ORANGE, Calif./PHILADELPHIA, Penn.(June 26, 2017) – Junior lightweight Michael Dutchover (5-0, 4 KOs) used an array of skills to defeat Miguel Carrizoza (10-2, 2 KOs) by unanimous decision from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Dutchover controlled the fight by mixing a powerful left jab, with strong right hands to the head and body (60-54, 59-55, 58-56).

“Carrizoza is a tough boxer,” said Dutchover, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing. “I knew he came in here with the expectation of giving me trouble, but I didn’t let him develop any kind of rhythm. I was in command for the entire fight.”

“Michael looked terrific. This was the type of fight that will help Michael immensely as he continues to develop. For someone so young in his career to fight an opponent with the type of record that Carrizoza has, shows the type of fighter that Michael is,” said Banner Promotions President, Artie Pelullo.

Indio, CA (June 26, 2017) – South Texas’s Omar “El Panterita” Figueroa, a former lightweight world champion, heads into training camp on a balmy 118-degree day in Indio, CA, home to his trainer Joel Diaz and his new boxing home-base since January. Figueroa re-enters the boxing ring on Saturday, July 15 when he takes on former multiple-division world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in the 147-pound main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT in the first boxing event at the newly-renovated NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The break that Figueroa took saw him embracing his Weslaco, Texas home, which sits right on the border to Mexico. It was a reset that had been coming for a fighter who fought in both Mexico and the U.S. as an amateur before turning pro after his first semester in college.

“Boxing is a very jealous sport. You do it 100% or you don’t do it at all,” said Figueroa explaining his 18-month break from the ring. “After my last fight I felt that I needed a break – time to be a father, a son, a brother and a friend. I needed the time to heal my body, mind and soul. I fought with broken hands, I fought world-class athletes; having fought since I was 6, I wanted to take a break and just be human. So I took a year off to heal from the injuries, be with my family and friends, be a father and just be me.”

It’s a break that Diaz, who Figueroa first trained with three years ago, agrees with. The two made a plan during his break to have the young fighter come from his Weslaco, TX home to California for an extended training period in preparation for his next fight, as well as set up his camp.

“It’s necessary to take time off,” said Diaz. “Sometimes fighters work too hard in training or in the action that they bring to the fights. Omar is the type of fighter that brings a lot of action to his fights and it takes a toll on his body. He’s an all-out fighter so he needs that time off to recuperate and restart himself. This break in his body and mind helped him recover from that strain so that he could come back and start fresh again. ”

Figueroa faces a tough opponent in Robert Guerrero when he steps back in the ring. Not only is Figueroa fighting above his normal weight-class, but he’s also fighting a former world champion across multiple weight-classes known to be a tough and cunning opponent.

“Guerrero is one of the toughest challenges for any boxer. He is a tough fighter, he doesn’t back down and he doesn’t quit,” said Figueroa. “You have to go into the fight knowing it’ll go the full 12 rounds and there won’t be any easy moment in the fight. But I’m prepared for that, it’s what I’ve been training for and it’s who I am.

“I’m excited and grateful to be part of bringing boxing back to the Nassau Veterans Coliseum and I plan to set a high standard. When you have fights in this arena, you know they are going be memorable,” added Figueroa.

See below for additional quotes from Figueroa and Diaz:

Omar Figueroa quotes:

On changing camp to Indio, CA and working with Joel Diaz:
“January 1 I was back in the boxing mode. Training, running, focusing on diet and getting ready and into camp. The break has given me more focus and the opportunity to change my camp up.

“I am back training with Joel Diaz in Indio, CA and have been going back to Texas to see my family. My dad will always be my father and a big part of my career, but I felt that when I ended my break, I wanted to change my program and go back to Joel. This is our first fight back and I’m looking forward to it in many ways.”

On training camp:
“My health and the time training have been great. I’m getting more and more excited for the fight as I’m getting prepared for it. It’s on my mind.

“I’m older, I’m wiser, I have been through this before and know what not to do. It’s the wisdom that comes with experience.”

On taking time off:
“It bought me the tranquility and peace of mind that I’m good, I’m healthy, I’m ready for this. This is what I want. I was missing this. I’ve never been more mentally ready for a fight than now.”

On his future:
“I don’t plan ahead; I don’t look to next fights. I look at the now and think about future fights after this one. I want to make sure I’m healthy.

“I don’t get ahead of myself with boxing. I am a boxer, a former world champion, I love and believe in the power of this sport, but I don’t let it rule my life.”

On training with his brother, Brandon Figueroa, in Indio:
“It helps me, we push each other. My family is very competitive so it helps to have someone like that training with me. It helps to have Brandon here as well as my cousins; we push each other to the limits. We live together, we train together, and we make sure we are the best we can be.”

On fighting for the first time in New York and his expectations:
“This is my first time fighting in New York, I expect the New York crowd to be ready for a good fight, because that’s what they’ll see from me.

“I want to be known for good shows. It’s what we get paid to do as fighters. I showcase the technical side of boxing and add a lot of entertainment behind how I fight, so that’s what the fans get.”

The role that Mexico, Texas and California play in his career;
“I feel like I get the best of all the worlds. I love Mexico – I go there all the time; I plan to go there after the fight. I love California, it’s taught me a lot, the people, the culture, the boxing here is phenomenal; and obviously Texas is where I grew up and it’s made me who I am. I love the opportunities that I get and the things I get to do, who I get to do it with and where I get to do it. ”

Joel Diaz, Figueroa’s Trainer:

On Training Camp:
“Training camp has been going great, we’ve had no problems like we have had in previous camps with injuries. His hands are healthy, his weight is good and overall he’s healthy. I think the layoff he took helped him a lot, he wants to get back in it and you can tell he’s motivated. It’s a great camp, great atmosphere and that’s what matters.”

On what he’s focusing on:
“Omar Figueroa is a fighter. He’s never going to change. My job is not to change him but make him better. He has a unique style that shows to everyone he’s a very effective puncher and it’s my job to get him in the right condition so he gets hit less, because he’s a risk taker. You wont see much change on the style, you’ll see the same action Omar that people want to see.”

On training both brothers
“They push each other; Omar being the oldest really pushes his brother. They train in two different weight classes and it’s good that they see the work they do amongst each other. They push each other in conditioning and in the ring. It’s good having them together.”

On his role as trainer:
“I’m in this sport for the fighters, my pride and my work. I take a lot of pride in what I do and I am not trying to fight for a trophy nor am I in it for myself. I’m in it for my fighters. This is work and I’m here to take full responsibility for the fighters in my program. I’m here to make my fighters champions in life, not just the ring.

“It took me years of hard work and effort, and now that I’m here I have to work harder, keep my same values and work to stay there.”

# # #

Fans can live stream the fights on FOX Sports GO, available in English or Spanish through the FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSportsGO.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku. In addition, all programs are also available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

PBC on FOX & FOX Deportes
Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes is headlined by a matchup between exciting former world champions Omar “Panterita” Figueroa and Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on Saturday, July 15 in the first boxing event at the newly-renovated NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. July 15 will also be the first boxing event at the Coliseum since Mike Tyson headlined in 1986.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50 (not including applicable fees) and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.nycblive.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Ticketmaster Box Office at NYCB LIVE Group discounts are available by calling 516-231-4848.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.FOXsports.com/presspass/homepage, www.FOXdeportes.comwww.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @FS1, @FOXDeportes @LouDiBella, @NYCBLive and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/FOXsports and www.facebook.com/FOXdeportes. www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/NYCBLive. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina. BROOKLYN BOXING on Long Island is an extension of BSE’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ brand. For more information, visit brooklynboxingshop.com.

27 June 2017 – Macao, China: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced its second blockbuster event in Macao, China. ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS will once again light up the glamorous Cotai Arena of The Venetian Macao with a showcase of authentic martial arts action. In the main event, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes of Brazil will take on top contender Andrew Leone of the United States.

Ticket information for ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS is available at www.onefc.com

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is thrilled to announce another amazing extravaganza at the world-class Cotai Arena in Macao. Our last show did extremely well to showcase our unique brand of world-class martial arts action, and we are excited to do it all over again this August. We have an amazing card planned for fans all across the world, including a blockbuster championship showdown between tremendous competitors in Bibiano Fernandes and Andrew Leone. The interesting clash of styles should provide fans a solid matchup.”

37-year-old Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil is the reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion, and widely considered one of the best bantamweights in the world. He made his promotional debut back in 2012 and captured the title in 2013, and has since then remained unbeaten inside the ONE Championship cage, showcasing tremendous striking and grappling ability. A winner of his last 12 bouts, including three submissions and two knockouts, Fernandes is set to defend his title against Andrew Leone.

Andrew Leone of Cortland, New York, is a 27-year-old martial artist who trains alongside some of the most talented combat sports athletes in Asia at the renowned Bali MMA gym in Bali, Indonesia. With a standout record of eight wins and only two losses, Leone is coming off three solid victories over top caliber opponents, earning him a shot at the ONE Bantamweight World Championship. In his next bout, Leone will challenge Bibiano Fernandes for the world title.

27-year-old Timofey Nastyukhin is a professional martial artist from Russia competing in ONE Championship’s stacked lightweight division. He owns a 10-3 record, with all of his wins coming by spectacular finish. With four submissions and six knockouts on his resume, Nastyukhin is considered one of the finest offensive forces in the promotion. He announced his arrival on Asia’s biggest stage with an emphatic flying knee knockout victory over Eduard Folayang in 2014, and also owns stoppage wins over top talents Rob Lisita and Yusuke Kawanago. This time, Nastyukhin is set to face Koji Ando.

Koji “The Commander” Ando is one of Japan’s fiercest competitors, having been a professional martial artist since 2008. The Japanese combatant is never in a boring bout, and always remains a threat no matter the opponent. With an array of diverse striking skills coupled with solid submission grappling credentials, Ando is ready to claim victory once again inside the ONE Championship cage. This time, he battles Timofey Nastyukhin.

Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand is a staple in exciting and memorable battles inside the ONE Championship cage. A mainstay of Bangkok Fight Lab, he trains in various martial arts disciplines at home in Bangkok, including Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. An offensive innovator, Wiratchai likes to be creative with his striking, employing a myriad of unpredictable off-angle elbows and kicks. Wiratchai seeks to continue his winning ways in ONE Championship as he takes on the veteran Rob Lisita.

34-year-old “Ruthless” Rob Lisita of Campbelltown, Australia, is known as a relentless offensive force, armed with powerful striking combinations intended to score highlight-reel knockouts. He is 14-9 as a professional martial arts athlete, and has proven to be a fixture in big bouts owing to his fan-friendly style. A veteran competitor who has faced the best in his division and beyond, Lisita looks to continue fulfilling his goal of competing against the promotion’s top contenders. His next assignment is fierce striker Shannon Wiratchai.

21-year-old Joshua Pacio of Baguio City is a professional martial arts athlete with a 9-1 record. He is one of the Philippines’ most talented strawweights. A member of the famed Team Lakay MMA gym, Pacio is a wushu specialist with a solid grappling repertoire. All but one of his career victories have come by spectacular finish, including five wins by submission and three wins by knockout. A former ONE Strawweight World Championship title challenger, Pacio is looking to bring himself back to title contention with another victory. A tough task is ahead of Pacio, however, as he is slated to lock horns with Hayato Suzuki.

30-year-old Hayato Suzuki of Saitama, Japan, is a professional martial arts athlete with an unblemished 16-0-2 record. Spending the majority of his career competing in his native Japan, Suzuki is known as a well-rounded warrior who has the ability to stop his foes with his heavy hands and technical grappling skills. Out of 16 wins, Suzuki has finished 11 of his opponents, including six by submission and five by knockout. He is set to make his ONE Championship debut against rising star Joshua Pacio.

35-year-old standout Eric “The Natural” Kelly of Baguio City is widely considered one of the best homegrown martial arts athletes to come out of the Philippines. The wushu practitioner combines solid striking techniques with high-level grappling skills, which has resulted in nine impressive submissions and one knockout out of 12 total victories. Kelly’s most impressive showing to date came via a hard-fought submission win over Rob Lisita in 2014, a performance which earned him a US$50,000 ONE Warrior Bonus. In his next bout, Kelly will face tough striker Kotetsu Boku.

Kotetsu “No Face” Boku, although originally from South Korea, is a Japanese martial arts legend and the former ONE Lightweight World Champion. With more than 30 professional bouts on his resume, Boku has the experience of a seasoned veteran and has seen it all inside the cage. Always a crowd pleaser, Boku utilizes his dynamic boxing background with world-class grappling to subdue his opponents. He’ll now get the chance to put on a show once again opposite Eric Kelly.

Unbeaten 28-year-old “Rock Man” Chen Lei of Changsha, China is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and the Shanghai Open BJJ Champion. His ability to grapple has led Chen to five straight victories as a professional martial artist. In his last bout, Chen made his ONE Championship debut a successful one, defeating Jeremy Meciaz by first-round technical knockout. Chen now moves on to his next contest, a tough assignment against Saiful Merican.

Saiful “The Vampire” Merican of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is an explosive bantamweight striker who starts bouts fast, always looking to end matters early. He has had great success inside the ONE Championship cage with his fan-friendly and aggressive style. In his last bout, Merican stopped Burn Soriano, winning by TKO at the end of the first round. This time, Merican takes on the surging Chen Lei.

28-year-old Herbert “The Blaze” Burns of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is one of the most talented featherweights in ONE Championship. The grappling specialist has a penchant for locking in bout-ending submissions, and is a legitimate threat to any opponent on the mat. With his strong background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Burns is widely considered as one of the top contenders in the division. He squares off against Russian combatant Magomed Idrisov next.

Professional martial arts athlete Magomed Idrisov is a newcomer in ONE Championship, competing previously for local Russian promotion M-1 Global. He owns a 7-1 record comprising of four wins by decision and three by knockout. Since dropping his first bout as a professional, Idrisov has gone on to win six straight contests, which includes capturing the M-1 Global featherweight title. He will now look to take his talents to the global stage of Asian martial arts. Idrisov will take on tough grappler Herbert Burns in his promotional debut.

Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 28-year-old female atomweight from Bangkok, Thailand. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age nine with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist, and turned pro earlier this year. In her last bout, Ishige defeated Nita Dea, impressing fans with her solid grappling skills. She is currently on a two-bout winning streak in ONE Championship. Next up, Ishige takes on the Philippines’ Jomary Torres.

Jomary Torres is a female atomweight contender from the Philippines with a 1-0 professional martial arts record. In her last bout, Torres dominated opponent Krisna Lindaga to win by unanimous decision after three rounds. Torres is set to make her ONE Championship debut against Thai competitor Rika Ishige.

Leandro Ataides of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a 30-year-old martial arts veteran who owns a professional record of nine wins and three losses, with only two of Ataides’ victories reaching the final bell. In his last bout, Ataides scored a much-needed win, stopping Mohamed Ali with a highlight-reel flying knee that was named ONE’s Knockout of the Year 2016. Despite mixed results so far in his career, the hard-charging Ataides remains a force to be reckoned with at middleweight and will look to excite the crowd by defeating his next opponent, Michal Pasternak.

Middleweight contender Michal Pasternak of Pinczow, Poland, is a tall and lanky martial artist with a 12-2 professional record. A well-rounded competitor, more than half of Pasternak’s victories have come either by knockout or by submission. In May of 2016, Pasternak challenged Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Roger Gracie for the inaugural ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship, falling short of victory. Now, Pasternak takes on Leandro Ataides.

Malaysian warrior Marc Marcellinus makes his return to the ONE Championship cage and to professional competition after taking a short break. He is a solid competitor with solid all-around skills and a knack for striking. Marcellinus is set to go shot for shot with Vietnam’s Tran Quang Loc, who is making his professional debut.

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 is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

BETHLEHEM, PA. (June 26, 2017) – A packed undercard that will feature Isaelin Florian taking on Avery Sparrow in a six-round featherweight bout plus super lightweights Clarance Booth battling Anthony Mercado will take place this Tuesday, June 27th at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center

Unbeaten Miguel Cruz (15-0, 11 KOs) and once-beaten Alex Martin (13-1, 5 KOs) will meet in a 10-round welterweight rematch of their January clash in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature a pair of once-beaten welterweights battling it out as Jamal James (20-1, 9 KOs) meets Samuel Figueroa (11-1, 4 KOs) in a 10-round matchup.

Florian (6-0, 3 KO’s) of the Reading, PA will be making his United States debut against the battle tested Sparrow (6-1, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia.

Sparrow, 23 years-old is coming off a eight-round split decision over Anthony Burgin (10-2) on March 10th in Philadelphia.

Booth of St. Petersburg, Florida has a record of 14-3 with seven knockouts. The 29 year-old Booth is an eight year professional and has racked up wins over Marcus Powell (1-0), Jonathan Perez (5-0) & Osenohan Vazquez (8-2-1). Booth is coming off a defeat to number-1 ranked Sergey Lipinets on March 4 in Brooklyn, NY.

Mercado of Arecibo, Puerto Rico is 10-2 with nine knockouts. The 22 year-old is a five year pro who is looking to get back in the win column after suffering his 2nd consecutive defeat, which was a split decision to Ryan Pino on July 16, 2016 in Puerto Rico.

In six-round bouts:

Nicholas Hernandez (6-2,1 KO) of Lebanon, PA will take on Grayson Blake (6-4-1, 2 KO’s) of State College, PA in a junior middleweight bout.

In four-round bouts:

Jesus Perez (2-0, 1 KO) will tangle with Christian Molina (4-2, 3 KO’s) in a battle of Allentown based super lightweight’s.

Isamel Serrano (4-1, 1 KO) of Bethlehem, PA will fight Jesus Lule (10-22-1, 1 KO) of Fort Myers, FL in a lightweight fight.

Devin McMaster (1-1) of Allentown, PA will fight debuting Rick Pyle of Harrisburg, PA in a junior middleweight fight.

Dyaln Price (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Sicklerville, PA will fight Manuel Guerra of Renosa, Mexico in a super flyweight bout.

MIGUEL CRUZ vs. ALEX MARTIN FIGHT WEEK MEDIA SCHEDULE
*All Times Are Eastern*

Monday, June 26

6:00 p.m. OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
Location: Berks Room (Located inside Sands Bethlehem Events Center)
77 Sands Blvd.; Bethlehem, PA 18015
5:30 p.m. – Media Arrival
6:00 p.m. – Fighters to scales

Tuesday, June 27

6:00 p.m. SANDS BETHLEHEM EVENTS CENTER DOORS OPEN
Location: 77 Sands Blvd.; Bethlehem, PA 18015

6:30 p.m. FIRST BOUT BEGINS

9:00 p.m. FS1 & FOX DEPORTES BROADCAST BEGINS

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION
Fight night credentials can be picked up on Tuesday, June 27 from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Backstage Entrance. Proper personal photo ID (Driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $50, $75 and $100, not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

# # #

Fans can live stream the fights on FOX Sports GO, available in English or Spanish through the FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSportsGO.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku. In addition, all programs are also available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comhttp://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @FS1, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on FS1 & FOX Deportes is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

LAS VEGAS (June 26, 2017) — Fresh off his sensational stoppage of previously undefeated Jose “Mexican Diablo” Rodriguez, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez is riding the fast track to stardom on an exciting journey that’s just really started.

In the June 17th “KO Night Boxing: Rapid Fire” main event, which aired live on CBS Sports Network from Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas, Hernandez improved his record to 2-0 (2 KOs), dropping Rodriguez three times and closing the show in the third round..

The 21-year-old Hernandez, fighting out of Wichita, is already proving to be a better professional boxer that he was an amateur, despite all his accomplishments and achievements in the non-paying ranks, firing effective combinations from a wide variety of angles, including punishing body shots and devastating, powerful punches to his opponent’s head.

Because Hernandez fights in the featherweight division, which is void of overwhelming talent and lacks top-notch Americans, along with his amateur pedigree and experience fighting boxers with different styles, Hernandez can likely crack the world ratings this year, possibily getting a world title shot in 2018.

“I did my thing tonight,” Hernandez said after his June 17th fight. “I’ve fought the best at the Olympics, so I wasn’t worried about what he (Rodriguez) he did. This fight was a little personal because he’d said he was knocking me out. I got tired of him and went into the ring trying to take him out. We can be friends now.

“I just need to stay on path and I will. I’ve been on the top since I started boxing when I was nine. I want to do what other Olympians like (Andre) Ward and (Vasyl) Lomanchenko have done…become world champion!”

The highest-rated flyweight in the world today is 36-year-old Brian Viloria (37-5, 22 KOs), the 4-time, 2-division world champion and 2000 U.S. Olympian. Considering his advanced age for a boxer, the “Hawaian Punch” will probably be retired by the time Hernandez is ready for a world title shot, leaving Oscar Cantu and Miguel Cartagena as the only American featherweights currently rated among the top 25 in the world.

Checkout this great highlight video by TITLE boxing

“Nico was great in his last fight and everybody is seeing what we want to do with him,” Hernadez’ promoter John Andersen (KO Night Boxing) noted. “We need to step up the competition for him in his next fight, which will probably be his last six-round bout. Our plan is one more six and then an eight-rounder for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International Youth featherweight title. But Nico has options because he can easily drop down to junior flyweight or move up to super flyweight. We’ll take things fight-by-fight with him with an eye on the immediate future for a world title fight.”

The featherweight division, right now, is led by a pair of stars, Kazuto Ioka, of Japan, and Filipino Donnie Nietes. The future of lower weight-classes may very well belong to Nico Hernandez.

INFORMATION:

Twitter: @KONightBoxing

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Neon-Star-Media

Follow @Nicomhernandez on Twitter and Instagram.
About Neon Star Sports & Entertainment (NSSE)
NSSE is a content company whose focus is creating original and joint venter media properties – unscripted, scripted, events and digital programming – for cross-platform distribution. In this highly competitive digital age, NSSE specializes in the development and production of corporate branding designed with your target audience and accelerated consumer growth in mind. Visit us on Twitter @Neonstarmedia or Facebook www.facebook.com/Neon-Star-Media. KO Night Boxing, LLC, REV Sports Entertainment Inc. (MAVTV Canada) and Neon Star Media LLC are subsidiary companies of Neon Star Sports & Entertainment Inc.

CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO (June 26, 2017) – Ringstar Sports is proud to announce that two of Mexico’s brightest rising stars will return to action as 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Misael Rodriguez and 2016 Mexican Olympian Lindolfo Delgado will be featured on “From Parral to the World” taking place Saturday, July 22 from Lienzo Charro Parral in Mexico and live on Televisa.

“I’m excited to have my second professional fight be in my hometown of Parral, Chihuahua, amongst my family, my friends and my people,” said Rodriguez. “The Mexican people have been amazing to me and their support from the Rio Olympics to today means so much to me. I plan on showing my opponent, everyone in the arena and the Mexican people watching on Televisa, the strength, strategy and excitement that I bring to the sport. We’re ready!”

“I am from Linares Nuevo León, and being able to fight in the biggest state in Mexico for my second fight means so much to me,” said Delgado. “I know that we will have the support of the Mexican people during the fights and that I will demonstrate my skill and strength. I can’t wait to show the fans what the new generation of Mexican boxing looks and punches like. I’m proud to be on a card bringing world class boxing to Parral and live on Televisa for all the Mexican people.”

Televised coverage on Televisa begins at 10:30 p.m. CT and will give fans a chance to see two of the next great fighters in the long line of Mexican boxing champions as Rodriguez battles Colombia’s Jose David Mosquera in a six-round middleweight boutand Delgado takes on Venezuela’s Gustavo Vera in six-rounds of super lightweight action.

Three-time world champion and Mexican star Jhonny Gonzalez will look for his sixth straight victory when he takes on unbeaten Jessie Cris Rosales in the main event.

“This is a great chance for the Mexican boxing fans watching on Televisa to see two of the country’s future world champions displaying their talents,” said Richard Schaefer, Chairman & CEO of Ringstar Sports. “Misael Rodriguez and Lindolfo Delgado bring a lot of excitement to the ring and I think that fans are going to fall in love with their styles right away. This primetime slot fighting on the undercard of a Mexican champion like Jhonny Gonzalez is only the beginning of their very bright futures.”

“Working with Misael reminds me of myself after the Athens games,” said Abner Mares, Rodriguez’s manager. “He is a strong, smart and effective young fighter who is starting his professional career in both the U.S. and Mexico. He had the hopes of Mexico on his shoulders during the Rio games and now the Mexican people can be proud being a part of his young professional career. He is ready for his fight against Mosquera and to do it in Parral is a dream come true for him, and a source of pride for everyone in Chihuahua.”

The event is promoted by by Promociones del Pueblo in association with Municipio de Parral, Cavall Vino Tinto and Playboy Mexico and is sponsored by Municipio de Parral, Cavall Fine Wine and Playboy Mexico.

At last year’s Rio games, the 23-year-old Rodriguezovercame incredible odds to win the first Olympic boxing medal for Mexico since Christian Bejerano in 2000. The Chihuahua native and his teammates had to resort to begging on public buses and streets in Mexico to raise money to compete in international boxing tournaments. He completed his road to the medal stand by defeating Egypt’s Hosam Bakr Abdin to clinch a medal in the middleweight division. Rodriguez made his pro debut in April with a dominant decision victory over Brian True in Los Angles.

A teammate of Rodriguez on the 2016 Mexican Olympic team, Delgadomade his pro debut in style in April with a third round stoppage of Luis Angel Silva. The 22-year-old captured gold at the 2016 American Olympic Qualification to earn his trip to Rio. Born in Linares but training in Tijuana, Delgado compiled a 139-15 amateur record that included a victory over former world champion Amnat Ruenroeng.

For more information follow on Twitter @Ringstar or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RingstarSports.

LAS VEGAS (June 26, 2017) – Two-division World Boxing Association (WBA) World Champion Beibut Shumenov has relinquished his WBA cruiserweight world title, due to his career-ending eye injury, and he has announced his retirement from the ring.

“I have regrettably relinquished my WBA cruiserweight title and retired from boxing because of a traumatic eye injury suffered the week before my last scheduled fight,” Shumenov said from his Las Vegas home. “I’m extremely disappointed my boxing career has ended like this but, unfortunately, injuries are part of this sport and there’s nothing I can do about it. I still have blurred vision and I need to have an additional surgery next month to try to further repair so I don’t risk blindness in my (right) eye.

“I’d like to thank my family, my team throughout the years, friends and fans for their continued support all these years. I was proud to wear the WBA championship belt for many years as a two-division champion. I’m grateful to WBA President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, his father, and all those in my WBA family. It was quite a ride and I look forward with great anticipation to the next chapter of my life with my son and future endeavors.”

Shumenov (17-2, 11 KOs), a 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian, was scheduled to face Interim WBA champion Yunier Dorticos (21-0, 20 KOs) in the April 29th main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes, from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

During his last slated sparring sessions, Shumenov suffered an eye injury that required immediate surgery, forcing him to withdraw from his April 29 fight against Dorticos.

Earlier this month, the WBA received a letter from Shumenov’s eye surgeon, Dr. Kent L. Wellish, who wrote the following: “Mr. Beibut Shumenov has a serious ocular issue, a recurrent corneal erosion of his right eye, that with continued fighting, puts him at risk for permanently losing his eyesight.

“It is my medical opinion that he should permanently refrain from sparring, training and boxing due to the severity of damage to his eye and the high risk of further damage of vision impairment, including the possibility of permanent vision loss.”
The WBA accepted Shumenov’s relinquishment of his championship, noting that it expressed its gratitude and pride for his professional career with the WBA.

The last three years of Shumenov’s career was marred by inactivity, in which he fought only three times due to lack of managerial support, despite him training daily, in top shape and always being ready to fight. In fact, he sparred almost 400 rounds since his last fight (May 21, 2016) in anticipation of, first, a unification fight with Denis Lebedev and then for his fight versus Dorticos. Neither happened, however, as boxing politics enabled Lebedev to avoid fighting Shumenov, who defeated BJ Flores and then Junior Anthony Wright in back-to-back WBA elimination fights to be Lebedev’s mandatory challenger.

Even Shumenov’s mandatory fight against Dorticos was unnecessarily delayed because Dorticos’ promoter, Caribe Promotions, defaulted its right to promote the fight it had won by purse bid, followed by continuous and numerous date changes from February to March until finally landing on April 29.

The 33-year-old Shumenov retires as the first and only two-division world champion to date from Kazakhstan, as well as the record-holder for fewest fights needed to win the world light heavyweight championship, 10.

During his 9 1/2 -year pro career, Shumenov defeated four world champions – Gabriel Campillo, Byron Mitchell, William Joppy and Montell Griffin – as well as world title challengers Epifanio Mendoza, Vlacheslav Uzelkov, Danny Santiago, Enrique Ornelas, Tamas Kovacs, BJ Flores and Junior Wright.

SOCIAL MEDIA:Twitter @Beibut_Shumenov, Instagram – @BeightShumenov, Facebook – BeibutShumenov/fanpage.

MACON, GEORGIA (June 26, 2017) – Boxing veterans, Greg Hannely, founder of the Prince Ranch Boxing facility, and Jared Shaw have joined forces, as they are happy to announce the birth of Witness Sports Management (WSM), a boxing management company that will guide the careers of some of the best young fighters in the sport.

The Montgomery Brothers, Maliek, Mikhail, and Michael Jr., out of Macon, Georgia, are WSM’s first signees. The highly touted trio, who were all decorated amateur standouts, are trained by their dad, Michael Montgomery Sr.

“I want to make sure it’s known how excited we are to be signing with Jared and Greg,” said Michael Montgomery Sr. “I’m happy that my boys are going to be represented by some folks that have been involved in boxing for many years. Greg and Jared have been wonderful to work with. My boys and I are very grateful and we are ready to take the boxing world by storm.”

Greg Hannely, is a well-known figure in the sport as he guided the careers of former world champions, Clarence “Bones” Adams and Steven Luevano, back in the 90’s and early 2000’s. His passion for boxing has brought him back to the sport he loves, and he wants nothing more than to build a stable of world champions.

“I’m very thrilled to be back in boxing, especially after signing the Montgomery Brothers.” Greg Hannely said, “Their father, Michael Sr., has been grooming all three boys to fight like professionals. They all have very exciting styles and I believe they will be well received to everyone who witnesses them fight. The Prince Ranch Boxing gym in Las Vegas will be available for the entire Montgomery family. These are good kids with strong family values. Their future is bright.”

Jared Shaw, son of world renowned boxing promoter Gary Shaw, has been around the sport since he was a young child. After spending many years learning from his father, Jared, developed a knack for spotting talent.

“If you like pressure fighters with knockout power, then you’ll love the Montgomery Brothers.” stated Jared Shaw. “Maliek, Mikhail, and Michael Jr., were all great amateurs with over 400 fights combined, but their styles are suited for the pros. All three of them have heavy hands and the ring intelligence to make adjustments on the fly. Greg and I are ecstatic to be working with the entire Montgomery family. This is a fantastic start to our new management company.”

“As co-managers, Greg and I started WSM with the idea of cultivating our fighters,” Shaw continued. “We want to be looked at as more than just a financial asset. We will provide our stable with the needed resources that will help them become better fighters. We will house our guys at “The Prince Ranch” in Las Vegas, getting them the best sparring in boxing. Our goal is to make sure they have no distractions that will hinder their development.”

About Mikhail Montgomery
Nickname – 50Khail
Height – 5’7
Weight – 122 (Super-Bantamweight)
DOB: – December 24, 1996 (Age 20)
Hometown – Macon, Georgia
Amateur Record – (120-12)
Pro Record – TBA
Instagram: @50khail

“Jared came to us a few years back and told us he was interested in signing us. The bond started back then and now that we are older, it’s good to look back and see that he’s still with us. He’s a man of his word and kept his promise. I’m excited that WSM is going to take me and my brothers under their wing.”

About Maliek Montgomery
Nickname – Mayhem
Height – 5’8
Weight – 130 (Super-Featherweight)
DOB: – September 17, 1995 (Age 22)
Hometown – Macon, Georgia
Amateur Record – (149-12)
Pro Record – (1-0, 1 KO)
@maliek_mayhem95

“Signing with WSM has been a blessing to me and my family. Jared has been around for a few years now and we trust that he and Greg will take us to the top. My dad talked about this day for many years, signing with a good management team. Now that it’s here, I’m ready to start knocking out folks.”

About Michael Montgomery Jr.
Nickname – NA
Height – 5’11
Weight – 147 (Welterweight)
DOB: – March 11, 1994 (Age 23)
Hometown – Macon, Georgia
Amateur Record – (150-20)
Pro Record – (1-0, 1 KO)
Instagram: @supreme_mik3

“I believe everything is going to work out great with Jared and Greg. Fighting in the pros is new to me but I think I’m going to make an immediate impact. I got my first knockout in my pro debut earlier this year and I can’t wait to get back in the ring.”

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (June 26, 2017) – Super Channel is pleased to announce that it has acquired the exclusive rights in Canada to air the July 1st World Boxing Organization (WBO) World Welterweight Championship bout between reigning champion, future Hall-of-Famer Manny “Pacman’ Pacquiao, and challenger Jeff Horn, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, live from Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

“Battle of Brisbane: Pacquiao vs. Horn” is a presentation of Top Rank and Duco Events. Super Channel will air four exciting fights from this card, headlined by Pacquiao vs. Horn, exclusively in Canada.

“Super Channel is ecstatic to be bringing a non-pay-per-view Pacquiao bout to Canadian fight fans as a follow up to the exciting Brook vs Spence IBF Welterweight Championship we brought them in May” said Troy Wassill, Director of Programming, Domestic Distributors and Sports. “We keep hearing from our viewers that they want more boxing on Super Channel and the ‘Battle of Brisbane’ is going to deliver exactly what they are looking for.”

“The world has followed amazing Manny since he burst onto the scene in his U.S. debut in 2001, where he knocked out Lehlo Ledwaba to win his second of a record eight division world titles,” Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum added. “It’s going to be an unbelievable event.”

PACQUIAO VS. DE LA HOYA & HATTON REPLAYS ON SC1

As a warm-up to the “Battle of Brisbane” on July 1, Super Channel will present two replays of previous Pacquiao bouts on Friday June 30starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on SC1:

Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar de la Hoya- Dec. 6, 2008

Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton- May 2, 2009 (IBO World super lightweight title)

These fights will also be available on Super Channel On Demand.

Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs), a former two-term congressman, was elected to a Philippine Senate seat in May 2016, capturing more than 16 million votes nationally. An international icon, Pacquiao is the only fighter to win eight world titles in as many different weight divisions. A three-time Fighter of the Year and the reigning BWAA “Fighter of the Decade,” Pacquiao’s resumé features victories over present and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley.

From 2008 to 2010, five of his seven victories were in world title fights, in five different weight classes, ranging from 130 to 154 pounds. No active boxer has sold more live tickets in the U.S. than Pacquiao, who is also credited with more than 18 million domestic pay-per-view buys. After his disappointing unanimous decision loss to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on May 2, 2015, a world championship fight that generated a record 4.5 million pay-per-view buys and more than $400 million in television revenue alone, a healthy Pacquiao (he had suffered a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder during the fourth round of the Mayweather fight) returned to the winner’s circle on April 9, 2016, winning the rubber match against five-time world champion Bradley. In a battle of Top-10 pound for pound fighters, Pacquiao sent Bradley to the canvas twice en route to a dominant 12-round unanimous decision victory. On Nov. 5, Pacquiao regained the WBO welterweight title for a third time when he shellacked the once-defeated defending champion Jessie Vargas via another dominant 12-round unanimous decision. Pacquiao has been trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach since 2001.

Unbeaten hometown-favorite Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs), fighting out of Brisbane (Queensland, Australia), enters the fight of his life having won his last three battles — all in 2016 — against Ali Funeka, Rico Mueller and Randall Bailey, inside the distance. They had a combined record of 105-14-4 when he fought them. The 2012 Australian Olympian’s background belies the warrior he has become inside the ring. Well-schooled inside and outside the ring, Horn received his Bachelor of Education degree from Griffith University and taught high school Physical Education even as he embarked on his professional boxing career.

Horn started boxing at age 18 after being picked on by bullies and he has been an advocate of anti-bullying campaigns. Immensely popular throughout Australia, the 29-year-old Horn has become a national gate attraction in his own right. Selected as the 2015 Australian Boxer of the Year, Horn is trained and managed by Glenn Rushton, the only trainer he has ever had, and assisted by former WBC super welterweight world champion John “The Beast” Mugabi.

The July 1 telecast will also feature Irish Olympic hero Michael Conlan (2-0, 2 KOs), from Belfast, in a six-round featherweight bout against Jarrett “Juarez” Owen (5-4-3, 2 KOs), of Brisbane, and International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight world champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas (24-1-1, 16 KOs), of Cavite City, Philippines, defending his title against top-rated contender Teiru Kinoshita (25-1-1, 8 KOs), of Kobe, Japan. The live telecast will open with an eight-round middleweight rumble between Shane Mosley, Jr. (10-1, 7 KOs), of Pomona, Calif. and son of former three-division world champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley, and David Toussaint (10-0, 8 KOs), of Canberra, Australia.

Some of the greatest boxers in history have confirmed they will be ringside, including Roberto Duran, Evander Holyfield, and Thomas Hearns.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

INFORMATION:
www.superchannel.ca
Twitter: @SuperChannel
Instagram: @SuperChannelTV
About Super Channel:

Super Channel is a national premium pay television network, consisting of four HD channels, four SD channels, and Super Channel On Demand.

Super Channel’s mission is to entertain and engage Canadian audiences by providing a unique and exclusive entertainment experience. With a core foundation of integrity and accountability, we dedicate ourselves to implementing innovative programming strategies and unparalleled team work that provides viewers with exceptional value and variety.

Super Channel is owned by Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc., an Edmonton-based media company.

Super Channel is currently available on Bell TV, Shaw Direct, Rogers Anyplace TV, Shaw Cable, Cogeco Cable, Access Communications, Bell Aliant TV, Source Cable, SaskTel, MTS, Novus, EastLink, TELUS, Videotron, Westman Communications and other regional providers.
www.superchannel.ca

Nutley, NJ (June 26, 2017)–World ranked middleweight Antoine Douglas will be back in action on July 14th when he battles tough Bruno Sandoval in a 10-round bout that will be contested for the NABA & WBC FECARBOX Middleweight titles.

The bout will headline the non-televised portion of a ShoBox: The New Generation card, which will be televised live on SHOWTIME (10 PM ET/PT, Delayed on the West Coast) at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma.

The bout will precede a televised quadruple-header that will feature Keenan Smith (11-0, 5 KOs) fighting Ivan Baranchyk 15-0, 10 KOs) in the eight-round junior welterweight main event. In co-featured bouts, Kenneth Sims, Jr. (12-0, 4 KOs) battles Rolando Chinea (14-1-1, 6 KOs) in a junior welterweight bout, and Glenn Dezurn (9-0, 6 KOs) takes on Adam Lopez (16-1-1, 8 KOs) in a super bantamweight fight. The televised card will kick off with a super bantamweight fight that will pit Joshua Greer (13-1-1, 5 KOs) against LeRoy Davila (5-1, 3 KOs).

Douglas of Washington, DC has a record of 21-1-1 with 15 knockouts, and is ranked No.10 by the WBC.

Since suffering his only professional defeat, Douglas has comeback to score two consecutive knockouts, with the latest being a second round stoppage over Eduardo Mercedes on March 27. In that bout, Douglas captured the WBC FECARBOX Middleweight title.

“Everything has been going well in camp. I have had good sparring, and I feel stronger,” said Douglas. ” I know a little about Sandoval, I know he is tall and has a good record. I am just going with the flow, and taking one bout at a time. I am ready to get back to where I was, and I am on the road to being on top.”

“We are excited about Antoine’s progress since he came back,” said Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions. “If he wins on July 14th, he will be ranked in two organizations, and we hope to have him back in a significant bout in the early fall. As we have said time and again, we have not seen the best Antoine Douglas. He is still just 24 years-old, and when it is all said and done, his loss will just be a blip on his career record. There is a lot of opportunity in the middleweight division, and on July 14, Antoine will take another big step to securing a big fight.”

Joseph Parker will defend the WBO Heavyweight title against Hughie Fury on September 23rd in Manchester, England, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I’m very much looking forward to this fight,” Parker said. “It’s been a long time coming but the contract is signed thanks to my promoter David Higgins and I am ready to get going. In the contract is what we want and David has worked very hard to get the contract sorted; and now that it’s ready and the date is confirmed, we’re looking forward to going over to the U.K. and making a statement and putting on a great show.”

“The idea of going to the U.K. is something I am looking forward to and, no, I don’t hold any grudges,” Parker said, referring to Fury’s withdrawal from the fight in May that was supposed to be in New Zealand. “I just go in there, respect my opponent and do what I have to do. That’s go in there and win the fight and defend my title and keep it here [in New Zealand]. The crowd against me? I will use it as energy and motivation to put on a great show and fight hard.

“I know there will be a lot of supporters for [Fury] but I know I [will] put on a great show, and hopefully get him out of there.”

“I’ve never had a close fight. I’ve won every round of every single fight,” Fury said. “I’m going to let my fists do the talking and I’m going to take his belt home with me.”

“[Fury] needs to get this warm-up fight out of the way before he faces Parker later in the year,”Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said. “I am confident that the WBO heavyweight belt will once again be in possession of the Fury family come the end of the year.”

The IBF ordered a rematch between super middleweight champion Andre Dirrell and Jose Uzcategui, after their controversial fight on May 20, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“During our review of the fight, the championships chairman and I observed Jose Uzcategui hit Andre Dirrell and knock him to the canvas after the bell had sounded ending the eighth round. The punch that knocked Dirrell down was part of a three-punch combination,” IBF President Darryl Peoples wrote. “Immediately following the knockdown referee Bill Clancy called ‘time out’ and asked Andre Dirrell if he was OK. Andre Dirrell was on his hands and knees and shook his head in the affirmative.

“The referee then called the ringside physician into the ring to examine Andre Dirrell and told the doctor that ‘I need to know if he can continue.’ During the ringside physician’s examination of Dirrell, the referee advised the ringside physician that ‘I’m not going to let him continue, I’m disqualifying [Uzcategui] for knocking him out after the bell.’ The referee then consulted executive director of the Maryland State Athletic Commission Pat Pannella and advised him that, ‘He clearly got hit after the bell. He is unable to continue. I’m disqualifying the other fighter. He knocked him out after the bell.'”

Peoples acknowledged in the letter than the referee is the sole arbiter of determining whether a foul was committed and whether a punch is legal. However, Peoples said Clancy erred in not making a determination whether the punch was accidental or flagrant.

“The referee made it clear that he had ruled the blow to Dirrell after the bell was ‘illegal.’ However, the referee did not determine whether the ‘illegal’ punch was intentional or accidental pursuant to [IBF] guidelines,” Peoples wrote. “Had the referee determined that the ‘illegal’ punch was accidental, the bout would have resulted in a technical decision awarded to Jose Uzcategui, who was ahead on the judges’ scorecards after eight rounds had been scored.

“The IBF has also determined that it was inappropriate for the referee to advise Dirrell of the decision of the bout prior to the official decision being announced. Based on the above … the IBF has ruled that the referee’s conduct was inappropriate and will grant an immediate rematch.”

By Bart Barry-

Saturday or Sunday somewhere in Australia, Manny Pacquiao will fight an Australian welterweight named Jeff “The Hornet” Horn in a match televised by ESPN. While Horn is exactly the sort of fighter one expects to see on ESPN, Pacquiao, even at this late stage, is an extraordinary improvement. In its press release ESPN indicates Pacman-Hornet will be privy to a full suite of the network’s promotional instruments. This sort of immersion commitment should prove beneficial to Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank, and may even prove beneficial to our beloved sport as a whole.

Hand it to Top Rank, the outfit understands how to stretch an attraction longterm. Imagine if Manny Pacquiao’d stayed with Murad Muhammad or Gary Shaw or Golden Boy Promotions all those years ago – would Top Rank even be in business any longer?

Yes, absolutely. Nothing about its current business model or the model of its last decade would resemble its current business model, but Top Rank would be in business and profitable because it is institutionally better at what it does than anyone else in boxing. While its founder occasionally plays a crazy old uncle on TV the company moves conservatively and reliably follows reliable revenue streams.

Yes, it once built a pay-per-view infrastructure to promote its fighters after they were signed to large contracts but before HBO might supplement those contracts, a broadcasting arm that monetized Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. without improving him more than an iota or two, but even that riskylooking model was about recovering its investment someday from Time Warner (did a Top Rank a-side ever lose a main event on Top Rank PPV?). Years ago even Pacquiao fought on Top Rank PPV to keep him busy before politics did but then returned for a fouryear stint on HBO pay-per-view before Top Rank moved him, for a single fight, to Showtime and then back to HBO pay-per-view for a fouryear promotion of his eventual loss to Floyd Mayweather. When the fights were too risible to be promotional themes themselves – Joshua Clottey, Shane Mosley, Brandon Rios, Chris Algieri – Top Rank made the venue or broadcaster the theme, encouraging a suspension of disbelief like: I know this won’t be any good, but seeing a boxing ring in a football stadium, or a Chinese casino, or on the child affiliate of an American terrestrial broadcaster, why, to miss those things would be to ensure a lifetime of regret!

Where Arum was improvisational, relying on experience and charisma to propel him through whatever exotica the week’s announcement needed, his step-son, Todd DuBoef, was more strategic, talking about a concept he called Brand of Boxing, from whose spirit Al Haymon’s PBC borrowed liberally a few years later. The one enormous difference between the two visions was talent; Top Rank has a collective talent for spotting potential, developing it and matching it in a properly violent spectacle that is historic; PBC does not. DuBoef assumed if boxing’s popularity ascended his company would benefit because it had the best matchmaking, while Haymon assumed saturation was a better ploy – especially with someone else’s money. PBC was more innovative than Top Rank in its gambit but its founder’s enduring contempt for the very media whose platforms he expected to saturate kept his model insulated from what negative feedback journalism freely offers and thus vulnerable to what expensive feedback shareholders do.

The common wisdom in architecture is that there are but two ways to avoid catastrophic mistakes when building something: Get lucky, or make many tiny mistakes. PBC, whose blueprint began with a figurehead who does not conduct interviews, made the same mistakes over and over because it set itself in professional conflict with its critics, ensuring no small mistakes would be noticed till they became catastrophic ones.

To switch metaphors, if PBC is a long, well-set banquet table with one man at the head and nobody else in the room, Top Rank is more of a family style buffet with people arguing at every table and tables arguing with other tables. Where Haymon refuses interviews, Arum spars with members of the media routinely. Top Rank makes thousands of tiny mistakes and corrects them – if it lacks PBC’s derringdo it also lacks PBC’s ideological purity. Top Rank was on free-television decades ago then went to cable, Top Rank was on HBO for years then went to Showtime, Top Rank was on premium cable for decades now returns to basic cable – all the while Arum makes enemies of last year’s friends and friends of last decade’s enemies and enemies of their friends and friends of their enemies.

Were Pacquiao-Horn scheduled for Friday Night Fights it would be no better than an admission Pacquiao-Horn couldn’t do 50,000 buys in the U.S., and all the details to follow whatever details they followed wouldn’t matter – just Arum making noise again with whatever materials he can bang together. But then one hears the weighin will happen live on SportsCenter, an institution that quite rightly ignored its network’s Fright Night Fights franchise for however long Joe and Teddy were shouting about the abominable judging of what meaningless fights happened in between Just for Men commercials, and it does bring pause.

Whatever one opines of ESPN’s prepositional approach to hyperbolic coverage – on SportsCenter, for instance, this would be “the first column ever written, on a Chromebook, in the month of June, by an Irish-American writer wearing a pink Kangol, in a San Antonio Starbucks, during a rainstorm, for a website named after the previous duration of a championship prizefight” – the network owns a fantastic share of what thoughts happen in the minds of American male consumers, ages 18-34. As a fighter Pacquiao has been what the kids call “washed” since Juan Manuel Marquez snatched his soul 4 1/2 years ago, but as a brand? Goodness, ESPN has vended much, much sillier things.

HBO hasn’t had its heart or soul in boxing for a good long while, and if that trend showed any signs of reversal Top Rank would not have begun its ESPN overtures when it did. After bemoaning the cycle for a few years, Top Rank now accelerates it – leaving HBO with Tom Loeffler, Oscar De La Hoya and Kathy Duva to sustain an entire boxing ecosystem.

What’s that – a pick for Pacquiao-Horn? No, that’s OK.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Philadelphia, PA (June 25 2017) -In a fight that exceeded it’s high expectations, Tyrone Brunson came back from two 4th round knockdowns to come back in the very next round to send former two-time world champion Kermit Cintron to the canvas three times, and win the Pennsylvania State Junior Middleweight title via 5th round stoppage at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

The spectacular card was promoted by King’s Promotions.

“This was a tremendous fight, and all-around great card. Some fight’s and cards don’t live up to the expectations, but the main was one of the great fights of this year. I am proud of all the fighters who competed tonight, as they all brought their best, and it showed in quality of the fights,”said King’s Promotions CEO, Marshall Kauffman.

The fight was nip and tuck for the first three-plus rounds, as Cintron looked very sharp early as he landed some hard right hands in the opening frame. Brunson came back and had a strong round two. The fight was fought on event terms until round four, when Cintron
dropped Brunson with a perfectly timed left hand. Later in the round, Brunson went down from an accumulation of punches on the ropes, and as the fourth round was finished, Brunson seemed just about done as well.

Brunson miraculously came back in round five and turned the tables on the former champ, as he landed a beautiful left that sent Cintron to the canvas. Cintron, was hurt and the prodigious puncher, Brunson was ready to finish off Cintron. Cintron never regained his legs and was sent to the canvas two more times, and referee Shawn Clark waved off the bout at 1:21.

Brunson is now 25-6-2 with 23 knockouts. Cintron of Reading, PA falls to 39-6-3.

In the co-Feature, Victor Vazquez won a six-round unanimous decision over Anthony Burgin in a super lightweight bout.

Vazquez dropped Burgin in round two from body, and he took the hotly contested battle by scores of 58-55 twice and 57-56. Vazquez of Yonkers, NY is now 8-3. Burgin of Philadelphia is now 10-4.

Steven Ortiz registered two knockdowns en-route to a thrilling six-round unanimous decision over Tyrome Jones in a battle of previously undefeated lightweights.

Ortiz scored knockdowns in rounds three and four in a bout where both guys landed some effective blows.

Ortiz of Philadelphia won by scores of 59-53 twice and 57-56 to remain perfect at 7-0. Jones of South Bend, IN is now 4-1.

Jerome Conquest won a six-round decision over Jae Ho Kim in a lightweight bout.

Conquest was dropped with a left hook at the end of round three, but he controlled the action, and won by scores of 59-55, 58-55, and 57-56, and is now 8-2. Kim of Philadelphia via South Korea is now 6-4-1.

Brandon Robinson dominated and took out Rafael Valencia at 2:48 of round two of their scheduled four round super middleweight bout.

Robinson landed a hard right that sent Valencia to the canvas. Valencia got up, but deemed unable to continue at 2:48.

Robinson of Philadelphia is 4-1 with three knockouts. Valencia of Medford, OR is 3-8-1.

Gregory Clark won a six-round unanimous decision over Daryl Bunting in a super middleweight bout.

Clark of Washington, DC won by scores of 59-55 twice and 58-56, and is now 3-1-1. Bunting of Asbury Park, NJ is 3-2-2.

Marcus Bates remained undefeated by winning a six-round unanimous decision over Roberto Pucheta in a bantamweight bout.

Bates of Washington, DC won by scores of 59-54, and 58-55 twice and is now 7-0-1. Pucheta of Jalisco, MX is 10-12-1.

In a battle of undefeated heavyweights, Colby Madison and Joel Caudle battled to a majority draw.

Caudle took a card at 58-56, while two cards were even at 57-57.

Madison of Baltimore, MD is 4-0-1. Caudle of Raleigh, NC is 7-0-1.

Chaise Nelson won a four-round unanimous over Jordan Peters in a super bantamweight bout.

Nelson of Mansfield, OH won by scores of 39-37 on all cards and is now 6-1. Peters of Washington, DC is 2-1-1.

KINGS PROMOTIONS CONTINUES TO BE THE BUSIEST PROMOTER IN THE COUNTRY AS THEY HAVE FANTASTIC SHOWS ON TUES., JUNE 27 AT THE SANDS BETHLEHEM EVENTS CENTER, THE SUGARHOUSE CASINO ON AUGUST 11, AND BACK AT THE 2300 ARENA ON SEPTEMBER 29

Photo by Daryl Cobb

PHOENIX – BJ Flores continued to test his heavyweight potential Saturday night with a victory that the television analyst then judged with the objectivity employed when he worked fights for NBC

“Solid,’’ Flores said.

So, it was.

Flores (34-3-1, 21 KOs) flashed his familiar hand speed in a bout that kept him busy and in the news with six thorough rounds for a scorecard shutout of Nick Guivas (13-6-2, 9 KOs) on an Iron Boy Promotions card at Celebrity Theatre.

Flores had hope for a stoppage and there might have been one of Guivas had the fight continued a few more rounds. But Guivas was clever enough to elude Flores throughout much of the bout.

Flores, who lives in nearby Chandler, was at his best with a body attack that led to complaints Guivas corner about low blows. There were signs in the fifth that the body punches were beginning to take a toll. Guivas, a Puerto Rican living in Topeka, repeatedly retreated to the ropes and Flores capitalized a couple of times with successive head shots.

“He’s been in with some pretty good guys,’’ said Flores, a 60-54 winner on all three cards. “He knew what he was doing.’’

Flores also used the moment to again call out Lucas Browne, who in 2016 became the first Australian to win a major (WBA) heavyweight title. The belt was subsequently stripped when Browne tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

“I’m ready to fight now,’’ said Flores, a former cruiserweight who emerged from his second straight heavyweight victory unmarked and uninjured. “Let’s do it. I’d be happy to go to Australia. This time I could go and not have to worry about making the cruiserweight limit. Let’s do it in September.’’

ON THE UNDERCARD

The Upset: Denver junior-middleweight Vladimir Hernandez (11-2, 6 KOs) landed head-rocking shots early, got rocked by a few big shots later and stayed aggressive throughout eight rounds for an upset – a 77-75, 78-74, 77-75 decision — of formerly unbeaten Daniel Valdiva (14-1, 10 KOs) of Tulare, Calif.

The Best: Chicago junior-middleweight Vernon Brown (4-0, 3 KOS) has The One stitched on to the belt line of trunks. He had The One, one huge right that struck like lightning in the final second of the second round for a stoppage of Brandon Trujillo (0-1) of Albuquerque.

The Rest: Phoenix junior-featherweight Edgar Ortiz (5-1, 3 KOs) landed a paralyzing liver shot for a first-round stoppage of Steven Lantry (0-2) of Portland; Mesa heavyweight Adam Stewart (4-0-1, 2 KOs) put some rock-and-roll back into the old music venue with a body shot for a second-round stoppage of Michael Smith (0-1) of Las Vegas; welterweight Daniel Payan (0-1-1) of Chandler, Ariz., and Carnizosa Segura (0-1-1) of Phoenix are still searching for a victory after fighting to a majority draw; Mesa featherweight Ryan Riddlell (5-0, 4 KOs) scored at second-round stoppage of Patrick Gutierrez (0-4), a Las Vegas fighter who appeared to injure his right arm.

Chicago, IL (June 23, 2017) Chicagoland fan favorite MIKE “HOLLYWOOD” JIMENEZ, (21-1-1, 14 KO’s), fighting in front of a huge crowd of over 2,200 local fight fans on Friday night defeated “Son of the Legend”, AARON PRYOR JR., (19-11-2, 12 KO’s) by split decision (96-93. 95-94 and 93-96) earning the vacant World Boxing Council Continental Americas Super Middleweight Title.

As HITZ BOXING and ROUND 3 PRODUCTIONS held the massively successful boxing debut, the ROSEMONT RUMBLE, at Rosemont’s ‘The Dome at the Ballpark’, Jimenez, adorned in the colors of his alma mater, the Maine West High School Warriors, valiantly fought his way to the victory including rising from a hard knockdown in the eighth round.

In a sensational fight that had the fans on their feet throughout, Jimenez closed the show strongly in the final two rounds to ensure the win.

“This is the greatest moment of my boxing career, Aaron is a great fighter and I’m honored to win this WBC Title in front of the best fans in boxing,” said Jimenez. “We worked so hard in the gym, my coaches Sam Colonna and Rita Figueroa, it really paid off in the fight.”

“Along with my coaches and promoters, I really need to thank the fans who have supported me from day one. Winning this title in my hometown means the world to me.”

The main event along with the outstanding undercard was telecast live on the acclaimed FightNightLive on Facebook series and can be viewed HERE

Featured on the undercard, Chicago’s TOMMY “WHITE LIGHTNING” HUGHES improved to 3-0 with two knockouts stopping pro debut GARY TADLOCK GARZA of Mishauwaka, Indiana in the first round (2:50) following a flurry of power shots.

Also on the undercard in a scheduled 10-round bout, perennial contender DONOVAN ‘DA BOMB’ GEORGE, (25-8-2, 22 KO’s), of Chicago, Illinois was stopped by Gary, Indiana’s DERRICK “SUPERMAN” FINDLEY, (27-21-1, 18 KO’s), in the fifth round (2:24) of an exciting scrap.

In a battle of heavyweights, Arkansas native JAMAL WOODS, (12-36-6, 10 KO’s), stopped Chicago’s LORENZO HOOD, (4-1-0, 2 KO’s), with a body shot at the 1:49 mark of the of the second stanza. Hood had also been dropped earlier in the opening round.

In a women’s four round junior middleweight battle, McHenry, Illinois SARAH CURRAN, (1-1), won her first professional bout with a four round unanimous decision over Chicago’s AMANDA GINSKI who was making her pro debut. Scores were 40-36 twice and 39-37.

In an excellent kick off to the evening’s fights, Chicago’s ANTHONY ABBRUZZESE, (5-6, 4 KO’s), pulled off an upset, stopping the previously undefeated NICK RAMIREZ, (10-1-1, 2 KO’s), in the fourth round (2:59) of their scheduled six round super middleweight clash.
SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAG

#RosemontRumble

Twitter
@HollywoodKO
@DonDaBombGeorge
@MikeLeeBoxing
@SBRFlores
@HitzBoxing
@FightNightLive_

Facebook
@HitzBoxing
@Round3Productions
@FaceFightNightLive
@Rosemont-Stadium

Philadelphia, PA (June 23 2017) – Weights for Saturday night’s card at the 2300 Arena that will feature two-time world champion Kermit Cintron battling knockout artist Tyrone Brunson for the Pennsylvania State Junior Middleweight championship.

Kermit Cintron 153.8 – Tyrone Brunson 153.6
(Pennsylvania State Junior Middleweight Championship)
Victor Vazquez 138 – Anthony Burgin 137.3
Steven Ortiz 134.1 – Tyrome Jones 135.5
Jerome Conquest 131.2 – Jae Ho Kim 131.9
Brandon Robinson 163.3 – Rafael Valencia 166.4
Daryl Bunting 164.9 – Gregory Clark 162.8
Marcus Bates 123 – Roberto Pucheta 123.1
Colby Madison 244.6 – Joel Caudle 267
Chaise Nelson 125.2 – Jordan Peters 125.1

Promoter: King’s Promotions
Venue: 2300 Arena
1st Bell: 7:00 PM ET

Photo: Marc Abrams / King’s Promotions

Tickets for this great night of boxing can be purchased at www.2300arena.com for $100, $75 and $50

Marcos Escuderos 174lb vs Eric Abraham 179.1lb
Eduardo Perez 155.2lb vs Donald Woods 150lb
Jessy Cruz 125.2lb vs Angel Monrreal 125lb
Ulysses Diaz 191.2lb vs Rashad Jones 182lb
Robert Daniels 175lb vs James Rodriguez 173.2lb
Chris Velez 147.2lb vs Javier Garcia 146.4lb
JD Martinez 154.6lb vs Randy Hedderick 153.6lb

Venue: Deauville Beach Resort
Promoter: Warriors Boxing
About Warriors Boxing
Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to its credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

ORANGE, Calif. (June 23, 2017) – Thompson Boxing Promotions heads to Northern California on Friday, July 1st to promote its first show in Sacramento starring unbeaten, Olympic bronze medalist Taras ‘The Real Deal” Shelestyuk (15-0, 9 KOs).

The highly ranked Shelestyuk (WBO No. 5) faces fellow welterweight Jesus Alvarez Rodriguez (15-2, 11 KOs) in the “Locked n’ Loaded” 8-round main event from Omega Products International, an outdoor venue.

Shelestyuk vs. Rodriguez and the entire 8-bout card will be streamed live on TB Presents: Locked n’ Loaded. Watch the action on ThompsonBoxing.com and Facebook Live beginning at 7:45 p.m. PST / 10:45 p.m. EST.

Tickets for “Locked n’ Loaded” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com, or by calling 714-935-0900.

Shelestyuk, 31, is coming off a unanimous decision win against Jaime Herrera in November. The fight, televised on SHOWTIME, had championship implications with Shelestyuk winning the WBO-NABO welterweight title.

The Ukrainian-born Shelestyuk, who now lives and trains in Los Angeles, had a decorated amateur career punctuated by winning a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics.

“I’m excited to fight in Sacramento,” said Shelestyuk, who is promoted by Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions. “I’ve been in the gym all year and can’t wait to put on a show next week.”

In the co-feature, standout amateur Ruben Villa (5-0, 3 KOs) of Salinas, Calif. looks to stay undefeated against Gino De La Paz (2-1, 1 KO) in a fight set for 6-rounds.

Villa has all the tools to become the next world champion at featherweight. He cleaned up the amateur ranks with back-to-back National Golden Gloves championships prior to turning professional last year. He inked a promotional contract with Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions last July and has been busy since then.

“I love being active,” said Villa, who is managed by Danny Zamora. “That was one of the main selling points in signing with Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions. They assured me that I would be fighting frequently. I’m ready to get another win on my resume.”

“We are looking forward to a great night for Taras and Ruben,” said Artie Pelullo, President of Banner Promotions. “Taras is on the cusp of big fights, and with a win over a tough fighter like Rodriguez should prepare him for that. As for Ruben, he is coming along great, and on July 1st, he will yet again show why he is the one of the top prospects in Boxing.”

TB Presents: Locked n’ Loaded broadcast team consists of Beto Duran on play-by-play and Steve Kim provides expert, color commentary.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. local time with the first bout at approximately 7:45 p.m. Omega Products International is located at 8111 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento, CA 95826 and can be reached at 916-635-3335.

“Locked n’ Loaded” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with Everlast.

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. To follow the conversation on social media, please use #LockednLoaded, #TBPresents, and #ThompsonBoxing.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

Baltimore, MD (June 23, 2017) – Baltimore Pro Boxing will pay tribute to the late Murray “Bushwacker” Smith Sr. when they return to Michael’s Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD Thursday, July 13th for an exciting pro-am fight card.

$45 general admission, $65 ringside, $100 individual VIP seats and a limited number of $1,000 VIP tables of 10 are on sale now at Baltimoreboxing.com or by calling 410-375-9175. All VIP ticketholders can enjoy food and drinks prior to the first fight. Doors open at 6:30 and the opening bell will sound at 8:30.

The father of Baltimore Boxing Owner Jake Smith, Murray Smith Sr. was a lifelong fixture in Baltimore and promoted various events. He passed away in 2013 after battling melanoma. Baltimore Boxing will honor him during the evening.

Headlining will be Jesse “The Beast” Nicklow against Sherman Artis in an eight round super middleweight contest.

Living and fighting out of Baltimore, Nicklow has an outstanding 26-8-3 record with 8 wins by knockout and is unbeaten in his home state of Maryland. He’s also traveled to face many of the world’s best including former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Ryota Murata and top ranked Sergiy Derevyanchenko among others. In January, Nicklow impressively outpointed previously unbeaten Chauncey Fields.

A Severn, MD native, Artis enters the bout riding a wave of confidence. On March 30, Artis knocked down previously unbeaten local favorite Steve Wheeler en route to a unanimous decision victory. Artis’ team is confident their fighter will defeat Nicklow then move onto bigger and better things.

Fast rising middleweight “Dangerous” Donald Wallace looks to rebound from a controversial draw in May but will have another tough task at hand when he meets Statesville, NC’s Shane Peterson. Wallace, 2-0-1 (1 KO), has received great praise locally for his development and Baltimore Boxing has high hopes for the 23-year-old. Peterson, 2-1 (2 KO’s), is fresh off a vicious first round stoppage of 4-0 Stephon Morris June 17 in Baltimore.

Wallace-Peterson is scheduled for four rounds.

Bantamweight standout Alexandru Marin is slated to see action in an eight round affair. Originally from Iasi, Romania and residing in Bethesda, MD, Marin is 13-0 with 9 KO’s. In June 2016, Marin scored a career best victory, knocking out once-beaten Johnny Determan in three rounds to capture the IBO International title.

Glenarden, MD junior welterweight Dravontay Speed Rawls, 8-0-1 (6 KO’s) will appear in a six round bout against iron-chinned fight veteran Matt Murphy of St. Louis, MO.

Baltimore Junior lightweight Ernest Hall, 2-0 (1 KO) is stepping up to his first six rounder and will do so against an opponent to be named.

The card will also have amateur bouts including local standouts Brian “Bam Bam” Haenschlager, Clayton Frazier and Deshawn “Soulsnatcher” Chase. For more information, visit Baltimoreboxing.com.

LONDON (23 June) – Superstar Manny Pacquiao’s world title defence from ‘down under’ when he puts his WBO welterweight title on the line against undefeated number two world-rated contender Jeff Horn will be aired exclusively live on BoxNation.

The eight-division world champion and the reigning ‘Fighter of the Decade’ takes on undefeated Australian Horn from the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane next Saturday night.

Promoted by Top Rank and Duco Events, “The Battle of Brisbane” is expected to attract 55,000 fans, with Pacquiao fighting in Australia for the first time in his illustrious career.

The 38-year-old Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs), is coming off impressive wins over former champions Jessie Vargas and Timothy Bradley and is now in his third reign as WBO welterweight champion.

Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs), who will be fighting in his hometown of Brisbane, enters this clash having won his last three fights – all in 2016 – against Ali Funeka, Rico Mueller and Randall Bailey inside the distance.

The 29-year-old goes into the fight extremely confident and will be looking for the record crowd to spur him on to victory on July 1st against the legendary Filipino.

Also featuring on the card will be Irish Olympian Michael Conlan who enters the ring for the third time as a professional when he takes on Jarrett Owen.

Conlan has looked sensational in his recent outings and will look to continue where he left off when he stopped Mexican Alfredo Chanez last May.

Top Rank boss Bob Arum can’t wait for the exciting card and has tipped Pacquiao to come out victorious in the main event.

“Manny has been a pioneer, bringing world title fights to Cowboys Stadium, The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena and now Suncorp Stadium. We’re boxing’s version of Lewis & Clark, discovering new markets,” said Hall of Fame promoter Arum. “Manny knows who will be the crowd favourite on July 1st, but he can’t wait to give Australia and the world a great performance. It’s going to be an unbelievable event.”

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “Manny Pacquiao is undoubtedly one of the best fighters of this generation and we are delighted to showcase his fight with the unbeaten Jeff Horn exclusively live on BoxNation on July 1st. The welterweight division is stacked with amazing talent and WBO world champion Pacquiao is at the forefront of that. This will be a great event at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, with Horn looking to burst onto the scene by becoming world champion and shocking a legend in Pacquiao. It will be a great card for BoxNation subscribers to tune in and watch, with Irish Olympic hero Michael Conlan also on the bill.”

BoxNation is available on Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/EE/Apple TV/ online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon) for just £12 a month. Buy now at boxnation.com.

– ENDS –
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated boxing channel. From £12* per month with no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.
Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Khan vs Canelo.
The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon, Apple TV). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.
Available on selected internet-connected Freeview products only, subject to coverage. Visit freeview.co.uk/availability.
BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.
For more information visit www.boxnation.com
*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV customers

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (June 23, 2017) — Top Rank® announced that it has signed two-time world heavyweight championship challenger BRYANT JENNINGS to an exclusive promotional agreement. Co-promoted by Antonio Leonard Productions and co-managed by James Prince and Josh Dubin, Bryant (19-2, 10 KOs), from North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been way from the ring since his two consecutive world title challenges in 2015, which included a valiant effort in his first world title shot, going the distance against unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

“I’m the best-conditioned heavyweight in boxing and my ultimate goal is to win a world title for Bob Arum at Top Rank. He deserves it,” said Jennings. “And being with Top Rank means I will get an opportunity to fight for a world title. I have the strength, desire, experience and the smartness in the ring to get that world title. This is such an opportunity for me being with Top Rank.”

“The heavyweight division is wide open now and it’s a great opportunity for Bryant to return to boxing after twice battling for the heavyweight title,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “In this present landscape, a busy heavyweight contender with a few quality wins can find himself in title picture very easily.”

“With Top Rank, Bryant Jennings will become the face of the American heavyweights. He is that great,” said Leonard. “Bryant’s ultimate goal is to get a world heavyweight championship for Bob Arum and Top Rank.”

“I am glad to align Bryant with the best promoter in boxing,” said Prince

“I am thrilled that Bryant has a chance to re-ignite his career with such a talented team at Top Rank,” said Dubin. “They know how to position Bryant for another run at the heavyweight world title. James and I are confident that Bryant will indeed be world champion with Top Rank leading the way.”

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, or facebook.com/trboxeo,and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, or twitter.com/trboxeo.

ORANGE, Calif. (June 23, 2017) – Undefeated junior lightweight Michael Dutchover (4-0, 4 KOs) checked in at 130.4 lbs and his opponent Miguel Carizoza (10-1, 2 KO’s weighed 130.7 for their six-round bout that will take place TONIGHT from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Dutchover is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

Watch Dutchover vs. Carrizoza and the rest of the 6-fight card on TB Presents: Path To Glory, live streaming on ThompsonBoxing.com and Facebook Live beginning at 7:45 p.m. PST / 10:45 p.m. EST.

Tickets for “Path to Glory” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com, or by calling 714-935-0900.

LOS ANGELES (June 22, 2017) Lineal and RING Magazine Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) and WBC/IBO/IBF/WBA Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) today closed out their international press tour with a red carpet film premiere for “I am Boxing” at the AVALON Hollywood that included a Q&A panel hosted by Mario Lopez. Canelo vs. Golovkin are set to clash on Saturday, September 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

Below is what the fighters and their promoters had to say on the press tour:

CANELO ALVAREZ, Lineal and RING Magazine Middleweight World Champion:

“This is going to be a very tough fight against Golovkin. There are fights that are difficult, and this is one of them. I’m going to prepare like I always do at 100 percent.

“I’m happy we are giving the fans the fight they wanted and demanded on September 16 as that is a great motivation to me. This is a very important fight to all of Mexican fans, and I am going to train as hard as I always do.”

GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, WBC/IBO/IBF/WBA Middleweight World Champion:

“This press tour has been going great, I’ve been waiting 20 years to be in a fight like this. Canelo is a different guy than anyone I have every faced. He is a huge fighter and a great champion. On September 16, we will both put on a great boxing show.”

(L-R: Canelo Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin pose in New York City, the second stop on their international press tour ahead of their mega-fight set for May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas)

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“Canelo vs. Golovkin is the type of fight that deserves the spotlight and we are getting that. I am pleased to debut a film, ‘I Am Boxing’ highlighting the middleweight division leading up to this historic showdown with Canelo and Gennady, and I am very proud to have been an executive producer on the film.

“On September 16, Canelo vs. Golovkin will deliver and then some. This is a real middleweight fight between two fighters who have been boxing their entire lives and something the fans really called for, and I believe will end in a knockout.”

TOM LOEFFLER for GGG Promotions:

“There has been such a great response to this fight, and it doesn’t get any bigger than this with the two best middleweights fighting each other.

“These two superstars have a huge international fan base and when you put them both together-the event becomes much bigger. It was harder to make the deal secret than it was to keep it-everyone was taken by surprise and social media was really trending.

“When the training camp video comes out, the hype will keep building and building once everyone sees these fighters in their prime. Team Gennady feels very confident as does Canelo-both fighters wouldn’t take the fight if they thought they wouldn’t win.”

(Canelo Alvarez, Oscar De La Hoya and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin pose in London, the first stop on their three-city international press tour ahead of their mega-fight set for May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.)

BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions Business Partner:

“I expect fireworks in this fight come September 16, but I also look at the fans, and see that this is what they want. This is a fight worthy of a red carpet because they are two future champions-and I believe two future Hall of Famers.

“I feel that Canelo’s versatility will be very important come September, as will ‘GGG’s’ power and knockout ratio. Everyone should be aware, but not scared, as this fight has all the makings of a perfect recipe for a great fight.”

Canelo vs. Golovkin is a 12-round fight for the middleweight championship of the world presented by Golden Boy Promotions and GGG Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, Hennessy, Never Stop, Never Settle, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Tsesnabank and Capital Holding. The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 16 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and http://www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @gggboxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @hboboxing and @TomLoeffler1; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, https://www.Facebook.com/gggboxing/ and www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing; follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @gggboxing, @HBOboxing and @OscarDeLaHoya; and follow the conversation using #CaneloGGG.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloGolovkin into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

HBO Sports presents WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: ANDRE WARD VS. SERGEY KOVALEV 2, the exclusive replay of their highly anticipated light heavyweight title showdown, SATURDAY, JUNE 24 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The HBO Sports team, which was ringside at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas for the live HBO Pay-Per-View presentation June 17, calls all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

The fight will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

Last November, in the most anticipated fight of 2016, Kovalev and Ward squared off under the bright lights of Las Vegas. The 12-round battle ended with Ward edging out a unanimous decision victory by the thinnest of margins.

Seven months later, on June 17, the rematch took place in the same city, with an even higher level of intensity. Elevating his standing among the top pound-for-pound fighters, the undefeated Ward scored an eighth-round TKO triumph that has the boxing community buzzing.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

By Norm Frauenheim-

Boxing loves freak shows. Always has. Always will. They get people talking. They fuel outrage, argument, insults and jokes. They also make money, which of course is the very reason for the talk, outrage, argument, insults and jokes over the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor circus.

Throughout the nine to 10 days since it was announced, Mayweather-McGregor has been the question – front and center – at the pre and post fight news conferences for Andre Ward’s victory over Sergey Kovalev last Saturday.

It was there, the shiny object in the room, for the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin press tour this week.

That, of course, is no coincidence. There’s been a lot of analysis about when the McGregor-Mayweather Vegas show will happen. August 26 is said to be good date because most people are on vacation or huddled around their overworked air conditioners. When it was announced, however, was calculated.

Doing it the day before the formal news conference for Ward-Kovalev meant easy headlines for McGregor-Mayweather on the day of the presser. Both promotional camps dismissed it. Turns out, that was about the only thing Main Events and Roc Nation agreed about throughout the contentious week.

This week, GGG called Mayweather-McGregor “a funny show.’’ Canelo said fans would know the difference between a sideshow and real fight.

Mayweather and McGregor? They loved every slight, every insult. They piggybacked on the news conferences, getting lots of free publicity off events staged and paid for by rival promoters. Main Events’ Kathy Duva, Roc Nation’s Michael Yormack and Canelo promoter Oscar De La Hoya used different words to express the same thing. They were annoyed, angry. But the circus doesn’t apologize. It just entertains.

The show figures to be as boring as just about anything pre-ordained can be. I’ve looked at all the various prop bets. One is missing. What are the odds that McGregor never lands a punch? I’m guessing maybe 15-1. Then again, Mayweather was about a 9-1 favorite to win when the fight was announced.

Since then, money has been pouring in on McGregor like Guinness out of a free-flowing tap. If you believe the tightening odds, McGregor has a chance. Other then the proverbial lucky punch, however, he doesn’t. There’s a better chance Mayweather fractures an ankle on his walk to the ring.

Put it this way: Buster Douglas had a much better chance as a 42-1 underdog at beating Mike Tyson in 1990 than McGregor will ever have against Mayweather in 2017. I know, I know. Mayweather is smaller. He is 40 years old. He hasn’t boxed in a couple of years.

Those facts will be trotted out and repeated ad nauseam in the weeks before this exhibition. But McGregor is reported to have never boxed. Never ever, yet somehow the Nevada State Athletic Commission sanctioned this show as a legitimate fight. That means it will count in Mayweather’s record. It means his official record is about to go to 50-0. Rocky Marciano finished 49-0 in 1955 with a victory over legendary Archie Moore.

I mean, Henry Aaron didn’t bypass Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list by hitting a baseball off a tee in 1974. Aaron faced real major-league pitching. But this is the circus. Only the money is real. Major league, too.

By Norm Fruenheim

BJ Flores will continue to test himself at heavyweight Saturday night at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix.

Flores (33-3-1, 21 KOs), a former cruiserweight and known for his work as a television analyst, faces Nick Guivas (13-5-2, 9 KOs) in a Flores second straight appearance at Celebrity when scored a dramatic stoppage of Jeremy Bates in his heavyweight debut.

Guivas, of Topeka, is 2-3 over his last five bouts, including a stoppage loss in May to Jerrell “Big Baby” Miller. Flores has talked about fighting Lucas Browne, who in 2016 became the first Australian to win a major (WBA) heavyweight title. The belt was subsequently stripped when Browne tested positive for performance-enhancing drug.

The Flores-featured card is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. (PST).