Longtime boxing promoter Dan Goossen, of Goossen Promotions, who passed away Monday, promoted six events televised on ESPN networks in 2014 and has been a longtime promoter for ESPN’s boxing coverage. Most notably, Goossen promoted the WBC World Heavyweight Championship between Bermane Stiverne and Chris Arreola on ESPN in May.

Brian Kweder, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions, on Goossen’s passing:
“Dan Goossen was an absolute titan in the boxing industry and a great friend to ESPN. He was the mastermind behind bringing the WBC World Heavyweight Championship bout between Bermane Stiverne and Chris Arreola to the masses via ESPN back in May. He will be sorely missed.”

“Everyone at HBO Sports is saddened by the sudden loss of Dan Goossen,” said Ken Hershman, President, HBO Sports. “Dan was a dedicated boxing promoter who we worked closely with for many, many years on some of the most important fights in the sport. But what was even more impressive was his total commitment to his family, who were always right by his side during fight week or wherever his business required him to be. Our prayers and thoughts are with his wife, Debbie, and the entire Goossen family.”

TULSA, OK (Sept. 29, 2014) –Prolific, 25-year-old finisher Randall “Buddy” Wallace (9-2) of Oakdale, Calif. will replace David Mitchell (15-4) of Sacramento, Calif. in the highly-anticipated BattleGrounds MMA one-night, eight-man welterweight (170 pounds) tournament that will award its winner a grand prize of $50,000 and headline a live Pay-Per-View telecast from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. on Friday, October 3.

In addition, a new, lightweight (155 pounds) co-main event between submission ace Jonny “The King of Late Night” Carson (11-6) of Broken Arrow, Okla. and Danny Navarro (11-4) of Riverside, Calif. has been inked for the event. Navarro is riding a spectacular 11-fight winning streak dating back to Aug. 15, 2009 and is coming off a first round submission (guillotine choke) victory over Ray Cooper III on Aug. 30.

Former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler for Oklahoma State University and undefeated featherweight (145 pounds) Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) upstart Jamal Parks (3-0) of Tulsa, Okla. will look to extend his perfect run in the cage in a Superfight with Ruben Warr (3-3) of Whittier, Calif.

In another Superfight contest, bantamweight (135 pounds) finisher Tyler Shinn (6-2) of Stillwater, Okla. will square off with KO artist and rising star Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez (4-1) of Greenville, Texas.

To date, all but one of Wallace’s victories have come by way of (T)KO (3) or submission (5). He began a run to four consecutive wins with a first round (2:39) submission (rear-naked choke) of D.J. Roberson on May 25, 2013, a streak that ended in his last start when he was submitted with a rear-naked choke by Max Griffin in the second round (2:20) of battle.

Carson, a 28-year-old member of MMA superstar Gilbert Melendez’s San Francisco, Calif.-based Skrap Pack fight team, will make his first start of 2014. In his last effort, he earned a unanimous decision over Marcio Navarro on April 12, 2013.

The 26-year-old Parks produced his best collegiate wrestling results in his senior year, earning a fifth place finish at the NCAA Championships. With a career record of 89-22, Parks made his professional MMA debut on April 27, 2013, scoring a second round (2:47) TKO on Danny Toszon with a barrage of punches.

Parks has since registered two additional victories – a second round (3:00) TKO (retirement) of Josh McCracken on June 7, 2013 and a unanimous decision over Javier Obregon on August 2, 2013.

Warr, 25, is looking for his second consecutive win after notching a unanimous decision over Jordan Isordia on August 10.

The 28-year-old Shinn is looking to regain his stride, after his three-fight win streak was suddenly halted on February 28 with a close, split decision defeat at the hands of Aaron Phillips. Prior to his latest result, Shinn produced two first round finishes – a stunning, 15-second armbar submission of Alex Ureba on April 27, 2013, and a monstrous, 58-second TKO of Jeremiah Castillo with an onslaught of punches.

Shinn extended his win streak to three straight fights on August 2, 2013 with a unanimous decision win over Laramie Shaffer.

Gutierrez is aiming for his third victory and a perfect 2014 after a first round (2:50) TKO (punches) over Justin McNally on March 7 followed by a unanimous decision over Evan Woolsey on April 5. In three of his four career victories to date, the 23-year-old Gutierrez has vanquished his opponents with barrages of punches.

The welterweight tournament field is comprised of an elite collection of fighters in submission wizards Cody “AK Kid” McKenzie (15-4) of Spokane, Wash and Jesse “JT Money” Taylor (27-10) of Murrieta, Calif.; streaking finisher Joe Ray (11-3) of Miramar, Fla.; two-time, one-night tournament winner Brock Larson (37-8) of Brainerd, Minn.; hard-hitting brawler Luigi “The Italian Tank” Fioravanti (24-11) of St. Louis, Mo.; Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Roan “Jucao” Carneiro (16-9) of Atlanta, Ga.; and Trey “That Just Happened?” Houston (11-2) of Bixby, Okla.

BattleGrounds MMA ‘O.N.E.’ will be distributed at a price point of $19.95 in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing, beginning at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on both cable and satellite pay-per-view carriers iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH and Avail-TVN in the United States and Bell TV, Rogers, SaskTel, TELUS, MTS and SHAW PPV in Canada. A pre-show will begin at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST. In addition, the event will be available online as an iPPV at a price point of $19.95 on Go Fight Live (www.gfl.tv).

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and recently retired UFC superstar Chael Sonnen will call the action live from cageside.

Tickets for the event, priced from $65, can be purchased online at www.bokcenter.com as well as at Arby’s Box Office at the BOK Center, all ticket outlets, or by calling 1-800-7-BOKCTR.

Doors at BOK Center open at 6 p.m. CST on Oct. 3. The first preliminary bout will begin at 7:15 p.m.

About BattleGrounds MMA

BattleGrounds MMA (www.battlegroundsone.com) is a world championship professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion designed to place combative sports athletes on a major stage in the most challenging and exciting format possible: one-night, single-elimination tournaments that reveal the toughest competitors in their respective weight divisions. Launched by Olympic wrestling legend Kenny Monday and Bryan O’Rourke in 2012 as a regional organization in Tulsa, OK to unearth promising new talent in one of MMA’s biggest hotbeds, the promotion is quickly capturing the hearts of fans nationwide as it brings about an exciting new era in the world’s fastest growing sport.

About the BOK Center:
The BOK Center is Tulsa’s state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue that opened in fall 2008. The 19,199-seat arena is home to the WNBA Tulsa Shock and the CHL Tulsa Oilers. The BOK Center was designed to host major concerts, family shows, ice shows, and other world class entertainment. Owned by the City Of Tulsa, the BOK Center is part of Vision 2025, a project to grow economic and community infrastructure for future generations. In 2011, the BOK Center won the prestigious International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) Venue Excellence Award.

About SMG
Founded in 1977, SMG provides management services to more than 230 public assembly facilities including convention and exhibition centers, arenas, stadiums, theatres, performing arts centers, equestrian facilities, science centers and a variety of other venues. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 14.4 million square feet of exhibition space and over 1.75 million sports and entertainment seats. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides venue management, sales, marketing, event booking and programming, construction and design consulting, and pre-opening services for such landmark facilities as McCormick Place & Soldier Field in Chicago, Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, Houston’s Reliant Park and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through its concessions, catering and special events division, SAVOR, currently servicing more than 100 accounts worldwide. For more information visit www.smgworld.com.

“It is with overwhelming regret that we announce the passing of Dan Goossen, 64, from complications relating to liver cancer. The sudden news of his diagnosis was very much a private matter and his final days were spent surrounded by his family and closest friends. Sadness is difficult to escape as we grieve his passing, however we are filled with pride by the fact that Dan Goossen battled this aggressive illness with boundless strength and the last days of his life were fought and lived with unflinching bravery, pure love and grace beyond measure.”

Arrangements are pending and details will be announced in the next few days.

Tyrone Everett had just finished cleaning Alfredo Escalera’s clock for most of the 15 rounds they fought and ring announcer Ed Derian grabbed the microphone to read the scores. It was Nov. 30, 1976, at The Spectrum in Philadelphia and Escalera’s WBC junior lightweight title belt was mere seconds from being transferred to Everett’s waist.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the scoring as follows: Judge Lou Tress has scored it 145 Escalera, 143 Everett.” Boos rained down from every corner of the building.

I stood there at the ring, my hands on the canvas, and I couldn’t believe that Eddie had just embarrassed himself in front of 16,019 fans, the largest crowd ever to watch a fight indoors in Pennsylvania. How in the world, I thought, could he possibly have read the score backward, especially from a judge from Philadelphia?

When Eddie went on to say that “Judge Ismael Fernandez, of Puerto Rico, has scored it Escalera 146, Everett 143,” I knew then what I know to this day—boxing’s dirty laundry had been hung out to dry and I felt like someone had pulled down my pants in public.

The point of this story is not to rehash one of the worst decisions in boxing history, but to point out that by killing the suspense right off the bat, Eddie had saved hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to the building. Had he announced Mexican referee Ray Solis’ score of 148-146 for Everett in between the two scores for Escalera, I believe the built-up suspense would have created such bad vibes that the pro-Everett crowd would have destroyed the Spectrum.

I thought about that night when I got the news Saturday from former Philadelphia Daily News boxing writer Bernard Fernandez that Eddie had passed away the day before at the age of 77.

“Action? You better believe it!” That was Eddie’s favorite line from his early days in the mid-1970s when he was the on-air announcer for the Roller Games, when female stars like Judy Arnold, Judy Sowinski and Yvonne Riggins and the Philadelphia Warriors battled it out with the visitors at the old Arena at 46th & Market Streets in West Philadelphia.

Rose Patterson worked the box office for the Roller Games at the Arena and when she later went to work for Frank Gelb in the boxing business, she suggested Eddie look into ring announcing and that’s how he got his start.

In those days, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission appointed the ring announcer and Eddie soon became the best of the lot. The Everett-Escalera fight gained him worldwide notoriety. By the mid-1980s, I had convinced the commission to let the promoter choose the announcer.

When Top Rank broke into Atlantic City with ESPN Boxing in 1980, Gelb got Eddie the slot and he was a fixture for a few years until Michael Buffer displaced him. Eddie never got over that; he always wore his heart on his sleeve.

Someone once reminded me that there is no such thing as 99 percent loyalty and Eddie, so long as he was healthy and available, was always my announcer, either in Philadelphia or Atlantic City.

