WASHINGTON, D.C. — (Oct. 28, 2015) – Beltway-area natives Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) and Antoine Douglas (18-0-1, 12 KOs) held a media workout at The Enigma Boxing on Tuesday as they prepare for their separate bouts in November on SHOWTIME.

Russell Jr. will make the first defense of his WBC Featherweight World Championship against Colombia’s Oscar Escandón (24-2, 16 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, Nov. 14, live on SHOWTIME (10:45 p.m. ET/PT) from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Douglas, a world-ranked rising middleweight prospect, will put his undefeated record on the line against veteran Les Sherrington (35-7, 20 KOs) in the main event of the prospect-oriented series ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, Nov. 6, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from the D Las Vegas.

Here’s what Russell Jr., Douglas, Gary Russell Sr. (Gary’s father and trainer) and Gary Antonio Russell (Gary’s younger brother and undefeated boxing prospect) had to say on Tuesday:

GARY RUSSELL JR.:
“Training camp is going great, we’re right on course. There was a minor hiccup in the camp because I was supposed to fight on Oct. 24. I started sparring, but once the fight got pushed back to November 14 I cut the sparring off. I didn’t want to peak too early.

“Today (Tuesday) was my first day back sparring again. I’m working on my timing, ring generalship and lateral movement. We’re right on course.

“Oscar Escandon is strong and durable. He comes straight forward. If his corner was smart they would try to take away my hand speed which will be a big factor in the fight. He’ll need to close the distance, smother my punches so speed isn’t a factor.

“We are working on becoming just as comfortable fighting on the outside as I am fighting on the inside.

“A lot of fighters are one-dimensional. We are trying to make that diamond shine on all sides.

“I know that I will be victorious without a doubt. Anyone that you get in the ring with these small, 8-ounce gloves always has a possibility of creating an upset whether he’s a big puncher or not. It only takes one shot. It’s the fighters’ job to take away that opportunity.

“I’m excited to fight, period. I don’t even think about this fight being a title defense. It takes a certain type of mental toughness and psychological strength to get in the ring and perform. Anyone who gets in the ring against me is a champion in my eyes.

“It’s been about seven months since I fought. I’m always anxious to get back in the ring.

“If I get past Escandon I would love to fight Leo Santa Cruz, we fought in the amateurs. But we never underestimate any opponent and we are focused on getting this fight out of the way first. Lee Selby is another guy that we’re looking at. Of course Abner Mares, even though he lost, would be a great fight. These are the type of guys that we’d like to fight.

“Having my family with me during training camp means everything to me. It’s where I get my energy from. A lot of guys feel like they have to get away for training camp, but I don’t have to leave home. My family is the driving force behind my training camp and where I find my power and motivation. At the end of the day, I box for my family.

“If my brother ends up fighting on my undercard it would be very cool for me. It will be funny because if he does compete, you will definitely see me work his corner before my title fight.”

ANTOINE DOUGLAS:
“I know my opponent is a tall southpaw. He likes to fight on the inside and smother his opponents with his punches. It’s a good matchup. I can adjust to any boxer face.

“I’m satisfied with the way that my career has progressed, taking steps up with each opponent along the way. We’re ready to take that next step, more toward a title shot.

“If all goes well with my fight against Les Sherrington I hope to start fighting on Saturday, make that move from ShoBox to SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

“I see myself fighting for a world title in the near future. There are plenty names in the division that I look at, but only a few guys that hold the titles. I look at Daniel Jacobs and Peter Quillin as guys that I would like to fight.

“The Jacobs vs. Quillin fight could go either way. I think I’m leaning more towards Quillin.

“I was born prematurely. Doctors told my family that I wouldn’t be able to walk or see, but look at me now. My mom is always screaming at my fights because she’s so proud of the fact that I’ve overcome so much.

“I grew up with my siblings bouncing around at different foster homes from the age of 5. I was running the streets because I didn’t know any better.

“My cousin adopted us and he first introduced us to boxing.

“Boxing provided me with a family, structure and disciple. It has made me the person I am today and has brought me success so I can live a better life in the future.

“My upbringing in the streets prepared me for my career in the ring. I have already been through the battle and if something was to stop me it would’ve already happened.

“My mom battled addiction when I was younger and she wasn’t in my life. She’s now back in my life and it means a lot to me to have her supporting me with my career. I am also able to provide structure in her life.

“It would mean everything to me to have my mom and I celebrate a world title.”

GARY RUSSELL SR.:
“I know it’s a championship fight, but we go into every fight like it’s a title fight. We don’t know a ton about his opponent, we just train like champions.

“I have six sons, all of them are fighters. They all have different attributes as people that translate differently into who they are as people and in the ring.

“Antonio Russell is 4-0, he’s worked really hard all of his life. Outside of the gym, he can fix anything. Antoine, who just qualified for the Olympic trials, is brilliant. I’m very proud of him because he just graduated valedictorian of his class with the highest GPA of anyone in Prince George’s county. Then you have Gary, who is so hard working, he’s the future patriarch of the family, he has an old spirit.

“I’m proud of all of my kids and I’m proud that we’re a strong family unit. We learned a lot from Gary’s loss to Vasyl Lomachenko. We have a motto at the gym that hangs from a banner, it says ‘Success is the Ultimate Revenge’ and we’ve lived by that ever since the loss. We learned an important lesson from that fight and have moved on.

“Boxing is a fleeting thing, you don’t do it forever. We’re doing our own thing. I’m not worried about what other people have done.

“As a father, your paternal instinct kicks in because in this sport, anything can happen. You don’t want to see your son end up hurt. So we train for any circumstance. Because of that instinct, I’ve been strict and hard on my sons in order to keep them safe.”

GARY ANTONIO RUSSELL (Fighting on the Friday, Oct. 30 non-televised Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce TV undercard and potentially the November 14 undercard.):
“With the way we train and fight, our defense sets up our offense and our offense sets up our defense.

“My job is to go in there and win fights. I know my opponent is a tall guy, but I also know that he is not going to win. He doesn’t have the punching power or ring generalship that I have.

“Once I win, I’m on to the next. I’m trained to fight consistently. I hope I get this guy out early, if it comes and presents itself. Then I’d love to fight on my older brother’s card two weeks after.”

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 21, 2015) – Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) will make the first defense of his WBC Featherweight World Title when he takes on Oscar Escandón (24-2, 16 KOs) in the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® main event on Saturday, Nov. 14 from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME (10:45 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $155, $105, $80, $55 and $30, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office, by calling 888-9-AXS-TIX, or online at www.axs.com.

“It’s going to take all of my skills and my whole arsenal to defend my belt on November 14,” said Russell Jr. “Escandón is a strong, durable fighter with a lot of power. I will have to be on my A-game and I believe I will be able to showcase my skills when I get in the ring.”

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity to fight Gary Russell Jr. for his world title,” said Oscar Escandón. “I feel strong going into this fight. Moving up to featherweight has given me the added weight to be at my full strength. I’ve been training hard with Ruben Guerrero, who’s been doing a great job preparing me for Russell’s southpaw attack. I guarantee that I’m going to make it a rough fight.”

“Gary Russell Jr. is one of the sports brightest young stars,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “Winning the featherweight world title against Jhonny Gonzalez was an outstanding feat and he’s chosen a very tough initial defense against the heavy handed Oscar Escandón. We’re very excited to work with the great teams at SHOWTIME and
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on this terrific event.”

The evening’s co-main event will be announced shortly, as will the full undercard of action.

Russell Jr., of Capitol Heights, Md., makes his first start since dethroning defending champion Jhonny Gonzalez via fourth round TKO in March in Las Vegas. The talented and quick-fisted southpaw dropped the veteran Gonzalez three times en route to capturing his first world title. The only blemish on the record of the 2008 U.S. Olympian is a close majority decision loss to Vasyl Lomachenko in a bout for a vacant world championship in June of 2014 on SHOWTIME.

Escandón, of Ibague, Colombia, is a former interim WBA World Super Bantamweight titlist – he lost the belt in April in a close, split decision to Moises Flores at StubHub Center but complained after the loss that a broken finger in his right hand prevented him from throwing any meaningful punches. A former amateur standout who represented his native Colombia in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Escandón won his U.S. debut and the interim WBA belt with a 12-round split decision over Tyson Cave last December. He has knocked out 10 of his last 14 opponents and is trained by Ruben Guerrero, father of long-time welterweight contender Robert Guerrero.

Escandón, who holds a career-best seventh-round TKO over then-undefeated Jesus Cuellar in 2011, will be making his third consecutive start in the U.S. as he moves up in weight to 126 pounds to challenge Russell Jr.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @MrGaryRussellJr, @Escandonbox; @TGBPromotions, @HardRockHotelLV and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.

NEW YORK (Oct. 3, 2015) – SHOWTIME Sports® will present seven live boxing telecasts in a span of just eight weeks to close out 2015, including three presentations of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, a SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast and three installments of ShoBox: The New Generation.

The seven telecasts will air live on SHOWTIME® and will feature at least 16 fights, several world championship bouts and more than 10 matchups on the prospect developmental series ShoBox.

The action will kick off with a ShoBox quadrupleheader on Friday, Oct. 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME from the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. In the 10-round middleweight main event, undefeated Rob Brant (17-0, 11 KOs, 0-3 in World Series of Boxing) will square off with Louis Rose (13-2-1, 5 KOs). In eight-rounders, unbeaten Filipino prospect Harmonito Dela Torre (16-0, 11 KOs) meets Wanzell Ellison (10-1-1, 5 KOs) in a junior lightweight scrap, Jarrell Miller (14-0-1) takes on Akhror Muralimov (16-1, 13 KOs) in a heavyweight bout and Lavarn Harvell (15-1, 8 KOs) will meet southpaw Samuel Clarkson (16-3, 10 KOs) in a light heavyweight scrap.

The following day, Saturday, Oct. 24, undefeated Kell Brook (35-0, 24 KOs) will make the third defense of his IBF Welterweight World title against Diego Chaves (23-2-1, 19 KOs) at Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England. The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast will be presented via Sky Sports in the UK and will air live on SHOWTIME in the afternoon with an encore presentation later that evening (SHO, 9 p.m. ET/PT).

ShoBox: The New Generation returns Friday, Nov. 6 from D Hotel in Las Vegas with a four-fight telecast: Up-and-coming unbeaten middleweight Antoine Douglas (18-0-1, 12 KOs) will battle Les Sherrington (35-7, 20 KOs) in the main event. In the co-feature, Taras Shelestyuk (12-0, 8 KOs) will be opposed by an opponent to be determined. Rounding out the card are eight-round scraps between Keenan Smith (7-0, 2 KOs) and Benjamin Whitaker (10-1, 2 KOs) and O’Shanique Foster (8-0, 5 KOs) and Samuel Teah (7-1, 5 KOs) in super lightweight and lightweight fights, respectively.

On Saturday, Nov. 14 quick-fisted Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) will risk his WBC Featherweight World Championship against Oscar Escandon (24-2, 16 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

Just two weeks later, on Saturday, Nov. 28, in a can’t miss match-up newly crowned IBF Super Middleweight World Championship James DeGale (21-1, 14 KOs) will face former world champion Lucian Bute (32-2, 25 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING from the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, live on SHOWTIME. In the co-feature, undefeated knockout artist and former Russian amateur champion Artur Beterbiev (9-0, 9 KOs) will face an opponent to be announced in a light heavyweight world championship title eliminator.

Brooklyn Bragging Rights and the WBA Middleweight World Championship will be on the line on Saturday, Dec. 5 when defending champion Daniel Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs) takes on former champion Peter Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The marquee main event will be preceded by a co-feature fight with additional bouts on the card airing live on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

Closing out the boxing year for SHOWTIME Sports will be a ShoBox two or three-fight card airing live on Friday, Dec. 11.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Baltimore, MD (July 14, 2015) – WBC featherweight champion Gary “Mr.” Russell Jr., undefeated prospect Antonio Russell and former welterweight titlist Vincent Pettway will all be in attendance for Baltimore Boxing’s “Road to the Worlds” Thursday evening at Michael’s Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.
Individual tickets starting at $25, reserve tables of 10 for $350 and VIP tables of 10 for $500 are on sale via the web at Baltimoreboxing.com or by calling 410-375-9175. Doors open at 6:30 and the first fight takes place at 8.

More than eight Olympic style bouts are scheduled for “Road to the Worlds” including fighters from various weight classes. Competing Thursday evening will be popular knockout king Sam Crossed, 2009 Ringside World champion Joey Veazey, fast rising Donald Wallace, Ernie Hall, Rick Foxwell and Sean Veazey amongst others.

With the Ringside World Championships scheduled August 5-8 in Missouri, Baltimore Boxing is donating 100% of the proceeds from “Road to the Worlds” to help the fighters pay for the tournament and various expenses that come with attending. This includes but is not limited to flights, ground transportation, lodging and food. To further assist with the fundraising efforts, a 50/50 raffle will take place during the evening.

An elite talent who many consider to have the fastest hands in boxing, Russell Jr. captured the WBC featherweight title following a career best performance where he knocked out Jhonny Gonzalez in the fourth round. The Washington, DC native won countless national amateur championships prior to turning pro and was a favorite to capture gold during the 2008 Olympics. Unfortunately, he passed out trying to make weight and never got to compete. At 26-1 with 15 knockouts, Russell Jr. looks to be a force for years to come and is a face that fans will become accustomed to seeing on TV.

Like his older brother, Antonio Russell came into the pro ranks following an impressive amateur career. The winner of the 2013 National Golden Gloves, Russell won medals three of the five years he competed in the nationals, capturing silver in 2010 and 2014. As a professional, Russell fights in the bantamweight division and is 3-0 with 2 wins by knockout.

The fighting pride of Charm City, Pettway stopped Gianfranco Rossi in 1994 to become the IBF junior middleweight champion. His next match however earned Pettway permanent fame in the boxing community. On April 29, 1995, Pettway scored a dynamic one punch knockout of Simon Brown. When Brown crashed to the canvas, the force of Pettway’s punch discombobulated him to the point that he literally threw punches at the air. The knockout has been viewed millions of times on the internet and remains one of the best in boxing history.

“I’m really looking forward to having the Russell Brothers and Vincent at my show,” said Smith. “Gary fought on my show when he was an amateur and I literally had goose bumps watching him fight. He was the most talented amateur I’ve ever seen and his brother was a heck of a fighter too. Their father has been a friend of mine for years and it’s amazing how many talented fighters came from that household. Vincent’s been a great supporter of Baltimore Boxing and the city as long as I could remember. Having him on fight night is always a pleasure and the fans show him a lot of love. Between the fighters on hand, boxers scheduled to compete and cause this card is supporting, Thursday will be a great all around evening.”

The Russell Brothers and Pettway will be available to meet with all ticketholders.

Baltimore Boxing kindly ask those who can’t attend to donate by going to http://www.gofundme.com/x4cyjqc.

By Bart Barry–

Saturday, Showtime’s preternaturally gifted Gary Russell Jr., an Al Haymon fighter, knocked-out the hardest puncher in Mexican history, Jhonny Gonzalez, on Showtime, a Haymon-affiliated network, to seize from Gonzalez the Showtime featherweight title Gonzalez took from Showtime’s Abner Mares a few years back. Whatever the depth of boxing’s featherweight division, and whatever Russell’s postfight protestations, Showtime’s featherweight division now finds itself bereft of fitting challengers for Russell’s crown – and Showtime viewers are admonished, therefore, to raise Russell’s fragile left hand against every hypothetical opponent from here to Nicholas Walters.

Unfortunately there is nothing new or more hyperbolic to say of Showtime’s Gary Russell Jr. than was already said by HBO’s crew 4 1/2 years and nine fights ago. Back then Russell’s membership on USA Boxing’s woeful 2008 Olympic team was viewed with greater skepticism than it is today; time and Deontay Wilder’s semisuccess, and the still-worse showing by USA Boxing in 2012, all, made shouting “2008 Olympian” somehow more positive Saturday on Showtime than it did when Russell began underachieving on HBO, who honored what remained, then, of its journalistic integrity by noting Russell did not even compete in the 2008 Olympic Games.

While it would be impossible to mark the day on which HBO completed its transition from broadcaster to promoter, historians might find riches worth mining in a review of a Boxing After Dark telecast on Sept. 3, 2011, one that featured an Andre Berto-rehab assignment in its main event and Gary Russell Jr.’s HBO debut in an eight-rounder on its undercard:

“Gary Russell Jr. is an ex-cep-tional talent!” cheered Max Kellerman before the opening bell even rang. “I think, Roy (Jones), he’s a gold-medal-caliber talent.”

“I hear his hands are almost as fast as mine used to be,” Jones answered, rhetorically, with what autobiographical modesty marked his every broadcast. “He’s got to be a gold-medal talent.”

In round 2 Kellerman strayed dangerously close to insubordination when, in an attempt to define Russell as both a supreme offensive force and a supreme defensive one, he ran afoul of Jones’ definition of a “boxer” – which Jones promptly made indistinguishable from other styles, specifically the difference between a “boxer” and a “boxer!”

“Signs of a great fighter, son,” added Jones in round 4. “Great hand-speed. Great power. Great defense. (Russell) has the total package.”

Comically, Kellerman then explained the hardest challenge to come for Russell’s people would be resisting temptations to move Russell too fast – since he was so outclassing the guys a lesser prospect would face at this point in his career. Caught under the spell of his own salesmanship, then, Kellerman asked Jones if room even remained for Russell to improve.

As the end of the fight neared, and Russell had failed even marginally to imperil someone named Leonilo Miranda, Kellerman looked ahead rosily:

“It’s not so much of a stretch to imagine (Russell) and Nonito Donaire in the winners bracket of a super fight at 130 pounds – two, three years down the line.”

Almost.

Four and a half years down the line, Russell finally won a title from an ancient Jhonny Gonzalez on the same day Donaire steamrolled someone named William Prado, off-television, somewhere in the Philippines.

While Russell seems like a good guy with talent, and certainly his managerial shop has produced lesser items in recent years, the fact remains no one should be excited about Russell, and excepting only those who are paid to act excited about Russell, no one genuinely is. Russell landed one great punch Saturday, a counter whose power derived mostly from Gonzalez’s sloppy aggression in the closing instants of round 3, and the rest of the stoppage came via Russell’s venomous flailing in round 4, Gonzalez’s despondency, and referee Tony Weeks’ mercy.

When Russell lacks power, generally, it is because he is afflicted with something like front-foot-itis, a condition that plagued the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. Russell often loads weight on his front foot as an anxious habit more than a strategic consideration, in a vestigial tick from his time in USA Boxing, when all the sweet science was reduced to reflexes and conditioning. Trained by men who idolized Roy Jones Jr., in 2008 Team USA believed in leaning forward, triggering an opponent’s jab, and then yanking back on one’s chin and weight while snapping a counter hook at one’s trapped opponent. Of course, when these counter hooks did not land, or got simply blocked, there was nothing for the American Olympian to do but retreat, bounce, and reset his weight over his front foot.

The medal count that year confirmed the approach’s sagacity.

Saturday’s most interesting revelation, though, came in the celebration of Jhonny Gonzalez’s now-extraordinary power, a concussive force he did not have until his first-round elimination of Showtime’s Abner Mares in 2013. Before then, Gonzalez was another sturdy Mexican, whose career and life, likely, were shortened by Israel Vazquez in 2006.

I was ringside for five Gonzalez fights, in Jhonny’s actual prime, and not once do I recall anyone talking about his historic power. He had good technique and made entertaining fights, and had a great nickname, “Jhonny”, but if anyone had said at the time Gonzalez packed more relative power than, say, Rafael Marquez – an assertion Showtime implied by implying trainer Nacho Beristain labeled Gonzalez as Beristain’s hardest-hitting champion ever – he’d have been laughed right off the writers’ table at Desert Diamond Casino.

The game certainly has changed. Back then, a cable network like Showtime would call an advisor like Al Haymon a “power broker.” Today, they call him “Boss.”

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Gary Russell Jr. won the WBC Featherweight title with a fourth round stoppage over Jhonny Gonzalez at the Palms in Las Vegas.

Russell dropped Gonzalez in the closing seconds of round two from a perfect right hook to the jaw. Russell scored a second knockdown in round four with a right hook to the head. Russell finished thins as he landed a huge flurry that put Gonzalez on the deck for a third and final time and the fight was called at 37 seconds of round four.

Russell, 125 3/4 lbs of Capitol Heights, MD is now 26-1 with 15 knockouts. Gonzalez, 125 lbs of Mexico City, MX is now 57-9.

Jermell Charlo remained undefeated by scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Vanes Martirosyan in a jr. middleweight bout.

In round eight, Martirsyan was cut above the left eye from a headbutt.

Charlo, 154 3/4 lbs of Houston, TX won by scores of 97-93 and 96-94 twice and is now 26-0. Martirosyan, 153 lbs of Glendale, CA is now 35-2-1,

LAS VEGAS (March 26, 2015) – Two days before their important fights live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), this Saturday, March 28, hard-hitting WBC Featherweight World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez, 2008 U.S. Olympian and former world title challenger Gary Russell Jr., undefeated super welterweight Jermell Charlo and once-beaten super welterweight Vanes Martirosyan participated in the final press conference at The Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
In the second half of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® doubleheader, the hard-hitting Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KOs), of Mexico City, will defend his WBC Featherweight World Title against talented once-beaten Russell (25-1, 14 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Md.

The telecast opener will match undefeated rising star Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (25-0, 11 KOs), of Houston, against the battle-tested Martirosyan (35-1-1, 21 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., in a 10-rounder for the WBO Intercontinental 154-pound championship.

Earlier on Saturday, SHOWTIME Sports® will present the Sky Sports telecast of the IBF Welterweight World Championship between defending champion and hometown favorite Kell Brook and No. 1 challenger Jo Jo Dan live on SHOWTIME at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT from the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England. Sky Sports’ Jim Watt and Nick Halling will call the action from ringside.

Tickets for this Saturday’s stacked DiBella Entertainment fight card are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50, and $25, plus applicable fees are on sale. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or by clicking HERE. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Here’s what the boxers and the other participants said Thursday at Palms Resort Casino Lounge.

JHONNY GONZALEZ, WBC Featherweight World Champion

“I am well aware of the history of the prestigious WBC featherweight title and the many great Mexican fighters before me who held it. It is an honor and a privilege and actually very exciting for me to be mentioned with those names.

“I definitely know that more people have been watching me since I knocked out Abner Mares. Knowing that more people are paying attention keeps me motivated, keeps me going strong.

“I feel I am getting better with every fight. Every victory only makes me work that much harder.

“I am very excited about fighting Gary Russell. He is a great fighter and this is going to be a great fight. I am totally prepared for anything. Everyone says it is my power against his speed, but anything can happen in a fight.

“The media thinks I’m done. They say Russell is too fast for me. I’m an underdog in this fight. While I don’t let any of the talk bother me, it does give me more motivation to prove to the people that I am for real and that I am a good fighter fight in and fight out.

“I enjoy being champion, putting in all the hard work and proving people wrong. I had a great training camp and prepared myself well in Mexico City for this fight. I’m known for knockouts but I never go into a fight looking for knockouts. I am ready to fight 12 hard rounds. If the knockout comes, it comes.

“I want to win and take the belt home to Mexico. You’ll see on Saturday what I have in store. You can see my strategy then. I hope to see you all there.

“I want to thank everyone for helping make this fight possible.’’

GARY RUSSELL JR., 2008 U.S. Olympian and former world title challenger

“I’m ready and in shape. In the ring I’m omnipresent. I’m going to change all those pictures on that belt.

“I feel the same going into this fight as I always do, and I expect the outcome to be the same as always, that I will come out on top.

“I respect Jhonny Gonzalez like I respect all my opponents. He worked hard to win the title. I have studied tape of him. I know he is going to come right after me. Gonzalez is a puncher. But I’m a good puncher too. He’s been knocked out before, maybe he’ll get knocked out again.

“I can do a lot of things in the ring. Of course, my youth and speed will be keys but I have other attributes, too, like boxing acumen, ring generalship and what I call controlled chaos. I can move and punch and I’m thinking all the time in there.

“Gonzalez and Lomachenko are totally different fighters with completely different styles. Lomachenko may be a bit better overall, but Gonzalez is more of a pure puncher with power. I know Gonzalez has a dangerous left hook. But I’m totally prepared for that and everything else.

“In my fight with Lomachenko I was flat. A lot of things went wrong in camp before that fight. I allowed my conditioning coach at that time to change up all sorts of little things with me, and they wound up working against me.

“For this camp, we went back to basics with the same people I’ve always had. It was a great camp. You know, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and that’s the philosophy all of us have again.

“I never dreamed growing up of being a world champion. My goal was to become a U.S. Olympian and win a gold medal. When I didn’t, I felt I let so many people down. It was then I started dreaming of becoming a world champion.

“I get another chance on Saturday. I’m ready for it.’’

JERMELL CHARLO, Undefeated Super Welterweight Contender

“It’s been an awesome camp, we enjoyed it. It’s been an awesome six or seven weeks. One thing you can never forget is — being a Charlo, being a lion — we stay on our game for weeks. Always training, always in shape.

“We know who is around us in the division, and which fighters to pay attention to. We know how far up we are. Vanes is a great fighter – I grew up with him a little bit. We trained with him back in ’08. His father is great. His father knows my father. We made it to a level where we both carried ourselves to the top. Carried ourselves to rank No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 … and when you’re in that position you fight the best.

“Of course, I’m not going out without a fight. I know neither is Vanes. You guys are going to get a fight Saturday night. As simple as this — I come to roar, I come to take over, I come to show guys that you can’t figure us out.

“There’s so many different things that have been said … ‘you’re basic,’ ‘you’re a boy vs. a man.’ Impossible. I wouldn’t be here if I was a boy. So, Saturday you all will see. I’m going to work.

“There are several weaknesses that I plan on exploiting. He’s got 35 wins but you have to look at who he fought. I would argue some of those guys don’t have the resume of the guys I have fought.

“I’ve fought tougher fighters than Vanes, stronger guys. A lot of people avoid Charlie Ota because it’s a rugged fight, but I’ll take those fights. You have to get in there and adjust, which is something I do.

“Vanes has a good right hand that you have to watch out for. There are certain punches that we have to throw to neutralize it.

“This can open up bigger doors for fights with top guys at 154 and even some other guys we can make catch-weight fights with. I consider myself and my brother (Jermall) both top five fighters in the division.”

VANES MARTIROSYAN, World-Ranked 154-pound Contender

“I’ve been here before. I love the lights.

“To all the fighters, I wish them the best. We’re ready to go. There’s not much to say right now. I do all the talking in the ring. I’ll let my fists do the talking.

“We’re 100 percent ready. I want to thank my trainers Roma, Coach D, my brother, my father. We’re ready to go. On Saturday I guarantee a victory by knockout. I promise that.

“It’s been a great two month camp, but we’re always ready. I’m always doing something athletic even if I don’t have a fight.

“Jermell is a good fighter, a good boxer. I would say he’s basic and I really do believe that. You can’t change a fighter overnight — that takes time. We’ll see what he brings to the table and be ready for anything.

“I’ve been in situations before where I knew even bigger fights were ahead of me and I got kind of used to the lights. I know what to do now and I’m ready. After this fight there are bigger things to come but to get to those bigger things you have to focus on this task.

“I don’t look at myself as the B-side, I think he is. I’ve been in this situation before and I’ve fought a lot of big names. Maybe there’s hype around him that makes him the A-side but it is all hype. I’ve been in there with guys who have a lot of experience so I’ll be ready.’’

NACHO BERISTRAIN, Gonzalez’ Hall Of Fame Trainer

“I expect a very difficult fight against southpaw who is very fast. Gary Russell is a great fighter, I like him.

“Jhonny knows what he has to do. He has to throw punches, maintain constant pressure and cut off the ring. That’s the way to help overcome Russell’s speed.

“Since beating Mares, Jhonny has definitely become stronger and more confident and more ambitious. It’s not about money, however, he just wants to prove to all the people that he is a good champion.

“Jhonny was always dedicated but now he is even more dedicated. We expect a victory by a big margin on points, but if the knockout comes, it comes.’’

GARY RUSSELL SR., Russell’s Trainer/Father

“Gary’s speed is going to be the difference. Speed kills.

“After the camp we’ve had, we expect Gary to come out and do what he knows how to do. They talk a lot about Gonzalez’ punching power, but Gary can whack too, along with his overall hand- and foot-speed and overall ability.

“We went back to our old routine in training and I can tell you Gary feels a whole lot better now. He’s primed for a big effort on Saturday. We all are.’’

RON RIZZO, Vice President of DiBella Entertainment

“Seems to be that this fight has been lost a little been in the shuffle recently. I’m not sure why. We have a lot of big things happening within the boxing industry — just as the University of Kentucky is dominating with their undefeated season, there’s a lot of other great matchups that are involved in boxing, and this is one of them.

“This is one I’m really excited about, and all the matchmakers I’ve been talking to are excited as well.

“I think this is a bout that’s really going to stand out. I don’t want people to miss it. This is a really good fight. There’s also another good fight with Charlo vs. Martirosyan as well.

“I really feel the main event is an unbelievable fight that just got lost in the shuffle of big fights that are happening on network television. For me, all the matchmakers that I’m talking to… it’s just one of those perfect kind of style bouts that are very intriguing. Of course Jhonny Gonzalez always makes for exciting bouts. Gary Russell is another guy who wants that title. He’s ready to take it this time.”

JAIME QUINTANA, Promociones Del Pueblo

“On behalf of Promociones Del Pueblo who represents Jhonny Gonzalez, the World Champion, we would like to let you know that we are happy to be here in Las Vegas defending the title.

“Jhonny Gonzalez has put up pretty good fights before – you all know. You have followed the steps in his career. We appreciate that. Thanks to the media, it’s them that makes a great fighter a great champion.”

BILLY CONN, Vice President of Entertainment and Special Events for The Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort

“On behalf of everyone here at the Palms Casino and our 2,000 employees, we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to cover this great event.

“We’re excited to work again with SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and DiBella Entertainment. Our crew at The Pearl has been working feverishly to make this intimate venue for everybody.

“You’ll really enjoy seeing fights here. Tickets are still available here at the Pearl Box Office, Ticketmaster, on our website, etc. Tickets start at $25. We look forward to hosting everybody here.”

BOB BENNETT, Executive Director of Nevada State Athletic Commission

“I feel privileged for the Nevada State Athletic Commission to go ahead and regulate this great Championship fight. We want to thank DiBella Entertainment and Goossen Promotions for bringing this fight to the fight capital of the world and to SHOWTIME for broadcasting the fight. Last but not least, and most importantly, I want to thank the fighters. Without the fighters, none of us would be here.”

# # #

“Gonzalez vs. Russell Jr.”, a 12-round world championship bout for Gonzalez’s WBC Featherweight World Title, is promoted by DiBella Entertainment. In the co-feature, Jermell Charlo takes on Vanes Martirosyan in super welterweight action. The event will take place at The Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

For more information, visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jhonnygbox, @mrgaryrusselljr, @TwinCharlo, @LouDiBella and @PearlAtPalms, follow the conversation using #GonzalezRussell, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

Kelly Swanson
Thank you, operator. Thanks, everyone, for calling in. We have a great call this morning and this afternoon actually here on the East Coast to talk about the March 28 SHOWTIME show, CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Show, featuring Jhonny Gonzalez, Gary Russell, Jr. and Jermell Charlo against Vanes Martirosyan. We have all the fighters joining us today on the call. We will start with Jermell and Vanes. But, before we get to the fighters, I’d like to introduce Chris DeBlasio, Vice President of Communications for SHOWTIME Sports to fill you in a little bit about the fight. Chris?

Chris DeBlasio
Thanks so much, Kelly. I just want to take a quick moment to thank the fighters for being on this call, thank the press for being here, and just say on behalf of Stephen Espinoza, the EVP and General Manager for SHOWTIME Sports, and all of us at SHOWTIME, we’re really excited to get back into it with a nice live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event this Saturday. As you may have seen in the boxing press, it was about two weeks ago that we announced the addition of a new platform called SHOWTIME Boxing International. The first fight will be this Saturday, March 28; it’s an international fight on the SHOWTIME network live to our subscribers. So, the first instance is a nice way to kick off our Saturday March 28 boxing coverage, and that’s gonna be the Kell Brook versus Jo Jo Dan IBF Welterweight World Championship fight that’s taking place in Sheffield, England. SHOWTIME is going to carry that fight live at 6:15 Eastern, 3:15 Pacific. And then, we will take a break during the afternoon hours and then go live at 10 p.m ET./7 p.m. PT SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event with Jermell Charlo, Vanes Martirosyan, Jhonny Gonzalez and Gary Russell. So, it’s sort of a two- part platform on Saturday with three live fights coming to you, which we’re really excited about. And we appreciate the opportunity to be in business with the guys on the phone here today. So, without anything further, let’s get it started. We welcome you guys.

Kelly Swanson
Okay. And one quick note — or rather, media, one quick note — we have just sent out the Fight Week Media Schedule, so please look for that in your inboxes, and it will give you the details of what is going on this week for the fight. Thank you. Okay, let’s go ahead and open it up. Actually, let me go ahead and introduce the two guys that are on the call right now. They want to say a couple words. First, we have Vanes Martirosyan. He’s a world-ranked 154 pound contender. Vanes, you want to say a couple words, tell us how training is going and how you’re getting ready for the fight?

Vanes Martirosyan
Training is going great, everything is going good. We can’t wait to fight. You know, I’m sure everybody says that before they fight, but we really are ready to go. We just can’t wait to go.

Kelly Swanson
Okay, great. Thanks so much. And where are you training?

V. Martirosyan
I’m training here in California at Main Event Sports Club. There’s been a couple of locations we’ve been training, but the major has been Main Event Sports Club, which the media will be at today.

K. Swanson
Now, I’m going to move to Jermell Charlo. He’s an undefeated super welterweight contender. Jermell why don’t you tell us a little bit about what’s happening in your training camp and how you’re feeling heading into the fight.

Jermell Charlo
Training’s been great. Every time I step in the ring, every time I get ready for a fight, I feel like just there’s never been a time where I repeat myself or do something the same. I’ve been learning from all my past mistakes. Every win I’m still learning from. So, training camp has been good. Trainer Ronnie Shields, Danny Arnold. I opened my own gym, so I get a little late night extra hours in when I want to. And, I want to fight with my twin brother. We’re pushing to fight. I can’t wait to fight. Just like Vanes, he’s hungry, he’s ready. I’m I’m ready.

Q
Given both of your positions, as considered as top 10 contenders in the 154 pound weight class, in your mind, do you consider this an elimination fight? Vanes, what are your thoughts about that?

V. Martirosyan
I think every fight right now at this point in my career and Jermell’s career should be considered a title fight. It is — I think it is — an eliminator fight. I’m looking at this as a championship fight. Jermell is tougher than any of the champions, so to me, this is a championship fight, and that’s what we got ready for. And it should be an eliminator fight. I don’t know if it is or not, but that’s how we’re taking it as, and we’re taking this as a world title fight.

Q
Jermell, your thoughts on that – is it an official eliminator or a de facto one?

J. Charlo
Same thing with me. I feel that this is a tough fight. Every fight is a fight for my life. And I step in the ring and make sure that I fight with that on the back of my mind. Vanes is a great fighter — grew up with him. I know what I bring to the table. And this fight is a fight for manhood, it’s a fight to show who the real tycoon of the sport is in the 154 pound weight division. There’s a lot at stake, so it’s more than a title fight to me.

Q
Jermell, did you say that you grew up with him a little bit?

J. Charlo
Yeah, I grew up with him, at least two or three years with Vanes, you know, and his family, his people, you know? So, I know — we know each other well.

Q
Have you guys ever sparred with each other?

J. Charlo
Yeah, we’ve sparred with each other several times.

Q
How often, would you say? And how long ago?

J. Charlo
I can’t really say how often. I know it was back when we were a little bit younger. I was younger, still a little boy growing up into a man. So, right now, I don’t even think about how it was, what it was about, or how training was when we were training together. Wasn’t even 19 — I was 17, 16, 17, 18, I mean, those ages. Here, we face each other because we’re both at the top, and that’s what happens when you’re in the same division. Never had anything personal or different to say about him. It’s just work.

Q
Vanes, you feel the same way about your times in the ring with him?

V. Martirosyan
Yeah, I remember when we used to train. It was good training. We were always in competition — me, him and his brother. We used to go running at Memorial Park every day, and we’d try to see who’d finish the lap first. It was always competition between us — running and training or what-not. But it was nothing but love and I respect him, his father, and his trainer, Ronnie Shields. They’ve been good people to me. But Saturday night, he’s going to be my enemy in the ring. For now, outside the ring, I respect everybody. Once we step in the ring, it’s a totally different story.

Q
Your fight that took place in October was a big win for you against Willie Nelson. You harnessed a lot of the emotion going into that fight because it had taken place just after your promoter Dan Goossen had passed away and you had his brother Joe in your corner. It was a lot of heavy emotion that night, and you really came through in a big way that night. Is it gonna be difficult in any way to sort of get that same emotion behind you?

V. Martirosyan
No, because at that fight, we had to forget about a lot of things. Dan passed away. We were all sad, and we didn’t know what to do. And we actually thought — ‘should we fight’ or I don’t know if Joe (Goossen’s) going to be there. I didn’t know what was going on. There was too much emotion going into that fight. We kind of got away from the fight a little bit. But we used it as motivation for our fight. This fight to me is big. When I lost to Andrade, I didn’t step into the ring 100 percent, and when I came home — when you come home a loser, it’s a bad feeling. I can’t look at my wife, my kids. I feel like I let them down. So, right now, I’m just in that mode where I’d rather die than see that again.

Q
If you were to win this fight, obviously, you’d be in position for a major world title fight. Are you comfortable with waiting for one of those, figuring those fighters only fight maybe twice a year, or would you want to stay active and take more fights between them?

J. Charlo
You know, winning this fight to me — a world title would be ideal. A world title is important. I want to fight for a world title. I want the world title. That’s every boxer’s dream and envision whenever they’re young. Fighting for the world title matters and all this extra stuff, but if I’m here building my name and building my brand, that’s just as important. Being a household name throughout the World Boxing Council, everything. That matters to me.

V. Martirosyan
The fight, this fight — I’d say like a lot of the champions that are champions right now in our weight class, most of them just run their mouth, starting with Andrade. A fight like this for me and Jermell, it’s such a big fight for me, you know, but it’s not only for us. I mean, it’s for the fans. The fans are in, and it’s great. I mean, you rarely get to see contenders like me and Jermell wanting to step up and fight each other. You know, usually, people will get up to the rankings like we are, they just want to just talk a lot of bad stuff about the champions to get the world title fight. But, you know, you rarely get to see contenders like that, you know, No. 1 and No. 2 fighting each other when, you know they really want to fight each other and they both said yes to the fight. So, it’s a big fight, but I feel like, you know, we’re all gonna be — we’re gonna do our best, and I feel like the fans are gonna be the winners for this fight.

K Swanson
Okay, great. You guys, I think that was your last question, and so we appreciate you taking the time out of your training. And Vanes, we look forward to seeing you later for your open workout. And, Jermell, we will see you in Las Vegas later this week.

J. Charlo
No problem. See you, guys.

V. Martirosyan – Thank you. Take care.

Kelly Swanson
We’re going to switch the call over to Gary Russell, Jr.

K. Swanson
Gary Russell, Jr. will be facing Jhonny Gonzalez for Gonzalez’s 126 pound title, the WBC Featherweight World Championship. Gary, if you want to tell us a little bit about how training is going, your anticipation to be fighting Jhonny Gonzalez for this world title and what you think about the whole fight in general?

Gary Russell Jr.
We had a great training camp. Everything has been perfect, no excuses, no cutting corners. We’re 120 percent ready for this fight. We can’t wait be able to call ourself the new WBC World Champion.

K. Swanson
Are you doing anything in camp in preparation for this that’s different from your other fights?

G. Russell Jr.
No, we’re not doing anything that’s different in preparation for any of the fights. I think the only difference is, depending on the fight, you want to prepare depending on the opponent that you’re competing against. So, I think the only difference is the difference in sparring. You want to bring in guys that have a similar style to who it is you’re gonna be competing against etc. That’s the only change that we’ve made so far. Besides that — basic fundamentals, ring generalship, hand speed, punching power, strength and conditioning, all of that stuff is the same.

Q
Gary, were you surprised to get another shot at the title?

G. Russell, Jr.
No, I’m not surprised. I got the same Al Haymon Promotions, just Al Haymon in general when it comes to that. He’s my manager, and we know that he did everything in his power to try to make things happen for us, and give us another shot at a world title. I’m extremely grateful and thankful for this opportunity.

Q
When you fought the fight against Lomachenko for one of the titles, do you take anything out of that defeat? Whether it’s the experience, or being on that level of the stage that you bring towards this next championship opportunity?

G. Russell Jr.
Of course. One of the main things that we took out of it is, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. In that particular fight with Lomachenko, we did a lot of things completely different in that fight that we normally wouldn’t do. We brought other people in. We let other people take the reigns and be in control of our conditioning. We’ve seen the outcome of that and the side effects of it. We don’t take losses easy, by far. So we’re back on pace. We have the same team around us that have been here from the beginning of my career all the way up until now. We had the same team way back in motion. We’re ready, we’re focused, we’re determined, we’re driven and we’re just looking to give a good show.

Q
Do you see Gonzalez as a much better fighter than Lomachenko, or perhaps a bit of a more vulnerable fighter than Lomachenko or similar? How do you stack up the two title holders?

G. Russell Jr.
They’re two very different fighters. Lomachenko has a little bit more hand speed than Jhonny Gonzalez. Gonzalez is more of a puncher. Jhonny Gonzalez is more of a dangerous fighter than Lomachenko just because of his punching ability and just him being a seasoned professional, being able to get all these rounds in as a professional. Lomachenko definitely is a good fighter. We take every fight serious. You take no one for granted. We definitely said, oh, this is a dangerous fight taking with Jhonny Gonzalez, but we feel as though what we bring to the table will be superior in the end.

Q
What specifically did you do differently to prepare for Lomachenko that you wish you hadn’t?

G. Russell, Jr.
We brought someone in for our strength and conditioning. We’ve known our strength and conditioning was completely different. Even when it came to the way that we cut weight, it was different. Leading up to the fight, we were in a sauna for the past two, maybe three days leading all the way up into the fight. That’s what my strength and conditioning coach wanted me to do.
Anyone that’s seen that fight, whether it was Lomachenko or anyone else, they’ve seen the difference in my punching ability, my endurance, my speed, just me as a person. People knew that that wasn’t the Gary Russell, Jr. that they’d seen the previous 24 fights. And that was some of the things that came up in the Lomachenko fight. I was completely tired and fatigued in the first round, you know?

Q
About Jhonny Gonzalez — he obviously is a guy who is a volume puncher, he’s not afraid to stand in and trade. How does this fight work to your advantage if he does fight a typical Gonzalez fight in your mind?

G. Russell, Jr.
I don’t think that he’s going to be able to deal with, once again, my speed. I think we’ll be able to do it with my speed. He’s always been slow in the speed. Even though he’s been a puncher, a lot of punchers have to really sit to actually apply these punches efficiently. I think he lacks the ring generalship as far as the footwork goes that he would need — the foot quickness. And a lot of his shots are a little wide. So, I’ll be about to outpunch him and be able to punch him between his shots.

Q
What did you think of the decision in the Lomachenko fight?

G. Russell Jr.
I didn’t think anything of it. The only thing that registered in my mind was the fact that I didn’t have the ability to perform the way that I normally would have. I never really looked at a decision. I never looked at how the referee was going about the fight or any of these things. The only thing that came to my mind was the fact that I just lost my first professional fight, and I sort of saw the reason why I lost — it was because I wasn’t able to do what it was that I normally do.

Q
So, you feel that you lost the fight then?

G. Russell Jr.
Certainly. I’d definitely say that I lost the fight.

Q
You touched on Al Haymon earlier. Can you explain what his impact is in your career? And we’ve all seen the moves that he’s been making. How is that gonna help you moving forward?

G. Russell, Jr.
I feel as though the fire is under these managers and promoters. There’s a team effort. You’ll be able to tell your manager or your promoter, ’Hey, this is my game plan, this is what it is that I want to accomplish this year.’ I wanted to at least be able to contend for a world title. I want to have maybe four fights this year, maybe six fights this year, etc. Your manager and promoter, where they come in at, they should be able to meet you halfway with their game plan. If you want to have six fights within a year, etc., your manager and promoter should be able to get it done for you. We feel as though that Al Haymon is very efficient in doing exactly what it is that we want from him. It’s about who you know, I guess.

Q
Heading into this fight, do you feel like you have to give a certain quality of fight to really make fans relate to you and make you a household name? Now that there’s so many platforms for boxing, do you feel like there’s added pressure to put on an exciting fight, or do you feel like you can still just, methodically box and gain fans from that?

G. Russell Jr.
I honestly don’t feel as though that we have to do anything out of the ordinary. You’re going to see the typical Gary Russell, Jr. that you’ve seen the previous 24 fights — hand speed, punching ability, ring generalship and etc. ,A lot of fighters get caught up in the hype, and they feel as though they have to do things a little more to win the fans over, etc. That’s never one of my things. I’m always to be exciting without being reckless. And I’m going to do what it is that I’m comfortable doing.

K. Swanson
Okay, Gary, thank you so much for being available to answer those questions, and we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day, and we look forward to seeing you fight this Saturday, March 28, at the Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING. Thanks, Gary.

* * *

Tickets for the live event are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50, and $25, plus applicable
fees are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or by clicking HERE. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Gonzalez vs. Russell takes place at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). In the co-main event, Jermell Charlo takes on Vanes Martirosyan in super welterweight action. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

For more information, visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jhonnygbox, @mrgaryrusselljr, @TwinCharlo, @LouDiBella and @PearlAtPalms, follow the conversation using #GonzalezRussell, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

LAS VEGAS (March 2, 2015) – A world-class doubleheader, featuring featherweight world champion Jhonny Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KOs) defending his 126-pound title against exciting young star Gary Russell Jr. (25-1, 14 KOs)in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, will take place at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, on Saturday, March 28, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

In the co-feature, undefeated rising star Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (25-0, 11 KOs) faces a tough test when he takes on the experienced former U.S. Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (35-1-1, 21 KOs) in an important super welterweight showdown.

Tickets for the live event are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50, and $25, plus applicable fees are on sale today, Monday, March 2, at 12 p.m. PT. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or by clicking HERE. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

“I’m very excited to be coming back to the United States. Every time I have fought on American soil, it has been career-changing for me,” said Gonzalez. “In 2012, [Daniel] Ponce De Leon stopped me in Las Vegas and made me reconsider my whole strategy. I came back to the U.S. in 2013 and I stopped an undefeated champion, Abner Mares. Now I’m back and once again I’m facing a tough opponent. Russell is not an easy test, but I’m confident I’m going to surprise everybody once more. Nobody thought I had a chance in 2013 and I stripped Mares of his title. Food for thought.”

“I’m blessed to be back on this stage, fighting once again for a world title,” said Russell Jr. “I came up short at my first opportunity for the title and that has me more motivated than ever to get the job done on March 28. I will finally hold up my very own belt.”

“I love fighting on SHOWTIME and I’m excited to put on a show for the fans in Las Vegas,” said Charlo. “I have a tough opponent, people think I might not be ready, but on March 28, they’re going to know that I’m taking over the sport.”

“This is a great opportunity for me and I’m just thankful to get the chance to showcase my talents,” said Martirosyan. “Charlo is a tough kid, but I’ve been around this sport longer and I’m going to show him some things he’s never seen before. The fans better get ready for an awesome show.”

“This edition of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is guaranteed to be action-packed,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment, promoter of the event. “The main event presents the classic boxer versus puncher matchup, with the slick, talented former Olympian Russell looking for redemption and the title against reigning, three-time world champion brawler Gonzalez. The co-feature between Charlo and Martirosyan is a highly competitive clash of styles. A big fight is in the future for the winner of this bout.”

“March 28 should be a tremendous night of fights to kick off a stacked run of boxing on SHOWTIME and CBS,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “Both bouts on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast have world title implications. The main events matches the one-punch knockout power of world champion Jhonny Gonzalez versus the speed of Gary Russell, who is one of the most skilled boxers in any division. And with Jermell Charlo vs. Vanes Martirosyan, we have a matchup of two top 154-pounder contenders, each on the verge of a world title opportunity.”

“Boxing continues to be a major draw for Las Vegas,” said Billy Conn, Vice President of Entertainment and Special Events for The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort. “The Pearl is one of the most intimate venues where you can catch those world class athletes in action.”

One of the best Mexican fighters of this era, Mexico City’s Gonzalez has held world championships at 118 and 126 pounds, defeating the likes of Hall-of-Famer Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson and former world champions Fernando Montiel, Irene Pacheco, and Hozumi Hasegawa, along the way. The 33-year-old Gonzalez’ last loss came in 2012 to Daniel Ponce De Leon, but he has won his last five fights, including a shocking 2013 first-round knockout over defending beltholder Abner Mares resurrecting his career. He has defended the title twice in Mexico and now he returns to the U.S. in a very tough defense on March 28.

A supremely talented boxer, Capitol Heights, Maryland’s Russell Jr. is looking to strike world championship gold in his second shot at a belt. The 2008 U.S. Olympian looks to wipe out the memory of his first opportunity, when he fell by 12-round majority decision to Vasyl Lomachenko. He was able to return to his winning ways in December 2014, when he dominated Christopher Martin on his way to a unanimous decision. Now Russell Jr. has his eyes set on Gonzalez’ featherweight crown.

Younger-by-one-minute than his identical twin Jermall, Charlo is also a highly ranked young fighter looking to get one step closer to a world title shot. A tall fighter for his division, Charlo stepped up in class in 2014 and delivered three wide unanimous decision victories over Gabriel Rosado, Charlie Ota and Mario Lozano. On March 28, he takes on another tough challenge when he meets the experienced Martirosyan.

Born in Armenia, but fighting out of Glendale, Calif., Martirosyan represented the U.S. at the 2004 Olympics and has put together a stellar pro career since. He won his first 32 fights before fighting current world champion Erislandy Lara to a draw in 2012. He suffered a narrow defeat by split decision in his first world title shot against Demetrius Andrade but has rebounded with nice wins over Mario Lozano and Willie Nelson.

The event takes place at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). In the co-main event, Jermell Charlo takes on Vanes Martirosyan in super welterweight action. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

For more information, visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jhonnygbox, @mrgaryrusselljr, @TwinCharlo, @LouDiBella and @PearlAtPalms, follow the conversation using #GonzalezRussell, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

Jesus Cuellar retained the WBA Interim Featherweight title with a 5th round stoppage over Ruben Tamayo and the Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Washington.

in round four, Cuellar sent Tamayo o the canvas with a right hand. Just moments later body shot sent Cullerar down for a 3nd tine in the round. Cuellar dropped Tamayo with another body shot in round five and the bout was stopped at 1:48 of round five.

Cuellar, 126 lbs of Argentina is now 26-1 with 20 knockouts. Tamayao, 124 1/2 lbs of Mexico is now 25-5-4.

“I’m very happy I could close out the year headlining on national television on SHOWTIME and also on Argentina’s public channel. That was a dream come true.’’
Cuellar doesn’t know what’s next, but says he wouldn’t mind a fight against former three-time world champion Abner Mares.

“I really wanted to make a good impression on the fans tonight and I’m looking forward to fighting often again next year,’’ Cuellar said. “There are a lot of possibilities, but I think the fighter I’d like to fight is Abner Mares, who I met recently in Las Vegas. He approached me and we took a picture together and then he tweeted it out, saying he wanted to fight me. Well, I’d like to fight him, too. It would be a really exciting fight for the fans.’’
Cuellar, a six-time Argentine national amateur champion and two-time South American amateur champion, is unbeaten as a professional since suffering his lone loss in October 2011.

His trainer, Robert Garcia, says Cuellar is still a work-in-progress and will continue to improve.

“We haven’t seen the best of Cuellar, not by a longshot,’’ Garcia said. “He’s making good progress from fight to fight, but still has things to learn. Little by little, though, he is getting better. There is not a fighter as dedicated as he is. He’s very disciplined, trains hard, spars hard and does everything to the extreme.

“With more time, I really expect great things out of him.’’

Former world title challenger Gary Russell Jr. pounded out an easy 10-round unanimous decision over veteran Chris Martin in a Featherweight bout.

Russell dominated the action showing blistering hand speed and hard combinations. Russell continued to pepper Martin with short, quick punches and Martin, who tried hard just did not have the speed to compete with Russell. The bout was never in question as Russell won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91.

Russell, 126 1/2 lbs is now 25-1. Martin, 126 lbs of Chula Vista, CA is now 28-5-3.

Russell landed 293-845 punches. Martin was 67-353

“I’m O.K., pretty cool with the result and my performance,’’ said the talented, quick-fisted Russell who dominated from the outset. “I wanted to totally outbox Martin and I did. I wanted to get in some rounds, get some of the ring rust off and I did that too. I felt real comfortable in there. I wanted to box and show good ring generalship. It’s going to be a big 2015 for me.’’

Good looking Jr. Middleweight prospect Julian Williams dominated Jarmar Freeman and scored an 8th round stoppage in a scheduled 10-round bout.

Williams dominated the fight by using his exceptional handspeed and combination punching for which Freeman had no answer for.

In round seven, Williams landed a perfect right hand that sent Freeman to a knee. Williams landed a huge flurry that sent Freeman down for a second time in the round. In round eight, Williams landed about six right hands that crumbled Freeman in the corner and the fight was stopped at 29 seconds of round eight.

Williams, 153 3/4 lbs of Philadelphia is now 18-0-1 with 11 knockouts. Freeman, 153 1/4 lbs of Wilson, NC is now 13-4-2.

“I knew he’d be tough, but it feels good to win by knockout,’’ said Williams, the new WBC Continental Americas 154-pound champion. “It’s crazy but this was my fourth scheduled 10-round and fourth knockout.

“Tonight, I just wanted to show patience and pace myself. My last fight was very disappointing to me. I rushed everything. I know I have to keep improving. When I watch tapes of my fights, I am not looking to admire myself but to see where I can improve.

“I’d like to improve 25 percent each time out. A lot of prospects get satisfied with early success, but I’m not like that. The 154-pound division is loaded. The top five guys, even the bottom five are all really tough. I want to be ready for all of them when my turn comes up.’

Punch stats saw Williams lands 136-367. Freeman was just 22-172

Julius Jackson scored a 9th round stoppage over Jonathan Nelson in a scheduled 10-round Super Middleweight bout.

Jackson scored a knockdown in round one when he landed a series of rights that stunned Nelson and then he took a knee. Jackson dominated the first half of the fight as he landed power shots from distance.

Nelson had a brief comeback with some good counter shots in round six. Jackson came back to have a solid round seven and then dropped Nelson from a perfect right in round eight. The fight was stopped a round later after Jackson landed a few more telling blows at 28 seconds of round nine.

Jackson, 168 lbs of Virgin Islands is now 19-0 with 15 knockouts. Nelson, 167 1/2 lbs of Little Rock, Arkansas is now 19-2.

Jackson landed 186-468 punches while Nelson was just 68-200

“He was a tough fighter, much tougher than I thought,’’ said Jackson, 27, a five-year-pro and the son of former WBA Super Welterweight and two-time WBC Middleweight Champion Julian “The Hawk” Jackson and the older brother of super middleweight and fellow-2008 Olympian John Jackson. “He could take a punch. I don’t think I hit him that hard at the end. I feel a combination of punches may have worn him down a little.

“These are the kinds of fights I want, and hope to have. I want to prove myself to myself and these are the kinds of fights that will do it. I am happy with my performance tonight.’’

Offered Nelson, “I’m disappointed in losing but I think I gained a few fans along the way. I will definitely learn from this fight.’’

SHELTON, Wash. (Dec. 19, 2014) – The eight fighters who will compete on SHOWTIME BOXING on SHOWTIME EXTREME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 20, made weight Friday at Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Wash.

In the 12-round main event, southpaw interim WBA Featherweight World Champion Jesus Andres “El Jinete” Cuellar (25-1, 19 KOs), of Buenos Aires, Argentina, will seek his ninth victory in a row when he defends against Ruben “Canelito” Tamayo (23-4-4, 15 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.

World-ranked featherweight Gary Russell Jr. (24-1, 14 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Md., returns to the ring to meet former California State Champion Christopher Martin (28-4-3, 9 KOs) of Chula Vista, Calif., in the 10-round co-feature.

In other action, promising undefeated world-class prospect Julian “J Rock” Williams (17-0-1, 10 KOs), 24, of Philadelphia, will be opposed by Jamar Freeman (13-3-2, 7 KOs) of New Haven, Conn., in a 10-round super welterweight clash and undefeated Julius “The Chef” Jackson (18-0, 14 KOs) of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, will clash with Jonathan Nelson (20-1, 10 KOs), of Little Rock, Ark., in a 10-round super middleweight match.

The Weights: Cuellar tipped the scale at the division-limit 126 pounds, while Tamayo weighed 124.8 pounds; Russell weighed 126.6 pounds, Martin 126; Williams weighed 153.8 pounds, Freeman, 153.2; and Jackson weighed 168 pounds, Nelson 167.6.

What the fighters said on Friday:

JESUS CUELLAR, interim WBA Featherweight World Champion

“I’m very happy to be headlining a SHOWTIME event. This is a great opportunity for me to establish myself as a household name in the United States.

“I don’t know much about [Ruben] Tamayo other than he’s a good fighter with a good record and has two arms and two legs. I’m definitely ready for him and won’t be overlooking him.

“I’ve had a great eight-week training camp with Robert Garcia in Oxnard [Calif.]. Robert is undoubtedly one of the greatest trainers in the world. He has so much knowledge and has taught me many things that apply not only inside the ring but outside, too.”

RUBEN TAMAYO, Featherweight Contender

“I feel privileged and blessed to be getting this shot. Cuellar is a tough champion who I have a lot of respect for. But inside the ring, I will show no respect. . This is really an opportunity of a lifetime, my lifelong dream.

“I’m here to take care of business and I know exactly what I’m supposed to do. A win will open my so many doors for me. I am very confident. For sure, I think this will be the toughest fight of his career.’’

GARY RUSSELL JR. Former World Title Challenger

“I’ve been training for about two months. My hands are fine and I’m roaring to get in the ring. I’m fighting a tough guy who is definitely confident that he can upset me, which is exactly the kind of fighter I want to fight.

“I will never get over the loss to [Vasyl] Lomachenko. Even if we fight again and I beat him, I will never forget that first loss.

“I expect 2015 will be a very big year for me. I want to fight for another world title, win it, and then immediately challenge Lomachenko to a unification fight. I believe if we fight again I will win. In fact I feel if we fought 100 times, I would beat him in 99 of them.’’

CHRISTOPHER MARTIN, Featherweight Prospect

“This is not an easy fight for either of us, but it is my chance to defeat one of the best featherweights in the world, so of course I am excited about the opportunity.

“I am more than ready. Training camp went great. I’m confident and excited about fighting on Saturday.’’

JULIAN WILLIAMS, Undefeated Super Welterweight

“I’m really looking forward to fighting on SHOWTIME EXTREME again. I think this is my fifth time on. I expect a good fight and to come out with a fantastic win.

“I’ve heard my opponent is pretty good. I definitely think he is better than the first guy I was supposed to fight. So there is no way I would look past him. I can’t afford to look past anybody at this point in my career.

“Even with the late change in opponents, my mindset doesn’t alter at all. I had an extensive amateur career and feel I can adjust to anybody or anything in the ring.’’

JAMAR FREEMAN, Super Welterweight Prospect

“All I’ve been waiting for since I was 13 was an opportunity like this, so it is the biggest opportunity of my life and I’m ready to take advantage. I am not nervous at all.

“This is a step-up fight for me, but I definitely feel they made a mistake in picking me on short notice. I don’t think they are going to get what they expect. I’m always in the gym training and I’m always ready.

“My reaction to getting the call the other night about this fight was ‘send the contract.’

“[Julian] Williams is definitely a very skilled fighter, but he has never been in with anybody like me. I’ll adjust to whatever he does. I’m very confident I can pull off the upset on Saturday.’’

JULIUS JACKSON, Unbeaten Super Middleweight

“Fighting on SHOWTIME is a dream come true for me. This a great opportunity to showcase my skills.

“As always, my focus is on me doing what I do best, which is going out there and performing well.

“Being the son of a former world champion and one of the hardest punchers ever is a very good thing. It adds no pressure. I’ve learned a lot from my father, who actually stresses boxing more than punching to me. He definitely wants me to box more than to just go in and exchange.”

JONATHAN NELSON, Super Middleweight Prospect

“I’m really looking forward to fighting on SHOWTIME for the first time in what is a step-up fight for me. I’ve waited a long time for a nice opportunity like this, and now that’s here I’m looking forward to being victorious.

“[Julius] Jackson is a good fighter, tall and rangy; I just plan to outbox him. Jackson has a name, but so do I, and I’m confident people will realize that after we fight.”

Advance tickets priced at $100, $50 and $30 are now on sale through the Little Creek Casino Resort through their website, www.Little-Creek.com or by calling 1-800-667-7711. The Little Creek Casino Resort is located at 91 W. State Route 108 in Shelton, Washington 98584. Doors will open on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. PT. First non-televised bout starts at 6 p.m. PT.

For more information on Goossen Promotions follow them on Twitter and Facebook @GoossenBoxing and view their new website at www.GoossenPromotions.com. For more information on SHOWTIME follow them at @ShoSports or www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit www.SHO.com/sports.

Barry Tompkins will call the SHOWTIME BOXING on SHOWTIME EXTREME action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

About Little Creek Casino Resort
Named in 2013 as “Boxing’s Venue Of The Year” by Northwest Fight Scene Magazine, The 190-room Little Creek Casino Resort is also known for its world class amenities, casual and fine dining options, and offering the latest in both electronic and table gaming, concerts and entertainment, truly making it an unmatched destination for the Pacific Northwest. For more information, visit www.little-creek.com or call 800-667-7711.

NEW YORK (Dec. 17, 2014) – A 10-round featherweight fight between 2008 U.S. Olympian and former world title contender Gary Russell Jr. (24-1, 14 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Md., and former California State Champion Christopher Martin (28-4-3, 9 KOs) of Chula Vista, Calif., has been elevated to co-feature of this Saturday’s SHOWTIME BOXING on SHOWTIME EXTREME live telecast (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast, SHOWTIME EXTREME) from Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Wash.

The Russell vs. Martin scarp is co-headlining the SHOWTIME EXTREME telecast in replacement of previously announced bout between Anthony Peterson and Yakabu Amido. Peterson will now box on the non-televised portion of the card against Mexican veteran Héctor Velázquez (56-24-3, 38 KOs).

In another change to the televised lineup, promising undefeated world-class prospect Julian “J Rock” Williams (17-0-1, 10 KOs), 24, of Philadelphia, will now be opposed by Jamar Freeman of Wilson, N.C. in a 10-round junior middleweight clash. Freeman (13-3-2, 7 KOs) is a late substitute for Mexico’s Edgar “Nene” Ortega, who withdrew due to an injury suffered in training.

The final SHOWTIME BOXING event of the year – and the fourth and final of back-to-back SHOWTIME telecasts on consecutive weekends – is presented by Goossen Promotions.

The talented, quick-fisted Russell will be making his first start since suffering his lone loss via hard-fought 12-round majority decision to former international amateur standout and two-time Olympic Games gold medalist (2008, 2012) Vasyl Lomachenko, of Ukraine, last June 21 on SHOWTIME. Russell came up short in the epic showdown for the WBO Featherweight World Championship by the scores of 114-114 and 116-112 twice.

Martin, 28, a winner of five of his last seven outings, is a clever boxer and excellent counter-puncher who is making his second start at featherweight. One of his most noteworthy victories came in August 2010 in the first of his two appearances on ShoBox: The New Generation when he recorded an upset 10-round decision over promising super bantamweight prospect Chris Avalos, who has appeared on ShoBox more than any other fighter.

In the 12-round main event, southpaw interim WBA Featherweight World Champion Jesus Andres “El Jinete” Cuellar (25-1, 19 KOs), of Buenos Aires, Argentina, will seek his ninth victory in a row when he defends against Ruben “Canelito” Tamayo (23-4-4, 15 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico. In the opening bout of the telecast, undefeated Julius “The Chef” Jackson (18-0, 14 KOs) of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, will battle once-beaten Jonathan Nelson (20-1, 10 KOs), of Little Rock, Ark., in a 10-round super middleweight match.

Advance tickets priced at $100, $50 and $30 are now on sale through the Little Creek Casino Resort through their website, www.Little-Creek.com or by calling 1-800-667-7711. The Little Creek Casino Resort is located at 91 W. State Route 108 in Shelton, Washington 98584. Doors will open on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. PT. First non-televised bout starts at 6 p.m. PT.

For more information on Goossen Promotions follow them on Twitter and Facebook @GoossenBoxing and view their new website at www.GoossenPromotions.com. For more information on SHOWTIME follow them at @ShoSports or www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit www.SHO.com/sports.
Barry Tompkins will call the SHOWTIME BOXING on SHOWTIME EXTREME action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

About Little Creek Casino Resort
Named in 2013 as “Boxing’s Venue Of The Year” by Northwest Fight Scene Magazine, The 190-room Little Creek Casino Resort is also known for its world class amenities, casual and fine dining options, and offering the latest in both electronic and table gaming, concerts and entertainment, truly making it an unmatched destination for the Pacific Northwest. For more information, visit www.little-creek.com or call 800-667-7711.

In a 12-round war, former multi-division world champion Robert Guerrero outlasted Yosahiro Kamegai in a Welterweight bout at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

The two fought in the proverbial phone booth with Guerrero and Kamegai landing hard shots in close. Guerrero landed tremendous punches with both hands. Kamegai had success in the middle rounds as he landed a hard uppercut that opened up a cut around the right eye of Guerrero. Even with the cut and fast swelling, Guerrero was able get by on his championship experience and give better then he received in the 12 round thriller.

Guerrero, 146 lbs of Gilroy, CA won by scores of 117-111 twice and 116-112 to improve to 32-2-1-2. Kamegai, 146 3/4 lbs of Tokyo, JAP is now 24-2.

Former two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Vasul Loamchenko won the WBO Featherweight title over previoously undefeated Gary Russell Jr, via 12-round majority decision.

Lomachenko was dominant using quick combinations that focused on the body. Although it was just his 3rd pro bout, Lomachenko looked like the more experienced performer as he forced Russell into much ineffective offense. Lomachenko for his part used a variety of punches both from in close and from distance. Lomachenko landed more punches and by far the most effective.

Lomachenko won by scores of 116-112 twice and 114-114.

Lomachenko, 125 1/2 lbs of Ukraine is now a world champion at 2-1. Russell, 125 1/2 lbs of Washington, DC is 24-1.

Former two-division world champion Devon Alexander scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Jesus Soto Karass in a Super Welterweight bout.

It was good action in round four as Alexander landed some hard uppercuts but Soto-Karass came back with some strong rights. Soto Karass started getting to Alexander with the right hands in the middle rounds. Alexander was able to box well down the stretch and win by scores of 99-91 twice and 97-93.

Alexander, 148 1/4 lbs of St. Louis, MO is now 26-2. Soto Karass, 148 lbs of North Hollywood, CA is now 28-10-3-1.

Former Light Heavyweight champion Chad Dawson returned with a 1st round knockout over George Blades in a scheduled 10-round Light Heavyweight bout.

Dawson knocked Blades down with a straight left to the body. Blades got up only to be a dropped by a right hook and he was down for the 10-count at 2:35.

Dawson, 182 3/4 lbs of New Haven, CT came into the ring at a staggering 202 lbs but he ups his record to 32-3-1-1 with 18 knockouts. Blades, 177 1/2 lbs of Indianapolis, IN is now 23-6.

In a battle of former U.S. Olympians, Dominic Breazeale scored a 3rd round stoppage over Devin Vargas in a scheduled 10-round Heavyweight bout.

Breazeale landed a hard combination to the body. In round two, Breazeale landed a right to the head that sent Vargas to the canvas. Brezeale continued to pound away at Vargas. In round three, Brezeale landed some hard shots and Vargas turned his back to the action and the bout was stopped at 2:26 of round three.

Breazeale, 251 1/2 lbs of Alhambra, CA is now 11-0 with 10 knockouts. Vargas, 234 lbs of Toledo, OH is now 18-4.

Robert Guerrero 146 – Yoshahiro Komegai 146 3/4
Gary Russell Jr. 125.5 – Vasyl Lomachenko 125.5
(WBO Featherweight title)
Devon Alexander 148 1/4 – Jesus Soto Karass 148

LOS ANGELES (June 19, 2014) – Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions hosted the final press conference at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles Thursday for Saturday’s stacked 10-fight card at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. The first live bout is at 2 p.m. PT.

In the main event of a tripleheader live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), former four-division world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (31-2-1, 18 KOs), of Gilroy, Calif., returns from a 13-month layoff to face offensive-minded, hard-hitting Yoshihiro Kamegai (24-1-1, 21 KOs), of Sapporo, Japan, in a 12-round welterweight bout.

The co-feature on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a clash of exciting southpaws, undefeated yet untested Gary Russell Jr. (24-0, 14 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Md., against perhaps the most prolific amateur boxer of all-time, Vasyl Lomachenko (1-1, 1 KO), of Ukraine, in a 12-rounder for the vacant WBO Featherweight World Championship. The telecast will open with former two-division world champion Devon Alexander (25-2, 14 KOs), of St. Louis, facing the always-dangerous Jesus Soto Karass (28-9-3, 18 KOs), of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, in a 10-round super welterweight match.

Former light heavyweight world champion, “Bad Chad” Dawson (31-3, 17 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of New Haven, Conn., makes his first start in 12 months when he takes on George “Honey Boy” Blades (23-5, 16 KOs), of Indianapolis, Ind., in the featured bout on SHOWTIME EXTREME® (8 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In a battle of U.S. Olympians in the SHOWTIME EXTREME co-feature, 2012 U.S. Olympian and undefeated heavyweight Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (10-0, 9 KOs), of Los Angeles, makes his 10-round debut when he takes on 2004 U.S. Olympic team captain Devin “Devastatin'” Vargas (18-3, 7 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio.

In non-televised fights: Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (8-0, 7 KOs), Los Angeles, makes his debut for GBP against Michael Grenga (15-14, 15 KOs), Lagos, Nigeria, 6 rounds, light heavyweights; Sharif Bogere (24-1, 16 KOs), Las Vegas, Nev., faces a foe to be announced, 8 rounds, lightweights; Michael Hunter (4-0, 3 KOs), Van Nuys, Calif., takes on Jerry Forrest (7-1, 6 KOs), Lafayette, La., 8 rounds, heavyweights; the brother of Marcos “Chino” Maidana, Fabian Maidana (pro debut), Santa Fe, Arg., clashes with Alejandro Arteaga (3-8, 1 KO), Bakersfield, Calif., 4 rounds, welterweights; and Marcos Hernandez (1-0), Fresno, Calif., vs. Dante Spinks (0-4), San Diego, Calif., 4 rounds, super welterweights.

Tickets priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are available
online at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at StubHub Center Box Office
(Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-
8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 877-234-8425.

Below is what the fighters and Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions, said at Thursday’s press conference:

ROBERT GUERRERO

“I want to thank God for the blessings he’s blessed me with and my entire management team. It’s been a year and it’s time to get back in the ring. Since teaming with CrossFit, I’ve been doing so many different types of exercise and I feel great.

“I want to thank Kamegai for coming out here from Japan. I’ve seen film on him and he likes to brawl and bang it out and I am the same type of fighter so it will be a very exciting match for both me and the fans who will be watching. I can’t wait for Saturday.”

YOSHIHRO KAMEGAI

“My weight is no problem and I’m ready to go. I’m here to make a name for myself. I know that people have problems pronouncing my name (“kah may guy”) so I want to make a great impact in this fight so they will learn to say it.

“Outside the ring I have the utmost respect for Guerrero. But inside, it’s all business. This is will be a good fight, a hard fight and my opportunity to become a mainstay in the fight game.

“I plan on putting on a very exciting show on Saturday.”

GARY RUSSELL JR.

“It’s actually a little funny standing here getting ready to compete for a world title based on the fact that I was never a fighter that said I wanted to be a world champion until I was on the U.S. Olympic team.

“I was one of the favorites to medal (in the Olympics) and to not be able to compete was devastating. The only way that I could make it up to my fans and family was to become a world champion, plain and simple.

“In this situation I get the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. My competitor fought in the Olympics and I can also become a world champion on this card. I can become a world champion on Saturday as well as beating an Olympian. It’s the best of both worlds.”

VASYL LOMACHENKO

“I want to thank everyone in my training camp and everyone who helped prepare me for the fight and my friends and family who are in Ukraine supporting me.

“I think it will be a very good fight on Saturday and I am looking forward to proving that I can win the featherweight title.”

DEVON ALEXANDER

“I want to thank my creator, without him I wouldn’t be here. I would also like to thank Golden Boy, Oscar, everyone involved.

“This is a statement fight for me. I belong on top and I want to be on top. I have beaten some tough guys out there and on Saturday night I want to prove to you that I am the best. I plan on making a statement in the welterweight division and I look forward to the opportunity to show the world what I am capable of.”

JESUS SOTO KARASS

“Los Angeles is my second home. Coming off a loss against (interim WBA welterweight world champion) Keith Thurman, I want to come back and be impressive against Devon Alexander. He is fast, strong and has good foot speed, but I am ready to go.

“I am already at the contracted weight and I want to show the fans that I can come back and win. I have a mentality that I don’t care and that I just want to win and show that I am capable of getting the victory.”

DOMINIC BREAZEALE

“I definitely feel that I am improving and prepared to fight my first 10-round fight. In camp, we picked up the cardio and conditioning, but we really haven’t changed a whole lot.

“My last fight went eight rounds and it was the first time I’d gone the distance. But I always prepare to go the distance and for this fight I’m ready to go 10 hard rounds. But I’m really determined and always looking for the knockout.

“It’s an honor fighting a fellow U.S. Olympian, but at the end there is only one winner and I want the referee to raise my hand. I look forward to exposing him and proving no doubt that I am better.”

DEVIN VARGAS

“I’m looking forward to this fight and want to thank all those involved for making it happen. This is a big fight for me, for both of us. He may be undefeated but he hasn’t faced anyone like me.

“We’ll find out who is best on Saturday. But I’m confident and ready to go all-out to win.”

VYACHESLAV SHABRANSKYY

“I don’t change for my opponents so I will keep my same style. I was able to get into the gym right after my last fight because it only lasted for 23 seconds.

“I was able to watch a few videos on my opponent but I don’t know much about him. I won’t give anything away on my style of fighting, but I will fight to the best of my abilities.

“I am ready for all six rounds for this fight if it goes that long, but at this time I won’t know what the outcome will be. All I can do is prepare to the best of my ability.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President of Golden Boy Promotions

“Our SHOWTIME EXTREME fights have always been highly competitive. It is one thing we at Golden Boy and SHOWTIME pride ourselves on. We want to consistently present the most competitive fights in the boxing business today.

“Chad Dawson is a great fighter who is back with a vengeance, looking to make a statement against a tough fighter in George Blades. For us, we look at this fight on SHOWTIME EXTREME as a great appetizer to the main course, which will also be very exciting.

“Guerrero is back, he’s stronger, he’s faster. The new team that he is working with at CrossFit will make a huge difference coming off the biggest fight of his career against Floyd Mayweather.

“That type of fight will elevate your game to a new level. We are looking forward to Saturday and witnessing a very much new and improved Robert Guerrero.

“All our matchups Saturday are exciting from top to bottom. We have an unbelievable history of staging fight-of-the-year candidates at StubHub. If you’re a boxing fan and you love action-packed, competitive fights, the StubHub Center on Saturday will be a good place to be.”

# # #

Guerrero vs. Kamegai is a 12-round fight promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by
Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event Gary Russell Jr. faces Ukrainian star Vasyl Lomachenko in a
12-round showdown for the vacant WBO World Featherweight Title and in the opener Devon Alexander
will face off against Jesus Soto Karass in a 10-round super welterweight match up. It will take place at
StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and will air as the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® main
event live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio
programming (SAP).

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.sports.sho.com and www.homedepotcenter.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/shosports, www.twitter.com/StubHubCenter, www.twitter.com/GhostBoxing, www.twitter.com/MrGaryRussellJr, www.twitter.com/VasylLomachenko and www.twitter.com/TheRealDevonA, follow the conversation using #GuerreroKamegai or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter.

By Norm Frauenheim-

Much has been attached to the Golden Boy Promotions card Saturday night at the SubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

Too much.

It’s there mostly because of hope that it represents an initial step beyond the balkanization of a business full of feuding promoters, who get bigger headlines than the fighters do these days. It’s also there because an Al Haymon-represented featherweight, Gary Russell Jr., is fighting Top Rank’s Vasyl Lomachenko in an undercard bout that figures to overshadow the main event, Robert Guerrero-Yoshihiro Kamegai.

“Honestly, it’s a big honor to break the cycle of the Al Haymon and Bob Arum Top Rank and Golden Boy dissent,” Russell said during a conference call. “I think you have these great fighters you know on both sides of the fence that the fans would love to see.”

Against Lomachenko, Russell sees a chance to tear down that fence.

“I think it’s a big breakthrough for me and Lomachenko to be able to be one of the first to actually do it, and hopefully this will open the door for a lot of the other fights that the fans would want to see take place.”

I hope Russell is right. But I’m not optimistic that Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr., or even Sergey Kovalev-Adonis Stevenson, is any closer because of a Russell-Lomachenko bout that was put together before Richard Schaefer quit his post as Oscar De La Hoya’s CEO. There are still too many unanswered questions. To wit: Who will De La Hoya hire to run Golden Boy’s day-to-day operations? More troubling is continuing uncertainty over who is contracted to Golden Boy and who to Haymon.

Not even Guerrero’s contract status is clear. He tried to split with Golden Boy in January. He was asked about it Tuesday during a conference call and again during a media day.

“It’s … you know, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” said Guerrero, who is back for the first tine since a one-sided loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May, 2013. “I leave that stuff to my management and take care of my business in the ring.”

Instead of opening bell, most of the sport is waiting for an opening argument. That can’t be good for business.

Still, Russell and Lomachenko might put on a show that could embarrass the feuding promoters. A great fight would provide a glimpse at what could be if promotional egos and/or greed stay out of the way. There’s a chance that could happen.

Russell-Loamchenko has elements of a potential classic. Both are storied amateurs. Russell was a prodigy. He won a national Golden Gloves title when he was 16. Lomachenko was a legendary Olympian, a two-time gold medalist (2008 and 2012) for the Ukraine. At 24-0-1, Russell has pro experience. Yet in a curious switch, there are more questions about him than there are about Lomachenko (1-1), who got ahead of himself in his apprenticeship against Orlando Salido in only his second pro bout. Salido has been called a gatekeeper for a reason. He’ll throw the gate at you if he has to. Salido came in overweight and then he roughed up Lomachenko and his Olympic pedigree in winning a split decision. Some say that Russell’s fast hands move at a rate unseen since Meldrick Taylor. Yet, there are doubts about the quality of his opposition. He has never faced anybody with Salido’s willingness to win at any cost.

“Gary Russell is much faster than me” Lomachenko said during his media day. “He’s a very quick, speedy fighter, and I won’t know until we get into the ring how I plan to deal with it. But we’ll find out soon enough. I fought really fast guys in the amateurs. But those were only three-round fights, so I didn’t have time to try and figure out the style of who I was fighting.

“…I got good experience from my two professional fights. I came on the last half of my first fight so I think my stamina and conditioning is good. But every fight is different, so we’ll have to see.”

A great fight might not change the business. Not in the short term anyway. But it’d be nice to see what could be different.

LOS ANGELES (June 18, 2014) – Seven of the talented boxers who will fight Saturday on SHOWTIME® and SHOWTIME EXTREME® and one promising fighter making his Golden Boy Promotions debut participated in an open media workout Wednesday at Westside Boxing Club.

In 12-rounders on Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., former four-division world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (31-2-1, 18 KOs), of Gilroy, Calif., returns from a 13-month layoff to face Japan’s hard-hitting Yoshihiro Kamegai (24-1-1, 21 KOs) in a welterweight scrap and unbeaten, yet untested Gary Russell Jr. (24-0, 14 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Md., meets perhaps the greatest amateur boxer of all-time, Vasyl Lomachenko (1-1, 1 KO), of Ukraine, for the vacant WBO Featherweight World Championship. Former two-division world champion Devon Alexander (25-2, 14 KOs), of St. Louis, battles hard-hitting Jesus Soto Karass (28-9-3, 18 KOs), of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, in a 10-round super welterweight match that will kickoff the telecast.

Former light heavyweight world champion, “Bad Chad” Dawson (31-3, 17 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of New Haven, Conn., makes his first start in 12 months when he takes on George “Honey Boy” Blades (23-5, 16 KOs), of Indianapolis, Ind., in the featured bout on SHOWTIME EXTREME® (8 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In a battle of U.S. Olympians in the SHOWTIME EXTREME co-feature, 2012 U.S. Olympian and undefeated heavyweight Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (10-0, 9 KOs), of Los Angeles, makes his 10-round debut when he takes on 2004 U.S. Olympic team captain Devin “Devastatin'” Vargas (18-3, 7 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio.

In non-televised fights that begin at 2 p.m. PT: Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (8-0, 7 KOs), Los Angeles, makes his debut for GBP against Michael Gbenga (15-14, 15 KOs), Lagos, Nigeria, six-rounds, light heavyweights; Sharif Bogere (24-1, 16 KOs), Las Vegas, Nev., faces a foe to be announced, eight-rounds, lightweights; Michael Hunter (4-0, 3 KOs), Van Nuys, Calif., takes on Jerry Forrest (7-1, 6 KOs), Lafayette, La., eight-rounds, heavyweights; the brother of Marcos “Chino” Maidana, Fabian Maidana (pro debut), Santa Fe, Arg., clashes with Alejandro Arteaga (3-8, 1 KO), Bakersfield, Calif., four-rounds, welterweights; and Marcos Hernandez (1-0), Fresno, Calif., vs. Dante Spinks (0-4), San Diego, Calif., four-rounds, super welterweights.

Tickets priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are available on AXS.com, by phone at
888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at StubHub Center Box Office
(Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call
877-234-8425.

Below is what the fighters and Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions, said at Wednesday’s workout:

ROBERT GUERRERO

“Training camp went great. I feel fresh and I can’t wait to get out there. The time off felt good, I was able to recuperate my body and spend time with my family. There were a couple of things going on that kept me out of the ring but it’s now time to take care of business.

“I was able to incorporate CrossFit into my training regime and it made me able to get up to my optimal 147-pound weight. Before that I had trouble even trying to make weight.

“If I take care of business I would of course like to fight Floyd Mayweather; everyone would like that fight. I felt like I could give a lot more and I am excited to showcase everything that I have been doing to prove that I can hang with a fighter like Mayweather. Floyd is a pretty smart fighter but I can stay on my boxing game now, be a smarter fighter and walk guys down.

“I plan on providing an action-packed fight. Kamegai comes to fight and you know I always come to fight, so it should be very exciting. I look forward to showcasing a lot of stuff that I’ve been working on and put on a great show for the fans.”

YOSHIHIRO KAMEGAI

“I’m from Japan, and we respect everybody outside the ring. There is no trash-talk. In Japan, we think of Robert Guerrero as a multi-division world champion who fought Floyd Mayweather. That said, I didn’t fly all the way across the ocean to lose. I came here to not just win the fight but to have a decisive victory.

“I’m very confident and I feel I’m acclimated. I’ve been in America about 10 days. What I’ve worked on most since arriving is a way to avoid all his holding tactics and a way to keep him from being able to fight from long range.

“This is a very important fight and a tremendous opportunity for me. Not a lot of people know me now, but they will after the fight.”

GARY RUSSELL JR.

“You always have to be careful no matter who you are competing against, I never overlook anybody. You must have a level of defensive discipline. As far as him in general, we’re ready; I don’t believe he has what it takes to win this fight. He’s not a volume puncher; he tries to be more accurate. Even if he tries to outbox me he doesn’t have the hand speed and boxing ability to make it a tough fight. I am overall physically bigger and stronger and it won’t be a good thing for him. He is most definitely a stepping stone for me. The objective is to get out of the ring with a victory; we never look at the venue or anything where my focus shouldn’t be on. I will look good and expose this guy.

“It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting, I come to win. Everything is in my favor in this fight in terms of the speed, power and general fight charisma and we will exploit that on Saturday. This guy is just not on my level.

“Every fighter I fight is a learning experience, you look at my fights now and you can see the maturity level from when I was 8-0, 10-0.

“A lot of these fighters are one-dimensional. There are good boxers with no inside game. When it comes to me, what makes me a lot better than the other fighters is how versatile I am in the ring. You can see me walk these guys down or turn the fight into a brawl. With each style that we adapt to, we have the same level of creativity and that is what sets us apart.”

VASYL LOMACHENKO

“I’m excited and looking forward to Saturday but, for me, I go into the ring thinking the same thing before every fight, and that’s I want to win.

“Gary Russell is much faster than me. He’s a very quick, speedy fighter, and I won’t know until we get into the ring how I plan to deal with it. But we’ll find out soon enough.

“I fought really fast guys in the amateurs but those were only three-round fights so I didn’t have time to try and figure out the style of who I was fighting.

“It’s not easy to talk about myself. I’m not sure how I would describe my style. I would much rather practice then talk, I’ll let the experts describe how I fight.

“I got good experience from my two professional fights. I came on the last half of my first fight so I think my stamina and conditioning is good. But every fight is different so we’ll have to see how it goes on Saturday.

“I expect a good fight on Saturday and I expect to win.”

DEVON ALEXANDER

“Nobody likes to lose, but you have to take some licks across the head to get to where you need to be. I hope that this will be the last lick I will take across the head.

“I would love a rematch with Shawn Porter. I know my skills and technique are way better than his, but we will see what happens. I don’t want to talk past this fight.

“I want to fight all the elite fighters; I never want to duck anyone. I am looking to make a statement in this fight; you are only as good as your last fight, so I plan on making a statement.

“On the night of the fight you will see a mix of everything — power, speed, legs and I will show everyone why I am the former world champion.

“When you are a competitor you want to win all the time and be at the top. When I see these fights on TV, I get anxious because I know my skills are good and that I can compete with the best.

“I love St. Louis and they love me back and are always behind me. They know fighters stumble but they always support me and I am ready to get back in the ring and show them that they have a real good champion from their city and that’s what I plan to show them.”

JESUS SOTO KARASS

“My mindset is, I have to put a beating on him. This is it for me; it’s do or die. I’m very confident in the work I put in and with my conditioning, but I know I have to win this.

“Alexander is a good fighter. But he’s not going to change his style. I know I have to go in and take it to him. I can box, too, but to make this fight exciting I have to pressure him and make him fight my fight.

“My total concentration has been on this Saturday and Devon Alexander. I’ve had some hard fights, but win this and then I can take a rest.”

CHAD DAWSON

“I had the privilege of becoming a world champion early. I’ve been a professional for almost 13 years. There was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t come back. I needed to take time to be a family man and come back when I felt like I could come back.

“I’m looking to get back to being the old Chad Dawson, the smart boxer who has height and reach. Once I get back to that, back to the top. I’m happy to be back in the game. I have to thank Al Haymon for giving me the opportunity; my division is hot right now.

“I’ve seen tapes of Blades from 2007. He looks like a durable guy. He is coming to win, it’s a big opportunity on TV.

“I don’t have anything to prove except for myself and my family. I know what I am capable of.”

VYACHESLAV SHABRANSKYY

“I’m extremely happy and blessed to have signed a contract with Golden Boy. They have given me the opportunity to go on to bigger and better things in my career. This will be my ninth pro fight and ninth in Los Angeles.

“In the amateurs I was considered a pure brawler, but since turning going pro and hooking up with trainer Manny Robles, he has changed me up a little and now I have learned to think and show patience in the ring.

“My career is just starting and I’m starting from the bottom up. I have to take it one step at a time. It’s like building a big brick hose. You do it one brick at a time, and that’s how it is with my career. Saturday is just another step for me”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President of Golden Boy Promotions

“I’m very excited about Saturday’s fights. It’s great to have Robert Guerrero back and fighting again, but he’s got a tough opponent in Yoshihiro Kamegai. Devon Alexander and Jesus Soto Karass is another excellent, tough fight, a 50-50 fight that you know that both fighters are coming to win.

“The world title fight is another 50-50 fight, Gary Russell Jr. vs. Vasyl Lomachenko. I’m very proud of this event, from top to bottom. I truly believe the fans are in for a great night of fights.

“This is the kind of event that Golden Boy Promotions is all about: great fighters, crowd-pleasing fights.”

LONDON (May 21) – BoxNation’s bulging summer calendar has got even more crammed with the addition of two huge Golden Boy Promotions shows featuring Gary Russell Jr against Vasyl Lomachenko on June 21 and Erislandy Lara taking on Canelo Alvarez on July 12.

The two bills join an already jam-packed schedule which has recently seen WBC middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez’s clash with Miguel Cotto added, plus names such as Adonis Stevenson, Terence Crawford, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Tyson Fury, Dereck Chisora and many more featuring live and exclusive over the coming months.

The impending battle between Russell Jr and two-time Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko will see two of boxing’s best craftsmen compete for the vacant WBO featherweight world title.

Lomachenko made an historic bid for the world title in only his second professional bout when he was beaten via split decision by Mexican warrior Orlando Salido, who missed his chance at claiming the title at the scales by not making the featherweight limit.

Subsequently, Lomachenko gets his second bite at the cherry following a valiant display against Salido, but will be in against an equally adept foe in the unbeaten Russell Jr, who is looking to kick start his career following a lack of activity over the past year and a half.

The stacked card at the StubHub Center in Carson, California also welcomes back Floyd Mayweather challenger Robert Guerrero who takes on big-hitting Japanese welterweight Yoshihiro Kamegai, who has knocked out 21 opponents in his 24 wins.

Further night’s action will see the return of former two-weight world champion Devon Alexander who will be looking to bounce back from his world title defeat to Shawn Porter last December when he takes on the tough and respected Jesus Soto Karass.

Then, on July 12th, live and exclusive from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, BoxNation will bring viewers one of the very best fights of the summer when Cuban ace Lara looks to prove he is among the elite when takes on Mexican superstar Alvarez.

The 23-year-old Alvarez is still regarded as the next true superstar of boxing, despite his loss to pound-for-pound king Mayweather last September, with his convincing comeback win over the relentless Alfredo Angulo proving that he remains among the best around.

In Lara though, he goes up against one of the trickiest and skilled men in the sport, honed and polished in the fabled Cuban amateur schools, with ambitions of cementing his own place at the very top.

The victor will no doubt propel himself into the biggest money fights and a shot at a world title.

Also on the night, bantamweight stars Tomoki Kameda and Pungluang Sor Singyu will meet for Japanese hotshot Kameda’s WBO world title, with Juan Manuel Lopez back following his impressive victory over Daniel Ponce De Leon when he challenges undefeated Francisco Vargas.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) for only £12 a month (plus a one-off registration fee) please visit www.boxnation.com.

-Ends-

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

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Golden Boy Promotions won the purse bid to stage the WBO Featherweight title by a mere $2500 and the fight will take place on June 21 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

Golden Boy won the promotional rights to the fight with a bid of $1,052,250, edging Top Rank’s offer of $1,050,000 at the ceremony in Orlando, Fla., site of a Top Rank card on Saturday night.

The difference of $2,250 was only two-tenths of 1 percent between the bids. The minimum bid was $150,000.

“I’m happy we are going to be promoting the fight. Gary is very happy, Showtime is happy, and it should be an interesting fight,” said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. “I am having conversations with [Showtime Sports chief] Steven [Espinoza] about it. I should have everything wrapped up shortly. We are going on June 21, most likely in Carson.”

“I won the purse. I have to do nothing with them. All that has to happen is that their fighter has to show up,” he said. “I’ll have my matchmakers take care of the paperwork with Top Rank and that’s it. This fight has nothing to do with Top Rank.”

“I discussed a range with Stephen (Espinoza of Showtime) and agreed on a number,” Schaefer said. “We figured out what we could get in foreign television and then I discussed it with Al, and he gave his blessing. I had four envelopes prepared for the bid and then [Friday] morning I called Raul Jaimes [the Golden Boy employee representing the company at the auction]. He was on his way to the purse bid, and I told him which envelope to use.

“It’s an intriguing fight, and there’s more to the story because of what’s going on between Golden Boy and Top Rank and HBO and Showtime.”

Carl Moretti, the Top Rank vice president who represented the company at the bid, told ESPN.com that Lomachenko will participate in the fight.

“Lomachenko will be there 110 percent ready to win the title,” Moretti said. “It’s two southpaws that should make for a very intriguing fight. We know Lomachenko can go a tough 12 rounds, but we don’t know if that’s the case with Russell. We were told the fight is June 21 with a site to be determined. Let’s hope it’s not at the MGM Grand.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the WBO has ordered a Featherweight title fight between Gary Russell Jr. and Vasyl Lomachenko.

The sides have 30 days to negotiate a deal or the fight will put up for a purse bid, which is likely because Lomachenko is promoted by Top Rank and Russell is with its bitter rival, Golden Boy Promotions, and they do not negotiate fights with each other.

“We are in the position where we are getting a second shot at the title and we are very happy,” Egis Klimas, Lomachenko’s manager, told ESPN.com. “I already spoke to our promoter, Bob Arum, and asked him to arrange the fight. If the negotiations are not going to go on, our promoter is willing to go into a purse bid. Lomachenko has nothing to lose after fighting Salido. The question is, will Russell fight Lomachenko?

“Lomachenko made such a big announcement by fighting Salido that to take a step back in competition and take the easy way — it would be nonsense.”

“[It will be a] very interesting process to see if the fight gets made, or goes to purse bid,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti said. “I told Lomachenko after the Salido fight, ‘The past is behind you, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it and the future could be Russell for vacant title.’ Lomachenko is on board 110 percent.”

Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer said he received the letter from the WBO and would talk to Russell adviser Al Haymon to see what they wanted to do about the fight.

“I have to discuss it with Gary’s team and see how we want to go about it, but I think it’s a very interesting matchup,” Schaefer said. “Gary has been waiting for a world title shot for a while. I will talk to them next week. Maybe we can make it happen. Maybe it won’t. Maybe it will go to a purse bid. It’s a fight we’d like to do.”

Luis Collazo scored a stunning 2nd round stoppage over Victor Ortiz in a battle of former Welterweight title holders at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Not much happened over the 1st rounds with Ortiz looking for the big shot and Collazo got in a few counters. The end came suddenly and with a big thud as Ortiz landed a straight left but Collazo landed a perfect right hook to the jaw that spun Ortiz to the ropes and on the canvas and was counted out by referee Benji Esteves at 2:59 of round 2.

Collazo, 146 1/2 lbs of Brooklyn is now 35-5 with 18 knockouts. Ortiz, 146 1/2 lbs of Ventura, CA is now 29-5-2.

“I had no doubt in my mind that I was going to win,” said Collazo. “I went through hard times and maybe I wasn’t ready before, but I was ready today.

“When I was in the locker room, the joy, happiness and excitement hit me that I have the opportunity to perform in Brooklyn in front of my fans and the people I grew up with here,” he continued.

“I knew Ortiz was going to come out and be aggressive and I had to stay focused and stick to the game plan. People say that I can’t punch, but I guess they’re wrong.”

“I’m good,” said Ortiz. “I got caught. No big deal. It happens. I put my heart out there.”

Eddie Gomez scored a 7th round knockdown en route to a 10 round unanimous decision over DeQuann Arnett in a battle of previously undefeated Welterweights.

Gomez controlled most of the first six rounds with solid power punching and using some good body work. Arnett would sneak in the occasional right hand that kept Gomez honest. In round seven, Gomez landed a thunderous body punch that sent Arnett to the canvas. Arnett got to his feet but Gomez opened up with a barrage of punches that had Arnett staggered. Arnett recovered enough to attempt to time Gomez’wide power shots and even got through with a few of his own shots.

Gomez, 147 1/4 lbs of Bronx, NY won by scores of 98-91 and 97-92 twice and is now 16-0. Arnett, 148 1/2 lbs of Orlando, FL is now 11-1.

Gomez continued to be the leader down the stretch and he cruised home with the victory.

“I just took my time in there and did what I had to do,” said Gomez. “Now I’m just happy.”

Gomez continued, “I should have gone to the body earlier and I think I could have gotten him in four or five rounds. I’m just thankful for the opportunity to get this fight. I took full advantage and worked hard.”

“This is the beginning for me not the end,” said Arnett. “I am going to come back stronger and will take this and learn from it.”

Super prospect Gary Russell Jr. scored a tremendous 4th round stoppage over Miguel Tamayo in scheduled eight round Featherweight bout.

Russell controlled the 1st three round with fast hands as featured a rights to the body. In round four, he landed a huge right that hurt Tamayo and a follow up right dropped Tamayo for the ten count at 1:04 of round four.

Russell, 126 3/4 lbs of Capitol Heights. MD is now 24-0 with 14 knockouts. Tamayo, 126 1/2 lbs of Obregan, MX is now 14-8-2.

“I felt good in the ring tonight,” said Russell Jr. “I paced myself and worked towards what I wanted. I felt prepared. I went through six weeks of training and I rose to the occasion.

Russell Jr. continued, “I am looking toward the future and getting a shot at a world title.”

In non-televised undercard action, some of New York’s most exciting young prospects showcased their skills with impressive wins.

Barclays Center regular “Sir” Marcus Browne (9-0, 7 KO’s) of Staten Island made the most of his seventh appearance at the arena as he went the distance against Shreveport, LA’s Kentrell Claiborne (4-9, 3 KO’s) in a six-round cruiserweight bout. The 2012 U.S. Olympian was happy that his opponent had a “head made of stone” so that he could get more experience in the ring.

“I got some good rounds in,” said Browne. “I’m learning how to be a distance fighter and to prove I could keep my composure.”

Local Bronx up and comer Emmanuel “Manny” Gonzalez (14-0, 7 KO’s) went the distance against Victor Sanchez of Houston, TX (5-8-2, 2 KO’s) in an eight-round featherweight matchup that saw Gonzalez winning nearly ever round on all three judges’ scorecards despite a point deduction for holding in the seventh round. Gonzalez also looked at his eight-round bout as a learning experience.

“This is the first eight-rounder that I’ve fought [that has gone the distance] in about a year and a half,” said Gonzalez. “I definitely got a little winded, but I will work even harder next time and continue to be undefeated.”

Newly-signed Golden Boy Promotions prospect Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa (6-0, 3 KO’s) of Brooklyn put on a strong performance in a four-round super lightweight fight against Jose Valderrama (3-7, 3 KO’s) of Manati, Puerto Rico in Ochoa’s inaugural performance as a member of the Golden Boy Promotions stable.

In the first fight of the evening, Rafael Vasquez of Brooklyn, NY (10-1, 8 KO’s) scored a first-round technical knockout over Bradley Patraw (10-7, 5 KO’s) of St. Paul, Minn. in featherweight action that was scheduled for eight rounds.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (January 27) – Top super featherweight contender Gary “The Lion” Russell Jr. will kick off the FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes telecast live from Barclays Center on Thursday, Jan. 30 when he faces Obregon, Mexico’s Miguel “Yaqui” Tamayo in the opening televised bout on the fight card headlined by the WBA International Welterweight Title fight between “Vicious” Victor Ortiz and Luis Collazo.

The eight-round super featherweight bout will air beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT followed by the 10-round super welterweight co-featured bout between unbeaten prospects Eddie “E-Boy” Gomez and Daquan “King” Arnett.

Also added to the undercard are bouts featuring top local standouts “Sir” Marcus Browne, Emmanuel “Manny” Gonzalez, Zachary Ochoa, Rafael Vazquez and Steven Bujaj.

Highly ranked, undefeated standout from Capitol Heights, Maryland Gary Russell Jr. (23-0, 13 KO’s), expects that this will be the year in which he challenges for a world championship. But hard-hitting southpaw Miguel “Yaqui” Tamayo, from Ciudad Obregon Sonora, Mexico (14-7-2, 12 KO’s) can put a dent in those plans if he can upset the 25-year-old rising star on Jan. 30.

A member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, Staten Island’s “Sir” Marcus Browne (8-0, 7 KO’s) has already thrilled fans at Barclays Center five times as a professional, most recently stopping Kevin Engel in a single round. Now, the 23-year-old goes for six straight wins in Brooklyn when he faces Kentrell Claiborne (4-8, 3 KO’s) of Shreveport, LA in a six-round light heavyweight bout.

Another familiar face to Brooklyn fans will be the Bronx’ Emmanuel Gonzalez (13-0, 7 KO’s), who scored a clear-cut win over previously unbeaten Noel Echevarria on the Sept. 30 event at Barclays Center. On Jan. 30, the unbeaten 26-year-old returns to the arena to square off against Houston, Texas’ Victor Sanchez (5-7-2, 2 KO’s) in an eight-round featherweight matchup.

Making his first start as a member of the Golden Boy Promotions roster, Brooklyn’s own Zachary Ochoa (5-0, 3 KO’s) will put his perfect professional record on the line in a four-round super lightweight bout against Manati, Puerto Rico’s Jose Valderrama (3-6 3 KO’s).

In featherweight action scheduled for eight rounds, Brooklyn’s Rafael Vazquez (9-1, 7 KO’s) takes on St. Paul, Minn.’s Bradley Patraw (10-6, 5 KO’s) and in the six-round cruiserweight opener, New York’s popular Steven “Superman” Bujaj (10-0, 7 KO’s) faces longtime standout Derek Bryant (20-7-1, 17 KO’s) of Philadelphia.

Ortiz vs. Collazo is a 12-round fight for the WBA International Welterweight title on Thursday, Jan. 30 presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and Casamigos Tequila. Barclays Center doors open at 6:00 p.m. ET with the first bell sounding at 6:30 p.m. ET. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $25, $43, $80 and $160 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now and available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK. A limited number of suites are available for the event. For more information on how to reserve one, please call 718-BK-SUITE (718-257-8483).

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Featherweight prospect Gary Russell Jr. fractured his left hand during his unanimous decision victory over Vyacheslav Gusev this past Saturday night in La Vegas.

“They have told him to rest it for four or five weeks and he should be good to go,” said publicist Julie Goldsticker.

“Ponce De Leon has been holding that belt for me,” Russell said before facing Gusev. “I hope he beats (Abner) Mares (on April 20) and then fights me. I also want to get my hands on Gamboa. He’s undefeated and I want to get my hands on him before anyone gives him a loss. He’s a really reckless fighter. He takes too many chances and gets hit too much.

“I would love to fight those guys. I’m on the edge of my seat every time Gamboa and Lopez fight because I don’t want anyone to beat them because I want to do it. I know Lopez lost a couple of fights already, but I want to put another ‘L’ on him. I know I have the skills and talent to beat them.”

In an ugly foul dest, Richard Abril retained the WBA Lightweight championship with a twelve round unanimous decision over Sharif Bogere at the Joint at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

The raggedness pace was set early was the two clutched and Bogere headbutted and Abril was even wrestled to the canvas in the first two rounds. Two traded rounds until the fight was turned in round six when a butt from Bogere opened up a cut over the right eye of Abril.

Bogere had a decent round seven and Abril was docked a point for holding in round eight but after that it was all Abril as he started to find a home with his right hand in between clinches. Rounds nine through eleven were pretty much the same as Abril continued to land pinpoint shots in between all the rough housing while Bogere tried to work the body but it was in effective. Bogere was docked a point himself for many headbutts in round twelve and by that time he was far behind on the cards. Despite cuts around both eyes, Abril dominated the last four rounds and came home with the victory by scores of 116-110, 116-110 and 115-111.

Abril, 134 1/2 lbs of Miami via Cuba is now 18-3-1. Bogere, 134 lbs of Las Vegas via Uganda is now 23-1.

“I am very happy to get the win, but I’m not happy at all with the way the fight went,” said Abril after retaining his WBA 135-pound title with a unanimous 12-round decision over previously undefeated Sharif “The Lion” Bogere in the main event of Saturday’s SHOWTIME BOXING – Special Edition live on SHOWTIME® from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

“I was hoping for and expected a much cleaner fight,” Abril said. “It’s hard to show your skills in a fight against a dirty fighter. I kept getting warned for holding, but I really didn’t feel like I was holding. He was shorter and kept coming in head-first.”

“I definitely knew I would get the decision. I landed all the cleanest shots,” said Abril, who connected on 35 percent of his punches (152 out of 433) according to SHOSTATS provided by CompuBox. Bogere, who was busier but less effective, hit on only 15 percent (93 out of 614).

The right eye of The Tiger was cut from an unintentional head-butt in the sixth. “He used his head to come in on me the whole fight,” Abril said. “The bleeding made it hard for me to concentrate.”

Bogere said he felt the fight was much closer than the scores indicated and that he had “done enough to win.”

“He was taller and that made it difficult for me to get inside,” said Bogere, who fell short in his quest to join fellow Ugandan fighters such as Cornelius Boza-Edwards, John Mugabi, Ayub Kalule and Kassim Ouma to capture a world title. “But when I did get inside, all he did was hold.

“This is very, very disappointing. My dream was to win the world title. I’m not happy now and I’m pretty down, but I know I’ll come back. You haven’t heard the last of The Lion.”

Super prospect Gary Russell Jr. struggled with his hand and gloves more than he struggled with Vyacheslav Gusev en route to an ten round unanimous decision in a featherweight bout.

Russell got off to a blazing start as he showed his world class hand speed over the first three rounds which culminated with a knockdown in round three from a combination that made Gusev’s glove touch the canvas. After that it seemed that Russell hurt his left hand sometime in the middle rounds and threw nothing but jabs and hooks with the right hand.

Fortunately Gusev proved no threat and didn’t take any chances and Russell’s superior ability showed in what basically turned into a sparring session that Russell dominated to the tune of 100-89 on all cards.

Russell, 127 lbs of Capitol Heights, MD is now 22-0. Gusev of Russia is now 20-1.

The talented Russell fought the last several rounds with a bruised left hand. “I think I hurt it in the third round,” he said. “The last few rounds I was tentative with it and only showed it to him. My corner knew I’d hurt it and did a great job between rounds coming up with different strategies, like starting off with a stiff jab and maintaining it, and slowing down the pace.

“My right hand is bruised too, but I don’t think it is anything serious. I fully expect to fight again in three months.”

According to SHOSTATS, Russell landed 229 of 797 punches (29 percent). Gusev, making his second start in the United States, connected on just 15 percent. Of the 214 punches he delivered, he landed only 33 times, the lowest total in the history of CompuBox for a 10-round fight.

Knockout artist Jorge Melendez lived up to just that, a scintillating fourth round stoppage over Ryan Davis in a scheduled eight round Middleweight bout.

Davis had a nice first round as he tried to push the big punching Melendez on the ropes. Melendez got things going in round two by starting to land power punches. At the end of round of three, Melendez landed a hard right to the body that sent Davis to the canvas. It wasn’t long, actually just thirteen seconds into round four, Melendez landed a devastating right uppercut that sent Davis down with a thud and the fight was waved off immediately.

Melendez, 156 lbs of Vega Baja, PR is now 26-2-1 with 25 knockouts. Davis, 158 lbs of Granite City, IL is now 24-10-3.

Lightweight Jeffrey Fontanez scored a six round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Daniel Attah.

Fontonez won with activity over the first five rounds to built up an insurmountable lead and coasted home and won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 59-55.

Fontanez, 134 1/2 lbs of Caguas, PR is now 11-0. Attah, 135 lbs of Washington, DC is now 28-14-1.

Thomas Williams Jr. scored a third round stoppage over Kevin Engel in a scheduled eight round Light Heavyweight bout.

Williams was dominant throughout as Williams mixed up the shots with both hands and used a good variation of punches from jabs to uppercuts. Engel tried but was overmatched and in round three, Williams landed a hard combination that dropped Engel along the ropes. Referee Tony Weeks stopped the bout at the count of six at 1:31 of round three.

Williams, 175 lbs of Washington, DC is now 13-0 with 10 knockouts. Engel, 174 1/2 lbs of St. Louis, MO is now 20-8.

Follow all the action LIVE from the Hard Rock in Las Vegas as Rchard Abril defends the WBA Lightweight title against Sharif Bogere. The action begins at 8 pm EST / 5 pm Pac with bouts involving Jorge Melendez, Thomas Williams Jr. and super prospect Gary Russell Jr.

REFRESH FOR UP TO DATE RESULTS

12 ROUNDS–WBA LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP–RICHARD ABRIL (17-3-1, 8 KO’S) VS SHARIF BOGERE (23-0, 15 KO’S)

Round 1 Abril lands a 3 punch combo…Bogere wrestles Abril to canvas..10-9 Abril

Round 2 Abril falls again from rough housing from Bogere..Bogere lands a left..19-19

Round 3 Lead left hook from Bogere…29-28 Bogere

Round 4 Right from Abril…Counter right..Bogere lands a left..Bogere Jabs..Abril lands a right..jab..overhand right..38-38

Round 5 Abril lands a right…uppercut…48-47 Abril

Round 6 Abril lands a combination..Jab..right..head keep clashing…Abril cut above the right eye..Bogere trying to bull rush…left from Bogere…body..Abril lands a right.andother right…right to body from Bogere..hard right..58-56 Abril

Round 7 Bogere lands a lead left hook..Trading shots…Bogere lands a 1-2..Abril 1-2..Bogere lands a body shot..Abril chastised for holding..67-66 Abril

Round 8 ABRIL DOCKED A POINT FOR HOLDING…trading rights..Abril lands a 1-2..2 rights..Right on the ropes..body shots in the clinch..2 rights from Bogere..Right from Abril..76-75 Abril

Round 9 Abril lands a 3 punch combination…right hand and another..left hook…1-2 combination..another 1-2..Bogere lands a body shot..Rught from Abril…86-84 Abril

Round 10 Straight right backs up Bogere…Counter right..Bogere slips to canvas..Bogere finally warned for Headbutts..1-2 from Abril..96-93 Abril

Round 11 Abril another 1-2..Bogere lands a body punch..106-102 Abril

Round 12 BOGERE DEDUCTED A POINT FOR A HEADBUTT…Abril lands a right uppercut..right..short right uppercut…116-110 Abril

115-111; 116-110; 116-110 and STILL CHAMPION—RICHARD ABRIL

10 ROUNDS–SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT–GARY RUSSELL JR (21-0, 13 KO’S) VS VYACHESLAV GUSEV (20-2, 5 KO’S)

Round 1 Russell jabbing…lead uppercut..Overhand left…Gusev lands a body shot…Ruseell explodes with a combination…Gusev wobbled at the end of the round 10-9 Rusell

Round 2 Russell gets in good body work…Sharp counter..3 punch combo finished with an uppercut…20-18 Russell

Round 3 HARD LEFT HOOK…GUSEV GLOVE TOUCHES…KNOCKDOWN…hard combo at the bell…30-26 Russell

Round 4 Gusev going to body…Nice left and right to the body from Russell…Hard body combination..Body shots..40-35 Russell

Round 5 Straight from Gusev..Russell lands a 3 punch combination..left uppercut..50-44 Russell

Round 6 Russell lands a double jab..Gusev lands a right..Russell lands 2 lefts and a right..60-53 Russell

Round 7 Russell straight left…double jab..70-63 Russell

Round 8 Russell lands a lead uppercut…Fight becoming a sparring session..3 right hooks from Russell..80-71 Russell—RUSSELL HAS A CUT ON HIS –THEY ARE CHANGING THE GLOVES

Round 9 Russell throwing nothing but rights and landing combinations..90-80 Russell

Round 10 Russell continues to be only one doing anything …100-89 Russell

100-89 ON ALL CARDS FOR GARY RUSSELL JR

8 ROUNDS MIDDLEWEIGHTS–JORGE MELENDEZ (25-2-1, 24 KO’S) VS RYAN DAVIS (24-9-3, 9 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Melendez lands a right…Good flurry from Davis..10-9 Davis

Round 2 Melendez landed a good left..Good right..Davis jabs to the body..Wicked uppercut from Melendez..Good right…19-19

Round 3 Uppercut hurts Davis…Body shot…BODY SHOT AND DOWN GOES DAVIS …29-27 MELENDEZ

ROUND 4 HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES DAVIS AND THE FIGHT IS OVER UPPERCUT

6 ROUNDS–LIGHTWEIGHTS–JEFFREY FONTANEZ (10-0, 9 KO’S) VS DANIEL ATTAH (28-13-1, 11 KO’S)

Round 1 Attah lands a left..2 body shots from Fontanez…Good left to the head…10-9 Fontanez

Round 2 2 body shots by Fontanez..Attah tries to throw a long left…Good body shot from Fontanez..20-18 Fontanez

Round 3 Fontanez lands a left to the body followed by an uppercut…3 punch combination..Attah lands a right..30-27 Fontanez

Round 4 Fontanez lands a body shot..body shot followed by 2 head shots..40-36 Fontanez

Round 5 Clubbing left from Fontanez..slower action…50-45 Fontanez

Round 6 Attah being more active but not effective..59-55 Fontanez

8 ROUNDS–LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS–THOMAS WILLIAMS JR (12-0, 9 KO’S) VS KEVIN ENGEL (20-7, 16 KO’S)

Round 1 Williams lands a quick right..RIGHT hook and Engel slips to the ground…Engel lands a body shot..Willams lands a right..Right hook..Engel lands a right..Williams lands a right…10-9 Williams

Round 2 Willams lands a quick combination..double jab and left…3 body shots…4 punch combo..Engel starting to swell around left eye..Good body shot…Engel lands a couple body shot..Williams lands an uppercut..Right hand..2 Good body shots..3 hard rights…2 more body shots..2 more rights…20-18 Williams

Round 3 COMBINATION AND DOWN GOES ENGEL…FIGHT IS STOPPED

LAS VEGAS (March 1, 2013) – All 14 boxers who will compete on Golden Boy Promotions’ fight card tomorrow, Saturday, March 2 from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, including those who will duke it out live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) and SHOWTIME EXTREME® (8 p.m. ET/PT), made weight on their first attempts Friday at Hard Rock.

The WBA Lightweight World Championship will be on the line when defending champion Richar “El Tigre” Abril (17-3-1, 8 KO’s), of Miami, Fla., by way of Cuba, makes his first defense against unbeaten Ugandan Sharif “The Lion” Bogere (23-0, 15 KO’s), of Las Vegas, in the 12-round main event of a SHOWTIME BOXING – Special Edition on SHOWTIME.

In the co-featured bout, highly regarded, world-rated southpaw Gary Russell Jr. (23-0, 15 KO’s), of Capitol Heights, Md., meets Russia’s Vyacheslav Gusev (20-2, 5 KO’s) in a 10-round featherweight bout.

Live preliminary fights from the Hard Rock will be featured on SHOWTIME EXTREME. In eight-round bouts, Jorge Melendez (25-2, 24 KO’s), of Manati, P.R. will face Ryan Davis (24-9-3, 9 KO’s), of Granite City, Ill., in a middleweight match and Thomas Williams (12-0, 9 KO’s), of Fort Washington, Md., takes on Kevin Engel (20-7, 16 KO’s), of St. Louis, in a light heavyweight scrap. Time permitting, Jeffrey Fontanez (10-0, 9 KO’s), of Caguas, P.R., will take on with Daniel Attah (27-13-1, 10 KO’s), of Washington, D.C., in a six-round lightweight bout.

Tickets priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, along with a limited number of VIP suite seats priced at $125, are on sale at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000. Doors open at 3:00 p.m. PT. The first non-televised fight is at 3:45 p.m.

Non-televised matchups: Luis Arias (3-0, 2 KO’s), Las Vegas, vs. Arsenio Terrazas (9-3, 8 KO’s), Mexicali, Mex., 6 rounds, super middleweights; and Sammy Vasquez (6-0, 4 KO’s), Monessen, Pa., vs. Leandro Albornoz (15-2-1, 5 KO’s), Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 6 rounds, welterweights.

WEIGHTS: Abril tipped scale at 134½ pounds, Bogere 134; Russell Jr. weighed 127 pounds, Gusev 126½; Melendez weighed 156½ pounds, Davis 158; Williams weighed 175 pounds, Engel 174½; Fontanez weighed 134½ pounds, Attah 135; Arias weighed 166½ pounds, Terrazas 168 and Vasquez weighed 147½ pounds, Albornoz 146.

ABOUT ABRIL VS. BOGERE:

Abril vs. Bogere, a 12-round fight for Abril’s WBA Lightweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, March 2 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, sponsored by Corona and will be televised live on SHOWTIME beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with preliminary fights to air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The co-main event will be a 10-round featherweight bout between undefeated phenom Gary Russell Jr. and Russia’s Vyacheslav Gusev.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/richard_abril, www.twitter.com/sharifbogere, www.twitter.com/mrgaryrusselljr, www.twitter.com/TheJointLV, www.twitter.com/hardrockhotellv and www.twitter.com/SHOsports, follow the conversation using #AbrilBogere or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

LAS VEGAS, March 1 – Puerto Rican power puncher Jorge Melendez squares off against Granite City, Illinois’ Ryan Davis and unbeaten light heavyweight prospect Thomas Williams of Fort Washington, Maryland puts his unbeaten record on the line in an eight round battle against St. Louis’ Kevin Engel on Saturday, March 2 on SHOWTIME EXTREME just before the SHOWTIME® Boxing-Special Edition telecast from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas featuring the lightweight world title fight between Richar Abril and Sharif Bogere and the featherweight battle between Gary Russell Jr. and Vyacheslav Gusev.

Abril vs. Bogere, a 12-round fight for Abril’s WBA Lightweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, March 2 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, sponsored by Corona and will be televised live on SHOWTIME telecast beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with preliminary fights to air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The co-main event will be a 10-round featherweight bout between undefeated phenom Gary Russell Jr. and Russia’s Vyacheslav Gusev.

Tickets priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, along with a limited number of VIP suite seats priced at $125, are on sale at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Twenty-four-year-old Jorge Melendez (25-2-1, 24 KO’s) is bringing a 12-fight winning streak into his Las Vegas debut this Saturday and you can expect that he will be looking to add another victory and knockout to his record. The winner of 17 bouts by stoppage in three rounds or less, the Manati, Puerto Rico knockout artist is on the fast track to big things in the coming years. Hoping to slow Melendez’ progress is 34-year-old “Dangerous” Ryan Davis (24-9-3, 9 KO’s), a veteran of over 13 years in the sport. Unbeaten in five of his last six bouts, the Illinois native once took Zab Judah the 12-round distance and is looking forward to scoring the upset this weekend.

Maryland’s Thomas Williams Jr. (12-0, 9 KO’s) earned rave reviews for a 2012 campaign in which he went 5-0 with four knockouts (three in the first round) and he got 2013 off to an equally impressive start in January with a third round technical knockout over fellow prospect Jason Smith. On Saturday, the 25-year-old meets Missouri’s Kevin “Hitman” Engel (20-7, 16 KO’s), a hard-hitting 32-year-old who has won two of his last three heading into this pivotal matchup.

In other undercard action…

Unbeaten Jeffrey Fontanez (10-0, 9 KO’s) of Caguas, Puerto Rico faces longtime standout Daniel Attah (27-13-1, 10 KO’s) of Washington, DC by way of Calabar, Nigeria, in a six round lightweight bout.

Las Vegas super middleweight Luis Arias (3-0, 2 KO’s) who fights under the Mayweather Promotions banner meets Mexicali, Mexico’s Arsenio Terraza (9-3, 8 KO’s) in a six round matchup and in the four round welterweight opener, Monongahela, Pennsylvania’s Sammy Vasquez (6-0, 4 KO’s) takes on Fort Lauderdale’s Leandro Albornoz (15-2-1, 5 KO’s).

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/richard_abril, www.twitter.com/sharifbogere, www.twitter.com/mrgaryrusselljr, www.twitter.com/DestroyerPR, www.twitter.com/@Topdoggjr, www.twitter.com/@FontanezJeffrey, www.twitter.com/TheJointLV, www.twitter.com/hardrockhotellv and www.twitter.com/SHOsports, follow the conversation using #AbrilBogere or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.