QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – June 2, 2023 – Undefeated Australian superstar Tim Tszyu will return to the ring and defend his Interim WBO 154-pound title against Mexican contender Carlos Ocampo headlining action live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, June 17 (Sunday, June 18 in Australia) from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will also feature top super bantamweight contender Ra’eese Aleem taking on undefeated Australian Sam Goodman in an IBF 122-pound title eliminator in the co-main event.

Tszyu will make the first defense of his interim belt after capturing it in March on SHOWTIME with a career-best showing in stopping former champion Tony Harrison. He had originally been scheduled to face Undisputed Super Welterweight Champion Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas in January, before Charlo was forced to withdraw due to injury. With a victory on June 17 in his home country, Tszyu can lock in a date with Charlo later this year.

The event is promoted by No Limit Boxing and The Rose Brothers, in association with TGB Promotions.

“Tim Tszyu has solidified his place near the top of the super welterweight division and will once again bring his fan-friendly style to the ring for fans in the U.S. watching on SHOWTIME,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “An experienced and hungry Carlos Ocampo will be coming to Australia to upset Tszyu’s plans and disrupt his path toward a long-awaited showdown with the 154-pound division’s undisputed champion Jermell Charlo. Adding in top contender Ra’eese Aleem taking on the rising Australian Sam Goodman, and this shapes up to be a great doubleheader of action fights on Saturday, June 17.”

The 28-year-old Tszyu (22-0, 16 KOs) has quickly climbed the rankings in the 154-pound division with an all-action, aggressive style. The notable names on his resume include former welterweight champion Jeff Horn, whom Tszyu stopped in round eight, and Terrell Gausha, a top contender and member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. A native of Sydney, Australia, Tszyu made his U.S. and SHOWTIME debut against Gausha and showed his poise and toughness by rallying back from a first-round knockdown to win the fight via unanimous decision. Tszyu grew up playing soccer, but soon gravitated toward boxing. The decision led to him following in the legendary footsteps of his father, Kostya, who was an undisputed 140-pound champion and who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.

“I was full training on Monday after the thing happened on Saturday,” said Tszyu to Australian press in reference to a dog bite on his right arm. “I’m not going to be limited at all…There’s a dog in me right now that’s about to come out.

“I’m a fighter. My job is to fight. I won’t sit on the couch and wait for [Jermell] Charlo’s hand to get better. I want to fight in the meantime,” added Tim Tszyu previously to the Australian media about his announcement for his title defense against Ocampo. “The fans deserve the fights…The Charlo fight is in the making, but I’m not underestimating Ocampo. I’ve got a hard task ahead of me.

“Technically, this fight is going to be much harder than my previous fights. The Mexican style will require something new in me and I expect it to be tough. Despite being Australian and on the other side of the globe, I’m headlining a fight on SHOWTIME for the third time. Is anyone else doing that? Everyone knows I’m coming to take over.”

The 27-year-old Ocampo (34-2, 22 KOs) rode a 12-fight winning streak into his last matchup, which saw him drop a decision to 154-pound contender Sebastian Fundora last October in a SHOWTIME main event. The 12 consecutive triumphs dated back to the only other loss of his career, which came to current unified welterweight champion Errol Spence, Jr. in a 2016 knockout defeat. During the 12-fight stretch, the Ensenda, Baja California, Mexico native scored nine of those victories by stoppage, including traveling to Mikael Zewski’s home country of Canada to stop the fan-favorite by ninth-round TKO.

“I’m looking forward to my fight against Tim Tszyu,” said Ocampo. “We are both warriors who go forward without fear. The fans will be the true winners that night, because I’m going after that title at all. Costs and it’s coming back to Mexico with me. He won’t want to hand it over to me, so I’ll just have to take it from him.”

Owning a top-10 ranking at 122-pounds from multiple sanctioning bodies, Aleem (20-0, 12 KOs) put on the most impressive performance of his career in January 2021, dominating in a battle of unbeatens by dropping Victor Pasillas four times before eventually stopping him in round 11. Raised in Michigan and training out of Las Vegas, the 32-year-old Aleem stopped seven-straight opponents before most recently earning decisions over Eduardo Baez in November 2021 and Mike Plania in September 2022. Aleem made his SHOWTIME debut in February of 2020 with a fourth-round stoppage of Adam Lopez on SHOBOX: The New Generation.

The 24-year-old Goodman (14-0, 7 KOs) scored a career-best victory in his last outing, announcing himself as a 122-pound contender with a dominant unanimous decision victory over former world champion T.J. Doheny in March. After an impressive amateur career that included four national championships and an appearance in the 2017 World Amateur Championships, the Australian from Albion Park, New South Wales turned pro in April 2018 and began compiling his unbeaten record.

The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast is executive produced by four-time Emmy award winner David Dinkins, Jr., with Ray Smaltz III producing and Chuck McKean directing.

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #TszyuOcampo, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

NEW YORK – June 1, 2023 – Unbeaten light heavyweights Clay Waterman and Kenmon Evans will square off in a new SHOBOX: The New Generation eight-round telecast opener as the popular prospect series returns to Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y., during International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend on Friday, June 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT live on SHOWTIME.  

Waterman (10-0, 8 KOs) had a solid amateur career with a record of 140-20. A 2011 junior world champion, the Queensland, Australia native was a 2018 Commonwealth Games medalist and 2019 Asian Grand Slam champion. He is an eight-time Golden Gloves champion and 13-time state champion. Waterman is managed by Brendan Bourke.

Evans (10-0-1, 3 KOs) of Port Orange, Fla., is promoted by International Boxing Hall of Famer and former world champion Christy Martin and trained by Pete White. As an amateur, Evans suffered just one loss with 29 victories. He won the Florida Golden Gloves in 2013 and the Florida PAL tournament in 2012. One of 16 children, Evans served eight months in jail in 2014 on a charge that was eventually dropped. After his release, he decided to turn pro. He also teaches youth boxing classes at Pete White’s gym.

“Evans is a real success story,” said Martin. “He got out [of jail] and he’s going to stay out.”

Blue-chip prospect and top-10 ranked light heavyweight Ali Izmailov (10-0, 7 KOs) faces his toughest test to date when he takes on fellow unbeaten and highly decorated amateur Charles Foster (22-0, 12 KOs) in the 10-round SHOBOX^® main event. In the co-feature, highly regarded prospect Richard Vansiclen (13-0-1, 6 KOs) from Seattle, Wash., faces fellow unbeaten hard-hitting Colombian Juan Carrillo (10-0, 8 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight matchup.

Ryan Martin (25-2, 15 KOs) was originally slated to take on former SHOBOX main-event winner and rising super lightweight prospect Mykquan Williams (19-0-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight bout before Martin pulled out due to personal reasons.

This marks the fourth time since 2013 that a SHOBOX card has taken place in conjunction with Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, which will occur June 8-11. SHOBOX has visited Turning Stone Resort Casino a total of seven times previously during its 21-year history. The three-fight telecast on June 9 is promoted by Dmitriy Salita’s Salita Promotions.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Turning Stone Box Office or online at Ticketmaster.

International Boxing Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins calls the blow-by-blow action for SHOBOX with fellow Hall of Famer Steve Farhood joining the team remotely as the unofficial scorer. Former world champion Raul Marquez and veteran combat sports reporter and MORNING KOMBAT co-host Brian Campbell will serve as ringside expert analysts. They will be accompanied by Hall of Famer and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® analyst Al Bernstein, as well as by Hall of Famer Jimmy Lennon, Jr., handling ring announcing duties. The executive producer of SHOBOX: The New Generation is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

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

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 89 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more. 

TOLEDO, Ohio (June 1, 2023) — Two Ohio-born talents have joined the pre-Independence Day celebration as part of the ESPN+-streamed undercard to the heavyweight doubleheader featuring Toledo’s  Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson against Kazakhstan’s Zhan Kossobutskiy in a 10-round main event on Saturday, July 1 at Toledo’s Huntington Center. 
 
Cleveland native Abdullah Mason will make his third appearance of 2023 in a six-round lightweight fight against Tobias Green, while Toledo-born junior lightweight Tyler McCreary will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder.
 
Anderson-Kossobutskiy and Arslanbek Makhmudov-Raphael Akpejiori will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Universum Boxing, tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.
 
Mason (8-0, 7 KOs) is a 19-year-old prodigy who was considered one of the brightest talents in U.S. amateur boxing before signing with Top Rank in October 2021. Mason debuted as a pro the following month with a second-round TKO over Jaylan Phillips. In 2022, Mason went 5-0 with four knockouts. The southpaw phenom plans to be just as dominant this year after a first-round knockout over Erick Garcia Benitez in April and a sixth-round TKO win over Desmond Lyons last month on the Devin Haney-Vasiliy Lomachenko undercard. Green (10-3, 3 KOs) is a 27-year-old Floridian who returns after an eight-round decision win against Ryan Schwartzberg last October. 
 
McCreary (17-2-1, 8 KOs) is an almost nine-year pro who is on the comeback trail. Following his 2019 showdown against former two-division world champion Carl Frampton, the 30-year-old experienced a near-two-year layoff before losing to Manuel Rey Rojas in 2021. Last month, however, he overcame another layoff to score a first-round knockout against Jake Bornea in Toledo.

BIG BEAR, CA (May 31, 2023) – Mexican superstar and former World Champion Jaime Munguia (41-0, 32 KOs) hosted a media workout today to promote his upcoming clash against Ukrainian world champion contender Sergiy “The Technician” Derevyanchenko (14-4, 10 KOs). The event was hosted at Munguia’s training gym in Big Bear Lake and was attended by Golden Boy’s Chairman and CEO, Oscar De La Hoya. The 10-round super middleweight fight is presented in association with Zanfer Boxing, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 10 at Toyota Arena, in Ontario, CA and will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT/ 8:00 p.m. ET.

Below is what Jaime Munguia and Oscar De La Hoya had to say about Munguia’s upcoming clash:

JAIME MUNGUIA, FORMER WORLD CHAMPION AND SUPER MIDDLE WEIGHT CONTENDER:

“Derevyanchenko is a tough fighter. He is someone who has gone to the ring and gone the distance with high profile fighters. No one has been able to knock him down and I think this fight and a victory against Derevyanchenko will show everyone that I am ready for any challenge.”

“I am not very worried about what has happened in other fights that Derevyanchenko has been involved in. I do not feel pressure about knocking him out, but I do know that I am going to deliver a convincing victory. I know that I am going to go into the ring and do what I have to do to win.”

“We have always pursued high profile fighters like Golovkin and Charlo and those fights haven’t materialized due to circumstances that are out of our control. He hasn’t fought in two-and-a-half years and is still considered the world champion, I am not sure what his plan is moving forward, but I am ready to face him if he wants to get in the ring with me. For Golovkin, we reached out to him for this fight, and he didn’t return, I think he may be enjoying a vacation.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY:

“We are confident that Jaime Munguia will deliver on a magnificent fight for fans this Saturday, June 10. Derevyanchenko is a tough opponent who has faced the likes of GGG, Daniel Jacobs, and Carlos Adames.”

“We want all the big names for Jaime – but we want that fight against Charlo. After our major commercial success with the Ryan Garcia fight, we have the framework to work with PBC and Showtime. But, if that can’t happen, Munguia will fight anyone – Gennadiy, or even David Benavidez are great options for him.

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Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko is a 12-round super middleweight fight that is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Boxing. The event is sponsored by “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts,” and AutoZone, “Get in the zone, Autozone.” The fight will take place on Saturday, June 10 from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

Tickets for Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko are on sale and are priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $30 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboypromotions.com or the Toyota Arena box office Monday through Friday from 12pm-4pm.

