According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, undefeated Heavyweight Mike Perez injured his should while training for his May 24 bout with Bryant Jennings and the bout is postponed.

“I was floored when I got the call this morning from Perez’s manager, Patrick Thomas, that he injured his shoulder in sparring,” said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions, Perez’s promoter. “Mike is flying back to Ireland to see a shoulder specialist. I’m hoping to hear good news that the injury is not too serious and the fight can be rescheduled in the near future. I know Mike is devastated because of this setback but looks forward to continuing his dream of marching toward a WBC world title fight.”

“When I received the news this afternoon that Perez got injured I felt so bad for Bryant because I know how hard he trained for this fight and how much he was looking forward to fighting for this WBC elimination bout,” Gary Shaw, Jennings’ promoter, said. “I hope that Perez’s injury is minor and we can get these guys back in the ring in a timely manner.”

Corpus Christ, Texas (April 25, 2014) – Tickets are on sale now for the upcoming World Boxing Council (‘WBC’) Heavyweight Title Eliminator clash featuring undefeated and top rated heavyweights BRYANT “By By” JENNINGS of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and MIKE “The Rebel” PEREZ, fighting out of Cork, Ireland. The bout will take place on SATURDAY, MAY 24, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texasand televised LIVE on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. K2 Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions in association with Antonio Leonard Promotions, DiBella Entertainment, Grange Old School Boxing and Frankel Sports will bring you the action.

Tickets priced $25, $40, $60, $100 and $150 are on sale now and can be purchased at the American Bank Center Box Office, all TicketMaster Outlets & ticketmaster.com.

The winner of the 12-round bout will become the mandatory challenger for the WBC Heavyweight Title, which was vacated by longtime champion Vitali Klitschko earlier this year. Jennings and Perez are currently ranked #4 and #5, respectively by the sanctioning body.

Opening the telecast is a 10-round middleweight battle between two-time former world champion DANIEL “The Real Deal” GEALE and perennial contender MATTHEW “Mack The Knife” MACKLIN.

The American Bank Center is located 1901 N. Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi, Texas. For further information please visit their website at
www.AmericanBankCenter.com

For fight updates on JENNINGS VS. PEREZ via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, Bryant Jennings on Twitter at @BYJennings, Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions at @TomLoeffler1 and Gary Shaw Productions at @GaryShawBoxing. Use the hashtag #JenningsPerez to join the conversation on Twitter.

For additional Social Media updates for GEALE vs. MACKLIN using Twitter follow Daniel Geale at @RealDanielGeale and Matthew Macklin at @MattMacklinas well as DiBella Entertainmentat @DiBellaEnt using the hashtag #GealeMacklin

NEW JERSEY (April 19, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions is happy to announce the ranking updates of six GSP fighters, who have worked their way up the WBC ratings. Fighting in a heavyweight elimination bout, is # 4 ranked contender Bryant Jennings (18-0, 11 KOs). Former two-time Australian Middleweight world champion, Daniel Geale (30-2, 16 KOs), is ranked # 2. At Lightweight (135 lbs), Rustam Nugaev (27-6-1, 17 KOs) is rated # 4, while the undefeated Alejandro Luna (17-0, 13 KOs) is # 10. Thomas Dulorme (21-1, 14 KOs) is rated # 4 at Super-Lightweight, and Jose Pedraza (16-0, 10 KOs) is now # 5 at Super-Featherweight (130 lbs), putting Puerto Rico on the map.

Daniel Geale is right back into title contention with his recent victory over world rated Garth Wood, and will now be fighting Matthew Macklin in a meaningful bout. Geale is knocking on the doorstep of a world title bout. Look for him to go all out against Macklin.

Jennings possesses the athletic ability that hasn’t been seen in the heavyweight division is some time. His style some would say emulates Evander Hollyfield, because of his slippery defense and deceptive punching power. As a late bloomer, Jennings is now coming into his own, getting better with each bout. A world title bout against Wladimir Klitschko (61-3, 51 KOs) is on the horizon, should he beat Mike Perez (20-0-1, 12 KOs) in his upcoming title elimination bout.

Thomas Dulorme is on a roll, winning five fights in a row since his move to Super-Lightweight. His recent win against former undefeated contender, Karim Mayfield (18-1, 11 KOs), has placed him in position to fight for a world title. He’s hoping to get in the ring with any of the champions at 140 lbs.

Known as a pressure fighter, Rustam Nugaev has been unstoppable of late, destroying everyone in his path, winning his last five bouts by knockout. He’s on the cusp of a world title opportunity and would like to face any of the champions at 135 lbs.

Pedraza is a technical fighter with immense boxing skills. His ability to adapt to any style makes him a problem for any challenger. If need be, Pedraza who is a conventional right handed fighter, can switch his stance to southpaw and not lose any momentum during a fight. He’s seeking a fight with champion, Takashi Miura or any of the top contenders in his division. Should Pedraza capture the WBC title at Super Featherweight, he could then move up to Lightweight and have a possible Puerto Rican showdown with Felix Verdejo.

