Atlantic City, NJ (Sept. 2, 2014) – Ring generalship will come face-to-face with explosive power and force on Saturday, Nov. 8 when Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins takes on Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev in a light heavyweight unification title bout at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ live on HBO World Championship Boxing.

Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50, plus applicable fees and service charges, go on sale on Friday, Sept. 5 at noon ET and will be available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Hopkins, incredibly just two months shy of his 50th birthday, is seeking to add the WBO Light Heavyweight Championship to his collection of IBF and WBA belts. Kovalev, who burst on the scene just a year ago, has never lost a fight and has won 23 of his 25 victories by knockout.

“Everything I do at this point in my career affects my legacy,” Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) said. “I’ve set and broken many records, but becoming the oldest undisputed light heavyweight world champion is the goal and Kovalev stands in the way of that goal. He’s another young, hungry fighter and just like the ones that came before him, he will leave the ring beltless.”

“I respect Bernard Hopkins for taking this fight,“ said the 31-year-old Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs). “When I came to America, it was my dream to fight the best and now I am, I have my chance. He says he is alien. He will punch, I will punch, then we see who is gonna go to Mars.”

In April, Hopkins defeated Beibut Shumenov to win the WBA Light Heavyweight World Championship, breaking his own record as the oldest fighter in history to win a world title, which he set in May of 2011 after defeating Jean Pascal at age 46. Kovalev comes off of the third defense of his WBO Light Heavyweight Title on HBO, defeating Blake Caparello by TKO on August 2.

“Golden Boy Promotions has been crystal clear that we will make the best fights for our fans no matter who else is promoting it, where it takes place or what network broadcasts it; this is Exhibit ‘A’ of our keeping that commitment,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “At 49 years of age, Bernard continues to electrify crowds with impregnable defense; Sergey hits with thunderous force and is an early-round knockout threat every time he steps in the ring. With those two forces coming together, fans are in for a real treat.”

“Throughout boxing’s history, great champions have always been motivated by fighting the best,” said Main Events’ CEO, Kathy Duva. “Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya are both living legends who never back down from a challenge. Sergey Kovalev made it clear that all he wants to do is test his skills against the finest in the world. Main Events has always been able to deliver the biggest fights for its fighters and their fans. Since George Foreman defeated Joe Frazier in 1973, HBO has been synonymous with boxing at its highest level. It shouldn’t be any surprise that when you combine those elements, you get the most anticipated fight of the year.”

“We’re thrilled to have one of the top boxing matches in the country here in Atlantic City,” said John Palmieri, Executive Director of CRDA. “We’ve been known for hosting great fight events for many years, and we welcome the fans, as usual, to experience all the action at both Boardwalk Hall and throughout the city.”

“Sports capture our imagination when elite athletes seek superlative challenges of the highest stakes, which is precisely the caliber of fight these two intrepid champions have given their fans by choosing to face-off against one another,” Peter Nelson, Vice President of Programming, HBO Sports said. “Hopkins vs. Kovalev is a destination event, and HBO is delighted to present this light heavyweight unification championship to our subscribers.”

Hopkins vs. Kovalev is a 12-round unification bout for the IBF, WBA and WBO Light Heavyweight World titles, presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events in association with Caesars Atlantic City, Corona Extra, AT&T and Hortitsia Vodka.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.mainevents.com, www.hbo.com/boxing or http://www.boardwalkhall.com/.

Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/main_events, www.twitter.com/hboboxing,www.twitter.com/THEREALBHOP, www.twitter.com/krusherkovalev and www.twitter.com/BoardwalkHall.

Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/maineventsboxing, www.facebook.com/hboboxing and https://www.facebook.com/BoardwalkHall.

NEW YORK (Sept. 2, 2014) -Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins and Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev held a press conference in New York City and a media roundtable in Philadelphia Tuesday to officially announce their light heavyweight unification bout on Saturday, Nov. 8 taking place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City live on HBO World Championship Boxing®.

Check out what the fighters and promoters had to say below:

BERNARD HOPKINS, WBA & IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

“When fighters want to fight, this is what happens. When we really want to do it and our promoters do as well, we get it done.

“I take everything I do extremely seriously. But people ask me, how can I continue to do this? I have no plan or timetable when I put my mind to something.

“I want the best. Hagler fought the best. Ray Leonard fought the best. The Alis of the world, they fought the best. I’m from the era where I fought the best and that’s important to me. I receive undisputed status in 2001 and that was special.

“I bloomed late. I didn’t bloom by the timing of the experts. I want to make it as difficult as possible for you to come up with a headline for me. I don’t want to be on the pound-for-pound list because that would make me human.

“What I’m doing now is making a new legacy and a new list and a new way to judge. ‘Where do we put this man? We can’t put him in the top 10. He’s doing things no one has done!’

“Enjoy this while you can and come see it. Don’t worry about when or how I’m going to leave or break down. You guys are all humans, I understand you, but you don’t understand me.

“The last time I heard, he [Kovalev] can box. He’s shown that he can box…People are traumatized by the punch and the knockout.

“I’ve been in the game for almost three decades. I look for more of what a guy brings to a gunfight other than bullets…The sweet science is not based on only one thing you can do particularly well.

“If he comes in the game thinking a punch is all he’ll need, he might be right, so you should watch.

“I’m walking a tightrope hundreds of feet in the air. He crushes people. Only three or four people survive his hammer.

“There’s no pressure on me but one thing that is on Bernard Hopkins – that no other fighter really has to do deal with because they’ve never been in my situation is – how I continue to keep making history

“Anybody at the right time and the right place can get knocked out. It is his job to do what others try to do. It is my job to do what I’ve been doing.

“Come November 8 on HBO you get to watch artwork. You’re watching Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong with gloves on.

“It’s such a testimony to see a 50-year-old man – less than 100 days from now – go 30 plus minutes with a young strong Russian puncher and not get a scratch on him.

“I understand humans have a timeline of when they are supposed to go. Age 35 and you’re done – I don’t care what sport you’re in. It’s a fact. I don’t know what type of evidence I need to show I’m an alien other than what is there.”

SERGEY KOVALEV, WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion

“It is not easy to overlook Hopkins. I think when he’s 60 years old he’ll be in the same condition. He’s an alien, but I have to send him to the moon and maybe from there he’ll go by himself to Mars.

“I want to say that one day in Big Bear when I trained, I met Oscar De La Hoya and asked him to sign me and he turned me down, but now here we are on different sides.

“I am not a talker, I am a fighter and I am sure Bernard will promote the fight for both of us.

“I don’t really understand what Bernard is saying. It doesn’t matter what he says. Even if I understood, I wouldn’t care. I don’t worry about him. I’ll go into the ring and do my job.

“Bernard talks and fights. I just fight.

“I can’t say what the fight will be like. This is boxing and anything can happen.

“It is my secret what I will do on fight night. I will give it my all and come out with the win.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President & Founder of Golden Boy Promotions

“This fight is the best against the best in the light heavyweight division.

“I really do feel that this is not just a fight, but an event. I am glad that it’s on HBO and I’m glad its not on pay-per-view, which it easily could have been, but you have to give credit to the fighters who are doing it for the fans.

“I believe that many people over the years have doubted Bernard Hopkins. He’s over 40-years-old, how can he win? All of those questions are no longer being asked. Everything that he does, he deserves.

“At 49-years-old, being the oldest champion in any sport, he deserves tons of respect. The fact that he’s facing the ‘Krusher,’ is just another of the many dangerous fighters that Bernard has faced.

“Being the best middleweight in the history of this sport, with 20 defenses and now to be 49 at light heavyweight, he’s still going strong. I’m now convinced he is an Alien.”

KATHY DUVA, CEO of Main Events

“This fight is going to be the most anticipated fight of 2014. It’s so much fun putting together a fight like this that everyone wants to see. Its great to see the excitement level and the anticipation, you can feel it in the air.

“This is going to be a tremendous event. It’s one of those fights that when the bell rings you really won’t know what is going to happen. It’s not about finding out who’s best, its about who is going to win the fight, because both are great.

“This is what boxing is supposed to be and we look forward to November 8.

“The first person I thought of when I saw Sergey Kovalev in the ring was Ray Leonard. I saw the look in his eye and I could tell he was different. I believe he is the most electrifying boxer in the world of boxing and he will prove it on November 8.”

KEN CONDON, Caesar’s Entertainment Consultant

“This is an Atlantic City fight, it’s in Bernard’s backyard and this is where the fight belongs.

“Sergey has also developed a great following from his last two fights in Atlantic City.

“Caesar’s stepped up to the plate and continued its tradition of great championship boxing in Atlantic City. We believe in the future of Atlantic City and we believe in boxing. We expect a sellout on November 8.”

AARON DAVIS, NJSAC Director

“November 8 is going to be a nice fight with premier fighters and premier promoters. We want to keep on the legacy that we have created in New Jersey.”

# # #

Hopkins vs. Kovalev, a 12-round unification bout for the IBF, WBA and WBO Light Heavyweight World titles, taking place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday, November 8 is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events in association with Caesars Atlantic City, Corona Extra, AT&T and Hortitsia Vodka.

Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50, plus applicable fees and service charges, go on sale on Friday, Sept. 5 at noon ET and will be available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.mainevents.com, www.hbo.com/boxing or http://www.boardwalkhall.com/.

Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/main_events, www.twitter.com/hboboxing,www.twitter.com/THEREALBHOP, www.twitter.com/krusherkovalev and www.twitter.com/BoardwalkHall.

Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/maineventsboxing, www.facebook.com/hboboxing and https://www.facebook.com/BoardwalkHall.

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

LONDON (Aug 27) – Boxing legend Bernard Hopkins’ sensational attempt to unify the light-heavyweight division, just two months shy of his 50th birthday, against the fearsome Sergey Kovalev will be shown live and exclusive on BoxNation.

‘The Channel of Champions’ is delighted to be screening one of the most eagerly anticipated fights of this year when current WBA and IBF champion Hopkins looks to add knockout artist Kovalev’s WBO crown to his incredible list of accolades.

Taking place at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on November 8th, the mouthwatering clash joins some top fight action already lined up on BoxNation including Floyd Mayweather’s rematch with Marcos Maidana next month.

Hopkins attempts, however, to unify the light-heavyweight division at nearly 50 years of age is unprecedented but in the unbeaten Kovalev he faces one of the hardest hitters around having amassed a chilling 23 knockouts from 25 fights.

“Everything I do at this point in my career affects my legacy,” Hopkins said. “I’ve set and broken many records, but becoming the oldest undisputed light heavyweight world champion is the goal and Kovalev stands in the way of that goal. He’s another young, hungry fighter and just like the ones that came before him, he will leave the ring beltless.”

Kovalev is aware of the threat the wily Hopkins presents but can’t wait to fulfil a lifelong ambition by sharing the ring with one of boxing’s best ever.

“I respect Bernard Hopkins for taking this fight,” said the 31-year-old Kovalev. “When I came to America, it was dream to fight the best and now I am fighting, I have my chance. He says he is an alien. He punch, I punch, then we see who is going to go to Mars.”

In April, Hopkins defeated Beibut Shumenov to win the WBA light heavyweight world championship, breaking his own record as the oldest fighter in history to win a world title, which he set in May of 2011 after defeating Jean Pascal at age 46.

Kovalev comes off of the third defence of his WBO light heavyweight title, defeating Blake Caparello by TKO in his last outing.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) for only £12 a month (plus registration fee) please visit www.boxnation.com.

-Ends-

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

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. 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.

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 and new Livesport.tv customers.

Atlantic City, NJ (Aug. 22) – Since the August 4th official announcement of the Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins vs. Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev light heavyweight title unification fight, the boxing world has been waiting and wondering when and where the two will meet and put their respective titles on the line. The wait is over as Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events announced today that the fall’s most anticipated boxing event will take place Saturday, Nov. 8 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ live on HBO World Championship Boxing.

Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50, plus applicable fees and service charges, go on sale on Friday, Sept. 5 at noon ET and will be available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Both fighters have a history of big fights on the Jersey Shore as Hopkins has fought 19 times in Atlantic City, five of which took place at Boardwalk Hall. Kovalev fought his only two American title defenses in Atlantic City, both of which were knockouts. Most recently against Blake Caparello on August 2nd.

“Atlantic City is a second home to me,” said Hopkins. “Some of my most memorable victories and greatest accomplishments of my career have taken place there including my fights against Antonio Tarver and Kelly Pavlik. I expect Philly to represent and come out to Boardwalk Hall to see me make history once again.”

“I am happy to be back in Atlantic City,” said Kovalev. “This is my third time fighting there, but this is the most special because this time I am facing the legendary Bernard Hopkins.”

“November 8 is going to be a great night for boxing in Atlantic City, said Oscar De La Hoya, founder and president of Golden Boy Promotions. “I would like to thank Caesars Atlantic City, Global-Spectrum, the Atlantic City Alliance, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) and the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSEA) for working together to bring this fight to the boardwalk, where east coast fans can get to see a historic fight between Bernard Hopkins and Sergey Kovalev and show the world what a big fight night is all about.”

“This fight is exactly where it belongs,” said Kathy Duva, Chief Executive Officer of Main Events. “Sergey Kovalev made his last two title defenses in Atlantic City and Bernard Hopkins fought much of his career there. Boardwalk Hall has a rich history in boxing and it holds a lot of great memories for Main Events, working in conjunction with Ken Condon and Caesars. I look forward to making some more memories on November 8th.”

“We’re thrilled to have one of the top boxing matches in the country here in Atlantic City,” said John Palmieri, Executive Director of CRDA. “We’ve been known for hosting great fight events for many years, and we welcome the fans, as usual, to experience all the action at both Boardwalk Hall and throughout the city.”

“Bernard Hopkins is a world champion athlete who grew up and trained in the greater Philadelphia area, just a short ride from Atlantic City, so this fight is going to be a great draw for the destination,” said Kevin Ortzman, President and General Manager for Caesars, Bally’s and Showboat Atlantic City. “Some of the greatest boxing matches and sporting events have been hosted in Historic Boardwalk Hall – and this November, Atlantic City will once again be the backdrop to one of the most historic bouts in the sport – Caesars is proud to sponsor this event and look forward to an entertaining weekend this fall.”

Hopkins vs. Kovalev is a 12-round Unification bout for the IBF, WBA and WBO Light Heavyweight World titles, presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events in association with Caesars Atlantic City, Corona and AT&T and Hortitsia Vodka. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.mainevents.com, www.hbo.com/boxing or http://www.boardwalkhall.com/.
Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/main_events, www.twitter.com/hboboxing,www.twitter.com/THEREALBHOP, www.twitter.com/krusherkovalev and www.twitter.com/BoardwalkHall.

Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/maineventsboxing, www.facebook.com/hboboxing and https://www.facebook.com/BoardwalkHall.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev may be the Russian Wrecking Ball in the ring, but outside the ring he has nothing but compassion for his fallen comrades. Krusher has posted fight-worn/autographed memorabilia from his most recent WBO Light Heavyweight Title defense against Blake Caparello for auction on eBay. The proceeds from the sales will benefit Magomed Abdusalamov, the Russian fighter who suffered a traumatic brain injury after his fight with Mike Perez on November 2, 2013 at Madison Square Garden.

Abdusalamov, 33, sustained extensive brain injuries following the bout against Perez. He had surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain and was in a coma for several weeks afterwards. Now, more than nine months after the fight, he is confined to a rehabilitation facility in New York State and doctors are uncertain whether he will speak or walk again.

Kovalev, 31, won the third defense of his WBO Light Heavyweight Title on August 2nd against Caparello at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. His eBay auction includes his fight-worn/autographed gloves, his signature fight-worn Krusher shoes and his fight-worn/autographed hand wraps from his fight with Caparello.

About the auction Sergey said, “I trained with Magomed. He is my friend and a good man. This is tragedy. I just want to help him and his family.”
The auctioned items can be found at:

Fight-Worn Autographed Gloves

Fight-Worn Krusher Shoes

Fight-Worn Autographed Wraps

The auctions end August 23, 2014 shortly after 2:00 PM ET.

Donations can be made directly to the Abdusalamov family at:

Ring10NY

By Norm Frauenheim–

A few days after Oscar De La Hoya talked about upsets during a contentious conference call involving Danny Garcia’s perceived mismatch against Rod Salka , Bernard Hopkins scored the biggest one of the year with his decision to fight Sergey Kovalev in a many-sided move that is bold, risky and perhaps a lesson for a balkanized game divided by conflicting interests and colliding egos. Hopkins is taking a chance. Somebody has to.

Leadership is hard to find these days, but it was there in Hopkins, whose contract for a Kovalev bout in November is a declaration of independence from practices that are pushing the business beyond the fringe and into irrelevancy. It’s important, first and foremost, because Hopkins is still a fighter. He has several other roles, of course. He’s a promoter, street-corner philosopher, ex-con, CostCo customer and provocateur. Ex-promoters and feuding promotes, managers and advisors are everywhere with quotes and hidden agendas, yet not much in the way of solutions. They’re in it for themselves. But I can’t help but think that Hopkins is fighting for the craft that has made him wealthy in ways he could never have imagined as an inmate at Pennsylvania’s Graterford prison. He, more than anybody, knows what it has done for him.

An inseparable element is his relationship with Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions. De La Hoya is retired, yet he is a fighter whom Hopkins beat in 2004. They shared a ring and and now share an understanding of all that goes into what defines them. Circumstances surrounding the Hopkins-De La Hoya alignment still aren’t clear. Nevertheless, it has survived the Golden Boy shake-up that led to Richard Schaefer’s exit as CEO. In the wake of Schaefer’s resignation on June 2, there was reason to think the Hopkins, a limited partner in Golden Boy, would also leave De La Hoya’s company. Then, Hopkins told the media that Schaefer could not be replaced. About six weeks later, Hopkins signs for a Kovalev fight that strengthens Golden Boy’s prospects in an HBO fight.

The HBO angle, one of many, is a key. It means Golden Boy and HBO will be doing business again. HBO had not televised a Golden Boy fight since March 2013, when Hopkins beat Tavoris Cloud. In the week after the bout, HBO terminated its relationship with Golden Boy, which proceeded to work with only Showtime. The surprising twist in Hopkins’ return to HBO is that he had been expected to fight Adonis Stevenson on Showtime. Stevenson had jumped the shark, from HBO to Showtime, by signing with manager Al Haymon. Between then and the aftermath of the front office upheaval at Golden Boy, there was an evident change in Hopkins’ thinking. Instead of moving away from De La Hoya, he’s grown closer to him.

Thus far, Hopkins and De La Hoya have shown they can be an alliance with power enough to unify that part of the sport not already tied to Haymon and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The HBO renewal represents a further step in De La Hoya’s promise to re-open doors slammed shut throughout the deadly feud between Golden Boy and Top Rank. First, De La Hoya approached Bob Arum, mending their relationship in a move that apparently enraged Schaefer. Then, Hopkins stepped up and said — through Golden Boy — that he wanted to fight Kovalev, a light-heavyweight promoted by Main Events. Within a day, the deal was done without one word that reminded anybody of the familiar rancor. What feud? The moment was a breath of fresh air for a suffocating business better at producing insults than great fights.

Make no mistake, Hopkins is also motivated by self-interest. A businessman has to be and Hopkins is a good one. Kovalev is an emerging threat, perhaps even more dangerous than Stevenson. Stevenson is powerful, yet emotional. It’s that emotional component that could have been manipulated by Hopkins, a proven master of the head-game tactic, an indispensable part of any good fight plan. Kovalev appears to be more sure of himself and less likely to be lured into a diversion that turns into defeat. Just a few months from his 50th birthday in mid-January, however, Hopkins is in a no-lose situation. The 31-year-old Kovalev will be expected to beat a man two decades his senior. If Hopkins win, a timeless legend marches on.

The fight’s timing, scheduled for Nov. 8, comes amid a decline in pay-per-view numbers and television ratings for non-PPV bouts. There’s not a whole lot on the horizon. Garcia-Salka in New York Saturday night? According to one betting site, Bovada, Salka is a 50-to-1 underdog. Manny Pacquiao-Chris Algieri on Nov. 22 in China? Algieri is a 16-to-1 underdog. Odds are, not many will watch either fight.

Meanwhile, it’s likely that Gennady Golovkin will retain his informal title as the world’s most feared fighter, which means he’s the one to avoid. It looks as if Puerto Rico’s popular Miguel Cotto will. There’s talk that Cotto, a newly-crowned middleweight champ, will follow up his dramatic stoppage of Sergio Martinez against Andy Lee in December in New York. Lee, an Irishman best-known for a loss to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., is seen as safe stop before a big money clash in another chapter of the Puerto Rican-Mexican rivalry against Canelo Alvarez next year.

On Sept. 13, there’s Mayweather-Marcos Maidana at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand. But it’s a rematch, a remake, of Mayweather’s majority decision in May. It’s a second chance to see if Mayweather can get it right after running into a Maidana whose chaotic style appeared to unsettle him. It’s interesting, but the guess is that Mayweather will prevail in a careful, yet overwhelming fashion. He won’t hurt his claim on the pound-for-pound title. But he doesn’t figure to improve much on the pay-per-view numbers, reported to be between 850,000 and 900,000 for the first fight.

It looked like a dismal fall card, until Hopkins swiftly capitalized, filling a void with a light-heavyweight fight that promises to be a game-changer.

For him, his business partner and his craft.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL: 2014 has brought many changes for Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov (17-0-1, 11 KOs). He defeated veteran Tomasz Adamek to claim the NABF North American Heavyweight Title and secure the #2 position in the IBF. After, he immigrated to the United States from war-torn Ukraine with his wife and daughter and moved to sunny Fort Lauderdale, FL. In Florida, he started training with world-renowned trainer John David Jackson. Jackson also trains fellow Main Events’ stable mate Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev. This Saturday boxing fans will finally get to find out how all of these changes have affected Glazkov’s game as he steps into the ring with Derric “El León” Rossy (29-8-0, 14 KOs) at Sands Resort Casino and live on NBCSN Fight Night.

Czar Glazkov – Interview with Asst. Trainer Derik Santos
Czar Glazkov
Interview with Asst. Trainer Derik Santos

Glazkov, 29, is an Olympic Bronze medalist but, according to Jackson’s assistant trainer, Derik Santos, before training with Jackson, Glazkov’s game was very one-dimensional, “One of the things we saw from a lot of his past fights is he throws a lot of good ones. His jab is good but everything was in ones.” Jackson decided he wanted Glazkov to add more combinations. Santos added, “He is very fast. He’s agile. He rolls well. So we decided to work with combinations. That’s how you’re going to beat people. You are going to out-box them. You are going to beat them. You are going to outsmart them. You gotta stick that good jab out there.”

Czar Glazkov
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events

Jackson also pushed Glazkov more than his previous trainers and Santos believes Czar has stepped up in response to the challenge, “We have pushed him hard since he got here. He’s liked it. I am not sure that he was pushed that hard before. I am not sure that the technical aspect was broken down for him. One thing that John [David Jackson] does really well, he breaks things down and explains to the fighter why they are doing it.” The new approach as paid off according to Santos, who said, “In our first sparring session, in the beginning he was throwing ones and twos and threes, but then after he started getting the combinations we have been working on and his sparring partner called it short. We are working on him rising up with that right hand.”

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva added, “I’ve seen what John David Jackson accomplished with Sergey Kovalev. Knowing how good Glazkov was before he started working with John, I can’t wait to see what he looks like now. This is an important fight to see where Czar is in his training and development. Bigger things are on the horizon for him when he’s ready.”

About August 9:

The Aug. 9th special triple-header edition of NBCSN Fight Night will take place at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem and will feature a ten-round heavyweight match-up between Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov and Derric “El León” Rossy, a twelve round light heavyweight match-up between Robert “The Butcher” Berridge and Vasily “The Professor” Lepikhin and an six-round heavyweight fight featuring Joseph Parker and Keith “Untouchable” Thompson. The undercard bouts will be announced shortly. Ticket prices are $50 and $75 and available at Ticketmaster.com. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing and Pushka Promotions in association with Final Forum Promotions and Duco Events. The special triple-header NBCSN Fight Night telecast will begin live at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT on August 9.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

All NBC Sports Network live events live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

FOLLOW US:

Official hashtag: #FightNight

www.mainevents.com
Twitter: @main_events
Facebook: facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing
www.nbcsports.com
Twitter: @NBCSN
Facebook: facebook.com/NBCSports
www.peltzboxing.com
Twitter: @PeltzBoxing
Facebook: facebook.com/PeltzBoxingPromotions
www.pasands.com
Twitter: @Sands_Bethlehem
Facebook: facebook.com/SandsCasinoResortBethlehem

Totowa, NJ: Having achieved its goal of making a light heavyweight unification fight for Sergey Kovalev, Main Events filed paperwork in the Southern District of New York today formally dropping their lawsuit against Groupe Yvon Michel, Inc., Yvon Michel, Adonis Stevenson, Al Haymon, Showtime, Golden Boy Promotions, Inc., and Richard Schaefer. With the announcement of the upcoming unification bout between WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs) and WBA/IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs), Main Events succeeded in obtaining the result it sought for Kovalev.

Main Events filed the lawsuit in April after Groupe Yvon Michel and Stevenson failed to honor an agreement for a scheduled bout between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (24-1, 20 KOs). Now that Kovalev is scheduled for a unification bout with Hopkins, Main Events decided to drop the suit without prejudice, retaining the right to reinstate the litigation in the event the fight between Hopkins and Kovalev does not proceed as scheduled.

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva said, “The purpose of the lawsuit was to secure a unification bout for Sergey and allow him to face the top competition in the light heavyweight division. By signing on with Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions for a three-title unification bout, Main Events secured the big fight that Sergey wanted. We no longer have damages, so we will not proceed with the litigation at this time.”

(August 4, 2014) — Speed, savvy and defense will come face-to-face with explosive power and force this November when Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins takes on Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev in a Light Heavyweight Unification title fight, Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events announced today.

Hopkins, incredibly just two months short of his 50th birthday, is seeking to add the WBO Light Heavyweight Championship to his collection of IBF and WBA belts. Kovalev, who burst on the scene just a year ago, has never lost a fight and has won 23 of his 25 victories by knockout.

“Everything I do at this point in my career affects my legacy,” Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) said. “I’ve set and broken many records, but becoming the oldest undisputed light heavyweight world champion is the goal and Kovalev stands in the way of that goal. He’s another young, hungry fighter and just like the ones that came before him, he will leave the ring beltless.”

“I respect Bernard Hopkins for taking this fight,” said the 31-year-old Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs). “When I came to America, it was dream to fight the best and now I am fighting, I have my chance. He says he is alien. He punch, I punch, then we see who is gonna go to Mars.”

In April, Hopkins defeated Beibut Shumenov to win the WBA Light Heavyweight World Championship, breaking his own record as the oldest fighter in history to win a world title, which he set in May of 2011 after defeating Jean Pascal at age 46. Kovalev comes off of the third defense of his WBO Light Heavyweight Title on HBO, defeating Blake Caparello by TKO on Saturday night. Hopkins vs. Kovalev is set to take place in the first half of November and will be held on the East Coast at a venue still to be determined.

“Golden Boy Promotions has been crystal clear that we will make the best fights for our fans no matter who else is promoting it, where it takes place or what network broadcasts it; this is Exhibit ‘A’ of our keeping that commitment,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “At 49 years of age, Bernard continues to electrify crowds with lightening quickness and impregnable defense; Sergey hits with thunderous force and is an early-round knockout threat every time he steps in the ring. With those two forces coming together, fans are in for a real treat.”

“Throughout boxing’s history, great champions have always been motivated by fighting the best,” said Main Events’ CEO, Kathy Duva. “Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya are both living legends who never back down from a challenge. Sergey Kovalev made it clear that all he wants to do is test his skills against the finest in the world. Main Events has always been able to deliver the biggest fights for its fighters and their fans. Since George Foreman defeated Joe Frazier in 1973, HBO has been synonymous with boxing at its highest level. It shouldn’t be any surprise that when you combine those elements, you get the most anticipated fight of the year.”

“Sports capture our imagination when elite athletes seek superlative challenges of the highest stakes, which is precisely the caliber of fight these two intrepid champions have given their fans by choosing to face-off against one another,” Peter Nelson, Vice President of Programming, HBO Sports said. “Hopkins vs. Kovalev is a destination event, and HBO is delighted to present this light heavyweight unification championship to our subscribers.”
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.mainevents.com or www.hbo.com/boxing
Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/main_events, www.twitter.com/hboboxing,www.twitter.com/THEREALBHOP, www.twitter.com/krusherkovalev
Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/maineventsboxing and www.facebook.com/hboboxing.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in Atlantic City in another hideous but portentous mismatch on HBO, Russian light heavyweight titlist Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev raced through a helpless Australian named Blake Caparello, stumbling out the block and getting flashdropped in round 1 before spearchiseling his way to a TKO-2 result whose time was irrelevant and preordained. For the first time in Kovalev’s career as an HBO fighter, though, Saturday’s portentous match actually portended something, as word came last week Kovalev will fight Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins in November.

Bless Bernard Hopkins for making this fight.

Bless Kovalev, too, and Kovalev’s handlers, too too, and HBO and Oscar De La Hoya – whose canning of Richard Schaefer allowed others to begin imagining something like this – and even Showtime, whose subversion of HBO’s plans for a Kovalev match with Adonis Stevenson ignited, finally, a fire beneath the throne at HBO Sports. Barring a similar act of audacity by Gennady Golovkin’s handlers, Kovalev-Hopkins is now the most-anticipated fight of 2014.

There is a very real chance Bernard Hopkins will beat Sergey Kovalev, and whereas it might once, even recently, have brought a foreboding that went “what the hell kind of professional sport gets dominated by a 50-year-old?” the fact becomes ever clearer this probably is the worthiest era in our sport’s history for a stamp in crimson dye that reads: DOMINATED BY A 50-YEAR-OLD. Why the change of heart? In signing to fight Kovalev, remorseless and mean-spirited as any contemporary practitioner of fisticuffs, Hopkins demonstrated a willingness to imperil himself for greatness’ sake that none of his young inferiors possesses.

Hopkins now acts both as a counterargument to Gennady Golovkin’s small army of apologists who just can’t seem to find a fitting opponent anywhere they look, and a large black asterisk historians’ minds must set beside Floyd Mayweather’s name: *Did not fight his era’s best.

Notice what did not precede last week’s delightful announcement. No mention of Machiavellian advisors, no bickering about purse splits on message boards, no talk of one man’s cowardice matching the other’s stupidity, no insiders’ analysis of why promoters are obdurately opposed to what is best for their sport, and most blessedly of all, no midnight conference call to announce people not-fighting.

Two thoughts on why Hopkins may beat a genuinely frightening dude in his prime – frightening because who but Kovalev in the annals of boxing tragedy increased his knockout percentage after killing a man in the ring? – and apply with an alien precision his looniest stroke yet to this era: 1. Something Kovalev’s first U.S. trainer said, and 2. Kelly Pavlik.

Going in reverse order, and for those old enough to remember, Pavlik, in 2008, was the undefeated, undisputed, lineal middleweight champion of the world, having done it the right way, stretching the man, Jermain Taylor, who beat the man, Bernard Hopkins, who, by 2008, was a sprightly 43 year-old super middleweight six months removed from being outclassed by Welshman Joe Calzaghe. Pavlik was expected to overwhelm Hopkins the way volume punchers tend to overwhelm boxers, especially volume punchers possessed of a right cross like Pavlik’s. Suddenly Hopkins was not a boxer or counterpuncher, though, but a slugger, leaping at Pavlik in the opening round with left-hook leads to the Ohioan’s durable liver.

It was impossible Pavlik had trained for such an attack from a man who’d managed to take an athletic actionfigure like Taylor in 2005 and make with him 72 minutes of defensive awfulness not to be surpassed in dullness until Erislandy Lara fights Erislandy Lara. With those Hopkins left hands, though, went the trajectory of Pavlik’s right cross. Whatever ailments and dissipation Pavlik suffered immediately before he threw hands with Hopkins, his cross never flew right because Hopkins lowered Pavlik’s elbow six reflexive inches in the opening three minutes. Hopkins will do something similarly unexpected to Kovalev in their opening stanza, something neither the Russian nor his American trainer John David Jackson prepares for, and how Kovalev adjusts, what sort of plan-B game Kovalev possesses, will determine the match’s outcome.

Beside Jackson in Kovalev’s corner in November will be Don Turner, one of the few remaining sages in our sport and the man into whose North Carolina gym Kovalev strolled years ago.

“(Sergey) doesn’t hit that hard,” Turner told me in September. “He hits you on-time. When you hit a guy on-time, you’re punching him twice as hard as you naturally would.”

Here then, in the form of a question, lies the enormous challenge rushing at Kovalev: Who has ever hit Bernard Hopkins on-time? Kovalev runs opponents into his power, cocking a right cross with a left hook that was cocked by a right cross. He is a volume puncher with menacing force and radioactive meanness. But Hopkins has fought dozens such men. Whom that Kovalev has fought begins to approximate Hopkins in craft, experience or wiles?

But as a friend of mine said Saturday night, crashing together metaphors in the way men do in relaxed conversation after witnessing barbaric spectacles: “So long as you don’t look in Medusa’s eyes, Father Time stays undefeated.”

If Kovalev does not bite on Hopkins’ prefight lures, and here language barrier shall serve the Russian well, he can set a pace Hopkins cannot possibly abide a few months before his 50th birthday, and if that happens, the beating Kovalev bestows on “The Alien” will be otherworldly. But there remains a very real chance it will not happen, and if it doesn’t and Hopkins somehow beats Kovalev, may this period henceforth and universally be known as the Hopkins Era.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

ATLANTIC CITY–WBO Light Heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev tuned up for a November date with Bernard Hopkins with a 2nd round stoppage over previously undefeated Blake Caparello at The Revel Hotel and Casino.

Caparello had a brief moment of positiveness when dropped Kovalev with a straight left hand in round one. In round two Kovalev sent Caparello to the canvas with a body shot. Caparello got up only to eat a flurry of punches that sent Caparello to a knee. Caparello got to his feet but it was to avail as Kovalev jumped all over Caparello and landed thudding shots until the fight was stopped at 1:47 of round two.

Kovalev, 174 lbs of Russia is now 25-0-1 with 23 knockouts. Caparello, 174 lbs of Australia is now 19-1-1.

Dmitry Mikhaylenko scored an 8-round unanimous decision over former top prospect Sechew Powell in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Mikhaylenko, 153 lbs of Russia won by scores of 80-72, 79-83 and 78-74 and is now 17-0. Powell, 148 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 26-6.

Light Heavyweight contender Isaac Chilemba scored a 7th round stoppage over Corey Cummings in a scheduled 10-round bout.

Chilemba was solid throughout the fight landing hard shots as he swelled and bloodied the face of Cummings until Cummings corner stopped the bout at 2:28 of round 7.

Chilemba, 175.5 lbs of Johannesburg, SA is mow 23-2-2 with 10 knockouts. Cummings, 174 lbs of Newark, NJ is now 17-7-1.

“I feel good. It was a good fight. He was well prepared for the fight. He came out strong and took some of my best shots until he just couldn’t take anymore. I want a title shot next. I am hoping Jean Pascal is the next one; I am hoping to get a chance at him or chance at Kovalev next.”, said Chilemba

In a scheduled six round Heavyweight war, Adam Kownacki scored a 5th round stoppage over Charles Ellis.

Kownacki hurt Willis with a right hand in the 1st round. Ellis came back to rock Kownacki several times in the bout that saw many ebbs and flows. Kownacki came out guns a blazing in round five as he landed a huge combination dropped Ellis on his back with his head pounding on the canvas and the bounce off the canvas and the fight was stopped at 15 seconds of round five.

DeCarlo Perez scored a hard fought 6-round majority decision over Marcus Willis in a Middleweight bout.

Perez, 158 lbs of Atlantic City, NJ won by scores of 59-55 twice and 57-57 to raise his mark to 12-3-1. Willis, 158.5 lbs of Fort Myers, FL is now 13-4-2.

Heavyweight Joey Dawejko looked spectacular in obliterating David Williams in just 108-seconds of the 1st round of their scheduled 8-round Heavyweight bout.

Dawejko dropped Williams three times with hard, flush punches to the head in what turned into a one round massacre.

Dawejko, 236 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 11-3-2 with 4 knockouts. Williams, 233 lbs of Philadelphia is now 7-9-2.

Hakim Bryant opened up the show with a 4th round stoppage over Anthony Watson in the last round of their Middleweight bout.

Bryant dominated the action and Watson even saw the doctor during round three. In round four, Watson continued to take punishment and the fight was stopped at 38 seconds of round four.

Bryant, 155 lbs of Middletown, NJ is now 2-0 with 1 knockout. Watson, 154 lbs of Philadelphia is mow 0-2.

Bernard Hopkins will fight a unification bout with Sergey Kovalev provided that Kovalev wins his Saturday night fight with Blake Caparello according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“The fight got made in 30 hours, from the start of negotiations on Thursday to the signing of the contract [Friday] afternoon,” Kovalev’s promoter Kathy Duva said after faxing the signed agreements to Hopkins promoter Golden Boy. “It didn’t take very long. When you don’t have obstructionists in the middle of a deal, it’s not that hard to do. I felt like it was the old days. HBO did their part, we did our part and Golden Boy did their part.”

Main Events also named Golden Boy in the lawsuit, but Duva said the suit never came up in the negotiations for Hopkins-Kovalev.

“We never even discussed it, but we will probably drop them from the suit,” she said.

“Sergey has to win [Saturday] night, so I don’t want to talk too much about the fight with Hopkins,” Duva said. “But we are all elated. It is going to be the most-anticipated fight of this year, even more anticipated than some of the pay-per-view fights. It’s a big fight on HBO.

“Sergey keeps saying, ‘I’m not going to talk about it or think about Hopkins.’ He knows his job is to stay focused on Blake Caparello. But Sergey did have a smile on his face when he signed the contract. Normally, I would wait to sign the contract until after Saturday’s fight, but there were time pressures to get the contract to the IBF.”

“Since Bernard was already approved in Sergey’s contract, we never thought that whatever issues HBO and Golden Boy had were going to be an issue if we could make this fight and they weren’t,” Duva said. “We are just excited about Saturday’s fight and seeing Sergey in a really big fight.”

Sergey Kovalev 174 – Blake Caparello 174
(WBO Light heavyweight Title)
Isaac Chilemba 175.5 – Corey Cummings 174
Dmitry Mikhaylenko 153 – Sechew Powell 148
Adam Kownacki 258 – Charles Ellis 233
DeCarlo Perez 158 – Marcus Willis 158
Joey Dawejko 236 – David Williams 233
Hakim Bryant 155 – Anthony Watson 154

Live streaming video by Ustream

ATLANTC CITY – The final press conference was held today for the August 2 title fight between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, 24-0-1, 22 KO’s and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello, 19-0-1, 6 KO’s. Kovalev is putting his WBO Light Heavyweight belt on the line at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. The 12-round fight will be the second fight in an HBO Boxing After Dark triple header presentaton this Saturday night. The HBO telecast begins at 9:45pm ET/PT.

Johannesburg, South Africa’s Isaac Chilemba, 22-2-2, 9 KO’s, will square off against Cory Cummings, 17-6-1, 13 KO’s of Newark, NJ in a 10-round light heavyweight co-feature bout that will not be shown on HBO but will inernationally televised.

Here’s what was said at today’s final press conference.

Sergey Kovalev: “I prepare the same for each fight. I am not a talker, I am a fighter. I want to get in the ring Saturday and win my next fight.”

Sergey “Krusher’ Kovalev
Photo credits to Larry Levanti/Main Events
John David Jackson, Kovalev’s trainer: “Whether it goes 1 or 12 Sergey will do what he always does and that’s destroy.”

Egis Klimas, Kovalev’s manager: “I don’t think he (Kovalev) is going to give to somebody what he has been working so hard to get, his world title. We have been through hell to get to this point. Whoever I put in the ring he will fight. He never asks how big or tall he just asks when is the fight.”

Egis Klimas and Krusher
Photo credits to Larry Levanti/Main Events
Klimas: “Don’t go for beer and peanuts because you might miss something!”

Kathy Duva, Main Events: “Sergey brings electricity and excitement every time he steps in the ring. It should a great night of fights.”

Kathy Duva
Photo credits to
Larry Levanti/Main Events
Duva: “In 1984, Main Events won four world titles. In 1985, I learned that it is easier to win a title than it is to keep it. The pressure that is put on a world champion, especially one as dominant as Sergey, is something that none of us could possibly imagine.”

Blake Caparello: “I am coming to America to beat Sergey. He is a good fighter but I am looking forward to Saturday night.”

Blake Caparello
Photo credits to Larry Levanti/Main Events

Brendan Bourke, Caparello’s manager: “Blake’s in great shape, really confident, and looking forward to the opportunity. We think we have what it takes to pull off an upset.”

Ron Rizzo, DiBella Entertainment: “People weren’t jumping at the opportunity to fight Sergey. Blake’s manager wanted this opportunity and craved the opportunity for this fight.”

Rizzo: “Blake has a calming type of influence, not many things have that type of effect on my boss, Lou DiBella. Blake is well prepared for this opportunity; he is in this position because he wants to become a world champion.”

Kovalev and Caparello
Photo credits to Larry Levanti/Main Events

MEDIA CAN ACCESS FINAL PRESSER PHOTOS HERE

PDF Kovalev – Caparello Final Presser Quotes

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:
The WBO Light Heavyweight World Chmpionship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

About Revel
Revel Casino Hotel is Atlantic City’s newest and most spacious casino resort and convention destination. Located on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk, the ocean front hotel is designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic at every turn. The casino resort offers 130,000 square feet of world class gaming, with 2,400 slots, 130 table games, electronic tables and players’ lounges, along with the high-limit table game Ultra Lounge. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, cabanas, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 13 restaurants that offer a range of fine dining to deliciously affordable menu options, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub, and live entertainment at The Social and showroom headliners at Ovation Hall. While taking in all the casino has to offer, guests can earn points as they play, dine, shop and relax with the Revel Card loyalty program. For additional information and updates, and for complete details and rules of all promotions, customers can visit the Revel Card desk or visit www.revelcasino.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and @revelcasino on Instagram.

HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise returns for an all-action tripleheader of fights from two sites when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: BRANDON RIOS VS. DIEGO CHAVES, SERGEY KOVALEV VS. BLAKE CAPARELLO AND JESSIE VARGAS VS. ANTON NOVIKOV is seen SATURDAY, AUG. 2 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, exclusively on HBO. HBO Sports teams will be ringside at both events, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Aug. 3 (8:00 a.m.) and 5 (1:00 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Aug. 3 (3:30 p.m.) and 4 (11:00 p.m.)

Presented from Las Vegas, the main event of the evening marks the 2014 debut of fan-favorite Brandon Rios (31-2-1, 22 KOs) of Oxnard, Cal. The former 135-pound champ has participated in a handful of classic throwback brawls in his young career and is determined to rebound after tough losses to Mike Alvarado and Manny Pacquiao last year. His foe in the ten-round welterweight fight is Diego Chaves (23-1, 19 KOs) of Buenos Aires, making his Las Vegas debut in just his second fight outside Argentina.

The middle bout is a 12-round world title fight at 175 pounds, as Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) defends his light heavyweight crown against Australian Blake Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) in Atlantic City. Surging to the top of the 175-pound division, the undefeated slugger is making his fourth appearance on HBO in a year’s time, after delivering spectacular knockouts in his three previous bouts on the network. A hot television attraction, Kovalev, who now calls Ft. Lauderdale home, will face a formidable challenger in the undefeated Caparello.

The evening’s opening bout comes from Las Vegas, with undefeated hometown darling Jessie Vargas (24-0, 9 KOs) facing Anton Novikov (29-0, 10 KOs) of Kopeysk, Russia, in a super lightweight contest scheduled for 12 rounds. Vargas has displayed a willingness to meet any competitor, and will encounter a crafty southpaw in Novikov, his third undefeated opponent in his last four fights.

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 BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producers, Dave Harmon and Jon Crystal; director, Jonathan Evans.

® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Live streaming video by Ustream

Atlantic City, NJ: Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) has a reputation as a knockout artist but his challenger for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) has a reputation for lasting deep into the later rounds of a fight where Krusher has never been before. On August 2nd everyone is dying to see whether Caparello can handle Sergey’s power long enough to see whether or not Sergey has the endurance to go the distance. Below is the scouting report for the match-up:

Blake Caparello
Photo Courtesy of:
Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

Category
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
Blake “Il Capo” Caparello
Age
31
27
Record
24-0-1, 22 KOs
19-0-1 (6 KOs)
Strength
Sergey’s biggest strength is his power. He has both one-punch power and he can mix it up. He has the ability to break opponents down with his power.
Caparello has incredible technical skills, easily out-pointing most of his opposition thus far. He is also very well conditioned and stays active, with this is his ninth bout in the past two years.
Weakness
Kovalev has been hit before, though not hurt, so his defense is questionable. He has not gone past eight rounds so endurance is an unknown.
Caparello lacks real punching power. He has only earned a knockout in six of his 20 professional fights.
Experience
Sergey has fought everybody that has been put in front of him. He has gone into other people’s hometowns and came through victorious.
Blake’s experience is gradually improving with each fight, he recently outpointed former ranked light heavyweight contender Elvir Muriqi
Power
Krusher has an abundance of power. It is his biggest advantage. He also puts punches together well.
Kovalev will have a big advantage in power as Caparello utilizes his technical skillset more than anything.
Speed
Kovalev has average speed.
Caparello has average speed.
Endurance
Sergey’s endurance has never been tested because he knocks out the majority of his opponents. He has never been past the eighth round.
Blake has great endurance, he successfully went 10-rounds in his most recent bout, and had three consecutive 12-round decision wins before that.
Accuracy
Kovalev puts bunches of punches together. He is very accurate with the one punch knockout.
Blake is a pretty accurate puncher. He puts together good counter-shots and has a very effective jab as well.
Defense
Sergey focuses on his offense more than his defense.
Blake is very defensive-minded, moves around the ring well and has not really gotten himself into danger thus far.
Chin
Krusher has never been down in a fight.
Blake’s chin is questionable because nobody has really gotten to it yet.
Style
Sergey is an offensive fighter who comes straight at his opponents.
Blake is a defensive-minded fighter with great technical skills offensively.
Intangibles
This is Sergey’s second straight fight where there has been the possibility of an even bigger fight on the horizon but he has managed to stay focused on the opponent in front of him
Caparello could have continued to quietly climb the rankings, but instead has decided to seize the moment and take a fight that most other fighters would rather avoid.
Crowd Support
Sergey is fighting in Atlantic City for the second time. He is trying to make it his home. It is close to Brooklyn where he has a big contingent of Eastern European fans who will make the trip to Revel.
Caparello has only fought in the US once before, and his name is not too well-known so he will most likely be in hostile territory.
The Match-Up
Will Caparello be able to take Sergey’s power?
If Caparello is able to take Sergey’s power, will Sergey have a Plan B or C?
Is Sergey looking past Caparello to the bigger fights?
Is Caparello in over his head and will he fold under the big lights?
If this fight goes past eight rounds everyone is anxious to see whether or not Caparello can seize the opportunity and out-box Sergey or if Sergey’s beast mode will take over in later rounds to finish off Caparello.

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva, said, “In the Provodnikov-Algieri fight in June, we saw a previously untested underdog box his way to a world title against a widely-feared puncher. That was a big upset! I think Sergey Kovalev is better than Ruslan Provodnikov, but maybe Caparello is better than Algieri? We just don’t know and that’s why we fight the fights. And the great thing about Kovalev is that he makes every fight exciting!”

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

About Revel

Revel Casino Hotel is Atlantic City’s newest and most spacious casino resort and convention destination. Located on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk, the ocean front hotel is designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic at every turn. The casino resort offers 130,000 square feet of world class gaming, with 2,400 slots, 130 table games, electronic tables and players’ lounges, along with the high-limit table game Ultra Lounge. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, cabanas, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 13 restaurants that offer a range of fine dining to deliciously affordable menu options, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub, and live entertainment at The Social and showroom headliners at Ovation Hall. While taking in all the casino has to offer, guests can earn points as they play, dine, shop and relax with the Revel Card loyalty program. For additional information and updates, and for complete details and rules of all promotions, customers can visit the Revel Card desk or visit www.revelcasino.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and @revelcasino on Instagram.

Atlantic City, NJ: Before live audiences at Revel Casino Hotel witness the much-anticipated WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship match-up between the undefeated Russian Wrecking Ball Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and the undefeated Australian challenger Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs), they will be treated to a stacked undercard highlighted by the light heavyweight showdown between Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (22-2-2, 9 KOs) and Cory “Black Ice” Cummings (17-6-1, 13 KOs).

Cory Cummings
Photo Courtesy of: Ron Rose
The Chilemba-Cummings fight is an interesting light heavyweight bout. Chilemba, 27, from South Africa, is coming off a brutal ten-round unanimous decision victory over Denis Grachev on March 15th. Cummings is looking to snap a two-fight losing streak. In his last fight he knocked down his opponent, Azea Augustama, in the first round but was narrowly defeated with all three judges scoring the eight-round bout 76-75. Cummings and Chilemba are slated to face each other for ten rounds of light heavyweight action.

Dmitry Mikhaylenko
Photo Courtesy of: Titov Promotions

Another undefeated Russian, Dmitry Mikhaylenko (16-0, 6 KOs) will be featured on the Kovalev-Caparello undercard in a junior middleweight match-up. Mikhaylenko, 28, is from Gelendzhik, Russia and will make his US debut. Prior to this fight, Mikhaylenko fought exclusively in Russia. He will take on Brooklyn native, Sechew “Iron Horse” Powell (26-5, 15 KOs), for eight rounds. In Mikhaylenko’s last fight he defeated Karen Avetisyan via unanimous decision in ten rounds on Feb. 15, 2014. Sechew, a Southpaw, is a 35 year old looking to snap a three fight losing streak and prove he still belongs in the division.

Adam Kownacki
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events
Fan-favorite Adam Kownacki (6-0, 6 KOs), 25, originally from Lomza, Poland and now residing in Brooklyn, NY, returns to Atlantic City for the second time to face Charles Ellis (9-1-1, 8 KOs) of Wichita, KS for six rounds of heavyweight action. In his last fight, the undefeated Kownacki stopped Excell Holmes in the second round on the undercard of the Kovalev-Agnew fight at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ on March 29th. Ellis is currently riding a three-fight winning streak (all KOs) dating back to Nov. 9, 2013. Both fighters have astounding knockout-to-win ratios, Kownacki 100% and Ellis 89%, so fight should feature non-stop action from bell-to-bell.

DeCarlo Perez
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events

Local prospect, DeCarlo Perez (11-3-1, 4 KOs), 23, of Atlantic City, NJ, is slated to take on Marcus Willis (13-3-2, 3 KOs) for six rounds at light middleweight. In his last fight at Resorts in Atlantic City on January 24, 2014, Perez narrowly lost a split decision (75-77, 77-75, 74-78) to Wilky Campfort. Willis, 27, of Fort Myers, FL, lost his last fight, on June 28, 2013, via unanimous decision in ten rounds in Jacksonville, FL.

Joey Dawejko
Photo Credits: Katie Warburton

In an all-Philly match-up, heavyweights Joey Dawejko (10-3-2, 3 KOs), 24, and David Williams (7-8-2, 2 KOs), 37, face off for eight rounds. Dawejko has won his last two fights. Williams lost a close majority decision in his last fight to Daniel Pasciolla (38-38, 37-39, 37-39) at Bally’s in Atlantic City, NJ on April 12, 2014.

Hakim Bryant
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events
Finally, the event will open with four rounds of middleweight action in a Jersey vs. Philly match-up between Hakim Bryant (1-0) of Middletown, NJ and Anthony Watson (0-1) of Philadelphia, PA. Bryant made his professional debut at the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on June 21st. He defeated Alshamar Johnson with a four round unanimous decision. Watson made his professional debut on June 14, 2013 getting stopped by Arturo Trujillo in the first round at Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA.

Main Events’ matchmaker Jolene Mizzone said about this card, “Every single fight on the undercard has someone from the northeast. It is rare to see a card with so much local talent looking to break into the sport and make a name for themselves. This is a true tri-state area card and should be a real crowd-pleaser because from top to bottom every single fight is a 50-50.”

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. The undercard is subject to change. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

About Revel

Revel Casino Hotel is Atlantic City’s newest and most spacious casino resort and convention destination. Located on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk, the ocean front hotel is designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic at every turn. The casino resort offers 130,000 square feet of world class gaming, with 2,400 slots, 130 table games, electronic tables and players’ lounges, along with the high-limit table game Ultra Lounge. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, cabanas, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 13 restaurants that offer a range of fine dining to deliciously affordable menu options, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub, and live entertainment at The Social and showroom headliners at Ovation Hall. While taking in all the casino has to offer, guests can earn points as they play, dine, shop and relax with the Revel Card loyalty program. For additional information and updates, and for complete details and rules of all promotions, customers can visit the Revel Card desk or visit www.revelcasino.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and @revelcasino on Instagram.

Australia: As all eyes are on Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and the possibility of a unification fight with Bernard “Alien” Hopkins later this year, Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) sees everyone in the boxing community forgetting about the undefeated southpaw from Australia who is challenging Kovalev for his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title August 2 at Revel in Atlantic City, NJ.

Fans and the media alike are mesmerized by Kovalev’s ability to knockout the majority of his opponents, but Caparello has the ability to go the distance and that could prove troublesome for Krusher, who has never gone more than 8 rounds (and has only done that once in his career: against Darnell Boone on Oct. 9, 2010). Blake is no stranger to lasting deep into the later rounds of a fight, with 14 of his 20 career professional bouts going the distance. He has four complete 12-round fights and five complete 10-round fights. According to Lou DiBella, Blake’s promoter, “Blake is very confident in his ability. He is a gifted boxer and very athletic. For Blake to be successful in this fight, he will need to use his boxing ability and not stand in front of Sergey. He will need to get Sergey’s respect and then look to take him into the later rounds. It is an interesting match-up and I believe it’s going to be a heck of a fight.”

“Il Capo”
Photo Courtesy of: DiBella Entertainment
Ed Diller
With all the hype surrounding a possible unification fight between Kovalev and Hopkins, Caparello is hoping Sergey is also looking past him. He does not feel any additional pressure about returning to the United States for only the second time in his career or about fighting on HBO. He said, “There’s no pressure for me. All the hype is about Sergey, so the pressure is on him. I don’t read into anything too much. I’m focused on my job and that is to win the WBO title.” Many fighters are unwilling to get in the ring with “Krusher” – not Caparello. When asked about whether or not he hesitated about accepting the fight he said, “I accepted immediately. We pushed hard for this fight. We love challenging ourselves.”

DiBella feels this fight is a win-win for Caparello, “There is a great advantage to fighting Kovalev: if you manage to hang in there with him, you are going to earn the respect of fans. There are a lot of guys who are afraid of Kovalev, but Blake isn’t. Blake is going to go out there and do his best to win. This is the fight he always wanted.” DiBella also provided this assessment of his fighter, “I knew Blake was a natural. His instincts are excellent. He does a lot of things right. I expect a great performance whether he wins or loses.”

#

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

About Revel

Revel Casino Hotel is Atlantic City’s newest and most spacious casino resort and convention destination. Located on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk, the ocean front hotel is designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic at every turn. The casino resort offers 130,000 square feet of world class gaming, with 2,400 slots, 130 table games, electronic tables and players’ lounges, along with the high-limit table game Ultra Lounge. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, cabanas, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 13 restaurants that offer a range of fine dining to deliciously affordable menu options, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub, and live entertainment at The Social and showroom headliners at Ovation Hall. While taking in all the casino has to offer, guests can earn points as they play, dine, shop and relax with the Revel Card loyalty program. For additional information and updates, and for complete details and rules of all promotions, customers can visit the Revel Card desk or visit www.revelcasino.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and @revelcasino on Instagram.

HBO Sports® debuts an all-new installment of “2 Days” when the feature segment returns Saturday, July 26 at 11:45 p.m. (ET/PT) immediately following the live World Championship Boxing®card from New York with a behind-the-scenes look at world light heavyweight title-holder Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, one of boxing’s fastest rising stars.

“2 Days” is a revealing and intimate look at a 48-hour span in the life of a boxer in the lead-up to one of his fights and the next edition will focus on Russian native Sergey Kovalev. HBO cameras followed the 31-year-old powerhouse puncher — who has ended 22 of his 24 wins in knockout fashion -prior to his first fight of 2014 when he met Cedric Agnew on March 29 in Atlantic City. Kovalev now calls Ft. Lauderdale home.

HBO air times include:July 26 (11:45 p.m.), 27 (12:00 p.m.), 29 (4:45 p.m. & 3:15 a.m.), 30 (12:30 p.m.), 31 (9:45 p.m. & 3:05 a.m.) and August 1 (11:15 a.m. & 5:45 p.m.) and 2 (11:15 a.m.).

HBO2 air times include: July 28 (7:15 p.m. & 1:15 a.m.), 29 (9:15 p.m.), 30 (12:35 a.m.), 31 (11:00 a.m.) and August 1 (8:15 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

Kovalev is slated to return to the ring on Saturday, Aug. 2 when he defends his 175-pound title vs. Blake Caparello live on HBO at 9:45 p.m. (ET/PT) from Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. It is part of a live split site tripleheader.

“2 Days” will also be available on the HBO On Demand®service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

#

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

About Revel

Revel Casino Hotel is Atlantic City’s newest and most spacious casino resort and convention destination. Located on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk, the ocean front hotel is designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic at every turn. The casino resort offers 130,000 square feet of world class gaming, with 2,400 slots, 130 table games, electronic tables and players’ lounges, along with the high-limit table game Ultra Lounge. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, cabanas, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 13 restaurants that offer a range of fine dining to deliciously affordable menu options, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub, and live entertainment at The Social and showroom headliners at Ovation Hall. While taking in all the casino has to offer, guests can earn points as they play, dine, shop and relax with the Revel Card loyalty program. For additional information and updates, and for complete details and rules of all promotions, customers can visit the Revel Card desk or visit www.revelcasino.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and @revelcasino on Instagram.

Atlantic City, NJ: Last night the media got a chance to engage in a Q & A with Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs), and their respective camps, as they prepare to face-off on August 2 at Revel Casino Hotel for the WBO Light Heavyweight Championship. Below are the highlighted quotes from the call:

Krusher Kovalev
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva

We are very excited to head into Sergey Kovalev’s fourth fight on HBO. We are thrilled to be working with them again and with Revel Casino Hotel. Tickets are on sale now on through Ticketmaster. Also HBO is going premiere “2 Days: Sergey Kovalev” on the 26th after the Gennady Golovkin fight.

Sergey impresses me because he doesn’t fight each fighter the same way. He finds out what is going to work and changes his plan to adjust to each fighter. It is a joy to watch him develop. There is nothing in the world like his intensity. Three of last four opponents have been unbeaten. An active fighter is a successful fighter and Sergey just wants to fight.

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev

Thank you to my promoter, Main Events, to my trainer, John David Jackson, and to all my fans. Blake is undefeated. I am taking him serious. Good opponents are getting serious training camp and I know he is. I just get in to box and to win. We are both stepping in the ring to do our job. Blake has an advantage because he is coming to get the title. He is hungry and has nothing to lose. It is my job to keep the title. More pressure on me to defend the title. I don’t know Bernard Hopkins, all I know is my next opponent and his name is Blake Caparello.

Kovalev & Jackson
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Sergey’s Trainer John David Jackson

Luckily for me Sergey Kovalev is a true professional. I don’t have to watch him or babysit him. He trains like he is still the challenger. Blake is a decent puncher and boxer. Sergey understands this. He knows we have break down Blake slowly. He is not overlooking Blake. He trains very, very hard. I just try to prepare him so he can go on to bigger and better things.

You can’t sell Blake short. Nothing is outstanding but he is very good at what he does. Sergey needs to cut the ring off and he has done very well against Southpaws. Once Blake gets hit and feels Kovalev’s power all his game plans are going to go out the window. I don’t think this is going to go 12 rounds. Sergey is very disciplined. He is very professional. This is his job. He takes each fight like he is the challenger. When we first starting working together he could punch but he was a head hunter. Now he understands a body attack will also help him. We coordinate a plan together. He studied Blake so much he is probably sick of looking at him. I love working with him because he allows me to my job. He is a class act to be around.

Sergey and I have never talked about a fight with Bernard Hopkins. We are focused on Blake. It hasn’t been a distraction at all. We aren’t looking past him we are looking right at him. After we get passed him we will look at Bernard Hopkins.

“Il Capo”
Photo Courtesy of:
DiBella Entertainment/Ed Diller
Blake “Il Capo” Caparello

Sergey Kovalev is the biggest puncher in boxing. Anyone can hit hard. We are working on different game plans to deal with Sergey’s power. I won’t know how hard he punches until I get in the ring with him. If we go toe-to-toe and his power is too much we will change the plan. I do have the pop to stop people. When I put my punches together I can really hurt people. I have had a lot of great sparring camps. If an opening appears, I will go for the knockout but I am going to fight to the end.

I get the sense they are looking past me. I am very confident myself. I know I am going to win and I already told Lou to get me a unification fight with Adonis Stevenson after I beat Kovalev. Nothing plays on my mind. I am very mentally tough. Sergey Kovalev has power but I don’t fear him. I wanted to fight Kovalev because he is the best there is in the division. He is the man I want to beat.

Caparello
Photo Courtesy of:
DiBella Entertainment/Ed Diller

Caparello’s Promoter Lou DiBella

On behalf of Blake and Sam I would like to thank Main Events and HBO. When your name is “Krusher” you know you can punch. This is the fight that Blake wanted and Main Events was nice enough to offer this to us so we jumped on it. Sergey Kovalev is going to have his hands full. The only way to beat Sergey Kovalev is stand right in front of him and box. Blake is a true boxer and Kovalev has a real challenge on his hands. Blake fights like a boxer. This is a fight he desperately wanted. When I first signed him he told me that everyone is afraid of Kovalev but he felt he could beat him. Standing in front of Kovalev is dangerous so Blake has to use angles and avoid that “Krusher” blow. Kovalev is going to have his hands full.

There is a great advantage to fighting Kovalev: if you manage to hang in there with him, you are going to earn the respect of fans. There are a lot of guys who are afraid of Kovalev but Blake isn’t. Blake is going to go out there and do his best to win. I expect a great performance whether he wins or loses.

I knew Blake was a natural. His instincts are excellent. He does a lot of things right. This is the fight he always wanted. I lobbied for the fight and told Main Events we wouldn’t price ourselves out of the fight.

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

About Revel

Revel Casino Hotel is Atlantic City’s newest and most spacious casino resort and convention destination. Located on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk, the ocean front hotel is designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic at every turn. The casino resort offers 130,000 square feet of world class gaming, with 2,400 slots, 130 table games, electronic tables and players’ lounges, along with the high-limit table game Ultra Lounge. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, cabanas, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 13 restaurants that offer a range of fine dining to deliciously affordable menu options, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub, and live entertainment at The Social and showroom headliners at Ovation Hall. While taking in all the casino has to offer, guests can earn points as they play, dine, shop and relax with the Revel Card loyalty program. For additional information and updates, and for complete details and rules of all promotions, customers can visit the Revel Card desk or visit www.revelcasino.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and @revelcasino on Instagram.

Burbank, CA: Issac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (22-2-2, 9 KOs) has made the long journey from South Africa to Burbank, CA to reunite with his trainer Buddy McGirt as the two prepare to face Cory “Black Ice” Cummings (17-6-1, 13 KOs) on August 2 at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ in the non-televised co-feature of the Sergey Kovalev vs. Blake Caparello WBO Light Heavyweight Championship card. Chilemba is ready for this fight, “It is going to be a good fight. This a good chance for my career so I am coming and I am coming big. I am confident and I am quite sure I am going to win the fight. This is me and I will be here for a long time.”

Chilemba
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Chilemba, 27, is originally from Blantyre, Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, and now resides in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. He started his professional career in 2005 at only 18 years old. His professional career began with eight straight victories, six of which were knockouts. Now, nine years later, he has only two defeats on his professional record and is rapidly rising through the ranks of the hot light heavyweight division. In Isaac’s most recent fight he defeated Denis Grachev via unanimous decision in a bloody ten-round battle at Sands Resort Casino in Bethlehem, PA on March 15th.

Grachev & Chilemba
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

As “Golden Boy” prepares to take on “Black Ice,” he once again has former WBC Welterweight and IBF Light Welterweight World Champion Buddy McGirt in his corner. The two are preparing to face Cummings at the Powerhouse Gym in Burbank, CA. McGirt had this to say about Isaac’s camp thus far, “We are just working on a few little things Isaac needs to do to make himself better. We are just going step-by-step. I feel like Main Events is doing the right thing by him and keeping him busy. He needs to keep his toes sharpened.”

“Golden Boy”
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

The time difference between South Africa and California took a little getting used to for Chilemba but according to McGirt, “Adjusting to the time difference is really getting to him but he is getting better. Isaac will be ready, he came to camp already in shape. Isaac needs to be away from home for training camp because if he isn’t he will overwork himself. Back home when he spars he dominates everybody. When he comes to the gyms in America everyone wants a piece of him, so his sparring is much more competitive here.” According to Isaac’s manager, Jodi Solomon, “Training camp is going very well and Isaac’s sparring is going well. Isaac is training hard and is as disciplined and focused on winning as he always is.”

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

About Revel

Revel Casino Hotel is Atlantic City’s newest and most spacious casino resort and convention destination. Located on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk, the ocean front hotel is designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic at every turn. The casino resort offers 130,000 square feet of world class gaming, with 2,400 slots, 130 table games, electronic tables and players’ lounges, along with the high-limit table game Ultra Lounge. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, cabanas, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 13 restaurants that offer a range of fine dining to deliciously affordable menu options, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub, and live entertainment at The Social and showroom headliners at Ovation Hall. While taking in all the casino has to offer, guests can earn points as they play, dine, shop and relax with the Revel Card loyalty program. For additional information and updates, and for complete details and rules of all promotions, customers can visit the Revel Card desk or visit www.revelcasino.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and @revelcasino on Instagram.