Media interested in covering the fight can apply for a credential by clicking HERE. Media credential applications are due by Monday, June 5.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MunguiaDerevyanchenko

BIG DAVID ADELEYE is back in the ring in just over a week in a first defence of his WBO European heavyweight title when he takes on the big-hitting Serbian Emir Ahmatovic on Friday, 9 June at York Hall, live on BT Sport.

Also in title action is undefeated lightweight Mark Chamberlain (12-0, 8 KOs), who makes a second defence of his IBF European title against the champion of Italy Marvin Demollari (12-4, 2).

The WBC International Silver super lightweight champion, Henry Turner (10-0, 3), is all set for a domestic war against Tom Farrell (21-6, 5) in what will be a second defence of his belt.

Unbeaten heavy Adeleye (11-0, 10), who is closing in on a shot at the British title, takes on the Germany-based Ahmatovic (12-1, 9) with a sole reverse coming against forthcoming IBF mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic in December 2021.

In his last fight, the man known as ‘Atomic’ seized the WBC Mediterranean title with a second round blitz of the then 11-1 Hueseyin Akdemir in Germany.

Waterlooville southpaw Chamberlain is blazing a trail in the lightweight ranks, with the 24-year-old coming into the fight off the back of a destructive fifth round defeat of the tough Italian Vairo Lenti in February.

Demollari, 28, became national champion in late 2022 with a decision win over the 13-0 Daniel Spada, before making a successful defence against the 11-1 Francesco Santacroce in May.

The skilful Showman Turner, just 22, is on a run of three stoppage wins out of four and was last in action in February with a statement victory over Zeus de Armas at York Hall.

His experienced opponent Farrell, 33, from Liverpool, was also last in action in Bethnal Green, where he dropped a decision against Harlem Eubank, having previously taken part in the Boxxer super lightweight tournament, where he was edged out in the final against Cori Gibbs, having defeated Ben Fields and Kane Gardner to reach the last two.

Also back on a busy York Hall card is the brilliant teenage super featherweight Royston Barney-Smith (5-0, 3), who will take on the redoubtable Christian Lopez Flores over six rounds. The 19-year-old’s last three fights have resulted in first round stoppages.

The eye-catching light heavyweight star of the future Ezra Taylor (5-0, 4) from Nottingham goes up against Khalid Graidia, who recently took Karol Itauma the full eight rounds and rising super welterweight Carl Fail (8-0, 2) from Northampton takes on Frank Madsen, with both fights taking place over eight rounds.

In six round action is Carl’s twin brother Ben Fail (2-0, 1), also at super welterweight, along with exciting Thetford cruiserweight Tommy Fletcher (4-0, 3) and Reading super welterweight Joshua Frankham (7-0, 2).

Tickets for the show at York Hall, Bethnal Green on Friday, 9 June are available now from: Ticketmaster.co.uk.

LAS VEGAS – May 31, 2023 – In a matchup that will go down in boxing history as one of the most significant title fights of all time, unified WBC, WBA and IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth’’ Spence Jr. will take on WBO 147-pound world champion Terence “Bud’’ Crawford for the Undisputed Welterweight World Championship on Saturday, July 29 in a highly anticipated SHOWTIME PPV clash from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The winner of this battle of undefeated superstars will become the first undisputed welterweight world champion in the four-belt era and likely emerge as the sport’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. Spence vs. Crawford joins Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns, Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio César Chávez and Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, as a generational matchup of two popular stars whose dynamic and aggressive styles should produce an instant classic. Both Spence and Crawford have reached the pinnacle of boxing’s glamour division with their sublime skills and can stamp themselves alongside 147-pound legends like Leonard, Mayweather, Sugar Ray Robinson and Pacquiao, with a win on July 29.

Spence and Crawford have been circling each other since Crawford became a welterweight champion in 2018, and now, IT’S ON!

Pre-sale tickets are available tomorrow, Thursday, June 1 from 10 a.m. PT until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com by using the code: BOXING

Public on-sale begins Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. PT with tickets available through AXS.com. The event is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TBC Promotions and TGB Promotions.

“I’m truly excited to be a part of the biggest fight in boxing and the best welterweight matchup of the century,” said Spence. “Terence Crawford is a great fighter and our styles are going to make for a great fight. I told him and the world what I was going to do after I captured my first welterweight title and it’s been strap season ever since. On July 29, I’m going to put on a tremendous performance and become the undisputed king of the welterweight division. This is truly going to be a night to remember, one where history is made, and I want everyone to be a part of it.”

“The fans and I have both wanted this fight for years and now it is finally happening,” said Crawford. “This truly is a once in a generation fight, so come out to T-Mobile Arena or tune in to SHOWTIME PPV for the biggest fight in boxing. On July 29, I look forward to making history and becoming two-time undisputed champion of the world.”

“This is an undeniably historic matchup taking place on July 29, because the winner of this fight will go down as the greatest welterweight of this era,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “On top of being for undisputed status, and in addition to pitting two of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport against each other, Spence vs. Crawford is an electric style matchup that has captured the imagination of fans everywhere. Boxing’s premier division will have a definitive number one when the dust settles this July at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.”

 “With the addition of this blockbuster event, SHOWTIME SPORTS’ industry-leading schedule becomes even stronger,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming for Showtime Networks Inc. “Spence vs. Crawford is the type of matchup that will demonstrate boxing’s enduring popularity — a marquee event to bring the sports world to a halt with all eyes on the center of the ring in Las Vegas. This fight will be talked about alongside all of the legendary welterweight and undisputed world title bouts throughout history. Together with our partners, we are proud to once again deliver the biggest and best fights that the sport can offer.”

Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) has displayed mental toughness inside and outside of the ring throughout an already storied career. He survived a horrific car crash in 2019 and had surgery to repair a detached retina in 2021. Defying both the odds and other’s expectations, Spence came back to not only defend his title but added even more titles to his trophy case.

Born in Long Island, N.Y., the 33-year-old was and raised in Desoto, Texas where he embarked on an accolade-laden amateur career that culminated with him as a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team that competed in London, England. He went back to England and won his first welterweight championship when he traveled to Sheffield to meet local favorite and IBF Champion Kell Brook in 2017, stopping Brook in round 11 for the IBF title.

Spence successfully defended the title three times before adding another welterweight title by defeating Shawn Porter in one of 2019’s best fights. After taking time off to recover from injuries from the car crash, Spence defended the unified title with a unanimous decision victory over two-division champion Danny Garcia in 2020. A detached retina scuttled plans to meet Pacquiao in a 2021 showdown, but Spence wasn’t going to be denied as he defeated Yordenis Ugas, who bested Pacquiao as a replacement for Spence, to win the WBA title with a resounding TKO on April 16, 2022.

Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) is an accomplished ring tactician who has held world titles at lightweight, super lightweight and welterweight. His special blend of blazing fast hands, high ring IQ, superb counter punching ability and defensive prowess has put him in position to become boxing’s first male undisputed champion in two weight classes if he can get past Spence.

The 35-year-old from Omaha, Neb., kicked off his championship run by winning the WBO Lightweight Title with a unanimous decision victory over Ricky Burns in 2014 and began his 140-pound reign by stopping Thomas Dulorme for the WBO Title in 2015. He added the WBC belt in 2016 with a unanimous decision victory over Viktor Postol and became the undisputed champion at 140 pounds with a KO of Julius Indongo in 2017.

Crawford didn’t stick around to defend his undisputed crown at super lightweight, opting to move up to welterweight in 2018 instead. He announced his presence with a TKO victory over Jeff Horn to claim the WBO Championship. He has successfully defended the title six times, including stoppage victories over former 147-pound champions Porter and Brook. In his most recent fight, Crawford scored a highlight-reel KO of David Avanesyan last December.

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports and www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #SpenceCrawford, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing and www.Facebook.com/premierboxingchampions/.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (MAY 31, 2023)–Boxing’s fastest rising series, Country Box, Where Music Meets Boxing will be back with Country Box 4 on Tuesday night, June 13th at The Troubadour Nashville.

The first three installments have been a huge success as some of the country’s best prospects have been able to ply their trade, while the sold-out crowds have been treated to concerts featuring Country Music heavyweights Leon Evertette, Clayton Q and Adam Warner.

Country Box is the brainchild of longtime boxing manager turned promoter Jimmy Adams.

Adams guided fighters such as Oliver McCall, Greg Page, Tony Tucker, Robert Daniels, Steve Cunningham, Bert Cooper and Sharmba Mitchell.

Due to strong ties in the music and boxing industries, Adams has and will be able to secure big names in both spaces and combine it to a night of unforgettable entertainment.

” I did 47 fights in 1997. All in one year, and that’s how Tennessee became number-two for boxing, beating out Las Vegas & Atlantic City, NJ with California being number-one. My first fighter to ever manage was Earnie Shavers. My mentor in understanding boxing has been promoter and long time friend Don King, who I still have a very close tie to. Country Box is a platform for unknown fighters & entertainers to get a shot in becoming Champions or Country Superstars. Really its where today’s nobodies can become tomorrow’s somebody. I am excited because my son Jimmy Jr is training to become a professional boxer and my daughter Masey Adams is following my footsteps in becoming a boxing manager plus she runs the social media for Country Box. On a personal note from my heart I am so proud to have my wife standing behind me for support, my children are working to turn it into a family business, Howard Wear, Christy Dembrock, Robert Golden, Chris Harris part of my team and so blessed to have professional people on my team like Marc Abrams, John Moceyunas, Christy Martin, Albert Haynesworth. Thanks to Jennifer the owner of The Troubadour for allowing her place to become the home of Country Box “Where Music Meets Boxing” 

The short term goal is to stage events on the first Tuesday of every month.

Several fighters such as former Mexican amateur star Erick Arellano and Eduardo Aguillar are local fighters that have been staples on the series, while undefeated outsiders Elijah Williams and Deon Pruitt have come from New York and the Virgin Islands respectively and have started to plant flags on the series.

Tickets for the June 13th show can be purchased here

DETROIT – May 31, 2023 – Undisputed Middleweight World Champion Claressa “G.W.O.A.T.” Shields and No. 1 rated contender Maricela Cornejo went face-to-face for the first time on Wednesday at the final press conference before they meet in the ring this Saturday, June 3 from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and streamed live on DAZN in the U.S. and Canada.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased through 313Presents.com, Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena. The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents.

The press conference also included rising unbeaten and Flint-native Ardreal Holmes and his opponent Wendy Toussaint, who meet in the super welterweight co-main event.

Flint’s Shields will headline the first-ever boxing event at Little Caesars Arena, the home of the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings. Shields has relished in the adoration of The Motor City, including a visit to throw out the first pitch at last night’s Detroit Tigers game, and will look to give her fans a thrilling show in defending her undisputed crown against Cornejo. Catch up on fight week with the “SHIELDS VS. CORNEJO: FIGHT WEEK DAILY” five-part digital video series debuting each night through fight night (episode one available HERE).

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Wednesday from Little Caesars Arena:

CLARESSA SHIELDS

“I’m facing a younger, taller and more savvy opponent in Maricela Cornejo than I was in Hanna Gabriels. I want to thank Maricela for accepting this challenge and coming here. I know that she’s always in shape. It’s gonna be a real throwdown in Motown.

“I know she said she wants to go out there and dance, but you’re gonna be dancing by yourself. Because I came to fight. She can salsa all she wants, but I came to throw down and show my skills.

“It’s fight week and there’s not much more to say. Boxing is changing. To be having this fight here in front of thousands of fans in Detroit, with the G.W.O.A.T. in the main event, we don’t get too many of these opportunities.

“I’m just happy and excited about this fight. I’m looking forward to putting on a show and showing that I’m the greatest once again.  

“People in Detroit are ready to celebrate. The city is already celebrating because it’s a big moment for Detroit. But I’m still focused on winning the fight. It’s big for all of us, but I’m keeping my head down.

