HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (April 27, 2015) – After four rounds of sparring, working the mitts and a light workout, Fighter of the Decade, eight-division world champion and boxing superhero Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO (57-5-2, 38 KOs) completed his final day of training camp at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif. today. From there the Pacquiao caravan, including a luxury bus festooned from stem to stern with Manny’s image (photos attached) , began its trek to Las Vegas for Fight Week, celebrating his May 2 welterweight world championship unification battle against undefeated FLOYD “Money” MAYWEATHER JR. (47-0, 26 KOs), at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“Our long international boxing nightmare will soon be over,” declared Hall of Fame trainer World-Famous Freddie Roach. “Boxing has been held hostage by Floyd Mayweather and his antics long enough. Manny is going to stand up to Floyd on May 2 and put a bully in his place. On paper – and in the sports books – Manny shouldn’t stand a chance. But neither did David against Goliath. Just remember, Manny has always come out on top when he was the underdog and you don’t have to look any further than his victories over Ledwaba, Barrera and De La Hoya. As Manny said earlier, ‘It is time for Floyd to lose.’ Manny is on a mission. This fight is his crusade. The fans of the world are rooting for Manny to win just like they willed this fight to happen. He is their champion. This will be their victory.”

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

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is a 12-round welterweight world championship unification bout promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., and is sponsored by Tecate con caracter, Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions –Terminator Genisys, in theaters July 1st, Paramount Pictures & Skydance Productions present MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION, in theaters & IMAX July 31st, The Weinstein Company and the new movie Southpaw, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, in theaters everywhere July 24 and Mexico, Live it to Believe it. The pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

# # #

For more information visit: www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, www.SHO.com/Sports, and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao, @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @HBOboxing, @SHOSports, and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 27th, 2015) – A proposed mega-bout between heavyweight contenders Mariusz Wach, a former world-title challenger, and David Price scheduled for early June has fallen through after Price reportedly withdrew from the fight Monday despite Wach already agreeing to terms.

“We came to an agreement with representatives from [Price’s promoter] Sauerland Promotion and have been waiting patiently for a contract,” said CES Boxing President and CEO Jimmy Burchfield Sr., who co-promotes Wach with Mariusz Kolodziej of Global Boxing. “Now we hear Price no longer wants to fight. Is he scared to face Wach?”

CES and Global Boxing first received an offer for Wach to face Price on April 17th with the bout scheduled for June 6th in England.

Ranked No. 24 in the World Boxing Council (WBC), the 31-year-old Price is 19-2 with 16 knockouts. Both losses came via knockout in 2013 to fringe heavyweight contender Tony Thompson. He’s since won his last four bouts, including a sixth-round knockout victory over Brazilian Irineu Beato Costa Junior in February.

Wach, No. 25 in the WBC, has won three consecutive bouts since a 2012 loss to heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko. The 6-foot-7 ½ Polish right-hander, nicknamed “The Viking,” rose to prominence with seven consecutive knockout victories between 2009 and 2012. He won the then-vacant WBC International heavyweight title with a victory over Kevin McBride and defended it twice before challenging Klitschko in November of 2012.

Jordan Shimmell who is 19-0 with 16 KOs defeated Carlos Reyes by TKO at the end of the 5th round on April 18, 2015 in Carson, CA. Prior to the fight, Reyes was 7-6-1 with 5 KOs and was ranked #81 in the world by the IBO. The bout was scheduled for 8 rounds on the undercard of the Showtime televised boxing show featuring Julio Cesar Chavez Jr vs Andrzej Fonfara in the main event. In his previous three bouts during the prior 5 months, Carlos Reyes of Phoenix, AZ fought Mike Bissett who was 7-6 and Kalib Whitmore who was 6-0 and TKO’d both in the 2nd round and then lost a decision to Michael Seals who was 18-0. However, unlike those other boxers, Jordan controlled the bout from the opening bell and used his superior skills to land hard punches on Reyes. Reyes suffered a broken nose in the 2nd round and was cut under his right eye from a punch two rounds later. Jordan Shimmell hurt Reyes several times in the 5th round. After the 5th round, the ringside physician stopped the bout in Reyes corner as Reyes was taking a lot of punishment from Jordan.

Jordan Shimmell now has an 84% KO percentage in his 19 pro fights. Jordan has only boxed 64 rounds as a pro and many of them were only partial rounds. His fights have lasted an average of just 3.4 rounds each. Jordan Shimmell has dominated all 19 of his pro opponents and won all 64 of his pro rounds. Jordan has not had a boxer go the distance with him in his last 7 fights since October 2013.

Jordan Shimmell is the USBO Cruiserweight Champion and is world ranked #20 by the IBO and #21 by the WBC. In the regional rankings Jordan is ranked #1 NABO, #2 NABF and #3 NABA, and in the U.S. ratings Jordan is ranked #2 USBA. Jordan Shimmell is ready for bigger fights and will likely be boxing on television in his next fight this summer.

For more information about Team Shimmell Boxing contact Dennis Shimmell, Jr. at dshimmell@prodigy.net.

Oscar De La Hoya
Thank you very much to all the press. We are excited to be on this conference call. We are more than just a little over a couple weeks away with Canelo-Kirkland which will be a 12-round super welterweight showdown. It would be and it should be an explosive night, one to remember, live from Minute Maid Park in Houston. Tickets are going extremely well. Tickets are still available, so I urge you to get your tickets fast as we expect a sellout crowd.

I am extremely proud to be announcing that this event is being promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and SMS Promotions and Leija Battah Promotions. I want to thank the sponsors as well: Corona Extra and Mexico-Live it to Believe it, Fred Loya Insurance and also O’Reilly Auto Parts. Thank you for your support.

At this moment, I would like to introduce to you one of our partners at Golden Boy Promotions. He is the President of Leija Battah Promotions. Let me introduce to you Mike Battah.

Mike Battah
Thank you. I also want to thank the press for joining us today. We’re looking forward to a mega fight, a historical event in Houston on May 9th. You can’t miss it. I want to thank everybody for the people who purchased tickets, and it’s going to be an exciting event, and I’d also like to let the press know that my partner, Jesse James Leija, his son will be doing his pro debut fight on May 9th as well, and it’s going to be something to see. So, thank you. Thank you, fans. Thank you, Oscar and Golden Boy for letting us have an opportunity to partner with you.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you, Mike. Let me also introduce to you one fighter that doesn’t need no introduction. He is a boxing legend and a founder of Leija Battah Promotions; let me introduce to you to say a few words, Jesse James Leija.

Jesse James Leija
Thank you, Oscar, and to all the press and to the fans and the people listening, thank you very much for your work and thank you for your dedication to the sport of boxing, which I believe is one of the best sports in the world. It’s a true sport where it’s a man on man and you fight with your gloves on and the best man wins, and I think that the best man’s going to win on this night, May 9th at Minute Maid Park. We have two fighters that can end the fight with one punch. You have one fighter who’s super strong who can knock anybody out at any given moment in James Kirkland, and then you have a technician in boxing like you do in Canelo. It’s going to be a fight of whose will is going to overcome the other.

I’m excited for the fight. I’m excited for the fans. I’m excited for the sport of boxing, and I am excited my son will be making his pro debut too on the card with Canelo and Kirkland, and he’s doing it under Golden Boy Promotions and Leija Battah Promotions. I’m excited about the whole thing. It’s a great night for Texas. It’s a great night for boxing.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you. Thank you very much, Jesse. So,now to introduce to you Team Kirkland. It is my pleasure to be working with such a professional and a man that needs no introduction the world over. He is the Chairman and CEO of SMS Promotions. Let me introduce to you, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson
I want to start by saying I’m really excited about this event on May 9th. Getting into the sport of boxing and initially my relationship with Floyd Mayweather is what brought me and James Kirkland together, and the excitement connected to this fight will clearly be, I believe, the most exciting fight of the year, it has the makings of the most exciting. It would hands down been considered the most exciting fight of the year if they hadn’t made the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather event, and it’s just because they’re so long anticipated that they think that between the two of them you’re going to see what the sport of boxing has to offer right now.

So, between May 2nd and May 9th, this is it right here, and the excitement of seeing James prepare himself in a faster time period than I’ve seen him prepare before, it obviously shows how much is on the line for this actual fight, and you’re definitely going to see the best version of James Kirkland come May 9th. So, I’m excited to introduce you guys to his trainer, Bay-Bay McClinton.

Bay-Bay McClinton
Hello, everyone. How are you doing? The time is coming close for May the 9th. I’m not going to stay on long, but just like I told everybody, Houston, we got a big ‘ole problem on May the 9th. That’s all I got to say. Everybody, be excited for this fight.

C. Jackson
So, now I’d like to introduce everyone to James Kirkland.

James Kirkland
Hey. What’s going on, everybody? I’m just overwhelmed, and I just want to thank Golden Boy Promotions and SMS Promotions. I want to thank all the leaders, Oscar La Hoya and the people that’s actually there for me that they grind into sand and all the support teams that’s really been there from day one pushing and being the motivating people that I need for the fight. By supporting my transition and working and doing everything that I need to do to take care of business May 9. So, I’m eager for the opportunity and I’m more than I’m ready for May 9 to take place. Like I say, once again, man, promos, I want to give thanks to God for this opportunity and the leaders and the boxers in boxing.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you very much, ’50,’ and thank you very much, James. I just want to point out to you that we have a long day of fights beginning at 11 a.m. Central Time. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time, and tickets are still available. You can get tickets from $10 all the way to $350 for a ringside seat. So, now we can open it up for questions for James Kirkland.

Q
Thank you very much. Hello, everybody. Hey, James, it’s good to talk to you today. My first question for you is could you explain to us what is the reason why you haven’t fought since that big victory you had against Glen Tapia in 2013. You’ve been out almost a year-or more than a year and a half.

J. Kirkland
Basically, I was just getting prepared for an opportunity like this, and at the same time, I wanted to learn a lot of stuff about boxing that I didn’t know. It just goes on into a lot of different things, but most definitely I’m prepared and I’m thankful for this opportunity.

Q
During that period of time where you were not boxing, while you were, like you said, learning about I guess the business side, were you disappointed that you did not get a fight in that course of time to follow up on that good victory, make a good payday, get some more exposure, etc.?

J. Kirkland
Most definitely, but I can’t cry over spilled milk. But one thing I can say is that the things that I have learned and the course that actually take place is actually a positive thing and never did I actually stop being in the gym and stop working. So, I’m always hands-on in the gym and participating in any way.

Q
My other question for you is there’s been a lot of discussion among fans anyway that say boy, why would James Kirkland after the sorts of success he has had split again from Ann Wolfe, his trainer, who you two have done good things together because when you were not with her the last time was when you suffered your only defeat. What is the reason why you’re not training with Ann for this fight?

J. Kirkland
One of the reasons is that I just have to put out there is that the techniques and the things that I need to work on, to be able to win the fight, the strategies are what I have taken away when I was with Ann Wolfe. So, I know a lot of the fans, say, ‘you won, you had so much success with Ann’ and I know and understand this but at the same time, I know there was a lot more to the table that I needed to bring. I needed to harden, create more determination and I will eagerly take advantage of my opponent. You can’t take that away from me. Before I met Ann, that’s always been me, but when I need more-I thought that I needed more to bring to the table than something that I already have and possess. So, that’s what made me move on and I feel it is a smart decision.

Q
Okay. So, who will be your head trainer for this fight then, or who is your head trainer in your camp?

J. Kirkland: Rick Morones.

Q
Hi, thank you. I’ve got a question for James. It’s kind of like the last question. You’ve been out of the ring since 2013, and you have not gone past ten rounds in your career. Are you prepared to go 12 rounds, or is your plan to try to end it early?

J. Kirkland
My plan is if it was scheduled for 20 rounds, I’m going to preparate myself and make sure I can go 30 rounds. So, therefore, if it ends early, it ends early, but most definitely, I plan on it being an action-packed fight. So, anything is going to be able to happen in this fight. It can be the first round, the second round, it can even be the 12th round. So, whatever amount of rounds that it takes for this particular fight, I’m willing to go all the way. I’m willing to cut it in half. I’m ready to take it in the first or second round. So, it doesn’t really matter just long as I put the work in and do what I possess in training.

Q
Hey, James. You said the reason you took this fight was to-because you saw something in Canelo’s style that you thought you could-made you believe you could beat him. What was that? What did you see in his style that gave you the confidence that you could beat this guy?

J. Kirkland
Man, I don’t even know how to respond to your question. I would love to say something like next, but I’m like how can I respond to that? I’m a fighter. So, if I see something and it’s something that may be a plus for me is what I see. So, therefore, I’m going to take that information that I feel that is a plus and use it when it comes May 9th.

Q
Well, I know you feel like you can knock him out. Do you think you have the power necessary to knock Canelo out?

J. Kirkland
I definitely feel that I have the power, the will, the confidence, the speed and the heart and determination. I feel like I have the whole package. People wants to say that, ‘oh, Kirkland got suspect all the fights’ that I had, I took one loss, which I really didn’t take training camp serious. I didn’t look at it as being 100% focused. It was in Vegas and I was having a good time, and like I say, I really didn’t take it 100%, and now, since I actually took that defeat, I’ve been preparating myself and putting myself in a position so that now that when it comes May 9th, I can let it all be shown.

Q
We ran into you in Vegas a few years ago and you saw Canelo and you told me, “I want that guy.” Now that it’s here, how exciting is this for you and how big an opportunity is this to get to that world championship you’ve been chasing for years?

J. Kirkland
Man, it’s just-this is one of the opportunities, like I say, I’ve been wanting. So, since the layoff and they end up came knocking at the door and I answered and I went straight to it and said hey, this is a must, dude, this is a fight that I know the fans wants to see. It’s a fight that I’m truly prepared for. At the same time, man, like you said, I’ve definitely been prepared to make things happen and believe this is my opportunity.

Q
As far as the city of Austin, not hugely known for boxing, but people like Jesus Chavez and Ann Wolfe and yourself could put it on the map, how big would it be for you to become the third world champions held from this city?

J. Kirkland
It’s definitely that’s been something part of a dream. I’ve been wanting an opportunity. It felt like it’s been slipping from my hand for so long and it continued to slip and continued to slip, but I felt like at this opportunity there’s going to bring it to the point that that’s going to be the next thing popping or it’s going to be knocking at the door at this particular fight.

Q
One more question, James. I know it hasn’t been an easy road for you, layoffs, going to jail and getting out and starting back over. Do you look at this as your last big chance to climb that mountain and win a championship?

J. Kirkland
I definitely feel like I got a lot to lose putting on the table. I feel like there’s a lot that’s been involved in this. So, I can elaborate and keep going on and on about the situation and how much it means to me, but this is something that has been destined for me to take care of business when it come May 9th, and I feel like I got the right team with me, backing me and supporting me, and working on things that I need to do to take care of things May 9th.

Q
Hey, good afternoon, champ. This is Steve from Houston, Texas. Thanks for your time today. Over the past five to six years, you’ve had some great matchups with Joel Julio, Alfredo Angulo. So, far, what has been your biggest victory, and how will your victory over Canelo Alvarez overcome that victory that you’ve had in the past?

J. Kirkland: Man, I can’t even say what fight was one of my biggest victories. I can say Alfredo Angulo, I can say Joel Julio, I can name a few of them, but overall, just me being able to go to these training camps and preparation for is one of the major victories and actually being able to devour my opponent and get the W is something that I feel that that is the victory, but at the end of the day, man, I’m really focused and been training and taking care of the things that I need to take care of so when fight nights take place it’s going to be sensational.

Q
That’s great. And one of the things that really makes this matchup so interesting is the fact that both guys have a common opponent which is Alfredo Angulo. You faced Angulo arguably when he was at a much better state than when Canelo did. It took you only six rounds to defeat Angulo whereas it took Canelo over ten rounds. Is that any indication of really the type of mental fortitude and force that you can bring to this fight, and is that something that Canelo Alvarez will be able to handle?

J. Kirkland
One thing I can say is that the preparation for that fight was great and we worked really hard as far as in training camp, but I can say this-this training camp that I actually had here that I’ve been in and involved in has been harder than that particular training camp. So, when it actually say questionably like Alfredo Angulo, was he on top at the time that I fought him and was he a lot better a fighter? I can still say that he’s an awesome fighter, and a lot of great things can happen with him if someone was to do right by him, but overall, I feel that when it comes fight night, I will be a lot sharper, a lot more, at that particular point that night, but a lot more of everything involved. So, it’s going to definitely be like what people say a must watch, a fight fans want to see type of fight.

Q
Right. And one last question, James-you’re a Texas native, and for some reason Canelo Alvarez is the favorite. You’re sort of being perceived as the underdog here arguably in your backyard. To the fans that don’t know who James Kirkland is, what can you tell them that will be the biggest threat to Canelo Alvarez and that will get you the victory?

J. Kirkland
I can just tell people this when they ask about boxing and what can I bring to the sport or how I picture myself: I am a force of nature that overrides a lot of the people that I fight. When they come with heart, I believe my heart is bigger than that. When they come with determination, I don’t feel no one has the will power and the drive that I possess. When it come to speed, I don’t feel as if the opponent is going to be able to adapt, and if they do, there is something else I bring outside and it’s something else that they can do, and I always got a step on top of step above my opponent. That’s how I actually feel. So, I feel when they ask about it, it’s going to be a fight that you don’t have to worry about if they’re going to run, if this person’s going to be dodging and ducking and looking for somewhere to run and hide and tuck tail, me and Canelo will meet in the middle of the ring and that’s where the fight will take place, and we may stay there the whole entire fight if he’s going to come to fight like I’m coming to fight, that will be that particular fight that fans want to see.

Q
Hello, James. How are you? I wanted to ask you a question about your next fight. Canelo has already agreed to fight Miguel Cotto for the middleweight championship if he wins. Would you like to inherit that place if you win? Would you like to fight Miguel Cotto next, or what are your plans for after this fight?

J. Kirkland
I definitely would like to fight Miguel Cotta because I know that just as well as everybody on this fight, and they want to see this happen, at the same time, a lot of fight fans are speaking about what was the, likelihood of Kirkland and Miguel Cotto fighting, and that is something that I had on my radar just as much as Alvarez has. Because I know that he’s a fighter, he brings the fight and he wants to come just as well as Canelo Alvarez does. So, we’re all three the same type of fighters, and we all definitely want the same thing, the victory and the win and we all got heart. So, do I want to fight somebody just like me who got the same type of drive as me? I would love that opportunity and I don’t know why everybody is speaking about a fight before a fight because like they say, anything can happen in a fight, and my preparations for the fight is definitely taking the right course and preparating for the fight and for the victory.

Q
Does it bother you that Canelo has already agreed to fight even though he has a fight with you, a very difficult fight with you ahead of him? Does it make a difference in your mindset?

J. Kirkland
I just feel that maybe this fight and they’re overlooking at it like okay, this is going to be a walkthrough or one of those type of fight, first, second round type ordeals that they can make happen, and I appreciate the-I love the motivation, I love the heart and courage that is going to be one of those type of nights, but I definitely feel it’s going to be on the other side of the table if the shoe was on the other foot. So, at the end of the day, man, it’s easy to say, man, I don’t like talk boxing, I just do it. So, overall, I’m just prepared for May 9th to take place.

Q
Hey, James. You said a few weeks ago that you’re already on weight and that you were working on strategy and it’s been a great camp. What would it mean to you to get the victory over Canelo in your home state of Texas?

J. Kirkland
Man, definitely something that I’ve been preparing for since the beginning of camp. I’m definitely already like you say on weight and taking care of business when it comes to the training part. But overall, I’m going to take care of business on May 9th. So, definitely I’m encouraged and I’m anxious, and it’s just something that is going to be something that I’m proving not just to myself and to the city but just to my fight fans that James Kirkland truly is a warrior and he deserves a world title shot.

Q
Hello. When you spoke with Dan originally and he asked you about your split from Ann Wolfe, you said that you thought that basically the things that she could work with you on you already had and was something that couldn’t be taken away from you. That being the case, would you say with your new trainers, are you working in a way that she couldn’t in sharpening your tools that you already have which are considerable, or are there new tools that you’re going to be bringing to this battle?

J. Kirkland
I want to kind of clear it up. I don’t want to take anything away from Ann Wolfe’s value. She was an awesome strength and conditioning coach, and she knows the things that she knows to take it to the next level. Certain things that I wanted to add to this particular training camp are the things that I added to this. There are things that I needed to improve and things that I wanted to work on that I felt that I wasn’t going to get from Ann Wolfe. So, those are the things that I worked on, those are the things that I have prepared myself for, these are the things that I took care of. So, at the end of the day, I believe that the tools and the things that I’ve been working on are going to take me to the finish line and give me the victory at the end of the day.

Q
Got it. So, would you say that those tools-would you say that they’re new? Are we going to see something different? Are we just going to see like a more upgraded view of you on the 9th?

J. Kirkland
There’s some more, I have a more strategized defense, exposure at the same time being able to move and adjust to certain things that you haven’t seen in Kirkland. The things that you seen me lack in from hands, so from anything that it may be when you see Kirkland lack on is the things you’re going to be able to see Kirkland advance and enhance his ability.

Operator
James, can you give your final comments?

J. Kirkland
Okay. Well, final comments, I just want to say that overall I appreciate Golden Boy, HBO, SMS Promotions. I definitely want to just thank everybody for the opportunity and the people that are sponsoring the fight from Leija* Battah to all the people that are actually in the sport that’s actually backing this fight up, and just having just the drive for the sport, I appreciate it. Thanks to the fans, and the upmost, I want to give thanks to God for the opportunity. Thank you, and I appreciate everybody.

Operator
Thank you, and Curtis Jackson, may we have your final comments?

C. Jackson
Again, you got a chance to hear James. We didn’t hear much from Canelo. We’re going to get him on in a little bit, but this is exciting, and neither one of them wants to be as disrespectful as they are in the training camp itself. The intensity is a lot higher and the statements and the things that are said while they’re disciplining themselves, but they going to get a chance to see it the night of May 9th. It’s going to be exciting, and so, everyone tune in if you can’t get to it, but come down to the stadium. Again, there’s tickets still available so you should rush down now and get them before they sell out.

Operator: Thank you, and now we’ll turn the call back over to Oscar De La Hoya.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you very much. We are now ready to introduce Team Canelo. His trainer and manager is on the call with us to say a few words. Let me introduce to you Chepo Reynoso.

Chepo Reynoso
Good afternoon, everybody. I hope everybody is well, and I’m just happy to be here taking care of any questions you may have.

O. De La Hoya
Chepo is ready and Canelo is ready. So, let’s move on to Canelo. Really a man who needs no introduction. His record speaks for itself. He has a record of 44 and 1 with 31 KOs out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. At the tender young age of 24 years old, he’s already faced some of the most avoided fighters on the planet today. Let me introduce to you Saul Canelo Alvarez. Saul?

Canelo Alvarez
Good afternoon. It’s a pleasure to be here with you.

O. De La Hoya
Great. So, now we can open it up for questions. Thank you.

Q
Okay, great. First of all, I’d like you to ask Canelo, he’s coming back to another city in Texas in Houston when he was in San Antonio a couple years ago and he had that huge crowd for the Austin Trout fight. I want to know how pumped up is he because by all accounts, you’re going to have another crowd similar in size in a different city in Houston for this fight. How much does he feel that love from his fans, particularly the Mexicans and the Mexican-Americans and get him motivated, let’s say, for this kind of fight?

C. Alvarez
No, it motivates me tremendously. That’s what gives me that extra push to train harder, to have the support from the fans, all the love is what gives me the extra drive to train harder because it’s also a big responsibility and that’s where the discipline and the dedication takes in, to work hard.

Q
Another question I had for him, Robert, is he’s been off for a bit because of the injury to the foot so he did not fight in the fall after having a couple of fights in the earlier part of last year. I want to know how is his foot and does he feel that there’s any issue because he’s been off for quite a while at this point.

C. Alvarez
No, I feel real good. I’m healed up. I’ve been training for a while now. I’ve been here three and a half months working and training, preparing my body, preparing myself for this fight, looking forward to the fight. My body is clean and it gets in condition pretty quick, so I’m ready. I feel very well.

Q
Terrific. Another question for him also, and this is regarding the fact that there’s already a deal in place that should he win the fight May 9th and that should Miguel Cotto win his middleweight championship fight in June that they would meet each other in what would be a very big Pay-Per-View in the fall, and I’d like to know from Canelo does he view that in any way, some would say maybe by having that huge fight in front of him, it might be a distraction to what’s going to happen on May 9th, others would perhaps say it’s the motivation because they know they got to win to get to that huge fight. What are his thoughts about having this fight with Kirkland but knowing that he has the impending fight with Cotto down the road?

O. De La Hoya
This is Oscar. There is no deal done whatsoever.

Q
Oscar, you know that’s not true, my friend. Maybe you didn’t sign the paper, but we know that the deal is agreed to. Come on. It’s a reasonable question. Is Canelo going to answer that?

C. Alvarez:
At this particular time, my only opponent, my only focus, my only goal right now is James Kirkland. That’s who I’m focusing on. There’s been talks of that fight. There’s been talks of that fight with Cotto for a long time, yes, but right now, my focus is on James Kirkland. There’s nothing else.

Q
I had a quick question. I feel in the last few fights that you’ve had that you have the same style, you’ve approached them all the same way. Can we expect to see anything different coming into this Kirkland fight, or is there anything that you changed in this training camp that will showcase any of your other boxing skills?

C. Alvarez
You’re always learning in this game. You’re always going back to the gym and correcting some mistakes and learn from that and try new things. Sometimes the opponents aren’t willing to engage and participate, but it’s a part of the game to learn and we’re going to do our part and hope that the fans leave very happy.

Q
Okay, great. And then another question-when can we expect to see Canelo back in San Antonio?

C. Alvarez
At this time, I can’t answer that. I don’t know. It’s definitely like to go back. The people have always treated me well and loved me there. So, definitely we’d like to go back, but right now, I can’t tell you that because I don’t know.

Q: You had an opportunity to fight Kirkland back in 2011. Then, the fight didn’t happen. It’s been now a few years. Why even take the risk in giving Kirkland this opportunity after his inactivity, your inactivity and knowing that he’s such a big puncher?

C. Alvarez
Yes. It’s a fight that’s been talked about many years because it’s a very good fight. He’s one of the most dangerous fighters in the division, and there was an injury back there that didn’t let the fight happen, but now this is the fight that we’re at, and that’s why we’re preparing ourselves with knowing what we have in front of us and training really hard and we’re ready for the fight.