Despite our relationship, I always tried to get him to eliminate his shtick.

“Eddie,” I’d say, “a fighter doesn’t tip the scales at 143 pounds; he simply weighs 143 pounds. And he doesn’t come all the way from San Diego, California; he is from San Diego, California. And he is not a fine young pugilist.”
For a show or two, I actually got Eddie to play it straight, but then he went back to his ways and I guess that’s what made him so endearing to the fans.

Everybody was honorable!

“The honorable Jersey Joe Walcott, commissioner,” he would intone. Then it became “the honorable Robert W. Lee, commissioner,” or “the honorable Howard E. McCall, commissioner,” in Pennsylvania. We’d start joking about introducing people in the crowd, the honorable this or the honorable that.

I loved it when he’d introduce a fighter and repeat the name, such as Bennie Briscoe…Briscoe. He picked that up from Johnny Addie, who did the cards at Madison Square Garden from the late 1940s through the early 1970s.

He was a fixture at USA Network’s Tuesday Night Fights from the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. And although I cannot remember whether it was my idea or his, he began opening those shows by saying “live, from the Legendary Blue Horizon in the boxing capital of the East Coast, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania….” He was as much a part of the Blue Horizon’s legacy as the fighters he introduced.

Eddie’s real name was Setrak Ejdaharian. He would have had fun introducing that one. He was Armenian and proud of it and his day job was selling automobile parts. He and his wife Roxie and me and my wife Linda enjoyed good times at a variety of Middle East restaurants in the Philadelphia area. He was a celebrity in every one of them. When Roxie passed away two years ago, she took a piece of Eddie with her.

He remains one of the finest ring announcers of all-time and his induction into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010 was long overdue. I’m not going to turn this column sour by saying he belongs on the ballot at Canastota, NY, so I’ll leave that alone.

His passing is another reminder of the days when boxing was still an integral part of the Philadelphia and Atlantic City sports scene. I miss that and I’ll miss him more.

Todd Grisham and analyst Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN’s previously announced ESPN Boxing Special presented by Corona Extra airing live on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and WatchESPN. The show from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., will feature a 12-round IBF eliminator between Middleweight contenders Hassan “El Fenómeno” N’Dam (30-1, 18 KOs) and Curtis “Showtime” Stevens (27-4, 20 KOs). The winner of the bout will earn the right to fight for the IBF Middleweight title, currently held by Australia’s Sam Soliman. The card is promoted by King Sports.

ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra will also present the card live on broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+ and will televise the card on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 10 p.m. on ESPN Deportes. Pablo Viruega and analyst Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights for Noche de Combates, while Claudia Trejos and Leopoldo González will anchor the studio. Bi-lingual reporter Bernardo Osuna will present live reports and interviews for both ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Main Event:
France’s N’Dam, a former Middleweight titlist, has won his last three fights, including a 10-round unanimous decision win over Fulgencio Zuniga in April.

“I think Curtis Stevens is a great fighter – he’s unbelievably strong and can knock you out with either hand. But, I think he’s limited when it comes to fighting a boxer like Hassan,” said N’Dam’s manager Gary Hyde. “I think the key to this fight is just Hassan being himself. He’s got lovely lateral movement and he’s a fantastic boxer. He’s got the Ali-Leonard style, and that’s what he should stick with against Stevens.”

Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Stevens, who challenged current Middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin for his belt in 2013, has won his last two fights and is coming off a 10th-round TKO win over 2008 Olympian Tureano Johnson.

“I really expect Curtis to be super explosive,” said Stevens’ trainer Andre Rozier. “He knows that this is a title eliminator which will bring him to fighting the winner of the Jermain Taylor-Sam Soliman fight. So he’s literally right back in the title hunt with two steps to go – two really very short steps. I think we’re going to see a very explosive performance that ends in a big knockout.”

Co-Feature:
Wednesday’s 10-round co-feature will pit undefeated Welterweight Fredrick “General Okuna” Lawson (22-0, 20 KOs) of California against New York’s Ray “The Emperor” Narh (26-5, 21 KOs). In his last outing, Lawson scored a sixth-round TKO win over Mohamed Kayongo, while Narh is looking to rebound from a 10-round split decision loss to Chris van Heerden.

Opening Fight:
Wednesday’s show will open with an eight-round bout between undefeated Featherweight Miguel Marriaga (18-0, 16KOs) of Colombia and California’s Chris Martin (28-3-3, 9 KOs).

Springfield, VA (September 28, 2014) – WIBA welterweight champion Tori “Sho Nuff” Nelson overcame adversity and a tough opponent en route to a hard-fought ten round split decision over ultra-tough former titlist Arlene Blencowe Saturday evening at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.

Nelson, who hails from nearby Ashburn, VA and is regarded as a top pound for pound fighter, came into the bout with a lot of confidence due to excellent performances of late. Blencowe however didn’t come all the way from Australia to not put up a serious fight.

In the opening round, Blencowe silenced the pro-Nelson by coming out strong and hurting Nelson early on. The 37-year-old Nelson remained calm and recovered to outbox the rugged Blencowe.

Scores were 96-94 twice for Nelson and 97-93 Blencowe.

“She really came to fight and I knew she was going to be tough because of the opposition she’s fought and her background in MMA” said Nelson, who improved to 11-0-3 with 1 win by knockout. “It was a good fight and I’m the first to admit this wasn’t my best performance but I definitely outboxed her and did enough to keep my title.”

Nelson also dismissed the notion that she may have received a hometown decision.

“I was making her miss later on and countering her well in the second half of the fight. Both my corner and I were confident that after the first few rounds, I was in control and took over down the stretch. Keeping my title is harder than winning it was and I always have to stay two steps ahead of the competition. I’m going back to the gym tomorrow to prepare for my next fight!”

Nelson returns Saturday, November 15 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA to defend her title against an opponent to be named.

In the co-feature, Tyrieshia “Lady Tyga” Douglas captured the USBU flyweight title after blowing out Whitney Gunter in eighty two seconds. Douglas, a Washington DC native who lives and trains in Baltimore, dropped Gunter twice before referee Alisha Daniels stopped the bout.

Douglas, one of the most talented young female fighters in the world of boxing, is now 6-0 with two wins by knockout.

In undercard action, surging cruiserweight Travis “Seever” Reeves stopped Ariel Espinal in the third round, unbeaten junior welterweight Seth “Killer B” Billups overcame a knockdown to score a second round stoppage over Ty Felton, featherweight Alexandru Marin stopped Rasool Shakur in the third, light heavyweight Larry Pryor demolished Santos Martinez in the first round and junior welterweight Henry Goss drew with Anthony Dave.

Dubbed as “World Championship Boxing”, the card was promoted by Ponytail Promotions.

Founded in 2014 by respected Baltimore-based boxing businessman James Hogan, Ponytail Promotions envisions becoming one of the top promotional firms in the United States. With a keen interest in both male and female fighters, Ponytail Promotions will run a total of 10-12 shows per year in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC and North Carolina.

King’ Arthur Abraham (41-4, 28 KOs) retained his WBO World Super Middleweight crown with a unanimous points decision against Paul Smith (35-4, 20 KOs) in Kiel, Germany. After twelve rounds of non-stop action in front of a sell-out crowd at the Sparkassen-Arena the judges scored the fight 117-111, 117-111 and 119-109 in favour of the defending champion.

‘’It was a tough fight,’’ said Abraham. ‘’Paul Smith was by no means an easy opponent and he made me work hard for the win. I was pleased with my performance. I feel that I have proved to myself, to my coach Ulli Wegner and to my fans that I still have what it takes. I’m not in decline and I look forward to more successful defences of my WBO title.’’

The challenger Smith more than played his part in a competitive contest and was left disappointed with the judges’ decision. ‘’First and foremost I’d like to say that I have a lot of respect for Arthur Abraham,’’ said the Liverpudlian. ‘’He is a great champion and tonight we had a great fight. But I think the judges got it wrong. I’ve been waiting a long time for this opportunity. I just wanted a fair crack at the whip and I don’t think I got that.’’

There were immediate calls for a rematch by Team Smith. When pressed on the possibility of a return fight ‘King Arthur’ admitted he would be willing to face the British boxer again. ‘’Of course I would fight Paul again,’’ said the Armenian-born German. ‘’I’m sure it would be another exciting fight. However the circumstances would need to be right. At the moment the most interesting fight for me would be Sturm or Stieglitz.’’

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: ‘’Both fighters played their part in an extremely entertaining fight. I have a lot of respect Paul, his family and his team. He did himself proud tonight. But Arthur has shown yet again that he belongs at the top of the division. A rematch with Paul is a possibility but first we will be looking at the winner of Felix Sturm and Robert Stieglitz.’’

ORANGE, Calif. (Sept. 27, 2014) – Jose “Gato” Roman dominated Hector Velazquez, one of the most experienced boxers in the lightweight division, and with that resounding victory, successfully defended his WBC CABOFE Lightweight Championship in the 8-round “Path to Glory” main event promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions.

The unanimous decision scores read: 79-73, 80-72, 79-73.

Roman (18-1-1, 12 KOs), who fights out of Garden Grove, Calif. and had a strong contingent of fans at the sold-out Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, used his speed, agility, and intelligence to thoroughly frustrate the 39-year-old Velazquez. To his credit, Velazquez (56-23-3, 38 KOs) tried to tie up Roman at every opportunity, but Roman maneuvered out of the traps and managed to score points on the outside.

With about thirty seconds left in the fourth round, Roman fired a relentless barrage of punches, which caught Velazquez off guard. On the way back to his corner, one could tell Velazquez was visibly shaken by the onslaught. From this point forward, Roman carefully boxed his way to a one-sided victory.

“I just implemented what we worked on during our training camp,” Roman said. “We didn’t want to give him any opportunities to gain momentum. I knew I was going to be too fast and technical for him.”

In the co-main event, Danny Roman (12-2-1, 5 KOs) of Los Angeles put on a boxing clinic through eight rounds against Jonathan Alcantara (7-12-2, 1 KO) of Sonsonate, El Salvador. Roman swept the scoring 80-72 on all three scorecards.

Roman dished out a heavy beating, routinely connecting with left hooks to the head and body. Alcantara deserves credit for remaining aggressive throughout, however, it was clear from the start that he was over matched. Roman used a quick jab to set up power shots and worked the body well in close quarters.