“When I got the call about fighting at Little Caesars Arena, it felt like there was a slim chance we’d get to fight here. They offered a lot of money to fight again in the U.K., but I wanted to bring my titles here.”

MARICELA CORNEJO

“When I got the call I was getting ready for another fight, so we were coming to the end of camp anyway. This isn’t a last minute thing for me, because I’m always ready. I’m always staying in the gym. I live, eat and breathe boxing.

“I’m ready for this opportunity and there’s no excuses come Saturday night. Claressa has done so much for the sport of boxing and everyone in this sport is trying to do our part. Our responsibility is just to make a difference in the sport and that’s what we’re trying to do. She needs a good dance partner to do that. When they called, I said I’m ready to dance.

“Being an underdog doesn’t affect me at all. I’m gonna go put some money on myself. I knew I’d be the underdog. She’s got the titles, so I know what I have to do.

“I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is the perfect time for me to take this fight. Some might think that it’s short notice, but I’m in tip-top shape.

“She’s coming after me, so I’m fighting fire with fire. There’s no backing down at all. It’s gonna take heart, endurance, everything and the kitchen sink. That’s the kind of fighter that Claressa is and I’m so ready for it.”

ARDREAL HOLMES

“I’m really happy that everyone came out and that Flint and Detroit are gonna get to watch us on Saturday. This is a Michigan thing. It’s a Michigan card. We all want to show out.

“I know that I have to look impressive and open the door for me to eventually fight for a world title. I’m taking it one fight at a time, but I’m coming for the top of the division.

“There’s not much more talking, I’ll just see everyone on June 3.”

WENDY TOUSSAINT

“I’m very happy to be here for this fight. I know my opponent is very tough, but this is nothing new to me. I’ll see you in the ring on Saturday.

“I’ve had a great training camp and I feel prepared for this fight. I respect Holmes, but he’s not going to be bringing anything that I haven’t seen before.”

DMITRIY SALITA, President of Salita Promotions

“Big-time boxing is back in Michigan on June 3 right here at Little Caesars Arena, and we’re going to see Claressa Shields defend her undisputed title against the top rated contender Maricela Cornejo. This is a big event for Detroit, Michigan and boxing as a whole. They say ‘a tree grows in Brooklyn’, but boxing grows in Detroit.

“This is going to be a historic night of boxing. Claressa Shields has opened the door for Michigan and Detroit talent to be seen on a worldwide scale. This card will feature some of the best talent in the world of boxing from right here in the state.

“The city of Flint has provided some of the best fighters in the sport of boxing and many believe that Ardreal Holmes is next in line. He is undefeated and stepping in for the most challenging fight of his career.”

HOWARD HANDLER, President of 313 Presents

“Welcome to fight week. As Detroit’s premier live entertainment company, 313 Presents is excited to present the first ever boxing event here at Little Caesars Arena. We’re making history with this fight.

“I want to thank Claressa and her whole team for all their hard work and preparation, as we’re just a few days away from the big event. I also want to thank Maricela for stepping in and taking on this challenge.

“In addition to the main event, Dmitriy has put together a terrific fight card featuring some of Michigan’s best prospects. On top of Flint, Michigan being represented we’ve got Dearborn and Grand Rapids, and each of these fighters are going to make this first ever boxing event here historic and memorable.

“Claressa, you definitely inspire and give hope to many people out there. Claressa has really gone above and beyond to give back to people who are often overlooked. We’re looking forward to a great crowd and the city being abuzz for boxing.”

Las Vegas – UFC^® makes its highly anticipated return to Salt Lake City, Utah on Sat., July 29 with a Fight of the Year candidate that will see No. 2 ranked lightweight contender Dustin Poirier run it back with No. 3 Justin Gaethje for the vacant BMF title. The co-main event will see former UFC light heavyweight champion and current No. 3 ranked contender Jan Blachowicz look to spoil the 205-pound debut of former middleweight titleholder Alex Pereira.

The event is the result of a partnership with Utah Sports Commission and Smith Entertainment Group.

“I’m excited to return to Salt Lake City, which has one of the nicest arenas in the world,” UFC President Dana White said. “The fan response last year was incredible and this time we’re bringing one of the most anticipated cards of the year with two of the baddest fighters in the world for the BMF title. I want to thank the Utah Sports Commission and Smith Entertainment Group for their continued support. UFC 291 will be one of the biggest events of the year.”

“Last year’s epic UFC 278 Pay-Per-View event brought huge economic impact and tremendous global media exposure to Utah: The State of Sport,” said Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “With that success we are excited to partner again with the UFC, Smith Entertainment Group and welcome some of the top MMA fighters in the world as we play host to UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to have UFC back to Salt Lake City. UFC 291 will be one of the most anticipated sporting events of 2023, and we’re all in on hosting it at the Delta Center,” said Ryan Smith, chairman of Smith Entertainment Group. “Utah is a premier sports and entertainment destination, and SEG is committed to bringing world-class events to the state and providing exceptional experiences to fans, talent, and organizations while they are here. We’re thrilled about our continued partnership with UFC and Utah Sports Commission. We look forward to hosting another successful fight night.”

UFC^® 291: POIRIER vs. GAETHJE 2 will take place at Delta Center with the main card at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT exclusively on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be available on ABC, ESPN ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ (English and Spanish), at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The night’s action will start at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with Early Prelims on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) and UFC Fight Pass.

UFC^® 291: POIRIER vs. GAETHJE 2 tickets are set to go on sale to the public on Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. MT and will be available through ticketmaster.com.Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, May 31 at 10 a.m. MT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, June 1 starting at 10 a.m. MT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

No. 13 men’s pound-for-pound fighter Poirier (29-7 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Lafayette, La.) is coming off his thrilling submission win over Michael Chandler last year. A dynamic striker and grappler, the former interim lightweight champion also holds spectacular victories against Conor McGregor (twice), Max Holloway (twice) and Eddie Alvarez. Poirier now looks to stop Gaethje once again and take home the BMF belt.

Former interim lightweight champion Gaethje (25-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo. by way of Safford, Ariz.) has long established himself among the most exciting fighters in MMA. A heavy-handed striker and wrestler, he has earned memorable wins over Michael Chandler, Donald Cerrone and Rafael Fiziev. Gaethje now plans to even the score with Poirier by delivering another highlight-reel KO.

Blachowicz (29-9-1, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) intends to take out another former champion in impressive fashion. Known for his “legendary Polish power,” he holds notable victories against Israel Adesanya, Luke Rockhold and Dominick Reyes. Blachowicz now hopes for a show-stopping performance to stake his claim for a title shot.

Pereira (7-2, fighting out of Danbury, Conn. by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil) looks to turn heads at light heavyweight by stopping one of the division’s most decorated athletes. A former kickboxing standout, he holds thrilling KO wins over Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland and Andreas Michailidis. Pereira now intends to make a statement against Blachowicz to enter the light heavyweight Top 5.

Other bouts on the card include:

• Fan favorites collide when Tony Ferguson (26-8, fighting out of Orange County, Calif.) battles Bobby Green (29-14-1 1NC, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.) in a lightweight bout guaranteed to deliver fireworks
• Former middleweight title challenger and No. 5 ranked contender Paulo Costa (14-2, fighting out of Contagem, MG, Brazil) returns to Salt Lake City to face surging Ikram Aliskerov (14-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia)
• No. 7 ranked welterweight contender Stephen Thompson (17-6-1, fighting out of Simpsonville, S.C.) faces No. 15 Michel Pereira (28-11 2NC, fighting out of Tucuma, Para, Brazil) in a battle of exciting strikers
• No. 11 ranked heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis (26-11 1NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas) aims to take back the UFC knockout record all for himself when he meets Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-9-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• No. 12 ranked welterweight contender Michael Chiesa (18-6, fighting out of Spokane Valley, Wash.) locks horns with Kevin Holland (24-9 1NC, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) in an intriguing matchup
• Matthew Semelsberger (11-5, fighting out of Frederick, Md.) squares off with Yohan Lainesse (9-2, fighting out of St-Bruno, Quebec, Canada) in an all-action welterweight bout
• Roman Kopylov (10-2, fighting out of Bachatsky, Kemerovo, Russia) meets Claudio Ribeiro (11-3, fighting out of Jundiaí, São Paulo, Brazil) at middleweight
• Trevin Giles (16-4, fighting out of Houston, Texas) battles undefeated Gabriel Bonfim (14-0, fighting out of Brasília, Brazil) in a welterweight tilt
• CJ Vergara (11-4-1, fighting out of San Antonio, Texas) takes on Vinicius Salvador (14-5, fighting out of Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil) at flyweight
• Joanne Wood (16-8, fighting out of Glasgow, Scotland) faces Priscila Cachoeira (12-4, fighting out of Bangu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a flyweight bout

Media members wishing to apply for UFC^® 291: POIRIER vs. GAETHJE 2 credentials may sign up here.

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 233 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s active fighter roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About Utah Sports Commission

The Utah Sports Commission was created to be a catalyst for Utah in its Olympic legacy efforts and to help enhance Utah’s economy, image, and quality of life through the attraction, promotion, and development of national and international sports. Since the 2002 Olympics and Paralympics, the Utah Sports Commission has attracted over 1000 major events to the state. The Sports Commission works closely with communities, sports entities, and organizations to provide event services ranging from the bid process, on-site logistics, volunteer coordination, sponsorships and promotional opportunities, and other related services. It is a not-for-profit 501(c)6 business league and Utah Sports Commission Foundation, a not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization, is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees consisting of statewide sports, business, community, and government leaders. For more information, visit www.utahsportscommission.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About Smith Entertainment Group

Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) is a sports, technology, and entertainment investment group focused primarily on the state of Utah. SEG’s portfolio includes the Utah Jazz (NBA), Real Salt Lake (MLS), the Delta Center, America First Field, the Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G League), Utah Jazz Gaming (NBA 2K League), Real Monarchs (MLS NEXT Pro), the Zone Sports Radio Network, the Utah Royals (NWSL – coming in 2024), and other Utah-centric business ventures.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 25.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Baltimore, Maryland (May 31, 2023)–World class boxing returns to Baltimore on Saturday, June 24th as Ponytail Promotions and CNC Entertainment presents a big night at The Patapsco Arena.

In the featured contest, Mack Allison IV takes on Patrick Ayi Ayree in a eight-round super featherweight bout.

Allison of Baltimore is 16-3-1 with 11 knockouts. The 25 year-old is a seven-year pro who is coming off a fourth round stoppage over Lonnie Jackson Jr. on April 22nd in Baltimore.

Ayree of Accra, Ghana is 22-2-2 with 13 knockouts. The 27 year-old is 10 year-pro. He has wins over Michael Pappoe (12-1), Isaac Dowuona (6-0), Abraham Bonsu (12-2-1). Ayree, who will be making his United States debut, is coming off a eight-round draw with Bright Ayala (16-1) on January 5th in Ghana.

A massive 12-bout card has been assembled and it will include an eight-round super middleweight bout between Tyrell Boyd (8-, 8 KOs) of Baltimore and Derrick Vann (4-7) of Philadelphia.

In four-round bouts, Deshawn Owens (2-0, 1 KO) of Baltimore, Maryland takes on debuting Alberto Boites Salazar of Hampton, Virginia in a welterweight bout.

Pro debuting Juan Pablo Guillen Arancibia of Arlington, Virginia takes on Jaden Webb in a featherweight bout.

