On Saturday night, a highly contentious judging decision cost Mateusz Masternak (35-3, 25 KOs) his thirty-sixth professional victory against Johnny Muller (19-4-2, 13 KOs) at the Emperors Palace in Gauteng, South Africa. The result has led to an international outcry and both Masternak’s promoter Team Sauerland and Muller’s promoter Golden Gloves contacting Boxing South Africa to demand the decision is overturned.

Masternak dominated an entertaining ten round contest, flooring the South African in rounds five and seven, and looking well ahead as the final bell rang, Unfortunately, this was not reflected in the result, with the judges scoring the fight 95-93, 95-93 and 93-95 to gift Muller a split decision victory.

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: ‘’What we saw on Saturday night was one of the worst decisions ever made in a non-title bout in the sport of boxing. As such, both Team Sauerland and Golden Gloves have contacted Boxing South Africa’s president Archie Nyingwa to demand that the decision is reversed.

‘’How two of the judges could honestly believe that the fight should be scored 95-93 in Muller’s favour is beyond me. Not even the most impartial observer could fathom such scoring. We have had the fight analysed and the results are unbelievable. For every one scoring punch landed by Muller, Mateusz connected with four. Not to mention, the two knockdowns in rounds five and seven.

‘’We do not wish to take anything away from Johnny Muller, who more than played his part in an entertaining ten rounds of boxing, although I’m sure even he would admit, as has his promoter Rodney Berman, that the decision was extremely fortuitous.

‘’Boxing as a whole needs to eradicate these types of ‘home town decisions’. After his win over Jean Marc Mormeck in Paris, Mateusz was well on his way to another word title shot. We simply cannot allow two incompetent judges to rob one man of his destiny. We’re thankful that Rodney has stood with us and lodged his own complaint. We trust that Boxing South Africa will make the right choice and immediately reverse the decision.

Masternak has joined his promoter pleas, imploring Boxing South Africa to review the fight. ‘’I would like to ask Boxing South Africa to watch the fight once again,’’ said the 28 year-old. ‘’They should think about the result and the effect it is having on my career, my livelihood and the future of my family.

‘’In the ring I felt that I was the much better boxer and was in complete control of the fight. The result was a huge shock for me. I feel like they have taken away everything that I’ve worked so hard to achieve. Without fair and impartial judging, all the blood, sweat and tears are for nothing.

‘’The decision is not only damaging for me but also for the reputation of boxing in South Africa. These judges are professionals and should adjudicate the bouts objectively. I won this fight and the federation should use this opportunity to reverse the unfair decision and remove this black mark from my record. All I’m asking for is justice.’’

MIAMI BEACH (June 8, 2015) – The new 5th St. Gym is carrying on the rich boxing history established there in 1950 by the famed Dundee brothers, Chris and Angelo.

Known throughout boxing as the world’s most famous gym, 5th St. Gym became a major attraction for boxers, international celebrities and tourists alike, originally due to presence of a rising star training there, Cassius Clay, who, of course, went on to become The Greatest, Muhammad Ali.

Hall of Famers and future inductees have trained at 5th St. Gym over the years, including Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Carmen Basilio, Archie Moore, Willie Pep, Roberto Duran, Lennox Lewis, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Mike Tyson, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones, Jr. and so many other ring greats.

Others who have been part of the 5th St. Gym experience are actor Matt Damon and comedian Dave Chappelle, in addition to elite athletes such as Cleveland Cavaliers superstar Lebron James, Green Bay Packers future Hall-of-Famer Julius Peppers and former UFC great George St. Pierre. 5th St. Gym’s history also includes legendary celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Sean Connery, Jackie Gleason.

5th St. Gym fell on hard times at one point but a revitalization started in 2009, thanks to new owners Tom Tsatas and Dino Spencer, who re-opened the gym at its original location on 5th and Washington in Miami Beach.

In 2013, 5th St. Gym moved from its original location of 63 years, off and on, when CVS took over the property and forced the gym to move to its present location at nearby 1434 Alton Road.

“We’re slowly getting back,” Spencer explained. “We’ve only been reopened since 2010 and in our new location since 2013. We have new people – trainers, manager and fighters – and offer unique opportunities for up-and-coming professional boxers. You can’t catch passes from Tom Brady but boxers can train here every day with champions and contenders. There are also ultra-successful people here who can teach boxers about how to be successful outside the ring. We’re creating an environment at 5th St. Gym to give young boxers every opportunity to succeed.

“Wildcard Gym (Los Angeles) is the No. 1 spot today but, on this side of the country, fighters from all over the world are coming here to train. Brian Jennings trained here for his fight with (Wladimir) Klitschko, Manual Charr trained here for his last fight, Anthony and Andre Dirrell have trained here, (Sergey) Kovalev, too. They get elite sparring here for their training camps. Some come here with their coach, others have me train them.

“A lot of boxing managers are here every day like John Seip and Charr’s manager was hanging out here, too. In fact, he’s interested in signing a fighter he saw at our gym. People from Warriors Gym are here a lot looking for young talent. These people can make a difference in a young fighter’s life. Fighters are getting exposure here before they ever get to fight on TV. We also have great weather and all the amenities of South Beach. It’s only a matter of time before we’re back on top at No. 1.”

Times have changed and today the heart and soul of 5th St. Gym beats strong once again with world-class boxers training alongside supermodels Adriana Lima, Alessandra and Nina Adgal, as well as Grammy winner Cedric Gervais, just to name a few of the more notable non-boxer members working out there on a regular basis.

Once again, 5th St. Gym is the training mecca for world champions, top contenders and promising prospects. In fact, Seip discovered gifted Italian boxer Daniele Marco Scardina at 5th St. Gym and signed him to a professional contract.

Newly-crowned International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight champion James DeGale, pictured here with 5th St. Gym owner Dino Spencer, trained at 5th St. Gym for his recent title-winning performance against Andre Dirrell, who has also trained at 5th St. Gym in the past, in Boston. DeGale sparred with the gym’s top amateur southpaw, Niko Valdes, to prepare for Dirrell. DeGale won a unanimous 12-round decision over Dirrell to become the first Olympic gold medalist from Great Britain to capture a major world title as a professional boxer.

“Four years ago,” Seip explained, “I moved my managerial company to Miami from New York City. It had become very difficult to find solid sparring in New York City, where boxing gyms were closing due to the demand for high rents. The 5th St Gym has grown back into a big time professional boxing gym. I house all my fighters in Miami and they all train exclusively at 5th St. Gym for boxing and conditioning. There are pros who fly in from other countries to prepare there for fights. The atmosphere is incredible and professional boxers, heavyweights to featherweights, spar there three or four days a week. Let’s face it, sparring is like a classroom and it’s pivotal for pros to prepare and learn. The teachers at 5th St. Gym — Dino Spencer, Guy Laieta and Louis Perez – are all top rated. It’s also a fun place to hang my hat. You cannot beat Miami weather for training, either.”

For more information about 5th St Gym, visit www.5thstgym.com, follow on Twitter @5thstgym, or call 305.763.8110. Operation hours of gym are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am.-9:30 p.m. ET, Saturday & Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. ET.

Cassius Clay aka Muhammad Ali

(L-R) 2008 U.S. Olympic Bronze medalist and world super middleweight title challenger Andre Dirrell, 5th St. Gym owner Dino Spencer and former world heavyweight/cruiserweight world champion David Haye

(L-R) – Seated the late HOF trainer Angelo Dundee, Muhammad Ali, the late journalist Bert Sugar and Dino Spencer, behind (L-R)Tom Tsatas, unknown person, and former world heavyweight title challenger Fres Oquendo

(L-R) – Former world heavyweight/cruiserweight champion David Haye & comedian Dave Chappelle

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 8th, 2015) — Greg Rebello knows better than to drown in all the pre-fight hype.

“It’s 15 minutes of your life. That’s it,” he said, casually dismissing the buzzwords typically reserved for fights of this magnitude.

“It’s a 15-minute fistfight. After that, we’ll be drinking beers at the bar.”

The second stint of Rebello’s comeback, which began only six months after the 32-year-old Providence native retired in June of 2013, has finally come to this, another national TV showcase and a heavyweight showdown with Massachusetts vet Tyler King on the main card of “CES MMA XXIX” Friday, June 12th, 2015 at Twin River Casino.

Few heavyweights in this region have been this good for this long. A former college and pro football player, the 35-year-old King is 9-2 after beating Mike Mucitelli on short notice in March, also on AXS TV, while Rebello ran his record to 17-6 following a win over J.A. Dudley in October. With both fighters having trained with one another through the years, developing a friendship while each climbing the ladder at their own pace, they figured this day would come.

“It was only a matter of time,” Rebello said. “Someone will go to the top and someone will go back into the mix. I want to go higher up that ladder, and in order to do so I have to fight guys like this. I’m cool with that.”

“I have tremendous respect for Greg,” added King, “but this is business. It’s a job. It’s what we get paid to do. I’m trying to take his head off and he’s trying to take my head off. It is what it is. We both love to do this.

“If I didn’t come in and try to take his head off, it’d be disrespectful to him.”

Rebello (17-6, 9 KOs) has experience and a killer Muay Thai repertoire on his side. The brutality of the head kick he administered on Cody Lightfoot in 2011 remains entrenched in the memories of New England fans. Some would swear the bloodstains on the canvas haven’t faded either, perhaps a warning for anyone who dares to get within striking distance.

“He’s a junkyard dog, a real tough prick,” King said. “It won’t be easy to put away a guy like that.”

King is more of a wrestler than a striker, a hulking, 6-foot-5, 223-pound former lineman who would stand to benefit from keeping his opponent on the canvas, thereby neutralizing Rebello’s ability to end the fight with one blow.

As he contemplates his strategy, remaining focused on the task at hand rather than what lies ahead, Rebello admits his chief concern Friday is “not getting laid on.” Though not aesthetically pleasing, the “lay and pray” approach worked swimmingly for Mike Stewart and Lewis Rumsey, each of whom mauled Rebello when faced with the task of defending a prestigious Muay Thai striker.

Those fights left Rebello at a crossroads, physically and emotionally drained from raising his infant daughter and not being able to put all his efforts into training. With his daughter approaching her third birthday, Rebello can finally balance fighting and fatherhood. This, he says, is the best he’s felt in years.

