(March 21, 2023) — Two international fight cards will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ this week. The action starts Thursday, as super middleweight knockout artist Christian Mbilli takes on two-time Ecuadorian Olympian Carlos Gongora in a 10-round main event from the Montreal Casino in Montreal, Canada.
 
The ESPN+ action continues Friday from the Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy, as undefeated 168-pound contender Ivan Zucco faces off against London’s Germaine Brown in a 10-round bout.
 
Mbilli-Gongora and undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+ on Thursday starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
 
Zucco-Brown and undercard contests will stream live on ESPN+ on Friday beginning at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.
 
Mbilli (22-0, 20 KOs) is a 2016 French Olympian who is inching closer to a world title opportunity. The 27-year-old is coming off an impressive 2022 in which he scored knockout wins over former title challenger Nadjib Mohammedi and DeAndre Ware, along with a decision victory last December over Vaughn Alexander. Gongora (21-1, 16 KOs) represented Ecuador in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics before turning pro in 2015. In 2020, he scored an upset knockout victory over Ali Akhmedov. He then stopped Christopher Pearson in 2021 before losing a close decision to Lerrone Richards. The 33-year-old southpaw is coming off a fourth-round TKO over Oscar Riojas last August.
 
In other streaming action from Montreal:
 
Canadian Olympian Simon Kean (22-1, 21 KOs) faces his stiffest challenge yet against two-time world title challenger Eric Molina (29-8, 21 KOs). Kean was 15-0 with 14 knockouts before an upset loss to Dillon Carman in 2018. He avenged that loss the following year as part of a seven-fight knockout win streak.
 
Junior welterweight Steve Claggett (33-7-2, 23 KOs) will attempt to score his fifth straight KO victory in a 10-round tilt against Mexico’s Rafael Guzman Lugo (26-2-2, 16 KOs).
 
Undefeated lightweight Luis Santana (8-0, 2 KOs) returns to the ring in an eight-round fight against Francisco Arturo Ramirez Martinez (11-4, 6 KOs) of Veracruz, Mexico.
 
In a battle of undefeated junior lightweights, Canada’s Leila Beaudoin (8-0, 1 KO) will collide against Mexico’s Laura Avendano Mondragon (6-0, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder.
 
Zucco (16-0, 14 KOs) is a 27-year-old southpaw who debuted in the paid ranks in 2017. He beat then undefeated Luca Capuano in 2021 via sixth-round knockout to capture his first regional title. In his last fight, he stopped Marko Nikolic in the second round to capture the WBC International super middleweight title. His last six opponents have not gone the distance. Brown (12-1, 3 KOs) is a 28-year-old native of London who captured a British title in 2022 with a decision win over Charlie Schofield. In his last outing, he lost the belt to Zak Chelli in what has been his only loss so far.
 
In other streaming action from Milan
 
Francesco Russo (12-2, 10 KOs) will put his Italian junior middleweight title on the line in a 10-rounder against Christian Mazzon (9-4, 3 KOs).
 
Maxim Prodan (20-2-1, 15 KOs) will see action in an eight-round welterweight tilt against Mirko Marchetti (8-4).
 
Undefeated Italian prospect Giovanni Sarchioto (6-0, 6 KOs) will participate in an eight-round middleweight contest against France’s Houcine Moulahi (4-13-2, 2 KOs).
 

# # #

About ESPN+ 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). 

Boston, MA (August 13, 2022)

Boston Boxing Promotions returns tonight, Saturday, August 13, 2022, with a night of professional boxing at the legendary Memorial Hall in Melrose, Massachusetts. Weigh-ins took place at Title Boxing in Burlington, Massachusetts yesterday and the card will stream live on www.combatsportsnow.com

Full Card – Subject to Change

Brandon Higgins vs. Dustin Reinhold

Chelmsford, MA Fall River, MA

6 Rounds – Welterweights

Carlos Gongora vs. Oscar Riojas

Boston, MA Laredo, TX

8 Rounds – Super Middleweights

Mykquan Williams vs. Saul Corral

East Hartford, CT. Agua Prieta, Mexico

8 Rounds – Welterweights

Juan Carillo vs. Victor Fonseca

Baranquilla, Columbia Tijuana, Mexico

8 Rounds – Light Heavyweights

Daniel Robles vs. William Parra Smith

Oxnard, CA Anchorage, AK

6 Rounds – Lightweights

Kenny Larson vs. Ryan Clark

Salem, MA Berwick, ME

6 Rounds – Welterweights

Nicolas Tejada vs. Carl Langston

Haverhill, MA Portland, ME

4 Rounds – Welterweights

Kody Koboski vs. Jay Gregory

Oxnard, CA Auburn, NY

4 Rounds – Junior Middleweights

Parade of Champions takes place tonight Saturday, August 13 at Memorial Hall in Melrose, Massachusetts. Limited tickets remain and are available at www.BostonBoxingPromotions.com/Tickets. The event will stream live on www.CombatSportsNow.com

ABOUT BOSTON BOXING PROMOTIONS

Boston Boxing Promotions was founded in 2013 and is dedicated to the resurgence of professional boxing at the regional level, particularly in the New England area. Since that time, it has presented professional boxing events in places like Boston, Cape Cod, New Bedford and New Hampshire. In 2020, Boston Boxing Promotions was the first independent boxing promoter on the east coast to hold an event during the pandemic. The event led to a popular series of empty venue shows broadcast live and for free on YouTube watched by thousands of fans around the world. Boston Boxing Promotions returned to live audiences with The Great American Boxing Bash last summer which featured 3 consecutive sold out weekends at the The Castleton

?in Windham, New Hampshire.

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New York, NY (August 12, 2022) – A trio of DiBella Entertainment fighters will compete tomorrow night at Memorial Hall, in Melrose, MA, as part of Boston Boxing Promotions’ “Parade of Champions” event. The card will stream live as a pay-per-view via combatsportsnow.com, starting at 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT.

“Marvelous” Mykquan Williams (17-0-1, 8 KOs), from East Hartford, CT, collides with Mexican Saul Corral, of Douglas, AZ, in an eight-round welterweight contest. Williams weighed in at 142 lbs., and Corral, 146 lbs. Williams, who captured the WBC USNBC Silver super lightweight title in 2019, is coming off of a fifth-round stoppage win in April. In January 2021, Williams earned an impressive victory on Showtime’s “ShoBox” series via 10-round unanimous decision against previously unbeaten Yeis Solano. Before his 2016 pro debut, Williams was a decorated amateur with a 45-13 record, highlighted by three gold-medal performances at the Ringside World Championships, in addition to winning the PAL Tournament and Silver Gloves Championships.