In a contentious fight that featured numerous holds, low blows, blood, and a torn glove, through all that, it was Ukrainian welterweight Taras Shelestyuk (9-0, 6 KOs) squeezing out an 8-round split decision (76-75, 75-76, 76-75) victory over Patrick Boozer (6-3, 2 KOs) of Ann Arbor, Mich.

The boxers, both southpaws, had their moments as the tight scores suggest, but Shelestyuk benefited greatly by Boozer’s inability to keep the punches above the belt line. Referee Ray Corona warned the Michigan native early in the fight, and in the eighth, Corona deducted a point for what appeared to be a blatant low blow. Boozer’s infraction undoubtedly had a profound impact on the scoring.

In the fourth round, Boozer’s right glove tore and had to be replaced, causing a five-minute delay. When the round resumed, Boozer opened up a nasty cut over Shelestyuk’s right eye, which gushed blood for the remainder of the fight. The Ukrainian battled through and was able to stay in the fight and land quality shots. Boozer accorded himself well, often landing hard rights, but it was Shelestyuk who took home the hard fought win. Shelestyuk is co-promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions and Banner Promotions.

Cesar Villarraga (5-0, 3 KOs) of Colombia showed why he is considered one of the best young lightweights by dominating and knocking out Oscar Santana (4-2-1, 2 KOs) of Pomona, Calif. Santana proved effective in the first two rounds, but after that, it was all Villarraga. In the third, the former Olympian was landing his left hook and straight right whenever he wanted.

Santana tried to keep his distance, but Villarraga closed the gap with an accurate jab and solid combinations. In the sixth and final round, Villarraga gave the crowd what it wanted, a pinpoint left hook to the body that dropped Santana for good at the :35 mark. Villarraga is promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions.

Super featherweight Erick Ituarte (8-1-1, 1 KO) of Santa Ana, Calif. proved the more polished prospect in his 4-round fight against Jesus Aguinaga (1-3) of Phoenix. Ituarte won a unanimous decision (39-37×3) behind an active jab and consistent power punching.

Heavyweight LaRon Mitchell (5-0, 5 KOs) of San Francisco extended his win and knockout streak with a second round KO of Eduardo Ramirez (1-1) of Yuma, Ariz. In the middle of the first round, both fighters connected flush with power shots resulting in a double knockdown. Mitchell quickly shook off the drop and managed to land shots through the rest of the round.

In the second, Mitchell attacked early and bloodied Ramirez’ nose with a heavy straight right that clearly wobbled the shorter and lighter Ramirez. Mitchell sensed a knockout and poured it on. He landed a four-punch combination that sucked the life out of Ramirez. The referee put a stop to the beat down at the 1:21 mark.

Opening the seven-bout card were lightweights Andres Figueroa (5-0, 3 KOs) of Bogota, Colombia and Carlos Zatarin (3-2-1, 1 KO) of Phoenix. Figueroa, who at 5’5″ is a bit undersized for the division, boxed his way to a 4-round unanimous decision win (39-37, 40-36, 39-37). Zatarin had a habit of opening his guard when throwing a right upper cut, which Figueroa timed nicely with a counter left. In addition to that, Figueroa landed the stronger punches and established a better defense.

“Path to Glory” was presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with KCAL 96.7 FM Rocks!, KOLA 99.9 FM, and LATV Networks.

For additional information please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter @ThompsonBoxing and Instagram.

(LAS VEGAS) September 27, 2014 – With one week to go until his first defense of his IBF Super Featherweight world title, Champion Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (20-0, 12 KOs) wraps up his final day of training camp with an intense day of sparring. Barthelemy will face challenger Fernando David Saucedo (52-2, 8 KOs) in a 12-round bout at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The fight will be televised live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT) as the main-event on Oct, 4, 2014.

“This is the best camp I’ve had since turning professional,” said Barthelemy. “My weight is good and I’m going to be well prepared for anything Saucedo brings. We did some things different in this camp as we added some old techniques from the Cuban School of boxing. I’m ready to show the world I’m the best Super Featherweight in the world. I want to thank Al Haymon and my entire team for all their support. I’m ready to show the world I’m the best Super Featherweight in the world.”

PHILADELPHIA (SEPTEMBER 27, 2014)–Set your DVRs and grab some Johnson’s Popcorn!

Below is the Comcast broadcast schedule for Tuesday Night Fights from Sept. 16th at 2300 Arena.

Monday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
The Comcast Network Philadelphia & TCN Mid-Atlantic

Friday, October 3, 8 p.m.
Comcast Sports Network – Philadelphia

Friday, October 3, 11 p.m.
TCN Philadelphia & TCN Mid-Atlantic

Sunday, October 5, 5 p.m.
TCN Philadelphia & TCN Mid-Atlantic

Sunday, October 5, 8 p.m.
Comcast Sports Network – Philadelphia

Thank you to all our sponsors for their support!
Adelphia Balis Restaurant & Bar
Club Risque
Chickie’s & Pete’s
Johnson’s Popcorn
JDK Bent Buster
Lexus of Cherry Hill
Mall Chevrolet
Sumo Steaks

The next card of Tuesday Night Fights will take place on November 25 at the 2300 Arena.

Los Angeles, CA (September 26, 2014) Due to the overwhelming demand from Southern California area boxing fans, Bleacher Seating tickets are Now On Sale priced at $53 for “Mexican Style”.

“After meeting with the StubHub Center this week we were able to add an additional 324 bleacher seats on the concourse level. With the balance of the venue virtually sold out we’re attempting to accommodate as many fans as possible for this event.” said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions.

Set for Saturday, October 18th, “Mexican Style” is headlined by the highly anticipated 12-round world middleweight title fight between Boxing’s fastest rising star, WBA/IBO Middleweight Champion, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and WBC Interim Middleweight Champion MARCO ANTONIO “El Veneno” RUBIO.

The co-feature bout on October 18th is a featherweight showdown between 2012 Fighter of the Year and four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and undefeated world champion NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS who will battle it out to determine the undisputed World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion. Donaire vs. Walters is presented by Top Rank®.

Bleacher Seating tickets priced at $53, plus applicable service charges are available online at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at the StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT).

“Mexican Style” is presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Promociones Del Pueblo.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson, CA 90746. For directions and further information, please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. PT on the day of the event with the first bell at 3:15 p.m. PT.

For fight updates on GOLOVKIN VS. RUBIO via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, in addition to on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin/ @GGGBoxing, Marco Antonio Rubio/ @MAVenenoRubio, Tom Loeffler – K2 Promotions/ @TomLoeffler1 and Promociones Del Pueblo/ @PromoDelPueblo. Use the hashtag #GolovkinRubio to join the conversation on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 26, 2014) – Framingham, Massachusetts’ Danny “Bhoy” O’Connor and Virginia’s Andrew Farmer will battle it out in the special “Monster Brawl” on Thursday, Oct. 30. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes’ Golden Boy Live! series will be held at Plymouth, Massachusetts’ Plymouth Memorial Hall, headlining another stellar night of world-class boxing action. The bout, which was originally scheduled for St. Patrick’s Day, but was postponed due to an injury sustained by O’Connor, is a Halloween treat for Boston area boxing fans.

In the co-main event, lightweight contender Sharif “The Lion” Bogere travels to the East Coast from Las Vegas to face Binan City, Laguna, Philippines’ Aaron Melgarejo in a 10-round matchup. In the four-round televised opener, Dublin middleweight standout Jason Quigley makes his Boston area debut against Miami’s Serge Cadeus. Also televised will be local sensation Mark “The Italian Bazooka” DeLuca as he competes in a six-round middleweight swing bout on Oct. 30 against an opponent to be determined.

As a special tie-in with the “Monster Brawl” theme, there will be a costume contest held for those dawning the evening’s best Halloween costumes. Cash and other prizes will be awarded to the best-dressed fans.

“The greater Boston area is proving to be one of our favorite stops as we bring Golden Boy Live! around the country and the fans here are loud, energetic, and diehard – everything we want to see and hear when we come to town,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president and founder of Golden Boy Promotions. “O’Connor vs. Farmer was a main event everyone wanted to see when it was first scheduled in March and we made every effort to make sure the fans get what they want. This will be a good one.”

“We are very excited to be bringing boxing back to Plymouth and especially to Plymouth Memorial Hall, which is one of the best venues in all of boxing. We have a great card, with Boston’s most popular fighter, Danny O’Connor in the main event. Danny rejuvenated local boxing and he’s back and poised to make a world championship run,” said promoter Ken Casey, who when not busy with his main job as the signer for the Dropkick Murphys has become a driving force in Boston area boxing promotions.

“After being out of the ring for a year, I’m so looking forward to getting back in there,” said Danny O’Connor. “I’m excited that it’s close to home and I’ll have a chance to again fight in front of my home fans that have faithfully supported me since day one. I’m not losing at home – no way.”

“Danny O’Connor is a fighter who will have the whole place behind him on Oct. 30, but when the bell rings, it’s only me and him in there,” said Farmer. “I’m looking forward to quieting the crowd and getting the victory I should have had in March.”

Crowd favorite Danny O’Connor (23-2, 7 KOs) makes his return to the ring in the 10-round main event against Andrew Farmer. The former amateur National Champion and U.S. Olympian looks to continue his march toward a title shot. In order to do this O’Connor must first get by the tough and capable Farmer. Framingham native O’Connor has been out of the ring since October 2013, and his return to the ring expects to be a rousing homecoming. “Clan O’Connor,” Danny’s passionate fan base, is expected to come in droves, armed with their trusty drums and fervent chants.

Front Royal, Virginia’s Andrew Farmer (18-2, 7 KOs) has no problem traveling into O’Connor’s backyard to fight. After winning 14 of his last 15 bouts, including five straight, the 28-year-old has the confidence that when the bell sounds, he’s got the goods to upset the hometown favorite.

A native of Uganda now fighting out of Las Vegas, 25-year-old Sharif Bogere (25-1, 17 KOs) has bounced back nicely from the lone loss of his career in a 2013 title bout against Richar Abril, stopping Arturo Urena and Miguel Zamudio in 2014. Now looking to get back into the championship race, “The Lion” will fight on the East Coast for the first time in his career this Oct.

Philippine native Aaron Melgarejo (17-7-1, 6 KOs), a winner of four of his last five bouts, will be returning to the ring after a five-year hiatus. Melgarejo’s matchup with Bogere will mark the first time that Melgarejo has fought since Oct. 2009. The veteran will look to remove any ring rust and take command early on Oct. 30.

