Weights from Tacoma – Battle at the Boat 98
Gerardo Ibarra 164.5
Mike Gavronski 163.5
Cameron Sevilla-Rivera 161
Aubrey Morrow 162
Will Hughes 144
Marcelino Pineda 142
*David Robinson 165
Daryl Gardner 160.5
Adam Querido 242.5
Mickey White 271
Benny Vinson 139.5
Jeff Hatton 140
*An undisclosed amount of Robinson’s purse was paid to Gardner for failing to make weight.
TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 14, 2014) – Reigning World Series of Fighting (www.wsof.com) World Middleweight (185 pounds) Champion David Branch (14-3) of Brooklyn, N.Y. weighed in at an even 184 pounds and his opponent and fellow superstar Yushin Okami (30-8) of Kawasaki, Kanagawa Japan weighed in at an even 183 pounds on Friday, November 14, for their highly-anticipated, WSOF15 main event battle at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla. tomorrow, Saturday, November 15, live on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN).
Women’s World Strawweight (115 pounds) Champion Jessica “Jag” Aguilar (18-4) of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. clocked in at 115 pounds, while her opponent Kalindra Faria (15-3) of Taubate, Sao Paulo Brazil came in at 114.8 pounds for their title bout.
The scheduled lightweight (155 pounds) championship matchup between undefeated World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje (12-0) of Safford, Ariz. and KO artist Melvin Guillard (32-13-2, 2 NC) of New Orleans, La. was changed to a non-title affair after Guillard weighed in at 158.8 pounds, 3.8 pounds over the limit. Gaethje tipped the scales at 154.8 pounds.
The four-bout main card will air live, beginning at 9 p.m. EST on NBCSN, as well as online domestically and internationally, free of charge, on NBCSports.com. The live preliminary card stream will begin at 6:30 p.m. on an embeddable video player on www.wsof.com.
Tickets for the WSOF 15 event, priced from $20 (Additional fees may apply), are on sale at Ticketmaster.com, the USF Sun Dome box office, all Ticketmaster outlets and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Doors at the USF Sun Dome will open at 5:30 p.m. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.
COMPLETE WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING 15 WEIGH-IN RESULTS:
Main Card:
Main Event: Middleweight Championship (185 pounds) Bout
David Branch (14-3) (184 lbs.) vs. Yushin Okami (30-8) (183 lbs.)
Brooklyn, N.Y. Kawasaki, Kanagawa Japan
Co-Main Event: Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout
Justin Gaethje (12-0) (154.8 lbs.) vs. Melvin Guillard (32-13-2, 2 NC) (158.8 lbs.)
Safford, Ariz. New Orleans, La.
Women’s Strawweight Championship (115 pounds) Bout
Jessica Aguilar (18-4) (115 lbs.) vs. Kalindra Faria (15-3) (114.8 lbs.)
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Taubate, Sao Paulo Brazil
Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout
Jorge Patino (35-15-2) (154 lbs.) vs. Eric Reynolds (18-8) (155.4 lbs.)
Houston, Texas Bradenton, Fla.
Undercard:
Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout
Ryan Keenan (5-2) (155.4 lbs.) vs. Jose Cortez (2-0) (155.4 lbs.)
Orlando, Fla. West Palm Beach, Fla.
Featherweight (145 pounds) Bout
Troy Gerhart (6-3) (144.6 lbs.) vs. Anderson Hutchinson (3-0) (146 lbs.)
Tampa, Fla. Daytona, Fla.
Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout
Tony Way (4-4) (153.4 lbs.) vs. Frederico Moncaio (2-1) (155.6 lbs.)
Tampa, Fla. Boca Raton, Fla.
Catchweight (180 pounds) Bout
Maurice Salmon (3-3) (179.6 lbs.) vs. Javier Torres (6-2) (179 lbs.)
Jacksonville, Fla. Sonora, Mexico
Middleweight (185 pounds) Bout
Hector Ochoa (2-2) (185 lbs.) vs. Robert Reed (1-0) (185.4 lbs.)
Tampa, Fla. Orlando, Fla.
Middleweight (185 pounds) Bout
Joe Johnson (3-7) (183 lbs.) vs. Reggie Pena (10-6) (183.6 lbs.)
Surfside, Fla. Spring Hill, Fla.
Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout
Josh Zuckerman (0-0) (158.4 lbs.) vs. Matt Frevola (0-0) (154.6 lbs.)
West Palm Beach, Fla. Tampa, Fla.
About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.
ABOUT NBCSN
NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
About Global Spectrum
Global Spectrum (global-spectrum.com) manages the USF Sun Dome, as well as more than 120 other public assembly facilities around the world. Nearly 24-million people attended more than 15,000 events in Global Spectrum venues last year. Based in Philadelphia, PA, Global Spectrum is part of Comcast-Spectacor, one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment companies. Comcast-Spectacor, which operates in 48 of the 50 United States, also owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage services provider, Paciolan, the leading provider of venue establishment ticketing, fundraising and marketing technology solutions, Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company, and Flyers Skate Zone, a series of community ice skating rinks.
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion
“Hello everyone thank you so much for everything. I already changed diapers. I already lost track of how many diapers, maybe 15 or so. It is easy because I have experience with my nephews. My older sister has two babies so I have done this a lot. Beating Hopkins is a little bit more dangerous than changing diapers but he peed on my hand when I changed him. It is most important to be here with my family.
“My counsel for Bernard is that he needs to stop his career. He is already not young man and he lost to Kovalev not because of his age. He feels great, he feels good, he feels he is in good shape, and he feels young in his body. He can get a lot of wins against a lot of good fighters including [Adonis] Stevenson and other top ten fighters. It is not my job right now. It is his job. He is feeling very good. I think he needs to stop and give the opportunity to younger boxers to be fighting on the top stage.
[on a fight against Stevenson] “I don’t know how to answer. I am ready for everyone if it is the right fight. It is interesting fight for everyone. This is the job for my promoter and my manager. I don’t think about next fight, right now I want to spend time with my family. I am going to fly to Russia for a couple weeks to be with my parents.
[on light heavyweight division] “I making my weight. Five years ago it is was much easier and now it is a little bit harder to make 175 but it is right weight for my body. My body needs more attention. It is good for me for boxing. I can show how good I am. No for super middleweight it is not possible. It will be too much for my body. Cruiserweight is a big weight for me. I am walking 190 and cruiserweight is 200. I would be fighting against fighters much bigger than me. If it were 4-5 rounds it might be ok but 12 rounds will be much harder. I haven’t cleaned up this division yet. I have goal to get WBC title.
“Yes I would like to get WBC title. I don’t know what will be in the future. Right now it is job of my promoter and manager. For me it doesn’t matter I just need to get one more title.
“I made a lot of mistakes in this fight. I don’t open my mistakes to everyone in public. I know what they are and I will work on them in the gym for my next fight. First of all, Bernard is a professor of boxing. I had to be ready for this fight mentally. It was a lot of pressure on me and for my family. I had a lot of pressure for everything. It was more difficult.
[on dealing with the pressure] “I felt responsible for everything that happened in the fight. I am responsible in my fight and that push me.
[on trying for the knockout] “I was going into the ring for boxing. I was going to get victory from my boxing. I did not have a goal to knockout my opponent. If you try to knockout opponent you won’t do it because your opponent will see your hard punch. When I dropped Bernard first round I was not surprised. I was glad that it was the result of my workout in the gym. It is the result of my strategy. That I showed 12 rounds of boxing. I show the world how I can box. It was not fair that if I will knock him out he has a big experience and big respect from me and everyone in the boxing world. I am very happy that this fight went all 12 rounds.
[going past 8 rounds for the first time] “I felt very great. I did last 12 rounds. I wanted to beat Hopkins more effective. I punch him a couple times when I tried to give him knockdown but he has great and hard head. Very hard head. He was still on his legs. He didn’t drop on the floor and I was surprised. ”
John David Jackson – Kovalev’s Trainer
[on possible trainer of the year honor] “It will be great if I can get it but I can live without. If I get it will be a feather in my cap. I love boxing; it is my life. I am grateful for the fighters that I work with for getting me this level. Thanks to Sergey and to Egis for believing in me. Thanks Kathy for giving her blessing and for believing in me. To get it would be phenomenal.
[on Hopkins’ comments at press conference] “After the second Roy Jones’ fight I told him to retire. That was the last talk we had together. He couldn’t get into Sergey’s head so he tried to get into my head. He didn’t need to worry about me he needed to worry about Sergey. He knew that I know him very well and I was getting in his head better than anyone.
[on the game plan] “The way he wore Bernard down that was the game plan. He dissected him going to the body, the shoulder and the chest. Break Bernard down systematically was the plan.
“The more pressure Sergey brought the more he wore Bernard down. He is an old man in a young man’s sport. Sergey made him fight at a pace he didn’t want to fight at. He underestimated him. Sergey is a superior boxer. He showed the world that on Saturday night. He out-boxed a supposed master boxer. Bernard underestimated his abilities and that hurt him.
[working on next] “For me no one can fight him on the inside in the future he may meet someone who has a good inside game and he will need to work on that. That is the only thing he would need to work on.
[on getting into Bernard’s Head] “I kept reminding Sergey that Bernard is old. I told him where to hit him. It is common sense. He is an old man. You fight an old man by treating him like an old man.
“Sergey is very intelligent. He works on things on his own as well as with me. He works on all aspects to make sure he is a complete fighter. Sometimes he will retreat and make the opponent come to him. He will be here as long as he wants to be here. Anyone that sells him short is in for a rude awakening.
“Sergey’s timing is phenomenal. I asked Sergey to slow down and just keep boxing. If the knockout comes great, if not he was going to win the fight either way. The way he won was more satisfying anyway. He shut him out 12-0.
“I told Bernard to retire. He has had a great career and why cheapen it by hanging on too long. He said his comments at the press conference were for promotion. He can’t get in my head because he wasn’t fighting me. He was going after me because he couldn’t get into Sergey’s head. He was looking for a kink in the armor. He was apologetic afterwards. We are friends. This is business. He can’t be mad at me. He didn’t believe me when I said Sergey was a hell of a fighter. We are still friends. We probably won’t hang out but that’s okay.”
Kathy Duva – CEO of Main Events
“Thanks to everyone for joining us. This has been an auspicious month for Sergey Kovalev. He became a father, a unified champion and then got to meet his son for the first time. I am so proud of him. I am so proud of John David Jackson and Egis Klimas too. I am calling them the dream team now. They put together this great plan and Sergey executed it perfectly.
“He is going to fight again in March but it is too early to say who his opponent might be. I am going to sit down with Egis and then once we make the decision we will let you all know.
[on Stevenson] “At this point I just don’t know. It is too soon to say. Obviously [Nadjib] Mohammedi is in the picture at some point because he is the mandatory. All I see are stories that say they want to fight Sergey in 2015. They know how to reach me. No one has called me. It is still 2014 and no one has made any overtures towards any fights.
[on fighting in another weight class] “No one has talked to us about any fight at any other weight either. I have learned to never say never but it would not be any time soon. It is not really worth talking about. He wants to own the division. He wants to keep the belts he has and that means he will have to do the mandatories. He has to take care of them.
[on ratings for the fight against Hopkins] “We are very pleased with the numbers especially considering the late start due to football. It is about giving the fans a great show.
“John David Jackson choreographed the fight and Sergey executed the plan perfectly. Egis should be manager of the year. He finds all these great fighters. Sergey should be fighter of the year for the way he beat Hopkins and John David should be trainer of the year.
“I want to congratulate Sergey and his wife Natalia for their beautiful son Aleksandr and we will let you know as soon as we know what is next for Sergey.”
Egis Klimas – Sergey Kovalev’s Manager
“We are interested in WBC title. We will fight whoever will be holding that title. That is who we will be aiming for. If someone had told me earlier this year that Sergey would fight Bernard Hopkins and earn two more titles I would have asked them what are they were smoking. Things change every day. We are working towards becoming undisputed champion.
