited to work with SHOWTIME on this action-packed tripleheader,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “Erislandy Lara and Vanes Martirosyan have a huge score to settle from their 2012 bout, and Jermall and Jermell Charlo are in high-stakes matchups against Austin Trout and John Jackson, respectively, in what promises to be a highly entertaining evening of boxing.”

The 32-year-old Lara is a slick boxer with the ability to deliver punishment while taking very little of it in return. Lara has notched victories over Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout, Ishe Smith and Freddy Hernandez. As an amateur, Lara won numerous titles including a national championship at welterweight and also participated in the 2007 Pan-Am games. The fighter originally from Guantanamo, Cuba dominated Delvin Rodriguez in June of last year and followed that up with a third-round stoppage of former champion Jan Zaveck.

Born in Armenia, but fighting out of Glendale, Calif., Martirosyan represented the U.S. at the 2004 Olympics. As a professional, he won his first 32 fights before fighting Lara to a draw in 2012. The 29-year-old suffered a narrow defeat by split decision in his first world title shot against Demetrius Andrade, but has rebounded with solid victories over Mario Lozano, Willie Nelson and most recently Ishe Smith.

A newly crowned champion at 25-years-old, Charlo grabbed his title with a dominant third-round stoppage of Cornelius Bundrage in September 2015. Residing in Houston, Charlo built up his resume in 2014 with dominant triumphs over Hector Munoz, Norberto Gonzale, Lenny Bottai and Michael Finney. In his most recent outing, he successfully defended his title with a fourth-round stoppage of Wilky Campfort in November.

In 2004, Trout won the U.S. National Amateur welterweight championship and after climbing up the ranks as an elite pro boxer, he won a super welterweight world championship in 2011 by defeating Rigoberto Alvarez. He went on to make four successful defenses, including a career-best, dominant victory over Miguel Cotto in New York. He is currently on a four-fight win streak after knocking out Joey Hernandez in September to set up his world title opportunity.

Younger-by-one-minute than Jermall, Jermell Charlo is a highly ranked young fighter looking to get one step closer to a world title shot. A tall fighter for his division, the 25-year-old earned his shot at a world title with victories over Gabriel Rosado, Charlie Ota and Mario Lozano in 2014 and Martirosyan and former world champion Joachim Alcine in 2015. He impressed last time out by disposing of Alcine in the sixth-round of their fight in Houston in October.

Since representing his native Virgin Islands in the 2008 Olympics, Jackson has put together an impressive pro career. The St. Thomas-born fighter won his initial 13 fights after making his debut in January 2009. The 27-year-old earned the No. 1 spot and the title shot with a shutout victory over Dennis Laurente in August. Jackson comes from a fighting family; his father Julian Jackson was a world champion and feared power-puncher while his brother, Julius, is a contender in the 168-pound weight class.

*via Transnational Boxing Rankings

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.mayweatherpromotions.com, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @LaraBoxing, @VanesBoxing, @FutureOfBoxing, @NoDoubtTrout, @TwinCharlo, MayweatherPromo and @Swanson_Comm, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions

SAN ANTONIO, TX (April 13, 2016) – Unbeaten super lightweight contender, Mario Barrios (14-0, 8 KO), has an opponent named for his upcoming bout scheduled for this Saturday, April 16 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Barrios will face Edgar Gabejan (27-32-6, 9 KOs), his most experienced foe to date, a veteran with over 500 battle tested rounds. The non-televised 8-round bout will take place on the undercard of a Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC tripleheader headlined by undefeated rising star Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. taking on former world champion Chris Algieri. Televised coverage begins at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.

Standing over six feet tall, the towering Barrios will look to carry the momentum from a fabulous 2015, where he went 7-0 with 5 knockouts. Fighting in New York for the first time in his professional career, Barrios wants to send a messages to the 130-pound division with a dominating performance.

“I’m eager to get back in the ring and start the year off with a bang,” said Mario Barrios, the rising star who hails from San Antonio, TX. “I’ve been in the gym since my last fight in mid-December and I’m ready to make statement in this fight. I want let everyone in the super-featherweight division know I’m gunning for them, especially the all the champions. My 2016 march toward a world title starts this Saturday. I can’t wait to let my hands go and give the east coast fans a great night of action.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Star Boxing, start at $25, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP

Josh Warrington knows a World title fight is around the corner if he can see off the dangerous Japanese man Hisashi Amagasa at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.

Warrington has been hunting a showdown with IBF Featherweight champion Lee Selby, but first he must defend his WBC International title again Amagasa, who came close to dethroning the great Guillermo Rigondeaux in December 2014, flooring the Cuban twice before retiring after the 11th round.

Warrington will have a keen observer in Selby, who is in the Sky Sports studio for Stephen Smith’s World title fight in America in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Selby defended his IBF belt in London last weekend on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s World Heavyweight title win, but suffered a scare in the second round when Eric Hunter floored him hard with a jolting right hook.

The Welshman bounced straight back up but Warrington believes the Philadelphia challenger proved that there are chinks in Selby’s armour that the Leeds star can capitalise on if they meet at Elland Road.

“I think Lee got a bit exposed by Hunter,” said Warrington. “He got caught clean plenty of times and took some big shots, but he defended his title so you have to credit him for that.

“Hunter was probably a little bit difficult for Selby because there wasn’t a massive amount of footage of him out there. He is a talented fighter who just doesn’t put a lot into it.

“This is the fight I need to show people that I can go to the next level and if we move on to Elland Road I want a full house and I want to have the critics on board. A lot of my critics are saying this is a tough fight for me but if he can come through this then you are looking at Josh Warrington versus Lee Selby as a 50-50.

“I need to beat Amagasa to prove I am a serious threat to Lee Selby and not that he is fighting me because I am a ticket seller.

“We have a game plan, my dad and my team have looked after that and you will see that I will pull of another good performance and we will march on together.

“I 100 per cent fancy the Selby fight, but it is boring me a bit now because first he wanted to go and crack America and said I wasn’t big enough for him then he didn’t box great against Fernando Montiel, didn’t make too much of an impact in America and wants to come back and chin me.

“I have been nothing but respectful towards Lee and I have been patient, but I am little bit tired now of the crap he has been coming out with, talking about looking at bigger things. He is forever talking about Leo Santa Cruz and the other fighters in the division even before he had beaten Eric Hunter. He got through that, I have to get through, and then we can really start talking about the fight.

“I know the people of Leeds would love to see it. When I walk around Leeds the first two things people say to me are, ‘How is it going Josh’ and then ‘when are you going to chin that lad from Wales?’

