ORANGE, Calif. (Feb. 17, 2015) – Undefeated junior welterweight Giovani Santillan (15-0, 8 KOs), one of Thompson Boxing Promotions most promising prospects, headlines “Path to Glory,” this Friday, Feb. 20, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Santillan, a San Diego native, faces Eduardo Rivera (9-1-2, 3 KOs) of Mazatlan, Mex. in the 8-round main event.

Tickets for “Path to Glory” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900, or online at www.ThompsonBoxing.com.

Eduardo Rivera, the man opposite you in the main event, what do you know about him?

“I saw some video of his last fight. He’s a good fighter, but it’s not anything that I haven’t seen or experienced before. We do a good job of sparring with a lot of different styles in San Diego and Los Angeles so I’m always ready for anything.

What can fans and ringside media expect from you on Friday night?

“I plan to show everyone why I’m in the main event of “Path to Glory.” I’m going to take control of the ring and let him know who I am. I’m not going to wait. I’m going right at him from the start and give the fans what they want.

This marks your third time headlining a Thompson Boxing card. Are you getting used to it, being the main attraction?

We’re getting really comfortable being featured as the main event, but every fight on every fight card is important because everyone is fighting to get to this point.

Last year you won four fights, fought better competition, and captured a vacant regional title. Talk about how you grew as a boxer.

“It was an excellent year for me. The biggest growth came by just experiencing high level competition in an eight round format. All four fights were scheduled for eight rounds, which just being in that element made me a stronger boxer. It prepared me for the next phase in my development. Overall I got better from the year before which is what we’re always trying to do. Always trying to get better.

And without a doubt, the icing on the cake was winning the NABF Junior title in San Diego, in front of my hometown fans. I’ll never forget that moment.

After taking long strides in 2014, what are the goals for this year?

“We’ve talked about making the jump to ten round fights this year. With the step up in rounds, also comes a step up in competition. Once we know we’re ready to take that next step, we’ll do it.”

How do you spend your “off months” when you don’t have a fight secured?

“We never really stop training. I mean we dial it down a little bit, but we’re always in the gym and we stay focused on getting better. When I have time off, it’s not about relaxing. You look at all the greats in this sport, or any sport for that matter- it could be soccer, basketball, golf, whatever. The truly great ones use the free time they have to get better and make improvements. That’s what I do. I make improvements and work toward getting better during my time off.

You’ve taken the term gym rat to a new level. Not only are you constantly in the gym working on your game, but you also work as a boxing instructor at three different San Diego gyms.

“I love the sport. It really is just another way to stay connected to it. I teach what I know. I don’t pretend to know everything, but I do try to stress technique and fundamentals. For the kids (ages 7-15) you have to make it fun for them. It’s a great place for them to be as opposed to being unsupervised and getting into trouble. For the 18+ classes, it’s more about going through the cardio that’s involved in boxing. The older group uses boxing for the cardiovascular benefits.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m, and the first bell rings at 7:45 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N Vineyard Ave, Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at (909) 937-0900.

“Path to Glory” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with LATV Networks.

For additional information please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ThompsonBoxing. To follow the conversation on social media, please use hash tags #ThompsonBoxing & #PathtoGlory.

BOLTON (18 FEB) By Peter Fury (courtesy of Hennessy Sports): Fight week is upon us now and I’ll be travelling out to Monte Carlo with Hughie on Thursday. We’ll get there in time for the weigh-in on the Friday and then, of course, the fight with Andriy Rudenko on Saturday night.

As you can imagine, Hughie is in great spirits at the moment. The finish line is in sight and he’s straining at the leash to show the world what he can do.

He sparred four rounds on Monday and then yesterday did a few rounds with me on the pads. Now it’s all about recovery. We’ve done all the hard stuff – that’s all in the bank – and there’s no real need to do more cardio work. It’s just a lot of shadowboxing and light weights to keep loose. We’re counting down the days now.

Hughie knows he’s had a good camp, he knows he’s done plenty of sparring and he knows no stone left has been left unturned. Hughie is ready to show people exactly what he’s about.

I’ve been to Monte Carlo many times in the past and I’ve been to the casino as well. It’s an unbelievable place. It’s got to be ranked up there as one of the very best places in the world to host a boxing event. That’s how highly I rate it.

I only live fifteen miles down the road, so I know the area very well. We consider that a bit of an advantage on Saturday, funnily enough. Although Hughie has fought all over the world, we see a fight in France as giving us a bit of a home advantage. Hughie has been going there since he was a child. He knows the area inside out. It’s like a home from home, to be honest. I know a lot of people there and Hughie has even featured in a few of the local papers over the years.

In addition to Hughie’s crucial fight with Rudenko, I’ll also be keeping a close eye on the intriguing world middleweight title fight between Gennady Golovkin and Martin Murray, which is shown LIVE that night on Channel 5.

I just think it’s unfortunate that Murray is coming up against probably the best middleweight in the world right now. Golovkin’s got immense power and he’s got skill. You can train as much as you want, you can be the fittest you’ve ever been, but that all counts for little if the other guy is an elite-level talent. I like Murray, and I hope he does really well, but you have to say it’s a very tall order for him.

I admire everything Golovkin does. I like the way he cuts the ring off and I like the way he makes his opponents fight his kind of fight. He seems to do everything well. He’s like a hawk. As soon as he spots an opening, he’s on to you. If you blink, you’ve got a problem.

Murray will be well-prepared, of course, and he’ll be in super condition, but he has never before met anybody quite like Golovkin. Golovkin will be right in front of him and he’ll be waiting for him to blink. Once that happens, he’s got you. The man can hit like a mule and he can also box. That’s something you rarely see nowadays. Only the world’s very best fighters can combine big punch power with good fundamental skills. Golovkin has both.

I just think he’ll get to Murray with clean shots and eventually wear him down. But that doesn’t mean Murray will be outclassed. It doesn’t mean he won’t put up a fantastic fight. Murray always does. He’s a quality operator in his own right. Murray is a world-class fighter who is good enough to win a world title, but I see Golovkin as another Floyd Mayweather. He’s an elite world champion – the very best in the world.

If I was advising Martin Murray, I’d advise him to keep up a fantastic work-rate. He’s got to be all over Golovkin and not let him set. In other words, he’s got to take him out of his rhythm, rough him up and chuck boxing out the window. He’s got to step all over Golovkin and land punches, arms, elbows, whatever it takes. He’s got to rough him up and have a good go. He needs to bite down on that gum shield and say to himself, ‘Right, let’s have a war.’ He needs to be on Golovkin’s chest to stop him getting leverage on his heavy shots. He needs to completely maul him.

If he stands off from Golovkin and tries to have a boxing match with him, he’s going to get annihilated. No, he’s got to jump all over Golovkin and take him out of his comfort zone. Then he might have a chance. I wish him the very best. May the best man win…

*** Hughie Fury fights dangerman Andriy Rudenko over ten rounds on February 21 in Monte Carlo, televised by Channel 5. Meanwhile, Tyson Fury defends his WBO International heavyweight title against Christian Hammer on February 28 at the O2 Arena, live on BoxNation ***

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For more information on Channel 5, MaxNutrition, Golden Gloves, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions and Hennessy Sports:

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New York, NY (2/18/15) – For the first time in its 12-year existence, Broadway Boxing heads north to the suburbs of Westchester County, NY, when DiBella Entertainment (DBE) stages an exciting 11-bout card, featuring a number of DBE’s top up-and-coming talent and world-rated contenders at the beautiful Hilton Westchester, in Rye Brook, NY.

The card is headlined by the homecoming of undefeated prospect Bryant “Peewee” Cruz (13-0, 7KO’s) taking on the tough-as-nails Jorge Pazos (14-7-1, 8KO’s) in an eight-round junior lightweight matchup.

Just added to the card this week is a special attraction middleweight matchup featuring former Ukrainian amateur star and now blue-chip prospect Sergey Derevyanchenko (3-0, 2KO’s) as he takes on Vladine Biosse (15-5-2, 7KO’s). The bout is scheduled for eight rounds in the middleweight division.

Co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc., and advised by Al Haymon, Derevyanchenko was an outstanding amateur, which saw him compile an astonishing 390-20 record, as well as represent his native Ukraine at the 2008 Olympics and win 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.

Upon his signing, Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment, confidently stated, “Sergey is one of the most decorated amateurs in the world and absolutely one of the best middleweight prospects in all of boxing. We feel that in one year’s time, he will be ready to compete at the highest levels in boxing.”

Following his first three fights, it has been hard to argue with DiBella’s notion. The 29-year-old, now living and training in Brooklyn, NY, has looked every bit as advertised. The lone opponent thus far to go the distance with Derevyanchenko was Laatekwei Hammond (21-7), who was dropped three times in the second, third and fourth rounds of that fight. In Biosse, Derevyanchenko will meet a tough and experienced southpaw, who has been in with the likes of contenders J’Leon Love, Callum Smith, Denis Grachev and, most recently, former super middleweight world title challenger Andre Dirrell.

Tickets are priced at $100, $60 and $40, and are currently on sale through the DiBella Entertainment office by calling (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

For additional information you can visit www.dbe1.com follow us on twitter @loudibella @DiBellaEnt or like our fan page on facebook/DiBellaEntertainment

Monte-Carlo (February 18, 2015) Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and top rated challenger MARTIN MURRAY give their final thoughts at today’s final press conference.

Golovkin vs. Murray takes place this Saturday, February 21 at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte-Carlo and televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 5:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Photos credit: Will Hart/HBO

GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN

“Martin Murray is a great fighter, he looks strong here today. He is the biggest test of my career.”

“Thanks to everyone for putting this event together, it’s great to be back in Monte Carlo, I love fighting here. Thanks to my team and my coach Abel Sanchez.”

“I promise a great fight on Saturday night and a big drama show.”

“Welcome to my fight!”

MARTIN MURRAY

“Gennady Golovkin is one of the best fighters in the world, but this Saturday I will beat him.”

“We had a great camp, six weeks in England followed by five in South Africa. I’ve done everything I need to beat him, this is the hardest fight of my life but I’m ready for it.”

TOM LOEFFLER, K2 Promotions

‘Thanks to everyone for their help in putting this fight together. In addition to HBO in the United States this fight will be shown live all over Europe and in over 100 countries.”

“This is actually the sixth press conference we’ve done for this fight including previously here in Monte Carlo, also in Kazakhstan, in London, Mexico City and Los Angeles. This is truly a worldwide event.”

“We expect Martin to rise to the occasion as he did against Sergio Martinez and Felix Sturm and expect a great fight on Saturday night.”

ABEL SANCHEZ

“We thank Martin Murray for taking the fight, we know how good he can be as he showed against Sergio Martinez and Felix Sturm.”

“Gennady had a great camp and understands that he needs to please and be responsible in the ring.”

ANDREW MIKHAIL, Manager of Murray

“Martin is the uncrowned champion and we know he is coming to win. The world is in for a great fight this Saturday night.”

“Martin is ready, willing and able to beat Gennady on Saturday night.”

PETER NELSON

“On behalf of HBO we’re very happy to be here.”

“Martin has shown his toughness throughout his career and the ability to fight all over the world against the best in the division. Gennady will fight anyone, anywhere.”

RODNEY BERMAN, Golden Gloves of South America

“Golden Gloves fighters have had some excellent luck over the years as underdogs. Corrie Sanders defeating Wladimir Klitschko, Hasim Rahman stopping Lennox Lewis and Sugar Boy Malinga beating Nigel Benn. On Saturday night we continue the trend.”

Boucherville, Wednesday, February 18, 2015 – Main Events and Interbox announced today that the NABF Light Heavyweight Title fight between Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba vs. Vasily “The Professor” Lepikhin will be the opening bout of the HBO World Championship Boxing tripleheader featuring the Unified Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev vs. Jean Pascal in the main event and heavyweights Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov vs. Steve “USS” Cunningham in the co-feature on Saturday, March 14 live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The HBO® telecast begins at 9 :45 p.m. ET/PT.