Fighters seeing action in four-round bouts against opponents to be named are middleweight Walter Sanders (2-0, 1 KO) of Baltimore; super featherweight La’Vay Lawrence (2-0, 2 KOs) of Washington, DC; super featherweight Dravintay Speed Rawls (13-1-1, 8 KOs) of Glenarden, Maryland; debuting welterweight Anwar Wingate of District Heights, Maryland; heavyweight Isaiah Branch (1-0, 1 KO) of Baltimore, Maryland; featherweight Christopher Glenn (3-0) of Hagerstown, Maryland; debuting welterweight Ricky Sanabria of Salisbury, Maryland; featherweight Ervin Fuller III (3-0, 2 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland

Tickets can be purchased at ponytail-promotions.eventbrite.com or call 410-499-5361

SUNRISE, FL. – May 31, 2023 – The undercard is now set as a stacked lineup will lead up to undefeated boxing Hall of Famer Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s return to the ring on Sunday, June 11, in an exhibition showdown against professional fighter John Gotti III, the grandson of famous gangster John Gotti.

A unique crossover extravaganza and star-studded night featuring musical performances and more, “LAST NAMES MATTER” will be available through Zeus Network Pay-Per-View on Sunday, June 11, from FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, in partnership with renowned director and producer Deon Taylor. Be sure to catch the exciting fight week activities at The Fontainebleau Miami Beach, the official Fight Week home of Mayweather vs. Gotti.

Tickets for the live event are available through Ticketmaster by clicking HERE.

In the co-featured, eight-round exhibition, film and fighting star Ulysess “The Monster” Diaz will rematch popular UK-based fighting star Khalas “BabaYaga” Karim in the sequel to their all-out war from February that stole the show on another Mayweather topped Zeus Pay-Per-View undercard.

Incredibly, Cuban-born, Miami-based cruiserweight Ulysses “The Monster” Diaz didn’t start fighting professionally until he was 35 years old. The subject of a 2022 Urban Film Festival-winning documentary about his life, Diaz grew up with accomplished rapper and singer Pitbull and even traveled the world as his head of security. The now 42-year-old has a successful boxing career at 14-1, 13 KOs and is a breakout star at bareknuckle boxing, where he broke the record for the World’s Fastest Combat Sports KO, made official by Guinness World Records, by laying out Donelei Benedetto in three seconds. Diaz is engaged to WWE Diva Dana Brooke.

Popular “Wicked n’ Bad” light heavyweight champion and boxing prodigy Khalas Karim currently resides in the UK and is originally from Morocco via Denmark. Karim asserted himself as a force by going toe-to-toe with the formidable Diaz in their first clash, an exhibition slugfest for the ages. Despite the size and experience disadvantages, Karim showed refined technique against Diaz and was surging as the fight progressed.

In another high-profile four-round exhibition, world-class heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller will take on popular Vegas-based undefeated heavyweight Antonio Zepeda.

The undefeated Jarrell Miller was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, home to his idols and former greats Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe. An outspoken and entertaining slugger, Miller began boxing at the age of 16 and went 10-1 as an amateur. Now 34-years-old, the 6’ 4” Miller currently holds a professional record of 26-0-1, with 22 KOs and was last seen knocking out former champion Lucas Browne in six rounds in March of this year. Still considered a dangerous heavyweight, Miller is closing in on a career-defining fight against one of the current stars of the big man’s division.

An “against the odds” story of perseverance, Antonio Zepeda was raised in Phoenix group homes after his father, who was serving a life sentence for murder, died in prison in 2014, and his mother, who struggled and was on the streets, died a year earlier. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound Zepeda was a Phoenix Camelback High School All-Arizona football defensive end. He began his boxing training less than a year after his dreams of an NFL career ended at UNLV in 2017, when he suffered a broken tibia, torn MCL and meniscus. The 28-year-old Zepeda is currently 6-0, 6 KOs as a boxer and a 2-0, 2 KOs in MMA. Now residing in Las Vegas, Zepeda’s fighting style has drawn comparisons, stylistically, to former Polish heavyweight Andrew Golota.

Also scheduled for action is a four-round bareknuckle boxing match between MMA star Hector Lombard and Eric Turner.

Héctor Lombard is a Cuban and Australian professional mixed martial artist, bodybuilder, and former Olympic judoka who competes in the Light Heavyweight division of Eagle FC. Lombard is best known for his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has also fought in Deep, Pride, and Bellator where he was the inaugural Bellator Middleweight Champion. Born in Cuba Lombard represented his home nation at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in Judo.

In another four-round exhibition bout, J’Hon Ingram will battle Ryan “Stone” Allen.

Light welterweight prospect J’Hon Ingram (3-0, 3 KOs) has been touted as “The Next Floyd Mayweather,” by Mayweather himself. The undefeated Las Vegas resident had a short amateur career of just 12 bouts, as his impressive style was already better suited to the professional ranks. Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Ingram was first introduced to Mayweather when the Hall of Famer was looking for a sparring partner for an upcoming exhibition fight. The first sparring session with Mayweather proved life changing for Ingram and gave him experiences money can’t buy. The 22-year-old Ingram most recently saw viral success online for knocking out world champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero in a sparring video.

The 30-year-old Ryan Allen (10-6-1, 5 KOs) currently resides in Las Vegas, but originally hails from Jackson, Michigan. A seven-year professional, Allen has faced a list of top contenders, including current world champion Robeisy Ramirez and has never been stopped. The deceptively capable Allen has never lost to a fighter with more than one loss on this record.

To open the action, Kamari “KB3” Burnside will fight three exhibition rounds against Brendan Jackson.

A Las Vegas resident, Burnside is a promising amateur boxer and sparring partner for fellow boxing prospect Nico Ali Walsh at Top Rank Gym. A Floyd Mayweather protegee, the 6’ Burnside was formerly a basketball standout guard at Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas where he was named the Las Vegas League Defensive Player-of-the- Year; averaging 13 points per game, 4 assists per game, 3 rebounds per game, 2.8 steals per game, and breaking the Nevada high school record for steals in a season with 84.

In addition to Mayweather’s exhibition, the event will feature performances from superstar recording artist Ozuna and more. Ozuna has won multiple Latin Grammy Awards and Billboard Music Awards, in addition to his 2018 collaboration with DJ Snake, Cardi B and Selena Gomez on “Taki Taki” that went quadruple platinum.

The event is dedicated to the loving memory of Marikit “Kitchie” Laurico, Mayweather’s longtime assistant who passed away suddenly in April.

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ABOUT ZEUS NETWORK

Founded by Lemuel Plummer (also serves as CEO), The Zeus Network, is the first subscription-on-demand streaming service created by millennials for millennials. Launched in July 2018, the network features exclusive, original scripted, unscripted comedy and drama series and other premium content. Zeus is available to subscribers for $5.99 monthly on mobile phones and desktop computers at The Zeus Network.com. The Zeus mobile and connected TV apps are available on the Apple App store, Google Play Store, Amazon App Store, Roku and more providing access to anywhere, anytime, any device. Follow Zeus on Instagram and Facebook under @TheZeusNetwork.

Ahead of the June 10 Junior Welterweight Championship live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, ESPN will air Trash Talk: Taylor vs. Lopez, a 30-minute all-access preview into one of the most heated world title fights of the year.

Viewers will see both fighters sound off in a verbal war as the show goes inside the fight camps of undefeated WBO junior welterweight world champion Josh Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) and the former unified lightweight kingpin Teófimo Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs).

It’s “The Tartan Tornado” vs. “The Takeover.”  Taylor, the first British fighter to become undisputed champion in the four-belt era, proudly represents his native Scotland and is on the shortlist of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world today. Lopez, a native son of Brooklyn, New York, headlines for his third time at “The Mecca of Boxing,” where he seeks to become a two-division world champion and regain his place among the pound-for-pound elite.

In addition to the air times below, Trash Talk: Taylor vs. Lopez will also be available for replay on-demand in the ESPN App and on ESPN.com and ESPN+.

Trash Talk: Taylor vs. Lopez

ESPN+, ESPN App Boxing Content: Live and Upcoming, On Demand, Studio Shows, Archives

• Top Rank: Real Time Go all-access with top fighters throughout fight week as they work their way to fight night
• Boxing
• Top Rank
• State of Boxing

• Max on Boxing Max Kellerman hosts a 30-minute series weighing in on key boxing news and providing insights on the sport’s top fighters and upcoming events
• Who Do U Fight 4? Get to know the next generation of Top Rank stars and learn what drives them

Follow @ESPNRingside on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok

About ESPN 

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.? ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.? 

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 25.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).   

LOS ANGELES (May 31, 2023) – Undefeated prospect Darius “DFG” Fulghum (4-0, 4 KOs) headlines a sold-out pro card event for the first time this Saturday night against Las Vegas-based light heavyweight Symari Alexander (2-1, 2 KOs) in the six-round main event at Galveston Island Convention Center in Galveston, Texas.

“Words can’t really express how I really feel about headlining this show (presented by El Tigre Promotions),” Fulghum said. “Not only am I headlining for the first time, but I’m fighting locally (Galveston is a 45-minute drive from Houston). It’s a blessing; great opportunity for me. I’m ready to put on a show!”

The 26-year-old Fulghum, who is a promotional free agent, and Alexander are familiar with each other, having fought twice in the amateurs in 2016.

“I beat him twice and there was a walkover too (technically 3-0),” Fulghum remembered. “But that was a long time ago and it doesn’t mean anything now. We’ll see how we’ve grown as fighters, both of us, how we’ve evolved. This is our trilogy fight.”

Fulghum is coming off an impressive victory this past April 29^th, when he destroyed the battle-tested, Jay Williams in the second round, finishing him off with a devastating left hook, right-hand combination. Darius hadn’t fought in eight months and now he’s fighting only five weeks later.

“I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do because my pro career started a little slow,” Fulghum remarked. “I was in shape, on weight, so I figured. why not take this fight? I want to keep rolling as soon as possible. My preparation literally doesn’t change. I’m in the gym working hard and that’s what works for me. Plus, I get to put on a show for my hometown crowd. Texas has always shown me great love and support and I hope to return the favor to my community in due time.”

A licensed nurse in Texas with a degree from Prairie View A & M University, Fulghum was a decorated amateur boxer, ranked No. 1 in the USA as a heavyweight, despite fighting as a light heavyweight/super middleweight as a pro, capturing top honors at the 2018 National Golden Gloves Tournament and 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, all accomplished as he attended college.

Fulghum is working with 3 Point Management (3 PM), a growing company based in Los Angeles that has a growing stable of gifted boxers including former world super middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs), NABA super flyweight champion John “Scrappy” Ramirez (12-0, 8 KOs), light heavyweight Kareem Hackett (11-0, 5 KOs), super middleweight Cem “Champ” Kilic (17-1, 11 KOs), and heavyweight Zach Spiller (3-0, 2 KOs).

INFORMATION:

Instagram/Twitter/Linkedin: @DariusFulghum

May 30, 2023) — Undefeated super middleweight contender Erik Bazinyan returns in a 10-round main event against Mexico’s Jose de Jesus Macias this Thursday, June 1 at Casino de Montreal in Montreal, Canada.
 
Bazinyan-Macias and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Bazinyan (29-0, 21 KOs) is a 28-year-old native of Yerevan, Armenia who moved to Canada when he was 16. Following an amateur career of more than 100 fights, he debuted as a pro in 2013, four months after his 18th birthday. Bazinyan rose the rankings by defeating a host of seasoned veterans, including Alan Campa, Saul Roman, Scott Sigmon, and Marcelo Esteban Coceres. Bazinyan returns to the ring after defeating Alantez Fox in February and plans to turn his attention toward the top dogs of the division if successful on Thursday. Macias (28-11-4, 14 KOs) is a 12-year veteran who holds a win over Bazinyan’s stablemate and two-time title challenger Steven Butler. The 31-year-old heads into this clash following a decision loss to Pavel Silyagin last July.

In other streaming action from Montreal:

• Canada native Steve Claggett (34-7-2, 24 KOs) will face Puerto Rican former world champion Alberto Machado (23-3, 19 KOs) in a 10-round junior welterweight battle. Claggett has scored five consecutive knockout wins since losing to Mathieu Germain in 2021. In his last fight, he beat Rafael Guzman Lugo via seventh-round TKO in March. Machado is coming off an eighth-round stoppage win against Jose Angulo last December.
   