“It would be a special occasion and now he has beaten Hunter, if I can win we can start talking. It would be perfect for this summer. If it doesn’t happen this summer it is another year until it will happen, and will he still be World champion in another year? It is a tasty division and one punch can change a fight. Maybe I want the opportunity while it is there.

“If the fight comes off I believe I beat him. People say he is levels about but I have what it takes to defeat Lee.

“The ball is in my court now. For a few years people would mention the fight and people would respond saying I didn’t deserve to be in there with Selby. There was a point when I won the European title that the gap was quite close but since he won the World title people say it is all about levels.

“If I win people can’t say I don’t deserve the shot. Selby is a World champion and he beat somebody who had the belt to win it, but I think Amagasa is better than Evgeny Gradovich. He is a real tough fighter and if I win I deserve a shot at Lee Selby at Elland Road.”

Warrington’s clash with Amagasa is part of a huge night of action in Leeds with Stuart Hall aiming to take a huge step to regaining his IBF World Bantamweight title in a final eliminator against Rodrigo Guerrero.

Dave Ryan can regain the Commonwealth Super-Lightweight title against Martin Kaikili, Martin J. Ward defends his WBC International Super-Featherweight belt against Ruddy Encarnacion, and there’s a host of talent on the bill with Jake Ball, Isaac Chamberlain, Jeff Saunders, Maxi Hughes Darren Tetley and Daryl Baptiste, and a debut for Reece Mould.

Tickets are on general sale priced at £30, £40, £60 and £100 from the First Direct Arena at www.firstdirectarena.com and on 0844 248 1585. VIP tickets priced at £150 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com.

Tickets for April 16 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing.

A hand injury has forced WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders to withdraw from his maiden title defence against Max Bursak at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday 30 April.

However, undefeated heavyweight sensation Hughie Fury will now joint headline an action-packed card alongside red-hot talent Liam Walsh on a huge night of boxing featuring the best of British of talent, exclusively live on BoxNation.

Saunders, who injured his left hand during a training session, is devastated that he can’t make the the first defence of the world that he won with a blistering display against the then champion Andy Lee in December. He said, “I’m bitterly disappointed. I was really looking forward to making the first defence of my world title against Max Bursak but this is boxing and these things happen. Now it’s all about recovering properly and looking forward to a big 2016.”

Undefeated Fury will now joint-headline the card when he challenges for his first title – the Vacant WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship – against experienced American Fred Kassi.

Fury has ripped through the division with his devastating, all-action style that has seen him halt 10 out of 19 opponents early with eight coming inside three rounds. The 21 year-old, who is the younger cousin of Unified World Heavyweight Champion Tyson, has quickly established himself as one of the world’s very best young heavyweight prospects and will be looking to make a big statement in his first title fight.

Hard-hitting ‘Big Freddy’ has a fearsome reputation with 10 knockout wins in 18 career victories; 9 of them coming inside two rounds. Kassi, 36, has only been stopped once in 23 career fights and will also be gunning for his first ever title.

“I’m aiming to make a big impact in the next few years and join my cousin Tyson at the very top of the sport. I’m delighted to be featuring on BoxNation again, I’ve boxed on their shows in the past and really enjoyed the experience,” said Fury.

He added: “This is the first title I’ll be going for so I’m buzzing to get in there and do the business. I was straight back in the gym after my win over Dominick Guinn and I’m feeling fit and ready to go again.”

Also joining a mouth-watering night of boxing is Cromer’s British and Commonwealth Super-Featherweight Champion Liam Walsh. The undefeated Cromer star will defend his belts against Coventry’s Troy James in his first fight since claiming the Vacant WBO Intercontinental Lightweight title against big-hitting Brazilian Isais Santos Sampaio in July 2015.

Walsh was scheduled to defend his British and Commonwealth titles against James back in July of last year at the Manchester Velodrome, but the Coventry fighter was forced to withdraw due to a back injury sustained in training. The 29-year-old is chomping at the bit to make his eagerly-anticipated return to the ring.

He said: “I don’t just want to win, I want to be brilliant. Come fight night I’ll have been out of the ring just shy of a year and I’m buzzing to get back in there. Troy is a man I’ve known for a long time, I remember him from the amateur days. It’s a good fight and he’s a decent opponent; he went ten rounds with Terry Flanagan and he’s never been stopped. He’s done all of his eliminators and he’s earned his shot; he’s got my full attention.”

The stacked Copper Box card will also feature Liam’s twin brother Ryan, who will be making the second defence of his British Featherweight title against Belfast ace James Tennyson. It is set to be another historic night for the Walsh twins who both defend their British titles simultaneously; a first for British boxing.

“As amateurs me and Ryan both got to the Junior ABA Finals two years running. He won his the first year and I ruined it and lost, the next year I won my final and he lost his. We’ve never really had that double win on the same night and this time we’ve promised each other we’re both going to win; it’s going to be a special night,” added Walsh.

Tickets priced at £30, £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200 are available from See Tickets 0871 230 7148 and www.seetickets.com, Eventim 0844 249 1000 and www.eventim.co.uk, Ticketmaster 0844 8440 444 and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

For ticket refunds please go to your original point of purchase.

A stacked card also features: The Vacant European Cruiserweight title between Ovill McKenzie and Dmytro Kucher; Anthony Nelson defends his Commonwealth Super-Flyweight Championship against Jamie Conlan. On the undercard Erith super-bantamweight Lewis Pettitt returns to the ring; Chingford super-featherweight Boy Jones Jnr; Indian middleweight sensation Vijender Singh; Chelmsford super-middleweight Billy Long, West Ham super-welterweight Sammy McNess; Sidcup super-featherweight D.P Carr; West Ham super-lightweight Ben Smith; Hornchurch super-lightweight Sanjeev Sahota; Nantwich heavyweight Nathan Gorman and Enfield super-middleweight Barney Joe Jones, all feature.

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

Leading UK sportsbook Titanbet.co.uk have secured a momentous deal with a fellow titan in the sporting world as they team up with Matchroom Boxing to sponsor the return of ‘The Leeds Warrior’, Josh Warrington (22-0) at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on April 16th, 2016.

Warrington opens at odds of 1/4 with Titanbet.co.uk to successfully defend the WBC International Featherweight Title against Hisashi Amagasa in his hometown following back-to-back wins there in his previous two outings.

With an avid fanbase and now the support of Titanbet.co.uk, it will be one of the British boxing calendar’s biggest nights of 2016.