Q
You fought different styles, a difficult style in Mayweather, a standup aggressive style in Angulo, a runner like Lara, and now you’re facing one of the biggest punchers. What is the goal? You’re fighting all the different styles. You just want to fight them because you’re fighting the best or you’re fighting also to prepare for bigger fights down the road?

C. Alvarez
No, my goal is always to fight the best, the best in the world, that the fans get what they want: to see the best fights possible and independent of their styles. As long as they’re at the top, I want to fight the best.

Q
It’s finally done, the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight even if it’s a little old, we’re towards the end of their careers, but it’s finally happened, two of the bigger names in boxing. Once they’ve retired, are you ready to take on that role of the Pay-Per-View king, the Pay-Per-View star, and how do you feel about that?

C. Alvarez
I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever comes to my career. I work hard, I train hard, I fight the best, and if that’s the role that I have to take once they’re gone, then yes, I’m ready for it.

Q
You recuperated from the injury. You mentioned it earlier. What kind of strategy do you have now that you’re facing such a strong, aggressive fighter that comes forward and is a big puncher?

C.Alvarez
Yes, absolutely, recovered from the injury. That’s in the past, that’s behind me. Right now, we’re just working really hard. We know what James brings to the table. He’s a very dangerous, very strong and come-forward fighter, and that’s what we’re working for. That’s why we have the correct sparring partners working hard every day, working on strategy. We just have to be more intelligent and prepared and ready for it on fight night.

Q
The question is so many fighters are so concerned of only fighting in casinos. You seem to be getting out of that and fighting and filling arenas, what you did in San Antonio and now probably what you’re doing here in Houston filling that up as well. Do you want to continue that and maybe going on to even bigger stadiums and why not 50, 60, 70,000 people around the world?

C. Alvarez
No, I’ll fight anywhere. I’ll fight. As long as the fans go and enjoy the fights and walk out happy, I can fight anywhere. It doesn’t matter.

Q
There’s talks about a Miguel Cotto fight. There’s talks about other fights. Obviously, there’s the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight. If everything comes out well against Kirkland, in the future, you’re more mature, you’re more experienced, would you like a rematch with Mayweather if he is to beat Pacquiao?

C. Alvarez
Yes, of course, I would love it. It would interest me. I’ve learned more things, there’s more experience, but right now, this fight is what’s more important to me, and that’s James Kirkland on the 9th.

Q
You said that James Kirkland is a dangerous fighter. I wonder if you could describe James Kirkland as a fighter. What kind of style does he bring to the table?

C. Alvarez
Yes, he’s a very dangerous fighter because of his punch. His power is extreme. He can finish the fight with one punch, and then he also throws out of different angles, punches are coming from all angles, so it makes it even more complicated, more difficult, but more than anything, it’s that power that he can finish a fight with one punch.

Q
Have you fought anybody with comparable power to Kirkland? Have you fought anybody with that much power before?

C. Alvarez
At this particular moment, I can say no, but ask me the same question after the fight and then I can tell you how I feel his punches.

Q
Yes. Well, you’ve fought a lot of different styles. Do you prefer to fight a guy like Kirkland who you know where he’s going to be rather than Lara, Mayweather, guys like that?

C. Alvarez
Yes, I’ll fight any style. I’ll be clear-I’ll fight any style. I’m ready and willing to fight anybody, but the fans like this style because that’s the fans, what they go to see. They want to go see action, and these are the kind of fights that where the people will leave happy.

Q
Do you predict it’s going to end early before you think it’ll go the distance?

C. Alvarez
People are talking and the percentages are that it’s going to be a knockout, that it won’t make the distance, but I’m preparing myself for 12 rounds. I don’t like to predict or talk about a knockout. If it comes, great. If not, I’m trained and ready to go 12 hard rounds.

Q
Over the past few years, we’ve had boxing greats like Morales, Barrera, Marcos exit the sport, and the boxing world is looking for the next big Mexican superstar. Do you feel you’ve done enough to fill that void or that role, or do you need another victory to make that happen for you?

C. Alvarez
I’m working hard, I’m training hard. I’m taking the tough fights, the biggest fights, the biggest challenges. They people will put me where I belong. Of course, that’s what I’m here in the sport to be one of the biggest names and to be one of the greats, but only time will tell, and I’ll just keep doing my job.

Q
This last Saturday Chavez Jr. lost in the big fight. Does that give you an example or give you an idea about in the future moving up in weight?

C. Alvarez
No, I don’t use that as an example. I keep doing my job, my work dedicated with a lot of discipline, and I’ve never used anybody else’s examples. It’s just what I do, my work and my dedication.

Operator: Thank you. I’ll now turn it over to Team Canelo for your closing remarks.

C. Alvarez
I just want to thank all the press for all the support and all the media attention they’re giving it, giving my fight, giving our fight. I want to thank the fans for all the love and that I’m ready and I can’t wait to see them all on May 9th.

Operator: Thank you, and now I’ll turn the call back over to Oscar De La Hoya for his closing remarks.

O. De La Hoya: Thank you very much. Thank you to all the press, to both teams, and we will see you on May 9th in Houston. Gracias.

Operator: Thank you. And thank you, ladies and gentlemen. This concludes today’s conference. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.

Photos and video assets including b-roll from Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland’s media workouts are available for use for TV broadcast and website embedding. Download instructions are below:

FTP LOGIN:
https://ftp.goldenboyllc.com
Username: workouts
Password: !Olympic777!
Credit: Golden Boy Promotions
Click HERE to Download Photos
Photo Credit: HoganPhotos/Golden Boy Promotion

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kirkland are priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, and are on sale now and available for purchase at Astros.com/boxing, the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions. The fight will take place Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico – Live it to Believe it!, Fred Loya Insurance and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Doors open at 11:00 a.m. CT and first bout starts at 11:10 a.m. CT, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

An all-new edition of 24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland debuts Tuesday, May 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

Totowa, NJ:
Main Events adds two new fighters to their already impressive stable with the signing of two New England prospects: middleweight Thomas “The Souljah” Falowo (13-3, 8 KOs) of Providence, Rhode Island and heavyweight Cassius Chaney (1-0, 1 KO) of New Haven, Connecticut.

Falowo, 26, is coming off an impressive win over his long-time amateur rival, Russell Lamour, on ESPN Friday Night Fights on January 30 at Foxwoods in Connecticut. The two met several times as amateurs with Lamour winning all but one match-up but, in their first fight as pros, Falowo took the victory in an exciting unanimous decision.

Thomas Falowo
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

The Souljah made his professional debut in 2010 with a second round stoppage of Odias Dumezil after which he stopped his next three opponents and won his first six professional bouts. Prior to his win over Lamour, Falowo suffered defeat at the hands of former amateur standout Ronald Gavril on Showtime. Notably, two of Falowo’s three career losses have come at the hands of undefeated fighters.

Cassius Chaney
Photo Courtesy of:
Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

Chaney, 27, made an impressive professional debut in his adopted home state of Connecticut on Friday, April 17 at Mohegan Sun with a second round stoppage of Perry Filkins of New Hampshire. Cassius is originally from Baltimore, Maryland but he moved to Connecticut where he earned a Sport Management degree and played basketball as a student at the University of New Haven. He has made Connecticut his home ever since.

Falowo
Photo Credits:
David Spagnolo/Main Events

Both fighters and their camps are very excited to work with Main Events. Falowo said, “I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with such a great promotional company. I am ready to do great things. This is the beginning to a long and successful career and I am looking forward to working with Main Events.”

Michael Criscio, his manager, added, “I think that Thomas is a great fit for a great promoter like Main Events, Thomas has never been in this kind of a situation before. He will now have the opportunity to fight all over the world whereas, before he was stuck on the East Coast, with no chance of getting on TV.”

Chaney
Photo Courtesy of:
Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

The sentiment from the Chaney camp was similar. He said, “I am very excited to work with Main Events. This is a great opportunity for me and I cannot wait for the things to come.”

Chaney is co-managed by Allen Hadelman and Jake Piekarski. Hadelman said, “Cassius is special. He has all the tools to become a world champ. He is dedicated, smart, athletic and is only going to get better.” Piekarski added, “We think Cassius is a very promising young fighter with a great work ethic and unlimited potential. We are very excited to have signed a promotional deal with a top tier organization like Main Events and look forward to working together for years to come!”

Both fighters are trained by Peter Manfredo. When asked about Falowo, Manfredo said, “Thomas has been totally dedicated to his craft from the first day he walked into the gym at age 14. He continues to strive for that championship status and signing with Main Events is the vehicle to take him there.” When asked about Chaney, he added, “Cassius Chaney is a skilled, athletic, determined heavyweight who in just two and a half years with me won the amateur national championship twice. He is a diamond in the rough. With Kathy Duva and the expertise of Main Events this boxer can make it to world championship status.”

Main Events CEO Kathy Duva said, “Thomas Falowo and Cassius Chaney are exciting additions to our roster. I look forward to seeing them in great fights in packed New England venues, while we work together to build them into the champions I know they can be.”

So far, he’s managed to overcome a smorgasbord of opposition, including a few of Britain’s long-time journeymen in Matt Seawright, Ibrar Riyaz, and Jason Nesbitt. He’s also taken home victories against a couple of fellow novices in Lee Gibbons and Chris Bennett. He has yet to lose a fight, be knocked down, and he hasn’t lost a single round over the course of his last three bouts.

Naturally, he’s excited about how substantial these wins could prove to be; specifically, in the form of domestic title fights against other top prospects. These are the stepping stones, and each one no less important than the last for a 22-year-old fighter. He takes each and every one with the focus and resolve necessary to be ready for a high-level of fighter when that time comes along.

On May 8th, Hardy looks to trim to his lightest frame in three fights’ time. At 10st/140lbs, he’s looking to hone some more amplitude to his punching power at the expense of his appetite. He will be fighting at a weight 7lbs less than that at which he fought Jason Nesbitt, and 14lbs less than the highest weight at which he’s competed as a professional.

At 5’11 in height, Anthony Hardy is already quite slender for the Welterweight division. He has plenty of years left to find the weight at which he is most comfortable. For now, all sights are set on developing where Hardy might be lacking. He’s hardly been slow at any weight class, and his craftiness in the ring has been what he has leaned on to win many of his fights.

What the “Hitman” really needs is to continue building confidence, learning to cope under pressure, and, perhaps most of all, capitalize when he hurts his opponents. He has already scored knockdowns in his professional career. The knockouts, however, have proven illusive under any circumstances. Maybe, the Junior Welterweights softer builds will be easier to topple.

Back at Junior Welterweight, his opponents shouldn’t be able to look him in the eye. Due to his physical advantages he should be keen on taking home a quick knockout — or at least a whitewash on the scorecards, right?

In his next contest, not so much.

On May 8th, Anthony Hardy does look to shed his way back to his lowest career weight. That is, against a mirror image of himself.

His opponent, born Alexander Anderson, goes by Fonz Alexander in the ring. He’s held his own throughout his career, where he himself has excavated many of the weight classes in which fighters are able to compete. With a record featuring 3 wins and 11 defeats, one could say he’s found minimal success. He has, however, boxed eight unbeaten fighters. He also managed to stop Matt Seawright in their March 7th bout; something which Hardy couldn’t do when they fought in 2013.

That doesn’t tell the whole story. Alexander is also 5’11, and, much like Hardy, likes to incorporate a variety of offensive weapons to his style. This could be a very flashy and exciting fight, and not one being handed to Hardy if the matchmakers are granted their wish.

Hardy-Alexander will take place at the Borough Hall in Hartlepool, County Durham. If you live in the area, don’t miss what could be a potentially riveting contest on this fourteen bout card; presented by Phil Jeffries.

Tickets remain available and can be obtained by calling 07969843203, or visiting Anthony’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/anthonyhardyboxing

LAS VEGAS (April 27, 2015) – A full lineup of present and future boxing stars is set to entertain the MGM Grand Garden Arena crowd in pay-per-view and non-televised action before the history-making welterweight showdown between Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao on Saturday, May 2.

The pay-per-view undercard is topped by a pair of fights featuring two of boxing’s most talented and exciting stars as WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz (29-0-1, 17 KOs) faces Mexican brawler Jose Cayetano (17-3, 8 KOs) and WBO Featherweight World Champion Vasyl Lomachenko (3-1, 1 KO) takes on Puerto Rican contender Gamalier Rodriguez (25-2-3, 17 KOs).

The pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

Exciting non-televised bouts round out the action in the arena as top undefeated prospects look to keep their perfect records intact.

The slick and undefeated Chris “Sweet” Pearson (11-0, 9 KOs) meets Said El Harrak (12-2, 7 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight bout and heavy-fisted Jesse Hart (16-0, 13 KOs) takes on fellow unbeaten Mike Jimenez (17-0, 11 KOs) in a 10-rounder or the NABO, USBA and NABF Super Middleweight titles.

An undefeated knockout artist looking to make it 10-for-10, Andrew “The Beast” Tabiti (9-0, 9 KOs) faces Anthony Caputo Smith (15-4, 10 KOs) in an eight- rounds cruiserweight match.

Kicking off the night of fights is undefeated contender Brad Solomon (24-0, 9 KOs), who’ll be opposed by Adrian Rene Granados (13-3, 9 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight bout.

“Mayweather Promotions is looking forward to bringing some of boxing’s most exciting current and future stars to the fans on the biggest night in our sport’s history,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Whether you are watching on pay-per-view or in the arena, you are in store for an electric night of fights.”