[on a fight with Golovkin] “Let’s not talk about the crazy stuff. Why should we go after Golovkin? I cannot see two different weight classes. I don’t see that fight happening because it is a different weight class. Of course we are looking for the big fights but in our weight class.”
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LOS ANGELES (November 14, 2014) – Fairfield standout Alan Sanchez will have his hands full with veteran contender Ed “The Lion” Parades when the two square off in a 10-round welterweight bout on Thursday, December 4 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds – Bing Crosby Hall and live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes’ Golden Boy Live!.
In the 10-round junior featherweight co-main event, Sanchez’ fellow Fairfield contender Manuel “Tino” Avila will be facing Jose Luis Araiza.
Also in action will be San Diego prospects Ulises Sierra (7-0, 2 KOs), Jorge Ruiz (6-2, 2 KOs) and Bryan Nevarez (1-0). National City native Adrian Bargas (11-0-1, 7 KOs) and Jonathan Quiroz (5-2, 1 KO) from Oceanside round out the local quintet of talented up-and-comers who own a combined 30-4-1 professional record as they enter their December bouts.
“December fourth will be a great night of boxing in Del Mar with a main event featuring two skilled fighters – Sanchez and Parades – who both have a lot on the line,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “In the co-main event, Tino Avila stands at an exciting point in his career — when each successive victory could bring him closer and closer to a potential title shot. But with each step comes more dangerous challenges for him and by going up against a seasoned opponent who has stood in the ring and ably competed with the very best, Tino will need to dig deep to keep marching ahead.”
Tickets priced at $75, $60, $45 and $29 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, the Del Mar Fair Grounds Box Office by calling (858) 792-4252 or online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.pacopresentsboxing.com.
Winner of nine of his last 10 bouts, with his only loss in that stretch coming via decision to former world champion Luis Collazo in 2013, 23-year-old Alan Sanchez (14-3-1, 8 KOs) has been thrilling fans for years. Fresh off of back-to-back knockouts of Jorge Silva and Jose Luis Ramirez Jr. in 2014, Sanchez can make a statement with a third straight knockout victory when he faces Paredes.
Fighting out of Hollywood, FL, Ed Paredes (35-4-1, 23 KOs) has the power and experience to make it a rough night for anyone he steps into the ring with. Unbeaten in 15 of his last 16 bouts, the 29-year-old veteran believes that the best is yet to come for him; all he needs to do is show the world by beating Sanchez in a highly-anticipated matchup.
Steadily moving toward the top 10 at 122 pounds, top prospect Manuel Avila (16-0, 7 KOs) has picked up the pace in 2014, defeating Enrique Quevedo, David De La Mora and Sergio Frias this year. Now hoping to close out the year with another big win that will carry him into a 2015 campaign that he expects will lead him to a world title shot, the 22-year-old has the motivation to put on a career-best performance on December 4.
Winner of two of his last three bouts, veteran pugilist Jose Luis Araiza (31-9-1, 22 KOs) hopes to recover from a loss in September to Rau’shee Warren when he faces Avila in December. The former top prospect will enter the ring at Del Mar Fairgrounds – Bing Crosby Hall hoping to hand Avila his first professional loss.
# # #
“Sanchez vs. Paredes” is a 10-round welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Don Chargin Productions, Paco Presents and in association with Jorge Marron and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. The Del Mar Fairgrounds – Bring Crosby Hall doors open at 5:30 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 6:00 p.m. PT. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and follow the conversation using #GoldenBoyLive, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing. For more information on FOX Sports 1 visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1 and become a follower on @FOXSports.
ORANGE, Calif. (Nov. 14, 2014) – One week from today, Artemio “King” Reyes (22-2, 18 KOs), a power-punching welterweight prospect out of Riverside, Calif., takes on Christopher Degollado (11-3, 9 KOs) of Monterrey, Mex. in the 8-round “Locked n’ Loaded” main event from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.
The 28-year-old Reyes is unaccustomed to long fights, having knocked out the majority of his opponents inside of three rounds. Degollado, 25, also prefers to close the book on opponents fairly quickly. Nine of his eleven wins have come by knockout. On Friday, Nov. 21, both will have an opportunity to enhance their knockout ratios.
“It’s going to be an explosive fight,” said Reyes, who has been sparring with former world champion Victor Ortiz. “Degollado is a strong fighter that is capable of going the distance, or winning by knockout. We both pack a lot of power, which will make for an interesting fight.”
“I’ve studied Reyes carefully,” Degollado said. “He likes to mix up his punches and is equally effective boxing on the outside or in close situations. We plan to set some traps for him and if he bites, it might be the end of his winning streak.”
Tickets for “Locked n’ Loaded” are priced at $40, $60, and $100, and are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900, or online at ThompsonBoxing.com.
Reyes has been blowing out opponents with his power left hook to the body – good for six straight KO wins and seven overall. Reyes, trained by the well-regarded Joel Diaz, understands the importance of staying disciplined, but also knows when to pounce on a wounded boxer.
“You never train for the knockout, but you are aware that if the opportunity presents itself, you have to take it,” Reyes said. “Too often you see boxers fail to finish an opponent because they don’t want to take the risk. I’m not like that. If I see an opening, I’m putting my foot on the gas.”
In the 8-round co-main event, lightweight sensation Jose Roman (18-1-1, 12 KOs) of Garden Grove, Calif. looks to close out the year with four solid wins against Jose Luis Ramirez (7-1-1, 4 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex.
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.
“Locked n’ Loaded” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with KCAL 96.7 FM Rocks!, KOLA 99.9 FM, and 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, #LockednLoaded.
Undefeated junior middleweight Patryk Szymanski (11-0, 6 KOs) knew it was his chance to shine Last February at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago and he did not disappoint.
So impressive was Szymanski, in stopping Michigan’s Daniel Hicks in two brutal rounds, he’s now being hailed by some pretty important people as the next great Polish boxer being showcased in Chicago. Having caught the eye of, and signed with, co-promoter Leon Margules of Florida-based Warriors Boxing, the 21-year-old has since left his native Poland and is now living and training at the Contenders Gym in Fort Lauderdale, working with reputable trainer Chico Rivas.
Szymanski will appear in a featured eight-round bout on Friday, December 12, 2014, at the UIC Pavilion when Warriors Boxing Promotions presents a 14-fight “Holiday Boxing Bash” in Chicago.
In the night’s main event, undefeated former amateur star Rau’shee Warren (12-0, 3 KOs) will go 10 rounds in the bantamweight division. Also featured will be Chicago up-and-comer Jose F. Quezada (4-0, 3 KOs) in a lightweight six-rounder and Aurora, Illinois super lightweight Eddie Ramírez (6-0, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder.
Tickets start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event.
“Since I was a young boy, I have always wanted to be a boxer,” said Szymanski. “This is realizing my dream, so of course it’s a great thing! It all started with my co-promoter in the States, Mariusz Kolodziej from Global Boxing. He arranged for me to fight in Chicago. Leon (Margules from Warriors Boxing) saw me in February and he liked what he saw, so he signed me.”
Szymanski, who had over 250 amateur fights and spent seven years on the Polish national team before turning professional, comes from a fighting family in his native Warsaw. His father, Grzegorz, was also a boxer and his first trainer.
“I’m very close with my family and they support me completely. Boxing was a really important part of my upbringing,” continued Szymanski. “My father was a fighter, so he introduced me to boxing. He was my trainer also until we came to the moment when my dad decided he could do no more for me.”
And so Szymanski is now living with and working hard for renowned trainer Chico Rivas.
Rivas has some high praise for his new pupil. “This kid is something special,” said Rivas. “He’s a very entertaining boxer/puncher, but he’s also very strong technically. He’s got some power too. He can get you out of there”.
On a personal level, Rivas says Szymanski is fairly unique among fighters. “How many fighters are going to take their trainer out for dinner?” he asked. “Never before. They always want you to pay. This kid works hard in the gym every day and he’s a nice kid. Very polite and well-mannered.”
Szymanski says that while he misses his parents and friends back home, the chance to actually become the new face of Polish boxing in the United States and the world is too important. An opinion shared by the members of his circle.
“Their dreams are my dreams. I stay in steady contact with them because it’s very important, especially for my father, to know what’s going on with me. They all want this just as badly as I do.”
Joey Dawejko 244 – Rayford Johnson 209
Raymond Serrano 146 – Wilfredo Acuna 149
Alex Barbosa 125 – Benjamin Burgos 124.5
Immanuel Aleem 164 – Angel Antonio Martinez 163
Randy Easton 238 – Dan Bolden 215
Promoters: Joey Eye Boxing, XFE, Kings Boxing
Venue: Harrahs Philadelphia
1st bell: 7:30 PM ET
Tickets are now on sale for $100 (VIP); $75 (Ringside) and $50 (General Admission) and can be purchased at the Harrahs Philadelphia Gift Shop; By calling Joey Eye (267-304-9399); David Feldman (610-291-0806); Peltz Boxing (215) 765 0922; 800-480-8020 or on www.webtix.net
Pic Credit : Thomas LaManna
Nov. 14, 2014 – HBO Sports, widely acclaimed for its innovative and provocative boxing programming initiatives, introduces an all-new special when UNDER THE LIGHTS: PACQUIAO-ALGIERI debuts Saturday, Nov. 15 at 11:45 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO. The special will dig deep and put the upcoming HBO Pay-Per-View® showdown on Nov. 22 between world welterweight champ Manny Pacquiao and fast-rising challenger Chris Algieri under the spotlight.
Hosted by HBO Boxing commentator Max Kellerman, UNDER THE LIGHTS will feature two respected and opinionated experts: accomplished welterweight star Timothy Bradley Jr. and renowned trainer Virgil Hunter. Bradley has fought Pacquiao twice, earning a split-decision victory in 2012 and coming up short in the 2014 rematch. Both Hunter and Bradley are well known for their honest opinions and assessments.
Other HBO playdates: November 15 (11:45 p.m.), 16 (8:45 a.m.), 17 (11:00 a.m. & 2:45 a.m.), 18 (4:30 p.m. & 12:30 a.m.), 19 (11:45 a.m.), 21 (9:45 p.m. & 3:30 a.m.), and 22 (10:15 a.m.).
HBO2 playdates: November 16 (2:00 a.m.), 20 (1:45 p.m. & 10:15 p.m.) and 21 (4:30 p.m. & 11:45 p.m.).
HBO Signature playdates: November 22 (5:15 p.m.).
Immediately following the premiere of UNDER THE LIGHTS, HBO will present a same day encore replay of the world heavyweight championship fight from Hamburg as Wladimir Klitschko meets Kubrat Pulev at midnight.
All times are ET/PT.
LONDON (14 NOV) David Price (18-2, 15 KOs) is back in action on December 6 – LIVE on Channel 5 (8.30-10.30pm). The hard-hitting heavyweight will face Emilio Ezequiel Zarate (18-13-3, 9 KOs) as part of a bumper bill of international boxing brought to you by Team Sauerland and Hennessy Sports from the EWE Arena in Oldenburg, Germany.
Price is back following a hand injury that had left him out of action since June. Now fully recovered, the former British and Commonwealth Champion is relishing a return to the ring and the opportunity to showcase his skills to an audience of millions on terrestrial television.
“I can’t wait to get back into the ring and back to what I do best,’’ said Price. “This will be my first fight on terrestrial television and it’s a great opportunity for me to show everybody what I can do.
“I’m working hard everyday in the gym and the time I’ve spent out with injury has only made me hungrier. On December 6, people are going to see me at my most dangerous. I’m coming with bad intentions. I want to put in a performance and entertain all the fans watching at home on Channel 5.’’
“Pricey is without a doubt one of the most exciting heavyweight boxers on the planet,’’ said promoter Nisse Sauerland. “We’re excited to be working with Mick Hennessy to give the UK audience a chance to see him in action on December 6 live on Channel 5.’’
“It’s great to have David Price boxing on terrestrial television for the first time in his professional career,” said promoter Mick Hennessy. “David is always in exciting fights and is known for his one-punch power. He’s one of the biggest punchers in the world right now.
“This appearance on Channel 5 will give David the exposure he needs and will allow a much bigger audience to get a taste of the power he possesses.
“Tyson (Fury), Peter (Fury) and I are all rooting for him to do well and are hoping we can set up a domestic blockbuster once Tyson has won the world heavyweight title next year.”
The British heavyweight star is the latest addition to an action-packed show on December 6, which also features the IBF World Championship clash between Cuban cruiserweight king Yoan Pablo Hernandez (29-1, 14 KOs) and London-born Ola Afolabi (21-3-4, 10 KOs). Tickets are available via eventim.de.
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THE FIGHT GAME WITH JIM LAMPLEY returns for its latest edition TUESDAY, NOV. 18 (11:00-11:30 pm. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Hosted by the four-time Sports Emmy® winner, who has been the host of HBO Boxing since joining the network in 1988, the show is a provocative, engaging and informative experience that delves into intriguing storylines, newsmakers and issues that are top-of-mind in boxing.
On this edition of THE FIGHT GAME: a review of Sergey Kovalev’s dominant win over legendary pugilist Bernard Hopkins in their light heavyweight title unification fight and a look at where Kovalev goes from here; a recap of the Nov. 15 Wladimir Klitschko-Kubrat Pulev heavyweight title fight; a preview of the Nov. 22 welterweight title showdown between superstar Manny Pacquiao and challenger Chris Algieri; new rankings for THE FIGHT GAME’s Pound for Pound List and Gatti List; and a closing commentary from Lampley.
Other HBO playdates: Nov. 18 (3:50 a.m.), 19 (6:30 p.m.), 21 (12:30 p.m.), 24 (2:00 p.m., 10:30 p.m.), 27 (9:15 a.m.), 29 (1:45 a.m.) and 30 (11:15 a.m.), and Dec. 3 (5:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Nov. 20 (9:45 a.m.), 22 (8:45 a.m., 2:00 a.m.) and 28 (8:30 p.m.), and Dec. 6 (12:30 p.m.), 9 (5:15 p.m., 11:15 p.m.), 17 (8:30 a.m.) and 19 (12:15 p.m.)
HBO On Demand® availability begins: Nov. 20. The show will also be available on HBO GO®.
Immediately following the program, fight fans can log on to hbo.com for exclusive overtime segments hosted by Lampley.
Saturday’s HBO Boxing telecast airs at 4:45 p.m. (ET/PT).
The live HBO telecast begins early from the O2 Arena in Hamburg Germany with a special presentation featuring reigning world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, seeking his 17th consecutive successful heavyweight title defense, against undefeated challenger Kubrat Pulev.
Official Weights from Germany:
Wladimir Klitschko: 245.82 lbs.
Kubrat Pulev: 246.92 lbs.
Join the conversation on Twitter: #KlitschkoPulev
FINAL FORUM BOXING and THE GALLERY STUDIO GROUP, LLC, announced today that CBS Sports Network will televise its premiere “RINGSIDE RED CARPET” Boxing Series. Each two-hour live telecast will feature at least two fights.
The first event will be held on Saturday, December 13 at 8:00 PM, ET. Each title fight will be centered on a Main Event with multiple undercard bouts, and also feature live entertainment stage performances. In the first event, NABO Heavyweight Champion Charles Martin is scheduled to defend his title. The opening bout is scheduled to include rising star Mike Lee in addition to other boxers to be announced at a later date.
“Ringside Red Carpet will feature high level boxing, along with the spectacle and big-event feel to each event,” said Twenty-Year Veteran Boxing Promoter Sal Musumeci. “We are thrilled to have CBS Sports Network showcase the action to a national television audience.”
“This event will not only bring exciting boxing to fans, but also top-of-the line entertainment and festivities,” said Mark Lipsky, a Hollywood Producer (Nutty Professor, Another 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop III, Boomerang, Coming to America and the Original Arsenio Hall Show, etc.).
New York-based Uprising Promotions, in association with former WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, returns to action on Friday night for its next show, which will be held at the Five Star Banquet Hall in Long Island City, Queens. Six professional fights are slated for the card, with the first bell coming at 7:30 p.m.
Victor Serrano (124.8 lbs. / 3-7, 1 KO) vs. Angel Luna (125.0 lbs. / 10-0, 7 KO)
Wesley Ferrer (137.6 lbs. / 5-0, 4 KOs) vs. William Walters (139 lbs. /2-5, 1 KO)
Scott Burrell (136.6 lbs. / 7-2, 5 KOs) vs. Joe Gbolo (137.6 lbs. / 3-1-2, 1 KO)
Akil Frederick-Auguste (164.0 / 4-1, 4 KO) vs. Marlon Farr (167.8 / 4-7, 0 KOs)
Daniel Gonzalez (146.2 lbs. / 6-0-1, 3 KOs) vs. Malik Jackson (145.4 / 1-3-4, 0 KOs)
Glenford Nickey (137.2 lbs. / 3-1-1, 1 KO) vs. Italy Martinez (138.4 lbs. / 1-2-1, 1 KO)
Five Star Banquet Hall is located at 13-05 43rd Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, New York. Tickets for this card are priced at $60 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating. There is also a table option with dinner, beer/wine and seating with a celebrity fighter. For pricing on those tables, call (516) 451-6773.
Additionally, Uprising Promotions is pleased to announce that a fundraiser will be taking place on Friday night to benefit children with autism, and proceeds from the night will be donated to The School For Language and Communication Development in Glen Cove, New York.
This show is being sponsored by Brooklyn Brothers, Bill4Time, Belaire Rosé Champagne, Alma Restaurant, Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City and Resolution Sports. All bouts are subject to change.
For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of the latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and follow on social media @UprisingNYC.
Pittsburgh, PA (November 13, 2014) In front of a massive crowd of local media and fans, Boxing Legend and head of Iron Mike Productions, MIKE TYSON held court at the Final Press Conference for “The Pride of Pittsburgh II” set for Friday night, November 14 at CONSOL Energy Center.
In great spirits Tyson jokingly asked each fighter to stop thanking him during their time at the podium, “Get the knockout, trust me I’ll come over and thank you tomorrow night.”
Tempers flared as each main event fighter, “Sensational” SAMMY VASQUEZ JR. and ANTONIO “Metraletta” MOSQUERA gave their takes on tomorrow night’s 10-round main event with neither fighter backing down from the war of words.
MOSQUERA: “I will beat you right here in your hometown, in front of all your fans I will knock you out and show that you are not on my level. You’re only undefeated because you’ve been fighting bums. I will show no mercy tomorrow night and I will destroy you.”
VASQUEZ JR.: “You’ve been knocked out before and you’ll be knocked out again tomorrow night. I’ve stopped my last seven opponents and you’ll be the eighth in a row. Come and get it pal.”
The other four TV fighters were also very confident heading into battle.
MONTY MEZA CLAY: “I only speak the truth, we’re 24 hours away and the time for talking is over, come tomorrow night I’m taking care of business.”
ROD SALKA: “I’m very blessed to be fighting on this card, I’ve known Monty for years and it’s going to be a great fight tomorrow night.”
ERICKSON LUBIN: “I’m glad to be back in Pittsburgh. This is my last match of 2014 but you can tell the junior middleweight division I’m coming and 2015 is going to be huge for me.”
NORBERTO GONZALEZ: ‘Thanks to Iron Mike Productions for putting me on the show. I’m better than Lubin and I’ll prove it in the ring tomorrow night.”
“The Pride of Pittsburgh II” is headlined by a 10-round WBC FECARBOX Welterweight Title clash between Pittsburgh’s SAMMY “The Who Can Mexican” VASQUEZ JR., 16-0-0 (12KO’s), and Panamanian veteran ALBERTO “Metralleta” MOSQUERA, 21-1-2 (14KO’s).
Co-featured is a terrific 10-round cross-town battle for the WBC FECARBOX Lightweight Title between local favorite MONTA MEZA-CLAY, 36-3-0 (22KO’s), and rival “Lightning” ROD SALKA, 19-4-0 (3KO’s).
In a special feature attraction 10-round junior middleweight bout, undefeated prospect ERICKSON “The Hammer” LUBIN, 7-0-0 (6KO’s) will face off against hard-hitting Mexican veteran NORBERTO “Demonio” GONZALEZ, 20-5-0 (13KO’s).
Advance tickets for “The Pride of Pittsburgh II”, starting at $42 are available through the Dick’s Sporting Goods Box Office at CONSOL Energy Center, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:00 p.m. with the first bell at 7:00 p.m.
CONSOL Energy Center is located at 1001 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219. Further information can be located at their website, www.consolenerycenter.com
For additional information on Iron Mike Productions visit www.IronMikeProductions, follow on Twitter at @IronMikeProd and on Facebook at IronMikeProductionsOfficial.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Nov. 13, 2014) – M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Stephan “T-800” Puetz (11-1-0, 4 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) will make his second title defense December 17 against unbeaten challenger Valery “The Russian Hammer” Myasnikov (8-0-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 SUB), headlining M-1 Challenge 54 & ACB 12 at Palais des Sports Ice in St. Petersburg, Russia.
M-1 Global and ACB are co-promoting M-1 Challenge 54 & ACB 12. M-1 Global, which grew out of the League MMA M-1, traces its history back to 1997. It has promoted 180 events including nearly 10,000 fights. Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) burst on the Russian MMA scene earlier this year, highlighted by its Grand Prix that featured more than 100 fighters.
Puetz vs. Myasnikov, M-1 Challenge 54 & ACB 12, 17/12/14 official promo
Puetz vs. Myasnikov, M-1 Challenge 54 & ACB 12, 12/17/14 official promo
Puetz, fighting out of Munich, Germany, is recognized as one of the top light heavyweight fighters in Europe. He captured the M-1 Challenge title this past March 14 at M-1 Challenge 46, taking a five-round decision from Viktor Nemkov (9-1-0). Puetz’ first title defense was at M-1 Challenge 50 this past August, in which he defeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Luis Fernando Miranda (10-1-0) by way of a second-round submission (choke).
The 23-year-old Myasnikov, fighting out of Moscow, will be making his M-1 Challenge debut against Puetz. Myasnikov has been a professional mixed-martial-arts fighter for three years and seven of his eight fights have ended in the opening round, six times by knockout. He was a multiple MMA and boxing champion as an amateur and holds the title of Master of Sports in both disciplines.
Also on the main card are a pair of unbeaten fighters, Ukrainian Maxim Divnich (9-0-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) and Russian Djambulat Kurbanov (6-0-1, 0 KO/TKO, 3 SUB), who will be fighting for the vacant M-1 Challenge lightweight title.
A middleweight fight between Anatoly Tokov (18-1-0), of Russia, and Enoc Solves Torres (15-7-0), fighting out of Spain, has been added to determine the No. 1 challenger for reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Vyachevlav Vasilevsky.
The 24-year-old Tokov is one of the highest-rated Russian middleweight prospects. Only four of his 16 victories went the full distance. Tokov, who has won his last nine fights, was also the winner in the second season of the M-1 Fighter reality show.
Torres is no stranger to Russian MMA fans having fought in seven M-1 events, including his last M-1 fight two years ago on M-1 Challenge 34, in which the Spaniard lost to Gregory Babene. Torres recently won the Friends of Honor Tournament in Madrid, where the special guests of honor included the famed Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Additional fights will soon be announced. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
M-1 Challenge 54 & ACB will be streamed in high definition on www.M1Global.TV, live from Russia. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Andriod and Apple smart phones and tablets.
Information
www.M-1Global.com
www.mixfight.ru
www.WMMAA.org
www.M1Global.TV
Instagram:
@M1Global
@VadimFinkelchteinM1
@M1GlobalNews
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.
ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!
Totowa, NJ:Main Events continues to add to an already impressive light heavyweight stable with the signing of Nadjib Mohammedi, the 29-year old from Gardanne, Bouches-du-Rhône, France who earned the #1 position in the IBF earlier this year with his seventh round knockout of Anatoliy “The Gladiator” Dudchenko in his US debut. Mohammedi was announced as the mandatory challenger for IBF belt in July, but then-IBF and WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Bernard Hopkins instead elected to fight a title unification bout against Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, which took place last weekend. Kovalev defeated Hopkins in a wide decision to become the IBF, WBO and WBA Unified Light Heavyweight Champion.
While waiting for his chance at the IBF belt, Mohammedi knocked out Demetrius Walker at 2:16 in the first round on Saturday as part of the Hopkins-Kovalev undercard. With Kovalev’s unanimous decision defeat of Hopkins, Kovalev inherited Mohammedi as his mandatory challenger for the IBF belt.
Mohammedi vs. Walker
Photo Credits: Mike Gladysz/Main Events
“Signing with Main Events was one of my dreams come true,” explained Mohammedi. “I finally have the opportunity to show the world that Nadjib Mohammedi is the best light heavyweight in boxing today. I was unknown before, but now with Kathy and her staff’s work everyone will know my name.” He added, “It is an honor to now be part of an organization that has the top fighters in my division and now everyone will now know the name Nadjib ‘Irondjib’ Mohammedi. The only trajectory is the victory!”
Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva said, “When Sergey Kovalev won the WBO Light Heavyweight Title from Nathan Cleverly in August of 2013, we began investing heavily in the light heavyweight division. Nadjib is a very welcome addition to our roster and there are big things for him right around the corner in 2015.”
TORONTO (Nov. 13, 2014) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents another live Cage Warriors Fighting Championship doubleheader this Saturday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. ET, as Cage Warriors 74 emanates from the iconic Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park in London, England.
Fight Network’s live broadcast will air on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
In the main event, reigning champion Nicolas Dalby will defend his Cage Warriors welterweight title against Mohsen Bahari.
In addition to Dalby’s long awaited inaugural title defense, history will also be made on the night when undefeated Swede Pannie Kianzad battles once-beaten Finnish standout Eeva Siiskonen with the inaugural Cage Warrior’s women’s bantamweight title on the line.
The doubleheader will feature a pair of two-hour main cards and also includes a showdown between Irish lightweight Joseph Duffy and France’s Julien Boussuge, a lightweight tussle between English pair Saul Rogers and Mick Sinclair, the debut of undefeated British prospect Tom Breese against 22-year-old Frenchman Thibaud Larchet, a middleweight clash pitting London’s own Bola Omoyele against red-hot Estonian Andy Manzolo, plus a lightweight matchup featuring five-fight UFC veteran John Maguire versus surging countryman Brad Wheeler.
The card for Cage Warriors 74 currently includes:
Nicolas Dalby vs. Mohsen Bahari – CWFC welterweight title
Pannie Kianzad vs. Eeva Siiskonen – inaugural CWFC women’s bantamweight title
Julien Boussuge vs. Joseph Duffy
Saul Rogers vs. Mick Sinclair
Tom Breese vs. Thibaud Larchet
Andrei Manzolo vs. Bola Omoyele
John Maguire vs. Brad Wheeler
Sean Carter vs. Tim Wilde
Pelu Adetola vs. Darren Stewart
Paul Marin vs. Scott Pooley
James Hurrell vs. Carl Kinslow
Emma Delaney vs. Anna Elmose
For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com and follow on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
Pittsburgh, PA (November 13, 2014) Amidst a town engulfed with boxing fever over the best local fight card in decades, Iron Mike Productions has announced a stacked undercard for this Friday night’s, “The Pride of Pittsburgh II” event at CONSOL Energy Center.
‘The fans in Pittsburgh are passionate, loyal boxing fans and they’ve been very supportive of our events”, said Boxing Legend MIKE TYSON, head of Iron Mike Productions of the card which features “Sensational” SAMMY VASQUEZ JR., 16-0-0 (12KO’s), against world ranked contender ALBERTO “Metralleta” MOSQUERA, 21-1-2 (14KO’s) in the main event and cross-town rivals MONTY MEZA CLAY, 36-3-0 (22KO’s), and “Lightning” ROD SALKA, 19-4-0 (3KO’s) in the co-main.
“Our last event in August was a rousing success and Friday night’s will be even bigger and better,” continued Tyson.
In a special attraction eight round junior middleweight bout, ERICKSON ‘The Hammer” LUBIN, 7-0-0 (6KO’s), will battle NORBERTO “Demonio” GONZALEZ, 20-5-0 (13KO’s).
Headlining the undercard on Friday night is an 8-round middleweight clash between undefeated Motor City prospect DOMONIQUE “3D” DOLTON, 14-0-0 (8KO’s), a disciple of the late Emanuel Steward, and Dominican veteran JONATHAN BATISTA, 14-4-0 (7KO’s).
The 24-year-old Dolton will be looking to jumpstart his career following a hand injury that his him making his first start of 2014. Among the wins on his ledger are highly regarded veterans Donatas Bondorovas, Richard Gutierrez and Marcos Primera.
Upset minded Batista will be looking to derail Dolton’s plans using his vast experience against numerous top names including a 10-round battle with former world champion Kermit Cintron in 2013.
Junior featherweights will see action in a eight round scrap as undefeated Cleveland based prospect ANTONIO “Carita” NIEVES, 8-0-0 (4KO’s), will battle JIOVANY “El Cepillo” FUENTES, 5-5-0 (4KO’s), of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Nieves will be fighting for the fourth time in 2014, most recently winning a six round unanimous decision over Justin Lopez on August 15th in Toledo, Ohio.
The 24-year-old Fuentes has fought numerous world-class prospects over the last four years including Rau’shee Warren, Joseph Diaz, Vic Pasillas and McWilliams Arroyo.
Brooklyn’s DENNIS GALARZA, 5-1-0 (3KO’s), will return to the Pittsburgh ring in a scheduled six round featherweight bout against Puerto Rico’s MIGUEL “Mikito” SOTO, 12-4-0 (12KO’s).
Just 22-years-old, Galarza will be looking to bounce back strongly following his first career loss, a hard fought six round unanimous decision to fellow undefeated prospect Vincent Jennings on August 8th at CONSOL Energy Center.
The hard-hitting Soto makes a quick return following an epic brawl with former world title challenger Roberto Marroquin in Mesquite, Texas on September 26th, a fight stopped in the fourth stanza and awarded to the hometown favorite.
Highly touted light heavyweight prospect LEO “Young Bam” HALL, 3-0-0 (3KO’s), of Detroit, Michigan, will clash with Fort Worth, Texas veteran, KENTRELL CLAIBORNE, 4-9-0 (3KO’s) in a four round tilt.
With power belying his youth as a 19-year-old, Hall will be fighting for the fourth time this year with two of his stoppages coming in the first round.
Claiborne has vast experience in the division having faced Seanie Monaghan, Thomas Williams Jr. and Marcus Browne over his five years as a pro.
In the opening bout of the evening in a four round super middleweight bout, former Russian amateur standout VIACHESLAV BARSUKOV, now fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, will make his pro debut against RAMIRO ARREOLA-GARCIA, 0-1-0, of Brownville, Texas.
Advance tickets for “The Pride of Pittsburgh II”, starting at $42 are available through the Dick’s Sporting Goods Box Office at CONSOL Energy Center, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:00 p.m. with the first bell at 7:00 p.m.
CONSOL Energy Center is located at 1001 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219. Further information can be located at their website, www.consolenerycenter.com
For additional information on Iron Mike Productions visit www.IronMikeProductions, follow on Twitter at @IronMikeProd and on Facebook at IronMikeProductionsOfficial.
Philadelphia, PA—Undefeated Jesse “Hard Work” Hart gets his first featured role in his hometown when he takes on hard-hitting Samuel Miller, of Arboletes, Colombia, in an eight-round super middleweight contest Saturday evening, Dec. 13, at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.
The Hart-Miller bout along with an eight-round lightweight contest featuring Felix Verdejo, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, against Karim El Ouazghari, of Barcelona, Spain, will be televised as part of Top Rank’s Solo Boxeo Tecate series on UniMas. The delayed telecast will begin at 11pm (EST). First of seven prelims begins at 6.45pm.
The 25-year-old Hart is 15-0, 12 K0s. His father, Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, was one of the hardest-hitting middleweights of his time, compiling a 30-9-1 record with 28 K0s from 1969 to 1981.
A big gate attraction because of his fearsome punching power, the elder Hart engaged in some of Philadelphia’s most talked-about ring battles against legends like Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Bennie Briscoe, Vito Antuofermo, Kitten Hayward, Willie “The Worm” Monroe and Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts.
“It feels beyond good, beyond tremendous,” the younger Hart said. “It feels wonderful to be able to perform in front of my hometown fans. My dad had a lot of his big fights at the old Arena in West Philadelphia and now I’m in a main fight at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. It’s just wonderful for this to be happening for me.”
Miller, 35, turned pro in 2003 in Colombia, but now fights out of La Habra, CA. His 28-9 record includes 25K0s. He was the first to defeat Isaac Rodriguez, of Brazil, who was 17-0 when Miller outpointed him in 2010 in Verona, NY.
Other victims include Jason Naugler, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Steve Walker, of Hannibal, MO. Miller also has boxed Brian Vera, of Fort Worth, TX, and Marco Antonio Rubio, of Torreon, Mexico, losing each time by decision.
“We are looking forward to Jesse fighting in front of a sold out hometown crowd,” said Carl Moretti, Vice President of Boxing Operations at Top Rank. “Jesse and Felix Verdejo are two of Top Rank’s best prospects and, hopefully, this show will catapult both guys into bigger fights in 2015.”
ABOUT DECEMBER 13
The Verdejo-Ouazghari and Hart-Miller fights top an eight-bout card at the 2300 Arena. First fight is 6.45 pm. Tickets priced at $50 and $75 are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and at Wanamaker’s Tickets (215-568-2400). They also can be purchased on line at www.peltzboxing.com and at www.wanatix.com. UniMas will televise the Verdejo-Ouazhari and Hart-Miller fights as part of Top Rank’s Solo Boxeo Tecate series. The delayed telecast begins at 11pm (EST). The card is being promoted by Top Rank, Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., and BAM Boxing. The 2300 Arena, formerly known as the New Alhambra, has hosted consistent professional boxing from 2004 thru 2012 when it was later known as the Asylum Arena. Boxing cards there have been televised by ESPN 2, CN8, Univision and the NBC Sports Network. Fighters who have boxed there include Danny Garcia, Bronco McKart, Omar Sheika, Demetrius Hopkins, Mike Jones, Teon Kennedy, Bryant Jennings, Gabriel Rosado, Jesus Soto-Karass, Ronald Cruz, Israel “Pito” Cardona, Derek Ennis, Steve Cunningham and Edner Cherry.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (Nov. 13, 2014) – AirAsia, voted the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for six straight years by Skytrax World Airline Awards from 2009 to 2014, announced that it will be the official airline for People’s Champ and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao.
Representative Pacquiao, boxing’s biggest attraction, is set to take his act on the road again on November 22, when he defends his WBO welterweight title against Chris Algieri at the Cotai Arena in The Venetian Macao (live on pay-per-view in the U.S.)
As the official airline of Team Pacquiao, AirAsia has unveiled an exclusive aircraft livery featuring the boxing sensation. The livery design was unveiled today in a press launch in General Santos City, Philippines attended by AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and AirAsia Philippines CEO Joy Cañeba.
Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group CEO said, “It’s a great honor for AirAsia to be chosen as the official airline of team Pacman. Congressman Manny’s story is an inspiration not only for Filipinos but to all of us who dared to dream the seemingly impossible. AirAsia’s commitment in the Philippines is anchored on the same dream, to make flying more affordable, more accessible and to provide the best quality service that every Filipino deserves.”
For his part, Representative Pacquiao said, “I am delighted to be part of AirAsia’s mission in promoting the Philippines, our Filipino talents, sports and tourism wonders to the global stage. Let’s celebrate the Filipino spirit and my team is looking forward to your support in my upcoming match in Macau in November.”
To celebrate the partnership, AirAsia is offering promo seats for as low as P199 base fare only for direct flights to/from Manila-Macau via AirAsia Philippines including promo seats for flights from Malaysia, Thailand and other destinations in the AirAsia group. Promo seats are available for booking today at www.airasia.com for immediate travel in November until 9th June 2015.
Pacman’s fans can look forward to spotting the special Manny Pacquiao branded Airbus A320 which carries the colors of the Philippine flag and Pacquiao’s logo painting the skies red soon from AirAsia hubs not only in Manila, Cebu, Kalibo to domestic destinations of Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Tagbilaran (Bohol), Tacloban and to international points in Malaysia, China and South Korea but all over AirAsia’s 88 destinations across Asean countries and extending as far as China, India, Australia and more!
Joy Cañeba, AirAsia Philippines CEO said, “We are honored and humbled that the People’s Champ, the Filipino pride, Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao has chosen AirAsia as his official airline partner. AirAsia Philippines will shake up the aviation industry and this partnership is just one of the examples on how we will take this game to a higher level. AirAsia will promote the Philippines to the world and bring the world closer to every Filipino via our massive network.”
In honor of Manny Pacquiao, AirAsia is opening Manila – GenSan route with attractive introductory fares to be announced very soon.
AirAsia Philippines is also offering a P0.01 seat sale for all domestic and international destinations. Promo seats are available for booking today at www.airasia.com until 16th November 2014, for the travel period from 10th June 2015 – 17th Jan 2016.
All-in promo seats (with airport tax, fuel surcharge and other applicable fees) from Manila to Kalibo (Boracay), Tagbilaran (Bohol), Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Cebu, Tacloban* and Cebu to Davao**, Cagayan de Oro** are available from as low as P353.81, one way while international flights from Manila, Cebu, Clark, Kalibo to South Korea (Incheon/Seoul and Busan), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu), China (Macau and Shanghai) and many more start from as low as P750.00, all-in, one way only.
AirAsia Group is also offering 3 Million promo seats to various domestic & international destinations such as Langkawi, Yogyakarta, Krabi, Siem Reap, Kalibo (gateway to Boracay), Da Nang, Surat Thani (gateway to Koh Samui), Chengdu, Perth and many more destinations from Kuala Lumpur; along with other exciting destinations from AirAsia’s other hubs in Penang, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
With AirAsia’s enhanced list of ‘Fly-Thru’ city pairs, guests are able to enjoy seamless connectivity from Manila, Clark and Cebu to Australia, Jeddah, India, Brunei, China and to top tourist destinations in ASEAN region. There are currently 858 Fly-Thru city pairs which AirAsia & AirAsia X guests can choose from.
The P0.01 promotion is available online at www.airasia.com and also via AirAsia’s mobile apps on iPhone and Android devices, and also AirAsia’s mobile site at mobile.airasia.com.. Just search AirAsia on the respective app stores to download and start booking!
AirAsiaGo, the holiday division of the world’s best low cost airline, will also be offering special deals for travellers during this promo. AirAsiaGo is presenting great savings up to 60% when promo seats are booked together with hotel accommodation. Prices are from as low as RM149 (P1,939) for both flight and accommodation (per person). For those looking for accommodation only, grab it from as low as RM59 (P767) per night. For more information and to book, visit its website at www.AirAsiaGo.com. The same promo booking period and travel period applies.
Be a BIG Shot under the AirAsia BIG Loyalty Programme and earn BIG Points to redeem free AirAsia flights! BIG Shots can also opt for BIG Points & cash redemption to redeem flights, with only a minimum of 500 BIG Points. For more information, please visit www.airasiaBIG.com.
Keep updated with AirAsia’s latest promotions and activities via Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsiaPH)and Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines).
*starts December 3
**starts December 12
# # #
About the AirAsia Group
AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, services the most extensive network with 88 destinations. Within 12 years of operations, AirAsia has carried over 230 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to over 170. The airline today is proud to be a truly Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and India, servicing a network stretching across all Asean countries as well as China, India and Australia. AirAsia was named the World’s Best Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax for six consecutive years from 2009 – 2014.
Warriors Boxing Promotions will follow up on the smash success of its “Homecoming” event on November 1 to present “Holiday Boxing Bash”, a night of world-class professional boxing on Friday, December 12, 2014, at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago.
Headlining the 14-fight “Holiday Boxing Bash” will be a quartet of undefeated local and international prospects.
In the night’s main event, undefeated former amateur star Rau’shee Warren (12-0, 3 KOs) will go 10 rounds in the bantamweight division.
Featured in separate showcase bouts will be wildly popular Chicago up-and-comer Jose F. Quezada (4-0, 3 KOs) in a lightweight six-rounder; Warsaw, Poland’s Patryk Szymanski (11-0, 6 KOs) in a junior middleweight eight-rounder; and Aurora, Illinois super lightweight Eddie Ramírez (6-0, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder.
Tickets start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event.
27-year-old Rau’shee Warren was the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Champion in the flyweight division. He is also a 2004 and 2008 Olympian and USA Boxing’s 2006 Co-Athlete of the Year. From Cincinnati, Ohio, Warren has been boxing since the age of six. Warren turned professional in 2012 and has barely lost a round in his first 12 fights.
Lightweight Jose Felix Quezada, 19, is an enormous fan-favorite locally and a three-time State Silver Gloves Champion, three-time Chicago City-Wide Champion, two-time Regional Silver Gloves Champion and the 2009 National Junior Golden Gloves Champion. As a professional, the talented Quezada has stopped three of his four opponents.
Welterweight Eddie Ramirez, 22, of Aurora, Ill., was a 2013 Chicago Golden Gloves Champion who was voted Best Boxer for the entire tournament. He was also a 2013 National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions finalist. As a professional, Ramirez has beaten his first six opponents, including 5-0 Manny Brown (KO 3), 4-1 Alexis Del Bosque (UD 4) and 3-1-1 DeMarcus Rogers (KO 1).
21-year-old Patryk Szymanski had over250 amateur fights and spent seven years on the Polish national team before turning professional in 2012. Szymanski recently relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he lives and trains with well-regarded Chico Rivas. Despite having just 11 professional fights, the talented Szymanski has already won the WBO Youth Welterweight, World Boxing Foundation International Light Middleweight and Republic of Poland International Light Middleweight Championships.
Opponents for all will be announced shortly, as will the participants of the other nine bouts scheduled. On fight night, doors open at 5:30 PM and the first fight is at 6:00 PM. The UIC Pavilion is located at 525 S Racine Avenue in Chicago. For more information and updates, visit www.warriorsboxing.com.
LONDON (13 NOV) Hennessy Sports and Team Sauerland are pleased to announce that the IBF World Cruiserweight Championship showdown between Yoan Pablo Hernandez (29-1, 14 KOs) and Ola Afolabi (21-3-4, 10 KOs) will be broadcast LIVE on Channel 5 (8.30-10.30pm).
British boxing fans will now have the chance to follow London-born Afolabi as he attempts to dethrone the Cuban cruiserweight king on Saturday, December 6 at the EWE Arena in Oldenburg, Germany.
“We’re delighted to be working in collaboration with Mick Hennessy to bring UK fans this exciting cruiserweight clash,” said promoter Nisse Sauerland. ‘‘Channel 5 is a fantastic platform for boxing and fitting home for this world championship fight. Hernandez and Afolabi are two of the division’s top talents and will guarantee an explosive encounter on December 6.”
“This is a great opportunity for British boxing fans to again watch a genuine world title fight involving a British fighter on free-to-air television,” said promoter Mick Hennessy. “In the space of six weeks Channel 5 have delivered the IBF world bantamweight title fight between Stuart Hall and Randy Caballero and now the IBF world cruiserweight title fight between Yoan Pablo Hernandez and Ola Afolabi.
“Channel 5 are really delivering for boxing fans in this country and it’s great to be able to give fans free-to-air boxing on a regular basis.
“Finally, I’m thrilled to be working with Team Sauerland on this show and together we’ll be announcing an exciting British line-up very soon.”
END
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13 November 2014 – Manila: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC), has added three bouts to the latest blockbuster event, ONE FC: WARRIOR’S WAY. Eduard Folayang returns to action to take on the streaking Timofey Nastyukhin, who is riding a nine-fight winning streak. Former WBO and IBA boxing champion Ana Julaton will also see action on the card as she faces Egypt’s Walaa Abas. The event will also see a clash of striking styles as Wushu world champion Rene Catalan goes up against Muay Thai world champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke. ONE FC: WARRIOR’S WAY is set to take place at the state-of-the-art MOA Arena in Manila on 5 December.
CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™, Victor Cui, stated, “ONE Fighting Championship has taken over Asia this year with blockbuster shows all over the continent! ONE FC will return to Manila with one of our most stacked cards to date and the night will feature three martial arts champions from the Philippines. The MOA Arena will be packed to the rafters as fans from all over the world will tune in to catch world-class mixed martial arts action. This will be a night of non-stop adrenaline-pumping action that you do not want to miss!”
Eduard Folayang is one of the most popular sports figures in the Philippines. A Wushu practitioner, the former school teacher transitioned to mixed martial arts and has an impressive record of 14 wins and four losses so far in his career. He has proven his caliber in two recent wins, defeating highly touted star Vincent Latoel and the former ONE FC Lightweight World Champion, Kotetsu Boku.
Timofey Nastyukhin is a Russian lightweight with a professional mixed martial arts record of seven wins and one loss. Nastyukhin is an aggressive mixed martial artist who has won all seven of his bouts by first-round finishes. Nastyukhin has developed a reputation as a deadly finisher and will look to continue his string of finishes as he makes his ONE FC debut against Eduard Folayang.
Ana Julaton is a former WBO and IBA Super Bantamweight champion who is now pursuing success in the world of mixed martial arts. Julaton made her professional mixed martial arts debut in Manila in May and will once again look to emerge victorious in front of thousands of Filipino fans cheering her on.
Walaa Abbas is a national Egyptian kickboxing champion who has notched up two wins in a row in her recent bouts. She has proven to have the striking prowess to end fights early, finishing both victories on her record with punches. Julaton defeated Abas’ teammate Aya Saied Saber in Manila earlier this year and Abas will be out for revenge in this bout.
Rene Catalan is a former SEA Games and Asian Games gold medalist in Wushu. He has been out of action for more than a year after his bout last year was overturned to a No-Contest. Catalan is raring to go and will be eager to impress in the Philippines as he prepares to compete in mixed martial arts action in his home country for the first time.
Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a Muay Thai World Champion who has excited mixed martial arts fans all over the world with his non-stop style of striking excellence. He also showed his improved grappling skills by finishing his last two wins by submission. Sor Amnuaysirichoke will now face his toughest test to date as he takes on a world champion in a clash of two Asian martial arts.
Jujeath Nagaowa is a former WBC Asia Atomweight Champion will be making the transition from boxing with an impressive resume that features 12 professional victories. Nagaowa has nifty footwork that she uses to get out of her opponents’ punches and knockout power in both hands. She made her ONE FC debut with a stoppage victory over India’s Jeet Toshi in Manila earlier this year and will look to replicate the same result in her upcoming contest.
Tharoth Sam is a Kun Khmer fighter with an undefeated professional mixed martial arts record. She is a pioneer for the sport in her home country in Cambodia and a win on foreign soil will enhance the reputation in the kingdom. In her ONE FC debut, she defeated fellow Cambodian debutant Vy Srey Chai with an armbar.
Tickets for ONE FC: WARRIOR’S WAY on 5 December in Manila are on sale now at SM Tickets (http://www.smtickets.com). Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cageside experience for VIPs at PHP 6,360 followed by Patron PHP 3,180, Lower Box PHP 1,280, Upper Box PHP 640 and General Admission PHP 220. Prices include ticketing fee. Pre-sale packages are currently available.
Fans around Asia can catch all the action live on FOX Sports 1. Check your local listings. Also, fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at http://www.onefc.com/livestream. The event will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.
For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Instagram and Twitter @ONEFCMMA, Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA and Weibo at http://www.weibo.com/onefc.
About One Fighting Championship
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Fighting 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 Fighting 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.
CHICAGO — November 12, 2014 — Fres Oquendo’s wife and newborn were in the hospital when he boarded a plane to Grozny, Russia in July to take on Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA Heavyweight title – a fight that was slated to take place just 36 hours after his arrival. For his troubles, Oquendo was guaranteed a purse of $1 million dollars and a rematch within 120 days in the event that he lost.
“The only reason I even left my wife and newborn child was because [Chechnyan] President Ramzan Kadyrov and Andre Rabinsky both personally called and guaranteed my safety, a rematch and the $1,000,000 to take care of my family,” said Oquendo. “They literally begged me to go even though I had no sleep, had not worked out in 2 weeks and literally got there an hour before the weigh in.” Rabinsky guaranteed an additional $100,000, per the promoter, when travel plans didn’t go as expected.
Oquendo did indeed lose the fight, in a controversial majority decision, and has since not been paid the purse he agreed to with Rabinsky and Kadyrov – a purse that was secured by the fight contract. Hitz Boxing and Square Ring Promotions have also not been paid the agreed upon promotional fee. “We’ve seen reports this week that Chagaev is looking for an opponent,” said Bobby Hitz, founder and promoter of Hitz Boxing. He’s got an opponent. His opponent is Fres Oquendo. The WBA should make sure this fight happens. It is what both guys agreed to before the fight. The WBA needs to help make sure that Fres gets paid, and that he gets his rematch.”
There were a number of irregularities during the match that Hitz feels the WBA needs to address. “We filed a protest with the WBA in August. What was the Chechnyan President doing climbing up on the apron between rounds to coach Chagaev? That’s blatantly against WBA rules. Rounds were cut short. There was no commission. The whole thing was a farce,” said Hitz.
Hitz continued, “All of this is on paper. We’ve got a lawsuit ready to be filed in the Southern District of New York, naming the WBA, Chagaev’s promoter, Timur Dugazaev, and Malte Mueller-Michaelis, who orchestrated the bout, unless all of this gets resolved. The lawsuit against Dugazaev, Mueller-Michaelis and the WBA will include several charges, including breach of contract and tortuous interference. These parties have employed various delay tactics. We’ve heard excuses ranging from religious holidays, to vacations, to the political climate and everything in between. Enough is enough. We can no longer leave this unresolved, especially since it appears that they are trying to overlook us for the rematch that we’re entitled to, and they are contractually bound to provide.”
CHESTER, PA (November 12, 2014)- This Friday night, Jr. Welterweight contender Raymond Serrano (18-2, 8 KO’s) returns to action when he competes in a six round bout against Wilfredo Acuna (15-15, 12 KO’s) in the co-feature bout at Harrahs Philadelphia in Chester, PA.
The show is promoted by Joey Eye Boxing , XFE and King’s Promotions.
Serrano of Philadelphia was one of the top prospects in the United States as he won his first 18 fights as he became a staple on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
He had quality wins over Ashantie Hendrickson (1-0), Jay Krupp (12-1), Ronnie Warrior Jr. (13-2-1) & Ayi Bruce (15-2).
He is looking ti get back in the win column after losing to Emanuel Taylor on January 25, 2013.
“I can’t wait to get back in their and I am ready to go,” said Serrano when asked about the 21-month lay off.on the 30-fight veteran Acuna.
“Training has been good. I have been dropping weight and training real hard and putting in work with my new trainer Chino Rivas.
“I don’t know much on Acuna except that he is a southpaw.”
This will be Serrano’s first appearance in his home state since stopping Corey Alacorn in five rounds on April 1, 2011.
“I am excited to be fighting in my hometown. After the layoff, it is good to have family and friends there to support me.”
The fight will be Serrano’s first under new manager Mark Cipparone and Club 1957 Management.
“I am excited to put on a good performance and get back on the winning track. This will start to get me back in line for the big fights I know I will be in and win.”
Acuna of Managua, Nicaragua has quality wins over Freddy Oprta (5-1), Matias Garcia (11-1), Douglas Lira (6-1) and has been in the ring with top prospects and contenders such as Orlando Cruz, Luis Cruz, Felix Diaz , Jonathan Maicelo, current world champion Chris Algieri. He is coming off an 8-round unanimous decision defeat to Dusty Hernandez Harrison (22-0) on July 26 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Serrano is promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.
In the ëight-round main event, Joey Dawejko (12-3-2, 5 KO’s) will face Rayford Johnson (10-15, 6 KO’s) of Longview, TX in a Heavyweight bout.
In Six round Bouts:
Immanuel Aleem (10-0, 6 KO’s) of Richmond, VA will take on Angel Antonio Martinez (6-8-3, 1 KO) in a Middleweight bout
In four round bouts:
Alex Barbosa (4-1-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will take on Benjamin Burgos (1-9-1) of Mount Pocono, PA in a Super Bantamweight bout.
Nathaniel Rivas (5-0, 2 KO’s) of Berlin, NJ will take on an opponent to be named in a Welterweight bout.
Randy Easton (2-4-1, 2 KO’s) of Williamsport, PA will fight Dan Bolden (2-3, 1 KO) of Louisiana in a Heavyweight bout.
David Grayton (9-0, 8 KO’s) of Washington, DC will take on Donald Ward (7-5, 3 KO’s) of Memphis, TN in a Welterweight bout.
Tickets are now on sale for $100 (VIP); $75 (Ringside) and $50 (General Admission) and can be purchased at the Harrahs Philadelphia Gift Shop; By calling Joey Eye (267-304-9399); David Feldman (610-291-0806); Peltz Boxing (215) 765 0922; 800-480-8020 or on www.webtix.net
MONTREAL (Nov. 12, 2014) – InterBox held a press conference today in Montreal to announce that fans at the Bell Centre on December 6 will be able to watch three major fights: light heavyweights Lucian Bute (31-2, 24 KOs) vs. Roberto Bolonti (35-3, 24 KOs) and Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KOs) vs. Donovan George (26-4-2, 22 KOs), as well as the NABF middleweight title fight between David Lemieux (32-2, 20 KOs) vs. Gabriel Rosado (21-8, 13 KOs) on big screens live from Brooklyn, New York.
“We have a former IBF champion in Lucian, a former WBC champion and Ring champion in Pascal and one of the most exciting middleweights in the World in David Lemieux – all on the same night,” InterBox president Jean Bedard commented. “It’s the type of card the fans deserve and get excited to see.”
Lucian in the Philippines: A different style of training
Under the watchful eyes of multiple-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach, who is training multi-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, Lucian is refining his tools ahead of his Dec. 6 bout. Lucian may be halfway around the world in the Philippines but he quickly got comfortable with such prestigious company. “It is an honor to train with these two legends,” Bute said from the Philippines. “There are so many good people here who stop by and watch us. It feels great. It’s like I am training for the public every day.” Bute will stay at Pacquiao’s camp until Manny and Roach leave for Pacquaio’s Nov. 22 fight vs. Chris Algieri in Macau, China. Bute will return to Montreal at the end of November.
Pascal: Waiting for offers
WBC Diamond and NABF light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal is in an excellent position. As he stated to the media, Jean is currently the mandatory contender for WBC champion Adonis Stevenson and Jean will meticulously study all fight possibilities during the next few months. Pascal’s coach, Marc Ramsey, will be accompanying Lemieux to Brooklyn to work his corner Dec. 6. Pascal, who immediately agreed for Ramsey to work with Lemieux, will have Russ Anber and Roy Jones, Jr in his corner against George. Pascal also decided to set up training camp on Montreal instead of at Big Bear in California.
PPV in North America
The Canadian light heavyweight doubleheader card is also being distributed in the United Statesby Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 8:00 p.m. ET – 5:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DirecTV, DISH, and Vubiquity for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.
The Dec. 6 card in Montreal, featuring Bute and Pascal in co-main events, will be available on a pay-per-view basis in Canada on Indigo and Bell in French and English, as well as via Rogers, Shaw and Sask-Tel in English only.
Neither PPV will include Lemieux vs. Rosado.
For additional information please visit www.IntegratedSportsnet.com or www.InterBox.ca, follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV @InterBoxCA @InterBoxBute @JeanPascalChamp.
ABOUT INTEGRATED SPORTS MEDIA: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Gennady Golovkin, Carl Froch, Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Paulie Malignaggi, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr., Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Ruslan Chagaev, as well as World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson and Roy Nelson, in addition to In addition, Integrated Sports Media has distributed numerous International soccer matches featuring teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com or follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.
ABOUT INTERBOX: InterBox was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1997 and acquired by Groupe Sportscene in 2004. InterBox is internationally recognized as one of the most respected boxing organizations in Quebec and throughout the World. InterBox’s main objective is to organize top quality events, both locally and internationally. InterBox’s success is due in large part to a growing pool of elite athletes and top quality trainers to support them and their ascension to the elite. InterBox promotes, produces and presents first quality events on a regular basis thanks to the very important corporate sponsors Videotron, the Cage-aux-Sports restaurant chain, Coors Light and Mise-O-Jeau.
Washington, DC (November 12, 2014)–Tomorrow night at The Washington Hilton, undefeated Middleweight Antoine “Action” Douglas will take on Don Mouton (14-8-1, 12 KO’s) as part of the 25th annual Fight for Children charity event.
Douglas is promoted by GH3 Promotions.
Douglas of Burke, Virginia has a record of 15-0-1 with 10 knockoutsand has been one of the most talked about Middleweight prospects in the United States. The 22-year old has quality wins over undefeated Colby Courter (4-undefeat0) and Marquis Davis (8-0-2). Douglas was impressive in scoring a sensational 2nd round stoppage over former world title challenger Luca Messi (37-9-1) on April 4 in Parsippany, New Jersey.
Douglas and former world title challenger Michel Soro (23-1) fought at highly contested draw in a bout that Douglas dominated over the first half of the bout.
That bout headlined the 200th episode of the highly acclaimed ShoBox: The New Generation series on July 25 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York.
In his last bout, Douglas was very impressive in breaking down and eventully stopping the durable Jose Medina on October 24 in Somerset, NJ.
“I had a beautiful training camp for Medina. I corrected my punches from the Soro fight and he was there to get hit by them”, said Douglas about the well deserved stoppage win.
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“Everything is good. I got to training camp right off of my last fight and I am ready to keep pushing forward,”said Douglas. “I only took two days off and went right back into camp”
Mouton of Houston, Texas is known as a rugged puncher who has many signature wins on his docket such as wins over Josiah Judah (9-0-1), Richard Pierson (8-1), Walid Smichet (19-4-3), Jerson Ravelo (19-3), Jesse Lara (16-2-1), Samuel Clarkson (6-0). Mouton is on a two-fight knockout streak which includes a 1st round stoppage over Larry Smith on July 26 in Humble, Texas.
“I know Mouton has power and is strong and he has eight losses.”
Douglas will not only be fighting just minutes from his Burke, Virginia home but will be fighting on this special show that will raises millions of dollars for children.
“I means a lot to be able to fight on this show. I know this organization well and am happy to support them. It makes even more special that I can do this in my hometown of Washington.”finished Douglas.
The Douglas – Mouton bout will be part of a three fight card that will feature two title bouts when Carlos Cuadras fights Marvin Mabait for the WBC Super Flyweight title. Ava Knight battle Guadlupe Martinez for the WBC International Female Flyweight title.
Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents another exciting edition of Golden Boy Live! this Thursday, Nov. 13 at 10 p.m. ET, featuring three undefeated Mexican warriors headed to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in India, Calif.
Fight Network’s broadcast will air live exclusively in Canada.
Joseph Diaz Jr., Julian Ramirez and Diego De la Hoya square off against Roberto Castaneda, Pedro Melo and Ali Gonzalez, respectively, who are looking to add losses to the records of the undefeated trio of boxing’s most promising rising stars.
Meanwhile, seven-foot Chinese sensation Taishan will open up the televised portion of the card against Michael Lane.
In Thursday’s main event, unbeaten former U.S. Olympian Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. (12-0, 8 KOs) will square off with Mexicali veteran Roberto Castaneda (21-7-1, 15 KOs) who will look to test the resolve and experience of Diaz Jr. in their 10-round featherweight bout. One of the most experienced 23-year-olds in the sport,Castaneda has been keeping busy in the ring since his professional debut in 2009 and while he has had his ups and downs over the last year, a win over Diaz Jr. will get him back on track as 2014 comes to a close.?
