Long Island, New York (February 16, 2022) – Long Island Is buzzing with excitement as “Rockin Fights” is set to return for its 41st edition on March 18th. Adding to the buzz, Star Boxing is excited to announce the return of “THE JACKPOT” TYRONE “PRETTY BOY” JAMES (Elmont, NY 11-0 8KO’S) against JIMMY “QUIET STORM” WILLIAMS (New Haven, CT 18-6-2 6KO’s) in an 8 round super welterweight showdown for the ABO North American Championship.

James, who is on a five-fight knockout win streak, returns to the ring after being sidelined due to the COVID induced hiatus, using the time to recover from an elbow injury that required surgery. The undefeated Elmont born super welterweight brings captivating energy and flash to each fight, backed by significant skill and power.

“The return of the Jackpot will be something you do not want to miss,” said James. “I’m back ladies and gentlemen and it’s for a belt. Make sure to purchase your tickets and witness me The Jackpot, Tyrone Pretty Boy James win his first title CHA CHING!”

Williams will be James’ toughest test to date. The 26-fight veteran is coming off a major victory over former world champion Yuri Foreman in June of 2021, earning the ABF USA Super Welterweight Title. Williams followed up this performance with a well fought challenge of the WBC USNBC Title against the tough Greg Vendetti in September, falling short by split decision. Williams resume also includes world title challenger Abel Ramos and rising star Brandun Lee.

Star Boxing CEO JOE DEGUARDIA had this to say about James-Williams, “It is great to be able to get Tyrone back in the ring with the opportunity to not only fight for the ABO title, but the chance to test his metal against a tough veteran in Jimmy Williams.”

The James-Williams ABO North American Title bout will play support to the previously announced battle of the undefeated in the “Rockin’ Fights” 41 main event pitting #6 world rated super bantamweight OLEH “THE UKRAINIAN PITBULL” DOVHUN (Pittsburgh, PA 13-0 5KO’s) defending his NABA title against challenger and Brazilian banger MICHEL “BABU” DA SILVA (Sao Paulo, Brazil 13-0 12KO’s) over 10 rounds in the super bantamweight division.

The James-Williams bout is promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing in association with CES Boxing.

TICKETS:
Tickets to #RockinFights at The Paramount are now available at ticketmaster.com or by visiting www.starboxing.com. Tickets start at $50. Purchase your tickets, HERE.

Temple student Daiyaan Butt (10-1, 5KOs) is living the dream.

As a first grader, he stood in front of his classmates on career day and declared he would become a boxer. When asked “why a boxer?” He responded he regularly watches Mike Tyson and Roberto Duran with his father which inspired his dream.

Butt will go toe-to-toe with Bryce Mills, of Liverpool, NY, (7-1, 4 KO’s) at Live! Casino & Hotel in South Philadelphia on Thursday, February 24.

  A boxer is not the only way that Butt wants to be remembered. He wants to be more than just a boxer. When asked about his hopes and dreams in boxing, Butt responded: “I don’t want to be labeled as just a boxer,” citing Muhammad Ali as an example. He wants to us his platform to make this world a better place.

As a junior at Temple University, Butt is studying Management Information Systems (MIS). He wants to be the leader of his own career inside the ring and outside the ring. He wants to use what he is learning at Temple University in their Fox School of Business and apply it to the business side of boxing.

With a great understanding with how money and finance works he will be able to make sure he understands his value and getting what he deserves. He enjoys learning new things, but enjoys it more when he can it apply it in everyday life.

Butt admits getting his hand raised is a great accomplishment in the ring, he also loves learning new skills in the gym and applying it the next sparring session or fight is just as gratifying.

ADDITIONAL Q&A with DAIYANN BUTT:

What is the biggest life lesson you have learned in boxing?

“You can’t take anything for granted in life in general but boxing taught that because in boxing it only takes one punch and that translates to life, next thing you know you could be on top of the world and then a your nobody.”
Is there current or former fighters that you took pieces of their style from and implemented into your style?

“Yes and no, yea obviously I look at great fighters and different fighters and take what they do and see if it works for myself but at the end of the day you have to be your own fighter and different person. You do not want to be a factory car and be the same as everyone else, you want to be your own person a little different, a little spice and twist in it. Yea I watch fighter and I’ll take little things that they do but you have to put your own style and twist with it. My style is a pure boxer puncher.”

The live boxing event, which is produced in partnership between Joe Hand Promotions and Russel Peltz, will feature a six round heavyweight bout between Sonny Conto (8-0, 7 KOs) out of Philadelphia, PA going up against Mike Marshall (6-2-1, 4 KOs) fighting out of Danbury,

Super lightweights Christopher Burgos (3-4-1, 1 KO) of North Philadelphia, PA will battle Carlos Marrero (2-6-3) out of Bridgeport, CT in a six round bout.

Another bout on the card is a six round featherweight contest between Justice Bland (5-1, 2 KO’s) out of Brooklyn, NY going up against D’Angelo Fuentes (6-0, 4 KOs) fighting out of Coconut Creek, FL

Also on the card is a four round lightweight bout featuring Jordon Murphy (1-0, 1 KO) out of Deerfield Beach, FL going against Nasir Mickens (2-0, 1 KO) out of Philadelphia,

For press credentials contact Bam McCloskey at Brittany@JoeHandPromotions.com.

Tickets at $50, $75 and $125 are on sale now at https://philadelphia.livecasinohotel.com/events-and-shows/joe-hand-boxing and at AXS.com or by calling 215-364-9000. Must be 21 or older to attend.

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CONTACT: Ike Richman // ike@richmancommunications.com

About Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
Voted Best Overall Gaming Resort in Pennsylvania by Casino Player Magazine, Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia has transformed the South Philadelphia Stadium District into a nationally unrivaled one-stop destination to enjoy the fast-paced action of four major professional sports teams, memorable entertainment, premier dining, well-appointed hotel accommodations and world-class gaming. Conveniently located off I-95 and I-76, the facility features more than 200 luxury hotel rooms that are Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ with Forbes Travel Guide, a FanDuel® Sportsbook and Lounge, over 2,100 slots and electronic table games, and 150 live action table games, including a dedicated poker room. New dining and entertainment options include the Zagat-rated #1 steakhouse The Prime Rib®; Luk Fu, serving authentic Asian cuisine; Sports & Social Philly, a one-of-a-kind sports restaurant, gaming venue and social lounge; the 10th Street Market, a unique food hall featuring Guy Fieri’s Taco Joint and Guy’s Burger Joint; Philadelphia-favorites Lorenzo and Sons Pizza, Termini Bros. Bakery and Sang Kee Noodle Bar & Kitchen; Morty’s Deli and Luckie’s Liquor. A spirited nightlife scene at Center Bar and R Bar rounds out the Live! experience. The property offers more than 15,000-square-feet of customizable meeting and event space, as well as ample, secure parking. Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia was developed and remains owned and managed by Stadium Casino RE, LLC, an affiliate of The Cordish Companies,?the premier developer of Live!?dining, entertainment, gaming, hotel and sports-anchored destinations in the country. For reservations, call 1-833-472-5483 or visit?Philadelphia.LiveCasinoHotel.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – @livecasinophl

ORANGE, CA (February 16, 2022) – Undefeated lightweight, Ruben “Ace” Torres (17-0, 14 KOs), who headlines Thompson Boxing’s “New Blood” event this Friday, February 18, 2022, against Cristian Mino (20-4-2, 17 KOs), has more on the line as the bout will now be for the WBC USNBC title.

Torres has been one of the most active fighters since the start of the pandemic having fought six times. He’s knocked out seven of his last eight opponents and looks to extend on that KO streak this Friday.

“This is huge, and it gets me one step closer to being a major contender in the division,” said Torres with excitement when hearing the news. “Now I’m set to put forth a performance that is worthy of holding a WBC belt, which will be great for the fans. I am ready to emerge as one of the new faces of boxing. I see all the big fights happening in the lightweight division and I am patiently waiting for my time to prove myself. Friday is one step closer to becoming a world champion.”

“Ruben Torres has worked extremely hard and it is rewarding to see him at 24-years-old, fight for his first regional title,” said Alex Camponovo, GM of Thompson Boxing. “We believe in Ruben and see him as a future force of the lightweight division, and someone who is on pace to be a world champion!”

“New Blood” will take place at the Doubletree Hotel Ontario, CA. Doors open at 6:30 pm PT with the first fight starting at 8:00 pm PT. Tickets priced at $50, $75, and $100, are only available for purchase at the door. Fight fans will be able to watch all Thompson Boxing fights, weigh-ins, and behind-the-scenes content, via their new Mobile App downloadable on Apple and Google.

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Beto Duran will operate as the blow-by-blow commentator with expert commentary by Doug Fischer. Jessica Rosales will serve as the onsite ringside reporter.

