LOS ANGELES (January 23, 2017) – As the boxing world prepares to witness the epic WBC Super Featherweight clash between Mexican warriors Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas (23-0-2, 17 KOs) and Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt (30-1, 27 KOs), Golden Boy Promotions has announced a stacked undercard of fan favorite all-stars coming back in to action on Saturday, January 28 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and live streamed by Ring TV.

“This undercard has the makings of everything the SoCal boxing fans are looking for in an exciting fight-from a world title on the line to some of the desert’s fan favorites,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO and Chairman Oscar De La Hoya. “We also have some intense Mexico vs. California matchups, which I am confident will give the fans a night of knockouts.”

Topping the non-televised portion of the card that will be live streamed and making his first return to the ring since defeating Eamonn O’Kane on the undercard of Golovkin vs. Lemieux at Madison Square Garden in 2015, #1 IBF middleweight Tureano Johnson (19-1, 13 KOs) of Nassau, Bahamas will meet Tijuana, Mexico’s Antonio “La Joya” Gutierrez (21-2-1, 9 KOs) in the ring for a 10-round bout.

Fighting for the first time in 2017 since a unanimous decision victory on the undercard of Canelo vs. Smith at AT&T Stadium, the pride of Brooklyn, NY, welterweight contender Sadam “World Kid” Ali (23-1, 13 KOs) is putting the gloves back on to face tough Tijuana, Mexico’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva (21-12-2, 17 KOs) for a 10 round welterweight clash.

Indio, CA crowd pleaser Luis Coria (2-0, 2 KOs) will fight under the Golden Boy banner for the third time in a four round featherweight bout against Chihuahua, Mexican fighter Gerardo Molina (1-3, 1 KO).

In the biggest fight of his career thus far, Washington, D.C. slugger Lamont Roach, Jr. (12-0, 4 KOs) will put everything on the line as he fights in a scheduled eight round bout for the vacant WBC Youth Super Featherweight title against seasoned fighter Alex Valdez (26-8-2, 20 KOs) of Obregon, Mexico.

Hailing from Dallas, rising prospect and highly decorated amateur all-star Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (3-0, 3 KOs) is looking to make a huge entrance into 2017 by fighting Mexico City’s Israel Villela (5-3, 2 KOs) for a four round super lightweight fight.

In the swing bout of the night, Tijuana brawler Vicente “Suavecito” Portillo (5-0, 3 KOs) will make his U.S. debut when he takes on Los Angeles local Mike Melikyan (1-1) for a four round lightweight fight.

Opening up the night and live stream, Palmdale, CA’s Cesar Diaz (3-0, 3 KOs) is sure to start the evening with a bang when he takes on Joel Cano (1-4) of Sonora, Mexico in a super bantamweight bout scheduled for 4 rounds.

Vargas vs. Berchelt, a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions. Miura vs. Roman is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions and Promociones del Pueblo. The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila. Doors open at 3:00 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 3:00 p.m. PT and will take place on Saturday, January 28 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. The RingTV live stream begins at 3:00 p.m. PT and the HBO Boxing After Dark® telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets are on sale and priced at $35, $45, $55, $75 and $105. They are available for purchase at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

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

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOboxing, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOboxing, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOboxing and follow the conversation using #VargasBerchelt.

Oslo, Norway (January 23, 2017). First Lady Promotions has postponed the highly anticipated battle between Consensus #1 Women’s Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and Undisputed Welterweight World Champion, CECILIA BRAEKHUS, (29-0-0, 8 KO’s) and Mandatory Challenger KLARA SVENSSON, (17-1-0, 5 KO’s) scheduled for this Saturday, January 28 to the new date of Friday, February 24.

Braekhus, holder of the WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO World Titles has been hit with the flu which will require a period of rest before the resumption of a full training schedule.

“I was in the best shape of my life before I got knocked out by the flu. This is the worst that can happen to a fighter so close to battle, but health and safety comes first of course,” said Cecilia Brækhus.

The entire event, planned for another sold-out night at the Oslo Spektrum, will now take place on Friday, February 24 with all tickets being honored for the new date.

Through Braekhus’ extensive lobbying work over the last several years, Norway lifted their 33-year ban on professional boxing in 2015. On October 1, 2016, Braekhus was finally able to fight in her home country, knocking out Anne Sophie Mathis in the second round, a national event that captivated the entire country.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 23, 2017) – Undefeated M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Alexey Kunchenko will now be challenged by fellow Russian Maksim Grabovich, who has replaced injured Shavkat Rakhmonov, March 3, at M-1 Challenge 75 in Moscow.

M-1 Grand Prix middleweight champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (54-9-0. 1 NC, M-1: 4-0-0),the three-time Bellator champion, will headline M-1 Challenge 75 against an opponent to soon be announced.

Kunchenko (15-0-0, M-1: 7-0), fighting out of Tyumen, Russia, is a Muay Thai specialist who captured his M-1 Challenge welterweight title belt last April at M-1 Challenge 65, when defending titlist Murad Abdulaev retired during the fourth round.

In a non-title fight, Kunchenko won a three-round unanimous decision over Eduardo Ramon at M-1 Challenge at M-1 Challenge 70 last September. His first title defense was December 5 at M-1 Challenge 72, in which Kunchenko won a 5-round unanimous decision over Abdulaev in a rematch.

Grabovich (5-2-0, M-1: 4-0-0), fighting out of famed Stary Oskol in Russia, has won his last three fights in addition to being undefeated in four M-1 Global matches. His signature victory to date was last June at M-1 Challenge 68, in which Grabovich won a three-round unanimous decision in the Fight of the Night.

In other announced main card fights, American lightweight Keon “The Black Assassin” Caldwell (11-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0) makes his M-1 Global debut against former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Maxim Divnich (12-2-0 (M-1: 6-2-0), while Russian welterweight prospect Sergey “Streetfighter” Romanov (10-1-0, M-1: 3-0-0) faces Russian veteran Magomed “The White Wolf” Sultanakhmedov (18-5-0, M-1: 10-1-0).

M-1 Challenge 75 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org
Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:

M-1 Challenge 74 – Feb. 18, 2017 – St. Petersburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 75 – March 3, 2017 – Moscow, Russia
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 160 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2017 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Bantamweight titilist will defend his title against Carlos Carlson on March 2nd in Tokyo, Japan.

“I’ll try to show a good performance and defend my belt decisively,” Yamanaka said in translated comments upon announcement of the bout. “I got knocked down in the last two defenses, so I’ll also try to hit without getting hit. I’ll hone my ‘God’s Left’ to display a fine victory.”

ANAGUA, NICARAGUA (January 23, 2017) Consensus #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Flyweight Champion ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ, (46-0-0, 38 KO’s), held court in front of a huge crowd of Nicaraguan media before heading to Costa Rica for training camp in preparations to defend his title against Mandatory Challenger SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI (41-4-1, (38 KO’s) of Si Sa Ket, Thailand, on Saturday, March 18, 2017, at “The Mecca of Boxing”, Madison Square Garden.

Gonzalez is one of the country’s most popular figures, having been mentored by Nicaraguan boxing legend, the late ALEXIS ARGUELLO. In his last fight, a brilliant 12-round decision over CARLOS CUADRAS on September 10 at The Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles and telecast on HBO, Gonzalez became a fourth divisional world champion, the first in the Nicaragua’s history.

Gonzalez was joined at the press conference by his manager, CARLOS BLANDON.

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ
“Sor Rungvisai is a fighter very tough fighter who wants my title. His fighting style suits me however I have to be careful because of his power.”

“I have all the tools to beat him. He has power but not much else but I also have to watch for possible head-butts.”

“Training in Costa Rica is very good for me. I’ve never liked the cold and right now it’s too cold in Big Bear.”

“I have no problem giving Carlos Cuadras a rematch but right now my focus is on Sor Rungvisai who is my mandatory for the WBC.”

“I have the perfect game plan and on March 18 there will be no surprises. I’m leaving Monday, we had a great camp in Costa Rica for the McWilliams Arroyo fight and we are planning to have another great camp for this fight there.”

“I feel very confident that I will be victorious for my fans here in Nicaragua and all over the world, those watching on HBO Pay-Per-View and those in attendance in Madison Square Garden. I loved fighting in New York City last time and look forward to March 18 when I return.”

“With the passing of my longtime trainer Arnulfo Obando, my head trainer will now be my father Luis Gonzalez and also in my corner will be Wilmer Hernandez. They were both assistants to Arnulfo throughout my career.”

CARLOS BLANDON
“We are very excited to start training in Costa Rica on Monday (January 23). Hopefully we will have the same excellent result we did when we trained there for McWilliams Arroyo.”

“Right now it’s snowing and cold in Big Bear and we feel it’s better for Roman to train in Costa Rica where it is warmer, although in Big Bear was where Roman had one of his best training camps before the Carlos Cuadras fight.”

“I expect that with the proper preparations in training camp that we will see an explosive fight and another great victory for Roman on March 18.”

Chocolatito vs. Rungvisai will be the co-feature to the World Middleweight Championship between Unified Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, (36-0-0, 33 KO’s) and WBA Middleweight World Champion and Mandatory Challenger DANIEL “THE MIRACLE MAN” JACOBS, (32-1, 29 KO’s). The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT

Presented by K2 Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions, tickets priced at $1000, $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, are now on sale and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 23, 2017) – Building on its record of signing and promoting the best of the best, Golden Boy Promotions – in association with ZR Entertainment — today announced a multi-fight deal with former three-division world champion and Olympic Gold medalist Yuriokis “El Ciclón de Guantánamo” Gamboa (25-1, 17 KOs).

The Cuban standout, who has defeated a who’s who of champions and contenders throughout his 10-year professional career, will look to add to the title belts he has held in the featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight divisions as he makes another run at championship glory.

“I am looking forward to winning yet another world title, and I know Golden Boy Promotions is the perfect place to help guide me,” Gamboa said. “Though I have recently had some long stretches of inactivity, that stops today, and I will take on anyone, anytime, to achieve my goal of recapturing a championship belt.”

Gamboa will come out of the gate facing a tall order on March 11 when he squares off with Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado (24-7, 16 KOs) who was last seen defeating contender Jason “Star” Velez. The fight will serve as chief support for the highly anticipated HBO Boxing After Dark card featuring middleweight knockout artist David Lemieux taking on the heavy-handed Curtis “Cerebral Assassin ” Stevens at Turning Stone Resort Casino.

Gamboa has been a force in multiple divisions for many years, defeating big names along the way including former world champions Orlando “Siri” Salido, Daniel Ponce De León and the contender Jorge “Coloradito” Solís. Gamboa also handed Darleys Pérez and Jonathan “Yoni” Victor Barros their first professional defeats.

“When he is on his game, there are few better than Gamboa in the 126, 130, or 135 weight classes,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions CEO and Chairman. “We are going to get him in the ring in a quality match as soon as possible, and then work with him to start his path back to championship glory.”

Gamboa’s accomplishments in both the amateur and professional ranks are numerous, but a select list includes:
Former Unified WBA and IBF Featherweight Champion
Former Interim WBA World Super Featherweight Champion
Former Interim WBA World Lightweight Champion
First Cuban IBF World Champion in the history of the organization
2004 Olympic gold medalist in the flyweight division.
2006 World Cup gold medalist in the featherweight division
2003 Pan American games gold medalist in the flyweight division
About Golden Boy Promotions
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by 10-time world champion in six divisions Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the world. In its 15-year existence, Golden Boy Promotions has promoted some of the biggest and highest-grossing events in the history of the sport.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya.

SAN ANTONIO, TX (January 23, 2017) – This past Saturday in her pro debut at the San Antonio Shrine Auditorium, on the “Famoso’s Night of Champions” card in San Antonio, TX, hometown native, Selina “Aztec Queen” Barrios (1-0, 1 KO), scored a spectacular first round knockout against, Tammy Franks (2-27-1).

Barrios took charge from the opening bell as she went right at Franks, looking for the knockout. When the two fighters met in the middle of the ring, punches were exchanged and Selina landed a left hook to the chin of Franks, sending her to the canvas. After the ref gave Franks an eight count, Barrios stormed on and ended the fight with a devastating left hook-straight right combination.

Franks, who went the distance with Mia St. John twice, was knocked out for the first time in eight years. Satisfied with her triumph, Barrios is ready to get back in the ring and keep the momentum going.

“I wanted to come out here tonight and give the fans a great show.” said Selina Barrios. “After I landed that left hook, I knew she was hurt. My only thought was to go for the kill and end the fight. This was my first fight as a professional and I’m happy with the result.”

“I want to thank all my family and friends who came out to support me tonight,” Barrios continued. “I also want to thank Carlos Famoso Productions for giving me the opportunity to fight in my hometown of San Antonio. My goal is to get back in the ring as soon as possible and make my run toward a world title.”

Barrios’ trainer, former world champion, Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez, who also served as promoter for the event, was thrilled with Selina’s performance. He sees a bright future for Barrios.

“I really believe Selina can become something special in this sport,” Hernandez said. “She has tremendous power in both hands and her boxing IQ is very high. With hard work, I believe she’ll become a world champion. She stole the show tonight with that mighty knockout.”

On Friday, January 20, in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 3000+ at the Grand Casino’s Events & Convention Center in Hinckley, Minnesota, WBA #3-, IBF #13- and WBO #5-rated middleweight contender Rob “Bravo” Brant stayed busy and defended his WBA-NABA Middleweight Championship by stopping Detroit’s Alexis Hloros.

With a possible title-shot opportunity on the near horizon, the Saint Paul, Minnesota-based Brant (22-0, 15 KOs) wasted no time in dispatching Hloros at 2:33 of the first round. A huge body shot dropped Hloros for a count of nine, but he arose still wincing in pain, and was in no condition to continue.

“I was happy with the way the night ended up,” said Brant. “When you get a guy last minute like Alexis Hloros, you have to treat them like they have been training to be the best version of themselves. Overlook them and you can get beat. I feel like I am ready for a bigger name now and am ready to showcase myself at the top level.”

The event, presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions, also featured GCP’s always exciting super welterweight KO artist Skender Halili.

Halili (13-1, 13 KOs) kept his KO percentage at 100% by stopping Wichita’s Romon Barber (7-13, 6 KOs) in the fifth round.

The anvil-fisted Halili landed some bombs early that Barber was able to absorb. However, Halili’s power eventually wore him down. In the fifth, he caught Barber with an uppercut that staggered him backwards into the ropes where he then pounded him relentlessly until the referee stopped the fight. It was a spectacular show of brutal punching power.

“I was very impressed with both our fighters tonight,” said Greg Cohen. “Rob Brant is clearly at the top of his game and ready for a big opportunity. Despite the opponent change on short notice, he handled it the way a future champion should. And Skender Halili continued his run as one of the most exciting punchers in boxing with another fan-friendly win. It was a great event in front of a huge crowd of fans. I am proud to have been able to promote it.”

About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen first made promotional headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.

Cohen currently promotes Undefeated WBO NABO Heavyweight Champion and top 10 world-rated contender Jarrell Miller, Undefeated WBA NABA Middleweight Champion and top 5 world-rated contender Robert Brant, WBO NABO Lightweight Champion and top 5 world-rated contender Mason Menard, former WBA Interim World Lightweight Champion and top 10 world-rated contender Ismael Barroso, top 10 world-rated contender Rico Mueller, undefeated WBA International Bantamweight Champion and world-rated contender Mzuvukile Magwaca, WBO Oriental Super Welterweight Champion and world-rated contender Dennis Hogan, IBO World Featherweight Champion Lusanda Komanisi, former WBO Super Lightweight World Champion Kendall Holt, as well as current top 10 world-rated contenders cruiserweight Olanrewaju Durodola, Filipino Jr. Lightweight star Harmonito Dela Torre, Filipino Super Lightweight Czar Amonsot, and top 15 world-rated contenders featherweight world title challenger Eric Hunter and Guyanese bantamweight Elton Dharry.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including CBS Sports Network, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

For more information, visit gcpboxing.com. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing. Twitter: @GCPBoxing.

At a London press conference today, Hall of Fame Promoter Frank Warren and his new broadcast partner BT Sport announced initial details of the first four events to be broadcast on both BT Sport and BoxNation.

Taking place at London’s iconic BT Tower, the press conference was hosted by BT Sport presenter Paul Dempsey alongside Mr Warren, as the pair unveiled details of the upcoming schedule which would signify the broadcasters first steps into live boxing.

Warren announced that the first event to be shown on both BT Sport and BoxNation will take place at Manchester Arena on Saturday April 8thand would feature a blockbuster card headlined by Terry Flanagan’s WBO World Lightweight Championship defence against Russia’s Petr Petrov.

Also to be featured on the card will be the eagerly awaited domestic Light Middleweight showdown between former WBO World Light Middleweight Champion Liam Smith and long-time rival Liam Williams.

The biggest news of the day was the unveiling of Olympic Gold Medallist Nicola Adams as Warren’s latest signing to join his ‘New Era’ on BT Sport. During her unveiling it was announced that she would make her pro-debut on the April 8thManchester card.

The next event of Warren’s opening BT Sport schedule, will take place at the Leicester Arena where newly crowned British Middleweight Champion Tommy Langford will make the first defence of his belt against Birmingham rival Craig Cunningham on Saturday 22nd April.

Ranked at number two in the World by the WBO, undefeated Langford outpointed Sam Sheedy to claim the Lord Lonsdale belt in November whilst Cunningham is coming off the back of a career best stoppage win against London 2012 Medallist Anthony Ogogo.

Also on the card Tyrone Nurse will make the third defence of his British Super-Lightweight title against Malmesbury’s Joe Hughes whilst Indian superstar Vijender Singh will fight in the city which boasts a huge British Indian population against Leicester’s own English Super Middleweight Champion Jahmane Smyle.

The next card announced by Warren will take place at London’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday 6th May. Mr Warren mentioned the card is set to have some further additions but will feature Bradley Skeete’s mandatory British Welterweight Title defence against Shayne Singleton.

Also on the bill, British Featherweight Champion Ryan Walsh will make the third defence of his title. The all-action Cromer fighter stopped Scotsman Darren Traynor in his first defence before halting highly-rated Belfast man James Tennyson in his second defence of the title at the Copper Box Arena last April. Whilst the talented Mitchell Smith will be given the chance to avenge his shock loss against George Jupp.

The BT Sport cameras will then travel to Leeds’ First Direct Arena the following weekend on Saturday 13th May where local hero Josh Warrington will top the bill in front of his famously huge support against Marco McCullough.

The undefeated WBC International Featherweight Champion Warrington is already the flag-bearer for boxing in his city and is now aiming to cement his place for a World Title challenge later in the year.

Also on the card, women’s boxing’s biggest star Nicola Adams OBE will make a hero’s return to her hometown where she will fight as a professional for a second time as she aims to fast-track towards a professional Word Title.

Details of exciting further card additions to all four events and other high quality schedule additions will be announced at regional press conferences in the coming weeks, alongside ticket details for each event.

Today Britain’s most celebrated amateur boxer, Nicola Adams OBE, announced her decision to turn professional with Hall of Fame Promoter Frank Warren.

The news was revealed at a London press conference today hosted by Mr Warren and his new broadcast partner BT Sport, who will televise Ms. Adams’ professional bouts in the UK.

The double Olympic Gold Medallist and flag bearer for women’s boxing, will appear in the professional code for the first time on Saturday 8thApril at the Manchester Arena on an event headlined by Terry Flanagan’s WBO World Lightweight Championship defence against Petr Petrov.

Ms Adams will then fight in her home City of Leeds on Saturday May 13th at the First Direct Arena, on a bill headlined by local boxing hero and WBC Silver Featherweight Champion Josh Warrington. Both events will be simulcast live on BT Sport and BoxNation in the UK.

The hugely-popular Ms Adams will campaign at Flyweight and is determined to match her unprecedented amateur achievements in the paid ranks and rise to become a professional World Champion.

Ms Adams became a cross-over star during London 2012, where her incredible performances in the ring and beaming smile became some of the most iconic images of an Olympic Games which saw unprecedented success for Team GB’s athletes. Ms Adams went on to win Great Britain’s first ever Gold Medal for Female Boxing at the Games, famously defeating three-time World Champion Ren Cancan of China in the Olympic final.

During what can be considered one of the successful ever amateur careers for any female or male boxer, Adams secured a clean sweep of amateur titles winning every available accolade in the unpaid code, capturing the only remaining major title to elude her when she defeated Thailand’s Peamwilai Laopeam to be crowned the World Amateur Flyweight Champion in May 2016.

After Ms Adams’ World Championship victory, she embarked on her second Olympic Games in Rio as the reigning Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European Games Champion and became the first British boxer to successfully defend their Olympic title for 92 years defeating France’s Sarah Ourahmoune in the final.

In recognition of her services to boxing, Ms Adams was appointed Member Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year’s Honours list. The British sporting icon was then awarded an OBE in the 2016 New Year’s Honours list for her outstanding achievements and efforts to raise the profile of women’s boxing.

After a breath-taking amateur career, Ms Adams, managed by Grant Michaels and Ed Griffiths of ROAR Global, is thrilled to be embarking on the next chapter of her remarkable story under the guidance of Hall of Fame Promoter Frank Warren. Boxing fans will be able to follow her career in the professional ranks exclusively on BT Sport and BoxNation.

Hall of Fame Promoter Frank Warren said: “Of all of all the signings I have made in my 35 years in the sport of boxing, this is among the most I have been excited about.

“Nicola is a national icon already and is without doubt Great Britain’s most successful amateur boxer of all time. She is a tremendous fighter and has a wonderful personality that lit up both Olympic games where she captured two consecutive Gold Medals.

“I am absolutely delighted that this excellent role model has decided to turn professional with me, and entrust me and my broadcast partner BT Sport to guide and showcase what I’m sure will be a fabulous professional career, in which we intend to lead her to become a multiple World Champion and build considerably on her already tremendous legacy in the sport.”

Nicola Adams OBE said: “I’m so excited to be announcing my first professional fight. This is the next step on my journey and to be working with BT Sport and Frank Warren is amazing. Together we can help take woman’s boxing to a new levels and I can’t wait to get to get in the ring in April and start working towards becoming a World Champion one day.”

By Bart Barry-

SAN ANTONIO – Saturday at a livemusic venue called Fitzgerald’s sometime round midnight underground hip-hop artist R.A. the Rugged Man (R.A. Thorburn) took the stage before an audience of perhaps 300 people and scaled his performance for 20,000, which came expected to anyone in attendance: there was no chance Thorburn’d give less than everything to a show whatever its size. About two hours later and 30 minutes past lastcall and 15 minutes past closing Thorburn continued to perform, playing his fifth or sixth “one more song” of the night.

Like most anyone reading this column I discovered Thorburn through his roughtrade undressing of Floyd Mayweather in a 2009 interview. Curiosity about a guy who knew Floyd’s mind and spirit well as Floyd got me to listen to a few samples from a musical genre I loved until 1992 then abandoned completely. Thorburn’s talent arrived like a flash of light, unmistakable, and I pledged to see him in the crucible of a live performance if ever the opportunity arose.

It did Saturday and so did this observation: Never has a performer needed the stage more than Thorburn does. What happened at the end of his concert betrayed a compulsion more than a desire to entertain; his numerous appeals – “If y’all make some noise, I’ll do one more song” over and over again – were pleas much more than demands or even statements; it was a glare inside the psyche of a man doing the one thing that holds him together, manifesting a need for his audience’s energy and kindness, affirmation of a potent and unusually physical sort, in a charming-to-the-edge-of-disconcerting way.

It is no secret the sorry financial state of the music industry – and notice you never hear talk of a sculpture industry or a literary industry – but slightly more of an insight to see musicians’ necessary return to performance art, vending concert experiences in lieu of studio experiences, as the exclusive future direction for those who hope to make a living at the craft, but what three hours of undercard performances showed Saturday is contemporary hip-hop artists either don’t know this or lack the tools for it. What one sees in the coming generation of rappers is weakness, simple stagefright, hoping to disguise itself as a personal journey towards higher consciousness. From the hunched shoulders and swallowed syllables to a common retreat from the stagefront edge, complementing sundry cliches about day-one this and haters and enemies that, these aspirants resemble nothing so much as a oneway series of emails from a dating profile:

Message 1: Whatup bae this is Hier Konshuznezz the Unlimitid 1. im one of a kind so im kinda the one. Hit me up if you down. Holla!

Message 2: lol this thing on? im talkin at you gurl

Message 3: HELLO! Holla!

Message 4: u think ur 2 good for me bitch?

Message 5: can we jus start over? im sorry for using that word in my last. im not that kinda guy. i have so much pain in me. i understand if you dont want to talk to me. Sorry. Bye.

Then Thorburn takes the stage and the tenor changes. He and his apprentices are large and imposing in a way that’d be menacing were they not smiling at themselves and the audience, had they not the presence and ironical knack that once composed basic stagecraft but now’s a rarity: Their exaggerated gestures are enormous, they reclaim the stage’s front edge from the audience the way competent trainers teach their charges (King of the Mountain: You imagine the center of the canvas as the base of a mountain against which you set your backfoot, and which you do not forfeit), they make eyecontact with their audiencemembers and project to the backwall, they use their bodies as instruments. Then Thorburn in his desperation to connect pulls strangers onstage with him and bangs against them like props and urges them to be irresponsible, and when this doesn’t suffice Thorburn climbs offstage and moves through his audience colliding with them, telling them to collide with him, offering them something they will not forget instead of something “unforgettable”:

The audience is no longer 100 strong the houselights are on brightly the bar is clean and Thorburn starts to clear the stage by telling audiencemembers to dive in the waiting arms of, well, perhaps two or three others and some splatter and others get caught and still Thorburn does not relent, starting a fourth one-more song or fifth. Then he climbs offstage a final time and tells everyone to follow him to the door for pictures and handshakes, where he remains.

Last week by way of coincidence I read Geoff Dyer’s wonderful “But Beautiful: A book about jazz” that does what all Dyer’s books do which is defy classification between fiction and non- before concluding with an essay about what happened to jazz as popular music: It stopped being about improvisation and began being about technical mastery and thereby receded from our country’s predominant artform to a niche notch on the FM dial and a catalog of deceased household names. This is where underground hip-hop now heads. Its need to distinguish itself from what cloying slop fills arenas is understandable, admirable: Keepers of the Public Enemy flame, as it were, artists proudly inspired by Kane, G Rap, Erick and Parrish, and Rakim, not Kanye West and Nipsey Hussle, but this distinction brings about a display of technical mastery that is nigh unlistenable.

Like Coltrane throttling his sax the velociraptor speedspitting feats exemplified best by A-F-R-O, Thorburn’s 18-year-old prodigy protege, go from astounding to tedious in less than a song – you admire his linguistic capacity to know and use so many words that rhyme while being so unable to decipher what he’s saying you’re unsure if he’s rhyming words or making sounds but trust he’s rhyming words until you ask yourself why you should have to trust this about something that ostensibly happens in your native language.

Oh well. It’s still stagecraft. It’s still part of the Rugged Man experience. If it’s art for art’s sake that’s not a bad way to go out.

*

Editor’s note: Next week this column will take a deserved sabbatical and return on Feb. 6.

*

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

TRENTON, N.J. (Jan. 21, 2017) – Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster (22-1, 11 KOs) was in championship form on Saturday night at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, N.J., winning the IBO/USBO Super Middleweight Title by defeating a hard-nosed Thomas Awimbono (22-6-1, 21 KOs) via unanimous decision.

“Keep hitting him. Keep touching him,” Webster said he was being told in between rounds by head trainer Denny Brown. “First, I want to thank God for this opportunity. This is an amazing feeling. We knew nothing about the guy coming into this fight. There was nothing on him at all. The only thing we really knew was that he had a lot of knockouts, so I knew I had to be leery of that. While I was out there, we had to adjust to whatever he was trying to do.”

Awimbono proved to be a very durable and determined opponent, which forced Webster to keep thinking throughout the 10 rounds of this title fight.

“He was trying to put me in traps,” Webster continued. “Training with Denny and sparring with Prince Badi (Ajamu), you learn not to fall for traps like that. Prince is the king of setting traps, so I was ready to make any adjustments. I just kept the jab on him, threw combinations and got some good body work on him, so he didn’t really know which angle I was coming from. We were trying to frustrate him. Did I want the knockout? Of course, but you can’t knock out everybody. The bottom line is we’re leaving with this belt, and we got the win.”

Webster felt Awimbono out a little bit in first round before starting to really warm up in the second frame. He continually made Awimbono miss with crafty movement and sound defensiveness, looking to pick up habits of his opposition that he could eventually exploit. In the third round, Webster began going hard to the body, finding much success there in some work that would pay dividends throughout the course of the bout.

After keeping a stiff jab in his face, Awimbono began to develop swelling around his left eye towards the beginning of the fourth frame, with Webster truly finding his rhythm and seeing things clearly as they entered the middle rounds.

The fifth frame was a big one for Webster, who was showing excellent head and body movement while keeping his hands in the face of a frustrated Awimbono to keep him at bay. Webster was doing a great job of establishing his range, which kept Awimbono from being able to mount much of an attack. In the following round, Webster continued to switch levels and highlighted the frame with a 12-punch combination to the body. His varying angles confused Awimbono, but the Ghanan fighter continued to press forward and forced Webster to remain alert at all times.

Over the second half of the fight, Webster continued to do his combination work and slip out, continually changing his directions and angles so Awimbono could not find much momentum. The determined Awimbono was able to get through a few punches over the last few rounds, but Webster showed off his chin and was not affected by them.

In the ninth frame, Webster had a huge burst midway through the round, switching his levels on a heavy head and body attack that backed Awimbono up and had him in some trouble. Wary of the significant power that Awimbono possessed, Webster intelligently did not overcommit himself to anything that could put him in a dangerous position, continuing to make him miss and showing off some excellent footwork.

In the final frame, Webster boxed out those last three minutes by sticking to the gameplan he received in his corner. Remaining in control of the action, he got off some good counter punches and was noticeably elated when the final bell rang because only the reading of the judges’ cards stood between him and being strapped up with gold.

When those ringside tallies came, Webster was indeed named the victor when scores of 100-90 and 98-92 (twice) were read aloud, with the hard fought victory earning him the IBO/USBO Super Middleweight Championship.

The huge win kicks off 2017 in extraordinary fashion for Webster, who plans to remain extremely busy this year. Negotiations have already begun for his next fight, with an official announcement planned for the very near future.

ATLANTIC CITY (Jan. 21, 2017) – In a stunningly one-sided affair, Danny “Baby Face Assasin” Roman scored an upset ninth-round TKO over previously unbeaten Adam Lopez in a WBA Super Bantamweight Title Eliminator Friday in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME from Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel and Casino.

Lopez’s trainer, renowned Ronnie Shields, decided his boxer shouldn’t take any more punishment and asked the referee to stop the contest after nine completed rounds.

Roman (21-2-1, 8 KOs), who was ranked No. 4 in the WBA, won his 14th in a row in a career-best performance. He out-boxed and out-slugged the No. 3-rated Lopez (16-1-1, 8 KOs), of San Antonio, Texas, from the outset. Roman seized command in the fourth round with two knockdowns, first with a left hook and then, with a left uppercut.

Lopez, who was appearing on ShoBox for a fifth time, tried to fight back, but Roman’s skill and harder pinpoint-punching led to the scheduled 12-round fight being stopped between rounds nine and 10.

Win the victory, Roman is now in position to challenge WBA 122-pound World Champion Nehomar Cermeno.

“The main event was a shocker,” said ShoBox expert analyst Steve Farhood. “We didn’t know much about Danny Roman. And he sure earned that title fight against Nehomar Cermeno. It’s a bittersweet for us, for Lopez. We know him well. He’s fought five times on ShoBox but now doesn’t look like he is going to get that title fight since this is the second opportunity he had and he took a real beating. It’s going to take a while for him to come back.”

In the final three rounds, Roman out-landed Lopez 107-27, and 84-20 in power punches. In the final session, Roman landed more punches (43) than Lopez threw. It was a merciless beating followed by a merciful stoppage. Roman landed 54 percent of his power shots, including 67 percent in the final round.

“Adam Lopez is a great and tough fighter,” said Roman. “He came prepared, but I came out with the victory.

“I started hurting him with uppercuts. I dropped him twice the fourth. I felt I was going to stop him there, but the bell saved him.

“My plan was to break him down little by little, and I felt that was starting to take effect as he was losing his steam in the third round, but he kept on going.

“I knew he would have one last stand, but I knew I would stop him. Even if they didn’t stop it in the corner, I knew I would get him out of there.

“Now, I am going to go back to the gym. I have to start working on the basics again and begin to prepare for my title shot. I’m very excited.”

Lopez, who left the ring promptly after the stoppage, was not happy with his performance.

“He was the better man tonight,” he said as he sat with his head down in the locker room. “I kept trying to catch him with uppercuts and I got caught every time. I was trying to get on the inside, but it was hard.

“I thought I was clawing my way back into the fight, but my eye started hurting. It was the first uppercut that knocked me down in the fourth that got me right in the eye. It was hard to keep on going with my eye like that.

“When I got back to the corner after the ninth round, Ronnie told me he had seen enough and he stopped the fight.”

In the co-main event of the evening, undefeated super middleweight Ronald “Flatline” Ellis took a unanimous eight-round decision in a messy-grappler-type affair over Christopher “Ice Cold” Brooker by the scores of 79-73 twice and 77-75.

“Ellis-Brooker was an ugly fight,’’ Farhood said. “Brooker didn’t really have any answers. Ellis won clearly but he didn’t shine, mostly because of his opponent’s style.”

Ellis (13-0-1, 10 KOs), of Lynn, Mass., established the tone of the fight with an explosive first round in which he went 27-of-90 overall—both high totals for the fight—to Brooker’s 8-of-45. Ellis won the body shots battle (64 to 31) and landed sharper combinations during the rare moments the fighters were at distance.

In the final three rounds, Ellis continued applying pressure with accuracy.

“I am back and I want some more,” said Ellis. “That was a good fight. I fought smarter today than in my last ShoBox appearance. I’m not going to lie, he was tough and came at me very hard, but I maneuvered. I am very happy with my performance.

“He was big and strong and was holding a lot, but my boxing skills took over in the fight. He was trying to get on my nerves, but I knew that my skills would get me the win.”

Brooker, who was very unhappy with the judges’ scorecards said, “I don’t know what these judges are looking at. I had the better ring generalship, aggressiveness and I brought all the pressure.

“I feel that because he was undefeated, the judges must have put him on a pedestal. Even though I have a couple losses, look who I have fought and defeated. I am an elite-level fighter as well, and I should get that same respect. That’s why SHOWTIME has me on.

“At the end of the day, I just fight. It is up to fans who watch, they are the real judges for me.”

In the telecast opener, undefeated super lightweight Kenneth “Bossman” Sims Jr. handed Emmanuel “Renegade” Robles the second loss of his career in a closer than the scorecards reflected eight-round unanimous decision. It was scored 79-72 twice and 78-73.

“Kenneth Sims Jr. is the typical ShoBox prospect,’’ Farhood said. “He showed a lot of good skills. He fought a different fight than the one we expected. He was more aggressive than we thought he’d be. With his amateur background and now the exposure on TV, I think he is a potential star.”

Sims (11-0, 3 KOs), of Chicago, Ill., who went past the sixth round for the first time in his career, began the fight with an overwhelming high-volume attack highlighted by vicious body shots.

Robles (15-2-1, 5 KOs), of San Diego, Calif., however, picked up the pace and took advantage of Sims slowing his pace in rounds four through six. Robles upped his work rate and out-landed Sims 78-66 overall. Referee Bengy Estives took a point way from Sims in round six for dropping his mouthpiece.

Sims gritted his teeth and caught his second wind in the seventh and eighth by out-landing Robles 49-34 overall and 46-24 power to grab a wider-than-expected decision.

“I didn’t have my best performance, but I still got the win,” Sims said. “I was trying too hard for a knockout, and that’s not me. He was a durable opponent, but my performance had nothing to do with that.

“I want to talk to my team about my next fight. My speed and feet were the difference in the fight, but I did not use them as much as I should.”

Robles, who was disappointed with the verdict, acknowledged Sims’ speed.

“He was moving a lot and I couldn’t neutralize that,’’ Robles said. “He was slicker than I thought he was going to be. I was putting on a lot of pressure and wanted to work the body, but he was slick and able to withstand what I was doing.

“I just have to get back to training and get better. You’ll see more of me. I will be back.”

Friday’s three-fight telecast will re-air Monday, January 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND beginning January 21.

Barry Tompkins called the ShoBox action from ringside with Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer was Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

# # #

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 67 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

Los Angeles – Jan. 20, 2017 – Featherweight Lazar Stojadinovic (12-5) scored his eighth straight win in a dominant performance over Mike Richman (18-7), spoiling Richman’s return to the cage. In this clip, Stojadinovic and Richman exchange a flurry of blows against the cage in the second round.

Additional highlights from tonight’s event include:

Chico Camus (17-7) lands a strong right hand on his way to defeating Darrick Minner (17-6) by unanimous decision.

Ben Neumann (12-4) chokes out Damion Hill (12-6) midway through the third round.

It only took 24 seconds for Mitch White (3-1) to land his third guillotine choke in three career wins, this time taking out Lloyd McKinney (9-5)

Full highlights from LFA 2 are available to embed via YouTube here: http://bit.ly/LFA2_Highlights

AXS TV FIGHTS commentators UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich and “The Voice” Michael Schiavello called the action live, along with cageside reporter Ron Kruck from the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota.

Official results from LFA 2 are as follows:

Main Event – Featherweight Fight – Lazar Stojadinovic (12-5) defeated Mike Richman (18-7) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Co-Main Event – Bantamweight Fight – Chico Camus (17-7) defeated Darrick Minner (17-6) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-26).

Welterweight Fight – Ben Neumann (12-4) defeated Damion Hill (12-6) by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:31 in round three.

Lightweight Fight – Bobby Lee (6-0) defeated Matthew Marsh (4-2) via submission (Kimura) at 3:40 in round one.

Lightweight Fight – Brandon Jenkins (10-4) defeats Billy Christianson (12-7) via TKO (Knees & Punches) at 1:41 in round two.

Bantamweight Fight – Mitch White (3-1) defeats Lloyd McKinney (9-5) via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:24 in round one.

Strawweight Fight – Gabby Romero (1-1) defeated Linsey Williams (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:15 in round one.

ABOUT AXS TV FIGHTS

AXS TV Fights presents more LIVE mixed martial arts and kickboxing events than any other television network with 45 scheduled LIVE world-class fight cards in 2017. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich call all the action and Ron Kruck reports from cageside as champions, challengers, and top prospects take center stage every Friday night at 9pE/6pP. AXS TV Fights can be found online, on Facebook and on Twitter. AXS TV is widely distributed in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH, Sling TV, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other cable, satellite, telco and streaming providers. The network is also carried in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Achour Esho 154 Lbs. vs. Anthony Abbruzzese 152 lbs.
ABO SUPER WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Josh Hernandez 128.5 Lbs. vs. Thomas Smith 129 lbs.
Martez McGregor 170.5 Lbs. vs. Cesar Ruiz 171.5 Lbs.
Yousif Saleh 132.5 Lbs. vs. Luis Ramos 137 lbs.
Shawn Simpson 118 Lbs. vs. Leonardo Reyes 118 Lbs.
Jessica McCaskill 134.5 Lbs. vs. Carla Torres 128 Lbs.
Ruben Schobitz 164.5 lbs. vs. Joel Blair 164.5 lbs.

Venue: UIC Pavilion
Promoter: Warriors Boxing

Kelly Swanson
Thanks everybody for joining us. What an exciting conference call we have today. We’re talking about Carl Frampton versus Leo Santa Cruz, the rematch, as well as Dejan Zlaticanin versus Mikey Garcia.

I just want to mention that SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Saturday, January 28 live on SHOWTIME. It’s a doubleheader presented in association with Premier Boxing Champions and live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Tickets are still on sale for that event which is promoted by Ringstar Sports in association with Cyclone Promotions and TGB Promotions and available at AXS.com

Before we get into the fighters and what they have to say about the event, I would like to introduce Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports to talk a little bit more about the matchups.

Stephen Espinoza
Thank you Kelly. SHOWTIME again is continuing to deliver the biggest fights in the sport, the most important fights and the most meaningful fights. Coming off the December show in which we saw the featherweight title change hands with Abner Mares taking the title and a stellar show this weekend with a title unification fight, or at least an attempted title unification, and the emergence of a potential young breakout star in Gervonta Davis.

We’re thrilled to keep the momentum going with another stellar card. Our co-feature, it is a cliché but it is absolutely true, this is a co-feature that really has the ability to stand on its own as a championship fight.

Dejan is a young man who won his world title in SHOWTIME, one of the most avoided fighters in the lightweight division, a guy no one wants to fight, no one other than of course Mikey Garcia who needs no introduction, has an A plus resume and is a pound for pound regular.

This is a great, stellar matchup of the all-out aggression and power of Zlaticanin versus the boxer-puncher in Mikey. It’s an intriguing fight. And our main event, truly needs no introduction, for me the Fight of the Year. After a title unification last summer, Carl Frampton moving up in weight to take on Leo Santa Cruz.

It was, no exaggeration to say it was all out action from the first bell to the last. And having spoken to both of these fighters, we don’t expect anything else. We’ve got a stellar SHOWTIME EXTREME card as well which is highlighted by another featherweight world title fight in Lee Selby making his defense. And other very strong supporting parts as well. We’re very happy that this fight is headlining in Vegas. It’s the kind of stage that this fight, this card deserves.

And it’s particularly great to see the featherweights back headlining in Vegas. It really harkens back to the golden era of Barrera and Morales and Pacquiao and Marquez when they were headlining Vegas. And I’m glad these very talented fighters are getting the spotlight.

K. Swanson
Okay, thanks Stephen. We’re going to lead with the main event for this conference call. This fight was a 2016 Fight of the Year nominee by every outlet.

The first one took place in July at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and now they’re going across the country to fight in none other than the boxing capital of the world, Las Vegas.

First I’m going to introduce Leo Santa Cruz with a record of 32-1-1, with 18 knockouts. He fights out of Los Angeles, California and he’s a former world champion at 118, 122 and 126. Leo, would you like to make a couple of comments?

Leo Santa Cruz
Thank you very much for your introduction. I really appreciate it. I’m really happy. I’m happy to step back in the ring for the rematch. After the first fight, when I heard the decision and I got my first defeat, there was nothing in my head other than the rematch.

I wanted the rematch because I knew I made some mistakes. I knew I wasn’t the best I could perform so I said I could really improve on things and I think I could get the victory next time. So, in that time, nothing has been in my head other than the rematch and I was very anxious and motivated to give another great show.

The first fight was a great fight for the fans that I love and I’m just happy and motivated to go out there and give another great fight and make it even better than the first one. Thank you.

K. Swanson
Thanks Leo. And now I’m going to introduce Carl Frampton. Mr. Frampton is 23-0, with 14 knockouts. He comes from Belfast, Northern Island. He’s a former world champion at 122 pounds, making him a two-time world champion.

He also became the first Irish fighter to win a world title at multiple weight classes when he beat Santa Cruz in July to win his featherweight world title. Carl, a couple words?

Carl Frampton
I just wanted to start off with what Leo said. I think that this is going to be another great fight. I think the last time it was talked about as one of the fights of the year. And I think our styles just gelled really well together. I don’t think it’s going to be any different this time.

Whatever happens it’s going to be competitive up until it ends but I think that, what I’ve been doing this time in training camp, I feel like a fully-fledged featherweight. I was going into the unknown the last time I fought Leo, my first title fight at featherweight.

But I feel like I’ve developed featherweight now, much stronger, bigger and punching harder. And I feel like at the end I’m going to get the win.

Q
Leo, how has training camp been different this time around with your dad being there the entire time now that he’s feeling better?

L. Santa Cruz
In the first camp, I didn’t have my dad with me. And me and my brother were doing something that we thought was going to be a good game plan.

But, you know, my dad is smart when it comes to that. My dad is the one who’s always watching boxing. He’s always watching different styles of different boxers and he knows how to fight like different styles.

And this time having him there in the gym with me, he’s telling me specifically like what punches I have to throw with Frampton, how to fight him and stuff like that. And he’s always there pressuring me. He pushes me and gives me that extra motivation and everything.

I’m pushing myself harder to train, to go out there and give it my all. We’re going to go with a great game plan to go out there and try to beat Frampton.

You know that he’s always there telling me how to beat him and now that I have him there, we’re going to have no problems when we get in the fight. Versus Abner Mares was one game plan and once we got over there, my dad wanted me to fight him a different way.

Since my dad wasn’t here, we didn’t come with a big game plan. We had one thing, we had trained one thing with my brother and then when my dad got there, he wanted us to train a different way. So we got confused. We got a little bit frustrated.

This time we are going to be, we’re going to go perfectly fine and we’re not going to have any problems.

Q
How much better mentally have you been in this camp with your dad being there? And you’re not having that weight of his health hanging over your head?

L. Santa Cruz
Big, big difference. In the first camp, I was, I think I was worrying more about him, about his health, how he was doing, if he was going to be able to go to the fight with me or if he was even going to wake up the day after tomorrow to be there with us because cancer is a very dangerous disease that you could be here with us then today or tomorrow you won’t be here with us.

Now thank God the cancer is in remission, in complete remission. But he’s doing a lot better and so my mind is clear and my mind, the only thing on my mind is the fight. That I want to go out there and do a great fight for all the fans. And hopefully it will be another Fight of the Year.

Q
What would you say, maybe what ways could you improve?

L. Santa Cruz
I’m going to go and fight the same way. But no, I could change it up. I like to go out there and make it exciting. That’s what the fans love. The fans love for a fighter to go toe to toe in a fight. And that’s why I always try, that’s why people say I only fight one way.

But the reality is that I could fight any way. I could adopt any way. I could box. I could move. But the truth is I don’t really like moving because I like entertaining the fans because, they go out there to see the great fights, wars, toe to toe.

But then they tell me that at the end of the day, you have to be smart. You have to fight for yourself and go out there and win. And I could do that. I could fight.

For this fight, I’m going to try to do that. I’m going to go out there and try to make it for me to come up with the big dream victory. And I’m going to go out there and everybody is going to be surprised at what I could do.

Q
How do you keep yourself on an even keel from being excited to happy and looking forward perhaps to the BWAA banquet and getting the awards, and all that kind of stuff but also knowing that it would kind of really be depressing to have to have to kind of go to pick up your 2016 Fighter of the Year award if you’re coming off a loss to Leo Santa Cruz?

C. Frampton
Yes, I’m not really thinking about that to be honest. I think that it might affect other fighters given all these awards and put pressure on them. And certainly, it puts a little bit more pressure on me especially going straight into the New Year in 2017 with such a difficult fight.

But I have said since I tuned professional is that I perform best under pressure. And what these awards are doing is simply filing your head full of confidence. I want to go out and prove that these awards are justified, that I deserved to be the Fighter of the Year last year.

I’ll have to take off two thirds in 2017. I’m going straight into the deep end. A rematch with a three-weight champion in Leo Santa Cruz is justified and that 2016 wasn’t a one off. I think 2017 potentially can be better than last year.

Q
How do you get yourselves mentally prepared for that kind of battle again? Can you fight at that level and that kind of veracity once again knowing how tough of an appointment Leo is and how hard that first fight was?

C. Frampton
Yes, I think so. I think once you’ve done it once, you always know you can do it again. And I was kind of, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, really. If I’m being completely honest with you, I don’t think I could have fought at that pace at 122. Fighting at 122 was taking something from my performance.

I just felt like a better man at featherweight. So it was a bit of a risk for me to fight so hard from the start but I did and I was still punching at the end of the fight and I feel like the last round was close but I feel like I may have nicked the last round.

Once you do it once, you have it in your head you can do it again. And there are a few adjustments that I want to make in this fight to make things a little bit easier for myself. I’ve been trying different things out in the gym but I’m prepared for whatever Leo has to throw at me. I understand this is going to be a difficult fight.

But if I make that adjustments that have been, I’ve been working on in the gym, I think that I can make the fight a little bit more comfortable for myself.

If I have to go into the trenches, I’m going to do it. I’ll do whatever it takes to get this one.

I think with our styles it’s going to be another rumble. I think with Leo’s style in particular, he’s just, a typical Mexican fighter, a real warrior, non-stop, and he just tries to overwhelm opponents. And his style just works against a lot of people. And it can work against lesser opponents.

But I’ve got something different. I’ve got a lot of grit and determination. And I can give it back as good as the give it to me. So what I’m expecting, again, another exciting fight. I think that if we fight ten times, they’re always going to be good fights.
Q
Leo are you prepared to do that again? And how do you get yourself psyched up for that kind of really hard, rough fight?

L. Santa Cruz
Yes, I know that too. I am excited, because I love to give the fight. I love to give fights that the fans love, that they are always talking about, that they say was a great fight and everything. I get more motivated to go in the gym and train hard. The only thing I do is train harder, train harder and just motivate myself.

And when I’m in the gym training I do that extra push. Once I go up there I can do the same thing in doing the 12 rounds, a hard 12 rounds. If you train hard in the gym and you give it your best, once you go out there in the ring, you’re going to go out there and do the same thing.

The same thing. You’re going to come out like the things you’ve been working out and I have it in my head that’s how I always prepare my fights. I want to go out there and make the fans happy. I give a great fight for all the fans and at the end of the day, when I hear them talking about the fight, how great it was, that’s my reward. That’s my reward of going out there and preparing all this time.

I want to go out there and try to make it a better fight than the first one. Make it a rumble. And I think what I’ve heard from him is that he’d not going to stay this time inside with me. I think he’s going to try to move more and everything.

So in that case, like if he’s going to change it up, I could change it up too. I could box. I could stay on the inside. I could not lunge myself and everything and do things that are going to benefit him. I’m not going to fight his fight.

But once we’re up there in the ring, we’re going to see how he’s fighting, how we’re doing and my corner’s going to be telling me go on the inside and put pressure on him or just to box him and stay on the outside and reach. So, but, whatever he brings, I’m going to bring and if he wants to make it an action fight, I’ll make it an action fight.

We’ve got to be smart out there. And I’m going to go out there and of course I want to please the fans and I want them to go home happy. But at the end of the day I’m going to go out there and do what I think is best for me, what’s going to make me win the fight.

And if I have to box, I’m going to box. If I have to put pressure on him and everything, I’ll do whatever I have to do to get the win.

Q
Carl do you still think you’ll feel like the A side when you walk into the ring with so many fans walking over to support you?

C. Frampton
I think that in the arena we’re expecting, we’re probably expecting a little bit more than Leo from ticket, just from ticket sales and the feedback we’re getting back from the arena which is a credit that I support really. Those travel far and wide to see me.

And I would say it’s very expensive to get to Las Vegas from Belfast. And I’m expecting Leo to have more support this time in Vegas than he had in New York. Mostly, you can drive from L. A. to Vegas so he’ll bring a lot more support.

The atmosphere in New York was incredible. I think again it’s going to be even better. I think here’s potentially about 4000 coming from back home, Northern Ireland, the south of Ireland, England and Scotland and Wales coming out to support me. And I think 4000 will be sound like 8000 so it’s going to be a raucous atmosphere, that’s for sure.

Q
Do you worry about being on the wrong end of a poor decision in Las Vegas though?

C. Frampton
No, I don’t think you can. If I approach a fight and go into a fight thinking about those sorts of things then it’s not the right frame of mind and the right attitude to take. And I’m just hoping and I’m pretty confident that the judging will be fair. And I feel that it will be fair in Vegas.

It was a good fight, in New York. And it was a very exciting fight and I’m hoping that we get the fans out here in Las Vegas. And I’m confident we will.

Q
Okay, thank you. My first question is for Carl. Carl, do you think that Leo’s tendency to want to braw plays into your hands?

C. Frampton
Well potentially it does. I’m a fighter. If you look at me and my stature, I’m a short, stocky guy and people just look at me and just automatically think this guy’s going to be a brawler. But I prefer people to come to me.

And I prefer to box on the outside and I’m being honest. I can mix it up on the inside if I have to but I think that right through my career, I’m a professional. I’ve always preferred guys to come to me and Leo just keeps coming all night. So I think his sort of style, it’s an exciting style but I think that it’s tailor made for mine.

I’m ready for whatever style that comes from Leo. If I’m being honest, I think he’s trying to throw me a dummy. I don’t think he’s going to try to box at all. I think he’s just going to try and even put more pressure on him to come more relentless than he was the last time.

I think that’s their game plan and I think he won’t try to box me. I think that, I honestly think that that’s a mistake from their team because it makes the fight much easier for me.

People go to the body all the time. I’m ready for whatever it takes. You know, I feel like I’m developing. If he goes to the body, it gives me a chance to hit him to the head. So it doesn’t really matter.

I’m expecting a tough fight. He went to the body a lot the last time also and though I believe I’ll have an answer for anything that he shows up with.

Q
Do you feel good about fighting in this venue as opposed to the first time being in New York?

L. Santa Cruz
Yes, of course. I feel more comfortable there in Vegas. I fought there many times. I think six times I fought there. And I fought on big cards. And there was a lot of people and that’s what I love. I love to hear the people cheer on for me and scream and motivate me. They give me that extra push.

When you don’t have folks cheering for you, like it happened there over in New York, it puts pressure on you and everything. I think it brings you a little bit down I guess but that’s nothing. But I am very comfortable and happy for the fight to be here in Vegas because it’s close to L.A. and I know a lot of people are going to come to support me and everything.

But also I know Carl Frampton’s going to have a lot of support because you know, they’re going to take this as a great advance to come in, the people from Ireland and everything, England. And they’re going to come here to get to know Vegas and take that as their vacation or something like that.

So I know he’s going to have a lot of crowd too and then it’s going to be, I hope that it’s fair. There won’t be any advantages for me or for him. So I hope it’s 50/50 and that we both have, get the same respect and everything from both sides.

Q
Do you concede at all that the cards in New York were fair? Or do you think that you won the fight or that it should have been a draw?

L. Santa Cruz
To me, I hadn’t watched the fight. I barely watched it this past week. I barely watched it and the fight I thought was a fairly close fight. I thought the fight was really, really close. It could have gone either way maybe it could have gone my way too like by one point or two.

But I don’t know if you see it that way, but in my opinion I think the fight was pretty close. It could have gone either way. And it was just a really hard entertaining fight that, in my opinion it was pretty close. It could have gone a draw or maybe even a point. It could have gone my way for a point or two.

Q
Carl, with this victory, can you talk about the reception that you got when you went back home and are you even bigger now?

C. Frampton
Yes, obviously, it was a big deed to become the first ever Northern Ireland man to win world titles in two different divisions. And I’ve always had great support from back home. But this time, you know, we went back and had to go to a reception that was maybe 6000 people to welcome me back home.

And yes with each fight, I seem to be getting more fans from back home and obviously I’m very, very grateful for that but I think a lot of credit has to go with the guys, like Leo Santa Cruz because people back home, they understand boxing. They want to see me involved and fight with great fighters.

So I think the fans enjoyed the last fight especially the ones, the ones that couldn’t make it out, they enjoyed watching it on T.V. And I think it’s important for me to continue to fight fighters of this caliber for the rest of my career.

K. Swanson
Closing comments for Carl and Leo?

C. Frampton
I’ll just keep it short and sweet. I just think that again it’s going to be a great fight against two great fighters. We’re willing to do whatever it takes to get the win and, you know, two guys with a lot to live up to here especially coming off the back of our last fight.

And I’m sure Leo will say the same that no matter what happens, this is going to be a great fight and one not to miss.

L. Santa Cruz
Yes, my message to all the fans, to the media, thank you for making this fight. And I just want to let you know that this s going to be another great fight no matter who the winner is.

We’re doing this for our fans. We’re going out there to give the best fight and we’ll leave everything in the ring to make a great fight. And I know this fight is going to be even better than the first one.

So I encourage other people to watch it live in Vegas or they can watch it on SHOWTIME. And they don’t want to miss this fight because we’re both fighters that believe we’re going to go out there and get the win. And that makes it a bigger fight.

So I just want to tell you guys, don’t miss the fight. And thank you for all the support.

K. Swanson
Thanks, I’m going to introduce the co-main event. First up, he’s 35-0 with 29 knockouts. He’s trained by his brother Robert out of Riverside California and they are hailing from Baja, California.

He has won world titles in two weight divisions and he had recently returned after a long layoff to stop former champion Elio Rojas in July and now he has the opportunity to fight for a title. So Mikey, you want to make a couple comments?

Mikey Garcia
Well I’m very happy to be here. Very excited. Very grateful for the opportunity that’s been given. I’m ready to get back and get back what’s mine and get back where I belong. I think this is a wonderful fight and I think January 28 is only the beginning of this next stage of my career which will be the best stage of my career.

K. Swanson
Next up is the champion. He’s 22-0 with 15 knockouts. He is the undefeated lightweight world champion. And he hails from Montenegro. He’s a WBC lightweight world champion..

Became the first boxing world champion ever from Montenegro when he won his title in June of 2016. So without further ado, Dejan, would you like to make a couple of comments?

Dejan Zlaticanin
I’m very excited because I’m fighting on this big stage at MGM Grand. That’s the mecca of boxing and against a very good and famous fighter like Mikey. And I prepare very good for this fight. I believe I will be victorious on the 28th.

Q
Just what has it been like, the reaction at home for him when he won his world championship?

D. Zlaticanin
I’m famous there. They recognize me, everyone from kids of five years to all the elders. Everyone knows me. But the people who are representing sports ministers, they might think that they already know what this means for them. And for every country, not just for little countries. This is a very big result.

Q
Can he just explain his rationale, his reasons for giving Garcia the shot so quickly?

D. Zlaticanin
I like to fight the best. I don’t feel good when I win someone maybe he’s not the best, or too good a fighter. I want to fight the best and to fight dangerous opponents and to test myself every time to be better and better.

Q
Do you think that the one fight against Rojas after your long layoff was enough to get you ready to fight such a highly regarded opponent like Dejan Zlaticanin for the title?

M. Garcia
I think I was ready to fight for the title even after the layoff on my first fight back. We obviously were not able to secure a title fight and I had to get through Rojas. But I think the Rojas fight showed everybody that I didn’t lose a beat. I was right where I was before the layoff.

The styles that Rojas presented versus the style that Dejan presents is very different so it’s not like I took that as a preparation for this. It just means that I have to get back to the ring. And after I got that one taken care of, we were looking for a world title fight. And Dejan was available and willing to give me a title shot. And we are taking this opportunity.

Q
What’s your scouting report, so to speak, on your opponent?

M. Garcia
He’s a very good, aggressive fighter with dangerous power. He’s always coming in looking for the knockout, looking for big shots, trying to land his big, overhand left, right hand to the body. Just, he’s very good at what he does.

Now, I think that that’s a dangerous opponent but that’s the fight that will give me the most recognition. When I got guys in front of me, just like he said, if he’s got a guy in front of him that’s easy, doesn’t mean the same, the victory won’t carry the same value.

So when you beat someone that’s a dangerous and like undefeated world champion like himself, that gives me more credibility and I just feel that it’s a much getter victory that vying for a vacant title.

Q
Characterize what you see in your opponent’s fights. How he sets up those punches and what you need to be prepared for?

M. Garcia
Well he seems to come forward. I mean that overhand left. And he’s been pretty successful with it. He’s had a lot of success with that overhand left. Uses the right to get inflows, get the range. Measure his opponents. And if he gets them, with that straight left, overhand left, he’s powerful with that. It seems to be his favorite punch.

And it’s worked for him. So that’s something I’ve got to be careful for. We’ve been trained for that. But he’s also always very aggressive just physically because mentally he doesn’t really step back. He doesn’t really seem to ever get discouraged. He’s always coming forward. Always has the champion’s mindset of winning.

This is the way a champion should be and I respect him for being like that because he is a world champion. He’s not a paper champion. He’s not somebody that just gave us attitude. He’s earned it. He’s definitely earned his world championship status.

Q
Mikey, do you think you’re fighting the best guy at this weight?

M. Garcia
He’s the world champion in the world 135-pound division. He’s undefeated. He’s definitely one of the best guys in the division to do that with Linares and Flanagan.

All these champions have done great and he’s definitely done great on his own. So I think he’s probably the most dangerous of all of them.

He’s definitely going to be the biggest guy that I face. As far as a natural lightweight, yes, he’s probably the most dangerous in that aspect. He’s the strongest, biggest guy that I faced in my career. I was fighting a featherweight followed by two featherweights.

Even even though we fought in my last fight 140 pounds, fought the former featherweight champion in Rojas myself. So it wasn’t like I was fighting a huge 140. I was fighting a guy that used to be the same size as me at featherweight and at 130 pounds. But now I’m fighting a naturally big, 135-pound world champion.

Q
How is Dejan treated in his country even though he’s a new champion? How is he treated in relation to the long time stars like the soccer players and the basketball players?

D. Zlaticanin
People ask me because I’m first champion and they know that it’s something special. And after this fight I believe I won’t just be famous in my country, but I’ll be famous worldwide.

Q
Does it offend you that he may be talking about other fights? Do you feel like he’s looking past you?

D. Zlaticanin
I don’t know if that’s respect or disrespect. I want to get in the ring and to show everything but that’s not good for him if he doubts my left hand because it will break off his head. He can’t think about it. He needs to win this fight first then to talk about that. But this is real life. This is not movies. You can’t go, you need to first to jump then to fly.

Q
Dejan, do you think you’re going to knock Mikey out?

D. Zlaticanin
Yes. It’s a 12 round fight and I think I will catch him with a good shot and he’ll be knocked out.

Q
Dejan, do you think Mikey is the best fighter you’ve faced?

D. Zlaticanin
He’s the most famous fighter, that’s true, but I can’t talk about that before I get in the ring with him because I fought big names like Rick Burns, Petr Petrov are really good fighters. And Redkach. And we can talk about if he’s dangerous or not when I’m not in the ring with him. So when we finish the fight I can talk about this.

Q
Do you have any level of concern about if the fights does go to the scorecards because you’re coming to the United States?

D. Zlaticanin
No, I’m not. I think there will be fair judging.

Q
Do you feel overlooked even though you’re the defending champion going in?

D. Zlaticanin
Maybe he’s looking like that but that would be a big mistake for him. He’s a big name here at USA but I’m not. I’m champion but people don’t know me here yet. But he’ll know me good after January 28.

I want to tell everyone that Mikey never fought the fighter like me with big punches like mine. And I’m very durable and I am patient. I’m waiting for my chance.

Q
Mikey, he said he was going to knock you out. I’m sure you don’t hear that going into every fight but what are your thoughts on that?

M. Garcia
That shows his confidence and that shows, that it will be a great fight. Like I said before, I don’t want a guy that’s just going to go in there and take a beating. I want somebody that I can push to the next level, somebody that can really test me and I think Dejan is the perfect man to do that.

Q
What are your thoughts on him saying that you’re making a mistake talking about other fights?

M. Garcia
I definitely have to do this my first and this is the main focus. But whenever I get asked about a future fight, I have to answer and have to try, with some logic. And if everything goes well in this fight against Dejan, of course we’re going to move forward and look at what’s available. And if we can unify titles or defend the title against a well-known name or maybe move up in weight class, things like that, you have to start, planning the future.

But the fight that’s most important is in front of me which is Dejan Zlaticanin and I don’t think there’s any problem with that. It’s not going to affect the way I perform. It’s not going to affect the way I prepare for this fight. My main focus is January 28 and then after that we’ll move on to whatever the future has for us.

ABOUT FRAMPTON VS. SANTA CRUZ 2:
Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz 2 is a world championship rematch of the 2016 Fight of the Year candidate featherweight showdown. The 12-round bout headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING action on Saturday, Jan. 28 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. In the co-main event, lightweight world champion Dejan Zlaticanin will meet former two-division champion Mikey Garcia in the opening bout on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Featherweight world champion Lee Selby will fight for the second time in the United States when he battles former world champion Jonathan Victor Barros in action on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Ringstar Sports in association with Cyclone Promotions and TGB Promotions, are priced at $504, $404, $304, $204, $104 and $54, and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.AXS.com.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports, www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @PremierBoxing, @Ringstar @LeoSantaCruz2, @RealCFrampton, @MikeyGarcia, @DinamitDejan1 and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/RingstarSports and www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

LONDON (20 January) – BoxNation will air two blockbuster bills exclusively live on the channel with five-time world champion Miguel Cotto facing knockout king James Kirkland on February 25th before former IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux takes on Curtis Stevens on March 11th.

Puerto Rican legend Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) has long been one of boxing’s biggest and best names and he, like Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs), is coming off a loss to Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez, as both men seek redemption in a 12-round light-middleweight showdown.

Taking place at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, this event will be the first of its kind to be held at the state-of-the-art, 510,000 square foot indoor athletic facility used by the Dallas Cowboys.

“I’m excited to return to the ring and put on a great show. I’m enjoying training camp and can’t wait for February 25th,” said ring legend Miguel Cotto. “Fighting inside the beautiful Ford Center, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboy’s newest creation, and headlining the first ever boxing event there pumps me with a lot of enthusiasm and energy.”

“I’m very excited to get back into the ring against a legend like Miguel Cotto. I’m going to train like never before so I can show the world that the old James Kirkland is back,” said James Kirkland. “You know the fight will be exciting while it lasts. February 25th can’t come soon enough.”

The bout promises to be an all-action affair on BoxNation as two of the most exciting fighters around do battle as they look to kick start their careers with hopes of securing a world title shot down the line.

That thrilling bill will be followed the month after by another mouth-watering clash when big-hitters Lemieux and Stevens meet at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York.

The 12-round middleweight bout for the NABO middleweight championship will see Montreal favourite Lemieux, with a record of 36-3, 32 KOs, look to regain his position amongst the elite at 160-pounds against the tough Stevens, who enters with a record of 29-5, 21 KOs.

“After all this talk, here we are. I’m so excited that this fight will finally be happening. We have big plans for 2017 and this will be the first step. I will make sure to take care of Stevens on March 11. Curtis Stevens came knocking on the wrong door,” said Lemieux. “I’m going to be victorious. I’m going to be vicious. It’s a fight that all the fans will want to see. We’ll see who is stronger, who takes the punches better. It’s going to be exciting.”

“It should be an excellent fight. He comes to fight. I come to fight. It should be a move to move battle. You are going to want to see this,” said Stevens.

Cotto v Kirkland and Lemieux v Stevens joins an already bulging 2017 BoxNation schedule which has a number of world class fights, including Keith Thurman taking on Danny Garcia in a welterweight unification clash, plus the return of Adrien Broner against Adrian Granados.

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “We are pleased to add two further sizzling showdowns to the BoxNation schedule in Miguel Cotto v James Kirkland and David Lemieux v Curtis Stevens. These are two high-quality matchups that are sure to have BoxNation subscribers on the edge of their seats. We look forward to continue adding the very best bouts on BoxNation in 2017.”

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, NV (January 20, 2017) – Erislandy Lara, the WBA/IBO 154-pound champion, scored two knockouts in his match against Yuri Foreman in Miami on Premier Championship Boxing on Spike TV last Friday night. One in the ring to retain his world titles and another in the ratings. An average of 547,000 viewers, with a peak audience of 707,000, tuned in to watch Lara land a devastating uppercut that knocked out former world champion Foreman in the fourth round.

Spike TV’s viewership ratings for Lara vs. Foreman scored 11% higher than their last Friday night telecast, which showcased Danny Jacobs vs Sergio Mora. Look for Erislandy Lara to return to the ring sometime before summer.

“I want to thank Spike TV and everyone involved with the promotion for giving me the opportunity to fight in Miami, in front of all my fans.” said Erislandy Lara. “The last time I fought in Miami I got the knockout and that’s exactly what I wanted to do in this fight. I accomplished that goal and the fans got to see someone go down. Everyone loves the knockout. I’m happy to have delivered a positive rating for Spike TV. I can’t wait to return to the ring.”

The WBC is extremely concerned with the behavior and actions showcased by Mr. Angel Garcia, who is the trainer of WBC welterweight champion Danny Garcia, during the press conference for the highly anticipated fight between Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman.

The WBC prides itself for its battle against apartheid, in which South Africa was banned from boxing for 19 years, and our constant rejection to any sort of discrimination and abuse of power.

The WBC condemns the foul language, the discriminatory threats, and the very dangerous actions which could have led to a riot and personal injuries during this presentation.

The WBC has no jurisdiction over licensing of trainers, which is a matter that corresponds to the local boxing authorities. However, the WBC Code of Ethics and Constitution, Rules and Regulations, emphatically reject these actions, which cannot be tolerated in our sport.

The WBC respects and has always enjoyed a very respectful relation with Mr. Angel Garcia in the past, and the WBC will hold a meeting in person or by teleconference next week through the WBC administrative process and protocol.

Boxing is a sport of contact, but it is a noble one and fighters are role models for the youth of the world with countless exemplary actions of fair play, respect, unity, humanity and brotherhood.

Garcia vs. Thurman is a very important fight between two undefeated champions, which brings the best of our sport, and the attention must be fully into this great event and the two fighters putting their future on the line.

Mauricio Sulaiman
WBC President

20th January, 2017 – London: David Haye’s Hayemaker Promotions has today announced a historic deal with boxing promoting giant, Richard Schaefer, to form Hayemaker Ringstar, a new promotions company set to change the landscape of boxing promotion

The deal brings together two world renowned boxing figures; former World Heavyweight Champion, David Haye, who has self promoted and navigated his way to multiple world title fights and Pay-Per-View mega showdowns, joins forces with former Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Schaefer, the brains behind many of the biggest-selling Pay-Per-View fights in history, and the founder of Ringstar Sports. The deal marks Schaefer’s first business foray into the UK market, and it also ensures that Haye will remain at the pinnacle of boxing long after he hangs up his gloves.

Hayemaker Ringstar will establish a stable of boxers, including current World Champions and the UK’s most exciting prospects. The company will be a unique promotions entity, one that puts boxers first, gives global exposure to the most talented fighters, bringing the sport to a new legion of fans. The company will sign an exclusive deal with a major UK broadcaster, and aims to be recognized as the home of World Champions and future World Champions.

As CEO of Golden Boy Promotions from 2002 to 2014, Schaefer brings unparalleled experience to the new joint-venture. At Golden Boy, he promoted what were at the time the two biggest selling PPV events in boxing history – Floyd Mayweather vs De La Hoya in 2007, and Mayweather vs Canelo Alvarez in 2013 – while also bringing through the likes of Alvarez, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia and Deontay Wilder from up-and-coming prospects to World Champions and Pay Per View main-eventers.

David Haye said: ‘The joint venture with Hayemaker & Ringstar will send shockwaves through British boxing. Together, we are creating a new kind of promotions entity. Throughout the history of boxing, the fighter has worked for the promoter, the core values of Hayemaker Ringstar will turn this on its head. We will work for the fighter. This shift will impact an incredible sport in a hugely positive way. Hayemaker Ringstar will be renown for discovering amazing young talent, nurturing, empowering, and helping them to become global stars.”

“The promoters who have dominated the British scene until now have done a good job. But with Richard’s unrivalled track record coupled with my first hand insight understanding the needs of a fighter through the evolution of their career Hayemaker Ringstar provides fighters with the perfect environment to maximise their potential, both in the ring and commercially. I have no doubt that Hayemaker Ringstar will become the UK’s leading promotional company.”

Richard Schaefer said: “I’m delighted to be partnering with David to form Hayemaker Ringstar. The UK is a great market for boxing, with exciting fighters and passionate fans, and we’re determined to work with the most talented boxers to give people the fights they want to see.

“I’ve wanted to set up in the UK for a long time, but it was important to partner with a team who knows the market. I couldn’t ask for a better partner than David – we’re both incredibly passionate about the sport, we both want to put fighters first, and we’re both committed to bringing boxing to the masses.”

The first fight to be promoted by Hayemaker Ringstar will be Haye’s heavyweight clash with Tony Bellew, a co-promotion with Matchroom Boxing, at London’s O2 Arena on March 4th. While the focus will be on UK-based fights, Hayemaker Ringstar will also work on promoting fights in the USA, capitalizing on Schaefer’s unrivalled contacts with broadcasters and venues.

WORCESTER, Mass. (January 20, 2017) – Boxing returned to Worcester last night (Thursday) for the first time in more than five years to the delight of a capacity crowd of 2,100 passionate fans at the Palladium.

The inaugural event of the “New England’s Future” series, presented by Rivera Promotions Entertainment, featured 10 action-packed fights, highlighted by rising Worcester featherweight prospect Irvin Gonzalez (5-0, 5 KOs).

“The support we received from the sold out crowd was exciting for our first show,” said promoter Jose Antonio Rivera, the former 3-time, 2-division world champion. “We working on our second show in March, of course, right here in Worcester.”

The 20-year-old Gonzalez was absolutely relentless in the main event, fright rom the opening bell, throwing a barrage of unanswered punches from every conceivable angle, repeatedly hurting his Mexican foe, Israel “Tigre” Ramos (9-15, 3 KOs), including a late first-round knockdown. Gonzalez didn’t let up in the second, firing crisp punches, until Rojas hit the canvas early in the second frame and referee Steve Clark had seen enough, stopping the one-sided fight.

Gonzalez is continuing the rich Worcester boxing tradition. “I’m always relentless,” Gonzalez said with a smile. “It was great fighting in the main event at home. I heard the crowd and really appreciated their support. I hurt him early and I almost took him out in the first round with a body punch. I finished him off with a right in the second. None of my fights have gone the distance, but I prepared to go the full six tonight, if needed.”

Gonzalez takes off Sunday o report to undefeated Guillermo Rigondeaux’ training camp in Miami, where he’ll work with the reigning WBA super bantamweight world champion and 2-time Olympic gold medalist.

Undefeated Ray “Bazooka” Gracewski (5-0, 3 KOs), fighting out of Springfield (MA), was on a search-and-destroy mission in the co-feature against Worcester super middleweight Ralph Johnson (2-10, 1 KO), who was dropped three times before referee Kevin Hope halted the fight.

Hartford’s pro-debuting Richard “Popeye The Sailor Man” Rivera was good to the finish, albeit only two rounds, in a fight contested at a 185-pound catchweight against Philadelphian Davonte Hopkins (0-3). Rivera, who was a 2016 Rocky Marciano Tournament winner, punished Hopkins, finally dropping him in the second round, after which his corner threw in the towel.

In an evenly matched junior featherweight bout, hometown favorite Ranse Andino’s pro debut resulted in a hard earned victory, by way of a four-round unanimous decision, over Lowell’s (MA) previously unbeaten Jonathan Perez (2-1-1, 2 KOs)

Unbeaten Haitian heavyweight Jean Pierre “Kid Creole” Augstin (7-0-1, 3 KOs) pounded game Mexican foe Jose Humberto “Olympico” Corral (19-22, 12 KOs) from the opening bell en route to a shutout six-round unanimous decision.

East Hartford prospect Anthony Laureano (2-0, 1 KO), a 2016 New England Golden Gloves champion, finished off winless welterweight Rafael Francis (0-9) with a debilitating body shot early in the second round.

In his pro debut, popular Worcester heavyweight Felix Martinez, a local barber, spotted his opponent, 392-pound Bobby Favors (0-4), nearly 60 pounds but Favors was unable to continue after the first round.

Southbridge, MA Wilfredo “El Sucaro” Pagan turned in a memorable pro debut, winning a four-round majority decision over Alexander Picot (1-2-1 (0 KOs), contested at a 145-pound catchweight.

The second-oldest pro fighter in Massachusetts history, 49-year-old “Irish” Chuck Shearns (3-1, 2 KOs), of nearby Auburn, MA., ended his boxing career in style with an opening-round technical knockout victory over Philadelphia junior middleweight Shavonte Dixon (0-2).

Team Shearns celebrates after his retirement fight

U.S. Marine Brandon Montella, fighting out of Saugus, MA., improved his record to 6-0 (5 KOs), as his light heavyweight Mexican veteran Roberto “El Viejo” Valenzuela (69-74-2, 56 KOs) suffered an injury early in the second round.

Complete results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Main Event -Featherweights
Irvin Gonzalez (5-0, 5 KOs), Worcester, MA
WTKO2 (1:28)
Israel Rojas (9-15, 3 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico

Co-Feature – Super Middleweights
Ray Graceski (5-0, 3 KOs), Springfield, MA
WTKO1 (1:32)
Ralph Johnson (2-10, 1 KO), Worcester, MA

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Jean Pierre Augstin (8-0-1, 3 KOs), Lawrence, MA
WDEC6 (60-54, 60-54, 60-54)
Jose Humberto “Olympico” Corral (19-23, 12 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico

Felix Martinez (1-0, 1 KO), Worcester, MA
WTKO1 (3:00)
Bobby Favors (0-4), Cincinnati, OH

(185-pound) Catchweight
Richard Rivera (1-0, 1 KO), Hartford, CT
WTKO2 (2:48)
Davonte Hopkins (0-3), Philadelphia, PA

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Brandon Montella (6-0, 5 KOs), Saugus, MA
WTKO2 (0:50)
Roberto Valenzuela (69-74-2, 56 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Chuck Shearns (3-1, 2 KOs), Auburn, MA
WTKO1 (2:19)
Shavonte Dixon (0-2), Philadelphia, PA

(145-pound) CATCHWEIGHT
Wilfredo Pagan (1-0, 0 KOs), Southbridge, MA
WDEC4 (39-37, 39-37, 38-38)
Alexander Picot (1-2-1, 0 KOs), Cidra, Puerto Rico

WELTERWEIGHTS
Anthony Laureano (2-0, 1 KO), East Hartford, CT
WKO2 (0:24)
Rafael Francis (0-9), Dorchester, MA

JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS
Ranse Andino 1-0, 0 KOs), Worcester, MA
WDEC4 (40-36, 39-37, 39-37)
Jonathan Perez (2-1-1, 2 KOs), Lowell, MA

SPONSORS: Heavyweights – Lundgren Honda, Atty. Michael H. Erlich, Atty. Maria M. Rivera-Cotto, USANA Health Services; Lightweights – TKO Auto Repair, Atty. Stephen W. Debs.

INFORMATION:
Facebook.com/RiveraPromotionsEntertainment
Twitter: @RiveraPromoEnt @joseriverachamp, @KingRivera_
ABOUT RIVERA PROMOTIONS ENTERTAINMENT (RPE): Founded in 2016, Rivera Promotions Entertainment is owned and operated by one of Worcester’s all-time greatest boxers – 3-time, 2-division world champion Jose Antonio “El Gallo” Rivera – along with his son, Anthonee “AJ” Rivera, whose collective goal is to bring boxing back to Worcester on a consistent basis, providing boxers a platform and fans a full entertainment experience.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Jan. 20th, 2017) — Four and a half years ago in Brooklyn, reigning Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) champion Khiary Gray faced Courtney Pennington on enemy soil, not knowing they’d one day fight for a title in front of a sold-out crowd at one of the region’s premier destinations for professional boxing.

Though the details are still fuzzy on both sides — Pennington (9-4-1, 5 KOs) himself didn’t remember he had fought Gray (14-1, 11 KOs) until checking the name a second time — Gray is certain he won that night despite not getting the decision and is confident he’ll leave no doubt Saturday, Feb. 4th, 2017 when he defends his UBF International and Northeast Junior Middleweight Titles against Pennington at Twin River Casino.

“I won that fight in New York,” Gray said of his 2012 Long Island Amateur Boxing Championships match against Pennington.

“He couldn’t touch me. My defense was too much. I’m too slick. I have speed, power, and no one knows what type of fighter I am on fight day because I’m so multi-dimensional. I can box, or I can sit in the pocket and trade, but people are just going to have to see come fight day.”

The eight-round Gray-Pennington title bout headlines CES Boxing’s 2017 season opener, promoted in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, which promotes the Brooklyn-born Pennington.

Tickets are priced at $47.00, $102.00, $127.00 (VIP) and $152.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com, www.twinriver.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The fighter Pennington faces next month likely won’t resemble the raw, yet talented, amateur he fought four and a half years ago at the famed Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn. Gray has matured quickly both in and out of the ring since turning pro in 2014. The Worcester, Mass., native has fought 15 times in two and a half years, including three title bouts and his highly-touted network television debut on ShoBox: The New Generation.

Through it all, the 24-year-old Gray learned more about himself in his Showtime loss to Ian Green, a devastating second-round knockout in a fight he dominated up until he got caught.

“That fight wasn’t me,” Gray admits. “I was rushing and just looking for a knockout. That loss made me realize what I really need to be doing.”

It also raised some doubts as to whether or not Gray wanted to continue pursuing a career in boxing. The aftermath of losing on national television was unlike anything he had anticipated. With Gray’s aura of invincibility shattered, some fans and friends turned their backs, but those who continued to support him through the ups and downs motivated him to stay the course and continue chasing his dream.

Gray jumped right back into the fire in October against the dangerous Chris Chatman, a popular ring villain in New England who had carved his niche as a spoiler against hometown fighters. Predicting he’d be “reborn” that night, Gray pushed his way through six hard rounds before knocking out Chatman in the seventh, a stunning finish to a career-defining 2016.

“That win put me right back where I’m supposed to be with the new up-and-coming fighters,” Gray said. “Winning by knockout makes me a fighter people need to watch.”

Gray is at the age where most contenders begin to make their anticipated climb to the top of their weight class. Three of the four major title-holders in the 154-pound division, twin brothers Jermell Charlo and Jermall Charlo and Canelo Alvarez, are 26. Rhode Island’s Demetrius Andrade, a world champion in 2013, is now 28 as he prepares for his next title shot against 31-year-old World Boxing Association (WBA) champion Jack Culcay in March.

The real push for Gray could begin this year, starting with his Feb. 4th bout against the gritty, battle-tested Pennington, who has built himself into a solid contender despite a limited amateur background. Gray has yet to back down from a challenge. He could’ve taken an easier fight after losing to Green, but instead faced Chatman, who pushed him to the limit before he landed the knockout blow in the seventh.

Pennington has a similar resume; he traveled to Jamaica in 2015 to face middleweight challenger Devon Moncrieffe on foreign soil and 10 months ago battled in-state rival Patrick Day at the famed Paramount Theater in New York. With losses in four of five bouts, Pennington challenged 15-1-1 Boyd Melson in November and righted the ship with a seventh-round knockout, a rebound eerily similar to Gray’s comeback win over Chatman.

“Nothing really stood out to me when fought Patrick Day,” Gray said, “but I like that he takes tough fights and by taking the fight with me, I respect him for that.”

The courtship ends there. On Feb. 4th, Gray steps back into his office between the ropes intent on continuing his climb to the top of the junior middleweight division. Nearly five years since his first fight against Pennington, Gray has earned the rematch on his terms and his turf with much higher stakes this time around.

The Feb. 4th card features an additional title bout as New Haven, Conn., vet Josh Crespo (7-4-3, 3 KOs) faces unbeaten Timmy Ramos (4-0-1, 4 KOs) of Framingham, Mass., in a six-round bout for the vacant New England Super Featherweight Championship.

In a battle of unbeatens, Hartford, Conn., prospect Jose Rivera (2-0, 2 KOs) faces his toughest test to date in a six-round junior middleweight showdown against New Bedford, Mass., vet Ray Oliveira Jr. (6-0, 1 KO) and fellow undefeated prospects and decorated amateurs Jamaine Ortiz (2-0, 2 KOs) of Worcester, Mass., and Canton Miller (2-0, 1 KO) of Saint Louis, Mo., square off in a four-round lightweight battle.

Framingham’s Julio Perez (4-1) ends his nine-month layoff in a four-round intrastate showdown against Salem vet Matt Doherty (5-3-1, 3 KOs), who returns to Twin River for the first time since July of 2015. Following a busy 2016 in which he fought six times in seven months, Worcester’s Kendrick Ball Jr. (4-0-2, 3 KOs) faces Minneapolis’ Kenneth Glenn (3-2, 1 KO) in a four-round middleweight bout, and Framingham middleweight Christopher Davis-Fogg (2-0, 1 KO) makes his Twin River debut in a four-round bout against Anthony Everett (1-4) of Lawrence, Mass.

Taunton, Mass., welterweight Marqus Bates (0-1) aims to bounce back from a loss in his professional debut in a four-round battle against Providence, R.I., native Aaron Muniz, who makes his debut. Junior welterweight Khiry Todd (1-0, 1 KO) of Lynn, Mass., battles Woburn, Mass., native Bruno Dias (0-2) in a four-round bout and junior middleweight Anthony Marsella Jr. (3-0, 2 KOs) of Providence will be featured in separate four-round bout.

The Feb. 4th card will also feature two special CES Ring of Honor ceremonies inducting famed boxing trainer Kevin Rooney, who worked with world champions Mike Tyson and Vinny Paz in his storied career, and the late Manny Lopes of Marshfield, Mass., a former light heavyweight prospect who fought his entire career with CES Boxing until retiring undefeated in 2010.

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

New York, NY (1/20/17) – Dominican Felix Diaz (19-1, 9 KOs) ended a successful 2016 as a world ranked junior welterweight contender with another two impressive victories added to his ledger. He is determined to continue that momentum this year by facing the biggest challenges. The top name on his hit list remains WBC/WBO junior welterweight world champion Terence Crawford.

“I spent half of last year calling out Crawford. He went the easy route, facing John Molina, who entered their December title fight three pounds above the weight limit and was way overmatched. Now, it is time for Crawford to face a real challenge,” said Diaz.

“It doesn’t look like he’ll be fighting Pacquiao any time soon. I am highly ranked by the WBC and WBO, and I am willing to go to Omaha, if that’s what he wants. I respect Crawford as a champion and would love the opportunity to knock him out in his hometown. My promoter Lou DiBella is ready and willing to talk to Bob Arum to get a deal done. It would be a great fight for boxing fans. Let’s get it on.”

Diaz closed out last year fighting in his native Dominican Republic for the first time in three and a half years, breaking down his opponent en route to a TKO victory, on December 16, in Santo Domingo.

Prior to that, Diaz won a thrilling 10-round war against highly regarded, undefeated contender 21-0 Sammy Vasquez in Birmingham, AL. The bout was shown live on FOX, and served as the co-main event to Deontay Wilder’s heavyweight title defense versus Chris Arreola.

The Vasquez fight came just nine months after Diaz lost a questionable majority decision to former IBF 140lb. champ Lamont Peterson in his adversary’s backyard. Wins over 15-1-1 Emmanuel Lartei, 13-2-2 Adrian Granados, and 23-1 Gabriel Bracero earned Diaz the shot against Peterson.

Following the win over Vasquez, Diaz, the only boxer to win an Olympic gold medal for the Dominican Republic, signed a long-term promotional agreement with DiBella Entertainment. Ranked no. 5 by the WBC, no. 13 by the WBO and no. 15 by the IBF, Diaz is anxious to prove that he belongs among boxing’s elite.

“Arum and I have worked together for a long time,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Diaz facing Crawford is a very attractive fight, one that promises a lot of action, and I am confident that we can get it done. We’d be happy to fight on HBO and in Omaha, or anywhere else. While many fighters are avoiding Crawford, Diaz is ready for the challenge. The question is, does Crawford want it?”

“Terence Crawford is someone we’ve been going after for a while,” said Diaz’ manager Jose Nunez. “We would love the opportunity to fight for the world title. Diaz wants to face the best and the best at 140 pounds is Crawford. He continues to maintain his conditioning and will be ready when called, hopefully in April. It all depends on whether Crawford wants to step up to the challenge.”