JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR. LOOKS TO MAKE A RESOUNDING STATEMENT WHEN HE RETURNS TO THE RING ON SATURDAY, APRIL 18 AT THE STUBHUB CENTER LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

VAN NUYS, Calif. (April 13, 2015) – Former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. held a media workout on Friday in front of a packed house at Ten Goose Boxing Gym in Van Nuys, Calif., as the Mexican superstar prepares to make his SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® debut on Saturday, April 18, at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

In the main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader, Mexican superstar Chavez, Jr. (48-1-1, 32 KOs) meets dangerous brawler Andrzej Fonfara (26-3, 15 KOs) in a 12-round light heavyweight bout.

In the 10-round co-feature, top 10 ranked junior welterweight contender Amir Imam (16-0, 14 KOs) will aim to move one step closer to a world title opportunity when he makes his second start of 2015 against fellow power-puncher Walter Castillo (25-2, 18 KOs).

Julio Cesar Chavez, arguably the greatest Mexican fighter of all time, made an appearance during his son’s workout to show his support and offer words of encouragement.

Here’s what Chavez Jr., Julio Cesar Chavez and Joe Goossen (trainer) had to say Friday at the Los Angeles-area gym:

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR., Former World Champion
“I am very focused going into this fight. I have changed a lot mentally this past year.

“I am fighting [Andrzej] Fonfara now because I like big opponents. I like the challenge of fighting good, hungry fighters. Just because Fonfara doesn’t have the name recognition of other fighters, it doesn’t make him an easy fighter. He’s tough.

“I feel comfortable at light heavyweight. Any time that you can add a couple pounds, you feel better. Although I will be fighting at 175, I feel most comfortable at 168 as a boxer. Since I have had one year off, it was a better choice to fight at this weight so that I could see how my body feels.

“Since I have added a few pounds, I have become a more physical and stronger boxer. The light heavyweight division has very big and physical contenders.

“Joe [Goossen] is a great trainer. He is a great motivator to his fighters and makes them better. I have worked very hard with him for the 35 days we spent together in Lake Tahoe.

“When I was training with Freddie Roach, it was very different. I think Freddie is a great trainer, but Joe also has a lot of experience and we have made a connection together.

“I really liked training in Lake Tahoe. The altitude, the ring, everything I needed was there. I felt very comfortable up there and I would like to come back there to train for a fight again.

“I promise a great fight, this is a very exciting fight. Fonfara isn’t an easy opponent, but he has never seen an opponent like me.”

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ SR.
“I am here to support and be with my son. I try to give him good advice. I tell him to train and prepare hard, and fortunately he is doing that well.

“I think Joe [Goossen] is doing a great job, we are on the same page. We are all focused on him [Chavez Jr.] getting to the fight well prepared. This fight requires great preparation because he is going into the fight at a weight that’s higher than his normal weight and he is facing a very tough opponent.

“He must go in 100 percent to win this fight.

“I think there has been a 180 degree turn in his career. I see this as a positive because he can really develop his ability and looks very well prepared.

“I would’ve liked to have seen him take a tune up fight instead because of his long layoff; I particularly didn’t want this fight.

“Julio [Chavez Jr.] wants credibility in this sport and that’s why he made the decision to take this fight, even though it’s a dangerous decision. He must be very prepared for this fight.”

JOE GOOSSEN, Chavez Jr.s’ Trainer
“I’ve been asked over the years who the one fighter was that I would like to work and my answer was always Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

“I’ve always really admired his style. I had known him as a kid, his father is a legend. It had always seemed like a dream job for me, and out of nowhere I got it.

“Lake Tahoe was tremendous for training camp. You are isolated and it’s not an easy thing. When you aren’t training you are sitting in a hotel room. You are deprived the comforts of home, but it really gives you that concentration and dedication factor and I think that will interpret into some positive results.

“I matured over my years, once I had a kid and a family and I think the same has happened with Julio. Life becomes clearer when you put away the immaturity. You realize that you have a future and if you really want to access what’s available to you, then you are going to have to work hard and dedicate yourself to it.

“Going to Lake Tahoe and really working hard is a sign of maturity and I think that’s what Julio is going through right now. He really showed it by leaving his home and spending an extended period of time up there. To me that is a great indicator that he is mature, dedicated and taking this fight very seriously.

“Of course I believe Julio is ready to fight Fonfara. The fight was made before I even came on board, but that’s the challenge that I am presented with. You must figure out a good game plan and figure out what you’re up against.

“Just because Julio has been out a year doesn’t mean that it’s going to be a cake walk for Fonfara. We went up to Lake Tahoe with one thing in mind, and that’s winning this fight and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

# # #
“Chavez Jr. vs. Fonfara”, a 12-round light heavyweight bout co-promoted by Goossen Promotions and Chavez Promotions that takes place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). In the co-main event, Amir Imam faces Walter Castillo in a 10-round jr. welterweight showdown. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets for the event are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, are available for purchase online at AXS.com.

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jcchavezjr1, @andrzej_fonfara, @StubHubCenter and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #ChavezFonfara, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

Video: Mark Kriegel Interviews Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. | ALL ACCESS: Chavez

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR.-ANDRZEJ FONFARA MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

Kelly Swanson

Thanks, everybody, for joining us today for this great call to officially announce a very exciting match up. And without further ado, to talk a little bit about that match up, I’m going to introduce Chris DeBlasio, Vice President of Sports Communications for SHOWTIME.

Chris DeBlasio

Thanks, Kelly. I’m going to keep this brief. I know we want to talk to the fighters on this card. But I think I’d be remiss if I didn’t represent for Stephen Espinoza, who couldn’t be on the call today, how very excited we are for the debut of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on our network on Saturday, April 18, for our SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader. It’s going to be a great night. On the call with us and in the ring across from Julio Chavez Jr. on that night is Andrzej Fonfara, a man that we know that really comes to fight. He brought it on his first fight on SHOWTIME last year when he fought Adonis Stevenson. And that was a thrilling affair. And we’re looking forward to a real test and a great challenge for Chavez Jr. And we’re excited to have him on behalf of all of us at SHOWTIME. We welcome both of you guys and, of course, thanks to all the press for being on the call. Thank you, Kelly.

K. Swanson

Thank you, everybody. Okay. We’re going to go ahead and introduce the fighters and their trainers for you. First we have Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., former middleweight world champion, Andrzej Fonfara, the former world title challenger, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. — we all know who he is, and certainly out of respect to the great legend that he is, we welcome him to the call — Joe Goossen, who is Julio’s trainer, and Sam Colonna, who is Fonfara’s trainer.

So, at this time, what I’d like to do is ask Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to make opening remarks about this fight and a little bit about what he’s doing now in training camp and just how he feels about the fight.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

I’m training very well. I’m training (at a higher) level than the best. I’m doing more physical training (and I’m getting closer to the) weight of 172 pounds. And I think I’m in great shape, you know? I have a lot of time and don’t stay in this kind of shape.

K. Swanson

Okay. Now let’s hear from Andrzej Fonfara. Andrzej, could you talk a little bit and tell us how you feel about fighting Jr.?

Andrzej Fonfara

I’m feeling great. I think Chavez Jr. is a great fighter, world champion. And you know, it’s good fight for me. I trained hard for the fight. We got very good camp. Now, we start a sparring session. You know, my weight is good. My training’s–all trainings are good. I spent two weeks in Houston. I’m trained there, too. Then I’m back to Chicago. We finished camp here. And I’m–you know, I’m ready for meet Chavez in the ring April 18 and show him I’m better boxer.

K. Swanson

Okay. Excellent. Thank you so much. Next we’ll have the trainers say something very brief before we turn it over to the media for call. So, Joe Goossen, he is Julio Cesar Chavez’s trainer at this point. Joe, would you like to make a couple comments?

Joe Goossen

Thank you. Number one, I want to thank SHOWTIME because we’re very excited about performing for SHOWTIME on Julio’s debut fight with SHOWTIME. And that being said, you know, Julio is very, very serious about this fight. Like Fonfara, he trained for a few weeks in Los Angeles. And now, we’re up in Lake Tahoe, up in the high altitude in the mountains here. It’s very secluded. It’s very concentrated work. Julio is — I can just tell you this — is very dedicated to this fight, mentally, physically, and spiritually. He’s shown me that he’s willing to work very hard for this fight, which always works out well when a fighter cooperates in training. And he’s doing that 110 percent. And I can’t tell you how happy I am, number one, to be working with Julio Jr. It’s been something that I’ve always wanted to do. And of course, I know his father very well. And I’m very honored to be a part of the team. And I can’t wait ’til April 18 to display all of Julio’s talents and to go there. And we’ve got one objective. And that’s to win the fight. With the way Julio’s training, I’m very confident in what we’re doing right now. So, I’m very happy with that. And I’m sure Andrzej’s doing the same thing, training very hard. With that being said, thank you.

K. Swanson

Thank you. Now, Sam Colonna, if you could give us a comment, and then we’ll open it up for questions.

Sam Colonna

Well, first, I’d like to thank everybody for getting this together. It’s an honor to be part of it. But, you know, before they picked Julio Cesar Chavez to fight, they were throwing names at us. And I would say no. And another name came. I would say no. As soon as they said, ‘What about Julio Cesar Chavez,’ I said, ‘That’s the fight we want.’ The style is perfect for us. He comes right at us. And it’s going to be a great fight for Andrzej to show what the power and the dedication he has towards it. He knows that this fight here is going to bring him to the top. And it’s an honor to fight Julio Cesar Chavez. It’s somebody I wanted him to fight for years. But the weight was never the same. Andrzej moved up. And then now, it’s perfect. So, it’s going to be a great fight. I think we’re going to bring a lot of action to this fight. And it’s going to be a jammed action fight. I’m glad that this fight happened. And I can’t wait for April 18.

K. Swanson

Okay. Thank you. And now, last but not least, I’d like to get a couple comments from Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. about his son fighting Fonfara and what he anticipates that will be like. Julio?

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.

I didn’t want this fight. I know that, for my son, I know it’s a hard fight. It’s a difficult fight. And I didn’t want it. Fonfara is very strong. But my son wanted this fight. He wanted fighters that have a high category. He wanted a hard fight. And he believed that winning this fight will give him more credibility. And that’s why he chose Fonfara.

Q
This is for Chavez Jr. Julio, how do you feel coming off a year layoff?

J. Cesar Chavez Jr.
I feel good. I know it’s difficult when you’re off. It’s difficult to regain your timing. But I’ve been training, working at my skills. And I think, you know, I’m very confident because I have spent all my life in boxing. I’m in the 13th year of my professional career. So I don’t think this is a problem because this fight is at 172 pounds. I don’t need to have a problem with weight. And at 172, I feel good in sparring. I feel good in training. And I think I’m ready for this fight and ready to win another world title.

Q
Speaking of that world title, how do you feel about guys like Adonis Stevenson and Sergey Kovalev?

J. Cesar Chavez Jr.

Oh, these guys very strong. But I think, after this fight, I’m going down to 168 and stay in this weight class. One or two years ago I moved to 175 but that was too much for my body. Now, I’m 168. But, for the one year off, this fight is at 172.

Q
Andrzej, how do you feel physically coming off the Adonis Stevenson battle?

A. Fonfara

I think I showed against Stevenson that I was a fighter. Physically, I feel good now. Since that fight, I’ve been training much harder. I think, because of that fight, I’m a better boxer because, you know, I learn a lot in fights. I’m ready for Chavez, I’ve trained hard for this fight, like, you know, Chavez says. He’s trained hard for this fight. But I always train hard. It doesn’t matter if it’s Chavez or whoever else, I’m always training hard.

Q
This is for both Julio Jr. and Sr. For Jr., obviously, there’s a benefit and maybe a drawback, too, to having such a famous name. Benefit is that everybody knows your father and what he accomplished. And that brings you attention early in your career as it has. The possible drawback is that you’re always going to be compared to him, which some would say was almost an impossible, impossibly high standard to try to live up to. From your perspective and also from your father’s, what about that, the burden and the benefit of having such a famous name?

J. Cesar Chavez Jr.

I think I’m well respected because I’m world champion. But, you know, I think this is an advantage. But this doesn’t help me in the ring. I’m proven in the ring. I beat the champions. I beat the number one, number two, number three and number four at 168 pounds. And I’ve showed everybody, the people, that I can fight, too. I am a good fighter and (I put on good fights). And people like see my fights. My style is a good style for the people. And I think this fight, too, the style of Fonfara is to come to fight, he’s a fighter with a great heart and great chin. And both of us will make a great fight.

J. Cesar Chavez Sr.

The name has helped. Obviously, it’s helped get attention, but we are very different. He — my son fights at a higher weight than I fought. And so, there’s a lot of difference. Physically, he’s a lot bigger than I was. So, there’s good and bad, and we understand that. But, he’s his own fighter just like I was.

Q
Sam, you mentioned earlier that you had a lot of names mentioned for Andrzej before you finally settled on Chavez. Are you willing to reveal some of those names?

S. Colonna
You know what? I really don’t have them right in front of me. But, there were at least three, four different guys they were throwing at us. And as soon as they said Chavez, I go, ‘That’s the guy we want,’ because, like I said earlier, the style is perfect for us. And we don’t have to look for him too much, you know? He’s going to be right there for us. So, the style is really, really mixed good.

Q
Andrzej, you’ve fought at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight. How does it feel fighting at 172? And do you see yourself moving possibly down in weight in the near future, or do you feel you’re a true light heavyweight?

A. Fonfara
I’m a light heavyweight fighter. That’s because I’m fighting with Chavez. That’s why we have a catch-weight. And that’s why I go down. I usually fight at 175, at least for maybe two years. And this my weight. It’s not impossible for me to go, like, two, three pounds down because, you know, when I fought Stevenson last year in May, I was 173 then. And I felt good then. Two pounds down is not problem for me. Should be good, you know? Just more diet, more work in the last week. And I should be good.

Q
Julio Jr., how much of a relief is it for you to finally fight after a year? I know it’s been trying for you with the whole lawsuit and everything. So, how does it feel for you to know you finally have a fight up ahead?

J. Cesar Chavez Jr.
I feel good. I feel great, you know, because this problem offended me a lot mentally more than physically. But I’m really happy that this problem is better now. I have a fight in front of me. And you know, I’m not remembering anything about that. I’m just focusing on the fight April 18 for Fonfara. I feel good, I feel great. You know I can’t tell you with words how I feel because I’m better to the ring. (But I’m very excited to be returning) to the ring.

Q
Joe Goossen, which of the skills of Julio Cesar are translating the best for the light heavyweight division?

J. Goossen

Well, first off, Julio is a well-rounded fighter. I mean, we’ve seen him box before. And we’ve seen him pressure before. I don’t want to tip my hand on what we’re going to do but we have studied the films. We’ve talked about the films of Andrzej. And of course, we’re developing a game plan. I think the weight — basically, 172 is very close to 68. It’s a weight he’s fought at before. So I don’t think the weight is going to be a problem at all. The way he’s working right now and the weight he’s at right now, I think we’re going to be able to hit the 172 mark quite easily. But, again, as far as what skills he has that we’re going to bring to the table is something that I think is private to us. But Julio Jr. is a multi-talented fighter. Just watching him spar yesterday, when we needed a box, he did it beautifully. And when we needed pressure in a few rounds, he pulled it off exactly how I like it. So I’m very confident that whatever style we bring and game plan we bring, we’re going to be successful with it.

Q
Can you make the weight?

J. Cesar Chavez Jr.
Yes. Sure. I’ll make 172 because I pay $100,000 per a pound (if I don’t). I can’t pay that kind of money. I’ve never weighed more than 172 in a fight. The only fight I made 172 is with Brian Vera, the first fight. But in all the rest of my career of boxing, in all my championship bouts (I never didn’t make weight). I don’t know why you ask me that. Okay. Maybe, I’m a bigger fighter, you know? I know I am a bigger fighter. But, I don’t have problems. And (if he does) not make the weight, maybe I’ll win $100,000 more.

Q
So, Julio, you’re hoping for $100,000 from Andrzej Fonfara, but you’re saying that he should not hope for $100,000 from you?

J. Cesar Chavez Jr.

No, no. I think that the fight’s in the right way. And he’s not going to take advantage of anybody, you know, because (I come in lighter). You know, the weight is pretty good I think for both fighters.

Q
Can you talk about your decision to have Joe Goossen in your corner, you feel, as a result of the Vera fight, that you owe the fans a performance?

J. Cesar Chavez Jr.

Well, I’ve known Joe Goossen for a long time. He’s a great trainer. He’s a great person. He’s somebody that motivates fighters. And we have a true connection. We’ve connected again. And I like him a lot. I like that he’s a hard worker, just like me. And I think, together, we’re going to do really well. With regards to the performance, I can tell you that, this show is for the people. It’s going to be a great fight. It’s going to be a better fight. And now, with my new promotion company and with knowing who my opponent is going to be in advance, I think it’s going to be a great night.

K. Swanson

That was our last question. So, again, we really appreciate the fighters taking time to join us. We look forward to this fantastic matchup between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andrzej Fonfara on Saturday, April 18, from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., live on SHOWTIME at 10:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. PT. Thank you so much for joining us.

* * *

Tickets for the event, which is co-promoted by Goossen Promotions and Chavez Promotions, are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, are on sale now and are available for purchase online at AXS.com.

Chavez Jr. vs. Fonfara, is a 12-round bout that takes place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

MEXICAN SUPERSTAR JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR. RETURNS TO THE RING AGAINST EXCITING BRAWLER ANDRZEJ FONFARA AT STUBHUB CENTER IN CARSON, CALIF.

CARSON, Calif. (March 9, 2015) – The return of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-1-1, 32 KOs) comes to StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., on Saturday April 18 as the Mexican superstar makes his SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® debut against exciting brawler Andrzej Fonfara (26-3, 15 KOs) in a 12-round light heavyweight bout, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT).

Tickets for the event, which is co-promoted by Goossen Promotions and Chavez Promotions, are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, go on sale today at 12 p.m. PT and are available for purchase online at AXS.com.

“I’m excited to get back in the ring and remind everyone that I’m one of the best fighters in the world,” said Chavez Jr. “I have a tough test on April 18, but I am going to pass with flying colors and I look forward to taking on any challengers after that.”

“This is another great opportunity for me and I’m very thankful to have it,” said Fonfara. “I’ve been in there with the best fighters in the world and as always I’m going to try to put on a show for the fans and walk out victorious.”

“Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andrzej Fonfara are two of the hardest punching boxers in the sport” said Tom Brown of Goossen Promotions. “This fight will be an epic battle of wills and will add another chapter to the long list of outstanding fights that have taken place at the StubHub Center.”

“As a fight fan, I love watching Julio fight. As a network executive, I’m thrilled for him to make his SHOWTIME debut on April 18,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “Julio is one of the most exciting and popular boxers in the sport today, and with a new team behind him, we expect big things from him in 2015. But Andrzej Fonfara is a real test, and he’s proven he’s not intimidated by any opponent.”

The oldest son of the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez, the 29-year-old is a former middleweight world champion looking to earn himself another world title shot. Born in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, Chavez Jr. turned pro in 2003 and won his first 23 fights. His first blemish came against Carlos Molina, who he fought to a draw in 2005, before coming back to beat him two months later. After running his record to 41-0-1, he earned a middleweight world title shot against Sebastian Zbik, which he won by majority decision. He would go on to successfully defend his belt against Peter Manfredo Jr., Marco Antonio Rubio and Andy Lee before losing a decision in 2012 to Sergio Martinez. Most recently Chavez Jr. defeated rugged contender Bryan Vera twice, first in 2013 and again in their 2014 rematch.

Born in Warsaw, Poland and fighting out of Chicago, Fonfara is a late-bloomer who has put together a string of impressive recent performances. Last year, the 27-year-old battled lineal light heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson for 12 tough rounds and despite dropping a decision, he impressed a lot of fans with his grit and determination. Victorious over former world champions Byron Mitchell, Glen Johnson and Gabriel Campillo, Fonfara’s most recent win came in November 2014 when he dominated Doudou Ngumbu in his adopted home of Chicago, earning him this chance against Chavez Jr.

Chavez looking for Fonfara fight in April

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr is looking to fight Andrzej Fonfara in April despite Top Rank claiming to have an exisiting contract.

“We were offered the fight and we took the fight. Both sides agreed to fight, but I can’t tell you the place, I can’t tell you the weight, I can’t tell you the number of rounds, I can’t tell you what network it is on,” said Fonfara promoter Leon Margules said. “But I think it’s a great fight between two fighters who always make good fights. Andrzej understands how important the fight is for his career and he is pretty excited about it.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told ESPN.com that he would do everything he could to stop the fight and have Chavez honor his agreement.

“I can tell you one thing — Leon has joined the list of defendants,” Arum said. “They’re violating our contract and we’ll take action. We’re going to take serious action.

“NBC is going to be party to (the lawsuit) also,” Arum said. “I don’t think Showtime will do the fight because they know HBO’s got rights (to Chavez).”

“We’ve offered to do our last fight. Just let us promote our last fight and then they can walk away,” Arum said. “The lawyers have talked. They weren’t getting anywhere. They may resume talking, who knows?”

The fight figures to be at a catch weight somewhere between the 175-pound light heavyweight limit and the 168-pound super middleweight division. Arum said he was told the bout is supposed to be at 172 pounds.

Fortuna stops Cotto in 5!

Former world title challenger Andrzej Fonfara won a 10-round unanimous decision over Doudou Nugumbu in a Light Heavyweight bout at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.

Fonfara, 176 lbs of Chicago won by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 twice ans is now 26-3. Ngumbu, 175 1/2 lbs of Congo is 33-6

Tomoki Kameda retained the WBO Bantamweight title with a 12-round split decision over Alejandro Hernandez.

Kameda, 117 1/2 of Mexico City, MX won by scores of 115-113 twice while Hernandez won a card 115-113.

Kameda is now 31-0. Hernandez, 118 lbs of Mexico City is now 28-11-2.

Javier Fortuna scored a 5th round stoppage over Abner Cotto in a scheduled 10-round Jr. Lightweight bout.

Fortuna was all over couple in the first couple rounds when Cotto landed a shot behind the head that put Fortuna on the canvas. The knockdown should not have counted but it and to add more confusion, Cotto was rightly docked a point. In round four, Cotto was docked another point for a low blow. The craziness continued in the round when Fortuna was deducted a point after he took a swing at Cotto and apparently missed him but Cotto went down like he was hit. Fortuna hurt Cotto for real in the next round as he landed a hard left that sent Cotto down on his stomach for the 10 count at 1:32 of round five.

Fortina, 129 1/2 lbs of La Romana, DR is now 26-0-1-1 with 19 knockouts. Cotto, 130 1/4 lbs of Agua Beunos, PR is now 18-3.

Final Punch stats: Fortuna 105-302. Cotto: 46-144

Fonfara vs. Ngumbu, Kameda vs. Hernandez, Fortuna vs. Cotto Final Weights

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT MAIN EVENT – 10 Rounds
Andrzej Fonfara: 176 Pounds
Doudou Ngumbu: 175 ½ Pounds

WBO BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – 12 Rounds
Tomoki Kameda: 117 ½ Pounds
Alejandro Hernandez: 118 Pounds

SUPER FEATHERWEIGHTS – 10 Rounds
Javier Fortuna: 129 ½ Pounds
Abner Cotto: 130 ¼ Pounds

Caleb Truax 166.5 vs. Scott Sigmon 160
Koki Kameda 115.2 vs. Omar Salado 116
Jamal James 145.5 vs. Cameron Kreal 147
Demond Nicholson 160.5 vs. Lekan Byfield 159.5
Eddie Ramirez 142.5 vs. Manny Brown 141.5
Semajay Thomas 144 vs. Paul Pindroh 143
Jose Felix Quezada 137.5 vs. Alfred Hall 142.5
Alex Martin 145.5 vs. Travis Hartman 148.5
Adam Kownacki 250 vs. Jamal Woods TBA

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Homecoming: Fonfara vs. Ngumbu is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Warriors Boxing. In the co-main event, WBO World Bantamweight Champion Tomoki Kameda defends his title against interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro Hernandez in a 12-round bout, and opening the telecast, former interim WBA World Featherweight Champion Javier Fortuna will face Abner Cotto in a 10-round super featherweight bout. The SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition will take place at UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Ill., and will air on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets for “The Homecoming” start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event. On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:00 pm. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com.

For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com, www.sports.sho.com and http://www.uicpavilion.com/pavilion, follow on Twitter at @andrzej_fonfara, @DoudouNgumbu, @TomokiKameda, @SHOSports, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first non-televised bout starts at 5:30 p.m. All bouts are subject to change.

ANDRZEJ FONFARA vs. DOUDOU NGUMBU TOMOKI KAMEDA vs. ALEJANDRO HERNANDEZ JAVIER FORTUNA vs. ABNER COTTO FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

CHICAGO (Oct. 30, 2014) – Virtually all corners of the world were represented at Thursday’s final press conference at the W Hotel in Chicago for this Saturday’s SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition tripleheader from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago.

Warsaw, Poland native and Chicago favorite Andrzej “The Polish Prince” Fonfara (25-3, 15 KOs) will square off with Doudou Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KOs), of Toulouse, France by way of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the 10-round light heavyweight main event, live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In the co-feature, undefeated WBO Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki “El Mexicanito” Kameda will make the third defense of his 118-pound title against interim titlist and mandatory challenger Alejandro “Payasito” Hernandez. Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs) is a native of Mexico City, Mexico, while Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs) is Japanese but has been training in Mexico since he was 15 years old. “El Mexicanito” translates to the “The Little Mexican” while “Payasito” translates to “Little Clown.”

The opening bout of the telecast pits the Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico. Undefeated contender, former interim WBA Featherweight World Champion and Dominican Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (25-0-1, 18 KOs), will take on Puerto Rican Abner “Pin” Cotto (18-2, 8 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight bout.

Here’s what the fighters had to say at Thursday’s final press conference:

FONFARA:
“I’m happy to be back here in Chicago. [Ngumbu] is a good fighter who should give me a tough fight, but I’m going to walk out the champion.

“I can’t wait to go in there and give the fans what they want to see – a good, tough fight.

“I’m going to box him a bit and use my jab, but if the knockout comes then I’m going to take it.

“I want another shot at a world title, but I have to beat this guy first and keep winning until I get another chance. I feel that I’m ready for another shot, but this guy stands in my way on Saturday.”

NGUMBU:
“This is a great opportunity for me and a great honor to fight on American soil. I trained hard to be perfectly fit for this fight and my opponent.

“It’s not a secret that Fonfara is a powerful puncher, but I’m not worried it. What happens in the ring on Saturday is the only thing that really matters. I’m not worried and I’m certainly not scared. I’m confident I have what it takes to defeat him.

“I did everything that I had to do while in training camp. I’ve trained very hard. And now I’m here to show the world that working hard pays off.

“I came all the way here to do one thing: win.”

KAMEDA:
“It’s my second time fighting here in the U.S. and I’m very excited to defend my belt again here.

“I’m Japanese, but I live in Mexico. I fight like a Mexican. Boxing fans better be ready, because Saturday night is going to be a true all-Mexican brawl.

“This is a fight for Japan, a fight for Mexico, a fight for all the Latinos. I respect my opponent a lot, but there is a reason I’m undefeated, there is a reason I’m the champion and I’m going to win the fight.

“We’re going to scream ‘Viva Japan,’ we’re going to scream ‘Viva Mexico’ and ‘Viva los Latinos’ for all the fans in the U.S.

“On Nov. 1, you are going to seem me eat up ‘The Little Clown.’

“No question, I’ll be looking for a knockout. There’s no other way to go.”

HERNANDEZ:
“I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity to become a world champion. I’m ready to show that I’m the champion, not him.

“Tomoki is a good fighter. He’s fast and slick, but I am, too. I know his style, he’s predictable, and I’m ready to fight and take that belt away from him.

“He’s not a real Mexican. He wants to be a Mexican, but he’s Japanese. I’m the real Mexican here. I’m so Mexican that even the dirt under my fingernails is Mexican. Tomoki is Japanese, and he came to my country to learn from us, the Mexicans. But let’s not forget who the real Mexican is here.

“He comes here saying he represents Mexico and he’s not even Mexican. I don’t have to pretend. I’m 100 percent pure Mexican blood.

“I have my game plan ready. I’ve trained hard and I know exactly what I’m going to do in the ring — how I’m going to move, what type of punches I’m going to throw. I’m ready. This is my chance to shine and I’m not about to let it go.

“On Saturday night, I will win. I’ll be a world champion, a true Mexican champion.”

FORTUNA:
“I’m not really worried about him. I prepared very well and I hope he trained well, too. I don’t want any excuses when he lands on the floor this Saturday.

“He’s a good fighter and he has a good trainer, but he hasn’t faced anyone like me.

“He may have faced Dominicans before, but that was in the amateurs. It will be a lot different now that he’s a professional, and it will be a lot different when he gets in the ring with me.

“I have faced better fighters in my career than he has, no question.

“I’m not looking for the knockout, but if I connect a few punches and I see he’s hurt, I’ll just go for it. I’m going to work him. This is going to be the end of Abner Cotto.

“I studied Abner Cotto very well. Day after day and night after night, I studied him throughout training camp with my trainer, Hector Bermudez. I studied his strengths and his weaknesses. I’ve learned his ways, I learned everything about him and I’m ready to defeat him.

“At 130 or 135 pounds, wherever I see the opportunity to get a world championship, I’m going to seize it.”

COTTO:
“It won’t be an easy fight, but I’m going to do everything I can to make sure it doesn’t go the distance.

“I’ve faced Dominican fighters before so I’m not worried about him or his power. Beating Fortuna is an opportunity to put myself in the top three in the division.

“I hope he comes ready and we can give the fans a good fight. I know I’m ready.

“I have faced some of the best fighters in the world in this division. Fortuna doesn’t intimidate me, he doesn’t bring anything that I haven’t seen before.

“Some people say that Fortuna is very powerful and I that should be very careful, but I’m not thinking about that. I’m only focused on the power in my punches. I’m not going to let them get into my head.

“My Puerto Rican fans better be ready. I’m going to deliver on Nov. 1 and I’m going to make them very proud. I’ll put up a great show. I’ve had plenty of hard fights, tests and challenges and I’ve overcome them. On Saturday, my fans are going to see a different Abner Cotto.

“The key for my victory lies on being smart, patient and taking advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. I plan on exploiting every little mistake that Fortuna makes.”

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Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first non-televised bout starts at 5:30 p.m. All bouts are subject to change.

ANDRZEJ FONFARA vs. DOUDOU NGUMBU TOMOKI KAMEDA vs. ALEJANDRO HERNANDEZ MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

CHICAGO (Oct. 29, 2014) – Hometown favorite Andrzej “The Polish Prince” Fonfara, France’s Doudou Ngumbu, WBO Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki Kameda and Interim WBO Bantamweight Champ Alejandro Hernandez worked out for the media on Wednesday at Oakley Fight Club in Chicago as they reach the apex of preparation for Saturday’s SHOWTIME Boxing: Special Edition from UIC Pavilion in Chicago.

Fonfara (25-3, 15 KOs) and Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KOs) will square off in the 10-round light heavyweight main event while Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs) will defend his belt against mandatory challenger Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs) in the 12-round co-feature.

Saturday’s tripleheader, which will air live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), is promoted by Warriors Boxing. In the opening bout of the telecast, undefeated super featherweight contender and former Interim WBA Featherweight World Champion Javier Fortuna will take on Puerto Rican Abner Cotto in a 10-round super featherweight bout.

Kameda was joined in the gym by his two brothers, Koki and Daiki, who made history when all three recently held world titles at the same time. While Tomoki held the WBO Bantamweight Championship, Koki was the WBA Bantamweight Champion until he voluntarily relinquished the title in December in order to move down to flyweight. Daiki was the IBF Junior Bantamweight Champion until he lost by decision last December. Koki will fight on the non-televised undercard on Saturday.

Here’s what the fighters had to say on Wednesday:

FONFARA:
“I’ve seen a couple of his fights. I know he’s quick and has a different boxing style, an odd style. He’s fast and sneaky, but if I want to be the best and get a rematch with [Adonis] Stevenson then I need to beat guys like him.

“Training camp in Big Bear [Calif.] went well. We had good sparring partners and good preparation for this fight. We had two weeks in Big Bear after a nice camp in Chicago so I’m ready for this fight.

“I know he’s fought tough opponents in Europe, and he’s used to fighting 10 or 12 rounds. He doesn’t have the strongest punch, but he has solid technique and he’s fast.

“It’s very exciting to be fighting back in Chicago, to be fighting in front of my fans. It’s a huge motivation for me.

“I want to show everyone that I’m in great shape. We’ll see, if I get a chance to knock him out I’ll knock him out. If not, I just want to win the fight. It doesn’t matter how, I just want to win the fight.

“My next step is the rematch with Stevenson because I feel I can beat him. I don’t know if he’ll take the fight, but if I win this one and become a mandatory challenger at some point then he’ll have to fight me. I want to be the champion.”

NGUMBU:
“Training camp went very well. We took Fonfara very seriously because he’s a well-known boxer, not just in the U.S. but in the world. So we didn’t take him lightly.

“The fight is going to happen in the ring. You can’t predict what is going to happen in advance. There will just be two of us in there on Saturday.

“I’m not concerned with his power. If I was concerned about it I wouldn’t have come all the way to Chicago.

“I actually think I’ve faced the tougher fighters than he has. And I think I’ve faced a few guys that are stronger than Fonfara.

“I came here to do my job, which is to box, and I came here to win.

“It’s a huge honor to be able to box on U.S. soil. The time difference and travel isn’t an issue for me. I’ve fought all over the world so I know how to adapt.”

KAMEDA:
“All fights are different, all opportunities are different, but we are always prepared to win. We’ll take what we get in the ring, but if the right hook to the body is there we’re going to take it.

“I’ve always dreamed of fighting in the U.S., and I’ve always dreamed of fighting on TV. Now that I’m here and I’ve signed with Al Haymon, I know all the doors will open for me. But our main goal is to win on Saturday and put on a good show for the fans.

“I sparred with him [Hernandez] about six years ago, but we’ve both changed a lot since then. He’s matured and I’ve matured. But the difference is that I’m the champion now.

“Training camp was great. We put in all the work in the gym and now we’re ready to get in there and put on a show.”

HERNANDEZ:
“I prepared very well for this fight. I had a very strict and rigorous routine. Definitely the hardest training camp I’ve ever had.

“Tomoki and I have sparred in the past, and that might help. But not as much as everybody might think. It’s been a while since our sparring sessions and we’ve both changed our styles and techniques. I have changed and matured as a fighter, and come Saturday night, it will show.

“I’m going to implement a different game plan. I’m not going to be focused on one particular area or punching style. I just have to go at him with everything I have. I’m going to surprise him; he won’t see me coming.

“It’s a dream of any boxer to leave a mark and make an impact in this sport and I’m grateful I have my chance on SHOWTIME this Saturday.”

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Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first non-televised bout starts at 5:30 p.m. All bouts are subject to change.

ANDRZEJ FONFARA MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

MONTEBELLO, Calif. (Oct. 22, 2014) – Crowd-pleasing Windy City fan favorite Andrzej “Chicago’s Polish Prince” Fonfara (25-3, 1 NC, 15 KOs), who’s been training in Big Bear, Calif., participated in an open media workout Tuesday in preparation for his “Homecoming” fight against Congo’s Doudou Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KOs) in the main event of a SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In the co-feature of a tripleheader, WBO World Bantamweight Champion Tomoki “El Mexicanito” Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs) will make his third title defense when he meets interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro “Payasito” Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs). Opening the telecast, former interim WBA World Featherweight Champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (25-0-1, 18 KOs) will face Abner “Pin” Cotto (18-2, 8 KOs) in a super featherweight 10-round bout.

Fonfara, who turns 27 on Nov. 4, worked out for 90 minutes Tuesday without an extended break. Fonfara will be returning to the ring after a valiant effort in a 12-round decision defeat to WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Adonis Stevenson on May 24 on SHOWTIME. After winning the final five rounds against Stevenson, Fonfara proved his worth against the world champion and did more to enhance his reputation than all 13 of his previous wins combined.

Here’s what the world-ranked Fonfara, and his trainer, Sam Colonna, said during Tuesday’s workout:

ANDRZEJ FONFARA, Light Heavyweight

Question: This is your third time holding training camp in Big Bear, what made you go to Big Bear the first time?

Answer: “Every good boxer prepares there. If I want to be the best I must train where the best fighters in the world train. Big Bear has great altitude, good weather for runs and a very good gym. It’s a great base for camp.

Do you feel the difference in the altitude when you’re up there?

“Yes, absolutely. I felt much different training for this camp than I did the first time I went up there. It was much harder running for the first camp. I would run two, three miles and I couldn’t breathe. But when I would come back to Chicago, I would feel much better and stronger.”

What’s it like for you to fight in Chicago?

“Chicago is a very special city for me because I moved there eight years ago. I started my professional career there. I had just one professional fight before I moved to Chicago. Sam [Colonna, Fonfara’s trainer] and I have been together since I came to Chicago.

“When I first started to fight in Chicago I had 30, 50 people at my fights. Now when I fight there I have a few thousand people. It’s not only Polish people who come to watch me fight, but all fight fans.

“Fans like to see me fight because I am entertaining and put my heart into the ring.”

Your opponent on Nov. 1 [Doudou Ngumbu] goes the distance in most of his fights, how are you preparing for him?

“He’s not a bad fighter. He’s very tough and wants to win each time he steps into the ring. He doesn’t come just to collect a check, he wants to beat me and get a chance on SHOWTIME to show what he is made of.

“It’s good for me, it’s more pressure. It makes me work harder, but I know that I’m ready for this fight.

“I’m not the underdog in this fight like I have been in the past. But this is boxing and you must go in the ring and think and box, you never know what is going to happen.

“If I want to think about a rematch with Adonis [Stevenson], I must beat guys like Ngumbu. There’s much at stake on Nov. 1”

Do you need to beat Ngumbu impressively?

“It doesn’t matter if I knock him out or win the fight on a decision. The important thing is that I get the victory. We have a plan and I must execute. If I follow my plan, I will knock him out in the second round.”

You had a big opportunity in your last fight against Adonis [Stevenson], when you look back at that fight what comes to your mind?

“I showed good heart, strength and my condition in that fight. Even when I was knocked down I wanted to stand back up and fight.

“I know that now I must punch more and keep better defense. Adonis is a different kind of fighter, he’s sneaky and a hard puncher.

“I know that if he doesn’t knock me down in the first round then maybe the fight goes a different way.

“That loss made me want to train longer and harder so that I can get a rematch with him.”

So you would like a rematch with Adonis [Stevenson]?

“Yes, that’s the plan. I need to win like two, three fights and then get the rematch. I know that I can beat him.

“I gave him the best fight of his professional career in our first fight.”

SAM COLONNA, Fonfara’s Trainer and former trainer of Andrew Golota, Tomasz Adamek, David Diaz and others

“I’ve been with Andrzej since after he had his first professional fight, when he came to Chicago from Poland. We’ve been together for eight, nine years. What I really like about him is his work ethic, he’s wonderful to work with and easy to train.

“When he first came, there were maybe eight Polish fighters that came over together, and I liked Andrzej the most. He was the least experienced of all the fighters; I called him the runt of the group. He was the smallest, youngest and only weighed 139 pounds when he first came over. What stood out to me was his work ethic and the fact that he constantly wanted to learn. The other guys thought they knew it all and now all those guys are out of the picture and he’s still going.

“The way he’s learning and progressing, you’re looking at the next future champion of the world.
“We’re fighting a very difficult guy [Ngumbu]. He’s not really crafty, he’s very awkward and the way he moves is very different. He’s a runner and won’t let you stand in front of him and let you hit him. We’re going to have to work really hard to get to him. It’s a fight that Andrzej can’t really look good unless he knocks him out early.

“We want to win of course, but it’s hard to be impressive with this guy. He has gone the distance with a lot of good fighters. I looked at his record and I can see that this guy comes to fight till the end. He’s gone 12 rounds a lot of times so I know it’s going to be a fight that we’re really going to work hard for.

“If we win this fight there will be a lot of opportunities for us. There are many good up-and-coming fighters at 175 pounds; it’s a very hot division.

“He had his chance [against Adonis Stevenson] and he let it slide by him. The experience he got in that fight, you can’t buy. He knows he had the guy hurt and he should’ve jumped on him and taken care of business; he let him off the ropes.”

WBO BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMP TOMOKI KAMEDA DEFENDS AGAINST INTERIM TITLIST ALEJANDRO HERNANDEZ & THE RETURN OF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER ANDRZEJ FONFARA SET FOR SATURDAY, NOV. 1 LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

NEW YORK (Oct. 2, 2014) – Undefeated WBO Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki “El Mexicanito” Kameda will make the third defense of his title against interim titlist and mandatory challenger Alejandro Hernandez on Saturday, Nov. 1, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT) in the co-feature of a SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition.

In the main event of the tripleheader, popular light heavyweight contender Andrzej “Chicago’s Polish Prince” Fonfara will return to his adopted hometown against experienced veteran Doudou Ngumbu in a 10-round light heavyweight showdown from UIC Pavilion at University of Illinois-Chicago.

In the opening bout of the telecast, undefeated super featherweight contender and former Interim WBA Featherweight World Champion Javier Fortuna will take on twice-beaten Puerto Rican Abner Cotto in a 10-round super featherweight bout. The event, titled “The Homecoming,” is promoted by Warriors Boxing.

Chicago’s Fonfara, 26, a native of Warsaw, Poland, had won 13 in a row before a hard-fought loss to WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Adonis Stevenson this past May in a thrilling battle on SHOWTIME. A heavy underdog, Fonfara floored the champion in his hometown of Montreal in the ninth round in a showdown that was closer than most experts anticipated.

Fonfara (25-3, 15 KOs) is now 15-1 with one no-contest since July 2008. The WBC No. 6 contender at 175 pounds, Fonfara has defeated three former world title holders -Byron Mitchell (TKO 3), Glen Johnson (a clear 10-round decision in perhaps a career-best victory) and Gabriel Campillo (TKO 9) -in his last six starts.

Fonfara, who campaigned for much of his career at 168 pounds and below, has only lost once at light heavyweight, and that loss was to Stevenson, widely considered as the top fighter in the world at 175 pounds. The 6-foot-2 Fonfara, who turns 27 three days after the showdown with Ngumbu, will return to Chicago for his eighth fight in his last nine starts.

A boxer with superb stamina and surprising power, Fonfara’s iron chin allows him to outlast his opponents and come on in the later rounds of his fights.

The 32-year old Ngumbu, of Toulouse, France by way of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will make his U.S. and North American debut. Originally a soccer player, Ngumbu found boxing at age 18 and turned professional at 25. The former African champion (33-5, 12 KOs) is vastly experienced, having fought 247 rounds to Fonfara’s 129.

The 5-foot-11 Ngumbu is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision over Johnny Muller in June in Monte Carlo, Monaco, and has gone the 12-round distance six times since 2009.

Ngumbu holds a 2013 win over former world title challenger Vyacheslav Uzelkov, who lost in 2010 to then-WBA Light Heavyweight Champ Beibut Shumenov. Ngumbu also has a 12-round unanimous decision win over Aleksy Kuziemski, who challenged Nathan Cleverly for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title in 2011.

Ngumbu’s long arms and fast hands allow him to come forward with an unorthodox but aggressive attack from unpredictable angles. His tendency to keep his hands at his sides makes all of his fights exciting affairs.

Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs), of Tokyo, Japan, is coming off a brutal 7th round knockout victory of former WBO Bantamweight Champ Pungluang Singyu in his U.S. debut on July 12.

The victory over Singyu was the biggest win of the 23-year-old’s career. Singyu had formerly held the same championship belt until losing it to Paulus Ambunda in March 2013. Ambunda lost his belt to Kameda in his first and only defense of the title last August via unanimous decision.

Kameda and his two brothers, Koki and Daiki are among the most famous fighters in the history of Japanese boxing, and all three recently held world titles at the same time. While Tomoki held the WBO Bantamweight Championship, Koki was the WBA Bantamweight Champion until he voluntarily relinquished the title in December in order to move down to flyweight, and Daiki was the IBF Junior Bantamweight Champion until he lost by decision last December.

Kameda moved to Mexico when he was 15 years old to learn an aggressive fighting style and quickly earned the Spanish nickname “El Mexicanito” (The Little Mexican). A true boxer-puncher with extremely fast hands, Kameda continues to train in Mexico, but has since moved back to Japan where his family enjoys celebrity status.

Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs), of Mexico City, won the vacant Interim WBO Bantamweight World Championship with a unanimous decision over countryman Daniel Rosas on June 14.

The 28-year-old Hernandez has won three fights in a row at bantamweight and is a former world title challenger at 115 and 112 pounds. Hernandez fought to a draw for the vacant WBO Super Flyweight Championship to then-undefeated Marvin Sonsona in 2009 and lost a unanimous decision to then-WBO Flyweight Champion and current WBO Super Flyweight kingpin Omar Andres Narvaez in 2008.

A fearless “do or die” slugger from the classic Mexican warrior mold, Hernandez comes forward relentlessly behind powerful combinations to the head and body.

Fortuna (25-0-1, 18 KOs), of Dominican Republic, is a former Interim WBA Featherweight World Champion – he won the vacant belt against previously undefeated Patrick Hyland in 2012. The southpaw was set to defend his crown in April of 2013 against Miguel Zamudio but lost the title on the scales after failing to make weight. He knocked Zamudio down twice en route to a devastating first round knockout and then gradually settled into the 130-pound division.

Fortuna, 25, is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Antonio Rodriguez on May 31 in Las Vegas and is just one fight removed from a knockout of former world title challenger Francisco Lorenzo.

Fortuna, who is known for his explosive speed and highlight reel knockouts, only has one blemish on his record – a controversial draw against Luis Franco in August of 2013.

Cotto (18-2, 8 KOs), a relative of future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto, was a top amateur in Puerto Rico – he won a silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games and compiled a record of 235-20 before turning pro.

The 27-year-old Cotto is coming off a split-decision victory of Jerry Belmontes in August and his only two losses have come against top competition. He lost to undefeated WBC 135-pound champ Omar Figueroa in a non-title bout in 2013 and to top 130-pound contender Francisco Vargas this past March.

Additional bouts and the undercard will be announced shortly.

Tickets start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. CT). They can also be purchased the night of the event. On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:00 pm. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visit www.warriorsboxing.com.

Stevenson gets knocked down but retains Light Heavyweight title with decision over Fonfara

Adonis Stevenson survived a couple anxious moments but he retained the WBC Light Heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Andrzej Fonfara at the Bell Centre in Montreal

In round one Stevenson landed a hard left and sent Fonfara to the canvas. Stevenson was all over Fonfara and tried to end the fight in the opening frame. The shots opened up a cut around the right eye of Fonfara in round three. Fonfara settled down and had a decent round four. In round five, Steveson landed a hard left to the body that put Fonfara on the canvas. When Fonfara got to his feet, Stevenson continued to work the body and then landed a huge uppercut. Stevenson hurt Fonfara yet again in round six with a hard right to the body.

Fonfara hung in and tried to work behind the jab in round seven. The fight turned in round nine when a right hook sent Stevenson down to the canvas. Fonfara continued to pepper Stevenson with shots throughout the round. Round ten was a good bounce back round for Stevenson as he hurt Fonfara on a couple of occasions by mixing up head and body shots. Stevenson came out in round 11 by battering the body and then hurt Fonfara with an uppercut. The two battled to the end which was much to the delight of the crowd at the Bell Centre

Stevenson, 173 1/2 lbs of Montreal won by scores of 115-110 twice and 116-109 and is now 24-1. Fonfara, 174 1/2 lbs of Chicago is 24-3.

After the fight, Stevenson told SHOWTIME Sports® ringside reporter Jim Gray, “(It was a) good fight. I hurt my left hand in the second round. He did very well. I threw the punch but I caught the elbow and I hurt my hand.”

Stevenson was satisfied with his victory despite getting knocked down. “Everyone gets knocked down. But I came back strong. I showed the world because I’m a true champion.

“I told everybody (Fonfara) is strong. He’s been training since December. He is ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the world. He was ready for this fight. I never overlooked him because he’s a tough fighter.”

When asked by Gray about the prospect of fighting Bernard Hopkins and Sergey Kovalev, Stevenson said, “I accept any challenge. Bernard can be next. And I have no problem with Kovalev. If I fight him I fight him.”

Fonfara, despite the loss, made an emphatic statement. After the fight, he said, “I survived because I have the heart to fight. Every time he hit me I felt the punch. Tonight Stevenson is better. I’m still young. I’m only 26 years old. I’m training hard and one day I’ll be a world champion.”

Middleweight power puncher destroyed former world title challenger Fernando Guerrero in round three of a scheduled 12-round bout.

Guerrero had a good first two-minutes of the bout as he darted in and landed lead lefts. Lemieux finally caught Guerrero with a massive left hook that set up two hard rights that sent Guerrero to the canvas. In round two, Guerrero landed huge shots and opened up a cut from the right eye. Lemieux scored a second knockdown at the end of the round from a hard combination. Lemieux was relentless to start round three to the point Guerrero to a knee without a punch being thrown. With the blood streaming out of his eye, Guerrero went down from hard uppercuts and the fight was stopped at 1:56 of round three.

Lemieux, 159 1/2 lbs of Montreal is now 32-2 with 30 knockouts. Guerrero, 159 lbs of Los Angeles is now 26-3.

“I knew Fernando Guerrero is a very strong fighter. Very tough,” said Lemieux. “He’s been down many times and always gets back up. Once I started to land my shots I could see it in his eyes that the game started to change.

“The results in the ring are from my dedication and my training. I want to tip my hat to Fernando Guerrero. He is a great fighter. I studied him for many months prior to the fight. So I am very happy with the outcome.”

“I’m determined to be a world champion. I would love to fight anyone in the world at 160.”

Jr. Middleweight Jermell Charlo remained undefeated with a 12-round unanimous decision over Charlie Ohta.

Charlo took charge with his boxing in the first 2 rounds. In round three, Ohta landed a right hand that sent Charlo to the canvas. Charlo was not hurt and boxed as if nothing happend and came back to land a hard upper cut the bell. Charlo continued to box and mix up his punches with right and left hooks. He jabbed well too. Ohta would get in an occasional nice counter.

In round nine, Charlo was deducted a point for low blows but was never threatened during the fight.

Charlo, 153 3/4 lbs of Houston won by scores of 115-111 and 118-109 twice and is now 24-0. Ohta, 153 lbs of Tokyo is now 24-2-1.

After the fight, Charlo said that he was not concerned with the knockdown. “To me, I slipped. I didn’t feel the solid shot. He hit me with the right hand. He just caught me off balance. But it is what it is.

“This was a rough one. I did what I had to do tonight.”
Good looking Jr. Middleweight prospect Julian Williams remained undefeated with a terrific 8th round stoppage in a 10-round bout.

Williams dominated with quick over hand rights in the 1st couple of rounds. He rocked Medina on several occasions through out the fight. In round six, he shook Medina with a beautiful 10 punch combination for which 6 of the punches landed flush. In round eight, Williams landed a perfect double right hand that sent Medina to the canvas and the fight was stopped upon Medina getting to his feet at the count of 10 at 1:59 of round 8.

Williams, 154 3/4 lbs of Philadelphia is now 16-0-1 with 10 knockouts. Medina, 154 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is now 26-5-2.

Light Heavyweight prospect Eleider Alvarez scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Alexander Johnson.

Alavarez dominated with a the right hand against the southpaw Johnson. In round five, Alavarez dropped Johnson with a combination. Johnson was able to get out of the round finished the fight as Alavarez seemed content to box from the outside.

Alvarez, 175 lbs of Montreal won by scores of 97-92 on all cards and is now 15-0. Johnson, 171 1/2 lbs of Washington, DC is now 15-2.

BOXING’S BIGGEST HITTERS! BOXNATION SHARES OUR TOP 10 AHEAD OF KNOCKOUT KING ADONIS STEVENSON’S CLASH WITH ANDRZEJ FONFARA LIVE THIS WEEKEND

LONDON (May 23) – On Saturday night knockout artist Adonis ‘Superman’ Stevenson is back in action, live and exclusive on BoxNation, when he defends his WBC light-heavyweight title against the tricky Andrzej Fonfara at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Regarded among modern day boxing’s biggest hitters, the 175 pound champion sits in the privileged position of being the type of all-action, exciting fighter that is guaranteed to put bums on seats.

Fight fans have long adored, and yearned, for the concussive, one-punch pugilist, one who is able to end a fight in the blink of an eye.

Throughout the ages boxing has been littered with such formidable characters from the lowest weight classes all the way up to the heaviest. Names such as Ernie Shavers, Mike Tyson, Julian Jackson, George Foreman, Bob Foster, Tommy Hearns, Sandy Saddler, Archie Moore, Rocky Marciano and many more have acquired enviable reputations as some of the sport’s most feared hitters.

Ahead of Stevenson’s clash this weekend, BoxNation analyses ten of the biggest-punchers around today.

1. Adonis Stevenson (23-1, 20 KOs)

No better place to start than the man who fights this Saturday night. His reputation as boxing’s biggest puncher has risen considerably after enjoying a memorable 2013, which saw him blast his way past Chad Dawson in the first round to capture the WBC light-heavyweight crown.

The brutal stoppage of Dawson was followed by wins against Tavoris Cloud and Tony Bellew, which has seen the southpaw stop his last 10 opponents, whilst amassing a record of 20 knockouts in his 23 wins.

He recently declared himself ‘the Mike Tyson of the light-heavyweights’, with the punching power he possesses you’ll find few who will argue.

2. Deontay Wilder (31-0, 31 KOs)

Known as ‘The Bronze Bomber’, his record of having knocked out all who stand before him speaks for itself. Heavyweight Wilder is making huge impressions on a division that is hoping to restore itself as boxing’s glamour weight class.

Some critics have questioned the level of competition that the 6ft 7inch Alabama bruiser has been in with, but you can only face what is put in front of you, and next up for the heavyweight ace is likely to be a stab at Bermane Stiverne’s WBC heavyweight title.

Wilder’s only made it as far as the fourth round on one occasion and will be hoping he can prove he’s the real deal by putting the heavyweight division’s very best to sleep.

3. Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26 KOs)

The Kazakhstani kingpin is earning a reputation as boxing’s most feared combatant. Having captured the WBA middleweight title in 2010 against Nilson Julio Tapia by third round knockout, ‘Triple G (GGG)’ has seen his stock rise considerably to the point where it’s getting hard to find him any worthy opponents.

This in a division which boasts other notable names such as Sergio Martinez, Peter Quillin, Felix Sturm and Britain’s Martin Murray.

With nearly a 90% knockout record it’s clear to see why Golovkin would be last on anyone’s list as a potential foe.

4. Sergey Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs)

The current WBO light-heavyweight champion currently ranks alongside Adonis Stevenson and the veteran Bernard Hopkins as the top dogs at 175 pounds.

The 6ft chiselled Russian rarely breaks into a smile, instead preferring to break jaws with an incredible 22 knockouts in his 24 victories.

A potential matchup between the two KO kings, Kovalev and Stevenson, has yet to materialise but his impressive victory over Nathan Cleverly to claim his first world title away from home shows nothing fazes this steely Russian assassin.

5. Keith Thurman (23-0, 21 KOs)

Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman earned his moniker due to his one-punch knockout power. The Floridian is quickly emerging as a real star of a stacked welterweight division which contains boxing’s biggest names including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

His recent outing’s have seen him hammer his way past respected names like Jesus Soto Karass and Julio Diaz, to take his record to 23 wins with 21 knockouts.

He stands on the verge of a shot at the world title at some point this year, with some predicting, with his slick boxing skills and devastating power, he will be the man to go on to take away Mayweather’s famous ‘O’.

6. Lucas Matthysse (35-3, 31 KOs)

Up until his recent closely fought battle with unified light-welterweight world champion Danny Garcia, ‘The Machine’ was regarded as the man on the threshold of reigning supreme over the 140 pound division.

His incredible run of victories prior to the Garcia fight had seen him run through a host of top names including Lamont Peterson, Mike Dallas Jr and Olusegun Ajose.

A rematch may be on the cards with Garcia if the champion decides to stay at light-welterweight, but nevertheless, with 33 knockouts in his 35 wins there will be a few restless nights for anyone going in against the ferocious Argentine.

7. Randall Bailey (44-8, 37 KOs)

As a three-time world champion in two weight divisions, his nickname ‘The Knockout King’ says it all. His most recent world title victory came against the respected welterweight champion Mike Jones in June 2012.

Behind on all three judges’ scorecards the American hitter needed a knockout to win. He duly obliged with a straight right down the middle in the tenth round which floored Jones, before ending the fight with a vicious uppercut at the close of round 11 that left the champion all over the place and unable to recover.

Tellingly, Jones hasn’t fought since the loss, and they say a fighter’s last thing to go is his power and at 39 Bailey will give anyone a run for their money.

8. Marcos Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs)

Hot off a valiant display against Floyd Mayweather, the Argentine Maidana showed that he was able to make up for his lack of technical skills by out hustling and using his power to trouble the pound-for-pound king.

Mayweather was well aware of ‘El Chino’s’ 31 knockouts in his 35 wins but after once being described by former champion Kevin Kelly as having hit ‘like a building fell on top of me’, his punching power alone has probably earned the undying respect of boxing’s number one star.

9. Jhonny Gonzalez (55-8, 47 KOs)

No matter the circumstances, if you can punch you always have a chance. Unfancied against one of boxing’s upcoming stars in Abner Mares, the Mexican featherweight never read the script when he decked the WBC champion twice in the first round.

With 46 knockouts in 54 victories before they met, Mares knew he was going in with a live wire but was unable to deal with Gonzalez’s fists of fury. A rematch was scheduled before Mares pulled out due to a rib injury, leaving Gonzalez set to face Clive Atwell next.

10. Wladimir Klitschko (62-3, 52 KOs)

With his sibling Vitali hanging up the gloves, and pursuing a career in politics, the younger Klitschko brother will be the one to fly the flag and continue the Klitschko domination of the heavyweight division.

At times the brothers have not got their due respect, but as the WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine heavyweight world champion and with a record of 52 knockouts in his 62 wins, Wladimir is undoubtedly one of the heaviest hitters around.

A fight with the unbeaten Kubrat Pulev is set to be next up for him, before a potential unification clash with WBC champion Bermane Stiverne.

Adonis Stevenson vs. Andrzej Fonfara is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

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Video: Stevenson – Fonfara Weigh in

WEIGHTS, & OFFICIALS FOR SATURDAY’S SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING & SHO EXTREME

MONTREAL (May 23, 2014) – All 10 fighters competing televised bouts made weight made weight on their first attempts Friday at Bell Centre. The weigh-in was streamed live by SHOWTIME Sports Press Pass Live and is currently available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZp3llIKqtE

In the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader (SHO, 9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), exciting knockout specialist and 2013 Fighter of the Year, Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (23-1-0, 20 KOs), of Montreal, will make his network debut when he defends his WBC light heavyweight title for a third time when he meets Andrzej “The Polish Prince” Fonfara (25-2-0, 15 KOs), of Chicago by way of Warsaw, Poland. Stevenson has won his last 10 fights by knockout. Fonfara has won 15 in a row, 12 inside the distance, and has never been defeated as a light heavyweight.

In co-featured fights, power-punching Montreal middleweight David Lemieux (31-2, 29 KOs) meets battle-tested Fernando Guerrero (26-2, 19 KOs) of Salisbury, Md., in a 12-rounder for the vacant NABF 160-pound crown, and unbeaten rising star Jermell “Ironman” Charlo (23-0, 11 KOs), of Houston, takes on Japan’s Charlie Ohta (24-1-1, 16 KOs), of New York, in a 12-round collision of world-ranked junior middleweights. Charlo is ranked No. 5, Ohta No. 9.

WEIGHTS AND OFFICIALS

Stevenson – 173½ pounds
Fonfara – 174½ pounds
Referee: Frank Garza, Jr.
Judges: Richard De Carufel (Canada), John McKaie (New York), John Woodburn, Canada.

Lemieux – 159½ pounds
Guerrero – 159 pounds
Referee: Michael Griffin
Judges: Nicolas Esnault (Canada), Ester Lopez (New Mexico), Pasqualie Procopio (Canada)

Charlo – 153¾ pounds
Ohta – 153 pounds

Referee: Jean-Guy Brousseau.
Judges: Larry Hazzard Jr. (New Jersey), Jean LaPointe (Canada), Robert Paolino (Rhode Island),

On SHO EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT), Julian “J-Rock” Williams (15-0-1, 9 KOs), of Philadelphia, faces Michael Medina (26-4-2, 19 KOs), of Modesto, Calif., in a 10-round junior middleweight scrap and world-ranked Eleider Alvarez (14-0, 8 KOs), of Montreal by way of Colombia, clashes with Alexander Johnson (15-1, 6 KOs), of Washington, D.C., in a 10-round light heavyweight bout.

WEIGHTS AND OFFICIALS

Williams – 154¾ pounds
Medina – 154 pounds
Referee: Alain Villeneuve
Judges: De Carufel, Esnault, Marie-Josee Guerin (Canada)

Alvarez – 175 pounds
Johnson – 171½ pounds
Referee: Marlon B. Wright
Judges: Jean Gauthier (Canada), Sylvain LeBlanc (Canada), Benoit Roussel (Canada)

Brian Kenny will host both telecasts on Saturday night. Mauro Ranallo calls the action on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi with Jim Gray reporting. Brian Custer calls the fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME with boxing historian Steve Farhood at his side. For SAP in Spanish, Alejandro Luna will call the blow-by-blow with former world champion Raul Marquez serving as analyst. The executive producer is David Dinkins Jr. with Ray Smaltz III producing and Mike Arnold directing.

DAVID LEMIEUX vs. FERNANDO GUERRERO, JERMELL CHARLO vs. CHARLIE OHTA FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

MONTREAL (May 22, 2014) – Hometown favorite David Lemieux and Fernando Guerrero agree on one thing: their showdown on the undercard of the Adonis Stevenson-Andrzej Fonfara SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader at Bell Centre this Saturday, May 24 will likely end in a knockout.

“The knockout is going to be there,” Lemieux said. “It’s only a matter of how it’s going to be there that is going to make a difference.”

The power-punching Lemieux (31-2, 29 KOs), of Montreal, and Guerrero (26-2, 19 KOs) of Salisbury, Md., will square off in a 10-round middleweight co-featured bout live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Guerrero, who compiled a 2-0 record in Canada while fighting as an amateur, isn’t fazed by Lemieux’s power or the prospect of fighting in his hometown.

“We’ve faced punchers before and I’ve demolished them,” Guerrero said. “With a guy like David and I facing off, it doesn’t seem like the fight will go the distance.”

In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast, Houston’s unbeaten rising star Jermell Charlo (23-0, 11 KOs) takes on Japan’s Charlie Ohta (24-1-1, 16 KOs) in a 12-round junior middleweight match.

The 2013 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year, “Superman” Stevenson (23-1, 20 KOs), of Montreal, will defend his WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship against Chicago’s Fonfara (25-2, 15 KOs), the IBF No. 1 and WBC No. 3-ranked contender.

On SHO EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT) from the Bell Centre, Julian “J-Rock” Williams (15-0-1, 9 KOs), of Philadelphia, faces Michael Medina (26-4-2, 19 KOs), of Modesto, Calif., in a 10-round junior middleweight scrap and world-ranked Eleider Alvarez (14-0, 8 KOs), of Montreal by way Colombia, collides with Alexander Johnson (15-1, 6 KOs), of Washington, D.C., in a 10-round light heavyweight bout.

Here’s what the participants had to say at Thursday’s press conference:

DAVID LEMIEUX:
“I’ve been preparing for a spectacular fight. We’re both great fighters, but only one of us can win on Saturday.

“(Guerrero) is one of the best fighters I’ve fought to date. I feel spectacular. My training camp has been spectacular; I’ve had the best training camp of my career. We did everything we needed to do in case there are any surprises in the ring.

“I feel the strongest I’ve ever been. I’m ready to go 12 rounds. If it has to go to the limit, I will have no problem.

On switching trainers……“It has been a big help in my career. It’s been a big turnaround. My new trainer Marc Ramsay has helped me become ready to be a 12-round fighter. There have been so many changes since the two upsets I had with my old trainer. I now see all the things that I need to be on top of my game and to be a world champion. We’ve been making adjustments and we’ve been getting the results in the ring. I’m ready to fight anybody right now.

“I’m a knockout artist. Every fight I go into I expect a knockout. And I’m feeling the strongest I’ve ever felt since the beginning.

“I expect (Guerrero) to take my head off. So I will be ready for whatever. I’m not scared – I expect the same punishment that I give to my opponents. I want to knock him out, so I expect the same thing from him.

“I’m not worried. Whatever he brings to the table, I’ll adjust and I’ll be victorious.”

FERNANDO GUERRERO:
“We’ve fought in Canada before in the amateurs and I won both times. I’m 2-0 in Canada. I’m not worried about fighting in front of his hometown fans.

“I’ve grown since the loss to (Peter) Quillin. I had one of the worst camps of my life for that fight and I wasn’t mentally or emotionally prepared. We just have to move on and not have any emotions in there for this fight.

“Lemieux and I have a lot of similarities. We both have two losses. We’ll get in there and see what happens. One of us will likely walk out with a third loss, and I’ve done everything I can to make sure that it isn’t me.

“Once we step in the ring there aren’t any excuses. If I win, it’s because I prepared as hard as I could. If I lose, it’s because I didn’t give it my all.

“I’m 2-0 in Canada. I came here and I won. When you’re a boxer, it’s not the location that matters because we all fight in the ring. I’ll step in the ring and do my job and let the judges do theirs.

“I’ve seen a lot of his fights – we’ve done our homework. We know what he does well and we also know his weaknesses.

“I consider myself a puncher just like him. He’s strong, I’m strong. He’s fast, I’m fast. He has heart, I have heart. But I never give up. I have the will to fight.’’

JERMELL CHARLO:
“I’m blessed and thankful to be here in Canada. Ever since we touched down it’s been great. I’m ready to put on a great performance and keep climbing up in the ranks at 154 pounds.

On his height advantage over Ohta… “In camp we worked on so many different things and we’re ready for whatever Charlie is going to bring. He’s 5-foot-6 and I’m 5-foot-11½ so that’s an advantage for me.

“I’m fast, I’m strong. I’m way stronger than I was for the (Gabriel) Rosado fight, so hopefully that will come out during this fight. You’ll see the strength and you’ll see that I’m ready for this next stage and level of boxing.

On being in camp with Erislandy Lara… “We push each other hard. Even with the language barrier we’re able to still communicate and make fun out of training and at the same time give it our all.

“We’ve been gaining from everything that we knew we missed out on last fight. So it’s just the process of getting better.

On Ohta not being present at the press conference… “It happens. I’ve seen him on tape. I know what he looks like, so it’s fine. I’ll see him at the fight, and I’ll see him at the weigh-in.

“He’s a short and stocky guy so he uses his compact positioning and his style to his perfection. But what fighter haven’t I faced that comes forward, that puts a lot of pressure on and is heavy?

“He has a little pop on his punches. He’s 32 years old, I’m 24 – my birthday was Monday — so I feel like I’m getting older and I’m getting better.”

CHARLIE OHTA (Prepared Statement):
“I’m in great shape and I had a great camp. This is my time.

“This is a great fight between a boxer and a puncher. It’s no secret what I’m going to do — I’m going to bring the heat and put the heat on Charlo.

“We guarantee you will see a great fight and everyone will get their money’s worth.”

STEVENSON VS. FONFARA FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

NEW YORK (May 21, 2014) – Andrzej Fonfara eyed WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Adonis Stevenson’s title belt during Wednesday’s final press conference at Casino de Montreal, the look of a man eager and confident heading into the biggest fight of his boxing career.

Fonfara will challenge Stevenson for the WBC crown in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, this Saturday, May 24, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

“This is not my first time as an underdog,” Fonfara said. “I’ve proved people wrong before and I’ll do it again.”

The 26-year-old Fonfara (25-2-0, 15 KOs), of Chicago by way of Warsaw, Poland, is the No. 3 contender in the WBC, the No. 1 contender in the IBF, and holds victories over three former world champions in his last five fights. Fonfara has won 15 fights in a row, 12 by knockout, and has never been defeated as a light heavyweight.

“He’s confident. I’m confident. But I have the power to end this fight quickly,” said Stevenson.

In co-featured fights this Saturday, May 24, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, power-punching, world-ranked Montreal middleweight David Lemieux (31-2, 29 KOs) meets Fernando Guerrero (26-2, 19 KOs) of Salisbury, Md., in a 10-round bout, and Houston’s unbeaten rising star Jermell Charlo (23-0, 11 KOs) takes on Japan’s Charlie Ohta (24-1-1, 16 KOs) in a 12-round junior middleweight match.

Here’s what the participants had to say at Wednesday’s press conference:

ADONIS STEVENSON:
“He’s confident. I’m confident. But I have the power to end this fight quickly.

“I’m in tremendous shape. I took a rest and my body is recovered. Now, I’m ready to get back in the ring and prove why I’m the best light heavyweight in the world.

“I’m used to fighting taller guys with long range. That won’t be a problem for me. We’ll use my speed and power to (to negate that).

“It’s a tough challenge. “I’m not overlooking him because I know he is very dangerous. I know he’ll be ready for me.

“My trainer trained me for the knockout, so I’m looking for it. I know he is a good fighter and he’s the best contender, so you have to watch Saturday night. It’s going to be a good fight, exciting.”

Regarding verbal exchange during the ‘face off’…
“I asked him if he liked the belt…And I told him the belt is going to stay in Montreal.”

ANDRZEJ FONFARA:
“Everyone wants to fight for the biggest trophy and against the best fighters. He’s the best world champ in this division and Saturday is my chance to prove that I am the best.

“This is not my first time as an underdog. I’ve proved people wrong before and I’ll do it again.

“Everyone will see what I bring to the ring. I can handle his power. That doesn’t worry me.

“Everything is at stake. I have the chance to make history, so I have plenty of motivation for this fight.
“He has power, but I can knock him out, too. A knockout would be the best offense for me. With our styles, it will be a good, exciting fight.

“You’ll see on Saturday why I’m the better fighter. This is the right time for me.”

On Stevenson’s loss against Darnell Boone…
“I’ve got a good punch with both hands. He’s gotten knocked out before. It proves he goes down too. He’s not Superman like he thinks he is. He went down and he lost the fight.”

JAVAN “SUGAR” HILL (STEVENSON TRAINER):
“I know the Fonfara camp very well. Sam (Colonna) and I go back to the amateur days. I know he trains fighters as well as I do. This is another level we have to fight on, only this is a world championship level. We can’t wait to test our skills against each other.

“Everything is perfect. The training camp went well. Adonis is ready – his main focus is fighting Fonfara and the other objective is to get a knockout. I’m looking for a knockout from Adonis Stevenson and I hope everyone else is.”

SAM COLONNA (FONFARA TRAINER):
“This is a dream come true for him. He’s been working his whole life to come to this level and now he’s here.

“Andrzej has always been the underdog, but he’s always come out on top. Come the 24th we’re going to surprise some people.

“We started out sparring in Chicago and moved to Big Bear. We had some great sparring partners, we couldn’t pick better guys.”

YVON MICHEL, GROUPE YVON MICHEL (STEVENSON’S PROMOTER):
“We are very, very happy to do the first title defense of Adonis Stevenson on SHOWTIME. One of the missions that SHOWTIME and Stephen Espinoza have is to show the unification of the light heavyweight title.

“Adonis has a lot of ambition. His ambition was step by step. He had a huge task. He wanted to be a contender, then a champion, then a unified champion. He wants to be a legend and one day in the Hall of Fame. He is doing what he has to do to reach his goal.

“There will be another title that Adonis will be defending Saturday and that title is (The Ring Magazine) Fighter of the Year for 2013. His name is up there with some of the best fighters in history. He is the first Canadian fighter ever, in the 85–year history, to be recognized as the Fighter of the Year. It was not by accident.

“Sugar is the one who took the task from his uncle (Emmanuel Steward) and built Adonis as a world champion and Fighter of the Year. He is the one who showed Adonis boxing IQ to complement his power-punching.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, EVP & GENERAL MANAGER, SHOWTIME SPORTS (Prepared Statement):
“Adonis Stevenson is someone I’ve had my eye on for a long time. Long before I took the job as programmer for SHOWTIME Sports, I heard about Adonis from the late, great Emanuel Steward. Steward told me a few years ago that this young man might be the best pure power puncher that he had ever trained.

“When someone like Manny Steward makes a statement like that, you take notice.

“Now, several years later, Adonis is a world champion, universally regarded—and feared—as one of the top light heavyweight fighters in the world. He is coming off a remarkable 2013 campaign that earned him the coveted 2013 Fighter of the Year honor. To say we are excited to have ’Superman’ make his SHOWTIME debut this Saturday would be an understatement.

“Andrzej Fonfara has had an incredible journey to get to this, his first world title fight. He’s young, he’s hungry, and he may have been overlooked, which is a recipe for disaster once the bell rings.”

LEON MARGULES, ANDRZEJ FONFARA’S PROMOTER:
“We didn’t take this fight to come up here and lose. We believe we have an excellent chance to become the next light heavyweight champion of the world.

“When I signed him a year ago, I asked him who, out of anyone in the world he would want to face, and he said Adonis Stevenson.

“This is a fight my fighter wanted more than any other challenge.”

ADONIS STEVENSON, ANDRZEJ FONFARA, YVON MICHEL, LEON MARGULES & STEPHEN ESPINOZA MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

NEW YORK (May 20, 2014) – WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Adonis Stevenson and Andrzej Fonfara participated in a media conference call on Tuesday as they reach the apex of preparation for this Saturday’s world title showdown live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

The 36-year-old Stevenson (23-1-0, 20 KOs) laid his claim as the world’s No. 1 light heavyweight with an exceptional 2013 campaign that included knockout victories over Chad Dawson and Tavoris Cloud, earning him The Ring Magazine award for “Fighter of the Year.” The 26-year-old Fonfara (25-2-0, 15 KOs), of Chicago by way of Warsaw, Poland, is the No. 3 contender in the WBC and holds victories over three former world champions in his last five fights. Fonfara has won 15 fights in a row, 12 by knockout, and has never been defeated as a light heavyweight.

Here’s what the participants had to say on Tuesday’s call:

Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports:
“This event is a long time coming, at least for us here at SHOWTIME. We’ve wanted Adonis to fight on SHOWTIME for quite a while. Personally, I became interested a few years back when Emanuel Steward first mentioned Adonis to me. We had Adonis scheduled to fight on SHOWTIME back in 2012 until some bad luck intervened. So, we’ve been waiting for Superman, if you will, for some time.

“Andrzej is not someone to look past. He is a very good puncher. He is a very good boxer and I think his boxing skills are underrated. I believe this Stevenson-Fonfara main event is going to be a lot tougher than many of you may think. I said it about Matthysse-Molina a couple of weeks ago. And I said the same for Mayweather-Maidana. I expect a very competitive fight in our main event.”

Q: How devastating would it be if Adonis was to lose this fight?

“I don’t think devastating is the right way to describe it. My sense of Adonis is that he’s got his own motivation; whether it’s losing the title or a unification fight, that’s all secondary. He wants to win because he’s used to winning and he wants to keep winning. … No one should be ashamed in losing this fight. This is a well-matched, competitive fight. Here at the network, our goal is to televise a title unification fight eventually. We don’t have any particular preferences on who the titlists are. We would just like to be able to televise and bring to the fans a fight that would result in a unified light heavyweight title. I will say that a good amount of the fascination with Adonis and his popularity is that he is such a big puncher and he has these highlight-reel knockouts. That’s something that’s not going to go away with a loss here or a loss there. It does throw a wrench in his plans for a unification fight, but there’s still plenty of value and interest in Adonis as a fighter.”

Yvon Michel, Adonis Stevenson’s promoter:
“Adonis has won his last 10 fights by knockout. While you progress in the rankings and when you get better opposition, usually the knockout ratio starts slimming down. But it has been the other way around for Adonis. The better the opposition, the more he wanted to win the fight, and the easier it became to get better timing and knock out his opponent.

“(Adonis) is an exceptional puncher with both hands and can hurt you and knock you out with one punch at any time in the fight. Anytime a fighter comes into the fight with a plan, all that strategy goes out the window the very first time he gets hit by Adonis.”

Adonis Stevenson:
“I’m very focused for this fight. I’m not overlooking him. I know he’s going to be ready and I’m training for just him. I take it one fight at a time and I will take care of business. I’m ready for this fight.

“I’m not here to lose. I’m a champion and I’m here to win. By knockout. That’s it and I’m not concerned about anything else.”

Q: What are your motivations for seeking a path that would lead you to a fight with Bernard Hopkins as opposed to one that was talked about with Sergey Kovalev?

“You know, I want to be a legend and I want to be on par with all the boxing legends so that gives me a lot of motivation to push my body very, very hard and at a high level and keep training and focus fight by fight. I’m very motivated.”

Q: How do you respond to some of the people who look at the decision you made and say, ‘Bernard is a great name and (Adonis) has a tough fight with Fonfara, but he’s ducking Kovalev because of the deal that you accepted.’ How do you respond to those people?

“Those people don’t understand that boxing is a business. That’s our mentality. That we negotiate with the network and we make sure that everyone gets paid. That’s why I took it because I’m working with the best managers in the world and they make sure everything is right with the network, and everything. It’s not about ducking, it’s about business. I don’t have a problem fighting Kovalev. I have a feeling that Yvon Michel will one day make that happen.”

Q: You came up as a fighter who worked with Emanuel Steward. What affect did he have, not only on your professional career, but what impact did he have on you as a person inside the ring and outside?

“You know, Emanuel gave me a lot of advice and motivation. And it’s not just about training. He was a friend to me and we spent a lot of time talking about life. And we talked about boxing and what it would be like to be a world champion. A couple of years ago he didn’t have any money, he didn’t save nothing. And he explained that to me and I took his advice. He told me I was going to be the world champion and that I was going to be a star.”

Q: What is Fonfara’s style, his strengths and his weaknesses?

“I don’t know. I’m gonna knock him out. That’s what I’m going to do. I don’t know his game plan. I’m going to knock him out.”

Q: Is Bernard Hopkins next up for you?

“I don’t care about Hopkins now. Fonfara is in front of me, and that’s it. After the fight we can talk about Hopkins.

“When you used to watch Mike Tyson fight, you knew someone was going to get knocked out. That’s what is going to happen on SHOWTIME. Somebody’s going to get knocked out.”

Leon Margules, Andrzej Fonfara’s promoter:
“Andrzej is a great young fighter and we believe a future champion. We’re not discrediting the year Adonis Stevenson had and we’re certainly not predicting an easy fight, but Andrzej believes, and I believe, that he can win the world title on Saturday night.

“When I first saw Andrzej Fonfara I asked him of all the champions and all the fighters and all the opportunities that you may have, who do you want to fight? Anybody you want. And for any world title you want. And he said, ‘I want to fight Adonis Stevenson for the WBC light heavyweight championship.’ So, he is very, very excited and I know he’s thrilled to be on SHOWTIME because it will be his first experience on premium television.”

Andrzej Fonfara:
“Everything is going right. My training camp is almost ended. We trained for a couple of weeks in Chicago and then we flew to Big Bear in California. We trained in Abel Sanchez’s gym in Summit for like three weeks and then we came here. I’m ready for this fight and I’ve had good sparring partners and have had good preparation.”

Q: Do you think you’ve been overlooked by Adonis, and if so how is that beneficial to you?

“No. I don’t think like that. This business is like that and you must think about your next fight. Adonis should think about his next fight. I want to focus on this fight and it’s not a problem to talk about that. It’s normal.”

Q: What is your game plan?

“I don’t want to say it here. You will see when I get into the ring. I don’t want to say anything about my plan.”

Q: Is there a different preparation or approach you have to take when facing a guy with the knockout power as Adonis Stevenson?

“No. We do the same preparation as always. We change a little bit because he’s a southpaw and he has a different style. We have good sparring partners and I am ready physically and mentally.”

Video: Stevenson vs. Fonfara: Adonis “Superman” Stevenson Highlights

“COLLISION” UNDERCARD ANNOUNCED DAVID LEMIEUX VS. FERNANDO GUERRERO IN CO-FEATURE FOR NABF MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE

MONTREAL (April 10, 2014) — Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) is presenting an evening of thunder, “Collision: Stevenson vs. Fonfara,” May 24 at Bell Centre in Montreal. The co-feature will mark the SHOWTIME debut of powerful Quebec middleweight David Lemieux (31-2-0, 29 KOs), who takes on Dominican Republic-born, American fighter Fernando Guerrero (26-2-0, 19 KOs) for the vacant NABF title.

The IBF #10 and WBO #11 rated Lemieux has an incredible opportunity to break into the international scene in the 160-pound division. He has made vital changes since his loss to current WBC interim champion Marco Antonio Rubio ( 59-6-1, 51 KOs), riding a six-fight win streak, five coming by knockout, into his May 24 showdown with former world title challenger Guerrero.

The 25-year-old Lemieux has paid his dues in order to become a more effective and dangerous fighter. Last November in Laval (Quebec), IBF # 6 ranked Jose Miguel Torres (27-6-0, 24 KOs) was stopped in the seventh round, his first stoppage in his career, after Lemieux had floored him six times.

Guerrero had a great amateur career, highlighted by being crowned national champion in 2007. His more notables wins as a professional have been over Gabriel Rosado (21-8-0, 13 KOs), Ossie Duran (28-11-3, 11 KOs) and Ishe Smith (25-6-0, 11 KOs. Guerreo In his lone world title shot to date, by way of seventh-round technical knockout to WBO middleweight champion Peter Quillin (30-0-0, 22 KOs) in 2013. Guerrero has since returned to winning ways and at age 27, he is convinced that he has gained experience and maturity to deserve another world title shot.

“COLLISION,” headlined by the WBC light heavyweight championship fight between defending champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (23-1-0, 20 KOs) and challenger Andrzej Fonfara (25-2-0, 15 KOs), is presented by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) in association with Warriors Boxing, and co-presented by Mise-O-Jeu and Videotron.

According to the president Yvon Michel of GYM, “David Lemieux is the next big star of the World middleweight division! His presence in the ring literally mesmerizes the crowd as he intensively charges with violent intentions His arrival in the big leagues is eagerly awaited.”

Talented light heavyweight contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (14-0-0, 8 KOs) is on a mission to become world champion. The WBO # 2, WBA # 3 and WBC #10 light heavyweight is in an enviable position in world rankings and ready for anyone. His opponent will be confirmed soon..

Upon his arrival in Montreal from his native Russia, GYM announced it would not drag things regarding the activity and development of its gifted light heavyweight Artur Beterbiev (4-0-0, 4 KOs). Having completed his apprenticeship fighting four bouts Quebec, the two-time Russian Olympian moves up in rounds and clash, meeting former IBF world light heavyweight champion Jeff ” Left Hook” Lacy (26-4-0, 19 KOs) in a 10-round clash on the stacked “Collision” card. After an absence of several years, the 2000 U.S. Olympian won his last fight this past November against Martin Verdin (20-17-2, 11 KOs). Lacy is a sleek, experienced opponent and Beterbiev’s first major test as a professional.

Unbeaten welterweight Mikael Zewski (23-0-0, 18 KOs) also returns to the ring May 24 in front of his Quebec fans. Promoted by Top Rank, the popular Zewski will fight for the seventh time in Quebec. He has fought prestigious locations like New York, Las Vegas or Atlantic City. His opponent, Prince “Too Hot” Doku Jr. (18-5-0, 12 KOs), will be fighting for the third consecutive time outside of his native Ghana.

Additional May 24 undercard bouts fights will soon be announced. However, GYM has confirmed the participation of IBF # 7 middleweight Kevin Bizier (24-1-0, 14 KOs), as well as heavyweight Oscar Rivas (13-0-0, 8 KOs), young welterweight Junior Ulysses (1-0-0, 1KO), and Grant Brothers’ heavyweight prospect Erik Bazinian (3-0-0, 3 KOs) .

Tickets, ranging from $50.00 to $350.00, are on sale at Bell Centre, www.evenko.ca, GYM (514-383-0666) or Boxing Club Champion (514-376-0980).

ADONIS ‘SUPERMAN’ STEVENSON READY TO SHOW SUPERHERO POWER AGAINST ANDRZEJ FONFARA LIVE ON BOXNATION AFTER BOXING’S BEST CHANNEL SECURES YET ANOTHER LEADING NAME

LONDON (March, 28) – THE RING magazine’s ‘Fighter of the Year’ Adonis ‘Superman’ Stevenson will be out to display his superhero power when he takes on Andrzej Fonfara live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The WBC light-heavyweight world champion who enjoyed a scintillating 2013, has earned a reputation as one of boxing’s most formidable punchers, with BoxNation viewers getting the chance to see the knockout artist live in action on May 24th.

‘The Channel of Champions’ is pulling no punches when it comes to adding the very best boxing action to its schedule having already confirmed a number of top fights to its roster including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s respective ring returns.

In Stevenson’s showdown, subscribers to the best dedicated boxing channel in the world will see the man who has blitzed his way past a host of leading names in the 175 pound division including Chad Dawson and Britain’s Tony Bellew.

Up against 26-year-old Fonfara he faces a highly skilled foe, who, despite losing twice early on in his career has not tasted defeat in six years, racking up 25 victories in his 28 contests.

The Polish born warrior, now residing in Chicago, is rated as number one in the rankings by the IBF and WBO, and number three by the WBC.

Stevenson has knocked out his last 10 opponents and will be looking to ensure his run continues when he does battle with Fonfara on BoxNation, live from Montreal.

Other fights on the “COLLISION” card are set to be announced in the coming days.

With a jam-packed April and May schedule coming up on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546), the channel offers fight fans a truly spectacular line-up of world class fights and is available for only £12 a month (plus a one-off registration fee).

Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

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Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

“COLLISION” WBC WORLD LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP ADONIS STEVENSON VS. ANDRZEJ FONFARA May 24 at the Bell Centre in Montreal

MONTREAL (March 27, 2014)- The 2013 “Fighter of the Year,” according to The Ring Magazine and many other boxing publications, as well as the recipient of the prestigious “KO of the Year” award, Adonis “Superman” Stevenson ( 23-1-0, 20 KOs ) returns to the ring May 24 at Bell Centre in Montreal to defend his World Boxing Council (WBC), The Ring and lineal light heavyweight titles for the third time against challenger Andrzej Fonfara (25-2-0, 15KO ).

Born in Warsaw, Poland and now fighting out of Chicago, Illinois, Fonfara is rated No. 1 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO), as well as No. 3 by the WBC.

The world light heavyweight title fight between Stevenson and Fonfara headlines, “COLLISION,” which is presented by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), in association with Warriors Boxing, and co-presented of Mise-O-Jeu and Videotron. As previously announced this fascinating boxing event will air live in the USA on Showtime, thanks to Mr. Stephen Espinoza, its Executive Vice President & General Manager, Sports and Event Programming.

“Superman’s 2013 was a year well beyond all predictions, beyond all imagination so tremendous it was,” GYM president Yvon Michel said. “He rose to the ranks of international superstar, considered to be the best light heavyweight on the planet! It is a privilege to see him in action again here in Montreal.”

Stevenson, 36, won his world light heavyweight title via knockout in only 76 seconds of then-undisputed light heavyweight champion, “Bad” Chad Dawson (31-3-0, 17 KOs). In his first title defense on September 28, 2014, the new champion was supposed to face a major test against former world champion Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud (24-1-0, 19 KOs). It was quite different, however, as the powerful left-hander pushed Cloud until he retired at the end of the seventh round, after Stevenson gave him a thorough boxing lesson. Stevenson gave a brilliant demonstration of skills, finesse, speed, defense, and power. Two months later, “Superman” completed his dream year with an unequivocal defeat of the WBC No. 1 mandatory contender from Great Britain, Tony ‘Bomber’ Bellew (20-1-1, 12 KOs), who was unable to finish the sixth round. The tough Englishman later declared that he had never been hit with such powerful shots, even by heavyweights.

During his incredibly amazing run, the powerful southpaw Stevenson has knocked out all 10 of his last 10 opponents: Bellew (TKO6), Cloud ( TKO7 ), Dawson (KO1), Darnell Boone (KO6), Don George (TKO12), Noe Gonzales ( TKO2 ), Jesus Gonzales (KO1), Aaron Pryor Jr. (TKO9 ), Shujaa El Amin TKO1) and Derek Edwards (KO3). In fact, the last time a Stevenson fight went the full distance dates back to 2007.

The 26-year-old Fonfara has had spectacular victories over three former world champions in his last five fights. First, by third-round technical knockout in 2012 against former WBA monarch Byron Mitchell (29-9-1, 22 KOs), followed by a 10-round decision over multiple champion Glen Johnson (51-16-2, 35 KOs), and then last year a ninth-round stoppage of former WBA title-holder Gabriel Campillo (22-5-1, 9 KOs).

Fonfara has won his last 15 fights, 12 by knockout, and he has never been defeated fighting as a light heavyweight. He had discussions to face WBO championSergey Kovalev and he could have fought to become mandatory challenger to IBF champion
Bernard Hopkins. Fonfara preferred to fight Stevenson because he is convinced that he has the right style and resources to overthrow the world champion. According to American journalist Briggs Seekins, “Fonfara has power in both hands and undoubtedly belongs to the elite of the division. It is certainly the most serious test of Stevenson title defense.”

Other fights on the “COLLISION” card will be announced in the coming days but GYM is committed to presenting another memorable event. GYM does confirm that the IBF No. 10, WBO No. 11 and WBC No. 16 middleweight David Lemieux (31-2-0, 29 KOs) will be in the co-feature for the most important fight of his career. WBO No. 2, WBA No. 3 and WBC No. 10 world light heavyweight contender Eleider Alvarez (14-0-0, 8 KOs) will be in action May 24, along with rising light heavyweight star Artur Beterbiev (4-0-0, 4 KOs), IBF No. 7 middleweight Kevin Bizier (24-1-0, 14 KOs), heavyweight prospect Oscar Rivas (13-0-0, 8 KOs ), super middleweight Sébastien Bouchard (8-0-0, 2 KOs), and young welterweight Yves Ulysse Jr. (1-0-0, 1 KOs).

Tickets go on sale this Saturday morning (Mar. 29) at 10:00 a.m. ET, at Bell Centre, online at www.evenko.ca, calling GYM at (514) 383-0666, or Boxing Club Champion (514) 376-0980 Ticket prices range from $50.00 up to $350.00 reserved on the floor.

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About Groupe Yvon Michel Inc.: Yvon Michel’s (GYM) group was founded in 2004. The organization’s mission is the development of high-level boxers using a support frame and carefully selected competition by management. To achieve its objectives, GYM actively recruits of top talent and organizes events. In its tenth year of operation, GYM has already produced 113 events in which some have made history in ticket sales and PPV buys, including Pascal vs. Bute (co-promoted with InterBox), Pascal vs. Hopkins I and II. GYM has produced more than 300 hours of TV for Canal Indigo, Bell TV, Shaw TV, TVA Sports, VOX, TVA, Radio Canada V and RDS in Canada, as well as on HBO, Showtime and ESPN in the USA. A total of eight different GYM boxers have participated in 20 world championship fights. Under the tutelage of GYM, in 2007 Joachim Alcine captured the WBA super welterweight title and in 2009 Jean Pascal became WBC light heavyweight champion. Since June 2013, Adonis “Superman” Stevenson has held the WBC, The Ring Magazine and lineal heavyweight title. He was also acclaimed 2013 Fighter of the Year by “The Ring” and several other publications, in addition to getting the KO of the Year for his sensational victory over Chad Dawson in only 76-seconds.

Stevenson – Fonfara May 24 on Showtime

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Light Heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson will take on Andrzej Fonfara in a title bout that will land on Showtime on May 24 in Montreal.

The fight was originally ticketed for HBO which would have led to a unification fight with Sergey Kovalev but Stevenson signed with adviser Al Haymon and a bigger deal was reached with Showtime.

“We had a deal. It changed. It is not the way we do it,” HBO spokesman Ray Stallone told ESPN.com.

“We’re thrilled to have Adonis on the network,” Stephen Espinoza, the Showtime Sports executive vice president and general manager, told ESPN.com. “He’s one of the most exciting fighters in any division. I intended to get in business with him in August 2012. He was supposed to fight on the network on the undercard of the Jean Pascal-Tavoris Cloud fight but Pascal got injured and the card was canceled. It took longer that I expected but we finally got our man and we’re thrilled.

“We have a structure in place that will allow us to do the Fonfara fight and whatever big fights become available for him. Should Kovalev [who has a multifight deal with HBO] become available, we’d welcome him at the network if he’d like to fight Adonis.”

If Stevenson defeats Fonfara, the fight he will be lined up for will be against the winner of the title unification fight between Bernard Hopkins and Beibut Shumenov (another Haymon client). They headline a Showtime card April 19 in Washington, D.C.

“A unification fight is absolutely the natural progression for Adonis,” Espinoza said. “If he takes care of business on May 24 against Fonfara, the winner of Hopkins-Shumenov is the natural fight to make and one we want to do.”