George Groves will face David Brophy in a Super-Middleweight battle of Britain at The O2 in London on April 9, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Three-time World title challenger Groves meets the Scotsman over 12 rounds on the undercard of Anthony Joshua MBE’s World Heavyweight title clash with Charles Martin, as the Londoner aims to stay on track for a fourth shot at World honours.

Groves returned to the ring in style in January, stopping Andrea Di Luisa inside five rounds at the Copper Box Arena in east London in his first fight with new trainer Shane McGuigan, and ‘Saint’ George’s promoters Sauerland are in talks with Eddie Hearn for a summer showdown with St. Helens’ Martin Murray, but must get past the Scotsman first.

“It’s nice to be in a domestic dust-up!” said Groves. “David is an undefeated fighter so I’m sure he will be coming with a lot of confidence. It’s great to be back on Sky Sports and part of a great Box Office line-up. I’m looking forward to it.

“I had a good performance last time out against Di Luisa and I will be using that momentum going in this fight. Hopefully I’ll get a similar result and we can move on to the bigger fights in the summer.

“The work with Shane is going well. I think we will see even more improvements. The sparring has been better, the technical sessions have been better. I think that will come out more and more in this next fight.

“I’m sure it won’t be long until back in the World title mix. There’s plenty of big fights out there for me, and I’m willing to fight anyone, so we will see what routes open for me.”

Groves’ promoter Kalle Sauerland said: “George has never shied away from a challenge, and on April 9, he’s back in action against a young undefeated prospect. This will be another good test for George and a chance for him to showcase more of the improvements he has made since teaming up with Shane McGuigan. It’s an exciting time for the ‘Saint’ with a lot of big fights on the horizon.”

Unbeaten Brophy – 16-0 – will have other ideas though and the Caldercruix talent can gate-crash the upper-reaches of the 167lbs division if he can land a career-best win in Greenwich.

“This is a massive opportunity for me,” said Brophy. “I have done my apprenticeship and I have waited patiently for a chance, so this is a great chance for me to show what I can do on an outstanding show.

“I said yes to the fight straightaway. I didn’t even know how many rounds it was, or anything about the money, I just said yes. I haven’t been in the limelight, you never really are in Scotland, so opportunities don’t come too often and you miss 100 per cent of the opportunities you don’t take.

“I don’t mind being the underdog. I know people will say I am the underdog straight away and George is a good fighter and I know that. But I am more than prepared for this step up and I will give it everything I have got. I feel really confident and I would have taken the fight if I wasn’t. I’m not here to make up numbers and that’s the first mistake that anybody will make. I’m there to do a job.

“I expect George to be fast and to try and do a job on me. I feel as if he is going to have a big fight in the summer, and whatever that is I think they will be treating me as a stepping stone and that is even better for me because I don’t mind being the underdog and I don’t mind going into somebody’s back garden either.”

Groves’ clash with Brophy is part of a huge night of action in London topped by Joshua’s first World title fight, as Lee Selby defends his IBF World Featherweight title against Eric Hunter, while there’s a key Middleweight battle between former World title challengers Matthew Macklin and Brian Rose, plus more fights to be confirmed soon.

TODD duBOEF: We are weeks away from this highly anticipated match between two Hall of Fame fighters. Tim has shown an incredible rebirth, beginning with his November fight in his union with Teddy Atlas. He did what no one had ever done, stopping Brandon Rios. He is motivated and a classy person inside the ring and a classy, classy person outside the ring. We are really excited to hear what he has to say and how he is preparing for this fight. He just found out today that Everlast has signed Tim (http://goo.gl/utpZTx). As he is winding down his training camp days I think it’s a good time to talk to him and Teddy.

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Thank you very much Todd. I would like to thank Team Bradley because without them I wouldn’t have this opportunity once again. I want to thank my wife and I want to thank Teddy for coming on board once again. I want to thank Top Rank and HBO and all of the media for putting the word out that there is a real fight happening on April 9. Training camp has gone very well and we are ahead of schedule. I am ready to go 12 rounds right now. Training camp goes on every day. There is never a down moment. Teddy is always on me. He’s a guy that cares. He’s a guy that loves. He’s a guy that knows what he’s doing. He’s a guy that believes in what he’s doing and he’s a guy that believes in me. We are a dynamic duo and everyone should check it out on April 9.

You were beaten handily the second fight and many thought you lost the first fight. What do you think you can do this time to beat Pacquiao?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Well, everyone has their own opinion regarding the first fight. However way you want to look at it, it was a very close fight. The second fight, Pacquiao definitely won that fight hands down. I had the injury in the second round, which I actually told my camp about. This time around I have a new guy — Teddy Atlas — a guy that analyzes fighters for a living. That’s what he does — he’s an analyst and a trainer. The approach this time is going to be a lot different and I will be looking to exploit Pacquiao’s weaknesses.

Do you think you are getting Manny at the right time as he may have one foot already out the door?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: You may hope or think that but I am expecting the best Manny Pacquiao. I hear he is training hard. He is training six days a week and sparring ten rounds already. I hear he is highly motivated for this affair. He knows what is at stake. For me to depend on any thoughts of weakness of Pacquiao would be wrong. I have to count on me to prepare and be ready for the fight.

Are you tired of seeing him after 24 rounds and it being not so long ago?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I am not tired of fighting this guy. I just want to have the opportunity to definitely seal the deal, and that same opportunity for my family as well. It is an opportunity for my kids to talk about years from now with their classmates – that their father beat Manny Pacquiao.

What have you learned from Teddy in this camp that you may not have learned in the last camp?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I have learned a lot of things in this camp, but mainly the hardest thing for me is to remain focused at all times in the ring, in training. What I mean by that is no matter what is going on or no matter what is happening that day, I always have to be focused and I always have to be committed and concentrating through the whole training camp. That is there every single day that I show up to the gym – total concentration and total focus. Sometimes we fighters can have off days and lose concentration and get hit with a couple of shots – it could be a jab or not being in the right position at all times – you can’t have that with Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is fast and he’s quick and he is always looking to take advantage of you.

What can you take from the first two fights?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I can take a lot from the first two fights. I could look at it a couple of ways – not even having a game plan in the first fight. I was fighting on my skills and experience. In the second fight I had the injury in the second round and after six rounds it was three rounds apiece. I think fundamentally I have a better chance to win this fight.

What do you think of the feud between Teddy and Freddie?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I don’t even pay any attention to that. The trainers train the fighters and the fighters get in the ring. I don’t pay any attention to that I just pay attention to my job. I have to prepare for a dangerous firecracker Filipino.

Are you learning about yourself a little bit more as you go through your second camp with Teddy? He is obviously forcing you to dig deep down – are you surprised in your ability to do so?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: No I am not really surprised at my ability to do so. I am what you call a perfectionist. I take my training and my boxing seriously. Teddy is a very serious guy too. He puts his heart into it and I feel the same way. I wouldn’t be a five-time world champion if I didn’t feel that way. I think the difference this time around is I have a game plan – I really do have a game plan. My game plan before was to avoid the left hand. Avoid the left hand and hit him with the right hand. Now, the game plan is a little more in detail. There are things that Manny Pacquiao does that I can take advantage of that I didn’t see before in watching film and breaking film down that Teddy has brought to my attention. I feel like it’s going to be a completely different fight than the first two.

What was your takeaway of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Pacquiao fought to the best of his ability. Mayweather is known for taking the air out of the ball – that’s the reason why he is the best in the world. He doesn’t let you do what you want to do and he’s able to do what he wants to do. Mayweather always has a way to keep the ball on his side of the court and don’t let you play with the ball. He’s able to do what he wants to do and not let you do what you want to do. He didn’t allow Manny Pacquiao to do what he wanted to do and he came out successful.

Do you expect Pacquiao to be the same that he was?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I’m sure his right hook will be better. But Manny Pacquiao pretty much does the same thing. He’s going to come forward and be the same Pacquiao we are always used to seeing being explosive with speed and looking to take guys out. He’s going to be the same dangerous Pacquiao we have always seen. I’m expecting a tough fight and I’m expecting a smart fight. I am not expecting any weaknesses from Manny Pacquiao.

Is there anything Pacquiao could surprise you guys with that would be out of the ordinary?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: No, he does pretty much the same thing – I don’t think there is anything out of the ordinary. I don’t think he’s going to do a new wrinkle right away. He’s been fighting the same way since I have seen him. He knows me but I think I’m going to be a little different this time.

Manny hasn’t knocked anyone out in a while do you think he has been fighting cautiously?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I don’t know what it is. He hasn’t knocked anyone out in a long time. It could be the weight class – he has been fighting at 147 pounds – it could be that, but I’m not depending on any decline of Manny Pacquiao. If I beat Manny Pacquiao I already know what is going to be said – “Oh he was old” – but I know Pacquiao is still great and he still can fight. I’m not depending on Manny Pacquiao to be weak. I think he is going to be stronger than ever. He’s going to be motivated and he’s going to be looking to taking my head off.

You are going to have to move to make sure he doesn’t dictate the fight…

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Yes, we have the game plan. I just have to go out there and execute the game plan. If I execute the game plan I will have no problem beating Manny Pacquiao just like I was able to beat Brandon Rios with the game plan. I trust everything that Teddy is telling me and teaching me. Teddy can instill everything that I need and I just go out and instill the game plan to win this fight. He has told me everything I need to know to win this fight and if I don’t go out there and do it I’m not going to win this fight.

Are you working together even more after the Rios fight?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Yes we are going off of what we started in the Rios fight. It’s funny you say that because after watching our sparring sessions or during sparring when I make mistakes I know exactly what I’m doing wrong before I am told. Teddy catches it and I do too at the same time and we correct it.

Is there anything you can to t help avoid the leg injuries you suffered in the last two fights?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I’m eating meat now so that’s a good thing. I’m back eating fish and chicken and a good steak every now and then and I think that has a lot to do with it. I just want to be able to fight this guy with a great game plan without being injured at all and see what happens.

Do you think this will be his last fight? Many are skeptical…

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: You know I don’t know and to be honest with you I really don’t care. If it is, so be it and if it isn’t then more power to him – whatever he wants to do. I don’t think about this being his last fight. I just know there is a fight on April 9. It’s a fight on April 9 that I want to win and I’m sure Teddy wants to win and we just have to do our job.

Can you evaluate Pacquiao before the Marquez KO and after?

TEDDY ATLAS: He has the same skill sets and the same dynamic abilities, speed, power – speed in his hands and speed in his legs. The same animal, maybe a touch more conservative and a touch more thoughtful since the last Marquez fight. That would be the only thing – he still has the same package of talent and the same moves.

What was your reaction to Pacquiao’s comments about gay people?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I don’t really want to get into any of that stuff. It’s pretty much irrelevant to boxing and what we are here to talk about – you can ask Pacquiao about that. But if you ask me a question about gay people – I love all people for what they are. I respect people for what they are. I judge people by their heart. If they just talk it and don’t show it then I don’t believe it – that’s what it’s all about. Show me. That’s the most important thing. I have a gay uncle that passed away and he had the biggest heart out of all of my uncles and I miss him to death and I still miss him today right now.

Is there some way you can avoid the leg injuries?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Overtraining – too much training on my legs. We don’t run like I did and we don’t do any of that stuff anymore. We’ve got it down to a science the way Teddy has this thing orchestrated. The way the workouts are spread out during the day and the proper rest, the rest at night, and the water intake – everything is all approved by Teddy – we are not making mistakes this time around.

Did the Vegan diet have any other affects on your body?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I need to fight a fight with two good legs so I said ‘darn it, I need to make a change.’ So I had to go back to eating meat. I feel the difference when I am in there fighting; I am recovering during my workouts. I think now I have all of the pieces to the puzzle. I have a great strength coach, I have a great nutritionist and I have a great trainer. I’ve got a great manager, which is my wife. I think I have all of my eggs in one basket – all the right pieces to the puzzle and it gives me the best opportunity to beat Manny Pacquiao.

How did the injuries limit you in the two fights?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Well, you are not only battling a dangerous guy and battling against yourself but you are battling against quitting. You think hitting is the easiest thing to do then it becomes the hardest thing to do. Quitting is not the easiest thing to do because quitting will stay with you for the rest of your life – you never get over it. It will always linger. That’s the hardest thing to do is to battle against quitting, letting go and fighting my fight and giving 110% no matter what is going on in that ring. That’s pretty much how I do it – never quit.

Did you see anything on film that you think led to Tim’s leg injuries?

