Andy Ruiz Jr. says he is ready to shock the world by ripping the WBA Super, IBF, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World titles from Anthony Joshua OBE this Saturday June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports Box Officein the UK.

The California man has stepped into the breach after original challenger Jarrell Miller failed multiple drugs tests, and can now create history by becoming Mexico’s first ever Heavyweight ruler by upsetting unified champion Joshua on his big US debut. 

Ruiz is being overlooked by many, but the 29-year-old is relishing being the underdog for his “dream opportunity” and believes being written off could work in his favour as he looks to become a Heavyweight champ at the second time of asking. 

“It just gives me more motivation all the guys talking crap,” said Ruiz. “I don’t know if they are mad because I have got this opportunity, but I don’t have anything bad to say about anyone, I talk in the ring with my fists. I’m so mentally strong and prepared for this fight that I don’t care what people have to say. 

“A lot of people underestimate me, like I said, the way I look, my appearance, but as soon as they see me throw punches, I’m going to pull out the upset. This is what I have worked for my whole life, I’m here to take what Anthony has. I’m ready to shock the world. 

“People will see what I can do. It’s going to be an all action fight, with two big guys punching each other in the face, hard. I’m in this to win it. Everyone else that has fought him has lost before they get in there, I’m not thinking like that, and that’s the difference. 

“The most important thing is to win and prove to the fans that I belong at this elite level. I’m not going to chase the KO but I know that it’s there if I execute my combinations. I’m feeling good and ready, AJ hasn’t boxed for nine months and I’m sharper than ever and very motivated.”

“He’s big, but the advantages I have are in speed, movement and coming forward. Everyone AJ fights is scared. I’m not scared of anyone apart from the man upstairs. There’s a lot of doubters out there but I don’t care, they only give me more motivation and confidence.” 

Joshua and Ruiz collide on a huge night of action at Madison Square Garden with Irish sensation Katie Taylor clashing with Delfine Persoon for the undisputed Women’s World Lightweight championship, Callum Smith defending his WBA World ‘Super’, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Super-Middleweight titles against Hassan N’Dam, Josh Kelly making his US debut as he defends his WBA International Welterweight title against Philadelphia’s Ray Robinson, Joshua Buatsi defending his WBA International Light-Heavyweight title against Marco Antonio Periban, Chris Algieri defending his WBO International title against Britain’s Tommy Coyle in a crunch Super-Lightweight showdown, Olympic bronze medallist Souleymane Cissokho taking on Mexico’s Vladimir Hernandez, Texas Middleweight Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams fighting in his second pro contest and LA Middleweight Diego Pacheco looking to move to 4-0.

Tickets for the huge night of World title action in New York are on sale now via Madison Square Garden and StubHub (www.stubhub.com)

Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.
 
Official Ticket and Travel Packages, including the opportunity to travel on the Official Charter Plane, are available to purchase via Sportsworld (www.sportsworld.co.uk) Prices start at £1,095. Reserve your seat today.

Tickets are priced, $106, $156, $206, $306, $406, $506, $756, $1,006, $1,256 and $2,506 plus applicable booking fees.
 
Wheelchair seats, companion seats, aisle seats and Assistive Listening Devices are available to purchase by calling 212-465-6034.

BBC Radio 5 Live has secured exclusive radio commentary rights to Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr.

Unified World Heavyweight champion Joshua takes on Ruiz Jr. at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York this Saturday, 1 June, AJ’s first fight in the USA.

5 Live’s unrivalled team of boxing experts, commentator Mike Costello and analyser Steve Bunce, will bring listeners blow-by-blow coverage of the fight, with build-up starting from 2am.

Ahead of Joshua’s title fight, Katie Taylor continues to re-write the history books, with the chance to become the undisputed Lightweight World champion against Belgium’s Delphine Persoon. Then, Liverpool’s Callum Smith defends his WBA Super-Middleweight World title for the first time against Hassan N’Dam.

The 5 Live Boxing podcast will also include additional analysis and interviews.

Ben Gallop, head of BBC Radio and Digital Sport, said: “Anthony Joshua is one of the most iconic British sportsmen of his generation and his first fight in the USA is an event not to be missed. I’m delighted we’re able to bring our listeners exclusive commentary of the bout on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website following the conclusion of the all-English Champions League final, making for an unmissable night of sport on 5 Live this Saturday.” 

Matchroom Boxing Managing Director Eddie Hearn said: “I’m delighted that BBC Radio 5 Live have secured exclusive radio commentary rights to Anthony Joshua’s highly-anticipated US debut at the iconic Madison Square Garden against Mexico’s Andy Ruiz Jr. AJ has filled the national stadiums of England and Wales back home on four occasions and now the road to undisputed rumbles on in America as the 2012 Olympic hero puts his WBA Super, IBF, WBO and IBO crowns on the line against former World title challenger Ruiz Jr.”

Mike Costello said: “BBC 5 Live has been ringside for commentary on much of Anthony Joshua’s career, from his gold medal glory at the London 2012 Olympics through to one of the most unforgettable nights in British boxing history when he beat Vladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium. Now we move on to another iconic venue for Joshua’s American debut. There are hallowed arenas across all sports that bring an extra dimension to a commentator’s excitement and Madison Square Garden, especially for a World Heavyweight title fight, belongs high on the bucket list.”

Coverage of Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz Jr begins from 2am the night of Saturday 1 June on BBC Radio 5 Live. Listen on BBC Sounds.

Callum Smith will defend his WBA World ‘Super’, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Super-Middleweight belts against Hassan N’Dam on the blockbuster Anthony Joshua OBE vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. World title bill at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports Box Office in the UK.

‘Mundo’ (25-0, 18 KOs) captured the WBA World title and was crowned World Boxing Super Series champion following a stunning seventh round knockout victory over British rival George Groves in Saudi Arabia last September – a win that also saw the Liverpudlian claim the vacant Ring Championship. Smith puts those titles on the line for the first time against former Middleweight World ruler N’Dam in his second appearance as a professional in the US.

N’Dam (37-3, 21 KOs) has operated at World level since landing the WBA Interim Middleweight World title against Avtandil Khurtsidze in 2010. He defended that title twice before losing on points to Peter Quillin with the WBO Middleweight crown at stake. A landslide win over Curtis Steven qualified the Frenchman for a shot at the IBF title in 2015 – an explosive contest with David Lemieux followed with the Canadian coming out on top on the score cards.

In 2017 N’Dam took on London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Ryota Murata for the vacant WBA regular World title, which he won via a split decision. The pair rematched five months later, again on Japanese soil, where N’Dam was forced into retirement in the seventh round. He most recently defeated four-time World title challenger Martin Murray by a 12 round majority decision in December.

“I’ve had a good camp and I’m looking forward to walking to the ring as a World Champion for the first time in my career,” said Smith. “I worked so hard to get where I am and now the task is to keep hold of my titles and target those big fights. To have my first defence at Madison Square Garden is going to be special and it’s another box ticked for me personally. People call it the Mecca of Boxing and I’ve always seen it as a venue that I’d love to fight at one day. The minute that there was a chance of it happening I pushed to make sure that I could be part of this show.

“N’Dam is a good fighter and he’s a former World Champion. He’s only lost to three top fighters and he’s got some great wins on his record. I had him over in England to help me prepare for George Groves so we know each other well. He’s a good mover, has good footwork and can move around the ring pretty well. Experience is on his side and he’s an awkward guy to face. Saying that, he’s definitely a fighter that I should beat and get rid of if I’m on my game.

“I believe that I’m improving all of the time – I’ve even improved since winning the World title. I believe that I’m the best Super-Middleweight in the World. There’s a few fighters in my division who probably disagree with that and rightly so. If I am the best on the planet then I should be able to get rid of Hassan N’Dam and look good doing it.”

“I am confident I will create a big surprise in New York,” said N’Dam. “It is a true privilege for me to be given the chance to fight at Madison Square Garden for the first time in my life. At this stage of my career this is a beautiful opportunity for me to be able to change division and fight for both the WBA World and WBC Diamond titles.

“I am so pleased and proud for this opportunity to be offered to me and I would like to add that even though the challenge is a big one, this does not affect my focus and my determination. Callum Smith is an excellent boxer with many qualities. As he is tall he can impose his own boxing style on most of his opponents. I have much respect for him both as a boxer and a person. I believe it will be a very tactical fight.

“Being able to say that once in my life I have fought at MSG will be a great pride. Besides, I have the experience of boxing on big shows as I have participated in many and in front of thousands of people. I have always defended my titles abroad and I am used to pressure and know how to handle it.”

“This is a huge platform and one that Callum fully deserves,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “He has established himself as the number one 168 pounder in the World and will prove it at the Mecca of boxing on June 1. N’Dam always brings the action and I believe this will be a high level fight with plenty of fire. The mega fights await Callum and he can’t afford to slip up here, I know him and Joe Gallagher have prepared diligently for this challenge and he will be sending out a statement live on Sky Sports Box Office and DAZN.”

Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP, North America said: “Credit to Hassan for moving up in weight to take on the world’s No.1 Super Middleweight at Madison Square Garden. Both he and Callum have a great opportunity to make a statement to U.S. fight fans in prime time.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said: “We’re very excited to add Callum Smith to a huge night at Madison Square Garden. He’s rightly regarded as the world’s best Super-Middleweight after that win over George Groves – and we can showcase more of our best talent on the AJ bill.

“Callum has already been named as a possible opponent for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and there are massive nights ahead of him if he defeats the proven Hassan N’Dam. It’s going to be an action-packed evening for fight fans as Katie Taylor’s undisputed World title fight and the classy Josh Kelly are also in action before AJ lights up New York in the main event.”

