LAS VEGAS (Dec. 20, 2013) – Next month’s World Series of Fighting 8 event features a second championship matchup, as the No. 1 ranked 115-pound woman in the world, Jessica Aguilar (16-4), meets Alida Gray (4-0) for World Series of Fighing’s inaugural women’s strawweight title.

The bout airs live on NBC Sports Network on the main card of the Jan. 18 event, which takes place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

“We’re excited to host the first-ever women’s bout in the World Series of Fighting decagon, and there’s no better way to do it than with a title on the line,” World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo said. “Jessica Aguilar is currently the absolute best 115-pounder on the planet, but Alida Gray is a lifelong martial artist who has been on an absolute tear since turning her attention to MMA. I can’t wait to see these two clash.”

“Jag” Aguilar is a member of Florida’s famed American Top Team and currently boasts a seven-fight winning streak. She competed most recently in October, when she earned a second career win over her idol and MMA legend Megumi Fujii. Aguilar has lost just once in her past 12 appearances and now makes her World Series of Fighting debut.

“My training is going awesome over here with the best team in the world at ATT,” Aguilar said. “It’s nice to be recognized as the top strawweight in the world, but I’m looking forward to finally receiving a belt and continuing to show the world why I’m the best. I’m honored and grateful for the opportunity to continue doing what I love to do.”

Meanwhile, Gray brings a perfect record to the cage after racking up four stoppage wins in just the past six months alone. Fighting out of Texas’ Bushido MMA, Gray was an alternate on the 1996 U.S. Olympic judo team. She launched an amateur MMA career in 2010 and eventually turned pro earlier this year. Her four victories include a submission win to score Oklahoma’s Sugar Creek Showdown women’s strawweight title, as well as a brutal one-punch knockout of Soannia Tiem.

“I’m excited to get in the decagon,” Gray exclaimed. “This all came very unexpectedly, but I knew it was a great opportunity for me to prove that I belong at the top. This is going to be my first time on national television, but I’m no stranger to big fights. I’m not going to put too much thought into it. I’m confident in my skills, and when I get in there I will shut everyone else out and go home with the belt.”

With the addition to the card, World Series of Fighting 8 now includes:

Justin Gaethje vs. Lewis Gonzalez for inaugural lightweight title
Anthony Johnson vs. Mike Kyle
Jessica Aguilar vs. Alida Gray for inaugural women’s strawweight title
Cody Bollinger vs. Tyson Nam

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) 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 match-ups 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 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 Live
Hard Rock Live, a spectacular state-of-the-art facility, further expands the ultimate entertainment experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. This 5,500-seat indoor arena has attracted more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 2005, and has regularly hosted South Florida’s greatest variety of musical acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Marc Anthony, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli, Tim McGraw and Carlos Santana; top comedians including Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Kathy Griffin and George Lopez; as well as major sporting events and events of major sports stars, from UFC matches to charity galas for Jason Taylor, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and more. For additional information, please visit www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com or www.myhrl.com, facebook.com/MyHRL and twitter.com/ hard_rock_live.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino invites you to PLAYHARD! Play, stay, dine, and shop at South Florida’s ultimate entertainment destination. Over 90 tables offer Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold ’em Bonus Poker, Casino War and Let it Ride on a nearly three-acre casino floor. Additionally, over 2,500 slots include the Native-American Casino linked Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. Separate high-limit rooms for table games and slots, in addition to a non-smoking room, are available for guests to enjoy. Loyal Player’s Club members also have access to the exclusive VIP Plum Lounge and VIP Chef’s Table show kitchen. The Poker Room at Seminole Hard Rock hosts various games and tournaments of Limit and No Limit Texas Hold ’em, 7-Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games. Located inside the casino is Hard Rock Cafe -Hollywood, part of Hard Rock’s 138 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants. The Green Lodging Certified by the State of Florida, AAA Four Diamond-rated resort showcases 500 luxurious guest rooms, 40,000 square feet of meeting room space, Rock Spa, award-winning restaurants, high-energy nightclubs, lounges and bars, boutique retail shops, the 350-seat Paradise Live theater and the 5,500-seat Hard Rock Live concert arena. Located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. Take I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1 800-937-0010 or visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, facebook.com/seminolehardrockhollywood, twitter.com/SHRHollywood, instagram.com/semhardrockhollywood and
youtube.com/semhardrockhollywood.

ANDOVER, KS (DECEMBER 20, 2013)- Undefeated light heavyweight Jeff Page Jr, looks back at his year in review, and ten things stand out. Reminiscent to the throwback fighters of the past, the light heavyweight took a page from the history books by tackling the task of having ten bouts in 2013. As a professional, Page sports a record of 10-0, 6 KO’s, 6 of those victories come via knock outs.

In his last bout Page defeated the always tough and durable Donny McCrary by scoring a 2nd round KO victory and in the process earned the UBF US-Midwest title.

After the victory not only has Page’s star power dramatically jump up, his rankings skyrocketed as well, passing up fighters such as former WBC super middleweight champion Cristian Sanavia, former WBA world title contender Randy Griffin, the former WBA Pan African & Ghanaian light heavyweight champion Emmanuel Danso, former NABA light heavyweight champion, former USBO and WBO NABO Youth light heavyweight champion Mark Tucker just to name a few.

Now Page is looking to make another statement on February 15, 2014, as he prepares to battle the twice defeated Derek Hinkey of Reno, NV. The always game Hinkey (9-2, 8 KO’s), scored a 2nd round TKO victory his last bout over the former Arizona state super middleweight champion Anthony Bartinelli.

“He is a durable fighter and I am not taking him lightly. I am looking to put on a solid display. I am eyeing the light heavyweight division” – said Jeff Page Jr.

The proposed bout is sanctioned the Universal Boxing Federation for the UBF All-Americas title, the Page vs. Hinkey is promoted by Page’s father and promoter Jeff Page Sr. of Strike King Combat.

“Every fight Jeff has fought we have increased the level of his opponents and we feel that Hinkey and Jeff will deliver nonstop excitement that will leave the fans in awe” –promoter Jeff Page Sr.

VIP Tables are available and all tickets can be purchased by calling 316-871-1616 or purchasing at the Beech Activity Center the day of the event.

The Beech Activity Center is located at 9710 E Central Ave, Wichita, KS, 67206
For Media credentials and more information, contact: (Note if any media would like to cover the fight online as well)

LONDON (Dec. 20) – Reformed bad boy Stuart Hall is defiant he can overcome his Nelson Mandela inspired world title challenger.

Vusi Malinga, who takes on Hall this weekend at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, will use the memory of South Africa’s greatest icon, who passed away earlier this month, to help spur him to victory.

The pair clash live on BoxNation this weekend, concluding a great year for the channel, and the historic legacy of Mandela will act as an inspiration for the well-schooled Malinga.

“Mandela is a huge figure for the South African people,” said Malinga. “His struggle and battle represents something very special to everyone in the country and the rest of the world. His passing was a very sad occasion for South Africa but his legacy will run forever. There is great hope in his story and it will definitely be a huge inspiration for me come fight night – I want to do this for Mandela,” he said.

Malinga has had two previous challenges for the world title, against Japan’s Hozumi Hasegawa in 2009 where he lost by first round knockout, and Mexican sensation Leo Santa Cruz last year in which he lost a lopsided decision over twelve rounds.

The 34-year-old is extremely confident, though, that it will be third time lucky after claiming to have learned from those fights.

“I’m a different fighter now, a more experienced fighter. Hall doesn’t have that in his locker, he doesn’t have that valuable experience behind him,” Malinga said.

“My last world title fights I may have lost but I also gained from them. I was very young back then but now it’s my time and I feel ready and am raring to go.

“I have been in England for 6 weeks and have been taking this fight very serious. I’ve come to win and will finally fulfill my dream and become a world champion on Saturday – I have no doubts,” he said.

Hall, however, disagrees with Malinga’s assessment, and is sure that his dramatic turnaround from beach bum to world title champion will soon become a reality.

“I’ve totally changed my life around,” said Hall. “I was a young kid that was into the party lifestyle before – drinking, drugs, whatever. I was living out in Ibiza and really into that way of life but I realised if I wanted to do anything with my life I had to make a change – a big change. Thankfully I did, and now at this later stage, I’ve been given this chance and I’m not going to let it go,” he said.

“Malinga’s come up short at world title level in the past. He’s failed at the highest level before so that’s got to play on his mind. He was stopped the first time he fought for a belt and Leo Santa Cruz made easy work of him in his second challenge. His time has come and gone – now it’s up to me to grab this chance,” Hall declared.

Frankie Gavin and Paul McCloskey both make their ring return on the bill where they hope to cement their positions for a solid 2014.

Hall vs. Malinga is live on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546) at 7pm this Saturday. 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 £10* 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 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 £10 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Ossie “The Ghanaian Gladiator” Duran (28-11-2, 11 KOs) will step in to face hometown hero Caleb “Golden” Truax (23-1, 4 KOs) of Minnesota, as the ESPN Friday Night Fights-televised 10-round co-featured bout on Friday, January 3, 2014, at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Presented by Iron Mike Productions, Seconds Out Promotions and Warriors Boxing, Truax vs. Duran will serve as the main supporting bout to the year’s first installment of the 17th season of ESPN Friday Night Fights, featuring a 12-round main event for the IBF Super Featherweight Championship fight between champion Argenis Mendez (21-2-1, 11 KOs) of Brooklyn, New York via San Juan, Dominican Republic vs. #1-ranked undefeated challenger Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (19-0, 12 KOs) from Miami, via Cuba.