A true Mexican Cowboy, Alejandro “El Charro” Luna is a young hungry 22-year old fighter who has power in both hands. He also has the skill to switch stances and be extremely effective. His steady march up the rankings is gaining him the notoriety he needs to make a run for a world title shot. With a massive fan base in Southern California, Luna’s ready to challenge any top fighter in the Lightweight division.

“My guys are great men with the character to become stars in this sport,” said Gary Shaw. “Geale is one fight away from a world title as is Jennings. My goal is to get Dulorme, Nugaev and Pedraza in a mega TV fight against any of the current champions in their division by the end of the year. With Luna, I want him to stay busy and keep him marching up the rankings. I want to thank the WBC ratings committee for recognizing these future WBC Champions

Corpus Christ, Texas (April 17, 2014) Undefeated and top rated heavyweights BRYANT “By By” JENNINGS of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and MIKE “The Rebel” PEREZ, fighting out of Cork, Ireland will clash in a World Boxing Council (‘WBC’) Heavyweight Title Eliminator on SATURDAY, MAY 24, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas and televised LIVE on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, it was announced today jointly by K2 Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions.

The winner of the 12-round bout will become the mandatory challenger for the WBC Heavyweight Title, which was vacated by longtime champion Vitali Klitschko earlier this year. Jennings and Perez are currently ranked #4 and #5, respectively by the sanctioning body.

Opening the telecast is a 10-round middleweight battle between two-time former world champion DANIEL “The Real Deal” Geale and perennial contender MATTHEW “Mack The Knife” MACKLIN.

“The world has been desperately seeking a heavyweight to take over the division and I believe that person is Me,” said Jennings. “By defeating Mike Perez, I will position myself as the mandatory position in the WBC. My promoter Gary Shaw ensures me that if I win this fight; I’ll be looking at a potential world title bout soon. My main focus is winning this fight against Perez and I’m doing everything in the gym to make that a reality. I’ll be ready to go come May 24th.

“My dream has always been to fight for the heavyweight championship,” said Perez.
“This has been my dream since I first started boxing and I have sacrificed a lot to get this opportunity. Jennings and I have been on crash course for a while and now with so much at risk I’m sure it will bring out the best in both of us. However, as good as Jennings is I will be victorious.”

“Mike Perez is a good fighter with an undefeated record and he is dangerous for any opponent,” said Gary Shaw. “But I feel my fighter Bryant Jennings has the athletic ability, the speed and movement to defeat him and is the all around better fighter. This is the type of fight the fans deserve, two undefeated guys putting it all on the line to get a world title shot, that’s what boxing is all about.”

Said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions, “It is rare to see two undefeated heavyweights once again risk their record in a fight like this featured on HBO. However there was no hesitation from either side when the WBC ordered this eliminator because both fighters want to fight for the WBC Heavyweight Championship of the World.”

“We feel that Mike is among the best heavyweights in the world and expect him to show that on May 24th against Bryant Jennings.”

“The WBC is proud to sanction the fight between Perez vs. Jennings as a final elimination fight as part of the WBC tournament in the Heavyweight division,” stated Mauricio Sulaiman of the World Boxing Council.

“Vitali Klitschko was honored with the Emeritus Champion distinction after he decided to search his dream of becoming President of his country Ukraine and is being regarded as a hero by many.”

“The WBC ordered a tournament between all top rated fighters to fight and Perez vs. Jennings will prove to be a formidable match to find the second mandatory contender of the WBC Heavyweight division. “

The 29-year-old Jennings, 18-0-0 (10KO’s) is coming off his career best victory, a sensational, HBO televised tenth round knockout of Poland’s Artur Szpilka on JANUARY 25 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Dominating the action from the outset, Jennings dropped the crafty southpaw in the sixth before finishing him off in the final round.

A highly successful amateur in his native Cuba, the 29-year-old Perez has compiled a record of 20-0-1 (12KO’s), since moving to Ireland and turning professional in 2008.

Perez has made two previous appearances on HBO, on NOVEMBER 2, against Magomed Abdusalamov from Madison Square Garden in New York City and more recently facing Carlos Takam on JANUARY 18 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Hailing from New South Wales, Australia and sporting a record of 30-2-0 (16KO’s), the 32-year-old Geale previously held the WBA and IBF middleweight titles. Most recently Geale stopped fellow countryman Garth Wood in the sixth round on FEBRUARY 19 in New South Wales, Australia.

Former world title challenger Macklin of Birmingham, England has had an illustrious 12-year career having compiled a record of 30-5-0 (20KO’s).

