New York, NY (6/29/15) – Next Wednesday, July 8th, DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series will return to the famed B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in midtown Manhattan. The exciting 11-bout card will be the latest installment of the acclaimed long-running series. Headlining the card will be popular junior lightweight prospect Bryant “Peewee” Cruz (14-0, 7KO’s) as he puts his undefeated record on the line against the heavy-handed Martin Cardona (19-5, 14KO’s) in their junior lightweight matchup scheduled for eight rounds.

Also appearing in separate eight-round feature bouts will be junior middleweight prospects Patrick Day and Shawn Cameron. Day (10-1-1, 6KO’s), a former #1-rated US amateur, is set to take on Lenwood Dozier, while the undefeated Cameron (9-0, 4KO’s) squares off against Francisco Reza.

Making his DBE and NYC debut is fast-rising Kazakhstan prospect Sergey Lipinetc (6-0, 5KO’s) as he challenges the once-beaten Kendal Mena (20-1, 11KO’s) in a special-attraction welterweight eight-round contest. An outstanding amateur, as well as a world champion in MMA, the 26-year-old Lipinetc’s rise up the rankings of the 140lb. division is expected to be meteoric. With explosive power in both hands, and a seek-and-destroy style, Lipinetc is as fan-friendly as it gets. The bout on July 8 will be Lipinetc’s second thus far of 2015 and, now with the backing of DBE, he hopes to become even more active as he hones in on a world title shot in the not-so-distant future.

Returning to action for already the fifth time this year will be knockout artist Ivan Baranchyk (7-0, 6KO’s) as he looks to continue his streak of devastating knockouts when he opposes Alfred Hall in their six-round super lightweight matchup. All four of Baranchyk’s previous opponents this year have failed to make it out of the second round, with three of the knockouts coming in the very first frame. Baranchyk is coming off of his most explosive knockout to date, scoring an astonishing three-second K.O. over Angel Figueroa on June 20th. The hard-hitting Baranchyk is determined to continue his streak when he squares off against Hall.

Also competing on the card will be New York-native Mikkel LesPierre (8-0-1, 3KO’s) as he looks to keep his undefeated record intact when he faces Larry Ventus in their six-round super lightweight contest.

Exciting super middleweight prospect Steed Woodall (7-0-1, 5KO’s) will also see action, as he takes on once-beaten DeVaun Lee (4-1, 2KO’s) in an intriguing six-round matchup. An amateur standout in the UK, the now 21-year-old Woodall relocated to the US in early 2014 and made his successful debut in March of that year at just 19 years of age. The bout on July 8 will be Woodall’s third thus far in 2015.

Former NY Golden Gloves champion Peter Dobson (4-0, 3KO’s) will meet William Walters in a six-round welterweight matchup.

Super middleweight Dauren Yeleussinov (2-0, 2KO’s) returns for the second time this year, facing off against Henry Beckford in a six-round matchup.

Maxito Sainvil (2-0, 1KO) will clash against Danny Rosenberger in their scheduled four-round welterweight bout.

Rounding out the card will be a battle of female middleweights as Alicia Napoleon (2-0, 2KO’s) swaps leather with Natalie King in a four-round affair.

Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $125, $100, $75 and $55. Tables are also available for purchase for this event, with VIP tables going for $1,000 per table (5 seats at $200 per seat), Ringside tables for $500 (5 seats at $100), and $375 tables (5 seats at $75). Tickets are available for purchase by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout scheduled for 7:00pm.

LAS VEGAS (June 29, 2015) – Former world champion Beibut Shumenov (15-2, 10 KOs) meets cruiserweight contender and NBC boxing analyst B.J. Flores (31-1-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday, July 25 on Premier Boxing Champions on NBCSN live from The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas with televised coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The evening’s televised co-feature will showcase a pair of undefeated rising contenders as Jordan Shimmell (19-0, 16 KOs) faces Isiah Thomas (14-0, 6 KOs).

“I’m excited to get back in the ring July 25th on NBCSN to be a part of this huge fight,” said Shumenov. “Flores is a good fighter with experience, so I expect a very good, entertaining fight. I am very happy to be fighting in Las Vegas. I am enjoying working with my head coach, Ismael Salas, and my two assistant coaches, Jeff Grmoja and Rodney Crisler. Every day has been productive and I’ve been learning something new.”

“Commentating for PBC is something I enjoy, but boxing is my passion. I am a boxer first,” said Flores. “I look forward to proving myself against a former world champion, an Olympian and a guy who is highly respected and regarded. This is the type of fight that PBC wants. Good competitive fights and that is what this is going to be. I’m very eager to be in a position like this. Beibut is a guy that I had always wanted to fight. He is a very good fighter. There is nothing bad to say about him. It is a great opportunity for me.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions are priced at $100.50, $75.50, $50.50, and $20.50, plus applicable fees, and go on sale tomorrow, June 30 at noon PT. Tickets may be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling the Pearl Box Office at 702-994-3200 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

“Mayweather Promotions is pleased to bring another great night of fights to Las Vegas and viewers watching on NBCSN,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “With two top cruiserweight contenders entering the ring, this will be an action-packed event for as long as it lasts.”

“We welcome Mayweather Promotions back to The Pearl and look forward to hosting another night of fantastic fights live for the whole world to see,” said Billy Conn, Vice President of Entertainment and Special Events at Palms Casino Resort.

A native of Shymkent, Kazakhstan fighting out of Las Vegas, Shumenov looks to make his mark in the cruiserweight division in the same way he soared to the top at light heavyweight. The 31-year-old won his world title by defeating Gabriel Campillo in Las Vegas in 2010. The 2004 Olympian for Kazakhstan went on to defend his title five times and will look for a big win in the city he now calls home.

Twice a U.S. National Champion as an amateur, the 36-year-old Flores seeks his biggest professional win on July 25 in Las Vegas. Flores has also begun to make his mark on the boxing world as an analyst for PBC on NBC. Born in San Francisco but fighting out of Chandler, Arizona, Flores comes into this bout on a seven-fight win streak including his most recent effort, a third round TKO over Kevin Engel in Oct. 2014.

The 26-year-old Shimmell is a former amateur standout who became the first heavyweight to win four Michigan Golden Gloves titles. Undefeated as a pro, the Hudsonville-native has ended his last seven bouts inside of the distance including his most recent victory, an April stoppage of Carlos Reyes.

A product of Emanuel Steward’s Kronk Gym in Detroit, Thomas was trained by the late famed trainer throughout an amateur career that included two Junior Olympic titles and a gold medal at the World Cadet Championships. Since turning pro in 2008 the 26-year-old is yet to lose and recently defeated Brad Austin in February.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.nbcsports.com/boxing and www.mayweatherpromotions.com,follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @Beibut_Shumenov, @BJFloresBoxing, @MayweatherPromo, @NBCSports, and @PearlAtPalms and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions and www.facebook.com/NBCSports.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former world champion Oscar De La Hoya has decided to stay retired after flirting with a comeback last week.

“Over the last six months I’ve had a front row seat as Golden Boy [Promotions] fighters including Canelo Alvarez, Bernard Hopkins, Lucas Matthysse, Jorge Linares and David Lemieux have stepped into the ring and shown what boxing should be all about — a commitment to fight the best, to respect the sport and to put the fans first,” De La Hoya said in a statement. “As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don’t think about coming back — and the performances of these Golden Boy fighters has only added to my desire to return to the ring.

“But I am retired, and after speaking to my family and following a great deal of introspection, I have decided to stay retired. However, I do so with knowledge that many fighters today still pride themselves on the same principles that I adhered to throughout my career. It is now through boxers like those I mentioned and dozens of other Golden Boy Promotions fighters that those values live on.”

“To the many thousands of fans who over the last couple of weeks encouraged me to come out of retirement and fight again, I thank you,” De La Hoya said. “You can rest assured that I will spend the rest of my days around this wonderful sport, even though those days won’t be spent inside the ropes.”

De La Hoya told ESPN.com on Monday that he even sparred 10 rounds with a young fighter — he said he did not know his name — on Saturday morning and did well.

“I still got it,” De La Hoya said.

After the sparring session, De La Hoya said he went home to have “the talk” with his wife, Millie, and their children about whether he should pursue the comeback. He said the plans ended with that conversation.

“My wife was all for it,” De La Hoya told ESPN.com. “But my kids didn’t want to see old Papa get hurt.”

LAS VEGAS (June 29, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has re-signed three of its decorated, reigning world champions – middleweight (185 pounds) kingpin David Branch, undefeated lightweight (155 pounds) champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje and bantamweight (135 pounds) titleholder Marlon Moraes – to new, exclusive, multi-year agreements.

“We are thrilled to have these three incredible champions on board with WSOF for the long haul again,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo. “Justin and Marlon are both homegrown superstars that we have been building since we opened the doors at WSOF, while David, who came to us as an established star, has grown into an even more dynamic and dominant mixed martial artist since joining the WSOF roster.

“All three fighters, continued Sefo, “are a testimony to our product and the world-class brand we have been building, and we look forward to ushering WSOF into its next phase of growth with them on board.”

The 33-year-old Branch (16-3) of Brooklyn, N.Y. is in the midst of a spectacular, six-fight win streak that he has put together with wins over the likes of Dustin Jacoby, Paulo Filho, Jesse Taylor and Yushin Okami.

A student of MMA legend Renzo Gracie, Branch, who has finished over 60 percent of his opponents during his 8 year professional career, notched his latest win, a second round (1:28) technical submission (shoulder choke) win over Jesse McElligott, on April 10 at WSOF 20.

Gaethje (14-0), a 26-year-old phenom who hails from Safford, Ariz., is coming off a March 28 conquest of seasoned battler Luis Palomino that served as the main event at WSOF 19.

Before a hometown crowd, Gaethje, who has earned 11 of his 14 career wins by way of (T)KO, engaged in an all-out slugfest, for nearly three full rounds before finally scoring a TKO victory with an onslaught of leg kicks and punches that downed Palomino at the 3:57 mark of the third stanza.

Moraes (14-4-1) of Howell, N.J. via Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will put his 9-fight win streak on the line, in his second WSOF title defense, when the 27-year-old faces undefeated star Sheymon Moraes at the star-studded “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” event, live on NBCSN from Planet Hollywood Resort Casino on Sat., Aug. 1.

Branch, Gaethje and Moraes will all be featured on “WSOF Unstoppable: The Road Ahead” on NBC on Saturday, July 11, beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. The special, two-hour program, co-hosted by retired MMA icon Bas Rutten, NBCSN veteran announcer Todd Harris and Gracie, will include interviews with all three WSOF world champions as well as their respective, recent championship bouts.

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

Bethlehem, PA (June 29, 2015)–On Friday, July 17 at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, Derrick Webster (19-0, 10KO’s) of Glassboro, New Jersey will take on Arif Magomedov for the NABO Middleweight title which will serve as the co-feature of a big quadruple-header that will be televised live on SHOWTIME’s award winning ShoBox: The New Generation.

The fight is scheduled for 10-rounds.

The bout is promoted by GH3 Promotions, Greg Cohen Promotions and Main Events and will support the 10-round Middleweight main event event between undefeated fighter’s Antoine Douglas (17-0-1, 11 KO’s) of Burke, VA and Istavan Szili (18-0-2, 8 KO’s) of Frenkendorf, Switzerland. In another title clash, Adam Lopez (12-0, 6 KO’s) of San Antonio, Texas will take on Eliecer Aquino (17-0-1, 11 KO’s) of Higuey, Dominican Republic in a 10-round Super Bantamweight bout for the WBA FEDELATIN and WBC Interim Latino titles. The opening bout will pit Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom (13-1, 11 KO’s) of Washington, DC and Samuel Clarkson (14-3, 8 KO’s) of Ceder Hill, TX in a bout scheduled for 8-rounds.

Some of the best talent in the country will be on display on the non-televised undercard as scheduled to appear will be Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight champion John Thompson (17-1, 6 KO’s) of Newark, NJ; Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell (14-1, 7 KO’s) of Atlantic City, NJ; Super Middleweight Christopher Brooker (3-0, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia, PA; Super Bantamweight Manny Folly (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia, PA; Lightweight Samuel Teah (5-1, 3 KO’s).

Lightweight Bienvenidio Diaz (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Paterson, NJ will fight Oscar Bonilla (3-1-2, 2 KO’s) of New Haven, Connecticut in a bout scheduled for four rounds.

Also on the card will be a 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout between Ricky Nuno (1-0) of Bethlehem, PA taking on Tim Kunkel.

Tickets are priced at $100, $75 and $50 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster and www.ticketmaster.com

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight Champion John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight Jerrell Harris,undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad, lightweight Oscar Bonilla, Heavyweight Natu Visinia and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.

LONDON (29 JUNE) Middleweight challenger Damon Jones believes age will be no barrier when he steps up in class to face British champion Nick Blackwell on July 25 at Derby Arena, LIVE on Channel 5.

The promising 22-year-old has looked faultless so far in his professional career – winning 13 bouts on the spin – but has yet to go past six rounds and has yet to meet a competitor quite like Blackwell. Not that it matters in Jones’ mind, of course.

“I think this opportunity has come at exactly the right time,” he said. “I’ve been a professional since I was 18 and I feel the apprenticeship is over. I’m now ready for the step up.

“There’s no pressure at all on me, and this helps with training. It brings the best out of me.

“Nick is the favourite and I’m the underdog, but he’s used to going into fights as the underdog and then upsetting the odds. He’s used to going into fights with no stress or pressure on him. It will be interesting to see how he deals with being the champion and headlining an event.

“All I know is it will be good to be 22 and the British middleweight champion.”

Despite his relative lack of pro experience, Jones boasts an amateur career consisting of 79 fights (only seven of which were losses) and won a Senior ABA title at the tender age of 17. He was also a nine-time national champion, a Youth Commonwealth Games gold medallist, a three-time Junior ABA champion and a three-time CYP champion. Suffice to say, he has much in the way of fighting pedigree.

“I had an incredible amateur career and when I turned pro my first ambition was to win the British title,” said the Leeds man. “I think that’s every boxer’s dream.

“Some good amateurs go on to have crap pro careers, but I’m not going to go that way. I’m 22 now and ready to show people I’m a fully-fledged pro capable of winning titles.

“I’m young, I’m hungry, I’m undefeated and I want to box the best people now. Boxing on these little shows against fighters with no ambition is not bringing out the best in me. I’m not having to raise my game.

“But I know when I step up in class on July 25, my game will go to a whole new level. People are going to see a completely different Damon Jones that night. They’ll be really surprised.”

As for Blackwell, the reigning champion, Jones sees a man with obvious dangers, but one he can get the better of when they collide on July 25.

“I watched Nick win the title against John Ryder last month and thought he put on a good performance,” said Jones. “But Ryder was committing too much in the early rounds. He was on Nick’s chest and he didn’t need to be there.

“He got caught with a good shot and fair play to Nick – he did the job. He grabbed the opportunity when it came. I had Ryder winning most of the rounds, but, as is always the case with boxing, one punch changed it all.

“There were plenty of chinks in Blackwell’s armour that night, though – stuff I can look at and work on. It was good that he was facing a southpaw because it gave me the opportunity to see how Blackwell operates against one, even though I’m a completely different fighter to Ryder and we have completely different styles.

“Blackwell’s a good come-forward fighter, he’s strong and I’ve got to be careful. I can’t get caught with silly shots. I’ve got to be clever against him. As we saw against Ryder, he’s a strong kid and, if he sees the opportunity, he will take it. I’ve got to be switched on throughout.

“I’m going to be sharp, show plenty of angles and use good footwork. I think if I can put all of that together, it will cause Blackwell big problems. I’m also a tall guy – just over six-foot – and I’ll use my height and reach advantages to control him. I’ve got a lot of advantages going into this fight.”

*** Tickets for Blackwell vs. Jones can be purchased from the Derby Arena Box Office on 01332 255800 or by visiting www.derbylive.co.uk ***

*** Blackwell vs. Jones will be televised live on Channel 5 on July 25, while the supporting undercard will be televised live earlier in the evening on Spike ***

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By Bart Barry-

DALLAS – Four miles southeast of this city’s downtown center stands Gexa Energy Pavilion, a 20,000-seat outdoor amphitheater whose stage Friday hosted a deep roster of pioneers in a musical genre then-known as rap – as in Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” – and now known as hip-hop. For those enchanted by the seedling genre in its great years, 1985-1992, Friday was an ecstasy of nostalgia and enduring craftsmanship.

Would that welterweight Timothy Bradley’s decision victory over Jessie Vargas Saturday night in Carson, Calif., kindled such praise, but when a referee marks the first interview conducted after a sporting event of any kind, one can safely assume that event disappointed spectators. So it went with Bradley-Vargas 1, a middling affair until the final moments, when Bradley ran himself into a Vargas righthand, got buckled, staggered a bit, held on, and made it to referee Pat Russell’s chosen stopping place, which as everyone now has been told a dozen times and as many different ways, was not on the 3:00 mark.

The idea Bradley – who pedaled himself unconsciously through about 11 rounds with Ruslan Provodnikov, and managed to remain conscious, too, for a combined 36 rounds across from Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez – was but one blow from being stopped by a career junior welterweight with nine knockouts in 26 prizefights, in his debut at 147 pounds, is quite nearly absurd. But as neither HBO nor promoter Top Rank has an idea what to do with Bradley, still, a rematch birthed by a controversy inspired by true events is the best idea currently in the offing. One no longer pities Bradley quite deeply as he did in the aftermath of the Provodnikov match, when Bradley dutifully shortened his own life with a heroic apology for decisioning Pacquiao and thereby sabotaging in 2012 (until Marquez did it perfectly six months later, and Top Rank subsequently and effortfully resurrected Pacquiao) the Fight to Save Boxing, which did quite the opposite this May.

Bradley is not a welterweight, whatever says the thickening of his physique, and his lack of welterweight power manifests itself in two obvious ways. Firstly, in seven matches, Bradley has yet to knock-out, or even knock-down, anyone as a welterweight – despite hurling himself awkwardly enough at every opponent to ruin feet and ankles, and perform what could only be called a contortionist feat on the blue mat against Provodnikov th’t yogis, to this day, cannot replicate. And secondly, that Bradley loses his balance so often, and badly, by overcommitting to punches that barely dent or mark the men he strikes flush with them.

The move that causes Bradley the most trouble is his orphan-the-children righthand that, when it misses, finds him fully crossed-over and pointedly aware of how precariously he’s mispositioned himself. Generally, after the righthand misses, Bradley sets his eyes on the tops of his own shoes, hopes not to get hit, returns his weight to his left foot (now his back foot), and quickly uncrosses his legs. He’s an elite athlete, even among what elite athletes make their livings in prizefighting, and that athleticism, once a fundamental hindrance, most likely, a hindrance to his adoption of boxing fundamentals, is now what allows him to do well as he does.

Jessie Vargas, too, exceeded expectations, Saturday, offering a competitive opponent to Bradley, and making the final minute of the fight more interesting than its 35 predecessors. Vargas certainly did not win, and were there a feasible or even novel opponent for Bradley, victory over Vargas would be declared and boxing would move on without a rematch at the end of the year, but as there is not, Unfinished will become Business’s modifier, and a more-tentative Timothy Bradley will outbox Vargas by wide margins whenever the rematch happens.

There was a two-year stretch in which I attended three-of-four Bradley matches, in Las Vegas, and yet it didn’t cross my mind to attend Saturday’s tilt. Why not? Two reasons, again: Firstly, Timothy Bradley, while remaining a model citizen and fighter boxing would be well-advised to replicate a few hundred times, is not always enthralling to watch, and the higher his weight climbs, the more apparent this becomes. And secondly, there was Big Daddy Kane and Melle Mel and Sugarhill Gang and Doug E. Fresh and Whodini and LL Cool J – “Kings of the Mic” – to see in this city, Friday.

The term “classic hip-hop” appears now to encompass the genuinely talented part of Friday’s show, while the less-talented part of Friday’s show, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, is from a later era discovered by trailblazers who, despite their collective greatness as performers, proved no better at spotting talent than Shane Mosley during his brief time as a Golden Boy Promotions partner. There was not a single oath spoken, sung or rapped in the opening four hours of Friday’s show, and then Bone Thugs-n-Harmony began its sloppy, pointless set, and one couldn’t escape from vulgarity – the word motherf**ker fairly creaking under the weight of a performance it now had to shoulder.

That is not some priggish commentary about family values, either; it’s an aesthetic criticism.

Today, consumers of hip-hop expect, proudly demand even, lyrics written between and a first- and third-grade reading level. It was not that way in the beginning. Big Daddy Kane’s lyrics resonate almost 30 years after one first hears them, and so do LL Cool J’s. The songs Public Enemy released before 1992 are more relevant to current events, 25 years later, than 90-percent of the garbage hip-hop has become since the fateful year Dr. Dre released “The Chronic.”

“Oh, but you don’t understand ‘the industry’ and ‘the branding’ and ‘what’s hot’ and . . .” – just stop it; no man wants to hear another man talk like a teenage girl.

In the short run, little in life finds its governance in a meritocracy, and the long run, by its very nature, rarely gets survived by what artists it promotes. May some sense of that continue to bring solace to both Timothy Bradley and Big Daddy Kane.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

According to Dan Rafael of espn.con, a purse bid has been ordered for a Heavyweight title bout between Wladimir Klitscko and Tyson Fury.

CARSON, Calif. – Nothing is ever easy for Timothy Bradley.

Or predictable

In a career full of controversial decisions and crazy finishes, there was another wild ride for Bradley.

Bradley wound up winning a unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas Saturday. But it was in a 12-round fight that referee Pat Russell stopped about seven seconds before it was supposed to end and about five seconds after Bradley was rocked by a huge right hand.

Confusion reigned for a couple of minutes, Vargas thought Russell stopped it because Bradley was hurt and couldn’t continue. Vargas celebrated, thinking he had scored a huge upset. His corner men and friends jumped into the ring to celebrate with him. Meanwhile, Bradley appeared confused. He shook his head in disbelief at what looked to be a loss.

“I knew where I was at all times,’’ said Bradley, who stumbled backwards from an overhand right by Vargas. “I knew where I was at all times. All of sudden, the referee was waving his hands. I didn’t know what was going on.’’

Nobody did.

Turns out, Russell stopped the fight because he thought it was over.

“I thought I heard the bell,’’ Russell told HBO’s Max Kellerman in a chaotic scene at the center of the ring.
Maybe, Russell heard the 10-second warning and mistook it for the final bell. Or maybe he heard an inadvertent bell from somewhere in the StubHub crowd. Maybe, maybe, maybe. It’s only certain that he didn’t stop the fight because of what he saw in Bradley.

“I made the call based on what I heard,’’ Russell said.

That meant the fight went to the scorecards. All three favored Bradley. Judge Max DeLuca had it 116-112. Rocky Young scored it 117-111. On Kermit Bayless’ card, it was 115-112.

Finally, Bradley (32-1-1,12 KOs) could celebrate. In the sudden turn of events, however, there was only frustration for Vargas (26-1, 9 KOs).

“Those seven seconds cost me the fight,’’ he said.
He complained that he wasn’t allowed to finish Bradley. He was denied a triumphant finish, he said.

“Let me finish what I started,’’ he said to Bradley while asking for a rematch.
Okay, Bradley said.
No telling how crazy an encore might be.

Except for seven seconds, Bradley appeared to control the bout

Doubt appeared to creep into Vargas’ eyes as early as the second round. Bradley was applying pressure with muscle and authority. As the round ended, Vargas smiled at him. There was a question, perhaps a prayer, in that smile. It was as if Vargas couldn’t believe that Bradley could sustain the pace.

But he did at a punishing rate. Bradley repeatedly stepped inside Vargas’ four-inch advantage in reach, delivering blows to body and head with the thudding impact of that old jackhammer he swung around during an old-school training camp.

At the end of the fifth, Vargas found himself with his back on the ropes. He would be there again and again in a futile attempt to elude Bradley’s tireless pursuit. There was just nowhere else to go for Vargas in his first bout against a welterweight who is among the division elite.

Bradley was stronger and he knew it. By the seventh, there was a look of resignation instead of doubt on Vargas’ face. By the ninth, there was almost a look of dread. By the tenth, there was inevitability.

But, in the end, there was only chaos. Nothing for new for Bradley

Oscar Valdez down early, wins easily

If the prospect stage is about lessons, super-featherweight Oscar Valdez got one. Passed it, too. But it wasn’t the A-plus kind of grade that put Valdez at the top of the honor roll through his first 16 fights. More like a B-minus.

Ruben Tamayo, a fellow Mexican with a journeyman’s record (23-6-4, 15 KOs) surprised Valdez (17-0, 14 KOs) early with some thing of a pop quiz. Valdez, a two-time Olympian, was on the canvas in the first round.

It wasn’t exactly clear how he got there. Valdez appeared to get his feet tangled up after Tamayo knocked him off balance with a left. Maybe, he tripped. Maybe, Tamayo’s power put him there. Maybe, both.

Whatever it was, it was a momentary stunner.

Valdez looks surprised, even embarrassed. The good news is that he quickly recovered with a poised attack that included stinging jabs to the head and combos to the body. The bad news was that he couldn’t finish Tamayo, who was penalized a point in the seventh for a low blow. Still, it was enough for a 98-90, 99-90, 98-90 win on the scorecards.

Next lesson, please

On The Undercard
The Best: Providence featherweight Toka Khan Clary (16-0-0-1, 10 KOs) landed a huge hook at the end of the sixth round, dropping Colombian Jonathan Perez (33-12, 27 KOs) just as the bell sounded. It looked as if Perez never heard the bell. It also looked as if he had no clue at what hit him or even where he was. He was unconscious before he ever hit the canvas, knocked out at 2:59 of the sixth.

The Rest: Chicago welterweight Ed Brown (6-0, 6 KOs) scored a second-round knockout of Jose Maruffo (7-3-2,) of Phoenix. It was dull, but it was decisive as junior-welterweight Abraham Lopez (1-1) of Rowland Heights scored a unanimous decision over Mexican Joann Valenzuela (1-4-1, 1 KO). And Los Angeles featherweight Leonardo Chavez (4-1, 3 KOs) scored a second-round knockdown and was never threatened in winning a unanimous decision over Mexican Jair Quintero (4-5-2).

By Norm Frauenheim-

CARSON, Calif. – Light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev said he didn’t watch Andre Ward’s comeback victory over Paul Smith and instead concentrated on his July 25 title defense against Nadjib Mohammedi.

“Empty talk right now,’’ Kovalev said Saturday during an hour-long session with reporters before a card featuring Timothy Bradley-Jessie Vargas at StubHub Center.

The internet is on fire with speculation about a Ward-Kovalev fight in the wake of Ward’s ninth-round stoppage of Smith on June 20 in Oakland, Calif.

The unbeaten Ward, a ringside analyst for HBO Saturday night, is still deliberating about whether he’ll move to light-heavy or stay at super-middleweight. He fought Smith at a catch-weight, 172 pounds. The guessing game is that Ward is moving toward a big-money showdown against either Kovalev or middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.

Kovalev manager Egis Klimas said he did watch Ward’s comeback, his first bout in about 19 months.

“He’s interesting,’’ Klimas said. “He’s a different kind of fighter. A very good fighter.’’

Klimas also foresees a Ward-Kovalev showdown, which he says would be “the biggest fight for Sergey.’’

Meanwhile, Kovalev, who faces Mohammedi in a mandatory defense at Las Vegas Mandalay Bay, had plenty to say about Adonis Stevenson, who holds the WBC’s version of the light-heavyweight title.

Kovalev, who is training in nearby Big Bear, continued to call Stevenson a piece of excrement.

“Because he’s running from me,’’ Kovalev said.

Mulvane, Kan. (June 26, 2015) – Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) utilized a vast array of elbow strikes to defeat Alexander Volkov (24-6) via unanimous decision in the main event of Bellator MMA: “Kongo vs. Volkov” from Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., on Friday.

The Frenchman was relentless with his takedown attempts and “Drago” was unable to use his length to ward them off, spending a good duration of the heavyweight encounter on his back.

With the victory, Kongo improves to 4-2 under the Bellator MMA umbrella, while Volkov has now dropped two consecutive decisions.

In the co-main event, Dave Rickels (16-3, 1 NC) was seemingly en route to a spectacular stoppage of John Alessio (35-17, 1 NC) but an ill-advised knee to the head of a downed Alessio resulted in a no contest.

The 26-year-old Derby, Kan. native had the former World Extreme Cagefighting competitor wobbled against the cage, but the roar of the hometown fans may have clouded his decision making, as Rickels threw the knee and as a result referee Rob Hinds waved off the fight.

“Kansas, I’m so sorry,” Rickels said. “The fight was going exactly as I expected. You will see me do this again, except next time, I’m going to legally finish my opponent. I kneed him in the head, I screwed up, I could’ve stopped at any second but I just wanted to finish it.”

In what will undoubtedly end up as a “knockout of the year” candidate, Hisaki Kato (5-1) finished Joe Schilling (2-5) with a second-round Superman punch to impress in his Bellator MMA debut.

“I believed in myself. I know I have really heavy hands and it took just one big shot to knock him out,” Kato said after the fight. “I feel I did a great job of representing Japanese MMA. It’s not only about grappling, we are also strikers as well.”

Kato showcased his grappling the first round, nullifying the world-class muay Thai of Schilling on the ground. But after a few even exchanges to open the second slate, Kato struck with a perfectly placed punch that sent those in attendance into a frenzy. It’s worth noting that the Japanese international has won all five of his fights by KO or TKO.

In the opening main card bout of the evening, Pat Curran (21-7) got back on the winning track with a unanimous (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) decision over a game Emmanuel Sanchez (10-2).

Curran was originally slated to face Goiti Yamauchi, but an injury created the opportunity for Sanchez to fill-in on short notice. The two featherweights maintained a torrid pace over the course of 15 minutes, but the three judges appointed by the Kansas commission all ruled in favor of the former 145-pound champion.

After the fight, “Paddy Mike” promised to continue improving on his craft.

“I really needed this win,” Curran said. “I want to thank him for stepping up on three weeks notice and taking the fight. I’m going to keep coming, I have a lot to improve and keep working on. I’m going to head back to the gym and keep getting better.”

Josh Koscheck Signing:

Bellator MMA also announced the signing of Josh “Kos” Koscheck (17-10) to a multi-fight deal. The welterweight comes to the Scott Coker-led promotion from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he amassed his record fighting some of the most notable names in the welterweight division, including Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes.

Koscheck, is a former Division I wrestling champion who now joins an ultra-competitive welterweight division, where a rematch against Paul Daley could possibly come to fruition.

Preliminary Results:

Frederick Brown (3-1) stopped Derek Bohi (6-4) with punches in the Bellator 139 dark main event. The technical knockout came :29 seconds into the first round.

Aaron Ely (5-2) utilized his slick grappling skills to submit Jeimeson Saudino (8-5) with a standing guillotine choke at 1:05 of round two. “The Cyborg” has earned all of his five victories by way of submission.

The lone women’s fight on the Bellator 139 card did not disappoint, as Bryanna Fissori (2-0) earned a unanimous 29-28 decision win against Iony Razafiarison (2-1). The difference was the third and final frame, where “The Pink Ranger” secured a full mount and rained down punches, seeking the finish and receiving the benefit of the doubt from the judges.

Alex Huddleston (6-1) is making a habit of finishing scraps early, finishing his opponent Javy Ayala (8-4) via rear-naked choke a mere 72-seconds after the opening bell sounded. With the win, “The Shaved Gorilla” has two first-round finishes in his two fights under the Bellator MMA banner.

Before Augusto Sakai (10-0) and Daniel Gallemore (4-3) could get off their stools for a third round, Gallemore’s corner stopped the fight. Somewhere along the way, “Big Kansas” began having trouble seeing, giving Sakai the win via TKO and keeping the Brazilian fighter’s record unblemished to begin his professional career.

Bubba Jenkins (9-2) got back to his winning way against Joe Wilk (19-10) on Friday night, finishing the Kansas-native with punches at 1:00 of round one. “The Highlight Kid” improved to 6-2 inside the Bellator MMA cage.

It took 15 tightly contested minutes to find a winner between lightweights Pablo Villaseca (9-1) and Bobby Cooper (12-5). In the end, two judges scored the fight in favor of the man they call “Super Duper,” giving him the split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) victory.

In the opening bout of the evening, Gaston Reyno (4-0, 2 NC) made quick work of Greg Scott (3-4), picking up the submission win after only 1:17 of featherweight action.

Jamal James 146.7 – Mike Balasi 147.6
Juan Carlos Rojas 162.3 – Caleb Plant 164.1
Alex Martin 148.5 – Jeremiah Wiggins 151
Christian Molina 138.5 – Justin Johnson 137.5
Robert Ramos 136 – Ismael Serrano 135
Desmond Moore 123.2 – Mike Hefflinger 128
Kyrone Davis 161 – Jose Alberto Leal 159
Alvaro Enriquez 171.5 – Carlos Gongora 170
Benjamin Burgos TBA – Chris Colbert 125.2
Antonio DuBose 128.6 – Jesus Lule 128.4

Promoter: King’s Promotions
Venue: Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem
1st Bell: 6:45 PM ET

Tickets are priced at $100, $75 and $50 and can purchased at ticketmaster and www.ticketmaster.com

Dominic Wade scored a debated split decision over former world champion Sam Soliman in a Middleweight bout at the Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Washington.

The difference in the fight was a controversial knockdown scored by Wade when it looked like it was a more of a push.

Wade, 162 1/2 lbs of Washington, DC won by scores of 97-92, 95-94 while Soliman took a card 96-93.

Wade is now 18-0. Soliman, 161 1/2 lbs of Melbourne, Australia is now 44-13-1.

Wade landed just 74-317 punches while Soliman landed 98-450.

Erickson Lubin scored 1st round stoppage over Ayi Bruce in a scheduled 8-round Jr. Middleweight bout

Lubin dropped Bruce in round one from an accumulation of punches. Seconds later, it was another flurry that sent Bruce down and did not beat referee Ray Corona’s count at 2:49 of round one.

Lubin, 152 1/2 lbs of Orlando, FL is now 11-0 with 8 knockouts. Bruce, 151 1/2 lbs of Silver Spring, MD is 15-10.

Oscar Rivas remained undefeated by scoring a 1st round stoppage over Jason Pettaway in a scheduled 8-round Heavyweight bout.

Rivas dropped Pettaway with a right hand to the body that was not ruled a knockdown as Rivas hit Pettaway when he was down. Referee Robert Byrd docked two points from Rivas. Rivas then dropped Pettaway following a barrage of punches and a right hand. Rivas dropped Pettaway again with a left hand and Byrd called off the bout at 2:25.

Rivas, 24 1/2 lbs of Montreal, CAN is 17-0 with 12 knockouts. Pettaway, 222 lbs of Huntington, WV is 17-3.

Dennis Hogan remained undefeated by scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over Kenny Abril in a Super Welterweight bout at the Senaca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara, New York.

Hogan, 152 lbs of Queensland, AUS is won by scores 97-93 twice and 96-94 and is now 22-0-1. Abril, 151 lbs of Rochester, NY is 14-8-1.

Former world title challenger Tony Luis won an 8-round unanimous decision over Edward Valdez in a Lightweight bout.

Luis, 137 1/2 lbs of Cornwall, ONT, CAN won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 20-3. Valdez, 136 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 13-11-2.

Jarrell Miller remained undefeated as he scored a 1st round stoppage over Excell Holmes in a scheduled 8-round Heavyweight bout.

Miller landed a barrage of punches on an already bloodied Holmes and referee Charlie Fitch stopped the bout at 2:44 of round one.

Miller, 269 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 14-0-1 with 12 knockouts. Holmes, 250 lbs of Buffalo, NY is 2-6-1.

Paul Mendez won a 10-round split decision over David Lopez in a Super Middleweight bout in Salinas, California.

Mendez, 163 lbs of Salinas, CA won by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 while Lopez took a card 96-94.

Mendez is now 17-2-2. Lopez, 167 lbs of Nogales, MX is 41-16-1.

Andy Vences scored a 4th round stoppage over Santiago Guevara in a scheduled 8-round Jr. Lightweight bout.

Vences landed a right hand to the side of the face that sent Guevara to the canvas. Guevara got to his feet he could not continue at 37 seconds of round four

Vences, 131 lbs of San Jose, CA is now 12-0 with 8 knockouts. Guevara, 130 lbs of Los Angeles, is 8-2.

Alan Sanchez won a 8-round unanimous decision over late replacement Carlos Lozano in a Middleweight bout.

Sanchez, 155 lbs of Fairfield, CA won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice and is now 16-3-1. Lozano, 156 lbs of Ensalnda, MX is 7-5.

Gilberto Ramirez remained perfect as he scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Derek Edwards at the State Farm Arena in idalgo, Texas.

Ramirez, 168 lbs of Mazatlan, MX won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 32-0. Edwards, 168 lbs of Las Vegas is 27-5-1.

Diego Magdaleno scored a strange 7th round stoppage over Jose Gonzalez in a scheduled 12-round Lightweight bout featuring former world title challengers

Magdaleno was cut over the left eye in round six from a punch. In round seven, Gonzalez went down from an apparent low blow and was in discomfort. He crawled around the ring for several minutes and then could not continue at 2:43 of round seven

Magadaleno, 134 1/4 lbs of Las Vegas is now 28-1 with 12 knockouts. Gonzalez, 134 1/4 lbs of Toa Boja, PR is 24-2.

Magdaleno outlanded Gonzalez 57-43.

By Norm Frauenheim-

CARSON, Calif. – Timothy Bradley returns to a place that gave him headache. A career-defining victory, too.

This time, he plans to leave without the headache and only a victory over Jessie Vargas Saturday night (6:45 pm PST/9:45 pm EST on HBO) in a welterweight bout he hopes will hit the-re-set button for bigger things in his resilient career.

Still, Bradley can’t help but look around at the SubHub Center and wince at what he remembers of March 16, 2013 against Ruslan Provodnikov.

“Horrific,’’ Bradley said.

That was the night Bradley suffered a concussion, yet somehow survived to win a decision over Provodnikov in the 2013 Fight of the Year.

Ever since, Bradley has called the outdoor ring at StubHub “the War-Grounds.’’ Calling it a Center just doesn’t do justice to the battle that transpired more than two years ago.

Bradley isn’t seeking an encore. Who would? A solid decision over Vargas, a newcomer to the welterweight division’s elite ranks, would be enough and perhaps lead to bigger fights for bigger money at even a bigger weight. Bradley has even talked about middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.

“I was small 140-pounder,’’ said Bradley, who was 146.4 pounds Friday at the weigh-in for the 147-pound bout. “I’m a small 147-pounder. I’d be a small 154-pounder. But, like I’ve been saying all along, I’ll fight anybody.’’

For now, that somebody is Vargas, who is finally getting the big fight he’s been seeking. Vargas, who has a four-inch advantage in reach, also was 146.4 pounds Friday.

The card, HBO’s Boxing 1000th telecast, will also feature super-featherweight prospect Oscar Valdez in his first appearance on the premium network. Valdez (15-0, 14 KOs), a two-time Mexican Olympian who went to school in Tucson, was 127.4 pounds Friday. He faces fellow Mexican Ruben Tamayo (25-5-4, 17 KOs). In his first trip to the scale Tamayo was 129, a pound over the contracted weight, 128. An hour later, Tamayo weighed 128.

Timothy Bradley 146.4 – Jessie Vargas 146.4
Oscar Valdez 127.4 – Ruben Tamayo 129

LOS ANGELES (June 26) – Former Interim WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera will participate in the ceremonial coin toss at the first semi-final game of the 2015 SocioMX Cup between two of the most well-known Mexican soccer teams Cruz Azul F.C. and Pumas UNAM on Tuesday, June 30 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, ahead of his fight on July 11 against “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy at The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The ceremonial coin toss will be featured at the start of the broadcast of the semi-match through Socio MX’s cup national partner, Estrella TV and international partner ESPN.

The SocioMX Cup is promoted by Sports Marketing Monterrey and presented by Coors Light. Tickets for the event start at $25 available at Ticketmaster.com and the L.A. Coliseum box office. The match starts at 7:30 p.m. PT. The winners of the semi-final matches will advance to the Final of the SocioMX Cup in Dallas, TX at the Cotton Bowl on July 5. For more information please visit www.socio.mx.

Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera is set to face Philadelphia’s “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy (25-4-1, 12 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight bout for the vacant NABF Super Lightweight Championship live on HBO Latino ® beginning at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT).

Tickets priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, plus applicable taxes and service charges, and are available for purchase at www.lacoliseum.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations and by calling 800-745-3000.

Herrera vs. Lundy is a 10-round super lightweight bout for the vacant NABF title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with CES Boxing and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico, Live It To Believe It! Doors open at 4:00 pm PT and the first bell rings at 4:15 p.m. PT. The HBO Latino Boxing telecast begins at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT).

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.cesboxing.com, and www.lacoliseum.com on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CESBoxing, @HBOLatino, @elmaestro1, @hammerinhank30, @theartistperez, @sharibogere, @josephdiazjr, @jay_quigley, @strikerdelgado, @nick_arce, and @angelbojado and become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, CES Facebook Page, or www.facebook.com/hbolatino, and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CESBoxing,@mauricioherrera359, and @hammerin_hank_lundy, @michaelperezofficial, @bogereshrif, @jospehdiazjr, @jayquigley1, @elchimpa, @strikerdelgado90, @realnickarce, and @teambojado.

TORONTO (June 26, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents another live installment of Golden Boy Promotions’ popular Golden Boy Live! series tonight, Friday, June 26 at 10 p.m. ET, as top local prospects are set to hit the Salinas Storm House in Salinas Calif., with Fairfield standout Alan Sanchez battling Canadian welterweight titlist Steve Claggett for the vacant IBA Americas welterweight title. Fight Network’s live broadcast of Golden Boy Live! will air exclusively in Canada.

Immediately following the boxing telecast, Fight Network presents a global broadcast of Hard Knocks Fighting 44 via one-hour tape delay from Calgary, Alberta, Canada’s Century Casino. Fight Network’s broadcast of Hard Knocks Fighting 44 will air on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

In the co-main event of Golden Boy Live! topped by Sanchez vs. Claggett, Salinas native Paul “El Gallo Negro” Mendez (18-2, 9 KOs) will take on Mexican David “The Destroyer” Lopez (41-15-1, 25 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight bout, plus Andy “The Shark” Vences (11-0, 7 KOs) of San Jose, Calif., will face Santiago “El Lobito” Guevara (8-1, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif.

Meanwhile, Hard Knocks Fighting 44 features a stacked line-up of Canadian mixed martial arts talent, headlined by UFC veteran Nick Ring (14-3) taking on former Strikeforce standout Cory Devela (14-6). In other featured bouts, one-time UFC “Fight of the Night” winner Rodney Wallace (22-10-1) looks to return to the win column opposite fellow big show veteran Kalib Starnes (16-9-1), Gabriel Solorio (11-10) battles Rolando Cespedes (5-2) in featherweight action, plus undefeated Miles Anstead (6-0) takes on Brandt Dewsbery (13-3-1) and Joel Powell (8-5) meets Derek Boyle (13-7) in a pair of welterweight clashes.

The exciting doubleheader kicks off on Friday, June 26 at 10 p.m. ET.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

The week of Saturday, August 8, at the Radisson Montevideo Victoria Plaza Hotel in Montevideo, Uruguay, promoter Sampson Lewkowicz will stage “Las Vegas en el Radisson,” a historic first for boxing, combining a world-class boxing show that Saturday night with a four-day international poker tournament.

In the boxing show’s main event, former women’s world champion and hometown hero Cecilia “La Reina” Comunales of Paysandu, Uruguay (12-1, 8 KOs), will move up in weight for the first time to go 10 rounds with Lina Milagros Tejada (10-2, 8 KOs) of the Dominican Republic for the WBC Women’s Super Lightweight International Championship.

The night’s main supporting bout is a very special “All Panama City” grudge match four years in the making, as super bantamweight Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion (18-7-1, 8 KOs) of Panama City, Panama, will challenge comebacking former multiple world champion Roberto “La Arana” Vasquez (32-6-2, 22 KOs), also of Panama City.

And in a very special third featured bout, Braulio “El Chavo” Rodriguez (17-1, 16 KOs) of La Romana, Dominican Republic, will take on Entre Ríos, Argentina’s Marcos “Maquinita” Martinez (17-2, 5 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the WBC Latino Super Featherweight Championship.

Three more exciting undercard bouts will also be held, one of which will feature Panamanian welterweight contender Azael “Turbo” Cosio (19-3-2, 16 KOs). The other match-ups and Cosio’s opponent are TBA.

The poker side of this unique doubleheader of casino sports will begin on Thursday, August 6, and is being organized by the CAM Poker Organization. On Saturday night, the poker will end at 7 pm and the boxing show will begin at 9 pm. The finals of the poker tournament will be held on Sunday.

In-person enrollees in the poker tournament will receive a complimentary dinner and premium ticket to the boxing. Satellite enrollees are also welcome. Visit www.full10poker.net, or www.aconcaguapoker.com for more information.

The boxing show is being broadcast by VTV Uruguay, TyC from Argentina (including locations in the United States) and TV Canal 4 in Panama.

ABOUT SAMPSON BOXING

After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.

Hincley, MN- Cruiserweights Phil Williams and Al Sands are slated to meet in Minnesota’s most anticipated boxing event of the year on August 28th at Grand Casino Hinckley.

Both Williams (14-7-2) and Sands (15-1) are nationally ranked in the cruiserweight division, and boxing fans in the upper Midwest have been calling for the matchup for close to two years ????? ???? ?? ????? 10000. A deal was finalized for the boxers to meet at Grand Casino Hinckley, which should draw a large contingent for both fighters, as Sands hails from Duluth, and Williams represents Minneapolis.
“It’s a fight I’ve been wanting for a while now. I’ve been calling him out, and now we’re finally going to make it happen.” Said Williams.
Former WBU super middleweight champion Williams made his cruiserweight return last August when he notched a highlight reel knockout of Galen Brown. His only loss in the division came in December when he was stopped by the number one ranked prospect in the country Jordan Shimmel in Chicago.
“A matchup with Sands was at the forefront of our priority list when we moved Phil up to cruiserweight. Records aside, I think Phil’s experience and power against Al’s size and athleticism should make for a matchup that excites the fans.” Said Williams’ advisor Brett Mauren.
Sands has established a loyal fan base in the Twin Ports area since debuting in 2010, and picked up the state’s cruiserweight title in 2013, in addition to an NABA cruiserweight title. His 81% knockout rate has propelled him to a #8 ranking nationally by Boxrec.com
The fight is presented by Cory Rapacz and Grand Friday Night Fights. Tickets go on sale on July 3rd at 10am at grandcasinomn.com, and are priced 35$ general admission, 50$ reserved, 100$ ringside, and 600$ ringside table.

TORONTO (June 26, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents the third live installment of Big Knockout Boxing this Saturday, June 27 at 10 p.m. ET immediately following a live Canadian broadcast of the UFC Fight Night™: Machida vs. Romero prelims at 8 p.m. ET from Hollywood, Florida.

Fight Network’s live broadcast of BKB 3 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas will air nationwide in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The BKB heavyweight title is up for grabs in the main event as unbeaten Julian Pollard (6-0) faces Rodney Hernandez (7-2-1), a late replacement for combat sports superstar Tyrone Spong.

The exciting card also features a junior middleweight bout pitting hardened veteran Jesus Soto Karass (28-10-3) against Adrian Granados (13-4-2), a middleweight clash between Shane Mosley Jr. (4-1) and Jason Kelly (3-0), a junior middleweight tilt between Janks Trotter (9-1-1) and Ed Paredes (35-5-1), plus Kyrgyzstan native Urmat Ryskeldiev (10-3-1) throws down with Florida native Marcus Willis (14-4-2) at junior middleweight.

BKB is a revolutionary concept in the sweet science with fighters competing inside a pit with a 17-foot diameter. With no ropes and no corners, there’s no choice but to engage, and with a fighting surface half the size of a traditional boxing ring, there’s nowhere to hide. Strap in for two-minute rounds of pure intensity, plus HitChip sensors in the fighters’ gloves measure the speed and force of every punch they throw, so you can see the impact of every hook, jab and haymaker.

BKB 3 kicks off at 10 p.m. ET this Saturday, June 27.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

For More Information Contact:

Bethlehem, PA (June 26 2015)–Saturday night at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, Undefeated Middleweight Kyrone “Shut it Down” Davis takes on the best opponent of his fledgling career when he takes on Jose Alberto Leal in a bout scheduled for 10-rounds.

The bout will be part of a 10 bout card promoted by King’s Promotions.

Davis of Wilmington, Delaware has a record of 7-0 with three knockouts is coming off a 6-round unanimous decision over 21 fight veteran Carlos Garcia on April 25 in Chester, PA.

The 20 year-old Davis ready for his third bout of 2015.

Leal, 32 years-old of Guadalajara, Mexico has a record of 9-7-1 with four knockouts. Leal has wins over Christopher Degollado (12-1) & Marco Alberto Martinez (5-0-2). Leal has lost two straight which includes his bout when he was stopped by Oscar Molina (10-0) on March 13 in Ontario, California.

“Everything has been great. I don’t know much about Leal but I am always ready for anybody who gets in with me,”said Davis.

After a terrific amateur career that saw Davis win 91 of 100 fights, he is now settling in to becoming a professional fighter.

“I am becoming more confident. I am feeling like myself in there and I am starting to come around. I am at the point where I am not worrying about who I am fighting. No style scares me.”

Going into his 8th bout, Davis continued on the growing process of being a professional.

“I am growing up. I see things different. I am more mature as a person and as a fighter. I believe in myself and believing in yourself goes along way. Saturday I expect to put on a show and everybody will see what “Shut It Down” is all about.

TONIGHT!! the weigh in will take place at 5:30 PM in the Berks meeting room.

On Saturday night, King’s Boxing will present night of boxing at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem..

In the main event, undefeated Welterweight Jamal James (16-0, 9 KO’s) of Minneapolis, MN will take on Mike Balasi (10-6, 7 KO’s) of Honolulu, HA in a bout scheduled for 8-rounds.

In 6-round Bouts:

Alex Martin (8-0, 5 KO’s) of Harvey, Illinois will take on Pavel Miranda (19-10-1, 9 KO’s) of Tijuana, Mexico in a Welterweight bout.

Caleb Plant (7-0, 6 KO’s) of Ashland, TN will fight Oscar Rojas (8-1, 3 KO’s) of Laredo, Texas in a Super Middleweight bout.

Christian Molina (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Allentown, PA will take on Justin Johnson (6-8) of Pittsburgh, PA in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Kyrone Davis (7-0, 3 KO’s) of Wilmington, DE will take on Jose Alberto Leal (9-7-1, 4 KO’s) of Guadalajara, Mexico Middleweight bout..

In 4-round Bouts:

Robert Ramos (1-3-1, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA will fight Ismael Serrano (2-1) of Bethlehem, PA in a Lightweight bout.

Desmond Moore of Bethlehem, PA will fight Mike Heffilfinger of Pennsylvania in a battle of Featherweight pro debuter’s.

Carlos Gongora (1-0, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, NY will box Alvaro Enriquez (12-14-2, 4 KO’s) of Tlaxcala, Mexico in a Light Heavyweight affair.

Chris Colbert (1-0, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, NY will fight Antwan Robertson (9-14-1, 6 KO’s) of Minneapolis, MN in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Antonio DuBose (7-0, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will fight Jesus Lule (7-12-1, 1 KO) of Fort Myers, FL in a Featherweight bout.

Tickets are priced at $100, $75 and $50 and can purchased at ticketmaster and www.ticketmaster.com

The 1st bout will start at 7:00 PM with the doors opening at 6 PM.

The show will be streamed live on www.gfl.tv

LOS ANGELES (June 26) – Golden Boy Promotions and Team Sauerland are excited to announce that they have agreed a groundbreaking co-promotional deal for Olympic medalist and undefeated middleweight Anthony Ogogo.

The agreement will see the promoters working closely together on Ogogo’s development whilst ensuring he has the perfect platform to continue his rise as one of the world’s most exciting prospects in Britain, across Europe as well as in the United States and worldwide.

Having established himself as one of Britain’s most distinguished amateurs, where he won the Junior Olympics and Junior World Championships, Ogogo then went on to win a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games before winning bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Lowestoft fighter produced one of the best performances in Olympic history by beating the then unbeaten, World No. 1 Ievgen Khytrov on his way to medaling at the London games.

Ogogo has made a promising start to his professional career so far (7-0) which also seen him fight on Floyd Mayweather’s undercard in Las Vegas in May 2014. Having been out of the ring for 11 months recovering from a long standing Achilles issue, and will now return to the ring on Saturday July 18 in Berlin – his first fight under his new dual promoters.

On the announcement, Ogogo said: “I am incredibly excited by this new partnership and cannot wait to get back in the ring. I feel privileged to have two of best promoters in World boxing backing me and want to thank them both for helping get to this point. The support Golden Boy have shown me since I signed with them has been amazing and I now can’t wait to repay the faith they’ve shown me in the ring. Kalle and Nisse Sauerland are two of the best promoters in the sport and their enthusiasm to help get me to the very top in the sport has been overwhelming. I now feel fitter than I’ve ever felt and am ready to send a wakeup call to the entire middleweight division.”

On the announcement, Oscar de la Hoya said “Anthony Ogogo is an exciting, dynamic middleweight who fits right in with the Golden Boy mantra of delivering the best fights for the fans. The sky is the limit for Anthony and we look forward to partnering with Team Sauerland to help fans across the globe witness the massive talent that this Olympic medalist brings to the table.”

A statement from the Sauerland brothers read, “We watched Anthony win his bronze medal at the Olympics and have followed his career develop ever since. He is one of the most talented middleweights in the world and we look forward to teaming up with one of the biggest promoters stateside Golden Boy Promotions to ensure that Anthony fulfils his massive potential. The middleweight division is hotting up, especially in the UK, and we firmly believe the name on peoples lips in 2016 will be Anthony Ogogo and that he will go on to be crowned a World Champion”

LONDON (26 June) – British heavyweight David Price’s clash for the vacant European title against Erkan Teper on July 17 will be shown live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The Merseyside hitman will travel to Ludwigsburg, Germany as he looks to overcome the undefeated Teper, who has won all 14 of his bouts, with nine coming by way of knockout.

31-year-old Price is aiming to re-establish himself as one of the leading names in what has historically been boxing’s glamour division after suffering two back-to-back defeats against American Tony Thompson in 2013.

Price has enjoyed four wins since then, including a spectacular sixth-round stoppage of Irineu Beato Costa Junior in his last fight, but Teper represents a step up in class, with victory set to put him back at the top of the heavyweight mix.

The former British and Commonwealth champion was long mooted as one of Britain’s brightest prospects, with 16 knockouts from 19 wins showing he has the power to dispense of anyone he shares the ring with, including 33-year-old Teper.

“This is an absolutely massive fight for me,” said Price. “To win the European title, and to become the first heavyweight from Liverpool to do it, would mean the world to me. It’s something no one could ever take away from me and would confirm my credentials as a world title contender.

“I’ve watched all of Teper’s fights and he is the perfect opponent for me. I’m 100% confident I will win. He is exactly the type of fighter I’ve been looking to fight, so to do it with the European title on the line is an added bonus.

“I’ll tell you now; he has never been in the ring with anyone who can punch like me, who can move like me and with my ability. I’m not messing around anymore. I’m coming with bad intentions.”

BoxNation is the home of the heavyweights having recently screened Wladimir Klitschko’s win over Bryant Jennings, Alexander Povetkin’s first round annihilation of Mike Perez as well as regularly airing British stars Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora’s big-time bouts.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky437/490HD, Virgin 525, TalkTalk 415) for just £12 a month visit boxnation.com.

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

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

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

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

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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