Danbury, CT (April 16, 2015)- At the beginning of April, newly licensed Connecticut boxing promoter A.J. Galante introduced his company, Prize Promotions. Galante spoke of his goal of bringing “Old School” boxing to Connecticut.

To prove he is serious about his vision, Galante has turned his matchmaking over to Hall of Fame Philadelphia promoter, Russell Peltz along with one of the sports youngest and most promising promoters and matchmakers, Brittany “BAM”
Rogers.

“Russell is the definition of Old School matchmaking, he’s one of the last out there, so it was a no brainer for me to reach out to him, and I am honored that he is willing to work with me.” Galante stated, “His resume speaks for itself, I am extremely confident that working together, we will put on spectacular shows” Galante was also extremely excited to work with Brittany “BAM” Rogers, who works in conjunction with Russell Peltz,

“I’m often referred to as one of the youngest boxing people on the business side of things, but BAM is actually younger than me, and has been in the sport longer than me. I have a lot of respect for her and have been learning a lot through working with her.”

Ultimately Galante said what cemented his choice on his matchmakers, was a trip to Philladelphia in October, to attend a show promoted by both Peltz and Rogers, “When you think Philly boxing, you think gritty and exciting, and you can’t think Philadelphia boxing without Russell Peltz and Brittany Rogers, and I am looking forward to bringing those types of shows and that environment here to Connecticut.” It won’t be long for Galante to fulfill his promise, as his first show Danbury Fight Night, will take place on May 30th at the Danbury Arena, in his hometown of Danbury, CT.

The card is currently taking shape, and will be announced soon. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.prizepromotions.net – Pricing: $100,$75, $50 & $25

Middleweight champion Miguel Cotto will defend his crown against former belt holder Daniel Geale on June 6 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“We’re excited and proud to bring Miguel Cotto back to New York along with Miguel Cotto Promotions, now as a part of the Roc Nation Sports family,” said David Itskowitch, COO of Roc Nation Sports’ boxing division. “Brooklyn and boxing have a long history, and Puerto Rican heritage is closely integrated with both. What a way for New York to kick off the week of the Puerto Rican Day Parade festivities — with Miguel Cotto’s long-awaited return to the ring.”

“It’s going to be great to be at a new place in New York,” Cotto said. “My fans are in New York and I love fighting there.”

He fought Martinez at a contract weight of 159 pounds, one below the 160-pound division limit. With much more leverage against Geale, he insisted that he come down to 157 pounds and made no apologies.

“I had to do it before when I faced Manny Pacquiao. He made me come down to 145 pounds,” Cotto told ESPN.com of his 2009 knockout loss to Pacquiao in a welterweight title fight. “Pacquiao used any advantage he had against me and I will do the same with everybody in the division. I am a small middleweight and I need to use this to my advantage.”

“But I know he’s coming in great shape to prove to everybody he can beat Miguel Cotto,” Cotto said. “We will be ready for him.”

“I’m very excited, very pumped. This is a huge opportunity for me,” Geale told ESPN.com. “I’m very fortunate that I have a great team and they worked their butt off and got me the fight I wanted. This is definitely one I wanted for a while and they made it happen.”

Said Gary Shaw, Geale’s promoter, “I believe the Cotto fight is the perfect match up for Daniel. I was surprised that Miguel took the fight. If they looked at the (Golovkin) fight as an indication of which Daniel will be in the ring they need to look at the (Felix) Sturm fight to find out who will be in the ring on June 6.” Geale said he has followed Cotto and has the utmost respect for him and his many accomplishments.

“Miguel Cotto is a great fighter and he’s been one for a long time. It makes it easy to train hard for a guy like that,” Geale said. “I know what I am up against. He’s such a high-profile fighter. He’s fought the best of the best. He’s at middleweight and that changes things for him. I’ve been here for along time.

“The (157 catch weight) is what it is. I fight at 160 but you take what you can get sometimes. Fighting Golovkin was tough. So many people dodged the guy and I put my hand up to fight him and a few things didn’t go my way. I know this opportunity is going to be much different.” Cotto declined to talk about the fight with Alvarez since they both have to win first.

“We are focused on Geale for June and then after that we can talk about anybody else,” Cotto said. “We had some conversations about fighting Canelo but we are really focused on Daniel Geale.”

“If anything it adds motivation for me. I definitely want to upset those plans,” Geale said. “My job is not to be another opponent. My job is to go out there and win. He’s fought most of his fights at lighter weights and now he’s stepping up and I will show him what its like to fight a real middleweight even though I’m stripping down a little bit. I’m gonna make this one count and go out there to cause a big upset.”

Said Shaw, “I have a lot of respect for Miguel and his team, have known them all for a very long time and appreciate the opportunity they have given Daniel, myself, and (co-promoter) Grange Old School Boxing. On June 6 there will be a new WBC world champion, so I hope team Cotto has not looked past June into September. That would be a mistake.”

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Verona,New York (April 15) – Training camp is going smoothly for former WBC Light Weight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse and Former WBO Jr. Welterweight Champion “The Siberian Rocky” Ruslan Provodnikov as they continue to prepare for their showdown on Saturday, April 18 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino. The junior welterweight fight will be televised as part of a split site doubleheader live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Matthysse has been training out his gym in Argentina and Provodinkov has been training out of the famed Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California under the watchful eye of International Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

Both fighters arrived at Turning Stone Resort Casino today and took some time to do a photo-op at the hotel and answer a few questions about their training camp.

Below is what they had to say:

How do you feel about the fight and when did you begin training?

Lucas Matthysse: I have been training non-stop, way before the fight was officially announced. I have been doing a lot of sparring to improve my speed and make sure I make as much contact with my opponent as possible.

Ruslan Provodnikov: I am excited and motivated for this fight, I will not disappoint my fans and it will be a real war! Everything is going great with my training and will be ready for a really war in the ring.

How are you preparing to face each other?

Matthysse: Ruslan is a great fighter, he comes prepared for a war. My strategy against him will be to make sure to box and keep moving, that is why sparring has been really important in my training.

Provodnikov: I will be ready for whatever Matthysse does. I 100% percent believe that this fight will be the fight of the year. I always give everything I can in training camp and I’m very responsible. I don’t take anybody lightly, but to answer your question: walking into the ring with a fighter that I know will fight back will definitely show that what I can do as a boxer than going up against a fighter who will just run.

What should fans expect to see on April 18?

Matthysse: Fans can expect one of the greatest fights in the division. I know I am ready to win this fight and fans should expect a victory.

Provodnikov: I promise this is going to be the fight you guys are all waiting for.

Tickets for the show have been selling fast and expected to sell out. Limited tickets for the April 18th HBO Boxing After Dark event at Turning Stone Resort are still available and are on sale now at the $35, and $25 price range plus applicable fees and are available at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office by calling 315-361-7469 or online at Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com).

Presented by Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions the 12-round junior welterweight bout and expected to be the sure-fire ‘Fight of The Year’ contender will take place on Saturday, April 18 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark ® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Host of the event, the Oneida Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino continues to distinguish itself as a premier destination for blockbuster boxing matches. The April 18th fight will mark Turning Stone Resort’s 15th nationally-televised boxing event in less than two years, cementing the resort as a mecca for knockout televised fights. Boxing legends Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have promoted televised fight cards at the resort within the last year. Located in Upstate New York, the four-season destination resort offers world-class entertainment and gaming, award-winning accommodations, an eclectic mix of restaurants, luxury spas and numerous nightlife options.

Matthysse vs. Provodnikov is a 12-round junior welterweight bout presented by Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico, Live it To Believe It! and Khortytsa Vodka. Doors are currently scheduled to open at 6:00 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 6:50 p.m. ET and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast will being at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Professional media requesting credentials for the April 18th fight must contact Kelly Abdo, Turning Stone Resort Casino Public Relations Manager at 315.366.9291 or kelly.abdo@turningstone.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.banner-promotions.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.turningstone.com follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BannerBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @RuslanProvod, @TurningStone and become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/BannerPromotions, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/TurningStoneResort and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @bannerboxing, @turningstone and @ruslanprovod.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.banner-promotions.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.turningstone.com follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BannerBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @RuslanProvod, @ TurningStone and become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/BannerPromotions, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/TurningStoneResort and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @ bannerboxing, @ turningstone and @ruslanprovod.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 15, 2015) – A four-fight Spike-broadcast main card for May’s “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” has received another thrilling contest, as undefeated bantamweight prospect Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (6-0) takes on Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-4).

The new addition finalizes the four-bout main card for “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove,” which includes undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) against towering Hawaiian scrapper Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike “The Marine” Richman (18-5), and welterweights Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (23-13) vs. “Curtious” Curtis Millander (7-1).

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” takes place on Friday, May 15, at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. The night’s main card airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT local time), while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.

Tickets for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” which start at just $50, are currently on sale at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.

Doors for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” open at 4 p.m. PT local time, and the first contest takes place 45 minutes later.

Two new bouts have also been added to the night’s preliminary card, with middleweights A.J. “The Mercenary” Matthews (7-3) vs. Ben “The Hunter” Reiter (15-0) and lightweights Steve “Thunderbeast” Kozola (5-0) vs. Ian Butler (1-1).

Additionally, a light heavyweight matchup of Virgil “Rezdog” Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. “Razor” Razak Al-Hassan (12-4) that was initially announced as a main-card matchup will now be featured on the night’s preliminary card, instead.

Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

A New Jersey native now fighting out of Arizona, Caldwell was a Division I wrestler at North Carolina State. Caldwell made his MMA debut in 2012 and has kept his record perfect through the first six fights of his career, including Bellator MMA wins over Anthony Dizy, Joe Pingitore and Lance Surma. Previously competing as a featherweight, the 27-year-old Caldwell now moves down to the bantamweight division.

He now faces “Morcego” Silva, a battle-tested 30-year-old fighter with championship-level experience in the Bellator MMA cage. With nearly a decade of professional fights to his name, Silva is an incredible 14-1 in his past 15 overall appearances. His only loss during that run was a 25-minute decision against former Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Champion Joe Warren. Seventeen of Silva’s 22 career wins have come by stoppage, including eight knockouts and nine submissions.

A former cast member on Bellator MMA’s “Fight Master” series, Matthews fought most recently in November, earning a decision win over Kyle Bolt. He now meets undefeated prospect Reiter, an intriguing individual who left Wall Street to pursue a career in MMA and now fights for the second time under the Bellator MMA banner after spending much of his early career in Peru.

Kozola, of San Diego, Calif., fights for the second time under the Bellator MMA banner after debuting with a knockout victory over Jonathan Rivera in January. He now meets Butler, who returns to the promotion after a November Bellator MMA debut that saw him suffer a submission loss to Joao Paulo Faria.

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” – Friday, May 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Title Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)
Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)
Bellator Featured Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Millender (7-1)
Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Darrion Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael Silva (22-4)

Preliminary Card (7:45 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Matthews (7-3) vs. Ben Reiter (14-0)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Jordan Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)

Dark Bouts (approx. 11 p.m. ET)

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Steve Kozola (5-0) vs. Ian Butler (1-1)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

The April 17 edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra will feature undefeated up-and-coming junior middleweight Tony “Superbad” Harrison (20-0, 17 KOs) and veteran southpaw Pablo “Sepulterero” Munguia (20-6, 11 KOs) in the 10-round main event . Friday’s show from Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., will air live at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2, broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN. ESPN Deportes will televise Friday’s fights on Saturday, April 18, at 3 p.m.

Commentators:
Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will be ringside with analyst Teddy Atlas describing the action for ESPN2. Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes+, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will co-anchor anchor the ESPN Deportes studio. Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) will present live interviews and reports for both shows.

Main Event:
In his last fight—televised on ESPN2—Detroit’s Harrison scored a second-round TKO win over Antwone Smith, while Mexico’s Munguia is looking to rebound from an eight-round split decision loss to 2004 Olympic silver medalist Yudel Jhonson.

“I know Munguia is a really, really durable guy…,” Harrison said. “It looks like he’s going to be a very, very tough opponent for me. He likes to keep pressure. He likes to fight going forward, and so do I…He brings everything that the crowd would like to see, which is excitement, and so do I. It’s a perfect match. Both of us will be looking to give the fans a great fight.”

Co-Feature:
Thursday’s eight-round co-feature will pit undefeated up-and-coming junior lightweight Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczewski (22-0, 6 KOs) against Danny Aquino (16-2, 10 KOs). In his last fight, Kielczewski, who hails from Massachusetts, scored a first-round knockout win over Carlos Fulgencio, while Connecticut’s Aquino is looking to continue his winning ways following a six-round majority decision win over Jhovany Collado.

Additional Fight:
Friday’s show will also include an eight-round junior lightweight bout between Tevin Farmer (18-4-1, 4 KOs) and Gabriel Tolmajyan (13-4-2, 3 KOs).

Upcoming Schedule:

Date

Time (ET)

Main Event

Location

Networks

Fri, Apr 17

10 p.m.

Tony Harrison (20-0, 17 KOs) vs. Pablo Munguía (20-6, 11 KOs), 10 rounds, Jr. Middleweight

Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Conn

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN

Thurs, Apr 30

9 p.m.

Ishe Smith (26-7, 12 KOs) vs. TBD—10 rounds, Jr. Middleweight

Palms Casino Hotel,

Las Vegas

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN

Fri, May 8

9 p.m.

Amir Mansour (21-1, 16 KOs) vs. Joey Dawejko (14-3, 7 KOs)—10 rounds, Heavyweight

2300 Arena

Philadelphia, Pa.

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN

*Schedule subject to change

Looking Ahead to Boxcino 2015 Finals:
Tessitore and Atlas recap last Friday’s Boxcino 2015 Semifinals and look ahead to the Friday, May 22, Finals at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. Watch video.

ESPN Boxing Social Media and Digital Content:

· Follow ESPN Friday Night Fights’ Nigel Collins on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like ESPN Friday Night Fights on Facebook.

· 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.

· Follow ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo.

· For the latest ESPN.com boxing news and analysis follow @ESPNBoxing.

· For ESPN boxing digital content, visit the newly re-designed boxing section on ESPN.com (http://espn.go.com/boxing/).

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 15, 2015) – Bellator MMA is pleased to announce the signing of the sixth* ranked Light Heavyweight in the world, Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (13-3, 1 NC), to an exclusive, multi-fight deal.

“I can’t wait to be fighting in Bellator and wreck shop on everyone,” said Davis. “I am the absolute best and most dominant grappler to ever fight in MMA and I’m excited to get in there and compete at my new home.”

Born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Phil attended college close to home at Penn State University, where he became a four-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler for the Nittany Lions.

Davis had his first professional MMA fight in 2008 and accrued nine wins in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, including victories against the likes of Antônio Rogério Nogueira, Lyoto Machida, Alexander Gustafsson, Brian Stann and Glover Teixeira.

A member of Alliance MMA in San Diego, Calif., where he trains alongside Bellator stars like Michael Chandler and Joey Beltran, “Mr. Wonderful” joins the promotions Light Heavyweight division, which is currently upheld by champion Liam McGeary.

“Phil is a world class Mixed Martial Artist and we are very happy to be adding him to OUR roster of some of the best Light Heavyweights in the world,” said the promotion’s president, Scott Coker. “Bellator remains fully committed to building its world-class roster by signing top free agents like Davis, as well as grooming up-and-coming stars. We’ve got some amazing matchups in mind for ‘Mr. Wonderful’ that we will be announcing in the weeks to come.”

Bellator’s Light Heavyweight division is one of the deepest in the promotion, with stars like McGeary, Tito Ortiz, “King Mo” Lawal, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Emanuel Newton and Linton Vassell.

*Ranking according to www.sherdog.com

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

ORANGE, Calif. (April 14, 2015) – Lightweight contender Jose Roman (19-1-1, 13 KOs) and super bantamweight Danny Roman (12-2-1, 5 KOs), two of Thompson Boxing Promotions most exciting boxers, co-headline “Locked n’ Loaded,” Friday, April 24, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Roman, out of Garden Grove, Calif., will face the equally talented Martin Cardona (18-4, 13 KOs) of Mexico in the 8-round main event, while the 122-pound Roman, a Los Angeles native, meets the veteran slugger Giovanni Caro (23-14-4, 19 KOs) of Mexico City in the 8-round co-feature.

Jose Roman and Danny Roman, no relation, have a lot in common outside of sharing a surname. They are coming off busy years that saw them increase their win total, they have steady followings in the Southern California boxing scene, and both are ridding five-fight winning streaks.

“I want this year to go a lot like 2014,” said the 26-year-old Roman, who won a regional title last May. “I’m starting to enter my prime, and staying busy and ready for any opportunity will be critical to my success moving forward.”

“Both Jose and I want to build on what we accomplished last year,” said Danny, who is 24-years-old. “I know things will only get tougher from here on out, so the only thing I’m focusing on is beating Caro. Nothing else matters for me right now.”

“We feel very confident in Jose and Danny’s abilities,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing Promotions. “They have an appetite for winning in dramatic fashion, are well disciplined, and have the potential to do wonderful things in their respective divisions.”

Tickets for “Locked n’ Loaded” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900, or online at www.ThompsonBoxing.com.

Save the Date

After “Locked n’ Loaded,” Thompson Boxing celebrates its Fifteenth Year Anniversary with a star-studded event on Friday, May 29, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Leading the show is the fast-rising, undefeated junior welterweight stud Giovani Santillan. Also, all-action super bantamweights Efrain Esquivias, Juan Reyes, Danny Roman, and Jonathan Arellano, plus the veteran Chris Martin returns. A formal announcement will be released soon.

Locked n’ Loaded Undercard

Intriguing heavyweight LaRon Mitchell (6-0, 6 KOs) of San Francisco hopes to record his seventh win against Sylvester Barron (8-4, 3 KOs) of Seattle. The undefeated Mitchell will fight in his first 6-round fight – although he may not need that much time to take care of Barron – who is trying to right the ship after suffering two knockout loses.

Mitchell has all the right tools – height (6’4″) and punching power – to quickly make a name for himself in the heavyweight division.

Additionally, undefeated middleweight prospect Rudy Puga (4-0, 4 KOs) of Salinas, Calif. will face Fatlum Zhuta (0-0-1) of Anchorage, Alaska in a 4-round bout.

Welterweight prospect Eridanni Leon (1-1) of Los Mochis, Mex. aims for his second career win against Elih Lizama of Salinas, who will be making his pro debut (4-rounds).

Opening the “Locked n’ Loaded” event are middleweights Miguel Trejo and Seattle-based Shariff Johnson (0-2-1). The 4-round bout will be the first of Trejo’s professional career.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m, and the first bell rings at 7:45 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N Vineyard Ave, Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at (909) 937-0900.

“Locked n’ Loaded” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with LATV Networks.

For additional information please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ThompsonBoxing. To follow the conversation on social media, please use hash tags #ThompsonBoxing & #LockednLoaded.

LAS VEGAS – (April 15, 2015) – More than 200 accredited press members from around the world descended upon Mayweather Boxing Club for Tuesday’s Floyd Mayweather Media Day. It was the 11-time world champion Mayweather’s first and only open training session before his welterweight world championship unification mega-showdown against Manny Pacquiao on Saturday, May 2, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on pay-per-view.

Superstars Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) and Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., the live pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Several dozen television camera crews, newspaper columnists, boxing writers, radio broadcasters, web reporters, photographers and (video) bloggers watched as Mayweather went through the paces during a 90-plus minute workout that included working the heavy bag, smacking the speed bag, hitting the mitts, jumping rope, stretching and doing calisthenics.

Before a training session streamed in high definition across multiple platforms, including via satellite feed, YouTube and social media, Mayweather answered questions from the media inside a specially-constructed tent in a parking lot outside the gym.

What Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe, trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. and unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Leo Santa Cruz, who will fight in the top pay-per-view undercard bout on May 2, said Tuesday:

FLOYD MAYWEATHER, 11-Time World Champion

“My training camp is basically running the same way. I think it has been smoother than others. I feel very comfortable and happy with my performances. They push me hard at camp. They know what I need.

“The timing for this fight is right. This fight is about legacy, fans and family. I surround myself with all of the right people.

“I can’t say that this matchup is about hype. This is real life. This is two future Hall of Famers in a mega-fight.

“I’ve done record breaking numbers before and it looks like we’re going to do it again.

“Everything in life is about timing. I have no regrets that this fight didn’t take place five years ago. I didn’t think it was that big then, but it continued to get bigger and bigger. Not just in boxing, but outside of the sport. Pacquiao has continued to grow outside of the sport. We didn’t need to rush anything.

“This is going to be an exciting fight. Our styles are totally different. He is very, very reckless. Every move I make is calculated. I’m always 5-10 steps ahead of my opponent.

“We’ll see what happens when the fight starts. But when all is said and done I’m going to be the winner.

“Pacquiao is strong and solid but I don’t know if he can make adjustments like I can. I feel tremendous.

“This was a difficult fight to make happen, but we made it happen. This fight is one of the biggest ever in boxing.

“I’m still going strong. The last time I looked, I was 47 and 0.

“Anyone can get hit with a great shot, but I can make more adjustments and Manny can’t.

“I don’t think Pacquiao expected me to look as strong or big when we faced off (at the L.A. press conference).

“I walk around at 150-152 pounds to weigh 147 pounds. Other boxers weigh around 160-170 before coming down.

“I’ve got one more fight on my contract. I couldn’t be happier with SHOWTIME and CBS.

“Las Vegas is the boxing capital. During a Floyd Mayweather fight weekend, you can shop, party, stay out late and do anything you want. The city of Las Vegas has everything.

“There were offers to fight other places, but MGM Grand is my home.

“Anything I’ve asked of MGM Grand, they’ve done for me in a heartbeat. They’re all about making entertainers and athletes happy.”

LEO SANTA CRUZ, WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to fight on such an unbelievably huge card. I really want to thank Floyd Mayweather.

“Any boxer would like to be on this card where millions of people are watching. I’m happy to represent Mexico on this night and on this fight card.

“I look at it as a key opportunity for me to make an even bigger name for myself, which is my goal because one day I want to become a superstar like Floyd. That’s why I train really hard all of the time.

“There are no little fights for me. I consider every fighter dangerous. You lose when you think a fighter is not on your level and then he comes in hungrier than you. That will never happen to me.

“I don’t know who I’m fighting yet, but I’m sparring different guys with different styles.

“There’s always a lot at risk for me. People keep talking about all of these big fights, but if I don’t win now, there will be no big fights in the future.

“I know who I want to fight, but I don’t pick my opponents; I leave it up to my team. They make those kinds of decisions. My job is to fight and win.

“I have to stay concentrated. I have to maintain focus and concentration. I can’t get ahead of myself. I give 100 percent in training and in the ring. I always want to put on a great fight for the fans.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“Boxing is at an all time high at the moment. There are a lot of great things going on. Between this fight and getting boxing back on network television, it’s all great for the sport.

“This fight will not only elevate the sport in general, but it will bring in the casual fan to the sport and that’s a great thing.

“The impact that Floyd Mayweather has had on this sport is immeasurable. People won’t be able to appreciate that until he retires. He’s done so much for this sport. He’s given fighters a platform to say to other promoters that they deserve the lion’s share of the money. He’s brought more sponsorships to the sport.

“Floyd Mayweather is the highest paid athlete in all of sports and he happens to be a boxer.

“I think the demand thus far only indicates how big this event is. This is a fight that’s been talked about for five years now and everyone is going to get exactly what they’ve been asking for.

“Manny Pacquiao is a great fighter. He’s been in a number of great fights and he’s had a terrific career thus far. These are the two best fighters of this generation and come May 2 there will be one man standing and it will be Floyd Mayweather.

“There’s no doubt it’s going to be a great fight. I’m really excited. I can see firsthand the day-to-day preparation that Floyd puts in and he’s working just as hard as ever. The fans are going to get a great fight that night.

“I don’t know what Manny Pacquiao has to do on May 2, but I know what Floyd Mayweather has to do. He has to do what he normally does and go in there and execute his game plan and I really expect Floyd to knock him out.”

FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR., Mayweather’s Trainer & Father

“Floyd is as well rounded a fighter as there has ever been, but he’s really still here because of his defense.

“Other guys fight with their head and their mind and come up short. It’s his great defense that has kept him on top for so long.

“I want you all to see it. It’s so plain and simple what he’s going to do. Even Ray Charles could see it.

“I honestly never thought that this was going to happen. So many people were trying to say Floyd was scared. Lets see on May 2 who is scared.

“I can’t tell you why or how, but here’s an update, Floyd is going to kick his a** and knock Pacquiao out.

“I didn’t watch one tape on Pacquiao. There is no reason to study him. He’s not at this level.

“Floyd is the best, I must confess. Nothing is going to stop Floyd Mayweather.

“Pacquiao’s trainer Coach Roach (Freddie Roach) is lying to you. Trying to trick you all. Floyd’s not getting knocked down in the gym. Floyd is the one knocking people down. Roach blows smoke with no hope.“
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For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.SHO.com/Sports,www.hbo.com/boxing and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @SHOSports, @HBOboxing and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOsports andwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

HBO Boxing kicks off spring with an action-packed, split-site doubleheader featuring some of the most exciting fighters in the sport when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: LUCAS MATTHYSSE VS. RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV AND TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. THOMAS DULORME is seen SATURDAY, APRIL 18 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY, and College Park Center at University of Texas Arlington, exclusively on HBO. HBO Sports teams will be ringside for both events, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: April 19 (9:45 a.m.) and 20 (12:15 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: April 19 (3:45 p.m.) and 21 (11:00 p.m.)

In the headline bout, Lucas Matthysse (36-3, 34 KOs) and Ruslan Provodnikov (27-3, 17 KOs) meet in a scheduled 12-round junior welterweight fight from upstate New York in what is already being lauded as a probable fight-of-the-year candidate.

Provodnikov, 31, returns to the ring after scoring a technical knockout victory over Jose Luis Castillo in his home country of Russia last November. His fan-friendly style has made for some of the most memorable bouts of the past two years, including a knockout of Mike Alvarado to win the super lightweight title and a close-decision loss in the 2013 BWAA Fight of the Year with Timothy Bradley. Matthysse, 32, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is one of the most feared boxers in the world, thanks to his stunning punching power, and had two knockout victories in 2014. The winner will enter the title discussion in the 140-pound division.

Kicking off the night, the co-main event features BWAA Fighter of the Year Terence Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs) making his 2015 debut against Thomas Dulorme (22-1, 14 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round bout for a vacant super lightweight title from University of Texas Arlington.

Rising star Crawford, 27, of Omaha, Neb., is coming off a dominating 2014 campaign which featured three successful defenses of his lightweight title, including a unanimous decision victory over Raymundo Beltran and a technical knockout against former titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa. Crawford moves up in weight to fight in the 140-pound division for the first time against Dulorme, 25, of Carolina, Puerto Rico, who will seek to use his height as an advantage against the shorter Crawford in the first world title fight of his career.

Immediately following HBO Boxing After Dark, stay tuned for the premiere of the one-hour special MAYWEATHER/PACQUIAO: AT LAST, detailing the nearly six-year journey to the most-anticipated fight of the modern era on May 2 between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

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

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

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producers, Jonathan Crystal and Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.

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

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (April 15, 2015) – Today may be Income Tax Day in the U.S. but that doesn’t mean Fighter of the Decade Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUAO’s Hall of Fame trainer World-Famous FREDDIE ROACH is wishing undefeated welterweight and super welterweight world champion FLOYD “Flipper, er, Money” MAYWEATHER many happy returns. The top-two pound for pound fighters are 17 days away from their May 2 welterweight world championship unification rumble at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., the Mayweather-Pacquiao live pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

After hearing how late Mayweather was for his own media workout, the seven-time Trainer of the Year offered his own audit of Manny’s next opponent.

“I am so glad that Mayweather is big on Shots [the social network app. Mayweather uses] because he is going to be taking a lot of them from Manny on May 2,” said Roach, one of the many bon mots he served on Tuesday after Manny’s training session which included 12 rounds of sparring. “That is why he has been avoiding Manny for so long. He didn’t want this fight. He can pretend it was a strategy to build up the fight’s value but that’s not true. For once Mayweather wasn’t able to handpick his opponent. He was forced to take this fight — by Manny, the media and the fans. His excuses for not making the fight haven’t held water for years and Manny finally exposed him. Mayweather ran out of road. Mayweather may have been the ‘A Side’ during the negotiations, but once he signed the contract he became the ‘B Side’ just like he did when he fought Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez. That is why he prolonged announcing the fight for as long as he did. He wanted all the attention.

“Mayweather is a different ‘A Side’ now and you can guess what the ‘A’ stands for. He was late for his media workout leaving major media outlets scheduled to go live with dead air. How selfish is that? It doesn’t take a lot to figure out why everyone is rooting for Manny. Just look at which fighter has the most endorsements going into this fight and why. When Manny beats Mayweather it won’t only be about unifying the welterweight titles, it will also be a public service to boxing.

“Mayweather may be two victories shy of tying Rocky Marciano’s record [49-0] but I can assure you Mayweather’s party will end on May 2 and Marciano’s record will remain just that – the record. And Mayweather will forever be known as Mr. 47 and 1.”

Manny Pacquiao’s Media Workout
Will Be Streamed Live Today! at 6 P.M. ET / 3 P.M. PT
https://youtu.be/pa1KDs_YRO0

# # #

For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.SHO.com/Sports,www.hbo.com/boxing and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @SHOSports, @HBOboxing and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOsports andwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

LONDON (April 15) – Legendary trainer Freddie Roach believes Saturday night’s clash between knockout kings Ruslan Provodnikov and Lucas Matthysse is ‘the greatest match up in the world’.

The pair will lock horns at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in New York, in one of the most eagerly anticipated fights of the year, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The showdown is certain to produce fireworks, with Provodnikov’s Hall-of-Fame trainer Roach believing that this is a fight worthy of the attention it has garnered.

“It’s the greatest match up in the world. You’ve got two guys that love to fight, two guys that are great punchers. It’s going to be a very exciting fight – that’s for sure,” said Roach.

“It’s the best fight and the best is what we need. This is what’s going on in boxing right now and that’s why everything is really happening in boxing bigger than ever at this point because of fights like this,” he said.

LA based Roach will not be in his fighter’s corner this weekend, however, as he looks to prepare his star pupil Manny Pacquiao for his impending clash with pound-for-pound ace Floyd Mayweather.

Though this will have little bearing on the outcome according to Roach, who will send his right-hand man Marvin Somodio to run the rule over proceedings.

“The Pacquiao fight is very important right now but Ruslan is very important also. I work with him every day in the gym. He and Marvin have a good rapport together. Marvin knows what to do. He’s a very good trainer,” said Roach.

“They understand what I want and just because I’m not there it doesn’t make a difference. Ruslan will still fight his fight and Marvin will make the adjustments along the way. There will be no problem whatsoever. It’s not the first or last time this has happened in my life,” he said.

31-year-old Provodnikov burst onto the scene with a scintillating performance in his narrow loss to Timothy Bradley before going on to capture the WBO light-welterweight world title from Mike Alvarado.

He is now looking to get himself back into the mix for a world title shot following a split decision loss to New Yorker Chris Algieri last year and is aware of the significance of this fight not only to his career but to boxing fans.

“I expect the same as all the fans – this is a very exciting match up. This is going to be a great fight and I think that for me it’s no less than to all the people watching. For me it’s exciting as well and these types of fights are what’s important,” said Provodnikov.

“Because for me the fight and the money as I’ve said many times, they’re not number one. Number one is I want my fights to be part of history, and I think this is one of those fights that is destined to be part of history.

“That’s what I want to give my people back home – these fights that people will remember because not all the fights that are world title fights are remembered. The type of fight that will happen between Matthysse and I is one that’s definitely going to be remembered forever,” he said.

Both Provodnikov and Matthysse are renowned for their come-forward aggressive style, with the Siberian stopping 17 of his 27 opponents and the Argentine Matthysse having knocked out 34 in his 36 wins.

32-year-old Matthysse, who was involved in last year’s ‘Fight of the Year’ with his victory over John Molina, thinks that his next battle has the potential to win another such accolade.

“For last year’s fight I’ve got to give credit to John Molina because he came to fight and he allowed me to perform in a way that made it ‘Fight of the Year’,” said Matthysse.

“If Ruslan comes forward and is aggressive and does the same thing, then, yes [I think it can be another Fight of the Year]. I’m going to seize that opportunity and try to take advantage of that and make it an exciting fight. I think it could be a great fight. But, you know, it takes two,” he said.

Matthysse vs Provodnikov joins a mega night live on BoxNation this Saturday from 7pm BST, starting with Liverpool’s Derry Matthews who fights for the vacant interim WBA lightweight title against Tony Luis at the Echo Arena.

Unbeaten light-middleweight Liam Smith is also on the card as he takes on David Ezequiel Romero for the vacant WBO Intercontinental title.

Then BoxNation heads Stateside as it brings two massive bills starting with Matthysse-Provodnikov before heading over to Arlington Texas where rising pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford looks to become a two-weight world champion as he takes on slick Puerto Rican Thomas Dulorme for the vacant WBO light-welterweight world title.

Matthysse v Provodnikov is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

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

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

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

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Lack of time to obtain proper visas has forced the necessity for two of Greg Cohen Promotions’ (GCP) fighters to switch places on short notice for this weekend.

On Saturday, April 18, Cornwall, Ontario’s Tony “Lightning” Luis (19-2, 7 KOs) will now face UK veteran Derry Matthews (37-9-2, 20 KOs) for the Interim WBA Lightweight Championship at the Echo Arena in Matthews’ hometown of Liverpool, England, as the main event of a night of boxing presented by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.

Luis was originally scheduled to face Memphis, Tennessee, veteran Ira Terry (26-13, 16 KOs) in the televised co-feature of the “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” event, presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with Adam Wilcock’s Fight Card Promotions and produced by David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions on Friday, April 17, from the Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minnesota.

Unbeaten Venezuelan slugger Ismael Barroso (17-0-2, 16 KOs), who was originally scheduled to face Matthews, was unable to obtain the proper visas in time to fight on such short notice in England. He will now take Luis’ place in Hinckley and will take on Terry in an eight-round attraction this Friday.

“It worked out well for everyone,” said Greg Cohen. “Tony Luis was high enough in the ratings and ready to fight, so he’s one of the few fighters in the world who could have stepped into this important fight on such short notice. And fortunately, he is a GCP fighter as well, so we made it happen quickly and he is on his way to the UK as we speak. Tony gets his dream shot at a world championship and the fans in Hinckley, and on CBS Sports Network, will get their first look at one of the most fearsome punchers in boxing, Ismael Barroso. So it seems that everyone wins in this unique situation.”

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About Greg Cohen Promotions

One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen made headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KOs); and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney (74-7-3, 45 KOs).

Current world-rated contenders in the GCP roster include Arash Usmanee, universally recognized as a top-10 super featherweight; former WBA International Middleweight Champion and world-rated middleweight contender Jarrod Fletcher; top-rated featherweight Joel Brunker; cruiserweight Lateef Kayode; Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis, and WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Rising Welterweight sensation Cecil McCalla.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

By Norm Frauenheim–

LAS VEGAS — On a day when powerful winds kicked up clouds of dust that obscured The Strip’s skyline like a dirty fog, only one thing was predictable:

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was late.

Everything else, especially Mayweather, was unexpectedly low-key Tuesday. Maybe, that shouldn’t qualify as a surprise. What else can possibly be said about his long-awaited fight with Manny Pacquiao on May 2 at the MGM Grand.

A crowd that stood in a parking lot outside of his gym in a strip mall summed it up. David Hasselhoff posed for photos. Every high-end car or stretch limo had people standing on chairs, garbage cans and scrambling up light poles for a better view of a fighter who was scheduled to appear at his media day.

There was one false alarm after another. Finally, there he was, about 90 minutes late. It didn’t matter. This crowd would have waited through the night and perhaps through a cyclone. Truth is, it has been waiting for him to fight Pacquiao for about five years now. What’s a little bit of lost sleep and dust in the wind?

“Everything in life is about timing,’’ Mayweather said in a tent that rattled around in a storm that blew across the Nevada desert. “I don’t regret anything. The timing is right. Before I wasn’t as big. But I’ve been getting bigger and bigger and not just inside the sport of boxing.’’

The potential adds up to something bigger than ever. Mayweather’s minimum is $100 million. Pacquiao is guaranteed $60 million. Since the welterweight bout was announced on Feb. 20, projections have multiplied at an astonishing rate. Now, there’s a chance that Mayweather could collect $180 million and Pacquiao $100 million.

Let the numbers do the bragging. Mayweather doesn’t have to.

He teased Pacquiao, but never said anything remotely offensive or even outrageous. When asked if he was surprised at how much bigger he was than Pacquiao when he stood next to the 5-foot-6 ½ Filipino at a news conference in Los Angeles, the 5-8 Mayweather smiled and said:

Nah,’’ he said. “He wears a lift in his shoes, so he looks a little taller than he really is.’’

He also said that this one fight would not define him or his legacy, which he believes will improve to 48-0.

“It’s just one fight for me,’’ Mayweather said. “If just this one fight defines my legacy, I wouldn’t have had to fight all of those other fights.’’

Mayweather also said he did not believe that the Pacquiao fight will be remembered mostly for his masterful defensive skill.

“When it is said and done, when the book is written, they won’t say Floyd Mayweather was a defensive wizard,’’ he said. “They’ll say he was a winner.’’

Still a winner at 38 years old, he said, because the natural counter-puncher fights with a different style than the aggressive Pacquiao.

“He’s a very, very reckless fighter,’’ Mayweather said. “I can’t say for sure, but I probably wouldn’t have lasted this long if I had been as reckless as him.’’

NOTES: There still was no official word Tuesday on how much tickets will cost before most of them wind up on the secondary market at an inflated price. But Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe promised that the news is forthcoming. “This week, this week,’’ Ellerbe said. …The Nevada State Athletic Commission is expected to announce the referee and judges at a scheduled meeting next Tuesday. …Junior-featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz worked out for the media at Mayweather’s gym Tuesday. Santa Cruz is on the PPV portion of the undercard. But his opponent has yet to be determined. Whoever it is, Santa Cruz promised to be ready for what he hopes is a steppingstone for a showdown with Abner Mares.

Brooklyn, N.Y. (Tuesday, April 14, 2015) – Uprising Promotions super featherweight Angel Luna (10-0-1, 6 KOs) will be making his television debut this Friday night, fighting Philadelphia’s Tevin Farmer (18-4-1, 4 KOs) on the opening bout of the TV portion of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. The fight, which will be co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment, will go down at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

“This is a tough match-up on short notice, but it is an opportunity that we could not pass up,” said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. “Angel is a man who is dedicated to his craft, and he is always in the gym. I am expecting a big performance out of him and know that he will give a 100% effort. It is exciting to see him have the chance to fight in front of so many people, and this bout will definitely raise his profile. This opens the door for bigger fights, and I know that Angel is looking to capitalize on the opportunity in front of him.”

Luna returns to the ring on Friday night for the second time in 2015, with his last bout occurring on a February 13th Uprising Promotions card in Long Island City, Queens. In that contest, Luna dropped Jhovanny Collado twice in the opening round before cruising to landslide victory on the cards. Trained by Mateo De La Cruz, Luna fought his first nine professional bouts in his native country of the Dominican Republic before signing to Uprising Promotions. The Brooklyn transplant has since fought under the Uprising Promotions banner on three occasions.

Fighting out of Philadelphia, Farmer has won 11 consecutive bouts since beginning his professional career with a record of 7-4-1. The most significant victory of his career came three fights ago when he steadily out-worked the previously unbeaten Emmanuel Gonzalez to earn a unanimous decision on a FOX Sports 1 televised card in Boston.

The next Uprising Promotions show has been confirmed for Friday, May 15th, with the promotion returning to the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. The card will continue and focus more intently on the initiative of Uprising Promotions to KO Autism, with proceeds from the night getting donated to The School For Language and Communication Development (SLCD) in Glen Cove, New York. The card is being sponsored by Ronson Frank Fitness, Bill4Time, Belaire Rosé Champagne, Alma Restaurant, Resolution Sports and Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City. For tickets or any additional information, call (516) 451-6773.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of the latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and follow us on social media: @UprisingNYC

ARLINGTON, TX (April 14, 2015) — Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight champion and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) Fighter of the Year TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (25-0, 17 KOs), from Omaha, NE, Puerto Rican buzz saw THOMAS “Thunder” DULORME (22-1, 14 KOs), the No. 2 world-rated contender and Hall of Fame promoter BOB Arum hosted a media conference call on Monday to discuss their upcoming rumble for the vacant WBO junior welterweight title. The Crawford-Dulorme world title fight will take place This Saturday! April 18, at College Park Center, located on the campus of the University of Texas Arlington in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The world championship fight will be televised as part of a split site doubleheader live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted By Top Rank®, in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Tecate, remaining tickets to the Crawford-Dulorme world championship event priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25, plus applicable fees, tickets can be purchased at College Park Center box office, online at www.utatickets.com/ or www.utacollegepark.com/ or by phone at (817) 272-9595.

BOB ARUM: We are very excited to bring this event to Arlington, Texas, We are familiar with the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and have put on shows at Cowboys Stadium and this facility at the University of Texas Arlington is beautiful which is fitting for Fighter of the Year Terence Crawford, who was the world champion of the lightweight division and is now moving up for a crack at a junior welterweight world title. He fights a difficult contender in Thomas Dulorme. But we at Top Rank are confident in the ability of Terrence Crawford.

TERRENCE CRAWFORD: Camp has been going great. You know it’s been a blessing to be where I’m at and at this point I am ready to just go in there and do what I’ve got to do on Saturday night.

Has your life changed much after the year you have had?

TERRENCE CRAWFORD: Not really. I’ve got a little more of the big time people noticing me but other than that everything has been the same.

We saw how hard of a time you had getting down to 135 for the Beltran fight – how difficult was it?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: For that fight I don’t know what it was but my weight wasn’t coming down like it normally does. Now for this fight my weight has been down for about a week. It would have been easier for me to make 135 for this fight than the Beltran fight.

So you could have stayed at 135?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I could in a sense, but I don’t think that would have been the best move being that my body is growing and I’m filling out a little more. This is the right time to move up before I start having serious problems because I struggled hard to make weight for that fight.

Your thoughts on now moving to 140 and fighting for a title?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I am pleased with it. I feel like I need to use my career momentum to my advantage and I feel like I’ve got the momentum right now. I don’t want to take any steps backward, I want to keep moving up.

What are your thoughts about what Dulorme brings to the ring.

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I think he is a good boxer. He’s got a sharp, nice jab, he’s got a nice right hand. He likes to throw the little right hook. He moves well. He switches like me. I don’t have anything bad to say about him. Come Saturday I feel like I’m going to make my adjustments in the ring and do what I’ve go to do to get the job done.

Do you make your adjustments during the rounds or discuss when you go back to the corner in between rounds?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I go the way I see it. One minute I may do something and the next minute I may feel the need to do something different. That’s why I switch back and forth so frequently because I may see something that I can capitalize on.

Going back to Gamboa – how did you know when to make the adjustments?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well I saw that he just kept coming short with the right hand coming over the top. So I figured instead of catching him pulling out, I was going to catch him coming in. I felt like my right hook was going to be the key to catching him coming in because he was coming in so fast he wouldn’t see it coming and that’s what happened.

Do you see a long stay at junior welterweight or do you see yourself moving up?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well right now my focus is 140. I have no thoughts about moving up to 147, I just moved up to 140. Right now I am focusing on being the number one guy at 140.

What do you think your biggest challenge will be at 140?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I don’t know. I really can’t say what my main challenge will be because even though I fought at this division before, I never fought for a title, but I feel like I’m ready for it. But I don’t know until I get in there.

Do you worry about the quality of the punch at 140?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I don’t worry about those kinds of things. I need to worry about neutralizing their strength and getting the job done.

You had some great fights in Omaha last year and now you are back on the road – do you plan to go back to light up Omaha again?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: My fighting outside of Omaha is nothing new to me. I’ve been doing it all my life. In tournaments when nobody knew me. I am kind of used to fighting away from him. I do see myself fighting in Omaha again, in a different weight class. Bringing another championship title to Omaha. But that’s in the future and right now I am more focused on the present.

Who does Terence remind you of historically?

BOB ARUM: The guy who comes most to mind from the standpoint from the fact that he is a boxer / puncher – there is a guy that we promoted for a number of years named Donald Curry. Curry had at a certain point in his career, for a number of years was really a top flight fighter and they said he was going to be the next Sugar Ray Leonard but it didn’t work out that way, for various reasons. Be Terence has people around him, like Brian McIntyre, and Cameron Dunkin behind him, to keep him on the right patch, so that he will ultimately be able to achieve what Curry didn’t. Terence is a great fighter and Terence reminds me of Donald Curry.

You seem to fly under the radar because you are so soft-spoken. Do you think sometimes maybe you should talk a little more smack?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I don’t feel like I need to do that. That’s not me. I don’t like to say anything about me around me. I like to feel like when I say something that’s what I mean. That’s what I’m about. I’m not about being a showman. I am a showman in the ring but those unnecessary things outside the ring that people do; I don’t feel like I need to do that because that’s not me.

You are fighting now in ’15 before you even get the award for Fighter of the Year for 2014. Do you feel you are beginning a new campaign for 2015?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I couldn’t even imagine thinking about that right now because it is so far away. But if that was to happen again, I would be too happy.

Were you surprised to get it and what does it mean to you as you look back?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It means a lot to me. I feel like I had a great year. Going over there to Scotland, where nobody wanted to go, then coming back and fighting Gamboa – tough, tough fight, tough fighter – undefeated and a lot of experience and a lot of backing. Then taking on Ray Beltran – I felt great about my performance and my year. I been telling my manager, Cameron Dunkin, for years I wanted to be pushed. ‘Cameron throw me in there. Throw me in there.’ But managers are supposed to protect fighters from themselves, because sometimes fighters might say they want to fight, but don’t need to fight and it’s not a good fight for them. They thing they want it but really it’s not a good fight for them. That’s why I hired Cameron, because he, working with Brian McIntyre – that’s their job – to get the best fights for me, not for me, but for myself. That’s why they are the managers and I am the fighter. So I just bought my time, waited for the moment, and look at me now.

Are you looking forward to fighting then going to New York and having a good time and getting your accolades?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Of course, of course – that is the ultimate goal. It’s taking care of business Saturday, then resting up and enjoying my weekend. Then go get my award, then after that go to the Mayweather fight. I am just looking forward to everything this weekend.

How do you feel about the 6:1 odds in your favor?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I don’t know. They may see one thing but I respect all fighters. I have never in my career underestimated any fighter. When I am in training camp I never think about going in there and knock this dude out or I’m going to do this. They can think something else but we are going to train as hard as we can for twelve rounds or even more. That way we don’t get any surprises.

How do you see yourself this year at 140?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I see myself doing great things in this weight class. I feel like I am going to be stronger. I feel like I am going to be faster. I am getting the experience that I need to be smarter and wiser. I don’t go in the ring looking for any particular fighter, like ‘I want to fight him or I want to fight him.’ I just want to fight the best. My manager, my promoter, if they feel it is the best fight for me, then they will come to me and say this is the fight we want and I will believe in them like they believe in me and we will go forward with the fight.

Is this fight set up to take on the winner of Matthysse – Provodnikov?

BOB ARUM: Provodnikov and Matthysse are excellent fighters and certainly the winner of that fight would be considered against the winner, who we feel is going to be Crawford, would be a natural. But would there be a better fight to be made? Would the manager of the winner of Provodnikov-Matthysse want to fight the winner of this fight? Those things need to be decided. In other words, this is not a puppet show. You sit down with the management of the winner of the fight and then it will be decided. Let’s just enjoy what we are going to see on Saturday.

Team Crawford In closing

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Thanks for having me on.

BOB ARUM: For everyone that can get to Arlington, get there because it is going to be a great fight. You will see one of the great up and coming fighters of this era, Terence Crawford. I know a lot of people are focused on May 2, when Manny and Floyd go at it. But there are great fighters that will be fighting on Saturday, whether they are in Texas or elsewhere, I think Saturday is going to be a real good day for the junior welterweight division and hopefully a good day for Terence Crawford,

Thomas, Would it be a surprise for you to win the fight over Crawford?

THOMAS DULORME: It would not be a surprise for me. I know the way the boxing analysts feel but I am very comfortable with this fight and I will come out the winner of this fight.

What would winning this fight mean for your career?

THOMAS DULORME: This is another step forward in my career. It is a very important fight for me as I move along.

How do you feel about fighting the Fighter of the Year?

THOMAS DULORME: Those who make the decisions to choose who will be the fighter of the year are those involved in analyzing the fights. I am only concentrating on my career as a boxer in the gym and not outside of the ring.

The odds seem to be steeply in Crawford’s favor…

THOMAS DULORME: I am not surprised by the odds because everyone thinks this is a very comfortable fight for Crawford. I will say this – those who bet with me as the winner of the fight are going to take home a nice chunk of money.

There are some rumors making the rounds in social media – how do respond to them?

THOMAS DULORME: I have been concentrating for the past month and a half on my training and I have been away from the social media so I don’t really know what that has to do with. Everything in social media is being handled by my advisors’ office.

This is the biggest fight of your career and you have changed trainers…

THOMAS DULORME: Robert Garcia and I are great friends. I wanted to train in Puerto Rico where my boxing career began and Robert didn’t have the time to train me here in Puerto Rico.

Who is the head trainer for this fight?

THOMAS DULORME: I do not have a head trainer as such. What I have done is put together a great training team that brings to the table many years of training experience of old school in boxing. Jose “Kike” Rosa and Felix Pagan Pintor and Don Khan and Anthony Otero who have trained and been in title fights with other great boxers.

Who will be the person in charge that Thomas listens to between rounds?

THOMAS DULORME: It will be Kike Rosa

It seems that Terence is more of a boxer in this fight moving up in weight and since Thomas is coming down in weigh he will be the stronger fighter against the more slick Crawford. How do you feel about that?

THOMAS DULORME: As you know, I can switch from the guy who is a boxer in the ring and what I am going to do in this fight is switch from one side to the other but I am going to be constantly hurting Crawford with my power punches throughout the fight.

Did you know going into the fight with Lundy that your next fight would be for the title or did you think you just had to make a statement in that fight?

THOMAS DULORME: I never knew going into the Lundy fight, which was going to be my next fight. I never concentrate on, when I am going into a fight, who my next fight will be with. I concentrate on each fight individually.

How do you feel coming off two big wins against Karim Mayfield and Lundy?

THOMAS DULORME: My professional boxing career has been on a comfortable rise and I am very happy and very positive on this next step with a win over Crawford on the 18th.

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

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

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 14, 2015) – Bellator MMA officials are proud to announce the addition of exciting Brazilian featherweight prospect Gleristone “Toninho Furia” Santos (27-4), who has signed an exclusive, multi-fight deal.

Santos’s debut date and opponent will be announced in the near future.

Long considered one of Brazil’s top prospects, the 26-year-old Santos debuted in 2005, when he was just 16 years old and earned victories in his first nine professional bouts. Born in Campina Grande, Paraiba, Santos currently boasts a nine-fight winning streak and is an incredible 16-1 in his past 17 appearances. “

Toninho” joins several other talented Brazilian fighters on the Bellator roster including Featherweight World Champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Welterweight World Champion Douglas Lima, Bantamweight World Champion Marcos Galvao, Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas, Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, Rafael Carvalho, Neiman Gracie, Goiti Yamauchi amongst others.

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

CORK, Ireland (April 12, 2015) – Unified super bantamweight world champion Guillermo “The Jackal” Rigondeaux (15-0, 10 KOs), arguably the most avoided reigning world title holder in modern boxing history, will travel to London next month in order to publicly confront his mandatory challenger, Scott Quigg (30-0-2, 22 KOs), the World Boxing Association (WBA) “regular” 122-pound division titlist.

A month ago in an unusual move, Rigondeaux’ manager Gary Hyde formally petitioned the WBA to enforce a mandatory title fight between his WBA Super champion and Quigg. Hyde is awaiting the WBA’s decision. Rigondeaux is also the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and The Ring magazine’s super bantamweight champion.

A reigning world champion hasn’t been avoided by other world champions and top contenders like Rigondeux has for the past two years since, perhaps, junior middleweight Sergio Martinez, or possibly all the way back to middleweight Mike McCallum.

The top three super bantamweights in the world outside of Rigondeaux – International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Council (WBC) champions, Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz, respectively, plus Quigg – have avoided the Cuban great like the plaque. Once Santa Cruz’ promoter at the time, Oscar de la Hoya, announced that a Rigondeaux-Santa Cruz had to happen, Santa Cruz’ powerful adviser, Al Haymon, exercised a contract option and bought him out to avoid a fight with ‘Rigo.’ Frampton’s promoter, Barry McGuigan, has proclaimed his fighter, not Rigondeaux, as the No. 1 super featherweight in the world. McGuigan, though, is interested in Frampton fighting Quigg in a U.K. showdown, rather than a world mega-fight for three of the four major sanctioning world titles. As the “regular” WBA champion, Quigg is Rigondeaux’ mandatory challenger, yet, he apparently wants no part of the two-time Olympic gold medalist because his promoter, Barry Hearn, not only hasn’t pushed the issue, he’s in negotiations with McGuigan for Frampton to fight Quigg.

Former world super bantamweight champions Nonito Doniare, after he lost a unification fight to Rigondeaux two years ago, and Abner Mares chose to move up one division to fight as featherweights. And now Donaire reports that his manager was contacted by a Quigg representative to discuss a Donaire-Quigg fight in England.

Another two-time Olympic gold medalist, WBO 126-pound champion Vasyl Lomachenko, continually insists that “Rigo” has to move up in weight for a fight to happen despite him having no problems making 126.

“Quigg, Santa Cruz and Frampton have showed no desire to challenge Rigondeaux,” Hyde said. “These three fighters are trying to fool the public into believing that fight the No. 1 guy in the world is not important. While they are lining their pockets with ridiculous amounts of cash for fighting below par opponents, Rigondeaux is forced to wait around until some Asian opponent steps up. This is a sport in which we are accustomed to seeing the best fighting the best but, in the super bantamweight division, it’s the best versus the rest.

“Rigondeaux will travel to Manchester to fight Quigg, Belfast to fight Frampton, or Las Vegas to fight Santa Cruz. None of these so-called world champions, though, will consider fighting the acknowledged world super bantamweight champion. They’re all much more content to hold onto their belts than beating The Man in their weight class.”

Next month, Hyde reports, Rigondeaux will travel to the United Kingdom in a bold attempt to embarrass Quigg into fighting him. “I don’t like traveling overseas unless I have a fight lined up,” Rigondeaux explained, “but I will travel to England in May to publicly call out Scott Quigg. If he turns down the chance to fight our WBA mandatory, he will be remembered for that instead of being known as a great fighter. While I’m in the UK, I will also go to Belfast to checkout Carl Frampton to ask if he wants to prove himself against the best in his division.”

Understanding that the top super bantamweight action is currently in Europe, noting a record purse ($2.2 million USD) offered for a Frampton vs. Quigg fight, Rigondeaux is considering a major change in the not too distant future, moving his base from Miami to the UK, if that’s what it takes for him to get in on the action.

Hyde also manages former WBO middleweight champion and current International Boxing Federation (IBF) No. 1 mandatory contender Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (31-1, 18 KOs), former WBA Interim cruiserweight champion Youri “El Toro” Kalenga (21-2, 14 KOs) and Georgian super lightweight Levan “The Wolf” Ghvamichava (14-1-1, 11 KOs) , as well as top prospects such as Cuban super bantamweight Marcos Forestal (2-0, 2 KOs), Irish heavyweight Con Sheehan and Bulgarian light heavyweight Blagoy Naydenov.

Follow Hyde on Twitter at @NoWhere2Hyde and friend him at www.facebook.com/gary.hyde.50?fref=ts.

NEW YORK/UNCASVILLE, Conn. (April 13, 2015) – A loaded undercard featuring a cast of unbeaten prospects has been announced for the non-televised segment of the April 17th ESPN Friday Night Fights card, airing live from beautiful Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The scheduled nine-fight card is presented by DiBella Entertainment in association with Fight Promotions Inc. and New Legend Boxing.

Live coverage will begin at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and will also be available through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via an affiliated video provider. ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates will also carry the three fights live on broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+.

Undefeated WBC #12 junior middleweight contender Tony Harrison (20-0, 17 KOs), fighting out of Detroit, takes on former Interim WBO Latino/Mexican welterweight champion Pablo “Sepulturero” Munguia (20-6, 11 KOs) in the 10-round main event.

In an eight-round featherweight battle for New England bragging rights, flashy Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (22-0, 6 KOs), from Quincy, Massachusetts, puts his unbeaten record on the line against upset-minded Danny Aquino (16-2, 10 KOs), a Mexican-born fighter who lives in nearby Meriden, CT in the co-feature bout of the evening.

In the opening bout of the ESPN Friday Night Fights triple-header, Philadelphia junior lightweight Tevin “American Idol” Farmer (18-4-1, 4 KOs), USBA #4/NABF #10, faces Angel Luna (10-0-1, 6 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn, NY, by way of the Dominican Republic, in an eight-round match.

Fighting off television is unbeaten New York City super middleweight Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen (18-0-1, 11 KOs), who returns to the ring for an eight-round bout against battle-tested Paul Gonsalves (7-5-1, 3 KOs), of Harwich, MA. Allen is a former WBC CABOFE, New York State and Guyanese champion.

Maryland junior middleweight Alantez “SlyAza” Fox (14-0-1, 4 KOs) meets Dominican challenger Franklin Gonzalez (16-13, 10 KOs) in an eight-rounder. The 6’5″ Fox was a standout amateur boxer who compiled a 164-35 record, highlighted by his gold-medal performances at the Ringside National and Under-19 tournaments.

In a six-round welterweight matchup, Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (13-0, 11 KOs) squares off against Mexican invader Abraham “The Swift” Alvarez (19-7-1, 9 KOs). An amateur star out of Houston, Prograis had an impressive 87-7 amateur record and won several prestigious championships including the Ringside World Tournament.

Amos “2 Smooth” Cowart (12-0-1, 8 KOs), fighting out of Groveland, Florida, and Philadelphia’s Anthony Burgin (8-0, 1 KO) throw down in an interesting six-round fight between unbeaten junior welterweight prospects. Cowart, fighting for the first time since officially signing a long-term promotional agreement with DBE, will be looking to impress when he takes on the fellow undefeated prospect Burgin.

Former U. of New Haven basketball star Cassius Chaney makes his long-awaited professional debut in a four-round heavyweight match against Excell Holmes (2-5-1, 1 KO), of Buffalo. The 27-year-old Chaney, fighting out of New London, CT, stands 6’6″ and weighs in the 230-235 pound range. A 2010 graduate from U. of New Haven with a degree in sports management, Chaney is co-managed by former NBA all-star Vin Baker and trained by veteran Peter Manfredo Sr.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $100, $70 and $30 (subject to additional fees). Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.mohegansun.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets may also be purchased by visiting the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

VAN NUYS, Calif. (April 13, 2015) – Former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. held a media workout on Friday in front of a packed house at Ten Goose Boxing Gym in Van Nuys, Calif., as the Mexican superstar prepares to make his SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® debut on Saturday, April 18, at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

In the main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader, Mexican superstar Chavez, Jr. (48-1-1, 32 KOs) meets dangerous brawler Andrzej Fonfara (26-3, 15 KOs) in a 12-round light heavyweight bout.

In the 10-round co-feature, top 10 ranked junior welterweight contender Amir Imam (16-0, 14 KOs) will aim to move one step closer to a world title opportunity when he makes his second start of 2015 against fellow power-puncher Walter Castillo (25-2, 18 KOs).

Julio Cesar Chavez, arguably the greatest Mexican fighter of all time, made an appearance during his son’s workout to show his support and offer words of encouragement.

Here’s what Chavez Jr., Julio Cesar Chavez and Joe Goossen (trainer) had to say Friday at the Los Angeles-area gym:

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR., Former World Champion
“I am very focused going into this fight. I have changed a lot mentally this past year.

“I am fighting [Andrzej] Fonfara now because I like big opponents. I like the challenge of fighting good, hungry fighters. Just because Fonfara doesn’t have the name recognition of other fighters, it doesn’t make him an easy fighter. He’s tough.

“I feel comfortable at light heavyweight. Any time that you can add a couple pounds, you feel better. Although I will be fighting at 175, I feel most comfortable at 168 as a boxer. Since I have had one year off, it was a better choice to fight at this weight so that I could see how my body feels.

“Since I have added a few pounds, I have become a more physical and stronger boxer. The light heavyweight division has very big and physical contenders.

“Joe [Goossen] is a great trainer. He is a great motivator to his fighters and makes them better. I have worked very hard with him for the 35 days we spent together in Lake Tahoe.

“When I was training with Freddie Roach, it was very different. I think Freddie is a great trainer, but Joe also has a lot of experience and we have made a connection together.

“I really liked training in Lake Tahoe. The altitude, the ring, everything I needed was there. I felt very comfortable up there and I would like to come back there to train for a fight again.

“I promise a great fight, this is a very exciting fight. Fonfara isn’t an easy opponent, but he has never seen an opponent like me.”

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ SR.
“I am here to support and be with my son. I try to give him good advice. I tell him to train and prepare hard, and fortunately he is doing that well.

“I think Joe [Goossen] is doing a great job, we are on the same page. We are all focused on him [Chavez Jr.] getting to the fight well prepared. This fight requires great preparation because he is going into the fight at a weight that’s higher than his normal weight and he is facing a very tough opponent.

“He must go in 100 percent to win this fight.

“I think there has been a 180 degree turn in his career. I see this as a positive because he can really develop his ability and looks very well prepared.

“I would’ve liked to have seen him take a tune up fight instead because of his long layoff; I particularly didn’t want this fight.

“Julio [Chavez Jr.] wants credibility in this sport and that’s why he made the decision to take this fight, even though it’s a dangerous decision. He must be very prepared for this fight.”

JOE GOOSSEN, Chavez Jr.s’ Trainer
“I’ve been asked over the years who the one fighter was that I would like to work and my answer was always Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

“I’ve always really admired his style. I had known him as a kid, his father is a legend. It had always seemed like a dream job for me, and out of nowhere I got it.

“Lake Tahoe was tremendous for training camp. You are isolated and it’s not an easy thing. When you aren’t training you are sitting in a hotel room. You are deprived the comforts of home, but it really gives you that concentration and dedication factor and I think that will interpret into some positive results.

“I matured over my years, once I had a kid and a family and I think the same has happened with Julio. Life becomes clearer when you put away the immaturity. You realize that you have a future and if you really want to access what’s available to you, then you are going to have to work hard and dedicate yourself to it.

“Going to Lake Tahoe and really working hard is a sign of maturity and I think that’s what Julio is going through right now. He really showed it by leaving his home and spending an extended period of time up there. To me that is a great indicator that he is mature, dedicated and taking this fight very seriously.

“Of course I believe Julio is ready to fight Fonfara. The fight was made before I even came on board, but that’s the challenge that I am presented with. You must figure out a good game plan and figure out what you’re up against.

“Just because Julio has been out a year doesn’t mean that it’s going to be a cake walk for Fonfara. We went up to Lake Tahoe with one thing in mind, and that’s winning this fight and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

# # #
“Chavez Jr. vs. Fonfara”, a 12-round light heavyweight bout co-promoted by Goossen Promotions and Chavez Promotions that takes place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). In the co-main event, Amir Imam faces Walter Castillo in a 10-round jr. welterweight showdown. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets for the event are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, are available for purchase online at AXS.com.

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jcchavezjr1, @andrzej_fonfara, @StubHubCenter and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #ChavezFonfara, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.