Philadelphia, PA—Amir “Hard Core” Mansour, of Wilmington, DE, and Joey “The Tank” Dawejko, of Philadelphia, will collide in the most anticipated local showdown in years when they battle over 10 rounds—or less—for the vacant Pennsylvania State Heavyweight Title on Friday evening, May 8, at the 2300 Arena.

The Mansour-Dawejko contest, which will be televised live by ESPN 2, tops a seven-bout card that begins at 7 p.m. The ESPN 2-televised portion of the program begins at 9 p.m.

Mansour (above right), a powerful southpaw, is one of the most feared heavyweights in the world and constantly has been avoided by the big names in the division. At 42, and with time running out, he makes his ESPN debut after piling up a record of 21-1, 16 K0s.
A former USBA heavyweight champion, Mansour lost that belt to Steve Cunningham, who survived a pair of fifth-round knockdowns last year to earn a 10-round decision in Philadelphia.
Because of his inability to get the big- name contenders to fight him, Mansour is rated no higher than No. 24 by the WBC, which most boxing fans consider an insult to Mansour’s record and to his ability.
In his last fight Nov. 8 at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem (PA), Mansour scored what Sports Illustrated claimed was the Knockout of the Year when he flattened Fred Kassi, of New Orleans, LA, with a single right hand in the seventh round of their scheduled 10-rounder.
Mansour believes a win over Dawejko will get him back into the world rankings
“I’m gonna smash this kid,” Mansour said. “He doesn’t have the power or the skill level or the warrior’s mentality to go the full 10 rounds with me. I’m not going to leave it in the hands of the judges; I’m going to leave it in the hands of the paramedics.”
Dawejko (above left), 24, comes into this fight riding a six-fight winning streak, including a stretch of four consecutive first-round knockouts.
A pro since 2009, Dawejko is 14-3-2, 7 K0s, but he survived the first four and one-half years of his career by managing and promoting himself, accepting fights on short notice when he was out of shape.
Now, under new management (Club 57), Dawejko is finally living up to the promise he showed as a world-class amateur.
He opened 2015 with an eight-round decision victory over fringe contender Derric Rossy, of Medford, NY, then followed by beating former amateur rival Mark Rideout, of Philadelphia. His four first-round knockout victims may not have been world-beaters—David Williams, Philadelphia; Yohan Banks, Redwood City, CA; Rayford Johnson, Longview, TX; Enobong Umohette, Milwaukee, WI—but Dawejko needed less than six minutes combined to demolish all four of them.
“I can’t wait to step into the ring May 8 in my national TV debut,” Dawejko said. “It’s going to be an explosive night. I’m going to steamroll Mansour ‘cause I’m the tank.”

About May 8

The Mansour-Dawejko contest headlines a seven-bout card at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. Doors open at 6 pm; first fight is 7pm. The card will be televised live by ESPN 2 at 9 pm. Tickets are $55 and $80 and can be purchased by calling Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and Wanamaker’s Tickets (215-568-2400). Tickets also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.wanatix.com. The May 8 card is promoted by Peltz Boxing, Joe Hand Promotions and BAM Boxing.

Philadelphia, PA (March 16, 2015)–This past Friday it was announced that Boxcino 2014 Middleweight champion Willie Monroe Jr. has accepted the challenge and will fight WBA/IBO and WBC Interim Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin on May 16 at the Forum in Inglewood,California.

The event will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Monroe of Rochester, New York earned the opportunity on the strength of his three wins in the 2014 Boxcino Middleweight tournament and a ten-round unanimous decision victory over Bryan Vera on January 16.

“On May 16, I will shock the world,” said Monroe.

“I think this is an awesome fight. We have two contrasting styles and that will make for some spontaneous combustion. We will see which style comes out on top on May 16.”

“I want to thank Banner Promotions for standing by me. I also want to thank GGG for accepting the fight. This is a risky fight for him because people have not given me the credit for who I am.” continued Monroe. “I want to also thank Brian Kweder and John Campagna of ESPN for the platform of the Boxcino tournament. I know that it was those three fights that really spingboarded me into this position.”

Said Banner Promotions President Artie Pelullo, “We are extremely happy for Willie. He has worked very hard, and he got this opportunity the old-fashioned way. He earned it. To win the 2014 Boxcino tournament shows that when fighters take risks in their career, and they are willing to fight quality fighters, great things come from it. For that I have to really give a lot of credit to Brian Kweder and John Campagna of ESPN for help facilitating this great run that Willie has been on and which led to this opportunity.”

“When ESPN signed on with Banner Promotions to bring back the Boxcino Championship last year, Artie Pelullo promised that the tournament would produce a world champion just as it did back in the 1990’s,” said Brian Kweder, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions. “I’m happy to see Willie Monroe, Jr. get the first shot at delivering on that promise. This fight on May 16th is exactly the reason fight fans should tune in to this year’s crop of talent appearing in the Boxcino semifinals on April 10th on Friday Night Fights.”

New York (March 16, 2015)–Boxing is a funny business. Sometimes, even when you lose, you win.

So it was on Friday night, when 26-year-old Ecuadorean junior welterweight Erick Bone showed the world that he is a world-class talent and willing warrior.

Bone, who lives in Queens, NY, and is managed by Eli Mackay, was stopped in round five by former world champion Shawn Porter on Spike TV in Ontario, California.. Viewers saw Bone having some success against Porter. That success may have been suprising as Bone took the fight on twenty-four hours notice.

In round two, Bone, who is signed to adviser Al Haymon, sprained his right knee. He fought for three rounds on one knee. “I won’t make any excuses. But I want people to know I will be back, on TV, and I will be ready for a summer fight,” said Bone (16-2).

Mackay said he is proud his boxer stepped up a weight class on such short notice. “He fought on one knee,” Mackay marveled. “A doctor said it was good the fight ended because Erick’s knee could have been seriously hurt. But it’s just a sprain. Bottom line, Erick is a real talent and will make noise at junior welterweight!”

“As the fight progressed, Erick was starting to figure out Porter. It would have been real interesting to see how it would have played over the scheduled twelve rounds had he not injured his knee.”

CHICAGO (March 16, 2015) – Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike TV returns with an action-packed doubleheader on Friday, April 24 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago as the hard hitting Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (27-0-1, 22 KOs)faces off against challenger Badou Jack “The Ripper” (18-1, 12 KOs) in super middleweight action.

The first main event of the evening will see Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (28-1, 25 KOs) battling it out with exciting veteran Caleb “Golden” Truax (25-1-2, 15 KOs) in a middleweight bout.

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

The televised action on Spike TV begins at 9 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. PT (delayed on the west coast).

“I’m extremely excited to be fighting on Spike TV and I plan on being the guy everyone is talking about when the night is over,” said Dirrell. “This is a great platform for me and I’m more motivated than ever to put on a show for the fans. Badou Jack is a tough opponent but I’m going to make it a very bad night for him.”

“This is a great opportunity for me and I am not going to let it slip through my fingers,” said Jack. “I know Anthony Dirrell is a very skilled fighter but he’s about to feel a different kind of power when I hit him. I’m looking forward to becoming the super middleweight champion on April 24th.”

“The Miracle Man’ is back! I’m excited about this fight and I know it’s going to be a great night for the fans and I expect to put on a show,” said Jacobs. “Everyone in Chicago and everyone watching on Spike TV is going to be in for a treat.”

“I’m so thrilled to be able to compete in such a big fight on such a tremendous stage,” said Truax. “Jacobs is a good fighter and I respect him, but he’s never been in the ring with someone like me. I will make him pay if he underestimates me.”

“We’re excited to be bringing Premier Boxing Champions back to Spike TV and to the UIC Pavilion in Chicago for the first time,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing, co-promoter of the event with Mayweather Promotions. “Chicago has a great fight history and with two championship fights, April 24 will be another great chapter in that history.”

“We’re excited to be co-promoting this great night of boxing,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “”Badou Jack is a hard-working and motivated fighter who has been putting in the work to earn this world title shot. I expect a night of fireworks and on April 24th. Mayweather Promotions will have another champion.”

“We are thrilled to deliver to our viewers a compelling, action-packed event showcasing fighters who have beaten world class opponents in the ring and overwhelming obstacles outside of it to get to boxing’s big stage,” said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports, Spike TV.

Dirrell has seen more adversity than most throughout his career as his time in boxing has been seriously jeopardized twice. First in December 2006 when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and was sidelined for 20 months and again in May 2012 when he broke his lower left leg and left wrist in a motorcycle accident. The Flint, Michigan-native never let that keep him down however as he kept winning fights and working his way up the professional ranks. In 2014 he won his first championship, when he defeated Sakio Bika in a rematch of their 2013 draw. Now the 30-year-old looks to put on another show on April 24 in Chicago.

The 31-year-old Jack has been on course for a world title shot since signing with Mayweather Promotions in 2013. The hard-hitting fighter out of Las Vegas by way of Stockholm, Sweden, lost for the first time in 2014 but rebounded in his next bout with a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Jason Escalera in August and continued to impress in December when he stopped Francisco Sierra in the sixth-round. Now, the 2008 Gambian Olympian will get a shot on the big stage when he takes on Dirrell on April 24.

Another inspirational figure that will be entering the ring, Brooklyn’s Jacobs completed his road from cancer survivor to champion last August when he defeated Jarrod Fletcher for his middleweight title. In 2011, he was in pursuit of a championship when cancer threatened his life and kept him out of the ring for 19 months. But when he returned, he picked up where he left off, having not lost since. Now, he looks to build on his momentum against a tough opponent on April 24.

Born in Osseo, Minnesota, Truax is an experienced veteran who has fought professionally since 2007. Fighting mostly in his home state, the 31-year-old won his first 14 fights before his first blemish on his record, a draw with Phil Williams in 2010. Truax would win four more fights, including a victory over Williams that earned him a 2012 fight with Jermain Taylor. Truax dropped a tough decision to Taylor but has gone undefeated in eight fights since. Now, he enters the biggest fight of his career on April 24 in Chicago.

For more information, visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, or www.warriorsboxing.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AnthonyDirrell, @BadouJack, @DanielJacobsTKO, @GoldenCalebT, @WarriorsBoxProm, and @SpikeTV. Or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo and www.Facebook.com/Spike.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 16, 2015) – Less than a month after making history becoming the first-ever British World Champion in a major MMA organization, Liam McGeary (10-0) has signed a multi-fight, multi-year contract extension with Bellator MMA.

Born in England, but now living in the Bronx, NY where he trains with Renzo Gracie, Liam McGeary set a promotional record for most submission attempts (11) in a fight en route to defeating Emanuel Newton to win the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship at “Bellator: The British Invasion” last month.

“I’m excited to have signed this contract extension with Bellator,” said McGeary. “I know that I’ve got a target on my back as Champion, but I’ve never been one to walk away from a fight. Whoever Scott Coker decides to put across the cage from me next, it doesn’t matter. To me, their name might as well be ‘Victory #11’. I look forward to working with Coker and Spike TV for years to come.”

Photo Credit Bellator MMA / Eric Coleman
Photo Credit Bellator MMA / Lucas Noonan

Photo Credit Bellator MMA / Lucas Noonan

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 TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike TV:
Spike TV 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 TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’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.

New York, NY/Uncasville, CT (3/16/15) – On Friday, April 17th, DiBella Entertainment, in association with Fight Promotions Inc. and New Legend Boxing, returns to the beautiful Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT, for that week’s edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights.

Headlining the card is blue-chip middleweight prospect Sergey Derevyanchenko (4-0, 3KO’s) taking on hometown favorite and former middleweight world-title challenger Elvin Ayala (27-6-1, 12KO’s) in the 10-round feature bout of the evening.

In the co-feature, WBA #10-rated super featherweight Ryan Kielczweski (22-0, 6KO’s) puts his undefeated record on the line against Connecticut’s own Danny Aquino (16-2, 10KO’s) in an eight-round featherweight matchup.

ESPN will begin live coverage beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

“We are happy to be promoting what promises to be a strong night of boxing at Mohegan Sun on April 17th,” said promoter Lou DiBella. “Ryan ‘The Polish Prince’ Kielczweski has just entered the top-10 of the world rankings and continues his quest toward a world title against a very dangerous Danny Aquino in the co-feature. Our main event features elite middleweight prospect Sergey Derevyanchenko, as he attempts to follow in the footsteps of his countryman and stable-mate Ievgen Khytrov in making a statement to the middleweight division on April 17th, after only four professional fights, when he challenges gritty veteran Elvin Ayala. Ayala is the hometown fighter and has a huge advantage in professional experience, having fought for a world title. On April 17th, the boxing world will find out exactly who Sergey is.”

“Once again, ESPN’s Friday Night Fights is delivering entertaining boxing with a couple of exciting prospects who are ready to break out in Derevyanchenko and Kielczweski,” said Brian Kweder, ESPN Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions. “I’m especially looking forward to seeing ‘The Polish Prince’ [Kielczweski] for the third time in three years on our program.”

“We are happy to have another great night of fights in our building, a building that was built on great boxing events,” said Mohegan Sun’s Sr. Vice President of Sports and Entertainment Thomas Cantone.

Derevyanchenko was an outstanding amateur, compiling an astonishing 390-20 record. He represented his native Ukraine at the 2008 Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 2007 Amateur World Championships. Derevyanchenko also competed in the World Series of Boxing, where he posted a 23-1 overall record and was the 2012 WSB Team Champion and 2011 and 2012 WSB Individual Champion. Derevyanchenko’s rise up the world rankings is expected to be meteoric and anything less than a world championship would be a disappointment. In Ayala, Derevyanchenko meets easily his toughest opponent to date. Ayala is coming off a career-best showing, having won a unanimous decision over Aaron Mitchell (27-1-1) to put his career back on track. A win over the fast-rising Ukrainian will thrust Ayala, who anticipates having a raucous hometown crowd on hand, back into the world ratings as he looks to secure another shot at a world title.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be headlining this card and appearing for the first time on the ESPN network and I want to thank my promoters DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc. for this opportunity,” said Derevyanchenko. “Ayala is a very tough and experienced opponent. He challenged Arthur Abraham for his title, going 12 hard rounds. He is coming off a very good win in his most recent fight and I know he will be coming to win in front of his hometown fans come April 17. I am looking to make a statement in this fight though. I am going to show the world that I am one of the best 160-pounders in all of boxing and I belong at the elite level of this division.”

“On April 17th, I will be victorious. I am training like never before and I am ready to put on the performance of a lifetime. I have suffered losses in my career but never defeat. God knows this and I know this and now it is time for the world to know it, beginning with Sergey Derevyanchenko,” said Ayala.

Hailing from nearby Quincy, Mass., the bout on April 17th will be the third showing for the exciting and charismatic Kielczweski on the ESPN network. In his ESPN debut in 2013, Kielczweski scored a highlight-reel one-punch knockout over previously undefeated knockout artist Miguel Soto (11-0, 11KO’s). The knockout was so astonishing that it made that day’s “ESPN Top 10 Plays of the Day”. Kielczweski followed up that performance a year later with a dominant and exciting eight-round unanimous decision over once-beaten Ramsey Luna (12-1). Now Kielczweski is looking to make it a perfect 3-0 on the network and push himself closer to securing his first world-title opportunity when he meets his crosstown rival Aquino.

“This will be my third appearance on the ESPN network, and I am planning on making it my best performance yet,” said Kielczweski. “This is a huge opportunity for me to show the boxing world that I am one of the best 126-pounders in the division and that I am ready for a crack at a world title in the near future. Danny is a tough kid, and his only losses are to eventual world-title challengers, so I know that he is going to give it his all come April 17. That being said, I am going to be 100-percent mentally and physically ready to put on the best performance of my career, and keep my undefeated record intact.”

Aquino and Kielczweski have history together, as Aquino holds an amateur victory over the former National Golden Gloves runner-up Kielczweski. The Mexican-native, who moved to Meriden, CT, as a youth, is a relentless come-forward brawler, with power in both hands. Aquino holds three victories over previously undefeated opponents, and his losses have been via close decisions against eventual world title challenger and once-beaten Yoandris Salinas (20-1-2, 13KO’s) and Norberto Jimenez, who just fought for the WBA world super flyweight title in December of last year, holding defending champion Kohei Kono to a 12-round draw. A win over the top-10 rated Kielczweski will propel Aquino into the world-ratings and force the loaded featherweight division to take notice.

“I want to thank my promoters New Legend Boxing and DiBella Entertainment for this opportunity to showcase my skills on national TV. A win over Kielczweski will propel me into the world rankings and bring me a major step closer to fighting for a world title,” said Aquino.

Additional bouts on the card will be announced shortly.

Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $100, $70 and $30 (subject to additional fees). Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.mohegansun.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets may also be purchased by visiting the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Mohegan Sun Arena also ranked in the top 10 Arena’s in the world for 2014, regardless of size. For more information on concerts and other great events, visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.

NEW YORK (March 16, 2015) – SHOWTIME Sports® will present the Sky Sports telecast of the IBF Welterweight World Championship between defending champion and hometown favorite Kell Brook and No. 1 challenger Jo Jo Dan on Saturday, March 28, live on SHOWTIME at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT from the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England.

Later that evening, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), WBC Featherweight Champion Jhonny Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KOs), of Mexico City, will defend his 126-pound belt against quick-fisted southpaw Gary Russell Jr. (25-1, 14 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Md., in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING. In the co-feature, from The Pearl at Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas, undefeated world-ranked contender Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (25-0, 11 KOs), of Houston, faces experienced 2004 U.S. Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (35-1-1, 21 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., in a 10-round super welterweight showdown.

SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL Brook vs. Dan will replay immediately following the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast.

Brook’s upcoming title defense, promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, will be a raucous homecoming for the popular Brit, who last fought in Sheffield in October 2013. Billed as “Unbreakable” in the U.K., the event is also Brook’s comeback fight after getting attacked while on vacation last September.”

“March 28 will be an emotional night for Kell and the team. I remember being by his bedside in September in a Spanish hospital after that horrific knife attack, it looked like his career was over, Aid Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sports. “He has shown incredible physical and mental strength and looks better than ever in camp. Fans on Showtime will get to see in my opinion the best 147 pounder in the World light up a 10,000 sell out arena on March 28—don’t miss it!”

Brook (33-0, 22 KOs) of Sheffield, England, will be making his first start and initial defense of the 147-pound title he took from previously undefeated Shawn Porter via a 12-round majority decision last Aug. 16 in Carson, Calif., on SHOWTIME. In an impressive performance in his long-awaited shot at a world championship, Brook, 28, won clearly on two of the scorecards (117-111, 116-112) while the third judge had it even (114-114).

“After everything that’s happened over the last six months, it feels incredible knowing I will be defending my World title in Sheffield,” said Brook. “I’m not looking past JoJo I know he will bring the heat but I want to get this mandatory defence done and then target those mega-fights that are out there in the division. I know he feels he worked so hard to get into the mandatory position just like I did, but I will be working twice as hard to keep the belt that I earned. After May 2nd, there will only be two champions in the division—myself and Floyd or Manny. I want to unify this division in style. I’m coming for them all.”

Dan (34-2, 18 KOs), of Quebec, Canada, has won five in a row and eight of his last nine. The 33-year-old earned the crack at the crown with a 12-round split decision over Kevin Bizier in an elimination bout last Dec. 19 on SHOWTIME. Dan also won a split decision over the then-unbeaten Bizier on Nov. 30, 2013.

A native of Romania, the crowd-pleasing Dan, whose full name is Ionut Dan Ion, has lived and trained in Montreal since his pro debut in April 2004. The only blemishes on the southpaw’s record are a pair of close, controversial decision losses to then-undefeated contender Selcuk Aydin –the first in 2010 and the second in 2011– both in Aydin’s native Turkey.

“Kell has not fought anyone like me,” Dan said. “I believe in myself and I don’t think he can bring anything I can’t deal with on fight night. I saw his last fight where he won the world title and it was a great performance, but I just let my team study him in depth and come up with a winning strategy.

“I have waited a long time to get a world title shot so I am determined to take advantage of this opportunity. My prediction for the fight is simple –Jo Jo Dan becomes the new IBF Welterweight World champion.”

# # #

About Showtime Networks Inc.:

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® 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®.

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 16, 2015) – This past Friday night at the “Battle on the Mainland” card which took place at the Charles Doyle Convention Center in Texas City, TX, Light-Heavyweight bomber, Medzhidm “B-52” Bektemirov (15-0, 12 KOs) overpowered James Johnson (28-45-4, 17 KOs), stopping the veteran in the 1st round of their scheduled 6-round bout. A
plethora of powerful body blows by B-52 let to a big straight right hand that landed flush on the head of Johnson which led to the bout being stopped.

Co-promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Savarese Promotions, B-52 is on a mission to take over the Light Heavyweight division. With tremendous power in both hands and great footwork, Bektemirov believes in his ability to become a world champion one day.

“With each fight I’m getting better,” said B-52, “I’m blessed to have power in both of my hands so I can knock you out with either one. Ronnie Shields, who is one of the best trainers in boxing, has me working on moving my head and defense. Gary Shaw and Lou Savarese have promised to keep me busy so I’m going to get back in the gym as soon as possible to start perfecting my craft. I can’t wait to get back in the ring and start dropping bombs, B-52 style.”

“Lou and I are very excited about B-52 and his ability to knockout opponents with either hand,” Gary Shaw said. “We want to get him back in the ring as soon as possible. I believe we have the next Sergey Kovalev and with a few more wins, Bektemirov will be knocking on the door of everyone in the top ten of all sanctioning organizations.

“I keep telling everyone this kid can go.” stated Lou Savarese. “B-52 possesses that raw power that you look for in a fighter. He’s knocking people out with right hooks, left hooks, uppercuts, you name it he’s doing it. Ronnie Shields is working on his defense so he’ll become the full package. Bektemirov will be back in the ring soon.”

WESTBURY, N.Y. (March. 14, 2015) – Talented unbeaten middleweight Antoine Douglas made an impressive 2015 debut thoroughly outboxing previously unbeaten Thomas LaManna before finishing him by TKO at 2:44 of the sixth-round in the main event of a night of knockouts on ShoBox: The New Generation Friday from The Space at Westbury in Westbury, N.Y.

Douglas (17-0-1, 10 KOs), of Washington, D.C., controlled the bout from the opening bell and was the more active and accurate fighter, throwing 127 total punches to LaManna’s 73. LaManna (16-1, 7 KOs), of Millville, N.J., was tough and tried to counter, but wasn’t experienced enough to land anything meaningful against the skilled Washingtonian. Douglas employed a diverse and ferocious attack of uppercuts, hooks and jabs knocking LaManna down twice before scoring the knockout in an exciting win.

“I put the work in at the gym and that made it easy. It took me longer than I thought it would, but I got the job done,” said Douglas. “I thought I hurt him early in the fight now and then. I just wanted to keep the ball rolling from here.”

“He’s a good fighter, fast and strong. He’s everything I thought he would be. It was a learning experience for me,” said LaManna. “He caught me with a good shot. The first knockdown wasn’t a knockdown. The last one, I was off balance, but he caught me with a good shot. He was the better man tonight.”

“The last time Douglas fought on ShoBox, it was a very unsatisfying fight because he was held to a draw and he faded late. This time, he took control the first 30 seconds of the first round, won every round, and then, just as you thought that the only thing that he needed to do was put an exclamation point on the performance, that’s what he did by scoring three knockdowns in the sixth,” said Boxing Historian and SHOWTIME Analyst Steve Farhood. “Douglas took down a fighter that had never been down before. This was a very impressive performance that reestablished him as a top 160-pound American prospect.”

In the co-feature of a thrilling quadrupleheader, unbeaten southpaw Ismael “El Tigre” Barroso (17-0-2, 16 KOs), of El Tigre, Venezuela, scored his 13th consecutive victory earning the NABO Lightweight Title with a TKO over determined Issouf “Volcano” Kinda (17-3, 7 KOs), of Bronx, N.Y. The stoppage happened just three seconds deep in the sixth after Kinda appeared to have problems with his vision.

Barroso dominated from the early rounds despite a nasty cut above his right eye in the third and another below his left eye in the fourth, both from accidental heabutts from Kinda.

“I fight better when I’m worried. I had to get worried I would lose so I knew I had to fight my best,” said Barroso. “The cuts bothered me a little but I had a job to do. I thank God everything went well once I started to fight the way I fight.”

Kinda was rushed to the hospital with a possible orbital fracture. This is the second time he has experienced vision problems in his last three fights.

Skilled Jerry “The King’s Son” Odom (13-1, 1 NC, 12 KOs), of Washington D.C., avenged his lone loss with a first-round TKO against formerly unbeaten Andrew “Hurricane” Hernandez (8-1-1, 1 ND, 1 KO) of Phoenix, Ariz., in a super middleweight rematch.

Odom delivered his 12th knockout in 13 fights at 2:47 of the first by throwing solid jabs and strong connecting power shots. Hernandez attempted to counterpunch, but he was quickly finished by the talented Odom.

“I told you he couldn’t beat me. He caught me at a bad moment in the first fight,” said Odom. “I did it like my idol Roy Jones did it. After I hit him, I saw him smile, so I knew I hurt him. I did to him this time what I was on the way to doing in the first fight.”

Although it was clear that Hernandez was hurt, he challenged the referee call.

“I don’t know how the referee sleeps at night. He made a huge mistake,” said Hernández. “I was dominating. As soon as he landed a punch, they stopped the fight. I want a third fight. The world saw and will demand a rubber match.”

In the opening bout of the telecast, San Antonio’s Adam “Mantequilla” Lopez (10-0, 5 KOs) kept his record unblemished by delivering a second-round TKO at 1:42 with a strong left hook over fellow countryman Pablo “El Zankudo Letal” Cruz (11-1, 3 KOs) in a battle of Lone Star State super bantamweights.

“I hurt my left hand in the first round, but I knocked him out with the same punch a round later. I’m looking forward to fighting on SHOWTIME again,” said Lopez.

# # #

The event was promoted by GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions in association with David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions and sponsored by Foxwoods Resort Casino & Westbury Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge and Ram Dealership & Maxim Group.

LAS VEGAS (March 14, 2015) – Last night 50-year old WBC #16 heavyweight contender, “Bronco” Billy Wright (47-4, 38 KOs), annihilated Gilberto Matheus Domingos (22-3, 20 KOs), stopping the Brazilian with a devastating body blow at the 1:15 mark of round one. The10-round main event took place on the RJJ Boxing Promotions at the We Ko Pa Casino in Fort McDowell, Arizona.

With the victory, “Bronco” Billy retained his WBC LATIN AMERICAN and FECARBOX titles while extending his winning streak to 18, 14 of which came by way of knockout in consecutive bouts .

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to defend my WBC belts here in the United States as it’s been a long time since I fought here.” said Bronco Billy Wright. “Mauricio Sulaiman has been a man of his word, moving me up the rankings as I continue to win fights. Right now I’m a #16, looking to crack the top 15 with this victory. Against Domingos, I wanted to make a statement and end the fight early with a knockout. The plan was to go in and land as many powerful body shots as possible. It worked and I came out on top. I’m going to keep marching up the WBC rankings with the goal getting a big fight against any of top contenders. The problem is, none of these guys want to fight me. I’m ready to take on all comers ahead of me.”

In addition, Bronco Billy recorded his 29th first round knockout. One of his goal is to break the heavyweight record for 1st round knockouts held by Shannon Briggs which stands at 35.

LINCOLN, R.I. (March 13th, 2015) – Efficient and tactical in his approach, 14-time Bellator vet Rick Hawn performed with surgeon-like precision Friday in the main event of “CES MMA XXVIII” at Twin River Casino while fan-favorite Luis Felix stole the show.

Hawn (20-4) boxed circles around challenger Derek Loffer (9-3) to earn a lopsided, 30-27, unanimous decision on all three scorecards, and Felix, the Providence, R.I., native fighting for the third time on AXS TV, dazzled the crowd with a first-round knockout win over Cincinnati’s Reggie Merriweather in the co-feature.

A former U.S. Olympian and four-time national judo champion, Hawn circled the cage effectively and continuously peppered Loffer, frustrating the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native in a relatively effortless win. Hawn scored a takedown late in the second round and wore down Loffer with short elbows and fists to the ribcage. The third round was more of the same, slick boxing and flawless footwork for Hawn, who won his second consecutive fight and sixth in his last eight tries.

Felix (13-8, 5 KOs) turned back the clock to 2014 with his knockout win over Merriweather (6-6), stopping his opponent at the 4:29 mark of the opening round.

Reminiscent of the head kick that knocked Drew Fickett cold in March of 2014, Felix clipped Merriweather with a similar blow late in the opening round. The kick didn’t quite finish the fight, but it was the beginning of the end for Merriweather as Felix quickly closed in with a series of rights and lefts before referee Kevin Mulhall mercifully stopped the fight. Since losing to Julian Lane in August in his AXS TV debut, Felix has now won back-to-back fights on network television.

Also on the main card, Selden, N.Y., featherweight Brian Kelleher (12-7) silenced the pro-Andre Soukhamthath (8-3) crowd, easily defeating the Woonsocket, R.I. (Boca Raton, Fla.), fan-favorite by unanimous decision, 30-27, on all three scorecards.

The two were originally supposed to fight in January, but Soukhamthath withdrew due to an illness. Kelleher dominated Friday’s fight, nearly submitting Soukhamthath several times with guillotine and rear-naked chokes. Even though Soukhamthath broke free from all of Kelleher’s submission, he spent the majority of the fight in defense mode, never really getting a chance to let his hands with the exception of a brief flurry at the end of the second.

Kelleher picked up right where he left off in the third, taking Soukhamthath to the canvas early and dominating the ground and pound to earn a convincing win in his CES MMA debut.

Submission specialist Roger Carroll (16-11, 15 submissions) added another one to his resume, forcing fan-favorite Todd Chattelle (12-12) of Pawtucket, R.I., to tap out via Peruvian necktie at the 2:25 mark of the second round.

Fighting on AXS TV for the fifth time, Carroll had trouble against the taller Chattelle in the opening round, unable to work his way to the inside as Chattelle kept him at bay with a combination of leg kicks and jabs. Once he got Chattelle to the canvas in the second, Carroll went to work, submitting the 12-time CES MMA vet and earning the 15th submission victory of his career.

Chattelle, the first-ever CES MMA champion and the most prolific fighter in the promotion’s history with 12 appearances, announced his retirement shortly after the fight, ending an eight-year professional career that began in 2007.

Boston native Kyle Bochniak (5-0, 2 KOs) kicked off the main card on AXS TV with a bang, knocking out Dominic Warr (5-5) with an overhand right at the 1:49 mark of the opening round. Warr and Bochniak exchanged blows for the first minute, mixing in leg kicks and jabs, until Bochniak clipped Warr with a hard right that sent the Alston, Mass., native crashing to the canvas. Mulhall immediately stopped the bout before Bochniak could inflict more damage.

Hard-hitting Joey Gomez (6-0, 6 KOs) of Hollis, N.H., followed with another highlight-reel knockout, keeping his perfect record and KO streak intact with a victory over Cambridge, Mass., bantamweight Kin Moy (6-2). A potential Fight of the Night candidate, this highly-anticipated showdown ended at the 1:30 mark with Moy feigned a jab and got knocked out with an overhand right, the sixth first-round knockout of Gomez’s career.

Heavyweight Tyler King (9-2) of Norwood, Mass., fighting on just 10 days’ notice, upended Syracuse, N.Y., vet Mike Mucitelli (7-3) by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27. Despite early takedowns by Mucitelli in the opening round, King controlled the pace of the fight, specifically on the ground, where he dominated with the ground and pound to wear down the smaller Mucitelli.

Lightweight Jay Bakanowski stole the show on the preliminary card, knocking out Lewis Corapi in the second round of their scheduled three-round bout.

The Medfod, Mass., native Corapi (6-2) entered Friday with six wins in seven pro bouts and dominated the majority of the fight, peppering Bakanowski (3-1, 2 KOs) with kicks to the midsection and straight rights upstairs, but Bakanowski turned the tables midway through the second round with a left hook to the jaw. Corapi crumbled to the canvas and Bakanowski immediately followed with a series of hammerfists to earn the surprising stoppage from referee Kevin MacDonald at the 2:25 mark, the biggest win of the Northborough, Mass., native’s career.

The Bakanowski-Corapi bout was the fourth and final fight of the preliminary card before the start of the live AXS TV broadcast beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

Flyweight Jesse Gutierrez (1-0) of Norwood, Mass., impressed in the opening preliminary bout, submitting Chad Kelly (3-2) of Gardner, Mass., at the 4:58 mark of the opening round via triangle choke. Making his professional debut, Gutierrez dominated the bout, peppering Kelly with kicks to the liver and using his boxing skills to land crisp combinations. Gutierrez locked in the triangle choke in the closing seconds and forced Kelly to submit right before the bell.

Also making her pro debut, female bantamweight Sarah Payant (1-0) of West Springfield, Mass., scored an improbable victory with just seven seconds remaining when he she forced fellow debut Janice Meyer (0-1) of Cortland, N.Y., via triangle choke. Meyer dominated the second round and the majority of the third with effective ground and pound and appeared to be ahead on the scorecards with time winding down, but Payant locked in the triangle and Meyer couldn’t break free before submitting at the 4:53 mark.

Boston featherweight James Grant Murrin (3-0) remained unbeaten with the first submission win of his career, forcing fellow Bostonian Lionel Young (6-15) to tap via rear-naked choke at the 2:25 mark of the third and final round.

ADAM ETCHES says he’ll do what Martin Murray and Frank Buglioni couldn’t and stop Sergey Khomitsky.

In a career spanning 16 years, the Belarusian has only failed to hear the final bell three times, with middleweight superstar Gennady Golovkin being the only man to legitimately take him out.

Khomitsky’s other stoppages come due to a retirement against Avtandil Khurtsidze and a mix up concerning loose tape on his gloves during his fight with former two-time world champion Robert Stieglitz.

But Etches believes he has dynamite in his fists and can add to the visitor to his long line of knockout victims.

“He’s not coming to make the numbers up and just get through the fight, he’s coming to win and I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Adam, 18-0 (15 KOs), said.

“I’m expecting to stop him. A lot of people probably think I’ll win on points or there’ll be an upset, but I think I hit hard enough to get him out of there eventually.

“I never go into a fight expecting to go 12 rounds. I want to take them out as soon as possible and this is no different. Obviously he’s not going to keel over easily and I have to be fit enough to go the distance if needed, but I do think I can stop him.

“My ultimate goal is to be a world champion and to get there you’ve got to be beating this kind of opponent.

“Everyone knows Khomitsky’s tough and he’s stopped Buglioni and drew with Nick Blackwell, but I believe I’m better than they are and I’m one of the top middleweights in Britain.”

Etches v Khomitsky features on a huge night of boxing in Sheffield as Kell Brook defends his IBF welterweight title against Romania’s Jo Jo Dan and Gavin McDonnell continues his fairy tale story challenging Ukrainian Oleksander Yegorov for the vacant European super-bantamweight title.

Frankie Gavin makes his Sky Sports return as he prepares for his crunch clash with Chris van Heerden on May 9 in Birmingham and former world bantamweight king Anselmo Moreno makes his UK debut against Wales’ Robbie Turley. Kal Yafai continues his march towards a world title and GB Podium squad member Charlie Edwards fights for the second time in the paid ranks on the bill.

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

LOS ANGELES – (March 13, 2015) – Befitting the unprecedented nature of this mega-fight, a bout that is expected to be the richest in boxing history, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao were given the royal treatment Wednesday at a gala press conference at Nokia Theatre at LA Live.

A glitzy, Hollywood-style red carpet—comparable to that of Hollywood’s biggest award shows—was rolled out to welcome the fighters and afford access to more than 700 credentialed media members from around the world. Among the formidable press core were dozens of television and radio crews and literally hundreds of newspaper columnists, boxing writers, and news, entertainment and sports reporters. Even the Goodyear Blimp flew above to mark the occasion as the top-two fighters of this generation, Mayweather and Pacquiao, went face-to-face for the first time prior to their epic welterweight world championship unification bout Saturday, May 2, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., the pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by SHOWTIME PPV® and HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Here are what participants from Wednesday’s press conference had to say:

Floyd Mayweather
“This fight could’ve happened a long time ago, but it’s the right time now. It’s an unbelievable matchup and I know the fans can’t wait for this. The timing is right and the timing is now.

“We finally made it happen. Everything is about timing.

“There was no resentment towards (former promoter) Bob Arum, I was just happy to become my own boss after years of working hard and dedicating myself to boxing and also learning the business side of it. With time, I eventually had to become my own boss. There are no hard feelings towards Bob Arum at all.

“It’s always good to see the best fight the best, that’s what’s so intriguing about this matchup.
“I think that us meeting after the Miami Heat basketball game, meeting one-on-one, I feel that that is the reason why this fight happened.

“It really came down to my team and his team sitting down and communicating, getting on the same page basically.

“There is no sense of relief that the fight is made. My focus is just on living my daily life and focusing on what I have to do. I can’t live my life for anyone else.

“We have faced all the top guys in this sport and have beaten all the top guys. After this fight, which I believe I will be victorious, then we will move on to another guy.

“May 2 we have a tough task ahead of me. Manny Pacquaio is a good fighter, but last time I checked I faced eight southpaws and won eight times, so I am not worried.

“You best believe that I will be in top shape and be the best Floyd Mayweather I can possibly be.

“It’s always great to get back to the great city of Las Vegas. Lights, camera, action. The MGM Grand is the best hotel on earth. It was always my goal to be fighting there. The first time I went there for a fight was when I was 17, I saw James Toney and Roy Jones.

“I have had an unbelievable career. It all started with my father. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be where I am today. When you put all the pieces to the puzzle together, I just feel like I’m the center piece. Every day when I think about my career I don’t regret anything. We will go down in history as some of the best fighters, the fighting Mayweathers.

“I hope the fight meets the hype. All we can do as fighters is go out there and perform and do what we do best.

“I have nothing to prove on May 2. I know about my skills, I know what I can do and I know what I bring to the sport of boxing. I am truly blessed to have broken all the records in boxing. Right now I don’t see any particular fighter breaking any of my records.

“I think that styles make fights, and I think that our two different styles make for an exciting fight.

“Any fighter is dangerous. When I face different opponents, I can figure a guy out instantly. I know what he does well and what he doesn’t do well. My job is to find out what he does do well.

“If a fighter lost before, losing is in the back of his mind. For me, all I’ve done in my career is win, so winning is always in my mind.

“How much money I’m making really isn’t my focus. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if it wasn’t for all the writers and media outlets. I am thankful for each person, whether it was a good story or bad story. For 19 years, you guys kept me relevant. As far as the money persona, it really has reinvented itself. I was ‘Pretty Boy Floyd’ and then I come back as Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather. It’s all about reinventing yourself. I want to continue making smart investments so my grandkids are OK.

“ I always have the remedy to do what I have to do to come out on top.

“I’m pretty sure my father has a great game plan so we can go out there and do what we do best. Our game plan is to be smart, be first, take our time and get the job done.

“I think that Manny Pacquaio is a very interesting fighter. For him to get to where he is now, it’s obvious that he has had to do something right.

“No one should have been waiting until I became 47-0 to bet on me, they should’ve been betting on me from the beginning.”

Manny Pacquiao:
“I am so happy that this fight has been made, and I know that boxing fans feel the same way.

“In Miami we talked about the fight and I understood that I was the B side and he was the A side.

“I believe that this fight has been well worth the wait. More people are familiar with us as fighters, even people who aren’t fans of boxing know about this fight.

“All the Filipino people are going to watch this fight.

“Training camp is going well. We are very happy. I am updating my training each day on my Instagram.

“I like being the underdog going into a fight. It has been a while since I’ve been one. This time around it gives me much more motivation and I am determined to prove that I can win.

“This fight is very important to me and in boxing history. We don’t want to leave a question mark in the mind of boxing fans. Boxing fans have been eager to see this fight for five years. They have been asking me the same question and it is finally happening.

“I keep fighting because boxing is my passion, I love boxing. I have been able to help my family through boxing.

“The Filipino people are very excited for this fight and I can’t wait to bring a victory to the country.
“I don’t want to judge, but I am very confident about this fight. I was more worried about my fights against [Oscar] De La Hoya, [Antonio] Margarito and [Miguel] Cotto, than I am with fighting Floyd Mayweather.

“Pleasing the fans is the most important thing to me; I want to make them happy. I get emotional sometimes in the ring because I just want to make them happy.

“I don’t get discouraged anymore with a loss in boxing. It is a part of the game and I have taken the losses and have made myself a better fighter. It’s about building yourself up and turning yourself into a better fighter.

“I will win May 2.”

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions:
“We are very excited to making history today by officially announcing the biggest fight in the history of boxing and one of the biggest events in the history of sports.

“I would like to recognize the role that Floyd and Manny had in making this fight. The meeting that they had in Miami was a major milestone and I would personally like to thank Floyd for making it happen.

“Over the years Floyd has made the MGM Grand his home and they have gone above and beyond to ensure the highest quality for every Floyd event. This will be Floyd’s 11th consecutive fight at the MGM Grand and the 14th time that he will have fought there in his career.

“Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is a tremendous fight between two great champions and two great men. May 2 will be a spectacle unlike anything that Las Vegas has ever seen before.”

Bob Arum, Founder and CEO of Top Rank:
“It started when Les Moonves [chairman of CBS] came to my house. He visited me on a couple of occasions to tell me that he wanted to make this fight happen. He wanted me to go to Manny [Pacquiao] and discuss with him the purse that would be acceptable.

“We had frequent dialogue. I felt confident that it was going to happen because Moonves would do whatever he could to make this happen.

“It wasn’t until the basketball game in Miami where Manny was convinced that Floyd wanted the fight.

“It was probably the most difficult fight to make that I’ve been a part of. It took five years to make.

“One thing is clear; it’s the biggest fight of this century.

“I have no animosity with Floyd Mayweather. Floyd has always remained a good friend; I have nothing whatsoever bad to say about Floyd as a person.

“I love Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach. When Manny wins on May 2, which I’m sure he will, I will have a great deal of satisfaction for the both of them. They will have done the work to make it happen.

“Floyd’s style is really fit to fight a right-handed fighter. The southpaws that he has fought have given him problems and he has risen above, but the southpaws he fought in the past aren’t Manny Pacquiao.

“This fight is going to bring tremendous revenue to all of Las Vegas. I would’ve been put in a terrible position if I would’ve tried to move this fight out of Las Vegas, as I am a resident. Truly, the fight belongs in Las Vegas. Thousands and thousands of people will pour into Las Vegas just to be a part of the scene. This will be the biggest event in the history of Las Vegas.”

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s Trainer:
“I think that Floyd had a better chance of beating Manny Pacquiao five years ago than he does now. Floyd’s legs are more shot now and he has slowed down quite a bit. I think we can take advantage of that.

“Floyd says that he wants to exchange with fighters more now to make it a more exciting fight, but I think that isn’t true. He doesn’t care about the fans at all and the only reason he has to exchange more is because his legs won’t take him out of the fight.

“If Floyd has to exchange with Manny Pacquiao I think that’s good for us and that’s why I think we’re going to win this fight.

“I think that this fight will change the game of boxing.

“Manny called me up and told me that he can’t train in the Philippines because it’s too crazy with all the fans there, he can’t focus.

“I have a rule in training camp this time that if you aren’t being productive in the gym for training, then you can’t be around. The strategy of this fight is very important and different from past fights. We can’t have any spies in the gym; we are just working on the game plan and focusing on what Floyd is doing. I know how Floyd sets up people and makes them walk into shots.

“Manny is very motivated for this fight. You have to take Floyd out of his confidence zone. Manny knows how to beat him. We will make the right move before we attack him.

“I wanted to have some young, upcoming fighters as sparring partners for Manny. There are young fighters from Chicago, Massachusetts and Finland who are coming in to spar with Manny. Their styles are perfect fits for Manny. They may get knocked out and sent home, but we’ll see. I have all the sparring partners lined up.
“Our game plan is to win every round. If we get the knockout, then that’s just a bonus. Floyd will dip into Manny’s power. That’s the mistake that someone will make against a southpaw. We have to win the first round and take Floyd out of his comfort zone.”

Richard Sturm, President Entertainment & Sports MGM Resorts International:
“We are thrilled that this fight has come to fruition and that it will be held at MGM Grand. The resort is home to the biggest names in sports and entertainment and on May 2 we will host one of the greatest fights the sport will have ever seen.

“Over the years, both Floyd and Manny have treated fans inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena and those watching on PPV to a thrilling fight experience. While their previous fights have been extremely exciting, we believe there is nothing that can compare to the spectacle these two champions will deliver on May 2.”

Ken Hershman, President HBO Sports:
“Over the next few months, the fans, pundits and writers will break down every aspect of this fight.

“I would like to look back and appreciate how we got here. It was 2001 when a young kid out of the Philippines named Manny Pacquaio made his HBO debut. Coincidentally, the headliner of the fight was Floyd Mayweather. Floyd made his HBO debut in 1997 and since then he has fought on HBO or HBO PPV 26 times.

“While these two have never shared a card again before May 2, they’ve each gone on to have Hall of Fame careers and have become the two biggest fighters of their generation. Floyd has headlined nine HBO PPV events and Manny 17 HBO PPV events. Those 26 events have compiled over 21 million PPV buys and over a billion dollars in revenue.

“On May 2, these two superstars will participate in what we all know will be the single largest boxing event of all time.

“We are proud to one again be making history on May 2 with Mayweather and Pacquiao.”

Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports:
“When Floyd Mayweather signed his historic deal with SHOWTIME two years ago, he promised us two things: one, he would be fighting more often and; two, each of the six fights under his deal would be the biggest events possible against the best opponents possible. Fast forward two years, and Floyd has kept every word of his promises.

“Now for just the second time in five fights with SHOWTIME, Floyd is fighting an opponent that many people thought he’d never fight. SHOWTIME PPV and Floyd set a PPV record with the first event in September 2013 and we look forward to another record-breaking performance on May 2.

“SHOWTIME has been involved in some of the biggest PPV events in history including Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson in 2002 and Mayweather vs. Canelo [Alvarez] in 2013. But neither of those events have generated the type of excitement and anticipation in media attention that matches the hysteria that this fight has already generated.

“This is the reason that all of us at SHOWTIME and CBS are so proud to be bringing this fight together. Excited, proud, thrilled, those are some of the countless adjectives to describe our feelings about this event, but surprised is not one of them. As soon as we closed our deal with Floyd in 2013, the Pacquiao fight was a top priority both for Floyd and for us.

“Whenever it was time to discuss a Mayweather opponent, Manny Pacquiao was always high on Floyd’s list.

“As the CEO of CBS and a longtime boxing fan, Leslie Moonves was the driving force behind this deal and the primary reason why this fight was made.

“We know that Floyd is the consensus number one fighter in the sport, we know that Floyd is the most talked about athlete in all of sports and together with Floyd Mayweather, SHOWTIME has become the number one PPV distributer in television. We look forward to breaking more records and making more history on May 2.”

# # #
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 atwww.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOsports andwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

LOS ANGELES (March 13) – Golden Boy Promotions today announced the full card for an exciting March 20 return to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. where former world title contender Alfonso Gomez (24-6-2, 12 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico will take on Japan’s Yoshihiro Kamegai (25-2-1, 22 KOs) in an exciting 10-round super welterweight bout. Airing live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes, Kamegai vs. Gomez is part of the fan-favorite Golden Boy Live! series. In addition to the stacked card, Golden Boy Promotions Partner and future boxing Hall of Famer, Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins will be in attendance to meet and greet with fans at the Special Events Center from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Southern California native Ronny Rios (23-1, 10 KOs) will take on Guadalajara’s Sergio “El Frio” Frias (16-4-2, 8 KOs) in the co-main event 10-round featherweight bout, and former Irish national championship fighter Jamie “The Nuisance” Kavanagh (17-1-1, 8 KOs) is set for an eight-round televised lightweight match against power puncher Miguel Zamudio (29-6-1, 17 KOs) of Los Mochis, Mexico.

Fighting for airtime, Irish and European championship fighter Jason Quigley (4-0, 4 KOs), fresh off of his March 6 victory at the premiere of LA FIGHT CLUB, will face an opponent yet to be named in a six-round middleweight television swing bout.

In the non-televised undercard, Los Angeles-based Rafael Gramajo (1-1-1, 1 KO) will face an opponent yet to be named in a four-round featherweight bout. Starting off the night for the March 20 card, Albert “Baby Dynamite” Herrera (9-10-1, 5 KOs) of Riverside, Calif. will fight in a six-round welterweight brawl against relative newcomer Jose Marrufo (4-2-2) of Phoenix, AZ.

In addition, the undefeated Abraham Lopez (17-0, 12 KOs) will take on Mexico’s Juan Carlos “El Pez” Martinez (20-15-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout on March 20 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico’s Sergio “El Frio” Frias is rising featherweight who has established a successful career in his native country. In 2014, Frias stayed busy taking on three tough fighters Albert Pacheco, Manuel Avila and Claudio Hurtado. Fighting in the U.S. for the second time in is career, Frias is looking to establish a fan base when he faces Ronny Rios on March 20.

The young yet seasoned fighter Miguel Zamudio of Los Mochis, Mexico, will make his sixth U.S. professional appearance on the undercard of Kamegai vs. Gomez. Zamudio will work to keep his 2015 winning streak going on March 20 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino when he faces the less experienced but fierce Irish champion Kavanagh.

Hailing from Balleybofey in County Danegal, Ireland, the 22-year-old Jason Quigley had an outstanding amateur career becoming the first Irish fighter to win a Silver medal at the AIBA World Amateur Boxing Championships in 2013. He started his professional career in 2014 and quickly garnered attention by ending each fight via knockout against Howard Reece, Fernando Najera, and Greg McCoy. Quigley continued his wins-by-knockout streak by taking down Lanny Dardar less than two minutes into the first round at the March 6 debut of LA FIGHT CLUB..
Hailing from the Westside Boxing Club, Rafael Gramajo will have the fourth professional fight of his career on March 20. Gramajo, a Garden City, Kansas native, who now makes his home in Los Angeles, will make his California debut at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

In his first fight of 2015, Jose Marrufo of Phoenix, AZ will face off against local favorite Albert “Baby Dynamite” Herrera. Marrufo will seek to get the win after settling for a draw in his last match to claim the vacant WBC U.S. National Boxing Championship welterweight title. Motivated by a thirst for victory, Marrufo will make a war in the ring on March 20 that will not disappoint.

Kamegai vs. Gomez is a 10-round super welterweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the ?rst bell rings at 6:00 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, priced at $25, $35, and $45, are on sale now and available for purchase from the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

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For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @FOXSports, @FOXSports1, @FOXDeportes and, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing.

Patrick Nielsen (23-1, 11 KOs) and his opponent George Tahdooahnippah (34-1-2, 24 KOs) both made weight today ahead of their ‘Clash of the Clans’ WBA International Super Middleweight Championship fight tomorrow night at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen.

WBA International Super Middleweight Championship:
Patrick Nielsen: 76 kg
George Tahdooahnippah: 75.5 kg

An action packed undercard features a further seven fights showcasing the very best in Scandinavian boxing. A full list of weights can be found below.

Featherweight – 10 Rounds:
Dennis Ceylan: 56.7 kg
Dmitry Kirillov: 56.3 kg

Heavyweight – 8 Rounds:
Otto Wallin: 77.5 kg
David Gegeshidze: 77.8 kg

Super Middleweight – 8 Rounds:
Oscar Ahlin: 77.5 kg
Alvaro Gaona: 77.8 kg

Cruiserweight – 4 Rounds:
Kai Robin Havnaa: 89.5 kg
Patrick Linkert: 88.4 kg

Super Middleweight – 10 Rounds:
Tim-Robin Lihaug: 76 kg
Slavisa Simeunovic: 75.4 kg

Middleweight – 6 Rounds:
Abdul Khattab: 72.5 kg
Mikheil Khutsishvili: 71.2 kg

Cruiserweight – 6 Rounds:
Kevin Larena: 94.4 kg
Igor Pylypenko: TBA

All the action will be broadcast live in Denmark on TV3 Sport 2 from 19.00 and TV3+ from 21.00. Limited tickets available via billetlugen.dk.

Saturday’s HBO World Championship Boxing tripleheader telecast begins at 9:45 p.m. (ET/PT).

The HBO telecast kicks off live from Montreal’s Bell Centre when Isaac Chilemba takes on Vasily Lepikhin in a scheduled 12-round light heavyweight contest.

In the co-feature, heavyweights Vyacheslav Glazkov and Steve Cunningham square off for 12 rounds.

The main event of the evening, a 12-round light heavyweight championship bout, features knockout artist Sergey Kovalev defending his titles against Jean Pascal in his hometown.

Official Weights from Montreal:

Sergey Kovalev: 174.3 lbs.
Jean Pascal: 175 lbs.

Vyacheslav Glazkov: 218.4 lbs.
Steve Cunningham: 209.6 lbs.

Join the conversation on Twitter: #KovalevPascal

13 March 2015 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Championship™ (ONE), kicked off 2015 with a spectacular show at the Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fans were treated to another night of world-class mixed martial arts action with ONE: AGE OF CHAMPIONS. In the main event, Adriano Moraes defeated a tenacious Riku Shibuya by Unanimous Decision to retain the ONE Flyweight World Championship belt.

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

ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes and challenger Riku Shibuya entertained the crowd with a showcase of striking and grappling exchanges in the main event. In the first round, Shibuya came out looking to take the fight to Moraes as the Brazilian worked to get Shibuya to the ground. On the mat, Moraes controlled the action by advancing position multiple times to Shibuya’s back although Shibuya exhibited exceptional defense. In the second, Shibuya did a better job of keeping the fight on the feet as he continued to stalk Moraes across the cage. Rounds three to five saw much of the same action with Shibuya continuing to press as Moraes dominated the ground game. In the end, Moraes’ various takedowns and submission attempts earned him a hard-fought decision.

In a highly anticipated lightweight bout, Malaysia’s Peter Davis went to work against Rajinder Singh Meena of India, notching a vicious stoppage win in just under three minutes of the first round. Davis attacked Meena from the beginning of the fight, dragging his opponent to the ground and gaining full mount. Davis then punished Meena with a non-stop attack from top position, forcing the referee to call a halt to the contest.

Ann Osman made quick work of Walaa Abbas, submitting her Egyptian opponent just minutes into their women’s flyweight bout. Abbas came out striking furiously and landed some good shots against Osman, but once Osman pressed Abbas against the cage she quickly worked on a takedown, securing a Rear Naked Choke in the process. With Osman digging the hooks in deep, Abbas had no choice but to tap out.

In an intense striking battle, the Philippines’ Cary Bullos and Ev Ting put on a great show for fans in attendance. In the first round, Bullos tagged Ting with various sharp counters as the Malaysian looked to initiate the exchanges. In the second round, Ting turned up the pressure, catching Bullos against the cage with underhooks. After impressively sweeping Bullos to the ground, Ting latched on a Guillotine Choke that forced Bullos to tap out.

Malaysia’s Gianni Subba got the packed Stadium Putra audience to their feet with a showstopping knockout victory over Thanh Vu seconds into the first round of their flyweight bout. Subba caught Vu with a stiff left hook and followed it up with a powerful kick that landed clean, prompting the referee to step in and stop the bout just twenty seconds into the contest.

Kirstie Gannaway dug deep against a game opponent in Team Lakay’s April Osenio to gut out a submission victory in two rounds. In the first round, Gannaway made her grappling advantage clear with a few near submissions, but Osenio defended well. Osenio then landed a couple of good kicks as the two got back to their feet. In the second round, Osenio tried her best to keep the fight standing with a few solid strikes but once the fight hit the mat again, Gannaway was able to secure the Rear Naked Choke.

Chan Rothana overcame two spinning back kick attempts from Filipino Ramon Gonzales to take a TKO victory late in the first round. After starting off on the feet, the two fighters found themselves on the mat when Gonzales missed wildly with a kick. Rothana was then able to sneak into full mount, raining down a series of punches to end the contest.

Agilan Thani kicked off ONE: AGE OF CHAMPIONS with a spectacular first round TKO over his Indonesian opponent Reant Fabriza Rainir. After a quick scramble, Thani found himself in mount and took advantage of the situation. Thani made quick work of Reant, finishing his opponent by ground and pound just slightly over a minute into the fight.

Official results for ONE: AGE OF CHAMPIONS
ONE Flyweight World Championship bout: Adriano Moraes defeats Riku Shibuya by Unanimous Decision
Lightweight bout: Peter Davis defeats Rajinder Singh Meena by TKO (Strikes) at 2:41 minutes of round 1
Women’s Flyweight bout: Ann Osman defeats Walaa Abbas by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:23 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Ev Ting defeats Cary Bullos by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:05 minutes of round 2
Flyweight bout: Gianni Subba defeats Thanh Vu by Knockout at 0:20 minutes of round 1
Women’s Atomweight bout: Kirstie Gannaway defeats April Osenio by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:50 minutes of round 2
Bantamweight bout: Chan Rothana defeats Ramon Gonzales by TKO (Strikes) at 4:48 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (82kg): Agilan Thani defeats Reant Fabriza Rainir by TKO (Strikes) at 1:21 minutes of round 1

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.

Las Vegas, Nev. – The UFC® today confirmed a new partnership with Monster Energy®, to be the official energy drink of the UFC. This new exclusive deal – which excludes Brazil – continues UFC’s approach of partnering with industry-leading companies that share the same values and vision to further maximize and expand branding opportunities worldwide.

“The UFC® is excited to partner with a category leader like Monster Energy and introduce them to our fans who embody the same enthusiasm and passion synonymous with their brand,” UFC Executive Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships Michael Mossholder said. “This new multi-year deal will bring new and exciting experiential opportunities and unique in-market retail promotions.”

“We are excited to partner with the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization as the official energy drink of UFC as we expand our commitment into the MMA category,” said Sam Pontrelli, Monster Energy Senior Vice President of Marketing. “Through this partnership we will build a stronger brand position and expand our reach globally, thereby gaining exposure to a new audience while supporting the sport’s premiere athletes. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”

Monster Energy will also be sponsoring select athletes including UFC women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, as well as UFC® lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis and former UFC welterweight champion and current No.1 welterweight contender Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks, both of whom are competing at UFC® 185 in Dallas this coming Saturday.

Additional UFC athletes will be announced at a later date.

As part of this partnership, the Monster Energy logo has center placement on the canvas, as first witnessed at UFC® 184: Rousey vs. Zingano in Los Angeles. Monster Energy will also be promoted on various UFC® entities inside and outside the Octagon® and together with UFC they will execute distinctive retail promotions and contest opportunities such as:

· “Belt the Champ”: a promotion to give one lucky fan the opportunity to attend a title fight and step inside the Octagon to present the championship belt.

· The “Monster Experience”: an opportunity for fans to gain unparalleled access during a UFC fight week, including access to open workouts, the weigh-in, press conferences, and the chance to sit with UFC President Dana White at the live event.

For more information on UFC or current fight news, visit ufc.com. For more information on Monster Energy visit monsterenergy.com.

###

About the UFC®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

About Monster
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer and distributor of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it’s the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com.

Bektemirov 184 lbs – Johnson 186 lbs

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 13, 2015) – Russian power puncher, Medzhidm “B-52” Bektemirov (14-0, 11 KOs) and his opponent James Johnson (28-44-4, 17 KOs) make weight for their upcoming 6-round bout on the “Battle on the Mainland” card taking place at the Charles Doyle Convention Center in Texas City, TX on March 13, 2015. Bektemirov tipped the scale at 184 lbs. while Johnson weighed in at 186 lbs. Gary Shaw Productions and Savarese Promotions co-promote B-52.

“Battle of the Mainland” tickets priced $35 (general admission), $75 (Table seats) and $100 (Ringside) are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (713) 658-0229 or online at www.SavaresePromotions.com. The Charles Doyle Conventions Center is located at 2010 5th Ave N, Texas City, TX, 77590.
184 – 186

It’s movie night for Patrick Nielsen (23-1, 11 KOs) and Joey Gamache! The Danish boxer and his star coach have taken time out of their busy training schedule to conduct some invaluable research on Nielsen’s next opponent, the ferocious Comanche warrior, George Tahdooahnippah (34-1-2, 24 KOs).

After a final training session, Nielsen was summoned to Gamache’s Copenhagen flat, where the American coach sat in wait with a bowl of chips and a copy of the 1956 John Wayne western, ‘The Searchers’.

‘’This is an important research assignment,’’ said Gamache. ‘’We must learn the way of the Comanche, if we are to defeat them.’’

In ‘The Searchers’, Wayne plays a civil war veteran battling the Comanche tribe in an attempt to rescue his niece. On Saturday night, Nielsen will face a similar struggle when he takes on a real-life Comanche at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen.

‘’When I used to watch the old cowboy movies I would always cheer for the Indians,’’ reveals the 23 year-old southpaw. ‘’But not this time, on March 14, I’m the cowboy, I’m John Wayne, I will defeat the Comanche!’’

The movie night offers a moment of light relief from the serious training. Gamache reveals it is a welcome break from the hours he spends analysing footage of Nielsen’s opponent Tahdooahnippah.

‘’I couldn’t even tell you how many hours I’ve spent watching tapes of Tahdooahnippah,’’ said the former two-time world champion. ‘’A lot of work goes in to studying an opponent and seeing what they are all about. This is a big fight for us so you’ve got to invest a lot of time.

‘’I look out for patterns so I know what’s going to happen in the ring. You watch the tapes over and over until a see a move or a tell. They could move to the left or move to the right before throwing a certain shot. It’s all about the patterns. Then you use this information to give your fighter the advantage.”

Nielsen faces Tahdooahnippah for the WBA International Super Middleweight title on March 14 at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen. All the action will be broadcast live on TV3 Sport 2 from 19.00 and TV3+ from 21.00. Tickets are available via billetlugen.dk.

Antoine Douglas 159.8 – Thomas Lamanna 157.8

Ismael Barroso 134 – Issouf Kinda 133.6
(NABA & NABO Lightweight championship)

Jerry Odom 168 – Andrew Hernandez 167.8

Adam Lopez 120.4 – Pablo Cruz 120.8

Tommy Rainone 151 – Allen Litzau 151
Patty Alcivar 112.8 – Peggy Maerz 111.4
Dave Meloni 130 – Richard Bonds 133
Rich Neves 156 – Joshua Marks 151.2

Here’s what the fighters had to say before Thursday’s weigh-in:

Antoine Douglas:

“The key is that I learn from my past experiences. Everything is a lesson. It’s only considered a loss if you don’t learn from it.

“I’m a disciplined fighter so once I enter the ring, the switch is on. That’s my comfort zone.

“If you look at my story, you see I’ve been through adversity all my life. Being in the ring is just another step for something I’m fighting for. I have people to fight for, burdens to get off my shoulder, my life is a fight. Once I step in the ring, it’s go time, I handle all my business there.

“I know what I worked on and what I prepared myself to do, so I don’t go in the ring expecting anything. If you go in expecting something, you may end up on the other side of that expectation, so I just do what I came to do, fight hard and win. If you go in expecting things, you’re going on a one-way path.

“Any man you get in the ring with, no matter how big or small, has the capability to do damage. I take on every fight with the same intensity and thought process; I can’t worry about anything else.”

Thomas LaManna:

“People try to underestimate me based on my appearance but once they get hit, it’s another story. I know Douglas is taking me seriously since he knows me from the amateurs. It’s in his best interest to take me seriously.

“I know I’m good at what I do, and that’s boxing. During my first fights, if I got hit, everything went out the window and I was ready to rumble. My new trainer helped me control my mental strength while really using my reach, but the key is to stick to the game plan.

“This opportunity to fight on SHOWTIME was too good to pass up. I want everyone to see that I’m the real deal. The press has said a lot of positive things about me and I want to live up to that. The risk and reward factor about this fight is getting out and being seen. I know what I can do but not everyone has seen it yet.

“I love the fact you have two 23-year-old young undefeated fighters getting in the ring. As a boxing fan, I think that makes for a great fight. I’m fortunate to be a part of a card with two legit young fighters. We’re both where we’re at for a reason.

“I believe in my shots and power. Any shot I throw, I believe in it. My skills, talent and hard work are what brought me here.”

Ismael Barroso:

“I want the U.S. fans to think of me as a great fighter who comes to go to war. I come to knock people out.

“In Cuba in 2001, I sparred someone on the Cuban National Team and laid him out cold.. As I kept training, I developed more power.

I’m in great shape. I trained for four months for this fight and I’m ready. I could go 12 rounds if I had to.

“He [Kinda] is just another fighter. This fight is mine. I will knock him out or get a decision. We took this guy because nobody wants to fight him. He [Kinda] has never been knocked out, but look at who he has fought.”

Issouf Kinda

“I have never been knocked down. I have never been hurt. And I don’t think that’s going to change now.

“This guy has never fought anybody like me. He thinks he can knock everybody out, but I’m not just another guy. I’m tougher than everybody he has ever fought. He’s not going to knock me down.

“I know how to fight a southpaw. I’m experienced. I can box. He better be ready.

“I’m going to show him he is fighting a man. If he punches me, I’m going to punch him back.”

Jerry Odom:

“I don’t think he wants to fight me. He’s just doing it because he has to. I’m not going to say I regret what I did to Hernandez in our first fight because I was just trying to get the win, so I went for the kill.

“Before I even saw fighting on TV or even started boxing, I knew how to fight. Where I come from, I was used to adversity so my instinct was to fight no matter what.

“When I changed trainers, it was for the better. We had a mutual understanding so there were no hard feelings. Instead of going to train in different places, my workouts feel more professional. I get everything I need in one session. I’ve been able to break down my old habits in order to show my real talent.”

Andrew Hernandez:

“He fought dirty the first time around. He hit me with a blow and I took a knee and while I was down, he punched me again.

“He’s definitely overrated. He’s fought a lot of tomato cans. I’m going to expose him. I’m sharper and better than him in all aspects, no question.

“I took the rematch because that’s not the victory I wanted. I wanted a knockout. I’ll get it this time around. I’m going for it with all I have.

“I heard some people questioning my punching power. I boxed Odom with an injured hand and I outboxed him. I’m healthy and in great shape now. I’m going to knock him out. You better be watching.”

Adam Lopez:

“Cruz is my countryman. I’ve seen him fight. I even sparred with him a while back and I can say with certainty that I outboxed him.

“This is the first time I’m going eight rounds, but I’m not concerned about it. I trained very well. I’m in the best shape I have ever been.

“Fighting on this card is a great opportunity for me. I’ve been under the radar most of my career, but now I have the opportunity to be on SHOWTIME, national television. I feel so blessed.”

Pablo Cruz

“It took me over nine years to get here. I worked hard, really hard and I’m not going to let this opportunity slip away.

“This is a huge fight for me, perhaps the biggest one of my career. I will go at him with everything I got.

“I’m not taking him lightly. I respect him as a fighter, but I’m hungry. I’m very hungry and I’ll do what it takes to get the job done. Tomorrow is my time and I’ll shine.”

ORANGE, Calif. (Mar. 12, 2015) – Training camps have ended, the boxers have weighed in, so all that’s left to do for Josesito “Riverside Rocky” Lopez and Andre “The Beast” Berto is to meet inside the ring for their highly anticipated 12-round fight Friday night from the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.

Lopez (33-6, 19 KOs), who will have the home field advantage as his hometown of Riverside is about 30 minutes from the arena, weighed in at 146.3 lbs., while Berto (29-3, 22 KOs) measured 146 even.

The 12-round fight is televised live on Spike TV beginning at 6 P.M. PT / 9 P.M. ET (Premier Boxing Champions).

Lopez is co-promoted by Goossen Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions.

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook Page, find us on Google+ and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

LITTLE ROCK – March 12, 2015 – In its second ever boxing event, M&N Promotions of Little Rock, Arkansas, raises the bar and takes another step further in fulfilling its commitment to showcasing the best talent that Arkansas has to offer on a worldwide platform. This Saturday, M&N partners with JAMM 7 Multimedia, Desert Adrenaline Multimedia and the American Boxing Association to offer a high-definition, internet live stream of the professional boxing event, featuring commentary by veteran play-by-play announcer Jim Grieshaber and analysis from Hall of Fame Referee Richard Steele.

In the main event, Kiun “The Boss” Evans (9-0-1, 5KO) faces fellow undefeated fighter Eric “No Excuses” Anton (4-0, 1KO) in an 8-round ABA Featherweight Title eliminator bout. Anton is no stranger to tough opposition. His previous opponents’ combined records are 18-0-1, and he spoiled three undefeated records with decision wins in 2014. His opponent, former Arkansas Golden Gloves Champion Evans, brings experience to the table, along with a sense of commitment born of his relationship with his 94 year old grandmother. “She’s the reason I’m fighting,” says Evans. “Boxing saved my life. I don’t know what I’d be doing if not for boxing.”

Promoter Lendrick Nelson is looking forward to giving fighters in Arkansas opportunities they may not have otherwise had. “We want to give Arkansas fighters a stage and an avenue to make it to the next level. M&N Promotions is a breath of fresh air for boxers in the state.” Nelson has been involved with boxing since childhood. His father, Ozell Nelson, was the coach of World Champion fighter Jermain Taylor, and is currently coaching main event fighter Evans.

For his part, Referee Richard Steele is excited to be a part of the telecast. “The event is something that I’m hoping will be the first of many more to come. I’m very excited about being here in Little rock because there is some unseen heroes that we have in this part of the country that need to be looked at more closely, and need to be promoted more so they can rise to the top and be someone like Floyd Mayweather,” said Steele of the event.

“I want these promotions to keep going and stay alive so that we can really promote boxing. I think boxing needs this shot in the arm that we’re about to do and I think it’s going to be better for everyone,” said Steele of broadcasting the event live and free at ababoxing.us.

Also on the card, Jorge “Travieso” Gonzales faces Yon “Hitman” Harvison, Rogelio “El Loco” Casarez faces Ronald “Salvaje” Rivas, Randy Johnson faces Marcus Rhode, Erasmo “The Reckoning” Garcia faces Joe Bradshaw, and Anthony Woods meets Deartie Tucker.

Mayhem in the Rock II takes place this Saturday, March 14th at 7 p.m. at Clear Channel Metroplex in Little Rock, Arkansas. It streams live and free at www.ababoxing.us at 7 p.m. on fight night. Tickets are priced $25 and $50 and are available by calling 501-993-6669.

Jersey City, NJ (March 12, 2015)-The full card has been set for the inaugural card promoted by Nick Jayme’s LGM Promotions that will take place this Saturday night at the Jersey City Armory.

The card will have something for everyone as fighters from Ireland, Puerto Rico and China will make up an international lineup. Additionally, there will be two of Jersey City’s own in separate bouts.

In the main event, John Franklin will take on Josh Crespo in an eight-round jr. featherweight bout.

Franklin of Kansas City, Missouri has a perfect record of 9-0 with four knockouts and has a win over previously undefeated Joshua Reyes (4-0). Franklin is coming off a six-round majority decision over Andre Wilson on November 29, 2014 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Crespo of New Haven, Connecticut has a record of 3-2-2 with one knockout will look to get back in the win column after suffering an eight-round split decision to Jorge Abiague on January 17 in Uncasville, Connecticut.

In a six-round co-feature, Steve Quinn will battle Stephon McIntyre in a bout for the WBU Youth Jr. Featherweight title.

Quinn of Newtownards, Northern Ireland will be representing his homeland on St. Patrick’s Day weekend and will look to thrill the crowd in his American debut.

Quinn has a record of 6-2 with one knockout and will look to get back on track after dropping a four-round unanimous decision to Daniel Moreno on August 23, 2014 in Panama City, Panama,

McIntyre of Jonesboro, Georgia has fought four consecutive undefeated fighters and has a draw with previously unblemished Marcus Bates. McIntyre is coming off a third-round stoppage defeat to Kevin Rivers Jr. on January 17 in Washington, D.C.

Two very special bouts have been added as good looking Chinese prospects in heavyweight Zhang Zhelei and jr. welterweight Wang Zhimin will see action in six and four round bouts respectively.

Both Zhelei and Zhimin are promoted by Roc Nation Sports.

Zhelei (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Zhoukou, China will take on Eric George (2-8) of Niagara Falls, New York while Zhimin (1-0) of China will battle Jesus Lule (7-10, 1 KO) of Fort Myers, Florida.

In four-round bouts:

Tyrell Wright (6-0-1, 4 KO’s) of Jersey City, NJ will fight Alando Pugh (1-3-1, 1 KO) of Washington, D.C. in a heavyweight bout.

In a middleweight bout, Hakim Bryant (2-0, 1 KO) of Asbury Park, NJ will fight Jesus Sosa Pegan (0-2) of Puerto Rico.

Jr. Lightweight Jose Ortiz (3-2-1, 1 KO) of Jersey City, NJ will fight Tyrone Luckey (5-4-1, 5 KO’s) of Middletown, NJ.

In a battle of pro debuting light heavyweights, Darren Goodall will take on Portland Pringle.

Brayon Rendon will make his pro debut against Frank Jordan (0-3) in a welterweight bout.

Local businessman Nick Jayme is bringing boxing back to Jersey City in a big way and he gave away 300 tickets to local Boys & Girls clubs as well County Recreation Centers in a grass roots attempt to get young people involved in or become new fans of boxing.. The crowd on Saturday night is expected to be a sell-out crowd of over 1500.

“I believe it is important for young people to attend these local shows. Giving back to the community in the form of complimentary tickets coupled with fair ticket and concession pricing is a major part of who we are and where we want to be as a company. We believe our business model will help create new fans,” said Jayme.

Tickets start at just $35

The Jersey City Armory is located at 678 Montgomery Street

(On his departure from Bellator): “I think I got a little complacent with Bellator. Fourteen fights. I was there for four years so, unfortunately, things happen. This is the fight game. I got picked up by Titan right afterward and now have an opportunity to fight for CES. Being a local company, it’s very excited. In a way, it’s kind of like a new beginning, kind of refreshing my career.”

(On whether or not he was surprised to get cut): “In some ways. I wasn’t really expecting to get cut. I had the most fights in the company, I had the most wins, or I was tied for first at least, so in the back of my mind, though, having lost two in a row, and with the direction they’re going now, I don’t really fit that profile they’re looking for. It was kind of expected.”

(On his motivation for stepping back into the cage): “When I first got into it, I was only getting into it to kind of satisfy my own thoughts on, ‘Could I do it or not?’ It was something I wanted to do since I was little. My judo career was over so I said, ‘I’ll try it. I’ll see how I do.’ Part of the reason I got into it, too, was because I could make money doing something I trained my whole life, which I didn’t make money at, so I think the biggest motivation was it’s a good-paying job for the most part. It’s my full-time job now, so I think that is the main reason why anyone works, especially in a job like this. It pays the bills, but it’s also like playing, too, and I get rewarded for it, so it’s a lot of fun.”

(On his experience as a Judo Olympian helping him in professional MMA): “I’ve had some high-pressure situations with the judo and the same with Bellator. A couple of title fights, main events on big stages, so it definitely helped. Headlining a fight again is something I’m kind of used to now. The more you do it, the more you get used to it.”

_____

DEREK LOFFER

(On his mindset heading into a nationally-televised main event): “My mindset is the same as it’s been since I first heard about the fight. I’m ready to go. I’m super excited about the fight. Stylistically, it brings a good matchup. Good fights, good fans, great main event. I feel positive. I feel confident. I’m really happy about it. Good mood, good vibes going on. Everything is feeling good. It’s on the upswing.”

(On whether or not he considers himself the hungrier fighter): “I do think I’m the hungrier fighter. You can’t ever try to take money from another person. I don’t think anyone likes money being taken from them. I do expect it to be a dogfight. A war. At the very least, I expected to punched in the face, but I’ll tell you what, I’m the hungrier fighter. I’ve been hungry since I first started. I would say I’m old, but I guess a lot of people look at him as the old one. I’ve got a lot left to do. I’ve got a lot of things I need to pay for, so my son’s counting on me and my family’s counting on me. I’m definitely the hungrier fighter looking to go out there and lay my road down.”

(On what’s at stake tomorrow night): “I do feel like I’ve got a lot on the line, whether it be this fight or the fights I’ve had in the past. I’ve always got a lot to lose. Me, personally, being a competitor my whole life, I don’t like to lose. Even if there’s no money on the table and we’re playing rock, paper, scissors, I don’t like to lose. It’s that simple. I feel like this fight brings a style that is right up my alley and I know I’m better at that style. Losing’s just not an option to me. I’ve got a lot of things I’ve got to do with this fight and the turnout and a lot of things I need to accomplish and prove. Losing’s just not an option.”

______

LUIS FELIX

(On getting used to the idea of fighting on national television): “I know it’s there. I don’t necessarily put more pressure on myself or anything. I just love this spotlight. I love to fight on the big stage. The fact it is on national TV, nobody wants to be embarrassed and lose in front of their fans, never mind the entire nation.”

(On whether or not he’s noticed a difference in how people have approached him since his network TV debut): “Absolutely. It’s definitely changed a whole lot. People randomly hitting me up, even friends that live in different parts of the country that are now able to watch my fights live and I get to be in contact with them over the weekend now after they see my fights and talk to them about it, so the exposure has definitely picked up tremendously. It’s great that we get to reach such a wide audience.”

(On adjusting to a last-minute change of opponent): “For me, personally, I’m really not much of a game-plan person. I don’t sit spending an entire training game-planning for a specific style. You definitely are aware of what the person is better at and you go over things that may tend to that person, but I still go about my same training routine. I may add a couple things here and there for that specific person, but with this opponent change I’m still going to go out there and put in my game plan, which is mix it up, use my boxing, use my wrestling and keep him surprised. Just implement my will in the fight.”

_____

REGGIE MERRIWEATHER

(On nerves being a factor fighting on national television): “A little bit. But once the bell rings and someone gets hit the nerves go away pretty easily.”

(On why he took the fight on short notice): “I just really wanted a fight, you know? I just wanted to do things I did back when I was an amateur. When I was an amateur I would take like 10 to 20 fights in a year. I just want to stay busy. Every fight is a learning experience either about me or myself, what I need to work, what I need to improve. They’re all learning experiences.”

(On how he got started in MMA): “I got into it from a boxing gym, actually. I was actually just going to box but there were no boxers and there were a whole bunch of MMA guys so I figured I’d try it out. The first day, I got beat up. I wanted to give it another try. I had my first fight and went on from there.”

(On his thoughts on his opponent and his approach to the fight): Pretty good, well-rounded fighter. Good standup, good wrestling. A little bit of everything. I take it to people. Some people say I just do what I can to win. Take it to them.”

_____

ANDRE SOUKHAMTHATH

(On preparing for his television debut): “I honestly feel like this has been the best I’ve ever felt right now, today, and in camp. I got to work with some new tools. At the Blackzilians camp, they’ve got ice baths and some Jacuzzis, so I made sure I took advantage of that and used them everyday, which kept my body healthy. No aches, no pains. I got to push it hard everyday.”

(On blocking out the distractions when he returns to Rhode Island from Florida to fight at home): “It’s always like that. I have so many friends here at home that want to see me and I wanted to see them, too, but this time I feel like I’m getting closer and closer to the next level that I need to start looking at these trips as a business. Come, fight and leave, rather than fighting and saying, ‘Hey guys, I’m coming home!’ They come support me anyway. They all come to my fights. They understand. I hope they understand. Even my family, they say, ‘Why is your stay so short?’ I’ve got to go back home and handle business. I like it like that. It feels good now.”

(On his success validating his move to Florida): “I definitely feel like it was the right move. I’m still the same fighter I was when I started since Day 1. I still have the same passion. I still have the heart. The only difference is the tools in the box are different. All my training partners, they’re all high level. I’m not a big fish in a small pond anymore. I’m a small fish in a very big ocean and that can be good and bad, but I’m learning how to swim and I feel I’m becoming one of the big dogs there, too. Slowly, but surely, my time will come.”

LINCOLN, R.I. (March 12th, 2015) – Listed below are the final weights for all of the participants from “CES MMA XXVIII,” scheduled for Friday, March 13th, 2015, live from Twin River Casino on AXS TV.

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

RICK HAWN
Dracut, Mass.
19-4, 11 KOs
160

DEREK LOFFER
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
9-2, 7 KOs
164 ½

LUIS FELIX
Cranston, R.I.
12-8, 4 KOs
156 ½

REGGIE MERRIWEATHER
Cincinnati, Ohio
6-5, 3 KOs
160

ANDRE SOUKHAMTHATH
Woonsocket, R.I. (Boca Raton, Fla.)
8-2, 4 KOs
135

BRIAN KELLEHER
Selden, N.Y.
11-7, 5 KOs
138

TODD CHATTELLE
Pawtucket, R.I.
12-11, 9 KOs
186

ROGER CARROLL
Claremont, N.C.
15-11, 14 submissions
184 ½

TYLER KING
Norwood, Mass.
8-2, 3 KOs
223

MIKE MUCITELLI
Syracuse, N.Y.
7-1, 1 KO
223

JOEY GOMEZ
Hollis, N.H.
5-0, 5 KOs
136

KIN MOY
Cambridge, Mass.
6-1, 2 KOs
136

KYLE BOCHNIAK
Boston, Mass.
4-0, 1 KO
145

DOMINIC WARR
Alston, Mass.
5-4, 1 KO
144

LEWIS CORAPI
Medford, Mass.
6-1, 3 KOs
155

JAY BAKANOWSKI
Northborough, Mass.
2-1, 1 KO
156

JAMES GRANT MURRIN
Boston, Mass.
2-2, 2 KOs
145

LIONEL YOUNG
Brockton, Mass.
6-14, 6 submissions
145

SARAH PAYANT
West Springfield, Mass.
Pro debut
132

JANICE MEYER
Cortland, N.Y.
Pro debut
133

JESSE GUTIERREZ
Norwood, Mass.
Pro debut
126

CHAD KELLY
Winchendon, Mass.
3-1, 1 KO
126

– CES –

The local media gathered at the Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers fighter press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark for the upcoming WBA International Super Middleweight Championship showdown between Patrick Nielsen (23-1) and ‘Comanche Boy’ George Tahdooahnippah (34-1). The two fighters are scheduled for a 12 round bout this Saturday, March 14, 2015 at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen Denmark. The fighters spoke about their upcoming fight and answered questions to the media.

Schedule of Events:

Weigh-In
–Friday March 13th

The official weigh-in for the event will be 4PM Friday, March 13th at the Ballerup Centret in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Fight
— Saturday March 14th

Tahdooahnippah will battle Patrick Nielsen in a twelve round WBA International Super Middleweight Championship main event during the ‘Clash of the Clans’ at the Ballerup Super Arena promoted by Sauerland Promotions in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov
Thank you everybody for coming. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you to my promoter Kathy Duva and Main Events. Thank you to my manager, Egis Klimas, and HBO. I am ready to fight and I will show a good fight on Saturday night.

Steve “USS” Cunningham
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Steve “USS” Cunningham
I would like to thank everyone: my sponsors, my team at Concrete Jungle and the beautiful ladies at Main Events. This is my first time in Canada and I have fought all over the world but this is my first time fighting here. I want to thank the Heavenly Father, the God Almighty. I have a mission to complete on Saturday night, like when I was in the Navy. Come Saturday it is time to go to work. The preparation is done; it is fight time.

Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba
First of all I want to thank God. I want to thank everyone who is here today. I want to thank HBO, Main Events, Interbox, my opponent, Vasily Lepikhin, and his team, my manager, Jodi Solomon, and my trainer, Buddy McGirt; I appreciate all of the support. I want to thank HBO. I am so happy to be back on HBO. I am looking forward to it. We worked hard and had a good camp. Lepikhin is a good fighter. A challenge like this is what I live for. You won’t be disappointed with this show on Saturday night.

Vasily “The Professor” Lepikhin
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Vasily “The Professor” Lepikhin
Thanks everybody for coming here. It is a pleasure to be boxing here for the first time. Thanks to HBO, my promoters, Kathy Duva and German Titov, and my manager, Egis Klimas, for this opportunity. This is big show and I am happy to open this big event on HBO. It was great preparation and training in California. I have good feeling and am very happy. Thank you to Isaac Chilemba for taking this fight. Thank you to my father, Andrey Lepikhin, who is also my trainer for helping me get here. My brother is coming today; he is my cut man. We are ready to fight.

Kathy Duva and Jean Bedard
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events
Thank you. This is the sixth time that Sergey Kovalev has fought on HBO. It seems like yesterday he had his first fight on HBO. This is going to be the first fight (on HBO) for these three gentlemen and second for Isaac Chilemba. It is a packed card from top to bottom. These men are going to entertain you on Saturday night. They have worked hard to get to this point in their careers where they are finally fighting on HBO. This puts a lot of pressure on them to perform well on Saturday night. Also I want to wish congratulations to our matchmaker, Jolene Mizzone, for putting together this amazing card. I think every one of these fights is 50-50 match-up. I know everyone will enjoy these fights. The trainers for these fights are some of the top trainers in the world. The former world champion, Buddy McGirt, is training Isaac Chilemba. Andrey Lepikhin is here training his son, Vasily Lepikhin, and Dmitry Mikhaylenko. Abel Sanchez, the great trainer who works with middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin, will be here training Nadjib Mohammedi. Lee Campbell is working with the great Don Turner because his own trainer couldn’t make it here. Victor Petrochenko is training Czar Glazkov. And another legendary trainer, the great Naazim Richardson, is working with Steve Cunningham. We will have great match-ups in the ring and great match-ups in the corners. I want to thank HBO for giving these gentlemen this opportunity. In addition to Egis Klimas, I want to thank the two other great managers who helped to make these fights happen. First the manager of Steve Cunningham, his spectacular wife, Livvy Cunningham, and Jodi Solomon, who manages Isaac Chilemba.

Chilemba and Lepikhin
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Jean Bedard, President of Interbox
We will please ask that the boxers not wear their hats during the face-to-face (laughing). Thank you very much to all of the boxers that will be participating in this great event on Saturday. We will have a great event and a great crowd at the Centre Bell.

Egis Klimas
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Egis Klimas, Manager of Czar Glazkov, Vasily Lepikhin and Dmitry Mikhaylenko
Thank you. This is a really good town. I am really glad to be here. This is going to be a great night of boxing on Saturday. I can’t remember when three televised HBO fights had three Russian and Eastern European fighters. When I started in this business a long time ago with my friend, Don Turner, I could not get my Russian fighters on television. I was begging everyone to put my fighters on their cards. Sergey Kovalev was boxing in basements. Me and Don Turner would sit in the car and drive around the country to put them in fights. No network would recognize their talents. All of our hard work has finally paid off. Saturday night we have three Russian and Ukrainian fighters fighting on HBO. If anyone told me this would happen one day, I would never have believed it. All of these bouts are very competitive. Lepikhin versus Chilemba is a 50-50 fight and Glazkov versus Cunningham is 50-50 as well. This is an eliminator fight which means that the winner will face Klitschko. One of these guys has the opportunity to become a world champion. I want to thank Kathy Duva for doing such a great job with these guys. I want to thank Interbox for organizing this event; it has been a lot of work getting us all here. I want to thank HBO for this opportunity. Most of all I want to thank my boxers, my fighters, without them I wouldn’t be here. Thank you for doing such a good job. Thank you to media, photographers and everybody else for being here today.

German Titov
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

German Titov, Co-Promoter of Vasily Lepikhin and Dmitry Mikhaylenko
I would like to thank Kathy Duva. We are working with Main Events to promote Dmitry Mikhaylenko and Vasily Lepikhin for the last six months. In those short six months, this will be the third bout for each fighter. Both were already featured on NBCSN and in six months she was able to get Lepikhin on HBO. This is a great results for HBO. I want to thank HBO for this opportunity and our partners at Interbox.

Dierry Jean
It been 30 days of abstinence for me; I have an alcohol problem. I had a great camp and am in top form. I worked really hard in camp. I saw a couple of his [Reyes’s] fights. He is a brawler but I am able to adapt to anything. I don’t think this fight is going last the distance.

Antoine and Ulysse
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Carlos Manuel Reyes
I am a brawler. It is going to be an epic fight. I will do the very best I can to have a great fight.

Yves Ulysse Junior
I was there for the [Jean] Pascal-[Lucien] Bute fight and now I am here for [Sergey] Kovalev-[Jean] Pascal. Wow, this is great. I am so proud and happy to be working with Interbox. I love boxing.

Miguel Antoine
This is a good opportunity for me. I was out of the ring for a few years but now I am back. It is so beautiful here and I am going to put on a good show on Saturday.

Mikhaylenko and De La Paz
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Dmitry “The Mechanic” Mikhaylenko
Thank you. This is going to be a good fight. Thank you to everybody. I want to thank my promoters for giving me this opportunity and my trainer, Andrey Lepikhin. This is a great country and I happy to be here. I am happy to be on this card with my countryman Sergey Kovalev. I will show a good fight on Saturday.

Felipe De La Paz
(declined)

David Theroux
I want to thank Interbox. It will be great on Saturday.

About Kovalev vs. Pascal
Kovalev vs. Pascal is a 12-round fight for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship Titles. The fight will be televised as part of a live triple header on HBO World Championship Boxing® Saturday, March 14 from the Centre Bell in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Tickets are on sale now at the Centre Bell ticket office, at www.evenko.ca, by telephone at 1-855-310-2525 or through Club de Boxe Champion 514-376-0980. This event is a co-promotion of Main Events and InterBox, presented by Vidéotron in association with Mise-O-Jeu.

Joe’s Rants: Sergey Kovalev vs. Jean Pascal
Joe’s Rants: Sergey Kovalev vs. Jean Pascal

Isaac Chilemba vs Vasily Lepikhin March 14th HBO
Isaac Chilemba vs Vasily Lepikhin March 14th HBO

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MIAMI (March 12, 2015) – During the course of his nine-year pro boxing career, veteran middleweight Marcus “Arillius” Upshaw (17-13-4, 1 NC, 8 KOs) has been called a spoiler, gatekeeper, professional opponent, journeyman and road warrior.

Upshaw has been all of the above, granted, but more than anything he’s been an honest fighter willing to take on anybody, anytime. He’s fought all comers from world champions to top contenders and promising prospects.

All he wants now, though, is a fight against a world-class opponent, hoping a victory could propel him into an often dreamed about world title fight.

If draws, split and/or close decision losses, especially if resulting from fights in an opponent’s backyard, are generally considered “wins” in boxing, Upshaw’s record could be a much different 27-8 today and the 34-year-old Floridian would have been fighting in major fights on major cable networks.

Upshaw’s official record is a direct result of him taking fights as a late replacement, on the road in hostile and biased markets, against protected fighters and sons of famous boxers, occasionally in a higher weight class than his natural 160-pound division.

His most recent fight last week in Dallas ended in typical fashion, as Upshaw fought to an eight-round draw (76-74, 74-76, 75-75) with hometown favorite Anthony Mack (12-1-1), in which Upshaw hurt his opponent several times, winning seven rounds according to his new head trainer, Orlando Cuellar, longtime manager Si Stern, and just about every person in attendance.

“The boxing world is crazy,” Upshaw said. “I’ve now had draws in back-to-back fights (the other against Aaron Pryor Jr.). I won’t let it get to me, though. I guess it says a lot about me that I can go into a fighter’s backyard, after training hard, and come out with a draw in fights that really should have been wins. Now, I know I have to get knockouts to win and that was my intention going into the last fight because I fought a Texas guy in Texas. I wobbled him three different times and won every round but one.”

The height of Upshaw’s career was in 2010 when he traveled to Quebec City and shocked 21-1-1 local hero Renan St. Juste, winning a 10-round decision to elevate Upshaw in world middleweight rankings (IBF #6, WBO #9 and WBC #11). Prior to the St. Juste fight, Upshaw derailed the career of the then 19-1 James McGirt, son of famed world champion/elite trainer James “Buddy” McGirt, with a controversial 10-round majority draw. Two fights later, he stopped 10-0 prospect Ashandi Gibbs (10-0) in the fourth-round for the Florida State middleweight championship.

Upshaw has displayed his vast talents by going the complete distance in rounds, albeit in losses, with the likes of Mario Antonio Rubio, David Lemieux, Gilberto Ramirez Sanchez, Edwin Rodriguez, Patrick Majewski and Tarvis Simms. The latter opponent was another prime example of the injustice Upshaw has faced too many times. Simms was 24-0-1 in 2009 when he fought Upshaw at Mohegan Sun, which is a short drive from his home in nearby Norwalk. Simms won an eight-round split decision (77-74 X 2, 75-76).

L-R- Upshaw & Cuellar
Cuellar, best known for guiding the original road warrior, Glen Johnson, to a world title, added, “Marcus has always been in tough, he’s another road warrior, fighting more experienced, protected fighters including some who were super middleweights. He came close to putting this last guy away a few different times. He won seven of eight rounds and the ref even took a point away, without a warning, when Marcus’ poorly fitting mouthpiece fell out. It certainly didn’t happen because he was in trouble.

“We only had five weeks working together. We want Marcus to use his 6′ 3 ½” height to his advantage. He has to fight at a distance, using his reach from the outside. He can control a fight with a double jab, followed by a right, just like he did against Mack. I was impressed by the way he trained in the gym and even more now I’ve been with him in a fight. I think he can give anybody trouble if he fights on the outside. He gets in top shape, fights smart, and now we can plan a strategy in advance because we know each other. He has to knockout opponents to win. I train my fighters to drop and stop, which is what Marcus will be doing.”

Upshaw believes Cuellar is the missing link he’s needed to get back to the top. “I’ve already learned a lot from Orlando,” Upshaw explained, “but most of all I’ve learned that I can do anything in the ring. He doesn’t just tell a fighter to do this or that; Orlando gives a fighter the tools, the armor to go into battle, to be your best. He is like an old-school trainer. The hard part with him is training, not the fight. He’s put life into my career.

“I’ve been in with the best and also learned from those fights. My problem has not being focused the entire fight. I know I’m faster and stronger than my opponent, but I get bored sometimes and stop throwing punches. I don’t know why I do that but it’s been my mindset. Orlando has taught me that I need to stay focused and alert throughout an entire fight.”

With his size and rich athletic bloodlines – his uncle, the late Gene Upshaw, was an NFL Hall of Fame offensive guard for the Oakland Raiders – Upshaw clearly hasn’t reached his full potential, at least not yet.

“I am delighted Marcus is now training with Orlando,” manager Stern remarked. “Marcus is tall, strong and smart in the ring. I have great hope for him in the immediate future.”

INFORMATION:

www.facebook.com/pages/Marcus-Upshaw/260365894066319

LAS VEGAS (March 12, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has signed costumed crime fighter and undefeated Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) star Phoenix Jones aka Ben “Flattop” Fodor, who was the subject of a recent, in-depth feature story on ESPN SportsCenter, to a multi-fight contract.

The 26-year-old Fodor (5-0-1), who has gained widespread attention for his exploits as a superhero-like protector of the Seattle, Wash. streets where he resides, will make his debut for the world championship MMA promotion against an opponent to be determined at WSOF 20: Branch vs. Markes at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. on Friday, April 10, live on NBCSN.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ben Fodor, who has not only been making waves as an unbeaten professional in our great sport, but who has also shown himself to be an incredibly courageous and selfless human being by risking his safety in the streets of Seattle to help and inspire others,” said WSOF President, six-time world champion and two-time Hall of Famer Ray Sefo.

Fodor, the brother of fellow MMA standout Caros Fodor, made national headlines as Phoenix Jones for the first time in 2011 after thwarting a number of street crimes, including burglary and assault, while clad from head to toe in a black and gold body suit.

That year, Fodor also launched the now-defunct Rain City Superhero Movement, a self-described crime fighting brigade consisting of over a dozen costumed activists dedicated to curbing crime in Seattle.

In the cage, Fodor, a protégé of retired MMA star and famed trainer Matt Hume, has become a ferocious force to be reckoned with, going unbeaten in his first 6 professional starts after amassing a stellar 15-2 amateur career record.

In his last effort on Feb. 21, Fodor submitted Jason Novelli with a rear-naked choke in the third round (3:06) of their matchup in Tacoma, Wash.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for WSOF 20: Branch vs. Markes at Foxwoods Resort Casino are on sale at Ticketmaster.com. The event will be headlined by the second matchup – David Branch (15-3) vs. Ronny Markes (15-3) – in the multi-event tournament that will crown its winner the inaugural WSOF world light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion.

The live NBCSN telecast of WSOF 20 begins at 9:00 p.m. EST/6:00 p.m. PST on Friday, April 10.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

ABOUT NBCSN
NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.