Whitman, Massachusetts’ hometown favorite and former U.S. Marine combat veteran Mark DeLuca (11-0, 8 KOs) will look to continue his impressive undefeated streak with a twelfth consecutive professional victory. There’s little doubt who the fan favorite will be on Oct. 30 as DeLuca returns to the ring just over one month after another impressive knockout in mid-September.

Former Irish amateur star Jason Quigley (2-0, 2 KOs) should also have plenty of support from the local crowd as he seeks his third professional win. Already drawing rave reviews for his knockouts of Howard Reece and Fernando Najera, the 23-year-old is eager to keep the positive notices going this fall.

Brooklyn’s Serge Cadeus (1-0), fighting by way of Miami, Fla., will be vying for his second professional victory after his unanimous decision win in August over Yoeglys Duverger.

“Monster Brawl: O’Connor vs. Farmer,” a 10-round welterweight bout, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Murphys Boxing and Back East Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Mexico – Live It To Believe It! and Brennan’s Smoke Shop. Plymouth Memorial Hall doors open at 6:00 p.m. ET and the first fight starts at 7:00 p.m. ET. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $100 (Rindside – Reserved seating), $80 (Floor seating – Reserved), $65 (Mezzanine – General admission) and $45 (Balcony – General admission) are available for purchase now at any of the six Brennan’s Smoke Shop locations which can found at http://www.brennanssmokeshopma.com/location.html or by visiting www.murphysboxing.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.murphysboxing.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/murphysboxing,www.twitter.com/DOC_Boxing and www.twitter.com/HOBBoston, www.twitter.com/dropkickmurphys, www.twitter.com/kendkm, follow the conversation using #GoldenBoyLive, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page. Also, visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing. For more information on FOX Sports 1 visit FOXSports.com and become a follower on @FOXSports1 and @FOXDeportes.

Moscow, Russia (September 26, 2014)– Former WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov was joined in his native Russia by his promoter Artie Pelullo and trainer Freddie Roach.

The three,along with manager Vadim Kornilov are in Russia to discuss Provodnikov’s next bout, which will take place in his homeland before the end of the year.

Provodnikov has made his feelings known that he wants a rematch with Chris Algieri early in 2015.

LONDON (26 SEPT) Hennessy Sports have announced today that the event on October 4th at Glow, Bluewater has now been postponed due to British champion and MaxiNutrition finalist Bob Ajisafe suffering a lower back injury sustained during training.

The Final of the Light Heavyweight tournament between Bob Ajisafe and Travis Dickinson will now be held at Glow, Bluewater on Saturday 8th November.

Tickets already purchased for the event will be valid to be used for the rescheduled date on Saturday November 8th.

If you require a refund please contact the point of purchase.

Tickets to see who will lift the MAXINUTRITITON TROPHY are available to purchase from Ticketline.co.uk or by calling the Ticketline box office on
0844 888 9991

Ticket are priced £25 for General Admission, £50 Outer Ringside Reserved Seating, £100 Inner Ringside Reserved and £120 Inner Ringside Reserved (Please note that the £120 ringside tickets will secure you a seat in the first 3 rows)

Monaco/Johannesburg, September 26 – By his own admission, unbeaten light-heavyweight Ryno “The Lion” Liebenberg has a big mouth.

The WBC #4, IBF #8 and WBO #15 says that the difference between him and many other fighters is that he backs up his boasts with his boxing.
“I’ll fight King Kong, Mike Tyson, whoever. You can say I have a big mouth, but I always deliver. Even my wife agrees I have a big mouth,” says the cocky South African (16-0, 11 KOs).
That same mouth has goaded and taunted Colombian Eleider Alvarez (15-0, 8 KOs), the WBC #12, WBA #2 and WBO #3, who fights Liebenberg in an intriguing battle of unbeaten prospects on the Golden Gloves “Title Tornado” tournament in Monte Carlo on October 25.

“He’s got no manners, but I’ll be teaching him some,” said Liebenberg, referring to Alvarez’s January fight against Andrew Gardiner in which, Liebenberg claims, Alvarez swore at the Canadian after being offered a congratulatory handshake.
Liebenberg constantly bates Alvarez on Twitter in an undisguised attempt to get under the skin of the Montreal-based Alvarez.
The South African is one of the sport’s supreme talkers and has an unusually self-deprecating view of his fighting style. “I’m never gonna be slick like a Mayweather or a Pernell Whitaker; it’s not what I do. I wouldn’t know how. If I try and be someone I’m not, I’ll come up short. You can’t learn how to box . . . you box a certain way and that’s it. You can always tighten up and be more polished, but the essence remains.
“I work on my strengths. I never used to think I could punch, but as a pro I’ve banged out a lot of guys. Thirteen of my 16 fights have been at light-heavy, with 11 of them stoppages. I’m tough, I can take a punch and I’m fit and strong.”
It’s a style that has served him well, particularly as he turned professional at the relatively advanced age of 27.
“He’s all heart,” says promoter Rodney Berman. “I had my doubts in the beginning, but he just kept winning. I’m quite sure Alvarez could beat him, but to do so would require a bigger heart than Ryno. I’m not sure that’s possible. What I do know is that it will be a helluva fight.”
Going into his most recent bout, against Russia’s Denis Grachev, he had three back-to-back first round stoppages. An early cut in their August fight troubled Liebenberg, but he boxed well down the stretch to earn a decision win in claiming the WBC’s vacant Silver belt.
He said the main thing he learned fighting Grachev was the need to work and train even harder. “I went 12 rounds and never gassed, but I realised I had to do more. I know that boxing is the only sport in the world where your best might not be good enough. I must be much better prepared mentally and physically.”
He is just coming off the endurance phase of training and moving into what he calls the “explosive” phase of his build-up with under a month to go until his Monaco outing. This includes regular sparring with Nkululeko Mhlongo, the South African junior-middleweight champion, who offers excellent work, and up-and-coming prospect Alfonso Tissen, among others.
Liebenberg trains twice a day, six days a week, all the while holding down his day job of running the family-owned paint store on the west side of Johannesburg.
For all his bravado, Liebenberg makes no bones about his respect for Alvarez’s boxing.
“He’s very good, with a fast jab, fast combinations and a good uppercut and left hook. He has enough skill and talent to beat anyone at light-heavyweight. We’re both 30, so there’s no chance of ducking anyone. Eventually you have to fight whoever is put in front of you. I’ll fight anyone and, the thing is, I’m not afraid of losing, it’s not the end of the world. But at my age, I have no intention of doing so.”
Liebenberg’s candour is refreshing in this age of preening PR-talk and polished images. He admits his honesty “can bite me in the arse”, but says it “sucks” to go to boring press conferences where boxers spew clichéd soundbites instead of talking the truth. He is many things, but boring isn’t one of them.
Unfazed by fighting overseas for the first time, Liebenberg is predicting a late stoppage win.
“This guy has never been knocked down, he can take a punch. But can he take a punch from me? Yes, he beat a puncher like Edison Miranda, but Miranda was a banger at middleweight, not light-heavy.
“I suspect Alvarez will box my ears off the first four or so rounds, but then I’ll start breaking him down. If I hit and land cleanly, he’s gone. After six, it’s my fight. I’ve told him, too – I’m gonna knock him out.”
That’s Liebenberg, talking the talk and, for now, walking the walk.
We’ll see on October 25.

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.

Ontario, CA (September 25, 2014)–2012 Olympic bronze medal winner Taras Shelestyuk (8-0, 6 KO’s) of Sumy, Ukraine weighed in at 146.7 while opponent Patrick Boozer (6-2, 2 KO’s) of Ann Arbor, Michigan, weighed in at 146.4 for Friday night’s 8-round Welterweight bout at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California.

Shelestyuk, who represented Ukraine in the 2012 Olympics, has won his last three bouts by stoppage. In his last two bouts, he has finished off his opponent in the 1st round.

Shelestyuk is promoted by Banner Promotions.

The show is promoted by Thompson Boxing.

Los Angeles, CA (September 25, 2014) Two additional bouts have been confirmed to the acclaimed “MEXICAN STYLE” world championship professional boxing event set for Saturday, October 18 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California which will be televised on HBO Latino beginning at 12:45 a.m. ET/PT (on tape delay).

In a 10-round light heavyweight battle, former world title challenger EDWIN “La Bomba” RODRIGUEZ will face off against fast rising contender AZEA AUGUSTAMA of Miami, Florida.

Opening the HBO LATINO BOXING telecast will be an evenly matched 10-round middleweight clash between hard-hitting contenders MARCOS “Dorado” REYES of Chihuahua, Mexico and El Paso, Texas native ABRAHAM “Abie” HAN.

“Adding these two action packed bouts to an already stellar card validates this as one of the premier boxing events of 2014” said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions. “We’ve met with the StubHub Center Team this week and are exploring options to add more tickets to this event.”

Presented by K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions and Promociones Del Pueblo, “MEXICAN STYLE” is headlined by Boxing’s fastest rising star, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, defending his WBA/IBO Middleweight World Titles against WBC Interim Champion MARCO ANTONIO “El Veneno” RUBIO in the scheduled 12-round main event.

The co-feature bout on October 18th is a featherweight showdown between 2012 Fighter of the Year and four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE, 33-2-0 (21KO’s) and undefeated world champion NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS, 24-0-0 (20KO’s) who will battle it out to determine the undisputed World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion. Donaire vs. Walters is presented by Top Rank®.

Both world title fights will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. With a simulcast on the HBO Latino service.

RODRIGUEZ vs. AUGUSTAMA is presented by DiBella Entertainment.

“We’re happy that Edwin is returning to the ring where he belongs, in the light heavyweight division,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Augustama is an excellent test for Edwin’s move into the light heavyweight division.”

Said Rodriguez, “I’m excited to be returning to action and to get back on HBO. I’ve had a really good training camp with great sparring preparation. I feel that with my last fight against Andre Ward, my body was telling me that I needed to move up in weight.”

“This is Edwin’s first fight at 175 pounds,” said Augustama. “He picked the wrong light heavyweight. I feel sorry for him. He picked the wrong guy to come back against. It will be the biggest mistake of his career.”

After impressively stopping the previously undefeated Jason Escalera in eight rounds in September 2012 on HBO Boxing After Dark®, Edwin participated in and won the ‘Million Dollar Super Four’ tournament in Monte Carlo, Monaco, defeating the 19-0 Ezequiel Maderna via 10-round unanimous decision and demolishing the 13-1-1 Denis Grachev by TKO inside the opening frame. His performances in the tournament earned him a shot at the WBA Super Middleweight Champion Andre Ward.

