Hank Lundy got himself back into title contention with a ten round unanimous decision over Olusegun Ajose at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire

Lundy put in a solid performance as he was consistent performance as he showed good handspeed. Lundy, who is known to switch between orthodox and southpaw fought from the left handed stance for just about all of the fight. He had a very good round seven as he put together some nice combinations that pushed Ajose back. Ajose was never able to get off but Lundy has to be given credit for the fight against a highly credible opponent.

Lundy, 139 3/4 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 100-90, 98-92 and 98-92 and is now 23-3-1. Ajose, 140 lbs is now 31-2.

Ryan Kielczweski scored a spectacular fifth round stoppage over Miguel Soto in a scheduled eight round Super Featherweight bout featuring undefeated fighters.

Kielczweski dominated the action by landing some solid rights and good body work. Soto had some swelling around the right eye in round four. In round five, Kielczweski landed a perfect left to the jaw that sent Soto down for the ten count at 2:59 of round five.

Kielczweski, 128.6 lbs of Quincy, MA is now 17-0 with four knockouts. Soto, 129.2 lbs of Sabra Hollo, PR is 11-1.

“I am still fresh, I feel like I could go another five rounds. I hit him with a perfect left hook, right on the button. I controlled the fight the entire time. I used my jab and just took it one punch at a time. I am thrilled with my performance. This was a perfect way to celebrate my 24th birthday.”

Charles Martin remained undefeated by scoring a fourth round stoppage over Aaron Kinch in a Heavyweight bout scheduled for six rounds.

Kinch was dropped in round three from a uppercut. Martin continued the assault in round four and battered Kinch on the ropes until the fight was stopped at 2:55 of round four

Martin is now 9-0-1 with eight knockouts. Kinch is 5-2-1.

Salem, NH (7/18/13) – Tomorrow night, ESPN’s Friday Night Fights returns to the historic Rockingham Park in New Hampshire with a scintillating 10-round main event featuring WBC #3-rated junior welterweight Olusegun Ajose (31-1, 14KO’s) taking on longtime lightweight contender “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy (22-3-1, 11KO’s).

In the co-feature bout, undefeated up-and-coming prospects Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (16-0, 3KO’s) and Miguel “Mikito” Soto (11-0, 11KO’s) put their unblemished records on the line in an eight-round super featherweight showdown.

Tomorrow nights card will also feature special guests, Worcester’s top-rated super middleweight contender Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez fresh off his sensational 1st round TKO over Denis Grachev last Saturday in the finale of the Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4 Tournament, Boston’s former Undisputed Welterweight Champion Tony DeMarco, and Boston fan-favorite and fast rising MMA star Calvin “The Boston Finisher” Kattar.

Below are the official weights from this afternoon’s weigh-in.

10 ROUNDS – JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Olusegun Ajose vs. Hank Lundy
Lagos, Nigeria Philadelphia, PA
31-1, 14 KO’s 22-3-1, 11 KO’s
140 lbs. 139.8 lbs.

8 ROUNDS -JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS
Ryan Kielczweski vs. Miguel Soto
Quincy, MA Arecibo, Puerto Rico
16-0, 3 KO’s 11-0, 11 KO’s
128.6 lbs. 129.2 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – HEAVYWEIGHTS
Charles Martin vs. Aaron Kinch
St. Louis, MO Newark, NJ
8-0-1, 7 KO’s 5-1-1 KO
239.4 lbs. 264.2 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – HEAVYWEIGHTS
Alexis Santos vs. Marlon Hayes
Lawrence, MA Newark, NJ
9-0, 8 KO’s 23-11, 11 KO’s
221 lbs. weighing-in later tonight

6 ROUNDS – JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Chris Gilbert vs. Luis Viramontes
Windsor, VT Brockton, MA
8-0, 6 KO’s 3-2-1, 1 KO
147.8 lbs. 149.6 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – HEAVYWEIGHTS
Jonathan Hamm vs. Daniel Martz
Atlanta, GA Clarksburg, WV
7-1, 5 KO’s 8-1, 6 KO’s
247.6 lbs. 252 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Russell Lamour vs. Aquilano Brandao
Portland, ME Worcester, MA
3-0, 1 KO’s Pro-debut
164.6 lbs. 160.4 lbs.

4 ROUNDS – MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Gerald Schifone vs. Noel Garcia
Brockton, MA Springfield, MA
Pro Debut 2-18, 1 KO
155.4 lbs. 160.4 lbs.

The entire card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Classic Entertainment & Sports, and Rumble Time Promotions, and sponsored by Corona. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the first bout scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The televised portion of the card will be aired at 10:30 p.m. ET, on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN.

Tickets, priced at $75 VIP reserved, $45 reserved and $35 for general admission, are currently on sale, and can be purchased by calling 603-898-2311. Tickets may also be purchased at the door tomorrow evening.

# # #

For more information visit us at www.dbe1.com or www.espn.com/boxing. Follow us on twitter @loudibella, or @ESPNBoxing. You can visit our fan pages at facebook/dibellaentertainment

The July 19 edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will feature two top Junior Welterweights—Olusegun “The Gun” Ajose (31-1, 14 KOs) and “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy (22-3-1, 11 KOs) — in the 10-round main event. Friday’s show from Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H., will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN3 and ESPN Deportes+ and will air at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN2 and WatchESPN. ESPN Deportes will televise Friday’s fights on Saturday, July 20, at 7 p.m. The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment.

New Picture (6)
Watch Teddy Atlas and Joe Tessitore preview Friday’s main event

Commentators:
Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN3 and ESPN2, while studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will present all the latest boxing news and highlights. Delvin Rodriguez, will call the fights with Pablo Viruega for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights), while Leopoldo Gonzalez and Claudia Trejos will anchor the studio. Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) will present live interviews and reports for both shows.

Main Event:
New York’s Ajose, a 2000 Olympian for Nigeria, won an eight-round unanimous decision over Rynell Griffin in his last fight. Philadelphia’s Lundy has defeated former Lightweight titlist David Diaz and current Lightweight titlist Richar Abril, but is looking to get back to his winning ways following back-to-back losses to Viktor Postol and Ray Beltran.

“Coming off two consecutive loses, Lundy is in danger of becoming irrelevant,” Atlas said. “He will need his good speed and great urgency to beat a bigger, more physical Ajose. That’s the tough news for Lundy. The good news for the fans of Friday Night Fights is that both these experienced fighters are not hard to find—they will be right in front of each other all night and that should make it a good night of fights.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s eight-round co-feature will pit undefeated Junior Lightweights Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczewski (16-0, 3 KOs) of Massachusetts against Puerto Rico’s Miguel “Mikito” Soto (10-0, 10 KOs). Kielczewski scored an eight-round unanimous decision win over Gil Garcia his last fight, while Soto is coming off a fourth-round TKO win over John Wampash.

Upcoming Schedule:

Date
Time (ET)
Main Event
Location

Networks
Fri., July 26
9 p.m.
Juan Carlos Burgos (30-1-1, 20 KOs) vs. Yakubu Amidu (18-4-1, 16 KOs)—12 rounds, Junior Lightweight
Thunder Valley Casino, Lincoln, Calif.
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
Fri., Aug 2
9 p.m.
Javier Fortuna (22-0, 16 KOs) vs. Luis Franco (11-1, 7 KOs)—10 rounds, Featherweights
Buffalo Run Casino, Miami, Okla.
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
Fri., Aug 9
10 p.m.
Rustam Nugaev (24-6-1, 14 KOs) vs. José Hernández (14-6-1, 6 KOs)—10 rounds, Lightweights
Morongo Casino, Cabazon, Calif.
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
Fri., Aug 16
9 p.m.
Andrzej Fonfara (23-2, 13 KOs) vs. Gabriel Campillo (22-5-1, 9 KOs)—12 rounds, Light Heavyweights
U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
*Schedule subject to change

Follow ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like it on Facebook. Follow ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo. Also score the fights round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting App,” an application on the ESPN FNF Facebook page that allows viewers to score the fight round-by-round.

New York, NY (7/16/13) – There comes a point in almost every fighter’s career when they have to face a crossroads. This Friday night, in the main event of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, WBC #3-rated junior welterweight Olusegun Ajose (31-1, 14KO’s) and longtime lightweight contender “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy (22-3-1, 11KO’s) will face just that when the two square off in their 10-round junior welterweight showdown. The bout, promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Classic Entertainment & Sports, will carry heavy implications for the two pugilists’ respective careers. The winner puts himself in a very good position in the talent-laden 140lb. division, while the loser sees his career fall deep into jeopardy.

“This fight means a lot to me and is very important for my career,” said Ajose. “I want my name to be amongst the elite of the 140lb. division.”

“This fight means a lot. I just came off two recent losses that I thought I won-especially the one in Ukraine,” said Lundy. “I really beat that guy [Viktor Postol], but I didn’t get a fair shake. For this fight, I’m going to go in there and show the world that this isn’t the last of Hammerin’ Hank. I’m a force at 140 now.”

Lundy continued, “I’m looking to prove that Hammerin’ Hank is one of the elite fighters in the world. Everyone knows [Olusegun] from taking a beating against Matthysse. I’ve already been in the top 10 in the world and this will be the second time once I beat this guy. I’m a world-class fighter and a soon-to-be world-class champion. I’m going in there to give it my all.”

In his only defeat as a professional, Ajose was stopped in a high intensity shootout with interim WBC light welterweight champion, and one of boxing’s pound-for-pound most devastating punchers, Lucas Matthysse. Ajose and Matthysse went to war from the opening bell before Ajose was finally stopped in the 10th round of their 12-round championship battle. The bout was viewed as one of the most exciting of 2012, and while Ajose came up on the losing end, his stock certainly rose. Now, Ajose knows a win over the proven Lundy will put himself back in line for another crack at the coveted world championship.

“I know that Lundy is a good and skillful boxer and he is very tough. He always comes to fight and I do not expect an easy fight. That being said though, I know that I will come out victorious on Friday night. If I need to go to war to win this fight then I will do just that. If I need to box, then I can do that too. Whatever I have to do to win this fight I will do. I want to prove to everyone that I am a better fighter than what people saw against Matthysse.”

While Ajose is confident going into this matchup and dreams of bigger and better things to come in his career, he is certainly not making the mistake of looking past his foe.

“I have my eyes set on Lundy right now and no one else. If I want to move forward in my career, I must win on Friday night. After Friday, I will talk about what is next for me, but without a win, there is no next and that is why I am taking this fight so seriously.”
Lundy echoed similar sentiments regarding the importance of this fight, but he did admit to having one particular fighter in his sites.

“It’s a do-or-die fight and I’m letting everything hang out on Friday. I’m going to come in there and put on a show and get a win against a guy ranked [No. 3] in the WBC. It’ll be real big to come in there and handle business. That puts me in the No. 2 or No. 3 spot and gives me a chance to fight for a title.

“I’ll give props where props are due. I respect Danny Garcia. We’re both Philadelphia guys, but if I win, I want Matthysse. Everyone is running from the big bad wolf. Hammerin’ Hank won’t run from no one. Let’s fight. Then I’ll go from there and fight the champ.”

The entire card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Classic Entertainment & Sports, and Rumble Time Promotions, and sponsored by Corona. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the first bout scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The televised portion of the card will be aired at 10:30 p.m. ET, on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN. In the televised co-feature bout, undefeated up-and-coming prospects Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (16-0, 3KO’s) and Miguel “Mikito” Soto (11-0, 11KO’s) put their unblemished records on the line in an eight-round super featherweight clash.

Tickets, priced at $75 VIP reserved, $45 reserved and $35 for general admission, are currently on sale, and can be purchased by calling 603-898-2311.

New York, NY (4/18/13) – This Saturday night at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, WBC #3-rated junior welterweight Ajose Olusegun (30-1, 18KO’s) will return to action for the first time since suffering his first pro defeat to Lucas Matthysse in a bout for the interim WBC title in September of last year. Olusegun will take on veteran Rynell Griffin in an eight-round bout. The fight is promoted by Hitz Entertainment, in association with DiBella Entertainment.

“I am so glad that I’m getting back in the ring,” said Olusegun. “This is going to be my first fight after my loss to Matthysse and I can’t wait to do my thing.”

Olusegun participated for his native Nigeria in the 2000 Olympics before successfully turning pro in May 2001 with a first-round TKO over Tony Montana.

He won the junior welterweight Commonwealth title in 2007 and defended the belt four times before picking up the British junior welterweight title in 2009.

With all of his professional bouts, up to that point, taking place in the U.K., Olusegun decided to relocate to the U.S. and signed with DiBella Entertainment (DBE). In his first fight under the DBE banner, Olusegun won a dominant near shut-out 12-round unanimous decision over Ali Chebah (35-1). The bout, which took place on Showtime®, was an official WBC light welterweight title eliminator.

The win earned Olusegun his shot at the title against Matthysse. In a grueling and entertaining slugfest, Olusegun was stopped in the 10th-round of their scheduled 12-round championship bout. Olusegun admitted after that bout that he fought the wrong fight, but he took the loss as a learning experience. He is hoping to work his way back into another world title opportunity soon and has even offered up his services to IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander, who was scheduled to fight Kell Brook May 18, before Brook had to pull out after suffering an injury during training.

“I know that Devon is currently looking for an opponent and I would love to get in the ring against him. This is a great opportunity for me to share a ring with the champ and I am willing and able to step in. I am sure boxing fans around the world will like this matchup, so I’m ready to give everyone an exciting fight. I’m here, let’s make it happen.”

# # #

Lucas Matthysse scored a tenth round stoppage over previously undefeated Alusegun Ajose to win the WCC Interim Super Lightweight title at the Joint at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Matthysse battered the tough Ajose with some wicked shots that the Nigerian took and showed a granite chin. Ajose tried and at times was competitive from his southpaw stance. Matthysse was relentless in landing some wicked power shots until he was able to to drop Ajose and the fight was stopped at 2:59 of round ten

Ajose, clearly frustrated with his performance also spoke with Gray. “I’m alright. Matthysse is a terrific fighter. This is what inactivity will do to you. I am a bit rusty, nothing to take away from Matthysse. He is a terrific puncher. He came to fight and he came to win.”

Ajose graciously continued, “I think he is the hardest puncher I have ever fought. I have to give it to him. I know I can do better than what I did tonight. I’m a good champion. I fall down and I get back up. I’ll be back.”

Matthysse, 139 lbs of Trelew, Argentina is now 32-2-1 with thirty knockouts. Ajose, 139 lbs of New York is now 30-1.

After the victory Matthysse told SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray, “He was a tough rival and he had a lot of mobility in this fight. I thought I had him a couple of times. He is a strong fighter and I felt his power tonight.”

When asked who he would like to face next Matthysse answered confidently, “Anybody. It will be very difficult to take this belt. I’ll fight anybody right now.”

Ajose, clearly frustrated with his performance also spoke with Gray. “I’m alright. Matthysse is a terrific fighter. This is what inactivity will do to you. I am a bit rusty, nothing to take away from Matthysse. He is a terrific puncher. He came to fight and he came to win.”

Middleweight J’Leon Love scored an eight round victory over Ramon Valenzuela via disqualification after Valenzuela attempted to lift up Love in a scheduled ten round bout.

Love was very solid by boxing and working Valenzuela by landing shots with bot hands. Valenzuela had minimal success trying to work the body. Ironically Valenzuela had his best flurry early in round seven as he tried to make it a rough fight. Later in the round, Love landed a big flurry in the corner for which it made Valenzuela hold on and was docked a point by referee Jay Nady.

In the next round, Love picked up where he left off and when the two clinched, Valenzuela lifted Love off his feet and Nady waved the bout off at thirty-seven seconds.

Love, 161 lbs of Las Vegas is now 13-0. Valenzuela, 159 1/2 lbs of Chicago is 7-2.

Perennial contender Ishe Smith scored a ten round unanimous decision over Irving Garcia in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Smith was very solid throughout the fight as he dropped Garcia in round two from a right hand that preceded by a hard body shot. Smith dominated as he boxed very well and landed many solid shots for which Garcia took well but was never able to mount any sustained offense.

Smith, 154 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 100-89, 100-89 and 99-90 and is now 24-5. Garcia, 154 lbs of Vega Baja, PR is now 17-8-1.

Good looking teenager Dequan Arnett scored a fourth round stoppage over Jesus Tavera in a scheduled six round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Arnett dominated from the first bell as he showed terrific speed while landing some hard combinations against the overmatched Tavera. In the fourth round, Arnett continued to land quick shots and combinations before a big right hand forced referee Tony Weeks to stop the bout at 1:37 of round four.

Arnett, 153 lbs of Orlando, FL is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Tavera, 153 lbs of Atlanta, GA is now 4-3-1.

NEW YORK (Sept. 5, 2012) – A 10-round middleweight fight between undefeated J’Leon Love (12-0, 7 KO’s) of Las Vegas and Chicago’s Ramon Valenzuela (7-1, 1 KO) will open the telecast this Saturday, Sept. 8, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.

The fight, originally scheduled for SHOWTIME EXTREME, will precede the 12-round main event between unbeaten Nigerian Olusegun Ajose (30-0, 14 KO’s) and hard-hitting Argentine Lucas Matthysse (31-2, 29 KO’s) for the vacant WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Championship.

The promising six-feet-tall, 24-year-old Love will be making his fourth start this year after fighting four times in 2011 and five times in 2010. In his last fight, Love, who is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, registered two knockdowns en route to a shutout eight-round decision win over Joseph De Los Santos on July 14 in Las Vegas.

Valenzuela, a five-foot-eight, 21-year-old, will be looking to rebound. The winner in his initial seven bouts, Valenzuela was upset by Donatos Bondoravas in his most recent outing on May 25.

Love, who trains out of the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, is an up-and-coming prospect with good skills, movement and punching power. Before turning professional on Jan. 29, 2010, he was an outstanding amateur, winning the 2007 Golden Gloves championship at 165 pounds.

“We’re working extremely hard,” Love said. “We know we have a tough and game opponent. We don’t take anybody lightly. I know the guy’s coming off of a loss recently, which makes him even hungrier to get back in the game and get a victory, so I know he’s coming to fight. I know he has a lot to prove right now, but I’m not the one to make a statement against.

“I’m definitely working my butt off and doing exactly what I’m supposed to do,” continued Love. “We’re looking to get that victory. We’re two young fighters with a lot of skills, and we’re going to put it on the line and get it done. It’s going to be a good fight.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for J’Leon and he will definitely take advantage of the opportunity to showcase his skills on Saturday night,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “We’re really excited and looking forward to him going out there to take care of business against Valenzuela.”

Nicknamed “El Dragon” because he likes the animated series, “Dragon Ball Z,” the aggressive-minded Valenzuela didn’t spend time moping after his last fight.

“I took a week off,” said Valenzuela, who trains at Garfield Park Gym in Chicago. “I got back in the gym right away. I spar with different people – a lot of local guys, whoever. I’m a brawler-boxer. I’m prepared and ready to fight.”

The live undercard fights being covered by SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT) are Daquan Arnett (6-0, 4 KO’s) of Orlando, Fla. facing Jesus Tavera (3-2, 1 KO), of Mexico City, Mex., in a six-round junior middleweight scrap and Ishe Smith (23-5, 11 KO’s) of Las Vegas squaring off against Puerto Rico’s Irving Garcia (17-7-3, 8 KO’s) in a 10-round junior middleweight matchup.

Rounding out the non-televised fights will be a six round junior featherweight fight between Melinda Cooper (21-2, 11 KO’s) of Las Vegas and Celine Salazar (4-0-2, 1 KO) of San Antonio, Tex. and a six round lightweight fight between Zapopan, Mexico’s Oscar “El Raton” Cortes (21-0, 11 KO’s) and San Angelo, Texas’ Miguel Buendia (8-1-1, 5 KO’s).

# # #

Ajose vs. Matthysse, a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Championship taking place Saturday, September 8 at The Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment, Gary Shaw Productions and Arano Box Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with middleweight prospects J’Leon Love and Ramon Valenzuela squaring off in a 10-round co-featured bout presented in association with Mayweather Promotions. Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, along with a limited number of VIP suite seats priced at $150, are on sale and may be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.Ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, http://Sports.SHO.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/LouDibella, www.twitter.com/GaryShawBoxing, www.twitter.com/MayweatherPromo, www.twitter.com/TheJointLV, www.twitter.com/hardrockhotellv, www.twitter.com/SHOsports, follow the conversation using #ShowtimeBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/ShoBoxing.

NEW YORK (Sept. 1, 2012) — Following a back injury that sidelined Randall Bailey for his IBF welterweight world title fight against Devon Alexander, the co-featured Lucas Matthysse vs. Ajose Olusegun bout for the WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Championship has been elevated to the main event for the Saturday, Sept. 8 fight card from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The co-featured fight of the two-fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast is to be determined.

For the unbeaten Nigerian Olusegun (30-0, 14 KO’s) and the power-punching Argentine Lucas Matthysse (31-2, 29 KO’s), this will be the first time that each will fight in the main event of an internationally televised world championship fight card.

“We’re disappointed that Devon will not have the opportunity to fight Randall Bailey for the title this weekend, but we’re hopeful that Randall will recover quickly so we can reschedule this great fight,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “As every cloud has a silver lining, we’re excited that the explosive September 8 match-up between Ajose Olusegun and Lucas Matthysse will now be in the spotlight headlining a great night of boxing.”

“Unfortunately, Randall Bailey suffered a severe lower back sprain,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The orthopedic specialist determined that Bailey would not be able to fight on September 8th and requires a period of rest. He’ll be returning to the specialist on Wednesday, but the injury is not expected to sideline him for an extended period of time. We’re pleased that there is a terrific fight between Ajose Olusegun and Lucas Matthysse to move into the main event position. This fight between two of the best 140-pounders in the world will establish the challenger for the winner of the October 20 showdown between Danny Garcia and Erik Morales.”

“This is unfortunate for Randall, Devon and the fans who are looking forward to their fight,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “We would still like to televise Alexander vs. Bailey, but of course we have to wait for further information on Bailey’s injury before we can talk about that. In the meantime, we have a fierce matchup between Olusegun and Matthysse on our hands for next Saturday. These men have been training for months and we all know what they bring to the ring. Now, they have the spotlight all to themselves. I am looking forward to that fight.”

Olusegun vs. Matthysse, a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Championship taking place Saturday, September 8 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment, Gary Shaw Productions and Arano Box Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, along with a limited number of VIP suite seats priced at $150, are on sale and may be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, http://Sports.SHO.com, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing,@TheJointLV, @hardrockhotellv, @SHOsports, follow the conversation using or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/ShoBoxing.