MONTREAL (April 5, 2022) – Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) held a virtual press conference this morning in Montreal to announce the next installment of its popular “Boxing Series,” co-promoted by GYM and Probellum, presented by Mise-O-Jeu, on Thursday evening, May 5th, at the Cabaret of Montréal Casino.

Former world light heavyweight champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (25-2, 13 KOs) will return to the ring for the first time in nearly two years but this time as a cruiserweight. He will fight in an 8-round bout against an opponent to be announced this week.

Top Canadian super lightweight prospects, undefeated Mazlum Akdeniz (16-0, 8 KOs) and Mathieu “G-Time” Germain (20-2-1, 9 KOs), will also showcase their considerable talents in 10-round matches. The three boxers, although at different levels in their careers, all have the ambition to join the top 10 contenders in their division before the end of 2022.

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Alvarez hasn’t fought in nearly two years, since he lost to current WBO World Light Heavyweight Champion Joe Smith, Jr., and the Colombia-native is taking his explosiveness and power up to the cruiserweight division for the first time. “I’m coming back to boxing to prove to myself that I still have great years to come and titles to conquer at cruiserweights,” Alvarez declared.

A 2008 Olympian, Alvarez will be fighting in his adopted home of Montreal for the first time in nearly five years. The highlight of his professional career to date was a stunning seventh-round stoppage of Sergey Kovalev, who was dropped three times by Alvarez, to capture the WBO World Light Heavyweight title nearly four years ago.

Alvarez has also defeated two other world champions, Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute.

Promoter Yvon Michel is very proud of his progress: “Eleider has only two career losses, against ex-champion Sergei Kovalev who he knocked out beforehand and against the current WBO light heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr. His talent is undeniable and with his new team he is more motivated than ever to get back to the top.”

The young veteran Mathieu Germain showed a lot of resources and determination overcoming the consequences of covid and a cut in the right eye to knock out his opponent Erick Angulo on March 11 in the 8th and last round. “I had never suffered cuts in my career, but it didn’t really bother me. The important thing is that my many supporters had quite a show that evening and I intend to impress them again on May 5th,” added the sympathetic athlete.

The popular Mazlum Akdeniz will fight his third fight since last December and he asks for more: “I am ready to fight every month if I am given the chance. May 5th will be Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday, and I intend to fight like a Mexican and raise my supporters who will be numerous at the Casino,” the charismatic competitor said.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon at ticketmaster.com or for group at info@groupeyvonmichel.ca

GroupeYM

Source: Groupe Yvon Michel

ABOUT THE YVON MICHEL GROUP (GYM): Groupe Yvon Michel is a professional boxing promotion organization, founded in 2004 by Yvon Michel, Alexandra Croft and Bernard Barré, all still active within the company, which is the most prolific organization in the history of professional boxing in Canada. Since its founding GYM has organized 162 events in Quebec, participated in 37 international galas outside of Quebec. Seven boxers became world champions: Joachim Alcine, Jean Pascal, Adonis Stevenson, Artur Beterbiev, Eleider Alvarez, Marie-Eve Dicaire and Oscar Rivas. Seventeen of the organization’s boxers have fought in 51 world championship bouts with an excellent record of 25 wins, 22 losses and 2 draws. During this period major American television networks were more active than ever in coming to Quebec to broadcast GYM’s most important events. On 36 occasions major American networks presented a GYM event, an exceptional showcase of Quebec knowledge including HBO (8), Showtime (7), ESPN2 (10), Wealth TV (4), Spike TV (2), ESPN (2), CBS (1) and NBC Sports (1).

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in three mainevents that miraculously did not conflict and more miraculously concluded before midnight ESPN’s Joe Smith beat the fight out light heavyweight former titlist Eleider Alvarez, former titlist “Showtime” Shawn Porter won each of his 2,160 seconds with a German welterweight named Sebastian Formella on Fox, and Russian former heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin put the cuss in concussion against British hopeful Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte on DAZN.

Smith was the evening’s best winner, even while Povetkin was its biggest and Porter its least-surprising, at least so far as mainevents went, and whosoever has time or desire anymore to endure much more than those?  (Actually, that’s a touch disingenuous; bantamweight southpaw Robert Rodriguez has emerged as something of a bubble phenom, needing fewer than seven minutes to ice fighters with an aggregate record of 19-0-1.)  Saturday favored men who work hard without needing inspiration from without.

Pressure guys, volume guys, the undissuadable.  While Smith fetches all the bluecollared clichés Porter fights no less doggedly, even while trying to sparkle.  Povetkin doesn’t seem to care one way or the other.

He’s chinnier than publicists colored him as a young Soviet, and at 6-foot-2 almost prohibitively short for a contemporary heavyweight, but he can crack and crack proper.  I recall a local trainer telling me about Povetkin’s power, wildeyed, while standing in a tent at Camp Verde, Ariz.,13 years ago, an hour before Tommy Morrison’s MMA debut, many years before Povetkin began flunking IQ tests administered by various sanctioning-body-approved drug examiners.

I know, I know, the two guys who beat Povetkin and looked ready for a Mr. Olympia posedown were clean as whistles, of course, and you can’t possibly judge an athlete’s substance regimen by something unreliable as your own eyes and experience, but whatever put Povetkin in position for a perfect left uppercut Saturday was no more likely a banned substance than what put him on the bluemat twice a few minutes before.

Aside from the knockdowns, at 40 Povetkin didn’t look any worse – slow, robotic, predictable – than his heavyweight peers do and hardly worse than Whyte did at 32.  He looked chinny and uninspired to Whyte’s merely uninspired.

There’s a counterintuitive element of cardiovascular fitness required simply to stand across from a heavyweight, it’s damn taxing even when nothing happens, and it makes a decent argument for busyness: You’re going to be heaving for breath after three minutes of trying not to get whirligigged, anyway, so why not move round a bit and give folks a show?  Heavyweights used to do this, really, before all became lumbering headhunters.

Povetkin, for being the shorter man in his career’s biggest fights, knew better, somehow, to snatch Whyte’s body than did the Body Snatcher, and while the previous round’s crumplings on the bluemat weren’t premeditated to make Whyte overconfident they had that effect, and Povetkin’s telegraphed hook to Whyte’s body was indeed premeditated.  Whyte’s eyes followed Povetkin’s head and Whyte’s mind followed the pattern Povetkin’s earlier hooks set.  Then suddenly Povetkin’s fist was through Whyte’s chin, not after his liver, and if Whyte tells you he remembers any of the 10 minutes that followed he’s fibbing.

If Eleider Alvarez tells you he still enjoys prizefighting he’s fibbing too.  Alvarez hadn’t the tools nor will to dissuade Smith in Saturday’s best match, and Smith gobbled him up.

A few months ago I purchased a Roomba and have spent hours, fully unpredicted hours, mind you, diverting myself with its observation.  I didn’t envision writing about Carlota – that’s her name – but then I didn’t either expect to think of her while watching Joe Smith.  It’s the undiscouraged relentlessness they share.  About halfway between Carlota coming in my consciousness and Smith snatching Alvarez’s, too, I read a book by Melanie Mitchell, Complexity: A guided tour, that explores genetic algorithms, first explored by the irreplaceable John Henry Holland, and how they might be used in a self-learning program to teach a digital robot to collect cans on a virtual grid.

The simple strategy – go in a straight line till you hit a wall then pause and look around – succeeds in a way much more complicated strategies do not.  It succeeds with machines for the reason it fails with most humans: Without a need to find meaning in their universe, machines suffer never from discouragement or boredom and do not mind repeating work.  It’s how a Roomba like Carlota, who “cares” not a whit whether surfaces are sparkling or filmed with dust, outperforms humans who care deeply.  Carlota’s job is to go in straight lines till she hits a wall then turn slightly and go in another straight line and keep doing so till her power is cut; if she’s not entirely oblivious of feedback from her environment neither is she staking her identity on it.

Similarly volume punchers like Joe Smith find satisfaction in the doing much more than the effecting.  They begin with a wisely limiting strategy of doing the same thing over and over in a faith that looks nigh machine-like: If I simply hit something with my fists 30 times next round I succeed.  They are constants who rely on other men’s variability, other men’s reliance on feedback, other men’s proneness to discouragement.

Alvarez exhibited all these things, Saturday, and eventually got knocked out the ring for them.  Showtime Shawn exhibited none of these things and went 36-0 on official scorecards against a German who didn’t have a chance at a thing more than moral victory even before making his trip from Hamburg.  Porter is a pro.  He takes every opponent seriously and goes hard.  He’s the PBC fighter for whom I most often catch myself cheering.

I like him the way I liked Juan Diaz and loved Timothy Bradley; they beat over 12 rounds flashier guys who undress them in three-round sparring sessions; they don’t have off nights because they haven’t a plan B.  That makes them vulnerable to their sport’s alpha predators, yes, but they reward their supporters disproportionately to their talent.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Joe Smith Jr. scored an emphatic 9th round stoppage over Eleider Alvarez in a scheduled 12-round light heavyweight bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas

In round four, Alvarez began to bleed from the nose. Smith dominated most of the action as he landed hard power shots throughout the contest.

In round nine, Smith landed a big right to the jaw that was followed up by a left that sent Alvarez through the ropes. He could not beat the count at 24 seconds.

Smith, 174.9 lbs of Long Island, NY is now 26-3 with 21 knockouts. Alvarez, 174.6 lbs of Montreal is 25-2.

Smith said, “Coming into this camp, I knew I had to work on my boxing. I wanted to be sharp, throw a lot of straight punches. I watched his fight with {Sergey} Kovalev, and Kovalev kind of set the way to beat him. So we watched that and worked off of it. I knew coming in today I had to box a little more because he’s got that great right hand. He caught me with it a couple times, but I can take a punch, too.
 
“Every time he hit me, I wanted to come and stop him in his tracks, and I did that. I stuck to my game plan, and it was a great fight.
 
“I feel this one is a big one. I really needed it. I wanted to prove I’m not just a knockout guy. I proved my boxing ability, too, and I showed that tonight.”

Brant Stops Kopylenko after 5!

Former middleweight belt-holder Rob Brant stopped Vitaliy Kopylenko after round five of their scheduled 10-round middleweight fight.

In round two, Kopylenko began to swell under his left eye. The eye got worse and was almost closed that forced the fight to be stopped after the 5th frame.

Brant, 161.1 lbs of St. Paul, MN is 26-2 with 18 knockouts. Kopylenko, lbs of The Ukraine is 28-3.

Brant said, “My punch output was high, but I felt like I threw a lot of quality shots, especially with a veteran like Vitaliy. I’m not going to try and pronounce his last name out of respect, but he’s a crafty veteran. He’s been around for a long time.
 
“I spent a lot of time in camp with them. It’s been a three-month camp with them. Between the advice they have given me and being around Terence Crawford and Jamel Herring, it teaches you to relax a little more.”

Rodriguez stops Laureano in 1

Julian Rodriguez stopped Anthony Laureano in the opening round of their scheduled 10-junior welterweight bout featuring undefeated fighters.

In round one, Rodriguez landed a three-punch combination that put Laureano down. Rodriguez put Laureano down again with a hard right. Rodriguez sealed the deal as he landed four unanswered blows, and the fight was stopped as Laureano fell for a the 3rd time at 2:50.

Rodriguez, 141.5 lbs of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ is 20-0 with 13 knockouts. Laureano, 145.9 of East Hartford, CT is 13-1.

