22 January 2014 – SINGAPORE: ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC) will collaborate with TV9, the No. 1 station for young, fresh and Mass Malays market in Malaysia. This historic partnership marks the first time mixed martial arts will be broadcasted monthly on free-to-air television to 30 million people in Malaysia. The collaboration will also extend to ONE FC’s next show in Kuala Lumpur in March.

TV9 is one of the four free-to-air (FTA) television stations under Malaysia’s leading media conglomerate, Media Prima Berhad and currently a strong No. 2 most watched television in Malaysia after TV3. TV9’s target audience is the Young Fresh Mass Malays (YFM) between the ages of 15 to 29. Its prominent and distinct image had propelled TV9 to retain its second spot as the most watched television station in Malaysia. Its successful formula includes catering to the specific tastes of its target audiences, presenting them with a variety of reality, entertainment, drama and tele-movies as well as a mix of modern religious-themed programs.

ONE FC CEO Victor Cui stated, “On behalf of ONE Fighting Championship™, I would like to warmly welcome TV9 on board as a broadcast partner. This is an exciting time for mixed martial arts in Asia and Malaysia is rapidly becoming a hotbed for the sport. TV9 is a fantastic partner and one of the biggest free-to-air broadcasters in Malaysia and ONE FC is excited at the opportunity to showcase our fighters to millions of homes throughout the country.”
General Manager of TV9, Zurina Othman, said, “We are honored with this collaboration and excited to show this adrenaline charged mixed martial art sports program to our viewers. It is also a good opportunity to acknowledge our best talent from Malaysia like Gianni Subba, Adam Kayoom, Saiful Merican and Anne Osman, into the homes of our viewers, as they showcase their skills inside the ONE FC cage.”

For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.

About ONE Fighting Championship™
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Fighting Championship is Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Fighting Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

About TV9
Since its inception in 2006, TV9 has developed target to the youngsters and appear as free station, channel number 2 in the country and children’s favorite. To maintain this position in 2012, TV9 will continue to focus on young people of the Malay community and the audience in the city without forgetting the existing loyal audience. This can be translated into a fresher look with a focus on entertainment, drama, comedy and reality to satisfy the requirements of the target segment. Among the interesting arrangement by TV9 are including Idola Kecil, Versus; drama slot “Ratu” “Aurora,” “Skrin di 9”, “Mutiara Hati;” international slot which shows Korean drama “Chamsarang”, Korean film “Saranghae” and Hollywood film “Movie Night” and also “9X” slot which is an experimental program for teens. Not to mention the entertainment program that has been our station’s signature such as Galaksi, Hip TV, NLKO and Upin & Ipin through Bananana! slot.

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 21, 2014) – Hundreds of fans turned out on a Tuesday afternoon to witness up close and personal Mexican boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez, fan favorite Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo and four other world-class action fighters for a jam-packed press conference hosted by Golden Boy Promotions to formally announce “TOE TO TOE: Canelo vs. Angulo,” a fantastic four-fight telecast on Saturday, March 8, on SHOWTIME PPV® from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Joining the popular main event fighters at the Los Angeles Central Public Library Outdoor Plaza undefeated Two-Division World Champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz, former Three-Time World Champion Cristian “El Diamante” Mijares and Ricardo “Dinamita” Alvarez, a brother of Canelo Alvarez,

In what will be a slugfest in the March 8 main event, Canelo (42-1-1, 30 KO’s), of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, will make his return to the ring to face the fearless Angulo (22-3, 18 KO’s), of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. In three 12-round world title fights on an all-action pay-per-view undercard, unbeatenWBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Santa Cruz (26-0-1, 15 KO’s), of Los Angeles by way of Huetamo, Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico, will defend his title against Mijares (49-7-2, 24 KO’s), of Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico; unbeaten Omar “Panterita” Figueroa (22-0-1, 17 KO’s), of McAllen, Texas, will risk his WBC Interim Lightweight Title against Ricardo Alvarez (23-2-3, 14 KO’s), of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and Chicago’s “King” Carlos Molina (22-5-2, 6 KO’s) will defend his IBF Junior Middleweight Championship against undefeated Jermall Charlo (17-0, 13 KO’s), of Houston.

Tickets are on sale and priced at $600, $400, $200, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Before fighter introductions and a press conference that was streamed live on the SHOWTIME Sports website officially began, a nervous Angulo had several inches of his shoulder-length hair cut. It will be donated to Locks of Love, a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who emceed the proceedings, and Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president and general manager, SHOWTIME Sports, were the first to speak at the podium, followed by the fighters.

Schaefer mentioned that “almost 6,000” seats had already been sold for the event and that he expected “a full house.” Espinoza announced that ALL ACCESS: Canelo vs. Angulo would premiere on Friday, Feb. 29, on SHOWTIME with Episode 2 on Wednesday, March 5.

In the top bout preceding the pay-per-view telecast, former two-time World Champion Jorge “Niño de Oro” Linares (35-3, 23 KO’s) will face Nihito Arakawa (24-3-1, 16 KO’s) in a 10-round lightweight match.

See below for quotes from the boxers and executives:

CANELO ALVAREZ, Former Super Welterweight World Champion
“Alfredo Angulo is a very strong fighter, and he knows how to come forward. He knows how to throw a punch and take a punch and he comes to fight.

“I’m sure you want to see a fight and you don’t want to see a guy who is going to be running all night.
“I’ve prepared myself very well to give you all a great fight. I’m glad Alfredo has some fans here today, but my fans are better.

“I can’t tell you all the things I learned from my last fight [against Floyd Mayweather on a record-shattering pay-per-view event last September], but there is a long list. I don’t take it as a loss. I take it as a learning experience. And that is what’s going to keep me going. That’s the greatest thing about this sport. You learn and you move on.

“We have two different styles and you really can’t compare the two. Angulo’s aggressive. I’ve fought bigger guys but I see him as a middleweight coming down to super welterweight.

“We offered this fight to [Miguel] Cotto first, but he wasn’t ready. We wanted to give you guys, the media, and the fans this fight. This is for the fans.

“Losing is part of boxing. Muhammad Ali lost and he’s still the greatest of all time. So a loss isn’t going to prevent me from being the future of boxing.”

ALFREDO ANGULO, Former WBO Interim Junior Middleweight World Champion
“I’m the same Alfredo Angulo as I’ve always been and I’m going to always give the fans great fights. I think that I earn respect in my fights and March 8 is going to be no different.

“I don’t know if he’s the most powerful fighter I’ve faced, but I know I have to give my all in this fight for my fans. This fight is for the fans.

“What’s this fight going to mean if I win? I don’t know. Once I win, then you can ask that.

“He [Canelo] knows the heart that I have. He’s knows it very well; that the advantage I have over him.
“I know I have some doubters. But if you doubt me, go ahead and look up my fights on YouTube.”

CHEPO REYNOSO, Canelo’s Trainer
“Like always, we respect Mexican fighters, especially Alfredo Angulo. He’s a tough fighter, a very good fighter and very strong. Thank you for coming out and supporting boxing because there are some great Mexican fighters on this card.”

VIRGIL HUNTER, Angulo’s Trainer
“Each man has to come to grips that they are coming off a loss. Alfredo came so close to upsetting [Erislandy] Lara and I’m just pleased he’s getting this fight. I couldn’t be happier for him.

“You can’t say that Alfredo doesn’t deserve this fight because Angulo was up on most of the scorecards in his last fight and Canelo was shut out on his. I think this is as good a time as any and that this fight makes sense. Alfredo has come to understand the importance of defense. Initially he had a disdain for defense but I’ve been teaching him the importance of that aspect of the game.

“Whoever wins this fight is going to have to fight to win it. I’ve called this a must-win fight for Canelo to stay relevant and I think he definitely has something to prove.”

LEO SANTA CRUZ, Two-Division World Champion
“I’m very happy and I’m very prepared for this fight. Mijares is a great fighter.

“When I was in the beginning of my career, I used to see him fight. I once sparred against Jose Navarro to help him fight against Mijares. I watched that fight and I know that he’s a great fighter that will give me a tough fight.

“We come 100 percent ready and we’re trying to the fans a great fight. Hopefully, it’s one of the best fights of the night.”

CRISTIAN MIJARES, Former World Champion
“I’m very happy to be on such a big card like this, in the co-main event of the big fight between Canelo and Angulo.

“I’m motivated because I’m coming back. I know it’s going to be a very good fight against Leo Santa Cruz because he’s a very good fighter.

“I’m motivated. I’m coming here to win, I’m coming here to be a world champion. I’m not going to give away anything. I’m expecting to win. It’s going to be a war. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

RICARDO ALVAREZ, Top Lightweight Contender
“I know this is a big opportunity for me. I understand this opportunity that my promoter has given me. Figueroa is very aggressive and styles make fights so I know it’s going to be a great fight.

“I’m motivated. I know I can make history for me and my family [if triumphant, it will mark the first time three Mexican-born brothers have won a world title]. We made history once before in Mexico when all six of my brothers and I fought on the same card. I want to make history again.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER, Golden Boy Promotions CEO
“This fight is like an infomercial. You remember when you were ready to order and they’re like: ‘Wait, there’s more.’ That’s what this card is; one great fight after the other. Action-packed.

“This is the kind of card you want to make sure to have the carne asada and the cerveza ready when the first fights go live on SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View at 6 o’clock.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President, General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports
“This is a boxing card that has everything for the true fight fan. Canelo Alvarez is taking on the most dangerous opponent of his career in Alfredo Angulo, who is perhaps the strongest puncher and fighter that Canelo has yet face and I have no doubt this fight will be an action fight for as long as it lasts.”

# # #

“TOE TO TOE: Canelo vs. Angulo,”a 12-round super welterweight fight taking place Saturday, March 8 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. Carlos Molina vs. Jermall Charlo is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Warriors Boxing. This event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP).

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CaneloOficial, @elperro82, @leosantacruz2, @diamantemijares, @OmarFigueroaJr, @DinamitaAB, @JorgeLinares, @FutureOfBoxing, @mgmgrand and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #CaneloAngulo and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

NEW YORK (January 21, 2013) – The first father-son combination of Floyd Patterson and Tracy Harris Patterson highlight the announcement of the Class of 2014 inductees heading into the third-year New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF).

The third annual NYSBHOF induction dinner will be held Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30 p.m. ET), March 30, at Russo’s On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York. The NYSBHOF is sponsored by Ring 8

“This is another very strong class of inductees,” Ring 8 & NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy said. “We are honoring New York’s finest in our sport. This is all about recognizing great fighters, as well as others involved in boxing, from the state of New York.”

Two-time World Heavyweight Champion Patterson (55-8-1, 40 KOs), of Brooklyn, will be inducted posthumously along with his adopted son, boxing trainer Tracy Harris (63-8-2, 43 KOs), the former WBC/IBF Super Featherweight Champion from New Paltz.

Other living boxers heading into the NYSBHOF are former WBC/WBA Welterweight Champion Billy Backus (49-20-5, 23 KOs), of Canastota; former WBC Featherweight Champion Kevin Kelley, of Flushing, Queens; former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan LaPorte (40-17, 22 KOs), of Brooklyn; Huntington’s World Heavyweight title challenger Gerry Cooney (28-3, 24 KOs), Brooklyn’s two-time World Middleweight title challenger Mustafa Hamsho (44-5-2, 28 KOs) and Glen Cove’s Howard Davis, Jr. (36-6-1, 14 KOs), a 1976 Olympic gold medalist as well as Outstanding Boxer, and a three-time World Lightweight title challenger.

Other posthumous participants being inducted along with Floyd Patterson are World Lightweight Champion Lou Ambers (91-8-7, 28 KOs), of Herkimer; three-time World Welterweight Champion Jack Britton (239-57-44), of Clinton; and World Featherweight Champion Terry McGovern (55-8-1, 40 KOs), of Brooklyn.

Living non-boxer inductees are ESPN boxing commentator and trainer Teddy Atlas, of Staten Island; promoter Lou DiBella (DiBella Entertainment), of Brooklyn; boxing historian and Showtime analyst Steve Farhood, of Brooklyn; trainer and Sunnyside Gardens matchmaker Gene Moore, of Queens; and boxing writer/historian Angelo Prospero, of Rochester.

Deceased non-boxers in the Class of 2014 are trainer/cutman Whitey Bimstein, of Manhattan’s Lower East Side; legendary trainer Cus D’Amato (Bronx and Catskill), who launched the career of “Iron” Mike Tyson as well as Floyd Patterson and Jose Torres; trainer William Muldoon (Belfast/Caneadea and Westchester County), who was also the first Chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission; and manager Tom O’Rourke, of New York City.

Each inductee will receive a custom-designed belt signifying his induction into the NYSBHOF. Plaques are on display at the New York State Athletic Commission and Waterfront Crabhouse. Ring 8 also plans to build a monument in Long Island City with every NYSBHOF inductee’s name inscribed.

The 2014 inductees were selected by the NYSBHOF nominating committee members: Jack Hirsch, Bobby Cassidy, Jr., Don Majeski, Henry Hascup, Ron McNair and Neil Terens.

All boxers needed to be inactive for at least three years, in order to be eligible for NYSBHOF induction, and all inductees must have resided in New York State for a significant portion of their boxing careers.

Tickets are priced at $150.00 per adult ($125.00 for Ring 8 members in good standing) and $50.00 for children, and includes a complete brunch and cocktail hour upon entry, starting at 12:30 p.m. / ET, as well as dinner (prime rib, fish or poultry) and open bar throughout the evening. Tickets are available to purchase at the Waterfront Crabhouse (2-03 Borden Ave in Long Island City), or by calling at 718.729.4862 or Ring 8 president Bob Duffy at 516.313.2304. Ads for the NYSBHOF program are available, ranging from $50.00 to $250.00, by contacting Duffy or Tony Mazzarella.

Go on line at www.Ring8ny.com for additional information about the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.

CLASS of 2012: Carmen Basilio, Mike McCallum, Mike Tyson, Jake LaMotta, Riddick Bowe, Carlos Ortiz, Vito Antuofermo, Emile Griffith, “Sugar” Ray Robinson, Gene Tunney, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Harold Lederman, Steve Acunto, Jimmy Glenn, Gil Clancy, Ray Arcel, Nat Fleischer, Bill Gallo and referee Arthur Mercante, Sr.

CLASS of 2013: Jack Dempsey, Johnny Dundee, Sandy Saddler, Maxie Rosenbloom, Joey Archer, Iran Barkley, Mark Breland, Bobby Cassidy, Doug Jones, Junior Jones, James “Buddy” McGirt, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Bob Arum, Shelly Finkel, Tony Graziano, Larry Merchant, Teddy Brenner, Mike Jacobs, Tex Rickard, and Don Dunphy.

About Ring 8: Formed in 1954 by an ex-prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, Ring 8 became the eighth subsidiary of what was then known as the National Veteran Boxers Association – hence, RING 8 – and today the organization’s motto still remains: Boxers Helping Boxers.

RING 8 is fully committed to supporting less fortunate people in the boxing community who may require assistance in terms of paying rent, medical expenses, or whatever justifiable need.

Go on line to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about RING 8, the largest group of its kind in the United States with more than 350 members. Annual membership dues is only $30.00 and each member is entitled to a buffet dinner at RING 8 monthly meetings, the third Tuesday of every month, excluding July and August. All active boxers, amateur and professional, are entitled to a complimentary RING 8 yearly membership.

Sherman Oaks, CA (January 21, 2014) Heading into their ten round light heavyweight battle this Friday night,Thomas Williams Jr. and Cornelius White were very confident of victory as they prepared to travel from their respective hometowns of Baltimore, Maryland and Houston, Texas to theLittle Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Washington for the main event of ESPN Friday Night Fights “Little Creek Brawl IV”.

Thomas Williams Jr.
“I want to face the toughest competition possible, my last two victories came against opponents (Otis Griffin and Yusaf Mack) who were both ranked in the top ten as is White.”

“I’m looking to stay busy, we had four fights last year, I’m okay with even fighting more often in 2014.”

“Cornelius is a very solid fighter but I plan on controlling the action and dictating the tempo right from the start. Fight my fight and I’ll be victorious.”

“I’m very excited to show what I can do on national television. This is my first time on ESPN and I’m very happy and grateful that my handlers were able to put me in this position.”

“My goal is to be a major player in the light heavyweight division. There are title holders at 175 but no young real stars from America, no one that truly stands out.”

Cornelius White
“Williams is a good fighter but I want the win more than he does. I watched one of his fights, he’s a southpaw and throws a lot of punches, and is pretty much Taylor made for me.”

“We both come forward, we can both hit, and it’s going to come down to who can take the others punches better. I don’t see it going the distance. It’s going to be an action packed fight.”

“This a big fight and a big opportunity for me. It’s a must win for me; I have to beat a guy like this to get a world title shot.

“I’ve always trained in Houston, I’m proud to be from here and ready to represent Houston as a world champion this year.”

_______________________________________

The “Little Creek Brawl IV” main event, broadcast on ESPN Friday Night Fights and presented by Corona Extra™ will feature an NABO Light Heavyweight Title clash between top undefeated prospect Thomas Williams Jr. (15-0, 10 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland and Houston based contender Cornelius White (21-2, 16 KOs), with former World Champion Rico Ramos (22-3, 12 KOs) taking on upset-minded Jonathan Arrellano (14-2-2, 3 KOs) in a 10-round semi-main Featherweight Bout.

About Little Creek Casino Resort
Proudly owned and operated by the Squaxin Island Tribe, Little Creek Casino Resort is situated just minutes from Olympia in the heart of the Kamilche Valley. Home to the nationally acclaimed Salish Cliffs Golf Club, the luxurious Seven Inlets Spa, and the state-of-the-art Skookum Creek Event Center, Little Creek Casino Resort offers the latest in electronic and table gaming with one of the largest and newest smoke-free casinos in the region. This 190-room resort boasts the area’s best appointed amenities featuring the latest in concerts and entertainment with numerous casual and fine dining options, truly making it an unmatched destination for the Pacific Northwest.

Advance tickets priced at $30 can be purchased by calling (800) 667-7711 or online at www.Little-Creek.com. Doors will open on the night of the event at 4:30 p.m. with the first bell at 5:00 p.m. For more information and directions to the Little Creek Casino Resort, please visit their website at www.Little-Creek.com

SOMERVILLE, Mass. (January 21, 2014) — Legendary boxing photographer Angie Carlino passed away this past Sunday at the age of 73. He was a retired laborer for the M.B.T.A. as well as a proud U.S. Marine.

Carlino photographed countless world champion boxers and Olympians for nearly a half-century. He is best remembered for his pictures of “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler.

His wake will be held Thursday, Jan. 23 from 4-7:30 p.m. ET, immedialy followed by a funeral service, at Doherty Funeral Home, 855 Broadway, Somerville, Mass. To sign and view his guestbook to online to www.dohertyfuneralservice.com.

New York, NY (January 21, 2014) – This past Friday, DiBella Entertainment, in association with GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions, presented the premiere installment of the 2014 ShoBox: The New Generation series with an action-packed quadrupleheader from the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn., before a raucous crowd. On paper, the card was a can’t-miss, featuring eight exciting and promising prospects with a combined 96-1-5 record. Thankfully, the fights not only lived up to the hype, but in many ways surpassed it, with boxing fans and experts alike still buzzing about the stacked card.

“Anyone who hasn’t seen this show, should watch it. If you have, it’s worth seeing again. We are proud to have been able to deliver an action-packed ShoBox. This card represents the best of what ShoBox is about and what its fans have grown to expect,” said promoter Lou DiBella.

Following the exciting four-bout card, ShoBox expert analyst Steve Farhood proclaimed, “Tonight was our first ShoBox telecast of the year and it was a smorgasbord. We got a little bit of everything. The fights we thought would go long went short and the fights we thought would go short went long. Redkach was legitimately tested for the first time and while he didn’t get the knockout, he showed the fans why he’s considered such an exciting fighter to watch. Galarza, who had limited credentials coming in, absolutely stole the show with a savage, stunning and sudden knockout.”

If you happened to miss the card, the ShoBox quadruple-header will re-air tonight/Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME. The card is also already available ON DEMAND.

Headlining the card was promising, world-ranked southpaw Ivan Redkach (16-0, 13 KO’s), of Los Angeles, by way of Ukraine, as he passed the toughest challenge of his career, scoring one knockdown en route to a unanimous 10-round decision over Canada’s determined and tough-as-nails Tony Luis (17-2, 7 KO’s).

From the opening bell, Redkach and Luis went to war. Redkach landed the cleaner and hard shots throughout, but Luis had his moments, scoring with lightning-quick combinations with Redkach against the ropes.

CompuBox numbers tell the tail the best, calling the fight “trench warfare” as 312 of the combined 340 punches landed were registered as power shots. With the victory, Redkach picked up the USBA lightweight title, and moves one step closer to challenging for his first world title.

The co-feature bout on the card featured fellow undefeated junior middleweights “The Brooklyn Rocky” Frank “Notorious” Galarza (12-0-2, 8 KO’s), of Brooklyn, N.Y., who registered a scintillating and surprise second-round knockout over John “Apollo Kidd” Thompson (14-1, 5 KO’s), of Newark, N.J.

Thompson got off to a good start in the first round working behind his piston-like jab and keeping Galarza at bay for most of the round.

Galarza came out charging to start the second frame and immediately landed a huge right hand that visibly rocked Thompson. The follow-up pursuit saw Galarza land another big right hand, followed by a monstrous left hook that dropped Thompson face first to the canvas. Referee Keith Hughes began his count before officially calling a halt to the contest at the 0:16 mark of round number two.

It was a show-stealing performance for Galarza, who certainly showed that he is a fighter to watch in the loaded junior middleweight division.

Also on the card, fast-rising middleweight prospect Antoine Douglas (12-0, 7 KO’s), of Burke, Va., by way of Washington D.C., won a lopsided eight-round decision over Marquis Davis (8-1-2, 5 KO’s), of Tampa, Fla., in a matchup of unbeaten middleweights. Douglas won by the scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73, and even knocked Davis’ tooth clear out midway through the bout, adding some dramatics to the matchup.

The card opened up with a tremendous matchup of unbeaten junior welterweights between Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (12-0-2, 9 KO’s), of Dallas, Texas, and Abel Ramos (8-0-1, 4 KO’s), of Casa Grande, Ariz., by way of Gettysburg, Pa. Hooker-Ramos saw great two-way action from start to finish in their excellent eight-round give-and-take fight. In the end, one judge had it for Hooker, 77-75, but the other two scored it 76-76, leaving the packed house in attendance in a standing ovation.

Barry Tompkins called the ShoBox action from ringside with Farhood and former World Champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series,
ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The
ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. The growing list of fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Berto, Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Malignaggi, Kendall Holt, Timothy Bradley, Bernard Dunne, Yonnhy Perez, Yuri Foreman, Andre Ward, Cornelius Bundrage, Austin Trout, Rico Ramos and, most recently, Shawn Porter. Follow us
@SHOSports or visit us at www.facebook.com/SHOboxing
# # #

For more information visit us at www.dbe1.com, follow us at twitter/loudibella or
vist our fan page at facebook/dibellaentertainment

The Jan. 24 edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presented by Corona Extra will feature undefeated, up-and-coming Light Heavyweight southpaw Thomas “Top Dog” Williams Jr. (15-0, 10 KOs) and contender Cornelius “Da Beast” White (21-2, 16 KOS) in the 10-round main event.

Friday’s show from Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Wash., will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN. ESPN Deportes will televise Friday’s fights on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 10 p.m. The card is presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions.

Commentators:
Joe Tessitore will be ringside with Teddy Atlas describing the action for ESPN2, while studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will present all the latest boxing news and highlights. Delvin Rodríguez and Pablo Viruega will call the fights for Noche de Combates (Fight Night) on both ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes+, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will anchor the studio. Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez will join Trejos and González in studio. Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) will present live interviews and reports for both shows.

Main Event:
Washington D.C.’s Williams Jr. is coming off a November 10-round unanimous decision win over Yusaf Mack. Manager-trainer George Peterson, who also managed-trained former Welterweight titlist Paul Williams, said of Friday’s fight: “Cornelius White is rangy, he’s tall. He’s a good boxer. He’s got quite a bit of experience, and he’s somebody we’re going to have to contend with. We can’t look over him. But we’re going to prepare for it and we’re not going to have any trouble with him.”

White, who hails from Texas, is looking to rebound from a third-round TKO loss to current Light Heavyweight titlist Sergey Kovalev. “This is going to be my first test against a lefty,” White said of Friday’s fight. “I look at this fight as an opportunity for me to get to the next level. I wanted an opponent with an undefeated record, a young lion, somebody that didn’t want to lose that ‘0.’ My job is to take that ‘0.’ On the 24th, they’re going to see what I’m capable of doing. I’m coming prepared and am ready to go to war.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round Featherweight co-feature will pit former Junior Featherweight titlist Rico “Suavecito” Ramos (22-3, 12 KOS) against Jonathan “Thunder” Arellano (14-2-2, 3 KOs). In his last outing, Los Angeles’ Ramos scored a one punch, 10th-round knockout win over previously undefeated Puerto Rican Olympian Carlos Velázquez, while Arellano, of Ontario, Calif., is looking to continue his winning ways following an eight-round majority decision win over Charles Huerta.

Next Week on FNF:
Friday Night Fights and Noche de Comabates return next week on Jan. 31 (9 p.m., ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN) when undefeated Light Heavyweight contender Blake Caparello (18-0-1, 6 KO’s) meets Elvir Muriqi (40-5, 24 KOs) in the 10-round main event. The fight, from Codey Arena in West Orange N.J., will take place Super Bowl weekend and is less than 20 miles from MetLife Stadium, site of the 2014 Super Bowl.

Upcoming Schedule:

Date
Time (ET)
Main Event
Location
Networks
Fri, Jan 31
9 p.m.
Blake Caparello (18-0-1, 6KO’s) vs. Elvir Muriqi (40-5, 24 KOs) —10-rounds, Light Heavyweights
Codey Arena, West Orange, N.J.
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN
Fri, Feb. 7
9 p.m.
Jonathan González (17-0-1, 14 KOs) vs. Norberto González (20-2, 13 KOs) —10-rounds, Middleweights
UIC Pavilion , Chicago
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN
Fri, Feb. 14
9 p.m.
Chris Algieri (18-0, 8 KOs) vs. Emmanuel Taylor (17-1, 12 KOs) —10-rounds, Junior Welterweights
Paramount Theater, Huntington, N.Y.
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN
*Schedule subject to change

Follow ESPN Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like it on Facebook. Follow ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo. Also score the fights round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting App,” an application on the ESPN FNF Facebook page that allows viewers to score the fight round-by-round. For the latest ESPN.com boxing news and analysis follow @ESPNBoxing.

New York, NY (1/21/14) – Undefeated teenage welterweight phenom Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (19-0, 11KO’s), a fan favorite in his hometown of Washington D.C., has been tabbed to open a rare triple-header on ESPN Friday Night Fights, presented by Corona Extra, on January 31. The 19-year-old sensation is hoping to take advantage of this opportunity and show a nationwide audience that he is establishing his place as a top prospect in the welterweight division and a future world champion. He will be facing Tim Witherspoon Jr., 10-3-1 (2 KOs), the son of the former heavyweight champion, in an eight-round welterweight contest. The card, hosted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions, will be staged at the Richard J. Codey Arena, in West Orange, NJ, on the eve of Super Bowl weekend.

Headlining the show will be light heavyweight contender Blake Caparello in a 10-round bout against the always-exciting Elvir Muriqi. Junior featherweights Luis Rosa and Jorge Diaz meet in the eight-round co-feature, which is guaranteed to be a barnburner.

ESPN will begin live coverage at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN.

Speaking about this event, Dusty’s promoter, Jeff Fried, of All In Entertainment, said, “Working with quality promoters like DiBella Entertainment, Greg Cohen Promotions and GH3 makes the business side of boxing both productive and enjoyable.”

Given the arena’s proximity to the Super Bowl, Hernandez-Harrison is expecting the card to have a tremendous vibe.

“With the Super Bowl taking place 15 miles from the venue, and everything involved with Super Bowl weekend, the fight night atmosphere should be amazing,” said an enthusiastic Hernandez-Harrison. “I can’t wait to perform in that kind of environment.”

Since turning pro in June 2011, Harrison, 19-0 (11 KOs), has fought at a busy pace. Over the ensuing two years, Harrison has managed to fight an extraordinary eight times in both 2012 and 2013. To start off 2013, Harrison picked up the Delaware welterweight title with a third-round knockout over Kelly Wright on February 8, at the Chase Center, in Wilmington, DE.

“I am working hard in the gym and focused on January 31,” said Hernandez-Harrison. “I know lots of my fans are making the drive from Washington, DC. I am excited and want to also put on a great performance for all the fans that will be tuning into ESPN2 that evening.”

Dusty’s father Buddy added, “Dusty has a huge following in our hometown of Washington, DC. After the fans around the nation get to watch him on ESPN he’ll have an even bigger following.”

Trained by his father, Buddy Harrison, Dusty first fought in an amateur exhibition at the age of six. Soon after, he was winning regional titles and championship medals, including the National Silver Gloves Championships, National Golden Gloves Championships and the Ringside World Championships. After competing in a total of 197 amateur bouts, accumulating a 167-30 record, Dusty decided it was time to turn pro. When he did so at the age of 17, he became the youngest licensed professional fighter in the United States.

Dusty realized a childhood dream when he fought at Madison Square Garden in New York, on November 2, 2013. Moving up to the next phase of his career, in what was his first bout scheduled for 10 rounds, Hernandez-Harrison faced the 12-2 Josh Torres, with the WBC Youth welterweight title at stake. After dominating his foe over the distance, Hernanez-Harrison won by scores of 100-90, and 98-92 twice.

Buddy, very proud of his son, said, “I told Dusty nearly 10 years ago in that very arena that if he worked hard and did the right things, he could one day win a title at Madison Square Garden. [With the win], we made that dream a reality as we continue our mission.”

That mission continues in what will be Hernandez-Harrison’s first exposure on national television. Facing him in the ESPN Friday Night Fights opening bout will be Tim Witherspoon Jr. Having lost his pro debut, Witherspoon returned to the ring three years later and has impressively won 10 bouts, while losing just twice in very close decisions.

“Witherspoon is a very slick boxer and we will be ready,” said Buddy. “I am impressed with how hard Dusty is training for this fight. We’ve brought in some great sparring for him and he’s training like a world champion.”

Fried is happy with Dusty’s progression thus far and what lies ahead on January 31. “This is a nice next step in Dusty’s career,” said Fried. “Dusty’s work ethic is a true distinguishing factor in his drive to be a marquee World Champion.”

Fried continued, “This should be an extraordinary ESPN Friday Nights Fights opening up with Dusty and as part of a historic weekend in New Jersey/New York. We will have many of our business partners and clients in the sports and entertainment industries sitting Ringside and as a continuation of their overall Super Bowl weekend entertainment.”

A complete list of bouts, which will feature a number of top prospects and local talent, will be announced shortly.

Tickets are priced at $150, $100, $75 and $40, and can be
purchased by calling
1 (888) 612-4191 or by visiting https://tickets.completeticketsolutions.com/BOX/Online/default.asp#

# # #

For more information visit us at www.dbe1.com, follow us at twitter/loudibella or
visit our fan page at facebook/dibellaentertainment

Video streaming by Ustream

SAN DIEGO, CA. (JANUARY 21, 2014)-A terrific afternoon of live boxing is in store for fight fans as Lee Selby and Rendall Munroe battle for the vacant European Featherweight title as well as Selby’s British title live and exclusively on AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment.

The main event will headline a full fight card from the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales and will be shown LIVE in the United States on AWE and www.awetv.com starting at 3 pm ET / Noon PT.

The exciting co-feature will pit former WBA Super Lightweight champion Gavin Rees battle Gary Buckland in a 12 round Lightweight bout.

“This is a great doubleheader to start our 2014 boxing program”, said AWE President Charles Herring. “These will be exciting fights and it will be a great afternoon of boxing.”

Selby of Barry, Wales has a record of 17-1 with six knockouts

Lee Selby

The 26 year-old turned professional in 2008 and is on a 13 fight win streak which includes a slew of quality victories over the likes of Stephen Smith (12-0) to win the British Featherweight title; Patrick Okine (11-1-1) to win the Commonwealth Featherweight title; Martin Lindsey (20-1); Corey McConnell (11-0-1); Viorel Simon (16-0) and in his last bout Selby scored a 12 round unanimous decision over Ryan Walsh (16-0-1) on October 5, 2013 to retain his British and Commonwealth titles.

Munroe of Leicester, England is a three-time world title challenger and has a record of 27-3-1 with 11 knockouts.

He won his first ten bouts as a pro and then came up short in his 1st attempt to capture the British Featherweight title when he dropped a close decision to Andy Morris (13-0). Munroe then went on a roll where he won 11 straight which included 2 wins over future and current IBF Jr. Featherweight champion Kiko Martinez. The first win was for the European Super Bantamweight title and Munroe made six defenses of the title with wins over Arson Martirosyan (12-1) and Simone Maludrottu (30-2). The win over Maludrottu doubled as an elimination bout that forced a final eliminator bout with Victor Terrazas (26-1-1).

Munroe was up for the challenge as he stopped Terrazas in nine rounds to set up a title fight with WBC Champion Toshiaki Nishioka. Munroe traveled to Japan and came up a bit short in his first shot at a world title.

Munroe was not deterred as he won three straight to set up a 2nd world title shot with fellow Brit Scott Quigg (24-0) for the WBA Crown.

Unfortunately Munroe was cut in the 3rd round of their 1st contest which set up a rematch that saw the classy Quigg score a 6th round stoppage. Since that fight, Munroe has won three in a row which includes a decision win over Pavels Senkovs on November 2nd.

In the co-feature, Rees of Newbridge, Wales will look to get back in the title picture. He has a record of 37-3-1 with 18 knockouts.

Rees won the WBA Super Lightweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision over Soulemayne M’baye. Rees dropped the title in his 1st defense as he was stopped in the final round against Andriy Kotelnik.

Rees went on to win eight fights in a row and captured a Prizefighter championship as well as the European Lightweight championship when he stopped previously undefeated John Murray (13-0) in 11 rounds.

He defended the crown four times before coming to America and putting up a terrific effort before being stopped by Adrien Broner in five rounds. Rees will be looking to get back in the column after losing a 12 round majority decision to Anthony Crolla on June 29, 2013.

Buckland of Cardiff, Wales has a record of 27-3 with 9 knockouts. He won 18 of his 1st 20 fights. He lost via 11th round stoppage to undefeated John Murray (28-0) for the British Lightweight title. After that defeat, Buckland won nine fights in a row, including the Prizefighter Lightweight championship with wins over Derry Matthews (23-4); Gary Sykes (16-0) and Stevie Bell (18-2-2).

Buckland won the British Super Featherweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision in the rematch with Sykes.

He defended the title twice with wins over Paul Truscott (18-2) and Stephen Foster (30-3-1) before dropping the title in his most recent outing via 5th round stoppage to Stephen Smith (16-1) on August 17, 2013.

The time of the telecast and more fights will be announced shortly.

About AWE
For 2012, AWE earned 2 of the 6 Boxing Writers Association of America nominations for “Fight of the Year” candidates, beating out all other networks except HBO which earned three. AWE also showcased live all 2012 David Price fights. In 2013 AWE has featured the stunning upsets of Tony Thompson over Price, bouts with Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew, who just fought each other for the Light Heavyweight championship; 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner James DeGale and possibly the most controversial bout which saw Ricky Burns keep his Lightweight title against Ray Beltran.

The network is currently available nationally on Verizon FiOS TV channel 169 and 669 in HD, AT&T U-Verse TV channels 470 and 1470 in HD, along with over 100 cable systems across the country and worldwide. The new website for AWE is www.AWEtv.com.

AWE is the premier lifestyle and entertainment network -the destination for exclusive and original programming, simultaneously transmitted in high definition and standard definition. AWE delivers informative shows to its viewers, providing invaluable insights on what every American dreams of – from travel secrets to fast cars, from outrageous homes to live boxing events, and much more. The network fills a television vacuum by delivering intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking entertainment and always-unbiased news from an insider’s perspective.

For more information, please visit www.awetv.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Jan. 21st, 2014) — Twenty-one fights in just under seven years. Think about that for a second.

In a sport where an athlete’s shelf life is about as long as that of your average NFL running back, a sport where a two- or three-year layoff is the norm, not the exception, Todd Chattelle (12-9, 9 KOs) has survived every bruise, break and contusion in a remarkable career defined as much by his longevity as his success.

Friday night, he’ll step back inside the cage for the first time in 2014 and the 22nd time in his career when he faces middleweight Shedrick Goodridge (4-6, 2 KOs) in the main event of “CES MMA XXI” at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I.

“I have more fights than CES has shows!” Chattelle said with a laugh.

Truth is, the two might not be as successful as they are right now without one another; this will be Chattelle’s 10th fight under CES’ promotional guidance, a stretch that includes a 4-0 finish in 2011 that helped revived Chattelle’s career during a time in which he was questioning whether or not he wanted to continue fighting.

Why so much Chattelle through the years? He’s as popular as he is prolific; win or lose, Chattelle’s bouts bring a special energy to the arena, drawing sold-out crowds that leave the fans anticipating his next fight. Few compete with the same passion and explosiveness on such a consistent basis. It’s a special symbiotic relationship between fighter and promoter that has kept Chattelle successful, active and, more importantly, relevant as he approaches his 35th birthday.

“I feel like it’s gone by so quickly,” Chattelle said. “When [CES matchmaker] Pat [Sullivan] said that to me the other day, I was like, ‘Really?!’ I’ve been on, like, half your shows. That’s pretty cool.

“If you think about it, I have 22 fights, but I’ve trained and prepared for about 30 camps, all the fights that backed out and didn’t happen. I did the rough math, and with sparring and everything, I’ve had 22 fights, but I’ve really had about 2,000 fights in my life.

“It definitely gets harder as the years go by. Sometimes it’s not even physically; it’s mentally.”

With everything Chattelle has been through growing up in Pawtucket, R.I., with four brothers, the run-ins with the wrong crowd, the adversity, it’s hard to imagine anything happening inside the cage that could slow him down.

So, when asked how much longer he can keep fighting, Chattelle just laughs.

“At the end of the day, I’ve been through some things that most people haven’t been through,” he said. “I’ve been through things war veterans have been through. I’ve been shot, I’ve been stabbed, I’ve been hit in the face with tires, I have metal plates in my face, I have a bullet in my leg, and all these things, if I let them weigh on me I’m not going to be able to continue to do it, so I put all that in the back of my mind and keep going.

“The fight itself, what’s going to happen? A bruise? A cut? It’s not really going to matter. It’s not life-threatening. I just don’t think there’s anyone out there that can threaten my life physically.Through all things, injuries, feeling good, feeling bad, I can still get up through Christ and still keep going.”

Chattelle’s renewed faith in God is his driving force. It’s what gets him out of bed each morning to continue fighting both in and outside of the cage. It’s what gets him through those tough, two-a-day training sessions leading up to a big fight.

“I’ve had a life resolution to get closer to my family and put them first more and get closer to God and put God first, first before anything, which in turn will put my family first and everything else I should be doing first.

“To have faith is everything. At any second, if I didn’t have faith I’d be like, ‘Whatever. I’m done.'”

With CES in his corner, and vice-versa, it doesn’t appear either are going anywhere anytime soon.

“I think the key is to stay focused on the main reason I stared in the first place, which was to be successful for my family, friend and children, mostly my children so they’d know if you work hard you can succeed and make it through some times and keep going,” Chattelle said.

“It’s not always easy. You get beat down, but you rest up and get ready, let your muscles, let your body heal and just mentally focus on the task at hand. You go to work.”

“CES MMA XXI,” scheduled for Friday, Jan. 24, 2014, also features the return of fan-favorites Andre Soukhamthath (7-1, 4 KOs) of Woonsocket, R.I., and CES MMA featherweight champion Rob Font (8-1, 2 KOs) of Boston.

Font will face Ahsan Abdullah (5-4, 2 KOs) of Binghamton, N.Y., in a three-round bout as he aims for his eight consecutive win and fifth overall under the promotional guidance of CES.

Soukhamthath will face his toughest test to date in a possible early candidate for Fight of the Year against undefeated Cambridge, Mass., bantamweight Kin Moy (4-0, 1 KO). Soukhamthath is making his first trip back to the Ocean State since relocating to Boca Raton, Fla., where he now trains with the famed Blackzilians. Since making his CES MMA debut in 2012, Soukhamthath has won seven consecutive fights, including a knockout win over Corey Simmons in CES’ 2013 season finale in December in which he broke a tie with Chattelle to become the promotion’s winningest fighter.

Also returning to Twin River is Melrose, Mass., heavyweight John Johnston (4-0, 4 KOs), who will attempt to keep his impressive streak of consecutive knockout wins (4) alive when he faces unbeaten William Baptiste (2-0, 1 KO) of Goldsboro, N.C.

Dinis Paiva Jr. (3-5), an East Providence, R.I., native, will look to snap his two-fight losing streak in a bantamweight bout against Franklin Isabel (4-6) of Chelsea, Mass.; while fellow bantamweight Shaun Marmas (5-5, 1 KO) faces Matt Doherty (2-0, 2 KOs), a Salem, Mass., native, in a potential Fight of the Night candidate. Marmas split two bouts in 2013, beating Tom Evans in April and losing to Abdullah in June.

Exciting prospect Willie Brown Jr. (2-0) of Meriden, Conn., will look to keep his perfect record intact in his first bout of the year against lightweight Kevin Haley (2-0, 1 KO) of Dover, N.H., and featherweight Kyle Bochniak of Winthrop, Mass., will make his professional debut in a separate three-round bout. Middleweight Adam Quitt (1-3) of Framingham, Mass., will return for his first fight since February when he battles Rocky Hill, Conn., veteran Sylvester Murataj (0-2). All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets for “CES MMA XXI” are priced at $40, $55, $100 and $125 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling 401-724-2253/2254, online at www.cesmma.com or www.ticketmaster.com or at the Twin River Players Club.

The two African boxers featuring on the Monte Carlo Boxing Bonanza bill next weekend are both in the shape of their lives, according to their trainers.

Ilunga “Junior” Makabu (15-1, 14 KOs), who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is based in South Africa, fights unbeaten Ruben Angel Mino (20-0, 20 KOs) of Argentina.

Nkosinathi Joyi (24-2, 17 KOs), from the boxing heartland of South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, challenges for the vacant IBO light-flyweight title against Rey Loreto (17-13, 9 KOs) of the Philippines.

The fights are on the undercard of WBA and IBO middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin’s (28-0, 25 KOs) title defence against Osumanu Adama (22-3, 16 KOs) of Ghana.

According to Harold Volbrecht, Makabu’s trainer and a former two-time world title challenger, his protégé is comfortably three kilograms under the limit and ought to be perfect for next week’s weigh-in.

“We’ve had good camps before, but we’ve taken it to a new level for this show,” said Volbrecht. “Junior’s brother is a heavyweight and he has given us tremendous sparring. We’ve also done many rounds with [SA light-heavyweight] champion Johnny Muller. Junior is sharper than ever.”

Notwithstanding a succession of changes to opponents – Pawel Kolodziej and Nathan Cleverly both withdrew – Volbrecht has no issues with Makabu fighting Mino.

“That’s just boxing. I don’t agree with fighters who make a big deal of such developments. You’re supposed to be professional. It’s like a doctor arriving for surgery and having to work on a gall bladder rather than an appendix. You roll up your sleeves and get on with it if you’re a pro. You must be prepared, no excuses.”

With Makabu on the brink of being installed as the number one contender in the WBA following current number one Kolodziej signing to challenge for the IBF belt, every fight is now tremendously important for the transplanted African.

“[Promoter] Rodney Berman is guiding him smartly. But it’s getting harder,” says Volbrecht. “This guy is just 26 but already has a fearsome reputation. Guys who get the call to fight aren’t ready, they’re not on the weight or whatever, but mostly they want nothing to do with him.

“The guy we’re fighting is an unbeaten puncher. On paper he looks good, but what matters is what he does in the ring. I expect Makabu to come hard.”

Joyi, one of the finest fighters to have emerged from South Africa in the past decade, recently switched trainers, joining Gert Strydom in Johannesburg. His Mdantsane home is 1000km (620 miles) away.

“He struggled the first week or so with the altitude, but he’s bang on the weight and looking excellent. We’re using top prospect Khanyiso Mbetye for sparring. He fights orthodox or southpaw and on the front or back foot. He gave Joyi a hard time initially, but Joyi now bosses him.”

Having studied footage of Loreto, Strydom says he sees an aggressive, come-forward fighter ideally suited to the former IBF champion’s style.

“He’ll be in Nkosinathi’s face and that’s what we want. Once he feels the power, I expect he’ll run before Nkosinathi catches him in about round seven or eight. This kid is one of the hardest hitters around. It’s phenomenal how he generates such power for such a small man.”

Joyi has even taken to sleeping in the gym, ensuring he has no distractions ahead of his title bout.

Both camps leave for Monte Carlo on Sunday.

After confirming their first card of the year, Prospect Boxing are pleased to confirm that Light Middleweight Rhys Pagan will be competing for his first professional title on the February 28th show.

With a near perfect 7-1 record, Sanquhar based Pagan takes on tough Bulgarian Valentin Stoychev for the International Masters Light Middleweight Bronze title, in a Eight round contest.

With his first shot at a title since turning professional 2012, Pagan had a mixed year in 2013, picking up three wins and his first loss to the unbeaten Robert Dixon however promoter Paul Graham feels that the loss benefit the fighter in the long run.

“The loss to Dixon was a close one and it came after a good win over another undefeated fighter in Sam Omidi, so It didn’t raise too much concern for me or his Team. After the fight we sat down and looked at what improvements could have been made, and in his next fight with Chris Jenkinson I could see he had worked on what had been discussed.

He added “Rhys is a model professional, and I only wish I could install his values in all my fighters! He trains everyday and just wants to fight as regularly as he can and I do believe we haven’t seen the best of him yet.

“He has been with me for a few years now and I am not just seeing progress in him, but I am seeing clear progress every time he steps through the ropes, and you have to remember he’s only 20 years old – so still has a lot of time on his side.
“Lock Stock and Twelve Smoking Fights” which takes place at the Ravenscraig Sports Facility on Friday February 28th 2014.

Headlined by Rhys Pagan, the show will also see the professional débuts of Lee Gallagher, Shaun McShane, JP McGuinness, Ryan Love and Shayan Rahmat. Returning to action is Iain Butcher, Scott Edgar, George Thomson and Billy Campbell.

David Drummond, Michael McGurk and Matthew McAllister also feature on the card, while the line up is completed by former Commonwealth title challenger Mitch Prince completes the line up.

Tickets are priced at £30 and £40 and available from the fighters directly or by calling 01698 338 888 where Credit/ Debit Cards are accepted. Further details on @ProspectBoxing on Twitter, and www.facebook.com/ProspectBoxin

Sherman Oaks, California (January 20, 2014) ESPN Friday Night Fights will hit the Pacific Northwest this week as Goossen Tutor Promotions brings a full card of world-class professional boxing to the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Washington.

Boxing fans from the Seattle-Tacoma area are welcome to join the local media as all fighters on the card will take part in the Official Public Weigh-In this Thursday, JANUARY 23 at 2:00 p.m. PT in the Squi Atl Room on the first floor of the Little Creek Casino Resort.

The Little Creek Casino Resort is located at 91 West State Route 108 in Shelton, Washington.

The “Little Creek Brawl IV” main event, broadcast on ESPN Friday Night Fights and presented by Corona Extra™ will feature an NABO Light Heavyweight Title clash between top undefeated prospect Thomas Williams Jr. (15-0, 10 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland and Houston based contender Cornelius White (21-2, 16 KOs), with former World Champion Rico Ramos (22-3, 12 KOs) taking on upset-minded Jonathan Arellano (14-2-2, 3 KOs) in a 10-round semi-main Featherweight Bout.

“From top to bottom we’ve put together an excellent fight card for the terrific boxing fans in the Seattle-Tacoma area and ESPN,” said Dan Goossen, Founder and President of Goossen Tutor Promotions. “The main event should be a sensational ten round crossroads matchup between Williams and White in the very hot light heavyweight division with the winner taking a much closer step toward a world title shot.”

“And our co-main event will be an exciting action packed featherweight battle with the former champ Ramos trying to keep his title hopes alive in a very tough battle with Southern California native Arellano, who won the fight of the night on an HBO undercard two months ago.”

“We’re also proud to welcome three of the Pacific Northwest’s finest fighters on the undercard, Seattle’s Eddie Hunter, who is facing Ronald Hearns the son of a true boxing legend, Thomas Hearns, Vancouver’s Virgil Green and Renton, Washington’s undefeated prospect Marcello Gallardo taking on fellow undefeated Juan Funez from Van Nuys, CA as part of our event.”

Advance tickets priced at $30 can be purchased by calling (800) 667-7711 or online at www.little-creek.com Doors will open on the night of the event at 4:30 p.m. with the first bell at 5:00 p.m. For more information and directions to the Little Creek Casino Resort, please visit their website at www.little-creek.com

About Little Creek Casino Resort
Proudly owned and operated by the Squaxin Island Tribe, Little Creek Casino Resort is situated just minutes from Olympia in the heart of the Kamilche Valley. Home to the nationally acclaimed Salish Cliffs Golf Club, the luxurious Seven Inlets Spa, and the state-of-the-art Skookum Creek Event Center, Little Creek Casino Resort offers the latest in electronic and table gaming with one of the largest and newest smoke-free casinos in the region. This 190-room resort boasts the area’s best appointed amenities featuring the latest in concerts and entertainment with numerous casual and fine dining options, truly making it an unmatched destination for the Pacific Northwest.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (JANUARY 19TH, 2014)–On Saturday night, January 25th, Heavyweight Derric Rossy will look to get back in the thick of the Heavyweight discussion when he takes on former world amateur champion Joey Dawejko in a scheduled eight round bout at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City.

The show is promoted by Sal Musumeci’s Final Forum Boxing and will be streamed LIVE all over the world on www.pandafeed.tv

Making a special appearance at the show will be star of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, Rosie Pierri.

Rosie will be there to support KO Children’s Malnutrition.

A portion of the proceeds from the Pandafeed.tv stream will go to KO Children’s Malnutrition.

For more information on KO Children’s Malnutrition, click http://www.komalnutrition.com/

Rossy of Medford, New York has a record of 28-7 with 14 knockouts and will be looking to get back in the ring after the postponement of a bout on December 14 that constituted a seven month layoff.

“I am finally anxious to get back in the ring,” said Rossy. “I took two or three days off. We didn’t push anything, we just maintained through the postponement and then got good work.”

Rossy knows that Dawejko (8-3-2, 3 KO’s) will be coming for a tough fight.

“He is a real tough kid and I know he wont be laying down. He can fight. I just have to get in there, work hard and prepare for his best.”

Despite seven losses, Rossy believes he still can be a major factor in the Heavyweight division.

“I know I have some losses. We just have to move on. It’s a clean slate and thoughts of past fights are gone. I think big things and I have a real confidence. I just want to display what I have been working on It will show in the fight and I feel big things coming this year. You will see what a future Heavyweight champion will look like.”

The rest of the card will feature some future stars as four undefeated fighters will be on display.

In six round bouts:

Natu Visinia (9-0, 8 KO’s) of Lakewood, CA battles Jon Bolden (6-7, 5 KO’s) of New York in a Heavyweight bout.

Isiah Seldon (7-1, 3 KO’s) of Atlantic City, NJ takes on an opponent to be named in a Middleweight bout.

Ismael Garcia (5-0, 3 KO’s) of Vineland, NJ takes on an opponent to be named in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

In four round bouts:

Heavyweight Ytalo Perea (5-1, 3 KO’s) of Howard Beach, NY battles David Williams (7-7-2, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia.

In a fight between pro debuting Super Bantamweights, Anthony Caramanno of Staten Island, NY takes on Michael Varela of Bethlehem, PA.

In a Cruiserweight rematch, Dave Valykeo (3-0) of Neptune, NJ will fight Brian Donahue (2-6-2) of Philadelphia.

Omar Brito (1-1, 1 KO) of Pleasantville, NJ squares off with Korey Sloane (2-7-2) of Philadelphia.

Gabriel Pham (5-0, 2 KO’s) of Atlantic City, NJ will fight an opponent to be named later.

Tickets for this outstanding evening of boxing are on sale now and are $125 for Ringside, $75 for reserved and $50 for general admission. VIP Tables are available and all tickets can be purchased by going to www.ticketmaster.com

Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook

ABOUT GOLDEN NUGGET ATLANTIC CITY

The Golden Nugget Atlantic City, located on Frank S. Farley Marina is a premier resort destination, offering guests more than 740 rooms and suites. The entire property is all new, with a $150 million renovation complete, it has taken on a fresh, modern look to include a high-energy casino featuring the most popular slot and video poker machines, table games, and poker room; nightly entertainment, new bars and lounges, stylish retail offerings, as well as Landry’s signature world-class restaurants such as Chart House and Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse; a luxury spa and salon; and H20 poolside lounge. Landry’s Inc. successfully introduced first-class accommodations, exquisite dining options and fun-filled entertainment venues unlike anything else available in Atlantic City. The Golden Nugget has already established strong brand recognition worldwide with locations in Las Vegas and Laughlin, NV and Biloxi, MS.

Hotel reservations and additional information are available by calling 800-777-8477 or by visiting www.goldennugget.com.

SAN ANTONIO – Thursday, Mexican “Son of the Legend” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. strode across the Alamodome stage to a podium that would conceal, for once, a fairly lean version of Junior, a version of him that surprisingly looked within 20 pounds of his next match’s contracted fighting weight, six weeks out, a match that will be a rematch with Austin’s Bryan Vera, a man who likely deserved a better result than what he received in September and will more than likely deserve better than the savage beating he collects March 1.

“And thank you, Texas,” Chavez said in accented English, to close. “Because this my home too.”

Chavez appeared chastened. Years back, Argentine Sergio Martinez, incensed his WBC belt was unfastened from his waste and bestowed upon Chavez by the late Jose Sulaiman – a man ever more beloved in Mexico, for codifying the country’s importance in prizefighting, than in the United States – arrived at a postfight press conference in Houston after Chavez beat up and beat down Peter Manfredo who, personably enough, indulged bystanders’ curious requests to hear him say “fugettaboutit” after he was stopped and announced a stop to his career (a retirement that lasted, stereotypically enough, nary a twelvemonth), to challenge Chavez in his finest hour, and Martinez was uncharacteristically dismissive too. He asked rhetorically if he wouldn’t knock Chavez out easily. At the time it seemed quite probable.

Fewer than 10 months later, Chavez nearly ended Martinez’s reign as a world champion, coming preposterously close to becoming the linear middleweight champion, affixing himself to a bloodline of Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Carlos Monzon and Sugar Ray Robinson and Harry Greb, in a fight that changed both men, shortening Martinez’s career and the lucid years of Chavez’s life. Lost in the justifiable contempt aficionados reserve for Chavez is any consideration for the consequences of the sustained whupping he took from Martinez’s fists, and the incredible number of punches he took square and unmolested to his cranium – each punch nearly the force of what single blow put Paul Williams prostrate on a blue mat in Atlantic City.

Chavez wishes to be taken seriously, by himself and others, one hears from men who should know, and certainly should know better if it is not so – men who’ve seen, fallen victim to, or perpetrated, every hustle yet known in our beloved sport. Chavez does take boxing seriously, they say. If this is so, and again some suspension of disbelief is required, he may now be suffering from a combination of genetics and a damaged brain.

Boxing has rarely come upon a more naturally unsympathetic figure than Chavez; Adrien Broner and Floyd Mayweather, of course, have as large a percentage of attendees at their matches cheering their demise, yes, but those men worked hard to cultivate odious public personalities, and those men, too, remain for the most part popular within their own ethnicity. Chavez, conversely, now holds a unique place in boxing’s landscape as a man who, through no overt effort of his own – through no detectable effort of any kind, one might say – has transformed an entire ethnic enclave, Mexican-American, from a default sort of projected affection, the son of my hero is my friend, to another thing entirely. Chavez is aware of this even without his father reminds him, though Chavez Sr. appears the kind of dad who might be willing to grunt just such a suggestion to a filial epigone like Junior, privately.

Senior’s popularity has a variety of sources, but an occasionally overlooked one is historical: Mexico collapsed in an epic sort of way in 1994 – and such a collapse injured cruelly a proud and surprisingly innocent country, one whose residents, when called upon by their government to help La Patria recover its economic footing, sent gifts and sundries varied as live chickens to Mexico City – and for the next number of years, Chavez Sr. was, as one Mexican journalist put it at what became Chavez Sr.’s final fight, “the only thing that went right for us.” Junior was a part of that Mexico more than Americans, and most Mexicans, care to realize.

Watch the ringwalk that preceded Chavez Sr.’s worst professional moment to that point, his official draw in 1993 with Pernell “Sweat Pea” Whitaker, a singular boxer whom shot commentator Ferdie Pacheco continued to call “Peewee” through the pay-per-view broadcast. Who sits atop one of the entourage’s shoulders, looking down on his father while the legend sings along to the Mexican national anthem before a record-setting crowd in this city’s then-four-month-old Alamodome? It is Junior’s unmistakable chubby-cheeked visage one sees, a face portending a lifetime of weight struggles regardless of profession, spreading tentatively beneath a red headband like his dad’s.

“Son of the Legend” has been part of boxing his entire life, the number of those memories a fair auditor would call euphoric barely outnumbering those classifiable as euphoria’s opposite, and he understands, as Freddie Roach recognized in the first week as his trainer, “the geometry of the ring.” He probably believes he beat Bryan Vera in September, potshotting him the way Sergio Martinez amassed a lopsided lead on Chavez himself the year before, and knowing, as television didn’t show, Chavez’s punches were many times harder and flusher than Vera’s. He also knows how many people hold him in contempt and knows he now deserves it in a way he probably did not before. He is much better than Bryan Vera, and if he is motivated and conditioned – and again, he appeared reasonably trim Thursday – he may put a tragic type of beating on Vera, who for all his activity, is not nearly strong or elusive enough to dissuade Chavez in an emergency.

For once Texas should not worry about judges but ringside medical officials willing to intervene if Vera’s corner comports itself too courageously on March 1.

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

OTTAWA, Canada (January 19, 2014) – The impending World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship fight to determine the successor of recently retired Vitali Klitschko, matching the WBC’s top two contenders, respectively, WBC Silver champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (23-1, 20 KOs) against Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (36-3, 31 KOs), is extra special for Stiverne’s veteran head trainer, Don House.

“First,” he explained, “I’ve been with Bermane since the first day and that’s really why this is so special for me. It’s also special for me because I’ve been part of teams for world champions – Diego Corrales, Kevin Kelly, Joan Guzman, Frankie Liles and others – but I’ve never been the head trainer of the world heavyweight champion or a WBC world champion.

“Bermane has grown a lot since the beginning (pro debut July 29, 2005). He was young and a little immature back them. The first time I saw him hitting the heavy-bag I said I could make him a champ and give him the discipline he needed. He liked to say he was a boxer but the last couple of years he has believed he’d be world champion. There’s been no stopping him since the Arreola fight.”

Last April in his second successful WBC heavyweight title eliminator, Stiverne successfully defended his WBC Silver belt, winning an impressive 12-round unanimous decision (118-109, 117-110, 117-10) over Arreola, breaking his opponent’s nose and dropping him in the third round despite a serious right shoulder injury that was aggravated during their fight.

The strong bond between House and Stiverne, who seeks to become the first Haitian World Heavyweight Champion, goes beyond a trainer-fighter relationship. “House is like a big brother to me,” Stiverne said from training camp in Las Vegas where they both live. “The relationship isn’t on a business level, it’s more like family. In my amateur days, I was more of a brawler, but House taught me how to box and be smart in the ring. I knew how to fight and go toe-to-toe back in the day but he taught me to relax in the ring, be calm, and use skills I never knew I had. With him and my conditioning coach, Victor Vargotski, I have the best team I could ever have.”

“Don House has been with Bermane from day one,” Stiverne’s manager Camille Estephan commented. “He is one helluva coach and an excellent person. He and Victor Vargotski have been by Bermane every step of the way. Together, we truly form a family. The bond is very strong and I believe this makes a difference in the sense that there is true trust established, which gives Bermane peace of mind and faith in what he is working on in the gym. This is truly priceless.”

Three scheduled purse bids for mandatory challenger Stiverne to challenge Klitschko were postponed, however, nothing can deter Stiverne and the WBC eventually mandated his world title fight versus Arreola for the vacant belt. They may not know exactly where or when, yet, but Stiverne and House are preparing as if this is not a rematch with Arreola.

“I’ve evaluated this fight and we have been going at this like Bermane hasn’t fought Arreola before, as if everything is brand new,” House noted. “Can Arreola bring anything into this fight differently? No. He may come to fight in the best shape of his life but he doesn’t have the skills to beat Bermane. He doesn’t have the power or speed that Bermane does. Arreola will be right there, Bermane won’t have to look for him, and he will be ready to fight 12 rounds.

“I never hear anything about injuries or illness from Bermane until after the fight in the locker-room. He keeps that stuff to himself and I didn’t know how badly he hurt his shoulder during training camp. And he hurt himself during the fight, too. This fight he is going to finish things. He fought sick in the Ray Austin fight (101 temperature in Stiverne’s first WBC eliminator win). It just shows how much heart and balls he has; no excuses, ever, from Bermane.”

The 34-year-old Stiverne, noted, “My injured right shoulder was the reason I had to go with plan B and why I didn’t throw a lot of right hands. I dropped him with the only right I threw with power that landed. I came out to finish him the next (fourth) round but slipped and pulled a muscle in my back. I wouldn’t let that bother me, though, despite how painful it was. I kept going and followed the plan to get a W and was rushed to the hospital right after the fight. I learned that, whatever the issue, I still fight like a warrior and that’s the real meaning of no pain, no gain.”

The WBC ordered the promoters of the two fighters – Don King Productions (Stiverne) and Goossen-Tutor Promotions (Arreola) – to negotiate but the fight is slated to go to a WBC purse bid in Mexico on Monday, Jan. 24 unless an agreement is reached prior to the already extended deadline.

“The world heavyweight title means you’re the baddest man on the planet,” House concluded, “unlike a Tiger Woods, ‘Magic’ Johnson or even Floyd Mayweather. This title brings a different twist to sports.”

For further information visit www.eottm.com, or follow on Twitter @eotmvd and @BStiverne

ATLANTIC CITY (JANUARY 19, 2014)–Anthony Caramanno, born and bred in Staten Island, is the only Italian-American to ever win 3 NY Daily News Golden Gloves Championships. After proving his worth in the east coast’s premiere amateur tournament, the 23 year old super-bantamweight is ready to step into the paid ranks, making his pro debut Saturday, January 25th at the Golden Nugget Atlantic City against Bethlehem, Pa’s Michael Varela (0-0).

The fight can be seen LIVE all over the world on www.pandafeed.tv for just $9.99

Portions of the PPV proceeds will go to KO Children’s Malnutrition

KO Children’s Malnutrition will be represented by star of the Real Housewives of New Jersey Rosie Pierri.

To lean more about KO Children’s Malnutrition, Click: Here

Affable and humble, Caramanno was kind enough to answer questions about his background an boxing aspirations.

Q. First of can you tell us a little about yourself:

Caramanno: “I have lived on Staten Island my whole life. It’s a tight-knit community and was a great place to grow up. I went to Farrell High School and also studied business at the College of Staten Island. I played other sports like baseball as a kid, but it seemed like everybody else kept growing and I stayed the same size in my early teens. That’s one of the reasons I took up boxing when I was 14, because boxing has weight divisions.”

Q. You mentioned how Staten Island is a tight knit community. How has that helped you in the amateurs and what do you expect that will translate to your pro career.

Caramanno: “I had so much support in the Golden Gloves from friends and family. They were all in the stands making tons of noise and I really think that pushed me and may have even intimidated my opponents a little. I think that will carry over into the pros. I’ve got about 300 people making the trip down to Atlantic City to watch me.”

Q. Who are your favorite fighters to watch.

Caramanno: Floyd Mayweather Jr. is my absolute favorite. I think my style and his are similar. I try to be patient and look for counters like he does. Also, being Italian-American, I gotta show love for Paulie Malinaggi and his slick style.”

Q. Staten Island has a boxing tradition as strong as any of the 5 Boroughs, but despite the talent of guys like Johnny “Thunder” Vanderosa, “Kid” Gary Strak Jr. and Kevin Rooney, SI has never produced a world boxing champion in any weight class. Do you think you will be the first fighter from your home town to reach that pinnacle?

Caramano: ” I hope to, but my good friend 2012 US Olympian Marcus Browne (8-0), 7 KOs) got a head start on me. If he’s the first, with the help of my my father and my father and trainer, Tommy, I will defiantly be the second. I am proud to be a part of Final Forum Promotions . I believe Sal Musumeci will be able to help realize that dream”

Presented by Sal Musumeci’s Final Forum Promotions, Caramanno vs. Varela is part of a eight bout card headlinded by an 8 round heavyweight match up between Brooklyn’s Derric “El Leon” Rossy (28-7, 14 KOs) and Philadelphia’s Joey “Polish Thunder” Dawejko (8-3, 3 KOs).

In the co-feature, undefeated Heavyweight knockout artist Natu Visinia will take on Jon Bolden of New York City in a scheduled six round bout

Also featured will be undefeated New Jersey prospects: Gabriel Pham of Atlantic City (5-0, 2 KOs), Dave Valykeo of Neptune (3-0), and Ismael “Tito” Garcia (5-0, 3KOs) of Vineland. With former Ecuadorian Olympic heavyweight Yltako Perea and Isiah Seldon (7-1), son of former WBA heavyweight champ Bruce Seldon, rounding out this action packed night of boxing in separate bouts.

Tickets for this outstanding evening of boxing go on sale Friday, January 10th and are $125 for Ringside, $75 for reserved and $50 for general admission. VIP Tables are available and all tickets can be purchased by going to www.ticketmaster.com

Q & A written by Eugene Sirota

David Sanchez scored a 4th round stoppage over Marco Demecillo in a scheduled 12 round Super Flyweight bout in a Hermosillo, Mexico.

Sanchez dropped Demcillo with a hard body shot and the fight was stopped at 2:56 of round four.

Sanchez, 115 lbs is now 24-2-2 with 19 knockouts. Demecillo, 115 lbs is 19-2-1.

Francisco Rodriguez stopped Ernesto Guerrero in round five of a scheduled eight round Flyweight bout.

The fight was stopped when Guerrero suffered an apparent rib injury and the fight was stopped at 2:11 of round five.

Rodriguez, 112 1/4 lbs is now 13-2 with 10 knockouts. Guerrero. 113 lbs is 17-9.

Luis Castro and Gilbert Gutierrez battled to a four round majority draw in a Flyweight bout.

Scores were 39-37 for Castro, 38-38 and 38-38.

Castro, 112 lbs of Hermosillo, Mexico is now 3-0-2. Gutierrez, 114 1/2 lbs is now 1-0-1

Jean Pascal scored a decisive 12 round unanimous decision over Lucian Bute in a Battle of former Montreal based world champions before a sold crowd of 20, 479 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Pascal came out working the body. In round two, Pascal shook Bute with a flurry of punches that also produced a mouse under the left eye of Bute. Pascal was effective with the right in round three. Bute scored later in the round with an uppercut and straight left. In round four, Pascal landed another hard flurry for which Bute looked shaky but took well. Pascal continued to dominate the action for which Bute had no answer for. In fact, there were times were Bute looked like he was there just to watch Pascal as his punch about was around 25 punches per round for the first 11 frames.

Bute had his fire lit before the final frame as he ferociously came out and landed many hard blows on Pascal in thee corner which was much to the delight of the massive crowd assembled at Bell Centre. That rally was too little and much too late for Bute, who may have saved a little face with the attempt of the late heroics.

Pascal, 175 lbs of Montreal won by scores of 116-112, 117-110 and 117-111 and is now 29-2-1. Bute, 173.6 lbs of Montreal is no 31-2.

Undefeated Heavyweight Mike Perez and Carlos Takam battled to a 10 round draw.

It was a tale of two fights as Perez seized a slight advantage early by landing some short shots inside and was effective with the overhand left. In round three, Perez was cut around the right eye from an accidental headbutt. That gave Takam the confidence to begin coming forward and dominated the fight on the inside. Takam clearly had the advantage in the later rounds but in the judges eyes, Perez took enough rounds early to salvage a draw by scores of 96-94 and 95-95 twice.

Perez of Cork, Ireland is now 20-0-1. Takam, 256 lbs of France is now 29-1-1.

Horacio Garcia scored a 1st round stoppage over Fernando Lumacad in the 1st round of their 10 round Super Bantamweight bout at Complejo Panamericano in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Garcia trapped Lumacad on the ropes and landed a right hand that sent Lumacad to the canvas and he could not beat the referee’s 10 count.

Garica of Guadalajara, Mexico is now 25-0 with 17 knockouts. Lumacad of General Santos City, Philippines is now 29-7-3.

Yazmin Rivas scored a 10 round unanimous decision over Calixta Silgado in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Scores were 100-90 on all cards for Rivas who is now 29-8. Silgado is now 11-3-2.

Soledad Vargas (1-0) scored a unanimous decision over Livier Munoz (0-5) in a Minimumweight bout.

Israel Meza (2-0-1) scored a 4 round unanimous decision over Adalberto Garcia (1-1-2) in a Super Flyweight bout.

Miguel Cobarrubias (2-1-1, 1 KO) scored a 1st round stoppage over Luis Angel Hernandez (2-9) in a scheduled four round Lightweight bout.

Ivan Redkach scored a ten round unanimous decision over Tony Luis in a 10 round Lightweight bout at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee.

Luis matched Redkach in the first two minutes until he got caught at the end of the first round from a right hook that sent him to the canvas. Luis and Redkach fought pretty even over the next several round until Luis ate a big right hook that staggered Luis in round six. Later in the round, the two clashed heads and Luis & Redkach were both bleeding from their forehead. Luis landed a good left hand that hurt Redkach at the end of the round. The fight was nip and tuck and the tenth round was a microcosm of that as they both landed big shots down the stretch.

Redkach, 134 1/4 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 99-90, 97-92 and 97-93 and is now 16-0. Luis, 134 1/2 lbs of Cornwall, ONT, CAN is now 17-2.

“I won the fight clearly,’’ said Redkach, the WBC’s No. 13-ranked contender. “I learned a lot. Tony is a true warrior. He made the fight a dirty fight and I got sucked into that game.

“I will take this as a lesson learned into my next training camp and improve on it.’’

Luis was livid with the scoring. “There’s always room for improvement and I didn’t fight the perfect fight, but I thought this was a much, much closer fight,’’ he said. “I felt I was hurting him, and he was getting tired. I felt I’d knocked him down in the first, but the referee didn’t call it even though his gloves hit the canvas. The ref was breaking us up too soon. He wouldn’t let me work.

“This is very disappointing to say the least.’’

Frank Galarza scored a shocking 2nd round stoppage over previously undefeated John Thompson in a scheduled eight round Jr. Middleweight bout.

After a 1st round where Thompson boxed well, Galarza came out and landed a big right hand that buckled Thompson and thunderous left hook sent Thompson crumpled to the canvas and the fight was stopped 16 seconds into the 2nd round.

Galarza, 153 1/2 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 12-0-2 with 8 knockouts. Thompson, 153 1/4 lbs of Newark, NJ is now 14-1.

“Considering this was on a national stage, it has to be one of the very best wins in my career.’’

“Our game plan was to feel him out in the first and then step it up,’’ Galarza said. “The key was to get to him first, to not let him get off.’’

Antoine Douglas took an easy eight round unanimous decision over Marquis Davis in a Middleweight fight featuring undefeated fighters.

Douglas came out with bad intentions as he ripped a big barrage of power punches off of Davis. In round three, Douglas started getting through with some hard uppercuts. he went on to land a nice one-two combination in the round. Davis showed a solid chin. Douglas continued to win rounds and came out in round six throwing more power shots. During that round, a hard left hand knocked a tooth right out of Davis mouth. Douglas cruised down the stretch and even hurt Davis with about twenty seconds left and won the easy decision by scores of 80-72, 80-72 and 79-73.

Douglas, 158 lbs of Burke, VA is now 12-0. Davis, 159 1/2 lbs of Tampa, FL is now 8-1-2.

In an entertaining eight round Jr. Welterweight bout, Maurice Hooker and Abel Ramos battled to a majority draw.

Hooker was the choice early as he jabbed well and started mixing some solid chopping right hands over the first five frames. In round five, Ramos was showing the effects of the punches as he had a swelling around his left eye. Ramos came back to have a big round seven as he mashed some hard shots to the body and head of a visibly tired Hooker. He continued the assault in round eight as he landed a hard left that sent the mouthpiece of Hooker flying. The two battled all the way until the bell, with the last two rounds being big for Ramos to secure the draw by the scores of 77-75, 76-76 and 76-76.

Hooker, 141 1/2 lbs of Dallas, T is now 12-0-2. Ramos, 141 1/2 lbs of Casa Grande, AZ is now 8-0-1.

The official “World Series of Fighting 8: Gaethje vs. Patishnock” weigh-in took place Friday at Paradise Live inside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. International movie star Danny Trejo joined World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo and Executive Vice President Ali Abdel Aziz on stage as all fighters made weight in advance of their bouts tomorrow evening.

WSOF 8 takes place Saturday, Jan. 18, at Hard Rock Live in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Tickets for “World Series of Fighting 8: Gaethje vs. Patishnock” start at just $29 and are on sale at Ticketmaster.com. The championship headliner tops a five-fight main card that airs live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. A five-fight undercard will stream live at www.WSOF.com beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Justin Gaethje 154.6 lbs. vs. Rich Patishnock 155 lbs.
Anthony Johnson 204.8 lbs. vs. Mike Kyle 205.6 lbs
Jessica Aguilar 114.8 lbs. vs. Alida Gray 114.4 lbs.
Tyson Nam 136 lbs. vs. Cody Bollinger 135.6 lbs.
Luis Palomino 155.6 lbs. vs. Jorge Patino 155 lbs.
Valdir Araujo 170.8 lbs. vs. Tyler Stinson 170.4 lbs.
Derrick Mehmen 246.2 lbs. vs. Scott Barrett 261.6 lbs.
Alexis Vila 125.4 lbs. vs. Sidemar Honorio 126 lbs.
Brenson Hansen 144.4 lbs. vs. Freddy Assuncao 145.4 lbs.
Jose Caceres 170.4 lbs. vs. Anderson Melo 171 lbs.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About NBC Sports Network
NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About Hard Rock Live
Hard Rock Live, a spectacular state-of-the-art facility, further expands the ultimate entertainment experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. This 5,500-seat indoor arena has attracted more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 2005, and has regularly hosted South Florida’s greatest variety of musical acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Marc Anthony, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli, Tim McGraw and Carlos Santana; top comedians including Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Kathy Griffin and George Lopez; as well as major sporting events and events of major sports stars, from UFCmatches to charity galas for Jason Taylor, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade andmore. For additional information, please visit www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com or www.myhrl.com, facebook.com/MyHRL and twitter.com/hard_rock_live.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino invites you to PLAYHARD! Play, stay, dine, and shop at South Florida’s ultimate entertainment destination. Over 90 tables offer Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold ’em Bonus Poker, Casino War and Let it Ride on a nearly three-acre casino floor. Additionally, over 2,500 slots include the Native-American Casino linked Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. Separate high-limit rooms for table games and slots, in addition to a non-smoking room, are available for guests to enjoy. Loyal Player’s Club members also have access to the exclusive VIP Plum Lounge and VIP Chef’s Table show kitchen. The Poker Room at Seminole Hard Rock hosts various games and tournaments of Limit and No Limit Texas Hold ’em, 7-Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games. Located inside the casino is Hard Rock Cafe -Hollywood, part of Hard Rock’s 138 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants. The Green Lodging Certified by the State of Florida, AAA Four Diamond-rated resort showcases 500 luxurious guest rooms, 40,000 square feet of meeting room space, Rock Spa, award-winning restaurants, high-energy nightclubs, lounges and bars, boutique retail shops, the 350-seat Paradise Live theater and the 5,500-seat Hard Rock Live concert arena. Located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. Take I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1 800-937-0010 or visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, facebook.com/seminolehardrockhollywood, twitter.com/SHRHollywood, instagram.com/semhardrockhollywood and youtube.com/semhardrockhollywood.

ANTONIO OROZCO, Top Undefeated Welterweight

[On training camp] “It’s been a really great camp. I’ve been training for eight weeks and I’m expecting a great fight next week. I know that Huerta has power, but I’m ready for the best.

[On being the Jan. 24 headliner] “It’s a great opportunity to headline a fight on Fox Sports 1 and I’m looking forward to it. I’m definitely hoping for a win next week.

“Finally, thank to all my fans, friends and family. I’ll see you at Fantasy Springs.”

JULIAN RAMIREZ, Undefeated Featherweight Rising Star

[On his opponent, Derrick Wilson] “I know that he has pulled various upsets and beaten undefeated fighters. I know that I’m being tested me with a tough opponent, but I’m ready.

[On his training] “I’ve been training with fast and strong people, I’m going 10 to 12 rounds with them even though my fight is only eight rounds.

[On fighting on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes] “It’s a big thing. I’m pumped up especially because I haven’t had a fight in a while.

[On fighting at a catch weight] “Since I haven’t fought in a while, I don’t want to force my body to make 122 pounds even though I could probably make it, but this will be good for me.”

DOMINIC BREAZALE, Undefeated Heavyweight Prospect

[On his opponent, Homer Fonseca] “He has more experience. I know that he’s a state champion in Texas; unfortunately we can’t fight for his current title because the fight is in California, but I’m still definitely looking forward to getting in the ring.

“I don’t need to do any trash talking, all of my trash talk I do in the ring.”

GERALD WASHINGTON, Undefeated Heavyweight Rising Star

[On his Jan. 24 fight] “It’s an eight round fight, against Arron Lyons after my original opponent pulled out of the fight. I’m going to get him. Get ready because I’m coming.

“To all my Mexican fans and family, remember that one day I’ll be the first Mexican heavyweight champion.”

MANNY ROBLES JR., Undefeated Featherweight Rising Star

[On his opponent Ricky Lopez and his training so far] “He’s got a good record. I know he’s good, but I know that I can pull off the win.

“Training has been good. I’ve been running and training hard and looking forward to the win next week.”

# # #

Orozco vs. Huerta is a 10-round welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The Fantasy Springs Special Events Center doors open at 4:00 p.m. and the first fight begins at 4:30 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets, priced at $25, $35 and $45, are on sale now at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.FOXSports.com follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @PuroOrozco, @K9Boxing, @JoeyHernandez, and follow the conversation using #GoldenBoyLive, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing. For more information on FOX Sports 1 visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1 and become a follower on Twitter at @FOXSports @FOXSports1 and @FOXSportsPR.

On moving down to 135 pounds for his upcoming fight against Matt Doherty:

“It was just at 145 I don’t really cut much and guys are cutting more and more. It’s more of a business decision, making the smarter move, and bumping up my training, bringing basically a whole new camp for this fight and pushing it. I think I’ll definitely be stronger. At 145, expect for like, my very last fight, I didn’t feel like the guys were stronger than me. I felt like I could stand with them. I’ve got the reach advantage and I feel I’ll be stronger than most guys at 135. I feel this is the best move for me. I’m ready to make an impact and make my name at 135.”

CES MMA featherweight champ Rob Font, 8-1-1 (2 KOs)

On his outlook for 2014 as he prepares to face New Jersey’s Ahsan Abdullah:

“I’m definitely trying to forget about 2013 and come into 2014 taking names and collecting bodies, pretty much. I’m here to win and fight. I definitely want to fight bigger and better fighters in 2014. This next fight, he’s definitely a tough fighter. He has a real aggressive style. Comes forward, comes from a great camp. The guy’s driving from New York, so you know he’s trying to take that long ride home with an ‘L’ so he’s going to bring the fight. I think he has a perfect style for me. He’s coming forward, and I’m a better counter-puncher than coming forward, so, pretty much, I’m going to catch him coming in.”

Dinis Paiva Jr., 3-5 (1 KO)

On trying to rebound from a tough finish in 2013:

“I’m coming off two losses and I want to come out with a real strong win this year. I think it’s going to be a good year. I’m training out of CCFA now. Got a great group of guys I’m working with up there. The camaraderie’s tight, the brotherhood’s tight, and I’m definitely feel I’m on my ‘A’ game and the best I’ve ever been. There are always different variables in this sport. Going into the cage, you can lose at any moment, so it’s hard to tell. I feel good, I feel confident, I feel headstrong, and I’ve got a good camp backing me up. It’s definitely a good thing.”

Andre Soukhamthath, 7-1 (4 KOs)

On his upcoming bout with Kin Moy and his new training camp in Florida:

“I’m on the card with a lot of my friends and I probably, have, on paper, the toughest test so far, going against an undefeated fighter. Real explosive, real fast. He’s definitely no slouch. You’re going to win some and lose some, so I just want to go in there and perform. That’s what I’m focused on, because if you put too much pressure on yourself you can’t perform to your abilities. I just go in there and do my thing. That’s what I train for. I definitely feel like I’m a lot stronger. I’m going with a lot of tough guys, a lot of high-level guys. In order to beat me, you’re going to have to take my soul away. ”

Todd Chattelle, 12-9 (9 KOs)

On his faith in God and the role it plays in his career:

“if I didn’t have faith I’d be like, ‘Whatever. I’m done. There’s no point in this,’ but 20, 30 years from now, no matter how well I do, I’ll be 60, 70 years old, even 40 and 50 years from now, if we’re still around, God willing, we’re talking to some kid at the bar or the club and we’re like, ‘I used to be tough! I used to be No. 1 in New England!’ which I was, and then they’re going to be like, ‘Yeah, right. Whatever, old man,’ so all this isn’t going to matter. What’s going to matter is the memories I put together and being a good man for my family and whoever else, any brother or sister out there who wants to come to me and ask my advice. I can give them God, hopefully.”

NOTES: “CES MMA XX” is CES MMA’s 21st show since its inception in 2010. … Todd Chattelle will be featured on a CES MMA card for the 10th time in his career, the most among any fighter in promotion history … Andre Soukhamthath is CES MMA’s winningest fighter with seven victories under the promotion’s guidance … Both Soukhamthath and Rob Font have won seven consecutive bouts. … Heavyweight John Johnston, who will be featured on the undercard, has won each of his four bouts by knockout. … Shaun Marmas has alternated wins and losses in each of his last four fights. … Ahsan Abdullah, who is facing Font on Jan. 24th, will be making his third appearance for CES. He is 1-1 in his previous two bouts with the promotion. … Chattelle’s opponent, Shedrick Goodridge, is also 1-1 with CES and will be making his third appearance with the promotion.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Middleweight contender Curtis “Showtime” Stevens, 25-4, 18 KOs, may have lost his last bout, a middleweight title challenge against the top 160-pounder in the world, Pound-for-Pound contender, and undefeated champion, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, but the Brooklyn-born knockout artist is ready to go right back to work Friday night in Atlantic City, NJ against tough Patrick “The Machine” Majewski, 21-2, 12 KOs.

Their ten-round middleweight fight at Resorts International Casino Hotel, is the feature bout on the season-opener of the popular nationally televised boxing series, Fight Night, on NBCSN. Also on the broadcast, which begins at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT, is a ten-round cruiserweight battle between Thabiso Mchunu, 13-1, 9 KOs, of Natal, South Africa, and Olanrewaju Durodola, 15-1, 14 KOs, of Lagos, Nigeria, in West Africa.

Curtis Stevens
Stevens, with his reputation as a big puncher, has been a fan favorite over the past few years, when his showy displays of power toppled excellent opponents like Saul Roman, Elvin Ayala and Romaro Johnson. So devastating is his punch that finding an opponent who can last more than a single round has been an issue of late. Since 2010, only Derrick Findley managed to last the full distance with Stevens.

Atlantic City’s Patrick Majewski, who is renowned for his chin and a high-pressure style that is not so different from Golovkin’s, should provide Stevens with a serious test in the wake of that world title bout with GGG. If Stevens has lost so much as a step, Majewski is tough enough to dish the New Yorker his second straight defeat.

However, Stevens is eager to start another knockout streak and to prove he is still a force in the middleweight division. Majewski may be a tough customer, but Stevens believes that the Polish-born fighter is merely a road block to his next title fight.

Curtis had this to say about the upcoming fight against “The Machine”, “I feel good, I am just ready to get in there and get back to where I was at.” He added, “I have to go in there and destroy him. I just have to do what I do best.”

This NBCSN boxing double header kicks off the third season of Fight Night, and promises more of the same thrilling action that has made the series the most popular boxing program for the past two years.

ABOUT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24TH
Friday, January 24th at Resorts International Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ features a ten-round middleweight battle between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Patrick “The Machine” Majewski in the main event.

The ten-round Cruiserweight co-feature between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola, will be for the vacant NABF Cruiserweight Title. Six additional fights are planned for the undercard, all fights subject to change.

Doors are scheduled to open at 6:45 PM ET, First Fight at 7:00 PM ET. The main event and co-feature will be broadcast 10:00 PM ET on NBC Fight Night on NBCSN. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, Dibella Entertainment and Showpony Promotions.

Tickets are priced at $75 and $50. They can be purchased at the Resorts International Casino and Hotel Box Office, 800-736-1420; at TicketMaster 800-745-3000 or online (key word: Main Events); and at Peltz Boxing 215-765-0922.

FIGHT NIGHT ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night on Friday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated 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.

Coverage airing on NBCSN will 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:
www.mainevents.com
Twitter: @main_events or twitter.com/main_events
Twitter: #FightNight
Facebook:facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing
facebook.com/NBCSports

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

Twitter: @ResortsCasino or https://twitter.com/resortscasino

Fight Venue:
Resorts Casino Hotel – Superstar Theatre
1133 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
1-800-772-9000

Home New – Updated Feb 2024