BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, U.S.A. – Undefeated featherweight professional boxer Gervonta “Tank” Davis (Baltimore, MD/pro record: 8-0, 8 KOs) returns to the ring on Wednesday, October 8, 2014, at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, in Biloxi, Mississippi. Davis will face German “Panteonero” Meraz (47-31-1, 25 KOs) in a six round bout. Davis’ fight will be televised on ESPN 2, and is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing & Promotions, LLC. In the main event, Arkansas’ Jermain Taylor will challenge Australia’s Sam Soliman for the IBF Middleweight Title.

On Friday night, September 26, 2014, Davis held a pre-fight public workout titled, “Bullying Stops Here,” at Mondawmin Mall center court in Baltimore, Maryland. The exhibition included mitt work, heavy bag drills, jump rope, and various other training exercises. Following the workout, Davis spoke to the crowd about bullying, signed autographs and took pictures with his supporters. Davis said, “The public workout at Mondawmin Mall was great. Thank you to everyone who showed up to support me. Bullying is a very important topic in our country right now, and I wanted to make sure everyone is aware of how people can be hurt by it. At the workout, a few boxers from my gym shared some stories we’ve had with bullying. Hopefully, we helped someone in the crowd who was watching. Bullying definitely stops here!”
Davis spoke about his upcoming televised fight. He said, “I’ve always dreamed about making my television debut, and now it will happen on October 8. Thank you Al Haymon, Team Davis, and ESPN2, for helping make my dream come true. I’ve been putting in solid work in the gym and I will be ready for my fight. This will be my first time fighting in Mississippi, so I’m looking forward to putting on a show for the crowd. I can’t wait to represent for my city of Baltimore. Thank you to my fans that keep supporting me. I’ll keep fighting for you.”
The nineteen-year old boxer explained what makes him special in the sport of boxing. He said, “I am still learning the sport of boxing, but I study this sport, and I’ve been boxing since I was a young kid. I’m fast in that ring, and I’ve fought against boxers with lots of different styles when I was in the amateurs. I’ve sparred many great pros as well. I consider myself an intelligent fighter, always listening to my corner and my coach Calvin Ford. The great boxers stay focused on what they are supposed to do, and they can adjust to any fight situation. I understand that fans need to be entertained, and I’m definitely that guy that can bring excitement to the sport of boxing. All I can say is tune in to ESPN2 on Wednesday, October 8, and watch me!”
Gervonta’s longtime boxing trainer, Calvin Ford (Upton Boxing Center/Baltimore, MD) said, “It was great to see such public support for our team at our mall workout. Thank you Mondawmin Mall, Kenny and Mia Ellis, Alijiah Williams, Daniel Coleman, Darrell Chase, Shoe City, Rich Brand Apparel, Nike Boxing, and RK Jewelers for helping make our event really special. The public workout allowed our city to get a glimpse of what ‘Tank’ can do, and how he can entertain a crowd. Gervonta was talking to the kids about doing well in school, spoke about bullying, and he really brought a positive showmanship to the event.”
Ford talked about Davis’ preparation for his upcoming bout. “We have had a great camp for this fight. Thank you to Club One Fitness and Upton Boxing Center for helping provide the quality sparring for our camp. We are facing a crafty veteran opponent in Meraz, but we’ll be prepared for whatever he brings to the table. ‘Tank’ has worked hard his whole life to get this TV opportunity, and it’s no secret that he has the talent to eventually get to the top of his division. We are looking forward to getting back in the ring to show what we’ve been working on for this fight. I can’t wait for the world to see his talent on ESPN2.”
Tickets for Gervonta Davis’ ESPN2 fight in Mississippi are priced at $89.95, $69.95, $49.95 and $29.95, plus tax and service charges, and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office by phone (888) 566 7469 or through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 4:45pm CT and the first bout is scheduled for 5:30pm CT.

Follow Gervonta Davis on Instagram: @GervontaDavis or http://instagram.com/gervontadavis
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NEW YORK (Oct. 2, 2014) – Undefeated WBO Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki “El Mexicanito” Kameda will make the third defense of his title against interim titlist and mandatory challenger Alejandro Hernandez on Saturday, Nov. 1, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT) in the co-feature of a SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition.

In the main event of the tripleheader, popular light heavyweight contender Andrzej “Chicago’s Polish Prince” Fonfara will return to his adopted hometown against experienced veteran Doudou Ngumbu in a 10-round light heavyweight showdown from UIC Pavilion at University of Illinois-Chicago.

In the opening bout of the telecast, undefeated super featherweight contender and former Interim WBA Featherweight World Champion Javier Fortuna will take on twice-beaten Puerto Rican Abner Cotto in a 10-round super featherweight bout. The event, titled “The Homecoming,” is promoted by Warriors Boxing.

Chicago’s Fonfara, 26, a native of Warsaw, Poland, had won 13 in a row before a hard-fought loss to WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Adonis Stevenson this past May in a thrilling battle on SHOWTIME. A heavy underdog, Fonfara floored the champion in his hometown of Montreal in the ninth round in a showdown that was closer than most experts anticipated.

Fonfara (25-3, 15 KOs) is now 15-1 with one no-contest since July 2008. The WBC No. 6 contender at 175 pounds, Fonfara has defeated three former world title holders -Byron Mitchell (TKO 3), Glen Johnson (a clear 10-round decision in perhaps a career-best victory) and Gabriel Campillo (TKO 9) -in his last six starts.

Fonfara, who campaigned for much of his career at 168 pounds and below, has only lost once at light heavyweight, and that loss was to Stevenson, widely considered as the top fighter in the world at 175 pounds. The 6-foot-2 Fonfara, who turns 27 three days after the showdown with Ngumbu, will return to Chicago for his eighth fight in his last nine starts.

A boxer with superb stamina and surprising power, Fonfara’s iron chin allows him to outlast his opponents and come on in the later rounds of his fights.

The 32-year old Ngumbu, of Toulouse, France by way of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will make his U.S. and North American debut. Originally a soccer player, Ngumbu found boxing at age 18 and turned professional at 25. The former African champion (33-5, 12 KOs) is vastly experienced, having fought 247 rounds to Fonfara’s 129.

The 5-foot-11 Ngumbu is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision over Johnny Muller in June in Monte Carlo, Monaco, and has gone the 12-round distance six times since 2009.

Ngumbu holds a 2013 win over former world title challenger Vyacheslav Uzelkov, who lost in 2010 to then-WBA Light Heavyweight Champ Beibut Shumenov. Ngumbu also has a 12-round unanimous decision win over Aleksy Kuziemski, who challenged Nathan Cleverly for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title in 2011.

Ngumbu’s long arms and fast hands allow him to come forward with an unorthodox but aggressive attack from unpredictable angles. His tendency to keep his hands at his sides makes all of his fights exciting affairs.

Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs), of Tokyo, Japan, is coming off a brutal 7th round knockout victory of former WBO Bantamweight Champ Pungluang Singyu in his U.S. debut on July 12.

The victory over Singyu was the biggest win of the 23-year-old’s career. Singyu had formerly held the same championship belt until losing it to Paulus Ambunda in March 2013. Ambunda lost his belt to Kameda in his first and only defense of the title last August via unanimous decision.

Kameda and his two brothers, Koki and Daiki are among the most famous fighters in the history of Japanese boxing, and all three recently held world titles at the same time. While Tomoki held the WBO Bantamweight Championship, Koki was the WBA Bantamweight Champion until he voluntarily relinquished the title in December in order to move down to flyweight, and Daiki was the IBF Junior Bantamweight Champion until he lost by decision last December.

Kameda moved to Mexico when he was 15 years old to learn an aggressive fighting style and quickly earned the Spanish nickname “El Mexicanito” (The Little Mexican). A true boxer-puncher with extremely fast hands, Kameda continues to train in Mexico, but has since moved back to Japan where his family enjoys celebrity status.

Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs), of Mexico City, won the vacant Interim WBO Bantamweight World Championship with a unanimous decision over countryman Daniel Rosas on June 14.

The 28-year-old Hernandez has won three fights in a row at bantamweight and is a former world title challenger at 115 and 112 pounds. Hernandez fought to a draw for the vacant WBO Super Flyweight Championship to then-undefeated Marvin Sonsona in 2009 and lost a unanimous decision to then-WBO Flyweight Champion and current WBO Super Flyweight kingpin Omar Andres Narvaez in 2008.

A fearless “do or die” slugger from the classic Mexican warrior mold, Hernandez comes forward relentlessly behind powerful combinations to the head and body.

Fortuna (25-0-1, 18 KOs), of Dominican Republic, is a former Interim WBA Featherweight World Champion – he won the vacant belt against previously undefeated Patrick Hyland in 2012. The southpaw was set to defend his crown in April of 2013 against Miguel Zamudio but lost the title on the scales after failing to make weight. He knocked Zamudio down twice en route to a devastating first round knockout and then gradually settled into the 130-pound division.

Fortuna, 25, is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Antonio Rodriguez on May 31 in Las Vegas and is just one fight removed from a knockout of former world title challenger Francisco Lorenzo.

Fortuna, who is known for his explosive speed and highlight reel knockouts, only has one blemish on his record – a controversial draw against Luis Franco in August of 2013.

Cotto (18-2, 8 KOs), a relative of future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto, was a top amateur in Puerto Rico – he won a silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games and compiled a record of 235-20 before turning pro.

The 27-year-old Cotto is coming off a split-decision victory of Jerry Belmontes in August and his only two losses have come against top competition. He lost to undefeated WBC 135-pound champ Omar Figueroa in a non-title bout in 2013 and to top 130-pound contender Francisco Vargas this past March.

Additional bouts and the undercard will be announced shortly.

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 a.m. – 4 p.m. CT). They can also be purchased the night of the event. On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:00 pm. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com.

VALLEY FORGE, PA (October 2, 2014)–This Saturday night at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, undefeated Jr. Welterweight Naim “The Dream” Nelson (12-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will take on Ryan Belasco (18-6-3, 3 KO’s) of Wilmington, DE in an 8-round bout for the UBF All America’s title that will serve as the co-feature bout to a championship night of boxing promoted by King;s Promotions and Peltz Boxing.

In the main event, Frank De Alba will take on Jesse Carridine in a 8-round Jr. Lightweight bout.

“Training has been great. I have had no injuries and I am in terrific shape. I have trained harder for this fight than any other fight,”said Nelson.

Nelson knows that Belasco is a worthy opponent but he is prepared for the task at hand.

“Ryan brings a lot of experience. He has more than twice the amount of fights. He was already a pro when I started my amateur career. He has decent skills as he can box and bang. It should be a great test.”