“I’ve trained more for this fight than I have for any other camp over the past three years,” he said. “Life’s gotten a lot easier. Now my daughter comes to the gym with me and jumps in the ring. She loves it.

“I’m in unbelievable shape,” he continued. “I don’t get injured. My body doesn’t have the wear and tear of someone in their mid-20s. I’ve never been hurt. I’ve never torn an ACL. I train smart. I’ve cut my sparring days in half. I do a lot more technique work and working on my standup. One day a week, we go at it, then the rest is all technical stuff. I recover a lot faster. I train hard, but I train smart, too.”

This may be “just another fight,” as King put it, but the muddled chain of command in New England’s heavyweight division rests on the outcome of Friday’s long-awaited showdown. Two friends sharing the spotlight, and perhaps a post-fight beverage when all is said and done, makes for must-see TV.

“I’ve never had an easy fight, and this goes along with that theme,” King said. “I feel awesome. I’m coming into this fight feeling amazing.

“Greg has set a standard in New England for a long time. I’m aware of that. But everyone I face is just an opponent in my way. I need to be aware of what he does and what he’s capable of.”

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.

“CES MMA XXIX” features 11 bouts, including the return of reigning CES MMA welterweight champion Chuck O’Neil (15-6, 5 KOs) of Bourne, Mass., who defends his title in the main event against Dominique Steele (12-5, 3 KOs) of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Also on the main card, East Providence, R.I., middleweight Nate Andrews (6-1, 3 KOs) returns to face Jay Bakanowski (3-1, 2 KOs) of Northborough, Mass.; bantamweight Dinis Paiva Jr. (6-5, 4 KOs) of East Providence battles Brazilian Bruno Marques (7-5-1, 5KOs); 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 Andy Aiello (5-1, 3 KOs) of Bridgewater, Mass., 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.

Bethlehem, PA (June 8, 2015)–On Saturday night, June 27 King’s Boxing will present night of boxing at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem..

In the main event, undefeated Welterweight Jamal James will take on Jose Lopez in a bout scheduled for 10-rounds.

James of Minneapolis, Minnesota has a record of 16-0 with 9 knockouts.

The 26 year-old James has some quality wins over Patrick Boozer (5-1), Mohammed Kayongo (17-2-1) to win the Minnesota State Welterweight Title, Colby Courter (4-1) and Wayne Martell (25-4-1).

James is coming off a 2nd round stoppage over Daniel Sostre on April 18 in Valley Forge, PA.

Lopez of Torreon, Mexico has an impressive mark of 25-3-1 with 15 knockouts.

The 24 year-old has wins over Zwan Alberto Ramirez (3-0), former world champion Cesar Soto to win the WBC FECOMBOX Interim Super Lightweight title, future world title challenger Jorge Paez Jr (27-3-1), Eliud Melendez Rocha (3-0-1), Juan Manuel Leal (4-0-1), Jose Emilio Perea (21-1) to win the vacant WBF Welterweight title, Mahonri Montes (27-1-1), Carlos Martinez (10-0) and Ismael Urieta (5-1).

Lopez, who has won 8 in a row is, coming off an 8-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Duran on May 30 in Mexico City.

In 8-round Bouts:

Antonio DuBose (7-0, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on an opponent to be named in a Featherweight bout.

In 6-round Bouts:

Alex Martin (8-0, 5 KO’s) of Harvey, Illinois will take on Pavel Miranda (19-10-1, 9 KO’s) of Tijuana, Mexico in a Welterweight bout.

Caleb Plant (7-0, 6 KO’s) of Ashland, TN will fight Juan Carlos Rojas (10-10-1, 8 KO’s) of Saltillo, Mexico in a Super Middleweight bout.

Christian Molina (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Allentown, PA will take on Justin Johnson (6-8) of Pittsburgh, PA in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Kyrone Davis (7-0, 3 KO’s) of Wilmington, DE will take on an opponent to be named in a Middleweight bout..

In 4-round Bouts:

Robert Ramos (1-3-1, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA will fight Ismael Serrano (2-1) of Bethlehem, PA in a Lightweight bout.

Desmond Moore of Bethlehem, PA will fight Mike Heffilfinger of Pennsylvania in a battle of Featherweight pro debuter’s.

Carlos Gongora (1-0, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, NY will box Alvaro Enriquez (12-14-2, 4 KO’s) of Tlaxcala, Mexico in a Light Heavyweight affair.

Chris Colbert (1-0, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, NY will fight Antwan Robertson (9-14-1, 6 KO’s) of Minneapolis, MN in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Tickets are priced at $100, $75 and $50 and can purchased at ticketmaster and www.ticketmaster.com

The 1st bout will start at 6:45 PM with the doors opening at 6 PM.

Los Angeles, CA (June 8, 2015) Michael King, Founder and CEO of King Sports passed away on Wednesday, May 27 at the age of 67.

A pioneer in syndicated television prior to founding King Sports, the New Jersey native brought a passion and unique perspective that helped make King Sports among the most respected promoters in the world.

“As he did in the entertainment world, Michael elevated and enhanced the sport of boxing with his involvement,” said Paul Cain, Director of Boxing Operations. “He was full of great ideas and always wanted his fighters fully prepared to excel once they stepped in the ring.”

Cain stated, “King Sports will miss the love, joy, values and enthusiasm Michael instilled in each one of us every day. With immeasurable dedication to Michael, we will follow in his footsteps with our work ahead. We have a terrific team and exciting fights ahead of us, including Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam v David Lemieux on June 20th at the Bell Center in Montreal, Canada for the middleweight world title.”

King Sports is proud of its stable of world-class fighters and continues to do business with the same talented staff Michael King put in place. All scheduled events, including all training camps and promotional activities for such events, will take place without interruption or delay.

ABOUT KING SPORTS
King Sports is a company started by entertainment entrepreneur Michael King. King Sports’ first foray into boxing was with All-American Heavyweights, a revolutionary boxing program that boasted a state-of-the-art training facility equipped with the latest technology, premiere coaching and medical staff along with experts in the development of ideal dietary and nutritional progams for its fighters. Since making the decision to enter professional boxing, King Sports has spent time evaluating the entire spectrum of global boxing talent. Through an exhaustive scouting and evaluation process, King Sports has found some of the most exciting young fighters from around the world.

For more information follow King Sports on Twitter @KingSportsWorld, Facebook @KingSportsWorldwide and visit their website at www.KingSportsWorldwide.com.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 8, 2015) – With an unfortunate injury forcing the withdrawal of Goiti Yamauchi, Emmanuel “El Matador” Sanchez (10-1) receives the call to step in against former featherweight champion Pat “Paddy Mike” Curran (20-7). With this change of opponent, and four newly announced matchups, “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” on June 26 is now complete with 13 total scraps to sink your teeth into.

The additional fights include heavyweight bouts between Alex Huddleston (5-1) vs. Javy Ayala (8-3) and Derek Bohi (5-4) vs. Frederick Brown (2-1) as well as featherweights Greg Scott (3-3) vs. Gaston Reyno (3-0) and lightweights Marcio Navarro (13-11) vs. Cody Carrillo (8-11).

“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” is headlined by a heavyweight clash between French striking specialist Cheick “The Darkness” Kongo (22-10-2) and former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-5). The event takes place June 26 at Kansas Star Event Center Arena in Mulvane, Kan.

The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT. Tickets for “Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov” start at just $17 and are currently available at Ticketmaster.com.

Additional announced pairings on the SPIKE-televised card include lightweights Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-3) vs. John “The Natural” Alessio (35-17) and a contest between middleweight sluggers with Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1).

The 24-year-old Sanchez is an explosive featherweight, fighting with Duke Roufus out of the famed Roufusport gym in Milwaukee. The two-time Bellator veteran has shined throughout his current six-fight winning streak, most recently scoring a first-round rear naked choke over Stephen Banaszak at Bellator 128 followed by a dominant unanimous decision over Costa Rican standout Alejandro Villalobos at Bellator 135 this past March. Sanchez faces stiff competition in former featherweight kingpin Curran, who has been involved in some of the most memorable Bellator fights of all time.

Huddleston, 28, is a key training has won four consecutive tilts since dropping the first fight of his professional career in 2011. Most recently, “The Shaved Gorilla” stopped Derek Bohl at Bellator 130. Standing opposite Huddleston inside the cage will be the 26-year-old Ayala, who is on a three-fight promotional winning streak of his own. The California native has stopped his last three foes before reaching the judges’ discretion.

In the second added heavyweight feature, Bohl will seek his first win for the Southern California-based promotion. “Marshmallow” has won his first two bouts in 2015 on the regional circuit. Brown will have his second opportunity at success for Bellator against Bohl. The hometown fighter was finished by Daniel Gallemore at Bellator 113, which was his last time in action.

Undefeated at 3-0, Reyno will bring the tenacity he has shown on the independent MMA scene to the Bellator cage. “Tonga” has finished every fight he has been involved in and will look to make a mark on the featherweight division with his debut. Scott, a Whichita native, made his Bellator MMA debut in 2011 and has had a mixed bag of success.

Lastly, a pair of experienced lightweights will round out the preliminary portion of the card when Navarro and Carrillo tangle inside the steel mesh. With 43 professional bouts between them, both veterans will attempt to string together some wins under the Bellator banner.

