Ohara Davies will defend his WBC Silver Super-Lightweight title against ‘Dirty’ Derry Mathews on the undercard of the David Haye vs. Tony Bellew’s Heavyweight blockbuster on March 4 at The O2 in London, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Undefeated Davies won a unanimous decision over Andrea Scarpa at Wembley Arena in November and had called out Mathews on Twitter after the Liverpool fighter’s Commonwealth Lightweight title defeat to Luke Campbell a month earlier.

Former World title challenger Mathew’s has stepped up a division to answer that call and as he hunts to get back in the mix for major honours, but Davies has promised to KO his opponent into retirement at The O2.

“I’m happy the fans finally get the fight they want to see,” said Davies. “For Derry, I’m happy he has got the fight that he wants but what both the fans and Derry must understand is, I’m not here to play.

“I’m here to win World titles. Derry Mathews’ name must be added to my KO record for me to continue the journey.

“Come March 4 I will be in the best shape of my life, and I will retire Derry Mathews for good.”

Mathews said: “I have to shut him up, he’s done my head in. I just want to smash him to bits.

“I don’t know where all this has come from because I don’t know the kid – is it all for publicity or is he really that mouthy and disrespectful? I’ve never met him so I couldn’t say, but he seems a strange one.

“He’s got a chip on his shoulder. I think over my career I’ve gained the respect of my fans by the fights that I’ve been in. He’s trying to get a big-name fight by calling people out on Twitter, badmouthing people. As soon as I was offered the fight I jumped at it. I want to beat him bad.

“There will be lots of Scousers there but I think half of London wants me to beat him too. He’s got a horrible attitude and he comes across badly on social media. He’s trying to be a bad boy but he’s hanging out with TV stars from TOWIE. I don’t know what he is – is he a London bad boy or an Essex TV star? I don’t think he knows himself, but I know he’ll be getting in a cab home after the fight with Arg and no belt.

“He’s the WBC Silver champion but I think he’s been handed that on a plate – it’s the same belt that Callum Smith and Luke Campbell have and they’ll fight for World titles this year. Davies shouldn’t be on a par with them, so I am going to rip that belt off him and get my name back in the mix and this time at 10st.

“I always spar around 10st 4lbs and I feel better, and I think that even though I am moving up I will be the bigger man in there. That extra weight is going to add to my power and strength.”

Tickets for Haye vs. Bellew sold out in record-breaking time when they went on sale in December.

Fort Washington, MD (January 9, 2017)- Undefeated junior welterweight prospect, Mykal “The Professor” Fox will take on hard-punching Tre’Sean Wiggins in the main event of a big night of boxing on Saturday night, February 11th at the Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Maryland.

The show is promoted by King’s Promotions.

Fox, 21 years old of Forestville, Maryland is coming off a good 2016, where he went 4-0 and became a main event fight in the Maryland area.

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The 3-year pro is coming off a 7th round stoppage over Juan Rodriguez on November 5th in the same venue.

Wiggins of Newbergh, New York has a record of 7-2 with six knockouts.

The 26 year-old southpaw scored knockouts in his first three bouts by knockout which was highlighted by a 1st round destruction of current WBA Super Featherweight world champion Jason Sosa.

The 7-year professional is coming off a six-round split decision defeat to Benjamin Whitaker on April 15, 2016 in Verona, NY.

In 6-round bouts:

Luther Smith (6-1, 5 KO’s) of Bowie, Maryland will take on Darnell Pierce (5-0, 1 KO) of Austin, Texas in a cruiserweight bout.

Sam Crossed (5-0, 3 KO’s) of Washington, DC will battle Hafiz Montgomery (3-1, 2 KO’s) of Toms River, NJ in a cruiserweight bout.

Marcus Bates (5-0-1, 4 KO’s) of Washington, DC will take on Jose Elizondo (2-2) of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico in a super bantamweight bout.

In 4-round bouts:

Christopher Warden (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Lusby, Maryland battles Lamont White (0-5) of Washington, DC in a junior welterweight bout.

Patrick Rivera (2-0, 1 KO) of Edgewood, Maryland tangos with Gregory Clark (0-1) of Washington, DC in a super middleweight bout.

Justin Hurd (1-0) of Accokeek, Maryland boxes Dawond Pickney (1-3-1) of Hot Springs, Arkansas in a junior middleweight bout.

Greg Outlaw Jr. (1-0) of Bowie, Maryland takes on an opponent to be named in a junior middleweight bout.

Tickets are on sale for $75, $60 and $40 at www.kpboxing.com or by calling 301-899-2430

By Bart Barry-

Twenty months after a fight that put boxing pay-per-view in a death spiral, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao – along with their handlers and hangerson – did not reflect in their own words on the way their match ruined boxing. But here’s imagining they did.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER: Blood, sweat and tears. Hardwork and dedication. Forty-nine tried, 49 failed. You wanna see the check I got? It’s over here (motioning to a 30-foot x 45-foot hanging print of himself showing the media a check at his postfight press conference).

LEONARD ELLERBE (CEO, Mayweather Promotions): I took that pic and we got it mounted by AllPosters.com.

BOB ARUM (CEO, Top Rank): We knew what Mayweather was. We promoted him for years. An exceptional talent and just a rotten human being. We had to watch his fight with Oscar (De La Hoya) and his fight with Canelo (Alvarez), and they made all this money. And we created Oscar too. And we get nothing? Something had to be done.

MANNY PACQUIAO: I fight for the people. Especially the poor people. Seriously. Manny Pacquiao loves everyone. The fight was not happy. My shoulder hurt.

FREDDIE ROACH (Pacquiao’s trainer): After Marquez nearly killed Manny, I thought there was no way the Floyd fight would happen. I talked to Bob (Arum) and asked him if he was going to fire me. Bob said, “Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll get Manny a few heavy bags. We’ll put him in exotic places, maybe do a Bradley rematch. You just keep saying Floyd’s an easy fight. This could work.”

LA-Z THE SCRIBE (Editor in chief, FloydDaGOAT.com): Yeah, after Marquez obliterated him, I got a call from Money. He’s all, “That piss-drinker just cost me a billion!” I was the first to tweet it.

RICHARD SCHAEFER (former CEO, Golden Boy Promotions): You know, when I hear people saying Mayweather-Pacquiao ruined pay-per-view, it actually makes me kind of mad. I had a big part in ruining boxing, and a big part of that success was pay-per-view. We also got Andre Berto overpaid, over and over. It’s easy to give Ken (Hershman) and Stephen (Espinoza) all the credit today. But I’m proud of the work Ross (Greenburg) and I did to make most of that possible.

KEN HERSHMAN (former President, HBO Sports): I wish I hadn’t left Showtime. We did some really good things over there on a shoestring.

ROSS GREENBERG (former President, HBO Sports): I don’t miss anything about boxing.

STEPHEN ESPINOZA (General Manager, Showtime Sports): I miss working with Richard.

SCHAEFER: Please tell Stephen I’m back in boxing!

FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR. (Mayweather’s trainer): Listen, man, I told you I don’t know. Floyd and I allegedly wasn’t on speaking terms at that moment.

ROGER MAYWEATHER (Floyd’s former trainer): I told them motherf–kers it was a dumb idea. Shopping for a turkey? My nephew told me to do it. Them charges got dropped, OK?

PACQUIAO: They make me give the blood too much. If my shoulder happy, I win. Give me a rematch, Floyd. And half.

MAYWEATHER: VADA, ADA, USADA, DABA, DABA. All’s I know is when my dad says that power-pellet stuff all them years ago, some of you thought Manny could beat me. Then the fight happens, and it ain’t close – you tell me, ya dummies.

BRUCE TRAMPLER (Matchmaker, Top Rank): Was I surprised by the result? What do you think?

JAY Z (Founder, ROC NATION Sports): Floyd can’t read. Fifty can’t flow. Arum’s getting old. Al (Haymon) doesn’t answer calls. I’m a hustler. I told my people to find the biggest draws and sign them. Well, Dre (Andre Ward) got no charisma, and Miguel (Cotto) is ancient. I’m leaking a fortune in the fight game already. I need a word that rhymes with ‘divestiture’.

ARUM: Look, Manny’s a pragmatist. He knows there needs to be a chance of his getting killed at this point to sell his fights anywhere but the Phillipines, or he can take less money. He doesn’t want to get killed, right? The silver lining in all this is it led to our finding a continent where he hasn’t fought yet – Australia! Right now, we’re saying there’s interest on all the networks, but in a few months we’re going to decide to put it on our website again.

ELLERBE: We’re back on pay-per-view. We’re doing a three-rounder soon between two of the largest stars in the hip-hop universe. Our production company did that video of Girl Collection already. It broke the internet. Floyd’s the smartest businessman in the world.

ESPINOZA: I can’t believe we won an Emmy for a commercial either. But that’s Floyd!

AL HAYMON (Mayweather’s adviser): …

SAM WATSON (Haymon’s assistant): Be sure and thank Al Haymon for this interview opportunity.

ARUM: We knew things were going sideways when Floyd had to announce the fight with his cell phone. We covered our bases by leaking the imminent announcement to a number of journalists in case Floyd’s battery died. That kickoff press conference looked like a junior-high dance. And Machiavelli (Al Haymon) didn’t help anything by doing what he did.

ROACH: I’d never seen anything like that fight week in Vegas. I hope Manny gets the rematch (grinning widely); I think we’ll win easily next time.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA (Founder, Golden Boy Promotions): Everything I built in all my pay-per-view fights? They ruined it. We didn’t make a dime. Now K2 (Gennady Golovkin’s promoter) wants us to get Canelo knocked-out for less than I made fighting Felix Sturm. ¡Felix pinche Sturm, imagínate! We’re rebuilding right now, old school. But we need Canelo. Maybe a rematch with Floyd would sell? We’d take a fight with Manny too. Let’s stop talking about GGG.

MIGUEL COTTO (former middleweight world champion): Miguel Cotto fight next month against somebody. Pay-per-view. Miguel Cotto no promote fight because Miguel Cotto has guarantee purse.

MAYWEATHER: I killed boxing (laughing). Told ya!

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

09 January 2017 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its return to Malaysia in 2017 with another spectacular evening of world-class mixed martial arts (MMA) action. ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS is set to electrify the Stadium Negara once again on 10 February. In the main event, hometown hero Ev “E.T.” Ting will take on lightweight veteran Kamal Shalorus.

Ticket information for ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS is available at www.onefc.com

Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “It’s always an amazing time when the team is in Kuala Lumpur, because Malaysian fans are so intensely passionate about MMA that the atmosphere in the stadium just hits a fever pitch. We can’t wait to be back in February. Ev Ting is the biggest Malaysian MMA star right now, and he is poised for another thrilling performance.”

Ev “E.T.” Ting is a mixed martial artist of Malaysian heritage. He lives and trains out of Auckland, New Zealand, and has amassed a stellar 12-3 record so far in his professional career. A winner of his last three bouts over top-caliber opponents, Ting is one of the most talented fighters to come out of Kuala Lumpur. Eight of his 12 victories have come by exciting finish, including four submissions and four knockouts. As Ting’s popularity in Kuala Lumpur soars, he gets the chance to once again grace the ONE Championship cage in the headlining bout against Kamal Shalorus.

39-year-old fight veteran Kamal “Prince of Persia” Shalorus is a mixed martial artist from Iran who sports a 9-4-2 professional record. He is an elite wrestler who also possesses the ability to finish his opponents with highlight-reel knockouts. He has faced the biggest names in ONE Championship’s lightweight division including Eduard Folayang, Ariel Sexton, and Shinya Aoki. Shalorus now returns to the cage to face Malaysia’s biggest star in Ev Ting.

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

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

Albuquerque, New Mexico – January 6, 2017 – On March 18th, Victory Boxing Promotions and Rumble in Rio team up to present a night of charity boxing at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The card kicks off with eight amateur “guns & hoses” bouts between New Mexico Police and Firefighters who will fight to benefit the Jim Franklin Bike Giveaway Program and various New Mexico children’s organizations in New Mexico. The professional portion of the card will feature top prospects from the area, including flyweight Matthew Griego (6-0, 6KO) and super featherweight Alex Holguin (9-1, 6KO). Hard-hitting Carlos “El Tiburon” Sanchez (11-0, 10KO), who hails from San Felipe, Mexico, will also be looking to remain undefeated in a six round bout at junior welterweight.

It’s the promotion’s second foray into the Land of Enchantment. Matthew Griego wowed Albuquerque crowds at Victory Boxing’s July event, stopping Marco Alcaraz in the second round of their bout. Alex Holguin and Carlos Sanchez also came away with wins that evening.

The Rumble in Rio is in its 12th year in the state of New Mexico. It was inspired by Jim Franklin, who was an evidence technician in the Rio Rancho Police Department. For several years Jim would take old bicycles from storage and rebuild them and give them out to children of low-income families in the area for Christmas. This effort prompted Officer Pete Camacho to create “Rumble in Rio,” and allowed the Jim Franklin Bike Giveaway Program to expand and provide more bicycles to more kids. So began the tradition of “Cops and Firefighters Fighting for the Kids”.

“The Rumble in Rio Board now includes members from multiple public safety agencies from New Mexico,” said Andrew Garcia, President of Rumble in Rio. “Our fighters are EMTs, Police Officers, Corrections Officers and Firefighters from around the state and have represented dozens of departments.”