With each passing win, Nelson knows that every fighter is gunning a little harder trying to put that first loss on him.

“It comes with the territory. When you start getting to double-digit wins, you can feel guys wanting to take that zero from you. Guys get up for you. They train harder then they do for other fights which is great that we can bring the best out of each other.”

Nelson is looking forward to adding another belt to his trophy case that already has the Pennsylvania Lightweight title in it.

“The UBF title adds to this fight. I have that Lightweight state title. I plan on staying at 140 lbs. unless I can find a big fight at Lightweight. I am just happy to be able to fight for a 2nd title where there are so many fighters that don’t even compete for any. These are the types of things that will help me reach my ultimate goal and that is to fight for a world title.”

Nelson finished, “I think this will be a tremendous fight. It has been a year in the making and I know we will both lay it all on the line. I think this fight will rival my (2012 war) with Victor Vasquez.

Naim “the Dream” Nelson is known as one of the hardest workers in the area. He consistently takes on tough opposition and continues to win. He has only one KO on his perfect 12-0 ledger but he’s extremely strong and physical in the ring. His opponents can attest to that.

With team of trainer Rory Bussey, Strength coach James “Fink ” Edwards and new
adviser Stephen Edwards. Edwards is trainer/adviser to red hot Jr. Middleweight contender Julian “Jrock Williams and up and coming prospect Kyrone “Shut It Down” Davis. Nelson believes he has big things coming. If Nelson is successful in this fight he is looking to take on bigger names in the lightweight and junior welterweight divisions.

In the 8-round main event,Frank De Alba (13-1-2, 5 KO’s) of Reading, PA will take on Jesse Carradine (8-3-2, 4 KO’s) of Las Vegas in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

Shawn Sutton (0-2-1) of Norristown, PA will fight Anthony Prescott (3-3-2, 1 KO) of Cherry Hill, NJ in a 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Christian Molina (2-0, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA battles Josue Rivera (2-5, 2 KO’s) in a 4-round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Travis Thompson (5-11-3, 3 KO’s) of Pottstown, PA will box Benjamin Burgos (1-8-1) of Mount Pocono, PA in a 4-round Lightweight bout

Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at $125, $75 and $45 and can be purchased by calling Kings Boxing at 610 587-5950 or Peltz Boxing at 215 765 0922

Monaco/Johannesburg, October 2 – Canadian-based light-heavyweights are on a roll and the next one to come off the production line is threatening to do so in explosive style at Monte Carlo’s “Title Tornado” event on October 25.
Eleider Alvarez, who was born in Colombia, has been based in Montreal since his professional debut in 2009. He challenges South Africa’s Ryno Liebenberg for the WBC Silver belt in a rare battle of unbeaten fighters.

“Storm” Alvarez is promoted by Yvon Michel’s GYM group, who last weekend celebrated Artur Beterbiev’s sensational knockout performance against Tavoris Cloud. WBC champion Adonis Stevenson and former champion Jean Pascal also rank among the Colombian’s teammates.
Alvarez may be the least-known of this impressive group, but he plans his coming out party against the rugged Liebenberg.
The pair has exchanged robust banter on Twitter, but the time for talking stops when they put their perfect records on the line later this month. Alvarez is unbeaten in 15 fights (eight stoppages) with Liebenberg similarly placed – 16-0 (11 KOs).
Alvarez has seen tapes of his opponent and rates him as an aggressive fighter.
“I think [his style] will make for a very good fight,” he said through a Spanish interpreter. “I’m a classic boxer with good speed and good technique.”
It is a style honed in a long and successful amateur career (200+ bouts) that saw him win gold at the South American Games in 2006 and at the Pan American Games in Brazil a year later. After knocking out Cuban Yusiel Napoles in the final, he was approached by Michel’s scouts, who signed him to a pro contract in Canada.
“My transition from Colombia to Canada went well,” he said. “I have a great team that surrounds me, but the toughest part is that I’m far away from my wife and daughter.”
Alvarez captured his first title belt in just his seventh pro fight, knocking out respected Emiliano Cayetano in the first round to capture the vacant WBO NABO light-heavyweight championship three years ago.
In going on to defeat a number of fringe contenders, among them Shawn Hawk, fellow Colombian Edison Miranda and Alexander Johnson, he has cemented his position in the various world bodies: #12 in the WBC, #2 in the WBA and #3 in the WBO.
“All my life was built up in a tough way and I don’t know any other way,” he said of being matched hard in the past 18 months, his past four opponents having a combined record of 79-12.
Having grown up admiring Antonio Cervantes, the former two-time world junior-welterweight champion and Hall of Famer, Alvarez’s ambition is to emulate his countryman.
“I will show the world I’m ready for business,” he said of his impending assignment.
As for his regular Twitter exchanges with Liebenberg, Alvarez is nonplussed: “It’s just fun. At the end of the day when the bell rings the real business will take place.”
Alvarez spars two to three times a week and although he wouldn’t reveal who he mixes it with, it is probably safe to assume that the aforementioned stablemates help him out.
“We use specific sparring partners with the style of Liebenberg . . . I will keep the name a secret.”
Promoter Rodney Berman accepts that he is taking a calculated risk matching his fighter with someone as dangerous as Alvarez.
“They are similar age and both need to step up. At this level there’s no hiding and to Ryno’s credit, he says ‘bring them all on’. I’m very pleased that Alvarez took the fight. I expect the bookmakers will make him a favourite based on his excellent skills, but Liebenberg will bring it hard. Given recent action in the division, I’m predicting another explosive fight.”
The “Title Tornado” card also includes WBA/IBO strawweight champion Hekkie Budler’s title defence against Xiong Zhao Zhong of China, the WBC Silver middleweight title fight between Martin Murray and Domenico Spada and the IBF bantamweight title bout between Stuart Hall of the UK and Randy Caballero of the US.

Known as one of the most exclusive vacation destinations in the world and situated on the Mediterranean Sea in South West Europe, Monaco attracts millions of visitors each year. The Casino de Monte-Carlo, owned and operated by the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, is the premiere casino destination in Europe. The Casino de Monte-Carlo continues to attract some of the wealthiest and most well-known celebrities and aristocrats throughout the world.

Deerfield Beach, FL (October 1, 2014) World ranked lightweight MONTY MEZA CLAY has signed an exclusive promotional contract with Boxing legend MIKE TYSON and IRON MIKE PRODUCTIONS it was announced today.

“We’re thrilled to bring Monty aboard to our team. His fight against Allan Herrera in August was one of the most valiant performances I’ve seen in many years,” said Tyson. “He’s exactly the type of all-action warrior that we love to promote.”

Stated Clay, “I’m honored to join Mike and the team at Iron Mike Productions. I can’t wait to get back into the ring in Pittsburgh on November 14th.”

The highly popular Western Pennsylvania native Clay improved to
36-3-0 (2KO’s) stopping tough Mexican veteran Allan Herrera in the tenth round of their “Fight of the Year” candidate on August 8th in front of a huge crowd at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh and a nationally televised audience.

Said Chris Middendorf, Vice President of Iron Mike Productions, “For many years Monty has been one of the toughest fighters in the lightweight division. We want to provide fans with the best action possible in the ring and our signing of Monty truly exemplifies that.”

Currently ranked #15 by the World Boxing Council, Clay will return to battle at “The Pride of Pittsburgh II” set for Friday, November 14th at CONSOL Energy Center in the ten round co-main event against “Lightning” Rod Salka.

Advance tickets starting at $42 are now 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.

For additional information on Iron Mike Productions visit www.IronMikeProductions, follow on Twitter at @IronMikeProd and on Facebook at IronMikeProductionsOfficial.

Funeral services for Dan Goossen will be held on Tuesday, October 7, beginning at
6 p.m. PT, at St. Francis DeSales (13360 Valleyheart Dr., Sherman Oaks, Calif. 91423.) http://www.sfdsparish.com/contact-us/

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Dan’s memory to the charity he established to honor his late brother — The Greg Goossen ’64 Scholarship Fund at Notre Dame High School.

Checks can be made payable to NDHS Goossen Fund and mailed to NDHS, 13645 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Contributions also can be made online by visiting www.ndhs.org. All gifts are tax deductible.

The Goossen Family will be notified of all contributions.

Thank you.

NEW YORK CITY (October 1, 2014) IBF Middleweight World Champion “KING” SAM SOLIMAN is wrapping up his training in New York City this week in preparation for his title defense against former undisputed middleweight champion JERMAIN “Bad Intentions” TAYLOR set for Wednesday, October 8th from the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi and telecast LIVE on ESPN2, (9 p.m. ET).

“I’ve trained in New York City numerous times, I love it here, there’s an electricity and energy that can’t be matched” said the Australian native. “The fans and boxing community have always been very welcoming to me.”

“I’ve got one more sparring session today and then we’re leaving for Biloxi on Friday for the fight.”

In camp over the last ten days in New York City with Soliman have been two undefeated prospects.

“I like utilizing undefeated prospects for sparring, they’ve always brought out the best in me.”

“Along with two here I had three undefeated fighters working with me in Australia which brought the total records of the five fighters to 63-0-0 (42KO’s)” said Soliman. “I like sparring with prospects that have the will and desire that only an undefeated fighter can have.”

In regards to his title defense against Taylor, 32-4-0 (20KO’s), Soliman stated, “I’m preparing for the best Jermain Taylor. I would never underestimate anyone and I believe he is still a world class fighter.”

Soliman, 44-11-0 (18KO’s) will break camp in New York City on Friday and head to Biloxi, Mississippi for the challenge from Taylor. “No problem at all for me at 160, I can’t remember being above 170 in the last 15 years.”

At the age of 40, Soliman won his first world title by defeating Felix Sturm on May 31, 2014, in the champions’ homeland of Germany.

SOLIMAN VS. TAYLOR is presented by Dibella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, in association with Soliman Stanley Promotions.

Tickets priced at $89.95, $69.95, $49.95 and $29.95, plus tax and service charges, are available at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, or through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 4:45pm, with the first bout scheduled for 5:30pm.

New York, NY / Santa Monica, CA (10/1/14) – When Lou DiBella signed Sergey Derevyanchenko with Fight Promotions Inc., the outspoken promoter confidently stated, “Sergey is one of the most decorated amateurs in the world and absolutely one of the best middleweight prospects in all of boxing. We feel that in one year’s time, he will be ready to fight on the highest levels in boxing.”