Russell Yershon, UK Sports Manager for Titanbet.co.uk, was keen to stress the magnitude of the deal.

Yershon said: “We are proud to partner with Matchroom boxing for this super fight night. It will be a great event which is live on Sky Sports 1 and with the huge live crowd to cheer on their local lad. One of the most exciting young fighters around, it’s going to be a tough night for Amagasa and it’s clear from looking at the odds that many expect Josh to take that next step towards a world title fight.

“We’ll also be offering our customers exclusive deals for the event, including money-can’t-buy ringside tickets for a huge night of action.”

Matchroom are frontrunners in sports promotion and excel in the boxing field. It was the logical choice to promote Warrington’s second title defence in Leeds and with elite partners by their side.

KO artist Amagasa – who has 20 knockouts in his 30 victories – will be looking for an upset – but backed by a passionate and vocal home crowd, it’ll be Warrington who heads into this fight as the firm betting favourite. While the popular Leeds man has only knocked out four of his previous 22 opponents, all have come over the course of Warrington’s last seven fights, and there will be plenty of punters backing the featherweight at 21/10 with titanbet.co.uk to stop Amagasa before the end of the 12th round, and as short as 18/1 between rounds 7-11.

Combining Yorkshire grit with lightning hand-speed and effective foot-work, not to mention the passionate support of thousands, Warrington has really made a mark on the boxing scene over the past couple of years. While Amagasa has the potential to be a tough test for the 25-year old, Warrington knows victory at the First Direct Arena would put him on the cusp of a world title shot.

Tune in on Saturday April 16th for an explosive night of action, where Stuart Hall also looks to climb the ladder towards an IBF world bantamweight title shot against Rodrigo Guerrero.

END

LATEST WBC INTERNATIONAL FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE ODDS FROM TITANBET.CO.UK

Bout odds: 1/6 Josh Warrington, 5/1 Hisashi Amagasa, 22/1 Draw.

Round Betting: Warrington: 33/1 Round 1, 25/1 Round 2, 22/1 Round 3, 22/1 Round 4, 20/1 Round 5, 20/1 Round 6, 18/1 Round 7, 18/1 Round 8, 18/1 Round 9,18/1 Round 10, 20/1 Round 11, 25/1 Round 12,

Round betting: Amagasa: 50/1 Round 1, 50/1 Round 2, 50/1 Round 3, 40/1 Round 4, 40/1 Round 5, 40/1 Round 6, 40/1 Round 7, 40/1 Round 8, 50/1 Round 9, 50/1 Round 10, 66/1 Round 11, 66/1 Round 12,

On Points:

On points: 4/6 Warrington, 14/1 Amagasa

21/10 Warrington by KO, TKO, DQ
6/1 Amagasa by KO, TKO, DQ

About Titanbet.co.uk

Titanbet.co.uk is powered by the world’s largest online gaming software developer Playtech, a publicly-traded company on the London Stock Exchange (PTEC.L). Titanbet.co.uk customers can expect an exceptional and fully-customisable betting experience. Our mobile product is second to none and offers sports betting opportunities on the go – anytime, anywhere. We’re proud to offer early pre-match betting lines, exciting live bets, and some of the best odds on the market. All staff live and breathe sport, and their mission is to offer UK-based sports enthusiasts a top of the line sports betting experience.

Tickets for Liam Smith’s long-awaited Liverpool Echo Arena homecoming are now on sale.

The Merseyside man makes a hero’s return to his hometown to make the second defence of his WBO World Super-Welterweight at the top of an action-packed bill on Saturday 4th June.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 are available from:

www.frankwarren.com

TicketMaster
0844 844 0444
www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Eventim
0844 249 1000
www.eventim.co.uk

Liverpool Echo Arena
0844 8000 400
www.echoarena.com

Scouse warrior Smith became Liverpool’s first world champion in 22 years last October when he stopped American John Thompson in the seventh round with a brutal right-hand, left hook combination to take the Vacant WBO World Super-Welterweight crown.

Following his sensational performance against Thompson, Smith returned to the Manchester Arena two months later to make the first defence of his newly attained title against Mancunian Jimmy Kelly. In the first Manchester vs. Liverpool world title showdown in over 80 years, Smith blasted out his unbeaten rival with another seventh round stoppage.

After emphatically announcing himself on the world stage ‘Beefy’ is now looking forward to making a hero’s return to his beloved home city where he will headline a mouth-watering card stacked with top domestic and world talent.

South African super-puncher Zolani Tete makes his eagerly-awaited return to Merseyside to defend the IBF International Bantamweight title that he impressively won against Jose Santos Gonzales in March. Tete has quickly established himself as a fan favourite in Liverpool and will be looking to continue his march towards becoming a multi-weight world champion with another explosive performance.

Ellesmere Port sensation Paul Butler returns to action to defend his WBO International Super-Flyweight. The ‘Baby Faced Assasin’ edged towards another world title shot after a stoppage victory over Sebastian Sanchez last month and will be looking to continue his red-hot KO streak.

Liverpool’s favourite fighting son ‘Jazza’ Dickens bounces back from the disappointment of missing out on a clash with no-show Guillermo Rigondeaux to take on Spain’s Abigail Medina for the vacant European Super-Bantamweight title.

A talent-stacked card will also feature European Bantamweight Champion Ryan Farrag who makes the first defence of his title against Frenchman Karim Guerfi. 28 year-old Farrag upset the bookmakers to claim the vacant European title against two-weight world title challenger Stephane Jamoye in his own backyard in October 2015 and is determined to keep hold of it on home soil.

A full undercard will be announced shortly.

‘Comanche Boy ‘ George Tahdooahnippah was victorious at home versus Colby Courter this past Friday, April 8, 2016 at the Comanche Nation Casino in Lawton, OK.

Tahdooahnippah won the bout via unanimous decision over the tough Courter from Missouri. Tahdooahnippah dictated the pace of the fight with his jab and constant pressure. Courter was content to fight on the outside and throw looping shots. There was no knockdowns, but was easily controlled by Tahdooahnippah.

Comanche Boy said,” my original opponent backed out. I give Courter credit for coming to fight me in my backyard. I wanted the knock-out, but I jammed my hand in the first round. Victory is always the outcome we train for, so I will take it. I am going to sit down with my team and plan the next move. I am ready to fight again!”