• In an eight-round junior lightweight bout, Avery Martin Duval (9-0-1, 5 KOs) takes on Mexico’s Andres Sanchez Ramirez (6-6-3, 2 KOs). Duval looks to extend his winning streak to six, while Ramirez returns after two wins in his native land.  
   
• Southpaw prospect Thomas Chabot (8-0, 7 KOs) makes his 2023 debut in a six-rounder against Luis Bolanos Lopez (4-2-1). 
   
• Middleweight standout Alexandre Gaumont (7-0, 5 KOs) looks to earn his fourth straight knockout in a six-round fight against Poland’s Piotr Bis (6-2-1, 2 KOs).

# # #

 
About ESPN+  
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 25.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). 

DETROIT – May 30, 2023 – Undisputed Middleweight World Champion Claressa “G.W.O.A.T.” Shields kicked off fight week on Tuesday with a media workout as she prepares to bring big-time boxing back to Detroit when she takes on No. 1 rated contender Maricela Cornejo this Saturday, June 3 from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and streamed live on DAZN in the U.S. and Canada.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased through 313Presents.com, Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena. The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents.

The main event fighters showed off their skills Tuesday at the Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit, as they prepare to enter the ring in the first-ever boxing event at Little Caesars Arena. Here is what the main event participants had to say Tuesday:

CLARESSA SHIELDS

“I had to switch my mind set up when Maricela Cornejo became the opponent. She’s tall, she’s fresh and she’s fought for the world title before. This chance to fight for undisputed is once in a lifetime for her. I’m excited to face an opponent who I know is ready to go.

“I’ve watched Cornejo on film and seen how she boxes. The thing is, I just feel like I’m a league above these girls, and I’m gonna show it on Saturday night.

“I’m super excited to fight in front of thousands at Little Caesars Arena. I’ve had to keep my head down and train. I might put the makeup and hair and nice clothes on, but I’m not doing anything but focusing on the fight. This is a big moment for Detroit and myself, but the most important thing right now is just winning this fight.

“No matter who is fighting me on Saturday, they’re getting their ass kicked. The same thing that was gonna happen to my previous opponent, is what’s gonna happen to Cornejo.”

MARICELA CORNEJO

“When I got the call, I was just about ending camp for a fight on June 6. It was perfect timing. Everything lined up so well that I couldn’t say no.

“This was the first camp I ever had a strength and conditioning coach. Coach Larry Wade put me in the best possible shape so that I could take advantage of this opportunity.

“I know what kind of fighter Claressa is, but I also know what kind of fighter I am. I have absolutely no doubt in my ability with this new team I have and the strength and confidence that they installed in me.

“This is Mari 2.0. I’m taking it on. If you watch any film that’s out there on me, there’s absolutely nothing that looks anything like this Maricela. I’m excited for the world to see the new me too.”

Dallas, Texas – May 30, 2023 – Fighters First Management Chief Executive Officer Adrian Clark announced today it has signed a management agreement with unified WBC/WBA/IBF World Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.

Spence and Clark, both Texas natives, have a personal friendship that dates to 2012 while Spence was preparing for the Olympics games. Prior to Fighters First Management, Clark independently negotiated deals for the hard-hitting southpaw with equipment and apparel giant, Everlast Worldwide.

“It is an honor to have Errol join the Fighters First family,” said Clark. “If you know Errol, you know how meticulous and calculated he is in business. In 11 years, he has only aligned himself with two companies (PBC and Everlast).

“For Fighters First to be the third company to represent Errol Spence Jr says a lot about who we are as a company,” noted Clark.

“I met with Fighters First months ago and I believe in their vision, not just for me but for the fighters,” said Spence Jr. “AC has been a part of my team for a while. He put Everlast and me together. I trust him to continue to put things together for me,” added Spence Jr.

Spence Jr. A Pound-For-Pound Fixture in Boxing

Errol Spence Jr. is a fixture on every significant pound-for-pound list and it is one of boxing’s top draws and biggest stars, making quick work of most of his opponents in his rise to becoming a unified 147-pound world champion. A U.S. Olympian in 2012, the unbeaten southpaw began boxing at age 15 under his father’s guidance in Dallas.

Spence Jr. packs plenty of power, inflicting early damage and then pouncing His record currently stands at 28-0, 22 KOs (78.57% knockout ratio). Among his notable victories: Yordenis Ugas, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Mikey Garcia, Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, and Chris Algieri.

The upcoming July 29 unification bout against WBO World Welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford is the single most anticipated and desirable fight in boxing today.

Biggest Fight in Boxing Ahead on July 29

The upcoming July 29 unification bout against WBO World Welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford is the single most anticipated and desirable fight in boxing today. 

 “I told everyone that I was going to get the third belt from Ugas, then I was coming to take Terence’s belt,” said Spence Jr., adding that “it was always my objective to get this fight with Crawford done.”

“Our fight will be the most anticipated and action-packed fight that boxing has seen in the past 30-40 years. This is definitely a legacy fight,” added Spence Jr.

?Read more about Errol Spence Jr.’s boxing career in his full biography.

Clark Marries Business Acumen With Boxing Industry Insight

With 12 years of experience in sports and entertainment, Clark created “Protect Yourself at All Times,” an educational initiative designed to educate amateur and professional boxers about the business of boxing and how to protect their financial well-being while pursuing athletic accomplishments. Clark witnessed firsthand as a boxing manager and Founder/CEO of AC Sports Management the dangers posed when athletes began earning significant money with little training on how to secure their assets from those who would prey on them. AC Sports Management was acquired by Ballengee Group in 2019.

About Fighters First Management

Automotive engineer David Basha created Fighters First Management in March 2023. His motivation stemmed from Basha reading Adrian Clark’s best-selling book, “Protect Yourself at All Times: A Guide for Professional Boxers.” Basha recruited Clark to build the company from the ground up. As CEO of Fighters First, Clark’s first move was hiring former Main Events matchmaker Jolene Mizzone as president. Since then, Clark has signed six athletes to Fighters First Management: Giovani Cabrera, Justin Figueroa, Sharahya-Taina-Moreu, Shawn McCalman, Brian Norman Jr., and Justin Pauldo.

QUINCY, Mass. (May 30, 2023) – Unbeaten Lynn super middleweight prospect James “Pitbull” Perkins (11-0-1, 8 KOs) is a powerful fighter who has developed his upper body strength in an unusual manner as a gravedigger.

The 30-year-old Perkins faces Texas veteran Larry “Slo Mo” Smith (13-53-2. 9 KOs) Saturday night, June 10^th, in a six-round bout on the “Fight Night at the Vets Club” card, presented by Granite Chin Promotions’ (GCP), at the Veterans Club in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

Perkins, who has worked the past three years at Lynn’s St. Joseph’s Cemetery, agrees that his job has indeed helped him as a prizefighter.

“It definitely works for sure,” Perkins said. “It’s not all digging like it was in the past in cemeteries. We use a backhoe now, but there are places it can’t be used, so we still dig a lot.”

A hockey player at St. Mary’s High School in Lynn, Perkins turned to boxing when he graduated in 2011 when he didn’t receive a hockey scholarship from any college he was interested in playing for.

“I got into another intensive labor job working on a lobster boat,” he explained. “But I needed to get back into a sport. When I was 19, Stu Randall – he now works my corner – brought me to a gym in Saugus. I met Joe Ricciardi and he became my head trainer. I was 5-1 as an amateur and figured I’d go pro.”

Lynn is experiencing a boxing rebirth, of sorts. Danny Avery was a gifted Lynn fighter back in the early 1980s who trained under the famed Petronelli brothers in Brockton (they trained Marvelous Marvin Hagler), but the Ellis family presently rules Lynn boxing today with top 10 ranked welterweight “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis (24-1, 15 KOs), Ronald “Akeem” Ellis (18-3-2, 12 KOs) and their sister, Rashida, a 2020 U.S. Olympian boxer. Perkins represents the latest wave of promising boxers from the city located north of Boston. 

“There’s also a 16-year-old from Lynn, Malik Johnson, who trains where I do at Broadway Boxing Club in Everett,” Perkins added. “He’s going to be a good fighter. I know about the Ellis family, and I do feel a little pressure coming from Lynn. But I’m up to the task!

“I’m lucky to have the support I have, mostly from Lynn,” Perkins concluded. “They’ve traveled all over to my fights and I suspect they’ll travel to Bridgewater as well,”

From a hockey rink to a lobster boat, Perkins is now digging his way to the top of the New England Boxing rankings.

“James is a great guy, and he always makes for an exciting fight,” GSP president Chris Traietti commented. “”We are honored to have him on another one of our cards. He is stepping in with an experienced guy on June 10^th who I anticipate will test him a bit. On top of being an exciting fighter watch, he brings a passionate fan-base that will be loud and proud in Bridgewater.”

Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste (4-2, 2 KOs), of Woburn (MA), takes on New Hampshire’s Ryan Thomas Clark (2-3. 1 KO) in the six-round main event for the vacant United States Boxing Federation (USBF) middleweight title.

Also slated to fight on the “Fight Night at the Vets Club” are former New England Welterweight Champion Mike “Bad Man” Ohan, Jr. (17-2, 9 KOs), of Holbrook (MA), vs. William Parra Smith (4-14-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round bout; Boston lightweight Arika Skoog (1-0-1, 1 KO), the 2020 USA Boxing Elite National and multiple New England Golden Gloves champion, vs. Sarah “Switch Kick” Click (1-4-1 in a six-rounder), and Scituate heavyweight Kevin Nagle (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Reinaldo Souza (0-1) in a four-round match.

Card subject to change.

Tickets are priced at $60.00 (floor seats), $40.00 (standing room only), and $400.00 for ringside tables of 4 are available for purchase at https://granite-chin-promotions.ticketleap.com.

?

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET, first bout at 7 p.m. ET.

Bournemouth, England – 27th May 2023 – Chris Billam-Smith took a majority decision victory (112-112, 116-107, 115-108) over Lawrence Okolie to become the WBO Cruiserweight World Champion in front of 15,000 hometown fans at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth and live on Sky Sports.

A sold-out Vitality Stadium were totally behind Chris Billam-Smith and provided an unparalleled atmosphere for all 36 minutes of the fight. With three knockdowns, a new world champion, and an electric atmosphere, this was a night of breathtaking boxing action that will never be forgotten.

Okolie looked confident from the first bell, despite the seriously hostile Bournemouth crowd, catching Billam-Smith with a solid right hand in the first round that stunned Billam-Smith a little bit and forced him to be more cautious.

The fight continued on a similar path, with Okolie throwing big rights and holding when necessary until Billam-Smith through a perfect looping counter-left hook to knock Okolie down in the 4th round, and unloading for the rest of the round hunting for a stoppage but failing to find it.

Points off in the 5th and 7th, and another knockdown by Billam-Smith in the 10th, meant Okolie went into the final two rounds hunting for a stoppage.

Okolie gave everything in the last two rounds to find that stoppage, opening himself up to another knockdown in the 11th. Billam-Smith then held on for those last three minutes of the 12th and final round to take the victory.

Billam-Smith said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I don’t know what just happened. My whole lifes come to this moment. It’s just perfect. In front of these fans, against a great champion in Lawrence Okolie, it doesn’t get better than this.”

Okolie said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I accept the decision. He did great work in there. He got a knockdown that changed the momentum of the fight and he did enough to win it. I can adapt to a loss and I’ll be back again.”