“Each undercard match could be a main event on another card,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank. “Fans can watch the exciting action as a warm-up to the most anticipated fight in decades.”

As previously announced, 26-year-old Santa Cruz will be making his second appearance on a Floyd Mayweather pay-per-view undercard. The fan-friendly two-division world champion has defended his super bantamweight title numerous times in impressive fashion on his way to earning a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters in the world. Born in Huetamo, Michoaca de Ocampo, Mexico but fighting out of Los Angeles, Santa Cruz won his first world title in 2012. In 2013 he won his super bantamweight title.

Fighting out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, Cayetano turned pro in 2009 and sprinted to a 10-0 record before dropping a narrow split decision to Ruben Tamayo in 2011. He most recently dropped a decision to Enrique Bernache in February after defeating Dennis Contreras and Eden Marquez in his previous two starts. He hopes to make a grand impression in his U.S. debut on May 2.

Arguably the greatest amateur boxer of all-time, with two Olympic gold medals and two Amateur National Championships, 27-year-old Lomachenko has already made a great impact in the professional ranks. He won his world title with a majority decision over Gary Russell Jr. last year. Making the second defense of his 126-pound title, the fighter out of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine will be going for his third straight win overall when he battles Rodriguez.

An accomplished veteran from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Rodriguez gets an opportunity on boxing’s biggest stage when he battles Lomachenko. The 28-year-old has not lost a fight since 2009 and has 17 consecutive victories since a technical draw in 2010. He won twice in 2014, picking up a unanimous decision victory over Orlando Cruz and a second round TKO over Martin Cardona.

Fighting out of Philadelphia, Hart was an accomplished amateur who was a 2012 U.S. Olympic alternate after earning a U.S. National Championship and a National Golden Gloves Championship. The 25-year-old will fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the first time since his professional debut in 2005 when he stopped Manuel Eastman in the first round. This time, he will look to remain undefeated and catapult himself to contender status.

Undefeated and facing the biggest challenge of his career, the 27-year-old Jimenez will make his Las Vegas debut on May 2. Having already delivered a second round knockout over Kevin Engel in 2015 the fighter out of Chicago will look to impress on the biggest stage of his career against Hart.

A three-time National Golden Gloves Champion, Solomon fights out of Lafayette, Louisiana and is aiming to maintain his perfect record.. The 31-year-old picked up victories in 2014 over Eduardo Flores, Freddy Hernandez and Arman Ovsepyan. Solomon takes on the 25-year-old Granados out of Cicero, Illinois.

* * *

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is a 12-round welterweight world championship unification bout promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., and is sponsored by Tecate con caracter, Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions –Terminator Genisys, in theaters July 1st, Paramount Pictures & Skydance Productions present MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION, in theaters & IMAX July 31st, The Weinstein Company and the new movie Southpaw, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, in theaters everywhere July 24 and Mexico, Live it to Believe it. The pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.SHO.com/Sports,www.hbo.com/boxing and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @SHOSports, @HBOboxing and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOsports andwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 27, 2015) – June’s blockbuster “Bellator: Unfinished Business” event is getting a little local flavor, as two new preliminary contests feature fighters from “The Show Me State.”

The new all-Missouri contests include lightweights Malcolm Smith (4-4) vs. Luke Nelson (2-1) and middleweights Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0).

Featuring one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the sport with Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock, “Bellator: Unfinished Business” takes place Friday, June 19, at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center and airs live on Spike.

Tickets for “Bellator: Unfinished Business,” which start at just $30, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com

Additional contests will be announced shortly.

A five-time Shamrock FC veteran, Smith makes his Bellator MMA debut as he looks to rebound from a split-decision loss to Cory Hunter in March. Prior to the disappointing result, Smith was 4-1 in his previous five fights – a run that included two TKO victories and one submission.

Smith now meets three-time Shamrock FC fighter Nelson, who turned pro in December 2013 and also competes under the Bellator MMA banner for the first time. Nelson has earned both of his career wins to date via first-round stoppage, while his lone career loss went the distance, when he came up just short via split decision.

Royer and Watson have also spent the early stages of their professional careers competing exclusively under the Shamrock FC banner.

A submission specialist, Royer built an impressive amateur record fighting on Missouri’s regional scene before turning professional in 2013. An action-first fighter, both of his pro contests have ended in the first round. Royer now meets Watson, who made his professional debut this past June with a first-round TKO victory.

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

Main Card

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)
Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-4-1)
Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. James Thompson (20-14)
Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

Preliminary Card

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Justin Guthrie (17-8) vs. Steven Mann (10-1)
Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Miles McDonald (0-1) vs. Dan O’Connor (5-4)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Malcolm Smith (4-4) vs. Luke Nelson (2-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)

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

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

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

maywe
NEW YORK (April 27, 2015) – Talk about a winning, knockout daily double! From the main event on horse racing’s biggest day of the year to the main event of boxing’s most anticipated matchup in decades, Saturday May 2, promises to be a fast-paced, hard-hitting and special day for sports fans around the world.

For the Kentucky Derby, the Mayweather-Pacquiao promotion has signed an exclusive sponsorship deal with Starlight Racing’s “Itsaknockout.” Just a few hours after the race for the roses, 11-time world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather and eight-division world champion Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao will meet in a welterweight world championship bout that is expected to set new revenue records in virtually every category.

The sponsorship of “Itsaknockout,” represents a convergence of leading entities in their respective fields: Jack Wolf and Starlight Racing; seven-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Todd Pletcher at racing’s most prestigious event; and boxing superstars Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, both of whom are destined for the boxing Hall of Fame; leading boxing promotional outfits Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc.; co-producers SHOWTIME PPV® and HBO Pay-Per-View®; and boxing event’s host, MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The deal to sponsor “Itsaknockout,” brought about by Steve Rosner of 16W Marketing, is part of an aggressive campaign for “MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO,” that includes unprecedented support from PPV distributors, a national ad campaign and support from the television networks, promoters and the MGM Grand. Team “Itsaknockout” will show its support of the fight during Derby Week with the thoroughbred wearing a “MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO” branded blanket, branding on Jockey Luis Saez and branded apparel on Pletcher’s racing crew tending to “Itsaknockout.”

“The opportunity to sponsor a horse running in the Kentucky Derby appropriately named ‘ItsaKnockout’ is a fantastic fit for the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight and the magnitude of the promotion on all levels,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO Mayweather Promotions. “It’s going to be a knockout of a sports weekend with both events the same day and we wish this champion horse well, hoping his name comes true with a victory in the Derby.”

“From Gate to Finish, beginning with the Kentucky Derby and ending with Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, Saturday, May 2 will be the most exciting day in sports,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “Itsaknockout may be the horse we are sponsoring but it also describes the historic day fans will be talking about for years to come.”

“There is a natural and unmistakable connection between the Kentucky Derby and Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, two world-class sporting events that showcase the talent of athletes performing at the highest level and on the biggest stage,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “May 2 will be an historic day in sports, one that has the potential to cement legacies and redefine what we consider to be legendary.”

One of the most decorated fighters in the history of the sport, the undefeated Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) is an 11-time world champion in five weight divisions and is universally recognized as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. A four-time “Fighter of the Year,” Mayweather has defeated 20 world champions.

Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) is the only fighter to win eight world titles in as many different weight divisions. A three-time Fighter of the Year and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s “Fighter of the Decade,” Pacquiao is seeking to defeat his third consecutive unbeaten world champion. His last 15 fights have been against world champs.

For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.SHO.com/Sports, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @SHOSports, @HBOboxing and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOsports and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

LONDON (27 APRIL) Hennessy Sports in association with Sanigar Events are delighted to announce that Bristol’s Lee Haskins will get his long overdue shot at a version of the world bantamweight championship when he boxes for the vacant IBF Interim World Title against Japan’s Ryosuke Iwasa on Saturday, June 13 at the Action Indoor Sports Arena, Bristol. The fight will be televised live and exclusively on Channel 5.

Iwasa is a 25-year-old southpaw from Chiba, Japan with a professional record of 19-1 (12 KOs). Included on his record are wins against two-time world title challenger David De La Mora and former WBC International champion Hiroki Shiino. Iwasa was formerly the Japanese bantamweight champion and is currently ranked at number three in the world according to the IBF.

Haskins, meanwhile, is a popular 31-year-old Bristolian boasting a professional record of 31-3 (13 KOs). Sharp, unpredictable and dangerous, Haskins is also in a rich vein of form, having won each of his last five fights, three inside schedule, and last time out lifted the European bantamweight title with a dominant eighth-round stoppage of Omar Lamiri. He has held the British title at both super-flyweight and bantamweight and is rated at number four by the IBF.

This shot at a world title means more to Haskins than most, of course, given the fact he’s had to watch the likes of Jamie McDonnell and Stuart Hall, two men he has previously defeated, go on to claim world championships of their own in the last two years.

Now it’s Haskins’ turn.

“It’s amazing to finally land this world title shot,” he said. “At times I thought it would never come – when other British fighters I had beaten got their chances.

“And when the IBF announced I was to fight Ryosuke Iwasa, a Japanese fighter, I presumed we would probably have to travel to Japan. But massive thanks to promoter Mick Hennessy and my manager Chris Sanigar for bringing this world title to my hometown of Bristol.

“I know this is going to be a tough fight, but I’ve never lost in Bristol and, with that massive West Country support behind me, we can make history on June 13.”

Promoter Mick Hennessy added: “This is a major opportunity for Lee Haskins and one he has been chasing for a number of years now.

“He has more than paid his dues at the top of the bantamweight division and has beaten a number of quality operators throughout his career.

“It’s fantastic that Channel 5 have helped deliver this opportunity for Lee on free-to-view, terrestrial television. It gives him a great platform and some great exposure.

“For us and Channel 5 it’s vitally important that world championship boxing finds a regular home on terrestrial television, free of charge.”

*** Tickets priced at £35, £75 and £100 are available from the Ticketline Box Office on 0844 888 4402 or Sanigar Events on 0117 949 6699 ***

Sweden’s Badou Jack won the WBC World Super Middleweight title in Chicago on Friday night. This Saturday, Klara Svensson (15-0, 5 KOs) will attempt to make it two out of two for Sweden when she challenges Erica Anabella Farias (21-1, 10 KOs) for the WBC Female World Light Welterweight title at the Frederiksberg-Hallerne in Copenhagen.

Jack’s victory has been described in the Swedish media as the country’s biggest boxing triumph since 1959 when Ingemar Johansson won the heavyweight world title by beating Floyd Patterson in New York. On Saturday night, Svensson aims to emulate her countryman’s success and bring another green and gold belt back to Sweden.

“I’m really happy for Badou Jack,” said Svensson. “It’s given me a lot of inspiration for my fight on Saturday. Just like Badou, I’m the underdog challenging the world champion for the WBC title. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to repeat his success.”

Jack and Svensson have a shared history fighting and training alongside each other in the Swedish amateur ranks, and should Svensson’s challenge prove a success, the pair will have a shared future as Sweden’s two WBC World champions.

“Badou and I competed together in the Swedish national amateur team many years ago,” said Svensson. “We both left Sweden to pursue a boxing career in countries where professional boxing is accepted. Hopefully our international success can make Sweden more positive towards the sport. Two Swedish world champions in one week should give boxing a huge boost in our country.”

First, Svensson must overcome the current WBC light welterweight queen. ‘’I have a lot of respect for Farias,’’ said the Malmo-boxer. ‘’I know she is a dangerous opponent, but I don’t think she is a remarkable boxing technician, and that is where I hold advantage. I will need to be careful, but I know what she is bringing to the table and I’m ready for it.’’

The champion Farias shares the challenger’s confidence. On Saturday night, she intends put an end to the Swede’s world title ambitions. “Klara can dream all she wants but on Saturday night she will get a reality check. I will be bringing the belt back to Argentina, where it belongs,” said 30 year-old.

Team Sauerland in association with Betsafe presents the ‘Nordic Fight Night – Going For Gold’ on May 2 at the Frederiksberg-Hallerne in Copenhagen. The event will be broadcast live in Sweden on TV10 and Viaplay.se. Tickets are available via billetlugen.dk. Visit betsafe.com for the latest betting odds.

April 26, 2015 – HBO Sports is the fight fan’s destination for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight week news and information, providing viewers with an in-depth look across television, digital and social platforms at the blockbuster welterweight unification title showdown set for Saturday, May 2 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The event will be carried live on pay-per-view.

Fans will have access to new programming, specials, updates from HBO Boxing Insiders and exclusive videos leading up to fight night. There will also be behind-the-scenes photos, videos, live streams and other customized content available.