TEDDY ATLAS: You never know going into a fight. Obviously if there was a slight injury going into the fight that was already leading into a problem with the leg. Obviously I wasn’t aware of that with Tim and with his camp if they had some prior problems going in maybe added to that situation. But when you are with a guy, I think Tim said it well, I think his diet and having more protein – the protein that comes from meat and fish – that very well may have been part of it, I’m sure it was part of it. Also you are dealing with a guy that if you do have a problem from a physical standpoint or the makings of a problem physically, maybe from the camp – you are dealing with a guy that gives you that kind of motion, that has the kind of wheels Manny has – it can put you out of position by adapting to him and staying with him and to adjust to him can put you in tenuous positions to defend yourself you are more prone to injury trying to stay with a guy like him.

Tim loves to train with a history of overtraining – how do you get the happy medium?

TEDDY ATLAS: First I understood that he had a 32nd birthday. I looked at the calendar and saw that he was 32 and it made sense to train a 32 year old – a five-time world champion – a little different than a 25-year old or 26 or 27. It is common sense just understanding with that kind of experience with those kinds of miles over the course of his career sometimes less is more. You do the same thing if you have a car – when it gets a little older you don’t take it on the highway 100 miles per hour – you don’t do that. You might bring it out fast on certain days but on other days you let it go at a more proper pace. It makes sense and I think sometimes in these fights there is tremendous pressure on everybody to be the most prepared. Sometimes you think the answer is to do more physical work and that’s where certain times you get comfortable – if I do more I’ll be OK. It’s like anything – there is a proper degree of everything. It’s a delicate balance – you have to pay attention to it and you have to understand it, be cognizant of it. You have to respect that. The human body is a very special machine and like any special machine it has to be worked properly. It has to be maintained properly. It has to be pushed properly and it has to be regulated properly. Too much of anything can be a negative. Like I said, you have to very aware of the right amount and what can be the wrong amount. I always say to him ‘we have an eight-week training camp, keep logs on the fire,’ we have to make sure that we will still have enough logs to burn at the end of training camp. That’s my philosophy.

When you heard what Manny said, did you think to yourself ‘this could be a distraction that we need?’

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Teddy can answer that

TEDDY ATLAS: Thanks a lot Tim. To me, it was similar to use a fighter on how they deal with adversity or how they deal with distractions. The prime example would be Floyd Mayweather Jr. His whole career has been full of what you guys would always ask before almost every fight at some juncture ‘do you think it will be a distraction’ and then he got past the fight and the next thing would happen, the next situation – ‘do you think it’s going to be a distraction?’ He’s able to live in a world of distraction; he liked to live in a world that is chaos for someone else. Some people have that ability, that mental toughness, whatever you want to call it. Manny has exhibited the same thing. Manny, throughout his career there has been many things around him. Whether it was a singing career – even though I didn’t think he was a great singer, a religious conversion or stronger beliefs to his religion which he was going through or the personal situation which everyone has; politics which he is involved in. Everybody asks and people forget now – none of that ever affected him, influenced him or affected him in a negative way. When that happened I will tell you I was one person that didn’t think it was going to be a distraction or an advantage to us at all. It’s another thing that at the end of the day, Manny will handle. Manny will get in the ring, when it’s April 9, and be a southpaw standing across the ring from us who is very fast with his hands and his feet and is very explosive, and that will be it.

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: All I would say is ‘Dang, I hope he’s not messing up the promotion!’

Do you think your war of words with Freddie Roach is helping the promotion?

TEDDY ATLAS: No, I don’t think any of that stuff helps. It comes down to the professionalism of the fighters. They are the ones that the focus should be on. I didn’t ask for this to come about or to grow into the ways that it has. I made myself a promise and that was to be as restrained as I could be and with it when it was appropriate. When it was appropriate to respond, I responded but I did not fire the first shot across the bow and I waited awhile before I responded. If it helps the promotion, I’m not going out of my way – I’m never going to do things that I feel I am not comfortable with or embarrass my family or my fighter or put any of them in a poor light or position – I wouldn’t do that to promote a fight or help a fight but at the end of the day if some of those responses help the promotion that’s a good thing because without the promoters, I understood that since I started with Cus D’Amato always reminding me to help the promoters in any way you can because without that there is no place for your fighter to ply his trade. Again, it wasn’t in any thought that was I’m going to do this for this effect or to sell more pay-per-view buys – it was just a matter at some point my responding appropriately if I could under the circumstances. I could tell you now that I would have preferred that if it wasn’t initiated we wouldn’t have to talk about this at all and I try not to because the focus is the fighters. It’s the two fighters that get in the ring to take the risk. It’s the two fighters that have the most on the line and at the end of the day that should be understood.

You have been known for mostly training heavyweights – is there a difference training a welterweight?

TEDDY ATLAS: Yes, about 75 pounds (laughs). Other than that, sometimes heavyweights are a little bit more temperamental. I don’t know if that’s fair but it’s fair to me because I’ve been down that road and I find that they can be a little more temperamental sometimes – I don’t know if it’s proper to say privileged – but they are heavyweights. They don’t have to watch their weight, they get a lot of attention and the light’s been on them a lot and they’ve been brought up in a way where, I don’t want to say spoiled but all the things I just said you kind of get the idea. It makes sense – a guy that gets a lot of attention and everyone wants to see the heavyweights and to a certain extent when people think about the great sport of boxing they ask, ‘who’s the heavyweight champion? What happened with the heavyweight champs and how come they are all over in Europe? How come we don’t have more in America.’ So that question is asked, but it’s been the small guys like Timmy, like Mayweather and Sugar Ray Leonard back in the day too. There have been guys like Manny that have captured the attention of this sport to a great extent over the last few years that we haven’t done real well at the heavyweights at least on the America side. There’s always intrigue – there is always a curiosity in the big fights and they get that attention and coddled up to a little bit more where people pay a little bit more attention to them and that creates a certain temperamental balance that you have to deal with from an emotional side. Smaller guys haven’t had that coddling – they are just ready to go in and do what they’ve got to do. I think the way small guys are brought up with a little less of that attention sometimes they are a little less sensitive – put it that way. Although Timmy is a little sensitive (Bradley laughing), I will say that – but all in a great, great way. I guess at the end of the day, what I am trying to say, is that everyone pays their dues in this business, but the smaller guys may pay their debt to a larger amount. They may start paying it a little earlier.

How does it feel to be a full time trainer again?

TEDDY ATLAS: The timing is good that I don’t have an obligation to ESPN at this moment. I don’t have another ESPN fight until June it looks like so there was the gratuitous timing of that and I am appreciative that I don’t have to worry about that. I think, that aside, when you concentrate fully on the training you know it’s a worry business and concern business. When you have the trust of a fighter, something that is so difficult that can be so sudden and can be dangerous. When you have the trust and you have the responsibility of that, you don’t think about the relief of not having to do an ESPN show – when you are engrossed in the reality, that responsibility that you have of a person that puts his trus in your hands and you better not screw it up. At least for me, that’s on me every day – every morning and every night, ‘am I doing it right for this kid,’ and it’s a lot harder than doing broadcasting. I am very privileged and I’m blessed for the chance to do broadcasting, That they would let me do it, that ESPN would let me do it for 18 years now and the people out there would let me come into their living rooms – I’m blessed and I know that and that’s a responsibility too but it pales in the weight and the size of the responsibility and the burden of taking care of a fighter and caring about what’s going to happen with that fighter when he gets inside the ring and hope that for eight weeks you can get it right. You can have a football team and all of those coaches are great; and baseball and basketball but you could have four or five guys and things can go wrong and you still win the game. And if you don’t win the game, guess what? You go at it again the next day or the next week. We’ve got one shot at this – one person, one man – and that’s something to consider and it takes up your thoughts all day long when you are in camp. As much a responsibility that doing a broadcast is, it’s a lot heavier than that.

In Closing…

TODD duBOEF: It was terrific to hear from them. Obviously everybody can hear their voices and hear the enthusiasm that they’ve got something really good going on right now and you can talk to Monica and talk to Tim and hear it in their voice and see it in Teddy they are really getting prepared for this and they only have the last couple weeks to get ready. You are talking about a Hall of Fame fighter that is going to try and go out there and settle the score in the third fight. They are not taking anything for granted and I think we are going to see a terrific fight on April 9.

TEDDY ATLAS: We know what’s in front of us. We know the difficulty of what’s in front of us and we’ll be prepared for it

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I just want to thank my team again and my kids and my brother in law and everyone that helps make this possible for me. I want to thank Teddy and I want to thank his family and his kids as well. I want to thank my father. I want to thank Top Rank once again for believing in me and for bringing me back once again – our business relationship and our family relationship – we are a family. I love being a part of Top Rank and I love being a part of this promotion – they are a great organization and promotional company. HBO, the best in boxing – I want to thank them for bringing me back and believing in me and giving me this opportunity. And Manny Pacquiao. And tune in April 9 and after the fight we come out victorious.

# # #

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, the Manny Pacquiao – Tim Bradley championship event will take place on Saturday, April 9, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. The pay-per-view undercard will feature World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight world champion “King” ARTHUR ABRAHAM defending his title against undefeated No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger GILBERTO “Zurdo” RAMIREZ, undefeated No. 1 WBO featherweight contender and two-time Mexican Olympian ÓSCAR VALDEZ defending his NABO featherweight title against former International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight world champion EVGENY GRADOVICH and 2012 U.S. Olympian JOSE RAMÍREZ defending his World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas super lightweight title against MANNY PEREZ. The Abraham vs. Ramirez world championship fight is co-promoted by Sauerland Event and Zapari Boxing Promotions.

Remaining Tickets to Pacquiao vs. Bradley are priced at $1,204, $804, $604, $404, $254 and $154, not including applicable service fees. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or ticketmaster.com.

Managua, Nicaragua (March 17, 2016) Consensus #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter and World Boxing Council Flyweight Champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, 44-0 (38KO’s) has moved his training camp from Managua, Nicaragua to Costa Rica this week as he continues preparation for his world title defense against former world title challenger McWilliams Arroyo, 16-2 (14KO’s) at UNDEFEATED on Saturday, April 23 at the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles, California.

The Gonzalez/Arroyo clash is the co-featured bout to the World Middleweight Championship between Boxing Superstar and Unified Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, 34-0 (31KO’s) and mandatory challenger Dominic Wade, 18-0 (12KO’s). Both bouts will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Gonzalez’s camp includes his longtime trainer Arnulfo Obando, co-trainer Wilmer Hernandez and father Luis Gonzalez.

Roman Gonzalez

“This is a big opportunity for Arroyo. He feels like he should already be champion from his close, split decision loss to Amnat Ruenroeng and I know how strong and well prepared he will be for this fight. This is a big test and very important fight for me.”

“Moving camp to Costa Rica at this time makes sense, the sparring there is better and the location allows me to completely focus on the fight without any distractions.”

“It’s very exciting to return to the Forum and also to fight once again on HBO. I’m honored that my fans from all over can attend or watch my fights, it’s what I’ve always wanted for my career. Also fighting in the same venue where my idol Alexis Arguello was successful means a great deal to me.” Arguello won all four of his fights at the Forum.

“I get asked a great deal about the rematch with Estrada but for now I have a very tough fight in front of me against McWilliams Arroyo on April 23 and I’m fully focused on this.”

“The distinction of being #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter is a great honor, I hope to continue to please the fans and media with my performances.”

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.

Tickets for the April 23rd event, 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.

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.

KRAKOW, Poland (March 17, 2016) – Arguably the greatest Polish fighter of all-time, two-division world champion Tomasz “Goral” Adamek, will be in a crossroads fight April 2 vs. former world title challenger Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina, airing on pay per view in North America, live from Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland.

The 39-year-old Adamek (50-4, 30 KOs) should be inserted into the new heavyweight title mix with an impressive victory over Molina (24-3, 18 KOs), who gave World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Deontay Wilder a scare last June in the world title fight, in their International Boxing Federation (IBF) Inter-Continental heavyweight showdown. Adamek, however, could possibly hang up his gloves for good if upset-minded Molina ruins the expected Polish celebration.

“I don’t want to just win,” Adamek said. “Along with my trainer, Roger Bloodworth, we want my fans to see a fighter who is in the ring to battle, not take a paycheck. My career is ending; no point of saving myself for the future. I will be in the ring to give people all I have. It’s a promise.”