Despite suffering a third round stoppage at the hands of middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin on JUNE 29, 2013, Macklin stormed back into the world rankings with a dominant ten round unanimous decision over then undefeated Lamar Russ on DECEMBER 7 in Atlantic City, Jersey. Both of these bouts were telecast on HBO.

“I can’t wait to make my return on HBO and fight Mathew Macklin,” said Geale. “I’m keen to prove I am still one of the best middleweights in the world. Macklin is a very tough opponent who likes to go to war, as do I, our clash of styles could make a fight that steals the show. I will confirm my status as one of the top fighters in the division with a victory. When I win, I still want to fight Golovkin, if he comes back to 160, or the winner of Sturm vs. Solomon.”

Said Macklin, “I’m really excited about the fight with Daniel Geale. He’s a good fighter, a former world champion, and he throws a lot of punches like me so I’m expecting it to be a tough, action-packed fight. After the Golovkin fight, the win over Russ got me back on track and a much-needed 10 rounds of work. Winning on May 24th against Geale will throw me back into the world title mix, so in many ways this is almost a world title eliminator. It’s a great fight between two of the best and most exciting middleweights in the world.”

“Most people are saying that this is a 50/50 fight. I don’t know Geale personally but he seems like a good guy and I respect him as a fighter for what he has achieved and accomplished in his career. That being said though, I always believed he was tailor made for me and there only going to be one winner on May 24th and that is me.”

The Geale/Macklin bout is presented in association with DiBella Entertainment and Grange Old School Boxing.

The American Bank Center is located 1901 N. Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi, Texas. For further information please visit their website at www.AmericanBankCenter.com

Advance ticket information and further details on this event will be announced shortly.

For fight updates on JENNINGS VS. PEREZ via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, Bryant Jennings on Twitter at @BYJennings, Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions at @TomLoeffler1 and Gary Shaw Productions at @GaryShawBoxing. Use the hashtag #JenningsPerez to join the conversation on Twitter.

For additional Social Media updates for GEALE vs. MACKLIN using Twitter follow Daniel Geale at @RealDanielGeale and Matthew Macklin at @MattMacklin as well as DiBella Entertainment at @DiBellaEnt using the hashtag #GealeMacklin

According to Dan Rafael of espm.com, an intriguing doubleheader has been set for May 24 on HBO that will feature a Heabyweight elimination bout between Bryant Jennings and Mike Perez as well as a Middleweight showdown between former champion Daniel Geale and Matthew Macklin.

“I honestly think Perez is more dangerous that Szpilka because he’s so used to being the bully,” Jennings told ESPN.com from his training camp in Houston. “Both of them are slick but Perez has this type of bully aspect and I always bully the bully. I would hope (Perez trainer) Abel Sanchez makes sure Perez is smart and they take their time to do everything correctly because they are dealing with someone who is well-skilled and well-conditioned and ready to fight. I hope Perez brings his A-game and please do not sleep on Bryant Jennings.”

“I think it’s the best matchup right now. We ain’t ducking nobody. We’re fighting for a position that we would both love to be in,” said Jennings, who turned pro in 2010. “It’s all about the position.”

Said Jennings and Geale promoter Gary Shaw, “This is a real heavyweight fight. It’s a really good fight between two top contenders. I know Jennings is ready. He trains all the time. I think it’s a 50-50 fight. The questions I have is can Jennings use the lateral movement that I believe Perez cannot handle? Will Jennings start off slowly and be a sitting duck for Mike Perez to tee off on, because Jennings is historically a slow starter? Can he start quicker with more movement like he was going into the fourth round not the first? I believe he can.”

“I think it’s a great matchup between two of the top undefeated fighters in the heavyweight division,” said Perez promoter Tom Loeffler said. “I believe the winner of this fight will ultimately go on to win the WBC heavyweight championship. Both fighters have already been featured on HBO and there is a lot of anticipation for this fight now.”

“Stylistically, it’s a great fight and the outcome is doubt. This isn’t one of those fights where you know who the winner is going to be,” said Lou DiBella, Macklin’s promoter. “Neither of these guys is a huge favorite in the fight. These are two guys who like to fight, who like to throw punches and they’ll go at each other. But I have confidence in my guy.

“This is a good, old-fashioned ‘Boxing After Dark’ fight and I think the winner will get a title fight or a fight as economically big or bigger than a title fight.” Geale (30-2, 16 KOs), 33, of Australia, won a world title in 2011, made four successful defenses, including outpointing Felix Sturm in a unification fight, before losing a split decision to Darren Barker in August. Geale has fought once since, scoring a sixth-round knockout of countryman Garth Wood in February.

“I believe Geale is the better fighter, a late bloomer, and will bring it all, no different then what he did in the Barker fight,” said Shaw, Geale’s promoter.

Chicago, IL, Tuesday, February 4–Bobby Hitz announced today that Russian heavyweight prospect Andrey Fedosov (24-3, 19 KOs) has relocated to Chicago and will train full time in the United States. In June, Fedosov, who hails from Shuya, Russia, impressed American boxing fans in a televised fight against Bryant Jennings (18-0, 10 KOs) which Hitz felt was stopped prematurely.

“Andrey is an impressive fighter who has a legit shot at a title. Chicago has a large Russian community and I am confident that his fan base will grow as a result,” said Hitz. “He would like another shot at Jennings because that fight was stopped early by a ref who couldn’t communicate with him. Whenever Spanish speaking boxers fight they make sure the ref speaks Spanish, they don’t give that same courtesy to Eastern European fighters like Andrey or Donatas Bondas.”

As Fedosov, who was recently married, settles into the Windy City he is ready to make an impact on the local boxing scene.

“I have made Chicago my new home, but I have to clean out my backyard which starts with me beating Mike Mollo and that bum Spzilka, who will never want to visit Chicago from Poland when I am done with him” said Fedosov. “I have a lot of respect for my Hitz stablemate Fres Oquendo, but I know I must challenge him too.”

Fedosov believes a rematch with Jennings is in order. Following their bout in June 2013 many boxing writers characterized Fedosov as giving Jennings a scare, conversely many said that Artur Spzilka (16-1, 12 KOs) was outclassed by Jennings.

“Bryant is a great boxer but I know that I will win a rematch,” said Fedosov. “I didn’t get any sparing rounds in before this fight. On the evening of the bout I wasn’t allowed to follow my normal warm up routine because they told me they couldn’t find my gloves and got them to me at the last minute. I know what was going on. Jennings is lucky I got cut early because I would have won that fight.”

Hitz, also promotes WBA Fedelatin and NABA heavyweight champ “Fast’ Fres Oquendo (36-7, 23 KOs) of Chicago, Brian Houston (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Omaha, NE and newcomer Nick Asberry (2-0, 2 KOs) from Waukegan, IL.

On Friday, February 28, Hitz returns to Hammond, Indiana’s The Venue for its wildly popular “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” as it partners with Banner Promotions for a card to be featured on ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights.” Earlier in the month boxing legend “Iron” Mike Tyson hits The Venue stage for “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth” on Saturday, February 8. Tickets for both are available at ticketmaster.com

ABOUT HITZ BOXING
Since its debut in 1991, Hitz Boxing has been the midwest’s leading boxing promoter. Led by Bobby Hitz, who boasted a 21-4 record with 18 KO’s as a boxer, Hitz Boxing is the longest running boxing promoter in the Chicago area dating back to the bi-monthly boxing series the “Ramada Rumble,” held at the former Rosemont Ramada Inn. The organization currently promotes the wildly popular “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN and is the subject of the actuality show “Hitz Boxing,” a web series which has amassed over 5 million internet views. Over the year’s the organization has produced matches that have included some of the top names in boxing such as James Toney, Antonio Tarver, Montell Griffin, Iran Barkley, Andrew Golota and “Fast Fres Oquendo.

For more information, please visit: www.hitzboxing.com.

NEW YORK–Mikey Garcia remained perfect as he scored a 12 round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Burgos to retian the WBO Jr. Lightweight title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

It was a lackluster part for the most part. Burgos one shining moment came in round two when he landed a hard right hand that buckled Garcia badly. But Garcia rocked Burgos in round three and that shot seemed to make Burgos more hesitant to make anything happen. Garcia was able to settle down and box Burgos at his own pace and basically won every round there on after.

Garcia, 129.2 lbs of Oxnard, CA won by scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110 and is now 34-0. Burgos, 129 lbs of Tijuana, MX is now 30-2-2.

Bryant Jennings scored a 10th round stoppage over Artuz Sziplka in a battle of undefeated Heavyweights.

The fight started off with both guys showing good movement for heavyweight.s In round twom Jennings started to get through with shots. He started to work the body throughout and landed a right hand to the body that sent Szpilka to a knee. Jennings kept up the dominance and dropped Szpilka with a short right and left. Sziplka got to his feet but it wasn’t long bfore a barrage of punches forced referee Michael Ortega stopped the bout at 2:20 of round 10.

Jennings, 225 lbs of Philadelphia is now 18-0 with 10 knockouts. Szipilka 223.6 lbs of Warsaw, POL is now 16-1.

“I came out here to put on a show and I think I accomplished that goal,” said Jennings. “Szplika is a very tough fighter and I give him credit for lasting as long as he did. After the first knockdown I didn’t think he would last much longer but he showed great heart and almost went the distance.”

“I’m ready to step up and challenge for a world title,” Jennings continued. “I’m going to take it one day at a time and see what my team presents me. I want to thank Gary Shaw, Antonio Leonard, James Prince and HBO for giving me this opportunity.”

“Jennings showed he’s a very talented fighter,” said Gary Shaw. “Boxing needs heavyweights that can close the show and Jennings proved that tonight on his HBO debut. I will talk with James Prince and Antonio Leonard to see what is next for Jennings. He’s the first American heavyweight in many years that has a legitimate shot to be the World Champion. The Polish Prince put up a great fight, but tonight it was all about the USA. Right now I’m very happy with Jennings performance.”

“Bryant Jennings is no joke,” stated co-promoter Antonio Leonard. “He’s going to take the heavyweight division by storm and I see him becoming a world champion very soon.”

“I know Jennings has the talent to take over the heavyweight division,” manager James Prince said. “Tonight he took a giant step toward a world title shot. Boxing fans here in the U.S have a heavyweight in Jennings they can rally behind. We are gunning for the best out there.”

Felix Verdejo scored an explosive just 21 seconds into his bout with Lauro Alcantar in a battle of undefeated Lightweights.

Verdejo landed the “6 inch left hook” right on the chin of Alcantar and he was splattered on the canvas and the fight was stopped.

Verdejo, 1346 lbs San Juan, PR is now 10-0 with 7 knockouts. Alcantar, 135.2 lbs of Agua Prieta, MEX is now 8-1.

Jesse Hart scored a six round unanimous decision over Derrick Frinley in a Super Middleweight bout.

Scores were 60-54 om all cards for Hart, 169 lbs pf Philadelphia and is now 12-0. Findley, 168.2 lbs of Gary, IN is now 20-12-1-1.

Alberto Marchado scored a spectacular 2nd round stoppage ove Nuwan Jayakody in a scheduled 6 round Featherweight bout.

Machado blasted Jayakody with a left hook that sent him to the canvas. Jayakody tried to get his feet but stumbled down and the fight was stopped at 1:34 of round two.

Machado, 126 lbs of San Juan, PR is now 6-0 with 4 knockouts. Jayakody, 125.8 lbs of Nittabuwa, Sri Lanka is now 2-4-1.

Francisco Vargas scored a 1st round stoppage over four round Lopez in a scheduled four round Weltereight bout.

Vargas drilled Lopez with hard right hook that him flat on his back and the fight was stopped at 1:59.

Vargas, 149 lbs of San Juan PR is now 2-0 with 2 knockouts. Lopez, 146.4 lbs of Denver, CO is now 1-1.

Seanie Monaghan scored a 1st round stoppage over Matt Vanda when Vanda had to retire with a bicep injury. The time of stoppage was 2:51 for Monaghan, 175 lbs of Long Beach, NY who is 20-0 with 13 knockouts. Vanda, 173.2 lbs of St. Paul. MN 45-16.

Julian Rodriguez scored a 1st round stoppage over Neyeine Muang in a scheduled four round Super Lightweight bout.

The time was 1:51 for Rodriguez, 141.4 lbs of Hasbrouck Heights, Nj is now 3-0 with 2 knockouts. Muang, 141.2 lbs of Utica, NY is now 1-1-2.

HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise begins 2014 with an all-action doubleheader featuring an intriguing junior lightweight title showdown when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: MIKEY GARCIA VS. JUAN CARLOS BURGOS AND BRYANT JENNINGS VS. ARTUR SZPILKA is seen from the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York on SATURDAY, JAN. 25 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT), exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Jan. 26 (9:30 a.m.) and 28 (midnight)
HBO2 playdates: Jan. 26 (4:45 p.m.) and 27 (11:00 p.m.)
The main event pits Mikey Garcia (33-0, 28 KOs) of Oxnard, Cal. against Juan Carlos Burgos (30-1-2, 20 KOs), from Tijuana, Mexico, in a scheduled 12-round, 130-pound title bout. Garcia comes from a talented boxing family: The 26-year-old is trained and co-managed by his father, Eduardo, and his brother, Robert, the Boxing Writers Association of America’s 2012 Trainer of the Year. Garcia has been on the fast track to superstar status, steamrolling the competition and emerging as one of the sport’s elite fighters. His three wins in 2013 were convincing triumphs over former champions Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez and Rocky Martinez. The 26-year-old Burgos is a seasoned veteran who will be making his third bid for a world title.
In the co-feature bout, rising heavyweight Bryant Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs) makes his HBO debut. The 29-year-old Philadelphia native has attracted the attention from boxing observers as the sport searches for the next big American heavyweight star. His formidable foe, 24-year-old Artur Szpilka (16-0, 12 KOs) of Krakow, Poland, has generated a following in the U.S. this year with two televised victories over Mike Mollo, both of them all-action affairs.
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.
® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

The United States Embassy in Poland has granted heavyweight sensation Artur “The Pin” Szpilka (16-0, 12 KOs) the proper visa to enter the United States, and he will be landing in Chicago this evening.

Szpilka had been denied entry on his first attempt to enter the country for his 10-round showdown against Bryant Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs) on January 25 in New York at Madison Square Garden Arena

Promoters Gary Shaw of Gary Shaw Productions and Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing are both breathing a sigh of relief, now that fight will proceed as scheduled.
The undefeated pair will both be making their HBO debuts in a televised doubleheader, headlined by “Mikey” Garcia’s first defense of his WBO Super Featherweight Championship.

Philadelphia’s Jennings is currently ranked #5 in the WBA and #4 in both the WBC and IBF. The wildly popular Szpilka, of Warsaw, Poland, is currently rated WBA and WBC #14.
ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to it’s credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

PHILADELPHIA (Jan. 13, 2014) – Undefeated Heavyweight contender Bryant “By-By” Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs) is preparing for the biggest fight of his career when he faces fellow unbeaten, polish superstar Artur Szpilka (16-0, 12 KO’s). The bout will take place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, as the co-feature to Garcia vs. Burgos which will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, on Saturday, Jan. 25, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

With less than two weeks away from his showdown with Szpilka, Jennings reflects on training camp, making his HBO debut and fighting at Madison Square Garden for the first time.

“I’ve been in the gym since my last fight back in June so I’m ready to go,” he said. “My trainer Fred Jenkins and I have been grinding, working on new things, trying to improve on what I do best, which is to box my opponents ears off.

“I know Szpilka is a big star in him native country, but his “0” has got to go, and his fans must deal with him losing for the first time. I’m healthy and I feel I’ve improved my ring intelligence since I fought last.

“An opportunity like this, to fight on a big stage like HBO, is a dream come true,” Jennings continued. “When I first stepped in the gym, which was about five years ago, I always envisioned myself fighting on HBO. Now it’s time to show the world what Bryant Jennings is all about. I want to thank my promoters Gary Shaw and Antonio Leonard as well as my manager James Prince for getting me this opportunity. HBO needs some fresh heavyweight talent to showcase and I’m the one to take make it happen. I’m coming to win and win impressively.

“Everyone knows the Madison Square Garden is a place where many fighters have made their name famous. I plan to follow in the footsteps of the greats that have fought there before and continue on my path to greatness. God willing, everything goes as planned. Philadelphia will definitely be in the house and I want to personally thank all my fans for their support,” Jennings concluded.

January 12, 2014 – Gary Shaw Productions, Antonio Leonard Promotions and Team Bryant Jennings are all hoping Artur Szpilka can resolve his visa problems as it was reported that the polish fighter was deported back to his native land after he was stopped by the Department of Homeland Security at O’Hare International Airport. Bryant Jennings is scheduled to face Artur Szpilka on HBO January 25th.

“Team Jennings along with myself and Antonio Leonard are well aware of the visa problems Szpilka is having at the moment,” said Gary Shaw. “We are monitoring the situation very closely with Warriors Boxing Promoter Leon Margolis and hope this problem can get resolved very fast. This is a great fight between two undefeated ranked heavyweights and it would be disappointing if they are not able to fight. We are working endlessly to get Artur’s proper documents approved so they can meet January 25th on HBO.

December 15, 2013 – Gary Shaw of Gary Shaw Productions and Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing are happy to announce an agreement has been reached for rising heavyweight contenders Bryant Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs) and Artur Szpilka (16-0, 12 KOs) to meet in a 10-round showdown on January 25 in New York at Madison Square Garden Arena.

The undefeated pair will meet in an HBO-televised doubleheader, headlined by “Mikey” Garcia’s first defense of his WBO Super Featherweight Championship. The fight will mark the HBO debuts of both fighters.

Co-promoted by Antonio Leonard Promotions, Philadelphia’s Jennings, currently ranked #5 in the WBA and #4 in both the WBC and IBF rankings, will be returning from a seven-month layoff for this fight. Jennings who’s managed by James Prince, who also manages Andre Ward, was last seen in June of this year (his only fight of the year) stopping Russia’s Andrey Fedosov in round six. After competing five times in 2012, the time off has left Jennings eager to get back into the ring.

“It feels like I’ve been caged up for so long,” said Jennings. “I feel like I have all of this intensity built up inside of me and nowhere to release it. My hunger is so strong that not even killing it in the gym is an escape anymore and the only way to satisfy my hunger is to binge, January 25th will be a buffet. With every minute that passes it’s like my hunger grows and that is bad news for Artur Szpilka.”

Warsaw, Poland’s Szpilka, who’s co-promoted by Warriors Boxing and Ulrich Knockout Promotions, is currently rated WBA and WBC #14, was last seen in August, completing a two-fight ESPN-televised series with tough guy Mike Mollo. Szpilka visited the canvas in both fights against Mollo before scoring the KO with his super punching power from the southpaw stance.

“I look forward to the challenge,” said the popular Szpilka of the Jennings fight. “I have been improving with every fight and I am ready for anyone in the world. To take away his ratings in the world by beating him will move my career forward, so that is what I will do.”

“This is an incredible matchup between two undefeated heavyweights on the rise, they are both prideful countrymen and they are both on the fast track to the top,” said Gary Shaw. “Jennings has been on the radar a bit longer, but Szpilka has made a dent over the past year. This fight could steal the show based on the complementary nature of their styles. Bryant could’ve taken a lesser fighter with a more well-known name, or even one of the fading veterans still hanging around the heavyweight division, but instead he decided to get back in the ring and face a strong test. It’s a testament to both his dedication and competitive nature, I think it’s also foreshadowing for the kind of champion he will eventually be.”

“Artur makes all of his fights exciting by fighting to the level of his opponents, so prepare to see the best Artur Szpilka anyone has yet seen in the ring,” said Leon Margules. “He’s a tough Polish fighter with a dynamic style and a charismatic personality. A victory over Jennings will go a long way toward making him the star he was born to become.”

NEW YORK (December 16, 2013) — Undefeated two-division world champion and Ventura County Police and Sheriff’s Reserve Officer Academy graduate MIKEY GARCIA returns to the stage where he won his first world title 12 months earlier — The Theater at Madison Square Garden — only this time he’ll be defending his second world championship belt in as many weight classes. Garcia will put his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight title on the line against two-time world title challenger and current No. 1 contender JUAN CARLOS “Mini” BURGOS. Garcia vs. Burgos will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, Saturday, January 25, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will open with a 10-round battle between undefeated heavyweight contenders BRYANT JENNINGS and ARTUR SZPILKA.

These four warriors have a combined record of 96-1-2 (69 KOs) — a winning percentage of 97% and a victory by knockout ratio of 72%.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Banner Promotions, Thompson Boxing Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions, Warriors Boxing Promotions, Madison Square Garden and Tecate, tickets, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, go on sale This Friday! December 20 at Noon ET — THE perfect holiday gift for boxing fans. 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 and www.thegarden.com. .

The non-televised undercard will feature New York’s favorite light heavyweight, undefeated Top-10 contender “Irish” SEANIE MONAGHAN, 2012 Puerto Rican Olympian and undefeated lightweight contender FELIX VERDEJO and undefeated super middleweight contender JESSE HART, the son of Philadelphia boxing legend Eugene “Cyclone” Hart. The trio of young contenders boast a perfect record of 39-0 (29 KOs).

“We are proud to be presenting Mike Garcia once again,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “We believe Mikey is the next big superstar in boxing and in 2014 that will become evident.”

“We are really excited for Juan Carlos Burgos and his opportunity to win the world title that he should have already had,” said Arthur Pelullo, president of Banner Promotions, who co promotes Burgos with Thompson Boxing Promotions . “Juan was given that very questionable draw against Rocky Martinez last January 25th at The Garden that robbed him of the title. Mikey Garcia is a tremendous fighter, but we feel that Juan has the tools and the experience to get the win and become the new Junior Lightweight Champion of the World.”

“Burgos is primed for a big year in 2014,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing. “He’s one of the more talented boxers in his division and he’ll prove that against Mikey Garcia.”

“I’m happy to be returning to the ring,” said Garcia. ” Burgos is a very good fighter. He did very well against Rocky Martinez at The Garden last January and I think he is deserving of this title shot. There is no question we will give the fans a very exciting fight.”

“I’ve been looking forward to getting back in the ring,” Burgos said. “We’ve had a strong training camp with excellent sparring sessions. I know Mikey is a tough boxer, but I’ve been putting in the work and I expect a win on January 25.”

“With his two titles won in three victories on Boxing After Dark in 2013,” said Peter Nelson, director of programming, HBO Sports, “Mikey Garcia joined an elite class of fighters who emerged throughout the past season as boxing’s rising stars. Now, we’ll see if he can keep up that momentum or if his challenger Juan Carlos Burgos can steal it for himself. Opening the show, two undefeated heavyweights, Bryant Jennings and Artur Szpilka, face off in their HBO debuts, a compelling addition to the season premiere.”

“Madison Square Garden is excited to welcome back one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world — Mikey Garcia — for another great night of world championship boxing,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Sports. “Garcia versus Juan Carlos Burgos along with Seanie Monaghan and Felix Verdejo will be a thrilling night for fight fans and a great way to kick off another exciting year of boxing at The Garden.”

Garcia (33-0, 28 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., returns to the ring having won 16 of his past 18 bouts by knockout and has not gone the distance in over three years. He became a two-division world champion in his last fight, stopping defending WBO junior lightweight champion Roman “Rocky” Martinez in the eighth round with a vicious body shot to the liver on November 9, in Corpus Christi, TX. Garcia won his first world title — the WBO featherweight championship — on January 19, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, dethroning two-time featherweight champion Orlando Salido via an eighth-round technical win that had Garcia winning virtually every round against the seasoned veteran. He was forced to vacate the title in his first defense, for not being able to make the 126-pound weight limit. Though drained, he was still able to rise to the occasion and knock out former two-division world champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez in the fourth round last June 15. Garcia, 26, had a great year in 2012 too, knocking out one-time world title challenger Bernabe Concepcion and former world champion Mauricio Pastrana, in the seventh and second rounds, respectively. He ended his 2012 campaign by knocking out former World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Jonathan Barros in the eighth round. Garcia is trained by his father Eduardo Garcia and co-managed and trained by his brother, 2012 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion.

Burgos (30-1-2, 20 KOs), of Tijuana, México, will be making his third attempt at a world title. After unsuccessfully challenging Hozumi Hasagawa for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title in 2010, he moved up to the junior lightweight division stringing together a two-year, five-bout winning streak, including victories over Luis Cruz for the NABO title in 2011, and former world champion Cristobal Cruz for the WBC Silver championship belt in February 2012. In July 2012 Burgos stopped undefeated Cesar Vazquez in the third round to catapult himself into the No. 1 contender position. Burgos challenged defending WBO junior lightweight champion Rocky Martinez on the same card that saw Mikey Garcia stop Orlando Salido. Unfortunately Burgos’ efforts were not rewarded the same way as both fighters walked away with a disputed draw despite Burgos landing 93 more punches than Martinez, according to CompuBox statistics, including 70 more power punches, and his 36% connect rate was 13% higher than Martinez. Burgos, who turns 26 on December 26 — Boxing Day — returns to ring world-rated No. 1 by the WBO.

Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA, is picking up steam, winning four of his last five bouts by knockout. One of the brightest lights among U.S. heavyweight contenders, Jennings, 29, captured the USBA heavyweight title in June of 2012, winning a 10-round decision over Steve Collins. He successfully defended that title in December 2012, knocking out Bowie Tupou in the fifth round. He only had one fight in 2013 — a sixth-round stoppage victory of Andrey Fedosov in June. Collins, Tupou and Fedosov had a combined record of 71-5-1 when they faced Jennings, who enters this fight with a new managerial and promotional team. He is currently world-rated No. 4 by the WBC and No. 5 by the WBA.

Szpilka (16-0, 12 KOs), of Krakow, Poiland, enters this fight having won 10 of his previous 12 fights by knockout, including three of the four bouts he fought in 2013. He has picked up an American following thanks to his two nationally-televised knockout victories over Mike Mollo in 2013, where both men hit the deck in each of their action-packed fights. Another highlight for Szpilka was his 10-round unanimous decision victory over Brian Minto for the interim WBC Baltic heavyweight title. He enters this fight world-rated No. 14 by the WBC.

One of New York’s top boxing attractions, Monaghan (19-0, 12 KOs), of Long Beach, NY, is the reigning WBC Continental Americas light heavyweight champion. He captured that title in June 2012, knocking out Romaro Johnson in the eighth round, and has successfully defended it twice — via a 10-round unanimous decision in October 2012 and in his pay-per-view debut, on the Timothy Bradley vs. Juan Manuel Márquez welterweight champion card, by stopping Anthony Caputo-Smith in the third round. Monaghan enters this fight having won four of his last six fights by stoppage and world-rated No. 6 by the IBF and No. 10 by the WBA. He will be facing Fabio Garrido (19-4, 15 KOs), of Säo Paulo, Brazil, in a 10-round light heavyweight battle. Garrido, who has won his last three fights by knockout, captured the vacant Brazilian light heavyweight title on December 7, knocking out Ernesto Gonzalez in the first round.

Verdejo (9-0, 6 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, has not only transitioned from a stellar amateur, where he fought on Puerto Rico’s 2012 Olympic team, to an exciting professional, he has also ignited the passions of his island’s boxing fans who currently have no world champions representing them. In short, he is showing the potential for being Puerto Rico’s next big boxing star, following the lineage of Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto in attracting legions of fans to his all-action fights not only in Puerto Rico, but in New York, Las Vegas and Florida. Verdejo, 20, fought eight times in 2013 and only went the distance twice. He will be facing Lauro Alcantar (8-0, 1 KO), of Agua Prieta, México, in a six-round battle of undefeated lightweight contenders.

Hart (11-0, 10 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA , won all six of his 2013 fights by knockout, with only one of those bouts reaching the third round. Trained by his father, the highly-rated middleweight contender of the late ’60s and early ’70s Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, the younger Hart, 24, will be taking on durable veteran Derrick Findley (20-11-1, 13 KOs), of Gary IN. Findley, who scored a second-round TKO of contender Ronald Hearns in 2012, has gone the distance against undefeated contenders Matt Korobov, Gilberto Ramirez and J’Leon Love.

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