Watching Saturday night’s pay-per-view fight between former champions Saul Alvarez and Erislandy Lara, IBF Light Middleweight Champion “King” Carlos Molina had to have felt like he wasn’t invited to his own party.

Alvarez and Lara duked it out this past Saturday (July 12) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with Alvarez winning a close decision over a gun-shy Lara. And while an old-school fighter like Molina appreciates when top contenders don’t make excuses and face each other, what bothers the 31-year-old champion is the way the fight was billed.

“The media kept saying that Canelo and Lara was supposedly between the two best fighters at 154 lbs, like I’m not even there,” said Molina. “They’re trying to overlook me and not give me a chance. And after the way they both looked in there, I know I could beat both those guys. I already beat Lara, not officially, but in the eyes of most people who saw the fight.”

Molina has a strong case. When Molina took on Lara in March of 2011, despite what the scorecards said (the fight was ruled a majority draw with two judges scoring 95-95 and one giving Molina the win with a much more accurate 97-93 tally), Molina handled Lara much more handily than Alvarez.

“Every time you see a fight in your weight class, you try to see how you would fight them and neither guy looked really spectacular. Give me the chance and I’ll do to Canelo what I did to Lara. I’m the true champion in this weight class.”

Molina (22-5-2, 6 KOs) is currently training hard for his next fight, a defense against former champion Cornelius Bundrage in Cancun, Mexico.

“Training is going great. I’m very focused and everything is good. Eager to get in the ring and show once again I belong at the top of the division.”
ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to it’s credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

Las Vegas – In what will be remembered as one of the sport’s greatest upsets, UFC 173 saw 10-1 underdog TJ Dillashaw end the unprecedented nine-year, 35-fight unbeaten streak of Renan Barao to capture the UFC® bantamweight championship. Now, the two meet again in a highly anticipated rematch when the Ultimate Fighting Championship® returns to Sleep Train Arena in Dillashaw’s hometown of Sacramento on Saturday, Aug. 30.

“TJ Dillashaw shocked the world and ended Renan Barao’s nine-year unbeaten streak by knocking out one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport,” UFC president Dana White said. “He showed everyone why you can never trust the odds! Now, on Aug. 30 in TJ’s hometown of Sacramento, Barao will have his chance to get the belt back! I love this rematch!”

Prior to winning the title, Dillashaw (11-2, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) emerged as a standout from the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter®, and quickly established himself as a top contender with victories over the likes of Hugo Viana, Mike Easton and Issei Tamura. In his career-defining performance, Dillashaw silenced the oddsmakers by dethroning the then third-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Barao, at UFC 173, to claim the bantamweight title. Now, the newly cemented champion will make his first title defense in Sacramento with plans of starting his own reign as the 135-pound king.

During his tenure as champion, Barao (34-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) reigned supreme over the bantamweight division, dominating some of the world’s best, such as perennial contender and former WEC champion Urijah Faber (twice), Michael McDonald, and inaugural WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland. With a nine-year unbeaten streak and a resume unmatched by any in the sport, the Nova Uniao star remains at the top of the world rankings. In an attempt to prove their first meeting was a fluke, “The Baron” returns Aug. 30 to settle the score and reclaim the belt for Brazil.

Other bouts for UFC 177 include:
The Ultimate Fighter® season 13 winner Tony Ferguson (16-3, fighting out of Ventura, Calif.) takes on Sacramento’s own Danny Castillo (17-6) in a lightweight bout.
Middleweight striker Lorenz Larkin (14-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Riverside, Calif.) meets three-time NCAA Division II All-American wrestler Derek Brunson (11-3, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.).
10th-ranked women’s bantamweight contender Bethe Correia (8-0, fighting out of Natal, Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil) puts her unbeaten streak on the line as she draws women’s MMA veteran Shayna Baszler (15-8, fighting out of Venice, Calif.), who is making her promotional debut.
Heavyweights Ruan Potts (8-2, fighting out of Boksburg South Africa) and Anthony Hamilton (12-3, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) square off.
Hawaii’s Yancy Medeiros (9-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Honolulu, Hawaii) takes on Ohio native Justin Edwards (9-4, fighting out of Bellefontaine, Ohio) in a lightweight bout.

Tickets for UFC® 177: DILLASHAW vs. BARAO II, presented by HARLEY-DAVIDSON®, go on sale Friday, July 18 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $275, $175, $100, $75, and $50. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at Sleep Train Arena box office or www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

Get your VIP package today! The UFC VIP Experience packages together your tickets with behind-the-scenes access to the official weigh-ins, backstage tours, meet and greet and autograph signings with top UFC stars, Q&A sessions, and photo opportunities, access to an in-arena VIP party room, a chance to hold the championship belt inside the Octagon® and more!

UFC Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, July 16 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, July 17 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC® 177: DILLASHAW vs. BARAO II will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High -Definition.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. 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.

New York, NY / Fallon, NV (7/15/14) – On August 8, DiBella Entertainment and Dynasty Boxing, in association with Rumble Time Promotions, will head to Fallon, NV, to host that week’s edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights/ ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates. Headlining the card will be top-rated junior middleweight contender Willie Nelson (22-1-1, 13KO’s) taking on the hard-hitting and dangerous Mexican Luis Grajeda (17-2-2, 13KO’s) in the 10-round main event.

In the co-feature, fast-rising 18-year-old phenom Norbert Nemesapati (14-0, 13KO’s) will be looking make a splash in his US debut when he faces fellow unbeaten Lennox Allen (17-0-1, 10KO’s) in an eight-round super middleweight matchup.

Opening up the card will be the highly anticipated pro debut of China’s 2008 Olympic Games silver medalist Zhang Zhilei, in a four-round heavyweight special attraction.

ESPN will begin live coverage at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN.

“From top to bottom, this is a terrific event, featuring up-and-coming local talent in exciting fights on the undercard and three intriguing televised bouts on ESPN. Willie is knocking on the door to a world title opportunity and an impressive performance against the hard-punching Grajeda moves him in that direction. The co-feature pits two undefeated boxers in the most important fight of their careers. Norbert is on the fast track to stardom and is looking to make an immediate impact on the super middleweight division in his US debut, but this is the type of opportunity that Lennox has been waiting for, to prove that he is among the best 168lb. fighters in the world. It is a true crossroads bout, with the winner clearly cementing himself as a legitimate player in the 168lb. division. Opening up the card, you have Zhilei, a silver medalist who many believe has the ability to be a future star in the heavyweight division. This is a big event for the people of Fallon and we are excited to be a part of it,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment.

“The Fallon Fights: The Rural Rumble is one of Fallon’s premier special events, drawing visitors from northern Nevada and California,” tourism director Rick Gray said.

“We’ve been working with Lou (DiBella) to get Willie Nelson back on ESPN ever since his spectacular first-round knockout of Michael Medina last season on Friday Night Fights,” said Brian Kweder, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions. “We’ve had a great track record in cultivating future world champions on Friday Night Fights and we believe Willie will be joining that list in the near future.”

“The live telecast of Fallon Fights by ESPN will show the country what a great event this is. The fights are outdoors, under the stars, and reminiscent of those fights in the early mining camps and the epic battles between Corbett and Fitzsimmons and Johnson versus Jeffries,” Gray said.

“Fallon welcomes ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. We have worked hard to put on a top-notch event that would draw the attention of the network,” Fallon tourism director Rick Gray said.

“The fights are a labor of love. All of the City’s departments worked together to support the production of the event,” Fallon Mayor, Ken Tedford, said.

“On behalf of Dynasty Boxing, we are happy to be working with DiBella Entertainment and ESPN, and extremely grateful for them giving Zhang Zhilei the opportunity to showcase his professional debut on ESPN,” said Dino Duva, President of Dynasty Boxing, promoter of Zhang.

A native of Cleveland, OH, Nelson is one of the most talented and dangerous 154-pounders in the world. Since his lone loss to once-beaten Vincent Arroyo via majority decision on ShoBox in 2011, Nelson has switched trainers, moved up in weight and has never looked better, winning six straight bouts. Having scored sensational victories on both the Showtime and ESPN networks in 2012 and 2013, Nelson scored the biggest win of his career, earning a 10-round unanimous decision in an absolute war with Luciano Cuello on HBO in June 2013. Nelson was set to take on the top-rated and three-time middleweight world title challenger Matthew Macklin on HBO last December, but was forced to pull out after suffering an injury to his elbow while in training. Nelson last fought in June on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto vs. Sergio Martinez HBO PPV bout at Madison Square Garden, annihilating Darryl Cunningham in just one round. Nelson is on the doorstep to challenging for his first world title and is hungrier than ever to get his shot, but he must first defeat the extremely dangerous Grajeda.

Nicknamed “Slayer”, Grajeda has absolute dynamite in both his hands. The 28-year-old Mexican was a 2005 and 2007 Mexican National Champion as an amateur, as well as a 2007 Pan American Games quarterfinalist before turning pro in 2008. In 2010, Grajeda lost a very competitive and hard-fought eight-round unanimous decision to top-rated world contender Jermell Charlo. Since that defeat, Grajeda has gone 8-1-1 with seven of those wins coming by way of knockout. Grajeda has pure dynamite in his fists and has scored a number of vicious knockouts throughout his career, including an upset victory over longtime perennial contender Hector Camacho Jr. in 2012. The one knock on the highly skilled Nelson is his suspect chin, and the heavy-handed brawling Grajeda will certainly be looking to check Nelson’s beard early and often. With Nelson being the type of fighter to never take a backward step in a fight and always willing to stand toe-to-toe, this matchup will certainly make for can’t-miss TV.

The Hungarian teenage phenom Nemesapati will be looking to show the boxing world that he is a superstar in the making when he takes on his toughest opponent to date in fellow unbeaten super middleweight contender Lennox Allen. The WBC Youth Silver super middleweight champion Nemesapati turned pro in 2012 in his native Hungary, following a very successful kickboxing career. After winning a four-round unanimous decision in his pro debut, Nemesapati has stopped 13 consecutive opponents and is now ready to show the boxing world that he is the real deal when challenges Allen.

The 28-year-old Allen is riding a five-bout winning streak since suffering the lone blemish on his career, an eight-round majority decision draw to dangerous super middleweight Darnell Boone. The southpaw Allen, who holds an impressive victory over middleweight contender Nick Brinson, is looking to prove once and for all that he is one of the most talented 168lb. fighters in the world, and an impressive showing against the highly regarded phenom will certainly put the super middleweight division on notice.

Opening up the card will be the highly anticipated pro debut of 2008 Chinese Olympic Silver medalist Zhang Zhilei in a special attraction four-round heavyweight bout. Zhilei has the size, ability and athleticism to make a major impact on the heavyweight division, and a very bright future is expected for the China-native.

Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at an extremely affordable $27 ringside, and $12 for general admission. Special VIP tables are also available for purchase at $500. The VIP tables accommodate seating for eight guests at ringside and includes a complimentary bucket of beer, executive suite restrooms, cocktail service, dedicated full service bar, food station and a Fallon Fights souvenir for each guest. Advance tickets can be purchased by calling (775) 423-4556 or by visiting the Fallon Convention Center or NAS Fallon MWR. You can also purchase tickets by emailing info@visitfallonnevada.com.