Tickets for Friday Night Fights are priced at $35, $65, $100, $150 and $250. They are available at Target Center’s Box Office, online at AXS.com or by calling 888.9.AXS.TIX (888.929.7849).

With original opponent Derek Ennis forced to withdraw, Duran says he’s more than ready to step in and halt the momentum of the streaking Truax.

In a distinguished career spanning 17 years, 36-year-old Duran, born in Accra, Ghana, and now residing in Paterson, New Jersey, won the Ghanaian lightweight title, World Boxing Federation(WBF) Pan-European welterweight title, World Boxing Federation (WBF) European Welterweight Title, United States Boxing Association (USBA) Atlantic Coast Region middleweight title, Commonwealth welterweight title, and Commonwealth light middleweight title.

He also drew with Eromosele Albert for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) Continental Africa light middleweight title, and was a challenger for the Commonwealth lightweight title against David Tetteh, World Boxing Organization (WBO) North American Boxing Organization(NABO) middleweight title against Fernando Guerrero, and World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver middleweight title against Avtandil Khurtsidze.

Duran and Truax share a common opponent. Both have beaten Minnesota fan
favorite Matt Vanda by decision.

“Ossie Duran is always ready for war,” said Leon Margules. “Caleb Truax had better take this challenge seriously because Duran has made a career out of surprising fighters who were favored to beat him. I am looking forward to watching how this interesting battle will unfold. It will surely be a great test of what Caleb is truly made of.”

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On fight night, doors open at 6 pm, first bell is at 7 pm. ESPN Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will begin at 9 p.m. ET live on ESPN2, WatchESPN and broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+.

ESPN Deportes – which will re-brand its coverage as Noche de Combates (formerly Viernes de Combates) with some telecasts on Saturdays – will air the bouts on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 9 p.m.

ESPN2 Commentators/Studio:

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

ESPN Deportes Commentators/Studio:

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

About Iron Mike Productions (IMP)

Previously known as Acquinity Sports, Iron Mike Productions is a full-service boxing promotion company co-founded and led by CEO Garry Jonas. In partnership with Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, 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.

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 its 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.

About Seconds Out Promotions

When retired professional boxer Tony Grygelko found himself unable to stay out of the gym, he realized that his passion for the sport was something he couldn’t deny. At age 29, Grygelko formed Seconds Out Promotions.

By utilizing the vast boxing knowledge of world-class trainer Ron Lyke, Grygelko and Seconds Out Promotions found instant success.

Through determination, integrity and hard work, Seconds Out Promotions strives to become a leading fight promotional company in the world, by giving young fighters the ability to showcase their talents to a worldwide audience, along with offering our fans the highest quality programming available.

Seconds Out Promotions was created to bring the very best fights to all fans and participants worldwide. Seconds Out Promotions is committed to the recruitment and development of the best and brightest young fighters to help achieve our mission. Seconds Out Promotions continues to expand its web and television presence, and is establishing itself as one of the fastest-rising fight promotions in the world.

For more information on Seconds Out Promotions, visit their website at: www.SoBoxing.comor their Twitter: @soboxing.

###

For additional information go online at www.IronMikeProductions.com or www.SoBoxing.comorwww.WarriorsBoxing.com.

Mike Tyson Web Site – miketyson.com

Facebook: facebook.com/miketyson, facebook.com/SecondsOutPromotions

Twitter: @MikeTyson @IronMikeProd
@soboxing @MikeTyson @soboxing @TargetcenterMN

Bethlehem, PA (December 19, 2013) – Former WBC-USNBC, WBA-NABA and IBA cruiserweight titlist Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn believed yesterday’s match up with boxing great Glen “The Road Warrior” Johnson would serve as a perfect ending to a career that started four decades ago.

Gunn, a bare knuckle boxing legend who is well known for his toughness, previously came up short in big fights versus Enzo Maccarinelli, Tomasz Adamek and James Toney. Against Johnson, “The Celtic Warrior” planned to box with speed, stay on his toes and move his head.

Unfortunately, he was never able to get on track, taking a number of good shots from the aggressive and busier Johnson. As the rounds progressed, Johnson’s pressure bothered Gunn, who suffered a cut on his nose and showed a solid chin but was never able to match Johnson’s punch output.

All three judges scored the eight round cruiserweight bout 80-72 in favor of Johnson, who improved to 53-18-2 with 36 knockouts.

Moments after the decision was announced, the classy Gunn took the microphone to congratulate his opponent on a well-earned victory and inform his fans that this was the last time they’d see him inside the squared circle.

“Some nights you just don’t have it,” stated the dejected Gunn. “I (got too caught up) in trying to land one punch but Glen isn’t the type of fighter that you can get out of there easily. Had I fought Roy Jones, I think I could have stopped him but I just couldn’t get my punches off.

Gunn, who had a good training camp and didn’t have any major injuries, gave credit where it was due and didn’t search for excuses regarding his performance.

“I couldn’t pull the trigger and I promised my wife that this would be my last fight. I want to thank everybody who’s been there for me when I was at my lowest point and rode with me all the way to the biggest fights of my career. My main focus right now is helping my son, Bobby Jr., get ready for his pro debut and this is the last time you’ll see me as a professional boxer.”

Gunn, who was self managed and negotiated a number of big fights during his career, also plans to assist other young fighters and ensure they are not taken advantage of from a business standpoint.

Since turning pro in 1989, Gunn fought in Mexico, England, Arizona, New Jersey, Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Virginia, Mississippi, Arizona and Pennsylvania. He competed in nine title fights, multiple controversial bouts, had more than 250 amateur matches and served as a sparring partner during his younger years for more than 25 world champions.

His final professional record is 21-6-1 with 18 knockouts.

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 19, 2013) – Justin Gaethje (10-0) will face a dangerous Lewis Gonzalez (9-0) for the World Series of Fighting’s inaugural lightweight title in the Jan. 18 event titled “World Series of Fighting 8: Gaethje vs. Gonzalez,” which takes place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

The co-main event features hard-hitting light-heavyweights Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (15-4) and Mike “MAK” Kyle (20-10-1) will meet in a bout that has been postponed twice due to injuries. The highly anticipated fight, now almost a year in the making,is sure to produce an absolute explosion in the decagon.

“This past year has been incredible for World Series of Fighting, and I’m proud to be able to carry that success over in the start of 2014 with this incredible lightweight title fight,” World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo said. “I know that both of these guys have great wrestling backgrounds, but their striking is so impressive. I can’t wait for this one.”

The 25-year-old Gaethje is a member of Colorado’s Grudge Training Center and has already earned World Series of Fighting wins over Dan Lauzon, Brian Cobb and Cavalcante. Fighting professionally since 2011, Gaethje is undefeated in his first 10 career fights, and nine of those have ended via stoppage, including eight by knockout.

“I think some of my toughest fights have been against wrestlers, and I know that’s where my opponent is strong,” Gaethje said of his new adversary. “He also has a ton of heart. I see this fight being action-packed from the second the cage door shuts until one of us gets the finish.

“I don’t think there is any way this one goes five rounds. I see a lot of opportunities for some big kicks and knees, and I give my word to the World Series of Fighting fans that Lewis and I will give them one hell of a show.”

Turlock, California’s “Lethal” Lewis Gonzalez is a top prospect in the sport training with the MMAGOLD Fight Team. Gonzalez was impressive in his World Series of Fighting debut this past August, when he beat established fight veteran Antonio McKee.

Gonzalez has won seven of his nine fights by stoppage and saw three of his five submission victims tap due to strikes.

“I’m honored by the opportunity to get in there and bang for the lightweight title,” Gonzalez said. “Justin is a tough competitor and a great wrestler. You can expect both of us to be coming forward the whole time and meet somewhere in the middle.”

With the addition to the card, World Series of Fighting 8 now includes:

Justin Gaethje vs. Lewis Gonzalez for inaugural lightweight title
Anthony Johnson vs. Mike Kyle
Cody Bollinger vs. Tyson Nam

Tickets for “World Series of Fighting 8: Gaethje vs. Gonzalez,” start at just $29, and are on sale at Ticketmaster.com. The bout tops a five-fight card that airs live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. A four-fight undercard, which will stream live at www.WSOF.com, will be announced shortly.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) 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 match-ups 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 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 Live
Hard Rock Live, a spectacular state-of-the-art facility, further expands the ultimate entertainment experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. This 5,500-seat indoor arena has attracted more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 2005, and has regularly hosted South Florida’s greatest variety of musical acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Marc Anthony, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli, Tim McGraw and Carlos Santana; top comedians including Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Kathy Griffin and George Lopez; as well as major sporting events and events of major sports stars, from UFC matches to charity galas for Jason Taylor, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and more. For additional information, please visit www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com or www.myhrl.com, facebook.com/MyHRL and twitter.com/ hard_rock_live.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino invites you to PLAYHARD! Play, stay, dine, and shop at South Florida’s ultimate entertainment destination. Over 90 tables offer Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold ’em Bonus Poker, Casino War and Let it Ride on a nearly three-acre casino floor. Additionally, over 2,500 slots include the Native-American Casino linked Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. Separate high-limit rooms for table games and slots, in addition to a non-smoking room, are available for guests to enjoy. Loyal Player’s Club members also have access to the exclusive VIP Plum Lounge and VIP Chef’s Table show kitchen. The Poker Room at Seminole Hard Rock hosts various games and tournaments of Limit and No Limit Texas Hold ’em, 7-Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games. Located inside the casino is Hard Rock Cafe -Hollywood, part of Hard Rock’s 138 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants. The Green Lodging Certified by the State of Florida, AAA Four Diamond-rated resort showcases 500 luxurious guest rooms, 40,000 square feet of meeting room space, Rock Spa, award-winning restaurants, high-energy nightclubs, lounges and bars, boutique retail shops, the 350-seat Paradise Live theater and the 5,500-seat Hard Rock Live concert arena. Located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. Take I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1 800-937-0010 or visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, facebook.com/seminolehardrockhollywood, twitter.com/SHRHollywood, instagram.com/semhardrockhollywood and
youtube.com/semhardrockhollywood.

