MASHANTUCKET, Conn., (May 29, 2014) – Rapper/promoter Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson returns to the Nutmeg State to celebrate his birthday as his company, SMS Promotions, presents a special edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights on Wednesday night, July 2, at Grand Theater in Fox Tower at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

The 12-round main event matches undefeated junior lightweight Mark “Too Sharp” Davis (18-0, 5 KOs) against Filipino knockout specialist Michael “Hammer Fist” Farenas (38-4-4, 30 KOs) in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) title eliminator. The winner will become the mandatory challenger for winner of the upcoming title match between IBF 130-pound champion Argenis Mendez and challenger Rances Barthelemy.

“I’m thrilled to return to Foxwoods Resort Casino, celebrating my birthday yet again with ESPN Friday Night Fights,” commented 50 Cent. “Last year was such a success I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do it again and deliver an amazing night of boxing. All of the fighters on the card bring strength, power, endurance and agility to the sport. It’s a night you won’t want to miss.”

“We are delighted to be welcoming back 50 and his SMS Promotions for another stellar night of fights on ESPN.” added Monique L. Sebastian, Executive Director of Entertainment, Foxwoods Resort Casino. “We couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the holiday weekend.”

The 27-year-old Davis, fighting out of Cleveland, had more than 200 amateur bouts, highlighted by his gold medal winning performance at the 2005 U.S. National Championships.

Farenas is a battle-tested veteran from the Philippines who has never been stopped in 47 professional fights. He lost a 12-round decision to another SMS fighter, Yuriorkis Gamboa, in 2012 for the interim World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight title, after he fought WBA super featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama to a draw in Japan.

In the 10-round ESPN FNF co-feature, former IBF featherweight champion Billy “The Kid” Dib (36-3, 21 KOs) moves up in weight to face former WBA featherweight title challenger Alberto “Kichis” Garza (26-7-1, 21 KOs), of Mexico City, with world junior lightweight implications at stake.

Dib, fighting out of Sydney, Australia, returns to Foxwoods where 14 months ago, also during ESPN FNF, he lost his IBF title to Evgeny Gradovich by way of a 12-round split decision.

Last November, Garza lost his only world title fight to WBA featherweight champion Nicholas Walters by fourth-round technical knockout. Garza is a former WBC Silver and WBC Continental Americas featherweight title holder.

Scheduled to fight opponents to be determined in four-round bouts are three of SMS Promotions’ top prospects: lightweights Luis Olivares, Jr. (7-0, 5 KOs), Glendale, Arizona; Donte Strayhorn (5-1, 1 KO), Cincinnati, Ohio; Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin (5-0, 3 KOs), Chattanooga, Tennessee.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets are priced at $100.00, $75.00 and $45.00 and will soon go on sale online at www.foxwoods.com, calling Foxwoods’ box office at (800) 200-2882, or in person at Foxwoods’ box office. Tickets will also be available to purchase through any Ticketmaster outlet and online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Doors at Grand Theater in Fox Tower will open at 6 p.m. ET. The first bout will start at 7 p.m. ET with ESPN FNF airing live between 9-11 p.m. ET.

Kathy Duva, Main Events’ CEO:

We are thrilled and excited to be back on NBCSN Fight Night, it is the best boxing series on TV. This fight is another example of why. This is a significant fight because the winner is going to be the number one contender in the IBF. While there is potential that Bernard Hopkins will unify his title against Stevenson, the winner will fight Bernard Hopkins after he fights Stevenson. Bottom line the winner of this fight is going to get a shot at a very big fight.

There’s a whole lot of young talent out there like Anatoliy and Nadjib and they want to test themselves against the best. At end of the day there are two elderly guys holding things up in the light heavyweight division. In a few years all this will be forgotten because these two guys are the future of the division. Down the road these young men will challenge Sergey Kovalev for his title. We keep all of our fighters active.

The division is heating up. One way or another that title fight is coming soon. The IBF has indicated they will give Bernard Hopkins an exemption to fight Stevenson but if it doesn’t happen in a timely manner then he will fight the winner of this fight. Fight fans are going to be very familiar with both these guys when this fight is over.

This style matchup is perfect: a brawling puncher against a boxer. They are one fight away from their dream. They are getting what they want and what they have both been working towards. We are interested in building up the light heavyweight division. Anatoliy is willing to fight anyone that is put in front of him and that is the kind of fighter we want to work with. He has a great team around him now and all of the elements are in place. I think the winner of this fight will be ready to fight Hopkins. This is going to be a great show.

Anatoliy Dudchenko:

Nadjib is a good fighter and a smart boy. He’s tough. I respect each of my opponents but in my heart it doesn’t matter who is in front of me. I come back to Jesse because we did one fight before and it was a ten second fight. He likes my style. I fight for a better life. Let’s talk after I put him on the ground. Earlier in my career I didn’t have a manager or a promoter.

When I came to the United States I worked in construction. Now I am only focusing on boxing. It doesn’t matter who is in front of me. You have to use your chance or die and if you must die, die like a hero. Let’s meet in the ring and then we will see.

Jesse Reid Sr., Dudchenko’s Trainer:

Anatoliy looks at everybody as the toughest fight of his life. I have been in this business for a long time and with Anatoliy I see a great athlete. Age is not a factor for him. We are here to win not to talk about a bunch of other people. If we have to box we’ll box with Mohammedi. I have some real hungry fighters in my career but these European fighters are so much hungrier than the US fighters.

I am very excited about being a part of this. We will bring boxing back to the United States. I am very happy to be working with Anatoliy. I love his attitude and the way he works. He may be 35 but he is like a 20 year old; he is young and hungry.

Vince Caruso, Dudchenko’s Manager:

We all know the implications that this fight holds. We are happy to be fighting at a beautiful venue – the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. This is our first fight under the Main Events promotional banner. We hope this will be a longstanding relationship because we have every intention of winning every fight until Anatoliy retires.

I am very picky about who I work with. When I first met Anatoliy about a year ago I saw a guy who was very hungry. All he wanted was to win a world title. He is the definition of a throw-back boxer. There is no doubt in my mind that when Anatoliy’s career is done he will be regarded as one of the best light heavyweights in the game. If I said I wasn’t thinking about Bernard Hopkins, I would be lying. I absolutely think we are going to win this fight. The champion should fight the number one contender.

Adonis Stevenson is a fraud. Last week wasn’t even a competitive fight. It was two above average club fighters facing each other. Anatoliy will fight any guy anywhere. We don’t want to sit on our hands for ten months waiting for Bernard Hopkins. Anatoliy hits a hell of a lot harder and we are going to show that on NBCSN. Age is not a problem for “The Gladiator;” he is a machine. He knows what he has to do. We know we have a small time frame.

Anatoliy has never been covered by the media but come June 21 he won’t be ignored anymore. He will fight anyone, if it’s Hopkins it’s Hopkins. We want to fight the best so I want Andre Ward or Sergey Kovalev. I want Anatoliy to make history and he does that by knocking out the best.

Nadjib Mohammedi:

I want to thank everyone that gave me the possibility to come here and box. It’s the fruit of our labor that brought us here. We have been working towards this for years. We have no pressure at all. We have been boxing in many other places than the United States. I have no pressure at all because the ring is my home. When I get in the ring I don’t ask myself questions, I am there to win that belt.

We are ready for everything. That is what we trained for. After this fight we are ready to prove to all the American people that we are ready to be a world champion. I believe this fight will end in a KO. We are not here to play around. We came to fight. We are going to incorporate our own brand of fighting. I am sure I am going to win and I am ready to fight anyone after that. It was my plan to fight in 2014 for a title.

When they told me about this fight we just hopped on it because we really wanted to fight. We used to box against people that were bigger and stronger than us. We boxed with someone who is a little bigger than Anatoliy, height does not matter here. I am faster and smarter than Anatoliy. I think I have more experience than Dudchenko.

About June 21:

June 21 features Anatoliy “The Gladiator” Dudchenko and Nadjib Mohammedi in a twelve-round light heavyweight bout for the #1 position in the IBF live on NBCSN Fight Night from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The co-feature includes a ten-round fight between Philly natives Karl “Dynamite” Dargan and Anthony Flores for the USBA Atlantic Coast Region Title. The Fight Night telecast will begin at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. Doors will open at 5:00 PM. The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing, in association with Greg Cohen Promotions. The undercard will be announced shortly. Ticket are available at ticketmaster.com (Keyword: Main Events) or at the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs box office.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on June 21.
Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

All NBC Sports Network live events live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (May 29, 2014) – Iron Mike Productions (IMP) has signed undefeated 2012 Ukraine Olympian Ievgen “The Ukraine Lion” Khytrov (4-0, 4 KOs) to a promotional contract. IMP will co-promote Khytrov with New York-based Fight Promotions Inc.

“I watched the first few fights of this exceptional young fighter’s career and was very impressed,” IMP CEO Garry Jonas said. “So, I was pleased when Fight Promotions Inc. approached us to co-promote Khytrov’s career. He is an aggressive, accurate puncher whose style of fighting fits with the type of fighters and fights that we want to promote.”

The 25-year-old Khytrov, now living in Brooklyn, is being trained by Gary Stark. The powerful middleweight makes his IMP debut June 6 in a six-round bout against dangerous Chris Chatman (12-3-1, 5 KOs) in the opening fight on ESPN Friday Night Fights, airing live from Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York.

“This first fight under the IMP banner is a real test for Khytrov,” noted Chris Middendorf, IMP Vice President of Boxing Operations. “Chatman has fought seven undefeated fighters, won four of them and been very close to victories in three others, and only Jermell Charlo was able to stop him. Khytrov is a throwback type of fighter and that is why he is perfect with Iron Mike. All he wants is to fight and fight the best.”

Khytrov was a highly-decorated amateur boxer with more than 500 matches, highlighted by his 2011 gold medal performance at the World Championships in Azerbaijan, in which he defeated Japan’s 2012 Olympic champion Ryota Murata on points in the championship final.

Last December in New York City, Khytrov made his successful professional debut in a scheduled eight-round fight, stopping Christian Nava in the opening round. He has since knockout out, in order, Romon Barber (3rd), Julius Kennedy (5th) and Jas Phipps (2nd) this past April 10.

Tickets are reasonably priced at $60.00, $35.00, $25.00 and $15.00 and are on sale now at the Turning Stone box office, by calling (315) 361-7469, at any Ticketmaster outlet (800) 745-3000, or visit www.Ticketmaster.com

ABOUT IRON MIKE PRODUCTIONS (IMP): Founded in 2013 by CEO Garry Jonas and Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, Iron Mike Productions is a full-service boxing promotional company with offices located in Deerfield Beach, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada. IMP is committed to changing traditional boxing promotion by advocating for its fighters’ successes, inside the ring and out, throughout their professional careers and into retirement.

For additional information go online at www.IronMikeProductions.com, friend on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/IronMikeProductions.Official, or follow on Twitter @IronMikeProd.

U.S. Virgin Islands-based middleweight contender Samuel “Rock City Cobra” Rogers
says he’s ready for the biggest fight of his career this Saturday, May 31.

Rogers (14-1, 8 KOs) will face former WBA junior middleweight world champion and “The Contender” champion, WBA #10-rated Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (25-3-2, 8 KOs) in an eight-rounder that will serve as the chief supporting bout on DiBella Entertainment’s and Sampson Boxing’s (in association with Right Hook Promotions) event entitled “Real Fights” in the Tropicana Pavilion at the New Tropicana Resort in Las Vegas.

The co-main events that night will be telecast live on HBO Latino and HBO2 (12 midnight [ET/PT]) and feature a 10-round super featherweight battle between Dominican former world champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (24-0-1, 18 KOs) and heavy-handed Mexican contender Juan Antonio Rodriguez (26-4, 23 KOs), as well as an “All Puerto Rico” 10-round super bantamweight war between undefeated Luis Rosa (16-0, 7 KOs) and Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle (18-1, 13 KOs).

Tickets for “Real Fights” are priced at $85, $65 and $37 (plus applicable taxes). They are available for purchase online (www.troplv.com), in person at the Tropicana Las Vegas Show Tickets desk or by phone (800-829-9034).

Rogers knows he’ll be coming in as the underdog in this bout, as he suffered his first professional loss in his last fight, a 10-round decision to Argentina’s Carlos Adan Jerez, in Argentina, last February. But says it’s a role he is looking forward to playing in this battle of “serpentine” middleweights.

How did training go for this fight?

Training was awesome. We stepped it up and brought in guys from Puerto Rico and Spain for sparring. Long and lanky guys, who don’t do a lot of punching but are explosive and sharp. They were all very good fighters too, not chumps I can walk over. They pushed my stamina to where I need to be, conditioning-wise. Working hard at that level put me in a new mind frame and made it seem as if I was in the fight already. My stamina is tremendous. I’m really confident and I can’t wait to step in the ring.

What have you learned so far about your opponent, Sergio Mora?

The guy talks a lot. He has a big mouth and that’s expected of him. That’s how he is. I just need to stay calm and relax. For me, the fight will begin at the press conference because he’ll be trying to get in my head. I have to stay poised and get ready for that bell. He’s a spot fighter. He doesn’t fight the whole three minutes of every round. He does bursts and then goes into a void for another minute and a half. He doesn’t hit that hard. He’s a technician. The one thing that is positive in his favor is he’s durable. He can do ten rounds, so I’m expecting to go ten with him. If I catch him with a good punch, I’ll try to stop him early. I’m looking forward to a good explosive fight.

You lost your last fight. What have you learned from that experience?

Staying focused, being relaxed. No matter what happens in a fight; if I’m cut or get an injury, I have to stick to the game plan and listen to my corner. They can see more than I can when I’m in there.

What would a victory over Sergio Mora mean to you?

It’s going to put me where I need to be. I’m rated number 16 by the NABF. He’s number 9. I’m going to take his spot and call out guys like Peter Quillin and Gennady Golovkin and all the champs at 160.

Tell me about the support you receive from the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands?

The fans back home are unbelievable. We got a lot of sponsors behind us too, too many to mention them all from memory. Everybody back home comes out and supports us. The sponsors have made it possible for me to be here with their support. I want to thank everyone from the USVI and all my sponsors. Without all of you, I wouldn’t be able to do this.

How do you envision this fight with Mora unfolding?

He’s going to get frustrated and try to come in and pressure me and wear me down, mentally. He’ll try to get in my head by talking a lot of smack. I need to be aggressive, throw combinations and never back up. I need to stick to the jab, keep that telephone pole in his face all night long like Vernon Forrest did to him.

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In separate bouts, hometown favorites Rocco Santomauro (11-0) and Jesus Gutierrez (11-0) both put their unblemished record on the line when Santomauro squares off against Daniel Quevedo and Gutierrez takes on Pablo Becerra.

For fight updates, visit www.dbe1.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.troplv.com, Facebook (facebook.com/dibellaentertainment, facebook.com/hboboxing)and Twitter (twitter.com/dibellaent, twitter.com/loudibella, twitter.com/sampsonboxing).

Tweet this: LIVE doubleheader boxing event @TropLV feat. @AbejonFortuna vs J. Rodríguez & L. Rosa vs L. Del Valle! @HBOLatino

About The New Tropicana Las Vegas | TropLV.com
Welcome to affordable luxury. The New Tropicana resort in Las Vegas redefines the expectations of today’s global travelers with a recently completed $200 million transformation that provides a casually elegant experience on the Las Vegas Strip. With a unique South Beach vibe, the resort features all-new rooms, suites and luxury villas that evoke the sentiment of a breezy beach house or penthouse in Miami, a fresh redesign of the 50,000-square-foot casino, several award-winning restaurants, a new race and sports book, and Glow®, a Mandara Spa and fitness center. First-class entertainment includes headliners in the all-new Tropicana Theater, Laugh Factory and live music in the Tropicana Lounge. Coming spring 2014, the Tropicana Theater will be home to the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA!

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Canada (May 29, 2014) – Undefeated Canadian boxer “Dangerous” Denton Daley (12-0, 6 KOs) is positioned to bring the world cruiserweight title back to North America after a seven-year hiatus.

The last North American-born cruiserweight champions were Hall of Famer Virgil Hill and O’Neil Bell. Europeans and Russians have since dominated the underappreciated weight class situated between light heavyweight and heavyweight.

Currently rated No. 5 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), Daley has lost only one round in his 12 professional fights to date.

The 32-year-old Daley made his professional debut January 16, 2010, stopping Irving Chesnut in the third round. He first displayed his unlimited potential in his seventh pro fight against two-time Canadian National champion Jason Douglas. Daley destroyed Douglas, the 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medalist and Pan-American Games semifinalist, in four dominant rounds.

Under the guidance of his head trainer, two-time world title challenger Syd Vanderpool, Daley has dramatically progressed fight by fight, particularly in the past 1 ½ years, going right through former world champion Richard Hall (DEC10) to capture the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) title, Faisal Ibnel Arrami retired after four rounds for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) championship, and then shutting out Jean Marc Monrose (DEC10) and Andres Taylor (DEC12) in successful NABA title defenses.

Denton Daley 2014 Who Next
Denton Daley 2014 Who Next

Daley’s promoter, Don MacDonald (United Promotions) negotiated a fight in Mississauga, Canada between Daley and WBA No. 1 Pawel Kolodziej, of Poland, but the WBA cruiserweight division was recently thrown into flux because Champion in Recess Guillermo Jones was suspended for two years. Rather than take a risky fight with Daley, Kolodzeij decided to remain in the No. 1 spot in hopes of challenging WBA champion Denis Lebedev, of Russia.

Meanwhile, Lebedev was supposed to fight Jones but that was recently canceled when the latter failed a pre-fight drug test for the second time. The question now is will Lebedev defend his title against Kolodzeij, or prove he is a true world champion by fighting a challenger from outside his European and Asian comfort zone?

“We definitely want to fight Lebedev and we’ll do it in Russia,” MacDonald said.

Daley is a well-spoken college graduate with exceptional athleticism for a boxer, as well as a fresh face among cruiserweights who’ve tended to recycle the same group of opponents during the past few years. Lebedev vs. Daley can increase popularity and build credibility for the cruiserweight division as a whole, reopening an invaluable North American market for a weight class generally overlooked there for many years.

Friend Daley at www.Facebook.com/UnitedBoxingPromotions,follow UBP on twitter at @UnitedPromotions and Daley @DentonDaley.

ESPN3 will present exclusive live coverage in the U.S. of the 12-round IBF Middleweight title fight between defending titleholder Felix Sturm (39-3-2, 18 KOs) and Sam Soliman (43-11, 18 KOs) on Saturday, May 31. Saturday’s coverage of the undercard bouts will begin at 2 p.m. ET with the main event getting underway at approximately 5 p.m.

The fight, from the KönigPalast Arena in Krefeld, Germany, will be the second meeting between the two boxers. Australia’s Soliman won a unanimous decision over Germany’s Sturm in their first bout (a world title eliminator), a result which was changed to a no contest due to Soliman testing positive for a banned stimulant. Sturm went on to win his next two fights, including a second-round knockout of England’s Darren Barker to win the title in December.

About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. The network is currently available to more than 92 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

NEW YORK (May 29, 2014) – The Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation continues its invaluable fundraising in the boxing community Saturday night, June 7, hosting a Miguel Cotto vs. Sergio Martinez Benefit Party, at Jack Demsey’s Pub (33 West 33rd St.) in Manhattan.

A $20.00 donation includes entry to Jack Demsey’s for giveaways and raffles throughout the evening, highlighted by the viewing of the Cotto vs. Martinez pay-per-view championship fight live on multiple screens from nearby Madison Square Garden.

A portion of the evening’s proceeds will go towards projects the Dr. Atlas Foundation is presently working on this week; including home renovations needed for two recently wheelchair-bound people whose insurance policies do not cover such costs and who are financially unable to modify their living quarters on their own.

Internationally respected boxing color commentator and trainer, Teddy Atlas, founder and chairman of the Dr. Atlas Foundation that’s named in his father’s honor, will be on hand to participate in the festivities.

“The real Jack Dempsey was a great puncher and I appreciate that the owners of the restaurant with his namesake are using some of that power to help our foundation improve lives,” Atlas said.

“We’re proud to support the Dr. Atlas Foundation by having this great event at Jack Demsey’s,” Owner Enda Keenan added.

Donations to the Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation from all around the world may be made online by going to www.dratlasfoundation.com.

ONEIDA NATION HOMELANDS (NY) (May 29, 2014) — Renowned boxing legends and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes will participate in an exclusive, live discussion at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Showroom on Wednesday, June 4, at 6:00 p.m. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, “Kings of the Ring: A Conversation with Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes,” will feature an open dialogue between the two world-class heavyweights. They will recount their famed 1988 championship fight,reflect on their remarkable boxing careers, and take questions from the audience. Longtime sports columnist for the Syracuse Post-Standard and Syracuse.com, Bud Poliquin, will serve as moderator.

This behind-the-scenes dialogue will take place just two days ahead of the June 6 bouts at Turning Stone Resort Casino that will be featured on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights and promoted by Tyson’s Iron Mike Productions.

The nationally televised fights will be Tyson’s second appearance at Turning Stone within the past year. He made international headlines last August for his debut as a boxing promoter and intensely personal revelations at the event’s press conference. With strong roots in Upstate New York, Tyson has effectively established Turning Stone as his hometown ring.

Turning Stone’s world-class, four-season resort continues to distinguish itself as a premier destination for boxing. In addition to Tyson’s recurring appearances, boxing great Floyd Mayweather Jr. also appeared at Turning Stone earlier this year for his promotion of Showtime’s “SHOBOX – The New Generation” bouts.

“Kings of the Ring: A Conversation with Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes” is free and open to the public, Wednesday, June 4 at 6:00 p.m. in the Showroom at Turning Stone Resort Casino.

Press opportunities will be available surrounding “Kings of the Ring” and ESPN Friday Night Fights, with further details to come. Credentialed media interested in attending should contact Oneida Nation Public Affairs Manager Brett Stagnitti at (315) 829-8310 or bstagnitti@oneida-nation.org

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

To view this news release online, go to:
http://www.oneidaindiannation.com/pressroom/Boxing-Kings-of-the-Ring-Mike-Tyson-and-Larry-Holmes-to-Appear-in-Exclusive-Interactive-Event-at-Turning-Stone-Resort-Casino-on-Wednesday-June-4-260967141.html

Follow us on Twitter:
@TurningStone
@OneidaNatnNews
ABOUT IRON MIKE PRODUCTIONS (IMP): Founded in 2013 by CEO Garry Jonas and Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, Iron Mike Productions is a full-service boxing promotional company with offices located in Deerfield Beach, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada. IMP is committed to changing traditional boxing promotion by advocating for its fighters’ successes, inside the ring and out, throughout their professional careers and into retirement.

For additional information go online at www.IronMikeProductions.com, friend on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/IronMikeProductions.Official, or follow on Twitter @IronMikeProd.

LONDON (May 29) – Filipino hotshot Nonito Donaire is ready to begin a new era of dominance when he challenges Simpiwe Vetyeka in his bid to become a five-weight world champion.

The 31-year-old is looking to get his career back on track following a disappointing 2013 which saw him lose to skilled Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux before scraping past Vic Darchinyan with a ninth round knockout, having been down on the judges’ scorecards.

‘The Filipino Flash’ takes on Vetyeka for the WBA Super featherweight world title this Saturday, live on BoxNation, with the aim of looking like the man who claimed the 2012 ‘Fighter of the Year’ accolade and was a constant name in the mythical pound-for-pound list.

“2013 was a year I would say was covered in darkness, but that’s how life is,” said Donaire. “For me this is a new beginning with Vetyeka. He’s an amazing fighter and we understand what he’s capable of. For us this is a statement, regardless of whether I have it or not. And that’s something everyone will be excited to see. And we’ll find out Saturday,” he said.

Taking place from the Cotai Arena in Macao, the former super-bantamweight king is making the move up to the 126 pound featherweight division as he looks to go back to the drawing board following a tough year.

“Last year I got away from what made me successful and I paid the price for that when I met Guillermo Rigondeaux. And even when I knocked out Vic Darchinyan in our rematch last year, that wasn’t the best me,” said Donaire.

“It’s been a long time since I entered a fight as an underdog but that has inspired me more. I re-evaluated everything. I moved my training camp to the Philippines to take advantage of the heat and humidity and to eliminate the distractions I had in Las Vegas.

“It was a great move. I let a lot of things I worked hard to achieve slip through my fingers last year. I want to return to where I was in 2012 and go beyond that for the remainder of my boxing career,” he said.

Vetyeka enters the ring on a high following his sensational win over the hugely respected Chris John last December.

With 26 wins in his 28 fights, and coming off a convincing win over one of boxing’s slickest operators, Donaire is well aware of the threat the South African possesses.

“I had to work on a lot of things in camp because Vetyeka is so multidimensional inside the ring. He’s dangerous and has a lot of weapons,” he said.

“His last two fights were knockout victories of Daud Yordan and Chris John. Those are two tough guys. But I am confident I have the game plan and the talent to beat him. There is no doubt that May 31st at The Venetian Macao is going to be my finest hour,” said Donaire.

The exciting switch-hitter will also have his father back in his corner, who joins as head trainer, and he agrees with his son’s honest assessment of his recent outings.

“I agree with Nonito 100%,” said his father Nonito Donaire, Sr. “Nonito got away from what made him great – his speed and footwork in combination with his power. Last year he just came forward, didn’t move his head and relied too much on his power, and that’s exactly the wrong way to fight a pure boxer like Rigondeaux as we all saw.

“This camp we went back to Nonito’s bread and butter – creating a mix that combines speed, movement and power. I have never seen a fighter work harder and totally dedicate himself to his tasks than Nonito did during this training camp,” he said.

The 33-year-old Vetyeka was to the point in his evaluation of the fight and can’t wait to get in the ring.

“Thank you to Nonito for accepting my challenge. I’m the champion, but I chose to fight Nonito and he accepted. Fight night I’ll make sure I defend my title successfully. That’s why I’m here,” said Vetyeka.

The main event is one of three featherweight world championship fights, with undefeated WBA world featherweight champion Nicholas Walters defending his title against two-division world champion Darchinyan, and undefeated IBF champion Evgeny Gradovich taking on number one contender Alexander Miskirtchian.

Donaire vs. Vetyeka is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday at 2pm. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Below are quotes from today’s Froch vs. Groves II Final press conference in London. Froch vs. Groves II happens Saturday, May 31 live on HBO beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Carl Froch
“I still can’t believe that we’ll be walking out in front of 80,000 fans, boxing fans and non-boxing fans.”

“I’ve prepared for this fight like no other fight before. Unbelievable shape. Just perfect shape.”

“I’m extremely confident and I put a lot of my confidence down to my…boxing career.”

“I think every fight in every professional boxer’s career is equally as important. This one, because of the stage in my career, because of these two world titles, because it’s an immediate return against George Groves, has an air of importance.”

“This is by far the biggest fight of my unbelievable career.”

“Hardcore boxing fans know what I’m about. And when I turn up in the shape I’m in now, you’ve seen it time and time again against top competition, I’ve proved I can perform.”

“I know what I need to do and I know how to do it.”

George Groves
“This couldn’t be more perfect really. I’m going to become World Champion in London.”

“56 hours seems a little too long for me right now.”

“I’m fortunate that I’m in that situation. Saturday night I will arrive, fully, properly. No stone will be left unturned. We are fully prepared.”

“It will be the left hook that finishes Carl Froch on Saturday night.”

“I could’ve gone 12 rounds the first time. The referee shouldn’t have stopped the fight. That’s why we’re here right now.”

Glassboro, N.J. – Undefeated middleweight Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster (16-0, 8 KOs) officially returns to action this Friday night when he steps into the ring to meet 32-bout veteran Michael Gbenga (19-13, 19 KOs) at the Pennsylvania Sheet Metal Workers Hall in Philadelphia. The fight comes just two weeks after Webster was scheduled to meet former Ghana Olympian Bastie Samir (14-0-1, 14 KOs) as a feature bout on ShoBox: The Next Generation, but that contest fell through after Samir claimed to have suffered a shoulder injury and pulled out of the fight just days before it was slated to go down.

“When I received the phone call that the fight was off, I already had a feeling that it wasn’t going to happen,” Webster admitted. “So I wasn’t as disappointed as I have been in the past. I’m pretty much getting used to people pulling out of fights with me. This isn’t the first time that I was supposed to be on the national stage, only to have my opponent pull out.”

Webster and his team immediately jumped on the offer to fight Samir when it was proposed to them, and the Glassboro native increased his training intensity to an even greater level to ensure he would be fully prepared for the bout. “Whatever the excuse, he dodged a really big bullet, career-wise,” Webster stated. “Somebody’s ‘0’ would’ve had to go, and it wouldn’t have been mine. I don’t care what he did in Ghana or in the Olympics. I don’t care if he sparred with Floyd Mayweather. I’ve sparred with world champions who come from all corners of the planet, and I’ve been everyone’s key sparring partner in each of those camps.”

Among the current and former world champions who Webster has joined in training camp include Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Andre Ward, Sergey Kovalev, Jean Pascal and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

“I was eager for the fight. I trained extremely hard,” Webster said of facing Samir. “My trainer, Denny Brown, even stepped up his game, which made me train even harder. Then we got the call that the fight was off. Well, the worst thing that you can do to Derrick Webster is allow him the time to train a little bit more, to learn a little bit more. That’s when I become even more dangerous.”

With Samir out of the picture at least for the immediate future, Webster now has his focus set on Gbenga, who like Samir is also a Ghanaian fighter who has won every one of his professional victories via knockout.

“A similar style (to Samir) means a similar beat down,” Webster predicted. “He will go back to Ghana, and he will find Bastie Samir to let him know that he better not fight me. That’s the message I’m going to give to him to send back to his homeboy: ‘Don’t fight this boy. I was dumb. Don’t fight him. Be smarter than me.’

“A similar style means a similar whooping, period. He’s going to get the show that Showtime missed out on. He’s going to get the show that these promoters once again missed out on. And I’m just going to keep looking forward to bigger and better things from here. I just hope that these promoters will finally start to open up their eyes, put something in ink and put something on the table. I just hope these promoters will wise up and realize that they could have a fighter who is marketable, who is business-minded, who can fight many different ways and is the best southpaw in the game. Hopefully, they finally open their eyes and realize what’s really going on out here.”

The Pennsylvania Metal Sheet Workers Hall is located at 1301 South Columbus Boulevard in Philadelphia, and tickets for the Webster vs. Gbenga card are available now by calling his team at (609) 680-7131. The first bell of the night is slated to ring at 7:00 p.m.

Patrick Nielsen (22-0, 11 KOs) challenges Dmitry Chudinov (12-0-2, 8 KOs) for the interim WBA World Middleweight title on Sunday June 1st at the Mytishchi Arena in Moscow, Russia. At today’s final press conference the two undefeated boxers shared their thoughts on the upcoming World Championship clash.

‘’I am very happy to be here in Moscow and I am grateful for the opportunity to fight for the WBA title,’’ said Patrick Nielsen. ‘’I know that Chudinov will be a tough opponent and I am expecting a close fight but I will be ready for the challenge.

‘’Physically and mentally I am in the best shape of my career. I am 100% focused on winning. In my mind there can be only one outcome and that is me bringing the title back to Denmark.’’

‘’This is the most important fight of my life,’’ said the reigning champion Dmitry Chudinov. ‘’My training has gone great and I am ready to defend my belt. I have a lot of respect for Patrick for agreeing to fight me in Moscow but he will not win.’’

Nielsen’s promoter Nisse Sauerland said: ‘’As the old cliché goes, styles make fights and these two definitely have the styles needed to make a great fight on Sunday night. We appreciate the challenge of coming to Moscow to fight for the World title. We are entering the lion’s den and this spurs us on.’’

Said Chudinov’s promoter Vlad Hrunov: ‘’This will be a great fight between two undefeated boxers. I am delighted to be working with Team Sauerland once again and I am very happy that Patrick has accepted the challenge to come to Moscow and fight Chudinov on his home turf. We are in for an exciting night on Sunday at the Mytishchi Arena.”

England’s Martin Murray won’t be attending this weekend’s superfight in London – he’s too busy focusing on preparation for his June 21 fight that tops the Golden Gloves “KO at the Casino” tournament in Monte Carlo.

The smooth-hitting middleweight (27-1-1, 12 KOs) meets Max Bursak (29-2-1, 12 KOs) of the Ukraine in a fight for the WBC Silver title. With Murray’s ambitions squarely on a touted world championship fight in November, he knows anything but a convincing victory won’t be good enough.

Speaking from his home in St Helens, in the north of England, Murray said he had taken just a week off since his return from South Africa five weeks ago. While there, he produced a routine sixth-round stoppage of Ghana’s Ishmael Tetteh in a “keep-busy” fight.

“I’m at a high level of fitness and my nutrition is spot-on. I’ve done plenty of work and am on track with just a few weeks to go. Sparring has been great . . . I can’t wait to get out there.”

Having been present in Monte Carlo for Bursak’s last fight, a decision loss to WBA No 2 Jarrod Fletcher in February, Murray has a good idea of what to expect. More recently he’s been studying DVD’s of the European champion.

“There’s stuff you can work on, but what you see is what you get. He’s tough, in your face, a brawler. But I’ll be ready for him, I’ll have too much skill.”

After the setback of controversially losing to WBC champion Sergio Martinez last April, Murray says his focus has solidly been on rebuilding. His last fight, against Tetteh, enabled him to “shake the cobwebs off” and this match-up, he hopes, will propel him into the championship mix again.

The middleweight division is very fluid with major fights coming up for WBC champion Martinez (against Miguel Cotto) and WBA champion Gennady Golovkin, all of whom are on Murray’s radar.

While he won’t be in London to watch Carl Froch do battle again with George Groves, he says he won’t miss it for the world and will be watching on television.

“I’d be there, except it will mess with my preparation. I expect Frochie to win. He’s been in a lot of wars and the last fight was his worst performance. But I think he’s still got a big fight in him and will be well up for it. He’ll be looking to put it straight. I reckon it will be a pretty close fight.”

Murray’s own performance will come under scrutiny in three weeks’ time. His challenge for the Silver title takes him closer to all the big names in the division. It’s up to him just how much he wants to impress them.

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New York, NY (5/ /14) – In early spring, DiBella Entertainment (DBE) announced the signing of highly touted middleweight prospect Ivan Golub to an exclusive co-promotional contract with Fight Promotions, Inc. Not looking to stop there, DBE has just added fellow Ukrainian amateur standout Sergiy Derevyanchenko to its ever-growing stable. Like Golub, Derevyanchenko will be co-promoted by Fight Promotions, Inc. and the two Ukrainian middleweights will make their much-anticipated DBE debuts on an upcoming Broadway Boxing card this summer.

“Turning pro was a logical step for me at this point in my career. It has always been my dream to be a world champion and fight the best fighters in the world. I am ready to do whatever it takes, taking one step at a time, putting in hard work to achieve my ultimate goal. I am delighted to have signed a promotional agreement with Fight Promotions and DiBella Entertainment,” said Derevyanchenko.

“Sergiy is one of the most decorated amateurs in the world and 100-percent one of the best middleweight prospects in all of boxing. We feel that in one year’s time, he will be ready to compete at the highest levels in boxing,” said promoter Lou DiBella.

Derevyanchenko had an astounding amateur career, which saw him compile an astonishing 390-20 record, as well as represent his native Ukraine at the 2008 Olympics and win a bronze medal at the 2007 Amateur World Championships. Derevyanchenko has also been fighting in the World Series of Boxing, where he posted a 23-1 overall record and was the 2012 WSB Team Champion and 2011 and 2012 WSB Individual Champion. Derevyanchenko’s rise up the world rankings is expected to be meteoric and anything less than a world championship would be a disappointment for the 28-year-old middleweight.

“With hard work and a great team behind me, I will become a world champion in the middleweight division. There is no doubt in my mind.”

An official announcement on both Ukrainian’s debuts will be made very shortly.

New York, NY / Las Vegas, NV (5/28/14) – This Saturday, May 31, DiBella Entertainment and Sampson Boxing, in association with Right Hook Promotions, will present an exciting doubleheader headlined by former world champion Javier Fortuna (24-0-1, 18KO’s) taking on Juan Antonio Rodriguez (26-4, 23KO’s) in a 10-round super featherweight matchup. In the co-feature, top-rated super bantamweight contender Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle (18-1, 13KO’s) will look to take a major step toward repositioning himself back among the elite of the 122lb. division when he faces highly regarded undefeated prospect Luis Rosa (16-0, 7KO’s) in a 10-round super bantamweight showdown. Both bouts will be shown live on the HBO Latino telecast from the beautiful newly renovated Tropicana Resort in Las Vegas, NV. In addition to the HBO Latino telecast, the HBO2 service will air the doubleheader with English language commentary at 12 midnight (ET/PT).

Also scheduled to appear on the card in a special attraction 10-round middleweight bout will be former WBC junior middleweight world champion and “The Contender” champion, WBA #10-rated Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (25-3-2, 8 KOs) taking on once-beaten Samuel Rogers (14-1, 8 KOs).

While the bout against Rogers is off-tv, it is a very important fight at this point of Mora’s career. If he is to ever get another world championship opportunity, the 33-year-old Mora not only has to continue winning but do so in impressive fashion.

“We realize that just winning isn’t enough anymore,” said Mora. “Promoters and TV execs, even fans have changed the name of the game from the Sweet Science to ‘Entertainment’. Guys getting knocked out are getting more TV dates because they lose in grand fashion. I am not willing to lose, but in order to get the TV dates nowadays, I am willing to adapt to what is needed. Entertaining can be dangerous, but I chose a dangerous profession.

Mora is currently riding a two-bout winning streak, including an impressive and grueling10-round unanimous decision against Gregorz Proksa on ESPN in June of last year and a fifth-round TKO over Milton Nunez in November. The bout against Nunez was Mora’s first after signing an exclusive promotional contract with DiBella Entertainment. For the bout, Mora was much more aggressive and determined than he’d been in the past. Now Mora is hoping another impressive performance on Saturday night will push him closer to challenging for a world title.

“I had a great training camp, we had the proper time to prepare physically and work out a game plan, and we are ready to go. Ready to shine.”

Mora continued, “This is a risky fight for me. I am always in risky fights. You never see me in a stay-busy or walkover-type of fight. I am always in tough, but that is the reason that I am who I am.”

“I know that I have what it takes to win another world championship, I just need my opportunity. In a perfect world, I want Sergio Martinez. He is the #1 middleweight in the world, and we are both promoted by DBE, so it’s not so farfetched. If I can’t get him though, I would love to fight the undefeated and unproven Peter Quillin, or the man everyone seems to be scared of, Golovkin. I believe that I match up well with both of them and would love a chance to take their championship belts from them.”

First, Mora must take care of business on Saturday night.

Tickets are priced at $85, $65 and $37, plus applicable taxes and fees and will go on sale today, Monday, April 21. They will be available for purchase online (www.troplv.com), in person at the Tropicana Las Vegas Show Tickets desk or by phone (800-829-9034) starting today.

For fight updates, visit www.dbe1.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.troplv.com, Facebook (facebook.com/dibellaentertainment, facebook.com/hboboxing)and Twitter (twitter.com/dibellaent, twitter.com/loudibella, twitter.com/sampsonboxing).

Tweet this:LIVE doubleheader boxing event @TropLV feat. @AbejonFortuna vs J. Rodriguez & L.Rosa vs L.Del Valle! @HBOLatino

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About The New Tropicana Las Vegas | TropLV.com
Welcome to affordable luxury. The New Tropicana resort in Las Vegas redefines the expectations of today’s global travelers with a recently completed $200 million transformation that provides a casually elegant experience on the Las Vegas Strip. With a unique South Beach vibe, the resort features all-new rooms, suites and luxury villas that evoke the sentiment of a breezy beach house or penthouse in Miami, a fresh redesign of the 50,000-square-foot casino, several award-winning restaurants, a new race and sports book, and Glow®, a Mandara Spa and fitness center. First-class entertainment includes headliners in the all-new Tropicana Theater, Laugh Factory and live music in the Tropicana Lounge. Coming spring 2014, the Tropicana Theater will be home to the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! Take a Virtual Tour.

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® is bringing the Octagon® back to Atlantic City on Wednesday, July 16 at Revel Casino Hotel. In the evening’s main event, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone takes on New Jersey’s own Jim Miller in a five-round bout featuring two of the sport’s most exciting lightweights.

Currently riding a three-fight win streak, fifth-ranked lightweight contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (23-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) returns to action for the fourth time in eight months to take on tough veteran Jim Miller. After stopping Evan Dunham (Submission of the Night), Adriano Martins (Knockout of the Night), and Edson Barboza (Performance of the Night), Cerrone is as dangerous and hungry as ever with plans to add Miller’s name to his list of accomplishments. After besting Joe Lauzon, Fabricio Camoes, and Yancy Madeiros, seventh-ranked Jim Miller (24-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Whippany, N.J.) knows that a win in his home state over fan-favorite Cerrone could stamp his ticket to title contention.

Other bouts include:
Veteran welterweight Rick Story (16-8) vs. hard-hitting Bostonian John Howard (22-9).
Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Gleison Tibau (37-10) vs. durable grappler Pat Healy (31-18, 1 NC) at lightweight.
Dynamic striker and twelfth-ranked lightweight Edson Barboza (13-2) vs. submission specialist Evan Dunham (14-5).
No. 7 Brazilian flyweight John Lineker (23-7) vs. Istanbul’s Alptekin Ozkilic (9-2).
Undefeated Long Islander, Aljamain Sterling (9-0) vs. Brazilian bantamweight Hugo Viana (8-2).
Well-rounded finisher Lucas Martins (14-1) vs. New York’s Jim Alers (13-1) at featherweight.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: CERRONE vs. MILLER, go on sale Friday, May 30 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $402, $282, $182 and $62. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges. Tickets are also available at the Revel Casino box office.

A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, May 29 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: CERRONE vs. MILLER will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Wednesday, July 16, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 2 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 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, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

Ermano Fegatilli made his professional debut in 2005, and has been forced to combat a number of discrepancies in the business of boxing.

Not the sport; which has been at the heart of his ambition, but the business, which has abused so many combatants over the years.

Finding the right fights has been almost incogitable, and a man who favors activity to delay and fixation during his career has been caught in a relative standstill over the last two years. There is so much preventing the best from fighting the best in boxing, and this occurs at all levels.

Ermano has won three straight bouts, and is the mandatory challenger to Frenchman Romain Jacob, who holds the EBU Super Featherweight title.

As far as team Romain Jacob were concerned; the fight was happening in August. The problem was scheduling. Fegatilli is set to marry his beloved fiancée on August 2nd, but Team Jacob were dead-set on having the fight in France on August 1st.

This put Ermano’s career on gridlock, and forced him to rethink some things.

The sacred occasion will still go on as planned, and Fegatilli remains instated as mandatory challenger for Jacob.

This hasn’t, in any way, fazed Ermano. He intends to capture the title wrongfully taken from him in a controversial 2012 defeat to Devis Boschiero, who in return, lost a narrow split decision to Jacob.

For now, his focus is on June 7th, where he returns to his adopted home region of Liege to box in six-round contest.

“I miss Liege and my local supporters and I’m grateful to the promoter Marc Petit-Jean to give me the chance to fight there once again!” Fegatilli stated. “We, together, make the first attempt on the 7th of June. If it works well and the public follows, he promised me six fights in three years at his gala. It’s gonna be great!”

Boxing in an area with so much value and honor to Ermano will effectively kick off what is certain to be an amazing few months in the life of Ermano Fegatilli. It’s a lovely sentiment, and something which will only spark further motivation towards his dreams.

There are no doubts, Ermano describes himself as “full of confidence”, even during low-points of his career. Everything happens for a reason, and Ermano has realigned his focus, prepared to do what he always has done with his heart on his sleeve and hunger in his eyes — win.

More details will be released soon.

Be sure to hit “like” on Ermano Fegatilli’s Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/ermano.dottore.fegatilli

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (May 27, 2014) – Iron Mike Productions (IMP) returns June 6 to the site of its promotional debut last August, Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, to present another live ESPN Friday Night Fights event from upstate New York, celebrating the 2014 International Boxing Hall of Fame induction weekend.

Ascending 2004 Olympic silver medalist Yudel Jhonson (15-1, 9 KOs) headlines in the 10-round main event against Mexican invader Norberto “Demonio” Gonzalez (20-3, 13 KOs) for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) FECARBOX Junior Middleweight Championship.

Jhonson, the two-time Cuban National Champion now fighting out of Miami, was a gold medalist at the prestigious 2002 World Cup, defeating former world champion Daniel Geale, in addition to winning top honors at the 1999 Pan-American Games, 2001 Goodwill Games and 2006 Central American & Caribbean Games.

Gonzalez, a former Mexican welterweight champion, is coming off of a controversial 10-round split decision loss to Roberto Garcia (33-3) this past February, after winning an impressive 10-round unanimous decision over Michael Oliveira (21-1) last November.

In the 8-round ESPN co-feature, two-time All-Army and Armed Forces champion Sammy “The Who Can Mexican” Vasquez Jr. (14-0, 10 KOs) takes on fan favorite “Smokin'” Jay Krupp (17-6, 8 KOs) from nearby Catskill, New York.

The highly-entertaining Vasquez is an undefeated welterweight from Monessen, Pennsylvania who did two tours in Iraq as a U.S. Army National Guard specialist. He reached the semifinals of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team trials. Krupp’s last fight was an 8-round loss by decision to 2008 Olympian and present North American Boxing Organization (NABO) welterweight champion Sadam Ali (19-0) last September, in which Krupp dropped Ali in the opening round.

Unbeaten 2012 Ukraine Olympian Ievgen “The Ukraine Lion” Khytrov (4-0, 4 KOs) will make his first IMP appearance in a six-round Special Middleweight Attraction versus battle-tested Chris Chatman (12-3-1, 5 KOs), of San Diego, in the ESPN opener.

The 25-year-old Khytrov, now living in Brooklyn, was a gold medalist at the 2011 World Championships as well as the 2007 European Junior Championships. Chatman gave current WBO junior middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade (7-0) his toughest fight to date as a professional (DEC6 in 2009) and fought Charles Hatley (14-0) to an 8-round draw in 2011.

Detroit light heavyweight Isiah Thomas (12-0, 6 KOs) puts his undefeated record on the line against Pittsburgh veteran Rayco “War” Saunders (23-23-2, 10 KOs) in an 8-round fight. Thomas’ last action was a 10-round unanimous decision win over former World Boxing Association (WBA) light heavyweight champion Richard Hall (30-10) for the interim WBA Fedelatin cruiserweight title.

Popular light welterweight Johnny Garcia (19-1, 11 KOs) will also make his IMP debut in an 8-round fight against John Williams (11-3-1, 5 KOs), of Charlotte, North Carolina, for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Latino title. Garcia, the pride of Holland, Michigan, is riding a six-fight win streak, while Williams has won four of his last five fights.

Fighting on the undercard in 6-round bouts are Florida junior lightweight prospect Dennis Galarza (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Gadiel Andaluz (4-6, 2 KOs), of Chicago, and Pennsylvania junior welterweight Sam Quinones Jr. (6-2, 2 KOs) vs. Cleveland’s Brett Simmons (2-0-2, 1 KO). Also scheduled to be in action in separate 4-round fights against opponents to be determined are 50-Cent promoted lightweight Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin (5-0, 3 KOs), of Cleveland, and Detroit light heavyweight Leo Hall (1-0, 1 KO).

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets are reasonably priced at $60.00, $35.00, $25.00 and $15.00 and are on sale now at the Turning Stone box office, by calling (315) 361-7469, at any Ticketmaster outlet (800) 745-3000, or visit www.Ticketmaster.com

Doors open at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Event Center at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday, June 6. The first undercard bout starts at 8:00 p.m. ET with the live ESPN2 telecast beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET.

ABOUT IRON MIKE PRODUCTIONS (IMP): Founded in 2013 by CEO Garry Jonas and Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, Iron Mike Productions is a full-service boxing promotional company with offices located in Deerfield Beach, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada. IMP is committed to changing traditional boxing promotion by advocating for its fighters’ successes, inside the ring and out, throughout their professional careers and into retirement.

For additional information go online at www.IronMikeProductions.com, friend on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/IronMikeProductions.Official, or follow on Twitter @IronMikeProd.

LAS VEGAS (May 27, 2014) – The hottest fight of the summer of 2014 deserves a sizzling undercard, and Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME PPV are pleased to announce the three bouts that will support the main event featuring Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara on Saturday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

In the co-main event, former three-division world champion Abner Mares returns to face Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo in a 10-round featherweight bout. In the SHOWTIME PPV opening bout, Johan Perez defends his interim WBA Junior Welterweight World Championship against Mauricio Herrera in s 12-round match up.

Rounding out the four-fight pay-per-view event, Puerto Rican star and former world champion Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez battles Mexico’s Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas in a 10-round bout for the WBO International Super Featherweight Title.

“The Canelo vs. Lara card is shaping up to be an extraordinary one for fight fans around the world,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “When you get a Mexican fighter like Francisco Vargas and a Puerto Rican fighter like JuanMa Lopez together-the greatest nationalistic rivalry in all of boxing-there will be fireworks. Then you have Johan Perez and Mauricio Herrera, two skilled hungry fighters who know their way around the sweet science, making this a dream fight. And, lastly, we have the highly anticipated return of Abner Mares against hard-hitting Jonathan Oquendo. So get ready for another memorable night at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.”

“I’m in great shape, I have momentum on my side after beating Daniel Ponce De Leon, and I’m ready for Francisco Vargas,” said Lopez. “The MGM Grand was where I had one of my biggest wins against Rafael Marquez, and I’m looking forward to more success there on July 12.”

“JuanMa Lopez is a great fighter and 2 time world champion, and we’re going to give the fans a fight to remember,” said Vargas. “I feel like this is my time, and with a win over JuanMa, it will get me that much closer to a world title shot.”

“It’s been a long time, but I can’t wait to step into the ring and hear my name called again,” said Mares. “Jonathan Oquendo is a respectable fighter and I know he’s coming to win, but he is in the way of another world title, so I have to get him out of there.”

“Puerto Rico vs. Mexico always produces great fights, and this fight won’t be any different,” said Oquendo. “A win over Mares will do big things for my career, and I plan on leaving Vegas with the victory.”

“Every fighter dreams of fighting in Las Vegas, and on July 12, I get my chance,” said Perez. “Mauricio Herrera is a great test and tough Challenger to my title. I feel Herrera beat Garcia and because of that he is the best and I want to fight the best. We’re going to give the fans a great battle.”

“You have to respect Johan Perez for all he’s accomplished in such a short time, and I see him as a very dangerous fighter,” said Herrera. “But my only goal is to win the title, and to get there, I have to beat him on July 12.”

Beloved Puerto Rican power puncher Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez (34-3, 31 KOs) is undergoing a career resurgence at 30-years-old. With wins in three of his last four bouts, all by knockout, he is soaring in the 130-pound rankings. In his most recent match on March 15, Caguas’ Lopez stopped Daniel Ponce De Leon in the second round of their rematch. Considering that his last Las Vegas bout was a stirring eighth-round stoppage of Rafael Marquez in 2010, Lopez is confident of victory on July 12.

A member of the 2008 Mexican Olympic team, 29-year-old Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas (19-0-1, 13 KOs) has made his way to the top of the 130-pound division. After a trio of important victories over Brandon Bennett, Jerry Belmontes and Abner Cotto, the Mexico City standout is ranked No. 2 in the WBO and ready for his shot at a world title. But first he has to handle this step up in class and defeat former world champion Juan Manuel Lopez.

A member of the 2004 Mexican Olympic team, 28-year-old Abner Mares (26-1-1, 14 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and fighting out of Downey, Calif., earned a spot on boxing’s pound-for-pound list in 2013 when he stopped Ponce De Leon in nine rounds to win his third divisional world title, the WBC Featherweight crown. In his last start on Aug. 24, on SHOWTIME, Mares was upset by Jhonny Gonzalez. But Mares, the previous owner of world championships at bantamweight and super bantamweight is anxious to return to the ring to begin his quest for another world championship.

One of Puerto Rico’s top contenders for world title honors, Jonathan “Polvo’ Oquendo (24-3, 16 KOs) is a hard-hitting pro who has won 10 of his last 12 bouts, seven by knockout. A victor over Jose Luis Araiza, Eden Sonsona, and Alejandro Montiel, the 30-year-old native of Bayamon is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision win over top prospect Guillermo Avila, setting the stage for his showdown with Mares.

A native of Caracas, Venezuela, 30-year-old Johan “El Terrible” Perez (19-1-1, 13 KOs) has returned to the top of the 140-pound division, bouncing back from the lone loss of his career against Pablo Cesar Cano in 2012 to win four straight bouts. In November of 2013, Perez regained the interim WBA World Junior Welterweight title by handing former champion Paul Spadafora his first career defeat. Perez has since successfully defended the crown once, stopping Fernando Monte de Oca in 10 rounds last May 10.

Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (20-4, 7 KOs), of Riverside, Calif., has long been a favorite of hardcore boxing fans for his gritty determination and well-balanced attack in the ring. But this past March, the world got to witness just how talented the 33-year-old is, as he pushed junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia to the brink before losing a razor-thin majority decision. Eager to get back on top, Herrera gets his chance to do just that on July 12.

“Honor & Glory: Canelo vs. Lara,” a 12-round junior middleweight fight taking place Saturday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event Abner Mares returns to face Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo in a 10-round featherweight bout. In the SHOWTIME PPV opening bout, Johan Perez defends his interim WBA World Junior Welterweight Title against Mauricio Herrera in a 12-round match up. Also featured, Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez meets Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas of Mexico in a 10-round bout for the WBO International Super Featherweight Title.

Tickets are still available at the $750, $500, $250, $150 and $75 price ranges, not including applicable service charges. Tickets are limited to eighteen (18) per person with a limit of eight (8) at the $75 price ranges. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). For information visit www.SHO.com/Sports. Canelo vs. Lara will be shown on the big screen in movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. Information will be available at www.fathomevents.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CaneloOficial, @LaraBoxing, @abnermares00, @jonathanoquen, @juanma_lopez, @elbandido130, @elmaestro1, @mgmgrand, @SHOSports and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #CaneloLara and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

MACAU, CHINA (May 28, 2014) – It’s back to the future for four-division world champion and 2012 Fighter of the Year Year NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE as he finishes off a training camp that hasn’t been this rigorous and back to basics since his stellar year in 2012. Donaire is moving up yet another weight division, this time to challenge World Boxing Association (WBA) Undisputed featherweight world champion SIMPIWE “V12” VETYEKA.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Sands China Ltd, in association with Tecate, PS4 and Foreman Boys Promotions, Vetyeka vs. Donaire will be televised from the Cotai Arena at The Venetian® Macao This Saturday! May 31, on HBO, beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will also include the world super middleweight title rematch between defending champion Carl Froch and top contender George Groves, which will take place at Wembley Stadium in London.

“Last year I got away from what made me successful and I paid the price for that when I met Guillermo Rigondeaux. And even when I knocked out Vic Darchinyan in our rematch last year, that wasn’t the best me,” said a very candid Donaire.

“I agree with Nonito 100%,” said his father Nonito Donaire, Sr., who is back in his corner as head trainer. “Nonito got away from what made him great – his speed and footwork in combination with his power. Last year he just came forward, didn’t move his head and relied too much on his power, and that’s exactly the wrong way to fight a pure boxer like Rigondeaux as we all saw. This camp we went back to Nonito’s bread and butter – creating a mix that combines speed, movement and power. I have never seen a fighter work harder and totally dedicate himself to his tasks than Nonito did during this training camp.”

The Donaires remember all too well what it was like to enter a world championship fight as underdogs. Seven years and 15 pounds ago, Donaire shook up the boxing world with a one-punch stoppage of undefeated International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, ending his three-year world title reign. It was the consensus Knockout of the Year and Upset of the Year for 2007.

“It’s been a long time since I entered a fight as an underdog but that has inspired me more,” said the four-division world champion. “I reevaluated everything. I moved my training camp to the Philippines to take advantage of the heat and humidity and to eliminate the distractions I had in Las Vegas. It was a great move. I let a lot of things I worked hard to achieve slip through my fingers last year. I want to return to where I was in 2012 and go beyond that for the reminder of my boxing career.

“I had to work on a lot of things in camp because Vetyeka is so multidimensional inside the ring. He’s dangerous and has a lot of weapons. His last two fights were knockout victories of Daud Yordan and Chris John. Those are two tough guys. But I am confident I have the game plan and the talent to beat him. There is no doubt that May 31 at The Venetian Macao is going to be my finest hour.”

Donaire vs. Vetyeka is one of three featherweight world championship battles headlining Featherweight Fury! at Cotai Arena. Undefeated WBA world featherweight champion NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS will defend his title against two-division world champion VIC “Raging Bull” DARCHINYAN; and undefeated IBF champion EVGENY “The Mexican Russian” GRADOVICH, making his third consecutive featherweight title defense at the Cotai Arena, will be battling No. 1 contender ALEXANDER MISKIRTCHIAN. Walters vs. Darchinyan and Gradovich vs. Miskirtchian and most of the undercard will be streamed live via http://www.toprank.tv. The only undercard bout not available via the live stream will be the IBF junior featherweight title elimination bout between Top-Five contenders CHRIS “The Hit Man” AVALOS and YASUTAKA ISHIMOTO. That fight will be televised via same-day delay as the main event on Sólo Boxeo Tecate on UniMás. The winner will be declared the IBF’s No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger to IBF junior featherweight world champion Kiko Martinez.

Donaire (32-2, 20 KOs), a native of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in Las Vegas, has been a consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighter for several years. His banner year in 2012 included four world championship victories. He beat former world champion Israel Vazquez, Jr. to capture the vacant WBO junior featherweight title, then unified the title by defeating IBF junior bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula. Donaire collected his third belt of the year by knocking out WBC Diamond Belt super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka, ending Nishioka’s eight-year, 16-bout, winning streak. Donaire concluded his magnificent year by blasting out Mexican icon Jorge Arce in the third round and sealing his 2012 Fighter of the Year honours while extending his 12-year, 30-bout winning streak. He lost his title to undefeated Cuban sensation and WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in a title unification bout at a sold-out Radio City Music Hall on April 13, 2013. Career highlights for Donaire also include knockout victories of defending IBF flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko, and defending WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel, ending Montiel’s 25-bout winning streak. That victory was named the 2011 Knockout of the Year. Donaire’s last fight was a ninth-round knockout victory of Darchinyan in their eagerly-awaited rematch which took place on November 9, 2013.

Vetyeka (26-2, 15 KOs), of Mdantsane, South Africa, will be making the first defence of the title he won from the legendary Chris John. A 12-year professional, four of Vetyeka’s five last victories have been by knockout. He scored a major upset to win his world title last December, knocking out the undefeated defending WBA featherweight champion John in the sixth round. John had celebrated the 10th year of his title reign two months earlier, which included 18 title defences.

Walters (23-0, 19 KOs), of Montego Bay, Jamaica, enters this fight having won nine of his last 10 fights by knockout. He captured the vacant WBA featherweight title on December 12, 2012, knocking out Daulis Presscott (26-1, 19 KOs) in the seventh round. He made his first title defence on November 9, 2013, stopping Alberto Garza (25-5-1, 20 KOs) in the fourth round.

Darchinyan (39-6-1, 28 KOs), a native of Armenia whose home base has been Sydney, Australia, is one of the lower division’s most exciting fighters. A member of Armenia’s 2000 Olympic boxing team, he won his first world title in his 22nd professional bout, knocking out undefeated IBF flyweight champion Irene Pacheco in the 11th round of their 2004 battle, ending Pacheco’s five-year reign. During his own three-year tenure as world champion, Darchinyan successfully defended his title six times – all by stoppage – against the division’s top contenders. After losing the title and his undefeated record to Donaire, in 2007, Darchinyan moved up in weight and claimed the IBF junior bantamweight crown, knocking out defending champion Dimitri Kirilov in the fifth round. He unified the 115 pound world titles in his next fight, knocking out World Boxing Council (WBC) / WBA super flyweight champion Cristian Mijares in the ninth round. The first person to unify three of the titles in that weight division, Darchinyan successfully defended his titles three times during his two-year reign as unified super flyweight champion, including an 11th-round stoppage of Méxican icon Jorge Arce. Darchinyan vacated his titles in mid-2010 to campaign as a bantamweight, defeating former IBF bantamweight champion Yonnhy Perez, Evans Mbamba and Eric Barcelona, while losing competitive decisions to world champions Abner Mares, Joseph Agbeko and Shinsuke Yamanaka. Last November, Darchinyan finally got his long-awaited rematch with Donaire. It was an exciting fight that had Darchinyan leading on the judges’ scorecards through eight rounds until he got caught by Donaire and was stopped in the ninth round.

Gradovich (18-0, 9 KOs), of Igrim, Russia, captured the IBF featherweight title on March 1, 2013, winning a gritty split decision over defending champion Billy Dib. He has successfully defended the twice – both at Cotai Arena – where he has developed a rabid fan following. At Fists of Gold II last July, Gradovich won a dominating unanimous decision over Mauricio Muñoz and on the November 24 Pacquiao-Rios undercard, he knocked out Dib in the ninth round of their rematch.

Miskirtchian (24-2-1, 9 KOs), of Namur, Belgium, will be making his Asian debut. He enters this fight riding a five-year, 11-bout winning streak, with over half those victories coming by way of knockout. After winning the European featherweight title and defending it twice during his two-year reign, he won a 12-round decision over Sofiane Takoucht, in an IBF featherweight title elimination bout, to become the IBF’s No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger to Gradovich. This will be Miskirtchian’s first world title shot.

Avalos (23-2, 17 KOs), of Lancaster, Calif., enters this fight riding a two-year, four-bout winning streak, including an NABO junior featherweight title victory over Drian Francisco last July. He is currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBO, No. 4 by the IBF and No. 5 by the WBA.

Ishimoto (24-6, 7 KOs), of Tokyo, Japan, is riding a two-year, five-bout winning streak himself, with four of those victories coming by way on knockout. His most impressive victory during his current streak was for the WBO International junior featherweight title, where he won a majority decision over former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. at the Coati Arena on April 6, 2013. He is world-rated No. 5 by the IBF and No. 8 by the WBO.

Promoted by Top Rank and Sands China Ltd, in association with Tecate, PS4 and Foreman Boys Promotions, Featherweight Fury will take place on Saturday, May 31, with the first bout beginning at 5:30 p.m. local time. Tickets to the multi-bout event can be purchased at all Cotai Ticketing box offices*, and are available in seven categories, ranging from HKD/MOP 80 (~PHP 450) to HKD/MOP 3,280 (~PHP 18,800). HKD/MOP 88 adds a round trip Cotai Water Jet ferry ticket between Hong Kong and Macao (HKD/MOP 80 tickets excluded). Tickets can be booked online at www.cotaiticketing.com, or by phone at +853 2882 8818 (Macao) / +852 6333 6660 (HK) / 4001 206 618 (China) / +63 2 395 3370 (Philippines). Tickets are also available through Hong Kong Ticketing (customer service fee applies), online at www.HKTicketing.com or by phone at +852 3128 8288, and via Macao Kong Seng Ticketing Network, online at www.macauticket.com, by phone at +853 2855 5555, or in person at selected retail outlets (for locations, visit www.macauticket.com/TicketWeb/ServiceStations.aspx). Hotel packages including two tickets and one night accommodation at your choice of The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel, Conrad Macao, Cotai Central; Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central; Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central; or Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip are also available for purchase starting at HKD/MOP 3,240† (~PHP 18,500) through Cotai Ticketing.

This Friday (May 30th) former WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin takes on former world title contender Manuel Charr for the vacant WBC international heavyweight championship at Luzhniki-Arena in Moscow. It will be Povetkin’s first fight since his sole career loss to supreme unified titlist Wladimir Klitschko last October. Both men know each other very well from their time as training partners when they were both under contract with German promoter powerhouse Sauerland Event.

When they met for the first time in years at the official press conference in Moscow, both Charr and Povetkin showed great respect for their opponent. At the same time both men are very confident that they will win the heavyweight clash on Friday night. “Alexander Povetkin will not stop me on my way to become heavyweight champion of the world”, said “Diamond Boy” Manuel Charr. “I want to thank him, his team and especially promoter Andrey Rabinsky for making this special fight possible. Not many guys have the guts to fight me. Povetkin doesn’t look scared right now – but he will regret inviting me to Moscow. I will beat him and continue my way to the top of the division.”

Answered Povetkin, “You have to respect Manuel Charr for accepting the challenge and coming to Moscow. He is a good fighter and shows great heart in returning to the place where he lost to Vitali Klitschko. But he will have no chance because of the simple fact that I am better than him. This is a big fight but it will only be a stepping stone for me to get to even bigger bouts. I want to become world champion again.”

The winner of the bout will line up along with a lot of great names who want to get their hands on newly crowned WBC champion Bermane Stiverne such as mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder, Bryant Jennings, Mike Perez, Tony Thompson, Carlos Takam and – last but surely not least – Wladimir Klitschko who just recently said that he would prefer a unification bout against Stiverne instead of doing his next mandatory against Kubrat Pulev.

A great former champion in attendance in Moscow and at the press conference is Evander Holyfield who will watch the fight ringside. “I am sure that this will be a great fight”, said the “Real Deal”. “It is my impression that the heavyweight division is getting better and more interesting again with fresh blood and young guys accepting big fights. Stiverne vs. Arreola was a good start. I believe Charr vs. Povetkin may even be a better fight. It’s good to see guys stepping up for the challenge.”

Burbank, CA: Anatoliy “The Gladiator” Dudchenko (192-, 13 KOs) has reunited with his former trainer Jesse Reid (whose training resume includes: Roger Mayweather, Johnny Tapia, Hector Camacho and many more) as he prepares to face Nadjib Mohammedi (34-3, 20 KOs) on June 21 for #1 eliminator in the IBF. The winner will face Bernard Hopkins for the IBF Championship. Dudchenko trained with Reid earlier in his career and, when he heard he was going to be fighting for the mandatory slot in the IBF, he returned to Reid to help prepare for the fight of his life.

Anatoliy Dudchenko
Photo Credits: Zhanna Popova

Reid and Dudchenko are training at the Powerhouse Gym in Burbank, CA. According to Reid, “This camp is going very well. We sparred with a partner who has a similar style to Mohammedi – good speed and good head movement – we are working on controlling that.” Preparation has been somewhat difficult, however, because Mohammedi has never fought in a televised bout, which made finding fight footage difficult for Reid and Dudchenko. Reid said, “We were able to find a couple of Mohammedi’s fights online but we don’t have too much on him. From what he have seen he doesn’t look like he is a powerful guy. He gets in bad positions which we are going to try to capitalize on.”

“The Gladiator”
Dudchenko came to the United States in 2004 from the Ukraine because he felt it would help further his career and get him one step closer to a world title. He said, “I feel very good. I am so focused. This is the chance of my life. This is why I moved to United States. I like my chances. Sparring and training is going good. I worked with Jesse before and we had a great experience.” When asked about his opponent, he said, “Mohammedi is a good fighter and I respect him. He’s tough but to me it doesn’t matter who I face because this is my chance of my life. I am not going to give it to anybody. This is a fight that people have to watch.”

Dudchenko
Despite the fact that this will be the biggest fight of “The Gladiator’s” career, Reid thinks he is ready and can handle the pressure, “I think he can handle the pressure of knowing he is on NBCSN and that this is the biggest fight of his life. I think this is a guy (Mohammedi) that can’t hurt him, which is good, but at the same time this is a guy who can match him with his speed. It is going to be interesting to see how Anatoliy carries himself. I trained Anatoliy earlier in his career and he knocked out a couple of guys while working with me and I am glad that I have him back. He is going to do extremely well and put on a great performance.” Vince Caruso, Anatoliy’s manager, added, “I have never seen Anatoliy more mentally prepared for a fight than he is right now. The 21st can’t come soon enough. This fight is going to put his name on the map.”

About June 21:

June 21 features Anatoliy “The Gladiator” Dudchenko and Nadjib Mohammedi in a twelve-round light heavyweight bout for the #1 position in the IBF live on NBCSN Fight Night from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The co-feature includes a ten-round fight between Philly natives Karl “Dynamite” Dargan and Anthony Flores for the USBA Atlantic Coast Region Title. The Fight Night telecast will begin at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. Doors will open at 5:00 PM. The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing, in association with Greg Cohen Promotions. The undercard will be announced shortly. Ticket are available at ticketmaster.com (Keyword: Main Events) or at the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs box office.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on June 21.
Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

All NBC Sports Network live events live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 27th, 2014) – The hottest fighter in the northeast and the most promising regional prospect in the featherweight division is taking his talent to new heights.

Rob Font, a Tampa native now living in Boston, Mass., and training out of Sityodtong, has inked a promotional agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), joining fellow Bostonian John “Doomsday” Howard as the second fighter under the guidance of Rhode Island-based promoter CES MMA to reach a deal with the UFC within the past year.

“Although I’m thankful to all the promotions I’ve fought for, CES has by far provided me with the best platform,” Font said. “Everything about them is top notch. A huge thank you to CES!

“This is a dream come true.”

Font (10-1, 3 KOs), 26, has won nine consecutive fights, the last six under the promotional guidance of CES. The streak includes a first-round knockout win over fellow New EnglanderChris Foster for the then-vacant CES MMA featherweight championship in August of 2013 and another opening-round knockout win over Tristan Johnson in April in the main event of “CES MMA XXIII” at Twin River Casino.

“One of the first questions we ask a fighter is ‘What are you seeking to accomplish in this sport?’ Rob’s answer was simply, ‘To be a UFC champion,’” CES vice president Jimmy Burchfield Jr. said. “Rob has fought everyone we put in front of him. He has seized the opportunity, winning in impressive fashion. We have worked very closely with Team Sityodtong and [Font’s manager] Charles McCarthy of Guardian Sports Group to get Rob to this point. He deserves this opportunity. I am confident that he will make the most of it.”

With a killer instinct in the cage and a strong promotional push behind him, Font is quickly becoming a household name on the nationwide mixed martial arts circuit. Highlights of his win over Johnson were featured on the popular AXS TV series Inside MMA.

He’ll make his UFC debut July 5th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on the undercard of UFC 175, which features the middleweight title bout between Chris Weidmanand Lyoto Machida. The fight will be contested at 135 pounds – Font’s bantamweight debut.

Born in Tampa, Font moved to Boston in 2009 and had zero amateur fights on his record when he first stepped foot inside Mark DellaGrotte’s Sityodtong branch in nearby Somerville. Within two years, Font went from sparring partner to amateur standout before debuting as a professional in December of 2011.

Font’s deal with the UFC comes 10 months after Howard re-signed with the UFC. Howard’s first run lasted two years from 2009 to 2011. He’s 2-1 since returning last July. In between stints with the UFC, Howard went 5-0 with five knockouts under the guidance of CES.

“So many people have helped get me here, so I’m thankful for them,” Font said. “It feels amazing to say we’ve made it to the UFC, but it’s one thing to make it and quite another to remain in the UFC. Needless to say, it’s only the beginning. We have much more work to do.”

LAS VEGAS and STAMFORD, Conn. – May 27, 2014 — NBC Sports Group and World Series of Fighting (WSOF) have reached a multi-year agreement extending and broadening NBCSG’s exclusive rights to televise the Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts promotion’s events through 2017, it was announced today.

The multi-year renewal extends the partnership, which began with World Series of Fighting’s debut in November 2012, and includes multi-platform rights to the organization’s events, which will be televised on NBCSN and NBC and featured on NBC’s digital platforms.

NBC Sports Group will televise live 14 World Series of Fighting events this year, including NBC’s first-ever broadcast of mixed martial arts when “World Series of Fighting 11: Gaethje vs. Newell” takes place July 5, followed by a year-end card on NBC on December 27. Additional events will be added to the NBCSG schedule in ensuing years.

To date, NBCSN has televised all World Series of Fighting events live, as well as two World Series of Fighting Canada events and seven unique editions of “WSOF Future Champs” and “Unstoppable: Best of World Series of Fighting.”

“We are excited to extend and broaden our partnership to continue to bring World Series of Fighting’s unique brand of elite mixed martial arts to our viewers,” said Jon Miller, President of Programming for NBC and NBCSN.

World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo, who is also a six-time kickboxing world champion and Hall of Famer added, “We have enjoyed tremendous success as a young company with the great people at NBCSG, and we are thrilled to be continuing on this journey with them for years to come. World Series of Fighting will continue to put on premier MMA events around the world with some of the world’s best fighters, and we’re so proud to be able to share it with all of NBC and NBCSN’s viewers.”

NBCSN airs the first event following today’s announcement on Saturday, June 21, when “World Series of Fighting 10: Branch vs. Taylor” takes place at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The star-studded event features a championship triple header, including a main event of David Branch (13-3) vs. Jesse “JT Money” Taylor (27-9) for World Series of Fighting’s inaugural middleweight title, as well as dual co-main events with World Series of Fighting featherweight champion Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (23-3-1) vs. Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn (14-2) and the No. 1 female strawweight fighter in the world and current World Series of Fighting champion Jessica “Jag” Aguilar (17-4), who will defend her belt against Japanese contender Emi “The Kamikaze Angel” Fujino (13-7).

World Series of Fighting will make history in the sport of MMA on July 5th with its first ever event to air live on NBC. “World Series of Fighting 11: Gaethje vs. Newell” features lightweight champion Justin Gaethje (11-0) putting his belt on the line against the tough and inspirational Nick Newell (11-0). Also on the card, legendary and top ranked Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Jon Fitch (25-6-1) will face knockout artist Josh “The People’s Warrior” Burkman (27-10). Both Fitch and Burkman boast a win over each other, so this bout is for bragging rights.

Play-by-play announcer Todd Harris and mixed martial arts legend and MMA analyst Bas Rutten will call the action.

World Series of Fighting debuted in November 2012 and the promotion has since hosted events in American cities including Atlantic City, Los Angeles and Miami, while also putting on shows in Canadian outposts Vancouver, British Columbia and Edmonton, Alberta. Additionally, World Series of Fighting currently boasts international partnerships with respected promotions in Japan and Brazil, both of which will host events before year’s end.

World Series of Fighting’s growing roster of top fighters features such superstars as Rousimar Palhares, Justin Gaethje, Jake Shields, Melvin Guillard, Jon Fitch, Yushin Okami and Josh Burkman, as well as promising talent such as Nick Newell, Marlon Moraes and Tyrone Spong.

About WSOF

World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About NBC Sports Group

When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN (NBC Sports Network), Golf Channel, 12 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and all of their respective digital properties. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLS, World Series of Fighting, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.

NEW YORK, May 27, 2014 – HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise, which has captured 18 Sports Emmy® Awards, returns for its 20th boxing installment with 24/7 COTTO/MARTINEZ, it was announced by Rick Bernstein, executive producer, HBO Sports. Debuting SATURDAY, MAY 31 (11:15-11:45 p.m. ET/PT), the behind-the-scenes series follows two elite fighters as they prepare for their middleweight title showdown June 7 at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden. The series will also be presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

“Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martinez are barreling toward the most-anticipated fight of 2014, and their backstories will make for great storytelling in this all-new edition of ‘24/7’,” noted Bernstein. “This is an intense showdown made even larger by the backdrop of New York and Madison Square Garden playing host to the event.”

Episode two of 24/7 COTTO/MARTINEZ debuts Thursday, June 5 (8:30-9:00 p.m.), two nights before the high-stakes bout.

24/7 COTTO/MARTINEZ will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access, along with in-depth interviews, as the fighters prepare for their first encounter. Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, is attempting to become the commonwealth’s first four-division world champion. His formidable foe is Sergio Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KOs), of Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina, the lineal world middleweight champion, who has turned back an impressive list of challengers since first capturing the crown in 2010.

Making his fourth “24/7” appearance, Cotto is working with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach at the famed Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Cal. Martinez, who works with trainers Pablo and Gabriel Sarmiento, is making his second appearance on the show and holding camp in Miami, Fla.

24/7 COTTO/MARTINEZ is the latest installment of the acclaimed franchise that began in 2007. The most-honored sports series on TV over the past seven years, the show has earned 18 Sports Emmys®, receiving five of the last six Emmys® in the Outstanding Editing category.
ESPN The Magazine called the series “a masterfully entertaining reality show.”
“Cotto vs. Martinez” takes place at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden on Saturday, June 7 at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT), and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.
The executive producer of 24/7 COTTO/MARTINEZ is Rick Bernstein; senior producer, Dave Harmon; coordinating producer, Bentley Weiner; producer, Abtin Motia; writer, Aaron Cohen. Liev Schreiber narrates.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 27th, 2014) — Jimmy Williams always knew he and Christian Lao would cross paths at some point.

As professional boxers from neighboring towns in Connecticut, they’ve fought on the same card before and have even sparred against one another. They consider each other friends.

Pleasantries aside, Saturday night won’t be another run-of-the-mill sparring session when Lao and Williams step foot inside the same ring. This time, the fight counts. No headgear, no boundaries – just a throwback border war with more than state bragging rights on the line.

On Saturday, May 31st, 2014, Lao and Williams will face one another for the Connecticut Junior Middleweight State Title in the six-round co-feature of Classic Entertainment & Sports’ pro-am boxing event at Mohegan Sun Arena, a fight several years in the making since Williams turned pro in 2013.

Tickets for the event are priced at $40, $65 and $125 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling 401-724-2253/2254, online at www.cesboxing.com or www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

“If I want to be the best in the world, I have to start in Connecticut,” said Williams, a New Jersey native who now lives in New Haven. “Once I dominate here, I can move on to bigger and better things. The time is now.

“This is what you live for. To fight the guy next door, with all that pressure on you, it’s what you dream of.”

This will be an interesting contrast in styles between two fighters moving up in weight to meet at 154 pounds. A former college football player at Southern Connecticut State, Williams (5-0-1, 2 KOs) relies mostly on his power, while Lao (5-2-1, 2 KOs) is more of a finesse fighter who’d prefer to outbox his opponent rather than get into a slugfest in the middle of the ring.

“I’m more of a counterpuncher,” Lao admits.

In recent fights, Lao has shown the ability to keep his distance and pick his spots, most notably in his win over fellow Connecticut native Joe Wilson Jr. in November. It’s Williams who needs to prove he can handle an elusive opponent with fancy footwork. The last time he fought someone similar to Lao, he wound up with a draw against Atlantic City’s Greg Jackson, a frustrating night for Williams, who failed to cut off the ring and impose his will.

“That’s something I’ve worked on for hours and hours in the gym,” Williams said. “I know guys want to avoid my power, so they’ll try to outbox me. I need to be more physical and learn to trap guys in the corner.”

“I move around on my toes, and I’m flashy, but I can mix it up and fight on the inside, too,” Lao added. “His advantage is his body size. He’s taller and longer. He likes to keep his distance.”

Williams knows he needs to use his height and reach to keep Lao at the end of his jab while also being wary of Lao’s ability to counterpunch. He also has to cut off the ring better than he did against Jackson. It’s all part of a game plan he’s been implementing beyond the border, spending his weekends for the past two months in Brooklyn sparring with unbeaten prospects Sadam Ali and Frank Galarza.

“To go into their backyard and spar, it helps me make a name for myself,” Williams said. “I did eight rounds with Galarza the other day. They keep inviting me back. I got in the ring with Ali. These guys are hungry. They’re at the point in their career that when they spar they give it their all. I’ve learned so much.

“I can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve been working on these past few months.”

For Lao, a Meriden native who trains under the guidance of East Hartford’s Mike Conroy, it’s about being the best in Connecticut once that final bell rings. He has a draw and a win since his return in October, erasing the memory of his lopsided loss to Gabriel Duluc in 2012, while Williams continues to climb the ladder in Connecticut following his win over Evincii Dixon in November, the same Dixon who fought Lao to draw a month before losing to Williams.

They knew they’d meet up at some point. They just never figured it’d be this soon.

“I’m really excited for this,” Williams said. “I know some of his weaknesses and I know what he brings to the table, but I also know this will be a totally different fight.

“I’m ready for whatever he’s got. I’ve seen him at his worst, and I’ve seen him get the best of me in sparring. I’ve got a good feeling. I’m going to adjust to whatever he tries to do.”

Said Lao: “Once that bell rings, I’m here for business. I’m here to fight. It doesn’t matter who it is. This is about proving who wants it the most. Who deserves to be in that spot, to own that belt and represent Connecticut? This will put my name out there. Who’s the best in Connecticut? My name will pop up. That’s what I want.”

Saturday’s main event features world-rated lightweight Hank Lundy (24-3-1, 11 KOs) of Philadelphia battling Mexican challenger Pipino Cuevas Jr. in a 10-round bout. Coming off back-to-back wins, Lundy is now ranked No. 9 in the World Boxing Council (WBC).

Lundy’s 10-round fight against Cuevas Jr. headlines a dynamic card that also features the return of female bantamweight sensation Shelito Vincent and light heavyweight slugger Kevin Cobbs, plus the addition of an exciting amateur undercard replete with the region’s most sought-after talent, including Gary Balletto Jr. and Ray Oliveira Jr., sons of two well-respected fighters who dominated the regional circuit at the turn of the 21st century.

Cobbs (7-1, 2 KOs), a veteran from Willimantic, Conn., will face Willis Lockett (13-13-5, 5 KOs) of Maryland in a four-round bout in Cobbs’ first fight in more than a year, while Vincent (10-0, 1 KO) battles Philadelphia’s Lakeysha Williams, a veteran of 30 fights, in a six-round bout. Also on the undercard, female welterweight Aleksandra Magdziak-Lopes (10-2-1, 1 KO), a former world-title challenger, will face Althea Saunders (3-0-1) of Atlantic City in a six-round bout. In other regional action, Hartford’s Wilson Jr. (1-1) faces Ethan Pena (2-1, 1 KO) of Providence, R.I., in a four-round bout.

On the amateur portion of the show, Oliveira Jr., a 165-pounder who trains out of On Point Boxing in New Bedford, Mass., will face Khiary Gray of Camp Get Right in Worcester, Mass. Also from Camp Get Right, 140-pounder Phil Davis will battle Cranston, R.I., amateur Javier Nieves of 401 Boxing, and Kendrick Ball Jr. of Worcester and Camp Get Right will face Edmond Worley of Lowell, Mass., in a 185-pound bout.

New Haven, Conn., middleweight Godfrey Campbell faces Miguel Teo of Marlboro, Mass.; and Smithfield, R.I., light welterweight Anthony Marsella Jr. battles New Bedford’s Scott Sullivan. Balletto Jr., a middleweight also fighting out of Cranston, will face New Haven’s Eric Anderson of Elephant In The Room Boxing Club. All amateur bouts are three rounds, unless otherwise noted.

San Diego light flyweight Amaris Quintana (7-2-2, 2KOs) is just glad to be back in the ring. After earning her last win in early April over Susan Reno of San Diego, the “Diamond Girl” is back in the ring a mere sixty days since her last fight, he fastest turn-around of her career since her first two fights back in 2009.

“That is the plan, trying to stay active and get as many fights in 2014,” Quintana shared. “Hopefully we can get back to another title shot at 105 or 108 pounds but first we have to stay busy.”

In October of 2013 Quintana got a taste of a world title bout when she challenged current IFBA light flyweight champion Sindy Amador of Riverside. Quintana fell short via a closely contested ten-round unanimous decision. The championship fight was a rematch of their first face-off back in the spring of 2012 which Amador also took with a unanimous decision. Those two losses are the only ones in Quintana’s record.

Andre Kut’s KEA Boxing Promotions is set to bring boxing back to the luxurious Birchwood Manor in Whippany, New Jersey with an action packed nine bout card. Headlining the show, will be a six round welterweight contest, as former NABF title challenger Alex “The Brick City Bullet” Perez (17-1, 9Ko’s) looks to put his name back in the welterweight elite, when he swaps punches with Jeremiah Wiggins (10-2-1, 5Ko’s).

Alex Perez made a name for himself all along the northeast corridor in winning his first fifteen bouts as a professional, including a one sided ten round unanimous decision victory over former NABF junior welterweight title holder Frankie “El Gato” Figueroa. This set him up for a NABF title shot against Antonin Decarie. Perez fell short on that night against the former WBA welterweight title challenger, losing by seventh round stoppage.

Alex Perez appropriately nicknamed “The Brick City Bullet” refocused himself and was determined to get back into the boxing scene. While many would have chosen an easy comeback fight, Perez raised the stakes and took on former New York light welterweight champion and fellow southpaw Kenny Abril, who was coming off a split decision victory over present WBC Asian Boxing Council champion Dennis Laurente. Perez had a few rough moments in the early going against the hard slugging Abril, but his superior boxing skills allowed him to capture an impressive eight round unanimous decision victory.

Now he must take the next step toward his championship hopes when he faces upset minded Jeremiah Wiggins (10-2-1, 5Ko’s) in the six round main event on Saturday night. Wiggins enters the ring on a two fight losing streak, but both losses have come from top flight talent in Julian Williams (16-0-1, 10Ko’s) and Daquan Arnett (11-1, 7Ko’s).

Hard hitting heavyweight prospect Tyrell Wright (5-0, 4Ko’s) looks for his fifth straight stoppage as a professional in the six round co-feature of the evening when he tangles with Eric George (1-6).

KEA Boxing Promotions has put together several competitive four round contests to fill out the show, featuring some of the growing talent in the northeast.

Tough as nails heavyweight Joey Cusumano (6-1, 4Ko’s) looks for his seventh victory as a pro when he swaps punches with Excell Holmes (2-3-1, 1KO).

In a special women’s contest, popular New Jersey junior middleweight Connie Viruet makes her pro debut against an opponent to be announced.

Undefeated welterweight, Anthony “Sweet Tooth” Jones (4-0-1, 1Ko) of Newark, New Jersey is set to tangle with Eloy, Arizona’s Gustavo Medina (1-5-1).

Explosive welterweight Bobby Gunn, Jr (2-0, 2Ko’s) of Hackensack, New Jersey looks to keep his perfect knockout streak intact, when he battles it out with debuting Dominic Del Campo of Dover, Delaware.

Heavy handed welterweight Wesley “King Wes” Tucker (2-0, 2Ko’s) of Toledo, Ohio, makes his Jersey debut when he dukes it out with Danville, Virginia’s Tevin Reynolds (0-1).

Somebody’s “0” must go, as lightweights Dwayne Holman Jr, (0-1) and Richard Bonds (0-1) tangle in the squared circle, looking for their first win as professionals.

Rounding out the card will be a battle of debuting junior welterweights, as New Jersey’s own, Alex Serna takes on Brooklyn, New York’s Anton Williamson.

Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at

$100 VIP

$75 ringside

$55 reserved

$40 General Admission

Tickets can be purchased on PayPal at www.KEABoxing.com or by calling 973-903-2907.

Doors open: 6:30 PM

First fight: 7:30 PM

Juergen Braehmer (43-2, 32 KOs) brings the WBA World Championship to his hometown! Schwerin, Germany will host the 35-year-old’s next title defense against even-aged challenger Roberto Bolonti (35-2, 24 KOs) on June 7. The Argentinian already provoked the defending champion in the run-up to their fight. In the following Q&A, you can read Braehmer’s verbal counter as well as his future plans inside the ring.

Juergen, you last defended your world title in early April. About two months later, you are going to put it on the line again. Is the short break between fights a problem for you?

Juergen Braehmer: No, not at all. I see it more as an advantage to me. After enjoying a few days off, I went back into the gym after the Easter holidays. I did not start at zero and therefore I could lay my concentration more on technique and tactics.

Arthur Abraham made similar statements recently, only to suffer from an old training injury, which had broken up during his title defense in early May…

Juergen Braehmer: I said this ahead of my recent fights but have no problem to repeat myself: I will only step into the ring being in shape a 100 percent. That is what I learned from my loss to Garay in 2008. And I will not change my attitude now or in the future. I do perform well in training being and tip-top shape. There is a saying, by the way: If you do not use it, you lose it.

Your upcoming opponent said that you are battle-worn, while he is on top of his game. What is your answer to those statements?

Juergen Braehmer: …Maybe he did not watch my last fights. My last real war inside a ring is so long ago, I cannot even remember it. However, I can keep this delusion on his mind. I will charge him come fight night and it will not be cheap.

What are your thoughts on Bolonti’s abilities? His nickname “La Bestia” promises an action-packed fight…

Juergen Braehmer: He is a boxer with a typical Argentinian style – always fighting hard and with maximum effort, but not the most technically sound. That is what I heard from my coach Karsten Roewer. He is studying all my opponents in detail and adjusts my tactics. I only think about my own strengths. That works best for me.

Defending your world title at home for the first time must be something special to you, right?

Juergen Braehmer: It is always nice to fight on your doorstep, although the last time I did, I was a bit over-motivated when I defend the European Championship in Schwerin last August. I do not think that this will happen again but I will show further improvements to my game. My family, friends and fans can look forward to an entertaining fight.

…which should not be the final chapter in your career. What are your plans for the future?

Juergen Braehmer: Clearly some big, career-defining match-up’s, preferably title unifications. Bernard Hopkins is sitting on top of that list but with him being 49 years old, he may not have a lot fights left in him. That is why I am hoping for a quick consent to fight him. I am also open to compete with all other world champions at light heavyweight. I want to show that I am the best at this weigh class!

First, you have to deny the challenge that is Roberto Bolonti. What is your prediction on this fight?

Juergen Braehmer: The only thing that is currently on my mind is beating him. I would love to make it an early night like the one I delivered years back against Francisco Antonio Mora. Let us see if he can take my hooks to the liver better than his compatriot did…

Tickets for the fight night at the Sport- und Kongresshalle Schwerin, Germany on June 7 are available via www.eventim.de.

On May 17th, Wraith Promotions showcased a night of boxing at the Leisure Centre in Gateshead.

Tickets sold well, and a raucous crowd made the night special for Anthony Hardy, who climbed to 4-0 in front of his amassed supporters, and won his second fight in the Junior Welterweight division.

Behind a spearing southpaw jab and hard left hand, Hardy overcame his opponent, 5-58-2 Ibrar Riyaz. The Horden boxer judiciously used his height and reach advantages to control the fight from the outside, and punish Riyaz for any offensive attempts.

Ringside reporter Nathan Orr referred to Hardy as the night’s “fan favourite”, also pointing out that while Hardy saw some nervous moments early, he seized the action in the latter rounds, nearly stopping Riyaz, who has only been stopped three times in his career, which spans 65 ring appearances since his 2008 pro debut.

Hardy is already set for his return, and it will be at the place that hatched his pro-career in July of last year — The Stadium of Light!

Home to Sunderland FC, the Stadium of Light once again hosts boxing. The yearly “Summer Rumble” has drawn exceptional crowds in recent years, and this one should be no exception. Anthony hopes to make it a perfect 5-0 on July 13th!

Anyone looking to sponsor Anthony should contact Internationalpugilimspublicist@gmail.com with a query. For those interested in simply offering support or encouragement, follow Anthony on Twitter at @Anth_Hardy11 and use hashtag #TeamHardy!