North American residents will be able to purchase the fight for pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH Network, and Vubiquity in the United States, as well as Rogers TV, Bell TV and SaskTel in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95. Please contact your local cable or satellite provider for more information. In addition, the fight is available in North America for purchase on-line at www.Eversport.TV and via the FITE.TV app for both Android and iOS. This event is presented in Poland by Polsat, as part of the Polsat Boxing Night series, as well as Main Events and Don King Productions.

Adamek has been a fan favorite throughout the boxing world since turning pro in 1999, not only in Poland but in America as well, primarily in Chicago and New Jersey markets, because he’s never in a bad fight. Adamek always gives fans their money’s worth, whether he was fighting as a light heavyweight, cruiserweight or heavyweight.

“I understand that this fight is on pay per view,” Adamek said. “Boxing fans want and deserve a fight they can be excited about. Styles make fights and knowing the way Eric fights, we can be sure that no one will be disappointed.”

Known and admired for his aggressive style and solid chin – Adamek has been stopped only once in 54 pro fights by the great Vitali Klitschko – Adamek fully embodies Polish Power and his passionate fans firmly remain in his corner. Sporting a 6-2 (3 KOs) record in world title fights, Adamek captured his first world title in 2005, taking a 12-round decision from Paul Briggs (23-1) for the vacant WBC light heavyweight crown. Adamek successfully defended his WBC 175-pound division twice, versus Thomas Ulrich (28-1) and in a rematch with Briggs.

In 2008, Adamek won a 12-round decision against defending IBF cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham (21-1), followed by back-to-back title defense victories against undefeated challenger Jonathon Banks (20-0) and Bobby Gunn (21-3-1), respectively, by 8th and 4th-round technical knockouts.

Adamek then decided to move up to fight as a heavyweight, originally stopping fellow Pole and four-time world heavyweight title challenger Andrew Golota (41-7-1) in the 5th round for the vacant IBF International championship. Adamek went on to defeat 2004 US Olympian Jason Estrada (16-2), world title challengers Chris Arreola (28-1) and Michael Grant (46-3), tough Vinny Maddalone (33-6) and 1992 Irish Olympian Kevin McBride (35-8-1). Adamek, who added the NABO title belt to his collection with his win over Arreola, earned his first world heavyweight title shot September 10, 2011 versus reigning WBC champion Klitschko (42-2), who finished the game Pole in the 11th round.

Adamek rebounded with wins over quality heavyweight opponents such as Nagy Aguilera (17-6), Eddie Chambers (36-2), Travis Walker (38-7-1), Cunningham (25-4) again and Dominick Guinn (34-9-1). Adamek’s last fight was Sept. 26, 2015, in which he forced Przemyslaw Saleta (44-7) to retire after five rounds.

The Apr. 2nd pay-per-view telecast will also include several key undercard bouts, including a 10-round cruiserweight fights between world top-10 ranked contender and former European titlist Mateusz “Master” Masternak (36-4, 26 KOs) vs. Eric “Danger” Fields (24-3, 16 KOs) and Michael Cieslak (11-0, 7 KOs) vs. former two-time world title challenger Francisco “The Wizard” Palacios (23-3, 14 KOs). Additional PPV bouts will soon be announced.

One of the world’s best young heavyweight prospects, Hughie Fury, has signed a promotional agreement with Hall of Fame Promoter Frank Warren.

The exciting and undefeated Manchester star will have his first fight under the new deal on the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders’ WBO World Middleweight title defence against “Mad” Max Bursak on Saturday 30th April at the Copper Box Arena, London, exclusively live on BoxNation.

The 21-year-old, who is the younger cousin of Unified World Heavyweight Champion Tyson, has a fight lined up first at Wembley Arena against Nagy Aguilera where he aims to take his perfect record to 19-0 and then it’s full steam ahead as he works towards a world title and join Tyson.

With the heavyweight division in a new era after the Klitschko brothers long dominance, Fury is in a perfect position to capitalise as he also eyes showdowns against British rivals David Haye and Anthony Joshua, who he believes he has the beating of.

Fury has ripped through the division with his devastating, all-action, style that has seen him halt 10 out of 18 opponents early with eight coming inside three rounds and is looking to make a big impact at the Copper Box Arena.

“I’m delighted to be featuring on Boxnation I boxed on their shows in the past and really enjoyed the experience. I am going to make a big impact over the next few years and join my cousin Tyson at the very top of the sport. Thank you Boxnation and look forward to the 30th April and future fights.” Enthused Hughie.

Warren said, “Hughie is one of the best and most exciting young heavyweight prospects in the world and I’m thrilled to sign him. He wants to fight regularly and for a heavyweight talent of his potential that’s essential as he closes in on a world title. The division is certainly opening up with plenty of opportunities and Hughie is going to figure dominantly in the next few years.”

Hughie’s father Peter, who trains him alongside Tyson, said, “We’re delighted at Team Fury for Hughie Lewis Fury to be fighting on the Frank Warren and Boxnation show on the 30th April on the Billy Joe Saunders bill. We look forward to future fights with Boxnation with Hughie who is without doubt a future superstar in the sport.”

WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders makes the first defence of his title against “Mad” Max Bursak and headlines an action-packed card that also features: The Vacant European Cruiserweight title between Ovill McKenzie v Dmytro Kucher; Ryan Walsh defends his British Featherweight Championship against James Tennyson. The full undercard will released shortly.

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.

Kevin Bizier says he will pile the pressure on Kell Brook when he challenges for the IBF World Welterweight title at the Sheffield Arena on March 26, live on Sky Sports.

Bizier is the second mandatory challenger that Brook has defended his title against, and like the first, Jo Jo Dan, 31 year old Bizier also hails from Canada.

Brook dismissed the test of Dan inside four rounds at his Sheffield fortress last March and one year on, Bizier says he will leave everything in the ring as he aims to rip the title from the champion.

“I’m going to give 100 per cent on March 26,” said Bizier. “I will give everything in the ring for this fight. I don’t want to regret anything, I don’t want to leave that ring knowing I didn’t give it all when fighting for a World title.

“To win rounds and spoil Brook’s party, I’ll have to apply constant pressure to him and get in his face. I’ve worked a lot on my inside work as I cannot stay at the end of his jab.

“Brook is a big hitter who manages distance well, I’ll have to get into the pocket. Boxing inside will give me a better chance to win.

“I know the fans are going to scream for him, but I will block that out. If Brook gets carried away by the emotion of the crowd, it could play into my hands – I intend to give value for money.”

Bizier’s clash with Brook is part of a huge night of action in Sheffield as Luke Campbell MBE returns to the ring, facing fellow Yorkshireman Gary Sykes for the vacant Commonwealth Lightweight title.

Adam Etches is straight back into title action on the card, Sheffield Heavyweights Dave Allen and Richard Towers clash in a British title eliminator and Andy Townend meets Craig Poxton for the English Super-Featherweight title.

Tickets priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 are on sale now from the Sheffield Arena on 0114 2565656 and at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk. VIP tickets priced at £250 are exclusively available from www.matchroomboxing.com.

Tickets for March 26 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing.

17 March 2016 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), announced today that the mixed martial artists competing at ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS are on track with their weights and are expected to be ready for all the action which takes place tomorrow evening, 18 March, at Thuwanna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. Main event fighters “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang of Myanmar and Egypt’s Mohamed Ali are all set for the headline bout.

Visit the official ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS face-off gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/92amxnc7jtxm8z5/AAAyRdwpf7rQaZK6UaDrGTNDa?dl=0

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated: “Just like true professionals, our ONE Championship athletes are on track with their weight management. Their dedication to perform at their best is truly remarkable. Yangon, get ready for an evening of world-class mixed martial arts action as we rock the Thuwanna Indoor Stadium with an awesome night of fights!”

Aung La N Sang stated: “Walking into the Thuwanna Indoor Stadium in front of my people is going to be an amazing feeling. I can just imagine all the loud cheering. It’s going to be the best feeling, and I’m going to use that to my advantage. All my family that’s still in Myanmar will be there, all my high school friends, and all my schoolmates. It’s going to be pretty crazy.”

Mohamed Ali stated: “Fighting in ONE Championship is a great opportunity for me and I dream of one day becoming champion, but my story has just begun. I will do my absolute best in the cage on fight night, and I hope to get the victory. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m well prepared and ready.”

COMPLETE WEIGH-IN RESULTS

MAIN EVENT
Middleweight bout (84.0kg – 93.0kg): Aung La N Sang VS Mohamed Ali

MAIN CARD
Flyweight bout (56.8kg – 61.2kg): Adriano Moraes VS Eugene Toquero
Bantamweight bout (61.3kg – 65.8kg): Tha Pyay Nyo VS Kyal Sin Phyo
Catchweight bout (73kg): Christian Lee VS Anthony Engelen
Lightweight bout (70.4kg – 77.1kg): Thway Thit Aung VS Kyal Linn Aung
Strawweight bout (52.3kg – 56.7kg): Alex Silva VS Robin Catalan
Featherweight bout (65.9kg – 70.3kg): Saw L Lay VS Phoe Thaw

FACEBOOK LIVESTREAM
Featherweight bout (65.9kg – 70.3kg): Jordan Lucas VS Edward Kelly
Bantamweight bout (61.3kg – 65.8kg): Nay Ruby VS Thar A Thel Ta Puin
Lightweight bout (70.4kg – 77.1kg): Ye Yint Aung VS Yan Naing Aung

Fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at http://www.onefc.com/livestream. The event will be available for purchase at just 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.

*A final weigh-in will take place three (3) hours before the event to ensure athletes are on target and properly hydrated.

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.

LONDON (17 MARCH) Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell has hit back at Chris Eubank for labelling him ‘bland’ and pouring scorn on his reign as British middleweight champion.

Earlier this week Eubank Jr. claimed Blackwell’s tenure as British champion didn’t do the famous Lonsdale belt justice, but Blackwell, who defends his belt for the third time against Eubank Jr. on March 26 at The SSE Arena, Wembley, finds this laughable.

“He’s talking nonsense as always,” said Blackwell. “I don’t play much attention to him. He just wants people talking about him and, to do that, he’ll say the most stupid stuff possible.

“If we’re talking about doing the British title a disservice, how could anybody possibly look up to Chris Eubank Jr? He’s the furthest thing from a role model you can get. People talk about him in boxing but not for the right reasons. They never have anything good to say about him. You never hear someone say, ‘Oh, yeah, he’s a decent guy.’

“If some young kid was getting into boxing and the first boxer they came across was Chris Eubank Jr., they’d be put off the sport for life. They’d think every boxer was as arrogant, big-headed and unlikeable as him.

“If he was to ever get lucky enough to win a British title – and I don’t think he ever will – it will be a sad day.”

Though both middleweights insist they hold nothing against the other – that it’s not personal – tensions are clearly running high and Blackwell’s main issue with Eubank Jr. stems from a belief he’s putting on an act.

“He’s always trying to be someone he’s not,” said Blackwell. “He could actually be a nice kid if he cut the apron strings and was himself a bit more. But he’s told what to say by his father and he’s always in performance mode. There’s nothing real about him.

“He’s taking bad advice from people. They all think they’ve got the game sussed but the facts don’t back it up. He’s not popular, he can’t sell tickets and people only ever talk about him negatively. That’s okay if you’re going to be Floyd Mayweather, but he’s not. He comfortably lost to Billy Joe Saunders.

“He still thinks he beat Billy Joe Saunders, too. He’s deluded. Billy Joe boxed his head off for the first six or seven rounds, won every one of them, and then his fitness let him down. If he’d been fitter, he’d have won every round.

“You’d think a defeat like that would make Eubank Jr. a bit more humble and realise he’s nothing special, but it doesn’t seem to have worked.”

The British champion added: “I never take a fight personally. I don’t particularly like Eubank Jr. or his attitude, but I don’t take any of his nonsense personally. He doesn’t offend me or hurt me in any way. I just don’t agree with the way he goes about things.

“Hate is a strong word and I don’t know enough about the real Chris Eubank Jr. to say I hate him. All I have to go on is a persona he and his father have created. He’s a fake.

“When we fight we’ll find out who the real Chris Eubank Jr. is. He won’t have his father doing the talking for him, and he won’t have him doing the fighting for him, either. It will just be me and him in there.

“He might say I’m a bland fighter and say this is going to be an easy fight – and I’m sure he’s looking past me – but deep down he knows this is going to be the toughest fight of his life. We’ll see what sort of fighter and man he really is on March 26.”

