Leon Edwards won a split decision over Gunnar Nelson in a welterweight fight.

Edwards took cards 29-28. Nelson won a 3rd card 29-28.

Edwards is 17-3. Nelson is 17-4-1.

In a battle of top-10 light heavyweights, Dominick Reyes won a split decision over Volkan Oezdemir.

Reyes won two cards 29-28. Oezdemir took a card 29-28.

Reyes is 11-0. Oezdemir is 15-4.

Nathaniel Wood won via 2nd round choke over Jose Quinonez in a bantamweight bout.

Wood won via rear-naked choke at 2:15.

Wood is now 16-3. Quinonez is 7-3.

Claudio Silva submitted Danny Roberts in the 3rd round of their welterweight bout.

Silva used an armbar to submit Roberts at 2:37.

Silva is 13-1. Roberts is 16-4.

Jack Marshman won a split-decision over John Phillips in a middleweight bout.

Marshman won two cards 29-28. Phillips took a card 29-28.

Marshman, who was two pounds over weight at Friday’s weigh-in is now 23-8. Phillips is now 21-9-1.

Arnold Allen won a unanimous decision over Jordan Rinaldi in a featherweight bout.

Allen won by scores 30-27, 30-26 and 29-28 and is now 14-1.  Rinaldi is 14-7.

Marc Diakiese won a unanimous decision over Joe Duffy in a lightweight bout.

Diakiese won by scores of 30-27 on all cards, and is now 13-3. Duffy is 16-4.

Saparbek Safarov won a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Nicolae Negumereanu in a light heavyweight bout.

Safarov was deducted a point in round one for grabbing the cage. Negumereanu was bloodied under his right, eye at the end of round two after suffering a pounding from Safarov.

Safarov won by scores of 29-26 twice and 29-27, and is now 9-2. Negumereanu is 9-1.

Dan Ige choked out Danny Henry in the opening round of their featherweight bout.

Ige knocked Henry down and was able to apply a rear naked choke, and the fight was stopped at 1:17.

Ige is now 11-2. Henry is 12-3.

Molly McCann won a unanimous decision over Priscilla Cachoeira in a flyweight fight.

In round two, McCann began to swell and bleed over her left eye. In round three, it was virtually closed.

Despite that McCann won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 8-2. Cachoeira is also 8-2.

Mike Grundy stopped Nad Narimani in the 2nd round of their featherweight bout.

Narimani was bleeding under his left eye in the 2nd round. Later in the round, Grundy decked Narimani with a hard right hand. Narimani got up but was wobbled, and Grundy was all over Narimani, and landed several more hard blows, and the fight was stopped at 4:42.

Grundy is 12-1. Narimani is 12.3

WORCESTER, Mass. (March 16, 2019) – A perfect storm struck last night at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. In the “Every Man for Himself” main event, hometown favorite Kendrick “Peppa” Ball, Jr. headlined his first show at home, in which his cousin, Owen Minor, made his pro debut, all topped by Ball capturing the vacant New England middleweight title.

Ball (12-1-2, 8 KOs) used his height and reach advantage, effectively jabbing and mixing in some powerful body shots, to win a unanimous six-round unanimous decision over Danny “Feel Good Hollywood” Rosenberger (4-7-4, 1 KO).

“Everything turned out great for me,” Ball said after the comment. “I started using by jab in three first round and he couldn’t do anything against it. I wanted to knock him out, but I figured why rush it. He’s as tough kid. I should have gone to the body more.

“It feels to have this belt. I feel like I’ve been the best middleweight in New England for a long time. I dictated the pace of the fight and did my job.”

“Every Man for Himself” was the inaugural event presented by Shearns Boxing Promotions (SBP). “I feel like it was a success,” promoter Chuck Shearns reported. “I’m happy. The fights were good. The crowed enjoyed it and that’s most important. We’ll be coming right back June 14 (at the Worcester Palladium) with our friends from Rivera Promotions and Entertainment. Jose Antonio Rivera will be in his 50th pro fight.”

In the co-featured event, Southbridge, MA welterweight Wilfredo “El Sucaro: Pagan (6-0, 3 KOs) kept his unblemished record intact, out-boxing upset-minded Peruvian puncher Carlos Galindo (1-8) en route to a win by way of a four-round unanimous decision.

Former decorated amateur Minor (pictured to the right) didn’t disappoint his hometown fans in his long-awaited professional debut, dominating his opponent, Corey Morley (0-3-1), until referee Jackie Morrell waved off the action in round three for a technical knockout.

“This was great,” Minor remarked after the fight. “Fighting at home in front of my kids and friends and winning by knockout, it doesn’t get better than that, so I’m very happy. It’s been four years since I fought so there was some rust. It’s just going to keep getting better.”

Bridgeport, CT light weight Carlos Marrera III (1-2-1) earned his first win as a pro, taking a four-round unanimous decision from Edwin Rosado (1-9-1, 1 KO) in the most competitive fight of the night.

Worcester cruiserweight Jake Paradise (1-2, 1 KO) entertained his hometown fans, overcoming a legitimate first-round knockout to stop Francisco Artri Neto (0-3) in the second frame, the result of a lethal right to the body.

Fighting for the first time in 3 ½ years, Providence light heavyweight Angel Camacho, Jr. (16-0, 5 KOs) worked off some rust against journeyman Larry “Slomoshun” Smith (10-40-1, 7 KOs), of Dallas, who despite being a late replacement, extended Camacho the full six-rounds, albeit it losing a unanimous decision.

In the opening bout of the night, New Haven (CT) welterweight Anuel “Tsunami” Rosa improved to 2-0 (2 KOs) when referee Morrell halted the fight in the third round, because Danny Morales (0-8) had endured too much punishment. Rosa dropped Morales at the end of the first round, severely bloodying his opponent’s nose during the second round.

Official results below:

MAIN EVENT – VACANT NEW ENGLAND MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Kendrick Ball, Jr. (12-2-2, 8 KOs), Worcester, MA
WDEC6 (60-54, 60-54, 59-55)
Danny Rosenberger (4-7-4, 1 KO), Youngstown, OH
(Ball won New England middleweight title)

CO-FEATURE – WELTERWEIGHTS
Wilfredo Pagan (6-0, 3 KOs), Southbridge, MA
WDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 38-37)
Carlos Galindo (1-8), Woburn, MA by way of Peru

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Owen Minor (1-0, 1 KO), Worcester, MA
WTKO3 (0:44)
Corey Morley (0-3-1), Philadelphia, PA

CRUISERWEIGHTS (4)
Jake Paradise (1-2,1 KO), Worcester, MA
WKO2 (0:48)
Francisco Artri Neto (0-3), Woburn, MA

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Angel Camacho, Jr. (16-0, 5 KOs), Providence, RI
WDEC6 (60-54, 59-55, 59-55)
Larry Smith (10-40-1, 7 KOs), Dallas, TX

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS (4)
Anuel Rosa (2-0, 2 KOs), New Haven, CT
WTKO3 (2:54)
Danny Morales (0-8), Bronx, NY

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Carlos Marrero III (1-2-1), Bridgeport, CT
WDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 40-36)
Edwin Rosado (1-9-1, 1 kO), Worcester, MA

Event sponsors included Lundgren Collision, Tecate, Grill 57, Worcester Railers, Worcester Red Sox, Palley Advertising, and Allstate Insurance.

INFORMATION:

Facebook.com/ShearnsBoxingPromotions

Twitter: @ShearnsBoxing

By Norm Frauenheim-

ARLINGTON, Tex. – Home is where the chants are.

At least, that’s what Mikey Garcia hoped he was hearing Friday at AT&T Stadium during the weigh-in for his bid to upset welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. Saturday in a ring near the middle of the Dallas Cowboys homefield and beneath a video screen that makes everybody look bigger than life.

This is Texas, after all. Nothing small here, including the hometown fighter who has all of the measurable advantages. Spence, who grew up about 20 miles from Dallas in DeSoto, is three-and-a-half inches taller and has a four-inch advantage in reach.

At 146.25 pounds, Spence was only three-quarters of a pound heavier than Garcia at Friday’s formal trip to the scale. But that difference is expected to grow by multiple pounds by opening bell for the main event on a Fox pay-per-view card (6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET).

Spence is expected to be at least a middleweight, and perhaps five pounds heavier at 165. He could be 10 to 15 pounds heavier than Garcia, who hopes to be 155 at fight time. In other words, Garcia, a former featherweight champion, could be making only his second appearance at welterweight against a fighter who could be just three pounds short of super-middleweight.

It all adds up to a very steep challenge for Garcia, who is fighting to become the third ex-featherweight champ to win a significant welterweight belt. Henry Armstrong is the first to accomplish the feat. Manny Pacquiao, who is expected to be at ringside Saturday, is the second.

A harder factor to measure, however, is the crowd. So far, it looks as if it might favor Garcia, who grew up in Oxnard, Calif. At a media workout Tuesday and again at the weigh-in Friday, the chants were one sided, al for “Mikey, Mikey.’’

He acknowledged the crowd and its support for him repeatedly. He held up five fingers, symbolic of the fifth world title he is seeking. His trainer and brother, Robert, wore a T-shirt that said: “Because He’s Mikey.’’ That message included an inherent assumption, one that gives an edge to Garcia for his smarts and fundamental tactical skill.

A crowd, predicted to be at least 35,000, might agree with that. The chants throughout the week before opening bell suggest that visitor will get most of the cheers from Dallas’ big Mexican-American community.

But will that only motivate Spence, the International Boxing Federation’s champ, to fight for his own turf? In the end, it his town. It’s his belt.

After Spence stepped off the scale Friday, he looked at the crowd and said:

“I’m going to eff him up.’’

Then crowd couldn’t hear him. They were chanting Mickey.

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Tevin Farmer (29-4-1, 6KO) scored a wide unanimous decision and retained his IBF world super featherweight title against Jono “King Kong” Carroll (16-1-1, 3KO) at Temple University’s Liacouras Center, broadcast live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK. Official scorecards read 117-110 and 117-111×2 for Farmer.

It was the 26 year old southpaw challenger, Carroll, however, who got off to the quick start, making a concerted effort to bang Farmer to the body.

But after a brief two round “feeling out” period, the southpaw champion settled in and began countering Carroll to head and body, throwing counter uppercuts from in-close and ripping loaded counter lefts to the body. A clash of heads also caused a nasty cut over Carroll’s right eye, a cut that only worsened as the fight progressed.