NEW ORLEANS (December 19, 2013) — Three weeks removed from his decisive victory over Brandon Rios in Macau, Manny Pacquiao earned an even more decisive win in a federal courthouse.

On December 18, the United States Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit, one of the highest and most influential courts in the country, affirmed the dismissal of a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Pacquiao filed by a startup Texas promotional company named Imperial ED Promotions. Imperial ED filed the lawsuit in November 2010, claiming that Pacquiao failed to appear at a promotional event in September 2010. Imperial ED didn’t tell the court that they failed to pay the Filipino star the full appearance fee that had been negotiated.

In July 2012, Pacquiao’s counsel, led by David Marroso a partner at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, questioned whether Imperial ED was the right party to bring the claim since the appearance contract had been signed by a different person. Imperial ED responded with a highly suspicious document that supposedly transferred ownership of the contract. Marroso and his team questioned the document and were granted the right to question Imperial ED’s principals under oath and to have one of the world’s foremost ink dating experts examine the document. After reviewing the evidence, federal judge Ricardo Hinojosa agreed with Pacquiao, found that the document had been falsely backdated, and threw out the case. On Wednesday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision, putting an end to the three-year legal saga.

“As Manny’s popularity increased, he has become a target,” observed Marroso. “People file meritless lawsuits against Manny hoping cash in on his success.” Pacquiao hopes the Court’s decision will cause future plaintiffs to pause before filing frivolous lawsuits and trying to cheat the system, according to Marroso. Pacquiao advisor Michael Koncz added that “Manny took a stand in this case and vowed to fight until his name was cleared.”

NEW YORK (DECEMBER 19, 2013)– In his much anticipated pro debut former amateur world champion, Ievgen Khytrov took at Christian Nava in round one of a scheduled six round Super Middleweight bout at a SOLD OUT
Webster Hall in New York City.

The show was promoted by Dmitry Salita’s Star of David Promotions in association with Fight Promotions Inc. and was sponsored by the Fight Factory Gym in Brooklyn.

Khytrov came out and landed some hard shots but that did not deter Nava as he even came back to land a few of his own shots. Finally towards the end of the first round, Khytrov showed his class and started hurting Nava with both hands. Finally at the end of the round, Khytrov leveled Nava with a powerful left hook that sent him on the canvas. Nava courageously got to his feet but stumbled back and referee Gary Rosado stopped the bout at 2:57 of round one.

Khytrov, who competed in the 2012 Olympics for his native Ukraine is now 1-0. Nava, 166 lbs of Salt Lake City, Utah is now 2-5-1.

In what will possibly go down as the New York Fight of the Year, Dimash Niyazov and Rapahel Luna waged a six round war that ended in a majority draw.

Early on it looked like Niyazov would have an easy time of it as he boxed his way to an early lead by using his height and reach. In round three, Luna was able to start getting inside and made the battle a fire fight with for the the latter half of the bout thrilled the sold out audience at Webster Hall to the point they gave the two warriors standing ovations after each round.

When the scores were announced, they read 58-56 for Luna while two cards were even at 57-57. Both fighters indicated they were up for a rematch with Luna insisting an eight round bout. Promoter Dmitry Salita was on board and will try to make it happen in the first quarter of 2014.

Niyazov, 137 lbs of Staten Island via Kazakhstan is now 4-0-2. Luna, 139 lbs of Albany, NY is now 4-6-3.

Heavyweight Jarrell Miller remained perfect as he stopped Sylvester Barron at 2:20 of round two of their scheduled six round bout.

Miller, 262 lbs of Brooklyn is now 7-0-1 with all wins coming by knockout. Barron, 235 lbs of Anacortes, WA is now 8-3.

Akil Frederick opened the show and needed just 33 seconds to dispose of Jermaine King in a scheduled six round Middleweight bout.

Frederick of Brooklyn is 3-1 with 3 knockouts. King of Guyana is now 1-8-1.

Michal Chudecki of Poland scored a six round unanimous decision over Joshua Nieves in a rematch of Lightweights.

Chudecki, 135 1/2 lbs of Poland won by scores of 60-52 on all cards and is now 8-0-1. Nieves, 136 1/2 lbs of Brooklyn is now 2-3.

Good looking Cruiserweight Steve Bujaj stopped a gritty Mike Bissett in round five of their six round bout due to cuts around Bissett’s left eye.

Bujaj systematically broke down Bissett and finally the fight was halted due to the bleeding.

Bujaj is now 10-0, 7 KO’s. Bissett is now 5-4.

Glenford Nickey scored a four round unanimous decision over Rigoberto Miranda in a Super Featherweight bout.

Scores were 39-37 on all cards for Nickey who is now 3-1. Miranda is 0-1-2.

Peter Reyes remained perfect with a four round unanimous decision over Ruben Ortiz in a Middleweight bout.

Scores 40-35 twice and 39-36 for Reyes of Brooklyn who is now 4-0. Ortiz of Providence is now 0-3.

Wesley Ferrer spoiled the pro debut of Richard Bonds by scoring a 1st round stoppage in the Lightweight bout.

Ferrer is now 2-0 with 2 knockouts.

THE SHOW WILL STREAMED ON WWW.PANDAFEED.TV

TOTOWA, NJ – Main Events announced today that they have signed a promotional agreement with light heavyweight boxer Anatoliy “The Gladiator” Dudchenko, 18-2, 12 KOs. The six-foot, three-inch, 35-year old, crowd-pleasing fighter was born in the Ukraine, but now lives in Los Angeles. The rising star is currently riding a 16-bout victory streak, highlighted by his recent win over previously undefeated Robert Woge in Germany.

That fight was a real war, full of two way action, and resulted in Dudchenko winning the IBF Inter-Continental light heavyweight championship by upset 12-round unanimous decision. It was the most impressive win of a career that began in 2006, after the fighter relocated to California.

Despite posting numerous exciting stoppages over the likes of Sabou Ballogou, Tyrell Hendrix, and others, Dudchenko has yet to appear on the radar of the average boxing fan. However, his new pact with Main Events figures to change all that.

“Today the hard work of myself and my team has finally paid off,” Dudchenko said. “My goal when I came to this country was to be with a promoter that would believe in my talent and bring me to a world title. Thank you (Main Events) for believing in me. I’ve come very far in the last year. I earned everything I have, and I want to be a champion that fights whoever, whenever and wherever. I can now sleep at night knowing that my career is in safe hands.”

Dudchenko Signs Main Events Promotional Contract
Hopes are high that Dudchenko can soon make his move in the crowded 175-pound division, where many of the top fighters in the sport currently compete. Adding his name to the list that many call boxing’s best weight class, is something that Team Gladiator eagerly anticipates.

“On behalf of myself, VP Steve Vernikov and President Lawrence Rozenberg, we are extremely grateful for Kathy Duva and Jolene Mizzone for believing in Anatoliy,” said Dudchenko’s agent, Vince Caruso of RozeBOX Sports. “Signing with Main Events gives us a promoter who has the ability to bring us to the biggest stages of this sport, and a matchmaker who knows what fights the public wants to see. Mark my words, Main Events will make Anatoliy Dudchenko a world champion in the near future.”

“He makes great fights and we intend to make sure that everyone has the chance to see Anatoliy the next time he appears,” said Kathy Duva. “His fight with Robert Woge on October 26th would have been a candidate for ‘Fight of the Year’ had it taken place in the US. His presence is another reason why the light heavyweight division is becoming the most exciting in professional boxing. Anatoliy is a welcome addition to Main Events.”

Now with the final piece of his career in place, Dudchenko can’t wait to get back to the business of fighting. “Main Events sees the excitement in my division, and I want to be part of that excitement,” Dudchenko said. “I will give 100% of myself every time I’m in the ring. The Gladiator fights until the end!”

Las Vegas – The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino will host a live closed-circuit telecast of UFC® 168: WEIDMAN vs. SILVA 2 from the Marquee Ballroom on Saturday, Dec. 28. Newly-crowned UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman and former champion Anderson Silva will meet again in what many have called the most highly anticipated rematch in UFC history.

In addition, viewers will have the chance to witness the women’s bantamweight title rematch between bitter rivals Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate.

Also, attendants will have the opportunity to watch three additional main card bouts and the Fox Sports 1 preliminary card. Doors for this unique viewing experience will open at 4 p.m. PT with the live action kicking off at 5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the UFC 168: WEIDMAN vs. SILVA 2 closed circuit-viewing are on sale now and are priced at $60. Tickets will also be available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). 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. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC 168: WEIDMAN vs. SILVA 2, presented by Bud Light®, will also be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, Dec. 28 on UFC.TV®, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada.

All bouts live and subject to change. Visit UFC.com for more information.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Beijing and Singapore, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which airs on FOX Sports 1.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries and territories, to nearly 882 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.7 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV® offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club® affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 19, 2013) – Golden Boy Promotions will present a rematch of one of 2013’s biggest upsets when Jhonny Gonzalez defends his WBC Featherweight World Championship against former Three -Time & Three-Division World Champion Abner Mares, on Saturday, Feb.15 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif. live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

In their first bout on Aug. 24, 2013, at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., hard-hitting Gonzalez shocked the world with a first round knockout of Mares taking his title and his unbeaten record from him. On Feb. 15, Mares gets his shot at redemption.