*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, MaxiNutrition and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maxinutrition.com
www.hennessysports.com

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM

Big time boxing returns to Stockholm on April 23 when the Nordic Fight Night hits the Hovet! IBF Intercontinental Champion Erik Skoglund (24-0, 11 KOs) takes on the tough South African Ryno Liebenberg (17-2, 12 KOs).

Skoglund has been at the forefront of the revival in Swedish professional boxing. Last September, the 24 year-old from Nyköping made history when defending his IBF title against Oleksandr Cherviak – the first fight over championship distance on Swedish soil since the ban on professional boxing in 1969.

Three months later, the ‘Swedish Sensation’ returned with a one-sided points victory over the American knockout specialist Derek Edwards – the only man to have beaten current Swedish World Champion Badou Jack.

Now, Skoglund must prepare for his next challenge, a twelve-round battle with the 31 year-old South African Ryno Liebenberg, who is coming to Stockholm full of confidence, believing he has the beating of the IBF Intercontinental Champion.

‘’Erik can run, but he can’t hide. I’m coming for him,’’ says Liebenberg, who has been vocal about his desire to face the Swedish star.

‘’The South African fans know me: I come to fight from the beginning to the end, and will do everything it takes to get the decision. Erik is well-schooled, well-rounded boxer, but I’m confident I can beat him!

‘’I’ll prepare for this fight the same way I always do, with lots of hard work. The only change is I’m doing more running because I think Skoglund will be doing lots of running in the ring trying to keep out of range from my punches.’’

Skoglund, who is already four weeks into his training camp, expects his South African opponent to provide a stern test, but plans to prove he is ready for a World title challenge with his first victory of 2016.

‘’Ryno is a tough opponent,’’ says Skoglund. ‘’He’s more of a brawler than a boxer, but he is a dangerous fighter. He’s strong and he can punch. It will be a good test for me.

‘’He’s been up against some of the best. He did a really good job against Tommy Oosthuizen, which ended in a split decision, and I think if I put in a good performance and get a clear decision, it will show that I’m ready for a World title challenge.

‘’We brought professional boxing back to Sweden last year, but now, we need big shows like this in the capital city to build more interest. I’m looking forward to fighting in Stockholm at the Hovet.

‘’I’m sure lots of my fans from Nyköping will travel to support me, and I hope people from Stockholm and all over Sweden will get behind me as well, as this is going to be another great night for Swedish boxing!’’

Promoter Nisse Sauerland is pleased to be hosting his first show in Stockholm and is promising fans an action-packed night of boxing at the Hovet.

‘’We’re delighted to be bringing the Nordic Fight Night to Stockholm,’’ said Sauerland. ‘’The Hovet is a fantastic venue and will provide the perfect setting for an evening of World-class boxing action.

‘’Erik Skoglund faces another tough test against Ryno Liebenberg, who is a serious opponent and will be coming to Stockholm to win. He will need to bring his A-game or could find himself in trouble, but a win for Erik would be a big statement and bring him closer to the big fights he craves.

‘’Alongside our main event, we will be bringing fans another championship contest and a full undercard showcasing the very best of Swedish boxing. This is out first show in the capital and we plan to make it one to remember.’’

Further information about the big Team Sauerland show in Stockholm on April 23 at the Hovet including ticket details and undercard announcements will be released shortly.

BETHLEHEM, PA. (March 16, 2016) – Lightweight contender Ivan Redkach (19-1, 15 KOs) will face-off against Puerto Rico’s Luis Cruz (22-4, 16 KOs) in a 10-round headlining event on Tuesday, April 19 on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes from Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pa.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features a pair of exciting eight-round middleweight showdowns pitting top rising prospects and contenders. Brawling 160-pound prospect Immanuwel Aleem (15-0, 9 KOs) takes on Jonathan Cepeda (17-1, 15 KOs) while Delaware’s Kyrone Davis (10-0, 4 KOs) will face Dominican Olympian Junior Castillo (9-0, 9 KOs).

“I am really looking forward to headlining this event on April 19,” said Redkach. “I know that I have a strong opponent, but I am determined to impress the fans and show that I am ready to challenge the elite in my division. I’ve trained very hard and I’m ready to fight.”

“I plan on rejuvenating my career with this fight,” said Cruz. “This is an interesting fight and I’ve been training really hard. Redkach is a tough fighter, but it is nothing that I haven’t seen before. I want to get this big win. It’s now or never for me.”

“This is a terrific card and we are once again happy to be working with FS1, FOX Deportes and the Sands Bethlehem on a great event,” said Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions. “There are three great televised fights with Redkach-Cruz, Aleem-Cepeda and two undefeated guys in Davis and Castillo in what should be an explosive fight. Those three guys have a combined record of 92-6 with 68 knockouts, so expect three competitive and entertaining fights.”

“This is Ivan’s second fight since his tough loss to Dejan Zlaticanin,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “He’ll be facing a tough kid in Luis Cruz, but these are the kinds of opponents that will help Redkach get his career back on track. I am confident that he will emerge victorious and will seek the best fights for him as he rises up the rankings toward a world title opportunity.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $108, $83 and $58, not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Born in Ukraine but fighting out of Los Angeles, Redkach began boxing at the age of six and has put together an impressive career since turning pro in 2009. The 30-year-old owns victories over Tony Luis, Sergey Gulyakevich, Yakubu Amidu and most recently knocked out Erick Daniel Martinez in October.

Fighting out of Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, Cruz is coming off of a decision victory over Roberto Acevedo in November. He owns victories over Martin Honorio, Hevinson Herrera and Yogli Herrera in a career that dates back to 2007.

Born in East Meadow, New Jersey but fighting out of Richmond, Virginia, Aleem was introduced to boxing from a young age by his parents. Since turning pro in 2012 at age 18, the 22-year-old has wiped out all of the competition in front of him. In 2015, he dominated Emmanuel Sanchez, David Toribio and Oscar Riojas before winning a hard fought decision over Carlos Galvan in December.

Originally from New Jersey, Cepeda relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida at 16-years-old and had a brief but successful 22-3 amateur record, with all three of his loses coming to middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs. He won two Florida Golden Gloves titles and reached a National Golden Gloves semifinal. Cepeda has won five fights in a row including two stoppage victories in 2015.

The first Delaware-native to win multiple national amateur championships, Davis was a National PAL winner along with his victory at the national Adidas tournament. A fighter since he was eight-years-old, Davis turned pro in 2014 and has dominated his competition including five victories in 2015.

The 29-year-old Castillo made his U.S. debut in December 2015 with a first round knockout of Rolando Nagy and followed it up later that month by stopping Eduardo Flores. Fighting out of Higuey, Dominican Republic, he represented his home country in the 2012 Olympics.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.sandseventcenter.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com.

Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @IRedkach, @FS1, @TheSBEC, @FoxDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxdeportes and www.Facebook.com/the SBEC. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions.

SAN DIEGO (March 16, 2016) – “Relentless” Antonio Orozco (23-0, 15 KOs), one of the top contenders in the sport, hosted a media workout today in San Diego’s House of Boxing ahead of his match-up against former WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Miguel “Aguacerito” Acosta (29-8-2, 23 KOs) on March 25. The 10-round welterweight fight will be broadcasted live nationally on Boxeo Estelar on Estrella TV, from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

Orozco was last seen in the ring when he defeated former three-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto on the undercard of Matthysse vs. Postol on Oct. 3, 2015. This victory elevated Orozco to on the top 10 of his division by the WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF and also landed him on the pound-for-pound lists of ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Ring Magazine and USA Today’ Boxing Junkie in his division. Orozco is back and ready to step back in the ring to gain a shot at a world title in 2016. Below is what the fighter and his trainer Carlos Barragan had to say about his upcoming fight:

“RELENTLESS” ANTONIO OROZCO, Welterweight Contender:

“I am ready to give all the fans a great fight on March 25. Since my fight with Humberto Soto I have excited to get into the ring and show the fans a great night of boxing.

“I know this is my opportunity to show I am ready for the world title shot in 2016 and I promise I will not disappoint. I have been training to make sure I am victorious.

“We know that Acosta is a former champion and is going to come prepared. At this point of my career every opponent has to be taken seriously and we know he will be dangerous. Our job is to make sure we are more prepared and more dangerous.

CARLOS BARRAGAN, Trainer to Antonio Orozco:

“Antonio is very excited to retun to the ring after his victory against Humberto “La Zorritta” Soto. We are prepared and trust our team, Frank Espinoza and Golden Boy Promotions. They understand the sport and are very successful in the sport. We know that big things are coming for Antonio this year.

“This has been a great training camp. We learned a lot from fighting an elite champion like Humberto Soto and we have made a few adjustments to make sure Antonio is prepared for any fight. We have been working on speed and movement, making sure that his sparring partners are challenging him to work on his defense.

“Acosta is a tough fighter who has a lot of power. We are training to beat the best Miguel Acosta the one that beat Urbano Antillo and claimed the world championship.

Tickets for the event are on sale now 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.

Antonio Orozco vs. Miguel Acosta is a 10-round super bantamweight boutpresented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD. 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, March 25 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.

Brooklyn, NY (March 16, 2016) – Even the very best in the business experience setbacks and get faced with choice time. Can I learn from my mistake and turn a negative into a positive?

Alex Miskirtchian found himself enjoying his momentum up the featherweight ladder before he hit a pothole in the road last summer. The Georgia-born fighter with a 26-4-1 mark got caught by vet Cornelius Lock and had to assess himself.

He did so, and licked his wounds and got back to work. The Belgium resident, who has mostly fought in his home-land, rebounded with a win in December and is being rewarded for his perseverance with an IBF intercontinental championship opportunity.

Miskirtchian, promoted by Brooklyn’s Dmitriy Salita, will fight Vireol Simion on March 18, for a crack at that crown.

“Alex is fighting for a title but more importantly for a chance to come back to the top of the division,” Salita said.

“He learned from his US experience, against Lock, took a break and came back with extra motivation to again make a world title run. I believe Alex will put on one of his best performances in this upcoming fight. He has a great team with manager Alain Vanackère and I believe the result will be a positive one on March 18th.”

The fight against the 19-1 Romanian Viorel will unfold in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, so Miskirtchian will need to fight his best brand of boxing that evening. His promoter, Salita, has faith in him.

“Salita Promotions boxers are making more and more noise, around the world,” the promoter said. “I am proud of our growth and of the efforts of the fine athletes like Miskirtchian who fight for Salita Promotions!”

TOKYO – March 16, 2016– RIZIN FF, the combat sports promotion led by former PRIDE FC head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced during a press conference today, the return of all-time fan favorite Kazuyuki “Ol’ Ironhead” Fujita (15-10), who will take on recent RIZIN FF Grand Prix tournament runner-up and dangerous knockout artist Jiri “Denisa” Prochazka (16-3-1), in a heavyweight Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) contest at the 10,000 capacity Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday, April 17.

Also announced today for the “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” extravaganza next month, was a flyweight (125 pounds) matchup between submission ace Allan “Puro Osso” Nascimento (14-3) and red-hot champion Yuki Motoya (15-4, 1 NC).

Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Jiri Prochazka

During his memorable 16-year career in the fight game, the 6-foot, 45-year-old Fujita of Funabashi, Chiba, Japan has collected two major, professional wrestling championships and faced off with nearly every rival force of his era in MMA’s heavyweight division, including former pound-for-pound king Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Wanderlei Silva and Mark Coleman, while competing under the elite promotional banners of PRIDE FC, K-1 and Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye.

Fujita’s notable victories include a first round (6:46) TKO (corner stoppage) of “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock, a first round (8:25) KO (punch) of James Thompson and unanimous decisions over Gilbert Yvel and two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) tournament winner and NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion Mark Kerr.

The 6-foot-4, 23-year-old Prochazka of Hosteradice, Czech Republic is coming off a breakthrough performance in which he scored a first round (1:36) TKO (head kick and knee strikes) of Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii in the quarterfinal stage of the RIZIN FF eight-man Grand Prix elimination tournament on December 29, 2015.

Two days later, Prochazka returned to the ring and earned a first round (10:00) TKO (retirement) win over Vadim Nemkov before suffering a first round (5:09) KO (punch) at the hands of superstar “King Mo” Lawal in the championship stage round. Of Prochazka’s 16 career wins, 13 have come by way of (T)KO and 2 by way of submission.