In the middle rounds, Farmer, 29, began taking over as Carroll’s offense began to slow and his punches began to hold less steam. There was a lot of in-fighting in the middle rounds, welcomed by the “American Idol”, Farmer, who was content to let Carroll throw a few before firing back the more significant shots.

Although struggling to gain ground through most of the mid-to-late rounds, Carroll did rally in the eighth, scoring mostly with body blows.

As the tenth wound to a close, Farmer hurt Carroll with a short right, sending the bearded Irishman in full retreat. Farmer kept his foot on the gas, connecting with more shots, but Carroll was able to ride out the storm until the end of the round.

The championship rounds went to Farmer, as well, securing the victory and his title.

It was the third successful title defense, and first in Philadelphia, for Farmer, who won his belt against Australian Billy Dib last August.

Farmer, who early in his career, without proper promotional guidance found himself prematurely pitted against tough opponents. After just twelve pro fights, Farmer’s record already sported four losses and one draw. Seven-plus years later, those numbers remain unchanged.

Farmer’s last loss came via stoppage against Jose Pedraza in 2012.

For his part, Carroll gave a good account for himself in his first world title challenge and first fight on American soil.

The Dublin native is now winless in his last two contests, having fought to a draw against Frenchman Guillaume Frenois (46-1-1, 12KO) in December.

Katie Taylor Wins Another Title, Stops Rose Volante

In a world female lightweight unifier between two previously unbeaten champions, Ireland’s Katie Taylor (13-0, 6KO) added the WBO title to her collection (IBF, WBA), stopping Brazil’s Rose Volante (14-1, 8KO) in the ninth of a scheduled ten round contest.

Taylor, a former 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, started quickly, dropping Volante early in the opening round with a left hook.

Credit Volante, who not only survived the remainder of the first, but then dug in and stood toe-to-toe with Taylor for the duration of the contest. And although she battled and traded with Taylor, Volante was being battered round after round.

In the eighth round Taylor, 32, Taylor shot up off her stool and looked determine to end it, letting her fists fly. But Volante, who was making her third title defense, showed the heart of a true champion and refused to fold.

It wasn’t until the 1:40 mark of the ninth round that referee Benjy Esteves stepped in to stop the punishment and call a halt to the contest.

Taylor remains on track to land a megafight later in this year, either against 7-division champion and current WBO female super flyweight titleist Amanda Serrano or undefeated unified world female welterweight champion Cecelia Braekhus.

Maciej Sulecki Survives Gabe Rosado Surge In North Philly Brawl

In a classic Philly brawl that saw both fighters hit the mat twice, Polish middleweight Maciej Sulecki (28-1, 11KO) outlasted a late surge by veteran fan favorite “King” Gabriel Rosado en route to a ten round unanimous decision victory.

It took less than ninety seconds for action to heat up and big punches to land, as Sulecki, 29, found immediate success with his right hand, firing a right behind Rosado’s left ear that dropped him to the mat. Rosado, 33, was shaken, but not hurt, and was able to navigate his way through the rest of the first.

In the third round, Rosado, who was fighting in his hometown for the first time in seven years, started to gain a bit of momentum. Much like Sulecki, he started also finding a home for his own right hand, landing two nose-crunching rights in the third.

The middle rounds weren’t dominated by either fighter, but it was Sulecki and his rights that were getting the better of Rosado.

Things looked like they might come to an end in the eight when Sulecki landed a left hook-right hand combo that rocked Rosado and sent him to the canvas for the second time in the fight. A woozy Rosado was able to ride out the remainder of the round, much of which was spent with his back against the ropes in a neutral corner, dipping, diving, and dodging Sulecki punches.

Then in the ninth, in classic Philly fashion, Rosado battled back and worked the crowd into a frenzy. The former world title challenger landed a perfectly thrown counter right that exploded on Sulecki’s head, sending the Pole crashing to the mat. Sulecki beat the ensuing ten count, but was quickly met again by another Rosado right, this a looping overhand right, that crumpled Sulecki to the canvas yet again. Credit Sulecki who again beat the referee’s ten count before the bell signaling the end of the ninth round chimed.

In the tenth round, Rosado kept his foot on the gas, trying to end the fight with a single right hand. But Sulecki was able to weather the storm and survive.

In the end, all three judges scored the contest for Sulecki (95-91×2, 95-93).

Sulecki’s only professional loss remains a UD to former world middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs in April 2018.

For Rosado, who was coming off a draw against Luis “Cuba” Arias in November, the result makes it only one win in his last five contests.

Sulecki is now positioned to face off against WBO middleweight titleist Demetrius Andrade.

Luke Campbell TKOs Adrian Yung In 5

Former world lightweight title challenger “Cool Hand” Luke Campbell (20-2, 16KO) made it three wins in a row since his 2017 defeat to Jorge Linares, stopping Adrian “Chinito” Yung (26-6-2, 20KO) in the fifth round of a scheduled ten rounds.

Campbell, a 2012 Olympic Gold medalist, had it his way from the opening bell, controlling the fight from the onset. The British southpaw eventually broke through in the fourth round after a right hand forced Yung, who took the fight on short notice, to a knee.

In the sixth, the 31 year old British southpaw, Campbell, upped the pressure. After landing an unobstructed flurry of shots, referee Eric Dali jumped in to stop the contest at the 1:37 mark of round five.

Campbell remains the mandatory challenger for Mikey Garcia’s 135lb. WBC title. Garcia, of course, squares off against undefeated welterweight champion Errol Spence, Jr. tomorrow night on FOX PPV in Texas.

Raymond Ford Cruises To UD In Pro Debut

In his professional debut, nineteen year-old Matchroom Boxing featherweight prospect Raymond Ford (1-0) earned a four round unanimous decision against Weusi Johnson (3-11).

The former 2018 123-pound National Golden Gloves champion scored a knockdown midway through the first courtesy of a huge left cross, but was unable to stop Delaware’s Johnson before the end the round. No matter to Ford, though, as the Camden, NJ southpaw faced little resistance the rest of the way and cruised to a shutout victory. Scores were 40-35×3.

Yeleussinov Earns Wide UD Against Ortiz

2016 Olympic Gold medalist Daniyar “Kazakh Thunder” Yeleussinov (6-0, 3KO) remained undefeated, scoring a wide eight round unanimous decision against fellow welterweight Silverio Ortiz (37-14, 18KO).

Yeleussinov, a 28 year-old southpaw, started quickly, picking and landing his shots, while using fantastic footwork to keep the 439 round veteran, Ortiz, out of range.

From the third round on, the fight didn’t come as easy for the Matchroom Boxing prospect, as the distance began to close and exchanges increased. There was never a point where the Kazakh wasn’t in control, however, but Ortiz did score with loaded rights, albeit infrequently.

In the seventh, Yeleussinov scored a knockdown that culminated with a punch landing behind Ortiz’s head while he was already on the mat. Referee Benjy Esteves instructed the judges to score the knockdown, but also took a point away from Yeleussinov.

At the end of eight, official scorecards read 79-70 and 79-71×2 for Yeleussinov.

Sparrow Hammers Lundy, Scores MD Win

In a highly anticipated entertaining all-Philadelphia slugfest, Avery Sparrow (10-1, 3KO) scored a ten round majority decision over former world title challenger Hank Lundy (29-8-14KO).

It didn’t take long for the two rivals to start exchanging some serious leather, and toward the end of the first round, the 35 year-old southpaw Lundy scored with a short left, followed by a straight right that seemed to grab Sparrow’s attention.

No long lasting impact, however, as the spry 25 year-old, Sparrow, flipped the script in the following round, scoring two knockdowns courtesy of right hands. The first came seemingly out of nowhere, when Sparrow launched an overhand right that caught Lundy flush on the left side of the head, sending him off balance, forcing his glove to touch the canvas. The ensuing knockdown came less than a minute later, as Sparrow countered a wild-swinging Lundy, shooting a straight right down Broad Street, sending Lundy crashing to the mat.

The resilient 241-round veteran Lundy dug deep, though, and came back the very next round and stood toe-to-toe with Sparrow, perhaps even nicking the round.

From the third on it was a seesaw affair, with both fighters willing to eat a few punches to land a few of their own.

Wild exchanges were commonplace almost every time an ensuing round neared end.

When it was all said and done, the three judges turned in cards of 94-94, and 95-93 and 96-92 for Sparrow.

The win is arguably the biggest of Sparrow’s young career, who’s other win of note came against Jose Lopez in 2017.

The result marks the second loss in a row for “Hammerin’” Hank and is his third in his last six contests.

Ballard Stops Fonseca For Second Time In Career

Undefeated super middleweight D’Mitrius Ballard (20-0, 13KO) scored a fifth round stoppage over hardnosed Mexican Victor Fonseca (17-20-1, 14KO) to kick off a night of fights from Temple University’s Liacouras Center. It was the second time the 25 year-old Ballard and Fonseca squared off and the second time Ballard closed the show inside the scheduled distance. In 2015, the Golden Boy Promotions signee stopped Fonseca inside three rounds, and tonight he needed just two more, battering Fonseca around the ring until referee Eric Dali stopped the fight in the fifth of a scheduled ten.

Tonight’s card, presented by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, will culminate when hometown champion Tevin Farmer (28-4-1, 6KO) defends his IBF World Super Featherweight title live on DAZN (US) and Sky Sports (UK) against unbeaten Irishman Jono Carroll (16-0-1, 3KO).

NEW YORK CITY (March 15, 2019) – For the third consecutive year, Michael “Mick” Conlan is ready to crash the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden for a St. Patrick’s Day extravaganza.

Conlan (10-0, 7 KOs) will defend his WBO Intercontinental featherweight strap against Ruben Garcia Hernandez (24-3-2, 10 KOs) on Sunday in a 10-rounder in the special attraction. In the welterweight main event, Brooklyn native and former welterweight world champion Luis Collazo (38-7, 20 KOs) will face Samuel Vargas (30-4-2, 14 KOs) in a 10-rounder. And, in a six-round bantamweight bout with some Irish flare, two-time Irish Olympic bronze medalist Paddy Barnes (5-1, 1 KO) will fight Oscar Mojica (11-5-1, 1 KO).

Conlan-Hernandez, Collazo-Vargas, and Barnes-Mojica will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6 p.m. ET. The undercard, including appearances by top prospects Joseph Adorno, Josue Vargas, John Bauza, Lee Reeves, and former Conlan Olympic nemesis Vladimir Nikitin will stream on ESPN+ starting at 3 p.m. ET.

At the final press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.

Michael Conlan

“It means the world for me to be fighting at Madison Square Garden, especially on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a special day for me and my country. For me to come here and represent and kind of shine the light for Irish people on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s very, very important.”

“I think this is a big year for me. I want this to be my breakout year. Each fight now is very, very important. Every fight is more important than the last. I feel this year could set me up for a huge world title fight next year, or maybe even later this year, which would be fantastic. I feel my progress has been fantastic over the last four years, so I’ve been steadily going up {the rankings}.”

“St. Patrick’s Day is normally a crazy day, but when you have an Irish guy fighting at Madison Square Garden, it makes it even more special.”

Ruben Garcia Hernandez

“I feel very happy for the opportunity. I have never fought here before. I know it’s a big opportunity, and I’m going to give it my all.”

“We know it’s going to be a tough challenge because a lot of people are going to be supporting him. I’m not going to be thinking about that. In the ring, I’m just going to focus on beating him and winning the fight.”

Luis Collazo

In response to Vargas saying this will be an “easy” fight

“He’s going to see ‘easy’ on Sunday. I’m not one to talk much, but when I get in that ring, I’m totally a different character. I’m a straight beast. Whether {it’s in} victory or defeat, I’m coming. I’m bringing it.”

On his motivation at this point of his career

“I believe I’m living my purpose right now. The things I’ve been through in boxing, a lot of fighters wouldn’t deal with. It fuels my passion. I’ve had some rough roads. You know what, at the end of the day, this is what I was called to do. I love it. I just like inspiring those that always have been counted out, like myself. I’m still able to do it and perform at my best and give the fans what they want, which is excitement.”

“This fight is first. This is what I’m focused first on. I’ll get this victory and take it from there.”

Samuel Vargas

“Luis Collazo is a guy who has been in there with veterans, Shane Mosley, a lot of world champions. He brings a lot to the table, a lot of experience, and we gotta be a cautious, smart, efficient fighter, and do what we do best.”

“I want to make a statement. I’ve been in there before with great world champions. This time around, I feel like I’ve learned so much being in the ring. This camp has been amazing in LA. I’m really looking forward to making a statement and winning easily.”

Paddy Barnes

“I’m so overwhelmed that I’m getting a chance to fight in this great arena. Two months ago, I was slated to fight in the UK on the 8th of March. Then I got a call to say I was fighting on this bill, and I was overwhelmed. I’m still pinching myself, and I can’t wait for the opportunity.”

“We lost our last fight, which was for the WBC {flyweight} world title. I’m now fighting on ESPN+, which is a massive platform to showcase my skills. I’m sure all the fans will get behind me because my style is all action. It’s going to be a good night.”

ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET

Michael Conlan vs. Ruben Garcia Hernandez, 10 rounds, Conlan’s WBO Intercontinental featherweight title

Luis Collazo vs. Samuel Vargas, 10 rounds, welterweight

Paddy Barnes vs. Oscar Mojica, 6 rounds, bantamweight

ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET

Josue Vargas vs. Adriano Ramirez, 8 rounds, super lightweight

John Bauza vs. Ricardo Maldonado, 6 rounds, super lightweight

Vladimir Nikitin vs. Juan Tapia, 6 rounds, featherweight

Joseph Adorno. vs. Victor Rosas, 6 rounds, lightweight

Lee Reeves vs. Eduardo Torres, 4 rounds, super lightweight

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets for St. Conlan’s Evening priced at $206, $156, $106, $81, $56, and $31 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook :facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtags #ConlanHernandez and #TheConlanRevolution to join the conversation on social media.

KYLE HAYWOOD WAS not about to let the opportunity of fighting on BT Sport for the vacant Midlands Area title against CJ Challenger pass him by without giving it his undivided attention.

For the 27-year-old from Leicester, who faces fellow local lad Challenger for the super welterweight strap at the Morningside Arena next Saturday (March 23), this included giving up the day job to focus fully on putting one over a home city rival.

When he first got wind of his big TV break, Haywood decided he needed to devote himself fully to the job in hand and resign his employment as a joiner.

“I’ve been a pro for two years now and I’ve worked full-time over that period as a bench joiner,” reported the 5ft 9″ southpaw. “When I found out about this fight I handed in my notice.

“You could say it was a brave move but, for me, jobs can come and go but opportunities like this don’t always come about. I thought ‘this is it’, handed my notice in and we will see what happens.

“I’m in a great place now, the best I have ever been physically, mentally, everything.”

Local bragging rights are on the line as well as Midlands Area honours on the night and Haywood is not unfamiliar with his Leicester adversary. While not friends, they did belong to aligned amateur clubs and know each other from the boxing circuit.

Now the Leicester Two will be shoved into the national spotlight and Haywood is naturally enthused by the prospect.

“Yeah man, we’re both from a similar sort of area and we are both Leicester lads so, with Frank Warren putting on a show in Leicester, it will be about bragging rights – who is the best in Leicester?

“We are both unbeaten and it is a first real test for both of us. We both want to make a name for ourselves in professional boxing, so whoever wins this one will be propelled for future fights.

“We’ve both had learning fights and it will be the first time we have faced opposition with a winning record,” added the Carl Greaves-trained prospect, who went to reveal that the fight has caused quite a stir amongst the local population.

“It has been mad, with people ringing and texting me, it has been all over social media and some of the lads I know he knows as well. He went to school with my younger brother as well, so everyone is hyped for it.

“It has not been a struggle to sell tickets, put it that way.

“I think he is similar to me in that he is not a trash talker and is not going to try and say things about me. I wouldn’t say things about him, so it is quite tame on that side of things. It is a fight that sells itself and, around our area, it is one that everyone is talking about.

“It is brilliant, I still can’t believe it now and have to pinch myself. Looking back to when I turned professional, Frank Warren wasn’t really putting shows on in Leicester, but it has built up over the last couple of years and boxing in Leicester is taking off with some good fighters here now.

“Now I’ve got a TV slot and it is mad. It literally couldn’t get any better.”

CJ Challenger v Kyle Haywood for the vacant Midlands Area super welterweight title takes place at the Morningside Arena in Leicester on March 23 in support of the British super featherweight title clash between the champion Sam Bowen from Ibstock and the Scot Jordan McCorry.

Tickets are available from £40 are on sale NOW via Eventbrite

Jono Carroll says his clash with IBF World Super-Featherweight champion Tevin Farmer is a dream come true as they meet tonight at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW PRICED FROM $40 FROM THE LIACORAS CENTER WEBSITE

Carroll (16-0-1 3 KOs) fights in his first World title bout against the Philly ace (28-4-1 6 KOs) who defends his title for a quickfire third time in five months.

A tense fight week comes to a head tonight in Farmer’s hometown, with the pair passing their IBF check-weigh this morning, champion scaling 138.7lbs and the challenger 138.5lbs in what he calls a ‘life changing’ title shot.

The unbeaten Irishman says he couldn’t have scripted a better scenario for a World title fight just two days before St Patrick’s Day, and having said he’s ‘rattled’ the champion in the build-up, he also believes that Farmer may have underestimated him following his draw against Guillaume Frenois in his last fight in December.

“This is what dreams are made of – topping a bill in America for a World title on St Patrick’s Day weekend,” said Carroll. “This changes my family’s life forever. I always come to bring the fight, I wear my heart on my sleeve so every time I am in that ring you get the purest me.

“I hope that people are sleeping on me because of that last fight, when you become number one in the world and you fight for a world title, people are going to watch you – and they want to be entertained to boot, and I bring that extra bit of entertainment with me as they don’t know what I am going to do next, they can’t know because I don’t know!

“No disrespect to Tevin, but I think he’s a boring fighter, whereas I come to bring the fight, so it’s a perfect gel of styles, and styles make fights. If you get someone that’s just going to stand there and let him dictate it’ll be boring, but I bring it and I’m a big believer in law of attraction and that’s why we’re here.

“I don’t know why Tevin and I started to have beef, one thing just led to another and it escalated. Any man that fights for a World title you have to respect – and he’s a World champion defending his title for the third time. You cannot take anything away from him and you have to respect what he’s done in the sport, and he’s done it the hard way.

“I have to be smart in there and show that there’s a lot to my game too. I cannot be a one-trick pony that just comes forward, and I am not that anyway. My Dad always told me that you cannot be one-styled as a fighter because someone will come along that has the formula to beat that style. There are times in there where I’ll have to be smart, times I will need to stand and fight, there’s loads of things that I will need to do, but I know I am capable of doing them and I feel that this shot has come at the right time.

“I didn’t box to my ability against Frenois, but things happen for a reason, I take it as a blessing. I did a lot wrong in the fight, I planned to box him and be smart and did that for the first five rounds, perfectly, but then I caught him with a big shot that rocked him and I thought ‘now I am going to take him out’ so I started throwing bombs as I thought i could hurt him any time.

“So instead of sticking to the gameplan I started throwing big shots and that drained me, it was stupid and not what I’m capable of. I wasn’t up to scratch and maybe I looked past him a little bit and his experience showed as he came on strong in the latter rounds. It was a lesson, it showed me that I just cannot roll over people at World level, he’s a tough man and he could bang.”

Carroll’s clash with Farmer is part of a huge night of action in Philadelphia as Irish sensation Katie Taylor (12-0 5 KOs) looks to unify the Lightweight division once again, putting her IBF and WBA straps on the line against Brazil’s WBO champion Rose Volante (14-0 8 KOs).

Philadelphia Middleweight warrior Gabriel Rosado (24-11-1 14 KOs) faces Poland’s Maciej Sulecki (27-1 11 KOs) for the WBO International title and a likely World title shot at Demetrius Andrade, Philly Lightweight’s Hank Lundy (29-7-1 14 KOs) and Avery Sparrow (9-1 3 KOs) battle for local pride, Olympic gold medal pair Luke Campbell MBE (19-2 15 KOs) and Daniyar Yeleussinov (5-0 3 KOs) and silver medalist John Joe Nevin (11-0 4 KOs) taste their first action of 2019, unbeaten Super-Middleweight D’Mitrius Ballard (19-0 12 KOs) faces Victor Fonseca (17-9-1 14 KOs) while exciting New Jersey amateur star Raymond Ford makes his pro debut.

QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS ARE delighted to announce that hot on the heels of his exciting knockout of former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu, Daniel Dubois will be headlining on April 27 at the SSE Arena, Wembley, live on BT Sport on a card that features a wealth of exciting up and coming talent.

Dubois (10-0 9KOs) will be facing off with his toughest opponent yet in WBO number 14 ranked Richard Lartey (14-1 11KOs).

The 21-year-old from Greenwich added a fourth belt to his collection at the Royal Albert Hall last week when he won the WBO European title, to compliment the WBC world Youth, Southern Area and English title honours already in his possession. It is expected that a win over Lartey will see Dubois break into the WBO’s top 10 heavyweight rankings.

Unbeaten New Malden super middleweight Lerrone Richards (11-0) will face his sternest test to date when he takes on former British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Tommy Langford (21-3) for the vacant Commonwealth super middleweight championship and WBO International Championship.

In his first contest since his unanimous decision win over Ohara Davies last year, unbeaten WBO number one ranked super lightweight Jack Catterall (23-0) will also return on the card. Catterall will feature in a 10 round contest before he goes on to face world champion Maurice Hooker later this year as mandatory challenger.

Sunny Edwards (10-0) also returns and will defend his WBO European Super-Flyweight Championship. The fledgling career of 23-year-old from Croydon – who trains in Sheffield – is on a genuine upward trajectory following fine wins over Ryan Farrag and Junior Granados in his last two fights and he is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the flyweight or super flyweight ranks.

Exciting Fulham super middleweight Zak Chelli (5-0) will be involved in his first title fight, taking on Jimmy Smith (7-1) for the Southern Area Championship.

Dubois’ win over Cojanu was a statement performance from the big-hitting young heavyweight against an opponent who had previously extended both Joseph Parker and Nathan Gorman the full 12 rounds.

The Martin Bowers trained heavyweight hitter was assured by his promoter Frank Warren that he will be kept busy in order to build towards a blockbuster domestic clash against the Ricky Hatton-trained Gorman towards the end of the year.

Dubois, who will fight for the first time at Wembley, is happy to be back in action just over a month after his last success.

“When Frank said I would be kept busy and would keep stepping up my progression it was music to my ears,” said the 10-0 star with nine KOs to his name.

“I was pleased with my last fight and with how I got the job done and I think you could see the improvements I have made since fighting Kevin Johnson.

“I want to continue being tested and showing people what I am all about. Lartey is a good opponent for me and will bring something different to what I have encountered before.

“He is a dangerous fighter but, as always, how the fight plays out will come down to what I bring on the night and I am confident I have got what it takes to pass this latest test put in front of me.

“I am looking forward to fighting at Wembley because, like the Royal Albert Hall, it is a place where the great British heavyweights of the past have been showcased and I hope the public get behind me in the same way they did last Friday because it made it an even more special night for me.”

Promoter Frank Warren added: “It is all about building a real momentum with Daniel because he is not a long way off the top fighters in the heavyweight division.

“As I have said already, we will keep him very busy and carry on stepping up the levels. Lartey has got ambitions of his own and there is no doubt he will be coming to win and make a statement of his own.

“His only defeat was due to an injury-enforced retirement over four years ago and he has built a pretty formidable record – so we should be in for an explosive encounter on the night.

“People are really starting to sit up and take notice of Daniel now and it was pleasing to see how the fans really got behind him at the Royal Albert Hall last week. I fully expect this to continue at Wembley and we are putting together another top night of boxing.

“British boxing is going through a transitional phase right now with a lot of top fighters retiring, leaving the door open to build the stars of tomorrow, give them a chance to shine and give them greater exposure. We’ll be setting up the arena for 6 thousand just like I did in the early days of Ricky Hatton in Manchester, slowly building big ticket sellers. We want to make these London venues the homes of the exciting young local talent we have coming through.”

14-0 WBO European Super Featherweight Champion Archie Sharp will also return to action after being forced out of the recent Royal Albert Hall show with injury. Rangy Super Welterweight talent Hamzah Sheeraz will be back out after his impressive win over Rod Douglas Jnr. Hard hitting middleweight and Peacock gym product Denzel Bentley (9-0) and Belfast amateur middleweight star Caoimhin Agyarko will also return to action. There are Queensberry debuts for unbeaten welterweight Chris Kongo (10-0) and Sheffield middleweight Shakiel Thompson (2-0) – with Thompson being tipped by sparring partner Billy Joe Saunders as a star for the future. Ilford Super Middleweight Umar Sadiq (4-1) also returns as he looks to rebuild after his first career loss. Tunde Ajayi trained lightweight Bilal Ali (1-0) will have his second professional fight after making a successful start to his pro career.

Tickets will be priced as £40, £50, £75, £100 and £150 and are now ON SALE to purchase via Eventim, Ticketmaster, the SSE Arena website and AXS.com.

Don’t miss the WBSS Super-Lightweight and Bantamweight Semi-Finals – Regis Prograis vs Kiryl Relikh and Nonito Donaire vs Zolani Tete – at the Cajundome in Lafayette, USA on April 27.

Tickets priced from $25 go on sale at 10am CDT today (Friday, March 15).

Tickets will be available from TicketMaster.com here.

Ticket Price Bands:
Cat.1 Ringside – $400
Cat.2 Floor – $100
Cat.3 Lower Tier (centre) – $60
Cat.4 Lower Tier (corner) – $50
Cat.5 Upper Tier – $25

The magnificent doubleheader opens the semi-finals stage the World Boxing Super Series and the quest for the Muhammad Ali Trophy in the 140lb and 118lb edition of the tournament.

American and New Orleans native Regis Prograis (23-0, 19 KOs) faces Belarusian Kiryl Relikh (23-2, 19 KOs), who is training in Miami, in a super-lightweight semi-final and American-Philippine Nonito Donaire (39-5, 25 KOs) meets South African Zolani Tete (28-3, 21 KOs) in a bantamweight semi-final.

Join the Lafayette event on Facebook here!

A ticketing update on the Glasgow show will be made in the coming days.
Buy Lafayette Tickets!

By Norm Frauenheim-

ARLINGTON, Tex. – It’s been a journey that has taken a father and his sons from Phoenix to southern California to Omaha to Seattle and back again, all in a tireless search for peace among themselves and a quiet place that would allow them to prepare for the violence encountered against others in the ring.

It hasn’t always been easy or predictable. Then again, these kinds of trips don’t come with a guide. Travel at your own risk. Jose Benavidez Jr. and his two sons, David and Jose Jr., have. So far, the risks have been lessons. Fail at your own peril, and there’s been plenty of that. There was a gunshot on a Phoenix canal bank and positive test for cocaine.

But the fight to survive and perhaps prevail goes on Saturday night under some very bright lights in a ring atop the Dallas Cowboys homefield at AT&T Stadium with the youngest Benavidez, David, fighting for some redemption against J’ Leon Love in his first bout since he was stripped of the WBC’s super-middleweight title after a positive test last September.

“I’m more motivated than ever just to prove to the people and everybody that I let down,’’ Benavidez said in a conference call a couple weeks before his Saturday night return on Fox pay-per-view card (6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET) featuring Mikey Garcia against welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.

That motivation was brewing back in October when David accompanied Jose Jr. to Omaha for his older brother’s loss by 12th-round stoppage to Terence Crawford in a wild bout, both dramatic and contentious. It was Jose Jr.’s first fight since he was shot in the right leg, above the knee, while running on a canal bank on August 23, 2016. It’s still not clear what happened. Nobody has been charged or arrested.

Days before Jose Jr.’s first fight since the shooting, David was restless. Jose Jr. did most of the talking that day and the next when he shoved Crawford in a weigh-in scuffle that could have canceled the fight. In the background, it was almost impossible not to see David’s impatience. He was restless for his own chance.

Finally, it’s here and it has come at a moment when David, now 22, says all of the fundamental planks are in place for a new beginning to a career that began with him winning a title at 20 years old. He was boxing’s youngest champion. There’s peril in that too.

“Nobody tells you that when you start making money … there’s no instructions that come with it,’’ David Benavidez told Los Angeles Times sportswriter Lance Pugmire in a terrific story. https://www.latimes.com/sports/boxing/la-sp-david-benavidez-boxing-20190314-story.html.

“That’s why some fighters get lost and feel like they’re ripped off. You live and you learn. I’ve learned a lot of lessons. Now, I know how to take care of things.”

Benavidez says he has emerged from his absence from boxing with a renewed love for the sport and his father. There had been stories about trouble between David and his dad.

Pugmire’s story reports that those issues were a factor in David suddenly signing a contract with Top Rank, which promotes his older brother. However, Sampson Lewkowicz already had a contract with David, nullifying the Top Rank deal and forcing David to return a $250,000 signing bonus.

A positive test for cocaine and a contract controversy awakened David Benavidez to the realization that his career had taken the kind of beating he has never sustained within the ropes.

“It wasn’t a good feeling to have everything you worked for taken away from you in an instant,” Benavidez (20-0, 17 KOs) said during the conference call. “But it happened and it just made me hungrier and more motivated to keep working harder and to get back what’s rightfully mine.”

Part of that task appears to be a step to resolve whatever issues he had with his dad. Jose Sr. hired a Scottsdale psychologist to work with David.

“I love you, I’m here, I’m here to help you achieve your dreams,” Jose Sr. said he told his son.

A father’s tough love has also included the miles that have taken his sons from streets that never go anywhere. The dad has seen those streets. Has seen where they lead. That’s why he’s moved his sons, first from Phoenix to southern California, then to Omaha and then to Seattle. It’s a lot of road work, but it’s a run away from the familiar dead end that a dad knows is always there.

The ultimate destination, however, is still the ring. There’s an old debate about whether a father should ever train his sons. Part of that debate might have been evident in David’s contract flap. But it’s probably a little early in the game to say the Jose Benavidez Sr. and his sons have resolved everything between them. No family ever stays out of disputes.

The difference is that Benavidez family also fights for a living, this time against J Leon Love instead of themselves, or a recreational drug, or a bad contract, or a mysterious gunman on a remote canal bank.

