EL PASO, TEXAS (June 12, 2015) – Undefeated British superstar Carl Frampton (20-0, 14 KOs) makes his U.S. professional debut when he takes on quick-fisted Mexican Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzalez Jr. (25-1-2, 15 KOs) on Premier Boxing Champions on CBS, Saturday afternoon, July 18 from the Don Haskins Center at UTEP in El Paso, Texas. Televised coverage on CBS starts at 4 p.m. ET/2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT.

Also featured in televised action is heavyweight star Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (36-4, 31 KOs), who will be returning to the ring for the first time since March.

The event is the first of two at Don Haskins Center on Saturday, July 18 with Mexican superstar Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. battling Marcos Reyes and McJoe Arroyo taking on Arthur Villanueva for a vacant world title on SHOWTIME with coverage starting at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT.

“It’s an honor to be making my U.S. debut on CBS,” said Frampton. “I’ve accomplished a lot in my career and I’m looking forward to even more success starting July 18. It’s going to be a great afternoon for all of the fight fans watching.”

“I’m thrilled to be fighting Carl Frampton in El Paso, Texas and I promise I will leave everything in the ring,” said Gonzalez Jr. “I know there will be lots of Mexican fans there supporting me and my plan is to fight hard and take away Frampton’s perfect record.”

“I can’t wait to get back in the ring and show my skills on CBS,” said Arreola. “I’m about excitement and I know that everyone who comes out in El Paso and everyone watching on television will get an entertaining fight.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with Warriors Boxing and Cyclone Promotions, are priced at $50 or $25 for general admission and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the University Ticket Center at (915) 747-5234. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com.

An accomplished amateur who won Irish national championships in 2005 and 2009, plus a European Union Juniors silver medal in 2007, the 28-year-old Frampton has had major success leading to his U.S. debut on July 18. From Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Frampton won his world title in Sept. 2014 with a dominant unanimous decision over Kiko Martinez. His most recent fight was a title defense in February of this year in which he blasted Chris Avalos on the way to a fifth round stoppage.

The son of a former world champion, the 22-year-old Gonzalez Jr. is looking to make his mark in this nationally televised fight. The Tijuana, Mexico native was impressive in his previous bout on U.S. soil, knocking Leopoldo Gonzalez down three times on his way to a first round TKO in El Paso. He returns to El Paso looking to build on his three fight win streak which has seen him take down Javier Franco, Alem Robles and Gonzalo Garcia.

The 34-year-old Arreola defeated Curtis Harper in a thrilling heavyweight showdown on March 13 in Ontario, Calif. Born in Escondido, Calif. but fighting out of Los Angeles, Arreola has long been one of the most feared punchers in the heavyweight division. Having challenged the best in the division, Arreola knows what it takes to succeed at this level and looks to entertain the fans on July 18.

Don Haskins Center for the Frampton vs. Gonzalez Jr. card open at 12 p.m. MT.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @SHOSports, @RealCFrampton, @WarriorsBoxingProm, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/.

Las Vegas (June 11, 2015) – Former WBO world champion Ruslan Provodnikov has confirmed that he will appear at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the second annual Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday Sept. 12. The Box Fan Expo will coincide with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s last fight and Mexican Independence weekend.

Ruslan Provodnikov also known as the “Siberian Rocky,” is a Russian professional boxer in the Light Welterweight division and is a former WBO Light Welterweight Champion. He is a fan favorite because of his fighting style and how he developed a reputation for being an exciting, come-forward, aggressive fighter. His fight with Tim Bradley was named “2013 Fight of the Year” by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Provodnikov joins “Terrible” Terry Norris, Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor and “El Feroz” Fernando Vargas among early commitments to this year’s Box Fan Expo.

This unique fan experience event, which allowed fans to meet and greet boxing legends, past and current champions and other celebrities of the sport, debuted last September to large, enthusiastic crowds. This year the Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and once again, allow fans a chance to collect autographs, take photos and purchase merchandise and memorabilia.

Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, broadcasting media and other brand companies who wish to participate will have a chance to showcase their products to fans and the whole boxing industry.

Last year’s inaugural Box Fan Expo featured some of the most popular fighters and boxing celebrities in recent history. Fans were treated to visits with Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr, Sergio Martinez, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Mikey Garcia, James Toney, Riddick Bowe, Leon Spinks Terry Norris, Shawn Porter, Chris Byrd, Jesse James Leija, Lamon Brewster, Ray Mercer, Earnie Shavers, Mia St-John, Erislandy Lara, Peter Quillin, Jean Pascal and Austin Trout. Also appearing were current WBC Champion Deontay Wilder, the charismatic Vinny Pazienza, Paul Williams, noted commentator Al Bernstein and top trainer Roger Mayweather of Mayweather Promotions.

The roster of attendees for this year’s Box Fan Expo will be announced throughout the next several months and weeks leading up to the event.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at: http://www.boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

View the official promo video of Box Fan Expo here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/video-2/

View Promo Flyer here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/promo-flyer/

View Photos Gallery 2014 here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/photos/

For anyone in the boxing industry or brand companies who wish to be involved and reserve a booth as an exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Box Fan Expo at:

U.S.A telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on the Box Fan Expo is available at: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

To view Ruslan Provodnikov video press release go to: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/ruslan-siberian-rocky-provodnikov-confirmed-for-second-annual-box-fan-expo-taking-place-saturday-sept-12-in-las-vegas/

You can follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

LOS ANGELES (June 11) – After a standout performance on the May 9 Canelo-Kirkland undercard, former 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph Diaz Jr. returns to the ring on July 11 in a 10-round featherweight on the undercard of Mauricio Herrera vs. Hank Lundy from the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

In the main event of the televised doubleheader Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera of Southern California takes on “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy in a 10-round bout for the vacant NABF Super Lightweight Championship. The co-main event, Michael “The Artist” Perez (22-1-2, 10 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey will take on Las Vegas transplant Sharif “The Lion” Bogere (27-1, 19 KOs) in an exciting 10-round lightweight match-up for the vacant NABO Lightweight Title, televised live on HBO Latino beginning at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT).

Featured in the non-televised undercard, female fighters Melinda Cooper (23-2, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada will fight Carolina Arias of San Jose, Costa Rica in an eight-round bout for the vacant WBO Bantamweight Title. Los Angeles-based fighter, but hailing from Ireland, Jason Quigley (6-0, 6 KOs) is scheduled to fight in a six-round middleweight bout, and Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (10-0, 9 KOs) and Jesus Delgado (5-0-1, 2 KOs) will fight in respective six-round super featherweight matches. Los Angeles fan favorite Nick Arce (3-0, 3 KOs) is set to fight in a four-round fight and making his highly anticipated professional debut, top amateur prospect, Angel Bojado, who recently signed with Golden Boy Promotions, will participate in a four-round super welterweight fight.

Tickets priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, plus applicable taxes and service charges, and are available for purchase at www.lacoliseum.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations and by calling 800-745-3000.

A member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, South El Monte, California’s Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr., is unbeaten as a professional and has earned impressive victories each step of the way. At just 22, the southpaw sensation was 6-0 in 2014, and he got 2015 off to an equally strong start on March 6 with a third-round stoppage of Juan Luis Hernandez and on May 9, he made his third appearance in the Lone Star State in a 10-round featherweight unanimous decision victory against Giovanni Delgado.

A professional boxer since 2002, Melinda “La Maravilla” Cooper has built an impressive career cumulating with the Women’s International Boxing Association World Flyweight title and a shot at the IBF World Female Super Bantamweight title. Now the 30-year old who is now fighting out of Las Vegas, will get another shot at a title when she faces Carolina Arias for the vacant WBO Bantamweight Title on July 11.

A motivated fighter from, Leon, Nicaragua, Carolina “Princesa” Arias from San Jose, Costa Rica is eager to show fight fans that she has what it takes to become the next champion. A relative newcomer, the 27-year-old maintained an undefeated status since her professional debut in 2012 until 2014 when she fought for the WBC Latino Female Bantamweight title. Looking for another shot at stardom, the Nicaraguan native will not come down easy on July 11 when she gets another opportunity at a title.

Hailing from Balleybofey in County Donegal, Ireland, the 22-year-old Jason Quigley had an outstanding amateur career becoming the first Irish fighter to win a Silver medal at the AIBA World Amateur Boxing Championships in 2013. He started his professional career in 2014 and has quickly garnered attention by ending each fight via knockout against Howard Reece, Fernando Najera, and Greg McCoy. Quigley has continued his wins-by-knockout streak by taking down Lanny Dardar, Tolutomi Agunbiade and Joshua Snyder. Now the busy fighter is looking to impress in his fourth fight of 2015.

One of the most exciting prospects in the sport, 19-year-old super featherweight Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez has thrilled fans by winning each of his professional bouts by knockout, seven in the first round. Fresh from a sixth-round stoppage of Julio Sarinana at the inaugural LA FIGHT CLUB at The Belasco Theater on March 6, forced him to rise from the canvas for the first time to win. Most recently, Gonzalez pleased fans in an all action fight in his second appearance at LA FIGHT CLUB winning against Darryl Hayes via unanimous decision.

Jesus Delgado made a stand-out appearance at premiere event of LA FIGHT CLUB on March 6, dominating Rocco Espinozain all four-rounds, releasing relentless powerful punches to win the bout by unanimous decision. Since his professional debut in January 2014, Delgado has stayed local, building up his name and reputation on the Southern California boxing circuit most recently defeating Benjamin Vinson by technical knockout in the third round on May 7. On July 11, Delgado will go to the next level in his career fighting in his first six-round match.

Fighting out of the Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles, 18-year-old featherweight Nick Arce is a former amateur standout who entered the professional boxing world in style in November of 2014 with a fourth round knockout of Adalbert Valenzuela. Since then the Los Angeles favorite has fought Lyonell Kelly and Marco Alcaraz winning both bouts by second round knockout.

Hailing from Boyle Heights, the 21-year-old began his career in the sport at the young age of four, following in the footsteps of his brother former Mexican Olympian and youth champion Francisco “Panchito” Bojado. Since then, Bojado has been on a path to success competing in numerous amateur tournaments like the Desert Showdowns, Blue and Gold’s, National PAL Championships, National Silver Gloves Championships, the National Junior Olympic and many more, accumulating more than 130 bouts. In his professional debut, Bojado is eager to cement his own legacy in the sport.

Herrera vs. Lundy is a 10-round super lightweight bout for the vacant NABF title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with CES Boxing and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico, Live It To Believe It! Doors open at 4:00 pm PT and the first bell rings at 4:15 p.m. PT. The HBO Latino Boxing telecast begins at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT).

Media interested in attending the Mauricio Herrera vs. Hank Lundy event must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are available by clicking HERE. Completed credential applications should be sent to credentials@mercuryllc.com by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.cesboxing.com, and www.lacoliseum.com,follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CESBoxing, @HBOLatino, @elmaestro1, @hammerinhank30, @theartistperez, @sharibogere, @josephdiazjr, @jay_quigley, @strikerdelgado, @nick_arce, and @angelbojado and become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, CES Facebook Page, or www.facebook.com/hbolatino, and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CESBoxing,@mauricioherrera359, and @hammerin_hank_lundy, @michaelperezofficial, @bogereshrif, @jospehdiazjr, @jayquigley1, @elchimpa, @strikerdelgado90, @realnickarce, and @teambojado.

NEW YORK – JUNE 10, 2015 – The highly anticipated return to the ring of WBA Middleweight World Champion and Olympic Gold medalist Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KO’s) against former World Title Challenger Paul Smith (35-5, 20 KO’s) of England on June 20 has been elevated to another level with the announcement that the event will now include a live musical performance by Los Angeles-based rapper Nipsey Hussle immediately before Ward and Smith do battle. Fans will also be able to catch the action and performance live on BET Networks in the United States and globally on TIDAL.com, the newly launched music streaming service that combines the best high fidelity sound quality, high definition music videos and expertly curated editorial.