Smith and N’Dam clash on a huge night of action at MSG where Anthony Johua’s World title defence against Andy Ruiz Jr. is supported by Irish sensation Katie Taylor clashing with Delfine Persoon for the undisputed Women’s World Lightweight championship, New Yorker Chris Algieri defending his WBO International title against Tommy Coyle is a crunch Super-Lightweight showdown and Josh Kelly making his US debut as he defends his WBA International Welterweight title against Philadelphia’s Ray Robinson – with more exciting undercard additions announced this week.

Tickets for the huge night of World title action in New York are on sale now via Madison Square Garden and StubHub (www.stubhub.com)

Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

Official Ticket and Travel Packages, including the opportunity to travel on the Official Charter Plane, are available to purchase via Sportsworld (www.sportsworld.co.uk) Prices start at £1,095. Reserve your seat today.

Tickets are priced, $106, $156, $206, $306, $406, $506, $756, $1,006, $1,256 and $2,506 plus applicable booking fees.

Wheelchair seats, companion seats, aisle seats and Assistive Listening Devices are available to purchase by calling 212-465-6034.

Anthony Joshua has insisted that he hasn’t underestimated Andy Ruiz Jr. “one bit” ahead of their unified Heavyweight World title clash at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday June 1, shown live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports Box Office in the UK.

The California-based Mexican is in his second World title tilt having pushed former WBO Heavyweight ruler Joseph Parker to the limit in the Kiwi’s hometown in December 2016, being edged out by the finest of margins via a majority decision.

Ruiz has another golden opportunity to create history by becoming the first ever Mexican Heavyweight World Champion in the Big Apple next week and the ‘Destroyer’ has warned IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO champ ‘AJ’ to under-estimate him at his peril.

Joshua heads into his highly-anticipated US debut as a heavy favourite with many bookies but the British sensation says he is all too aware of the threats posed by his latest challenger, who he feels is deserving of a second World title shot after stepping up to the plate when others shied-away.

“It’s not about what you look like, it’s a craft, a skill, and what’s in your heart and your head matters in the end,” said Joshua. “Andy has shown he has all that, he can fight and box, that’s what matters. I think Andy is a great challenger and will bring it on June 1.

“All I’ve heard is ‘AJ will smash him in a round’. From the outside they think that anyone can box, so how is the guy that doesn’t look like a fighter able to box? I always say that if you put ten bodybuilders in the ring, not one of them could fight for a regional title in boxing.

“Take me out of my body but keep the same attributes and height, same jab, same chin, same heart and same mind, but I looked different – I’d still get to the same position I am in because it’s what is within you that makes a champion, your genetics, and his genetics are the same – and he took the fight!

“He’s keen, he’s game and you cannot knock him. He can fight and he’s got hands. He gave a World Champion in Joseph Parker lots of problems, and when you look at the fight the Parker gave Whyte when people are saying Whyte can beat Wilder, Fury and me, Andy is championship level for sure, and I have not underestimated him one bit.”

Joshua and Ruiz clash on a huge night of action at MSG with Irish sensation Katie Taylor clashing with Delfine Persoon for the undisputed Women’s World Lightweight championship, New Yorker Chris Algieri defending his WBO International title against Tommy Coyle is a crunch Super-Lightweight showdown and Josh Kelly making his US debut as he defends his WBA International Welterweight title against Philadelphia’s Ray Robinson – with more exciting undercard additions announced this week.

Tickets for the huge night of World title action in New York are on sale now via Madison Square Garden and StubHub (www.stubhub.com)

Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

Official Ticket and Travel Packages, including the opportunity to travel on the Official Charter Plane, are available to purchase via Sportsworld (www.sportsworld.co.uk) Prices start at £1,095. Reserve your seat today.

Tickets are priced, $106, $156, $206, $306, $406, $506, $756, $1,006, $1,256 and $2,506 plus applicable booking fees.

Wheelchair seats, companion seats, aisle seats and Assistive Listening Devices are available to purchase by calling 212-465-6034.

Josh Kelly will make his US debut against Philadelphia’s Ray Robinson on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s Heavyweight World title clash with Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports Box Office in the UK.

Sunderland star Kelly (9-0, 6 KOs) outclassed the previously undefeated Pole Przemyslaw Runowski on his big ring return at The O2 in London last month, flooring the gutsy challenger three times to defend his WBA International title with a classy unanimous verdict after winning all ten rounds.

Kelly was due to face former World Champion David Avanesyan on the undercard of Kell Brook vs. Michael Zerafa in Sheffield, but an illness scuppered a December dust-up between the pair. A showdown with the now European Champion is at the top of Kelly’s wish list should he come through his test against Robinson.

Robinson (24-3-1, 12 KOs) has lost only three times in his 28-fight career, one of those losses coming to current WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter in 2010, and the 33-year-old southpaw earned an impressive draw in his last outing in March against the undefeated and World rated Egidijus Kavaliauskas.

“To be boxing at the Mecca of boxing Madison Square Garden is pretty serious isn’t it,” said Kelly. “I’ve never been there before so I’m going to enjoy the experience and put a performance on. To be fighting at a venue like that so early on in my career is another box ticked on my journey.

“Things change and titles switch hands but the majority of World titles are held in the US at the moment so I could end up boxing there a lot more in the future. I just take things fight by fight and I never overlook anyone because I’d be doing myself and my opponent an injustice.

“Robinson is a very good opponent. He’s a good boxer with an awkward southpaw style so it’s another good test for me. It’s going to be a great fight and a night to enjoy. I get a lot of support from people in the US so it’s nice to have an opportunity to put on a performance in front of them.

“What happened with the Avanesyan fight was unfortunate but it’s a fight that’s still 100% on my radar. Adam has got a plan for it and I’ll just go with what he says. It’s definitely more than likely going to take place. June 1 is going to be the start of something big.”

“This is a great fight and a huge step-up for Josh on the biggest stage possible,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Robinson clearly won last time out and is an accomplished fighter that will test him in every department. This is the stage for him to shine, in front of a sold out MSG broadcast all over the World – June 1 we will really find out what PBK is all about.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said: “Josh Kelly is one of the hottest talents in Britain – and Madison Square Garden is a perfect venue for him to showcase his skills.

“We’ve covered Kelly’s exciting career from the very start. ‘PBK’ can now show American fans why he’s a name to watch in that red-hot Welterweight division.

“It will be a bumper evening of boxing as Katie Taylor bids to become the undisputed World Lightweight champion, and then AJ can mark his US debut with a bang against Andy Ruiz Jr!”

Kelly and Robinson clash on a huge night of action at Madison Square Garden where Joshua’s World title defense against Ruiz is supported by Irish sensation Katie Taylor clashing with Delfine Persoon for the undisputed Women’s World Lightweight championship and Chris Algieri and Tommy Coyle meeting in a crossroads Lightweight fight – with more undercard fights to be announced shortly.

Tickets for the huge night of World title action in New York are on sale now via Madison Square Garden and StubHub (www.stubhub.com)

Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

Official Ticket and Travel Packages, including the opportunity to travel on the Official Charter Plane, are available to purchase via Sportsworld (www.sportsworld.co.uk) Prices start at £1,095. Reserve your seat today.

Tickets are priced, $106, $156, $206, $306, $406, $506, $756, $1,006, $1,256 and $2,506 plus applicable booking fees.

Wheelchair seats, companion seats, aisle seats and Assistive Listening Devices are available to purchase by calling 212-465-6034.

Andy Ruiz Jr. has landed a dream World title shot at Heavyweight king Anthony Joshua OBE on Saturday June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK.

Ruiz (32-1 21 KOs) can become the first ever Mexican Heavyweight World champion when he meets AJ at the vaunted Manhattan boxing mecca and comes into the bout in fine form. The 29 year old recorded his 21st KO win on his 32 fight ledger when he forced the retirement of Alexander Dimitrenko after five rounds of their clash in Carson, California ten days ago.

The Californian-based Mexican is in his second World title tilt having pushed Joseph Parker to the limit for the WBO crown in the Kiwi’s Auckland hometown in December 2016, being edged out by the finest of margins via majority decision.

Joshua (22-0 21 KOs) defends his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO crowns for the second time, as his eighth World title fight lands on his hotly-anticipated American debut after KOing Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium, London in September. That was the second dramatic KO win for the Londoner in the national stadium of his hometown, with today’s announcement coming two years and one day after his epic victory over former undisputed World ruler Wladimir Klitschko.

Ruiz has a golden opportunity to stop Joshua’s own quest to become the undisputed king dead in it’s tracks, and the challenger believes it is his destiny to stun Joshua and become Heavyweight World champion in the Big Apple.

“The chills – I’m really excited for this fight,” said Ruiz. “There’s nervousness in me, but they’re happy nerves. This is my chance to make history, I want to be one of those greats like Chavez, Tyson, Holyfield, Lennox Lewis. I want to be in that category. Thanks to God for everything that he put in me, I just can’t wait.

“I think the fight is going toe-to-toe, two guys smashing each other’s faces. I’m going in there to throw combinations like I’ve never done before, to improve my speed. A lot of people underestimated me, and I’m used to that. My whole life people underrated me so I’m just going in there to take all. I’m not going in there scared and I’m not going in there nervous, I’m going to go in there mad and to take what’s mine.

“I think being so tall he fights like a big robot. I think with my style, my speed, my movement, I don’t think he’s fought anybody like me. It’s going to be a whole different ball game. All the guys that he’s fought, they usually run around from him. I don’t think he’s good going back. I’m going to bring the pressure, the speed, and the combinations to him.

“When I do pull out this win, everything is going to change. I’m going to bring the titles back to Mexico, it’s going to mean everything. I’m going to be able to change my whole family’s lives; my life and all my kids. It’s a win-win situation right now, but the main thing is to win the fight and make history.”

“Ruiz is a different kind of challenge but one I embrace,” said Joshua. “We have worked in the boxing gym week on week and whomever is put in front of me at Madison Square Garden on June 1 will be dispatched in style. The rent will be collected.”

“After a tricky week I am delighted to announce Andy Ruiz Jr. as AJ’s opponent for his US debut at MSG on June 1,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “People talk about fighting AJ, some even have to fill their bodies with PEDs to try and beat him up, but very few genuine fighters step up and take the challenge.

“When we selected the opponent, I wanted someone with fire in their heart, someone who genuinely believed that they can win and become World Heavyweight champion. Andy showed that desire.

“In my opinion, this is a tougher test than Jarrell Miller. Andy punches harder and is much faster – this is going to be a war. Andy brings Mexican heart but he will meet the best Heavyweight in the world on June head on at the Garden. Do not blink!”

“Credit to Andy Ruiz Jr. for taking on this challenge. He said he wanted to fight for the World Heavyweight championship in 2019 and immediately backed up his words when given the opportunity,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN Executive Vice President, North America.

“We’re also very happy to be working with a true champion like AJ, who told us he would fight anyone put in front of him – even on short notice. Clearly, he is a man of character who is committed to his craft, as well as his partners and the legions of fans traveling in from the UK to watch his US debut.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said: “Andy Ruiz Jr. has snatched the golden ticket for a clash with Britain’s unified champion Anthony Joshua and he’ll bring fast hands, World Heavyweight championship experience – and a more proven pedigree than Jarrell Miller.

“When I saw Anthony in camp last week his message was clear, ‘Line them all up!’ He really wants to dominate the division and Ruiz Jr is the first man in his way.

“It will be an absolutely thrilling night on Sky Sports Box Office as AJ makes his US debut in the iconic Madison Square Garden – and the incredible Katie Taylor bids to become the undisputed world Lightweight champion!”

Joshua and Ruiz clash on a huge night of action at Madison Square Garden with Irish sensation Katie Taylor clashing with Delfine Persoon for the undisputed Women’s World Lightweight championship – with more undercard fights to be announced shortly.

Tickets for the huge night of World title action in New York are on sale now via Madison Square Garden and StubHub (www.stubhub.com)

Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

Official Ticket and Travel Packages, including the opportunity to travel on the Official Charter Plane, are available to purchase via Sportsworld (www.sportsworld.co.uk) Prices start at £1,095. Reserve your seat today.

Tickets are priced, $106, $156, $206, $306, $406, $506, $756, $1,006, $1,256 and $2,506 plus applicable booking fees.

Wheelchair seats, companion seats, aisle seats and Assistive Listening Devices are available to purchase by calling 212-465-6034.

LOS ANGELES (April 4, 2019) – All-action welterweight Adrian Granados and heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. continued preparation for their respective showdowns at a media workout in Los Angeles Thursday before they step in the ring Saturday, April 20 as part of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Granados will face former two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia in a 12-round welterweight bout that headlines action, while the Southern California-native Ruiz takes on Alexander Dimitrenko in heavyweight action as part of the broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to not miss any of the televised action.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in association with DSG Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com or at the Dignity Health Sports Park box office from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Here is what the workout participants had to say Thursday from Fortune Gym in Los Angeles:

ADRIAN GRANADOS

“I feel great. I’m starting to peak and everything is clicking. I had a great camp and I’m just excited for this fight.

“This is a great style matchup. Danny is a strong puncher and a great counter puncher. I’m going to be right there. I’m going to come with it. I also have a lot of intangibles that people don’t see. I’m not one-dimensional and I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

“I think I have more dog in me than Danny does. He complains a lot and also gets away with a lot. He does what he has to do to win. I’ve never been given anything and I think I have a lot more to prove than he does.

“My fights against Shawn Porter and Adrien Broner were good preparation for this. I think against Broner I should have gotten the decision, but I didn’t. Against Porter, I fought the wrong fight and missed the chance I did have. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder from both experiences.

“This is my chance to show the boxing world that I’m elite and get my title shot. I’ve always wanted to become a world champion, and I haven’t got my opportunity at 140 where I beat the number-one contender. I’m not afraid to fight anyone so I’m here to get a big win.

“I think I need a stoppage or a dominating win. It has to be one-sided. I have enough controversial losses that I know that I can’t leave it up to the judges. I’m training hard to dominate the fight.

“I’m kind of a ‘young vet’ because I’m only 29-years-old but I’m battle-tested. I was never promoted until the last three or four years. I’ve had to do what I had to coming up. I took the tough fights that most prospects wouldn’t.

“I always knew I had the talent to be at this level and I’m glad that I’m respected and recognized now, but it’s time for me to get a big win. I’m going to show that I really belong and I’m an elite fighter.”

ANDY RUIZ JR.

“All the hard work in the gym has been paying off and I feel prepared for April 20. I’m facing an experienced guy who’s tall, but I think my pressure and my speed will make it difficult for him.

“We’ve looked at Dimitrenko’s past fights and put together a game plan. We’re going to stick to it and execute. We’re going to attack the body and I think with my speed and combinations I’m going to get him out of there.

“I’m coming back from a layoff but it’s over and right now my goal is to make a statement and let everyone know that I’m back in action. I’m ready to take one of the spots at the top of the division.

“There are a lot of big fights I want, but my mind is totally focused on April 20. I’ve never been this motivated. I’m going to be fighting more often and I’m glad to have the opportunity.

“Fighting for the Mexican fans gives me more motivation now than ever. I want to be the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world and hopefully this year or next year I will accomplish those dreams.

“I have everything I need now to get to where I want to go. This is just the beginning. The more fights I have, the better I’m going to be looking.

“It feels great to be fighting in Southern California and I know there will be a lot of Mexicans out there on April 20. It’s always a great atmosphere and my game plan is to steal the show. I’m going to give it all I got for the fans.

“I think Dimitrenko is going to use his jab and move around. He’s tall, but he can’t run away forever. At some point you have to be there toe-to-toe. We’ve worked on our head movement and we’re going to be ready for anything he brings.”

TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions

“Andy Ruiz Jr. is exactly where he should be right now. He’s re-dedicated himself to the sport of boxing and when he does, there might not be a better heavyweight out there. He traveled to New Zealand and took on Joseph Parker in his backyard and lost a majority decision. He’s tasted it and he’s hungry for it again.

“Arguably Adrian Granados could have a record of 27-1 and he’s ready for his moment to shine. I like where he’s at mentally as far as taking charge and winning these fights so he can move on and become a champion, which has been his goal since he got into the game.”

# # #

ABOUT GARCIA VS. GRANADOS
Garcia vs. Granados will see former two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia battling rugged veteran Adrian Granados in a 12-round welterweight bout that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, April 20 20 from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California.

Heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz takes on Alexander Dimitrenko in a 10-round bout in the co-feature and unbeaten contender Brandon Figueroa battles Venezuela’s Yonfrez Parejo in a 12-round match for the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight title that opens the primetime FOX broadcast that begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

CARSON, CALIF. (March 7, 2019) – Former two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia will battle hard-hitting veteran Adrian Granados in a 12-round welterweight bout that will headline the live prime time event presented by Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes on Saturday, April 20 from Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly StubHub Center) in Carson, California.

Heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. takes on Alexander Dimitrenko in a 10-round bout in the co-feature and unbeaten contender Brandon Figueroa battles Venezuela’s Yonfrez Parejo in a 12-round match for the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight title that opens the primetime FOX broadcast that begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in association with DSG Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com or at the Dignity Health Sports Park box office from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

“Danny Garcia is one of the preeminent boxers of this generation,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “He’s a champion through and through. His resume is a veritable ‘Who’s Who?’ of the best at 140 and 147 pounds over the last 10 years. He’s hungry to get his title back and he’s willing to go through anyone to do that. Adrian Granados is a tough competitor looking to join the championship ranks and Danny represents the most direct route. It’s the kind of clash that makes for entertaining matches. The fans at Dignity Health Sports Park and watching on FOX and FOX Deportes on April 20 are in for a treat.”

“Danny Garcia knows that he¹s going to have to be on his A-game, as a victory over Adrian Granados puts him back in position to regain his welterweight championship,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Adrian Granados is a fighter thatalways comes to put on exciting fights and holds nothing back against his opponents. The action leading up to the main event is sure to be crowd pleasers. I expect the fans in attendance to bring the energy to Dignity Health Sports Park and those tuning in on FOX and FOX Deportes will be fully entertained as well.”

Garcia (34-2, 20 KOs) has fought and defeated many of the most formidable opponents at 140 and 147-pounds spanning two generations-Erik Morales, Zab Judah, Kendall Holt, Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Paulie Malignaggi and Lamont Peterson among them. Six of his seven opponents in the welterweight division were former or current world champions and 12 of his last 16 opponents overall carried the same distinction. Included in that run was a headlining performance live on FOX in January 2016, when he defeated Robert Guerrero to capture his welterweight title in Los Angeles. Representing the fighting city of Philadelphia, the 30-year-old most recently lost an exciting and narrow decision to Shawn Porter in their September title fight.

“I cannot wait to get back in the ring and put on the Danny Garcia show once again,” said Garcia. “Granados was talking a big game when we first announced the fight and I plan on proving him wrong on April 20. The Southern California fans have always treated me right and I’m excited to give them a great fight.”

Fighting out of Cicero, Ilinois, Granados (20-6-2, 14 KOs) has made a name for himself by delivering tough, action-packed fights against top fighters in the sport, including Shawn Porter and Adrien Broner. The 29-year-old burst onto the scene by shocking then unbeaten Amir Imam via a stoppage victory in their 2015 clash. After a fight last June against Javier Fortuna that ended in a no contest, Granados picked up two-straight knockout wins heading into this matchup.

“This is a huge fight for me and definitely one of the most important in my career,” said Granados. “I’m looking to dominate, look impressive and control the fight. I’ve fought in Southern California before and I’m looking to take advantage of the great Mexican crowd. This is Mexico versus Puerto Rico and Chicago vs. Philadelphia. It’s territorial on a lot of levels and you can expect us to leave it all in the ring.”

Fighting out of Imperial, California, Ruiz (31-1, 20 KOs) was a two-time Mexican national champion at super heavyweight as an amateur, before embarking on a pro career that saw him win his first 29 fights. The 29-year-old lost a close majority decision against Joseph Parker in their 2016 world title fight and rebounded with victories over Kevin Johnson and Devin Vargas last year.

The 36-year-old Dimitrenko (41-4, 26 KOs) is a longtime heavyweight contender who has challenged top fighters throughout his career. Born in Russia but fighting out of Hamburg, Germany, he most recently lost to Bryant Jennings in a back and forth fight in August and owns wins over Derric Rossy, Adrian Granat and Miljan Rovcanin.

The 22-year-old Figueroa (18-0, 13 KOs) most recently delivered a dominant performance in knocking out Moises Flores in the third-round of their January fight on FS1. Representing Weslaco, Texas, the younger brother of former world champion Omar has a five-fight knockout streak that he brings into the ring on April 20.

A former interim champion and title challenger at bantamweight, Parejo (22-3-1, 11 KOs) will look to make his mark at 122-pounds when he battles Figueroa on April 20. The 32-year-old from Venezuela lost a bantamweight world title fight to Ryan Burnett last March, but rebounded to most recently defeat Benjamin Mendoza in February. He won an interim title by stopping Luis Hinojosa in 2014 before losing a split-decision the following year to former champion Zhanat Zhakiyanov.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

Egiidjus Kavaliauskas won a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Abreu in a welterweight bout at The Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

In round one, Kavaliauskas with cut over the right eye while Abreu was cut over the left eye from a headbutt. In round four, the left eye of Kavaliauskas was cut from a punch.

Kavaliauskas, 146.8 lbs of Oxnard, CA won by scores of 97-93 twice and 96-94 to raise his perfect mark to 20-0. Abreu, 146.6 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 21-4-1.

Andy Vences remained undefeated by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Frank De Alba in a super featherweight bout.

In round nine, there was swelling under the left eye of De Alba.

Vences, 129.4 lbs of San Jose, CA won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92, and is now 21-0-1. De Alba, 129.8 lbs of Reading, PA is 22-4-2.

Gabriel Flores, Jr. remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over James De Herrera in a lightweight bout.

In round one. Flores dropped De Herrera with a left hook.

Flores, 131.6 lbs of Stockton, CA won by scores of 6-53 on all cards, and is now 9-0. De Herrera, 131.2 lbs of College Station, TEX is 4-4.

In a battle of former heavyweight title challengers, Andy Ruiz won a 10-round unanimous decision over Kevin Johnson.

Ruiz, 252.5 lbs of Las Vegas, NV won by scores of and is now 31-1. Johnson, 257.4 lbs of Neptune, CA is 32-10-1.

Santos Ortega won a 4-round unanimous decision over Ivan Martino in a super bantamweight bout.

Ortega, 122 lbs of Sacramento, CA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 2-0. Martino, 120.8 lbs of San Felipe, MEX is 2-2.

Ruben Rodriguez won a 4-round unanimous decision over Richard Howell in a super lightweight battle.

Rodriguez, 140.6 lbs of Indio, CA won by scores of 40-36 twice, and 39-37 and is now 3-0. Howell, 140.8 lbs of Dallas, TX is 2-2-2.

Joseph Adorno kept his perfect knockout streak in-tact by stopping Guadalupe De Leon in round three of their scheduled six-round super featherweight bout.

In round three, Adorno landed a left hook that he followed with a hard two-punch combination that sent De Leon to the canvas. Adorno was all over De Leon, and the bout was stopped at 2:32.

Adorno, 131.8 lbs of Allentown, PA is now 8-0 with 8 knockouts. De Leon, 130.8 lbs of Mission, Texas is 9-16-1.

FRESNO, Calif. (June 26, 2018) – The Mean Machine, Egidijus Kavaliauskas, is looking to cement his name as a welterweight to watch when he defends the NABF title against Juan Carlos Abreu, July 7 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno as the ESPN-televised co-feature to Jose Ramirez’s WBC super lightweight title defense against Danny O’Connor.

The undercard will also feature heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. against veteran Kevin Johnson in a 10- round bout, 18-year-old wunderkind Gabe Flores Jr. versus James De Herrera in a six-round lightweight bout, and Andy Vences defending the WBC Continental Americas super featherweight title against Frank De Alba.

Ramirez vs. O’Connor and Kavaliauskas vs. Abreu will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET.

The entire undercard, including Vences-DeAlba, Ruiz-Johnson and Flores-De Herrera will be streamed on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Star Boxing and Murphys Boxing, tickets to this world championship event, priced at $150 (floor), 90, $60, $35, $20, and $10, plus applicable fees, are ON SALE NOW and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000, or at the Save Mart Center box office. For more information and box office hours, visit www.savemartcenter.com.

“This is a great opportunity to show everyone watching on ESPN what the ‘Mean Machine’ is made of,” Kavaliauskas said. “I want a title shot soon, but I have to take care of business against Abreu to make my dreams a reality. It’s going to be a toe-to-toe battle, and I know I will be victorious.”

“I am excited to show what I’m capable of doing. I’m more anxious than anything to show everyone the improvements I’ve made,” Vences said. “I am fighting another southpaw, so I feel like I’m picking up where I left off. I have a lot of family and friends coming out to support me, which gives me extra motivation.”

“This is my first fight in California as a pro, and I can’t wait to entertain my people,” Flores said.

Kavaliauskas (19-0, 16 KOs), ranked in the top 10 by three of the four major sanctioning organizations, is on the precipice of a world title shot. A native of Lithuania who trains out of the Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, California, Kavaliauskas has won four consecutive fights by stoppage. He won the NABF title last September with a seventh-round TKO over Mahonri Montes and defended the title in February with a sixth-round TKO over former WBA welterweight world champion David Avanesyan. Abreu (21-3-1, 19 KOs) has won two in a row since a split decision loss to then-unbeaten Alex Martin in June 2016.

Ruiz (30-1, 20 KOs) is on the comeback trail after dropping a majority decision to Joseph Parker on Dec. 10, 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand. He took 15 months off after the Parker loss, but came back March 10 in Carson, California, knocking out Devin Vargas in the opening round. Johnson (32-9-1, 16 KOs) is a 15-year pro who challenged Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight title in 2009, losing a unanimous decision.

Flores (8-0, 5 KOs), an 18-year-old recent high school graduate from Stockton, California, signed with Top Rank in November 2016 at 16 years old, becoming the youngest fighter ever to sign with the promotional company. He is seeking his fourth win of 2018, most recently scoring a four-round unanimous decision June 9 in Las Vegas on the Terence Crawford-Jeff Horn undercard.

In his last bout, Vences (20-0-1, 12 KOs) fought to spirited draw against Erick De Leon as the ESPN-televised co-feature to the Oscar Valdez-Scott Quigg bout March 10 in Carson, California. De Alba (22-3-2, 9 KOs) is looking to get back into the win column following an eight-round majority decision defeat to O’Shaquie Foster on April 13 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

In other undercard action:
19-year-old phenom Joseph Adorno (7-0, 7 KOs) will face Guadalupe De Leon in a six-round super featherweight bout. Adorno has six first-round stoppages on his ledger.

130-pound prospect Bryan Lua (5-0, 2 KOs) of Madera, California, will take on Sergio Ramirez (4-2, 4 KOs) in a six rounder. Lua is riding a two-bout knockout streak.

Indio, California, native Ruben Rodriguez (2-0, 1 KO) returns to action after a nearly nine-month layoff against Richard Howell (2-1-2 1 KO) of Dallas in a six-round super lightweight fight.

Super bantamweight Santos Ortega (1-0, 1 KO) will put his unbeaten record on the line against Ivan Martino (2-1, 2 KOs) in a four-rounder.

Fresno native Manuel Manzo (3-6-1, 1 KO), winner of three straight, will look to thrill the home fans against Sergio Lopez (3-5-1, 0 KOs) in a four-round super bantamweight bout.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks.

The ESPN+ lineup includes 18 exclusive, live Top Rank events per year, dozens of fights from other Top Rank undercards, an unmatched library of the greatest fights in boxing history, and two exclusive, original boxing programs: The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays) and In This Corner (twice monthly).

It also features hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, PGA TOUR golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (December, 8, 2016) – Undefeated heavyweight contenders JOE PARKER (21-0, 18 KOs), of Auckland, and ANDY RUIZ, JR. (29-0, 19 KOs), of Mexicali, Mexico, world-rated No. 1 and No. 3 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) respectively, will be battling for the vacant WBO heavyweight world title on Saturday. The fight will be televised in the U.S. on a same-day delay opening the HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast at 9:35 p.m. ET/PT, followed by the live telecast from CenturyLink Center Omaha, featuring the 10-round NABF/NABO lightweight championship fight between Top-10 contenders RAY BELTRAN (31-7-1, 19 KOs), of Phoenix, AZ, and MASON MANARD (32-1, 24 KOs), of Rayne, LA, and the Main Event, undefeated WBO/ World Boxing Council (WBC) / Ring magazine junior welterweight champion TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (29-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., defending his titles against No. 1 contender JOHN MOLINA JR. (29-6, 23 KOs), of Covin, Calif. This will be Crawford’s first defense of his unified titles and his third televised world chmpionhip fight of 2016.

Below are the comments from Parker, Ruiz and their teams from their final press conference, as reported by intrepid publicist Ed “Kiwi” Keenan, who is on the scene.

BOB ARUM:

Bob, who would you put your money on?
“I don’t put money on fights. I do give Andy a great chance to win this fight. I always tell people, the best way to lose money is to bet on a fight.

“Andy is in sensational shape for this fight.

“Andy has the fastest hands in a heavyweight that I have seen since Muhammad Ali. And he really stands in there and takes the fight to his opponent. The winner of this fight will be the preeminent heavyweight.

“The competition in the heavyweight division will be great in the years to come and these two will lead it. Ruiz and Parker will help make the heavyweight division the premier division in boxing.

“We’re celebrating my (85th) birthday here in New Zealand on December 8, which really isn’t my birthday because back home where I was born it will be December 7.”

BRUCE TRAMPLER:

“This is a historic fight and if I wanted two trainers for a fight I would pick these two – Abel Sanchez (Ruiz) and Kevin Barry (Parker). It’s the perfect storm these two fighting. I can’t imagine a better matchup. Two athletic hard-fighting guys that won’t take a step back. There are two two-weight classes in boxing – the heavyweights and then everyone else.”

ABEL SANCHEZ:

“We have two guys here that are the future of the heavyweight division. They will show us the way heavyweights are supposed to fight like. I am on a streak but that was Russia and this is New Zealand so we have to start a new streak.

“Kevin is an old fashioned kind of trainer like I am. I don’t have strength and conditioning coaches or nutritionists, I do it all myself

“Andy lost 35 pounds and it wasn’t plastics or diet. We ran a gym that made him work hard. And he lost the weight a little bit at a time. The guys in my camp weigh in every day, and they each need to be at same weight or less than they were the day before. So I can tell when they are cheating – eventually it catches up to them.

‘There are 68 world champions out there and all of their coaches are geniuses.

“Key improvements are up here (pointing to his head). He has skills already. My job is to get him mentally prepared to fight.

“Can he stay away from Joe’s jab? “Can Joe stay away from Andy’s jabs, and combinations?”

“The guy that can impose his will to win. Andy is very confident. The game plan will come after imposing his will.

:”There are different ways to lose weight. When you lose the weight you become a sharper puncher. You may lose a little power but gain sharpness.

“Heavy work was don in camp – right now we just wait for the fight. These two guys could fight tomorrow if they needed to.

“We sparred eight 4-minute rounds every day that was the hard part and Andy did 11 the day before I left for Russia. Andy is in the best shape of his life.

“I think Saturday is a tough 12-round fight. We are going to have a fight where they hurt each other. Heavyweights recently have been wrestling. This is going to be a real fight. I know I am going to have to work a full 12 rounds also as well as I know Kevin will too.

“They have treated us great in New Zealand. The people on the streets have been coming up and wishing Andy good luck, even though they aren’t on Andy’s side.”

KEVIN BARRY:

“This is a great fight. This is the best heavyweight fight of the year. They both have a chance to make history here. Joseph is a very confident boxer and that rubs off on a fighter. The crowd will be behind Joseph and that will lift Joseph to new heights. Joe understands the power he has and it will give him the drive and determination that will carry him.”

ANDY RUIZ

“This is my chance and I didn’t come all the way to New Zealand to lose. I know everyone is underestimating me. I know I trained hard for this fight. I hear everyone commenting on how I look physically, but imagine now that I am in great shape, how good I will be on Saturday night. I know I am an exciting fighter – I will use lots of footwork and throw a lot of combinations – and we both hit hard.

Does Parker have more pressure on him since he’s fighting at home?
“Both of us have pressure. I don’t know what Parker thinks about how much pressure he has on him, but I hope he feels like he has more pressure. I am confident in the work that I have done in training.”

“I know we are both prepped for 12 rounds. I don’t talk a lot of trash or anything. But when the bell rings we both flip the switch. I have a family to feed and I fight for them.

“This is a great opportunity for me and I’m not leaving New Zealand without that belt.”

JOSEPH PARKER

“There are two nights to go until the fight and I am very excited for the fight and excited to have it in New Zealand. We are not underestimating Andy Ruiz. We know he is in great shape. We both know that we are in great shape and we each know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

“Yes, we did spar together. I was in Las Vegas and new to the sport. I went in to spar with him [Ruiz] and thought it would be easy because of his size but when we were sparring he hit me pretty good and he chased me out of the ring and now I have to get him back for that. He’s coming to my backyard. I have to defend my country’s honor.

“We use the same routine for this fight as all the others – it is the one that has always worked.

“I will use the support in the building to motivate me and that will drive me throughout the fight.

“Andy wants to take the belt back with him and I want to keep it here. I want to go out there and win this and win it well.

“I know Andy is a nice guy and there is no hate between us. But when the bell rings on Saturday night we flip the switch and we will each be trying to knock the other guy out.”

*********************

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with TGB Promotions, remaining reserved seat tickets to the Crawford – Molina world championship event, priced at $27, $52, $77 and $127, can be purchased at the CenturyLink Center Omaha box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. To charge-by-phone call (800) 745-3000. To order online, visit ticketmaster.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordMolina to join the conversation on Twitter.

HBO Boxing presents an action-packed tripleheader from two sites when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. JOHN MOLINA JR. AND RAYMUNDO BELTRAN VS. MASON MENARD AND JOSEPH PARKER VS. ANDY RUIZ JR. is seen SATURDAY, DEC. 10 at 9:35 p.m. (live ET/ tape-delayed PT) from CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb. and Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand on HBO. The HBO Sports broadcasting team will call the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Dec. 11 (8:50 a.m.) and 12 (12:45 a.m.)

HBO2 playdate: Dec. 11 (3:40 p.m.) and 13 (midnight)

Omaha native Terence “Bud” Crawford (29-0, 20 KOs), 2014’s Fighter of the Year, defends his junior welterweight title for the third time in 2016 before enthusiastic hometown supporters when he meets John Molina Jr. (29-6, 23 KOs) of Covina, Cal. in a 12-round bout.

The 29-year-old Crawford enjoyed an impressive 2015 with knockout victories against top 140-pound contenders Thomas Dulorme and Dierry Jean. Known for speed, precision, defense and power, he defeated Hank Lundy last February and returned to the ring in July to score a dominating victory over the highly regarded, undefeated Viktor Postol in a junior welterweight unification title bout that had the boxing community buzzing. Unafraid of trading blows at close range, Crawford has won four of his last six bouts by thrilling stoppages.

The Omaha showdown marks the third time HBO Sports has traveled to the city for a Crawford fight and is his ninth live fight on HBO.

Molina Jr. is a hard-hitting, high-pressure brawler who challenged for a world title in 2012, and returns to the ring after a career-best upset of heavily favored former junior welterweight champ Ruslan Provodnikov in June. Using skills not seen in previous fights, Molina won a unanimous decision while skyrocketing up the rankings, with some organizations now rating him as high as number one in the world.

The evening’s co-feature is ten-round lightweight battle between two rugged veterans eager to compete for a title shot in 2017. Raymundo Beltran (31-7-1, 19 KOs), a native of Mexico now living in Phoenix, will square off with Mason Menard (32-1, 24 KOs) of Rayne, La. in a crossroads fight for both competitors. Since losing a unanimous decision to Terence Crawford in 2014, Beltran, 35, has notched two impressive knockout wins, while Menard, 28, has also defeated his last three opponents via knockout.

Opening the tripleheader is a world heavyweight title bout from Auckland, New Zealand between hometown favorite Joseph Parker (21-0, 18 KOs), 24, and Mexico’s Andy Ruiz (29-0, 19 KOs), 27, in a 12-round affair. Presented on same-day delay, the fight marks the first world title shot for two fast-rising undefeated competitors, both of whom aim to become their country’s first world heavyweight titleholder.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

According to Dan Rafael, Top will co-promoted undefeated heavyweight Joseph Parker with Duco Ecents going forward, which includes his WBO title bout this Saturday night with Andy Ruiz in Auckland, New Zealand.

“Listen, having been in this business 50-plus years, I don’t expect anybody to win a fight, particularly when it’s as close on paper as this one is,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum said. “I really think that the winner of this fight probably has the best chance to be the pre-eminent heavyweight, I really believe that.

“Parker has natural skills. He’s so big and he punches so hard, and Andy has the fastest hands that I’ve seen on a heavyweight since Muhammad Ali.”

“But no promoter can make a fighter a star,” Arum said. “A fighter has to make himself a star. A promoter can only help by getting the right fights, getting the right publicity, but the idea that the promoter makes the star, as flattering as that is, is just not the case.

“If Parker does defeat Andy Ruiz then we will, together with Duco, perhaps have Parker fight in the United States, then come back here and then fight in China. Believe me, this [is] just the start.

“We have massive global ambitions for Joseph and for a number of other fighters,” said Duco’s Dean Lonergan, whose company will still control any fights and revenue in New Zealand and Australia. “Just because we come from New Zealand doesn’t mean to say that we can’t do it overseas. In fact, it encourages us to go overseas because our market is so small.”

LONDON (18th November) – BoxNation will air the world title showdown between undefeated heavyweight titans Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jr exclusively live next month.

The pair will collide for Tyson Fury’s recently vacated WBO title on December 10th at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand as the heavyweight division ushers in a new era.

Ruiz Jr is 29-0, with 19 KOs, and at 27 years old has been the top heavyweight prospect in promotional company Top Rank’s stable for several years.

Mexican-American Ruiz has already fought three times in 2016 and is coming off a 10-round unanimous points win over Franklin Lawrence in September.

6ft 4inch Parker has an equally impressive record, racking up 21 wins and 18 KOs since turning professional in 2012.

At 24 he is regarded as one of the top young prospects in the division and one of the most active having competed five times so far this year, his last outing an impressive third round knockout of Alexander Dimitrenko.

The heavyweight division is blossoming again with a number of talented fighters emerging as they look to establish their dominance in what has historically been boxing’s glamour weight class.

Both Parker and Ruiz Jr are well aware of what is at stake as they look to take the next step in their careers, with BoxNation the only place to see all the action.

A number of further top fights are set to be screened exclusively live on BoxNation over the coming weeks including Vasyl Lomachenko v Nicholas Walters, Terence Crawford v John Molina and the final fight of the legend Bernard Hopkins when he takes on Joe Smith Jr.

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “Joseph Parker against Andy Ruiz Jr pits together two of the heavyweight division’s top undefeated contenders to determine which of them will be crowned the new king in the division. The heavyweight world title has long been one of the most glamorous accolades in all of sport and on December 10th BoxNation subscribers will get the chance to see two big-hitters go at it. For as long as it lasts it will be an enthralling encounter with the winner emerging as one of the very best in the division.”

Parker v Ruiz Jr is exclusively live on BoxNation (Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/EE/Apple TV/Online & App) on December 10th. Buy now at boxnation.com.

– ENDS –
About BoxNation

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated boxing channel. From £12* per month with no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Khan vs Canelo.

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Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz will meet for the WBO Heavyweight title on December 10 on Auckland, New Zealand, according to Dan Rafael of eson.com.

“This is a huge sporting event, which I expect to unite the country in a similar fashion to the 2011 Rugby World Cup and the 2015 Cricket World Cup,” Duco Events CEO Martin Snedden said. “We are only able to host the event in Auckland because of the tremendous support from our sponsors who grasp just how big an occasion this will be for all New Zealanders.” Duco said the fight will be seen in more than 100 countries with a worldwide television audience of more than 100 million people.

After Tyson Fury gave up his heavyweight titleas, the WBO ruled that Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz will fight for the vacant title on December 10th, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The bout will take place on December 10th in New Zealand.

Arum told ESPN that he and Lonergan met this week in Los Angeles and made a deal for the fight to take place in New Zealand, Parker’s home country, because that is where it would generate the most money. Arum said he has assurances there will be a neutral referee and judges.

Arum said the fight will be televised in the United States on tape delay on his “Solo Boxeo” series on Spanish-language network UniMas.

Arum said the deal he made with Lonergan was contingent on the WBO ordering the fight for the title, because they were unsure if it would be sanctioned when they met this week.

“We have worked a deal out with Parker’s people and Andy signed the contract earlier this week, but it was all subject to the sanction,” Arum said. “We got the sanction and it’s a done deal. I met with Dean on Monday. He was in California before he went on to the Puerto Rico for the convention.

“My (matchmakers) think Andy has a hell of a shot. The kid is pumped because apparently he’s sparred with Parker and more than held his own. I’ve seen some of Parker’s fights on YouTube clips. He’s a tremendous puncher but he doesn’t look to me to be particularly fast and Andy is a very fast heavyweight.”
“We checked with Abel about the date,” Arum said. “Andy is up there training with him now and Abel is absolutely free to do the fight on Dec. 10.”

“I see Ruiz as a fighter who has a lot of experience and will take this opportunity very serious,” Parker recently told ESPN when the prospect of the fight was raised. “He’s a dangerous fighter. With fighting good fighters it brings out the best in me.

“If we do fight for a world title and hold it in New Zealand it’ll be historic moment for myself, family and country. Exciting times ahead and I’m really looking forward to it. Also, fighting for a world title has always been a dream of mine. Dream come true to fight for it and win it.”

“If he wins the title Andy will be a very valuable fighter,” Arum said.

Arum even said he had an idea for who he could match Ruiz with if he wins the title. “I’ll put him in with (Julio Cesar) Chavez Jr.,” sad Arum, laughing about the former middleweight titleholder he used to promote and who has a notorious history of problems making weight.

Undefeated heavyweight sensation Hughie Fury will make the first defence of his WBO Intercontinental Championship against Mexico’s Andy Ruiz Jr on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s eagerly-anticipated rematch with Wladimir Klitschko at the Manchester Arena on Saturday 29th October, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Fury, 20-0 10 KO’s, has ripped through the heavyweight division, claiming his first professional title in the WBO Intercontinental against Fred Kassi at London’s Copper Box Arena back in April. Should he defeat the unbeaten Ruiz Jr, Fury will move into the number one mandatory position for the WBO World Heavyweight title – held by his cousin Tyson.

California resident Ruiz Jr holds an explosive record of 28 wins from 28 fights, with 19 coming via devastating knockout. The former WBO Intercontinental belt holder enjoys a No.3 ranking with the WBO and is sure to provide Fury with his toughest test to date.

“I am happy to be in such a big fight against a top heavyweight,” said Fury. “I will be giving my all to retain my WBO Intercontinental belt and I hope it is a fight that the fans enjoy. Out of all of the top up-and-coming heavyweights I believe I have fought the better men in my career so far. Being tested against tougher opponents will help me in this fight.”

Peter Fury, father and trainer of Hughie, said: “Hughie is a true fighting man who loves his sport. He trains hard & will need to be as prepared as possible as Ruiz Jr is easily one of the best heavyweights in the world right now.

“Hughie is ready to take this challenge and this once again proves we only want the best fights for him. He wants to earn his position, he doesn’t want to fight cherry-picked opposition like other heavyweights.

“I know Hughie can become a great fighter. To do that he must do what other heavyweights won’t; fight top drawer opponents.”

With the heavyweight division in a new era after the Klitschko brother’s long dominance, Fury is in a perfect position to capitalise. Promoter Frank Warren is confident his heavyweight prodigy has what it takes to make it to the very top of the division.

“Hughie is a fighting man; he’s done things the hard way. 20 fights in three years is a phenomenal record for a heavyweight fighter. We know he’s got gas and he’s been tested against some awkward opponents. The division is certainly opening up and I can see Hughie being a dominant figure for years to come.

“He has won all 20 of his professional fights with a debilitating skin condition so how good is he going to be now he is fully fit?”

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions, will televise this fight on Sky (SD Ch.437 and HD Ch.490), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon).

Go to www.boxnation.com to see how you can watch this fight and more live!

An intriguing heavyweight showdown will go down on Saturday, July 16, as WBO #5-, IBF #5-, and WBC #7-rated and current NABF heavyweight champion Andy “The Destroyer from Mexicali” Ruiz (27-0, 18 KOs) has agreed to face comebacking KO artist Joshua “Josh Dempsey” Gormley (22-4, 21 KOs) in his next ring appearance.

Sponsored by Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar, tickets for “Detroit Brawl” will be priced at VIP $123, Box Seats $100, Ringside $93, Reserved $63 and $38, and Balcony $28, and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and Tickmaster.com.

26-year-old Ruiz, from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, will face the determined and upset-minded 41-year-old Gormley, from Torrance in a non-title fight in the 10-round main event of Salita Promotions’ next “Detroit Brawl” installment at the Masonic Temple in Downtown Detroit.

Ruiz has made four successful defenses of his NABF Championship. Before that, he held the WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight Championship and made an additional three successful defenses before relinquishing. In his last in-ring appearance, he stopped former world title challenger Ray Austin in the fourth round on May 14 in Studio City, California.

Gormley, who bills himself as a distant relative of former champ Jack Dempsey, reportedly trains with Dino Spencer and Luis “Chiro” Perez at the 5th St. Gym in Miami, Florida. He is on a three-fight KO streak since coming back from a 16-year layoff in late 2015. Despite having had no amateur boxing career, Dempsey fought his way to up-and-comer status in the late 90s and was a fan favorite. He also worked with former champion Lennox Lewis as a sparring partner. Gormley is a former California State Wrestling Champion and MMA fighter and the older brother of UFC fighter Chase Gormley.

Giving the “Detroit Brawl” crowd its usual international flavor will be welterweights Giorgi Gelashvili (4-0, 2 KOs) Brooklyn via Georgia and Serdar Hadurbadyev (2-0, 2 KOs) of Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan in separate six-round bouts.

Also, making his long-awaited four-round pro debut that night will be “Southpaw Prince” Gheith Karim, a three-time national amateur champion from Dearborn, Michigan. A product of the Kronk Gym, Karim was being touted as a future star by legendary Kronk founder Emanuel Steward since the age of 11. He will compete as a junior middleweight.

Also scheduled for action that night are crowd-favorite Detroit prospects including cruiserweight Demetrius Banks (7-0, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder; middleweight Dorell Van Horn Jr (9-0, 6 KOs) in a six-rounder; as well as promising Detroit bantamweight Jarico O’Quinn (1-0, 1 KO); super bantamweight Zach Shamoun (3-0-1, 3 KOs) of Bloomfield Hills Michigan; and cruiserweight Clarence Dubose (3-0, 3 KOs) of Eastpointe, Michigan, in separate four-rounders.

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Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar offers patrons an old-school sports and whiskey bar in Downtown Detroit’s Eastern Market district. Thomas Magee’s prides itself on providing every sport, every game, and every fight, plus great beer and whiskey!

For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visit www.salitapromotions.com. Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar is located at 1408 E Fisher Service Drive in Detroit. For more information, call 313-263-4342 or visit their official Facebook page:www.facebook.com/ThomasMageesSportingHouseWhiskeyBar

On fight night, doors open at 6:30 pm and the fights begin at 7:15 pm.

To the delight of the sizable Mexican community in Detroit, on Saturday, July 16, world-rated Mexican heavyweight contender Andy “The Destroyer from Mexicali” Ruiz will appear in the 10-round main event of Salita Promotions’ next “Detroit Brawl” installment at the Masonic Temple in Downtown Detroit.

