“ROCKIN’ FIGHTS” FEBRUARY 23RD FIGHT CARD ANNOUNCED: TWO CHAMPIONSHIP BOUTS HEADLINE STAR BOXING’S PARAMOUNT NY SHOW

Huntington, New York (January 29, 2024) – After a year of complete Rockin’ Fights sellouts, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing returns to the hallowed ground of The Paramount in 2024 with another exciting fight card on Friday, February 23, 2024. The event marks the 46th edition of the critically acclaimed “Rockin’ Fights” series, with an additional three “Rockin’ Fights” already announced for the remainder of 2024 (May 11, Sept 14 & Nov 23).

Tickets “Rockin’ Fights” 46 on February 23 are available HERE. Tickets for the additional “Rockin’ Fights” 2024 dates are available HERE.

Haitian born, Huntington Long Island based fan favorite, WENDY “HAITIAN FIRE” TOUSSAINT (15-2 8KOs) aims to continue his momentum by defending his WBA Continental USA Super Welterweight Title for the first time against Egyptian born, Canadian based, “THE EGYPTIAN PRINCE” MPONDU KALUNGA (11-2 3KOs) in the 10 round main event. Toussaint won the vacant title with his impressive victory at Star Boxings “Rockin’ Fights” 45 in October, displaying a vicious attack with three knockdowns of opponent, Jermone Jones, on his way to securing the title via a third round TKO. This will be Toussaint’s eleventh appearance at The Paramount, and his first as a main featured bout.

Toussaint had this to say about the opportunity, “As February 23rd approaches, my fists tighten, carrying the weight of countless hours in the gym and the fire of determination. This isn’t just a fight, it’s a declaration. I defend my belt with the power of readiness, a culmination of hard work, sacrifice, and an unrelenting spirit. Get ready for a showcase of resilience and victory.” 

Kalunga is not shying away from the opportunity, “I’ve been working for this moment my whole life. I will do whatever it takes to win. I look forward to earning the victory. Thanks to my team at United Boxing Promotions and Grants MMA and Boxing Gym for being in my corner. Let’s GO!”

In the other featured title bout, #9 (WBC) and #14 (WBA) world rated cruiserweight “THE ITALIAN TANK” SIMONE FEDERICI (20-2-1 8KOs) defends his WBC Continental America’s Title in a 10-round bout against former IBO World Champion, BLAKE “IL CAPO” CAPARELLO (31-4-1 14KO’s) of Victoria, Australia. With Federici now a top 10 rated cruiserweight in the world, a victory puts him within touching distance of a world title challenge opportunity. Caparello hopes to snatch Federici’s rating with a win, positioning himself for another world title run himself. With names like Sergey Kovalev, Andre Dirrell and Isaac Chilemba on his resume, Federici is yet another top fighter that Caparello will fearlessly trade leather with. The implications involved in this fight are career altering for both international fighters.

Federici and Caparello offered their thoughts ahead of their upcoming pivotal cruiserweight bout:

Simone Federici: “I’m really happy to be fighting in America again and defending my WBC Continental America’s Championship at The Paramount in New York. I have been training with my uncle Franco Federici, since the age of 6 to achieve my dream of winning a world title. It is with great satisfaction that I dedicate this title fight to my family and my wife who have always believed in me. I also owe the results and my number 9 world rating by the WBC to my promoter Joe DeGuardia, of Star Boxing, who gave me the opportunity to make myself known and fight in America. I also want to thank some people who have been fundamental in this journey; my manager Luigi Camputaro, my intermediary Armando Belotti and my coach Franco Federici who have supported me all these years and will once again be by my side in this climb to a world championship.”

Blake Caparello: “I’m excited at the prospect of challenging a world-ranked opponent on a Star Boxing card. I’m eager to showcase the changes I’ve implemented in my boxing game and reclaim my position amongst the best in the division. I’d like to thank Joe and the team at Star Boxing for this fantastic opportunity!”

On the undercard, DANNY “EL GALLO” GONZALEZ (20-4-1 7KOs) of Queens, New York, returns to action after being sidelined with a torn left bicep for the past eight months. Opposing Gonzalez in the 8 round super welterweight bout will be KEANE “ICE MAN” MCMAHON (7-3 4KOs) of Dublin, Ireland. Gonzalez has the third most wins in “Rockin’ Fights” series history with 11 victories, only trailing Cletus Seldin (17 wins) and Anthony Karperis (17 wins). Gonzalez-McMahon was previously scheduled for “Rockin’ Fights” 44 on May 13, 2023, but due to Gonzalez’s injury the fight had to be postponed. Both men are anxious for their fight on February 23 at “Rockin’ Fights” 46.

“We are excited to be back at our home, The Paramount, on February 23 with thrilling action fights,” said Hall of Fame promoter, JOE DEGUARDIA. “The February 23 show has two exciting, featured bouts with fighters that are one or two fights away from major bouts should they impress in their respective fights. Whatever the future holds, fans will be treated to another thrilling fight night at the Paramount. If you have been to a “Rockin’ Fights” before, you know you’re in for a treat. If not, you should join us February 23rd.”

Star Boxing “Rockin’ Fights” announced its 2024 Paramount dates (Feb 23, May 11, Sept 14 & Nov 23). TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW for all four 2024 events HERE. 




BLAKE CAPARELLO CONTINUES COMEBACK WITH IMPRESSIVE VICTORY IN AUSTRALIA

Blake Caparello (640x480)
New York, NY (11/26/16) – Continuing his comeback on Friday in Australia, super middleweight contender Blake Caparello finished off the year facing Bolivian Ricky Torrez at the Melbourne Pavilion, in Flemington, Victoria.

The Australian southpaw Caparello came out aggressively at the outset, throwing in combination. A barrage of punches felled Torrez hard, though he arose. Caparello followed through to land a right uppercut and straight left to put Torrez down again for good. The end came at the 2:45 mark of round one. Caparello improved to 24-2-1 (8 KOs), while Torrez fell to 26-8-1 (17 KOs) ending a six-fight winning streak.

“You’ve just seen the best super middleweight in the country,” said Caparello to the fans in attendance. “I will keep working hard to regain my former status and secure another shot at a world championship.”

“Blake’s impressive win over Ricky Torrez demonstrates his continued dedication to his pursuit of a world title,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “He has only lost to elite fighters, and in both defeats, managed to knock down each adversary, proving his competitive spirit. I will seek out the best opportunities for Blake as he climbs back up the rankings.”

For Caparello, the Torrez knockout was his second straight victory in his home country since dropping a competitive 10-round decision to Andre Dirrell in April, in which he knocked the American down in the second frame. On August 13, Caparello earned a fifth-round stoppage over Rogerio Damasco, also at the Melbourne Pavilion.

After just nine amateur bouts, Caparello turned pro in 2009, and quickly amassed a slew of title belts while defeating the best challengers Australia had to offer. By 2013, Caparello had won the Australia-Victoria, Australian, interim OPBF, PABA, and IBO light heavyweight titles. Following a dominant win over former world title challenger Allan Green, Caparello signed with promoter DiBella Entertainment and made a successful US debut in January 2014 on ESPN Friday Night Fights against the experienced Elvir Muriqi.

Six months later, Caparello appeared on HBO, challenging WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, trading knockdowns in a shootout in Atlantic City. Though he suffered his first defeat, Caparello rebounded to win the WBO Asia Pacific light heavyweight title that December. In 2015, Caparello made the decision to move down to the super middleweight division where he has thus far won four of five fights, while adding the PABA and WBO Oriental 168lb. titles to his collection.




Andre Dirrell Wins Unanimous Decision over Blake Caparello in Premier Boxing Champions on Spike Live from the Taj Mahal Casino & Hotel in Atlantic City

andre-dirrell
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (April 30, 2016) – Olympic Bronze Medalist Andre Dirrell (25-2, 16 KOs) defeated Australia’s Blake Caparello (22-2-1, 6 KOs) by unanimous decision (98-91 X 3) in a 10-round super middleweight attraction in the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike main event from the Taj Mahal Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In a bout that started off with a lot of back and forth action, Caparello struck first with a left in the second round that sent Dirrell to the canvas.

“The knockdown I got in the second round felt good,” said Caparello. “I knew I had him hurt, but I wasn’t able to capitalize on it.”

Caparello again got Dirrell against the ropes and seemingly into a bit of trouble with a similar left in round three, but eventually Dirrell settled in and managed to gain control of the fight.

Dirrell said, “My focus, determination and my drive got me the win tonight. I know I’ve got more work to do, but I never stopped grinding in there tonight.”

Caparello continued to go to work and battle, but it was clear who the ring general was from the close of the third round and until the final bell rang.

Dirrell exclaimed, “I wanted to send the boxing world and this whole division a message. I’m coming for anyone with a belt. I’ll take on anyone who’s a champion. I know I’ll be a world champion. I have to be a champion. I don’t slow down for anyone. I’m going to keep pushing to get where I’m going.”

On his struggles in the later rounds, Caparello said, “I continued to look for the same left hand all night, it just didn’t come again. Andre has a lot of tricks, he is both good and fast. I am not happy with my performance.”

Dirrell concluded, “Tonight my brother and I were both able to display our talents in front of a national audience on Spike. Anthony is strong as an ox and got the win quickly tonight. I got the win on determination and heart. I had to use my toughness in this fight, and I pushed myself as hard as I could to get the win.”

In the second televised bout of the evening, former world champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (29-1-1, 23 KOs) met former world title challenger Caleb “Golden” Truax (26-3-2, 16 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight affair.

The former 168-pound titleholder Dirrell got off to a quick start, scoring two knockdowns in the first round, causing referee Harvey Dock to stop the fight at just 1:49 into the first round.

Dirrell said of the dominating performance, “What helped me tonight was landing my shots early. I was right on top of him with combinations and controlling my jab and that set the tone. I showed tonight that I work hard in the gym, and it paid off. If I work like I did this time leading up to the fight, then I know nobody can beat me.”

A stunned Truax said, “Everything was great leading up to the fight. I don’t know what happened tonight. He just caught me early. I think it was an overhand right.”

Reflecting on what the victory means for his struggling hometown, Dirrell said, “My work tonight inside the ring made a big statement for what my brother and I are doing outside of the ring. A lot of people were watching tonight, and now they know a little bit more about what’s going on with the Flint Water Crisis back home.”

The opening televised bout featured undefeated knockout artist Jonathan Guzman (21-0, 21 KOs) continuing his hot streak in a 12-round super bantamweight title eliminator against Mexico’s Daniel Rosas (20-3, 12 KOs).

Guzman, an unbeaten fighter out of the Dominican Republic and now training in Massachusetts, stabilized early and easily controlled the action in the second half of the fight.

Guzman said, “I used a lot of concentration early and let him make errors so I could see what he was planning to do. Once I saw the mistakes he was making I let my hands go.”

Rosas was stunned in the third round, but Guzman was unable to close on a wobbled Rosas. In the fifth round, Guzman landed a left that knocked Rosas back and followed it with another, dropping Rosas just before the bell.

“I wanted to let him throw some punches early. It helped me gain confidence and learn his tendencies,” said Guzman. “I saw him dropping that right hand, and I knew it would open up the opportunity for me to land my left.”

Rounds six and seven saw Rosas take a pummeling, but miraculously stay on his feet. At the end of the eighth frame, Guzman dropped Rosas for a second time, and again Rosas was saved by the bell.

However, referee Benjy Esteves had seen enough and stopped the fight following the close of round eight.

When asked about the stoppage, Rosas said, “The Ref stopped the fight. I thought the fight should have continued, but he decided to stop it.” Rosas continued, “(Guzman) knocked me down, but I kept on fighting. I was never hurt. Guzman is a strong fighter, but I felt I could have continued and come back in the rest of the rounds.”

Eddie Ramirez scored a 2nd round stoppage over Osumanu Akaba in a scheduled 8-round Super Lightweight bout.

Ramirez, 139.8 lbs of Aurora, IL is now 13-0 with 9 knockouts. Akaba, 143.2 lbs of Prichard, AL is 32-10-1.

Anthony Young won a six-round unanimous decision over Juan Rodriguez in a Welterweight bout.

In round two, Young landed a flush left that sent Rodriguez to the canvas.

Chris Thomas scored a first round stoppage over Jessie Singletary in a scheduled four-round Middleweight bout.

Thomas dumped Singletary with a jumping right had that supplanted him on the canvas and the fight was stopped at 2:26.

Thomas, 165.6 lbs of Atlantic City, NJ is 2-0 with 1 knockout. Singletary, 163.8 lbs of Washington, DC is 0-2.

Abraham Nova made a successful pro debut by stopping Weusi Johnson in the first round of their Super Lightweight bout.

At the end of round one, Nova landed a vicious right that sent Johnson to the canvas. Johnson got to his feet but referee David Fields stopped the bout at 2:56.

Nova, 131.6 lbs of Baintree, MA is now 1-0 with one knockout. Johnson, 128.4 lbs is 1-1.

Luther Smith remained perfect by winning a 4-round split decision over Solomon Maye in a Heavyweight bout.

Smith, 211 lbs of Washingtin, DC won by scores of 39-37 for Maye, 39-37 for Smith and 40-36 for Smith and is now 5-0. Maye, 224.2 lbs of New Haven, CT is now 1-6-1.

Chordale Booker remained undefeated by scoring a 2nd round knockdown over Tolutomi Agunbiade in a scheduled 4-round Super Welterweight bout.

In round one, Booker dropped Agunbiade with a straight left. In round two, Booker dropped Agunbiade with a body and referee Earl Brown reached the cunt of ten at 1:41 of round two.

Booker, 152.6 lbs of Brooklyn is 2-0 with two knockouts. Agunbiade, 153.2 lbs of Wichita Falls, TX is 3-7.




Video: Blake Caparello




Video: Andre Dirrell




Video: Dirrell – Caparello weigh in




Weights from Atlantic City

Dirrell Caparello weigh in 2
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (April 28, 2016) – Weights for Premier Boxing Champions on Spike that will take place Friday, at The Taj Mahal Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City.

Andre Dirrell 169 – Blake Caparello 167
Anthony Dirrell 168.8 – Caleb Truax 168.6
Jonathan Guzman 122 – Daniel Rosas 121.2
Brendan Barrett 248 – Alando Pugh 236
Anthony Young 148.4 – Juan Rodriguez TBA
Hafiz Montgomery 202.3 – Darnell Pierce 198.4
Luther Smith 211 – Solomon Maye 224.2
Chris Thomas 165.6 – Jessie Singletary 163.8
Abraham Nova 131.6 – Weusi Johnson 128.4
Titus Williams 127 – DeWayne Wisdom 129.4
Eddie Ramirez 139.8 – Osumanu Akaba 143.2
Chordale Booker 152.6 – Totutomi Agunbiade 153

Promoter: King’s Promotions
Venue: Taj Mahal
1st Bell: 6:30 PM
TV: Spike TV (9 PM ET)

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $100, $75 and $50, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and are on sale now.

Friday, April 29
6:00 p.m. TAJ MAHAL CASINO & HOTEL DOORS OPEN
1000 Virginia Avenue; Atlantic City, NJ 08401

6:30 p.m. FIRST FIGHT BEGINS

9:00 p.m. PBC ON SPIKE TELECAST BEGINS

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION
Fight night credentials can be picked up on Friday, April 29 from 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET at the VIP check-in. Proper personal photo identification (driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

# # #

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AndreDirrell, @BlakeCaparello, @AnthonyDirrell, @GoldenCalebT, @SpikeTV, @SpikeSports, @KingsBoxing_and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on Spike is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.




Andre Dirrell, Blake Caparello, Anthony Dirrell, Caleb Truax, Jonathan Guzman & Daniel Rosas Media Roundtable Quotes

Andre Dirrell (640x480)
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (April 28, 2016) – With just two days until they enter the ring, Premier Boxing Champions on Spike fighters participated in media roundtables Wednesday in Atlantic City and discussed their respective Friday, April 29 showdowns taking place at Taj Mahal Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City.

The card is headlined by the return of the Dirrell brothers as Olympic Bronze medalist Andre “The Resurrected” Dirrell battles Australia’s Blake Caparello and former world champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell takes on Minnesota’s Caleb “Golden” Truax. Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT with knockout artist Jonathan Guzman against Mexico’s Daniel Rosas in a 122-pound eliminator.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $100, $75 and $50, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and are on sale now.

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday:

ANDRE DIRRELL

“I can tell that Caparello is coming from Australia to prove a point. He’s hungry for a victory and It’s my job to make sure he doesn’t get that. I take this as a championship fight.

“The blessing in having a layoff is that my body is in great shape. I feel 25-years-old not 32.

“I don’t see myself as the smaller man. I suppose he can take a few shots but I am going to display my skill and show that it will lead to a world championship.

“I feel I am at the championship level. I’ll have an eye on the 168-pound title fights Saturday. I’m looking to get that championship as soon as I can. I am ready and I want DeGale. I don’t care if it’s in his hometown, backyard, basement, living room or kitchen. I want to make sure that fight happens.

“I worked really hard and I can’t wait to get in the ring on Friday night.”

BLAKE CAPARELLO

“It’s good to be back in Atlantic City. I took a lot from my fight against Sergey Kovalev. Being in the ring with him taught me a lot about ring composure. This is my Atlantic City redemption.

“Dirrell is a very difference fighter. Andre is very quick and slick. I can’t afford to make minor mistakes. I didn’t make the 20-hour flight for a loss. I was small for 175 pounds which made the move to 168 very comfortable.

“The plan is to win and fight one of the champions but fighting Andre is a world title for me.

“People don’t think that I can punch, but I’m coming to win and put on a show. I’m looking to bring a victory back to Australia.”

ANTHONY DIRRELL

“It means a lot to share this card with my brother. We share everything. He is my big brother and this is a great moment for both of us.

“I will be watching the super middleweight title fights Saturday night, but I am not looking past Caleb Truax.

“I know Truax has fought some good competition in Daniel Jacobs and Jermain Taylor. I have my hands full but I prepared to have my hand lifted in Victory.

“I think the loss made me a better fighter because I know what it takes to get there. I am just looking for the next shot. When I get it, I’m going to capitalize and not let the title go.

“I’m going to stick to my game plan and try to get Truax out of there. Then I can start thinking about Badou Jack. I definitely want a rematch.”

CALEB TRUAX

“I have to make the most of this opportunity. This is a huge fight for me. I can get another shot at a world title with a win.

“Dirrell is a good fighter. I’ve seen a lot of his fights and we’ve fought on the same card before. You have to respect that he is a former world champion.

“I have to draw from all the experiences I’ve had in my career. I have to use my experience and be on top of my game.

“Most of my fights have been around super middleweight. I don’t have to struggle to make weight as much and I couldn’t turn down this opportunity.”

JONATHAN GUZMAN

“Rosas is a typical Mexican fighter who will come forward and be in great condition. I’m ready for him and I feel I know him well.

“I want a world title and we’re happy that if we get this win we can compete for a belt next time out.

“We are excited to put on a great show Friday night. I will break him in half.”

DANIEL ROSAS

“We know our opponent is very good, but we trained 100 percent to get the victory.

“We’ve been waiting and putting in the work. If the knockout comes, it comes.

“I know this is an elimination bout. We came to win and we’re prepared for anything that comes. I’m ready to be a world champion.”

ANDRE DIRRELL VS. BLAKE CAPARELLO MEDIA SCHEDULE
*All Times Are Eastern*

Thursday, April 28
1:00 p.m. FINAL WEIGH-IN – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Location: Ego Bar & Lounge
Taj Mahal Casino & Hotel
1000 Virginia Avenue; Atlantic City, NJ 08401
12:30 p.m. – Media Arrival
1:00 p.m. – Fighters on Scale

Friday, April 29
6:00 p.m. TAJ MAHAL CASINO & HOTEL DOORS OPEN
1000 Virginia Avenue; Atlantic City, NJ 08401

6:30 p.m. FIRST FIGHT BEGINS

9:00 p.m. PBC ON SPIKE TELECAST BEGINS

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION
Fight night credentials can be picked up on Friday, April 29 from 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET at the VIP check-in. Proper personal photo identification (driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

# # #

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AndreDirrell, @BlakeCaparello, @AnthonyDirrell, @GoldenCalebT, @SpikeTV, @SpikeSports, @KingsBoxing_and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on Spike is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.




Dirrell Brothers Return As Premier Boxing Champions On Spike Hits Atlantic City

Anthony Dirrell
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (March 22, 2016) – Olympic Bronze Medalist Andre Dirrell (24-2, 16 KOs) takes on Australia’s Blake Caparello (22-1-1, 6 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight attraction as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) returns to Spike on Friday, April 29 from Taj Mahal Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Also on the same card, Dirrell’s brother, former world champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (28-1-1, 22 KOs) will meet former world title challenger Caleb “Golden” Truax (26-2-2, 16 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight affair as part of an exciting night of PBC on Spike action beginning at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

The former 168-pound titleholder Anthony and two-time title challenger Andre are both prime for another run at championship gold, but will have stiff competition from opponents who have recently had their own title opportunities.

“April 29 is going to be a fun night of boxing,” said Andre. “Caparello is hungry just like me and he’s fighting for his career so I know he’s a very dangerous man. Everything in camp has been perfect so far. I’m excited that both Anthony and I will get to showcase our skills and spread our family name even more on the same Spike show.”

“It’s an honor to be fighting on the same card as my brother,” said Anthony. “It’s going to be a great night of boxing. Truax is a good, rugged fighter who will bring out the best in me. I need someone to push me to the max. My prediction is always a knockout.”

Caparello scored a first round knockdown in his 2014 world title bout before losing to Sergey Kovalev, while Caleb Truax battled middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs in a PBC on Spike co-feature in 2015, failing to Jacobs in the final stanza.

“This is a huge opportunity for me to show the world that I am one of the best 168-pounders in all of boxing,” said Caparello. “This is the weight class where I belong. Dirrell is a former Olympian and, like myself, a world title challenger. I expect a very tough fight on October 17, but I know that I will be victorious.”

“This is a fight that I have to take advantage of and win,” said Truax. “It’s another great opportunity for me and I’m putting everything into training. Dirrell is a good, athletic fighter with skills. It’s a tough task but I’m up for it. I’m bringing my A-game so he better do the same.”

“April 29 will be an outstanding night,” said Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions. “Having the Dirrell brothers on the same card will be a great and unique night of boxing. Both are exceptional talents and they are in with two guys who are looking for breakthrough wins in Blake Caparello and Caleb Truax.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $100, $75 and $50, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and are on sale now.

An amateur standout that won two U.S. World Championships in addition to his Olympic Bronze medal, the 32-year-old Andre Dirrell is ready to return to the ring after an illness delayed his previously scheduled bout against Caparello. The fighter out of Flint, Michigan holds victories over Arthur Abraham and Curtis Stevens and only has two narrow losses on his resume.

A crafty fighter out of Victoria, Australia, Caparello won his first 20 professional fights primarily fighting out of his home country. He owns victories over Michael Bolling, Jorge Olivera, Allan Green and previously unbeaten Robert Berridge. The 29-year-old most recently scored a unanimous decision over Affif Belghecham in June and after his scheduled bout with Dirrell was delayed, he defeated Luke Sharp by decision.

Anthony Dirrell has seen more adversity than most throughout his career as his time in boxing has been seriously jeopardized twice, first in December 2006 when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and was sidelined for 20 months and again in May 2012 when he broke his lower left leg and left wrist in a motorcycle accident. The Flint, Michigan-native never let that hold him down as he kept winning fights and working his way up the professional ranks. In 2014 he won his first championship when he defeated defending champion Sakio Bika. His road back to a 168-pound title began in September when he dominated the action against Marco Antonio Rubio on his way to a unanimous decision victory.

Born in Osseo, Minnesota, Truax is an experienced veteran who has fought professionally since 2007. Fighting mostly in his home state, the 31-year-old won his first 14 fights. He dropped a 2012 showdown to Jermain Taylor but went undefeated in his next eight fights to earn the fight against Jacobs. Most recently, Truax stopped veteran Melvin Betancourt in the fourth round in February.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AndreDirrell, @BlakeCaparello, @AnthonyDirrell, @GoldenCalebT, @SpikeTV, @SpikeSports, @KingsBoxing_and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions.
Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on Spike is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.




RISING STAR PRICHARD COLON FACES UNDEFEATED TERREL WILLIAMS TO REPLACE ANDRE DIRRELL VS. BLAKE CAPARELLO BOUT ON PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 FROM EAGLEBANK ARENA AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY IN FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA

Prichard Colon_wins (1024x683)
FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA (October 5, 2015) – Rising star Prichard “Digget” Colon (16-0, 13 KOs) faces undefeated Terrel Williams (14-0, 12 KOs) on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC Saturday, October 17 from EagleBank Arena at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

The 10-round welterweight bout between Colon and Williams will replace the previously announced battle between Andre Dirrell and Blake Caparello after Dirrell had to withdraw for medical reasons.

The October 17 event is headlined local favorite and former world champion Lamont Peterson (33-3-1, 17 KOs) taking on 2008 Olympic Gold medalist from the Dominican Republic Felix Diaz Jr. (17-0, 8 KOs) with televised coverage beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. Peterson’s brother, Anthony Peterson (35-1, 23 KOs) will be featured in a 10-round super lightweight bout as part of the exciting lineup of undercard fights.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with HeadBangers Promotions, are priced at $250, $150, $85, $65 and $40, plus applicable service charges, and are on sale now. Tickets will be available through all Ticketmaster outlets including the EagleBank Arena box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com and via Phonecharge at 1-800-745-3000. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 703-993-3035. Please visit www.eaglebankarena.com for more information.

Peterson, the younger brother of main event participant Lamont, is the owner of wins over Daniel Attah, Dominic Salcido and Marcos Leonardo Jimenez, the Washington, D.C. product is looking to win his six consecutive fight on October 17. Most recently he stopped Ramesis Gil in the sixth-round on July 11.

Adding to the local flavor is Virginia’s-own Jimmy Lange (38-6-2, 25 KOs), who will be fighting for the 17th time at EagleBank Arena, as he takes on Mike Sawyer (6-4, 4 KOs) in an eight-round light heavyweight bout, undefeated 28-year-old D.C.-product David “Day-Day” Grayton (12-0, 9 KOs) taking on 26-year-old Mexican Christopher Degollado (13-5, 11 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight affair and 22-year-old Demond Nicholson (14-1, 14 KOs) facing 28-year-old Colombian Milton Nunez (28-14-1, 25 KOs) in an eight-round super middleweight contest.

Rounding out the action is undefeated 30-year-old Brooklyn-native Lenox Allen (19-0-1, 12 KOs) against 25-year-old Hungarian Istvan Zeller (24-8, 7 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight bout, 20-year-old D.C.-native Kareem Martin (6-0-1, 3 KOs) in a six-round welterweight fight, 26-year-old Tommy Logan (3-1, 3 KOs) out of Winter Haven, Florida in a four-round lightweight affair and undefeated 23-year-old Alantez Fox (16-0-1, 6 KOs) of Forrestville, Maryland in an eight-round middleweight bout.

As an amateur, Colon was a five-time Puerto Rican national champion prior to turning pro in 2013. Trained by his father, Colon has been stylistically compared to fellow countryman Felix Trinidad, with all but one of his knockouts coming in five rounds or less. The 23-year-old scored a spectacular knockout over tough veteran Michael Finney in August and in September he knocked out former world champion Vivian Harris.

An undefeated fighter out of Los Angeles, Williams looks to make his mark when he faces Colon on October 17. The hard puncher has already picked up two victories in 2015 with a stoppage of Tavorus Teague and most recently, a decision over John Williams in August. Prior to the decision in his last bout, Williams had racked 12-straight victories within the distance.

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For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing, and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DiBellaEnt, @KingPete26, @NBCSports, @EagleBankArena and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.facebook.com/EagleBankArena.




FORMER WORLD CHAMPION LAMONT PETERSON RETURNS TO TAKE ON UNBEATEN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST FELIX DIAZ JR. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 AS PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC COMES TO EAGLEBANK ARENA AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY IN FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA 4 P.M. ET/1 P.M. PT

Lamont Peterson
FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA (September 4, 2015) – Former world champion Lamont Peterson (33-3-1, 17 KOs) will return to the ring near his Washington D.C. home as he takes on 2008 Olympic Gold medalist from the Dominican Republic Felix Diaz Jr. (17-0, 8 KOs) in a 12-round bout on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC on Saturday, October 17 from EagleBank Arena (formerly the Patriot Center) at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

The televised co-main event begins at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT and pits Olympic Bronze medalist Andre “The Resurrected” Dirrell (24-2, 16 KOs) against Australia’s Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (21-1-1, 6 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight bout.

“I’m very excited to be back in the ring, especially close to home in Virginia and fighting on NBC,” said Peterson. “I’m happy just to be doing what I love to do. I’ve been in the gym and I’ve stayed ready so I’m prepared to give the fans the kind of show they deserve.”

“I am very thankful for this opportunity and I know that Lamont Peterson will be my toughest battle so far,” said Diaz. “I am confident that at the end of the fight, I will have my hand raised. No disrespect to Lamont, but he has had his opportunity, now it is my time to show the world who Felix Diaz is. I can assure you that the fans will not be disappointed on October 17.”

“My motivation to succeed only gets stronger with each fight,” said Dirrell. “I fight to win. All I want to see is a belt around my waist. Whatever it takes, whatever I have to do, it’ll get done. I will be a world champion! This fight is the next step.”

“This is a huge opportunity for me to show the world that I am one of the best 168-pounders in all of boxing,” said Caparello. “This is the weight class where I belong. Dirrell is a former Olympian and, like myself, a world title challenger. I expect a very tough fight on October 17, but I know that I will be victorious.”

“Lamont Peterson is an elite fighter. He proved it in his disputed loss to Danny Garcia and will come back to face an undefeated Felix Diaz in what should be a great scrap,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Diaz is an Olympic gold medalist from the Dominican Republic with a fan-friendly style; he will bring that to the fight and I expect great action. In the opening bout, coming back from a hard-fought battle with James DeGale, Andre Dirrell returns to action against former world title challenger Blake Caparello, who is now campaigning as a world-rated super middleweight. I expect an excellent night of fights October 17.”

“We are thrilled to host the first Premier Boxing Champions telecast in the Washington D.C. area on October 17th,” said General Manager of EagleBank Arena Barry Geisler. “The PBC series is leading a renaissance of boxing and EagleBank Arena is excited to participate in their efforts.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with HeadBangers Promotions, are priced at $250, $150, $85, $65 and $40, plus applicable service charges, and are on sale tomorrow, September 4 at 10 a.m. ET/. Tickets will be available through all Ticketmaster outlets including the EagleBank Arena box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com and via Phonecharge at 1-800-745-3000. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 703-993-3035. Please visit www.eaglebankarena.com for more information.

The 31-year-old Peterson will be fighting just minutes outside of his native Washington D.C. and looks to pick up his fifth career victory in the DC metropolitan area. Discovered as a child by trainer Barry Hunter while homeless on the street with his brother Anthony, Peterson has one of the best rags to riches stories in the sport. A pro since 2004, he owns victories over Victor Manuel Cayo, Kendall Holt and Dierry Jean in addition to the world title winning performance against Amir Khan, which he successfully defended three times.

A two-time Olympian representing the Dominican Republic, Diaz Jr. won a gold medal at his second Olympic games in 2008 in Beijing. Now fighting out of the Bronx, the 31-year-old has slowly increased the level of his competition, as he owns victories over Emmanuel Lartey, Adrian Granados and most recently Gabriel Bracero in a dominating performance on April 11. Now, he will jump to the world-class level as he looks to prove he belongs at the top of the sport when he takes on Peterson.

An amateur standout ßthat won two U.S. Amateur World Championships in addition to his Olympic Bronze medal, the 31-year-old Dirrell looks to work towards another world-title opportunity on October 17. The fighter out of Flint, Michigan holds victories over Arthur Abraham and Curtis Stevens and only has two narrow losses on his resume.

A crafty fighter out of Victoria, Australia won his first 20 pro fights primarily fighting out of his home country. He owns victories over Michael Bolling, Jorge Olivera, Allan Green and previously unbeaten Robert Berridge. The 29-year-old most recently scored a unanimous decision over Affif Belghecham in June and looks to make it three wins in a row on October 17.
# # #

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing, and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DiBellaEnt, @KingPete26, @NBCSports, @EagleBankArena and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.facebook.com/EagleBankArena.




Kovalev Donates Auction Proceeds to Disabled Fighter

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

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

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

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

Fight-Worn Autographed Gloves

Fight-Worn Krusher Shoes

Fight-Worn Autographed Wraps

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

Donations can be made directly to the Abdusalamov family at:

Ring10NY




Kovalev dropped; but stops Caparello in two

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




Video: Hey Harold, Kovalev – Caparello




Video: 2 Days Sergey Kovalev




Video: Sergey Kovalev Greatest Hits




Hopkins to take on Kovalev with Saturday Kovalev win

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




Weights from Atlantic City

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




Watch Kovalev – Caparello weigh in Live at 3 PM ET


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KOVALEV CAPARELLO FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blake Caparello
Photo credits to Larry Levanti/Main Events

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

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

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

Kovalev and Caparello
Photo credits to Larry Levanti/Main Events

MEDIA CAN ACCESS FINAL PRESSER PHOTOS HERE

PDF Kovalev – Caparello Final Presser Quotes

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

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




HBO BOXING® PRESENTS A SPLIT-SITE TRIPLEHEADER OF ALL-ACTION FIGHTS WHEN HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®: BRANDON RIOS VS. DIEGO CHAVES, SERGEY KOVALEV VS. BLAKE CAPARELLO AND JESSIE VARGAS VS. ANTON NOVIKOV IS SEEN SATURDAY, AUG. 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




VIDEO: WATCH KOVALEV – CAPARELLO FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE AT 1 PM ET


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Kovalev-Caparello Undercard 8/9 at Revel

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

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

Dmitry Mikhaylenko
Photo Courtesy of: Titov Promotions

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

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

DeCarlo Perez
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events

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

Joey Dawejko
Photo Credits: Katie Warburton

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

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

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

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

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

About Revel

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




Video: Blake Caparello




Training Camp Notes: Caparello

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

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

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

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

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About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

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

About Revel

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




Kovalev-Caparello Conference Call Quotes

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

Krusher Kovalev
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva

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

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

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev

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

Kovalev & Jackson
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Sergey’s Trainer John David Jackson

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

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

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

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

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

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

Caparello
Photo Courtesy of:
DiBella Entertainment/Ed Diller

Caparello’s Promoter Lou DiBella

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

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

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

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

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

About Revel

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




Training Camp Notes: Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba: “I am coming big!

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

Chilemba
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

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

Grachev & Chilemba
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

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

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

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

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

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

About Revel

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




HBO BOXING® PRESENTS A SPLIT-SITE TRIPLEHEADER OF ALL-ACTION FIGHTS WHEN HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®: BRANDON RIOS VS. DIEGO CHAVES, SERGEY KOVALEV VS. BLAKE CAPARELLO AND JESSIE VARGAS VS. ANTON NOVIKOV IS SEEN SATURDAY, AUG. 2

Pacquiao_Rios weighin_131123_007a
HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise returns for an all-action tripleheader of fights from two sites when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: BRANDON RIOS VS. DIEGO CHAVES, SERGEY KOVALEV VS. BLAKE CAPARELLO AND JESSIE VARGAS VS. ANTON NOVIKOV is seen SATURDAY, AUG. 2 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, exclusively on HBO. HBO Sports teams will be ringside at both events, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

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

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

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

The middle bout is a 12-round world title fight at 175 pounds, as Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) defends his light heavyweight crown against Australian Blake Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) in Atlantic City. Surging to the top of the 175-pound division, the undefeated slugger is making his fourth appearance on HBO in 13 months, after delivering spectacular knockouts in his three previous bouts on the network. Kovalev, who now calls Ft. Lauderdale home, will face a formidable challenger in the undefeated Caparello.

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

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

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

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




Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba will Encounter “Black Ice” in Atlantic City on August 2

Atlantic City, NJ: Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (22-2-2, 9 KOs), the 27 year old light heavyweight sensation from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa will return to Atlantic City to face Cory “Black Ice” Cummings (17-6-1, 13 KOs) as the non-televised co-feature of the August 2nd fight between fellow Main Events’ stable mate Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs).

Grachev and Chilemba
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Chilemba is coming off a gritty ten-round unanimous decision victory over Denis Grachev on March 15, 2010 at Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA. This was his second straight victory. Previously Isaac defeated Michael Gbenga in eight rounds at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY on November 16, 2013. When asked about this upcoming fight with Cummings, “Golden Boy” replied, “I want to thank Main Events for this opportunity. I also want to thank my team and all my fans. Come August 2 I will be fully charged and ready to claim victory. I take all my opponents seriously as each one takes me a step closer to realizing my dream of the world title, so Cory Cummings should not for one minute think that I am coming unprepared!”

According to Isaac’s trainer, former welterweight and light welterweight world champion Buddy McGirt, “Isaac is going to be ready for Cummings. We are going to be in great shape and prepare for anything that Cummings may throw at us. A good performance will move Isaac to the next level and he will accept nothing less.” Jodi Solomon, Chilemba’s manager, added, “Isaac’s winning on August 2 will be a testament to his work ethic, determination to succeed and the incredible training he receives from Buddy McGirt, who is one of the best trainers in the game.”

Cory “Black Ice” Cummings
Photo Courtesy of:
Ron Rose

Isaac will face no small challenge in Cory “Black Ice’ Cummings. Despite coming off of two straight defeats, Cummings has a dangerous knockout-to-win ratio of 76% (13 of 17). In his last fight, he faced Azea Augustama who was 16-1 heading into their match-up on June 7, 2013 in Miami, FL. Azea won a very close decision with all three judges scoring the bout 76-75. Many boxing fans believed Cummings won the bout, especially after he knocked Azea down in the first round.

When asked about his upcoming fight on August 2nd with Chilemba, Cory took a line from Mike Tyson and said only, “Everyone has a plan until they get hit.” His manager, Ron Rose, added, “Tell Isaac Chilemba to beware because there’s an ice storm that is going to hit Atlantic City on Aug 2nd, a ‘Black Ice’ storm, and there is nowhere for him to hide.”

Main Events CEO Kathy Duva said, “This fight will not be televised in the United States, so we have a really nice light heavyweight double header exclusively for the fans in attendance at Revel on August 2nd. Issac Chilemba is a piece of our plan for the division and I’m excited to see what he can do against a big puncher like Cummings.”

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

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

About Revel

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




Kovalev vs. Caparello Tickets on Sale Tomorrow

Sergey Kovalev
Atlantic City, NJ: Tickets go on sale at tomorrow at noon for The Russian Wrecking Ball, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev’s (24-0-1, 22 KOs), return to Atlantic City, NJ to face undefeated Australian challenger, Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) for his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at Revel Casino Hotel on Aug. 2. Visit ticketmaster.com (key word: Main Events) or 800-745-3000 for tickets. Tickets prices are: $55, $80, $160 and a special number of limited VIP tickets for $250 which include waitress service.

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

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

About Revel

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