On November 16, 2013, Edwin worked hard to bring the fight on the inside and take Ward out of his game plan, but would ultimately lose a 12-round decision. Now refreshed and rejuvenated, Rodriguez is determined to reclaim his lofty highly ranked status, as a light heavyweight.

Haitian-born Azea Augustama is an extremely fast and agile boxer/puncher with a lethal straight right hand.

After losing a controversial eight-round majority decision to the 8-0 Denis Grachev in 2011, Augustama has gone on to score eight straight victories, over the likes of durable and hardnosed opponents Billy Bailey, Rayco Saunders and Cory Cummings. Against Jermain Mackey this past January, Augustama picked up the WBC Fecarbox title by winning a unanimous eight-round decision.

Sporting a record of 32-1-0 (24KO’s) and well known in Mexico for his show stopping knockout victories, the 26-year-old Reyes is undefeated over the last four years, a winning streak of nineteen bouts.

Making his third start of 2014, Reyes is coming off a ten round unanimous decision over Octavio Castro on June 7th in his hometown of Chihuahua, Mexico.

With a distinguished record of 22-1-0 (14KO’s) over his seven-year professional career, the 29-year-old Han will be looking to stay in the win column, riding a three bout undefeated streak.

Most recently Han thrilled his legion of local fans with a second round knockout of perennial contender J.C. Candelo on April 5th in El Paso, Texas.

Han’s only loss came to highly regarded contender Glen Tapia in July 2013.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson, CA 90746. For directions and further information, please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. PT on the day of the event for a full program of world class boxing with the first bell at 3:15 p.m. PT.

For fight updates on GOLOVKIN VS. RUBIO via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, in addition to on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin/ @GGGBoxing, Marco Antonio Rubio/ @MAVenenoRubio, Tom Loeffler – K2 Promotions/ @TomLoeffler1 and Promociones Del Pueblo/ @PromoDelPueblo. Use the hashtag #GolovkinRubio to join the conversation on Twitter.

ORANGE, Calif. (Sept. 25, 2014) – Lightweight champion Jose Roman (17-1-1, 12 KOs) of Garden Grove, Calif. defends his WBC CABOFE Lightweight Title against veteran Hector Velazquez (56-22-3, 38 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex. in the 8-round “Path to Glory” main event. Roman-Velazquez is part of a seven-bout fight card promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions and is set for Friday, Sept. 26, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

General admission tickets for “Path to Glory” are available at $40. Boxing fans can purchase tomorrow at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. See address below.

WEIGHTS

Jose Roman, 134.5 vs. Hector Velazquez, 135
Danny Roman, 121.8 vs. Jonathan Alcantara, 121.5
Taras Shelestyuk, 146.7 vs. Patrick Boozer, 146.4
Cesar Villarraga, 133.6 vs. Oscar Santana, 132.2
Erick Ituarte, 129.4 vs. Jesus Aguinaga, 129.8
LaRon Mitchell, 249.9 vs. Eduardo Ramirez, 229.9
Andres Figueroa, 133.7 vs. Carlos Zatarin, 134

For additional details on “Path to Glory,” please click here.

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

“Path to Glory” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with KCAL 96.7 FM Rocks!, KOLA 99.9 FM, and LATV Networks.

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

Danny Roman, 121.8 vs. Jonathan Alcantara, 121.5

Taras Shelestyuk, 146.7 vs. Patrick Boozer, 146.4 w/ James Toney in background

Ken Thompson, Shelestyuk, Boozer, & former world champ James Toney

Cesar Villarraga, 133.6 vs. Oscar Santana, 132.2

Erick Ituarte, 129.4 vs. Jesus Aguinaga, 129.8

LaRon Mitchell, 249.9 vs. Eduardo Ramirez, 229.9

Andres Figueroa, 133.7 vs. Carlos Zatarin, 134

Roman defends his WBC CABOFE Lightweight Championship vs. Velazquez

NEW YORK (Sept. 25, 2014) — 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 main event of a SHOWTIME Boxing Special Edition quadrupleheader on Saturday, Oct. 4, live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, Conn.

In other 10-round fights on a four-fight telecast: Willie “The Great” Nelson (23-1-1, 13 KOs), of Cleveland, Ohio, will be opposed by 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, and promising middleweight Dominic “Lights Out” Wade (16-0, 11 KOs) of Largo, Md. will put his perfect record on the line against KeAndre Leatherwood (14-2-1, 10 KOs), of Birmingham, Ala.

The 5-foot-11, 29-year-old Barthelemy, a boxer-puncher with good skills, movement and punching power, is making the first defense of the 130-pound title he won with a dominant 12-round decision over defending champion Argenis Mendez in his last fight on July 10 in Miami, Fla.

The victory, scored 115-111 three times, came in a rematch of a bizarre scrap on Jan. 3, 2014, in Minneapolis that went into the books as a no-decision after the former Cuban amateur standout knocked Mendez out after the bell had sounded to end the second round.

With Mendez finally in his rearview mirror, Barthelemy is looking forward to Oct. 4 and beyond.

“I’m very excited to be fighting on SHOWTIME for the first time,’’ said Bathelemy, who defected from Cuba shortly before his pro debut in September 2009. “The goal when you start out your career is to win a world title and fight on a major network. Now that I have accomplished both I want to prove I’m one of the best fighters in the world.

“Saucedo has fought a lot of guys. He’s one of the highest ranked contenders in the IBF so I’m coming in totally prepared and focused. I want to win obviously, but I’d like to win impressively.

“I want to show everybody that I’m the best at 130 pounds no ifs, ands or butts, and that includes Mikey Garcia, Orlando Salido, who’s called me out … So the opportunities are there for me. But first I have to defeat Saucedo.’’

A veteran of 60 pro fights, the 33-year-old, 5-foot-7 Saucedo has won 14 in a row, including seven by way of knockout. This will be not only his first time fighting on SHOWTIME, but also his first time fighting in the United States.

His last loss came in his first world title fight on a 12-round unanimous decision to WBA 126-pound titleholder and hometown favorite Chris John on Dec. 5, 2010, in Jakarta, Indonesia.

“Saucedo is a veteran who gets one last chance to prove he can succeed at the highest level,’’ said SHOWTIME Expert Analyst Steve Farhood. “To date, he’s been strong in Argentina but less effective outside his native country. Barthelemy is one of the brighter young titlists in boxing.’’

Saucedo, who captured the WBC Silver 130-pound belt three outings ago, is coming off a third-round TKO over Luis Juarez, last June 27 in Buenos Aires.

Farhood regards the co-feature between Nelson and Martirosyan as a “throwback fight between contenders where the stakes are self-evident.’’

“This type of matchup you don’t see anymore,’’ Farhood said. “Martirosyan is a legitimate top-10 contender while Nelson is just outside the top 10. The winner will be clearly in line for a shot at a title.’’

Nelson, a 6-foot-3½, 27-year-old, has won seven in a row since his lone defeat (on ShoBox on an eight-round majority decision to Vincent Arroyo in April 2011). Nelson was triumphant in his other ShoBox start on a unanimous 10-round decision (97-92 twice and 95-94) over left-handed former Cuban amateur star and previously unbeaten prospect Yudel Jhonson in May 2012.

After dealing Johnson his initial setback, Nelson, who’s very tall for the weight class, upset undefeated prospect and 2008 Virgin Islands Olympian, John Jackson, on a unanimous 10-round decision (98-92 and 96-94 twice) to capture the NABF 154-pound belt on Sept. 15, 2012.

Nelson underwent surgery on his left elbow in late 2013, but has fought twice since, winning a clear 10-round decision over hard-trying Luis Grajeda in his most recent outing last Aug. 8.

An amateur standout before going pro in May 2006, Nelson doesn’t plan to make radical changes in his style and technique against Armenian-born Martirosyan.

“I think Martirosyan is a good fighter,’’ said Nelson, a former U.S, amateur standout and eight-year pro. “He’s well-rounded–decent speed, decent power. But I’m going to use the same game plan for him as I do for everybody else. I’m not going to change nothing. Basically, I’m just going to work on keeping him on the outside on the end of my punches.”

Martirosyan, 28, is coming off a unanimous 10-round decision over Mario Lozano last March 21 in Cabazon, Calif. In his first start for new trainer, Joe Goossen, and new promoter, Goossen Tutor, Martirosyan dominated; he scored a knockdown with a right hand in the second and consistently outboxed and outworked Lozano to win going away by 100-89 three times.

A 2004 U.S. Olympian, Martirosyan is 6-foot-tall boxer-puncher who possesses good power, movement and speed. He’ll be looking to make it two-for-two for his new team on Oct. 4.

“I’ve been training for this fight for over 2 and a half months–it’s been a long camp,’’ said Martirosyan, who lost a 12-round split decision to undefeated lefthander and 2008 U.S. Olympian Demetrius Andrade (117-110, 114-113 and 112-115) in a fight for the vacant WBO junior middleweight belt on Nov. 19, 2013. “Every time I spar, I’m sparring 15 rounds, 20 rounds. We’re working really hard. I’ve never in my life sparred so long or experienced something like this.

“I think Nelson is a good fighter. He always finds a way to win even though he gets hurt or dropped, and you’ve got to respect him for that. But he has to respect me, too, because I’ve never been so hungry in my life,” said Martirosyan. “This is basically do-or-die for me.”

In a sensational amateur career in which he was an eight-time National champion, the lanky Martirosyan upended Timothy Bradley, who went on to win super lightweight and welterweight world titles, Austin Trout, who would become the WBA super welterweight titlist, and Andre Berto, who went on to win the WBC and IBF welterweight belt.

In the second televised fight of the evening, “Bad Chad” continues the second chapter of his career, as he calls it, against Pennsylvania native Karpency in an attempt to get a step closer to another world title shot.

Dawson is coming off a 2:35 first-round knockout over George Blades last June 21 on SHOWTIME EXTREME®.

The knockout over the outclassed Blades snapped a two-fight losing streak for the former two-time light heavyweight world champion. ”It was good to get some of the ring rust off,’’ he said. “I think the time off did me a lot of good. I got a little rest and got to spend time with my family.