Atlantic City, NJ: Last night the media got a chance to engage in a Q & A with Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs), and their respective camps, as they prepare to face-off on August 2 at Revel Casino Hotel for the WBO Light Heavyweight Championship. Below are the highlighted quotes from the call:

Krusher Kovalev
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva

We are very excited to head into Sergey Kovalev’s fourth fight on HBO. We are thrilled to be working with them again and with Revel Casino Hotel. Tickets are on sale now on through Ticketmaster. Also HBO is going premiere “2 Days: Sergey Kovalev” on the 26th after the Gennady Golovkin fight.

Sergey impresses me because he doesn’t fight each fighter the same way. He finds out what is going to work and changes his plan to adjust to each fighter. It is a joy to watch him develop. There is nothing in the world like his intensity. Three of last four opponents have been unbeaten. An active fighter is a successful fighter and Sergey just wants to fight.

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev

Thank you to my promoter, Main Events, to my trainer, John David Jackson, and to all my fans. Blake is undefeated. I am taking him serious. Good opponents are getting serious training camp and I know he is. I just get in to box and to win. We are both stepping in the ring to do our job. Blake has an advantage because he is coming to get the title. He is hungry and has nothing to lose. It is my job to keep the title. More pressure on me to defend the title. I don’t know Bernard Hopkins, all I know is my next opponent and his name is Blake Caparello.

Kovalev & Jackson
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Sergey’s Trainer John David Jackson

Luckily for me Sergey Kovalev is a true professional. I don’t have to watch him or babysit him. He trains like he is still the challenger. Blake is a decent puncher and boxer. Sergey understands this. He knows we have break down Blake slowly. He is not overlooking Blake. He trains very, very hard. I just try to prepare him so he can go on to bigger and better things.

You can’t sell Blake short. Nothing is outstanding but he is very good at what he does. Sergey needs to cut the ring off and he has done very well against Southpaws. Once Blake gets hit and feels Kovalev’s power all his game plans are going to go out the window. I don’t think this is going to go 12 rounds. Sergey is very disciplined. He is very professional. This is his job. He takes each fight like he is the challenger. When we first starting working together he could punch but he was a head hunter. Now he understands a body attack will also help him. We coordinate a plan together. He studied Blake so much he is probably sick of looking at him. I love working with him because he allows me to my job. He is a class act to be around.

Sergey and I have never talked about a fight with Bernard Hopkins. We are focused on Blake. It hasn’t been a distraction at all. We aren’t looking past him we are looking right at him. After we get passed him we will look at Bernard Hopkins.

“Il Capo”
Photo Courtesy of:
DiBella Entertainment/Ed Diller
Blake “Il Capo” Caparello

Sergey Kovalev is the biggest puncher in boxing. Anyone can hit hard. We are working on different game plans to deal with Sergey’s power. I won’t know how hard he punches until I get in the ring with him. If we go toe-to-toe and his power is too much we will change the plan. I do have the pop to stop people. When I put my punches together I can really hurt people. I have had a lot of great sparring camps. If an opening appears, I will go for the knockout but I am going to fight to the end.

I get the sense they are looking past me. I am very confident myself. I know I am going to win and I already told Lou to get me a unification fight with Adonis Stevenson after I beat Kovalev. Nothing plays on my mind. I am very mentally tough. Sergey Kovalev has power but I don’t fear him. I wanted to fight Kovalev because he is the best there is in the division. He is the man I want to beat.

Caparello
Photo Courtesy of:
DiBella Entertainment/Ed Diller

Caparello’s Promoter Lou DiBella

On behalf of Blake and Sam I would like to thank Main Events and HBO. When your name is “Krusher” you know you can punch. This is the fight that Blake wanted and Main Events was nice enough to offer this to us so we jumped on it. Sergey Kovalev is going to have his hands full. The only way to beat Sergey Kovalev is stand right in front of him and box. Blake is a true boxer and Kovalev has a real challenge on his hands. Blake fights like a boxer. This is a fight he desperately wanted. When I first signed him he told me that everyone is afraid of Kovalev but he felt he could beat him. Standing in front of Kovalev is dangerous so Blake has to use angles and avoid that “Krusher” blow. Kovalev is going to have his hands full.

There is a great advantage to fighting Kovalev: if you manage to hang in there with him, you are going to earn the respect of fans. There are a lot of guys who are afraid of Kovalev but Blake isn’t. Blake is going to go out there and do his best to win. I expect a great performance whether he wins or loses.

I knew Blake was a natural. His instincts are excellent. He does a lot of things right. This is the fight he always wanted. I lobbied for the fight and told Main Events we wouldn’t price ourselves out of the fight.

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

About Revel

Revel Casino Hotel is Atlantic City’s newest and most spacious casino resort and convention destination. Located on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk, the ocean front hotel is designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic at every turn. The casino resort offers 130,000 square feet of world class gaming, with 2,400 slots, 130 table games, electronic tables and players’ lounges, along with the high-limit table game Ultra Lounge. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, cabanas, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 13 restaurants that offer a range of fine dining to deliciously affordable menu options, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub, and live entertainment at The Social and showroom headliners at Ovation Hall. While taking in all the casino has to offer, guests can earn points as they play, dine, shop and relax with the Revel Card loyalty program. For additional information and updates, and for complete details and rules of all promotions, customers can visit the Revel Card desk or visit www.revelcasino.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and @revelcasino on Instagram.

NEW JERSEY (July 15, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions world title contender, Puerto Rican star Thomas Dulorme (21-1, 14 KO’s), is available to face current WBO welterweight champion, Manny Pacquiao in November, as it seems that Chris Algieri, current WBO junior welterweight champion, may not fight Pacquiao because of money issues.

“I’m available and willing to fight the best,” said Thomas Dulorme, who currently at 140 pounds is ranked #2 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), #3 by the World Boxing Council (WBC), #4 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), and #8 in the World Boxing Organization (WBO). “Manny Pacquiao may still be looking for a opponent in November, and if that’s the case, I’m ready. I was supposed to fight Ruslan Provodnikov but I was rejected by his team, and they instead accepted the Algieri bout. I will keep training hard in Oxnard with my trainer Robert Garcia, who believes in my talent, and we’re hoping for a great opportunity to show the boxing world what I’m made of.”

“Dulorme is well deserving of a Pacquiao fight being that he is highly ranked across the board,” said Gary Shaw. “Pacquiao vs. Dulorme would be a sensational bout that the fans would love to see. I know Dulorme is up for the challenge so we’ll see what we can do to make it happen.”

In his last bout, Dulorme captured the NABF Junior Welterweight title, when defeated former undefeated Californian, Karim Mayfield (18-1-1, 11 KOs), by unanimous decision in a HBO live televised bout on March, 29 2014.

New York, NY (7/15/14) – On Wednesday, July 23, at NYC’s famed B.B. King Blues Club and Grill, DiBella Entertainment (DBE) will return with another edition of its popular and long-running Broadway Boxing series.

Headlining the card will be the much-anticipated return and NYC/DBE debut of former title challenger Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland (27-1, 12KO’s), of Ireland, squaring off against Noel Echevarria (11-3, 6KO’s) in an eight-round junior lightweight matchup. Hyland has been out of the ring since losing a highly competitive 12-round decision to then-interim WBA world featherweight champion Javier Fortuna in December 2012, due to promotional problems with his former promoter. Hyland officially joined the DBE roster in May and is now ready to resume his career and showcase his skills in front of NYC’s diehard Irish boxing fan base, as he looks to once again make another run at a world title opportunity.

Also fighting in separate feature bouts on the card will be middleweights Avtandil Khurtsidze (27-2-2, 16KO’s), Ivan Golub (1-0) and the eagerly awaited debut of former amateur phenom Sergey Derevyanchenko.

Khurtsidze has been out of the ring for just over two and half years after having VISA and promotional issues in his adopted home of Ukraine. Now living and training in Los Angeles, Khurtsidze is raring to get back into the ring to get his career back under way. Khurtsidze is currently riding a four-bout winning streak since dropping an extremely close decision to former WBA and WBO interim world middleweight champion Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam. Khurtsidze is set to see action against Canada’s Richard Reittie (11-3-1, 7KO’s) in an eight-round middleweight matchup.

Golub, who made his official professional debut on June 27, by winning a dominant four-round shutout decision over Javon Wright, was an outstanding amateur in his native Ukraine. The 25-year-old was a five-time Ukrainian National Champion and also won bronze medals at the Junior World Championships in 2006 and the World Championships in 2009, amassing a record of 270-32 in the process. Golub has also competed in the World Series of Boxing, going a perfect 5-0. The heavy-handed southpaw is now living and training in Brooklyn, NY, and is expected to become a staple on DBE’s Broadway Boxing series. Golub is set to see action against the always tough and extremely durable Azamat Umarzoda in a six-round middleweight bout.

Upon the signing of the 2008 Olympian Derevyanchenko, promoter Lou DiBella stated, “Sergey is one of the most decorated amateurs in the world and absolutely one of the best middleweight prospects in all of boxing. We feel that in one year’s time, he will be ready to fight on the highest levels in boxing.”

Derevyanchenko had an astounding amateur career, which saw him compile an incredible 390-20 record, as well as represent his native Ukraine at the 2008 Olympics and win a bronze medal at the 2007 Amateur World Championships. Like Golub, Derevyanchenko also fought in the World Series of Boxing, where he posted a 23-1 overall record and was the 2012 WSB Team Champion and 2011 and 2012 WSB Individual Champion. Derevyanchenko’s career is expected to see a meteoric rise and anything less than a world championship would be a disappointment for the 28-year-old middleweight. Derevyanchenko will face off against Cromwell Gordon in a six-round middleweight matchup.

Also seeing action on the card will be DBE’s former NY Golden Gloves champions and Long Island-natives Joe Smith Jr. (15-1, 12KO’s) and Patrick Day (7-0-1, 4KO’s). The promising up-and-coming prospects are both looking to improve to a perfect 3-0 thus far in 2014. Smith is set to square off against Tyrell Hendrix (11-4-1, 4KO’s) in an eight-round light heavyweight matchup, while Day takes on Brad Jackson (15-9-1, 7KO’s) in a six-round junior middleweight bout.

Rounding out the card will be Queens-native Danny Gonzalez (5-0-1, 3KO’s) taking on Ray Velez (3-4-1, 1KO) in a rematch of their absolute war back in February of this year, when the two junior welterweights do battle in what promises to be six action-packed rounds.
Tickets for the event on July 23 are priced at $125, $100, $75 and $55. Tables are also available for purchase for this event, with VIP Tables going for $1,000 per table (5 seats at $200 per seat), Ringside Tables for $500 (5 seats at $100), and $375 tables (5 seats at $75). Tickets are available for purchase by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577.

