Jermell Charlo remained undefeated by stopping former world champion Joachim Alcine in round six of their scheduled 10-round Jr. Middleweight bout in Houston, Texas.

In round six, Charlo dropped Alcine with a left. Moments later, Charlo landed a right that wobbled Alcine. Charlo landed several more shots and the fight was stopped at 1:21 of round six.

Charlo, 155 3/4 lbs of Houston is now 27-0 with 12 knockouts. Alcine, 152 3/4 lbs of Haiti is 35-8-2.

Tony Harrison won a 10-round unanimous decision over Cecil McCalla in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Harrison controlled the action with the exception of round nine when despite having a cut around the left eye, McCalla rocked Harrison with several hard right hands.

Harrison, 156 lbs of Detroit, MI won by scores of 100-90 and 98-92 twice and is now 22-1. McCalla, 155 1/2 lbs of Baltimore, MD is 20-3.

Christopher Di2az remained perfect with a 2nd round stoppage over Karl Garcia in a scheduled 8-round Featherweight bout.

Diaz dropped Garcia with a left hook in round two. He ended things just seconds later when he landed a right to the jaw that froze Garcia and a follow up right dropped him to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 26 seconds of round two.

Diaz is 13-0 with 8 knockouts. Garcia is 9-6-1.

Jean Rivera won a 6-round unanimous decision over Jivany Fuentes in a Super Featherweight bout.

Rivera, 121 1/2 lbs of Bayamon, PR won by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 twice and is now 4-0. Fuentes, 122 lbs of Corozal, PR is 6-7.

Jose Zepeda and former Lightweight champion fought to a no-contest after one-round of their scheduled 10-round Lightweight bout at Auditorio Municipal Fausto Gutiérrez Moreno in Tijuana, Mexico.

The two banged heads and Zepeda was sliced open under his left eye and the fight was stopped.

It was the second straight disappointing outing for Zepeda as in his previous fight he had to bow out of his WBO Lightweight title fight with Terry Flanagan when he popped his left shoulder.

Zepeda, 142 lbs of Long Beach, CA is 23-1. Alfaro, 142 lbs of Nagorote, NIC. is 28-9-1,

Carlos Diaz scored a 2nd round stoppage over Marcos Cardenas in round two of a scheduled 10-round Lightweight bout.

Diaz dropped Cardenas in round two with a straight right. Diaz was all over Cardenas and landed a heaby barrage of punches and the bout was stopped at 2:09 of round two.

Diaz, 135 1/2 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is 18-0 with 10 knockouts. Cardenas, 135 1/2 lbs of Guaymas, MX is 16-6-1.

Gregorio Ronquillo won a 6-round split decision over previously undefeated Luis Rosales in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Ronquillo of Tijuana, MX won by scores of 59-55 twice while Rosales took a card 58-56.

Ronquillo is 3-1-2. Rosales of Tijuana, MX is 2-1.

In a battle of undefeated Lightweight, Samuel Garibaldi scored a 1st round stoppage over Uriel Perez in a scheduled 6-round bout.

Garibaldi landed a left hook that sent Perez to the canvas. Perez got back up but had his back turned to the referee and the bout was stopped at 1:12.

Garibaldi, 136 1/2 lbs of Tijuana, MX is now 7-0-1 with 4 knockouts. Perez, 136 1/2 lbs of Quaretano, MX is 6-1.

Ismael Camacho scored a 4th round stoppage over Jose Caravantes in a scheduled 6-round Super Bantamweight bout.

Camacho is 6-1-1. Caravantes is 0-11-1.

Houston, TX (October 31, 2015) Despite heavy rains and flooding in the Houston area on Friday night, local boxing fans are excited for tonight’s Premier Boxing Champions on NBCSN event at the NRG Arena.

“Friday night after the weigh-in it rained very hard causing some terrible flooding in the area,” said Mike Battah of Leija*Battah Promotions. “But we’ve had an excellent response right from the start of the promotion, boxing fans here are excited to see Houston’s Jermell Charlo in the main event against the battle tested, crafty veteran Joachim Alcine.”

“The press has also been very supportive to us at the media workouts and weigh-in this week, it’s great to see for Jermell who grew up here and was an amateur star. Plus we’ve got so many local kids on the card; Devonte Williams, Jonathan Morales, Jesse Gonzalez, Bahodir Mamadjonov, David Limerick, Tony Adeniran, Christon Edwards and two female bouts featuring Lucia Osegueda and Allison Edwards.”