All Photos by Colin Henderson

website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow on Twitter at @Star Boxing, Instagram at StarBoxing and Facebook.com/StarBoxing,

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Star Boxing Inc. celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2012. The company has produced some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star Boxing continues to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star Boxing is proud that is has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook /StarBoxing

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions: Thank you for joining us today on this international media conference call for 2004 Olympic silver medal winner and former two?time world champion Amir “King” Khan. As you know, Amir Khan will battle Canelo Alvarez for the WBC and Ring Magazine Lineal Middleweight Championship which will be on Cinco de Mayo weekend on May 7th, live from the T?Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and if you can’t make it to Las Vegas, you can watch it on HBO Pay?Per?View.

We’re really excited once again to be working with Amir Khan, and as you know, Golden Boy Promotions is the exclusive promoter to Canelo?Khan, and we are thrilled that Amir Khan is once again working with us.

This fight is all about speed and power, and history has shown us that these types of fights make for an exciting one, action?packed fight. I’ve said it before: This fight takes me back to Maidana, who had Amir in a really, really tough fight, and Khan with his amazing footwork and speed and strength, you know, he was able to be victorious.

We are extremely thrilled and excited, and we certainly can’t wait for May 7th. I do want to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, Cerveza Tecate, “Born Bold,” O’Reilly Auto Parts, Casa Mexico Tequila, and DOOM, “Fight Like Hell,” on May 13th. All of the marketing, if you haven’t seen it yet, will start kicking in in these next couple of days. They are doing a tremendous, tremendous job on a global scale to make sure that everyone knows about this tremendous, tremendous fight.

Tickets are still available, and they are moving fast. We expect a sellout, a sellout crowd. We expect a lot of Brits. We expect a lot of wonderful fans from all over the world supporting these two great fighters. If you haven’t gotten your tickets, they are moving fast.

The person I will introduce to you now I’m happy to call a friend, a man that I’ve always admired. He’s brought up Amir Khan in such a way that a lot of people should be envious about. He is Amir’s father and manager, and that is Shah Khan. Shah?

SHAH KHAN, Father and Manager of Amir Khan: Hi, everybody, and thank you for coming online for this media conference call.

Yeah this is a tough challenge for him, and Amir is up for the challenge. The interest in the UK is incredible. Massive interest, just alone, just from the office, we’ve sold like 1,000 tickets, you know, not talking about the ticket ?? or the ticket outlets, and it’s a massive interest in the UK, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great night for boxing.

The preparations are going really, really well, and Amir is really up for this fight, and it’s going to be a great fight, two great fighters. You’ve got power and you’ve got speed, and I think it’s going to be easily a contenders’ fight in boxing. Thank you.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you very much, Shah. Next up to say a few words, he really needs no introduction. He’s trained some of the top fighters in the world today, and my hat’s off to him for doing a wonderful job a couple of weeks ago with probably one of the top fighters on the planet today, so let me introduce to you Amir’s trainer, Virgil Hunter.

VIRGIL HUNTER, Trainer to Amir Khan: Thanks, Oscar. Hello, everyone. Once again, glad to be part of such a big, big event in boxing, a sport that I love.

Amir is having a great training camp in preparation for a fight that we know is a very dangerous fight, and I commend him and his courage and his insight on taking the fight and thanking everybody who is involved, and looking forward to seeing everyone May 7th.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you very much, Virgil. And now the man of the hour. He’s Britain’s top fighter, Amir “King” Khan. He was catapulted into the media spotlight after winning the silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and he went on to turn pro the following year in July of 2005 with a first?round technical knockout victory over Phil Edwards, which obviously has taken him to the top of the sport. Amir Khan is a fighter who is a technical challenge, is a fighter who wants to fight the best, is a fighter who has been a multiple world champion, and yes, he continues to work hard and can push himself to new heights and push himself to the limit. He’s the kind of fighter who I personally have admired ever since he turned pro, ever since I saw him in the Olympic Games, and so I want to introduce to you a man who, like I said, shies away from no challenge and is willing to fight the very best, to be the best, and let me introduce to you Amir “King” Khan.

AMIR KHAN, Former Two Time World Champion: Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining the conference call. Training camp is going really well. It’s going really well. We’re still continuing all the camp.

It’s been tough, obviously, working on these strategies with my trainer Virgil, being more focused, because I know that one little mistake in a fight like this could get me in trouble, so I’m making sure that I’m not making any mistakes from being in the ring, scoring, or being in the gym training, doing work, or even outside the ring when I’m recovering and how long I’m going to be keeping the weight on, keep my ?? because I want to walk into this ring strong. I don’t want to be too light because by being too light, it could only ?? it won’t make me real strong.

I’m up against a very big middleweight fighter, which Canelo, he’s a middleweight world champion. We’re doing everything right. I mean, look, my skills are what’s going to win me this fight. I know I’m not going to be stronger than Canelo in any way. I’m not going to be thinking I’m stronger than Canelo, but I’m going to stand with him and fight with him. I think my skills in this fight will win me the fight, and I don’t know if the speed I have is something that ?? I don’t think that Canelo’s experienced speed with combinations and speed with power. I think there will be a lot of people who will be ?? I would say I will definitely shock the world come May 7th, otherwise I wouldn’t take the fight.

I’ve been watching video of Canelo, and day after day it’s getting more and more confident that I can beat this guy. So I’m really looking forward to it, and we still have another three to four weeks left of training where I’m going to be focusing, and I’m still going to be giving 100 percent so when I do walk into that ring, I’m not only going to do myself proud, but I’m going to do my family proud, I’m going to do my country proud, and I’m going to bring back home the belt. Thanks.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you, Amir. Before we go to questions, just a quick reminder, we’re going to host the media on Monday, April 18th, in Oakland, so if you don’t get a chance to ask a question, then hopefully you can make some time to go out there and see Amir train live in person. Thank you.

Q. Amir, you’ve been training a while now at this weight. How have you felt? Is this possibly the best you’ve ever felt not having to take weight off?

AMIR KHAN: I think I do feel stronger. I feel strong. I’m sparring with some very tough guys in the gym, and I do see that by holding on to the weight, it’s given me a lot of ability and a lot of strength and a lot of power, as well. That’s something that I know I’m not going to be naturally stronger than Canelo. Canelo is going to be stronger, obviously. He’s one of the bigger guys, but I think what’s going to happen to me is just happier at this weight and not killing myself.

Q. And having not to lose weight, meaning have you had more time to work on tactics and technique and improving that side of your game?

AMIR KHAN: Correct, yeah. That’s what we’re working on because obviously normally we have to be losing a lot of weight, and going down in weight and stuff like that weakens me, so this time I won’t be doing that. I’ll just be focusing on my game plan for the fight and improving my boxing skills.