One thing, at least, is becoming more evident. The siblings, Jose Jr, and David, are a lot alike before a fight. Jose Jr.’s surprising trash talk at Crawford last October wound up with an ESPN bout that scored boxing’s highest television rating in 2018.

The talk resumed Thursday with David jawing at Leon Love (24-2-1, 13 KOs) with words that could have been borrowed from his brother’s rhetorical trashing of the feared Crawford, perhaps the best fighter in the world.

“You’re going to sleep, going to sleep Saturday night,’’ David said to Leon Love Thursday during an undercard news conference.

Leon Love looked around a podium that separated him from the youngest Benavidez and said: “Stop that tough-boy bleep. …Guess they do that in Arizona.’’

Turns out they do it everywhere. It only started in Arizona.

WORCESTER, Mass. (March 14, 2019) — The official weigh in was held today at Grille 57 for tomorrow night’s “Every Man for Himself” show, presented by Shearns Boxing Promotions (SBP), at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Fighters’ weights are listed below:

MAIN EVENT – VACANT NEW ENGLAND MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (6)
Kendrick Ball, Jr. (11-2-2, 8 KOs), Worcester, MA 161 lbs.
Danny Rosenberger (4-6-4, 1 KO), Youngstown, OH 160 lbs.

CO-FEATURE – WELTERWEIGHTS (4)
Wilfredo Pagan (5-0, 3 KOs), Southbridge, MA 145 lbs.
Carlos Galindo (1-7), Woburn, MA by way of Peru 150 lbs.

HEAVYWEIGHTS (4)
Owen Minor (pro debut), Worcester, MA 232 lbs.
Corey Morley (0-2-1), Philadelphia, PA 279 lbs.

LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)
Edwin Rosado (1-8-1, 1 kO), Worcester, MA 136 lbs.
Carlos Marrero III (0-2-1), Bridgeport, CT 133.4 lbs.

CRUISERWEIGHTS (4)
Jake Paradise (0-2), Worcester, MA 199 lbs.
Francisco Artri Neto (0-2), Woburn, MA 190 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS (4)
Anuel Rosa (1-0, 1 KO), New Haven, CT 139 lbs.
Danny Morales (0-7), Bronx, NY 147 lbs.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (6)
Angel Camacho, Jr. (15-0, 5 KOs), Providence, RI 171 lbs.
Larry Smith (10-39-1, 7 KOs), Dallas, TX (tomorrow)

(ALL FIGHTS & FIGHTERS SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Tickets are priced at $50.00 and $25.00 and available to purchase at www.thepalladium.netor fight night at the box office.

Doors open at 6 p.m. PT, first bout 7:00 p.m.

Event sponsors include Lundgren Collision, Tecate, Grill 57, Worcester Railers, Worcester Red Sox, Palley Advertising, and Allstate Insurance.

INFORMATION:

Facebook.com/ShearnsBoxingPromotions

Twitter: @ShearnsBoxing

Gabriel Rosado is gunning for a meeting with WBO World champion Demetrius Andrade as he prepares to face Maciej Sulecki on Friday night (March 15) at the Liacouras Center, Philadelphia live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW PRICED FROM $40 FROM THE LIACORAS CENTER WEBSITE

Rosado (24-11-1 14 KOs) is back in action following his closely fought draw with Luis Arias in Mulvane, Kansas in November – another contentious fight for the Philly favorite who will now be chasing a third World title shot in his first fight on home turf in seven years.

Sulecki (27-1 11 KOs) is hunting a first World title shot having returned to winning ways in November with a second round stoppage of Jean Michel Hamilcaro in his native Poland. The 29 year old gave Daniel Jacobs a stern test in April before the Brooklyn man moved on to become a two-weight World ruler, and Sulecki will believe that experience will serve him against Rosado.

WBO ruler Andrade defended his title live on DAZN in January against Artur Akavov at Madison Square Garden in New York and will be ringside tomorrow night, and the streaming giants rubber-stamped their status as the home of the elite Middleweights by adding Kazakh star Gennady Golovkin to the phenomenal roster of 160lbers, with Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs clashing in a unification blockbuster on DAZN on May 4 in Las Vegas.

“DAZN is the place to be as a Middleweight – it’s nuts,” said Rosado. “It’s a fun time to be at 160lbs and DAZN where its at. It’s taken a UK promoter to come to Philadelphia and make this happen, but it’s dope. I dig what Eddie Hearn is doing. He’s young, he understands the business, how things work and it’s fun fighting on Eddie’s cards.

“I’m in a great situation with this fight. Everyone had me winning the fight with Arias, that’s why Eddie Hearn gave me this shot against Maciej. He’s a World class fighter, he comes to fight with a high volume of punches, I thought he gave Jacobs a great fight, I scored it 7-5 and it was close. His style of fighting and competitive nature is going to bring the best out of me, there’s going to come a time in the fight where it’s going to be a battle of wills – and he’s not going to out-will me in my backyard, in front of my family – that’s not happening.

“This card is lit and this is a really good fight. It’s my first time in seven years that I am fighting in Philly so I am really excited about that, when I fight in my home town, I turn up. Going into the Arias fight I had been off for a year and only had a five week camp. I did what I did from just being a vet. But now I am coming in off the fight in November, we have a flow going, the camp started right away and everything has been smooth. I am capable of putting my foot on the gas and sitting on my shots in this fight.”

Rosado’s clash with Sulecki is part of a huge night of action in Philadelphia on St Patrick’s weekend topped by a World title double-header as Philly’s Tevin Farmer (28-4-1 6 KOs) comes home to defend his IBF Super-Featherweight title against Ireland’s Jono Carroll (16-0-1 3 KOs), and Irish sensation Katie Taylor (12-0 5 KOs) looks to unify the Lightweight division once again, putting her IBF and WBA straps on the line against Brazil’s WBO champion Rose Volante (14-0 8 KOs).

Philly Lightweight’s Hank Lundy (29-7-1 14 KOs) and Avery Sparrow (9-1 3 KOs) battle for local pride, Olympic gold medal pair Luke Campbell MBE (19-2 15 KOs) and Daniyar Yeleussinov (5-0 3 KOs) and silver medalist John Joe Nevin (11-0 4 KOs) taste their first action of 2019, unbeaten Super-Middleweight D’Mitrius Ballard (19-0 12 KOs) faces Victor Fonseca (17-9-1 14 KOs) while exciting New Jersey amateur star Raymond Ford makes his pro debut.

DOORS OPEN 5PM, FIRST BELL 5.15PM

10 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest
D’Mitrius Ballard 162.7lbs v Victor Fonseca 167.4lbs
Temple Hills, Maryland Tijuana, Mexico

10 x 3 mins Lightweight contest
Hank Lundy 134.4lbs v Avery Sparrow 134.1lbs
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

LIVE ON DAZN 7pm ET

8 x 3 mins Welterweight contest
Daniyar Yeleussinov 148.2lbs v Silverio Ortiz 150.8lbs
Berezino, Kazakhstan Merida, Mexico

4 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest
Raymond Ford 127.4lbs v Weusi Johnson 128.1lbs
Camden, New Jersey Wilmington, Delaware

10 x 3 mins Lightweight contest
Luke Campbell MBE 137.8lbs v Adrian Yung 138.1lbs
Hull, England Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico

WORLD FEED 9:00 PM ET

10 x 3 mins WBO International Middleweight championship
Gabe Rosado 159.5lbs v Maciej Sulecki 159.6lbs
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Warsaw, Poland

10 x 2 mins WBA, IBF and WBO World Lightweight championships
Katie Taylor 133.9lbs v Rose Volante 133.2lbs
Bray, Ireland Sao Paulo, Brazil

12 x 3 mins IBF World Super-Featherweight championship
Tevin Farmer 129.7lbs v Jono Carroll 129.2lbs
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hometown: Dublin, Ireland

FLOAT 6 x 3 mins Lightweight contest
John Joe Nevin 132.8lbs v Andres Figueroa 133.5lbs
Mullingar, Ireland Bogota, Colombia

Las Vegas (March 14, 2019) – Former WBC women’s champion Mia St. John has confirmed that she will appear, have a booth and hold a Meet & Greet with her fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 5th Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 4, 2019 from 10a.m to 5pm, during Cinco De Mayo weekend. The Boxing Expo will also coincide with the highly anticipated fight between Canelo Alvarez vs Danny Jacobs, that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena.

St.John will appear for the 5th time at this years’ Expo, and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. St.John will also have merchandise to sell for fans to enjoy. Boxing Fans will also have an opportunity to take pictures with this boxing woman icon also known as “The Knockout”.

St. John is one of the most decorated and famous female professional boxers of all-time. She is the former WBC, IFBA and IBA world champion who gained popularity by appearing on some of the biggest undercards in boxing history that were headlined by Oscar De La Hoya. She also has appeared on the cover of Playboy and appeared on many of the popular talk shows all over the world. On top of that, St. John has done countless charity work, creating the non-profit “El Saber Es Poder” Foundation, which assists Latino-dominant schools in the U.S. St. John and her mother, Maria Rosales, visited schools to stress the importance of family, education, self-empowerment and voting. St.John also has a mental health and homeless program for young adults in honour of her son, that has be been running for the last 4 years. Visit http://miastjohnfoundation.org/ for more info.

St.John joins Juan Manuel Marquez, Vinny Paz, Devin Haney, Earnie Shavers, Al Bernstein, Michael Spinks, WBC, Erik Morales, James Toney and Jessie Vargas as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo.

About Box Fan Expo
Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to meet-and-greet boxing superstars of today, current and former world champions, legends of the sport and other boxing celebrities. Fans can expect to experience various interactions such as autograph and photos sessions, FaceOff with your favorite boxers, pictures with the Ring Card Girls, Live DJ Music, chance to win prizes, purchase merchandise and memorabilia from different booths Exhibitors, “ALL UNDER ONE ROOF”. You won’t want to miss this must-attend Expo!

Box Fan Expo has been a huge success with fans and boxing industry people. Many boxing stars have attended the last four Expos such as Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, Marco Antonio Barrera, Roy Jones Jr., Andre Ward, Mikey Garcia, Marcos Maidana, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Errol Spence Jr., Sergio Martinez, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Tim Bradley, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Zab Judah, James Toney, Jessie Vargas, Vinny Pazienza, Mia St.John, Leo Santa Cruz, Badou Jack, Terry Norris , Riddick Bowe , Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks, Danny Jacobs, Abner Mares, Jorge Linares, Brandon Rios and many more…

Exhibitors include: boxing promoters, gear, apparel, equipment, energy drinks, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies, and other companies who wish to participate will once again have a chance to showcase

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at:
https://boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

Throughout the next couple of months leading up to the event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo. And for anyone in the Boxing industry or other Exhibitors (non-industry), who would like to be involved and reserve a Booth, contact Box Fan Expo:

Telephone number: (514) 572-7222 or Las Vegas Number (702) 997-1927

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

For More information on Box Fan Expo visit: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

Follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter and Instagram: @BoxFanExpo

Follow Box Fan Expo on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

ARLINGTON, TX. (March 14, 2019) – Fighters competing in televised undercard action this Saturday leading up to the Errol Spence vs. Mikey Garcia PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they enter the ring at AT&T Stadium.

Competing on the pay-per-view undercard that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT are unbeaten former champion David Benavidez and veteran contender J’Leon Love, who meet in a 10-round super middleweight fight, undefeated former champion Luis Nery and former world champion McJoe Arroyo, who battle in 10-rounds of bantamweight action, and heavyweight fan-favorite Chris Arreola and unbeaten Jean Pierre Augustin, who meet in a 10-round showdown.

Former heavyweight champion Charles Martin will take on Dallas-native Gregory Corbin in PBC Prelims on FS1 beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Saturday’s event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions and Garcia Promotions, in association with TGB Promotions and Ringstar Sports, are on sale now, and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from AT&T Stadium:

DAVID BENAVIDEZ

“We’ve trained very hard for this fight. Without my father Jose, I wouldn’t be here in this great position. I’m excited to fight at this stadium in front of all these fans.

“I’m looking forward to doing the same thing to J’Leon that I did to Rogelio ‘Porky’ Medina. ‘Porky’ knocked him out, so you know what I’m going to do to Love.

“I trained for J’Leon Love like he was a world champion. I’ve been working with champions this whole training camp, so I’m ready to go in there and take him out.

“I’m going to leave the fans entertained. I know that there are a lot of things that I can exploit in Love’s game. I’m going to be way faster and tougher than anyone he’s faced.

“I’ve felt like I was at home all week. I’ve had amazing support and I’m ready. My weight is on point. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I have to capitalize on it.

“I’ve been on sidelines and seen other people get their glory. Love’s time has passed already. I’ve seen him fight when I was a teenager and I feel like I have to send a message of what I’m going to do to J’Leon Love so that I can send a message to the rest of the division”.

J’LEON LOVE

“This is a great card. Benavidez has been a great champion. I’ve had my days in this game and not everyone believes in me. But that’s okay, because I believe in myself. I’ll show everyone why on Saturday.

“Not everyone knows what I’ve been through in my life. I’ve had to face some demons and I conquered them. This fight, is another demon that I have to conquer.

“Mentally I’m in a way better place for this fight than against Peter Quillin. I’m in there with a great former champion with a lot of talent. You have to be mentally prepared. We’re going to make this a great fight.

“A lot of us come from nothing, who would have ever thought we’d have a fan base? I’m from a small town in Detroit and having fan support, it makes me love the sport even more.

“This is an amazing stage and opportunity for me. To be in the co-main under the great main event, I’m going to take full advantage. I’m going to display my talents and live up to the expectations of this fight.

“I’m going to come and do what I’m supposed to do. I’m going to give everyone an exciting fight. This isn’t just a regular fight. I’m going to give a great effort on Saturday.”

LUIS NERY

“I want to thank everyone for making this possible. I have a tough opponent who comes to fight and I’m going to be at my very best on Saturday.

“I’m going to show everyone that I’m a stronger fighter than ever. I’m faster too and better than I’ve ever been heading into a fight.

“I’m ready to prove why I’m the best bantamweight in the world. Saturday is going to be a statement to all the other fighters.

“I prepared very well for this fight and I’m very motivated. I’m going to knock Arroyo out in six rounds or less. I know what I can bring and he won’t be able to sustain it.

“Fans are going to see a great fight. We’re continuing the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry and we’re going to give everybody a war.”

MCJOE ARROYO

“Everyone knows my opponent is strong and that Mexico vs. Puerto Rico brings satisfying fights for the fans. I’m going to give everyone what they deserve on Saturday, a great night of boxing.

“This would be a big win for me, I’m hungry and I know he’s hungry. I want to be world champion again and I know this fight gets me closer to that.

“I respect whatever my opponent says, he has to believe in himself and believe in myself. If he thinks he’s going to knock me out, then he better of trained hard. Because if he didn’t, I’ve got a surprise for him.

“Every time I go into the ring I want to give the fans a great night of boxing. I’m going to try to have fun in the ring and show my talent that night.”

CHRIS ARREOLA

“It’s an honor to be here. To fight on this big stage, from my first fight being in a tent in front of 150 people, it’s really special. I can’t wait for Saturday.

“I trained hard for Saturday because I know Augustin is here to make a statement. He’s not going to do that against me. Los Angeles is going to get his win and his 0 has got to go.

“It’s an honor to see the reception I’ve gotten from the fans here in Dallas. I’m nobody without the fans. The fact that they still remember me is special. At the end of the day my fans can’t get in the ring with me. It’s just me and Augustin and we’re going to give the fans a great fight.

“I have to take care of business Saturday. If I can do that, I’ll be ready to face anybody. First of all, I have to get by Augustin.”

JEAN PIERRE AUGUSTIN

“I’d like to thank my team giving me the opportunity to fight on this card. This is a big event and great opportunity for me. This is the biggest stage I’ve been on and I know I have to take advantage.

“I’m ready to put on the performance of my lifetime. I’m in shape to put on that great performance. I’m from Boston and Chris is from Los Angeles, and we haven’t lost to Los Angeles once this year. It’s not going to start on Saturday.

“I’m getting myself mentally prepared to put on a boxing clinic. I know he’s going to be there in front of me. That’s what we prepared for the last 11-12 weeks. We know he’s coming straight for me and I’m excited.”

CHARLES MARTIN

“I’m thankful to be on this card. It’s a blessing. I’m here to do my thing on Saturday. When I’m in this mindset, nobody can beat me but myself.

“I know I’m going to be stronger and more skilled than this guy. I’m not overlooking him, but I’m going to show that he’s not on my level.

“I don’t try to be like anyone but myself. You’ll see the best of me on Saturday. I have an obstacle at hand and I’m going to get rid of him. Then we’ll look forward to what we have next. I’m not a man of words, I’m a man of action.”

GREGORY CORBIN

“It’s been a long time coming, and if anyone knows my story, they know why I’m saying that. March 16 is going to be my 4th of July. I can’t wait.

“I hope he’s not overlooking me. I’ve got something for him. He’s going to be in for a big shock on Saturday.

“This is very big for me and my community to be in this position. If you’ve ever watched a little bit of Riddick Bowe, a little Evander Holyfield and a little George Foreman, you’ll see all of them in my body on Saturday.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER, Chairman & CEO of Ringstar Sports

“This is a historic event with FOX presenting this pay-per-view event. This will be the coronation in Dallas. On Saturday night we are going to find out who is pound for pound the best fighter in the world, Errol Spence Jr., or Mikey Garcia?

“It’s hard to even call this an undercard, because these are all main event guys. Arreola, Benavidez and Nery are three of the top Mexican fighters in the world and they’re all in very tough matchups.

“Luis Nery is in my opinion the best bantamweight in the world. Chris Arreola always puts on a show and we all know what David Benavidez is capable of.

“This is a home run or a touchdown of an undercard and all of those watching at home or in the stadium are in for a treat.”

# # #

ABOUT SPENCE VS. GARCIA
Order the PPV and visit PremierBoxingChampions.com for Fight Night Info and more on Errol Spence Jr. and Mikey Garcia.

Spence vs. Garcia is a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event that is headlined by unbeaten IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol Spence Jr. defending his title against four-division world champion Mikey Garcia on Saturday, March 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View undercard begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature undefeated former super middleweight champion David Benavidez battling veteran contender J’Leon Love, unbeaten former bantamweight champion Luis Nery taking on former champion McJoe Arroyo and fan-favorite Chris Arreola facing unbeaten Jean Pierre Augustin.

Prelims on FS1 and FOX Deportes begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT featuring former heavyweight world champion Charles Martin squaring off against unbeaten Dallas-native Gregory Corbin.

Spence vs. Garcia will be shown on big screens across the nation through FathomEvents. Tickets can be purchased online at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.

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

About AT&T Stadium:
AT&T Stadium is one of the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venues in the world. Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year round. The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 50 pieces from an international array of curated artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue. In addition to being the Home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches, and other special events. For more information, go to www.attstadium.com.

LAS VEGAS (March 14, 2019) — Undefeated junior welterweight prospect Kendo Castaneda will be showcased at home Thursday, March 28, when he puts his unblemished record on the line against his dangerous Dominican opponent, Eudy “AK47” Bernado, in the 10-round main event at Cowboy Dance Hall in San Antonio, Texas.

Castaneda vs. Bernardo, co-promoted by Roy Jones Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions and Leija Battah Promotions, will headline a card to be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The show is the fourth under a new agreement between Castaneda’s promoter, RJJ Boxing, and FIGHT PASS, to live stream up to 72 professional boxing events over the next three years.

The 25-year-old Castaneda (15-0, 7 KOs) is coming off his most impressive performance this past December in San Antonio, in which he won a lop-sided 10-round unanimous decision (100-90, 99-91, 98-92) over previously undefeated Gilbert Venegas, Jr. (10-0) to capture the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) super lightweight title. Castaneda is ranked No. 14 in the world by the World Boxing Association (WBA).

A former Dominican Republic lightweights champion, Bernardo (24-3, 18 KOs) is a dangerous puncher, evident by his 18 knockouts in 24 victories during his 9 ½-year professional career.

The co-featured event is another special RJJ Boxing on UFC Fight Pass match-up between unbeaten Baltimore lightweight Xavier Wilson (9-0-1, 1 KO) and once-defeated, hard-hitting John Arellano (9-1, 9 KOs), fighting out of Conroe, Texas, in an eight-rounder.

Opening the FIGHT PASS segment of the card is a welterweight class featuring Houston’s undefeated prospect Jerrico “Hands of Stone” Walton (11-0, 7 KOs) versus upset-minded Oregonian, Sean “Beast of War” Gee (4-9).

Also fighting on the undercard in a pair six-round, intra-state rivalry bouts between unbeaten San Antonio lightweight Joseph “Mongoose” Rodriguez (14-0-1, 2 KOs) and Darryl Hayes (6-12, 1 KO), of Houston, along with Austin, TX knockout artist Alexis Camacho (21-6, 19 KOs) versus Houston junior middleweight Rich “The Ruler” Graham (6-21-4).

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

San Antonio welterweight Daniel Baiz (13-1, 5 KOs) vs. fellow Texan Joe Sambrano (4-12-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round fight, plus two four-rounders as San Antonio super middleweight Steve Ramos (4-1, 2 KOs) faces (Bryan, TX) Adam “AD” Ealoms.(3-16-3, 1 KO), and San Antonio junior featherweight Henry “World Star” Arredondo (2-0) vs. TBA.

Tickets are priced at $109.00 (ringside), $76.00 (floor), $70.00 (VIP/balcony table), $38.00 (stools) and $22.00 (general admission) and available to purchase online at https://lbtickets.ticketleap.com/castaneda-vs-bernardo/.

Doors open at 6 p.m. CT, first bout at 6:30 p.m. CT.

INFORMATION:
Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com
Twitter: @RoyjonesJRfa, @RoyJonesJrOfficial, @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @KendoTremendo
Instagram: @RoyJonesJRboxing, @artofmusiclv, @rivalboxinggear, @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre
Facebook: /RJJBoxing, /KeithVeltre, /UFCFightPass

LOS ANGELES (March 14, 2019): Jaime Munguia (32-0, 26 KOs) will make the fourth defense of his WBO Junior Middleweight World Title when he takes on mandatory challenger Dennis “Hurricane” Hogan (28-1-1, 7 KOS) in a 12-round battle. The event will take place on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico and will be streamed live on DAZN .

Munguia is a 22-year-old champion of Tijuana, Mexico who catapulted to the highest levels of the 154-pound division by knocking out Sadam “World Kid” Ali in May to capture the WBO Junior Middleweight World Title. Since then, Munguia has defended his title against the likes of Liam “Beefy” Smith, Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook, and Takeshi Inoue. Munguia will return to Mexico after not having fought there since March 2018 in tough challenge in Hogan.

“I feel happy to be returning to Mexico,” said Jaime Munguia.”The last time I fought in Mexico was right here in Monterrey, so I’m excited to be here again. I’m ready to come back and deliver a great show to my Mexican people. It’s also very important to be fighting on this new platform, DAZN. It’s an honor for me to be fighting on this platform. It’s new, but it’s very important. It is the future of boxing.”

Hogan is an Irish contender who calls Queensland, Australia his home. The 34-year-old fighter had his first world title opportunity against “Golden” Jack Culcay in 2015. Though unsuccessful, he would come back from his only loss to win six times in a row, earning him a mandatory shot at Munguia.

“I am looking forward to facing Jaime Munguia on April 13 in Monterrey, Mexico,” said Dennis Hogan. “Mexico’s culture has a rich history in boxing, and I can’t wait to show Mexico and the rest of the world that I am ready to dethrone Munguia. I am not concerned with his power, as I have fought bigger and stronger opponents. My pressure and style are going to give Munguia trouble. I have been fighting for this opportunity since I was eight years old. I’m going to make it count. My team at DDP Sports and Peter Kahn worked hard to get this fight done, and I’m looking forward to bringing the WBO Junior Middleweight title back to Australia.”

“It’s about time that Golden Boy returned to Mexico with one of its most dominant world champions in Jaime Munguia,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “We’re excited for this endeavor with our partners and co-promoters at Zanfer Promotions as we work hard to make Munguia an international star. I have no doubts that Munguia will sell out Arena Monterrey as people from all over the country come to see him fight. Munguia has also proven to be a fan favorite for fans watching at home, so I expect many fans to tune in on the best platform in boxing, DAZN.”

“This will be Jaime Munguia’s return to Mexican territory after a great campaign in the United States,” said Fernando Beltran, CEO of Zanfer Promotions. “And above all it will take place on a great platform, one that has really changed the sport. It is the platform that has eliminated pay-per-view, and that’s DAZN. He’ll be continuing the strategic alliance that we have with our great friends at Golden Boy. I’m very happy that we will be here together, promoting a great fighter and Mexican star in Jaime Munguia.”

In the co-main event, Brazilian contender Patrick Teixeira (29-1, 22 KOs) will return against Dormedes Potes (11-1-1, 8 KOs)of Barranquilla, Colombia in a 10-round fight for the WBO Latino Super Welterweight Title.

Daniel Valladares (19-1, 11 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico will fight in a six-round light flyweight battle.

Diego De La Hoya (21-0, 10 KOS) of Mexicali, Mexico will face Enrique Bernache (24-12, 12 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a 10-round featherweight fight.

Arely Mucino (27-3-2, 10 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico will return in a 10-round flyweight fight.

Irving Turrubiates (18-0, 12 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico will participate in an eight-round featherweight clash.

Javier Gonzalez (13-0, 10 KOs) will fight in a six-round lightweight battle.

Alex Rincon (6-0, 6 KOs) of Dallas, Texas will participate in a six-round super welterweight fight against Isaac Mireles (7-6, 3 KOs) of Chihuahua, Mexico.

Opponents for Valladares, Mucino, Turrubiates and Gonzalez will be announced shortly.

Munguia vs. Hogan is a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for Munguia vs. Hogan be purchased online at www.ArenaMonterrey.com or by clicking here.

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

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

(March 14, 2019) — Xander Zayas, born in Puerto Rico and fighting for USA Boxing as one of the world’s top amateurs, has signed a multi-year professional contract with Top Rank.

At only 16 years old, Zayas is the youngest fighter ever to sign a pro contract with Top Rank. An 11-time Puerto Rican and U.S. national champion, Zayas will make his pro debut as a welterweight in September.

Zayas, who is currently 118-14 in the unpaid ranks, will represent Team USA next month at the Emil Jechev Memorial Tournament in Botevgard, Bulgaria.

“Xander Zayas is a tremendous young fighter who is mature beyond his years,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He has everything it takes to one day become an international boxing superstar.”

“Growing up watching my idol, Miguel Cotto, it has always been a dream of mine to fight for Top Rank, and today that dream has come true,” Zayas said. “Although I am 16 years old, I have been boxing since I was 5 years old, and I understand the magnitude of what it means to be promoted by the best promotional company in the world. I know I have a long road ahead and will remain focused and hungry while I work hard every day to achieve my ultimate goal of becoming a world champion. It was a surreal experience to meet with Bob Arum, as he provided me with his wisdom and advice as I begin my career. It was a humbling experience, and I am truly grateful for this opportunity.”

“Xander is a special fighter. He is wise beyond his years and understands what it means to be a part of Top Rank as he embarks on his professional career as the youngest fighter to ever be signed by the company,” said Peter Kahn, Zayas’ manager. “We have a strong team to support him inside and outside of the ring as he matures. Xander has all of the tools to be a world champion, and now it’s up to him to go to work and begin his journey as a professional fighter.”

Zayas was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moved to Plantation, Florida, at 11 years of age. A high school junior who will graduate in 2020, Zayas won gold at the 2017 and 2018 National Championships and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Boxer in 2018. He elected to turn pro, in part, because he would’ve been too young to participate at the 2020 Olympics.

Zayas will prepare for his pro debut with head trainer Javiel Centeno at Centeno’s Sweatbox Boxing & Fitness in Davie, Florida.

Said Centeno: “I knew that Xander was something special from the first day he walked into the gym. Besides the boxing abilities at such a young age, he had the charisma, work ethic and maturity of a world-class athlete. I was reminded that he made a promise to me early on that he will be the the first champion I developed from the beginning, and now with by far the greatest promotional engine in the sport of boxing behind us, I see us taking that first step in making his words become reality in the near future.”

Philadelphia, PA (March 14, 2019) 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Daniyar Yeleussinov, (5-0, 3 KOs), heads into battle tomorrow night, March 15 against battle-tested Mexican veteran Silverio Ortiz, (37-23, 18 KOs), in a scheduled eight-round welterweight bout at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Since turning professional in April 2018, Yeleussinov, guided by Boxing Stars Management Group LLC , has continued to show the promise of a world champion electrifying crowds in the United States, United Kingdom and Monte Carlo with his world class skills, all-action aggressive style and matinee idol looks.

Now training under the watchful eye of two-division world champion and former undisputed welterweight world champion, Cory Spinks in South Florida, Yeleussinov will look to put on a show for the boxing fans in Philadelphia.

The fight against Ortiz will be Yeleussinov’s first of his 2019 campaign having capped a busy 2018 with a third-round stoppage of Marcos Mojica on November 24 in Monte Carlo.

Said Yeleussinov, “I am very excited to be back in the ring to show why I was the 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist. I want to thank my team, Boxing Star Management, my father Marat and my new coach, former world champion, Cory Spinks.”

“Cory has shown me a lot of new things that will make me a world champion and can’t wait to put them on display on Friday night!”

“Daniyar has been getting more acclimated to the professional style of boxing as evident in his last two fights which he scored two impressive knockouts,” said manager Ziya Aliyev. “This coming year, he will take his career to the next level and will be considered one of the top contenders in the welterweight division.”

Yeleussinov vs. Ortiz, presented by Matchroom Boxing USA is one of the featured bouts on the St Patrick’s weekend event topped by a world title double-header as Philly’s Tevin Farmer (28-4-1 6 KOs) comes home to defend his IBF Super-Featherweight title against Ireland’s Jono Carroll (16-0-1 3 KOs), and Irish sensation Katie Taylor (12-0 5 KOs) looks to unify the Lightweight division once again, putting her IBF and WBA straps on the line against Brazil’s WBO champion Rose Volante (14-0 8 KOs). The fights will be streamed live on DAZN in the United States (7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT) and Sky Sports in the UK.

Boxing Stars Management Group LLC is headed by Ziya Aliyev and Elvis Crespo.

Las Vegas – UFC® returns to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. with a thrilling middleweight rematch between No. 1 ranked contender Yoel Romero and No. 3 Jacare Souza. In a battle of light heavyweight sluggers, No. 11 ranked Glover Teixeira takes on hard-hitting Ion Cutelaba. UFC FIGHT NIGHT® ON ESPN: ROMERO vs. JACARE 2 takes place at the BB&T Center on Saturday, April 27 with ESPN airing the main card live at 9 p.m. ET. Prelims start at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+ kicks off the event with a live stream of the early prelims at 5:30 p.m. ET. ESPN Deportes will air the prelims live at 7 p.m. ET and stream the main card in Spanish at 9 p.m. ET on the ESPN App. All UFC live events on ESPN+ will also be available in English and Spanish.

Romero (13-3, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Pinar Del Rio, Cuba) got his hand raised in the competitive first encounter, edging out a split decision win. A silver medalist in freestyle wrestling in the 2000 Olympics, Romero has earned emphatic wins over the 185-pound elite. He has delivered spectacular knockouts against Luke Rockhold, Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida and Derek Brunson, and now he aims for another show-stealing finish to stake his claim for a title shot.

Among the most decorated grapplers in MMA, Souza (26-6 1NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has shown his striking can be just as dangerous as his submission game. During his UFC run, he’s netted impressive victories against Vitor Belfort, Gegard Mousasi, Derek Brunson and Tim Boetsch. His most recent outing saw him earn a sensational KO over former champion Chris Weidman. He now looks to earn a measure of revenge against Romero and secure the No. 1 contender’s spot.

Former light heavyweight title challenger Teixeira (28-7, fighting out of Danbury, Conn. by way of Minas Gerais, Brazil) looks to earn his way back into the championship conversation. He has defeated some of the most iconic names in the sport, including former champions Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. With 14 of his last 16 wins coming by stoppage, Teixeira is eager to show he can still compete with the best in the world by taking out up-and-coming prospect Cutelaba.

Cutelaba (14-3, fighting out of Chisinau, Moldova) is gunning to earn his third stoppage victory in a row against the toughest test of his career in Teixeira. A 25-year-old with an impressive 10 wins in under 1:13, Cutelaba is one of the brighter prospects at 205 pounds, most recently taking out Luis Henrique da Silva and Gadzhimurad Antigulov via first-round KO. Now, Cutelaba looks to break into the rankings and work his way to title contention with his most impressive performance yet.

Announced bouts on the card include:

No. 8-ranked bantamweight contender John Lineker (31-8, fighting out of Paranagua, Brazil) goes for his 15th career KO as he looks to hand rising prospect Cory Sandhangen (10-1, fighting out of Aurora, Colo.) his first UFC loss
Former UFC heavyweight champion and No. 14-ranked contender Andrei Arlovski (27-17, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) sets his sights on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series signee Augusto Sakai (11-1-1, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil)
In a welterweight bout guaranteed to deliver fireworks, Alex Oliveira (19-5-1 2NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) takes on Li Jingliang (15-5, fighting out of Beijing, China)
In an early Fight of the Night candidate, long-time veteran Jim Miller (29-13, fighting out of Sparta, N.J.) guns for his 19th UFC victory by taking out Jason Gonzalez (11-4, fighting out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)
Former strawweight champion and No. 10-ranked contender Carla Esparza (14-6, fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) collides with surging prospect Livinha Souza (12-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
The Ultimate Fighter season 11 winner Court McGee (20-6-1, fighting out of Orem, Utah) hopes to keep his momentum going against Dhiego Lima (15-7, fighting out of Atlanta, Ga.)
Former strawweight title challenger Jessica Penne (12-6, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) aims to rebound against Jodie Esquibel (6-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.)
Former NFL standout Greg Hardy (2-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) goes for his first UFC victory when he meets Dmitrii Smoliakov (9-2, fighting out of Kaliningrad City, Russia)

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

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

To subscribe to ESPN+, visit www.espnplus.com/ufc.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT® ON ESPN: ROMERO vs. JACARE 2 will air live from BB&T Center on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 27, with the ESPN broadcast prelims kicking off the ESPN broadcast at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Early prelims stream on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT® ON ESPN: ROMERO vs. JACARE 2 go on sale Friday, March 15 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 13 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 14 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

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About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

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 and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year 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 and Top Rank boxing 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 subscribe to 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 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.

About BB&T Center

Home to the Florida Panthers Hockey Club and leading international concerts and events, the Broward County-owned BB&T Center is one of the top ranked venues of its kind in the world, servicing Broward,

Collier, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach Counties. For the latest info about upcoming events, visit www.thebbtcenter.com and follow BB&T Center on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Queensberry Promotions are pleased to confirm that Billy Joe Saunders’ next fight will be against Shefat Isufi at Super Middleweight live on BT Sport.

With the widely reported changes in Billy Joe Saunders’ training situation and the current status of the WBO World Super Middleweight Title, this fight will not take place on April 13th at the SSE Arena, Wembley as was previously announced. The fight will be moved to a new date in May at a venue to be confirmed at a later date.

There will be an announcement on an exciting new London show for April featuring some of our best up and coming local talent this week and this will be followed up next with details on where and when Saunders v Isufi takes place.

Kevin Lerena (21-1, 9 KOs) says he is fully focused on Artur Mann (15-0, 8 KOs) as ‘The KO Kid’ puts his IBO World Cruiserweight title on the line against the German challenger on Saturday at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.

Lerena claimed the IBO strap with a split decision over Youri Kayembre Kalenga in September 2017, before successfully defending his belt with unanimous points wins against Dmytro Kucher and Roman Golovashchenko.

Heading into his third defence, the 26 year-old insists he is leaving nothing to chance, and admits he has even been waking up thinking about his opponent.

“I know everybody is talking about Oleksandr Usyk moving up to heavyweight, and what’s going to happen to his belts, but to be honest, I don’t really care,” said Lerena. “My only focus is this fight. I wake up and think of Artur Mann.

“I know I need to take care of business against him. He’s 15-0, he’s coming off a very credible record, and he has my full attention. This is a big fight for me. Yes, on paper, I’ve had big fights before, Kalenga, Kucher, Golovashchenko, Nielsen, but these are in the past, and I need to focus on what’s in front of me.

“I’m war ready! I know he’s going to bring it, and I’m going to bring it too. I’ve never been a guy to cherry pick opponents. I want tough fights because I believe I elevate myself the harder the fight, and I enjoy the challenge.”

Lerena’s coach Peter Smith, of Smith’s Gym, echoes his fighter’s sentiments, and states they will not be taking the Hannover-boxer lightly.

“This is a serious fight for us,” he says. “We’re not overlooking Artur Mann in anyway. Artur is a serious opponent with a great team behind him. We’re taking this fight very seriously, and looking forward to a great battle!”

Lerena-Mann is a co-promotion between Team Sauerland and South Africa’s premier promoter Golden Gloves, led by Rodney Berman, who describes Saturday’s match-up as one of the country’s ‘biggest cruiserweight fights ever’.

“This has got to be one of the biggest cruiserweight fights ever in South Africa,” said Berman. “It’s common knowledge that Usyk is going to be moving up, so now every other cruiserweight is fighting for their place in the sun, and Kevin will be the only remaining World Champion when he gives up the belts.”

German boxing fans can watch all the action from the Emperors Palace live on Sport1, with Timo Schwarzkopf and Xhek Paskali fighting on the undercard.

By Norm Frauenheim

ARLINGTON, Tex. – Errol Spence Jr.’s poker face and impassive eyes reveal nothing. His body language says nothing. But there was a decided shift in Spence’s mood Wednesday with edgy words that were a sign of frustration, if not anger, at Mikey Garcia.

Blame it on a bad mood. Spence did exactly that during interviews after the last formal news conference on the floor near one end of the Dallas Cowboys home field at AT&T Stadium where they will fight Saturday night in a FOX pay-per-view bout.

But his mood wasn’t part of a foul weather front that blew into Dallas early Wednesday with 80 mile-per-winds, ominous thunder and sheets of stinging rain. Spence has just grown weary of a Garcia confidence expressed repeatedly and never with any hint of doubt.

“A one-sided massacre,’’ Spence finally said when asked how he thought the fight would go.

By then, it was evident who he thought would do the massacre.

And who would get massacred.

There are reasons to think he might be right. Spence is the bigger fighter, the biggest in the current welterweight division. Garcia, still the World Boxing Council’s 135-pound champion, is fighting at 147 pounds for only the second time. Spence, who is defending the International Boxing Federation’s welterweight belt for a third time, is at home. He grew up in DeSoto, a Dallas suburb.

Yet, Garcia talks as though he has all the advantages. The news conference’s moderator referred to Garcia’s proven tactical skill. Then, there was this question: Who is the most technical boxer you’ve faced?

Before Garcia could begin to exhale in an attempted answer, Spence said:

“I am.’’

Garcia has long believed his skillset is underrated. His brother and trainer, Robert Garcia, confirmed that Mikey had been sparring with partners as heavy as 180 pounds. All of them were surprised by his younger brother’s power.

“Errol doesn’t know, but he’ll find out,’’ Robert Garcia said.

Garcia’s unbeaten record (39-0, 30 KOs) is filled with examples of fighters who have become opponents. He mentioned that Wednesday and, again, Spence (24-0, 21 KOs) had another pointed counter.

“I’m not another opponent,’’ Spence said.

This one begged for a Mikey Garcia counter. Ever the craftsman, he delivered.

“Yes,’’ he said to Spence, “you will be another opponent on Saturday night.”

Mikey Garcia couldn’t help noticing that on Wednesday Spence had said a lot of things, many of them almost contradictory.

“I don’t know a lot of the things that might be going on in his head right now,’’ Mikey said in comment that suggested the Garcia camp might be gaining a psychological edge as opening bell approaches.

On Wednesday, Spence said he was ready for a 12-round fight. He also said he would be prepared to stop Garcia if the opportunity was there.

“Knock him out in three or four rounds, that’s a bonus,’’ said Spence, who hopes a victory will propel him to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. He also wants to succeed Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the so-called face of the game.

To do that, he ‘ll have to make Mikey remember news reports that Robert didn’t want him to ask for a fight against Spence. Nevertheless, Mikey called out Spence before and after a victory over Robert Easter in June at Los Angeles’ Staples Center.

“I’m going to prove that Mikey’s brother was right,’’ Spence said. “I’m going to make him wish he didn’t want this.’’