REMINDER-REMINDER-REMINDER

MEET AND GREET WITH
UKRAINIAN AMATEUR STARS
SERGEY DEREVYANCHENKO AND IVAN GOLUB
TOMORROW AT TARAS BULBA

WHO:
SERGEY DEREVYANCHENKO, 2008 Ukrainian Olympian
IVAN GOLUB, Five-time Ukrainian National Champion
LOU DIBELLA, DiBella Entertainment
KURT EMHOFF, Fight Promotions Inc.
ANDRE ROZIER, Head Trainer

WHAT:
Tomorrow DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc. will hold a special meet and greet and press conference to officially welcome their newly signed Ukrainian stars to their rosters. With nearly 700 combined amateurs wins between the two, Derevyanchenko and Golub, who are now living and training here in NYC, under the watchful eye of head trainers Andre Rozier and Gary Stark Sr., will make their much anticipated NYC debuts on DBE’s upcoming Broadway Boxing card July 23rd at the famed B.B. King Blues Club & Grille in midtown Manhattan.

WHEN: WEDNESDAY – JULY 16, 2014

WHERE: TARAS BULBA – 357 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013 (212) 510-7510

TIME: 12:30 p.m. ET

(July 15, 2014) – Due to unforeseen circumstances, All Out Promotions and Edmond’s Promotions have postponed their upcoming fight card until Saturday, August 9. All tickets purchased for July 19 will be honored on the 9th.

The card, which will still be headlined by welterweight Michael “Slick” Anderson, will have more bouts added and additional information available shortly.

LAS VEGAS (July 15, 2014) – Long before World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1, 21 KOs) knocked out Chris Arreola (35-4) this past May to claim the coveted title belt vacated by retired Vitali Klitschko, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (31-0, 31 KOs) started talking smack about Stiverne and he hasn’t let up as the impending showdown approaches later this year.

Wilder is the mandatory, No. 1 challenger for Stiverne’s first defense. If the relatively untested fighter from Alabama believes his incessant trash talk, juvenile antics and bizarre behavior is getting to Stiverne, he has another thing coming when they step intoi the ring. In fact, Stiverne admits he’s been amused.

“He’s not going to get under my skin,” Stiverne said. “I think he’s funny. Maybe he should think about doing a comedy act after I beat him? Friends have sent me stuff he’s said and done. It’s funny. He’s like a little kid who needs attention, so he keeps opening his mouth. His trash talking doesn’t bother me at all. I saw some people who brought up what he’s said. What am I supposed to do, hand my title to him? I guess he wants to entertain his fans. If he thinks his tricks are going to bother me, he’s going to be in big trouble.”

Stiverne & Estephan
While Wilder’s chatter hasn’t fazed Stiverne, his manager, Camille Estephan (Eye of the Tiger Management), has already tired of Wilder’s act. “Wilder is a clown,” Estephan remarked. “No respect! What’s he ever done to act like this? Look who he’s fought. Bermane is going to expose him and shut him up for good. His actions are ill advised. Wilder doesn’t realize he’s in for such a rough ride and a very big surprise. We’re happy to fight him, mandatory or not.”

Some have proclaimed Wilder as the next world heavyweight champion, using his perfect professional record as evidence for his coronation. His skeptics, however, believe Wilder’s record has been built up by fighting fraudulent opponents, pointing out he’s never fought anybody as nearly as good as Arreola (Stiverne’s victim in his last two fights), never mind somebody with the rare combination of power and quickness that Stiverne possesses. Meanwhile, “B-Ware” has been basking in the glory of being a world heavyweight champion, proudly noting he is the first Haitian-born fighter to achieve that distinction.

“My life hasn’t really changed too much other than my popularity growing,” Stiverne talked about life after becoming world champion. “My Instagram followers went up from 2,000 to 13,000 from one picture. There hasn’t been one day I haven’t done something in public. I expected change but not like this. People used to look at me and ask if I played in the NFL. I’ve had people tell me they always thought I was a football player until they saw me fight Arreola. Places I used to stand in line to get in, well, I don’t stand in line anymore.

“I try to stay on the down-low. I’m not out clubbing every day, or feel that I have to do something in public. I’m available but, closer to the fight, I’ll shut down everything 4-5 weeks out unless it has to do with the promotion. I don’t think it has fully hit me, yet. It will when I go back to Haiti to meet the President (Michel) Martelly.”

Stiverne is a breath of fresh air in a division dominated by the robotic, impersonal Klitschko brothers for the past decade. Stiverne’s fan-friendly boxing style, coupled with his bubbly personality, make him extremely marketable as long as he keeps winning. Stiverne-Wilder has tremendous implications for the winner in terms of a potential mega-fight with Wladimir Klitschko for a total unification of the heavyweight belts. Stiverene, though, remains fully focused on Wilder.

“I do feel like a fresh face in the heavyweight division,” Stiverne concluded. “I’m bringing excitement back to the heavyweight division like years ago. Wilder’s not a threat but I’m taking him serious. I take all my opponents seriously but I’m going to teach that little kid a lesson. It’s a shame his promoter and manager are putting him in such a big fight like this so early in his career.”

For further information visit www.eottm.com, or follow on Twitter @eotmvd and @BStiverne.

NEW YORK, (July 15, 2014) Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing has announced three outstanding undercard battles for this week’s ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS/”ROCKIN FIGHTS 14″ at The Paramount in Huntington, New York.

In separate bouts Long Island fan favorites ANTHONY KARPERIS and WENDY “The Haitian Hurricane” TOUSSAINT return to The Paramount along with a sensational six round super middleweight clash between Union City, New Jersey’s JASON “Monstruo” ESCALERA and undefeated Medford, New York’s NAIM TERBUNJA.

Said DeGuardia, “For Karperis and Toussaint these are both strong step ups in their young careers and the super middleweight fight pits two prospects with the winner looking at a much bigger fight.”

Sporting a record of 6-2-0 (3KO’s), Hicksville’s Karperis will look to stay in the winners’ column, having been dominant in his last two bouts, taking on ARIEL DURAN, 7-6-1 (4KO’s) in a scheduled six round junior welterweight bout.

After stopping Michael Doyle in the fifth round on November 22, Karperis pitched a six round shutout of Calvin Smith on February 14, both fights taking place at The Paramount where he has made six starts.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, the 27-year-old Duran has never been stopped and is well known on the East Coast for his hard fought battles with numerous rising prospects.

Undefeated with a record of 4-0, junior middleweight Toussaint, now residing in Huntington, has looked very sharp in his first four professional bouts, all of which have taken place at The Paramount.

This Friday night, Toussaint will face the toughest fight of his young career, challenging fellow undefeated prospect COURTNEY PENNINGTON of Brooklyn, New York.

The 27-year-old Pennington, 7-0-1 (4KO’s), will look to jump back in the win column, setting for a draw against Marcus Beckford on
April 24 at The Paramount.

Heavy-handed Escalera, 13-2-1 (12KO’s), will also be looking to return to the win column, having dropped a decision to Lekan Byfield on April 24 at The Paramount.

Swedish native Terbunja, having compiled a pro record of 7-0-0, will be fighting for the second time in the United States, recently taking a four round decision from Maurice Amaro on March 22 in Queens, New York.

ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS/”ROCKIN FIGHTS 14″ isheadlined by an outstanding ten round junior welterweight clash between top rated contenders EMANUEL “The Tranzformer” TAYLOR, 17-2-0 (14KO’s), of Baltimore, Maryland and San Francisco’s KARIM “Hard Hitta” MAYFIELD, 18-1-1 (11KO’s).

Co-featured on the nationally televised event is the return of popular knockout artist, “The Hebrew Hammer” CLETUS SELDIN, 13-0-0 (10KO’s), of Long Island clashing in an eight round junior welterweight clash against veteran BAYAN “The Mongolian Mongoose” JARGAL, 17-5-3 (11KO’s).

As part of the sensational evening of world class professional boxing, Star Boxing will also pay tribute to “The Fighting Pride of Huntington”, new World Boxing Organization Junior Welterweight Champion CHRIS ALGIERI.

Advance tickets for ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS/”ROCKIN FIGHTS 14″ starting at $50, are on sale through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com), the Star Boxing website (StarBoxing.com) and The Paramount Box Office, phone (631) 673-7300. Doors on the night of the event will open at 6:30 p.m. with the first bell at 7:00 p.m.

NOTE: This event is scheduled to start earlier than usual.
ESPN will go live at 8:00pm. Be sure to arrive early as first bout is at 7:00pm

The Paramount is located at 370 New York Avenue in Huntington, New York, 11743.

ABOUT ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
ESPN Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will begin at 9 p.m. ET live on ESPN2,

Watch ESPN and broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+.
ESPN Deportes will re-brand its coverage as Noche de Combates (formerly Viernes de Combates) with some telecasts on Saturdays.

ESPN2 Commentators/Studio:

Blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore and ringside analyst Teddy Atlas will return to describe the action for ESPN2. Both are recipients of the prestigious Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism presented by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA): Atlas (2001), Tessitore (2010). Studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN), will return for his second season providing all the latest boxing news and highlights. Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn), who last year became the series’ first-ever on-site reporter, will contribute to Friday Night Fights in English, and Noche de Combates (Fight Night) in Spanish.

ESPN Deportes Commentators/Studio:

Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights with Pablo Viruega for Noche de Combateson both ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes+, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will anchor the studio. Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez will join Trejos and González in studio throughout the season, with Osuna providing reports and interviews.

ABOUT STAR BOXING ®
Star Boxing Inc. celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2012. The company has produced some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star Boxing continues to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star Boxing is proud that is has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook at Star Boxing.

ABOUT THE PARAMOUNT:
Opened September 30, 2011 this 1,555-capacity live entertainment venue, located in downtown Huntington, Long Island, New York, features; concerts, comedy, boxing, community and other special events in a club/theater setting. With over 30,000 Facebook fans, The Paramount was recently ranked by Pollstar Magazine as the #24 highest attended club-venue worldwide (January-June 2013). A Ticketmaster venue, booked by Live Nation, TheParamount hosts nearly 200 events per year and in less than two years since its inception, has quickly established itself as the premier music venue onLong Island, NY. Some artists who have recently taken the Paramount stage include; Billy Joel, Pitbull, Don Henley, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, ZZ Top, Counting Crows, Primus, Matchbox 20, The Blues Brothers, Limp Bizkit, & many, many, more.

ABOUT THE FOX HOLLOW:
Nestled upon 8 private acres of Long Island’s north shore is the Fox Hollow, which features a state of the art event venue, fine dining restaurant and an all-suite luxury boutique hotel. Owned & operated by the Scotto Brothers, their Above & Beyond philosophy in providing each & every guest with superior services and amenities is paramount. Visit the Fox Hollow online atwww.TheFoxHollow.com & www.TheInnAtFoxHollow.com

ABOUT CAMELOT LIMOUSINE:
Official Sponsor of the Paramount Boxing Series, Camelot Limos is a family owned and operated business located in Nassau County, with over 25 years of professional experience; serving satisfied clientele since 1984. The owners of Camelot Specialty Limos are very active in the business and play a major role in the company’s day-to-day operations. Camelot Specialty Limos, Inc. is an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau. www.camelotlimo.com

ABOUT WBAB 102.3:
WBAB 102.3 is the home of Long Island’s Classic Rock anchored by their Long Island Rock ‘N’ Roll Morning Show with Roger and JP. For more information or to listen online, visit their website at
www.wbab.com and follow them on Facebook.com/1023wbab and on Twitter @1023wbab.