Facing East Los Angeles’ Julian “El Camaron” Ramirez (12-0, 7 KOs) in the eight-round featherweight co-feature event, Tijuana’s Pedro Melo (11-5-2, 2 KOs) is a 26-year-old brawler who is looking to get back to the same form that resulted in a 2012 knockout over respected prospect Juan Jimenez. On Nov. 13, Melo hopes to walk away with a similar win over Ramirez.
Scheduled for six rounds in the featherweight division, Diego “The Golden Kid” De La Hoya (7-0, 5 KOs) will take on Tijuana’s Ali Gonzalez (6-3, 1 KO) who looks to spoil De La Hoya’s perfect record. After winning three of his last four bouts, the 27-year-old southpaw, Gonzalez, is more confident than ever that he has what it takes to pull off the upset at Fantasy Springs next month.
In the televised opener, the seven-foot heavyweight power-puncher Taishan (1-0, 1 KO) will enter the ring for his highly anticipated second professional fight. Taishan will be taking on Michael Lane (0-3) in a four-round bout. Widely considered one of the most interesting fighters in the sweet science today, fight fans are in for a rare glimpse Taishan in action when he laces up the gloves to face the hard luck Lane. The rugged Lane has seen each of his three losses go to the judges’ scorecards, proving he can exchange blows and go the distance. However, Taishan hopes to take this one out of the judges’ hands by walking away with his second professional knockout.
The Nov. 13 edition of Golden Boy Live! is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and the Fight Network broadcast airs live at 10 p.m. ET.
For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com and follow on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
We bring you Chris Algieri today live from his training camp at the Venetian Las Vegas and joining him today is his trainer Tim Lane and his promoter Joe DeGuardia. Chris Algieri is the undefeated champion and the only world champion representing New York right now and a renaissance man by any definition.. After sparring session on Wednesday, he will depart for Macau that evening. To tell us more about Chris and the promotion, here is Hall of Fame Promoter Bob Arum.
BOB ARUM: What do you mean he is the only champion that New York has? The Jets just beat the Steelers over the weekend! I’m glad to be on this call and we are all getting ready to go across the world to Macau and our hosts, The Venetian. Everybody is really looking forward to this event. It is building up tremendously. All of these great fighters leaving who will be participating on the card and we are thrilled to have Chris Algieri with us today because he has really stirred the pot. People are paying tremendous attention to this fight and I think everyone should watch “Under the Lights” this weekend on HBO because it is a true analysis of the fight. Tim Bradley did a great job with Virgil Hunter analyzing the fight so without further ado, I know Tim Lane is here and Joe DeGuardia, but I would like to now turn the call over to Chris Algieri.
CHRIS ALGIERI: Thank you, Bob. I am glad to be here and it’s great to be involved with this promotion and have the opportunity for this fight.
Before we get started I would just like to take a moment to pay tribute to the real warriors that are out there on this Veterans Day and give them the honor and tribute that they deserve for going above and beyond in fighting for our country and our freedom.
With that being said, I am happy to be here and training camp has gone fantastic and it has been a tremendous lead-up going into fight week and Team Algieri is very excited about our trip to Macau. All of our work is done here and now we are ready to travel across the world and shock the world.
TIM LANE: Thanks to everyone for joining in and thanks to Top Rank and Star Boxing for allowing us to be in a show like this. Training has been wonderful. Chris is in shape. He is mentally and physically ready to go and we are ready for our road trip.
JOE DeGUARDIA: It is a pleasure to be on this call. So much has been said about Chris already. He has been a great ambassador for the sport. I am proud of our relationship and it has been a great promotion going from Stony Brook to Wall Street to Shangahi and Macau. It’s going to be a great fight and we are looking forward to taking on Manny Pacquiao on November 22nd. .
BOB ARUM: You forgot to mention Joe that because we stopped at AT&T Park in San Francisco a lot of people are crediting Manny and Chris for bringing good luck to the San Francisco Giants, who went from Wild Card to World Champions.
How is Chris handling the pressure?
TIM LANE: Chris has been handling the pressure like there is no pressure. There is a lot of relaxation and meditation and ice baths after workouts. This is the Chris Algieri Show, like I said before, this is what he had visualized for years and now he has the situation the way he has always dreamt about having it. This is a dream come true so there is no pressure. There is great energy and Chris is feeding off all of it and he is stronger than ever.
Is Medical School still in your future?
CHRIS ALGIERI: Medical School is the next step in my career. There is no doubt about that. My mind is still hungry and I want to continue my education. But that is on hold right now. Now I am focusing full time on my boxing career. We are at the elite level right now and it takes 100% focus.
Where do you wish to go to Medical School?
CHRIS ALGIERI: I had always planned to go to a New York institution because I love New York and had a great experience in college back on Long Island. Stony Brook is my Alma Mater from undergrad and they have a fantastic, competitive medical school and that would be a great place to look into. But there are other great schools in New York and we’ll see what’s available when the time comes. In terms of what I want to study, I have a lot of friends that have gone through the process and often times you don’t know what your expertise will be until you go through your rotations to experience it first-hand. My background is health and fitness and cardiovascular interests me. A lot of the issues we are having in the country right now are directly related to a lack of good fitness and nutrition and since I have a background in that already it does make logical sense. There is also Sports Medicine, so we’ll see. There are a lot of options when it comes to medicine and health care.
Since Manny is in the Philippines and you are in the USA, how has it been for you to carry this entire promotion?
CHRIS ALGIERI: It’s been fantastic. It’s the kind of stuff that you want as a fighter coming up. I am now a champion and fighting at the elite level and you want this kind of exposure. A lot of guys say this, but when it comes they really don’t want it. I’m not that kind of guy. This stuff gets me up. My open workouts are like fight day. I’ve got a lot of pressure on me and I ride it to the top. I am enjoying my time here and my time under the microscope and I believe that has helped out whole team step up to perform that much better.
Do you feel as though you are being taken advantage of because you are here doing all of the interviews and Pacquiao is all by himself?
CHRIS ALGIERI: See, this is actually the first time I am fighting when I am not working as well. I have been a full-time boxer for this camp, so all of this other stuff I have been doing is kind of in par with stuff I have been doing anyway. I am a guy that does a million other things in addition to boxing. I have a lot of other stuff that I have been into my entire career and I have put all of that on hold now I am doing more stuff involving the actual promotion of the fight like doing interviews and making appearances. So for me I am no busier than I have ever been – I have always been a busy guy.
If Chris Algieri wins, what do you think that does for the sport?
CHRIS ALGIERI: I would hope that it would attract a more mainstream audience and have a crossover appeal – we need to get more people watching boxing. I love this sport and anything we can do to help it is great. The more attention that is drawn to any of the fighters, especially in a positive way, is good for the sport. And if it’s elevating my career, what the hell, let’s do it.
When you hear a Freddie Roach talking smack, do you feel a need to go back at him or just sit quietly by?
CHRIS ALGIERI: I am not going to change just to promote a fight. My stance is to not go back-and-forth and I am not fighting Freddie. That’s not the man I have to box with so I am not going to go back-and-forth firing darts at each other. You don’t see Pacquiao doing that. That’s Freddie’s prerogative and that’s what he likes to do. That’s not me, even if it helps the promotion of the fight, that’s not my style. It is what it is. If he wants to say that, that’s fine by me. What matters is fight night and myself and Pacquiao.
If Algieri beats Pacquiao, is he in line to fight Mayweather?
BOB ARUM: How can I talk for Mayweather? As far as the Pacquiao fight is concerned with Mayweather, as much as a lot of people surrounding it would want it to happen, myself included and Manny included, Floyd is reluctant to fight Manny Pacquiao, period. If people don’t see that by now, they are never going to see it. In as far as if Chris Algieri wins the fight against Manny Pacquiao, then there is a provision in the contract for a rematch. If he beats Pacquiao then beats Manny in a rematch and Floyd wants to fight him, that’s not my business – that’s up to Joe DeGuardia and it’s up to the Mayweather camp.
How do you feel about putting Long Island back on the map? This is the most anyone has talked about boxing on Long Island in a very long time – since Buddy McGirt was champion.
CHRIS ALGIERI: Boxing on Long Island – there is history there. It’s been a while since Buddy McGirt and Gerry Cooney, but you know, we are in kind of a resurgence now. We are putting our show there constantly – Star Boxing shows at the Paramount have drawn big crowds over the years and there is a lot of up and coming talent there now. You see more and more gyms with competitive professional fighters. It’s really come up and it’s great. When I was a kid, I did martial arts because boxing wasn’t really available on Long Island. I think now kids are able to begin boxing earlier. So it’s great and whatever can promote the sport on a whole is a good thing. And if we can do it on Long Island, where I am from, it’s a beautiful thing.
Do you ever it back and think ‘Wow, I can’t believe I got to this point in my career this quickly?’
CHRIS ALGIERI: It’s zero to one hundred and that is just the nature of the game. I told my mother a joke the other day and she said ‘Chris, it’s just the way you said it would happen.’ It’s nothing then boom! it is a full on sprint. It’s the nature of the business and I’m not surprised by it. I’ve been watching this sports for years and I have seen it with other fighters. I knew my time would come I just had to stay focused and disciplined and if you work hard good things happen. I am right where I am supposed to be.
How does preparing for Pacquiao differ from preparing for Provodnikov?
CHRIS ALGIERI: Let me touch on Provodnikov’s style. He is a lot better than people think. Every fight he has lost has been a very close fight. He really brought it and he is a great champion. On top of being an exciting fighter the guy is good. And to tell you the truth the Ruslan I fought was the best Ruslan I have ever seen. They guy was cutting off the ring and his technique was very sharp and he was faster than usual. I made a mistake early and we all know how that went. I don’t want to downplay Ruslan’s power at all. He’s a fantastic fighter but in terms of his style and Manny’s they are completely different and the preparations for each are completely different but that is no different for me because I am always fighting guys with different styles. I have not been one of those champions that have been fed perfect guys to make me look great. I have had to fight every single style coming up on my way to get here I wasn’t fed anyone in any point of my career. I fought every style you could think of – righty, lefty, tall, short, power-puncher, fast guys, counter guys, so for me it is the norm – training for guys with different styles. Provodnikov has a totally different style than Manny Pacquiao and that’s what training camp is all about and that’s why I stay in shape year round, so I can work on strategy in camp instead of getting in shape.
Is your size an advantage?
CHRIS ALGIERI: It’s genetic. I’m tall for the weight class. I am built to go in and stand in front of the man and trade bombs – why would I do that? I’ve got length, I’ve got reach, I’ve got speed; I’ve got footwork and defense, but that’s not what’s going to be the difference in this fight. It’s not a tall guy versus a short guy – It’s Chris Algieri versus Manny Pacquiao. It’s what I bring to the table versus what he brings to the table. I think a lot of it has to do with my mental preparation and mind going into this fight as well as what we know from Manny. We know Manny is a living legend and a hall of famer for sure. He’s one of the greatest fighters that has ever lived. For me, I have to go out there and be myself. I have the talent and the tools to win this fight – I just have to go out there and perform.
How do you feel about the WBO wanting to take the belt away?
CHRIS ALGIERI: I am just focused on what’s in front of me. I really can’t worry about or complain about the WBO situation at this point. I am just focused on winning another WBO title on November 22nd. It’s one of those things that can’t matter to me. I’ve got other things to focus on and I’ve always been good at that. If it doesn’t make a difference right now, I can’t worry about it.
BOB ARUM: That decision from the WBO is now on hold. Paco [Valcarcel] will be over in Macau and you will be too. You can talk to him there. Obviously if Chris beats many all of this is moot, so a decision will be made after the fight. But you will have the opportunity to question Paco in Macau because I think he will be arriving on Tuesday or Wednesday of fight week.
How do you feel about Freddie trying to intimidate you with the comments he is making?
