Kovalev to exercise rematch clause against Alvarez

KOVALEV VS. SHABRANSKYY OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN
Theater Lobby, Madison Square Garden

Former Light Heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev has exercised his rematch clause to rematch Elieder Alvarez, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Alvarez stopped Kovalev on August 4th in Atlantic City.

“Yes, he wants to have the rematch. There’s no other fight that he wants and there is no fight as big for him as the rematch,” Kovalev manager Egis Klimas said.

Umar Salamov Challenges Light Heavyweight Champions Bivol and Alvarez

Russian light heavyweight contender Umar Salamov (21-1, 16 KOs) is issuing a challenge to newly crowned WBO Champ Eleider Alvarez and WBA ruler Dmitry Bivol.

While many of the top 175-lb fighters would prefer to avoid Alvarez and Bivol, two of the hardest punchers in the division, the 24-year-old Salamov says he’s up for the challenge any time.

Both Alvarez and Bivol appeared on national television over the weekend, with Alvarez scoring an upset KO over Sergei Kovalev and Bivol defending his title with a lacklustre decision over Isaac Chilemba.

“I saw their fights and I can confidently tell you that when I get my opportunity, I will dethrone both Bivol and Alvarez,” said Salamov. “I am the best light heavyweight in the world and look forward to proving it to the boxing fans by fighting the best!”

IBF #11- and WBO #15-rated Salamov was last seen in June, scoring a highlight reel ninth-round knockout over Brian Howard, live on Showtime. The impressive victory won him the vacant IBF North American Championship. In his young career, he has also already won the IBO Youth and World Light Heavyweight, WBO Youth World, European and International, and the IBF East/West Europe Light Heavyweight Championships.

“After his US debut in June, I am very confident that it’s just a matter of time before he wins a World light Heavyweight title,” said his co-promoter, Dmitriy Salita (along with Kazbek Aslambekov of KA-Promotions). “At only 24 years old, and with the amount of talent and experience he has, the sky is the limit for Umar in the light heavyweight division.”

Salamov is currently training in Detroit at the Kronk Boxing Gym. His next fight will be announced shortly.

About Salita Promotions

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

VIDEO: Eleider Alvarez & Dmitry Bivol Post Fight Press Conference Aug 4, 2018

VIDEO: Watch: #KovalevAlvarez Highlights

FOLLOW KOVALEV – ALVAREZ LIVE FROM RINGSIDE

Follow all the action from The Hard Rock in Atlantic City as Sergey Kovalev defends the WBA Light heavyweight title against top contender Eleider Alvarez. The action kicks off at 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT / 3 Am in Moscow with the WBA Light Heavyweight championship between Dmitry Bivol and Isaac Chilemba.

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12-ROUNDS–WBO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE–SERGEY KOVALEV (32-2-1, 28 KOS) VS ELEIDER ALAVREZ (23-0, 11 KOS)
ROUND	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	TOTAL
KOVALEV	10	10	10	10	9	10							59
ALVAREZ*	9	9	9	9	10	9	TKO						55

Round 1 …Jab from Alvarez…Right from Kovalev

Round 2 Jab from ALvarez…Right from Kovalev…left..Left hook

Round 3 Body and head combo from Alvarez..Jab..Bidy from Kovalev..Left hook to body…hard jab..Body..Jab from Alvarez..

Round 4 Combo from Alvarez…Hard right and jab from Kovalev..Good flurry..2 big left hooks…Right from Alvarez..2 rights from Kovalev

Round 5 Good combo from Alvarez..Straight right..Hard right..Jab and left hook..Trading jab..

Round 6 Left from Kovalev..2 body shots..Hard right inside..ALvarez cut under left eye..Hard body shot

Round 7 Right from Kovalev..Counter..Trading jabs…HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES KOVALEVbig uppercut rocks Kovalev..Big right…HUGE LEFT AND DOWN GOES KOVALEV..BIG RIGHT DOWN GOES KOVALEV…FIGHT IS OVER

12 ROUNDS–WBA LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE–DMITRY BIVOL (13-0, 11KOS) VS ISAAC CHILEMBA (25-5-2, 10 KOS)
ROUND	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	TOTAL
BIVOL	10	10	10	10	10	9	10	10	10	10	10	10	119
CHILEMBA	9	9	9	9	9	10	9	10	9	9	9	9	110

Round 1 Hard right from Bivol..Left to body…Hard overhand right….

Round 2. Bivol lands 2 hard left hook..all over Chilemba..Right over top..Right from Chilemba…

Round 3 Left from Bivol..Hard left..Right and left…good exchange..

Round 4 Hard right from Bivol..2 lefts

Round 5 Hard right from Bivol

Round 6 Jab from Chilemba..Left to body..Right from Bivol..

Round 7 Hard counter right from Bivol..Hard right..Jab..Jab followed by a right..Counter right from Chilemba..

Round 8 Left from Chilemba..Right from Bivol

Round 9 Hard left from Bivol..Left from Chilemba..2 hard shots from Bivol

Round 10 Jab from Bivol..Right from Chilemba..Left from Bivol..Straight right…Hard left hook

Round 11 Jab to body by Bivol..Snapping left hook

Round 12 Right to body from Chilemba…Right from Bivol..left..Right from Chilemba..Left from Bivol..

120-108 twice and 116-112 FOR DMITRY BIVOL

Alvarez takes out Kovalev in 7 to win Light Heavyweight title

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ–Eleider Alvarez sat for almost three years as a mandatory challenger for Adonis Stevenson’s WBC Light Heavyweight title. It was well worth the wait as Alvarez scored a spectacular come from behind 7th round stoppage over WBO champion Sergey Kovalev before a sold out crowd at the new Hard Rock Hotel.

Kovalev boxed well over the first part of the fight, and then turned up heat in round four by landing hard power shots.

With Kovalev widening his lead, and cutting Alvarez under the left eye in round six, Alvarez came out in round seven by landing a huge right that stumbled and dropped Kovalev. Kovalev was badly hurt and took a big combination that sent him to the deck for a 2nd time. Kovalev was sent over the brink with a vicious combination that plummeted “The Krusher” to the canvas for a 3rd and final time, and the fight was 2:03.

Alvarez, 174.4 lbs of Montreal is 24-0 with 12 knockouts. Kovalev, 174 lbs of Chelyabrinsk, RUS is 32-3-1.

“I can’t describe how I feel,” said an elated Alvarez, thanking God and his entire team including trainer Marc Ramsey and promoter Yvon Michel, along with his family and the people of both Quebec and Colombia.

“I wanted to show him I’m strong, I have a good chin, and I’m ready for big things,” said Alvarez. On the knockout blow, Alvarez said “We practiced that punch during training camp, and that’s how it went … I always practiced that punch in training.”

Alvarez, a native of Colombia, had waited on a title shot as the WBC mandatory challenger for three years. When offered, he jumped at the chance to face Kovalev, earning him tremendous respect. Now he sits at the top of the division. Asked if he’d like to face the winner of the co-main event, Dmitry Bivol, Alvarez said “I’m ready for the best in the world. I’m ready for the best in the division. I’ve been waiting for five years. I’m ready for anybody.”

Speaking on Instagram from the back of an ambulance en route to a local hospital, an upbeat Kovalev reassured fans he was all right. “I am on my way to the hospital to check my head, check my body … I feel OK. Thank you everyone, thank you very much to all the fans around the world for your support. I love you, and I’m fine.”

Dmitry Bivol defended the WBA Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Isaac Chilemba.

The fight started out with a fast pace with a number of exchanges in the first four rounds. Bivol got the better with faster and harder shots. Bivol then settled the fight down and used his boxing ability and timely power punching to win by scores of 120-108 twice and 116-112.