“Abner Mares gave me my shot and now I’m giving him his,” said Gonzalez. “I respect what he’s done in the ring and the heart he shows every time he fights, but I worked too hard for this to give it up now. I will keep my title on February 15.”

“I’d like to thank Jhonny Gonzalez for this opportunity. It will be an honor to fight him a second time,” said Mares. “August 24 was his night and I take nothing away from him, but February 15 will be my night and I’m going to get my title back.”

“This fight says a lot about both Jhonny Gonzalez and Abner Mares,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Jhonny wants to leave no doubt about his first win and Abner wanted to get another shot at him immediately. These are two great warriors and I can’t wait to see them fight again.”

“After the most unexpected upset of 2013, Jhonny Gonzalez and Abner Mares will meet again in one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the first quarter,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “Any time you put two Mexican warriors like Abner and Jhonny in the ring together, you can expect an action-packed fight. This is the type of fight that our SHOWTIME viewers have come to expect, and February 15 will undoubtedly deliver.”

“We are very excited to host such an incredible fight here on February 15th with our partners at Golden Boy Promotions,” Lee Zeidman, STAPLES Center, Sr. Vice President and General Manager. “Southern California boxing fans will definitely not want to miss this rematch of Jhonny Gonzalez and Abner Mares, it is sure to be a memorable night at STAPLES Center.”

One of the best Mexican fighters of this era, Mexico City’s Jhonny Gonzalez (55-8, 47 KO’s) has held world championships at 118 and 126 pounds, defeating the likes of Hall of Famer Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson and former World Champions Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel, Irene Pacheco, and Hozumi Hasegawa, along the way. Winner of 15 of his last 16 bouts, with the only loss a technical decision defeat to Daniel Ponce De Leon in September of 2012, the 32-year-old Gonzalez has resurrected his career in style with his first round title-winning knockout of Mares, and he’s looking forward to doing it again.

A member of the 2004 Mexican Olympian team, 28-year-old Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico’s Abner Mares (26-1-1, 14 KO’s) earned a spot on boxing’s pound for pound list in 2013 when he stopped Daniel Ponce De Leon in nine rounds to win his third divisional world title, the WBC featherweight crown. A previous owner of championships at bantamweight and super bantamweight, the Hawaiian Gardens, Calif. resident now has the opportunity to make history once again by regaining his crown on February 15.

Gonzalez vs. Mares II, a 12-round fight for Gonzalez’ WBC Featherweight World Championship, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Promociones del Pueblo and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The bout will take place on Saturday, Feb. 15 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, go on sale Friday, Dec. 20 at 10 a.m. PT and will be available for purchase online at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) or at the STAPLES Center Box Office (Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm). VIP Suites are available by calling (213-763-7755). For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call (877-234-8425).

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.staplescenter.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/AbnerMares00 , www.twitter.com/JOGLEZ, www.twitter.com/STAPLESCenter, www.twitter.com/SHOsports, follow the conversation using #GonzalezMares or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/SHOboxing.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, will wrap up 2013 with marathons of live fights broadcast throughout the year from some of the biggest organizations in combat sports.

Included in the year-end Holiday Marathon schedule, Fight Network will re-air marquee events from GLORY World Series, K-1 Global, ONE Fighting Championship, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, BAMMA, Cage Contender, Golden Boy Promotions, International Judo Federation and SportAccord World Combat Games, as well as daily award-winning feature films from the 20th Century FOX library.

Some of the highlights this year include Andy Ristie’s stunning knockouts of Giorgio Petrosyan and Robin van Roosmalen at GLORY 12 New York, the resurgence of Buakaw Banchamek under the K-1 Global banner, the continued dominance of Shinya Aoki and Bibiano Fernandes in Japan, the crowning of new Cage Warriors champions, a pair of brutal knockouts from Paul Daley, as well as heated scraps in the sweet science, including a landmark year for promotional juggernaut Golden Boy Promotions. Some of the film titles include Die Hard, The Transporter and X-Men series, as well as Fight Club, Commando and other acclaimed fight-themed movies.

In addition, Fight Network will air a special 1-hour “2013 Year in Review” edition of Fight News Now, which recaps all the biggest storylines and highlights from a memorable year in combat sports.

On Christmas Day, December 25, Fight Network will premiere the official Zuffa L.L.C.-produced UFC 168 Countdown Show, a comprehensive preview of the highly anticipated rematch between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva, as well as its original production Fight News Now: UFC 168 Edition, which features analysis and predictions ahead of the year’s biggest fight.

On Boxing Day, December 26, Fight Network re-airs notable fights from 2013 featuring the likes of Shane Mosley, Antonio Tarver, Josesito Lopez and Carl Froch. At 9 p.m. ET, Fight Network premieres the fourth annual original production of Agency Wars, a charity boxing event featuring ad agencies going toe to toe to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Toronto and NABS.

Fight Network’s Holiday Marathon schedule is set to run between December 23 and January 5.

A pair of live events will round out the year as the K-1 World MAX 2013 Quarterfinals airs December 27 at 11 p.m. ET, while Cage Warriors 63 emanates from Dublin, Ireland on December 31 at 4 p.m. ET.

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

DEERFIELD, Fla. (December 19, 2013) – International Boxing Federation (IBF) Junior Lightweight World Champion Argenis “La Tormenta” Mendez (21-2-1, 11 KOs) has vowed not to leave the outcome of his January 3 title defense against No. 1 mandatory challenger Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (19-0, 12 KOs), airing live on the 2014 ESPN Friday Night Fights season opener, in the hands of the judges.

Mendez, fighting out of Brooklyn (NY), will make his second world title defense against Barthelemy at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The 2004 Dominican Republic Olympian learned an invaluable lesson in his first world title defense, fighting a controversial 12-round draw with Arash Usmanee last August, in which most observers felt Mendez clearly won, on the first event ever presented by his promoter, Iron Mike Productions (IMP).

“I definitely learned that, when you’re in the ring,” Mendez explained, “you have to give it your all. Sometimes, what you and our corner think isn’t what is going through the judges’ minds. Honestly, I don’t know what fight the judges saw. There was no way that bout was a draw. Unfortunately that fight wasn’t the first time this has happened to me. I’ve been robbed twice before, once in Denver (vs. Jaime Sandoval), and the other time in Mexico (vs. Juan Carlos Salgado). I knocked both guys down during our fights. Now, I’m more determined to get in there and be more aggressive to make sure there is no doubt that I am the winner. I’m definitely not going to leave it to the judges. I know for sure that I’m going home with my title.”

The irony of the Jan. 3rd fight is that Mendez’ head trainer for the first time is two-time world champion John David Jackson, who used to be Barthelemy’s head trainer. Also, Barthelemy also was a controversial winner in an IBF eliminator for the No. 2 spot over Usmanee, in which the large majority felt Usmanee was robbed. Unbeaten Cuban-born Barthelemy then knocked out Fahsai Sakreerin (39-3-1) on June 21 in an official IBF title eliminator to earn his first world title shot versus Mendez.

“John David Jackson has been great,” Mendez remarked. “He’s definitely been teaching me how to be more aggressive, throwing more punches and improving my power. He’s great strategizing and together we have worked out a great plan for this upcoming fight. Along with Jackson, I also have former two-time world champion (IMP stable-mate and fellow countryman) Joan Guzman in my corner. I doesn’t get any better than that! I have two world champions in my corner helping me prepare for his fight. In addition, Jackson trained Barthelemy in for his previous two fights. We already have the blueprint, my job is to go out there January 3rd and execute.

“I really think Usmanee won his fight with Barthelemy and that’s why I gave him the opportunity in August to fight me for the world title. I honestly thought that he was the better fighter.”

Mendez finds himself in the rare position of being the headliner on an ESPN Friday Night Fights show to conclude one season and then come right back to kick-off its next year of programming.

“I plan on expanding my fan-base by headlining both the finale and premier of the ESPN boxing season,” Mendez concluded. “Everyone is getting a chance to see what I bring to the tale and why I am world champion. I would like to thank the entire ESPN family for giving me the chance to prove myself to the boxing world. The support ESPN has given me is incredible. I play on repaying them by having an exciting title match that will have all boxing fans on edge. Hopefully, my upcoming bout will bring bigger and better opportunities for me.”

The first 2014 installment of ESPN Friday Night Fights on Jan. 3 is being presented by Iron Mike Productions, Seconds Out Promotions and Warriors Boxing. Tickets are priced at $35, $65, $100, $150 and $250 and are available at Target Center’s Box Office, online at AXS.com or by calling 888.9.AXS.TIX (888.929.7849). Doors open at 6 p.m. ET, first bell 7 p.m. ET, and the ESPN broadcast starts at 9 p. m. ET.

ABOUT IRON MIKE PRODUCTIONS (IMP): Previously known as Acquinity Sports, Iron Mike Productions is a full-service boxing promotion company co-founded and led by CEO Garry Jonas. In partnership with Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, 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 or follow Iron Mike Productions on Twitter @IronMikeProd and Mendez @Argenis_Mendez.

On Friday, January 10, promoters Greg Cohen Promotions, DiBella Entertainment, Brian Halquist Productions, GH3 Promotions will proudly present “Battle at the Boat 94”, a night of high-level professional boxing, televised live, worldwide by ESPN in the I-5 Showroom of the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington.

In the night’s main event, IBF #8-ranked Afghani-Canadian Arash Usmanee (20-1-1, 10 KOs) will face Mexican KO artist Juan Antonio “El Mozo” Rodriguez (25-4, 23 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight battle.

And in the televised co-feature, longtime top contender and Erik Morales conqueror Zahir “Z-Man” Raheem (34-3, 21 KOs), the former Philadelphian turned hometown Tacoma hero, will continue his comeback against an opponent that is TBA.

On the undercard, former top cruiserweight contender Lateef “Power” Kayode (19-0, 15 KOs) will make the second appearance of his heavyweight campaign.

31-year-old Usmanee, was born in Afghanistan, is now based in Montreal, but trains in Las Vegas with former champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. He was last seen fighting to a draw with current IBF Super Featherweight Champion, Argenis Mendez, in August of 2013. In a battle many felt the aggressive Usmanee had won, the fight was declared a majority draw with one judge scoring for Usmanee.

Puebla, Mexico’s hard-punching southpaw Juan Antonio Rodriguez was last seen n November of this year, scoring a TKO 4 over Javier Mercado at the Centro de Convenciones IMSS, in Tlalpan, Mexico. Rodriguez has been very competitive against top level opposition including former IBF Featherweight Champion Billy Dib, but has just fallen short. The fight against Usmanee will be his chance to join the upper ranks of the division.

37-year-old Zahir “Z Man” Raheem was a top-level featherweight for many years and scored a nationally televised win over all-time-great Erik Morales and dropped a highly questionable decision to multi-world champion Acelino Freitas. He began his comeback earlier this year and has notched three victories since stepping away in 2010. He was last seen scoring an impressive TKO 2 over Tim Coleman at the Emerald Queen Casino.

Undefeated 30-year-old Nigerian Lateef Kayode is best known for fighting to a draw with world champion and Roy Jones conqueror Antonio Tarver in June 2012. Kayode began campaigning as a heavyweight earlier this month and scored a devastating TKO 2 over Travis Fulton at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.

“I am happy to be working with so many great promotional firms to bring this sensational event to the fans in Tacoma. We are expecting a total sell-out, standing room only.” said event promoter Greg Cohen. “Arash Usmanee is the uncrowned champion of the world and I congratulate ESPN for recognizing his importance and putting him in another main event of one of their exceptional broadcasts. The entire night will be terrific. There is also a full undercard of local prospects. I expect this to be one of the best shows of the year.”

“We are very excited to be working with Friday Night Fights once again,” said Brian Halquist. “We have now been working with Zahir for over a year now and are absolutely ready for a national showcase. Being 3-0 with 3 knockouts, Zahir has done everything we have asked of him and more. After Zahir defeated Morales there were always questions surrounding a Raheem vs. Pacquiao fight, leaving behind some unfinished business. He belongs on the world stage and that’s where we’re going to take him.”

Tickets for “Battle at the Boat 94” are available through Ticketmaster and start at $35. All bouts are subject to change. The Emerald Queen Casino is located at 2024 E. 29th St, in Tacoma. This event will begin at 6:00 pm (PST). Visit GCPboxing.com for more information. This event is for persons 21 years of age and older. No one under 21 will be admitted.

NEW YORK (Dec. 19. 2013)- On January 17, DiBella Entertainment will present the premiere show of the 2014 ShoBox: The New Generation season with an exciting quadrupleheader live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Headlining the card will be devastating Ukrainian lightweight Ivan “The Terrible” Redkach (15-0, 13 KO’s), who takes on once-beaten Tony Luis (17-1, 7 KO’s) in the 10-round main event. In the co-features, unbeaten junior middleweights John Thompson (14-0, 5 KO’s) and Frank Galarza (11-0-2, 7 KO’s) collide in an eight-round matchup and fast-rising and highly regarded up-and-coming prospect Antoine Douglas (11-0, 7 KO’s) squares off against Marquis Davis (8-0-2, 5 KO’s) in an eight-round middleweight showdown. Opening the telecast will be hard-hitting Maurice Hooker (12-0-1, 9 KO’s) against an opponent to be announced in an eight-round junior welterweight matchup.

The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with GH3 Promotions, Greg Cohen Promotions and Prize Fight Boxing, and will take place at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN. The SHOWTIME telecast will air live at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

“This is a tremendous way to kick off the 2014 ShoBox season. People are going to get the opportunity to see Ivan Redkach, a potential star, along with a number of other undefeated, young fighters, all competing to make a name for themselves. This is what ShoBox is all about,” said promoter Lou DiBella.

“We are excited to start the year with a four-fight card full of talented prospects,” said Gordon Hall, the executive producer of ShoBox. “This card represents the epitome of ShoBox with each fighter bringing solid amateur pedigree and high hopes of turning from prospects to contenders. Redkach, in particular, holds a lot of promise and he is in for his toughest test to date. He has a fan-friendly style and knockout power. But he can’t underestimate Luis who had over 100 amateur bouts and is a skilled boxer who throws a lot of punches. This should be an all-action affair.”

Redkach amassed an impressive 260-40 record as an amateur, which culminated in him being a 2008 Olympic Team alternate for his native Ukraine. Redkach turned pro in November 2009 and has been impressive ever since with his relentless seek-and-destroy style and devastating power. Twelve of Redkach’s 13 knockouts have come in three rounds or less, with six coming in the first round.

After witnessing one of his bouts in 2012, a first-round stoppage, esteemed reporter Doug Fischer, of Ringtv.com, stated, “Ivan Redkach is a stud; best lightweight prospect with less than 20 bouts. I think he can beat most prospects with 20-plus bouts.”

After his one-round destruction of Tebor Brosch at Roseland Ballroom on Oct. 24, the highly regarded Michael Woods, who writes for TheSweetScience.com and ESPN.com, proclaimed, “This kid scared me. He put bad thoughts into my head.”

The WBC No. 13-rated Redkach, who was included on ESPN’s Dan Rafael’s 2012 “Prospects to Watch” list, is expected to make the transition from top prospect to legitimate world contender in 2014, but he must first get by his toughest opponent to date in fellow prospect Luis, in what will be Redkach’s first scheduled 10-rounder of his career.

Luis was a seven-time provincial champion in his native Canada as an amateur and was also a three-time National Silver medalist before turning pro in 2008. Luis has put together two consecutive victories since suffering the lone blemish on his record, an eight-round upset stoppage loss to Jose Hernandez. Luis knows that a win over the world-rated Redkach on national TV will not only erase the loss to Hernandez but also throw his name directly into the mix of the 135-pound division.

Each time that Thompson has stepped up as a pro, he has looked better and better. In 2012, he scored a second-round TKO in his toughest fight to date against the then-4-1 Jamond Bourgeois. In his first fight of 2013, he stopped the 5-1 Grayson Blake in the fifth round of their scheduled six-rounder. Thompson followed up that performance with a dominant eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Giovany Rodriguez (8-0), which aired on ShoBox. In September, he won a shutout eight-round unanimous decision over the 10-1-1 Brandon Quarels and in his fourth fight of 2013, he scored a third-round TKO over Johnathan Batista. The bout against the undefeated Galarza will be another chance for Thompson to showcase his talents on SHOWTIME and begin moving into even more lucrative fights in the junior middleweight division.

The tall, hard-hitting Puerto Rican Galarza is a boxer-puncher who has power in both hands. The former New York Golden Gloves champion turned pro in 2010 and has gradually progressed along the way. Galarza is coming off his most impressive victory, a sensational fourth-round TKO over previously undefeated Rich Neves (6-0-1) to win the New York State junior middleweight title. A win over Thompson would propel Galarza right into the spotlight as one of the true up-and-coming prospects in the 154-pound division.

A stellar amateur with over 120 bouts, including an appearance at the 2011 World Cup in Russia, the 21-year-old undefeated prospect Douglas is on the fast track to superstardom. Having already gained national exposure appearing on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights”, the bout on Jan. 17 will be Douglas’ twelfth in 15 months since turning pro in October 2012. Douglas has looked more and more impressive with each outing, and appears to be one of the hottest prospects at his age in boxing. In Douglas’ last bout, he absolutely dominated previously undefeated Colby Courter (4-0, 4 KO’s) scoring a devastating third-round TKO.

In Davis, Douglas will be facing his toughest opponent to date and it will be a true litmus test to see just how good at this stage of his career Douglas is. A first cousin of former New York Mets legend, Doc Gooden, Davis is the bigger and likely the stronger of the two. The bout on Jan. 17 will be the first scheduled eight-rounder for both middleweights.

A Dallas Regional Golden Gloves champion with an 85-7 record as an amateur, Hooker went a perfect 5-0 in 2013 and is looking to carry that momentum into a breakout year in 2014. Hooker is serving as one of the lead sparring partners for current IBF super featherweight champion Argenis Mendez for his upcoming title defense. An opponent for Hooker in his eight-round light welterweight bout will be announced shortly.

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former World Champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series,
ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The
ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. The growing list of fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Berto, Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Malignaggi, Kendall Holt, Timothy Bradley, Bernard Dunne, Yonnhy Perez, Yuri Foreman, Andre Ward, Cornelius Bundrage, Austin Trout, Rico Ramos and, most recently, Shawn Porter. Follow us
@SHOSports or visit us at www.facebook.com/SHOboxing

Toronto (December 19) Tyler Asselstine is looking for a victorious return to the ring when he faces Luis Montano in Mexico City on 21 December.

The Canadian featherweight has been out of action since April and is climbing back into the ring for the first of what he hopes will be a busy schedule over the festive period.

Now 100% healthy having fought with practically one hand for over 12 months, Tyler’s power is back and he will be looking to demonstrate that this Saturday.