Q. Could I ask Virgil a question, please. What did you think, Virgil, when Amir came to you with this fight? What was your first reaction?

VIRGIL HUNTER: Well, it was Shah who came to me with the fight, and initially I wasn’t for the fight, but I hadn’t seen Amir yet. Well, I take that back. He was here in the States. I wasn’t for the fight.

I think what changed my outlook on it was Amir’s response to me when I asked him why do you want this fight, and his response to me was quite assuring that he understood what he was going up against and what he was getting into.

Off of that, I felt much more confident in his ability to be competitive and win the fight.

Q. And how do you think he is looking at this weight in training?

VIRGIL HUNTER: Well, I’ve seen him come past through this weight before, and I’ve always been impressed when he was at this particular weight on his way down to making weight. It’s good, like he said, to be able to train and to be able to just focus on boxing and not have the worry and the grind of taking off pounds and doing it right and making sure you’re going to peak right and all these things. It’s been a plus. It’s been a plus.

Q. My first question is for Virgil. My question for you, I heard what you were just saying about when you asked Amir why he wanted to fight. When you heard that he wanted to fight, besides your opinion and as far as how Amir could match up against Canelo, what was your thought about what it said about Amir’s sort of mentality and desire to fight the best fighters? What did you think about that when he asked you about this match?up?

VIRGIL HUNTER: Well, again, maybe I said it wrong; he didn’t ask me initially. I was conversing with Shah, and once Shah let me know that the fight was on the table, I asked Amir why he wanted to fight.

Q. I heard that part. I heard that part. I meant your thought about that, when he told you.

VIRGIL HUNTER: When he asked? Well, what he told me as I was thinking also when he went into the fight, and usually it takes maybe two to three weeks sometimes for a fighter to buy into any strategy or plans you might have, maybe sometimes even longer, but to go into a camp already on the same page, that’s really a plus. You can get right to work.

So it was quite convincing, but it let me know that he understood what he was going up against, and he understood what he could and could not do.

Q. So how impressed are you by the desire to fight a bigger guy who’s got as much ?? a lot of experience against top fighters where your fighter is certainly the underdog? Do you like the idea that he wants to be great like that? What is your thought about that?

VIRGIL HUNTER: Well, you have to be impressed. I mean, it’s a step that not many fighters would take under those circumstances, so you have to be impressed.

I always said one thing about Amir, even in some of his setbacks, I’ve never really seen it affect him to the point where he got gun shy or not competitive. He has a personality and characteristics about him that he believes in himself, and he understands why he lost when he lost, and he just moves forward. That’s a plus in itself.

Yeah, I give him all the credit in the world. He’s got more than guts and balls; he’s got audacity. So it means a lot.

Q. Is it going to be difficult do you think for Amir and for you to sort of get it through his mind that he’s going to have to stay very disciplined with the way he boxes against a fighter that’s as big and strong as Canelo Alvarez because obviously that would appear to be part of the plan where you’re ?? nobody is going to expect Amir to stand there and slug it out with this guy. As he said in his statement, it’s going to be his skills that win this fight, not necessarily because he’s a bigger, stronger fighter. Can you keep him disciplined for 12 rounds?

VIRGIL HUNTER: Well, first of all, if he’s disciplined, I can keep him disciplined. If he doesn’t have the discipline and focus now, he’ll never have it, but I believe it’s there, and I think it’s very intact, and he understands what he needs to do, when he needs to do it. He understands the danger, and he also understands how to win the fight.

So it’s just going to be a great fight, I believe, and I believe that he has a fight in him that hasn’t come out yet, like all fighters when they get around 29 to 30 if they’re winners. They can just bring a fight out, bring it up, and I believe that that fight is in him somewhere, and I expect to see the fight come up that night because of all the elements. It should, and it will. If it’s ever going to come up, it’ll come up May 7th.

Q. Amir, I know that you were very disappointed that you did not get a fight with Mayweather, you did not get a fight with Manny Pacquiao, but now you’ve got probably the best guy other than them, and those other two guys now claim to be retired. What was your thought process to constantly strive to have the biggest fight possible, and not only have the biggest fight possible with Canelo, but then to go up in weight against a guy that’s going to be bigger and stronger than you? What is it that drives you to take that type of risk?

AMIR KHAN: I’m thinking about making history in boxing and leaving a great legacy behind and fighting the best out there. I wanted the big fights against Mayweather, Pacquiao, and both fights didn’t happen. I wanted the next big thing, and the next big thing was Canelo, and I remembered a long time ago being asked to speak about that fight, and you know, it seems to be more realistic now. I’m in a position where I’m growing up now and getting stronger, and I’m knowing and getting to understand boxing a lot better now, and having a good team around me with Virgil and the team, I think that helps, also, so I just needed that big fight now because that was something that was only going to give me more confidence and kind of give me that more drive.

Q. It kind of strikes me, Amir, I get the feeling from hearing some of your comments, from seeing some of your interviews and seeing some of the stories that you kind of like the fact that you’re the underdog because it will give you even more satisfaction should you be victorious? Can you speak about that and that mentality?

AMIR KHAN: I think it’s great, yeah. I think it’s great to be the underdog. This is the first fight I’m walking into as the underdog because normally I’m walking in as the favorite, and possibly a bit of pressure on you, where this time I’m going to be walking in as the underdog, and that way it’s a time where I can prove people this is where I belong. I belong as one of the best fighters in the world, and it’s going to be a great test for me.

Q. Oscar, when you boxed, there’s nobody that would doubt that you always strived to fight the very best fighters out there. You fought everybody in your career. When you look at Amir Khan and you see the desire for him to take on these types of challenges, does it in some ways remind you of the attitude that you had, and can you speak about that and the mentality of that as far as desiring to fight the best out there because you always did it?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Yeah, that’s who Amir Khan is. He’s a fighter, a human being that believes in himself, believes in his abilities. He’s a hard worker. I strongly feel that every fight should look at Amir Khan and dare to be great. That’s exactly what takes it to the top, whether they’re tough fights or whether they’re winnable fights. As long as you take the challenge, that’s the only way you’re going to know if you’re going to be great or not.

Q. Does it remind you of yourself a little bit?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: You know, it actually does. It actually does. I won some, I lost some, but one thing about my career today is that nobody can take that away from me. I dared to be great and fought everybody that was in front of me, and that’s who Amir Khan is.

Q. I have a question for Virgil. Virgil, you were saying that your initial reaction to the match?up is that you were against it. Can you explain what your thinking was there just when you first heard the idea of Amir facing Canelo?