“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” – Friday, June 26, Kanas Star Event Center Arena, Mulvane, Kansas

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (24-5)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (10-1)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1)

Preliminary Card

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Bubba Jenkins (8-2) vs. Joe Wilk (18-10)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Jeimeson Saudino (8-4) vs. Aaron Ely (4-2)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Bobby Cooper (12-5) vs. Pablo Villaseca (9-0)
Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Daniel Gallemore (4-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (7-0)
Bellator Female Featherweight Prelim Fight: Iony Razafiarison (2-0) vs. Bryanna Fissori (1-0)
Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Alex Huddleston (5-1) vs. Javy Ayala (8-3)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Greg Scott (3-3) vs. Gaston Reyno (3-0)
Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Derek Bohi (5-4) vs. Frederick Brown (2-1)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Marcio Navarro (13-11) vs. Cody Carrillo (8-11)

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 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 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 Kansas Star Arena
The Kansas Star Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility, is located just off Exit 33 on the Kansas Turnpike and is adjacent to the Kansas Star Casino. The 42,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Kansas Star Arena is south-central Kansas’ home for big-name national acts such as Journey, Pat Benatar, Championship Rodeo, mixed martial arts events and more. The Arena accommodates up to 6,500 guests for headliner events. In 2014, Midwest Gaming and Travel awarded the Kansas Star more than 25 honors in its annual Reader’s Choice Awards, including “Best Concert Venue” in the state of Kansas. For more information, visit kansasstarcasino.com. Connect with Kansas Star Arena at facebook.com/kansasstararena and www.kansasstarcasino.com/entertain/arena. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Boyd Gaming is a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. Boyd Gaming and Kansas Star Casino press releases are available at boydgaming.mediaroom.com.

Philadelphia (June 8, 2015)–This Saturday, June 13 one of the hottest names in boxing will be back in action as undefeated Jr. Middleweight, Julian “J-Rock” Williams (19-0-1, 11 KO’s) will take on Armen Ovespyan (14-4, 11 KO’s) in a 10-round bout for the WBC Continental America’s Jr. Middleweight title.

The bout will take place in Birmingham, Alabama and be part of the Deontay Wilder – Eric Molina WBC Heavyweight title card that will be televised on Showtime Championship Boxing.

Williams – Ovespyan will be shown live on Showtime Extreme.

“I wanted a bigger fight but if the other top guys are not available,” said Williams.

“I can’t just sit around and be inactive. I’m still improving. I still have to work on my craft. I still have to make money. So sitting around is not an option for me. At one time people had high hopes for Ovespyan. He’s not a bum and I’m definitely not overlooking him.”said the 25 year-old

“At one point during camp I thought I was fighting Frank Galarza in Brooklyn so I was locked in. Then I thought it would be Jan Zaveck. Who is an ex world champion and took Keith Thurman the 12 round distance so I was still super focused. I’ve been told I will get a big fight in September maybe even a title shot, so there is no way I will have a let down against Ovespyan because if I don’t win I won’t get what I have been asking for. I haven’t lost a round in 2 years since the Joachim Alcine fight and I want to continue to build on that and perfect my craft.”

Williams has earned the moniker, “Mr. Do It All” for his versatility in the ring. Williams has proven to be a master boxer and high quality banger when need be.

Williams is currently ranked #8 by the WBC, #10 by the WBA and #10 by ESPN.com

Williams of Philadelphia has been credited for willingness to take step up fights such as wins over former world champion Joachim Alcine (32-4) Orlando Lora (29-4-2), Freddy Hernandez (30-6), Michael Medina (26-4-2), Eliezer Gonzalez (14-0), Jamar Freeman (13-3-2) and Joey Hernandez (24-2-1). Williams was also dominating undefeated Hugo Centeno (19-0) before the fight was stopped due to a cut and ruled a no-contest.

LONDON (8 JUNE) British light-heavyweight champion Bob Ajisafe looks to bag the vacant Commonwealth crown this Saturday night (June 13) in Bristol, when going up against Kenya’s Daniel Wanyonyi, and then intends to gatecrash world-class in the coming months.

The skilful 30-year-old is unbeaten in his last seven fights and last year won the MaxiNutrition Knockout Tournament with a classy fourth-round stoppage win over Matty Clarkson. He also holds victories over domestic rivals Travis Dickinson, Dean Francis and Leon Senior and is considered by most to be the best light-heavyweight in Britain.

“I definitely feel like I’m the best in Britain at the moment,” he said. “I’m the current British champion, so that speaks for itself, but I also genuinely feel I would beat all of the other light-heavyweights in Britain.

“I’m now on the fringes of European and world-class and I want to make that transition as soon as possible. That’s where I’m aiming to progress towards once I’ve captured this Commonwealth title. I’m looking to make a statement on Saturday night and then push on to the world stage. I’ve shown my class at this level and now I want to test myself at the next level.

“I won the MaxiNutrition Knockout Tournament very easily last year and I think that said a lot. I was up against the cream of the crop in this country and none of them got a look in. I felt very comfortable.”

Ajisafe’s next opponent, 26-year-old Wanyonyi, is based in Nairobi, Kenya and boasts a professional record of 21-6-2 (17 KOs). Known for his punch power and exciting style, Wanyonyi recovered from a patchy start to his eight-year professional career to win the Kenyan title and the African Boxing Union title.

In winning the latter, he defeated the unbeaten Matamba Debatch Postolo in Kinshasa, Zaire last June. The fight marked the first time Wanyonyi had gone twelve rounds in his career and he passed the test with flying colours, taking a unanimous decision at the bout’s conclusion.

Despite all this, Ajisafe, 15-2 (6 KOs), has yet to even see a picture of the man he faces this weekend.

“I haven’t seen any footage of him,” said the Leeds man. “I’m not even sure what his style is or whether he’s orthodox or southpaw. I don’t think he’s boxed outside Africa before, so his tapes aren’t exactly readily available.

“I just have faith and belief in my own camp. I know I’ve put in a lot of work for this fight and I’ll put trust in that hard work and also my skills, which I believe will be enough to deal with Wanyonyi. I’ll have a look at him early, work out what he’s about and then outbox him and break him down.

“I’m not going to overlook him or get complacent, though. I know he hasn’t mixed in my class before but that doesn’t mean he’s not capable or dangerous. His record suggests he can punch a bit, albeit at a lower level, and if he’s knocking people over he must have some sort of power. The thing is, you just don’t have a clue what sort of opponents he’s been facing in Kenya. They could be decent, they could be awful.”

Ajisafe continued: “No matter how good he is, it’s all about getting the win and looking good. I can’t afford to just beat this guy on Saturday night. I need to beat him in style and make people sit up and take note. After that, I can move on up the ladder.”

*** Lee Haskins and Ryosuke Iwasa fight for the vacant IBF Interim World Bantamweight Title and Bob Ajisafe and Daniel Wanyonyi fight for the vacant Commonwealth light-heavyweight title on June 13 at Bristol’s Action Indoor Sports Arena. For tickets, please contact the Ticketline Box Office on 0844 888 4402 or Sanigar Events on 0117 949 6699 ***

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

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

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM

INGUSHETIA, Russia (June 7, 2015) – Last night at M-1 Challenge 58: Battle in the Mountains 4, Mural “Hunter” Abdulaev won a unanimous 5-round decision over Marcelo Brito to capture the vacant M-1 Challenge welterweight title, outdoors in Ingushetia, Russia.

Abdulaev (13-10, 6 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), fighting out of Russia, remained unbeaten in M-1 Global competition with his third victory. Brito (13-6-0, 2 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), who replaced his injured Brazilian countryman Igor Fernandes, made his M-1 Global debut.

In main card action, Russian by way of Azerbaijan featherweight Tural Ragimov (10-2-0, 4 KO/TKO, 5 SUB) defeated Antun “Killer” Racic (17-6-0, 0 KO/TKO, 13 SUB), of Croatia, by way of a late third-round submission via an arm-bar.

Heavyweight Alexi “Brick” Kudin (20-8-0, 16 KO/TKO, 1 SUB), of Belarus, kicked his way to a second-round knockout of Russian Baga Agaev (27-17-0, 5 KO/TKO, 2 SUB).

American featherweight Lee “American Bulldog” Morrison (13-5-0, 4 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) won a three-round majority decision from Pavel Vitruk (12-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), a native of Ukraine who fights out of St. Petersburg, Russia.

Brazilian veteran Charles “Gracie” Andrade (28-23-1, 6 KO/TKO, 22 SUB) needed only 34 seconds to force previously undefeated Russian middleweight Abukar Yandiev (4-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) into submission with a heel hook.

Russian middleweight Magomed Mutaev (6-2-0, 4 KO/TKO, 0 SUB) won by technical knockout when Spaniard Enoc Solves Torres’ (16-9-0, 5 KO/TKO, 7 SUB) corner-men halted the fight after the first round.

Fighting on the preliminary card, hometown favorite Adam Tsurov (2-1-0) stopped pro-debuting Tajikistan lightweight Bakhitoyor Ibragimov (0-1-0) on punches in the opening round, Russian lightweight Khamzat Dalziev (3-1-0) won a second round split decision from Russian Akhied Nazarov (0-1-0), Russian featherweight Movsar Evloev (2-0-0) took a two-round decision from Lu Zhenhong (6-3-0), of China, Russian light heavyweight Adam “Beast” Yandiev (8-0-0) remained undefeated with an early first-round submission of Lithuanian Valdas Pocevicius (33-32-0), and Russian lightweight Djambulat Kurbanov (7-1-`) won as previously undefeated Ukrainian Alexander Panasyuk (5-1-0) submitted due to an arm-bar in the first round.

Russian featherweight Kurbanali Abdusalamov (5-2-0) upset previously unbeaten Pierre Sauvage (6-1-0), punching out the Frenchman late in the final round, Ingushetia favorite Khamzat Aushev (6-3-0) needed only 26-seconds to submit Spanish lightweight Javier Fuentas (6-2-0) with a heel lock, Arkamat Evkurov (3-1-0) punched his way to a first-round stoppage of Vladimir Bury (1-2-0) in a battle of Russian heavyweights, and featherweight Ruslan Esmurziev (2-1-0) ruined the pro debut of fellow Russian Marat Kishaev (0-1-0), who was a KO victim of punches.

In M- Medieval knight fights heavyweight Evgeniy Gladkov (3-0-0) remained unbeaten with victory over Maxim Plaksin (0-2-0), while welterweight Rustam Kuhurkhev (1-0-0) won hi pro debut against Boris Dzhelilov (0-2-0).