Bivol, 174.6 lbs of St. Petersburg, RUS is 14-0. Chilemba, 175 lbs of Malawi is 25-6-2.

“Chilemba is a good fighter, and he had champion spirit tonight,” said Bivol. “He is a strong fighter. I want to fight more good fighters. I don’t know who my next opponent will be.

“We will see what will happen … I just want to fight the best fighters.”

Chilemba said, “I believe I won every round from the fifth. I pushed Bivol backwards and made him miss. I deserve a rematch.”

Meririm Nursultanov stopped Jonathan Batista at the end of round two of their scheduled eight-round middleweight bout.

Nursultanov dropped Batista in round two, and Batista was too hurt to continue.

Nursultanov, 159.4 lbs of Astana, KAZ is 8-0 with 7 knockouts. Batsita, 1636 lbs of San Pedro, DR is 17-15.

“I didn’t like that he quit. I wanted a real knockout, so it is not how I planned.” Nursultanov said he had a solid five weeks of training camp and “I was ready, 100 percent.” To his fans, ‘The Sultan’ said “Thank you everybody, thank you Atlantic City. It’s a very good place and I hope to come back here again.”

Karl Dargan came back from a two-year Hiatus to register a six-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Perez in a lightweight bout.

Dargan, 135.6 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 18-1. Perez.136 lbs of Braanaquilla. COL is 37-23.

Dargan said he was satisfied with the results after the layoff. “I mainly wanted to get the rounds in. There are a lot of things I saw that I could have done. But I didn’t want to make no mistakes.” Dargan said the win gives him new motivation going forward. “It was like a pro debut again. I’m going to stay ready, and stay in the gym. As long as I am healthy, I am going to keep moving.”

Frank Galarza stopped Alexis Duarte in round two of their scheduled ten-round junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Galarza dropped duarte with a left hook to the body. After an exchange, Galarza dropped Duarte with another left to hook to the body that sent Duarte to the canvas for the ten-count at 1:57.

Galarza, 154.4 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 20-2-2 with 12 knockouts. Duarte, 151.6 lbs of New York, NY is 13-6-1.

After the bout, Galarza reflected on the win. “I feel good, I feel like a rock star at the Hard Rock! There is always room for improvement.”

Galarza was treated for a cut on top of the head after the bout. “I think he gave me a head butt, he gave me a little laceration on the top of my head. But we executed – you know, he was a little wild. We came in and stood tight, stayed low, and went for the body. We did the job, we took him out with a body shot.”

Galarza said he has ambitious plans for his next fight. “I want to start getting some names, get some TV, some HBO. Let’s start fighting someone big!”

Bakhram Murtzaliev destroyed Fernando Carcamo 41 seconds into their ten-round junior middleweight bout.

Murtzaliev pounded and dropped Carcamo with a vicious right hand. Carcamo got up very wobbly, and the fight was stopped.

Murtzaliev, 153 lbs of Grozny, RUS is 13-0 with 11 knocoiys Carcamo, 154 lbs of Ciudad, MEX is 23-9.

“It happened so fast, I still don’t understand,” Murtazaliev admitted. “I just left, and I am in the dressing room already. Of course, I’m very happy. A win is a win. We are moving forward fast.” Murtazaliev said he wants to fight a world champion next for a title. To his fans, Murtazaliev said, “Thank you very much for supporting me. Please continue to support me, I promise I will show you the best fights.”

Mediyar Askkeyev stopped Eduardo Flores in round four of their scheduled eight-round junior middleweight bout.

Flores was deducted a point in round three for spitting out his mouthpiece due to the beating he was taken. Finally in round four the bout was stopped after an Ashkeyev flurry.

Ashkeyev, 153 lbs of Merki, KAZ is 10-0 with six knockouts. Flores, 153 lbs of Quito, ECU is 24-30-4.

“I listened to my trainer Marcos Contreras, I followed his direction and you see the results,” said Ashkeyev. “I’m very happy with the results I showed today. I will keep moving forward.” Ashkeyev said he heard the fans cheering their approval. “I heard everybody. I’m very proud of all my fans.”

Denis Douglin won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Vaughn Alexander in a super middleweight bout.

Douglin, 167.2 lbs of Marlboro, NJ won by scores 100-90 and 99-91 twice. Douglin is now 20-6. Alexander, 1664 lbs of St. Louis, MO is 12-1.

“I give myself a C-plus,” said Douglin of the win. “I had a little bit of ring rust. I felt like I should have done more to him in the earlier rounds. It took a little bit to get comfortable. Fighters shouldn’t be fighting once a year. It took me time to shake off the nerves, but once I felt good, I felt good. I’ll be back in the gym on Monday. I’m from Jersey, so people are looking for me to keep coming.”

After the fight, Alexander said it just wasn’t his night. “The dude was tough like I knew he would be.” Alexander said he would now give some thought to his future. “I have to go and think about what I want to do – I don’t know.”

Enriko Gogokhia won a six-round unanimous decision over Rontes Montes in a welterweight bout.

Gogokhia, 147.4 lbs of Zugdidi, Georgia Republic won by scores of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 8-0. Montes, 148/8 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is 18-10.

“I felt very good,” said Gogokhia after the bout. “I’m happy with only 50 percent of everything. I won, but I didn’t knock him out. I didn’t fight for nine months due to injury. This was a good warmup for the next fight. I’ll fight everybody they give to me.”

Gogokhia had a message for his loyal fans. “Thank you very much to everybody who came to support me. I’m going to show you very nice fights in the future.”

In a battle of undefeated junior middleweights, Ismael Villareal won a four-round unanimous decision over Kieran Hooks.

Villareal, 156.4 lbs of Bronx, NY won by scores of 39-37 on all cards, and is now 3-0. Hooks, 156.4 lbs of Philadelphia is 3-1-1.

Villarreal called it a good fight. “I feel great. I am happy that I got to Puerto Rico and prepare myself for this. I think that really helped a lot for this fight,” said Villarreal. “I want to say thank you for everybody supporting me, and especially Joe (trainer Jose Santiago) for telling me to go to Puerto Rico to train.”

Villarreal, 20, son of former super lightweight fighter Otilio Villarreal, is building his own fan base and legacy, while simultaneously carrying a full course load at Brooklyn Community College, majoring in secondary education. Villarreal will be back to school in a few weeks. And then? “Whatever fight is next, I’m going to fight. Hopefully it’s soon.”

“It was a great night of boxing, Boxing is back in Atlantic City,” declared Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events.

Photos by Ronnit Zalayet

Sergey Kovalev vs. Eleider Alvarez Scouting Report

(Atlantic City, New Jersey) – WBO and IBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev of Russia makes a dual title defense against undefeated light heavyweight contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez of Colombia at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Saturday, August 4. The fight card will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

VIDEO: HBO Boxing News: 1-on-1 with Eleider Alvarez

Live Stream: Kovalev vs. Alvarez & Bivol vs. Chilemba Official Weigh-In

Sergey Kovalev vs. Eleider Alvarez Dmitry Bivol vs. Isaac Chilemba Final Press Conference Quotes

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events

“Oh, if these walls could talk! There are so many stories. If I got started, we’d never hear from anyone today. Main Events could not be happier to be bringing world championship boxing back to Atlantic City. We hope it’s a long, enjoyable stay.

“We are back with a bang!

“All the fighters in our lineup are excited to be here where so many great names in the past have made big impressions: Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Arturo Gatti. All our fighters would LOVE to add their names to this list. It will be fun watching them go for it.