Among the new content airing on the main HBO service during fight week will be the “Weigh-In Live: Mayweather vs. Pacquiao” special on Friday, May 1 at 6:00 p.m. ET and the “Countdown Live: Mayweather vs. Pacquiao” special on Saturday, May 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Monday, April 27

· Mayweather/Pacquiao: The Legends Speak – 10:45 p.m. (ET/PT) HBO

Tuesday, April 28

· Mayweather/Pacquiao: At Last – 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) HBO2

Wednesday, April 29

· Final press conference – streamed live – 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT

o Link: https://youtu.be/VUywAG7NlMg
o Embed Code:
· Mayweather/Pacquiao: At Last – 11:00 a.m. & 4:30 p.m. (ET/PT) HBO

· Mayweather/Pacquiao: The Legends Speak – 12:00 p.m. & 5:30 p.m. (ET/PT) HBO

Thursday, April 30

· Mayweather/Pacquiao: The Legends Speak – 11:35 a.m. (ET/PT) HBO2

Friday, May 1

· Weigh-In Live: Mayweather vs. Pacquiao – 6:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO

· Official Weigh-In – streamed live – 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT

o Link: https://youtu.be/GoaWZ5UwQeY
o Embed Code:

· Takahiro Ao vs. Ray Beltran lightweight title fight – 10:00 p.m. ET on truTV (Series premiere)

Saturday, May 2

· Countdown Live: Mayweather vs. Pacquiao – 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on HBO

· Countdown Live: Mayweather vs. Pacquiao – streamed live – 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT

o Link: https://youtu.be/7Pw3pGgXGrk
o Embed Code:
· Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. Live on pay-per-view. 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

*Events and times subject to change*

Boxing fans can also view Manny Pacquiao classic fights from the past with “Pacquiao vs. Bradley II 2014;” “Pacquiao vs. Cotto 2009;” and “Pacquiao vs. De La Hoya 2008.” The mini-marathon of Pacquiao classic fights is available on HBO On Demand, HBO GO and HBO NOW.

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter at @HBOBoxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing; and visit on Instagram @HBOboxing. Follow the conversation using #MayPac.

MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO takes place Saturday, May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The live pay-per-view telecast will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

New York, NY (April 26, 2015) – Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson will serve as a special guest speaker Tuesday, April 28 as part of a special fundraiser for the Rutgers Student Society for Stem Cell Research. The event is named “Knocking out Spinal Cord Injury One Punch at a Time” and benefits Rutgers’ W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience. Admission is $4 and the start time is 8 PM. The fundraiser is taking place at the Busch Student Center’s Multipurpose Room.

In addition to Melson’s speech, there will be performers from the Rutgers Belly Dancing Troupe and RU Salsa Club. Dinner is also included for all attendees.

A close friend of the Rutgers Foundation through his involvement and donations to Spinal Cord Injury research, Melson’s generosity has helped make him one of the biggest local attractions on the east coast. The 2003 West Point graduate is a former world military champion and founded Team Fight to Walk along with best friend Christan Zaccagnino. As a pro, Melson is 14-1-1 with 4 wins by knockout. His next bout takes place May 8 against Mike Ruiz for the NABA championship at the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, NY.

Having worked closely with Dr. Wise Young and Dr. Patricia Morton from the Rutgers Foundation with the ultimate goal being to cure Spinal Cord Injuries, Melson considers the campus his second home.

“Rutgers has a special place in my heart and I visit whenever I get the chance. I’ve received a tremendous amount of hospitality from students, teachers and members of the athletic staff. Eric LeGrand is a member of Team Fight to Walk and a close friend of mine, so speaking on this subject at Rutgers about something that can potentially get him out of his chair is extraordinarily humbling for me. I look forward to meeting many new friends and growing the support system we’ve built to finally get the trials in the United States so those suffering can walk again.”

Tickets for Melson’s fight are available by going to http://teamfighttowalk.com/tickets-for-boyd-melsons-may-8-fight/

Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two division world champion Paul “The Punisher” Williams, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, Austin “No Doubt” Trout, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Sonya Lamonakis, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., WBA Middleweight champion Danny Jacobs, WBO Junior Middleweight titlist/2008 US Olympian Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade and fellow 08’ Olympian Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

For more information or to make a donation, go to teamfighttowalk.com. All specific questions about the nature of the Clinical Trial to cure Spinal Cord Injury can be sent to bamstrong1981@gmail.com. Fans can also interact with Melson via Twitter @BoydMelson or Facebook.com/Boydmelson

MAIN EVENT
Drew Brokenshire def. Jason Gray via 3rd RD TKO

It’s hard to believe the two men in tonight’s Super Fight League 40 main event were even in the same weight class. Drew Brokenshire looked unimpressed standing across the cage from the much larger Jason Gray. The action came fast and furious with Gray using his elite wrestling to control the fight for the first two rounds. But, as usual, the Eternal Fire lived up to his nickname, never tiring and coming alive in the third, landing brutal knees to the face of his opponent. With only two minutes to go, the punishment became just too much, with Gray going limp and the referee jumping in to make the save. The win marks Brokenshire’s return to the winner’s circle and ensuring that the Eternal Fire is here to stay.

SEMI MAIN EVENT
Gurdarshan Gary Mangat def. Hector Lopez via 1st RD Rear Naked Choke

UNDERCARD
Justin Mark def. Shane Sargent via 1st RD Rear Naked Choke (0:58)
Jake Jokela def. Mike Ross via 1st RD Rear Naked Choke (3:44)
Susy Watson def. Ciara Irvine via 1st RD Rear Naked Choke (3:29)
Corey Watson def. Artiom Cula via 3rd RD Kimura (2:53)
Tony Reyes def. Victor Barajas via 1st RD Rear Naked Choke (4:02)
John Heath def. Trent Tyler via 2nd RD TKO (3:19)

Eva Wahlstrom makes history by becoming the first ever boxing World Champion from Finland!

Eva Wahlstrom crowned herself the new WBC Female World Superfeatherweight Champion Saturday night at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. And not only that: The 34-year-old is also the first ever Finnish boxing World Champion in history!
Wahlstrom clearly dominated Natalia Vanesa del Valle Aguirre (Argentina) in a fight for the vacant title and earned a well deserved unanimous decision. Judge Freddy Rafn (Denmark) scored the bout 100-90, Jürgen Langos (Germany) saw it 99-91 while Ventsislav Nikolov (Bulgaria) had it 97-93.
5,000 fans at the Hartwall Arena enthusiastically celebrated the new champ who could be on a collision course with former titlist Diana Prazak from Australia.

——

Delfine Persoon prevails in the lion’s den – stops Nicole Boss in round nine

Delfine Persoon once more proved that she is the best female lightweight in the world right now. The Belgian powerhouse wore down mandatory challenger Nicole Boss in her backyard in Bern (Switzerland) to defend the WBC Female World Lightweight Championship in convincing fashion by TKO after 0:45 minutes in the ninth round.
Persoon dominated the fight from the opening bell. At the time of the stoppage judges Guido Cavalleri (Italy) and Robert Verwijs (Netherlands) had it 80-72, Robin Dolpierre (France) saw it 79-73, all three in favor of the old and new World Champion Persoon who is without a doubt one of the top pound-for-pound female fighters today.

Chester, PA (April 25,2015)–Weights fro Tonight’s card at Harrahs Philadelphia

Omar Douglas 133.2 – Daniel Attah 138
Kyrone Davis 159.7 – Carlos Garcia 158.4
Angel Ocasio 142 – Justin Johnson 141
Christopher Brooker 170 – Maurice Amaro 174
Earl Newman 181 – Julio Garcia 177
Stephan Shaw 266 – Rex Harris 203.9
Adam Kownacki 259 – Randy Easton 236
Stephen Fulton 122.5 – Jamal Parram 123.8
Javontae Starks 148.4 – Jeremiah Wiggins 148.8
Raynell Williams 137.9 – Mario Hermosillo TBA

Promoters: Kings Promotions and XFE
Venue: Harrahs Philadelphia
1st Bell: 7 PM and the doors open at 6 PM

Tickets for this great night of boxing cost $100, $75 and $50 and can be purchased by calling 610-587-5950 or www.hboxing.eventbrite.com

Mark Taffet Welcome everybody. Thanks for joining us this afternoon for the HBO “Mayweather/Pacquiao: Legends Speak” Conference Call. We have our special guest today, one of the all-time great legends and Hall of Famer, George Forman.

George has been in more super fights than many of us frankly have actually attended or watched. He has mega fight credentials like no one in history. Back on October 30 of 1974, the world stopped and watched as George Foreman had his epic fight against Mohammed Ali from Zaire and I am particularly proud to say that George fought Evander Holyfield in HBO pay-per-view’s very first fight back on April 19, 1991, and it was a night that all of us will never forget.

I can’t think of someone who might shed more genuine insight and perspective into what type of preparations Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are going through as they get ready for the May 2 mega fight and George was gracious enough to sit on a roundtable panel a few weeks ago that we conducted for a really, really special show appearing Saturday night called, “Mayweather/Pacquiao The Legends Speak.”

That panel included George Foreman, Bernard Hopkins, and Lennox Lewis who participated respectively in the Foreman Ali fight in Zaire. Hopkins trended that fight at Madison Square Garden for the middleweight championship right after 9/11 and Lennox Lewis’ fight against Mike Tyson from Memphis in 2002. They will be joined by Max Kellerman as a moderator on that panel and we will also have on that show the five men who fought both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. That’s Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, and Shane Mosley.

So now with no further adieu, I want to remind you that that show “Mayweather/Pacquiao The Legends Speak” is going to air Saturday night immediately following our big heavyweight championship showdown from Madison Square Garden with Wladimir Klitschko taking on Bryant Jennings which starts at 10pm ET on HBO. We’ve only got George for a short time so we’re going to let him take over from here and speak a little and take questions from you. So let’s get started.

George, do you have anything to say? You want to just keep a little bit of an overview of what it’s like being you and going through the history we talked about?

George Foreman: Yes. It’s really good and I was really happy to be part of the panel to kind of describe because it brought back old memories I thought I had put to rest especially with the big fight of Mohammed Ali, George Foreman in Zaire and what it felt to be the one guy who knows what it’s all about to be undefeated and fight for the championship of the world for a guy who has been defeated more than once. I had that perspective and know what it feels not only to be in that position but to be knocked off that pedestal, not only lose the title, but to win with the (unintelligible).

I’ve been a fighter who’s been defeated. So with the panel, I will ask questions like that and how do I feel it’s going to go. The bigger puncher or the better boxer. I had all kind of thoughts on that and I was able to express swiftly with the HBO show coming up. So if you guys would like to ask any questions on how I feel about it…

Question: Hi. Thank you for putting me on the call. It’s quite a pleasure to talk to George Foreman. I have a couple of questions for the champ. Hello George.

George Foreman: Yes sir.

Question: Assuming Wladimir Klitschko beats Brian Jennings, and I think it’s the prevailing belief that he will, regarding Klitschko in his place in boxing history George, is he overrated, is he underrated? How should American fans in media think of his place in heavyweight championship history? They seem confused.

George Foreman: Confused is what it’s all about. Klitschko has had a good career. A lot of his fights have been out of the country as though he hasn’t even been invited into the real heavyweight picture in the United States. He’s a good fighter. You can’t talk about him unless you can beat him and it doesn’t seem that there’s anyone around who can truly beat him. The guy is good enough to be heavyweight champ of the world. No one can take that away from him unless you beat him. That’s all I can say. Words can’t dethrone him.

Question: George, why do you think Americans have lost interest in heavyweight boxing in the heavyweight championship? I mean, things are clearly not how they were when men like you, Ali, Fraser and the rest of those icons were active. What’s happened?

George Foreman: No. I mean, it’s like a vacuum cleaner for outer space. We are looking for heavyweights. We are searching everywhere. Looking under beds and under the rocks. Looking for great heavyweights. There just aren’t any around and if there were, we could take over but for some reason everybody’s got the glamour of all the other sports. Basketball, football, baseball has taken over but boxing will be back. Heavyweights will come on the scene and you won’t have to worry about who is heavyweight champ of the world. His name will ring loud but it will be an American.

Question: What do you think about Shannon Briggs still sticking around fighting, sticking around boxing, particularly at that advanced age, his social media campaign against Wladimir Klitschko? Real life – it seems like he’s stalking him in real life. Can he be the George Foreman of his time? He certainly claims to be. Can he regain the title?

George Foreman: I don’t think he was very good when he was real good and now he’s not very good. I guess you can read that but it’s nice to have an American heavyweight we can talk about. I can tell you that so let it be.

Question: Right and George, just one other thing. What do you recall about a possible Mike Tyson fight that might have taken place with you and Mike Tyson back in 1991 what? I think that was when the window was most open. The fight didn’t happen. Why?

George Foreman: In that strange because some things evidently are not meant to happen. To punchers meeting in the middle of the ring, neither one is looking to retreat or backpedal, that would’ve been one of the greatest heavyweight fights of all time. Great heavyweight. I mean, no jabbing, hiding out of the way, coming to us, I wish it had happened for boxing sake, but glad it didn’t happen for my own safety.

Question: Hey George Foreman. Pleasure to be on the line with you. Appreciate you taking the time my friend. My question is very direct. Who is going to win May 2, Mayweather or Pacquiao and how?

George Foreman: I picked Pacquiao to win six rounds and I think the seventh round will be even. Mayweather comes only but because he starts slow, it’s going to be too late. If you’re looking for some good judging, this fight will be one by one round over by Pacquiao on point.

Question: Maybe by – maybe by a single round. So the judges are going to screw it up. Is that right George?

George Foreman: If we’ve got good judges this time, it’s go Pacquiao – Mayweather starts off early kind of looking for his timing and this guy actually – Pacquiao will pop shot him and get ahead on points and he’ll stay ahead. He’ll slow down later on and Mayweather will take on the more aggression but he doesn’t have a right hand. He’ll hurt his right hand. He can’t get a knock-out. So he’ll just have to cruise on in and win or lose the fight just by a couple of points.

Question: Alright. A couple of points and you expect it to be a good fight, or a great fight, or will it not be able to exceed expectations?