Complete results and picture gallery below:

M-1 CHALLENGE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Mural Abdulaev (13-1-0)
WDEC5
Marcelo Brito (13-7-0), Brazil
(Abdulaev won vacant M-1 Challenge welterweight title)

MAIN CARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Alexi Kudin (20-8-0), Belarus
WKO/TKO2 (Leg Kicks – 1:40)
Baga Agaev (27-17-0), Russia

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Charles Andrade (28-23-1), Brazil
WSUB1 (Heel Hook – 0:34)
Abukar Yandiev (4-1-0), Russia

Magomed Mutaev (6-2-0), Russia
WTKO1 (Corner Stoppage – 5:00)
Enoc Solves Torres (16-9-0), Spain

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Tural Ragimov (10-2-0), Russia
WSUB3 (Armbar – 4:27)
Antun Racic (17-6-0), Croatia

Lee Morrison (14-5-0), USA
WDEC3
Pavel Vitruk (12-2-0), Russia

PRELIMINARY CARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Akramat Evkurov (4-1-0), Russia
WKO/TKO1 (Punches – 1:43)
Vladimir Bury (1-2-0), Russia

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Adam Yandiev (8-0-0), Russia
WSUB1 (RNC — 0:34)
Valdas Pocevisius (33-32-0), Lithuania

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Adam Tsurov (3-1-0), Russia
WKO/TKO1 (Punches – 4:16)
Bakhitier Ibragimov (0-1-0), Tajikistan

Khamzat Dalgiev (3-1-0), Russia
WDEC2
Akhred Nazarov (0-1-0), Russia

Dzambulat Kurbanov (7-1-0), Russia
WSUB1 (Armbar – 3:18)
Alexander Panasyuk (5-1-1), Ukraine

Khamzat Aushev (6-3-0), Russia
WSUB1 (Heel Hook – 0:26)
Javier Fuentas (6-3-0), Spain

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Movsar Evloev (2-0-0), Russia
WDEC2
Lu Zhenhong (6-3-0), China

Kurbanali Abdisalamov (4-2-0), Russia
WKO3 (Punches – 4:25)
Pierre Sauvage (6-0-0), France

Ruslan Esmurziev (2-1-0), Russia
WKO1 (Punches — 4:35)
Marat Kishaev (0-0-0) Russia

MEDIEVAL KNIGHT FIGHTS

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Evgeniy Gladov (3-0-0), Russia
Won
Maxim Plaksin (0-2-0), Russia

WELTERWEIGHTS
Rustam Kuhurkhoev (1-0-0), Russia
Won
Boris Dzhelilov (0-2-0), Russia

Mural Abdulaev has position on Marcelo Brito

New M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Mural Abdulaev

Tural Ragimov strikes Antun Racic

Charles Andrade shows his respect for Abukar Yandiev

Pavel Vitruk & Lee Morrison mix it up in the mountains

Alexi Kudin toses Baga Agaev

Magomd Mutaev & Enoc Solves Torres

Khamzat Dagev& Akhred Nazarov

Rustam Kuhukhoev & Boris Dzhelilov

Djammbulat Kurbanov finishes off Alexander Panasyuk

Khmzat Aushev forces Javier Fuentas into submission

Movsar Eloev nails Lu Zhenhong right on the chin

Evgeniy Glakov attacks Maxim Plaksin

Ruslan Esmurziv & Marat Kishaev

Adam Yandiev defeated Valdas Pocevicius

Pierre Sauvage & Kurbanali Abdusalamov

Vladimir Bury & Akromat Evkurov

Upcoming Event: M-1 Challenge 59: Kharitonov-Garner II in Astana, Kazakhstan

Information

www.M1Global.tv

www.mixfight.ru

www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews

@VFinkelchtein

@M1Global

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/M1GlobalNews
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 160 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2015 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. (June 6, 2015) — Former two-division world champion and highly-rated pound for pound fighter TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY JR., deep in training for his upcoming clash with undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS (26-0, 9 KOs), from Las Vegas, NV, for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world title, hosted a workout today that was open to hundreds of fans who packed Bradley’s Gym. Bradley (31-1-1, 12 KOs), from Palm Springs, Calif., has held a world title every year since 2008. He will be looking to extend that streak when he tries to regain the title he first won off Manny Pacquiao in 2012. Here is what Bradley and his trainer Joel Diaz had to say:

TIMOTHY BRADLEY

“I want to be strong and get a decisive win over Vargas – like knock him out and put him to sleep. I know he’s going to have a will to win but I am generating more power in camp. I’ve gone back to my roots in training, doing things which got me to this high level.

“I am not on a vegan diet for this training camp. I am eating fish, chicken and once a week, steak, to help build up my strength and power.

“I have more big fight experience than Vargas, more speed, more power and I am the better athlete. Vargas knows in his heart I am going to bring it. In the ring I will tell Vargas, ‘this in my time, not yours.’

“I want my title belt back too. That motivates me. I don’t care if Vargas is training in the mountains with his new trainer Erik Morales. The StubHub Center is my War Ground as Vargas is about to find out.”

JOEL DIAZ

“We went back to old school training — sledgehammers, medicine balls, swimming. This is a hard camp but we are facing a fighter who hungers to win. But Tim has too much power and more experience than Vargas.”

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

The Bradley vs. Vargas world welterweight title fight will take place Saturday, June 27, under the stars at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, remaining tickets to the Bradley vs. Vargas world welterweight championship event, priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, (plus applicable taxes and fees), can be purchased online at http://www.axs.com, by telephone at (888) 929-7849 or at the StubHub Center box office, Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Suites are available by calling (877) 604-8777. For information on group discounts, please call (877) 234-8425.

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 Hashtag #BradleyVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

Springfield, VA (June 6, 2015)–Tonight at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, Virginia, once beaten Light Heavyweight Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell (13-1, 7 KO’s) returns to the ring when he takes on the only man to defeat him, Edgar Perez (6-14, 3 KO’s) in a bout scheduled for 6-rounds.

It was almost a year ago, June 14, 2014 when Perez dropped the then undefeated Harvell twice and scored the upset victory.

After the fight, Harvell took some time off and is s now training with Kay Koroma & Dennis Porter in Virginia. Tonight he will look to get even with native of Chicago.

Harvell, 27 years-old of Atlantic City recently re-signed with GH3 Promotions and with a win tonight, Harvell will make up for lost time as his promoter has set up an ambitious schedule for the Light Heavyweight contender.

“We wanted Lavarn to get right back in it. He knows he is better than Perez and he asked for this fight,” said Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions.

“When he does what he is supposed to do tonight, I want to bring him right back on July 17 as we have a nationally televised event that will be announced shortly and we plan to have Lavarn on that undercard.”

Harvell weighed in at 183 pounds at Friday’s weigh in.

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Jr. Middleweight John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight Jerrell Harris,undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad, lightweight Oscar Bonilla, Heavyweight Natu Visinia and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.

Tacoma, Washington (June 5, 2015) Brian Halquist Productions and Super Fight League are proud to announce Super Fight League 41, live from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma on Saturday, July 11th at 7:00PM. Since their arrival in the U.S. in October of 2014, Super Fight League has been putting on some of the most talked about shows on the West Coast. July 11th will be no different, as two title fights will headline a stacked card featuring the best up and coming mixed martial artists in the country.

In the main event of the evening, two hometown favorites look to bring home the gold as Harrison Bevens (7-3) faces Justin “Ruckus” Harrington (6-2) for the recently vacated Super Fight League America Lightweight Championship. As two of the most well-known and exciting fighters in the Pacific Northwest today, Bevens and Harrington are known for always bringing their A-game. When asked for his thoughts on his newest opponent, Justin Harrington had this to say:

“It’s going to be a dog fight. Harrison is hungry to get that belt and I’m super hungry to get it back. He’s probably the toughest fighter I’ve faced and that’s what gets me motivated. I have tons of respect for him and his camp, but I need my belt back and I’m training my a** off to make sure that happens. I WILL get my belt back.”

With both men as hungry as ever to capture gold, this Lightweight Championship contest will be nothing short of incredible.

In the evening’s co-main event, Enumclaw’s Tyson Cunningham (3-0-1) will get another shot at the SFLA Welterweight Championship against talented Georgia native Mike “Zombie” Dubois (3-1). Cunningham was last in the cage in December of 2014, fighting the World Series of Fighting’s Ben “Flattop” Fodor a.k.a. Phoenix Jones to a draw in one of the most exciting and controversial fights the I-5 showroom has ever seen. With Fodor moving to the WSOF and vacating his welterweight championship, Cunningham has a second chance to make good on his promise to bring the belt home.

“Obviously, this fight will be tough. Any title fight should be” said Cunningham. “Mike seems like a durable and well-rounded fighter, but so am I. It’s a good matchup and we both have heavy hands. The last one to go to sleep wins!”

Fans packed inside the EQC are in for a treat with so much on the line come July 11th. The evening will be rounded out with many stellar undercard bouts, which will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for Super Fight League 41 are on sale now through the Emerald Queen Casino box office as well as all Ticketmaster locations. Fans are encouraged to reserve their seats early, as this event will sell out. Doors open at 6:00PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:00PM. Super Fight League 41 is brought to you by Brian Halquist Productions and Cagesport MMA. For more information, please visit www.halquistproductions.com as well as the Cagesport MMA Facebook page.

Las Vegas (June 4, 2015) – Four-Time world champion Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor has confirmed that he will appear and have a booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the second annual Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday September 12, 2015. The Box Fan Expo will coincide with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s last fight and Mexican independence weekend.

Casamayor was a great amateur boxer who won the gold medal for Cuba at Bantamweight during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He then turned pro after defecting to the United States on the eve of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He is a former WBC, WBO, WBA and Ring Magazine champion.

Casamayor, will have merchandise to sell to his fans, as well as photos and memorabilia. He joins “Terrible” Terry Norris 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

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 5) – Rising Brazilian undefeated fighters, 2012 Brazilian Olympic Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao (6-0, 2 KOs) and 2008 and 2012 Brazilian Olympic team member Everton Lopes (2-0, 1 KOs), return to their native land to headline an exciting night of boxing this Saturday at the Arena Santos in Santos, Brazil live on Globosat. Co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Arano Box, the fight card is set to keep fight fans on the edge of their seats with a night packed with competitive matches.

Headlining the event, Yamaguchi Falcao will take on the undefeated Jose Carlos “Puro” Paz (17-2, 9 KOs) of Argentina in an eight-round middleweight bout. In the co-main event Everton Lopes of Bahia, Brazil will face off in a six-round lightweight fight against Marcelo “El Mago” Mesa (6-2-1) of Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

On the non-televised card, Sidney Siquiera (26-8-1, 17 KOs) of San Paulo, Brazil will face Victor Jones Freitas (9-0, 5 KOs) of Bahia, Brazil in a six-round lightweight bout, and Maximiliano “Itaka” Sosa (8-1, 4 KOs) of Argentina will fight Carlos Ailton Nacimento (11-1, 8 KOs) of Rio Rea, Brazil in a six-round heavyweight fight. Opening up the night is a trio of four-round bouts: first flyweight Matheus Gil de Olivera (1-0, 1 KO) of San Paulo, Brazil will fight Aurelio Gonzalez de Mezquita (5-0, 4 KOs) of Guaruja, Brazil, next Warnes de Jesus Souza (11-0, 8 KOs) also of San Paulo, will face Pameiras dos Indios, Brazil’s Edison Rios (10-21, 7 KOs) in a lightweight match, and San Paulo’s Natan Santana Coutinho (11-0, 9 KOs) will engage in a super flyweight bout against Felipe Matos dos Reis (2-1, 1 KOs)

Falcao vs. Paz is a 10-round bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Arano Box. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. BRT and the first bell rings at 8:30 p.m. BRT The Globosat broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. BRT.

A 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist and one of the most promising boxers to come from the country of Brazil, Yamaguchi Falcao is now on his quest to become a world champion title holder in the middleweight division. Since his professional debut in January 2014, Falcao has put together three consecutive victories over Fernando Najera, Martin Fidel Rios and Jesus Cruz. In his first fight of 2015, Falcao stopped undefeated newcomer “Sugar” Raymond Terry of Philadelphia in the first round of their scheduled six-round middleweight fight on March 12 and won via unanimous decision when he faced Gerardo Ibarra on April 30. Now Falcao is set to conquer Argentina’s Jose Carlso Paz on June 6.

Hailing from Pozo del Molle, Cordoba, Argentina, Jose Carlos “Puro” Paz will be looking for his second win of 2015. Having fought and defeated Martin Fidel Rios via unanimous decision in May, the 24-year old is ready to put on a fight when he faces Yamaguchi Falcao. A professional boxer since 2012, the relative newcomer has stayed busy, winning and successfully defending the WBC Mundo Hispano Super Welterweight title and the WBC Latino Super Welterweight title.

A two-time Olympian for his home country of Brazil, Everton Lopes won 240 bouts as an amateur and earning gold at the 2013 Pan American Games as well. On Feb. 27, the talented 26-year-old southpaw made his professional debut in a super lightweight bout against Evan Woolsey winning by unanimous decision and continued that trend when he beat Robert Alexander Seyam on April 2 via first round knockout.

Fighting out of Argentina, Marcelo Mesa is a relative new fighter looking to secure a victory in his third fight of 2015. A professional since 2012, the fighter is known for his stamina inside the ring and last fought Diego Martin Aguilera, Jonathan Jose Eniz, and Sergio Manuel Liendo.

For more information, visit www.aranobox.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, and follow on Twitter at @AranoBox and @GoldenBoyBoxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AranoBox, and Golden Boy Facebook Page, and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing.

LONDON (5 June) – Middleweight world champion Miguel Cotto believes he would have too much for either Canelo Alvarez or Gennady Golovkin if they were to share the ring.

The WBC champion makes the first defence of his title this weekend against Australian Geale from the Barclays Center in New York, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Much talk prior to the Geale showdown has circled around potential clashes with Mexican idol Canelo and rising pound-for-pound star Golovkin, but four-weight world champion Cotto believes he would be at an advantage if he was to face either man.

“Canelo had his moment to shine against [Floyd] Mayweather and everyone knows what happened there,” he said.

“Golovkin is a guy who never faced in my opinion ‘Class A’ opponents and people are still asking for those kinds of fights. Miguel Cotto has been here for 14 years facing everybody. After Saturday, we’ll see what happens in my career,” Cotto said.

The Puerto Rican star hasn’t fought in a year since capturing the 160-pound title from slick Argentine Sergio Martinez at Madison Square Garden last June.

Cotto, however, says he is refreshed and ready to go following his layoff and is unfazed at the prospect of having to look as spectacular as Kazakh assassin Golovkin who stopped Geale inside three rounds.

“All I did was rest every part of my body. It’s healed. I’m fresh, I’m new, and everybody is going to see it this Saturday. I feel better. I feel rejuvenated. I feel I can beat anyone in boxing,” said Cotto.

“I don’t have any pressure on me. It doesn’t matter to me how Golovkin did with Geale and how I do – it’s two different fights. Golovkin has his own style and I have my own,” he said.

The 34-year-old Geale thinks that Cotto is overlooking him ahead of their 157-pound catchweight bout, with the former champion looking to cause a major upset.

“I definitely believe Miguel and his camp are looking past me. I think they’ve chosen me because they think I’m not one of the super strong middleweights at the moment and by bringing me down a few pounds they think they’re going to weaken me even more,” he said.

“They’re definitely looking past me and looking at big money fights which is exciting for me,” said Geale.

The number four ranked middleweight in the world by Ring Magazine doesn’t think the fact Cotto has been out of action for a year will play any significant role in the fight and will be looking to use his physical advantages to gain a foothold in the clash.

“I’m not taking too much into the fact he’s been out of the ring for a while. Miguel is a seasoned professional and whether he’s been out of the ring 2 months, 12 months or 18 months he’s still going to be in good condition.

“Rather, I’m just going to look to make use of my height and reach advantage and it’s important I use them right,” said Geale.

Cotto vs Geale is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky437/490HD, Virgin 525, TalkTalk 415) this Saturday night. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at Livesport.tv and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, continues to deliver the best international fights with more live action this Saturday, June 6 at 9 a.m. ET when M-1 Challenge 58: Battle in the Mountains 4 emanates from Ingushetia, Russia.

Fight Network’s live broadcast of M-1 Challenge 58 will air on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

In the main event, Brazil’s Marcelo Brito (13-6) battles Murad Abdulaev (14-3) for the M-1 welterweight title, plus Lee Morrison (12-5) faces Pavel Vitruk (12-1) in featherweight action, heavyweights Alexei Kudin (19-8) and Denis Smoldarev (10-1) will throw down, Brazilian Charles Andrade (28-23) looks to hand Abukar Yandiev (4-0) his first professional loss when they clash at 185 pounds, and Antun Racic (17-5) meets Tural Ragimov (9-2) in a featherweight tussle.

Later, Fight Network will televise the live prelims for UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson exclusively in Canada from 8 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET.

The prelims will feature an explosive heavyweight clash between heavy-handed Texan Shawn Jordan (17-6) and New Orleans’ own knockout artist Derrick Lewis (12-3, 1NC), a welterweight matchup pitting 69-fight veteran Brian Ebersole (51-16-1, 1NC) against Dagestani prospect Omari Akhmedov (14-2), a lightweight bout between New Yorker Chris Wade (9-1) and Californian Christos Giagos (11-3), plus Massachusetts native Joe Proctor (10-3) faces Ohio native Justin Edwards (9-4) in a lightweight showcase of Ultimate Fighter veterans.

Live pre-fight coverage will lead into the prelims on Saturday evening with Fight Network’s UFC Pre-Show Live at 7 p.m. ET, featuring previews, predictions and analysis.

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

THE FIGHT GAME WITH JIM LAMPLEY returns with a new edition TUESDAY, JUNE 9 (11:00-11:30 pm. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Hosted by the four-time Sports Emmy® winner, who has been the host of HBO Boxing since joining the network in 1988, the show is a provocative, engaging and informative experience that delves into intriguing storylines, newsmakers and issues that are top-of-mind in boxing.

Other HBO playdates: June 11 (12:15 p.m., 5:00 p.m.), 12 (4:00 a.m.), 13 (midnight), 14 (11:45 a.m.), 15 (1:30 a.m.), 17 (4:45 p.m., 10:30 p.m.) 19 (8:30 a.m.) and 20 (10:00 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: June 10 (8:00 p.m.), 13 (2:45 p.m.), 18 (5:00 p.m.), 20 (5:30 p.m.), 24 (9:10 a.m., 11:35 p.m.) and 29 (1:45 p.m., 3:15 a.m.)

HBO On Demand® availability begins June 9.

This edition of THE FIGHT GAME includes: a look at the current landscape of the sport by Lampley and Max Kellerman; a video review of recent high-profile middleweight action, plus a discussion of the division with ring legend Bernard Hopkins; a 15th-anniversary revisit of the showdown between Oscar de la Hoya and Shane Mosley; and an all-new Gatti list, presented by Lampley.

Immediately following the show’s debut on June 9, fight fans can log on to hbo.com for an exclusive overtime segment hosted by Lampley.

Mateusz Masternak (35-2, 25 KOs) and Johnny Muller (18-4-2, 13 KOs) both made weight today ahead of their ten-round cruiserweight clash tomorrow night at the Emperors Palace in Gauteng, South Africa. Masternak tipped the scales at 90.05 kg, while his South African opponent Muller weighed in at 89.1 kg.

‘’I can see in Johnny’s eyes that he is very confident and ready for a fight,’’ said Masternak. ‘’But so am I! I’m confident in my own ability and I’m sure it’s going to be an exciting fight. Now, the time for speaking is over, I will let my fists do the talking in the ring tomorrow night.’’

‘’We’ve acclimatised well and are perfectly prepared for the fight tomorrow,’’ said Masternak’s coach Georg Bramowski. ‘’Now it’s up to Mateusz to put the plan into action and beat Muller. He has all the tools necessary to become a world champion and I believe Mateusz will be champion by the end of the year!’’

Polish fans can watch Masternak vs. Muller on POLSAT Sport from 22.00.

David Price has been forced to withdraw from a scheduled bout at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on June 26 due to an injury sustained in training. The 31 year-old heavyweight suffered a neck muscle injury, which will keep him out of the gym for two weeks and therefore unable to compete. The stacked Matchroom Boxing show featuring Tony Bellew, Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding will continue as planned.

‘’Of course I’m disappointed,’’ said the former British and Commonwealth Champion. ‘’I had been looking forward to returning home at the very top of my game and fighting in front of my home fans once again, but unfortunately that will have to wait. My neck muscle needs resting and that has disrupted my preparations and made it impossible for me to be at full fitness for June 26.’’

