According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, UFC star Conor McGregor and WBO Welterweight champion Terence Crawford could be in discussions for a possible two fight (MMA and Boxing) series.

“You’ve got an elite boxer in Terence Crawford fighting an elite MMA guy in Conor McGregor under MMA rules,” Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum told ESPN on Wednesday. “You don’t think that would be interesting and something the public would want to see? I think it’s very realistic.”

Arum said there have been some discussions between the sides but declined to specify which parties had talked.

“Whenever they are ready, we are ready,” Arum said. “We’d do the MMA fight first if that’s what they want.”

“I’m a fighter first. As a fighter, I would entertain it,” Crawford told ESPN. “I just have to have the proper time to prepare myself. It would be a little more than boxing training. I haven’t been in that [wrestling] environment in a long time, but most definitely I feel I can compete with anyone given the proper time to train on the MMA side, being that I have a wrestling background. McGregor would have to worry about my stand-up game as well. It would be interesting. He’s got good kicks and he’s strong. I’d have to prepare myself for those things, but I feel I would be all right.”

“I can’t get none of these top welterweights in the ring to fight me, so whatever is clever. I’m with it all,” Crawford said of a potential major fight in MMA.

“Fighting Crawford would be great for McGregor because he has no chance in a boxing match except to pick up a check,” Arum said. “In an MMA match, he would be the favorite, but Crawford would have a chance because he’s one tough dude and because he has a wrestling background. I think that Crawford is the one boxer that can compete with an elite MMA guy under MMA rules. We’d do two fights so we can level the playing field by fighting in both disciplines. Mayweather and Pacquiao would never fight under MMA rules. Crawford would.”

“I always had the talent for wrestling, but I liked to throw my hands. I liked punching people in the face more than hugging them,” Crawford said. “My dad was a wrestler, my uncle and my grandfather wrestled, and they were always teaching me the moves. I just liked boxing more.

“A lot of people may say if Terence goes into the Octagon he will get crushed, but they don’t know me.”

Jake Paul has vowed to keep boxing as he prepares to make his professional debut against fellow YouTube star AnEsonGib at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami on Thursday January 30, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

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Paul is following his older brother Logan in featuring on a stacked World championship card after Logan rematched with Gib’s fellow Brit KSI in Los Angeles in November in their pro debuts, and now the 23 year old follows suit in Miami.

After a fiery press conference in Los Angeles, Paul and Gib are in the process of completing their training camps in Big Bear, California and Las Vegas respectively, and Paul says he has fallen in love with the sport and wants to prove he is taking it seriously by not just beating Gib, but using victory to launch a boxing career.

“I see how big this is becoming,” said Paul. “It’s just the start of what we’re going to see and that’s why I am so excited by it, I want to be the pioneer of this space.

“This is not a one-off stunt for me. I want to keep fighting and I have a list of targets of people that keep talking shit, Antonio Brown, Dillon Danis, other YouTubers – the potential for this is massive and I know that I will be the best ‘influencer-boxer’. I’ve fallen in love with boxing, I was watching my sparring back and just thinking ‘I love fighting’. It takes me back to why roots of being competitive playing football and wrestling.

“This is new, it is an untapped vertical for me. I look at myself as an innovator and a pioneer. I came into YouTube at a time when a lot of change needed to happen, and I was that change along with my brother. We went so big and viral and became the biggest.

“Boxing is making a huge comeback and there’s a huge lane for ‘celebrities’ or whatever you want to call us to make huge noise. It’s a business. If we can see the most tickets, we’re going to make the most money and draw the most fans, and no-one can really hate on that. That’s why I want to be the best and most technically skilled ‘influencer-boxer’.”

Paul and Gib clash on a huge night of action in Super Bowl week with WBO World Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade (28-0 17 KOs) defending his crown against Irish challenger Luke Keeler (17-2-1 5 KOs), Tevin Farmer (30-4-1, 6 KOs) defending his IBF World Super Featherweight title against JoJo Diaz (30-1, 15 KOs), and unified World Super Bantamweight champion Daniel Roman (27-2-1, 10 KOs) defending his titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev (7-0, 6 KOs).

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 21, 2020) – Former bantamweight world champion Rau’shee Warren will battle Mexico’s Gilberto Mendoza in a 10-round attraction, while former super middleweight champion Caleb “Golden” Truax takes on Ghana’s Ernest Amuzu in a 10-round showdown, highlighting the non-televised undercard lineup on Saturday, February 15 from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

The event is headlined by undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant making a homecoming world title defense against mandatory challenger Vincent Feigenbutz in the FOX PBC Fight Night main event and on FOX Deportes. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features welterweight contenders Bryant Perrella and Abel Ramos battling in the co-main event, plus lightweight contender and Nashville native Austin Dulay facing former title challenger Diego Magdaleno in the televised opener.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Sweethands Promotion, TGB Promotions and Sauerland Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.

The undercard will also see Chicago’s Vernon Brown (12-1-1, 8 KOs) battling Augusta, Georgia’s Justin DeLoach (18-4, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super welterweight fight, plus unbeaten Cuban Maidel Sando (9-0, 7 KOs), who now lives in Nashville, taking on Mexico’s Sergio Gonzalez (6-7-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round super middleweight attraction.

Rounding out the lineup is unbeaten Ashland City, Tennessee native Tyler Tomlin in a lightweight fight, and the pro debut of Cincinnati’s Duke Reagan in a four-round super featherweight contest against North Carolina’s Da’jour Burney.

Warren (16-3, 4 KOs) will return to action for the first time since a close decision loss in a world title fight against unbeaten champion Nordine Oubaali in January 2019. A southpaw from Cincinnati, Ohio, Warren won the WBA Bantamweight World Championship with a majority decision over Juan Carlos Payano in 2016 and lost the title the next year to Zhanat Zhakiyanov by split-decision. The 32-year-old became the first three-time Olympic boxer from the U.S. when he qualified for consecutive Olympic teams in 2004, 2008 and 2012. He will be opposed by the 30-year-old Mendoza (15-7-3, 7 KOs), who is from Mexicali, Mexico and now lives in Modesto, California. Mendoza has won eight of his last 10 fights, including a draw in his last fight against Oscar Vasquez in October 2019.

A native of Osseo, Minnesota, Truax (30-4-2, 19 KOs) will step back into the ring after being forced to withdraw from a scheduled title eliminator against Peter Quillin in August 2019. The 30-year-old had previously faced Quillin in April in a fight that was ruled a no contest because of a cut he suffered due to an accidental head butt. Truax became world champion in 2017 when he went to the U.K. and upset James DeGale to capture the IBF 168-pound crown. Truax lost a narrow decision in the rematch to DeGale but bounced back to stop Fabiano Soares in August 2018. He will take on the Hohoe, Ghana native Amuzu (25-5, 22 KOs), who now fights out of Prichard, Alabama. Amuzu will look to rebound from a November 2019 defeat against Ievgen Khytrov.