However, Mexican fighter Montano will certainly not be an easy fight. With home crowd advantage he’ll be out to add to his record of six wins with four knockouts.

But, aired live on Mexican TV and in Canada on Fight Network on delay, Tyler is ready and raring to make it win number 14.

Tyler features is on the undercard to Samuel Vargas’ 10 round contest against Pablo Munguia.

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM

MAIN EVENT – VACANT NABF JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10)
AMIR “Young Master” IMAM (11-0, 10 KOs), Albany, NY 139 lbs.
SERGIO “Sirenito” PEREZ (28-15, 19 KOs), Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico 139.6 lbs.

LIGHTWEIGHTS (6)
JOEL DIAZ, JR. (13-0, 11 KOs), Palmdale, CA 133.6 lbs.
TONY “Sugar Boy” WALKER 5-3-1, 3 KOs), Cincinnati, OH 134 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS (6)
EMMANUEL “Pirata” DE JESUS (8-0, 5 KOs), Canovanas, Puerto Rico 149 lbs.
ANTONIO CHAVES-FERNANDEZ (4-13-2, 0 KOs), Brockton, MA 148.8 lbs.

BANTAMWEIGHTS (6)
THOMAS “KO” SNOW (16-1, 10 KOs), Capital Heights, MD 117/8 lbs.
NATE GREEN (4-0, 1 KO), New Haven, CT 117.6 lbs.

JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS (6)
DONTE STRAYHORN (3-1, 0 KOs), Cincinnati, OH 134 lbs.
SAM MOURA (0-2), New York, NY 132.8 lbs.

LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)
RYAN “Blue-Chip” MARTIN (1-0, 1 KO), Cleveland, OH 135 lbs.
ERIC JAMAR GOODALL (1-2, 0 KOs), Las Vegas, NV 139.6 lbs.

(NOTE: Illness forced Luis Olivares to withdraw from his six-round fight against Tony Walker, who is now fighting a six-round bout with Joel Diaz, Jr. whose 10-round main event fight vs. Wanzell Ellison was canceled two days ago after Ellison pulled out with an arm injury.)

(all fights & fighters subject to change)

WHAT: “Big Apple Boxing”

WHEN: Friday, December 20, 2013

WHERE: Resorts World Casino NYC in Jamaica, Queens, NY

PROMOTER: SMS Promotions

SPECIAL MEET-AND-GREET: Promoter/rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his newest boxer, world junior middleweight contender James Kirkland, will hold a meet-and-greet prior to Friday night’s fights between 6:30-7 p.m. ET at Resorts World Casino NYC

LIVE PERFORMERS: Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Troy Ave, Tony Yayo, Nyemiah Supreme, Pop Dallas and Nyemah Supreme. Ms. Irene Renee will sing the National Anthem.

TICKETS: $350.00, $125.00, $85.00 and $35.00, are available to purchase by calling Resorts World Casino NYC at (718) 215-2828, or visiting www.etix.com/ticket/online/venueSearch.jsp?venue_id=9244. The $350.00 ticket holders will also receive a pair of autographed SMS Street by 50 Cent on ear headphones.

DOORS OPEN:
6 p.m. ET FIRST BOUT: 7 p.m. ET

FACT SHEET
‘Big Apple Boxing’ Friday night at Resorts World Casino NYC
WHAT: “Big Apple Boxing”

WHEN: Friday, December 20, 2013

WHERE: Resorts World Casino NYC in Jamaica, Queens, NY

WHO: MAIN EVENT – VACANT NABF JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10)
AMIR “Young Master” IMAM (11-0, 10 KOs), Albany, NY
SERGIO “Sirenito” PEREZ (28-15, 19 KOs), Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS (6)
“Magic Man” LUIS OLIVARES (6-0, 4 KOs), Glendale, AZ
TONY “Sugar Boy” WALKER 5-3-1, 3 KOs), Cincinnati, OH

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (6)
EMMANUEL “Pirata” DE JESUS (8-0, 5 KOs), Canovanas, Puerto Rico
ANTONIO CHAVES-FERNANDEZ (4-13-2, 0 KOs), Brockton, MA by way of U.S. Virgin Islands

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS (6)
THOMAS “KO” SNOW (16-1, 10 KOs), Capital Heights, MD
NATE GREEN (4-0, 1 KO), New Haven, CT

WELTEERWEIGHTS (6)
DONTE STRAYHORN (3-1, 0 KOs), Cincinnati, OH
SAM MOURA (0-2), New York, NY

LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)
RYAN “Blue-Chip” MARTIN (1-0, 1 KO), Cleveland, OH
ERIC JAMAR GOODALL (1-2, 0 KOs), Las Vegas, NV

FEMALE BANTAMWEIGHTS (4)
MAFATO KAMOGAWA (pro debut), Brooklyn, NY
MICHELLE COOK (0-0-1), Massena, NY

(all fights & fighters subject to change)

PROMOTER: SMS Promotions

SPECIAL MEET-AND-GREET: Promoter/rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his newest boxer, world junior middleweight contender James Kirkland, will hold a meet-and-greet prior to Friday night’s fights between 6:30-7 p.m. ET at Resorts World Casino NYC

LIVE PERFORMERS: Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Troy Ave, Tony Yayo, Nyemiah Supreme, Pop Dallas and Nyemah Supreme. Ms. Irene Renee will sing the National Anthem.

TICKETS: $350.00, $125.00, $85.00 and $35.00, are available to purchase by calling Resorts World Casino NYC at (718) 215-2828, or visiting www.etix.com/ticket/online/venueSearch.jsp?venue_id=9244. The $350.00 ticket holders will also receive a pair of autographed SMS Street by 50 Cent on ear headphones.

DOORS OPEN: 6 p.m. ET FIRST BOUT: 7 p.m. ET

OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN: Thursday, Dec. 19 (3:00 p.m. ET start) at New York State Athletic Commission, 123 Williams Street, New York, NY. MEDIA ONLY (media must RSVP in advance with Yvette Gayle, SMS Promotions, yvettegayle@me.com

Danny Williams (44-17) [267 lbs] v. Mazur Ali (10-8) [196 lbs], Heavyweight, 10 rounds

Nasser Al Harbi (17-1) [154 lbs] v. Giorgi Ungiadze (23-16) [147.7 lbs], Welterweight, 8 rounds

MohammadAli Bayat Farid (3-0) [206 lbs] v. Abdul Kabbani (3-1) [231 lbs], Cruiserweight, 6 rounds

Stjepan Bozic (26-7) [late weigh-in] v. Paata Vardaushvili (26-7) [161 lbs], Middleweight, 8 rounds

Mohammed Reza (1-0) [191.3 lbs] v. Hakim Wahid (Debut) [195.5 lbs], Cruiserweight, 6 rounds

Rabih Fayad (Debut) [163.1] v. Boubaker Masrar (Debut) [162 lbs], Super Middleweight, 4 rounds

Hamza Bouaoud (1-0) [167.8 lbs] v. Mehdi Ramizani (1-1-1) [166.4], Middleweight, 4 rounds

Ahmed Al Ali (Debut) [151.4 lbs] v. Abbas Mohamed (Debut) [late weigh-in], Super Featherweight, 4 rounds

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of GLORY 13 Tokyo from Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan, this Saturday, December 21, at 5 a.m. ET.

Fight Network’s live broadcast will repeat on December 21 at 9 p.m. ET in primetime.

GLORY 13 Tokyo features a one-night, four-man welterweight world championship tournament and is headlined by the final match of a kickboxing icon.

The world’s top-ranked welterweights square off in GLORY’s world championship tournament, as #1 ranked Nieky ‘The Natural’ Holzken (82-11-0, 43 KOs) of the Netherlands faces Armenian Karapet Karapetyan (42-8-2, 4 KOs), currently ranked #4. On the other side of the bracket, Canada’s own surging ‘Bazooka’ Joe Valtellini (10-1-10, 9 KOs) meets undefeated karate-stylist Raymond ‘The Real Deal’ Daniels (24-0-0, 14 KOs). The tournament winner will receive a grand prize of $100,000, with the runner-up receiving $20,000.

GLORY 13 Tokyo, broadcast live on Fight Network at 5 a.m. ET, is headlined by the retirement fight of living legend Peter Aerts (103-30-1, 78 KOs), taking on newly crowned GLORY heavyweight tournament world champion Rico Verhoeven. In the co-headline bout, #3 ranked heavyweight, Romanian tactician Daniel Ghita (49-10-0, 38 KOs) battles the revitalized and hard-hitting Errol Zimmerman (101-10-1, 42 KOs). Also on the card, UFC veteran Dustin Jacoby (4-2-0, 3 KOs) competes against local fighter and GLORY newcomer Makoto Uehara (15-4-1, 9 KOs).

“We’re wrapping up a landmark year from GLORY World Series with another sensational live event this Saturday,” said Chad Midgley, VP of Programming & Production at Fight Network. “In a year highlighted by the emergence of new stars, massive upsets and world-class matchmaking, there’s no better way to bring 2013 to a close than the legendary Peter Aerts gracing our presence for the very last time.”

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

Chicago, IL, Wednesday, December 18, 2014–Bobby Hitz announced today that Hitz Boxing is kicking off its 2014 season with two action packed “Fight Night” cards as Chicago’s longest running promoter returns to the Belvedere Events & Banquets in Elk Grove Village, IL on Friday, January 31 and the The Venue at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN on Friday, February 28.

“As we wrap up a highly successful 2013 campaign, I am very excited about launching our 2014 season in January at an intimate venue like the Belvedere and then returning to the electrifying atmosphere at the Horseshoe,” said Hitz. “We finished this year with a bang with a card that energized Chicago’s boxing scene and we look forward to carrying that momentum into next year.”

Hitz’ November fight card at the Horseshoe featured two hard fought crosstown battles that resulted in closely scored decisions that have local fight fans clamoring for rematches in 2014. In a battle of undefeated welterweight boxers Nick “Bad Boy” Ramirez (4-0-1, 1KO) bested Roy Navarro (3-1, 2 KOs) for a majority decision, while veteran Antonio “Aztec God of War” Canas (9-1-1, 3 KO) also scored a closely scored light welterweight majority decision over Genaro Mendez (7-2-1, 4 KOs).

ABOUT HITZ BOXING
Since its debutin 1991, Hitz Boxing has been the midwest’s leading boxing promoter. Led by Bobby Hitz, who boasted a 21-4 record with 18 KO’s as a boxer, Hitz Boxing is the longest running boxing promoter in the Chicago area dating back to the bi-monthly boxing series the “Ramada Rumble,” held at the former Rosemont Ramada Inn. The organization currently promotes the wildly popular “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN and is the subject of the actuality show “Hitz Boxing,” a web series which has amassed over 5 million internet views. Over the year’s the organization has produced matches that have included some of the top names in boxing such as James Toney, Antonio Tarver, Montell Griffin, Iran Barkley, Andrew Golota and “Fast Fres Oquendo.

For more information, please visit: www.hitzboxing.com.

Ievgen Khytrov 165 – Christian Nava 166
Michael Chudecki 135.5 – Joshua Nieves 136.5
Peter Reyes 159 – Ruben Ortiz 161
Jarrell Miller 266 – Sylvester Barron 235
Dimash Niyazov 137 – Rapahel Luna 139
Akil Aguste 160. Jermaine king 161
Stevens Bujaj 199 mike bissett 196
Glenford Nickey 133 rigoberto Miranda 131
Wesley Ferrer 135. Richard bonds 137

Promoters: Star Of David Promotions & Fight Promotions Inc.
Venue: Webster Hall
1st Bell: 7pm

NEW YORK CITY (December 17, 2013) – An arm injury has forced Wanzell Ellison (9-0-1, 5 KOs) to withdraw, forcing the cancelation of his scheduled 10-round main event fight this Friday night against undefeated beaten junior lightweight prospect Joel Diaz, Jr. (13-0, 11 KOs), on the SMS Promotions-presented “Big Apple Boxing” card at Resorts World Casino NYC in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

The 10-round bout for the vacant North American Boxing Federation (NABF) junior welterweight title, matching undefeated Amir “Young Master” Imam (11-0, 10 KOs) against Mexican veteran Sergio “Sirenito” Perez (28-15, 9 KOs), has been elevated to the main event.

SPECIAL 50-CENT & JAMES KIRKLAND MEET-AND-GREET

Promoter/rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and newest boxer in his SMS Promotions stable, world junior middleweight contender James Kirkland, will hold a meet-and-greet prior to Friday night’s fights between 6:30-7 p.m. ET at Resorts World Casino NYC

Undefeated junior welterweight prospect “Magic Man” Luis Olivares (6-0, 4 KOs) will be showcased in a six-round bout against Tony “Sugar Boy” Walker (5-3-1, 3 KOs). Also fighting on the undercard in six-round matches are undefeated Puerto Rican junior middleweight Emmanuel “Pirata” De Jesus (8-0, 5 KOs) vs. Antonio Fernandez-Chaves (4-13-2), super bantamweight Thomas “KO” Snow (16-1, 10 KOs) vs. Nate Green (4-0, 1 KO), and welterweight Donte Strayhorn (3-1) vs. Sam Moura (0-2). Scheduled to fight in four-round matches are lightweight Ryan “Blue-Chip” Martin (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Eric Jamar Goodall (1-2), and pro-debuting bantamweight Mafato Kamogawa vs. native Michelle Cook (0-0-1).

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Live performers include Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Troy Ave, Tony Yayo, Nyemiah Supreme, Pop Dallas and Nyemah Supreme. Ms. Irene Renee will sing the National Anthem.

Tickets, priced at $350.00, $125.00, $85.00 and $35.00, are available to purchase by calling Resorts World Casino NYC at (718) 215-2828, or visiting www.etix.com/ticket/online/venueSearch.jsp?venue_id=9244. The $350.00 ticket holders will also receive a pair of autographed SMS Street by 50 Cent on ear headphones.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET, first bout scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

NEW YORK (Dec. 17, 2013)—SHOWTIME Sports® continued with significant gains in viewership on its flagship series SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® on Saturday, Dec. 14, drawing 1.3 million viewers to an action-packed main event featuring the welterweight world championship, Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana. The dramatic bout, the final match on the 2013 boxing calendar, is a late contender for boxing’s coveted Fight of the Year honor.

The audience performance during the main event ranks as the third-highest audience on record for live boxing on SHOWTIME since the network began tracking individual bouts in 2009.

The average viewership across the entire event, a four-fight, four-hour telecast, brings the series’ 2013 average up 24 percent and a remarkable 64 percent over 2011.

Further, the average audience for the entire telecast ranks as the fourth-largest live boxing telecast on SHOWTIME since 2004 (when the Nielsen began separately measuring premium television multiplex channels) with all four coming within the last 12 months ranking behind the events headlined by Miguel Cotto vs. Austin Trout (Dec. 1, 2012); Paul Malignaggi vs. Adrien Broner (June 22, 2013); and Bernard Hopkins vs. Karo Murat (Oct. 26, 2013).

“SHOWTIME Sports has achieved incredible growth in viewership of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING in 2013, and we’ll take this momentum into 2014,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “With marquee events featuring boxing’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and global star Floyd Mayweather, the return of Canelo Alvarez, and a myriad of incredible matchups on the horizon in the welterweight, junior welterweight and super welterweight divisions—the very deepest, most talent-rich divisions in boxing–our subscribers can continue to expect SHOWTIME Sports to deliver the biggest and most significant bouts in boxing.”

Replays of the full four-fight telecast air tonight, Dec. 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME® and again on Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME®. The telecast is available at SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and via mobile devices on SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.

The event was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Leija*Battah Promotions and emanated from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

A rousing quadrupleheader from start to finish was capped by Maidana’s scintillating performance. The fearless Argentine scored two knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision over the heavily favored, previously unbeaten Broner. The startling result becomes an instant candidate for not only Fight of the Year, but Upset of the Year as well.

In the co-feature, undefeated Keith Thurman retained his WBA Interim Welterweight title with a sensational ninth-round stoppage over tough-as-nails Jesus Soto Karass in a Knockout of the Year candidate. The always-exciting Leo Santa Cruz kept his WBC Super Bantamweight belt with a unanimous decision over determined Cesar Seda in a 12-round slugfest. And WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Beibut Shumenov made an emphatic statement with an impressive third-round TKO over Slovakia’s Tomas Kovacs.

# # #

“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship took place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Grudge Match and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman put his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship on the line against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda and Beibut Shumenov faced Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast aired live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and was available in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts aired live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

THE FIGHT GAME WITH JIM LAMPLEY returns for its latest edition SATURDAY, DEC. 21 (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. A provocative, engaging and informative experience that delves into intriguing storylines, newsmakers and issues that are top-of-mind in boxing, the latest edition of the show debuts immediately following the premiere of episode two of the HBO Sports reality series “24/7 Red Wings/Maple Leafs: Road to the NHL Winter Classic.” Four-time Sports Emmy® winner Lampley has been the host of HBO Boxing since joining the network in 1988.

Other HBO playdates: Dec. 24 (2:00 p.m., 2:40 a.m.), 25 (9:30 p.m.), 27 (3:30 p.m., 12:45 a.m.), 28 (11:30 a.m.) and 30 (6:30 p.m.), and Jan. 2 (9:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m.) and 5 (10:00 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Dec. 22 (10:00 a.m., 5:30 p.m.), 24 (12:15 a.m.), 26 (12:10 a.m.) and 31 (10:45 a.m., 4:45 p.m.), and Jan. 3 (1:30 p.m., 2:30 a.m.) and 6 (10:00 a.m., 4:45 p.m.)
HBO On Demand availability begins: Dec. 24

Headlining this new edition will be an in-depth year-in-review report, as Lampley explores the most significant events of 2013. In addition, he will assess boxing’s “cold war,” present THE FIGHT GAME’s second annual boxing awards and unveil an all-new Gatti List.

NEW YORK CITY (December 17, 2013) – Tennessee lightweight prospect Ryan “Blue-Chip” Martin has taken a quick liking to the bright lights of New York City as he prepares for his second professional fight this Friday night at Resorts World Casino NYC in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

Back on September 16th, Martin (1-0, 1 KO) made his professional debut for his promoter, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, in which he stopped Darius Somierari in the second round of their fight at Resorts World Casino NYC. The 20-year-old Martin will face Eric Jamar Goodall (1-2), of Las Vegas, in a four-round bout on Friday’s “Big Apple Boxing” card, presented by 50 Cent’s SMS Promotions.

Martin, who now fights out of Cleveland, was a 12-time US amateur champion, including a sweep of the Junior Golden Gloves, Silver Mittens and Junior Olympics tournaments. His gold-medal performance at the prestigious U.S. Under-19 Tournament marked the highlight of his amateur career. He fought in several European cities – Berlin, Paris and London – but as a pro it’s been all New York City.

His slated November 9th fight in New York City was cancelled when his opponent failed to make weight. “It’s very exciting for me to be fighting on the big stage in New York City,” Martin said. “I just take things one fight at a time but it was frustrating in November when my fight was cancelled.”