Main Events, German Titov Promotions and Interbox are also pleased to announce they have have agreed on a partnership and will join forces together in the promotion of Vasily Lepikhin moving forward.

A top ten light heavyweight, Chilemba (23-2-2, 10 KOs), 27, is originally from Malawi but currently resides in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. He has won all of his fights and has been quietly rising through the rankings in the light heavyweight division since suffering a decision loss to Tony Bellew in London two years ago. Currently, he is ranked #2 by the WBC, #6 by the WBO, and #7 by the IBF, as well as #6 by Ring Magazine and #8 by ESPN. Chilemba is known as a skilled boxer with a history of marring the records of undefeated opponents; he’s taken on five undefeated boxers in his pro career, suffering only one draw (Thomas Oostguizen)and no losses. Unbeaten prospect and amateur standout Artur Beterbiev passed on the opportunity to fight Chilemba on March 14th, clearing the way for Lepikhin to move in and seize the opportunity. Isaac will once again train with former WBC Welterweight World Champion James “Buddy” McGirt.

According to Isaac, “I am ready for this fight and happy to step into the ring with anyone that’s put in front of me. I never underestimate my opponents and I always come prepared. I am looking forward to March 14. I have trained hard and I will get the job done.” His manager, Jodi Solomon, added, “Isaac is a hardworking, disciplined athlete. He is serious about boxing and even more serious about winning. This fight is a great opportunity for him to showcase his dedication to the sport. I believe it’s very well matched, both fighters being accomplished in their own right. It should make for a very exciting fight.”

In the other corner, Interbox, Main Events and German Titov Promotions have joined forces in the promotion of undefeated Russian blue chip prospect Vasily “The Professor” Lepikhin (17-0, 9 KOs). Lepikhin, 29, is ranked #7 by the WBO and #12 in the WBA. “The Professor” is from Gelendzhik, Russia and is trained by his father Andrey Lepikhin. Vasily made his US debut in August of last year with a fifth round stoppage against New Zealand native Robert Berridge to secure the WBO Oriental and PABA Light Heavyweight Titles. The undefeated Lepikhin returned stateside in November and defeated Jackson Junior from Brazil in November. This will be his first fight in Canada.

“I am very excited about fighting on HBO and this new opportunity with Interbox,” explained Lepikhin. “I am looking forward to showcasing my skills on this large international scale.”

Lepikhin is managed by Egis Klimas, the same manager who has steered Sergey Kovalev’s career from the very beginning. Klimas added, “This is a great opportunity for Vasily. He is ready for a great fight on March 14 in Canada.”

“It is very important for us to offer our fans a quality product on March 14th and the addition to the card of a boxer with such enormous potential such as Vasily Lepikhin in a match against a world-rated contender is as exciting as it is strategic. We are also very happy to be able to further build on our relationship with Main Events moving forward past March 14th,” said Interbox President Jean Bedard.

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, added, “We had a great opportunity with this opening bout for Isaac to be on HBO and move up in the rankings and the eyes of the boxing public. In a fortuitous turn of events, Vasily will get the same opportunity and Main Events and German Titov Promotions will grow what has become a great working relationship in Canada with Interbox.”

Tickets
Tickets are on sale now at the Bell Centre 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.

About Main Events
Main Events was founded in 1978 by the late Dan Duva and is now run by his widow Kathy Duva. As one of the top promotional companies in the world Main Events has promoted boxing legends Evander Holyfield, Arturo Gatti, Lennox Lewis, Pernell Whitaker and many more. Currently Main Events promotes WBO, IBF and WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev who just defeated legendary light heavyweight Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins in one of the highest-rated fights of 2014 in November in Atlantic City, NJ. Main Events is committed to promoting quality fights that boxing fans want to see.

About InterBox
InterBox, founded in Québec in 1997, and acquired by Groupe Sportscene in 2004, is recognized throughout Québec and the world as a respected boxing organization. InterBox’s goal is to promote professional boxing locally and internationally via talented boxers supported by top-drawer trainers using cutting edge techniques. InterBox regularly promotes and presents elite events in cooperation with such significant corporate sponsors as Vidéotron, the Cage aux Sports restaurant chain, Coors Light and Mise-O-jeu.

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Perhaps the sport’s most feared fighter, middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin has built a powerhouse reputation by demonstrating a willingness to take on any challenge and displaying an intriguing array of skills, highlighted by stunning knockout power.

Now, the Kazakhstan native makes his highly anticipated 2015 debut when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS. MARTIN MURRAY is seen SATURDAY, FEB. 21 at 5:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the Salle des Etoiles in glittering Monte Carlo, exclusively on HBO, with a replay later that night on HBO at 10:15 p.m. (ET/PT). The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

In the 13th defense of his middleweight crown, 32-year-old Gennady Golovkin (31-0, 28 KOs), originally from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, and now training at Big Bear, Cal., meets the formidable Martin Murray (29-1-1, 12 KOs) from St Helens, Merseyside, United Kingdom in a scheduled 12-round contest. Currently boasting a knockout victory streak of 18, Golovkin has taken the boxing world by storm with an extraordinary knockout-to-win ratio of better than 90%. No opponent has gone the distance with him since Nov. 2008, and the average length of his pro bouts is 4.6 rounds; his three 2014 fights ended in the seventh, third and second rounds. Trained by the highly regarded Abel Sanchez, Golovkin will be making his seventh appearance on HBO since his auspicious debut in Sept. 2012.

Murray, 32, is a seasoned pro willing to accept any challenge, at any location. He battled titleholder Felix Sturm to a hard-fought draw in Mannheim, Germany, and fought Sergio Martinez before a raucous partisan crowd in Argentina, resulting in what some saw as a questionable loss. In October, Murray won in impressive fashion against Domenico Spada in Monte Carlo.

The telecast from Monte Carlo continues HBO’s initiative of presenting high-caliber fights from Europe in the late-Saturday afternoon time slot. In the past two years, HBO Boxing visited London, Moscow and Hamburg for world-class title action.

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

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Monte-Carlo (February 18, 2015) — The principality of Monte-Carlo will be showcased to the world on Saturday with the broadcast of “Thunderbolt”, the tournament headlined by Gennady Golovkin’s world middleweight championship bout against Martin Murray.

Multiple nternational broadcasters from around the globe have purchased the rights, ensuring maximum exposure for what is anticipated to be Golovkin’s toughest challenge to date.
The unbeaten Kazakh (31-0, 28 KOs), the WBA Super World middleweight, interim WBC World middleweight and IBO middleweight champion, is on an unbeaten 18-bout KO streak and will be looking to extend that against the UK’s Murray (29-1-1, 12 KOs), who refuses to simply be an “opponent”.
The fight will be broadcast on HBO in the US and on Channel Five, the terrestrial TV service in the UK.
Deals have also been concluded in a number of other major countries and regions, including Africa (SuperSport), Australia (Main Event PPV), Brazil (Esporte Interativo), China (CCTV), France (L’Equipe), Germany (Sat.1), Israel (Sport 5), Japan (WOWOW), Mexico (Azteca), Nicaragua (Canal 4), Panama , Pan-South America (Space), Poland (NC+), Russia (Russia 2), Scandinavia (Viasat), Slovenia, Thailand (Channel 7), Turkey (Kanal D) and Uruguay (VTV).
Negotiations are continuing with an additional number of broadcasters.
“This is very gratifying,” said promoter Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves. “This fight has captured the imagination, as has the undercard. I’m delighted that so many people will have the chance to watch such a major event.”
The undercard includes South African Hekkie Budler (27-1, 9 KOs) in defence of his WBA and IBO minimumweight titles against Jesus Silvestre (30-5, 22 KOs) of Mexico, plus the UK’s Lee Haskins (30-3, 13 KOs) contesting the vacant EBU bantamweight title against Omar Lamiri (13-1, 5 KOs) of France and a heavyweight bout between contenders Hughie Fury (14-0, 8 KOs) and Andriy Rudenko (24-1, 16 KOs) of Ukraine.

GOLOVKIN vs MURRAY is presented by Golden Gloves of South Africa, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions, Expo 2017 and Tsesnabank, Casino de Monte-Carlo along with Monte-Carlo SBM.

The fight will be broadcast internationally from the beautiful Salle des Etoiles venue in Monte-Carlo.

The international broadcast and transmission rights to this world class event are being exclusively distributed by leading boxing rights distributor and sports marketing firm Protocol Sports Marketing Ltd., an Octapixx company.

LONDON (18 FEB) Two-time world title challenger Martin Murray has been away from his family for the last five weeks in the hope that such sacrifices will help land him the WBA Super world middleweight title on Saturday night (February 21) in Monte Carlo, LIVE on Channel 5.

The proud St. Helens warrior faces fearsome champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin in a matter of days and knows he’s left no stone unturned in training camp.

“Being away from my family has absolutely killed me,” said Murray, father to Archie, Amelia and Aisla. “I’ve been away from them now for over five weeks and it’s been really hard.

“I can look back now and think, well, at least it’s nearly done, but, at the time, it was hell. I was lonely, I was down. But it needed to be done. I’ve got no regrets whatsoever. If I had to go back and do it all again, I would. It’s been tough but worthwhile.

“I’m heavily involved in my kids’ lives and I know I’ve been missing a lot of things. I’m a very hands-on dad, so every day I spend away from them eats me up inside. But I can make up for it on Monday when I see them and bring home the world title.”

Though days from fight night, Murray, 29-1-1 (12 KOs), feels no ill will towards Golovkin, nor does he expect to experience any animosity at today’s fight week press conference. But that doesn’t meant he won’t be doing everything in his power to dethrone the champion on Saturday.

“When we have our press conference, I’ll be professional and courteous,” he said. “But, come fight night, that’s not going to stop me wanting to rip his head off. He’ll be the same way. We’ll shake hands and be perfectly nice to each other, but that goes out of the window on Saturday. He wants to take something from me and I want to hurt him.

“Some of Golovkin’s opponents might give him too much respect, and they might be all smiles and handshakes at the press conference, but that’s just stupid. They obviously didn’t grow up where I grew up. I respect his ability as a fighter, and I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but this is a fight and I can be just as nasty as anybody when I have to be.”

Murray has done the bulk of his training in South Africa, running at altitude and pushing his body to its limit, and the experience, he believes, has sufficiently prepared his mind for the sternest test of his seven-year professional career.

“I went over with a great bunch of lads and that made it easier for me,” he said. “I spent quite a lot of time in my room on my own, though. I wouldn’t say I was moody or horrible to be around, but I was focused and serious a lot of the time.

“Being away just made me focus that bit more and gave me more of a drive. I was away from home, away from my family and it was all for the right reasons.”

Such was the level of Murray’s focus, he even attached a picture of Golovkin, Saturday’s opponent, to a heavy bag in his gymnasium. It acted as a daily reminder.

“That picture was put on the heavy bag on day one and it was still there when I left on Friday,” said the 32-year-old. “It wasn’t done for publicity. It’s something we’ve always done. No matter who I’ve fought, there has always been a picture of them on a bag or on the wall. It’s just good to have their face in the gym. It makes you constantly aware of what is to come. To be honest, I’m sick of the sight of Golovkin now. I’ve seen him every single day.

“Saying that, though, it’s been extremely easy to switch off when I’ve needed to. In fact, I’ve never slept better during a training camp. I don’t know whether that’s because I’ve trained harder than ever or what, but sleep has been really easy this camp.

“I’ve thought about Golovkin, but only when I’ve needed to think about him. For example, I’d think about him on my way to training and while in the gym. Aside from that, though, I’ve put him to the back of my mind. I pick and choose when I need to focus on him.

“On Saturday night he’ll be the only thing on my mind.”

*** Boxing superstar Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin defends his WBA Super world middleweight title against Britain’s Martin Murray on Saturday, February 21 in Monte Carlo, LIVE on Channel 5 (10pm) ***

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For more information on Channel 5, MaxNutrition, Golden Gloves, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maxinutrition.com
www.hennessysports.com
www.goldengloves.co.za
www.k2promo.com

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Allentown, PA (February 17, 2015)–Christian Molina did not have much of an amateur background but he has been a quick study and has become one of the top prospects in the Lehigh Valley.