“Previous to the shoulder injury, I was more of a brawler,” Rodriguez said. “I was coming in with bigger shots, but once I noticed the arm wasn’t holding up in that way, it forced me to focus more on my footwork, using my jab, and more of a different style. Now I feel like I have all the tools.”

Collard Stops Williams in 2

Clay Collard racked up his 5th win of 2020 by stopping Maurice Williams in round two of a scheduled eight-round middleweight bout.

In round two, Collard dropped Williams with a straight right. Later in round, Collard landed a hard combination that made referee Tony Weeks stop the fight at 1:54.

Collard, 159.8 lbs of Burley, ID is 9-2-3 with four knockouts. Williams, 158.2 lbs of Oklahoma City, OK is 7-2.

“I’m just a fighter. I like getting out there as often as possible and entertaining the fans. I appreciate all the love and support from the fans, and I enjoy putting on a show for them,” Collard said. “Listen, I’ll fight as often as possible. I love fighting on these Top Rank shows, and I look forward to the next one. This has been quite the ride.”

Duke Ragan made a successful pro debut with a opening round stoppage over Luis Alvarado in a featherweight bout.

In round one, Ragan dropped Alvarado with a hard right hand. Alvarado got to his feet but the fight was stopped at 1:54.

Ragan, 125.5 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is 1-0 with one knockout. Alvarado, 126.8 lbs of Pasco, WA is 1-2.

Robert Rodriguez stopped Abel Soriano in the opening round of a scheduled six round fight featuring undefeated bantamweights.

In round one, Rodriguez dropped Soriano with a straight left to the body. Moments later, a barrage of punches that was finihed by a right hook made Soriano take a knee. Soriano was cut over his left eye, but that would not matter as another straight left put Soriano down for a 3rd and final time at 2:59.

Rodriguez, 119.7 lbs of Riverside, CA is 9-0-1 with five knockouts. Soriano, 119.8 lbs of Bellvue, NE is 10-1.

In a battle of undefeated junior welterweights, Israel Mercado won a six-round unanimous decision over Adrian Valdovinos.

Mercado, 136.6 lbs of Pomona, CA won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 8-0. Valdovinos, 137.2 lbs of Hanford, CA is 5-1-1.

Wendy Toussaint won a eight-round unanimous decision over Isaiah Jones in a middleweight fight.

Toussaint, 156.4 lbs of Huntington, NY won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice, and is now 12-0. Jones, 157.2 lbs of Detroit, MI is 9-3.

 •     Eleider Alvarez 174.6 lbs vs. Joe Smith Jr. 174.9 lbs 
(WBO Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator — 12 Rounds)

•    Rob Brant 161.1 lbs vs. Vitaliy Kopylenko 159.5 lbs 
(Middleweight — 10 Rounds)

•    Julian Rodriguez 141.5 lbs vs. Anthony Laureano 145.9 lbs 
(Junior Welterweight — 10 Rounds)

•      Clay Collard 159.8 lbs vs. Maurice Williams 158.2 lbs 
(Middleweight — 8 Rounds)

•     Duke Ragan 125.5 lbs vs. Luis Alvarado 126.8 lbs 
(Featherweight — 4 Rounds)

•    Robert Rodriguez 119.7 lbs vs. Abel Soriano 119.8 lbs 
(Bantamweight — 6 Rounds)

•    Adrian Valdovinos 137.2 lbs vs. Israel Mercado 136.6 lbs 
(Junior Welterweight — 6 Rounds)

•    Wendy Toussaint 154.4 lbs vs. Isiah Jones 157.2 lbs 
(Middleweight — 8 Rounds)
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to 8.5 million subscribers, offering fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. 

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

LAS VEGAS (August 20, 2020) — Light heavyweights Joe Smith Jr. and Eleider “Storm” Alvarez took the MGM Grand “Bubble” stage for the main event press conference Thursday afternoon in advance of Saturday’s WBO world title eliminator, which will stream live on ESPN+ (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET).

In other action Saturday evening, former middleweight world champion Rob Brant returns against Vitaliy Kopylenko, Julian “Hammer Hands” Rodriguez fights Anthony Laureano in a battle of unbeaten junior welterweights, “Cassius” Clay Collard seeks “Bubble” victory number three against Maurice Williams in an eight-rounder at middleweight, and Cincinnati’s Duke Ragan makes his highly anticipated professional debut in a four-round featherweight bout.

This is what two of the division’s heaviest hitters had to say.

Eleider Alvarez

“I feel 100 percent. I feel no pain since the recovery {from an injured shoulder}, so I feel great.

“{The Michael Seals knockout} was my first fight in 11 months, so I’m happy to be back. I want to put on a good performance. I felt that with the performance against Seals, I tried. I would’ve been happy with a decision. I was trying different things, but I got the knockout.

“When Oscar Rivas and I first came to Montreal, we didn’t speak English. We didn’t speak French. I knew a little bit of English, but over 10 years, I’ve learned to speak French. I’m even better in French than English. It’s been a special experience for me and here we are talking in French.

“It was hard for all the boxers, especially in the first two months to train, because everything was closed. We had to adapt to that. Now, things seem to be getting a little more back to normal. The gym is open. It’s not what it was. Hopefully, the pandemic can be over, and we can get back to normal. There were challenges, but we had them like every other fighter.

“I want to be champion of the world for a second time. Whether it’s by knockout or decision, I know Joe Smith comes to fight. I’m going to do the best I can to win this because I want to be champion of the world for a second time.”

Joe Smith Jr.

“Being the underdog, I always feel like I have something to prove. I don’t mind it. I like getting in there and proving the world that I belong at the top and should be a champion.

“The {first-round knockout} over Fonfara, I was like a 20-1 underdog in that fight. I came out and definitely shocked the world with that knockout. It got me here. It got me all the fights and the opportunities that I’ve gotten since. It all led up to this, and this one’s the big one. I’m really excited to be here and looking forward to getting another shot at a title.

“Same thing with Jesse Hart. I was pretty much the underdog in that fight. He was talking a lot, and I just kept it cool. I went in there and did what I had to do, and I got the win. That’s what I gotta keep doing.

“This is the number one priority right now for me. I’m just focused on getting this win Saturday night, so I trained very hard. I’m well prepared. As far as the tree business is going {Smith and his father own and operate Team Smith Tree Service on Long Island}, it’s definitely doing well. Due to the storms, we picked up some work. It was a little slow for some time because of the COVID 19, but it definitely has picked up. My father’s out there every day. He’s doing all the estimates. He’s running the business. I just pop in here and there. I haven’t been doing much with the business. I’ve just been focused on this.

“The only thing, this guy over here is trying to stop me from accomplishing the goal that I have set for myself. 

“I’m just going to get in there and give it my all. I plan on coming out on top. I just want to put on a great show for everybody and have a great night.”

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to 8.5 million subscribers, offering fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. 

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

Thursday, August 20, 2020 (New York, NY)

From his professional debut in 2009, JOE SMITH JR. (25-3 20KO’s) always packed a punch. Now, just two days away from Smith Jr.’s WBO Title Eliminator bout against ELEIDER “STORM” ALVAREZ (23-1 13KO’s) on August 22 on ESPN + live from The Bubble at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, we revisit some of Smith Jr.’s best moments.

After winning 16 of his 17 first fights, 13 by way of knockout, Smith Jr. made his first appearance at Star Boxing’s acclaimed “Rockin’ Fights” series at The Paramount in Huntington, New York. After four consecutive wins by knockout, Star Boxing CEO JOE DEGUARDIA had positioned Smith Jr. for a major opportunity, and in spring of 2016, the call came.

ANDREZJ FONFARA | June 18, 2016 | UIC Pavilion, Chicago

Joe Smith Jr. vs Andrzej Fonfara highlights
Smith Jr. vs Fonfara
NBC Sports
A 16-1 underdog, Smith Jr. put on his hard hat, walked into enemy territory, and electrified the entire boxing world on NBC Sports. A thunderous right hand devoured then #2 ranked light heavyweight contender, and former light heavyweight world title challenger, Andrezj Fonfara, sending him to the mat. Smelling blood in the water, Smith Jr. pounced, firing off a six-punch combination flooring Fonfara for the second and final time. With the win, Smith Jr. earned the WBC International Light Heavyweight Title, and more importantly the hearts of boxing fans around the world.

BERNARD HOPKINS | December 17, 2016 | The Forum, California

Joe Smith Jr. vs Bernard Hopkins #FINAL1 from the Forum, LA

Smith Jr. vs Hopkins

FINAL1 | HBO

An underdog once more, Smith Jr. was handpicked by boxing legend Bernard Hopkins as his opponent for the #Final1, as Hopkins bid farewell to an iconic career. However, Smith Jr. would not allow the crafty veteran one final walk into the sunset. After a back and forth 7-rounds, Smith Jr. had Hopkins against the ropes when he unleashed a four-punch combination, sending the Hopkins through the ropes onto the Forum floor for a second consecutive underdog victory, retaining his WBC International Light Heavyweight Title.

DMIRTY BIVOL | March 9, 2019 | Turning Stone Resort Casino, New York
After recovering from a broken jaw and destroying Melvin Russell in 2018 inside of 1-round, Smith Jr. had positioned himself for a Light Heavyweight World Title Challenge against the dangerous technician, Dmirty Bivol. Bivol fought a measured fight, showing his skill, but the hard-working Smith Jr. took the champion 12-rounds, which included a highlight reel right hand that landed with just seconds left in the 10th round that had Bivol holding the ropes to get back to his corner. After the final bell, Bivol retained his title, and Smith Jr, further earned the respect of the boxing world.

JESSE HART | January 11, 2020 | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City

Joe Smith Jr. vs Jesse Hart: NABO Title Bout (Highlights)
Joe Smith Jr. vs Jesse Hart NABO Title Bout | ESPN
Coming from Philadelphia, and being mentored by the great Bernard Hopkins, Jesse Hart felt it was his duty to take down Smith. Smith Jr. coming off of his world title challenge was looking to get right back in the mix against the #3 rated light heavyweight in Hart. Smith Jr. showed vastly improved movement and boxing ability, along with his signature power. Having Hart hurt in the second, Smith Jr. overwhelmed him with pressure, and in the seventh, scored a knockdown. Smith earned the WBO NABO Light Heavyweight Title and positioned himself for the WBO World Title Eliminator bout.

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Joe Smith Jr.: Top 5 “BEAST” Moments
Joe Smith Jr.: Top 5

Saturday, August 15, 2020 (New York, NY)

As JOE SMITH JR.’s (Long Island, NY 25-3 20KO’s) WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship Title Eliminator against ELEIDER “STORM” ALVAREZ (25-1 13KO’s) comes roaring around the corner on August 22, a unique fight camp comes to a close. Gyms that were once filled with echoing punches on the heavy bag, the clicking of a jump ropes on the floor and the conversation of stories from boxing past, now remain in a deafening silence.

Regardless of the current COVID world, when the phone rings, Long Island’s Common Man, Joe Smith Jr., answers. Come fight night the goal remains the same for Joe Smith Jr., “I just want to keep it going,” he said, ” I got to put on a great show every time I’m in there, so I can have more and more people recognize me.”

Fighters, who are often characterized as creatures of habit, have dealt with this “new normal” in different ways. For Smith Jr., it was a change he recognized, but something he knew he must embrace and make ‘common’, “It was different but as far as training goes, when your training you’re not really around people going out and doing things, so the last two months haven’t made a big difference because I would separate myself from everyone normally.”