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Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

Trenton, NJ (January 21, 2020) – This Saturday night at the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, Silver Bow’s ChampBox 1 that will be headlined by undefeated and Trenton’s own Mike Hilton.

Hilton (9-0, 7 KOs) will compete in a six-round bout.

Hilton has become an inspirational story as he grew up in the rough streets of Trenton, and was involved in the gang life-style to not only turn his life around, but become a mentor to those around the Trenton area.

“My training camp went very good. I had some good and tough sparring,” said the 33 year-old Hilton.

The fight, along with the beginning of the series in Trenton could not only be a launching point for Hilton’s career inside the ring, but could also serve as motivation to young people in the area.

“It’s very important and a big deal to me. I can show kids that have made mistakes in life, that you can still do something good, and have a positive purpose to continue to follow your dreams. After everything that I have gone through, I am thrilled to be here, as I have friends who are not here.”

Hilton survived those streets to become the 2015 National Golden Gloves Champion where he was the first ever Garden State resident to win the National Elite tournament. That tournament, which took place in 2013 was the first of it’s kind where the fighters did not wear any headgear.

Hilton will be making his first ring start in 21 months believes the beginning of this series in his hometown will jump-start his career towards contendership.

“I am looking to fight as often as I can. Hopefully at least four fights this year because of this series. One thing for sure is that I won’t be inactive. I definitely see this series getting bigger and bigger with each event. And I think Trenton needs someone that they can get behind. That person is me. I am that person. With all the things that I have gone through, I feel that I can be that role model to kids in the area and show that that I have turned my life around, and that if I can do it, so can they. I am still not where I want to be, but I am better then where I was.”

“I feel that with the right people around you, you can do what ever you want.”

Appearing in six-round bouts will be middleweight Ian Green (12-2, 9 KOs) of Paterson, NJ; light heavyweight Frederick Julan (11-0, 9 KOs) of Brooklyn; welterweight Shinard Bunch (6-1, 5 KOs) of Trenton and light heavyweight Chris Thomas (14-1-1, 9 KOs) of Beachwood, NJ.

In four round bouts–Heavyweight Jaywon Woods (11-1-1, 5 KOs) of Danville,VA; middleweight Laquan Evans (2-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia; cruiserweight Mike Moore (1-1) of Bristol, PA

All opponents will be announced Wednesday.

Highlighting the amateur portion of the card will be locals, Zaire Gross, Kevin Alexander and Jabbar Abercrombie.

Tickets for this special evening of boxing are $25, $39, $59, $79 and the 1st two rows are $99. Tickets can be purchased at the following link:

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The event is being sponsored by Flash Tech IT and CyberSecuirty since 1992. www.flashtech.com

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NEW YORK (January 21, 2020) – This past Saturday night, Split-T Management’s world-ranked junior lightweight contender Abraham “Super” Nova was explosive in stopping veteran Pedro Navarrete in the 4th round of their scheduled eight-round bout at The Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

In round two, Nova landed a perfect left hook to the body that sent Navarrete to the canvas. In round three, it was an overhand right to the head that put Navarrete to the on the deck. In the opening seconds of round four, Nova landed three left hooks that dropped and eventually stopped Navarrete at 35 seconds.

Nova, of Albany, New York, is ranked number-seven by both the WBA and WBO is 18-0 with 14 knockouts. Navarrete, who has fought three future world champions and five more foes that competed for world titles, is now 30-25-3.

Nova was making his Top Rank debut and is co-promoted by Murphy’s Boxing and 12 Rounds Promotions.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the WBO has ordered a 4 man box-off for it’s light heavyweight title that was vacated by Canelo Alvarez.

The WBO on Monday sent letters via email to the representatives of all four boxers, ordering former super middleweight world titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and former light heavyweight world titlist Eleider “Storm” Alvarez to meet in one semifinal elimination bout, and Umar Salamov and Maxim Vlasov to meet in the other.

“These bouts will be between the first and fourth contenders and the second and third contenders, respectively. The winners will then face each other for the vacant WBO light heavyweight championship title accordingly,” the WBO wrote to their representatives. Ramirez sits No. 1 in the sanctioning body’s 175-pound ratings with Salamov No. 2, Vlasov No. 3 and Alvarez No. 4.

Canelo Alvarez knocked out Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round to win the belt on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas and win a world title in a fourth weight class, but he relinquished the title six weeks later to comply with the WBO’s “prohibition against its champions holding titles from other sanctioning organizations in multiple weight classes.” He also holds non-WBO world titles at super middleweight and middleweight.

Northern Irish Lightweight contender James Tennyson has signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing as he targets a shot at the British 135lbs title after stopping Craig Evans in their Eliminator bout in November.

Tennyson called time on a blossoming amateur career at 18 to pursue his dream of becoming a World Champion and has since won seven professional titles at three weights including the European and Commonwealth Super-Featherweight Titles and most recently the WBA International Lightweight Title.

An impressive six-fight unbeaten streak at Super-Featherweight saw the hard-hitting Belfast man earn a number one ranking with the WBA before securing his first World Title shot against IBF ruler Tevin Farmer at the TD Garden in Boston in October 2018.

‘The Assassin’ made the decision to move up to Lightweight after falling short in his World Title bid in America and has carried his knockout power into the new division having finished all four of his contests at the weight inside the distance.

“Over the last couple of years, I have had a good relationship with Matchroom and all the big titles I have fought for and won have been on Matchroom shows,” said Tennyson. “Without the opportunities they have given me I wouldn’t be where I am today and I feel this move will bring me back to world level boxing which is where I want to be.

“2020 is going to be a big and busy year for me and I look forward to being involved in some big fights. I have always been a puncher and I feel with my power I can mix it with anyone in this Lightweight division. Matchroom is at the top of the sport and I believe that with this deal I can be up there as well.

“I want to fight for World Titles, and I am confident Matchroom will take me to where I want to be. This is a huge opportunity for me and will bring me some huge nights. In time, I would love to bring some big nights to Belfast so at the moment I am just buzzing for the future.”

“I’m excited to add hard-hitting Belfast Lightweight talent James Tennyson to our ranks,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “James has been on an electric KO run since making the move up to Lightweight after his brave World Title challenge against Tevin Farmer in 2018, but in truth he is a different animal at 135lbs. The Lightweight division is on fire at the moment and James has what it takes to throw his name back into the World Title mix.”

“Both James and I are delighted to finally put pen to paper for Matchroom Boxing after impressing on all his appearances for them over the last three years,” said Mark Dunlop, Manager of Tennyson. “James has always looked up to Eddie for the wonderful opportunities he has bestowed on him in recent years.

“James is a dedicated and talented young man and will stop at nothing until he achieves his goal of becoming a World Champion. At 26 James has an incredible CV having done everything the hard way – he has built up a tremendous resilience and will to succeed and I’m excited for the next chapter of his career.”

Long Island, January 20, 2020

Boxing fans have been calling for it, Long Island has been waiting for it, and CLETUS “THE HEBREW HAMMER” SELDIN (Shirley, Long Island 24-1 20KO’S) couldn’t be more ready to make his ring return, back where it all began, at The Paramount, on February 28, at “Rockin’ Fights.”