At the tender age of eight, Martin followed his older brother, Courtney, into the gym and Ryan instantly fell in love with boxing. A self-described boxer-puncher with speed being his greatest attribute, Martin is composed beyond his years in the ring, where he explodes like his idol, Sugar Ray Leonard.

“Having 50 Cent as my promoter is humbling but very exciting at the same time,” Martin noted. “It’s a blessing.

“What I’m learning as a pro is general ring knowledge. The adjustment from amateurs was a tough challenge, mentally, but I like the pro game better. I’ve even surprised myself with my body attack as a pro. I really didn’t focus on body punching; it just happened but I’m focused on that now.”

Unbeaten junior lightweight prospects, Joel Diaz, Jr. (13-0, 11 KOs) and Wanzell Ellison (9-0-1, 5 KOs) throw-down in the 10-round main event. Undefeated Amir “Young Master” Imam (11-0, 10 KOs) meets Mexican veteran Sergio “Sirenito” Perez (28-15, 9 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature for the vacant North American Boxing Federation (NABF) junior welterweight title.

Undefeated junior welterweight prospect “Magic Man” Luis Olivares (6-0, 4 KOs) will be showcased in a six-round bout against Tony “Sugar Boy” Walker (5-3-1, 3 KOs). Also fighting on the undercard in six-round matches are undefeated Puerto Rican junior middleweight Emmanuel “Pirata” De Jesus (8-0, 5 KOs) vs. Antonio Fernandez-Chaves (4-13-2), super bantamweight Thomas “KO” Snow (16-1, 10 KOs) vs. Nate Green (4-0, 1 KO), and welterweight Donte Strayhorn (3-1) vs. Sam Moura (0-2). Scheduled to fight in a four-round female match is pro-debuting bantamweight Mafato Kamogawa vs. native Michelle Cook (0-0-1).

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Live performers include Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Troy Ave, Tony Yayo, Nyemiah Supreme, Pop Dallas and Nyemah Supreme. Ms. Irene Renee will sing the National Anthem.

Tickets, priced at $350.00, $125.00, $85.00 and $35.00, are available to purchase by calling Resorts World Casino NYC at (718) 215-2828, or visiting www.etix.com/ticket/online/venueSearch.jsp?venue_id=9244. The $350.00 ticket holders will also receive a pair of autographed SMS Street by 50 Cent on ear headphones.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET, first bout scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Following a hugely successful debut show, the Nordic Fight Night will return to the MusikTeatret, Albertslund on February 15. Local hero Patrick Nielsen (21-0, 10 KOs) will headline an action-packed show that will also feature his younger brother Micki Nielsen (11-0, 9 KOs).

The undefeated WBA & WBO Intercontinental Champion is relishing a return to his hometown arena where he defeated Jose Pinzon (24-6, 15 KOs) in front of a sell-out crowd in November.

”It meant a lot to me to fight in my hometown,” said Nielsen. ”I can’t wait to do it all over again. To look out and see all my family and friends cheering me on gave me a real boost and I am sure it will be the same in February. Pinzon was a tough guy. He hit hard and kept coming forward but I knew if I stuck to the game plan I had worked on with my trainer Joey Gamache I would get him out of there. I am happy that I did.”

An opponent for the 22 year-old middleweight is yet to be announced but Nielsen is confident that he will be up to any challenge that comes his way. ”I am putting the work in, training hard in the gym and listening to all of Joey’s advice. I will be ready for whoever is put in front of me. I am looking forward to starting the year with another big win in front of my home fans.”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland is also looking forward to a return to Albertslund. ”We are delighted to be bringing the Nordic Fight Night back to Albertslund,” said Sauerland. ”The atmosphere inside the MusikTeatret was incredible for the last show and I am sure it is going to be the same on February 15. 2014 is going to be a big year for Patrick as he comes ever closer to a world title shot. What better way to kick it off than with a fight in front of his home crowd?”

As always the Nordic Fight Night will feature an exciting undercard showcasing the very best of Danish, Swedish and Norwegian boxing. Tickets are on sale now and available at billetnet.dk. More information including undercard fighters and opponents will be announced shortly.

December 16, 2013 – This past Saturday night in Cancun Mexico, Golden Boy Promotions super-featherweight prospect, Miguel Flores (13-0, 8 KOs) remained unbeaten with an impressive knockout, destroying Jorge “Escorpión” Rodríguez (15-7-0, 6 KO’s) at the Arena Quequi, Playa del Carmen in Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Flores controlled the action from the opening bell, using his jab to set up his combinations. The scheduled 8-round bout ended in the third round when Flores landed a double left hook to the body that sent Rodriguez to the canvas in which he could not continue.

“I was an honor winning my first fight in Mexico,” said Flores. “I was born in Mexico so I wanted to show the fans their that I’m a fighter worthy of their praise. I worked very hard for this fight and the results showed in the fight. I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions and my management team for keeping me busy.”

“My goal is to capture a regional title in the upcoming year.” Flores continued. “I’m learning more about my ability every time I step in the ring. With each fight I’m getting better and better. I’m looking forward to a great 2014.”

Hackensack, NJ (December 16, 2013) – Wednesday, December 18 2013 is a day that Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn hopes he’ll reminisce about for the rest of his life.

Gunn, a bare knuckle boxing legend who won multiple cruiserweight titles, fought a number of top fighters and participated in controversial fights, could spend hours talking about the trials and tribulations of his career.

“It’s no secret that my career’s been controversial,” stated Gunn, who was born in Canada but resides in New Jersey. “I’ve had a few fights stopped early, opponents switched on 24 hours notice, fought multiple times in hostile territory, sparred with more than 25 world champions when I was a young prospect and boxed all around the world. There was a lot of craziness that I have been a part of and that’s not even including my bare knuckle fights.”

Even with all he’s witnessed and been a part of, winning the WBU Cruiserweight championship Wednesday evening at Sands Casino in Bethlehem, PA against former Fighter of the Year and boxing great Glen Johnson would be the icing on the cake.

“Beating Glen Johnson is going to be the best memory of my entire pro or amateur career and would even top winning the bare knuckle championship. Johnson is one of the most underappreciated fighters in boxing history and he viciously knocked out my original opponent Roy Jones Jr. A victory on Wednesday evening would be the highest point of my career without question.”

With the proposed Roy Jones Jr. matchup moved multiple times prior to Jones Jr’s withdrawal, Gunn’s been a gym rat since the summer. The 39 year-old is in great condition and believes his extended training camp will be a big part of what leads him to victory.

“I’ve never spent so much time in the gym for one fight. In a way, it’s a blessing everything that went down with the Roy Jones Jr. situation because we had a lot of changes. What that means is I had the opportunity to work on everything in camp and I had tremendous sparring. Mark my word, I will be victorious Wednesday evening because this is The Gunn’s time!”

December 15, 2013 – Gary Shaw of Gary Shaw Productions and Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing are happy to announce an agreement has been reached for rising heavyweight contenders Bryant Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs) and Artur Szpilka (16-0, 12 KOs) to meet in a 10-round showdown on January 25 in New York at Madison Square Garden Arena.

The undefeated pair will meet in an HBO-televised doubleheader, headlined by “Mikey” Garcia’s first defense of his WBO Super Featherweight Championship. The fight will mark the HBO debuts of both fighters.

Co-promoted by Antonio Leonard Promotions, Philadelphia’s Jennings, currently ranked #5 in the WBA and #4 in both the WBC and IBF rankings, will be returning from a seven-month layoff for this fight. Jennings who’s managed by James Prince, who also manages Andre Ward, was last seen in June of this year (his only fight of the year) stopping Russia’s Andrey Fedosov in round six. After competing five times in 2012, the time off has left Jennings eager to get back into the ring.

“It feels like I’ve been caged up for so long,” said Jennings. “I feel like I have all of this intensity built up inside of me and nowhere to release it. My hunger is so strong that not even killing it in the gym is an escape anymore and the only way to satisfy my hunger is to binge, January 25th will be a buffet. With every minute that passes it’s like my hunger grows and that is bad news for Artur Szpilka.”

Warsaw, Poland’s Szpilka, who’s co-promoted by Warriors Boxing and Ulrich Knockout Promotions, is currently rated WBA and WBC #14, was last seen in August, completing a two-fight ESPN-televised series with tough guy Mike Mollo. Szpilka visited the canvas in both fights against Mollo before scoring the KO with his super punching power from the southpaw stance.

“I look forward to the challenge,” said the popular Szpilka of the Jennings fight. “I have been improving with every fight and I am ready for anyone in the world. To take away his ratings in the world by beating him will move my career forward, so that is what I will do.”

“This is an incredible matchup between two undefeated heavyweights on the rise, they are both prideful countrymen and they are both on the fast track to the top,” said Gary Shaw. “Jennings has been on the radar a bit longer, but Szpilka has made a dent over the past year. This fight could steal the show based on the complementary nature of their styles. Bryant could’ve taken a lesser fighter with a more well-known name, or even one of the fading veterans still hanging around the heavyweight division, but instead he decided to get back in the ring and face a strong test. It’s a testament to both his dedication and competitive nature, I think it’s also foreshadowing for the kind of champion he will eventually be.”

“Artur makes all of his fights exciting by fighting to the level of his opponents, so prepare to see the best Artur Szpilka anyone has yet seen in the ring,” said Leon Margules. “He’s a tough Polish fighter with a dynamic style and a charismatic personality. A victory over Jennings will go a long way toward making him the star he was born to become.”