According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, a cruierweight title bout between undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tony Bellew is close to being finalized.

“Alexander (Krassyuk) and Eddie (Hearn) have been negotiating and I spoke to Alexander and they’re getting very close and most likely it’s going to be completely done (later this week or next week),” Usyk Manager Egis Klimas said. “They’re looking in November.”

“Usyk is a road warrior,” Klimas said. “‘Road Warrior’ Usyk.”

“Bellew made a very good comment,” Klimas said. “He said, ‘Why do I need Usyk in the heavyweight division? He has no name in the heavyweight division. I’d rather come down to the cruiserweight division because there are four titles involved.'”

“(The tournament organizers) hope we will be releasing the titles. We’re not planning to do that,” Klimas said. “We’re going to fight Bellew.”

“(If) Andre Ward wants to come back as a cruiserweight, Andre Ward and Usyk would be a perfect fight. A perfect fight,” Klimas said. “But right now we’re trying to make Usyk and Bellew.”

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in Moscow undefeated Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk became the first unified cruiserweight champion of the world since Evander Holyfield, pitching a 12-round no-hitter against Russia’s Murat Gassiev to win the inaugural season of the World Boxing Super Series. Usyk decisioned Gassiev so lopsidedly not one round went unanimously the Russian’s way. It was a remarkable conclusion to a remarkable run in no way diminished by Americans’ having to watch it on a YouTube stream from Turkey.

Usyk’s was a wonderful performance in consequential of a match as we’ve had in years. What Usyk betrayed through nearly every moment of 36 minutes and Gassiev failed to disrupt more than a pair of times was comfort. There’s an equation of sorts for how a stalking powerpuncher attritions a clever boxer, and it relies mostly on fatigue begotten by discomfiting. If Usyk’s jab and movement looked nervy anxious in Saturday’s opening two minutes they looked strategic gorgeous in the closing round, and the importantest part: They looked nearly the same all through the 32 minutes separating those.

Gassiev may not have landed a single clean shot the entire fight and certainly nothing Usyk didn’t see en route; Gassiev’s few noteworthy blows went through Usyk’s southpaw guard and touched Usyk’s gloves and arms before touching his head.

There was subtlety and awkward wonderment in what Usyk did, and if it was missed by many Americans for the match’s inaccessibility, well, let’s correct what of that we might.

No matter how the opening 2:50 of most rounds went, and most especially the especially consequential middle rounds – when Gassiev had to take anything he learned watching Usyk for five six seven frames and apply his rebuttal – Usyk found a way to punctuate doubt in Gassiev’s mind as the round closed. A wellplaced right uppercut, 5, or uppercut-hook, 6-3, didn’t so much hurt Gassiev as tell him: “I can hit you anytime with anything I want, and I beseech you remember that as your trainer whispers sour nothings in your ear for the next minute.”

Gassiev didn’t get angry, he’s too good and unattached for that, but he got verily discouraged in those pivotal rounds when he expected to begin striking Usyk properly. He trudged cornerwards while Usyk strolled.

And who was there to greet Gassiev when he arrived?

Why, none other than Abel “Plan A” Sanchez, the architect of Mexican Style, a form of prizefighting not one of Mexico’s five greatest prizefighters would recognize. Sanchez’s fighting philosophy appears to rely on, well, not head movement or innovative defense but perhaps initiative – a Sanchez fighter must want to hurt the other man more and oftener, and then everything else sort of works out? To carry such initiative, such enduring and quicksummoned rage, through 36 minutes, is nigh impossible, so a Sanchez fighter must be well-conditioned and attrition his man well before the championship rounds. He must hurt his opponent with every landed punch, and this works because, at the championship level, surely even the least-creative attack must find some purchase sometime in 2,160 seconds of opportunity.

Except Saturday.

In Moscow the Sanchez tactical vision for Gassiev reduced to: Go punch that guy.

Usyk obviously knew what Gassiev would do a third of a second or more before Gassiev did and a halfsecond or more before Gassiev started to do it. If it were a football game Saturday’s fight would evince a stolen playbook; stolen signals, were it a baseball game. Since it’s a fight, though, and there are only so many punches and ways of throwing them, there’s no conspiracy – the verb “to outclass” suffices.

Gassiev recognized it, applauding for Usyk through the reading of the scorecards, but since it might be less apparent to aficionados treated since 2012 to what gullibility has marked Mexican Style’s reception, let’s set the hands unmistakably upon the clock: Usyk outclassed Sanchez at least as much as he outclassed Gassiev.

This was no aberration, either – and a replica preview of how Gennady Golovkin would fare against Billy Joe Saunders, were GGG’s handlers careless enough to make that match (unlikely: Saunders is an actual middleweight).

Usyk is a weird and wonderful gentleman pugilist, dancing ever elegantly to a ballet of his own conjuring. He is physically enormous; let not the title cruiserweight mislead you. And howsoever lightly he appeared to hit Gassiev he is mighty and unwilling to be moved or bullied about the ring. While there’s no doubting Gassiev had power enough to affect Usyk painfully in the first eight rounds of the match – hence Usyk’s abiding vigilance – there’s neither doubting Usyk’s resilience and power of resistance. Out of ideas by round 3 Gassiev’d’ve shoved Usyk where he could were he not routinely chastened by Usyk’s lefthand. Usyk didn’t (doesn’t) hit hard as Gassiev but he sure as hell hit hard enough to dissuade Gassiev.

With frustration came fatigue and with fatigue went Gassiev’s initiative. Even had Gassiev found a way to surprise Usyk after the ninth round nothing about the result’d’ve changed – Gassiev alternately winged wildness or tentatively threw darts, and if Usyk was far too seasoned to be caught by Gassiev’s windups his chin was also far too low to be destabilized by anything less than a combination, and Gassiev threw nary one of those #MexicanStyle.

Let’s close with a few words of gratitude. Thank goodness for the Turks on Saturday. Tivibu Spor, a 24/7 sports unit of Istanbul’s TTNET, delivered for aficionados where no American broadcaster bothered. Much of Saturday’s undercard and every second of its main event happened on Tivibu Spor’s YouTube channel, crisply, cleanly and legally. No logons, no credit cards, no monthly fees, no popups or pirating – just live boxing with commentary blessedly outside our comprehension. One of the talkers was wild for Gassiev, shouting crazily the three times Gassiev threatened Usyk, but otherwise it was a flawless broadcast.

Bart Barry uzerinden ulasilabilir Twitter @bartbarry

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – July 20, 2018 – On Saturday afternoon, July 21st, undefeated cruiserweights with knock-out power, Uysk and Gassiev, will battle for four of the major world titles IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO. KlowdTV is proud to air the exclusive live United States stream of the finals of The World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight championship that will pit undefeated fighters Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev.

The bout will take place in Moscow, Russia beginning at 3 PM ET. “We are very proud to be able to bring this outstanding fight to KlowdTV,” said Robert Herring Sr., CEO of KlowdTV. “I know how much interest there is in the fight by reading all of the talk on all of the websites and social media. The fans have been clamoring for the fight to find a United States distributor, and we hope all the fans tune in on Saturday.”

Usyk (14-0, 11 KOs) of Kiev, Ukraine is WBC and WBO world cruiserweight champion.

The 2012 Olympic Gold Medal winner won the WBO world title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Krzysztof Glowacki on September 17, 2016 in Poland. Usyk defended the title twice with a 9th round stoppage over Thabiso Mchunu and a 12-round unanimous decision over Michael Hunter.

Usyk entered the World Boxing Super series with a 10th round stoppage over former world champion Marco Huck. In his semifinal bout, Usyk captured the WBC World Cruiserweight title with a majority decision over Mairis Briedis on January 27th in Latvia.

Gassiev (26-0, 19 KOs) of Russia, is the IBF and WBA Super Cruiserweight champion.

Gassiev now trains in Big Bear, California under famed trainer Abel Sanchez.

The 24-year-old Gassiev won IBF championship on December 3, 2016 with a 12-round unanimous decision over Denis Lebedev.

Gassiev entered The World Boxing Super Series with a 3rd round destruction of former world champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. In his last bout, Gassiev won the WBA World Super Cruiserweight title with a 12th round stoppage over previously undefeated Yunier Dorticos on February 3, 2018.

The weigh can be seen on KlowdTV

The action begins at 3 PM

A full undercard will be shown that includes a world championship bout.

Mairis Briedis (23-1, 18 KOs) vs Brandon Deslaurier (11-1-1, 1KO)-10 Rounds-Cruiserweights

Cecilia Braekhus (33-0, 9 KOs) vs Inna Segaydakovskaya (7-0, 3 KOs)–10 Rounds–for the IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO World Welterweight titles

Fedor Chudinov (17-2, 12 KOs) vs Nadjib Mohammedi (40-5, 23 KOs)–12–WBA International Super Middleweight title

KlowdTV is a 24/7 live streaming service, that has over 31 live channels and 50 music channels.

The fight will be free to anyone who is already a KlowdTV subscriber. For any non-subscribers, the cost will be $9.99 and that will not only guarantee Saturday’s “can’t-miss” fight, but 30 days of KlowdTV.

KlowdTV can be accessed on any device that includes Smart TV’s, Computers, ROKU, Amazon, All IOS devices, phones and Tablets.
The fight card will be streamed live via KlowdTV. Visit www.klowdtv.com for additional information.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Muhammad Ali’s wife Lonnie will present the Muhammad Ali trophy to the winner of the Oleksandr Osyk – Murat Gassiev Cruiserweight final in Moscow.

“Since this is the first Ali Trophy ever presented, and as a part of Muhammad’s legacy in boxing, I am proud to be here to represent the Ali family, the WBC and its president Mauricio Sulaiman,” Ali said in a statement before Saturday’s fight.

“Muhammad would have been proud to see one of these champions being rewarded with the trophy that carries his name,” Ali said.

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland, the chief boxing officer of tournament organizer Comosa AG: “Muhammad Ali being our ambassador is the greatest honor of all. Having his wife present the first Ali Trophy in Moscow will make this ceremony one of the most emotional moments ever seen in a boxing ring.”

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – July 17, 2018 – On Saturday afternoon, July 21st, the world’s best and undefeated cruiserweights, Oleksandr Uysk and Murat Gassiev, will battle for four world titles and the bragging rights to be crowned the undisputed World Cruiserweight Champ. Both fighters possess perfect undefeated records, tremendous explosive power, and with the winner taking all the major recognized belts, this is the must-watch Cruiserweight battle of the year. This amazing showdown featuring Usyk v Gassiev for the undisputed Cruiserweight championship and will air live and exclusively on KlowdTV in the United States.

The bout will take place in Moscow, Russia beginning at 3 PM ET. “We are very proud to be able to bring this outstanding fight to KlowdTV,” said Robert Herring Sr., CEO of KlowdTV. “I know how much interest there is in this fight from all the interest on boxing sites and social media. The fans have been clamoring for the fight to find a United States home, and KlowdTV is once again stepping up to answer the call of US boxing fans.”

Usyk (14-0, 11 KOs) of Kiev, Ukraine is WBC and WBO world cruiserweight champion.
The 2012 Olympic Gold Medal winner won the WBO world title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Krzysztof Glowacki on September 17, 2016 in Poland. Usyk defended the title twice with a 9th round stoppage over Thabiso Mchunu and a 12-round unanimous decision over Michael Hunter.

Usyk scored a 10th round stoppage over former world champion Marco Huck. In his latest bout, Usyk captured the WBC World Cruiserweight title with a majority decision over Mairis Briedis on January 27th in Latvia.

Gassiev (26-0, 19 KOs) of Russia, is the IBF and WBA Super Cruiserweight champion.
Gassiev now trains in Big Bear, California under famed trainer Abel Sanchez. The 24-year-old Gassiev won IBF championship on December 3, 2016 with a 12-round unanimous decision over Denis Lebedev.

Gassiev registered a 3rd round destruction of former world champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. In his last bout, Gassiev won the WBA World Super Cruiserweight title with a 12th round stoppage over previously undefeated Yunier Dorticos on February 3, 2018.

KlowdTV is your 24/7 live streaming service, featuring over 30 live channels plus 50 music channels. The fight is free to KlowdTV subscribers. New subscribers can enjoy the fight for the $9.99/month subscription fee, which includes numerous live channels including Fight Network, GolTV, FNTSY Sports Network, Pursuit Channel, Sony Movie Channel and more. Simply visit www.klowdtv.com to enjoy this “can’t-miss” fight and 30 days of KlowdTV for just $9.99 per month. KlowdTV can be accessed on any device that includes Smart TV’s, computers, ROKU, Amazon, Android and iOS phones and tablets.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday on the ESPN+ app Filipino Manny Pacquiao smelted Argentine welterweight titlist Lucas Matthysse in Malaysia. Saturday on no app whatever undefeated Russian cruiserweight Murat Gassiev will fight undefeated Ukrainian cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk in Moscow to unify their division. If the latter’s lack of an American broadcaster is bizarre, the former’s broadcaster was indeed apropos.

A temptation at times like these is to hedge one’s SportsCenterish prepositional phrase. Y’all know the drill: “in recent memory” is the way you take credit for boldness one word before you walk things back with a comma. Not today. After Saturday’s 25-minute comain of commercials, junior-dev graphics and overwrought pontification, it’s time someone other than an ESPN employee asserts what so many of us feel.

Manny Pacquiao’s comeback tilt in Kuala Lumpur was the greatest ESPN+ fight in history.

Before its cancellation some years back ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” consistently presented the weakest boxing on television, the sort of underbudgeted slop advertisers and reputable promoters skirred. Far from appearing on FNF himself Pacquiao wouldn’t consider permitting towelboy Buboy to chiefsecond even Manila minimumweights on the program. Yet here we are in 2018 and Pacquiao’s now fighting on the smartphone equivalent of FridayNightFights.com.

A word or two about that, actually. What the hell are commercials doing on a paid stream? Having charged us $5/month ESPN gave us at least a halfhour of commercials during its otherwise-inexplicable 150-minute prefight Pacquiao promotion, and had its commentary crew act like nothing was the matter. “Two revenue streams!” some pitchman inevitably proclaimed, but that’s all sorts of wrong because most Saturday viewers were on a free trial and won’t be renewing after the three hours of their lives they just gave ESPN+ for seven rounds of desired boxing. “But wait,” they say, “there are all those Muhammad Ali fights that come with your subscription!” – like either they don’t know about YouTube or figure we don’t.

Almost a decade ago one of promoter Top Rank’s leaders talked about a concept he called “brand of boxing” – encouraging his peers to imagine their sport as an ecosystem whose general health be far more important than any one of their events. Today an American aficionado spends monthly $25 for basic cable (ESPN), $10-$15 for Showtime, $5 for ESPN+ and soon $10-$20 for DAZN – and that $50-$65 monthly bill assumes both a savvy cordcutting bent for our aficionado and his cancellation of HBO some time ago. But here’s the brand-of-boxing punchline: That kind of money spent the first week of July, our aficionado looks forward to the year’s best fight this Saturday and finds to his amazement somehow not one of these sundry pay services is televising Murat Gassiev vs. Oleksandr Usyk to crown the rarest thing in our beloved sport – an undefeated, undisputed, unified champion of the world.

A word or two about that, too, actually. Gassiev-Usyk is a fascinating cruiserweight culmination of World Boxing Super Series’ inaugural season. Former Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is associated with the WBSS and repulsive. There’s no history needed to make that assertion; if we, as men, were taught to trust our intuition the way mothers do, we’d all have heeded our genuine first impressions of Schaefer 14 years ago. But while Schaefer once combined visibility and repulsiveness in a unique way he’s not otherwise repulsively unique and definitely not repulsive enough to keep us from enjoying what exceptional cruiserweight matches WBSS gave us in its semifinal round. But Schaefer or somebody affiliated with him appears to have repulsed American broadcasters sufficiently to keep Gassiev-Usyk off even our smartphones.

Which makes brand-of-boxing, for the next week at least, toxic.

Writing of which, how about that Lucas Matthysse? We already knew power punchers kept prizefighting’s frailest psyches, but Matthysse’s comportment these last few years makes one consider the symmetrical possibility a boxer’s mental hardiness is inversely proportionate to his punching power.

Five years ago while writing The Ring cover story mentioned on Saturday’s broadcast I came across an exquisite Argentine boxing writer named Osvaldo Príncipi whose Spanish prose and presence make him something like South America’s Hugh McIlvaney. During our correspondence he attributed a whole lot of things like Mathysse’s tattoos to a divorce. I felt for Matthysse then; by all accounts the guy does little in his life but love his daughter, play with his dogs, avoid the media and fight.

Saturday’s second knockdown, though, is hard to excuse. It’s one thing to realize you’re in over your head and race towards unconsciousness, but it’s something else entirely to court it so wishfully – to hope a punch cuts the lights, find it didn’t, then in full consciousness genuflect to your opponent. Let’s move on.

Saturday’s iteration of Manny Pacquiao was a pleasant return to what belligerence once endeared him to so many of us. A return to the man who dealt swiftly and disproportionately with anyone who caused him a sting, a man who didn’t collect grievances or connive but rather sought instant redress – that’s who we saw go after Matthysse each of the three times the Argentine did something offensive to Pacquiao. And it was electrifying.

So Pacquiao fights on. One can’t seriously entertain the possibility GGG is a great middleweight – hard stop – and begrudge Pacquiao three or four farewell tours against career 140-pounders like Matthysse or a talented lightweight like Vasyl Lomachenko. In fact, Pacquiao-Lomachenko in Helsinki might make a great Christmas present for ESPN+ subscribers.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

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Team Usyk has informed Comosa AG that Mr Usyk suffered a minor elbow injury whilst training for his World Boxing Super Series Final against Murat Gassiev, for the Muhammad Ali Trophy.

It has been confirmed by all parties, including Comosa AG appointed independent medical staff, that Mr Usyk is unavailable for the scheduled date of the event, May 11th.

As such, the May 11th event, due to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has been postponed.

Comosa AG is working in partnership with Team Usyk and Team Gassiev as well as Sela Sport, the local event organisers, to establish a new date for the event.

Comosa AG wishes Mr Usyk a good and speedy recovery. Further information on the rescheduling of the Final will be released in due course.

In the meantime, Comosa AG looks forward to announcing the weight classes that the World Boxing Super Series will employ for Season 2 of the Ali Trophy. Fans can expect to find out the divisions in the coming weeks.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday undefeated Ukrainian cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk (14-0, 11 KOs) decisioned undefeated Latvian Mairis Briedis (23-1, 18 KOs) in the penultimate round of the World Boxing Super Series, in Latvia’s capital city of Riga. Their match graced no American airwaves. Saturday HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” program featured Argentine retread Lucas Matthysse avoiding his fifth career loss by jabbing to temporary unconsciousness a Thai fighter named, one second here, Tewa Kiram, in Los Angeles. These fights are juxtaposed for more than their common date.

What you had in Latvia were two undefeated titlists in a unification match that was the semifinal of a tournament to crown a unified cruiserweight champion of the world. And both hail from the former Eastern Bloc. Surely this was in HBO’s wheelhouse such that if HBO didn’t salivate at the bell Showtime should swoop in and spite-buy it, no?

No. Evidently, absolutely no. Dogged reporters might doggedly do reporting on this and uncover a sprawling, innocent mess of conflicting dates and logistics, a waterfall of prohibiting algorithms, that makes seamless sense of why none of this series is televised in the U.S., but here’s an unsolicited guess instead: Richard Schaefer.

The former CEO of Golden Boy Promotions is back in boxing and associated with the World Boxing Super Series, which seeks to do with the cruiserweight and super middleweight divisions what the Super Six World Boxing Classic started doing with the super middleweight division nine years ago. That tournament, excellent if snakebitten, sent aficionados to Showtime, who captured their allegiance from HBO and hasn’t yielded it much since. Back then boxing insiders confused Schaefer for a genius often as they confused him for an honest broker. But his eventual arch enemy, Bob Arum, had a true line of sight on him: Swiss banker.

Schaefer was an unscrupulous opportunist who brought contemporary accounting and marketing practices to boxing’s 18th-century way of doing both, which made him look brilliant, and a selfinterested operator who promoted an ethical approach to promoting while furtively selling his company out from under its namesake.

Schaefer, fired and barred from boxing three years ago, looks more like an Al Haymon toady, in retrospect, than a master of the universe. Whatever fellow World Boxing Super Series organizers had in mind when they hooked up with him, getting their tournament blacklisted from American television was doubtful it. That’s all conjecture, of course, but one needn’t be a fishnets-certified fanboy to see some irony in HBO’s broadcasting “Washed: The epic rebranding of Lucas Matthysse’s second comeback” in lieu of something at least five times better and more consequential.

With unfortunately few exceptions these days HBO’s Golden Boy Promotions cards are about ensuring biannual Canelo cash infusions and conceding that without access to Top Rank or PBC fighters it’s brutally hard to fill a boxing calendar. As the world moves acceleratingly away from both network television and America, the happy news for aficionados is our confinement to whatever American cable companies gift us now hurtles towards its proper end. Last weekend you didn’t need to blackpatch an eye to see Usyk-Briedis in gorgeous highdef well before Boxing After Dark lumbered along.

And what you saw in Usyk-Briedis was a very good prizefight that was oddly entertaining for a no-knockdowns affair. The gloves looked rightsized, in other words, to two 200-hundred-pound men, and both fighters, as the results got read, looked like they’d been punched oftenly. The right man won on scorecards that leaned expectedly Latvian in Riga; a forensic examination of results would find most points Briedis accumulated came via extralegal events and hometown support.

If Usyk is not a particularly large puncher he is a large man with excellent relative mobility, an Olympic gold medal that means an opponent’s style can hardly surprise him, and the sort of oblivious goofiness that supplies Tony Robbins’ charm. Usyk is a very good prizefighter but nothing like a prodigy.

Briedis, too, gave a professional accounting of himself – he was just the wrong the man against the wrong man. He wasn’t going to fight busier than Usyk and wasn’t likely to outbox him either; to get Usyk to settle down Briedis needed to worry him by concussing Usyk with every landed punch, and at the championship level Briedis does not hit hard enough to do that.

He does know some tricks, though. Howsoever inevitably and unintentionally came the early clash of heads between Usyk’s southpaw attack and Briedis’ forward-lean orthodox counterpunching, Usyk certainly got the worse of it. A Briedis baby-hiptoss in round 6, too, went someways toward destabilizing Usyk. Not enough is made generally of how much it affects a fighter to get dropped on the canvas via push or slip. The referee clears it of scoring consequence with a wave, and the felled man has no grogginess with which to contend, but his legs, trained for six weeks and a career precisely to stutterstep and twist in combat and spring upwards from a stool after respite, suddenly have to fold beneath their body and push upwards from a kneel. It’s surprisingly fatiguing. And Briedis followed Usyk’s rise from the canvas with more offensive enthusiasm and effectiveness than he’d shown to that moment.

Most every round before and after that was a copy of its predecessor, though only Usyk employed cruisecontrol and only for a little bit in the 12th round, at that.

This Saturday the second World Boxing Super Series semifinal happens with undefeated Russian Murat Gassiev (25-0, 18 KOs) and undefeated Cuban Yunier Dorticos (22-0, 21 KOs) trading fists in Russia. That one shan’t appear on American airwaves either.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) exchanged words in Riga at the last press conference before the Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the Latvian capital on Saturday.

“I am going to entertain the crowd at the Arena Riga – that I can promise,” said Usyk.

“I have worked on some new things and Saturday you will see what I am talking about.”

10.000 fans are expected at the Arena Riga for the biggest unification fight in many years in the cruiserweight division; a semi-final in the World Boxing Super Series with a final in May in Jeddah, Saudi-Arabia and the Muhammad Ali Trophy at stake.

But hometown hero Briedis insists he doesn’t feel any pressure.

“My team is doing everything to take the pressure is off my shoulders. We are just concentrating on the fight. My dream is to deliver a fight that can go into the Boxing Hall of Fame.”

Said Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer, Kalle Sauerland: “We are delighted to be in Riga. We have an absolute cracker. We have a fight between two world champions, two of the very, very best. We have a great arena and a country which seems captured by boxing and the fact that Muhammad Ali Trophy is coming to Latvia. We have a big showdown, Saturday night is all that boxing is about. Legacy is at stake.”

Tickets for the Usyk vs. Briedis, a semi-final in the cruiserweight division of the World Boxing Super Series, are on sale via bilesuserviss.lv.

WBO-Champion Aleksandr Usyk and WBC-Champion Mairis Briedis entertained the masses at an open training before their Ali Trophy semi-final clash on Saturday at the Arena Riga, Latvia.

“People can look forward to a great fight between two world champions,” said Aleksandr Usyk.

Usyk plowed through an ocean of Latvian and Ukrainian fans, who wanted autographs and selfies when his training was over.

“It is great to see so many people for an open training. I am looking forward to the atmosphere at the Arena Riga, and I know that many have traveled from Ukraine to support me. I’m not going to disappoint them!”

An estimated 2,000 fans showed up during the training at Domina Shopping in the Latvian capital to see the combatants in training before they clash on Saturday in a semi-final in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series.

And the hometown hero Briedis got a roaring reception when he entered the ring.

“I’m happy to see so many people here at an open workout. This proves the magnitude of Saturday’s fight,” said Briedis.

“We did a really good work in the training camp and we have prepared for 12 rounds. We are ready for whatever Usyk brings. I can’t wait for the fight to begin!”

Tickets for the Usyk vs. Briedis, a semi-final in the cruiserweight division of the World Boxing Super Series, are on sale via bilesuserviss.lv.

The undercard for the Ali Trophy semi-final in Riga on January 27 between Aleksandr Usyk and Mairis Briedis features both established and rising stars.

Switzerland’s Yoann Kongolo (10-0, 4 KOs) will defend his WBC International Silver title against hometown hero Andrejs Pokumeiko (16-12-1, 12 KOs), over ten rounds in the Light Heavyweight division.

The former WBC International Cruiserweight champion, Micki Nielsen (24-1, 15 KOs) from Denmark will take on Latvia’s Ricards Bolotniks (10-3-1, 4 KOs) in an 8-round contest. Nielsen has been sparring with Mairis Briedis in preparation for this bout, and the Danish star hopes to upset the hometown fans and make it three wins in a row.

Undefeated Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin (18-0, 12 KOs) faces the man-mountain Srdan Govederica (6-5, 5 KOs) from Bosnia.

Undefeated Latvian, Jevgenijs Aleksejevs (7-0, 6 KOs), has made a very impressive start to his professional career so far. But there is no doubt that he faces his toughest test so far in Maurice Possiti (17-12, 7 KOs) from France.

Latvia’s Nikolajs Grisunins (6-0-1, 3 KOs) will aim to return to winning ways when he faces the dangerous big punching Jozsef Darmos (8-1-2, 7 KOs) from Hungary.

In a mouth-watering 8-round Heavyweight contest, 2016 Olympic games Bronze medallist Filip Hrgovic (2-0, 2 KOs) from Croatia meets United Kingdom’s Tom Little (10-4, 3 KOs). Hrgovic has made a very impressive start to his professional career with two sensational first-round KO victories. However, in Little he faces a very confident challenger.

Araik Marutjan (1-0), who represented Germany in the 2016 Olympics takes on the very tough Hungarian Richard Hegyi (4-2, 3 KOs) in a Middleweight contest.

The undercard also features the talented cruiserweight Mikael Lawal (4-0, 3 KOs) from London, United Kingdom, who has been sparring Aleksandr Usyk in preparation for this bout. He takes on the experienced southpaw Istvan Orsos (16-43-2, 5 KOs) from Hungary.

Tickets for the Usyk vs. Briedis, a semi-final in the cruiserweight division of the World Boxing Super Series, are on sale via bilesuserviss.lv.

WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) talks about his upcoming semi-final against WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) at the Arena Riga on January 27.

The Ukrainian superstar went to Berlin in September last year and opened the first season of the World Boxing Super Series by producing a spectacular display at the Max-Schmeling-Arena to stop former world champion Marco Huck in the 10th round.

Usyk’s training camp before the biggest unification fight in years in the cruiserweight division took place in Bukovel, on the ridge-lines of the Carpathian Mountains under the guidance of his trainer Sergey Vatamanyuk.

Now the 2012 Olympic gold medallist is traveling to Riga – to the backyard of the Latvian hero Mairis Briedis.

How are you looking forward to fighting in Riga?
“Let Briedis think about that, not me. All I know is that there will be a lot of my countrymen coming to Riga to support me.”

How big is the fight against Briedis when you look at your career?
“It is a big fight and it is going to be a big day in my career. It’s a unification fight. The fight for the Muhammad Ali Trophy is about the best fighting the best. I have the WBO belt and he has WBC – I like the colour green and the WBC belt is green so I can’t wait to get that belt.”

What do you think of your opponent?
“I have nothing bad to say about Briedis. His style is a bit boring, but I respect him. Briedis is a world champion so he has to be good.”

Why do you respect him?
“In principle, I respect all of my opponents. I even respect Marco Huck who spoke bad about me and pushed me at a press conference. I know what fighters are going through in order to be able to enter the ring. It takes a lot of training, a lot of work and I will always respect that.”

Tickets for the Usyk vs. Briedis, a semi-final in the cruiserweight division of the World Boxing Super Series, are on sale via bilesuserviss.lv.

Croatian heavyweight sensation Filip Hrgovic (2-0, 2 KOs) returns to Riga and to the World Boxing Super Series with an eight-round contest against Britain’s Tom Little (10-4, 3 KOs) on the undercard of The Ali Trophy semi-final clash between Aleksandr Usyk and Mairis Briedis on January 27 at the Riga Arena in Latvia.

The 2016 Olympic bronze medallist returns to happy hunting ground having started his professional career with the first-round KO of Raphael Zumbano Love at the Riga Arena. The 27-year-old followed this up with a second win in Schwerin stopping the previously undefeated Pavel Sour inside the first stanza.

“I’m looking forward to fighting in Riga again,” says Hrgovic. “It’s a great city and a great event. I’m happy to come back here after a successful pro debut in Riga.”

“I’ve been preparing for this fight like it is a World title. I’ve been training and sparring very hard, and I’ll be 100% ready on fight night. My opponent Tom Little seems to be very confident. But whatever he brings, I’m ready for it.”

“I think it will be another 1st round stoppage victory, but I’ll be ready to go the 8-round distance if I need to. If I perform like I know I can, he doesn’t have a chance.”

Little, from Hatfield, England, is on a three-fight win streak, and confident of upsetting the odds and handing Hrgovic his first professional defeat.

“I’ve been waiting years for a chance like this, and I’m over the moon that I’ve finally been given an opportunity on such a massive show,” said Little. “Filip is a big strong boy, but this fight is way too early for him and I’ve seen a few things I can take advantage of. The fight won’t see the 8th round. I’ll bash his face in!”

Tickets for the Usyk vs. Briedis, a semi-final in the cruiserweight division of the World Boxing Super Series, are on sale via bilesuserviss.lv.

WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) had their first face-off in Riga before the Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the Latvian capital on January 27th.

“Briedis is a good fighter, but the only thing he has that I want is his belt,” said Usyk. “I am looking forward to fighting in Riga, it’s going to be a great event. I am sure there will be a lot of people coming from Ukraine to support me. People can look forward to an entertaining fight between two world champions both eager to qualify for the final and win the Muhammad Ali Trophy.”

Said Mairis Briedis: “It is one of my dreams as a fighter to be part of one of the greatest fights of all time. I hope this fight will be a Hall of Fame fight. It has all the ingredients to become a classic.”

“Usyk was excellent as an amateur and he has been great as a professional, so it will be a tough challenge, but I believe that I have what it takes to beat him.”

“It is lovely to be in Riga,” said Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer Kalle Sauerland. “This fight will be the biggest sports event ever on Latvian soil. We have to world champions, two amazing contenders, two sensational athletes. Briedis, the national hero of Latvia, the WBC Champion vs. Usyk, an Olympic Champion and World Champion. So the stage is set for a night full of drama.”

This biggest cruiserweight unification fight for several years takes place at the Arena Riga. The same place where Mairis Briedis booked his place in the semi-final by outpointing Mike Perez in front of a sold-out crowd of 10.000 fans.

His Ukrainian opponent went to Berlin in in the tournament opener and produced a spectacular display at the Max-Schmeling-Arena to stop former world champion Marco Huck in the 10th round.

Tickets for Usyk vs. Briedis, a semi-final in the cruiserweight division of the World Boxing Super Series, are on sale via bilesuserviss.lv.

https://www.facebook.com/WBSuperSeries/videos/1023888831082308/

Tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) are on sale now via bilesuserviss.lv with prices starting at €50.

This biggest Cruiserweight unification fight for several years, takes place at the Arena Riga in Latvia on 27 January 2018.

Ukrainian Usyk has promised a night to remember for boxing fans at the arena and around the world: “Fans at the arena and in front of their TV’s can look forward to a beautiful and interesting battle between two world champions.”

Said Briedis: “I can’t wait to hear the noise of the devoted Latvian fans again. I will prepare myself over the next weeks to give them a show against Usyk.”

Tickets for Usyk vs Briedis start at €50 and are on sale now via bilesuserviss.lv

Tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) go on sale on Monday December 11th at 12.00 (Noon) CET, via bilesuserviss.lv with prices starting at €50.

This biggest Cruiserweight unification fight for several years, takes place at the Arena Riga in Latvia on January 27, 2018.

“Usyk, World Champion and the number one seed in the tournament collides with Briedis, national hero and World Champion. It doesn’t get much bigger than this,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer. “The noise from 10.000 fans when Mairis Briedis faced Mike Perez at the Arena Riga in September was one of the highlights of the quarter-finals in the World Boxing Super Series.”

And Ukrainian Usyk promises another night to remember for boxing fans at the arena and around the world: “Fans at the arena and in front of their TV’s can look forward to a beautiful and interesting battle between two world champions.”

Said Briedis: “I am looking forward to fight once again in front of the incredible crowd at the Arena Riga and I will do everything to make them proud with another victory.”

Fans are asked to sign-up for ticket alerts at worldboxingsuperseries.com to receive the ticket link emailed directly to their inbox and avoid disappointment

The Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) hits the Arena Riga, Latvia on January 27, 2018.

“The stand-out atmosphere in the quarter-finals was the noise the fans made in the sold-out Arena Riga,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer.

“We are very excited to bring the Ali Trophy to Latvia on January 27. Usyk is Olympic Champion, World Champion and the number one seed in the tournament but when he collides with national hero and World Champion Briedis he will meet by far his toughest challenge in his career. This is the biggest unification fight in the division since many, many years.”

2012 Olympic Champion, 30-year-old Usyk expressed before the tournament his desire to unify the belts in the cruiserweight division and to take home the Muhammad Ali Trophy. And he kicked off in style:

The Ukrainian went to Berlin in Germany on September 9 in the tournament opener and produced a spectacular display at the Max-Schmeling-Arena to stop former world champion Marco Huck in the 10th round. Now he travels to another opponent’s backyard to face a current champion.

“I do not care where I fight,” said Usyk, the tournament’s number one seed.

“In Riga, there will be 10.000 fans and that’s great. The fans should expect a beautiful and interesting battle between two world champions.”

32-year-old Briedis excited an ecstatic hometown crowd at a sold-out Arena Riga on September 30 to score a unanimous decision in his quarter-final over the tough Cuban challenger Mike Perez.

“I had a gut feeling that the World Boxing Super Series might return to Riga because of the incredible crowd at the Arena Riga in the quarter-final bout against Mike Perez,” said Briedis, the tournament’s third seed.

“I’m really happy with how it has turned out. I am thankful to the Latvian fans who made it possible by being so passionate and devoted. Now it’s all about preparing for Usyk and put up a great show when January comes.”

Usyk and Briedis will soon come face-to-face at a kickoff press conference in Riga and tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final between are going on sale next week with the exact time to be announced shortly. Fans are asked due to the huge demand to sign-up for ticket alerts at worldboxingsuperseries.com to avoid disappointment.

EDMONTON, Canada (September 6, 2017) – The much-anticipated World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) launches this week and Canadian boxing fans will be able to watch all the tournament action live on Super Channel.
Super Channel acquired the rights in Canada to broadcast the World Boxing Super Series from MP & Silva, a leading international media company that provides media rights, digital, technology and sponsorship services.

Planned to take place on an annual basis, the WBSS tournament will commence this Saturday (Sept. 9) in Berlin, starting at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT, with the first quarter-final match as World Boxing Organization (WBO) Cruiserweight World Champion Oleksandr “The Cat” Usyk (12-0, 10 KOs) defends his world title against former world cruiserweight champion Marco “Kapt’n” Huck (40-4-1, 27 KOs) in the 12-round main event.

The inaugural season of the World Boxing Super Series will feature two weight classes (cruiserweight & super middleweight), 16 fighters, and a total of 14 main events. An expert panel invited the world’s best boxers to compete, namely the top 15-ranked fighters of the four major federations: WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO. In each weight class, eight boxers will battle it out in a bracket-style elimination tournament, with four quarterfinals (September & October 2017), two semifinals (January & February 2018) and one championship final (May 2018).

World Boxing Super Series is a new revolutionary bracket-style elimination tournament featuring the world`s best boxers and a total of $50 million in prize money. The knockout format of the competition will see the best boxers ultimately compete for the Muhammad Ali Trophy, the greatest prize in boxing. The tournament is organized by newly-founded Comosa AG, a Swiss-registered company with principal owners Highlight Event & Entertainment, Modern Times Group and Team Sauerland. Comosa AG is working in partnership with boxers, promoters and managers around the world, and in alignment with the four major world boxing federations, to create a new global platform for the sport.

Five exciting fights on the “Usyk vs, Huck” card, promoted by Sauerland Event, will air exclusively in Canada on Super Channel.

(L-R) — Oleksandr Usyk & Marco Huck

Usyk, 30, is the No. 1 WSBB seed and consensus pre-tournament favorite. The Ukrainian is a two-time Olympian who struck gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. The powerful southpaw captured the WBO cruiserweight world title September 17, 2016, taking a 12-round unanimous decision in Poland from the previously undefeated, defending champion Krzystof Glowacki (26-0). Usyk has made two successful world title defenses, stopping challenger Thabiso Mchunu (17-2) last December in the ninth round, and winning a 12-round unanimous decision this past April from Michael Hunter (12-0).

“Marco Huck is the most famous and prestigious opponent I could have chosen,” Usyk said. “He has accomplished most title defenses in the history of the cruiserweight division, an extremely experienced man. Huck does not fear anything or anyone and goes for the victory through the fire. He marches constantly forward and tries to determine his fights by all means.

“I have a tactic specifically aimed at Huck. This is necessary because in my opinion he is one of my toughest competitors in this tournament. But why should I talk about it now and give Huck an advantage that he does not deserve? The surprising moment is on my side now, and I will take this advantage with me in the ring. Huck, by the way, has an advantage because he is at home in front of his audience in Berlin. This definitely makes him stronger but I love this challenge!

“I can fulfill my dream of unifying all the cruiserweight belts! I had previously thought about how it would be possible to achieve this goal. Fortunately, the door is now open for the road to glory. In this tournament with all the world champions participating and the winner can rightly be described as the best cruiserweight in the world. On top of that the winner gets the Muhammad Ali Trophy. I admire Ali, because he is the biggest role model in boxing. I will thank God if I win a trophy with his name on it.”

Serbia-born Huck has two distinct advantages over Usyk: fighting at home in Berlin as well as being much more experienced against world-class opponents. The 32-year-old Huck is 13-4-1 (6 KOs) in world title fights and he has five victories against former or present world champions.
One of Huck’s four career losses as a professional, however, is to Glowacki, who lost the WBO title he won in 2015, by knocking out Huck in the 11th round, to Usyk a year ago.
“It is going to be very nice to fight in Berlin, but I would also fight Usyk on the moon,” Huck noted. “Usyk is a well-schooled boxer and I cannot wait to step into the ring with him.

“When I fight, there’s always something going on, it’s never boring but spectacular. Huck fans around the world know that a Huck fight means entertainment. When I reach my potential on
fight night, I can beat everyone. I am optimistic and confident that I will beat Usyk.”

In the 10-round co-featured event, former WBO International and World Youth cruiserweight champion Noel Gevor (22-1, 10 KOs), fighting out of Germany by way of Armenia, takes on American Isiah Thomas (15-1, 6 KOs) in the WBSS Cruiserweight Substitution Fight.

Undefeated German middleweight prospect Patrick Wojcicki (9-0, 4 KOs) faces Frenchman Fouard El Massoudi (14-9, 1 KO) in an eight-round bout, while German super middleweight Denis Radovan (5-0, 2 KOs) meets Yasnn Binanga Abogho (6-1-1,) and German light heavyweight Leon Bunn (5-0, 5 KOs) squares off with Tomasz “Temera” Gargula (18-7-1, 5 KOs), of Poland, in a pair of six-round matches, all scheduled to air live on Super Channel.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

UPCOMING WBSS EVENTS AIRING LIVE ON SUPER CHANNEL

Sept. 9 – Cruiserweight Quarter-Final in Berlin, Germany
WBO Cruiserweight World Championship

Oleksandr Usyk (12-0, 10 KOs), Champion, Kiev, Ukraine
vs.
Marco Huck (40-4-1, 27 KOs), Challenger, Berlin, Germany

Sept. 16 – Super Middleweight Quarter-Final in Liverpool, UK
WBC Super Middleweight Diamond Championship
Callum Smith (22-0, 17 KOs), Liverpool, Merseyside, UK
vs.
Erik Skoglund (26-0, 12 KOs), Nykoping, Sweden

Sept. 23 – Cruiserweight Quarter-Final in San Antonio, Texas, USA
WBA Cruiserweight World Championship
Yunier Dorticos (21-0, 20 KOs), Champion, Miami, Florida, USA by way of Cuba
vs.
Dmitry Kudryashov (21-1, 21 KOs), Challenger, Volgodonsk, Russia
Sept. 30 – Cruiserweight Quarter-Final in Riga, Latvia
WBC Cruiserweight World Championship
Mairis Briedis (22-0, 18 KOs), Champion, Riga, Latvia
vs.
Mike Perez (22-2-1, 14 KOs), Challenger, Cork, Ireland by way of Cuba

All WSBB fights will also be available on Super Channel On Demand.

Super Channel has recently aired major boxing events live like Brook vs. Spence Jr., Pacquiao-Horn, Eubank, Jr. vs. Abraham, Lomachenko vs.Marriaga and Crawford vs. Indongo.

To watch all the World Boxing Super Series action live, as well as more exciting boxing to come, fight fans in Canada can contact their local cable provider to subscribe to Super Channel and all that it offers, including premium series, movies and much more, for as low as $9.95 per month.
About Super Channel

Super Channelis a national premium pay television network, consisting of four HD channels, four SD channels, and Super Channel On Demand.

Super Channel’s mission is to entertain and engage Canadian audiences by providing a unique and exclusive entertainment experience. With a core foundation of integrity and accountability, we dedicate ourselves to implementing innovative programming strategies and unparalleled team work that provides viewers with exceptional value and variety.

Super Channel is owned by Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc., an Edmonton-based media company.

Super Channel is currently available on Bell TV, Shaw Direct, Rogers Anyplace TV, Shaw Cable, Cogeco Cable, Access Communications, Bell Alliant TV, Source Cable, SaskTel, MTS, Novus, EastLink, TELUS, Videotron, Westman Communications and other regional providers.

Connect with Super Channel:

www.superchannel.ca
Twitter: @SCSportsTV
Instagram: @SuperChannelTV
Facebook: /SuperChannel

About MP & Silva

MP & Silva is a full service global sports media agency that connects passionate fans with clubs, broadcasters and brands. Founded in 2004, the company has rapidly grown to become a key participant in the global sports marketplace. The company prides itself on using its global team to create value and deliver tailored solutions for its clients and partners; distributing media rights of some of the world’s most prestigious sports events, offering a broad set of sponsorship consultancy services and providing a range of digital services and technology solutions. Headquartered in London and Singapore, MP & Silva has international offices in Beijing, Budapest, Dubai, Dublin, Luxembourg, Monaco, Munich, New York, Paris, Tokyo and Warsaw.

Connect with MP & Silva

Website: www.mpsilva.com
Twitter: @MPSWorldwide

Cruiserweight champion Olexandr Usyk and longtime former champion Marco Huck will start the World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight tournament on September 9th in Germany, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“The first fight of the tournament will be staged in one of the most famous and influential cities in Europe in one of the most important boxing markets,” Comosa AG’s Roberto Dalmiglio said. “Two great champions and the first glimpse of one of the favorites in such renowned venue.”

“I can’t wait for the start of the tournament,” said Usyk, who will be making his third title defense. “I miss the ring and look forward to hearing the opening bell ring again. At the moment I am not thinking of my opponent. I am concentrated on my preparation. I’ve got many things to do in my training camp. If he wishes, he may think about me.”

“I have seen that I am the favorite (to win the tournament),” Usyk said. “I am confident in what I am doing at the moment. Once the first round begins I will start doing my job. I will box with passion and devotion.”

“I am very excited that I am meeting the so-called favorite for the tournament already in the first fight,” Huck said. “This will definitely be a fight that no fan should miss. I have won world titles and defended them many times, but the Muhammad Ali Trophy (that will go to the tournament winner) is unique. I would love to win it.”

“I believe that the fans in are in for an electrifying opener to the World Boxing Super Series and eight consecutive weekends of action,” Sauerland said. “I genuinely felt electricity between the pair. I think Huck really wanted Usyk to pick him and the way they faced off on the stage in Monaco (at the draft) was a sign of things to come. I’m not sure the judges will be needed in this one.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBO Cruiserweight champion Oleksandt Usyk has joined the World Boxing Super Series, thus all sitting world champions have entered the tourney.

“I feel happy and inspired with the idea of such a tournament,” Usyk said. “I’ve been dreaming of putting together all the champs to see who is the strongest and becoming the undisputed king of the division. I look forward to gaining three more world championship belts to my collection as well as the Muhammad Ali Trophy.”

“This is a historic moment,” said Roberto Dalmiglio of Comosa AG. “Nobody has ever assembled as many top fighters as the World Boxing Super Series and put them in an elimination tournament to determine the undisputed No. 1. Whoever emerges from a competition that features the four reigning champions, two former champions as well as two rising challengers to be announced shortly will be universally recognized as the greatest cruiserweight out there.”

Follow all the action as Vasyl Lomachenko defends the WBO Junior Lightweight title against Jason Sosa.  The action begins at 10 PM ET with the WBO Cruiserweight title bout with Aleksandr Osyk taking on Michael Hunter.  Oleksander Gvozdyk will take on Yunieski Gonzalez in a Light Heavyweight bout.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED; THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Left from Lomanchenko..

Round 2 Straight left from Lomachenko..Body shot..Combinations

Round 3 Combination from Lomachenko..Hard right to body from Sosa..Left uppercut..

Round 4 Sosa left eye beginning to swell..Body shots from Lomanchenko…4 punch combination..Straight left..

Round 5 Straight left from Lomachenko..Hard body shot…

Round 6 Sosa gets in a right…Left from Lomaachenko..Hard body shot…Lomachenko outlanding Sosa 156-41

Round 7 Body shot from Lomachenko..Combination on the ropes..

Round 8 Lomachenko lands a body shot…hard flurry on the ropes..Sosa in trouble

Round 9 Lomachenko lands hard body shots…..FIGHT STOPPED AFTER ROUND…LOMACHENKO TKO END 9

Round 1 4 Punch combination from Gonzalez..Left hook from Gvozdyk

Round 2 Uppercut from Gvozdyk..Good right hand

Round 3 Left hook to body from Gonzalez..COUNTER RIGHT AND DOWN GOES GONZALEZ..Gvozdyk laning hard shots..Gonzalez hurt..Gonzalez nose bleeding..RIGHT HAND AND DOWN GOES GONZALEZ..GONZALEZ CORNER STOPS THE BOUT

Round 1 Hard left by Usyk..  Hunter out threw Usyk 50-27

Round 2 Hunter being scrappy

Round 3 Counter right from Hunter..Hunter hitting and moving ..Hard left from Usyk..

Round 4 Usyk working the body…Good left hook from Hunter

Round 5 Hard left from Usyk..Right from Hunter..

Round 6 Usyk lands 3 punches to the head..2 hard straight lefts..Right Hook

Round 7 Good uppercut from Usyk..

Round 8 Hard combinations from Usyk.. straight left..

Round 9 Body shots from Usyk

Round 10 Left to body from Usyk..3 more hard body shots..Hard right hook..Barrage of punches..Hunter taking a lot of punches..Good right from Hunter

Round 11 Left to body from Usyk..4 punches to the head..

Round 12 Big left hurts Hunter,,Hunter getting with relentless shots…HUNTER GETS AN 8 COUNT…Usyk all over Hunter,,Usyk gets in 10 more big shots…Hunter struggles to make the final bell

Punches:  Usyk 321-905   Hunter 190-794

117-110 ON ALL CARDS FOR USYK

Vasyl Lomanchenko defended the WBO Junior Lightweight title with a systematic stoppage after nine rounds over Jason Sosa at the MGM National Harbor in Nation Harbor, Maryland.

Lomachenko displayed his incredible ability, landing punches from every angle imaginable using terrific footwoork.  Sosa was extremely game and tried for every second of the fight, but he was outmatched as he went up against what some are calling the best Pound for Pound fighter in the world.

Sosa’s left eye began to swell as early s round three, and it did not get any better as Lomachenko landed quick combinations to the head and solid body shots.  In round seven, it started to look like that a stoppage was imminent as Sosa began to wilt under the enormous velocity of the punches.  Finally after round nine, trainer Raul Rivas made    the right call by saving his fighter, Sosa from any more damage and the fight was halted.

Lomachenko is 8-1 with six knockouts.  Sosa is now 20-2-4.

Oleksandr Gvozdyk stopped Yunieski Gonzalez in round three of their scheduled 10-round light heavyweight bout.

In round three, Gvozdyk landed a counter left that put Gonzalez on the deck.  Gvozdyk landed a barrage of hard shits that kept snapping the head of Gonzalez back.   Gonzalez was trying to fight back and was on weary legs until he was dumped on the canvas for a 2nd time.  His corner stopped the bout simultaneously at 2:55.

Gvozdyk is now 13-0 with 11 knockouts.  Gonzalez is 18-3.

Aleksandr Usyk retained the WBO Cruiserweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Michael Hunter.

Usyk got off to a slow start as Hunter was able to use his movement and quickness to win a couple rounds.  Usyk started to get on track and land some solid combinations in each round.

Usyk pounded the body hard in round ten, and he started to break the 2016 United States Olympian.  Usyk had a big round eleven and a bigger round twelve as he relentlessly pounded Hunter all over the ring, and was credited with a knockdown after one of those barrages forced Hunter to be held up by the ropes.  The fight could have been stopped at any point in the last minute, but Hunter was able to make it to the final bell.

Usyk, 199 1/2 lbs of Ukraine won by scores of 117-110 on all cards and is now 12-0.  Hunterm 198 lbs is 12-1.

Usyk
“I’m very happy with my performance, I did what I wanted to do, he
took a lot of punches, I thought maybe they would stop
the fight at the end”

“The low blows didn’t really both me, it was annoying however.”

“He was trying to hold and I knew he would do that so I worked in
the gym on keeping him off me and keeping my distance to extend my arms.”

“I’d love to fight any of the title holders, anytime, anyplace.”

Hunter
“No excuses, I lost the fight, no issue with the scorecards.”

“I need to stay more active, I give myself a 6.”

“I’d love to fight him again, it was a great fight and he’s a
great champion.

Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions
“It was a great TV fight truly showcasing the how talented the
cruiserweight division is.”

“Both are world class fighters and that showed tonight in their
performances.”

“We’re very happy with Aleksandr’s performance and look forward to
his return on HBO.”

Mike Reed won a 10-round unanimous decision over Reyes Sanchez in a welterweight bout.

Reed is now 22-0.  Sanchez is 26-10-2.

Jesse Hart stopped Alan Campa in round five of their scheduled 10-round super middleweight bout.

Campa’s corner called a halt to the action at 1:49 of round five.

Hart of Philadelphia is now 22-0.  Campa is 16-3.

Egidijus Kavaliauskas stopped Ramses Agaton in round 4 of their scheduled 8-round welterweight bout.

Kavaliauskas dropped Agaton twice in round three and hammered out with a right hand for the ten count at 2:58 of round 4.

Lavaliuskas is now 16-0.  Agaton is 18-6-3.

HBO Sports visits Maryland for the first time since 1979 when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: VASYL LOMACHENKO VS. JASON SOSA AND OLEKSANDR GVOZDYK VS. YUNIESKY GONZALEZ AND ALEKSANDR USYK VS. MIKE HUNTER is seen SATURDAY, APRIL 8 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will call the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: April 9 (8:45 a.m.) and April 11 (12:35 a.m.)

HBO2 playdate: April 10 (1:05 a.m.)

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

In a junior lightweight title fight, rising sensation Vasyl Lomachenko (7-1, 5 KOs), of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine, puts his crown on the line against Jason Sosa (20-1-4, 15 KOs), from Camden, NJ, in a scheduled 12-round contest. Named 2016 fighter of the year by several media outlets, the multi-talented Lomachenko is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who has become a two-division world champion after just a handful of pro fights.

Known for his punching power and aggressive style, Sosa is on a five-year, 20-bout unbeaten streak, amassing a 70% knockout-to-win ratio along the way. With more professional ring experience, Sosa looks to derail Lomachenko’s momentum in the 130-pound division.

The middle bout is a ten-round light heavyweight fight that pits Oleksandr Gvozdyk (12-0, 10 KOs) from Kharkiv, Ukraine, against Yuniesky Gonzalez (18-2, 14 KOs), a native of Pinar del Rio, Cuba, who now lives in Miami. Gvozdyk captured the bronze medal as a member of the 2012 Olympic team, which also included the other two Ukrainian fighters on the evening’s card. Gonzalez also has a rich amateur background, with more than 300 fights in his native Cuba, a hotbed of amateur boxing stars. Both men look to make a major impression in the talented 175-pound division.

Undefeated fighters vie for a cruiserweight title in the opening bout, as Aleksandr Usyk (11-0, 10 KOs) from Kiev, Ukraine, makes his second HBO appearance for a 12-round tilt with Mike Hunter (12-0, 8 KOs). Defending his 200-pound title belt, Usyk, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, trains in Onxard, Cal. Hunter hails from Las Vegas and was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.

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

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

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

Los Angeles, CA (March 31, 2017) WBO Cruiserweight World Champion ALEKSANDR USYK, (11-0, 10 KO’s) hosted a huge crowd of media on Thursday afternoon in Downtown Los Angeles joined by his promoter, TOM LOEFFLER of K2 Promotions and manager, EGIS KLIMAS.

Usyk will be defending his title on Saturday, April 8 against undefeated, top ten contender MICHAEL HUNTER, (12-0, 8 KO’s) on HBO World Championship Boxing (10:00 p.m. ET/PT). from The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD.

ALEKSANDR USYK

“I love California, the weather is fantastic, it’s much easier to train here and
I will continue to train here for my fights. It’s very cold in the Ukraine right now,
this is much better.”

“Yes, it’s a sacrifice to be away from my wife and three small children to train here, but this is my job and they are understanding of that.”

“Running by the ocean and training in the warm weather is much better for me.”

“The biggest motivation for me is my desire to be the best, I give 100% everyday
in the gym, I know that I need to continue to improve to become the undisputed cruiserweight world champion.”

“I’m very happy to be on HBO and showcase my talents. Fighting in the United States and on HBO is something I have wanted to do since I turned professional in Ukraine.”

“I’m working hard in camp with my new trainer Russ Amber, we’ve made some small changes and you’ll see some of them on April 8.”

“There are plenty of champions I would like to fight in the division, but I’m only thinking about Michael Hunter right now.”

“I’ve watched Michael Hunter’s last couple of professional fights and saw him fighting in the 2012 Olympics so I’m very familiar with him.”

“I want to have all four cruiserweight titles in the future, any of the other titles holders I’m willing to face.”

TOM LOEFFLER
“Thanks to HBO for showcasing the cruiserweight division, it’s always been an extremely talented division. Now with Aleksandr, Tony Bellew, Murat Gassiev and with Marco Huck fighting again this weekend, it’s an extremely deep division, one that with the right matchups that Aleksandr can emerge as the next superstar.”

“We want to give Peter Nelson a lot of credit for having the foresight to add Usyk to the show at the Forum in December for his HBO debut and to this upcoming card on April 8th card against Michael Hunter.”

“This has been a big commitment for Aleksandr to bring his training camp to the U.S.
He sees the opportunities in the United States that he can build on for his career by training here and fighting in this country.”

“Also have to acknowledge Alexander Krassyuk of K2 Promotions Ukraine for building up Aleksandr in the Ukraine and getting him the mandatory world title fight against Glowacki in only his tenth professional fight.”

“Aleksandr beat Glowacki for the world title and that opened the door to make the pitch to HBO.”

“Michael Hunter was approved by HBO and most importantly agreed to fight Aleksandr.
There was no hesitation on Aleksandr’s part on taking the fight.”

EGIS KLIMAS
‘Preparations have gone very well for Aleksandr for this fight. Great to have the Ukrainian Dream Team on this card.”

‘Thanks very much to the media for this great turnout.”

“This is Aleksandr’s job and he understands the sacrifices he has to make for his training camp to be here in the U.S.”

“Aleksandr is training with Russ Amber, other reports were incorrect about his new trainer.”

Undefeated WBO Cruiserweight World Champion ALEKSANDR USYK (11-0, 10 KO’s) makes his second world title defense against undefeated fellow 2012 Olympian and top ten contender MICHAEL HUNTER, (12-0, 8 KO’s) of Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, April 8 at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD and televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The fight is presented by K2 Promotions and K2 Promotions Ukraine.

Winner of the Gold Medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games for Ukraine, Usyk became the fastest cruiserweight world champion on September, 17, 2016, defeating Krzysztof Glowacki in Gdansk, Poland in only his tenth professional bout. The victory bested boxing legend Evander Holyfield’s record who had performed the feat in his twelfth professional fight.

Most recently, Usyk made his highly anticipated United States and HBO debut, defending his title for the first time in dominant fashion, stopping world ranked Thabiso Mchunu in the ninth round on December 17, 2016 at The Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles and live on HBO World Championship Boxing.

Ranked the #1 Cruiserweight by ESPN, USA Today and Ring Magazine, Usyk is currently training in Oxnard, California.

Representing the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games, Hunter returns to battle following his career best victory, a ten round decision over then undefeated Isiah Thomas on May 13, 2016 in Las Vegas.

World ranked #8 by the WBO, Hunter is the son of former heavyweight contender Mike Hunter who serves as his trainer in the pro ranks.

Also featured on the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast will be 2012 Ukrainian Olympic teammates Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

Lomachenko, (7-1, 5 KO’s), a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight world title against former World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight world champion JASON “El Canito” SOSA (20-1-4, 15 KOs), from Newark, NJ. Gvozdyk (12-0, 10 KOs), a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, will be defending his NABF light heavyweight title against YUNIESKY GONZALEZ (18-2, 14 KOs), a native of Pinar del Rio, Cuba, who lives and trains in Miami, Fla.

The event is promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Peltz Boxing Promotions, K2 Promotions, K2 Promotions Ukraine, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Kiddar. All three title fights will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Photo Credit/Miguel Salazar, Team Usyk

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About MGM National Harbor
The newest addition to the MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) portfolio, MGM National Harbor has an unrivaled setting offering stunning panoramic views of the eastern shore of the Potomac River in Maryland. The $1.4 billion LEED® Gold Certified resort, which opened December 8, 2016, sits a short distance from Washington, D.C. to the north and historic sites, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate across the river in Virginia. The 24-story, 308-room resort features premier amenities and experiences for locals as well as visitors from around the world including a dynamic casino with over 125,000 square feet of space that includes slots, table games and poker; a world-class spa and salon; an entertainment theater with flexible seating for up to 3,000; high-end branded retail; 50,000 square feet of meeting space; and restaurants from renowned local, national and international chefs. For more information, visit mgmnationalharbor.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter.

OXNARD, CALIF. (March 22, 2017) — Undefeated champions and 2012 Ukrainian Olympic medalists VASYL LOMACHENKO, ALEKSANDR USYK and OLEKSANDR GVOZDYK hosted a Media Workout at World Boxing Gymnasium in Oxnard, Calif. today. All three are in deep training for their title defenses, which will take place Saturday, April 8, at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD. The event has been sold out for weeks. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Peltz Boxing Promotions, K2 Promotions, K2 Promotions Ukraine, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Kiddar, the three title fights will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Lomachenko, Usyk and Gvozdyk were joined at their media workout by two-time Lithuanian Olympian “Mean Machine” Egidijus Kavaliauskas, who will be on the April 8 non-televised undercard in a six-round welterweight bout.

Lomachenko (7-1, 5 KOs), of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine, arguably boxing’s top pound for pound fighter, makes his 2017 debut coming off a year that saw him named “Fighter of the Year” by several media outlets. Already a two-division world champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Lomachenko will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight world title against former World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight world champion JASON “El Canito” SOSA (20-1-4, 15 KOs), from Newark, NJ. Usyk (11-0, 10 KOs), from Kiev, Ukraine, and a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, will be defending his WBO cruiserweight world title against Top-10 contender MIKE HUNTER (12-0, 8 KOs), from Las Vegas, Nev. Gvozdyk (12-0, 10 KOs), from Kharkiv, Ukraine, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, enters this fight having won 10 of his last 12 fights by knockout. He will be defending his NABF light heavyweight title against YUNIESKY GONZALEZ (18-2, 14 KOs), a native of Pinar del Rio, Cuba, who lives and trains in Miami, Fla.

Here are the fighters’ quotes:

Vasyl Lomachenko

“Jason Sosa is very strong, is motivated, wants to win and he can fight all of the twelve rounds. It will be a hard fight. That I know.

“My Top-Three pound for pound list is GGG, Kovalev and Crawford. I don’t want to be Number One until I deserve it. That means fighting and winning against two or three world champions. After that I may be Number One but for sure not now.

“I like the weight division I am in. I have no problems making weight. I am not that anxious to leave my division and not sure I will ever fight at 140. It’s hard to look ahead but right now I am comfortable in my division where I have plenty of champions to fight against.”

Oleksandr Gvozdyk

“I am going into a serious fight against Yuniesky Gonzalez. He is strong, experienced, puts pressure on you, tries to drive you into the ropes. He’s a tough guy and I have to deal with him. I work hard every single day trying to be the best in my division.”

Alexsandr Usyk

“I have watched video of Michael Hunter and have a good idea of what he is all about. It’s going to be a great fight. As an amateur I was trained by the best – Anatoly Lomachenko – just look at who he has produced as great professional fighters.”

“Mean Machine” Egidijus Kavaliauskas

“I do get real mean the moment I leave the locker room, walk up the ring steps and get onto the canvas. And this is going to a big year for me. I am getting closer to my goal, a world title fight.”

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

The HBO special 2 Days: Vasyl Lomachenko premieres This Saturday, March 25 at 12:10 a.m. (ET/PT) on HBO immediately following the replay of the two titles fights from Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

In addition to Kavaliauskas, the non-televised undercard will feature undefeated No. 1 super middleweight contender JESSE “Hard Work” HART from Philadelphia, PA., and local favorites from the metro Washington, D.C. area, including undefeated prospects MIKE “Yes Indeed” REED and PATRICK HARRIS in separate bouts.

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 #LomachenkoSosa to join the conversation on Twitter.

About MGM National Harbor
The newest addition to the MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) portfolio, MGM National Harbor has an unrivaled setting offering stunning panoramic views of the eastern shore of the Potomac River in Maryland. The $1.4 billion LEED® Gold Certified resort, which opened December 8, 2016, sits a short distance from Washington, D.C. to the north and historic sites, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate across the river in Virginia. The 24-story, 308-room resort features premier amenities and experiences for locals as well as visitors from around the world including a dynamic casino with over 125,000 square feet of space that includes slots, table games and poker; a world-class spa and salon; an entertainment theater with flexible seating for up to 3,000; high-end branded retail; 50,000 square feet of meeting space; and restaurants from renowned local, national and international chefs. For more information, visit mgmnationalharbor.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter.

OXON HILL, MD (February 23, 2017) — The VASYL LOMACHENKO – JASON “El Canito” SOSA junior lightweight world championship event has become an embarrassment of Ukrainian riches with the addition of two title fights. Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) cruiserweight world champion and Olympic gold medalist OLEKSANDR USYK and NABF light heavyweight champion and Olympic bronze medalist OLEKSANDR GVOZDYK will be defending their titles against MIKE HUNTER and YUNIESKYI GONZALEZ, respectively, in all-action co-main event battles, Saturday, April 8, at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD. The Lomachenko, Usyk and Gvozdyk championship Ukrainian tripleheader will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The six televised championship fighters boast a combined record of 80-4-4 (62 KOs), good for a winning percentage of 91% with over 3/4 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Peltz Boxing Promotions, K2 Promotions, K2 Promotions Ukraine and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, remaining tickets for the Lomachenko-Sosa world championship event are priced at $153, $128, $103, $78 and $53, including all applicable service charges and taxes. They can be purchased online at mgmnationalharbor.com or ticketmaster.com. For more tour and ticket information, visit mgmnationalharbor.com or call (844) 346-4664.

“I’m very happy to fight on the same card with Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Gvozdyk, this is something we’ve been talking about since we were amateurs — to have three members of the 2012 Ukrainian Olympic Team in the same event,” said Usyk. “It’s fantastic to be able to do this. I would like to thank my promoters Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, Alexander Krassyuk and Tom Loeffler from K2 Promotions along with my manager Egis Klimas and HBO, and also Bob Arum and Top Rank for adding me to this show. Michael Hunter is a tough, undefeated opponent and I’m certain that this will be a great show for the fans in attendance and those watching on HBO.”

“I’m excited for this fight because I asked for it. If I don’t knock him out, I’ll be surprised,” said Hunter.

“I’m happy to know the name of my next opponent. He is a strong fighter and a new challenge for me,” said Gvozdyk. “Thanks to Top Rank and HBO to making this happen.

“I’m very happy to be back on HBO thanks to Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, and my management team,” said Gonzalez. “I’m training hard at Mundo Boxing Gym and I’m going to be ready to win this fight”

“Top Rank is very proud to present these two compelling co-main event championship fights featuring Oleksandr Usyk, with K2 Promotions, and Oleksandr Gvozdyk,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “In a historic first, HBO World Championship Boxing will present three title fights, featuring three Ukrainian champions defending their titles, and within eyesight of the Nation’s Capital.”

“We’re very excited to bring Oleksandr back to the United States and for this world title defense to be telecast on HBO,” said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions. “Both Oleksandr and Michael Hunter were 2012 Olympians who are undefeated as professionals. This is the second cruiserweight world title fight HBO has telecast recently and we’re honored to work with Peter Nelson and HBO on showcasing this division. Not since the epic battle between James Toney and Vasily Jirov in 2003 has the cruiserweight division been showcased on HBO and we’re very proud to present fans entertaining fights in this weight class.”

“We are very grateful to our partner and close friend Peter Nelson for giving the U.S. fans such an opportunity to watch this upcoming star, Oleksandr Usyk, live on HBO. It will be a unique event in the history of Ukraine when three Ukrainian boxers battle on the same HBO fight card,” said Alexander Krassyuk of K2 Promotions Ukraine. “Oleksandr Usyk is an absolutely extraordinary boxer. We expect a spectacular show and of course a flawless victory against the undefeated contender Michael Hunter. The whole country of Ukraine is looking forward to watching this event live.”

“I’m very happy and thankful to K2 Promotions and Top Rank along with HBO to be able to present Lomachenko, Usyk and Gvozdyk on one special night,” said Egis Klimas, manager of Usyk.

“So happy and thankful to our promoter Top Rank and HBO for bringing Gvozdyk back in the ring on April 8th,” added Klimas, who also manages Gvozdyk. “In his last fight, on HBO Pay-Per-View when he fought Isaac Chilemba, Gvozdyk proved he was a quality fighter who belongs on TV battling the best fighters in the light heavyweight division. Gonzalez is a good fighter, fans will see good show and Gvozdyk will be able to show everyone his world-class skills.”

”I am looking forward to April 8 and this exciting HBO show,” said Joe DeGuardia, promoter for Gonzalez. “Yuniesky Gonzalez once again will be stepping into the ring with a world class and very dangerous light heavyweight in Gvozdvk. However, Yuniesky is one tough, fan-friendly fighter and, with his new trainer Pedro Diaz, he is a very confident. Yuniesky will be appearing for the third time on the HBO network and you can be sure that everyone will be in for one heck of a fight”.

Usyk (11-0, 10 KOs), from Kiev, Ukraine, and a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, captured the WBO cruiserweight world title in his 10th professional bout, a division record for winning a world title in the fewest fights. Usyk dethroned Krzysztof Glowacki via unanimous decision on September 17, 2016, ending the undefeated defending champion’s two-year reign. In his last fight, on December 17, Usky made his U.S. and HBO debut, successfully defending his title by knocking out world-rated contender Thabiso Mchunu in the ninth round. Considered the class of the division, Usyk trains in Oxnard, Calif. under the tutelage of Anatoly Lomachenko, father/trainer of Vasyl Lomachenko.

Hunter (12-0, 8 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev. and a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, has won five of his last seven bouts inside the distance. He scored a career-best victory in his last fight, on May 13, 2016, winning a 10-round unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Isiah Thomas to capture the NABO cruiserweight title. Hunter is currently world-rated No. 9 by the WBO

Gvozdyk (12-0, 10 KOs), from Kharkiv, Ukraine, enters this fight having won 10 of his last 12 fights by knockout, including all three of his NABF light heavyweight title fights. A bronze medalist at the 2012 Olympics, Gvozdyk captured the vacant NABF title with a second-round knockout of Nadjib Mohammedi on April 9, 2016. He successfully defended that title twice last year scoring a sixth-round TKO of Thomas Karpency on June 23 and an eighth-round stoppage of Izek Chilemba on November 19. He enters this fight world-rated No. 6 by the WBO and the World Boxing Council (WBC), and, No. 7 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

Gonzalez (18-2, 14 KOs), a native of Pinar del Rio, Cuba, who lives and trains in Miami, Fla. with Pedro Diaz, has collected his last nine victories by way of knockout. His only blemishes are a very disputed decision loss to former WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal and a majority decision loss to Vyacheslav Shabransky in 2015. Last year Gonzalez won both his fights by stoppage.

The non-televised undercard will feature undefeated No. 1 super middleweight contender JESSE “Hard Work” HART from Philadelphia, PA., and local favorites from the metro Washington, D.C. area, including undefeated prospects MIKE “Yes Indeed” REED and PATRICK HARRIS in separate bouts. Full details on the undercard will be announced at a later date.

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 #LomachenkoSosa to join the conversation on Twitter.

About MGM National Harbor
The newest addition to the MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) portfolio, MGM National Harbor has an unrivaled setting offering stunning panoramic views of the eastern shore of the Potomac River in Maryland. The $1.4 billion LEED® Gold Certified resort, which opened December 8, 2016, sits a short distance from Washington, D.C. to the north and historic sites, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate across the river in Virginia. The 24-story, 308-room resort features premier amenities and experiences for locals as well as visitors from around the world including a dynamic casino with over 125,000 square feet of space that includes slots, table games and poker; a world-class spa and salon; an entertainment theater with flexible seating for up to 3,000; high-end branded retail; 50,000 square feet of meeting space; and restaurants from renowned local, national and international chefs. For more information, visit mgmnationalharbor.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Kiev, Ukraine (February 12, 2017) WBO Cruiserweight World Champion, OLEKSANDR USYK, (11-0, 10 KO’s) has issued the following statement today in regards to his future training and the parting with his trainer JAMES ALI BASHIR.

“Bashir is a very nice man and good trainer. He has his own approach to training. But the moment came when I realized that it was not enough for me any longer. That is why I decided to change everything that I did before. I am very grateful to him for being with me all this time. There is nothing personal, just business. I think we will stay in touch in the future.”

Usyk will now be trained by ANATOLY LOMACHENKO, the father and trainer of WBO Super Featherweight World Champion VASYL LOMACHENKO.

On September 17, 2016, Usyk became the fastest cruiserweight world champion, winning the WBO Cruiserweight World Title in only his tenth professional bout with a dominating 12-round decision over Krzysztof Glowacki in Gdansk, Poland. The previous record was held by boxing legend Evander Holyfield in his twelfth professional bout.

The 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist representing Ukraine, Usyk made his highly anticipated United States and HBO debut on December 17, 2016, stopping Thabiso Mchunu in the ninth round at The Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles.