Follow all the action Live from Quebec, Canada as Billy Joe Saunders defends the WBO Middleweight title against David Lemieux.  The action begins at 9:40 PM / 2:40 AM in London with a 2 fight undercard featuring middleweight’s Antoine Douglas taking on Gary O’Sullivan as well as Cletus Selding battling Yves Ulysse, Jr. in a junior welterweight fight

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Round 1: Good uppercut from Saunders

Round 2 Saunders jabbing..Hard left

Round 3 Right and left from Lemieux

Round 4 Straight left from Saunders

Round 5 3 jabs from Saunders..Right from Lemieux..Body shot from Saunders..Jab..another jab..

Round 6 Lemieux lands a right to the body..Straight left and 2 jabs from Saunders..quick jab..quick left..Jab and left..

Round 7  Saunders starting to land power shots..Lemieux bleeding from the nose..

Round 8 Good jab and left hand from Saunders…Hard 1-2 and straight left..

Round 9 Straight left from Saunders..3 punch combination..Good Jab..

Round 10  Lemieux lands a left and right..Straight left from Saunders..Hard straight left

Round 11 Jab  from Saunders…Lemieux lands a right

Round 12 Right to body from Lemieux…

120-108, 117-111 and 118-110 for BILLY JOE SAUNDERS

Saunders outlanded Lemieux 165-67.

Round 1 Right from O’Sullivan..3 punch combo from Douglas..another 3 punch combination..Good left hook to the body

Round 2 Good right from Douglas..Good body shot..4 rights from O’Sullivan..Good uppercut from Douglas..

Round 3 Good left from Douglas..Good bosy shot from O’Sullivan..Good hook from Douglas..Good body shot..Good left hook..

Round 4 Good hook from Douglas…Good hook from Douglas..

Round 5 Jab from Douglas..Good left  hook..Hard right and body shot from O’Sullivan..Hard right..

Round 6 Right from O’Sullivan..

Round 7 HUGE LEFT AND COMBINATION AND DOWN GOES DOUGLAS..FIGHT STOPPED

O’Sullivan outlanded Douglas 130-108

Round 1 Roght hand hurts Seldin…RIGHT AND DOWN GOES SELDIN…Good right counter from Ulysse

Round 2 SHORT RIGHT AND DOWN GOES SELDIN

Round 3 Good left hook from Ulysse…HARD COMBINATION AND DOWN GOES SELDIN…SELDIN IS CUT ON HIS FOREHEAD..Good body shot

Round 4

Round 5 Good right from Seldin..

Round 6 Ulysse counters with a right..Right..Seldin lands a right to the body…1-2 from Ulysse

Round 7 Good right from Ulysse..

Round 8 Body shot from Ulysse..3 rights..Right..Left hook and a right

Round 9 Left hook from Ulysse…

Round 10 Ulysse peppering Seldin..Huge right

99-88 on all cards for Ulysse

Ulysse outlanded Seldin 157-42

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/videos/10155339893805756/

Former welterweight champion Jessie Vargas won a ten round unanimous decision over Aaron Herrera in Lancaster, California.

In round six, Vargas scored a knockdown from a combination that was culminated by a left hook.

Vargas, 146 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 100-89 on all cards and is now 28-2. Herrera, 146 lbs of Valladolid, Mexico is 24-8-1.

“I’m very happy to be back after a long layoff,” said Vargas. “It was a long time off and I felt the ring rust. I stayed patient and tried to stick to my distance. The inconsistencies affected me more than I thought it would and Herrera kept pushing the fight.

“I was setting him up and waiting for him to punch before attacking him. I expect more in my next performance and I’m disappointed I didn’t finish him, but a win is a win. We’ll get back to the drawing board. I showed I have the power with the knockdown, I just have to finish it off next time.”

“I felt relaxed in the ring,” said Vargas. “I was trying finish him with the hook. His head movement threw me off and kept him in the fight. We have to keep improving and look better in the next fight.”

“I’m ready for anyone,” said Vargas. “I’m going to start preparing tomorrow for anyone. I’m looking forward to facing Keith Thurman, the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Lamont Peterson winner, or Danny Garcia. I’m back and I’m ready to stay busy and get back in the ring as soon as possible to reach my goals.”

Jamal James scored the biggest win of his career as he stopped Jamal James in round three of a scheduled ten round junior middleweight bout.

James landed three hard right hands that put Chaves on the defensive, and then landed a left to the body that put Chaves down for the ten count at 2:12.

James, 146.6 lbs of Minneapolis, MN is 22-1 with 10 knockouts. Chaves, 145 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 26-3-1.

John Molina, Jr. stopped Ivan Redkach in round four of their scheduled ten round super lightweight bout.

The fight was a back and forth war with both guys landing hard crushing shots.

It was Redkach who struck first as he landed a hard flurry that sent Molina to canvas in round two. It look like Molina would be stopped seconds later but he turned around the tide and landed some power shots that rocked Redkach at the end of the round. In round three, Molina landed a booming right that sent Redkach to the canvas. Molina continued to pound away on Redkach in round four and finally ended the battle with a right hand that rocked Redkach all over the ring and finally on the canvas and the fight was stopped at

Molina, 140.8 lbs of Los Angles, CA is 30-7 with 24 knockouts. Redkach, 141 lbs of Bkovah, UK is 20-4-1.

“It was a great fight,” said Molina. “I was a little rusty, but it’s not an excuse, Redkach was a really tough guy. We got the job done and never gave up. A fight is a fight, it’s not over until it’s over.”

“You always dig deep with your family watching,” said Molina. “You never want to lose in front of your family. I’m always going to fight until the very end. I had a tough opponent in front of me but I did what I had to to get the victory.”

Wale Omotoso won a ten-round unanimous decision over Freddy Hernandez in a junior middleweight bout.

In round nine, Hernandez was cut around the left eye.

Omotoso, 152.8 lbs of Lagos, NIG won by scores of 100-90, 97-93 and 96-94 and is now 27-3. Hernandez, 154 lbs of Mexico City is 34-9.

Nutley, NJ (December 15, 2017)–This Saturday night world-ranked middleweight Antoine Douglas (22-1-1, 16 KOs) will make his HBO debut when he takes on Gary O’Sullivan (26-2, 18 KOs) in the co-feature bout of an HBO World Championship Boxing® tripleheader from Laval, Quebec, Canada.

The main of event will pit undefeated WBO world middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders defending his title against Canadian knockout artist David Lemieux.

Douglas and O’Sullivan will battle for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight title as well as Douglas defending his NABA Middleweight title with the winner moving up the line to face the winner of the main event.

Douglas’ longtime promoter GH3 Promotions’ Vito Mielnicki is excited about the opportunity that his fighter has not only on Saturday, but going forward with a new alliance with Golden Boy Promotions.

“Antoine had an awesome training camp. He trained not far from our offices in New Jersey, and I was able to visit him often, and he looks tremendous,” said Mielnicki.

“We know Gary O’Sullivan is a tough competitor, and Antoine knows that he has to perform on HBO this Saturday. This has been a long process, but now we have a multi-fight agreement with Golden Boy Promotions, so the prospect of major fights are clearly in his sight.”

Saunders vs. Lemieux, a 12-round fight for the Saunders’ WBO World Middleweight Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Eye of the Tiger Management in association with Frank Warren. Douglas vs. O’Sullivan is a 10-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Eye of The Tiger Management in association with GH3 Promotions and Murphy’s Boxing. Seldin vs. Ulysse, Jr. is a 10-round super lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Eye of The Tiger Management and Star Boxing. The event will take place Saturday, Dec. 16 at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for Saunders vs. Lemieux are priced beginning at $45 to $500 and are on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the Place Bell Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com, www.goldenboytickets.com or www.placebell.ca/en.

Visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.eottm.com, www.frankwarren.com, www.StarBoxing.com and www.hbo.com/boxing for more information. Follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EOTMVD, @hboboxing, @bjsaunders_, @LemieuxBoxing, @Action_Douglas, @spike_osullivan, @StarBoxing, @LifeOfCletus, @frankwarren_tv; and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing. Visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @eottm_boxing, @saundersbillyjoe, @davidlemieuxboxing, @action_douglass @garyspikeosullivan, @StarBoxing, @BearJewUSA; and follow the conversation using #SaundersLemieux.

Photos and videos are available for download via the link: http://bit.ly/SaundersLemieux. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used. Download the French language version of the Saunders vs. Lemieux press kit here: bit.ly/SaundersLemieuxFR. Photo credit: Vincent Ethier / Eye of the Tiger Management.

Saturday’s HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast begins at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT.

Opening the telecast from Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, is Cletus Seldin facing Yves Ulysse, Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout to be contested at 142 pounds.

In the co-feature of the night, Antoine Douglas takes on Gary O’Sullivan in a 10-round middleweight battle.

In the main event of the evening, middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders defends his title against David Lemieux in a 12-round match.

Official Weights from Quebec:

Billy Joe Saunders: 160.0 lbs.

David Lemieux: 160.0 lbs.

Antoine Douglas: 159.2 lbs.

Gary O’Sullivan: 158.8 lbs.

Cletus Seldin: 141.6 lbs.

Yves Ulysse, Jr.: 141.2 lbs.

https://www.facebook.com/160095520746436/videos/1621762667913040/

Saturday’s Top Rank on ESPN telecast, featuring Vasiliy Lomachenko successfully defending his WBO World Junior Lightweight title against Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-1-0, 11 KO), delivered big on ratings and viewership, making it Saturday’s most-viewed telecast on cable television among men 18-34 and men 18-49, according to final viewership data from Nielsen Media Research.

December 9 Top Things to Know

· All four of Saturday night’s fights within the telecast averaged at least 1.6 million viewers and rank among the top eight fights on cable in 2017

· Saturday’s Top Rank on ESPN averaged 1,845,000 viewers across ESPN and ESPN Deportes, including 405,000 Hispanic viewers

· On ESPN, the full telecast averaged 1,730,000 viewers and was the most-viewed Hispanic telecast of the day on the network

· On ESPN Deportes, the full telecast averaged 115,000 viewers and was the most-viewed telecast of the day on the network

· On ESPN, the telecast averaged 290,000 Hispanic viewers and 17% of the audience was of Hispanic descent. The telecast was the most-viewed telecast of the day on cable television among Hispanic adults 18 to 49.

Top Rank on ESPN to date

· Saturday’s Top Rank on ESPN telecast ranks as the second most-viewed boxing telecast on cable in 2017, behind the Top Rank on ESPN Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn July telecast

· To date, Top Rank on ESPN is averaging 1.6 million viewers and 55% of the audience has been multicultural

· Top Rank on ESPN has also aired the twelve most-viewed fights on cable in 2017

*Note that telecast refers to full window (e.g. 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.) and fight refers to each single fight during the telecast

Viewers for Top Boxing Fights on Cable Television in 2017

NET

Date

Fight

Viewers

ESPN

07/01/2017

Manny Pacquiao/Jeff Horn

3,925,000

ESPN

07/01/2017

Jerwin Ancajas/Teiru Kinoshita

2,234,000

ESPN

12/09/2017

Vasiliy Lomachenko/Guillermo Rigondeaux

2,114,000

ESPN

07/01/2017

Michael Conlan/Jarrett Owen

1,867,000

ESPN

11/11/2017

Artur Beterbiev/Enrico Koelling

1,725,000

ESPN

12/09/2017

Shakur Stevenson/Oscar Mendoza

1,687,000

ESPN

12/09/2017

Chris Diaz/Bryant Cruz

1,647,000

ESPN

12/09/2017

Michael Conlan/Luis Fernando Molina

1,635,000

ESPN

08/19/2017

Terence Crawford/Julius Indongo

1,327,000

ESPN

11/11/2017

José Ramírez/Mike Reed

1,182,000

ESPN

07/01/2017

Shane Mosley Jr./David Touissaint

1,177,000

ESPN

08/19/2017

Oleksandr Gvozdyk/Craig Baker

968,000

Next up for Top Rank on ESPN is the Saturday, February 3 bout between Gilbert “Zurdo” Ramirez, Mexico’s super middleweight champion, defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) title against Top-Five world-rated contender Habib “Wild Hurricane” Ahmed from Accra, Ghana. The fight will take place at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX, and will be televised live and exclusively at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and stream live on the ESPN App.

The Floyd Mayweather – Conor McGregor Pay Per View bout on August 26 generated 4.3 million buys nd more than $600 million in total revenue, Showtime announced. according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“The pairing of Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor brought together two very significant and distinct global fan bases in one truly unprecedented event,” Espinoza told ESPN. “The remarkable results are all the more impressive considering that the planning, marketing and execution took place across a span of just 72 days from the initial announcement to fight night. Together Showtime and Mayweather have now accounted for the three highest grossing pay-per-view events of all time.”

Fourteen fights, 14 wins, 13 stoppages and a top five world rating; all achieved in just 19 months and 28 rounds as a pro. The core stats reveal all you need to know about Anthony Yarde’s meteoric rise through the light-heavyweight ranks.

Following Saturday’s explosive four round demolition of Serbia’s tungsten tough Nikola Sjekloca, the 26 year old Beast from the East (London) reflects and speculates with Glynn Evans head of his return to the Copper Box Arena on February 10th.

You’ve enjoyed a fabulous 2017, collecting three belts and registering five explosive stoppage wins in just 13 rounds combined. What have been the key factors that have enabled you to achieve that?
I’ve achieved what I have this year by just focussing on myself, living in my own bubble, sticking to the basics and working hard. 85% of my success is down to grafting and 15% is down to talent. And you can lose talent if you just rely on it and don’t work hard to sustain and improve it.

The 15% God given talent that I have is my mentality and the speed that I have for my size. My speed is far more important than the power. It’s all about being able to LAND the heavy shots and I’m able to do that because I’m so quick.

The Sjekloca gig represented a massive step up in class. The Serbian medalled at both the European and World Seniors as an amateur, has lost just four of 37 as a pro and has fought more than ten times as many pro rounds. Were you apprehensive about that step up?
Not at all. I feel every opponent represents a different challenge and sometimes those that are supposed to be easier prove the hardest to impress against because they just tuck up and go into survival mode.

For once, I was facing an opponent who genuinely believed that he could win. His recent form was very good. In his previous fight, he drew with Robert Stieglitz, the European champion, over in Germany. He arrived with plenty of ambition. That provided opportunities for me to exploit.

Sjekloca took Gennady Golovkin and Andy Lee the full trip in the amateurs and had never been stopped during an 11 year pro career that has seen him face three world champions (Sakio Bika, Arthur Abraham and Tyron Zeuge). What did it mean to register a spectacular stoppage victory over him?
I’m not really into proving anything to others, I’m just about proving things to myself but it was fantastic. It sent out a big statement to the division. I’ve accelerated through the ranks relatively quickly.

I think I’m already one of the hardest punchers in the light-heavyweight division, at least as hard, if not harder than Kovalev, Beterbiev and Stevenson. The raw power is either there or it’s not and mine has been evident from the very beginning. This year, believe me, I’ve not always been digging with maximum power because I’ve been looking to gain a few crucial extra minutes in the ring.

What are your aspirations for 2018? Domestic and continental titles? World eliminators?
If you’d asked me the same question at the end of 2016, I doubt I’d have said I’d be world top five and holding three title belts so I’m not about to put a lid on anything. Whatever is meant to happen will happen but I’m not in any rush.

My job is to keep my head down, work hard and enjoy the journey. When it comes to career moves, ask my manager Tunde Ajayi and my promoter Frank Warren. Right now, I’m still a pretty inexperienced boxer and a very inexperienced businessman. I abide by the saying: ‘If you put your hands on too many pots, you won’t have control of any pot.’ I leave everyone in my team to do their job. I just focus on the boxing.

You’re gradually creeping higher up the card on the major bills. How do you feel about the prospect of headlining at The Copper Box or O2 next year?
Well I sort of topped the card at The Copper Box by default in July, after Billy Joe (Saunders) was forced to pull out at late notice. So I think I’m probably quite close to that, provided I keep winning.

It’s most definitely what I want; to be the key face on the posters, the main event and eventually pay-per-view. When I started out, I didn’t say: ‘I hope to do those things or I’d like to do those things….’ Those were things that I said: ‘I’m going to achieve, I will do….’

You have to have aspirations. Those are the things that keep me training so hard, keep me so focussed.

Promoter pre-sale tickets for ‘The untouchables’ are available now from www.frankwarren.com and on 01992 505 550.

Tickets priced at £50 (Lower Tier), £70 (Floor), £100 (Floor), £150 (Floor) and VIP/Hospitality £250 are available via See Tickets, Eventim and Ticketmaster on Wednesday 20th December at 12.00 noon.

See Tickets
0871 230 7148
www.seetickets.com

Eventim
0844 249 1000
www.eventim.co.uk

Ticketmaster
www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Four of the most avoided fighters in the United Kingdom return to action on Frank Warren’s first card of 2018 at London’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday 10th February, live on BT Sport and BoxNation.

The bumper ‘UNTOUCHABLES’ card at the Olympic Park venue will feature Anthony Yarde, Daniel Dubois, Bradley Skeete and WBO World Bantamweight Champion Zolani Tete, as they each seek to entice their elusive rivals into the ring to set up a big 2018.

Ilford Light-Heavyweight Anthony Yarde (14-0, 13 KO’s) is quickly establishing himself as one of the rising stars of boxing and will be aiming to pick up from where he left off in 2017 after becoming the first man to stop Nikola Sjekloca with a heavy-handed display last weekend which lasted less than four rounds.

A fruitful 2017 that saw Yarde win the Southern Area, WBO Intercontinental and WBO European Light-Heavyweight belts has cemented his position as the number one Light-Heavyweight in Britain and he is determined to prove it by enticing Londoner Frank Buglioni into the ring, which has so far proven difficult for the big punching ‘Beast From the East’.

“Everyone knows that an offer has been made for Buglioni to fight me,” said Yarde. “If he really wants to fight me like he says he does then let’s make it happen on February 10th. This is the fight everybody wants to see, I’m the number one Light-Heavyweight in the UK and he’s number two.

“If he doesn’t want to know then I’ll carry on doing what I’ve been doing for the past year and progressing up that World ladder. My World ranking is improving with every fight and if he isn’t careful then Buglioni will become irrelevant.”

Heavyweight sensation Daniel ‘Dynamite’ Dubois (6-0, 6 KO’s) returns to action after his two-round destruction of former Anthony Joshua opponent Dorian Darch. Dubois floored the Welshman four times on the way to his sixth successive stoppage win and is determined to kick-off the New Year with another explosive KO win.

Already a Southern Area and WBC World Youth Champion, the young giant could be adding more belts before his 21st birthday in September.

“Daniel is by far the most exciting young Heavyweight prospect that I have seen during my 37 years as a boxing promoter,” said Frank Warren. “He is also the hardest prospect to match because nobody wants to get in the ring with him!

“Guys are asking for ridiculous money to face him, which means he must be doing something right. 2018 is going to be an evening bigger year for Daniel and he will be stepping up in class again on February 10th.”

British Welterweight Champion Bradley ‘Super’ Skeete (27-1, 12 KO’s) wants to throw his name into World Title contention after securing the Lord Lonsdale belt outright against Dale Evans last time out at the Copper Box Arena.

The Penge punch picker was left bitterly frustrated when WBO World Champion Jeff Horn, a fight that at one stage looked possible, declined to defend his Title against him and instead opted for Gary Corcoran. Skeete is undeterred and will be hoping to secure a dream World Title shot later in 2018.

“Horn took the easier fight in Corcoran and blatantly avoided me,” said Skeete. “I’d have taken Horn to school and his team and his advisors knew that. That’s all in the past now and I’ll be aiming to start the year in style with a win on February 10th. Mark my words, I will win a World Title in 2018.”

Also in action, is WBO Bantamweight Champion of the World Zolani Tete, who makes the second defence of his crown against Omar Andres Narvaez.

Tete (26-3, 21 KO’s) stopped Siboniso Gonya in just eleven seconds last month, sleeping him with the very first punch of the fight and setting a new World record for the fastest KO ever recorded in a World Title fight. The 29-year-old landed a brutal right hook just six seconds into the bout to retain his WBO Bantamweight title at Belfast’s SSE Arena.

‘Last Born’ is determined to prove he is the best 118lbs fighter on the planet by unifying the division in what would be a huge showdown with Belfast’s IBF and WBA Super Bantamweight Champion Ryan Burnett, but must first come through his latest test against Narvaez.

The Argentinian (47-2-2, 25 KO) is 4-0 since a knockout loss to Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue and recently forced unbeaten Nikolai Potapov to quit in seven. He has held the WBO Flyweight and Super-Flyweight World Titles and will be aiming to become a three-weight World Champion by defeating Tete.

Tete however has become frustrated that the three belt unification with Burnett has so far proved elusive and will be looking to take those frustrations out on his mandatory challenger Narvaez on February 10th.

“Where is Ryan Burnett at?” asked Tete. “I want to unify the Bantamweight division and he is standing in my way. As a World Champion it is your duty to fight the best in the World. I am willing to travel anywhere on the planet to unify the Bantamweight division. If Burnett wants me to travel to Belfast I will happily do it. If he wants to be considered a top fighter and seriously be considered a unified champion he should want to test himself against the best.

“His promoter is talking about financial legacy – I’ve heard some bad excuses for not making fights in the past but this is the worst, it’s nothing but a blatant duck. They are robbing the public of a brilliant fight.”

“My promoter Frank Warren has offered to pay my purse for me to fight Burnett on a card promoted by his team. This means it will be by far Burnett’s biggest pay day. It is the biggest fight in the division, for the most money, to not fight me when there are no obstacles in the way would be shameful and cowardly.

“I hope Burnett hears this, as I would never allow the people around me make me look like a coward, and that is what his promoter’s comments make him look like.”

Further exciting additions to the February 10 undercard will be announced in due course.

Promoter pre-sale tickets for ‘The untouchables’ are available now from www.frankwarren.com and on 01992 505 550.

Tickets priced at £50 (Lower Tier), £70 (Floor), £100 (Floor), £150 (Floor) and VIP/Hospitality £250 are available via See Tickets, Eventim and Ticketmaster on Wednesday 20th December at 12.00 noon.

See Tickets
0871 230 7148
www.seetickets.com

Eventim
0844 249 1000
www.eventim.co.uk

Ticketmaster
www.ticketmaster.co.uk

By Norm Frauenheim-

It’s a move up, on the scale and to the top of the ballot.

Terence Crawford’s bid to own next year opens with a jump to welterweight and a convincing campaign for Fighter of the Year.

Call it a win-win, at least that’s what it looks like from this corner.

After dominating the 140-pound division, Crawford moves up to 147, with his debut at the new weight probably against Jeff Horn, who followed up his controversial stunner over Manny Pacquiao with an 11th-round stoppage of somebody named Gary Corcoran in Brisbane Wednesday.

If the deal gets done for a bout sometime this spring perhaps in Las Vegas, promoter Bob Arum says Horn has a better chance than anybody will ever give him.

Fair enough. Arum warned everybody that Horn had a chance against Pacquiao, too. But Pacquiao looked to be as unprepared as he is over-the-hill.

Crawford is neither. He’s motivated and near his prime in terms of instinct, athleticism and motivation. Add what appears to be a mean streak, and you’ve got a fighter very hard to stop for at least the next year.

I know, I know, there is Vasiliy Lomachenko, who is being marketed as boxing’s cutting edge of newfound creativity.

His complement of footwork and angles is thing of beauty, to be sure. Still, there’s some debate about whether there’s more form than function to what he does.

Maybe, we’ll get better judge of that against the fundamentally efficient Mikey Garcia.We sure didn’t get to see it against Guillermo Rigondeaux, who quit after six rounds Saturday in a hyped bout that proved to underwhelming.

Don’t blame Lomachenko, who did exactly what he had to. This on is on Rigondeaux, the sad-faced Cuban who surrendered for what was reported to be a bruised hand. Rigondeaux surrendered, perhaps because he knew defeat was inevitable.

Net result: It denied Lomchenko the chance to finish a fight that might have embellished his own candidacy for Fighter of the Year.

For now, Lomachenko is still that proverbial work in progress. Meanwhile, he’s as likable for his footwork as he is for his honesty and quick wit. His post-fight take on his name — “No-mas-chenko” — is a classic.

He continues to say he wants to fight Mikey Garcia, despite Garcia’s biter split with Top Rank, still the Ukrainian’s promoter. Lomachenko’s priorities are in order.

He’s the boss. In the end, the promoter is there to get him fights he wants. And in this case, Lomachenko-versus-Garcia is a fight the public wants to see too.

A year from now, Lomachenko’s clear business agenda and evolving ring style could make him Fighter of the Year.

In the here-and now, however, it’s Crawford, who exercised his dominance in a stunning third-round stoppage of Julius Indongo in August. Unlike Rigondeaux, Indongo was never the story in that one. Only Crawford was.

Now, there’s Crawford’s move to welterweight. There are interesting fights for him at 147. But the guess here is that he would beat Keith Thurman. He’d beat Shawn Porter. He’d blow out Pacquiao. Of all the possibilities at welterweight, the best might be the young Errol Spence. But that one looks to be at least a year away, a year after one that will belong to Terence Crawford.

MONTREAL (Dec. 14, 2017) – WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders (25-0, 12 KOs) and former IBF World Middleweight Champion David Lemieux (38-3, 33 KOs) hosted their final press conference today for their WBO World Middleweight Championship fight that will take place this upcoming Saturday, Dec. 16 at Place Bell in Laval, Québec. The co-main attraction will be a 10-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight title between Antoine “Action” Douglas (22-1-1, 16 KOs) and Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (26-2, 18 KOs). Also on the televised card will be Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (21-0, 17 KOs) who will face Yves Ulysse Jr. (14-1, 9 KOs) for a 10-round super lightweight bout. The action will be televised by HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT.

Here is what the participants had to say:

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS, WBO World Middleweight Champion
“I’ve been in the ring 25 times now, and in a lot of those fights, I’ve been the underdog, bigtime. And in those fights, I was outboxed 60 per cent of the time. When you don’t love boxing and you’re still winning, and you look back and wonder, ‘how did I do that? How did I get through that?’ But when you do find a love for it, and you have good people working around you, people who make you happy – there’s a saying, a happy fighter is a thankful fighter. And I haven’t been this happy since my amateur days. For the last six or seven months, I’ve never been happier. I’m excited to get into the ring. I’m excited to get into the ring and eager to put on a classic display. Because not only am I mixing it with a boxer who is in the top-5, but I’ll be fighting in front of great fighters I’ve watched as a kid, like Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya.”

“David has to come from round one and try to knock me out. Because when he’s eating fresh air, he’s very injury prone. But what I don’t want from David’s team are excuses. David is a good fighter, he’s mixed it with Golovkin at a very elite level. But some boxers are not quite enough to be at that elite level. And David, you’re not quite good enough. Am I good enough? We’ll soon see. In my own mind, I know I can deal with it, and then with Golovkin or Canelo, we’ll see where I really am.”

DAVID LEMIEUX, Former IBF World Middleweight Champion
“The time to talk is over and now it’s time to let the fists do the talk and show you who the real World Champion is. A lot of things are going to happen on Saturday, but my promise to you is that by the time I will leave Place Bell, I will have the WBO belt on me. I will be World Champion. I’m ready to give you guys a great evening of boxing. Saunders made a lot of promises, about his chin, about his purse, and that’s something I haven’t forgotten.”
Let’s see for how long you will be able to back up those words and put them together again this Saturday. I’m well aware of your abilities, I hope you are aware of mine. I’m not just a puncher. People like to see blood and big punches, and that’s what they’ll see on Saturday.”

CAMILLE ESTEPHAN, President of Eye of the Tiger Management
“We promised, we delivered, the goal was to offer the best boxing card in Quebec, and that is what we will deliver. The ultimate goal and what we want to make sure of, is that David Lemieux becomes World Champion again. He’s the real deal, he’s a man who represents our team as well as the province of Quebec with pride. I am so proud of the person and the athlete that he is, and also of all the efforts he’s put into this, inside the ring as well as outside.”

ERIC GOMEZ, President of Golden Boy Promotions
“This really is a historic event. Four different promoters here in Montreal. I want to thank Billy Joe Saunders for coming out here, we have great respect for you. He truly wants to be great. We are really excited for David, to have this other opportunity to be champion again. The fact that he is now able to give the fans in Montreal, an exciting fight, another world title is truly exceptional. This promises to be a historic event.”

PETER NELSON, Executive Vice president of HBO Sports
“It’s always great having shows in Quebec. Media always shows up, true fight fans always shows up. It’s truly wonderful when the sport works together to make great fights possible. There is no predetermined results in boxing. On Saturday night, we expect that all three fights are going to be 50/50 fights. I want to particularly thank the champion Billy Joe Saunders for stepping up and coming up into enemy territory to fight on David’s turf. I want to thank David Lemieux who’s never backed away from a great fight, who’s always stepped up for great challenges that’s been put in front of him like this one. We commend fighters like him, and we reward fighters like him. Sometimes, putting on events like this is complicated, but in this case, it was easy, because both fighters wanted to put on a great event. And that is, I think, what we are going to see on Saturday, from top to bottom of the show. ”

BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions Partner
“David Lemieux… Billy Joe Saunders… They both have the goods to carry on in the middleweight division, over the next year, 2018, with an excitement of what’s going to happen next. I look at this fight… We have two guys whose styles really go together. When you have that type of skills and that type of matchup, you’re going to have fireworks. Anyone that underestimates a fighter that Frank Warren brings over, from wherever he brings him from, you gotta take that seriously. I know from experience that he didn’t come here to lay down, he didn’t come here to give anything away. So David Lemieux has to know that he needs to be at his best. Both fighters now have the opportunity to become superstars in their weight division, but first they have to pass the test that comes Saturday. After the works that’s been done so far, the best is to come. ”

FRANK WARREN, President of Frank Warren Promotions
“I think you’re in for something very special on Saturday. This is a great athlete I’m involved with, Billy Joe Saunders is a fantastic ambassador for British boxing, and he’s done everything the hard way, all the titles he’s won. He’s here, he’s in David’s backyard, and I think we’re going to see something very special, because we have two boxing styles that complement each other well. Billy’s a very smart boxer, he’s got a great chin, he’s never been on the floor whether it be in the amateurs or the pros, he’s gotten himself into a fantastic position at the moment. He’s in top shape physically and mentally. I think this has the potential to be the fight of the year. ”

DOMINIC INGLE, Trainer to Billy Joe Saunders
“It’s going to be a great fight, it’s a 50/50 fight. I’ve always said that Billy Joe can walk the talk and walk the walk. Interesting analogy of Bernard Hopkins of boxing being like a book and a story. I think he is right, I’m reading the first chapter of Billy Joe Saunders. But I think we’re on the final chapter of David Lemieux. And he’s not going to have a fairy tale ending. This is a classic Bull and Matador fight. David can punch, Billy can box. And I can tell you that on Saturday, Billy Joe Saunders will be leaving the ring still WBO World Middleweight Champion.

MARC RAMSAY, Trainer to David Lemieux
“David Lemieux, as he usually does, had a great training camp. He never takes shortcuts. He is in the best shape of his life. A lot of things were said over the last few weeks on social media, I will leave that to the fighters, and I’m comfortable with that. David has shown recently that he can talk, but the second that the bell will ring, he will show up, he will fight. We will see for Saunders. Like the expression says, you can talk the talk, but you also have to walk the walk.”

ANTOINE DOUGLAS, Middleweight Contender
“It feels great to be here. I’ve had a beautiful training camp, I feel strong. I’ve never felt this great or this strong at 160 pounds, in my entire career. And I know it makes a big difference. I’m facing a great seasoned veteran in Gary O’Sullivan, a tough guy, we’re in for a good fight. Like the Saunders-Lemieux fight, it will be a bull-matador fight on Saturday night. I plan to leave Canada as champion.”

GARY O’SULLIVAN, Middleweight Contender
“It’s been great so far here in Quebec, the people are lovely here. It’s been cold, but it’s gonna get very hot this Saturday night. I have no doubt I will be victorious. We’ve both been beaten in the past, we’ve had similar lessons, but the difference was that I didn’t give in, my corner stopped me. As for Antoine, he was beaten in style but he gave up that night, and he’s gonna have a similar experience on Saturday night. I look forward to returning to my home country as the champion.”

JOE DEGUARDIA, President of Star Boxing
“It’s spectacular to have a fighter joining the names of Roy Jones and Mike Tyson by being the third person to be on HBO on back to back consecutive months in a featured fight. It’s a testament to my fighter. It’s a great opportunity. If you haven’t seen Seldin, he really is something special. You’re in for a treat Saturday night. I expect fireworks. ”

CLETUS SELDIN, Super Lightweight Contender
“I believe that if you sacrifice everything single thing possible, you have to do that to make yourself be a successful person. I don’t live a luxurious life. The truth of working extremely hard and sacrificing everything that you have is the only way to accept your performance as a dream. It’ll be a fun and exciting fight. I want to show that you don’t need to have had a long amateur career to become a main-event fighter, that a refuse-to-lose attitude can go a long way.”

YVES ULYSSE JUNIOR, Super Lightweight Contender
“It’s time to shine. I’ve been doing this for 10 years, and it’s my moment. Time to shine.”

Saunders vs. Lemieux, a 12-round fight for the Saunders’ WBO World Middleweight Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Eye of the Tiger Management in association with Frank Warren. Douglas vs. O’Sullivan is a 10-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Eye of The Tiger Management in association with GH3 Promotions and Murphy’s Boxing. Seldin vs. Ulysse, Jr. is a 10-round super lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Eye of The Tiger Management and Star Boxing. The event will take place Saturday, Dec. 16 at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for Saunders vs. Lemieux are priced beginning at $45 to $500 and are on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the Place Bell Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com, www.goldenboytickets.com or www.placebell.ca/en.

Visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.eottm.com, www.frankwarren.com, www.StarBoxing.com and www.hbo.com/boxing for more information. Follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EOTMVD, @hboboxing, @bjsaunders_, @LemieuxBoxing, @Action_Douglas, @spike_osullivan, @StarBoxing, @LifeOfCletus, @frankwarren_tv; and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing. Visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @eottm_boxing, @saundersbillyjoe, @davidlemieuxboxing, @action_douglass @garyspikeosullivan, @StarBoxing, @BearJewUSA; and follow the conversation using #SaundersLemieux.

Photos and videos are available for download via the link: http://bit.ly/SaundersLemieux. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used. Download the French language version of the Saunders vs. Lemieux press kit here: bit.ly/SaundersLemieuxFR. Photo credit: Vincent Ethier / Eye of the Tiger Management.

INDIO, Calif. (Dec. 14, 2017): Carlos “The Solution” Morales (17-2-3, 6 KOs) scored a sixth-round technical unanimous decision victory against Dardan Zenunaj (14-4, 11 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. to win the vacant NABA Super Featherweight Title in the scheduled 10-round main event of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. Morales, who also fights out of Los Angeles, suffered a bad cut above his right eye due to an accidental headbutt that forced the fight to be stopped at the third second of the sixth-round. Morales outboxed the rugged Zenunaj enough for all judges to score the fight 59-56 in his favor.

“This was not my decision,” said Morales. “I could not see, and the doctor decided to end the fight. I felt I won the rounds, though [Zenunaj] was fighting dirty and headbutting me. It’s my job to get in there in fight, but the doctor stopped it.”

“Morales wanted this fight to stop,” said Zenunaj. “He was getting really tired, and I was starting to tag him. I often look better at the end of the fight, so it was obvious that he wanted it to stop. When he was getting looked at by the doctor, it seemed as if he wanted out. He was happy after.”

Former Mexican Olympian Raul Curiel stopped Israel Villela in round four of a scheduled four round welterweight bout.

In round two, Villela started to bleed from around his right eye. Curiel dropped Villela in round three from a left to the body. In round four, Curiel dropped Villela with an uppercut and the bout was stopped at 2:23.

Curiel, 146.5 lbs of Tamaulipas, Mex is now 2-0 with one knockout. Villela, 145.2 lbs of Mexico City is 6-8.

“After a few months away, I’m just grateful I can come back and fight before all of my fans and supporters,” said Curiel. “We had a minor setback this year, but hopefully I’ll be back in January. The plan is to start adding more rounds and moving up the division.”

Former US Olympian Marlen Espaerza remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Karla Valenzuela in a super flyweight bout.

Esparza, 111 lbs of Houston, Texas won by scores of 60-54 on all cards to raise her record to 4-0. Valenzuela, 113.8 lbs of Gomez Palcio, MEX is 3-17-3.

“I felt a bit nervous in awkward in there,” said Esparza. “That’s because she would often dip her head, which caused the headbutts when I was trying to land hooks. But I saw it as a perfect opportunity to work on my straight punches. It was also a chance to work on my body shots, which I really liked in there.”

Coachella, Calif.’s Ryan Caballero (4-0, 2 KOs), the younger brother of former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Randy Caballero, scored a first-round knockout victory against Franco Gutierrez (1-1) of Agua Prieta, Mexico in a scheduled four-round featherweight fight.

Wesley Ferrer and Will Madera battled to a eight-round split draw in a lightweight bout that headlined a five bout card at BB King’s Blues club in New York.

Each fighter took a score card by 77-75 tallies and a 3rd card read even at 76-76.

Ferrer, 135.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 12-0-1. Madera, 135.4 lbs of Albany, NY is 11-0-1.

In a battle of undefeated welterweights, Larry Fryers won a six-round unanimous decision over Charles Natal.

Scores were 60-54 twice ad 59-55 for Fryers, 146 lbs of Bronx, NY who is now 6-0. Natal, 144.2 lbs of Guaynabo, PR is 9-1-2.

Former world champion Dejan Zlaticanin stopped Hevinson Herrera in round one of a scheduled eight round junior welterweight bout.

The relentless Zlaticanin landed a hard combination in the corner that sent Herrera down and the fight was over at 1:57.

Zlaticanin, 139.4 lbs of Podgorica, MONT is now 23-1 with 16 knockouts. Herrera, 137 lbs pf Barranquilla, COL is 22-14-1.

In a battle of undefeated junior middleweights, Hurshidbek Normatov took a six-round unanimous decision over Nicklaus Flaz.

Scores were 59-53, 58-54 and 57-55 for Normatov, 153.4 lbs of Brooklyn, NY and is now 5-0. Flaz, 151.6 lbs of Baymon, PR is 5-1.

George Arias remained undefeated by scoring a 2nd round stoppage over Juan Goode in a scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Arias dropped Goode from a pair of left hooks and Goode stayed down for the count at 2:19.

Arias, 240.8 lbs of Bronx, NY is 10-0 with six knockouts. Goode, 260 lbs of Taylor, MI is 8-8.

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/videos/10155334940095756/

SAN ANTONIO (December 14, 2017) – Undefeated three-division world champion Mikey Garcia will attempt to win a world title in a fourth weight class when he challenges unbeaten IBF 140-pound world champion Sergey Lipinets on Saturday, February 10 live on SHOWTIME. The matchup of top-5 ranked junior welterweights will take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas and is presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy will face Kiryl Relikh in a rematch of their May showdown on SHOWTIME, this time for the vacant WBA 140-pound world title. The doubleheader of title bouts in the wide-open 140-pound division sets the stage for a potential unification match.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Ringstar Sports and TGB Promotions, are priced at $250, $150, $75, $50 and $20. Tickets will go on sale next week and will be available at Ticketmaster.com.

The 29-year-old Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs), emphatically returned to pound-for-pound lists in 2017 by scoring a highlight reel knockout of Dejan Zlaticanin to win the WBC Lightweight World Championship in January and then dominating four-division champion Adrien Broner on his way to a unanimous decision in July. Garcia is a member of a renowned boxing family, and is noted for his sportsmanship and his commanding presence in the ring, honed by his brother and acclaimed trainer Robert Garcia.

Garcia, of Moreno Valley by way of Oxnard, Calif., returned to the ring after a two-and-half-year layoff in July 2016 without missing a beat by stopping former champion Elio Rojas. Garcia, who has held world titles at 126, 130 and 135 pounds, has stopped 19 of his last 22 opponents including Roman “Rocky” Martinez, Juan Manuel Lopez and Orlando Salido.

With a win, Garcia would become only the third fighter in modern history to become champion at 126, 130, 135 and 140-pounds, joining future Hall of Famers Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao*.

“It is a dream to have the opportunity to become a four-division world champion,” Garcia said. “San Antonio has some of the greatest boxing fans in the country, including some key supporters of my Robert Garcia Boxing Academy family. Since my last fight, I have stayed in the gym. I can’t wait to give the fans in Texas and those watching at home on SHOWTIME another great performance.”

The unbeaten Lipinets (13-0, 10 KOs) captured a super lightweight world title in just his 13th pro fight by defeating Akihiro Kondo via a unanimous decision on November 4 on SHOWTIME. He is originally from Kazakhstan but moved to Russia when he was six years old. He currently lives in Beverly Hills, California, Lipinets and is trained by Buddy McGirt.

The 28-year-old moved up the 140-pound rankings with victories over then unbeaten Haskell Rhodes, Levan Ghvamichava and Walter Castillo before knocking out Leonardo Zappavigna in a world title eliminator last December. Lipinets will look to stamp his place as an elite fighter when he takes on the accomplished and dangerous Garcia on February 10.

“Getting the title is one thing, but keeping the title is a more difficult task,” said Lipinets. “I’m not about to give it away to anybody. No disrespect to Mikey Garcia or anybody else out there, but I’m keeping my title. Beating Mikey Garcia will put me in the elite of boxing where I believe I belong. I’m happy my team was able to put this great fight together. I can promise you this won’t be a snoozer. It’s going to be an action-packed fight for sure.”

“We’re going to call it’ ‘Undefeated.’ That pretty much sums it up. Two undefeated fighters, champion versus champion,” said Richard Schaefer, Chairman & CEO of Ringstar Sports. “It’s a big challenge for Mikey Garcia to win a championship belt in his fourth weight class. Lipinets never backs down and he’s out to show that’s he one of the biggest punchers in the division. A win for Lipinets is a game-changer for his family and his career. A win for Mikey is another feather in his cap and will help him be recognized as pound-for-pound best in the world. I’m happy to be back in San Antonio at the Alamodome. I’ve promoted some big fights there. San Antonio fight fans are in for a real treat seeing two of the best fighting each other. I’m sure the fans will embrace this fight.”

“We have another intriguing matchup of two young, hungry undefeated fighters who lay it on the line every time they step into the ring,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “As talented as Mikey is, you can’t count Lipinets out. He’s one of the hardest hitters in the 140-pound division. He’s a tough competitor and there’s a reason why he’s a world champion. He knows this is a career-defining fight and he’s going to do everything he can to spoil the party for Garcia in San Antonio on Feb. 10.”

“In three consecutive fights on SHOWTIME since his return to the sport, Mikey Garcia has solidified his position on boxing’s pound-for-pound lists,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “Mikey has proven he’s willing to take on the most avoided opponents in any division as he seeks out the biggest possible matchups in the sport. He’ll face yet another dangerous opponent in Sergey Lipinets, an undefeated champion in his own right, as he seeks to become a four-division world champion. On the heels of Errol Spence vs. Lamont Peterson on January 20, a matchup of consensus top-10 welterweights, we’re proud to deliver this main event of top-5 ranked fighters to build on the momentum.”

Barthelemy (26-0, 13 KOs), who was born in Arroyo Naranjo, Cuba and now lives in Las Vegas, has won world titles at 130 and 135 pounds. He defeated Relikh by unanimous decision in his debut at 140 pound in his last fight on May 20. If he defeats Relikh again, he will become the first Cuban boxer to win world championships in three different weight classes. He defeated Argenis Mendez by unanimous decision to win the 130-pound world title in 2014 and a year later scored a unanimous decision over Denis Shafikov for the 135-pound world title. Barthelemy, 31, has two brothers, Yan and Leduan, who are professional boxers who he trains alongside with under the tutelage of Ismael Salas.

Relikh (21-2, 19 KOs) believes that he won the first match with Barthelemy and that the scorecards did not reflect the competitive nature of the fight. The 28-year-old nearly had Barthelemy out after landing a barrage of punches that penned Barthelemy on the ropes, but he was only awarded a knockdown. In the eighth round, Barthelemy came back to drop Relikh with a body shot. Shortly after the May 20 title eliminator, the WBA ordered a rematch, this time to be contested for the vacant 140-pound title. This will be Relikh’s second world title shot after the fighter from Minsk, Belarus lost a unanimous decision to Ricky Burns in Glasgow, Scotland on Oct. 7, 2016.

*Pacquiao won lineal championships at 126 and 140-pounds, although he did not win alphabet titles.

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports , www.premierboxingchampions.com,
follow us on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @Ringstar @TGBPromotions, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/RingstarSports. PBC is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Tickets for the World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight Semi-Final fight for the IBF and WBA titles between Russian Murat Gassiev and Cuban Yunier Dorticos are on sale now.

The fight will take place on on February, 3rd in Sochi, Russia at the Bolshoy Ice Dome.

Ticket prices start at 1,000 RUB and go up to 90,000 RUB and can be purchased at: sochi.ponominalu.ru/event/gassiev-dortikos

VIP Tickets will go on sale soon.

Canadian contender David Lemieux is looking to take Billy Joe Saunders to task this Saturday in his hometown, and tells his opponent that he’s going give him the hardest 12 rounds in his career, live on BT Sport 2 HD and BoxNation.

Speaking on a media call on Monday, the Montreal native says he’s more than prepared to give Saunders hell in the ring to make sure he takes home the title.

“He has a very, very aggressive Lemieux on his back, and I’m going to be ready. I’m extremely prepared for this fight. So, it’s not going to be easy for him. It’s actually going to be hell for him.

“I’m more excited, actually, just to lay my hands on Billy Joe Saunders more than anything else. He’s got a big mouth. It’s rare I see fighters with such a big mouth. I just hope his fighting is going to come as close as his mouth on Saturday night,” he added.

Lemieux has been on a roll of late, clocking four consecutive wins, including two knockouts, against Glen Tapia, Cristian Rios, Curtis Stevens and Marcos Reyes. He’s a known heavy hitter, which means traditional boxer Saunders will be weary of the dangerous Canadian.

“I’m here to knock him out. I’m here to destroy him every round. It’s 12 rounds. It’s unfortunate for him, but I’m ready for 12 big rounds. I’m excited for this fight to give the fans their money’s worth and finish the year with a new WBO Title.

“I’m going to make him pay in the ring,” warned Lemieux. “All this animosity is going to come out in the ring. If he thinks he can run away for 12 rounds, he’s in a lot of trouble.”

Following a loss to Gennady Golovkin in 2015, the challenger is adamant that he is a different fighter than he was two years ago, and that it would be a different story if the two were to meet in the ring again.

“I’m a whole different guy than I am facing Golovkin. I’m a whole different guy. You put Golovkin back in front of me, and it’s going to be a whole different scenario,” he added.

Watch Saunders vs. Lemieux live on BT Sport 2 HD and BoxNation from 2.00am this Sunday.

Nicola Adams OBE is aiming for a World Title in 2018 after she fights in Canada for the first time as a professional against Soledad Macedo at the Place Bell in Laval, Quebec this weekend, live on BT Sport 2 HD and BoxNation.

Double Olympic Champion Adams is delighted to be starring on the undercard of the mouth-watering WBO Middleweight World Championship showdown between fellow Brit Billy Joe Saunders and dynamite-punching Canadian David Lemieux.

“Fighting overseas for the first time as a pro is something you dream about as a kid and it’s amazing to be doing it on the undercard of such a huge World Title fight,” said Adams. “What’s even better is that it’s on the undercard of a British World Champion and a fellow Olympian. Saunders is one of the best natural boxers in the World and I’m confident he’ll be bringing the belt home with him.”

‘The Lioness’ has made a perfect start to her professional career, outpointing Virginia Noemi Carcamo on her debut at the Manchester Arena in April before stopping Maryan Salazar at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, and now she is aiming to end the year in style against Uruguay’s Macedo.

“I’ve loved every minute of my first year as a professional boxer. It’s been a steep learning curve and I’m constantly developing and improving as a fighter. My next opponent is very experienced but I’m determined to steal the show and end 2017 on a high.

“I’d love to be fighting for a World Title of my own next year. If it was up to me I would be fighting for a World Title tomorrow but I need to take my time and listen to the advice of my team. Fighting for a World Title in my hometown of Leeds would be an absolute dream come true for me, but I’ll travel anywhere to get a shot at World glory.”

Watch Adams vs. Macedo live on BT Sport 2 HD and BoxNation from 2.00am this Sunday.

WBO Middleweight World Champion Billy Joe Saunders has vowed to put David Lemieux ‘out like a candle’ when the bitter rivals square off at the Place Bell in Laval, Quebec this weekend, live on BT Sport HD2 and BoxNation.

Hatfield star Saunders will be fighting overseas for the first time in his professional career when he makes the third defence of his crown against the hard-hitting Lemieux in his own backyard, and is unfazed by fighting in hostile territory.

“I’m a fighting man, a gypsy warrior, and I’ll travel anywhere on the planet to defend my World Title,” said Saunders. “I’m heading into the lions den this weekend, Lemieux will have the whole arena behind him but that won’t make one ounce of a difference, I’ll thrive off their hate for me. Once that bell goes it’s just me and him stood in that ring, he’s is for one hell of a tough night.

“I know I will have 13,000 or 14,000 people against me on Saturday night but I can perform under that kind of pressure. I’ve boxed since I was 16 all over the World, that was as an amateur but you still get that same fear factor, winning or losing, and travelling away to fights.”

Former Middleweight title holder Lemieux has promised to ‘do everyone a favour’ by ‘getting rid’ of Saunders. The Montreal native boasts 33 big knockouts from 38 career wins and is eager to ‘do damage’ to Saunders, telling journalists at Tuesday’s media workout that the Champion will ‘hit the floor’.

Hertfordshire hitter Saunders is in a typically confident mood heading into Saturday’s showdown, even promising Lemieux his entire fight purse if the Canadian manages to knock him out.

“Lemieux shows a lot of heart when he comes to fight but the real truth is, I’m too slick and too good for him. People bang on about him being this monster puncher but you can’t hit what you can’t see – we’re going to play a game of eat the jab and then I’m going to put him out like a candle! I’m in this game to take on the best and once I’ve wiped out ‘little legs’ I’m coming for Canelo and Golovkin.”

Watch Saunders vs. Lemieux live on BT Sport 2HD and BoxNation from 2.00am this Sunday.

Arfan Iqbal (12-0, 5 KOs) will defend his English Cruiserweight Title against Simon Vallily (12-1, 3 KOs) at the Manchester Arena, February 17.

The thrilling encounter will take place on the undercard of the World Boxing Super Series Super Middleweight Semi-Final clash between George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr.

Arfan Iqbal, the 26-year old current title holder from Derby, is delighted to be given a chance to showcase his skills on such a big show.

“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity my whole career,” said Iqbal.

“Vallily is a decent fighter. But you have to be a lot better than just ‘decent’ to beat me. He almost got stopped by a journeyman in his last fight, so just imagine what I will do to him.

I’ve knocked out opponents a lot stronger, more skillful and more experienced than Vallily before, so I predict that I’ll KO him early.”

Simon Vallily, the 32-year old mandatory challenger from Middlesborough, is a former Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and his only defeat came against World Boxing Super Series semi-finalist Mairis Briedis last year.

“I’m so excited about this opportunity,” said Vallily.

“I’ve boxed on some big TV shows before but this is by far the biggest.

It will be a great honour to become English Champion, and it’s also a great stepping stone for me to go on and win bigger titles.

Iqbal and his team are a bit deluded, they’ve been deceived by my record and some of my performances. They’re in for a real shock come fight night! The best version of me will have no problems beating this guy.”

The Ali Trophy super middleweight semi-final between George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr. as well as the exciting undercard will be live on ITV Box Office on February 17.

“I am just an old fighter now,” the 37-year-old Salido said in a heartfelt manner.

“On Saturday night I let my emotions and my frustration get the best of me,” Salido said from his home in Phoenix. “It was a tough fight, and I was not able to do some of [the] things [I’ve] always been able to do in the ring that I attributed to my age and wear and tear on my body from so many wars.

“But after coming home and reviewing my camp and the fight, I realized that my weight issues were also part of the problem on Saturday night. I came into camp at the highest weight ever, and our focus became the weight and the boxing became secondary during training camp.”

“I felt that I left my fight at the scale,” Salido said. “No excuse, but one fight in 18 months did not help me stay in shape, and getting to the weight was the biggest concern for my fight, and while I am happy with the fight that I gave the fans, I truly believe that I can do better, so I am keeping my options open to returning in 2018 at 130 or 135 pounds. Sometime after a fight and in the heat of the moment, things are said that, upon reflection, are not the correct things to say. I want to get back into the ring to give my fans some more thrills as I believe I still have some good boxing left.”

DETROIT (Dec. 13, 2017) – Unified Women’s Super Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shields met with local members of the media and took part in an open-to-the-public workout on Tuesday at Kronk Gym, exactly one month away from defending her 168-pound WBC and IBF titles against undefeated IBF mandatory challenger Tori Nelson on Friday, Jan. 12 live on SHOWTIME.

A two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Shields (4-0, 2 KOs) will face her second consecutive undefeated opponent in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation live at 10 p.m. ET/PT from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are currently on sale for $75 for the first two rows of ringside, $65 for remaining ringside seats and all others priced at $49 and $37, plus any applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased in person or by calling the Turning Stone Resort Box Office at 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.

Here is what the 22-year-old native of Flint, Mich., had to say on Tuesday:

CLARESSA SHIELDS

“I am calm – focused – but still hungry like a challenger with the added confidence of being a world champion. I took some time off after my last win but I look forward to getting busy again in 2018.

“This training camp I did eight weeks instead of six. A lot of camp has been extremely hard. But I’m so focused and determined on 2018 and starting great and staying busy. I expect my opponent to apply pressure, and to use some dirty tactics. She has more experience, but not that much when you speak of her amateur experience

“There is no doubt I will start 2018 with a win. Then I just take it one fight at a time. Right now my focus is Nelson.

“I’m excited to be on SHOWTIME as the first fight of the year, and just to be back inside the ring. I feel I have been the face of women’s boxing for some time now. I don’t let it feel like pressure – I just work really hard in the gym.

“In 2018 I expect great fights against the best contenders. I expect to make history again on SHOWTIME and also looking forward to dropping to 160 to fight against [Christina] Hammer mid-2018. January 12th will be the beginning of great things to come

“Training through the holidays is fine. The difference between the amateurs and now is that I was always in other countries competing. Now I get to be home with my family getting ready and I feel good.

“The match-up to me will play out with the first few rounds of me using my jab. Then I’ll add the combinations as the fight goes on. I see it being competitive though. I’m going to earn the win. I believe I can KO her by the sixth, seventh round.”

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About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 73 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

About Turning Stone Resort Casino
Host of the January 12 event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is an award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier venue for fight-of-the-year level boxing. The January event will mark Turning Stone’s 24th nationally-televised boxing event, cementing the resort as a leading destination for nationally-televised combat sports. Turning Stone features world-class amenities including four hotels, more than 20 signature restaurants and dining options, two spas, an all-new 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, a cabaret-style Showroom, a 5,000 seat arena, five golf courses, several bars, cocktail lounges and nightlife venues with live entertainment every weekend.