Derevyanchenko, who was 23-1 in the World Series of Boxing, made his official pro debut this summer and looked every bit as advertised, destroying Cromwell Gordon, making Gordon quit after the second stanza of their scheduled six rounder. A former 2008 Olympian for his native Ukraine, Derevyanchenko compiled an outstanding 390-20 record as an amateur, winning a number of National titles as well as the 2007 bronze medal at the World Championships.

Derevyanchenko’s rise up the rankings is expected to be meteoric, and the next stop along his path to stardom will take place tonight in California. Derevyanchenko is set to take on battle-tested Laatekwei Hammond (21-7, 14KO’s) in a six-round middleweight special attraction on Michael King’s King Sports-promoted world card at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Headlining the card is the IBF middleweight title elimination bout between Curtis Stevens and former world champion Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, televised by ESPN.

“I am excited to have this opportunity to fight on a card like this and to showcase my skills to everyone that will be in attendance. I have trained for over two months for this fight and am ready to give the fans a very exciting fight. I plan on quickly moving up the ranks of the middleweight division and challenging for a world title in the not so distant future. I am confident that my promoters DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc. will provide me with that opportunity, and my trainers Andre Rozier and Gary Stark will have me ready when the time comes,” said Derevyanchenko.

“Sergey Derevyanchenko is a future superstar,” said Lou DiBella. “He will prove it tonight in fighting the tough and experienced 21-7 Laatekwei Hammond in only his second professional fight. In a very short time, all boxing fans will know who Sergey Derevyanchenko is.”

ORANGE, Calif. (Oct. 1, 2014) – Veteran tactician Christopher “Marvelous” Martin (28-3-3, 9 KOs) of San Diego returns to the ring tonight against the highly touted Miguel Marriaga (18-0, 16 KOs) of Colombia in an 8-round featherweight bout from the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Calif., televised on ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes (9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT).

Martin weighed in at 125.8, while Marriaga tipped the scales at 125.6.

Weigh in video courtesy of BoxeodeColombia.com.

Martin-Marriaga is on the undercard of what is expected to be an action-packed main event battle between Curtis Stevens (27-4, 20 KOs) of Brownsville, N.Y. and
Hassan N’Dam (30-1, 18 KOs) of France in an IBF middleweight eliminator. The winner faces world champion Sam Soliman (44-11, 18 KOs) of Australia in early 2015.

The event is promoted by King Sports. The Marriaga vs. Martin fight is promoted in association with Thompson Boxing Promotions.

New York, NY (10/1/14) – On Wednesday, October 15, DiBella Entertainment (DBE) will return to NYC’s famed B.B. King Blues Club & Grill for the latest edition of its Broadway Boxing series, hosting a special event in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, in which Everlast will be donating pink and black boxing gloves to show their support.

Once dubbed “a female Arturo Gatti” by promoter Lou DiBella, the always-exciting Heather “The Heat” Hardy (10-0, 2KO’s) will headline a seven-bout card, facing off against Crystal Hoy, of Las Vegas, in a 10-round junior featherweight contest. Last time out, Hardy engaged a very game Jackie Trivilino in a seven-round war held at the Barclays Center, in front of hometown fans in Brooklyn, on June 14. The fight was stopped after the seventh round due to a cut that Hardy suffered over her right eye from an accidental head butt. Going to the scorecards, Hardy won a technical decision. In November of 2013, Hardy picked up her first title belt when she knocked out Ana Gomez in two rounds for the UBF International super bantamweight championship. Now, she will attempt to seize the vacant WBC International junior featherweight title against Hoy, in what will be her first bout scheduled for 10 rounds.

“It is an honor to be fighting for a WBC title,” said Hardy. “It’s what every boxer dreams of when they are starting out. I know that Crystal Hoy will be tough and that she has been around for a long time. I’ve been working hard, putting in extra long hours at the gym. With regard to breast cancer awareness, I’m happy to do what I can, as this really hits home for me and my family.”

New York Golden Gloves champion Travis Peterkin (12-0, 5KO’s) competes in an eight-round light heavyweight matchup. Brooklyn’s Peterkin has already picked up two wins thus far in 2014. In his last fight on August 13, on Broadway Boxing, Peterkin displayed a piston-like jab, as he broke down Lamont Williams over six rounds to earn a unanimous decision.

Co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions, Inc., the 25-year-old Ukrainian Ivan Golub, now living and training in Brooklyn, NY, had amassed an astonishing record of 270-32 during his amateur career. He became a five-time Ukrainian National champion, won bronze medals at the Junior World Championships in 2006 and at the World Championships in 2009. He also participated in the World Series of Boxing, winning all five of his bouts. Now 1-0 as a pro, the former amateur standout made his professional debut on June 27, at the Ameristar Casino, in Saint Charles, MO, earning a four-round unanimous decision over Javon Wright. Poised to take the professional ranks by storm, Golub will face Kirk Huff (3-1, 1KO), of Arnold, MO, in a four-round middleweight contest.

The 20-year-old English/Irish Steed “The Stallion” Woodall (4-0, 3KO’s), born in Birmingham, England, and now living and training in Palm Beach, FL, will make his first professional appearance in the Big Apple when he meets Danville, Virginia’s Travis McLaren, in a six-round junior middleweight bout. Turning pro this past March, Woodall has stayed active, winning four fights thus far, with three by knockout, including two in the very first round. As an amateur, Woodall was a five-time English National champion and a two-time British champion, having accrued a 41-5 record along the way. Now the fast-fisted and heavy-handed Woodall believes that his aggressive style is better suited for the pro ranks.

The highly touted Dominican southpaw junior welterweight Wellington Romero (4-0, 3KO’s), of Newburgh, NY, will participate on the undercard in a four-round bout. Romero is a former 2012 Olympian who has extremely fast hands and excellent technical ability. Compiling a 213-17 amateur record, Romero battled the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko, Felix Verdejo and Jose Pedraza, and he has two great wins over Jose Ramirez. Since turning professional in October 2013, he has begun to adapt to the pro game, placing more power behind his punches. In his last bout on June 21, the 5’9″ 23-year-old Romero took on a fighter who had never been stopped in Mack Babb and dropped him twice with body shots en route to winning by TKO in the second round.

Freeport, New York’s junior middleweight prospect Patrick Day (8-0-1, 5KO’s), the former #1 amateur in the US and a National champion, will see action in a four-round contest against Tavorus Teague (2-1-1, 1KO), of La Habra, CA. All five of his knockouts have come in two rounds or less. On July 23, at BB King Blues Club & Grill, Day looked incredibly polished as he impressively blasted out Brad Jackson in the second round of a short-but-electrifying affair.

Also performing on the card in a six-round super middleweight bout will be the undefeated Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen (17-0-1, 10KO’s), returning to the ring following a 13-month layoff. He was scheduled to square off against Hungarian Norbert Nemesapati on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” this past August, but had to pull out after suffering a rib injury during training. His last fight took place on August 14, 2013, at BB King Blues Club & Grill, when he outpointed Michael Gbenga over six frames.

Opponents for Peterkin, Romero and Allen will be announced shortly.

The event on October 15 is sponsored by Manfredi Auto Group and Everlast. Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $125, $100, $75 and $55. Tables are also available for purchase for this event, with VIP tables going for $1,000 per table (5 seats at $200 per seat), Ringside tables for $500 (5 seats at $100), and $375 tables (5 seats at $75). Tickets are available for purchase by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout scheduled for 7:00pm.

ESPN2 will televise live the 12-round IBF World Middleweight Championship fight between titleholder Sam “King” Soliman (44-11, 18 KOs) and former Middleweight titlist Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (32-4-1, 20 KOs) in an ESPN Boxing Special presented by Corona Extra on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 9 p.m. ET. The winner of the championship bout will face the winner of tonight’s Hassan N’Dam vs. Curtis Stevens IBF Middleweight eliminator fight in an ESPN Boxing Special at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN.

“With the excitement over the rise of Gennady Golovkin, the anticipation over Miguel Cotto’s next move, and Peter Quillin’s power play in vacating the WBO belt, the Middleweight division is white hot right now from an interest- level standpoint,” said Brian Kweder, ESPN senior director, programming and acquisitions. “Equally as interesting has been the return of Jermain Taylor to the division so we are excited to provide fans with two consecutive ESPN Boxing Specials to finish painting the Middleweight picture.”

The October 8, show, from the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss., will also be televised live on ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra. Both shows will be also available via WatchESPN. The card promoted by Warriors Boxing.

Commentators:
Todd Grisham and analyst Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN2, while Pablo Viruega and analyst Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes. Claudia Trejos and Leopoldo González will anchor the ESPN Deportes studio. Bi-lingual reporter Bernardo Osuna will present live reports and interviews for both ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Main Event:
Australia’s Soliman won the IBF Middleweight title in his last fight by defeating then-titleholder Felix Sturm. Soliman, a former kickboxing world champion, was also a participant in the 2007 season of The Contender reality television show.

“Jermain Taylor — he’s been there, done that. He’s been a world champion himself,” Soliman said. “I’m excited about the fact that I’m fighting a guy who has won all the belts – I’m keen on doing that! He’s done what I’m looking forward to doing myself. It’s a rich scalp for me.”

Taylor of Arkansas — a former undisputed WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF and The Ring Middleweight world champion — is coming off a seventh-round TKO win over J.C. Candelo. Taylor has fought top-level opposition throughout his career including, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch, Kelly Pavlik, Cory Spinks, and Bernard Hopkins.

“Things have come full circle for me — I have another shot to become a world champion, and I’m not going to let this opportunity pass by without being victorious,” Taylor said. “I’ve made a bunch of mistakes in boxing, losing to fighters I shouldn’t have lost to because of a lack of training, but I’m ready to clear all that up. With hard work and dedication, I’ll be 110 percent ready. I think Sam Soliman is a great fighter. He’s had a great career and he comes to fight, but I have to go in there and beat the hell out of him.”

Co-Feature:
The 10-round co-feature will pit Super Middleweights “The Matrix” Andre Dirrell (22-1, 15 KOs) from Flint, Mich., fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla., against New York’s Nick “The Machine Gun” Brinson (16-2-2, 6 KOs). Dirrell, a former Super Middleweight world title challenger, scored a fifth-round TKO win over Vladine Biosse in his last fight, while Brinson is looking to rebound from a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Dominic Wade.

About ESPN Boxing
ESPN is home to ESPN Friday Night Fights and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates (Spanish version), a weekly boxing series which runs between January and August and showcases some of the best bouts in the boxing industry. Friday Night Fights began on October 2, 1998 and Noche de Combates (formerly Viernes de Combates) began on January 10, 2004. ESPN began televising boxing on April 10, 1980 when weekly boxing returned to television for the first time since 1964, with the debut of Top Rank Boxing on ESPN.

VALLEY FORGE, PA (October 1, 2014)–This Saturday night at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, Jesse Carradine (8-3-2, 4 KO’s) will trek all the way from Las Vegas to try to pick up the most significant win of his career when he takes on Frank De Alba (13-1-2, 5 KO’s) of Reading, PA in the 8-round Jr. Lightweight main event.

The show is promoted by King’s Promotions and Peltz Boxing.

Carradine has been training hard in advance of this opportunity.

“Camp has been pretty good. I have been putting in the perennial work. We have been working hard,”said Carridine.

Carradine has not seen a lot of De Alba but he feels he will be prepared for whatever that native of Reading, PA will bring to the table.

“I don’t know much about De Alba other than he is a southpaw who loads up on his shots. He comes forward and I will be prepared for all that.”

Carridine has stepped up in the past but came up just a bit short against current IBF Featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich, undefeated Jr. Lightweight prospect Omar Douglas and undefeated Lightweight prospect Karl Dargan.

“I believe my experience in being in those types of fights will be a big factor. I try to face a good level of competition to make myself better. It motivates me for this upcoming fight.”

He knows that a win over the streaking De Alba will put himself in a good position in the Jr. Lightweight ranks.

“I think a win will boost me one step at a time. I am looking to put on a good show. I know it won’t be a walk in the park, but a win will help me reclaim my status and put me back on the winning track.”

The 27 year-old Carradine finished by saying, “I am feeling good, lean and mean. I am happy for this opportunity and I want to thank King’s Promotions for giving it to me.”

In the 8-round co-feature, Naim Nelson (12-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will take on Ryan Belasco (18-6-3, 3 KO’s) of Wilmington, DE for the UBF All America’s Jr. Welterweight title.

Shawn Sutton (0-2-1) of Norristown, PA will fight Anthony Prescott (3-3-2, 1 KO) of Cherry Hill, NJ in a 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Christian Molina (2-0, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA battles Josue Rivera (2-5, 2 KO’s) in a 4-round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Travis Thompson (5-11-3, 3 KO’s) of Pottstown, PA will box Benjamin Burgos (1-8-1) of Mount Pocono, PA in a 4-round Lightweight bout

Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at $125, $75 and $45 and can be purchased by calling Kings Boxing at 610 587-5950 or Peltz Boxing at 215 765 0922

WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A. – Twenty-one year old light welterweight professional boxer, Mike “Yes Indeed” Reed (Washington, D.C./pro record: 10-0, 6 KOs), returns to the ring on Saturday, October 4, 2014, at Bally’s in Atlantic City, New Jersey. On the fight card, promoted by Top Rank, Reed will face Juan Manuel Montiel (Mexico City, Mexico/pro record: 7-6-3, 2 KOs) in a six-round bout. This is Reed’s first fight since he signed with Top Rank in July, 2014. The main event will feature New Jersey’s Glen Tapia against Lithuania’s Donatas Bondorovas.
Michael “Buck” Pinson, Reed’s father, manager and trainer, talked about the upcoming fight on October 4. “Our opponent Montiel is a tough guy who went the distance with several undefeated fighters, and had draws with Carlos Molina and David Rodela. Even though he has six losses, I think he will give Mike the rounds he needs at this stage of his career. We appreciate that valuable fight experience that Montiel brings to the table. Top Rank knows the boxing business, and they are going to select the proper opponents that will help guide my son to a world title. Fighting at home or on the road isn’t a problem. At one time, Mike was one of the top amateurs, so we’ve traveled and competed all over the country.”

Pinson talked about training camp for this fight. He said, “At this point, camp is winding down, and Michael has put in the necessary work and is ready to fight. Training camp is the hard part, fighting is when boxing becomes fun. Michael’s job is to put the work in the gym and do whatever schoolwork is necessary for college. It’s that simple. We don’t worry about opponents getting switched or guys pulling out of a fight. I understand that happens sometimes in this sport, so we just continue doing our part to be mentally and physically prepared for whatever our opposition may bring to the fight in Atlantic City.”
Mike Reed talked about returning to Atlantic City for his Top Rank debut against Montiel. He said, “Juan Manuel Montiel is a durable opponent who has fought against very tough opposition. He went the distance in most of his fights and he is battle tested, with sixteen fights of pro experience. My goals for this fight are to continue my growth as a professional fighter while continuing to build my fan base outside of the Washington, D.C. area. I plan to show my versatility and many different aspects of my fight game. This is my Top Rank debut, and that means a lot. It is awesome to have the security of one of the top boxing promoters to help guide my career to a world title. Also, it shows the kids in the gym that hard work helps you achieve anything that you set your mind to accomplish.”
Reed continued, “This is our second consecutive fight in Atlantic City for Team Reed. Obviously, we do have to travel away from home, but the reception that we received from the crowd in Atlantic City at our last fight was remarkable. The fans that were cheering for me at Bally’s made me feel as if I was fighting in my hometown. After the fight was over, I was walking around in the hotel’s casino, and I would hear people yell, ‘Yes Indeed!’ That was really cool.”
Reed discussed the talented light welterweight division. He said, “The 140 lb division is loaded with talent, but three names stand out to me and they are Lamont Peterson, Adrien Broner, and Terence Crawford. I have watched Lamont since I started boxing, and I’ve personally witnessed his transformation from him being an open fighter to being a world champion. When I first met Adrien in 2009, he told me that he was going to be a world champion. I watched how he trained and worked towards his goal, refusing to stop until he was a champion. I see a lot of similarities between Crawford and myself, even down to the way he carries himself inside and outside of the ring. He is a crafty and skillful fighter, and I believe he will be around for a long time. I work hard so I can be mentioned with those guys.”
Reed is thankful for all the support he has received from his fans and the media. “After every interview or statement given, I always thank those who helped me get to this point. I’m grateful for every person who told a neighbor about me, and everyone who bought a ticket to attend one of my fights. Every little bit helps and it’s truly appreciated. Without you all, I wouldn’t where I am at this point in my career. Thank you to all the media who constantly encourage me and support my career.”
Tickets for Reed’s October 4 Top Rank card at Bally’s in Atlantic City, priced at $50 and $75, can be purchased by phone (800) 736 1420 or online at ticketmaster.com.

Follow Reed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mike.y.reed.921
Follow Reed on Instagram: @YesIndeed_Reed or http://instagram.com/yesindeed_reed
Follow Reed on Twitter: @YesIndeed_Reed or https://twitter.com/YesIndeed_Reed
Hash tag: #YesIndeed

New York, NY (September 30, 2014) – Junior Middleweight boxer Boyd Melson and Christan Zaccagnino, founders of Team Fight to Walk, are proud to announce their organization will host the second annual “Fighting for the Cure” benefit gala Thursday, October 16 at 6:15 pm in the Beckwith Pointe in New Rochelle, NY.

Tickets and sponsorship packages to “Fighting for the Cure” are available by going to teamfighttowalk.com or calling 914-497-5727. All donations are deductable per IRS regulations.

In May 2013, Team Fight to Walk held their inaugural fundraiser at BB King Blues Club in Time Square that featured a special act by world renowned comedian Artie Lange along with heartfelt speeches from Boyd Melson, Dr. Wise Young, former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand, Christan Zaccagnino and boxer/cancer survivor Danny Jacobs. Last year’s event raised $100,000 towards a clinical trial and research of Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries.

Since meeting at a social event in 2002 while he was at West Point, Melson’s dedicated much of his life to helping Zaccagnino. At ten years old, Zaccagnino became paralyzed from the neck down following a diving accident. Since turning pro in 2010, Melson’s donated 100% of his purses from 15 of his 16 matches towards Spinal Cord Injury Research through Justadollarplease.org and Team Fight to Walk, 501c3 charities. Melson and Zaccagnino’s story has received a significant amount of national attention, as the two have been featured on HBO Real Sports, ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, NY1 and various newspapers.

They also recruited a team of boxers to support the cause either by donating or promoting. The fighters include world champion Demetrius Andrade, former titlists Steve Cunningham and Austin Trout, 2008 Olympian Shawn Estrada and contender Will Rosinsky amongst many others. Even with all of the hard work and tireless efforts, Team Fight to Walk must still raise a significant amount of money before they can move forward with the trial that could changes the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

On the 16th, guests will get to see performances by comedians Gilbert Gottfried, Jayson Cross and Damon Rozier. Former New York Knicks star Anthony Mason, world champion boxers Danny Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade, former champion Junior Jones and unbeaten contender Frank Galarza will all be on hand throughout the evening to support the cause and spend time with ticketholders. This special event also has a blackjack table, silent auction, DJ, live music, open bar and guest speakers throughout the evening. Dave Diamante, voice of the Brooklyn Nets, will emcee the “Fighting for the Cure” gala.

“I’ve seen the way the world positively reacts to certain causes through social media and there are a lot of people out there that need help with different issues,” said Melson. “I’m calling not only on the boxing world but the general public to help in whatever way they can with Team Fight to Walk and our “Fighting for the Cure” gala. Our 2013 gala was a great success and we need to top donations in 2014 in order to potentially change the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans suffering from Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries. Christan, myself, the rest of Team Fight to Walk and our loyal supporters have put in a tremendous amount of time to assist with efforts but there’s still a lot of work left to be done. If you aren’t able to make it on the 16th, please consider making a donation of any amount or purchasing a sponsorship page if you run a business. This will go a long way and your assistance can have a major impact on the lives of others.”

In association with the 501 (C) 3 nonprofit Justadollarplease.org, Melson and his best friend Christan Zaccagnino created Team Fight to Walk, whose mission is to raise awareness within the boxing community as well as the entire nation about the importance of bringing Clinical Trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, Austin “No Doubt” Trout, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Sonya Lamonakis, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., WBO Junior Middleweight titlist/2008 US Olympian Demetrius “Boo” Andrade and fellow 08’ Olympian Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

For more information or to make a donation, go to teamfighttowalk.com or Justadollarplease.org. All specific questions about the nature of the Clinical Trial to cure Spinal Cord Injury can be sent to boydmelson@yahoo.com.

Deerfield Beach, FL (September 30, 2014) This past Friday night in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Mesquite, JUAN CARLOS PAYANO won the WBA “Super” Bantamweight Crown from longtime champion ANSELMO MORENO via sixth round technical decision.

Boxing legend and Payano promoter MIKE TYSON of IRON MIKE PRODUCTIONS was thrilled with Payano’s performance.

“Juan Carlos truly seized the moment. He had the opportunity of a lifetime and he attacked Moreno from the opening bell,” said Tyson.

“Our entire team is very proud of Juan Carlos, the spirit of his performance and his success typifies Iron Mike fighters.”