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: ‘’Fortunately the neck injury is nothing too serious but the decision has been made to withdraw David from the June 26 card. David wanted to be at his best for his first fight back in Liverpool for over two years and we would not risk him fighting at anything less than 100%. It’s a shame for the promotion but with Tony Bellew, Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding all in action, it’s still a great card that Eddie Hearn has put together and fans can still look forward to a great night of boxing at the Echo Arena.’’

Fans that require refunds for the show should contact their point of purchase.

TAMPA (June 4, 2015) – Undefeated superstar Keith “One Time” Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs) returns to the ring in his home state to face former world champion Luis Collazo (36-6, 19 KOs) on Saturday, July 11 in the main event of the inaugural Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN show live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa.

The co-main event of the evening features an exciting matchup between undefeated top prospect Tony Harrison (21-0, 18 KOs) and quick-fisted Willie Nelson (23-2-1, 13 KOs) in an event that will kick off live coverage of PBC on ESPN. Doors open in the arena at 6 p.m. ET with the first fight starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing, are priced at $200, $150, $75, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and go on sale Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. ET. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the Sun Dome box office.

Thurman has consistently shown his tremendous power by knocking out 18 of his first 19 opponents and since winning a world title in 2013, he has ascended to the very top of the sport’s elite class. The 26-year-old Clearwater, Florida native made three successful title defenses with wins over Jesus Soto Karass, Julio Diaz and Leonard Bundu. In his next bout he debuted the Premier Boxing Champions series by defeating Robert Guerrero in a spectacular battle on March 7. Next up on July 11, Thurman will return to the ring in his home state of Florida for the first time since 2009.

One of Brooklyn’s most respected fighters,Collazo has earned another shot at the top of the welterweight division on July 11. In April of this year, Collazo made a statement with a second round TKO of Christopher Degollado at Barclays Center.. A world champion in 2005, Collazo has faced top fighters his whole career. Most notably in recent years, he delivered an electrifying second round knockout over Victor Ortiz in Dec. 2014. Collazo will look to use his experience and guile to upset Thurman on the road on July 11.

At just 24-years-old, Harrison has made big noise recently as he brings a 10 knockout win streak to his fight on July 11. The Detroit-native has gotten off to a blazing start in 2015, already knocking out Antwone Smith and Pablo Munguia in impressive fashion. The supremely talented fighter now steps up in competition and hopes to keep his undefeated record intact when he faces Nelson.

A professional since 2006, Nelson has the tools and experience to give Harrison more than just a tough test. The 28-year-old owns victories over previously unbeaten fighters John Jackson and Yudel Johnson plus experienced veterans Luciano Cuello, Michael Medina. The fighter out of Cleveland is coming off of a narrow defeat against top contender Vanes Martirosyan in Oct. 2014.

For information visit
www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KeithFThurmanJr, @RealLuisCollazo, @WarriorsBoxingProm and @ESPNBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/premierboxingchampions
and www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo.

LOS ANGELES (June 4, 2015) – Fight week continued today for the Premier Boxing Champions on NBC event taking place Saturday, June 6 at StubHub Center as fighters held a final press conference for media and fans at historic Olvera Street in Los Angeles.

Yesterday, fight week activities kicked off with media workouts at Wild Card West Boxing Gym in Santa Monica.

The Saturday afternoon telecast starts at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on NBC featuring the heavyweight showdown between Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (14-0, 13 KOs) and Yasmany Consuegra (17-0, 14 KOs). Following that bout is the headlining event that pits former four-division world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (32-3-1, 18 KOs) against Aron Martinez (19-3-1, 4 KOs).

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, are on sale now and are available for purchase online at AXS.com.

Here is what the fighters had to say yesterday and today:

ROBERT GUERRERO

“I’m excited to get back in the ring. I’ve trained very hard and my focus is fully on this fight. Saturday afternoon you’re going to see a great fight.

“It’s a unique event starting so early. I’ll get up, eat and go fight but I’m ready for it.

“I want to fight often, inactivity is the worst thing for a fighter. I want to fight three-four times per year, every year.

“I never take another fighter lightly. This is a huge opportunity for Aron Martinez and I’m sure he’ll be ready for a real fight.

“Fighting on NBC puts all the eyes on me. I know how big of a platform this is.

“StubHub Center is a terrific venue, fans are right on top of you. I love fighting there and I’m not going to leave the fans disappointed.”

ARON MARTINEZ

“Come Saturday, expect a great fight. It’s going to be a war. I want to go in there and show everybody who I am.

“I know how tough of a fighter Robert is, he’s fought at the top level for a long time.

“I’m a brawler and I’m ready to test whatever skills he has. I need to close the distance, stay on top of him and get to him early. My power will surprise him.

“I love StubHub Center. I’ve been there many times to watch fights and can’t wait to fight there myself.

“This is a big opportunity for me, fighting on such a big card. We know Robert is a former world champion but I’m focused and ready. I’ve trained extra hard for this fight.”

DOMINIC BREAZEALE

“Everything starts off the jab, I need to put pressure on him early. I’ve seen a couple of YouTube clips of him fighting but the key is to focus on what I do best.

“This is a huge opportunity for me to fight on NBC at StubHub Center and I plan to take full advantage of it.

“This camp has been great, my whole team has done a phenomenal job getting me ready for this fight.

“I have to thank my opponent for coming out and putting his record on the line. When I’m done with him, he’ll be 17-1. I’m looking for an early round knockout and I want to keep the fans on the edge of their seats.”

YASMANY CONSUEGRA

“I’m very prepared for this fight. I’m thankful to Dominic for taking this fight and I can’t wait to put on a show this Saturday afternoon.

“I feel strong and ready for this challenge. My team has done everything they need to help me come out victorious.

“I was part of the national team in Cuba which is very difficult to do. I’m not worried about any hype leading into this fight.”

JESUS CUELLAR

“First Darchinyan, Then Leo Santa Cruz or Abner Mares, those are the fighters
I’m targeting.

“He can talk as much as he wants but we’re going to fight and find out who is better on Saturday.

“I’m very prepared and ready to represent Argentina. I trained hard and I’m ready to get in the ring. I’ve put in the hard work and I’m going to step inside the ring and showcase my talent for all of Argentina.”

VIC DARCHINYAN

“I will demolish this kid on Saturday, I have much more experience.

“He has no idea what’s going to happen.

“I was a champion for many years and want to win another title. I will show everyone that I’m still capable on Saturday.

“We’re going to see great fights and great action on Saturday. I’m ready to go and I hope everyone enjoys the fights.”

ALFREDO ANGULO

“I’m so happy to be here in Los Angeles and fighting so close to home. ‘The Dog’ is coming back and you’ll see that on Saturday.

“I’m very excited to be back in the ring. It’s been a bit of a layoff but I want to be as active and busy as possible.

“I’m back now with Clemente Medina. I work best with him and I’m happy to be back training in Los Angeles again.

“I recently got married. I’m much more settled and much more focused on my career. I look forward to becoming a champion again.”

OSCAR MOLINA

“My left shoulder is completely healed, the recovery took a while which was frustrating but now all systems are go.

“I’ve prepared well for this fight and I’m excited to go out and perform. It’s an honor for me to be on the same card as all these great fighters. I’m going to give a great show on Saturday.

“I don’t know much about my opponent but I’ve been very busy in the gym learning everyday and I look forward to setting the pace and fighting my fight on Saturday.

“I’ve been going to fights at StubHub Center for years and it’s great to be fighting there for the first time.”

# # #

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.nbcsports.com/boxing, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @NBCSports, @GHOSTBOXING, @ElPerro82, @JesusCuellarBOX & @VicDarchinyan and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, and www.facebook.com/NBCSport

LAS VEGAS (June 4, 2015) – While the eyes of the sports world are fixated on game 1 of the NBA Finals between LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors tonight, two other great Ohio athletes will look to bring the glory of victory home with them when Adrien “The Problem” Broner and “Showtime” Shawn Porter meet in the ring on Premier Boxing Champions on NBC on Saturday, June 20 (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT).

Both of these fighters have joined the list of Ohio-born world champions that include boxing greats such as Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Aaron Pryor, Buster Douglas and Kelly Pavlik.

The all-Ohio battle comes in the midst of an exciting time for Ohio sports. In addition to the Ohio State University football team’s winning national championship performance in January, Akron’s own LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers are attempting bring the city of Cleveland it’s first professional sports championship since 1964.

Here is what Broner and Porter had to say about Ohio sports, LeBron and more:

Did you root for Ohio-sports teams growing up? Which ones were your favorite and who were your favorite players? What’s your favorite memory of watching Ohio sports teams?

Adrien Broner: “I grew up watching the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Cavaliers. I didn’t start watching basketball until I was playing more of it in elementary and high school. That’s when LeBron first came into the league. I remember LeBron’s very first game in Cleveland. It was huge. Most players freeze under that kind of hype, but not him.”

Shawn Porter: “I’ve always been a huge Browns fan. I’ve tried to watch every draft and every preseason and regular season game. I got into the Cavaliers a little more when I was in high school. I’m an all around Ohio sports fan though.”

How would you describe Ohio-sports fans? How badly do you want to win for them?

AB: “Ohio fans are very supportive. Some other states don’t like us because we come out strong. I would love to win for the fans in Ohio because bringing a championship back there means a lot to me. I’ve done it three times already and I’m looking for a fourth. You always want that rush again.”

SP: “We’re crazy! Cleveland fans root for their teams with a love and respect that’s admirable. Whether it’s good days or bad days we’re faithful and trying to stay positive. It would be huge for me to win for the fans here and represent Ohio. I’m doing this for everyone in Northeast Ohio. This is a statement about a great kid from Ohio representing the people there and winning another big fight.”

How important was LeBron James returning to Cleveland for the psyche of Ohio sports?

AB: “LeBron coming home was very important because he’s made the Cavs so much better. With him in Cleveland we’re back in the championship series.”

SP: “LeBron coming home was huge. If he didn’t return I don’t know what we’d have done. There probably would have been more riots. But him coming back brought joy to all of us in Ohio. That’s part of our job as professional athletes to bring joy and positivity to family, friends and the fans. That’s exactly what he did by returning to Cleveland.”