“It’s an honor to team up with Rumble in Rio for this event,” said Victory Boxing Promotions’ Promoter Chris Middendorf. “Any time we have the opportunity to put our events to work in the community, that’s something we’d like to do.”

Doors for Rumble in Rio open at 6 p.m. on March 18th, and first bell is at 7 p.m.

NEW YORK, NY – (January 6, 2017) – Five-Time World Champion Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) and James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) participated in a media tour with stops in New York City and Los Angeles to address the media on their upcoming showdown on Saturday, February 25 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Dubbed as “The Return”, the 12-round junior middleweight contest will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $304, $204, $154, $104, $79, $54 and $29 not including applicable service charges and taxes are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 and the AT&T Stadium box office.

Below is what the fighters and dais guests had to say in New York City and Los Angeles:

Miguel Cotto – Five-Time World Champion

“James is a tough fighter and stout boxer and he’s going to go to work with victory on his mind. I’m going to work with that, too. We are going to start camp today with Freddie and we are looking forward to the fight.

“I will do my best as always in Los Angeles with Freddie Roach commanding our group. All we need is to be ready for Kirkland.

“It’s going to be a great fight, I know that James always comes with a wiry attitude. And I’m going to do the same.

“I’m here for the best fights and the best fighters out there so if Canelo Alvarez wants to fight, to clear what happened November 2015, they know where to find me. It was close. We orchestrated the plan in a perfect way and we believe that we were the winners of the fight.

“I’m going to do the same as always with Freddie Roach. We’re going to work hard and have a game plan in mind. We’re going to work for James Kirkland.

“I’m committed to this fight. I’m committed to look the best possible for February 25. Freddie is in charge of my camp. Freddie is the captain of the boat. I trust him and I know I am going to be ready for February 25.

“It’s good to be back. It’s good to be sweating. I know that Freddie has everything set for our training camp. I rested a lot. I healed. And now I am ready to fight.

“Jerry Jones is a great promotor. I have a lot of respect for the Dallas Cowboys organization. It’s great to have them support this event.

“This fight is going to be the newest chapter in my career. I’m going to take it. I’m going to handle it in the best way possible. I’m going to do my best first with Freddie in the gym and then the night of the fight to make my family proud. I can’t control my legacy. I can’t control what people say about me after I retire. All I do in life is for my family and my kids. That is going to my legacy – what they think about me.”

James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland – Former WBC Continental Americas & WBO NABO
Champion

“I’m definitely going to put on a great performance against an icon and legend like Miguel Cotto.

“I definitely feel this is a step up. Like I said, it’s Miguel Cotto. Someone who’s been putting on for the sport of boxing for a long time and I’m definitely feeling like this is a great opportunity for me to bounce back. I’m definitely going to give my fans a great performance.

“I feel it’s a lot different with Ann. They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Dealing with Ann, we have a certain trust factor with each other when it comes to the training and techniques and things that we do to prepare for any fight. Bringing someone who knows me from the beginning back to the fight game and training Kirkland, it’s overwhelming on both ends. She’s a person that you feel in this atmosphere, the boxing game, who can push Kirkland to his ultimate limits.

“I’ve been training with Ann for so long. Everything that she put me through, or whatever situation might come with training with Ann, I feel like it was always worth it. She pushed me to the ultimate limit but never broke me down, never wear and teared my body, and always has put me in a great position for my performance.

“I just have one agenda, one focus, one mind frame and this is set for February 25.

“Boxing is always a learning experience. And I’ve learned from fighting Alvarez and certain people that I’ve made mistakes against. I take those mistakes and I build from them. I try to learn. I’ve learned a lot from my defeats. Biggest thing that I’ve learned is move your head!

“I’m more focused than ever. Cotto is somebody who has fought all of the greats so I know that he has many tricks up his sleeves and that he prepares well for his fights. At the end of the day, to fight someone who knows the sport, I think about what would he do and how he would feel about certain things. I try to get in the head of Miguel Cotto when I’m training. I’m anxious for the opportunity and I’m thankful for the opportunity.

“Miguel Cotto is someone I look up to. For to me to able to get the opportunity to show what I can bring and take my boxing skill to the next limit is definitely something I can put down in things I have accomplished in boxing. My career needs to get back on the rise and show not just the fans but to the sport of boxing itself that Kirkland is definitely someone that can put on a great show.”

Freddie Roach – Trainer of Miguel Cotto

“If Miguel Cotto didn’t have a lot left, I wouldn’t be here. He’s great in the gym, he’s always in shape and he keeps himself close to weight, all the time. He’s tremendous. He works hard. If he didn’t look great in the gym, I wouldn’t let him fight. I care that much about him. He will be 100% ready for this fight and if he’s not 100% for this fight, it won’t happen.

“James Kirkland always fights better with Ann Wolfe in his corner. He’s doing everything possible to be the best in this fight and we’re going to do the same.”

“Obviously, I thought Miguel won his last fight. A rematch would be great there. Miguel always tells me if I was in his corner when he fought Mayweather, we would have won. What’s next? Who knows? But right now we have a tough fight in front of us. And we’re getting ready for that fight. I did send my guys out a couple of times to work with Miguel in Puerto Rico just to keep him fresh. Miguel in just the past two days has been great. We dusted off the body bag. Body punches are hard. Yes, I peed blood last night. It’s good to be back to work and I am happy to have him back in the gym.”

Michael Yormark – Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy

“On Feb. 25 at Ford Center at The Star, we will witness the big return of boxing legend Miguel Cotto. This is the first pay-per-view fight of the year and this will be Miguel Cotto’s 10th pay-per-view fight of his career. I know there has been some stories and comments out of the market, pre-holiday, regarding the pay-per-view status of this fight. Miguel Cotto has been a pay-per-view fighter for a long time. He is a pay-per-view fighter. This fight belongs on pay-per-view.

“We priced this fight very attractively, $49.95. We listened to consumers, we heard what they wanted to see. HBO heard what they wanted too which is why we priced it at $49.95, a great value proposition. Think about what this fight is going to be…action packed…and will probably end in a knock out. So people who buy this fight can anticipate a lot of action, hard punching and probably a knockout. That is what people what to see, that is what they are willing to investment their money in if they are confident that they are going to get it.

“James Kirkland is an aggressive and lethal opponent. The perfect opponent for Miguel Cotto. From the opening bell, you are going to see action. That is what this fight is all about. For as long as it lasts, it’s going to be a brawl and whoever wins this fight, will move on to a huge fight in 2017. So, there is a lot at stake here.

“It’s all about entertainment and it’s all about value proposition. We know that people want to see this fight. The local market place is telling us that. We have sold over 50% of our tickets during the holidays. Now typically as you know, people don’t usually buy tickets during the holiday but we ‘ve got a great partner in Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, who have really been promoting this fight, very aggressively. We’ve sold over 50% of the inventory with seven weeks to go so people are showing that they want to see this fight.

“We have a great relationship with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys organization through our client, Dez Bryant. We knew that Jerry was looking for a high profile event to bring as the first professional sporting event to The Star. Jerry also has an incredible passion for boxing. With all of the success that he had promoting with Oscar De La Hoya and the Canelo fight that took place at AT&T Stadium, we sat down with Jerry and his team and asked if he would be interested in doing this fight and he said absolutely. Let’s not forget that the Cowboys have the largest Hispanic following in the NFL. We know that is going to help us sell tickets; it already has. Jerry Jones is clearly one of the greatest promoters in the world whether it’s the Cowboys or any event that he brings into one of his venues. He is the best of the best and his marketing team is second to none. You add all of that together and you’ve got a great, no-lose combination. Then you have a great, action packed fight. This was the right venue at the right time, in the right market with the right partner.”

Mike Miller – Manager of James Kirkland

“From Team Kirkland, we just want to thank Roc Nation, HBO Pay-Per-View and Team Cotto for the opportunity. We look forward to showing our talent on February 25. Texas is our home state. And with Ann Wolfe training James, he’s never lost. He’s got a tremendous knock out record percentage. We look forward to the upcoming weeks of training. When the bell rings, we’ll be ready come February 25. Get your tickets early. Texas is going to come out proud and strong for James.”

Peter Nelson – Executive Vice President, HBO Sports

“Fans can decide how they want to watch the fight or if they want to watch the fight. Ultimately, what you see is that the original pay-per-view was whether or not fans are buying tickets for a fight. As Michael just laid out, that’s already happening, you’re already seeing momentum. People know that this is an incredibly high-quality pick up match between Cotto and Kirkland, and that’s what people show up to buy and people want to see.

“I give Roc Nation and Jerry Jones and these two fighters credit for wanting to get out in front of the market place. Some of the fights that people talk about being pay-per-view fights end up never coming together, we see this in boxing every single year. The key is who can get the fights done that fans want to see. That’s at the core of whether or not people are going to show up. To Roc Nation and Jerry’s credit and the fighters, they got the job done here.”

Cotto vs. Kirkland is a 12-round junior middleweight fight presented by Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions and Ford Center at The Star, and is sponsored by Corona Extra. 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.

For more information, please visit www.throneboxing.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter @rocnation and Instagram @rocnationsports and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Follow the conversation using #CottoKirkland.

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ABOUT ROC NATION SPORTS
Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports led to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, supporting athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been working alongside and advocating for artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents Five-Time World Champion Miguel Cotto and Two-Time World Champion Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar, Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein, Jerome Boateng, Miguel Sano, CJ Prosise, Ronnie Stanley, Henry Ellenson, Caris LeVert, Mike Gbinije, Melvin Ingram, Rudy Gay, Ty Lawson and Leonard Fournette.

ABOUT THE STAR
The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and practice facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco and Frisco ISD, The Star features the Ford Center, a 12,000-seat stadium that hosts Frisco ISD football games and other events; Cowboys Fit, a 60,000 square-foot gym developed in partnership with leading fitness developer, Mark Mastrov; and Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL. Throughout 2017, The Star will welcome The Omni Frisco Hotel, a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel; Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center of excellence for sports medicine; as well as a variety of shopping, dining and nightlife options. For more information on The Star, visit: http://thestarinfrisco.com/.

Leonard Ellerbe
Hello everyone, welcome to today’s Badou Jack versus James DeGale media conference call. Today we are going to hear from the main event participants who will be headlining next week’s main event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Our event will be live on SHOWTIME and our event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment. Badou Jack, WBC Super middleweight champion, he’ll be taking on the IBF super middleweight champion – James DeGale and are meeting in a world title unification that fits the best versus the best. We’re very excited about our great event. These two fighters have been on the collision course ever since they won their world titles. They both made successful world titles defenses on last April and with the intention of this big, big moment, next Saturday, January 14th.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader begins at 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT and will open our show with IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Jose Pedraza who’ll be battling Mayweather Promotions own rising star Gervonta Davis. In addition, there will be action on SHOWTIME that streams starting at 7 pm ET/PT and it will be headlined by Four-Division World Champion, Amanda Serrano. Which will be a very, very exciting fight. She will be defending her Junior Featherweight title against Two-Division Yazmin Rivas. This will be the first nationally televised female world title fight in nearly a decade.

First I’d like to introduce my dear friend and promotional partner Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment.

Lou DiBella
Thank you Leonard and it’s been a real pleasure working with you Leonard and Floyd and your team. I’ve been very impressed by the professionalism and you guys have been great to work with and it’ll be great to welcome you guys to your first major promotion in New York next week. So I look forward to seeing you here. As Leonard pointed out this is a terrific card from beginning to end and that begins even with the off TV undercard which will feature undefeated Polish heavyweight, Polish-American heavyweight Adam Kownacki against a top opponent in one of the toughest fights of his career so far. Prospect Julian Sosa who is an undefeated prospect from New York City former Golden Glove champion and a huge ticket seller in New York. Noel Murphy another local fighter from Ireland is on the card as well.

Kenny Robles who was recently signed by Mayweather Promotions from Staten Island, New York will be in action. And those guys will headline the off TV undercard. Leonard mentioned the main event Amanda Serrano who I promote one of the best pound for pound women fighters in the world against Yazmin Rivas. That’s a tremendous fight and I thank Stephen Espinoza for giving the ladies that kind of an opportunity in showcase. The SHOWTIME EXTREME card will also feature a co-feature bout between number two middleweight contenders in the WBC,Ievgen Khytrov versus Immanuwel Aleem another undefeated middleweight prospect. That will be for WBC Silver Middleweight title and the winner will be on course for an eventual shot at the WBC Middleweight Championship.

So the undercard is terrific and the main event really doesn’t need a lot of hype. It’s as good as it gets. It’s the best versus the best. It doesn’t really get any better than yet. I was lucky enough to promote early in his career Badou Jack who is a terrific, terrific fighter. He’s improved and proven himself in every test he’s faced. James DeGale is a former Olympic gold medalist on a 13 fight winning streak. One of the most talented and also one of the most interesting and charismatic fighters in all of boxing in the 168-pound division. So we have a great main event for SHOWTIME to start the year. And I’ll throw it back to Leonard to introduce the man who put this fight together with us. Leonard.

L. Ellerbe
Okay thank you Lou DiBella for those great comments. Just like Lou DiBella just mentioned we owe a great, great deal of thanks to Stephen Espinoza who worked tirelessly with our team and Lou DiBella’s team to put this great event together. He’s a very dear friend and like I said we are really, really excited again to be working with SHOWTIME and it gets no better than that. So without further or due I’d like to introduce none other than Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza
Thanks Leonard. In 2016 SHOWTIME consistently telecasted the best most competitive most important fights in the sport. More fights than any other network, more title fights than any other network, more top 10 versus top 10 fights in any other network. And together with our promoter partners we’re going to continue doing exactly that in 2017. Jack versus DeGale is the first of three number one versus number two match ups that are on the SHOWTIME schedule. And that’s just the first quarter that’s highly anticipated fight a fight that we’ve been working toward for a year. So we are pleased to be kicking off the new year with the consensus to best fighters in the division. As Lou DiBella mentioned the main event has been supported by intriguing junior lightweight title fight between champion Jose Pedraza and Mayweather Promotions highly talented prospect Gervonta Davis.

Plus on SHOWTIME EXTREME we’ve got the women’s title fight featuring Amanda Serrano who it’s no exaggeration say is in fact one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world. If you haven’t seen her fight you should definitely tune for this one. And we’ve got a battle of undefeated prospects Ievgen Khytrov and Immanuwel Aleem. So really it is a stellar card top to bottom for intriguing televised fights. A bunch of high quality off TV fights plus of course the main event a world title unification fight. Once again demonstrating SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is the destination for the best fights in the sport. SHOWTIME is where the best fight the best, champion versus champion. All on SHOWTIME, no pay-per-views. No other network is as committed to the sports and together with Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment we are all committed to this sport and pushing this sport forward.

L. DiBella
I also want to point out that with this fight we’ve gotten a lot of help and assistance from one of the great venues in boxing. The greatest destination for boxing in the country right now. Brett Yormark and all the people at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, we thank them for their help in promoting this great event and hosting it. You’re going to see a lot of great boxing, a lot of great SHOWTIME boxing also at Barclays Center this year. And thanks to Brett — everyone at Barclays Center — tickets are available Ticketmaster.com through Barclays Center Box Office. The tickets are priced incredibly reasonably with the ringside, the IP ringside seats at $300 going down to a I think it’s a $25 low price. And there are while we’re selling really well there are plenty of good seats available.

So we urge people to begin the year with this great card and get your tickets as soon as you can. The ringside and the prime locations are moving very quickly. And without further ado it’s my pleasure to introduce a fighter that I have tremendous respect for. I was lucky enough to promote his victory against Andre Dirrell for the IBF belt in Boston in May of 2015. He’s made two more defenses of that belt over Lucian Bute and Rogelio Medina. Again he was running a 13 fight winning streak and definitely one of the two best 68 pounders in the world. And this event is going to determine who the man really is. So it’s my pleasure to introduce James “Chunky” DeGale.

James DeGale
Hello everyone! The big one is here, the best champ verse the champ. This is the one that I’ve been calling for. I’ve been on the case to my advisor saying hey that’s the one I want. I think this fight determines who is the number one in the division. I think Badou Jack’s a hell of a fighter, a real good fighter and an underrated fighter. He’s shown his last three, four fights that he’s the champ and that he can compete at the highest level and that he’s a quality operator. Camps gone fantastically well, I’m feeling good, sharp, on weight. I’m in fantastic shape, just go and look on my Instagram, I’m in fantastic shape. Been in camp for ten weeks, feeling great mentally and physically in fantastic position. What do I say? On the 14th of January you are in for a treat because it’s going to be a hell of a fight. It’s a lot on the line so enjoy it but should be a good one.

L. Ellerbe
Thank you James for those comments. Next up I’d like to introduce Mayweather Promotions own WBC Super Middleweight Champion. He’s from originally from Stockholm, Sweden but he trained in Las Vegas. He won his world title in 2015 by beating Anthony Dirrell in a very, very exciting fight. Later that year he faced and beat top challenger George Groves, the only man to beat James DeGale in the pros. So without further ado I’d like to introduce none other than Badou Jack.

Badou Jack
Hey what’s up? How’s everybody doing? We’re finally here, we’ve got another week and then it’s on. The best versus the best and I’m very excited. I’ve been training really hard I can’t wait until fight night thank you.

Q
James you’ve fought so many world champions and so many top fights but you’re a guy that’s been going on the road. What’s why is that?

J. DeGale
I don’t know why that is, but I actually like boxing away from home. It takes the pressure off you a little bit and this is living the American dream. Do you know what I’m saying? I’m coming over to America to box in these fantastic states. And getting a fantastic opportunity from my team. But this one is the big one, New York, Barclays Center. Unifying the division so you can’t beat it.

Q
You’re a unified world champion do you have a desire to actually go back home to England and have a world title defense?

J. DeGale
That’s the plan. To go home – to go back home. If everything goes to plan. I beat Badou Jack, next May I’m going home. I’m going home and I’m having a big fight at home. Everyone’s calling for the champ to come home. So yes that’s next in line if things go to plan.

Q
Badou, can you talk about DeGale’s ability and how he’s fought on the road over the last few fights? Not a normal thing for top fighters to do.

B. Jack
Yes, you got to give him credit for that. He comes to people’s backyard. But also I think they lost the first purse bid. He was forced to go to Boston but he’s a fighter and I have nothing but respect for him. Come Saturday night, we’re going to go to war.

J. DeGale
And let’s not forget Andre Dirrell. Let’s not forget who I beat for the world title as well. I boxed Andre Dirrell in America. Andre Dirrell is a good quality technical fighter. This belt wasn’t handed to me. I got it the hard way. All of my career I’ve learned the way. Traveled away from home, won world titles.

Q
Are you at all a little bit disappointed that the fight didn’t get done before next week? Or are you okay with the fact that you guys are both on equal footing in coming off of the nine-month layoff?

J. DeGale
Yes, if I’m being honest the only reason why this fight hasn’t happened quicker is because Badou Jack didn’t want it. After the Bute fight he probably didn’t want it. And then after the Medina fight because I boxed rubbish because Medina went full rounds on me. Badou Jack has got lot of confidence, Leonard’s got a lot of confidence. Mayweather’s got a lot of confidence of him seeing me go twelve rounds and it was lackluster performance against Medina. But you shouldn’t take too much away from that. That’s what I’m trying to say. Don’t take too much away from me fighting Medina and performing like that.

B. Jack
That is all a lie. But I’ve been ready since right after the fight, I told you guys, we could fight in June. I told you I’ve been waiting for Floyd and Leonard to let me know when the date is. I’ve been on Leonard every day for the whole summer. Like come on it’s been six, seven months I want to fight. You know what I’m saying? But whatever – whatever’s the case. If he was greedy about money, whoever’s fault it is we got the fight down right now. And, you know, I’m ready. I don’t care about old fights if he went 12 rounds with this guy and this guy. Me and DeGale have to fight so whatever happened in the past, it don’t matter. You know I lost…

J. DeGale
And you went life and death with Periban. Life and death I knocked him out in three rounds.

B. Jack
That don’t mean nothing right now. It’s me and you baby.

Q
Badou talk to us about the abilities that you see in James DeGale and how do you actually beat him?

B. Jack
He’s a good mover he’s a good fighter. Come fight night you’ll see how I’ll beat him. You’ll find out go live on Sky Sports or SHOWTIME or come live at Barclays Center, you’ll find out.

Q
Do you think James is going to be one of the trickiest opponents you’ve ever faced?

B. Jack
I don’t know, we have to wait until fight night and see. Styles make fights, so you never know, anything could happen in this big circle.

Q
Who have you faced before — James — who is similar to Badou Jack who you can compare to?

J. DeGale
Listen I would say I’ve boxed a lot of people like Badou Jack. Badou Jack he’s pretty basic but he’s good at everything. But he’s a basic fighter really but he’s good at everything he does. So I’m saying, he ain’t got no special effects, nothing fancy. Everything’s just straight forward but very, very good. He does it very, very well and in the ring I can imagine it to be very hard when I stand in front of him. He’s very technical, he’s got a good jab, works the body well, got a good defense. But I’ve got everything covered. And as I say, wait ten more days now and it’s on.

Q
Do you feel that you just have to be James DeGale at his very best to beat Badou Jack?

J. DeGale
James DeGale at his very best, fully switched on, having no time off. I can’t have rounds off against Badou Jack. So I’m saying fully fit, fully concentrated, be myself and it’s hard to beat me in general, so Badou Jack ain’t going to beat me if I’m a hundred percent.

Q
What’s the biggest change in you over the last year do you think?

J. DeGale
Every year I’m growing. I’m saying mentally and physically but I’m growing up. I turned professional when I was 22 years of age. I’m 30 years of age now. So I’ve been pro for eight years and I say I’m a man now in it. I’m a man and — yes — I look at things differently and I see things differently but these – the next couple years are my peak. I’ve got to get in there and got to get the big fights.

Q
And so the question for James, where would you rank this belt in terms of difficulty?

J. DeGale
I think it’s up there – I honestly think Badou Jack is a quality fighter. he doesn’t really get the credit he deserves. But as I say these last couple fights he’s proven, he beat Groves, Dirrell, he should have got the decision against Bute. But a lot of people thought he won. So he’s been spot on with his performances so I rank up there — listen here — if I beat Badou Jack — when I beat Badou Jack — I am number one in the division and people have to start taking note. So what I’m saying Olympic, British, European, world and unified world champ. People are going to have to start taking note but let me be ranked first and then we can talk after.

Q
Do you think this is the fight that can catapult you into the big time in terms of like the British consciousness and that?

J. DeGale
Yes, you’d think so, you’d think so. Say it’s a big fight, it’s a big arena in New York. This is what boxing at its best is about. And this is when you see the very best in me as well. I’m a big fighter I love the big arenas, the big lights, and the big fights. So it should be good next Saturday.

You mentioned obviously that you took “Porky” Medina lightly. I take you won’t be underestimating Badou?

J. DeGale
I’ve taken this seriously. I’ve took this, like, literally like the training I’ve been doing. Like just stupid little things from like making weight, like, because I make super middleweights so easy. Sometimes I lift it — like the last ten days — where I was, a couple pounds over yesterday. I’m flying, I’m in fantastic shape, I’ve gotten a strength and conditioning coach for the past six months after my last fight. Because something was missing after my last fight. Because I was fatiguing at the end. I was feeling fit but I was just feeling a bit weak. And it was because I wasn’t doing strength and conditioning. So you all are going to see a big difference from my power, to my strength, to everything. And physically and so look at me – you’re going to see me at the weigh in and go wow he looks good.

Q
Just a quick one for Badou. Same question I asked James earlier where would you rank this belt in terms of difficulty?

B. Jack
Like I say in the squared circle anything could happen so you don’t know. On paper absolutely this is probably my biggest fight. He’s an Olympic gold medalist, the world champion, the proven fighter. That’s why it’s the best versus the best. The unification play, two champions fighting each other so absolutely.

Q
Do you take any confidence form your victory over Groves and that he — James — suffered his only professional defeat to George Groves?

B. Jack
No like it’s not gonna stop me in fights, I think that was like five, six years ago since they fought. So you can’t really compare it and that was a close fight. I haven’t really seen a fight like that but a lot of people have said that it could’ve gone either way. James could have won the fight so no, not really, it’s me and him right now. So whatever happened it don’t matter.

Q
Can you both address just the different things that can happen in this fight because all those results against common opponents that you had?

B. Jack
All right first of all we got four different opponents. So I beat Groves, “Porky” Medina, Periban and Bute. My fight with Bute wasn’t a draw, plus he was on steroids when we fought. So I mean Bute said it himself that my fight with him was one I won clearly. But that don’t matter really so George Groves that was a long time ago when James fought him. I fought him two years ago. Medina, I knocked him out but you can say Medina probably was in better shape when he fought DeGale. Because he probably had a longer time to prepare because it was a title fight. Periban maybe — yes — he was in better shape for my fight. That was also a controversial draw. That’s why it’s an interesting fight. We’ve got a lot of common opponents. But come fight night it’ll be a brand-new fight.

J. DeGale
Right so let’s go through mine, listen the Bute fight – when I boxed Bute — yes — I absolutely battered him for six rounds. Battered him – well I battered him for the whole fight yes. And then Badou Jack boxed Lucian Bute and it came out he was on drugs. Do you really think Lucian Bute wasn’t on performing enhancing drugs when he boxed me? Of course he was, don’t be stupid. Did you see the way he finished the fight? Did you see how strong he was? Had a lot — listen — any fighter fatigues in a 12 round fight. Did you see how strong he finished it? Constantly on me – well Badou Jack knows but I absolutely battered Lucian Bute right? Who else is there – there’s Periban, he had life and death with Periban. I knocked him out in three rounds. Okay, he could say he wasn’t in good shape.

It don’t matter, I still hit him, I still dropped and he got knocked out and he had life and death. George Groves I was a nine fight novice. I was a nine fight novice, I was immature, I was young, I wasn’t experience, I was terrible, it was all wrong. And I was still a close draw I should have won that. Badou Jack boxed well in that fight and once again that was a close fight with him like literally very close because it went either way, but he won. And who’s the other one? Who’s the other one? Oh and Medina – oh man that guy, like, literally before I went in I was like this guy shouldn’t even last four rounds with me. But I nearly come unstuck because he was fit and he pushed me. He was strong, he was big, so yes, styles make fights. As Badou Jack says next week when we get in there it’s me and him. The best fighting the best, whoever comes out is the champ that’s it. Put them up.

Q
Lou can you address that? I mean does that add intrigue to the fight that they had so many different results against the same opponents?

L. DiBella
I don’t want to be like I don’t think it matters much to be honest with you. I think that right now, I think you’ve got two guys at the top of their game. Who are at the top of their division. I think they are focused solely on each other, styles makes fights, throw in some PEDs and throw in some other extenuating circumstances. Throw in guys that may be out of shape in one fight and particularly ready for another. I think it’s something that can lead to discussion and make for an article but I think, when we get to January 14th and you get to that main event it’s just these two men in the ring staring each other in the eyes. And who’s the better man? It’s mano, a mano and you throw it all down and put it all on the line. So honestly I really personally don’t think it matter all that much.

Intrigue is never a bad thing. And debate is a good thing and I’ll tell you, it’s probably a contributing factor because right now when you talk to people about this fight and it’s really one of the signs of making the best versus the best is that there’s a real clear split in opinion among experts and opinion among fans. And social media, pundits in social media commentary, people are really split almost right down the middle of this one on who’s going to win this fight. And I think there’s a lot of reasons for that and this is just the contributing factor.

Q
How has becoming a father changed your resolve?

B. Jack
I’ve got to provide for my daughter now so it’s not just about me and my family, my wife. It’s about her, everything I do is for her so yes, extra motivation, for sure.

Q
So what in this fight do you see are your advantages over Badou Jack?

J. DeGale
Oh there’s loads but I’m going to tell you one that stands out is just speed, movement. I’m not going to have to say I’m not going to tell you what I’m going to do because he’s going to be very shocked what I’m going to do. But speed, I’m so much faster in movement. I move my feet so much better, there’s two things there. That it’s just going to confuse him. I’m going to make things a whole lot harder for him. See I’m not Lucian Bute, who else has he boxed? I’m not Dirrell, I watched the Dirrell fight. Dirrell blew up after six rounds he was spent.

Q
Badou what do you think your advantages are in this fight?

B. Jack
I’m the smarter fighter — period. I believe I’m the more fundamentally sound fighter. I believe I’m the more technical fighter, I take nothing away from DeGale who is a good fighter as well but I believe in my skills, I believe in myself. I believe I’m the smarter fighter, it’s not just about throwing millions of combinations or looking flashy and stuff like that. It’s about winning rounds, it’s about being smart. That’s what it should mean.

Q
Lou, I’m assuming that at least for this fight this New York insurance situation has been taken care of. Can you comment on that?

L. DiBella
Yes, we have insurance for this fight. The insurance issue in New York has not been resolved there needs to be a real investigation into what’s going on here and we need to confront the fact that they there’s still no way of doing smaller shows. ShoBox level shows or Broadway Boxing, those kind of shows that other promoters in New York do a regular basis. The local grassroots boxing can’t be done under the insurance requirements that exist. But for a fight of the magnitude of this card we were able to get insurance for the show. And the major, major fights can go on in New York right now. But obviously where there once were scores, literally in the neighborhood of 100 fights in New York in a year.

You are probably now unless things changed looking at somewhere between eight and 10 in total. At all venues. So the issue is still a real one, it hasn’t been cleared up but we are fine for this great card on January 14th. And as you’ll still see big time boxing in New York the problem is going to be with the type of boxing that develops fighters that gives them regular fights. A lot of boxing series that myself and other promoters are doing in New York are still at a standstill.

Q
James you mentioned that you’ll be looking to come back to the UK in perhaps May. Is there a plan in place already for if you do prevail?

J. DeGale
Listen mate I’m just fully focused on Badou Jack — fully focused — I don’t want to worry about anything else. I’m saying everything goes to plan, I come through this, I will come back and box in London. Next fight — 100% but I ain’t spoke about it really, I ain’t spoke about it but I know my next fight will be in London after this fight if I come through.

Q
Do you think in a way though you’ve enhanced your reputation back in the UK by fighting abroad and taking these challenging fights?

J. DeGale
Well definitely I’ve become a bit more exclusive because I ain’t been at home. People can’t wait for me to come back home and obviously win my belts. What I’ve done over here in America in the past year and a half has been really good. I feel proud of myself but I’m looking forward to coming home and boxing in front of my own people man because the atmosphere’s second to none. You’ve got the best fans in the world and it’s time for me to come back home.

(Ryan Elliot): Okay thank you James. Good luck to both of you on fight night.

James DeGale: Yes.

Operator: Our last question is going to come from Dan Rafael from ESPN. Please go ahead.

I’m wondering from both of you guys have you thought about the future beyond the fight as far as whether you want to move up in weight to look for a new challenge or do like what some other top champions have done and stay and keep unifying?

J. DeGale
Yes, Dan I’m pretty easy man, I want the biggest fights, the biggest risks, the biggest money. All the titles that’s what I want so I come through this — everything goes to plan — I’m willing to fight anyone. Andre Ward – as I said before I do my weight pretty comfortably like super middleweight’s the perfect weight for me. But listen I want to be challenged. I want to be in the fights -where I’m the underdog for once. That’s what I want to be and yes with me and Jack I think I’m a big favorite. And I don’t really like that if I’m going to be honest because this is a genuine 50/50 on paper it is anyway. But yes, like, I’m willing to fight anyone after this fight.

B. Jack
I kind of agree with him whatever the money is, whatever the big plaques are. I’m a pretty big guy for my weight class so yes we’ll see what the future holds. But right now I’m focusing on him but, the future is definitely at 175.

Q
Lou DiBella, just to clarify from your earlier statement. Do you have a policy that’s actually in place for Saturday’s fight next week?

L. DiBella
We have insurance for Saturday.

Q
What is it costing?

L. DiBella
It’s certainly more of an expense than we anticipated and it’s not what we would like in a perfect world. But we have insurance for Saturday there’s no issue.

Q
I believe the UFC cost somewhere around, I forget the exact number, of a thousand dollars per fighter. What’s the costing for boxing then per fighter on the card?

L. DiBella
It’s more than – it’s more than that. I don’t want to give its exact numbers at the moment, I can have more detailed conversation when I have the stuff in front of me. But it’s more than that.

L. Ellerbe
Well everyone’s heard from both of the main event fighters. I know I’m very excited, Lou DiBella’s very excited. The fighters are very excited, Floyd’s very excited. We’re going to have one hell of an event come next Saturday night and we’d like to thank everyone for joining us on the call today. And we look forward to putting on a great event next week. Thank you everyone who joined the call.

# # #

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @BadouJack, @JamesDegale1, @Sniper_Pedraza, @Gervontaa, @SHOSports, @MayweatherPromo, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotionswww.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. This event is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Dublin Super-Lightweight talent Philip Sutcliffe Jnr has been added to Frank Warren’s action-packed Belfast Waterfront Hall bill on Saturday 18th February, broadcast live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Sutcliffe, 12-1-0 7 KO’s, beat Swansea’s Chris Jenkins last time out at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in an all out war. The 27-year-old is now firmly on the comeback trail after losing a questionable MD against Anthony Yigit in Germany back in May and is aiming to rack up another win on February 18th before eyeing titles later in the year.

“The fight with Jenkins was excellent and the atmosphere was on another level,” said Sutcliffe Jnr. “Those are the type of fights I want and what the fans deserve. 2017 is going to be my year and I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring in February.”

Tickets, booking information and further undercard additions will be announced shortly.

Undefeated British, Commonwealth and WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight Champion Tommy Langford has signed a new long-term promotional deal with Frank Warren. The hugely popular Baggies fan enjoyed a memorable 2016, picking up the Commonwealth and Lord Lonsdale belts, and is now looking forward to an even bigger 2017.

Ranked at number two in the world by the WBO, Langford is eyeing some huge fights in 2017 and is close to landing himself a world title shot. Now the proud owner of the famous Lord Lonsdale Middleweight belt, Langford is determined to win it for keeps.

27 year-old Langford kicked-off 2016 by picking up the Vacant Commonwealth belt against a tough Lewis Taylor at the Liverpool Echo Arena in March. Two weeks later Langford and his wife Leanne celebrated the birth of their son, Freddie.

He then defended his WBO Inter-Continental strap for the fourth time against Timo Laine at the Cardiff Ice Arena in July, stopping the Finn in the seventh round. 18-0 Langford then outpointed the slippery Sam Sheedy at the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena in November to pick up the Vacant British title.

“I’m delighted to have signed a new promotional deal with Frank,” said Langford. “He’s delivered everything he promised and got me the fights I wanted and needed at the right times. I’m currently a British champion and ranked no.2 in the world with the WBO so he’s been very good to me.

“With the new BT Sport deal starting this year the future is looking very bright so signing a new deal with Frank was a no brainer. I’m very happy to have renewed my deal, onwards and upwards!

“Birmingham is turning into a bit of a boxing hub and there’s lots of great fighters coming through the ranks at the moment. To be spearheading Frank’s move into the Midlands is going to be fantastic and I know my fans will turn out in big numbers for future shows there.

“I just need to keep on progressing and improving. There’s some huge fights out there for me on the world stage but until then there’s some great domestic scraps that I can sink my teeth into. Since I became British champion I’ve had fighters calling me out left, right and centre and I’ll be more than happy to oblige them!”

Frank Warren said: “We’re looking to build up boxing in the Midlands. Tommy is the local hero and will be spearheading our promotions there. We’re going to be pushing him and building Birmingham into a significant boxing city.

“Many years ago we started boxing going again in Manchester and we’ll be looking to do the same in Birmingham. Tommy has a brilliant trainer in Tom Chaney who is doing a great job with him. He has some big nights ahead of him in 2017.”

Former cruiserweight world title challenger “Hurricane” Junior Wright has been hitting the weights hard and will enter the ring for the first time as a heavyweight in his next ring appearance.

Wright (15-2-1, 12 KOs) from Evanston, Illinois, expects to come in at a muscular 225 lbs. when he takes on Detroit’s Damon McCreary (15-6, 11 KOs) in an eight-round featured bout on promoter Dmitriy Salita’s special Sunday edition of his “Detroit Brawl” series on January 22, 2017, at Masonic Temple in Detroit.

Once again sponsored by the Greektown Casino Hotel, tickets for “Detroit Brawl” are priced at VIP $123, Box Seats are $80 and $60, Seating is $40, and $20. They are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com.

“Training is going well,” said Wright. “I’m treating this like another world title fight because at this level anyone could beat you on any day.”

Despite a short, 50-fight, amateur career, Wright was a Chicago Golden Gloves winner as an amateur. He was able to drop Beibut Shumenov in May of this year, challenging for the WBA world championship.

“The biggest thing I learned in that fight is to relax in the ring. When you’re relaxed, you are more aware in there and can pace yourself a lot better.”

Wright’s trainer, Rick Wilson, says the decision to gain 25 lbs. gives the fighter, who he says can still get down to cruiserweight’s 200-lb limit, more career options moving forward.

“Junior is like a Holyfield-type of fighter who is a cruiserweight in his early 20s and then grows into a full-fledged heavyweight near his 30s. People like small, agile heavyweights better than the lumbering monsters hugging each other all fight. They make for more exciting fights.”

Wilson says because of Wright’s relative lack of experience, the world hasn’t seen the best of him yet.

“How many fighters have had two world title fights by their 18th pro fight (the fight against Chakhkiev was for the IBO World Cruiserweight Championship) after having just 50 amateur fights?” he asked. “Plus Junior was knocking everybody out, so he had very few rounds in the bank and went in on short notice. The best of Junior Wright is still to be seen. He’s a very special talent.”

In separate eight-rounders will be a pair of recognizable contenders, Detroit fan favorite Lanardo “Pain Server” Tyner (30-10-2, 19 KOs) and welterweight KO artist Bakhtiyar “Bakha Bullet” Eyubov (11-0, 10 KOs) from Houston, Texas, via Aktjubinsk, Kazakhstan will face opponents in separate bouts.

In other scheduled eight-rounders will be transplanted cruiserweight Alexey Zubov (13-1, 8 KOs), from Magnitogorsk, Russia, now living in Detroit and Detroit’s all-action bantamweight James Gordon Smith (11-0, 6 KOs).

In six-round bouts will be resurgent Detroit welterweight “Lightning” Larry Ventus (7-11-1, 3 KOs); and undefeated Toledo super middleweight prospect DeAndre Ware (8-0, 6 KOs).

In exciting scheduled four-rounders will be talented, undefeated bantamweight Jarico “Great Lakes King” O’Quinn (4-0, 3 KOs); 2016 Olympic alternate and undefeated middleweight Ardreal Holmes (4-0, 2 KOs) of Flint; and undefeated Detroit heavyweight and former National Golden Gloves champion Marcus Carter (1-0, 1 KO).

All opponents are, thus far, TBA, but matchmaker Dennis Turner is hard at work to make another spectacular night that these shows are known for.

On fight night, doors open at 4:00 pm and the fights begin at 5:00 pm. The Masonic Temple is located at 500 Temple Street in Detroit.

###

For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visit www.salitapromotions.com. Facebook and Twitter: @DetroitBrawl

About Salita Promotions
Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Jan. 6th, 2017) — After finishing with a perfect 4-0 record in 2016, reigning CES MMA Featherweight World Champion Matt Bessette is ready to kick off a new year with a new challenge.

The Stafford, Conn., native returns to the cage for CES MMA’s 2017 season opener at Twin River Casino on Friday, Jan. 27th, 2017 in the five-round main event of “CES MMA 41,” where he puts his title on the line against Missouri native Kevin Croom, nicknamed “The Hard-Hitting Hillbilly.”

The Bessette-Croom main event headlines the televised portion of AXS TV’s AXS TV Fights, which begins at 9 p.m. ET with seven action-packed bouts, preceded by an exciting six-fight preliminary card, all of which begins at 7.

Tickets for “CES MMA 41” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com, www.twinriver.com, www.ticketmaster.com or www.cagetix.com/ces by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Bessette (20-7, 5 KOs) won all four of his fights in 2016, including a thrilling submission victory over Joe Pingitore for the then-vacant featherweight title at “CES MMA 37” in August in which he picked himself up off the canvas twice before finishing Pingitore with a heel hook in the second round.

The “CES MMA 41” main card also features a flyweight bout between undefeated New Britain, Conn., vet Carlos Candelario (4-0, 1 KO) and fellow unbeaten Miguel Restrepo (4-0, 2 KOs) of Queens, N.Y., plus a bantamweight battle between Kody Nordby (7-4) of Woonsocket, R.I., and Illinois vet David Garcia (4-1, 2 KOs).

Nordby looks to continue his climb back to the top of the division following his loss to Andre Soukhamthath against the dangerous Garcia, who recently handed Rico DiSciullo his first career loss in September via submission at “CES MMA 38.” Candelario makes his fourth appearance with CES MMA and first since “CES MMA 36” in June when submitted Roosevelt Archie via guillotine in the opening round of a scheduled three-round bout.

The main card also features two heavyweight bouts as Hyannis, Mass., native Juliano Coutinho (7-3, 3 KOs) faces two-time CES MMA vet Keith Bell (6-8, 4 KOs) of Newport News, Va., and Pat Walsh (8-2, 3 KOs) of Stoughton, Mass., battles New Hampshire’s Kevin Haley (6-3, 2 KOs).

Bell most recently faced Greg Rebello on AXS TV in March while Coutinho makes his third appearance with CES MMA after facing Justin Willis at World Series of Fighting 31 in July. Coutinho’s last appearance with CES MMA also came in March on the main card of “CES MMA 33” when he won narrow split decision over Chaz Morgan.

Haley and Walsh, fighting at a 215-pound catch weight, each carry impressive win streaks into the main card bout at “CES MMA 41.” Haley has won his last three, including a televised submission win over Mike Rodriguez at “CES MMA 39” in Plymouth, while Walsh is also riding a three-fight win streak that includes a knockout win over Carlos Zevallos at “CES MMA 38.”

Fresh off his comeback win at “CES MMA 40” in November, East Providence, R.I., bantamweight Dinis Paiva (8-6, 5 KOs) faces Findlay, Ohio, vet Jordan Espinosa (8-4, 1 KO). Paiva ended a 13-month layoff in his last bout with a first-round knockout win over Zane Behrend and returns to the network television stage for the first time since his loss to Nordby in October of 2015.

Espinosa last appeared with CES MMA in 2014, but has since won five of his last six, including a victory over Rafael de Freitas at Legacy Fighting Championships 36.

Providence, R.I., heavyweight Greg Rebello (20-7, 12 KOs) also returns to the AXS TV stage at “CES MMA 41” in a separate three-round bout. Rebello recently suffered his first loss in five fights when he battles Ashley Gooch at “CES MMA 37” in August for the then-vacant CES MMA Heavyweight World Title.

The six-fight preliminary card includes a female flyweight bout between Bourne, Mass., native Sarah Click (1-1) and newcomer Maria Rivera of Framingham, Mass., plus a bantamweight bout between unbeaten Kris Moutinho (2-0) of Milford, Mass., and Fredericktown, Ohio, native Jason Rine (0-1). Fellow Ohio native Raymond Yanez (4-8, 1 KO) of Columbus battles Milford’s Richie Santiago (2-0) and lightweight Connor Barry (2-0) of Stoughton faces New Jersey’s Travis Foster (0-2).

In the flyweight division, David Baxter (3-1, 1 KO) of Bellingham, Mass., battles Pawtucket, R.I., vet Dan Cormier (4-6, 1 KO) and Rodriguez returns in a separate three-round bout following his loss to Haley.

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/cesmma for more information, or follow CES MMA on Instagram at @CESMMA.

By Norm Frauenheim

Andre Ward has talked retirement not just once, but at least twice, since his controversial victory over Sergey Kovalev. It sounds like some early posturing in negotiations that began the moment the news conference commenced in the wake of the 114-113 scores that favored Ward in November.

This time, Ward dropped the possibility in an interview with Rolling Stone. Never take anything off the table. Ward hasn’t. Retirement represents the nuclear option. Push that button and there’s no rematch.

It puts pressure on Kovalev, who was predictably unhappy with the decision and wasted no time in exercising the rematch clause in his side of the contract. That clause gives Kovalev some legal and financial leverage, but only if Ward continues to fight.

If he retires, that rematch clause wouldn’t buy that proverbial cup of coffee, much less a refill.

“I really just got to take my time right now because I really don’t have to fight anymore,” Ward told Rolling Stone.

He went on to say that he wanted to be “sure that every decision that I make and every fight that I take is the right situation because if it’s not, I don’t know if it makes sense to continue on.’’

Translation: Back off Kovalev.

Ward repeatedly suggested that he would continue to fight and even said there he had personal reasons to consider a rematch with the smart and dangerous Kovalev, who must have spent the Holidays wondering why he let Ward off the hook after knocking him down in the second round.

“You have to entertain [a rematch] and I would love to put my stats on in such a way that there isn’t a conversation about who won and who lost,” Ward said.

Then, he added: “Proving something to people is a tricky thing to get involved in. If we did the rematch it would be more just to silence Kovalev and silence his team and to just put a stamp on the rivalry we had.’’

There’s a strong suggestion in those words that Ward would like to silence more than just Kovalev and the Russian’s corner. There are also the fans and media who argued that Ward got an early Christmas gift.

His immense pride compels him to prove his critics wrong. It always has. I was there, at the Athens Games in 2004, when he was the last American man to win Olympic boxing gold on a day when nobody gave him a chance.

The U.S. men’s Olympic program was a mess then and has been ever since. But Ward rose above it all, the last American man to stand stop the medal stand’s summit. He didn’t lose in Athens and he hasn’t lost as an amateur or a pro since 1997.

To this day, Ward and his trainer, Virgil Hunter, talk about losing to Ernie Gonzales and John Revish as if it happened yesterday. He was 13 or 14 years old, yet he remembers the scorecards, the judges and the lessons. Those long-ago defeats are at the heart, the beginning, of what still drives Ward.

He finds a way. There’s an ongoing debate – as reasonable as it is noisy – about whether Ward’s way was good enough for a victory over Kovalev. Only a rematch for the light-heavyweight title and perhaps pound-for supremacy will settle that. The good news is that Ward knows that, mostly because nobody will let him forget about it. A rematch gives him another chance to say he was right the first time around.

Still, the negotiations are problematic for a couple of reasons. Above all, the money just doesn’t appear to be there anymore. Ward-Kovalev was a pay-per-view loser, generating a reported 160,000 buys, or nearly half of modest expectations.

Would promoters even try to go the pay-per-view route again? In boxing’s current business climate, can either Ward or Kovalev get a raise in a rematch? Ward collected a $5 million purse. Kovalev was guaranteed $2 million. How much money would be in the total purse for a rematch? How would it be split?

Ward told Rolling Stone that “it’s not about the money anymore.’’

I’m not sure it ever has been. It’s been about that pride. It motivates him to fight again in an answer to his critics. In part, it’s measured by his percentage of the total purse.

Offend that pride, however, and he’s shown that he’s willing to walk. He fought only once over nearly three years at the peak of his prime in large part because of a legal dispute with late promoter Dan Goossen.

Retirement? Not likely. Not at 32 and not with a chance to extend his unbeaten record, including a shot at an undisputed claim on the top spot in the pound-for-pound debate. Then, of course, there are all of those critics. Ward has another chance to do what he’s been doing all of his life:

Answer them.

LAS VEGAS (January 5, 2016) – Super middleweight champion Badou Jack spoke to media in Las Vegas Thursday, just days before he travels across the country for his world title unification showdown against James DeGale on Saturday, January 14 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn and live on SHOWTIME®.

Televised coverage on SHOWTIME begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT with super featherweight world champion Jose Pedraza defending againstundefeated contender Gervonta Davis.

Joining him at the workout at Mayweather Boxing Club was former title challenger Thomas Dulorme, who opens up action on SHOWTIME EXTREME in an eight-round welterweight bout against Brian Jones. Televised coverage on SHOWTIME EXTREME begins at 7 p.m. ET/PT and is headlined by junior featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano against former world champion Yazmin Rivas and also features Ievgen Khytrov battling Immanuwel Aleem in a 10-round matchup of undefeated rising middleweight contenders.

Tickets for the event promoted by Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, start at $25. They can be purchased online (www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com) or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is what the participants had to say Thursday:

BADOU JACK

“I feel really good mentally. I’m excited. All the hard work is done and now we’re just cruising. One more week and it’s on.

“This has been the best camp of my career. There’s been no distractions, no arguments just working hard and having fun while getting better.

“I had a better meal plan to cut weight leading up to this fight and it’s helped me out in training. I’m going to be 100 percent ready on fight night.

“The guy that wants it the most and whoever is the smartest in the ring will be the winner. I plan on being both.

“I know DeGale wants to be great too. He’s going into people’s backyards and searching for glory. But I can’t speak for him. All I can do is speak with my actions.

“I’m not expecting an easy fight. I’ve been the underdog before. People have written me off forever. It’s nothing new to me. DeGale is a good fighter, but I believe in myself.

“I’m going to have a good jab, use my range and be smart in there. I think my skillset can take away any advantage he thinks he has. Timing kills speed.

“His awkward style can make him tough to fight. He’s not by the book. He’s not very technical but he’s an excellent fighter. I don’t want any excuses from him when I beat him.

“We have a good game plan and I have a good team behind me. I won’t get frustrated in there. I believe in my team and I believe in myself. I’m not worried about anything.

“I’m going to win the fight. That’s the main thing. We’ll see how I get it done. If it’s a knockout, it’s a knockout. If I have to win a close decision, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to win no matter what.”

THOMAS DULORME

“I feel very excited to fight under the support of Mayweather Promotions for the first time. I’m happy with the decision I made and where my career is going.

“New York is my city and it’s my favorite place to fight. There are a lot of Puerto Ricans and I can’t wait to perform in front of them.

“I feel very strong physically. I had a great training camp and have worked hard every day and listened to my coaches. I can’t wait to get in the ring and break my opponent down.

“This is a very good show with a lot of exciting fights. All the fans should come out because it’s going to be a great night from start to finish.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“A lot of things have contributed to Badou becoming the fighter who he is today. I think that he’s improved as a champion. A lot of the times people don’t understand what fighters have to go through early in their careers. Badou has overcome a lot of adversity, including evolving from his loss. There are very few fighters who become better fighters after they become champions. Badou is living the American Dream and Floyd and myself are very proud of him.

“I predict that Badou is going to deliver a knockout. I envision him taking a handful of rounds to figure out DeGale’s style, while still being aggressive. In the later rounds, I think that he’s unstoppable.

“James DeGale is a tremendous fighter. I’ve followed his career for quite some time. He’s a very flashy and creative fighter. He kind of makes it up as he goes. His style is unique, but there are some things that Badou and his team have put into place to disrupt DeGale. Badou Jack has seen every style out there. He’s mentally and physically prepared to take care of his opponent.

“The advice I’ve given Badou is to stay focused and stay in the moment. Don’t worry about anything other than what is in front of you. You can’t look forward to the next fight or let anything throw you off. He’s put in the work. Most importantly, his mental state is right where it needs to be.

“Mayweather Promotions is ready to invade Brooklyn. We were able to work everything out and bring the first fight of the New Year to the city. We’re very excited to go and help Badou and the rest of our fighters put on a great show.”

# # #

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @BadouJack, @JamesDegale1, @Sniper_Pedraza, @Gervontaa, @SHOSports, @MayweatherPromo, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotionswww.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. This event is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

BROOKLYN (January 5, 2017) — Four-division world champion Amanda Serrano hosted media at the Mendez Gym in New York on Thursday as she nears her championship defense against former champion Yazmin Rivas on Saturday, January 14 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn and live on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

The Serrano vs. Rivas fight is the first nationally televised women’s world title bout in nearly a decade and will headline action on SHOWTIME EXTREME. Coverage starts at 7 p.m. ET/PT and features Ievgen Khytrov battling Immanuwel Aleem in a 10-round matchup of undefeated rising middleweight contenders.

The January 14 event features a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® doubleheader headlined by the super middleweight world championship unification showdown between Badou Jack and James DeGale. Televised coverage on SHOWTIME® begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT with super featherweight world champion Jose Pedraza defending against undefeated contender Gervonta Davis.