This event is sponsored by Thompson Building Materials, transforming spaces in beautiful places; Omega Products International, the leading stucco manufacturer in the United States; Henry / Fortifiber, moisture system control as easy as 1,2,3, and Makita, rule the outdoors.

For more information, regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. You can also follow the conversation on social media, please use #ThompsonBoxing.

Please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson
Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 16, 2022) — Super middleweight contender Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga went the distance twice last year following 16 first-round stoppages to begin his pro career. After surgery to repair a torn biceps suffered last October against Marcelo Esteban Coceres, Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) will make his 2022 debut Saturday, March 19 in a 10-rounder against Steve Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs) at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

The Brooklyn-born Berlanga is ready to begin a new knockout streak against Rolls, a Canadian veteran who has a pair of knockout wins since a 2019 TKO defeat to Gennadiy Golovkin.

The Night of Young Stars —Berlanga-Rolls, Keyshawn Davis-Esteban Sanchez, and Xander Zayas-Quincy LaVallais — will be broadcast live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets starting at $51 are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or MSG.com.

This is what Berlanga had to say at his Las Vegas training camp.

“I think 2022 is going to be a big year for me, and I can’t wait to kick it off in my first main event in New York. I learned a lot from my last fight, and I’ve been working really hard on correcting my mistakes. After my surgery, I chose to do my rehab out here in Las Vegas so I could not only do physical therapy with the best team in the business, but also focus 100 percent on boxing. The fans are going to see big things from me this year beginning March 19.”

“Having my first main event at home is amazing. I’m ready to show everyone what I’m made of. I want people to see that I can sell out an arena. I don’t need to have a title or a big-name opponent to sell tickets. I have a fanbase, and everyone is going to see that on March 19.”

“I’m proud to represent New York City and Puerto Rico. I want to be the next great Puerto Rican champion. My first memories of boxing are watching Tito Trinidad fight as a little kid, and I want to give the Puerto Rican people someone that they can be proud of.”  

LAS VEGAS, NV (February 16, 2022) – 24-year-old undefeated bantamweight prospect, Oswaldo Garcia Rojas (14-0-1, 11 KOs), has left his hometown of Cancun, Mexico to pursue his boxing dream. He arrived in Las Vegas and will now train with “Bones” Adams.

“I need to get the best possible work, sparring, and training I could get, and that is why I am now at Bones Adams Gym,” said Rojas. “I want to be a world champion, so to do that I had to go to the place of world champions, Las Vegas, Nevada. To be great, it means you must sacrifice, and I am willing to do the uncomfortable things to make my dream work.”

Rojas, a big puncher, is known for his tremendous power that carries from the first to the last round. He impressively has a knockout in the sixth round, something that many prospects don’t see early in their career.

“We’re getting him adjusted to the system him, Oswaldo is really excited to get going, and we’re working on some things,” said former two-time super bantamweight world champion and boxing trainer “Bones” Adams. “We want to get him ready for what is ahead, but also stay focused on getting better, day-by-day, because in boxing, it is easy to get distracted by bigger goals and lose sight of what needs to be done. We’re creating good habits in the gym right now and the hard work will show when he steps in the ring.”

“Having a coach who won a world title in the same division I want to win a world title in makes me listen to his every word,” continued Rojas. “I have a lot of respect for my team because they have accomplished a lot and my goal is to be a Mexican boxing legend and have great fights the fans remember.”

Rojas is currently in the gym training and awaiting a fight date.

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 16, 2022) – Two outstanding world-championship showdowns. Four of BELLATOR MMA’s best pound-for-pound fighters. One highly anticipated rematch. The promotion’s all-time greatest athlete striving to avenge a highlight-reel loss to the company’s homegrown superstar. A tournament final awarding a seven-figure jackpot to the victor.

BELLATOR’s fourth phenomenal fight card of 2022 promises to be one for the ages.

Fresh off a 117-second destruction of his upcoming opponent and claiming the $1 million bounty at the BELLATOR MMA Featherweight World Grand Prix Finale, unbeaten BELLATOR Featherweight World Titleholder A.J. McKee (18-0) hopes to take the next step toward becoming the sport’s greatest fighter as he battles former top pound-for-pound and two-division champion Patricio Pitbull (32-5) for the second time in less than nine months on Friday, April 15, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT live on SHOWTIME.

In the co-feature of BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., current 205-pound BELLATOR MMA World Champion Vadim Nemkov (15-2) will defend his title for the third time and aims to take home the $1 million prize three days before U.S. Tax Day when he squares off against the surging No. 1-ranked contender Corey Anderson (16-5)in the BELLATOR MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix final.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2 go on sale this Friday, Feb. 18 at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com with a special presale starting the day prior.

Additionally, four preliminary bouts have been announced including a mouthwatering matchup between two highly ranked heavyweights as No. 5-ranked Tim Johnson (15-8) faces surging No. 6-ranked Tyrell Fortune (11-2, 1 NC) in a rematch from BELLATOR 239. Their first fight ended with Johnson securing a win that earned great consideration for the 2020 KO of the Year. The preliminary bouts will stream live three hours earlier at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV.

In their historic initial matchup at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., McKee stunned Pitbull by landing a punishing left leg kick to the head at 1:40 of the opening stanza at BELLATOR MMA 263 on July 31, 2021. The champion then continued the onslaught by unleashing a series of brutal unanswered head shots that floored the Brazilian legend.

Moments later as McKee prematurely raised his arms in celebration, Pitbull rose from the depths of defeat only to be greeted by a fighter hell bent on stealing his crown and claiming the $1 million prize. With the 25-time BELLATOR MMA veteran backed up against the fence, MMA’s brightest young brawler locked in a guillotine choke. With Pitbull seeming to lose consciousness, referee Mike Beltran halted matters at 1:57 of the opening frame.

“Hosting the world’s best mixed martial artists in the great city of San Jose is something that has been important to me during my career as a fight promoter and I’m happy to continue that with our card on April 15,” BELLATOR President Scott Coker said. “The rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio Pitbull for the featherweight title, as well as our Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final featuring Vadim Nemkov against Corey Anderson are two fights that could headline any event on their own, but we are bringing both to SAP Center at San Jose on the same night to show the fans here that we truly value their support throughout the years.”

A native of Long Beach, Calif., BELLATOR’s top-rated pound-for-pound fighter has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on him since his professional debut three days following his 20^th birthday. Armed with six knockouts and seven submissions, the Team Bodyshop product, who will turn 27 eight days before his rematch against Pitbull, has shown a knack for securing lightning-fast finishes with 10 coming in the first round. “Mercenary” has earned dominant victories over every fighter who has opposed him, including former World Champions Pitbull, Pat Curran, and Darrion Caldwell, who McKee submitted with a rare-modified neck crank that was later dubbed the “McKee-otine.” The winner of the 2020 Submission of the Year Award for his 71-second annihilation of Caldwell has fought a total of 33 rounds across 18 career contests (1.8 rounds per bout), while logging less than 41 total minutes in the BELLATOR cage since turning pro in August 2012.

One half of the vaunted Pitbull Brothers duo, Patricio has long been considered the crown jewel of BELLATOR MMA, where he currently sits at No. 3 in the BELLATOR MMA men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Holding a remarkable 32-5 record with wins over elite competition, including the likes of former World Champions Pat Curran, Juan Archuleta, and Daniel Straus (twice). In 2019, the 34-year-old Brazilian captured the BELLATOR Lightweight World Championship from Michael Chandler, becoming only the second BELLATOR athlete to hold two titles simultaneously. With 23 finishes in 37 professional fights, Pitbull has shown repeatedly that he possesses the well-rounded skillset required to reign over multiple weight classes.

Currently BELLATOR MMA’s second-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Nemkov captured the BELLATOR MMA light heavyweight crown by defeating Ryan Bader via second-round TKO at BELLATOR MMA 244 in August 2020.  Riding a nine-fight winning streak dating back to June 2016, the ferocious 29-year-old sports seven first-round knockouts, with two in the initial minute of action. After successfully defending his light heavyweight belt by earning a tough unanimous decision over Phil Davis, the pride of Belgorod, Russia and Fedor Emelianenko protégé scored a fourth-round submission of late replacement Julius Anglickas in the semifinals of the BELLATOR Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix during his last outing on Oct. 16, 2021.

Anderson, of Robbinsville, N.J., has ascended to the top of the BELLATOR 205-pound rankings by vanquishing seven of his past eight opponents, including a third-round stoppage of Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov at BELLATOR MMA 257 on April 16, 2021. Exactly six months later at BELLATOR MMA 268, the Rockford, Ill., native walked into the cage to the spellbinding sounds of The Doors’ “Five to One,” and took the song title literally by knocking out Arizona State University wrestling legend Ryan Bader in 51 seconds in front of Bader’s hometown crowd at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz.  In his first promotional appearance, “Overtime” registered a second-round TKO over Dutch kickboxing legend Melvin Manhoef at BELLATOR MMA 251 in November 2020. Prior to joining BELLATOR, Anderson tallied a 10-5 record with a rival promotion, winning “The Ultimate Fighter 19” tournament in 2014, and boasting impressive wins over Glover Teixeira, Jan B?achowicz and Johnny Walker, among others.