CHRIS ALGIERI: For one, he is wasting his time because I don’t even read those reports. So that’s the first thing. Secondly, I hear about them from other people around me and it doesn’t make a difference to me. It seems kind of odd for him to be coming out so much and saying so many different things and every day it’s a new thing. But like I said, I don’t read them and I don’t care about them and it doesn’t make a difference come fight night. I would imagine it is some kind of strategy, a kind of mental game or whatnot. Freddie’s been around a long time and maybe this has worked for him in the past but it’s not going to work on me.
Some would compare you to the San Francisco Giantsm with you both being the Wild Cards…
CHRIS ALGIERI: It’s not just this fight. It has been like that for many of my fights in my career, especially this year, and people seem to think I came out of nowhere. I was given an opportunity as a Wild Card and I ran with it and I think I’ve done that. So yes, I think that’s a fair association.
Do you think, since most of the fans will be Pacquiao backers, you will need a knockout to win?
CHRIS ALGIERI: No, I don’t think so. The judges are much closer to the action than the fans are. Fans sure can sway the way a fight looks. I am confident in the ability of the judges and if I do what I need to do and things go the way that we plan, we will come out with the victory regardless of the fan support.
BOB ARUM: Also, I wanted to say, you have to understand, if a fighter was fighting in America, and he was Mexican, would you say that the American judges would favor him because they come from the same continent? And the answer is ‘no.’ Manny Pacquiao is a Filipino and most of the people at the fight will be Chinese, whether they are from Hong Kong or mainland China. To think that someone would favor a Filipino over a US guy is to not understand the geo-political nature of different countries. The Chinese have as much affinity for a Filipino as they would an American, just as Americans would not necessarily favor a Mexican who is fighting over here. We can’t get into the narrow thinking that an Asian is an Asian. That’s silly – that just isn’t the case. Thai’s, Indonesians, Chinese, Filipinos – various groups and they are not always particularly friendly to each other.
Do you feel as though you are carrying the Argentinean torch?
CHRIS ALGIERI: It’s great to see part of my culture doing so well in the sport that I’m involved in, a sport that I have a passion for. I grew up hearing about a lot of Argentine fighters, the great Carlos Monzon and even the fighters on ESPN lime Omar Vaez; and now guys like Marcos Maidana and Sergio Martinez. More often you see Argentine fighters doing big things on a major stage. To be associated with those guys is really an honor and it’s great to see so many people from my culture do big things in the sport.
You drink the mate-tea made from the Argentinean yerba mate plant?
CHRIS ALGIERI: I drink mate every day during training camp, and just in general. It’s packed full of vitamins and nutrients and a lot of B vitamins that you would normally get from meat. The caffeine in there affects me less and it’s more like a stimulant. I can drink more of it and it’s hydrating as well. It’s one of my favorite drinks, especially on a cold morning. It gives me just enough of a pep after a workout. It helps also with fat loss and staying lean. It really is an overall incredible health drink and on top of it it’s part of the culture. It’s something my whole family and does and what we have always done. It’s warm and soothing for the belly and it helps you digest as well. I drink it all the way up until fight day. It’s a part of my routine.
CHRIS ALGIERI: I feel like I fight an aggressive style – smart / aggressive. I would have been more aggressive in the Ruslan fight if not because of my eye early in the fight. I had to protect that eye and be even smarter than I normally would. Don’t be confused with my style just from that one fight, because I know a lot of you have only seen that one fight. I am an aggressive style boxer and I will be in there to mix it up, but it’s going to be in a smart way.
How does you medical / nutritional background help you in training?
CHRIS ALGIERI: If I can think of anything, but nothing specific that I have learned, is the time management and discipline and stay focused. Mentally focused to be aware. Our training sessions are mentally packed. We work on very specific game plans and strategies. So I have been dealing with those types of complicated things and my scholastic background, so I think that helps me – my nutrition and my understanding of the human body, and the processes for recovery and proper dietary restrictions.
CHRIS ALGIERI: Stony Brook is a great school scholastically and I enjoyed my time there. It taught me a lot about life and about the future that I am living now. It is an honor to have graduated from there and to be recognized as an alumnus.
Coach Tony Walters?
CHRIS ALGIERI: Tony was one of the first international world-class athlete I had ever dealt with and I was lucky enough to have him as a coach and he taught me a lot about the mental aspects of training and competition. It was great to be around him – he was like a father figure to me especially in my athletic background. That is a person I will never forget and share in all of my victories since I left there until I am done.
What type of work did you do recently?
CHRIS ALGIERI: Well, I was a full time student either at Stony Brook or NYU getting my masters degree. After I graduated with my masters I was working as a nutritionist and a personal trainer. So I have always had other business or other things going on while training for a fight.
Were you training people prior to the Provodnikov fight?
CHRIS ALGIERI: I was training people on Tuesday of fight week.
Did they get in shape when you trained them?
CHRIS ALGIERI: Absolutely, I had some very fit people. I worked with a lot of athletes helping them, especially combat athletes, MMA fighters, Bermudez, Weidman, and guys on the lower levels – boxers and MMA fighters. Then also moms, middle aged mothers that want to get back in shape after pregnancy or just being home and not training. I had a very varied client list.
You’ve never been in a big fight such as this, so do you think you are doing the right things to be mentally prepared? Guys have always said they know they are ready then they get in the ring and they realize they are not ready. Why do you think you will be different?
CHRIS ALGIERI: I guess you won’t know until November 22nd. But that being said, there are tell tales on the way up. At press conferences, and everything leading up to this fight has been kind of like a dress rehearsal for the big show. All the attention and being under a microscope for the past five months I think has prepared me well. But like you said, I guess we won’t know until that night.
Do you try to entertain as you box?
CHRIS ALGIERI: I box but I have never heard anyone say that I was a boring fighter or that they didn’t really like watching my style. I use a lot of the sweet science as they say but that sort of stuff is exciting to watch. I throw a lot of punches. I am an active fighter. All of my fights have been exciting, even the lopsided ones. I am not concerned about taking a conscious approach to making my style more exciting. I think I go out there and fight in the manner that works best for me getting a win and it just so happens that it’s good to watch.
Would you compare your style to Floyd Mayweather?
CHRIS ALGIERI: I throw a lot more punches than Floyd. He’s very efficient with his punches and when he throws he lands a very high percentage but he’s not exceptionally busy every round. I think I bring a lot of energy and combinations and punches every single round. Even when I’m not throwing I am moving my upper body, I’m moving my feet, I’m moving my head, I am changing levels – all those things are important and they count and they are a part of boxing. It’s kind of a lost art because it is difficult to teach and unless you are an educated fan or a trainer or a fighter you don’t even see those kinds of things. Bringing some of the finer elements of the sport to the ring.
CHRIS ALGIERI: Bernard Hopkins’ style is the way…everything he does is for a reason – little head feints, little hand movements, little shoulder rolls and gestures are all finer points of the sweet science. Before contemporary times everyone did that kind of stuff. I have seen videos of Sugar Ray Robinson and Willie Pep who did a million other things than just punch, to set up a perfect shot or to offset their opponents’ rhythm. Boxing is incredibly complicated. It’s not Rock’em Sock’em Robots.
When you had the competition with Manny on the press tour, what did you play?
CHRIS ALGIERI: We played pool, we bowled then we had batting practice then we went to ESPN Deportes they had a basketball shooting game Pop-a-Shot.
Did you win all the games?
CHRIS ALGIERI: I did, yes.
In Closing…
BOB ARUM: I just want to say that this has been a fantastic conference call. The promotion is really interesting. You have promotions where guys just trash-talk each other and that to me is boring. This has been a very intelligent kind of promotion with both fighters. I think everybody should watch on Saturday night, HBO’s “Under The Lights” because the different styles of the fighters are discussed extraordinarily intelligently by Max Kellerman, Tim Bradley and Virgil Hunter. It’s a program that I recommend that everybody watch because a lot of questions that you have just might be answered by watching that program.
BOB ARUM: I want to say something else…this promotion and this event has been like a real-life Rocky story. Now we know that Rocky came from the streets of Philadelphia and was uneducated, and we have a Rocky here that is highly educated and very articulate, but this is truly a Rocky story nevertheless. If I had scripted this and sent the script in to HBO, it would have been rejected because of being unrealistic. But here we are; it’s real, it’s real life, and Chris Algieri is the modern day Rocky. And this should be a tremendous event and fight on November 22nd and I want to thank everybody for participating in this conference call.
CHRIS ALGIERI: Thanks for all of the kind words. This has been a tremendous promotion and I have enjoyed every moment of it. I hope I was able to answer your questions today, and I will see you all on the other side of the world when it’s fight week. Team Algieri is very excited and very much looking forward to this fight. We are done with the hard work and we are ready to rock.
* * Chris will be sparring on Wednesday then heading to the LAX to depart for Macau.
Promoted by Top Rank® and Sands China Ltd., in association with MP Promotions, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, Banner Promotions and Tecate, the Pacquiao-Algieri world welterweight championship event will take place Saturday, November 22, at The Venetian® Macao’s Cotai Arena, and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.
An all-new special “Under the Lights: Pacquiao-Algieri” debuts This Saturday! November 15 at 11:45 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO.
Replays of “24/7 Pacquiao/Algieri,” will air on HBO during the following days and times: November 13 (2:30 p.m.), 18 (8:45 a.m.), 19 (6:00 p.m.), 21 (1:00 p.m. & 3:00 a.m.), and 22 (9:45 a.m.). It is also available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing.
HBO2 playdates for 24/7: 19 (8:00 p.m.) and 21 (4:15 p.m. & 11:30 p.m.).
HBO Signature playdates for 24/7: November 22 (5:30 p.m.).
All times are ET/PT.
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 #PacAlgieri to join the conversation on Twitter.
Las Vegas, Nev. – History will be made when Swedish superstar and No. 1 ranked light heavyweight contender Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson meets No. 3 ranked knockout artist Anthony “Rumble” Johnson on Saturday, Jan. 24 in Stockholm, Sweden to determine the next UFC® light heavyweight title challenger.
The bout will take place in front of more than 30,000 fans at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, marking just the second major stadium event in UFC history and the first in Europe. The previous stadium event was the record-breaking UFC® 129 held at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, as more than 55,000 fans watched Georges St-Pierre defeat Jake Shields.
Gustafsson narrowly lost his title bid to reigning champion Jon “Bones” Jones in the greatest light heavyweight title fight of all time in Sept. 2013. Now, the rejuvenated 27-year-old will look to draw off the support of a massive hometown crowd when he meets Johnson, a winner of eight straight, including a devastating knockout win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in his last bout.
“This is going to be an epic event,” Gustafsson, who defeated Jimi Manuwa in his last bout in March, said. “I want more than 30,000 fans to come and witness me win on January 24. Then I’m going to go and get the title! My journey back to the top starts now. ”
“This fight might be on his home turf, but I’m ready to go over to Sweden and prove that I’m the next in the line for the UFC light heavyweight title,” Johnson said. “I’m not intimidated by fighting in front of Alex’s hometown fans. I’m going to go in there and look for the knockout like I do in all of my fights. I can’t wait for this!”
Tickets for the historic UFC FIGHT NIGHT™: GUSTAFSSON vs. JOHNSON event will be available to the general public on Friday, Nov. 28 via AXS.com/UFC. Guarantee your seat by booking an Official UFC VIP Experience starting this Friday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. GMT via UFC VIP or Tailor Events.
VIP Experience packages includes the opportunity to step inside the Octagon™ and raise the UFC championship belt, coveted floor seats, hospitality and an official event poster signed by the fighters.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 10 a.m. GMT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Nov. 27 starting at 10 a.m. GMT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
The event will be broadcast live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, with Prelims starting at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on FOX Sports 1.
All bouts are subject to final approval from the Swedish MMA Federation. All bouts live and subject to change.
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, Beijing, 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 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.The UFC has a variety of multi-year broadcast agreements with some of the biggest networks throughout Europe, including BT Sport, TV12, C More, Abu Dhabi Media, Setanta and Kombet Sport.
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.