Continued Battah, “I’ve promoted many huge shows in Houston over the last five years and know how passionate and loyal the local fight fans are. We look forward to an outstanding evening of fights. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. and our team is excited to see the loud and proud Houston fight fans stand up.”

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION

Fight night credentials can be picked up on Saturday, October 31 from 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at the NRG Arena Box Office. Proper personal photo ID (Driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

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Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Leija*Battah Promotions, are priced at $163, $109, $49 and $22, plus applicable fees. Tickets are on sale now by calling Leija*Battah Promotions at 210.979.3302 or at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 800.745.3000, via the internet at www.ticketmaster.com and at the NRG Stadium South Ticket Windows.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @TwinCharlo, @IAmBoxing, @LeijaBattahPR, @NBCSports, @NRGParkFan and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.facebook.com/NBCSports. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions.

Queensberry Promotions were presented with multiple awards at the 2015 WBO Convention held in Orlando, Florida, this week starting with promoter Frank Warren who was presented with the WBO European Promoter of the Year award.

Warren staged twelve WBO European title bouts in the last twelve months involving some of his top stars including Terry Flanagan, Jack Catterall, Mitchell Smith, Frank Buglioni, Bradley Skeete and Jamie Cox.

The WBO European Fight of the Year was awarded to super-middleweight warriors Frank Buglioni and Lee Markham who ferociously battled to a draw in May this year at the SSE Arena, Wembley, with Buglioni retaining the title.

Manchester sensation Terry Flanagan, the reigning WBO World Lightweight Champion, was named WBO European Fighter of the Year for his tremendous performances in the last twelve months that included his win over Stephen Ormond in a WBO European Lightweight title clash, that led to his shot at the WBO crown against Jose Zepeda, followed by the devastating first title defence against Diego Magdaleno earlier this month.

Queensberry Promotions’ Matchmaker Jason McClory collected the WBO European Matchmaker of the Year award for putting together some top quality 50-50 matches that have thrilled the fights fans’ and viewers’ in the UK on BoxNation, including Jack Catterall v Tom Stalker, Buglioni-Markham and more recently Stalker v Craig Evans.

Hall of Fame promoter Warren, who was at the 28th WBO Convention with his son George, the CEO of Queensberry Promotions and BoxNation, and McClory is delighted with awards.

He said, “I’ve been working with the WBO President Paco Valcarcel and his organisation for many, many, years and they are by far and away the best governing body to work with and I was thrilled to be part of the 28th annual convention in Orlando. We’ve had a fantastic year staging WBO fights and I’m pleased that a number of our talented young prospects are developing through the WBO route like Jack Catterall and Mitchell Smith and they aim to be one day where Terry Flangan is now, as a WBO world champion, and I’m happy that Terry’s tremendous achievements have been recognised with his award. Matchmaking is probably one of the hardest and thankless jobs in the sport, but I was pleased to see our matchmaker Jason McClory get the recognition he deserves in matching some cracking fights this year including the winner of the WBO Fight of the Year winner between Frank Buglioni and Lee Markham. Next year we are aiming high with new WBO World Super-Welterweight Champion Liam Smith, Flanagan, and Billy Joe Saunders to be the flag bearers of the WBO like previous British greats Joe Calzaghe and Naseem Hamed.”

Ganigan Lopez scored a dubious 4th round stoppage over Juan Luis Lopez in a scheduled 4-round Flyweight bout at Auditorio Blackberry in Mexico City, Mexico.

Ganigan landed a hard uppercut and the bout was stopped at 1:36 of round 4.

Ganigan Lopez, 110 lbs of Ameca, MX is now 26-6 with 17 knockouts. Juan Luis Lopez, 109 lbs is now 13-3.

Martin Casillas and Jesus Galicia battled to a no-contest in round three of their scheduled 8-round Super Bantamweight bout.

Galicia was cut over the right eye from an inadvertent clash of heads.

Casillas is 15-6. Galicia is 13-8.

Guillermo Said Flores stopped previously undefeated Daniel Garcia in round five of their scheduled 6-round Flyweight bout.

The fight was stopped after Garcia could not continue when he was cut over his right eye.

Flores, 112 lbs is 5-2-1 with 1 knockout. Garcia, 112 lbs is 6-1-1.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Oct. 30th, 2015) – Brazilian Gil de Freitas won the vacant CES MMA Welterweight Title Friday in the main event of “CES MMA XXXI” on AXS TV, submitting Massachusetts vet Chip Moraza-Pollard via kneebar in the opening round of their scheduled five-round bout at Twin River Casino.

Freitas (17-6) finished the fight with just 23 seconds remaining in the opening round, refusing to let Moraza-Pollard off the canvas and instead shooting in for one last submission attempt with time winding down. Freitas has now won five consecutive bouts dating back to 2012, including his AXS TV debut against George Sheppard in August of 2014. Moraza-Pollard was coming off a dominant win over Dany Lauzon in August.

In one of the most highly-anticipated fights of the main card, Cumberland, R.I., bantamweight Kody Nordby (5-3) pulled off the upset, submitting Dinis Paiva (7-6) of East Providence, R.I., via rear naked choke at 2:42 of the opening round, snapping Paiva’s four-fight win streak and earning the fourth first-round submission win of his career.

The two nearly came to blows during the weigh-in, a feud that began in the weeks leading up to the fight. Paiva came out of his corner with a flying knee at the opening bell, but couldn’t connect. Nordby scored the early takedown and finally submitted Paiva after several attempts. Paiva had won three fights by first-round knockout during his hot streak, but couldn’t get back to his feet following Nordby’s early takedown.

Providence’s Greg Rebello (19-6, 11 KOs) opened the main card with a bang, putting Syracuse’s Mike Mucitelli (7-3) with an overhand left at the 3:24 mark of the opening round. The two spent most of the round circling the cage, feeling each other out, until Rebello found his opening and delivered the finishing blow, his 11th career knockout and third consecutive win.

Also highlighting the main card, bantamweight Andre Soukhamthath (9-3, 5 KOs) of Woonsocket, R.I. (Boca Raton, Fla.) returned to Twin River victorious, defeated Carlos Galindo (10-4) of Peru via second-round knockout, earning the stoppage with a series of unanswered elbows at 3:46, and Providence middleweight Eric Spicely (8-0) remained perfect, dominating submission specialist Aaron Johnson (13-10) of Kennesaw, Ga., to earn the unanimous decision, 30-26, on all three scorecards.

Berkely, Mass., middleweight Pat McCrohan (1-0, 1 KO) highlighted the preliminary card with a vicious first-round technical knockout over Maine’s Buck Pineau (1-2), using his college wrestling background to slam Pineau to the canvas, breaking his arm at the 58-second mark.

Shane Manley (1-0) of Cortland, N.Y., also won his professional debut, submitting featherweight Taylor Trahan (5-4) of Littleton, N.H., at the 4:09 mark of the opening round via rear naked choke and flyweight David Baxter (2-0) of North Attleboro, Mass., forced Ovid, N.Y., debut Brandon Warne to tap at the 2:37 mark in the first round of their scheduled three-round bout via armbar.

Also on the preliminary card, flyweight Carlos Candelario (2-0) of Hartford, Conn., won a thrilling unanimous decision over West Roxbury, Mass., vet Jesse Gutierrez (1-2), 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 and Kingston, N.Y., flyweight Darren Mima (7-4, 2 KOs) crushed Remo Cardarelli (5-3) of Milford, Mass., slamming Cardarelli to the canvas and finishing him with strikes 27 seconds into the opening round.

LOS ANGELES (October 30, 2015) – Boxingfans will be in for a treat on Nov. 6 when tough seasoned fighters Martin “El Brochas” Honorio (32-9-1, 16 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico and Los Angeles transplant Miguel Angel “El Anestesista” Huerta (28-13-1, 18 KOs) face off in a classic Mexican brawl live on Boxeo Estelar on Estrella TV. The exciting 10-round super lightweight main event on will be televised nationally at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT and the non-televised undercard fights will be live streamed via The Ring TV’s Roku channel, www.ringtvlive.com and on The Ring TV’s YouTube channel. The live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m. PT.

In the co-main event, local favorite and rising star Joet Gonzalez (11-0, 5 KOs) will battle Marcos “No Money” Rios (12-0-1, 8 KOs) of San Diego in an eight-round featherweight bout, as part of the Estrella TV telecast, and opening the telecast, Jonathan Navarro (2-0, 1 KO) of East Los Angeles will take on Shaun “Buddy Hollie” Henson (2-2, 2 KOs) of Ardmore, Oklahoma in a six-round super lightweight bout. Featured on The Ring TV’s live stream is newly signed prospect Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr. (2-0, 1 KO) of San Antonio, Texas, who will make his third LA FIGHT CLUB appearance in a four-round lightweight bout against Tyshawn “Optimus Prime” Sherman (0-2) of San Bernardino, Calif. Opening the night and The Ring TV’s live stream will be Damon Allen (7-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia in a six-round lightweight bout against Pomona’s Oscar Santana (4-2-1, 2 KOs).

LA FIGHT CLUB:Martin Honorio vs. Miguel Angel Huerta, a 10-round super lightweight bout and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Friday, November 6 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT., and will also be simultaneously streaming live on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

Tickets, starting at $20 are on sale and available for purchase online at www.goldenboypromotions.com or by visiting the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page. For ticket information, email us at LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com.

The “Knockout Experience VIP Package” is also available for an additional $25 upgrade and includes VIP entrance, access to an exclusive lounge offering food and beverages for purchase; a meet and greet opportunity with fighters and celebrities attending the event, past guests have included Oscar De La Hoya, Kate Del Castillo, Mario Lopez, George Lopez, Lucas Matthysse, Randy Caballero and other stars have all made appearances in the past; an automatic entry into the LA FIGHT CLUB grand prize drawing, which can include but is not limited to: autograph gloves, picture in the ring, backstage access, tour of locker rooms, fighter ring walk, tickets to upcoming boxing events and additional merchandise and prizes.

Martin Honorio hails from the streets of Mexico City, carrying with him an impressive record of 32 wins, half of them being knock outs. An aggressive fighter, Honorio is known for his heavy body shots, tearing down any opponent who crosses his way. He is a seasoned fighter, whose ferocity begins upon entrance of the ring, generating a fear against all that who go against him. He begins his fights with his menacing prowl like a lion, swaying back and forth, eyeing his challenger, ready to devour fresh meat. Honorio’s last opponent was Antonio “Relentless” Orozco, who defeated Honorio for the interim NABF Junior Super Lightweight title on May 15, 2014. Having spent time out of the ring, the loss has propelled the fighter to come back with a vengeance, ready to demolish his opponent this November 6 at LA FIGHT CLUB.

Thirty-seven year old Miguel Angel Huerta of Los Angeles boasts an impressive career, claiming the vacant NBA Light Welterweight title against Allan Vester in Fort Myers, Florida in 2004; the WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title against Marco Angel Perez in Corona, Calif. in 2004; and the vacant NABF lightweight title against Efren Hinojosa in Houston, Texas in 2007. After recent tough losses to Mauricio Herrera, Antonio Orozco and Haskell Rhodes in 2014, Huerta will look to claim victory in his first fight of 2015 against Martin Honorio.

Rising prospect Joet Gonzalez of Glendora, Calif. has been steadily climbing the professional ranks since his debut in 2012. Most recently, Gonzalez has impressed fans with wins defeating Ali Gonzalez at the April edition of LA FIGHT CLUB, as well as Jose Angel Beranza in May and Miguel Tamayo in August at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. Gonzalez will return eager to add to his undefeated record at his second appearance at LA FIGHT CLUB.

After accumulating an impressive record in his home country, undefeated Mexican fighter Marcos Rios of San Diego is set to make his U.S. debut against Joet Gonzalez at the Belasco Theater. Rios has captured the attention of Mexican fans beginning with his first professional fight against Luis Flores in September 2013. He has continued to amaze by accruing twelve wins, most recently triumphing over Alfonso Sandoval in July 2015, Manuel Jimenez in May 2015 and Pedro Pamla in January 2015.

Hailing from East Los Angeles, Jonathan Navarro is a boxing legacy who made an impression on his professional debut on the Aug. 6 edition of LA FIGHT CLUB defeating Andrew Lee Gomez via knockout in the first round, and defeating Gibran Gutierrez by unanimous decision at the Sept. 4 edition. The nineteen-year-old, whose uncle Jose Navarro was a 2000 U.S. Olympian and a flyweight title challenger in his professional career, has a decorated amateur career winning gold in 15 tournaments, four of which were international while representing the U.S. on the national team. A gifted boxer who began his boxing career at seven-years-old, Navarro won his first Golden Gloves at nine years of age. Now the 19-year old is ready to create his own history when he competes in his third professional fight on Nov. 6.

A 23-year-old super lightweight prospect hailing from Ardmore, Oklahoma, Shaun Henson made his debut in 2011 with a tough loss to Cristian Cabral at the Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He followed up with wins against Anthony Delgado in Hobbs, New Mexico in October 2012 and Derek Perez at the Convention Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico in April 2013. Last month, Henson was defeated by Maurice Lee at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, Calif., and on Nov. 6, will seek redemption as he makes in LA FIGHT CLUB debut in his second fight of the year.

Hailing from San Antonio, Hector “El Finito” Tanajara has been fighting since 2007 and during that time has won eight national championships. In 2012, he qualified to attend the Veles Cup in Kurgan, Russia and took the gold medal in his weight class. This opportunity led the amateur standout to qualify for the 2016 USA Pre-Olympic trail competition.

Winning the tournament and having been selected as one of seven to go to the 2016 Olympic trails, Tanajara decided instead to focus on a professional career. Now, the eight-time national champion made his professional debut as a newly signed Golden Boy Promotions fighter at the August 6 edition of LA FIGHT CLUB with a quick follow up victory at the September 18 edition. He will look to continue his winning streak at the Belasco Theater on Nov. 6.

Tyshawn Sherman of San Bernardino, Calif., made his professional debut in a tough matchup in June 2011 succumbing to Guy Robb at the Sports Center in Fairfield, Calif., and followed up with his second pro fight against Roque Ramos in Sept. 2013, where Ramos defeated Sherman by technical knockout in the third round. Marking his first fight at LA FIGHT CLUB and first of the year, Sherman will look to score the first victory of his professional career as he takes on Hector Tanajara Jr. on Nov. 6.

Damon Allen of Philadelphia exploded onto the scene claiming victory in five fights of his first year as a professional. He followed up with three impressive wins against Anthony Michael Linenfesler and Hector Marengo in 2014 and Luis Rodriguez in 2015. Allen will fight to keep his undefeated record next month and show fans that he is a rising prospect to watch.

Oscar Santana, hailing from Pomona, Calif., made his professional debut against Tevin Farmer, pulling out a victory at the Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland in February 2011. After a tough loss to Vage Sarukhanyan at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif., Santana came back strong in 2012 with wins over Oscar Diaz and Osman Rivera, and a draw against Aaron Acevedo in 2013. After an early win in 2014 against James Thomas at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, Calif. and a loss later that year to Cesar Villarraga, Santana is eager to get back in the ring and make his first fight of 2015 at the Belasco Theater a win.

LA FIGHT CLUB is a monthly boxing series featured on the first Friday of each month, with an upcoming show on Dec. 4. The series showcases the brightest stars in the sport and present these exciting matchups in a nightclub atmosphere with an original setup. The boxing ring is set on the main floor of the Belasco Theater with on-camera standing room for fans in front of the ring similar to a concert pit, as well as reserved balcony and floor seats. Los Angeles’ own DJ Ray of Big Boy’s Neighborhood spins music during the fights and fans are able to dance and mingle with the fighters when the venue converts into a night club, in a VIP experience not matched by any promoter in the industry.

Media interested in attending the November 6 installment of LA FIGHT CLUB must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are now available here. Completed credential applications should be sent to credentials@mercuryllc.com by 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 29. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TheBelascoLA, http://www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @belascola and @EstrellaTV, follow the conversation using #LAFIGHTCLUB #BoxeoEstelar.

San Diego, California October 30th, 2015: Elite Athlete Services is proud to announce the signing of Courtney ‘Bull’ Blocker rising superstar out of Pensacola, Florida holding a record of 6-0 with 6 knockouts.

The retirement announcement from Floyd Mayweather Jr this past September left a opportunity for Welterweight’s all over the globe to stake their claim as the next superstar in the sport, a challenge Courtney feels confident in claiming.

Bull’s style is something naturally attractive to those who enjoy watching the sport; his ability to demand control of the ring and his ruthless and aggressive style has most Welterweight’s terrified to take on such a talented athlete.

Stewart Joseph, CEO of Elite Athlete Services had this to say about Courtney:

“Bull is an incredible talent someone we are honored to work alongside, we can’t wait to begin working out in Las Vegas with Courtney next month.”

“Courtney is on a mission to create a name as one of the best in boxing and now that he has a solid team behind him the sky is the limit.”

Courtney Blocker is a devastating knockout puncher who is seeking a career-defining opportunity to add to his resume and stake his claim as the next big thing in the sport of boxing.

For more information contact Elite Athlete Services at (702) 843-0213 or media@elitelevelathletes.com

NEW YORK, NY (October 29, 2015) – Roc Nation Sports is pleased to announce that Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) will return to the ring on Saturday, Nov. 21 in the co- feature to the Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez middleweight world championship showdown that will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View. Ward has signed an exclusive multi-fight agreement with HBO that will commence with Ward’s Nov. 21 fight at The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Having cleaned out the super middleweight division, Ward, 31, will be making his debut in the 175-pound light heavyweight division against an opponent to be announced.

“HBO is the premier network in boxing and has been a great home to me both as a fighter and a commentator,” Ward said. “I made my professional debut on HBO nearly 11 years ago and I’m excited to move on to this next stage of my career at the light heavyweight division on HBO. My team and I have been hard at work preparing for Nov. 21 and the fans can expect another strong performance in Las Vegas.”

“All of us at Roc Nation Sports are thrilled to partner with HBO as we embark on the next chapter in the storied career of Andre Ward,” said David Itskowitch, COO Boxing Roc Nation Sports. “Starting this multi-fight agreement and Andre’s quest to conquer the light heavyweight division with a fight on the highly anticipated Nov. 21 pay-per-view event is a fitting way to kick things off. We are hopeful that Nov. 21 is the first step toward a 2016 showdown with Sergey Kovalev.”

“From Olympic gold medalist, to two-time world champion, to winning all 28 of his professional bouts and dominating the super middleweight division, Andre Ward has demonstrated that he is among the finest performers in the sport,” said Ken Hershman, President, HBO Sports. “We are delighted to have Andre as part of our family, fighting exclusively on the HBO platforms.”

“Andre is a man of high integrity and honor so we are thrilled to be able to help deliver a multi-fight deal for him on the premier network in boxing,” said James Prince and Josh Dubin, Ward’s management team. “In moving to light heavyweight, we have no doubt that Andre will pick up where he left off in the super middleweight division – as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. We are extremely thankful to HBO and Roc Nation Sports for the opportunity.”

Known for his strong character and integrity outside the ring and his warrior’s instinct inside it, Ward’s skill and talent were apparent early in his outstanding amateur career. He racked up every title in the books, culminating with a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. As the only male American boxer to claim Olympic gold since 1996, Ward joined the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya. He turned professional on December 18, 2004, scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Chris Molina at Staples Center in a fight that was televised live on HBO. He has gone on to rack up 27 more victories since then, building an ever-growing legion of fans in the process. After becoming the Ring Magazine and WBA Super Middleweight World Champion, rising to the number two spot on the pound-for-pound list and winning the 2011 Fighter of the Year Award (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America), it was announced that Ward signed an exclusive promotional agreement with Roc Nation Sports in January 2015, opening a new chapter in his storied boxing career. The Bay Area product returned to the ring on June 20, 2015 at the Oracle Arena in front of his hometown fans in Oakland, California and scored a ninth-round knockout over Paul Smith, continuing his unbeaten streak which dates back to when he was a 13 year old amateur. Ward recently stepped in front of the camera for a completely different role, a part in the upcoming New Line/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Warner Bros. feature “Creed,” hitting theaters on November 25, a few days following fight week. Fellow Bay Area natives, director Ryan Coogler and the film’s star Michael B. Jordan, reached out to Ward so that he could provide his expertise for the film. In addition to working in front of the camera with Ward, Jordan spent time at Ward’s home gym in preparation for his role as Apollo Creed’s son.

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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 lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, helping athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been helping 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 world champions Miguel Cotto and 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, Frances Tiafoe, Justise Winslow and Willie Cauley-Stein.