LONDON – February 22, 2019 – Former two-time world champion James DeGale and former world title challenger Chris Eubank Jr. both weighed-in within the 168-pound limit for their 12-round super middleweight clash that headlines a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader tomorrow/Saturday live on SHOWTIME (3:45 p.m. ET/12:45 p.m. PT) from The O2 in London.

DeGale (25-2-1, 15 KOs) measured 166 pounds while his fierce rival tipped the scales at 167 pounds for their all-British grudge match. At stake for both men in the long-awaited showdown are British bragging rights, but more importantly a chance for another world title shot in the deep super middleweight division.

“I’m in the best shape I’ve been for a long, long time,” said DeGale, who reigned as champion for more than two years. “When I feel like I feel no one can beat me.”

Eubank Jr., the son of British legend and former two-division champion Chris Eubank Sr., has faced champions George Groves and Arthur Abraham and is now seeking a signature win against DeGale, the first British boxer to win an Olympic gold medal and a world championship.

“I know this is the defining fight of my career,” Eubank Jr. said. “Beating James DeGale sets me up for a world title, which is the whole reason I started in this game.”

Undefeated heavyweight Joe Joyce has knocked out all seven of his professional opponents but will face the toughest test of his professional career in Bermane Stiverne, a former WBC Heavyweight World Champion and the first fighter to push reigning champion Deontay Wilder the distance. The 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist Joyce (7-0, 7 KOs) measured 265 pounds while Stiverne tipped the scales at a career-high 273 pounds for their 12-round bout for the British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship.

“Each fight is getting me closer and closer to a world title shot,” said Joyce, who is hoping to join Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua as recent winners of the British Commonwealth Heavyweight Title. “This is quite a step up for me but I’m confident that towards the end of the year my name will be amongst the top five heavyweights in the world.”

Stiverne (25-3-1, 21 KOs) is looking to bounce back from a one-sided defeat to Wilder in a 2017 rematch and prove that he’s still a threat in the deep and vibrant heavyweight division.

“That’s why I’m hungry,” Stiverne said on Friday. “I feel I have more to offer in this division.”

Veteran broadcaster Brian Custer will host the doubleheader from London with versatile combat sportscaster Mauro Ranallo calling the action ringside alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein. Three Hall of Famers will round out the telecast team – Emmy® award winning reporter Jim Gray, boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial ringside scorer, and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS:

12-Round Super Middleweight Bout

James DeGale – 166 Pounds

Chris Eubank Jr. – 167 Pounds

Referee: Howard Foster; Judges: Michael Alexander (U.K), Phil Edwards (U.K.), Terry O’Connor (U.K.)

12-Round Heavyweight Bout

Joe Joyce – 265 Pounds

Bermane Stiverne – 273 Pounds

Referee: Michael Alexander; Judges: Howard Foster (U.K), Jerome Lades (France), Olena Pobyvailo (Belgium)

Note: Former featherweight world champion Lee Selby and Omar Douglas will fight in a 12-round lightweight swing bout. Selby measured 134 ½ pounds for his lightweight debut while Douglas weighed-in at 132 pounds.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports, subscribe to the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

The full card has been announced for “Rumble at the Rock IV” on Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at the Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and live on Boxeo Telemundo (11:35 PM ET/PT).

Headlining the undercard will be undefeated Cuban super featherweight Hairon “El Maja” Socarras (20-0-3, 13 KOs) of Miami taking on Mexico City’s Carlos “Fino” Ruiz (16-5-2, 6 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

With natural talent, youth, speed and power in both hands and a classic Cuban style, 26-year-old Socarras has been considered one of Cuba’s best prospects. Former WBO Latino Super Featherweight Champion Ruiz, however, has a high-pressure approach to fighting and has never been stopped.

Presented by Kris Lawrence and The Heavyweight Factory, in association with All Star Boxing, the “Rumble at the Rock IV” main event will feature highly touted WBO No.1-ranked and WBO Bantamweight Latin Champion Ricardo “Hindu” Espinoza (22-2, 19 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, taking on Panama’s rugged veteran Ricardo “El Matematico” Nuñez (29-8, 23 KOs) for the WBO-NABO Bantamweight Championship.

In the 10-round welterweight co-main event, Miami via Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (19-0-1, 14 KOs) will face fellow Floridian Ed “The Lion” Paredes (38-7-1, 25 KOs) of Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Tickets for “Rumble at the Rock IV” cost $60, $100, $150, $250 and $500 and are available through ticketmaster.com.

Several other notable Florida-based prospects will also be in action that night, including a six-round welterweight duel between Chris Velez (10-0-1, 6 KOs) of Fort Lauderdale and Ryan Pino (8-4, 4 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Also showcased will be a six-round light heavyweight match-up between undefeated KO machine Ulysses Diaz (9-0, 8 KOs) of Miami and Gilberto Rubio (8-7, 6 KOs) of Sinaloa, Mexico, as well as a six-round welterweight showdown for JD Martinez (10-1, 8 KOs) of Miami and Matias Garcia (17-16-1, 14 KOs) of Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua.

Undefeated Miami-based crowd favorite Jorge De Jesus Romero (13-0, 10 KOs) will return in a bantamweight eight-rounder against El Paso’s Felipe Rivas (17-23-4, 11 KOs).

In a treat for the fans, the “Gatti of Florida” featherweight Jessy Cruz (15-7-1, 7 KOs) of Miami will bring his flare for the dramatic against Buenos Aires, Argentina’s David Michel Paz (4-6-1) over six rounds; while Miami’s undefeated super welterweight Eduardo Perez Diaz (6-0, 4 KOs) will go four against Fort Myers, Florida’s Hector Mercado (2-10).

Newcomers will start out the night in four-round battles, as featherweight Luis Melendez (3-1, 3 KOs) of Miami will look for his fourth victory against Mexico City’s Isaac Cerda (6-3, 1 KO); and Fort Lauderdale’s Blake Davis will make his light heavyweight pro debut against Alabama’s Rashad Jones (6-20-3, 3 KOs).

Also scheduled for action, but with an opponent TBA, is unbeaten Kazakhstani strongman Mussa Tursyngaliyev. His fight will be scheduled for six rounds.

On fight night, the Hard Rock Event Center doors open at 6 p.m., and the action starts at 7 p.m. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is located at 1 Seminole Way in Hollywood, Fla.

# # #

About Hard Rock Event Center
Hard Rock Event Center is the newly constructed 3,600-seat venue located in the northwest corner of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood. As part of the $1.5 billion property expansion, the former Hard Rock Live arena will be razed and replaced with a state-of-the-art 6,500-plus-seat venue in a theater-style configuration, slated to open in 2019. In the interim, a full schedule of concerts, comedy shows and other events will take place in the Hard Rock Event Center. Seminole Hard Rock has hosted some of the hottest musical acts such as John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Marc Anthony, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli, Tim McGraw and Carlos Santana; top comedians including Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, George Lopez and the late Robin Williams; as well as major sporting events and events of major sports stars, from UFC matches to charity galas for Jason Taylor, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and more. For additional information, please visit www.myhrl.com.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is the flagship casino resort of Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It is a world-renowned entertainment, gaming and hospitality destination that features a AAA Four Diamond-rated luxury hotel; expansive gaming offerings including first-in-class slots, high-stakes table games and South Florida’s premier poker room; spa and fitness center; award-winning dining and nightlife; and the popular Hard Rock Event Center which hosts A-list entertainers, comedy and sporting events. A $1.5 billion expansion slated to open in fall 2019 will bring 638 luxury guestrooms to a first-ever, iconic, guitar-shaped hotel and 168 upscale guest accommodations in an adjacent hotel tower overlooking a lush, “Bora Bora” style, private cabana environment; a 42,000 square-foot Rock Spa®; a 13.5 acre recreational water-focused experience for sunbathing, swimming, kayaking, sailing and paddle boarding; 21 distinctive restaurants, bars and lounges; an expanded gaming floor featuring 3,100 slots, 193 table games and a 45-table poker room; 120,000 square feet of premier meeting and convention space; and 26,000 square feet of new retail space. The highly anticipated 6,500 seat Hard Rock Live theater-style concert venue will feature headline performances and live broadcast capabilities. The resort is located on 87 acres of the Hollywood Seminole Reservation along State Road 7, (U.S. Highway 441). The resort is 10 minutes from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and 30 minutes from downtown Miami and Miami International Airport. For more information, visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, call 800-937-0010 or follow us:
Facebook: SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly

NEW YORK (Feb. 22, 2019) – Returning to the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday to complete a doubleheader weekend of FREE fights on Facebook, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast heads to hallowed ground on North Broad Street and the newly-refurbished Met Philadelphia for an outstanding card with Hard Hitting Promotions and Live Nation. Beginning at 8 p.m. E.T. from the city earning its moniker as the “Reigning Fight Capital,” the fan-friendly FNL platform will feature eight highly-anticipated bouts in the renovated venue.

“The Met in Philadelphia has undergone an incredible transformation, and we’re honored to showcase that transformation and Saturday’s red-hot card from that hallowed and historic venue,” said Mark Fratto, Principal and Director of Business Development, Linacre Media. “The main event has the makings of a thriller for fight fans in Philly and beyond, and the undercard features some of our favorite up-and-coming Philly prospects and the return of Charm City Champion Malik Hawkins, who has been a longtime friend of our entire crew.”

The free, interactive series – which has entertained more than 4.5 million fight fans since its platform premiere in May of 2017 – heads to Philadelphia once again as part of a FIGHTNIGHT LIVE doubleheader weekend spanning Feb. 22-23. The three-show February is part of a 2019 first quarter that showcases an outstanding six-card lineup featuring six different promotions and spanning four cities, which began with 203,000-plus views for Raging Babe’s Philly Special on Feb. 8 live from South Philly and includes tonight’s Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing Rockin’ Fights 34 from the Paramount in Huntington, N.Y.

A pair of Pennsylvania State Title bouts headline Saturday’s show. The Keystone State lightweight championship and two undefeated records will be on the line as two Philadelphians battle for supremacy – Jeremy “King” Cuevas (11-0, 8 KOs) takes on Steven Ortiz (9-0, 3 KOs). In the co-feature of the evening Samuel Teah (15-1, 7 KOs) – fresh off of his impressive November 2018 victory on ShoBox – will face dangerous southpaw Tre’Sean “Trigger” Wiggins (10-4-1, 6 KOs). Several other prospects dot the card, including former top-rated amateur lightweight Brandon Pizarro (13-1, 6 KOs), Baltimore welterweight Malik Hawkins(13-0, 9 KOs), super featherweight Floridian Gadwin Rosa (9-0, 7 KOs), Puerto Rican lightweight Christian Tapia (7-0, 6 KOs), bantamweight Emmanuel “Salserito” Rodriguez (3-0), Benny “The Jewish Bulldog” Sinakin (2-0, 1 KO) and Tamar “Princess” Israeli (2-0, 2 KOs).

Now in its second season, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast is the fan-friendly Facebook platform that – among other aspects – prides itself on the real-time conversations held between fight commentators and the viewing audience. FIGHTNIGHT LIVE has showcased more than 460 fighters and 16 promotions during 27 live event broadcasts from 18 different cities since May 2017, and in doing so, the interactive platform has generated the loyal interest of fight fans from across the United States and around the globe, including significant audiences in Mexico, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, and even fans in South America, Asia and Australia.

Since May 2017, the numbers on the 27-show FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series showed promise and potential for the new platform with an average of 167,871 views per event and more than 4.5 million total views for the franchise. Since Sept. 2018, Season II shows have averaged almost 311,000 views.

The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” (594,447) from the Sands in Bethlehem, the Dec. 2018 “Queens and Kings of Queens Card” (379,758) in New York, the Nov. 2018 “Hard Hitting Showtime Collaboration” (372,662), the Dec. 2018 “Roy Jones Jr. Texas Throwdown” (318,886), the Oct. 2018 “Hard Hitting Philly Special” (297,545), the Oct. 2018 hour-long Bareknuckle “Freeview” (292,253), the Nov. 2018 “Titans In The Capital” (256,871), the Sept. 2017 “Real Deal Promotions: Empire State” from Resorts World Casino (225,000), the Feb. 2019 “Raging Babe Philly Special” (203,000) and the August 2017 CES “Super Saturday” from Foxwoods (203,000) all logged 200,000 or more views, and collectively the 26-show series has seen a total of more than 4,532,526 views across all devices.

In addition to the raw viewership numbers, the fully-interactive, fan-friendly productions have seen more than 388,000 collective live post engagements (more than 14,300 per show), including more than 300,000 “likes” or “loves,” more than 48,000 comments and almost 16,500 shares.

The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” from the Sands in Bethlehem set a new bar with 594,447 views and the Sept. 2017 DiBella-CES doubleheader carried the series to three-quarters-of-a-million views in just over four months. The Sept. 2017 DiBella card saw more than 40,000 viewer interactions including almost 39,000 “likes” or “loves” and the March 17, 2018, Murphy’s “St. Patrick’s Day Clash” set a new high-water mark for shares with 2,182.

The FIGHTNIGHT LIVE page on Facebook has more than 86,000 fans and more than 93,000 followers.

Created and produced by Linacre Media out of New York City, the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series features professional announcers, multiple camera angles, television graphics, replays and behind-the-scenes access and interviews. The streamed shows are available globally wherever Facebook is available. The initiative not only enables fans from around the world to tune in, but also gives up-and-coming fighters a global platform to showcase their abilities, gives promoters an accessible “broadcast” solution and gives sponsors the ability to reach a mass audience via branded content

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Winter and Spring 2019 dates will be officially announced in the coming weeks.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE is available online at: https://www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE/

Follow all the action via social media at FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Facebook, @FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Instagram and@FIGHTNIGHTLIVE_ on Twitter, or by using the hashtag #FIGHTNIGHTLIVE. For the latest Linacre Media events and broadcast schedule, follow @LinacreMedia across all social platforms or use the tags #LinacreMediaEvents or #LinacreMediaOnTV.

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

TLANTIC CITY, NJ – FEBRUARY 21, 2019 – Tickets on sale now for third Annual Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame Celebration & Induction Weekend. The Claridge a-Radisson Hotel will serve as the backdrop for this historic event to be held June 21 – 23, 2019

Fighters confirmed: Bernard Hopkins, Tim Witherspoon, Iran Barkley, Roberto Duran, Micky Ward, Kevin Watts, John Brown, and Virgil Hill

“We’re excited to continue honoring all of those who have helped establish Atlantic City as a boxing destination throughout the world,’ ACBHOF president Ray McCline said. “This year’s inductees did so much to advance boxing in Atlantic City, whether they were fighters or non-participants. Our goal is to continue to bestow this honor on as many as we can for many years to come.”

Weekend Description:

Friday, June 21st VIP Reception / $40.00 / 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Celebrate the kickoff of the 2019 ACBHOF Weekend and launch of the ACBHOF pop-up Legends Café in the lower level of the elegant Art Gallery at the Claridge -A Radisson Hotel.

Saturday, June 22nd Legends Fan Experience / Free Admission / 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Join us for Conversation and Coffee in our intimate pop-up ACBHOF Legends Café! Moderated and activated with a panel comprised of top boxing influencers.

Sunday, June 23rd Induction Ceremony / $80.00 – $100.00 / 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
We invite you to an up close and personal experience as you witness firsthand the ACBHOF Class of 2019 be enshrined into hall of fame history. Hear the stories, live the experience, and capture the moment!

Rod Green, ACBHOF Vice President of Business Strategy said, “the third annual ACBHOF will deliver high-quality programming that is both financially friendly within a family hospitable atmosphere.”

Additional entertainment and events are being planned. For tickets, rooms and more information visit www.acbhof.com.

Program is subject to change

When booking at Claridge ~A Radisson Hotel: use promo code: ACBH09 for discounted room rate.

We are pleased to recognize and thank our sponsors:

The Claridge Hotel, City of Atlantic City, FantaSea Resorts, Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall, Adams Boxing, SparBar, WBC, IBF, and Fight Night Apparel

Graphics and Website Developed by: Jay Torres and Expressions Web Graphic Specialist & Fight Night Apparel

RAZVAN COJANU HAS issued a chilling warning to Daniel Dubois ahead of their heavyweight encounter at the Royal Albert Hall on March 8, predicting the fight is not going to end well for the young Londoner.

Dubois enters into his tenth professional fight at the stunning South Kensington venue, which will stage boxing for only the second time in the last 20 years when the 21-year-old, along with Anthony Yarde, headline a card that also features two British title battles.

In his nine fights to date, Dubois has already collected three championship belts – the WBC world youth, Southern Area and English titles – and, against Cojanu, he will bid to add the WBO Global title to his fledgling CV.

He will be up against his toughest test yet when he takes on the California-based Romanian, who challenged for the WBO world title against Joseph Parker in 2017 and extended the New Zealander the full 12 rounds.

The 31-year-old subsequently lost to Luis Ortiz before accepting the challenge of another top young heavy, Nathan Gorman, in Manchester last December. Cojanu was originally scheduled to fight Dubois, but the Peacock Gym protégé was laid low by a seasonal virus.

Gorman prevailed on points at the Manchester Arena and successfully defended his WBC International Silver title, but was never able to establish an effective rhythm against the awkward and ungainly Cojanu.

Dubois himself has previously stated that he will be seeking to make a statement with a stoppage victory, but Cojanu insists the power possessed by the young knockout artist holds no fears for him.

On the contrary, the 16-5 man with nine KOs claims it is Dubois who should be fearful of hitting the canvas.

“I’m not worried about Daniel’s punching power, he should be worried about mine,” said Cojanu ahead of making a swift return to a UK ring. “Nobody has hit him yet. When I hit him, he will know about it.”

Cojanu added that Dubois’ youth will count against him and that experience will be a telling factor on the night.

“Daniel is a young boxer. He is fighting a proper man for the first time and it’s not going to end well for him.”

Daniel Dubois v Razvan Cojanu and Anthony Yarde defending his WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight title against Travis Reeves tops a huge night of boxing at the Royal Albert Hall that also includes the British middleweight title clash between Liam Williams and Joe Mullender, while British welterweight champion Johnny Garton makes a first defence of his belt against the Welshman Chris Jenkins. Unbeaten featherweight Lucien Reid takes on his toughest test to date against Birmingham’s Indi Sangha. Unbeaten prospects Hamza Sheeraz, Denzel Bentley, Jake Pettitt, James Branch jr and Harvey Horn also feature on the show.

Tickets are priced from £40 and are available to buy via www.RoyalAlbertHall.com

By Norm Frauenheim-

Tyson Fury’s surprising deal with ESPN and Bob Arum’s Top Rank as co-promoter is generating further talk about a division that not long ago was dormant.

Dormant, as in dead.

It’s hard to judge whether it’s just more noise for all of those social-media mega-phones or a true buzz that foretells a heavyweight revival. The hope here is a revival. There probably will never be another era quite like Ali, Frazier and Foreman. Still, there’s nothing quite like the dynamic elements of a good heavyweight fight. Proof of that was in the drama generated in the Fury-Deontay Wilder draw on Dec. 1.

On the skillset scale, Fury and Wilder will never be ranked among the heavyweight legends. Yet, Fury and Wilder reminded us that heavyweight power separates the division from the rest of the weight classes. Explosive drama is always there, lurking in every punch. Wilder landed a couple of them. Fury got up from both of them. It was dangerous. It was beautiful. It was classic, if only for the way it summed up why the division has always been a sport unto itself. To wit: There are the heavyweights and everybody else.

It’s hard to know whether Fury’s new deal will lead to the immediate Wilder rematch that seemed so inevitable just a week ago. Then, May 18 was projected. Maybe, that date gets pushed to later this year.

In large part, there’s timing. The announcement last week that the UK’s Anthony Joshua’s American debut against Jarrell Miller will happen on June 1 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Two of the biggest heavyweight fights in years within a couple weeks of each other might be hard to market and harder to sell, especially on pay-per-view. Also, a lot of attention and pay-per-view dollars will be spent on the middleweight fight between Canelo Alvarez and Danny Jacobs on May 4.

May is crowded. A date in October or November or December might be a better time for the Fury-Wilder sequel. The public appetite will still be there, buoyed in part by what happens in Joshua-Miller. The ongoing buzz in the wake of the Fury deal with ESPN and Top Rank is a sign of a reawakening in interest in what was once known as the flagship division.

That flagship disappeared like the Navy’s old class of battleships. But it’s lore and legends are still afloat in the public imagination. You can hear it. An intriguing element is what a healthy heavyweight division can do for the rest of the business.

There was a time when many thought boxing was only as good as the heavyweights. Subsequently, that was disproved by Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. But it’s fair to argue that the sport sank to the so-called fringes during the post-Mike Tyson days. Suddenly, however, networks and streaming services increasingly want boxing.

They need bouts, which means they need boxers. For now, the business remains paralyzed by the Byzantine patchwork of rival promoters. Their reluctance to do business with each other continues to keep some of the best fights from happening.

But that’s not sustainable. At some point, Top Rank’s Terence Crawford and PBC’s Errol Spence Jr. will run the table on the available number of boxers within their respective promotional stables. The fans will demand they fight. Crawford and Spence might demand it too. The guess here, however, is that the networks will make it happen.

Fury’s deal opens the door for that to happen. Arum says he has reached out to Wilder with what he calls a “terrific” deal for the rematch. Wilder, like Spence, is a star under the PBC umbrella. If a deal for Fury-Wilder can be made, other dominoes could fall. There’s the aforementioned Spence-Crawford. If Mikey Garcia goes back to lightweight or junior-welter after his risky jump to 147 pounds against Spence on March 16, maybe we the long-talked-about Garcia-Vasiliy Lomachenko fight can happen.

It all starts with some renewed talking, and we’ve heard a lot of that this week.

PBC FIGHT CAMP: ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. MIKEY GARCIA will premier this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app, as FOX Sports gives fans an all-access look into the training camps of IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. (24-0, 21 KOs) and four-division world champion Mikey Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) leading up to their March 16 FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View showdown.

The four-part documentary series follows Spence Jr., nicknamed “The Truth,” as the 28-year old titleholder is moving up the pound-for-pound rankings and facing his toughest challenge yet. Training alongside his longtime trainer Derrick James and joined by his father Errol Sr., Spence is looking for the biggest victory of his career on Saturday, March 16.

Garcia, meanwhile, is making the move up to welterweight in search of his biggest triumph to date and a title in a fifth weight class. The fellow top pound-for-pound fighter is joined in his California training camp with his brother and trainer Robert Garcia, his father Eduardo, and his nephew Robert Jr.

The series is produced by Five Films, the multi-Emmy Award winning production company founded by Scott Boggins and Craig Jenest that established the popular “athlete-follow” and “team-follow” formats in sports television.

Programming leading up to the FOX Sports PBC PPV will continue this Sunday with FOX PBC FACE TO FACE: ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. MIKEY GARCIA on FOX (1:00 p.m. ET) as the two fighters sit down in front of each other before battling in the ring.

Part 2 of PBC FIGHT CAMP: ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. MIKEY GARCIA airs on FOX on Sunday, March 3 at 1:30 p.m. ET, immediately followed at 2:00 p.m. ET by FOX SPORTS PBC COUNTDOWN: ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. MIKEY GARCIA.

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports app, through the FOX, FS1, FS2 and FOX Deportes streams. The shows are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store or on connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information, visit FOX Sports Press Pass.

About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century Fox’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1, FS2; FOX Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; FOX Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App and FOX Sports GO. Also included in the Group are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.

About Five Films
Critically acclaimed, cinematic, authentic, compelling, smart – Five Films creates all-access, character-driven content. The multi-Emmy award-winning production company founded by Scott Boggins and Craig Jenest established the popular “athlete-follow” and “team-follow” formats in sports television. Five Films remains at the forefront of that format and continues to develop all-access programming in other genres, producing a diverse range of premium content that spans from episodic series (The Circus, The Boardroom, Chain of Command) to documentaries (Being Liverpool, Rise as One, and HBO’s 24/7).

About Premier Boxing Champions
The Premier Boxing Champions series was created and is produced by Haymon Sports, LLC. It features the most accomplished and decorated array of international professional boxing talent across the most popular weight divisions.

Bogdan Dinu will take on Kubrat Pulev on March 23rd at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“After speaking with my co-promoter [Sorin Florea of Kings Promotion] in [Dinu’s native] Romania, it was more of a misunderstanding than them not wanting to fight,” Dinu promoter Greg Cohen said. “It was a language issue. We had been texting with each other. Once we got on the phone we were able to hash it out pretty quickly. We let Top Rank know and signed the contract. Dinu is looking forward to coming back to America to fight Pulev.

“If he beats Pulev, he writes his own ticket because it would be a huge win. I know they fought in the amateurs. Dinu is from Romania, Pulev is from Bulgaria. It’s like if it was New York versus New Jersey in the U.S. They’re very familiar with each other and Dinu is really confident.”

MINNEAPOLIS (February 21, 2019) – Former champion Anthony Dirrell and 168-pound contender Avni Yildirim exchanged words at a heated final press conference on Thursday before they battle this Saturday for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight World Championship in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes from the Armory in Minneapolis.

The press conference also featured Minneapolis-native Jamal James and Janer Gonzalez, who battle in a welterweight attraction as part of televised coverage beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing and TGB Promotions, are on sale now, and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/and through Ticketmaster.

Dirrell and Yildirim had to be separated during their portion of the press conference, as both fighters and their teams exchanged words ahead of Saturday’s showdown. Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from the Armory:

ANTHONY DIRRELL

“At the end of the day, he’s getting knocked out. That’s it.

“He doesn’t have what it takes. I’m just a higher level fighter than him. I’m coming to take him out.

“I’m thankful to my team for helping me get another shot at the championship. I’ve already proven everything I have to in this sport. Saturday night, I’m taking back what’s mine.”

AVNI YILDIRIM

“I’m very happy to be here. Saturday, I’m ready to do my talking. I’m going to show everyone what happens in the ring.

“Everybody knows that I’m coming to win that world title. This is my time on Saturday night. I will leave the ring with that belt.”

JAMAL JAMES

“All the work has already been put in. Now it’s time to give everyone a show. We’ve had a great camp. I’ve been training hard with my guys, including some work down in Miami. Now we’re ready to show the action on Saturday night.

“At this point in my career, every fight is a championship fight, because I’m so close to that level. If you slip up once, then you fall back. We have to stay ready.

“We’ve been training hard. There’s been a lot of work on technique and work on being prepared for anything that comes in the ring. In my mind, I train for him like he’s the ultimate opponent.

“I’m a lot more comfortable in my hometown after fighting here a lot recently. Sometimes you want to perform so well in front of all your people that you press, but now I’m a lot more calm. I’m not overlooking this fight at all, but I’m gunning for that title fight.”

JANER GONZALEZ

“I’m very thankful for this opportunity to be in this great fight. My team has me prepared for this fight and has given me great support throughout training camp.

“I’m 100 percent ready. I’m going to bring this fight and leave it all in the ring for my home country of Colombia.

“I had been preparing in Colombia with Breidis Prescott and it’s gotten me in top condition for the fight. I’m ready to do it in the ring.

“I know James is fighting at home but they can’t help him in the ring. It’s just me and him and I plan on breaking him down and getting the win.”

LEON MARGULES, President of Warriors Boxing

“It’s great to be back at the Armory in Minneapolis. This is our third PBC event here and it’s just a terrific venue with an enthusiastic and great crowd for boxing.

“This is a fantastic card headlined by a world championship fight. This is going to be a terrific fight to prove who is the best super middleweight. You don’t want to miss a high level fight like this one on Saturday night.

“Everybody in Minnesota knows Jamal James, as he’s become one of the stars of the boxing community here. I believe someday he’s going to be a world champion.”

# # #

ABOUT DIRRELL VS. YILDIRIM
Dirrell vs. Yildirim will see former super middleweight world champion Anthony Dirrell face top contender Avni Yildirim for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight World Championship in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes on Saturday, February 23 from The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features welterweight championship contender Jamal James fighting in his hometown for a third straight time against Janer González in a special 10-round attraction in the co-feature.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX, FS1, FS2 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

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

New York, February 21, 2019

The entire card for Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing’s, “Rockin’ Fights” 34 weighed in today at Modell’s Sporting Goods in Huntington Station on Long Island. All twelve fighters looked fit and ready to go, ahead of tomorrow’s stellar night of fights at The Paramount in Huntington.

A great card is topped off by co-main events, in which fans will see the return of Huntington’s own JOHNNY “HITMAN” HERNANDEZ who will be taking on upset minded, MARQUIS “THE HAWK” HAWTHORNE. In a truly international fight, European Champion and Belgium native, JOEL “BIG JOE” DJEKO, will take on Italian Champion, SIMONE “TYSON” FEDERICI in an intriguing 10-round cruiserweight bout. Doors open at 7:00PM, and Rockin’ Fights 34 is set to start at 7:45PM.

Weigh-In Results:

8-ROUND SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT
JOHNNY “HITMAN” HERNANDEZ: 138.6 lbs.
MARQUIS “THE HAWK” HAWTHORNE: 137.8 lbs.

10-ROUND CRUISERWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT
JOEL “BIG JOE” DJEKO: 198.2 lbs.
SIMONE “TYSON” FEDERICI: 197.6 lbs.

6-ROUND SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
TERELL “THE PROBLEM CHILD” BOSTIC: 139.2 lbs.
JAVIER MARTINEZ: 137 lbs.

4-ROUND WELTERWEIGHT BOUT
DASHAUN “TOO SWEET” JOHNS: 138.6 lbs.
DERON “KING” LAWSON:. 142.2 lbs.

4-ROUND WELTERWEIGHT BOUT
ALEX “EL TORRO” VARGAS: 141.6 lbs.
BENJAMIN BORTEYE: 142.2 lbs.

4-ROUND SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
JEFFREY GONZALEZ: 153 lbs.
EARL HENRY: 153.8 lbs.

SAN JOSE, CA (February 21, 2019) – Undefeated super bantamweight prospect and rising star, Eros Correa (5-0, 5 KOs), returns to the ring this Saturday in Tijuana, Mexico. The 4-round bout is being promoted by GM3 Boxing Promotions and Gonzalez Boxing Promotions, and will take place at Cheer’s Bar, in Tijuana. Correa will face Jose Pech, a veteran of over 30 fights.

“I’m looking forward to this fight,” said Eros Correa, who’s guided by Cali Boxing Management. “My last fight in Tijuana was my toughest opponent to date so I’m not looking past Pech. Fighting in Mexico has been great for my career. With each fight I feel I’m getting better and better. I’m gaining a lot of experience and my confidence is at an all time high. I’m also starting to build a fan base out there. I want to thank my team for all their hard work. This Saturday I’ll be going for another knockout.”

Since signing with Cali Boxing Management last summer, Correa has been fighting on a consistent basis, going undefeated in four fights, all by knockout. This will be Correa’s second fight of 2019. In his last bout he scored a fourth round TKO.

“We are happy with Eros’ progress and we feel he’s developing into a great fighter, one that we believe will make some serious noise in the super bantamweight division,” said Andrew Bocanegra, of Cali Boxing Management. “After this bout we have plans to have him fight in the Bay Area, where all his family and friends will be in attendance. He’s an incredibly talented fighter to say the least.”

“Eros’ amateur pedigree being an alternate on the 2012 Olympic team is evident and its transitioning in the pros,” said Jessie Sanchez, of Cali Boxing Management. “Fighting in Mexico has been tremendous for his development.”

Brandon Rios says his clash with Humberto Soto is the final hurdle between him and a fourth World title fight as they clash at the Auditorio Municipal Fausto Gutierrez in Tijuana, Mexico on Saturday February 23, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW PRICED FROM $165 (MEXICAN PESOS) HERE

Rios returned to action in stunning fashion in Kansas in November, stopping Ramon Alvarez in the ninth round of a pulsating contest live on DAZN.

‘Bam Bam’s’ return to the ring has been inspired by a promise made to his daughter to become a World champion once again, and a big all-Mexican clash with Soto is just the type of fight that will light a fire under him to produce a performance to land a huge fight next.

“It feels nice to fight back in Mexico,” said Rios. “Especially right now with everything that’s going on, all the politics. Not only that, but it’s good to give the Mexican fans a great show, they get see me live which is awesome.

“I’m fighting a guy that lives in Tijuana. He’s from Mexico, so I’m pretty sure the crowd’s going to be on his side, 100 per cent, but it feels good to be back out in front of Mexican fans. I’m ready to go and show the world that I’m ready to get back to the top again.

“I have some fans from LA going over the border to watch the fight, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to have more support. Anything can happen though, at the end of the day it’s not about who has what, it’s about me and him in the ring.

“The main decision for me to come back was when I was watching a fight on TV and I told my wife ‘Baby, that can still be me. I can still do that shit. I know I can still do that shit.’ I just had bad camp, bad habits. She told me ‘I’m going to let you do what you want to do, you’re a grown man. But if you come back, you’ve got to promise me you do it right.’ None of the half-assed shit, with the dieting, and all that. So, I thought about it for about a day or two, and I had the urge for it.

“I got my first fight and it was great, and the second one with Danny Garcia which wasn’t all that – shit happens in boxing. And then I got to meet Eddie Hearn who gave me a three-fight deal thanks to him.

“Nobody was really paying attention to me anymore, and Eddie gave me an opportunity, and I really appreciate that. I’m fighting my second fight with him, and I can’t wait to go again.

“My main target is to get a title shot. Not only the reason why, is because I promised my little girl. She does karate. I told her, if you become a black belt, you give me that title. When I become a champion again, I give you my belt.

“We made that promise, and I don’t want to break her heart, so that’s why I want to be a champion again before I retire. I keep my word. Every day, I kid you not, she says ‘Dad, remember you promised me?’ Every day. I come to the gym today, she’s asking me if I’m bringing back a title. That’s 100 per cent my drive.

“You know what, it could be soon. It could be my next fight, who knows with Eddie Hearn. For now I’m just concentrating on this guy. I’m ready for whatever falls next.

“Soto is a veteran, he’s 30 years old. he knows some tricks, he’s a former three-time World champion, so we’ve got to be ready for whatever he brings. That’s why I’m working so hard to correct the mistakes.

“Working with Matchroom Boxing and being on DAZN, they’ve giving me fights back-to-back which is great. I haven’t got that wasted time, rested time, they’re giving me fights right away. I’m grateful and happy to be a part of the team. I’m ready to get back to the top.

“It’s going to be a great fight. You’ve got a three-division former champion Soto comes to fight, very talented and very skillful, he’s a big counter puncher. Then you’ve got myself, Bam Bam, who comes to brawl and always gives the fans a good show, but what always makes a perfect fight is a counter and brawler. There’s always going to be punches thrown, always something going to happen.”

Rios and Humberto clash in an all-Mexican affair, in association with Zanfer and Paco Presents, on a huge night of action in Tijuana.

There’s a stacked undercard in support of the main event, led by the rematch between Jose ‘Gallito’ Quiniro (20-2-3 9KOs) and Joel Cordoba (7-4-2 1KO). The Mexicans shared a draw in a Christmas cracker in December and will return to the same venue as that clash to find a winner this time.

Alexis Espino makes his professional debut on the card, with the 19 year old Las Vegas native and decorated amateur itching to get life in the pro game underway on a proud night for his Mexican family. Diego Pacheco (1-0 1KOs) made his debut in this arena in December with a stoppage win, and the talented teen fights for the second time in the pros on Saturday.

A trio of unbeaten Mexicans complete the current line-up in the shape of 2016 Olympian Joselito Velasquez (7-0 6KOs), Omar ‘Pollo’ Aguilar (11-0 10KOs) and Sulem Urbina (8-0 1KO).

MINNEAPOLIS (February 21, 2019) – Former world champions will go toe-to-toe as Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin faces Minnesota-native Caleb “Golden” Truax in a 12-round IBF super middleweight title eliminator that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes Saturday, April 13 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

Televised coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will feature top middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko taking on Jack Culcay in a 12-round IBF title eliminator, plus unbeaten rising prospect Chris Colbert will compete in an undercard attraction.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing and TGB Promotions, go on sale Saturday, February 23, and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

“Quillin vs. Truax is a true 50-50 matchup of former world champions looking to put themselves in position to grab another world title,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing. “Truax will have the hometown crowd in Minnesota behind him, but Quillin has fought at the highest level against top competition for years. It has all the makings of a dramatic fight, and combined with the Derevyanchenko vs. Culcay middleweight eliminator, it’s going to make for an action packed night at the Armory and on FS1 and FOX Deportes.”

“Both of these are fantastic matchups because there are championship implications on the line,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “That adds to the motivation for each of the guys stepping into the ring. For Qullin and Truax, they both know what it means to be a world champion and this is their opportunity to return to that status. There is always a lot of energy in the Armory for these types of matches and that really carries over to the FS1 and FOX Deportes broadcast for those watching at home. It promises to be a very entertaining evening for all boxing fans.”

A former middleweight champion, Quillin (34-1-1, 23 KOs) delivered in his second bout at super middleweight, defeating J’Leon Love last August by unanimous decision. Born in Chicago and raised Michigan, Quillin has called Brooklyn, N.Y. home throughout a pro career that saw him win a world title against Hassan N’Dam in 2012 and defend it three times. His only loss came to Daniel Jacobs in 2015 after battling former champion Andy Lee to a draw earlier that year.

“I’m approaching this fight very seriously because I know Truax is a durable guy who knows how to fight,” said Quillin. “He comes from a background where people don’t give him credit for what he’s done, and those are the most dangerous guys. I’m no stranger to fighting in my opponent’s backyard. My job is to go into the ring and go home with the win. I’m looking to walk away with some of his fans on my side by winning the fight and putting on a great performance.”

Fighting out of Osseo, Minnesota, Truax (30-4-2, 19 KOs) pulled off one of 2017’s biggest upsets when he traveled to London to defeat James DeGale and become a 168-pound world champion. The 35-year-old lost a hard-fought rematch to DeGale in 2018 and most recently scored a third-round stoppage of Fabiano Soares at the Armory in August.

“Peter Quillin is someone I’ve wanted to fight since I first sparred with him in 2012,” said Truax. “I walked away from that experience confident that I could get the job done if we were ever matched together. The fact that it’s taking place at home in Minnesota is even better because my fans are going to give me a huge advantage. My goal is to get back into title contention and win my second world title.”

A 2008 Olympian for his native Ukraine, Derevyanchenko (12-1, 10 KOs) has made his home in Brooklyn, N.Y. since turning pro in July 2014. The 33-year-old was unbeaten in his first 12 fights, earning a world title fight with a final-round stoppage of Tureano Johnson in 2017. He most recently dropped a narrow split-decision to Daniel Jacobs in a middleweight title fight in October.

Culcay (25-3, 13 KOs) is originally from Ecuador, spent much of his career fighting out of Germany, and now lives in Florida. He enters this bout on a three-fight winning streak after picking up a trio of wins in 2018. He had previously held an interim 154-pound titles before losing close decisions against Demetrius Andrade and Maciej Sulecki.

Representing his hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (10-0, 3 KOs) has begun to make a name for himself showing off tremendous skills across his first 10 pro victories. The 22-year-old most recently dominated Josh Hernandez on FS1 in January and he will return to fight at The Armory for the second time after defeating then unbeaten Austin Dulay on FS1 last April.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX, FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

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

Las Vegas (February 21, 2019) – Hall of fame broadcaster Al Bernstein has confirmed that that he will appear and hold a Meet & Greet with his fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the fifth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 4, 2019 from 10am 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.

Bernstein will make his 3rd appearance at this years’ Expo, at the Hannibal Boxing Media booth and will be signing copies of the book Off The Ropes: The Ron Lyle Story, featuring a foreword by Al Bernstein. He will also be available to sign photos and boxing items, as well as taking pictures for fans to enjoy.

Bernstein joins Michael Spinks, Erik Morales, James Toney and Jessie Vargas as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo.

About Al Bernstein
Al Bernstein is best known to a national audience as the voice of boxing, first for ESPN, and now as the analyst for Showtime Championship Boxing. This Hall of Fame broadcaster is considered by many as the most recognizable and respected boxing commentator. In 2012, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He also hosts online shows, Al Bernstein’s Boxing Hangouts and Quick Hits, giving Al a chance to talk boxing and provide great insights for fans around the globe.

About Box Fan 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, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Roy Jones Jr., Marcos Maidana, Andre Ward, Errol Spence Jr., Sergio Martinez, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Tim Bradley, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Zab Judah, James Toney, Vinny Pazienza, Mikey Garcia , Mia St.John, Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares Maricela Cornejo, Badou Jack, Terry Norris , Riddick Bowe , Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks, Danny Jacobs, Jorge Linares, Brandon Rios and many more…

Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, new equipment’s, energy drinks, alcohol, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies and other companies who wish to participate will once again have a chance to showcase their brand to fans, media and the boxing industry.

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

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 at their booth. On Site, fans will experience different activities from Autograph Sessions, Photo Sessions, FaceOff with your favorite boxers, as well as a chance to purchase merchandise and memorabilia from their booth, plus so much more… you won’t want to miss this must-attend Expo!

Box Fan Expo will also feature top boxing organizations, promoters, ring card girls, famous trainers and commentators as well as boxing gear companies “ALL UNDER ONE ROOF”.

Throughout the next several 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

Richard Riakporhe is expecting an easier night’s work when he makes the first defence of his WBA Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title against Belfast’s highly-touted Tommy McCarthy at the East of England Arena on Saturday March 2, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

The undefeated Dillian Whyte-mentored Londoner produced a stunning comeback to stop the previously unbeaten Sam Hyde in an epic battle at the Manchester Arena in November and is fully confident of making a successful first defence of the World ranking title next week.

“I’m feeling good going into this fight as I believe Sam Hyde is a better opponent than Tommy McCarthy,” said Riakporhe. “That’s meant as no disrespect to Tommy as he’s a fighter that I’ve watched a lot of and have admiration for. I remember watching the Commonwealth games back in 2010 and he looked pretty decent then.

“He’s got a good skillset and a solid background, but I believe that this is my time now and the momentum is in my corner. I’ll do anything to win and to keep on winning. There’s no way I’m overlooking Tommy as every fight is a huge risk and anything can happen, but I’ve got the bit between my teeth and I’ll be prepared come fight night.”

With one eye seemingly set on British Champion Lawrence Okolie, Riakporhe hasn’t let a potential clash with his fellow Londoner disrupt his focus when preparing for McCarthy, but the Walworth man couldn’t resist speaking about the current Lonsdale belt-holder.

“Lawrence Okolie has the British title at the moment and I believe that would be a good fight for me in the future if he still has the belt. I was focusing on individuals at one point in my career, but I soon realised that despite making noises, a lot of people don’t really want to fight you. I’d rather just focus on the titles right now, so I can progress in my career and get the experience that I need.

“I’d like the Okolie fight down the line for sure. We’ve been close to fighting twice but it doesn’t sound like he wanted it. Granted he’s ahead of me with the belts and in the pecking order but a couple of wins and why not? He must be shying away from it for a reason.

“Having watched a few of his fights Okolie has issues with movement. I train out in Cuba quite a lot, working on my lateral movement so that mixed with my punching power I think will cause him big problems.

“It’s a good division at the minute with the likes of Craig Glover coming through. Win this on March 2 and I want them all over the next year or two, what’s the point in holding back? I would like to box overseas at some point as well. I want to carry on getting experience for the big day one day, which I know is going to come – and that’s for a World title challenge.”

Riakporhe vs. McCarthy is part of a huge night of boxing in Peterborough.

Jordan Gill headlines his first show as he goes for his second pro title in a WBA International Featherweight clash with Mexico’s Emmanuel Dominguez.

Unbeaten Indiana Super-Middleweight contender Anthony Sims Jr fights for the second time in the UK after an explosive debut in Cardiff last summer.

Nottingham’s Leigh Wood clashes with Ghana’s Abraham Osei Bonsu for the vacant Commonwealth Featherweight crown.

Heavy-handed Super-Middleweight prospect John Docherty looks to make if four knockouts from four fights after impressing again on the Garcia vs. Cheeseman undercard at The O2 and Leeds Super-Bantamweight and former Team GB amateur standout Qais Ashfaq aims to go 5-0, and there’s also action on the undercard for Northampton Super-Welterweight Kieron Conway, Wisbech Super-Welterweight Joe Steed and St Ives Super-Lightweight Bradley Smith.

DENVER – February 21, 2019 – On March 16, IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. will defend his title against unbeaten four-division world champion Mikey Garcia. For the highly-anticipated bout, broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, Garcia will move up to try and capture a title in a fifth-weight class against Spence. “Spence Jr. vs. Garcia,”and its co-featured fights, will be shown on big screens across the nation.

Tickets for “Spence Jr. vs. Garcia” can be purchased online atwww.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices now.

The live broadcast of “Spence Jr. vs. Garcia” presented by Fathom Events, FOX Sports, and Premier Boxing Champions, is set for Saturday, March 16 beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. CT / 7:00 p.m. MT / 6:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. AK / 4:00 p.m. HI. Boxing fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 300 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). A complete list of theater locations is available on the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Spence (24-0, 21 KOs) is no stranger to big stadium events, as he won the IBF title by traveling to England to take on then-champion Kell on May 27, 2017. In front of a raucous crowd of over 27,000 loyal Brook supporters, the 28-year-old Spence stopped Brook in round 11 to wrest away the title.
This will be Spence’s third defense of the title. After beating Brook, he successfully defended it with an eighth-round stoppage of two-division champion Lamont Peterson and then knocked out mandatory challenger Carlos Ocampo in the first round in his last fight at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Tex., near his hometown of Desoto, Tex. on June 16. Spence turned pro shortly after representing the U.S. at the 2012 London Olympics with much promise and rose to the championship ranks with wins over former champion Chris Algieri and veteran contenders Leonard Bundu, Alejandro Barrera and Chris van Heerden.

Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) is striving to put together a legendary career and is aggressively pursuing that goal. He has won world championships at featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight. He now eyes a welterweight title against the consensus class of the division in Spence. Fighting out of Moreno Valley, Calif., Garcia unified the IBF and WBC Lightweight World Championships in his last bout by scoring unanimous decision victory over Robert Easter, Jr. on July 28.
The 31-year-old first reached the championship ranks by blitzing through the featherweight and junior lightweight division, defeating Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, and Juan Carlos Burgos to establish himself as a star in the sport. Garcia has been on a fast track since ending a nearly 2.5-year hiatus with a knockout victory over Elios Rojas in 2016. After the victory over Rojas, Garcia scored a KO victory over Dejan Zlaticanin for the WBC lightweight championship in January 2017, before defeating four-division champion Adrien Broner in July, and then captured a title at 140 lbs. by dropping down and defeating Sergey Lipinets last March.

“Boxing fans won’t want to miss this chance to find out who is the best pound-for-pound fighter when ‘Spence Jr. vs. Garcia’ comes to local cinemas across the country,” Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt said. “As a tradition for fight fans, there’s nothing better than watching bouts live on the big screen from AT&T Stadium.”

For artwork/photos related to “Spence Jr. vs Garcia”visit the Fathom Events press site.

About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is the leading event cinema distributor with theater locations in all top 100 DMAs® (Designated Market Areas) and ranks as one of the largest overall theater content distributors. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L), Fathom Events offers a variety of unique entertainment events in movie theaters such as live performances of the Metropolitan Opera, top Broadway stage productions, major sporting events, epic concerts, the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series, inspirational events and popular anime franchises. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes for unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live Digital Broadcast Network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 975 locations and 1,578 screens in 181 DMAs. The company also provides corporations a compelling national footprint for hosting employee meetings, customer rewards events and new product launches. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.

About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century Fox’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1, FS2; FOX Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; FOX Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App and FOX Sports GO. Also included in the Group are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.

About Premier Boxing Champions
The Premier Boxing Champions series was created and is produced by Haymon Sports, LLC. It features the most accomplished and decorated array of international professional boxing talent across the most popular weight divisions.

Unbeaten middleweight world champion Christina Hammer has sent out a message to her rival 160-pound champion Claressa Shields as she prepares to travel stateside for a press conference next Tuesday in New York City to officially announce their battle for the undisputed women’s middleweight championship Saturday, April 13 live on SHOWTIME from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

Hammer became the first German fighter to successfully defend their title in the U.S. since Max Schmeling, when she defeated Tori Nelson in June on SHOWTIME from Detroit. A win on April 13 would make her just the second undisputed champion in female boxing history.

“I’m looking forward to fighting Claressa in the U.S.,” said Hammer in the video. “This fight against Claressa is the biggest fight there is. It’s the biggest fight in the history of female boxing. It’s a game changer. I’m doing everything I can in this training camp to beat her. Claressa’s fight against Hanna Gabriel showed that she is beatable. I’m going to do the job better than Gabriel.”

# # #

ABOUT SHIELDS vs. HAMMER
Shields vs. Hammer is a SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION that will pit undefeated middleweight world champions Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer against each other in a battle to crown the undisputed 160-pound world champion, in what is arguably the most significant women’s boxing event in history.

Promoted by Salita Promotions, the event takes place Saturday, April 13 from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. with coverage beginning on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

BROWNSVILLE, TX (February 21, 2019) – Welterweight prospect Omar “El Relampago” Juarez (1-0) of Brownsville, Texas, returns this Saturday, February 23, 2019 at the Minneapolis Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Juarez will square off against Phillip Percy in a four-round bout, on the undercard of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on FS1, headlined by Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (32-1-1, 23 KOs) vs. Avni Yildirim (21-1, 12 KOs) for the vacant WBC super-middleweight title.

Juarez, a 19-year-old amateur standout has his sights set on becoming a star, as he enters his second pro fight working with PBC brand, the industry leader in the sport.

“I am excited to live out my dream, to be able to compete and have a chance to dominate at the highest levels,” said Omar Juarez. “This next fight will be one step closer to becoming a world champion, as that is my dream. I am grateful to be on such a big card and the fans will see me perform at my highest level.”

Juarez, who is also a motivational speaker when he is not boxing, is looking to have his action in the ring lead others to follow their dreams.

“Dreams do come true, and I’m living mine now,” continued Juarez. “I can be living proof for people in my area that working hard can get you to any place in life you wish to go. This training camp has been great I know what I need to do to get the knockout. I believe with the right execution of my game plan, I will get my first career professional knockout.”

SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 21, 2019) – Prince Ranch Boxing signs highly decorated amateur, Hector Coronado (1-0, 1 KO), to a managerial pact with TMB & PRB Entertainment, working as his promoter as his next bout will be February 23rd, 2019, at the Floresville Event Center, in Floresville, TX.

The event titled “Small Town Big Showdown” is being presented by TMB & PRB Entertainment. The super welterweight, Coronado will face Kenny Williams, an experienced veteran, who will be taking his tenth professional bout when facing Coronado on Saturday.

The 19-year old Coronado who resides in Del Rio, Texas, will campaign at the super-welterweight division. He’ll look to continue his knockout ways as his first win was extremely dominate, scoring a fourth-round TKO over Carlos Eduardo Garcia on May 16th, 2018.

“I am excited to have my career guided by experienced people,” said Coronado, who is managed by Greg Hannley, CEO of Prince Ranch Boxing. “To have a professional team around me as I march forward in my professional boxing career, is a blessing. Now it’s time for me to perform.”

“I grew up here in Texas and did well as an amateur, and now it’s time shine as a professional,” Coronado continued. “Entertaining my friends, family, and new fans in the state I call home is going to be exciting. Come out and enjoy the show!”

“Hector Coronadoi is a fine young man and his talent is extraordinary,” Greg Hannley said. “He’s a decorated amateur who is proud to represent Texas and is always looking to put on a show. I see him doing big things in this sport.”

“We are thrilled that Coronado decided to sign with us,” said Rick Morones, of TBM & PRB Entertainment, who promotes the young fighter. “We are busy building a young pool of talented fighters who can grow into world champions and Coronado is one of the fighters we believe will do so.”

“He just has all the things you want to see from a young fighter and he works hard,” stated Alex Draghici, of TMB & PRB Entertainment. “We’re very excited to see what the future holds for him.”

“Small Town Big Showdown” takes place at the Floresville Event Center on Feb. 23, 2019. Tickets priced $25 General Admission, $80 Ringside and $800 VIP Tables (10 seats) are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (210) 449-5599 or (210) 322-9974. The Floresville Event Center is located at 600 SH 97West, Floresville, TX 78114. Doors open at 6:00 PM, first bell at 7:30 PM.

Philadelphia, PA (FEBRUARY 21, 2019) – TONIGHT!!! at 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia, King’s Promotions and Titans Boxing Promotions will host a unique round-table podcast with some of the talented fighters that will be on display on Friday night, March 1st at 2300 Arena.

In the main event, Tyrone Brunson will take on Jamaal Davis in a 10-round battle for the Pennsylvania State Junior Middleweight title.

Scheduled to appear at the Podcast, which will begin at 7:30 PM ET and be streamed LIVE ON KING’S BOXING FACEBOOK PAGE & TITANS BOXING FACEBOOK PAGE will be Tyrone Brunson, Rasheed Johnson, Vincent Floyd, Rasheen Brown, Antonio Dubose along with promoters Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions and Andrew Foy of Titans Boxing promotions.

In the eight-round co-feature, Tyrone Crawley, Jr. (7-1-1) of Philadelphia takes on Victor Vazquez (10-5, 4 KOs) of Yonkers, New York in a junior welterweight fight.

Joseph George (8-0, 6 KOs) of Houston, Texas battles Oscar Riojas (17-11-1, 6 KOs) of Monterrey, MEX in a super middleweight fight.

In six-round bouts:

Nahir Albright (4-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia battles Roy McGill (6-1, 3 KOs) of Harrisburg, PA in a super lightweight contest.

Rasheed Johnson (4-2, 1 KO) of Philadelphia fights Vincent Floyd (4-5-1, 2 KOs) in a clash of Philadelphia based welterweights.

Antonio DuBose (9-2-1, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia, PA fights Danny Flores (15-14, 8 KOs) of Mexico City, Mex in a super featherweight match.

In four-round bouts:

James Martin (3-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia fights Rick Pyle (1-1) of Harrisburg, PA in a welterweight fight.

Rasheen Brown (2-0) of Philadelphia fights Hugo Rodriguez (0-2) of Monterrey, Mexico in a super bantamweight fight.

Kendall Cannida (2-1) of Philadelphia, PA fights Angel Rivera (4-0, 3 KOs) of Harrisburg, PA in a light heavyweight fight.

Tickets are $100, $75 and $50 and can be purchased at www.2300arena.com

WORCESTER, Mass. (February 21, 2019) – Worcester boxer Kendrick “Peppa” Ball, Jr. is living the dream and closing in on some of his goals in the ring.

Ball (11-1-2, 8 KOs), fighting out of his native Worcester, MA, will headline his first show and fight for his first title belt, when he headlines “Every Man For Himself”, the inaugural event presented by Shearns Boxing Promotions (SBP), on Friday night, March 15, at The Palladium in Worcester. This will be the first time Ball headlines a show, in addition to fighting for his first title, in the six-round main event for the vacant New England middleweight title,

The 26-year-old Ball, promoted by CES Boxing, faces upset-minded Danny “Feel Good Hollywood” Rosenberger (4-6-4, 1 KO), of Youngstown, Ohio.

“This fight is so important for me because I’ve always wanted to headline in my hometown and fight for a title,” the 6′ 3″ Ball said. “Another goal of mine, before I started boxing, was to fight on a card with my cousin, Owen Minor, who will be making his pro debut. He’s a big puncher and people can expect a big KO from him.

“I’m an exciting fighter who likes to get knockouts. Expect something big to happen March 15th. I’m working on boxing more, using my jab a lot, to improve. I don’t know a lot about my opponent, but I understand he likes to move a lot.”

“Shearns Boxing is happy to have Kendrick Ball, Jr. headline our Mar. 15th card,” SBP promoter Chuck Shearns commented. “He’s a good kid whose family is rooted in Worcester boxing. There definitely is a rise in the number of quality fighters coming out of Worcester. This will probably be our last chance to watch Kendrick Jr. fighting in Worcester before his promoter, CES Boxing, has him fighting on the national scene.”

Ball, who started boxing at 13, experienced an unusual start to his boxing career, losing his first nine amateur bouts, before becoming a decorated boxer who turned pro in 2016.

“I wasn’t really ready, my head wasn’t into boxing when I started,” Ball explained. “I didn’t want to quit, and that experience taught me to never to give up. I knew that I was good – I had success sparring with pros – but it wasn’t there when I fought. I kept punching and grew into my own.”

Ball captured gold medals at three Western Golden Gloves Championships, plus top honors at the Rocky Marciano Tournament, also becoming a prestigious USA New England champion.

Trained by his father, Ken Ball, Sr., who owns and operates Camp Get Right gym in Worcester, Ball Sr. & Jr. have succeeded when many father-son relationships in boxing have often failed.

(L-R) Kenneth Ball, Sr. & Jr.

“We have a tight bond and we’ve been doing this since he was little,” Ball Sr. reported. “It’s worked out well. I try to separate father-son and make it trainer-boxer, but that’s hard at times.”

His son added, “It’s all good. Sometimes it’s difficult and becomes a little hard, but only because he’s pushing me. He’s my trainer, mostly, during fights.”

Father and son agree that there is a boxing resurgence in Worcester, which has a rich history dating back a century, but it also went through a slow period. Ball is part of a gifted quartet that’s making noise today in boxing, joining Khiary Gray, Jermaine Ortiz and Irvin Gonzalez.

“Over the last three years,” Ball St. remarked, “boxing has been hot again in Worcester. There are a lot of talented, young boxers in Worcester. Once Khiary turned pro, that triggered a lot of boxers turning pro.”

“We’re all close,” Ball Jr. concluded. “We’ve trained together and support each other.”

Worcester boxing is on the rise and more talent is turning pro, starting Mar. 15th when Ball’s cousin, Minor, makes his long-awaited pro debut in a four-rounder versus Corey Morley (0-2-1), of Philadelphia.

Undefeated Providence light heavyweight Angel Camacho, Jr. (15-0, 5 KOs) returns to the ring after a three-year absence in a six-round bout, co-featured event against Dallas challenger Taronze Washington (17-26, 9 KOs).

Undefeated Southbridge, MA welterweight Wilfredo “El Sucaro” Pagan (5-0, 3 KOs) takes on upset-minded Peruvian Carlos Galindo (1-7), fighting out of Woburn, MA, in a four-round clash.

Also fighting on the undercard, all in four-round fights, are Springfield, MA lightweight Calixto Cruz (1-0) vs. TBA, Worcester cruiserweight Jake Paradise (0-2) vs. Francisco Artri Neto (0-2), of Woburn, MA, New Britain, CT Nathan Martinez (2-0) vs. TBA, and Bridgeport, CT junior lightweight Carlos Marrero III (0-2-1) vs. Worcester’s Edwin Rosado (1-8-1, 1 KO).

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

General admission tickets are priced at $25.00 and available to purchase online at thepalladium.net. Boxers on the card have $50.00 and $25.00 tickets to sell.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET, first fight at 7 p.m. ET.

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

INFORMATION:

Facebook.com/ShearnsBoxingPromotions

Twitter: @ShearnsBoxing

LONDON – February 21, 2019 – Former two-time super middleweight champion James DeGale and former world title challenger Chris Eubank Jr. faced off at the heated final press conference on Thursday for their 12-round showdown that headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING this Saturday, February 23 live on SHOWTIME (3:45 p.m. ET/12:45 p.m. PT) from The O2 in London.

DeGale (25-2-1, 15 KOs) and Eubank (27-2, 21 KOs) will finally settle their long-running score when the two outspoken rivals meet in London. In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature bout, Olympic Silver Medalist and top prospect Joe Joyce (7-0, 7 KOs) will measure against former WBC Champion Bermane Stiverne (25-3-1, 21 KOs) in a 12-round heavyweight clash.

Former two-division world champion, Chris Eubank Sr., was in attendance and not shy about stating this is not going to be an easy fight for his son. “This is a 50/50 fight and for the first time I am petrified of what the outcome can be. I am petrified that Junior may not win this fight,” he said.

The event is promoted by Poxon Sports and presented by Premier Boxing Champions. Joyce-Stiverne is promoted in association with Ringstar Sports and Don King Productions. The doubleheader will air live in the U.S. exclusively on SHOWTIME and on ITV Box Office in the U.K.

Veteran broadcaster Brian Custer will host the doubleheader from London with combat sportscaster Mauro Ranallo calling the action ringside alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein. Three Hall of Famers will round out the telecast team – Emmy® award winning reporter Jim Gray, boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial ringside scorer, and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.

Here’s what the fighters and their respective camps had to say during Thursday’s press conference at Intercontinental at The O2:

JAMES DEGALE:

“I vacated my title for fights like this. Chris Eubank has been calling my name for a long time and finally I get a chance to punch him in his face.

“I have no respect for him. None. This guy is a diluted idiot. And on Saturday night I can’t wait to deal with him. I’m going to come and give it to him properly. He can’t box. We’ve all heard this before.

“This is the biggest fight of his career. It’s retirement time. Whoever loses this fight is finished. It’s do or die on Saturday…His retirement fight is here. It’s his last fight, I promise you that.

“I’m proven. I’ve been there, done that. I’ve won everything. He’s done nothing. And I’m going to retire him.

“Eubank is a tough fighter, he’s strong. He has a lot of good attributes, but I’m too good for him. To mix it up and go to the very top you need more than strength and toughness. Every time he’s stepped up, he’s lost.

“The fear of losing is because I know what’s on the line. This is do or die. If I can’t beat him, if I can’t beat Chris Eubank Jr., I’m done.

“A lot of people think I’ve seen better days. A lot of people think I’m on the decline. I’ve had issues in the past, but I can honestly say I’m fully fit. I’m in the best shape I’ve been for a long, long time, physical and mentally. When I feel like I feel no one can beat me.

“If I can’t beat Chris that means I’m shot, that means I’m over the hill.”

CHRIS EUBANK JR.:

“This guy is a bum. He talks a good game. He’s going to have a good go, but at the end of the day I’m going to be too much for him.

“We are both at a stage where we can’t lose. We are both fighting for our careers. He knows he can’t handle me. He’s asking himself, ‘Can I survive?’ And the answer is absolutely not.

“There’s nothing he can do in that ring that I can’t handle. I’m going to box his head off.

“I’ve got a full time trainer now. For the first time in my career, I have a trainer day in and day out focusing on strategy to prepare me for what James is – a slick southpaw. That’s why I’m so confident. If he wants to run, we have the gameplan. If he wants to stand and swing, we have the gameplan. We have a plan for everything.

“What matters is that James’ career is over in a few days. I sent him a message after he lost to [George] Groves saying he needs to keep up because we are going to fight one day. And now that we’re finally here I look into his eyes and I don’t see a confident guy.

“It’s my time. I’m expecting the best he’s ever been and that’s still not going to be enough.

“I’m a world-level fighter. Anyone in the boxing game knows that. This is my opportunity to prove that once and for all to set the record straight and prove I’m the real deal. I know this is a defining fight in my career. It is do or die and I’m ready for that.

“James knows what’s coming. At the end of the day, his last performances haven’t been up to par, but i don’t think he respected his [past] opponents. He respects me, and I respect him and that’s why this is a real fight.

“I’ve been in the game for a long time but this is just the beginning of a long journey for me. This is my biggest fight. I have to win. If I win, I’m back on the world stage. Beating James DeGale sets me up for a world title which is the whole reason I started in this game.”

JIM MCDONNELL:

“There are levels to boxing. Chris was a good prospect coming through but he’s not on the same level as James. He’ll find out what it takes to be a world champion. James DeGale is levels above Chris Jr.

“Chris may have all the drive he needs but he doesn’t have the skills to beat James DeGale.

“I know James is not losing. James DeGale is probably the best British fighter I’ve seen in my country.”

CHRIS EUBANK SR.:

“I’ve seen the pinnacle of James and it’s intoxicating. With Chris, not everything I’ve said has been applied. It may have been heard, but not applied. What I said works. I wouldn’t have 19 championship wins if it didn’t.

“I’m not convinced [Chris will win] because James DeGale has pedigree. Being an [Olympic] Gold Medalist and former world champion is real. I respect the man’s abilities. Junior hasn’t.

“My son looks at the physical aspect of boxing and, from a physical point of view, I don’t think there is anyone who can stand with him. But boxing isn’t just physical – it’s also spiritual, and that’s where Junior lacks. I don’t know whether he has that.

“This is a 50/50 fight and for the first time I am petrified of what the outcome can be. I am petrified that Junior may not win this fight.

“This is the wisdom of someone who has been here. You never underestimate your opponent based on past performances. Anyone who thinks this guy is on a slide because of past performances is making a mistake.

“From a physical aspect, Junior has the upper hand. From a spiritual aspect and pedigree aspect, James has the upper hand, and that’s why this is a 50/50 fight.

“I do know Chris has learned and let’s see what is produced. It can be a brilliant fight.”

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI:

“I like our chances. I know the guy that I have been in camp with. The things I’ve seen, I like. They are much more positive this time around.

“You can’t underestimate a guy like Eubank. He always comes to win. But, regardless of the gameplan, there is a certain mentality and my guy has it. He’s a Gold Medalist and he knows what mentality to bring on Saturday.

“James has won two major world titles, an Olympic Gold Medal. Chris has had some good wins but when he went to that elite level, he lost. Chris is a good fighter but he’s not beaten this level of opposition.”

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports, subscribe to the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Montreal, Canada – UFC® legend and former two-division champion Georges St-Pierre announced his retirement from mixed martial arts (MMA) today at a press conference in Montreal. Widely considered the greatest welterweight champion of all time, he holds the record for the most 170-pound title defences at nine.

“It takes a lot of discipline to become and stay champion. It also takes a lot of discipline to stop while still feeling that you’re in the best physical and mental shape of your life but I’ve always planned to leave the sport when I’m at the top and in good health,” said St-Pierre (26-2, fighting out of Montreal, Canada). “I want to thank my family, my fans, my coaches, trainers and training partners, my sponsors and my agents for their indefectible support during all these years. I will forever be grateful for the work of Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, as well as Dana White and all UFC employees for giving me the opportunity to showcase my skills before the world, from UFC 46 to UFC 217. I also want to thank each of my opponents. All of them are incredible athletes who brought out the best in me. I retire from competition with great pride at having had a positive impact on my sport. I intend to keep training and practicing martial arts for as long as I live and I look forward to watching the new generation of champions carry our sport into the future.”

During his time at the top of the weight class, St-Pierre earned spectacular victories over Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, Jake Shields, B.J. Penn (twice) and Josh Koscheck (twice). He also avenged his sole losses to both Matt Hughes and Matt Serra. In November 2017, St-Pierre captured the middleweight championship with a thrilling third-round submission win against Michael Bisping.

“Georges has cemented his legacy as one of the pound-for-pound greatest fighters ever,” UFC President Dana White said. “He beat all the top guys during his welterweight title reign and even went up a weight class to win the middleweight championship. He spent years as one of the biggest names in MMA and remains one of the best ambassadors for the sport. He put Canada on the MMA map.”

Born in the small municipality of Saint-Isidore, Quebec, St-Pierre was frequently bullied by older and stronger students throughout his childhood. However, he used this conflict as fuel to dedicate himself to martial arts. After working his way up the ranks through Quebec regional promotion TKO MMA, he debuted on the big stage with a unanimous decision win over Karo Parisyan at UFC 46 in 2004. He won his first welterweight championship via knockout over Matt Hughes at UFC 65 in 2006. After losing the title to Matt Serra, he later recaptured the belt via TKO in their rematch at UFC 83 in Montreal. He then went on to secure nine consecutive defences before stepping away from competition indefinitely. Following a four-year hiatus, St-Pierre returned in November 2017 to defeat Michael Bisping at UFC 217 to become a two-division champion.

In 2011 St-Pierre set the largest UFC gate outside the U.S. at $12,075,000 when he headlined UFC 129 at Rogers Centre in Toronto. The event currently holds the second largest attendance in UFC history with 55,724 fans. St-Pierre won Sports Illustrated Fighter of the Year in 2009. He was named Rogers Sportsnet Canadian Athlete of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010. He was nominated for best fighter at the ESPY Awards in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2018. Outside the Octagon®, St-Pierre was featured in films Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Kickboxer: Vengeance.

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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.

LIAM WILLIAMS BELIEVES his March 8 British title challenger Joe Mullender is overplaying his hand ahead of their highly-anticipated showdown with continual claims that he will simply drag the champion into a punch-up.

The pair clash at the Royal Albert Hall, with Williams making a first defence of the middleweight title he won in considerable style against Mark Heffron in December.

Mullender, a self-confessed slugger who likes to get up close, is confident he will be able to draw the more refined Williams into a scrap and insists it is the only way he knows.

Williams, for his part, says he is tiring of the back-to-basics rhetoric and is now even more determined to outclass what he considers a more limited opponent.

“Yeah, ‘I’m gonna punch him in the face – he’s gonna punch me’, it is getting boring now to be honest with you,” stated the 26-year-old former British super welterweight champion from Clydach Vale.

“At first maybe I was, not overlooking him, but I’ve always thought from day one that I am going to beat him fairly handily. Now, with him playing whatever card he is playing, it has motivated me even more because I just want to punch his head in.

“He has done my head in a bit so I just want to get him out of the way and make him realise the level he is at. That is what I’m going to do come March 8, so I haven’t got long to wait now.”

The 19-2-1 Williams contends that Mullender cannot have it both ways when, on the one hand, he claims it is just a fight while, on the other, it is the biggest occasion of his career with the treasured Lonsdale belt at stake.

The punch traffic, he adds, will be in one direction only.
“Yeah, exactly, he is just a bit boring and what I have seen is him keep saying we are going to punch each other’s heads in. Not at all, he is not going to punch my head in, I’m just going to beat the f**k out of him and go home still as British champion – and move on unmarked.

“That is exactly where we are at. He can keep thinking what he wants to think, or telling people what they want to hear, it makes no difference to me. I am still going to turn up on form and do my thing.”

The British middleweight title clash between Liam Williams and Joe Mullender is part of a huge night of boxing at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday March 8 that also features young heavyweight star in the making Daniel Dubois’ 10th fight against former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu, along with WBO world No.1 ranked light heavyweight Anthony Yarde defending his Intercontinental title against Baltimore’s Travis Reeves.
Also on the card, British welterweight champion Johnny Garton makes a first defence of his belt against the Welshman Chris Jenkins, while unbeaten featherweight Lucien Reid takes on his toughest test to date against Birmingham’s Indi Sangha.
Unbeaten prospects Hamza Sheeraz, Denzel Bentley, Jake Pettitt, James Branch jr and Harvey Horn also feature on the show.

Tickets are priced from £40 and are available to buy via www.RoyalAlbertHall.com

21 February 2019 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that Japanese mixed martial arts legend Yushin “Thunder” Okami has joined the promotion.

With a professional record of 35 wins and 12 losses, Okami is one of the most prolific martial artists to emanate from Japan over the last two decades. With a career that began in 2002, Okami has competed in numerous weight classes — from light heavyweight all the way down to welterweight — in various Japanese promotions including Pride and Pancrase.

Okami has defeated some of the biggest names in the industry, athletes such as Ryuta Sakurai, multiple-time mixed martial arts World Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva, Evan Tanner, Mike Swick, Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz, multiple-time Pancrase Middleweight World Champion Nate Marquardt, and former Bellator World Champion Hector Lombard, among others.

A black belt holder in Judo, Okami has also taken part in numerous high-profile grappling tournaments including the famed ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in 2003.

Okami is highly-skilled in all areas of martial arts, featuring world-class grappling skills paired with tremendous knockout power. He brings his veteran experience over to ONE Championship, instantly becoming a top contender.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, Great Sports, Tencent, and more.

Unbeaten Indiana Super-Middleweight contender Anthony Sims Jr is targeting his first professional title in 2019.

‘The Magician’ begins his campaign at 168lbs in a scheduled ten round contest with Argentina’s Mateo Damian Veron at the East of England Arena in Peterborough on March 2, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

The stylish 23-year-old has reached 17-0 in the paid ranks with 16 of those wins coming inside the distance. He claimed an impressive knockout victory on the undercard of Joe Cordina’s Commonwealth title victory over Sean Dodd in Cardiff back in August and is aiming to steal the show again on his second outing on British soil.

“I’m over the moon to be fighting back in the UK, I feel like I’m coming back home,” said Sims Jr. “I’m looking to show off my skills to all of my UK fans and everyone watching on Sky Sports and DAZN. I’ve been adopted by the British and it feels good to be back.

“My goal is not only to be a World Champion, but to build awareness around mental health issues and be a voice for all people. I’m starting to get a large following in the UK and I want to keep building that with big performances. March 2 is going to be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to meet more of my UK fans.

“The opponent doesn’t really matter, I just want to get a belt. They all have two arms and two legs just like me. So I’m just working out the kinks and building to that point where I can compete with best. Anybody that holds a title is a target to me.

“I can’t really be specific about what belt I want and what opponents I want but all I know is I’m gunna get me a belt in 2019. Ive been building up to this point and in 2019 you’re going to see me explode onto the scene. This is only the beginning of a magical journey.”

Sims Jr vs. Veron is part of a huge night of boxing in Peterborough.

Jordan Gill headlines his first show as he goes for his second pro title in a WBA International Featherweight clash with Mexico’s Emmanuel Dominguez.

Richard Riakporhe makes the first defence of his WBA Inter-Continental title against Belfast’s 12-1 Tommy McCarthy.

Nottingham’s Leigh Wood clashes with Ghana’s Abraham Osei Bonsu for the vacant Commonwealth Featherweight crown.

Heavy-handed Super-Middleweight prospect John Docherty looks to make if four knockouts from four fights after impressing again on the Garcia vs. Cheeseman undercard at The O2 and Leeds Super-Bantamweight and former Team GB amateur standout Qais Ashfaq aims to go 5-0, and there’s also action on the undercard for Northampton Super-Welterweight Kieron Conway, Wisbech Super-Welterweight Joe Steed and St Ives Super-Lightweight Bradley Smith.

London (20 February 2019) Undefeated British Heavyweight sensation Joe Joyce came face-to-face with Bermane Stiverne ahead of their Commonwealth Title clash today, but it erupted between the Former World Champion and the British fighter’s manager.

Joyce defends his Commonwealth title against the Canadian puncher in the chief-support to James DeGale’s mouthwatering showdown with Chris Eubank Jr. this Saturday night (23rd February) at The O2, promoted by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) and Poxon Sports, exclusively live in the U.K on ITV Box Office in the U.S on Showtime.

The Londoner was in a determined mood today, confident that his destructive fists will do all the talking on Saturday night. He said, “I’m feeling great, having had a great training camp at Big Bear, California. I’m ready to put a dent on Stiverne, so make sure you’re there to see it! I have all the respect for him as a former WBC Champ, but it’s a stepping stone to greater things for me. I’m moving fast, each fight is getting me closer to the top three names in the sport. I’ll be going straight back into the gym after I win this fight to prepare for the next challenge. I’m determined to make big strides in my career this year.”

Responding to reports that Stiverne got the better of him in a four round sparring session four years ago, Joyce drew rapturous laughter from the audience when he commented, “He says he took me to school in training…But I went to University!”

Stiverne initially appeared to be in a serene mood. Knowing victory will catapult back into World Title contention, he said, “I feel great and I’m prepared. We could talk all we want right now but what matters is Saturday night at The O2. I didn’t come all this way to lose. I’ve come prepared and we can talk about the future when I’ve taken care of Joe.”

The air of calmness momentarily slipped however, when Joyce’s manager Sam Jones suggested that Stiverne ducked opportunities to spar with Joe before he fought Dominic Breazeale in 2017. Stiverne erupted and screamed, “You were just seeking publicity! I don’t want to talk to you. Sit your ass down!

But Stiverne flipped moments later when he said to Jones, “Don’t get me hot. I’ll slap you today and still fight Saturday…little b**** that you are.” and had to be restrained by security guards as he went towards Jones.

The 6ft 6in ‘Juggernaut’ from Putney, South West London, has steamrolled all seven of his opponents since turning professional in October 2017 after capturing the Silver medal at the Rio Olympics, to single himself out as one of the most feared talents in the Heavyweight division.

Clashing with Stiverne represents a giant step up in class and will see Joyce take on the riskiest test of his unbeaten career, but with huge rewards.

The rock-solid power puncher, born in Montreal, Canada, of Haitian descent and based out of Las Vegas, held the WBC crown for two years and has fought some of the very finest in the division, including Deontay Wilder and Chris Arreola, in a 29-fight career that’s included 21 stunning knock-outs.

If fearless Joyce pulls off victory against a man of Stiverne’s pedigree, he will catapult himself within touching distance of a world title shot and establish himself as a name on everybody’s lips, alongside Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder at the very top of a thrilling Heavyweight division

In 1976, nobody gave Leon Spinks – who had only seven professional fights behind him at the time – a chance in hell when it was announced he would fight the legendary Muhammad Ali for the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship. Spinks however, shocked the planet to beat Ali, and there are certainly parallels between that historic upset and Joyce’s fight with the older seasoned pro in Stiverne.

Joyce’s promoter Richard Schaefer, Chairman and CEO of Ringstar Sports, said, “Stiverne is in tremendous shape and he’s a difficult guy to beat, but I am going to make a bold statement by telling you that Joe Joyce today is the best Heavyweight in the world. By the end of the year I believe he will be Heavyweight Champion of the World and by next year he will be ready to take on Fury, Wilder and Joshua. He is a generational talent.”

Carl Lewis, representing Don King, Stiverne’s promoter, said, “This fight won’t be a stepping stone for Joe Joyce, it’s gonna be a stumbling block! Everyone is so kind here in the UK but thanks for the tea and crumpets, we are here for a special night of fighting. Make no mistake, Bermane is ready. It’s great for a 7-0 fighter to want to take on a former Heavyweight Champion of the World, but Joyce has made a big mistake.”

Please credit ‘Courtesy of Lawrence Lustig’ where used
Saturday night at The O2 will also see Andre Sterling take on Ricky Summers in a British Light-Heavyweight Title Eliminator bout.

Ricky Summers, who hails from Tipton in the West Midlands, came within touching distance of the British Title in 2017 when he gave then Champion Frank Buglioni a hard first title defence at The O2, only to narrowly lose on points.

After rebounding strongly by winning his last two fights, Summers is ready to get back into title contention. He said, “I have had 5-6 weeks of hard training and it couldn’t have gone better. I have looked at Andre’s fights and he’s a good kid, I rate him, and he did well as an amateur. But I’m ready for war. I love to fight, and everyone saw that when I fought Frank Buglioni. I’m a much better fighter now and my big stage O2 experience will be invaluable on fight night.”

Unbeaten Andre Sterling’s career has been going places fast. In his last fight out in November 2018, the former Fitzroy Lodge amateur was crowned Southern Area Light-Heavyweight Champion. He now knows victory against Summers could lead to a dream shot at the prized Lonsdale Belt.

Sterling, in bullish mood, said, “I feel wonderful and I had a great training camp. I saw Ricky’s fight against Frank Buglioni but being honest, I wasn’t impressed with it. I have trained hard for this fight and I hope he’s ready because I am.”

Please credit ‘Courtesy of Lawrence Lustig’ where used
LCpl Chez Nihell, England’s 2018 ABA Elite Super Heavyweight Champion, will add an intriguing sub plot to an action-packed evening at The O2 when he makes his professional debut in a four round Cruiserweight contest.

Chez, who served in Afghanistan, has received special permission from the British Army to combine his status as a serving soldier with launching his pro career.

Looking confident and proud, Chez said, “I’m excited to fight on Saturday at The O2 for my debut. Training has been class and I made Cruiserweight comfortably. I have left no stone unturned in the gym and I am grateful for the tremendous support I have received from the Army boxing family and from my supporters on the Isle of Wight, where I grew up.”

In a very rare occurrence, Chez will have his wife LCpl Alanna Nihell – an official Second and decorated champion herself having secured three ABA Lightweight titles and a Commonwealth Games Bronze Medal in 2014 – working in his corner on the night.

Commenting on this unique situation, Chez said, “My wife and I met through the sport of boxing when were team mates in the Army boxing set-up. We started dating and the rest is history. Over the last few years we have trained together every day. She has been an inspiration and I can’t wait for her to be in my corner. It would feel weird if she wasn’t on this journey with me, and she’s buzzing for it as much as I am.”

A Storm Is Coming is headlined by the long awaited domestic blockbuster showdown between James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr for the Vacant IBO World Super-Middleweight Championship; Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Joe Joyce defends his title against Challenger and Former WBC World Champion Bermane Stiverne; Former IBF World Featherweight Champion Lee Selby returns to action and takes on Omar Douglas; The British Heavyweight Title Eliminator between Andre Sterling and Ricky Summers. Plus an action packed undercard featuring super-featherweight Anthony Cacacae; welterweight Chris Kongo; light-heavyweight Seb Eubank and the pro-debut of cruiserweight Chez Nihell.
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Diego Pacheco is relishing a busy year in the pros as he fights for the second time in the paid ranks at the Auditorio Municipal Fausto Gutierrez in Tijuana, Mexico on Saturday night, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW PRICED FROM $165 (MEXICAN PESOS) HERE

Pacheco made his pro debut in style at the same venue in December, stopping Luis Gonzalez inside the opening round to give an early glimpse of his massive promise.

The rangy 17 year old left the amateur scene with a glut of titles to his name and the number one rated Middleweight in America and Mexico, and the Los Angeles starlet is looking to get more rounds and experience under his belt as he enters his first full year as a pro.

“I’m excited to get back out so soon,” said Pacheco, who faces Alberto Aguilar (1-0 1KO). “Since the amateurs I’ve been fighting in Tijuana, and it feels great to get back there for my second pro fight.

“I love being at home. I’ve been at camps in other places but it doesn’t feel the same. I can go home and I just rest.

“The debut was a really good experience. It was nothing like I expected, turning from amateur to pro, but it was a great experience and I can’t wait to do it again.

“In my first fight I felt like was a little nervous, so I felt like I was holding back a little bit, this fight I want to let my hands go a little more. It was towards the end of the round where I started letting my hands go, and that’s where I hit him and dropped him.

“I’m tall and I have long reach so I like to keep my distance, but I also like to walk them down. Everyone’s told me I hit pretty hard. I feel like I’m a power puncher, but I stay within a distance. I don’t like to smother myself.

“There’s no-one that’s signed with Matchroom Boxing USA from my area. So everywhere I go, they’re like ‘Oh he’s signed with Eddie Hearn, he’s with Matchroom and DAZN’. Everyone here is signed to other promoters, but it’s different to be signed with Eddie. I feel great that I’ve signed with Matchroom, I feel like it was a great decision, and I feel like I have a lot off opportunity to be great with Matchroom.

“By the end of this year, I just want to get as much experience as I can. I’m only 17 so there’s no rush. Personally, I have a lot of guys that I want to get. I just want to put a good few first fights in and just take over when the time is right, I have a great team around me and we won’t be rushed.”

Pacheco’s second outing as a pro is part of a huge night of action in Mexico as Brandon Rios and Humberto Soto clash in an all-Mexican affair, in association with Zanfer and Paco Presents.

There’s a stacked undercard in support of the main event, led by the rematch between Jose ‘Gallito’ Quiniro (20-2-3 9KOs) and Joel Cordoba (7-4-2 1KO). The Mexicans shared a draw in a Christmas cracker in December and will return to the same venue as that clash to find a winner this time.

Alexis Espino makes his professional debut on the card, with the 19 year old Las Vegas native and decorated amateur itching to get life in the pro game underway on a proud night for his Mexican family.

A trio of unbeaten Mexicans complete the current line-up in the shape of 2016 Olympian Joselito Velasquez (7-0 6KOs), Omar ‘Pollo’ Aguilar (11-0 10KOs) and Sulem Urbina (8-0 1KO).