Allan Nascimento vs.Yuki Motoya

Touted as a miniature version of all-time great Anderson Silva, the 24-year-old Nascimento of Sao Paulo, Brazil boasts an astounding 86 percent submission rate, having forced 12 of the 14 opponents he has conquered, to tap out.

At 5-foot-9, Nascimento towers over the majority of his competition in the 125-pound division, and is known for effectively using his reach advantage and high-level Muay Thai skills to frustrate and inflict damage on opponents from a distance, and set up slick submissions.

The 5-foot-7, 26-year-old Motoya of Nagoya is the reigning DEEP flyweight champion and the number one ranked 125-pound fighter in Japan. Motoya is riding a seven-fight win streak, with four of the victories coming by way of TKO or submission.

In his last start on December 29, Motoya faced off with Felipe Efrain at the inaugural RIZIN FF event, outworking Efrain early in the bout before suddenly being floored by a left hand that Efrain followed up on with a series of strikes, prompting the referee to stop the contest. Because Efrain had not made weight for the fight, however, the result was overturned from TKO to no contest.

Priced from 100,000 yen, tickets for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” are on sale and can be purchased online at Ticketbis.com.

In the main event, former PRIDE FC middleweight champion and all-time great Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC) will team up with a fighter to be announced soon, in a special grappling “tag match,” and battle a duo consisting of fellow legend, Kazushi Sakuraba, (26-17-1, 2 NC) and Hideo Tokoro (33-28-2).

In a 180 pound MMA rules contest, devastating power puncher Hisaki Kato (5-2) will take on fellow prolific finisher Yuta “Andre” Watanabe (19-6-4).

Additional bouts for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” will be announced soon.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (March 16, 2016)–This Saturday night at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City,Heavyweight Quian Davis will look to stay undefeated when he takes on Corey Morley as part of an 11-bout card that is promoted by Rising Promotions and Vincent M. Ponte’s Gulfstream Promotions.

In the main event, Thomas LaManna takes on Kendal Mena in a eight round welterweight bout.

Davis of nearby Mays Landing, New Jersey is not the typical fighter who has dreams of winning a world heavyweight title, but he has bigger plans to help mold the youth of the Jersey Shore area as being a role model.

To say Davis is an all-around athlete is an understatement.

The Buena High School all-time leading rusher in football, was a 48th round draft pick of the Florida Marlins and spent three years in their minor league system.

When getting the itch to play football again, Davis bagged baseball and began playing football at Hudson Valley College in upstate New York.

After a few years of figuring out his next move, Davis took up boxing.

At 6’3″and 250 lbs, Davis took up the sweet science at the age of 34.

After eight amateur fights (record of 5-3), Davis turned professional by fighting a four round draw with Willie Harvey on August 15, 2015.

Davis got into the win column with a 26 second knockout over Santario Holdbrooks on December 5th at The Claridge.

“Right now, I am getting by with my natural athletic ability. I do not know all of the ins and outs of boxing, but I have toughness and have been learning on the job,” said Davis.

“There has been a lot of improvement since I have started”

In Morley, he is facing a durable guy, that has gone the distance in his first two outings.

“I just know he is shorter and heavier then me. He is from Philadelphia, so that alone, I know he is a tough guy.”

Davis is even more honest when it comes to his ceiling as a fighter.

“My goal is to fight as long as the sport wants me. I want to have fights that will build my resume and give me the credibility to become a trainer for all athletes. I would like to instill what I know and my experiences with baseball, football and now boxing and become an all-around trainer and role model. There are people needed in the community that should be mentoring kids coming up and I feel that I can be that guy around here.”

“I want to thank my supporters. I am humbled that they spend their hard earned money to come see fight, and I am so appreciative of that.”

In an eight-round bout, Tommy Rainone (24-7-1, 5 KO’s) of Long Island, NY will fight Maurice Chalmers (14-12-1, 8 KO’s) of Danville, VA in a welterweight clash.

In six-round bouts:

Lamont Capers (5-7-2) of Hawley, PA will fight Willis Lockett (14-16-5, 5 KO’s) of Takoma Park, MD in a cruiserweight bout.

Isiah Seldon (7-1, 3 KO’s) of Atlantic City, NJ will fight Michael Mitchell (3-6-2, 1 KO) of Paterson, NJ in a fight for the Garden State Super Middleweight title.

Former cruiserweight world champion Imamu Mayfield (25-9-2, 18 KO’s) of Perth Amboy, NJ returns to the ring after an eight year absence when he takes on Dan Pasciolla (6-1-1) of Brick, NJ in a heavyweight bout.

In four round bouts:

Omar Brito (2-2, 1 KO) of Pleasantville, NJ will fight Bienvenido Diaz (2-1, 2 KO’s) of Prospect Park, NJ in a super featherweight fight.

Alvin Vermall (7-0-1, 7 KO’s) of La Place, LA will take on D’Quan Morgan (3-2-1, 3 KO’s) of Hamlet, NC in a cruiserweight tilt.

Undefeated middleweight Hakim Bryant (5-0, 4 KO’s) of Asbury Park, NJ will fight Rick Graham (3-11-2, 1 KO) of Detroit, MI.

Darryl Bunting (0-0-1) of Asbury Park, NJ will tussle with Darryl Watkins (0-2) of Temple Hills, MD. in a super middleweight fight.

Ubdefeated lightweight Steven Ortiz (2-0) of Philadelphia, PA will box Jose Miguel Castro (5-7, 3 KO’s) of Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Tickets for the March 19th fight card are $50 GA, $75 Stage (very few remaining) & $125 VIP (SOLD OUT) (Booths of 5 available for $500—SOLD OUT) and are available at RisingBoxingPromotions.com or 609-487-4444.

The Claridge Hotel is located at 123 S. Indiana Ave. Atlantic City NJ

Facebook.com/risingstarboxing
Instagram: @risingpromo

Totowa, NJ: Main Events added another middleweight to their stable, which already includes former WBA World Champion Challenger Curtis “Showtime” Stevens (27-5, 20 KOs) and current top five prospect Arif “The Predator” Magomedov (17-0, 10 KOs), with the signing of “The Terminator” Virgilijus Stapulionis (17-3-1, 13 KOs*).

The 29-year old from Pasvalys, Lithuania started his career in 2005 a perfect 6-0 (3 KOs) before suffering his first defeat against the then-undefeated Thomas Troelenberg, who came into the fight with 17 wins. The Terminator would go on to redeem himself by winning his next four bouts, including a win over former ranked contender Richard Williams.

Shortly after that bout, Virgilijus would experience the first of two controversial losses in his career, against previously unbeaten and current ranked super welterweight Predrag Radosevic. The bout took place in his opponent’s backyard of Montenegro and was halted in the ninth round after a cut above the eye of Virgilijus became a factor. The bout went to the scorecards, which awarded Radosevic the win in what many believed to be the wrong decision.

Virgilijus would face controversy again when he traveled to the backyard of Patrick Mendy of the United Kingdom. Stapulionis did what he had to do throughout the fight in order to secure the decision win. However, Mendy, the hometown favorite, would pick up the decision in a bout that many observers believe should have gone the other way.

Fazekas and Stapulionis
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

The Terminator made his US debut in December of last year at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California with a second round stoppage against Cesar Vila. Earlier this year he appeared on the Kovalev-Pascal II undercard in Montreal, Quebec, Canada where he earned a second round stoppage against Hungarian Laszlo Fazekas.

Stapulionis said, “I am so excited to be signed with Main Events. I want to be a champion and this is the next step to help me achieve that goal. I want to thank my team and my manager, Egis Klimas.”

Virgilijus is managed by Egis Klimas who also manages WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev. Egis said, “I am so happy to bring The Terminator to the United States and to work with Main Events to make him a star. We hope to make him a force in the middleweight division.”

Main Events’ CEO, Kathy Duva, added, “We are very excited to work with Virgilijus. He is more than willing to fight in his opponents’ backyards. He has suffered some controversial losses, but also had his bigger wins in enemy territory. A fighter who has faced that level of adversity and is still willing to be a road warrior is exactly the kind of fighter I want to promote.”

*There are discrepancies between Stapulionis’ BoxRec.com record (26-3-1, 19 KOs) and his Fight Fax record. The record referenced here is his official Fight Fax record, a copy of which is attached.

Micki Nielsen (20-0, 14 KOs) has taken inspiration from Sylvester Stallone’s iconic boxing movie ‘Rocky’ ahead of his WBC International title defence against Mirko Larghetti (24-1, 16 KOs) on Saturday night at the Albertslund Musikteatret in Copenhagen.

Nielsen faces his toughest career test to date against the former World title challenger Larghetti, who is ranked number-three in the World by the WBA.

To ensure he is ready for the challenge, the 23 year-old southpaw has visited his local slaughterhouse accompanied by coach Joey Gamache to complete some ‘Rocky’ style training, turning the cold meat carcasses into makeshift punching bags.

‘’Every kid dreams of being like Rocky Balboa, so it was a lot of fun to come to the slaughterhouse and recreate this scene,’’ said Nielsen.

‘’The Rocky films have always been a big inspiration for me. Rocky was the underdog fighter that made it to the top. I think most boxers can relate to that.’’

Nielsen will now be hoping to emulate Rocky’s success in the ring as he prepares for the first defence of his WBC International Cruiserweight title.

‘’This is my toughest fight, but I believe I’m ready,’’ he said. ‘’If this training helped Rocky against Apollo Creed, I’m sure it can help me beat Larghetti!’’

END

Please find below links to share and embed video footage and free-to-use images (Photo Credit: Kristian Brasen) of Micki Nielsen recreating the ‘Rocky’ scene.

To share the video on social media: https://youtu.be/fc5tdhfkUho

To embed the video on websites:

LONDON (16 MARCH) Super-middleweight star ‘Saint’ George Groves has revealed his admiration for British middleweight champion Nick Blackwell and predicted an explosive, back-and-forth encounter when ‘Bang Bang’ meets Chris Eubank Jr. on March 26 at The SSE Arena, Wembley, live on Channel 5.

Groves and Blackwell have sparred many rounds together in the last three weeks and the world-class super-middleweight came away from those sessions with nothing but the utmost respect for the warrior from Trowbridge.

“I’ve always been impressed by Blackwell when watching him fight,” Groves said. “He’s a fighter who doesn’t seem afraid of anything; a lot of fighters say they’ll fight anyone, but he really means it. He loves a challenge.

“He boxed on one of my undercards against Billy Joe Saunders, pushed him really close, and I’ve kept an eye on him ever since. But it was nice to finally do some sparring with him because I’d heard a lot about his sparring sessions over the years – he’s got quite the reputation.

“Obviously he’s a fit lad with a great work-rate. He throws loads of punches. And, over the course of three sparring sessions, he showed he was a very good fighter. He punches well inside, he finds angles that don’t seem to be there, and he is happy to put it on you from the word ‘go’. He’s a real physical presence in the ring.”

In addition to rounds spent in the company of Blackwell, 27-year-old Groves has also sparred many times with Eubank Jr., which puts him in an ideal position to analyse their highly-anticipated March 26 showdown.

“Eubank Jr. hadn’t had many pro fights when we sparred, so he’s probably a lot better now than he was back then, but he always gave me great work,” said Groves. “He has a great engine, throws punches in bunches and he’s physically and mentally very tough. He takes some breaking. He has sparred everyone, he has sparred bigger guys and he always gives a good account of himself.

“This fight between Blackwell and Eubank Jr. can only be a great fight. It’s fascinating and it’s hard to call.

“You say before every fight that you want to stamp your authority on the fight and go from there, but there could be some real swings and momentum changes throughout the twelve rounds these two share. I don’t see a scenario where one guy gets out in front and then just stays there and dominates. I think both will have their moments.

“They’ve both got enough power to hurt each other and they both possess a work-rate that can break hearts. They’re very fit and athletic lads. It should be an all-action affair for as long as it lasts.”

*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, MaxiNutrition and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maxinutrition.com
www.hennessysports.com

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM

Richard Commey (23-0, 21 KOs) is back in action on Saturday night against Anzor Gamgebeli (27-13-3, 12 KOs) in an eight-round contest at the Albertslund Musikteatret in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Ghanaian lightweight star, who is mandatory challenger for the IBF World title, has opted to take a tune up bout ahead of his soon-to-be-scheduled fight with the reigning IBF Champion Rances Barthelemy.

‘’I’m really looking forward to coming back to Copenhagen and putting on a show for the Danish fans,’’ said Commey.

‘’This is an important fight for me as I need to stay active. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to challenge for the World title, and I want to make sure I have no ring rust and I’m in the best possible shape, both physically and mentally.’’

Despite having a World title fight on the horizon, the 29 year-old from Accra says there will be no complacency in his performance.

‘’I will treat Gamgebeli no different from my previous opponents,’’ he said. ‘’I respect him and I will be doing utmost to win in fine fashion. I will not be complacent and I will not be taking him for granted, for Team RC, it’s business as usual!’’

Commey fights on the undercard of Micki Nielsen’s WBC International Cruiserweight title defence against former World title challenger Mirko Larghetti. Tickets are available online via www.billetlugen.dk or by calling (+45) 70 263 267.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (March 16, 2016) – M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev will make his first title defense, April 8 in M-1 Challenge 65,against undefeated challenger Alexey Kunchenko at Ice Palace Sports Center in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Abdulaev vs. Kunchenko replaces the rescheduled M-1 Challenge lightweight championship bout between defending champion Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui and challenger Artem Damkovsky due to injuries suffered by both fighters during training camp.

M-1 Global has also announced an M-1 Challenge 65 match between former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Maxim Divnich and M-1 Global debuting Robert Turnquest.

Ramazan Emeev (13-3-0, M-1: 7-1-0), reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion, takes on Brazilian challenger Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao (35-8-0, M-1: 0-0-0) in the M-1 Challenge 65 main event. Emeev vs. Falcao is an M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals match with the winner advancing to the final later this year against the other M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals winner, former three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (52-9-0, M-1: 3-0-0).

Abdulaev (13-1-0, M-1: 4-1-0) captured the vacant M-1 Challenge lightweight title last June at M-1 Challenge 58, taking a five-round decision from Marcelo Brito. A powerful striker always with knockout intentions, Abdulaev (shown above in action) has been out of action since then due to a variety of reasons.

Also a KO specialist like his fellow-Russian opponent, Kunchenko (12-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0) has stopped 10 of his 12 victims inside the distance. The Russian (shown above kicking) was M-1 Global’s 2015 Prospect of the Year.

Divnich (11-1-0, M-1: 5-1-0) captured the vacant M-1 Challenge lightweight crown December 19, 2014, registering a third-round technical knockout (punches) of Dzhambulat Kurbanov (shown above getting hit by Divnich on right) at M-1 Challenge 54.

Fighting out of Pensacola, Florida, American, US Navy veteran Turnquest (5-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0) will be making his M-1 Global debut against Kunchenko. Turnquest (pictured to right) is the Atlas Fights welterweight champion who has a strong Judo background. He competed in the 2013 World Games for military competitors.

M-1 Challenge 65 will be streamed live from Russia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.

Information

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

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

Child prodigy Archie Sharp went unbeaten in his first 25 amateur bouts en route to multiple national titles as a schoolboy and now intends replicating that achievement among the paid brigade, writes Glynn Evans.

The frighteningly talented 20 year old lightweight from Welling has already romped to a hat-trick of victories since shedding his singlet last July.

‘I had my first bout -against a kid unbeaten in three – when I was just 11 years old and I won all of my first 25. In fact, my first defeat came in the final of the European Schoolboys on a double ‘countback’ against a Russian in Russia. That was my only defeat in 22 international contests,’ says the silver quick kid they call ‘The Sharpshooter.’

The fight game has featured as an integral part of affable Archie’s life since he attended infant school.

‘I’m from a boxing family,’ explains the Richard Clark-managed rising star.

‘My Dad and all my uncles boxed amateur and my four younger brothers have all had a go. Taylor, who’s 18, once got to a national semi final.

‘Dad had me working on the pads indoors even before I first went into the Eltham ABC gym – where dad had once boxed himself – at the age of just seven. He wanted us to be able to look after ourselves and stay fit. I was always a ‘livewire’, a fiery kid. Boxing disciplined me, slowed me down.

‘From the off, I was coached by Richard Sawyer who now trains me as a pro. There was some class talent at Eltham at the time, guys like Bill Saunders and Nathan Weiss. Watching the sparring was unbelievable.’

By the time razor Sharp was eligible for formal competition, aged 11, he was already a formidable force.

‘As well as that European silver, I won three English Schools titles, the Junior ABAs, two CYPs and three Junior Tri Nations gold medals. I beat (Team GB’s) Luke McCormack twice, his twin brother Pat once and also beat Romeo Romaeo twice in the amateurs,’ recalls Archie, who completed his unpaid career at the Lynn ABC with a slate showing just five defeats in 56 bouts.

‘My dream was always to follow the Olympic route but I continually got knock backs from the GB set-up in Sheffield. Despite my wins over the McCormacks, they were continually selected over me.

‘I did go in the senior ABAs twice but it just never worked out. One year I lost at bantam to Lucien Reid from West Ham and another time I conceded a bad split decision in the national quarters at The Echo Arena.

‘But I’d been sparring top quality pros like (IBF super-bantam king) Carl Frampton, Choi (Tseveenpurev) the Mongolian, Ashley Sexton, Iain Weaver and the Walsh brothers (British champions Liam and Ryan) since I was 15, 16 so, with nothing happening on the GB front, I decided to have a go in the pros.’

Archie Sharp powering home left hooks to the body
Archie Sharp powering home left hooks to the body
After committing to Queenberry Promotions, the Sidcup-born ‘Sharpshooter’ has ripped through the opposition placed before him thus far; hammering a hapless Hungarian in just 130 seconds on his debut, then inflicting a brace of four round shutouts over regarded domestic circuit fighters Dan Carr and Qasim Hussain. All performances earned exemplary reviews.

He says: ‘If I need to stand and trade I can but I’m more a slick moving counterpuncher who likes to slip and roll. Hit, don’t get hit is my philosophy. I’m also very accurate. I don’t waste much. Throughout my career, I’ve put lots over so there’s definitely power there.

‘I train alone with Richard (Sawyer) at a little gym called Omega in Sidcup but sometimes I go to Jason Rowland’s gym in Essex. Presently, we’re working on me not admiring my work, being aware of what’s coming back at me.

‘We travel everywhere for sparring. Lately, I’ve had good spars with Mitchell Smith and I’ve even done stuff with (unbeaten light-middle prospect) Ahmet Patterson so I know my capabilities.’

Away from the ring, young Archie is in a stable relationship and confesses to being a man of modest pleasures.

‘I’ve got a missus who has a little girl – my step daughter – and most of my time away from the gym is spent with them,’ he says.

‘I follow Chelsea and I love rugby. I played full back for five or six seasons before the boxing got serious. I loved being the last man, getting stuck in.

‘Apart from that, I spend a bit of time at the driving range but I ain’t very good and I take my younger brothers out with the guns, ferreting.’

But the old fight game never drifts too far from the mind of this prodigiously gifted south London prospect.

‘Boxing is my life, a life I’ve been living since the age of seven,’ he concludes.

‘From day one, it’s been my dream to be world champion and I believe that with hard work and by staying focussed, I’m 100% capable of winning all the big titles.’

Anthony Crolla says he is taking on the most dangerous Lightweight on the planet when he defends his WBA World title against Ismael Barroso at the Manchester Arena on May 7.

The Manchester hero makes the first defence of the title he won in stunning fashion with a fifth round KO win over Darleys Perez in their rematch in November, and takes on the power-punching Barroso in a chilling test of his credentials as a World ruler.

The unbeaten Venezuelan made it 18 KO wins from 19 fights in the paid ranks with a brutal win over Kevin Mitchell at The O2 in December, a win that landed him the Interim tile and a shot at Crolla.

The champion and challenger met at a press conference in Manchester yesterday and Crolla was quick to pour scorn over both suggestions that he would swerve the dangerous visitor and that he should vacate the title to meet WBO champion Terry Flanagan, with the immediate clash with the mandatory part of the deal to land the rematch with Perez after their controversial first meeting.

“When you work for something so hard and so long, the last thing you want to do is give it up,” said Crolla. “I’d be a fraud if I’d done that when my mandatory is in front of me. It’s the most dangerous fight of my career, I saw him take Kevin out in London and he did it in impressive fashion. They were confident of winning the fight and they did the job, but I saw things in him that I could capitalise on.

“The suggestion that I would duck him got my back up a bit. When you are champion you fight the best challengers out there and that’s what I see in Barroso. I am looking forward to us both putting on a fantastic fight. We know he can bang and that is why everyone avoids him, but I believe I have got the tools to beat him and he’s not taking my belt.”

Barroso is no stranger to packing his gloves and traveling to fights, with his 11 year career taking him to eight countries, and the 33 year old has told Crolla his reign as champion will be short lived.

“My fight with Kevin was good but this will be better,” said Barroso. “You will see two great fighters, and I know Anthony is an excellent champion, but I will take the belt to Venezuela.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn today announced the early details of the undercard, with the return to the ring of two-weight World title challenger Martin Murray as he hunts a showdown with Londoner George Groves, Hull’s Lightweight favourite Tommy Coyle returns to action after injury, Hosea Burton will defend his British Light-Heavyweight title and Manchester Light-Middleweight Marcus Morrison.

“This is going to be a wonderful night in Manchester,” said Hearn. “Anthony’s fight with Ismael is a fantastic one. Ismael is without doubt the most dangerous man in the 135lbs division, but Anthony is not scared of anyone, and he believes that he’s got the goods to beat him and go on to unify the division.

“There’s a stacked undercard which we will be adding to ahead of the night, but it’s great to have Martin Murray back as we close in on securing a great fight with George Groves. Tommy always brings great action and his return to the Lightweight mix is a welcome one. Hosea achieved a dream by landing the Lord Lonsdale belt last time out, but now he’s looking to own it outright and move onto bigger things, and his Joe Gallagher-trained pal Marcus has such an exciting future.”

Tickets are on general sale £40, £60, £80 and £100 www.manchester-arena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000. VIPs are available exclusively through www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £200.

Tickets for May 7 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua MBE.

NICE, CA (March 15, 2016) – Due to his opponent Erick Martinez failing to make weight, undefeated super-featherweight contender, Mario Barrios (14-0, 8 KOs) will not fight in tonight’s scheduled co-main event showdown on Premier Boxing Champions Toe-to-Toe Tuesdays PBC on FS1. Martinez was four and a half pounds over the contracted weight of 132 pounds. Stay tuned for an announcement on Mario Barrios’ next fight.

MASHANTUCKET, CT (March 15, 2016) – Gary Russell Jr. will return to the ring to defend his WBC Featherweight World Title against Irish contender Patrick Hyland on Saturday, April 16, live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT) from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, undefeated IBF Super Featherweight World Champion Jose Pedraza will defend against mandatory challenger Stephen Smith.

Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) will be making the first defense of his featherweight world title that he earned after stopping defending champion Jhonny Gonzalez in the fourth-round last March. He was set to defend last November, but was forced to withdraw due to a training injury. If he can get by the extremely motivated Hyland (31-1, 15 KOs), Russell Jr. is in line for big fights with fellow champions and top contenders such as Leo Santa Cruz, Lee Selby, Abner Mares and Carl Frampton.

“I’m excited about being back in the ring,” said Russell. “It’s been a year because of an injury, but I’m feeling great and more ready than ever. I’ll be prepared for anything. I’m looking forward to meeting Mr. Hyland on the 16th and I’m ready to prove I’m the best featherweight in the world.”

“This is a fantastic opportunity to fight for the WBC title, one of the belts that I’ve always wanted to hold,” said Hyland. “It means the world to me to be fighting for this title against a real champion like Gary Russell Jr. I think he’s a great fighter who does everything well so I have to be at my best on fight night. But I know I can beat him and take that belt home to Ireland. I’m just a lad from Jobstown in Tallaght who works hard and loves the fight game. I’ve been trained all my life by my father, may God rest him, and to win a world title will make all of his hard work and effort worthwhile.”

Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) won his 130-pound world title last June when he dominated Andrey Klimov to capture the vacant belt, and he successfully defended it last October in an exciting battle against Edner Cherry. Both bouts aired on SHOWTIME. Now he faces the mandatory challenger in Smith (23-1, 13 KOs), who has won 11 straight bouts and may present the toughest challenge of Pedraza’s burgeoning career.

“I am in excellent condition, had an extraordinary training camp and am anxious to demonstrate my skills in the ring on April 16,” said Pedraza. “I am truly looking forward to entertaining the fans in attendance and remaining undefeated as I defense my crown against Smith. I am determined to become the next big star out of Puerto Rico.”

“I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity, but the timing couldn’t be better,” said Smith. “I’m excited to get the opportunity to win the world title live on Sky Sports in the UK and on SHOWTIME in America. Pedraza is a quality fighter but I know I will do whatever is needed to become world champion on April 16 and I can’t wait.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $150, $90 and $45 not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com and www.foxwoods.com or by visiting the Foxwoods’ Box Office. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. The Pedraza vs. Smith bout is promoted in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Universal Promotions and Matchroom Boxing.

“This SHOWTIME doubleheader is a can’t-miss event,” said Lou DiBella, Presidentof DiBella Entertainment. “In Russell-Hyland, you have one of the most gifted fighters in all of boxing defending his title against a hungry and tough-as-nails Irishman in the biggest fight of his career. Pedraza is looking to make a statement against Smith, Britain’s number one contender, and to follow in the footsteps of past Puerto Rican superstars.”

A speedy and supremely talented boxer, Russell Jr., was impressive in his fourth-round stoppage of the battle-tested Gonzalez last March. The 2008 U.S. Olympian had scored important victories over Vyacheslav Gusev, Juan Ruiz, and Miguel Tamayo before losing a majority decision to Vasyl Lomachenko for the WBO 126-pound title in June 2014. The southpaw, of Capitol Heights, Md., was able to return to his winning ways with a unanimous decision over Christopher Martin that December prior to his coronation against Gonzalez, whom he dropped three times en route to capturing the title.

Leading into his last fight on Oct. 10, in Lowell, Mass., Ireland’s Hyland was dealing with heavy emotions following the death of his beloved father and longtime trainer, and the birth of his first son. The 32-year-old remained steadfast, fighting in memory of his father to stop David Martinez in the eighth round. It was his fourth consecutive victory since suffering his lone defeat, a close and competitive loss to the unbeaten Javier Fortuna for the interim WBA World Featherweight Title in December 2012. Now, presented with another world title opportunity, Hyland seeks to honor his father’s legacy by bringing the championship back home.

The switch-hitting former Puerto Rican Olympian Pedraza backed up his “The Sniper” moniker against Klimov as he picked apart the Russian with superior speed and accuracy on his way to a world title. Pedraza earned a shot at the title in his previous bout with a career-best win over former world title challenger Michael Farenas. The 26-year-old will have title unification on his mind if he can conquer his mandatory opponent on April 16.

Part of a fighting family, Smith’s brothers Callum, Liam and Paul all fight professionally at a high level and he hopes to join Liam as a fellow world champion on April 16. The 30-year-old has fought professionally since 2008 and his only blemish came against featherweight world champion Lee Selby in 2011. Smith earned his title shot with a sixth-round stoppage of Devis Boschiero in September 2015 and will be making his U.S. debut at Foxwoods.

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.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (March 15, 2016)–This Saturday night at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, Long Island based welterweight Tommy Rainone makes his debut on the boardwalk when he battles Maurice Chalmers in a eight round bout in a featured undercard bout of a 11-bout card promoted by Rising Promotions and Vincent M.Ponte’s Gulfstream Promotions.

In the main event, Thomas LaManna takes on Kendal Mena in a eight round welterweight bout.

Rainone has a record of 24-7-1 with with five knockouts has long been a fan favorite in the Empire state, and the fight with Chalmers will fulfill a venue that has been on the 36 year-old’s bucket list.

“I have fought in Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium, The Legendary Blue Horizon and Las Vegas. I have been wanting to fight in Atlantic City for a long time and Saturday it finally happens,” said Rainone.

What makes Rainone’s career even more fascinating is that he works a full-time job overnight working for Hilton Hotels in the accounting the department.

That makes for long days, working until the early morning, getting just a few hours of sleep and then going to the gym before his overnight shift.

“I have not had a day off in seven weeks, but I will be ready to go on Saturday night. I have had pretty good training and sparring. Now I am just maintaining my weight ”

In Chalmers, he is facing a veteran who has a record of 14-12-1 with eight knockouts. Chalmers has knocked off three undefeated fighters, but Rainone is confident that his skills and preparation will be enough to get his hand raised.

“I have seen him once in person. He defeated an undefeated guy and he was very aggressive that night. I have seen other fight’s where he sits back and is a counter puncher. I prepare for anything.”

Since turning professional in 2006, Rainone has been an instant fan favorite, and he feels he owes a lot of support to the many supporters who have stuck by him through his whole career.

“Without a fan base, you don’t get fights. I will have 100 or so fans down in Atlantic City. I owe everything to them.”

Rainone believes his popularity is due large in part to him being just an “everyday guy” and his fans can relate to him.

“I always put on a good fight, but I am relate able. After the fights, I hang out with everybody. I am humble and I show the fans how much I appreciate him.”

In his last bout, Rainone took one of the step up fights that could have set him up for a major opportunity when he took on former junior middleweight champion Ishe Smith.

Rainone came up just short in that fight, but Rainone wanted to test himself against the former world champion.

“That fight was a tall order. Ishe is the bigger man and a former world champion. I am not a junior middleweight. I tried very hard and I knew if I had won that fought, I would have been ranked in the top-ten.”

Rainone is only planning to fight another couple of years and he still has the goals of every fighter, but he is taking his career fight by fight.

“The goal is one fight at a time. I am excited to fight in Atlantic City. I want to fight at Barclays Center and again in Madison Square Square Garden as well fighting for a title back in Atlantic City.”

“I have done this the hard way throughout my career. I do not know who has done it the way I have. I have done this on my own without any alliance or any promoter and I am very proud what I have accomplished and I still have more to do.”

Tickets for the March 19th fight card are $50 GA, $75 Stage (very few remaining) & $125 VIP (SOLD OUT) (Booths of 5 available for $500—SOLD OUT) and are available at RisingBoxingPromotions.com or 609-487-4444.

The Claridge Hotel is located at 123 S. Indiana Ave. Atlantic City NJ

Facebook.com/risingstarboxing
Instagram: @risingpromo

NEW YORK (March 15, 2016) – Former two-time world champion Paul Williams, who’s pro career came to a sudden and tragic end when he was paralyzed from the waist down after a motorcycle accident in May 2012, is back in boxing as a trainer.

The popular Williams will work the corner of once-beaten Justin DeLoach (13-1, 7 KOs) when DeLoach faces undefeated super welterweight and local favorite Dillon Cook (16-0, 6 KOs) in the opening eight-round bout of what is now a ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader on Friday, March 25, live on SHOWTIME (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.

DeLoach is the first boxer to be trained by Williams, the former 154-pound southpaw who has been confined to a wheelchair since the accident.

“I guess I was being selfish at first,” Williams said. “I didn’t want to deal with the fight game. I wanted to be the one fighting. But that changed.”

Williams was reluctant to train fighters for a long time. It was George Peterson, who managed and trained Williams from the time the boxer was a skinny kid with little amateur experience until his career ended, that helped persuade “The Punisher” to return to the ring. Williams trains his pupil at a private gym in his hometown of Aiken, S.C.

“You know me, I really didn’t want to do this,’’ Williams said. “But finally after three or four years of George practically begging me to try and do it, this opportunity came along and I decided to give it a shot.

“Everything is about timing. I started thinking about it, George kept asking me and messing with me about it, one thing led to another, and I finally said I’d take a stab at it.

Williams, who is enjoying his new job description, admits there are some pre-fight jitters.

“I’m scared all over again, like this is my first fight. Now, I have to think about everything that Mr. Pete was thinking about when I was fighting. I have to try and teach Justin what I knew how to do.

“George and I accomplished a lot. He made me a world champion; before that, no one knew who he or I was. We were just a couple of guys from Aiken, S.C. We gave fans fights to remember.

“I was the fighter the press labeled as ‘Most feared in boxing.’ But that’s over for me now. I’m jumping into a whole new thing. It’s been an adjustment but I’m glad I’m doing it.’’

In his role as a trainer, Williams’ mindset has changed drastically from his fighting days. “Look, I always feel good,’’ he said. “What’s happened has happened. It is what it is. This is my first time stepping back into the world. I love boxing.

“What I don’t want to see is a fighter getting hurt. This is a hard sport. I know when I was in there I was always going for broke. But I want Justin, all fighters actually, to come out of the ring the same way they came in. Win or lose, I don’t want to see anybody get hurt.’’

On DeLoach, Williams said, “He’s a good fighter and now he’s in the spotlight. I want to do my best in the training world to get him at his peak. I hope he does his best. I’d love to one-up George with Justin.’’

Becoming the best takes strenuous work on a daily basis, and Williams was no stranger to putting in the hours.

“I never took a shortcut,’’ he said. “You take shortcuts, you know what’ll happen. I took the long road home when I was fighting and fans, fighters, everybody knew what to expect when I stepped in the ring.

“Justin isn’t like this, but one thing I know is that fighters think they’re slick. Well, you can’t pull anything over me. I’ve been there, seen it all.’’

And, as always, he’ll have George Peterson by his side.

“I’m just helping Paul,’’ said Peterson, who will serve as Williams’ assistant trainer. “So far, he’s doing great.”

It will be the ShoBox and 2016 debuts — and toughest fight to date — for both DeLoach and Cook.

DeLoach was a top amateur, competing in the USA Boxing National Championships in 2012. He won a National Silver Golden Gloves title when he was 13.

The 22-year-old DeLoach, of Augusta, Ga., has won three in a row since suffering his lone loss to Cesar Villa on Feb. 6, 2015. That was before he started training with Williams.

“This has been a total blessing, and I say that every day,” DeLoach said. “Thank God. He’s the one who brought the two of us together, that’s the main thing. Paul loves it, just to be back. I think he was scared at first, his reputation was at stake and so was mine.

“But he’s been so helpful – just in the mental side of things. I was already a good boxer but he’s taken me to another level mentally. He’s been pushing me, criticizing me, giving me instructions and picking my brain.”

DeLoach and Williams grew up just 30 minutes down the road from each other.

“Me and Paul, we’ve known each other our whole lives,’’ DeLoach said. “I’m from Augusta, Ga., and he was right across in Aiken. We knew each other when I was coming up as an amateur. He came to my last pro fight that was in San Antonio. When I saw him, I got so excited. We started to talk and I said something like, ‘Hey, Paul, wouldn’t it be cool if we got together?’

“Once I came home, we started working together and he’s been training me since. I think we’re going on about three months now. It’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to work with one of my favorite fighters.”

In his last outing, DeLoach won a shutout four-round decision over Santos Benavides last Dec. 12. DeLoach, a pro since March 2013, fought six times that year and four times each in 2014 and 2015.

“I’m really looking forward to fighting for the first time for him,” DeLoach said. “I’ve gone crazy waiting for my break and an opportunity like this to fight on SHOWTIME. I know it’s not easy fighting in your opponent’s backyard, but with Paul, George Peterson and me and my skills, we are confident it will be a good fight.’’

Cook, 25, is from Seneca, Mo., which is located about 20 minutes from Buffalo Run Casino where he has fought six times. A top amateur, he won six Golden Gloves titles, a Junior Golden Gloves National title, a Heartland title and four regional Silver Gloves titles. He is popular at Buffalo Run and will be making his premium network television debut against easily his most dangerous assignment as a pro. Cook’s brother, Jesse, a welterweight with a record of 15-1-1, will box on the non-televised portion of the event.

Dillon Cook turned pro in August 2012, fought twice that year, seven times in 2013, four times in 2014 and three times last year. Five of his last seven took place at Buffalo Run, including two out of three in 2015. He’s coming off a lopsided eight-round decision over Rahman Yusubov last Nov. 14.

“I couldn’t be more excited about making my ShoBox debut, right at home, at the Buffalo Run Casino,” Cook said. “This is a huge opportunity for me, and I plan on putting on a spectacular showing, for all my fans there that night and everyone watching on TV.”

In the ShoBox main event, unbeaten super lightweight knockout artist and emerging rising star, Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (16-0, 13 KOs), Houston by way of New Orleans, will meet experienced Aaron “The Jewel” Herrera (29-4-1, 18 KOs), of Valladolid, Mexico, in a 10-round match.

Four undefeated fighters will clash in the two other eight-rounders on the telecast: Hard-hitting Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk (9-0, 8 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., faces Nicholas “King Beamen” Givhan (16-0-1, 10 KOs), of Kalamazoo, Mich., in a super lightweight scrap and Ukrainian Ivan “The Volk” Golub (10-0, 8 KOs, 5-0 in World Series of Boxing), of Brooklyn, N.Y., meets Marlon Aguas (9-0, 6 KOs), of Quito, Ecuador, in a welterweight match.

Tickets for the event promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Tony Holden Productions are priced at $45, $55 and $75 and are available for purchase at buffalorun.com and at stubwire.com.

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

# # #

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.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – March 15, 2016 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced the official launch of EA SPORTS™ UFC® 2, available in retail stores and as a digital download on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The game features the largest roster ever for an official UFC® game, boasting more than 250 athletes, including cover stars, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor and former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, as well as all-time fighting legends like Mike Tyson, UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Bruce Lee – all unlockable by making it to the UFC Hall of Fame in Career Mode. EA SPORTS UFC 2 also introduces a Knockout Physics System that, when paired with thousands of new animations and updated character likenesses, makes knockouts more dynamic and realistic than ever.

“By listening to fans, sharpening our fundamentals, focusing on areas of innovation in gameplay, and adding massive depth to modes, we believe we’ve taken the franchise and MMA games to the next level with this one,” said EA SPORTS UFC 2 Creative Director, Brian Hayes. “We’re excited that it’s finally time to ask fans to stare back at their opponent, bite down on their mouth piece, come out swinging and finish the fight.”

EA SPORTS UFC 2 delivers a mode for every fight fan, including the series introduction of Custom Event Creator, UFC Ultimate Team™, and Live Events which allow players to gain in-game rewards for playing out real-world fight cards before they happen. The game also features the brand-new Knockout Mode, which does away with clinches, grappling and submissions in favor of pure heart-pounding, stand-up fighting action. However, when fights do go to the ground, EA SPORTS UFC 2 gives fighters the tools to master mixed martial arts (MMA), including Grapple Assist, a new graphic overlay that helps fans dominate the clinch and find their next move on the ground.

“This game is an authentic representation of the UFC brand experience, bringing the excitement of the Octagon to life for all fight fans,” UFC Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products, Tracey Bleczinski said. “From the walkout, incorporating the new UFC Fight Kit, to the intensity of being face-to-face with the top combat sports athletes in the world, this game has it all.”

Assets for EA SPORTS UFC 2 can be found here and game trailers can be watched here.

EA SPORTS UFC 2 is developed by EA Vancouver, and is available now in North America and will be available March 17 worldwide on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. EA Access* members can try the full game for a limited time and get 10% off the digital version of the game on Xbox One. Fans should keep an eye on the website, as well as the EA SPORTS UFC Facebook and Twitter pages to make sure they’re always up-to-date on the latest and greatest news.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS UFC®.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

*CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMS AND EA.COM/EAACCESS FOR DETAILS.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world. In fiscal year 2015, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.5 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Dragon Age™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

EA SPORTS, Ultimate Team, SSX, The Sims, Dragon Age, Plants vs. Zombies and Battlefield are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Octagon Girls®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, Octagon® and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and affiliated entities in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners. Any use of the preceding copyrighted program, trademarks, trade dress, or other intellectual property owned by Zuffa, LLC is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Zuffa. All rights are hereby expressly reserved. John Madden, NFL, NHL, NBA, PGA TOUR and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. Xbox is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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.

The “biggest little boxing show” in Ventura County will make its triumphant return to the Oceanview Pavilion in Port Hueneme, California as Top Rank in association with Bash Boxing brings another installment of Boxing By The Beach on Saturday April 2, 2016.

Located adjacent to boxing rich Oxnard, the Oceanview Pavilion has been home to the area’s most notable boxing and wrestling events over the past decade. As with previous Boxing By The Beach shows, local fight fans will be treated to a combination of world class talent, former amateur standouts, and local prospects…all in one show.

Santa Barbara’s Francisco “Chia” Santana (23-4-1, 12KOs) will headline the televised portion of Top Rank’s Solo Boxeo Tecate on Unimas series in a 10 round welterweight bout against Ed “The Lion” Paredes (36-5-1, 24KOs).

Santana, a former sparring partner of Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan and a Knuckleheadz Boxing Gym stable mate of Victor Ortiz, has won 11 of his last 12 bouts including victories over World Champion Joachim Alcine, former world title challenger Freddy Hernandez, and an upset of undefeated prospect Eddie Gomez. Santana has fought 10 times in Ventura County and will look to make his 2016 homecoming a successful one.

Paredes comes into his crossroads bout with Santana a winner of 14 of his last 16 boxing bouts including victories over former World Champion Vivian Harris, former world title challenger Antonio Pitalua, and unbeaten prospect Joey Hernandez. Paredes also met former world title challenger Jesus Soto Karass last year in Las Vegas.

Boxing By The Beach will also feature Orange County Lightweight Luis Ramos Jr. (25-2, 10KOs) making his Top Rank promotional debut. Ramos Jr. started his professional career winning his first 23 bouts including victories over fellow Top Rank fighter and multiple world title challenger Ray Beltran and Oxnard’s David Rodela. After taking two years off following back-to-back losses, Ramos is in the midst of a comeback and riding a two-bout winning streak.

As usual, boxers from the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard will be on display during Boxing By The Beach, topped off by two former amateur standouts now plying their trade as Top Rank blue-chip prospects, Alexander Besputin (4-0) and Maxim Dadashev. Fellow Russian uber-prospect and 2012 London Olympics Gold Medalist Egor Mekhonstev (11-0, 7KOs) will also be featured in an 8 round Light Heavyweight bout.

One of the next generation of notable boxers coming out of Ventura County will begin to pave his professional road as Santa Maria’s Oscar Mendoza makes his professional debut at Boxing on The Beach on April 2nd in Port Hueneme. Filling out the undercard will be Oxnard’s Julian “JuJu” Bautista (2-1), undefeated prospect from Woodland Hills Jessy Martinez (3-0), and Abraham Lopez (2-1) from Freddie Roach’s Wildcard West Boxing Club.

BOXING BY THE BEACH takes place on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at the Oceanview Pavilion, located at 575 E. Surfside Drive in Port Hueneme, California.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.boxingbythebeach.com
or by calling (805) 889-8162.

Tickets start at $40 for Theatre Seating and $80 for Ringside/Stage Seating.

Doors Open at 5:30pm; First Bout at 6:00pm. All bouts are subject to change.

Irish hero Jamie Conlan has signed a promotional agreement with top promoter Frank Warren as he embarks on the next stage of his career towards a world title.

The red-hot Belfast super-flyweight is undefeated in 15 fights with 9 knockouts and is a former WBO European Champion. Currently he holds the WBO Intercontinental title and a number five world ranking in the organisation.

Know as ‘The Mexican’ for his thrilling, all-action, style, Conlan has established himself as fan favourite and brings excitement every time he fights.

Conlan is in a ultra-competitive division that contains British rival Paul Butler, plus the classy, big-hitting, WBO World Champion from Japan Nagoya Inoue.

The 29-year-old will be managed by MGM and is thrilled to sign with Warren who he believes will take him to his dream of a world title.

“I’m absolutely delighted to have signed a promotional deal with Frank Warren who I believe is the best promoter out there and will get me where I want to be and that’s a world champion. I’m pushing onto world level now and Frank’s expertise is second to none so I know that I’m in great hands. With Frank and MGM in my corner I can realise my dream.” Said Conlan.

Warren added, “Jamie’s a cracking talent and I’m delighted to welcome him to the team. He’s got a tremendous following in Ireland that will only get bigger and bigger as he continues to build towards the world title. The 115 pound division is certainly livening up again and there are some great fights ahead of him and I look forward to giving him the opportunities to achieve his ambitions.”

Ricky Burns can become a three-weight World champion when he takes on Michele Di Rocco for the vacant WBA World Super-Lightweight title at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on May 28, live on Sky Sports.

Burns can add World title glory at 140lbs to his reigns as WBO king at Super-Featherweight and Lightweight, with the 32 year old set to be roared on by his hometown faithful as he returns to Scotland in his first fight there in nearly two years.

Italian Di Rocco stands in the ‘Rickster’s’ way and the 33 year old long-reigning European king will be looking to spoil Burns’ shot at history in his first World title fight.

The Scotsman spent a spell at Super-Lightweight when he met Alexandre Lepelley over eight rounds in Leeds in October 2014 before a spirited display against Omar Figueroa Jr in Texas in May put him firmly on the route to this World title shot, and Burns is determined to grab his chance to make history with both hands.

“This is a huge fight and a massive opportunity for me to make history,” said Burns. “It feels like a long time coming returning to Glasgow and I feel this is the perfect opportunity for me to grab another world title in front of my loyal supporters.

“It’s been a frustrating few years but I felt showed against Figueroa last summer that I can still mix it with the very best at world level.

“Di Rocco is a tough guy and he will bring the best out of me – but it’s a fight I’m so confident I will win and give my fans a great show.

“There are massive fights for me at Lightweight and Super-Lightweight – I’ve spoken to my trainer Tony Sims and we feel I can compete competitively at either weight class and this fight will lead on to great things for me.”

“I am delighted to deliver this opportunity for Ricky to make history and become a three-weight World champion,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “It will be the first night of boxing ever at the magnificent SSE Hydro and I know the fans will raise the roof. Di Rocco is unbeaten in nearly nine years but I truly believe Ricky will make history on May 28.

“The card will be stacked with Matchroom and Scottish talent; Tyrone Nurse will defend his British Super-Lightweight crown against Glasgow’s Willie Limond, while new star Ryan Burnett will continue his march to World titles. Commonwealth games hero Charlie Flynn will be in his first title action and undefeated young stars Joe Ham and Lewis Paulin get the chance to shine. After nearly two years away from Scotland, it’s great to be back with a huge show!”

Tickets go on sale on Saturday March 19 at midday to Matchroom Fight Pass members from the Fight Pass area at www.matchroomboxing.com, with tickets priced at £40, £60 and £100, with VIP tickets priced at £200.

Tickets go on general sale at midday on Monday March 21, with tickets in the £40-£100 bracket available from the SSE Hydro website http://www.thessehydro.com/ and on 0844 395 4000 and 0800 952 0110 (accessible). VIP tickets at £200 are exclusively available at www.matchroomboxing.com

LONDON (15 MARCH) Chris Eubank Jr. believes British champion Nick Blackwell is merely keeping the throne warm and that on March 26 he will be relieved of his duties and a superior division ruler will be crowned.

Blackwell and Eubank Jr. collide at The SSE Arena, Wembley, live on Channel 5, and the challenger, a former WBA interim world middleweight champion in his own right, is adamant it’s high time for a changing of the guard.

“I don’t care about Nick Blackwell,” he said. “I only care about the British title he possesses. That’s the only reason I’m fighting him.

“He doesn’t impress me as a fighter and he doesn’t excite me as an opponent. I think he’s a very bland character. He’s someone who is not really doing British boxing or the British title any justice whatsoever. It’s not good for boxing if he’s the British champion. They need someone who is really going to fly the flag and inspire and excite people. That’s not him. I’m going to take the belts from him and make the British public proud.”

Some have suggested Eubank Jr.’s desire to win a British title is motivated in part by the fact his father, Chris Sr., never picked one up during his own accomplished career. The 26-year-old, however, is quick to shoot down that assumption.

“It has nothing to do with my father,” he said. “No, he didn’t win the British title, but he achieved great things in his career. I respect everything he achieved. I’m just blessed to have the opportunity to challenge for this title.

“Ultimately, I am patriotic. I am British. I have grown up here. I love England. It would make me very proud to say I have accomplished this goal. It’s something I have always wanted to achieve from day one. That’s why I’m going full steam ahead to achieve this milestone in my career. It will be a great addition to my legacy.”

Eubank Jr. came face-to-face with Blackwell earlier this month at a London press conference and claims he saw nothing to suggest the champion stands a chance of holding on to his title on March 26.

“I saw no confidence at all,” said Eubank Jr. “I saw a guy putting on a front for the media. I saw through everything he was saying and trying to do. He’s a pretender. He’s trying to be somebody he’s not because he knows he’s in too deep and is going to lose.

“But it’s never personal. It’s always business. I’m fighting him not because I don’t like him but because he has a title I want. I’m sure he’s a great guy. But he’s got something I want. It doesn’t matter whether he likes me or hates me. And that goes for everyone who is watching the fight as well. You can love me or loathe me, but so long as you’re watching, I’m happy.”

*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, MaxiNutrition and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maxinutrition.com
www.hennessysports.com

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM