Carlos Adames stopped former unified world champion Julian Williams in round nine to retain the WBC Interim Middleweight Title at The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In round nine, Williams started to bleed under his right eye. Later in round nine, Adames started to dominate and landed some hard punches on the inside that had Williams reeling. Referee Mark Nelson stopped the fight at 2:45 while Williams was actually throwing a punch.

Adames, 159.6 lbs of Comendador, DR is now 23-1 with 18 knockouts. Williams, 159.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 28-4-1.

Erickson Lubin stopped Luis Arias in round five of their 10-round super welterweight fight.

In round five, Lubin dropped Arias with a left hand around the ear. It looked like Arias beat referee Zachary Young’s count, but Young ruled otherwise and the fight was over at 2:11.

Lubin, 156.6 lbs of Kissimmee, FL is now 25-2 with 18 knockouts. Arias, 155.8 lbs of Boca Raton, FL is 20-4-1.

Ferando Martinez made the second defense of the IBF Super Flyweight title with an 11th round stoppage over Jade Bornea.

The time of the stoppage was 29 seconds for Martinez, 114.6 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG who is now 16-0 with nine knockouts. Bornea, 115 lbs of General Santos, PHL is 18-1.

Burley Brooks upset former world champion and hometown native Caleb Truax via 10-round light heavyweight bout.

Brooks, 174 lbs of Dallas, TX won by scores of 98-91 and 96-93 twice and is now 7-2-1. Truax, 174.8 lbs of Osseo, MN is 31-6-2.

Former world champion Jerwin Ancajas stopped Wilmer Soto in round five of their eight-round super bantamweight bout.

In round four, Ancajas hurt Soto bad that was deemed for a standing eight count.

In round five, Ancajas landed four vicious right hooks to the body that put Soto down to a knee and the fight was stopped.

Ancajas, 121.8 lbs of Panabo City, PHL is 34-3-2 with 23 knockouts. Soto, 120.8 lbs of Canaletc, COL is 22-13.

Mickel Spencer and Lyle McFarlane fought to a no-contest in round three after an accidental headbutt caused a cut over the left eye of McFarlane.

The time was 1:31 of round three. Spencer, 141.4 lbs of Linden, MI is 3-0, 1 NC. McFarlane, 141.4 lbs of Tulsa, OK is 2-1, 1 NC.

MINNEAPOLIS – June 22, 2023 – Interim WBC Middleweight Champion Carlos Adames and former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams traded barbs at Thursday’s final press conference before they trade blows in the SHOWTIME main event this Saturday, June 24 in a Premier Boxing Champions event at The Armory in Minneapolis.

Thursday’s press conference also featured fighters competing on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® undercard including super welterweight contender Luis “Cuba” Arias, who meets Erickson “Hammer” Lubin in the 10-round co-main event, plus super flyweight world champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez and unbeaten Filipino contender Jade Bornea, who battle for Martinez’s IBF world title in the telecast opener.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster. Lubin vs. Arias is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.

Adames was welcomed by the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night at Target Field  as he exchanged a glove and jersey with Twins starting pitcher Pablo López before the Twins hosted the Boston Red Sox. Adames also met with fellow Dominican and visiting Red Sox superstar Rafael Devers, gifting him a personalized glove. (Click HERE for Devers and Adames photos from Matt Krohn/Major League Baseball)

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from Minneapolis:

CARLOS ADAMES

“I’ve been in the gym training hard with a spectacular team. Williams is bait on a hook ready to get devoured by the big fish. He should know that he’s in a bad spot right now.

“I can feel him shaking. If you’re hesitant, it’s because you don’t know what you’re getting into. I want him to tell us how he really feels.  

“I’m here to give a great fight to the fans of Minneapolis. I’m very thankful to be fighting here and to be embraced by the city.

“If you’ve seen me hurt, that’s because you have bad eyesight. I’m right here and I’m gonna be at my best on Saturday night

“If you like this back and forth, you’ll love the fight. I’m glad this was fun, but I want everyone to know that I’m bringing my best. Julian has no idea what he’s getting into. I’m gonna overwhelm him.

“I’m going to have to be steady in the ring and work a lot, especially early. I’m going to be patient, follow my game plan and the win is going to come because of how steady I am in the ring.

“Even though the fans in the Dominican Republic are far away, they motivate me to win not just for myself, but for all of them.

“It was great to meet Pablo Lopez at the Twins game. Baseball has always been part of my life, and to be embraced for my accomplishments at the highest level of boxing by a first-class franchise like the Twins meant a lot to me. Minneapolis is a great sports town, and I hope Twins fans come out to enjoy a great fight on Saturday night as well.”

JULIAN WILLIAMS

“I’ve watched tape on him and he’s not unbeatable. He’s a good fighter, but I’ve seen him down, I’ve seen him tired and I’ve seen him hurt. He’s no boogeyman.

“This fight can definitely rejuvenate my career. I don’t think people fear him yet. He only hit the scene last year. All that about him being avoided is just talk.

“I’m not letting Adames know anything and I don’t have to say anything. We’re gonna show up and settle it in the ring like men on Saturday night.

“This dude is a bully. I don’t have to go back and forth with him and argue about what we’re gonna do. I’m gonna show up on Saturday night. Believe it.

“I’m locked in. I know what this is and I know what he is. It’s gonna show up in the fight. I’m a man and you cannot scare me.

“I’m going to deliver a spectacular performance on Saturday night. The fans can definitely expect that. I’m getting my hand raised.”

LUIS ARIAS

“I think for this fight, all the pressure is on Lubin. We have to see what he’s like. He’s got a lot of questions he has to answer.

“I’m the worst type of fight for Lubin. We’re gonna find out immediately how that chin is holding up because I’m in dog shape. So I’m coming to make my statement and put my name in the mix.

“Once I knock Lubin off, that’ll be two top contenders I’ve knocked off. It’s all about timing. My title shot is coming. After Saturday night, you’re gonna see that I’m a top dog. You’re gonna have to mention me among the best in the division.

“Lubin is not Superman. He’s a human and he’s gonna have to figure out if he can bounce back. I know exactly how him and his team train. I sparred two world champions getting ready for this fight. I was sparring Adames. So there’s nothing that Lubin can do that I haven’t seen before.

“Saturday I’m gonna show who the real Luis Arias is. I’ve had a great training camp for this fight and I’ve had my mind set on Lubin for almost a year. I’ve been ready for this fight. You’re gonna see a prime, fresh Luis Arias.”

FERNANDO MARTINEZ

“It’s not gonna be easy for him. He’s going to have to lay It all out in the ring to win that belt. For me, this is the battlefield. The fans are going to be the winner.

“He thinks he’s hungry, but I’m hungrier. I’m going to put on a show and prove to everyone that I’m not only the champion, but I’m the champion who’s going to be here for years to come.

“The fans here are going to see that I’m the ‘mini Mike Tyson’. You’re going to love watching me fight. I’m going to go out there and give the best that I have. You’re not gonna want to miss one second of this fight.

“I’m going to keep fighting until the final bell. I’ve prepared hard and I know that I’m prepared to be at my best on Saturday night.”

JADE BORNEA

“For me this is the most important fight of my career. I’ve sacrificed everything in the last year to earn this chance to take on the reigning champion.

“This  has been my dream. I’ve worked so hard to become world champion. I’m not going to give an inch. I know that I can’t waste this opportunity to become world champion.

“I am ready for anything that Martinez brings to me in the fight. I’ve prepared for this for a long time, so I know exactly what I have to do.”

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ABOUT ADAMES VS. WILLIAMS

Adames vs. Williams will see hard-hitting Interim WBC Middleweight Champion Carlos Adames battle former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in the 12-round main event of action live on SHOWTIME^® Saturday, June 24 from The Armory in Minneapolis in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features top super welterweight contenders Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and Luis “Cuba” Arias squaring off in the 10-round co-main event. Super flyweight world champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez will put his IBF title on the line against unbeaten Filipino contender Jade Bornea in the telecast opener.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster. Lubin vs. Arias is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #AdamesWilliams follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

MINNEAPOLIS – June 21, 2023 – Three showdowns featuring the return of two former world champions and an exciting rising prospect will highlight the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN live streaming presentation this Saturday, June 24 from The Armory in Minneapolis in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

Action live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT and is topped by former world champion Caleb “Golden” Truax taking on Burley Brooks in a 10-round light heavyweight clash. The lineup will also see former world champion Jerwin Ancajas duel Colombia’s Wilner Soto in an eight-round super bantamweight attraction, and all-action super lightweight prospect Mickel Spencer facing Lyle McFarlane in a four-round bout. The live stream is hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell.

These fights precede a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® tripleheader headlined by top middleweight Carlos Adames defending his Interim WBC Middleweight Title against former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in a telecast beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster. Lubin vs. Arias is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.

A native of Osseo, Minn., Truax (31-5-2, 19 KOs) will return to fight at The Armory for the third time on Saturday night, as he looks to thrill his hometown fans in his first action since dropping a January 2021 world title fight to Caleb Plant by decision. Truax captured a 168-pound world title in December 2017, traveling to the U.K. to upset James DeGale and bring the belt back to The Gopher State. He will be opposed by the 27-year-old Brooks (6-2-1, 5 KOs), a Dallas-native who is guided by award-winning trainer Derrick James. Brooks began his career with six victories before losing narrow decisions to Marco Delgado and Cameron Sevilla Rivera. Most recently, Brooks fought Rivera to a split-draw in August 2021.

The 31-year-old Ancajas (33-3-2, 22 KOs) steps back into action after dropping a pair of decisions in world title fights against Fernando Martinez February and October of 2022. Fighting out of Panabo City, Davao Del Norte, Philippines, Ancajas won the 115-pound title in a lopsided unanimous decision victory over McJoe Arroyo in 2016 where he dropped his opponent in the eighth round and cruised to victory. Ancajas would go on to make nine successful defenses of the title before running into Martinez. He will take on the 32-year-old Soto (22-12,12 KOs), who most recently lost a decision to Jonathan Rodriguez in March. A native of Canalete, Colombia, Soto has faced a slew of top fighters throughout his career, including former unified 122-pound champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev.

Spencer (3-0, 2 KOs) is the younger brother of exciting super welterweight Joey Spencer and turned pro in August 2021 with a unanimous decision victory over Eliseo Villalobos. The 19-year-old from Linden, Mich., most recently wowed the crowd at The Armory in February with a sensational first-round stoppage of Margarito Hernandez. He faces the 26-year-old McFarlane, who fights out of Tulsa, Okla., and enters this fight having won back-to-back contests.

The non-televised undercard will feature super middleweight Shawn McCalman (12-0, 6 KOs) in an eight-round fight taking on Bo Gibbs Jr. (23-3, 9 KOs), super featherweight prospect Robert Meriwether III (3-0, 2 KOs) battling Ezra Rabin (1-1, 1 KO) in a four-round attraction, and Cincinnati’s Ray Robinson (1-0) dueling Ryan Raglin (3-9-1, 3 KOs) in a four-round featherweight showdown.

#         #         #

ABOUT ADAMES VS. WILLIAMS

Adames vs. Williams will see hard-hitting Interim WBC Middleweight Champion Carlos Adames battle former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in the 12-round main event of action live on SHOWTIME^® Saturday, June 24 from The Armory in Minneapolis in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features top super welterweight contenders Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and Luis “Cuba” Arias squaring off in the 10-round co-main event. Super flyweight world champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez will put his IBF title on the line against unbeaten Filipino contender Jade Bornea in the telecast opener.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #AdamesWilliams follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

LAS VEGAS – June 20, 2023 – Top middleweight Carlos Adames will aim to make his case as the sport’s best middleweight when he defends his Interim WBC Middleweight Title against former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams this Saturday, June 24 live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from The Armory in Minneapolis headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

“My time will come where I will show the world that I’m the best middleweight,” said Adames. “A dominant victory on Saturday night will ensure me a fight with Jermall Charlo to see who the real WBC middleweight champion is. It’s been very difficult to get the big names in the ring with me, but I just have to keep winning.”

The 29-year-old Adames (22-1,17 KOs) has been on a tear since moving up to middleweight in 2021, including a close but decisive decision over Sergiy Derevyanchenko and most recently a third-round KO of Juan Macias Montiel in October. The Dominican fighter now training in Las Vegas has thrived in another training camp under top trainer Bob Santos.

“I had an incredible training camp in Las Vegas with my coach Bob Santos,” said Adames. “We put in a lot of hard work and got some excellent sparring with some very good fighters. My road work was taken to the next level, with a lot of running in high elevation. I’m eating the best foods and feeling great.”

Saturday night will see Adames battle perhaps his most accomplished opponent to date in the former unified 154-pound Williams, a Philadelphia-native who defeated Jarrett Hurd in one of 2019’s best fights to capture WBA and IBF titles. Although Williams only made his middleweight debut in November with a unanimous decision over Rolando Mansilla, Adames knows the danger that Williams presents.

“I see Williams as a dangerous opponent,” said Adames. “He’s a former world champion who has a lot of experience and he has nothing to lose at this point in his career. I’m expecting a tough fight, but I feel I’m the better fighter in every aspect. I feel I can break him down and end the fight in the middle to late rounds.”

Since losing a 154-pound title fight in 2019, Adames has worked his way up the 160-pound division and will now step into the ring for his first SHOWTIME main event on Saturday night, with the goal of closing the show early and in dominant fashion.

“This is another great opportunity to showcase my talent on the big stage,” said Adames. “SHOWTIME is where the stars are born. I can’t wait to show my people back in the Dominican Republic, and here in the U.S., all the hard work that we put into this camp. This is my first main event on SHOWTIME and I’m going to take full advantage of the situation. My goal is to win by spectacular knockout.”

#         #         #

ABOUT ADAMES VS. WILLIAMS

Adames vs. Williams will see hard-hitting Interim WBC Middleweight Champion Carlos Adames battle former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in the 12-round main event of action live on SHOWTIME^® Saturday, June 24 from The Armory in Minneapolis in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and featured top super welterweight contenders Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and Luis “Cuba” Arias squaring off in the 10-round co-main event. Super flyweight world champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez will put his IBF title on the line against unbeaten Filipino contender Jade Bornea in the telecast opener.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster. Lubin vs. Arias is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #AdamesWilliams follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

MINNEAPOLIS – June 2, 2023 – Hard-hitting Interim WBC Middleweight Champion Carlos Adames will battle former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in the 12-round main event of action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, June 24 from The Armory in Minneapolis in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and featured top super welterweight contenders Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and Luis “Cuba” Arias squaring off in the 10-round co-main event. Super flyweight world champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez will put his IBF title on the line against unbeaten Filipino contender Jade Bornea in the telecast opener.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster. Lubin vs. Arias is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.

“Saturday, June 24 will see three high-stakes matchups play out in the ring, topped by rising middleweight star Carlos Adames looking to take out  hungry former champion Julian Williams, who has his eyes set on championship gold in a second division,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “With Erickson Lubin and Luis Arias squaring off, the winner will be in prime position for a 154-pound title shot, while Fernando Martinez can send a message to the rest of the super flyweight division with a decisive victory against the undefeated Jade Bornea. This lineup shapes up to deliver another electric night at The Armory in Minneapolis.”

Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) has become a force in the middleweight division as he nears a chance to earn a world title opportunity at 160 pounds. Adames scored a career-best victory by overcoming top contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko in December 2021 and followed that up by knocking out Juan Macias Montiel in the third round to capture his interim belt last October. The 29-year-old Adames was born in Comendador, Dominican Republic and now lives in Washington Heights, New York. He established himself as a contender with a slew of victories over the likes of former champion Carlos Molina, Frank Galarza, Joshua Conley and Alejandro Barrera, with his only defeat coming by narrow decision in a 2019 154-pound title fight against Patrick Teixeira.

“I’ve trained hard for this fight and I’m ready to defend my interim WBC middleweight title against Julian Williams, who we all know is a very tough fighter,” said Adames. “I’ve worked tirelessly to earn my way in the sport and I’m ready to prove I belong at the top of the middleweight division. I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase my skills on SHOWTIME, and I’m determined to put on a great performance for the fans. On June 24 The Armory in Minneapolis will be electrifying. I’m coming to win.”

Philadelphia’s Williams (29-3-1, 16 KOs) became a unified world champion at 154-pounds in May 2019 when he upset Jarrett Hurd in one of the year’s best fights, winning a close-quarters brawl by unanimous decision. The 33-year-old dropped the titles in his first defense, losing to Jeison Rosario in January 2020, before coming up on the short end of a narrow decision to Vladimir Hernandez in October 2021. He most recently returned to his winning ways last November, dominating Rolando Mansilla at The Armory  on his way to a unanimous decision.

“Training has been going great and I’m extremely well-prepared for this fight,” said Williams. “I’ve just been grinding and making the best of everything that I have. I haven’t seen that much of him, so I’m preparing for anything Adames can bring. A win on June 24 would mean everything. This is what I strive for. It’s been a little choppy, but I’m just looking forward to a tough fight in Minneapolis.”

The 27-year-old Lubin (24-2, 17 KOs) will return to the ring after going toe-to-toe in one of 2022’s best fights, which saw him trade knockdowns with fellow contender Sebastian Fundora on SHOWTIME in April 2022. Heading into the Fundora fight, Lubin had put together an impressive six-bout winning streak since a loss to unified 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo in 2017, a run that included triumphs over Jeison Rosario, Terrell Gausha and Ishe Smith.  A native of Orlando, Fla., Lubin turned pro at 18 years old in 2013 and became one of the youngest prospects to ever appear on the developmental series SHOBOX: The New Generation and soon after was named “Prospect Of The Year” by ESPN and Ring Magazine in 2016.

“I’m looking forward to making my return on SHOWTIME,” said Lubin. “Every fight is important and I treat them all the same. This one is no different because I’m coming in with a chip on my shoulder. I’m planning to dominate Luis Arias so I can get my rematches with Jermell Charlo and Sebastian Fundora. I want to avenge my defeats and that starts with a big performance on June 24. It’s ‘Hammer’ time on SHOWTIME.”

A native of Milwaukee who now trains out of Las Vegas, Mayweather Promotions’ Arias (20-3-1, 9 KOs) most recently dominated Jimmy Williams in May 2022 on his way to a unanimous decision. Arias had scored a career-best victory in June 2021, as he earned a decision over former unified champion Jarrett Hurd on the Mayweather vs. Paul SHOWTIME PPV undercard. Arias has also battled former champion Daniel Jacobs and owns a draw against veteran contender Gabriel Rosado.

“I’m back on the big stage and this time I’m staying here for the long haul,” said Arias. “I’m planning on bringing an all-out war as soon as the bell rings. June 24 has a great lineup, but this fight will definitely steal the show. I want to thank Floyd Mayweather and the Mayweather Promotions team for getting me this opportunity. I’m coming to make the most of it. War is coming!”

The unbeaten Martinez (15-0, 8 KOs) became the first world champion promoted by his countryman, former two-division world champion Marcos Maidana, with a scintillating victory over Ancajas on SHOWTIME in February 2022. The 31-year-old from Avellaneda, Argentina made the most of the opportunity, landing a division record 421 power shots of the 427 total punches landed to secure a unanimous decision victory over Ancajas. They rematched in October 2022, with Martinez putting on an even more convincing performance to retain his title via unanimous decision.

“This is going to be my first time fighting in Minneapolis and I hope the fans know that I’m coming to put on a show for them,” said Martinez. “My goal isn’t just to win, it’s to show that I’m getting better and that I’m on my way to my goal of unifying the titles.”

Fighting out of General Santos City in the Philippines, Bornea (18-0, 12 KOs) will fight in the U.S. for the second time on June 24 after earning a decision over Ernesto Delgadillo in their January 2020 clash. Since then the 27-year-old has added three victories, including a pair of 2022 triumphs that saw him best Mohammed Obbadi in January and Ivan Meneses in August. A pro since October 2014, Bornea is part of a boxing family as his twin brother Jake also fights professionally.

“I have been waiting for this opportunity ever since I turned pro,” said Bornea. “I have watched Martinez twice fight against my friend and countryman Jerwin Ancajas, so I know his style well. On June 24, I am going to win that title and bring it back to the Philippines where it belongs. I’m thankful to my whole team for this opportunity and I’m going to make the most of it.”

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #AdamesWilliams follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

Sebastian Fundora remained undefeated with a 12-round unanimous decision over Carlos Ocampo to retain the WBC Interim Super Welterweight title at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Fundora, 153,5 lbs of Coachella, CA won by scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111 and is now 20-0-1. Ocampo, 153.5 lbs of Ensanda, MEX 34-2.

Adames Stops Montiel in 3; Wins Interim Middleweight Title

Carlos Adames won the WBC Interim Middleweight title with a third round stoppage over Juan Macias Montiel.

In round three, Adames landed a hard uppercut that hurt Montiel. Adames drove Montiel to the ropes and landed a chopping right hook and a vicious uppercut that forced a referee stoppage at 2:37.

Adames, 159.25 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 22-1 with 17 knockouts. Montiel, 160 lbs of Los Mochis, MEX is 23-6-2.

Martinez Decisions Ancajas Again to Retain 115 lb. Title

Fernando Martinez second his second straight unanimous decision over former champion Jerwin Ancajas to retain the IBF junior bantamweight title.

In round seven, Ancjas was cut on his forehead from an accidental headbutt.

Martinez, 114.75 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG won by scores of 119-109 and 118-110 and is now 15-0. Ancajas, 114.75 lbs of Panabo City, PHL is 33-3-2.

LAS VEGAS – October 4, 2022 – Exciting middleweight contender Carlos Adames shared insight into his training camp before he battles Mexico’s Juan Macias Montiel for the Interim WBC Middleweight Title this Saturday, October 8 in the co-main event of action live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

After coming up just short of winning a 154-pound world title in 2019, the Dominican Republic’s Adames (21-1, 16 KOs) moved up to the full middleweight limit in December 2021 as he scored an impressive decision victory over top contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Now he looks to move one step closer to a middleweight world championship against the rugged power-puncher Montiel.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at axs.com.

Here is what Adames had to say about his training camp in Las Vegas, facing Montiel and more:

On his upcoming matchup with Montiel:

“This is not an easy fight because I know Montiel is a proven veteran who has fought at the championship level. He’s gone twelve rounds with Jermall Charlo, so I know he’s tough. I’m expecting Montiel to come into this fight very determined, so I must be ready for anything he brings. I’m the hungriest I’ve ever been going into a fight. My plan is to knock him out and leave no doubt who the winner is.”

On his recent training camp:

“This camp has been challenging because of all the hard work I’ve put in each day. I’m going hard daily with my strength and conditioning, and the sparring I’ve been getting has been with elite fighters, so it’s been a grueling training camp, but one that has me in the best shape of my life. Bob Santos is my head coach, and we did most of our training in Las Vegas before finishing off in Mexico City at [WBC Featherweight World Champion] Rey Vargas’ gym. On fight night, all the fans are going to see an explosive version of me. I’m ready to go!”

On what a win will do for his career:

“This fight is for the interim title, so a victory puts me in position to fight for the championship in my next fight. Everything is on the line in this fight and I’m not going to let this opportunity pass me by. I have one thing on my mind and that is to come out victorious by any means necessary. I will become the new king at middleweight soon.”

On being motivated by fellow Dominican countrymen, WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Alberto Puello and WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Héctor García, winning world titles:

“Hector Garcia and Alberto Puello are my brothers, I love them very much, and for the first time in the history of boxing, the Dominican Republic has more current world champions than Cuba and Puerto Rico. Them both winning world titles on the same night was a great moment for our country. My motivation to become a world champion is burning in my heart and is the reason I’ve taken my training to the next level. I’m going to follow in their footsteps and together we will make history.” 

On fighting in co-main event on SHOWTIME:

“Fighting on this stage is every fighter’s dream, and I’m going to bring a great performance to all the fans tuning in. I want all those watching to realize that I’m not a boring fighter that just likes to win on points. I’m coming to make a statement with a vicious knockout, putting the entire middleweight division on notice. Everyone watching this fight is going to love my style, because I bring excitement to the ring.” 

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ABOUT FUNDORA VS. OCAMPO

Fundora vs. Ocampo will see unbeaten super welterweight sensation Sebastian “The Towering Inferno’’ Fundora seek to continue his dominance and demonstrate why he’s one of the most feared fighters in boxing when he defends his Interim WBC Super Welterweight Title against former title challenger Carlos Ocampo live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, October 8 from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. headlining a thrilling Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast will see top middleweights Carlos Adames and Juan Macias Montiel square off for the Interim WBC Middleweight Title in the co-main event, while IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Fernando Martinez meets former champion Jerwin Ancajas in a highly anticipated 12-round rematch to open the telecast at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #FundoraOcampo, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

CARSON, CALIF. – August 23, 2022 – Unbeaten super welterweight sensation Sebastian “The Towering Inferno’’ Fundora will seek to continue his dominance and demonstrate why he’s one of the most feared fighters in boxing when he defends his Interim WBC Super Welterweight Title against former title challenger Carlos Ocampo live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, October 8 from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California headlining a thrilling Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast will see top middleweights Carlos Adames and Juan Macias Montiel square off for the Interim WBC Middleweight Title in the co-main event, while IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Fernando Martinez meets former champion Jerwin Ancajas in a highly-anticipated 12-round rematch to open the telecast at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing, go on sale TOMORROW, Wednesday, August 24 at 12 p.m. PT and can be purchased at axs.com.

“Sebastian Fundora has proven that he’s more than just an all-action brawler and has stamped his place as one of the most dangerous fighters in the stacked 154-pound division,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “He’s a perfect match for the Dignity Health Sports Park, which has brought the best out of fighters for years, and he’ll return in an intriguing showdown against Carlos Ocampo and his 12-bout winning streak. Combined with two evenly-matched duels on the undercard, October 8 shapes up to be another memorable night in Carson, California.”

Fundora (19-0-1, 13 KOs) has rocketed to the top of the super welterweight division with a fan-friendly style and bruising toughness in the ring. At 6-foot-6, the unbeaten 24-year-old southpaw from Coachella, Calif., towers over his opponents, but has displayed an appetite for toe-to-toe combat from short range. Fundora showed his mettle in his last fight, battling the hard-hitting Erickson Lubin in an instant 2022 Fight of the Year contender. Despite both men hitting the canvas, Fundora stood tall in the end, prompting Lubin’s corner to stop the fight at the end of the ninth round.

“I’m very pleased and honored to be back in action on October 8,” said Fundora. “I’m excited to be back on a big PBC show at Dignity Health Sport Park and on SHOWTIME defending my WBC interim title against a quality ranked fighter like Carlos Ocampo. On top of things, my sister Gabriela Fundora will be performing on the same card, and we’re training hard to give everyone a great show.”

Ocampo (34-1, 22 KOs) is riding a 12-fight win streak dating back to his first and only career setback, a KO loss to current unified welterweight champion and pound-for-pound great Errol Spence, Jr. in 2016. During the 12-fight stretch, nine of the victories have come by stoppage. The 26-year-old from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico will have to be at his best if he wants to keep that streak alive against one of the hottest boxers in the super welterweight division in Fundora. In his last fight Ocampo scored a victory by first round KO over Vicente Martin Rodriguez on June 11, his first U.S. action since the Spence bout for his eighth stoppage in his last 10 bouts.

“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to be fighting on the big stage again and it’s even better that it is against a great fighter like Fundora,” said Ocampo. “I know that he is a warrior inside the ring, just like me. This is going to be a can’t-miss fight for the fans. I would like to thank everyone involved in making this fight, but especially my daughter, who is my inspiration every time I step into the ring.”

Adames (21-1, 16 KOs) is quickly becoming a force in the middleweight division as he nears his first world title opportunity at 160 pounds. He fought three times in 2021, scoring two KO victories and earning a majority decision over top contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko in his last fight on December 5. The 28-year-old Adames was born in Comendador, Dominican Republic and now lives in Washington Heights, New York. He established himself as a contender with a slew of victories over the likes of former champion Carlos Molina, Frank Galarza, Joshua Conley and Alejandro Barrera, with his only defeat coming by narrow decision in a 2019 154-pound title fight against Patrick Teixeira.

“I’ve been waiting patiently to get back in the ring and bring the fans another war,” said Adames. “Being in a fight like this has me motivated like never before. A win against a tough fighter like Montiel will do wonders for my career. I’ve been eager to showcase what I’ve been working on and show the fans that I’m the next middleweight star. On October 8, I’m going to get one step closer to becoming the first Dominican middleweight world champion of all time.”

The 28-year-old Montiel (23-5-2, 23 KOs) showed his grit and determination in the ring as he battled for 12 grueling rounds against middleweight champion Jermall Charlo in June 2021. He slugged it out with Charlo and came up short in a unanimous decision loss to the world champion, but improved his stock as a contender. Fighting out of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico he bounced back six months later with a third round KO victory over Christian Soto Valvarde on December 22.

“I made the mistake not taking it up another level against Jermall Charlo,” said Montiel. “That will never happen again. I’m thankful to my team for another great opportunity and I’m going to make the most of it. This time when Carlos Adames is hurt, and he will be, he is going to sleep. I learned my lesson about letting opponents escape.”

The unbeaten Martinez (14-0, 8 KOs) became the first world champion promoted by his countryman, former two-division world champion Marcos Maidana, with a scintillating victory over Ancajas on SHOWTIME in February. The 31-year-old from Avellaneda, Argentina made the most of the opportunity, landing a division record 421 power shots of the 427 total punches landed to secure a unanimous decision victory over Ancajas. Now he will look to repeat that feat and establish himself as one of the division’s best.

“I’ve been having an excellent training camp ahead of this rematch,” said Martinez. “I proved that I was up to the challenge back in February, and now I am ready to defend my title with all of my heart. The fans are going to see an even better Fernando Martinez when I step into the ring on October 8.”

The 30-year-old Ancajas (32-2-2, 22 KOs) decided to exercise his right to a rematch against Martinez and will now get a chance to wrestle back a world title that he held for six years and defended nine times before the loss to Martinez. Fighting out of Panabo City, Davao Del Norte, Philippines, Ancajas won the title in a lopsided unanimous decision victory over McJoe Arroyo in 2016 where he dropped his opponent in the eighth round and cruised to victory.