Amanda, along with Pedraza and her sister, Cindy Serrano, are the only three current world champions that were born in Puerto Rico. They will look to represent the island when they fight in front of the many Puerto Rican boxing fans in New York. On Thursday, the sisters gave the media a treat and sparred each other ahead of the January 14 event.

Here is what Amanda and Cindy had to say at the media workout on Thursday:

AMANDA SERRANO

“I’m excited and blessed to be fighting on SHOWTIME EXTREME. It’s a real honor to be in this position. I’m not going to disappoint come Saturday night.

“It’s going to be historic. This is a vintage Puerto Rican vs. Mexican rivalry. Neither one of us wants to give an inch or give a step back. It’s in my home and I can’t wait.

“I’ll be ready to go the distance. I’m always ready for it. We’re trained to go the distance every time; it just usually doesn’t come down to that. There’s never a day that we go into the gym and don’t prepare to go the distance.

“The first time I fought at Barclays Center I met Stephen Espinoza and he said my highlights might make the telecast. I told him that I was going to make sure that the whole fight is highlights. Now we’re here.

“It could be any other female in this position. I’m just glad that it’s happening. We fight in and out of the ring to get into this position. I’m not taking it for granted.

“Of course I feel the pressure of the moment, but I do all my hard work in the gym. I know that once I go in the ring, I just have to fight with all I have.

“Women have been here in boxing for a long time. Everyone has been fighting for this. This extra exposure is great for the sport. We want to make it as popular as the female fighting is in MMA. We’re getting punched in the faced too. I think our time is coming. The pressure is on me to showcase my sport on January 14.

“I’m hoping that with this fight, the ride doesn’t end here. I hope the exposure keeps growing and growing. I’m not going to give up on it. One day I hope to headline on a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING card.”

CINDY SERRANO, WBO Featherweight World Champion

“That was a good sparring session. It’s always tough to get in there with her. She’s slick and powerful and we just tried to give the reporters a good show. We wanted to tease you and show a little bit of why women are worthy of being showcased on television. The real one comes January 14.

“I don’t know too much about Rivas but she’s definitely a tough fighter who has accomplished a lot. She’s a Mexican fighter so the Puerto Rican-Mexican rivalry will be on display. Hopefully she can last a few rounds and let Amanda show how talented of a fighter she is. It’s going to be a great fight.

“I’m on cloud-nine right now after winning my world title and I can’t wait to get back in the next couple of months and defend my belt.”

# # #

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @BadouJack, @JamesDegale1, @Sniper_Pedraza, @Gervontaa, @SHOSports, @MayweatherPromo, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotionswww.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. This event is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Dublin’s Declan Geraghty (14-1-0, 4 KO’s) will face Belfast’s James Tennyson (17-2-0, 13 KO’s) for the Vacant Irish Super-Featherweight title at the Waterfront Hall on Saturday 18th February, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Having recently picked up another vicious knockout win on Frank Warren’s November 5 ‘Homecoming’ bill, ‘Pretty Boy’ is in a rich vein of form. Eight victories in succession since his controversial loss to Jono Carroll back in 2014 has placed Geraghty firmly into title contention.

The big-punching Tennyson boasts a high knockout ratio and will be looking to send his fans home happy with a memorable win on home soil. 23 year-old Tennyson captured the Irish Super-Featherweight title in only his sixth fight and is determined to get his hands on it again.

Both men are targeting titles and further big fights in 2017, making for what promises to be an explosive clash. This one is set to be a classic domestic encounter with plenty of Irish pride at stake.

Tickets, booking information and further undercard additions will be announced shortly.

WORCESTER, Mass. (January 5, 2017) – Auburn (MA) junior middleweight “Irish” Chuck Shearns will become the second-oldest professional fighter in Massachusetts boxing history on Thursday night, January 19, in his farewell performance at the Worcester Palladium, marking the first pro boxing event in Worcester, located in Central Mass., in more than five years.

The inaugural “New England’s Future” series event is being presented by Rivera Promotions Entertainment (RPE), which is owned and operated by one of Worcester’s all-time greatest boxers – 3-time, 2-division world champion Jose Antonio “El Gallo” Rivera – and his son, Anthonee “AJ” Rivera.

Rising junior lightweight prospect, 2015 New England Golden Gloves champion Irvin Gonzalez (4-0, 4 KOs), will be fighting at home in the 6-round main event against Mexican invader Oscar Eduardo Quezada (2-1, 1 KO), while Springfield (MA) light heavyweight Reinaldo “Bazooka” Graceski (4-0, 2 KOs) meets Worcester’s Ralph Johnson (2-9, 1 KO) in the six-round co-feature.

The 49-year-old Shearns (2-1, 1 KO), who is the general manager of Lundgren Honda in Auburn, will take on Shavonte Dixon (0-1), of Philadelphia, in a four-round bout. The state record, set in 2011 by then 53-year-old Joe Siciliano, is safe because Jan. 19th will definitely be Shearns’ last fight.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for all boxers in terms of what they go through to be able to perform at their best in the ring,” promoter Jose Antonio Rivera said. “Chuck is doing it at 49 years old! That takes a lot of sacrifice and courage to put your body through that rugged training. I wish him the best and I am glad I can provide him with the opportunity to be able to say goodbye to boxing on his own terms.”

Shearns made his amateur debut at the age of 29, 10 years later he made his professional debut. “I grew up watching boxing with my father (John), who boxed in the Navy, and my grandfather (John),” Shearns explained. “My grandfather was a club fighter, so, boxing was in my blood. I only had four amateur fights and one day I met “Fitzy,” who is now one of my closest friends. (Sean Fitzgerald, one of Worcester’s all-time best boxers, who is Shearns’ head trainer.) I told him I wanted one pro fight and asked him to train me.”

Why, though, at the age of 49 does he still put himself through such extensive training, while working fulltime during the holiday season, to fight an opponent half his age?

“Boxing was the ultimate hobby for me and I just got carried away with it,” Shearns admitted. “I’m a novelty, not a real pro boxer. I’m fighting January 19th because I was given this opportunity and decided to accept it but, honestly, I’m sure that this it! Maybe I just wanted a chance to go out with a win because I lost my last one? I don’t know. Sometimes I wake up asking myself, ‘What am I doing?’ And ‘Fitzy’ is working me so hard for this fight – I don’t know if it’s my age or what – but I’ve hated every minute of it. I lost my father in March. He was always in my corner and this fight I’ll have RIP on my trunks in his honor.”

Lately, Shearns’ typical day has been, well, in a word, unordinary, to say the least. He reports to work at 5 a.m., exercises and runs on the treadmill for an hour in a small gym at work, catches up with “Fitzy” at Anytime Fitness to hit the heavy and speed bags, and after work “Fitzy” trains Shearns at Camp Get Right.

Shearns has the complete support of his family and co-workers, who will all be at the Worcester Palladium supporting him Jan. 19. “My wife (Karen) and two daughters (Kayla and Olivia) have always been there for me,” Shearns noted. “My wife supports me and has jokingly said, ‘We’re getting divorced if you lose this fight.’ I’ve worked at Lundgren Honda for about 20 years and most of the 100-plus employees there will be at my fight. I did want to fight one more time before I turn 50. When Jose asked me to fight, how could I pass up this final opportunity?”

Also fighting on the undercard in 4-round bouts are Worcester junior lightweight Ranse Andino in his pro debut vs. Lowell’s (MA) Jonathan Perez (2-0-1, 2 KOs), pro-debuting Worcester heavyweight Felix Martinez vs. Dorchester’s (MA) Brian Richardson (0-8), Hartford’s (CT) pro-debuting light heavyweight Richard “Popeye The Sailor Man” Rivera vs. Brockton’s (MA) Huston Crayton (1-8, 0 KOs), pro-debuting Southbridge (MA) boxer Wilfredo Pagan vs. Puerto Rican Alexander Picot (1-1-1, 0 KOs) at a 145-pound catchweight, pro-debuting Springfield (MA) junior featherweight Luis “Pancho” Santiago vs, Mexican Jonathan Ramos (1-2, 0 KOs), 2016 N.W. Golden Gloves champion Anthony Laureano (1-0), of East Haven (CT), vs. Boston junior welterweight Rafael Francis (0-8), Saugus (MA) light heavyweight Brandon Montella (5-0, 4 KOs) vs. Mexican veteran Roberto El Viejo” Valenzuela (69-73-2, 56 KOs) and unbeaten Lawrence (MA) heavyweight Jean Pierre Augstin (7-0-1, 3 KOs).

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $65.00 (ringside), $45.00 (preferred seating) and $35.00 (general admission), are on sale and available to purchase at www.ThePalladium.net or the Palladium box office (general admission only), or by contacting Jose Rivera (elgallojar@gmail.com/508.864.6954), AJ Rivera (anthoneerivera@gmail.com/774.272.2269) of any of the fighters. A portion of the proceeds will go to Why Me & Sherry’s House.

Major event sponsors include Lundgren Honda, Atty. Michael H. Erlich, Atty. Maria M. Rivera-Cotto and USANA Health Services. Other sponsors are TKO Auto Repair and Atty. Stephen W. Debs.

INFORMATION:
Facebook.com/RiveraPromotionsEntertainment
Twitter: @RiveraPromoEnt @joseriverachamp

Philadelphia, PA—The popular Philly Fight Night boxing series will move forward with its second season in 2017, promoter J Russell Peltz announced today.

“We have a minimum of four fight cards scheduled—one each quarter—with the first one set for Friday, March 10, at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia., “Peltz said. “Last year was a good one with four solid main events: Jesse Hart vs. Dashon Johnson; Johnson vs. DeCarlo Perez; Tyrone Brunson vs. Ismael Garcia; Tevin Farmer vs. Dardan Zenunaj.

“Our plans are to make 2017 even better, but if we cannot make the main events we want to make, then we will alter our strategy and present the best of the up-and-coming fighters in competitive matchups. We are not in the business of building fighters’ records at the expense of the paying customers. When you shell out anywhere from $40 to $75 for a ticket, you are entitled to watch competitive fights. That remains our business model.”

The March 10 card will be announced shortly.

ABOUT MARCH 10

The March 10 card will consist of a minimum of eight fights with the first one beginning at 7.30 pm, one half hour later than last year. The cards are promoted by Peltz Boxing, BAM Boxing and Joe Hand Promotions. Tickets priced at $40, $50 and $75 are on sale at Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and also online at www.2300Arena.com.

Belfast Light-Heavyweight talent Steven Ward will aim to improve his unbeaten record to 3-0 when he fights at the Belfast Waterfront Hall on Saturday 18th February, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Ward made a perfect start to life in the paid code, outpointing the tricky Merdjidin Yuseinov on his pro debut at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in November before overcoming experienced journeyman Remigijus Ziausys four weeks later in Coventry.

Now the former Irish amateur standout is preparing himself for a busy 2017, starting off with a four round contest in his home city next month. The 26 year-old 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist is promising another strong performance for Belfast fight fans.

“The plans my team have in place are exciting and exactly what I need at this stage of my career,” said Ward. “My two fights at the end of 2016 were great learning fights and I can’t wait to go again in my own city in February. I’m improving with every fight and hopefully we’ll see some late stoppages as I progress.”

Tickets, booking information and further undercard additions will be announced shortly.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 5, 2017) – Hot welterweight prospect Sergey “Streetfighter” Romanov is training hard to ruin the comeback of Russian veteran Magomed “The White Wolf” Sultanakhmedov in an interesting match-up March 3 at M-1 Challenge 75 in Russia.

The M-1 Challenge 75 main event, featuring a battle of undefeated welterweights between defending champion Alexey Kunchenko (15-0-0, M-1: 7-0-0), of Russia, takes on Kazakhstan challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov (7-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0),was previously announced.

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.

Due to a series of injuries, Sulktanakhmedov (18-5-0, M-1: 10-1-0) has been inactive for the past five years, since he knocked out Tyson Jeffries in the second round of their 2011 fight at M-1 Challenge 24.

A former M-1 Selection champion, Sultanakhmedov is dropping down one weight class from middleweight to fight Romanov. During his MMA career, feared striker Sultanakhmedov has knocked out the likes of Dmitri Samoilov, Victor Nemkov, Pavel Kusch and Pliinio Cruz, among the more notables.

His tremendous flair and style makes him a fan favorite, especially his “one-shoot, one-kill” attack. The 32-year-old has fought outside of his native Russia, in the United States and Japan, and during his fighting hiatus he served as referee.

Although he isn’t looking past Sultanakhmedov, fellow Russian fighter Romanov hopes that an impressive victory over Sultankhmedov will position him for his first M-1 Challenge title shot against the Kunchenkp-Rakhmonov winner.

Romanov has had impressive victories in M-1 Challenge competition, including a decision over against Brazilian foe Carlos Pereira last October at M-1 Challenge 71, as well as a first-round stoppage via punches of Andreas Birgels this past June at M-1 Challenge 68.

“I’ve been working on my strength,” Romanov said from his training camp, “because the champion in my weight class, Alexey Kunchenko, is physically strong. I need to catch up. Not that I’m looking forward to a title fight, but I always have grandiose plans, so, we’ll see how that goes. Right now, I’m focused on Sultanakhmedov, and I think my fight with him would be no harder than a possible fight with Kunchenko.

“I started training camp with two workouts a day, but I felt sick and decided to cutback to only one workout a day until I soon return to full mode. I’ve been training at home (St. Petersburg) but will soon go to Ryazan to wrestling training camp. Then, I will go back to St. Petersburg to prepare at camp, and go to Borovaya for boxing. My opponent is left-handed, so I need appropriate sparring partners, but the guys in my camp are a great help.

“I know my opponent well having watched his fights as a youngster when he was champion. Now, we need to reevaluate him. He was a good fighter who trains at ‘Gorets’ where there is, in principle, guys there who are top level. It’s difficult to say what form he has now because he hasn’t fought in so long. Now, he is at the peak age for a fighter, 32, so we’ll see. I don’t think I’ll be favored in this fight, but I will go forward despite being the underdog.”

Romanov (R) is a solid all-around MMA fighter

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

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@M1GlobalNews
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@M1Global

Facebook:

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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!

Irish amateur legend Paddy Barnes will make his second professional appearance against an opponent to be confirmed at the Belfast Waterfront Hall on Saturday 18th February, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Belfast’s two-time Olympic medallist received an incredible reception on his pro debut last time out at the Titanic Exhibition Centre and is delighted to be returning to the ring next month for what promises to be another top evening of boxing for the city.

His victory on November 5th came via an unusual ending after the outclassed Stefan Slavchev inexplicably lifted Barnes during the fourth round and was consequently disqualified.

After a short Christmas break, Paddy is back in the gym and preparing for a huge 2017. The ferocious Flyweight is promising another unforgettable night for his army of fans and is aiming to kick the New Year off in style.

“The atmosphere for my debut was unbelievable and I can’t wait to return,” said Barnes. “Irish boxing just keeps getting better and I’m delighted to be a part of it. We have some really exciting plans for the next twelve months and it all begins at the Belfast Waterfront on February 18th.”

Tickets, booking information and further undercard additions will be announced shortly.

BALTIMORE (Jan. 4, 2017) – Highly regarded Mayweather Promotions rising star Gervonta “Tank” Davis (16-0, 15 KOs) is wrapping up training for his challenge of super featherweight world champion Jose “The Sniper Pedraza (22-0, 12 KOs) in the opener of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING world championship doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 14, from Barclays Center in Brooklyn live on SHOWTIME (9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT).

The 12-rounder between the unbeaten challenger (Davis) and world champion (Pedraza) will precede an eagerly awaited 168-pound world title unification showdown between WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Badou Jack (20-1-2, 12 KOs)andIBF Super Middleweight World Champion James DeGale (23-1, 14 KOs).
Tickets for the event promoted by Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, start at $25. They can be purchased online (www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com) or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Davis, 22, overcame a childhood filled with hardships to become a prolific amateur and has been virtually unstoppable as a professional. As an amateur (between 2006-2012), he entered nine tournaments and came away with gold medals in all but one. He won gold in his last four tourneys, including the 2012 National Golden Gloves Championship at 123 pounds.

Since going pro in February 2013, the strong, aggressive-minded southpaw has played smash-mouth against mostly outclassed opponents, winning 13 of his 15 knockouts inside four rounds. To many, Davis resembles a young, smaller version of Mike Tyson in the way he walks down foes, gets on the inside and unloads lethal hooks and uppercuts. He’s gone into the ninth round once and into the sixth round twice. A winner of six straight by knockout, Davis’ lone fight to go the distance came in his ninth outing, a six-round nod over German Meraz, who went down twice, in October 2014. Davis is coming off a 0:41, first-round KO over Mario Macias last June 3.

Although powerful, very fast and determined, the talented Davis is taking a significant leap in class and he may enter the ring as a slight underdog to Puerto Rico’s Pedraza, 27, a solid switch-hitter with first-rate skills, movement and punching power. This will be Pedraza’s third defense of the IBF 130-pound title. He’s gone the 12-round distance four times in a row and five times since his pro debut in February 2011. At 5-feet-8½, he is two-and-a-half inches taller than Davis.

Davis, the IBF’s No. 8-ranked super featherweight, who was born and resides in Baltimore, shared thoughts on his upcoming fight from the Uptown Boxing Center in Baltimore:
You’ve been a professional for less than three years, yet you’re less than two weeks away from getting a crack at a world title. What are your thoughts about that?

“It’s been my goal to fight for a world title. I’m very confident. I’ve worked hard in the gym for over two months for this fight. I’ve put in the hours. I’ve had a great camp with great sparring. I’m not surprised the fight is almost here. This is perfect timing for me.”

Have you done anything differently in this camp?

“Maybe some little things, but not really. We take training seriously. We take all our opponents very seriously. But I have to treat it as just another fight, against another opponent. We know Pedraza is a world champion, a great fighter that comes to fight and we give him his respect as a world-class fighter. I know he’s going to be ready. He’s always ready when it’s time to get in there and do his job. But I’m prepared for him. He doesn’t know what we bring to the table.”

Are you surprised you’re not favored? When was the last time you were an underdog?

“I’m the underdog because he’s the world champion, that’s the reason. Other than that, I feel deep inside that he’s the underdog, but that’s just my assessment. He won’t be showing me anything I haven’t already seen before.

“I’ve never been the underdog in a fight, so this is a first for me.”

When’s the last time you lost a fight?

“I’m competitive all around and don’t like losing. I can’t remember exactly the last time I lost a fight, maybe it was three years ago. All I know for sure is that my mind entering this fight is all about winning.”

Critics talk of your level of competition, or lack of. What’s your opinion of the fighters Pedraza’s successfully defended against lately?

“I’m not taking anything away from Pedraza; he’s beat Stephen Smith and Edner Cherry but those guys don’t bring the power, speed, elusiveness and angles that I do. I’m not downgrading anybody, but they’re mostly average.”

Are you looking at this as an opportunity to showcase your overall skills, durability, etc.?

“A lot of people don’t realize the skills and talent that I have. They see me just going in there like a little Tyson or someone like that. But I have all the tools. I know how to box, how to move my feet. I have good hand speed. I work my angles and things like that. I’m an overall sound fighter, a boxer-puncher.

“I think this will be a wakeup call for boxing, a chance to show that I’m the one. But I’m not coming to be just the top guy. I want to be a superstar and bring joy and entertainment to the sport. Pedraza will bring out the best in me and I will steal the show.”

How do you manage to stay in the moment, and not look back, or can you?

“I’m so thankful that I am part of a strong team, and that I have such a great team. I believe we have the greatest team in boxing. They keep me grounded, focused. They keep me from getting distracted. We all know what the main goal is. I can’t do it all myself, my coach can’t do it all himself, my manager can’t do it all himself. We believe totally in each other as a team. I listen to everything they say.”

How much is your past a motivation, or is it? When you look back at your life do you have memories or nightmares?

“I believe I’ve accomplished a lot. Me just being alive today, me not being in jail or in trouble outside the ring, it’s hard from where I come from. But it’s all helped me handle situations well. I’m so used to dealing with situations. I’m older and know what’s right from wrong. There’s never any pressure when I fight. I’ve won so many fights already I know what to do when I get in the ring.”

How long have you known Floyd? When did you meet him and how would you describe your relationship? What does it mean for Floyd to be your promoter?

“The first time I talked to Floyd (at length) was at the Adrien Broner-Shawn Porter fight (June 20, 2015). Me and Adrien, we’re friends and he flew me out to Las Vegas for the fight. I worked out at the Mayweather gym and Floyd liked the way I fought, my heart. But the first time I actually met and talked to him came when one of Floyd’s press tours came to Washington, D.C.

“Floyd has always had a major impact on me and my career. I grew up around him. All of us wanted to be like him. Like Tyson and Ali were to the generations of boxers before me, Floyd was our superstar. For him to bring me under his wing, to fight for him, is unbelievably great.”

# # #

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @BadouJack, @JamesDegale1, @Sniper_Pedraza, @Gervontaa, @SHOSports, @MayweatherPromo, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotionswww.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. This event is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

LAS VEGAS (January 4, 2016) – Several end-of-year praises, including two Fighter of the Year honors for featherweight world champion Carl Frampton, will add prestige and excitement for the highly anticipated rematch between the Northern Ireland-native and former three-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz, which will take placeSaturday, January 28 at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas live on SHOWTIME.

Frampton was named the 2016 Fighter of the Year by ESPN and Yahoo Sports, with both outlets highlighting his sensational victory over Santa Cruz in July, a ferocious battle that made Frampton the first Irishman to win world titles in two divisions. In February, Frampton bested junior featherweight world champion Scott Quigg to unify world titles in a UK mega-fight. Both the Frampton vs. Santa Cruz and Frampton vs. Quigg fights were shown on SHOWTIME. Frampton is also a nominee for the BWAA Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year award that will be announced in February.

“The biggest win for me was the Leo Santa Cruz fight,” Frampton told ESPN. “He was a three-weight world champion and most of the press and bookies picked him to win. You can see the difference in how I reacted at the end of both fights. I knew I was a better fighter than Quigg, but the Santa Cruz victory was the one I got more pleasure from.”

Frampton’s fight against Los Angeles power puncher Santa Cruz also earned honorable mention for Fight of the Year from ESPN and USA Today. ESPN ranked round 12 of their action-packed matchup as the third best Round of the Year. In addition, the Frampton vs. Santa Cruz clash is nominated for the BWAA’s Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier Fight of the Year.

Frampton’s recognition spanned across the globe, as he was awarded the BBBofC Fighter of the Year award, the most prestigious boxing award in the UK. He also was selected as the PBC Fighter of the Year, with Santa Cruz vs. Frampton being named a finalist for PBC Fight of the Year.

The multitude of year-end honors has continued to build excitement around what will undoubtedly be another action-packed display of grit, skill and action later this month in Las Vegas. Frampton will look to cement his status as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, while Santa Cruz will look to take back his featherweight world title and regain his position at the top of the division.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader will be televised beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features unbeaten lightweight world champion Dejan Zlaticanin taking on undefeated former two-division world champion Mikey Garcia.

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 @LeoSantaCruz2, @RealCFrampton, @MikeyGarcia, @DinamitDejan1 and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports and www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions.PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Corpus Chrusti, Texas (January 4, 2017) –Former Lightweight world title contender, Jerry ‘Corpus Christi Kid’ Belmontes, 21-10(6kos) has decided to hang up his gloves and cross over to the business side of boxing.

The fighting pride of Corpus Christi, Belmontes began fighting at age 10. He learned to use his great footwork and slippery style to build himself into a decorated amateur; winning 117 of his bouts. Jerry began his professional career under the Top Rank promotional arm. After a split with the company in 2010, Jerry later inked a deal with Main Events which was also short lived. His final pact with a promotional company came from Golden Boy which presented big opportunities against big names. In his 6 fights working with Golden Boy Promotions, Belmontes defeated former IBO champion Will Tomlinson (21-0-1). During his career, Belmontes had quality wins over undefeated Valentin Golovko (21-0), Daniel Diaz (19-4-1) and Joselito Collado (13-1), and earned a world title shot of his own versus amateur rival, Omar Figueroa. In controversial fashion, Belmontes was handed a split decision loss in which many thought he had beaten Figueroa.

The second half of Belmontes career was a downward spiral, losing 6 of his final 8 fights. He was stopped for the first time in his career by current WBA Lightweight champion Jason Sosa. In his final bout, Belmontes was defeated by Julian Rodriguez in Florida.

Belmontes faced 5 world champions, and had wins over 4 undefeated foes.

“It is weird retiring at 28 {years old} but I had a great career. I fought on TV, represented my city {Corpus Christi} and family name. I got to make a little money and was able to provide a different life for my wife and kids. Most importantly, I walk away in one piece and not in bad health.”

Jerry believes his career was indeed an education for him to guide fighters and help them on the business side of the sport.

“I learned a lot about the business of boxing in my 9 years. Although my time retired will be mostly spent with my wife and kids, I will be announcing the start of a new company with my manager {Adrian Clark} that will help educate and protect fighters.”

Belmontes is holding a press conference at the American Bank Center on January 11, 2017 in Corpus Christi, Texas to officially announce his retirement.

Anthony Crolla will meet Jorge Linares in a rematch for the WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring magazine World Lightweight titles at the Manchester Arena on March 25, live on Sky Sports and sponsored by Betfred.

Crolla and Linares met in the same venue for the belts in September with the Venezuelan coming out on top in an enthralling contest, ending the brilliant winning run of ‘Million Dollar’ who claimed the title with a stoppage win over Darleys Perez in November 2015 before destroying dangerous Ismael Barroso in May.

The 30 year old is delighted to get a second crack at the classy Linares, and believes he’s better placed to regain his title following their first meeting.

“There had been lots of talk on the rematch since the first fight with Jorge so I’m delighted to finally get this announced,” said Crolla. “I’ve been in the gym right the way up to Christmas even though the fight is a little bit of a while off. I’m working hard and making improvements, I will have to show improvements in the rematch if I am to win. I came up short on the night against the better man – with those improvements I believe I can change the result this time around.

“I see Jorge as the best Lightweight in the world and I want to be the best Lightweight in the world. It is always up for discussion that label of course, he is seen as the man at the moment and I want to test myself against the very best, even though I have already been in with him. These are the fights that I want to be involved in.

“No excuses from me from the first fight, I had a great camp – I came up short against a great fighter. I thought the fight itself was going well, I felt like I was in control up until the sixth round, he caught me with a great shot and buzzed me. I felt that in the next round it took a bit of zap out of my punches and legs. Fair play to Linares he used his experience and won the last few rounds, which is usually what I do!

“I’ve got to be in these big fights now. The last four fights have been the biggest fights of my career, all tough opponents. I’m up for this big nights and people start expecting them. The motivation is always there for me, walking out at that arena with that crowd – it’s the level I feel I’m at now.

“The better the opponent, the better I will perform. I’m approving still as a fighter and athlete despite turning 30 recently. I want to be remembered as being someone who took on the best around and being mentioned in the same breath as them.”

“I am really excited to be going back to Manchester,” said Linares. “I was treated very well by everyone and gained a lot of new British fans. Crolla is a tremendous fighter with a lot of heart so I know I must train twice as hard for another tough fight. I want to thank Eddie Hearn at Matchroom, my promoters at Golden Boy Promotions and Teiken. I promise another great performance and assure that the belts are returning home with me”

“I’m delighted Anthony will get a chance to win his WBA title back along with the WBC Diamond and Ring magazine belts,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “The last fight was a Fight of the Year contender and Linares boxed out of his skin but one thing we know about Anthony is his ability to bounce back and he is so determined to win this fight. He has created some wonderful atmospheres at the Manchester Arena over the last few years and I believe March 25 will be the best yet.”

Betting giants Betfred backed the brilliant first clash between the Lightweight stars, and Betfred boss Fred Done is delighted to be backing the rematch.

“Following the fantastic first fight I had no hesitation in sponsoring the rematch of Anthony Crolla versus Jorge Linares,” said Done. “As a proud Mancunian I hope and believe I will be celebrating with Anthony this time.”

Tickets go on sale at midday on Monday January 9 to Matchroom Fight Pass members at insert link and on general sale at midday on Tuesday January 10 from www.manchesterarena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 while VIPs tickets are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £250.

Face value tickets for March 25 will also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

04 January 2017 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its return to Bangkok on 11 March for another exciting evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. ONE: WARRIOR KINGDOM is set to electrify the Impact Arena once again with the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent. Headlining the fight card is ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee who is set to defend her title against rising star Jenny Huang.

Ticket information for ONE: WARRIOR KINGDOM is available at www.onefc.com

Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship stated: “Our last event in Bangkok was absolutely epic and we can’t wait to tell our fans that we are going to do it all over again next March. We have an amazing main event planned for you guys as Angela Lee is set to defend her ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship against rising star Jenny Huang.”

“Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Waipahu, Hawaii is one of the promotion’s most promising young prospects regardless of division and weight class. Lee, who is of mixed Canadian and Korean descent, has roots in Singapore and trains at Asia’s premiere mixed martial arts gym, Evolve-MMA. Lee’s beautiful combination of solid striking and grappling skills has proven to be a potent formula for success as she remains unbeaten in her MMA career. In her last bout, Lee captured the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship with an awe-inspiring victory over Mei Yamaguchi. Lee will now make the first defense of her title against Jenny Huang.

Angela Lee, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion, stated: “I am so excited for my first title defense! I had back to back fights leading up to the title fight, and after I won the belt I took some time off. The goal for 2017 is to be an active champion and to stay busy. I’m really looking forward to headlining the card in Bangkok, Thailand!

“I absolutely love the people and their culture. I know that the crowd is gonna go crazy on fight night! Since my last fight, I’ve been training extremely hard, improving my skill set and I can’t wait to show everyone, come March 11th.

“I’ve been watching Jenny and have seen her last few fights. I think that this is going to be a great fight and it will be exciting for the fans to see how our styles match up.”

25-year-old Jenny Huang is female mixed martial artist who hails from Taiwan. Unbeaten with a professional MMA record of five wins and no losses, Huang also owns three highly-impressive submission victories. In her most recent bout, Huang electrified the arena by executing an extremely rare submission via gogoplata, overcoming a spirited performance from Filipino fighter April Osenio. In her next bout, Huang will challenge ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee.

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

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

BROOKLYN (January 3, 2017) — IBF Super Middleweight World Champion James DeGale has already made his name as a road warrior and will look to put on another great performance away from his London home when he takes on fellow super middleweight world champion Badou Jack in their 168-pound unification showdown on Saturday, January 14 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn and live on SHOWTIME.

DeGale arrived in the U.S. on Friday, December 30 and will finish up his training at the famous 5th Street Gym in Miami ahead of the matchup in Brooklyn.

“It’s great to be back in America again for the biggest fight of my life,” said DeGale. “Everything has gone fantastically in my training camp in England and now we’ll spend these last 10 days down here in Miami before heading up to New York for fight week.

“Now I’m focused on getting in the zone for Jack and priming my mind to win. I won my world title in the U.S., I’ve defended it here and now I’m going to unify it here. To do what no other British super middleweight has done — and there have been numerous greats at 168-pounds — fills me with pride and will cement my legacy in the division.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, start at $25. Tickets are available now and can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Take a look below at some interesting facts that have led DeGale to his January 14 showdown:

1. DeGale was born in London to an English mother and British-
born black father whose parents originate from Grenada. He has three siblings, all older than him — two brothers and a sister. He also has a nephew and niece.

2. DeGale was a mischievous child and would get into all kinds of
trouble especially at school. His grandfather suggested to his parents to let him take up boxing to channel his energy.

3. At the age of nine, DeGale walked into his first boxing club (Trojan in
Harlesden), took up boxing and he has never looked back.

4. He was given his nickname “Chunky” from day one when one of the
trainers looked at him (as he was a bit overweight) and said “alright Chunky” and the name has stuck ever since. Everyone in amateur boxing only knew him as “Chunky.” If someone asked about James DeGale, people would look strangely as everyone in amateur boxing only knew him as “Chunky.”

5. DeGale was a student at the renowned Barbara Speake Stage School
in London and showed promise in singing and dancing, but his bad behavior got him expelled.

6. DeGale had a tough stretch at about the age of 13-14 when he went off the
rails and did not go to the gym for months. This all changed when his parents had enough of his wayward behavior and told him if he didn’t change his ways and go back to boxing he would go to Social Services.

7. Since that day he has gone from strength to strength. He was chosen for
Young England at 14-years-old, won major amateur tournaments and after the NABCs DeGale was chosen from the England Podium Squad. He traveled the world competing in major competitions winning bronze in the 2006 Commonwealth Games and in 2006 was chosen for GB Podium squad to represent his country at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

8. He was the sole member of the 2008 boxing team to return with a gold
medal and was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty The Queen for his remarkable achievement.

9. DeGale turned professional in 2009 and quickly captured the British,
European, WBA International, WBO Intercontinental and WBC Silver titles.

10. DeGale then made British history by becoming the first British Olympic
gold medalist to win a professional world title.

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The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® doubleheader begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT with junior lightweight world champion Jose Pedraza taking on undefeated contender Gervonta Davis.

Additional action is featured on SHOWTIME EXTREME®and headlined by junior featherweight world champion and Brooklyn-native Amanda Serrano battling former two-division world champion Yazmin Rivas. The telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET/PT and features Ievgen Khytrov battling Immanuwel Aleem in a 10-round matchup of undefeated rising contenders.

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @BadouJack, @JamesDegale1, @Sniper_Pedraza, @Gervontaa, @ShowtimeBoxing, @SSports, @MayweatherPromo, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotionswww.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. This event is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

On December 16, 2016, VADA notified the WBC that Alexander Povetkin’s anti-doping test taken from his December 6, 2016, “A” Sample pursuant to the WBC Clean Boxing Program (“CBP”) yielded an adverse analytical finding for the banned substance Ostarine. The WBC Rules & Regulations provide that Mr. Povetkin can request that: (1) the “B” Sample be tested; and (2) he or his designated representative(s) witness the opening of the “B” sample container.

Mr. Povetkin made the requests set forth above. The opening of the “B” Sample container is scheduled to take place at the University of California Los Angeles laboratory on January 5, 2017.

The WBC is still investigating the circumstances of Mr. Povetkin’s positive test. The WBC will issue a final ruling on the matter after it completes its investigation and it receives the “B” Sample anti-doping tests results.

NEW YORK – January 3, 2017 – Combate Americas today announced four spectacular Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bouts, including a bantamweight (135) main event between rising stars Steve Swanson (14-2) and Gustavo Lopez (6-2) – for the league’s much-anticipated, historic debut in Mexico on Thursday, Jan. 19, live on Azteca America (10 p.m. ET/PT) and UFC FIGHT PASS® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

The event, which will take place at El Plaza Condesa in Mexico City, will also air via tape delay in Mexico the following night, Friday, Jan. 20 at 11 p.m. CT., on TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: AZTECA; Latibex: XTZA), one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world.

In the atomweight (105 pounds) co-main event, former world championship challenger Nicdali “The Night Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (9-9) will make her long-awaited return to La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, and face red-hot Lisbeth Lopez Silva (3-3).

“We are excited to be assembling a phenomenal fight card, and to have the opportunity to be at the forefront of MMA’s growth in Mexico with our unique and fast-growing sports franchise,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

In other main card action, two hard-hitting, Mexico City rivals, Rodrigo “Kazula” Vargas (9-5) and Marco Antonio “La Rocka” Elpidio (4-1-1) will collide at lightweight (155 pounds).

Fellow upstarts Jose “The Ghost” Ceja (4-3) and Joey “El Cazador” Ruquet (3-1) will square off at bantamweight.

Additional bouts for the Combate Americas event will be announced soon.

The 5-foot-5, 36-year-old younger brother of UFC star Cub Swanson, Steve of Indio, Calif. is a 36-year-old prolific knockout artist whose family originally hails from Chihuahua, Mexico.

Swanson is a winner of his last four fights, all by way of (T)KO. He is coming off an explosive, 38-second stoppage of Christian Rios on October 22.

Fighting out MMA legend Randy “The Natural” Couture’s Xtreme Couture camp in Las Vegas, Nev. Lopez is a 5-foot-5, 27-year-old finisher originally from Yakima, Wash.

Lopez emerged unbeaten, with a record of 3-0, during the Combate Americas “Road To The Championship” fight series that spanned from September 2015 to May 2016. He has notched five of his six professional career victories via (T)KO or submission.

Rivera-Calanoc is a 5-foot-3, 31-year-old resident of Las Vegas, Nev. and native of Tulsa, Okla., as well as a battle-tested veteran of the sport who has faced a handful of top rivals in the women’s field, including Jessica Penne.

Rivera-Calanoc, whose ancestral roots are in Chihuahua, took a split decision in her last start on March 12, from Ronni Nanney.

Lopez Silva of Mexico City is aiming for her fourth straight win on the heels of a unanimous decision over Marcel Yineris Nieto on December 2 in Panama City, Panama.

A former welterweight (170 pounds), Vargas of Mexico City is a 5-foot-8, 31-year-old powerhouse who will put a three-fight win streak on the line.

To date, the Mexican Pride team member has claimed all of his wins by way of (T)KO or submission.

Elpidio, whose nickname translates to “The Rock,” is also a former welterweight standout who will look to secure his third consecutive win.

In his last effort on March 19, Elpidio, a member of the Renzo Gracie affiliate team in Mexico City, scored a second round (3:16) TKO on Francisco Vargas with an onslaught of punches.

The 5-foot-7, 31-year-old Ceja of Port Arthur, Texas will make his second start under the promotion of Combate Americas.

In his debut for the league on October 14, Ceja avenged a previous loss in dynamic fashion, scoring a first round (4:22) knockout on Irwin “The Beast” Rivera in the first live televised, professional MMA event since UFC 7 in September 1995.

Ruquet of Las Vegas, Nev. via Venice, Fla. is a 5-foot-8, 24-year-old upstart and seasoned striker who will make his second appearance in La Jaula after submitting Luke Faultersack with an anaconda choke in the second round (4:28) of action on April 25.

UFC FIGHT PASS is a digital subscription service which gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s largest fight library.

Download the UFC App now.

# # #

ABOUT COMBATE AMERICAS
Combate Americas, LLC. is the first U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise in history, designed to build Latino fighting champions and serve Hispanic fans, one of the world’s most avid groups of prize fighting enthusiasts. The Combate Americas franchise includes reality TV programming, live events and mobile programming. The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.” With an unprecedented product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.

ABOUT TV AZTECA
TV Azteca is one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world, operating two national television networks in Mexico, El trece and Azteca 7, through more than 300 owned and operated stations across the country. TV Azteca affiliates include Azteca US, a broadcast television network focused on the rapidly growing U.S. Hispanic market, and Azteca Web, an Internet company for North American Spanish speakers.

ABOUT AZTECA AMERICA’S NETWORK
Azteca America engages Spanish-language viewers by creating unique, passionate and enlightening content that is relevant to the daily lives of our audience. Wholly owned by Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language content in the world, Azteca America complements its Mexican programs with an innovative lineup of shows from third-party producers and distributors to ensure the finest programming for its audience. The company provides tailored, multi-platform advertising solutions for clients seeking to reach the most dynamic consumer group in the country.

About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell-out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 156 countries and territories to more than 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in 29 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.