VIRGIL HUNTER: Well, just being logical. Size difference being first and foremost, and the fact that Amir had been off for a while. Those are the first two things that came to my mind. Canelo has been fighting quite regularly, and you can get into a groove fighting as frequent as he’s been fighting and Amir having some time off.

But also on the other end, I believe that fighters who have started out as young as Amir has at nine and eight years old, that they need periods of time off. I think that it refreshes them, and I think that that’s been proven, Pacquiao the other night, Mayweather fighting Marquez, even Andre coming back and fighting No. 1. When you’ve been fighting since you were a kid, those muscle memories, they stay intact, and you don’t really get ring rust unless you’re doing things in your lifestyle, staying up, staying out drinking, whatever you’re doing that’s detrimental to your physical well?being, that can throw you off, of course, and it would exhibit to the viewers some sort of rust and things that are missing.

But the size and his frequency of fighting, that was the first concern.

Q. Virgil, when you spoke to Amir you mentioned that his excitement kind of changed your thinking and changed your mind on that. Was there anything else that changed your opinion about the fight, or was it just Amir’s ?? just his confidence?

VIRGIL HUNTER: No, his response. That pretty much did it. I didn’t entertain any other thoughts. Just his response.

Q. And lastly, about the size issue, heading into the fight, how do you think Amir ?? obviously Amir is going to be bigger. How do you think he’s going to respond to being a bigger fighter? Will that affect his speed do you think at all?

VIRGIL HUNTER: His speed has not been compromised at all, and I know it’s a lot of photos out there, outlets or public, make your own determination, weigh?in or during the fight, but he has not lost an iota of speed. When you’re gifted with it like he is, you’ll grow with it. It’s no different than LeBron James being in high school touching the white square at 190, and he still can do it at 230. It’s really not that much different than a sprinter, Bo Jackson running a 9.1 in the 200 and still doing it at 225. No, his speed hasn’t been compromised at all.

Q. Amir, just wondering, did you have to convince Virgil that this was the right match?up, and what was that conversation like when Virgil, I guess, expressed that maybe he had some second thoughts on the match?up? Just take us through that conversation that you had with him.

AMIR KHAN: We had to think about it, because there’s always a bit of ?? we don’t want to walk into a fight and get hurt. There’s a life after boxing, and I think that my thinking about this fight, and I think by me taking this fight, I think even Virgil probably understood and knew that I’m going to be more focused, and I know that I can’t make any mistakes against a guy like this. I’ve made mistakes in the past against guys my own weight because I know naturally I’m more gifted than them and I’m more skilled than them and I’m a better fighter than them, but these are ones that probably could be my worst opponents because I don’t really have that fear element, whereas when you’re fighting someone who’s tough and who’s dangerous and it’s going to be a tough fight, then that’s what brings out the A game in me.

I think Virgil understood that, as well, and I definitely understand that myself, that I’m going to train more, I’m going to be more focused for a fight like this than I would be for a fight against someone my own weight and someone I know who I’m better than.

Q. Virgil, we heard Amir say maybe 10 minutes ago that he intends on shocking the world. It sounds like he recognizes he’s the underdog of this fight. Given the way that the odds seem to be stacked against him, the size difference, et cetera, how does this compare to your greatest challenges as a trainer?

VIRGIL HUNTER: I’m sorry, I didn’t get the last part. How does it compare to what now?

Q. Your greatest challenges as a trainer.

VIRGIL HUNTER: Well, every fight is a challenge. You know, that’s how I feel about it, from an amateur to a prospect to the level that Amir is on.

Of course I understand the whole content of the fight. I understand what comes off a victory, and I understand that by him saying that he intends to shock the world that quite possibly it could be a shock. It’ll be a shock to a lot, but I it won’t be a shock to some. So he falls somewhere right in that 60 percent shocked, 40 percent I’m not shocked.

But it means a lot to be able to participate in the sport that you love at this level and in an event of this magnitude. It’s very humbling. I feel fortunate. I feel blessed to have been here, not just one time but a few times.

To me, to be able to maybe one day be retired and hopefully have enough health to reflect back, it means quite a bit.

Q. When was the last time you felt or you had a fight where you felt like the underdog?

VIRGIL HUNTER: Probably Andre going into the Super Six. I know everybody viewed him as an underdog, but I didn’t. I don’t view Amir as an underdog in this fight. I’m very confident in his abilities. I think I would be doing him a disservice if I viewed him as an underdog. I view him as the top dog, and that’s how we’re approaching the fight. We’re not approaching the fight hoping to get the victory. We’re not approaching the fight hoping that it goes our way. We’re approaching the fight determined to get the victory and to make it go our way. That’s the approach.

Q. Amir, this is the biggest fight of the year. You can’t sit on the fence. Those that love you support you, those that go for Canelo go for Canelo. What do you tell your supporters, and what do you tell the people that are doubting you?

AMIR KHAN: Well, I know it’s the biggest fight this year that’s going to happen, and I just want to tell them to tune in and watch this fight because this is going to be a fighting style a lot of people are going to love. You’ve got a boxer versus a fighter, and you’ve got speed versus power, and it’s going to be exciting from round 1 until the end.

It’s a fight for me that I want to prove to people that I really do belong up against the best fighters in the world, and I want to be the best one there. This is a great fight for the fans to watch, as well, and I’m going to give it to the fans of the UK because they’ve always been waiting and expecting a big fight from me, especially with Floyd Mayweather not happening and then Manny Pacquiao not happening. I want to do this for the UK crowd and hopefully bring back home the belt, and definitely it’s going to be a big, big Mexican holiday. I believe that the UK fans are going to turn out for me and they’re going to come and support this big fight.

Q. Virgil, if you could compare in the history of boxing, who does Canelo remind you of and who does Amir Khan remind you of?

VIRGIL HUNTER: Boy, you’re putting me in a position where I’d be doing somebody a service and a disservice.

Look, I’d like to give each one their own identity. They’re one of a kind. I would probably have to search high and low to get a close comparison, so to speak. But there is a time in an athlete’s career if they’re gifted that they should be able to stand alone in their own aura, and I give both of these gladiators that respect.

Q. Oscar, with Manny retiring, Mayweather retiring, what are the implications of this fight? Where does it put the winner?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Well, I mean, it puts the winner as being the man. You know, now that Pacquiao retired, Mayweather is retired, the winner of this fight becomes the man. You know, it doesn’t happen often, including other sports, where just because you beat the man doesn’t make you the man, but in this case here, you have two elite fighters, elite athletes, who are at the peak of their career, who are at the top of their game, and whether Amir wins or whether Canelo wins, the winner is going to be the man in boxing for a very long time.

Q. Amir, my first question is when you opted to take the fight with Canelo, why didn’t you tell Virgil that this was a discussion you were having?

VIRGIL HUNTER: I did know. I did know there were discussions with his dad, so I did know. He didn’t keep me uninformed.

Q. Okay, because it seemed like when we spoke to you in Los Angeles that you didn’t know the discussions were going on, so then Virgil, I’ll ask you, since Amir has joined your stable, what do you think is the biggest change in him from that time until now?

VIRGIL HUNTER: Well, you know, change is always subtle. I’ve seen him tremendously focused, and I’ve seen him slightly distracted. So I think in Amir’s case, it’s where his focus is. If his focus is locked in, he becomes a very formidable opponent. If he’s slightly distracted, then he can make his way a little tougher. But even in those situations, I’ve seen his competitiveness, his will to win, even when he’s distracted and he’s come up against a tougher situation than is expected. I’ve seen his competitiveness take over and still pull out the victory. I mean, he’s a silver medalist at 17, so he’s a winner. But when he’s focused, he can do some things that you really can’t prepare for, and for this fight he is focused, as he very well knows he has to be.

Q. I’ve just got a couple for Amir. Obviously you know that Canelo is going to wear you down, therefore your speed is going to be major in this fight. Are you worried that putting on the extra weight you’re going to run out of gas in the championship rounds at the end?

AMIR KHAN: No, look, we’ve been conditioning well. We’ve been training very hard, so we know ?? we’re going to expect that Canelo is going to come forward and try to grind me down, and we know what to expect. I’ve got some great sparring partners who are going to get me conditioned and get me ready for that kind of pressure. So I’m looking forward to whatever Canelo brings, really. I’m just going to be working towards a very strong, hard?hitting, come?forward fight with Canelo, and we’re going to be ready for that, and if he wants to do that, we’re going to have answers for it. If he wants to do ?? whatever Canelo does in the fight, we’re going to have answers, also. We’ve basically worked on two different strategies for this fight.

Q. How are you feeling about the weight long?term because if you pull this off and your hand is lifted at the end of this fight, there will be pressure for you to stay at that weight and not drop back down to 147 or 154.

AMIR KHAN: Yeah, it just depends on ?? we’re going to wait and see how everything ?? how the outcome becomes and what naturally feels good for me.

I mean, look, this weight could be amazing for me where I feel strong and it suits me better, so it just depends on ?? we’ll see after the fight. Me and Virgil will sit down afterwards, but naturally I think I am a middleweight, naturally, but who knows. By putting this extra bit of muscle and strength on, I think it’s only going to maybe make me stronger, and time will tell. It’s hard to tell at the moment, but while I’ve been sparring and while I’ve been in the gym training, I do feel really strong and really good, and I feel really happy, as well. It gives me enough time to spend on skill and to work on my defense and work on my boxing skills.

Q. Away from this actual fight, this is an Olympic year. Obviously you showed success in our country with your fantastic escapades in the Olympics. We’ve heard from Oscar earlier on about the start of his career in the Olympics, as well. What’s your attitude about professional boxers going into the Olympics?

AMIR KHAN: I think it’s hit and miss, really, because a lot of the world?class professionals might not enter. It’s something that I’d love to maybe enter because me winning a silver medal and I want to turn it into a gold medal by going to the Olympic Games, it would be a little different because obviously you’re only fighting three rounds, but the minutes of the rounds are going to be the same. It could work and it could not work. It’s just a matter of it would be too much of a big risk for these world champions as professionals to go into.

I think it just all boils down to what I think ?? it’s hard to say, really, but I think if it was me and I had the opportunity to go back to the Olympic Games and change out a silver medal to a gold medal, because when I was in Doha certainly I was invited by AIBA and they invited me to be there, and I watched the guys who were fighting at my weight category, and I was watching them and thinking, I can still beat these guys, even having the same work rate and everything, and even not fighting 12 rounds but fighting three rounds.

Yeah, it’s something I would probably maybe consider. Like I said, time will tell, but before that I have a big fight to focus on, and we’ll get past this fight and then we’ll see what goes on.

Q. Amir, do you think boxing is a logical sport, or do you think the boxing logic ??

AMIR KHAN: What do you mean, sorry?

Q. Do you think that boxing is a logical sport?

AMIR KHAN: I mean, boxing really is a sport, but at the end of the day you’ve got ?? it’s a sport that you need skill, I think, and you need to have a big heart. There’s a lot of fights out there that don’t happen because a lot of fighters don’t basically have the balls to take the fights on, but I think with this fight, me taking this fight, I hope it inspires other fighters out there and other professionals to take big fights in their boxing career, and if you want to be remembered as a great fighter, you need to take big fights like this.

So yeah, that’s what boxing is all about, really, and that’s one of the reasons I’m in boxing, because I want to be remembered as a great fighter and I want to achieve everything and fight the biggest fights in my boxing career because one day when I leave, I don’t want to ever be like, oh, I regret not having this fight and I should have taken this fight and I should have had this fight. So that’s something different, yeah. Everyone is different.

Q. The last time that a Mexican opened a big arena like this time, like Canelo will open the T?Mobile, was Chávez vs. Randall ’94, so do you believe that you are the Randall of Canelo?

AMIR KHAN: Canelo is a great fighter. He’s a great fighter, and this is going to be a big event. Whoever comes to this fight is going to be really happy because you’ve got a style there, and it could be bigger than the Chávez?Randall fight because you have the whole of Mexico, you have the whole of ?? you have the whole world watching that fight, and I think in this fight, especially two big superstars from two different parts of the world fighting each other, I think this could be a massive fight really because not only you’ve got Great Britain, you’ve got like ?? you’ve got the whole of Asia, India, you’ve got Pakistan, you’ve got the Middle East, you’ve got America, you’ve got so many nations who are going to be choosing and watching this fight, this is a very big fight, and it’s just great for boxing. It’s only promoting our sport of boxing, and it’s going to, like I said, promote big fights in the future.

Q. Last week I talked with Mayweather Sr., and he said that you are wrong about gaining weight and losing your velocity. Do you believe that you are gaining weight and you don’t lose the velocity?

AMIR KHAN: I don’t think it’s going to really make a difference on the speed or anything, because I’ve been training, and this is more natural for me. Normally what I do, I have to go down in weight and I have to lose weight normally, but this time I’m not going to be losing the weight, this time I’m going to be at my natural weight. I’ll be happy making the weight. I’ll be keeping the strength, I’ll be keeping the speed, so this is all natural for me.