Additional bouts will be announced soon.

BELLATOR 277: McKEE VS. PITBULL 2 MAIN CARD:

Friday, April 15 – live on SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT 

Featherweight World Championship: C–A.J. McKee (18-0) vs. No. 1-Patricio Pitbull (15-5)

 Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Final: C-Vadim Nemkov (15-2) vs. No. 1-Corey Anderson (16-5)

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Heavyweight Bout: No. 5-Tim Johnson (15-8) vs. No. 6-Tyrell Fortune (11-2, 1 NC)

Welterweight Bout: No. 10-Kyle Crutchmer (8-1) vs. Michael Lombardo (12-2, 1 NC)

Welterweight Bout: Shane Keefe (2-0) vs. Tyson Miller (2-0)

140-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Gaston Bolanos (5-3) vs. Cass Bell (5-2)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities

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Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 // BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Fri. Mar. 12 // BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis, Mo.

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

FRANK WARREN AND Queensberry are delighted to announce the signing of professional featherweight and former Team GB graduate Raven Chapman.

Currently 2-0 (1 KO), Raven, known as ‘The Omen’, joined the professional ranks in September 2021 following a productive amateur career that yielded two National titles, as well as recognition by both Team England and GB Boxing.

Due to the delay following the outbreak of Covid-19, the 28-year-old declined the opportunity to participate in the Olympics and opted to set the ball rolling on a new venture in the paid ranks under the guidance of manager Stefy Bull.

Raven insists she is a far more formidable proposition in a professional ring.

“My style was never the amateur GB style, and as much as I tried to adapt it, it just wasn’t natural for me,” explained the featherweight. “Most of my success was when I was boxing how I box, which funnily enough is much more like the pro style. That is why I think it has been quite a good transition for me because I feel more natural, I like to plant my feet and throw big shots, but I am busy and aggressive as well, and I like to move my head a lot too.

“I have loved the pro game so far, it felt like it was where I was meant to be. I’ve fought on a couple of big platforms and I know it is what I want,” added Raven, who believes BT Sport and picking up the baton from the retired Nicola Adams is the place to be.

“Going with Frank and BT was such a big pull for me because I didn’t want to be following in someone’s footsteps. Like Terri (Harper) and being in her shadow, which could have happened because she is my team mate. But I want to pave my own way, do my own thing and bring more women’s boxing to Queensberry and BT.

“More people are watching women’s boxing now and actually realise that we can box, we can fight, it is entertaining and people want to see it. I am looking forward to showing the fans that we are good to watch and hopefully we can bring in some new fans. We are here to stay, we want to make a statement, I definitely want to make a statement. I want to rule the featherweights and I think that with Queensberry I have a very good platform and great opportunities to get there.”

Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren added: “I am thrilled to add Raven to the Queensberry ranks and add an exciting dimension to our shows on BT Sport that has been missing since Nicola’s retirement as a current world champion.

“Raven is a top prospect who will make rapid strides in the sport and her moves will be deservedly captured by our broadcast partners BT Sport. Women’s boxing is ever-increasing in terms of depth of quality and this was always key to long-term success.

“I am looking forward to the journey with Raven and I am confident she will reach the very top.”

Images are free to use, please credit: Queensberry Promotions.

Philadelphia (February 16, 2022)–Championship boxing comes to Live! Event Center at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia as undefeated rising star Christian Tapia takes on Luis Lebron in a 10-round contest for the WBC Super Featherweight title on Saturday night, March 12th.

The card is promoted by Hard Hitting Promotions.

Tapia of Coamo, Puerto Rico, has an impressive record of 13-0 with 12 knockouts. The 27 year-old is a five year veteran who has stopped his last eight adversaries. On July 31, 2021, Tapia won the NABA Super Featherweight title with a 2nd round demolition over former world-ranked contender Mason Menard (36-5). In his last bout, Tapia took out previously undefeated and highly regarded Iron Alvarez (14-0) in the 10th and final round on December 4, 2021 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In that fight, Tapia dominated the previously undefeated Alvarez, as he was up on all cards with Alvarez barely winning a round, before Tapia ended the fight in the 10th.

Lebron of San Juan, Puerto Rico is 18-2-1 with 11 knockouts. The 28 year-old Lebron is a nine-year veteran has wins over Glenford Nickey (2-0-1), Pedro Marquez Medina (1-0), Joshua Santos (2-0-1), Manuel Botis (23-0-1), Alan Guzman (19-3), Luis Ruiz (9-1) and his last bout when he stopped Frank Diaz (9-0) in the 7th round to win the WBA Fedecento Super Featherweight title on November 20, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

Also seeing action will be super lightweight Brandon Pizarro (16-1, 9 KOs) of Philadelphia; welterweight Alex Perez (18-3, 10 KOs) of Newark, NJ; welterweight Dezmond Lucas (5-0, 2 KOs) of Bronx, NY; welterweight Tahmir Smalls (6-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia; welterweight Jan Carlos Rivera (4-1, 4 KOs) of Philadelphia; Pro debuting bantamweight Jeffrey Villanueva of Reading, PA and junior welterweight Anthony Ramirez of Connecticut.

Opponents will be named shortly

Ticket Pre-sale on Feb 17th with full on-sale on Feb 18th.

Tickets are on sale for $150, $100, $75 and $60 and can be purchased at
https://www.axs.com/events/426183/hard-hitting-boxing-tickets?skin=livecasinohotelphiladephia

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

As reported in this space yesterday, Mayweather Promotions’ 17-year-old junior welterweight prospect David Lopez was set to make his second appearance as a professional in a four-round bout against tough guy Corey Champion (2-3, 2 KOs) of Gordonsville, Virginia at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas next Saturday night. This bout will no longer take place on the undercard to the Showtime-televised tripleheader headlined by the WBA super featherweight title eliminator between Chris Colbert and Hector Luis Garcia. 

“Basically my original opponent pulled out,” Lopez updated 15rounds.com late on Tuesday night. “And they tried reaching out to many other opponents, but it was too short notice.” 

Finding opponents for Lopez (1-0, 1 KO) of Oakland, California is a tall task for any matchmaker with ample notice, much less a couple weeks’ notice. The internet is littered with his sparring sessions and freakish athletic gifts. 

“It was disappointing after hearing the news,” said Lopez, who admitted he was a bit angry when he first heard the news. “As a fighter, we put our bodies through a lot in preparation for our fights. All I can do is stay ready and keep my mind at peace. Stuff happens man.” 

No word yet on when Lopez will return to the ring after this late cancellation. Lopez reports that he is staying ready for whenever he gets the call. 

Photo by Michael Ham/TGB Promotions

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com or followed on Twitter @MarioG280

By Mario Ortega Jr.-

In the modern era of professional boxing it sometimes feels like some of the world’s best fighters are somehow pieced together in a lab, rather than naturally born and developed athletes. Some of these fighters that are so athletically gifted and excellently trained at a young age can make one wonder how anyone can compete if they did not have that same background. One young fighter that has those in the know comparing him to the top young fighters of recent times is 17-year-old child prodigy junior welterweight “Dynamite” David Lopez. The Alameda High School student takes a break from class next week to go for pro win number two on the undercard of the Showtime-televised event at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas on February 26th. 

Lopez (1-0, 1 KO) of Oakland, California comes from a fighting family and was first incorporated into the world of boxing at the age of 5 by his father Kris Lopez, a former promising fighter himself and proprietor of Lightning’s Boxing Club in Oakland. His older brother Daniel is also a fighter, currently making a comeback. The boxing bloodlines run deep as there is family in the boxing game in Hawaii and Kris’ great grandfather Elmario Santos was a fighter of some description himself.

“My grandmother used to always tell me stories about him jumping rope and chasing roosters,” recalls Kris Lopez. “That was what he did. It is very interesting that boxing is in our family. Boxing is definitely in our family, from my grandmother’s side to my uncle’s. They would arrange bootleg backyard fights, but when it got to me…I took it to another level. I sought out to become a legitimate fighter. I struggled with it a bit and got married early, and I kind of blew my career. Here I am years later, trying to right my wrongs with my kids.”