“It’s very weird to be in the challenger position after holding the title for over six years,” said Ancajas. “This has motivated me to work even harder preparing for this fight. I’ve made some adjustments in my training and can assure everyone that I’m going to show that the first fight was a fluke. I’m going to win on October 8 and become a two-time world champion!”

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #FundoraOcampo, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

Carlos “El Caballo Bronco” Adames did his part and now he hopes Jaime Munguia does his.

Back in November, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said that he would order the winner of the Sergiy Derevyenchenko-Carlos Adames showdown to face Jaime Munguia to determine the mandatory challenger for the organization’s champion, Jermall Charlo.

Adames pulled off the upset victory on December 5th when he defeated Derevyenchenko via majority decision in Los Angeles on the Gervonta Davis-Isaac Cruz pay-per-view undercard.

Prior to the fight, Munguia and his team said they had no problem facing the Derevyencho-Adames winner and that they welcomed the challenge. 

Munguia reiterated his willingness to fight Adames last week when he told Un Round Mas co-hosts Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales (who is also his trainer) in an interview on their 18th episode that Caballo Bronco is on his hit list. 

Instead of heading directly to the elimination bout, Munguia left many boxing insiders shaking their head when it was announced that he would face the unheralded and largely unknown D’Mitrius Ballard on February 19th.

Adames would like to wish the unbeaten Mexican luck in his upcoming bout and hopes that he will honor his word and face him in his next fight.

“I want to wish nothing but the best to Jaime Munguia.  I know he is a very good fighter and I believe that my style and his style would produce fireworks with Mexico versus the Dominican Republic. Neither one of us takes a step backwards. Whenever you get two Latinos in the ring you know you will get a great fight,” said Adames.

“So Jaime, do what you have to do against Ballard then let’s face each other for the right to fight for the WBC title. You and your team already said that you would fight the winner so don’t back down now. I am here ready and willing to fight you anytime and any place.”

LAS VEGAS, NV (December 8, 2021) – After he soundly defeated Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-4, 10 KOs) in a WBC title elimination bout this past Sunday, Carlos Adames (21-1, 16 KOs) now has his sights set on conquering Jaime Munguia (38-0, 30 KOs), in a winner takes all to fight for the WBC World tile against Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs).

Adames, who hails from the Dominican Republic, wants Munguia as soon as possible, and feels a clash with the Mexican star would be a huge fight, one the fans would love to see.

“I’m here to prove that I’m the best middleweight in the division,” said Adames, who trains in Las Vegas under the guidance of Ismael Salas. “I’m very thankful to the WBC for making my fight with Derevyanchenko a title elimination bout. Now that I’ve been victorious, I’m one step closer of my dream of becoming a world champion, and I want to fight Jaime Munguia next. Munguia has a fan friendly style like myself, and I know this is a fight the fans will want to witness.”

Adames has two fights under Ismael Salas, his new trainer, and feels all the pieces are in place for him to make a world title run.

“Since transitioning to Las Vegas to train under Ismael Salas, I’ve been able to get my career back on track,” Adames continued. “I feel I have a great team in place and I’m ready to challenge the biggest names in the sport. Jaime Munguia is the fight I want now!”

“I want to thank the PBC and Showtime for giving me the opportunity to fight on their platform,” concluded Adames. “Charlo is another name on my hit list, I’m coming for them all.”

Gervonta Davis fought through an injured left hand, but was able to hold on a win a 12-round unanimous decision over tough challenger Isaac Cruz to retain the WBA Lightweight title in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The fight was entertaining with Davis looking to land uppercuts with both his left and right hands. Cruz lived up to his pressure fighting scouting report as he tried to stay in the chest of Davis. Davis was able to build up an early lead by landing those uppercuts and hard left hands. Somewhere towards the middle of the fight, Davis seemed to hurt his left hand.

Cruz was able to close the gap down the stretch as he was able to land some good combinations. Davis did a terrific job in round 12, as he was clearly hurt, but able to avoid Cruz’s aggressive onslaught and land some solid counters of his own.

Davis landed 133 of 462 punches; Cruz 121 of 553.

Davis, 134.5 lbs of Baltimore, MD won by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 twice to raise his mark to 26-0. Cruz, 134.5 lbs of Mexico City is 22-2-1.

“That’s my style. ‘Pitbull’ is always going to be on the attack,” said Cruz. “I think we retained rhythm from the start to the end.”

“He’s a shorter fighter, so I was throwing down on the top of his head,” said Davis. “I hit him with my knuckle and messed it up. I hurt my hand in the sixth round. No matter if the opponent is taller or shorter, I’ve got to get through it. He’s a warrior. Even though he didn’t win, a star was born tonight.”

“It was right around the fifth round I saw that his hand wasn’t working correctly,” Cruz observed.

“Viva Mexico. I have nothing to say, the fans are speaking on who won this fight,” he said.

“L.A., we did it for Kobe,” said Davis. “At the beginning of the fight, he came on strong. I felt as the fight was going, he was breaking down. But I hurt my hand, so I wasn’t able to get him out of there.

“Whatever the best opportunity is for me, I’ll do it. All of them guys are easy work. I’m the top dog.

Fundora Decisions Garcia

In a battle of undefeated super welterweight’s, 6’7″ Sebastian Fundora won a 12-round unanimous decision over Sergio Garcia.

In round four, both guys began to bleed as Fundora started to leak from his nose and Garcia started to bleed around the right eye. It was a tough fight on the inside with Garcia trying to back up Fundora. Fundora was efficient with his volume punching.

Fundora landed 187 of 717 punches, Garcia was 163 of 778.

Garcia took some late rounds to make the scores close, but Fundora won by scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 115-113.

Fundora, 153.25 lbs of Coachella, CA is 18-0-1. Garcia, 153.5 lbs of Spain is 33-1.

“I was using my distance a lot more. I wanted to display something different than what I’m used to,” said Fundora. “Height was definitely a difference in this fight.”

“Maybe things could have been different if I had been more aggressive from the beginning,” said Garcia. “I shouldn’t have let myself get carried away by what he was doing.”

“We just beat the No. 2 in the WBC, so we have No.1, and we have the champion,” said Fundora. “Whoever they give us next, we’re ready for.”

Adames Decisions Derevyanchenko

Carlos Adames won a 10-round majority decision over former world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko in a middleweight bout.

It was an action packed fight that saw both guys land serious leather on their opponent. Adames landed the flashier punches and pushed the action, and won by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 95-95.

Adames landed 161 of 564 punches; Derevyanchenko was 157 of 562.

Adames, 159.5 lbs of Washington Heights, NY is 21-1. Derevyanchenko, 159.5 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 13-4.

“This means a lot for me in my career and this is a big accomplishment winning against a fighter of his caliber,” said Adames, who was born in the Dominican Republic and fights out of Washington Heights in New York City.

“I am aggressive and speedy by nature, so I came in ready to do my thing. He started slow, wanting to see what would happen, and simply had the wrong game plan. He got a bit tired as the fight went on, took a lot of hard shots from me and it was evident that I caused him a lot of damage.”

“I expect my opponent to fight the same style. It was nothing special for me, just a quality fight,” said Derevyanchenko.

“He stayed southpaw, that was the difference in the fight. I don’t know what I’ll do next. I need a little bit of rest and then I will go back to the gym because I love boxing and I love the show.”

“This gives me an opportunity to move on,” said Adames. “I dominate at both 154 and 160, so wherever they give me the opportunity to fight for a championship is where I’ll go.”

Ramirez Decisions Marriaga

Eduardo Ramirez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Miguel Marriaga in a super featherweight bout.

In round three, Ramirez dropped Marriaga with a straight left. Ramirez continued to beat up Marriaga with hard combinations throughout the contest.

Ramirez landed 280 of 76 punches; Marriaga was 159 of 689.

Ramirez, 129.5 lbs of Durango, MEX won by scores of 99-90 on all cards and is now 26-2-3. Marriaga, 129.5 lbs of Arjona, COL is 30-5.

“I would like to thank the fans, SHOWTIME and the Montiel family for supporting me. Marriaga was a tough opponent, but I managed to dominate,” said Ramirez. “I had a varied fighting style and kept him on his toes the whole time.”

“We started out strong, but then things got progressively harder. Having said that, we are pleased with the work we put in today,” said Marriaga. “We should have been more savvy, but we tried our hardest in the face of a great opportunity that unfortunately we could not take advantage of.”

“Now I’m going to relax with my family and enjoy the holidays,” said Ramirez. “Then hopefully 2022 will come with a title shot for me.” 

LOS ANGELES (December 3, 2021) – Fighters competing on the Gervonta Davis vs. Isaac Cruz SHOWTIME PPV undercard taking place this Sunday, December 5 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) previewed their respective showdowns during a press conference Friday before they enter the ring in a Premier Boxing Champions event from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

The event featured rising super welterweight star Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora and fellow unbeaten Sergio Garcia, who compete in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator that serves as the co-main event, middleweight contenders Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Carlos Adames, who meet in a 10-round WBC Middleweight Title Eliminator, and featherweight contenders Eduardo Ramirez and Miguel Marriaga, who square-off in a 10-round attraction that opens the pay-per-view telecast.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Friday from downtown Los Angeles:

SEBASTIAN FUNDORA

“My style just depends on the fight. If he gives me the chance to display my skills and shows he can last in there, then I’ll do that. But if I can end it quickly, then I’m going to do what I always do.

“If he’s willing to fight on the inside or try to walk me down, it’s going to go like my recent fights have gone. If he wants to box me, we’ll definitely be ready for that.

“I do what I worked on in training camp during a fight. I don’t worry about what Garcia is going to do. I’m not concerned with what style he brings. We’re prepared to be the best Sebastian Fundora possible.

“We want the belts. Whoever wins a Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano rematch, I want them in the ring. Those are the guys to beat and I want to prove myself against them.

“I’ve been improving with age and as I continue to mature. With each fight we pick up some new things based off how opponents attack me. That’s helped me be better each time I step into the ring.

“I just listen to everything my father says. That’s the respect and teamwork that we have for each other. If he wants me to keep this guy at a distance, I’ll do that. But if he wants me to run an opponent over, I’m ready to go.

“I can guarantee fans that you’re going to get your money’s worth on Sunday. I promise that this is going to be the fight of the night.”

SERGIO GARCIA

“It’s an honor for me to be here making my U.S. debut on SHOWTIME PPV. I feel absolutely no pressure. Fundora is a peculiar fighter for this division. He’s unusual to prepare for. But I have sparred against opponents as tall as he is. I feel ready for any challenge that he may throw my way on Sunday night.

“I’m not going to tell you what I’m going to do in the ring. It’s up to me to show you in the ring on Sunday night what I can do beyond just words. It’s my job to show the world what I’m capable of and to prevent the knockouts that Fundora is used to getting from happening. Fundora is going to come with his hunger, his ambition and his drive, and I’m going to do the same thing.

“I came here to win the fight and I came here to win hearts. It’s going to be a great fight because I didn’t come here to run. I came here to stand up to Fundora. I respect my opponent. I respect anybody who gets in the ring with me. I’m going to put my pride and my skills on the line and show everybody what I’m capable of.

“I’ve sparred with guys as tall as Fundora but those guys are actually heavier than Fundora is. I consider that an advantage. It’s something that made me tougher. Something that made me stronger. It’s going to come in handy when I get into the ring on Sunday night.

“I absolutely love this challenge. I’m coming into somebody else’s house. I have no pressure. All I want to do is give the fans a great show and enjoy each and every moment. Hopefully there’s a happy ending, but I plan to savor every single second that I have on Sunday night.

“Spanish boxing is certainly on the rise. But I fight for my family. I want to make them proud. I want to make my corner proud. Those are the people that mean the most to me and who I fight this fight for. For my fans in Spain and for my two little ones, my wife and my family.”

SERGIY DEREVYANCHENKO

“I have a lot of motivation for this fight. That and my power is going to help me. Winning this fight is going to keep my career going and put me where I want to get back to.

“I feel strong and I’m excited to face Adames. He’s a good fighter who hits hard. But I’m ready for anything he brings. I’ve fought the best middleweights in the world. I’ve faced power punchers before, so I’m not worried about his power.

“I’ve studied Adames and looked at some of his past fights. He’s a very strong fighter. I am familiar with him and we’ve been working during training camp for what he does. I know what I have to do on Sunday night and I’m going to show everyone during the fight.

“Of course I need to win this fight. This fight is the next step toward becoming world champion. I want to win this fight, face Jaime Munguia and then fight for the title again. My dream is to win the belt and that’s what I’m working toward.”

CARLOS ADAMES

“Every fight has something big on the line. Every fight is risky. Otherwise, why are you fighting? I always look for the biggest challenges. I want to fight against the best boxers, and Sergiy is certainly one of them. I am aware of everything that is at stake, but I do not run away from it. I am excited for what is going to come on Sunday night.

“I understand that he has fought against great fighters. In the end, he is fighting against Carlos Adames, and I am a big puncher. Don’t underestimate me. Otherwise, he is going to have a big problem on his hands. I consider myself to be a great fighter just like him.

“People didn’t think I would be that great at 147-pounds. I showed them. Then I went to 154, and they didn’t think I was going to be a great fighter, but I showed them there. Now I am at 160, and I am going to show them again how powerful I can be and how big of a threat I can be. Sergiy is a good fighter, but he’s not an obstacle for me. I don’t consider him to be an insurmountable mountain.

“Sparring is not a fight. He can spar with Superman. I don’t care. I am going to be ready for him. He is going to realize how strong I am. He can spar with whoever he wants, but Carlos Adames is a whole different thing.”

EDUARDO RAMIREZ

“In the end, whether the win comes by knockout or decision, it doesn’t really matter to me. What matters the most is the work that I put in the gym day in and day out for this fight to be reflected in the ring. I just want to give the fans a great show.

“I’m a guy that lives in the present, not the past. The list of fighters he has faced is impressive, but it doesn’t matter what he did in the past. It’s about what happens on Sunday night.

“In the end, for me, I hope to put Mexico’s flag in the air Sunday night. I want to make everybody proud in my country and show my fans what I’m capable of.

“As far as the world title opportunity, we do hope that a win brings me a title eliminator shot or perhaps even a world title fight. But in the end, I have to go step-by-step. I can’t look past this fight, otherwise none of my ambitions are going to come true.”

MIGUEL MARRIAGA

“Every fight is important, but in this case, this fight has a potential to earn myself another world title shot. It’s do or die because it is that big of a fight on Sunday night.

“I have fought against high caliber opponents, and Ramirez isn’t unbeatable. He is not someone that I am overly concerned about. I have to be focused, I have to be aware and not underestimate anybody. In the end, it’s about what I do inside the ring.

“Everybody knows I’ve come to Los Angeles ready to fight. I’m facing a quality opponent, but the most important thing is to believe in my preparation and to go look for the fight, not wait for the fight to come to me.

“I had great preparation for this fight. It’s a pleasure to be opening up the pay-per-view. Now it’s time to go out there and win.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“We have a fabulous undercard on Sunday night. Mayweather Promotions has promoted the biggest fights in the history of the sport and I can honestly say that this phenomenal undercard is probably in the top three ever that I’ve promoted.

“Top to bottom, this card is outstanding. In the co-main event, we have Sebastian Fundora, who is an exciting fighter and one my favorite in the sport today. He is going to be in for an all-out war against Sergio Garcia. These guys are going to give everything they’ve got.

“We all know Sergiy Derevyanchenko and have seen him in tough fights before and come up short in some questionable decisions. He’s going to look to take advantage of that experience on Sunday when he faces the tough and hard-hitting Adames in what shapes up to be an exciting bout.

“In the opening bout, we’re going to see top featherweight contender Eduardo Ramirez take on a former world title challenger in Miguel Marriaga. I can’t wait for this whole show. These are fights that you don’t want to miss.”

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ABOUT DAVIS VS. CRUZ
Davis vs. Cruz will see five-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis defend his WBA Lightweight Championship against hard-hitting contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz live on SHOWTIME PPV on Sunday, December 5 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The pay-per-view begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features rising super welterweight star Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora facing fellow unbeaten Sergio Garcia in a WBC Super Welterweight World Title Eliminator that serves as the co-main event. Plus, hard-hitting middleweight contenders Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Carlos Adames square off in a 10-round battle, while top featherweight contender Eduardo Ramirez faces former title challenger Miguel Marriaga in the pay-per-view opener.

LOS ANGELES – November 10, 2021 – Rising super welterweight star Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora will square off against fellow unbeaten Sergio Garcia in a WBC Super Welterweight World Title Eliminator that serves as the co-main event of the Gervonta Davis vs. Isaac Cruz SHOWTIME PPV on Sunday, December 5 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

The pay-per-view will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will also feature hard-hitting middleweight contenders Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Carlos Adames squaring off in a 10-round battle. Kicking off the pay-per-view, top featherweight contender Eduardo Ramirez faces former title challenger Miguel Marriaga for 10 rounds of action.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

“This is a pay-per-view undercard that perfectly fits with what the main event between Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz will deliver – all action from start to finish,’’ said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Sebastian Fundora, Sergio Garcia, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Carlos Adames, Eduardo Ramirez and Miguel Marriaga are all hard-hitting boxers who come to fight and are looking for the knockout. Fans that purchase tickets to STAPLES Center or tune in to SHOWTIME PPV on Sunday, December 5 can expect explosive entertainment from start to finish.’’

Fundora (17-0-1, 12 KOs) continues to rise up the super welterweight ranks and recently delivered his most impressive victory to date by stopping Jorge Cota in four rounds in May. The six-foot-six brawler has reached this point by showing off the skills of a rugged boxer who is more comfortable fighting on the inside than most. Born in West Palm Beach, Fla. to his Mexican mother and Cuban father and trainer, Freddy – both boxers – the 23-year-old now lives and trains in Coachella, Calif.

“I’m super excited to be back in the ring,” said Fundora. “I haven’t stopped training since my fight against Cota and I’m always prepared for every opportunity that arises. I don’t know much about Garcia, but my promoter has told me for the past two years that he’s from Spain and he’s ranked number two in the WBC. So it only makes sense for me, being the number four-ranked fighter in the WBC, that we face each other. This is going to be an exciting fight on December 5.”

The 29-year-old Garcia (33-0, 14 KOs) will bring an edge in pro experience into his U.S. debut against Fundora on December 5. Fighting out of Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain, Garcia has competed professionally since 2012. He ascended the rankings by traveling to the U.K. to defeat then unbeaten Ted Cheeseman on his home soil in 2019 and followed up with a triumph over veteran contender Sergey Rabchenko. Garcia has added three victories since then, including 2020 wins over Pablo Mendoza and Gregory Trenel.

“I want to thank my team for giving me this opportunity to show my boxing skills to the U.S. audience,” said Garcia. “I’m very excited to make the most of this chance that I have. After winning four European championships and other important titles, I feel that I’m ready to win a world title. I am only focused on Sebastian Fundora, but after this fight I want Jermell Charlo or Brian Castaño.”

A 2008 Olympian for his native Ukraine, Derevyanchenko (13-3, 10 KOs), will seek another opportunity at a middleweight world title. Known as “The Technician” and now training out of Brooklyn, Derevyanchenko is long established as a top middleweight contender, having faced the likes of Jermall Charlo, Daniel Jacobs and Gennadiy Golovkin. He owns victories over contenders including Tureano Johnson, Jack Culcay and Sam Soliman. .His most recent fight ended in a decision loss to Charlo in a SHOWTIME PPV headlining fight in September 2020.

“I’m excited to get back in the ring and continue my journey toward becoming world champion,” said Derevyanchenko. “Adames is a good fighter and I respect what he can do, but he’s standing in my way right now. I’m looking forward to this challenge and I can’t wait to give the fans another great fight.”

A native of Comendador, Dominican Republic, Adames (20-1, 16 KOs) fights out of New York City as he seeks to earn a second shot at a world championship. The 27-year-old defeated a slew of contenders including Frank Galarza, Joshua Conley, Alejandro Barrera and former Champion Carlos Molina on his way to a 2019 title shot that he lost by narrow decision to Patrick Teixeira. In his most recent outing, Adames scored a third-round TKO over Alexis Salazar on the Davis vs. Barrios SHOWTIME PPV undercard in June.

“I am very happy to return to action on December 5,” said Adames. “I’m having an excellent and very demanding training camp, so my opponent better be 100% ready. It’s very exciting to be on the undercard of this huge event. My fans expect a great performance from me and I’m going to deliver it.”

Fighting out of Sinaloa, Mexico, Ramirez (25-2-3, 12 KOs) has risen up the featherweight rankings with three-straight sensational knockout victories. He stopped then-unbeaten Leduan Barthelemy in November 2019 before blasting out Miguel Flores in December 2020 and most recently dropping Isaac Avelar in May. The 28-year-old is currently riding wins in five of his last six fights since losing to then 126-pound champion Lee Selby in 2017. He’s won 16 of his last 19 fights overall, with his only other blemishes coming in a draw against Barthelemy that was later avenged, and a decision loss to Claudio Marrero.

“I can’t wait to be back on another big card against another very good fighter in Miguel Marriaga,” said Ramirez. “He’s very strong and he has good experience against top fighters. Vasyl Lomachenko is the only one to stop him, but I will be the second because I need to make a statement with this fight and show everyone that I’m ready to fight for the title.”

A former world title challenger at 130 and 126 pounds, Marriaga (30-4, 26 KOs) most recently stopped Jorge Garcia Jimenez in April to make it victories in five of his last six outings since 2018. The 35-year-old fights out of Arjona, Colombia and has fought professionally since 2009. Marriaga went the distance in a pair of featherweight title fights against Oscar Valdez and Nicholas Walters, in addition to losing a super featherweight title fight to Vasyl Lomachenko.

“I am training very hard for this fight as I always do,” said Marriaga. “I’m very happy with my All-Star Boxing team for getting me this fight. Winning on December 5 will propel me to another world title fight. My only goal is to achieve my childhood dream of becoming a world champion and I’m not going to let this opportunity slip by me.”

#

ABOUT DAVIS VS. CRUZ
Davis vs. Romero will see five-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis defend his WBA Lightweight Championship against hard-hitting contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz live on SHOWTIME PPV on Sunday, December 5 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in a Premier Boxing Champions event. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MayweatherPromotions, @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions/.

Gervonta Davis dropped Mario Barrios three-times en-route to scoring an 11th round stoppage over Mario Barrios to win the WBA Super Lightweight belt in front of over 16,000 fans at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

The two started off slow with Barrios boxing and using his size to take the early rounds. Davis started to come on in the middle rounds, and in round eight-dropped Barrios with a hard right hook. Seconds later, Davis dropped Barrios again with a straight left that that split the guard of Barrios. Barrios was able to gather himself and not only survive the round, but was able to have a solid round nine. Davis and Barrios picked up the pace and had some heated exchanges as the headed towards the championship rounds.

In round 11, Davis dropped Barrios with a vicious body shot. Davis smelled the end of the fight and landed a vicious left that rocked and buckled Barrios and the fight was stopped at 2:13.

Davis, 139.75 lbs of Baltimore is 25-0 with 24 knockouts. Barrios, 139.5 lbs of San Antonio is 26-1.

“I made it tough. I definitely could have made it easier but I went up two weight classes and I got the job done,” said the 26-year-old Baltimore native, who was headlining his second SHOWTIME PPV. “I hit him with some clean shots, but I’m the type of fighter that wants to catch you with clean shots. I don’t just want to throw any type of shot. The shots I was throwing were missing, but eventually I caught up with him.”

“I knew for sure if I catch him, I’m crackin,” Davis told SHOWTIME’s Jim Gray. “So I caught him, and it showed. My coach was telling me to go to a jab style but I’m a southpaw so they know I’m going to that jab side. So I would try and bait him in. I faked like I was going left, and I threw my right. And my hook over top, and that’s where I caught him.”

“I knew he was hurt. I just had to catch him at the right time,” Davis continued. “Floyd [Mayweather] came to me and was honest and said I was down,” continued Davis, who was actually ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage. “So he said ‘Show me that you’re great.’ And you know how we do it in the doghouse, baby!”

“He has the potential to be one of the greatest ever,” said Mayweather. “When I first met ‘Tank’ when he was 14 or 15 years old, I told him I’d make him a world champion. And that you’ll be one of the best someday. I’m proud of him.”

“I’ve never been a hater. Congrats to ‘Tank’,” said Barrios. “He came here and did his thing. It was nothing short of an exciting fight and that’s exactly what both of us predicted. He was the better man tonight, but I’ll definitely be back.

“’Tank’ is explosive. He caught me slipping and it’s boxing. At the end of the day, one punch can change the fight. That’s exactly what I felt happened. Congrats to him.”

Lubin stops Rosario in 6

Top ranked super welterweight contender Erickson Lubsin stopped former unified champion Jeison Rosario in round six of a 12-round bout.

Lubin boxed early and jumped out to a nice lead in the fight. In round four, Rosario landed a hard right that staggered Lubin. Lubin was able to steady himself and in round six dropped Rosario with a body shot. Lubin ended things when he landed a hard straight left through the guard that sent Rosario to the canvas. Rosario could not beat the count at 1:42

Lubin, 153.5 lbs of West Palm Beach, FL is 23-1 with 17 knockouts. Rosario, 154 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 20-4-1.

“I just followed the game plan,” said the 25-year-old Lubin, who improves to 6-0 since suffering the only loss of his career to 154-pound kingpin Jermell Charlo. “I would just go back to my corner after each round and Coach [Kevin] Cunningham and my team would just say, ‘Stick to the jab. Stay consistent with your jab.’ I’m way faster than him and I knew he had good power and he was trying to counter me. So I would fade him out and use my jab consistently.”

“I started to hurt him in the body as soon as the first round started,” the 2016 “Prospect Of The Year” Lubin said. “I started with the body and I saw him grunt. So I was able to hurt him to the body. I just wanted to distract him with the jab, then go downstairs. And I was able to get him out. I knew even if he got up after the knockdown that the fight was over. I know I’m a great finisher and I knew I was going to get him out of there as soon as I saw him drop.”

Adames stops Salazar in 3rd!!

Carlos Adames stopped Alexis Salazar in round three of a scheduled 10-round super welterweight bout.

After two non-descript rounds, Adams uncorked a huge left hand that dropped Salazar. Salazar got to his feet, but was wobbling around and the fight was stopped at 2:59.

Adames, 157 lbs of the Dominican Republic is 20-1 with 16 knockouts. Salazar, 157 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 23-4.

“I was in control the entire fight, and that’s what reduced him to turning around at times,” said the 27-year-old Adames. “I was working with the jab to the body at first so that was working, and then I came with the left hook. I did my job and followed my strategy from A to Z and was able to succeed the way I wanted to.

“The key moment of the fight was when I managed to disrupt his focus. Once I was able to do that then it was easy pickings for me.”

“I was feeling good in there and I thought I was winning rounds,” said Salazar, whose 15-fight win streak was put to an end with one punch. “But he started grabbing me and that’s when he got me with an uppercut. That swung the fight. I just have to get back to work and keep looking for more opportunities.”

Akhmedov stops Mendez after 8!

Batyr Akhmedov stopped Argenis Mendez after round eight of their 12-round junior welterweight bout.

In round two, a cut was opened up around the left eye of Akhmedov. The cut was ruled from a punch. That did not seem to hurt him, as he Akhmedov was able to break down Mendez and fored him to retire on the stool after the 8th frame.

Akhmedov, 139.5 lbs of Uzbekistan is 9-1 with eight knockouts. Mendez, 139.5 lbs of the Dominican Republic is 25-7-3.

“The fight went as planned,” said Akhmedov, who overcame the first cut of his career over his left eye after an accidental head clash in the second round. “We were expecting a tough fight like that. I’ve been out of the ring for a long time, so I needed to get those rounds in. My plan is to fight for the world title next. We knew he would be uncomfortable to fight and tricky. He was headbutting and elbowing me. It was good experience for me.”

“Mendez is a tough guy who fights top fighters,” continued Akhmedov. “We knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park. When I hurt him, my corner was telling me to slow down and take my time before going for the knockout.”

“I started feeling (injured) in the second and third round,” said a disappointed Mendez. “My knuckles were broken and I couldn’t throw a punch anymore after I cut him with my right hand in the first round. I tried to keep fighting from the fourth round on, but to no avail. It was useless.”

ATLANTA (June 22, 2021) – Super welterweight contender Carlos Adames will take on Mexico’s Alexis Salazar in a 10-round showdown on the SHOWTIME PPV undercard this Saturday, June 26 from the award-winning State Farm Arena in Atlanta in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Adames vs. Salazar replaces the previously scheduled Julian Williams vs. Brian Mendoza fight, after Williams was forced to withdraw because of an elbow injury.

The event is headlined by four-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis as he seeks a title in a third weight class against unbeaten WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios in the main event of a SHOWTIME PPV telecast that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event at State Farm Arena, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at https://www.ticketmaster.com.

A native of Comendador, Dominican Republic, Adames (19-1, 15 KOs) fights out of New York City as he seeks to earn a second shot at a world championship. The 27-year-old defeated a slew of contenders on his way to a 2019 title shot that he lost by narrow decision to Patrick Teixeira. Adames defeated former champion Carlos Molina, and contenders Frank Galarza, Joshua Conley and Alejandro Barrera to earn that opportunity at a title.

The 25-year-old Salazar (23-3, 9 KOs) rides a 15-fight winning streak into this matchup. Most recently, Salazar earned a unanimous decision over Ruben Barajas in their December 2020 clash. Originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and now fighting out of Norwalk, Calif., Salazar will fight in the U.S. for the sixth time Saturday night. His previous stateside outing saw him dominate Abraham Cordero to earn a unanimous decision in May 2019.

The non-televised undercard will feature Cuban contender Leduan Barthelemy (16-1-1, 8 KOs) meeting unbeaten Viktor Slavinsky (12-0-1, 6 KOs)in an eight-round super featherweight fight, former title challenger Andres Gutierrez (38-2-1, 25 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight attraction, unbeaten prospect Dalton Brodie (1-0, 1 KO) competing in a four-round super middleweight duel against fellow-unbeaten Trever Bradshaw (1-0) and undefeated Washington, D.C. born prospect Stacey Selby (2-0, 2 KOs) entering the ring in a four-round super lightweight bout.

#          #          #

ABOUT DAVIS VS. BARRIOS

Davis vs. Barrios will see four-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis set his sights on capturing a title in a third weight class when he faces undefeated WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios in a SHOWTIME PPV main event Saturday, June 26 at the award-winning State Farm Arena in Atlanta in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature a battle of two top 154-pound contenders as Erickson “Hammer” Lubin faces former unified champion Jeison Rosario in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event. Super welterweight contender Carlos Adames will take on Mexico’s Alexis Salazarin a 10-round showdown and hard-hitting Olympian Batyr Akhmedov steps in against former world champion Argenis Mendez in a 12-round WBA Super Lightweight Title Eliminator to kick off the pay-per-view telecast.

The event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions. The Akhmedov vs. Mendez fight is promoted in association with World of Boxing.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MayweatherPromotions, @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions/.

Oscar Valdez survived a hard knockdown to comeback and stop late-replacement Adam Lopez in round seven of their scheduled 10-round junior lightweight bout at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

In round two, Lopez landed a perfect left hook that dropped Valdez.

In round seven, Valdez turned the tide when he landed a left hook that sent Lopez to the canvas. Lopez began to bleed from his nose. Valdez landed a hard right that sent Lopez back, and that gave Valdez the confidence to land a left and right that forced referee Russell Mora to stop the fight at 2:53.

Lopez took the fight on about 30 hours notice after original opponent Andres Gutierrez checked in at 11 pounds over the mandated 130-pound weight limit

Valdez, 129.8 lbs of Nogales, MX is 27-0 with 21 knockouts. Lopez, 126 lbs of Glendale, CA is 13-2.

The win sets Berchelt up for a spring battle with WBC champion Miguel Berchelt.

Former two-division world champion Carl Frampton introduced himself to a new weight class by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Tyler McCreary in a junior lightweight contest.

Frampton used his experience and made the fight an inside battle and started beating the body of McCreary.

In round six, Frampton sent McCreary to a knee from a left to the body. In round nine, it was a double left hook to the body that sent McCreary down.

While McCreary had some moments in the fight, Frampton was mostly dominant and won by scores of 100-88 on all cards.

Frampton, 128 lbs of Belfast, Northern Ireland is 27-2. McCreary, 127.5 lbs of Toledo, OH is 16-1-1.

Frampton will now look towards a showdown with WBO champion Jamel Herring.

Frampton landed 141-461 punches. McCreary was 77-412

Patrick Teixeira dug own deep and although bloodied, came back to win the Interim WBO Jr. Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Carlos Adames

Texieira started to bleed over his right eye in round five. Adames controlled the action through the first half of the fight.

In round seven, Adames came on and had Teixeira hurt on the ropes and bloodied both of his eyes. Somehow Teixeira was able to stage a huge comeback at the end of the round with some straight lefts and then a right hook put Adames down on the canvas. Teixeira continued on the momentum and won by scores of 116-111 and 114-113 twice.

Teixeira, 153 1/4 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 31-1. Adames, 153 1/2 lbs of Santiago, DR is 18-1.

“I am very happy to bring a world title back to Brazil,” said Patrick Teixeira. “I want to make boxing bigger in Brazil. Soccer is our biggest sport, and this is a great moment for boxing in my country. It was tough with the cuts, but I was able to get through it because of my experience. It was a little harder, but my corner did an excellent job on the cuts. I felt like I needed to win the last round. It was a close fight. Every point was crucial, and I won the final round to win the fight.” 

“We are so proud of Patrick Teixeira for capturing the interim WBO World Title at 154 pounds,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “It was a brutal and bloody war, but Teixeira really dug deep to earn himself the most important win of his career against a very dangerous fighter. We look forward to starting the new year with yet another champion in our stable.”

Arnold Barboza Jr. stopped William Silva in round five of a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout.

In round three, Barboza dropped Silva with a left hand. In round five, Barboza landed a hard right hand to the body that made Silva crumple to the canvas for the 10-count at 2:59.

Barboza, 140 lbs of South El Monte, CA is 23-0 with 10 knockouts. Silva, 139 1/2 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 27-3.

Larry Gomez won an eight-round split decision over Brian Mendoza in a welterweight contest

Mendoza started to swell around his left eye in round three.

Gomez, 146 lbs of West Jordan, UT won by scores of 77-75 on two cards. Mendoza took a card 77-75.

Gomez is 10-1. Mendoza, 146 1/2 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 18-1.

Guido Vianello remained undefeated with a one=punch stoppage over Colby Madison in a scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

Vianello landed a hard right that sent Madison down for the 10-count at 45 seconds.

Vianello, 237 lbs of Rome, ITA is 6-0 with six knockouts. Madison, 239 lbs of Owings Mills, MD is 8-2-2.

Andy Hiraoka stopped Rogilio Casarez in round two of a scheduled eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Hiraoka dropped Casarez with a right hook, and then finished him off with a big flurry of punches at

Hiraoka, 140 lbs of Yokahama, JAP is now 15-0 with 10 knockouts. Casarez, 139 1/2 lbs of Batesville, AK is 13-9.

Xander Zayas stopped Virgil Windfield in round one of a scheduled four-round welterweight bout.

In round one, Zayas landed an overhand right that put Windfield on the canvas. It was another overhand right that sent Windfield down again, and the fight was stopped at 1:48,

Zayas, 146 1/2 lbs of Plantation, FL is 2-0 with two knockouts. Windfield, 148 lbs of Concord, NC is 2-3-1.

Top Rank on ESPN returns to Las Vegas, the Boxing Capital of the World, this Saturday, November 30 for a Thanksgiving Weekend super featherweight doubleheader at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.  Former featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez makes his long-awaited super featherweight debut in a 10-rounder against former world title challenger Andres “Jaguarcito” Gutierrez in the main event.  

The co-feature of the evening will see the fighting pride of Belfast, former two-division world champion Carl “The Jackal” Frampton, take on the unbeaten Tyler “The Golden Child” McCreary in a 10-round super featherweight contest.  

Valdez-Gutierrez and Frampton-McCreary will stream live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, starting at 10 p.m. ET (undercards beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET). The undercards will feature junior middleweight contenders Carlos Adames and Patrick Teixeira for the WBO interim title.  

Calling the action will be Bernardo Osuna (play-by-play), former two-division world titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. (analyst) and former pound-for-pound #1, two-division world titleholder and 2004?Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward (analyst).   

Top Rank on ESPN: Oscar Valdez vs. Andres Gutierrez on ESPN+ (All times Eastern) 

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ grew quickly to 3.5 million subscribers in 18 months, offering fans thousands of live events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes exclusive UFC and Top Rank boxing events, thousands of college sports events (including football and basketball) from more than a dozen sports at 20 conferences, hundreds of MLB and NHL games, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, Bundesliga – beginning in 2020, EFL Championship and Carabao Cup, Eredivisie), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, exclusive ESPN+ Original series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films.

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) through the ESPN App, (on mobile and connected devices), ESPN.com or ESPNplus.com.  It is also available as part of a bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu (ad-supported), and ESPN+ ­— all for just $12.99/month.

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 20, 2019) — The rising iron-fisted star of the 154-pound division, Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames, will lock horns with Patrick Teixeira in a 12-round WBO junior middleweight title eliminator Saturday, Nov. 30 at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Adames-Teixeira will headline the undercard stream (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m.) before the super featherweight doubleheader featuring former featherweight world Oscar Valdez’s division debut against Andres Gutierrez and Carl Frampton’s showdown against the unbeaten Tyler McCreary (ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

“A victory on November 30 will mean one of the last steps en route to fulfilling my dream of becoming world champion,” Adames said. “Without a doubt, this fight is the most important of my career. There is no room for mistakes. A victory guarantees me the opportunity to challenge for the world title. That’s why I worked hard and conscientiously with my trainer, Robert García. I assure you that the Dominican Republic will have a world champion very soon.”

“I’m very excited to fight Carlos Adames in Las Vegas in this elimination fight for the world title,” Teixiera said. “I’m very happy for this opportunity. It’s an important fight for me because I will be able to pursue my dream of becoming a world champion.”

Adames (18-0, 14 KOs), the WBO No. 1 contender, is 5-0 with three knockouts since making his Top Rank debut on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jorge Linares undercard in May 2018. A native of Elías Piña, Dominican Republic, he is 3-0 in 2019, including a fourth-round KO over Frank Galarza to win the NABO junior middleweight title. He defended that belt June 28 with a unanimous decision over the late Patrick Day. Teixeira (30-1, 22 KOs), the WBO No. 2 contender, is seeking to become the next world champion from Brazil. He is 4-0 since suffering the lone defeat of his career, a second-round stoppage to Curtis Stevens at middleweight. A southpaw boxer-puncher, he last fought April 13 in Monterrey, Mexico, defending his WBO Latino junior middleweight belt with a majority decision over Mario Alberto Lozano.

In other undercard action:

In an all-SoCal battle, Glendale native Adam “Blunose” Lopez (13-1, 6 KOs) will make the first defense of his Junior NABF featherweight belt in a 10-rounder versus Moreno Valley’s Luis Coria (12-2, 7 KOs). Lopez is coming off a come-from-behind KO win May 25 against Puerto Rican prospect Jean Carlos Rivera.
Arnold Barboza Jr. (22-0, 9 KOs), the pride of South El Monte, Calif., will defend his Junior NABF super lightweight belt versus longtime contender William Silva (27-2, 15 KOs). Silva has two in a row since a July 2018 knockout loss to top lightweight contender Teofimo Lopez, while Barboza is looking to score his third knockout win of the year. Barboza stopped former world champion Mike Alvarado April 12 on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Anthony Crolla undercard.
Japanese super lightweight contender Andy Hiraoka (14-0, 9 KOs), stablemate of pound-for-pound sensation Naoya Inoue, will make his American debut in an eight-rounder against Rogelio Casarez (13-8, 5 KOs).
Welterweight prospect Brian “La Bala” Mendoza (18-0, 13 KOs) hopes to extend his knockout streak to five against the hard-hitting Larry Gomez (9-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
Italian heavyweight KO artist Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello (5-0, 5 KOs) will fight Colby Madison (8-1-2, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder.
Jared Anderson (1-0, 1 KO), fresh off a first-round knockout in his pro debut Oct. 26 in Reno, Nev., will return in short order in a four-rounder against Stephen Kirnon (2-2-1, 1 KO). Anderson was Team USA’s top-ranked amateur when he signed with Top Rank in September.
Xander Zayas (1-0, 1 KO), the 17-year-old welterweight prodigy who scored a first-round KO in his pro debut Oct. 26, will face Virgel Windfield (2-2-1, 2 KOs) in a four-rounder.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Queensberry Promotions and MTK Global, tickets priced at $100, $85, $65, $45 and $20 (general admission) are available online at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or through Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000.

Use the hashtags #ValdezGutierrez and #FramptonMcCreary to join the conversation on social media.

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ grew quickly to 3.5 million subscribers in 18 months, offering fans thousands of live events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes exclusive UFC and Top Rank boxing events, thousands of college sports events (including football and basketball) from more than a dozen sports at 20 conferences, hundreds of MLB and NHL games, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, Bundesliga – beginning in 2020, EFL Championship and Carabao Cup, Eredivisie), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, exclusive ESPN+ Original series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films.

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) through the ESPN App, (on mobile and connected devices), ESPN.com or ESPNplus.com. It is also available as part of a bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu (ad-supported), and ESPN+ ­— all for just $12.99/month.

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Richard Commey retained the IBF Lightweight championship with an 8th round stoppage of former champion Ray Beltran at the Pechanga Casino Resort in Temecula, California

In the opening seconds, Commey dropped Beltran with a hard right hand. Beltran was hurt, and Commey landed a hard flurry that sent Beltran plummeting to the canvas. Beltan seemed done, but was able to land a hard right that momentarily stopped Commey in his tracks. Commey was able to finish the round with a hard right on the ropes. Beltran went down again, as in round five a right hand got through that put Beltran on his knees.

In round seven, Commey had swelling around the right eye. In round nine, Commey landed a booming left that sent Beltran to the canvas. Beltran was able get up, but the fight was waved off at 54 seconds.

Commey, 134.4 lbs of Accra, GHA is now 29-2 with 26 knockouts. Beltran, who missed the weight at Thursdays weigh-in is now 36-9-1.

“Beltran showed why he was a champion. He’s a great fighter who showed it against me tonight,” Commey said. “I was happy to get the job done and defend my title for the first time.

“It looks like Teofimo Lopez is next, but he has a job to do first.”

Carlos Adames won an 10-round unanimous decision over Patrick Day in a junior middleweight bout.

Adames pulled away down the stretch, and rocked Day throughout the final round. Day was hurt and was fortunate that he did not go down.

Adames, 154 lbs of Santiago, DR won by scores of 97-93 twice and 98-91 and is now 18-0. Day, 153.8 lbs of Freeport, NY is 17-3-1.

“Tonight was about getting work in. I listened to my coach, Robert Garcia,” Adames said. “This was my second fight with him, and it was about getting good rounds, and we did that. In the 10th round, he told me he was ready to go. If I had one more minute I think I would’ve finished him, but in the end, I think it was a very good performance on my behalf.”

Raymond Muratalla stopped Agustine Mauras after round one of their scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Muratalla dropped Mauras with a left hook. Muratalla continued to land heavy shots up until the bell, and the corner of Mauras pulled the plug.

Muratalla, 135.2 lbs of Fontana, CA is 8-0 with six knockouts. Mauras, 137.4 lbs of Lawrence, MA is 6-6-3.

Elvis Rodriguez and Joaquin Chavez battled to a no-contest after a headbutt caused the action to be halted in the 1st round of their scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

In round one, the two fighters clashed heads and an ugly cut on the forehead of Chavez forced the fight to be stopped at 2:28

Rodriguez, 139.6 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 2-0. Chavez, 141 lbs of Commerce, CA is 9-18-3.

Miguel Angel Gonzalez scored an upset victory by stopping previously undefeated Saul Rodriguez in round three of a scheduled 10-round super featherweight bout.

Miguel Angel Gonzalez scored an upset victory by stopping previously undefeated Saul Rodriguez in round three of a scheduled 10-round super featherweight bout.

Gonzalez knocked Rodriguez down in the opening seconds of the bout from a left hook. In round two, Gonzalez was cut around the left eye from an accidental headbutt. In round three, Gonzalez landed a booming left that sent Rodriguez hard on his back, and the fight was immediately stopped at 1:23.

Gonzalez, 130.4 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is 25-4 with 22 knockouts. Rodriguez, 130.6 lbs of Riverside, CA is 23-1-1.

Christopher Zavala won a six-round unanimous decision over Prisco Marquez in a super featherweight bout.

Zavala, 129.4 lbs of Los Angeles won by 60-54 tallies on all cards and is now 5-0. Marquez, 129.8 lbs of Austin, TX is 4-1-1.

Dmitry Yun made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Jose Antonio Meza in a lightweight bout.

Yun was deducted a point in the final round for hitting behind the head.

Yun, 135.6 lbs of Baku, AZE won by scores of 39-36 on all cards, and is now 1-0. Meza, 135.2 lbs of Gomez Palcio, MEX is now 6-4.

David Kaminsky remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Osbaldo Gonzalez in a middleweight fight.

Kaminsky, 162 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 40-36. Gonzalez, 162.8 lbs of Tulsa, OK is 6-5.

Also featured from the DiBella Entertainment stable, undefeated heavyweight contender Junior Fa(18-0, 10 KOs), of New Zealand, won a 10-round unanimous decision against veteran Dominick Guinn (37-13-1, 26 KOs), of Humble, TX. Fa survived a fourth-round knockdown to win by scores of 98-91 twice, and 97-92. Entering the contest, the 29-year-old Fa was ranked #7 by the WBO.

TEMECULA, Calif (May 16, 2019) — Something has to give. IBF lightweight world champion Richard Commey is one of the division’s biggest punchers. For his first title defense, he’ll face a rugged ex-champion who hasn’t been knocked out in more than a decade.

Commey will defend his belt against former WBO lightweight world champion Ray Beltran in the Top Rank on ESPN main event Friday, June 28 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California. In the 10-round co-feature, undefeated Dominican puncher Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames will defend his NABO and NABF 154-pound belts against Patrick Day.

Commey-Beltran and Adames-Day will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The undercard will stream live on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets for this world championship event priced at $149, $129, $79, $59, and $29 are on sale now and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or in person at the Pechanga Resort Casino box office.

“I’m honored to be headlining an ESPN show as a world champion and to be fighting former world champion Ray Beltran, whom I have the utmost respect for,” Commey said. “This is an opportunity for me to show the American public that I’m here to become the undisputed lightweight champion of the world. The path is set, and come June 28, I’ll be ready to rock ‘n’ roll.”

“I’m excited about this fight with Richard Commey. I’ve been the WBO champion, and I intend to be the IBF champion on June 28,” Beltran said. “I expect a tough fight, but that’s the kind of fight I like. We are both very experienced, so it will come down to who is willing to lay his heart on the line that night. After losing my title to Jose Pedraza, I think some people thought I was done, but I always come back and prove that I belong. I’m excited to announce that Freddie Roach is back in my corner after all these years. When I was working with Manny Pacquiao, I saw what Freddie can do, both in camp and in the corner. I’m grateful to Top Rank and ESPN for having me back. The only thing I want for my birthday (July 23) is the IBF world title.”

“Richard Commey, the pride of Ghana, is a physically imposing, hard-punching lightweight champion,” said Lou DiBella, Commey’s promoter. “We’re thrilled that his first defense will be a high-profile fight against tenacious former world champion Ray Beltran. Richard wants to be a unified champion and a star. On June 28, he has an opportunity to raise his profile worldwide.”

Commey (28-2, 25 KOs) blew away Isa Chaniev via second-round TKO Feb. 2 in Frisco, Texas, to win the vacant IBF world title. He had previously challenged Robert Easter Jr. for that belt, dropping a razor-thin split decision in September 2016. His only other loss came via split decision less than three months later to Denis Shafikov in Shafikov’s home country of Russia. Since then, he has won four in a row and is fully recovered from a right knuckle injury suffered during the Chaniev fight. A proud native of Accra, Ghana, Commey hails from the same neighborhood that produced former world champions Ike Quartey, Joshua Clottey, David Kotey, Alfred Kotey, Joseph Agbeko and the legendary Azumah Nelson.

Beltran (36-8-1, 22 KOs), the former sparring partner to the stars, realized his world championship dreams in February 2018, besting Paulus Moses by unanimous decision to win the WBO lightweight world title. His title reign was short-lived, as he was defeated by Jose Pedraza via unanimous decision last August. Beltran rebounded from that setback, returning in February to knock out then-unbeaten 140-pound contender Hiroki Okada in the ninth round.

Adames (17-0, 14 KOs) has won three straight bouts by knockout since electing to campaign at 154 pounds. A former amateur star from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Adames grew up with 35 siblings and turned to the sport at the age of 12 after an older brother took him to a gym. In his last bout, April 20 on the Terence Crawford-Amir Khan undercard, he blew away perennial contender Frank Galarza in four rounds. Day (17-2-1, 6 KOs), from Freeport, New York, has won six in a row, including two wins against previously unbeaten fighters. He made a statement Feb. 2 in Frisco, Texas, outboxing Ismail Iliev (11-0-1 at the time) over 10 rounds.

“This fight represents a big step in the right direction for me and my career,” Adames said. “I am thrilled with this opportunity, and as I have always promised to my people of the Dominican Republic, I will be the next world champion from the island and the new face of Dominican boxing.”

“Time to show the world who Pat Day is,” Day said. “These are the fights I dreamed of on my way to top 10 contention. Now that I am here, I intend to advance to a world title. I respect what Carlos brings to the table, but he has never fought a guy like me. I am focused on winning and looking good doing it.”

The action-packed ESPN+ stream will include the following bouts:
Saul “Neno” Rodriguez (23-0-1, 17 KOs) will take on Miguel Angel “Miguelito” Gonzalez (24-4, 21 KOs) in a super featherweight bout scheduled for 10 rounds. Rodriguez has notched a pair of knockout wins since returning from a nearly two-year layoff.
Middleweight prospect Tyler Howard (17-0, 11 KOs) will face the upset-minded Manny “Shake Em’ Up Woods (16-8-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
Ruben Rodriguez (6-0, 2 KOs), a 22-year-old super lightweight prospect from Indio, California, will fight Vicente Morales (2-2-2, 1 KO) in a six-rounder.
Raymond Muratalla (7-0, 5 KOs) will look to extend his knockout streak to three against Javier Martinez (4-6, 3 KOs) in a lightweight fight scheduled for six rounds.
Super featherweight sensation Christopher “The Boy” Zavala (4-0, 2 KOs) will fight Prisco Marquez (4-0-1, 1 KO) in a four-rounder.
Middleweight prospect David “Lion of Zion” Kaminsky (4-0, 2 KOs), an 18-year-old from Israel, will face veteran Osbaldo Gonzalez (6-4, 4 KOs) in a four-rounder.
2016 Australian Olympian Daniel Lewis (1-0, 1 KO) will see action in a six-round middleweight contest in his Top Rank debut.
Super lightweight prospect Elvis Rodriguez (2-0, 2 KOs) will face an opponent to be named in a four-rounder.
For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Sign-up to ESPN+ at www.espnplus.com.

Use the hashtags #CommeyBeltran and #AdamesDay to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.

NEW YORK CITY — WBO world welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (35-0, 26KO) retained his title, scoring a strange and somewhat controversial 6th round TKO over former junior welterweight champ Amir Khan (33-5, 20KO) in the main of an ESPN PPV card in front of 14,091 paid fans at Madison Square Garden.

The switch-hitting Crawford, 31, who is notorious for his slow starts, switched the script tonight and almost ended the fight in the first.  In the final minute of the opening round, Omaha’s favorite son connected with a counter right over an extended Khan jab, then followed it with a left for good measure, sending Khan crumbling to the mat.  The Brit was able to beat referee David Fields ten-count, but was quickly met with fury from Crawford. When the bell rang to end round one, Khan was so confused that he assumed a fighting posture for a few extra seconds.

Khan did enough to get by in rounds two and three, and in the fourth saw minor success when engaging in exchanges with Crawford.  Make no mistake though, time and again it was Crawford who landed the more significant blows.

The end came suddenly and controversially in the sixth when Crawford dug a meaty left below the belt that immediately had Khan doubled over in pain.  After taking about two of his allotted five minutes to recover, Khan informed his trainer, Virgil Hunter, that he was unable to continue and the ringside physician stepped up to stop the contest.  Fields ruled the punch an “accidental low blow” and the official result was read, to a chorus of boos, as a TKO for Crawford with an official stoppage of :47 in the fifth round.

Crawford has now stopped his last six opponents inside the distance.  The last time he went to the scorecards was in July 2016 against Viktor Postol.  The win also furthers Crawford case to surmount WBA/WBO world lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (13-1, 10KO) atop boxing’s pound-for-pound list.  The win also furthers Crawford case for pound fWBA/WBO world lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (13-1, 10KO) atop boxing’s pound-for-pound list.

Tonight marked Khan’s first fight back with Hunter after working with Joe Goossen for his last two contests, both of which were victories against lesser competition.  The result tonight also marks Khan’s fourth stoppage loss in five career defeats. Khan’s other professional defeats have come courtesy of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (51-1-2, 35KO), Danny Garcia (34-2, 20KO), Lamont Peterson (35-5-1, 17KO), and Breidis Prescott (31-16, 22KO).

“I could tell I was breaking him down, it was just a matter of time,” Crawford said post-fight.  “I just took my time. I was disappointed the corner stopped the fight in that manner, but Virgil is a great coach, and he was looking out for his fighter. I know he didn’t want to go out like that.”

Crawford also dismissed the notion that Khan had fast hands.  “Benavidez and Gamboa were 10 times faster than him,” he said bluntly.

“The fight I want next is Errol Spence,” he continued. “Whenever he is ready, he can come and get it.”

Top Rank chair Bob Arum echoed Crawford, “We want to fight Errol Spence,” he said. “Everyone wants the fight. There is one guy stopping it, and that is Al Haymon.”

Due to the boxing political divide, a more likely Crawford opponent could be longtime Khan rival Kell Brook (38-2, 26KO) who was in attendance to “scout” Crawford.

ALL ABOARD! Teofimo Lopez KOs Edis Tatli In 5

The 2018 consensus Prospect of the Year, Teofimo Lopez (13-0, 11KO) kept the Teofimo Express rolling, KOing Finnish veteran Edis Tatli (31-3, 10KO) with a body shot in the fifth round of their scheduled twelve round lightweight contest.

The always-flashy Brooklyn-born Lopez, started slower than usual, taking time in the early goings to set traps he could utilize later in the bout.

It wasn’t until the fourth round that Lopez, a former 2016 Honduran Olympian, began to impose his will on his 31 year-old counterpart.  Midway through the fourth, Lopez caught Tatli, who was fighting in the US for the first time, with a short right hand that sent him off-balance.  The 21 year-old kept the heat on, following up with a flurry of shots that culminated with Lopez landing a behind the back punch that earned him a warning from the referee.

In the ensuing round, Lopez was intent on closing the show, and did so with a straight right to the Tatli’s right hip area that dropped him to a knee where he was counted out by the referee.  The end of the fight came at the 1:32 mark of round 5, and a Lopez celebratory backflip shortly followed.

Lopez has now stopped his last five opponents inside the distance, a streak that dates back to last May.

With regards to the future, Lopez and his trainer/father, Teofimo Lopez Jr., have repeatedly called for a fight with WBO world lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (13-1, 10KO).  Lomachenko, however, has made it clear he has little interest in a Lopez clash unless he’s bringing hardware to the table. That perhaps clears the way for Lopez to take on IBF world lightweight champion Richard Commey (28-2, 25KO).  Commey was previously penciled in to face Lomachenko in a unification clash, but had to pull out due to a right hand injury.

The result marked the first time in his 35-fight career that Tatli suffered defeat before the final bell.  His other two losses came via the cards by way of split and majority decisions.

“I knew I was going to get him with a body shot,” Lopez said.  “I softened him up and finished him…I want a world title shot next…We promised to take over the show, and once again, I took it over.”

“I’m ready for Richard Commey or the WBC title. As long as it’s for a title, I am ready to go. No one can take my power.”

Speed Kills: Shakur Stevenson UDs Christopher Diaz

Undefeated lightweight prospect Shakur Stevenson (11-0, 7KO) aced his toughest test yet, scoring a ten round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz (24-2, 16KO).

After a brief feeling out period, the southpaw Stevenson began landing impactful shots in round two, using pawing jabs to set up straight left hands.

In the third, Stevenson’s hand speed was on full display, as he peppered Diaz, 24, with combinations to head and body, darting in and out without being hit with any return fire.

In round five, arguably Diaz’s best, the Puerto Rican started to muddy the waters, bringing the fight in-close, forcing the twenty-one year old Stevenson to fight in tight.

The next round, however, Stevenson popped more jabs, reset the distance, and again found his mark with combinations.

Stevenson, a former 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist, didn’t relent down the stretch, as he continued to mark up Diaz, using superior footwork and hand-speed to hit and not get hit.

At the end of ten, all three judges scored it for Stevenson: 100-90, 99-91, and 99-92.

In the lead up to tonight’s contest, Top Rank chair Bob Arum told various media outlets that his team, specifically matchmakers Brad Goodman and Bruce Trampler, repeatedly tried to talk the Stevenson camp out of taking a fight the Freddie Roach-trained Diaz.  They insisted that they could produce a worthy challenger that posed less risk to their rising star. But the Stevenson camp remained stubborn, convinced the crafty southpaw could handle Diaz and take a giant leap towards earning a title shot, and they were right.  Stevenson handled Diaz with ease. In fact, there was no moment during the thirty minute contest that Stevenson was ever in danger.

Diaz’s only other defeat came in his lone title fight when he dropped a decision to Japan’s Masayuki Ito (25-1-1, 13KO) last June.

“Listen, I want all the champions at 126 pounds,” Stevenson said afterward.  “Josh Warrington is someone I want to fight. I am ready.”

He continued, “I take nothing away from Christopher Diaz. He’s a great fighter, but I came in there to outbox him, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Felix Verdejo Scores Wide UD Over Bryan Vasquez

Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo (25-1, 16KO) scored a wide unanimous decision over two-time world title challenger Bryan “El Tiquito” Vasquez (37-4-0, 20KO) in a ten round lightweight contest that opened the PPV portion of tonight’s card at Madison Square Garden.

In the early goings, Verdejo, 25, worked exclusively behind his jab, constantly snapping left hands in his Costa Rican counterpart’s direction.  In the third, a Vasquez right opened a cut under Verdejo’s increasingly-puffy right eye that started streaming blood.

Perhaps prompted by the cut, Verdejo turned up the aggression in the fourth and began to take full control of the fight.  The one-time highly-touted Puerto Rican prospect started unleashing his right hand, finding success throwing one-twos and right crosses.

Credit Vasquez though, who never once turned back.  The 31 year-old was undeterred by Verdejo’s shots, and kept coming forward, trying desperately to land something of significance.

That punch would never come, and in the end all three judges scored it widely for Verdejo: 97-93×2 and 98-92 for Verdejo.

The result makes it two consecutive wins for Verdejo since suffering a shocking TKO10 stoppage against Ines Antonio Lozada Torres (40-2-1, 24KO) at the Theater at Madison Square Garden last March.  Verdejo KO’d Yardley Armenta Cruz (25-13, 15KO) last November.

Prior to tonight, Vasquez had won two in a row since finding himself on the losing end of a MD against former WBO world lightweight champion Rey Beltran (36-8-1, 22KO).  Vasquez’s only other career defeats came in featherweight world title challenges, against Takashi Utiyama (2012) and Javier Fortuna (2015).

“It was an honor for me to get a big victory in front of my fans at Madison Square Garden,” Verdejo said afterward.  “I defeated a great fighter in Vasquez…I am looking for a world title opportunity soon.”

Felix Verdejo Scores Wide UD Over Bryan Vasquez

Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo (25-1, 16KO) scored a wide unanimous decision over two-time world title challenger Bryan “El Tiquito” Vasquez (37-4-0, 20KO) in a ten round lightweight contest that opened the PPV portion of tonight’s card at Madison Square Garden.

In the early goings, Verdejo, 25, worked exclusively behind his jab, constantly snapping left hands in his Costa Rican counterpart’s direction.  In the third, a Vasquez right opened a cut under Verdejo’s increasingly-puffy right eye that started streaming blood.

Perhaps prompted by the cut, Verdejo turned up the aggression in the fourth and began to take full control of the fight.  The one-time highly-touted Puerto Rican prospect started unleashing his right hand, finding success throwing one-twos and right crosses.

Credit Vasquez though, who never once turned back.  The 31 year-old was undeterred by Verdejo’s shots, and kept coming forward, trying desperately to land something of significance.

That punch would never come, and in the end all three judges scored it widely for Verdejo: 97-93×2 and 98-92 for Verdejo.

The result makes it two consecutive wins for Verdejo since suffering a shocking TKO10 stoppage against Ines Antonio Lozada Torres (40-2-1, 24KO) at the Theater at Madison Square Garden last March.  Verdejo KO’d Yardley Armenta Cruz (25-13, 15KO) last November.

Prior to tonight, Vasquez had won two in a row since finding himself on the losing end of a MD against former WBO world lightweight champion Rey Beltran (36-8-1, 22KO).  Vasquez’s only other career defeats came in featherweight world title challenges, against Takashi Utiyama (2012) and Javier Fortuna (2015).

“It was an honor for me to get a big victory in front of my fans at Madison Square Garden,” Verdejo said afterward.  “I defeated a great fighter in Vasquez…I am looking for a world title opportunity soon.”

Carlos Adames TKOs Frank Galarza In 4

In a crossroads clash originally slated for ten rounds, undefeated Dominican junior middleweight prospect Carlos Adames (17-0, 14KO) remained perfect, stopping Frank Galarza (20-3-2, 12KO) inside four, claiming the NABO junior middleweight title in the process.

Adames, a 24 year-old southpaw trained by Robert Garcia, outclassed his veteran foe from the opening bell, snapping jabs to set up left crosses, for which Galarza had no answer.  Midway through the opening round, Adames connected with a left that opened a cut on the corner of Galarza’s right eye.

Adames continued to dominate the action in rounds two and three and in the fourth finally broke through, sending Galarza to the mat courtesy of a beautifully thrown left cross that exploded on Galarza’s chin.  Galarza beat referee Benjy Esteves’ ten-count, but the Dominican kept his foot on the gas and after showering Galarza with unobstructed punches, Esteves stepped in to stop the contest at the 1:17 mark of round four.

Prior to tonight’s contest, Galarza had strung together a three-fight win streak since dropping two in a row to current IBF/WBA middleweight champion Jarrett Hurd (November 2015) and former IBF world middleweight champion Ishe Smith (September 2016).

Tonight marked Adames’ second appearance in the big room at MSG.  He outpointed veteran Mexican veteran Alejandro Barrera (19-5, 18KO) here in May 2018.

“This was a message to all of the 154-pounders. I want to face all the best,” Adames said post-fight.

“I believe Robert Garcia will get the most out of me. I felt great with him. He told me I was winning the fight, and he told me to pressure him because he was ready to go.”

Edgar Berlanga Destroys Samir Barbosa Inside One

In his Top Rank debut, Brooklyn-born middleweight prospect Edgar “Pachanga” Berlanga (10-0, 10KO) battered and blasted out Brazilian veteran Samir Barbosa (37-16-3, 26KO), disposing  him in just :46 seconds.

It all happened quickly, starting when 21 year-old Berlanga, who previously fought under Evander Holyfield’s “Real Deal” promotional banner, landed a short chopping right that stunned Barbosa.  Berlanga quickly followed up with a hard jab and two more rights, forcing the ref to step in and stop the contest.

While he didn’t get the result he was hoping for, tonight’s fight represented a milestone for the 38 year-old dos Santos Barbosa, who has now fought professionally in ten countries.

For the Puerto Rican-blooded Berlanga, tonight marked his fifth fight within New York City’s five boroughs, but first in Manhattan and first at the Garden.  Berlanga’s next fight is already slated for May 25 when he’ll take on Hungary’s Gyorgy Varju (7-4, 4KO) in Kissimmee, FL.

“I know this will open up a lot of opportunities for me,” Berlanga said afterward.  “I want to make my people from Brooklyn and Puerto Rico proud.”

Ireland’s Fryers Improves To 10-1 With UD Over Noah Kidd

In the third consecutive fight to go the distance, Irish junior welterweight Larry Fryers (10-1, 3KO) shutout Missouri’s Dakota Polley (5-3, 2KO) in a six round contest.  All judges cards read 60-53×3.

It wasn’t as easy a night as the scorecards suggest for the 28 year-old Irishman as he time and again had to eat punches to land his own.

Polley, who was KO’d by Luis Feliciano (10-6, 6KO) his last time between the ropes, showed a decent account of himself tonight.  The 20 year old southpaw went toe-to-toe with Fryer, but consistently got bested when the two exchanged.

In the fifth round, a Fryer lunging left, in which he led with his head, resulted in a clash that produced a deep cut over Polley’s right eye.  In the ensuing round, Polley was deducted a point by the referee for holding.

Ex-Indian Olympian Vikas Krishan UDs Noah Kidd

Former two-time Indian Olympian Vikas “The Indian Tank” Krishan (2-0, 1KO) easily oupointed Missouri’s Noah Kidd (3-2-1, 2KO) in a six round junior middleweight scrap.  All judges scored widely for the 27-year old Indian, 60-54×2 and 59-55. Krishan, a southpaw, controlled the contest bell to bell, but lacked killer instinct, allowing Kidd to linger.  No matter, though. At this point in his career, banking rounds without headgear probably isn’t a bad thing for Krishan.

Lawrence Newton UDs Jonathan Garza To Kick Off MSG Card

Twenty-two year-old Florida native Lawrence Newton ran his record to 12-0, 7KO scoring a wide unanimous decision over Texan Jonathan Garza (7-3, 2KO) in a six round bantamweight contest.  Official scores read 60-54×2 and 59-55, Newton. The fight was the first of nine from Madison Square Garden, culminating when undefeated WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford (34-0, 25KO) defends his title against former junior welterweight champion Amir Khan (33-4, 20KO) live on ESPN PPV ($69.99HD/$59.99SD).  All undercard fights from the World’s Most Famous Arena are currently airing on ESPN2 up until the PPV portion of the card, which will be begin at 9pm ET.

New York, NY: Saturday night, April 20, the ESPN2 card will lead off with the action-packed battle between prospect Carlos Adames and veteran Frank Galarza in a ten-round super welterweight slugfest live from Madison Square Garden. The live telecast on ESPN2 starts at 6:00 p.m. ET. Below is the scouting report for this exciting bout:

Category
Carlos Adames
Frank “Notorious” Galarza
Age
24
33
Record
16-0-0 (13 KOs)
20-2-2 (12 KOs)
Hometown
Born: Dominican Republic
Resides: Washington Heights, New York
Born/Resides: Brooklyn, New York
Strength
Adames’ strength is his power; he has built a well-deserved reputation for being one of the heaviest hitters in the Super Welterweight division. He also shows great patience with regards to letting his hands go and picking his shots wisely.
Galarza has proven over the years that his heart is just as big as any fighter in the sport. He is a blood-and-guts warrior who has zero quit inside of him. He has been in the ring with several current and former champions.
Weakness
This will be the biggest test of his young career. He has yet to face any real tough competition.
Frank does not possess the power that Adames has. He will have to do his best to avoid the slugfests that Carlos is notoriously known for.

Experience
Although Carlos had an impressive run in the amateurs, he has not faced the same caliber of opposition as Galarza.
Frank has more professional bouts under his belt, has faced multiple ranked opponents and former world titleholders.
Power
The young prospect’s hands are lethal in the ring and he can end the fight with one shot at any moment of the fight.
Frank is not known for his power. He is better-recognized for delivering consistent punishment throughout the fight.
Speed
Adames is not known for his hand-speed, but what he does throw, he throws with bad intentions.
Galarza will have a speed advantage. He puts combinations together nicely and is the more agile fighter in the ring.
Endurance
Although he has finished majority of his opposition, he has been 10 rounds twice in his career including a decision win over former titleholder Carlos Molina.
Frank has proven numerous times that he can go the distance. His most recent loss was a closely contested 10-round decision against former champion Ishe Smith in Smith’s hometown.
Accuracy
Carlos is not a high-volume puncher, but he delivers powerful and accurate shots.
Frank throws a lot of punches and likes to mix it up. He is known to fight fire-with-fire and will engage with anyone.
Defense
Adames has not yet had the opportunity to showcase any defensive skills. He has overwhelmed his previous opponents with his power. This is a tactic that may not be effective considering the durability of Galarza.
Frank is an all-action fighter who has an entertaining disregard for his defense. He will need to tighten up his guard if he wants to avoid one of Carlos’ thunderous blows.

Chin
Carlos’ chin is still in question and because Galarza is a crafty veteran it will most likely be put to the test.
Although he was stopped once by the currently heavy-handed titleholder, Jarret Hurd, Galarza’s chin has proven to be more than durable.
Style
Carlos is a come-forward power puncher. He likes to stalk his opponents and set up his shots, a tactic which he employs with great patience.
Galarza is a crowd-pleasing fighter who lays it all on the line. He is not shy about letting his hands go and often finds himself in the center of the ring engaged in slugfests with his opponents.
Crowd Support
He currently resides in New York and has competed in the Empire State in the past. So, Adames should have solid crowd support for this bout.
Frank is a New York native and has had a significant following for most of his career. He has also created a foundation for kids in his area called Youth Fighting Forward. So, look for a large contingent of young fans from Brooklyn to give him the home-crowd advantage at The Garden.
Intangibles
This will be the most important fight of Carlos Adames’ career. He has earned a reputation as a heavy-handed threat at 154 pounds. However, he currently lacks a notable win on his record. A win on Saturday night would fill that void and propel him into serious contender talks in the Super Welterweight division.
Frank Galarza has come a long way in this sport and has picked up significant wins along the way. Since losing back-to-back fights against current/former champions Jarret Hurd and Ishe Smith, the New York native has put together three straight wins and feels more than ready to put his name back in the title picture. A win over the young prospect on Saturday night would accomplish this goal.
The Match-Up
How will Adames handle a pro-Galarza crowd?
Will Galarza be able to handle the power of Adames?
Will Adames be able to handle the veteran’s style of Galarza who will not quit?
Will Galarza be able to stick-and-move throughout the fight to neutralize Adames’ power?

According to Main Events’ matchmaker, Jolene Mizzone, “I love this fight: it is your typical veteran fight against the up-and-coming prospect. This is a must-win for both fighters to prove they belong in the Super Welterweight Division. I wish we could see more fights like this! Neither guy thought twice when the fight was offered, which is rare in the current boxing climate.”

NEW YORK CITY (April 17, 2019) – The time for talking is over. Terence “Bud” Crawford is ready for business.

Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs) will defend his WBO welterweight title against Amir “King” Khan (33-4, 20 KOs) Saturday night at Madison Square Garden on the inaugural Top Rank on ESPN PPV (9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST).

The PPV undercard will feature undefeated lightweight sensation Teofimo Lopez against Edis Tatli in a 12-rounder, Shakur Stevenson versus Christopher Diaz in a 10-round featherweight showdown and Puerto Rican superstar Felix Verdejo taking on former interim world champion Bryan Vasquez.

Three days away from the Garden Party, this is what Crawford, Khan and their trainers had to say.

Terence Crawford

“I don’t believe no fight that I fight is just another fight for me. I believe that all fights that I fight from here on out are for my legacy. That’s why I want the biggest fights out there. Amir Khan’s name came up because he was the next best welterweight in the division. I could’ve easily took {Luis} Collazo. He could’ve took another fight with Kell Brook. I could’ve took Collazo, but that wasn’t the job that I really wanted to take. Amir Khan is a great fighter. I can’t take nothing away from. He’s done a lot in the sport of boxing. He has a big name. He’s undefeated at the welterweight division. So why not take another step up?

On not getting the credit for beating certain opponents

“Sometimes it bothers me, but that just shows how dominant I am. When you got undefeated gold medalists and world champions, where before the fight a lot of writers and fans think that they’re going to steamroll me or they’re too big for me, and this is going to be the toughest fight of my career. After the fight, they say, ‘He wasn’t that good,’ or ‘he was a stand-up fighter,’ or ‘he was slow,’ or ‘we knew you were going to do this, we just had to hype up the fight.’ So they discredit me. When you look at the fighters I’ve fought, most of them haven’t been the same after they’ve fought me.”

“I just want people to respect me for my talent and the skills that I have, and the willingness to go in there and fight any and everybody that’s available.”

Amir Khan

“This {fight} ranks at the top for me because fighting a world champion, Terence is very high in the pound-for-pound rankings, maybe number one or number two. So, it’s just amazing for me to be in this position once again. That itself is a great motivation for me, to know that I’m fighting the best out there once again. And it makes me train harder, work harder and focus on this fight. I know that I can’t make any mistakes in this fight because I could be trouble. Terence, I’ve been watching all the videos of his fights. I see how he breaks down fighters, how he sees openings and stuff, and I can’t make those openings {easy for him}. Maybe my last performance got me this fight. To me, that wasn’t the best performance. That wasn’t the best Amir Khan. I’m now back with my old trainer, Virgil Hunter, where I’m happy and he trained me the best. And he knows me better than any trainer out there. We know we’ve done everything we have to do for this fight, and I’m going to be more than ready.”

“I’ve had some good fights in the welterweight division. We fought {Luis} Collazo. We fought {Devon} Alexander. {Virgil} has brought the best out of me. Even the Canelo fight was going well until I got caught with a shot. So, I mean, whereas this fight I’m fighting someone who is my own weight, which helps. Every fight with Virgil, I’ve learned something from, win or lose, and he’s brought the best out of me. I needed to get back with someone who could bring that respect back for the sport of boxing and also make me work harder.”

“This is a dream come true, and hopefully on Saturday, a dream will come true, where I get my opportunity to fight for another world title and be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. This just drives me, makes me work harder, train harder, stay focused. I know I have someone in front of me who is up there as number one. You can’t deny that. He’s a good fighter. I know he’s training hard because he doesn’t want to lose that unbeaten record, and I don’t want to lose this fight because I want to achieve everything I want in the sport of boxing.”

Bob Arum

“I don’t have to talk about what the public is going to see from Terence Crawford. Anyone who knows anything in boxing knows a Terence Crawford comes along very seldom in a generation. I look at him {and the closest thing I can recall to him} is Sugar Ray Leonard. Terence reminds me of Sugar Ray Leonard. I’m not going to get into who would win if they fought each other because that ain’t gonna happen. Terence is really something special, and I’m so delighted that we’ve been able to arrange this fight against Khan, who I’ve always been an admirer of. Tremendous, tremendous fighter. I know Amir remembers the time I spent with his family when he was in Manny Pacquiao’s training camp. So I know what he brings to this party, and I am really looking forward to performances by two great fighters. A generational talent in Terence Crawford, and one of the great fighters I’ve seen in Amir Khan.”

Frank Smith (Matchroom Boxing CEO)

“Amir had other opportunities he could’ve gone down, most notably probably the Kell Brook fight. But this is the fight that Amir wanted, and you have respect that and you have to respect a man who has done what he’s done in the sport, and I believe on Saturday night he’s going to go in there and do a job and become a world champion once again.”

“I think Amir, when he’s in with the best fighters, that’s when he looks the best. I think the test of Terence Crawford, taking on one of the best pound-for-pound fighters, one of the most respected fighters in the world, will bring him on. He has come back from those two fights {victories over Phil Lo Greco and Samuel Vargas}… I think as a welterweight, that’s the strongest weight for him, and I think it’s great having Virgil back in his corner. He had a great time with Joe Goossen, but I think being back with Virgil, who he’s been with for a very long time, is important to him.”

Brian McIntyre (Crawford’s trainer)

“It’s an honor to be across the ring from Virgil Hunter, and I will tell Virgil and everyone in the world that I’ll listen to him, as he {trained} Andre Ward and so many other fighters. As a student of the game, you go back and try to listen to the trainers and see what they tell their fighters in the corner… I’m glad Amir went back with Virgil Hunter because I don’t want him to have no excuses when Terence starts touching him.”

Virgil Hunter (Khan’s trainer)

“It’s been a pleasure having Amir back. It came at the right time and a good time for a fight of this magnitude, to go up against a great fighter like Terence Crawford. As coaches, we live for these opportunities. Whether we win, whether we come up short, we thrive in these settings. It’s a great opportunity, and it’s a pleasure to be involved in this event.”

“He can’t have a mental lapse. He has to be focused every second of every round and be able to read the adjustments that a great fighter like Crawford will make. He’s {excellent} at making adjustments, and we have to be able to read those adjustments and adjust accordingly to stay competitive and try to win this fight.”

ESPN PPV, 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST

Terence Crawford (champion) vs. Amir Khan (challenger), 12 rounds, Crawford’s WBO welterweight world title

Teofimo Lopez vs. Edis Tatli, 12 rounds, Lopez’s NABF lightweight title

Shakur Stevenson vs. Christopher Diaz, 10 rounds, Stevenson’s IBF Intercontinental, and vacant NABO featherweight titles

Felix Verdejo vs. Bryan Vasquez, 10 rounds, lightweight

ESPN2, 6 p.m. EST/3 p.m. PST

Carlos Adames vs. Frank Galarza,10 rounds, Adames’ NABF, and vacant NABO 154-pound titles

Edgar Berlanga vs. Samir Barbosa, 8 rounds, middleweight

Larry Fryers vs. Dakota Polley, 6/4 rounds, super lightweight

Vikas Krishan vs. Noah Kidd, 6 rounds, super welterweight

Lawrence Newton vs. Jonathan Garza, 6 rounds, bantamweight

ABOUT CRAWFORD VS. KHAN
CRAWFORD vs. KHAN is a 12-round fight for the WBO welterweight championship of the world, presented by Top Rank in association with Matchroom Boxing and Khan Promotions. The event is sponsored by Geico. CRAWFORD vs. KHAN will take place Saturday, April 20, beginning at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST at Madison Square Garden, and will be produced by Top Rank and ESPN and distributed live by ESPN Pay-Per-View.

Tickets for this world championship event priced at $606, $406, $306, $206, $106, $81, and $56 (including facility fees) can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #CrawfordKhan to join the conversation on social media.

NEW YORK CITY (April 3, 2019) — One of the 154-pound division’s biggest punchers — Dominican sensation Carlos “El Caballo Bronco” Adames — is set to make a thunderous statement April 20 at Madison Square Garden.

NABF champion Adames will defend his belt against Brooklyn native Frank Galarza in the 10-round featured bout on the Terence Crawford vs. Amir Khan undercard broadcast, which will begin at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on ESPN2 and in Spanish on the ESPN app. Adames vs. Galarza will also be contested for the vacant NABO 154-pound belt.

Adames vs. Galarza will headline a scheduled five-fight broadcast, which will lead into the Crawford vs. Khan pay-per-view extravaganza at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

Details on how fans will be able to access the pay-per-view event will be announced at a later date.

“I am thrilled and proud to fight at Madison Square Garden once again. It is a great honor to be in action on such a big stage and on an important card like this one,” Adames said. “I have a new trainer, Robert Garcia, and we are working on a lot of new things. This will be the new era of ‘Caballo Bronco.’ Frank Galarza is a good, experienced fighter. I know he has faced good opposition and that he is training hard for this fight. It will be a very interesting fight because he will be battling against someone that wants to be one of the greats in the sport. I’m coming to make noise in the 154-pound division.”

“There is no better place for this fight to be than at The Garden,” Galarza said. “It’s a dream come true for me. I’m ready to show the world what I’m really made of. Carlos and I both are ranked in the top 15 in the WBO. He is coming to my backyard, and it’s going to be a great fight.”

Adames (16-0, 13 KOs) is 3-0 since signing with Top Rank in early 2018. He turned pro in 2015 after a nearly 300-fight amateur career and showed he belonged at the world-class level in July 2017, knocking down and scoring a shutout decision over former world champion Carlos Molina. His last two fights have lasted a total of five rounds, and he is coming off a third-round knockout over Juan Ruiz on Jan. 18 in Verona, N.Y.

Galarza (20-2-2, 12 KOs), from the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, overcame a troubled childhood and a brief 11-fight amateur career to become a longtime contender in the paid ranks. He began his career 17-0-2 before a sixth-round TKO loss to Jarrett Hurd, who is currently the unified 154-pound world champion. A close decision loss to Ishe Smith followed in September 2016, but Galarza has since resurrected his career, winning a trio of fights to set up this opportunity versus Adames.

In other action on the ESPN2 broadcast:

Former Indian amateur standout Vikas “The Indian Tank” Krishan (1-0, 1 KO) will take the next step in his professional journey against Noah Kidd (3-1-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round super welterweight fight. Krishan was a two-time Olympian for his home country and is the only Indian fighter to have won both the Asian and Commonwealth Games.

“As I continue my pro journey, it’s an honor to fight on such a significant card,” Krishan said. “There is a large Indian population in New York and New Jersey, and I can’t wait to see the support from my Indian people. It’s going to be a special night.”

Puerto Rican middleweight sensation Edgar Berlanga (9-0, 9 KOs) has scored nine consecutive first-round stoppages to begin his pro career. He will look to make it 10 for 10 versus Brazilian veteran Samir Dos Santos (37-15-3, 26 KOs) in an eight-rounder. The Brooklyn-born Berlanga has fought four times in New York City as a pro and will be making his Top Rank debut.

Bantamweight prospect Lawrence “BT” Newton (11-0, 7 KOs), a stablemate of Crawford’s, will face Jonathan Garza (7-2, 2 KOs), in a six-round showdown.

Larry Fryers (9-1, 3 KOs), a native of Ireland who now lives in New York, will look to make it four wins in a row against Dakota Polley (5-2, 2 KOs) in a super lightweight bout scheduled for six or four rounds.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing and Khan Promotions, tickets priced at $606, $406, $306, $206, $106, $81, and $56 (including facility fees) are on sale now and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

Use the hashtag #CrawfordKhan to join the conversation on social media.

Oscar Rivas pulled off the biggest win of his career by stopping Bryant Jennings in the final round of their 12-round heavyweight at The Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Rivas was the more active fighter and in round 12, he turned up the heat and stepped on the gas with a hard combination on Jennings against the ropes until he put Jennings on the canvas. With Jennings hurt, Rivas jumped on Jennings as he landed some major power punches on the ropes that snapped the head of Jennings back, and the bout was stopped at 54 seconds.

Rivas, 234 lbs of Montreal is 26-0 with 18 knockouts. Jennings, 223 1/4 lbs of Philadelphia is 24-3.

“I worked hard for this fight, and this is the result we were looking for,” Rivas said. “Before the beginning of the last round, my coach reminded me how hard we had worked, and that motivated me to leave everything in the last round. I saw that the combination of a hook and straight right hand was landing, and I kept throwing it until I knocked him down.

“I demonstrated that I’m unbeaten for a reason. Now after this triumph, the boxing world will know my name. This victory puts me closer to being among the elites of the division. I want to write my name in the history of Colombian boxing.

Said Jennings: “It is what it is.”

Shakur Stevenson remained undefeated with a 4th round stoppage over Jessie Cris Rosales in a scheduled 10-round featherweight contest.

Stevenson dumped Rosales with a hard left, and Rosales was flat on his back, and the fight was called at 1:17 of round four.

Stevenson is now 10-0 with six knockouts. Rosales is 22-2-1.

“I want Warrington. I want to go England and fight in front of the fans over there. That would be a great fight,” Stevenson said. “I know that I’m ready for a title shot. At the same time, I am still growing and improving. I have a great team behind me.”

Robson Conceicao won an eight-round unanimous decision over Hector Ambriz in a super featherweight bout.

Conceicao, 130 1/2 lbs of Bahia, BRA won by shutout scores of 80-72 on all cards, and is now 11-0. Ambriz, 130 1/2 lbs of Ensenada, MEX is 12-9-2.

Jason Sosa survived an early to knockdown to comeback and take a 10-round unanimous decision over Moises Delgadillo in a junior lightweight contest.

In round one, Sosa was cut on the bridge of the nose. In round two, Delgadillo sent Sosa down with a clipping left hook. In round three, Delgadillo started to bleed around his left eye.

In round seven, Sosa turned the tide by knocking Delgadillo down with a body punch.

Sosa, 131 lbs of Camden, NJ won by scores of 97-91 twice and 96-92 to raise his mark to 22-3-4. Delagadillo, 133 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 17-19-2.

“I came from behind in this fight. He surprised me and knocked me down with a good punch, but I recovered and then I managed to knock him down and take control of the fight,” Sosa said. “I did not have any amateur fights, so I’m still learning a lot with each fight.”

I want {WBC super featherweight champion Miguel} Berchelt. I want that title that he has. It would be another great war between Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Two-time Indian Olympian Vikas Krishan made a successful pro debut with a 2nd round stoppage over Steven Andrade in a scheduled six-round junior middleweight bout.

Krishan pressured Andrade from the opening bell, and in round two, a hard flurry put Andrade on the canvas. A follow up flurry had referee Benjy Esteves to stop the bout.

Krishan, 152 lbs is 1-0 with one knockout. Andrade, 151 3/4 lbs of Cartersville, GA is 3-4.

“I want to thank my team for helping me have a successful professional debut,” Krishan said. “This is only the start of my professional journey. ‘The Indian Tank’ is coming.”

Fazliddin Gaibnazarov remained undefeated by stopping Ricardo Garcia after round four of their scheduled eight-round junior welterweight bout.

In round three, Gaibnazarov dropped Garcia with a right hook.

Gaibnazarov, 141 1/2 lbs of Berobod, UZB is 7-0 with four knockouts. Garcia, 142 lbs of Reading, PA is 14-5-1.

“I want to step up my level of competition now,” Gaibnazarov said. “I am ready for the top fighters at 140 pounds. My time is coming.”

Carlos Adames remained undefeated by stopping Juan Ruiz in round three in a schedueled eight-round junior middleweight bout.

Adames dropped Ruiz with a right to the body for the 10-count at 1:57.

Adames, 156 lbs of Santiago, DR is now 16-0 with 13 knockouts. Ruiz, 155 1/2 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 21-4.

“This is the new era of ‘El Caballo Bronco,'” Adames said. “I want to battle against the best. I already want to face a world champion. Anyone who does not want to face me, get out of the way because I’m coming for all the super welterweight world titles.”

OMAHA, Neb. (Oct. 1, 2018) — Shakur Stevenson, the 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, will face his steepest test as a professional when he takes on Duarn “The Storm” Vue for the vacant WBC Continental Americas featherweight title on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the CHI Health Center Omaha. Stevenson vs. Vue will be televised on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. ET before pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford’s WBO welterweight title defense against Jose Benavidez Jr.

All undercard bouts will stream live in the United States at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ – the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets to this world championship event are on sale now. Remaining tickets, priced at $178, $103, $63, and $38, not including applicable fees, can be purchased at the CHI Health Center Omaha box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 800-745-3000, or online at ticketmaster.com.

“The world is going to see the real Shakur Stevenson on Oct. 13,” Stevenson said. “With my team, Top Rank, and ESPN behind me, I should be world champion in 2019.”

“I am very thankful for this opportunity,” said Vue, who is promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions and Supreme Hits. “Get ready because ‘The Storm’ is coming!”

Stevenson (8-0, 4 KOs) was one of the most highly touted amateurs coming out of the 2016 Olympics, and less than 18 months since turning pro, he has acclimated seamlessly to the paid ranks. He is 4-0 thus far in 2018, including second-round stoppages against Roxberg Patrick Riley and Aelio Mesquita. The Mesquita victory included five knockdowns and came on the undercard of Crawford’s title-winning June 9 stoppage victory against Jeff Horn in Las Vegas. In his most recent bout, Aug. 18 in Atlantic City, N.J., Stevenson scored an eight-round unanimous decision against Carlos Ruiz, who has never been stopped as a professional.

Vue (14-1-2, 4 KOs), from Madison, Wis., is 2-0 since his only defeat, an eight-round unanimous decision loss to Alejandro Salinas. In his last bout, April 28 in Oshkosh, Wi., he notched a 12-round unanimous decision versus former WBA super bantamweight world champion Nehomar Cermeño.

The ESPN+ undercard broadcast is as followed:
Mikaela Mayer (7-0, 4 KOs) will take on fellow unbeaten Vanessa Bradford (4-0-2, 0 KOs) in an eight-rounder for the vacant NABF super featherweight title. Mayer is coming off a third-round stoppage on Aug. 25 against former world title challenger Edina Kiss.

Carlos “El Caballo Bronco” Adames (14-0, 11 KOs) will face Josh “Young Gun” Conley (14-2-1, 9 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the vacant NABF super welterweight title. Adames last fought as the ESPN co-feature May 12 on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jorge Linares card, winning a unanimous decision against Alejandro Barrera.

Former 140-pound world champion Mike Alvarado (39-4, 27 KOs) will look to make it six wins in a row when he faces Robbie Cannon (16-13-3, 7 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight fight.

Omaha native Steve “So Cold” Nelson (11-0, 9 KOs) will clash with the durable Oscar Riojas (17-10-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-round light heavyweight bout.

Ismail “Sharp Shooter” Muwendo (19-1, 12 KOs) will look to rebound from his first career defeat against Andre Wilson (15-11-1, 12 KOs) in an eight-rounder at lightweight.

Welterweight prospect Keeshawn Williams (3-0-1, 1 KO) will fight Ramel Snegur (2-2-1, 1 KO) in a four-rounder.

Seattle native and amateur standout Jose Valenzuela will make his pro debut in a four-round super featherweight bout.
For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #CrawfordBenavidez to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.