Smith Jr. will be returning for his second consecutive bout on ESPN (this time on ESPN+), where he was last in action this past January, defeating then #3 world rated light heavyweight JESSE HART (then 26-2 21KO’s) in classic upset fashion. Smith believes it’s his duty as a fighter to to bring live sporting entertainment into the homes of millions who have otherwise been in a sport drought, “Boxing has been carrying the sports world. We have to make sure if we have a fight coming up that we stay in quarantine to not mess anything up and be able to get in there to put on a show for the fans.”

After tuning in to the ESPN boxing summer series, Smith Jr. says the circumstances will not faze him come fight night, “I have watched a few fights on ESPN. It’s definitely different, but boxing is a lonely sport, when you’re training it’s only you and your trainer, that’s it.”

Alvarez-Smith Jr. is promoted by Top Rank in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, and Group Yvon Michel. The WBO Title Eliminator is set to take place August 22, live from The Bubble at MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, on ESPN +.

Friday, August 14, 2020 (New York, NY)

An “0” must go on August 22 when undefeated East Hartford, Connecticut’s, “ACTION” ANTHONY LAUREANO (13-0 4KO’s) takes on Hoboken, New Jersey’s, JULIAN “HAMMER HANDS” RODRIGUEZ (19-0 12KO’s) in a scheduled 10-round super lightweight bout at The Bubble inside of MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The bout is set to take place on the undercard of the highly anticipated WBO World Title Eliminator between Long Island’s Common Man and #4 world rated (WBO) light heavyweight, JOE “THE BEAST” SMITH JR. (25-3 20KO’s) and #3 world (WBO) rated light heavyweight, ELEIDER “STORM” ALVAREZ (25-1 13KO’s). Laureano, like Smith Jr., fights under the Star Boxing banner.

Laureano prides himself on his humble beginnings, but don’t allow his constant smile to fool you, he comes to fight. “Action” Anthony rose the ranks of the New England amateur circuit, culminated by adding back to back Open Western Massachusetts Golden Glove Championship (’15, ’16), as well as a 2016 New England Golden Gloves Championship, to his mantle. Turning pro in September of 2016, Laureano has not looked back, ripping off 13 consecutive wins. As a pro Laureano earned the ABO Continental America’s super lightweight title, successfully defending the belt three-times, and was named 2018 Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame Fighter of the Year. This will be the biggest fight of Laureano’s career which has been nurtured by Star Boxing, developing him into a local fan favorite.

Laureano believes it’s his turn to shine, “I want to show the world that faith moves mountains. I want to show everyone my heart and my grit. I will receive my blessing. You know you will see Action! I’m coming for mine! God is always good!”

NATE TORRES, Manager and Trainer of Laureano, commented, “We are very grateful for the opportunity to be fighting on such a great card. Anthony is prepared to put on a great show. We know Julian is a very good fighter and we have prepared as such. Our team is just as confident as they are. We are coming to win! It will be a great fight!”

Julian Rodriguez is considered one of the top prospects in the country. He amassed over 230 amateur fights winning the 2013 National Golden Gloves. At the age of 25, Rodriguez is a 6-year professional with skillset to back up his perfect record. After a 22-month layoff due to a shoulder injury, Rodriguez returned with vengeance in 2019, going 3-0 with two wins coming by way of knockout. Most recently Rodriguez laced them up at Madison Square Garden on the undercard of the Commey-Lopez IBF World title fight, where he dominated an 8-round decision over Manuel Mendez (80-71 x2, 79-72).

Star Boxing CEO, JOE DEGUARDIA, who has developed Laureano into a local fan favorite stated: “Anthony is truly an exciting warrior with a relentless style. He and his team have been seeking a big breakout fight and I am happy to give him this opportunity. Whenever Anthony is in the ring, there is guaranteed action and, considering Julian is a hard-hitting top prospect, I expect a thriller when they clash on August 22.”

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WATCH:
Catch up with ANTHONY LAUREANO’S past bouts ahead of #RodriguezLaureano:
Laureano vs Brian Jones | Catskills Clash II | September 14, 2019
Laureano vs Dieumerci Nzau | Catskills Clash I | June 28, 2019
Laureano vs Ronald Rivas | Slugfest At the Sun | January 26, 2019

LAS VEGAS (August 12, 2020) — Former middleweight world champion Rob “Bravo” Brant’s comeback begins in a Las Vegas “Bubble.” Brant, who lost his belt to Ryota Murata last July and had a January return scrapped due to a torn biceps, will fight Vitaliy Kopylenko in a 10-round middleweight tilt Saturday, August 22 from the MGM Grand Conference Center.
 
Brant-Kopylenko will serve as the co-feature to the Eleider-Alvarez-Joe Smith Jr. light heavyweight world title eliminator live and exclusively on ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET).
 
The undercard stream (ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET) features the return of boxing’s newest cult hero, “Cassius” Clay Collard, the former UFC fighter who is the leading contender for 2020 Prospect of the Year.
 
“We have a can’t-miss main event and the highly anticipated returns of Rob Brant and Clay Collard. What a night at the fights inside the ‘Bubble,’” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Rob is rejuvenated and ready to begin his ascent towards another world title. As for Clay, whenever he fights, he delivers.” 
 
Brant (25-2, 17 KOs) upset the odds in October 2018, defeating Murata by unanimous decision to win the WBA world title nearly one year removed from his loss to Jürgen Brähmer. He defended his world title once, then traveled to Murata’s home country of Japan intent on repeating the deed. Instead, Murata turned the tables, knocking out Brant in the second round of a slugfest that saw 354 punches thrown in 334 seconds of action. Following the Murata defeat, Brant hired a new trainer in Brian McIntyre, who is best known for his work with pound-for-pound king Terence “Bud” Crawford and WBO junior lightweight world champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring.
 
Kopylenko (28-2, 16 KOs), from Vasylkiv, Ukraine hopes to rebound from a May 2019 split decision loss to Steven Butler. Prior to the Butler loss, he’d won six consecutive bouts. A 12-year pro, Kopylenko advanced to the semifinals of the 2014 “Boxcino” middleweight tournament, which aired as part of the ESPN “Friday Night Fights” series.
 
“I have worked extremely hard, even though the current climate through the pandemic has been a bit hectic,” Brant said. “After physical therapy, I stayed focused on my nutrition, thanks to my wonderful wife, Tiffany, and began doing a lot of distance running until I was cleared to start punching again. I have been in camp for close to three months now and feel very strong and confident. Kopylenko is talented with a great body attack. I am very confident, but I respect his skill set and will prepare like this is a world title bout. I’m back!”
 
Collard (8-2-3, 3 KOs) will face Maurice Williams in a middleweight bout scheduled for eight or six rounds, his third “Bubble” appearance since June 18. Collard is 4-0 in 2020, including three victories over previously undefeated prospects. Williams (7-1, 3 KOs) has won five in a row since a fifth-round TKO loss to Dennis Knifechief in November 2016. He has since avenged his loss to Knifechief twice, including a third-round TKO victory.

“I just look at this as another fight. Nothing’s really changed other than the attention I’m getting,” Collard said. “I’m loving all of this. I’m just training and getting ready to do what I love.
 
“I didn’t know how I’d like fighting without fans and being quarantined, but I enjoy fighting for Top Rank in the ‘Bubble.’ I’m just blessed to be part of this experience.”

In other undercard action:

• In a 10-round duel of unbeaten junior welterweights, Julian “Hammer Hands” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) will take on “Action” Anthony Laureano (13-0, 4 KOs). Rodriguez, a seven-year pro from Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., went 3-0 in 2019 following a nearly two-year layoff. 
   
• Star Boxing-promoted prospect Wendy Toussaint (11-0, 5 KOs) will take on “Bubble” veteran Isiah Jones (9-2, 3 KOs) in a middleweight fight scheduled for eight or six rounds. Jones, who went 1-1 inside the “Bubble” in June, is coming off a majority decision victory June 30 over the previously unbeaten Donte Stubbs.
   
• In scheduled six-round contests, Robert Rodriguez (8-0-1, 4 KOs) will fight Abel Soriano (10-0, 7 KOs) at bantamweight, while knockout artist Israel Mercado (7-0, 7 KOs) will battle fellow California native Adrian Valdovinos (5-0-1, 4 KOs) at junior welterweight.
   
• Former U.S. amateur star Duke Ragan, from Cincinnati, will make his long-awaited professional debut against Luis Alvarado (1-1) in a four-rounder at featherweight.

Use the hashtag #AlvarezSmith 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, twitter.com/espnringside.

LAS VEGAS (July 30, 2020) — Leave the judges at home because Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and Joe “The Beast” Smith Jr. are coming for the knockout.

Alvarez and Smith will face off in a WBO light heavyweight world title eliminator in Top Rank’s return to the MGM Grand Conference Center Saturday, Aug. 22. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), Alvarez vs. Smith and a co-feature will stream live on ESPN+ starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

“I can’t wait to sit back and watch this fight, which features two of the light heavyweight division’s biggest punchers,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “It’s a 50-50 fight and a great way to kick off our return to MGM Grand.”

Said Alvarez, “This fight is critical for both of our careers. I respect Joe Smith, who has proven to be an elite fighter. However, I have all the tools to beat him, and that’s what I intend to do. My goal is to become a two-time light heavyweight world champion.” 

Said Smith, “This fight means everything to me. It’s my path to a world title fight, and I know this is my second chance to turn my dream into reality. Alvarez is a former world champion, and in my mind, I am treating this as a world title fight. To get there, I have to, and will, win this fight.”

Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) is a former Colombian Olympian who has made Montreal his home since turning pro in 2009. He gained widespread recognition following victories over Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal, but his August 2018 knockout win over longtime champion Sergey Kovalev earned him the WBO light heavyweight world title and recognition as one of the world’s top fighters. Alvarez lost a decision to Kovalev in a rematch the following February, but after recovering from a foot injury, he returned stronger than ever. He headlined a Top Rank on ESPN main event January 18 and knocked out Michael Seals with a single right hand. The knockout, an instant viral video sensation, became an early frontrunner for Knockout of the Year.

Smith (25-3, 20 KOs), from Long Island, rose to prominence in 2016 as the construction worker member of the Laborers Local 66 union who knocked out top contender Andrzej Fonfara and living legend Bernard Hopkins in back-to-back fights. He fell short in his only world title shot, a March 2019 decision defeat to WBA champion Dmitry Bivol. The Bivol fight was a minor hiccup, as he returned in January and neutralized Jesse Hart over 10 one-sided rounds in a Top Rank on ESPN main event in Atlantic City. Smith, who now owns and operates a residential tree service company on Long Island, hopes to punch his ticket to another title shot. A win over Alvarez will assure him of that opportunity.

Joe DeGuardia, Smith’s promoter, said, “I just love watching Joe Smith Jr. fight. He is a true throwback, a fan-favorite with tremendous punching power. It will be thrilling to see him against Alvarez, who is one of the top fighters in the game. Not only will boxing fans see two of the toughest light heavyweights battle it out in a fight that will ultimately determine the WBO world champion, but this has all the makings of the Fight of the Year.”

Use the hashtag #AlvarezSmith 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.

