Star trainers Freddie Roach, Robert Garcia and Andre Rozier join Chris Mannix in a new show on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel as they view the COVID-19 pandemic and the return of the sport ‘From The Corner’.
WATCH ROACH, GARCIA AND ROZIER TALK ALL THINGS BOXING WITH CHRIS MANNIX ON ‘FROM THE CORNER’ ON MATCHROOM BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW!
Boxing has been hit as hard as any sport as fighters kick their heels waiting to hear when they will be back between the ropes, and as the trio of the sport’s elite coaches told Chris Mannix, they know that they have a key role in how their fighters return at their peak.

Roach, Garcia and Rozier chewed the fat with Mannix for over 40 minutes and the group offer their expert opinions:

On the lockdown –

Garcia: “It’s tough, fighters fight for a living and without having any income coming in they have to look for support elsewhere. There are some fortunate fighters like Mikey Garcia and Manny Pacquiao that are getting big paydays but besides those guys, boxers are going to struggle especially if this goes on for four, five more months, fighters are going to be in trouble.”

Roach: “This has attacked the whole world, we weren’t prepared and it’s hitting us hard, it’s killed all sports. I’ve told my fighters, don’t get caught off guard, be ready. You have to be in shape at all time, because if you get the first call out and you say ‘I’m not ready yet’, that’s not going to go down well with the promoters.”

Rozier: “Maintain cardio, that’s really important. You are in the house, what do you do? You watch TV and you eat, and some of my guys eat and eat and eat. So, I am telling them to make sure they keep then roadwork going, do as much as you can. You’ve been taught everything in the gym already. Do your exercise, shadow box, just work, that’s all you can do right now. You have to be prepared because when we get back to a ‘new normal’, you have to be ready because the first guys that are ready to go will be the first guys to really go.”

On the importance of sparring –

Garcia: “I’ve thought about it and we cannot stop sparring. The guys need it. Like Freddie, I remember the days when I would spar every day, I think three days a week is enough now to get the rounds in. We don’t have to bring outside guys in really with the guys we have in there, but sometimes I’ll call the Wild Card and ask if there’s someone for one of my guys, and sometimes I’ll get the call from the Wild Card to send a guy over there. We won’t really have a problem as all the guys are living, eating and training together so it’s not going to affect us too much. Jose Ramirez always wants to spar Vergil Ortiz, because he gets the best work from him.”

Rozier: “Sparring is the essence of practice. I’m not saying your guys have to kill each other in sparring, but you have to formulate your attack plans, your footwork, your ring generalship and that’s how you gain your experience, by sparring. So, it’s going to be really difficult, the only good thing going on with my crew of guys is that they are so diverse that they can spar with each other, I don’t have to call guys in from outside.”

Roach: “Mike Tyson said to me one day ‘why do I have to spar with three different sparring partners? Can’t we make it fair and have me spar with one guy for the whole day?’ I said, ‘well Mike you know that’s not how it works’ but he tried to convince me! Mike was a character! He KO’d a lot of guys in sparring early in his career, but he wasn’t bad on them later in his career when he was with me. He said to me once, ‘Freddie, you don’t have to get up in the morning and do road work with me, I will do it myself anyway,’ and I said ‘yeah, I am just here to spy on you a little bit and make sure you get up!’”  

On boxing behind closed doors – 

Garcia: “it’s going to have to happen, like it or not. Boxing is going to change. Jose Ramirez for example told me that he’d rather not fight (without fans) but with things going the way they are going, he’s going to have to, there’s nothing else he can do. He doesn’t like the idea but what else are you going to do? Fighters that have already accomplished so much might be able to retire or those that haven’t been in the sport for long and aren’t making money could consider doing something else if they don’t like fighting without fans, but those that are in the position where the purses are already huge or they are in World title fights, they are going to have to fight, there’s no way they will make that sort of money. 

“Having millions of people watching on TV is just not the same as have the live crowd cheering your name, or against you which can motivate you, it’s something boxing needs but we’re going to have to deal with it and teach our fighters how to handle it. The gyms are going to change too, sparring sessions sometimes have lots of people in the gym but maybe that will be just the trainers and the fighters so that they can get used to this.”

Roach: “Gabriel Rosado had a fight in an empty arena in Phoenix and it was really hard to motivate him, we had to push him to fight after the Jacobs-Chavez Jr. fight had emptied the arena. It was unusual but at least he’s had practice at it. It was difficult for him to get his combinations going and get pumped up, there was no crowd just some officials, judges and the cornermen, that’s it – and we’ll have to get used to that for some time because that’s the path we’re on right now.”

Rozier: “Sergey Derevyanchenko and I spoke about it. I asked him about there being no fans and he’s such a nonchalant guy he just said, ‘it’s OK coach, I do what I have to do’. Fighters are going to have to make it work, you can’t say no, you have to fight. You can’t tell a promoter ‘oh I don’t have an audience so I can’t fight’. I’m praying we’ll be back eventually but to get the ball bouncing, we’re going to have to get in the ring in arenas by ourselves and Robert and Freddie and I will be the guys cheering the fighters on from our corners! The guys that are always in swing-bouts will be ready for this big time!”

Los Angeles, CA (April 30, 2020) Churchill Management led by Peter Berg, Mark Wahlberg and Sam Katkovski, has announced the signing of top junior lightweight prospect and 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas to a managerial contract. The 23-year-old Balderas, a native of Santa Maria, CA sports a record of 9-1 with eight knockouts and is promoted by Ringstar Sports and fights under the Premier Boxing Champions banner.

Said Balderas, “I’ve always dealt very well with adversity, every setback has always helped better me and propel me to the next level. In the long run I’ll come out on top.” After a scorching start to his professional career following the 2016 Olympic Games, the popular Balderas lost his first fight as a professional on December 21, 2019 to Rene Tellez Giron in Ontario, CA.

“I’m stepping it up inside and outside the ring and that’s why I’ve joined Churchill Management to help take me to the next level. They have a proven record of success with their fighters and I’m honored to be part of their team.” Balderas joins former WBA Junior Welterweight World Champion Regis Prograis, Welterweight Contender Alex Saucedo and undefeated middleweight prospect Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams as part of the Churchill Management Team.

Said Peter Berg, “Karlos Balderas’ vicious body attack and lightning speed combinations make him one of the most dangerous prospects in boxing. I’m very excited to start working with him.”

Continued Sam Katkovski, “I’ve been interested in working with Karlos since the 2016 Olympics. He has enormous talent and a possesses a million-dollar smile, he’s a marketer’s dream. I look forward to working with Premier Boxing Champions and Ringstar Sports towards building Karlos into a World Champion.”

Details on Balderas return to the ring will be announced in the near future.

TORONTO | NEW YORK – (April 30, 2020) – Fight Network, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. and the world’s premier combat sports network, announced today a partnership with Everlast Worldwide-the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer and licensor of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment-cementing the brand as the exclusive presenting sponsor of the all-new Protect Yourself at All Times program. The weekly series is set to debut later in the year and will air on Fight Network in the U.S. and Canada, and globally across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The network is available on many of the top U.S. video providers, as well as Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Fubo TV.

Fight Network is developing the new Protect Yourself at All Times (PYaAT) series in conjunction with consultant Adrian Clark, the multi-talented author, athlete representative, and entrepreneur who originally launched the initiative as a book, podcast, and video blog in 2016. Hosted by Clark, the 30-minute series will serve as a powerful tool to educate and inform fighters and their families on the nature of business in boxing, paired with invaluable insight from a variety of special guests and industry insiders.

“We are thrilled to partner with Everlast, the preeminent brand in boxing since 1910, on the development and launch of Protect Yourself at All Times,” said Ariel Shnerer, GM of Fight Network. “In addition to the series sponsorship, we look forward to working closely with the experienced team at Everlast on the development and promotion of boxing content on Fight Network globally. Protect Yourself at All Times is truly an investment into the future of boxing, focusing on fighter education and knowledge, and compliments other important charitable and educational causes spearheaded by Everlast and Fight Network, including the Dare To Defend program and Everlast’s Be First Campaign.”

The relationship between Fight Network and Everlast also includes teaming up with Fight Network’s web and social platforms to sell Everlast products, which are hitting all-time high sales records as people re-engage with the value of boxing skills in their fitness programs, and the two companies will also collaborate on further content development.

“We’re proud to partner with Fight Network on the next phase of Protect Yourself at All Times,” said Chris Zoller, VP of Everlast. “Athletes in other major sports have had the luxury of having resources like education & services during and after their athletic careers. Adrian Clark and Fight Network have created a platform with PYaAT to fill that void in boxing, and Everlast is excited to be a part of it.”

“Everlast has been supportive of Protect Yourself at All Times since its beginning stages,” said Adrian Clark, founder of Protect Yourself at All Times. “I am thankful for their continued support. We have some amazing things on the horizon at Fight Network.”

About Fight Network
Fight Network (www.fightnetwork.com) is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available on many of the top 20 video providers in the U.S., Fubo TV, all major carriers in Canada, Roku and Apple TV devices across North America, Sky TV in the UK and over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. FN Studios has produced critically acclaimed series, including Retrospective, After the Fight and Diary. Fight Network is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc., a leading global sports and entertainment media company. Fight Network also operates Dare to Defend, a non-profit organization aimed at addressing the issue of domestic violence and gender inequality.

About Everlast Worldwide
The preeminent brand in boxing since 1910, Everlast is the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer and licensor of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment. From legendary champions Jack Dempsey and Sugar Ray Robinson to current superstars Dustin Poirier and Deontay Wilder, Everlast is the brand of choice for generations of world champion professional athletes. Built on a brand heritage of strength, dedication, individuality and authenticity, Everlast is a necessary part of the lives of countless champions. Based in Manhattan, Everlast’s products are sold across more than 75 countries and 6 continents. For more information, visit www.everlast.com.

ENGLISH CHAMPION WELTERWEIGHT Ekow Essuman has signed a promotional agreement with Frank Warren to fight under the Queensberry Promotions banner.

The former decorated amateur – who reached the Podium Squad within the Team GB set-up – has now reached 13-0 as a professional, with five of those wins coming via KO.

The Nottingham man took possession of the English title in October 2018 with an impressive stoppage victory over Andy Keates before perhaps his most notable win arrived in March 2019.

The redoubtable former British champion Tyrone Nurse was selected for a voluntary defence of his belt and the man known as ‘The Engine’ showed just why by edging his more experienced opponent over ten rounds.

The most recent defence of the now 31-year-old came back in November at York Hall when he ventured down south to put his belt on the line against the previously unbeaten Curtis Felix Jr. Essuman inflicted a first defeat on the home fighter with an eighth round stoppage and now has the British title firmly in his sights.

“I am ecstatic, really ecstatic,” said Essuman on joining forces with the Hall of Fame promoter. “I have been a pro since 2016 after missing out on the Olympic draft – even though I was on GB and fighting across the world – and I have got myself to English champion and defended against someone like Tyrone Nurse to getting myself into position for a British eliminator.

“So I am thrilled to be coming on-board with Frank Warren now and he is the perfect person to take my career and showcase it to the public. I want to show people what I am about because I have been going under the radar a bit, although it has worked out in my favour at the same time because when fighters get matched up with me now it will be too little, too late to know everything about me.

“I have been on one Frank Warren show before in Leicester and that was a wicked experience as well. Now I have this fantastic opportunity and it has come just at the right time, with it being the perfect platform to show what I can do.”

The British welterweight title – currently held by Chris Jenkins, who is set to defend against former champion Johnny Garton – represents a next logical ambition for the Botswana-born Essuman. The welterweight jigsaw is one he has been keeping close tabs on and wishes to figure prominently in, preferably with a fight against a famous fighting name.

“I’ve been watching them closely for a while now, back when Garton was fighting against (Gary) Corcoran and before that. The weight division is really busy and I love it because to reach the top of a division like this you really have to have earned it.

“It is not an easy weight to reach the top in, but I am all about it, giving out that free smoke and taking people on their word. It doesn’t matter where it goes down because the cream will always rise to the top.

“I’ve been told that I will be fighting Liam Taylor in a British eliminator, Jenkins will defend his title against Garton, with Connor Benn being the mandatory for them.

“After I do my bit and put myself up the next mandatory I will get to face my good friend Connor Benn, although we are not actually friends!

“I have sparred him a couple of times then I saw him when my friend Derrick Osaze won the Ultimate Boxer and we spoke about the British scene and whether we would meet. It was interesting. I’ll put it like this, I can’t wait to fight him and I will make sure I put myself in that position.”

——-

Watch Ekow Essuman’s first interview as a Queensberry fighter on The Lockdown Lowdown here

Patzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico (April 29, 2020) Former Junior Middleweight Champion of the World, ‘King’ Carlos Molina and King Carlos Promotions in association with Roy Jones Jr. Promotions presents an evening of world class professional boxing on Saturday, May 23 from Patzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico.

The unique ‘behind closed doors’ five-bout event will be streamed LIVE on the YouTube and Facebook pages operated by King Carlos Promotions starting at 7:00 p.m. EST/4:00 p.m. PST.

“I’m very excited to promote and fight on this event in Patzcuaro,” said Molina. “This is the seventh event my promotional company has presented except this time there won’t be any fans in attendance. We’re working with the local commission and taking very strict medical precautions far beyond the typical boxing event to ensure the safety of the fighters, their teams and the event production staff.”

Formerly the holder of the IBF Junior Super Welterweight World Title, Molina, sporting a record of 31-11-2 with ten knockouts will face Michi ‘El Matador’ Munoz (27-10-1, 18 KOs), of Leon, Mexico in the ten-round junior middleweight main event. The 36-year-old Molina is now in his 17th year as a professional. A winner of three of his last four bouts, Molina hits the ring following a tenth-round knockout of Nestor Garcia on February 14, 2020 in Patzcuaro, Mexico.

Among the victories on Molina’s ledger include wins over Cory Spinks, Ishe Smith and Kermit Cintron. He also fought to draws with Erislandy Lara and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Munoz has been a professional for sixteen years including battles with notables; Maciej Sulecki, Vanes Martirosyan, John Duddy, Bronco McKart, Carson Jones and Joey Gilbert.

Co-featured will be an eight-rounder between Eric ‘The Baby-Faced Assassin’ Walker, (20-2, 9 KOs), of Plaquemine, LA and Nestor Fernando ‘La Chispa’ Garcia, (23-20-1, 17 KOs), of Queretaro, Mexico. Walker is on a three-fight winning streak, most recently winning an eight-round decision over Damian Ezequiel Bonelli on December 7, 2019 in Dearborn, MI. In 2018, Walker won three bouts in the 2018 reboot of The Contender series, losing only to the eventual champion Brandon Adams.

In a special attraction battle, top undefeated middleweight prospect Shady Gamhour, (12-0, 9 KOs), of Pensacola, FL via Broby, Sweden clashes with Mexican battle-tested veteran Juan Sergio ‘El Castor’ Torres Perez, (7-9, 6 KOs), of Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. Gamhour will be making his first start of 2020 following two big wins last year. On July 20, 2019, Gamhour travelled to Gelendzhik, Russia where he stopped Temirian Raimkulov in the seventh round. Following up on October 18, 2019, Gamhour knocked out Joshua Weems in the fourth round in Columbus, OH.

Heavyweights will see action in a scheduled eight rounder as undefeated Russian prospect Rashid Akzhigitov, (10-0-1, 7 KOs), now fighting out of Pensacola, FL faces Hugo ‘Tremendo’ Lomeli, (21-15-1, 15 KOs), of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Rounding out the card, super welterweight veteran Alejandro ‘Pajaro’ Davila, (19-1-2, 7 KOs), of Mexico City, Mexico will face an opponent to be announced in an eight-rounder.

HUGELY POPULAR STOKE middleweight Nathan Heaney has signed a promotional agreement with Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions.

Known as ‘Hitman’, the 10-0 Heaney fought on a Queensberry show – and delivered an impressive performance – back in November at Arena, Birmingham where he overcame Nelson Altamirano via a fifth round stoppage.

His most recent encounter, shortly before lockdown in mid-March, saw him defeat Christian Schembri to claim the vacant IBO Continental super middleweight title on his home patch of the Kings Hall in Stoke.

In June 2019, the now 31-year-old won the vacant Midlands Area belt on points after edging Tom Stokes over 10 rounds.

Heaney’s public profile has been notably increased in recent months by the social media release of his ring entrances in front of his passionate Stoke fans bellowing out the Tom Jones 1968 hit ‘Delilah’.

The ring walk and raucous atmosphere has captured the imagination and Heaney hopes his exploits result in major TV shows finding their way to his home town now he is under the promotional navigation of Frank Warren.

“It is like a childhood or young adult’s dream for me,” said the lifelong Stoke City supporter. “When I was a young amateur years ago and you had the dream of winning an ABA title and that sort of stuff, the whole idea behind it was so you could get signed by Frank Warren in the end.

“That was my goal all the way through. So it is like a dream come true for me to be signed by Frank Warren. He has always been the top dog and there is no-one else like him, so this is a dream for me.

“It is a strange one because I know Frank normally signs young fighters but, while I am 31, I am a young 31 and was a late developer as well growing up. I think that is why the seniors were always tough for me in the early part of my amateur days, just because I didn’t have that man-strength.

“I genuinely now feel like I am a 24-year-old and have, one hundred per cent, got some good years left in me,” he added, before suggesting his social media stardom can only help in propelling him to the next level.

“The video that went viral of me recently means people across the country recognise my name a little bit more, but I have also been performing well and I won the Midlands Area title against a good kid, while being matched really well.

“So while I’ve got the entrance and all my supporters, luckily I can fight as well. It would be horrible to have all this support and not be able to back it up in the ring.

“I think they can really do something with my crowd because I believe the occasions to be amongst the most exciting in the UK. They don’t stop singing all the way through, they are loyal as anything and I really believe Frank Warren and Queensberry can build something around my support – I really do.

“I will wait to see what the plans for me are in terms of what titles to go for and who they want me fighting. Be it Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool – I know I will take a lot of people with me.”

While plans are, indeed, being drawn up down promotional corridors, Heaney himself has recently become something of a target for fellow 160-pounders with several call-outs coming via social media channels.

“It’s funny because at first I thought they were just calling for me because they thought they could beat me, but then I realised. There is a lad down south – I don’t want to mention his name – who keeps mentioning me and I know why he’s doing it.

“When you mention the Stoke lad they know they will sell loads more tickets. It is like using my name and my supporters to basically jump start their careers, whereas I had to put the graft in and build up my following.

“They are just trying to jump on the train. If they had half a football backing and their supporters knew they were fighting a lad from Stoke, they would sell hundreds more tickets.

“I replied saying ‘pay your dues to the professional game, win some ranking points and then I will happily sort you out. Until then stop talking about me because my missus is getting jealous!'”

“I’ve got a few fighters wanting to fight me now so I won’t be short of opponents when we get going again.”

Daniel Jacobs is targeting Super-Middleweight champions Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders as he told the latest episode of Matchroom Boxing’s Podcast ‘The Lockdown Tapes’ the steps he needs to take to reach the hall of fame.
 ‘THE LOCKDOWN TAPES’ PODCAST WITH DANIEL JACOBS IS ALSO ON MATCHROOM BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW!
Jacobs (36-3 30 KOs) took his first step on the path to two-weight World glory in December when he defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on a wild night in Phoenix, Arizona, with Jacobs marking his arrival at 168lbs by forcing Chavez Jr to retire on his stool after five rounds.

The ‘Miracle Man’ held the WBA Middleweight strap in 2014-16 before a close unification battle with Gennady Golovkin and then regained his World championship status in 2018 landing the IBF strap and putting that on the line in a Cinco de Mayo showdown in Las Vegas last year, with that clash with the Mexican megastar the final night at Middleweight for Jacobs.

Liverpool man Smith is regarded as the top dog in the Super-Middleweight division, holding the WBA and Ring Magazine belts while Saunders picked up the WBO crown having made his own move up from 160lbs. All three fighters are promoted by Eddie Hearn, and Jacobs hopes that a World title bout with either champion can be made so he can stake his claim for the hall of fame – but before he gets to them, he has an itch he wants to scratch first, in the shape of Gabriel Rosado, the brash Philadelphian that has been poking at Jacobs for a showdown.

“I want to be a Hall of Famer one day and winning a belt in this weight division is what I need to do to achieve that,” said Jacobs. “You are going to see the best version of Daniel Jacobs now and I’m looking at the likes of Callum and Billy Joe, both of those fights make sense.

“Looking at my track record I have really fought some good guys in the last two years. I have been able to face the best in the division in my era and that’s what makes me most happy.

“It only makes sense for me coming into this division to fight the very best,” said Jacobs. “I want to be able to prove that I am the best. As well as wanting the big fights, there is also the fights where you want to settle the debt which is what I have always said about that little nag Gabe Rosado. If we were to fight in New York or Philadelphia then great, it’s onwards from there. He is just a hater who wants my position.”

Jacobs’ position is a healthy one, with lofty rankings across the board putting him in prime shape for a World title crack when boxing returns. The 32 year old recognizes that return is up in the air and says he’s open to the prospect of fighting behind closed doors while sport takes a back seat to the ongoing health crisis – with Jacobs happy to put his trust in promoter Eddie Hearn, with whom he signed his deal with back in September 2017 to become the Essex-based promoter’s first American signing and the catalyst for the Matchroom Boxing USA expansion, to guide him through the latest chapter of his remarkable career.

“I would like to fight this year, but we don’t know at this time,” said Jacobs. “We don’t know how long this process is going to take. Fighting behind closed doors would be a strange experience but if I felt that the fans wanted to see me fight then I would make that sacrifice for them, it would be cool.

“It was Eddie’s slick hair and nice suits that drew me here! I loved the appeal of how Eddie looked after his fighters and it was a great opportunity to be the first signee of Matchroom Boxing USA, I couldn’t ask for a better situation, being a part of this has been epic.

“I will always have my involvement in the sport, whether that’s commentating or having my own fighters and I will know when it is my time to explore those new things in my life. Firstly, I’ll be giving it a good go in the Super-Middleweight division.”

Fans can find Jacobs’ episode of ‘The Lockdown Tapes’ plus previous episodes with Joshua Buatsi, Devin Haney, Joseph Parker, Josh Warrington and Joe Cordina here:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-matchroom-boxing-podcast/id1506174562

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YRAWQS5JXB0OvM8vCqZxq

Matchroom Website: https://www.matchroomboxing.com/lockdown-tapes-podcast/

Marc Castro cannot wait to get his pro career underway when boxing returns and in the latest episode of ‘Peleamundo’, the hot prospect says he has the best team backing him to guide his journey to the top in promoter Eddie Hearn and manager Keith Connolly.
EPISODE TWO OF ‘PELEAMUNDO’ IS ON MATCHROOM BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW!
Castro announced he was turning pro with Hearn and Matchroom Boxing USA ahead of the huge fight night in Dallas in February, with the Briton winning the race to land the amateur standout who as an amateur boasted a record of 177 wins and 7 losses with a stellar 48-1 record in international and national competition, and in addition to being a two-time Amateur World Champion, Castro is a 16-time National Champion, three-time National Silver Gloves champion, and two-time National Junior Olympics Champion.

The 20 year old will be eager to hit the ground running after the enforced hiatus on the sport, and the amateur sensation feels confident that with Hearn and Connolly behind him, he can reach his goals.

“It feels really good to sign with such a great promoter like Eddie,” said Castro. “He gave me what I asked and it’s such a great opportunity for my professional career

He gave me everything I wanted and he’s honestly the future of the Sport. My family and I feel really good with Eddie. He feels like family.

“It feels good to have Keith as my manager because he is someone in the sport who has experience in the big fights but also has prospect like Nikita Ababiy and Reshat Mati. He has a lot of respect in the boxing world.

“I think I’m going to have a great career. My dreams are finally coming true with this and all my family has sacrificed so much. So, it’s so important to me to earn money and take care of my family.

“I want to be World champion, to unify the divisions, be a fighter of the people that they remember me as one of the great Mexican fighters and that they think of me when they think of Boxing. And that’s a lot right now but that’s what I’m thinking of achieving step by step.”

There is still one piece of the jigsaw that Castro has to put in place before he steps through the ropes, and that’s his trainer. One man in the frame is Ring Magazine trainer of the year Eddy Reynoso, who also appears in the second Peleamundo, and trains Castro’s longtime friend Ryan Garcia.

“I trained with Eddy Reynoso 2019 for a month,” said Castro. “He’s a great trainer. He has Canelo and everything. It was a great honor to train with him. 

“Ryan is a good friend. We’ve been friends since we were kids. He’s honestly more like family. His parents and siblings and also mine. We’ve been friends since 10-11. We’ve always been very close. We’re always training together, and our families are close, so we know each other well.”

Castro is the latest future star to appear on ‘Peleamundo’ and he appears on the show along with Reynoso and his exciting WBC World Flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez.

NEW YORK – April 28, 2020 – SHOWTIME Sports will continue to present classic bouts from its vast archive of world championship fights every Friday night at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME throughout the month of May. SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS will also be available via the SHOWTIME streaming service and SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®.

The May SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS line-up highlights some of the biggest names in boxing in a slew of signature fights, including the 2017 blockbuster pay-per-view event Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor. Every Friday night, viewers will be able to relive classic encounters from all-time greats such as Mayweather, Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe and more, as well as the stars of today including Premier Boxing Champions fighters Errol Spence Jr., Leo Santa Cruz, Keith Thurman and more.

The scheduled is as follows.

• Friday, May 1 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
  • Kell Brook vs. Errol Spence Jr.
  • Spence vs. Lamont Peterson

Friday, May 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT

• Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter
• Thurman vs. Danny Garcia
• Friday, May 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
  • Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana I
  • Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor
• Friday, May 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
  • Kostya Tszyu vs. Ricky Hatton
  • Joe Calzaghe vs. Jeff Lacy
• Friday, May 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
  • Leo Santa Cruz vs. Carl Frampton II
  • Santa Cruz vs. Abner Mares II

Combat sports analysts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell will host live companion episodes of their digital talk show MORNING KOMBAT on the Morning Kombat YouTube Channel for select SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS telecasts. They will watch the fights along with viewers, give their real-time reactions and take questions from fans throughout the replay. Viewers can follow along and participate in the discussion by using the hashtag #FightFromHome.

A synopsis of the bouts featured on SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS is listed below.

Brook-Spence(May 27, 2017, Spence KO 11) – Spence goes into enemy territory and takes the IBF Welterweight Title away from Sheffield, England’s own Brook in an all-action affair at Bramall Lane in Sheffield. Brook’s left eye is badly damaged from Spence’s powerful punches and that proves to be the deciding factor in the bout. By the end of round nine, Brook’s left eye is grotesquely swollen and in round 10, Spence drops Brook with a flurry of punches. The 27-year-old Spence pours on the pressure in round 11 and with Brook’s eye in serious condition, he takes a knee on his own accord. Brook gets up at the count of 9 but referee Howard Foster waves it off, much to the disappointment of the 27,000 fans in attendance.

Spence-Peterson (January 20, 2018, Spence TKO 7) – Undefeated welterweight world champion Spence retains his IBF title with an impressive stoppage of former two-division champion Peterson. In his first defense since dethroning Brook, Spence outboxes a tough Peterson from start to finish, showcasing a wide array of skills, speed and power. The fight is ends prior to the start of the eighth round after Peterson’s trainer, Barry Hunter, calls for the stoppage.

Thurman-Porter (June 25, 2016, Thurman W 12) – In an old-fashioned Fight of the Year candidate, undefeated welterweight world champion Thurman defends his title and edges out former world champion Porter in a close but unanimous decision scored 115-113 by all three ringside judges at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The two fighters throw over 1200 punches combined in the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® on CBS event.

Thurman-Garcia (March 4, 2017, Thurman W 12) – Thurman unifies boxing’s glamour division with a split-decision victory over Garcia, defending his WBA belt and picking up the WBC crown on boxing’s biggest stage in primetime on CBS. The close affair, which was only the third time undefeated fighters met to unify the 147-pound division, is scored 116-112 Thurman, 115-113 Thurman and 115-113 Garcia. Thurman comes out swinging and is the busier and more accurate fighter in nine-of-the-12 rounds. Garcia picks up the pace in the final rounds, but it’s too little too late for the previously undefeated Philadelphia native.

Mayweather-Maidana I (May 3, 2014, Mayweather W 12) – Mayweather prevails with a hard-fought majority decision victory over Maidana to become the WBA and WBC Welterweight Champion in front of over 16,000 fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. For a moment, it seems like Maidana could do the unthinkable and hand pound-for-pound champion Mayweather the first loss of his brilliant career with his suffocating and blazing style. Instead, Mayweather’s defense and punching accuracy allow him to pick up his 46^th consecutive win with scores of 114-114, 117-111 and 116-112.

Mayweather-McGregor (August 26, 2017, Mayweather TKO 10) – Floyd Mayweather ends his historic career in style with a convincing technical knockout victory over UFC mega-star Conor McGregor in an unprecedented global sporting event that delivers 4.4 million domestic pay-per-view buys, second only to Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao in 2015. The 40-year-old Mayweather, fighting for the first time in 714 days, punishes McGregor with a series of blows to end the fight in the 10^th round. Mayweather goes out on top, becoming the first boxer to finish his career at 50-0, eclipsing the record he had previously shared with the legendary Rocky Marciano.

Tszyu-Hatton (June 4, 2005, Hatton TKO 11) – In front of 22,000 screaming fans, a largely unproven but hungry Ricky Hatton announces his entry to the upper echelons of the world boxing scene by recording an 11^th-round TKO over one of the world’s top pound-for-pound boxers to win the IBF Junior Welterweight World Title. After 11 rounds of boxing marked by Hatton’s signature stamina, aggression and heart, Tszyu’s corner decides to retire before answering the bell for the final stanza in one of the most memorable upsets British boxing has ever seen.

Calzaghe-Lacy (March 4, 2006, Calzaghe W 12) – In the most anticipated super middleweight match since Roy Jones defeated James Toney 12 years prior, Calzaghe produces a masterpiece win over the heavy pre-fight favorite Lacy to earn the WBO and IBF Super Middleweight titles. Calzaghe dominates throughout the fight, with the British fight fans chanting “Over-rated” at the American Lacy during the last three rounds. Calzaghe cuts Lacy over both eyes and causes blood to flow from Lacy’s nose midway through a fight that could have been stopped several times, and floors him in the 12^th. It is the 17^th time that Calzaghe defends his WBO 168-pound belt since outpointing Chris Eubank for the vacant title in October 1997.

Santa Cruz-Frampton II (January 28, 2017, Santa Cruz W 12) – Leo Santa Cruz executes his game plan brilliantly to reclaim the WBA Featherweight Championship in a rematch of his epic first fight with Frampton on July of 2016. Frampton is the more aggressive fighter in the second half of the encounter, but his aggression opens him up to effective counter shots from Santa Cruz, who wins with scores of 114-114 and 115-113 twice.

Santa Cruz-Mares II (June 9 2018, Santa Cruz W 12) – In an electrifying war that has the STAPLES Center crowd on its feet chanting for more, Santa Cruz defends his WBA Featherweight Championship by winning a unanimous decision in a rematch against four-division world champion Abner Mares. In a near statistical replica of the first fight that Santa Cruz won by majority decision in 2015, the three-division world champion Santa Cruz wins on all three of the judges’ scorecards by scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111.

Last month, SHOWTIME announced that new customers who sign up before May 3 can take advantage of a 30-day free trial for the SHOWTIME streaming service, available on SHOWTIME.com and the SHOWTIME app on all supported devices.

Julio Cesar Martinez says he would love to box in Mexico as a World champion as he plots his future in the latest episode of ‘Peleamundo’.
EPISODE TWO OF ‘PELEAMUNDO’ IS ON MATCHROOM BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW!
Martinez (16-1 12 KOs) has seen his stock rise dramatically over the last year, with a win over Andrew Selby in March in Mexico followed by his controversial clash with Charlie Edwards in London in August, a thrilling World title win over Cristofer Rosales in December and a cracking battle in his first defense against Jay Harris in February.

The 25 year old Mexican will be on the hunt for unification battles when boxing returns, and told presenter and former two-weight Jessie Vargas that IBF champion Moruti Mthalane and WBO ruler Kosei Tanaka are top of his hitlist, and he would love to host them in his home country.

“I’d love to do something big for my Mexican people,” said Martinez. “They always support me. I feel very happy and grateful. We’re just coming for all those belts.

“I just want the best fights. Whatever Eddie Hearn and Eddy Reynoso decide. The best fights with the best purses. I just want all the belts and stay champion for a while. I’d like to unify the belts. A good fight would be against Kosei Tanaka. He’s an undefeated, strong fighter in the flyweight division. That would be a good fight for me.

“Mthalane is a great fight too but it’s up to Eddie and Eddy. I know he has a belt; I have a belt. He’s not an exception. I’ll fight him too.”

Martinez is no stranger to boxing away from home though, and the pocket-rocket is even open to returning to the UK, where he met Edwards at The O2 in London in August 2019 in a contest that ended in a no-contest after Martinez landed a body shot after Edwards had already hit the canvas from a barrage from the then title challenger.

Martinez would win the vacant title in a thrilling contest with former champion Rosales in Phoenix in December before his clash with Welshman Harris in February – a third Briton in the opposite corner for Martinez in four fights and his second with new promoter Eddie Hearn.

“England is a very nice country,” said Martinez. “They received me with open arms. Outside of the ring, all the fans wanted pictures and treated me like a champion. They are very nice people.

“They gave me respect and treated me very well so for that, I wouldn’t have any problems returning to England. They respected me a lot. They wanted pictures and hey cheered for me, it was a good experience.

“I met Eddie when I fought Charlie in England. Eddie and Mauricio Sulaiman gave me their respect. They supported me a lot with the rematch but Charlie went up in weight and left that belt vacant so I was able to win it against Rosales in Phoenix. Eddie liked the way I fought and moved in that fight. I know it’s just the start of many great things to come. I was so happy and proud. I didn’t’ leave it to the judges to decide my fight, I got the KO. I was happy I won.”

Martinez is joined by his manager and co-trainer Reynoso in the second episode of ‘Peleamundo’, presented by former two weight World champion Jessie Vargas, and amateur sensation Marc Castro also stars in the show as he prepares to start life in the paid ranks when boxing returns.

THE HOTTEST PROSPECT in Heavyweight boxing, Daniel Dubois, has today responded to the effusive praise poured on him by Tyson Fury’s old man, big John Fury.

“It all builds the anticipation… I just want to get on with it and finish business with Joe. Let’s get it on.”————————–

The Lockdown Lowdown is available via Queensberry Promotions social media channels.Recent guests have included Tommy Fury, Joe Joyce and Liam Williams, who sensationally asked “who gives a sh*t about Demetrius Andrade?”

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Miami – April 27, 2020 – Boxeo Telemundo, the #1 Spanish-language boxing program in the U.S., returns with a special encore presentation featuring iconic bouts that launched the careers of champions and notable fighters who have left an indelible mark on the sport, highlighting their stories and rise to stardom. The special four-week season premieres this Friday, May 1 with a look at the best of the classic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico. Week two will present the rise of Wilfredo “Papito” Vazquez Jr., followed by the story of Orlando “El Fenomeno” Cruz and culminating the season with a special highlighting the beginnings of 4-division champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. 

Boxeo Telemundo will be broadcast on Telemundo and streamed on the Telemundo Deportes app with additional extensive news and content on TelemundoDeportes.com, including the fighters’ best moments following each episode.  

The special edition of Boxeo Telemundo will be hosted by veteran boxing expert and Florida Boxing Hall of Famer Rene Giraldo, alongside Edgar Lopez. The show will relive the best bouts around each story featuring special commentary from the experts to provide viewers with insights and anecdotes. Each episode will also incorporate featured interviews with some of the boxers including Alejandro “Payasito” Hernandez, Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez and Orlando Cruz, in addition to behind the scenes anecdotes and stories from the on-air talent.

This Friday’s season opener, the classic Mexico vs. Puerto Rico, two of the most potent Hispanic boxing nations in the world, is highlighted by two contemporary contenders on the eve of their World Title shots. Mexican fighter Alejandro “Payasito” Hernández took on Marvin Mabait back in March 28, 2014 that led him into the unforgettable bout against Tomoki Kameda for the WBO Bantamweight Title in November 2014. This fight was seen by many as a contender for upset of the year in 2014.The classic Mexico vs. Puerto Rico will also take viewers back to February 18, 2018 when Puerto Rican fighter Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez squared off against Mexican Ricardo Meserito Gonzalez who took the vacant Flyweight Title NABO OMB via a tough split decision. Gonzalez went on to fight for WBO Flyweight title in August 2019 vs. Kosei Tanaka. The fight was seen by many as a contender for fight of the year in 2018.

Boxeo Telemundo will continue its featured encores on Friday, May 8 with the story of Wilfredo “Papito” Vázquez Jr. and the road to his world title shot. 

Debuting in 1989, Boxeo Telemundo has grown to become the #1 combat sports program in the U.S. among Hispanics, across broadcast and cable landscape. Since its launch, Boxeo Telemundo has broadcast over 350 title fights, showcasing some of the biggest boxing stars as they rose to stardom and won their first championship titles, earning a reputation as the show “where champions are born.” Among these stars is Saúl Canelo Alvarez, who won his first pro boxing title on Boxeo Telemundo in 2008. Other notable Champions featured include? Juan Manuel Marquez, ?Diego Corrales, Carlos Maussa,? Floyd Mayweather,? Israel Vázquez,? Wilfredo Vázquez,? Rafael Ruelas,? Jorge Solis and many others. In addition, renowned boxing Hall of Famers have also appeared on the show including? Erik Morales,? Marco Antonio Barrera and ?Felix Trinidad.?

(April 27, 2020) — Former featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez has one name on the brain when boxing resumes following the COVID-19 pandemic: WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt. Valdez moved up in weight last November, rising from a second-round knockdown to knock out last-minute replacement Adam Lopez. 

Valdez (27-0, 21 KOs) is riding out the pandemic at his ranch in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. This is what he had to say about Berchelt and other topics to Top Rank’s Crystina Poncher.  

On fighting Miguel Berchelt

“We only have one fighter in mind right now, which is ‘El Alacran’ Berchelt because I’m the mandatory fighter. It’s a mandatory fight, and there were rumors it was going to be May 9. I was already back in training camp in San Diego for May 9, but then we got the news that {May 9} was Jose Ramirez and Viktor Postol. We just continued training. It wasn’t going to hurt us to remain in camp.”

On whether the Berchelt fight will happen once boxing resumes

“The fight hasn’t been announced yet, but it’s a mandatory fight. The fight has to happen. I think, on our side, we’re ready to sign the contract because I’m going for my dream. I want that belt. We want to make it official, and I was already training for that fight. Right now, we just gotta train back home. It is what it is.”

On the Adam Lopez fight 

“It’s funny. I was in the best shape of my life pretty much, one of the best training camps I’ve had, but yeah, one of my worst performances I’ve had. It’s just pretty weird because, like I said, I was feeling great. 

“I think I was a little too confident in there {thinking} that I was going to take my opponent out of there. That’s something no boxer should ever do in the ring. Sometimes you make those mistakes, and I made one of those mistakes. I paid the price. I underestimated Adam Lopez inside the ring for a couple of seconds.”

How long does he plan to stay at super featherweight?

“I don’t think I’m moving up any time soon. I’ve been a featherweight for pretty much all my career, ever since I turned pro in 2012. I think it was time to go up to 130. I don’t see myself going up any time soon. I want to accomplish my dream to become a world champion again. That’s why I’m going after this challenge now.”

On whether Berchelt is the top super featherweight

“I think Berchelt is the toughest fighter in that division. That’s why we’re going after him. We want to go for everything.”

On potentially fighting Shakur Stevenson

“Of course I would love that fight, especially now. There’s a lot of people, including him, who think I’m avoiding that fight. I’m not. I’m chasing my dream to become a world champion {at super featherweight}.  I want to fight for the world title with ‘El Alacran’ Berchelt. ‘El Alacran’ Berchelt is a tougher opponent than him. No offense to Shakur. Shakur is a great fighter. He’ll be up there. We’ll have to fight sooner or later. If he goes up to 130, I’ll gladly fight him.”

On a Leo Santa Cruz fight

“We’ve been wanting to fight Leo Santa Cruz for a long time, but due to the politics of boxing, him being with PBC and other promotional companies, I think that’s the main reason why these fights don’t happen. That’s why I’m so excited right now that I get the chance to fight somebody like ‘El Alacran’ Berchelt because this is a big name. He has a title belt. If the fight happens with Santa Cruz eventually, I would love it because his style and my style would definitely be a fan-pleasing fight.”

Los Angeles, CA (April 27, 2020) Uzbek star Israil ‘The Dream’ Madrimov, (5-0, 5 KOs), is in his native Uzbekistan staying in shape for when boxing returns and is emphatic about what the next steps in his career should be.

“I’m ready now to fight for a world title fight,” said the 25-year-old Madrimov, currently slotted at #2 in the junior middleweight rankings by the World Boxing Association. “I want to face the WBA champion Jeison Rosario next, he had a great victory over Julian Williams but I’m very confident I can beat him. I will aim for a world title fight when boxing returns and I am more motivated than ever.”

The exciting, young star is coming off a spectacular performance on February 29 knocking out perennial contender Charlie Navarro, (29-10, 22 KOs) in the sixth round in Frisco, TX and broadcast on DAZN. The full fight can be viewed HERE.

“I felt very comfortable in the ring against Navarro, my trainer Joel Diaz is always teaching me new things in the gym and I’m glad that I was able to show some things off in my last fight. I’m looking forward to returning to Indio and getting back into training camp,” continued Madrimov, who displayed his full arsenal against Navarro including effectively switching from orthodox to southpaw.  The victory was captured in a remarkable ‘behind the scenes’ fight week feature by Steve Kim for ESPN which can be viewed here HERE.

Said manager Vadim Kornilov “Israil continues to prove that he is one of the most exciting young stars in international boxing. While many of boxing’s biggest names are over 30 years of age, Israil is only 25 and already has the skills and experience to fight for a world title fight against a champion as talented as Jeison Rosario. Our goal is to give Israil the biggest fights possible.”

Continued Kornilov, “We’re very grateful for the fans and the media in the United States who have praised Israil’s performances and taken such a deep interest in his career. He’s here to stay and will continue to train for the best performances he is capable of. Hopefully, in the near future he joins his stablemate Murodjon ‘MJ’ Akhmadaliev in becoming a world champion.” The also 25-year-old Uzbek won the WBA and IBF Super Bantamweight World Titles with a victory over Daniel Roman on January 30, 2020, broadcast on DAZN in only his eighth professional bout.

“Israil was outstanding in his last performance, we believe that he is ready for a world title fight now and we are working with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing to facilitate that as soon as is possible,“  said Andrei Ryabinsky, head of World of Boxing.

The event in Dallas was promoted by Matchroom Boxing USA who co-promote Madrimov with World of Boxing.

Veteran boxing reporter Dan Rafael has been one of the best in his field, covering the great sport of boxing for decades and now has signed on to host a weekly show on the Impact Network. The newly created show will look into the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on athletes, promoters, executives and entertainers across the world and also explore the necessary steps needed to return live events to the masses.

 Impact Media Group, which produces and programs content for Impact Network is formally announcing the deal with partner SMH Group.  The show will premiere on Friday, May 8th at 10:30pm eastern. The  Impact Network is available in 88 million homes and is the largest independent minority owned and operated network in the world.

 Impact Network Chairman Bishop Wayne T Jackson, who founded the network a decade ago, stated that he is very excited to announce the addition of Dan to Impact and is very pleased that he will work with us to educate and update our viewers on when we will all return to having some sort of live entertainment. While entertainment is extremely important, Jackson would like to remind us that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that Impact being a faith based network first and foremost, endeavors to continually inform the community by delivering information that raises awareness and brings hope to viewers everywhere.

 As Impact Media heads Royal Jackson, Terry Arnold and SMH Groups Steven Marcano plan out 2020, they all agree that they would love to create a weekly program around Rafael. 

 Royal Jackson and Mr. Arnold believe that providing quality programming with top tier talent on The Impact Network is essential to diversifying it’s programming, audience and brand and is a natural next step in fulfilling the Impact vision.

 Steve Marcano of SMH is ecstatic to partner with Impact to bring great content to our community and give new opportunities to those who wouldn’t access. 

 SMH and Impact Media Group recently entered into a 5 year deal to bring weekly live boxing matches on Saturday nights from 10:30 pm EST to 12:30am with 36 events slated for 2021. Also, there is a programming block from 4pm to 7pm slotted for original programming while Stars and Champions will remain in its current 10:30 pm eastern slot.

 Impact Network is currently becoming a favorite for promoters and producers alike as several shows are being given the green light with promoters locking in dates for 2021. Impact’s head of legal Rick Torres said that he is targeting closing 60 percent of the 2021 calendar by the end of September.

 Stars and Champions producers Ryan Burton, DeShawn Wayne and executive producer Kevin McGovern would also like to announce that the featured guest for the premiere episode will be none other than the CEO of retired pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s Mayweather Promotions, Leonard Ellerbe. 

Tune in for more and witness the future of clean, family friendly, cutting edge entertainment and sports on the Impact Network.

By Bart Barry-

SAN ANTONIO – Nothing is returned to normal, not even our last catastrophe’s new normal, and it becomes more obvious the few times you catch someone trying to act like normal.  Thursday’s first trip to a supermarket in 10 days found everyone’s adapted to these bizarre circumstances except the employees.

While customers’ habits have changed enough to have the marketplace nearly empty of shoppers the marketplace’s wellmeaning attempt to keep a full staff in place works against itself as more employees than customers makes the employees frantic in their habits of busylooking, the product of 200 years of post-industrial-revolution habitry – “time to lean, time to clean!” – so the only ones constantly breaking sixfoot radii are the workers everyone wears equipment to protect.  They swerve round you and dash before you in a futile attempt to burn a surplus of energy that makes you batty if you retain it – for what else is anxiety, ultimately?

A better boxing writer would be playing along with his peers, livetweeting decades-old matches because they happen to be broadcasted as if live on Disney’s sports property, but I can’t bring myself to it.  These fights are available on YouTube forever and watching them with commercials to support multinational revenues doesn’t feel patriotic as it did when we used to drive to the mall with Old Glory flying.

Saturday, which has become lovely in its timelessness, found me bouncing between The New Yorker and Shakespeare.  In the 35 or so years since I watched my grandmother read The New Yorker I’ve often marveled at the quantity of sparetime one might need to justify a subscription.  Piles and piles of them I’ve accumulated over and over, refusing to dispose of them till I’ve surveyed every page, while never surveying more than a third the pages before peeling off their labels and walking them to a nearby lobby, coffeeshop or laundromat.

All that’s changed.  On the one end I have, on average, 16 perfectly empty hours every Saturday, and on the other end I have an evolving surfeit of self-forgiveness for not-reading whatever I once believed I must read.  It’s not nihilistic as all that, though I have noticed for six years now a creeping nihilism (blame meditation?); it’s an honest accounting of how much I’ve read and how microscopically little I retain of it.

Saturday I began reading new short fiction by Ben Lerner, which isn’t great, and wondering why his name was enticingly familiar to me.  The Contributors page didn’t help.  Google did: Lerner’s first novel, Leaving the Atocha Station, was marvelous, and I enjoyed it in 2011 and thought of it often while using said station in 2014.  That trip to Madrid was about nothing so much as standing before Velazquez’s masterpiece, Las Meninas, at El Prado, a 10-minute northwards hike from Atocha Station.

A couple Saturdays ago I came on a short piece in The New Yorker that treated, in part, that very painting, as its author, believing himself terminally ill before coronavirus, chose as his dying wish of sorts to spend many hours looking at the painting again with new eyes.  He made a wonderful comment: Velazquez could not have been painting himself via a mirror positioned where you, an observer, stand, set between the canvas and the royal couple, unless he and everyone else were lefthanded.  Touché!  There is quite a bit of chromatic aberration edging the shadow at the centerpiece’s feet, though, so lenses were employed even if Velazquez put himself in freehand.

It came to me Saturday morning Petruchio might be Shakespeare’s most enjoyably masculine character, and a couple hours got gobbled up a couple hours later by The Taming of the Shrew.  The play hasn’t aged badly as its critics.  Shakespeare, as critic Harold Bloom wrote quite a few times, buries his undertakers.  Reading the play with a father’s eyes – my sixyearold daughter is nearer Kate than my fiveyearold son is Petruchio – I found some essential wisdom in the play’s courtship, particularly as Petruchio treats so directly the subject with his future father-in-law, Baptista:

Though little fire grows great with little wind,

Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all.

So I to her, and so she yields to me,

For I am rough and woo not like a babe.

Far from dashing for his rifle or assuming a postfeminist fetal position (practical redundancies, those), Baptista sincerely wishes Petruchio luck.  Many of the comedic elements are still funny, despite 430 years and thousands of renditions, and the language is gaudy rich: “You peasant swain, you whoreson malt-horse drudge!”  Petruchio’s ultimate motivation – “I come to wive it wealthily in Padua – / If wealthily, then happily in Padua” – doesn’t feel congruous today as it likely felt in 1592, being that Petruchio is already wealthy and today’s ruling class, ironically, better insulated from what economic calamities now befall the rest of us decennially.

Petruchio laughs at himself and circumstances, embraces absurdity, acts as a dutiful wingman, knows his purpose, speaks to his elders respectfully if directly, and woos not like a babe – would that young American men were reliably given such an example.  By the end of Taming of the Shrew you can envision Petruchio sharing an ale with Jack Falstaff while laughing merrily at a Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. match, something one cannot say for Hamlet or Othello or Romeo (or even Henry V unfortunately).

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

New York April 25, 2020

Star Boxing’s “Rockin’ Fights” 39 scheduled for May 8 at The Paramount has been postponed due to the continued COVID-19 shutdown. The rescheduled date is 9/25.

Star Boxing will nonetheless present boxing entertainment on May 8th during this Coronavirus crisis. Star will present its first REWIND special, of “Rockin’ Fights Rewind” on May 8, live on Star Boxing’s Facebook page. Tune in as Star Boxing’s stars and prospects rewind their best fights from the Paramount, live on Facebook, interacting with fans while viewing, commentating on, and taking questions about their fights and careers in a “Back to the Future” look. More information coming soon.

Star Boxing also previously announced the postponement of its April 17, 2020 show at Resorts World Catskills. “Catskills Clash” III rescheduled date is hoped to be announced soon. Tickets purchased for both events will be honored for the rescheduled dates. If needed, refunds can be secured from your point of purchase.

We wish the best for everyone during these difficult times and send our thoughts to all of those effected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The health and safety of our boxers, fans and staff remain our main focus during these trying times, and we look forward to getting back in the ring as soon as possible.

Note: We hope to have further information as to our previously scheduled July 17, 2020 soon

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns with one of the most stacked cards in recent history, set to be headlined by a bout guaranteed to deliver fireworks as No. 1 ranked lightweight contender Tony Ferguson and No. 4 ranked Justin Gaethje battle for the interim championship. In the co-main event, Henry Cejudo intends to prove that he is the greatest UFC bantamweight champion of all time as he looks to defeat multiple-time title holder Dominick Cruz. This will be the first of three events taking place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on May 9, 13 and 16 respectively, future cards will be announced at a later date. These events will be closed to the public and will be produced with only essential personnel in attendance.

UFC 249: FERGUSON vs. GAETHJE will take place Saturday, May 9 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. All prelim bouts will be simulcast on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET with the UFC Fight Pass prelims. The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPN & ESPN+ 8 p.m. ET and the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card will kick off at 10 p.m. ET.

“I can’t wait to deliver some great fights for the fans, “said UFC President Dana White. “I want to give a big thanks to Mayor Curry, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and Florida State Boxing Commission Executive Director Patrick Cunningham for getting this thing done and giving us a venue to put on these incredible cards, as well our media partners including ESPN and ESPN+, for bringing it to fans. My team is ready to go and the fighters are excited to get back in there with these back-to-back events.”

“As we move step-by-step on the path toward economic recovery, we are proud to host these UFC events at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena,” said Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry. “The UFC organization is a renowned entertainment brand that’s presented a safe and sensible plan to use this Jacksonville location, and we are thrilled to have our city highlighted nationally on ESPN and ESPN+. With Jacksonville continuing to outpace other cities and regions, we are excited to continue to lead as host to these world-class, international sports entertainment organizations.”

“Florida’s State Commission and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation have been in continued coordination with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to identify options for bringing the UFC to Florida for upcoming events,” said Florida State Boxing Commission Executive Director, Patrick Cunningham. “Florida welcomes the UFC to the Sunshine State, and our commission stands ready to sanction the events to be held on May 9, 13 and 16. Health and safety protocols will be in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all individuals who are helping to make these events possible.  With this triple date feature of UFC events coming in May, Florida is continuing to build a strong collaboration with UFC that sets the foundation for more opportunities that we hope UFC will choose to host in our state in the months to come.”

One of the most exciting and unpredictable athletes on the roster, Ferguson (26-3, fighting out of Orange County, Calif.) is on the verge of becoming the first two-time interim lightweight champion in UFC history. Currently on an incredible 12-fight winning streak, Ferguson has defeated the likes of Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos. He now looks to notch his record-setting 13^th win in a row and raise UFC gold once again.

Known for his unrelenting fight style, Gaethje (21-2, fighting out of Arvada, Colo.) has earned a post-fight bonus in every single one of his UFC bouts. One of the best knockout artists in the division’s history, Gaethje has earned stoppage wins over Donald Cerrone, Edson Barboza and James Vick. He now looks to secure another iconic finish and earn his first UFC championship.

Cejudo (15-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) is one of only four athletes in UFC history to hold two championships at the same time. To accomplish this feat, he netted impressive victories Demetrious Johnson, TJ Dillashaw and Marlon Moraes. After recently relinquishing the flyweight belt, Cejudo now plans to reassert his dominance over the bantamweight division by taking out one of its greatest champions.

Returning to action for the first time in three years, Cruz (22-2, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) intends to prove that he is still the best bantamweight in the world. A former UFC and WEC champion, Cruz holds wins over Urijah Faber, TJ Dillashaw and Demetrious Johnson. He now looks to be the first person to defeat Cejudo at 135-pounds and regain his lost crown.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 2 ranked heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou (14-3, fighting out of Paris, France by way of Batie, Cameroon) meets No. 6 Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-0, fighting out of Paramaribo, Suriname) in a battle of KO artists
• In a clash of featherweight contenders, No. 7 ranked Jeremy Stephens (28-17, 1 NC, fighting out of San Diego California by way of Des Moines, Iowa) takes on No. 9 Calvin Kattar (20-4, fighting out of Methuen, Massachusetts)
• Fan favorites meet, as Donald Cerrone (36-14, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) takes on Anthony Pettis (22-10, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) in a welterweight bout
• Greg Hardy (6-2, 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida) squares off with undefeated Yorgan De Castro (5-0, fighting out of Fall River, Massachusetts by way of Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde) in an exciting heavyweight bout
• Heavyweight grapplers look to make a statement as Aleksei Oleinik (58-13, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) welcomes back former UFC champion Fabricio Werdum (23-7, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.)
• Ryan Spann (17-5, fighting out of Beaumont, Texas) aims to continue his momentum against crafty veteran Sam Alvey (33-13, 1NC, fighting out of Temecula, California)
• Former UFC women’s strawweight champion and No. 7 ranked Carla Esparza (16-6, fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) takes on No. 8 Michelle Waterson (17-7, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.)
• Uriah Hall (16-9, fighting out of Queens, New York) goes for his third straight win against decorated grappler Jacare Souza (26-8, 1NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Welterweight finishers collide when No. 13 ranked contender Vicente Luque (17-7-1, fighting out of Westwood, New Jersey by way of Brasilia, Brazil) faces Niko Price (14-3, 1NC, fighting out of Cape Coral, Florida)
• Exciting featherweight grapplers go to war as Bryce Mitchell (12-1, fighting out of Sherwood, Ark.) meets Charles Rosa (12-3, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.)

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 318 million fans and 80 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly one billion TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 65 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, nominated for the 2020 Academy of Country Music Award’s ‘Arena of the Year,’ is North Florida’s premier arena for entertainment greats such as Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews Band, Elton John, Jason Aldean, P!nk and is home to the Jacksonville IceMen and the Arena Bowl Champions Jacksonville Sharks. VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena is managed by ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management and services company connecting people through the power of live experience. ASM Global manages over 300 sports and entertainment stadium, arenas, theaters and convention centers worldwide and is committed to bringing its guests the ultimate event experience in Northeast Florida.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN. It reached 7.6 million subscribers in less than two years and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content. 

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.

About Disney’s Direct-To-Consumer & International

Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment includes Disney’s international media operations stretching from Europe to Asia to Latin America and the Company’s direct-to-consumer streaming businesses, including Hulu, Hotstar, ESPN+, and the recently launched Disney+ service. DTCI also manages global advertising sales and ad technology for Disney media properties which include ABC, ESPN, Freeform, FX Networks, National Geographic, and the Disney Channels. The Company’s media distribution operations are also part of the Direct-to-Consumer & International business segment.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

WHAT: SHOWTIME Sports will continue to serve boxing fans during the current hiatus from live sports with another edition of SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS this week featuring two all-action fights with John Molina, Jr. In the first bout, Molina loses a war against Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse followed by Molina’s amazing comeback victory against Mickey Bey in the second bout.

WHEN: Tonight/Friday, April 24, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

WHERE TO WATCH: On SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®, and the SHOWTIME stand-alone streaming service

QUOTABLE: “I still have nightmares about those last 58 seconds and what would have happened to my career had the time ran out,” Molina said of the Bey fight. “I would have never signed with Al Haymon without those final 58 seconds. I still have longtime members of the boxing press to this day come up and tell me that in 30 years of covering boxing, the Matthysse fight was the only fight they’ve ever had to turn away from and not watch because it was such a brutal war. I didn’t realize how special it was till I went back and watched it.”

ADDED COVERAGE: During Friday’s SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS telecast, Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell, the network’s versatile combat sports analysts, will host a live companion episode of their digital talk show MORNING KOMBAT on the Morning Kombat YouTube Channel. Thomas and Campbell will watch the SHOWTIME replay and react to the fights in real time, feature special guest interviews with principal participants from the bouts (fighters, trainers, referees and promoters) and take questions from fans while the bouts replay on the network.

(April 24, 2020) — This Saturday, April 25, will be a day of boxing blockbusters on ESPN when the network airs four consecutive hours of the sweet science immediately following the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft. Starting at 7 p.m. ET, this special presentation will showcase some of the biggest stars of boxing’s recent generation, culminating with the 2015 historic “Fight of the Century” between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

The other encore matches featured include Mayweather vs. Judah (2006), Pacquiao vs. Márquez 2 (2008) and Pacquiao vs. Cotto (2009).

The special presentation will include an interview from ESPN’s Joe Tessitore with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.  During the interview, Arum lays out the hurdles that boxing must overcome to return, how the travel restrictions will impact the sport and Fury-Wilder 3. The interview will air approximately at 9 p.m. ET.

In addition to the linear telecast, most of these fights are also available on ESPN+. Exclusively available to subscribers, ESPN+ features a library of hundreds of the most important fights in boxing history.

The lineup:

Mayweather vs Judah (7 p.m.): This 2006 match marked the first time Mayweather would challenge for a welterweight world title. He had previously won titles at super featherweight, lightweight and super lightweight. Near the end of the 10^th round, a brawl between the corners broke out after Judah hit Mayweather with a low blow, followed by a rabbit punch.

Pacquiao vs. Márquez 2 (8 p.m.): Pacquiao’s second fight against Márquez marked the first time the Filipino fighter would challenge for a world title at super featherweight. He was attempting to become the first Asian fighter to win world titles in four different weight classes.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto (9 p.m.): In his fight against Cotto, Pacquiao attempted to become the first fighter in boxing history to win a world title in seven different weight classes, while Cotto entered the bout making the second defense of his WBO welterweight title.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao (10 p.m.): The event set records for the largest grossing live gate ($72 million) and the most pay-per-view buys (4.6 million) in combat sports history. The fight served as a unification bout, with Mayweather defending the WBA and WBC welterweight titles and Pacquiao defending the WBO title.

ESPN Boxing Schedule Saturday, April 25

ESPN+ features a library of hundreds of the most important fights in boxing history, as well as recent Top Rank on ESPN fight cards for replay, all streaming on demand. The historic fights on ESPN+ include legendary heavyweight showdowns like Ali vs. Frazier III, Ali vs. George Foreman, Joe Louis vs. Billy Conn, Tyson vs. Holmes, Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney, Max Baer vs. James J. Braddock, Ali vs. Sonny Liston I & II, Wilder vs. Fury II and many more.

By Norm Frauenehim-

Big fight weeks are little bit like the seasons. They are on the calendar, a date to anticipate, celebrate and debate. Next week was supposed to be Canelo Alvarez-Billy Joe Saunders. Maybe, the May 2^nd bout in Las Vegas would have been a good one. Maybe, it would have been a colossal dud.

But at least it would have been there, a reliable moment for the week-long routine before any opening bell. The give-and-take can be funny, then compelling, sometimes bloody, always edgy and often outrageous. It’s a crazy mix, but the chaos is imminent.

You can plan for it.

Not much to plan for now.

That calendar is as empty as the Vegas Strip. The emptiness is unnerving. It’s impossible to plan for what can’t be seen.

No neon, no nothing.

There’s no telling when the lights will come back on for boxing, or much of anything else these days in a world gripped by a crippling pandemic. We stay at home. We stay a so-called safe distance away from friends and neighbors. We stand in line outside of grocery stories, hoping to score a roll of toilet paper and looking for shelter at the first sound of a dry cough.

We watch bikers stare down nurses wearing masks in front of state capitols in protests that include people wearing AK-47s. I like the nurses’ chances at shooting down coronavirus a lot better than any of the thugs with weapons. The nurses are lot smarter. A lot tougher too.

I’d also prefer to see a Canelo-Saunders stare-down, too. It’s a lot safer.

There was a time when it looked as if Canelo-Saunders might mark the beginning of a boxing comeback from the pandemic. But that was before the Strip went dark, before the crowds moved out and the coyotes moved in. That was a couple of months ago. Seems like a different era now, and it was in ominous ways that continue to emerge.

There’s no telling how long the virus will hang around. There’s no idea whether it will vanish during summer heat and then make a vicious comeback in the fall. There’s just that emptiness.

Canelo, himself, hopes to be back in the ring in September, perhaps for a third middleweight-title fight against Gennadiy Golovkin.

“In my mind, I’ll be fighting in September, so hopefully this whole issue will pass and we can follow through with that possible date,’’ Canelo told Box Azteca.  “I do not know what is coming next, because everything is off. There were very good plans for this 2020, so hopefully in a month we will see positive results.”

If there was anywhere to place a bet on that in Vegas right now, you probably wouldn’t get very good odds. Increasingly, sports look as though they won’t be back as we know them until there’s a vaccine. That probably means next year.

Big crowds are where the virus gets transmitted the most. The beginning of the pandemic in northern Italy has been blamed on a soccer game in Milan. The pandemic took root in Louisiana because of the Mardi Gras party up-and-down Bourbon Street in New Orleans. If the virus has a chance to come back after a summer departure, it’ll happen while tailgating before a college football game or in the beer line before opening bell to a big fight in Vegas.

Germany just announced it has cancelled Octoberfest, Mardi Gras with a German accent. It’s a sure sign that the virus is expected to be around in some way through the end of this year, or at least until there’s a vaccine.

Boxing already has modest plans for its initial return. Top Rank’s Bob Arum is exploring ways to put together cards that will provide some live content for ESPN, perhaps as early as this summer. But the big bouts – a Canelo-Saunders kind of bout – will have to wait.

“There’s a limit to what we can do,” Arum told Top Rank’s Crystina Poncher in a two-part interview in the Catching Up With Crystina series. “It’s not going to be easy. Everybody has to be patient.’’

The cards would essentially be studio events, featuring fighters who would ordinarily appear on undercards for major bouts. There would be no fans. No live crowds mean no known stars. Promoters need the big gate to pay the big purses.

“Where the gate money is so much a big percentage of the revenue, I don’t see how you can do it without spectators,” Arum said.

That raises another question. When the pandemic ends, will anybody have enough money to buy a ticket at pre-coronavirus prices? Will the game’s richest fighters be willing to accept a fraction of the money they earned before the pandemic? Unemployment is projected to be at Depression-like levels.

Pockets figure to be empty.

Hard to plan for that, too.

MIAMI, FLA – Saturday night was supposed to be make or break for Sullivan Barrera.  The former world title challenger was supposed to face Sergey Kovalev on April 25th in a DAZN streamed main event that would have been contested at a catchweight of 180 pounds. 

Of course the coronavirus halted all professional sports in the United States from the middle of March through at least the end of April. Despite the uncertainty of when the fight will take place, the 38-year-old light heavyweight continues to train in hopes that the fight is rescheduled for a summer date. 

“This fight means everything to me. I have fought the best in the division but this is the biggest fight for me.  Bigger than Andre Ward, or (Dmitry) Bivol or Joe Smith.  This is a fight that should have happened a long time ago but never happened,” Barrera explained.

Barrera’s wife recently gave birth to Sullivan Jr. which has given his father extra motivation.  The former Cuban amateur standout knows he is in the latter stages of his career and wants to end on a high note.

“It is do or die for me.  This is a fight I have to win and I know I will win.  I hope Kovalev is still training so we can get this rescheduled for as soon as possible,” Barrera stated.

Trainer Derik Santos has been very impressed with the work Barrera has put in despite not having a definite fight date.

“Sully is very focused. He is a professional.  He was having a great camp and we are keeping him in sharp and in great shape.  This will be the best version of Sullivan that the fans have seen.  We have the perfect game plan to defeat the Krusher,” Santos stated.