“Lightning” Kris Lopez, as he was known during his fighting days, appears to be on his way to accomplishing his fight career goals with how he has developed David. “He’s a special kid,” says his father unapologetically. “We knew when he was little, he was a little bit different and a special, rare kid. The things he could do as a small child, even as a two-year-old baby he was freakishly strong. As a six-year-old we challenged him to do push-ups and he did like 130 push-ups. Every time he got the ball on the football field it was a touchdown. He had great open-field vision, dexterity, athleticism, coordination, toughness, everything you can imagine for an athlete he has, including being humble and having a tremendous work ethic.”

The young Lopez developed a strong fan base as an amateur with his natural abilities, speed and learned skills. Videos of interviews from David’s early amateur run are all over YouTube and are something to watch. His speaking abilities and comfort level with media at around age 11 is something rarely seen in sports.  

“I used to hear my dad talk a lot and I pretty much just repeated after him,” says David. “Whatever my dad would say, I just learned from him. My dad is a businessman, he is a gym owner. I used to hear him with the clients and the people that would come into the gym and I just took a page out of his book.”

At just 17, Lopez finds himself signed to Mayweather Promotions, one of the most prominent promotional companies in the United States. Lopez was likely on the promotional firm’s radar for years, as sparring sessions and fights between Lopez and another prodigy and Mayweather understudy “Cash Flow” Floyd Diaz are something of internet legend. Once the pros became an option, Lopez’ team got a tryout in hopes of signing with “Money May’s” company. 

“Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, lined it up for me to spar with one of their signed fighters, Kevin Johnson,” recalls David. “It was good work and Leonard liked what he saw and we went from there.” 

Despite having a burgeoning fight career, David Lopez is still in high school attending class at Alameda High amongst the general population. “It’s cool,” says Lopez of the high schooler/boxer experience. “I get a lot of recognition from my friends and the teachers. They will say things like, ‘There goes the boxer’ or ‘There goes David “Dynamite.”‘ Other than that, it’s pretty normal. I’m still a normal citizen to myself. I’m just a professional boxer. It’s just a plus for me.”

Lopez turned pro in October of last year, and balancing his career and school was a little simpler during the pandemic. “The virtual learning and the zooms were much easier,” admits Lopez. “I got to wake up when I wanted to. As far as my schedule, I could go to the gym whenever and be in class at the same time. It was definitely easier.”

With in-person learning back in full-swing, Lopez has a different balancing act to perform, but he seems to be handling it well. “It’s pretty easy to manage,” says David. “I just go to school and get my work done. Whenever I have camps out in Vegas, I run it by my teachers and they give me extra work to do while I’m gone. That’s pretty easy to do.”

One of the main guys in camp with David is veteran pro and fellow southpaw Aaron Coley. David first began sparring Coley, a powerfully-built full grown man, in the early part of 2020 when he was probably just beginning to shave. “He would put him in at the tail end of the sparring,” recalls Coley (16-3-1, 7 KOs). “I had a few fights I was getting ready for and David would come in at the end.”

Lopez has been studying Coley’s game and learning what he can from the veteran, who is also trained by Kris Lopez. “He’s a very sharp fighter and he keeps my eye sharp,” David says of Coley. “The level of experience that he is on is very good. It’s a level of experience a lot of fighters don’t have, so every camp we try to get Aaron. He throws nice, in-tight punches and he’s able to get his head off the line and step around you. So definitely his in-tight work and I would say his punch selection and his work ethic [are what I emulate.]”

Coley, who turned pro in 2012, is equally complementary of Lopez. “He is sharp,” says Coley. “He is one of the better younger guys I have seen around. He’s fast and he has a lot of natural abilities. Then he comes in there and gets after it. The sky’s the limit for him. Some people are just made for certain stuff or bred into it. Like he is one of them guys. He can play everything too. He played other sports, football and is pretty good at hoop.”

Lopez’ hoop game got his name out there last year when he extended a public challenge for a one-on-one basketball game to his promoter, one Floyd Mayweather, on an episode of the Abrams Boxing Show podcast, hosted by our own Marc Abrams. It is a challenge that so far has not been accepted. 

“Not yet,” Lopez answers to the question of whether he has heard back from Mayweather. “It is going to come though. We are staying ready for it. We have been doing a lot of explosive training to dunk on him when that time comes, so I hope that Floyd is ready. He does a lot of cross training during his off-time and he always stays sharp and he’s always in the gym, so I’m sure he can hoop still.”

On February 26th, Lopez will return to the ring on the undercard of Chris Colbert-Hector Luis Garcia at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, taking on tough guy Corey Champion, a fighter with an MMA background and two distance losses to mega prospects Xander Zayas and Vito Mielnicki Jr. on his boxing resume. 

When it is presented to us, and they bring up Xander Zayas and Vito Mielnicki, and they both couldn’t knock him out,” Kris Lopez says of Champion (2-3, 2 KOs). “Those guys are both junior middleweights and couldn’t knock him out. This is a grown man, he’s coming down [in weight,] has never been knocked out and his two wins are knockouts. Why would you think my smaller 140-pound kid will knock him out? I know the answer to it: he probably can and he probably will. David has been knocking out 175-pound guys, knocking them out cold. But this guy, we are not going to underestimate him.”

Lopez has some sparring experience that will probably come in handy when fighting a rough MMA fighter with an awkward style. Another San Francisco Bay Area veteran often shares the ring with Lopez who is known for his rough and tough style, former welterweight contender Karim Mayfield. 

“He knows I am going to give him some rough, unorthodox work,” says Mayfield. “But when I was sparring him more and more, I saw him adjusting to some of the stuff I was doing. And I have been sparring for quite a few years and some people weren’t able to adjust to it. So that was a good look for me to see him adjusting to the unorthodox stuff, because that is stuff a lot of world champions couldn’t adjust to. He is going to excel and do well. Speed and power, the whole nine.”

The Lopez family continues a long boxing tradition of the father-son, trainer-fighter duo. “It’s great having my dad with me,” says David. “I know that I am safe and that my dad has my best interests. I think it is really cool that I get to follow my dreams with my dad. He’s a part of it and he’s taking me to where I need to go through his knowledge from what he has experienced in his past. It is definitely dope that my father gets to be part of this and is my trainer of course.”

The long road ahead gets one fight shorter next Saturday for the Lopez family and David Lopez the fighter. Although the journey is just beginning for the fighting wunderkind of Alameda High, all the ingredients appear to be there for a successful run and young David Lopez is ready to do the work required, beginning with Corey Champion in Las Vegas. 

“We are training hard and I am feeling as sharp as ever,” says David. “I can’t wait for February 26th to come.” 

Photos by Michael Ham/TGB Promotions

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com or followed on Twitter @MarioG280

Today’s scheduled World Boxing Council (WBC) purse bid has been avoided as Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) announces an agreement has been reached with Titov Promotions, which promotes undefeated mandatory challenger Evgeny Romanov (16-0, 11 KOs), of Russia, for WBC Bridgerweight World Champion Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas’ first title defense.

Under this agreement, GYM obtained the rights to promote Rivas’ first WBC defense. “We are very happy with this outcome,” GYM President Yvon Michel said. “I would like to thank Mr. Alex Titov for his co-operation. We intend to hold this world championship in June, in Montreal or possibly in Colombia, where discussions are currently taking place. It was important for us that Oscar defends his crown in a familiar environment.”

Trained by Marc Ramsey, Rivas captured the WBC World title last October 22, winning a unanimous decision over Ryan Rozicki (13-1, 13 KOs) at the Olympia in Montreal.

Colombia-native Rivas, who represented his country at the 2008 Olympics, became the first WBC World Champion in the history of the Bridgerweight Division. Romanov, for his part, became the mandatory contender by virtue of his 12-round dominance over compatriot Dmitry Kudryashov (24-5, 23 KOs) last May in Khimki, Russia. Romanov had an excellent amateur career, even registering a knockout victory over Deontay Wilder, the future WBC World Heavyweight Champion, in an international tournament.

“I am happy to be able to defend my WBC bridgerweight belt in familiar terrain and quickly,” Rivas commented. “I intend to keep this belt for a long time. In addition, whether my promoter GYM has obtained the rights to promote in my adopted city, Montreal, or in my native country, Colombia, I feel confident and surrounded by the best. It helps me stay focused on my goals.”

ABOUT THE YVON MICHEL GROUP (GYM): Groupe Yvon Michel is a professional boxing promotion organization, founded in 2004 by Yvon Michel, Alexandra Croft and Bernard Barré, all still active within the company, which is the most prolific organization in the history of professional boxing in Canada. Since its founding GYM has organized 160 events in Quebec, participated in 37 international galas outside of Quebec. Seven boxers became world champions: Joachim Alcine, Jean Pascal, Adonis Stevenson, Artur Beterbiev, Eleider Alvarez, Marie-Eve Dicaire and Oscar Rivas. Seventeen of the organization’s boxers have fought in 51 world championship bouts with an excellent record of 27 wins, 22 losses and 2 draws. During this period major American television networks were more active than ever in coming to Quebec to broadcast GYM’s most important events. On 35 occasions major American networks presented a GYM event, an exceptional showcase of Quebec knowledge including HBO (8), Showtime (7), ESPN2 (10), Wealth TV (4), Spike TV (2), ESPN (3), CBS (1) and NBC Sports (1).

Facebook: @groupeyvonmichel

Instagram: @groupeyvonmichel

Twitter: @yvonmichelGYM

GroupeYM

LOS ANGELES – A plethora of fantastic fighters armed with world-title aspirations have joined the stacked BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell card on Saturday, March 12. SHOWTIME will televise the mammoth main card live from inside the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Former title challenger and No. 2 ranked-John Salter (18-5), as well as undefeated BELLATOR MMA No. 3-ranked Johnny Eblen (10-0), and women’s No. 2 featherweight Cat Zingano (12-4) hope to take the next step toward BELLATOR MMA gold as they join the four co-headline brawlers currently ranked among the upper echelon of their respective divisions.

Featured among the magnificent MMA melees will be three of the top-ten middleweights, five undefeated and one unblemished amateur, four top-two contenders, and ten fighters ranked along with BELLATOR MMA’s elite.

In the main event of the evening, Adam Borics (17-1) and Mads Burnell (16-3), two featherweights currently tied at No. 2 in the official BELLATOR MMA rankings, will square off for a future shot at the BELLATOR 145-pound world title. In the co-featured bout, former BELLATOR Light Heavyweight Champion, 13-time BELLATOR veteran, and No. 2-ranked Phil Davis (23-6, 1 NC) will open his 2022 campaign against No. 4 Julius Anglickas (10-2), who most recently challenged for the 205-pound title. Additionally, the main card will spotlight an international lightweight extravaganza as undefeated New Alliance Jiu-Jitsu team member Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0) of Auckland, New Zealand, moves up in weight to meet Dagestan, Russia’s Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-2), who is coming off a first-round knockout in his promotional debut at BELLATOR MMA 263 in July 2021.

Prior to the consequential co-featured contests, a pair of top middleweights will round out the main card as Salter and Eblen square off for a shot at the winner of the upcoming world title bout pitting 185-pound Champion Gegard Mousasi against No. 1-ranked Austin Vanderfordat BELLATOR MMA 275 later this month in Dublin, Ireland.

Armed with an 8-2 BELLATOR record, Salter, a 15-year pro MMA veteran out of Nashville, Tenn., holds the promotional record for most submissions in BELLATOR MMA middleweight history, and has stopped 17 of his 23 opponents. Nicknamed “Diamond Hands” due to his love for crypto currency and willingness to hold onto his investments, Eblen is coming off a 71-second annihilation of Collin Huckbody at BELLATOR MMA 272 in December 2021. The six-time BELLATOR MMA veteran and American Top-Team product, who recently signed a six-fight BELLATOR contract extension, has secured six opening-round stoppages, including two of his three 2021 opponents.

In addition to the magnificent main card, a veritable cornucopia of pulsating preliminary punch ups will commence the preeminent night of action, including a Minnesota midwestern melee pitting former UFC title challenger and Winona, Minn., native Zingano against No.7-ranked lightweight Pam Sorenson (9-4) of Blaine, Minn.

Set to make her third straight BELLATOR MMA appearance with aspirations of challenging BELLATOR MMA Women’s Welterweight World Champion Cris Cyborg, Zingano has had a decorated fighting career. The former NCAA Division III All-American wrestler became the first mother to compete in the UFC and initial woman to capture the company’s “Fight of the Night” award, counting victories over Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes, Marion Reneau, and Gabrielle Holloway. Recently, “Alpha” was featured in the series “Double Duty” that chronicled the attempts to maintain a balance between the daily responsibilities of parenthood and earning a living as a pro athlete.

A former Invicta FC women’s featherweight champion, Sorenson started kickboxing after the passing of her best friend. After vacating her crown and requesting a release from Invicta in July 2021, the Minneapolis mauler signed a multi-fight deal with BELLATOR MMA in mid-2021. Soon after joining the pioneering company, the 35-year-old recorded a hard-fought split decision over Roberta Samad at BELLATOR MMA 264 in Uncasville, Conn.

Also featured will be a bruising brawl pitting two hard-hitting heavyweights with seven career stoppages apiece as No. 8-ranked Alex “Eazy” Polizzi (9-1) of Madison, Wisc., clashes with Team Pitbull’s Jose “Guru” Augusto (7-3, 1 NC). Additionally, San Diego, Calif. native, 11-time BELLATOR MMA veteran, and No. 6-ranked “Barbaric” Derek Anderson (17-4, 1 NC) will mix it up with submission specialist, BELLATOR Brazilian bruiser, and Japanese-born Goiti Yamaguchi (26-5), in a worldwide welterweight war.

Furthermore, added to BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell is a memorable middleweight match pitting undefeated, No. 6-ranked 185-pounder and owner of three consecutive stoppages Romero Cotton (5-0) of Hutchinson, Kansas, who will bravely battle the horrors of “The Boogeyman” Lance Wright (5-2). Moreover, former Division II All-American wrestler and fantastic featherweight Cody Law (5-0), fresh off his third opening-round finish, strives to avoid being scared off by “Phantom” Johnny Soto (5-2) of Escondido, Calif.

Continuing the unforgettable night of amazing action, undefeated welterweight and American Top-Team member Roman Faraldo (6-0) will make his fourth consecutive promotional appearance when he challenges BELLATOR MMA rookie Kelvin Rayford (5-3), while local combatant Jordan Howard (10-5) of Jefferson City hopes to thrill the Missouri faithful against Athens, Illinois’ own Trevor Ward (5-5). Two flyweights will test their skills as well, when Diana Avsaragova (4-0) of Russia welcomes Ashley Deen (5-6) to BELLATOR. Lastly, a Show-Me State lightweight showdown between BELLATOR beginner Dan Busch (4-1) makes his sixth straight Missouri appearance by confronting St. Louis’ Josh Augustine (5-2).

The thrilling preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell are on sale now at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com

BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell Main Card:

Saturday, March 12 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Featherweight Main Event: #2-Adam Borics (17-1) vs. #2-Mads Burnell (16-3)

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #2-Phil Davis (23-6, 1 NC) vs. #4-Julius Anglickas (10-2)

Middleweight Bout: #2-John Salter (18-5) vs. #3-Johnny Eblen (10-0)

Lightweight Bout: Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Featherweight Bout: #2-Cat Zingano (12-4) vs. #7-Pam Sorenson (9-4)

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Alex Polizzi (9-1) vs. Jose Augusto (7-3, 1 NC)

Welterweight Bout: #6-Derek Anderson (17-4-1) vs. Goiti Yamaguchi (26-5)

Middleweight Bout: #6-Romero Cotton (5-0) vs. Lance Wright (5-2)

Flyweight Bout: Diana Avsaragova (4-0) vs. Ashley Deen (5-6)

Featherweight Bout: Cody Law (5-0) vs. Johnny Soto (4-2)

Welterweight Bout: Roman Faraldo (6-0) vs. Kelvin Rayford (5-3)

Bantamweight Bout: Jordan Howard (10-5) vs. Trevor Ward (5-5)

Lightweight Bout: Dan Busch (4-1) vs. Josh Augustine (5-2)

*Card subject to change.

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 / / BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR MMA 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, IRE

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The SSE Arena, Wembley // London

****

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

BOSTON (February 15, 2022) – There are few family names in boxing, especially in New England, as universally revered as Hagler and Roach.

They are part of boxing royalty.

There is a new connection as James Hagler, Jr., the grandson of the late Hall of Famer Marvelous Marvin Hagler, has signed an exclusive managerial contract with Fighter Locker, owned and operated by the nephew of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, Boston-based Ryan Roach.

The plan is for Roach to have Hagler fight in Massachusetts, ideally in Brockton, the City of Champions in which Hagler as well as another Hall of Famer, Rocky Marciano, fought out of during their professional careers.

“I was looking for a manager and read about Ryan,” Hagler said. “I looked him up online, talked with him, and met him last weekend for the first time. He is not a greedy person. By far, he offered me the best deal I have ever received. He really wants to help me. Ryan’s a cool dude. I feel good about signing with him.

“Fighting someday in Brockton and Boston means a lot to me, because of my grandfather’s background, and that’s one of the reasons I signed with Ryan. My mother and father are from that area, and I still have a lot of family living on both sides living there. I’ll be the third member of the Hagler family to fight in New England, joining my grandfather and uncle (Robbie Simms).”?

Hagler and Roach.jpg
(L-R) – Ryan Roach & James Hagler, Jr.

“I’m excited to be managing James,” Roach commented. “Right away, I was interested in a fighter with the Hagler name. I spoke with James and he’s good kid who is all in. He wants to prove himself on his own and I get that, because I want to make it on my own terms, not my last name.

“We’re excited to get him fighting in New England. We’re going to do great things together. We plan on having him fight in Brockton, hopefully this summer, to bring boxing back to Brockton.”

The 31-year-old Hagler, who fights out of Atlanta, didn’t start boxing until he was 24. Why did he start so late?

“My grandfather didn’t want any of us (in the Hagler family) to box,” James explained. “I wanted to be a boxer since I was 3 or 4. He didn’t want anybody in his family to go through what he did in the Sugar Ray Leonard fight. My father (a boxing promoter in Atlanta) was an amateur boxer who fought in the Olympic Trials. He stopped boxing because my grandfather wouldn’t watch him fight. My father didn’t want to continue fighting.

“There’s a lot of pressure on me fighting because people expect me to be like my grandfather or want me to live up to the Hagler name. I feel good following in my grandfather’s footsteps. When guys fight me, it’s like their championship fight, because they want to say they beat a Hagler for bragging rights. I know that they will always have their best fight against me.”

James (2-1, 1 KO) had a relatively brief amateur career, fighting in Alabama and Georgia, and the southpaw made his pro debut December 14, 2019, in Ohio, when he stopped Michael Widmer in round one. He’s only had two fights since, winning one and losing the other, the latest this past November.

Hagler action.jpg
James Hagler, Jr. in action

Hagler will fight as a super middleweight for now, but he intends to campaign as a middleweight in the same division his legendary grandfather owned for so many years. He does have a dream fight in mind, saying, “I met Muhammad Ali’s grandson (Nico Walsh). I’d love to fight him someday.”

Fighter Locker’s growing stable of gifted boxers also includes California super flyweight Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (21-1, 6 KOs), New York’s ABF American West super lightweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (16-0, 11 KOs), Connecticut’s ABF USA super welterweight Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (18-5-2, 6 KOs), Colorado’s ABF American West super middleweight champion “The Amazing” Shawn McCalman (10-0, 6 KOs), Massachusetts super lightweight Adrian “Tonka” Sosa (12-0, 9 KOs), Florida super bantamweight Daniel “The Dedication” Bailey, Jr. (10-0, 5 KOs), Massachusetts featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. (4-0, 2 KOs), 2-time Brazilian Olympian & 2016 Olympic silver medalist Yuberjen Martinez, Brazilian Olympian Jorge Vivas, 2-time Dominican Olympian, lightweight Leonel de los Santos (5-0, 5 KOs), Dominican cruiserweight Roki “Rocky” Berroa (2-0, 1 KO), Dominican super welterweight Juan Solano Santos (1-0, 1 KO), Dominican featherweight Orlando Perez Zapata (10-0, 8 KOs), Dominican lightweight Isaelin Florian Henriguez (8-1, 4 KOs), Florida light heavyweight Robert Daniels, Jr. (6-0, 5 KOs), Irish light heavyweight Tommy “The Kid” O’Toole (3-0, 2 KOs), Texas super lightweight Miranda “La Alacrana” Reyes (5-1-1, 2 KOs), Massachusetts super featherweight Alex Rivera (3-0, 2 KOs), Kansas brothers, welterweight Marcus (3-0, 3 KOs) and super lightweight Marcell (1-0), and Utah brothers, ABF American West lightweight champion Ignacio Chairez (9-0-1, 5 KOs) and lightweight Gabriel Chairez (4-0-1, 2 KOs).

INFORMATION:

WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com

FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker, /jameshaglerjr

TWITTER: @RoachRyan

INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82, @JamesHaglerJr

ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER: Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.

Fighter Locker uses four creative steps because it believes in “the foundation is everything”: 1. wisely conceived, 2. creatively restrained, 3. Proudly judged, 4. sharply targeted.

(Feb. 15, 2022) — Three former world champions highlight an international fight marathon this Saturday, Feb. 19, live and exclusively on ESPN+. It begins with Breakfast and Boxing from RCC Boxing Academy in Yekaterinburg, Russia, as Zaur Abdullaev defends his WBC Silver lightweight belt in a 12-rounder against three-weight world champion Jorge Linares.

Linares-Abdullaev fight action begins at 9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT, which precedes the highly anticipated grudge match between former world champions Amir Khan and Kell Brook. Coverage of Khan-Brook from AO Arena in Manchester, England, starts at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT and includes the vacant WBO female junior middleweight world title bout between Natasha Jonas (10-2-1, 7 KOs) and Chris Namus (25-6, 8 KOs), English super middleweight champion Charlie Schofield (17-1, 1 KO) defending his belt in 10-rounder versus Germaine Brown (11-0, 3 KOs), and the heavyweight professional debut of British Olympic bronze medalist Frazer Clarke.

Linares (47-6, 29 KOs) has been a professional for nearly 20 years, winning world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight. During his lightweight run, he’s defeated the likes of Anthony Crolla and Kevin Mitchell while giving pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko a stern test before being knocked out in the 10^th round of their May 2018 matchup. Linares is coming off last May’s competitive decision defeat to rising star Devin Haney. Abdullaev (14-1, 8 KOs), who has won three fights since a TKO loss to Haney, earned the WBC Silver title last September with a unanimous decision over former world champion Dejan Zlaticanin.

ESPN+-streamed undercard action from Russia includes a 12-round WBA 130-pound title eliminator between Mark Uranov (20-2-1, 10 KOs) and Angel Rodriguez (19-1, 10 KOs), and Russian junior welterweight standout Ivan Kozlovsky (4-0, 2 KOs) in a 10-round test against Zoravor Petrosian (12-1, 5 KOs).

About ESPN+? 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3?million subscribers. 

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at?ESPN.com,?ESPNplus.com?or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

WARWICK, RI (February 15) – Wilson Mascarenhas (@illwill_) can hardly sleep these days. There’s a nervous energy as he prepares for the next big step in his professional boxing career this Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Mascarenhas, a native of Portugal who has lived in New Bedford, MA, since the age of 12, genuinely loves what he does in and out of the ring, so it’s understandable why one of boxing’s busiest fighters has a hard time settling down at night.

Fighting for the first time since he scored his first career knockout win in June, Mascarenhas (4-1, 1 KO) steps up to face Virginia southpaw Akeem Jackson (5-4, 5 KOs) (@action2xs) in the first six-round fight of his career Saturday at “Rhode Wars,” CES Boxing’s 2022 season opener.

“I’m excited,” said the 27-year-old super lightweight prospect. “I’m stepping up and getting out of my comfort zone. It’s an opportunity to give people more of what they want to see. I can’t wait to showcase my skills.”

One of New England’s fastest-rising stars – and, perhaps, most popular fighters – Mascarenhas keeps busy in his day job as a behavioral health case manager working with New Bedford youth from the elementary school level all the way through college to help them choose the right path in life. Right now, his primary focus is high school students; it’s a sense of pride for Mascarenhas to provide them with the guidance he didn’t have growing up.

“That definitely fuels my tank,” Mascarenhas said. “When I was younger, I was kind of all over the place trying to figure out my purpose. I didn’t have much of a father figure to lean on in life. I saw a lot of things growing up that I knew I didn’t want to go through. I wanted to take a different route. And I want the same for the students I mentor.”

Working with youth wasn’t always on Mascarenhas’ radar. At Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, he played several sports – including soccer, track, and wrestling, and also learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – while studying carpentry. Instead of entering the carpenters’ union after high school, he decided to continue to his education at Bristol Community College, where he briefly considered pursuing a career in sports medicine. Behavioral health eventually became Mascarenhas’ preferred path when he realized he could use his blossoming career in the ring to inspire others to chase their own dreams.

“I like what I do inside the ring and outside the ring,” Mascarenhas said. “I’m living my dream both ways.”

Whether in the ring or out in the field visiting schools, Mascarenhas’ energy is contagious. In just a short time, he’s become one of the region’s biggest draws, consistently bringing huge crowds wherever he fights. Back in June, while fighting outdoors under the bright, sweltering sun, Mascarenhas leaned on that support from his fans to get him over the hump midway through his battle with Connecticut’s Geoffrey Then. The end result was a sensational, third-round knockout win, the first stoppage of his career and his fourth consecutive win overall.

“As the heat started getting to me, I thought to myself, ‘This is what you prepared yourself for. This is what you signed up for.’ I knew I had to dig deeper,” Mascarenhas said. “I knew I had more in the tank. Having the crowd and the support behind me really boosted me and I was able to turn it up another notch. I knew I had it in me.”

While Mascarenhas has enjoyed nothing but success of late, his career got off to an inauspicious start in February of 2018 when he lost his debut to Miguel Ortiz of Springfield by unanimous decision. Mascarenhas fought hard and showed progress toward the finish, but lost every round on the scorecards. A setback like that can derail a fighter mentally, but losing actually Mascarenhas focus even harder. The possibility of dropping another fight no longer crosses his mind. Winning is the only option, and he’s continued to get better with each fight.

“I’m glad I took a fight like that in my first fight. It brought something out of me,” Mascarenhas said. “That’s something a lot of up-and-coming fighters won’t go through until they reach maybe their 10th fight, but I’m glad I experienced it early. I experienced defeat and didn’t like it one bit, so every time I get a fight now I have a different type of purpose.

“I don’t want to lose again. My hunger is different, my training is different, my self-drive is different – it brought a different type of ‘Ill Will’ out of me.”

Mascarenhas didn’t come this far to quit. There’s so much riding on each fight, whether it’s his own chase for championship glory, or the pressure being a positive role model for the students he mentors. Although he tasted defeat early in his career, Mascarenhas is now a proven winner both in and out of the ring. He’s promising an even stronger, more determined version of himself this Saturday as the quest for greatness continues.

“All of my opponents have been tough in their own way. It brings a different type of dog out of me,” Mascarenhas said. “I can’t wait for the 19th to see what this opponent brings out of me.”

Visit CESFights.com for more information. Updates on CES Boxing can also be found on Facebook in addition to Instagram and Twitter by following @CESBoxing.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions in the northeast and one of the few to successfully promote both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Launched in 1992 by longtime boxing judge Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the promotion is the only in professional boxing to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions in lightweight Jamaine Ortiz and featherweight Irvin Gonzalez. CES Boxing recently teamed with UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s No. 1 streaming platform for combat sports, to showcase its events to a worldwide audience, and worked as a promotional consultant for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view event in November of 2020.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel Providence-Warwick is the first choice of those seeking the best in accommodations, convenience, service and sophistication in Rhode Island. A nine-time winner of the Intercontinental Hotel Group’s Torchbearer Award, one of the most prestigious accolades in the hotel industry, the Crowne Plaza Hotel has 266 guestrooms and 45,000 square feet of meeting space. Whether you’re a business traveler seeking respite from a long flight, a family on vacation visiting nearby Newport, a trade association holding its annual convention, or a young couple planning a wedding, the Crowne Plaza is ready to satisfy your every need. Located 10 minutes from downtown Providence and two miles from T.F. Green Airport on a spacious landscaped 17-acre site featuring abundant, free parking, the Crowne Plaza Hotel is prepared to treat you like royalty.

Schenectady, NY (February 15, 2022) – For the first time since September of 2017, professional boxing returns to Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady on Saturday, April 9, 2022. Presented by Star Boxing®, the action-packed seven card fight night includes an epic battle for the WBC Continental Americas & NABA Gold Cruiserweight Title featuring Italy’s Simone Federici (18-2-1 8KO’s) and Ukraine native Lyubomyr Pinchuk (14-2-1 8KO’s).

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, February 15 at 10 a.m. Tickets start at $50 and will be available NOW at RiversCasino.com/Schenectady. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the fights start at 8 p.m.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring Capital Region fight fans what’s sure to be an unforgettable night of boxing action,” said Rivers Casino & Resort General Manager Rick Richards. “Star Boxing always puts on a spectacular show, with an amazing lineup of fighters, and this is a going to be a night fight fans will not want to miss.”

In addition to the Federici vs. Pinchuk Cruiserweight title fight, the fight nights undercard is packed with a stellar lineup. It includes a 6-round Light Heavyweight repeat battle between Dublin, Ireland’s own Tony Browne (5-1 1KO) and battle tested Italian, Matteo Deiana; an 8-round Super Lightweight bout featuring Omar “The Beast” Bordoy Jr. (11-1 3KO’s) and Victor Rabei (11-0 4KO’s); and more non-stop action with undefeated Irish Super Lightweight Ryan O’Rourke (8-0 1KO), Liverpool New York Super Lightweight prospect Bryce Mills (7-1 4KO’s), Super Welterweight prospect Wendy Toussaint (12-1 5KO’s) and welterweight prospect and son of boxing legend Roberto Duran, Robert Duran Jr. (9-1 7KO’s).

“We are thrilled to bring professional boxing to Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady on April 9,” said Star Boxing President and CEO Joe DeGuardia. “Star Boxing brings action packed, fan friendly fights from the opening bell. Be sure to join us and experience a terrific event!”

Fighter bios and photos available by request.

The Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady Event Center is just steps away from the casino gaming floor and The Landing Hotel. For more details about upcoming entertainment, and to make reservations at The Landing Hotel, please visit RiversCasino.com/Schenectady.
The Rivers Casino fight card is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing on April 9, 2022 at Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, NY.
Bouts subject to change

About Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady: Located at the picturesque Mohawk Harbor near the heart of downtown Schenectady, Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady features 1,050 slots, 67 live table games and a 16-table poker room and a live, in-casino luxury sportsbook lounge. The casino offers five distinctive restaurants—among them are Dukes Chophouse, Flipt, Johnny’s To-Go and Mian. Rivers features a multipurpose Event Center space, a lively entertainment lounge—Van Slyck’s, live music performances, free parking and daily promotions and giveaways. The Landing Hotel is a 165-room, six-story boutique hotel with riverfront views located adjacent to the Event Center. Rivers, which opened in 2017, employs approximately 1,200 team members and has been voted a great place to work in Schenectady. Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady is owned and operated by Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates. For more information, visit RiversCasino.com/Schenectady.

RockinFights.

FIGHT NIGHT TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE!
BUY TICKETS HERE!
TICKETS START AT JUST $50
FIGHT NIGHT: SATURDAY, APRIL 9 AT RIVERS CASINO SCHENECTADY

ROCKIN’ FIGHTS ARCHIVES:
Rockin’ Fights 38: Cletus Seldin vs Luis Flores NABA Title Bout
CLETUS “THE HEBREW HAMMER” SELDIN returned to the Paramount at “Rockin Fights” 38 to face off with late replacement LUIS FLORES in a WAR for the NABA Super Lightweight Title
Rockin’ Fights 35: Tyrone “Pretty Boy” James vs Ray Oliveira Jr.
TYRONE “PRETTY BOY” JAMES left his mark on “Rockin’ Fights” 35 with a vicious TKO victory over RAY OLIVEIRA JR. to remain undefeated

PLANT CITY, Florida (Feb. 15, 2022): ProBox Promotions will host its first event of the year as Kanat “QazaQ” Islam (28-0, 22 KOs), the two-time Olympian and 160-pound contender, faces his toughest test to date against former world title challenger Jimmy “Kilrain” Kelly (25-2, 10 KOs) in a 10-round battle for the WBO Global Middleweight Championship. The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 25 at Whitesands Events Center in Plant City, Florida.

Details regarding streaming information will be announced shortly.

Tickets for Islam vs. Kelly are on sale now and are priced at $60, $75, $100, $150, $200 and $250, excluding applicable services charges. Tickets are available for purchase at www.EventBrite.com or by clicking here.

Islam, a 37-year-old athlete who was born in China and is of Kazakh nationality, is a two-time Olympian who captured a bronze medal for his country of origin in the 2008 Games in Beijing. He is a fierce puncher with a 79% knockout ratio who pummeled his way through the junior middleweight ranks and captured various regional titles before defeating Patrick Allotey and handing Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook his first pro loss. Islam entered the middleweight scene with a win over ex world title challenger Walter “The Executioner” Kautondokwa, then scored a win over Jeyson “Verdugo” Minda in his last outing. Islam is currently ranked at #4 by the WBO. With a win over Kelly, Islam stakes his claim for a shot at a world title.

Kelly is a former world title challenger who, like Islam, has boxed professionally for about 10 years. The native of Wythenshawe, Lancashire, United Kingdom defeated some of the toughest contenders of his home country before challenging for his first world title against Liam “Beefy” Smith in an action-packed battle. Although he lost, the 29-year-old regained his stature in the division by scoring seven victories in a row before coming up short against Irish-born contender Dennis “Hurricane” Hogan in a tough fight. Now at 160 pounds, Kelly plans to establish himself as a threat within the division’s rankings.

In the co-main event, Mexican warrior Jose Miguel Borrego (19-3, 16 KOs) faces undefeated “Pistol” Pete Dobson (14-0, 9 KOs) of the Bronx, New York in a 10-round super welterweight fight.

Borrego is an experienced southpaw who has come to be known for his aggressive style. The 23-year-old faces a tough challenge against the 31-year-old Dobson, an intelligent boxer who has been on big stages, such as the Pacquiao vs. Thurman undercard in 2019. Both men promise to deliver fireworks in battle that looks to steal the show on Feb. 25.

Additional undercard information will be announced shortly.

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Islam vs. Kelly is a 10-round fight presented by ProBox Promotions for the WBO Global Middleweight Championship. The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 25 at Whitesands Events Center in Plant City, Florida. Streaming details for the event will be announced shortly.

About ProBox Promotions
ProBox Promotions is a Florida-based company founded by entrepreneur Garry Jonas out of a desire to incorporate his love of boxing and business marketing to develop a revolutionary way to promote the sport. The company boasts an impressive stable of fighters that includes Erickson Lubin, Mark Reyes Jr., Jose Miguel Borrego and more.

LAS VEGAS – February 14, 2022 – Undefeated rising star Chris “Primetime” Colbert will now square off against unbeaten Dominican Olympian Hector Luis Garcia in a 12-round WBA Super Featherweight World Title Eliminator headlining live on SHOWTIME Saturday, February 26 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The southpaw Garcia replaces WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Roger Gutierrez, who was forced to withdraw after a positive COVID-19 test.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast kicks off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will feature another unbeaten young phenom in the co-main event. Gary Antuanne Russell, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, faces former world champion Viktor Postol in a 10-round super lightweight bout, while IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Jerwin Ancajas defends his title against unbeaten Argentine Fernando Martinez in the televised opener of the loaded tripleheader.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com.

Representing his native Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (16-0, 6 KOs) has quickly shot up the 130-pound rankings, taking on high-level competition in his first 16 pro fights. Already established as a fighter with dazzling boxing skills, Colbert showcased his ability to fight toe-to-toe with an 11th-round stoppage of Jaime Arboleda in December 2020 before most recently besting Tugstsogt Nyambayar in July 2021. The 25-year-old turned pro in 2015 and defeated three unbeaten fighters in his first eight contests. Prior to the Arboleda fight, Colbert scored a highlight-reel first-round knockout against Miguel Beltran Jr. in September 2019 and a dominant 12-round decision victory over former champion Jezzreel Corrales in January 2020.

Tall and rangy with good power in his left hand and a dedicated body attack, the 30-year-old Garcia (14-0, 10 KOs) scored the most impressive victory of his career in his last fight, when he defeated Isaac Avelar by unanimous decision in December 2021. The 5-9 Garcia, who sparred with Devin Haney and Rolly Romero for the Avelar win, represented his native San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, in the 2016 Olympics before turning pro in December that year. Garcia is trained by the highly respected Ismael Salas, who has guided a long list of standouts, including Yordenis Ugás, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Nonito Donaire, and Jorge Linares. Garcia will be fighting for just the third time in the U.S. on February 26, having defeated Avelar in Minneapolis. He was zeroing in on facing a top contender in 2022. Now he will get his chance.

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #ColbertGarcia, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

ORANGE, CA (February 14, 2022) – Rising star, lightweight Ruben “Ace” Torres (17-0, 14 KOs), is wrapping up his training camp for his upcoming fight against Cristian Mino (20-4-2, 17 KOs), an 8-round bout headlining
Thompson Boxing’s “New Blood” event this Friday, February 18, 2022.

“New Blood” will take place at the Doubletree Hotel Ontario, CA. Doors open at 6:30 pm PT with the first fight starting at 8:00 pm PT. Tickets priced at $50, $75, and $100, are available for purchase by calling 714-935-0900, or online at ThompsonBoxing.com. Fight fans will be able to watch all Thompson Boxing fights, weigh-ins, and behind-the-scenes content, via their new Mobile App downloadable on Apple and Google.

Here is what Torres had to say about his recent training camp with coaches Danny Zamora and Javier Gomez, his matchup with Mino, and more.

On his recent training camp.

“We have had a great camp, good sparring, and working with a great group of people in the L.A. area. I’m ready to go to the next level in my boxing career so the big key is focus and conditioning. It can be the small things that ruin a fighter at this level, and I’m trying to be fully invested without leaving no stone unturned. My goal is to be a world champion, so my training camp is that of a world champion. All the hard work will pay off.”

On his matchup with Mino.

“My opponent Cristian Miro is a tough Argentine fighter, who is coming to take everything I have worked for. It is hard to find tape on him, so I am working on my fundamentals, staying in shape, and listening to my coaches, Danny Zamora and Javier Gomez. These are the fights that prove I am ready for the next level since I have to keep my focus and show the caliber fighter I am.”

On headlining Thompson Boxing’s “New Blood” event.

“I am very grateful to Thompson Boxing, they believed in me from a very early point in my career, and now I am ready to show them that they were right to get behind me. I have a loyal team in place and great family support. I am just starting to hit my prime and kick off a great start to 2022, I want to send a message to the boxing world that I am ready to be mentioned amongst the best of my division.”

On what a win will do for his career.

“A victory will get me one step closer to fighting in 10-round fights. I feel I’m ready to step up in competition and start my march up the rankings. A win will also help me get into bigger money fights.”

Beto Duran will operate as the blow-by-blow commentator with expert commentary by Doug Fischer. Jessica Rosales will serve as the onsite ringside reporter.

This event is sponsored by Thompson Building Materials, transforming spaces in beautiful places; Omega Products International, the leading stucco manufacturer in the United States; Henry / Fortifiber, moisture system control as easy as 1,2,3, and Makita, rule the outdoors.

For more information, regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. You can also follow the conversation on social media, please use #ThompsonBoxing.

Please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson
Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has confirmed the full fight card for BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley this Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. SHOWTIME will televise the phenomenal main card live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Additionally, nine thrilling preliminary fights will stream live three hours earlier on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3p.m. PT. 

In the main event of the evening, No. 4-ranked Neiman Gracie (11-2) will strap on the BELLATOR gloves for the 12^th consecutive time when he takes on former four-time collegiate All-American wrestler and No. 5-ranked Logan Storley (12-1) in a five-round clash of top-5 welterweights. In the co-featured bout, former BELLATOR Welterweight Champion and No. 9-ranked Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) will return to action and open his 2002 campaign against Alliance MMA product and owner of seven first-round finishes Chance Rencountre (16-4) of Pawhuska, Okla.

The updated and complete listing of bouts can be found below.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley are on sale now at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

BELLATOR MMA 274: GRACIE VS. STORLEY MAIN CARD:

Saturday, Feb. 19 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT 

Welterweight Main Event: #4-Neiman Gracie (11-2) vs. #5-Logan Storley (12-1)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: #9-Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) vs. Chance Rencountre (16-4)

Lightweight Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (31-12-1) vs. Adam Piccolotti (12-4)

Heavyweight Bout: #8-Davion Franklin (4-0) vs.#9–Said Sowma (8-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Lightweight Bout: Mandel Nallo (8-1, 1 NC) vs. Nick Browne (12-1)

175-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Brennan Ward (14-6) vs. Brandon Bell (10-10)

Bantamweight Bout: Jaylon Bates (4-0) vs. Chris Disonell (6-4)

Lightweight Bout: #9-Aviv Gozali (6-0) vs. Bobby King (10-4)

Flyweight Bout: #7-DeAnna Bennett (11-7-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-4)

Middleweight Bout: Jordan Newman (3-0) vs. Cody Herbert (2-0)

Lightweight Bout: Justin Montalvo (4-0) vs. Corey Samuels (3-2)

Featherweight Bout: Isaiah Hokit (0-1) vs. Theodore Macuka (1-2)

Welterweight Bout: Orlando Mendoza (0-1) vs. Jonathan Di Lorenzo (1-0)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

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Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 // BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

POMONA, CA (February 14, 2022) – Super lightweight rising prospect,
Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (4-0, 4 KOs), scored another impressive knockout this past Saturday, February 12, 2022, at the Commerce Casino, in Commerce, California, as he annihilated Marc Misiura (2-3-1, 1 KO) to keep KO streak alive. The fight was promoted by Red Boxing and Elite Boxing Promotions.

Mercado, who was looking to make a statement in this fight, came out firing and landed an explosive straight right hand to the head of Misiura in the first minuet of round one, sending him to the canvas. After getting up, Mercado followed up with a powerful right uppercut that dropped Misiura for the second time. Up again but now on wobbly legs, Misiura was met with an onslaught of punches from Mercado, forcing the referee to stop the bout in the later half of the opening round. Mercado is the first man to stop Misiura.

“I told everyone that I was going to make a statement in this fight by being the first person to stop Misiura, and I accomplished that goal,” said Mercado who had an incredible amateur record of 278-11 and was a 2020 Olympic alternate. “It was exciting fighting in front of all my fans and I’m grateful to Red Boxing and Elite Boxing Promotions for giving me this opportunity.”

Mercado has goals and aspirations to become a superstar in boxing and feels his time is coming where he’ll be fighting on a major network.

“I want to be recognized as the next great puncher in boxing,” continued Mercado, who stands 5’11. “I have the power to change a fight with one punch and that’s great for television. Everything is falling into place with my career, and I can’t wait to get back in the ring. Right now, I’m a promotional free agent, but I’m hoping by the end of the year, I’ll be fighting with one of the top promotions in boxing.”

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