Televised Card Results:

Chris Billam-Smith def. Lawrence Okolie – MD (112-112, 116-107, 115-108)

Sam Eggington def. Joe Pigford – TKO, R5 (3:00)

Karriss Artingstall def. Jade Taylor – PTS (79-73)

Lee Cutler def. Stanley Stannard – PTS (97-95)

Michael McKinson def. Lebin Morales – TKO, R7 (1:25)

Full Undercard Results

Sam Eggington def. Joe Pigford – TKO, R5 (3:00)

Savage Sam Eggington showed his level of talent by totally dominating a 20-0 puncher that many people expected to knock Eggington out in Joe Pigford. Eggington outworked Pigford from the first bell, moving more and throwing a lot more punches with much greater speed.

Pigford did throw some shots with his trademark power, but Eggington looked on a higher level of boxing ability, and Pigford didn’t seem to have any answers to deal with Eggington’s speed and movement.

Eggington rocked Pigford in the final seconds of the fifth round with a lightning fast right hand, and followed it up with an inch-perfect left hook that sent Pigford reeling back into the ropes. Eggington took this opportunity to pounce on Pigford, unleashing a barbaric flurry of hooks that forced the referee to stop the fight in the rival final seconds of the round as Pigford’s corner also through the towel in.

Sam Eggington said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I think I had experience in the build up to the fight. I think the build up got him nervous, and that showed in the ring. I was just totally calm, whereas he had that jitteryness. I know I’ve been in the sport a long time, but I’m in my prime right now. I’m doing the best work of my career and I’m here to win belts.”

Karriss Artingstall def. Jade Taylor – PTS 79-73

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Bronze Medalist Karriss Artingstall commanded the ring for 8 rounds to take the 4th victory of her young professional career against an undefeated, highly-touted opponent in Jade Taylor. Artingstall outmanoeuvred Taylor from the southpaw position throughout the fight, using her long reach to fire off big straight left hands right through the centre of Taylor’s guard.

Taylor did find some success in the middle rounds of the fight, leaning away from Artingstall’s potentially devastating left hands and then throwing well-timed countershots, but Artingstall adapted to this intelligently, forcing Taylor back into the ropes with intelligent pressure so Taylor had no way to avoid Artingstall’s offense.

Karriss Artingstall is flying in the professional ranks, climbing at great speed and looks set to fight for World Championship glory in the fast-moving world of Women’s boxing very soon.

Karriss Artingstall said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I’m stepping up in quality every fight but my performance there was terrible, I was falling on my backhand a bit, I should have focused on my jab a bit more. I’ll have to watch it back, I know I was falling short, I’m a bit disappointed but I got the win.”

Lee Cutler def. Stanley Stannard – PTS (97-95)

Bournemouth’s own Lee Cutler put on a career-best performance in front of his hometown fans to take a comfortable points victory and move to 13-1 in his professional career against an undefeated opponent in Stanley Stannard, who came into the fight a slight favourite with the bookies, reflecting the magnitude of Cutler’s victory.

Cutler controlled the fight from the first round, managing the distance and the exchanges to perfection, going into the final rounds of the fight knowing he would comfortably take victory. The first few rounds had a relatively slow pace, as both men found their range and settled into the fight, but Cutler looked more confident by the second. The middle rounds were all Cutler as he consistently was able to win the exchanges with Stannard, despite picking up a few cuts.

Stannard did find more success later in the fight, and closed up the referee’s scorecard as a result, but without a stoppage it was clear that would not be enough. This was arguably the best win of Cutler’s career and he looks set to challenge some of the top names in the domestic scene at 154lbs very soon.

Lee Cutler said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I thought I won that fight easily, he didn’t really land a shot on me at all to be honest. This is no-one’s night but Chris Billam-Smith’s, I’m just fortunate to be able to fight on it.”

Michael McKinson def. Lebin Morales – TKO, R7 (1:25)

Top British Welterweight Michael McKinson made a huge statement with only the 4th stoppage victory of his 26 fight professional career. McKinson rode roughshot over Lebin Morales, knocking him down in the very first round, before ruthlessly breaking him down over the next 6.

Mckinson backed his opponent against the ropes across the fight, and this started the sequence in the 7th where he found the stoppage, pinning Morales against the side of the ring and launching off a flurry of savage hooks. Morales doggedly attempted to fire back, and pushed forward as he did so, but Mckinson smartly avoided that offense while brutalising Morales with more hooks of his own.

This assault left the referee with no choice but to end the fight, and gave McKinson a formiddable victory that sets him up for huge fights against other top Welterweights very soon.

Michael McKinson said to Sky Sports after the fight: “He was trying to catch me up, but as the rounds went on I was able to catch him more and the ref had to jump in. I believe I’m a lot better than the level I’ve been fighting at, I didn’t look out of place in Texas against Ortiz, I believe I belong at that level.”

Lewis Edmundson Def. Petar Nosic – TD (50-45)

Despite the fight ending a round earlier than scheduled due to a clash of heads, Lewis Edmundson showed serious talent to move to 7-0 as a professional against an opponent in Petar Nosic who had only tasted defeat once before in his 9 fight professional career.

Edmundson dominated every exchange and controlled the fight intelligently, winning every single round before the fight’s sudden ending.

Tommy Welch Def. Amine Boucetta – PTS (59-55)

Hard-hitting Heavyweight prospect Tommy Welch took a convincing points victory over an experienced opponent in Amine Boucetta on the biggest stage of his career so far.

Welch used all his attributes to control the fight at every distance, from trading jabs at range to dominating the clinch. With the referee scoring only a single round for Boucetta, Welch will be able to return down the coast to Brighton with a seriously increased profile.

Razor Ali Def. Jonatas Oliveira – PTS (58-55)

Popular young prospect Razor Ali showed Championship-level determination to overcome being knocked down in the 2nd round to take a points victory over 6 rounds against a game opponent in Jonatas Oliveira, winning every round other than the one he was knocked down in. Ali deployed impressive punch speed and smart footwork to totally outclass Oliveira.

Full Card Results: 

Chris Billam-Smith def. Lawrence Okolie – MD (112-112, 115-108, 116-107)

Sam Eggington def. Joe Pigford, TKO, R5 (3:00)

Karriss Artingstall def. Jade Taylor, PTS (79-73)

Lee Cutler def. Stanley Stannard, PTS (97-95)

Michael McKinson def. Lebin Morales, TKO R7 (1:25)

Lewis Edmundson Def. Peter Nosic, TD (50-45)

Razor Ali Def. Jonatas Oliveira, PTS (58-55)

Tommy Welsh Def. Amine Boucetta, PTS (59-55)

BELFAST (May 27, 2023) – He came. He saw. He conquered.

Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) defended his IBF featherweight world title with a fifth-round TKO over Michael “Mick” Conlan (18-2, 9 KOs) Saturday evening at The SSE Arena in Conlan’s hometown of Belfast.

Lopez made the first defense of his crown after beating Josh Warrington in enemy territory in Leeds, England. Once again, the 29-year-old native of Mexicali, Mexico, thrived on away soil.

Conlan, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist making his second attempt at a world title, initiated the contest as expected, jabbing from a southpaw stance to establish distance. However, Lopez landed explosive left hooks and right hands to the body with surprising ease. Conlan ended the round with a series of left hands, but Lopez did not let the round end without landing some of his own.

In the following round, both men exchanged punches to the body. Lopez backed Conlan toward the ropes, but the 31-year-old Irishman returned the favor.

In the third stanza, Conlan relied more on head movement to avoid Lopez’s punches, dipping his head on the inside to avoid wild hooks. That backfired, as Lopez timed an uppercut that hurt Conlan and sent him reeling towards the ropes.

Conlan tried to regroup in the fourth, but by then, the damage had been done. In the fifth round, as Conlan ducked to avoid a wild hook, he ran into a right uppercut that immediately floored him, forcing his corner to throw in the towel.

Lopez said, “I hope all the world champions at the featherweight division are ready for ‘Venado’ Lopez. I’m coming for all of them. I want all their belts. One by one, I’m taking all their belts with me to Mexico.

“It was an excellent atmosphere to fight in. The energy was amazing. The boxing fans from Ireland have treated me very well, so I’m glad Mick and I could give them a great fight. I wish the best of luck to Conlan moving forward, and I hope he recovers and comes back very soon.”

Conlan said, “Lopez had my respect before the fight and still has my respect after the fight. He hits very hard. He just beat me. He travels well and is a great champion”

Featherweights: English contender Nick Ball (18-0, 11 KOs) defended his WBC Silver title with a 12th-round TKO win over South Africa’s Ludumo Lamati (21-1-1, 11 KOs). Lamati’s six-inch height advantage posed issues for Ball in the first two rounds of the fight, but by the third and fourth, Ball began closing the distance with ease. Once inside, the 26-year-old landed vicious combinations, and Lamati’s corner stopped the bout in the latter stages of the final round.

Junior Lightweights: Anthony Cacace (21-1, 7 KOs) scored a 12-round unanimous decision win against Polish contender Damian Wrzesinski (26-3-2, 7 KOs). Despite Wrzesinski’s aggression,Cacace’s reach and height advantages allowed him to land harder and more consistently from his southpaw stance. Cacace is now 6-0 since suffering his first loss in 2017 against Martin J Ward. Scores: 118-111, 117-111 and 116-112.

Junior Welterweights: Irish standout Pierce O’Leary (12-0, 7 KOs) defended his WBC International belt with a first-round stoppage over Florin Ciorceri (17-4, 7 KOs). O’Leary dropped Ciorceri with a left hook, then finished things up with a savage follow-up attack. Time of stoppage: 1:11.
# # #  

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6 x 3 mins International Middleweight contest
AARON BOWEN 163.6 lbs v ALJAZ VENKO 161.1 lbs
(Coventry, England)               (Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenia)

followed by

8 x 3 mins International Super-Lightweight contest
CAMPBELL HATTON 141.9 lbs v MICHAL BULIK 138.6 lbs
(Hyde, England)                             (Opale, Poland)

followed by

4 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight contest
WILLIAM CROLLA156.6 lbsv JOE HARDY 158.3 lbs
(Manchester, England)              (Leeds, England)

19:00 LIVE ON DAZN

followed by

10 x 3 mins vacant English Welterweight Title
DANNY BALL 146.1 lbs v JAMIE ROBINSON 146.8 lbs
(Kingswinford, England)  (Bolsover, England)

followed by

8 x 3 mins International Super-Featherweight contest
AQIB FIAZ 132.1 lbsv COSTIN ION 132.2 lbs
(Oldham, England)      (Marbella, Spain)

followed by

10 x 2 mins WBA Super-Welterweight World Title
TERRI HARPER150.3 lbsv IVANA HABAZIN 152.4 lbs
(Denaby Main, England)      (Zlatar, Croatia)

followed by

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA Intercontinental Super-Lightweight Title
JACK CATTERALL139.9 lbsv DARRAGH FOLEY 139.5 lbs
(Chorley, Ireland)                       (Bondi, Australia)  

followed by

12 x 3 mins WBA Featherweight World Title
MAURICIO LARA 129.8 lbsv LEIGH WOOD 125.9 lbs
(Mexico City, Mexico)             (Nottingham, England)  

Newtown, PA (May 26, 2023)-Weights for Saturday night’s Pro-Am at he Newtown Sports and Event Center in Newtown, PA.

Photo By Marc Abrams / RDR Promotions

Paul Kroll 153.6 – Eduardo Rafael Reyes 157.9

Samuel Teah 138.9 – Andrew Rodgers 137.9

Isaiah Johnson 143.5 – Marquis Hawthorne 143.1

Erron Peterson 160.9 – Nissan Anderson 159.8

Nimal Farmer 154.4 – Rah’Quand McDaniel 160.7

Tariq Green 164.7 – Courtney Williams 163.3

David Calabro 119.6 – Michael Turner 123.5

Promoter: RDR Promotions

Venue: Newtown Sports and Events Center

1st Bell: 7:15 PM —Amateur will start at 3 PM

Stream: BXNGTV.com

Eduardo ‘Rocky’ Hernandez has signed a long-term promotional deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.
 
Hernandez (33-1 30 KOs) is ranked #1 in the WBC rankings at 130lbs and the Mexican banger is closing in on a World title shot. The 25 year old KO artist had an explosive 2022, starting with a thunderous to record a stunning first round stoppage win over Jorge Castaneda in June and then in Hermosillo in September he stopped Jorge Cuellar in five rounds.
 
Hernandez’s first fight under the Matchroom banner will take place in July and will be announced shortly, and Hernandez will look to display his credentials to land that coveted title shot. 
 
“I’m really happy and excited,” said Hernandez. “I feel blessed for getting this opportunity, they brought me in as a B-side and seen that I’m capable of great things, it’s an honor for me and my team to be part of Matchroom.
 
“I’m one step away from fulfilling my dream of becoming a World champion. It’s all I have in my head, the World title, and I know Matchroom will make it happen.”
 
“I’m delighted to welcome Rocky to the team,” said Hearn. “Rocky is such a dangerman for the 130 pound division and he’s right on the edge of landing a World title fight. That’s what we are looking to deliver for him, and once he gets that shot, Rocky could reign at the top level for a long time and carry that power up the weights.”

Diego Pacheco has signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom – and the Super-Middleweight sensation headlines Matchroom’s latest fight night in Mexico, defending his WBO International and USWBC titles against Manuel Gallegos on Friday July 7 in Monterrey, live worldwide on DAZN – with co-main action provided by Matchroom’s latest signing, Super-Featherweight star Rocky Hernandez, who takes on unbeaten Venezuelan Joniker Tovar.
 
Pacheco (18-0 KOs 15 KOs) turned pro with Hearn in December 2018 and the rangy Super-Middleweight has grown into one of the hottest properties in the sport, closing in on the big-guns at 168lbs and doing so with his trademark fearsome power.
 
The 22 year old stepped through the ropes for the first time in the UK in his last outing, stopping Jack Cullen in four rounds in Liverpool – a 15^th win inside the distance in his 18 fights in the paid ranks to date.
 
The LA talent steps through the ropes for the seventh time as a pro, and does so over ten rounds against Gallegos (19-1-1 16 KOs) the #2 ranked 168lber in Mexico behind Canelo Alvarez, who is ranked #11 in the WBO. The Mexican will be the latest to try to halt Pacheco’s rise, and the LA native is thrilled to be continuing his journey with the global leader in boxing and expects that ride to take him to World title action soon.
 
“I am very happy and excited to be extending me deal with Matchroom,” said Pacheco. “We have bene on the path to the top for nearly five years and I couldn’t be in a better place to achieve my goals – to become World champion, to be unified and undisputed, and to be a role model for young kids in LA and Mexico to chase their dreams.
 
“I’m so happy to be headlining in Mexico on July 7. It will be a good fight against the #2 ranked Super-Middleweight in Mexico – and when I win, I’ll be one step closer to getting to that World title shot.”
 
“I hope Pacheco is prepared to fight for his life on July 7, because I’m coming to take everything he’s got,” said Gallegos.
 
Pacheco’s deal comes hot on the heels of the signature of Super-Featherweight star Hernandez, and the WBC #1 ranked KO artist faces Tovar over ten rounds in Monterrey. 
 
Hernandez (33-1 30 KOs) inked a long-term deal with Eddie Hearn today and will look to cement his status as the leading contender for the World champions at 130lbs – but unbeaten Venezuelan Tovar (21-0-1 16 KOs) says Hernandez’s bow with Matchroom will end in tears, reminding the Mexican that fellow countryman Roger Gutierrez stunned him in a round in July 2019 – the sole blemish on Hernandez’s record.
 
“I’m fighting another undefeated fighter to show that I’m the number one Super-Featherweight in the world and to show my promoter they made the right choice,” said Hernandez. “I’m here for 10 rounds but if he goes before then he goes!”
 
““We all saw what happened the last time Rocky fought a Venezuelan,” said Tovar. “This fight will be the exact same result. I have been waiting for an opportunity to showcase my talents on a big stage, and now it presents itself. I want to thank my promoter Mr. Shane Shapiro of Shapiro Sports & Ent., Mr. Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, and DAZN for giving me this massive moment.”
 
“What a great day for Matchroom and DAZN in America and Mexico – securing two of the best young fighters out there and putting them together on a card in Monterrey,” said Hearn.
 
“Diego is the best young talent in the game – and we are delighted to have extended his deal with us. From the day he first put pen to paper with us in October 2018, there’s been no doubt in my mind that he would get to the very top.
 
“We’ve watched Diego blossom in and out of the ring; a powerful puncher with venom and a humble young man with his community and family in his heart – Diego can become a massive star in America and Mexico, and we are with him every step of the way.
 
“Rocky can almost reach out and touch that World title shot. This one is slated for ten rounds, but when you look at their respective records, both guys will be looking for an early night. Joniker is dangerous and confident, but with the champions at 130lb tuned in, Rocky will want to shine, and I expect him to do just that.”
 
The venue in Monterrey and ticket details will be released next week.

  •  Luis Alberto Lopez 125.5 lbs. vs. Michael Conlan 125.9 lbs
(Lopez’s IBF Featherweight World Title — 12 Rounds)

   •   Nick Ball 125.9 lbs vs. Ludumo Lamatii 125.5 lbs
(Ball’s WBC Silver Featherweight Title — 12 Rounds)

   •  Anthony Cacace 129.9 lbs vs.  Damian Wrzesinski 129.4 lbs
(Junior Lightweight — 12 Rounds)

   •   Pierce O’Leary 139.3 lbs vs. Alin Florin Ciorcerii 140 lbs
(O’Leary’s WBC International Junior Welterweight Title — 10 Rounds)

ONTARIO, CA (May 26, 2023): Returning the ring for the second time in 2023, Shane Mosley, Jr. (19-4, 10 KOs) will face a tough dance partner from Temple Hills, Massachusetts, D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard (21-1-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight scrap. The fight is set as the co-main event for the highly anticipated Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko card scheduled for Saturday, June 10. The fight night, presented in association with Zanfer Boxing, will take place at Toyota Arena in Ontario. Doors to the Toyota Arena open at 3:00 p.m. PT and the DAZN broadcast begins at 5:00 p.m. PT/ 8:00 p.m. ET.

Mosley, Jr. has had back-to-back victories, including a tough fight with “King” Gabriel Rosado in April 2022 and an unanimous decision win against Mario Alberto Lozano in February 2023. Ballard is looking for a strong comeback into the ring after a TKO defeat against Munguia in February 2022.

Also on the DAZN card, Mexico City’s Mariana “Barby” Juarez (55-12-4, 19 KOs) will battle her compatriot also of Mexico City, Mayeli Flores (9-1-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-round super bantamweight fight. Juarez is a former two-division world champion who held the WBC female flyweight title and the WBC female bantamweight title. Juarez was last seen in the ring fighting Yamileth Mercado for the WBC World Super Bantamweight title in October 2022. Flores is a former world title contender and will be looking to move up in the rankings if successful against Juarez.

Opening the DAZN broadcast, Rialto’s Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (21-2, 16 KOs) will participate in a 10-round flyweight fight against Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (22-1, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles. Sandoval is coming off of an impressive second-round win against Jerson Ortiz on the Nery vs. Hovhannisyan card. Santomauro is a dangerous fighter whose only blemish is a seventh-round TKO loss against Diego De La Hoya in 2016.

On the preliminary card, fan-favorite from San Diego, Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chavez (6-0, 5 KOs) will fight in a six-round super featherweight fight against Christian “El Niño” Lorenzo (3-4, 1 KO) of Los Angeles. Opening the Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko fight night with a four-round super welterweight fight, Anthony Saldivar (3-0, 1 KOs) of Ontario, California will face Jerome Clayton (2-1-1, 2 KOs) of Metairie, Louisiana.

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Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko is a 10-round super middleweight fight that is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Boxing. The event is sponsored by “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts,” and AutoZone, “Get in the zone, Autozone.” The fight will take place on Saturday, June 10 from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

Tickets for Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko are on sale and are priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $30 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboypromotions.com or the Toyota Arena box office Monday through Friday from 12pm-4pm.

Media interested in covering the fight can apply for a credential by clicking HERE. Media credential applications are due by Monday, June 5.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MunguiaDerevyanchenko

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – (May 26th, 2023) – Tomorrow night’s world cruiserweight championship bout in Bournemouth is official as hometown hero Chris Billam-Smith made weight alongside WBO cruiserweight champion – and former training partner – Lawrence Okolie on the waterfront today.

Airing live and exclusively on Sky Sports, the event is the biggest boxing event in South Coast history and pits two former teammates against each other in a domestic world title showdown which has sold out the Vitality Stadium, home of Premiership football team AFC Bournemouth.

The televised card begins at 7pm, preceded by a live stream beginning at 5pm on the Sky Sports Boxing official YouTube page.

Final quotes from the main event fighters and televised card participants are below, along with today’s official weigh-in results.

LAWRENCE OKOLIE, WBO World Cruiserweight Champion 

“I’m just going to enjoy myself. It’s all good, it’s all fine. It’ll be business and I’lll do what I always do and get the ‘W’. I’m always going to go for an early stoppage.”

CHRIS BILLAM SMITH, Challenger

“A huge thank you to all for coming out, the weight’s made, the job’s to do tomorrow night. Now it’s very much focusing on the job at hand. I’m zoned in. I’ve prepared for Lawrence. I’ve prepared for Lawrence very well.”

Lawrence Okolie: 14st 3 lbs 

Chris Billam-Smith: 14st 3 lbs

Sam Eggington: 10st 13 lbs

Joe Pigford: 10st 13 lbs

Kariss Artingstall: 8st 13 lbs

Jade Taylor: 9st 2 lbs 

Lee Cutler: 10st 13 lbs

Stanley Stannard: 10st 13 lbs

Michael McKinson: 10st 8lbs

Lebin Morales: 10st 6lbs

Isaac Chamberlain: 14 st 3 lbs

Daniel Bocianksi: 14st

Mace Ruegg:  9st 10 lbs 

Dean Dodge: 9st 10 lbs

Lewis Edmonson: 12st 13 lbs 

Petar Nosic: 12st 13 lbs

Tommy Welch: 15st 12 lbs

Amine Boucetta: 16 st

Alireza Ghadiri: 9st 1 lb 

Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira: 9st 4 lbs

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:

“Welcome to Manchester ahead of a huge night of World Championship boxing this Saturday at Manchester Arena, live and exclusive in DAZN. The rematch for the WBA Featherweight Championship of the World between the champion Mauricio Lara and now the challenger Leigh Wood. We saw a tremendous fight earlier this year in Nottingham full on drama. Leigh Wood winning that fight, to then get stopped and to see Mauricio Lara become World Champion. We sat in the office and we talked about what was next – we talked about maybe waiting. There was no waiting from Leigh Wood. He believed he can win this fight. He wanted the immediate rematch and he’s got it, this time in Manchester with his fans travelling from Nottingham.”

Mauricio Lara:

“First and foremost I want to say hi to everyone. As you say, last time was a calm performance but I’m really confident in my training camp and what we have done and I want to almost back-up and cement that victory, and I want to do it in quicker fashion. I’ll be looking for that knockout from the very first round. Big things are to come but first I have to, as I have said, cement that victory. Leigh Wood isn’t just any boxer, it will be a difficult fight but it is about continuing and cementing that victory and making history in this sport.”

Alejandro Brito:

“First and foremost, we have to thank you for the opportunity. This is Mauricio’s fourth time in this country. On his third time he managed to win that World Title on a fantastic night. It was a dream that he had for a long time. I said it the first time we had the opportunity, that we would give the opportunity back to Leigh Wood if we managed to win, and it’s great that we can go on to have another great fight here. The last one was a war but we are totally focused and believing in Mauricio’s possibility in creating a legacy in the sport.”

Leigh Wood:

“There was never even a thought in my mind that anything different was going to happen. I know you tried to persuade me otherwise. It was just so frustrating how the fight finished. Like you say, it is a fast turnaround, but it is one that benefits me. If you said to me when I won the World Title, ‘right, in 13 weeks’ time you’re back out, you need to get back in the gym’, I’d have been like, ‘woah Eddie come on, let me celebrate’. That’s why I believe it is one that favours me. I was straight back in training, I had a little time with my kids. I’m ready to get this belt back and look good doing it. No doubts at all, that’s not me saying it’s going to be an easy fight, because it could be far from an easy fight, but I’m prepared for anything that he brings. The first time round was hard because we didn’t have his style against my style to look at, now we’ve got that information and we know what he does when I do certain things. I’ve been preparing for him for nearly a year in September. I know him inside out, I’m just going to go out there and prove that I’m the better fighter. It’s a must-win fight; there’s a lot of pressure. I love it, I thrive on it. Whatever is takes on Saturday night I’m coming away with a win. This is what gets me up for it, I can’t lose. I can’t afford to lose. That could be the end of the road for me. It’s a long road to come back from. That’s why I’m not thinking about losing, I’ve done everything I can do to win. I’m confident in winning. I know what I need to do to win. I know what I can’t afford to do.”

Ben Davison, trainer of Wood:

“It was a scenario and a situation where there was no guarantees to the outcome. I can’t sit here and say that the fight wouldn’t have carried on going and Leigh wouldn’t have been victorious, and I can’t say vice-versa. It was a decision that I made in the moment, but with the understanding that we have this opportunity here. Leigh had this rematch clause. He’s got the opportunity to get his title back and I believe that he will do so. Leigh is forever in the gym, looks after himself, he doesn’t balloon up in between fights, he’s very disciplined in his life and his approach. It’s a career for him and a full-time job for him. He’s so disciplined when it comes to approaching fights and going into game plans that to actually take him away from a certain style match-up, to then bring him back to it would have actually been more difficult than it will be to go into a quick turnaround. I think he (Lara) was actually more respectful of Leigh’s power than we anticipated. He was a lot less reckless in the fight than we had anticipated being honest. I think the fact that he did eventually get the shot that he was looking for, the fight might play out a little bit more like the way we anticipated the first one to. Some adjustments, and I’m sure Mauricio and his team will have some adjustments. Leigh knows what he has to do and we are confident in the execution of that game plan.”

Alfie Sharman, Vice President Marketing – DAZN:

“I found myself on Sunday morning thinking, ‘how can you better Katie Taylor’s homecoming in Dublin in an amazing fight?’. Congratulations Chantelle. The answer was quick, it is back here in Manchester, an amazing fight city with two absolute warriors ready to put it on the line. We’ve had an incredible few weeks on DAZN with top tier fighters on both sides of the Atlantic fighting on our platform, and it doesn’t stop there. We’ve got plenty of headline fights coming up – Claressa Shields, Jaime Munguia, Vergil Ortiz Jr, Dalton Smith, Regis Prograis and Edgar Berlanga to name a few. It’s a really great time for us. Looking to Saturday, everyone in here saw the first fight. In my opinion predictions go out of the window for this one on Saturday. It’s a completely new fight, a new beast. Both men are in great shape and are ready to go. Leigh is very much looking to get that belt back and Mauricio looks like he’s not willing to let it go. We wish them both the best of luck and make sure you tune in on Saturday live on DAZN.”

INDIO, CA (May 25, 2023) In the lead up to his NABO Welterweight Title defense, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (22-1, 14 KOs) and his opponent Anthony “Juice” Young (24-2, 8 KOs) hosted a press conference at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino ahead of their scheduled 12-round fight on Saturday, May 27. Fighters from the DAZN undercard and the Golden Boy Fight Night: Rocha vs. Young Prelims, which are streamed live on YouTube, also participated.

In addition, the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation made a $30K donation to the Lee Espinoza Coachella Valley Boxing Club. The donation was accepted by club owner and legendary trainer Librado “Lee” Espinoza who has been recognized not only by Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. for his work with boxers in the valley but has been inducted into the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame and the California Boxing Hall of Fame.

Doors to the Special Events Center will open at 4:00 p.m., the Golden Boy YouTube Channel stream begins at 4:00 p.m. PT/ 7:00 p.m. ET, and the DAZN broadcast begins at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET.

Here is what today’s participants had to say:
ALEXIS “LEX” ROCHA – NABO WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION:
?”I am not much of a trash talker either. My respects to him. Whatever his thoughts are, that’s good for him. I am confident in my ability. I am confident in myself. You’ll find out about who I am on Saturday night. I hope he brings this same kind of energy into the ring on Saturday.”

ANTHONY “JUICE” YOUNG – WELTERWEIGHT FIGHTER:
?”I looked at the odds again, and they’re kind of disrespectful – they got me 8-1 underdog. The last time they did that, we shocked the world. I plan to do that again. I didn’t come here to lose; I am not with the script. They built him up good: 22 wins, a couple of tough fights, one step-up fight didn’t go too well. I am going to win on Saturday.”

MELVIN “GRINGO” JERUSALEM, WBO MINIMUMWEIGHT CHAMPION:
?”Good afternoon everyone. I am very grateful for this opportunity. I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for this fight. I am excited to see my opponent today. We will see you all on Saturday night.”
OSCAR “EL PUPILO” COLLAZO, MINIMUMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE CONTENDER:
?”Thank you everyone for coming. Thank you to Oscar, Golden Boy Promotions, and Miguel Cotto Promotions for making this fight happen. Thank you for this opportunity to make history, history for Puerto Rico, the opportunity to become one of the fastest to become a world champion. We’re feeling very good about this. I earned this, and you’re going to see it this Saturday.”

OSCAR DUARTE, LIGHTWEIGHT FIGHTER:
?”I am very happy, I am very excited for this fight, for this opportunity. I am ready for this Saturday. I will win. Thank you, everybody.”

JOHN “SCRAPPY” RAMIREZ, SUPER FLYWEIGHT FIGHTER:
?”You already know, get your popcorn ready. I am not here to take part, I am here to take over. Some people feel some type of way by the way I move but I am just a man on a mission. Saturday Night I am going to make a statement, mark my words.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
“I have known Lee for many years; his son, Ruben Espinoza, would beat me up all the time in the amateurs. On behalf of the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation, I would like to present this $30,000 check to the Coachella Valley Boxing Club. To the young fighters here from his gym, the fighters who sit at the dais started their love for the sport of boxing through the local gym like the one Lee has given his life to.”

“It is an honor and pleasure to be here at Fantasy Springs. We’ve had a lot of successful fights here, and we thank you for your hospitality.”

“I firmly believe that this Saturday’s fight card will leave a mark in boxing. From top to bottom, we have historic world championship matchups, world title contenders and newly signed Golden Boy Prospects that I believe are going to shake up their respective divisions.”
LIBRADO “LEE” ESPINOZA, FOUNDER OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY BOXING CLUB:
Thank you, Oscar and Thank you to your organization for the support. Thanks to Golden Boy for supporting Coachella Valley boxing.

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Rocha vs. Young is a 12-round NABO Welterweight Fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Hard Hitting Promotions. The fight is sponsored by Betonline, “BetOnline, Your Online Sportsbook Experts,” and Autozone, “Get in the Zone, AutoZone.” The fight night will take place on Saturday, May 27, live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be broadcast on DAZN worldwide.

Tickets for Rocha vs. Young are on-sale now and are priced at $95, $75, $55, $45 and $35 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at FantasySpringsResort.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaYoung

About The Oscar De La Hoya Foundation
Founded in 1995, the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation annually hosts a golf tournament, a boxing gym equipment donation, Thanksgiving dinner giveaway and holiday toy giveaway in addition to supporting the Oscar De La Hoya Ánimo Charter High School, the Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center and the Oscar De La Hoya Labor and Delivery Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (both located at White Memorial Hospital in East Los Angeles). Today, with the help of many partners, the foundation serves thousands of people annually.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a marquee matchup in the middleweight division, as No. 3 ranked contender Marvin Vettori collides with No. 4 Jared Cannonier. Also on the card, No. 8 ranked lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan battles Brazilian finisher Joaquim Silva.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: VETTORI vs. CANNONIER will take place Saturday, June 17 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (English and Spanish) starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The prelims will be available on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

Vettori (19-6-1, fighting out of Mezzocorona, Italy) looks to build another win streak and earn his way back into the title conversation. Among the toughest matchups at middleweight, he holds victories over Paulo Costa, Roman Dolidze and Jack Hermansson. Vettori now aims to defend his spot in the rankings by becoming the first middleweight to stop Cannonier.

Former heavyweight and light heavyweight Cannonier (16-6, fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska) plans to start his 2023 campaign with another statement performance. Known for his knockout power, Cannonier climbed to the Top 5 with notable finishes of Anderson Silva, Derek Brunson and Jack Hermansson. He now seeks to cement his place in line for the belt by taking out Vettori in dominant fashion.

Tsarukyan (19-3, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia) returns to action determined to prove why he is considered a top contender in the lightweight division. After bursting onto the UFC scene with an impressive performance against Islam Makhachev, Tsarukyan earned wins over Damir Ismagulov, Joel Alvarez and Christos Giagos. He now intends to earn a quick victory over Silva and turn his attention to the top of the division.

Silva (12-4, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) has his sights set on making the most of the biggest opportunity of his MMA career. A well-rounded finisher, he has delivered highlight reel stoppages against Jared Gordon, Jesse Ronson and Andrew Holbrook. Silva now looks to shock the world and break into the rankings for the first time.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• An exciting middleweight bout sees Armen Petrosyan (8-2, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia) match up against Christian Leroy Duncan (8-0, fighting out of Gloucester, England)
• Raoni Barcelos (17-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets Miles Johns (13-2, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) in an intriguing bantamweight bout
• Manuel Torres (13-2, fighting out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico) battles Nikolas Motta (13-4, fighting out of Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil ) at lightweight
• Pat Sabatini (17-4, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) looks to secure another signature submission against Lucas Almeida (14-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazl) at featherweight
• The Ultimate Fighter season 30 finalist Zac Pauga (7-1, fighting out of Lakewood, Colo.) and Modestas Bukauskas (14-5, fighting out of London, England by way of Klaipeda, Lithuania) compete in a light heavyweight tilt
• Zhalgas Zhumagulov (14-8, fighting out of Aktobe, Kazakhstan) aims to spoil the UFC debut of Felipe Bunes (13-6, fighting out of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil)
• Flyweights Jimmy Flick (16-6, fighting out of Tulsa, Ok.) and Alessandro Costa (12-3, fighting out of Puebla, Mexico) plan to steal the show
• Welterweight strikers collide as Nicolas Dalby (21-4-1 2NC, fighting out of Copenhagen, Denmark) faces Muslim Salikhov (19-3, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia)
• Carlos Hernandez (8-2, fighting out of Cicero, Ill.) locks horns with Denys Bondar (16-4, fighting out of Kharkiv, Ukraine) at flyweight
• A tough bantamweight contest sees Dan Argueta (9-1, fighting out of Orland Park, Ill.) take on Ronnie Lawrence (8-2, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
• Kyung Ho Kang (18-9 1NC, fighting out of Busan, South Korea) and Cristian Quinonez (18-3, fighting out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico) meet at bantamweight
• Tereza Bleda (6-1, fighting out of Prague, Czech Republic) and Gabriella Fernandes (8-2, fighting out of Natal, Brazil) vie for their first UFC wins at flyweight

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for media credentials to the event.

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 233 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s active fighter roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 25.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).   

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.