George Foreman: I think for those who really are pure, the laws of boxing, it’s going to be a fantastic, amazing boxing match. One that is going to live up to all the hype. It really will.

Question: Will live up to all the hype. Excellent and last one sir. We tried to build our narratives as writers. A lot of people are trying to portray this is good versus evil. Mayweather likes to brag about his money a lot, show big stacks of bills and in a world in which there so much poverty, a lot of people find that to be repulsive. I’m wondering do we writers make too much of that trying to build up the good versus evil narrative or is there actually something to that?

George Foreman: There’s never been a great fight without the writers taking on and finding an identity for it. That’s probably what has happened boxing. Writers are not writing about us big boys anymore and I tell you right, however you feel, take something, find it, and use it because American needs something to read about. Not to see on television, but to read about. Let the writers take over.

Question: Let the writing take over.

George Foreman: Yes.

Question: Excellent. I’m saying that to the masses and all the social classes. I appreciate it George. Be well.

George Foreman: The only thing that Mayweather has going for him, and I’m going to tell you, he’s an American.

George Foreman: He’s got that going for him and nobody can take that from him.

Question: You kind of touched on it earlier. The division, in particular, has become very international. Klitschko hasn’t really fought in the US. I think maybe a big part of it has been the breakup of the Soviet Union and allowing all of these Russian fighters to be in a division that might not have participated before. I guess my question is do you think this internationalization, for lack of a better word of the sport, is a positive for boxing even if it’s become less popular in the United States

George Foreman: Yes. It’s the best thing that ever happened to boxing. All of the international guys that come in, all the talent from around the world, it helped boxing to make it great and everybody’s going to be on the edge of their seat watching the outcome of this fight because of the international flavor. It’s great for boxing and wherever hunger is, you’re going to have the best fighters. There seem to be more hungry guys from Russia

Question: I’m just wondering how often you have had a chance to see Jennings fight and what’s your assessment of his skills and his advantages?

George Foreman: Don’t know much about them. Wish I knew more about him but it’s going to really take someone special to dethrone Klitschko. It’s just – the guy is tall and believe me, a lot of people don’t understand that he’s the product of America. Emanuel Stewart teamed up with him and taught him how to stay on the jab and let him study it this guy is not really what you call an international fighter. He has cloned the American style. He’s got it.

Question: Hey George. It’s such a pleasure talking to you. Big fan. Connected to the Mayweather and Pacquiao a little bit earlier. What does a counter puncher, a pure counter puncher like Mayweather have to do against a busy puncher like Pacquiao to win?

George Foreman: The story of a counterpunch is that they are not going to do anything until you do something. It’s like, throw your punch. He said, wait because I’m waiting for him to throw his first. That’s why with a counter puncher against Pacquiao, you’re going to have to throw hard shots because you’ve got to get him dizzy and go for the finished two or three times and that’s what Mayweather is going to have to do. He can’t wait and hit later on. He’s going to have to throw combination and seek – you’re not going to get a knockout that easy but try anyway early on to stay ahead on point.

Question: We’ve seen Mayweather in the past often quite up and raise his shoulder up and use that defense and then kind of perform surgery on his opponents and pick them apart in later rounds. Do you think that can possibly work against Pacquiao and all his movement?

George Foreman: Well, he can only raise his shoulders and use that counter punching if somebody is attacking. Pacquiao is really a pop shot artist. He jabs you, moves to the side, sticks his head in, throws a punch from different angles. It’s hard to really get a counterpunch in or it’s not that easy on the guys he’s been facing. Mayweather is by far a defense of genius but believe me, to win these rounds, you’re going to have to become an offensive technician.

Question: Good afternoon George. I just have one question. You feel that too many comparisons are being made for the super fight of Mayweather versus Pacquiao to where their places in history instead of on the merits of the fight itself?

George Foreman: I think it’s a wonderful thing. We really like the idea to resurrect those old guys from the past. Keep it going. Keep comparing. I mean, comparing us. I mean, the families of Sugar Ray Robinson, the families of Joe Lewis or whoever. All these names are thrown out there and it gives us a chance to live again. I think the comparisons are good although this is a great fight by itself

Question: Hey George. Thanks for having us. Really quick – just sort of the premise of this call. I wanted to ask you what it’s like to be a fighter in a fight of this magnitude and you’ve been in that with Ali in Zaire and this is the biggest fight of the century. As a fighter, what is it like to be involved in this for these guys do you think?

George Foreman: This is probably for both Pacquiao and Mayweather the most lonely hours they’ve ever had in their life because you can train, you can have 1,000 people around you, but there’s no one truly to talk this over with. You’ve got to spend a lot of time within yourself. I remember that so much in those big fights how lonely it was because there is a conversation that can be discussed. No one can – you can only talk it over with you, inside you, and the bigger the fight is, the greater that conversation in the greater you have to go inside of yourself. It’s lonely. It’s more than lonely.

Question: Hey George. Hopping back in queue. I wanted to get your take on Floyd Mayweather not backing off of what he said a couple of days ago. He said, yes, he’s the greatest of all time. He’s the best ever. He said, Ali, yes he was great but he only did it in one weight class. I wanted to get your take on that. What are your thoughts?

George Foreman: Mayweather – and this fight, everything that he says amounts to be like one of those guys in church saying, ‘amen, amen,’ and the more he says it, the more you want to ‘amen’ him and become friends with him. Maybe he will loan you a couple of bucks.

The guy is that good. Even if you don’t like him, he’s good enough for you. I mean, you’ve got to be very good to have someone dislike you.

Mohammed Ali, George Foreman, we’ve had our day. I mean, look, we can’t do anything to help the future of boxing matches. Mayweather can. We’ve got to cheer for him. If that’s what he needs to do his talk, great.

Question: Hello George. You talked in an earlier question about the loneliness factor. I’d like to talk about something similar which is the pressure that the two fighters must be feeling. How did you deal with the pressure of the eyes of the world upon you and how do you think Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao are doing dealing with the pressures upon them right now?

George Foreman: I think Pacquiao has a little better because he’s already picked as the underdog. There’s not a whole lot of pressure on him but once you ever get into a boxing match of this nature and you’ve never lost before, you wake up in the morning, your heart is beating, you go to bed with a fast beat. You’re nervous. There’s so much pressure on Mayweather. More pressure probably than any athlete around right now because he’s undefeated so to speak.

Question: How devastating do you think a loss would be to Mayweather at this point in his career?

George Foreman: Once you’re – I was in that position when I lost to Mohammed Ali. It wasn’t like I lost the title. You lose your perspective of who you are as a human being. This could really knock him out that’s why I don’t think there can easily be a rematch if Mayweather loses because you have to go out into the mountains somewhere, the hills somewhere, to try to find himself all over again. This could devastate him as a boxer, not as a man, but as a boxer, this could devastate him, a loss.

Question: So I guess the potential for a rematch would be, in your eyes, not likely if Mayweather lost. Would you see a rematch if Pacquiao was the loser?

George Foreman: Mayweather is still in the driver seat. It wouldn’t change things much. That’s why it’s very important that Pacquiao takes advantage of this being the underdog. Here are, a great fighter like he is, and underdog. All he has to do is be himself and win that fight through every round, one after another, and if he doesn’t, then he’s going to put on a good show because that’s all he knows. So he went to matter what.

George Foreman: Guys, make sure you have a lot of fun. Remember boxing is in its heyday all over again. I’m happy. I’m just so happy for boxing

George Foreman: Thank you.

Biloxi, MS (April 24, 2015) – Ritehook Promotions in association with Reved Entertainment and Pier6 Promotions will present a one-of-a-kind evening of boxing featuring live fights and the fight of the century between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao Saturday, May 2 at the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi, MS.

Tickets for this special evening start at $35 and are available by going to Ticketmaster.com, the Hard Rock Box Office or calling 228-217-5555. All ticketholders are invited to stay at the Hard Rock following the live fights and watch Mayweather-Pacquiao on a 35-foot screen.

In the main event of the evening, highly touted Radivoje “Hod Rod” Kalajdzic risks his perfect record against 52 fight veteran William Johnson in a six round light heavyweight contest.

Born in Bosnia and currently residing in Saint Petersburg, FL, Kalajdzic’s professional ledger is 17-0 with 11 victories coming by knockout. The gifted 23-year-old has impressive wins over well-regarded Lionell Thompson, Donta Woods, Samson Onyango and spoilers Otis Griffin and Larry Pryor.

Hailing from Sardis, MS and having fought four times in Biloxi, Johnson is not only known to locals but has a significant edge in experience. Since turning pro 11 years ago, Johnson’s boxed 226 rounds while facing an impressive list of foes including Sergey Kovalev, Andre Berto, John Duddy, Joe Greene, Donovan George, Andre Dirrell and Medzhid Bektemirov amongst others. In 2007, Johnson scored the biggest win of his career, shutting out then 16-0 Darryl Salmon over six rounds.

In the co-featured bout of the evening, junior middleweight hopeful Manny “Shake Em’ Up” Woods looks to make it three straight when he faces an opponent to be announced. The Saint Petersburg based Woods is 12-3-1 with four knockouts and is a winner in four of his last five bouts.

MMA heavyweight star Tony Johnson Jr. of Nashville, TN will leave the octagon and take a quantum leap inside the squared circle when he meets 48 fight veteran Marvin Hunt over four rounds. Johnson, who is 1-0 as a boxer, won an MMA match two weeks ago as part of a Bellator card.

In undercard action, popular locals Mike Bissett and Tom Howard along with unbeatens Joey Bryant and Cameron Springer will all appear in separate bouts.

“May 2nd will go down as one of the most important dates in boxing history,” said William Hunter of Ritehook Promotions. “We are the only other promoter in America running a card that night. For less than the cost of the pay per view, we’re giving our ticketholders live fights with good prospects plus the Mayweather-Pacquiao match under one roof. There’s no better place to be next Saturday!”

For more information, go to Ritehookpromotions.com.

San Antonio, Texas (April 24, 2015)– Last Friday night in Hinckley, Minnesota, super bantamweight Adam Lopez scored a sensation second round stoppage over Phillip Adyaka at the Grand Casino.

The bout was part of the off-tv undercard of a CBS Sports Network televised card.

Lopez landed a booming right in round two that sent Adyakaon his back. Adyaka got to his feet but staggered back and the fight was stopped.

It was his second consecutive 2nd round stoppage under the GH3 Promotions Banner.

“I was trying to hit him with a right. I was working the body. I was setting it up from the first round on,” said Lopez. “I was able to catch him while he was pulling out.”

Lopez only had four stoppages in his first nine bouts, always knew he had the power but he was fighting bigger guys.

“I am growing into my body at 122 pounds. I always knew I had power. I started out at 115 pounds fighting these naturally bigger guys. Now that I am walking around at a heavier weight, I am fighting guys my size and my skills and power have been evident over the last few fights.”

Said Vito Milenicki of GH3 Promotions, “We are extremely pleased with Adam. When we signed him we knew we had a fighter who was on the upswing and with what he has shown in just two bouts with us, we see not only big things but major opportunities in the next eighteen months or so.”

Lopez is due back on May 22 in Corona, California.

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, undefeated lightweight Oscar Bonilla and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.

NEW YORK (April 24, 2015) – Showtime Networks Inc. and parent company CBS Corporation have scheduled a broad range of programming and promotion across the Company’s diverse portfolio of media platforms in anticipation of the showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao on Saturday, May 2.

SHOWTIME Sports® is anchoring the charge with 13½ hours of first-run shoulder programming, including its acclaimed documentary series INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO, classic fights and a comprehensive offering of digital assets.

In addition, the CBS Television Network will run promotional spots in primetime and late-night programming throughout fight week. This will be supplemented with marketing support and editorial coverage from CBS Sports Digital, significant coverage across CBS Sports Radio and a dozen CBS Radio stations throughout the country, and a robust schedule of shoulder programming and marketing support on CBS Sports Network.

“The Company is uniquely positioned to support an event of this magnitude with media assets across virtually every medium,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “We’re grateful for the company-wide support and look forward to an all-encompassing push leading to May 2 leading into this milestone sports event.”

SHOULDER PROGRAMMING AND PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT WILL INCLUDE:
INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO delivers a unique perspective of the pound-for-pound champion Mayweather in the weeks leading up to the marquee event. The four-part documentary series from SHOWTIME Sports includes the Sports Emmy Award-winning “Epilogue” which shines the spotlight on Fight Week and takes viewers inside the ropes on Fight Night. A full schedule of the four-part series is detailed below.

CBS Television Network will run Mayweather vs. Pacquiao promos during primetime and late-night throughout Fight Week.

CBS owned and operated television stations throughout the country have been actively engaged in coverage of the event since the March 11 kick-off press conference in Los Angeles. These affiliate stations, located in the nation’s top markets, will have access to all the news and footage of fight week through the distribution network of CBS Newspath.

CBS Sports Network will provide live Fight Week coverage from Las Vegas, including the official Weigh-In on Friday, May 1 (6 p.m. ET), as well as immediate reaction and analysis following the fight and the post-fight press conference. During the week leading up to the bout, the Network also will air encore presentations of classic Mayweather fights and INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO episodes.

CBS Sports Digital has launched a landing page at CBSSports.com, a one-stop shop for everything Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. The ‘Tier 1’ support from CBS Sports Digital includes static homepage promotions, additional marketing and significant editorial coverage on all digital platforms, including breaking news, commentary and placement of live event streams.

CBS Radio is backing May 2 with stations from 10 of the country’s top markets broadcasting live from MGM Grand, including WFAN in New York, KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, KRLD-FM in Dallas and WIP-FM in Philadelphia. Additionally, CBS Sports Radio’s nationally syndicated “The Doug Gottlieb Show” and (Scott) “Ferrall On The Bench” will be in Las Vegas for Fight Week. “The Doug Gottlieb Show” is simulcast on CBS Sports Network on Friday, May 1.

CBS Radio coverage also includes a special broadcast hosted by WFAN’s No. 1 morning show personalities Boomer and Carton on Saturday prior to the fight from 6-8 p.m. ET. The program is available on WFAN, CBS Sports Radio, and select CBS Radio stations nationwide. The special also will be simulcast for television on CBS Sports Network.

CBS Local Digital Media has created a comprehensive array of online audio, video and editorial features to promote the fight which can be experienced across a variety of digital and mobile platforms.

#MayPac:Daily is a daily online show hosted by SHOWTIME Sports personality Mauro Ranallo. The series will deliver the buzz of Fight Week in Las Vegas with special guests from sports and entertainment, insider analysis and more. Taped live from the casino floor at MGM Grand, #MayPac:Daily will be posted nightly Tuesday-Friday on http://www.sho.com/sho/sports/home and Youtube.com/shosports.

Additionally, the SHOWTIME Sports digital team is working closely with SnapChat to deliver exclusive content, launching a new boxing blog on TUMBLR called Pound for Pound, and working with Twitter on a unique feature capturing the years of social conversation leading to #MayPac.

Classic Floyd Mayweather fights are being offered across the premium network’s portals, including nightly on SHOWTIME EXTREME, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND and SHOWTIME ANYTIME. Those platforms will also offer the media workouts of Mayweather and Pacquiao and the live stream of the final press conference. Fans can tune-in to the final stare-down between the fighters on Friday, May 1 when SHOWTIME airs WEIGH-IN LIVE: MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO.

SHOWTIME Sports also delivers a host of short-form content available across multiple platforms, including original music videos, Mayweather greatest hits, a Spanish web analysis and more.

Below is a sampling of select SHOWTIME programs and air times:
INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO:
Episode 2 premieres Saturday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.
Episode 3 premieres Wednesday, April 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME
Epilogue premieres Saturday, May 9
WEIGH-IN LIVE: MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO: Friday, May 1 at 6 ET/3 PT, live on SHOWTIME
COUNTDOWN LIVE: MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO: Saturday, May 2 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, live on SHOWTIME

# # #

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Saturday’s HBO World Championship Boxing doubleheader telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

The HBO telecast kicks off from Madison Square Garden in New York City with an exciting 10-round welterweight showdown between Sadam Ali and Francisco Santana.

The main event pits Wladimir Klitschko defending his heavyweight championship against Bryant Jennings.

Official Weights from New York:

Wladimir Klitschko: 241.6 lbs.
Bryant Jennings: 226.8 lbs.

Sadam Ali: 146.8 lbs.
Francisco Santana: 146.4 lbs.

Join the conversation on Twitter: #KlitschkoJennings

In preparation for The World Heavyweight Championship: Wladimir Klitschko vs. Bryant Jennings tomorrow night, Saturday, April 25 at Madison Square Garden, MSG Network will telecast KLITSCHKO, a documentary featuring World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Wladimir Klitschko and his brother and former Heavyweight Champ Vitali Klitschko. KLITSCHKO introduces viewers to two brothers from Ukraine who went on to become the dominant forces in heavyweight boxing and who made history by being the first brothers to be world champions at the same time. KLITSCHKO will telecast at 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 on MSG Network.

Undisputed Heavyweight World Champion WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO will defend his 10-year title reign against top rated challenger BRYANT JENNINGS on Sat., April 25 emanating from the “The World’s Most Famous Arena”, Madison Square Garden. Holder of the IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO and “The Ring Magazine” world titles and undefeated over the last ten years, Klitschko returns to Madison Square Garden for the fourth time sporting a record of 63-3-0 (54KO’s).

LAS VEGAS (April 24, 2015) – There is just over one week until Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao square off for their epic welterweight championship showdown taking place Saturday, May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena that will be co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

While fans have gotten glimpses into the lives of these fighters through preview shows and social media postings, there are still many aspects of their lives that the public knows nothing about. Before training camp ends and the fighters lace up for fight night, take a look at some interesting things that you might not know about Mayweather and Pacquiao.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER

1. Twizzlers are one of his go-to favorite snacks

2. Ramen noodle soup is one of his favorite meals and he doesn’t like 5 star restaurants

3. Averages over 1000 sit-ups a day during training camp

4. He doesn’t use ketchup or mustard on hotdogs but uses BBQ sauce

5. A guilty pleasure is playing Mega Touch and holding the highest scores in every game on there- his favorites are Spades, Dominos and word scrambles.

6. The movie Troy with Brad Pitt is one he likes to watch over and over again.

7. Every juice he drinks during training camp is made from scratch

8. When out to eat, He always orders a glass of hot water to let his silverware soak in the glass before using them.

9. The tree trunks he has been using to chop wood are brought in from Big Bear and weigh nearly 700 pounds each.

10. He gets a manicure and pedicure at home once a week during training camp

11. He doesn’t use a microwave, only eats food cooked and heated up on a stove and in an oven.

12. His morning routine includes brushing teeth for 10 straight minutes.

MANNY PACQUIAO

1 He eats steamed white rice and chicken or beef broth at almost every meal

2. Manny will only drink hot or room temperature water. Never cold water because he feels it is not healthy

3. Manny averages over 2,500 sit-ups daily during training camp

4. Manny eats five meals and consumes 8,000 calories daily to keep his weight and energy up

5. Manny regularly has 500 fans follow him on his morning runs in Los Angeles

6. He starts every morning with a Bible reading

7. He loves his Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups

8. Over the past 12 months Manny has met with President Obama, President Clinton and Prince Harry

9. Pacman, Manny’s nine-year-old Jack Russell terrier and beloved companion, accompanies Manny on all his morning runs and to his workouts at Wild Card. He even has his own frequent flier account

10. Manny is a Lt. Colonel in the reserve force of Philippine Army

11. Floyd Mayweather will be the third consecutive undefeated world champion Manny has faced in the past 13 months

12. Manny is a big photography buff. This week he purchased two Canon flagship cameras – the 1DX — complete with lenses and accessories.

* * *

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is a 12-round welterweight world championship unification bout promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., and is sponsored by Tecate con caracter, Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions –Terminator Genisys, in theaters July 1st, Paramount Pictures & Skydance Productions present MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION, in theaters & IMAX July 31st, The Weinstein Company and the new movie Southpaw, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, in theaters everywhere July 24 and Mexico, Live it to Believe it.

For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.SHO.com/Sports,www.hbo.com/boxing and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @SHOSports, @HBOboxing and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOsports andwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 24, 2015) – Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) will look to keep his unbeaten streak alive when he meets 29-fight veteran Rudy “Bad News” Bears (16-13) in a welterweight tilt at “Bellator: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which takes place Friday, July 17, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The July 17 event is shaping up to be a tremendous showcase of welterweight talent, already featuring previously announced bouts between Bellator MMA Welterweight World Champion Douglas “The Phenom” Lima (26-5) and Russian knockout artist Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov (17-1), as well as Chris Honeycutt (6-0), who takes on Paul Bradley (22-6).

The two 170-pounders meet on the main card of “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT.

Tickets for the event are on sale now, and are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or Ticketmaster.com.

Page is undoubtedly one of the fastest-rising stars in all of mixed martial arts. Showcasing blazing speed and pinpoint accuracy, “Venom’s” unorthodox striking style has been built over a lifetime of study in a variety of standup disciplines. The 28-year-old already owns three Bellator MMA victories, including a decision win over Nah-Shon Burrell this past October, as well as knockout wins over Ricky Rainey and Ryan Sanders. Six of Page’s seven career wins have come via first-round finish.

A 36-year-old Missouri native, Bears began his combat sports training in high school. Fighting professionally since 2007, Bears has appeared seven times previously under the Bellator MMA banner and now returns to the promotion after racking up back-to-back victories on the regional stage. Bears has competed against MMA notables the likes of Zak Cummings, Paul Daley, Jason High, Ryan Jensen, Isaac Vallie-Flagg and Tyron Woodley, amongst others.

Additional contests for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” will be announced shortly.

“Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov” – Friday, July 17, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Champ Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (17-1)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (7-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-13)

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.

Chester, PA (April 24, 2015)–TOMORROW NIGHT!!, April 25, boxing returns to Harrahs Philadelphia with a terrific card promoted by King’s Promotions and XFE.

In the main event, undefeated lightweight Omar Douglas will see action in an six-round bout when he now fights former world title challenger Daniel Attah (28-19-1, 11 KO’s) of Washington, D.C.

In one of the anticipated undercard bouts, undefeated lightweight Angel Ocasio (7-0-2, 2 KO’s) will take on tough veteran Justin Johnson in a bout scheduled for six rounds.

It was just over two years ago when Ocasio, considered a rising prospect in Philadelphia, was last in the ring as he stopped Esteban Rodriguez in two rounds on December 8, 2012.

“I took the time off and found the lord and got married,”said the 25 year-old Ocasio.

“It was a much needed time off. I helped me realize that there are more important things then to just be a boxer. I know there that there other things as boxing is just temporarily. If boxing wasn’t here, I would still be the same guy. ”

Ocasio knows that he has a talent in the ring and after that hiatus, he didn’t find much problem getting back into the swing of things.

“The training aspect was not that difficult. I am good with weight and the running was good. I guess the only thing that needed time was my timing. But i got in great work with (undefeated lightweight) Milton Santiago Jr. and it came back nicely.”

Ocasio didn’t pick an easy customer for his comeback opponent in Johnson. Johnson’s record reads just 6-7-4 but he has wins over four undefeated prospects plus respect Philly fighter Hasan Young.

“Justin is tough. He defeated four undefeated fighters and I am sure he prepares well. Just by fighting a guy with that kind of record does not win fights. He is an experienced fighter so I know it will be a good fight.”

“I look to be very active for the rest of the year. I am looking for five total fights in 2015. Maybe two more six-round bouts and my goal is to be fighting eight round fights by the end of the year. I think I am about eight fights away from being one of those television fights that will get me to the top level.”

The well-spoken Ocasio is emphatic that despite his time away, he will soon be a big name in the sport.

“I am back. I am coming for what’s mine. The people who have been doubting me for a long time can still get on and join the team!”

In an eight-round bout, Javonte Starks (11-0, 7 KO’s) of Minneapolis, MN. will take Jeremiah Wiggins (10-3-1, 5 KO’s) of Newport News, VA in a welterweight bout..

Also in six-round bouts:

Kyrone Davis (6-0, 3 KO’s) of Wilmintond, DE will take on Carlos Garcia (7-13-1, 7 KO’s) of Puerto Rico in a Super Middleweight bout.

Adam Kownacki (8-0, 8 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will try to keep his perfect knockout streak going when he fights Randy Easton (3-6-1, 3 KO’s) of Sunbury, PA in a heavyweight bout.

Stephen Fulton (4-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will fight Jamal Parram (7-10-1, 5 KO’s) of St. Louis, MO in a featherweight bout.

Former U.S. Olympian, Raynell Williams (6-0, 3 KO’s) of Cleveland, OH will square off with Alfred Hall (4-8-2, 2 KO’s) of Jackson, Michigan in a lightweight bout.

In four-round bouts:

Christpher Brooker (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia, PA take on Maurice Amaro (2-8, 1 KO) of Philadelphia, PA in a super middleweight bout.

Stephan Shaw (3-0, 3 KO’s) of St. Louis, MO will battle Zachary Bunce (2-1, 1 KO) of Las Vegas, NV in a heavyweight bout.

Earl Newman (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will fight Julio Garcia (6-8-3, 3 KO’s) of Rincon, PR in a light heavyweight bout.

Tickets for this great night of boxing cost $100, $75 and $50 and can be purchased by calling 610-587-5950 or www.hboxing.eventbrite.com

LONDON (April 24) – Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has recalled his dramatic rise to the top on the eve of his world title defence against undefeated Bryant Jennings.

The Ukrainian superstar will make his return to US soil for the first time in seven years when he takes on the slick Philadelphian at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, live and exclusive on BoxNation this Saturday night.

The 39-year-old Klitschko, though, has been reminiscing about how it all started for him when he won Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996, instantly catapulting him into a hero in his home country over night.

“I remember before I went to the Olympics and former Olympic champion in track running, [Valeriy] Borzov, he was Minister of Sports in the Ukraine. He said, “Guys, you’re going to the Olympics and one of you is going to win gold. That’s going to change your life.”

“He was really right about it. I remember by winning the gold at the Olympics, when I came back home it completely changed my life,” said Klitschko.

“Sport definitely has power to change one’s life and the world, as Nelson Mandela said. When I became champion of the world in the heavyweight division, that was 15 years ago, in 2000, and it was an amazing moment.

“I do remember clearly how it was and it was additional motivation to keep doing what I was doing. I was only 24-years-old. I mean, very, very young, but I took it seriously and I was working up to it and I believed that my work was appreciated with my success in the ring and that I became champion,” he said.

WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO champion Klitschko hasn’t shown any signs of decline in recent times despite being just a year short of his 40th birthday.