Seldin is coming off the biggest win of his career, when he stopped boxing legend, and multi-time world champion, ZAB “SUPER” JUDAH (Brooklyn, NY 44-10 30KO’s) in June of 2019 at Turning Stone Resort Casino during the coveted Hall of Fame boxing event. Over eleven dominating rounds, Seldin hurt Judah badly in the third, finding success in relentless pressure, culminating in an eleventh-round stoppage as Seldin, an underdog to the former world champ, earned the NABA Super Lightweight Title. With the victory Seldin entered back into the World ratings (#11 WBA, #12 IBF).

Making his seventeenth appearance at “Rockin’ Fights,” Seldin holds the record for most wins at The Paramount, the first of which came in 2011 with a quintessential KO over Rashad Bogar. Seldin went on to have tremendous success at the Paramount, ultimately winning the WBC International Silver Super Lightweight Title in 2014, which he successfully defended three times.

In November of 2017, Seldin would display his world class power on the national stage in a featured fight on HBO against ROBERTO ORTIZ (then 35-1-2 26KO’s). Seldin pounced on Ortiz from the opening bell and knocked knocked him out in the 3rd round in front of an electric crowd of his “Hamma Heads” fans at the Nassau Coliseum. Just one month later Seldin would make history as the only the third boxer to appear on HBO in back-to-back months, joining boxing legends MIKE TYSON and ROY JONES JR..

Seldin has fully recovered from a surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder which he suffered in the Judah fight in June. Riding a three-fight knockout streak, Seldin looks to continue his rise in the world rankings in his return to The Paramount. Seldin had this to say about his return home, “It feels great to be home where it all started. There is no venue like The Paramount, and I cannot wait to be back. I feel healthy and plan on putting on a show for all the ‘Hamma Heads’ who come out on February 28.”

Seldin’s opponent will be announced soon. “Rockin’ Fights” 38 is presented by JOE DEGUARDIA’S STAR BOXING in a thrilling night of fights from The Paramount in Huntington, Long Island. For more information follow @StarBoxing and join the conversation using #RockinFights.

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 20, 2020): Rising lightweight sensation Ryan Garcia (19-0, 16 KOs) held a Los Angeles media tour today that included visits to KTLA, the Westside Boxing Club and the ESPN studios to promote the 12-round defense of his WBC Silver Lightweight Title against Francisco Fonseca (25-2-2, 19 KOs). The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 14 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Below are what Garcia and Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy, had to say during today’s activities:

RYAN GARCIA, Lightweight Contender:
“I’m happy that we got this fight done at the Honda Center in Anaheim, so everyone is going to come out and enjoy this great night. The fact that Francisco Fonseca has fought similar opponents as Tevin Farmer and Gervonta Davis–I feel that it will show people where I am. They’ll be able to compare the fights. I think that’s why this fight is very important. The fans will be using it like a measuring stick. The media can use the fights to compare my skillset with Farmer and Davis against a similar opponent.”

“This year I plan to shock the world. In 2020, I want to set a standard where I’m only fighting the best guys. I definitely want Gervonta Davis for this year. I’ve been pushing for that fight to get done. That’s all I want. To shock the world. The only way to do it is to do something hard. To beat Gervonta? That would be good.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy:
“Hopefully we don’t see a lot of broken hearts, but hopefully we’ll see a broken nose. This will be a great night for Ryan Garcia. He’s in with a tough opponent. This year will be his coming out party. I think he’ll be a world champion by the end of the year. He’s getting stronger, faster, and wiser. For Ryan, we want the best for him. Ryan in a world title fight against a top fighter for 2020.”

Garcia vs. Fonseca is a 12-round fight for the WBC Silver Lightweight Title presented by Golden Boy. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 14 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for the event are on sale and are priced at $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at goldenboytickets.com, ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 800-943-4327 and at the Honda Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 5 p.m. PT and Sat 10 a.m. PT to 4 p.m. PT).

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and
DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/and
https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #GarciaFonseca.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying
and pasting the link https://bit.ly/GarciaFonseca into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.

It looks like unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will defend against IBF Mandatory Kubrat Pulevas the IBF has given representatives of the two sides an extension to make the deal, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

We are very close in my opinion, but the real issue is everyone’s trying to vet offers [from sites] that are coming in from all over,” said John Wirt, who is one of the representatives of Pulev. “The only continents not in play to my knowledge are Antarctica and Australia.”

Anthony Sims Jr will fight for his first pro title as he meets Roamer Alexis Angulo for the WBO Latino Super-Middleweight title on Thursday January 30 at the Meridian in Island Gardens in Miami, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.
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Sims Jr (20-0 18 KOs) secured three wins in 2019 to further underline his credentials for landing major clashes in 2020, finishing the year with a stoppage win in Chicago in October after going the ten-round distance for the first time in April in California.

WBO #9 Angulo (25-1 22 KOs) represents a stiff test for Sims Jr’s aspirations with the Miami-based Colombian KO artist only having one blemish on his record, coming against Gilberto Ramirez when he challenged the Mexican for his WBO World title in June 2018.

“I’m delighted to be fighting for my first belt in Miami – I plan to make it the first of many,” said Sims Jr. “I’ve been ready for this step up for some time and I will prove that I am ready to mix it with the best with a devastating performance on January 30 – it’s time to bring the funk!”

“I am always well prepared when I step in the ring,” said Angulo. “On January 30, my opponent will be facing the most difficult test of his young career. I will do everything I can so that he fails. I hope many of my fans and fellow Colombians living in Miami will come out to see me give my all.”

Sims Jr and Angulo clash on an action-packed night of World championship boxing in Miami, topped by WBO World Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade (28-0 17 KOs) defending his crown against Irish challenger Luke Keeler (17-2-1 5 KOs).

Tevin Farmer (30-4-1, 6 KOs) defends his IBF World Super Featherweight title against JoJo Diaz (30-1, 15 KOs), unified World Super Bantamweight champion Daniel Roman (27-2-1, 10 KOs) defending his titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev (7-0, 6 KOs) and YouTube stars Jake Paul and AnEsonGib clashing on their pro debuts.

Fighting for the first time since 2017, CES Boxing’s newest acquisition, Marvin “Much Too Much” Cordova Jr., added another championship to his collection Saturday night in his hometown of Pueblo, CO.

Cordova Jr. (23-2-1, 12 KOs) stopped tough Mexican challenger and 89-fight veteran Hector Velazquez with a series of body shots at the 2-minute, 23-second mark of the fourth round to capture the vacant NBA World Super Middleweight Title. The event headlined a five-fight card at the Southern Colorado Gaming and Event Center in Pueblo.

CES Boxing, the East Coast’s No. 1 promotion, and Cordova Jr. agreed to terms on a multi-year promotional agreement in 2019 as the former NABA and WBC Youth super lightweight champion prepares for another run at a world title. With Saturday’s win, Cordova Jr. has fought just twice since 2010, but remains one of the more intriguing prospects in the sport based on his track record.