Said Chris Middendorf, Vice-President of Iron Mike Productions, “Friday night saw the emergence of a very exciting, all action new world champion. He fits perfectly the Iron Mike mold, almost racing across the ring to begin every round, throwing close to 100 punches and connecting.”

“Payano joins with IMP’s young rising stars, Erickson Lubin, Ievgen Khytrov and Sammy Vasquez, as fighters who are going to become must see fighters. There is no taking time off in a round, and no taking a round off, their fights are all about getting the other guy the hell out of there. For our fans it is ‘edge of your seat’ boxing- put your drink down, throw the scorecards away and get ready to stand up and cheer the action. Congratulations Juan Carlos!”

For additional information on Iron Mike Productions visit www.IronMikeProductions, follow on Twitter at @IronMikeProd and on Facebook at IronMikeProductionsOfficial.

OMAHA, NEB (September 30, 2014) — Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight champion TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD, Omaha’s favorite son, will make an encore hometown title defense on the heels of his wildly successful victory over previously undefeated world champion and Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa. Crawford will defend his title against No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger RAY BELTRAN on Thanksgiving weekend, Saturday, November 29, at the CenturyLink Center. The fight will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at
10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, tickets to the Crawford vs. Beltran World Lightweight Championship event will go on sale This Friday! October 3, at 10:00 a.m. CT. Reserved seat tickets start at just $27, with remaining tiers priced at $52, $77 and $127. They will be available for purchase at the CenturyLink Center Omaha box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. To charge-by-phone call 800-745-3000. To order online, visit Ticketmaster.com.

Crawford successfully defended his title on June 28, at the CenturyLink Center, knocking out previously undefeated world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in front of an energized crowd. The fight, a candidate for Fight of the Year honors, was televised live on HBO®, and according to Nielsen Media Research, garnered an average audience of 1.208 million viewers to the live, first-time airing, making it the second most-watched fight of the year so far. Crawford vs. Gamboa was the first world championship fight the city of Omaha had hosted in 42 years when Joe Frazier defended his World Heavyweight Championship crown against Ron Stander in 1972.

“It’s an honor to fight in my hometown during the holiday season in front of my fans and family who will be traveling to Omaha,” said Crawford. “It’s great that Top Rank and HBO are coming back into town to promote another show on one of the biggest weekends of the year. Beltran feels I have something – a world title belt – which belongs to him. He thought he beat Ricky Burns and I thought Beltran won too. But he didn’t and I did. Beltran can fight. We know that. I am going to fight him like a bad dog, fight fire with fire. Let’s see if he really has a will to win in Omaha. My will to win is off the charts. He won’t be coming straight at me the way he did against Ricky Burns. My team and I are training hard to put on a good show for everyone. No one will be disappointed.”
“Crawford has shown to be a talented fighter, someone I respect.,” said Beltran. “But I see this fight as an opportunity for me to achieve the recognition in the boxing world and the public’s eye. This fight is Champion vs. Champion. It’s not about the belts. It’s about us. Crawford is talented, has skill, but I have the ability to adapt and will be ready for what he brings. The situation against Burns made me stronger, I felt the love of the crowd and all of their respect that night. I feel blessed with my family and friends. All of that will be with me when I fight Crawford in Omaha. I am the No. 2 fighter in the world. Crawford is No. 1. That is what this is all about. I believe in me. This is my moment.”

“This fight between Crawford and Beltran could very well be the fight of the year. The styles and skills of both fighters guarantee as much,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

“When Terence Crawford fought in front of his Omaha hometown crowd last June, the atmosphere produced one of the most spectacular fights of 2014 on HBO,” said Peter Nelson, vice president, programming, HBO Sports. “The spotlight returns to the American heartland November 29, as the undefeated champ faces Ray Beltran, a challenger who has earned more opportunities than he’s been given and always gives the fans his all.”

“CenturyLink Center Omaha is honored to have the opportunity once again to host this world championship boxing event,” said Roger Dixon, President and CEO of the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority. “The atmosphere was electric in June and we expect even more excitement this time around.”

Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs), of Omaha, returns to the ring fresh from his dramatic and critically-acclaimed knockout victory of Gamboa. Not only did Crawford retain his title, he also made himself a contender for Fighter of the Year. He is only the second Nebraska native to be recognized as a boxing world champion. Perry “Kid” Graves, from Rock Bluff, captured the welterweight crown, knocking out Johnny Alberts in Brooklyn, in 1914, according to the Omaha World-Herald. After a short but impressive amateur career, which included victories over future world champions Danny Garcia, Mikey Garcia and one-time world title challenger Diego Magdaleno, Crawford made his professional debut on March 14, 2008 – a first-round knockout victory of Brian Cummings. On March 1, 2014 – just 13 days short of the sixth anniversary of his pro debut, Crawford captured the WBO lightweight title, dethroning defending champion Ricky Burns on Burns’ home turf of Glasgow, Scotland. Scoring a powerful and unanimous decision, Burns put the boxing world on notice that with his virtuoso performance. Crawford pulled out all stops in dismantling Burns as he rocked the defending champion throughout the fight, while switching back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stances.

Beltran (29-6-1, 17 KOs), a native of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, who now lives in North Hollywood, Calif., is one of the lightweight division’s toughest and most experienced fighters. A former NABF and USBA lightweight champion, Beltran enters this fight riding a two-year five-bout winning streak, which includes a disputed draw against defending WBO lightweight champion hometown favorite Ricky Burns in Glasgow, Scotland last year. In that fight, Beltran fractured Burns’ jaw in the first two rounds and dominated the fight, consistently landing the harder punches. Beltran scored a knockdown in the eighth round and finished the fight strongly. Ringside observers and television viewers alike screamed “home cooking!” when the fight was declared a draw. Beyond his professional fight, Beltran has had the benefit of being a main sparring partner for Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao for several years before becoming a top-rated contender in his own right. In his last fight, on April 12, he claimed the NABO lightweight title, winning a 12-round unanimous decision against once-beaten Arash Usmanee on the undercard of the Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr world welterweight championship rematch.

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 #CrawfordBeltran to join the conversation on Twitter.

(San Diego) – After starting off his year back in February with a come from behind win over Olympian Yordenis Ugas to capture the interim WBC Latino light welterweight title and then continuing with another triumph, this time over the highly-touted Jonathan Chicas, San Diego’s own Emmanuel “Renegade” Robles (11-0-1, 3KO) is looking to remain undefeated against the tough Carlos “El Guerrero” Valenzuela (6-1, 3KO) in the eight round main event of “San Diego Fights” presented by Bobby D. Presents. The professional boxing fight card will be held on Friday, October 24th, at the new home for San Diego boxing, the Crowne Plaza Hanalei Hotel, in Mission Valley.

Facing a much more experienced and technical fighter, Robles, with his hometown crowd behind him, was able to upset Ugas at the Crowne Plaza Hotel via a ten round split decision to capture the regional WBC belt. Five months later Robles traveled north for the first time in his career to face Chicas in San Francisco. Knowing that Chicas was ripe for a hometown decision, the southpaw Robles promptly put him down with a well-placed uppercut in the seventh en route to a split decision eight round win. Now Robles will look to cap off another exciting win where it started this year, at home.

In a special attraction female eight rounder, newly crowned NABF strawweight queen Amaris “Diamond Girl” Quintana (8-2-2, 1KO) also returns to her hometown of San Diego after traveling south to Tijuana to defeated Susana Uribe for the vacant North American Boxing Federation female strap. Quintana dropped her early with a left hook but then wasn’t able to find that punch once again but still clearly dominated the fight to earn a unanimous decision and a top ten WBC ranking. Quintana will now fight in front of her hometown crowd and show off her shiny new toy in a non-title fight against an opponent to be determined.

NABF straw weight champion Amaris “Diamond Girl” Quintana Will Also Make an Appearance Photo: Paul Gallegos
Rounding out the card will be WBC #7-ranked cruiserweight Dmytro Kucher (21-1, 15KO), local super bantamweight “Smokin” Joe Perez (5-1-1, 4KO) and pro debuting middleweight William Williams of Atlanta, Georgia. Also on the card will be popular San Diego heavyweight Joe “The Bull” Delgadillo (1-0, 1KO) in a border war against Edgar “Porky” Najera (0-2) of Tijuana in a scheduled four rounder.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel is located at 2270 Hotel Circle North, San Diego. “San Diego Fights” is presented by Bobby D. Presents with Mossy Automotive Group, Pepsi, Everlast, Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, DGS Construction and Car Czar. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first punch thrown at 7:30pm. For more info, please dial (619) 420-8866 or visit BobbyDPresents.net.

Philadelphia, PA-Hidden beneath the publicity surrounding the NBCSN-televised twin main events on Saturday, Oct 18, is an intriguing eight-round middleweight match.

It features Tyrone Brunson, of Philadelphia, and DeCarlo Perez, of Atlantic City, NJ, in what figures to be an explosive contest at the 2300 Arena at 2300 South Swanson Street.

The Brunson-Perez showdown will serve as the main preliminary contest to the doubleheader main event: Steve “USS” Cunningham, of Philadelphia, vs. Natu Visinia, Lakewood, CA, 10 rounds, heavyweights; Edner Cherry, Wauchula, FL, vs. Jerry Belmontes, Corpus Christi, TX, 10 rounds, lightweights. NBCSN will televise Cunningham-Visinia and Cherry-Belmontes on its popular Fight Night series beginning at 9pm (EST).

Brunson (above), 29, set some kind of record when he turned pro in 2005 and knocked out all of his first 19 opponents in one round. That streak ended in 2008 when Brunson was held to a six-round draw by Mexican Antonio Soriano in Canada.

Overall, Brunson is 22-2-1, 21 K0s, including a stoppage-first round, of course–in his last fight June 1over Jansel Mateo in the loser’s Dominican Republic backyard.

Now managed by Mark Cipparone and trained by Sloan Harrison, Brunson appears ready to get his career jump-started again. Though he lives in Philadelphia and boxed there as an amateur, the Oct. 18 fight with Perez will mark Brunson’s firs pro fight there since his debut in 2005. Instead, he has boxed in Michigan, Indiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Connecticut, Texas, Canada, Dominican Republic and New Zealand.

“Fighting in my hometown means more to me than ever before,” Brunson said. “I have not fought in Philly since my pro debut at the Blue Horizon so I can’t wait to give my friends, family and fans the performance of a lifetime. I never realized that I would have this extra boost that I am feeling right now just because I will have my people there rooting for me. It is really special and I have been pumped up about the fight ever since it was offered to me. I can’t wait to make Philly proud of one of their own.

“I have found a team with the chemistry that I have been looking for my entire career. I recently signed with Mark Cipparone of Club 1957 Management. He has been making some noise in the Philly boxing market over the last two years. Crazy as it seems I now have a second chance because this feels like my pro debut all over again.”

Perez (below), 23, appears to be coming into his own, having won six of his last seven, dropping only an eight-round split decision to Wilky Campfort, of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, earlier this year in Atlantic City.

A pro since 2010, Perez is 12-3-1, 4 K0s. In his last fight Aug. 2 in Atlantic City, he earned a six-round decision over Marcus Willis, of Ft. Myers, FL.

“I’ve been working hard in the gym but there still are a few things to fix,” Perez said. “I’ll be ready for anything Brunson brings. He may try to come out fast, like he does in most of his fights, or he may want to start slower and save something for the later rounds.”

Co-trainer Hassan Hameed-El: “This fight will prove what we already know-DeCarlo is one of the best middleweight prospects in the country. He should be in line for a regional title after this, certainly a spot among the Top 15 in the country. This fight reinforces what people have seen. DeCarlo has fought undefeated fighters, experienced fighters, tough fighters.”

The Oct. 18 show includes a six-round all-Philadelphia lightweight contest between Victor Vasquez and Gerald Smith.

Vasquez, 31, is known as The Fighting Barber since he cuts hair when he is not boxing. A pro since 2006, Vasquez is 16-9-1, 7 K0s. He has not boxed since March 21 when he lost an unpopular eight-round decision to Osnel Charles, of Atlantic City, at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

This will mark Vasquez’ 10th pro fight in this building, formerly known as the New Alhambra, Arena and Asylum Arena. He is 7-2-1 there.

Smith, 29, also has been idle lately, last boxing March 29 when he dropped a four-round decision to Wellington Romero, a member of the Dominican Republic Olympic team, in Atlantic City. That was Smith’s first fight in six years; he is 3-1, 1 K0.

Three four-round fights complete the seven-bout card.

Tickets are priced at $50 and $75 they are on sale at Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) or online at www.peltzboxing.com. They also can be purchased through Wanamaker’s Tickets (215-568-2400). The event is sponsored by Rocco’s Collision.

About October 18
The Oct. 18 edition of NBCSN Fight Night will take place at the 2300 Arena at 2300 Swanson Street in South Philadelphia. It features a 10-round heavyweight fight between Steve “USS” Cunningham, of Philadelphia, and Natu Visinia, of Lakewood, CA. A 10-round junior lightweight contest between Edner Cherry, of Wauchula, FL, and Jerry Belmontes, of Corpus Christi, TX is the co-feature. Five additional fights open the show at 6:45 PM (EST). Tickets are $50 and $75 and are available by calling Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) or going online at www.peltzboxing.com. They also can be purchased at Wanamakers Tickets (215-568-2400). The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing in association with Final Forum Promotions and BAM Boxing. The NBCSN Fight Night telecast will begin at 9 PM ET. Doors open at 6 PM. The event is sponsored by Rocco’s Collision.

NBC Sports Live Extra:
NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices and tablets — will live stream Fight Night at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Oct. 18. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

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VALLEY FORGE, PA (September 30, 2014)–This Saturday night at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, an intriguing Jr. Welterweight battle will be the co-feature of a championship night boxing promoted by King’s Promotions and Peltz Boxing.

Undefeated Naim Nelson (12-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will take on battle tested veteran Ryan Belasco (18-6-3-, 3 KO’s) of Wilmington, DE for the UBF All America’s Jr. Welterweight title.

This will be a shot for Belasco to get a coveted win to add to his victories over Victor Vasquez and Jesus Barbosa.

Belasco has been waiting for this opportunity against the undefeated Nelson for over a year as this fight was scheduled a couple of times but the fight was postponed due to injuries and family commitments.

“Everything is going good and I am hitting it hard. I been in camp with Dougie Pettiford and Omar Douglas for 8 weeks. A few fights came up but I am ready for this,” said Belasco.

This will be Belasco’s first fight in nearly a year since dropping a 10-round unanimous decision to Rod Salka last October 12.

“This fight has been brewing for a year. We were going to fight but then Naim hurt his hand. I took the Salka fight. After that fight, we could have the fight again but my wife was pregnant. I took time off to be with her so this fight has been on my radar for the last year or so.”

He knows that Nelson is deserving of his undefeated record.

“He is tough and very busy. He has what it takes but we trained rally hard. I have been thrown in with tough competition so I know this is a fight I can win. As people can see by my record, I have had nothing handed to me. People look at my record and they know I can fight. It will be a great fight as he is busy and I don’t back down.”

Twice before has Belasco fought for regional titles but now he knows that this will be the fight that pushes him over the top.

“The UBF Title will be the icing on the cake. I have a 6-month old daughter and that would be a nice first piece of jewelry to give her.”

Belasco finished by saying, “I never trash talk. I guarantee this fight will be a firecracker. A war at that. I know to be a champion that you have to surround yourself with them and for this camp I did just that.”

In the 8-round Main event, Frank De Alba (13-1-2, 5 KO’s) of Reading, PA will look for his 12th straight win when he takes on Jesse Carradine (8-3-2, 4 KO’s) of Las Vegas, NV in a Super Featherweight bout.

Shawn Sutton (0-2-1) of Norristown, PA will fight Anthony Prescott (3-3-2, 1 KO) of Cherry Hill, NJ in a 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Christian Molina (2-0, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA battles Josue Rivera (2-5, 2 KO’s) in a 4-round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Travis Thompson (5-11-3, 3 KO’s) of Pottstown, PA will box Benjamin Burgos (1-8-1) of Mount Pocono, PA in a 4-round Lightweight bout

Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at $125, $75 and $45 and can be purchased by calling Kings Boxing at 610 587-5950 or Peltz Boxing at 215 765 0922

Somerset, NJ (September 30, 2014)–On Friday night, October 24, undefeated Middleweight Antoine “Action” Douglas will take on veteran Jose Medina in the main event of a great night of boxing at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Somerset, New Jersey.

The scheduled 8-round bout will be the main event of a card promoted by GH3 Promotions.

Douglas of Burke, Virginia has a record of 14-0-1 been one of the most talked about Middleweight prospects in the United States. The 21-year old has quality wins over undefeated Colby Courter (4-0) 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.

In his last bout, 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.

Medina of Tilton, New Hampshire has a deceiving record of 18-15-1 with 7 knockouts.

Douglas with be the 9th undefeated foe that Medina will have faced.

The 31 year-old Medina has quality wins over Jamie Vejar (1-0), Gary Bonefant (1-0), Isaac Rodriguez (17-1), Markus Williams (7-1), & Chris Fitzpatrick (14-0). He also held former Jr. Middleweight champion Joachim Alcine (32-2) to a draw.

He is coming off a 6-round majority decision defeat to Gary O’Sullivan (16-1) on June 5th

In the eight round co-feature, Featherweight Jorge Diaz (18-3, 10 KO’s) will see action against Jose Haro.

Diaz of New Brunswick, NJ will be looking for his 2nd consecutive victory after taking a 6-round unanimous decision over Ramon Ellis on July 25 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York.

Always in a crowd pleasing fight, Diaz has been known to take on all comers.

The 26 year-old has wins over Gino Escamilla (5-1-1), Yan Barthelemy (8-1), Alejandro Lopez (16-0), Jaesung Lee (10-2-1) & former world title challenger Emanuel Lucero (24-5-1).

Haro (8-1, 6 KO’s) of Salt Lake City, Utah won his first eight bouts.

The 27 year-old is coming off a 6-round unanimous decision defeat to undefeated prospect Toka Khan Clary (11-0) on June 14th in Atlantic City.

Also on the card in 6-round bouts:

Undefeated Super Middleweight John Magda (7-0, 6 KO’s) of Ruthorford, NJ will take on Mike Mitchell (3-4-2, 1 KO) of Paterson, NJ

In four round bouts:

Lightweight Bienvenido Diaz (1-0, 1 KO) of Prospect Park, NJ will battle Tim McNair (0-2) of Charlotte, NC.

Glenn Dezurn (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Baltimore, MD will fight an opponent to be named.

Anthony Cintron (2-0, 1 KO) of Hawley, PA will fight pro debuting Rennard Oliver of Baton, Rouge, LA.

Heavyweight Leon Johnson of Newark, NJ will make his pro debut against Ray Santiago (1-4) of Albany, NY.

Caleb Hernandez of Paterson, NJ will make his pro debut against Malik Jackson (1-3-4) of Newark, NJ

Tickets for this outstanding evening of boxing can be purchased for $125 for Stage seating, $100 for Front Row, $75 for Ringside and $50 for General Admission by calling 862-223-9487.

The Ukrainian Cultural Center is located 135 Davidson Avenue in Somerset, New Jersey

Swedish light heavyweight Erik Skoglund (21-0, 11 KOs) has announced his desire to challenge for a world title in 2015. The 23 year-old, who is unbeaten in twenty-one professional contests and ranked #4 with the WBO and #5 with the IBF, believes that within the next twelve months he will be ready to take on the best in the division.

‘’Everything I have done since I first started boxing at 11 years old has been building towards this,’’ said the current IBF Intercontinental, European (EU) and WBC Youth Champion. ‘’All the hard work, all the sacrifice has been for one reason, so that one day, I can call myself champion of the world. I believe that next year I will be ready to take up the challenge and fulfil my destiny.’’

In one of boxing’s most competitive weight classes the young boxer from Nyköping has risen through the world rankings in impressive fashion. Now faced with the prospect of a world title challenge, Skoglund is confident he has what it takes to realise his ultimate ambition.

‘’My time has come!’’ declared the self-assured Swede. ‘’I’ve been surrounded by world champions from the first moment I stepped through the doors at Team Sauerland’s Berlin gym. I know what it takes to make it to the top and I know I am ready.’’

Should he succeed in his quest for world glory, ‘The Swedish Sensation’ would become the country’s first world champion since Armand Krajnc held the WBO middleweight title in 2001. A feat promoter Nisse Sauerland has full confidence in Skoglund achieving.

‘’We always knew that Erik was a special talent,’’ said Sauerland. ‘’What we didn’t realise was how quickly he would develop. The confidence and composure he has shown against top-level opposition is outstanding. We will not rush him into any fights and when he does challenge for a world title we will ensure he is ready. With that said, by the end of 2015 we have every belief that Erik will be world champion.’’

There are no easy routes to the top of division. To be crowned light heavyweight king Skoglund would need to dethrone one of the four reigning titlists – WBA Super and IBF Champion Bernard Hopkins, WBO Champion Sergey Kovalev who meets Hopkins in a unification fight later this year, WBC Champion Adonis Stevensen and WBA Regular Champion Juergen Braehmer.

While Skoglund and his promoter Sauerland refuse to rule out a meeting with either of the four champions, the young Swede has been vocal in his desire to face ‘’living legend’’ Bernard Hopkins before the American calls time on his illustrious career.

“It would be incredible to face Hopkins,’’ states Skoglund. ‘’It would be awesome to fight him, awesome to beat him, but even to get a shot against him would be amazing. He is still one of the best fighters in the world. He is a living legend!”

Whichever route is chosen, one thing is for sure, Sweden could have a new world champion sooner rather than later.

Tacoma, WA (Sept. 30th 2014) It’s fight week in the Pacific Northwest as CageSport MMA and Super Fight League prepare for the first ever Super Fight League America event, live from the Emerald Queen Casino this Saturday, October 4th at 7:00PM. Eight bouts will be featured on the card, including two title fights.

The main event will see Vancouver, WA native “Vicious” Cory Vom Baur (7-2) facing Los Angeles, California’s Victor Henry (7-1) in a 5-round war for the SFLA bantamweight championship. Both fighters are coming off of victories in what should be a thrilling conclusion to the evening’s action.

In the co-main event of the evening, another California native, Colleen “The Thoroughbred” Schneider (5-4) will face Brenda “Boom Boom” Gonzales (5-1) in the first ever SFLA Women’s Bantamweight championship bout. Schneider will be looking to get back on track after suffering a defeat in June of this year, while Gonzales is coming off of a submission victory.

The rest of the card features the following up and coming Northwest talent:

Bobby McIntyre (1-0) vs. Gary Winslow (2-3)
Mike Ross (0-2) vs. Trent Tyler (3-4)
Hadley Griffith (1-3) vs. Cheryl Chan (0-2)
Michael Marcink0 (0-1) vs. Adam Walkemeyer (1-0)
Raven Guice (1-2) vs. Jesse Hardenbrook (debut)
Mike Devose (0-1) vs. Cleo Anderson (debut)

Tickets to CageSport MMA presents: Super Fight League America #1 are available now at all Ticketmaster locations as well as the Emerald Queen Casino box office. This event will sell out, so get your tickets early. This historic night of fights is not to be missed!

A statement from Stephen Espinoza, on behalf of SHOWTIME Sports.

“All of us at Showtime are deeply saddened by the passing of Dan Goossen. This news has come as a shock to many of us who knew Dan personally, beyond our collaborative work on boxing events, for decades. We will remember Dan as a passionate advocate for the sport of boxing, a fun-loving colleague and friend, and, above all, a devoutly religious family man. Our deepest sympathies to the entire Goossen family. May he rest in peace.”

VALLEY FORGE, PA (September 29, 2014)–This Saturday night at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, rising Jr. Lightweight Frank De Alba will look to win his 12th straight and try to remain unbeaten in 14 in a row when he defends the UBF All America’s Super Featherweight title against Jesse Carridine (8-3-2, 4 KO’s) of Las Vegas.

The bout will headline a 6-bout card promoted by King’s Promotions and Peltz Boxing.

De Alba of Reading, PA has a record of 13-1-2 with 5 knockouts is coming off his title winning effort when he stopped Pablo Batres in 5 rounds in Reading, PA.

De Alba has been working very hard at the King’s Boxing Gym for the better part of two months.

“Everything is good. I have been training 8 hard weeks and I am excited for Saturday to come,” said De Alba.

He knows he will be tested by Carradine, who has fought top competition.

Carrainde is a tall (listed at 5’10”) Super Featherweight. He has fought great guys and his only losses are to current world champion Ecgeny Gradovich and top-undefeated prospects Omar Douglas and Karl Dargan. I know I can not take him lightly.”

De Alba has been hitting harder in recent fights and he credits to some things in the gym that he has been working on.

“I am sitting on my punches more. I know that I have power. I do not go in there looking for a knockout but I am have been working on siting on my punches more. So if it comes, it come.”

With this current streak, the 27 year-old, who was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico knows that the biggest fights are going to come sooner rather than later.

“Hopefully I can get this win and I know bigger names and opportunities will come. This fight will put me one step closer. I have been working very hard. This is the hardest I have worked. I am ready for 8 hard rounds and whatever my opponent brings.”, finished De Alba.

In the 8-round co-feature, undefeated Naim Nelson (12-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will take on Ryan Belasco (18-6-3, 3 KO’s) of Wilmington, DE in a battle for UBF All America’s Jr. Welterweight title.

Jon Bolden (6-9, 5 KO’s) will take on an opponent to be announced in a 6-round Heavyweight bout.

Shawn Sutton (0-2-1) of Norristown, PA will fight Anthony Prescott (3-3-2, 1 KO) of Cherry Hill, NJ in a 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Christian Molina (2-0, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA battles Josue Rivera (2-5, 2 KO’s) in a 4-round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Travis Thompson (5-11-3, 3 KO’s) of Pottstown, PA will box Benjamin Burgos (1-8-1) of Mount Pocono, PA in a 4-round Lightweight bout

Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at $125, $75 and $45 and can be purchased by calling Kings Boxing at 610 587-5950 or Peltz Boxing at 215 765 0922

Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions proudly announces the signing of lightweight southpaw Ismael Barroso to a promotional agreement.

A huge puncher from El Tigre, Venezuela, Barroso (15-0-2, 14 KOs) has the visa issues that previously stalled his career resolved and is ready for another attack on the top of the lightweight division.

“This is a fighter who could easily become a world champion,” said Greg Cohen. “He’s got tremendous punching power and he’s relentless when he has an opponent hurt. I’m very proud to be working with him.”

Barosso won the Interim WBA Fedelatin Lightweight Title with a first-round knockout of Oscar Arenas (then 22-3) in October 2012 and defended it with a KO 4 over Winston Campos (then 17-2-4) in October 2013. The only blemishes on his record are a pair of draws in the first six fights of his career. He also won and defended the WBA Fedebol lightweight in 2012.

“Barroso’s manager, Osmiri Fernandez, and Ricardo Rizzo helped put this deal together and we’re eager to get to work on finding him the opportunities that will bring him to the top of the division,” continued Cohen. “We will have an exciting announcement about the first of those opportunities very soon.”

NEW YORK (Sept. 29, 2014) – DiBella Entertainment, Warriors Boxing and Foxwoods Resort Casino will celebrate the 49th birthday of “Irish” Micky Ward with boxing fans attending the SHOWTIME Boxing Special Edition tripleheader on Saturday, October 4, airing live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Promoter Lou DiBella promoted Ward (38-13, 27 KOs) during the latter part of his career, including the epic Arturo Gatti-Ward trilogy. DiBella and Ward, who fought out of Lowell, Massachusetts, developed a special relationship that continues today.

“Of all the fighters that I’ve worked with, no one was more honest or gave more of themselves than Micky Ward,” DiBella said. “It’s a natural to celebrate Micky’s birthday in conjunction with a fight card in New England. Micky is forever New England’s fighter. Fans will get an opportunity to see a great night of boxing and to meet a fighter who may never get into the Hall of Fame, but will always be an icon.”

All 51 of Ward’s bouts were fought as a junior welterweight, including his last fight on June 7, 2003, against Gatti. During his 18-year professional career, Ward captured the (original) WBU title with an eighth-round TKO win over heavily favored, previously undefeated (22-0) Shea Neary in London, and also participated in three consensus “Fights of the Year”. Displaying a lethal left hook to the body, Ward’s other more notable victims included Gatti, Steve Quinonez, Reggie Green, Emanuel Augustus and Alfonso Sanchez, in addition to popular New England fighters such as Louis Veader (twice) and John Rafuse. Ward had a 3-1 (2 KOs) lifetime record fighting at Foxwoods.

Boxers expected to join Ward’s celebration include former WBA/WBC welterweight champion Marlon “Magic Man” Starling (45-6-1, 27 KOs), of Hartford; reigning WBO junior middleweight titleholder Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (21-0, 14 KOs), of Providence; 1955 World welterweight champion Tony “The Pride of Fleet Street” DeMarco (58-12-1, 33 KOs), of Boston; former WBO middleweight champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs), of Brooklyn; former WBA junior welterweight and welterweight champion Jose Antonio “El Gallo” Rivera (41-6-1, 24 KOs), former IBO middleweight champion and star of The Contender, Season I reality television show, Peter Manfredo Jr. (40-7, 21 KOs), of Providence; former world lightweight title challenger Tony Petronelli (42-4-1, 22 KOs), of Brockton (MA); “Connecticut Fighter of the Year” Luis “KO King” Rosa Jr. (17-0, 7 KOs), of New Haven, who is coming off a sensational win over Luis Del Valle in May; and Framingham (MA) welterweight and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team alternate, Danny “Bhoy” O’Connor (23-2, 7 KOs).

All ticketholders may enter a special “Micky Ward Birthday Contest” by registering between 6:30-7:30 p.m. at a table set up near the Fox Theater box office. Prior to each of the three televised bouts, the ring announcer will select a winner and that lucky fan plus a guest will sit ringside with Micky Ward for the entire fight and be able to take photos with him and get his autograph.

Undefeated Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (20-0-0, 12 KOs), of Las Vegas, by way of Cuba, will defend his IBF junior lightweight title against former world title challenger and IBF No. 3-ranked challenger Fernando David “El Vasco” Saucedo (52-5-3, 8 KOs), of Florencio Varela, Argentina, in the Oct. 4 main event.

In other 10-round fights on the threer-fight telecast: Willie “The Great” Nelson (23-1-1, 13 KOs), of Cleveland, Ohio, will be opposing Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan (34-1-1, 21 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., by way of Armenia, in a collision of once-beaten junior middleweights, former light heavyweight world champion “Bad” Chad Dawson (32-3, 18 KOs), of Las Vegas, by way of New Haven, Conn., fights for the first time in his home state in five years when he goes up against Tommy Karpency (23-4-1, 14 KOs), of Adah, Penn.

Tickets, priced at $150, $90 and $45, may be purchased online at Foxwoods.com, by calling the Foxwoods’ box office at 800-200-2882, or in person at the Foxwoods’ box office. Tickets may also be purchased through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the first fight starts at 6:30 p.m. The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, with the main event promoted in association with Sampson Boxing and the co-featured Nelson-Martirosyan match promoted in association with Rumble Time Promotions and Goossen Tutor Promotions.

ORANGE, Calif. (Sept. 29, 2014) – Veteran tactician Christopher “Marvelous” Martin (28-3-3, 9 KOs) of San Diego returns to action this Wednesday against the highly touted Miguel Marriaga (18-0, 16 KOs) of Colombia in an 8-round featherweight bout from the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Calif., televised on ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes (9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT).

Martin-Marriaga is on the undercard of what is expected to be an action-packed main event battle between Curtis Stevens (27-4, 20 KOs) of Brownsville, N.Y. and Hassan N’Dam (30-1, 18 KOs) of France in an IBF middleweight eliminator. The winner faces world champion Sam Soliman (44-11, 18 KOs) of Australia in early 2015. The event is promoted by King Sports.

Martin, a crafty counter puncher, registered a unanimous decision win (77-75 x3) over the tough Giovanni Caro in August. Through eight rounds, it was a back-and-forth fight with neither boxer backing down. Martin, however, showed more consistency round-over-round and was able to squeeze out a close win.

“I felt refreshed after the Caro win,” said Martin, who is promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions. “I took about a week off and then I went right back into the gym. I feel strong, confident, and ready to win.”

This Wednesday Oct. 1 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, King Sports will pit boxing’s highest-ranking middleweights (Hassan N’Dam 30-1 18 KOs and Curtis Stevens 27-4 20 KOs) against each other in a mandatory bout to earn a shot at the IBF Middleweight World Championship Belt, currently held by Sam Soliman (44-1 18 KOs).

The event at Barker Hangar promises an epic night of fights that will be televised on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. King Sports will pull from an unprecedented talent pool that includes Interim World Cruiserweight Champion Youri Kalenga, and No. 7 Heavyweight in the world, Charles Martin (18-0-1 16 KOs) to create an exciting night of boxing.

Earlier this year, King Sports announced the return of big-time fights to Southern California on a frequent basis and this event, the second in the series, more than lives up to that promise. King Sports stunned the boxing world by winning the sealed bid against Main Events for the right to promote this important middleweight fight.

“I was just as shocked that we won the bid,” said Michael King, president of King Sports. “On the other hand, it’s important fights like this one that we promised to deliver, and will continue to deliver, as we develop and expand our lineup of world- class fighters and events from King Sports.”

“We bought the rights to this major fight and we’re thrilled to have it,” said Brian Kweder, Head of Boxing programming at ESPN. “Over the past several months, King Sports has proven itself a legit player in the space, and we are proud to partner with Michael King on his first televised event. Without question we’re expecting an outstanding lineup of fighters.”

Tickets can be purchased through
Ticketmaster by calling
1-800-745-3000.
Doors open at 5:00pm
First Bout at 6:00pm.

For more information on King Sports
and the October 1 event please visit
www.kingsportsworldwide.com.

New York City (September 29, 2014) IBF Middleweight World Champion “King” SAM SOLIMAN headed to MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the New York Jets home game against the Detroit Lions, the first pro football game the Australian native has attended.

“It was a terrific experience, a beautiful day with friends watching a tremendous game, I’ll definitely be attending more” said Soliman who kicked off a packed New York City media week on Sunday.

On Tuesday afternoon, September 30 at 12Noon ET, Soliman will swing open the doors to his New York City based training camp for an Open to the Public Media Workout just eight days prior to defending his world title.

The Open to the Public Media Workout will take place at Pop’s Boxing Gym (3134 Jerome Avenue, Bronx, NY 10468) where Soliman will be joined by his trainer, CHRISTIAN ENNOR.

On Wednesday, October 8th, Soliman will defend his world title against former undisputed middleweight champion JERMAIN “Bad Intentions” TAYLOR from the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi and telecast LIVE on ESPN2, (9 p.m. ET).

SOLIMAN VS. TAYLOR is presented by Dibella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, in association with Soliman Stanley Promotions.

Tickets priced at $89.95, $69.95, $49.95 and $29.95, plus tax and service charges, are available at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, or through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 4:45pm, with the first bout scheduled for 5:30pm.

Bethlehem, PA: Heavyweight powerhouse Amir “Hardcore” Mansour (20-1, 15 KOs) headlines the final Fight Night edition of 2014 with a ten-round heavyweight battle against Frederic “Big Fred” Kassi (18-2, 10 KOs) on Nov. 8live from Sands Resort Casino in Bethlehem, PA. The Mansour-Kassi match-up will serve as the main event on a triple header edition of Fight Night. Tickets are on sale now.

This will be the third Fight Night appearance for Mansour, the Southpaw from Philadelphia, PA who lost a narrow decision in a Fight of the Year candidate to Steve “USS” Cunningham in his last Fight Night appearance on Apr. 4 in his hometown of Philadelphia.

“Hardcore” Mansour
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events
“If a guy sits there and bangs out with me, he’s going down,” said a confident Mansour. “I just go in there with the mindset that whoever my opponent is they are going to fight the best fight they ever fought against me so that’s what I prepare for. Whoever it is, I’m prepared for them to come out to be their best.”
Mansour is trained by Howard “Moses” Mosely who said, “From what I gather, [Fred Kassi] is a slick-type of boxer with a lot of slick moves and can give anybody problems, but he’s not going to give Amir any problems with the way I’m training him.”

Joe Hand, Sr., Mansour’s manager, added, “We’re anxious to fight this guy. Amir feels he has the power to take care of Fred Kassi. After his last fight with Steve Cunningham, we were finding it hard to find opponents because of Amir’s knockout power, so we welcome this match-up against Kassi. Top-ranked fighters refuse to take a fight with Amir. With Amir’s style against Kassi’s, we expect him to take care of business.”

Fred Kassi
Photo Courtesy of:
Matt Nussbaum
Kassi hails from Cameroon, Africa and now resides in New Orleans, where he assisted with the recovery of the New Orleans community after the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. He has never been stopped and 10 of his 18 wins (55.5%) have been by way of knockout.

Mansour may be the favorite, but Kassi isn’t intimidated: “I like being the underdog, it motivates me, whenever I was told I couldn’t do something, I did it,” explained Kassi. “I have nothing but respect for Amir Mansour. He’s a big hitter and comes out swinging. I understand the challenge and look forward to showing the boxing world what I’m about. This is going to be a great fight.”

Vasily Lepikhin
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events

The telecast will kick off a big night of boxing at at 8:00 PM ET with a ten-round showdown between two undefeated light heavyweights, Russian Vasily “The Professor” Lepikhin (16-0, 9 KOs) and Brazilian Jackson Junior (15-0, 13 KOs).

The current WBO Oriental and PABA Light Heavyweight Champion Vasily Lepikhin, 29, is coming off a fifth round TKO over Robert Berridge in his Fight Night debut in August where he earned both titles and impressed many viewers with his skill and power. He said, “I am very excited to be back fighting in United States. This is going to be my second fight on NBCSN and I am looking forward to another victory.”

Brazilian Jackson Junior, known as “Demolidor” in the ring, has an outstanding knockout-to-win ratio (13 of 15 for 87%). He impressed many in his U.S. debut in January 2013 when he scored a first round KO of former U.S. Olympian, Dante Craig. Jackson said, “I am thrilled to be fighting in the USA again and grateful for this opportunity. I know my opponent is good and will be ready to give a good fight. My goal is to win this fight and get my rhythm, stay active and win a world Championship for Brazil and for me.”

Dmitry Mikhaylenko
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

The middle bout features ten-rounds of welterweight action between undefeated Dmitry “The Mechanic” Mikhaylenko (17-0, 6 KOs) of Russia and Emmanuel Lartey (17-2, 8 KOs) of Ghana.

This will be the first Fight Night appearance for Mikhaylenko, 28. Dmitry made his US debut last month with an eight-round unanimous decision victory over Sechew Powell in Atlantic City, NJ after which he signed a co-promotional agreement with Main Events and German Titov Promotions. “I am very happy to be back with Main Events and fighting on NBCSN,” said Dmitry. “I will do my best to show to my fans what I am capable of in the ring.”

Emmanuel Lartey
Photo Courtesy of: Final Forum Promotions

Emmanuel Lartey, known as “Ice Cold”, hails from Ghana, Africa and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. He is a dynamic southpaw fighter who has drawn many positive comparisons to Ghana’s greatest boxer, Azumah Nelson. “My goal is to be a world champion and a victory on Nov. 8 gets me one step closer to accomplishing that goal. I’m working very hard to ensure my arm is raised as the victor on Nov. 8,” said Lartey.

Lartey is managed by Sidney Martinez Jr. who added, “We understand that fighting Dmitry Mikhaylenko is no easy task and will be prepared to go a strong ten rounds in order to pull off a decisive victory. Lartey has made many sacrifices and traveled a long way from his native Ghana to get this opportunity and will show the boxing world that he belongs within the upper echelon of his division.”

Both Mikhaylenko and Lepikhin are co-promoted by German Titov Promotions. German Titov said, “I would like to thank Main Events for giving us another opportunity to showcase these two very hot Russian prospects, Lepikhin and Mikhaylenko, who are fighting here in United States. We have no doubt these fighters will deliver a good performance.”

Both Russian fighters are also managed by Egis Klimas, the same manager who advises WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey Kovalev. Egis added, “It is my pleasure to represent both of these fighters here back in the United States and I am sure they will do a good job in the ring on Nov. 8.”

Main Events CEO Kathy Duva said, “Saturday, November 8th will be a huge night for boxing. This card, featuring three bouts and six fighters that have a combined record of 103-5 with 61 knockouts between them and not a single stoppage loss, is a perfect way to start the night early at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. I expect all of the winners, and perhaps even some of the losers, to go on to much bigger fights from their start here, as we’ve come to expect from Fight Night.”

Tickets ($50 and $75) are on sale now through ticketmaster.com, the Sands Event Center box office (610-297-7400) or through Peltz Boxing (peltzboxing.com or 215-765-0922).

About Nov. 8 at Sands:
The November 8 special triple header edition of NBCSN Fight Night will take place at Sands Resort Casino in Bethlehem, PA and will feature a ten-round heavyweight match-up between Amir “Hardcore” Mansour and Frederic “Big Fred” Kassi, a ten-round welterweight match-up between Dmitry “The Mechanic” Mikhaylenko and Emmanuel “Ice Cold” Lartey and a ten-round light heavyweight match-up between Vasily “The Professor” Lepikhin and Jackson “Demolidor.” Tickets are $75 and $50 and available through ticketmaster.com, peltzbxing.com and the Sands box office. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, Bam Boxing, and German Titov Promotions, in association with Final Forum Promotions. The special triple header telecast of NBCSN Fight Night will begin at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT.

NBC Sports Live Extra:
NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at *** PM ET/*** PM PT on November 8. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.