Q. Can you tell me something about your Mexican trainer, Luis García, how he’s doing in Oakland?

AMIR KHAN: Yeah, we love Mexican people. I mean, a lot of people said my fighting style is like a Mexican. A lot of people say my style is like a Mexican fighter. I’ve been watching a lot of Mexican boxers for a long, long time, you know, and I like the fighting style they have. So this is going to be a great show. I mean, you’ve got two warriors in the ring come May 7 that both want to be the best in the world and both want to win, so it’s what makes this fight even more better and classic.

Q. How close do you think that you are for Mayweather blueprint with Canelo?

AMIR KHAN: Mayweather is his own fighter, and everyone is their own fighter, everyone is different in that way, so I’m not going to say that I’m going to do what Mayweather did. I think since Mayweather beat Canelo, Canelo is a better fighter. I’ve been watching his fights, and I think he’s improved a lot as a fighter.

So really I’m just going to have to beat the Canelo who is going to be in front of me. I know he’s going to be changing his style a lot, but whatever Canelo brings we can have answers for. Canelo is a strong guy. There’s not much of a blueprint there. There’s only one guy who beat him, which is Mayweather, and like I said, he’s changing as a fighter. He’s getting better.

Once we get in that ring, we have a game plan. We have a game plan. We have a strategy to win this fight, and it’s all about sticking to that, and I know I can win this fight that way.

Q. Do you think that the winner of this fight after Mayweather and Pacquiao leave boxing should be the next star of boxing, Canelo or Amir Khan?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Look, I was asked that question before, and what I said was the winner of this fight is going to be the man, yeah, and when you take everything into consideration, you look at the regimens, you look at the fight, the number that it’s going to generate, this is going to be a mega, mega, mega event, and whoever wins this fight is going to call themselves the Pay?Per?View King. This is part of the stakes that goes along with a fight of this magnitude, you know, and so that’s why this fight is so important for both guys, for many reasons.

CECILIA ZUNIG, Golden Boy Promotions: Amir, do you have any final comments to the press on this call?

AMIR KHAN: I just want to say a big thank you very much for being on this conference and supporting me. The UK press has been great. I mean, the press around the world have been great. They’ve been very supportive in this fight, and they have given me a chance ?? a lot of people at first didn’t give me a chance, and now I think as time is getting closer, they’ve really seen that I can go into this fight and win this fight, so I hope to see you all at the fight. It’s going to be a big fight, and just a big thanks to you guys again, and hopefully we’ll see you soon. Thank you.

CECILIA ZUNIGA: Oscar, we’re ready for your final comments and any reminders.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you very much. I gave you the reminder. Amir Khan will be working out, whoever didn’t have a chance to ask a question. He is opening up his training camp which will be Monday, April 18, in Oakland, so we will see you there. Thank you very much.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold”, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Casa Mexico Tequila and DOOM® — Fight Like Hell on May 13. David Lemieux vs. Glen Tapia is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Main Events. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 7 at T-Mobile Arena 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.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloKhan.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600 and $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $250 and $150 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

NEW YORK (April 12, 2016) – Former junior welterweight world champion Ruslan Provodnikov, former world title challenger John Molina Jr. and undefeated former 154-pound world champion Demetrius Andrade participated in a media luncheon on Tuesday hosted by SHOWTIME® and Banner Promotions before beginning training camp for their June 11 fights, live on SHOWTIME® from Turning Stone Casino in Verona, N.Y.

Former Fight of the Year participants Provodnikov and Molina will meet in the June 11 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® main event. The tripleheader begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features former WBO Junior Middleweight Champion Demetrius Andrade facing off against Willie Nelson in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator. In the opening bout, WBC No. 1-ranked lightweight Dejan Zlatcanin will challenge No. 2-ranked Emiliano Marsili for the vacant WBC Lightweight World Championship.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Banner Promotions, Inc., are priced at $85, $60, $45 and $35 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877.833.SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com).

Below is what the fighters had to say:

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV
“As soon as I heard the name John Molina, I jumped on it. Molina fights with the type of style that people want to see. He brings the action.

“June 11 is another Fight of the Year-type fight. You can expect fireworks.

“People expect action fights when I get in the ring. I appreciate that SHOWTIME saw a value in what I can offer and I want to make sure that I don’t let them down.

“I’ve only seen one fight of his, and that was the fight with (Lucas) Matthysse. That fight shows the type of fighter he is.

“I think our styles are going to clash. The reason people love this is because it’s unpredictable. Nobody knows what’s going to happen on June 11. Nobody can even predict which way it’s going to go. We’re both punchers, we both go forward, we both fight in a risky style. I think that’s going to make this fight a fight that everybody should watch.

“The fight is already a huge motivation, but the fact that the Hall of Fame is the same weekend is definitely great. I’m definitely pleased to know that because hopefully one day I can be a part of that.”

JOHN MOLINA JR.

“We’re never say die fighters. We come forward. It’s literally like two trains that are going to collide. It’s a can’t miss fight.

“He’s a hell of a fighter. He has a big heart and a big will.

“Right now, my only focus is – and I know it sounds generic – but my only focus is on Ruslan Provodnikov. He deserves my undivided attention right now because he’s that kind of fighter.

“I have to prepare for someone that has a never say die attitude. He’s like a virus that will never go away. He’s a hell of a fighter – he has a big heart and a big will. It’s tough to beat a guy that wants to win.

“We’re going to give the fans a treat, a Gatti-Ward type fight. I expect nothing less. We can have a phone booth, we don’t need a big ring.

“The judges probably don’t even need to be there because we’re going to decide the fight ourselves.”

DEMETRIUS ANDRADE

“Willie Nelson, he’s going to come in and he’s going to try and throw those power shots. He’s going to try to stomp me down and make a statement, but I’ve been doing this for too long. I’m just ready to be where I need to be, where I deserve to be, and that’s on the top.
“I’m not worried about ring rust. I stayed in the gym like a true champion should. I’m still young in the game so I don’t think I should have any problems seeing or ducking any punches.

“I’m confident and I know I’m the best 154-pounder out there and this fight right here is going to let people know that I’m back in business.

“Everybody knows the work that I’ve put in. The time is now and the time is coming.

“I’m ready to re-introduce myself to boxing fans and show them I’m the best 154-pounder in the world.

“After this fight with Willie Nelson, I plan on fighting the winner of Jermell Charlo and John Jackson and getting that WBC belt. And after that, I want to face the rest of the division and prove I’m the best.”

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