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $90, $60 and $30, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

In an intriguing televised co-featured bout pitting two unbeaten prospects against one another, Cleveland native Antonio Nieves (12-0, 6 KO’s) and Stephon Young (13-0-1, 5 KO’s) of St. Louis will battle it out over eight rounds in a featherweight bout. Cleveland has been known as a hotbed for producing promising boxers, including undefeated prospect Nieves who was a highly touted amateur, winning over 60 fights while becoming a five-time Cleveland Golden Gloves champion, a National Golden Gloves silver medalist and competing in the Olympic Trials. 28-year old Nieves made his professional debut on November 12, 2011 securing a unanimous decision against DeWayne Wisdom at La Villa Banquet in Cleveland, Ohio. Nieves has continued to rack up victories picking up five wins in a busy 2014, including three by knockout. In his last outing, less than two weeks ago on June 6, Nieves earned a first round technical knockout win over Gabor Molnar at Presque Isle Downs Casino in Erie, Pennsylvania. On June 20, fellow undefeated prospect Young will look to end Nieves’ winning streak. Also a decorated amateur who rose as high as a number two national ranking and narrowly missed making the 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, Young made his pro debut on August 12, 2011 with a unanimous decision victory over Ricky Lacefield at Ameristar Casino in Saint Charles, Missouri. Young’s undefeated run continued most recently on March 27 against Jesus Gonzalez with a second round technical knockout at The Ambassador in Saint Louis, Missouri.

In addition to the action inside the ring, Roc Nation Sports will bring other major names to the throne boxing experience at Oracle Arena including notable event emcee, radio personality, MTV news correspondent and Oakland-native Sway Calloway, who will serve as the event’s host, and hit master DJ Franzen, resident DJ at Las Vegas’ Hot 97.5. Sway and Franzen will entertain together throughout the night to keep the energy up between bouts.

There will be several notable faces ringside ready to catch all the action on June 20 including WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion Miguel Cotto, Michael B. Jordan, Frank Gore (Indianapolis Colts), Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers), E-40, Brice Butler (Oakland Raiders), Marcell Reece (Oakland Raiders), James Jones (Oakland Raiders), Too Short and Ryan Coogler.

In non-televised undercard action, Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s undefeated prospect Luis “Cuba” Arias (10-0, 4 KO’s) will make his second appearance of 2015. Arias began boxing at the age of seven and compiled an amateur record of 140-25, earning U.S.A Boxing’s number one men’s junior ranking in 2006, the number one men’s under-19 ranking in 2008 and the number one men’s ranking in 2010. He captured the U.S.A. Men’s Under-19 National Championship in 2008 and two U.S.A Men’s National Championships in 2009 and 2010. Arias’ professional debut took place on November 10, 2012 at Staples Center in Los Angeles where he defeated Josh Thorpe via a four-round unanimous decision. He began 2013 with three victories, all by knockout, which were followed by a decision win over DonYil Livingston on May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He closed the year with three more victories including a second-round knockout of Cameron Allen in his first scheduled eight-round fight. In his most recent bout on March 14 at Coliseo Roger L. Mendoza in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Arias defeated Zachariah Kelley when Kelley was disqualified in the second round for repeated low blows. On June 20, he’ll look to keep his winning ways going in a six round super middleweight bout against an opponent to be determined.

Local Hayward, California favorite Aaron Coley (9-1-1, 6 KO’s) joins the undercard looking to come back from his first professional loss which came via unanimous decision against the highly touted Ievgen Khytrov at Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, New York on April 10 in fight that was televised on Showtime’s ShoBox. He will look to get back on a winning track on June 20 when he takes on Yosmani Abreu (4-9-2) of Las Vegas, Nevada in a six round junior middleweight clash.

Hailing from Riverside, California and fighting out of the boxing hotbed of Oxnard, undefeated junior lightweight Daniel “Twitch” Franco (10-0-3, 7 KO’s) began boxing at the age of eight, amassing an amateur record of 67-15, winning the Oxnard PAL Championship in 2006 and the California State Silver Gloves Championship in 2007 along the way. During Franco’s professional debut on December 18, 2010, he defeated Emanuel Machorro at Club 401 in Ontario, California via a third round technical knockout. Despite being enrolled as a full-time student at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, Franco impressed early in his career, compiling an undefeated record with two draws in venues throughout California by the end of 2013. One of those draws came against Alejandro Ochoa at Quiet Cannon in Montebello, California on September 20, 2013, but in a rematch three months later, Franco outmatched Ochoa scoring a six-round unanimous decision victory at Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. In his most recent bout on January 17, he scored an impressive first-round knockout win over Sergio Najera at the Oceanview Pavilion in Port Hueneme, California. On June 20, Franco, who recently signed an exclusive promotional agreement with Roc Nation Sports, will see action in an eight round junior lightweight bout against Jonathan Alcantara (7-13-2, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, California.

Another product of the Bay Area, Oakland’s Tony Hirsch (18-6-2, 8 KO’s) captured the vacant WBC United States Middleweight Title against then-undefeated Wes Capper by majority decision in his last fight on March 14, 2015 at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hirsch joins the undercard on June 20 looking to continue his winning ways an opponent to be named in a six round middleweight fight.

Meng “Cold Blood” Fanlong (1-0) was the Chinese national light heavyweight champion for seven consecutive years from 2008 to 2013. Hailinging from Chi Feng, Inner Mongolia, the seven-time national Chinese champion also was awarded a gold medal during the Chinese National Games. Fanlong’s list of credits in the amateurs also includes representing China in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, where he won his opening bout before falling to highly touted Brazilian Yamaguchi Falcão in the round of 16; reaching the finals of the Asian Championship in 2011 when his took home the silver medal; winning three bouts at the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships in dominant fashion to reach the quarterfinals; and making it to the semifinals of the 2010 Asian Games, from which he brought home a bronze medal. Meng made his professional debut on January 17, 2015 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, scoring a decision victory over Marcellus Yates. He will now look to continue his professional rise when he takes on Albert Avina (0-3) of Stockton, California in a four round cruiserweight bout on June 20.

Rounding out the undercard will be Wang “Jimmy” Zhimin (9-1) of Ning Bo, China who will face Jose Guzman (6-10-1) of The Bronx, New York in a six round junior welterweight bout. In 2010, Zhimin reached the final of the Chinese National Boxing Championships where he received a silver medal. A year later in 2011, Zhimin reached the pinnacle of his amateur career when he won the gold at the World Series of Boxing in his native China. In 2012, he won another silver medal, this time at the Erdos International Boxing Competition. Zhimin made his professional debut on January 17, 2015 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut scoring a unanimous decision victory over Kin Moy (Pro Debut).

Ward vs. Smith, a 12 round bout presented by Roc Nation Sports, takes place Saturday, June 20 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, will be televised live on BET and streamed globally on TIDAL.com at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT and is presented in association with Matchroom Sport. The fight is sponsored by The Waterfront Hotel, Venue Kings , Shoe Palace, Q 102.1, 95.7 the GAME and KBLX 102.9. In addition to the great action inside the ring, the event will feature several notable Roc Nation touches that will further serve spectators with an enhanced fan experience, including Nipsey Hussle taking to the ring for a special performance prior to the main event. The event will be hosted by notable emcee Sway Calloway and will also feature hit master DJ Franzen who will serve alongside Sway throughout the night. Tickets priced at $250, $125, $90, $60 and $30, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000. Doors open at 3:00 PM, the first fight begins at 3:10 PM and the BET telecast and TIDAL.com stream begins at 10:00PM ET/7:00 PM PT.

For more information please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS:
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.??

ABOUT ROC NATION SPORTS:
Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, helping athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been helping artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents world champions Miguel Cotto and Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar and Frances Tiafoe. For more information please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

ABOUT ORACLE ARENA & O.co COLISEUM:
Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, managed by AEG Facilities, are the premiere sports and entertainment complexes in Northern California. Home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and MLB’s Oakland Athletics as well as host to concerts, family shows and special events. Additional information on Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, including a complete schedule of events can be found online at www.coliseum.com. Follow Oracle Arena on Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat @OracleArena and on Facebook www.faecbook.com/OracleArenaO.coColiseum.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 11, 2015) – Two days before the first-ever world title fight in the state of Alabama, undefeated heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and challenger Eric Molina participated in a tense final press conference Thursday at Embassy Suites in Birmingham.

The hard-hitting Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala, will be making the first defense of the heavyweight title he won impressively from Bermane Stiverne in January, when he meets Molina (23-2, 17 KOs), of Lyford, Texas, this Saturday, June 13, in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

In the co-feature on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, undefeated Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza (19-0, 12 KOs), of Cidra, Puerto Rico, will be opposed by Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 KOs), of Klimovski, Russia, in a 12-rounder for the vacant IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship.

In the main event on SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME®, undefeated world-ranked contenders Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach and Dejan “El Dinamita” Zlaticanin will square off in a 12-round eliminator. The winner between Redkach (18-0, 1 ND, 14 KOs), of Los Angeles, and Zlaticanin (16-0, 9 KOs), of Montenegro, becomes the mandatory challenger to Jorge Linares, the WBC 135-pound world champion.

Opening the SHO EXTREME telecast, unbeaten top 10-ranked super welterweight Julian “J Rock” Williams (19-0-1, 11 KOS, 1 ND), of Philadelphia, will be opposed by Armenia’s Armen Ovsepyan (14-4, 11 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., in an eight-round bout. Time permitting, hard-hitting light heavyweights Ahmed Elbiali (10-0, 9 KOs, 1-1 WSB), of Miami, Fla, and Donta Woods (8-4, 7 KOs), of Atlanta, will collide in a four/six-round swing match.

Below is what the fighters and Hall of Fame promoter Don King had to say today:

DEONTAY WILDER, Heavyweight World Champion

“I’m thankful to everybody who has put together this great event. This is a dream come true for me. When I made my dream to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, I wanted to do something to change the Alabama sports landscape.

“People wanted me to rush my career, even I did at some points, but I’m a man who believes in timing and that there’s a moment when things should happen. We have to wait for our time.

“This is my destiny. Once I had my precious daughter she changed my life forever and she became my motivation to get here. She’s the reason I go hard in the gym, she’s the reason I carry myself the way I do.

“I worked too hard to get to this position. We’re not planning on this being the end.

“It’s a privilege to make history with the first world title fight in Alabama, in any division. I’ve been about making history my entire career since the amateurs.

“I love to fight, I love this sport. They say you have to eat, sleep and breathe it and I do. I’m never out of shape. This is my life.

“Everybody knows that Deontay Wilder gets the job done. I worked too hard to get here to just give up the belt. I want all the belts, I’m greedy like that.

“We respect Eric Molina and what he’s trying to do. It’s a great opportunity for him. I was once where he was, in my last fight.”

ERIC MOLINA, Heavyweight Contender

“I want to thank all the people of Alabama, who have made me feel right at home this week. My training team has been incredible.

“I’ve had Oliver McCall in my camp for four years, and he’s prepped me for my moment to shock the world, just like he did against Lennox Lewis.

“I’ve dreamed about that moment, I’ve thought about it since even before I got this fight. I was going to knock someone out and become heavyweight champion of the world. It seemed so real to me in my mind, and when we signed the fight it all came together.

“Everybody has written me off. I’ve never been undefeated and I’ve always been the underdog.

“When my dream becomes a reality on Saturday, I’ll come right back here and give Wilder the rematch.”

JOSE PEDRAZA, Undefeated Junior Lightweight Contender

“I’m very happy about this opportunity. I’m not worried about the big stage because I’ve been on the big stage before. I’ve been in the big fights before and I just want to make the most of this opportunity.

“It’s been a long camp this time but other than that there has been nothing different in training. It’s been the same great preparations as all my other fights.

“I have a different level of skills than Klimov. I’m fast and I can do it all. Right and left handed, you’ll see all my skills on Saturday.

“This means a lot to me and to the people of Puerto Rico. They want another champion and I’m going to be next. This is the most important fight of my career and I’m going to give it my all in there.

“Whoever says they don’t get butterflies before a big fight is lying, but I’ve been on this stage before so I know how to control them. One that bell rings I’m going for it.”

ANDREY KLIMOV, Junior Lightweight Contender

“I’ve been fighting in the U.S. for five years. I turned pro a little late but I always knew that I had the chance to be a world champion.

“Coming in as an underdog is nothing new to me. It’s happened over and over. I’m going to be there to fight, I’ll never give up.

“The loss was a learning experience. It was my first time under the real bright lights. I took the fight because I wanted to prove something. I was upset because I knew I could do better.

“People are going to talk about me differently after I win this world title. I’ve worked together great with my team. All the bumps in the road have gotten us to here.

“Pedraza was a great amateur and a very good fighter. Everyone at this level is a good fighter. If you look at who we fought, my level of competition has been much higher.”

JULIAN WILLIAMS, Undefeated Junior Middleweight Contender

“We had a very tough training camp. It seems like Ovsepyan comes forward a lot and throws a lot of punches. I’m going to just keep it simple, use the jab and work punches off of that.

“I haven’t thought about any other opponents besides Ovsepyan for the past three or four weeks because he’s the guy that I’m fighting, he’s the guy that’s gloved up. Nobody else will be in that ring besides him on Saturday night, so he is who I am worried about.

“I definitely tailor my training camp based on the opponent I will be fighting. I get certain guys to come in and spar with me that have similar fighting styles and body types as my opponent. I try to get the closest thing to my opponent in my sparring partners so that I can get a good feel for what the fight will be like.”

ARMEN OVSEPYAN, Junior Middleweight Contender

“I’m feeling prepared, boxed over 60 rounds for this fight and I’m definitely ready to go.

“I’m a fighter; I take hard fights, that’s what real fighters do.

“He’s very well-regarded but we’ll see how he likes it when I put a lot of pressure on him from the start. We both have two hands, I can win this fight.

“It’s going to be the best fight of the night, whether we need to go the distance or if we get the knockout early.”

IVAN REDKACH, Undefeated Lightweight Contender

“I’m excited for this; I’m never scared of the big moment. June 13 is going to be the most important date of my career.

“I’ve been in camp for four months and feel 120 percent that I’m ready to fight.

“My opponent always tries to go forward and is very strong. He’s always trying to throw, sometimes weird punches from bottom to side to top.

“I have harder fights ahead of me but we’ll see after this one if this is my toughest test so far.

“I’m very happy for this chance to fight on SHOWTIME, my teammates have prepared me very well for this and I’m excited.”

DEJAN ZLATICANIN, Lightweight Contender

“I’m not a novice, I’ve been around and I know how to fight. I’m strong and I’m not afraid to come forward. I know Ivan is the same way, so you know it’s going to be a great fight.

“In my mind, I’ve already seen Ivan knocked out. I’ve seen it happen and I’m going to see it again on Saturday.

“I’m going to come to work hard. I come from a small country in Montenegro and I’m not here to give anything away, I’m taking full advantage.”

DON KING, Hall Of Fame Promoter

“We’re going to have a terrific fight here in Alabama on Saturday night.

“Deontay Wilder has proven to be a tremendous fighter and he last proved it on January 17. I’m certain that Wilder doesn’t mean to transfer the belt like Bermane Stiverne did.

“Texans have an out of the box way of thinking, they just take what they want. You’re going to have an unstoppable force against the unmovable object. Only one will win.”

# # #

“WILDER vs. MOLINA,” a 12-round fight for Wilder’s WBC Heavyweight Championship, takes place Saturday, June 13, at The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment and Bruno Event Team have joined forces to bring this event to Alabama. In the co-main event co-promoted by DiBella in association with Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza will face Andrey Klimov in a 12-round bout for the IBF Junior Lightweight World Title. It will air live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

WILDER vs. MOLINA Official Weigh-In will be available for viewing across multiple platforms, including LIVE via satellite feed and the SHO Sports YouTube Page. Friday’s feed from Birmingham City Hall will be hosted by Mauro Ranallo and will be available in High Definition.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Bruno Event Team are on sale now. Tickets start at only $25 with the best seats in the house going for $200. VIP packages are also available. To purchase tickets fans should visit alabamatitlefight.com. Tickets are selling fast and a sellout is anticipated.

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.dbe1.com follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @BronzeBomber, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #WilderMolina, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/

New York, NY (June 11, 2015)–On Saturday night, June 20 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, undefeated Lightweight prospect, Sonny “Pretty Boy” Fredrickson (8-0, 5 KO’s) will make his national television debut when he competes in a 6-round bout that will be part of the nationally televised card featuring Andre Ward taking on Paul Smith on BET.

Sonny Fredrickson stands 6’2″ with power in both hands and the good looks of a GQ model. The “Baby Faced Assassin” is unlike any other Lightweight in the world.

Fredrckson of Toledo, Ohio had a stellar amateur career where he compiled a record of 120-8 with 60 knockouts. He won many accolades such as being a 2013 National PAL Bronze medalist, 2013 National Golden Gloves Final Eight & he was a five-time Toledo Golden Gloves champion.

As an amateur, Sonny also holds a 1st round stoppage win over 152 National champion Jamontay Clark.

“I am just finishing up camp now and everything went well,”said the 20 year-old Fredrickson of his preparation for his June 20 bout. “I have been doing 8-round sessions. I have been doing a lot of running, sprints and yoga.”

Fredrickson, who turned professional in 2014 won his first four bouts with first round stoppages, has an aggressive fan-friendly style and features a killer left hook. He is a good looking kid who models his style after his idol, Oscar De La Hoya.

When told of his first national television exposure, Fredrickson was very excited.

“This is short notice but I am ready to put on a show and showcase my talent in front of the world.”

The 20 year-old is in no rush to get to the top and he knows that with the right fights he will become champion.

“I hope to get in five fights this year. I will continue to move up on the prospect list and by the end of the year, I will be ready to step up.”

This fight will be the second fight for Fredrickson since signing with Roc Nation Sports, and he believes that his alliance with his new promoter will benefit him both in and out of the ring.

“I feel like Roc Nation will be huge. It will grow into a big promotion and will take over boxing. They can do things for us boxers that no other company can do and I look forward to exploring all of those opportunities.”

Fredrickson is managed by boxing attorney Rick Torres of Victory Sports Entertainment.

PENNS GROVE, NJ – Pennsylvania state heavyweight champion Amir Mansour will be honored by his hometown of Penns Grove, NJ, on Saturday, June 13 while serving as the grand marshal for the borough’s annual Safe City Summer Fest parade.

Mansour, the former USBA heavyweight champion and current IBF North American and WBF Intercontinental champion, earned the state title with a unanimous-decision win over Philadelphia’s Joey Dawejko in a 10-round slugfest on May 8, which was seen by a national TV audience during ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” telecast.

“I really appreciate the honor,” said Mansour, who was born and raised in Penns Grove and now resides in Wilmington, DE. “I hope my hard work, passion for boxing and my goal to become heavyweight champ of the world stands as a good example for the kids in the community. I want them to know you should always fight for your dreams.”

Mansour, who joins a list of past grand marshals that includes actor Bruce Willis and prominent TV personality Sally Starr, attended Penns Grove High School and wrestled for the Penns Grove Junior Grapplers, where he was offered a four-year wrestling scholarship to Coppin State.

In 2014, Sports Illustrated confirmed Mansour as one of the hardest hitting heavyweights by awarding him their “2014 Knockout of the Year” after Mansour’s devastating seventh-round KO of Fred Kassi (18-3). Mansour trains at Philadelphia’s Joe Hand Boxing Gym and is managed by Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Joe Hand, Sr.

On Saturday, the Penns Grove parade gets underway at noon on West Main Street, down to South Broad and over to East Maple before stopping in front of the Penns Grove Middle School. Mansour will be the boxer on the float with a proud smile thanking his hometown for their support.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 11, 2015) – While Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock are prepared to take care their “Unfinished Business” on June 19, Bobby Lashley and James Thompson’s score will need to be settled somewhere down the line.

Thompson has been forced off the main card due to an undisclosed injury suffered during training and as a result, Dan Charles (9-2) has agreed to fill-in on short notice against “The Dominator.” The fight will still take place on the main portion of the Spike-televised card.

Charles, will be making his fourth appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion, last competing in the main event of 2014’s “Monster Energy Cup.” After dropping two fights, “The Man” has bounced back to with two straight wins to earn a shot against a heavyweight title contender the likes of Lashley. The 29-year-old Phoenix, Ariz. Native has ended seven of his nine victories before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

A 6-foot-3 wrestling standout, Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley (12-2) started training in the grappling arts at age 12 and would go on to win several titles including three National Championships at Missouri Valley College, an NAIA National Championship, a CISM World Championship Silver Medal and two Armed Forces Wrestling Championships during his time in the U.S. Army. In addition to a professional wrestling career with stints in the WWE, ECW and TNA, Lashley began his MMA career in 2008, and he’s built an impressive career mark that includes Bellator MMA submission wins over Karl Etherington and Josh Burns.

“Bellator: Unfinished Business” – Friday, June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)
Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Daniel Weichel (35-8)
Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. Dan Charles (9-2)
Bellator Featured Featherweight Fight: Daniel Straus (22-6) vs. Henry Corrales (12-0)
Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET)

Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Dan O’Connor (5-4) vs. Miles McDonald (0-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Justin Lawrence (7-2) vs. Sean Wilson (34-25)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Eric Irvin (9-3) vs. Hugh Pulley (4-2)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Rashard Lovelace (debut) vs. Demagio Smith (1-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Siscoe (0-1) vs. Garrett Mueller (1-0)
Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Adam Cella (6-3) vs. Kyle Kurtz (3-0)
Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Steve Mann (10-1) vs. Justin Guthrie (17-8)
Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Garrett Gross (6-3) vs. Chris Heatherly (8-3)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About Scottrade Center:
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary this season, Scottrade Center is a contemporary, 12-story glass and concrete structure located in the heart of downtown St. Louis. The home of the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club, Scottrade Center also features a full range of arena programming, including concerts, ice shows, family shows and other sporting events. Scottrade Center is consistently ranked by Pollstar Magazine as one of the top grossing arenas in the country.

THE BOXERS WEIGHED IN TODAY FOR THE FRIDAY NIGHT, JUNE 12 BOUT

Delvin Rodriguez
153.4 lb

Erislandy Lara
153.6 lb

Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KOs) will square off against WBA World Super Welterweight Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs) in a 12-round title affair at UIC Pavilion in Chicago on Friday night, June 12. SPIKE TV will televise on its Premiere Boxing Champions series at 9:00 PM.

During a 39-fight career, Rodriguez has faced off against such champions as Miguel Cotto and Austin Trout, while notching victories against top-caliber fighters like Mike Arnaoutis, Shamone Alvarez and Pawel Wolak.

Lara has wins over Freddy Hernandez, Alfredo Angulo and Austin Trout. The 32-year-old Cuban champion has recently won his 20th match, defeating former world champion Ishe Smith.

For more information visit official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook.com/StarBoxing.

Rio de Janeiro – Named the most dominant athlete on the planet, undefeated UFC® women’s bantamweight champion and former U.S. Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey goes head-to-head with surging contender No. 7 Bethe Correia on Saturday, August 1 when the Octagon® returns to the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Fresh off of a 14 second highlight reel finish over top contender Cat Zingano at UFC® 184 in February, Rousey (11-0, fighting out of Venice, Calif.) looks to cement her legacy as one of the most revered champions in mixed martial arts, as she goes for a sixth straight title defense against rival Correia on the challenger’s home turf in Brazil.

Bad blood ensued after Correia (9-0, fighting out of Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil) defeated two members of ‘The Four Horsewomen’, Rousey’s closest friends and training partners, as part of her campaign for the UFC women’s bantamweight title. “The Pitbull” intends to shock the world and cross another name off her list by dethroning the champion and bringing another world title back to Brazil.

After their legendary PRIDE bout in 2005, The Ultimate Fighter® Brazil coaches “Shogun” Rua (22-10, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) and Rogerio Nogueira (21-6, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) co-headline UFC® 190 in a rematch over a decade in the making.

Plus, fan favorite Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira (34-9, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), a 4th-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, returns in front of a hometown crowd to face 14th-ranked Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve (29-7, fighting out of Beverwijk, Netherlands) in a pivotal heavyweight showdown.

Additional bouts include:

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (12-5-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) collides with former two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler Patrick Cummins (7-2, fighting out of Dana Point, Calif.) in a light heavyweight battle.
Brazilian-born Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (18-7-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) welcomes heavy-hitting Soa Palelei (22-4, fighting out of Perth, Australia), who has 19 knockout victories to his credit.
Sixth-ranked welterweight Demian Maia (20-6, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) hopes to make it three victories in a row when he meets12th-ranked Neil Magny (15-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo.), a winner of seven straight.
Plus, The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Season 3 winner Warlley Alves (9-0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) puts his spotless record on the line against The Ultimate Fighter: Nations alumnus Nordine Taleb (11-2, fighting out of Montreal, Canada) in a 170-pound bout.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Tickets for UFC® 190: ROUSEY vs. CORREIA on sale now.

UFC® 190: ROUSEY vs. CORREIA will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Vubiquity, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, Rogers and Canal Indigo for a suggested retail price of $49.99 US/CAN for Standard Definition and $59.99 US/CAN for High-Definition.

About UFC

UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 134 countries and territories to over 700 million TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

LINCOLN, R.I. (June 11th, 2015) – Listed below are the final weights for all of the participants from “CES MMA XXIX,” scheduled for Friday, June 12th, 2015, live from Twin River Casino on AXS TV.

Doors open at 6 p.m. EST. The first preliminary bout begins at 7 and the televised main card begins at 9.

CHUCK O’NEIL
East Bridgewater, Mass.
15-6, 5 KOs
170

DOMINIQUE STEELE
Cincinnati, Ohio
12-5, 3 KOs
169 ½

MATT BESSETTE
Hartford, Conn.
14-6, 3 KOs
145 ½

KHAMA WORTHY
Pittsburgh, Pa.
7-3, 5 KOs
145

ERIC SPICELY
Olneyville, R.I.
6-0, 2 KOs
185

HARLEY BEEKMAN
Amsterdam, N.Y.
7-2, 4 KOs
183

DINIS PAIVA JR.
East Providence, R.I.
6-5, 4 KOs
136 ½

BRUNO MARQUES
Ludlow, Mass. (San Paulo, Brazil)
7-5, 5 KOs
136 ½

GREG REBELLO
Providence, R.I.
18-6, 9 KOs
224

TYLER KING
North Attleboro, Mass.
9-2, 3 KOs
224

NATE ANDREWS
East Providence, R.I.
6-1, 3 KOs
156

JAY BAKANOWSKI
Northborough, Mass.
3-1, 2 KOs
156

JOE PINGITORE
Johnston, R.I.
4-1-1, 1 KO
141

JAMES GRANT MURRIN
South Boston, Mass.
3-2, 2 KOs
140

PETE ROGERS JR.
Norwich, Conn.
2-1, 1 KO
145

EVAN PARKER
Worcester, Mass.
4-3, 1 KO
146

WAYNE AHLQUIST
Meriden, N.H.
1-1, 1 KO
170

TOBY ODEN
Milford, Mass.
1-1, 1 KO
170

KODY NORDBY
Cumberland, R.I.
3-3
130 ½

JESSE GUTIERREZ
Norwood, Mass.
1-0
128

DEVIN PILKINGTON
North Providence, R.I.
0-2
141

RICARDO SCALISSI
Ludlow, Mass. (San Paulo, Brazil)
0-1
141

Undefeated southpaw Derrick “Take It to The Bank” Webster is not your typical fighter. He’s not your typical anything, really. But with his enormous size, fast, powerful hands and wealth of athletic ability, he just might be something special.

Actor, model, business owner, singer, basketball player, college graduate and a 6′ 4″ natural at the sweet science, Glassboro, New Jersey’s Webster (19-0, 10KOs) now finds himself on the verge of possibly career-defining opportunity, as he will face also undefeated and highly touted Arif “Mayhem” Magomedov (15-0, 9 KOs) in a ShoBox quadrupleheader, scheduled for July 17 at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

“It’s just another day at the office for me,” said a confident Webster of facing Magomedov. “I’m used to the bright lights. He (Magomedov) is just a straight forward fighter with no defense. If you stand in front of him, or any fighter really, it can be a dangerous night, but the one important thing I know about him is that he’s about to take a loss because he’s fighting Derrick “Take It To The Bank” Webster, the best southpaw around.”

Webster came late to boxing, not starting until age 24 when a gym opened up across the street from his house. He only had 40 amateur fights (38-2) and says the decision to forego a lengthy unpaid career and turn pro immediately came from an unlikely source.

“It was (former heavyweight champion and all-time great) Larry Holmes that sat me down and told me I already had the goods to make a name for myself and not to wait to turn pro. He was commentating a tournament I was fighting in, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where I had four fights in the tournament and had four first-round knockouts. He told me a lot of guys ruin their careers and waste a lot time waiting for the Olympics, so I turned pro.”

Gifted athletically and intellectually, Webster was a quarterback in high school and played power forward for two seasons for the University of Maryland in basketball while earning a bachelor’s degree Juvenile Criminal Justice. Outside the ring he now owns home-remodeling and construction businesses, among his many business ventures.

While he may not have had much of an amateur background, Webster credits a couple factors for his ring success. First, he’s spent considerable time in training camps, serving as a sparring partner to many of boxing’s elite for the last six years including Roy Jones, Jr., Andre Ward, Jean Pascal, Bernard Hopkins, Amir Khan, Andre Dirrell and on and on. And second, the fact that his size and left-handed stance have made him a nightmare for opponents to face.

“I learned by sparring with the best in the business instead of in the amateur ring and now I’m unpredictable. I even surprise myself. I’m a hell of a boxer, and most guys my height can’t move like I can. My speed is amazing and I have power. I look at like this: I’ve been pro since 2009 and I’ve seldom known who I ‘m fighting because nobody wants to fight a 6’ 4″ southpaw. Most of my career I’ve gone in not knowing who I’m fighting until I got to the ring. That forced me to prepare for boxers and unorthodox guys and pressure guys and heavy-handed guys at the same time and made me an all-around fighter. I won’t say I’m the next Floyd Mayweather, but I want people someday to say they’re the next Derrick Webster. I want to be the best southpaw of this generation.”

Webster’s co-promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions (along with Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions), says many of the questions about Webster’s potential will be answered against Magomedov.

“Derrick Webster could be a star in the making. He certainly has all the talent and the tools he needs to compete on the world stage,” explained Cohen. “There comes a time in every prospect’s career where he faces an opponent who brings out his best. This may be that fight for Derrick Webster and we’re confident after he gets the victory, he’ll be on everyone’s lips as an emerging fighter to watch.”

Webster vs. Magomedov will be staged by GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions. The ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader telecast will also feature GCP/GH3 fighters Antoine Douglas (17-0-1, 11 KOs) vs. Istvan Szili (18-0-2, 8 KOs), as well as Jerry Odom (13-1, 12 KOs) and Adam Lopez (12-0, 6 KOs) against opponents that are TBA currently.

###

About Greg Cohen Promotions

One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

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

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

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KOs); and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney (74-7-3, 45 KOs).

Current world-rated contenders in the GCP roster include Arash Usmanee, universally recognized as a top-10 super featherweight; former WBA International Middleweight Champion and world-rated middleweight contender Jarrod Fletcher; top-rated featherweight Joel Brunker; cruiserweight Lateef Kayode; Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis, and WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Rising Welterweight sensation Cecil McCalla.

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

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

LONDON (11 JUNE) Hennessy Sports are pleased to announce that the Haskins-Iwasa undercard on June 13 will be televised live and exclusively on Spike (Sky Channel 160) in the United Kingdom.

Saturday’s IBF Interim World Bantamweight Title clash between Bristol’s Lee Haskins and Japan’s Ryosuke Iwasa will be screened live on Channel 5, while the Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight Title contest between Bob Ajisafe and Daniel Wanyonyi, as well as the pick of the undercard, will find a home on Spike from 7.30pm.

This means fight fans will get the chance to watch the likes of Ajisafe, Darren Hamilton and Young Fury in action before Haskins and Iwasa lock horns in the main event.

“This is a bit of a game-changer for us,” said promoter Mick Hennessy, “as it gives us the opportunity to televise more fights and showcase more of our fighters.

“It gives those fighters on the undercard a platform to express themselves and really impress. It also offers fight fans the chance to enjoy a full night’s boxing, rather than just tuning in for the main event.

“We’re thankful to Channel 5 and Spike for giving us this extended slot and hope to deliver some great fights on June 13.”

Spike is a British digital television channel owned by the Channel 5 division of Viacom International Media Networks Europe. It launched in the UK on April 15, 2015 – a replacement for Viva on Freeview – and primarily airs entertainment programming geared towards a male audience. In addition to their commitment to boxing, Spike also show Bellator mixed martial arts events.

Sky customers can find Spike on channel 160, while Freeview customers can get it on channel 31.

*** LIVE ON SPIKE FROM 7.30PM: Bob Ajisafe faces Daniel Wanyonyi for the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title, Darren Hamilton fights Mikheil Avakyan over eight rounds and Young Fury fights Jindrich Valecky over four ***

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

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

Micki Nielsen (17-0, 12 KOs) is relishing the chance to test his punching power against experienced cruiserweight contender Ismail Abdoul (56-34-2, 20 KOs).

The 22 year-old southpaw aims to send shockwaves through the division by becoming only the second man to stop the 38 year-old Belgian when they clash on June 20 at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen.

In a career spanning thirteen years, Abdoul has fought a ‘who’s who’ of cruiserweight greats including former undisputed champion David Haye, IBF World Champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez and WBO titlist Marco Huck.

Despite his opponents’ pedigree, the 92-fight-veteran has only been stopped once. In just his third professional contest, Abdoul suffered a twelfth-round technical knockout defeat to former WBC and IBF World Champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk.

‘’I’m looking forward to fighting such an experienced and durable opponent,’’ said Nielsen. ‘’I don’t just want to beat him. I want to make a statement and stop him. He has fought some of the biggest and best names in the cruiserweight division and now it’s my turn. On June 20, we will see if he can stand up to my power!’’

Nielsen’s confidence is high following hugely successful 18 months, which has seen the undefeated southpaw named ‘Fighter of the Year’ by the Danish Professional Boxing Federation and claim the WBC International Cruiserweight title with an impressive points victory over Julio Cesar Dos Santos.

In spite of his recent success, Nielsen, who trains in Copenhagen under the guidance of former two-time world champion Joey Gamache, believes fans are only just beginning to see the best of him.

‘’I’m working hard everyday in the gym and everything is going to plan,’’ said the cruiserweight talent. ‘’There is still a long way to go, but I can feel myself improving with every fight. For now, I must continue to take it one fight at a time, but I know I have the right team around me to take me all the way to the top!’’

‘’This will be another tough test for Micki,’’ said promoter Nisse Sauerland. ‘’Abdoul looks next to unstoppable, and this fight will provide a good indication of how far away Micki is from world level. It’s another great addition to our last Nordic Fight Night event before the summer and we are going out in style!’’

Micki Nielsen’s older brother Patrick (25-1, 12 KOs) headlines the ‘Danish Dynamite’ Nordic Fight Night show with a first defence of his WBA International Super Middleweight title against Charles Adamu (23-6, 17 KOs), while featherweight talent Dennis Ceylan (14-0-1, 7 KOs) takes on Sergio Prado (11-4-1, 4 KOs), Rashid Kassem (8-0, 5 KOs) battles Reynaldo Mora (7-1-1, 4 KOs), and following the withdrawal of Andreas Lynggaard, Landry Kore (3-0, 1 KO) faces Laszlo Molnar (0-5). Tickets are available via billetlugen.dk.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 10, 2015) – Unbeaten Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder, heavyweight challenger Eric Molina, along with co-headliners Puerto Rican junior lightweight Jose Pedraza and Russian amateur standout Andrey Klimov, kicked off fight week working out for the press at Round 1 Gym in Birmingham, Ala. in advance of their SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® bouts this Saturday, June 13, live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

Also in attendance Wednesday were, undefeated world-ranked contenders Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach and Dejan “El Dinamita” Zlaticanin, who will square off in a 12-round eliminator earlier that night in the main event of SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME® (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday:

Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder

“This week has been fun. It’s been exciting. Even to see the people and faces. I’m looking forward to Saturday. It’s always the hard part when you have to wait. Especially when you’ve been training hard and it’s real intense. Everything has been great so far, and I’m glad it’s finally here. I’m looking forward to making history being that this is the first title fight in the state of Alabama. And I’m gonna put my name on it first.

“Training camp has been just like any other camp. When I’m at camp, I’m always giving my all, 110 percent. Because when it’s time to go battle, I gotta give 110 percent. I have to perform better than I did the last time. But this is what I do. I love it and enjoy every moment it.

“Molina’s height is something to watch out for. Everybody likes two tall guys in the ring. I’m definitely going to find out if his bark is as big as his bite. Right now his bark is loud. But we’ll see if his bite is as loud as his bark.

“I don’t watch video or study my opponents because the way you may see them fight someone else is not the same way that they’re going to fight you. I let my people do that and break them down. I trust in believe in them, and I like the challenge as well. That’s another reason I don’t look at film. We’ll find out what he’s about on Saturday.”

Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina

“Deontay is a very strong fighter,a big puncher and a big presence. But just as many strengths as he has, he also has weaknesses. We’re just trying to key in on those weaknesses.

“I know this is a big fight for Alabama. I respect that and it’s an honor, but I’m also trying to make history. I plan on being the first Mexican-American Heavyweight World Champion.

“My mental focus is on the heavyweight world title. When you expect to fight for the world title, you have to come into someone’s backyard and do what you have to put up with pressure. I can handle pressure.

“I’ve accepted my role as the underdog. The whole world has written me off. I’ve embraced the role. I’m used to motivating myself. I’ve never been stronger, more focused. I’ve never been more physically, mentally, spiritually strong. I’m ready to go. I’m ready to fight.

“This is two big guys in the ring, and I can punch just like he can punch. It’s going to be a very exciting fight.”

Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza

“This was a long, hard training camp. We began training for this shot in December. We have worked extremely hard and are ready to show the world on Saturday night.

“We have seen video of Klimov and know what to expect on Saturday night. We will take it round by round and break him down.

“We can box, or we can bang. Whatever Klimov brings to the table we will be ready for. I plan on using my boxing technique to control the pace, but if he wants to stand there toe-to-toe, we are fine with that as well.

“It is important for me to look better than Crawford did in his victory over Klimov. I want to show the world that I am one of the best fighters in the entire sport.”

Regarding the comparisons to fellow Puerto Rican Star Felix Verdejo – “Verdejo is a good fighter and a good guy, but Jose Pedraza will be the next world champion to represent the great country of Puerto Rico.”

Andrey Klimov

“This was a great camp. We worked very hard, and trained with a lot of different champions. I came out 100 percent mentally and physically ready to go.

“I feel that the fight with Crawford actually worked to my advantage more than my disadvantage. I learned a lot in that fight and I will use that on Saturday night against Pedraza. What Pedraza brings to the table on Saturday night I will be ready for it. There will be no surprises on Saturday night, I am ready.

“I am very confident going into this fight. Pedraza is a tough opponent but I don’t think he is ready for what I am going to bring.

“It is an honor to be here and fighting at this level. On Saturday night you will see a spectacular performance.”

Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach

“This was the hardest training camp I have ever had. I have been training four hard months for this fight and I am in the best shape of my career.

“Dejan is a very tough opponent. He comes forward and is very aggressive, but he is not as good as me. The world will see that come Saturday night. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be victorious.

“This fight brings me one step closer to a world title shot, something I have been dreaming about my entire life, and there is no way he is going to stop me from achieving that. The fans are not going to want to miss this fight on Saturday night, because it’s going to be a war.”

Dejan Zlaticanin

“We had great sparring for this camp and it has helped us become the absolute best possible fighter we can be going into Saturday night.

“I have no doubt and no fear. I am the better, more superior fighter.

“This fight will not go to the final bell. I am going to knock Ivan Redkach out. There is no doubt in my mind.

“The winner of this fight earns the shot to fight Jorge Linares for the world title, and that is exactly the fight I want. On Saturday night I will stop Redkach and earn the right to challenge for the world title.”

“It is very important for me to bring this victory back to Montenegro to all my fans and countrymen who are cheering me on.”

# # #

“WILDER vs. MOLINA,” a 12-round fight for Wilder’s WBC Heavyweight Championship, takes place Saturday, June 13, at The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment and Bruno Event Team have joined forces to bring this event to Alabama. In the co-main event co-promoted by DiBella in association with Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza will face Andrey Klimov in a 12-round bout for the IBF Junior Lightweight World Title. It will air live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

WILDER vs. MOLINA Official Weigh-In will be available for viewing across multiple platforms, including LIVE via satellite feed and the SHO Sports YouTube Page. Friday’s feed from Birmingham City Hall will be hosted by Mauro Ranallo and will be available in High Definition.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Bruno Event Team are on sale now. Tickets start at only $25 with the best seats in the house going for $200. VIP packages are also available. To purchase tickets fans should visit alabamatitlefight.com. Tickets are selling fast and a sellout is anticipated.

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.dbe1.com follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @BronzeBomber, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #WilderMolina, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/

otowa, NJ: As Main Events continues its search across the globe for top prospects, the New Jersey-based promotional company added another undefeated Russian to their lineup. Middleweight, Arif “Mayhem” Magomedov (15-0, 9 KOs), is the fifth international fighter, on an already stacked roster, that Main Events co-promotes with an overseas promoter. Main Events has always strived to find the best and brightest prospects in the industry and continues to work with promoters from around the world to expose new fighters to US audiences. This time they have joined forces with Gevorg Tatevosyan of the Russia-based Shamo Boxing Promotions to co-promote “Mayhem.”

Born in Kizlyar, Russia, “Mayhem” Magomedov, is only 22 years old, yet he has 15 professional fights since his pro debut just two years ago. He is undefeated as a pro with a 60% knockout-to-win ratio including his most recent bout, a first round TKO over veteran Darnell Boone on May 22 in Las Vegas. In April, he defeated another veteran, Derrick Findley, in eight rounds in Costa Mesa, California.

When asked about this new opportunity Arif said, “I am very excited to work with Main Events. This gives me opportunity to fight in United States and help me to become star here.”

His co-promoter, Gevorg Tatevosyan, of Shamo Boxing Promotions said, “We are looking forward to working with Main Events. We are very excited for this new opportunity for Arif to fight in United States.”

Shamir Petrosyan, Arif’s manager, also said, “This is the next big step for Arif towards becoming a superstar. He is ready and excited to show US fans his talents. We are looking forward to working with Kathy Duva and Main Events on this top-notch Russian prospect.”

Main Events CEO, Kathy Duva, said, “‘Mayhem’ is a fighter in a very hot division and we expect him to make his mark in it very soon. At just 22 years old, he has a long and bright future ahead of him that we are so happy to play a part in.”

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Hyannis, Massachusetts [June 10, 2015] – Boston Boxing Promotions is bringing back professional boxing to Cape Cod for the first time in nine years on Saturday, August 8, 2015 at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center (HYCC) with a fight card featuring the Northeast Heavyweight Title fight between Hyannis’ own Jesse Barboza (9-1-1, 5 KO’s) and Pennsylvania’s Jesse Oltmanns (10-5, 7 KO’s). The card will also feature an exciting eight-round light-heavyweight fight between Harwich’s Paul Gonsalves (7-7-1, 3 KO’s) and rugged Mexican Rafael Valenzuela (8-5, 1 KO).

While this is the first time pro boxing has been featured on the Cape in nearly a decade, the region is ripe with a rich boxing history, upsets and familiar names. Here are some facts about Cape Cod’s history in professional boxing. Some may surprise even the most avid sports fan.

– The earliest professional boxing card on record to take place in Hyannis was held July 26, 1929 at the now-defunct Mill Hill Club. In the main event that night, Boston’s Al Delgado won a ten-round unanimous decision over Brockton’s Jimmy Fruzetti.

– Prior to defending his middleweight championship in many megafights of the 1980’s, Hall of famer “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler used to set up training camp in Provincetown. He would regularly run up and down the Provincetown dunes in a sweat suit and work boots in order to acclimate himself to being uncomfortable so that he would feel at comfort and in control in his boxing trunks & boxing shoes while fighting legends like Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran and “Sugar” Ray Leonard. Hagler used to refer to his training camps as “jail” as he would isolate himself from friends & family for weeks in order to focus on the fight at hand.

– Hyannis resident Kip Digs fought as a welterweight boxer from 1992 – 1999. He finished his career with a record of 30-5, with 22 KO’s and won the NABF Welterweight title during the course of his exciting career. He was regularly featured on early editions of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights”.

– In 1999, two future world champions would fight on the same card in Hyannis, MA. Future Junior Welterweight & Welterweight Champion Zab Judah would defeat David Sample via 1st round TKO & future Welterweight & Junior Middleweight champion Jose Antonio Rivera beat Cape Cod native Kip Diggs via fifth round TKO.

– Two former world cruiserweight champions have ties to Cape Cod. Former two-time cruiserweight champ Steve Cunningham’s wife/manager Livvy is from Martha’s Vineyard. She calls Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts her hometown. Cunningham is currently rated the number-six heavyweight in the world by the IBF. Also, former cruiserweight champ Kelvin Davis, after losing a cruiserweight number-one contenders match to the aforementioned Cunningham in 2005, returned as a heavyweight in 2006 in Hyannis fighting to a draw with journeyman Charles Shufford.

– Longtime heavyweight contender and two-time former heavyweight title challenger Tony Thompson suffered his first career defeat in the year 2000 in Hyannis to a fighter named Eric Kirkland who retired with a record of 18-2. After losing to Kirkland via four-round unanimous decision, Thompson would win his next 27 fights in a row before losing to Wladimir Klitschko in a fight for the Heavyweight Championship of the world in 2008. Thompson is currently rated the number-thirteen heavyweight in the world by the WBC.

The August 8, 2015 event will be presented by Boston Boxing Promotions. It will be the first professional boxing event held in Hyannis since 2006. General admission tickets are $40 and are on sale now at www.CapeCodBoxing.com. Fans are urged to purchase tickets early due to limited availability. Additional bouts to be announced in the weeks to come.

Boston Boxing Promotions is dedicated to the resurgence of professional boxing at the regional level, particularly in the New England area. To learn more about the promotion, you can follow them on Twitter @BostonProBoxing, join the promotion’s official Facebook page “Boston Boxing Promotions,” and visit the promotion’s website www.BostonBoxingPromotions.com.

CORK, Ireland (June 10, 2015) – Gary Hyde, manager of International Boxing Federation (IBF) No. 1-ranked, mandatory middleweight contender Hassan N’Dam (31-1, 18 KOs), has objected to two officials named to work the June 20th IBF world middleweight title fight between N’Dam and David Lemieux (33-2, 31 KOs) at the famed Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Cameroon-native N’Dam, promoted by King Sports, is a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 160-pound division world champion. The IBF No. 4-ranked Lemieux was born and lives in Montreal, Quebec.

“On June 2nd,” Hyde explained, “I learned who the officials were for the June 20th fight at the Bell Centre. I contacted the IBF and objected to two officials who are from Montreal, Quebec, the same city Lemieux is from. Referee Marlon Wright has refereed five of Lemieux’ fights and the judge in question, Benoit Roussel, has worked no fewer than 12 of Lemieux’ fights.

“I also objected to the Quebec Commission on the appointment of the two Canadian officials. The selection of two officials from the same city as one of the fighters in an international world championship bout indicates a flawed and unfair procedure and undermines the appearance of fairness and impartiality. In my experience in world championship bouts the officials must always be neutral.

“We are hopeful that the Quebec Boxing Commission will replace both Canadian officials with a pair of neutral officials, so that we can concentrate solely on the job at hand, to beat Lemieux.

New York, June 10—Star Boxing ’s undefeated powerhouse Cletus Seldin puts an unblemished record on the line on his Long Island home turf when “The Hebrew Hammer” squares off against battle-tested Ranee Ganoy (38-12-2, 32 KO’s) in a 10-round light welterweight clash at The Paramount in Huntington on Friday night, June 19.

Fighting out of Shirley, Long Island, Seldin has been ultra-impressive with a record of 16-0. Thirteen of those victories have come by way of thunderous knockouts, while fighting under the guidance of promoter Joe DeGuardia.

“Cletus is for real, and is poised to emerge in the light welterweight division,” says DeGuardia. “He’s very strong, and has knockout power in each hand. An outstanding athlete who’s always in outstanding shape, Cletus comes ready with aggressive body punching to match his crowd-pleasing style.”

Seldin has showcased his considerable talents almost exclusively at The Paramount, where he has scored 12 of his victories, including eight straight. The path is similar to that of Star Boxing’s Chris Algieri, who used The Paramount as a launching pad for his success before graduating to Barclays Center and Macao.

The Hebrew Hammer is about to complete training camp in West Palm Beach, FL, after prepping at his home base at the Westbury Boxing Club. Seldin had this to say about Ganoy, the knockout specialist from Albuquerque, NM: “He has a nice solid, tight, fighting stance. He’s a tough guy, a tough opponent, and with 32 KOs, he will probably come in for the knockout. If he does that, you know what happens, you get the hammer! Having a victory over him will boost me to the top 15.”

The undercard is stocked with a quartet of six-round bouts featuring a burst of up-and comers: New Hyde Park’s Rich Neves (8-2-2, 4 KOs) will face Alex Mancera (8-6-1, 5 KOs) of Queens/junior middleweights; Woodhaven’s Daniel Gonzales (8-0-1, 3 KOs) steps into the ring against Carl McNickles (8-8, 6 KOs) of Chicago/junior welterweights; Westbury’s Dave Meloni (3-1, 1 KO) squares off against Rigoberto Miranda of the Bronx/junior lightweights; and unbeaten Johnny Hernandez (4-0, 1 KO) of Huntington is matched against San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Angel Suarez (2-2)/featherweights.

Doors open at 7:00 PM; first bout at 7:30 PM.

For more information visit official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook.com/StarBoxing.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 10, 2015) – Less than 10 days ahead of Bellator MMA: “Unfinished Business,” Kimbo Slice, Ken Shamrock and Bellator President Scott Coker took part in a media conference call to discuss the June 19th event.

“Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” takes place Friday, June 19 at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center and airs live on Spike. Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business,” which start at just $30, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

On October 4, 2008, a freak accident robbed the MMA world of one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the sport. On Friday, June 19, Bellator MMA will right that wrong. Street fighting legend and YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice and “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” Ken Shamrock, have agreed to renew their rivalry and will now meet in the main event of “Bellator: Unfinished Business.”

Below are quotes from today’s call:

Bellator President Scott Coker:

“This is a fight that should have happened many years ago. I know that it’s a fight that’s been under everybody’s skin for several years. At the news that Kimbo had signed on, I called and asked [Ken] if he was interested and he said ‘hell yeah.’ Both sides jumped in to fight each other without hesitation.”

“At the direction of Mr. Tim Lueckenhoff, our main event fighters were subject to pre-fight drug testing and we were informed that both fighters passed their tests. We’re less than ten days away from finally watching Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock settling the score at ‘Unfinished Business,’ which goes down at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.”

Ken Shamrock:

“Mentally I’m strong, I always push myself to the highest level. I’ve been at this for six months now and it’s been the hardest and the most humbling thing I’ve ever had to do. I am a different human being. I am more appreciative of the opportunities I have and for the people that train with me.”

“Now that I’m back where I want to be and where I can hold my own at 51, I’m able to push people to where they can’t go with me. This all comes through hard work and humbling myself and bringing myself back to my grass roots. Come June 19th, people are going to get to see the results of that and I promise you that everything that I am, my career on the line, you will not be disappointed.”

“I really understand what it’s like to be the underdog, it’s been a humbling experience but at the same time it’s really built me as a human being and it’s really put me in a different place when it comes to conditioning and when it comes to my motivation and my strength in this fight.”

“I enjoy preparing, I enjoy game planning, setting strategies, and working with a group of people to accomplish a goal. In the end when you accomplish that goal, there’s no better feeling in the world than to have a group of people who set out on a journey and they accomplish the goal they set out on together with all the plans working out the way you wanted to. You’re standing there at the end getting your hand raised and everyone is in the zone, endorphins are running, it’s a great feeling. I don’t know what to compare it to but it’s a feeling you never want to lose but you know it’s going to have to go away. I’m going to live this thing as long as I can live it. I’m going to enjoy this thing as long as I’m allowed to enjoy it and I wish that people would enjoy it with me.

I don’t think it’s a secret that Kimbo Slice brings the fight. Everything I know about him and respect about him, is that when he gets in the ring, he brings it. I don’t think there’s any question about what kind of fight this is going to be. There’s a strategy on the mind of both men in a fight and they come in to see which one will work best. Right now there is no tomorrow, I’m focused on Kimbo and that’s it.”

Kimbo Slice:

“I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to fight this guy again if the opportunity ever presented itself.”

“I tip my hat to Ken Shamrock who’s still fighting at 51 — even though I’m a stud and I’m going to knock his punk ass out. I tip my hat off to Bernard Hopkins who’s still fighting in his fifties. That’s really not even that old and I’m right around the corner from there.”

“I relate to my fans and they relate to me. I just say it’s the beard and the gold the teeth and me being genuine with people. I don’t walk around with a chip on my shoulder.”

“This is not a one time deal with me. We’re going to see how long we can go with it. I’m in it for the long haul.”

“I’ve always had love for MMA. I was tempted to throw a few kicks and takedowns in boxing. Now that this opportunity came, I have the love for the training and the passion to fight. I’m a well rounded martial artist now in the cage, I’m no longer one dimensional.”

“Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” – Friday, June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)
Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Daniel Weichel (35-8)
Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. Dan Charles (9-2)
Bellator Featured Featherweight Fight: Daniel Straus (22-6) vs. Henry Corrales (12-0)
Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET)

Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Dan O’Connor (5-4) vs. Miles McDonald (0-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Justin Lawrence (7-2) vs. Sean Wilson (34-25)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Eric Irvin (9-3) vs. Hugh Pulley (4-2)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Rashard Lovelace (debut) vs. Demagio Smith (1-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Siscoe (0-1) vs. Garrett Mueller (1-0)
Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Adam Cella (6-3) vs. Kyle Kurtz (3-0)
Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Steve Mann (10-1) vs. Justin Guthrie (17-8)
Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Garrett Gross (6-3) vs. Chris Heatherly (8-3)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About Scottrade Center:
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary this season, Scottrade Center is a contemporary, 12-story glass and concrete structure located in the heart of downtown St. Louis. The home of the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club, Scottrade Center also features a full range of arena programming, including concerts, ice shows, family shows and other sporting events. Scottrade Center is consistently ranked by Pollstar Magazine as one of the top grossing arenas in the country.

HBO Boxing’s hit late-night franchise presents an all-action doubleheader featuring four undefeated fighters when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: NICHOLAS WALTERS VS. MIGUEL MARRIAGA AND FELIX VERDEJO VS. IVAN NAJERA is seen SATURDAY, JUNE 13 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for both bouts, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: June 14 (9:45 a.m.) and 15 (11:30 p.m.)

HBO2 playdate: June 16 (midnight)

In the main event, featherweight titlist Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21 KOs) defends his world championship against Miguel Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs) in a 12-round fight. Walters, 29, captured his first world title in 2012 when he knocked out Daulis Prescott in his home country of Jamaica and has successfully defended his belt three times by knockout. In his HBO debut last October, Walters grabbed the attention of the boxing world with a sensational knockout of former five-division world champ Nonito Donaire. Making his own HBO debut, Colombia’s Marriaga, 28, will be seeking a world title for the first time.

On the eve of New York’s Puerto Rican Day parade, the co-main event features boxing’s fastest-rising prospect, Felix Verdejo (17-0, 13 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, taking on Ivan Najera (16-0, 8 KOs) of San Antonio, Tex., in a ten-round lightweight contest. During his rise in the division, Verdejo has remained exceptionally active, fighting seven times in 2014 and eight times in 2013. Both undefeated 22-year-olds will be making their HBO debuts as they rekindle boxing’s longstanding Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry, and both will be appearing in just their second ten-round fight. For Verdejo, this fight will be his third at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, a fight venue that launched rewarding ring careers for fighters like Arturo Gatti, Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

It’s a special weekend for HBO Boxing. On Sunday, June 14, Jim Lampley, who has been broadcasting fights on the network since 1988 and has been ringside for many of the sport’s signature moments the past 27 years, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jonathan Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

NEW YORK (June 10, 2015) — Undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion NICHOLAS “Axe Man” WALTERS of Jamaica, and the boxing gem of Puerto Rico, undefeated No. 3 world-rated lightweight contender FELIX “El Diamante” VERDEJO and their opponents, Top-10 contender MIGUEL “The Scorpion” MARRIAGA and IVÁN “Bam Bam” NAJERA, respectively, hosted a media workout in Manhattan today.

The four undefeated fighters headline, in separate bouts, a world championship card in New York during Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend. With 60 knockout victories between them, fireworks are all but assured for this event which will take place This Saturday! June 13, in The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Walters (25-0, 21 KOs), from Montego Bay, Jamaica, who is in the third year of his championship reign, will defend his world title against Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs), of Arjona, Colombia. Verdejo (17-0, 13 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in his live HBO debut, will make the first defense of his newly-won World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino lightweight title against Najera(16-0, 8 KOs), of San Antonio, TX. Both fights will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The four gladiators boast a perfect combined record of 78-0 (60 KOs), which includes a victory by knockout ratio of 77%.

NICHOLAS WALTERS
“Marriaga may have beaten me in the amateurs but I do not remember it. Besides those fights are four rounds. On Saturday we will be fighting 12 rounds. He may be bringing his ‘A Game’ but I am bringing my ‘A-Plus Game.’ I have trained for a knockout victory. I am going to destroy him.

“I am overwhelmed to be fighting at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of Boxing, because so many of boxing’s great champions have fought here. It is hallowed ground. It is my honor and I want to give my best performance there. To be great…to be known as the best…you have to beat the best and I am ready to take on all champions in my division and beyond.”

MIGUEL MARRIAGA
“Of course Walters doesn’t remember me beating him for a spot on the Olympic team…BECAUSE HE LOST! He’s not going to remember Saturday, June 13 for the same reason!

“I have the strength and the intelligence to beat him. I will use my strength and intelligence to beat him.

“After I beat Walters again on Saturday I look forward to unifying the titles in my next fight.”

FELIX VERDEJO
“It is an honor to be fighting on Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend in boxing’s most historic building, Madison Square Garden. I have dreamed of doing this for so long. And then on Sunday I will be riding on a float in the parade. But first I need to prove myself worthy of these honors. Najera is my toughest test as a professional and I have worked very hard in training camp. I am prepared to go mano a mano on Saturday night. I will be fighting not just for myself but for the pride of Puerto Ricans everywhere!”

IVÁN NAJERA
“I am ready for my moment – my date with destiny. I know this is supposed to be Verdejo’s big debut on HBO. But I am here to do what I always do – to spoil the party. I have sacrificed so much to be ready for Saturday night but I will be dining out on this victory for years to come. June 13 will be remembered as Iván Najera’s Coming Out Party!”