26-year-old Ruiz, from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, is a former amateur standout, now undefeated at 27-0, 18 KOs as a professional and rated WBO #5, IBF #5, and WBC #7 at heavyweight. Ruiz is the current NABF heavyweight champion and has already made four successful defenses. Before that, he held the WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight Championship and made an additional three successful defenses before relinquishing.

In his last in-ring appearance, Ruiz stopped former world title challenger Ray Austin in the fourth round on May 14 in Studio City, California.

“I cannot wait to get back into the ring,” said Ruiz. “I’ve got some thunder coming with me to Detroit.”

Sponsored by Greektown Casino and Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar, tickets for “Detroit Brawl” will be priced at VIP $123, Box Seats $100, Ringside $93, Reserved $63 and $38, and Balcony $28, and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and Tickmaster.com.

“I am very excited about bringing another sensational show to Detroit that will feature local talent as well as some of the best fighters from around the country and the world,” said Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions. “I have a vision of helping Detroit become known as America’s Greatest Comeback City and the East Coast hub of professional boxing. With each show, we are showcasing great fighters and building a fan base locally and around the world.”

Giving the “Detroit Brawl” crowd its usual international flavor will be red-hot welterweight KO artist Bakhtiyer Eubov (10-0, 10 KOs) of Aktjubinsk, Kazakhstan making a very special six-round appearance, along with welterweights Giorgi Gelashvili (4-0, 2 KOs) Brooklyn via Georgia and Serdar Hadurbadyev (2-0, 2 KOs) of Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan in other six-round bouts.

Making his long-awaited four-round pro debut that night will be “Southpaw Prince” Gheith Karim, a three-time national amateur champion from Dearborn, Michigan. A product of the Kronk Gym, Karim was being touted as a future star by legendary Kronk founder Emanuel Steward since the age of 11. He will compete as a junior middleweight.

Also scheduled for action that night are crowd-favorite Detroit prospects including cruiserweight Demetrius Banks (7-0, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder; middleweight Dorell Van Horn Jr (9-0, 6 KOs) in a six-rounder; as well as Detroit bantamweight Jarico O’Quinn (1-0, 1 KO); super bantamweight Zach Shamoun (3-0-1, 3 KOs) of Bloomfield Hills Michigan; and cruiserweight Clarence Dubose (3-0, 3 KOs) of Eastpointe, Michigan, in separate four-rounders.

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On fight night, doors open at 6:30 pm and the fights begin at 7:15 pm.

Terence Crawford made his case for a fight with Manny Pacquiao as he defended the WBO Super Lightweight title with a 10th round stoppage over Dierry Jean at the Centurylink Arena in Omaha, Nebraska

Just before the end of round one, Crawford landed a straight left and right hook that sent Jean to the canvas.  Crawford continued to beat up Jean over the course of the bout.  Crawford dominated the bout from the southpaw stance as he only occasionaly ate right hands.  In round nine, Crawford dropped Jean again with a couple of chopping shots to the top of the head.

Crawford came out in round ten and hurt Jean several times before landing a hard combination that sent Jean into the bottom ropes and referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight.

Crawford of Omaha, Nebraska is 27-0 with 19 knockouts.  Jean of Montreal, QUE is 29-2.

Andy Ruiz Jr. battered Raphael Zumbano Love over eight rounds to win a unanimous decision in a Heavyweight bout.

Ruiz, 248 3/4 lbs of Imperial Valley, CA won by scores of 80-72 two cards and 80-70 on the 3rd card and is now 26-0.  Zumbano Love, 247 3/4 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is now 37-12-1.

Mikael Zewski scored a 5th round stoppage over Ayi Bruce in a scheduled 10-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

In round five, Zewski landed a big uppercut that was followed by a left and right to the head that sent Bruce to the canvas.  Bruce tried to get up but was counted out at 1:41 of round five.

Zewski, 149 1/2 lbs of Trois-Riverst, QUE is 27-1 with 21 knockouts.  Bruce, 149 1/2 lbs of Accra, GHA is 15-12.

Former world featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich won a 8-round split decision over Aldomir Silva in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

Gradovich, 127 3/4 lbs of Oxnard, CA won two cards by 79-71 and 78-74 scores while Silva took a card 77-75.

Gradovich is 20-1-1.  Silva, 127 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 19-9.

Julian Rodriguez remained undefeated with a 4-round unanimous decision over Alvaro Ortiz in a Welterweight bout.

Rodriguez, 143 1/4 lbs of Hasbrook Heights, NJ won by scores of 40-36 on two cards and 39-37 and is now 11-0. Ortiz, 140 lbs of Ciudad, MX is 7-5-1.

Alex Saucedo remained undefeated by scoring 2 knockdowns en route to a 6-round unanimous decision over Angel Martnez in a Welterweight bout.

In round five, Saucedo dropped Martinez from a chopping right hand. In round six, Saucedo dropped Martinez with an accumulation of punches on the ropes.

Saucedo, 142 1/4 lbs of Oklahoma City, OK won by scores of 60-52 twice and 60-54 and is now 19-0. Martinez, 141 1/2 lbs of Empalma, MX is 12-8-1.

Alfredo Martinez registered three knockdowns en route to a 4-round unanimous decision over Darin Hampton in a Welterweight fight.

In round two, Martinez dropped Hampton with a series of body shots. Martinez continued to batter Hampton by scoring another knockdown just seconds later. In round four, Martinez scored another knockdown from a left to the body.

Martinez, 142 lbs of Scotts Bluff, NE won by scores of 40-33 on two cards and 40-34 and is now 5-0. Hampton, 141 1/2 lbs of Kansas City, MO. is 1-2.

Zsolt Daranyi scored a 2nd round stoppage over Sean Rawley Wilson in a scheduled 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout

Daranyi dropped Wilson with a right hand at the end of the opening frame. In round two, Daraanyi landed about 25 unanswered blows with most being body shots until the bout was stopped at 1:55 of round two.

Daranyi, 153 lbs of Toronto, CAN is 5-0 with 5 knockouts. Wilson, 153 3/4 lbs of Lavista, NE is 5-16-1.

Heavyweight Andy Ruiz Jr. remained perfect with an 8-round unanimous decision over Joell Godfrey at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino on Leemore, CA

Danny Valdivia scored a 6th round stoppage over Jeremy Ramos in a scheduled 8-round. Jr, Middleweight bout.

Ruiz, 247 lbs won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 25-0. Godfrey, 210 1/2 lbs of Fayetville, NC is 17-15-1.

Valdivia dropped Ramos in round two from a right hand that buckled Ramos and a follow up flurry. Seconds later a second knockdown was registered as Ramos landed a hard right hand that dropped Valdivia.

In round six, Valdivia landed a hard combination that dropped a bloody Ramos in the corner and the fight was stopped at 1:10.

Valdivia, 153 1/4 lbs of Tulare, CA is 10-0 with 7 knockouts. Ramos, 153 1/2 lbs of Colorado Springs, Colorado is 9-2.

Andy Ruiz jr. remained undefeated by scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over former world champion Sergei Liakhovich in a Heavyweight bout at he Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ruiz, 267 3/4 lbs won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 96-94 and is now 24-0. Likahovich, 231 1/4 lbs is now 26-7.

Daniel Echevarria scored a 6-round unanimous decision over Noe Lopez in a Super Lightweight bout.

Echevarra, 139 1/2 lbs won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 16-0. Lopez, 135 1/2 lbs is now 19-12.

PHOENIX — December 2, 2014 — In what is expected to be the most exciting card in Phoenix in 2014, Top Rank Boxing returns to the Valley of the Sun to join forces with Iron Boy Promotions in presenting Iron Boy 18 on Saturday, December 20th at Celebrity Theatre. The card, which is headlined by Mexicali’s Andy Ruiz (23-0, 17KO) vs. Phoenix resident Sergei Liakhovich (26-6, 16KO) in a ten-round bout, is stacked from top to bottom, with appearances from both standout prospects and local fan favorites.

Andy “Destroyer” Ruiz has gained attention as an exciting, heavy-handed heavyweight. He most recently faced Kenny Lemos (12-9-2, 8KO) in Fresno, who he knocked out inside of one round. Ruiz is excited to fight in front of his Phoenix fans, and to face the veteran Liakhovich. “I’m happy to be fighting over there because I have a lot of fans in Phoenix,” said Ruiz. “It’s a great opportunity to fight in there against Sergei Liahkovich, and it should be a great fight. Hopefully it hypes up all my Mexican fans in Arizona.”

NABF Junior Super Featherweight titleholder Oscar Valdez (13-0, 12KO) will also be featured in an eight-round bout. The two-time Mexican Olympian knocked out his opponent, the experienced Alberto Garza (26-9-1, 21KO) in the seventh round in his last outing on November 15th in San Antonio. Valdez hails from Nogales, and has a strong fan base in Phoenix and Tucson. “We have a great relationship with Valdez’s promoter, Top Rank Boxing, and his manager, Frank Espinoza,” said Iron Boy Promotions President Roberto Vargas. “The fans here love Oscar. We got great feedback when he was on our card here in July. We hope to keep bringing him back and giving Phoenix boxing fans great fights as he grows into a World Champion.”

Francisco De Vaca (8-0, 4KO) has begun to come into his own under the lights of the Celebrity Theatre. An amateur sensation with over 240 amateur fights, Vaca enters the ring for his ninth professional fight in Phoenix, where he’s built a loyal and consistent fan base. Vaca recently began training camp in Los Angeles with famed trainer Roberto Alcazar, who most notably trained Oscar De La Hoya during his storied career.

Top Rank prospect and Phoenix resident Trevor McCumby (17-0, 14KO) is slated to make his third Phoenix appearance in 2014. The hard-hitting light heavyweight prospect is managed by Cameron Dunkin.

David Benavidez (7-0, 7KO), younger brother of NABF Junior Welterweight title holder Jose Benavidez, Jr. (21-0, 15KO) will make his much-anticipated United States debut at Iron Boy 18. Benavidez has been hard at work to prepare to fight in front of his hometown fans, holding camp in Big Bear, California, where his brother prepares to fight Mauricio Herrera for the WBA Interim Light Welterweight Title on December 13th. Benavidez is trained by his father, Jose Benavidez, Sr.

Joey Ruelas (8-1-1, 3KO) makes his ring return at Iron Boy 18, after having been off with an injury since his last bout, which took place at Iron Boy 14 in July. Ruelas began training camp in November with former three-time World Champion Israel Vazquez at Magnifico Boxing Gym in Los Angeles. Rounding out the card, Alexis Zazueta (3-0, 3KO) and Jose Marruffo (4-2-2, 0KO) are featured in separate bouts.

The official weigh-in will be held at Crescent Crown in Mesa, Arizona on Friday, December 19th at 2p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a toy for the US Marines’ Toys for Tots program – everyone who brings a toy will be entered to win two Iron Boy all-access passes and a glove signed by all the Iron Boy 18 fighters.

Tickets for Iron Boy 18 are priced at $30, 50, 65 and 100 and are available at www.iron-boy.com or at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office.

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Iron Boy Promotions is a Phoenix-based boxing promotions company. Established in 2011, Iron Boy Promotions is committed to providing quality, high-powered boxing shows with talented fighters.

The already stacked professional boxing card at the GLENDALE CIVIC AUDITORIUM in Glendale, California just got that much better with the addition of two World-Ranked boxers from the Top Rank stable. While previous main event fighter, Andy Ruiz, was forced to bow out last month due to a serious illness in his family, this Saturday’s GLENDALE FIGHT NIGHT card will now include prized undefeated prospect and Top 15 world-ranked Jr. Welterweight Jose “El Chon” Zepeda (19-0, 16 KOs) as well as recent World Title Challenger Jose Felix Jr. (26-1-1, 21KOs).

Zepeda, a Southern California native born in Long Beach and residing in La Puente, is trained by Robert Alcazar, the former trainer of Oscar De La Hoya during his Gold Medal and historic run of seven World Titles. Felix Jr. hails from boxing rich Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico and lost a razor thin decision last April to Bryan Vasquez (33-1, 17KOs) for the interim WBA Super Featherweight World Title. Both Zepeda and Felix Jr. are known for their propensity for delivering a knockout in over 75% of their professional bouts.

As part of the Solo Boxeo Tecate televised portion of the evening on Unimas, undefeated San Antonio prospect Ivan “Bam Bam” Najera (13-0, 8KOs) will take on former #1 ranked amateur, Stan “The Man” Martyniouk (13-1, 2KOs). Also on the undercard, 2012 London Olympics Silver Medalist from Brazil, Esquiva Falcoa (3-0, 1KO) will return to Southern California and a battle of unbeatens will take place between Egis Kavaliauskas (6-0, 5KOs) and Benjamin Whitaker (7-0, 2KOs). Local gate favorites Zachary “Kid Yamaka” Wohlman (8-1-1), Liam Vaughan (8-2), and Edgar Valerio (3-0), Luis Sedano (2-0), and Vic Pasillas (8-0) are also scheduled to appear.

GLENDALE FIGHT NIGHT, the 5th professional boxing show since a 60 year ban of professional boxing was lifted in the City of Glendale, California, is presented by Top Rank in association with Bash Boxing, Art of Boxing Promotions, and the Glendale Civic Auditorium in Glendale, California. As part of the televised Solo Boxeo Tecate boxing series on Unimas, GLENDALE FIGHT NIGHT takes place on Saturday, August 9, 2014 at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, located at 1401 North Verdugo Road in Glendale, California.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.bashboxing.com or by calling
(626) 388-8888. Tickets start at $30 for General Admission and $45 for Reserved Open Seating. A limited number of VIP bottle service tables are also available.

Doors Open at 5:30pm;
First Bout at 6:00pm.
All bouts are subject to change.

Undefeated prospect Jose Ramirez scored a 2nd round stoppage over Jesus Selig in a scheduled 6-round Wlterweight bout at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California.

Ramirez dropped Selig with a left to the body in round two and upon Selig getting to his feet, the referee waved the bout off at 44 seconds of round two.

Ramirez, 141 1/2 lbs of Avenal, CA is now 10-0 with 8 knockouts. Selig, 142 lbs of Mexico is now 16-3-1.

Heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. remained undefeated by stopping Manuel Quezada in round two of their scheduled 10-round Heavyweight bout.

Ruiz sent Quezada to a knee in round one from a barrage of punches that was capped off by a right to the head. Ruiz dropped Quezada in round two from an over hand right. Ruiz worked the body and landed some hard shots to the head and referee Marcos Rosales stopped the bout at 2:00 of round two.

Ruiz, 250 lbs of Mexicali. MX is now 22-0 with 16 stoppages. Quezada, 230 lbs of Wasco, Ca is now 29-9.

Undefeated prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. scored a 6-round beatdown of Angel Hernandez in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Benavidez scored knockdowns in round’s one, four and five and had Hernandez hurt several other times during the bout and won by scores of 60-51 on all cards.

Benaveidez, 150 1/2 lns of Phoenix, AZ is now 20-0. Hernandez, 150 3/4 lbs of Gary, IN is now 16-16-1.

Manny Pacquiao came back from the devastating knockout of a year ago to Juan Manuel Marquez to score an easy 12 round unanimous decision over former Lightweight champion Brandon Rios at the Cotai Arena at the Venetian in Macau, China.

Pacquiao came out in round one and showed blazing speed with his left hand. Pacquiao continued to pepper Rios with straight left hands and blazing four and five punch combinations that started bleeding around Rios’ left eye in round six.

Pacquiao continued to land ripping punches and rocked Rios several times with flush lead lefts. By the 11th round, Rios right eye was swelling from the effects of the offensive assault of Pacquiao. Pacquiao toed with Rios for much of the fight but Rios was tough as he tried to the very end. Pacquiao looked as good as could be and showed that rest did him well as he cruised to victory to the tune of 120-108, 119-109 and 118-108.

Pacquiao is now 55-5-2. Rios of Oxnard, CA is now 31-2.

Evgeny Gradovich retained the IBF Featherweight title with a 9th round stoppage from the man he won the title from in Billy Dib.

Gradovich dominated the bout as he landed some tremendous hard right hands and systematically beat Dib down. From about round six on, Gradovich started pounding Dib abd scored a knockdown in round six from an overhand right. With Dib’s left closing, Gradovich landed some hard right hands and mixed in uppercuts that lifted the head of Gradovich up to the point where Dib’s trainer Billy Huessein stopped the bout.

Gradovich of Russia is now 18-0 with 9 knockouts. Dib of Australia is now 36-3.

Andy Ruiz scored a stoppage over Tor Hamer after three round of their ten round Heavyweight bout after Hamer did not come out for the fourth round.

After a pretty good first two rounds for Hamer, Ruiz stated to take over as he started landing hard combinations and body shots. Hamer looked spent and decided after three rounds that he had enough.

Ruiz is now 21-0 with 15 knockouts. Hamer of New York is 21-3.

Chinese Olympic hero Zou Shiming scored a six round unanimous decision over Juan Tozcano in a Flyweight bout.

Shiming looked more polished then he did in either of his previous two bouts as he sat down on his punches and landed hard shots. Toscano was cut around the right in round three. Shiming continued to land hard combinations. The fight could have been stopped at any point as he was bloodied, battered and taking a beating but he lasted until the final bell.

Shiming, 111 1/2 lbs of China won by scores of 60-54, 60-54 and 60-52 and is now 3-0. Tozcano, 110 lbs of Esonada, MX is now 4-1.

Felix Verdejo scored a six round unanimous decision over Petchsamuthr Duanaaymukdahan in a six round Lightweight bout.

Verdejo showed early in round one that there was a clear class difference as he fired off shots with both hands. Verdejo landed a booming right hand that started round three and his opponent took it well and came back to fire some shots. Verdejo coasted down the stretch while Duanaaymukdahan had a point deducted a point in the final round for a low blow.

Verdejo of Puerto Rico won by scores of 60-53 on all cards ans is now 9-0. Duanaaymukdahan of Bankok, Thailand is 8-2..

Rex Tso scored a 1st round knockout over Susu Sithjadaeng in a scheduled 6 round Super Flyweight bout.

Rios dropped Sithjadaeng and then landed about 30 unanswered blows before the fight was stopped at 2:29.

Tso, 117 lbs of Hong Kong, CHN is now 11-0 with 7 knockouts. Sithjadaeng, 117 1/2 lbs of Thailand is now 7-4.

Kuok Kun Ng won a four round unanimous decision over You-Jie Zeng in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for NG, 151 1/2 lbs of Macau, China is now 2-0. Zeng, 147 1/2 lbs of Bangkok, THI is now 4-5.

Ik Zeng scored a six round majority decision over Hero Tito in a Lightweight bout.

Scores were 6054, 60-54 and 57-57 for Zeng, 137 1/2 lbs of Dalina, China and is now 14-0. Tito, 138 lbs of Milan, Indonesia is now 7-3.

Hermanito De La Torre scored a 3rd round stoppage over Jason Butar Butar in a scheduled 6 round Light bout.

De La Torre landed a big uppercut that was followed by a push but was ruled a knockdown and Butar was down for the 10 count at 1:23 of round three.

De La Torre is now 11-0 with 6 knockouts. Butar Butar is now 15-12-1.