This Saturday he will look to go to 4-0 when he takes on pro debuting Stacey Anderson in a 4-round Jr. Welterweight bout at the Econo Lodge in Allentown, PA and is promoted by King’s Promotions.

In the main event, Frank De Alba will take on an opponent to be named in a 8-round Jr. Lightweight bout.

Molina, 27 years old of Allentown, PA had just five amateur bouts but has raced off to a perfect 3-0 mark with impressive wins over Dominic Goode, Jordan Morales and Josue Rivera and he now looks for a similar performance against Anderson.

“Training has gone great. Anderson is a new opponent. All I know is that he has an MMA background,” said Molina.

“I train hard I make the sacrifices to win. I look to box and I look to fight. I just do whatever it takes to fight that opponent.”

The southpaw has already built up a nice following and wants to thrill the fans on Saturday night.

“I just want to thank all the fans and especially the Spanish fans that will come out and support me this Saturday.”

In 6-round bouts:

Juan Dominguez (17-0, 11 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will take on an opponent to be named.

Super Middleweight John Magda (8-0, 6 KO’s) of Rutherford, NJ will take on Jay Williams (3-4) of West Monroe, LA

Ivan Golub (5-0, 4 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will take on David Lopez (4-11-3, 1 KO) in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Danny Kelly (6-1-1, 5 KO’s) of Washington, DC will take on Kevin Franklin (6-10, 3 KO’s) of in a Heavyweight bout.

In 4-round bouts:

Robert Irizarry (2-0-1) of Cherry Hill, NJ will battle Benjamin Burgos (2-10-1) of Mount Pocono, PA in a Featherweight bout. This bout is a rematch of a bout from May where Irizarry won a unanimous decision.

Christopher Booker of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against Andrew Sosa (0-4-1) of Farmers Branch, TX i in a Middleweight bout.

Paul Koon (2-0, 1 KO of Philadelphia will battle Rex Harris (1-0-2) of Wikes-Barre, PA, in a Heavyweight bout.

Tickets for this great night of boxing are $45 for General Admission and $60 for Ringside and can be purchased by clicking: www.kingsboxing.eventbrite.com or by calling 610 587 5950

The Econo Lodge is located at 1151 Building Drive in Allentown, PA

MACAO (February 17, 2015) — The upcoming Chinese New Year will begin on February 19, 2015 — The Year of the Sheep. But Chinese boxing fans from around the world are hoping it will also usher in the beginning of The Shiming Dynasty. After winning three World Championships and two Olympic gold medals as an amateur, ZOU SHIMIING, in only his seventh professional fight and 23 months removed from his professional debut, will be challenging undefeated International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight world champion AMNAT RUENROENG. The Showdown at Sands: Zou Shiming vs. Amnat Ruenroeng will headline an exciting all-action world championship boxing event, Saturday, March 7, at The Venetian® Macao’s Cotai Arena.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Sands China Ltd., in association with Tecate, SECA, Kreerin Promotions, Sampson Boxing and Foreman Boys Promotions, the Zou Shiming – Amnat Ruenroeng World Flyweight Championship fight will be televised via same-day delay on HBO2, beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET/PT. The HBO2 telecast will open with a 10-round NABO junior middleweight title tilt between GLEN TAPIA (22-1, 14 KOs), of Passaic, NJ, and one-time world title challenger DANIEL DAWSON (40-4-1, 26 KOs), of Perth, Australia. Veteran boxing blow-by-blow man and WNBC-TV’s lead sports anchor Bruce Beck and award-winning broadcaster and analyst Rich Marotta will be calling the action from ringside.

The undercard will feature JOSE FELIX, Jr. (28-1-1, 23 KOs), from Los Mochis, Mexico, battling RAYMOND SERMONA, (17-4-5, 8 KOs), of Manila, in an eight-round lightweight bout which will be televised via same-day delay on UniMás, and Top-10 contenders IK YANG (17-0, 12 KOs), of Dalian, China and PATOMSUK PATHOMPOTHONG (30-2-1, 18 KOs), of Kalasin, Thailand, squaring off in a 12-round IBF junior welterweight title elimination bout.

Making the Zou-Ruenroeng fight even more intriguing is the history these two warriors already have with each other. Their amateur trilogy began with Ruenroeng winning their first battle — as a late substitute called up by the Thailand amateur team — at the 2007 King’s Cup, which was also Ruenroeng’s first international competition. Zou won the next two times they fought, including a reverse in their semi-final of the 2010 Asian Games that could have gone either way — and did. Now that they are professionals, the stakes are much higher and their simmering rivalry is set to become a roiling boil.

“Beloved in the Peoples’ Republic of China and an incredible talent, Zou has earned his right to fight for a professional world championship belt,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “It is fitting that the Zou vs. Ruenroeng world flyweight title fight take place at The Venetian Macao, which has become one of the great boxing capitals of the world.”

Zou (6-0, 1 KO), from Guizhou, China, and trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, returns to the ring fresh from his most impressive professional victory — a 12-round unanimous decision victory over undefeated No. 3 contender Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym in a world flyweight title elimination bout. Their fight was the co-main event to the Manny Pacquiao – Chris Algieri world welterweight championship on November 22 at Cotai Arena. Zou scored three knockdowns en route to a 119-106, 119-106 and 120-103 victory over his vastly more experienced opponent. He showed his mettle by fighting through numerous head butts that swelled his left eye shut as well as weathering numerous low blows. But Zou kept his composure throughout the fight showing the world he was ready for a world title shot. Last July 19, Zou stepped up to his first 10-round fight, where he captured the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) International flyweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Top-10 contender Luis De La Rosa, proving to the world that he had developed into a world title contender. Zou is currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBO and No. 4 by the IBF. He won his professional debut April 6, 2013 at Fists of Gold, via a dominant four-round unanimous decision over gritty Eleazar Valenzuela. He followed that up with six-round unanimous decision victories last year over Jesus Ortega and Juan Toscano, July 27 at Fists of Gold II and November 24 at The Clash in Cotai, respectively, and celebrated his 2014 debut with his first professional knockout, February 22, at Ring of Gold, stopping Yokthong Kokietgym in the seventh round. All of Zou’s professional bouts have taken place at the Cotai Arena. One of the most popular Olympic athletes in China, Zou was the world’s greatest amateur light flyweight, capturing gold medals in the World Amateur Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2011, along with gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He also owns an Olympic bronze medal from the 2004 games, making him his nation’s first Olympic medallist in boxing as well as its first boxing gold medallist in the World Amateur Championships and the Olympics.

Ruenroeng (14-0, 5 KOs), of Si Racha, Thailand, overcame a troubled past to reach the pinnacle of his division. Beating a severe drug addiction and enduring three prison terms, Ruenroeng found his salvation through a prison boxing program that saw him become a national amateur champion, while still an inmate, as a member of the Thai Corrections Department team. A bronze medallist at the 2007 World Amateur Championships in Chicago and a member of Thailand’s 2008 Olympic team, Ruenroeng made his professional debut in 2012 when he didn’t make the 2012 Olympic team. He made his presence known to his division in his second year as a professional winning the IBF/Asia flyweight title and successfully defending it three times. He captured the vacant IBF flyweight world title on January 22, 2014, scoring a unanimous decision over Rocky Fuentes. He has successfully defended the title twice since winning it His first title defense was against unbeaten two-division world champion Kazuto Ioka, in Iaoka’s homeland of Oska, Japan, last May 7. In his most recent title defense, on September 10, Ruenroeng survived a knockdown en route to s split decision victory over mandatory challenger McWilliams Arroyo.

Remaining tickets to The Showdown at Sands: Zou Shiming vs. Amnat Ruenroeng, priced from HKD/MOP 180 to 4,680, may be purchased online via Cotai Ticketing (www.cotaiticketing.com) or at the following Cotai Ticketing box offices, including The Venetian Macao (Cotai Arena and Main Lobby box offices), Four Seasons Hotel Macao (The Plaza™ Macao box office), Sands® Macao (Level 1 box office) or Sands® Cotai Central (Sheraton Main Lobby and Holiday Inn Main Lobby box offices.) To charge by phone call +853 2882 8818 (Macao) or +852 6333 6660 (Hong Kong). Hotel packages at The Venetian Macao, Conrad Macao-Cotai Central, Sheraton Macao Hotel-Cotai Central and Holiday Inn-Cotai Central are available through Cotai Ticketing only, starting at HDK/MOP 3,800 (plus 5% government tax and 10% service charge.) Packages include two tickets and one night’s room accommodation.

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

Heavyweight star Tyson Fury has vowed to make it a short night’s work when he meets dangerous German Christian Hammer next weekend.

The European and WBO International Heavyweight Champion, who is the mandatory challenger for Wladimir Klitschko’s world crown, was speaking during a media workout at his gym in Bolton, ahead of his February 28th showdown at London’s O2 Arena .

Undefeated Fury, who has an impressive 17 knockouts from his 23 wins, is looking to add another victim to his record in the shape of Hammer, though despite gunning for a knockout is refusing to underestimate the 27-year-old, who is unbeaten since 2010.

“I’ve had a great camp, training has gone very well and because of that I don’t see this fight going beyond five rounds. I want the knockout and that’s what I’m out to get on February 28th,” said Fury.

“There’s a reason this bill is being labelled ‘Risky Business’ because of everything that is on the line. I’m mandatory to face Wladimir Klitschko next but if I don’t win this fight I’ll lose that mandatory position and my chance to fight for the world title

“We’ve seen fighters in the past who have been in a similar position and lost but that’s not going to happen with me. The reason is because I’m not overlooking Christian Hammer.

“I’ve seen him in the amateurs and I’ve seen the progress he has made in the paid ranks, he’s a very good fighter and not someone you can overlook.

“But a Tyson Fury fight is never boring and I can guarantee excitement and drama when I step in the ring. Put it this way, someone is getting knocked out and it isn’t going to be me,” Fury said.

Manchester’s Fury ended 2014 on a high with a commanding victory over the much respected Dereck Chisora to muscle himself into pole position to face the world’s number one heavyweight in Klitschko.

Now, 26-year-old Fury is out to first beat Hammer before ushering in a new era in boxing’s glamour division by dethroning the formidable Ukrainian legend and making 2015 a year to remember.

“I want Klitschko but I’m not overlooking Hammer because that would be foolish. When I win this fight that will be the time to talk Klitschko and he will have to step up and face me,” said Fury.

“Last year was a frustrating year, despite it ending well, but it’s all in the past now and I’m just looking forward to the future and becoming a world champion.

“The heavyweight division has to sit up and take notice because there’s going to be a changing of the guard and crowning of a new King in 2015 in Tyson Fury,” he said.

Chris Eubank Jr will also be back in action on the night following his split decision loss to Billy Joe Saunders last November, when he takes on Dmitry Chudinov for the interim WBA world middleweight title.

Rising super-featherweight ace Liam Walsh is also part of the impressive lineup when he faces Joe Murray for the British and Commonwealth titles.

Tickets are on sale now for Risky Business, priced at £50, £75, £100 and £250 + booking fees, are available from www.eventim.co.uk and 0844 249 1000 or AXS.com and 08448 24 48 24.

BoxNation will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android.

Philadelphia, PA:
As the 38-year old USBA Heavyweight Champion and two-time former cruiserweight world champion Steve “USS” Cunningham (28-6, 13 KOs) prepares to defend his title against Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov (19-0-1, 12 KOs) and fight for the mandatory position in the IBF, he does it a little differently than he has in the past, but with a newfound level of strength and courage he gained from an unlikely source, his nine-year old daughter Kennedy.

“USS” Cunningham
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events

For the first time in almost five years, Cunningham will be away from his family while he trains in Philadelphia with his trainer, the legendary Brother Naazim Richardson. He is staying alone in a dorm-like room at his gym, but is not bothered by it as a Veteran of the United States Navy: “I was in the Navy for four years so I lived in crowded rooms with 80 guys before; so this is alright with me,” explained Cunningham.

As much as Steve misses his family, they are apart for a great reason: his daughter, Kennedy, is in Pittsburgh with his wife and sons recovering from a heart transplant. Kennedy was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and doctors told Steve and his wife, Livvy, that she would most likely die at a very young age. Kennedy defied the odds by surviving multiple surgeries and a lifetime of doctors and hospitals, until last year, when doctors told the Cunninghams all hope was lost and they needed to take their daughter home and make her comfortable. A few days later, on April 4, 2014, a devastated Steve put on a career-defining performance (with Kennedy front and center), overcoming two knockdowns to hand Amir “Hardcore” Mansour his first pro loss and take the USBA Heavyweight Title.

Steve Cunningham
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

After his victory over Mansour, Steve and Livvy decided to get a second opinion. Their search brought them to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh where Dr. Victor Morell told them Kennedy was a candidate for a transplant. They listed her for a new heart and the Cunninghams relocated to Pittsburgh to anxiously wait for the call that would save their daughter’s life. The boxing community responded with an outpouring of support, raising over $30,000 to help defray the costs associated with the surgery and move that would not be covered by insurance. During this emotionally fraught time, Steve continued to train and defeated Natu Visinia by knock out on October 8, 2014 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia with Kennedy at ringside.

Cunningham Celebrates His Victory Over Mansour
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Finally, in December, Kennedy got her new heart. It was the same week that Steve learned he would get another shot to earn a world heavyweight title fight against Glazkov. Steve said that Kennedy was rock solid while they waited in the hospital for the surgery that might save her life or end it. He said, “The way she handled the whole thing head-on, I just need to remember the confident look on her face as she was in the hospital waiting for her surgery to give me all the steam I need. Kennedy is my motivation. She was going into her transplant surgery with a “Let’s go!” attitude. That is my attitude right now.”

After several weeks in the hospital and a few hiccups along the way, Kennedy was finally allowed to leave the hospital, but she must remain in Pittsburgh to be near her doctors while she recovers. So, Steve happily trains alone.

Kennedy and Steve Holding Hands
Photo Courtesy of: David Spagnolo

Despite appearing in eight IBF Cruiserweight World Championship fights, Steve has never fought on HBO before. When asked about making his HBO debut on March 14, Steve said, “I am super excited to be fighting on HBO, FINALLY! And I want my performance to ensure that this is not my last time fighting on HBO.”

This fight against Glazkov will be the second time Cunningham has faced a Main Events’ stablemate. In 2012, he lost a split decision against Tomasz Adamek. Glazkov has also faced Adamek (on March 15, 2014) and defeated him via unanimous decision. Cunningham was on hand to witness Glazkov’s defeat over Adamek and appeared as a guest commentator on the telecast. He said, “He beat Adamek and did a damn good job with it and I think I am going to see a better version of Glazkov than the one that fought Adamek.” However, Steve added, “Glazkov is a damn good fighter and good fighters bring out the best in other fighters. That is what I believe is going to happen. The game plan is the same as usual: win by all means.”

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 live on HBO World Championship Boxing® on March 14, 2015 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Tickets are on sale now at the Bell Centre 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.

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Philadelphia, PA—When Jason Sosa leveled Michael “Lefty” Brooks in the ninth round of their main event last April 12 at Bally’s Atlantic City, he appeared to be one of the brightest prospects in the junior lightweight division.

His 12-1-3 record included seven consecutive knockouts and he earned a No. 1 ranking with the USBA. Next up for Sosa was a spot in front of the HBO brass on the Aug. 2 undercard of Sergey Kovalev’s WBO light-heavyweight title defense against Blake Caparello at the Revel Resort in Atlantic City.
But like the Revel Resort, Sosa (right) faded from view.
Now, as he prepares to take on Bergman Aguilar, of Escazu, Costa Rica, in the eight-round main event on March 6 at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia, Sosa reflects on his disappearing act in 2014.
“After the Brooks fight, I had to put my boxing career on hold,” Sosa said. “There were contractual interferences that have since been resolved. Unfortunately, there are two different sides in boxing and I had to take care of the business part. I signed with a new manager, Mark Cipparone of Club 1957 Management, and, since then, it has been great.”
In the fall, Sosa was in line to box world-rated Edner Cherry, of Wachula, FL, at the 2300 Arena and the fight was to be televised over the NBC Sports Network. However, Sosa and Cipparone did not feel the timing was right and the fight never materialized.
Sosa did manage on more fight in 2014, traveling to Catano, Puerto Rico, in October where he knocked out Juan G. Cruz in two rounds. It was the first time Sosa had boxed someone with a losing record since his second pro fight in 2010.
A pro since 2009, Sosa has lost just once. That came late in 2010 when he accepted a fight on 48 hours notice against Treysean Wiggins, a hard hitter from New York who was two weight classes above Sosa. Needing the money but eight pounds over his best fighting weight, Sosa was stopped in the first round of a scheduled six-rounder at Bally’s. It was a fight that never should have happened.
Sosa stayed out of the ring for 13 months, but came back strong with trainer Raul “Chino” Rivas in his corner. He has not lost since, winning 10 fights, the last eight by knockout, and boxing a pair of disputed draws with Angel Luis Ocasio, of Philadelphia, PA.
Hoping to use a win over Aguilar on March 6 as a stepping stone to a world ranking, the 25-year-old Sosa, of Camden, NJ, is primed for a big year in 2015.
A potential fight with lightweight Ivan Redkach on ShoBox was “on the table” for the first week in January, but when Redkach’s camp failed to respond in time, the fight was scrapped. When Redkach’s people finally agreed, Sosa had stopped training.
Sosa vows things will be different.
“I’m looking forward to getting right back where I left off in the ring,” he said. “My last eight fights have ended in knockouts and on March 6 I will keep the streak going.
“I am re-focused and recharged and my career is back on the fast track. I’m excited for what my promoter (J Russell Peltz) has in store for me and my career in the near future.”
Aguilar, 30, now living in Puerto Rico, is 12-1-1, 4 K0s. He has not lost since his fifth pro fight in 2008.
In his last match April 4, 2014, in Panama City, Panama, Aguilar earned an 11-round decision (correct, 11 rounds) over previously unbeaten Juan Huertas, of Panama, for the WBA Fedalatin junior lightweight title.
The March 6 fight will be Aguilar’s first in the United States.

About March 6

The Sosa-Aguilar ad Joey Dawejko-Enobong Umohette fights headline a seven-bout card at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. Doors open at 6 pm; first fight is 7pm. The card will be streamed live on www.gfl.com and on Comcast SportsNet (CSN) on a delayed basis. Tickets are priced $35, $50 and $75 and they can be purchased by calling Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) or Wanamaker’s Tickets (215-568-2400). Tickets also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.wanatix.com. The March 6 card is promoted by Joe Hand Promotions, Peltz Boxing and BAM Boxing.

NEW YORK (Feb. 17, 2015) – CBS Sports and SHOWTIME Sports® have announced a multi-year joint venture to present live boxing on the CBS Television Network—the first of up to eight live events in 2015 will premiere on Saturday, April 4 at 3 p.m. ET on CBS. Premier Boxing Champions on CBS will air in conjunction with marquee SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING events as part of a partnership that will cross-promote the live programs across multiple platforms.

The first six weeks to begin this venture will feature two of the biggest names in the sport—Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and Adonis Stevenson—and bookend this year’s most anticipated boxing event, the SHOWTIME PPV® presentation of the undisputed pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather.

Each live boxing event on CBS and SHOWTIME will be supported with short- and long-form shoulder programming that will air across multiple platforms including CBS, SHOWTIME and CBS Sports Network. In addition, a significant marketing budget will be dedicated to promoting each of the live CBS broadcasts and each major SHOWTIME telecast with targeted advertising campaigns.

“The Premier Boxing Champions series on CBS will help usher in a new era in the storied history of boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “With the support of our parent company, we are uniquely positioned for a three-tiered approach that includes live boxing broadcasts on America’s No. 1 network, the cable reach of CBS Sports Network and, of course, the premium television leader in boxing, SHOWTIME. The benefit of elevating the sport across these platforms for all involved, including SHOWTIME, is immeasurable.”

The schedule of upcoming live boxing events on CBS and SHOWTIME is as follows:

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

On Saturday, March 28, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will present a doubleheader featuring a featherweight showdown between WBC champion Jhonny Gonzalez and top contender Gary Russell Jr., and a matchup of 154-pound contenders Jermell Charlo and Vanes Martirosyan. The live SHOWTIME telecast will preview the following week’s April 4 CBS debut of Premier Boxing Champions.

PREMIERE BOXING CHAMPIONS ON CBS

The CBS premiere on Saturday, April 4 (3 p.m. ET/Noon PT) will feature light heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson defending his WBC title against former super middleweight champ Sakio Bika. In the co-feature, undefeated light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev will face veteran former world champ Gabriel Campillo. The CBS broadcast, with its national reach of more than 110 million households, will offer a broad platform to promote a major SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event just two weeks later.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

On Saturday, April 18, SHOWTIME presents the network debut of former world champion and Mexican superstar Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., as he takes on light heavyweight contender Andrzej Fonfara.

PREMIERE BOXING CHAMPIONS ON CBS

On Saturday, May 9 Premier Boxing Champions returns to CBS for the second installment (4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT). This broadcast will pit undefeated Omar Figueroa, who recently vacated his Lightweight World Championship to move up in weight to 140 pounds, against former champion Ricky Burns.

The April 18 SHOWTIME telecast and the May 9 CBS broadcast will support—and be supported by—the May 2 SHOWTIME PPV event featuring the undefeated, world’s No. 1 ranked fighter, Floyd Mayweather.

Additional confirmed dates for Premier Boxing Champions on CBS include live broadcasts in June, July and September, with up to three remaining events on the 2015 calendar yet to be announced. The live boxing broadcasts on CBS, other than the aforementioned premiere, will be broadcast live at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT.

The Premier Boxing Champions series was created for television by Haymon Sports. It is the first consistent series presentation of live boxing on CBS in 15 years. The network aired a one-off live event featuring current WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Leo Santa Cruz in 2012. Prior to that, the last live boxing on the network was in 1997 when then-middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins knocked out Glen Johnson.

Live boxing was a staple on the network in the 1980s, consistently featuring future Hall of Famers Sugar Ray Leonard, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini and others. Boxing’s history on CBS dates back to 1948 when the Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts premiered featuring legendary blow-by-blow commentator Russ Hodges.

# # #

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®.

Verona, NY (February 17, 2015)–This Friday night at the Turning Stone Resort Casino, the Boxcino 2015 Heavyweight tournament will begin with four quarterfinal bouts.

Former U.S. Olympian, Jason “Big Six” Estrada is a replacement in the tournament for Mario Heredia who bowed out of the tournament for medical reasons.

Estrada of Providence, Rhode Island was a member of 2004 United States Olympic team and turned professional later that year. He has solid wins over James Northey (11-1), Lance Whitaker (32-4), Moultrie Witherspoon (14-1) & Derek Bryant (20-4-1).

Below are quotes from the competitors for the heavyweight fights this Friday.

Steve Vukosa–“Training is going great. I have been getting extra work shoveling all the snow here in Massachusetts. I haven’t really checked much on Donovan Dennis. I am excited to get in the ring and am excited for this opportunity.”

vs

Donovan Dennis “Training camp is good. I had great sparring and am in good shape. I am ready and have been anxious for the last couple weeks. I am ready for whatever I have to do to win the fight.”

Razvan Cojanu–“Everything has been great. I am ready to go. I had top sparring and it went great. To be honest, I don’t know much about Ed Fountain other then he is a southpaw. That doesn’t matter to me as I just go in there and do my job.”

vs.

Ed Fountain–“Training camp is pretty good. I am the underdog, and I am going to have some fun. I hope he brings his best so I can prove myself. I know he is a veteran. I look forward to knocking him out and putting myself at the top of the tournament.”

Lenroy Thomas–“Training went well. I am disappointed by the change of opponents. I just believe in myself and my faith. I watched some videos of Estrada, and he comes to fight. He brings the fight. It will be a good fight, and I will be victorious.”

Vs.

Jason Estrada–“I am a late entry, but I have been in camp. I am in pretty good shape. This is such a good opportunity that I could not pass it up, and I am throwing my hat in the ring. I do not know much about my opponent. My dad did the research. I am just going in to fight my fight. From my amateur background, I have seen many styles. It is not hard because I have seen so many styles. I can adapt and may the best man win.”

Nate Heaven–“Training is going great. I have had lots of sparring. I have been running, and I am in great condition mentally and physically. I just keep charging along. From what I have seen, he will try to put a lot of pressure. He is aggressive and likes to go to the body. We are just preparing for whatever he comes up with. Training has been so well that we just want to take this from training to the ring.”

vs.

Andrey Fedosov–“I am ready to my best in this tournament! I had a great camp.”

The weigh in will be Thursday, February 19 at 5 PM in the Cypress Room.

There will be a post fight press conference immediately following the completion of the last bout in the Cypress Room.

Tickets for the February 20th ESPN Friday Night Fights at Turning Stone are on sale now at the Turning Stone box office, in person or by calling 315.361.7469, or online at Ticketmaster. Tickets are $60 for ringside seats, $35, $25, and are subject to additional fees.

Host of the February 20th bouts, the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino continues to distinguish itself as a premier destination for professional sporting events, including nationally-televised boxing matches and PGA-level golf. February 20th fight will mark Turning Stone’s 14th nationally televised boxing event in less than two years, helping establish the resort as a mecca for knockout televised fights. Boxing legends Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have promoted televised fight cards at the resort within the last year and Turning Stone has hosted televised boxing events on ESPN, Showtime, HBO, and NBC in the last two years. Located in Upstate New York, the four-season resort offers world-class entertainment and gaming, prestigious restaurants, luxury spa facilities, and award-winning accommodations.Tickets for the February 20th ESPN Friday Night Fights at Turning Stone are on sale now at the Turning Stone box office, in person or by calling 315.361.7469, or online at Ticketmaster. Tickets are $60 for ringside seats, $35, $25, and are subject to additional fees. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., with the first bout scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The live ESPN telecast starts at 9pm.

Professional media requesting credentials for the February 20 fight must contact Kelly Abdo, Turning Stone Public Relations Manager at 315.366.9291 or kelly.abdo@turningstone.com.

About Turning Stone Resort Casino A premier four-season, destination resort in Upstate New York, the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino is conveniently located about 30 miles east of Syracuse at NYS Thruway exit 33. Turning Stone was named “Most Excellent Golf Resort” in 2010 by Condé Nast Johansens. The Academy of Country Music named Turning Stone “Casino of the Year” in 2009. The resort offers world-class gaming, golf, entertainment, accommodations and spa facilities, and has earned AAA Four Diamond ratings for The Lodge, The Tower Hotel, and Wildflowers restaurant. For more information and reservations, call (315) 361-7711 or (800) 771-7711. Visit the web site at www.TurningStone.com..

LINCOLN, R.I. (Feb. 17th, 2015) — Fourteen-time Bellator vet and 2004 U.S. Judo Olympian Rick Hawn (19-4) makes his CES MMA debut against Derek Loffer (9-2) in the main event of “CES MMA XXVIII,” scheduled for Friday, March 13th, 2015 live from Twin River Casino on AXS TV.

The top four bantamweights in the northeast will also be in action on national television when Joey Gomez (5-0, 5 KO) takes on Kin Moy (6-1) and Andre “The Asian Sensation” Soukhamthath (8-2) fights Brian “Boom” Kelleher (11-7). Providence’s Greg “Ribz” Rebello (17-6) faces “Crazy” Mike Mucitelli (7-1) and Todd “The Hulk” Chattelle (12-11) returns to battle Roger “The Lepracaun” Carroll (15-11) on the main televised card.

The undercard features several exciting bouts, including Kyle Bochniak (4-0) taking on Dominic Warr (5-4); Willie Brown (2-1) battling Jesse McElligott (5-1) and Tommy Venticinque (1-2) facing Toby Oden (1-1). Tickets are priced at $40, $55, $100 and $125 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com and www.twinriver.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Players Club.

LONDON (17 FEB) World super-middleweight contender ‘Saint’ George Groves has experienced firsthand the quality of reigning WBA Super world middleweight champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin, but insists Martin Murray is the man to test the Kazakh destroyer when they meet on Saturday (February 21) in Monte Carlo.

Groves, a two-time world title challenger, spent a week in training camp with Golovkin last summer and the pair sparred a number of rounds together. It offered the Londoner the chance to see exactly why Golovkin, 31-0 (28 KOs), is the most feared fighter on the planet right now.

“Sometimes you get a quick puncher who hits hard, like Mike Tyson, but you assume they’re not going to last that long,” said Groves. “After three or four rounds, it’s likely they’ll tire. But Golovkin has a style that allows him to set his own rhythm and get into his own groove and it’s hard to knock him out of it.

“To beat him, you can’t only be good at one thing. If you’re just fast, you won’t beat him. If you just have power, you won’t beat him. He has so much time in the pocket to work you out. He’ll find the openings.

“The most impressive thing I discovered was that he’s exceptional at setting traps. He’ll have guys thinking they’ll avoid his punch power and move around the ring, yet he cuts the ring off, feints, sets traps and quickly gets them to fight his fight.

“It doesn’t take him long. Once the ring closes on them, he goes to work and he has a great variety of shots, he works the body well, and, when he sees an opening, he has so much time. He’s a wily old cat who can really bite.

“Ultimately, you’re always on a knife edge with someone like Golovkin. You’ve got to be prepared to punch with him. You’ve got to be prepared to take a shot to land a shot at times. If you’re too concerned about getting hit, you’ll panic, make a mistake and end up getting hit and hurt. You have to try and land some shots of your own and command his respect. If he’s got nothing to worry about, he’ll be in that groove and rhythm of his all day.

“And you’re not dealing with a technically poor fighter who has incredible punch power. He has incredible punch power and elite-level technical ability. This means he’s always in the right place at the right time, with perfect balance, to land some of the most hurtful shots in boxing. That’s a scary thing for most opponents.”

Groves concedes that Murray, 29-1-1 (12 KOs), isn’t the type to get scared or overawed when placed in a daunting situation. In fact, he’s shown in previous world title tilts, against Felix Sturm and Sergio Martinez, that he’s the sort of fighter who rises to the occasion.

“I think Martin Murray is certainly a world-class operator and he has looked exceptional at times, usually when asked to step up,” said Groves. “He’s proven himself to be one of the best in the division.

“Golovkin has gone through every one of his opponents like a hot knife through butter, so you wouldn’t back against him or begrudge him being the favourite, but I get the impression Murray is a very tough man to beat. He’s strong, he has a good boxing brain, he has a good variety of punches and he’s very experienced.

“I also like the fact Murray has a bit of a maverick approach to boxing. He isn’t signed to a standard UK promoter, he’s got his own ideas and I understand and appreciate that. He’s his own man. In these circumstances, that’s the best way to be. And, with the hype around Golovkin, ignorance and single-mindedness could be a real blessing.

“Also, Golovkin is so busy and has been boxing so well, it could be very easy for him to take his eye off the ball or go a little easy in training because he knows he’s scheduled for another three or four fights this year.

“Murray is not the sort of opponent you can take lightly. He can change and adapt to a certain degree; we’ve seen him fight up close with a tight guard and not give much away, and we’ve seen him box at mid-range and long-range behind a good jab and straight punches. He also looks like he’s got good physical strength, so he’ll be able to stand toe-to-toe when he needs to.

“All in all, I think it will definitely be one of Golovkin’s hardest fights. I don’t think Murray will crumble or get taken out early. We’ve seen good, durable fighters like Matthew Macklin and Daniel Geale crumble early against him, but I don’t see Murray going that way.”

*** Boxing superstar Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin defends his WBA Super world middleweight title against Britain’s Martin Murray on Saturday, February 21 in Monte Carlo, LIVE on Channel 5 ***

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Monte-Carlo (February 16, 2015) WBA/IBO and WBC “Interim” Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN arrived in Monte-Carlo today for his showdown with top rated challenger MARTIN MURRAY set for this Saturday night, February 21 at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte-Carlo and telecast worldwide including Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 5:45 p.m. ET/PT in the United States.

Golovkin was accompanied by TOM LOEFFLER of K2 Promotions and renowned longtime trainer ABEL SANCHEZ.

GOLOVKIN vs. MURRAY is presented by Golden Gloves of South Africa, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions, Expo 2017 and Tsesnabank, Casino de Monte Carlo along with Monte Carlo SBM.

Boxing’s Fastest Rising Superstar, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, 31-0-0 with 28 KO’s, scored his 18th straight stoppage and 12th defense of his WBA/IBO titles on Saturday, October 18th with a devastating second round knockout of WBC “Interim” Middleweight Champion, Marco Antonio Rubio in front of a standing room only crowd of 9,323 at the StubHub! Center in Carson, California, USA. The attendance was record setting, far surpassing any other previous boxing events held at the acclaimed West Coast venue including those featuring Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andre Ward.

A native of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, now residing in Los Angeles, California, Golovkin has fought twice previously in Monte-Carlo. In March 2012, Golovkin knocked out former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida in the third stanza, which earned him numerous “Knockout of the Year” awards from the international boxing media and scored a sixth round stoppage of former world title challenger Osumanu Adama in February 2013, also taking place at the Salle des Etoiles.

On October 25, Martin Murray stopped Dominic Spada in the fifth round also at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte-Carlo. Golovkin was ringside for the Murray/Spada bout and came away impressed by his performance. With the victory, Murray of Merseyside, United Kingdom improved his record to 29-1-1 (13KO’s).

In April 2012, Murray traveled to Buenos Aries, Argentina and battled hometown world champion Sergio Martinez. Despite dropping Martinez in the eighth round, he lost a controversial decision in a bout many in the media and ringside observers believe he was victorious in.

Three fights earlier, Murray headed to Mannheim, Germany in December 2011 to challenge also hometown champion Felix Sturm. Outlanding Sturm throughout the fight with blistering power punches, most ringside observers and media members also thought he won this fight despite settling for a highly controversial split decision draw.

ORANGE, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2015) – Isaac “Dinamita” Zarate (9-1-1, 1 KO), the former NABF Jr. super bantamweight champion, will showcase his abilities in the 8-round “Path to Glory” co-main event against Pedro Melo (12-6-2, 3 KOs) this Friday, Feb. 20 from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Zarate, 23, recently let the Thompson Boxing cameras into his training camp from the Ponce de Leon Gym in Los Angeles. Here are his thoughts as he prepares for Pedro Melo.

In October, you won the vacant NABF Jr. super bantamweight championship by outpointing Fernando Samaniego through 8-rounds. What kind of confidence does a win like that do for a young boxer trying to climb the ranks?

“It was a tremendous opportunity and a huge confidence booster. I understand that the road to the top is a tough one and that you need to win championship fights to advance your career. While this wasn’t a world title, it was still a tough fight.

You’ve been boxing professionally for 3 ½ years, where have you seen the most growth in your development?

“I’m much more comfortable in the ring. I react quicker when I’m on the ropes or in the corners. I can get out of those troubled areas a lot faster. I’m also throwing more combinations and I’ve tightened my defense.”

You are part of the co-main event on “Path to Glory.” This will be your first fight as a co-headliner. Is there any more pressure to perform well this Friday than previous fights?

“My team and I are more excited than anything else. We prepare the same way for every fight no matter if we’re in a 6-rounder, or co-main event, so I don’t think we’ll feel any difference in pressure. I’m just excited to have this new platform to showcase my skills and I thank Thompson Boxing for this opportunity.”

Your opponent, Pedro Melo, is a young boxer-puncher with a little more experience than you. He likes to attack early and often. How do you plan to neutralize him?

“I just need to stay true to my style. Be aggressive, don’t take foolish risks, and keep a high guard. I’ll have a lot of fans in attendance and I’m going to give them a great show.”

Tickets for “Path to Glory” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900, or online at www.ThompsonBoxing.com.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m, and the first bell rings at 7:45 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N Vineyard Ave, Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at (909) 937-0900.

“Path to Glory” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with LATV Networks.

For additional information please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ThompsonBoxing. To follow the conversation on social media, please use hash tags #ThompsonBoxing & #PathtoGlory.

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 16) – Former World Champion Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano (28-4-1, 21 KOs) of Tlalnepantla, Mexico and the hard-punching Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu (18-1, 17 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic will face off in an explosive welterweight 10-round showdown as the main event of the Feb. 27 Golden Boy Live!fight card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes. Former World Champion and FOX Sports 1 commentator Paulie Malignaggi will host a special fan meet-and-greet at the Special Events Center at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino at 5:15 p.m. before going on air. Fans with tickets to the Golden Boy Live! fight night will have a chance to meet and interact with the champion as well as other celebrity guests in attendance, including Golden Boy Promotions President and Founder Oscar De La Hoya.

The Golden Boy Live! co-main event features Diego De La Hoya (8-0, 6 KOs) fighting against Manuel “Suavecito” Roman (17-3-3, 6 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight bout. The imposing Chinese heavyweight sensation, Taishan (2-0, 2 KOs) makes his second appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino looking to continue his winning streak in his first bout in 2015 when he faces Roy McCary (3-2, 3 KOs) in the opening four-round televised bout. Also, newcomer Nick Arce (1-0, 1 KOs) will fight in his second professional match against Lyonell Kelly (1-4-1) of Los Angeles in a four-round lightweight swing bout hoping to make airtime.

Two-time Brazilian Olympic team member Everton Lopes will make his professional debut in a six-round super lightweight fight and local favorite Neeco “The Rooster” Macias (7-0, 3 KOs) will be featured in a six-round super welterweight bout, both against fighters yet to be announced. Undefeated Columbian prospect Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (7-0, 3 KOs) will make his third appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino as he takes on Hemet, Calif.’s Fernando Fuentes (5-3, 1 KO) in a six-round bantamweight contest. In the night’s opener, Alex Rivera (1-0) of Coachella, Calif. squares off with San Diego’s Matt “El Matador” KcKinney (1-0-1) in a four-round heavyweight contest.

As previously announced Randy “El Matador” Caballero suffered an ankle injury during training camp and had to withdraw from his scheduled IBF Bantamweight World Title defense against Alberto Guevara. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Tickets for the event, priced at $25, $35, and $45, are on sale now at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com. Tickets previously purchased for the Randy Caballero vs. Alberto Guevara fight must be exchanged in person at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office or by calling (800) 827-2946.

Coming off a first round technical knockout win against Tijuana’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva on Feb. 7, former WBA Interim Super Lightweight Champion Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano is ready to continue his winning streak and give fans an explosive night of boxing when he faces Juan Carlos Abreu on Feb. 27. A stellar contender out of Tlalnepantla, Cano is one of Mexico’s best hopes for future world title honors. An experienced battler who has taken on tough fighters like Sugar Shane Mosley, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and Johan “El Terrible” Perez, Cano is ready to go the distance in 2015 and become a world champion again.

A professional since 2011, Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu, of the Dominican Republichas quickly risen up the boxing chain winning the IBF youth junior lightweight title early in his career. At just 27 years old, the hard punching fighter has gotten a reputation as a knockout artist winning all but one of his bouts via knockout. Most recently, Abreu fought and quickly won fights against Basilio Silva and Ruddy Acasio winning both bouts via knockout before the fourth round. This former champion is looking to move up the ranks to boxing’s elite when he faces former World Champion Pablo Cesar Cano on Feb. 27.

Seven-foot-tall heavyweight Taishan, has garnered a lot of attention for being one of the most imposing fighters in his division. His two professional bouts thus far have proven that there’s substance behind the hype as he’s knocked out both Alex Rozman and Tommy Washington Jr., getting fight fans even more excited for the 26-year-old Beijing native’s first fight of 2015 on February 27.

A member of the Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles, 18-year-old lightweight Nick Arce is a former amateur standout who entered the pro boxing world in style in November of 2014 with a fourth round knockout of Adalbert Valenzuela. Now he will attempt to make it two straight as he competes in one of the sport’s most competitive weight classes.

A gritty competitor who hopes that his first professional win over Francisco Javier in January was the sign of good things to come for his career, Lyonell Kelly will step through the ropes once more on February 27 to face the unbeaten Nick Arce. At 23, Kelly has a bright future ahead of him if he can upset Arce and string some wins together.

A two-time Olympian for his home country of Brazil, Everton Lopes won 240 bouts as an amateur, earning gold at the 2013 Pan American Games as well. On February 27, the talented 26-year-old southpaw will make his professional debut in a super lightweight bout against an opponent to be named, and he will have a nation behind him now and in the future as he pursues a world title.

Popular southpaw Neeco “The Rooster” Macias knows how to attract a crowd and the 23-year-old super welterweight will look to add to his win total and fan base when he takes on an opponent to be determined in a six-round fight. A professional since 2013, Macias is coached by his father Al and this family affair has resulted in seven consecutive victories without a loss, including an October 2014 stoppage over Roberto Crespo at Fantasy Springs.

Undefeated bantamweight star, Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete, will make his third appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino looking to continue his undefeated status. A professional since 2013, the newcomer already has seven wins to his name, quickly climbing the ranks and becoming a feared fighter. Most recently, Negrete faced Salvador Perez in a four-round bantamweight bout. Negrete knocked down the Fresno based fighter in the second round for a technical knockout win.

A talented prospect who is fearless in his willingness to take on all comers, Fernando Fuentes has faced four unbeaten foes as a professional thus far, and that pattern will continue on Feb. 27 when he takes on Oscar Negrete. Fresh off of a sixth round technical knockout of Erick Aguirre last October, the 20-year-old wants nothing more than to get 2015 off to a winning start.

An amateur standout who once competed for the Mexico City Guerreros in the World Series of Boxing, Coachella’s Alex Rivera made quite an impression in his first professional bout in July of 2013, knocking out C.J. Leveque in the first round. Now back in the ring and looking to make a run at the big time, Rivera is hungry for a victory on Feb. 27.

Coached by respected former NABF champion Danny Perez, Escondido’s Matt “El Matador” McKinney is a former San Diego State University student who hopes to make some noise in the heavyweight division. Standing at 6’5”, McKinney is unbeaten in two professional bouts, most recently decisioning Tamas Long in a December 2014 bout.

Cano vs. Abreu is a 10-round welterweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Mexico, Live It To Believe It! and Golden Ram Group. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the first bell rings at 5:30 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT. 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

Philadelphia, PA (February 16, 2015) –This past Friday night at the Mohegan Sun, the Boxcino 2015 jr. middleweight quarterfinal kicked off with a bang with knockout victories by Stanyslav Skorokhod and Brandon Adams while John Thompson and Vito Gasparyan came home with unanimous decision victories.

Below is some of the post fight reaction from the media around the world.

Dan Rafael, ESPN.com
http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/12332905/david-sanchez-defends-interim-title-juan-alberto-rosas

USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/boxing/2015/02/15/four-advance-to-boxcino-boxing-semifinals/23464355/

Brian Campbell, ESPN.com
http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/12323770/brandon-adams-scores-tko-alex-perez-open-boxcino-tournament

Cliff Rold, Boxingscene.com
http://www.boxingscene.com/boxcino-junior-middleweight-8-post-thoughts–87417

Jake Donovan, Boxingscene.com
http://www.boxingscene.com/brandon-adams-ko-caps-boxcino-154-lb-quarterfinals–87410

Michael Baca, UCNlive.com
http://ucnlive.com/espn2s-boxcino-makes-its-2015-return-at-junior-middleweight/

Fightnews.com
http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/boxcino-jr-middleweight-quarterfinal-results-278993

Ringtv.com
http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/381285-adams-gasparyan-thompson-skorokhod-advance-to-boxcino-semi-final

Bad Left Hook.com
http://www.badlefthook.com/2015/2/13/8036685/espn-fnf-boxcino-2015-live-results-and-round-by-round-coverage

http://www.badlefthook.com/2015/2/13/8037409/espn-fnf-boxcino-brandon-adams-skorokhod-gasparyan-thompson-quarter-final-ko-results-fight

Eric Duran, Boxing Insider

ESPN Friday Night Fights Results: Skorohod and Adams Impress in Boxcino 2015 Debut

Eastsideboxing.com
http://www.boxing247.com/boxing-result/adams-gasparyan-thompson-skorokhod-progress-in-espn-boxcino-154-lb-tournament/38387

Mario Munguia, Thaboxingvoice.com

Boxcino Stanyslav Skorokhod–Michael Moore Results

Boxcino Vito Gasparyan–Simeon Hardy Results

Boxcino Ricardo Pinell–John Thompson Results

http://thaboxingvoice.com/boxcino-brandon-adams-alex-perez-results/40099/?var=noEric Duran,

Roundbyround.com

ESPN’s 2015 Boxcino Light Middleweight Quarterfinals Results

Instantboxing.com
http://instantboxing.com/boxcino-2015-gets-exciting-start-adams-skorokhod-win-ko/

Alex Pierpaoli, Kofantasyboxing
http://kofantasyboxing.blogspot.com/2015/02/results-from-mohegan-sun-boxcino-2015.html

maxsportschannels.com
http://www.maxsportschannels.com/boxing/espn-friday-night-fights-results-skorohod-and-adams-impress-in-boxcino-2015-debut/#.VOIdGfnF8Xs

Badculture.net
http://www.badculture.net/boxcino-adams-gasparyan-thompson-skorokhod-advance/

Supersport.com
http://www.supersport.com/boxing/international/news/150214/Ukrainian_looks_dangerous

Nestor Gibbs, Thaboxingvoice.com (Post Fight Interviews)

Tha Boxing Voice Youtube

The four quarterfinal heavyweight division bouts will be televised live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights Next Friday! February 20, from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY.

Last year’s Boxcino winner in the middleweight division, Willie Monroe Jr., has become a bona fide contender thanks to his victories in Boxcino 2014. He is currently world-rated No. 3 by the WBA, No. 7 by the WBO and No. 10 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). Boxcino 2014 lightweight champion Petr Petrov is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBA and No. 7 by the WBO

Happy to make Artie Pelullo, or any of the fighters available to you by phone. The pairings for each division, fighter bios (don’t worry they’re brief) and all the participants’ Fight Fax records are available upon request.

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

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. 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.

UFC

Las Vegas, Nevada – The UFC® returns to Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Saturday, April 18 with an exciting main event pitting former UFC champ Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida against former STRIKEFORCE® titleholder and fifth-ranked contender Luke Rockhold in a pivotal bout for the middleweight division.

Machida (22-5, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif. by way of Belem, Brazil) returns to action following a “Fight of the Night” performance against Chris Weidman and a recent first round TKO victory over CB Dollaway that also netted him a “Performance of the Night” award. Currently ranked No. 3, the Karate expert has become a fan favorite known for his unique counterstriking and lightning-quick speed. Having won three of four bouts since dropping to middleweight, Machida looks at home in his new division and is hoping to become just the third fighter in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes.

Rockhold (13-2, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) has long maintained that he is one of the elite fighters at 185 pounds and just needed the opportunity to prove it. After winning the STRIKEFORCE middleweight title from “Jacare” following a year and a half layoff from injury in 2011, Rockhold went on to pick up dominant victories over current top 15 fighters Tim Kennedy, Costas Philippou, Tim Boetsch and most recently, Michael Bisping. The AKA-based fighter who routinely trains alongside Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier hopes that in 2015, he’ll add UFC champion to his resume.

Winner of his last seven bouts dating back to his STRIKEFORCE tenure, second-ranked “Jacare” Souza (21-3, 1NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has become one of the most feared men in the middleweight division. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who possesses knockout power, Souza has handily defeated Gegard Mousasi, Robbie Lawler, Kennedy, Francis Carmont and Yushin Okami throughout his recent career. The former STIRKEFORCE middleweight champ believes he’s the rightful owner of the next shot at UFC gold.

Standing in his way, is No. 6 contender and Cuban Olympic freestyle wrestling silver medalist, Yoel Romero (9-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.). Romero has been on a tear since entering the Octagon, defeating four of his opponents by devastating knockout and earning “Fight of the Night” on two occasions. With 2014 wins over Kennedy, Brad Tavares and Derek Brunson, Romero looks poised to take the next step in his already-impressive MMA career.

Also scheduled for the card:
· In a battle of top 10 women’s strawweights, The Ultimate Fighter® season 20 cast member Felice Herrig (10-5, fighting out of Crystal Lake, Ill.) squares off against 20-year-old prospect Paige VanZant (4-1, fighting out of Reno, Nev.) in a matchup sure to produce fireworks.

· Fifth-ranked contender Cub Swanson (21-6, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M. by way of Palm Springs, Calif.) takes on No. 13 Max Holloway (12-3, fighting out of Waianae, Hawaii) in an explosive battle of featherweight strikers.

· New Jersey’s own Jim Miller (24-5, 1NC, fighting out of Sparta, N.J.) puts his No. 11 ranking on the line against undefeated up-and-comer Paul Felder (10-0, fighting out of Philadelphia, Pa.) in an exciting lightweight bout.

· Bantamweights collide as Long Island’s Aljamain Sterling (10-0, fighting out of Uniondale, N.Y) looks to stay unbeaten against seventh-ranked Takeya Mizugaki (20-8-2, fighting out of Kanagawa, Japan).

· The Ultimate Fighter season 19 middleweight winner and Serra-Longo fighter Eddie “Truck” Gordon (8-2, fighting out of Uniondale, N.Y.) faces wrestler Chris Dempsey (10-2, fighting out of Lower Burrell, Pa.)

· The Ultimate Fighter season 19 light heavyweight winner and Ricardo Almeida-trained prospect Corey Anderson (6-0, fighting out of Rockford, Ill.) squares off against Long Island’s Gian Villante (12-5, fighting out of Bellmore, N.Y.).

· Nick “The Jersey Devil” Catone (10-4, fighting out of Brick, N.J.) returns to action against Vitor Miranda (11-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at middleweight.

· New Jersey native George Sullivan (16-3, 1NC, fighting out of Belmar, N.J.) vs. Kenny Robertson (15-3, fighting out of Washington, Ill.) in a battle of welterweights.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: MACHIDA vs. ROCKHOLD go on sale Friday, February 20 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $225, $150, $100, $75, $50 and $40. Tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets will be available at Prudential Center’s box office beginning Monday, February 23 at 11:00 a.m. ET. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, February 19 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, February 20 starting at 10 am. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: MACHIDA vs. ROCKHOLD will air live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 18, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (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 Prudential Center
Prudential Center is a world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, and over 200 concerts, family shows and special events each year. Prudential Center welcomes over two million guests annually and placed third on Venues Today’s 2013 ranking of national facilities and ninth worldwide. For more information about Prudential Center, visit www.PruCenter.com and Facebook, and follow @PruCenter on Twitter.

Patrick Nielsen (23-1, 11 KOs) faces a tough test in his super middleweight debut. The 23 year-old Danish boxing star will meet the ‘Comanche Boy’ George Tahdooahnippah (34-1-2, 24 KOs) on March 14 at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Nielsen’s opponent, Tahdooahnippah is a member of the infamous Native American Comanche tribe. Known for his punching power and elaborate ring entrances, the WBO world ranked number eight, is pulling no punches as he prepares to travel to the Viking stronghold of Copenhagen.

‘’Nielsen will be shocked when he feels my power,’’ said the current WBC Continental Americas and NABA USA Champion. ‘’He is going down in his own backyard! Going to Denmark to fight, is me living a dream for the Comanche Indian. I’m going show that the Comanche warrior is very much alive in 2015!’’

‘’Tahdooahnippah is no joke,’’ said Nielsen, who is preparing for his first contest at 168 lbs. ‘’I’ve seen his fights and I know it’s going to be a tough night. I always cheered for the Native Americans when I watched the old cowboy movies. Everybody loves an underdog. But if the ‘Comanche Boy’ thinks he can come to my hometown and beat me, he is mistaken. This is my chance to send a message to the entire super middleweight division. I’ve arrived and I’m ready to face the best!’’

”This is a high-risk fight for Patrick,’’ admits Nielsen’s coach, former two-time world champion Joey Gamache. ‘’He’s going in against a top ten ranked guy in his first fight at super middleweight. Tahdooahnippah is a solid, hungry fighter. He is fighting for his people and his nation. He is bringing a lot with him, and that’s what we got to break.”

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’We want to move Patrick into a position to challenge for world titles. To do that he has to face world ranked opponents. There are no easy fights at this level. Patrick is jumping in at the deep end and he can’t afford to make any mistakes.’’

Nielsen’s super middleweight showdown against Tahdooahnippah tops the Nordic Fight Night bill on March 14 at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen. All the action will be shown live in Denmark on TV3+ and TV3 Sport channels. Tickets are available via billetlugen.dk.

Monte-Carlo, New York, Johannesburg (February 16, 2015) — Any doubts about Martin Murray’s mental state ahead of this weekend’s middleweight championship fight against Gennady Golovkin, boxing’s biggest puncher, can be laid to rest.

“This is going to be a war and I’m willing to do anything it takes,” the WBC number one contender has told promoter Rodney Berman.
The pair square off for Golovkin’s WBA Super World middleweight, interim WBC World middleweight and IBO middleweight titles at the Salle des Étoiles concert hall in Monte-Carlo on Saturday.
Berman is one of a number of boxing figureheads who believe that, like with Mike Tyson before, Golovkin’s opponents are out-psyched by his reputation long before they start trading punches. With 18 consecutive knockouts to his name, Golovkin is statistically the biggest puncher among boxing’s world champions.
“After I carry you on my shoulders, will you come visit me in hospital with my broken back?” Berman asked Murray.
The South African promoter says Murray has exhibited none of the anxiety so many of Golovkin’s other challengers have.
Murray’s response was straight out of Merseyside: “Might even be in the bed at the side of you because this is going to be a war and I’m willing to do anything it takes to become world champion.”
Berman, meanwhile, is attempting to push Friday’s weigh-in out to midday to accommodate the Murray “Barmy Army”. Murray’s family is also on a flight that is due to arrive in France around 11am and have chartered helicopters from Nice to Monaco to get to the weigh-in venue as fast as possible.
Golovkin’s camp has kindly agreed to the extension, although the Casino de Monte-Carlo, venue of the weigh-in, needs to be cleared out by 2pm, which requires a tight turnaround.
“It’s a good problem to have,” said Berman, who arrived in Monte-Carlo on Monday morning. “There’s already a great sense of excitement five days out. The boxers and their camps are streaming in, as is the press corps and boxing officials. We’re in for a massive weekend.”

GOLOVKIN vs MURRAY is presented by Golden Gloves of South Africa, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions, Expo 2017 and Tsesnabank, Casino de Monte-Carlo along with Monte-Carlo SBM.

The fight will be broadcast internationally from the beautiful Salle des Etoiles venue in Monte-Carlo.

The international broadcast and transmission rights to this world class event are being exclusively distributed by leading boxing rights distributor and sports marketing firm Protocol Sports Marketing Ltd., an Octapixx company.

Media Contacts
Bernie Bahrmasel, K2 Promotions, BernieBahrmasel@yahoo.com, + 773 592-2986
Clinton van der Berg, Golden Gloves of South Africa, Clinton.vanderBerg@SuperSport.com, + 27 83 297 4677
Eric Bessone, Monte Carlo SBM, E.Bessone@sbm.mc
Kevin Flaherty, HBO, Kevin.Flaherty@hbo.com, + 212 512-5052

LONDON (16 FEB) Newly-crowned WBO world middleweight champion Andy Lee will be in Monte Carlo on February 21 to oversee the WBA Super world middleweight title fight between Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and Martin Murray and is keen to face the winner at some point in the next twelve months.

Ireland’s Lee picked up his world championship with a stunning sixth-round knockout of Matt Korobov in December, but knows a future title unification fight could finally crown a true number one at 160lbs.

“Golovkin and Murray are nice guys and good fighters, and I hope to fight both of them some day,” he said. “I’ll be ringside in Monte Carlo watching as both a fan and a fighter. It’s a genuinely interesting fight – one I’d be interested in even if I wasn’t at their weight – and it also carries relevance to me and my career.

“I’ll be looking to see certain things in both fighters. I’ve seen Golovkin fight at least once before in the flesh, but I’ve never seen Murray fight in the flesh. It will be nice to see them up close and get a sense of what they’re like around a big fight.

“I think about a unification fight all the time. And, even though I’m now a world champion, Golovkin is still The Man in the division. He is rightly considered the number one middleweight in the world.

“Maybe this time next year we’ll be fighting for all the marbles. Though I’m sure Martin Murray will have something to say about that.”

A fan of both, Lee expects Golovkin to retain his title but is quick to shoot down any idea that Murray might be out of his depth on February 21.

“I think Murray is the best opponent Golovkin has faced,” said the southpaw. “I’d probably say Daniel Geale was the best up to this point, but Murray is a bit better than him. He’s more solid, stronger and he’s a big middleweight.

“Saying that, though, I don’t know if Martin will be able to do as much with Golovkin as even guys like (Gabriel) Rosado and (Curtis) Stevens did. From what we’ve seen of his past fights, Martin tends to be in front of you, he stands square and you don’t have to go looking for him. That might suit Golovkin.

“Stevens nullified him a bit because he took a negative approach and moved around the ring with a high guard for a few rounds. He didn’t really try to engage. He just picked his spots when he could.

“I could see Murray doing that for the first half of the fight and then hoping to come on strong at the end. Then he can use his bigger size and his strength. I think that would be Martin’s best approach; don’t try to win the first few rounds, just get through them without taking much punishment and land when you can. He just has to hope to find cracks in the second half of the fight.

“Remember, Murray has experience at this level. He’s gone twelve rounds with both (Sergio) Martinez and (Felix) Sturm. He’s definitely world-class. He also has belief. I don’t think he will be in awe of Golovkin. He won’t think he’s going to lose. Most people who face Golovkin are beaten before they’ve even stepped in the ring with him.”

Before turning pro in 2006, Lee boxed Golovkin as an amateur at the 2003 World Championships. He lost a decision and Golovkin went on to win the entire tournament. Suffice to say, Lee knew the steely-eyed Kazakh was special even back then.

“His footwork, feints and ability to cut off the ring are second to none,” he said. “He always has his opponent on edge. You’re in a constant state of panic, thinking he’s going to attack you at any moment, but he’s totally relaxed. It’s no big deal to him. He puts pressure on you with his feet all the time. And it’s mental pressure. Then, when you step to him, he’ll take a quick step away. He’s always on his toes, ready to fire.

“Murray will find he has to pick his spots wisely. You don’t get many of them and you have to be absolutely certain when they arrive. If you get it wrong, you could leave yourself exposed and end up in trouble.

“Martin knows this, though. He’s a clever, seasoned fighter. In some ways, he’s more experienced than me. He’s as ready as he’ll ever be.”

*** Boxing superstar Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin defends his WBA Super world middleweight title against Britain’s Martin Murray on Saturday, February 21 in Monte Carlo, LIVE on Channel 5 ***

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, MaxNutrition, Golden Gloves, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
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16 February 2015 – Singapore: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Championship™ (ONE FC), has announced an additional bout for ONE FC: AGE OF CHAMPIONS, which takes place 13 March in Kuala Lumpur. Rising star Amir Khan returns to lock horns with Florian Garel, and Walaa Abbas replaces Angela Lee as opponent for Ann Osman.

Amir Khan is a Singaporean mixed martial artist with an undefeated amateur record who has competed in the United States. He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blue Belt under Relson Gracie, and also has competitive wrestling and Muay Thai experience. With more than seven years of combat sports experience under his belt, Khan now faces Florian Garel after being victorious in his first two ONE FC bouts.

Originally from France, Florian Garel trains out of Taiwan Top Team and has made Taiwan his second home. Garel studied the Chinese language while in university and moved to Taiwan to marry his Taiwanese wife. A 4th Dan Karate black belt, Garel eventually settled in Taichung where he now teaches martial arts.

Walaa Abbas is a national Egyptian kickboxing champion who has notched a 2-2 record so far as a professional mixed martial artist. She boasts of exceptional striking prowess and always looks to finish fights early. Abbas will be taking on Malaysia’s warrior belle, Ann “Athena” Osman after replacing Osman’s original opponent, Angela Lee.

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 FC
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.

UNCASVILLE, CONN (February 15, 2015) –Brandon Adams, Vito Gasparyan, John Thompson and Stanyslav Skorokhod all won their quarterfinal match-ups at the Mohegan Sun and advanced to the semi-final round of the Boxcino 2015 jr. middleweight tournament.

All Boxcino bouts were scheduled for 6-rounds.

The tournament is promoted by exclusively by Banner Promotions and shown on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

This card was promoted by Banner Promotions in association with Jimmy Burchfield’s CES Boxing.

Adams, who was a Boxcino 2014 middleweight tournament runner up,scored a 5th round stoppage over Alex Perez in what was an entertaining slug fest.

The fight saw both guys fight inside and land some thudding shots. It was Adams speed inside that proved to be the difference as it looked he landed the more authoritative blows and was slowly breaking down Perez.

In round five, Adams landed a booming right that sent Perez to the canvas. Perez got to his knees before the bout was stopped at 2:47 of round five.

Adams, 155 lbs of Los Angeles is now 16-1 with 11 knockouts. Perez, 152 1/2 lbs of Newark, NJ is 18-2.

“Alex was very tough. I appreciate the fight that he brought and it made me step up my game,” said Adams.

“In the end, I loaded up my shots. I showed that I have the speed and I established the jab. I had a lot of fun in there. I am looking forward to the next fight. I am going, maybe I will take Monday off and I will be back in the gym.”

Vito Gasparyan scored a 6-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Simeon Hardy.

Gasparyan was more active and outworked Hardy and forced the battle on the inside against the taller Hardy, where Gasparyan was able to get the better of the exchanges.

Gasparyan, 155 lbs from Glendale, CA won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56 and is now 15-3-5. Hardy, 154 1/4 lbs of Brooklyn is now 13-1.

“It was a good fight. I proved that I belong at this level,” said Gasparyan.

“I am now looking forward to the next fight. I am going to work hard and take one step at a time. I felt good and confident in there. I am dedicating this victory to my trainer Justin Fortune who couldn’t be here after just beating an illness.”

Late replacement John Thompson boxed his way to a 6-round unanimous decision over Ricardo Pinell.

Thompson used his height and reach to keep Pinell at bay. Thompson was effective with quick combinations that never let Pinell get on track.

Thompson, 154 1/4 lbs of Newark, NJ won by scores of 60-54 on cards and is now 16-1. Pinell, 154 lbs of San Francisco, CA is now 10-2-1.

“I outboxed him for the most part. I was able to know a little about him and I went off what I saw on youtube,” said Thompson.

“I saw he had a few bad habits. Now that I have time to prepare it will be a lot better. I know I have a lot to work on. I will take one week off and I will be back in the gym.”

Syanyslav Skorokhod scored a 4th round stoppage over Michael Moore in a battle of previously undefeated fighters.

In round two, Skorokhod started to find the range with power shots with both hands. Towards the end of the round, Skorokhod landed a hard right that backed Moore up to the corner. In round three, Skorohod dropped Moore with a perfect right hand.

In round four, Skorohod dropped Moore once again with a hard right. Morre got up only to eat a flurry of punches and the bout was stopped at 1:03 round four.

Skorohod, 153 3/4 lbs of Los Angeles is now 9-0 with 7 knockouts. Moore, 154 3/4 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 13-1.

“I am glad that I won. My next fight will be even better,”said a victorious Skorokhod.

“I was prepared for a southpaw and I knew the pressure would be the difference. Once I applied the pressure, I saw he could not do anything. I can prepare for any kind of the style being that I train with some of the best fighters at Wild Card Gym.”

Adams will meet Gasparyan while Skorokhod will fight Thompson on April 3 in Corona, California.

In undercard action:

In what was a rock em -sock em affair, Jimmy Williams was able to pound his way to a 4th-round stoppage over Eddie Caminero in a scheduled 6-round Middleweight bout.

It looked like it would be a short and easy night for Williams as he repeatedly hurt Caminero in the first round to the point were Caminero was staggering all over the ring on several occasions. Caminero was able to gather himself and make the fight a two way brawl with each guy holding on at different points of the fight.

Williams steadied himself enough to land a perfect left hook that sent Caminero to the deck at 32-seconds of round four.

Williams, 156 1/4 lbs of Hartford, CT is now 9-0-1 with 5 knockouts. Caminero, 157 1/4 lbs of Lawrenceville, MA is 7-9.

Khiary Gray-Pitts battered and bloodied the nose of Rodrigo Almeida in the first round and the bout was halted in the corner following the opening frame of their scheduled 4-round Light Heavyweight bout.

Gray-Pitts landed thudding shots that had Almeida on the defensive from the outset. Almeida’s nose was bloody and face was bruised up after just three minutes of action and could not continue after the first frame.

Gray-Pitts, 164 1/4 lbs of Worcester, MA is now 5-0 with 3 knockouts. Almeida, 172 1/2 lbs of Woburn, MA is 1-2.

In the opening bout of the evening, Oscar Bonilla and Angel Martinez battled a 4-round draw in a Lightweight bout.

Bonilla won a card 39-37 while two cards were even at 38-38.

Bonilla, 133 lbs of New Haven, CT is 3-0-2. Martinez, 132 1/4 lbs of Austin, TX is 5-1-1.

In the walkout bout Ray Oliveira Jr. scored a stoppage after round two of a scheduled 4-round Lightweight bout over Ralph Johnson.

Oliveira is now 3-0 with 2 knockouts. Johnson is 1-4

Photo by Shane Sims / Banner Promotions

The four quarterfinal heavyweight division bouts will be televised live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights Next Friday! February 20, from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY.

Last year’s Boxcino winner in the middleweight division, Willie Monroe Jr., has become a bona fide contender thanks to his victories in Boxcino 2014. He is currently world-rated No. 3 by the WBA, No. 7 by the WBO and No. 10 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). Boxcino 2014 lightweight champion Petr Petrov is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBA and No. 7 by the WBO

Happy to make Artie Pelullo, or any of the fighters available to you by phone. The pairings for each division, fighter bios (don’t worry they’re brief) and all the participants’ Fight Fax records are available upon request.

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

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. 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.

Miami, OK (February 13, 2015) – Unbeaten heavyweight knockout artist Trey Lippe-Morrison returns Saturday, March 7 at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK when he headlines the “Four State Franchise” fight card.

This excellent night of boxing is promoted by Holden Productions and tickets starting at $30 are available by calling 918-542-9400 or going to Buffalorun.com.

The son of late heavyweight great Tommy “The Duke” Morrison, Lippe-Morrison is a perfect 6-0 with all six wins coming by knockout. Like his father, Lippe-Morrison is a huge draw with devastating punching power. The 25-year-old Tulsa, OK native scored five consecutive first round knockouts and his journey in the squared circle has been chronicled by various media outlets.

“Trey is 6-0 and I’m trying to find opponents that can give him some rounds,” said promoter Tony Holden. “He’s blowing out opponents in the first round and he’s a huge puncher. He really reminds me of his father, who I promoted, and I think Trey’s the real deal!”

Lippe-Morrison’s opponent will be named shortly.

In the co-featured bout of the evening, popular heavyweight slugger Kenzie Witt of Bartlesville, OK puts his unbeaten record on the line against an opponent to be named. Witt, 3-0 (3 KO’s), is a son of the aforementioned Morrison and Lippe-Morrison’s half brother.

Undefeated Jesse “Left Hook” Cook, 14-0 (9 KO’s), will appear on the card in a six round junior middleweight bout. The Seneca, MO based Cook will meet an opponent TBA. Welterweight Jarrett Rouse of Bartlesville, OK is also scheduled to appear in a four round contest.

“For March 7th, I’ve put together a card of talented fighters from the Four State area,” said Holden. “I call these guys Four State Franchise. The team is Lippy-Morrison, Witt, Rouse and the Cook Brothers. I have done shows at Buffalo Run Casino for many years and every time this group is on the card, tickets sell out in less than 48 hours. This is the best reaction I’ve got from a crowd in my 25 years of promoting.”

Additional bouts and opponents will be announced shortly.

Monte-Carlo (February 14, 2015) Seven days out from their highly anticipated World Middleweight Championship, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and MARTIN MURRAY have both weighed in within the World Boxing Council’s (‘WBC’) required limits heading into their February 21 clash in Monte-Carlo.

From his training camp in Big Bear Lake, California, Golovkin, the WBA/IBO and WBC ‘Interim’ Middleweight Champion weighed in at 163lbs. while top rated challenger Murray hit the scale at 165lbs. on Saturday morning in Johannesburg, South Africa.

For middleweight world title fights, the WBC mandates that fighters must be no more than 168lbs. seven days prior to the fight.

GOLOVKIN vs. MURRAY is presented by Golden Gloves of South Africa, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions, Expo 2017 and Tsesnabank, Casino de Monte Carlo along with Monte Carlo SBM.

The fight from the Salle des Etoiles in Monte-Carlo will be telecast worldwide including Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 5:45 p.m. ET/PT in the United States

Queens, NY (February 14, 2015)- As recent as 2011, Derric Rossy was rated highly by the IBF. In fact he was entered in a 4 man elimination tournament that would name a mandatory challenger for Wladimir Klitschko.

Rossy fell short as he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Eddie Chambers on February 11, 2011 in Atlantic City.

Fast forward three years and three days, Rossy has had average results since but his willingness to fight anyone and some great (but unrewarded) performances has him a fee steps away from regaining his status in the Heavyweight division.

He takes that first step on tonight when he takes on undefeated Akhror Muralimov for the IBF North American Heavyweight title Resorts World Casino New York in one of the co-main events of a card that will be televised live on CBS Sports Network beginning at 10:30 PM ET.

In another co-main event, undefeated Mike Lee battles Gary Tapusoa for the UBF All Americas title.

The show is promoted by Sal Musumeci’s Final Forum boxing.

“Everything went well during training. It actually went better than expected and I am feeling really strong,” said the 34 year-old native of Medford, NY.

Rossy is coming off a 10-round majority decision defeat to current number-two ranked Vyacheslav Glazkov on August 9 in a fight that most who watched the fight thought Rossy should have got the verdict.

“It didn’t go my way. I held my own if not won the fight. I had confidence that I would win and people telling me I won lifted me up.”

He faces a tough minded fighter in Muralimov who holds a perfect mark of 16-0 with 13 knockouts. Rossy knows that native of Houston via Uzbekistan will be a tough out on Saturday.

“I know he is very heavy handed and strong. He isn’t the most polished but he knows how to throw punches and you can’t fall asleep on a guy like him because he will put you to sleep if I do.”

Rossy is very excited to perform in front of the national audience as it will be the first show on CBS Sports Network.

“It’s great that all of these networks are now jumping into boxing. It feels like the resurgence of boxing is coming on. It gives more opportunities and I hopefully I can pick up a few more fights along the way.”

With a win, Rossy will pick up the IBF North American belt and that begins the process of re climbing up the rankings.

“It is the nature of the beast. You get knocked down with a loss but fights like this helps you get back up. I need this to show I can get back up to the upper echelon of the Heavyweight division. I just hope people will tune in as it will be an exciting fight. We are two hungry guys. I have a feeling that the bout will turn into a rumble.

Tickets for this great evening of boxing can be purchased at www.rwnewyork.com or www.etix.com.

1st Bout is at 8 PM with the doors opening at 7 PM

Resorts World Casino New York City is located at 110-00 Rockaway Blvd, Jamaica, NY.