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Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with All Star Boxing, Tecate and Madison Square Garden, remaining tickets to the Walters vs. Marriaga / Verdejo vs. Najera world championship boxing event, priced at $205, $105 and $55, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #WaltersMarriaga or #VerdejoNajera to join the conversation on Twitter.

Former four-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. (61-8) will continue his quest towards a world title in a fifth weight class on August 15th. Jones, who has reeled off 7 victories in a row, will headline Knockout Season 2’s live fight card at the Foxwoods Hotel and Casino and will be broadcast live on Fuse/NuvoTV. Jones also served as the host of Knockout’s second season.

The 46-hear-old Jones, who has captured world titles as a middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight, is working his way towards a title shot at cruiserweight to complete the quinfecta. He is also scheduled to fight on August 29th and said that he loves keeping a busy schedule.

“I am going to fight on Knockout on the 15th and then again on the 29th. I did two (fights) in March and I am liking how it feels so I am going to do two again in August and see how that feels. If I like how it feels then I will do it again maybe two or three weeks apart,” said Jones.

The Pensacola, Fla. native said that he wants to bring back the old school when like fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta faced each other twice in a three week span. A lot of today’s fighters struggle to get in two fights in a year, let alone in a month.

“See, they are getting away from the old school stuff. I want to take it back to old school boxing where they used to fight every three weeks. Those were guys that were true fighters. I like that. I want to see how it feels,” said Jones. “You can’t do that now because of technology and the rules but I want to prove that I am the only old school OG around, you feel me?

“Fighting two or three weeks apart if I can. If I can do it, I want to do it because I want to keep on going as long as I can. Can’t nobody tell Roy Jones when to start and nobody can tell Roy Jones when he should stop. Roy Jones is going to do what he wants to do and I enjoying myself in the ring and I am going to get back where I want to be,” stated Jones.

Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. will headline Knockout Season 2 that will also feature the winner’s of Knockout Season 2. This season features the featherweight, lightweight, and cruiserweight divisions and will be broadcast from the beautiful Foxwoods Hotel and Casino on Fuse/NuvoTV.

KITCHENER, Ontario, Canada (June 10, 2015) — Marcelo Sanchez, of leading Nicaraguan-based promoter Pinolero Boxing, and Canadian lawyer Michael J. Schmidt, on behalf of public relations and marketing firm Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée, today jointly announced a strategic alliance to expand the Pinolero brand on an International basis.

“Both companies have short and long term goals that perfectly fit together,” Schmidt said. “Pinolero Boxing Promotion’s in the business of developing regional, national and World Champions. Both companies will be looking at various means to move Pinolero boxers into a further International framework. Pinolero has a proven track record of developing a strong brand of champions and all efforts are being made to further maximize the Pinolero talent. Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée will provide additional public relations and marketing expertise.”

“Obviously,” Schmidt added, “there will only ever be one Alex Arguello, as well as only one Roman “El Chocolatito” Gonzalez – I believe he should have serious consideration as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today – but Pinolero Boxing has a tremendous depth of talented individuals ready to blossom into their own legendary status.”

“We are well aware of Mr. Schmidt and Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée through his steady and professional work in Panama, and work he has done for boxing media personalities throughout the world,” Sanchez, speaking on behalf of Pinolero Boxing, commented. “We both agree that there is a tremendous talent which should make for exciting marketing. Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée and Pinolero share the same joy in developing these young men, not only towards National Championships, but also a World Championship vision, focusing on efforts to brand our company and boxers in the ring, and in terms of their image and ability to earn income outside of the ring”.

Promising prospects such as 20-year-old Junior Ramirez (12-0, 9 KOs), the World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Silver super lightweight champion, knockout artist Roberto Arriaza (10-0, 9 KOs), the Nicaraguan welterweight champion, and minimum-weight Byron Rojas (15-2), are all perfect examples of Pinolero Boxing’s stable of rising talent.

Schmidt is particularly excited by Nicaraguan fighters such as Cristofer Rosales Gonzalez, a 20-year-old with a record of 13-2, who, Schmidt notes, “hasn’t been afraid to step up and take on undefeated International competition.”

Pinolero Boxing will shortly celebrate its 100th promotional show by hosting a major boxing event in Nicaragua. “We will input a full set of resources and expertise, through the direction of Marcelo Sanchez at Pinolero Boxing,” Schmidt remarked. “We are excited to work with a promotional company that, under the direction of Marcelo Sanchez, has such exceptional talent. Hopefully, within the next year or two, the nature of this relationship will show in the form of more boxing champions being crowned under the Pinolero banner, but also in young men who conduct themselves with class and skill, inside and outside of the ring, which is so inherent in the nature of some of the legendary Nicaraguan fighters.”

“We look forward to Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée working for and on behalf of Pinolero Boxing in helping to provide add-on services in the development of opportunities and marketing channels appropriate to our boxers,” Sanchez concluded. “Our July show will be a special event for Nicaragua and we welcome having Schmidt and Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée on board.”

Las Vegas (June 9, 2015) – 3 Time world champion Fernando Vargas has confirmed that he and the Feroz Fight Factory will appear and have a booth to Meet & Greet his fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the second annual Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday September 12, 2015. The Boxing Expo will coincide with Floyd Mayweather jr. last fight and Mexican independence weekend.

Fernando Vargas, is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent and 3 Time world champion, who won a bronze medal as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata. His nicknames include “Ferocious”, “The Aztec Warrior” and “El Feroz”. Vargas was the youngest fighter to become world light middleweight champion at 21 years old in the history of boxing.

Some of Fernando’s notable wins include victories over former world champions Raúl Márquez, Yori Boy Campas, Ike Quartey, and over Winky Wright. His losses to Oscar De La Hoya, Félix Trinidad, Shane Mosley, and Ricardo Mayorga remain his only career defeats and he is a favorite of American cable TV giant HBO.

Vargas and the Feroz Fight Factory will have merchandise to sell to his fans, as well as photos and memorabilia.

This unique fan experience event, which allowed fans to meet and greet boxing legends, past and current champions and other celebrities of the sport, debuted last September to large, enthusiastic crowds. This year the Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and once again, allow fans a chance to collect autographs, take photos and purchase merchandise and memorabilia.

Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, broadcasting media and other brand companies who wish to participate will have a chance to showcase their products to fans and the whole boxing industry.

Last year’s inaugural Box Fan Expo featured some of the most popular fighters and boxing celebrities in recent history. Fans were treated to visits with Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr, Sergio Martinez, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Mikey Garcia, James Toney, Riddick Bowe, Leon Spinks Terry Norris, Shawn Porter, Chris Byrd, Jesse James Leija, Lamon Brewster, Ray Mercer, Earnie Shavers, Mia St-John, Erislandy Lara, Peter Quillin, Jean Pascal and Austin Trout. Also appearing were current WBC Champion Deontay Wilder, the charismatic Vinny Pazienza, Paul Williams, noted commentator Al Bernstein and top trainer Roger Mayweather of Mayweather Promotions.

The roster of attendees for this year’s Box Fan Expo will be announced throughout the next several months and weeks leading up to the event.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at: http://www.boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

View the official promo video of Box Fan Expo here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/video-2/

View Promo Flyer here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/promo-flyer/

View Photos Gallery 2014 here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/photos/

For anyone in the boxing industry or brand companies who wish to be involved and reserve a booth as an exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Box Fan Expo at:

U.S.A telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on the Box Fan Expo is available at: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

You can follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

CHICAGO (June 9, 2015) – A full slate of exciting fights round out a stacked undercard coming to UIC Pavilion in Chicago on Friday, June 12 as heavyweight bruiser and fan favorite Artur Szpilka (18-1, 13 KOs) takes on Manuel Quezada (29-9, 18 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight attraction.

The full night of undercard action supports the Premier Boxing Champions on Spike doubleheader that features Cuban boxing sensation Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs) taking on veteran Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KOs) and Russian knockout artist Artur Beterbiev (8-0, 8 KOs) facing Alexander Johnson (16-2, 7 KOs). This edition of PBC on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET. Doors at UIC Pavilion open at 5 p.m. CT with the first fight set for 5:15 p.m. CT.

Also competing in undercard action is the explosive Anthony Peterson (34-1, 22 KOs) who battles Ammeth Diaz (32-11, 23 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight bout and undefeated rising contender Eleider Alvarez (16-0, 9 KOs), who battles Anatoliy Dudchenko (16-0, 9 KOs) in a 10-round light heavyweight duel.

Ronald Hearns, the son of the legendary Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, returns to the ring to(27-5, 21 KOs) face David Thomas (10-4-2, 8 KOs) in a six-round super welterweight contest while undefeated prospect Domonique Dolton (16-0, 8 KOs) faces Victor Fonseca (9-4-1, 7 KOs)in eight rounds of super welterweight action.

The card also features a slew of Illinois’ top prospects including 24-year-old Ramiro Carillo (8-0, 5 KOs) out of Chicago battling 31-year-old Dedrick Bell (12-23-1, 7 KOs) out of Memphis in a six-round welterweight contest and Chicago’s Josh Hernandez will make his pro debut as he faces 23-year-old Joe Estrada (0-3)from Kearney, Missouri in a four-round welterweight battle.

Rounding out the local flavor is 20-year-old Jose Quezada (6-0, 5 KOs) from Alsip, Ill., taking on 26-year-old Jeffrey Ramos (4-3, 2 KOs)from Puerto Rico in a six-round lightweight bout and 22-year-old undefeated prospect Eddie Ramirez (8-0, 6 KOs) out of Aurora, Ill., battling 35-year-old Gerardo Cuevas (17-14, 15 KOs) from Mexico City in an eight-round junior welterweight attraction.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing in association with Group Yvon Michel (GYM) and Star Boxing, are priced at $151, $101, $51, and $31, not including applicable service charges, and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or UIC Pavilion Box Office at (312) 413-5740. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the UIC Pavilion Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).

With only one loss to the undefeated Bryant Jennings on his record, the 26-year-old Szpilka will look to build on his most recent victories, a unanimous decision in Nov. 2014 over heavyweight star Tomas Adamek and a second round TKO over Ty Cobb in April. Born in Wieliczka, Poland, he has made a name for himself in Chicago having fought there three times before and picking up knockout victories each time. He faces the 38-year-old Quezada out of Wasco, California by way of Mexico.

The brother of former world champion Lamont Peterson, the 30-year-old Peterson hopes to soon make a name for himself on the big stage. Owner of wins over Daniel Attah, Dominic Salcido and Marcos Leonardo Jimenez, the Washington, D.C. product is looking to win his fifth consecutive fight on June 12. He will be opposed by the 32-year-old former world title challenger Diaz who fights out of Panama.

A 2008 Colombian Olympian, the 31-year-old Alvarez has risen to contender status in the light heavyweight division as he remained undefeated with three big wins in 2014. Fighting out of Montreal by way of Columbia, his 2015 debut will also be his U.S. debut when he takes on the 36-year-old Dudchenko who fights out of Los Angeles by way of Ukraine.

Son of the legendary Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, the 36-year-old Hearns looks to build on his last win, a fifth round knockout over Roberto Ventura in Dec. 2014. The Southfield, Michigan native is an exceptional athlete who played Division 1 basketball at American University while getting his degree in Criminal Justice. He faces the 32-year-old Thomas out of Evansville, Indiana.

Undefeated since turning pro in 2008, the 25-year-old Dolton got off to a strong start in 2015 as he dominated Juan Carlos Rojas in February. The Detroit-native looks to keep his momentum going when he meets the 22-year-old Mexican Fonseca on June 12.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @LaraBoxing, @DRodriguez1980, @WarriorsBoxProm, @yvonmichelgym, @starboxing and @SpikeTV and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo and www.Facebook.com/Spike.

CHICAGO (June 9, 2015) – Cuban boxing star, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs), has arrived in Chicago for his upcoming bout with Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KOs) as Premier Boxing Champions returns to Spike this Friday June 12, 2015.

This edition of PBC on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET. Doors at UIC Pavilion open at 5 p.m. CT with the first fight set for 5:30 p.m. CT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing in association with Group Yvon Michel (GYM) and Star Boxing, are priced at $151, $101, $51, and $31, not including applicable service charges, and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or UIC Pavilion Box Office at (312) 413-5740. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the UIC Pavilion Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @LaraBoxing, @DRodriguez1980, @WarriorsBoxProm and @SpikeTV and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromoand www.Facebook.com/Spike.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 9th, 2015) — Every so often, Chuck O’Neil wishes he could go back in time and teach his former self a thing or two.

“When I look at some of the old videos, I looked like a friggin’ bum,” said O’Neil, who returns to the cage Friday, June 12th, 2015 in the five-round main event of “CES MMA XXIX” at Twin River Casino.

“I would go back and kill the old me.”

Since his well-publicized stint on The Ultimate Fighter series four years ago, O’Neil has done what most TUF alumni have failed to do — carve a niche beyond reality TV.

“I think they get caught up in the hype train,” he said. “They’re just happy with the fact they got there.

“You can’t be satisfied or you’ll be stagnant. The celebrity status, the glitz and glamour, that’s not why I do this. I do it because it’s fun and I’m truly passionate about it. I work hard every day to be the best, not just be a part of it.”

Under the promotional guidance of CES MMA, O’Neil has taken full advantage of the opportunity to showcase his abilities — along with his affable, off-camera personality — in front of a new audience, the AXS TV fan base.

The Bridgewater, Mass., native has won six of seven fights in the CES cage, including his AXS TV debut in January when he knocked out Emmanuel Walo in just 11 seconds to defend the promotion’s welterweight title.

With a relentless, fan-friendly fight style and his deep-rooted passion for childhood wrestling nostalgia, O’Neil is loving life in the spotlight, hamming it up for the cameras outside of the cage while making sure to flip the switch to business mode once the bell rings.

On Friday, he faces another tough test against Cincinnati’s Dominique Steele (12-5, 3 KOs), a former Strikeforce and Bellator vet who promises to “whoop ass” and leave Rhode Island’s with O’Neil’s title.

“I’m going to put him on his back and punish the hell out of him,” Steele said.

“He’s a tough, gritty guy,” O’Neil countered, “but I know exactly what’s going to happen. He will try to grind me against the cage and get me to the ground. We’ll see what happens. Best wishes. Love, Chuck.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXIX” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 and available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The trash talk from the other side of the cage might’ve unnerved the old O’Neil, a self-proclaimed “former punk” who admits his logic entering fights never really extended beyond trying to punch the other guy in the face. While the 2015 O’Neil couldn’t care less about engaging in a war of words, the defending champ promises “hard times” for Steele, an ode to pro wrestling legend “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

“I don’t need someone talking shit to get me hyped up,” O’Neil said. “At the end of the day, I’m going to go out there and finish the fight.”

Though the dream of getting another crack at competing for the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) is still on O’Neil’s “to-do” list, he admits his experience on Season 13 of the popular reality series is part of his past. The current task at hand is defending the CES MMA crown while continuing to improve with each fight.

“It’ll always be a part of me,” he said, “but I want to grow past it. It’s very rare to see guys from that show get their shit together and get better.

“I just went right to the drawing board, surrounded myself with good teammates and recreated myself. Between my jiu-jitsu work and the addition of [boxing coach] Dave [Keefe] and getting in there with college wrestlers, everything’s coming together.

“I’m a lot more mature as a fighter and a person. I’m working to get better every day.”

Also on the main card of “CES MMA XXIX,” East Providence, R.I., middleweight Nate Andrews (6-1, 3 KOs) returns to face Jay Bakanowski (3-1, 2 KOs) of Northborough, Mass.; Hartford, Conn., featherweight Matt Bessette (14-6, 3 KOs) battles Pittsburgh’s Khama Worthy (7-3, 5 KOs); bantamweight Dinis Paiva Jr. (6-5, 4 KOs) of East Providence battles Brazilian Bruno Marques (7-5-1, 5KOs); Providence heavyweight Greg Rebello (17-6, 9 KOs) battles Tyler King (9-2, 3 KOs) of Norwood, Mass.; and unbeaten Providence welterweight Eric Spicely (6-0, 2 KOs) faces New York’s Harley Beekman (7-2, 4 KOs).

The preliminary card includes a three-round welterweight bout Abe Pitrowski (6-2, 1 KO) of Pawtucket, R.I., and Mike Rodriguez (2-0) of Boston and a hard-hitting featherweight battle between Joe Pingitore (4-2, 1 KO) of Johnston, R.I., and James Murrin (3-2, 2 KOs) of Dorchester, Mass. Featherweight Evan Parker (4-3, 1 KO) of Worcester, Mass., faces Pete Rogers Jr. (2-1, 2 KOs) of Norwich, Conn.; welterweight Toby Oden (1-1) of Milford, Mass.; battles Wayne Alhquist (1-1, 1 KO) of Meredith, N.H.; Woonsocket, R.I., bantamweight Kody Nordby (3-3) faces Jesse Gutierrez (1-0) of Norwood; and Ludlow, Mass., featherweight Ricardo Scalissi (0-1)battles Devin Pilkington (0-2) of Smithfield, R.I.

For more information on “CES MMA XXIX” visit www.cesmma.com, follow @CESMMA on Twitter and Instagram and “like” the official CES MMA Facebook fan page.

NEW YORK (June 9, 2015) – Unbeaten Heavyweight World Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., risks his perfect record and title against Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina (23-2, 17 KOs), of Raymondville, Texas, this Saturday, June 13, in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

To kickoff fight week events, below are 10 fast facts you should know about Deontay Wilder (with his comments):

1. He has spent more than 1,000 hours getting tattoos covering his body, including one of the WBC heavyweight championship belt on his left thigh …

“It’s probably been more than 1,000 hours. Tattoos are a hobby for me. I enjoy putting my life story on my body.”

2. Has sparred over 50 rounds with Wladimir Klitschko, who holds the WBO, IBF, and WBA titles and is a potential future opponent …

“It was a great experience. I learned a lot of things from him. Overall it was a great camp. One of the best camps I’ve ever been in. He was preparing for Mariusz Wach (November 2012).’’

3. He worked at IHOP, Red Lobster and Budweiser after dropping out of college to help pay his daughter’s medical expenses …

“I went from IHOP, to AI-Three Company (Mercedes company), Red Lobster and Budweiser. The most interesting job was a delivery driver for Budweiser. I was still an amateur boxer. I had to get up at 4:30-5 a.m. every morning and I had to lift multiple amounts of beer. They probably put 1,000 cases of beer on my truck. I considered that a morning workout.”

4. He wrote a children’s book about winning the heavyweight championship …

“It’s more of an inspirational book to let kids know that you have to work hard for whatever you want and can’t give up. Don’t let peer pressure stop you from accomplishing your goals. I probably will write another children’s book, because I love kids and I love being a father.”

5. He financially supports the Coffeyville (Alabama) gym for kids. It’s located in one of the schools that the town closed. He also helps teach the kids boxing …

“We saw an opportunity to help Coffeyville out. It started when they closed the Coffeyville High School. A lot of kids had to wake up earlier than they would normally to travel miles and miles to school. The city was getting a bad rap. We did it to bring positivity to a small city. We wanted to bring something to do to the town. We did it to get the kids off the street and give them something to do. We got with the city and made the high school a gym. We enjoy working with the kids. They were never introduced to boxing. It does our hearts good to see the kids involved in a physical activity and being happy. Who knows? They might become champions one day.’’

6. He was one of the athletes chosen to be a model for Ralph Lauren’s line of clothing at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing …

“They let me model the clothes. I was one of the most handsome 2008 Olympic guys (he laughs). My coach met me one day and told me they wanted me to represent the clothes. I said yes, like I was getting married. It was a great proposal. I didn’t get to keep any of the clothes. I took modeling for granted. Getting into it, I thought it would easy. I understand what those guys go through. I respect models. I doubt you’ll see me on the runway. That was the beginning and the end of my modeling career.’’

7. Wilder is often/always mistaken for NBA superstar LeBron James when he goes out in public …

“All the time. I just smile. When they say I look like him, I politely disagree. The only similarities is our big smiles. I politely exit from that situation.’’

8. He won the WBC heavyweight title on the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Muhammad Ali (who turned 73 that day) …

“That was definitely a special moment for me to do that. Ali is my all-time favorite fighter. I have tapes of him when he was going up in the Olympics. I respect what he’s done in the sport. That was such a happy moment for me. With Martin Luther King, Jr. being one of our great civil right leaders, that did my heart good. It was a historical moment for me. How could I have lost that fight? It was once in a lifetime to get a fight on two special people’s birthdays. I’m still amazed now.’’

9. His grandmother would not allow anyone to spank him because she said he was special and would grow up to do great things …

“She always said I was anointed by God and destined to be great and do great things in the world. She’s not alive now to see what I’ve accomplished. I missed those homemade biscuits, peppermint tea and homemade chicken and dumplings that she used to make.’’

10. He punched Bermane Stiverne so hard in the world championship fight that he bent the metal rods in his surgically repaired right hand …

“That is true. Somewhere in the third or the fourth round. I realized it because my hand started going numb. I knew what it was, because I had it happen before. The first time I did it I knocked him out and I didn’t have to go through the entire fight. With this one it felt OK during the fight. It just let me know that through adversity anything is possible if you have the will and the mind to accomplish your goal. That’s what champions are made of. When you go to battle you’re going to do everything you have to do to win. That wasn’t the only injury. I had one eye going into the fight. I was handicapped the whole fight. The night before the fight I was stretching with a band. It came off my feet and hit me in the eye. When I woke up the next day I couldn’t see anything. Good thing I had my private doctor there. He treated the eye. I was seeing black and white before the fight, but I was already there and I was going to go through with the fight.’’

# # #

“WILDER vs. MOLINA,” a 12-Round fight for Wilder’s WBC Heavyweight Championship, takes place Saturday, June 13, at The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment and Bruno Event Team have joined forces to bring this event to Alabama. In the co-main event co-romoted by DiBella in association with Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza will face Andrey Klimov in a 12-Round bout for the IBF Jr. Lightweight World Title. It will air live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.dbe1.com follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @WilderVSMolina, @BronzeBomber, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #WilderMolina, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/

WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before tomorrow (Wednesday, June 10) night’s Chicago White Sox vs. Houston Astros game at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.

Cuban boxing sensation Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs) is making the publicity rounds of the Windy City in advance of his Premier Boxing Champions fight, televised live on Spike TV, this Friday (June 12) against Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KOs).

Wednesday’s Chicago White Sox vs. Houston Astros game will be broadcast live on WPWR-TV, channel 50 (UHF digital channel 51) and on the radio on WSCR 670 and WRTO 1200 in Spanish.

32-year-old Lara has notched victories over Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout and Freddy Hernandez throughout his career. As an amateur, Lara won numerous titles including a national championship at welterweight and also participated in the 2007 Pan-Am games. Originally from Guantanamo, Cuba, but fighting out of Houston, Lara most recently defeated former world champion Ishe Smith on his way to his 20th professional victory.

Also scheduled for televised action on Friday night is Russian knockout artist Artur Beterbiev (8-0, 8 KOs), who is set to square off against Maryland’s Alexander Johnson (16-2, 7 KOs).

This edition of PBC on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET. Doors at UIC Pavilion open at 5 p.m. CT with the first fight set for 5:30 p.m. CT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Group Yvon Michel (GYM), are priced at $151, $101, $51, and $31, not including applicable service charges, and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or UIC Pavilion Box Office at (312) 413-5740. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the UIC Pavilion Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).

CONTACTS:
Swanson Communications: (202) 783-5500
Andre Courtemanche, Warriors Boxing: (954) 302-2462
Mario Serrano, Team Lara: 408-607-5756
David Schwarz, Spike TV: (212) 767-8639
UIC Pavilion: (312) 413-5700
Media Credentials: www.magnamedia.com

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About Warriors Boxing

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to its credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.