 Eleider Alvarez 174 lbs vs. Michael Seals 173.5 lbs
(vacant WBC Continental Americas and WBO Intercontinental Light Heavyweight titles — 10 Rounds)
Judges/Referee: Don Ackerman, Glenn Feldman and John McKaie/Danny Schiavone

      Felix Verdejo 136.75 lbs vs. Manuel-Rey Rojas 135.75 lbs
(Lightweight— 10 Rounds)
Judges/Referee: Don Ackerman, Tom Schreck and Don Trella/Charlie Fitch

ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET)

  Victor Bisbal 272 lbs vs. Devin Vargas 223 lbs
(Heavyweight — 8 Rounds

                   Abraham Nova 132 lbs vs. Pedro Navarrete 133 lbs
(Lightweight — 8 Rounds

       Jonathan Guzman 122 lbs vs.  Rodolfo Hernandez 122.25 lbs
(Super Bantamweight — 8 Rounds)

              Christopher Diaz 126.5 lbs vs. Adeilson Dos Santos 126.25 lbs
(Featherweight — 8 Rounds)

       Jared Anderson 235 lbs vs. Andrew Satterfield 239.5 lbs
(Heavyweight — 4 Rounds) 
For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $89, $75, $69, $62, $59 and $40 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office, charge by phone by calling 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.

Use the hashtags #AlvarezSeals and #VerdejoRojas to join the conversation on social media.

VERONA, N.Y. (Jan. 10, 2020) — Puerto Rican superstar Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo, inching closer to a lightweight world title shot, will see action on a special Top Rank on ESPN show Saturday, Jan. 18 from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.
 
In the 10-round co-feature to the light heavyweight main event featuring former world champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and Michael “Cannon Handz” Seals (ESPN and ESPN App (in Spanish), 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), Verdejo will fight Manuel Rey Rojas, his first bout since linking up with new trainer Ismael Salas.
 
“This is a great opportunity for Felix Verdejo to show everyone that he is ready for a world title opportunity in 2020,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He has a great new trainer and a chance to reclaim his position as one of the sport’s best young fighters.”
 
“I know a lot of fighters say this, but without a doubt, this has been the best training camp of my life,” Verdejo said. “I have really connected with Salas. I’m definitely more motivated than ever, and I’m coming to prove that I belong at the top of the lightweight division. I’m sure that all the sacrifices I’m making will pay dividends. I will be victorious on Jan. 18, and I promise that Puerto Rico will have another world champion very soon.”  
  
Verdejo (25-1, 16 KOs), at only 26 years old, is looking for a fresh start in 2020 with a new team. Once touted as the next Hall of Fame talent from Puerto Rico, a 2016 motorcycle accident and a 2018 TKO defeat to Antonio Lozada Jr. derailed the hype train. Verdejo has won two in a row since the Lozada loss, most recently outclassing Bryan Vasquez last April over 10 rounds. He officially joined forces with Salas in November and moved his training base to Las Vegas to find better sparring. Salas has trained a host of world champions in recent years, including Yuriorkis Gamboa, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Erislandy Lara and Jorge Linares. Rojas (18-3, 5 KOs) has won six in a row since a 2015 KO defeat.
  
In action on the ESPN+ undercard stream (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT):

• Former junior lightweight world title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz (24-2, 16 KOs) will fight former junior featherweight world title challenger Adeilson “Dell” Dos Santos (19-7, 15 KOs) in an eight-rounder at featherweight. This is Diaz’s first fight since he lost a unanimous decision to Shakur Stevenson last April on the Terence Crawford-Amir Khan televised pay-per-view undercard.

  “In 2020, I’ll keep leaving it all in the ring,” Diaz said. “I know that I have what it takes to become a world champion. I promised my late father and my family that I will become a world champion, and deep down I can feel that I will accomplish my dream in 2020. My family and my fans give me all the motivation that I need to keep going. I will not rest until I accomplish my dream.”
   

• 2004 Puerto Rican Olympian Victor Bisbal (23-4, 17 KOs) will clash with 2004 U.S. Olympian Devin Vargas (21-6, 9 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight battle.
   
• In his second bout since losing his world title, former IBF junior featherweight world champion Jonathan “Salomon King” Guzman (23-1, 22 KOs) will face Rodolfo Hernandez (30-8-1, 28 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
   
• Top Rank’s newly signed super featherweight contender Abraham “El Super” Nova (17-0, 13 KOs) will fight Pedro Navarrete (30-24-3, 19 KOs) in a bout scheduled for eight rounds at a 133-pound catchweight.
   
• Heavyweight phenom Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson (2-0, 2 KOs) will face Andrew Satterfield (5-3, 3 KOs) in a four-rounder. 

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

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $89, $75, $69, $62, $59 and $40 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office, charge by phone by calling 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.
 
For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.
 
Use the hashtags #AlvarezSeals and #VerdejoRojas to join the conversation on social media.
 
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise features more than 50 assets – nine U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.
 
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+ has grown 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.
 
About Turning Stone Resort Casino 
Host of the January 18^th event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is a Forbes Four-Star Award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier venue for fight-of-the-year caliber boxing. Turning Stone features world-class amenities including The Lounge with Caesars Sports, its new sports book in partnership with Caesars Entertainment, four hotels, more than 20 signature dining options, two spas, a 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, multiple entertainment venues, five golf courses, and several bars and lounges offering live entertainment every weekend.  Additionally, Turning Stone and the International Boxing Hall of Fame announced a multifaceted partnership to spotlight boxing throughout the entire region. The program includes a series of boxing events at Turning Stone, culminating every year in June with an elaborate and bigger-than-ever International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend celebration. International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend will be held June 11-14, 2020.

VERONA, N.Y. (Dec. 12, 2019) — The previously announced light heavyweight showdown between former world champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (24-1, 12 KOs) and Michael “Cannon Handz” Seals (24-2, 18 KOs)— Saturday, Jan. 18 from Turning Stone Resort Casino — will air live on ESPN and the ESPN App (in Spanish) beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m.

Alvarez-Seals will be part of Top Rank on ESPN’s 2020 January kickoff schedule that also includes the Jan. 11 light heavyweight battle between Jesse “Hollywood” Hart (26-2, 21 KOs) and Joe Smith Jr. (24-3, 20 KOs) on ESPN, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Alvarez-Seals and a soon-to-be-announced co-feature will follow the undercard stream live on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, starting at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $89, $75, $69, $62, $59 and $40 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office, charge by phone by calling 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.

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

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

About Turning Stone Resort Casino
Host of the January 18th event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is a Forbes Four-Star Award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier venue for fight-of-the-year caliber boxing. Turning Stone features world-class amenities including The Lounge with Caesars Sports, its new sports book in partnership with Caesars Entertainment, four hotels, more than 20 signature dining options, two spas, a 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, multiple entertainment venues, five golf courses, and several bars and lounges offering live entertainment every weekend. Additionally, Turning Stone and the International Boxing Hall of Fame announced a multifaceted partnership to spotlight boxing throughout the entire region. The program includes a series of boxing events at Turning Stone, culminating every year in June with an elaborate and bigger-than-ever International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend celebration. International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend will be held June 11-14, 2020.

VERONA, N.Y. (Nov. 4, 2019) — Two of the light heavyweight’s division’s most explosive fighters are set for a fistic shootout Saturday, Jan. 18, as former world champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez will face Michael “Cannon Handz” Seals at Turning Stone Resort Casino.

The 10-round showdown will be contested for the vacant WBC Continental Americas title, and the winner is expected to challenge for a world title in 2020.

Alvarez-Seals and a co-feature will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $89, $75, $69, $62, $59 and $40 go on sale Friday, Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. ET and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office, charge by phone by calling 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.

“This is a fantastic fight, a true 50-50 matchup featuring two of the division’s best punchers,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “The light heavyweight division is on fire right now, and the winner will be in a tremendous position.”

“I am very happy to get back in the ring after this long layoff,” Alvarez said. “I am looking at Jan. 18 to reboot my career against a strong puncher, Michael Seals, and begin my campaign to once again be on top of the boxing world. I have a lot of respect for my opponent, but in 2020, nothing will stop me from becoming a world champion again.”

“First, I would like to thank Top Rank and ESPN for giving Eleider this opportunity, as well as a plan to be very active in 2020,” said Yvon Michel, Alvarez’s co-promoter. “Eleider had a great run before his last fight, beating three former or current world champions in a row: Lucian Bute, Jean Pascal and Sergey Kovalev. The defeat in his rematch with Kovalev was very painful, but also a great learning lesson. Eleider Alvarez belongs with the elite of the light heavyweight division, and he will prove it starting Jan. 18 in Verona.”

“Uncle Bob and Brad Goodman are giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, and I am going to put on a show for them,” Seals said. “Everyone knows that going the distance is against my religion. I’m going to bring the heat, and that’s no secret. Alvarez made a huge mistake in accepting me for his ‘comeback fight.’ When you sign a contract with me, I’m trying to force-feed you some ZzzQuil. This is a tune-up for him but everything for me. I’m not an opponent for the top fighters. I am a top fighter. I want a world title shot, and I won’t let this guy get in the way. He had his time. It’s my time.”

Alvarez (24-1, 12 KOs), the Colombian-born, Montreal-based boxer-puncher has not fought since Feb. 2, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Sergey Kovalev six months after knocking him out to win the WBO light heavyweight world title. Alvarez’s long layoff is due to a torn foot ligament he suffered in training earlier this year. He hopes a win over Seals will earn him another crack at world championship glory.

Seals (24-2, 18 KOs), a Mobile, Alabama, native who played collegiate football at Alabama A&M, is still one of the division’s heaviest hitters at 37 years of age. An 11-year pro, Seals has been involved in many memorable brawls, including a 2015 Fight of the Year contender versus Edwin Rodriguez that included five knockdowns in three rounds. Despite falling short versus Rodriguez, Seals’ reputation as a fan-friendly fighter was solidified. He has won four in a row, including three by knockout in either the first or second round. He is coming off a one-punch, first-round knockout Oct. 18 in Philadelphia against Elio Trosch.

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

Use the hashtag #AlvarezSeals 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.

About Turning Stone Resort Casino
Host of the January 18th event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is a Forbes Four-Star Award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier venue for fight-of-the-year caliber boxing. Turning Stone features world-class amenities including The Lounge with Caesars Sports, its new sports book in partnership with Caesars Entertainment, four hotels, more than 20 signature dining options, two spas, a 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, multiple entertainment venues, five golf courses, and several bars and lounges offering live entertainment every weekend. Additionally, Turning Stone and the International Boxing Hall of Fame announced a multifaceted partnership to spotlight boxing throughout the entire region. The program includes a series of boxing events at Turning Stone, culminating every year in June with an elaborate and bigger-than-ever International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend celebration. International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend will be held June 11-14, 2020.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday or Sunday on ESPN+ Russian Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev decisioned Colombian Eleider “Storm” Alvarez in Texas to reclaim one of the titles Kovalev won, in part, by losing so spectacularly to Andre Ward in 2017 that Ward decided to retire on the highest note of his career. In avenging his latest knockout loss, Kovalev boxed well, Saturday, and Alvarez did not, and that was that.

Kovalev is and will be remembered as a b-level prizefighter cleverly presented as much more by a b-level network, in mid-descent from a-level, a symptom more than a cause, a titlist folded in half by the only a-level prizefighter he faced – average ingredients well-prepared during a famine. Much of what happened Saturday, much of what you’ll read and hear for the rest of Kovalev’s career, is and will be about preserving illusive credibility despite concessions to illusions past.