“With that fight out of the way, I’ll be sharper and in better shape this time. Nothing’s really changed for me. I’m just back to being myself and working hard and doing the right things. I’m strong and I’ve got that hunger back. ’’

Once considered one of the most talented pound-for-pound boxers in the world and the last fighter to defeat Bernard Hopkins, “Bad Chad” also owns victories over Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson (twice each), Tomasz Adamek and Adrian Diaconu. This will be his first fight in Connecticut since he unanimously outpointed Johnson in their rematch in November 2009, and his first at Foxwoods since 2004.

But questions remain about whether Dawson can regain his past form. “Dawson is at a point in his career where he has to give fans reason to think he can again be a dominant light heavyweight again,’’ Farhood said.

Fellow southpaw Karpency, 28, has won two consecutive fights, including a unanimous 10-round decision over Dhalir Smith last July 26. He has experience against good opposition. In February 2012, he fought WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly in England; in his next fight he met hard-hitting, world-ranked Andrzej Fonfara. He’s also been in with Karo Murat.

Wade and Leatherwood will square off to open the telecast in a 10-round middleweight bout.

Twenty-five-year-old Wade has won five in a row since returning to the ring in February 2013 after a two-year layoff. In his ShoBox debut and first scheduled 10-rounder, the former amateur star stepped up in class and won a unanimous decision over Nick Brinson. He also registered a spectacular one-punch second-round TKO over Marcus Upshaw.

Leatherwood is a 5-foot-10, 25-year-old who’s won two straight fights since losing a 10-round decision to Hugo Centeno in a disappointing effort in his ShoBox debut on March 8, 2013. Leatherwood is coming off a first-round knockout over Mickey Scarborough last April 5.

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. The first live, non-televised fight is at 6:30 pm. The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing with the co-featured Nelson-Martirosyan match promoted in association with Rumble Time Promotions and Goossen Tutor Promotions.

Barry Tompkins will call the SHOWTIME BOXING Special Edition action with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

Washington, D.C. (September 25, 2014) – This Friday, Washington D.C. native and undefeated Welterweight sensation, Dusty Hernandez-Harrison, will throw out the first pitch for the National League East Champions, Washington Nationals. The 1:00pm game, the first of a double header for the Nationals, kicks off the final home series for the Nats before the playoffs begin.

WBC Youth Welterweight World Champion, Hernandez-Harrison (23-0, 12 KO’s), grew up just on the other side of the bridge from where National’s Park stands today. At just 20 years old, Hernandez-Harrison relates to the dedication and passion that it takes in the aspirations of winning a World Championship.

“I am honored to be stepping on the same field as the Nationals’ players because I know what their success means to all of us in the community,” said Dusty.

Hernandez-Harrison’s promoter, Jeff Fried of All In Entertainment, noted that “an athlete’s competitive side is always present contributing to their elite status in their sport: as Dusty is practicing which of his repertoire of pitches to throw!”

Hernandez-Harrison was originally scheduled to take on Hector Muñoz on September 27 at DAR Constitution Hall for the WBC Continental Americas title; however, due to an ankle injury sustained by Hernandez-Harrison, the championship bout has been rescheduled for later in the fall in Washington, D.C. Also scheduled to compete on the championship boxing card are undefeated welterweight Larry Recio, Baltimore’s cruiserweight contender, Venroy July, rising heavyweight, Dwayne McRae and lightweight undefeated sensation, Mykal Fox, among many other exciting boxers from the DMV.

Tacoma, WA (September 25, 2014) – On Saturday October 4th at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, fans will not only see an incredible night of fights at the inaugural Super Fight League America event, but the homecoming of Mixed Martial Arts legend and Seattle native Josh “The Warmaster” Barnett.

“We are extremely happy to have Josh Barnett involved in our inaugural SFLA fights at the Emerald Queen Casino,” state promoter, Brian Halquist. “Not only does he have two fighters in title fights, but he will also be doing a personal appearance following weigh in to sign autographs and take pictures with Northwest fight fans.”

Josh attended Ballard High School, where he immediately excelled in wrestling, earning a spot in the state tournament every year and placing as high as second place during his senior year. He soon found his way to other combat sports, namely kickboxing and jiu-jitsu. In 1997, Josh competed in his first professional MMA bout, winning by submission in the very first round. After amassing a 9-0 record, he was invited to fight in the UFC.

Barnett was so impressive, that after only 4 fights with the promotion, he was given the opportunity to fight UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture for the World Heavyweight Championship. Josh won by TKO to become the youngest UFC champion in history.

Since then, Josh has fought all over the world, putting together a stellar 33-7 record, with 28 of those victories coming by way of stoppage. Josh has become a hero to countless up and coming MMA fighters and fans alike. Josh has shifted some of his attention to training and with two of his fighters preparing for championship bouts at SFLA #1, Josh’s coaching looks to have a major impact come fight night.

“I’m glad to be back in the place I’m not only from, but where I launched my career,” said Barnett. “I loved fighting in Washington and I think it’s great to give my fighters the experience to fight up here as well.”

Currently training out of Combat Submission Wrestling (CSW) with legendary instructor, Erik Paulson, Barnett is an advisor to numerous fighters, but keeps his managing focus on Los Angeles prospects, Victor Henry and Colleen Schneider. On October 4th, Barnett will be handling cornering duties for both fighters whom, as mentioned earlier, will both be fighting for SFLA Titles. Josh’s years of experience as a competitor and coach will prove invaluable as both young fighters look to leave Tacoma with the championship belts.

Barnett will be available for autographs and photos directly following weigh in at 7:30 PM on Friday, October 3rd at the Emerald Queen Hotel and Casino in Fife, WA. Weigh in is free and open to the public. Fans are encouraged to come out to the EQC to meet the UFC star along with all of the other fighters participating on the first ever Super Fight League America card.

QUICKIE FACTS

WHAT: Josh Barnett Personal Appearance (Autographs and photos)
WHERE: Emerald Queen Hotel and Casino – Fife, WA
When: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
ABOUT SUPER FIGHT LEAGUE

The Super Fight League is Asia’s leading Mixed Martial Arts organization. Over the past decade, with the guidance of state athletic commissions throughout the United States, Mixed Martial Arts has developed from a spectacle into a highly respected sport with a global audience. Major fights between world-renowned Mixed Martial Arts superstars are among the most popular sporting events of the year, surpassing pay-per-view records of boxing and professional wrestling. Sports fans around the World have made their voices heard, they want a sense of real competition when they watch sports, and MMA delivers. The Super Fight League brings Mixed Martial Arts to India and it brings it the world through its partnership with YouTube.com. MMA fans can catch all Super Fight League live and for free on TV in India and YouTube everywhere else.

Super Fight League was founded by Raj Kundra and Sanjay Dutt in 2012. Both men are proven leaders in Sports and Entertainment in India and both are well respected and successful Entrepreneurs. Collectively they have become dominant forces in India’s Bollywood and Cricket scene and now Mixed Martial Arts.
ABOUT BRIAN HALQUIST

Brian Halquist Productions is the Northwest premiere fight promotion company creator of the famed “Battle at the Boat” boxing series promoting over 17 years and 100 fights at the Emerald Queen Casino. BHP has also built the largest professional MMA series on the USA’s west coast with “CageSport MMA” promoting over 30 fights. Brian Halquist Productions has promoted events for ESPN, ShowTime and HBO and featured on Showtime’s historic boxing event in St Lucia, West Indies. Brian Halquist Productions has been promoting fights and concerts for over 30 years in the Pacific Northwest.

Las Vegas – UFCFIGHTPASS.com’s biggest month so far, dubbed the stacked September streamathon, concludes this Saturday with two evenly-matched Fight Pass Prelims, which kick-start the huge UFC 178 event.

There have been exclusively live fights every single Saturday this month on UFC FIGHT PASS, the UFC’s digital streaming service. The action began with the inaugural live stream of Invicta FC on September 6, where “The Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson blitzed challenger Yasuko Tamada in an Invicta atomweight title fight.

Then, in an exclusive UFC FIGHT NIGHT from Brazil, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski completed his fairytale comeback by knocking out two-time title challenger Bigfoot Silva in the very first round on September 13. And, last week, in what many believe to be the best action card of the year so far, UFC FIGHT NIGHT JAPAN saw Mark Hunt stun Roy Nelson in an another exclusive UFCFIGHTPASS.com card.

All these cards are available on-demand right now on UFC FIGHT PASS, but the action continues this Saturday from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as the opening fights of the night will be available exclusively live on UFC FIGHT PASS.

First, two lightweights with big ambitions collide when BJJ wizard Jon Tuck takes on the rising force of 22-year-old Kevin Lee. Both men have identically impressive 8-1 MMA career records and are coming off victories inside the Octagon.

Lee said: “We’re both 8-1, we are both coming up. One of us is going to keep coming up, and one of us is going back down. This is a huge fight for me. Not only am I here to prove I’m a contender, I’m here to prove I am a future champion. I want to really impress the fans, start to get the fans excited to see me fight, start the process of breaking out of the pack, and go from there.”

And in the opening fight of the night veteran Manny Gamburyan, 13-8-0 1NC, takes on Cody Gibson, 12-4, in a bantamweight fight neither man can afford to lose.

Gibson, 27, was a high school wrestling standout who, by his own admission, squandered the chance to become a Division I wrestler when he got to Menlo College back in the day.

He said: “I have to be honest; I beat up T.J. Dillashaw in my freshman year of college wrestling. Beat him up. I was right there; I could have really done something in wrestling. I could have competed at the Division I level, no question, but I was a dumb kid and I was having too much fun playing beer pong and partying. I regret a lot about my college days and am trying to make up for that now.”

Having quit his job as a school teacher to focus on MMA full time, Gibson has promised to make up for lost time, starting with the UFC FIGHT PASS fight vs veteran Gamburyan.

He said: “I’m fighting an Ultimate Fighter veteran and just feel fortunate to have another opportunity to prove to people what I can do against a name like him. He’s definitely the biggest name I’ve ever fought, but that doesn’t scare me or intimidate me. If I can put his name on the list of people I’ve beaten, it’s going to be a feather in my cap and catapult me to new heights in this division.”

But Gamburyan said: “He’s a good fighter but he’s not got anything I’ve not seen before at this stage of my career. I’m very experienced now, and I’ve trained very hard for this fight. I know that you can’t take any fight for granted, that doesn’t exist at this level, and Gibson is a very well rounded fighter. I’m here for a tough night.”

UFC FIGHT PASS is available now at UFCFIGHTPASS.com on personal computers, iPad, iPhone, Chromecast, Android, Samsung, LG Smart TV and Roku. Subscriptions are $9.99 month to month, $8.99 per month for six months or $7.99 per month for a one-year subscription.

All bouts live and subject to change.

Las Vegas, Nev. – The UFC® announced its popular International Fight Week will return to Las Vegas July 7-12, 2015. Since its inception, UFC International Fight Week™ has increased in size and activities, quickly establishing itself as the world’s largest mixed martial arts celebration. The weeklong festival provides high-energy, all-star entertainment that the UFC is known to deliver and includes diverse events around town providing something for everyone.

Signature events such as UFC Fan Expo, an Official Pool Party with Octagon Girls®, a free concert and Open Workouts will headline the weeklong schedule, with newer events such as Charity Bowling, and the Ulti-man® 5K Run making their return. Many of the hottest locations around town including Brooklyn Bowl, The Venetian® and The Palazzo® Las Vegas, Fremont Street Experience, LIQUID Pool at Aria and El Cortez Hotel and Casino will host special UFC-themed events. In addition, several new amateur and youth combat sport tournaments will make their debut in Las Vegas during 2015 UFC International Fight Week. The celebration will culminate with a weekend of action-packed fights, including UFC 189 on July 11.

The 2014 UFC International Fight Week drew nearly 70,000 fans of all ages and featured interactive experiences with more than 100 UFC athletes, Octagon Girls, talent and industry icons. Amateur athletes from 20 different countries also competed in tournaments, including the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation’s first World Championships for Amateur MMA.

Innovative auctions and unique fan experiences raised thousands of dollars over the week for the UFC Community Works program which benefited Three Square Food Bank, One Drop, Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada and The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada. Fans bid on the opportunity to bowl or sightsee with fighters, ran side-by-side with the stars at the fund-raising 5k, and took home original creations at “The Art of Fighting” art exhibit and auction. In addition, UFC fighters and Octagon Girls taught a free self-defense class at The Center and visited both the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada and Sunrise Children’s Hospital during this special week.

More details and the official 2015 schedule will be released in the coming months, and updates can be found at www.ufcfightweek.com as well as by following UFC International Fight Week on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@UFCFightWeek).

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

Sept. 25, 2014 – In anticipation of the fall boxing season’s signature event – the world light heavyweight unification battle between Bernard Hopkins and Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev on November 8th – HBO Sports will air “24/7 Hopkins/Kovalev,” an exhilarating one episode, 30-minute special examining the upcoming mega-showdown. In the highly-anticipated 175-pound title fight set for the venerable Boardwalk Hall arena in Atlantic City, NJ, on Nov. 8, Hopkins and Kovalev will collide in the year’s most intriguing encounter. HBO will televise it live on the flagship World Championship Boxing series.

The “24/7 Hopkins/Kovalev” special will premiere Saturday, Oct. 18 at 12:15 a.m. ET/PT on HBO immediately following the live World Championship Boxing event from Carson, CA. It will preview the hotly anticipated meeting between two accomplished warriors who have been on a journey to confront each other in the ring. The special will provide all-new content including portraits of both fighters’ path to this significant fall showdown on boxing’s leading television platform.

Hopkins, 49, will enter the ring just two months shy of his 50th birthday as the oldest champion in history and boasts a Hall of Fame- caliber career record of 55-6-2 with 32 KOs. Kovalev, 31, sports an undefeated record of 25-0-1 and his 23 knockouts illustrate the punching power that the Russian native who now calls Ft. Lauderdale home will display in Atlantic City on November 8.

The 30-minute special narrated by Liev Schreiber and produced by HBO’s Emmy-Award-winning “24/7” production team will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

Other HBO playdates: October 19 (10:45 a.m.), 22 (3:45 a.m.), 25 (12:30 p.m.), 27 (1:45 p.m.), 29 (8:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.) and November 5 (4:30 a.m.), and 8 (11:00 a.m.).

HBO2 playdates: October 21 (11:50 a.m. & 8:30 p.m.), 23 (3:45 p.m.), 26 (10:20 a.m. & 3:20 a.m.) 30 (7:35 p.m. & 12:00 a.m.) and November 2 (3:45 p.m.) and 7 (8:00 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

Ashburn, VA (September 24, 2014) – Tori Nelson is an undefeated multi-division world champion that earned her place on pound for pound lists. Based on her impressive success, most would believe she’s a full-time boxer that is well off financially like her male counterparts.

Unfortunately for Nelson, that’s far from the truth and every day is a challenge.

While virtually all of America is asleep, Nelson is up at 4:30 to get ready for her 5:30 am job as a waitress. When her shift ends at 2 pm, she returns home to sneak in a nap until her kids arrive home from school. At that time, she helps her children with homework and prepares their dinner. Around 6 pm, she goes to the boxing gym for 2-plus hours of intense training before returning home, reading the bible and going to bed. The 37-year-old Virginian repeats this four times a week.

“Being an undefeated world champion means everything to me but it doesn’t have the same meaning in the boxing world,” Nelson said honestly of her situation. “(Female fighters) have to work harder than the males do and we have to take care of our children but we don’t make anywhere near the money the men do. For some reason, we (don’t receive) the same recognition and its unfortunate.”

Though some in her situation may have hung up the gloves in favor of a more traditional 9-5 job, Nelson never considered that because she’s gone through far too much to let life’s daily challenges deter her.

“I’m a single mother and I have to do this for my kids. My children have to eat and one of them is heading to college soon, so there’s a lot on my plate. It’s not easy but this struggle isn’t just for me, it’s for my children and my fans. People are also spending their hard earned money to see me fight so I have to do my part and give them a show. I owe it to them.”

On Saturday evening at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA, Nelson defends her title against tough Arlene Blencowe. On paper, Blencowe doesn’t have a big record but she’s already fought and beaten quality opponents. She’s also a successful mixed martial artist, winning four of her last five bouts in the octagon.

“I expect her to be very strong with great conditioning,” Nelson said of Blencowe. “She’s probably an inside fighter and that’s great for me because (I’d love if she) stands in the pocket! I trained very hard because I expect her to be very physically tough because of her all-around fighting background and the opponents she’s boxed. She’s traveling very far for this fight so I know she’s coming to win. My trainer told me you box a fighter and fight a boxer, so either way, I’m confident that I’ll win impressively on Saturday lord willing.”

The Nelson-Blencowe bout is for the WIBA welterweight title and serves as the ten round main event of Ponytail Promotions’ “World Championship Boxing”. The card features seven undercard matches including top prospect Tyrieshia Douglas, Seth Billups, Alexandru Marin, Travis Reeves, Larry Pryor, Edgar Torres and Henry Goss in separate bouts.

Tickets to “World Championship Boxing” start at $50 and are available by going to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ponytail-promotions-wiba-welterweight-world-championship-boxing-tickets-12716538509 or calling 410-499-5361. Doors open at 7 pm and the opening bell will sound an hour.

For more information, go to Ponytailpromotions.com.

Founded in 2014 by respected Baltimore-based boxing businessman James Hogan, Ponytail Promotions envisions becoming one of the top promotional firms in the United States. With a keen interest in both male and female fighters, Ponytail Promotions will run a total of 10-12 shows per year in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC and North Carolina.

MONTREAL (September 24, 2014) – Two-time Russian Olympian Artur Beterbiev (5-0-0, 5 KOs) steps up in class this Saturday night (Sept. 27) as he headlines “Red Dawn” against former International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight champion Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud (24-2-0, 19 KOs) in the 12-round main event for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) 175-pound title at famed Bell Centre in Montreal.

“Red Dawn” is co-promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) and InterBox, in association with Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM) and the participation of Don King Productions (DKP), and co-presented by Mise-O-Jeu and Videotron.

The 29-year-old Beterbiev, who moved to Montreal last year, is on the fast track to stardom. Beterbiev has a rich amateur pedigree having captured gold medals in the 2006 World Cup in Baku and 2008 World Cup in Moscow, as well as at the 2009 World Championships in Milan. During his incredible amateur career, Beterbiev was crowned Russian and European champion, and his amateur victims include present WBO Sergey Kovalev twice, WBO world title challenger Ismayl Sillah, U.S. Olympian Michael Hunter Jr., and 2007 World Championships gold medalist Abbos Atoev. Beterbiev turned pro in 2013 and he is undefeated with all five victories coming by knockout, fighting a total of only 11 rounds, compared to Cloud’s 130.

The 32-year-old Cloud, fighting out of Tallahassee, Florida, currently world rated by The Ring Magazine (#7), as well as WBC #9 and WBA #14, is attempting to reposition himself for another world title shot.

Cloud won the IBF light heavyweight title in 2009 with a 12-round decision over Clinton Woods (42-4-1, 25 KOs). He successfully defended his IBF title four times against former world champions Glen Johnson (50-13-2, 34 KOs) and Gabriel Campillo (21-3-1, 8 KOs), as well as challengers Fulgencio Zuniga (24-4-1, 21 KOs) and Yusaf Mack (29-3-2, 17 KOs).

Cloud’s undefeated win streak was halted in 2013 at 24, when he lost his IBF title by 12-round decision to living legend Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KOs). Cloud was stopped later that year in seven rounds by WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (24-1-0, 20 KOs) at Bell Centre.

In the co-feature, former world title challenger Dierry “Dougy Style” Jean (26-1-0, 18 KOs), fighting out of Montreal by way of Haiti, will defend his North Amrican Boxing Federation (NABF) lightweight title against Mexican invader Daniel “Cañerito” Ruiz (32-7- 2, 22 KOs) in a 12-round bout. Jean, who is ranked No. 10 by the WBC, is battling his way back to another world title shot.

Former No. 1 contender Stephane Ouellet (29-5, 18 KOs), of Jonquiere, Quebec, returns to action in a four-round middleweight fight against Belgium import Cedric Spera (10-2, 2 KOs). His return is creating a lot of interest in Quebec. He is one of the most beloved and charismatic fighter of the history of Canadian boxing. At 43 he is not dreaming of world championship fights but to redeem himself after been knockout twice in his last two fights, in the second round against Omar Sheika in 2001 in Las Vegas and against Joachim Alcine in the first round, at the Montreal Bell Center, in an ill-advised return in 2004.

A pair of popular Quebec-based, world-rated welterweights, former world title challenger Antonin Decarie (30-2, 9 KOs) and Kevin Bizier (21-1, 14 KOs), will be in separate fights. WBC #6, WBO #10 and IBF #11 faces Ivan Pereyra (19-3, 13 KOs), of Belgium, in a 10-round fight, while IBF #6 Bizier meets Laszlo “Bulldog” Fazekas (25-15-1, 17 KOs), of Hungry, in an eight-round match.

Three undefeated Canadian prospects round-out a solid top-to-bottom card. Montreal super lightweight Junior Ulysse (3-0, 3 KOs) hopes to keep his KO streak alive against unbeaten Polish opponent Krystian Huczko (2-0), and Laval super middleweight Eric Bazinian (5-0-0, 3 KOs) puts his unblemished record on the line versus Baptise Castegnaro (5-2, 2 KOs), of France, in a pair of six-round matches. Montreal super welterweight Steven Butler (4-0, 3 KOs) meets his toughest opponent to date, Frenchman Bernard Follea (5-2-1, 1 KO), in a four-round bout.

Tickets are on sale and available to purchase at Bell Centre, online at www.evenko.ca, or by calling GYM (514 383-0666) and the club Boxing Champion (514 376-0980). Ticket prices range from $50 in the red to $250 on the floor.

Ivaylo Gotzev of Epic Sports and Entertainment proudly announces that his blockbuster show entitled “Rumble on the River”, being held Saturday, September 27, 2014, at the OKC Downtown Airpark in Oklahoma City, will be streamed LIVE via Internet (devices like Roku, iPhone, iPad and computers) Pay-Per-View at 9:00 PM EDT
at GFL.tv.

The price is just USD $19.99. Watch the First 20 minutes for FREE! Click HERE for more information.

Comprising the all-star “Rumble on the River” broadcast team for the show will be former world champion, Oklahoma resident and USA Tuesday Night Fights commentator Sean O’Grady, well-known boxing-media man and host of “In This Corner” James “Smitty” Smith and top-level ring announcer Thomas Treiber.

“Rumble on the River” will be headlined by appearances by three former world champions.

In separate eight-round co-main event matches will be colorful and always entertaining former WBA/WBC Welterweight and former WBC Light Middleweight Champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga (29-8-1, 23 KOs) taking on 33-fight veteran and ex-US Marine Allen “Funky Cole” Medina of Denver, Colorado; hard-hitting former WBC Heavyweight Champion Samuel Peter (34-5, 27 KOs) facing former ECHL hockey enforcer turned heavyweight KO artist Ron “The Iceman” Aubrey (12-3, 12 KOs) from Oklahoma City, and former IBF Light Middleweight champion “Yory Boy” Campas (102-17-3, 79 KO’s) gunning for the 103rd victory of his amazing career against 33-fight veteran Julio Cesar Lanzas of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

On the undercard, former winner of “The Contender” and well-known Okalahoma-based junior middleweight spoiler Grady “Bad Boy” Brewer (31-19, 16 KOs) of Lawton, Oklahoma, will take on fellow proven veteran “Prince” Said Ouali (29-4, 21 KOs) of Las Vegas via Belgium/Morocco in an eight-round showdown.

Also scheduled for “Rumble on the River” action are:

Hometown rising star Juan Alejandro “Alex” Saucedo (14-0, 10 KOs) from Oklahoma City in an eight-round middleweight battle vs. Columbus, Ohio’s Miguel Alvarez (8-12-1, 7 KOs). Promoted by Top Rank and currently the hottest prospect to come out of OKC, undefeated Saucedo has served as a sparring partner for the great Manny Pacquiao.

Formerly #3 world-ranked contender Carson Jones (35-10-3, 25 KOs) will face rugged Liberal, Kansas, via Mexico’s Joel Vargas, a 20-fight veteran, in a welterweight six-rounder. Jones is a former USBA Welterweight, NABA Light Middleweight, WBC Continental Americas Light Middleweight and NABA USA Light Middleweight Champion.

In other action, Monterrey, Mexico’s Rolando Garza (4-0, 2 KOs) will take on Midwest City, Oklahoma’s Joe Strong (3-2, 1 KO) in a four-round junior middleweight battle; Oklahoma City’s Martin Morales (2-1, 1 KO) will face 34-fight veteran Jeremiah Torres of Belen, New Mexico, in an eight-round welterweight bout; and to start the action, Douro, Ontario, Canada’s undefeated Cody Crowley (2-0, 2 KOs) will take an early-career step up in class, as he faces 35-fight veteran Larry Smith of Dallas in a six-round junior middleweight bout.

One of Oklahoma’s most beloved sons, Sean O’Grady’s family settled in Oklahoma City when he was 11 years old.

In addition to being a world champion, O’Grady is also a college graduate, boxing analyst, television personality, actor and former teen idol across the United States Midwest. O’Grady won the World Boxing Association Lightweight Championship via unanimous decision over Hilmer Kenty on April 12, 1981. He retired with a record of 81 wins and 5 losses as a professional boxer, with 70 wins by knockout.

James E. Smith (“Smitty”) is best known for his interviews with famous international boxing stars and as host of “In This Corner”, America’s only syndicated, half-hour long boxing interview show. On May 23, 1997, Smith gave the play-by-play commentary of the first ever live internet boxing broadcast. He was inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame, Class of 2010.

Thomas Treiber is an internationally known ring announcer for professional boxing, mixed martial arts, K-1, and professional wrestling.Throughout his 20-year career he has worked in Japan, England, Kazakhstan, Uruguay, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Northern Ireland, Canada, and the United States.His credits include work on Showtime, HBO, ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports, Spike TV, Comcast Sports Net, USA Network, Sky Sports (UK), ITV (UK), Channel 5 (UK), Telefutura, and Pay-Per-View.

All bouts subject to change.

About GFL Combat Sports Network
GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 2,400 live events to fans in over 199 countries worldwide and has a video library exceeding 10,000 hours of programming. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 5 million public viewers over the years with more than 300 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL is also available on Roku, Boxee, Android, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices. Check the event page for details.

Join us at: www.GFL.tv or https://www.facebook.com/GoFightLive.tv
or twitter.com/GFL
ABOUT EPIC SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Epic Sports and Entertainment Inc. Founder, Ivaylo Gotzev, has spent the last 22 years working with some of the sport’s biggest names, including all-time-great multiple world champion James Toney, former WBC Lightweight Champion Stevie Johnston, former IBF Cruiserweight Vassiliy Jirov, former WBC Heavyweight Champion Samuel Peter, former WBO Heavyweight Champion Shannon Briggs and current middleweight king Gennady Golovkin.

Gotzev’s vision for Epic Sports and Entertainment is to build a stable of domestic and international fighters in both boxing and MMA and develop major worldwide broadcasting and exposure to Epic events.

September 24, 2014–Valley Forge, PA-Junior welterweights Naim Nelson and Ryan Belasco are looking forward to their long-awaited showdown set for Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Valley Forge Casino Resort.

At stake is the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) 140-pound title.
Nelson, 24, of Philadelphia, PA, and Belasco, 30, of Wilmington, DE, had been scheduled to collide more than one year ago, but a hand injury sustained in training by Nelson canceled the match.

“I’m looking forward to finally fighting Belasco,” Nelson told the press last night at the Valley Forge Casino Resort. “The hand injury set me back but everything has been fine since then.”

Joining Nelson was his long-time trainer Rory Bussey and his new manager, Stephen Edwards, who also manages junior middleweight sensation Julian Williams.

A pro since 2011, Nelson comes into this fight off an eight-round decision victory over previously unbeaten lefty Jerome Rodriguez, of Allentown, PA, last May 16 at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

Last year Nelson (12-0, 1 K0) won the vacant Pennsylvania lightweight title by earning a 10-round decision over Victor Vasquez, of Philadelphia. He also has defeated Osnel Charles, of Atlantic City, NJ.

Belasco (18-6-3, 3 K0s) has not boxed since Oct. 13, 2012, when he lost a 10-round decision to Rod Salka in Pittsburgh, PA.

The loss to Salka snapped a four-fight win streak for Belasco, who also has defeated Tyrell Samuel, of Baltimore, MD
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The only common foe is Vasquez, who was stopped in five rounds by Belasco in 2008.

“I’ve been idle this year because my wife just had our baby and that has been slightly more important to me than fighting,” Belasco joked. “I’m anxious to get back into the ring and win a title, any title. The UBF belt would be fine with me.”

Junior lightweight Frank Santos de Alba, of Reading, PA, proudly brought his UBF belt to the press conference. He defends Oct. 4 against Jesse Carradine, of Las Vegas, NV.

“I’m up for the challenge,” said De Alba, who is 13-1-2, 5 K0s. “They say Carradine is tough and he’s only been stopped once, by Karl Dargan, who is a solid lightweight. I’m a natural junior lightweight, 130-pounder.”

Others fighters on the card in attendance included heavyweight Maurice Byarm, of Philadelphia; lightweight Travis Thompson, of Pottstown, PA; welterweight Shawn Sutton, of Norristown, PA.

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

On Saturday night ‘King’ Arthur Abraham (40-4, 28 KOs) defends his WBO World Super Middleweight crown against former British Champion Paul Smith (35-3, 20 KOs) in Kiel, Germany.

At today’s final press conference the WBO Champion revealed his future is bound to that of his legendary coach Ulli Wegner and made clear his plan to prove his worth by stopping Smith at the Sparkassen-Arena. ‘’When Mr Wegner decides to call time on his career, I will follow him,’’ said Abraham. ‘’I wouldn’t want to train with anyone else. On Saturday it is my job to show him that there is still much more we can achieve together. I will do this by beating Smith in style.’’

‘’Arthur has the ability to beat anyone in his weight class,’’ said Abraham’s 72 year-old coach Wegner. ‘’He just needs to live up to his potential. The most important thing for him to do is follow my instructions. If he listens to what I tell him the fight won’t go the distance, he will knock Paul Smith out!’’

Smith will be counting on the support of his 2,000 travelling fans when he attempts to cause an upset by dethroning ‘King Arthur’ on his home turf. ‘’This is my first and last chance to become World Champion,’’ said Smith. ‘’I will not let this opportunity slip through my hands. I have had the best training camp ever and my coach Joe Gallagher has devised the perfect game plan. Now it is up to me. I’m going to grab this opportunity and the title with both hands!’’

‘’Arthur is a tough nut to crack,’’ said Smith’s coach Gallagher. ‘’But Paul has reached new levels in training and I believe he has the power to force an early stoppage. There are going to be fireworks from the first bell to the last. This could well be a contender for fight of the year.’’

The WBO World Super Middleweight showdown between Abraham and Smith will be shown live on Sky Sports. Tickets are available via eventim.de.