Manny Pacquiao announced that he will fight on June 24th in Malaysia against possible Lucas Matthysse, but according to Dan Rafael of espn.com, promoter Bob Arum says no deal is in place.

“It’s already final I’m going to fight in Malaysia on June 24,” Pacquiao told the Manila Times. “It is against Matthysse. I’ll be ready for the preparation and it’s going to be 11 weeks.”

“For years we’ve had these proposals from people in the Mideast, whether it’s Abu Dhabi, or the Emirates, or Saudi Arabia, and we’re still waiting for the first deposit for the fight to happen. It didn’t, so now we’ve shifted our attention from the Mideast to the Far East and we’re looking for Malaysian money,” Arum said, laughing, because he has been down this road many times.

Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Matthysse, told ESPN that Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz had contacted him about a possible Pacquiao-Matthysse fight but that they have not made a deal yet.

“Michael Koncz reached out to me and all we did was talk and that’s all I can say,” Gomez said. “We’re interested in the fight. It’s very preliminary.”

“If the money comes up then I’ve agreed to sign on,” Arum said. “We would handle the logistics, we would handle the undercard and we would handle the television. All they have to do is say they got the $5 million of the $15 million. That makes it legit. [But] I’m not booking my flight [to Malaysia] yet.”

Arum had offered Pacquiao a fight with faded former junior welterweight titlist Mike Alvarado on April 14 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in the co-feature position on the card headlined by former undisputed junior welterweight world champion Terence Crawford’s move up to welterweight to challenge Jeff Horn for the title Horn controversially won by decision from Pacquiao in July.

Pacquiao, however, is said to have been stung by the offer of an undercard spot on a card headlined by a fighter most thought he defeated. Beyond that, Pacquiao has deep tax issues despite earning hundreds of millions of dollars that Arum said would keep him from fighting in the United States.

“He’s afraid whatever deal he makes with the IRS they’ll seize all the money so he can’t fight here,” Arum said. “We thought we could work it out with the IRS.”

“I like [Matthysse’s] aggressive fighting style,” Pacquiao said in announcing the fight. “That’s what I want, to entertain the boxing fans. Besides, Matthysse is not a dirty fighter and I highly respect him for that.”

Lucas Matthysse stopped Tewa Kiram to win the WBA Welterweight title at the Forum in Inglewood, California.

Matthysse suffered an abrasion over his left eye in round five of a fight that lacked action over the first seven rounds.

In round eight, Matthysse dropped Kiram with a hard left hand,  It was another left hand that sent Kiram on his back for a second and final time and the bout was stopped at 1:21.

Matthysse, 147 lbs of Chubut, ARG is now 39-4 with 36 knockouts.  Kiram, 146.4 lbs of Buriram, THA is now 37-1.

“I’m really happy,” said Lucas Matthysse. “He [Kiram] moved really well, and he was really big. That’s why it was hard to cut the distance. I didn’t feel his power, but he felt mine, so that’s why I was able to find him later and stop him. I’m here for the best and biggest names. I want the rematch with Danny Garcia or Manny Pacquiao. Those are the big fights I want, though of course that will be up to Mario Arano and Golden Boy Promotions to figure that out.”

Jorge Linares retained the WBA Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Mercito Gesta.

In round eight, Linares was cut over his right eye.

Linares outlanded Gesta 171-120.

Linares, 135 lbs of Barinas, VEN won by scores of 118-110 twice and 117-111, and is now 44-3.  Gesta, 134.8 lbs of San Diego is now 31-2-2.

“I didn’t really feel his [Gesta’s] power, though I hurt my hand in the fourth or fifth round,” said Jorge Linares. “I threw my right hand without really putting too much power into it. I was just touching him. There wasn’t a knockout because he was well prepared. Like I said to Oscar De La Hoya, I don’t want to mention names for my next opponent. You know what’s nice? That people mention my name [as a possible opponent]. That’s fine that they mention my name, but let’s get them in the ring. Let them get in the ring with me.”

“I fought against a world champion, and that was a great privilege,” said Mercito Gesta. “He [Linares] adjusted well to my style after the first couple of rounds. Overall, I am proud of myself for taking this tough fight, and I know me and coach Freddie Roach came in with the best game plan. We just fell a little short.”

Follow all the action as Lucas Matthysse and Tewa Kiram vie for the vacant WBA Welterweight title.  the action begins at 10:30 PM ET / 7 :30 PM PT/12:30 AM in Argentina and 10:30 AM in Thailand with the WBA Lightweight title bout between Jorge Linares and Mercito Gesta

THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY.  NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED

Round 1: 

Round 2 Right from Matthysse…Body shot..Kiram jabbing..Matthysse lands a right..Jab from Kiram..

Round 3 Matthysse lands a right..Kiram jabbing..Mouse under the left eye of Matthysse..Good body shot from Matthysse

Round 4

Round 5 Matthysse has an abrasion over his left eye

Round 6 

Round 7 Kiram holding..

Round 8 BIG LEFT AND DOWN GOES KIRAM….RIGHT AND DOWN GOES KIRAM AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

Round 1 Gesta lands a left..Lefts and right from Linares..Left from Gesta

Round 2 Linares lands 3 right hands..Right hook from Gesta..Right…

Round 3 Right and body from Linares..Good left hook

Round 4 Combination from Linares..

Round 5 Good straight right hand a combination to the body..

Round 6 Hard right from Linares..

Round 7 Great body shot..6 punch combination..

Round 8 Left from Gesta..Linares cut over his right eye…Good straight right

Round 9 Gesta lands a combination..Good left and right from Linares…

Round 10 Trading shots..Linares lands a right to the body and another right..Right hook from Gesta..

Round 11 Left hook from Linares..Good body shot

Round 12 Counter left from Gesta,..

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/videos/10155438546040756/

LONDON (26 January, 2018) – Lucas Matthysse is ready to throw his name into the mix at welterweight when he takes on undefeated Tiwa Kiram for the vacant WBA welterweight world title.

The pair clash this Saturday night exclusively live on BoxNation from the Forum in Inglewood, California, with Argentine Matthysse moving up from light-welterweight to take on the relatively unknown and untested 25-year-old Kiram.

Hard-hitting Matthysse, who has 35 knockouts in his 38 wins, has promised a return to his best in order to capture the 147-pound title.

“I’m excited at this opportunity to fight for a world title. I’ve prepared for this fight really well. We prepared in Argentina, and then finished in Indio,” he said.

“This Saturday, I will walk away with a world title. I know that he manages his distance well and that he has a good jab, but I am prepared for that. I learned a few things, but I assure the fans that they will once again see the “Machine” this Saturday,” said Matthysse.

Thai ace Kiram, who is yet to taste defeat, with a highly impressive record of 38 wins with 28 knockouts, is ready to make his mark and upset Matthysse when they meet.

“I’m very thankful that I’m fighting for a world title this Saturday against Lucas Matthysse. I’m looking forward to winning a world title and taking the belt back to Thailand. I’m ready to show the world who I am and put on a great fight,” said Kiram.

Also on the BoxNation bill this weekend will be lightweight star Jorge Linares who defends his WBA world title against the Philippines Mercito Gesta.

32-year-old Linares is a familiar face with British fights fans after having faced and beaten both Luke Campbell and Anthony Crolla in his previous fights.

He is now looking to continue that momentum when he takes on Gesta, who is being trained by Hall-of-Famer Freddie Roach, and says his mind is only on this fight despite being linked with a potential bout against the talented Mikey Garcia.

“I’m not thinking about any other fight right now,” said Linares. “Gesta is a tough fighter. He’s a quick southpaw who is dangerous. It’s very important to be victorious this Saturday. Bigger and better things will come with a victory this Saturday. I’m ready to do the business.”

30-year-old Gesta, who has lost just once in his career, that being on points against Miguel Vazquez when he challenged for the IBF lightweight title, says he is going to knockout Linares to claim his first world title.

“This Saturday I’ll be coming to take home the title. I’ve been training hard for this fight. This is my second shot at a title, and I’ll make the most of it with a knockout victory. I’m going to give everything to win this fight,” said Gesta.

BoxNation’s exclusively live coverage will start from 2.30am this Saturday night.

BoxNation is available on Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/EE/Apple TV/ online at watch.boxnation.com, via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon) and TV Player for just £12 a month. Buy now at boxnation.com.

– ENDS –

About BoxNation

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

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

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), TV Player, online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon, Apple TV). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

Available on selected internet-connected Freeview products only, subject to coverage. Visit freeview.co.uk/availability.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV customers

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2018): Fighters on the special double main event of
Matthysse vs. Kiram and Linares vs. Gesta held a final press conference today ahead of the explosive Golden Boy Promotions card that will take place this Jan. 27 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. In the first part of this spectacular main event, former interim WBC Super Lightweight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) of Chubut, Argentina will take on undefeated Thai superstar Tewa Kiram (38-0, 28 KOs) in a 12-round battle for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship. In the second main event, Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares (43-3, 27 KOs) will face Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs) in a 12-round defense of his WBA and Ring Magazine Lightweight Titles. The event will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Here’s what today’s participants said at today’s press conference:

LUCAS “LA MAQUINA” MATTHYSSE, FORMER INTERIM WBC SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT:
“I’m excited this opportunity to fight for a world title. We prepared for this fight really well. We prepared in Argentina, and then finished in Indio. This Saturday, we will walk away with a world title. We know that he manages his distance well and that he has a good jab, but we prepared for that. We learned a few things, but I assure the fans that they will once again see the “Machine” this Saturday.”

TEWA KIRAM, PABA WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION:
“I’m very thankful that I’m fighting for a world title this Saturday against Lucas Matthysse. I’m looking forward to winning a world and taking the belt back to Thailand. Don’t miss out on this great show.”

JORGE “EL NIÑO DE ORO” LINARES, WBA AND RING MAGAZINE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION:
“Thank you for this opportunity, Mercito Gesta. I’m ready. I’m here to give a good fight. I trained in Japan, and I trained here in the states. I’m not thinking about any other fight right now. Gesta is a tough fighter. He’a a quick southpaw who is dangerous. It’s very important to be victorious this Saturday. Bigger and better things will come with a victory this Saturday.”

MERCITO “NO MERCY” GESTA, LIGHTWEIGHT CONTENDER:
“I just want to say thank you to the media and to HBO. This Saturday I’ll be coming to take home the title. I’ve been training hard for this fight. This is my second shot at a title, and I’ll make the most of it with a knockout victory.”

JOEL DIAZ, TRAINER TO LUCAS MATTHYSSE:
“Lucas Matthysse is the type of fighter I like to train. He’s aggressive. He has heavy hands. I’m committed to taking advantage of this opportunity–the opportunity that he has to win a world title. This Saturday you will see a new Lucas Matthysse.”

MARIO ARANO, MANAGER TO LUCAS MATTHYSSE:
“The time has come for Lucas Matthysse. He is the face of Golden Boy Promotions and Arano Box. I’m confident that Argentina will come to a standstill this Saturday night. The world will celebrate and applaud Matthysse’s victory.”

TERRY LAOSUWANWAT, PROMOTER OF TEWA KIRAM:
“Tewa [Kiram] is number one. He didn’t get there by luck. He worked hard for this opportunity. Tewa is taller and stronger. We are definitely not the underdog, and you will see that this Saturday.”

FREDDIE ROACH, HALL OF FAME TRAINER TO MERCITO GESTA:
“It’s been a really good training camp. He’s worked hard in training camp. I just want to wish the best of luck to our opponent.”

ERIC GOMEZ, PRESIDENT OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS
“This Saturday will be important because it is the first boxing event of international proportions. I want to thank our partners at HBO working with us to make yet another great card, and the Forum for one again hosting another Golden Boy fight. This Saturday we will have some of our most exciting fighters in tough fights on our undercard, and it will be headline by two spectacular matchups.”

Matthysse vs. Kiram is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box and Galaxy Promotions. Linares vs. Gesta, a 12-round fight for the WBA and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championships, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop, Never Settle,” and Casa Mexico Tequila. The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at the ‘Fabulous’ Forum in Inglewood, Calif. and will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The non-televised undercard action will be streamed live on RingTV.com beginning at 3:05 p.m. PT/ 6:05 p.m. ET.

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Kiram are currently on sale and are priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and
www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow the conversation using #MatthysseKiram.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/MatthysseKiram into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/videos/10155432723785756/

HBO Boxing ushers in a new year with the all-action doubleheader HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: LUCAS MATTHYSSE VS. TEWA KIRAM AND JORGE LINARES VS. MERCITO GESTA, presented SATURDAY, JAN. 27 at 10:30 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

The fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

The main event spotlights ring warrior Lucas Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) of Argentina as he battles undefeated challenger Tewa Kiram (38-0, 28 KOs) of Thailand for a vacant welterweight title in a scheduled 12-round clash. Making his fifth appearance on HBO, Matthysse, 35, is a fan favorite, thanks to his aggressive, come-forward style. During his 14-year career, he’s taken on all challengers, including Danny García, Zab Judah, Lamont Peterson and Ruslan Provodnikov. Matthysse’s impressive dismantling of Emmanuel Taylor on the undercard of Canelo-Golovkin in May set the stage for this title shot.

Making his U.S. and HBO debut, Kiram, 25, looks to make a statement. With 28 knockout victories since turning pro at age 15, he would quickly catapult himself into the spotlight by defeating the respected veteran.

The night opens with Jorge Linares (43-3, 27 KOs) of Venezuela, now residing in Tokyo, defending his world lightweight title against Mercito Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs) of the Philippines, now living in San Diego. The scheduled 12-round bout marks the 32-year-old Linares’ sixth defense of the crown he captured in 2014; he won an exciting fight over challenger Luke Campbell at The Forum last September.

Southpaw challenger Gesta, 30, has just one career defeat, which came in 2012 at the hands of former lightweight titlist Miguel Vázquez in his only other title shot. An impressive stretch of wins, including a knockout victory over Martin Honorio at The Forum in July, earned him this shot against the reigning champ.

Beginning its 22nd season, HBO BOXING AFTER DARK has delivered some of the sport’s most memorable moments since 1996, including Ward-Gatti 1, two fights from the Rios-Alvarado trilogy and the consensus 2016 Fight of the Year between Francisco Vargas and Orlando Salido. The franchise has helped launch the careers of some of boxing’s biggest and brightest, including Gennady Golovkin, Canelo Alvarez, Sergey Kovalev, Miguel Cotto, Wladimir Klitschko, Marco Antonio Barrera and Shane Mosley.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jonathan Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 18, 2018): PABA Welterweight Champion Tewa Kiram (38-0. 28 KOs) and lightweight contender Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs) hosted a media workout today at Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles, Calif. ahead of their respective world championship bouts. Kiram will take on former interim WBC Super Lightweight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) in a 12-round fight for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Title, while Gesta will take on WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine World Champion Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares (43-3, 27 KOs) in a 12-round battle. The action takes place on Saturday, Jan. 27 in a special double main event at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The doubleheader will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

On the non-televised portion of the card, Armenian welterweight prospect Ferdinand Kerobyan (7-0, 4 KOs) will face Lucius Johnson (4-1-1, 3 KOs) in a six-round welterweight fight. In an exciting and rarely-seen battle between two undefeated prospects, Los Angeles native Tenochtitlan “T-Dog” Nava (7-0, 1 KO) will participate in an eight-round 126-pound clash against Las Vegas’ Francisco “El Alacran” Esparza (6-0-1, 2 KOs). Romero “Ruthless” Duno (15-1, 13 KOs) will fight for a second consecutive time at the “Fabulous” Forum in an eight-round lightweight battle against Sacramento, Calif.’s Yardley Armenta (21-9, 12 KOs). Kerobyan, Duno and Nava also participated in today’s workout. The non-televised undercard action will be streamed live on www.RingTV.com beginning at 3:05 p.m. PT/ 6:05 p.m. ET.

Here’s what today’s participants had to say at the media workout:

TEWA KIRAM, PABA Welterweight Champion:
“I have a great game plan that I have for next week. I can’t reveal it now, but if I find an opportunity, I’ll take it. Lucas Matthysse is coming from 140 to 147, so I feel good about that. I’ll be the naturally bigger guy in there. I’m very relaxed, even though this is my first fight outside of Thailand. I’m very happy and excited to come to America to fight for a world title. With a win, I’ll come back here very soon and fight again!”

MERCITO “NO MERCY” GESTA, Lightweight Contender:
“I’ve grown a lot and learned a lot since 2012, when I first fought for a world title. I learned how to take defeat, and I learned to make the most from my mistakes. Right now it’s a matter of taking all that I learned and putting it into the ring. I’m not concerned with Jorge Linares’ power, but he is fast and we’re taking that into consideration. I’ve been studying and working on applying pressure, but smartly to avoid mistakes. To my all my fans, don’t miss this great fight. I’m going to win that belt for you!”

FERDINAND KEROBYAN, Welterweight Prospect:
“My opponent’s name is Lucius Johnson, and he’s been a pro for a while now. We’ve done our research, and I’m looking forward to putting a great show for my fans and come out with a great victory. After fighting 7 times in 2017, I’m hoping this year I’ll be fighting for a championship belt. I want to get more experience on the way, and with experience I’ll be a more complete fighter.

ROMERO “RUTHLESS” DUNO, Super Featherweight Prospect:
“The win against Christian Gonzalez gave me a lot of opportunities. I was immediately signed and now I’m doing better than ever. I will give a good fight on Jan. 27, and we can show the world to never underestimate me. I’ve prepared well, and I’m ready for the next level and to take on even tougher fights.

TENOCHTITLAN “T-DOG” NAVA, Featherweight Prospect:
“I’ve been waiting for this fight for some time now. Now only is this a great opportunity to step up, but it’s an opportunity to give a great fight between two young, undefeated fighters. Esparza is young and tough, but I came into camp in great shape and I have a smart game plan to beat him.”

Matthysse vs. Kiram is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBA Welterweight
World Championship, and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box and Galaxy Promotions. Linares vs. Gesta, a 12-round fight for the WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championships is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop, Never Settle,” and Casa Mexico Tequila. The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. and will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

The non-televised undercard action will be streamed live on www.RingTV.com beginning at 3:05 p.m. PT/ 6:05 p.m. ET.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow the conversation using #MatthysseKiram.

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Kiram are currently on sale and are priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and
pasting the link http://bit.ly/MatthysseKiram into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

INDIO, CALIF. (Jan. 11, 2018): Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) hosted a media workout today in Indio, Calif. ahead of his 12-round fight against Tewa Kiram (38-0. 28 KOs) for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship on Jan. 27, 2018 in a special double main event at the “Fabulous” Forum Inglewood, Calif. In the second part of the double main event, Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares (43-3, 27 KOs) will defend his WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Lightweight Titles against Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs) in a 12-round battle. The doubleheader will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

On the non-televised portion of the card, Marcelino “Nino” Lopez (33-2, 18 KOs), who will return in 10-round super lightweight fight against a soon-to-be announced opponent, and Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (8-0, 8 KOs), who is preparing for his 2018 comeback on a soon-to-be announced card, also participated in the workout. Featherweight prospect and training partner of the fighters, Javier Martinez (4-0, 3 KOs), also was in attendance as he prepares to open the night of action in a six-round bout.

Here’s what today’s participants had to say at the media workout:

LUCAS MATTHYSSE, Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight
Champion:
“Training camp has been excellent. I did a little bit of training in Argentina before coming here. to Indio. Training with Joel Diaz and the entire team has been great. I know that Tewa Kiram is a hard puncher and can fight on the outside, but on Jan. 27 I’ll become world champion. I’ve beaten the best at 140 pounds, and now I’ll beat the best at 147 pounds. A win against Kiram will put me at the top of the division.”

MARCELINO LOPEZ, Super Lightweight Contender:
“Whether I not I know who my opponent is does not make a difference. I will still train hard. When I knocked out Pablo Cesar Cano, it was a great victory for me because he’s a tough former world champion. He’s fought the best and has fought to decisions with them as well. I finished the fight in two rounds, and I know I’ll be having bigger and better fights in the future because of that.”

VERGIL ORTIZ, JR., Super Lightweight Prospect:
“Lucas Matthysse is a great person and a funny guy. Sparring with him was great. You have to watch out because he hits hard and has a lot of tricks. I feel like I’ll do my best under the Joel Diaz training camp. I feel like I won’t slack off with him and do my best. Maybe in 2018 my knockout streak will end as I fight tougher and tougher opponents.”

DANIEL MARTINEZ, Featherweight Prospect:
“Whatever they put in my way in this new year, I’ll do. I’d like to fight more rounds and fight better opponents. I want to move up the rankings this year and be in very tough fights.”

ERIC GOMEZ, President of Golden Boy Promotions:
“This fight with Lucas Matthysse was mandated by the WBA. This is a dangerous fight. He’s an undefeated puncher with a great style, and they’re both big punchers. I know it’s going to be a great fight, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Matthysse vs. Kiram is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box and Galaxy Promotions. Linares vs. Gesta, a 12-round fight for the WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championships is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop, Never Settle,” and Casa Mexico Tequila. The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. and will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The non-televised undercard action will be streamed live on RingTV.com beginning at 3:00 p.m. PT/ 6:00 p.m. ET.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow the conversation using #MatthysseKiram.

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Kiram are currently on sale and are priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com
or www.ticketmaster.com.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/MatthysseKiram into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/videos/10155399519190756/

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 8, 2018): Japanese slugger Yoshihiro “El Maestrito” Kamegai (27-4-2, 24 KOs) will return after his impressive first shot at a world title to take on Orlando, Florida’s Daquan “King” Pauldo (16-1, 9 KOs) in a 10-round super welterweight fight that will top off the non-televised undercard of Matthysse vs. Kiram and Linares vs. Gesta on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The non-televised undercard action will be streamed live on RingTV.com beginning at 3:00 p.m. PT/ 6:00 p.m. ET.

As previously announced, Argentine knockout artist Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) of Chubut, Argentina will take on the explosive undefeated Thai superstar Tewa Kiram (38-0, 28 KOs) in a 12-round battle for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship in the first co-main event. Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares (43-3, 27 KOs) will defend his WBA, WBC Diamond, and Ring Magazine Lightweight Titles against Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs) in a 12-round bout in the second co-main event. This special double main event will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Kamegai will return after his impressive outing against former six-time, four-division world champion Miguel Cotto, which was for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Title in an HBO-televised main event in August 2017 at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Before that fight, Kamegai took part in two consecutive Fight of the Year candidates against Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass in June and Sept. of 2016. Kamegai will look to earn another shot at a 154-pound title if successful against Pauldo.

Pauldo, a 25-year-old super welterweight contender who was formerly known as Daquan Arnett, has only suffered one loss in his impressive career, which was when he dropped down to 147 pounds to take on tough Golden Boy Promotions contender Eddie “Eboy” Gomez. After returning to 154 pounds, Pauldo has defeated five people in a row, including the experienced Jorge “Pantera” Silva in his last bout in July 2017. A win against Kamegai would give Pauldo a much-earned boost in the super welterweight rankings.

Marcelino “Nino” Lopez (33-21, 18 KOs) the native of Buenos Aires, Argentina and member of the exclusive training camp of Joel Diaz in Indio, Calif., will return in a 10-round super lightweight fight against an opponent that will be announce shortly. Lopez will return after defeating former interim WBA Super Lightweight Champion Pablo “El Demoledor” Cesar Cano via second-round technical knockout.

After seven spectacular wins in 2017, Armenian welterweight prospect Ferdinand Kerobyan (7-0, 4 KOs) will start the new year in a six-round welterweight fight against an opponent that will be announced soon. In his last fight, Kerobyan defeated Tavorus Teague in the ESPN3-streamed undercard of the Dec. 14 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN.

In an exciting and rarely-seen battle between two undefeated prospects, Los Angeles native Tenochtitlan “T-Dog” Nava (7-0, 1 KO) will participate in an eight-round 126-pound clash against Las Vegas’ Francisco “El Alacran” Esparza (6-0-1, 2 KOs). Both fighters are known for their come-forward, all-action styles, and with so much on the line, the bout will surely produce fireworks.

Romero “Ruthless” Duno (15-1, 13 KOs) will fight for a second consecutive time at the “Fabulous” Forum in an eight-round lightweight battle against Sacramento, Calif.’s Yardley Armenta (21-9, 12 KOs). The Filipino prospect made his U.S. debut and introduced himself in exciting fashion via a devastating second-round knockout victory against the previously undefeated prospect Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez. Since then, Duno has scored two more victories, which were against Jason Tinampay and Juan Pablo Sanchez respectively.

Undefeated prospect Javier Martinez (4-0, 3 KOs) of Dallas, Texas will kick off highly-anticipated night of action in a six-round featherweight fight against a soon-to-be-announced opponent.

Matthysse vs. Kiram is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBA Welterweight
World Championship, and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box and Galaxy Promotions. Linares vs. Gesta, a 12-round fight for the WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championships is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop, Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at the ‘Fabulous’ Forum in Inglewood, Calif. and will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The non-televised undercard action will be streamed live on RingTV.com beginning at 3:00 p.m. PT/ 6:00 p.m. ET.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow the conversation using #MatthysseKiram.

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Kiram are currently on sale and are priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/MatthysseKiram into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Dec. 12, 2017): Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs), the current WBA Inter-Continental and WBO International Welterweight Champion of Chubut, Argentina held a press conference today at Malbec Argentinean Cuisine in Santa Monica ahead of his fight for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship against undefeated Thai superstar Tewa Kiram (38-0, 28 KOs) in a 12-round battle at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. In the second main event, Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs), who was also in attendance, will challenge Venezuela’s Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares (43-3, 27 KOs) in a 12-round championship bout for Linares’ WBA, WBC Diamond, and Ring Magazine lightweight titles. The event will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

(L-R: Joel Diaz, Lucas Matthysse, Roberto Diaz, Mercito Gesta, and Freddie Roach on the dais.)

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

LUCAS “LA MAQUINA” MATTHYSSE, WBA Inter-Continental Welterweight and WBO International Welterweight Champion:
“I’m happy to be back in the United States. We’re preparing well. I’ve had a great camp. I started camp early in Argentina, and now I’m looking forward to closing camp with Joel Diaz in Indio, California. I don’t train for the knockout, but if the knockout comes, I’ll welcome it. I fought everyone at 140. I want to do the same as I did at 140; I want to fight the best.”

MERCITO “NO MERCY” GESTA, Lightweight Contender:

“I know it will be a tough fight. I’m a challenger, an underdog. But I love that feeling. It makes me hungrier, train harder and box smarter. I’ve worked with Jorge [Linares] before with some sparring. I know sparring is different, but I did well. Still, I know his style and power. With the help of Coach Freddie, we’ll have the right strategy. I am hungry for this title. I’ll do anything to get that title. I will give a good show in that fight.”

FREDDIE ROACH, Trainer to Mercito Gesta:
“We’re in a real tough fight. My guy [Mercito Gesta] is definitely getting ready for this fight. We’re going over a lot of strategy. We started sparring yesterday, and it went well. We still have a lot of time to work a little more. He’s looking good so far. I feel we can win this fight. This is a good opportunity for us and we have to take advantage of it as much as we can.”

JOEL DIAZ, Trainer to Lucas Matthysse:

“I’m really happy to be part of Lucas Matthysse’s team. He’s a great fighter. Coming in he’s very motivated. In my first fight him with him, he did really well with Emmanuel Taylor. Coming in to his second fight, he was motivated and happy. I always say that a happy fighter is a successful fighter. You’re going to see a great Matthysse, one who is ready to become world champion.”

ROBERTO DIAZ, Head Matchmaker of Golden Boy Promotions:
“On January 27, Argentine knockout artist “La Maquina” Matthysse will battle Thai superstar Tewa Kiram in a 12-round battle for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship at the “Fabulous” Forum.That night, Golden Boy Promotions will have a double main event at the Forum, with Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares battling the once-defeated Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta in a 12-round fight for Linares’ WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championships.”

“Lucas Matthysse is a power puncher who is one of the best 140-pounders of this era and has defeated some of the very best of that division. Mathysse recently entered welterweight division when he stopped Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor, and he is ready to fight the very best at welterweight.”

“Gesta has not tasted defeat in six fights, beating quality opponents including Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez and former contender Martin “El Brochas” Honorio. He is hungry for this fight and for this chance to be world champion.”

EVELYN CARRION, Vice President of Special Events for the “Fabulous” Forum:
“We’ve hosted the best of boxing and more than 400 important fights since it opened in 1967, including fights with Muhammed Ali, Oscar De La Hoya, Ken Norton and Shane Mosley. We’ve also hosted many more recent fighters as well. Today we are honored to welcome back Jorge Linares and Mercito Gesta, and we are thrilled to add Lucas Matthysse and Tewa Kiram to the great list of champs who have fought at our historic venue. All of us at the Forum are happy to welcome our friends at Golden Boy Promotions and HBO Boxing.

Matthysse vs. Kiram is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBA Welterweight
World Championship, and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box and Galaxy Promotions. Linares vs. Gesta, a 12-round fight for the WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championships is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING.” The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at the ‘Fabulous’ Forum in Inglewood, Calif. and will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow the conversation using #MatthysseKiram.

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Kiram are priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person, go on sale Thursday, December 14 at 10:00 a.m. PST. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/MatthysseKiram into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

INDIO, CALIF. (Dec. 8, 2017): Argentine knockout artist and former interim WBC Super Lightweight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse will be the special VIP guest for the Dec. 14 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. The event will be headlined by the 10-round fight between current NABF and NABO Super Bantamweight Champion Diego De La Hoya (20-0, 9 KOs) and tough challenger José “Sugar” Salgado (35-4-2, 28 KOs).

ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will air the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 8:50 p.m. ET/5:50 p.m. PT. Doors to the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center open at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Matthysse, the 35-year-old power puncher who is one of the best 140-pounders of this era, has defeated some of the very best of that division, including former two-division world champion Lamont “Havoc” Peterson, former WBO Junior Welterweight Champion Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and former three-division titlist Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto. The native of Chubut, Argentina recently entered welterweight division when he stopped Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor in the fifth round of a bout that was part of the televised undercard of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr.

Though he is busily preparing to clash against Thai superstar Tewa Kiram in a 12-round battle for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship on Jan. 27, Matthysse will be in attendance for this event to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center before the ESPN transmission begins. The meet-and-greet is open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to the event.

Tickets for the event start at $25 and will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

In the night’s co-main event, Carlos “The Solution” Morales (16-2-3, 6 KOs) will face Kosovo’s Dardan Zenunaj (14-3, 11 KOs) in a ten-round clash for the NABF Super Featherweight Championship that Morales lost to current WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Alberto “Explosivo” Machado earlier this year. In the night’s swing bout, 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Marlen Esparza (3-0) of Houston, Texas will take on Mexico’s Karla Valenzuela (3-16-3, 1 KO) in a six-round super flyweight battle.

Joet Gonzalez (17-0, 9 KOs) will take on Isao Carranza (15-10-1, 8 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico over a scheduled 10 rounds of 126-pound action. Ferdinand Kerobyan (6-0, 3 KOs) will fight Tavorus Teague (4-18-2, 3 KOs) in a schedule four-round clash in the welterweight division. Southern California favorite

San Antonio’s Joshua “The Professor” Franco (12-0, 6 KOs) will participate in a scheduled eight rounds of super flyweight fury against Los Angeles’ Carlos Maldonado (9-1, 7 KOs). Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro (11-0, 6 KOs) will fight Nicaragua’s Nelson Lara (17-8-5, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight fight.

To close off this exciting boxing evening, two fights will take place after the main event. Mexican Olympian Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (1-0) will take on Mexico City’s rugged Israel Villela (6-7, 2 KOs) in a welterweight bout scheduled for six-rounds, and Ryan Caballero (3-0, 1 KO), the younger brother of Coachella, California’s Randy “El Matador” Caballero, will open the boxing evening at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in a six-round welterweight fight against Franco Gutierrez (1-0) of Sonora, Mexico.

De La Hoya vs. Salgado is a 10-round super bantamweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Don Chargin & Paco Presents Boxing.The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy, “Never Stop, Never Settle.” The fights will take place live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Doors open and the first fight begins at 4:30 p.m. PT. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will transmit the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 8:50 p.m. ET/5:50 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and http://www.espn.com/boxing/; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @ESPN, and @ESPNBoxeo; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya. Follow the conversation using #GBPonESPN.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting link: http://bit.ly/DeLaHoyaSalgado into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 27, 2017): Two of the world’s most exciting fighters, Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) and Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares (43-3, 27 KOs), will kick off the 2018 boxing year with a bang as they compete in separate world championship bouts on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, California. This special double main event will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:20 p.m. ET/PT.

The first co-main event will see the 35-year-old Matthysse, an absolutely thunderous puncher out of Chubut, Argentina, facing undefeated Thai superstar Tewa Kiram (38-0. 28 KOs) in a 12-round battle for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship.

“I am honored to be able to fight for a world championship in just my second fight at welterweight,” said Matthysse, a former interim world champion at 140 pounds who has defeated the likes of former two-division champion Lamont “Havoc” Peterson, formerWBO Junior Welterweight Champion Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and former three-division titlist Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto. “I understand I am facing a younger, undefeated opponent, but I am confident that ‘The Machine’ will emerge victorious.”

Since turning pro at the age of 15, Kiram has torn through an astounding 38 opponents, with 28 of them never hearing the final bell. He won the interim PABA Welterweight Championship in just his sixth fight and defended it – and the full PABA Welterweight title – more than 30 times over seven years. This will mark his first fight outside of Thailand.

“I understand not many people know me in the U.S., but they are in for a big surprise on Jan. 27,” Kiram said. “I have never been defeated, and I am fully confident that I will return to Thailand with the WBA Welterweight World Championship around my waist.”

In the second co-main event, Linares, a 32-year-old Venezuelan considered one of the top fighters in the world, will make his second trip to the ‘Fabulous’ Forum in a row to defend his multiple lightweight world championships against the once-defeated Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs).

“I have travelled all over the world to win and defend my titles, and I am looking forward to having my hand raised in victory once again in America,” said Linares, the three-division world champion who holds victories over world champions and contenders such as Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla, Kevin “Mighty” Mitchell and Gamaliel “El Platano” Diaz. “I know that Gesta has speed and power, but he hasn’t been at this level before, and on Jan. 27, he’ll know what it’s like to face a world champion.”

Gesta, a 30-year-old from the Philippines, has not tasted defeat in six fights, beating quality opponents including Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez and former contender Martin “El Brochas” Honorio. Gesta is getting his second shot at a world championship more than five years after dropping a unanimous decision to Miguel “Titere” Vazquez for the IBF World Lightweight Championship.

“I know firsthand how long it takes to get a shot at a world championship, and I will not allow this opportunity to pass me by,” Gesta said. “I understand Linares is a great fighter, but I know I have the skills, speed, power, and great coaching which will get my hand raised in victory.”

“What a way to kick of 2018 – with two of the top fighters in the sport taking on younger, hungry challengers,” said Oscar De La Hoya, CEO and Chairman of Golden Boy Promotions. “It’s not often you get two main events on one card, but that is what we will have on Jan. 27 at the “Fabulous” Forum. This card will help keep the momentum that boxing established in 2017.”

“This is a very important fight for Argentine boxing, for Lucas Matthysse and for Arano Box,” said Mario Arano of Arano Boxing. “Matthysse is ready to be a world champion, and we are more than sure that his win will make huge waves throughout the entirety of the Republic of Argentina and South America.”

“Thailand has never had a Welterweight World champion before,” said Taweesin Terry Laosuwanwat, Manager and Promoter of Kiram. “We are making history here, and Tewa [Kiram] will do anything to win this fight. Tewa has never lost before, and he will keep his undefeated record against Matthysse.”

The remainder of the undercard and the ticket information for this stacked event will be announced shortly.

Matthysse vs. Kiram is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship, and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box and Galaxy Promotions. Linares vs. Gesta, a 12-round fight for the WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championships is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING.” This special double main event will be held on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at The ‘Fabulous’ Forum in Inglewood, California and will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:20 p.m. ET/PT.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking hereor copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/MatthysseKiram into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.comand www.hbo com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow the conversation using #MatthysseKiram.

About The Forum
The award-winning “Fabulous” Forum, located in Inglewood, CA, is the largest indoor performance venue in the country designed with a focus on music and entertainment, in addition to select sporting events. The interior of the bowl features flexible seating that ranges from 17,500 seats to 7,000 seats, enabling the venue to attract a wide variety of premier events. Fans at the Forum enjoy approximately 8,000 square feet of event level hospitality offerings, including merchandise, along with food and beverage options from some of SoCal’s most celebrated brands. A tinted glass wall separates this concession area from the arena, ensuring fans do not miss a moment of the performance. A 40,000 square foot outdoor terrace surrounds the perimeter of the building and offers food and beverage options, as well as comfortable furnishings, to further elevate guests’ enjoyment. The Forum delivers a one-of-a-kind experience for all thanks to its superior acoustics, intimate ambiance and state-of-the-art facilities. Designed with entertainers and performers in mind, the venue includes nine, star-caliber dressing rooms that provide unparalleled comfort. The Forum is part of The Madison Square Garden Company’s portfolio of iconic venues, which also includes: New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; The Chicago Theatre; and the Wang Theatre in Boston. For more information, please visit www.fabulousforum.com.

Follow all the action as Mexican Warriors, Canelo Alvarez takes on Julio Cesar Chavez in super middleweight catchweight bout.  The action begins at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT with 3 fight undercard.  Former middleweight champion Dabid Lemieux battles Marco Reyes.  Former junior welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse takes on Emanuel Taylor.  Joseph Diaz, Jr. fights Manuel Avila in a battle of undefeated featherweights.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Canelo lands a right to the body..Left lands..Jab..Chavez lands an uppercut..hook to body..Right from Alvarez..Jab..Right over top..

Round 2 Combination from Alvarez..Left hook from Chavez..straight right..3 punch combo and uppercut from Alvarez..Right uppercut..2 more uppercuts and a jab..

Round 3 Right from Alvarez..Welt over the right eye of Chavez..2 hard shots from Chavez..3 good shots from Alvarez..Chavez bleeding from the nose..ALVAREZ OUTLANDING CHAVEZ 57-18

Round 4 Left hook from Alvarez..3 punch combination..Hard uppercut..Good body shot

Round 5 Hard counter right from Chavez..ripping body shot..big right,,very one sided fight..Canelo dominating

Round 6 Chavez lands a combo on the ropes..Combination from Alvarez…

Round 7 Chavez lands on the ropes..Alvarez fights off by 2 landing about 8 punches..Good combination from Chavez..

Round 8 Chavez landing on the ropes..Jab from Canelo..

Round 9 Uppercut from Alvarez..Jab,..

Round 10 Uppercut from Alvarez..Combination..Counter right…

Round 11 Right from Alvarez..Right..Right..Left..

Round 12 Alvarez lands a right and a uppercut..

120-108 on all cards for CANELO ALVAREZ

PUNNCHES –ALAVREZ 228-696     CHAVEZ 71 -302

Round 1 Staright raightfrom Lemeiux …Left hook

Round 2 Right from reyes….Reyes cut over right eye from a left hook..

Round 3 Left and hard right from Lemieux..Big uppercut and Reyes s hurt..Huge left hook staggers Reyes..Reyes lands a body shot..Straightt right…2 body shots..Huge right and a body shot,,

Round 4 2 hard left hooks from Lemieux..Body shot from Reyes..Huge right knockouts out mouthpiece,,2 good rights and a body shot from Reyes.

Round 5 Right and left from Reyes..Left from Lemieux

Round 6 Good counter from Lemieux

Round 7 Jab from Lemeiux..Good right..Left and an uppercut..Big left hook..Reyes bleeding and taking a lot of hard shots..Left hook

Round 8 Reyes trying to flurry..Left hook..

Round 9 Right from Reyes..Hard right from Lemieux,,Body shot

Round 10 Vicious 3 punch combination from Lemieux..Reyes trying to land on the ropes..

99-90 TWICE AND 98-91 DAVID LEMIEUX

Round 1 Hard right from Matthysse

Round 2 Right from Matthysse…2 rights over the top..Right..Hard combination on ropes..body shot

Round 3 Matthysee cut over right eye…BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES TAYLOR

Round 4 Left from Taylor..Right and left from Taylor..Jab from Matthysse..Hard left drives Taylor back

Round 5 Good right from Taylor..Good left uppercut and left hook...BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES TAYLOR AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 Diaz lands a left to the body

Round 2 Avila lands a right…Left from Diaz…Jab from Avila..Left from Diaz..

Round 3 Good Jab from Diaz..Straight left..Right from Avila..

Round 4 Right from Avila..Left from Diaz..Good left hook from Avila..Straight right..Left to body from Diaz..

Round 5 Body shot from Diaz..Straight left..Avila cut over his right eye

Round 6 Counter right from Avila..Uppercut on inside…

Round 7 Left from Diaz…Left to body..Combination..Good right hook..another hook..

Round 8 Body shot from Diaz..combination..Counter right hook..Left to body..Hard right from Avila…Right uppercut fromDiaz..Straight left

Round 9 Uppercut Diaz…Left Staggers Avila..Good straight left…4 punch combination

Round 10 Good right hook from Diaz..

WINNER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION —JOSEPH DIAZ JR.

LAS VEGAS (May 4, 2017) – Fighters on the undercard of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. hosted a press conference today at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino ahead of their bouts on Saturday, May 6. Co-main event fighters former IBF Middleweight Champion David Lemieux (37-3, 33 KOs) and Middleweight contender Marco “Dorado” Reyes (35-4, 26 KOs) were joined by former WBC Silver Super Lightweight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs), Welterweight contender Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor (20-4, 14 KOs), NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr. and IBA Featherweight Champion Manuel “Tino” Avila (22-0, 8 KOs) on the HBO Pay-Per-View portion beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Fighting on the preliminary undercard “free view” stream beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT, lightweight prospect Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (8-0, 7 KOs) will face Tyrone Luckey (8-6-3, 6 KOs) and flyweight prospect Marlen Esparza (1-0) will take on Samantha Salazar (2-3-1). Former Mexican Olympian Raul “El Cugar” Curiel will make his pro debut against Jesus Sanchez (1-1-2).

Super bantamweight contender Ronny Rios (27-1, 12 KOs) will fight Daniel Noriega (28-10-1, 15 KOs) and lightweight prospect Joseph “Diamante” Aguirre (16-0, 9 KOs) will take on Angel Aispuro (8-4-2) beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Below is what the fighters and their teams had to say at today’s final press conference:

ERIC GOMEZ, President of Golden Boy Promotions:

“We at Golden Boy Promotions have stacked this card from top to bottom, and I believe it is our best undercard yet with fighters from three continents here making this a global event on Cinco de Mayo. Throughout the night of May 6, fans will see a range of great action fights from some of our top prospects; to battles of undefeated contenders; to the return of former world champions.

“I also just received confirmation that our May 5th show tomorrow is completely sold out, thank you to all of our fight fans who have sold out this show and our May 6th show.

BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions Business Partner:

“I want the young fighters to know this a great opportunity to be on this Cinco de Mayo undercard with Canelo and Chavez, Jr. This is a great moment to become a champion and be a part of this historical event. Take care of business, and be sure to put on a great show.”

TONY WALKER, Vice President of HBO Pay-Per-View:

“Our distributors have always told us undercards matter, when you think about it-there is four hours of time to fill. People want to be entertained during that time, so it really helps when you have an exciting undercard to the main event.”

“We feel David Lemieux, Lucas Matthysse, Joseph Diaz Jr., all enhance this card and from their strong fan bases in Canada, Argentina and Los Angeles, we expect the fans to be very happy with these great fights.”

CAMILLE ESTEPHAN, President of Eye of the Tiger Management:

“This is very exciting, as a fan of boxing, this is an amazing card. Every fight is a must-see. I want to mention the industry of boxing-with the right fights, people come out. We are here to contribute to this great show. David is read, and you can expect fireworks from this co-main event.”

DAVID LEMIEUX, Former IBF Middleweight World Champion:

“I’m back, I’m expecting this to be a great night of boxing and to put on a show. I started training immediately after my last fight in March and look forward to Saturday night.”

MARCO “DORADO” REYES, Middleweight Contender:

“Without my team, I wouldn’t be here. This is going to be an explosive fight between two big puncher fighters in the ring.”

MARIO ARANO, President of Arano Boxing:

“We’re very excited and very happy for this fight-moving up to weight to welterweight has been a blessing for us. We have a team that has worked with Lucas for 14 years, and it has been a blessing to move up in weight divisions. There is no possibility for Lucas to return to 140. I want to remind you all, Lucas never retired, he is back and ready to give more wars.”

LUCAS “LA MAQUINA” MATTHYSSE, Former WBC Silver Super Lightweight Champion:

“Training camp has been great with Joel Diaz, it has worked so well with him. I’m going to put on a great fight-see everyone on Saturday.”

JOE DEGUARDIA, President of Star Boxing:

“There are many special things about the Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. fight. I’m extremely impressed with the undercard, and it is amazing we can put together a quality card like this for the fight. It’s a true testimony to the sport.”

EMANUEL “TRANZFORMER” TAYLOR, Welterweight Contender:

“May 6-what can I say? Lucas Matthysse is strong and powerful but it’s my time now. I’m here and I’m hungry, I’ve been working my whole life for this. I’m excited to fight in front of all the Mexican fans on Cinco de Mayo-expect fireworks on May 6.”

JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ, JR., NABF Featherweight Champion:

“We had a ten week training camp, and trained very hard for this fight. We’re both young, undefeated fighters and there is a lot at stake here for of us because we could both potentially be mandatory challengers. We’re going to put on a great show for the millions watching and the thousands in attendance.”

MANUEL “TINO” AVILA, IBA Featherweight Champion:

“I’ve been with Golden Boy my whole career, and without them-I wouldn’t be at this stage right now. This is going to be an action-packed fight and someone’s ‘0’ has to go.”

MARLEN ESPARZA, Super Flyweight Prospect:

“I’m really excited about this opportunity and experience, and I want to thank everyone for backing me and seeing the vision I see. I’m very proud to be on this card with so many other amazing fighters. On fight night, it’s not about win or lose, its about how I win.”

RYAN “KINGRY” GARCIA, Lightweight Prospect:

“I put a lot of dedication to this fight, I’m treating this like a world championship fight. I’m coming in explosive with my speed and power-and everyone will see me put on a tremendous show on Saturday night.”

TYRONE LUCKEY, Lightweight Prospect:

“Come May 6th, I’m going to give Ryan Garcia the best fight of this life. A little physical education is always good and everyone will see us put on a great fight.”

RAUL “EL CUGAR” CURIEL, Former Mexican Olympian:

“You will see me put on the best show in the ring, and I want to thank everybody involved who helped us put on a great night of boxing.”

RONNY RIOS, Super Bantamweight Contender:

“This is my first fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend, so I want to thank my family, Golden Boy Promotions and my team-I wouldn’t be here without them.”

JOSEPH “DIAMANTE” AGUIRRE, Lightweight Prospect:

“I’m really excited, I come from Cancun, Mexico and I’m looking forward to this opportunity. This is my first time fighting in Vegas-I’ve always fought in Mexico, so this is a dream come true for me.”

Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with TGB and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. Lemieux vs. Reyes is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management. Matthysse vs. Taylor is a 10-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Boxing and Star Boxing. Diaz, Jr. vs. Avila is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event will take place Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. and the first fight begins at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the closed circuit telecast of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. are priced at
$75, not including applicable fees. All seats are general admission and tickets are available for purchase at any MGM Resorts International box office or concierge desk. Tickets also can be purchased by phone with a major credit card at 800-745-3000. Tickets for “Canelo Alvarez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.” in theaters nationwide are on sale now at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN).

For more information, visit wwww.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing; follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOboxing and @OscarDeLaHoya; follow the conversation using #CaneloChavezJr.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and
pasting the link http://bit.ly/Canelo-ChavezJr into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing® Jr. Welterweight Emanuel “Tranzforma” Taylor and his team arrived in Vegas on Monday evening, May 1st, before one of the biggest fights of his career. This Saturday, May 6th, on PPV, Emanuel will be taking on former Super Lightweight champion Lucas Matthysse in a 10 round Welterweight matchup on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez- Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. mega fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The fight will be contested for the WBA and WBO International Titles.

Emanuel Taylor had the honor of walking the red carpet Tuesday, May 2nd, surrounded by numerous boxing fans during the celebrated fighter arrival stroll in the magnificent MGM Grand Lobby accompanied by his fellow PPV fighters. With the days building up to the fight, Emanuel had an amazing media workout open to the public, at the MGM Grand Race & Sports Book on Wednesday, May 3rd, getting ready to head into today’s press conference that will be streamed live on Ring TV.

Taylor brings a record of 20-4-1, 14KO’S into the bout as his Argentinian opponent Matthysse carries an imposing 37-4, 34KO’s record.

The Edgewood, MD native knows the opportunity in front of him can be career changing and had this to say about his match with Matthysse, “Lucas Matthysse is a great fighter and a former world champion. He is a very good puncher and I know I have to be at my best to defeat him. I’ve had a great camp and I’m 100% confident that I will come out victorious on Saturday”.

Promoter Joe DeGuardia had these thoughts, “This is a huge fight for Manny. We all know how tough Matthysse is but I’ve never seen Manny so confident before a fight. A win will put him right into the thick of things in his division”.

The bout will be co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing® and will be part of the live Pay Per View Saturday night, May 6th.

ABOUT STAR BOXING ®
For a quarter century, Star Boxing keeps on swinging! Star Boxing has consistently delivered boxing events of the highest caliber and attracts loyal fans from all corners of the globe. From the Antonio Tarver – Roy Jones trilogy to the meteoric rise of Chris Algieri and Joe Smith Jr. from the Rockin’ Fights Paramount Series, Star Boxing continues to work with and develop world rated contenders and red hot prospects into future world champions. Star Boxing is revered worldwide throughout the industry for its credibility, integrity, and exciting fights.

For more information on Star Boxing, visit official website: www.StarBoxing.com

follow us on social media:
Twitter: @Star Boxing
Instagram at StarBoxing
Facebook.com/StarBoxing

LOS ANGELES (April 25, 2017) – Fighters featured on the undercards of the highly anticipated Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. showdown today hosted a Los Angeles media workout at City of Angels Boxing ahead of their upcoming fights on May 6 at T-Mobile Arena, live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Plus, fighters featured on Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN on May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena joined the action today also to discuss their upcoming bouts.

On the Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. undercard, Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs) will take on Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor (20-4, 14 KOs) and Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jr. (23-0, 13 KOs) will be defending his NABF title against Manuel “Tino” Avila (22-0, 8 KOs) on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

As part of the HBO Free-View, Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (8-0, 7 KOs) will face a soon to be announced opponent and Raul “El Cugar” Curiel will make his pro-debut against an opponent to be named shortly. Also on the card, Ronny Rios (27-1, 12 KOs) will fight Daniel “El Chato” Noriega (28-10-1, 15 KOs) and opening up the night, Joseph “Diamante” Aguirre (16-0, 9 KOs) will be battling Angel Aispuro (8-4-2, 5 KOs).

The May 5 action-packed night of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN will be headlined by former three-division world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa and Robinson Castellanos. Co-main event of the night, Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez (22-0-1, 15 KOs) will defend his NABA featherweight title against Jesus Rojas (24-1-2, 17 KOs). Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (15-0, 6 KOs) will be participating in the card in a 10-round bantamweight bout, and knock out artist Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (4-0, 4 KOs) will be in a four round super lightweight fight against Angel “Pescado” Sarinana (7-5-2, 3 KOs).

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s workout alongside Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya:

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“I’m excited to see every undercard fighter on fight night. I love knockouts, so you can’t go wrong with our co-main event of David Lemieux against Marco Reyes. Lemieux just had a spectacular knockout over Curtis Stevens that was incredible, so I’m looking forward to seeing him in the ring again.

“This is going to be a great show, and I think everyone is going to be very excited. Golden Boy has a great reputation for putting on amazing fights, and the fans will definitely be getting their money’s worth.”
LUCAS “LA MAQUINA” MATTHYSSE, Former WBC Silver Super Lightweight Champion:
“I never once thought about retiring. I just needed a deep rest after the Postol fight in October, so I went back home and took the time I needed to be with family–I drove my motorcycle, went fishing, and just reflected.

“I am proud of the career that I have made – I am a South American fighter coming from a province in Argentina who has made himself known in America. It is a privilege to be back on such a card like this, and my goal is to continue to be in the sport, on track for a championship. I am ready to jump back in.”

JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ, JR., NABF Featherweight Champion:
“Fighting on this Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. card has been the opportunity of the lifetime for me. I have to go out there with millions watching and thousands in attendance, so I have to showcase to everybody that I can be the best and the next superstar in boxing.
“I trained very hard for this fight, so a win over Manuel Avila will put me a step closer or maybe even give me that title shot for either the WBC or WBO belt. I know my opponent is an undefeated Golden Boy prospect, so there is a lot at stake for whomever wins this fight, as they will become ‘the next big thing’ at 126 pounds for Golden Boy Promotions. May the best man win on May 6th.”
RYAN “KINGRY” GARCIA, Lightweight Prospect:
“I’m different from everybody, my speed is incredible. If you get the chance, check me out because I bring something different to the table. People may watch a lot of fighters, but nobody sees someone with my explosiveness and speed.”
RAUL “EL CIGAR” CURIEL, Former Mexican Olympian:
“Everyone will say the same thing–that they just want to get their first professional fight out of the way. I am excited to be a part of the Golden Boy family, and being on HBO–it’s a dream. I’ve been training with Manny Robles and I feel ready to take on my opponent.”

RONNY RIOS, Super Bantamweight Contender:
“Everything has been great–I just had my son, which is extra motivation for me. I’m at 122 pounds now, because after my loss, my motivation and discipline went way up.
“In working up to this fight, I’ve been training and eating healthier than ever. I believe I will be well prepared to take on my opponent on May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.”
JOSEPH “DIAMANTE” AGUIRRE, Lightweight Prospect:
“I’ve been training over a year with Joel Diaz, and have been sparring with Lucas Matthysse and Vergil Ortiz, Jr. to prepare for our fights on May 6th. I have about 200 people coming from Mexico to see me fight, so I’m really excited.
“My fighting style with Joel Diaz has adjusted as he has taught me to be more aggressive and to have a winning mentality in the ring.”
ABRAHAM “CHAMACO” LOPEZ, NABA Featherweight Champion:
“I get to defend my NABA title for the second time. I’m thankful to God for the opportunity, and at the end of the day, he already knows what’s going to happen that night, I just have to do what I always do and prepare and train harder than I have.”

OSCAR “EL JAGUAR” NEGRETE, Bantamweight Contender:
“It’s a great privilege to be on ESPN, I know that it’s going to be a great fight. I get the chance to represent Colombia and show what I have to offer in the ring. I’ve developed a lot as a fighter, and I just can’t wait for next week.”

VERGIL ORTIZ, JR., Super Lightweight Prospect:
“I’ve been feeling really good lately and have been training since February so I’m in the best shape of my life right now. It feels really to be on such a huge fight card. When I fought on the last Canelo undercard, it was huge for me-it still takes some adjusting, but I feel great.
“My last four fights have all been knockouts, but I’m not going just for the knockout, I’m going in to be smart. I expect my opponent to go forward and bully me, but it’s not always about strength-I know I will figure him out.”
Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden BoyPromotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. Lemieux vs. Reyes is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management, Matthysse vs. Taylor is a 10-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Boxing and Star Boxing. Diaz, Jr. vs. Avila is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event will take place on Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN: Gamboa vs. Castellanos is a 10-round lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with ZR Entertainment and sponsored by Tecate BORN BOLD. ESPN Deportes will transmit the fights live on Friday, May 5 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena at 4:00 p.m. PST/7:00 p.m. EST, and ESPN2 transmission will begin at 5:00 p.m. PST/ 8:00 p.m. EST.
May 6: Tickets for the closed circuit telecast of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. are priced at $75, not including applicable fees. All seats are general admission and tickets are available for purchase at any MGM Resorts International box office or concierge desk. Tickets also can be purchased by phone with a major credit card at 800-745-3000. Tickets for “Canelo Alvarez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.” in theaters nationwide are on sale now at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN).
May 5: Tickets starting at $10 for Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN are on sale now and include complimentary VIP reserved seating at the Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. Weigh-in. Ringside seats for fights only are priced at $30. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call the AXS Contact Center at (888) 929-7849 or MGM Resorts Call Center at (877) 795-2564. Tickets are also available for purchase online at www.axs.com or www.mgmgrand.com and in person any MGM Resorts International box office.
The premiere of the HBO Sports presentation Face Off with Max Kellerman: Canelo/Chavez Jr. airs Saturday, April 29 at 12:15 a.m. on HBO.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and
www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @hboboxing, @ESPNBoxing and @ESPNBoxeo; become a fan on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing andwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.com; an
d www.facebook.com/espn.fnf follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOboxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @ESPNBoxeo; follow the conversation using #CaneloChavezJr and #GBPonESPN

May 6: Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/Canelo-ChavezJr into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

May 5: Videos and images are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/GamboaVsCastellanos. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for any photos/video of Yuriorkis Gamboa or Robinson Castellanos.

LOS ANGELES (April 19, 2017) As the clock begins to tick towards the highly anticipated Cinco de Mayo Weekend Canelo-Chavez, Jr. event on May 6, HBO Pay-Per-View, fighters including Former IBF Middleweight Champion David Lemieux (37-3, 33 KOs), Marco “Dorado” Reyes (35-4, 26 KOs), Former WBC Silver Super Lightweight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs), Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor (20-4, 14 KOs), NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jr. (23-0, 13 KOs), and IBA Featherweight Champion Manuel “Tino” Avila (22-0, 8 KOs) hosted an international media conference call ahead of their fights presented live on HBO Pay-Per-View® and straight from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

Co-main event fighters David Lemieux and Marco “Dorado” Reyes discussed their upcoming 10-round middleweight bout. Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse and Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor discussed their scheduled 10-round welterweight battle for the WBA Intercontinental title. Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jr. discussed his 10-round bout to defend his NABF title against Manuel “Tino” Avila.

Here is what president of Golden Boy Promotions Eric Gomez, Lemieux, Reyes, Matthysse, Taylor, Diaz, Jr., and Avila said during the international media conference call:

ERIC GOMEZ, President of Golden Boy Promotions: I want to thank a few people that are involved in the undercard and are instrumental in making this happen. Camille Estephan from Eye of the Tiger, our partner with Lemieux; Paco Damian with Paco Presents; Mario Arano from Arano Box; Joe DeGuardia, Star Boxing; and Ralph Heredia, which is the manager for Joseph Diaz.

Also, I can’t continue out mentioning our sponsors, our incredible sponsors, that have helped us out for this event and they have been great the last few years: Tecate, BORN BOLD, Hennessy, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet.

And lastly, I want to thank HBO, the best television network for boxing which will broadcast the television live on Pay Per View. Thank you for everything you do, HBO.
And now, I want to introduce to you the first fighter on this call and that is Manuel “Tino” Avila. Manuel is undefeated, 22 0. He will be opening the HBO Pay-Per-View in a great match against Joseph Diaz. And he’s coming out straight out of northern California.

Now obviously you as you guys know, he’s going to be facing Joseph Diaz, another undefeated fighter, Olympian, 23-0, this is going to be a great match up. Joseph has been on HBO numerous times and you know, he’s looking to make a statement on Pay- Per -View.

Q: Tino, obviously this is a tough fight, fighting Joseph Diaz. It’s a tall task. But obviously, I mean, the rewards of big. If you can beat someone like a Joseph Diaz, you’ll be right in line for a world title. How do you feel about this fight?

MANUEL “TINO” AVILA, IBA Featherweight Champion: You know, I feel good about this fight. I’m taking it one fight at a time. Focusing on this fight. And you know, after ten rounds that are done, you know, whatever outcome is great.

JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ, JR., NABF Featherweight Champion: Yeah, I just want to thank Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions, Eric, Robert and everybody for giving me this opportunity on fight night to have such a great card. I want to thank HBO, as well, for giving me an opportunity to start on the best network.

May 6 is going to be a great night of boxing. Manuel, if he has his A Game, he’s going to put on a great fight. And I’m going to be 110 percent, as well.

So it’s going to be a fight nobody is going to want to miss, and it’s going to be a very action packed fight. So I’ll see you all on May 6.

ERIC GOMEZ: Train hard and we’ll see you guys in Vegas. I wanted to invite Lucas to say a few words, Lucas, “The Machine” Matthysse, with a record of 37- 4, and making his comeback fight. He’s been out for a while and we’re very excited for this fight. He’s going to be fighting Emmanuel Taylor, so I’ll introduce Lucas to say a few words.

LUCAS “LA MAQUINA” MATTHYSSE, Former WBC Silver Super Lightweight Champion: I want to say hi to everyone, good morning. I started my training camp in Indio and I’m training with Joel Diaz, my new trainer for this fight, and some of my old team including my father who is with me, Mario who is part of my corner, just getting ready for the fight. I’m excited for the fight.

Q. Lucas, good morning. Did you ever think at any point of retirement, because you had such a long layoff?

LUCAS MATTHYSSE: No, not at all. I never thought about retirement. I just wanted to rest. I had a string of really tough fights, and I just needed some time to rest and that’s exactly what I did. I rested.

Q. For this come back, obviously it’s a comeback fight, but what’s next? Do you want to go fast and go after some big names, or do you want to go fight by fight? What’s your game plan for this part of your career, second part of your career?

LUCAS MATTHYSSE: Look, it’s a comeback fight, but Emmanuel Taylor is a tough fight. It’s not an easy fight. He’s a fighter with a lot of experience. He’s a tough fighter. After this fight, I’ll sit down with my team, my promoter and see what’s next.
Right now I’m fully concentrating on Emmanuel Taylor.

ERIC GOMEZ: Emmanuel Taylor, this is obviously a fight that’s in association with Star Boxing, Joe DeGuardia, thanks for helping us get this fight done. Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor has a great record, 20-4. This is a great opportunity for him.

EMMANUEL “TRANZFORMER” TAYLOR, Welterweight Contender: My name is Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor. I’m coming out of Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. I’m in Boston for about 20 years now and just looking forward to May 6.

Q. Lucas, you’re coming back after your layoff to fight as a welterweight. If you can talk about the particular reason why you elected to do that, was it a matter of struggling to make 140? Did you just see there being possibly better opportunities or bigger money or better opponents at 147 pounds? What was your main reason for the change in weight class?

LUCAS MATTHYSSE: I felt that I had to make the change. I’ve been at the weight for a long time. I’m 34 years old now, and the truth is, the last two fights, they were a struggle. I struggled a little bit the last two fights in making weight. My body just felt that it was time to move up, and I’m feeling good right now.

Q. You took the long layoff but part of the reason was the bone injury you suffered in the last fight. Is that 100 percent healthy and are you confident that even if Emmanuel hits you right on that spot, that you’ll be okay?

LUCAS MATTHYSSE: I feel confident there’s not going to be any problems with the eye. I had a training camp in Argentina and I was training out there and I had nothing wrong with it. I got hit plenty of times there. And now, you know, I changed my training camp while I’m out here in Indio and I’ve been sparring and I feel confident that there’s not going to be any problems with the eye.

Q. The guys you lost to are Garcia and Postol. I know Emmanuel is in solid fight form, but do you have any desire in the future to have rematches with either of those guys? The Garcia fight was a pretty close one and the Postol fight, we know what happened there, but do you have any desire to ever see these guys again in the ring?

LUCAS MATTHYSSE: Yes, of course. Look, I’m willing to fight anybody. I always want to fight the best. Of course I would. But you know, it’s up to my team. Whoever they tell me to fight, I’ll fight.

Q. Lucas, do you view this fight as kind of like just a test at 147, and if you don’t feel comfortable, would you consider dropping back down to 140, or are you definitely at 147 at this point in your career?

LUCAS MATTHYSSE: No, I’ve decided to stay at this weight. I feel very good at this weight. I’ve been working really hard, and I feel comfortable. To battle to get back down to 140, I don’t think I have it anymore.

Q. Just to follow up on that, welterweight is a very deep division, Pacquiao, Thurman, Garcia. How do you think you fit into the welterweight division as you climb back in? How do you think you fit alongside those other top fighters in welterweight?

LUCAS MATTHYSSE: Of course I feel very capable at this weight class. I feel that I have a lot of confidence in myself. I’m feeling really good at this weight class, so I can challenge anybody. I would love to fight Danny Garcia again, or I’ll fight against Thurman, whoever it is. I feel very capable at this weight class.

Q. Listen, obviously the bigger name in this fight is Lucas Matthysse, being the kind of bigger fight that he’s had compared to you. You’ve got a lot of experience, though. I’ve seen you fight many times. How big of a deal would it be for you to get this fight where you’re going to be the underdog but pull off this upset?

EMMANUEL TAYLOR: It’s a real big deal. You know, I always wanted to get back in there and do my thing, do what I do best. You know, Lucas is a great fighter, real strong, real durable.

I’m looking forward to this fight. I’ve been training hard, working hard, and this means everything in the world to me. I’m just really excited for this opportunity.

Q. Do you think that maybe you get him at the right time, as we’ve discussed, he’s coming off a lengthy layoff and coming off a pretty tough injury in a KO loss, and maybe he’s not as fresh as he once was. Maybe he’ll be a little bit rusty from the layoff, where you maybe haven’t had been as active as he has, even though it’s been a little while since your last fight. Do you feel like you might get him at the right time and you might be able to get the win here?

EMMANUEL TAYLOR: I think I got him at the perfect time. You know, he’s coming off of a KO loss, eye injury. His last fight before that, he weighed in, I think I caught him at the right time right now, because a long layoff, like you said. It’s perfect timing for me; perfect.

Q. Anybody that watches his fights knows Lucas is a big puncher. Have you thought about or discussed with your team about how to deal with the probability that you’re going to get hit with a good, clean shot?

EMMANUEL TAYLOR: Of course. In camp, my coach, we watch a lot of tape on him and have different tactics we’re going to use in this fight. We’ve got a great plan for this fight, so if we get hit with a big shot, we know how to recover. It will show in the fight. It will show in the fight how we’ve been working on things and how everything’s going to play out in our favor.

Q. He’s going up to welterweight and made this announcement where he’s going to campaign at this point forward. You’ve been a guy that’s fought maybe a little bit close to welterweight, maybe at welterweight once or twice, mainly like 40, 42. What’s your weight class? I know you took this at welterweight. Where do you want to fight regularly? Is it at welter late from now forward? Is it going back to 140 depending what happens? Is it somewhere in the middle? Where are you as far as your weight division?

EMMANUEL TAYLOR: I fought welterweight three times, and I’m a durable guy at welterweight. It don’t matter, or light welterweight. If the opportunity presents itself at welterweight, I’m going to take the opportunity again. It don’t matter, welterweight or light welterweight, I can make both.

Q. Just wonder if you can tell us who the biggest puncher you fought is so far?

EMMANUEL TAYLOR: I wouldn’t say the biggest puncher, but he had a little snap was Adrien Broner. He wasn’t the biggest puncher but he had a little snap to his punches. I never really fought somebody with a big punch that really stung me. But I would say Adrien Broner was a little snappy, not the biggest puncher, but he got some pop, a little pop to him.

Q. In your fights, was there a point where you felt you were hurt by anybody or not really?

EMMANUEL TAYLOR: Absolutely not. I always recover very quickly. If I got dropped, I would get right back up and shake it off and that’s about it. But never really hurt in a fight.

Q. You were down in the fight against Victor Cayo and you were down against Mayfield. Any other times?

EMMANUEL TAYLOR: Yeah, Mayfield, the flat knock down, hit me in the back of the head and I fell down. They call that a knock down. I got right back up and won the last two rounds after that.

Q. Eric, I know obviously this is not an easy fight for Matthysse, especially coming off a long layoff but what are your hopes for him in this comeback?

ERIC GOMEZ: Look, obviously we’re not looking past Emmanuel Taylor. Emmanuel is a very tough guy. I was involved in the Adrien Broner fight and also in the Postol and he put a great fight with both fighters. Depends how he looks. If he struggles, then, you know, he might need, you know, a tune up after this fight. He might need a tune up, and he looks sensational and great, then we’re going to sit down and go after any of the champions. Lucas Matthysse has a great name, he’s a fan friendly fighter.

The TV networks love him. He’s been on HBO, Showtime, a number of times. Any of the champions would love to fight him and it would be a great fight because of his style. So it really depends on this fight. We’ll see how he does.

Look, there’s a chance he could lose this fight and he might want to retire after, if he loses this fight. So this fight is very, very important to all of us.

Q. What made you want to change trainers, and how is it going with Joel Diaz so far and what’s he helped you with?

LUCAS MATTHYSSE: Basically I decided to go back to my roots and I went back home to southern Argentina in Trelew, where I’m from, and I started working with my dad a little bit who, is the first person who started me in boxing. Then I made the decision to just change. I wanted something different, and I came out here to work with Joel Diaz. He was recommended, and so far, it’s been great. We’ve been working really great and I’ve been learning a lot.

Q. Who recommended Joel Diaz to you?

LUCAS MATTHYSSE: It was my decision to work with Joel Diaz. He did a training camp for the Garcia fight, for Danny Garcia in Indio, and I trained out of the same gym where Joel Diaz is. And through that training camp, I saw some of the things he was working on and I kind of liked the way he was working with other fighters. So that’s the reason why I decided to go with him.

I’m training really hard for the fight. See everyone in Vegas, and thank you for the support.

ERIC GOMEZ: I’m really proud to introduce really hard hitting David Lemieux. He’s coming off probably thus far, knockout of the year, and fighting just two months later on this great Pay Per View. He’s got an incredible record, 37-3 with a bunch of knock outs, almost all wins by knock outs.

David, if you can say a few words to the press, please.

DAVID LEMIEUX: Hi, guys. Hi, everybody. Extremely excited to be on. Of course, I didn’t take much break since the last fight when I did the fight against Stevens. It was a great knockout I had against him. I took one week off and then headed back to the gym. When they announced me that I was starting under this show, I couldn’t say no. It’s a great opportunity and all the greatest fighters in the world are going to be there.

Q. Marco Reyes fought Chávez, Jr. at 168 pounds test weight was 170. What weight is this fight going to be at, and in the future, will you be going to or staying at 158? If so, how soon?

DAVID LEMIEUX: This fight is going to be actually at 153. The weight is not going to be an issue. We just had a fight, 150, which I made 159. So it’s going to be a the weight of 153 and that’s the weight for this fight. But I’m middleweight and I’m going to stay at middleweight.

Q. This is going to be your second fight this year. Is the goal for, if you win, to return in the fall or possibly early winter? And if so, possibly against who?

DAVID LEMIEUX: You know what, we want to stay accurate, that’s what we’re doing. Of course the ultimate goal is as Oscar announced, it’s the winner of the Canelo Chávez, which Canelo is on the radar, of course. But first we have Marco Reyes to take care of, which I have no doubt that we’re going to do a good job.

Q. You were talking about your knockout against Curtis Stevens, obviously was spectacular. Marco Reyes has been known as a very tough fighter, but he did get stopped in the seventh round by Elvin Ayala two fights ago. Elvin Ayala has been a pretty good boxer for many years, but kind of a journeyman guy and not a big puncher, at all. So I wonder, when you look at that on his record, and you know that he got stopped by a guy like Ayala, who is not a puncher, and you’re one of the best punchers in boxing, coming off that absolutely sensational knockout against Curtis Stevens, are just licking your chops to touch this guy and think you can get rid of him?

DAVID LEMIEUX: I think he’s in big trouble. But of course, in boxing, you don’t head to a fight thinking that you’re going to knock somebody out. He’s a very tough opponent. We’re not underestimating him. We’re going to be ready for ten rounds if it’s necessary, and ten hard rounds.

I’m going to be ready for anything, and I’m going to in there strong. I’m going to make another statement, and of course, I want to be the best. I’ve got to fight like the best. Come May 6, I’m going to give the best of Lemieux.

Q. When you have 33 knockouts and 37 wins and most of them are pretty impressive, pretty crowd pleasing, exciting knockouts. You’re not stopping guys on cuts. You’re not stopping guys with a three or four punch combination and the referee comes in. Many, many of your knockouts are one punch ready, putting guys out for a ten count or a 20 count maybe. How is it, when you’ve done that so many times, that you don’t go into a fight thinking you’re just going to do it again; that you have to sort of get the mentality that, you know, you might have to go ten rounds on a given night?

DAVID LEMIEUX: Yeah, it’s a very good question. I learned my lesson in the Golovkin fight, the power is not a game plan. It’s a tool. The game plan is to be ready for anything. When I go against any opponent, always expect to fight the best of that opponent and to fight them at their best and make sure I’m ready to fight them for one round or for 12 rounds if necessary and to fight them strong.

So when I train, I have that mentality now. I don’t just go in for a knockout and think that they are going to go out in the first three rounds. I’m ready to knock them out for 12 rounds if necessary, and I’ll be strong for the duration of the fight.

Q. You fought on the Undercard of Canelo’s fight when he fought Amir Khan, and you knocked out Glen Tapia; that was last May, and now a year later on another Canelo Alvarez Undercard against Chavez, you’re fighting again. Obviously you’re both with the same promotion company. I think most people would look at a matchup between you and Canelo, and think that would be a pretty exciting fight. What do you think you have to do to get that fight? Because obviously a lot of people want to see Canelo; the Chavez fight is happening; a lot of people want to see him fight GGG down the road after that. But you’re sitting there as a big possibility to get a chance to fight him. Have you been given any assurances or promises by your manager or promotor that you are up in the bullpen, so to speak, to take on Canelo at some point? How do you continue to go through these Undercard fights knowing you’re going to be an option but not having gotten the fight?

DAVID LEMIEUX: Well, after what I do May 6, I’m going to put myself in a position where everybody is going to want to see Canelo-Lemieux. I’m not asking for a position; I’m going to put myself in a position.

So what I do with Marco Reyes will put me in where I want to be, fighting Canelo. But first, I will take care of Reyes, who is a good fighter.

Q. Could you address that? You guys promote Lemieux. You scored some good knockouts. He’s been on a lot of your television cards can you just speak to the possibilities to the long term future of the possibility of Golden Boy making that match between Canelo Alvarez and David, assuming these guys keep winning their fights?

ERIC GOMEZ: Well, obviously whenever you have an exciting fighter like David, he’s good for any fight. You said it yourself, his knockouts are incredible. So you know, it’s something that we’ve talked about. It’s something that I know David wants and it’s something that Canelo is interested in, as well. But it depends. Look, they have very tough fights. Chavez, Jr.’s fight with Canelo is not going to be a walkover. He’s moving up in weight and he’s fighting a big guy, possibly a light heavyweight. And then David, David has a tough fight, too. So there’s possibilities.

I think immediately next, Canelo wants to fight Golovkin. We make that very clear to everybody. Canelo said it; we’ve said it; Golovkin said he wants that fight. We think we can negotiate for that fight. But if for whatever reason that fight doesn’t happen, yes, David would be in line. He would be in line, and it’s very exciting. We’ve got so many calls after his knockout, we got calls, we got e mails, social media, everybody wanting to see David fight Canelo. It was incredible.

But that’s what David is all about. You know, when he has those highlight knockouts, he gets so many people excited.

Q. There were strong words on David after the defeat. What changed your perception since your victories against Curtis Stevens or Rios in Montreal?

ERIC GOMEZ: David learned from those fights. You know, look, obviously with Golovkin, you know, it was a tough fight for David. I think he was excited in the fight. He was doing well. But he learned a lot, and obviously he’s a better fighter now. He’s a different fighter now than he was when he first fought Golovkin. I know, in my opinion if he fights Golovkin again. Many of the losses, they learn and they become better from their losses, more so than when they have a good win.

So I think that David has grown, he’s matured, and he’s a fighter that takes his craft and his business more serious now, and this is a prime example. You know, he just fought in March, and he didn’t take any time off hardly. He got back home, rested a couple days, and was right back in the gym. So it helped him mature and become a better fighter, and that’s the David we have now.

Q. What danger did you face against Reyes?

DAVID LEMIEUX: There danger in every boxer, and I didn’t stop since my last fight against Stevens, and I will continue training and prepare for, I hope, a fight against Canelo.

Q. Your last knock out was very impressive. When you knocked out Curtis like that, was that scary to you, seeing an opponent just rendered unconscious, and do you think, heading into this fight, will there be any reluctance on your part to do something similar to your opponent? Were you scared for Curtis, and do you think that might carry over into this fight?

DAVID LEMIEUX: You know, when I fight, I always want to show the best of me. I want to go in there vicious and do what I do best, and I’m a knockout artist, I’m a power fighter from the first round.
So when I knock out a fighter, I always still want them to wake up after ten seconds, not kill them. But Curtis Stevens was a different story. He talks too much; he got what he got. But it’s a sport at the end of the day, he got up and he was okay after that. So I was pleased, but I don’t want to hurt nobody. I’m just there to do my job. We did a great show, and after that, shake hands, say good night to his family and to my family.

Q. Nobody seemed to get your prediction on Canelo versus Chavez. Could you break that down for us?

DAVID LEMIEUX: My prediction for Canelo-Chavez, you know, being the way that Chavez is changing, the way he is fit and everything, I think you cannot underestimate Chavez, but I know Canelo is a better fighter, and we are all expecting Canelo to go out and beat Chavez.

But I don’t think it’s going to be a knockout. I think it’s going to be a difficult fight for Canelo. Chavez is definitely a big boy. But if I had money to bet, my money would be on Canelo. But they are both very good fighters. I think the edge is on Canelo.

ERIC GOMEZ: We found out that that echo was Marco Reyes. He is in the mountains training. So if any of you have any questions for Marco Reyes, you can e mail us at press@GoldenBoyPromotions.com, and he will answer your questions. It was hard to get him connected.

Once again, I want to thank everyone for participating in our media call. David, if you can say some closing statements before we finish.

ERIC GOMEZ: If you can just say some closing statements, David, right before we’re done. Just a couple of closing statements and then we’ll finish with everything.

DAVID LEMIEUX: Absolutely. I’m very excited to be on. To the fans that will be watching, I promise a great show and I promise a great fight. I’m going to be in tremendous shape. I promise excitement. It’s going to be an exciting fight, I’m exciting to be on, and give the fans a great night of boxing with the Canelo-Chavez fight at the end.

ERIC GOMEZ: That’s great. Thank you. Thank you very much, David. We can’t wait to see you in this action. So thank you for being on the call, and I want to thank all the media participated today and for all the questions.

Again, we’re sold out but we do have closed-circuit tickets still available. They are 75 dollars. You can get them at the MGM Resort’s international box office or at the concierge desk, or you can call 1 800 745 3000. Thank you very much and we’ll see you shortly at the fights in Vegas.

Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. Lemieux vs. Reyes is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management, Matthysse vs. Taylor is a 10-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Boxing and Star Boxing and Diaz, Jr. vs. Avila is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event will take place on Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for a closed circuit viewing of the fights at the Grand Ballroom at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino are on sale for $75, not including applicable fees. All seats are general admission and can be purchased at the MGM Grand box office or by phone with a major credit card at 800-745-3000.

For more information, visitwww.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing; follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOboxing and @OscarDeLaHoya; follow the conversation using #CaneloChavezJr.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/Canelo-ChavezJr into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

LOS ANGELES (February 28, 2017): Argentinian slugger Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs) makes his highly anticipated return taking on Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor (20-4, 14 KOs) on the televised undercard of Canelo Álvarez vs. Julio César Chávez, Jr. mega-fight on Cinco De Mayo weekend. The event will take place Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m PT.

The fan-friendly Matthysee, who has engaged in multiple fight of the year candidates, will move up to welterweight for the first time and look to make a run at championship gold.

“I’m very happy to return to the ring and especially on such an important show such as Canelo vs. Chavez Jr. on May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas,” said Lucas Matthysse. “I’ve always brought great fights to demanding fans, and this one against Emmanuel Taylor will not be the exception.”

Matthysse has defeated a who’s who of contenders during his career including Lamont “Havoc” Peterson, John Molina, Jr., Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto and Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov.

In Taylor, Matthysse will face a resurgent contender coming off back-to-back knockouts and who has gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Adrien “The Problem” Broner, Chris Algieri and Karim “Hard Hitta” Mayfield, defeating the latter by unanimous decision.

“I feel that I am really blessed to have this opportunity to once again fight on such a big stage,” said Taylor. “Matthysse is a very tough fighter but I am sure I’ll beat him. This is a great opportunity for me and my family and it’s been a long time coming. I have to thank God for this one, my charm city team and my promoter Joe DeGuardia and Star Boxing, D&D Management and Club 57 management for believing in me. I’m ready to get things going and l will definitely be ready on May 6.”

“No one in the sport of boxing brings it harder than Lucas Matthysse, and we’re truly excited to have him back in the ring,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Lucas truly was a machine in the super lightweight division, and we expect him to do similar damage in the field of welterweights.”

“I can’t wait to see Emanuel Taylor fight Lucas Matthysse on May 6th,” said Joe DeGuardia, President and CEO of Star Boxing. “I’m thrilled it will be on such a special night when boxing’s star Canelo Álvarez fights Julio César Chávez,Jr. It’s a huge opportunity for Emanuel who has matured and is ready to make his mark on May 6th. I’m very excited to be part of this promotion with my friends at Golden Boy and I expect nothing short of a spirited performance from Emanuel and an exhilarating boxing event on May 6th.

The remainder of the televised pay-per-view undercard will be announced shortly.

Canelo vs. Chávez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. Matthysse vs. Taylor is a 10-round fight present by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions and Star Boxing. The event will take place on Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Limited tickets For Canelo vs. Chavez Jr. are still available for purchase by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) or online at
www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

Former world champion Lucas Matthyse will be back on May 6th on the Canelo Alvarez – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. PPV undercard, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Matthysse is definitely going to be on the undercard. He’s making his comeback. He’s had his break,” Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions, said.

“His eye needed to get better. He had the fracture, but he’s been cleared,” Gomez said. “He’s looking good, he’s feeling good and he’s been training. He’s anxious to fight again.”

“We’re looking at opponents for Matthysse now,” Gomez said. “He’s had the break he needed and now he’s excited to come back. He wants to go after a world title at welterweight and fight some of the big names. It’s a strong division. He wants to win a world title and this is the start.”

What did you think about Viktor Postol’s performance against Lucas Matthysse and did it surprise you at all?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I feel as though Postol did what he needed to do to win. I think he did a lot of holding and using his elbows that the ref didn’t see. But all in all he did what he had to do to get the job done. I picked him to win in that fight anyway so it was a good victory.

There were blogs that went out on Tuesday where you were complimentary of Postol but he was not of you. Going as far as saying Matthysse was better than you…

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well, that’s what he is supposed to say. He is supposed to say he is going to destroy anybody that he is going to step in the ring with, but to my knowledge, I don’t care what he says because come July 23rd he is going to have to show me, he is not going to just be able to tell you. He knew who to fight. He had the option of fighting either me or Matthysse and he thought Matthysse was the easier fight because he knew if he was going to fight Terence Crawford he knew what was going to happen.

There have been stories about Manny Pacquiao coming back and you were mentioned as an opponent recently. Does it up the stakes for you since he may return?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I am not thinking about Manny Pacquiao at all. I am focusing on Viktor Postol and that’s it – that is all.

You two have a common opponent – Hank Lundy. You stopped him and Postol beat him by decision – does that give you any more confidence coming into the fight?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: No, styles make fights. That was a few years back and I don’t look at it as a confidence booster. I just know my skills and my ability in the ring – I believe that I am going to get the job done on July 23rd.

You have 20 knockouts to his 12 – do you feel you have the advantage in power?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I feel, all around, I can do whatever I want in there. If I have to box, I box. If I have to brawl, I brawl. If I have to trade, I trade. In those types of fights, I have the power to back you up. All in all, I feel like my IQ is what takes me to the next level.

Does the rough type style, like Yuriorkis Gamboa and like Postol, bother you and how do you overcome it?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Not at all. I just be myself and stay relaxed. Stay composed and do what I came to do. Do what we’ve been working on in camp and everything else will fall into place. The approach is to go in there and do what we have been working on. Each fight is different and every fighter is different. Gamboa was a real crafty fighter and so is Postol, but Postol poses a different threat than Gamboa so we will have to see what he poses on fight night.

Do you plan to go southpaw often and how do you prepare for his jab?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: We just have to see how the fight goes. It’s funny how all of the people are giving Postol all of the credit for his jab but nobody is talking about how good my jab is. So I’m loving it. I’m loving it. I’m loving it how everyone is talking about how good his jab is.

Why are you training in Colorado Springs. Is it to get away from home?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: We have been training in Colorado Springs for about four years – so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We have been having good success out there. You get away and we get to have a great camp. Plus the high altitude gives us a little edge.

When you go to that altitude for camp, how long does it take for you to adjust? Those are serious runs at serious altitude?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I adjust real quick since I am used to going out there. The first couple of days and the first couple of workouts you feel it but then your body gets acclimated to the climate.

Are you worried about Postol’s grabbing, holding tactics?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: That’s not my problem and I can’t be concerned about it. I can just hope the referee notices it and does something about it.

Would you say Postol is a dirty fighter?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I wouldn’t say that he is dirty. He fights to win. He is trying to do whatever he can to win. Some things are not allowed and some things some referees let you do more than others.

Pacquiao coming back…last year it was mentioned you were not well known enough to fight Pacquiao on pay-per-view. What do you think this fight will do for you?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It will help me tremendously, but again, I am not thinking about that fight right now or whether I may be fighting him or if I put on a good show. My main focus is Viktor Postol.

CARL MORETTI: It is the meaning of when you get the best two guys fighting each other the winner comes out as the best in the division and unfortunately in boxing we don’t get that a lot. So you have a unified champion who is clearly the best fighter in the division and I think what you’ll see is a lot of talk about Terence being in the top three pound-for-pound after this, because of the accomplishment. It’s not just to unify the title or to try to unify the title. If the title-holder is kind of weak – and I don’t mean to put down other fighters or other champions – but there are champions out there that really, from talent, just aren’t that good or as good as they can be. With Postol, everybody’s eyes opened up when he knocked out Matthysse, who apparently was the second coming of Carlos Monzon – I don’t know where that came from, but that ended quickly, and if Crawford does what he is capable of doing, I think his value clearly skyrockets by beating another champion that is well-respected. You hear other champions say “I want to unify” and you don’t even know who the other champion is in the division. Take the same meaning here – Crawford-Postol means a lot. If Crawford beats Postol it means a lot.

Before this fight was made, was it a priority for you to unify the titles? Some want to fight the best, some want to unify…where do you stand?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I just want to fight and be recognized as the best in my division. That’s it. So if going through Postol means that’s how I get there, then so be it. But from the standpoint of my division, I want to fight all of them, until I move up.

Do you feel like you would want to continue to unify or is it not a big deal to you?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well, I don’t know. Right now it is not. All of my focus is on Postol. I don’t worry about all of the extra things that is around the division right now.

Do you worry about Postol’s height advantage? It is about three inches and that plus the reach could be concerning…

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I have fought a lot of tall opponents in my career. This is not the first tall opponent that I have ever fought and it’s not going to be something new to me. It’s not going to be something that I have never seen before. So I am not concerned about his height or his jab or anything because I have seen it before.

Do you view this fight as the biggest of your career so far?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Of course – this is a very big fight for me at a very critical time of my career. This fight is more meaningful than the Gamboa fight, at the moment, because this fight can take me to that next level beyond the level that I’m on right now. This fight means a lot and I do look at it as the biggest fight of my career to date.

Did you have any reaction when you heard that Manny Pacquiao was coming back?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: No, not at all. I didn’t even worry about it and I didn’t care and I didn’t even know because that’s not my main focus.

Since this is your first fight on pay-per-view, do you feel like your name is getting out there more?

I don’t really know how to answer that because I feel like my name is out there already, but I do feel like my name could be bigger than it is. But at the same time, that is not something that I focus on, that is something that will develop in time. I promote my self as well as my promoters who promote me.

In the documentary you mentioned how you got a second chance after being shot in the head. Is that something you think about all the time?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Yes, of course. I don’t think about it a lot, because I like to put it in the past and put it behind me and move on with my life. But sometimes I do think about how I got a second chance and make the best of it.

How did it feel having HBO follow you around Omaha and talk to your family, something that a lot of fighters don’t have happen to them?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It was pretty cool to see myself on HBO and to see all the things that they do in making the special and I was happy to be a part of it.

Do you have a new hope of getting in the ring with Manny Pacquiao if you defeat Postol?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I’m not worried about that now so I don’t think about it.

How do you think your mother and grandmother did on the HBO show? They didn’t seem to be camera shy at all…

TERENCE CRAWFORD: They did good (laughing).

Bryan, we have spoken to Terence about Postol’s antics – holding and elbows…do you do anything in preparation for that or do you just overlook it?

BRYAN McINTYRE: Me and the other coaches (Coach Saul and Red), we sat down and talked about it and we are going to let referee Tony Weeks know that we are very concerned about whet he does in the ring.

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I would like to thank everyone, fans and media alike, for the support and I hope everyone watches on HBO Pay-Per-View. It is going to be a great night of boxing and we are going to put on a great show.

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

HBO Sports Presents “TERENCE CRAWFORD: MY FIGHT”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f6wef8egeM&feature=youtu.be

“COUNTDOWN: CRAWFORD vs. POSTOL WORLD TITLE UNIFICATION” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSKJh2HdATE&feature=share

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

Undefeated junior welterweight champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (28-0, 20 KOs) and “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL (28-0, 12 KOs) will go mano a mano in a 12-round world title unification fight to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140 pound division. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate and the motion picture “Hands of Stone,” the Crawford vs. Postol World Boxing Organization (WBO) / World Boxing Council (WBC) / The Ring junior welterweight world championship event takes place in Nine Days, Saturday, July 23, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. Remaining tickets are priced at $304, $204, $104, and $54, not including applicable service fees. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call AXS at (888) 929-7849. Tickets are also be available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or AXS.com (http://bit.ly/24ORYhs)

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

July 7, 2016 – Leading up to the highly anticipated junior welterweight unification championship between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol – set for Saturday, July 23 and presented live by HBO Pay-Per-View® – HBO Sports will present the exclusive replay of two intriguing showdowns that highlight the remarkable skill and drive of these competitors.

On Friday, July 15 at 11:15 p.m. (ET/PT) and Saturday, July 16 at 11:40 a.m. (ET/PT), HBO2 will replay Crawford vs. Gamboa 2014 and Matthysse vs. Postol 2015 back-to-back. On June 28, 2014 in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford let the world know he was a force to be reckoned with by knocking out Gamboa in a battle of undefeated rising stars in the ninth round. The win earned Crawford BWAA selection for “Fighter of the Year” honors. Last October in Carson, California, Postol pulled off the upset with a 10th round knockout against one the most exciting fighters and fearsome punchers in boxing, Lucas Matthysse, in a high-action contest.

Both fights will also be available 24 hours a day to HBO NOW, HBO On Demand® and HBO GO® subscribers beginning Monday, July 11.

Crawford vs. Postol takes place Saturday, July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

#

Tell us about your fight with Matthysse and what that victory meant to you.

VIKTOR POSTOL

“The fight with Matthysse was my most challenging because it was my first world championship fight and I was fighting for the title against one of the strongest punchers in the division. The importance of this fight for my career and my life was not lost on me. It was all I thought about during training camp at Wild Card. It’s all I ever wanted since I started boxing in a gym outside Kiev as a 12-year-old boy. I followed Freddie’s game plan from beginning to end. Even the last combination I landed — right uppercut, left hook — we worked on daily. It was a reflex to throw them when he charged in at me. He was perfect for that punch. Freddie Roach had me well prepared for that fight. My trainers made me a champion and helped me realize a dream I have had for a very long time. Every time I look at that green belt I will think of Freddie and everyone at Wild Card who helped me become a champion. I loved showing it off to all my friends, family members and fans in Ukraine. I am very proud to represent my country as a world champion.”

FREDDIE ROACH

“It was a very good performance. We were in charge of the fight the whole time. Viktor followed the game plan perfectly. I remember before the last round I told our corner that Matthysse was very tired and ready to go out. He was coming in with his head leaning down. We told Viktor, ‘Now is the time for a right uppercut and a left hook. Viktor took him out when he was ready to take him out. He is a good student of the game. Viktor deserved that victory. I’ve never had a fighter work harder in training camp than he did. I was so happy for him when the fight was stopped. I just knew that a lot of doors would be opening for him now that he was a world champion and because of how he won that fight. This was, really, one of the greatest wins of my career.”

The HBO Sports Special, Terence Crawford: My Fight, debuts Saturday, July 9 at 12:15 a.m. on HBO.

Crawford vs. Postol takes place Saturday, July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

LOS ANGELES (May 25, 2016) – Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov was involved in the Fight of the Year in 2013 with Tim Bradley. John “The Gladiator” Molina Jr. was embroiled in the 2014 Fight of The Year with Lucas Matthysse.

On Saturday, June 11, Provodnikov (25-4, 18 KOs) a former WBO Junior Welterweight World Champion, and former world title challenger Molina (28-6, 23 KOs) will face each other in the 12-round main event of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.

On Tuesday, Provodnikov, Molina and undefeated WBC No. 1-ranked lightweight contender Dejan Zlatacanin participated in a Media Workout Day at Fortune’s Gym in Los Angeles.

Zlatacanin (17-0, 10 KOs), of the Southeastern European country of Montenegro, will be opposed by fellow unbeaten and WBC No. 2-ranked Emiliano Marsili (32-0-1, 14 KOs), of Italy, for the vacant WBC Lightweight World Championship in the opening match of the SHOWTIME telecast.

In the co-feature, undefeated former 154-pound world champion Demetrius Andrade (22-0, 15 KOs), of Providence, R.I., battles Willie Nelson (25-2-1, 15 KO’s), of Cleveland, Ohio, in a 12-round WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator.

Also on June 11, former world title challengers, Willie Monroe Jr. and John Thompson, will meet in a 10-round middleweight bout in the main event on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT). In the SHO EXTREME opener, heavyweight Andrey Fedosov (28-3, 23 KO’s) takes on Mario Heredia (11-1, 9 KOs, 1-2 in WSB) in a 10-round heavyweight bout.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Banner Promotions, Inc., are priced at $85, $60, $45 and $35 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877.833.SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com).

Below is what the boxers said Tuesday:

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV

(On the importance of this fight)

“Every fight is important. I come out for every fight to give everything I have. For me, every fight is like the last fight. So this is a very important fight, just like any other.

“I don’t like to make predictions too much; boxing is an unpredictable sport and it’s hard to say what will happen. Anything can happen on June 11. We’ve got a little bit to wait and we’ll see what happens.

“I don’t know if it will go to the scorecards. Anything can happen. He is also a great fighter, so maybe it will go to the scorecards.”

(On what he expects from John Molina Jr.)

“I’m expecting him to come to fight. No doubt he’s a fighter, he’s a warrior. For somebody to defeat me is a big motivation and I know he’ll be coming to win.

“No matter what, he’s going to do anything possible to win this fight. That’s what I expect from people that take a fight with me – that they’ll die in the ring to defeat me because it would be a great accomplishment. So I’m expecting a real war, a real fight.”

(On the style of fighting and the matchup)

“I think this is the type of fight that will be exciting and all-action. I think it’s a great matchup and it will be exciting for the fans.”

(On who he’s looking to fight next)

“I’m not thinking about that too much right now. Luckily my weight classes, both 140 and 147, there’s no problem with the opposition. There (are) a lot of guys, a lot of stars. After this fight on June 11 we’ll be able to start thinking about what’s next.

“I’ve always said that I’m willing to fight anyone at 140 and 147, just let me know when and I’ll be there. I’m ready to fight any of the top guys.”

(On if he would rather fight a boxer or a come-forward fighter like Molina)

“I definitely like the guys that come to fight. For me that is a better, more enjoyable fight. I like to fight a guy that wants to brawl.

(On if he’s ready to box if Molina choses to box instead of brawl)

“On June 11, I’ll be ready for anything that can happen in the ring. I’ve been watching previous fights and correcting my mistakes and I’ll be ready for anything he decides to bring.”

(On not fighting for eight months)

“I don’t see too much of a negative side to that. I just wanted some time off and now I’m ready to come back. I’m always in shape; I’m always in the gym, always training.

“I’m training all the time and always moving around even when I’m at home. Right now, training camp is going very well. Joel Diaz is very happy with training and he says everything is going a lot better than the last training camp. Everything is 100 percent. I’m not worried at all.”

(On his relationship with trainer Joel Diaz)

“Everything is going great. When Joel and I are training together it’s always very positive. That’s important for me. I’m enjoying the training camp and I’m having a good time, which is the most important thing.

“Boxing-wise I’ve added a lot of different things. Most importantly, I’ve increased my defensive skills and that’s going to show in this fight very much and I’m positive of that. More than that, my punching combinations have gotten better in the last few camps and that’s going to show. Joel and I work well together and that’s definitely important.”

JOHN MOLINA JR.

(Thoughts leading up to the fight)

“I am really excited. Ruslan is a hell of a fighter and competitor. I think it’s a can’t-miss, all-action fight when you have someone like myself and Ruslan in there.

“Stylistically I think there are thing that I have to my advantage. Stature-wise: my height, my reach. But with that being said, when the fight starts, all of that is going to go out the window and we’re going to fight.

“We were both in Fights of the Year, but we were both on the losing ends. Now we want to be on the winning end. I think that is an unwritten motivation for both of us.

“Stylistically it’s a great matchup. We’ve had a common opponent and of course you can draw that he was in a Fight of the Year with some other fighter. But I’m not that stature. I am 5-feet-11 with a reach that he can’t compare with. On June 11 after the first bell rings, I’ll be able to tell you exactly how the fight is going to play out.”

(On the importance of winning this fight)

“Every fight is important. Fortunately and unfortunately, boxing is a ‘what have you done for me lately’ type of sport. For me, I didn’t have an extensive amateur career so the pros were, in essence, my amateur career. But I believe I’m at the right spot right now, where I need to be to hit my stride.

“Of course a victory is always the goal. I don’t like to lose at checkers and I don’t want to lose at boxing. To keep the lifestyle that I have going, I have to continue to be victorious and move forward.

“We definitely want to catapult off of a big marquee name. We want to be on the winning side. That is the goal 110 percent. We won’t be satisfied with anything less than a victory. I’m not content with getting in these fights because people love to watch me fight. I want to be content with getting these fights because I’m victorious and that’s what we’re planning on doing on June 11.

“I feel like you’re going to get the best of me now. I feel like my longevity isn’t a question because I didn’t have the extensive amateur career. A lot of these guys have been boxing since they were eight years old. I didn’t start until I was 17. I didn’t turn pro until I was 24. I only had 22 amateur fights. So the miles on my odometer, so to speak, are less than someone like Ruslan who had an extensive amateur career. He’s been in more wars than me.

“Either way you slice it, boxing takes something from you. Whether it’s your youth, your sharpness, boxing is that kind of a sport where it draws something from your body. I believe he’s had it worse than me. I feel stronger and more experienced for lacking those years.”

DEJAN ZLATCANIN

(On what this fight means for his career)

“This is the most important fight for me because the WBC title has been my dream since the first day I went to the gym. I will be the new champion.

“I was always the underdog in every fight but now I don’t get underestimated. My opponent is going to get the best me on June 11. I think those who underestimated me were wrong all along, but I will put some good shots on him and he’ll go down. I will knock him out.

“I think they [fans] will cheer for me like I am a home fighter and I will do my best to bring the good fight.”

(On his opponent)

“He’s a boxer. He’s smart, but he has no power. He will try to box, keep a distance and use his height advantage. He will use his footwork to keep me at bay, but it won’t work.”

(Thoughts on fighting for first world title)

“I am very excited and I am very happy to be fighting for my first world title. I am coming from a little country and I want everyone to know where Montenegro is and I can’t wait to get in the ring.

(On fighting in U.S. for first time)

“People in America, they’re fans, they love good boxing. It doesn’t matter where you are from, they just like good fights. They like my style because I am a fighter and I go forward.”