“Others are wrong!” in other words, not “I was right.” Overtraining this or distractions that. Paeans to Kovalev’s age aside, what aficionados saw in Kovalev-Alvarez 2 was the same guy they saw tentatively box to victory against Bernard Hopkins, a once a-level prizefighter 50 or so days from his 50th birthday.

Now that we have the hindsight of the same B-Hop being knocked outframe, outboxing, outring by Joe Smith 13 months after Kovalev’s careful showing we might reexamine our insightfulness before we reappraise Kovalev. Could he punch? Sure he could. Was he a frontrunner? Sure he was. Could he finish? Yup. Was he great? No, never.

There’s selfservice in Andre Ward’s ongoing postrematch analyses of Kovalev, even while there needn’t be, an opening desire to reassert Ward’s superiority followed by a closing desire to burnish Ward’s legacy a smidgen more at halfprice. What remains constant as gravity, though, is a fact like: Were Ward and Kovalev matched at Ward’s best weight, not Kovalev’s, Ward would’ve gone 10-0 (10 KOs) in both this lifetime and the next.

Saturday’s question, finally, isn’t whether Kovalev underwent some historic revision in one training camp with Buddy McGirt (he didn’t) or whether Eleider Alvarez underwent some historic dissipation in the last halfyear, but why we actually care. Some of it, though much less than years past, is standard Stockholm-syndrome stuff. The January boxing calendar is historically anemic, leading young fans and pundits to get unseemly giddy at anything better than an obviously mediocre happening before March.

Most of it, though, is vestigial HBO hype. Like the network’s defunct commentary trio scoring midrounds according to prefight prejudice, quite a few of us did not notice HBO’s shift from singular authority to underbudgeted shell, when it happened, because it was incremental.

The emerging consensus is that HBO Sports’ last great boxing authority was Lou DiBella, who left the network in 2000. That feels about right. The talents and promotional relationships DiBella built and featured carried the network a little less than a decade before the network’s dearth of knowledgeable programmers began showing its ribs. The departure of a talented producer though talentless programmer in 2010 began the qualitative freefall that followed. Wealthy and knowledgeable became wealthy and gullible became middleclass and gullible became poor and gullible became canceled.

Nearabout HBO’s middleclass and gullible stage arrived a surfeit of prizefighters raised in the Soviet Union to prey, at once, on the juvenile nightmares and adulthood nostalgia of fiftysomething viewers. It took little in the way of imaginative squinting, then, for HBO Sports’ target demographic to see in Kovalev, and his fellow Eurasian bogeyman, Gennady Golovkin, far more than what they actually were (later confirmed, of course, when both were beaten by smaller men from North America, “controversially”). A reflexive reality still happened in viewers’ minds and that reality affected commentators’ perceptions even as they sought to affect viewers’ perceptions.

One monument to this, probably the greatest, was Kovalev-Hopkins in 2014. Kovalev dropped Hopkins in their first round together and then did not imperil him again in the 11 that followed. A fearsome 31-year-old puncher, in other words, was unable to snatch consciousness from his dad in 36 minutes of trying. Absurd as that sentence reads today we all obeyed a tacit moratorium on calling it what it was – desperate as we were to keep the juggling balls in the air, to contend our oncegreat sport broadcasted on a oncegreat network was something more than risible goofy. Surrealer still was the twoyear, fourfight Kovalev victory pageant HBO hosted in the great man’s honor after Kovalev decisioned a man 10 years nearer Social Security eligibility than his physical prime.

This really happened. You may even be old enough to remember it.

It took super middleweight Andre Ward 20 rounds to do it, but this too happened surely enough: Kovalev, eyes averted, belly up, offered himself to Ward with thighs splayed – the better to be sniffed – in an act of animal submission more ably narrated by David Attenborough than Jim Lampley.

And still HBO persisted! This time with silly opponents and sillier narratives right up until Kovalev got himself whupped by a shortnotice Colombian making a world-title-match debut after his 33rd birthday. Yet another coursecorrection ensued and Eleider Alvarez, a man who’d knocked-out a perfectly symmetrical if entirely unimpressive 12 of 24 opponents, became some Andean beast whose fists Kovalev would need God’s own luck to survive.

OK, fair point: This last was ESPN’s manufacture, not HBO’s. Alvarez regressed to his mean; the Krusher character begins its next rewrite. Fortunately Kovalev’s latest comeback has found its proper platform, off premium cable and on a $5/month boxing-after-midnight app.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Sergey Kovalev quieted his many nay-Sayers by putting on a boxing clinic, and recapturing the WBO Light Heavyweight decision with a 12-round unanimous decision over Eleider Alvarez in a rematch that took place at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Kovalev boxed very well as he showed consistent boxing with his jab that set up his workrate over the 36 minute fight.  Alvarez only threw 30 punches per round which did not provide him with the opportunities  to the land the big shots that propelled him to a knockout victory over Kovalev last August.

Kovalev took the advice of new trainer Buddy McGirt and took what the Alvarez gave him, which was jabbing through out the rounds and getting in his right hand which kept Alvarez on the defense.

Kovalev doubled up Alvarez on the punches landed, and won by scores of 120-108 and 116-112 to raise his mark to 33-3-1.  Alvarez is 24-1.

“We worked a lot on my jab,” Kovalev said. “Right now, I am working with {trainer} Buddy {McGirt} the way I was when I was an amateur

“After this, I want unification fights.”

Said Alvarez: “I don’t see myself as a loser tonight, but I do give him credit, especially in that 12th round. I think that he went out and proved that he wanted to win.”

Rising star, Teofimo Lopez, beat up, bloodied and battered Diego Magdaleno and stopped him in round seven of a scheduled ten-round lightweight fight.

Magdaleno’s face started chopping up in round two from the hard blows from Lopez.

In round six, Lopez landed a blistering left hook to the chin that Magdaleno to the canvas.’In round seven, Magdaleno landed two of the powerful and concussive left hooks on a beaten Magdaleno that plummeted him to the canvas at 1:08 and the fight was halted.

Lopez, 134.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 12-0 with 10 knockouts.  Magdaleno, 134.7 lbs of Las Vegas is 34-3.

“I take nothing away from Diego Magdaleno. We picked our shots, and we knew that in the later rounds, he’d drown in those deep waters,” Lopez said. “As the competition gets tougher, you will see more of what I can do. I dissected him like a surgeon.”

Oscar Valdez shook off 11 months of ring rust and stopped Carmine Tommasone in round seven to retain the WBO Featherweight title.

In round four, Valdez dropped Tommasone with a right hand.  Tommasone began to bleed from his nose.  Later in the round, Valdez sent Tommasone down with a hard jab.  In round five, Tommasone began to bleed from his mouth.  In round Round six, Valdez sent Tommasone down with a left hook.

Valdez ended things just nine seconds into round seven, Valdez dropped Tommasone with a perfect left uppecut to the chin and Tommasone went to the deck, and the fight was stopped.

Valdez, 125.8 lbs of Nogales. MEX is 25-0 with 20 knockouts.  Tommasone, 125.4 lbs of Italy is 19-1.

“I was very excited. I kind of didn’t want to get too crazy in there. It was tough the first round to get {my rhythm},” Valdez said. “But finally, I got the job done. I congratulate him. He’s a great fighter. I wish him nothing but the best.

“We started 2019 well. The sky’s the limit.”

Richard Commey stopped Isa Chaniev in the 2nd round to win the IBF Lightweight championship.

In round one, Commey landed a perfect right that dropped Chaniev hard to the canvas.  In round two, Commey rushed out and landed a perfect left hook that sent Chaniev to the deck.  Commey was all over Chaniev, and landed power shots.  As referee Laurence Cole stopped the bout, Commey added two more shots and sent Chaniev to the deck at 39 seconds.

Commey, 134.3 lbs of Accra, Ghana now will face WBA/WBO champion Vasyl Lomachenko on April 12th with a record of 28-2 with 25 knockouts.  Chaniev, 134 1/2 lbs of Russia is 13-2.

“This is everything for me. This is what I worked so hard for,” Commey said. “Finally being a world champion, I feel like I fulfilled a destiny for me.”

Next up for Commey is a potential showdown with WBA/WBO lightweight champion and pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko. He hurt his right knuckle in the opening round, and if receives a clean bill of health, Lomachenko will be next.

“When I hit him in the first round, I hurt my right knuckle,” Commey said. “I’m going to have to get it looked at and see what happens.”

Janibek Alimkhanuly stopped Steven Martinez in round five of a scheduled eight-round middleweight bout.

In round three, Alimkhanuly dropped Martinez with a left to the body.  Alimkhanuly continied to pound away on Martinez, who had his nose bloodied in the fourth and finally was pulled out the fight 21 seconds into round five.

Alimkhanuly, 162 lbs of Kazakhstan is 5-0 with two knockouts.  Martinez, 160 1/2 lbs of Bronx, NY is 18-5.

“I showed what I was capable of against a tough opponent,” Alimkhanuly said. “I am close to world title contention. It’s going to be a big year for me in 2019. This is only the beginning of my journey.”

Enriko Gogokhia stopped Vitor Freitas in round three of their six-round junior welterweight bout.

Gogokhia dropped Freitas in the 1st round with a straight left that barely touched Freitas.  Gogikhia was cut on his forehead in round two from an accidental headbutt.  In round three, Gogokhia landed a little left to the body that put Freitas down, and the bout was stopped.

Gogokhia, 142 1/2 lbs of Georgia Republic is 10-0 with five knockouts.  Freitas, 141 lbs of Salvador, BRA is 15-4-1.

Jason Sanchez stopped Daniel Olea in round two of their scheduled eight-round featherweight bout.

Sanchez was dominant and landed a big right hand that dropped Olea and the bout was stopped at 1:35.

Sanchez, 125 1/2 of Albuquerque, NM is 14-0 with seven knockouts.  Olea, 125 1/2 of Mexico is 13-7-2.

“I wanted to be patient in there. I wasn’t necessarily looking for the knockout right away,” Sanchez said. “But the opportunity came, and I took advantage of the opening.”

In an entertaining ten-round junior middleweight scrap, Patrick Day won a unanimous decision over Ismail Iliev.

Day, 153 3/4 lbs of Freeport, NY won by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94 to raise his mark to 17-2-1.  Iliev, 154 lbs of Russia is 11-1-1.

Bakhram Murtazaliev stopped Elvin Ayala in round nine of their scheduled ten-round junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Murtazaliev was credited a knockdown when he landed a combination that made Ayala stumble into the ropes.

In round nine, Murtazaliev dropped Ayala with a hard right hand.  Seconds later, a follow flurry of hard power punches forced the ref to stop the bout at 2:05.

Murtazailev, 153 1/2 lbs of Russia is 15-0 with 12 knockouts.  Ayala, 154 lbs of New Haven, CT is 29-13-1.

Follow all the action as Eleider Alvarez tries to retain the WBO Light Heavyweight title against the man he won the belt from in Sergey Kovalev.  The action starts at 10 PM ET / 9 PM CT with 2 world title fights.  Richard Commey and Isa Chaniev battle for the IBF Lightweight title.  Oscar Valdez defend the WBO Featherweight title against Carmine Tommasonne.  Rising star Teofimo Lopez takes on former two-time world title challenger Diego Magdaleno.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Good body shot from Alvarez

Round 2 Right from Kovalev..Another..

Round 3 Left from Kovalev..Jab from Alvarez..Left hook from Kovalev..Kovalev outlanding Alvarez 47-28 through 3 rounds

Round 4  Body shot from Alvarez..Good uppercut from Kovalev..Left hook..Jab and right hand

Round 5 Good right from Kovalev..Left..Combination..Right from Alvarez..2 lefts and right from Kovalev..

Round 6 Right from Alvarez,,Good right..Right from Kovalev..Jab from Alvarez..Double left to body from Kovalev..Right from Alvarez…Swelling under right eye of Kovalev…Good right from Kovalev

Round 7 Good body work from Alvarez..Good right

Round 8 Good jab from Kovalev..Alvarez lands a right

Round 9  Good jab from Kovalev…2 more…Right hand land..Sweeping left..Over hand right from Alvarez..Hard jab from Kovalev…176-86 for Kovalev in punches landed

Round 10 3 punch combo from Kovalev..Left rocks Alvarez on the ropes

Round 11 Right from Alvarez..Double jab from Kovalev..Good counter right

Round 12 Right and left from Kovalev..Hard jab..Good right from Alvarez…Right from Kovalev..Right..

116-112 TWICE AND 120-108 FOR THE WINNER AND NEW CHAMPION SERGEY KOVALEV

Round 1 Hard right from Lopez

Round 2 Straight left from Magdaleno..Counter right from Lopez..Big right uppercut..Hard straight left..Uppercut and hard right..Left hook..sweeping right..Short right…Blood on bridge of Magdaleno’s nose..

Round 3 Lopez lands a counter uppercut..Straight right..Combination to the body

Round 4 Uppercut from Magdaleno…Combination from Lopez

Round 5 Right Hook from Magdaleno..Hard uppercut from Lopez..Left from Magdaleno..Lopez lands a punch from behind his back..

Round 6 Counter uppercut from Lopez..Hard right..HUGE LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES MAGDALENO..Big Right at the bell

Round 7 Lopez lands about 8 hard shots..Right uppercut...2 NASTY LEFT HOOKS AND DOWN GOES MAGDALENO…FIGHT OVER

Round 1 Right from Valdez..Tommasone goes to the body with a right..Jab from Valdez..

Round 2 Jab from Valdez..Nice right to the body

Round 3 Counter right from Valdez..Right to the body..

Round 4  Good left hook buzzed Tommasone…Blood from nose of Tommasone…RIGHT HAND AND DOWN GOES TOMMASONE…Jab and TOMMASONE GOES TO A KNEE

Round 5  Body shot from Valdez..Body/Right combo..Blood from Mouth of Tommasone

Round 6  Left froM VALDEZ AND DOWN GOES TOMMASONE..3 Punch combination

Round 7 HARD UPPERCUT TO THE CHIN AND TOMMASONE GOES DOWN AGAIN…FIGHT OVER

Round 1 Commey lands a left hook..Uppercut from Chaniev..Commey lands a right..Short right..another right..Straight right..Good exchange..COMMEY LANDS A PERFECT RIGHT AND DOWN GOES CHANIEV..Commey lands more power shots and then trips

Round 2 HUGE LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES CHANIEV…Commey all over Chaniev..STRAIGHT RIGHT AND LEFT AND DOWN GOES CHANIEV…FIGHT OVER

Eleider Alvarez 174.8 lbs vs. Sergey Kovalev 174 lbs
(Alvarez’s WBO Light Heavyweight world title – 12 Rounds)

Teofimo Lopez 134.8 lbs vs. Diego Magdaleno 134.7 lbs
(Lopez’s USBA, NABA, and NABF Lightweight titles – 10 Rounds)

ESPN/ESPN Deportes (10 p.m. ET)

Oscar Valdez 125.8 lbs vs. Carmine Tommasone 125.4 lbs
(Valdez’s WBO Featherweight world title – 12 Rounds)

Richard Commey 134.3 lbs vs. Isa Chaniev 134.6 lbs
(Vacant IBF Lightweight world title – 12 Rounds)

ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET)

Janibek Alimkhanuly 162 lbs vs. Steven Martinez 160.4 lbs
(Super Middleweight – 8 Rounds)

Pat Day 153.7 lbs vs. Ismail Iliev 154 lbs
(Vacant IBF Intercontinental Junior Middleweight title – 10 Rounds)

Jason Sanchez 125.4 lbs vs. Daniel Olea 125.5 lbs
(Featherweight – 8 Rounds)

Bakhram Murtazaliev 153.6 lbs vs. Elvin Ayala 154 lbs
(Murtazaliev’s WBC USNBC Super Welterweight title – 10 Rounds)

Enriko Gogokhia 142.5 lbs vs. Vitor Freitas 141 lbs
SWING BOUT
(Welterweight – 8/6 Rounds)
Promoted by Top Rank, Main Events and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $225, $165, $85, $55, and $25 (including facility fees) are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.

About The Star
The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and training facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco and Frisco ISD, The Star features Ford Center, a 12,000-seat stadium that hosts Frisco ISD football games and other events; Cowboys Fit, a 60,000 square-foot gym developed in partnership with leading fitness developer, Mark Mastrov; Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL; the Omni Frisco Hotel, a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel; Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center of excellence for sports medicine; as well as a variety of shopping, dining and nightlife options throughout The Star District. For more information on The Star, visit www.TheStarInFrisco.com.

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ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App, the leading sports app and the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans. The ESPN App is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation, delivering a rich, personalized experience that curates all of ESPN’s content around each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also be available through ESPN.com.

Frisco, Texas: When current WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion, Eleider Alvarez, steps in the ring to face Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev in their much-anticipated rematch on February 2 at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas live on ESPN+ (https://plus.espn.com), it will Kovalev’s fifteenth consecutive world championship fight. As the challenger, Kovalev will seek to utilize his extensive championship experience to avenge his title loss in his ESPN+ debut and take back his title. Alvarez looks to prove his upset over Kovalev in their last fight was just the beginning of a championship run. Below is the scouting report for this exciting event:

Category
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
Eleider “Storm” Alvarez
Age
35
34
Record
32-3-1 (28 KOs)
24-0-0 (12 KOs)
Strength
Coming into his 15th consecutive championship bout, The Krusher has more elite level experience than any of the current light heavyweight titleholders. He also possesses significant knockout power in both hands.
The Storm has quick hands, possesses a sharp and accurate jab and is a great counter-puncher. He is patient in the ring. He waits for his opponents to make a mistake, which showed in the first Kovalev bout.
Weakness
Sergey needs to preserve his energy for the later rounds, if he cannot score a knockout early in the fight. He will need to be prepared to go into deep waters with the champion.
Alvarez is an accurate puncher, but he needs to turn up the volume on his punch output. Although he earned the stoppage win in the first bout, he was down on all three scorecards going into the seventh round.
Experience
The championship experience of the former champion is his main strength. He has fought nothing but the best opposition available throughout his career and has comeback after adversity.
The champion gained vast experience in capturing the title from The Krusher. He overcame some big shots and was down on the scorecards before he turned the tables on Kovalev.
Power
The Russian’s power is still the most dangerous component heading into this fight.
Although he is not known for being a puncher, he did land the perfect knockdown punch in their first encounter.
Speed
The challenger has good speed and even quicker combinations.
The champion has quick hands and is an even quicker counter-puncher.
Endurance
He has been a full 12-rounds just three times in his lengthy career against top-notch competition including Bernard Hopkins and Andre Ward.
Eleider has been a full 12-rounds on three occasions as well, including two former Kovalev foes, Isaac Chilemba and Jean Pascal.
Accuracy
One of Kovalev’s secret weapons has always been his jab. When he fully commits to it, the rest of his offensive weapons are even more effective.
Patience has been one of the champion’s most prominent strengths. He picks his shots wisely and does not waste any punches.
Defense
Kovalev has always been an offensive-minded fighter. His best defense is his jab and he will have to keep it busy to avoid a repeat of what happened in the first fight.
Contrary to his opponent, Alvarez focuses much more on defense. He moves his head well and shows great composure while waiting for his opponents to make a mistake.
Chin
Kovalev has always been known to have a strong chin. He’s only been stopped twice as a professional.
Alvarez has a proven chin; he has withstood shots from some of the division’s heaviest hitters.
Style
Kovalev has always had a fan-friendly style. He likes to come forward and press the action from start to finish. He is an aggressive, in-your-face fighter that utilizes an aggressive jab and legitimate power shots during the fight.
Eleider is a counter-puncher with quick hands and a solid jab. He is patient in waiting for his opponents to make a mistake and capitalizes once they do. He has also shown that he is not afraid to stand toe-to-toe with anyone.

Crowd Support
Although he has never competed in the state of Texas, he has been one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world for several years. He is expected to have significant crowd support.
This will be just his third appearance on U.S. soil and his debut in the state of Texas. He is not expected to have a vast amount of crowd support.
Intangibles
It has never been in Kovalev’s nature to take tune-up bouts, whether it be following a win or coming off a loss. He exercised his right to an immediate rematch and got right back into the gym to correct what went wrong in the first fight.
Alvarez waited a long time for his shot at the title and seized the opportunity against Kovalev. He fully understands that if he wants to fully dethrone Kovalev for good, then he needs to defeat the Russian one more time for his name to be discussed as one of the elites in the light heavyweight division.
The Match-Up
1. Will Kovalev be able to keep his stamina for the later rounds?
2. Will Alvarez go in there looking for one shot and get caught by Sergey?
3. Will Kovalev be able to stick to the game plan with his new corner?
4. Will Alvarez be able to take Sergey’s power the second time around?

Main Events’ matchmaker, Jolene Mizzone commented, “Who doesn’t love a rematch in a fight that was an upset win? This is what boxing is all about! Kudos to both fighters to sticking to promises and contracts and moving forward with it so quickly.”

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

Use the hashtag #AlvarezKovalev2 to join the conversation on social media.

About The Star

The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and training facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco and Frisco ISD, The Star features Ford Center, a 12,000-seat stadium that hosts Frisco ISD football games and other events; Cowboys Fit, a 60,000 square-foot gym developed in partnership with leading fitness developer, Mark Mastrov; and Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL; The Omni Frisco Hotel, a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel; Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center of excellence for sports medicine; as well as a variety of shopping, dining and nightlife options throughout The Star District. For more information on The Star, visit www.TheStarInFrisco.com.

FRISCO, Texas (Jan. 31, 2019) – Super Saturday is almost here. Three world title fights, including one of the most anticipated rematches in recent memory, will take place Saturday at Ford Center at the Star, the practice home of the Dallas Cowboys.

At midnight ET on ESPN+, Eleider “Storm” Alvarez will attempt to repeat the deed when he defends his WBO light heavyweight world title against former two-time light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev. Back in August, Alvarez came from behind to starch Kovalev with three knockdowns in the seventh round. And, in the ESPN+ co-feature, 2018 Prospect of the Year Teofimo Lopez (11-0, 9 KOs) takes on former world title challenger Diego Magdaleno (31-2, 13 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight fight.

In the ESPN main event (10 p.m. ET), Oscar Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) defends his WBO featherweight title for the fifth time against Carmine “Mr. Wolf” Tommasone (19-0, 5 KOs). In the ESPN co-feature, Richard Commey and Isa Chaniev will duke it out for the vacant IBF lightweight title with the winner set to fight unified champion Vasiliy Lomachenko later this year.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from Ford Center at the Star.

Eleider Alvarez

“Things have changed a lot for me. This is my first time being a main event {defending my world title}. What has changed is my popularity, but I’m still the same guy.”

“Thanks to God, I’m a mentally strong person. I have come from the bottom, basically, and little by little, I’ve been getting my stuff. Now I have more, so that’s why I think I’ve been able to handle everything well. That’s why I am a mentally strong person.”

On Kovalev saying he was overtrained for the first fight

“I believe that’s a lot of excuses he’s making. When you lose, you have a lot of excuses. I had a great game plan with my team. If he says that was an accident, then he needs to get ready for another accident.”

Sergey Kovalev

“I want to say a big thanks to Top Rank and my team at Main Events to make this rematch and get my belt back. This is the most important {fight} for me because I couldn’t stop my boxing career as a loser. It’s not in my character. First of all, this is my goal, to get back my belt that I dropped on the way to my big goals. I made a mistake last time {against Alvarez}, but this time I will fix it. This Saturday, I will fix this situation and be on top again. If not, I am not the Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev. Believe me, this Saturday will be the best version of me because I turned everything on to get in the best shape of my boxing career.”

“My goal is to collect all four belts, but I dropped this belt on my way to my huge goal. After {the Alvarez loss}, a lot of people thought I should stop my boxing career. No, that’s not in my character to stop my career by losing. When I win, I will think, stop or not to stop? But when I lose, it was 100 percent no.”

Oscar Valdez

On recovering from the broken jaw suffered in the Scott Quigg fight

“It was one of the most difficult times of my life. Having my jaw wired shut for two months was the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with. That’s in the past now. I’m ready to focus on this fight. I’m 100 percent healed from that injury. That’s not going to bother me no more. I’m just excited to get back in the ring. It’s been almost a year since my last fight. I’ve been training hard with my new trainer, Eddy Reynoso. It’s been a great training camp, and I just can’t wait to get in there and start again where I left off.”

“We had a great training camp, me and Eddy Reynoso. I never take no fighter lightly. There was a point where no one knew who Manny Pacquiao was when he came to the United States and had his first fight. And he became a star. So, we don’t know what Tommasone can bring. I will be 100 percent ready for him, or for any fighter, because I don’t take no fighter lightly. I have the same respect for all fighters inside the ring, and I’m going to do whatever I have to do come out victorious. One thing in my mind is to not take him lightly and just try to get the job done and keep on improving my career. I’m definitely focused on this fight and start where I left off.”

Eddy Reynoso

“Working with a world champion and an athlete that works as hard as Oscar does is a proud moment for me to be part of that team.”

Carmine Tommasone

“I fought in America as an amateur. This is my first time as a professional. When I got the call {to fight Valdez}, it was like an early Christmas present because it was early December. I prepared well for this opportunity.”

“Winning a title in the United States is every boxer’s dream. It would be a great opportunity.”

On people calling this a “tune-up fight” for Valdez

“It doesn’t bother me. I’m confident in my skills, and this is an opportunity to show my skills.”

Teofimo Lopez

“I’m taking over the show, and it’s with all due respect to these fighters out here. What we came out to do, and what we plan to do, is take over and exceed everybody’s expectations. People are talking very highly of me, so I have to back it up. I’m used to it through my father, who is my coach, who talks very highly of me already. Come Saturday night, you will see something bigger and better. As the opponents get tougher, we’re going to get better.”

“I believe the fight with Mason Menard on Dec. 8 (a 44-second KO) proved to everyone at that point that we are contenders. To me, I already feel like I’m a world champion. To me, the only thing {missing} is a world title.”

Diego Magdaleno

“Top Rank, they built my whole entire career. You’ve been there to watch it. Some of the best people in boxing are with Top Rank. Brad Goodman is matchmaker of the year for a reason. I just have to use my personal experience and thank Top Rank for building me and putting me in this position. I thank you guys because everything leading up is going to win me this fight. Everything I’ve been through is gonna {help me}. Even the losses I’ve had or whatever only made me stronger. I am here with fuego, and I will bring everything I need to. I’ve been in the ring, but you haven’t been seeing me. My last two fights were in Mexico, but what you haven’t seen is who I’ve been in the ring with. Pedraza, I got him ready for Lomachenko. Linares, I got him ready for two fights.”

“It’s nothing but fire. We are ready to do this.”

Richard Commey

“After my fight with Robert Easter Jr. (split decision loss in 2016), I felt like I won that fight. I kept working. I’ve got good management and I met {trainer} Andre {Rozier}. I feel like everything is working for me. I’ve got to do this. I kept working, and here I am today.”

On the fighting tradition of Ghana

“It means the world to me. This is the opportunity I’ve been working for since I started boxing, and thank God I’ve got the opportunity to fight come Saturday. I have to win this fight. No matter what, I have to win this fight. It means a whole lot to me. It’s all about winning. That’s it.”

Isa Chaniev

“I am very pleased that I have a chance to showcase myself, showcase my skills here in a big arena on ESPN. I’m ready for whatever, and I am here to win.”

“I never lost a fight. The loss I have on my record, I didn’t really lose that fight. I am ready for this fight. This is the most important fight of my life. My team trusts in me, and I trust in myself. Other things don’t matter to me.”

ESPN+, 12 a.m. ET

Eleider Alvarez (champion) vs. Sergey Kovalev (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO light heavyweight world title

Teofimo Lopez vs. Diego Magdaleno, 10 rounds, Lopez’s NABF, NABA, and USBA lightweight titles

ESPN/ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET

Oscar Valdez (champion) vs. Carmine Tommasone (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO featherweight world title

Richard Commey vs. Isa Chaniev, 12 rounds, vacant IBF lightweight world title

ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Steven Martinez, 8 rounds, super middleweight

Jason Sanchez vs. Daniel Olea, 8 rounds, featherweight

Ismail Iliev vs. Pat Day, 10 rounds, vacant IBF Intercontinental junior middleweight title

Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Elvin Ayala, 10 rounds, Murtazaliev’s WBC USNBC super welterweight title

Enriko Gogokhia vs. Vitor Freitas, 8/6 rounds, welterweight (swing bout)

Promoted by Top Rank, Main Events and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $225, $165, $85, $55, and $25 (including facility fees) are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.

Top Rank on ESPN is bringing a fistic extravaganza to Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Saturday, Feb. 2 with three world title fights, the return of 2018 ESPN “Prospect of the Year” Teofimo Lopez, and an action-packed undercard spread across ESPN/ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.

The light heavyweight world title rematch between champion Eleider Alvarez and challenger Sergey Kovalev and Teofimo Lopez-Diego Magdaleno will stream LIVE in English and Spanish exclusively on ESPN+ at 12 a.m. ET. Alvarez knocked out Kovalev last August in a come-from-behind upset that shook up the boxing landscape. Kovalev, one of the most dominant champions of this era, is seeking to become a three-time world champion. Lopez, the consensus 2018 Prospect of the Year, is coming off a stunning 44-second knockout over Mason Menard December 8 on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza undercard.

The Oscar Valdez-Carmine Tommasone featherweight world title fight and the Richard Commey-Isa Chaniev lightweight world title bout will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Valdez, one of boxing’s elite action heroes, returns to the ring for the first time since suffering a severely broken jaw in a decision win over Scott Quigg last March 10. The winner of Commey-Chaniev will eye a unification bout against Lomachenko later this year.

The scheduled five-fight undercard, which includes top middleweight prospect Janibek Alimkhanuly, will kick off the evening at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

ESPN’s coverage of Top Rank on ESPN: Eleider Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev 2 also includes live streaming on ESPN+ of the Official Press Conference Thursday, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. ET and live television coverage (ESPN2) and streaming (ESPN+) of the weigh-in on Friday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. ET.

Top Rank on ESPN Alvarez vs. Kovalev 2 LIVE on ESPN+, ESPN and ESPN Deportes

Date

Time (ET)

Event

Platform

Thurs., 1/31

1 p.m.

Top Rank on ESPN: Alvarez vs. Kovalev 2/Valdez vs. Tommasone Official Press Conference

ESPN+

Fri., 2/1

5 p.m.

Top Rank on ESPN: Alvarez vs. Kovalev 2/Valdez vs. Tommasone Weigh-In

ESPN2, ESPN+

Sat., 2/2

7 p.m.

Super Saturday ESPN+ Undercard INCLUDING

Janibek Alimkhanuly (4-0, 1 KO) vs. Steven Martinez (18-4, 13 KOs) & Jason Sanchez (13-0, 6 KOs) vs. Daniel Olea (13-6-2, 5 KOs)

ESPN+

10 p.m.

Super Saturday ESPN Main Events

Oscar Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) vs. Carmine Tommasone (19-0, 5 KOs), 12 rounds, Valdez’s WBO featherweight world title

Richard Commey (27-2, 24 KOs) vs. Isa Chaniev (13-1, 6 KOs), 12 rounds, vacant IBF lightweight world title

ESPN, ESPN Deportes

Sun., 2/3

12 a.m.

Super Saturday ESPN+ Main Events

Eleider Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) vs. Sergey Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs), 12 rounds, Alvarez’s WBO light heavyweight world title

Teofimo Lopez (11-0, 9 KOs) vs. Diego Magdaleno (31-2, 13 KOs), 10 rounds, lightweight

*ESPN+

*ESPN+ to stream in English and Spanish

To subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 per month, go to www.espnplus.com.

###

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(Dec. 20, 2018) — Top Rank announced today it has reached a multi-year agreement with Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) to co-promote WBO light heavyweight world champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez. Alvarez’s first bout under this co-promotional agreement will be Feb. 2 at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, for his highly anticipated rematch against Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (ESPN+, 12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PST).

Alvarez knocked out Kovalev in August in the seventh round of a slugfest, which propelled the 34-year-old to the upper reaches of the sport.

A Colombian amateur star who represented his homeland at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Alvarez has spent his pro career based in Montreal, where he has become a fan favorite.

“I am really proud of this agreement. I am thankful to GYM for always believing in me. I am also grateful that Top Rank and ESPN demonstrate trust and confidence in my talent,” Alvarez said. “I can’t wait to show the world that I am a great champion.”

“The world discovered Eleider Alvarez last August in Atlantic City, with his speed, athleticism, strength and stamina. Soon, his personality will transcend his WBO title and the world will discover he has all it takes to be a great star,” said Michel, GYM president. “We are very happy to join Top Rank’s team, Bob Arum and Todd duBoef, in Alvarez’s quest for fame and achievement.”

“Eleider Alvarez showed he had the heart of a true champion when he came back to knock out Sergey Kovalev,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “We look forward to working with Yvon Michel and his team to bring Eleider the biggest and best fights, which starts Feb. 2 with the Kovalev rematch.”

Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) is a nine-year pro who climbed the ranks steadily, defeating former middleweight world champion Edison Miranda in only his 13th pro fight in 2013. Following the Miranda win, he captured the WBC silver light heavyweight belt on Oct. 25, 2014 via seventh-round TKO. Despite his high world rankings, it would be years before Alvarez challenged for world title honors. He earned his title shot by fighting, and defeating, many of the light heavyweight division’s top contenders.

Alvarez outlasted perennial contender Isaac Chilemba via majority decision on Nov. 28, 2015, a fight that saw him weather a late-rounds Chilemba rally. In February 2017, he knocked out former longtime super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute in the fifth round. Later that year, Alvarez turned back former light heavyweight world champion Jean Pascal by majority decision, using a stiff jab to control the action.

The Chilemba, Bute, and Pascal victories earned him a shot at Kovalev. That August night on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Kovalev built an early lead, but Alvarez rallied to score three knockdowns in the climactic seventh round.

FRISCO, Texas (Dec. 19, 2018) — Four significant fights, three world title bouts, one rematch for the ages, all on ESPN and ESPN+. The best card of 2019 is coming to North Texas.

The hotly anticipated light heavyweight world title rematch featuring WBO champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and challenger Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will stream live on ESPN+ and headline a huge night of boxing that will showcase a quartet of meaningful fights — including three world title bouts — spread across ESPN/ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Ford Center at The Star, home to the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and training facility.

Alvarez-Kovalev 2 and the return of unbeaten lightweight sensation Teofimo “Brooklyn” Lopez, fresh off a 44-second knockout of Mason Menard on Dec. 8, will stream live starting at 12 a.m. ET on ESPN+ — the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment and ESPN.

Before the action turns to ESPN+, a pair of world title fights will take place on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

Oscar Valdez will make the fifth defense of his WBO featherweight title against the unbeaten Carmine “Mr. Wolf” Tommasone. Valdez will be making his first ring appearance since suffering a severely broken jaw in a March 10 unanimous decision win against an overweight Scott Quigg.

In the ESPN-televised co-feature, presented by DiBella Entertainment, Richard Commey will battle Isa Chaniev for the vacant IBF lightweight world title.

Before the ESPN telecast, the entire undercard will stream live on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, Main Events and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $225, $165, $85, $55, and $25 (including facility fees) are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.

“It’s Super Saturday, and by syncing the ESPN linear and ESPN+ platforms for one night, fans have an incredible opportunity to watch a stacked show with many of the world’s best fighters and rising superstars,” said Top Rank President Todd duBoef.

7 p.m. – 10 p.m. — ESPN+ — Undercard Fights
10 p.m. – 12 a.m. — ESPN / ESPN Deportes — Oscar Valdez vs. Carmine Tommasone & Richard Commey vs. Isa Chaniev
12 a.m. — ESPN+ — Eleider Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev 2 & Teofimo Lopez vs. TBD

Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) made his name as one of the sport’s foremost action stars with a trio of 12-round wars against Miguel Marriaga, Genesis Servania and Quigg. The Quigg fight was shrouded in controversy as the Englishman missed the featherweight limit by nearly three pounds and refused a day-of weight check. Valdez fought with a broken jaw against Quigg for more than half the fight and still managed to prevail via clear unanimous decision. Valdez, whose jaw was wired shut for two months after the bout, is ready to move on and prove that the injury was nothing more than a speed bump.

“It will be great to see our little warrior, Oscar Valdez, back in action on Feb. 2 after his full recovery from a broken jaw and a courageous victory over Quigg,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Oscar always brings thrills and excitement to his fights.”

“The fans can expect the same Oscar Valdez as far as being an aggressive and exciting fighter,” Valdez said. “They are also going to see a different side that nobody has seen, which is the boxing skills that I also have and that I’m perfecting and learning with my new trainer, Eddy Reynoso.”

Tommasone (19-0, 5 KOs), an eight-year pro from Avellino, Campania, Italy, is a former Italian, European and WBA Intercontinental champion who will be making his first ring appearance outside of his home country. He captured the vacant European crown on Sept. 26, 2015 with a wide unanimous decision win against Jon Slowey. Tommasone made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics as the first professional to take part in an Olympic boxing match. One of three pros to participate at the 2016 Olympics, Tommasone won his opening bout before losing to the eventual bronze medalist, Cuba’s Lazaro Alvarez.

Lopez (11-0, 9 KOs) has established himself as one of the sport’s rising superstars, a 21-year-old power-punching prodigy who is on the cusp of a world title shot. The one-punch KO of Menard, a “Knockout of the Year” candidate, was televised by ESPN on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza undercard. Following the knockout, Lopez went viral after he struck the Heisman pose and wore the jersey of Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray of the University of Oklahoma.

“I took over my last show, and I am going to do it again,” Lopez said. “‘The Takeover’ is coming to Texas, and I can’t wait to get back in the ring.”

Commey (27-2, 24 KOs), a native of Ghana and the IBF’s No. 1 contender, has won three consecutive bouts since a two-fight losing skid. He lost a razor-thin split decision to Robert Easter Jr. for the vacant IBF lightweight title on Sept. 9, 2016, knocking down Easter in the eighth round. Less than three months later, he was on the short end of another split decision, a controversial verdict against Denis Shafikov in Shafikov’s home country of Russia. Commey last fought Aug. 4 against Yardley Armenta Cruz and had little trouble in notching a second-round TKO.

Chaniev (13-1, 6 KOs) is battle-tested, having gone 10 rounds or more in five of his past six bouts. He is on a three-bout winning streak since a close 12-round unanimous decision to Fedor Papazov on May 25 of last year. He is coming off his most impressive victory to date, a unanimous decision against former interim lightweight world champion Ismael Barroso. Chaniev survived a second-round knockdown to score a pair of knockdowns and secure the win.

“When I started working with Richard in September 2016, our plan was to give him another chance to fulfill his dream of becoming a world champion,” promoter Lou DiBella said. “While Chaniev is a very tough Russian fighter, I’m confident that Richard has the skills, punching power and the mental toughness to come out victorious. Thanks very much to ESPN and Top Rank for partnering with DiBella Entertainment in televising this outstanding lightweight championship battle.”

“I have to say a big thank you to my promoter, Lou DiBella. I know how hard it is for Ghanaian fighters to get promoted by the top promoters, but Lou has consistently shown that if he thinks you’re the man, then he will be the man for you,” Commey said “He has shown this by the investment DiBella Entertainment has put in me and by getting me this shot at the title and securing it in the United States. I also want to thank my manager, Michael Amoo-Bediako, for the faith he has put in me over all these years. He is more than a manager to me, and come Feb. 2, I will be repaying him in full.”

“I have the biggest motivation ever to win, and there is no other result that will satisfy me,” Chaniev said. “On Feb. 2, I will demonstrate all my skills and hard preparation. Some people don’t think I will win, but they will be shocked on Feb. 2. No bad words or any disrespect to Commey. He is an excellent fighter.”

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Use the hashtag #AlvarezKovalev2 to join the conversation on social media.

FRISCO, Texas (Dec. 8, 2018) —Their first fight ended with a dramatic knockout that shook up the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The rematch between Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will bring two of the light heavyweight division’s biggest names to The Star.

Alvarez will defend his WBO light heavyweight world title against former unified light heavyweight world champion Kovalev on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility.

Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) scored a come-from-behind knockout against Kovalev on Aug. 4 in a major upset to shake up the division. Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs), who has made nine title defenses across two reigns, will seek to become a three-time world champion and regain his position in boxing’s pound-for-pound top ten.

Alvarez-Kovalev 2 and a soon-to-be announced co-feature will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN beginning at 10 p.m. ET. The entire undercard will stream live beginning at 7 p.m. ET in the United States 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, Main Events and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets, priced at $225, $165, $85, $55, and $25 (including facility fees), go on sale Friday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. CST and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.

”The fact that Kovalev said it was a mistake and that I was lucky is motivation for me,” Alvarez said. “He is a sore loser, and I will make sure there will be a second ‘accident.’ ‘I expect Kovalev to be stronger in that second fight. I expect the best Kovalev because he won’t underestimate me this time, but I am fully aware of this. I am able to be even better than in the last fight.”

“I am very thankful to fight on ESPN on Feb. 2,” Kovalev said. “I will look to take back my title and put on a great show for the fans. Together with my new trainer, Buddy McGirt, I will be ready for Alvarez.”

“Sergey and Eleider are two of the world’s best fighters, and we look forward to hosting their rematch and another great night of boxing at Ford Center at The Star,” said Stephen Jones, Chief Operating Officer of the Dallas Cowboys. “Ford Center has proven to be a premier fight venue, and there is no better way to continue that legacy than to bring the world light heavyweight championship to North Texas.”

Alvarez, 34, a native of Colombia who now resides in Montreal, turned pro in 2009 following an amateur career that included a pair of Pan American Games gold medals and a 2008 Olympic berth. In 2013, he defeated former middleweight world champion Edison Miranda by unanimous decision, and by 2015, he had established himself as one of the world’s top light heavyweight contenders. He earned the shot at Kovalev following a trio of high-profile wins: a 2015 majority decision against perennial contender Isaac Chilemba, a 2017 knockout of former longtime super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute, and a majority decision over former light heavyweight kingpin Jean Pascal. That all led to his triumphant night on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, a feat he hopes to duplicate in Frisco.

Kovalev is one of the most dominating world champions of his era, a devastating puncher with nine title defenses across two title reigns. He won the WBO world title in August 2013, traveling to Wales and knocking out hometown champion Nathan Cleverly in the fourth round. He became the unified champion in November 2014 with a dominating 12-round decision against future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and further enhanced his résumé with a pair of knockout wins against Jean Pascal. He lost his world titles in November 2016 via controversial decision to pound-for-pound great Andre Ward. Nearly seven months later, Kovalev was stopped in the eighth round by Ward, a bout remembered in part for the multiple low blows that immediately preceded the stoppage. Kovalev rebounded, winning the vacant WBO light heavyweight title with a second-round TKO against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in his next bout. He defended the title once, a seventh-round TKO of Igor Mikhalkin in March, before running into Alvarez.

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Use the hashtag #AlvarezKovalev2 to join the conversation on social media.

(Sept. 14, 2018) — Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Eleider “Storm” Alvarez lit up the Atlantic City Boardwalk in a pitched battle last month. The two will renew acquaintances early next year live on a Top Rank on ESPN card as part of a co-promotion with Main Event and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel.

Alvarez knocked down Kovalev three times in the seventh round and scored a TKO to capture the WBO light heavyweight title in a shocking upset. Kovalev led on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage and hopes to pick up where the first six rounds left off.

“We are very happy to be joining forces with Top Rank and ESPN for what we expect will be another exciting and historic fight,” said Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events. “Sergey was clearly winning his first bout with Alvarez when he just got caught. It happens. Congratulations to Alvarez for his spectacular performance, but Sergey is a warrior. He let me know that he is anxious to avenge this loss as soon as possible. We are looking forward to the new year!”

“Bringing this marquee rematch to boxing fans on ESPN is a great way to start 2019,” said Top Rank President Todd duBoef. “The light heavyweight division is loaded, and both Kovalev and Alvarez have fan-friendly styles that will make for another gripping fight.”

Added Burke Magnus, ESPN Executive Vice President of Programming and Scheduling: “This has been an exciting year for boxing on ESPN, and the Kovalev-Alvarez rematch is another example of the world-class caliber of events we look forward to continue to showcase on Top Rank on ESPN in 2019.”

Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs) established himself as one of this generation’s preeminent light heavyweight champions with nine title defenses across two title reigns. He first won the WBO title in August 2013, traveling to Wales and knocking out hometown champion Nathan Cleverly in the fourth round. He became the unified champion in November 2014 with a dominating 12-round decision against future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and further enhanced his résumé with a pair of knockout wins against former lineal light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal. Kovalev lost the title via controversial decision loss to Andre Ward in November 2016. After dropping the rematch via eighth-round TKO, Kovalev recaptured the WBO title with a second-round TKO against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in November of last year. He defended the title once before the first Alvarez bout.

Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs), a former Colombian amateur standout who resides in Montreal, is a nine-year pro with a host of A-list names on his résumé, including: Kovalev, Pascal, and former super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute. The Kovalev triumph is the signature victory on his record. Come 2019, Alvarez hopes it’s repeat rather than revenge.

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