NEW YORK (July 14, 2014) – Eleven-time world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather and former welterweight titlist Marcos “El Chino” Maidana held an announcement press conference in Times Square on Monday to formally announce their highly anticipated rematch taking place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Monday’s press conference kicked off a five-city, open-to-the-public promotional tour that will see the fighters visit the boxing hotbeds of Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Antonio and Los Angeles.

“I don’t need to change my style. The guy who got the loss needs to change his style,” said Mayweather.

“Although I recognize Mayweather is a great boxer, fighting him was easier than many people think. He has a good defense, but he has flaws and he showed them last May,” said Maidana. “If you want to see a real fight, watch us on September 13. I’m going to win this fight.”

Their first meeting this past May was an epic 12-round welterweight world championship showdown that was arguably the toughest and most exciting fight of Mayweather’s brilliant career. Maidana attacked Mayweather with ferocity and fearlessness, landing more punches on the pound-for-pound champ than anyone he has faced in his undefeated career.

Tickets for the live event go on sale tomorrow/Tuesday, July 15 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT and are priced at $1,600, $1,200, $850, $600 and $350, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $350 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Here’s what the participants had to say on Monday:

FLOYD MAYWEATHER, Eleven-Time, Five-Division World Champion
“My job is to win. Everyone remembers a winner. That’s my legacy.

“I don’t need to change my style. The guy who got the loss needs to change his style.

“Marcos Maidana came out and gave a tough effort, I mean he fought his heart out but it wasn’t clean.

“Was I ever hurt? Sure, the shots to the back of the head hurt. Whenever you’re in a heated battle you are going to be sore. It comes with the territory.

“Is Maidana a better fighter than Canelo? No. Cotto? No. He’s just a dirtier fighter. I didn’t get a deep gash from a punch; I got it from a head butt.”

“Cotto is a solid competitor but we saw what happened to him against Floyd Mayweather. When he fought me, they said he was washed up. Then, he fights again and wins, and apparently, he has been resurrected. Same with Marquez.

“There’s always testing. I’m the face of boxing and I want to clean the sport up.

“First they [Team Maidana] want to use gloves with no padding, and then they want to use knees, elbows and everything else. My back is always against the wall with Team Maidana.

MARCOS MAIDANA, Former WBA Welterweight World Champion
“Without a doubt we are going to prove who won the first fight with this fight; with this rematch.

“I fight dirty? He’s the king of the elbows.

“The rematch is a big deal in Argentina. The entire country watched the first fight. There’s going to be no exceptions in this one. Everybody is going to watch.

“Robert Garcia is very important presence in my career. I feel very comfortable training with him. I’ve been working with him since I faced [Jesus] Soto Karass and I think I’m going to retire with him.

“I’ve trained with many trainers and they all tried to change my style. That’s why I lost my way at some point in my career. But with Robert [Garcia], it is different. He added to my style and he brought me back on track.

“I keep getting better in each fight, with defense, head movement. What Robert has done is a fine tune. In the first Mayweather fight, I was a little too anxious, and that’s one of the things that Robert helped me fix.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions
“The fight was so good the first time, he’s trying to claim victory in this fight.

“Every great fighter has a great team behind them. Maidana has Robert Garcia and Sebastian Contusi, his manager. They advise him and training him well.

“This is an anticipated rematch that will be more entertaining than the first fight was.

“The last fight produced a winner, MAYHEM will produce a champion.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports
“They called it an ‘Epic fight’, ‘Electrifying,’ ‘A relentless assault,’ ‘Mayweather’s toughest fight in years.’ Those are some of the words writers used to describe the first fight between Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana.

“Some people think that Mayweather won the first fight comfortably, some others think that he won by a slimmer margin. I’m expecting this rematch to pick up right where the last one left off.

“If you look at the judges’ scorecards, they basically split the last five rounds. That’s something we don’t see in Mayweather opponents; to be competitive to the very end and to provide that much action, let alone excitement. That’s why we want to do Mayweather vs. Maidana again.

“We are absolutely happy with the financial performance of the May event. If it wasn’t a success, we certainly would not be doing a direct rematch four months later.”

SEBASTIAN CONTURSI, Marcos Maidana’s Manager
“Maidana deserved a rematch and Mayweather gave it to him because deep down he feels he has to prove himself.

“The driving force behind Maidana is not only his team, it is also the Latino Power.

“Maidana’s empowerment comes from the Latino power that’s going to help him make history on September 13 and end Floyd’s reign.”

ERIC GOMEZ, Senior VP of Golden Boy Promotions
“Golden Boy Promotions is happy to work once again with Mayweather Promotions. We are committed to bringing the best fights to the public and that’s what we are doing with this rematch.

“I’m told this is the greatest city in the world and that’s why we bring the best fighter in the world to kick off the MAYHEM press tour.

“He’s a little bit like Superman [Floyd Mayweather]. He can do it all. He can box. He can punch. But guess what? Even Superman has a weakness and we saw a little bit of that weakness in that first fight. Some call him Chino, but we call him Mr. Kryptonite.”

ROBERT GARCIA, Maidana’s Trainer
“We are glad Maywweather is giving us the rematch. He’s a tremendous warrior and a tremendous fighter, but we know that we are going to go out and give everybody what they want to see: a great fight.”

Afghani-Canadian super featherweight contender Arash Usmanee wishes to congratulate new IBF Super Featherweight Champion Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy for his title-winning decision over Argenis Mendez last Thursday (July 10) in Miami.

“Barthelemy looked good taking it to Mendez and he deserves the belt,” said Usmanee.

But now that the dust has settled on the Barthelemy/Mendez rivalry, Usmanee (21-2-1, 10 KOs) says the new champion has only one thing he can do to prove he deserves his spot on top.

“Barthelemy himself knows he didn’t beat me when we fought. If that fight was anywhere but his backyard, he would have never even gotten the chance to fight for the title. If he’s a true champion, he will face me in his first defense and try to erase what everyone but the three judges saw as a loss for him.”

Usmanee and Barthelemy faced off in January of last year in the Cuban Barthelemy’s adopted hometown of Miami and, after 12 rounds, the nearly unanimous consensus was that Usmanee had come on in the second half of the fight to dominate and deserved a clear decision. Unfortunately, the three judges saw it another way and awarded Barthelemy the unanimous verdict. The fight was an IBF title eliminator for the #2 spot in their rankings.

“If our fight was held anywhere but his backyard, he would have never gotten the chance to win the belt,” continued Usmanee. “If he wants to be a true world champion, then he can’t pretend that didn’t happen. A true champion would want to try to erase that blemish on his record immediately and I hope that’s what he chooses to do in his first defense.”

Usmanee’s promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions, says he is waiting to hear from Barthelemy’s promotional team.

“They know how lucky their guy got in Florida against my guy. And I know they’re all honorable people, so I expect they’ll take a little time to enjoy the belt and then we can all get to work on establishing the true champion of the IBF at super featherweight. My guy isn’t just going to go away. They need to make this fight to establish their own legitimacy as champion.”

In August of last year, Usmanee, established his performance against Barthelemy was no fluke by fighting to a draw with then-champion Mendez in his only world-title try.

In April of this year, Usmanee took an over-the-weight and short-notice fight (less than one week) against a much bigger Rey Beltran and lost a decision after a valiant effort as the co-feature on the Pacquiao vs. Bradley II undercard. Since then, Usmanee won a decision June 13 over the durable Juan Ruiz and is laser focused on securing the much-deserved rematch with Barthelemy.

Cohen stated, “Usmanee vs. Barthelemy II is a fight that must be made to establish who the true king is at 130 lbs in the IBF. I’m eagerly awaiting hearing from Barthelemy’s people to start negotiations.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 14th, 2014) – The opportunity to spoil someone else’s homecoming might mean more to Nick Gonzalez at this stage in his career than a trip to the big show or a lucrative endorsement deal.

With no major promoter behind him, or any sort of buzz on the fight scene back home in Austin, Tex., the 33-year-old Gonzalez is often forced to take his show on the road, fighting in someone else’s backyard in front of a one-sided crowd.

What might drive others to do something else with their spare time actually motivates Gonzalez, who continues to grind despite no opportunity with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) or any other major promotion looming on the horizon. There’s more to it for Gonzalez than the notoriety.

“I just fight because I love it,” he said.

Out of action for almost a year, Gonzalez (18-12, 6 KOs) will return to face unbeaten featherweight Charles Rosa (8-0, 3 KOs) on the undercard of “CES MMA XXV” live on AXS TV Friday, Aug. 8th, 2014 at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I.

The live network broadcast also features the return of Providence’s Luis Felix, who will face for The Ultimate Fighter contestant Julian Lane for the vacant CES MMA lightweight title in the five-round main event. Tickets for “CES MMA XXV” are on sale now at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Rosa, a Peabody, Mass., native who now trains out of American Top Team in Florida and continues fighting regionally, is rolling the dice putting his unbeaten record on the line against Gonzalez. A self-proclaimed “bad ass” with tremendous confidence in his striking ability, Gonzalez has more than 30 fights under his belt, including stints with Bellator and Strikeforce, in addition to a 2007 bout against 20-time UFC vet Yves Edwards, who now trains with Rosa.

“I know [Gonzalez] is a slick boxer who throws a lot of strong combos, but I also feel like that’s one of my strengths,” Rosa said. “I’ve sparred with some of the best boxers on the planet and have never had an issue. That’s what he’s best at, but I’m also really good at everything else.”

Rosa agreed to face Gonzalez at the behest of his manager, Charles McCarthy, a three-time UFC vet who’s guided him since the beginning of his amateur career. The 27-year-old featherweight has pushed the envelope with each fight, slowly climbing the ladder against tougher competition. After beating eight-time Bellator vet and submission specialist Brylan Van Artsdalen in March, Rosa will now switch gears against the heavy-handed Gonzalez.

“I trust Charles. He’s been with me since Day 1. He took me off the streets when I didn’t even have a car,” Rosa said. “The big reason he got into management was because of me. He’s always felt I could be a world champion.”

With nine professional boxing matches on his resume as well (three wins and two draws), Gonzalez has the punching power and footwork to spoil Rosa’s latest homecoming. Aug. 8th will be Rosa’s fifth fight in Rhode Island, where he studied to be a culinary chef at Providence’s Johnson & Wales University.

“Over the course of a 15-minute fight, I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done. I’m always confident, and I will eventually hit you,” Gonzalez said.

“And when I hit you, one of two things will happen. You’ll either fall down or you’ll think twice about why you’re fighting me in the first place. I have a lot of confidence in my ability.”

Gonzalez and Rosa have traveled two different career paths to get to this point. Rosa is the young, can’t-miss prospect with dreams of one day fighting for the UFC while Gonzalez has earned his stripes “beating up” the hometown fighters as the road-weary veteran. It’s gotten to the point where regional fighters in Gonzalez’s neck of the woods have gone to great lengths to avoid facing him, forcing him to take tougher fights elsewhere.

“Nowadays, guys want to be hometown heroes, sell a bunch of tickets and build their records,” he said. “At some point, you have to face a fighter like me. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. I’m good enough to fight in the UFC, but I’m not signed to a big company like the UFC.

“[The UFC] isn’t what it used to be,” he continued. “Now they’re just looking for the next big thing, guys who are 7-0, 8-0 with no relevant fights. If I knew that’s what I had to do, I would’ve padded my record years ago, but I have big balls and a big heart. I’m an old school guy, way before my time.”

Beneath the tough talk and gritty exterior, Gonzalez genuinely respects Rosa as a “hard worker,” one of the few up-and-comers in the featherweight division willing to face him.

“He’s young and hungry,” Gonzalez said, “and those are the kind of challenges I accept.”

The way Rosa sees it, facing someone like Gonzalez is the only way he can reach heights Gonzalez – and others – never reached. A former hockey standout in high school, Rosa always dreamed of being a professional athlete, but gravitated more toward the ice rinks than the MMA gyms as a teenager.

“Once I got to [Johnson & Wales] and scrimmaged against the Providence Bruins and other professional teams, I realized it was a different level,” he said. “I was always more of a tough guy – gritty – but I didn’t have that natural touch, the soft hands. I wasn’t a goal-scorer.

“Fighting was always better for me. You can really dig in and use your heart more.”

Rosa eventually made the seamless transition from hockey to MMA and is now one of the hottest fighters in his weight class with seven of his eight career wins coming by submission or knockout in the first round. The ultimate goal is to advance to the sport’s biggest stage, but not without challenging himself Aug. 8th against a throwback fighter with nothing to gain other than respect.

“It’s exciting to be a part of this event and see yourself on TV, and see yourself on that big screen,” Rosa said. “It lets you know your dreams are coming true. Everyone wants to see that someday. I always wanted that as a kid growing up.”

In addition to the Felix-Lane main event, “CES MMA XXV” also features the return of Brazilian lightweight Gil de Freitas (16-5, 5 KOs) of Ludlow, Mass., in a three-round bout against Sherman’s Dale, Pa., vet Darrell Horcher (9-1, 4 KOs). Middleweight Chip Moraza Pollard (8-6, 3 KOs) of Plymouth, Mass., looks to build off his win in March when he faces Harley Beekman (6-2, 3 KOs) of Amsterdam, N.Y.; and fan-favorite Tateki Matsuda (8-4, 3 KOs) of Boston returns to face Robbie Leroux (5-2, 4 KOs) of Fall River, Mass., in a bantamweight bout.

Also on the undercard, Providence welterweight Eric Spicely (4-0, 1 KO) puts his undefeated record on the line against 37-fight veteran Nuri Shakir of Nashua, N.H.; Providence lightweight Keenan Raymond (2-0) battles Jay Bakanowski (1-1) of Northboro, Mass.; welterweight Tommy Venticinque (1-1) of Warwick, R.I., faces newcomer Wayne Alhquist of Nashua; and flyweight Billy Giovanella (5-1, 2 KOs) faces Andy Aiello (3-1, 2 KOs) of Bridgewater, Mass. Middleweights Raphael Correia (2-1) of Danbury, Conn., and Terrell Clark (1-1, 1 KO) of Framingham, Mass., battle in a three-round bout and East Providence, R.I., welterweight Nate Andrews (6-0, 3 KOs) will be featured in a separate three-round bout.

Visit www.cesmma.com for more information, follow CES MMA on Twitter at @CESMMA and Instagram at CESMMA, or “like” CES MMA on Facebook.

Atlantic City, NJ—Middleweight prospect Thomas LaManna, of Millville, NJ, faces the toughest test of his three-year pro career when he goes against Jamaal Davis, of Philadelphia, PA, in a scheduled eight-round fight on Saturday evening, Aug. 23, in the Grand Ballroom at Bally’s Atlantic City.

Headlining the seven-bout card is a scheduled 10-round welterweight contest between Mike Jones, of Philadelphia, and Jaime Herrera, of Franklin Park, IL. The card will be streamed live by www.gofightlive.tv First fight is 7.30 p.m.

LaManna (right) turned pro early in 2011 and he has a record of 14-0, 7 K0s. He is ranked No. 5 among 160-pounders by the United States Boxing Association (USBA).

In his last fight April 12, also at Bally’s, he earned unanimous eight-round decision over Ahsandi Gibbs, of Tampa, FL. This will mark LaManna’s sixth fight at Bally’s.

“I’ve been waiting for this fight for a while because I feel I need to prove something to myself,” LaManna said. “Jamaal Davis is a tough, nitty-gritty veteran who’s been in the ring with everybody. This is a huge step for me, but if I want to become a relevant boxer, I have to beat Jamaal Davis.

“Bally’s in Atlantic City has been my second home and has been great to me. I’m excited to be the co-feature again and to be part of another Philly vs. Jersey battle.”

Davis, 33, is 14-11-1, 6 K0s. He has lost his last three, all against world-class competition: Patrick Majewski, of Atlantic City, NJ; Yuri Foreman, of Brooklyn, NY; Jorge Melendez, of Manati, Puerto Rico.

A pro since 2003, Davis has fought some of the best junior middleweights and middleweights up and down the East Coast, including: Peter Quillin, of Brooklyn; Gabriel Rosado, of Philadelphia; Ossie Duran, of Paterson, NJ; Joel Julio, of Miami, FL.

Davis has beaten Doel Carrasquillo, of Lancaster, PA, Josh Onyango, of Trenton, NJ, and Eberto Medina, of Paterson, NJ.

“I know this is a do-or-die fight for me,” Davis said. “Everyone is counting me out but I’m not ready to leave it alone (my career) quite yet. LaManna will be the favorite in this fight and I am the stepping stone but fights are won in the ring and not on paper and not in people’s hearts or their hopes.

“LaManna has skills but he hasn’t fought the kind of opposition I have fought. This could be a whole new ball game for him. I’ll be ready for him but will he be ready for me.”

Six additional fights complete the card.

ABOUT AUGUST 23

The Jones-Herrera and LaManna-Davis fights top a seven-bout card at Bally’s Atlantic City. First fight is 7.30 pm. Tickets are priced at $50 and $75 and they are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000). Tickets also are on sale at www.peltzboxing.com and www.ticketmaster.com. www.gofightlive.tv will stream the card on the internet. The card is being promoted by Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with Bally’s Atlantic City.

LAS VEGAS (July 14, 2014) – After landing more punches and connecting with a higher percentage, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (19-2-2, 12 KOs) feels he was robbed in his fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) that took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas this past weekend.

Fact, Lara landed 107 total punches to Alvarez’s 97 and had a higher connect percentage (28% Lara – 23% Alvarez). The body shots that Alvarez landed were grazing shots that Lara blocked with his elbows, and most of them came in the round he got cut.

Erislandy sounds off on why he feels he won the fight and deserves an immediate rematch.

“Before the decision was announced, I felt 100% confident I won the fight,” said Lara. “The facts don’t lie, I landed more total punches. Looking at it from the punch stats, you’re supposed score based on clean and effective blows landed. Most of the shots that Canelo landed were body blows that didn’t even land cleanly, and most of them came in the round where I got cut. All my punches were clean shots. I out jabbed him and boxed his ears off. The punch stats don’t lie…there is no way I lost to Canelo.”

“I’m very disappointed in Judge Levi Martinez for his horrendous score. How in the world did he score it 117-111? Before the decision was announced, I stood across the ring and saw Team Canelo and their body language said it all. You could see the depression in their eyes. Everyone on their whole team had a look of despair because they were defeated. When the final score was read, their look went from despair to relief. They knew they lost the fight, period.”

“Levi definitely needs to be investigated and he should never be appointed to judge a big fight again. I’m not sure if he’s dishonest or inept to be judging at this level, either way he needs to be reprimanded for this horrible decision. This is the second time this has happened to me and I wouldn’t want to see this happen to someone else. Like what happen to the judges in New York in the Williams fight, Levi should be suspended. I left communist Cuba to escape corruption and now I see it happening here in the boxing world.”

“Oscar De La Hoya said that I have to wait in line to fight Alvarez again because there are 10 others ahead of me. That speaks volumes because he knows Canelo got a gift.” Lara concluded. “Who are these 10 guys he’s talking about…I want to know. I won this fight and a rematch needs to happen right away.”

Burbank, CA: Issac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (22-2-2, 9 KOs) has made the long journey from South Africa to Burbank, CA to reunite with his trainer Buddy McGirt as the two prepare to face Cory “Black Ice” Cummings (17-6-1, 13 KOs) on August 2 at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ in the non-televised co-feature of the Sergey Kovalev vs. Blake Caparello WBO Light Heavyweight Championship card. Chilemba is ready for this fight, “It is going to be a good fight. This a good chance for my career so I am coming and I am coming big. I am confident and I am quite sure I am going to win the fight. This is me and I will be here for a long time.”

Chilemba
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Chilemba, 27, is originally from Blantyre, Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, and now resides in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. He started his professional career in 2005 at only 18 years old. His professional career began with eight straight victories, six of which were knockouts. Now, nine years later, he has only two defeats on his professional record and is rapidly rising through the ranks of the hot light heavyweight division. In Isaac’s most recent fight he defeated Denis Grachev via unanimous decision in a bloody ten-round battle at Sands Resort Casino in Bethlehem, PA on March 15th.

Grachev & Chilemba
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

As “Golden Boy” prepares to take on “Black Ice,” he once again has former WBC Welterweight and IBF Light Welterweight World Champion Buddy McGirt in his corner. The two are preparing to face Cummings at the Powerhouse Gym in Burbank, CA. McGirt had this to say about Isaac’s camp thus far, “We are just working on a few little things Isaac needs to do to make himself better. We are just going step-by-step. I feel like Main Events is doing the right thing by him and keeping him busy. He needs to keep his toes sharpened.”

“Golden Boy”
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

The time difference between South Africa and California took a little getting used to for Chilemba but according to McGirt, “Adjusting to the time difference is really getting to him but he is getting better. Isaac will be ready, he came to camp already in shape. Isaac needs to be away from home for training camp because if he isn’t he will overwork himself. Back home when he spars he dominates everybody. When he comes to the gyms in America everyone wants a piece of him, so his sparring is much more competitive here.” According to Isaac’s manager, Jodi Solomon, “Training camp is going very well and Isaac’s sparring is going well. Isaac is training hard and is as disciplined and focused on winning as he always is.”

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

About Revel

Revel Casino Hotel is Atlantic City’s newest and most spacious casino resort and convention destination. Located on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk, the ocean front hotel is designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic at every turn. The casino resort offers 130,000 square feet of world class gaming, with 2,400 slots, 130 table games, electronic tables and players’ lounges, along with the high-limit table game Ultra Lounge. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, cabanas, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 13 restaurants that offer a range of fine dining to deliciously affordable menu options, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub, and live entertainment at The Social and showroom headliners at Ovation Hall. While taking in all the casino has to offer, guests can earn points as they play, dine, shop and relax with the Revel Card loyalty program. For additional information and updates, and for complete details and rules of all promotions, customers can visit the Revel Card desk or visit www.revelcasino.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and @revelcasino on Instagram.

LAS VEGAS (July 14, 2014) – Tickets for the biggest rematch in recent memory, “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday, July 15 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

The repeat of what many are calling 11-time world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s toughest test to date against former WBA Welterweight World Champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana willtake place Saturday, Sept. 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Tickets for the live event are priced at $1,600, $1,200, $850, $600 and $350, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $350 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

With only one day left until tickets go on sale for this mega-fight, check out these facts about Floyd Mayweather and MGM Grand*.
Mayweather’s last nine fights have taken place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, including the May 3 first meeting of Mayweather and Maidana.
Mayweather’s September 2013 fight against Canelo Alvarez broke the Nevada boxing gross gate record of more than $20 million.
Mayweather has participated in three of the five biggest boxing gates in Nevada history, and seven of the 20 biggest boxing gates in the sport’s history.
“THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana” was the fourth largest boxing gate in Nevada history
*Facts from Nevada State Athletic Commission official website

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2”, a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s 147-pound titles taking place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV and is the fourth fight of a lucrative six-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc.

For more information go to, visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @chinomaidana, @mayweatherpromo, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @ShoSports and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #­­­­­­­­Mayhem and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOboxing.

On Saturday, August 30th, fight fans will be treated to an evening of prizefighting under the stars, as the best of the San Antonio boxing community lace up and compete inside Wolff Stadium at “Battle at the Ballpark”.

Headlining the event will be undefeated Super Bantamweight prospect Javier “The Pitbull” Rodriguez (10-0-1, 1 KO).

The fulltime college student is looking forward to showcasing his skills in front of thousands of supportive Alamo City fight fans.

“This event is special,” states the 20 year old puncher. “It’s going to be exciting to put on a show and compete in the middle of the baseball field at Nelson Wolff Stadium.”

The main event of the evening will be a six round special attraction in which Javier will be pitted against experienced journeyman and rival Guadalupe Perez of Garland, Texas. Rodriguez believes that his style matches up very well with his 31 year old opponent, which should ultimately result in an entertaining scrap for the fans in attendance.

“It’s going to be a dramatic and action filled battle. The fans who come out to Wolff Stadium are going to see a war. Not just in the main event, but in every bout that’s scheduled on the fight card. This event will showcase all of the great talent that is currently fighting out of San Antonio.”

In the co-main event of the evening, undefeated Welterweight prospect Benjamin Whitaker (7-0, 2 KOs) will put his perfect record on the line when he faces the always tough Joshua Burns in a six round match.

Also on the card, the San Antonio boxing community will finally see the long awaited pro debut of highly touted and nationally recognized Lightweight Cresencio Ramos, as well as undefeated knock-out artist Armando Cardenas (4-0, 3 KOs) of Angel’s Boxing Club.

But the showstopper and headliner of the eleven bout event will be “The Pitbull” Javier Rodriguez. It’s a responsibility that the hungry young fighter takes very seriously.

“All I do is go to school and compete in the ring,” confesses the gifted 122 pound fighter. “I study and train. It takes a lot of discipline and it’s difficult at times, but the ultimate goal is worth it. I’m doing everything I can to become the next world champion from San Antonio.”

Although Javier admittedly doesn’t have a deep amateur pedigree, the San Antonio native believes that he possesses the physical and mental toughness to succeed in one of the most challenging sports on the planet.

“I didn’t have an extensive amateur background, so I’m learning new things and getting better with each fight. My biggest assets in the ring are my heart, will, dedication and intelligence. It’s a tough sport and it requires a lot of focus. If you don’t use your head and think about everything that’s happening inside the ring, you could get seriously injured.”

“But even that’s not enough. You also have to train and hard as you can when preparing for a fight. If you don’t have the tools to execute a well thought out fight plan, it doesn’t matter how intelligent you are in the ring. You could get hurt.”

“Boxing is entertainment, but it’s serious business. That’s why I work and fight as hard as I do.”

Despite recognizing how difficult the “sweet science” can be, Javier Rodriguez has an unwavering belief in his team and himself. A win at “Battle at the Ballpark” on Saturday, August 30th, will bring him one step closer to fulfilling his dream of eventually becoming the Super Bantamweight Champion of the world.

“This fight on August 30th is going to be exciting,” states the astute young pugilist. “I can’t wait to get back in the ring and put on a show for the thousands who are going to come out and support all of the local fighters on the show. I’m really looking forward to performing for all of my great and supportive fans, and making new fans as well.”

“Should be a great evening of boxing at the ballpark!”

“Battle at the Ballpark: Rodriguez vs. Perez”, sponsored by “Bush’s Chicken!” of San Antonio, and promoted by Triple A Promotions and TMB Entertainment, will feature 11 action filled bouts in one great evening, for one great price!

Tickets are priced at $25 in General Admission, $50 at ringside, and $500 for special VIP tables for the exclusive August 30th presentation at “The Wolff”, and can be purchased at the ticket offices of Nelson Wolff Stadium (210-675-7275), or by calling 210-560-8181 & 210-387-6859.

LAS VEGAS (July 12, 2014)—Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME® will deliver another explosive night of boxing from the renowned StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., when undefeated IBF Welterweight World Champion Shawn “Showtime” Porter (24-0-1, 15 KOs), of Akron, Ohio defends his belt against fellow unbeaten British star Kell Brook (32-0, 22 KOs), of Sheffield, England, on Saturday, Aug. 16, headlining a three world championship fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast.

In co-featured fights on the telecast, undefeated Omar “Panterita” Figueroa (23-0-1, 17 KOs), of Weslaco, Texas, risks his WBC Lightweight World Championship for a second time against mandatory challenger Daniel “Tremendo” Estrada (32-2-1, 24 KOs), of Mexico City, and WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (32-5-3, 21 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, will defend against unbeaten Anthony “The Dog’’ Dirrell (26-0-1, 22 KOs), of Flint, Mich., in a rematch of a wildly exciting and controversial 12-round split draw last Dec. 7.

“From the championship fight between Shawn Porter and Kell Brook, to Omar Figueroa’s defense of his lightweight title against Daniel Estrada, to the rematch that fans demanded between Sakio Anthony Dirrell, Golden Boy Promotions continues to deliver on the promise of a simple premise – bringing the best fights to fans of boxing,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President and Founder of Golden Boy Promotions. “The StubHub Center’s reputation as the home to some of the best fights in boxing is only growing, and we’re proud to put on three more great fights that will only help cement that reputation.”

Tickets priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges and will be available online atAXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 877-234-8425.

Unorthodox offensive machine, Porter, 26, will be making the second defense of the 147-pound belt he won in a close but clear upset 12-round unanimous decision over big favorite Devon Alexander “The Great” last Dec. 7. In his lone defense, Porter overwhelmed former two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi, via ruthless fourth-round TKO last April 19 from Washington, D.C. Strong, fast, confident and physically gifted, Porter scored two knockdowns against Malignaggi while appearing to seriously hurt him throughout. He ended the one-sided bout with a clean right hand. The bout was stopped at 1:13 of the fourth round.

Regarding his upcoming defense, Porter, an amateur standout before turning professional in October 2008, said: “I think I have the edge on Brook with everything. I’m faster than he is, stronger than he is, quicker than he is, more athletic, and if you put all that in one fight, I’m going to be the winner.”

The world title fight has been a long time coming for Brook, 28, a power-punching, upright fighter who has been a mandatory contender for some time and was supposed to challenge Alexander three times during his reign only for the fights to be called off due to injuries. Then, Porter outpointed Alexander.

“I’m confident I’m going to win. I’m planning on bringing Porter’s belt to the United Kingdom with me,’’ said Brook, who is coming off a tougher than expected eighth-round knockout over Mexican welterweight champion Alvaro Robles last March 15. “I am fitter than ever and ready to go. I have been in training for a long time, so August 16 it’s the perfect date for me.”

Figueroa, 24, captured the then-vacant WBC 135-pound crown on a unanimous 12-round decision over Nihito Arakawa in a brutal slugfest that stole the show July 7, 2013, on SHOWTIME. Figueroa, despite fighting with a cut on his nose from an accidental headbutt, registered two knockdowns in a memorable slugfest in which 2,112 total punches were delivered in 36 minutes of non-stop action.

In his lone defense, the offensive-minded, crowd-pleasing Figueroa retained his crown with a 12-round split decision over amateur nemesis and fellow Texan, Jerry “The Corpus Christi Kid” Belmontes, last April 26 at StubHub Center on SHOWTIME. Figueroa was victorious in a puncher versus boxer matchup by the scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 113-115.

Estrada, 29, who’ll be making his SHOWTIME and United States debut, has campaigned exclusively in Mexico. He’s won nine consecutive fights, five by way of knockout. At 5-feet-10 ½, he is three inches taller than Figueroa.

Estrada won the WBC Silver Lightweight Championship with a sixth-round TKO over Isaias Sampaio on April 19, 2013. Before that, Estrada scored a 10th-round technical decision over Arakawa in a match stopped after the 10th after Estrada could not continue due to a swollen right eye that was caused by an unintentional headbutt.

Unbeaten since losing a split 12-round decision to Reyes Sanchez in a scrap for the vacant WBC Silver Light Welterweight Title on Sept. 11, 2010, Estrada is coming off a third-round knockout over Hugo Armenta last Dec. 14.

Bika, 35, is no stranger to winning hard-fought, tough, tight, world title fights. He won the then-vacant WBC 168-pound belt with a 12-round majority decision over Marco Antonio Periban (116-112, 115-113 and 114-114) on June 22, 2013, on SHOWTIME and then boxed to a split decision draw (114-112, 110-116 and 113-113) against Dirrell despite getting floored in the fifth and losing a point for a low blow in the 11th round.

A 2000 Olympian for his native Cameroon, Bika felt he deserved the decision against Dirrell and took exception with the penalty for a punch the referee ruled south of the border.

“I feel I was fighting the referee as well,’’ Bika said. “The body shot was a legitimate shot. Not below the belt line. I got him on the belt line, Dirrell just wanted to milk it. I was the busier fighter and now I just want to fight the best ahead of me.”

While Bika was going 12 rounds for the ninth time, it was the first time Dirrell had gone past eight. Still, the younger brother of 2004 U.S. Olympic Bronze medalist and former world title challenger Anthony Dirrell was positive that he’d done enough to triumph. Upon hearing the verdict, a visibly upset Dirrell bolted from the ring.

“I want to apologize to the fans for leaving the ring like that, but I was just disappointed,” a frustrated Dirrell told SHOWTIME’s Jim Gray a few minutes later. “He hit low and head butted. I definitely want a rematch.”

Dirrell’s career has twice been seriously jeopardized; the first time in December 2006 when he was diagnosed with cancer and was sidelined for 20 months and again in May 2012 when he was involved in a motorcycle accident and suffered a broken lower left leg and left wrist. At the time he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Dirrell was 12-0 and had been boxing professionally for only two years.

A victory over Bika would cap a remarkable journey, and Dirrell is confident it will happen in the rematch.

“This fight has been on my mind since I heard the decision from our first fight,’’ he said. “I’m just real excited to get it. I know I can beat Bika, I know I have what it takes and that’s what it is. It just takes hard work and dedication to stay focused on the game plan.

“I could have done better the first fight. I don’t feel like he was hitting me with more shots than I was hitting him with, but I still think I won it. This time it will be convincing.‘’

# # #

Shawn Porter vs. Kell Brook is a 12-round fight for the IBF Welterweight World title promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the 12-round co-main event, Omar Figueroa defends his WBC Lightweight title against Daniel Estrada, and in the televised opener, the WBC Super Middleweight title is on the line when Sakio Bika defends his belt against Anthony Dirrell. The event will take place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and will air on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

LOS ANGELES (July 11) – 2012 U.K. Olympic Bronze medalist Anthony Ogogo (6-0, 3 KOs) shoots for his seventh professional victory this Saturday at the Echo Arena in Liverpool when he faces off with Sheffield southpaw Wayne Reed (10-8, 5 KOs) in a six-round middleweight bout on the Tony Bellew vs. Julio Cesar Dos Santos undercard.

The matchup is the unbeaten Lowestoft native’s third of 2014, and it comes on the heels of his first win in Las Vegas, where he stopped Jonel Tapia in the third round on May 3.

“I’m really excited to be back in the ring and I can’t wait until Saturday night” said the 25-year-old Ogogo. “Fighting in Las Vegas was a fantastic experience and it’s great to be fighting back in Britain with my home support in Liverpool.”

“In every one of Anthony’s fights — most notably his May win in Vegas — he has showed the poise and power necessary to get a title shot and be a world champion,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. “Anthony delivers each and every time he steps in the ring, and I expect another great performance out of him this weekend.”

Ogogo vs. Reed will air on Sky Sports at 7pm British time on Saturday, July 12.

Chazz Witherspoon 235.4 – Tyabb Beale 255.4
Tim Witherspoon Jr. 148.9 – Jeff Lentz 147.6
Kevin Womack Jr. 146.9 – Anthony Prescott 146.8
Jamil Gadsden 154.2 – Nick Valliere 151.8
Matthew Gonzalez 161.1 – Rafael Machado 158.8
Louis Cream 149.7 – Malik Jackson 151.3

Venue: Riverwinds
Promoter: Silver Spoon Promotions
1st Bell: 7:30 PM / Doors 6:30 PM

TV: GFL.tv live / Comcast (delayed)

Photo By Thomas LaManna

Here are the main quotes from today’s kick-off press conference ahead of the fight between IBF Cruiserweight World Champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez (28-1, 14 KOs) and former WBA Champion Firat Arslan (34-7-2, 21 KOs) on August 16 at the Erfurt Exhibition Hall in Thuringia, Germany.

Yoan Pablo Hernandez: It is good to be back – back to work! Even before my last fight in November last year, my health was on the downside and it got even worse by February. Finally, I am fit to fight again and I cannot wait to defend my world championship. Firat Arslan is a fighter my teammate Marco Huck had some trouble with. I respect the way he performs, already being 43 years old. I will be well prepared for Arslan as I do not want to go more than twelve rounds against him.

Firat Arslan: My deep respect for Yoan Pablo Hernandez, who is not only the defending IBF Cruiserweight Champion but also the best at that weight, courtesy of Boxrec.com. However, I will have a plan to beat him on August 16. The man who will help me to work this plan out will be Fritz Sdunek. With him and my friend Dieter Wittmann at my side, I am more than equal to Hernandez and his coach Ulli Wegner. My dream will come true – I will become a world champion again!

Tickets for their world championship fight on August 16 in Erfurt, Germany are available via www.eventim.de.

Philadelphia (July 11, 2014)– Fresh off his recent 7th round stoppage over Brian Rose on June 14 in Brooklyn, WBO Jr. Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade (21-0, 14 KO’s) is in Liverpool, England this week as he is accompanying Vladine Biosse as he takes on undefeated prospect Callum Smith.

Andrade’s father/trainer Paul trains Biosse.

Andrade has gained lots of popularity in the United Kingdom following his win over Englishman Rose.

Andrade, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing has done a plethora of interviews with the British press, posed for many pictures with fans and signed autographs.

LONDON (July 11) – Mexican star Canelo Alvarez believes that Erislandy Lara will go down as one of the best fighters he will ever face.

The 23-year-old fan favourite Alvarez takes on the wily Cuban this Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live and exclusive on BoxNation, with both men looking to categorically prove that they are the light-middleweight division’s number one.

Alvarez, however, is aware of the threat that the man from Guantanamo presents and admits that when he hangs up the gloves Lara will be amongst the very best he would ever have gone toe-to-toe with.

“This fight is important because Lara and I are the best two fighters in our weight class. He might not have the most recognisable name, but in the boxing world, everybody knows he is the most dangerous opponent. This will be a very important victory,” said Alvarez.

“Without a doubt this is one of the best opponents that I’ll ever have. But I’m always going to look for tough opponents, tough rivals. I want to fight the best,” he said.

Despite the magnitude of this fight, this weekend’s bout will not be for a world title, something which has no bearing on the former unified 154-pound champion Alvarez, who will be looking to use his speed to overcome his well-schooled opponent.

“A title doesn’t matter to me for this fight. This fight is for honour, for glory. We’ll go for a world title next year,” said Alvarez.

“How will I beat him? With speed, movement and combinations. He’s a fighter that moves very well. He has a very tight defence, but the thing that he doesn’t move well is his feet, his legs.

“We know his style; he has a very difficult style. But we’ve prepared to break down that style. We worked for a difficult style, for a southpaw. Without a doubt we had the right sparring partners. It’s not an easy fight but we’ve prepared for everything,” said Alvarez.

31-year-old Lara is in equally buoyant mood, having finally been given his shot at the big time.

Now fighting out of Houston, Texas having defected from Cuba before the 2007 Pan American Games, Lara is unperturbed by Alvarez’s size advantage and says the boxing style he was raised with will help see him through.

“Every fighter that I’ve fought has been heavier than me and I’ve been able to deal with them, so we’re not worried about Canelo’s size. Everyone goes into the ring how they feel comfortable. I’m not worried about his weight on fight day,” said Lara.

“The Cuban style is the best style in boxing. Everybody knows that we win the most medals at the Olympics, at international tournaments. And that’s shown throughout our history.

“We’re going to wait for him. We’re going to see what he can show. I just keep working hard. Anybody who comes to this country is dreaming of this opportunity. I need to take advantage of it. I’m ready for this fight,” he said.

This weekend’s card will also see the return of Mexican idol Abner Mares, who makes his first appearance since his shock loss to Jhonny Gonzalez in August last year, when he takes on Jonathan Oquendo.

“I’m very excited to be back. It’s been 11 months [away] in a sport I love that’s given me everything. I’m very hungry to return, I’m a three-time world champion and I want more. I’m only 28 years old and I’m very determined,” said Mares.

“Oquendo is a young determined fighter, but if he’s been hungry for a week, I’ve been hungry for almost a year,” he said.

The stacked bill also has a rejuvenated Juan Manuel Lopez featuring, following his devastating second round stoppage of Daniel Ponce De Leon, when he takes on unbeaten Francisco Vargas.

The man who ran Danny Garcia extremely close in his last outing, Mauricio Herrera, is in action too and takes on interim WBA light-welterweight champion Johnny Perez.

Canelo Alvarez vs Erislandy Lara is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise returns for an all-action tripleheader of fights from two sites when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: BRANDON RIOS VS. DIEGO CHAVES, SERGEY KOVALEV VS. BLAKE CAPARELLO AND JESSIE VARGAS VS. ANTON NOVIKOV is seen SATURDAY, AUG. 2 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, exclusively on HBO. HBO Sports teams will be ringside at both events, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Aug. 3 (8:00 a.m.) and 5 (1:00 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Aug. 3 (3:30 p.m.) and 4 (11:00 p.m.)

Presented from Las Vegas, the main event of the evening marks the 2014 debut of fan-favorite Brandon Rios (31-2-1, 22 KOs) of Oxnard, Cal. The former 135-pound champ has participated in a handful of classic throwback brawls in his young career and is determined to rebound after tough losses to Mike Alvarado and Manny Pacquiao last year. His foe in the ten-round welterweight fight is Diego Chaves (23-1, 19 KOs) of Buenos Aires, making his Las Vegas debut in just his second fight outside Argentina.

The middle bout is a 12-round world title fight at 175 pounds, as Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) defends his light heavyweight crown against Australian Blake Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) in Atlantic City. Surging to the top of the 175-pound division, the undefeated slugger is making his fourth appearance on HBO in 13 months, after delivering spectacular knockouts in his three previous bouts on the network. Kovalev, who now calls Ft. Lauderdale home, will face a formidable challenger in the undefeated Caparello.

The evening’s opening bout comes from Las Vegas, with undefeated hometown darling Jessie Vargas (24-0, 9 KOs) facing Anton Novikov (29-0, 10 KOs) of Kopeysk, Russia, in a super lightweight contest scheduled for 12 rounds. Vargas has displayed a willingness to meet any competitor, and will encounter a crafty southpaw in Novikov, his third undefeated opponent in his last four fights.

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

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

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producers, Dave Harmon and Jon Crystal; director, Jonathan Evans.

Nutley, NJ (July 11, 2014)–On Friday night, July 25th, GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions will present a special night of boxing that will take place at the Turning Stone Resort Casino and be broadcast live on Showtime’s acclaimed series, Sho Box: The New Generation.

This anniversary special broadcast will be the 200th Episode of Sho Box and will begin at 10 PM ET.

The event is sponsored by Modells Sporting Goods.

In the main event, Antoine “Action” Douglas (14-0, 9 KO’s) and former world title challenger Michel Soro (23-1, 13 KO’s) will square in a Middleweight fight scheduled for 10 rounds that will be for the WBA International title.

Three other eight-round bouts will make the broadcast as Super Middleweights Jerry Odom (11-0, 10 KO’s) takes on Vilier Quinonez (8-0, 5 KO’s) for the WBC Fecarbox Super Middleweight title. Cecil McCalla (18-0, 6 KO’s) fights Oscar Godoy (13-2, 6 KO’s) in a Welterweight bout plus Lightweight Wanzell Ellison (11-0-1, 5 KO’s) boxes Tony Luis (17-2, 7 KO’s)

The combined record of the 8 fighters is a staggering 115-5-1 with 61 knockouts.

Douglas of Burke, Virginia has been one of the most talked about Middleweight prospects in the United States. The 21-year old has quality wins over undefeated Colby Courter (4-0) and Marquis Davis (8-0-2). In his last bout, Douglas was impressive in scoring a sensational 2nd round stoppage over former world title challenger Luca Messi (37-9-1) on April 4 in Parsippany, New Jersey.

The win over Davis was also televised on Sho Box.

Soro of Villeurbanne, France has an impressive record of 23-1 with 13 knockouts and will be making his American debut.

He won his first eighteen bouts including a win over David Makaradze for the WBO European Jr. Middleweight title.

That win set Soro up for a shot at WBO Jr. Middleweight champion Zaurbek Baysangurov.

Soro fought a great a fight and dropped Baysangurov in the 2nd round but the champion retained his belt in a close decision.

Soro has won five fights in a row which includes a win over Kris Carslaw (17-3) for the WBO European Jr. Middleweight title. He defended the title twice and in his last bout he scored a 5th round stoppage over Alexey Ribchev on June 7.

Odom of Bowie, Maryland has a record of 11-0 with 10 knockouts. 8 of those knockouts have come in the 1st round.

The 21 year-old Odom turned pro in 2012 and this will be his 12th fight in 20 months. He is coming off a 4-round unanimous decision over Edgar Perez on April 26.

Quinonez of Miami, Florida via Cuba has a record of 8-0 with 5 knockouts.

The 29 year-old turned pro in 2010 with a 1st round stoppage over Abdellah Smith. He also has a Eliseo Durazo (4-1). In his last bout, he stopped Edgar Perez in the 1st round on May 1.

McCalla has a perfect record of 18-0 with 6 knockouts. The 29 year-old native of Randallstown, Maryland turned pro in 2008 with a 4-round unanimous decision over Ivan Ziglar (1-0-1).

He also has wins over undefeated Antonio Walls (2-0) and Gary Lynch (4-0). In his last bout, McCalla scored a 6-round unanimous decision over Antonio Chaves Fernandez on April 18 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino..

Godoy of Watsonville, California is a tough and durable fighter who has several solid wins over the likes of Roberto Crespo (4-1), Richard Hargraves (3-0-1), Ricky Duenas (12-2) and his last bout when he scored a 6-round majority decision over Victor Fonseca (8-2-1) on March 14 in Tustin, California.

Ellison of Newark, New Jersey has a record of 11-0-1 with 5 knockouts.

The 25-year old turned pro in 2009 and is coming off a 6-round split decision over previously undefeated Iain Weaver on April 4 in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Luis of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada is known for his exciting style.

The 26-year old won his first 15 bouts with wins over solid veterans Adrian Valdez, Adrian Verdugo (13-1-1) and Aldo Valtierra.

He captured the WBC Continental Americas Jr. Welterweight title with a 1st round stoppage over Alejandro Barrera. He racked up two more wins before his 1st setback to Jose Hernandez.

Two more wins set up a fight with undefeated prospect Ivan Redkach. Luis fought a tough fight before dropping a 10-round unanimous decision on January 17.

Los Angeles, CA (July 11, 2014) Heading into the 2014 All-Star Break and seeking depth in their starting pitching, the first place Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired middleweight world boxing champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN to take the mound on Saturday night for their game against their Southern California rivals San Diego Padres at the famed Chavez Ravine stadium in Los Angeles.

“This is a terrific opportunity for Gennady, he’s been training up in Big Bear for his title defense against Daniel Geale in two weeks and his fastball has never looked sharper” said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions. “Although planned as an honorary first pitch by the Dodgers we’re confident that he can get through the first few innings unscathed.”

Said Golovkin, “I’m honored to throw out the first pitch on Saturday night. I’ve been training in Big Bear for my fight against Geale but look forward to having a great time on Saturday night at the ballpark.”

Sporting boxing’s highest knockout percentage with a record of 29-0-0 including 26 stoppages, Golovkin will head to mound at 6:55 p.m. PT for the honorary pitch prior to the 7:10 p.m. PT start of the third game of the Dodgers/Padres weekend series.

Golovkin will wrap up training within the next week and head to New York City for his WBA/IBO Middleweight World Title defense against two-time former world champion Geale on Saturday, July 26 from ‘The Mecca of Boxing”, Madison Square Garden on LIVE on HBO World Championship Boxing ® beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

GOLOVKIN VS. GEALE is presented by K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Grange Old School Boxing.

Advance tickets priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25 are available at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com

For fight updates on GOLOVKIN VS. GEALE via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, in addition to on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin/@GGGBoxing, Daniel Geale/@RealDealGeale, Tom Loeffler – K2 Promotions/ @TomLoeffler1 and Gary Shaw Productions/@GaryShawBoxing. Use the hashtag #GolovkinGeale to join the conversation on Twitter.

Toronto | New York (July 11, 2014) – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of Enfusion 20 from Mallorca, Spain this Saturday, July 12, at 2:30 p.m. ET, featuring some of Europe’s top kickboxing prospects.

Enfusion 20 will be aired live on Cablevision’s Optimum TV in the U.S. and nationwide in Canada.

The Enfusion female 54 kg world championship will be up for grabs as Morocco’s Iman Ghablou takes on England’s Iman Barlow.

In other featured bouts, Damian Garcia and Loren Jorge throw down in a clash of Spanish standouts, German Christian Brorhilker battles Dutchman Wendell Roche, Spain’s Kike Bonnin faces Germany’s Olli Koch, Spain’s Antonio Gomez takes on Portuguese prospect Ricardo Luiz, plus Spain’s Ruben Barnabe kicks off the festivities against Frenchman Thomas Alisier.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com and follow on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

July 11, 2014 – HBO Boxing presents “Road to Golovkin/Geale,” an exhilarating special examining the upcoming middleweight title fight between undefeated champ Gennady Golovkin and former two-time champ Daniel Geale. In a highly anticipated 160-pound showdown set for the big stage at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, July 26, Golovkin and Geale will finally meet in the ring. The encounter will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing ®.

The “Road to Golovkin/Geale” special will premiere Saturday, July 12 at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT on HBO. It will preview the long awaited 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 summertime showdown on boxing’s leading television platform.

Golovkin, who had spectacular breakout year in 2013, brings a perfect 29-0 record with 26 KOs into the showdown. Geale, enormously popular in his native Australia, sports a professional ring record of 30-2 with 16 KOs. This marks his second fight in the United States.

The 15-minute special 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: July 12 (12:05 a.m.), 14 (9:45 a.m.), 16 (2:15 p.m. & 10:45 p.m.), 20 (11:45 a.m.), 22 (12:00 p.m. & 2:55 a.m.), 25 (5:30 p.m. & 1:00 a.m.), and 26 (8:45 a.m.).

HBO2 playdates: July 13 (6:15 p.m.), 15 (9:15 p.m.), 17 (5:45 p.m.) 19 (7:15 p.m.), 21 (2:50 p.m.), 23 (11:30 p.m.) and 25 (11:10 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 11th, 2014) – It’s the birthplace of The Beatles, known for its inventions and innovations in public health and social reform, as well as its eclectic nightlife and rich history of performing arts.

As far as CES Boxing’s Vladine Biosse is concerned, Liverpool, England, is just another city, another venue, another stop along the way, as he continues his slow, steady climb toward the top of the super middleweight division before Father Time has its say.

More than 50 years since the birth of Beatlemania, and 40 years since “Mr. Moonlight” Frankie Vaughan dominated the UK Top 40, Liverpool is bracing itself for “Mr. Providence” as Biosse (15-3-2, 7 KOs) faces his toughest test to date at Echo Arena.

The 32-year-old southpaw will challenge undefeated champion Callum Smith (11-0, 9 KOs) in a 10-round bout Saturday, June 12th, 2014 for the World Boxing Council (WBC) International title, which Smith captured in October and defended for the first time in May with a second-round knockout win over Tobias Webb.

While Smith has already predicted a late stoppage Saturday, accounting for how long it’ll take him to adjust to a southpaw challenger, Biosse is playing it cool, offering no insight other than the promise to leave everything in the ring.

“I will give him hell,” he said.

In the cramped, competitive super middleweight division, Biosse is as tough as it gets. The former University of Rhode Island football player gave unbeaten prospect J’Leon Love “hell” in his last bout Feb. 28th in New York, taking Love into the 10th and final round before referee Benjy Esteves Jr. stopped the fight, a curious decision since Biosse had already absorbed Love’s best for nine rounds.

Though he’s yet to face the same level of competition Love has gone toe-to-toe with, the 6-foot-3 Smith is considered one of the most promising up-and-comers in the 168-pound weight class.

The youngest of four brothers – Paul, Liam and Stephen – all of whom boxed professionally, Smith came within a whisker of qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, losing a heartbreaker in the quarterfinals of the qualifier in Turkey.

As a pro, he’s won nine consecutive bouts by knockout, including his most recent fight in May in which he sent Webb to the canvas four times in the second round, and another dominant performance in April against 54-fight veteran Francois Bastient, whose corner threw in the towel in the third round when a short, right uppercut put Bastient halfway through the ropes.

The key for Biosse will be fighting effectively on the inside, which is the best way to neutralize Callum’s reach and soften his defense. In a scheduled eight-round bout against 6-foot-4 veteran Marcus Upshaw in January of 2013, Biosse got off to a strong start by boxing on the inside and staying away from Upshaw’s jab. Once Upshaw found his range, he peppered Biosse with combinations set up by the jab and eventually earned the stoppage 2 minutes, 25 seconds into the final round, sending Biosse to the canvas twice.

Biosse had won his previous three fights before the loss to Upshaw. Since then, he’s 1-1-1, including a win over Philadelphia’s Latif Mundy and a draw against Rhode Island’s Rich Gingras. Among his most notable wins are victories on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights against Joey McCreedy and Tim Connors and a unanimous decision win over intrastate rival and former regional title-holder Joey Spina.

Winning the WBC International title would go a long way toward putting Biosse in the mix among the elite fighters in his weight class. Over the past decade, seven of the nine fighters who held the WBC International Super Middleweight title went on to win world championships, a list that includes Mikkel Kessler, Otis Grant, Jurgen Braehmer, Mario Veit, Denis Inkin, Robert Stieglitz and Adonis Stevenson.

The Biosse-Smith fight is one of four title bouts on Saturday’s card in Liverpool, promoted by Matchroom Boxing. Former world light heavyweight champ Nathan Cleverly will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title against Argentinian Alejandro Emilio Valori in a 12-round bout.

“I appreciate the invite and the opportunity to come overseas for this fight and challenge the champion,” Biosse said, “but make no mistake, I am coming to win like I do every time out.

“I’ve seen tapes and I respect Callum as a fighter, but I’m always and I always come to fight.”

Visit www.cesboxing.com for more information, follow CES Boxing on Twitter at @CESBOXING and Instagram at CESBOXING, or “like” CES Boxing on Facebook.