Will you be watching the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals? Do you have a prediction for the series?

AB: “I’ll definitely be watching the games. No training until after the game tonight. I think Cleveland wins it all in six games.”

SP: “I don’t make predictions. I’m praying for the Cavs to do this for the city and for themselves. Hopefully they can pull it together and get what they deserve. It would be a great to get a win for the team and for NE Ohio. I’ll be watching every game on my projection screen.”

Describe what it’s like to fight in front of a hometown crowd in Ohio?

AB: “It’s always fun fighting at home in front of a lot of people who know you. Even when your back is against the wall they cheer and help push me on.”

SP: “Honestly, all the crowds are the same when I’m in the ring. I’m actually looking forward to fighting in the big arena at MGM Grand though. I kind of like having a mix of people in the crowd with some for and some against me.”

Is there more pressure and emphasis on performing well on June 20 to walk away with bragging rights in Ohio?

AB: “I think I already have the bragging rights in Ohio.”

SP: “There’s no added pressure, it honestly doesn’t matter to me like that. This is first and foremost about my team. We’re successful as a team and as a family.”

If you could meet one athlete from or who played in the state of Ohio who would it be?

AB: “I’d have to say myself.”

SP: “I met my all-time favorite Cris Carter already. Cris is from Ohio and went to Ohio State. I haven’t met Charles Woodson or LeBron though. Charles is from here, but he went to Michigan for college. But I’d really love to meet LeBron because he’s still doing his thing and he has that burning desire to win. I need to have that same desire and I’m learning that from watching him play.”

# # #

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.nbcsports.com/boxing and www.mayweatherpromotions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AdrienBroner, @ShowtimeShawnP, @ErrolSpenceJr, @AmenazaGarcia, @MayweatherPromo @NBCSports, and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions and www.facebook.com/NBCSports.

Championships presents WFC 40, showcasing the top professional boxing talent that The Capital City has to offer. Justin Thomas (12-0, 6KO) headlines the event, facing Sacramento’s Mike Guy (7-1-1, 3KO). A tough test for Thomas, Guy’s sole defeat came at the hands of Berlin, Germany’s Tyron Zeuge (17-0, 10KO) in Zeuge’s hometown.

In the co-main event, the Baby Faced Assassin, Eric Johnson (10-0, 5KO) faces Texas’ K Lon Spencer (4-1, 3KO). Johnson, a Baton Rouge native, gained most of his amateur experience competing as part of a prison league during a thirteen year prison stint. Losing only one fight in his 61 fights in the league, Johnson became the captain of the boxing team at his facility. The expectant father uses his experience to guide the younger fighters in his gym to nobler pursuits than those that landed him in jail. “All my family is in Louisiana,” said Johnson on fighting in his hometown. “It’s bigger than boxing. When I fight here, we get a chance to come together as a family, and everyone can see me perform my craft.”

Lightweight prospect Chris Singleton (14-2, 7KO) returns to the Belle to face Chris Gray (13-20-1, 1KO). Singleton will be contending with a much more experienced fighter in Gray, who has faced the likes of Erislandy Lara, Willie Nelson, Ishe Smith and Dusty Hernandez Harrison over the course of his career. Singleton is coming off his second loss, a fourth round knockout at WFC 36 in March. “Singleton is a throwback fighter,” said promoter Matt McGovern of the match-up. “He’s going up two weight-classes to fight a more experienced guy. A lot of guys would have wanted an easy fight to bounce back after a loss. Not Chris.”

Standout amateur Manjaro Hills, Jr. makes his long-anticipated professional debut when he faces Tolutomi Agunbiande (2-3, 1KO) in a four round contest at super middleweight. Agunbiande, who competes in both boxing and mixed martial arts, has over thirty fights to his name between the two disciplines. “Hills’ extensive amateur experience took him all over the world to compete in international tournaments, and those experiences will come in handy when he faces the more experienced Agunbiande,” said McGovern.

Rounding out the card, cruiserweight Samotheous Parker (0-1-1, 0KO) faces fellow hometown fighter Tommy Manning (0-2, 0KO), and Keenan Hickman (1-0, 0KO) takes on Antonio Mignella (4-2, 4KO).

Tickets are priced at $60 for VIP, and $30 for general admission, and are available via the WFC website at www.worldfightingchampionships.com.

Doors to the Atrium at the Belle of Baton Rouge open at 7:00 p.m. on fight night. First bell is at 8:00 p.m.

Brooklyn, N.Y. (Thursday, June 4, 2015) – U.S. Army war veteran and undefeated junior middleweight boxer Shawn “Killa” Cameron (9-0, 4 KOs) has a date set for his third bout of 2015, returning to the ring on Wednesday, July 8th. The fight for Cameron, who is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, is slated to occur at BB King’s as part of the latest installment of Lou DiBella’s Broadway Boxing series.

“It’s really simple. Once we got our date, we’ve been 100% focused on that date, and that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less,” Cameron said of the upcoming bout. “I want to make a statement.”

Before Cameron ever laced up a pair of boxing gloves, he served two tours of duty for the U.S. Army in Iraq. The Brooklyn native served six years overall for the U.S. Army and was ranked as a Staff Sergeant when he completed his services in 2006.

After his time in the U.S. Army, Cameron walked into the legendary Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn for the first time, and he never left. Despite not having any kind of formal boxing experience, the sport came naturally to him, and he had an incredible amount of success in his short four-year amateur career. He won the 2009 New York Golden Gloves at 152 pounds, also reaching the finals of the 2009 New York Metros and quarterfinals of the 2010 National PAL Tournament.

Cameron, who is trained by Don Saxby, turned professional less than three years ago, stopping his first two opponents and remaining undefeated over his first nine bouts. Come July 8th, he will look to make it 10-0.

“Once we found out we had an eight-rounder, we intensified training right off the rip,” Saxby commented. “Cam is always in shape, but we are really looking to turn up the heat over the next five weeks. We are working on putting together our game plan, and we really want to go in there and get the knockout. 9-0, now it’s time to go get 10-0. We are looking to put in a few eight-rounders, and then it’s time to get us a small strap. Cam will be ready, that’s for sure. I promise you that.”

Currently, negotiations are underway regarding the opponent for Cameron on July 8th, and an announcement is expected in the coming weeks.

For all of the latest information on Shawn Cameron, make sure to visit his official website or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents back-to-back world-class championship mixed martial arts broadcasts this Friday, June 5, beginning at 10 p.m. with a live presentation of RFA 26: Smith vs. Smith from 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado.

Immediately following the live broadcast, Fight Network will present WSOF 21: Palmer vs. Horodecki in its entirety from Edmonton Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Fight Network will televise both cards exclusively in Canada, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Airing live at 10 p.m. ET, RFA 26 will be headlined by a welterweight title bout as RFA welterweight champion Benjamin Smith (14-2) puts his title on the line against No. 1 contender Gilbert Smith (10-4). In the co-main event, Brazilian submission ace Thiago “Monstinho” Alves (8-2) battles Colorado’s own Marcus “Bad Intentions” Edwards (9-3). The main card will also feature a pair of bantamweights bouts, as NCAA Division I wrestler Jarred “Shutout” Mercado (12-2) will lock horns with jiu-jitsu black belt Bruno Frazatto (6-2), while Hawaiian knockout artist Boston “Boom Boom” Salmon (3-0) will clash with collegiate wrestler Danny Mainus (3-3). Also on the main card, former RFA middleweight title challenger Andrew “El Dirte” Sanchez (5-2) squares off with Respect FC and SFFN champion Clinton Williams (5-1) and undefeated heavyweight prospect Brandon Griffin (4-0) battles The MMA Lab destroyer Ashley Gooch (7-4).

WSOF 21: Palmer vs. Horodecki features a championship doubleheader. In the main event, reigning WSOF featherweight champion Lance Palmer (9-1) will put his title on the line for the first time against Canadian challenger and battle-tested veteran Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (21-5-1), while the co-feature pits WSOF heavyweight champion Seamlinho “The Prince” Rama against Bulgarian standout Blagoi Ivanov (11-1). Two featherweight rising stars will put their unblemished records on the line when Hakeem Dawodu (4-0) meets Chuka “The Lion King” Willis (4-0), plus Mark “Sweet Dreams” Drummond (7-2) battles Michael “The Messenger” Hill in an all-Canadian welterweight clash.

The live action continues on Saturday, June 6, beginning at 9 a.m. ET with M-1 Challenge 58: Battle in the Mountains 4 from Ingushetia, Russia, featuring Marcelo Brito (13-6) vs. Murad Abdulaev (14-3) for the M-1 welterweight title, plus Lee Morrison (12-5) faces Pavel Vitruk (12-1) in featherweight action, and heavyweights Alexei Kudin (19-8) and Denis Smoldarev (10-1) will throw down. Fight Network’s live broadcast of M-1 Challenge 58 will air on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Later, Fight Network will televise the live prelims for UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson exclusively in Canada from 8 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET. The prelims will feature an explosive heavyweight clash between heavy-handed Texan Shawn Jordan (17-6) and New Orleans’ own knockout artist Derrick Lewis (12-3, 1NC), a welterweight matchup pitting 69-fight veteran Brian Ebersole (51-16-1, 1NC) against Dagestani prospect Omari Akhmedov (14-2), a lightweight bout between New Yorker Chris Wade (9-1) and Californian Christos Giagos (11-3), plus Massachusetts native Joe Proctor (10-3) faces Ohio native Justin Edwards (9-4) in a lightweight showcase of Ultimate Fighter veterans.

Live pre-fight coverage will lead into the prelims on Saturday evening with Fight Network’s UFC Pre-Show Live at 7 p.m. ET, featuring previews, predictions and analysis.

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

San Antonio, TX (June 4, 2015)–This past May 22, Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez won a 6-round unanimous decision over Miguel Tamayo to raise his record to 12-0.

The San Antonio native pitched a shutout on all three judges scorecards by 60-54 tallies.

Lopez was especially enthusiastic about the victory as it took place not far from where he grew up in Southern California.

“I am originally from California and I had lots of family and friends at the fight. It was a tough fight with a veteran of 30 fights. I boxed and took my time to win every round,”said Lopez.

The win did not come without a cost as Lopez hurt his hand but managed to come through with the victory.

“I hurt my hand and did my best with an experienced opponent. My hand is in a cast and I am taking a few weeks off. I am supposed to be back on July 17 on ShoBox. I am just seeing what my team has planned for me. I am happy that my promoter Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions has me on another ShoBox card.”

“I am excited to be with GH3 Promotions. Vito has done a great job keeping me busy. I have had three fights since March and stay tuned for July 17.”

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Jr. Middleweight John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight Jerrell Harris,undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad, lightweight Oscar Bonilla, Heavyweight Natu Visinia and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, today announced extensive live programming for UFC Fight Night™: Boetsch vs. Henderson this Saturday, June 6 from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Fight Network will televise the live prelims exclusively in Canada from 8 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET. The main card, headlined by middleweight sluggers Tim Boetsch and Dan Henderson, will air live on TSN5 at 10 p.m. ET.

The prelims will feature an explosive heavyweight clash between heavy-handed Texan Shawn Jordan (17-6) and New Orleans’ own knockout artist Derrick Lewis (12-3, 1NC), a welterweight matchup pitting 69-fight veteran Brian Ebersole (51-16-1, 1NC) against Dagestani prospect Omari Akhmedov (14-2), a lightweight bout between New Yorker Chris Wade (9-1) and Californian Christos Giagos (11-3), plus Massachusetts native Joe Proctor (10-3) faces Ohio native Justin Edwards (9-4) in a lightweight showcase of Ultimate Fighter veterans.

Live pre-fight coverage will lead into the prelims on Saturday evening with Fight Network’s UFC Pre-Show Live at 7 p.m. ET, featuring previews, predictions and analysis.

In addition to all the live pre and post-fight coverage, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events. All airings are listed at tv.fightnetwork.com.

Catch Fight Network’s premiere of UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin on Sunday night, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET, featuring the star-studded event from July 2010 in Las Vegas, headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin for the UFC heavyweight title, plus Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama and Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown.

Post-fight coverage of UFC Fight Night™: Boetsch vs. Henderson airs on Monday’s edition of 5 Rounds on Fight Network, which debuts at 7 p.m. ET and features a comprehensive breakdown of Saturday’s event.

The full card for UFC Fight Night™: Boetsch vs. Henderson includes:

Main Card (Live on TSN5, 10 p.m. ET):
-Tim Boetsch (18-8) vs. Dan Henderson (30-13)
-Ben Rothwell (34-9) vs. Matt Mitrione (9-3)
-Dustin Poirier (17-4) vs. Yancy Medeiros (11-2, 1NC)
-Thiago Tavares (23-5-1) vs. Brian Ortega (9-0)
-Joe Soto (15-3) vs. Anthony Birchak (11-2)
-Francisco Rivera (10-4, 1NC) vs. Alex Caceres (10-7, 1NC)

Preliminary Card (Live on Fight Network, 8 p.m. ET):
-Shawn Jordan (17-6) vs. Derrick Lewis (12-3, 1NC)
-Brian Ebersole (51-16-1, 1NC) vs. Omari Akhmedov (14-2)
-Chris Wade (9-1) vs. Christos Giagos (11-3)
-Joe Proctor (10-3) vs. Justin Edwards (9-4)

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET):
-Ricardo Abreu (5-1) vs. Jake Collier (8-2)
-Jose Quinonez (4-2) vs. Leonardo Morales (4-1)

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

BROOKLYN (June 4, 2015) – Boxing is on an upswing. It has become more visible and popular, and a great card will be front and center and on display in Brooklyn tonight.

Dmitriy Salita is excited and proud to present a night of professional boxing. the very first boxing event to be held at the LIU Paramount Center, in Downtown Brooklyn, on Thursday, June 4.

Brooklyn is the hottest borough in NYC, and Salita promises the action, on a card topped by Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, will reflect that reality.

“We are so proud to bring the sport to which all others aspire to this fabulous venue,” Salita said. “Over the last few years, Star of David Promotions has brought New York boxing fans exciting shows with incredible fights through our Brooklyn Brawl Series. This card will be an exciting addition to our series.”

Miller (12-0-1 with 10 Kos) is an emerging star in the heavyweight division, and figures to be in a throw-down with Detroit’s Damon McCreary (15-4) in the feature bout.

Miller was asked for his prediction, and he replied that he would win, “By first round knockout!”

Other hitters set to take part in the historic evening include: middleweight Akil Auguste, welterweight Julian Sosa, cruiserweight talent Steve Geffrard, elite amateur super bantam Michael Stoute, lightweight Dwayne Zeigler and welterweight Edward Williams.

“This June 4 boxing event will reintroduce LIU Brooklyn Paramount to the sports community,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center, who is instrumental in bringing boxing back to this region in a high-profile way. “Dmitriy has provided great opportunities for aspiring fighters and we are looking forward to working with him to solidify our grassroots boxing efforts in Brooklyn.”

“The first bell is at 7:00, so make sure you head on over, and get ready to see some superb action. The card will feature up and coming boxers who are potentially the superstars of tomorrow,” Salita said in closing.

Tickets for the event are on sale and can be purchased online via Ticketmaster by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

ABOUT STAR OF DAVID PROMOTIONS
Star of David Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature the brightest prospects, as well as seasoned pugilists, in and around the New York City area. Viewers have enjoyed watching Star of David fighters in recent years on Spike TV, ESPN2, MSG, and Universal Sports Network. Please visit www.Salitapromotions.com for more information.

PEC was launched in April by Barclays Center developer Bruce Ratner and Onexim Sports and Entertainment, with all business operations overseen by Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark. PEC and LIU Brooklyn announced recently that LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre, located at Flatbush and DeKalb Avenues on the LIU Brooklyn campus, will focus on booking emerging talent. LIU Brooklyn Paramount will soon undergo a 24-month renovation and will host more than 120 events annually.

LONDON (4 June) – WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and his opponent Daniel Geale are both ready to do battle this Saturday night despite issues over their catchweight limit.

The build up to their world title clash this weekend has been marred with discontent from Geale’s promoter Gary Shaw over the 157-pound limit that was set despite the fact they are competing for Puerto Rican legend Cotto’s 160-pound middleweight crown.

Shaw has been vocal in his criticism of catchweights ahead of the fight, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

“I have a personal problem with catchweights. We accepted the catchweight of 157 and I’m not here to complain about the catchweight. We’re going to make the weight. It’s going to be tough.

“I believe that if a fighter wants to fight at any weight that he wants to fight at, he has that opportunity, but he shouldn’t stop the opponent from fighting at the sanctioned weight which in this case is 160,” said Shaw.

Four-weight world champion Cotto has had to fight at a catchweight himself in the past, notably against Manny Pacquiao in 2009, when the Filipino’s trainer Freddie Roach insisted on the 145-pound limit.

34-year-old Cotto is now trained by Hall of Famer Roach and is just looking forward to doing the business when he steps into the ring.

“I think that people are making a big issue where there does not need to be a big issue with catchweights. Freddie, back in 2009, made me go down from 147 to 145,” said Cotto.

“Did anyone hear anything about Miguel Cotto disagreeing with the catchweights? No, I was a gentleman the whole way. Catchweights were our main point to make this fight happen.

“Daniel and his team agreed to going down to 157 and I hope he can make weight on Friday. I hope to see everyone there on Saturday night,” he said.

Speaking on his growing relationship with Roach, who he joined forces with in 2013 after two back-to-back defeats, the skilled Cotto feels the 55-year-old is getting the best out of him.

“Freddie brings the confidence back to Miguel. He comes every day no matter what he feels and gives his best to me,” said Cotto.

“When you have this kind of person in front of you giving you his best and making sure that you are going to do your best, the only way you can pay him back is bringing your best too.

“We only talk about boxing when we are in the gym. He’s my trainer there, but as soon as we finish our training session, he’s my friend,” he said.

It will be no easy task for Cotto when he steps in against Australian Geale who is a former two-time world champion and looking to bounce back to the top in spectacular fashion following his defeat to Kazakh hitman Gennady Golovkin last year.

“This is a huge opportunity and I’m very excited. We’re so excited as a team that this fight is taking place. We’ve put a great training camp in for this fight and I’m feeling as good as I ever have,” said Geale.

“There’s no excuses. I’m going in as the best fighter I can possibly be. I’m hoping Miguel Cotto is the best fighter he can be as well. I want the fans to enjoy a great fight and I believe it will be a great fight.

“I can’t wait to walk away with another title. I’m going in very confident and I know a lot of people aren’t giving me much of a chance, but I have a huge amount of confidence in myself knowing I’ve completed a great training camp.”

Cotto vs Geale is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky437/490HD, Virgin 525, TalkTalk 415) this Saturday night. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at Livesport.tv and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Jarrell Miller 272 – Damon McCreary 249.8
Akil Aguste 160 – Quincy Brown 155.4
Julian Sosa 145.6 – Danny Rosenberger 145.2
Steve Geffrard 185.6 – Eric George 186.4
Michael Stoute 121.6 – Antwan Robertson 123.8
Dwayne Zeigler 133 – Jeremy Graves 132.8
Edward Williams 147.8 – Jason Thompson 151

Promoter: Star Of David Promotions (Dmitry Salita)
Venue: LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theater
1st Bell: 7:15

Tickets for the event are on sale and can be purchased online via Ticketmaster by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

PEC was launched in April by Barclays Center developer Bruce Ratner and Onexim Sports and Entertainment, with all business operations overseen by Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark. PEC and LIU Brooklyn announced recently that LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre, located at Flatbush and DeKalb Avenues on the LIU Brooklyn campus, will focus on booking emerging talent. LIU Brooklyn Paramount will soon undergo a 24-month renovation and will host more than 120 events annually.

ABOUT STAR OF DAVID PROMOTIONS
Star of David Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature the brightest prospects, as well as seasoned pugilists, in and around the New York City area. Viewers have enjoyed watching Star of David fighters in recent years on Spike TV, ESPN2, MSG, and Universal Sports Network. Please visit www.Salitapromotions.com for more information.