Rated #12 by the WBC, super middleweight southpaw Carlos “Carlito’s Way” Gongora (20-1, 15 KOs), from Esmeraldas, Ecuador, and training out of Springfield, MA, squares off against Oscar Riojas, of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, in an eight-round contest. Gongora tipped the scales at 170 lbs. and Riojas weighed in at 170.5 lbs. The former IBO world titlist is determined to rebound from his lone defeat last year. Gongora took up boxing at the age of 12 and had an extensive amateur career, nearing 400 fights, that included competing in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. 

Colombian Olympian Juan Carlos Carrillo (7-0, 5 KOs), of Barranquilla, Colombia, takes on Victor Fonseca, of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, in an eight-round bout. Carrillo came in at 178.5 lbs. and Fonseca, 179.5. Last year, Carrillo captured the WBA Fedecentro light heavyweight title. He advanced to the second round at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Accumulating a record of 388-23, he was among Colombia’s most decorated amateurs, winning gold at the 2012 Colombian National Games, 2012 Pacific Cup Tournament, 2011 Colombian National Championships, 2010 Colombian Youth National Championships, and silver at the 2014 Central American & Caribbean Games. Carrillo comes from a boxing family and, at age nine, followed his father and older brother into the sport.

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New York, NY (August 12, 2022) – DiBella Entertainment has signed Ecuadorian super middleweight contender Carlos “Carlito’s Way” Gongora (20-1, 15 KOs). He returns to the ring this Saturday facing Oscar Riojas, at Memorial Hall, in Melrose, MA. The event, titled “Parade of Champions” presented by Boston Boxing Promotions, will stream live as a pay-per-view via combatsportsnow.com, starting at 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT.

“Carlos Gongora is a dangerous, experienced and skilled fighter. I am happy to be working with my friend Mike Criscio on advancing his career,” said International Boxing Hall of Famer Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Gongora has proven that he is a threat to anyone in the super middleweight division and I look forward to helping him advance up the rankings toward a world championship opportunity.”

“I have always been valued as a fighter. I’m a two-time Olympian and very much loved by my people in my country of Ecuador,” said Gongora. “The only time that I didn’t feel valued as a fighter was in my last fight. I’m happy that I’m no longer in that situation, and very content that my manager, Mike Criscio, was able to land a deal with DiBella Entertainment. Lou’s experience is what I need. He’ll be able to find the fights that I want. Most importantly, what I see is that he values all of his fighters.”

Ranked #12 by the WBC, Gongora burst into the national spotlight when he upset previously unbeaten Ali Akhmedov by 12^th-round knockout, in a Fight of the Year candidate, on December 18, 2020, at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, in Hollywood, FL. Gongora dropped Akhmedov twice with his left uppercut in the final round to capture the IBO super middleweight world title.

The southpaw is looking to rebound from his lone defeat by controversial split decision against Britain’s Lerrone Richards in Manchester, England. The contest ended with tallies of 115-113 each way, and 116-112 for Richards.

Born in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, Gongora comes from a boxing family, as his uncle, Segundo Mercado, was a former pro boxer who twice battled Bernard Hopkins in the mid-nineties. Gongora took up boxing at the age of 12 and had an extensive amateur career, nearing 400 fights, that included competing in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. 

He has been managed by Mike Criscio and trained by Hector Bermudez for most of his professional career, which began in 2015. When he’s not home in Ecuador, Gongora lives and trains out of an old fire station that Bermudez converted into a boxing gym in Springfield, MA, called Universal Training Academy.

Boston, MA (August 9, 2022)

Boston Boxing Promotions returns this Saturday, August 13, 2022, with a night of professional boxing at the legendary Memorial Hall in Melrose, Massachusetts.

In the main event, Chelmsford, MA’s Brandon Higgins (8-2, 5 KOs) will take on Fall River, MA’s Dustin Reinhold (7-5, 3 KO’s) in a six-round welterweight contest. The bout will be a rematch of their first encounter last November in Windham, NH. The all action fight, which Higgins won by majority decision, was a candidate for New England’s 2021 Fight of the Year.

Boston’s Carlos Gongora (20-1, 15 KOs), the former IBO Super Middleweight Champion of the world will face battle tested Oscar Riojas (28-15-1, 16 KOs) of Laredo, TX in an eight-round super middleweight contest. Gongora is currently ranked #9 in the world and is looking to make a statement to secure another world title opportunity.

Salem, MA’s Kenny Larson (4-0, 4 KOs) will meet Berwick, ME’s Ryan Clark (2-1, 1 KO) in a six-round welterweight bout. Larson has stopped all four of his previous opponents in impressive fashion since making his professional debut last November. Clark will look to bounce back from the first loss of his career last April.

Local favorite, Nicky Tejada (1-0, 1 KO) of Haverhill, MA makes his home-state pro debut against Portland, ME’s Carl Langston (0-0). Tejada won his pro debut earlier this summer in Verona, NY on a card that was part of International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend. Langston is a longtime veteran of the New England mixed-martial-arts and kickboxing circuit and will be making his boxing debut.

In a bout with international flavor, undefeated prospect Juan Carrillo (7-0, 5 KOs) of Baranquilla, Columbia is scheduled to take on Victor Fonseca (18-11-1, 14 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico in an eight-round light heavyweight encounter.

Also featured on the card will be a pair of fighters from the boxing hotbed of Oxnard, California.

Lightweight power puncher Danny Robles (8-2-1, 6 KOs), who holds a state record for “Fastest Knockout” at 13 seconds, and junior middleweight, Kody Koboski (2-1, 2 KO’s) who is coming off his first loss against Fernando Vargas Jr. earlier this year on the undercard of Keith Thurman’s return, will both appear in separate bouts.

Full Card- Subject to Change

Brandon Higgins  vs. Dustin Reinhold

Chelmsford, MA      Fall River, MA

6 Rounds – Welterweights

Carlos Gongora vs. Oscar Riojas

Boston, MA        Laredo, TX

8 Rounds – Super Middleweights

Juan Carillo vs. Victor Fonseca

Baranquilla, Columbia     Tijuana, Mexico

8 Rounds – Light Heavyweights

Daniel Robles vs. William Parra Smith

Oxnard, CA      Anchorage, AK

6 Rounds – Lightweights

Kenny Larson vs. Ryan Clark

Salem, MA       Berwick, ME

6 Rounds – Welterweights

Nicolas Tejada vs. Carl Langston

Haverhill, MA      Portland, ME

4 Rounds Welterweights

Kody Koboski vs. Jay Gregory

Oxnard, CA       Auburn, NY

4 Rounds – Junior Middleweights 

Parade of Champions takes place this Saturday, August 13 at Memorial Hall in Melrose, Massachusetts. Limited tickets remain and are available at www.BostonBoxingPromotions.com/Tickets. The event will stream live on www.CombatSportsNow.com

ABOUT BOSTON BOXING PROMOTIONS

Boston Boxing Promotions was founded in 2013 and is dedicated to the resurgence of professional boxing at the regional level, particularly in the New England area. Since that time, it has presented professional boxing events in places like Boston, Cape Cod, New Bedford and New Hampshire. In 2020, Boston Boxing Promotions was the first independent boxing promoter on the east coast to hold an event during the pandemic. The event led to a popular series of empty venue shows broadcast live and for free on YouTube watched by thousands of fans around the world. Boston Boxing Promotions returned to live audiences with The Great American Boxing Bash last summer which featured 3 consecutive sold out weekends at the The Castleton

?in Windham, New Hampshire.

Joseph Parker won a 12-round unanimous decision over Derek Chisora in a spirited heavyweight rematch in Manchester, England.

In round two, Parker started to batter Chisora on the ropes, and badly hurt Chisora in round three with a hard right hand followed by a combination. In round four, Parker landed a booming right that sent Chisora into the ropes that was ruled a knockdown. Chisora tried to mount a serious rally at the end of the round.

In round seven, Parker dropped Chisora with a right uppercut. Just like in round three, Chisora rallied with a big flurry at the end of the frame. In round eight, it was another uppercut that sent Chisora into the corner for a knockdown. Parker was not able to finish Chisora, but he won by scores of 115-110, 115-111 and 114-112.

Parker landed 144 of 464 punches; Chisora was 122 of 468.

Parker, 251 lbs of Auckland, NZ is 30-2. Chisora, 248.8 lbs of Finchley, ENG is 32-12.

Lelesadjo stops Cullen in 6

Kevin Lelesadjo stopped Jack Cullen in round six of their 12-round super middleweight bout.

The left eye of Cullen began to bleed in round five. In round six, Lelesadjo dropped Cullen with a hard left to the body and Cullen could not beat the count at 1;11

Lelesadjo, 167.8 lbs of Saint-Maur, FRA is 17-0 with 15 knockouts. Cullen, 167.8 lbs of Little Leaver, ENG is 20-3-1.

Barrett Decisions Tarimo

Zelfa Barrett won a 12-round unanimous decision over Bruno Tarimo in a super featherweight bout.

In round three, Barrett dropped Tarimo with a hard right hand.

Barrett landed 148 of 577 punches; Tarmio was 84 of 520.

Barrett, 129.8 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by scores of 117-110 twice and 116-111 and is now 27-1. Tarimo, 128.8 lbs of Southport, AUS is 26-3-2.

Richards Decisions Gongora

In a battle of undefeated super middleweight, Lerrone Richards won a 12-round split decision over Carlos Gongora.

Richards, 167.2 lbs of New Malden, ENG won by scores of 115-113 twice. Gongora won a card 116-112.

Richards landed 114 of 484 punches; Gongora was just 95 of 443.

Richards is now 16-0. Gongora, 168 lbs of Esmeraldes, ECU is 20-1.

Babic Stops Spilmont in 6

Alen Babic remained perfect by stopping David Spilmont in round six of their scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round one, Babic rocked Spilmont several times. Spilmont hurt badly with a hard left hook in round three. In round fourm, Babic dropped Spilmont with an overhand left.

In round six, Babic landed a big left hook that set off a six-punch flurry that folded Spilmont down to the canvas, and the fight was stopped at 53 seconds.

Babic, 216 lbs of Zegreb, CRO is 10-0 with 10 knockouts, Spilmont, 252 lbs of Saint-Michel, FRA is 11-8-1.

Nyika Stops Carpin in 1

David Nyika stopped Anthony Carpin in round one of their scheduled four-round cruiserweight bout.

Nyika, 199.3 lbs of Hamilton, NZ is 2-0 with two knockouts. Carpin, 203 lbs of France is 5-7-1.

Demetrius Andrade retained the WBO Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Liam Williams at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

In round one, Williams began to swell from around his right eye. In round two, Andrade floored Williams with a perfect one-two.

Andrade cruised for the most part. Williams fought hard and won some rounds, but he did not win enough as Andrade won by scores if 118-109 twice and 116-111.

Andrade, 159.4 lbs of Providence, RI is 30-0. Williams, 160 lbs of Wales is 23-3-1.

Gongora stops Pearson in 8

Carlos Gongora stopped Christopher Pearson in round eight of a scheduled 12-round super middleweight fight.

Gongora dropped Pearson with a straight left hand for the 10-count at 2:13.

Gongora, 167 lbs, 12oz is now 20-o with 15 knockouts. Pearson, 167 lbs, 8 oz is 17-3.

Biyarslanov Decisions Mercado

In a battle of undefeated lightweights, Arthur Biyarslanov won an eight round majority decision over Israel Mercado.

Biyarslanov, 136.8 lbs of Toronto, CAN won by scores of 78-74, 77-75 and 76-76-76 and is now 8-0. Mercado, 136 lbs, 12 oz is 9-1.

NEW YORK (April 16, 2021)-Tomorrow, two members of the under the Split-T Management banner will be in action at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The fights will be streamed live on DAZN (3 PM ET)

Christopher Pearson will battle Carlos Gongora for the IBO Super Middleweight title, while lightweight Otha Jones III takes on Jorge Castaneda.

Pearson of Dayton, Ohio, has been on a roll as he has racked up three consecutive victories to push his record to 17-2 with 12 knockouts.

The 30 year-old Pearson is in his 10th year as a professional has wins over Arturo Crespin (10-2-1), Areciao Ferrera (14-0-1), Steven Martinez (15-1), Said El Harrak (12-2-2), Janks Trotter (9-1-1), Joshua Okine (28-6-1) and his last outing when he defeated previously undefeated Olympic medalist Yamaguchi Falcao (16-0) on May 2, 2019

Christopher Pearson quotes:

“I’m ready to step up to the plate and deliver a sensational performance. I’ve got a lot of respect for Carlos, he came in this past December and put on a spectator performance. A lot of credit to him but he’s dealing with a different beast with me, and I look forward to displaying that Saturday night.”

“At this point all there’s left to do is fight. This is the easy part; all the hard stuff is done so I look forward to getting in the ring and displaying my talent Saturday night.”

“168 is a glamour division because you’ve got guys who are very technically sound, throw a lot of punches, got heavyweight knockout power. Anything can happen in this division; I think that fans are going to enjoy these two athletes you have on display. I think we’re going to be able to showcase our boxing and it’s still the ultimate combat sport.”

Gongora of Boston is 19-0 with 14 knockouts.

The 31 year-old Gongora is a six-year professional and has wins over David Adkins (1-0-1), Ronald Mixon (7-0), Marvin Betancourt (29-4), Jesus Aviles (8-1). In his last biut, Gongora shocked the highly regarded and undefeated Ali Akhmedov by stopping him in the 12th round on December 18th at the same Seminole Hard Rock venue.

Pearson was 167 lbs, 8 oz at Friday’s weigh-in. Gongora was 167 lbs, 12 oz.

Jones of Toledo, Ohio brings in a record of 5-0-1 with two knockouts.

The 21 year-old Jones has fought a very ambitious schedule in his first six-fights he has already displayed his talents in the The United States, England and Mexico. In his pro debut, the two year-pro won a unanimous decision over Giorgi Gelashvilli.

In his last Jones fought to a disputed draw with Kevin Montiel on October 23rd in Montiel’s home country of Mexico.

Otha Jones III Press Conference quotes

“The opportunity is great; Mexico didn’t go how I planned – that was my fault. I wasn’t listening to my pops but I went back to square one. I got cool with my pops, moved my camp, I’m ready.”

“That’s why I can’t let Jorge do that. Mexico set me back, I’m looking for revenge and he’s in my way. I got to beat his ass like he stole something now.”

“It’s crunch time for me, I’m back on and looking great, feeling great. I’m going to show that Saturday night.”

Castaneda has a record of 13-1 with 11 knockouts.

Castaneda of Laredo, Texas sports a solid win over Carlos Villareal (9-2), and he is riding a three-fight winning streak.

Jones weighed in at 134 lbs, 8 oz. Castaneda 135 lbs.

Jones is promoted by Matchroom Boxing.

Images by Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing USA

Carlos Gongora wants to build on his newfound fame as he prepares to defend his IBO World Super-Middleweight title against Christopher Pearson at Hard Rock Live at Hard Rock Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Fl. on Saturday April 17, live worldwide on DAZN.
 
Gongora (19-0 14 KOs) returns to the scene of his biggest win in the paid ranks, his dramatic 12^th round KO victory over Kazakh talent Ali Akhmedov at the Hard Rock Casino in December to land the strap he puts on the line against Pearson (17-2 12 KOs).
 
The timing of the win and his subsequent deal with promoter Eddie Hearn couldn’t have come at a better time for the Ecuadorian, who admits he was getting frustrated with his lack of opportunities.
 
The 31 year old has been hailed in his homeland and is driven on by his family to achieve even more, and that starts with a successful defense against Pearson, before targeting the big name showdowns.
 
“I went through some pretty hard times,” said Gongora. “I still kept my hopes up, the will to keep fighting, the dream of becoming a World champion, and it came, thank God.
 
“I was training with Hector Bermudez and I kept up my training. He was the one who was always pushing me to train and train and train, because I was really unmotivated, because I have my family and I am here fighting, more than anything. Trying to keep pushing forward for them, so not getting fight makes it difficult to stay motivated.
 
“Hector was always telling me to keep going, keep training. He would push me. And we kept training, we stayed in shape, and I told myself I’d been here a long time and wasn’t going to fight.
 
“So, I went back to Ecuador and stayed there a while, I was training but not at 100 per cent. I was going on runs and staying in shape, until they called me to tell me we had a fight with Akhmedov and we only had around 15 days to prepare.
 
“I went into the second round and got hit by a really powerful shot, I mean, he hit me in the back of my head. But I had that will… the will to fight, that will get me through those moments. We kept improving as the rounds went on and, in this case, technique prevailed and the preparation I made in order to win the fight.
 
“I really, really wanted to win it. I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity that presented itself. It was something that helped me stay on my feet. I said I wouldn’t go down until the final bell rang, and that pushed me forward until I got the victory.
 
“My uncle is Segundo Mercado. He’s someone who fought for World championships. He fought Bernard Hopkins, he challenged twice for the World title. He couldn’t get them, but I followed in his footsteps and got the World title. My family motivates me and people who are fighters motivate me, the ones always persevering and pushing forward, they don’t just sit back, and they put in the work for all their accomplishments.
 
“The people were very happy where I’m from, in the Napa province, because they saw me grow up as an athlete, and they have been so excited to this point. They consider me their athlete in that province and a lot of people in the country. I received a lot of messages from many people, many people from other countries, Ecuadorians who are based in other countries. I’m very proud to have this achievement.
 
“The thing is that many boxers get stuck on one style, and they always stay in the same style, so it becomes predictable. So, we are always changing and that’s important. To keep improving as an athlete, not getting too comfortable and getting stuck.
 
“In order to become number one, you have to fight the best, so I am waiting for the opportunity to present itself to fight against Canelo Alvarez. It’s a dream I’ve always had since I started boxing professionally, and that’s what I keep chasing, and hoping that one day the opportunity to fight him will present itself.
 
“I haven’t actually had the opportunity to really meet Eddie Hearn properly yet. I’m looking forward to seeing him in Florida and shake his hand, to thank him for the opportunity that he’s presented me to advance my career.”
 
Gongora’s clash with Pearson is part of a stacked night of action in Florida headlined by Demetrius Andrade (29-0 18 KOs) defending his WBO World Middleweight title against Liam Williams (23-2-1 18 KOs).
 
Heavyweight Mahammadrasul Majidov (3-0 3 KOs) is back in action and looking for a fourth straight KO win against Andrey Fedosov (31-3 25 KOs), Otha Jones III (5-0-1 2 KOs) returns to the ring in a rescheduled eight round clash with Jorge Castaneda (13-1 11 KOs), Arthur Biyarslanov (7-0 6 KOs) faces fellow unbeaten man Israel Mercado (9-0 7 KOs), Alexis Espino (7-0 5 KOs) returns quickly over six rounds against unbeaten Florida man Ty McLeod (6-0 6 KOs) and Florida native Aaron Aponte (2-0 1 KO) returns at the same speed for his third fight over four rounds against Javier Martinez (4-7 3 KOs).

Carlos Gongora will defend his IBO World Super-Middleweight title against Christopher Pearson as the chief support to Demetrius Andrade’s WBO World Middleweight title defense against Liam Williams at Hard Rock Live at Hard Rock Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Florida on Saturday April 17 in America, live worldwide on DAZN – with the main event set for 6pm ET/11pm GMT.
 
Gongora (19-0 14 KOs) returns to the scene of his finest hour, the dramatic 12^th round KO of Ali Akhmedov in December, weathering an early storm to put the hotly fancied Kazakh away at the death to land the strap that he puts on the line in three weeks’ time.
 
The unbeaten two-time Olympian was fighting over 12 rounds for the first time against Akhmedov, and the Ecuadorian now wants to underline his credentials to land the big fights at 168lbs against Pearson (17-2 12 KOs).
 
Like Gongora, Pearson is entering into the bout on the back of his best win to date after he took the ‘0’ of Olympic gold medal man Yamaguchi Falcao in Las Vegas in May 2019. The Ohio man, a decorated amateur in his own right,
 
Gongora vs. Pearson leads a stacked card in support of the main event, with Mahammadrasul Majidov back in action and looking for a fourth straight KO win against Andrey Fedosov. Majidov (3-0 3 KOs) landed his third win inside the distance at the same venue in November and the former three-time World Amateur king now steps up into ten round action for the first time in the paid ranks against Fedesov (31-3 25 KOs), with the experienced Russian making a long-awaited return to the ring.
 
Otha Jones III returns to the ring in a rescheduled eight round clash with Jorge Castaneda. Jones III (5-0-1 2 KOs) was set to meet Castaneda (13-1 11 KOs) on the undercard of the epic rematch between Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez in Dallas, TX earlier this month but illness ruled the Ohio talent out. Jones III has gotten over that non-COVID related blip and now steps up his pro journey against the dangerous Texan.
 
Another fighter stepping up after a shelved fight in the Lone Star state is Arthur Biyarslanov (7-0 6 KOs) as he faces fellow unbeaten man Israel Mercado (9-0 7 KOs). Biyarslanov landed a first round stoppage win is his last outing in November in the same venue and the Canadian now steps into his first eight round contest against the unbeaten Californian who won his first seven fights by KO before going the six and eight round distance in his last two outings.
 
Alexis Espino (7-0 5 KOs) was impressive in stopping Ashton Sykes in his first fight back in a year in February on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez’s win over Avni Yildirim and the Las Vegas talent returns quickly over six rounds and Florida native Aaron Aponte (2-0 1 KO) returns at the same speed for his third fight over four rounds, both with opponents to be named soon.
 
“Carlos pulled off a brilliant win in Florida in December, and now is the time for him to build himself into a massive threat in the 168lbs division,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Christopher is no stranger to upsetting the odds as he proved against Falcao, and he’ll look to do something similar again in Florida.
 
“Mahammadrasul is looking to make waves in the ever-changing Heavyweight division, and the likes of OJ3, Arthur, Alexis and Aaron will want to steal the headlines in the Sunshine State.”

Matchroom are delighted to announce that IBO Super-Middleweight champion Carlos Gongora has signed a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn.

Gongora (19-0 14 KOs) landed the IBO strap in stunning fashion in December, coming in at late notice and knocking out hotly-touted Ali Akhmedov in the final round of their thrilling clash in Hollywood, Florida, and becoming an instant hero in Ecuador as a result.

The two-time Olympian will now target his fellow champions and the big names at 168lbs as he chases his ultimate goal of being undisputed champion, and the 31 year old and his team are confident that he can be a force at Super-Middleweight.

“I want to thank Eddie Hearn and Matchroom for giving me the opportunity to shine,” said Gongora. “I want to thank my manager Mike Criscio for believing in me and pushing to get me in the best position possible. I proved to the world I have what it takes to be a champion with only two weeks of training.

“I will not stop until I have all the belts. I want to fight the best and only the best. I want to support my family and give them a great life, one they never had before. One that I want to give them. I fight for my family and my country.”

“I am delighted to add Carlos to the Matchroom team,” said Hearn. “His win over Akhmedov in an all-action fight was one of the most dramatic I’ve seen, and I believe the division stood up and took notice of Carlos’ name that night. His team say that Carlos will take on anyone, and I believe that we can make some huge fights for Carlos to chase his dream of holding all the belts.”

“I would like to thank Eddie Hearn and Matchroom for giving me the opportunity to showcase the skills of one of my Olympians, Carlos Gongora,” said manager Mike Criscio. “I’ve been after Eddie for about five years to sign two of my Olympians and when he called for the opportunity and short notice of two weeks to fight a killer I did not hesitate to say yes.

“I know what I have in my guys and I know what they can bring to a promoter. I hope this will mean bigger and better things for both of us and an opportunity to showcase more of my talented fighters. Carlos won the first of many titles under Eddie’s direction, so thank you again and let’s go get these other belts.”

Gennady Golovkin stopped mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta after round seven of their IBF Middleweight championship bout at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Resort in Hollywood, Florida.

Golovkin dropped Szeremeta at the end of round one with a left hook to the chin. Golovkin sent Szeremta to the deck in round two with a overhand right to the side of the head. In round four, Golovkin landed an overhand right that was followed by a little left hook on the inside that put Szeremeta down again.

In round seven, Golovkin dropped Szeremeta with a jab. The fight was halted after that round.

Golovkin who made the 1st defense of his IBF title, and 21st middleweight title defense is now 41-1-1 with 36 knockouts. Szeremeta of Poland is 21-1.

Choi Decisions Silgado

WBA Super Featherweight champion Hyun Mi Choi won a 10-round unanimous decision over Calista Silgado.

Choi landed 163 of 552 Punches; Silgado was 89 of 364.

Choi, 131 lbs of North Korea won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 and is now 18-0-1. Silgado, 131 lbs is 19-12-3.

Ryder Decisions Guy

Former world title challenger John Ryder won a 10-round unanimous decision over Mike Guy in a super middleweight bout.

Ryder landed 103 of 401 punches; Guy was 66 of 284.

Ryder, 170.2 lbs of London, ENG won by scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 96-94 and is now 29-5. Guy, 168.2 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 12-6-1.

\Gongora shocks Akhmedov with 12th round stoppage

Carlos Gongora stunned Ali Akhmedov with a 12th round stoppage in a battle of undefeated super middeweights.

Akhmedov had the advantage early as he hurt Gongora in round two,

In round seven, Akhmedov was cut over his right eye. In round 12, Gongora knocked down Akhmedov with a uppercut. Later in the round, it was another left uppercut that plummeted Akhmedov to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:57.

Gongora of Boston via Ecuador is 19-0 with 14 knockouts. Akhmedov of Kazakhstan is 16-1.

Reshat Mati stopped Dennis Okoth in round six of their six-round welterweight bout.

Mati dominated the action and then landed a big flurry that had the referee stopped the fight with Okoth hurting his foot at 1:17.

Mati of New York is 9-0 with seven knockouts. Okoth of Silver Spring, MD is 4-5-1.

Two world title fights will be featured on the undercard of the historic Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin – Kamil Szeremeta IBF/IBO World Middleweight Championship.  Undefeated super middleweight contenders Ali Akhmedov (16-0, 12 KOs), from Almaty, Kazakhstan and Carlos Góngora (18-0, 13 KOs), from Esmeraldas, Ecuador, will rumble for the vacant IBO super middleweight world title and unbeaten WBA super featherweight world champion Hyun Mi Choi (17-0-1, 4 KOs), from Seoul, South Korea, will be looking to extend her 12-year title reign against Calista Silgado (19-11-3 14 KOs) from Tolu, Colombia.  Presented by GGG Promotions and Matchroom Boxing with Warriors Boxing, the Golovkin – Szeremeta world championship event will take place Friday, Dec. 18, behind closed doors at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL. It will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN beginning at 5pm ET in over 200 countries and territories.
 
“Title fights have always been my goal, and together with the team we became one step closer to the world title.  I am confident in myself, my strength, and can’t wait to step into the ring.  The training camp was held at the highest level as always, and I am ready for the fight,” Akhmedov said.
 
“We have been training together for several years and I have seen his progress with every fight and training camp.  He is ready to fight for the world title and I am glad that Ali represents GGGP at the turning point of his career.  I am sure he will succeed,” Golovkin said.  
 
“I know I will be in tough with Akhmedov and I am ready for anything he wants to offer.  We will see if he can do the same against me.  Boston is about to see the start of its newest championship dynasty — mine,” Góngora said.                  
 
Akhmedov, who has won 75% of his fights by stoppage, returns to the ring having won five of his last six bout by knockout.  He captured the WBC International Silver super middleweight title on June 8, 2019 by knocking out undefeated Marcus McDaniel in the third round.  He followed that up with his first title defense, a first-round stoppage of Andrew Hernandez, Oct. 5, 2019.  Promoted by GGG Promotions, he has been in the same training camp of his mentor Gennadiy Golovkin for several years.    
 
Góngora, who represented Ecuador in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, reaching the quarterfinals in the 2008 summer games, has been training out of the Boston area throughout his professional career.  The Ecuadorian bomber’s skill set as a boxer puncher and his victory by knockout ratio of 72% has made him one of the most avoided fighters.  Now, in his first opportunity to fight on the international stage, he has vowed to make the most of this opportunity.  
 
Choi’s 19^th pro outing is her 18^th World title fight, and on her American debut, the two-weight World ruler will look to make a big statement to her star-studded rivals at Super-Featherweight, while Calista is looking to break her curse in World title outings, having challenged for elite belts on six previous fights.
 
“From the time I started boxing, it was my dream to fight in the United States,” said Choi. “Now, it’s time to realize that dream. I am ready to show everyone a great boxing match. Through this match I hope to gain respect and support from the world. I’m looking forward to my first match in the United States.”
 
Also added to the card is British Super-Middleweight World title contender John Ryder (28-5 16 KOs) who takes on Michael Guy (12-5-1 5 KOs) over ten rounds. Ryder is back in action for the first time since taking on Callum Smith for the WBA and WBC Diamond titles, running the champion close on his Liverpool home turf. The Londoner will be looking to shake the rust off as he prepares for a big fight in the first quarter of 2021.
 
Reshat Mati (8-0 6 KOs) has been an exciting addition to the paid ranks, and the Albanian Bear fights for the ninth time as a pro and unbeaten Californian 18 year old Jalan Walker (6-0 6 KOs) fights on US soil for the first time against Rafael Reyes (18-11 14 KO’s) having boxed in Mexico six times since his debut in November 2019.

Boston, Massachusetts (August 23, 2019): After last month’s sold out Murphys Boxing’s debut at Encore Boston Harbor, the brand new 2.6 billion dollar resort casino located on Boston’s waterfront, another capacity crowd watched NABA Super Featherweight Champion, Abraham Nova (16-0, 12 KOs) stop Mexico’s Luis Castillo (20-4, 15 KOs) in the first round of a scheduled 10 round title fight.

After a tentative first round that saw both fighters land combinations, with just seconds left in the opening stanza, Nova sent Castillo to the ropes with a hard jab and then dropped the Mexican fighter with a textbook jab and cross. Castillo was hurt badly and could not beat the ten count.

“It was much shorter fight than I expected but I don’t get paid for overtime so… I’m ok with it.”, laughed Nova, the flashy young contender who is now ranked #6 in the world by the WBA.

As for his thoughts on a title shot in the red hot division that includes champions like Gervonta Davis, Tevin Farmer and Andrew Cancio, ‘Super Nova’ who hails from Albany, New York was confident in his abilities to beat any of the current belt holders.

“As soon as I get the call, I’m ready. I’m not picking or calling out any of them, I just want a title shot. If I had to fight all of them at the same time to get a belt, I would. No matter which one I get, I will win a world championship next year.”

Nova’s promoter, Ken Casey is on board with his fighter’s plans for a title shot next year.

“We’re gonna have him fight in Belgium in December on the undercard of the WBA cruiserweight title fight. After that we want a title shot but if that doesn’t come at the start of the new year, we would go to Albany and do a show in his hometown. He deserves it and he has a huge fan base there. Then we should absolutely be in position to challenge for a world title.”
In the co-main event, Murphys Boxing’s Carlos Gongora (17-0, 13 KOs) stopped the usually durable Alan Zavala (15-4, 13 KOs) in the first round of a middleweight bout scheduled for 10 rounds. All it took was a 4 punch head shot combination that landed flush and the Mexican who fights out of San Diego hit the canvas and was unable to beat the count. Gongora, a former Olympian from Ecuador, entered the world rankings at #15 in the WBA last month and after the surprisingly quick knockout is looking to stay on the fast track and return to the ring again this fall.

In other action on the card…

New York welterweight prospect, Brian Ceballo (10-0, 5 KOs) kept his undefeated streak intact against Luis Edward Flores (24-14, 20 KOs) by landing a brutal body shot in the fourth round of a scheduled 8 round bout that left the veteran fighter withering in pain on the canvas.

Popular local prospect Khiry Todd (9-1, 7 KOs) dropped and stopped Alex Duarte (14-8-1, 11 KOs) in the first round of a scheduled 6 round welterweight bout. Todd, who hails from nearby Lynn, Massachusetts, is one of the best fighters out of the exciting New England welterweight picture. Locally the division is home to the likes of promising young fighters like James Perella, Anthony Velazquez, Mike Ohan Jr., Joe Farina, Derrick Whitley Jr., Brandon Higgins and more who together would make for an amazing regional tournament in 2020.

One of those previously mentioned welterweights, and the busiest of the bunch, former amateur standout, James Perella (5-0, 4 KOs) stopped Jose Aubel (8-6, 7 KOs) in the fourth round of a scheduled 4 round welterweight bout. It was Perella’s 5th victory in just 5 months as a professional. Up against a bizarre height disadvantage, the game fighter from Argentina tried hard but could not get inside Perella’s massive height and reach advantage. Aubel’s corner complained vehemently to officials after the stoppage, rightly claiming it was a behind the head blow that caused the final knockdown but that didn’t take away the fact Perella dominated every second of the fight. The lanky southpaw from nearby Mansfield continues to build a following of supportive fans and has shown considerable improvement in each of his five fights.

The night was rounded out by 5 different fighters making their pro debuts, 4 of them against each other, in fan friendly battles that proved Boston is knee deep in a boxing resurgence that has seen fighters enter the pro ranks on virtually every card held in the city this year.

Medford, Massachusetts’ Greg Bono (0-1) brought out a massive crowd to see the Fu Manchu mustached brawler lose an incredibly close 4 round unanimous decision to Brian Urday (1-0) who hails from Brockton, Massachusetts. The junior middleweight slugfest had the crowd on it’s feet for the entire fight and most in attendance felt it was a clear draw.

Decorated amateur, Jonathan Depina (1-0, 1 KO), who hails from Boston, stopped Michigan’s Robbie Thomas (0-2) in the 4th round of a scheduled 4 round bout in the lightweight division. Thomas proved to be a tough opponent for a debut fighter to face but Depina’s superior speed ultimately proved the difference and he forced the referee to step in to stop the fight after throwing a barrage of punches that a tiredThomas had no answer for.

In the opening attraction, Boston’s Aaron Trecell Smith (0-0-1) and Stoneham, Massachusetts’ James Perkins (0-0-1) fought to a majority draw in an crowd pleasing back and forth 4 round cruiserweight slug fest that left both fighters exhausted but all smiles after the fight.

On the ever important musical note, in a night that saw ring walk tunes range from self help spoken word to 80s hair metal to Brazilian techno to a live rapper, special kudos to Smith who came out to “Iko, Iko” by the late Dr. John. Smith, who originally hails from Louisiana, wanted to pay tribute to the musical legend who recently passed away.

It was a classy soundtrack to kick off another amazing night of Murphys Boxing at Encore Boston Harbor, easily the best new venue for boxing in the entire country and Murphys Boxing founder, Ken Casey is already in talks for another event at the resort casino later this year.

“Encore is just an incredible venue and the fans love coming here. We’ve already had two incredible shows here in the past month. We’re gonna come back at the end of the year, in late November or early December, for a massive card that we will be announcing soon.”
ABOUT MURPHYS BOXING

Murphys Boxing was founded by Dropkick Murphys’ frontman, Ken Casey in 2014. In just 5 short years, Murphys Boxing has become the premier boxing promoter in the New England area and one of the hottest young promotions in the country. 2018 was a breakout year for Murphys Boxing as they took their first fighter to a world title. Along with the promotion’s first champion, several Murphys Boxing fighters secured world title opportunities and nationally televised fights in 2018. Murphys Boxing closed out their banner year by co-promoting the WBO Middleweight Championship bout between Demetrius Andrade and Walter Kautondokwa in front of over 10,000 fans at the TD Garden, the legendary home of the Boston Celtics, which was broadcast internationally on DAZN. Murphys Boxing’s current roster features world ranked contenders like Abraham Nova, Charles Foster, Mark DeLuca, Carlos Gongora, Greg Vendetti, Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan and undefeated prospects like William Foster III and Luis Arcon Diaz and more!

For more information visit: www.murphysboxing.com

Boston, MA. (August 1, 2019):

After a sold out debut event last month that saw 2,300 people pack Encore Boston Harbor’s Picasso Ballroom, Murphys Boxing is proud to announce an immediate return to the newly opened 2.6 billion dollar resort on Friday, August 23rd.

The stacked card will feature the stateside return of one of Murphys Boxing’s most popular fighters, Top 20 world ranked junior middleweight contender, Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan (30-3, 21 KOs) and Top 10 world ranked, Abraham Nova (15-0, 11 KOs) who will defend his NABA Super Featherweight Championship.

O’Sullivan will take on hard hitting Argentinian veteran, Diego Marocchi (18-4-1, 14 KOs) in an 8 round showdown that promises fireworks between two fighters that don’t know how to take a step back.

‘Spike’, the handlebar mustached fighter from Cork, Ireland, has a massive following in Boston having fought over 10 times in the New England area, including his last fight this past St. Patrick’s Day when he stopped Khiary Gray in a bloody slugfest.

In the co-headliner, one of the hottest fighters in the super featherweight division, Murphys Boxing’s own, Abraham Nova will take on famed Mexican veteran, Miguel Beltran Jr. (33-7, 22 KOs) for Nova’s NABA Super Featherweight Championship in a 10 round bout.

Nova, the flashy young fighter known for his bleached blonde beard and elaborate ring entrances is currently ranked #7 in the world by the WBA and is closing in on a world title shot in the red hot division that features popular champions like Gervonta Davis, Tevin Farmer and Andrew Cancio.

The co-main event will see Murphys Boxing’s own Ecuadoran Olympian, Carlos Gongora (16-0, 12 KOs) in his toughest test yet in a 10 round middleweight bout against ‘The Mexican Windmill’, Alan Zavala (15-4, 13 KOs) that will see the winner move into bona fide prospect status.

The undercard will feature a who’s who of Boston area based fighters including:

Lynn, Massachusetts’ Khiary Todd (8-1, 6 KOs) who will face Florida based Brazilian, Alex Sandro Duarte (14-7-1, 11 KOs) in a 6 round junior middleweight bout.

Mansfield, Massachusetts’ James Perella (4-0, 3 KOs), who fought on the debut Encore Boston Harbor event this month. The amateur standout will return in a 4 round welterweight bout against an opponent to be named and it will be the young fighter’s 5th bout in just five months as a professional.

The card will be rounded out with 6 local fighters who will be making their pro debuts against each other when Stoneham, Massachusetts native, James Perkins takes on Boston’s Aaron Trecell Smith in a 4 round cruiserweight bout, Watertown, Massachusetts’ Greg Bono takes on Whitman, Massachusetts’ Brian Urday in a 4 round junior welterweight bout and Boston’s Jonathan Depina takes on an opponent to be named in a 4 round lightweight bout.

“People are still buzzing about our last event at Encore Boston Harbor.”, says Ken Casey, Murphys Boxing founder and promoter.

“It’s so exciting to be coming right back to Encore and on UFC Fight Pass with our big guns like Spike, Nova and Gongora all on the same card while the excitement is still in the air.”

“We were thrilled to see such success with our inaugural Murphys Boxing event,” says Robert DeSalvio, President of Encore Boston Harbor.

“We are so happy to bring these Las Vegas-style events to the Boston area and we’re glad to see the community responding so well. We plan to continue offering these can’t miss nights.”

Murphys Boxing presents O’Sullivan vs. Bonelli and Nova vs.Beltran for the NABA Super Featherweight Championship on Friday, August 23rd at Encore Boston Harbor (1 Broadway, Everett, MA., 02149). Doors open at 7pm. Tickets start at 50 dollars and are on sale now at www.murphysboxing.com

ABOUT MURPHYS BOXING

Murphys Boxing was founded by Dropkick Murphys’ frontman, Ken Casey in 2014. In just 5 short years, Murphys Boxing has become the premier boxing promoter in the New England area and one of the hottest young promotions in the country. 2018 was a breakout year for Murphys Boxing as they took their first fighter to a world title. Along with the promotion’s first champion, several Murphys Boxing fighters secured world title opportunities and nationally televised fights in 2018. Murphys Boxing closed out their banner year by co-promoting the WBO Middleweight Championship bout between Demetrius Andrade and Walter Kautondokwa in front of over 10,000 fans at the TD Garden, the legendary home of the Boston Celtics, which was broadcast internationally on DAZN. Murphys Boxing’s current roster features world ranked contenders like Mark DeLuca, Charles Foster, Abraham Nova, Greg Vendetti, Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan and undefeated prospects like Niall Kennedy, Carlos Gongora, William Foster III and more.

For more information visit: www.murphysboxing.com

ABOUT ENCORE BOSTON HARBOR

Encore Boston Harbor is a $2.6 billion Five Star global destination gaming resort featuring 671 hotel rooms with sweeping views of the Boston skyline and Boston Harbor, an ultra-premium spa, specialty retail, 15 dining and lounge venues and a state-of-the-art ballroom and meeting spaces. It is the largest private, single-phase development in the history of the Commonwealth.

Situated on the waterfront along the Mystic River and connected to Boston Harbor, Encore Boston Harbor will open up the Everett shoreline to the public for the first time in more than a century. The resort has created a six-acre park along the water which will feature pedestrian and bicycle paths that provide access to the waterfront, an events lawn, picnic and public viewing areas. Ornate floral displays, public art, retail and dining experiences will overlook the Encore Harborwalk.

For more information visit: www.encorebostonharbor.com

ABOUT UFC FIGHT PASS

UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 17,000 bouts from dozens of combats sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV.

For more information visit: www.ufc.tv/page/fightpass

For credential requests to the August 23rd event or to speak with any of the fighters on our roster for coverage – drop us a line at info@murphysboxing.com and we will hook it up!
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NEW YORK (May 8, 2019) – Four undefeated Murphys Boxing warriors are set to show their skills on Friday as FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast celebrates two full years of action in the ring and heated debate in its comments section. Beginning at 8 p.m. ET live from the new MGM Resort and Casino in Springfield, Mass., the interactive, FREE Facebook series showcases several up-and-comers looking to protect their unblemished records and represent the boxing promotion born out of the Dropkick Murphys popular Celtic punk band.

“We are excited to be showcasing our talented roster of fighters for our third-straight event with FIGHTNIGHT LIVE. We have a great night of fights planned at a terrific new venue at MGM Springfield,” saidKen Casey, Dropkick Murphys Frontman and President and Founder, Murphys Boxing. “This card is stacked with undefeated fighters who all possess knockout power, this promises to be an exciting night.”

The FIGHTNIGHT LIVE lineup is headlined by unbeaten Ecuadorian Olympian Carlos Gongora (15-0, 12 KOs), who will put his unblemished record on the line against veteran Damien Ezequiel Bonelli (23-6, 20 KOs) in a matchup between two South American knockout artists. Fellow Murphys Boxing prospects Ray Jay Bermudez (6-0, 4 KOs) of Albany, N.Y., Anthony Velazquez (5-0, 5 KOs) of Springfield, Mass., and four-time Boston Golden Gloves Champion James Perella (2-0, 2 KOs) – who has fought each of his pro contests to date on FIGHTNIGHT LIVE – will look to preserve their perfect records on Friday, free on Facebook.

In addition to the action in the ring, former world title challenger turned commentator and trainer to world champions John “The Iceman” Scully will be honored with the latest installment of the Murphys Boxing “Warrior’s Code Award.” Scully becomes the third recipient of the honor, a tribute to the legendary “Irish” Micky Ward.

“We’re excited to be back with the Dropkick Murphys after amassing close to 500,000 views across two Murphys Boxing shows this Spring,” said Mark Fratto, Principal and Director of Business Development, Linacre Media. “Carlos Gongora and the rest of the Murphys’ area prospects will deliver knockout performances for our free, interactive series, and we expect to elevate the profiles of those young warriors as we celebrate two full years of free boxing on Facebook via our platform.”

Now in its second season, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast is the fan-friendly Facebook platform that – among other aspects – prides itself on the real-time conversations held between fight commentators and the viewing audience. FIGHTNIGHT LIVE has showcased more than 555 fighters and 17 promotions during 34 live event broadcasts from 19 different cities since May 2017, and in doing so, the interactive platform has generated the loyal interest of fight fans from across the United States and around the globe, including significant audiences in Mexico, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, and even fans in South America, Asia and Australia.

Since May 2017, the numbers on the 34-show FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series showed promise and potential for the new platform with an average of 172,989 views per event and almost 5.9 million total views for the franchise. Since Sept. 2018, seventeen FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Season II shows have reached 4.5 million fans and have averaged more than 262,000 views.

The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” (594,447) from the Sands in Bethlehem, the Dec. 2018 “Queens and Kings of Queens Card” (379,758) in New York, the Nov. 2018 “Hard Hitting Showtime Collaboration” (372,662), the Dec. 2018 “Roy Jones Jr. Texas Throwdown” (318,886), the Oct. 2018 “Hard Hitting Philly Special” (297,545), the Oct. 2018 hour-long Bareknuckle “Freeview” (292,253), the Nov. 2018 “Titans In The Capital” (256,871) and the March 2019 Murphys Boxing “St. Patrick’s Day Clash” (252,065) all logged 250,000 or more views, and collectively the 34-show series has seen a total of more than 5,881,646 views across all devices.

In addition to the raw viewership numbers, the fully-interactive, fan-friendly productions have seen almost 440,000 collective live post engagements (almost 13,000 per show), including almost 340,000 “likes” or “loves,” almost 60,000 comments and almost 20,000 shares.

The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” from the Sands in Bethlehem set a new bar with 594,447 views. The Sept. 2017 DiBella card saw more than 40,000 viewer interactions including almost 39,000 “likes” or “loves” and the March 17, 2018, Murphy’s “St. Patrick’s Day Clash” set a new high-water mark for shares with 2,182.

The FIGHTNIGHT LIVE page on Facebook has almost 89,000 fans and almost 97,000 followers.

Created and produced by Linacre Media out of New York City, the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series features professional announcers, multiple camera angles, television graphics, replays and behind-the-scenes access and interviews. The streamed shows are available globally wherever Facebook is available. The initiative not only enables fans from around the world to tune in, but also gives up-and-coming fighters a global platform to showcase their abilities, gives promoters an accessible “broadcast” solution and gives sponsors the ability to reach a mass audience via branded content.

Additional FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Spring and Summer 2019 dates will be officially announced in the coming weeks.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE is available online at: https://www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE/

Follow all the action via social media at FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Facebook, @FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Instagram and@FIGHTNIGHTLIVE_ on Twitter, or by using the hashtag #FIGHTNIGHTLIVE. For the latest Linacre Media events and broadcast schedule, follow @LinacreMedia across all social platforms or use the tags #LinacreMediaEvents or #LinacreMediaOnTV.

About Everlast Worldwide Inc.
The preeminent brand in boxing since 1910, Everlast is the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer and licensor of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment. From legendary champions Jack Dempsey and Sugar Ray Robinson to current superstars Deontay Wilder and Dustin Poirier, Everlast is the brand of choice for generations of world champion professional athletes. Built on a brand heritage of strength, dedication, individuality and authenticity, Everlast is a necessary part of the lives of countless champions. Based in Manhattan, Everlast’s products are sold across more than 75 countries and 6 continents. For more information, visitwww.everlast.com.