Still dominant and sitting high at the top of boxing’s glamour division Klitschko believes age has no bearing on how long he can go on for.

“I definitely think that age is just a number. Actually, it’s a big advantage instead of disadvantage because with the age you’re getting better. With the right lifestyle there’s nothing that can go wrong,” said Klitschko.

“I’m really happy about the preparation [for this training camp] and I’m happy that I’m an athlete and I can get in the peak of my performance thanks to my experience. I’m looking forward to Saturday night.

“My sparring partners were 23, 25, 27, 29-years-old. It’s amazing and interesting that considering my age, I used to be the youngest in the gym all the time, and now it seems my sparring partners are much younger than me. I see myself in them and we work very well,” he said.

30-year-old challenger Jennings, with a record of 19-0 with 10 knockouts, has been working on ways to nullify the well renowned Klitschko jab which he has utilised so effectively against past opponents.

“He has a great jab but I have an exceptional jab compared to his as well. He is one of the best athletes I’ve seen for that,” said Jennings.

“There are definitely plenty of ways to actually get inside of a jab. Like lateral movement, head movement and relentless effort will definitely penetrate and make a change.

“I have 100% confidence in everything that I do. I had a great training camp. The way that we actually prepare to manoeuvre around the jab, I feel is effective and I have 100% faith in what we practiced. All I’m going to have to be is patient and be smart,” he said.

Klitschko v Jennings is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night at 1am. 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.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. 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.

24 April 2015 – Manila, Philippines: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Championship™ (ONE), returned to the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila in exciting fashion with another world-class mixed martial arts event. Fans were treated to an electrifying night of fights at ONE: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS. The main event was ruled a No Contest after an accidental eye poke deemed Luis Santos unable to continue in his bid for the ONE Welterweight World Championship against defending champion Ben Askren.

Visit the official ONE: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ogw4tb66e3467d5/AABAVUM5CDb9aMVF3VZN7O0Da?dl=0

The ONE Welterweight World Championship bout between reigning champion Ben “Funky” Askren and title challenger Luis Santos ended in a No Contest ruling after Santos was accidentally poked in the eye during an exchange. After a careful review of the exchange verified the eye poke, referee Olivier Coste gave Santos five minutes to recover. However, after five minutes, Santos’ vision was still impaired, ending the fight before it really began.

Filipino-American Mark “Mugen” Striegl showed the world that he is definitely more than just hype by dominating the very tough Casey Suire. Striegl’s world-class wrestling immediately shone through, as he took Suire down with a side headlock in the opening moments. The Filipino then moved to take Suire’s back and from there it was just a matter of time before Striegl was able to sink in a Rear Naked Choke, forcing Suire to tap out.

Anatpong Bunrad scored an upset victory over Team Lakay’s Geje Eustaquio in a close fight in front of Eustaquio’s home crowd in Manila. Eustaquio played the role of aggressor for most of the bout, while Bunrad opted to lay back and counter. Eustaquio, known for his well-rounded striking game, dictated the pace with his boxing and Wushu. Both fighters had their moments in close exchanges but Bunrad scored on a pair of takedowns, including one in the final round that sealed the deal. In the end, Bunrad just narrowly eclipsed Eustaquio by Split Decision, earning two of the three judges’ favor.

The charismatic Eugene Toquero brought the crowd to its feet with an exciting grappling performance against Brianata Rosadhi. Toquero dominated the entire fight for as long as it lasted, defeating Rosadhi by scintillating ground and pound in the first round. Within seconds, Toquero took down Rosadhi and worked on a pair of Rear Naked Choke attempts. When that was no longer available, Toquero took top position and began punishing Rosadhi with sharp elbows. Referee Joey Lepiten then stepped in to stop the bout.

After an impressive showcase of strikes, Edward Kelly finished off fellow Filipino Jimmy Yabo with a Rear Naked Choke in the very first round. Kelly started off quick with high velocity kicks, a staple of Wushu Sanshou as Yabo tried his best to defend from the onslaught. In the clinch, Kelly worked his way to take Yabo’s back and sunk in the choke with a minute left to go in the round. Still on his feet, Yabo signalled to the referee that he had enough by tapping the mat.

Amir Khan improved his record with a thorough victory over Bashir Ahmad in a tremendous display of grit from both warriors. Both men came out striking in the first round, with Ahmad landing some solid right hands while Khan worked his opponent’s body with vicious knees. After their war of attrition continued in the second, a cut opened up on Ahmad’s eyebrow. With his vision obscured, the referee had no choice but to stop the fight and award Khan the victory.

ONE Championship newcomer, flyweight Liu Xiao Yang, ended matters early against opponent Nicholas Lee, winning by stoppage just minutes into the first round. Liu looped a wide but powerful right hook to Lee’s temple that dropped and knocked him out as referee Olivier Coste stepped in to call a halt to the contest.

Wang Ya Wei and Sunoto kicked off an exciting night of fights at ONE: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS in a featherweight bout. Wang easily handled Sunoto, defeating the Indonesian striking specialist by ground and pound in the third round after a timid start from both fighters.

Official results for ONE: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS
ONE Welterweight World Championship bout: Ben Askren vs Luis Santos (No Contest)
Bantamweight bout: Mark Striegl defeats Casey Suire by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:48 of Round 1
Catchweight bout (57.1kg): Anatpong Bunrad defeats Geje Eustaquio by Split Decision
Flyweight bout: Eugene Toquero defeats Brianata Rosadhi by TKO (Strikes) at 3:41 of Round 1
Featherweight bout: Edward Kelly defeats Jimmy Yabo by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:05 of Round 1
Catchweight bout (68kg): Amir Khan defeats Bashir Ahmad by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 3:20 of Round 2
Flyweight bout: Liu Xiao Yang defeats Nicholas Lee by Knockout at 1:59 of Round 1
Featherweight bout: Wang Ya Wei defeats Sunoto by TKO (Strikes) at 1:21 of Round 3

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

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

About ONE Championship™
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Championship™ is Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, April 24, 2015- North Philly’s Own Cheesesteaks, Sumo Steaks, is proud to announce that their friends, fellow North Philadelphians, and big-hearted local community role models, Bryant Jennings and Jesse Hart, will both soon be making major career defining strides. Bryant Jennings will be fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship and Jesse Hart will be fighting on the undercard of the most anticipated Fight of the Century, Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.

Bryant Jennings enjoying a Sumo (Vegetarian Seitan) Cheesesteak

This Saturday, April 25th, Philadelphia’s own undefeated American boxer, Bryant “By-By” Jennings, (19-0, 10 KOs) takes on Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko (63-3, 54 KOs) from Kiev, Ukraine at the famed Madison Square Garden. Jennings will be joined by the legendary trainer Fred Jenkins and promoter Gary Shaw. “Bryant is very focused with a strong work ethic. We believe he’s going to upset Klitschko and are looking forward to “By-By” bringing the World Heavyweight Championship belts back to Philadelphia.” said Billy Creagh of Sumo Steaks.

Jesse Hart (left); Sumo Steaks owner Billy Creagh and Eugene “Cyclone” Hart

Sumo Steaks is equally excited for Jesse Hart (16-0,13 KOs) and D&D Management Team (Doc Nowicki & David Price) who will be fighting Mike Jimenez (17-0,11 KOs) from Chicago IL, on the biggest boxing card in history, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. They will come together on May 2nd, in Las Vegas, NV. at the MGM Grand for the USBA Super Middleweight Title. He will be joined by his cornermen, Fred Jenkins Sr, Danny Davis, Corey AKA Hundew MacDonald and Jesse’s father, Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, along with his promoter Top Rank’s Bob Arum.

Coincidentally In 1971, North Philadelphia’s Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali and won the World Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden in which was called “the Fight of the Century.” It was so big the ring announcer said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are not going to introduce the celebrities at ringside tonight, because everybody is here tonight.”

Located in North Philadelphia, home to boxing champions, Bernard Hopkins, Danny Garcia and the late Joe Frazier, Sumo Steaks opened in 2013 and was recently voted top Cheesesteak in Philly. They have been fortunate to get to know both Jesse and Bryant and their teams through various charity events and other activities. Sumo Steaks is also a proud sponsor of boxing events in Philadelphia. For more information, go to sumosteaks.com.

Joey Gamache expects Klara Svensson (15-0, 5 KOs) to seize her moment and claim the WBC Female World Light Welterweight title when she challenges Erica Anabella Farias (21-1, 10 KOs) on May 2 at the Frederiksberg-Hallerne in Copenhagen

Gamache has been studying Farias ahead of the Swedish star’s world title challenge, and despite the champion’s pedigree, the renowned American coach is confident his fighter has the ability to dethrone the experienced Argentinian.

“Farias is an unpredictable slugger, who has fought over ten world championship fights, so we know we can’t take her for granted,’’ said the former two-time world champion.

‘’But, fundamentally speaking Klara has more tools to work with. She’s got the height advantage, a longer reach and greater power. I expect her to be too big and too strong for Farias.

‘’I’m not taking anything away from the champion, but, in my opinion, this fight is Klara’s to lose. I really feel that it’s her time to shine and I expect her to grab this opportunity with both hands.

‘’Klara has never worked harder in the build up to a fight. She is constantly pushing herself in the gym and as a trainer I couldn’t ask for more. She is very demanding and never content. Let me tell you, that hunger will take her very far.”

This fight marks the culmination of the one and a half years Svensson and Gamache have spent working together. As the duo prepare for the biggest challenge of their so far successful partnership, the Malmo-boxer has heaped praise on her 48 year-old coach.

“Joey is the best,” said Svensson. “We have great chemistry. I’m the type that needs a gun to my head and Joey knows that. Since beginning of this year we have become much closer because of the magnitude of this fight. He is so dedicated and prepares for every little detail. Together, we have come up with the perfect plan to defeat Farias.’’

Team Sauerland in association with Betsafe presents the ‘Nordic Fight Night – Going For Gold’ on May 2 at the Frederiksberg-Hallerne in Copenhagen. The event will be broadcast live in Sweden on TV10 and Viaplay.se. Tickets are available via billetlugen.dk. Visit betsafe.com for the latest betting odds.

LOS ANGELES (April 23) – FOX Deportes and CLARO Sports will be in Mexico City, Mexico, tomorrow, Friday, April 24, as super lightweight contender Roberto “Massa” Ortiz returns in a 10-round bout against Juan Jesus “Burbuja” Rivera at the Foro Polanco Masaryk.

In the co-main event, hometown favorite Judith “La Peligrosa” Rodriguez defends her WBC Silver Super Flyweight Title against Guadalupe “Lupita” Martinez. Opening up the televised action Adan “Speedy” Mares of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, takes on Luis “Titan” Sanchez of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico in an eight-round lightweight fight.

Ortiz vs. Rivera is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Cancun Boxing de Pepe Gomez. The FOX Deportes tripleheader broadcast airs at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT. Claro Sports broadcast airs at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT and beginning with the co-main event.

Owner of a stellar (31-1-1 24 KOs) professional record, Torreon’s Roberto “Massa” Ortiz is on a quest to start a new winning streak after suffering the lone loss of his career against the hard-punching Lucas Matthysse last September. Before the defeat, the 29-year-old was on the fast track to a world title shot after winning the WBC Silver Welterweight belt and defending it successfully nine times. Now it’s time for him to begin the road back to the top and that journey starts on Friday night.

Upset-minded Juan Jesus “Burbuja” Rivera (27-12, 17 KOs) always brings a fight to the ring, making him a tough opponent for anyone at 140 pounds. Winner of four of his last seven, the 34-year-old from Aguascalientes has faced several world-class fighters over the course of a career that began in 2004, so he’s not intimidated about a meeting against Ortiz; in fact, he’s looking forward to this week’s bout and his chance to shine.

A fighter with one of the most deceiving records in boxing, Mexico City’s Judith “La Peligrosa” Rodriguez (8-7, 5 KOs) has long been an underrated competitor at 115 pounds, but now the rest of the world is starting to see how good she is. A four-time world title challenger, Rodriguez has won her last two bouts against Aniya Seki and Salma Canales, and in her first bout at home since 2011, she’s looking to put on a show.

Five-time world title challenger Guadalupe “Lupita” Martinez (8-8, 3 KOs) has fit a lot of fighting into just 23 years, and the Tlalnepantla, Mexico native believes she’s only getting started. Fresh off a December 20 win over Marisol Molina, Martinez may be going into her opponent’s backyard on Friday, but she’s confident that she will leave Mexico City with a win as well as some new fans.

The brother of multiple-division world champion Abner Mares, Guadalajara’s Adan “Speedy” Mares (13-0-1, 3 KOs) is a well-schooled boxer looking to take his game to the next level in 2015. The 25-year-old must most recently defeated Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico’s Miguel Angel Gonzalez in an exciting split decision win. Now, Mares is looking to continue his winning streak in 2015 with his first bout of the year against Luis Sanchez.

With five consecutive victories since 2013 against Luis Gonzalez, Jesus Cruz Bibiano, Adrian Padron, and Miguel Beltran, Luis “Titan” Sanchez is not ready to let his winning streak go when he faces Adan Mares on Friday. The Cancun native most recently defeated Alfonso Torres via split decision this past February in an exciting bout.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.quequi.com.mx and www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @PeriodicoQuequi and @FOXDeportes and visit on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/periodicoquequi and www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes and visit us on Instagram and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing.