Warminster, PA (MAY 13, 2014)–TONIGHT, next to the William Tennent High School, undefeated Jr. Welterweight Milton Santiago will receive a special honor by the school board for his professional boxing career.

Santiago, the youngest boxer in the history of Pennsylvania at age 17 is 4-0 with 3 knockouts is a junior at the school, will receive achievement award just three days before his 5th professional bout which will take place on Friday night at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia when he will take on 25 fight veteran Josh Beeman in a 6 round bout.

The school board meeting takes place right next to the High School and will begin at 7 PM.

Sherman Oaks, CA (May 13, 2014) This past Saturday night at the USC Galen Center, junior welterweight Abel Ramos of Phoenix, Arizona showed his true mettle as the 22-year-old top prospect battled through a series of severe injuries to settle for a six round draw with veteran Levan Ghvamichava of Miami, Florida.

The outstanding bloody battle between the undefeated Ramos, now 9-0-2 (5KO’s), and Ghvamichava took place immediately following the World Boxing Council Heavyweight Championship between Bermane Stiverne and Chris Arreola.

“Ramos suffered a terrible cut over his right eye in the first round from an elbow thrown by Ghvamichava that required fourteen stiches” said Andy Zak of Journeyman Management Team. “As if the cut wasn’t enough to overcome, in the second round, he also sustained a broken left hand. Despite these horrific injuries to a young fighter, he acted as a true veteran valiantly battling to the end in a fight that many ringsiders thought he won.”

Continued Zak, “Dr. Justin Heller is operating on Abel today at the Antelope Valley Hospital and he will return home tomorrow.”

“We’re extremely proud of Abel. To get cut with an elbow in the first round and to suffer a broken hand in the second while continuing to fight the way he did, Abel is a true warrior.”

Dan Goossen, the promoter of the event said he’s never seen anything like this with such a young fighter ignoring the constant flow of blood impairing his vision and compounding his obstacles with a severely broken hand. “You can only imagine what he would have accomplished in that ring Saturday night if he didn’t have to deal with injuries that would have caused most to call it a night. We wish him a fast and healthy recovery.”

Heavyweight boxing star Tyson Fury, along with trainer Peter Fury, undefeated cousin Hughie and other members of the Team Fury entourage will all be on hand to open their brand new Bolton boxing HQ on Wednesday May 14.

Developed in conjunction with the Platinum Sports and Events Management Company headed by Asif Vali, The Platinum Community Centre will boast state-of-the-art training facilities to help develop future amateur and pro champions.

“We’re really excited about getting this Team Fury gym up and running,” said Peter Fury recently. “It’s been a lot of hard work in the making but we’re there now and the set-up is fantastic. Tyson and the rest of the team will be based there and hopefully the gym will soon have its first world champ.”

Undefeated in 22 fights, with 16 KOs, Tyson is the former British and Commonwealth champion who faces Londoner Dereck Chisora at Manchester’s Phones 4u Arena on July 26 – with the winner likely to face Wladmir Klitschko for world honours later in the year.

Along with the pros, the premises will also be the base for an exciting new amateur boxing club – Metro ABC – which will be run by renowned trainer Tommy Battle. And the centre will also welcome all members of the local community to get involved and get fit.

“I’m delighted we’re ready to open the doors,” explained Asif. “I’ve no doubt that Tyson and Hughie will be future heavyweight champions of the world, and it’s fantastic that Team Fury have located here.

“The centre is amazing and the facilities are first-class. It’s been a lot of effort but all the hard work has been worth it and I know this gym will do some great work for the community, as well as produce numerous champions.

“The opening is going to be a very special day and it will be great to see as many people there as possible.”

The opening of the Platinum Community Centre (Halliwell Road, Bolton, BL1 8AP) will take place on Wednesday May 14 at 12.30pm.

Along with Team Fury, also in attendance will be the mayor of Bolton, as well as the Chief Superintendent of Greater Manchester Police Shaun Donnellan and Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Jim Battle.

Refreshments will be available on the day. If you would like to attend please RSVP to Stacey@Platinum-c.com or call 01204 528898.

London (13 May) Leon Senior feeling “fitter” and “stronger” ahead of his MaxiNutrition Knockout semi-final clash with British light heavyweight champion Bob Ajisafe at Leeds Town Hall on May 17, live on Channel 5.

The Southern Area champion, Senior, is confident and taking heart from watching Ajisafe’s quarter-final performance against Dean Francis.

“Bob did exactly what he had to do but there were times that Francis was getting on top in that fight,” Leon said.

“Don’t get me wrong, there were times where Bob was on top, but I think a younger Dean would have capitalised – but on this occasion he just didn’t seem to have enough to follow it up.

“I think Dean had the right game plan – I take a lot of confidence from what I saw in that fight.”

Leon progressed into the semi-finals following a non-contest result against former Commonwealth title challenger Tony Hill following an accidental clash of heads.

The Swanley based champion, Senior, feels that will give him an advantage come fight night after Ajisafe came through a 12-round war with former British, Commonwealth, European, WBC International, WBO and IBO Inter-Continental champion Dean Francis at Rivermead, Reading, in his respective quarter-final.

“I haven’t had to go through that hard 12 rounds like Bob did, so that’s a feather in my cap,” Senior said.

“I’m a lot fresher, I’m excelling in my training, I feel a lot fitter and a lot stronger than I did last time and by the time I get in there I’ll be in the best shape of my life.

“It is difficult to prepare for an unorthodox fighter like Bob, as you can’t gauge what they’re going to do next, but I’m confident as I’ve seen opportunities where Dean could have capitalised and things he could have done which I feel I will be able take into the fight.”

This superb night of championship boxing will also see Newcastle fighter and newly crowned English light heavyweight champion ‘Tasty’ Travis Dickinson meet Preston’s Central Area champion ‘Magic’ Matty Clarkson in the second semi-final to decide who will compete for the first ever MaxiNutrition Knockout title.

The night will also feature a whole host of exciting talent on the undercard including former world heavyweight title contender and Wladimir Klitschko opponent ‘Fast’ Eddie Chambers, Bradford’s Darren Tetley and former WBC world light welterweight champion Junior Witter, as well as Leeds fighters Tommy Broadbent and Damon Jones and Morecambe’s Isaac Lowe.

Ticket Information

Tickets for start from £35 and are available to purchase now from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 9991 or online at www.ticketline.co.uk

SEMI FINALS

LEEDS TOWN HALL – 17 MAY
LIVE ON CHANNEL 5

BOB AJISAFE VS LEON SENIOR

TRAVIS DICKINSON VS MATTY CLARKSON
English light heavyweight title

THE FINAL

Venue & Date: TBC – 27 September
LIVE ON CHANNEL 5

BOB AJISAFE OR LEON SENIOR

VS

TRAVIS DICKINSON OR MATTY CLARKSON

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, MaxNutrition and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maxinutrition.com
www.hennessysports.com

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM

London (13 May) Matty Clarkson is out to deliver a big performance when he challenges ‘Tasty’ Travis Dickinson for the English light heavyweight title on May 17.

The Preston man, Clarkson, faces the Newcastle fighter in the MaxiNutrition Knockout semi-finals and admits he has a “game plan” to deal with Dickinson at Leeds Town Hall, live on Channel 5.

“I’m looking forward to it, I’ve been sparring well and my partners have felt the full force of it,” Matty said.

“We have a few different things that we’re working on and we’re well underway with it.

“We have a game plan – we have that and now we just need to drill that in so that it becomes second nature so that I react in a certain way.”

Clarkson who is the Central Area light heavyweight champion, successfully defended his title against Sheffield’s Lee Duncan in the MaxiNutrition Knockout quarter-finals to progress and is making sure he does everything in his power to win on Saturday.

“I wasn’t too pleased with my performance, but like I said on the night I didn’t come for the performance I came for the result and I got it,” Matty said.

“We’ve got to make sure now that we’re in the best shape for Travis.

“I’ve had a lot of people saying that I’ll have my hands full – I know I will, but so will he and Travis knows that.

“Travis and his team know I’ll turn up a lot better than I did last time out, it will be an interesting fight – I’m not looking beyond Travis – this will be a tough fight for both of us.”

This fantastic night of championship boxing will also see Leeds fighter and newly crowned British light heavyweight champion Bob Ajisafe take on Swanley’s Southern Area champion Leon Senior in the second semi-final to decide who will compete for the first ever MaxiNutrition Knockout title.

The night will also feature a whole host of exciting talent on the undercard including former world heavyweight title contender and Wladimir Klitschko opponent ‘Fast’ Eddie Chambers, Bradford’s Darren Tetley and former WBC world light welterweight champion Junior Witter, as well as Leeds fighters Tommy Broadbent and Damon Jones and Morecambe’s Isaac Lowe.

Ticket Information

Tickets for start from £35 and are available to purchase now from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 9991 or online at www.ticketline.co.uk

London (13 May) Tommy Broadbent “can’t wait” for “incredible” return to the ring on the MaxiNutrition Knockout semi-finals undercard on May 17 at Leeds Town Hall, live on Channel 5.

The Leeds light middleweight has been out of the ring since 2011 due to finance issues and is delighted to be back in action thanks to help from his sister and Emmerdale star Kelli Hollis.

“I can’t wait for Saturday, it’s going to be incredible,” Tommy said.

“I have been out since 2011 and I had to have the time away from the ring because of finances really – I couldn’t afford to keep training and boxing without working and then with the recession, I couldn’t do it.

“My sister (Kelli Hollis) she’s in Emmerdale and before that she was in Shameless and she is backing me now – she’s helping me out and she’ll be bringing some of the cast down as well – it’s going to be a great night.

With the backing of his sister Kelli, who plays Ali Spencer in Emmerdale and previously Yvonne in Shameless, Tommy is hoping to put on a “big performance” and push on with his career.

“It’s been hard, but I’m back now and I want to go out there and send a statement and repay the faith being shown in me,” Tommy said.

“I’m in the best shape of my life – I know I have the ability – I’m ready, I’m more than ready.

“I want to get my name back out there and put on a big performance for everyone.”

Broadbent fights on the undercard to the MaxiNutrition Knockout semi finals where newly crowned British light heavyweight champion and Leeds fighter Bob Ajisafe takes on Southern Area champion Leon Senior and newly crowned English champion Travis Dickinson makes the first defence of his title against Central Area champion Matty Clarkson.

This fantastic night will also feature a whole host of exciting talent on the undercard including former world heavyweight title contender and Wladimir Klitschko opponent ‘Fast’ Eddie Chambers, Leeds fighter Damon Jones, Bradford’s Darren Tetley and former WBC world light welterweight champion Junior Witter and Morecambe’s Isaac Lowe.

Ticket Information

Tickets for start from £35 and are available to purchase now from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 9991 or online at www.ticketline.co.uk

SEMI FINALS

LEEDS TOWN HALL – 17 MAY
LIVE ON CHANNEL 5

BOB AJISAFE VS LEON SENIOR

TRAVIS DICKINSON VS MATTY CLARKSON
English light heavyweight title

THE FINAL

Venue & Date: TBC – 27 September
LIVE ON CHANNEL 5

BOB AJISAFE OR LEON SENIOR

VS

TRAVIS DICKINSON OR MATTY CLARKSON

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, MaxNutrition and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maxinutrition.com
www.hennessysports.com

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM

IBF Light Middleweight Champion “King” Carlos Molina (22-5-2, 6 KOs) has signed a managerial contract with Al Haymon and is temporarily training in Mexico City, while promoter and attorney Leon Margules sorts out his immigration issues.

30-year-old Molina, originally from Michoacán, Mexico, says he’s excited to have aligned himself with one of boxing’s most high-profile managers and is looking forward to returning to the ring.

“I’m really excited and looking forward to fighting the best out there,” said Molina. “Al Haymon has a history of getting the big fights for guys and that’s what I wanted. He will make a great addition to my team, which already includes Warriors Boxing and Leon and Luis (De Cubas Sr.), who have always done right by me in my career.”

Leon Margules says he hopes to have Molina’s, a Mexican citizen living in Chicago for many years, immigration issues ironed out soon and is looking forward to getting the IBF Champion big fights.

“Carlos is excited to work with Al who is going to help us get him the important fights he’s always wanted,” said Margules. “Al does a fantastic job with all his fighters and we’re sure he’ll do the same for Carlos.”

Legendary, long-time boxing advisor Luis De Cubas Sr. says he’s also happy about the Haymon agreement for Molina.

“I’m very excited that Carlos is ready to come back and defend his title and I’m very happy he made Al Haymon his manager,” said De Cubas. “Al is the best in the world without a doubt.”

De Cubas also says he was surprised at Molina’s fitness level for having been away from training for a few months.

“I spent time with Carlos in Mexico and he’s in surprisingly great shape. He did 20 rounds his first day back and ran for an hour. I was very excited to see that. In that altitude, that’s amazing.”

Molina says he will be ready to return to battle “in June or July.”
ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING

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

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

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

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

Sunnyvale, Calif. – UFC GYM® is pleased to announce the opening of a 24-hour gym in Sunnyvale, Calif. offering the community a fresh new for way people to approach fitness and TRAIN DIFFERENT®. A preview center will begin enrolling members on Thurs., May 15th at 858 E. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, Calif. 94087 (corner of S. Wolfe and El Camino Real). Memberships will be offered at special pre-opening rates. The permanent gym will serve the Silicon Valley community located at 733 S. Wolfe Rd, Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086 and is scheduled to open for workouts in early Fall 2014. To find out more about UFC GYM Sunnyvale call (408) 913-9800 or visit www.ufcgymsunnyvale.com.

“This is an energizing time for us as we celebrate another UFC GYM in the Bay Area, home of our very first location in Concord, 2009. Since then, we have seen incredible facility growth throughout the States and Australia,” said Adam Sedlack, President UFC GYM. “Tens of thousands of members have gone through transformations, learned powerful techniques and re-defined how fitness and training should be experienced. We are honored to continue to provide a community like Sunnyvale with dynamic ways to see immediate results.”

UFC GYMS have grown to more than 100 locations in the U.S. and one in Sydney, Australia. Over 100,000 members worldwide take part in the ultimate fitness experience. From training inside the Octagon® to tackling UFC GYM’s Daily Ultimate Training® (DUT®) workout, individuals of all ages and fitness levels have everything needed to reach their fitness goals.

The 30,000 square-foot facility will feature a 30 foot Octagon®, Brazilian jiu-jitsu studio, bag room, top-of-the-line strength training and cardio machines, battling ropes, agility ladders and other functional training equipment for dynamic workouts. The gym’s explosive workout environment will use cutting-edge training techniques inspired by UFC athletes and provide members with everything needed for the entire family to sweat, move, live and TRAIN DIFFERENT.

Membership includes unlimited access to UFC GYM’s signature classes such as Daily Ultimate Training (DUT), muay thai, women’s self-defense and Brazilian jiu-jitsu to name a few, and Group Fitness classes including Power Yoga, Hot Hula, Cycle Circuit, UFC FIT and more. A team of elite Personal Coaches will help members achieve indisputable results through personal and group training. The new location will feature a UFC GYM retail store and UFC GYM Kids’ private training area offering specialized youth fitness classes and mixed martial arts.

UFC GYM Sunnyvale joins eight UFC GYM signature clubs located in Concord, Rosemead, Corona and Torrance, Calif., Long Island, N.Y., Honolulu and Waikele, Hawaii and Sydney, Australia. UFC GYM now offers the unique opportunity to own and operate the new UFC GYM franchise model across the U.S. and the globe. For franchise information, visit www.ufcgym.com/franchising.

About UFC GYM®:

UFC GYM® is the first major brand extension of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, the world leader in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). In alliance with New Evolution Ventures™ (NeV), developers of many of the world’s most successful fitness brands, the UFC GYM brand gives UFC enthusiasts and fitness seekers of all ages the opportunity to practice the training techniques of famed UFC athletes. Offering a full-range of group fitness classes, private MMA training, personal and group dynamic training, plus MMA-style youth programming, UFC GYM creates something for all ages and fitness levels. As the first to combine the world of mixed martial arts and fitness, UFC GYM’s TRAIN DIFFERENT® approach has developed an atmosphere where members can see immediate results. UFC GYM is the ultimate fitness experience. The brand is not what you expect, and more than you can imagine, aiming to continue revolutionizing the fitness industry. For more information, please visit www.ufcgym.com.

About New Evolution Ventures® (NeV):

Based in Northern California, New Evolution Ventures® (NeV) has a two-decade plus record of success in delivering superior returns on investment, specializing in the acquisition, development and operations management of both domestic and international fitness endeavors. Founded in 2008 by Mark Mastrov, Jim Rowley and Mike Feeney and following a strategic partnership with Vision Capital in 2011, the current team of NeV professionals is setting industry-wide standards one brand at a time. Operations have spanned over 20 countries worldwide and included hundreds of facilities. Our team’s industry experience has positioned NeV as a global leader in its field, expanding and reinventing the vision of fitness. For more information, visit www.nev.com.

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.

ESPN’s live telecast of the Saturday, May 10, World Boxing Council (WBC) World Heavyweight Championship fight between Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) and Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (36-4, 31 KOs) delivered a 0.8 overnight rating according to Nielsen, making it the highest-rated fight on any ESPN network since 2003 (Monte Barrett vs. Eric Kirkland delivered a 1.3 overnight rating on October 3, 2003, on ESPN2). Stiverne defeated Arreola by TKO in the sixth round, making him the first boxer of Haitian descent to win a Heavyweight title.

Saturday’s fight is also tied for the third-highest-rated fight overall on any ESPN network (based on overnights, records date back to 2001).

Metered Markets:

· The top 5 local markets for this fight were as follows:

1) New Orleans, 4.1 metered market rating

2) San Antonio, 2.2 metered market rating

3) San Diego, 1.5 metered market rating

4) Providence, 1.5 metered market rating

5) Fort Myers, 1.3 metered market rating

· With a 4.1 metered market rating, New Orleans saw its highest local market rating for boxing on any ESPN Network (records date back to 2001).

· With a 2.2 metered market rating, San Antonio saw its highest local market rating for boxing on any ESPN Network (records date back to 2001).

LAS VEGAS (May 12, 2014) – World Series of Fighting 10 boasts three championship fights on the NBCSN-televised main card of the Saturday, June 21 event.

World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo today confirmed that one new title fight and two additional matchups complete a star-studded main card that also features a main event of David Branch (13-3) vs. Jesse Taylor (27-9) for World Series of Fighting’s inaugural middleweight title, as well as a co-main event of World Series of Fighting featherweight champion Georgi Karakhanyan (23-3-1) vs. Rick Glenn (14-2).

In the night’s third title fight, the world’s no. 1 ranked women’s strawweight and current World Series of Fighting champion Jessica “Jag” Aguilar (17-4) will defend her belt against Japanese contender Emi “The Kamikaze Angel” Fujino (13-7).

Additionally, the main card will include intense matchups of lightweights Tyson Griffin (16-7) vs. Luiz “Buscape” Firmino (17-6) and featherweights Nick Lobosco (7-0) vs. Lance Palmer (7-1).

“We wanted this event to be a special night, and it doesn’t get much better than having three world titles on the line at one event,” Sefo said. “This main card just might be our best yet. Three championship fights and two additional bouts that seem destined to deliver fireworks. This is going to be one night you don’t want to miss.”

Tickets for “World Series of Fighting 10: Branch vs. Taylor” start at just $39 and are currently on sale at AXS.com.

World Series of Fighting champion Jessica Aguilar, the first and only Mexican-American woman to hold a title in a major MMA promotion, is the world’s best 115-pound female fighter. The American Top Team product made her World Series of Fighting debut in January, scoring a submission win over Alida Gray to claim the promotion’s strawweight world title. Aguilar defends her belt for the first time against 33-year-old Fujino, a dangerous and well-rounded athlete who has fought a Who’s Who of her home nation’s best fighters since turning pro in 2004.

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Tyson Griffin made his World Series of Fighting debut in August. He’ll look to put on his best performance yet against the gritty Luiz Firmino, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who previously fought for PRIDE and DREAM during an impressive 14-year career. Firmino took part in his first professional bout shortly after his 18th birthday and remains an elite athlete at 32, as witnessed by his World Series of Fighting 6 win over Jacob Volkmann.

Nicky Lobosco is a heavy-handed featherweight fighting with St. Charles MMA in Missouri. The high school wrestling coach made a splash at WSOF 6 when he scored a vicious knockout of Fabio Mello with a head kick and punches. Lance Palmer is a highly decorated wrestler who is considered one of the sports top prospects to watch. The Team Alpha Male product contended for the WSOF featherweight championship this past December at WSOF 7, but came up short against current champion Georgi Karakhanyan. Palmer looks to reestablish himself as one of the sports best featherweights with a win over Lobosco.

In the previously announced main event, David Branch is a three-time World Series of Fighting veteran who earned his way into the championship fight with a September win over Danillo Villefort in the company’s middleweight tournament semifinal. The 32-year-old Branch, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Renzo Gracie, also boasts wins over Paulo Filho and Dustin Jacoby under the World Series of Fighting banner. The highly-regarded New Yorker collides with Jesse Taylor, a highly-decorated wrestling machine who smashed Elvis Mutapcic in his semifinal bout five months ago and owns a seven-fight winning streak.

Additionally, Russian-born Georgi Karakhanyan, coming off an impressive third-round submission over big-name talent Lance Palmer that won him the World Series of Fighting featherweight belt, is widely considered one of the top 145-pounders on the planet. The 28-year-old destroyer Karakhanyan goes for 10 straight wins against the very aggressive Rick Glenn, an Iowa native who is trained by standup wizard Duke Roufus at the Roufusport MMA Academy. Karakhanyan vs. Glenn looks to be a war.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier profesional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About NBC Sports Network

NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is Las Vegas’ off-strip playground, just minutes and less than three miles from McCarran International Airport. The premier destination entertainment resort is owned by Brookfield Real Estate Finance Fund II and managed by WG-Harmon, LLC, a subsidiary of Warner Gaming, LLC. Built in 1995, the property completed a $750 million expansion in 2010. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers an energetic entertainment and gaming experience with the services and amenities associated with a boutique luxury resort hotel. The property is known for its innovative nightlife and music scene where acts such as The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Incubus, Foo Fighters, Carlos Santana, Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses have all performed. Features of the property include an 11-story Casino Tower with 640 guest rooms, 17-story Paradise Tower with 490 rooms and suites and the all-suite HRH Tower with 359 suites, eight spa villas and seven penthouse suites; 72,000 square feet of casino space featuring Peacock High-Limit gaming and Asian gaming amenities; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space; more than $4 million in rare music memorabilia; Body English Nightclub; Reliquary Water Sanctuary, Spa & Salon; 4.5 acres of tropical pool paradise housing world-famous pool parties REHAB Sunday and RELAX Monday; live music/entertainment venues The Joint and Vinyl; Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.; restaurants Culinary Dropout, Nobu, The Ainsworth, 35 Steaks + Martinis, Pink Taco, Mr. Lucky’s Café and ?Fú; a state-of-the-art fitness center and trendsetting retailers John Varvatos, Affliction, Love Jones, Rocks The Jewelers and Rock Paper Photo. For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit hardrockhotel.com. Follow Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

NEW YORK (May 12, 2014) — Miguel Cotto Promotions, DiBella Entertainment and Sampson Boxing will present three intriguing 10-round battles which will be featured on the pay-per-view undercard headlined by the MIGUEL COTTO vs. SERGIO “Maravilla” MARTÍNEZ World Middleweight Championship. The Cotto vs. Martinez world middleweight championship event will take place on Saturday, June 7 at Madison Square Garden and will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

The pay-per-view telecast will open with one-time world title challenger ANDY LEE and Top-Five contender JOHN JACKSON in a middleweight rumble, followed by a junior middleweight battle between rising contender JORGE MELENDEZ and former world champion and future rabbi YURI FOREMAN who is on the comeback trail. The final bout before the main event will pit former world champions WILFREDO VAZQUEZ, JR. and MARVIN SONSONA in a long-awaited rematch, this time in a featherweight fight that could propel the winner back into world title contention.

“I am thrilled to have Wilfredo Vazquez Jr and Jorge Melendez in big fights on my pay-per-view undercard,” said Miguel Cotto. “They are two very talented fighters from my stable, and I wanted to open opportunities of massive exposure and good fights to further their careers. The fans will love it.”

“We have a strong undercard with true warriors who will give it their all in their fights,” said Héctor Soto, Vice President of Miguel Cotto Promotions. “They will put on a good show. Having the former super bantamweight champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and a knockout artist like Jorge Melendez in solid fights makes a very attractive pay-per-view undercard for the fans.”

“At 154, Andy Lee is going to be more dangerous than ever,” said Lou DiBella. “John Jackson is a very tough and talented fighter, coming from a great family pedigree. That being said, I think that Andy Lee is going to shine in this fight and show the world that he is a true force in the junior middleweight division. I expect myself and Sampson to be enjoying a great victory together with Sergio in the main event, but I am very confident that he will be licking his wounds after Andy defeats Jackson.

DiBella continued, “Yuri is currently on a four-fight win streak and he is looking to show that he is still one of the elite 154 lb. fighters in the world. This is an opportunity to not only fight in his hometown but also on the biggest stage possible, and prove to the world that he is once again ready for a world title opportunity.”

“I am so happy to bring to the historic Cotto-Martínez undercard two of my best prospects in very competitive and dangerous fights, the son of the legendary Julian “The Hawk” Jackson, John “Da Rock” Jackson of the U.S. Virgin Islands and “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona, the second youngest World Champion to come from the Philippines. Don’t miss these great fights,” added Sampson Lewkowicz.

Promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions, Top Rank®, DiBella Entertainment and Sampson Boxing, in association with Maravilla Box, Tecate, PS4 and Madison Square Garden, remaining tickets to the Cotto vs. Martínez World Middleweight Championship event, priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

Vazquez Jr. (23-3-1, 19 KOs), of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, captured the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior featherweight title in 2010, stopping Sonsona in the fourth round. He successfully defended the title twice during his 15-month reign, knocking out Zsolt Bedak and Ivan Hernandez in the 10th and 11th rounds, respectively. In his last bout, on September 20, 2013, he recaptured the WBO International junior featherweight title via a 12-round unanimous decision over Guillermo Avila. Vazquez is currently world-rated No. 14 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).

Sonsona (18-1-1, 15 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, was 19 when he captured the WBO junior bantamweight title in 2009, winning a unanimous decision over Jose Lopez. After one successful title defense — a draw against Alejandro Hernandez — he moved up two weight divisions in 2010 and took on Vazquez in an unsuccessful challenge for the WBO junior featherweight title. Since that fight, Sonsona has run the table and enters this fight on a four-bout winning streak with the last three victories coming by way of knockout, including his last fight, a third-round knockout of Akifumi Shimoda for the WBO International featherweight title. Sonsona is currently world-rated No. 4 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), and the WBC, No. 7 by the WBO and No. 9 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

Melendez (28-3-1, 26 KOs), of Manati, Puerto Rico, enters this fight having won 15 of his last 16 bouts, with 13 of those victories coming by way of knockout. A disciplined veteran who has spent his entire professional career at the same weight division, Melendez first came to prominence when he captured the WBO Latin America junior middleweight title in 2011, outpointing Eric Mitchell. He successfully defended his title twice, knocking out Marcus Willis and Milton Nuñez in 2012. He enters this fight having captured the WBC’s Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) super welterweight title on March 22 via a unanimous decision over Richard Gutierrez. He is currently world-rated No.17 by the WBC.

Foreman (32-2, 9 KOs), of Brooklyn, has been a New York favorite since his professional debut in 2002. An active rabbinical student, Foreman captured the world’s attention in 2009 when he dethroned WBA super welterweight champion Daniel Santos to become the first Orthodox Jew to win a world championship in nearly 75 years. Raised in Israel, Foreman immigrated to Brooklyn and captured the 2001 New York Golden Gloves and turned professional in 2002. He lost the world title to Cotto in 2010 in the first fight ever held in the new Yankee Stadium, Foreman enters this fight riding a four-bout winning streak, including a one-round knockout of Javier Gomez last November. He is currently world-rated No. 14 by the WBC.

Lee (32-2, 22 KOs), a native of Limerick, Ireland as well as a New York fan favorite, enter this fight having won 17 or his last 18 bouts dating back to 2008. The lone blemish was a seventh-round TKO loss to defending WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. in 2012. Ireland’s sole representative in the 2004 Olympics he is also a disciple of the great Emanuel Steward. Steward often referred to Lee as “my left-handed Tommy Hearns.” Three of Lee’s last five victories have been by way of knockout. He is currently world-rated No. 6 by the WBC and No. 10 by the WBA.

Jackson (18-1, 15 KOs), of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, the son of former two-division and three-time world champion Julian “The Hawk” Jackson, will be making his New York debut on this card. He enters this fight riding a two-year, five-bout winning streak, including three by way of knockout. In his last fight, he stopped Jorge Miranda in the seventh round on December 7 in Argentina. He is currently world-rated No. 4 by the WBC.

HBO’s Emmy-Award®-winning reality series “24/7,” which has captured 18 Sports Emmys in its first seven seasons, returns with an all-new edition when “24/7 Cotto/Martínez” premieres Saturday, May 31 at 11:15 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, www.dbe1.com, www.sampsonboxing.com, www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com and www.maravillabox.com, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/DiBellaentertainment, facebook.com/TopRankMiguelCotto, facebook.com/maravillabox, and facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/dibellaent, twitter.com/SampsonBoxing, twitter.com/hboboxing, twitter.com/realmiguelcotto or twitter.com/maravillabox. Use the Hashtag #CottoMartinez to join the conversation on Twitter.

June 6th will see Prospect Boxing duo Shaun McShane and JP McGuinness return to Ravenscraig Sports Facility ,as they look to progress their professional records in the venue were they started it.
With both fighters making there professional debut on Last February’s Prospect show and both picking up wins, Promoter Paul Graham moved swiftly to add them to the upcoming June 6th show.
“Both laddies did well in their respective fights, and showed grit In getting the wins ” said promoter Paul Graham.
With a background in Kick Boxing, Light Welterweight JP McGuinness picked a points victory over the more experienced Teodor Stefanov “Coming into that fight I think JP was a tad nervous, which is not a bad thing as I keeps you grounded, but after a round or two he lost them and done well in the way he handled the more experienced fighter. After the six rounds he walked out a 55-59 winner and it was well deserved.
He added “He is back in training for a few weeks now and his camp is going well, so it will be good to see him build on his previous win over Stefanov.
Glasgow based Shaun McShane also impressed with a hard fought points win over fellow debutant Ryan Love, but then went on to lose a close points decision over Aberdeen based Marek Laskowski in Paisley last month.

With a mixed fortune in his first few fights, former referee Graham explains that he still has high expectations for the 33 year old “Ryan Love was younger, but the way the two boxed and the energy that McShane showed that night you would have thought he was the younger fighter. Shaun is a real student of the game, and enjoys the game and that shows in his fighting.
“For this fight he has decided to come down to Lightweight, I think that is a great idea as he is going to be more of a harder hitter and more effective at the lower weight.
Both Shaun McShane and JP McGuinness return to the Ravenscraig Sports Facility Motherwell on Friday June 6th In a show headlined by British Title Challenger Iain Butcher, the card also features another 13 bouts.

Also in action is Welterweight Rhys Pagan, Scott Edgar, George Thomson and Michael McGurk.

Returning to action is Scottish Champion Jordon McCorry, Ryan Love, Gary Murray, James Thomson, Lee Gallacher, Craig Kelly and Eddie Doyle.

Tickets are priced at £30 for unreserved, £50 ringside and includes waitress service and VIP tickets are priced at £75 with food and complimentary drinks and waitress service.

Tickets are available from the fighters direct, or by calling 01698 338 888

May 12, 2014 – Fight fans eager for a unique inside look at the red-hot June 7th HBO Pay-Per-View® world middleweight championship battle between superstars Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martinez, the 160-pound lineal champ, should mark their calendars to catch an all-new edition of “Face Off,” starring the two prizefighters. “Face Off With Max Kellerman: Cotto/Martinez” debuts Saturday, May 17 at 12:30 a.m. (ET/PT) immediately following the World Championship Boxing® presentation from The Forum in Inglewood, CA on HBO.

Moderated by Max Kellerman, “Face Off” is an insightful and often gripping interview session in which the two fighters square off and answer Kellerman’s questions. In this edition the two fighters address each other in an intense exchange on a host of burning topics.

A “Cotto/Martinez” extended version of “Face Off” is set to air multiple times on HBO and HBO2. “Face Off” will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the program.

HBO air times include: May 17 (12:30 a.m.), 18 (4:15 p.m.), 19 (8:00 a.m. & 1:35 a.m.), 23 (5:30 p.m.), 24 (10:45 a.m.), 27 (11:45 p.m.), 29 (4:45 p.m.), 30 (9:45 p.m.), and June 3 (12:45 p.m. & 3:45 a.m.), 5 (1:00 a.m.), 6 (8:00 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.) and 7 (10:30 a.m.).

HBO 2 air times include: May 20 (9:15 p.m.), 21 (1:40 p.m.), 22 (4:00 p.m.), 25 (3:15 p.m.), 26 (3:15 a.m.), 27 (8:45 p.m.), 29 (11:30 p.m.) and 31 (11:45 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

“Face Off With Max Kellerman: Cotto/Martinez” is part of a wide-ranging mix of original programming surrounding a landmark showdown at the world’s most famous arena. It all culminates when Cotto vs. Martinez takes place Saturday, June 7 from New York’s famed Madison Square Garden. The fight will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Juergen Braehmer’s (43-2, 32 KOs) next opponent has been finalized! The WBA Light Heavyweight Champion will defend his belt against Roberto “La Bestia” Bolonti (35-2, 24 KOs) on June 7 at Sport- und Kongresshalle Schwerin, Germany.

“This will be no cakewalk. Argentinians know how to fight – I have already fought four of them in the professional ranks,” says 35-year-old Braehmer, believing that a fight against Bolonti will be action-packed and entertaining for the crowd: “He likes to put a lot of pressure on his opponents and I am a counter-puncher. His style will play into my hands – I will tame ‘La Bestia’!”

The same-aged Bolonti thinks different, referring to the German’s loss against his compatriot Hugo Hernan Garay in 2008. “It will be no different come June 7. The beast will be hungry – hungry to win the WBA Championship!”

Braehmer, who was cooking Argentinian steak for the German media on Monday, answered Bolonti’s claims: “I was sick when I fought Garay. Bolonti should be prepared for a fit and ready version of Juergen Braehmer – the version that has never lost a fight before!”

Unbeaten WBO Youth Champions Tyron Zeuge (13-0, 7 KOs) and Noel Gevor (11-0, 6 KOs) as well as light heavyweight talent Enrico Koelling (13-0, 4 KOs) will be showcased on the undercard of Braehmer vs. Bolonti.

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

BROOKLYN, NY (May 12, 2014)–Chicago’s Junior Wright (10-0, 9 KO’s) is ready for his Thursday night showdown with fellow undefeated Cruiserweight Steve Bujaj
(12-0, 9 KO’s) that will originate from the Millennium Theater in Brooklyn.

The 10-round fight, promoted by Dmitry Salita’s Star of David Promotions will be for the WBC USNBC and the WBC International Cruiserweihght titles.

“Training has been good,” said Wright, who is ready to trek to New York from his native Chicago.

He doesn’t seem to care what Bujaj has accomplished as he believes it is about what he brings to the ring.

“I do not study my opponents. I have heard of him but I fight on instinct.”

Like Bujaj, Wright is not afraid to put it on the line against an undefeated opponent so early in his career.

“I am excited for this opportunity. I did not think it would come this early but this is what we train for. We do not want to wait to find out where we stand. All I am going to say is be ready for a Hurricane this Thursday night in Brooklyn.”

In 6 Round Bouts:

Jarrell Miller of Brooklyn (8-0-1, 8 KO’s) will battle Joshua Harris (9-7-1, 7 KO’s) of Youngstown, OH in a Heavyweight bout.

Amanda Serrano (20-1-1, 15 KO’s) of Brooklyn will take on Belinda Laracuente (26-28-3, 9 KO’s) of New York in a female Super Featherweight bout.

Jr. Middleweight Steven Martinez (14-1, 11 KO’s) of Bronx, NY will fight Antonio Chaves Fernandez (4-17-2) of Brockton, MA.

Undefeated Welterweight Mikkel Lespiere (4-0-1, 3 KO’s) of New York, NY will battle Rapahel Luna (4-8-3, 1 KO) of Albany, NY.

In 4 round Bouts:

Dimash Niyazov (5-0-2, 4 KO’s) of Staten Island, NY will fight Jose Del Valle (2-5-3) of Corozal, PR In a Lightweight fight.

Middleweight Akil Auguste (3-1, 3 KO’s) of Brooklyn will square off against Juan Zapata (3-7-1, 2 KO’s) of Bronx, NY in a Middleweight fight.

Marcos Suarez (2-0-1, 1 KO’s) of Bronx, NY will box against Ian James (2-6-1, 1 KO) of Brooklyn in a Lightweight fight.

Alexey Zubov (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Oxnard, CA will fight Glenn Thomas (1-2) of East Stroudburg, PA in a Cruiseerweight bout.

THERE WILL BE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON TUESDAY, MAY 13 AT WOODLAND RESTAURANT (242 FLATBUSH AVENUE) AT NOON

Log on to http://www.dsalita.com to buy your tickets today.

London (12 May) Darren Tetley “can’t wait” for his third pro fight on the MaxiNutrition Knockout semi-finals undercard on May 17 at Leeds Town Hall, live on Channel 5.

The 20-year-old Bradford fighter is excited to be a part of the show and feels it is the “perfect opportunity” to make a big impact.

“I can’t wait, I’ve had two fights and both times I’ve had good support and a good atmosphere so I’m just counting down the days,” Tetley said.

“It means everything to be on a show like this as it gives me the perfect opportunity to get my name out there and try and get people talking about me.

“I know it’s very early in my career but I want people taking note.“

Tetley, who fights at welterweight, has two professional fights and two wins to his name and is seeking his first stoppage win.

“My first two fights have gone the distance, I’m not going to look for it but I’m hoping for a knockout performance,” Tetley said.

“If it could happen on this show it would be massive for me – what better show could you have to record your first pro stoppage.”

Tetley fights on the undercard to the MaxiNutrition Knockout semi finals where newly crowned British light heavyweight champion and Leeds fighter Bob Ajisafe takes on Southern Area champion Leon Senior and newly crowned English champion Travis Dickinson makes the first defence of his title against Central Area champion Matty Clarkson.

This fantastic night will also feature a whole host of exciting talent on the undercard including former world heavyweight title contender and Wladimir Klitschko opponent ‘Fast’ Eddie Chambers, Leeds fighter Damon Jones, Bradford’s former WBC world light welterweight champion Junior Witter, Hull fighter Samir Mouneimne and Morecambe’s Isaac Lowe.

Ticket Information

Tickets for start from £35 and are available to purchase now from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 9991 or online at www.ticketline.co.uk

London (12 May) Damon Jones is ready to show his hometown fans “exactly” what he can do at Leeds Town Hall on May 17.

The Leeds fighter, who fights on the undercard to the MaxiNutrition Knockout semi-finals, live on Channel 5, feels it is great for the city and is motivated to be fighting on the same card as fellow hometown fighter and British light heavyweight champion Bob Ajisafe.

“I’m looking to step up and show the fans exactly what I can do – hopefully I’ll deliver a knockout win,” Damon said.

“Fighting on a show that includes the likes of Bob Ajisafe motivates me as that’s where I want to be. It’s great to have a Leeds champion, a British champion and hopefully I can become another champion for the city.

“It’s exciting for all of Leeds, the fans and the city to have this event and the MaxiNutrition Knockout here – boxing has been away from the city for a while so it will be really good to show what Leeds has.”

The 21-year-old light middleweight picked up the first professional title of his career in his last contest, defeating the tricky Tyan Booth for the British Masters Gold title.

Now, with the “taste for success,” Damon feels more motivated than ever as he looks to keep progressing and fight for as many titles as he can.

“I’m building momentum now, I’m past the learning stage and I’m looking to keep stepping up the level of opposition and developing and being successful,” Damon said.

“It meant loads to get that first title of my career, but I don’t want to leave it there – I want to fight for and win as many titles as possible, if anything winning that belt has motivated me more as it’s given me the taste for success.”

This fantastic night of championship boxing will see Bob Ajisafe take on Swanley’s Southern Area champion Leon Senior as well as newly crowned English light heavyweight champion Travis Dickinson defend his title against Central Area champion Matty Clarkson in the semi-finals of the MaxiNutrition knockout to decide who will compete to become the first ever winner of the competition.

The night will also feature a whole host of exciting talent on the undercard including former world heavyweight title contender and Wladimir Klitschko opponent ‘Fast’ Eddie Chambers, Bradford’s former WBC world light welterweight champion Junior Witter and Darren Tetley, Hull fighter Samir Mouneimne and Morecambe’s Isaac Lowe.

Ticket Information

Tickets for start from £35 and are available to purchase now from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 9991 or online at www.ticketline.co.uk

–First Professional Boxing Event held on the campus of the University of Southern California.

–Event is being telecast LIVE by ESPN, (8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT) to over 98 million homes as well as over 140 countries world wide.

–Chris Arreola is attempting to become the first Mexican Heavyweight World Champion while Bermane Stiverne is aiming for the first Haitian Heavyweight Champion.

–Latest odds show a very close fight, Stiverne at minus 160, while Arreola is plus 135.

–Music legend Richie Sambora of the rock band Bon Jovi will perform “America The Beautiful”.

–The evening will be hosted by the internationally recognized voice of professional boxing, Hall of Fame ring announcer Michael Buffer.

–Celebrities in attendance will include legendary baseball player Pete Rose, Extra TV host Mario Lopez, former Los Angeles Laker Metta World Peace, award winning actor Morris Chestnut, singer Kaya Jones of the Pussycat Dolls, actor Victor Rasuk of The Lords of Dogtown and TV star Niecy Nash.

–Boxing stars attending include James Toney, Deontay Wilder, David Haye, Vanes Martirosyan, Sergio Mora, Josesito Lopez, John Molina Jr., Gabriel Ruelas, twin brothers Javier and Oscar Molina, Andre Berto and Hall of Fame broadcaster Larry Merchant.

ABOUT “FIGHT FOR PEACE – HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY”
On Saturday, May 10, BERMANE “B.Ware” STIVERNE, 23-1-1 (20KO’s) of La Plaine, Haiti and CRISTOBAL “The Nightmare” ARREOLA, 36-3-1 (31KO’s) of Riverside, CA will battle at “FIGHT FOR PEACE – HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY”, for the vacant World Boxing Council Heavyweight Championship at the USC Galen Center on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and LIVE on ESPN and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates and presented by Corona Extra (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

“FIGHT FOR PEACE — HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY”, presented by Don King Productions and Goossen Tutor Promotions is a fitting international tribute to Vitali Klitschko who stepped away from boxing officially in December 2013 to focus on the 2014 Ukrainian Presidential Election.

For fight updates go to www.GoossenTutor.comor www.ESPN.com/Boxingon Facebook at facebook.com/GoossenTutor, and on Twitter at @GoossenTutor, and @ESPNBoxing.

Also follow on Twitter, Bermane Stiverne at @BStiverne and Cristobal Arreola at @NightmareBoxing. Use the hashtag #StiverneArreola2 to join the conversation on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES, CA (May 9, 2014) A massive crowd of media and boxing fans crowded into the Grand Ballroom at the Radisson Hotel Los Angeles at USC for the Official Public Weigh-In for “FIGHT FOR PEACE – HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY” headlined by Saturday’s World Boxing Council Heavyweight Championship between top rated heavyweights BERMANE “B. Ware” STIVERNE and CHRIS “The Nightmare” ARREOLA at the USC Galen Center.

Chris Arreola 239

Bermane Stiverne, 239.5, Chris Arreola 239

Amir Imam, 139.6 vs. Yordenis Ugas, 140

Adam Collins, 194 vs. B.J. Flores, 205.4

Eric Molina, 214.4 vs. DaVarryl Williams, 240.6

Jaxel Marrero, 124 vs. Mario Barrios, 123

Razvan Cojanu, 269.4 vs. Rodricka Ray, 217.2

Travis Davidson, 160.6 vs. Caleb Plant, 159.8

Abel Ramos, 148.5 vs. Levan Ghvamichava, 141.5

All Photos Courtesy Goossen Tutor Promotions

ABOUT “FIGHT FOR PEACE – HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY”
On Saturday, May 10, BERMANE “B.Ware” STIVERNE, 23-1-1 (20KO’s) of La Plaine, Haiti and CRISTOBAL “The Nightmare” ARREOLA, 36-3-1 (31KO’s) of Riverside, CA will battle at “FIGHT FOR PEACE – HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY”, for the vacant World Boxing Council Heavyweight Championship at the USC Galen Center on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and LIVE on ESPN and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates and presented by Corona Extra (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

“FIGHT FOR PEACE — HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY”, presented by Don King Promotions and Goossen Tutor Promotionsis a fitting international tribute to Vitali Klitschko who stepped away from boxing officially in December 2013 to focus on the 2014 Ukrainian Presidential Election.

For fight updates go to www.GoossenTutor.comor www.ESPN.com/Boxingon Facebook at facebook.com/GoossenTutor, and on Twitter at @GoossenTutor, and @ESPNBoxing.

Also follow on Twitter, Bermane Stiverne at @BStiverne and Cristobal Arreola at @NightmareBoxing. Use the hashtag #StiverneArreola2 to join the conversation on Twitter..

CANELO ALVAREZ

“Thank you all. Yesterday we arrived and the reception we got showed the quality of people you are, and I am very pleased.

“I’ve heard a lot about Puerto Rico. I’ve always wanted to come; that’s why I decided that we make a stop here during the press tour.

“I’m always working, I’m always training and this was the chance to come here. I hope to have the opportunity to come here on vacations.

“Puerto Rico is much more beautiful than I thought. I want to thank everyone for their support and I just want to say that I am always 100 percent prepared.

“He [Lara] is a great fighter, a great boxer, a tough fighter, but I have fought against all styles.

“I have the experience and on July 12 may the best man win.”

ERISLANDY “THE AMERICAN DREAM” LARA

“On July 12, the fans are going to see Mexico vs. Cuba and history is going to repeat itself.

“Just like when the underdog at the time, Tito Trinidad defeated Oscar De La Hoya.

“Thanks to all my Puerto Rican brothers. Many will wonder why I have this t-shirt with the flag of Puerto Rico.

“I want to say that the flag of Puerto Rico is the same as Cuban, only change the colors around, but that does not mean anything.

“Puerto Ricans and Cubans are good brothers.

“On July 12 you will see Erislandy Lara giving the best of himself and I want to tell you that Erislandy Lara will beat Canelo Alvarez just like [Felix] Trinidad beat Oscar de la Hoya.

“I’m just waiting and training hard until July 12 which is nearby.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President of Golden Boy Promotions

“Lara has surrounds himself with great people and he is focused and always trains hard for his fights.

“He does exactly what a champion should do. This is going to be an exciting, competitive fight.

“Lara is one of the best fighters to ever come out of Cuba and he has an incredible amateur background with 250 fights.

“He earned his WBA championship title when he fought 11 hard rounds with Angulo.

“Canelo won the WBC Junior Middleweight title in 2011 and defended it 11 times.

“He has victories over Austin Trout, then he beat Angulo and he was in the mega-event when he fought against Floyd Mayweather last September.

“He’s a fighter that always gives the fans what they want.

“This fight on July 12 is definitely one of the most difficult challenges that Canelo will face at 154 pounds.

“He is facing a tough opponent in Lara.”

(Oscar on Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas:

“In his last fight, JuanMa Lopez showed everybody what it means to be a warrior, what it means to be a true fighter, because he fought with his heart and he showed everybody what he’s made of.

“[Juan Manuel] Lopez vs. [Francisco] Vargas is going to be an exciting fight.”

FRANCISCO VARGAS

“This is the classic Mexico vs. Puerto Rico.

“It’s going to be a tough fight, we are both former Olympians, but I’m going to train very hard and stop JuanMa’s re-emergence as a champion.

“He [Lopez] is a tough fighter, he is very experienced.

“It’s complicated because he is a southpaw, but we have to fight with people like him to take it to the next step and get a title fight.

“We will make a tactic (startegy) for the fight. We know he gets tired, we know that the fight can end before what is agreed.

“We will be very careful because we know he hits hard.”

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ

“I want to thank God for granting me the opportunity of having a championship fight.

“I’ve only seen Francisco’s Olympic videos and he’s not someone to overlook.

“He’s strong, he’s tough and stands up in front of you and fights his heart out.

“But, I know I can take him.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Canelo’s Trainer

“I came to Puerto Rico for the first time 15 years ago, and I have to confess, this island stole my heart.

“We’ll see if he [Lara] can fight like he talks.

“Hopefully July 12 he comes to fight, so the fans are happy and so it can be a great night because if he shows up to fight, Canelo will knock him out for sure.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Canelo’s Manager

“Come fight night, Canelo Alvarez is going to knock out Erislandy Lara.

“Mark my words, we are going to win by way of knockout.

“It will be a very interesting fight. Both are very good boxers and technicians who are always well trained and disciplined.

“This is a fight that you cannot miss and I’m sure we will win by knockout.”

RONNIE SHIELDS, Lara’s Trainer

“In that fight [against Alfredo Angulo] we made a couple of mistakes and it cost us.

“In that fight, the most important thing I told him was, he can’t be on the ropes. He’s the fighter and he knows what he can do.

“It didn’t work and I told him again, stay off the ropes. Then he beat him bad.

“Let me tell you something, the Angulo that Lara fought was not the same Angulo that fought Canelo, he just wasn’t the same guy.

“Angulo was just walking around, all defensive, that was not the Angulo everybody knows.

“So he [Canelo] can’t say he really fought a very good Angulo because he didn’t.”

# # #

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. 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). Canelo vs.Lara will be shown on the big screen in movie theaters across the country thanks to Fathom Events. Information will be available at www.fathomevents.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CaneloOficial, @LaraBoxing, @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.

FRESNO, CALIF. (May 9, 2014) — As part of a special night dedicated to raising awareness about water shortages in the Central Valley, former U.S. Olympic boxer turned undefeated professional lightweight JOSE RAMIREZ will throw out the ceremonial first pitch during The Fresno Grizzlies’ game against the El Paso Chihuahuas TONIGHT! Friday, May 9 at 7:05 p.m. at Chukchansi Park. Ramírez, the fighting pride of nearby Avenal, will also be available on the concourse to sign autographs throughout the game.

“It’s an honor to throw the first pitch out at the game,” said Ramírez, who will be joined by Mario Santoyo, executive director of the Latino Water Coalition.

“It’s even more special that it’s ‘Ag Night,’ as we all know the need for water to service both farmers and communities in the Central Valley.”

In a continued effort to help his region resolve its water issues, Ramírez (9-0, 7 KOs) will battle Mexico’s JESUS SELIG (12-2-1-2, 6 KOs) in a six-round rumble Saturday, May 17 at the Selland Arena. Dubbed the “Fight for Water II,” the card marks the second major fight event Ramírez has dedicated to the Central Valley’s water struggles. Other fights featured include a four-round featherweight bout between GARY SALAZAR (3-0, 2 KOs) of Fresno and DANIEL VALDIVIA (3-1, 0 KOs) of Renton, WA, as well as NABF heavyweight champion ANDY RUIZ (21-0, 15 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico against MANUEL QUEZADA (29-8, 18 KOs), of Chihuahua, Mexico in Fresno’s first-ever heavyweight championship contest. The card will air on UniMas that same night at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

“This is the largest fight ever to hit Fresno. Come be a part of a special night and watch a piece of history,” said Ramírez’s agent Rick Mirigian of the highly- anticipated card, which has already sold 6,000 tickets.

“Jose Ramírez cares deeply about his community and its ‘Fight for Water,’” added Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, who signed the all-time U.S. boxing record-holder and 12-time U.S. National Ameteur Champion in 2012. “He is a wonderful young man and is on his way to stardom in the sport of boxing.”

Remaining tickets to “Fight for Water II” are priced at $33, $53, $103, and $203 and are available at the main box office at Selland Arena (700 M Street, Fresno, Calif.). Box office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday and weekends on show dates only. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster at http://www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, and at all Ticketmaster outlets, including select Vallarta and Save Mart supermarkets. Reserved seating and VIP tables are available.

To learn more about Jose Ramírez, please visit his instagram page @jcramirez2012 or like him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Joseramirezboxing or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RAMIREZBOXING.

NEW YORK (May 8, 2014) – Next Friday, May 16, DiBella Entertainment (DBE), in association with Jean Pascal Promotions, will return to the beautiful Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., for an exciting ShoBox: The New Generation card live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The card will feature exciting fights and promising young talent from top to bottom, including the two previously announced live televised bouts.

Headlining the card in the 10-round main event will be highly regarded undefeated super featherweight prospect Joel Diaz Jr. (15-0, 12KO’s) taking on once-beaten Tyler Asselstine (14-1, 7KO’s).

Returning to ShoBox for the second time in 2014, red-hot prospect Frank Galarza (13-0-2, 9KO’s) will face fellow undefeated prospect Sebastien Bouchard (9-0, 2KO’s) in the co-feature. Galarza-Bouchard is scheduled for eight rounds in the junior middleweight division.

With such a great card, Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment, has decided to donate a large block of tickets to different youth organizations in the New England area. A number of local USA Boxing gyms will be bringing some of the area’s future up-and-coming talent to see the loaded card, as well as a large group of Student Athletes from the West Warrick school district

“We believe that it is important to give back to not only to the amateur boxing program but also all young athletes in general. This is our society’s future, and we are pleased that we have this opportunity to bring both groups to this great event at Foxwoods Resort Casino next Friday night,” said Lou DiBella.

Tickets are priced at $125, $85 and $45 may be purchased online at foxwoods.com by calling the Foxwoods’ box office at 800-200-2882, or in person at the Foxwoods box office. Tickets may also be purchased through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com

Steve Farhood, Barry Tompkins and former World Champion Raul Marquez will call the action on SHOWTIME. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

For fight updates go to www.dbe1.com, www.sho.com/sho/sports/home, and www.foxwoods.com. Facebook at facebook.com/DiBellaentertainment, facebook.com/ShoBoxing, facebook.com/foxwoods, and on Twitter at twitter.com/dibellaent, twitter.com/LouDiBella, twitter.com/ShoSports and twitter.com/FoxwoodsCT.

BROOKLYN, NY (May 9, 2014)–On Thursday, May 15 Cruiserweight prospect Steve Bujaj (12-0, 9 KO’s) looks to remain undefeated when he takes on fellow undefeated Junior Wright (10-0, 9 KO’s) in a 10-round fight for the WBC USNBC and the WBC International Cruiserweight titles.

The 23-year old native of Yonkers, New York has been training hard for the fight that could catapult him into title contention.

“I am just ready to fight. This is a big opportunity with a lot on the line and I am ready to take care of business,”said Buaj.

When asked about his opponent, Bujaj is ready for anything. “I don’t know much about him, but I trained as this was a world title bout.”

Very rarely in boxing, two undefeated fighters meet each other so early in their careers but Bujaj is a throwback fighter willing to take on all comers.

“I am not like any other fighter out there. I am willing to risk it all and I don’t want to fight bums. I want to take chances and prove myself. After this, I wont be behind and ultimately I want to fight WBC champion Krzystolf Wlodarczyk for the WBC title.

“I am ready to put on a show Thursday night,”said Buaj.

A packed undercard has been assembled by promoter Dmitry Salita’s Star of David Promotions.

In 6 Round Bouts:

Jarrell Miller of Brooklyn (8-0-1, 8 KO’s) will battle Joshua Harris (9-7-1, 7 KO’s) of Youngstown, OH in a Heavyweight bout.

Amanda Serrano (20-1-1, 15 KO’s) of Brooklyn will take on Belinda Laracuente (26-28-3, 9 KO’s) of New York in a female Super Featherweight bout.

Jr. Middleweight Steven Martinez (14-1, 11 KO’s) of Bronx, NY will fight Antonio Chaves Fernandez (4-17-2) of Brockton, MA.

Undefeated Welterweight Mikkel Lespiere (4-0-1, 3 KO’s) of New York, NY will battle Rapahel Luna (4-8-3, 1 KO) of Albany, NY.

In 4 round Bouts:

Dimash Niyazov (5-0-2, 4 KO’s) of Staten Island, NY will fight Jose Del Valle (2-5-3) of Corozal, PR In a Lightweight fight.

Middleweight Akil Auguste (3-1, 3 KO’s) of Brooklyn will square off against Juan Zapata (3-7-1, 2 KO’s) of Bronx, NY in a Middleweight fight.

Marcos Suarez (2-0-1, 1 KO’s) of Bronx, NY will box against Ian James (2-6-1, 1 KO) of Brooklyn in a Lightweight fight.

THERE WILL BE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON TUESDAY, MAY 13 AT WOODLAND RESTAURANT (242 FLATBUSH AVENUE) AT NOON

Log on to http://www.dsalita.com to buy your tickets today.

Dhafir Smith 187 – Brian Donahue 192
Roberto Irizarry 126 – Benjamin Burgos 126
Patrick O’Çonnor 225 – Aaron Bratton 235
Antonio DuBose 130 – William Harris 134
Anthony Prescott 157 – Tyrell Boggs TBA

Venue: Harrahs Philadelphia
Promoters: Joey Eye Boxing and XFE
1st Bell: 7:30 PM
Broadcast: gfl.tv

Las Vegas (MAY 9th, 2014)- Zab Judah & Super Judah Promotions has confirmed that he will appear at the inaugural Box Fan Expo this September at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Judah a superstar and future legend in the sport of boxing has won five world titles between the light welterweight and welterweight divisions and is a former Undisputed World Welterweight Champion. Zab Judah will be in attendance to meet his fans and will be available to sign autographs and take pictures. Judah will also have merchandise to sell to his fans with pricing details to follow.

“I’m looking forward to meeting all of the fans at Box Fan Expo. This is a fantastic event for boxing that everyone needs to get on board with and I’m very proud to be part of it. I expect my autographed items, my Zab Judah and Super Judah Promotions merchandise to fly off the shelves, so make sure you’re in the building early.”

Every year, one of the biggest boxing weekends of the year is Mexican Independence Day. In 2014, that weekend has just got bigger, better and more fan accessible with the announcement of the FIRST-EVER BOX FAN EXPO.

Box Fan Expo will take place on Saturday, September 13th, 2014 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and will run from 10am to 6pm.

To Purchase tickets click: http://www.BoxFanExpo.eventbrite.com/

Box Fan Expo is the ultimate fan experience that was created to promote the entire boxing industry and to allow fans to celebrate, Meet and Greet their favorite boxers and boxing celebrities. The event will feature boxing legends, today’s superstars, Hall of Famers, future prospects and the stars of today all under one roof.

The event will also feature major promoters, ring card girls, sanctioning organizations as well as trainers, referees, commentators and announcers. Anyone that directly or indirectly represents the sport of boxing will have a chance to showcase themselves to the boxing fans and whole industry. Also in attendance will be exhibitors, sponsors, television broadcasters and media.

Box Fan Expo will also feature different activities such as autograph sessions, photo ops, weigh in, face off with your favorite fighters and buy merchandise. Throughout the next several months, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that have already committed their appearance at the Box Fan Expo.

For anyone in the industry who would like to be involved and reserve a booth, contact

Box Fan Expo at:

U.S.A Telephone Number: (702) 997-2099 or (514) 572-7222

Email info@boxfanexpo.com

For more info go to:www.boxfanexpo.com

Follow Box Fan Expo on twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

PLEASE NOTE : see link at bottom of page for our Press Media kit.

Box Fan Expo is committed to helping the Retired Boxers Foundation which is a nonprofit organization that helps improve the quality of life for retired fighters. This is a fantastic opportunity for sponsors, retailers and anybody involved in the boxing industry to get involved and be a part of this once in a lifetime event and help out this great cause.. Box Fan Expo is proud to announce that part of the proceeds from the event will help the Retired Boxers Foundation.

Golden Gloves has put the finishing touches to its “KO at the Casino” tournament in Monte Carlo on June 21, an event that now includes an intriguing WBA Interim cruiserweight title clash between Mateusz Masternak and Youri Kalenga.

The tournament is headlined by Martin Murray of the UK against Max Bursak of Ukraine for the vacant WBC Silver middleweight belt.

WBA/IBO minimumweight champion Hekkie Budler will make his European debut against Pigmy Kokietgym and undefeated former IBO super-middleweight champion Tommy Oosthuizen will make his debut at light-heavyweight against former African champion Doudou Ngumbu.

Masternak (31-1, 23 KOs), of Poland, is an accomplished fighter who is fresh off a points win against Stjepan Vugdelija in Denmark.

Kalenga (19-1, 13 KOs), the France-based Congolese, has campaigned throughout Europe and enjoys a reputation as a dangerous puncher. Indeed, six of his last seven fights have ended inside the distance.

“It doesn’t matter who is put in front of me, the outcome will be the same,” said Masternak. “This is my big opportunity and no one is going to stand in my way. I know that Kalenga is a tough opponent but I will be ready for whatever he has to offer. I have been working hard in the gym and physically I am in the best shape of my life. On June 21 I will become a world champion. Losing is not an option.”

Said Kalle Sauerland, manager of Masternak: “We are delighted, together with Golden Gloves, we have managed to present a great fight for a world championship. After Junior Makabu made the mistake of turning down such a prestigious honour we are delighted to present what can arguably be seen as an even tougher challenge for Masternak in Monaco. With the other fights that Golden Gloves has planned this really will be a night to remember.”

Kalenga was just as confident, saying: “I am very happy to get this opportunity to fight for the WBA Interim world title against Mateusz Masternak. Masternak is a very solid fighter and I have been watching his career for a while. This will be an excellent fight between two big punching warriors and the Congo will have a new world champion. His name is Youri Kalenga.”

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

CHICAGO, IL — May 8, 2014 — The American Boxing Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Juan Curiel as its managing director, effective immediately. Curiel has been a member of the American Boxing Association Board since August of 2013, and has been instrumental in setting up mission-critical relationships with fighters and promoters to further the ABA goal of awarding Championship titles and belts to American fighters.

Curiel was born in Mexico City, and immigrated to the United States in 1979, where he settled in Chicago, Illinois. Boxing is in his blood. His father and inspiration, Alfsonso Curiel was a Mexican Diamond Champion as an amateur fighter in the 1950s. It was in Chicago where Curiel founded HACP Boxing, using his love and talent for boxing to coach and mentor amateur and professional boxers. Curiel became a United States citizen in 2002, a Police Officer in 2006, and the founder of Curiel Insurance Group, where he is a licensed insurance agent and broker.

“This is a great opportunity for the ABA,” said Dean Smith, President of the American Boxing Association. “Juan has been such an integral part of our organization since he joined us in 2013, and has already begun building the types of relationships the ABA wants to have with American athletes. This year we will crown our first American Champion, and Juan will be at the forefront of that effort.”

For his part, Curiel is excited to leverage his insurance background to benefit the Champions. “In addition to awarding the first ABA Champion a 14 carat diamond, ruby and sapphire belt upon his or her third successful title defense, we plan to offer all of our Champions who wish to participate with Life Insurance and Annuities for retirement. We will also be hosting events to benefit the fighters’ retirement funds. As an organization, we are committed to taking care of our Champions and their families.”

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The American Boxing Association (ABA) was created to allow for American boxers to have a belt to fight for and defend with a sense of national pride. Like our counterparts in Great Britain, and other parts of the world, the ABA aims to provide an opportunity for American citizens to fight for and defend a patriotic title. The opportunity is available for all American boxers with requisite experience, drive, and dedication.

CANELO ALVAREZ

“These fans motivate me to keep training and to get up in the morning and run.

“I want people to say that I came up from Mexico to the boxing world. It’s a big responsibility for me because in Mexico there are a lot of legends. But our legends cannot be compared to any others. No two Mexican legends are alike.

“Lara has talked a lot, [to the fans] you guys asked for the fight, and here it is. What you guys ask from me, I will give you.

“A lot have asked me, ‘Why did you take this fight?’ I say ‘Why not? I will fight anyone. Style doesn’t matter.’

“The reality is that a year ago the fans didn’t really know Lara. Nobody really knew him. But he’s been talking so much that now it’s built up and the fans asked for it so I wanted to give them what they wanted.

“He disrespected me. But not only me, he disrespected all Mexicans. For him to be saying that he’s going to give me a boxing lesson and he’s going to take me to school…that’s very disrespectful.”

ERISLANDY LARA

“For the Mexican fans, we have a surprise for you July 12.

“I came from Cuba where I fought the best. I earned this in the ring, fighting the best in the division, not on a Mexican street corner.

“July 12 the best man is going to win.

“I’ve always done my job against the best fighters in the division. I’ve faced a lot of hard punchers so I’m not worried about his power.

“Canelo knows, just like everyone in the division knows. No one wants to fight me because I’m dangerous and I beat everybody. He took this fight because of the pressure I put on him.

“I feel like my opponent needs to be ready for my style. I’m not looking to be ready for anyone’s style. They have to be ready for mine.

“I’ve been in this sport since I was 12-years-old. It’s all I’ve done my whole life. I am a fighter. I’m not distracted in the ring or in training. My main focus is being well prepared and winning this fight.

“A win would be huge for Cubans and Cuban-Americans. That’s why I changed my name to ‘The American Dream.’ I came to this country and I was allowed the privilege to better my life. I go into that ring to win.

“I feel I’m one of the top three-pound-for-pound fighters. Some give me that credit but some won’t. My job is to keep winning and doing what I’m doing. The proof is in who I’ve fought and beaten.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President of Golden Boy Promotions

“We feel that this event will be one to remember, because you have two fighters who are equally matched.

“We haven’t seen this type of event for a while. This reminds me of Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Pernell Whitaker, a ‘who is going to win?’ fight.

“As you know Golden Boy Promotions has the reputation for putting on the best cards ever and we will be putting the biggest names on the card July 12. It’s a treat for the fans that pay their hard-earned money to watch four good fights.

“Lara is a very, very dangerous opponent, there’s no way to sugar coat it. On July 12 they will try to prove who is the best on that night.

“These fighters are fighting for a lot of honor and glory. It will really be an honor to beat the other guy, because both guys have the ability to be great. It is an honor to be in the ring with another great fighter.

“Inside that squared circle, there’s no nationality. There are two fighters stepping in the ring who just want to win and put on a great fight. When they step in the ring, they are fighting for honor and glory for the whole world.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Canelo’s Trainer

“Seeing the fans here, that’s love for Mexico, that’s love for Canelo.

“Lara keeps talking about the Cuban school of boxing but in Mexico we have universities of boxing.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Canelo’s Manager

“It’s going to be a very interesting fight, with interesting styles. Lara is going to be running all night and Canelo is going to be chasing him. At the end of the night everyone knows that we are going to knock him out.”

RONNIE SHIELDS, Lara’s Trainer

“This fight had to happen. There was no way either guy could go, but to fight each other. Canelo keeps showing that he is one of the best fighters out there by continuing to fight the best.

“Both fighters are great fighters and the fans are going to be the true winners of the fight. These guys have styles like thunder and when the thunder hits, it’s going to be a knockout.”

LUIS DECUBAS, Lara’s Manager

“On July 12 you will see the best two fighters at 154 pounds and there will only be one winner and it will be ‘The American Dream,’ Erislandy Lara.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive VP & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports®

“Over the last year we have seen Canelo go from an up-and-coming young star to one of the biggest names in the sport.

“There’s no question he is already boxing’s brightest young star. But he’s not interested in stardom. What is sometimes overlooked in all of this stardom and celebrity and ticket sales is that like many of the great Mexican fighters that came before him, he wants to fight the best fighters in his division.

“Again he is choosing to fight someone that no one wants to fight. Lara is one of the most talented and skilled boxers in the sport. This fight represents everything that is right about boxing; the best fighting the best. Number one versus number two in the division.

“These are the types of fights that Golden Boy Promotions has become known for and the types of fights that SHOWTIME has become known for. There is no sugarcoating this. This is the best versus the best. Number one versus number two. This fight sells itself.”

# # #

“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. 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). 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, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CaneloOficial, @LaraBoxing, @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.

Uruguayan-born, Las Vegas-based promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, President of Sampson Boxing LLC, proudly announces the signing of WBC Latino Super Bantamweight Champion, Luis Emmanuel “La Ardilla” Cusolito, to a co-promotional agreement, along with JEB Boxing of Argentina.

The 24-year-old Cusolito (18-1, 16 KOs), from Buenos Aires, Argentina, will be defending his title on May 24 in a JEB Boxing-promoted event at Club Social y Deportivo Fluvial, in Entre Rios, Argentina, against fellow Argentinean Nelson Daniel Monte (15-9-4, 7 KOs).

“I am very happy and thankful to Sampson Lewkowicz for giving me the opportunity to be a part of extraordinary roster of great boxers,” said Cusolito. “I know this is a great chance for me to break into the International market.”

Cusolito’s manager and head of JEB Boxing, Juan E Brignone, commented that “Our association with Sampson Boxing will allow for a personal growth, as well as a sporting growth, and will fulfill his dream to compete at the highest level. We have decided to work with Sampson because for years we have been familiar with his extraordinary capacity and his quality as a person. That is something that is of vital importance in our company, where honesty and respect are very important factors.”

The signing of Cusolito continues Lewkowicz’s mission to promote the very best 122-lb fighters in the world.

“I welcome Cusolito in joining the rest of the world class super bantamweights under my promotional banner, Kiko Martinez, Jorge “Pilon” Lara, Hugo “Cuatito” Ruiz, Oscar Escandon, Jonathan Guzman, Rocco Santomauro and Jonathan Arenas,” commented Lewkowicz.

Lewkowicz added that he is very happy to be associated with JEB Boxing.

“My friend, Juan E Brignone, I have known since he started in boxing. He is one my trusted people in Argentina, along with Carlos Tello. I look forward to many more years of mutually beneficial association.”

ABOUT SAMPSON BOXING

After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.

After seeing his British title fight against current champion Kevin Satchell postponed due to an ankle injury, Iain Butcher (10-1) will continue his assault on the flyweight division when he takes on tough Ghanaian Isaac Quaye in an eight round contest on June 6th.
Butcher, the current WBO European flyweight champion, is relishing the challenge of the respected Quaye (25-5-1, with 16 KOs) at the Ravenscraig Sports Facility in Motherwell.
The 22 year-old, who has stopped four of his opponents, said: “It’s good to be back on June 6th and I’m excited at the prospect of taking on a quality operator like Quaye. I’ve seen a few of his fights and I’ve no doubt I’m in for a tough night.
“Quaye took Kevin Satchell the full 12 rounds in March of this year in a Commonwealth championship challenge, so we know that he can fight.
“He’ll be looking to win to put himself back in contention for the Commonwealth title, but while it’s going to be a hard fight I’ve no doubt I’ll come out on top.”
Butcher’s promoter and manager, Paul Graham, admitted his man is facing a dangerous test, but he explained it has been hard to get a worthwhile opponent.
“We’ve had a few opponents in Europe on our radar for Iain, but no one seems to be interested in fighting him,” Graham said.
“We tried to make the British title fight with Satchell, but he’s injured at the moment so that has put Iain’s opportunity back a few months.
“It’s important to keep Iain active, so we extended the search a bit further and made the offer to Quaye’s team and they accepted. It’s important to get Iain in with a worthwhile opponent because he will gain nothing at this stage in his career by blowing away weak opposition and I think he will gain valuable experience from fighting a tough African.”
Graham, who jointly promotes the event with Chris Gilmour Boxing, added: “Iain is currently ranked number nine by the WBO, so a win against a more experienced fighter such as Quaye will also help push him up the rankings.
“Iain has recently had a training camp in Marbella and has taken on board a the services of a dietician, so it’s really coming together for him.”
Iain Butcher takes on former Commonwealth title challenger Isaac Quaye as he returns to the Ravenscraig Sports Facility, Motherwell on Friday, June 6th. The card also features another 13 bouts.
Also in action are Rhys Pagan, Shaun McShane, JP McGuinness, Scott Edgar, George Thomson and Michael McGurk.
Scottish lightweight champion Jordon McCorry is scheduled to appear along with Ryan Love, Gary Murray, James Thomson, Lee Gallacher, Craig Kelly and former Commonwealth title challenger Eddie Doyle.
Tickets are priced at £30 for unreserved and £50 ringside (includes waitress service), whilst £75 VIP tickets include food, complimentary drinks and waitress service.
Tickets are available from the boxers direct or by calling 01698 338 888.
For more information Please visit www.facebook.com/ProspectBoxing and follow us on twitter @ProspectBoxing