The last time England and Ireland met in the the boxing ring with a World middleweight title on the line was 21 years ago when Steve Collins and Chris Pyatt clashed, now the two nations reignite their rivalry with the potential thriller between Billy Joe Saunders and Andy Lee on Saturday 19th December at the Manchester Arena.

Leicester puncher Pyatt, then the reigning WBO World Champion, lost the title to Dublin hardman Collins, who himself previously lost in two world title attempts, on a fifth round stoppage to finally achieve his dream of becoming World champion on 11th May 1994 at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge Arena.

The same belt will be on the line, now held by Limerick’s dynamite punching Lee, when he makes the first defence of the belt against his mandatory and undefeated challenger from Hatfield, in one of the most important fights in the 160lb division in recent years.

Straight after the Pyatt victory, Collins moved up to super-middleweight and defeated rival Chris Eubank, twice in a row, followed later by back-to-back victories over the Dark Destroyer Nigel Benn in epic encounters before retiring as undefeated world champion in July 1997.

Collins believes the winner of Lee and Saunders can go on to huge blockbuster fights in the division that holds stellar fighters Gennady Golovkin, Miguel Cotto and Saul Alvarez, plus Daniel Jacobs and Peter Quillin, who’s fights all feature exclusively live on BoxNation.

“When I beat Chris Pyatt to become WBO World Middleweight champion it was like a key to the super fights, to the Eubanks and Benns, which made my name, but that fight against Pyatt was absolutely crucial for me to win otherwise those big fights wouldn’t have happened,” Said Collins.

“It was a dream come true when I beat Pyatt, who was a great fighter in his own right, and I knew that I had to KO him to win, he was a tough man, but for me he was the ticket to the big fights. If I’d have lost he’d have gone and fought Eubank and Benn and I’d have been out of the picture. That’s pretty much how Lee and Saunders can look at it, it opens up even more big fights for the winner,”

“Saunders and Lee have got everything to fight for, there are some massive fights ahead for them. Obviously Golovkin is king right now and we haven’t seen the likes of him for a long long time, he’s the best right now. There are great fighters like Cotto and Alvarez, so the winner out of Lee and Saunders is going to have a field day. Back in my day there was Benn and Eubank who I beat twice each, but it created a great rivalry, the only one who didn’t get involved was Roy Jones Jnr. who stayed his side of the pond,”

“The current 160lb division is a very exciting place and it’s one of the best in boxing right now. This fight It’s like going back to the good old days in the division. It has the potential to be a great, great, fight. Both men have the ability to win. If it goes the distance Saunders can win, but Lee can win by stoppage. Whatever, it’s going to be exciting.”

Tickets are priced at £40, £50, £75, £100, £200 and £300 are available from

www.frankwarren.com

TicketMaster
0844 844 0444
www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Eventim
0844 249 1000
www.eventim.co.uk

Manchester Arena
0161 950 5000
0161 950 5229 (disabled access bookings)
www.manchester-arena.co.uk

*Tickets are subject to a booking fee.

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise the show live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546 and Talk Talk 415. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com Or watch online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android.

New York, NY (11/10/15) – Earlier this summer, Visa announced its partnership with sports apparel company Under Armour for its online payment program and a new ad campaign, “Break It.” Commercials for the partnership have now started to roll out and none other than DiBella Entertainment’s “First Lady,” undefeated Brooklyn female super bantamweight Heather “The Heat” Hardy (14-0, 3KO’s) is being featured in the campaign ads.

Hardy, who returns to the ring on Saturday, December 5th, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, on the undercard of the eagerly anticipated world middleweight championship showdown between Daniel Jacobs and Peter Quillin, is in talks with the sportswear company to officially become part of the Under Armour Women’s team that includes such superstar athletes and female figures as Gisele Bundchen, Lindsey Vonn, Misty Copeland, Brianna Cope and Kelley O’Hara.

“It is an honor to be included in the “Break It” campaign alongside the likes of Billie Jean King and so many other great and inspirational female athletes,” said Hardy. “Like her, I am still a part of this fight, working to break the barrier that women in my sport fight both inside and outside of the ring, day after day. Even today, as an undefeated 14-0 champion, ranked #1 in the world, I am still fighting to get the recognition that I so long for and deserve. I will continue to fight this fight until I see my dreams come true and challenge for a world title in a nationally televised appearance on a major TV network.”

Hardy is quickly closing in on her first world title opportunity, but first she must take care of business against a familiar foe, Noemi Bosques (10-3-2, 2KO’s) when the undefeated female star steps into the ring on December 5, in what will be her fourth consecutive performance at Barclays Center. Hardy and Bosques fought at the Brooklyn arena in May, with Hardy winning an entertaining eight-round split decision. Hardy felt there was no question that she won the fight, and is out to prove there is no doubt who is the better fighter when the two meet again on the 5th.

“I hate doing rematches because it’s so redundant and I already beat you. It was a split decision though, so in her mind she feels like she can come back and beat me. I didn’t want to deny her that, because we put on a great show for the fans. People at the fight knew I won the fight and that it was a clear decisive win, but when people see ‘split decision’ there are always questions that arise because she is such a good legitimate fighter. I’m giving her another chance.”

Below are the mission statements for both Under Armour Women and the “Break It” campaign. A link to the “Break It” commercial is below.

Under Armour Women
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT OTHERS THINK.
IT’S WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
We’re not a campaign; not a season or snapshot.
Our story isn’t told through a press release or social post.
It’s dripping down our backs-each drop a declaration to prove
that the space between woman and athlete is no space at all.
We’re UA Women. And we WILL what we want.

Break It
“Break It” is no ordinary campaign. It will be an epic, high-octane tribute to female athletes over the past 80 years who broke expectations to achieve excellence. Created in partnership with Visa and Under Armour, our message aims to inspire the next generation of female athletes.

Commercial Link
http://youtu.be/koTj6AOAGdc

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @DanielJacobsTKO, @KidChocolate, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/

ZHANAT ZHAKIYANOV proved he belongs amongst the world’s elite by winning the interim WBA bantamweight title on Saturday night (November 7).

The Kazakh, who is trained by former four-time world champion Ricky Hatton, overcame the tall and tricky Venezuelan Yonfrez Parejo with a split decision verdict in front the of the great and the good of Monte Carlo.

Zhakiyanov had blasted out his previous 12 opponents and hoped to make it 13, but Parejo took him the long route by refusing to engage in close.

The South American’s jab and move tactic gave Zhakiyanov a few problems in the early rounds, but he refused to let his frustration show and continued to patiently stalk his foe before getting off single hooks.

With Parejo tiring, Zhakiynov took control of the fight down the stretch. Urged to “throw more shots” by Hatton, “ZZ” stepped across his opponent and connected regularly with quality punches.

Judges Giuseppe Quartarone and Stanley Christodoulou scored it 116-113 and 115-113 respectively against Levi Martinez’s verdict of 112-116.

“I’m very proud of what Zhanat has achieved,” Hatton, who is also Zhakiyanov’s promoter, said. “He was in with a very good opponent, who gave him a lot to think about, but he stuck to the game plan and got the job done.

“We said we wanted a knockout before the fight and think there were a few times when Zhanat hurt Parejo, but you can’t always have an early night and this victory is still as sweet as can be.

“The people of Kazakhstan love their boxing and I think Zhanat will have become something of a national hero now. They’ve got great fighters like Golovkin and Shumenov at world level already and now they’ve got Zhanat to get behind.

“He can go back home now with his new belt, have some well-deserved time off, and prepare himself for a massive 2016.

“This win has opened the door to the really big fights and I think it’s only a matter of time before he gets his hands on the full WBA title as well as a few more world titles.”

LONDON (10 NOVEMBER) Manchester’s Jack Arnfield is buoyant and “raring to go” ahead of his British middleweight title fight with champion Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell this Saturday (November 14) at Bristol’s City Academy.

The 26-year-old accepted the fight with Blackwell last Friday, following the withdrawal of original opponent Elliott Matthews, and now can’t wait to finally get his hands on that coveted Lonsdale belt.

“On Friday morning I got the phone call from Steve Wood, my manager, who told me Matthews was out and I was in,” recalled Arnfield, 19-1 (4 KOs). “I was over the moon. I was ecstatic.

“I’ve been working towards an opportunity like this my whole career. I’ve had some rough spots in my career but these past twelve months have been great. I’ve been back in the gym, working hard, enjoying it, and this is the best time for an opportunity like this to come along.”

Arnfield has been a professional eight years now, but has been active for only four of them on account of personal issues and injury woes. More recently, though, he’s enjoyed some positive activity; earlier this year he got to the semi-final of Sky Sports’ Prizefighter tournament and a little over two weeks ago he won an eight-rounder in Manchester.

“I have stayed in shape because I knew there was a chance something like this could happen,” he said. “I wanted to be ready if the chance came along. So, after my last fight two weeks ago, I had two days off and was then straight back in the gym. I had an inkling I’d be fighting again pretty soon.

“I’m in really good shape. I don’t struggle to make middleweight – I make it really well. I’m fit, I’m strong and I’m ready for Saturday night. I’m raring to go.”

Though he concedes he knows little about the man he replaced, Arnfield believes Blackwell will be wishing it were Elliott Matthews in the ring with him on Saturday night in Bristol.

“I’ve never seen Matthews box before,” said Arnfield. “I looked up his record and he seemed quite untested. He was a southpaw, but Blackwell doesn’t do too badly against southpaws; he boxed Billy Joe and gave him a good fight, he beat John Ryder and his last opponent, Damon Jones, was also a southpaw. He’s had a good run of southpaws, so I bet he was over the moon when Matthews was given the shot. He will have been training for a southpaw.

“I’m obviously not a southpaw, but I don’t think that will have too much of an impact on Blackwell. He’s a professional, he’s British champion and he’ll be prepared for whatever is in front of him.

“I do think I’m an all-round better boxer than Matthews and a tougher challenge for Blackwell, though. And I’m looking forward to showing that on Saturday.”

As for Blackwell, the new challenger admits he’s been keeping a close eye on the Trowbridge man ever since he dramatically shocked John Ryder in May, well aware that he might one day fight him for the British title.

“I’ve been hunting the British title for the past 18 months, so I’ve kept tabs on all the champions that have come along,” said Jack. “As soon as Blackwell won it in May, I had my sights set on one day fighting him.

“He’s aggressive and very, very fit. You can’t take that away from him. He’s always there for the full twelve rounds no matter who he’s up against. I know it will be a hard night’s work. But people underestimate how fit I am. I don’t stop from the first bell to the last bell.

“I also know he doesn’t have much of an amateur pedigree or any amateur background at all. He fought on the unlicensed scene. I’m not saying that’s a bad scene, but I think having an amateur pedigree stands for a bit more than that.

“I’m really looking forward to fighting him. I think everyone will be entertained.”

*** For tickets to BANG BANG: Blackwell vs. Arnfield, please contact the Ticketline Box Office on 0844 888 4402, the Sanigar Events Box Office on 0117 949 6699 or visit www.hennessysports.com ***

*** Blackwell vs. Arnfield will be televised live and exclusively on Channel 5 from 10pm, Saturday, November 14 ***

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The next documentary from ESPN Films’ Peabody and Emmy Award-winning 30 for 30 series will be “Chasing Tyson,” premiering on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Directed by the Oscar- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Steven Cantor, the film examines why so many years went by before Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson finally met in the ring.

Holyfield was a journeyman boxer who had earned respect with victorious bouts against greats like Buster Douglas, Riddick Bowe and George Foreman. He won the heavyweight championship belt four times. But it was Mike Tyson’s outsized personality and ferocious punches that cast a commanding shadow over boxing in the 1980s and ’90s. Even when “Iron Mike” was in prison, the heavyweight division belonged to him. Meanwhile, Holyfield endured years of delay while waiting for the opportunity to take down Tyson.

Though Holyfield dramatically lost and recaptured the heavyweight crown, and then lost it again, even he understood that his career would ultimately be defined by how he stood up to Tyson – if he ever got his chance. By the time of their much-hyped and oft-delayed heavyweight title bout in November of 1996, Holyfield was 34 years old and considered past his prime. Four years younger, Tyson was heavily favored to be standing over another meek and easily vanquished opponent at the end. Instead, the world got not one, but two of the sport’s most memorable fights – for very different reasons.

Additional information, including film clips and director statements and bios, are available at espn.com/30for30. Follow 30 for 30 on Facebook (facebook.com/espn30for30) and Twitter (@30for30). 30 for 30 is presented by Volkswagen. Fans can join the conversation on social media using #ChasingTyson.

About ESPN Films
Created in March 2008, ESPN Films produces high-quality documentary films showcasing some of the most compelling stories in sports. In October 2009, ESPN Films launched the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning 30 for 30 film series. Additional projects from ESPN Films include the decorated series 30 for 30 Shorts, Nine for IX and SEC Storied among others.

-30-

Anthony Crolla says his desire to win a World title in his hometown will drive him to victory in his rematch with Darleys Perez for the WBA World Lightweight title at the Manchester Arena on November 21, live on Sky Sports.

The Manchester star came within a whisker of ripping the title from the classy Colombian in their first meeting at the Arena in July, which ended in a majority draw. ‘Million Dollar’ was granted an immediate rematch for the title by the WBA, and having already stated he will leave no doubt as to the winner this time, Crolla says he is thinking of the belt being placed around his waist every second of the day.

“I think about winning the World title in Manchester every single day,” said Crolla. “I think about it going into the gym, before I go to sleep, over and over. I am sure the real thing will be even better than how I imagine it, and that is what I want to experience on November 21. I will do everything I can to make that dream come true. It has been a dream since I first laced a pair of gloves, every fighter has the same dream, and there would be no better setting than to do it in front of my home town people.

“The division is very, very strong and it is great to be a part of it. There are four or five fighters in the division who are world-level fighters. There are many great domestic fights to be had for World titles and hopefully I can bring home that title and then I don’t necessarily be needing to go across the pond for big Lightweight fights as there are ones right here in Britain.

“I still get goosebumps thinking about the ring walk now. To have 12,000 people in an arena like that, it was surreal. I am a lad who has been going there since before the Ricky Hatton days, seeing boxers like your Naseem Hameds and your Michael Brodies, to experience it as a fighter, it was a dream come true.”

Crolla faces Perez on a stacked bill in Manchester as the vacant British title at Super-Lightweight is on the line in a rematch between Chris Jenkins and Tyrone Nurse, whilst new Matchroom signing Ryan Burnett faces Jason Booth for the vacant British Bantamweight title.

There’s a pair of English title fights with talented former Team GB man defending his Flyweight title against Liverpool’s Phil Smith and Isaac Lowe defends his Featherweight strap against Manchester’s Ryan Doyle.

Unbeaten Manchester Cruiserweight Hosea Burton meets Tony Hill for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental title, and there’s action for former World Bantamweight champion Stuart Hall, former World title challenger Brian Rose and unbeaten youngsters Marcus Morrison and Liam Taylor.

Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £60, £80 and £100 bracket from www.manchester-arena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000.

Tickets for November 21 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua MBE.

Fight Network is a 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports. It airs programs focused on the entire scope of the combat sports genre, including live fights and up-to-the-minute news and analysis for mixed martial arts, kickboxing, professional wrestling, traditional martial arts, boxing, fight news, as well as fight-themed drama series, documentaries and feature films.

Below find highlights of this week’s programming:

Monday, Nov. 9
6:00 p.m. ET – Global Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casper gives weekly news and analysis centering around the global wrestling scene, including interviews, features, the latest news and results, plus a look back at the past.
6:30 p.m. ET – Judo Tbilisi Grand Prix Highlights – Highlights from the Judo Tbilisi Grand Prix from Mar. Mar. 20-22, 2015 in Georgia.
7:00 p.m. & 11:30 ET – 5 Rounds – Fight Network’s John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to breakdown the weekend of MMA action.
7:30 p.m. ET & 11:30 p.m. ET- Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

Tuesday, Nov. 10
1:30 a.m. ET – XPTV – Coverage of regional U.S. professional and amateur MMA events.
5:00 & 5:30 p.m. ET – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based pro MMA featuring top American prospects, international stars and UFC veterans.
6:00 p.m. & 10 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds Today – Video podcast with John Ramdeen and Robin Black breaking down a wide variety of topics in the MMA world, including previews of upcoming events and all the latest rumors and headlines.
8:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Fight Network’s John Ramadeen and Robin Black invite special guests to breakdown the weekend of MMA action.
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and others.
10:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 47 – Featuring Chris Wade vs. Pat Defranco and Frankie Perez vs. Mike Santiago from Jan. 24, 2014 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Wednesday, Nov. 11
12:00 a.m. ET – Ring of Combat 48 – Featuring Brendan Barrett vs. Justin Woods and Chris Wade vs. Frankie Perez from May 16, 2014 from Atlantic City, NJ.
5:00 p.m. ET – Texas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star State’s top prospects in the cage.
6:00 p.m. ET – Best of Cage Rage – Featuring classic fights from the OK-based Cage Rage organization with Anderson Silva, Antonio Silva, Vitor Belfort, Paul Daley and others.
7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.
7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
8:00 p.m. ET – Cage Warriors FC: Fight Night 9 – Featuring Bruno Carvalho vs. Gael Grimaud and Faycal Hucin vs. Che Mills in Amman, Jordan.
11:00 p.m. ET – MMA Meltdown with Gabriel Morency – Gabriel Morency breaks down all the happenings in MMA, discussing odds, predictions, plus special weekly guests and exclusive interviews.
11:30 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 59: Kharitonov vs. Garner – Featuring Sergei Kharitonov vs. Kenny Garner in a rematch from July 8, 2015 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Thursday, Nov. 12
2:00 a.m. & 1 p.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 33 – Featuring Denniston Sutherland vs. Ben Callum from Apr. 6, 2013 in London.
4:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. ET – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.
6:00 p.m. ET – Championship Fighting Alliance – Pro MMA from Florida featuring the likes of Josh Sampo, Mike Kyle, John Howard, Sean McCorkie, Luis Palomino and others.
7:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Rookies – Aspiring kickboxers climb the ladder of success in the sport as rookies compete for a chance to become professionals and get experience needed to succeed at5 a higher level.
8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – 2015 IMMAF Amateur MMA Championships: Part 3 / 4 – Coverage of the 2015 IMMAF Amateur MMA Championships from Las Vegas, featuring the men’s featherweight, female bantamweight and men’s welterweight divisions.
10:30 p.m. ET – 2015 IMMAF Amateur MMA Championships: Part 3 / 4 – Coverage of the 2015 IMMAF Amateur MMA Championships from Las Vegas, featuring the men’s lightweight, men’s middleweight, female featherweight and men’s super heavyweight divisions.