Cordova Jr. fought 242 times as an amateur, which included a bronze medal in the 2002 U.S. U-19 Championships and a quarterfinal appearance in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials. He won his first 12 fights as a pro and 20 of his first 21 with the only blemish a draw against former world champion Victor Ortiz. Cordova Jr. also went the distance with ex-WBC welterweight champ Josesito Lopez and 64-fight vet Dennis Laurente.

“Marvin Cordova is the best-kept secret in boxing,” CES Boxing president Jimmy Burchfield Sr. “When the opportunity came to work with such a remarkable, dedicated talent, there was no hesitation on our end to join forces with Cordova and his team. There is no doubt in my mind he will back one top of the boxing world in no time and we’re excited about him bringing a world title back to Colorado.”

Visit www.cesboxing.com, www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.facebook.com/cesboxing for more information, and follow CES Boxing on Instagram at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION
CES Boxingpromoted its first event in 1992 headlined by future Champion Sucra Ray Oliveira. Over the years, CES has earned the reputation as the Heart and Soul of boxing with a rich history that includes the development of former U.S. Olympian Jason Estrada, plus Vinny Paz and Rhode Island legends Gary Balletto and Peter Manfredo Jr., both of whom rose to fame on The Contender reality television series. Through the years, Jimmy Burchfield Sr has earned several noteworthy awards, among them the NABF Promoter of the Year, and 2011 inductee into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday at Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center in a super welterweight title-unification fight broadcast by Fox, Dominican slugger Jeison “Banana” Rosario beat-down Philadelphia’s Julian “J Rock” Williams, stopping Williams in round 5 and snatching his WBA and IBF titles the right way.

In the beginning it had all the trappings of a
homecoming coronation – slick graphics, venue, dazzling biography, management
organization, Watson, sycophantic commentary team – and then a curiosity turned
up in the corner labeled Designated Opponent right about the time introductions
got made.

Sampson Lewkowicz. 
His is not a flawless eye for talent but it’s very close, and multiples
better than PBC’s.  Most famous for his
effective discoveries of Manny Pacquiao and Sergio Martinez, for seeing past
their blemished records, a few years ago Lewkowicz
saw which of the Hermanos Benavidez had the true upside, and when he was right
and promoter Top Rank wasn’t and tried to poach their ways out of such
shortsightedness, Lewkowicz went to the mat with them and won.  Lewkowicz, an Uruguayan, of all things, sees
qualities other talent scouts do not. 
His stable is not huge or assembled at premium prices but comprises a
type of prizefighter you’d be foolish to schedule for a homecoming showcase.

Which is exactly what PBC did, of course.  There’s more to this story, surely, depending
which lens you watch it through – a bout of flu in camp or a hellish style
matchup some sage or other warned somebody about – but there’s exactly no
chance the braintrust at Fox on PBC on Fox, “preeminent” though they be,
anticipated what befell Williams.

What told very early on and does not portend well
for Williams in the rematch is how little Williams’ flush punches affected
Banana.  Despite what trickeration drives
replay selection between rounds Williams’ technically proper rightcross
counters did nothing to shortcircuit Rosario’s attack or even much dissuade it.  Had Williams sliced open Rosario’s eyelid or
had Williams’ own eyelid proved more durable things might have gone differently,
but that’s all in a fight, and if Williams’ sight problems came via reopened
scar tissue, as explained during the broadcast, if in other words Williams was
already accustomed to fighting through blood in his eyes, he sure didn’t act
like it.

Let us not pile on Williams for the sins of his
management company, though; good people opine Williams is good people.  It’s hard to cheer against him as it is to
imagine his becoming a world titlist in a different boxing ecosystem – the
enduring lesson of Pacquaio-Thurman.

In his fascinating book “The Soul of the Ant” suicidal
19th-century South African poet Eugène Marais posits a termitary, the
laboriously constructed habitat of what termites Marais studied for a decade,
functions as an organism little different from the human body, stretching his
metaphor to include termites of ferocious mien acting like white blood cells
whilst constructionworker termites act as red blood cells.  Whatever modern reductionists have proved or
disproved about this metaphor in a century since its publication, it is
wellbuilt as it is imaginative, with cells, in the form of near-mindless
termites, racing through their termitary to ensure its health, like blood
racing through human veins and arteries. 
It calls to mind a similar if more modern metaphor of the world wide web
acting as our species’ brain whilst its billions of cells labor away oblivious
of our contribution to its thoughts or thinking.

So let us stretch these stretched metaphors to
include in our beloved sport’s ecosystem (ostensibly red) blood cells like
Sampson Lewkowicz and Jeison Rosario, cells scheduled for anonymity all their
days till an unscheduled tear happens in boxing’s protective membrane and
suddenly they burst out in violent spurts. 
Rosario, dropped thrice at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in 2017
by Nathaniel Gallimore a year before J Rock decisioned Nate the Great, was
essential as he was replaceable; boxing needs such men to make coronations for
other men but doesn’t expect them to be memorable to any but their friends and
family.

What do you know about, say, Herb “Gorilla” Siler?

He was a 20-12 heavyweight who died 19 years ago
and surely beloved to someone even while anonymous to all but a handful of
aficionados.  Too, he was the first
knockout of Cassius Clay’s prizefighting career – four years before there was a
Muhammad Ali.  Essential as he was
replaceable in boxing’s ecosystem, Gorilla is a permanent part of The
Greatest’s resume even though men like Tony Esperti and Jimmy Robinson were
just as likely to make the same history had their schedules properly coincided.

Let coincidence neither lose an idea like: At
26-1-1 eight months ago in Virginia, J Rock was the homecoming b-side for
undefeated titlist Jarrett Hurd, raised but 30 miles from the EagleBank Arena
where Hurd’s coronation was to happen.  A
less cynical scribe, then, should marvel at PBC’s marvelous matchmaking,
bestower of rich parity, rather than mock the organization for apparent
incompetence.

Well.  In my
defense I watched Saturday’s match live on Fox in the hopes of seeing J Rock do
something ultimately decisive in a competitive scrap.  The scrap was competitive and something
decisive surely did transpire.

I’m on the Banana wagon now, while we wait for
whatever Naoya Inoue does next.

*

Author’s note: Hearty congratulations to us!  As
announced late last week, 15rounds.com was the 2019 home of not only our
sport’s co-best exemplar of courage, Marc Abrams, but also our sport’s co-best
exemplar of benevolence, Norm Frauenheim. 
Two, more-deserving winners cannot be found.

*

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Follow all the action as Julian Williams defends the IBF/WBA Super Welterweight titles against Jason Roario.  The action kicks off at 6:30 Pm ET with Vito Mielnicki; Also Jorge Cota faces Thomas LaManna.  The main undercard is featured with the WBA Junior Lightweight Interim title bout between Chris Colbert and Jezreel Corrales.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED. THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY.

Round 1:  Jab from Williams..Uppercut..
Round 2 Williams lands a right to the body..Jab..Counter right..1-2..2 body shots..Right from Rosario..Jab..Good counter right..Body..Right and body..Williams cut around the right eye
Round 3 Right from Williams..Right from Rosario..Right..Hard right from Williams..Right to body..straight right
Round 4 Right from Williams..Double jab from Rosario..Good counter right..Hard body shot..Jab
Round 5 Good body shot from Williams..Left by Rosario..Williams is hurt and hurt badly..He holds..hard shot ..FIGHT IS STOPPED…ROSARIO BY TKO

Round 1 Right from Colbert
Round 2
Round 3 Right from Colbert..
Round 4 Left shakes Corrales..Left to body from Corrales..Good right from Colbert..
Round 5 Colbert switching southpaw
Round 6 Right from Colbert..Right to the body..Quick hard right..Left to body from Corrales..
Round 7 Good straight left from Corrales..Left/Right from Colbert
Round 8 Ripping left from Colbert..Hard counter right…
Round 9 Right from Colbert..Body shot from Corrales..Right hook..
Round 10 INSIDE LEFT AND DOWN GOES CORRALES..Hard left from Colbert
Round 11 Good right from Colbert..Good body shot..Jumping right..Good exchange…Corrales knocked out of ring but ruled a slip
Round 12 Left from Corrales..Right from Colbert..Left from Corrales..Right to body by Colbert..Left

117-110 twice and 116-111 for Colbert

Round 1:  Spencer lands a right
Round 2 Quick right from Spencer..Hard counter left..left hook
Round 3 Left from Spencer…
Round 4 Left from Spencer
Round 5 Body combination from Spencer…Right from Spring..Right from Spencer..
Round 6 Right from Spencer..Hard right rocks Spring

Round 1 Cota coming forward…Right from Cota…2 body shots..Hard right..Jab from LaManna..Good right

Round 2  Good right from LaManna…Straight right..Left from Cota..2 lefts..Good right from LaManna..

Round 3 Left from Cota..Combination..2 rights from LaManna..left from Cota..Counter right from LaManna

Round 4 Cota landing hard shots…Good uppercut

Round 5  Cota walking right in…Landing on the ropes.  Blood from LaManna’s nose…FIGHT STOPPED BY THE CORNER…COTA WINS VIA TKO

Round 1:

ROUND 1 CRUZ LANDS A LEFT TO THE BODY THAT SENDS GARCIA DOWN..Left From Cruz..HaRD LEFT AND DOWN GOES GARCIA..THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

PHILADELPHIA–Jeison Rosario won the IBF/WBA Junior Middleweight titles with a shocking 5th round stoppage over reigning champion and hometowner Julian Williams at The Liacouras Center.

It was an action filled fight that had Williams boxing and countering well early. He was cut over his right eye in round two. Rosario started walking in and getting to Williams in that 2nd round, and that was a foreshadowing of things to come. Rosario started being the bully and hurt Williams in round four. Williams was hurt again in round five from a flurry of punches that had him holding. Rosario capped that off by hurting Williams with a hard uppercut and right that sent him prone into the ropes that forced referee Benjy Esteves to stop the fight at 1:37.

Rosario of the Dominican Republic is 19-1 with 17 knockouts.

“As soon as I stepped into the ring, I knew he could not hurt me,” said Rosario. “I knew that my power was affecting him right away. This is a big victory for me and for the whole Dominican Republic.” “Rosario was the better man tonight,” said Williams. “It was a great homecoming for my fans and I’m sorry I let them down. What went wrong tonight needs to and will be fixed. We’re going to an immediate rematch and we look forward to returning the favor.”

“I’m so emotional in this moment right now,” said Rosario. “When I lost my last fight I said I will never lose again until I become champion of the world and that’s what happened tonight. I came prepared. I knew before the fight that I was going to win it.”

“I have to give a lot of credit to my team,” said Rosario. “I had a 16-week training camp and that prepared me for this. My life is changed forever and I can support my family in a whole new way. I realized that I was going to win, once I was offered the fight. I knew that if I made the sacrifice, that I would do what I did tonight. I knew it 16 weeks ago.”

“I wasn’t surprised he was so good,” said Williams. “I told everybody he’s a real fighter. I have to accept it. The cut blurred my vision a little bit but it wasn’t the reason why I lost. He was the better fighter tonight. We’ve got a rematch clause. I’ll see him again soon. I’ll be back.”

Chris Colbert won the WBA Interim Junior Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over former champion Jezreel Corrales

In round 10, Colbert landed a little left that sent Corrales to the canvas.

Colbert, 129.8 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 117-110 twice and 116-111 to stay perfect at 14-0. Corrales, 129.4 lbs of Panama is now 25-4.

CHRIS COLBERT

“He was a great fighter. People don’t realize that, because he had a bad decision against Ladarius Miller. But he’s a great fighter. He’s very awkward. He’s slick and fast. It was hard to catch him because he was running, but he came to fight. I take my hat off to him.

“I had confidence coming into the fight. I knew I was going to dominate the fight and I told you all that before the fight happened. He was running and I was trying to catch him, so I told my corner, let’s have a dog fight. We got 12 rounds. I’m in shape. You see, I didn’t sit down one round. I’m in shape and I came to fight. I wasn’t going to leave without this title.

“I’m not ducking nobody and not dodging nobody. I’m here to fight and I’m here to stay.

“The strategy was to use my jab like I did and try to set up my punches. But he’s very awkward and has good distance. Slowly but surely I decided to stop boxing, close the distance and get on him. I knew he couldn’t out throw me, I’m from Brooklyn.”

JEZREEL CORRALES

“I did my job in there. My strategy was to hit and not get hit. I felt like I made him struggle for a lot of the fight.

“The knockdown wasnt from being hurt, it was my balance. Our feet got tangled and I lost my balance.

“I came in here to win. We both did our jobs, but the judges scored his pushing more than his punching.

Joey Spencer remained undefeated with an easy six-round unanimous decision over Erik Spring in a super welterweight bout.

Spencer, 153.9 lbs of Linden, MI won by shutout margins of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 10-0. Spring, 155 lbs of Reading, PA is 13-4-2.

JOEY SPENCER

“SI was in there with a cagey, long southpaw. And to be honest, when a guy is fighting as cagey as he was, it’s really hard for a guy with my style to just pull something out of nothing. He was a real defensive guy.

“At the end I really just pressed him, said I’m going to finish strong, and hit him with some good shots and if I had done that in the first or second round, I would have ended it early.

“I’m glad to get the six rounds in. Experience is everything. You’re only as good as your next fight. I’m happy to get in there and get some good experience and I did my thing and got the shutout.

“I’m going to stay busy this year. I’m going to have a four-fight year. This is one of four. We’re looking to bring some excitement and have some fun.

ERIK SPRING

“I was waiting too much. I thought he would come in and engage more and I was looking counter him but he stayed on the outside.

“I was more impressed by his speed then his power. He’s a talented fighter but I could have been more effective.”

Jorge Cota stopped Thomas LaManna in round five of their scheduled 10-round super welterweight bout.

Cota was active with his hands, and was able to get inside and land some crisp shots on LaManna. LaManna would get home with a right from distance, but it was few and far between the hard shots that Cota was landing that eventually bloodied the nose of LaManna.

The bout was stopped at 1:22 of round five after another hard flurry forced the corner of LaManna to call a halt to the fight.

Cota, 153.2 lbs of Sinaloa, MX is 30-4 with 27 knockouts. LaManna, 153.3 lbs of Milville, NJ is 28-3-1.

Vito Mielnicki Jr. remained undefeated by winning a four round unanimous decision over Preston Wilson in a welterweight bout.

Mielnicki, 146 lbs of Roseland, NJ won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 4-0. Wilson, 146.1 lbs of Parkersburg, WV is 6-4-1.

Romuel Cruz remained undefeated with a 1st round stoppage over Julio Garcia in a super bantamweight bout.

Cruz dropped Garcia twice, and the fight was stopped after the 2nd knockdown, and the time was 2:56.

Cruz, 122.2 lbs of Arecibo, PR is 4-0-1 with two knockouts. Garcia, 122.3 lbs of Madison, WI is 3-4.

Kyrone Davis stopped Antonio Todd in round four of a scheduled eight-round middleweight bout.

Davis landed some hard shots that had Todd reeling back. A big follow up flurry forced the stoppage.

Davis, 159.3 lbs of Monmouth, DE is 15-2 with six knockouts. Todd, 157.3 lbs of Atlanta is 7-3.

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Member, Paul Kroll took out Marcel Rivers in round four of their scheduled eight-round welterweight bout featuring Philadelphia natives.

In round three, Kroll dropped Rivers with a hard left hook. In round four, Kroll dropped Rivers twice with perfect right hands. The fight ended with Kroll battering Rivers on the ropes. The time was 49 seconds.

Kroll, 148.8 lbs is 7-0 with six knockouts. Rivers, 147.2 lbs is 7-3.

Norman Neely remained perfect by stopping ivermatched Larry Knight in the opening frame of their scheduled four-round heavyweight bout.

Neely landed about 10 unanswered punches that sent Knight to the canvas, and the fight was stopped at 1:21.

Neely, 241.8 lbs of Paterson, NJ is 5-0 with five knockouts. Knight, 250.1 lbs of Birmingham, GA is 4-23-1.

Miguel Angel Roman Jr. made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Antonio Lucanne in a bantamweight bout.

Roman dropped Lucanne in round three from a combination that was finished with a right hand.

Roman, 118.6 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 40-35 and 39-36 twice to go to 1-0. Lucanne, 119.7 lbs of Mount Vernon, NY is 0-3.

Nutley, NJ (January 18, 2020)- Tonight at The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, undefeated heavyweight prospect, Norman Neely will look for his 5th consecutive win (and knockout) when he takes on 27 fight veteran Larry Knight.

Neely, of Paterson, New Jersey is promoted by GH3 Promotions and racked up four wins in his rookie year will look to start the year with a bang, and introduce himself as a prospect in boxing’s glamour division.

“I feel great and I am ready to put on a great show. I don’t know too much about my opponent, but I am looking to showcase my talents,” said Neely.

“I have power, speed, agility and I am a thinker in there.”

Neely weighed 241.5 lbs. Knight was 250.1 lbs.

In a battle of undefeated super middleweights, Vladimir Shishkin won a 10-round unanimous decision over Ulises Sierra at The WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa.

Shishkin, 167 1/2 lbs of Russia won by scores of 100-90 and 99-91 twice, and is now 10-0. Sierra, 167 lbs of San Diego is 15-1-2.

He added: “I want Canelo (Alvarez). I want (David) Benavidez. I want the champions next. I am ready for the next level. With Sugarhill in my corner I am ready for anyone. Even with one hand.”

Steward is the nephew of the legendary trainer Emanuel Steward. “I thought all the Detroit guys did great,” Sugarhill Steward said. “They all got good experience on television. That’s a factor that some fighters don’t take in to consideration. When they get on television, they don’t know how to handle it. You have to be used to being on a stage like this and I’m happy with the way they all performed. All the guys from Detroit stepped up on television to further their careers. I’m very happy all-around.”

Shohjahon Egragshev stopped Adrian Estrella with a one-punch knockout in round one of a scheduled 10-round bout.

Ergashev landed a perfect left to the body that sent Esrella down in a heap of pain and the fight was stopped after the 10-count at 1:32.

Ergashev, 140 lbs of Uzbekastan is 18-0 with 16 knockouts. Estrella, 141 lbs of Monterrey, MX is 29-5.

“I just saw the window to the body, so I threw the shot,” said Ergashev, who is ranked in the top-15 in three of the four major sanctioning bodies. “I wasn’t planning to knock him out in the first round. I wanted to get some rounds in. The guy is durable and experienced, so I thought I would, but when I saw that opening, I had to take it.

“I knew it was over the second it landed though. I knew he would not get up from that. No one could. That was a message to the super lightweight division. It’s Shoh Time! No matter where I fight, it is always Shoh Time.”

“I started moving and tried using my jab, but he was very quick with that punch,” Estrella said. “He just punched me very hard in the stomach and I was paralyzed on the canvas. I tried to stand up, but I couldn’t hear the referee counting. I couldn’t hear anything, and I couldn’t move. It was a hell of a shot.”

Jarico O’Quinn won an eight-round unanimous decision over Oscar Vasquez in a bantamweight bout.

O’Quinn, 118 1/2 lbs of Detroit won by scores of 79-73 on all cards and is now 14-0-1. Vasquez, 117 1/4 lbs of Reno, Nevada is 15-3-1.

“I give this performance a six, to be honest,” said O’Quinn. “I want to fight bigger and taller people, that’s what I’m used to. I’m not taking anything away from Oscar. No matter what I will always come out on top. Even when things can get ugly, I know how to win beautiful.”

Added O’Quinn: “I went into this fight knowing Oscar Vasquez was a tough guy. I knew he would be coming forward to make it ugly, so my game plan was to box him but if I had to, stand there and trade with him. I knew I’d be stronger than him and be able to take his punch. It was hard to land my shots with him leaning on me. I couldn’t turn him like I wanted and cut off angles, but we came, we conquered and I got the win.”

NEW YORK (January 17, 2020) – Saturday night at the Turning Stone Resort Casino, world-ranked junior lightweight contender Abraham “Super” Nova will make his Top Rank debut when he takes on the grizzled veteran Pedro Navarrete in a bout scheduled for eight-rounds.

Nova, who is managed by Split-T Management, is currently ranked number-seven by both the WBA and WBO, and has a record of 17-0 with 13 knockouts. He has gained the rankings on the strength of wins over Weusi Johnson (1-0), Martin Nicolas Matamala (9-2), Andres Zapata (7-1), Hassan Nourdine (9-2), Sulaiman Segawa (11-1), Brian Pelaez (8-2), Mario Lozano (18-2-1), Luis Castillo (20-3) and in his last bout, Nova stopped Sandro Hernandez in four rounds on October 19th in Belgium.

“Camp went pretty good. I had left camp with Teofimo Lopez and was already in shape when I started training for my fight,” said Nova.

Navarrete is a 19-year pro who has a record of 30-24-3 with 19 knockouts, and has wins over three undefeated foes.

My opponent is a tough veteran with a lot of experience. He went the distance with Mikey Garcia. He is game.”

“The mission is always the same and that is to win. Now that I am on a bigger platform, and being viewed all over the world, it does put a little bit more of a chip on my shoulder.”

“This fight will not go the distance. I will give my self a late birthday gift which was on January 14th.”

Nova was 132 lbs. at Friday’s weigh in. Navarrete was 133 lbs.

The bout will be streamed live on ESPN+ beginning at 7 PM ET.

Two members of the 15rounds.com family will be honored by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).

Longtime writer Norm Frauenheim will share the Good Guy Award with PBC PR Man Tim Smith while Owner/Editor Marc Abrams tied for the Courage Award with former light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson.

Floyd Mayweather was named Fighter of the Decade; Canelo Alvarez was Fighter of the Year; Naoya Inoue – Nonito Donaire took home Fight of the Year; Keith Connoly was Manager of the Year; Eddy Reynoso was Trainer of the Year.

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 17, 2020) – Prince Ranch Boxing’s undefeated welterweight contender, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (13-0-1, 9 KOs), who is by promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, faces Samuel Kotey (23-2, 16 KOs) of Ghana, Africa. The 10-round bout will take place on February 14, 2020, as part of the of Ryan Garcia versus Francisco Fonseca card at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, which will air live on DAZN at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

“I am excited to return on such a great card,” said Blair Cobbs, who is managed by Greg Hannley of Prince Ranch Boxing. “I have been training very hard and know that all my hard work is about to pay off. My body feels great and I’m looking sharp in sparring. I’m ready to take this dude out.”

“We’re thrilled with how Blair Cobbs’ career is progressing” stated Hannely, Cobbs’ manager. “He has an incredible resume and has defeated some of the best unbeaten fighters already. He keeps getting better and better with each fight. I expect big things from Cobbs this year, and it all starts on Valentines day.”

Cobbs had a phenomenal 2019 defeating unbeaten fighters Ferdinand Kerobyan and Steve Villalobos as well as Robert Redmond Jr and Carlos Ortiz Cervantes. Cobbs’ last four opponents have had a combined record of (40-5-3, 32 KOs), making Cobbs one of the most battle-tested contenders in the welterweight division.

“Blair has all the tools to be a world champion,” stated Brandon Woods, Cobbs’ trainer, “He has defeated great opponents and done it in a style that is very entertaining. I see Blair accomplishing some incredible goals in 2020, and I know he’s done everything in the gym to be at his best come fight night.”

“I love what I do,” Cobbs continued. “I am ready to have another great year and continue to put on a great, entertaining show for the fans. It’s Blair “The Flair” time baby, WOOOO!

BROOKLYN (January 17, 2020) – Undefeated Polish star and Brooklyn native Adam Kownacki will headline a night of heavyweight showdowns and look to thrill his hometown crowd when he takes on Robert Helenius in a 12-round WBA Heavyweight Title eliminator headlining FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, March 7 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

The heavyweight action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features heavyweight sensation Efe Ajagba in a 10-round fight in the co-main event, plus rising heavyweight Frank Sánchez steps in to face Philadelphia’s Joey Dawejko in a 10-round attraction.

“Heavyweights always bring excitement and on March 7 fans are going to get non-stop hard-hitting action from these fighting giants,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Adam Kownacki has established himself as a fan-favorite at Barclays Center and with each victory he puts himself closer and closer to becoming the first Polish heavyweight champion in history. He’ll be given all he can handle by the tough and experienced Robert Helenius. Highly regarded rising contenders Efe Ajagba and Frank Sánchez will share the stage with Kownacki and look to continue to show off their credentials as future heavyweight champions. You’re not going to want to blink when these heavyweights step into the ring in primetime on FOX and FOX Deportes.”

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and barclayscenter.com. Tickets are also available for purchase now at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.

Kownacki (20-0, 15 KOs) is noted for his tenacity and has been progressing towards a world title shot with knockouts in five of his last seven fights. The 30-year-old Kownacki, who was born in Lomza, Poland and moved to Brooklyn when he was seven, was an accomplished amateur in New York City before turning pro. He most recently bested veteran contender Chris Arreola in an action-packed fight on FOX in August. His previous two fights had seen him score an impressive unanimous decision victory over former world champion Charles Martin in 2018 and a devastating knockout victory against Gerald Washington in January 2019 on FOX. This will be his fifth straight and tenth overall fight at Barclays Center, where he has routinely brought out the area’s passionate Polish sports fans.

“It’s great to be fighting in Barclays Center for the tenth time,” said Kownacki. “The last nine bouts ended in victory for me, and March 7 won’t be any different. I’m happy that FOX is showcasing the fight on free television like it was back in the old days, and with the action my fights bring, it’s definitely must-watch TV. I know Helenius will be looking to pull an upset and take my place in the rankings, but I won’t let that happen. I’m already in camp with my trainers Keith Trimble and Chris Carlsen getting ready. After this fight, I want the winner of Wilder vs. Fury II.”

A winner in three of his last four fights, Helenius (29-3, 18 KOs) will fight in the U.S. for the second time on March 7, after establishing himself as one of Europe’s top heavyweights for several years. Born in Sweden and fighting out of Mariehamn, Finland, Helenius knocked out Erkan Teper in September 2018 to rise up the rankings before dropping his U.S. debut to Gerald Washington in July 2019. Prior to the Washington fight, the 36-year-old had won six of his last seven fights, with his lone blemish coming against Dillian Whyte. He most recently stopped Mateus Roberto Osorio in November 2019.

“This is the fight I have been waiting for,” said Helenius. “All of the years of training and fighting will pay off when we fight on March 7. Kownacki is about to feel the strength of Thor’s hammer. I respect him for taking this fight, but he chose the wrong opponent. This is not going to be a fight; it’s going to be a war. I will be the last man standing.”

Nigeria’s Ajagba (12-0, 10 KOs) has increased his opposition in his recent fights and passed those tests by getting off the canvas to stop Iago Kiladze in December and defeating fellow 2016 Olympian Ali Eren Demirezen by 10-round unanimous decision in July, both on FOX. The 25-year-old Ajagba gained widespread notoriety in August 2018 when his opponent, Curtis Harper, walked out of the ring after touching gloves to start the first round. Ajagba won the fight without throwing a punch as Harper was disqualified. Living in Stafford, Texas and training with Ronnie Shields, Ajagba will make his 2020 debut and third career appearance at Barclays Center on March 7, after four victories in 2019.

A former amateur standout from Cuba, Sánchez (14-0, 11 KOs) now lives in Miami, trains in San Diego with Eddy Reynoso and is unbeaten since turning pro in 2017. The 27-year-old scored knockouts in his first six pro fights, and picked up nine victories in 2018. In 2019 he added four more triumphs, including three stoppages and his first 10-round victory when he bested Jack Mulowayi in October to win by unanimous decision.

Dawejko (29-7-4, 11 KOs) has been tested against a slew of tough contenders in his career that dates back to 2009. Fighting out of Philadelphia, he has crossed paths with perennial contenders while establishing himself in the heavyweight division. The 29-year-old most recently defeated Rodney Hernandez in July.

#

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @BrooklynBoxing, @TGBPromotions, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

 Eleider Alvarez 174 lbs vs. Michael Seals 173.5 lbs
(vacant WBC Continental Americas and WBO Intercontinental Light Heavyweight titles — 10 Rounds)
Judges/Referee: Don Ackerman, Glenn Feldman and John McKaie/Danny Schiavone

      Felix Verdejo 136.75 lbs vs. Manuel-Rey Rojas 135.75 lbs
(Lightweight— 10 Rounds)
Judges/Referee: Don Ackerman, Tom Schreck and Don Trella/Charlie Fitch

ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET)

  Victor Bisbal 272 lbs vs. Devin Vargas 223 lbs
(Heavyweight — 8 Rounds

                   Abraham Nova 132 lbs vs. Pedro Navarrete 133 lbs
(Lightweight — 8 Rounds

       Jonathan Guzman 122 lbs vs.  Rodolfo Hernandez 122.25 lbs
(Super Bantamweight — 8 Rounds)

              Christopher Diaz 126.5 lbs vs. Adeilson Dos Santos 126.25 lbs
(Featherweight — 8 Rounds)

       Jared Anderson 235 lbs vs. Andrew Satterfield 239.5 lbs
(Heavyweight — 4 Rounds) 
For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $89, $75, $69, $62, $59 and $40 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office, charge by phone by calling 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.

Use the hashtags #AlvarezSeals and #VerdejoRojas to join the conversation on social media.

New York, NY (January 17, 2020) DiBella Entertainment will debut its acclaimed Broadway Boxing series north of the border on Tuesday, January 28 at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, Canada. The 113th edition of Broadway Boxing will be live streamed exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, beginning at 9:00pm ET/6:0pm PT.

Presented in association with Lee Baxter Promotions, advance tickets for the Broadway Boxing event start at $50 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster HERE. The Danforth Music Hall is located at 147 Danforth Music Hall, Toronto ON MAK 1N2, Canada. Doors will open on the night of the event at 7:30 p.m. with the first bell 8:00 p.m. For more information on the Danforth Music Hall please visit their website HERE.

“I’m thrilled to work with Lee Baxter and debut the Broadway Boxing series abroad in Toronto,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Following a spirited challenge against Golovkin, Steve Rolls is determined to climb back into the world title picture at 168 pounds and will begin with an impressive victory on January 28, in front of his hometown fans and live on UFC FIGHT PASS. On the undercard, Hershey Normatov continues his rise in the junior middleweight division and light heavyweight contender ‘Hot Rod’ Kalajdzic returns to the ring following his world title challenge last year. Lee will also feature two of his exciting Canadian fighters in the unbeaten welterweight contender Custio Claytan and amateur star Amanda Galle.”

Headlining the night’s action, hometown favorite “Mr.” Steve Rolls (19-1, 10 KOs), of Toronto, will battle Shady Gamhour (12-0, 9 KOs), of Pensacola, FL, over 10 rounds for the vacant IBF-USBA and WBA-NABA super middleweight titles. Rolls is returning to battle following his competitive challenge against pound-for-pound great Gennadiy Golovkin on June 8, 2019, at Madison Square Garden, losing the first bout of his nine years as a professional. The 29-year-old Gamhour, a native of Brody, Sweden, trained by four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr., looks to kick off 2020 in style following two stoppage victories last year, which included a fourth-round knockout of Joshua Weems on October 18, 2019, in Columbus, OH.

Co-featured in a scheduled 10-rounder, Custio Clayton (17-0, 11 KOs), of Montreal, Canada, will defend his WBA-NABA welterweight title against Diego “El Chacarero” Ramirez (21-3, 6 KOs), of Santa Fe, Argentina. The 25-year-old Clayton is coming off a stellar 2019, which included a sixth-round stoppage of former world champion DeMarcus Corley and a 10-round decision versus Johan Perez on June 29. Following a five-fight winning streak, the also 25-year-old, upset-minded Ramirez looks to rebound following a hard-fought 10-round decision loss to Maximiliano Veron on November 2, 2019, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This bout is promoted in association with Lee Baxter Promotions.

Junior middleweight prospect Hurshidbek “Hershey” Normatov (9-0, 3 KOs), of Brooklyn, NY, clashes with Uriel “El Muneco” Hernandez (13-5, 7 KOs) of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. A native of Uzbekistan where he had a stellar amateur career, accumulating a 190-40 record, the 27-year-old southpaw Normatov hits the ring following an eight-round decision against Walter Wright on August 29, 2019, at Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, CT. Hernandez has twice previously ventured up to Canada, taking local undefeated prospects, Jessie Wilcox and Jordan Balmir, the distance in close matches.

Opening the UFC FIGHT PASS broadcast, Amanda Gale (3-0), of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, faces off against Shelly Barnett (4-2-2), of Toronto, CA, in a scheduled eight-round junior featherweight bout. Gale, who was a three-time National champion as an amateur, won all three of her professional bouts in 2019 by four-round unanimous decision. Barnett, a former Canadian bantamweight champion, looks to stop the Gale train, coming off an eight-round split decision loss to Noemi Bosques on September 7, 2019, in Milwaukee, WI. This bout is promoted in association with Lee Baxter Promotions.

Light heavyweight contender and former world title challenger “Hot Rod” Radivoje Kalajdzic (24-2, 17 KOs), of St. Petersburg, FL, returns to the ring following his world title challenge against IBF light heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev on May 4, 2019, in Stockton, CA, in a bout telecast on ESPN. He will face Juan Carlos Raygosa (15-16-3, 6 KOs), of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, in a scheduled eight-round bout at cruiserweight.

Local Toronto favorite Nick Fantauzzi (9-0, 5 KOs) battles Aaron Crawley (6-3, 1KO), of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, in an eight-round light heavyweight clash.

Junior welterweights will see action as undefeated prospect Will Madera (14-0-3, 7 KOs), of Albany, NY, battles heavy-handed veteran Edgar Ramirez (17-15-1, 14 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, in a scheduled six-rounder.

Rounding out the card in a four-round cruiserweight clash, the popular Salar Gholami (3-0, 2 KOs), of Toronto hits the ring against Mateusz Kubiszyn (3-2, 2 KOs), of Rzeszow, Poland.

Now in its 17th year, Broadway Boxing is presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, Christos Steak House and Gagliardi Insurance.