Friday, Nov. 13
12:00 a.m. & 11 a.m. ET – It’s Showtime Special – The world’s premier kickboxing organization featuring Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef and Giorgio Petrosyan.
2:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Nate Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.
4:00 a.m. ET – Best of DEEP – Featuring classic fights from the historic Japanese DEEP promotion including Shinua Aoki, Hayatpo Sakurai and Gegard Moisasi.
5:00 a.m. ET – Best of Jewels – Classic fights from the all-female Japanese MMA league Jewels.
7:30 a.m. ET – CANADA ONLY — ONE: Pride of Lions – LIVE from Singapore featuring Ben Askren vs. Luis Santos in a rematch for the ONE welterweight title.
12:00 p.m. ET – Bookie Beatdown – Preview of the betting lines and top picks for major UFC events.
12:30 p.m. ET – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.
1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. ET – Best of Hard Knocks Fighting: Todd Stoute – Relive Todd Stoute’s clash with Anton Tokarchuk from Hard Knocks 42 on Mar. 20, 2015.
2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. ET – Best of Hard Knocks Fighting: Rodney Wallace – Relive Rodney Wallace’s battle with Kalib Starnes from Hard Knocks Fighting 44 on June 26, 2015.
3:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. ET – Best of Hard Knocks Fighting: Todd Stoute – Mini-documentary on light heavyweight MMA veteran Todd Stoute.
3:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. ET – Best of Hard Knocks Fighting: Rodney Wallace – Mini-documentary on light heavyweight MMA veteran Todd Stoute.
7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.
7:30 p.m. ET – Hard Knocks Fighting 46 – Featuring Jesse Arnett vbs. Dimitri Waardenburg for the Hard Knocks bantamweight title from Oct. 23, 2015 in Calgary, Canada.
10:00 p.m. ET – UFC 193 Weigh-ins – LIVE coverage of official weigh ins for UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm in Australia.
11:00 p.m. ET – Hard Knocks Fighting 47 – LIVE MMA action from Calgary, Canada.

Saturday, Nov. 14
1:00 a.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
1:30 a.m. – KSW 25: Khalidov vs. Sakurai – Featuring Mamed Khalidov vs. Ryuta SDakuri and Aslembeck Saidov vs. Daniel Acacio from Dec. 7, 2013 in Wroclaw, Poland.
6:00 a.m. ET — Best of TKO – Featuring George St-Pierre vs. Travis Galbraith from UCC 11.
7:00 a.m. ET – Best of Gladiator Challenge – Featuring Jake Shields vs. Jeremy Jackson from Gladiator Challenge 6.
8:00 a.m. ET – Best of SportFight – Top quality MMA from the Pacific Northwest. Hosted by UFC veterans Matt LIndland and Chael Sonnen. This episode features Brian Caraway and Ian Loveland in action.
5:00 p.m. ET – SuperKombat New Heroes Mamaia 2015 – Featuring Alexandru Negrea vs. Dumitru Topai and Andrei Ostrovanu vs,. Cristian Milea in kickboxing action from Mamaia, Romania.
7:00 p.m. ET – UFC 193 Pre-Show – LIVE pre-fight and analysis of UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm in Australia.
8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – Super Fight League 2 – Featuring Todd Duffee vs. Neil Grove and Alexander Shlemenko vs. Ikuhisa Minowa from Apr. 7, 2012 in Chamdigarh, India.

Sunday, Nov. 15
1:00 p.m. ET – UFC 193 Post-Show & Post-Press Conference – LIVE post-fight coverage, highlights and analysis for UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm in Australia, including the love post-fight press conference.
6:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Name Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.
11:00 a.m. ET – Best of ADCC- Features compilations of the greatest grappling matches ever held, featuring Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, Eddie Bravo, Fabricio Werdum, Marcelo Garcia, Ronaldo Souza and Royler Gracie.
12:00 p.m. ET – Elite Muay Thai: Thailand vs. Challenger – The biggest Muay Thai series in the world featuring premium international stand-up fighters taking on the renowned Thailand National Team.
5:00 p.m. ET – Global Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casper gives weekly news and analysis centering around the global wrestling scene, including interviews, features, the latest news and results, plus a look back at the past.
5:30 p.m. ET – Judo Samsun Grand Prix 2015 Highlights – Highlights from the Judo Samsun Grand Prix Mar. 27-29 in Turkey.
6:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend FFC, M-1 and more.

Information:

www.FightNetwork.com
Twitter & Instagram @fightnet
www.Facebook.com/FightNetwork

Fight Network is a 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports. It airs programs focused on the entire scope of the combat sports genre, including live fights and up-to-the-minute news and analysis for boxing, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, professional wrestling, traditional martial arts, fight news, as well as fight-themed drama series, documentaries and feature films.

Below find highlights of this week’s programming:

Monday, Nov. 9
7:30 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. ET- Fight New Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – UBF Title: De Alba vs. Batres – Featuring Frank De Alba vs. Pablo Batres for the vacant UBF All American super featherweight title from Reading, PA.

Tuesday, Nov. 10
12:00 p.m. ET – UBF Title: De Alba vs. Batres – Featuring Frank De Alba vs. Pablo Batres for the vacant UBF All American super featherweight title from Reading, PA.
4:00 p.m. — KOTV Boxing Classics – Reliving memorable boxing fights from the past two decades.
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

Wednesday, Nov. 11
10:00 p.m. ET – KOTV Boxing Classics – Reliving memorable boxing fights from the past two decades.
7:30 p.m. ET — Fight New Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

Thursday, Nov. 12
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight New Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

Saturday, Nov. 14
1:00 a.m. & 8:30 ET — Fight New Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
3:30 p.m. ET – KOTV Weekly – Covering all the latest news in pro boxing, featuring full recent fights and highlights from the sweet science.

Sunday, Nov. 15
12:00 a.m. & 7:00 ET – KOTV Boxing Classics – Reliving memorable boxing fights from the past two decades.
2:30 a.m. & 5:30 ET – KOTV Weekly – Covering all the latest news in pro boxing, featuring full recent fights and highlights from the sweet science.
8:00 p.m. ET – Ultimate Classic Boxing: Persol vs. Olson – Featuring Johnny Persol vs. Bobo Olson from June 19, 1964 in Madison Square Garden in NYC.

Information:

www.FightNetwork.com

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Nov. 9, 2015 – Leading up to the highly anticipated world middleweight title showdown between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez – set for Saturday, November 21 and presented live by HBO Pay-Per-View® – HBO Sports will present the exclusive replay of two hard-hitting encounters that highlight the remarkable skill and power of these ring warriors.

On Friday, Nov. 13 at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT) and Saturday, Nov. 14 at 10:00 a.m. (ET/PT), HBO2 will replay Cotto vs. Geale 2015 and Canelo vs. Kirkland 2015 back-to-back. This past June, Miguel Cotto displayed his Hall of Famer caliber ring skills against Daniel Geale with a 4th round knockout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This past May, Canelo Alvarez stopped James Kirkland in the 3rd round in an all-out slugfest at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

Both fights will also be available 24 hours a day to HBO On Demand®, HBO NOW® and HBO GO® subscribers.

Cotto vs. Canelo takes place Saturday, November 21 at The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

THE FIGHT GAME WITH JIM LAMPLEY returns with a new edition WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11 (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Hosted by the four-time Sports Emmy® winner, who has hosted HBO Boxing since joining the network in 1988, the show is a provocative, engaging and informative experience that delves into intriguing storylines, newsmakers and issues that are top-of-mind in boxing.

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 15 (11:30 a.m., 5:40 a.m.), 17 (9:30 a.m., 11:15 p.m.), 21 (12:30 p.m.) and 23 (5:55 p.m., 5:00 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Nov. 13 (10:30 a.m., 8:00 p.m.), 14 (1:15 a.m.), 19 (2:30 p.m., 10:00 p.m.), 21 (5:30 p.m.) and 27 (7:30 p.m., 1:00 a.m.), and Dec. 5 (9:10 a.m.)

The show will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand.

Highlights of this edition of THE FIGHT GAME include: Lampley’s one-on-one interview with rising superstar Canelo Alvarez, currently in training for his Nov. 21 mega-fight with Miguel Cotto; a look at the implications of the Nov. 7 Timothy Bradley Jr.-Brandon Rios welterweight showdown; and a review of the knockout victories of Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. In addition, Max Kellerman and Bernard Hopkins join Lampley on the set, and Lampley presents an all-new Gatti list and FIGHT GAME pound-for-pound compilation.

Immediately following the show’s debut on Nov. 11, fight fans can log on to hbo.com for an exclusive overtime segment hosted by Lampley.

LONDON (9 NOVEMBER) British middleweight champion Nick Blackwell has been seeing a sports psychologist ahead of his November 14 title defence against Jack Arnfield in the hope that weekly sessions will eradicate a tendency to start slow in fights.

Blackwell won the Lonsdale belt in May with a stunning seventh-round stoppage of John Ryder at a sold-out O2 Arena, but had to rally back from a slow start to do so. He then experienced the same kind of start in July, when successfully defending his belt with a brutal one-punch knockout of Damon Jones in Derby, and has since gone looking for answers.

“I’ve been seeing a sports psychologist to see if he can get in my head and give me reasons why I’m not starting fast in fights,” said the 24-year-old, who meets Arnfield at Bristol’s City Academy this Saturday night.

“Gary Lockett (trainer) persuaded me to go and try it, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Gary gave me a contact number for a guy who’s in Cardiff, not far from where I stay, and I thought I would try it.

“I didn’t think it would work, but it’s actually helping me a lot. It helped me after just one session. We’ll see how much impact it has on me when I fight, but I’m hopeful. It’s been really interesting.

“We’re not just talking about boxing. We’re talking about everything. He gets right inside my head and explores every aspect of my life and gets me to talk about how I feel about it. I’ve never had anything like that before. It’s only going to benefit me. It’s not going to make me any worse. I think it will give me a mental edge.”

Though he’s recently questioned his own starting pace, nobody can ever accuse Blackwell of fading down the stretch. If anything, he’s renowned for his ability to outlast opponents and always comes on strong in the later rounds. And it’s this ability to finish on top that Blackwell feels will be the difference when he faces Arnfield on Saturday night.

“I want to go in there and stop my opponent,” said the Trowbridge man. “I never want to go the 12 rounds. But I don’t go looking for a knockout, either.

“I’ve always had power, but never really used it in the right way. Whenever you go in there and try to get rid of someone, you load up on everything and become predictable. You tire and make it harder on yourself. If it comes, it comes. I don’t mind going a hard 12 rounds. I’ve done it before. I’m used to doing that.

“I have that last man standing mentality. I like to win fights by knowing I outlasted my opponent and was the tougher fighter. If we had the option to go back to the days of 15-round fights, I’d be all for it. It would suit me down to the ground.”

*** For tickets to BANG BANG: Blackwell vs. Arnfield, please contact the Ticketline Box Office on 0844 888 4402, the Sanigar Events Box Office on 0117 949 6699 or visit www.hennessysports.com ***

*** Blackwell vs. Arnfield will be televised live and exclusively on Channel 5 from 10pm, Saturday, November 14 ***

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VERONA, NY (November 9, 2015) — Undefeated former World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion NICHOLAS “Axe Man” WALTERS returns to the ring to take on granite-fisted Top-10 contender JASON “El Canito” SOSA in a 10-round junior lightweight rumble. Walters vs. Sosa will take place on Saturday, December 19, at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Peltz Boxing Promotions and Warriors Boxing Promotions, Walters vs. Sosa will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. ET. The telecast will also feature Bryant “By-By” Jennings vs. Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz in a 12-round heavyweight battle for the WBA interim Heavyweight title. That fight will be presented by Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Gary Shaw Productions.

Walters and Sosa boast a combined record of 44-1-3 (35 KOs) — a winning percentage of 92% — with 80% of their victories coming by way of knockout.

“I am training hard in Panama. I know how important this fight is and I will be in optimum physical condition,” said Walters. “My team has been studying video of my opponent Sosa. I cannot wait to leave Panama, get into Verona, New York and get inside the ring. Boxing is my passion.”

“First, I would like to thank God for all that he has done for me in my life. I also would like to thank Russell Peltz, Top Rank and HBO,” said Sosa. “I would also like to thank Nicholas Walters for giving me the opportunity to fight on December 19th. He is a very strong fighter and the toughest opponent that I have faced. But I am up for the challenge. I have a great team and they are getting me in the best shape of my life and making sure that I am mentally and physically ready to come away with the win. I am sure we are both ready for war and fans are not going to want to miss this.”

“I believe this will be the final Fight of the Year candidate for 2015,” said Carl Moretti, Vice President of Top Rank. “The making of this fight is the product of the right decision made at the right time by all the right people.”

Walters (26-0, 21 KOs), from Montego Bay, Jamaica, has won 11 of his last 13 fights by stoppage. He captured the vacant WBA featherweight title on December 12, 2012, knocking out Daulis Presscott (26-1, 19 KOs) in the seventh round. He successfully defended the title three times during his three year reign — all by knockout — stopping Alberto Garza, former two-division world champion Vic Darchinyan and 2012 Fighter of the Year and former four-division world champion Nonito Donaire in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds, respectively. A former amateur standout who collected gold medals at the 2007 Pan American Games Qualifier III and the 2005 and 2007 Caribbean Championships, Walters is known for his expert boxing skills and movement and two-fisted punching power that are at a caliber of a much higher weight class. In his last fight, on June 13 at Madison Square Garden, Walters was forced to vacate the title when he failed to make the weight limit by one pound. However, he emerged victorious, winning a unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Top-10 contender Miguel Marriaga.

Sosa (18-1-3, 14 KOs), from Camden, NJ, enters this fight riding a four-year, 17-bout unbeaten streak which includes 13 consecutive knockout victories dating back to 2012! Many local fans, who flock to his fights, consider Sosa to be one of the best fighters to come out of Camden since Dwight Qawi. Sosa’s been a fan favorite since turning pro in 2009 because of his exciting and aggressive style, strong punching power and an average length of bouts of under four rounds. He is currently world rated No. 8 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and No. 13 by the WBO.

Host of the event, the Oneida Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino, continues to distinguish itself as a premier destination for blockbuster boxing matches. The December 19 card will mark Turning Stone Resort Casino’s 16th nationally televised boxing event in less than two years, cementing the resort as a mecca for knockout televised fights. Located in Upstate New York, the four-season destination resort offers world-class entertainment and gaming, award-winning accommodations, a diverse mix of restaurants, luxury spas and several nightlife options.

Professional media requesting credentials for then December 19 event must contact Kelly Abdo, Turning Stone Resort Casino Public Relations Manager at (315) 366-9291 or kelly.abdo@turningstone.com.

Tickets will go on sale in early November. Additional ticket information will be announced soon.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.garyshawproductions.com and www.turningstone.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/trboxing, www.facebook.com/trboxeo, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/Gary-Shaw-Productions, www.facebook.com/TurningStoneResort or www.facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/trboxing, www.twitter.com/trboxeo, www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/GaryShawBoxing, www.twitter.com/TurningStone or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the hashtags #WaltersSosa #JenningsOrtiz to join the conversation on Twitter.

AUSTIN, TX (November 8, 2015) – Undefeated super-featherweight sensation, Mario Barrios (12-0, 7 KOs), has an opponent named for his upcoming bout this Tuesday November 10, 2015 at the Austin City Music Hall in Austin, Texas. Barrios, who’ll be making his Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Fox Sports 1 debut, steps in the ring with Enrique Tinoco (15-2-2, 11 KOs), his toughest test as a professional fighter.

Riding a 4-fight winning streak, all coming by way of knockout, Tinoco is a major step up in class for Barrios. Tinoco has victories over three undefeated fighters, two of which had 14-0 records. With a tough test ahead of him, Barrios give his thoughts on his matchup with Tinoco.

“I’ve had a great camp and I’m well prepared for this difficult challenge,” said Mario Barrios who resides in San Antonio, Texas. “I’m ready to fight the best possible opponents out there. I know Tinoco is dangerous, but so am I. These are the type of fights that I must win to take my career to the next level and I can’t wait to let my hands go. I love the fact that I’m fighting this tough of an opponent this early in my career. It’s only going to make me better.”

Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on Fox Sports 1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes will air the event live beginning at 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT. In the main-event, Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzalez Jr. (25-2-2, 15 KOs) will meet Karim Guerfi (22-3, 6 KOs) in a 10-round Bantamweight bout.

Tickets priced at $125, $85, $75, $45 and $25, not including applicable fees, for this live event, which is promoted by Leija*Battah Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased by calling Leija*Battah Promotions at 210-979-3302. Tickets can also be purchased at the Austin City Music Hall box office.

By Bart Barry

Saturday in a Thomas & Mack Arena that was not sold out, American welterweight Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley and his new trainer, Teddy Atlas, combined to retire American Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios after dropping him twice, in round 9. The fight happened on HBO, a network that completed its three-year and 180-degree perspective-pivot on Bradley by celebrating Bradley’s new choice of trainer and Bradley’s new trainer with the enthusiasm of a rookie talent recruiter selling a prospect to Google.

Yes, the makeover is exaggerated, but let us play along for a couple reasons like: Tim’s a good guy, and we don’t have much of a choice because we’re going to be fed a Bradley-Atlas-union feast long after we push ourselves back from the table, hands waving in sated, otiose resistance.

If there’s a gigantic difference between the marketing of the Bradley-Atlas relationship and the Miguel Cotto-Freddie Roach relationship, it is not apparent. Both trainer narratives brought electrical charges to stalled products: Cotto, having been decisioned by Floyd Mayweather and Austin Trout, was out of the pay-per-view business unless something more than cosmetic might be done. A few more tattoos, a lot more hotpink, a goofy boy friend’s weightloss, an unknown handler from Cuba, improved English – these were insubstantial product improvements when set against knockout losses to Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao and a two-fight losing streak. Enter Coach Freddie: what chemistry! what trust! what rediscovery of the left hook! my goodness!

Those enhancements, along with an opponent on the downside of a six-loss career, and the new and improved product was done with infomercials and ready to ship. Cotto then blazed through the tissuepaper of Sergio Martinez’s knee(s), became the linear middleweight champion of the world and perfected his pronunciation of an English phrase he learned early in ESL tutelage: “A-side.” (The ‘SL’ in ESL may be inaccurate, we now learn: the nurses in the Rhode Island hospital where apparently El Gran Campeón Puertorriqueño was born surely brought English to the young man’s ears early.) All the Cotto product relaunch lacked was a mandatory title defense against a hopeless opponent, a chance to remind viewers Cotto reminded them of anyone from Mike Tyson to Benny Leonard, old timers, in other words, who reminded us of the old Miguel Cotto – neither the guy who took a knee against Margarito nor the guy pulped by Pacquiao but the warrior who cracked Paulie Malignaggi’s face – and Daniel “Real Deal” Geale strode on the set in June.

That match brought the hundredth or so chance for viewers to squint for insights at a fight whose outcome not one aficionado doubted. Anymore, an engaged aficionado, an endangered mammal whose ranks continue thinning as its hungerstrikers perish from malnourishment, gets encouraged by broadcasters to watch fights the way an NFL scout investigates combines or a Major Leaguer stares at his radar gun. Since the matchmaking and broadcasting are universally ironic – in the rhetorical sense of meaning other than what they state – aficionados, uniquely endowed with the talent and opportunities for cynicism, cynically derive from results whatever they expect to see.

It would be tragic if it were not, in its way, an intriguing adaptation: As if lifelong basketball fans deprived of watching their favorite NBA teams play one another derived, instead, fantasy basketball teams assembled according to height and vertical leap and whatever glowing commentary Charles Barkley had about players, and then set these fantasy teams loose on high school playgrounds, where they regularly mauled their teenage opponents, leaving the financially interested broadcasters of these contests to say of LeBron James dunking over a 5-foot-3 schoolboy freshman, “Looking at that dominant performance by James, one immediately thinks of Dr. J in the 1983 finals against the Lakers!”

Would such a derivative league survive? Doubtlessly it would. Would it thrive? Doubtlessly it wouldn’t.

None of this describes, quite, what happened Saturday, so much as it describes what might happen in Bradley’s next match, which will not be against Canelo Alvarez, of all absurd suggestions. Bradley beat down Rios more effectively than anticipated. But here we go again: Was Bradley disproportionately improved, or was Rios, career property of promoter Top Rank and its peerless matchmaking, disproportionately spent before the bell?

A quick memory might be instructive. The first time I interviewed Bob Arum, in 2004, I asked him if Top Rank could select a prospect on one criterion alone, what that criterion would be.

“Does he dissipate between fights?” said Arum immediately.

Setting aside how much smarter that answer is than what Richard Schaefer or any of Al Haymon’s subsequent puppets might say, it underlines boldly how closely Top Rank considers its fighters between matches, which is a roundabout way of imparting how unsurprised Top Rank likely was by how helpless Brandon Rios looked Saturday. That is not an indictment of Timothy Bradley or his new trainer. It really isn’t. They prepared for a much larger version of the Brandon Rios who, in 2011, blitzed both Miguel Acosta and Urbano Antillon, surely, and Bradley did in fact look better.

It’s a partial indictment, though, of the silliness that happened during the telecast, the spiraling embellishment that seems modern broadcasting’s default reaction to the predictable unevenness of uneven contests. Couched in the false humility of the conditional tense – could it be? would it have been? were it possible . . . – the intended seeding of the idea finds its roots and caretaking in whatever follows the humblefeint, slipping right past the viewer’s lowered guard. It’s not meanspirited mischief, no, but neither is it disinterested.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Tyron Zeuge (17-0, 10 KOs) is confident of overcoming what he describes as the toughest challenge of his fledgling career when he takes on domestic rival Eduard Gutknecht (28-3-1, 11 KOs) for the IBF International and WBO Intercontinental Super Middleweight titles on November 21 at the TUI Arena in Hannover, Germany.

The 23 year-old talent, who is coming off the back of a convincing points victory over Nikola Sjekloca in April, aims to move closer to a World title opportunity by beating the former European Light Heavyweight Champion.

‘’This will be the toughest challenge of my career so far,’’ confirms the Berlin-boxer. ‘’Gutknecht has been involved in many big fights against good opposition, so in terms of experience he is clearly ahead of me.

‘’But I’m confident in my own ability. Anyone who has seen me fight will know what I can do and where my strengths lie. I believe I have the better overall package and that will be the deciding factor in this fight.

‘’It has always been my goal to fight for World titles, and this will be another big step forward for me. After my performance against Sjekloca, many people said I was ready, but I leave that decision with my trainer and promoter. I know my time will come and when it does I will be ready!’’

In the opposing corner is a man who has already challenged for World honours. In 2010, Gutknecht went the distance with former WBO 168 lbs titlist Robert Stieglitz before moving up to light heavyweight. Now, back down to his original weight and with experience on his side, the fighter from Gifhorn is confident he can derail Zeuge’s promising career and renew his own World title ambitions.

‘’I think this fight has come too early for Zeuge,’’ said the 33 year-old. ‘’I’ve seen and experienced a lot in my career, whereas he is young and relatively inexperienced.

‘’I hold every advantage. I’m back at my best weight and I’m feeling stronger than ever, plus Hannover is within striking distance of my hometown Gifhorn so I will have the home support pushing me forward. This is a fight I can’t lose, and after I beat Zeuge, I want another shot at the World title.’’

The IBF International and WBO Intercontinental Championship contest between Tyron Zeuge and Eduard Gutknecht provides chief support for ‘King’ Arthur Abraham’s WBO World Super Middleweight title defence against Martin Murray. Tickets are available online via tickethall.de and eventim.de.

TACOMA, Wash. – A razor-sharp Dashon Johnson claimed the vacant WBA-NABA United States Super Middleweight championship by defeating Mike Gavronski by TKO in the main event of Brian Halquist Productions Battle at the Boat 103 Saturday at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma.

The bout was stopped by the ringside doctor 1 second into the ninth round.

Johnson (18-18-3, 4 KOs) floored Gavronski late in the eighth round with a right. A dazed and bloodied Gavronski was able to get to his feet and survive a late flurry and managed to make it out of the round, but the bout was waved off at the start of the ninth, giving Johnson a victory in their rematch and the championship.

Gavronski (20-2-1, 13 KOs) won the first meeting against Johnson by unanimous decision on Jan. 9.

The rematch saw a much more active Johnson control the pace of the fight from opening bell.

Gavronski suffered a cut to the right side of his head early in the first round due to an accidental headbutt.

A solid left hook by Gavronski in the seventh round was his best punch up to that point. The shot perked the crowd up, but also seemed to ignite Johnson, who continued to be the aggressor in the bout leading to the knockdown the following round.

Isaac Tadeo (6-0-0, 3 KOs) remained undefeated by scoring a thrilling six-round unanimous decision over a game Cameron Sevilla-Rivera (6-2-1, 5 KOs) in the semi-main event. The judge’s scored the 158-pound bout 58-56, 58-56, 60-54.

Tacoma’s Will Hughes and Chicago’s Sean Gee put on a slugfest in their four-round light welterweight contest, with both figthers taking turns teeing off on the other with little defense being offered up.

Hughes (5-3, 3 KOs) emerged as the victor (40-36, 40-35, 40-35).

Also on the undercard Isaiah Najera (2-1-0) defeated Chris Wheaton by unanimous decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36) in a match-up of 117 pounders, while Fatlum Zhuta (1-0-1, KO) made short work of Daryl Gardner with a first-round knockout (1:26).

Boxing returns to the Emerald Queen Casino on Jan. 15 when Brian Halquist Productions presents Battle at the Boat 104.

For more information please visit www.Halquistproductions.com.

Battle at the Boat 103 results
WBA-NABA US Super Middleweight title
Dashon Johnson (18-18-3, 4 KOs) d. Mike Gavronski (20-2-1, 13 KOs)

Semi-Main Event
158 – Isaac Tadeo (6-0-0, 3 KOs) d. Cameron Sevilla-Rivera (6-2-1, 5 KOs)

140 – Will Hughes (5-3-0, 3 KOs) d. Sean Gee (2-3-0), unanimous decision (38-35, 38-36, 38-36)
127 – Jeremy McCleary (8-1-0) d. Heath Cline (0-6-0), unanimous decision (40-35, 40-35, 40-35)
160 – Fatlum Zhuta (1-0-1, KO) d. Daryl Gardner (2-7-1, 2 KOs), knockout (first round, 1:26)
117 – Isaiah Najera (2-1-0) d. Chris Wheaton (0-2-0), unanimous decision (40-35, 40-35, 40-35)

###

ABOUT BRIAN HALQUIST
Brian Halquist Productions is the Northwest premiere fight promotion company creator of the famed “Battle at the Boat” boxing series promoting more than 18 years and 100 fights at the Emerald Queen Casino. BHP has also built the largest professional MMA series on the USA’s west coast with “CageSport MMA” promoting more than 40 fights. Brian Halquist Productions has promoted events for ESPN, ShowTime and HBO and featured on Showtime’s historic boxing event in St Lucia, West Indies. Brian Halquist Productions has been promoting fights and concerts for over 30 years in the Pacific Northwest.

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 7, 2015) – It was cold outside, the temperature dipping into the low 50s, but the elements did not affect unbeaten Antoine “Action” Douglas, however, as the talented world-ranked middleweight turned up the heat and impressively knocked out Les Sherrington in the fourth round in the main event of a ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader Friday live on SHOWTIME.

Douglas (19-0-1, 13 KOs), of Burke, Va., dropped Sherrington (35-8, 19 KOs), of Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia, five times before the one-sided fight for the WBO International 160-pound title was stopped at 1:02 of the fourth. The quick, hard-hitting Douglas dropped Sherrington one time in the first and second rounds, two times in the third and once in the fourth.

In the co-feature from the specially-constructed ring outside the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC) across from the D Las Vegas, Ukrainian southpaw Taras “Real Deal” Shelestyuk (13-0, 8 KOs), of Los Angeles, Calif., pitched a near-10-round shutout over Aslanbek Kozaev (26-2-1, 7 KOs), of Vladikavkaz, Russia, to capture the WBO-NABO Regional Welterweight title. A former amateur standout and 2012 Olympic Games Bronze Medalist, Shelestyuk, won by the scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91.

In other results on a card promoted by GH3 Promotions and Banner Promotions, “Killa” Keenan Smith (9-0, 3 KOs), of Philadelphia, won a unanimous eight-round decision over Benjamin “Da Blaxican” Whitaker (10-2, 2 KOs), of San Antonio, Texas, in a competitive welterweight scrap and “Tsunami Sam” Teah (7-1, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia scored a unanimous decision over previously undefeated O’Shaquie “Ice Water” Foster (8-1, 5 KOs) of Orange, Texas, in a lightweight match. It was the 135th time a boxer suffered his first loss on ShoBox.
For Douglas, it was his fifth consecutive victory on ShoBox and likely may have earned him a spot on a future SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® card. The 10 fighters who’ve appeared five or more times on ShoBox have all gone on to challenge for a world title.

“Antoine Douglas is the perfect example of what we do in the ShoBox series. We build fighters. We develop them from prospect to contenders,” said Gordon Hall, Executive Producer of ShoBox: The New Generation and Senior Vice President of Production, SHOWTIME Sports. “We’ve seen Antoine grow. He started as a promising prospect, and we matched him really tough and each and every time he stepped up to the task. Tonight, he graduated from ShoBox with a spectacular performance; there are no doubts he is now a contender.”

“We got what Antoine Douglas needed: The type of utterly dominant performance that makes you want to see him against the best middleweights. Tonight was Antoine’s graduation from ShoBox. Now he’ll move up to bigger and better things,” said ShoBox expert analyst Steve Farhood afterward:

Douglas went 10 rounds for the second time and upped his winning streak to five since boxing a draw in July 2014.

“They said this was my graduation day, time for a cap and gown, so this was definitely a big win,” said Douglas, a top amateur who made it to the 2011 U.S. Olympic Trials and was the WBA’s ninth-ranked contender going in. “It was a great experience fighting on ShoBox and I appreciate everything they’ve done for me getting me ready to go to the next level. Now, it’s time for me to take the next step.

“I expected to win, probably by knockout, but I didn’t expect it to be this way. I expected Sherrington to be tougher, more prepared. I think my jab was the key. It set him up for all the big shots I landed with my right hand and left hook.

“I knew I’d be faster than him. I was very prepared. One good thing I’m happy about is how I kept my composure.”

Sherrington, who was fighting outside of Australia and making his U.S. and 2015 debuts, came in having won eight of his last nine fights, including his last pair. But the WBA’s No. 12 contender was no match for Douglas.

“Antoine Douglas is very good and he will go on to really big things in this sport,” Sherrington said.

“I’m not making excuses, but I was freezing and could never really warm up. And then he caught me cold. I came here to reach a lifelong dream of mine but it was not meant to be. I got welcomed into the big leagues in a big hurry and in the worst way. All credit goes to Douglas for that.”

Farhood was impressed with Shelestyuk, a former amateur standout. “[Taras] Shelestyuk looked like the most mature fighter on the card,” Farhood said. “He has a wonderful amateur pedigree, he was an Olympic Bronze Medalist. He fought a fighter that made him fight and throw a lot of punches — he averaged 85 punches a round. He dominated the fight from the first round on and he looked like the world-class fighter that he was developed to be.”

Shelestyuk utilized his 3½-inch height advantage to dominate the game but outclassed Kozaev. “This was a good fight for me. I’m so happy. I won my first pro title, went 10 rounds for the first time and won all the rounds,” Shelestyuk said.

“The guy was a super tough opponent. I thought I was going to knock him out in a few of the rounds but he took all my hard punches. He was a warrior and had a lot more experience than me.”

Kozaev, making his first start in 18 months, started fast but got outhustled and outworked from the second round on. “He’s a good fighter and I gave my best, but having not fought for such a long time was a big factor,” he said.

Smith overcame a nasty cut over the left eye from an unintentional headbutt in the sixth but came back to score a knockdown in the seventh. He triumphed by the scores of 79-73 and 78-74 twice.

“Keenan Smith overcame a very bad cut to win this fight,” Farhood said. “He scored a knockdown that was unexpected late in the fight. I thought that it was a very close fight, but Smith did enough in the early rounds to win. He’s definitely a prospect that will get better.”

Smith was fighting for the fourth time this year after a three-year hiatus. He was less than enthusiastic afterward. “This was a rough camp for me. My mother died. I dedicated this fight to her and really wanted to get the knockout,” said Smith who wore all-pink trunks in her honor.

“I’m not all that happy because I felt I could have finished him even though my left shoulder was hurting and I was not 100 percent. I also couldn’t see much at all out of my eye after the cut.

“But tonight, it was like a welterweight fighting a junior welterweight. I weighed in at 141 and he was at 147. But going eight rounds for the first time was definitely a good thing. I just feel like I should have finished much stronger. The weather was not a problem.”

Whitaker had a three-fight winning streak end. “The scoring was way off. It was a much closer fight than that,” he said. “I don’t understand how he could get warned the whole fight for holding, but never get a point taken away. The knockdown wasn’t even a knockdown. It was more of a trip. The ref asked me if I could continue and I was like, ‘I wasn’t even hurt, not even wobbled a little bit.’

“I would love to fight him again.”

Teah won the opening bout of the telecast by the scores of 79-73 and 77-75 twice. “This was an upset,” Farhood said. “Teah beat a fighter who had been a tough amateur. The problem for O’Shaquie Foster is that he looked like an amateur. He didn’t adjust to the pro game. He didn’t show enough strength and enough determination. He was a disappointment and [Sam] Teah took advantage of that.”

Teah, making his eight-round debut, won his third in a row. “I’m ecstatic and couldn’t ask for anything better,” he said. “This is definitely my biggest win and I definitely felt I won. I could have done more, but I did enough. This was a great win for my team. Working 10 hours a day paid off for me.

“This was my first time going eight rounds and I felt strong. To beat an unbeaten fighter was huge. The first six rounds I coasted. The last two rounds fatigue set in and I started to feel the weather, but I feel great now.”

If anyone of the eight boxers froze under the bright lights it was Foster. “For some reason I just wasn’t myself in there,” a visibly disappointed Foster said. “I could have done so much more but I just didn’t throw enough punches. It’s time for me to regroup and get it together for the next time.”
All but Douglas were making their ShoBox debuts.
The ShoBox quadrupleheader will re-air this week as follows:

DAY CHANNEL
Monday, Nov. 9, 10 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME EXTREME

Friday’s four-fight telecast will be available at SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® beginning today/Saturday, Nov. 7.

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

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 63 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

About Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
Located at the corner of Third St. and Carson Ave. across from the D Las Vegas, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center can accommodate up to 11,000 guests and features state-of-the-art stage, sound and lighting. The open-air design is inviting to both tourists and locals and offers the perfect spot for concerts, conventions and other large-scale events. Embracing the uninhibited spirit of Downtown Las Vegas, the new venue plays host to a line-up of curated events including premier concerts, food festivals and more. The venue is also the first entertainment arena in Las Vegas to accept Bitcoin as currency. For more information, visit www.dlvec.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @DLVEC.

Kevin Bizier earned a title shot with IBF champion Kell Brook by stopping Fredrick Lawson in round ten of their scheduled 12-round Welterweight bout at the Micosoukee Resort in Miami, Florida.

Bizier, 146.5 lbs of Quebec City, CAN beat down Lawson until the bout was stopped in the corner at 2:59 of round ten.

Bizier is 25-2 with 17 knockouts. Lawson, 145.6 lbs of Accra, GHA is 24-1.

Walter Castillo and Keita Obara battle to a 12-round majority draw in a Super Lightweight bout.

Scores were 115-113 for Obara and 114-114 twice.

Obara, 139.4 lbs of Tokyo, JAP outlanded Castillo 230-166 but is now 15-1-1. Castillo, 139.6 lbs of Managua, NIC is 26-3-1.

Follow all the action Live as Timothy Bradley defends the WBO Welterweight title against Brandon Rios.  The action begins at 9:30 PM et / 6:30 OM PT as Vasyl Lomachenko defends the WBO Featherweight title against Romulo Koaschia–AUTOMATIC BROWSER REFRESH

Round 1 : 2 hard body shots from Bradley..Hard jab..4 left hooks…Braldey looking MUCH quicker…Big left hook from Bradley…Another hard sweeping left hook

Round 2 Rios trying to crowd Bradley..Big right from Bradley..Left from Rios..Bradley working the body..Trading shots on the ropes..Left from Rios,,,

Round 3.Left from Bradley…

Round 5 Bradley rocks Rios twice…

Round 6. Uppercut from Rios…Double left from Bradley

Round 7 Bradley sneaks in a right…Body shot from Rios..left from Bradley..double jab..

Round 8 Hard right from Bradley sets off a 5 punch combination…Good right to the body..Jab,,straight right…

Round 9 Left from Bradley..body shot..good left..Bradley hitting and moving well..Body/Head combo with the left,,…LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES RIOS…MORE BODY SHOTS –DOWN GOES RIOS AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

Round 1 Lomachenko gets in a left..Jab  from Koasicha..right hook from Loamachenko.

Round 2 Straight left from Lomachenko..Combination from Koasicha..3 punches from Lomachenko..Hard right hook..straight left to the body…

Round 3 Lomachenko gets in a left to the body…Solid combination…Straight left snaps Koaschia’s head back..Right from Koasicha//Uppercut from Loamecnko…hard 4 punch combination..2 solid right hooks..

Round 4 Uppercut on inside from Lomachenko…Koasicha fires back with a left hook…Left uppercut from Lomachenko and another..a 3rd that was followed by a right hook..head combo..Straight left and right

Round 5 Lomachenko lands a combo on the ropes..jab..right hook..straight left…Lomachenko mocking Koasicha..Food right hook in the ropes…2 left hooks…Koasicha gets in a right…

Round 6 Right hook from Lomachenko..Right from Koasicha..Right hook from Lomachenko..Right hook and right to the body

Round 7 Lomachenko flicks the jab and comes behind with a right…ripping uppercut..Koasicha starting to swell around the right eye…Ripping left…right to head…left to bodyKoasicha lands a combo..Big left from Lomachenko..Big right hook to he head…

Round 8 Lomachenko lands a left and right hook..straight left..hard right hook..Koasicha gets in a small combination..

Round 9 Uppercut from Loamchenko..and another..Straight left,,,Koasicha lands a right..right uppercut..

Round 10 Lomachenko goes to the body…left to the body hurts Koasicha...HARD LEFT TO THE BODY AND DOWN GOES KOASICHA….HE STAYS DOWN FOR THE 10 COUNT

Callum Smith landed the British Super-Middleweight title with a stunning first round KO win over Rocky Fielding at the Echo Arena in Liverpool tonight (November 7) live on Sky Sports.

Smith floored Fielding three times in the opening session before referee Phil Edwards stopped the contest as Fielding beat the count but was on unsteady legs – shell-shocked from a barrage from the new British champion.

Callum’s win means that all four Smith brothers have been crowned British champion, but with his number one ranking with the WBC, the 25 year old will be looking to World title action in 2016.

“I don’t know what it looked like from the outside but it felt exciting when I was in there as while it lasted. Credit to Rocky Fielding, he came out and we had a shootout and I think that’s what the public wanted. It was a good fight while it lasted and I’m pleased to get the win, it looks on paper like a one-round blowout but it’s a good win regardless of what round I put him away. I said in the build-up and it came across as a bit arrogant but I knew I was the better fighter and I just need the chance to prove it and I think I showed that tonight.

“I don’t think it would finish in the first. I remember by brothers asked me a few weeks ago how I thought it would go and I said that with the crowd as soon as one shot landed it would catch fire and it will be over in the first four, but I would be a liar if I said I thought I would take him out in the first round. I thought it would be quick for four and then settle and at is where I would take over. I am British Champion and for the four of us to get that and make history is something I’m very proud of.

“Joe said to me before if I do hurt him be careful going in and I was a bit reckless but I never expected to get him out of there in one round. When I landed I sort of jumped on him and ended up in a bit of a shootout which gave him a chance to get back into a fight, so it’s something I do need to learn from. I haven’t been pro for three years yet, its ten days short of three years since I made my debut, so I’m still learning. I am doing everything right at the minute and I do think 2016 is the year I can become a World champion.

“It is Rocky’s first loss and too many people write you off after a loss, it happened my brother Stephen, and look at him now. Without being big headed, Rocky has lost to a good fighter, not somebody he was expected to beat. I am sure he can go away, work hard and come back.”

“I am gutted,” said Fielding. “Hats off to Callum, he is a good fighter, and I knew I was in for a good fight. But that is boxing, one punch changed the game and fair play to him.

“I caught him with a good jab and I thought I had my rhythm but he let his shots go and he caught me. I recouped a bit and I thought I caught him but hats off, he is a big Super Middleweight and he caught me. I wasn’t hurt off it, I wasn’t knocked out. With me and him it was who landed first. I said all along I had power to catch him and hurt him and obviously he does too but he got me first and that was it. He will push on but I will be back and I will push on.

“I believe I am up there in the mix of things. I will sit down with Oliver and Eddie but I want a World-ranked fighter for my next fight, I am not going to go backwards. This is a defeat to a good fighter so I can learn from it and move on.”

“I’m very pleased, the first round we were not expecting that,” said Smith’s trainer Joe Gallagher. “It was great that both kids were willing to put it on the line, because they didn’t need to fight each other. Rocky can come again, he is a good kid, a good talent, and like I say he can come again but the future at the moment is Callum Smith and I’ll be pushing Eddie Hearn to get Callum that World title shot next year.

“The British title was something he wanted to do, and wanted to win to be a part of history and Liverpool should be so proud of the Smith brothers. Four British champions has never been done before, and will never be done again. I think we will look at World title eliminator and we will move on to that. He won’t have that British title for long.”

“I felt because both of these guys had never been in this stage that they might be fighting off nerves and they just went at it,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Callum has freakish power. Congratulations to both fighters, not often enough do young fighters put their undefeated records on the line. This is a very special night for the Smith family, four British champions will never be done again and is something that should always be remembered.

“This boy is a real, real fighter. He has freakish power, is WBC number one, and I believe Callum Smith will win world championships in 2016. We will be pushing at the WBC convention for him to become mandatory challenger to Badou Jack. It is a fight I believe he wins. We have Martin Murray challenging Arthur Abraham, James DeGale MBE is the IBF champion and George Groves coming back which is a fight we have always wanted. These are big times for Callum Smith in the world division.”

LAS VEGAS –Timothy Bradley promised a victory. He also promised a whole new animal.

He delivered on the victory Saturday night. But he didn’t have to be a new species. The old one — the Bradley of a few years ago — was enough.

A Bradley with resurrected skills and a new trainer, Teddy Atlas in his corner overwhelmed a shopworn Brandon Rios, who had neither the skill nor the energy to counter a disciplined jab, side-to-side movement and — in the end – a left hook.

The hook dropped Rios in the ninth round in what would be the first salvo in his imminent demise. Seconds after Rios got off his hands and knees, Bradley landed two body shots, first up the middle and then one to Rios’ side.

Rios didn’t get up this time. He was done, a loser by knockout at 2:49 of the ninth.

For Bradley, it played out exactly as planned. Atlas wanted him to be patient. He said he wanted Bradley to take a piece out of Rios, round by agonizing round. If there was a new animal in Bradley, it was a piranha, Atlas said.

“I just did what Teddy said,’’ said Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs), who put himself back in line for rematch with Manny Pacquiao, perhaps in April.

Speculation about Pacquiao is is bound to be rampant for the next couple of weeks. But jubilant Arum had no doubt that Bradley had re-emerged as one of Top Rank’s stars.

“The best Bradley I’ve ever seen,’’ Arum said.

The same couldn’t be said for Rios, whose career appeared to be at an end.

“I think I’m done,’’ Rios (33-3-1, 24 KOs) said.

Rios might have been weakened by a battle to make weight.

Two tenths of a pound aren’t much, but they were enough to make a weigh-in last an hour longer than it should have Friday.

Rios stepped on the scale once, stripped off his shorts behind a strategically placed sheet and stepped on the scale again. Once, twice, shorts on, shorts off and he was still two-tenths heavier than the 147-pound mandatory for his welterweight bout Saturday night against Timothy Bradley at Thomas & Mack Center.

For the next 60 minutes, Rios found a bathroom, stood around a hallway outside of a ballroom at The Wynn and then headed back to the scale. Once, twice, shorts on, shorts off and this time the two tenths were gone, presumably flushed from the proceedings.

Actually, Rios said he could have saved everybody a lot of time had he been allowed an extra minute or two. In so many words and more than a few expletives, he said he was trying to get rid of the two-tenths when he was called off the stool and onto the scale.

“There was no drama,’’ Rios said then. “I’m ready.’’

Rios’ face looked a little drawn after the weigh-in. He’s no stranger to off and on the scale controversies. As a lightweight, he missed weight twice. The move up to welter was supposed to make things easier.

But Rios has never been about easy.

Not easy on himself or anybody else, especially after a loss that could force him to flush a lot more than just two-tenths.

Lomachenko dominates in 10th-round KO

It was the Vasyl Lomachenko show.

Murata gains further experience, stays unbeaten

Featherweight Marriaga dominant in taking unanimous decision

Colombian featherweight Miguel Marriaga flashed his world -class credentials early and often with a patient and précise performance for which there was no argument.

Michael Reed scored seventh-round TKO

Power and angles were a double-edged combo that Maryland junior-welterweight Michael Reed employed relentlessly.

Ruthlessly, too.

In the end, all of it overwhelmed Rondale Hubbert (10-4-1,6 KOs), a Minneapolis fighter who was knocked down early in the seventh and left hanging on the ropes from a succession of punches from Reed (17-0, 10 KOs) midway through the round of the second bout on the Brandon Rios-Timothy Bradley card Saturday at Thomas & Mack Center. Referee Kenny Bayless, stepped in, ending it at 1:09 of the seventh.

One punch opened show.

Egidijus Kavaliauskas threw it.

One minute into the first round of the opening bout on the Timothy Bradley-Brandon Rios card, Kavaliauskas (10-0, 9 KOs), a two-time Olympian from Lithuania and welterweight prospect in trainer Robert Garcia gym, landed an overhand right, knocking out Jake Giuriceo (17-5-1, 4 KOs) of Struthers, Ohio.

Irish hero Jamie Conlan stopped Adrian Dimas Garzon in four rounds with rival Paul Butler watching on from ringside at the National Stadium in Dublin.

It was Conlan’s return to the historic venue after his thriller against Junior Granados in July when he was involved in a brutal war with the Mexican and was dropped twice in the seventh round before rallying back to win on the scorecards.

This time Conlan, known as The Mexican, made an easier night of it by dropping Argentine Garzon in the fourth round with a crunching body shot and after getting up, Conlan plied the pressure on with Garzon on the ropes and the referee stopping the fight.

The 28-year-old from Belfast, who holds the WBO Intercontinental title which was not on the line, took his record to a perfect 15-0 with 9 KO’s.

Also watching ringside was his younger brother Michael, who became Ireland’s first ever male world amateur champion last month in Qatar, and Irish MMA superstar Conor McGregor, which shows the growing popularity of Conlan.

A blockbuster showdown against Ellesmere Port star Butler, the former IBF World Bantamweight Champion, could happen next year and Conlan believes he would be the winner.

“It was good to get Garzon out of there early and without going through what I went through against Granados!” Said Conlan.

“I like to please the crowd as they pay good hard earned money to see me fight and they got the result they wanted when I stopped Garzon,”

“The talk will be of Butler next and I hope it happens, at this weight without a lot of big names we need each other and that would be one hell of a fight,”

“I’m glad he made it over to Dublin to see me fight tonight and the next time I want to see him is when we’re in the ring together,”

“I know I can beat him, he’s fast, but I’m faster, he can punch, but I can puncher harder, I know I’m just that little bit better than him in every department.”

4 X 3 Minute Rounds Featherweight Contest
CIARAN McVARNOCK WPTS4 (40-36) JOE BEADON

4 X 3 Minute Rounds International Middleweight Contest
VIJENDER SINGH WKO1 (3:00) DEAN GILLEN

4 X 3 Minute Rounds International Heavyweight Contest
SEAN TURNER WTKO1 GABOR FARKAS

4 X 3 Minute Rounds Welterweight Contest
ISSAC MACLEOD WTKO2 (2:44) LUBOS PRIEHRADNIK

8 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Featherweight Contest
DECLAN GERAGHTY WPTS6 (60-54) REYNALDO CAJINA

THE CELTIC WARRIOR CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
8 X 3 Minute Rounds @ 200 LBS
IAN TIMS WPTS8 (76-75) MICHAEL SWEENEY

8 X 3 Minute Rounds International Lightweight Contest
JAMIE KAVANAGH WTKO7 (2:08) OZKAR FIKO

THE WBO EUROPEAN SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
JAMIE COX WTKO1 (1:08) FERENC ALBERT

8 X 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Flyweight Contest
JAMIE CONLAN WTKO4 (1:57) ADRIAN DIMAS GARZON

THE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF IRELAND
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
PETER McDONAGH WPTS10 (97-95) DEAN BYRNE

4 X 3 Minute Rounds Cruiserweight Championship
DAVID McGUIRE DPTS4 (38-38) JOZEF KUSMIREK

4 X 3 Minute Middleweight Rounds Contest
CIARAN MULLEN WTKO1 (2:20) LEWIS VAN POETSCH

In a bout featuring legendary former world champions, Vitor Belfort scored a 1st round knockout over Dan Henderson in a Middleweight bout in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Belfort landed a left kick to the head and then landed two crushing punches that sent Henderson down. Belfort landed three punches while Henderson won down and the fight was stopped at 2:07 of round one.

Belfort, 185 lbs of Rio De Janeiro, BRA is 25-11. Henderson, 186 lbs of Temecula, CA is 31-14.

Glover Tiexiera scored a 2nd round stoppage over Patrick Cummins in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Tiexieria unloaded a flurry of hard shots to the face thaat bloodied ultimately stopped Cummins at 1:12.

Tiexeira, 206 lbs of Danbury, CT is 24-4. Cummins, 206 lbs of Dana Point, CA is 8-3.

Thomas Almeida scored a 1st round stoppage over Anthony Birchak in Bantamweight bout.

Almeida landed 4 hard shots that was capped off by a perfect roght to the jaw that dropped Birchak and the fight was stopped at 4:24 of round one

Almeida, 135 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 21-0. Birchak, 136 lbs of Tucscon, AZ is 12-3.

Alex Oliveira scored 3rd round stoppage over Piotr Hallman in a Lightweight bout.

Just seconds into the fight, Hallman was cut on the nose. In round three, Oliveira landed a perfect right on the chin that sent Hallman down and the fight was stopped at 51 seconds of round three.

Oliveira, 156 lbs of Rio Di Janairo, BRA is 13-2-1-1. Hallman, 155 lbs of Gdynia, POL is 15-5.

Rashid Magomedov won a 3-round unanimous decision over Gilbert Burns in a Light weight bout.

Magomedov, 155 lbs of Boca Raton, FL won by scores of 19-1. Burns, 156 lbs of Boca Raton, FL is 10-1.

Corey Anderson won a 3-round unanimous decision over Fabian Maldonado in a Lightweight bout.

Andersom 205 lbs of Robbinsville, BJ won by scores of 30-27 on all cards and is now 8-1. Maldonado, 205 lbs of Flotianapolis, BRA is 23-8.

Gleison Tibau scored a 1st round chokeout over Abel Trujillo in a Lightweight bout.

Tibau win with a rear naked choke at 1:45 of round one.

Tibau, 155 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL is 41-11. Trujillo, 156 lbs of Boca Raton, FL is 12-7-1.

Johnny Case won a unanimous decision over Yan Cabral in a Lightweight bout.

Case bloodied the face of Cabral in the 3rd round round from punches.

Case, 156 lbs of Jefferson, IA won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is 22-4. Cabral, 156 lbs of Rio De Janeiro, BRA is 12-2.

Thiago Tavares scored a 1st round choke out over Clay Guida in a Featherweight bout.

Tavares got Guida down and was about to get him in a Guillotine that made Guida tap out at 39 seconds.

Tavares, 146 lbs of Florianapolis, BRA is 24-6-1. Guida, 146 lbs of Round Lake, IL is 32-13.

Chas Skelly scored a 2nd round choke out victory over Kevin Souza in a Featherweight bout.

Souza was bleeding over his left eye from an elbow in round one. In round two, Skelly was able to get behind Souza and choke him out at 1:56 of round two.

Skelly, 146 lbs of Arlinton, TX is 15-1. Souza, 146 lbs of Florianapolis, BRA is 19-4.

Swindon ace Jamie Cox smashed Ferenc Albert to make the first defence of his WBO European Super-Middleweight title and make it a hat-trick of first round knockouts.

Unbeaten Southpaw Cox destroyed Hungarian in the opening rounds, dropping him with an explosive right hook which he got up from at the count of eight from referee Mickey Vann, but was then flattened moments later with another blockbuster right hook, with Vann stopping the count after two.

It was the third first-round win in a row with power-house Cox flattening Alistair Warren in February, then Blas Miguel Martinez in July and now Albert, who couldn’t stand up to the 29-year-old’s firepower.

Afterwards Cox roared that he’s the number one 168 pound fighter in the country and that the public are the ones being fooled by the winner out of Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding, who meet for the Vacant British title in Liverpool tonight.

“That’s a hat-trick of first round knockouts, no one can doubt my power at this weight,” Said Cox.

“If that was with Smith or Fielding in there tonight they’d have been knocked out as well. The winner out of those two is not the best in the country and the public know it, I’ll have too much power for them, I’m the best and when I get my chance I’ll prove it,”

“After being out of the ring for a while I’ve returned this year with three first round knockouts, I mean serious business at super-middleweight and I’m going to win a world title, I’ll fight anyone at 168lb in the world right now, give me the opportunity and I’ll prove it, that’s a promise.”

Scotty Cardle retained his British Lightweight title with a final round stoppage of Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd in a thrilling clash at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

Cardle was defending the title for the first time and was behind on the judges’ cards when he unleashed a brutal barrage on the Birkenhead man, with referee Terry O’Connor stepping in with a minute left in the fight.

Dodd enjoyed prolonged periods of success throughout to the joy of his vociferous fans, and looked to have the champion in trouble in the tenth round, but the Lytham St Annes man weathered the storm and coped with some bad cuts to his face to fire his fight-winning salvo at the death – but was the first to admit that Dodd was the better man on the night.

“I’ve been tested before in the pros but I have never been tested like this,” said Cardle. “I really had to grit my teeth at times in that fight. For me, I was behind in every round so the only way was to knock him out. He is a warrior and he really dug deep. I will give him a rematch, he deserves it.

“My support has been superb,” said Dodd. “The ref is doing his job and I have no say in that. We are paid to entertain and I hope everybody who bought a ticket enjoyed the fight.”

“I felt like the referee stopped it too early,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “It was a great fight. Sean Dodd beat Gary Buckland and did a great job against Scotty Cardle, we have to see this fight again 100 per cent.”

India’s boxing sensation Vijender destroyed Dean Gillen inside one round with a phenomenal power-packed performance at the National Stadium in Dublin in his first ever professional fight in Ireland.

Singh followed up his pro debut last month, when he smashed Sonny Whiting at the Manchester Arena, with another destructive display, but in less than half the time, as he pummelled Nottingham’s Gillen with big right hands.

Gillian went down in the middle of the round, which was ruled a slip by the referee, but Singh went straight on the attack. He didn’t let Gillen rest as he landed punch after punch with Gillen in the corner until Singh detonated a devastating right that dropped him and left him unable to beat the referee’s ten-count at the end of the round.

The 30-year-old from Haryana, who’s based in Manchester, was delighted with the performance which was again televised live to his homeland in India on Sony Six and the viewers couldn’t have failed to be impressed by his explosive display.

“Wow! that was quick, man!” Said an excited Singh.

“I felt very comfortable in there and lined him up with my jabs first to get the range, but then when I started connecting with the right I knew it was only a matter of time before I caught him properly,”

“He went down, which the referee said was a slip, I wasn’t so sure about that, but anyway when he got back up I knew I’d hurt him so I went straight into him and didn’t stop punching until he went down,”

“When I landed the last right hand and he dropped I had a feeling that he wasn’t going to get up and when the referee counted to ten it was a fantastic feeling to get my first KO on my record,”

“I said that after the first fight I’d improve and I think that I showed some of the development and improvement tonight, but there’s a lot more to come from me.”

Singh’s final fight of the year will be on Saturday 19th December card at the Manchester Arena on the huge double world-title fight card headlined by Andy Lee’s WBO World Middleweight Title clash against Andy Lee and WBO World Super-Welterweight Champion Liam Smith’s first world title defence.

Francis Warren said, “That was very very impressive from Vijender and I’m delighted that he made such a big statement here tonight in Dublin and to the viewers on BoxNation and it also went live to India and that must have gone down a real treat there.”