“This Saturday night in our televised fights on HBO World Championship Boxing, four light heavyweights know the eyes of the world will be on them. They want to make a big impression. You will want to be part of this! But you need to move fast. Our floor and ringside seats are just about sold out.

“Tickets starting at 50 dollars are still available through Ticketmaster and Hard-Rock-Hotel-Atlantic-City-dot-com for Saturday’s event or you can watch live on HBO World Championship Boxing® starting at 10 pm Eastern and Pacific Time. At the top of our card are a pair of exciting fights in the red-hot light heavyweight division: first up are Dmitry Bivol facing his toughest test against Isaac Chilemba. In our main event, two-time light heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev against an opponent who wants to hold on to his undefeated record and take a few belts home to Canada, Eleider Alvarez.

“On our non-televised undercard, we have our own version of the Fantastic Four from the famed Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, California.

“They are led by top 15 ranked Bakhram Murtazaliev of Russia, who is co-promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions, facing Fernando Carcamo of Mexico. This is a ten round IBA Junior Middleweight title fight. We have a middleweight battle between Meiirim Nursultanov of Kazakhstan and Jonathan Batista of the Dominican Republic. This is an eight-round fight which will be televised internationally.

“His Kazakh countryman Madiyar Ashkeyev is back after being out due to injury. He is ready to go and fights Eduardo Flores of Ecuador in an eight-round junior middleweight showdown. The fourth of the Fantastic Four is Enriko Gogokhia – or ‘Gogo’ – from Georgia, fighting Ronald Montes of Columbia in a six-round welterweight fight.

“Super middleweight Vaughn Alexander’s amazing comeback story continues here Saturday – 11 years away from boxing and he picked right back up where he left off. He is the freshest boxer over 30 you’ll ever see. Vaughn plans to make a statement against New Jersey’s Denis Douglin. And he wouldn’t mind upstaging his brother Devon who fights in New York on the same night!

“We never forget the local fans who come out to support their neighborhood fighters. Two of our favorites are joining us in Atlantic City. They include Brooklyn’s ‘Notorious’ Frank Galarza and our fighting college student, Ismael Villarreal from the Bronx. And back in the lineup for Main Events after a few years away, lightweight Karl Dargan of Philadelphia returns in a six-round bout against Jonathan Perez of Colombia. Karl has been busy getting married, working in the hip-hop world, and turning up on reality TV.

“Twenty-five years ago, Arturo Gatti fought his first fight in Atlantic City on May 15, 1992, in this very arena. It was his fifth pro fight and Main Events’ first fight in the Etess Arena. Which one of our undercard fighters will be the next Gatti? You never know – be sure to watch them and you may have a big story to tell your kids 25 years from now.

“We are thankful to our sponsor Leon.RU for joining us on this promotion.

“For this card, we are working with Groupe Yvon Michel, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing. When people want to make fights, it’s a breeze and a joy. Thank you everyone for your contribution to this exceptional card on Saturday.
I want to thank HBO Boxing and Ray Stallone who is here with us today for their support. I know they are as thrilled as we are to be back in Atlantic City in the Etess Arena. Ray, will you come up and say a few words about Saturday’s fight.

Ray Stallone
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Ray Stallone, HBO Vice President of Media Relations

“Thank you, I hope my voice is clear and easy to listen to. I’m subbing for Peter Nelson, who is the head of HBO Sports, who many of you know. And I don’t know many people in network sports who have the same love and passion as Peter. So, I texted him this morning, and I said, “Is there a hair and makeup allowance for speaking at the press conference?” And he texted me back, and said no, but I can get you a voice coach. So, I hope I am able to deliver today and represent HBO Sports.

“As Kathy mentioned, we are thrilled to be in Atlantic City. Talk about memories! HBO, Main Events, Atlantic City — you know what a recipe for terrific fight action. And we are responsible for the television production, and we are responsible, and we are going to embrace Saturday night’s fight. Love being at the Hard Rock. It’s exiting being with some old friends. And we are really delighted we are partnering. And I did want to say that we are really underscoring the global appeal of boxing. We are in Atlantic City and look at the background of the four fighters who are fighting on the two televised cards. Look at where the promoters even hail from. It just underscores the global appeal of this sport. So, I think we are in for an exciting night on Saturday night, once again as Kathy had mentioned we will be on the air at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time for championship boxing with our A-Team. Once again, thank you for having us.

Kathy Duva

“I also want to welcome and thank for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. They have been an amazing partner and host for all of us. Boxing is so important to the Hard Rock, only the best would do – and they got him out of retirement! Bernie Dillon is now Vice President of Entertainment for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. How lucky we all are to have him back in boxing. Please do yourself a favor – buy him a meal and get him talking sometime.”

Kathy Duva & Bernie Dillon Share a Laugh
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Bernie Dillon, Vice President of Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

“Thank you, Kathy, and welcome everyone to the new Hard Rock Hotel in Atlantic City. It’s a pleasure to welcome everyone here. Welcome Kathy Duva and her awesome Main Events staff. As she mentioned, we go way back and have produced many fights together with her husband and — oh gosh, I can’t tell you how many different champions we have produced together, but everyone from Evander Holyfield to Pernell Whitaker. And the list goes on and on and on.

“And certainly welcome to Commissioner Hazzard and the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. Always a pleasure to see Larry, and work with what I consider the best commission. I have worked all over the country and a few parts of the world. They are second to none, and believe me always fighters come first, and their safety. Larry has always been at the forefront of that.

“Welcome HBO Sports, Ray, it’s been a while, good to see you.

“Most importantly, welcome to the fighters. Mr. Kovalev, Mr. Alvarez, Bivol, Chilemba, and all the great fighters who are appearing on the undercard. Welcome to our great property, and hopefully many return in the future.

“What a great night, this Saturday night in the Hard Rock live at the Etess Arena. Of course, Kathy mentioned the arena. We are able to maintain the name of the arena after the great Mark Etess. I am sure there will be a few tears shed by some of us, but it’s a great boxing facility. And we will talk about it some more.

“Saturday night marks a major step for this property. Early in our first 45 days of development, we have spoken consistently about the Hard Rock Brand representing many genres of music and different types of entertainment. The Hard Rock has had an enlightenment of classic rock, rock alternative, and country, pop, urban R&B, jazz, blues, comedy. We really represent it all. We have had names like Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, the Howie Mandell Comedy Club, Hall and Oates, Steely Dan, Florida Georgia Line, Maroon 5, Maxwell, Motor City 5, Pitbull, Blake Shelton, Amy Schumer – I could go on and on, but it’s really been exiting to present big time entertainment to everyone coming back to Atlantic City.

“And now the return of boxing to the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. When Kathy called me in April to discuss this event, we were actually talking about some other shows. And she mentioned this date, and she couldn’t do this show because she had another event featuring Kovalev and Alvarez. I said, ‘Wait a minute – how about bringing that to Atlantic City?’ And I think your response was ‘Really?’ and ‘Sure enough!’

“I knew from the beginning when she told me HBO was involved and the date, Saturday night in the middle of the summer, that it was the right fit for us. And she mentioned our ticket sales have been excellent. The response from our invited guests have been amazing on the casino side, and we expect well over one hundred media to be in attendance. That’s great publicity for us, that’s great publicity for the sport of boxing and I am just thrilled we can be a part of this.

“One thing Kathy did get wrong. She did mention we had twenty ringside seats left. We are sold out, and I am pleased to announce that the ringside area is sold out. We do have a limited amount of the $150 tickets left. We have another limited amount of our $100 tickets and plenty of $50 tickets left. We thought it was very important to keep this fight, this card affordable to the general public and rebuild the interest in boxing in Atlantic City.

“Hard Rock Live at the Arena is one of the best arenas to watch boxing. It was designed many years ago, and we had a part in putting the arena together from a technical stand point and made it, I think, a very good place for the media to come in and for HBO and other networks, and it today is very good for us.

“So, come in and enjoy a great night of boxing on a great property at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. It’s a great place to come and stay. And enjoy something else we have going on here, which is 365 Live. We have five other stages that we promote, over 50 live performances a week. And we are committed to having live entertainment over the year, and we have boxing and it will be a big part of that. Welcome and it’s great to be back. And to be home for me. Thank you.”

Larry Hazzard
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Kathy Duva

“We are pleased to once again work with the New Jersey State Athletic
Control Board on this fight. Here with us today is commissioner Larry Hazzard.”

Larry Hazzard, Commissioner New Jersey State Athletic Control Board

“It’s really great having Bernie, Main Events, Kathy and all of the team back here in New Jersey again. This propels us, I think, back into big time boxing here in the state of New Jersey.

“I first came to Atlantic City in 1978 as a young referee, and I have had the great blessing and great experience to have been around for all of the great fights that have taken place here, either as a referee or as the commissioner. It is great to see one of my favorites, the great Roy Jones Jr. here today, who created so many exciting events with his performances.

“Furthermore, it has been a great and exciting adventure for us in Atlantic City. It is great to have Bernie Dillon back as one of the casino entrepreneurs, because as I have often said, we need boxing people back to bring boxing back. So, we are feeling good about this event, an outstanding event that makes us feel great about the future of boxing again here in New Jersey. Especially since we have real promoters back, Main Events and Atlantic City, it is just a great combination and an outstanding event they have put together.

“I have sat in my office looking at these bouts, and I told Jolene, you make my job very easy. One of the easiest parts of my job is approving bouts, because everything that comes in here looks like a home run.

“Therefore, it is no surprise to me that tickets are close to sold out, showing further that this is going to be a great event! We are really hoping that with this event and many more to come, New Jersey will once again springboard into the big-time boxing world, where it has been for so many years and where it belongs. I want to congratulate you Kathy and I also want to congratulate you too, Bernie, because with you two working together, in the future, I think that we are going to have some exciting events and New Jersey will once again reclaim its place as the boxing capital of the world. Thank you.”

Roy Jones Jr.
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Kathy Duva

“Finally, to the media present today and watching live, thank you for your time and your interest. You are in for a real show – the kind of show only Atlantic City can deliver! Years from now you will be able to say ‘I was there’ when boxing made its big comeback in Atlantic City.

“On to our co-main and main event fights. The light heavyweight division continues to burn bright. I challenge you to name any other division this competitive at this moment. Any one of the top 20 ranked fighters is a dangerous opponent. And we have the best of the best for you.
“Isaac Chilemba of Malawi in Africa has come a long way for this shot. He is currently 25-5-2 with 10 knockouts. But there is something the record doesn’t show. This man has a reputation for making opponents prove themselves. Just ask Sergey Kovalev and Eleider Alvarez. They are both here today, so you can ask them.

“Chilemba takes on WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol of Russia. Bivol has 11 knockouts in 13 fights and is undefeated. Chilemba, as we have learned in our long association with him at Main Events fears no one. But his opponents need to have a little healthy fear — or they will be in for a shock.

“Let’s hear a few words from Isaac and team. First, I want to wish manager Jodi Solomon a very happy birthday today! I think we all know what she wants as her birthday present. Isaac, no pressure!

“But you might have heard of Isaac’s trainer his name is Roy Jones, Junior. Let’s welcome him to the podium to introduce Isaac.”

Roy Jones Jr., Trainer of Isaac Chilemba

“First, I want to say – thank God for giving us all the pleasure of being together to fellowship and to see this thing, keep it often in Atlantic City. I want to say. “what’s happening?” and thank you to my man Larry. And so good to see Bernie again, because these guys were around in my heyday. And to see them again just automatically lights a fire in your heart. Because, to me, when I came up, Atlantic City was almost the Vegas of the East.

“It was the only place that had casinos, and the only place that had the casino feel. So, when you got to Atlantic City to fight, you feel like you pretty much made it. I got here my second fight, and I dished out a lot of punishment along this boardwalk. It was fun, so I look forward to seeing it again.

“You could not ask for a better card to start it off because you have two world championship fights and four really high-class athletes, Isaac being one of them, who is definitely hungry for a title. And when he first mentioned the fight to me, I said ‘Bivol is a pretty tough character. Maybe we should wait a little longer.’ And he said, ‘No, I want a world title. I want to take my chances and go at it.’

“So, if he wants to go at it, we will go at it. And we are here. He wants to win, so we are coming to win. It is a great fight night for everyone. I am looking forward to seeing even the main event, because we know a lot about both Eleider Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev – which is another fight that on any given day, people would think either man could win.

“All four fights that Kathy put together for you are fights that are remarkable and competitive, giving any man a chance to win the fight. With that being said, everyone here is looking to win, two guys are looking to keep their titles and two men are looking to take their titles. You cannot ask for a better night, and without further ado, I want to bring Isaac to the podium to tell you all what he thinks.”

Isaac Chilemba
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Isaac Chilemba, WBA Light Heavyweight Contender

“Thank you. First of all, I just want to thank God, HBO and Main Events for this opportunity. I would like to thank my team, Jodi Solomon, Roy Jones Jr., Shadow (cornerman Sibusiso Shabane), the fans, and everyone else out there who is behind me. It was a long road to get here. I had two rough years since I last fought here in the states, when I tore the ligaments in my arm against Oleksandr Gvozdyk. I had to take time off from boxing for more than a year. It was rough for me to go through all that. I made it through all of that and my team did not give up on me. They stood behind me and supported me. They kept telling me that I would be back.

“Thank God, my very first fight when I came back was a title fight in Australia. Anyone who has ever fought there know how hard it is to win with the politics in Australia. You have to be on top of your game to convince the judges. We did it and won the WBC International Title.

“I was very grateful for that, and now in the very next fight instead of defending my title, I have a world title shot against a tough opponent, Bivol. I really want to thank Bivol and his team for this chance, and Main Events and HBO for the opportunity. I thank God, and I am glad I am here. This time, I am not going to let this opportunity slip through my hands. I am going to win it. I am going to walk out of the ring on the 4th of August as a winner, as a world champion.”

Vadim Kornilov and Dmitry Bivol
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Kathy Duva

“I want to take a moment to thank Andrei Ryabinsky’s World of Boxing for giving Main Events the chance to work closely with Dmitry and introduce him to the fans in the United States. He is the definition of a knockout artist. Dmitry knows his boxing history. In fact, he knows the legacy of the great fighters here in Atlantic City.
“Dmitry said recently in an interview he wants to have one of those fights fans always remember. Guess what fight he picked as an example? Gatti versus Ward. It is a pretty high bar, but you never know what might happen here on Saturday.

“Dmitry’s English, I have to remark, continues to improve dramatically after training in Los Angeles. We also have Dmitry’s manager Vadim Kornilov who would like to say a few words. Vadim, will you share your thoughts about this fight here in Atlantic City and also introduce Dmitry to the crowd?”

Vadim Kornilov, Manager of Dmitry Bivol

“Thank you, Kathy. Always a pleasure. First, I want to say a few words about Main Events. A very special company, the whole team, everyone is on top of everything it is so impressive. Fight week with Main Events is so much easier than usual and I thank you for that. Of course, World of Boxing and Andrei Ryabinsky, they have done so much for Dmitry and for us and we would probably not be able to be here without them and I just want to thank them for that.

“Of course, HBO, just as Roy said the three letters in boxing that are most important, HBO. We have had Ruslan Provodnikov, Viktor Postol, many others and now, Dmitry Bivol. Most of these guys are all names that once you say the name everyone in boxing knows. Everyone has seen them, and everybody has heard, and that is what HBO does. And they just really know how to get the PR and the attention the fighter needs and everything else is up to the fighter.

“Thank you to Sergey and his team. It is a pleasure to be on his main event. We enjoy being here and being able to watch Sergey on his main event. The whole country is proud of Sergey for being one of the top fighters from Russia.

“Of course, Atlantic City and the Hard Rock, to be honest we did not expect this. This is a great venue and a great hotel, and we really hope that this is the return that everyone has been waiting for. I am sure it will be. Now, I would like to introduce the humble and respectful champion Dmitry Bivol to say a few words. I am very impressed with the way his career is moving forward and he really knows how to stay professional and use his intelligence, which his English will speak for. I appreciate your time.”

Dmitry Bivol
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Dmitry Bivol, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion

“Hello, first of all, I want to say, thank you everyone for coming here and I’m grateful that Chilemba took this fight and he decided quickly. I respect him for this, and his team I want to say thank you everyone who organized this fight, Kathy Duva – thank you – Main Events, Andre Ryabinsky and the World of Boxing and of course HBO.”

“Thank you for this chance for me to show my boxing skills to many people. I’m really glad. And I’m glad to be here in Atlantic City, because I know there were many great fights, like Arturo Gatti against Micky Ward. I’m glad to be part of boxing’s return in Atlantic City.

“When I got my belt, I make one small step to my dream. To be a big name, to make a big name in boxing. Of course, I’m not going to give my belt to someone. I’m not giving my belt to Chilemba. I’m going to keep it a long time. I will try to do my best for boxing fans, for people who watch our fight. I hope it will be an enjoyable fight for you.

Kathy Duva

“The thing I keep hearing consistently from everyone is how smooth things are going, how much better Main Events is, how much it is a pleasure it is to work with us. And I have to say, it’s 100 percent true! But I do not get any of the credit for that. Jolene, Nicole, Lisa, Alexis, Joe, our fabulous PR support team of Gayle, Ed, and Ellen, they are the very best. They work harder than anybody else. Being behind the scenes and watching in recent weeks as I always do as Fight Week approaches – my hat’s off to all of you. You make us look so good, and I want you to know how much I love you all and appreciate it. I’m happy to hear people reconfirm for me what I already know.

“Moving on to our main event. We are happy to have Eleider Alvarez here for just his second fight in the United States. He is undefeated with a record of 23 wins, 11 by knockout. He is coming off notable wins over legendary Canadian veterans Jean Pascal and Lucien Bute.

“When others said no to Sergey Kovalev – and I promise you, Jolene can attest to this – many others have said no to Sergey. Eleider and his team did not hesitate for one second. Bravo and how refreshing. Alvarez is ranked in the top five and a legitimate challenger. He has been waiting for two years for the shot that he earned – two eliminator fights, including one with Isaac. He is crafty and smart. And not to be under estimated.

“I’m going to ask Eleider’s promoter, Yvon Michel to come up and introduce him, and trainer, Marc Ramsay.”

Yvon Michel
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Yvon Michel, Promoter of Eleider Alvarez

“Thank you very much, Kathy. Thank you very much everybody who is here for this press conference. We are very, very happy. You cannot imagine how happy we are to be here, and for several reasons. I want to thank HBO for televising this event. I want to thank Mr. Dillon for your great place here at the Hard Rock. I want to thank the Main Events staff, Kathy for all their collaboration for the making of this event.

“Atlantic City means a lot for people in Quebec. It’s been for long, a great vacation place. Also, we used to come here for great boxing events. My first fight here, it was when I came for a world championship with Matthew Hilton, Stefan Willette, and many more.

“And I can tell you, that fight has been easy to make with Kathy. And I’m happy, very happy, that finally we have been able to make a big event together. We have done the title eliminator between Eleider and Isaac Chilemba. But for a main event, we started the first time I met Kathy to try to make a deal, it was in 2004. It was for Leonard Dorin against Arturo Gatti. We laid down everything to make the deal, and finally I left the company Interbox then. She went ahead and made the deal with the group that followed up. So, I came here as a spectator.

“I met Kathy, and we have tried several times to make other things. But this one, it’s a good one. We’re very happy to fight The Krusher. Sergey Kovalev is a great, great champion. He proved it by coming back. And a lot of people are saying that maybe he’s not the same since the Andre Ward fight. But probably a lot people believe he won the first fight against Andre Ward. The second fight, it’s another story. But he came back and when a fighter is coming back like that, this is showing his true value.

“It’s a great, great challenge for Eleider Alvarez against Krusher. But Eleider is ready for that. Eleider Alvarez has come a long way. He has been fighting professional since 2009. It’s been nine years since he moved, he left everything in Colombia, to come to Quebec, learn French, and learn his professional boxing. He’s been world ranked five years. The first time he was world ranked, he became a mandatory contender almost two years ago. He didn’t waste his time, he was a mandatory contender and he got his best win in his career. The best wins in his career have always been against the biggest challenge. When he fought in Monaco, when he came here in Chicago, when he fought Jean Pascal – he always gave his best performance against the best opposition.

“And when, even if he hasn’t fought since the Pascal fight 14 months ago, I tell you he is the best prepared that is possible for Eleider Alvarez. He has done everything, He has a great team of trainers behind him. And I’d like to invite the greatest coach trainer in Canada, to come here and talk about his preparation. So, I’d like to have Marc Ramsay come here.”

Marc Ramsay
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Marc Ramsay, Trainer of Eleider Alvarez

“Thank you, Yvon, first of all I would like to thank HBO, Main Events, and Groupe Yvon Michel for coming together to give us that great opportunity. I would like to thank also Sergey, he has no obligation to give us that chance. Win or lose, he is always going for the biggest challenge possible. And as a coach, as a boxing guy, I respect that, I have a lot of respect for this.

“Eleider Alvarez had an amazing training camp. We have no injury, no excuse. He is ready to perform, ready to go, and I can guarantee you Saturday we are going for our realm.”

Eleider Alvarez
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Eleider Alvarez, WBO Light Heavyweight Contender

“Good afternoon to all of you, First, I want to thank God for being able to actually be here. Thank you, HBO, Main Events, Kathy Duva, Groupe Yvon Michael, to the members of my team, and my manager who’s not here right now. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.

“With my trainer, I had one of the best, hardest trainings in the world. It’s made me in the best shape I’ve ever been right now. Having this opportunity to go up against a fighter with one of the greatest reputations of any contender I could think of, Sergey Kovalev, it’s an incredible opportunity. I’m very full of pride and joy to let the world know who Eleider Alvarez is. It’s time.

“I have a great training team, with Marc right here. We will be ready to go and fight. I have the talent, I am what I am. All I can do is wait to get in the ring Saturday and go for it. I give my respect to Kovalev. I want to let him know it’s a great honor. But on August 4th, I’m going to be the next world champion.

“Thank you to the journalists from Quebec for your support. I will bring home the victory.”

Egis Klimas
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Kathy Duva

“You know, the last time there was a big fight in Atlantic City was just about four years ago when Sergey had one of those legendary nights with Bernard Hopkins here and walked away with three world titles. You think about it and here he is bringing it back, and when you think about it, it kind of makes sense. In my lifetime in this sport, the fighters who probably were the absolute favorites here in Atlantic City were Mike Tyson and Arturo Gatti. What those two have in common with Sergey Kovalev, other than being knockout artists, is they kind of have an attitude. Okay, and we know Sergey has an attitude, but it makes sense because this is Jersey. We all have an attitude, and I think that’s why this guy from Russia fits in so beautifully here!

“And Egis just said to me he’s got four ringsides for the highest bidder, if anybody wants it. Tickets are in very short supply.

“And so finally we move on to the man. And you have all heard that saying. right? ‘To be the man, you have to beat the man.’ Well, Sergey is the man in this very competitive division. And you don’t have to just take it from me; just ask any of the light heavyweights whenever they win a fight and gets asked, “who do you want next?’ They say Sergey Kovalev — you know, until Jolene calls them up and offers them a fight.

“But he is hungry, and he is looking forward. He has one goal left before he retires, and that is all of the belts. So, let’s hope all of the other champions cooperate this time. And if they do, we are in for one hell of a good time.
Sergey is here along with his manager and my dear friend Egis Klimas, who I call Manager of the Year for life. Because I really think they’re going to have to retire that award for you soon. Sergey and Egis, we at Main Events were just meant to meet them the day we did, and it has been glorious ever since. We’ve had our ups and we’ve certainly had our downs, and it has been one of my greatest experiences of my life to work with them and it continues to be. And I’m going to bring Egis up here to please give us our thoughts about Saturday’s bout.

Egis Klimas, Manager of Sergey Kovalev

“Hello everybody and welcome to Atlantic City, with a venue nobody thought we would be seeing, this Hard Rock. So, thank you for the hospitality.

“Great news! First of all, I have the best seat in the house between two champions. Second, Kathy just mentioned they have four ringside tickets, which I can sell for $800. she didn’t mention the price… going once, going twice No? Okay, we’ll deal later.

“What can I tell, what can I tell, that’s going to be a big test for Sergey Saturday night. Because he is going to be facing, as Yvon Michel said, one of the best. They are champions, but when we talk they are not champions – but one of the best light heavyweights today in boxing. I have no doubt. I believe in Sergey, I saw his preparation, and I saw the way he prepared for this fight. And I’m not going to talk much; Sergey is going to show us Saturday night in the ring. And I just want to say: Krusher is back. Thank you.”

The Krusher
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Kathy Duva

“And again, it is my profound pleasure to be able to introduce to you the light heavyweight champion of the world, Sergey Kovalev. The Krusher.”

Sergey Kovalev, Two-Time Light Heavyweight World Champion

“Hi everyone. What can I say, but I am really glad to be here at one of the famous places of boxing, Atlantic City. I am very happy to be fighting here.
I want to first of all say, thank you very much to my team, my newest promotions of Krusher Promotions, HBO and Hard Rock Hotel for organizing this fight, this event and to all of my boxing friends who follow me. It is very important to me, because it gives me motivation moving forward. And all that I do right now and continue to do after my two crazy losses.”

It was a kick from life to awaken me and put my mind on the right trail. I lost my mind when I started to get famous. And I also didn’t have a coach in my training camp. I now have coaches in my training camps. (Before) all of my training camps were done myself, and of course some training camps were good, and some were not. There were some mistakes, of course there are always mistakes, and of course my performances were right, some a little good, and some not.”

Right now, with my coach working with me for the fight, Abror Tursunpulatov, I feel much more professional, because we’ve delivered and went through mistakes. I hope this Saturday, I will show my best skills and what I came to do.
Thank you to the team of Eleider Alvarez to take this fight, because this fight is going to be really interesting. And I’m really proud because he is an undefeated guy and he is professional and fights strong. I just want to say, watch HBO this Saturday, and come to Hard Rock Hotel and watch a nice evening of boxing. Thank you very much, and thanks to God for everything.”

Kathy Duva

“Atlantic City is back in the boxing business and business is good! Once again, tickets start at just 50 dollars and we’re definitely heading for a sellout. Frankly, the 50s are mostly all that’s left. They are available through Ticketmaster, through Hard-Rock-Hotel-Atlantic-City-dot-com. Or you can watch live on HBO World Championship Boxing starting at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time.

“My thanks to all of the talented and dedicated people working hard to put on this impressive show Saturday – that includes HBO, Hard Rock, New Jersey Athletic Control Board, World of Boxing, Krusher Promotions, Groupe Yvon Michel, and Main Events.

“But I do need to single out one person. That is 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone. The guys have to do the fighting, but Jolene makes the magic happen and does most of the sweating. There is simply no matchmaker in the world with her eye. Will you please give Jolene and the rest of our team a round of applause?

“Thank you for coming today. We’ll now pose the fighters for photos.”

About Kovalev-Alvarez: In the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against undefeated contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Saturday, August 4, 2018. In the co-main event, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy’ Chilemba. Tickets range between $50 and $200 and are on sale now through HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com and Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel and World of Boxing and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

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Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Set on 17 acres, with the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will be Atlantic City’s go-to entertainment destination, boasting 2,200 slots, 120 table games, more than 20 first-class restaurants and lounges, and world-class entertainment, including Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, the beachside Sound Waves and the Howie Mandel’s Comedy Club. The hotel and casino also features the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the Atlantic City Boardwalk, showcasing a brand new elevated menu and state-of-the-art stage, allowing for an amplified level of service and entertainment. Along with an endless array of upscale amenities, including world-class shopping and the brand’s signature full-service Rock Spa and Salon, featuring 31 treatment rooms, the new, music-inspired property offers lavish guest rooms and suites, with stunning views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. From family vacations and business trips to weddings, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City offers an unparalleled experience. Each of the hotel’s guest rooms and suites radiates a contemporary style, including Hard Rock’s signature The Sound of Your Stay® music amenity program, which allows guests to set the mood with complimentary vinyl records or jam out on a Fender guitar in the privacy of their own room. Hotel guests can enjoy high speed, property-wide Wi-Fi, 24-Hour In-Room Dining, towel and chair service at Hard Rock Beach or at the indoor pool, and 24-Hour Access to Body Rock fitness. For more information and to book your stay, please visit hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.

Dmitry Bivol vs. Isaac Chilemba Scouting Report

(Atlantic City, New Jersey) – WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (13-0, 11 KOs) of Russia faces a title defense against light heavyweight contender Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (25-5-2, 10 KOs) of Malawi. Bivol and Chilemba will fight in the co-main event on the Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev vs. Eleider “Storm” Alvarez card at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on Saturday, August 4. The doubleheader will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Category
Dmitry Bivol
Isaac “The Golden Boy” Chilemba
Age
27
31
Record
13-0-0 (11 KOs)
25-5-2 (10 KOs)
Strength
Bivol is a strong light heavyweight who has wasted little time with his opposition thus far. He has legitimate power in both hands, a strong jab and unleashes vicious combinations.
Chilemba is a highly skilled technical fighter with plenty of experience. He has incredible endurance and great defense. He uses his jab well and is very accurate with all his punches.
Weakness
Although he’s the current WBA Light Heavyweight champion, Bivol only has 13 professional bouts under his belt. This is something that may play a part against his experienced opponent.
Chilemba lacks significant punching power in either hand. He has only recorded one knockout victory since 2011. He has been inactive, only fighting once in the past 22 months.
Experience
Bivol will be at a disadvantage. His most recent win over Sullivan Barrera came against his most impressive opponent thus far. Chilemba has been in the ring with some of the best men the light heavyweight division has to offer.
Chilemba has faced top opposition throughout his career, including Tony Bellew, Sergey Kovalev, Eleider Alvarez and more. He is coming in with more than double the number of professional bouts under his belt than his opponent.
Power
Bivol has raw and legitimate power in his punches. He has a powerful jab that he snaps all night, and anything that follows his jab can end the night in an instant.
Chilemba will be at a disadvantage. He’s recorded just one knockout win in his last 12 bouts. However, what he lacks in power he makes up for in timing and accuracy.
Speed
The WBA titleholder has quick hands and does a superb job of beating his opponents to the punch with uncanny timing.
Chilemba is quick on his feet and has tremendous body movement, which is a reason why he can be difficult to hit at times.
Endurance
Bivol proved in his most recent bout he could dig deep in the championship rounds when he earned a stoppage win in the 12th and final round against Sullivan Barrera.
Chilemba has proven time and time again his gas tank is just as deep as anyone’s. He has gone a full 12-rounds on 11 separate occasions, including his most recent bout, a UD win over former title contender Blake Caparello.
Accuracy
Bivol’s aggressive, in-your-face style has allowed him to perfect his accurate punching. He likes to close in on his opponents, leaving them little room to run.
Chilemba is a very accurate puncher. He picks his shots wisely and times his punches well. He is also an effective counter-puncher, which should help considering his opponent’s usual high punch output.
Defense
Isaac Chilemba will be the most technically skilled boxer the champion has faced in his young career. This fight will help determine the level of Bivol’s defense.
Chilemba will be at an advantage; he has good foot work and moves around the ring very well. He is also an effective counter-puncher, which stems from his defensive skills.
Chin
Bivol took some big shots in his last bout with Sullivan Barrera. He was able to weather the storm and finish the fight strong.
Chilemba has proven throughout his career that he can take a punch from the best. He is one of the few fighters to have gone the distance with current light heavyweight king Sergey Kovalev.
Style
Dmitry Bivol is a very physical, in-your-face fighter. He uses his jab to the fullest and throws punches in bunches. He likes to come forward throughout the fight and smother his opponents, which has worked to perfection so far in the young champion’s career.
Isaac Chilemba is a technical fighter who uses counter punching skills with an effective defense. He shows great patience in the ring in dissecting his opposition. He has demonstrated in past fights that if a slugfest breaks out, he will not hesitate to fight fire-with-fire.
Intangibles
Bivol won a world championship in just his 12th fight as a professional. He has thrown down the gauntlet to the division since his professional debut, and there is no turning back now. He fully understands as long as he holds the WBA title, he will continue to face the best 175 pounders in the world. Chilemba will be the most experienced and accomplished contender he has faced to date.
Throughout his career, Isaac Chilemba has never turned down a fight. He understands in order to achieve goals in this sport, you need to fight the best when those fights are offered to you. Chilemba has consistently fought the best. Now he has the chance to seize this opportunity to win a title. This fight will mark the fifth undefeated fighter he has faced in his previous six bouts.
Crowd Support
Dmitry Bivol should have significant crowd support. He gained new fans and put himself on the division map in his most recent TKO win over Sullivan Barrera.
Similar to his opponent, Isaac Chilemba should expect significant crowd support. He has some big wins on his resume, and has competed against some of the best fighters in the world.
The Match-Up
Will Chilemba be able to handle the power and picked shots by Bivol?
Will Bivol get frustrated with Chilemba’s tactical defense?
Will Chilemba be able to rise to the occasion?
Will Bivol put his stamp in the Light Heavyweight division and stop Chilemba, whose only stoppage was due to an injury rendering him unable to continue?

“This match up says a lot about each fighter,” said Main Events Matchmaker Jolene Mizzone, 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year. “You have Dmitry, who is not taking a step back from his last fight when he fought against Sullivan Barrera. Isaac has been in with the top light heavyweight fighters. Dmitry is taking a risk against a guy who has a lot to prove in the division and always comes to fight. That is dangerous for anyone. Then you have Chilemba, who has never turned down a challenge. He is fighting a young up-and-coming boxer who has a lot to prove, that too is dangerous. It is always refreshing when each boxer wants to challenge themselves!”

About Kovalev-Alvarez: In the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against undefeated contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Saturday, August 4, 2018. In the co-main event, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy’ Chilemba. Tickets range between $50 and $200 and are on sale now through HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com and Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel and World of Boxing and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

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Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Set on 17 acres, with the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will be Atlantic City’s go-to entertainment destination, boasting 2,100 slots, 120 table games, more than 20 first-class restaurants and lounges, and world-class entertainment, including Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, the beachside Sound Waves and the Howie Mandel Comedy Club. The hotel and casino also features the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the Atlantic City Boardwalk, showcasing a brand new elevated menu and state-of-the-art stage, allowing for an amplified level of service and entertainment. Along with an endless array of upscale amenities, including world-class shopping and the brand’s signature full-service Rock Spa and Salon, featuring 31 treatment rooms, the new, music-inspired property offers lavish guest rooms and suites, with stunning views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. From family vacations and business trips to weddings, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City offers an unparalleled experience. Each of the hotel’s guest rooms and suites radiates a contemporary style, including Hard Rock’s signature The Sound of Your Stay® music amenity program, which allows guests to set the mood with complimentary vinyl records or jam out on a Fender guitar in the privacy of their own room. Hotel guests can enjoy high speed, property-wide Wi-Fi, 24-Hour In-Room Dining, towel and chair service at Hard Rock Beach or at the indoor pool, and 24-Hour Access to Body Rock fitness. For more information and to book your stay, please visit hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.

LIVE VIDEO: KOVALEV – ALVAREZ FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE

https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing/videos/10155210481646324/

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS BATTLE AT THE JERSEY SHORE WHEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®: SERGEY KOVALEV VS. ELEIDER ALVAREZ AND DMITRY BIVOL VS. ISAAC CHILEMBA IS SEEN SATURDAY, AUG. 4

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING spotlights the competitive, talent-rich light heavyweight division with two world title bouts when SERGEY KOVALEV VS. ELEIDER ALVAREZ AND DMITRY BIVOL VS. ISAAC CHILEMBA is seen SATURDAY, AUG. 4 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) from the brand-new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, which will be hosting its first pro boxing event. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

The fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming services.

In the main event, light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev (32-2-1, 28 KOs) returns to Atlantic City for the fourth time, making his first visit to the Jersey Shore since his 2014 victory over future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins, when he unified three of the four light heavyweight world title belts. Kovalev will defend the crown he regained in 2017 against undefeated contender Eleider Alvarez (23-0, 11 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round contest. The 35-year-old Russian successfully defended his title this March on HBO when he overwhelmed Igor Mikhalkin en route to a seventh-round knockout. Known as “Krusher,” Kovalev now resides in southern California.

Alvarez, 34, born in Colombia and now residing in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, looks to stay undefeated in his HBO debut, shooting for a world title in his biggest test to date.

In the co-main event, dominating light heavyweights square off as undefeated Dmitry Bivol (13-0, 11 KOs) defends his portion of the title against ring warrior Isaac Chilemba (25-5-2, 10 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round bout. Bivol, 27, originally from Kyrgyzstan and now hailing from St. Petersburg, Russia, has quickly ascended to the top of the division since turning pro in 2014, knocking out all but two of his opponents.

Chilemba, 31, who is from Malawi and fights out of Johannesburg, South Africa, isn’t intimidated by competing all over the world, having fought in the U.S., England, Russia, Australia and Canada. He’s coming off a unanimous decision victory and looks to keep the momentum going in this challenging showdown.

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

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

The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein; producer, Thomas Odelfelt; director, Johnathan Evans.

Bakhram Murtazaliev Aims to Impress in Atlantic City

(Atlantic City, NJ): The fastest rising star under the joint banner of Krusher Promotions and Main Events plans to get some attention in Atlantic City on the undercard of the Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev vs. Eleider “Storm” Alvarez card at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Etess Arena on Saturday, August 4.

Junior middleweight Bakhram Murtazaliev (12-0, 10 KOs) of Grozny, Russia faces the hard-hitting Fernando Carcamo* (23-8, 18 KOs) of Ciudad, Mexico in ten rounds. It is Murtazaliev’s second defense of the IBA Junior Middleweight World Title he won at The Garden in November 2017.

Murtazaliev, 25, has quickly made a name for himself since coming to the United States in 2016. Sanctioning bodies are taking notice. The WBO now ranks Murtazaliev in the Top Ten at #10. The IBF has Murtazaliev among its top contenders as well, ranked #13. Sitting at the top of these divisions respectively are Jaime Munguia (WBO) and Jarrett Hurd (IBF).

Murtazaliev says the rankings are his ticket to getting the kind of fights he craves, both for himself and for the fans. “The first goal for me was to get good rankings. It gives me a chance to get good opponents and have big fights.” His main target is the WBO champion, the 21-year-old Munguia of Tijuana, Mexico who has made a splash with two recent victories over Sadam Ali and most recently a tough Liam Smith. “It will be an interesting fight for me, but not for him!” declared the confident Murtazaliev. “I guarantee it, 101 percent.”

Murtazaliev seeks first to extend his seven-fight knockout streak and improve his already impressive 83% knockout ratio (10 KOs in 12 wins) against Carcamo. The young Russian says he is “completely ready” for his opponent. “That’s all I’m going to say, I am completely ready.

“I’ve watched his fights,” said Murtazaliev. “He fights Mexican style. I like this, I know he’s going to come forward, and I know everything will work as we’ve planned. I like when boxers really fight. I don’t like when the fighters are running around, like in a circus. I like real fights, I like to fight.”

Murtazaliev says the most important thing now is for him to get those fights and continue rising up the rankings. But a win is not enough for him. He wants to impress the fans as well as the sanctioning organizations. “You need to win a nice fight … This is how you become the best fighter in your division,” said Murtazaliev.

Murtazaliev relies heavily on the guidance of trainer Abror Tursunpulatov, who also trains his stablemate and promoter Sergey Kovalev. “I really like and understand my coach … He know what I need, every step, even after training. Training is only a couple of hours a day. But Abror controls the entire day,” which Murtazaliev gratefully accepts.

While getting prepared for his upcoming bout, Murtazaliev hasn’t had as much time to communicate with his fans via social media as he likes. Fortunately his training videos are available for viewing now on his Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/team_bakhram_murtazaliev_/

Bahkram promises a special message to fans before the fight. “To my fans in Russia and all over the world, I know you’re missing me. I’ll make sure you see a lot up to the fight. I’m really happy I have these kind of fans. I’ll show what kind of boxer I am, and I won’t disappoint you for sure. Please follow me.”

It would be wise for Jaime Munguia and Jarrett Hurd to follow him, too.

*CORRECTION: In an earlier release, Carcamo was incorrectly named as the opponent of Madiyar Ashkeyev. Ashkeyev’s correct opponent is Eduardo Flores of Ecuador (24-29-4, 14 KOs).

About Kovalev-Alvarez: In the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against undefeated contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Saturday, August 4, 2018. In the co-main event, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy’ Chilemba. Tickets range between $50 and $200 and are on sale now through HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com and Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel and World of Boxing and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

FOLLOW US:
#KovalevAlvarez
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Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Set on 17 acres, with the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will be Atlantic City’s go-to entertainment destination, boasting 2,100 slots, 120 table games, more than 20 first-class restaurants and lounges, and world-class entertainment, including Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, the beachside Sound Waves and the Howie Mandel Comedy Club. The hotel and casino also features the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the Atlantic City Boardwalk, showcasing a brand new elevated menu and state-of-the-art stage, allowing for an amplified level of service and entertainment. Along with an endless array of upscale amenities, including world-class shopping and the brand’s signature full-service Rock Spa and Salon, featuring 31 treatment rooms, the new, music-inspired property offers lavish guest rooms and suites, with stunning views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. From family vacations and business trips to weddings, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City offers an unparalleled experience. Each of the hotel’s guest rooms and suites radiates a contemporary style, including Hard Rock’s signature The Sound of Your Stay® music amenity program, which allows guests to set the mood with complimentary vinyl records or jam out on a Fender guitar in the privacy of their own room. Hotel guests can enjoy high speed, property-wide Wi-Fi, 24-Hour In-Room Dining, towel and chair service at Hard Rock Beach or at the indoor pool, and 24-Hour Access to Body Rock fitness. For more information and to book your stay, please visit hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.

Eleider Alvarez Training Camp Quotes

ELEIDER ‘STORM’ ALVAREZ, WBC Silver Light Heavyweight Champion and WBO Light Heavyweight World Title Challenger

“I am well prepared for the biggest challenge of my career. I suffered in training and I am at my peak right now.”

“I think it will be a difficult fight for me, but also for Kovalev. I am excited, and I can’t wait to fight. I am ready for everything that he is bringing. It is my chance, it is my time!”

“I can’t stop smiling right now because next week, the whole world will know who is Eleider Alvarez.”

MARC RAMSAY, Trainer of Eleider Alvarez

“This training camp in high altitude in Bogota was hard, but really useful. In summer, with no other of my fighters in competition, I could concentrate at 100% on Eleider for his important world championship bout.”

“Eleider is at the top of his abilities and capacities right now.”

“We understand the extent of the challenge and we come to Atlantic City really confident. We have the recipe to beat Kovalev.”

YVON MICHEL, President of GYM

“Eleider Alvarez did two of his best performances on the road, in Monaco and Chicago, where he won by KO both times.”

“Eleider always raised his level and step his game up when the challenge was big. The bigger the challenge, the better he is.”

“We are convinced that Eleider has all the tools and everything it takes to comeback to Montreal with the WBO world title in his luggage.”

BERNARD BARRÉ, Vice President of GYM

“We decided to follow and sign Eleider in 2007 after the amateur world championship. He just had won the gold medal at the Pan-Am Games with a big KO over a Cuban champion. By seeing where he is right now, we can gladly say we did bet on the right guy!”

About Kovalev-Alvarez: In the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against undefeated contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Saturday, August 4, 2018. In the co-main event, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy’ Chilemba. Tickets range between $50 and $200 and are on sale now through HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com and Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel and World of Boxing and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

FOLLOW US:
#KovalevAlvarez
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Twitter: @krusherkovalev
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Twitter: @HBOBoxing
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Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Set on 17 acres, with the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will be Atlantic City’s go-to entertainment destination, boasting 2,100 slots, 120 table games, more than 20 first-class restaurants and lounges, and world-class entertainment, including Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, the beachside Sound Waves and the Howie Mandel Comedy Club. The hotel and casino also features the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the Atlantic City Boardwalk, showcasing a brand new elevated menu and state-of-the-art stage, allowing for an amplified level of service and entertainment. Along with an endless array of upscale amenities, including world-class shopping and the brand’s signature full-service Rock Spa and Salon, featuring 31 treatment rooms, the new, music-inspired property offers lavish guest rooms and suites, with stunning views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. From family vacations and business trips to weddings, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City offers an unparalleled experience. Each of the hotel’s guest rooms and suites radiates a contemporary style, including Hard Rock’s signature The Sound of Your Stay® music amenity program, which allows guests to set the mood with complimentary vinyl records or jam out on a Fender guitar in the privacy of their own room. Hotel guests can enjoy high speed, property-wide Wi-Fi, 24-Hour In-Room Dining, towel and chair service at Hard Rock Beach or at the indoor pool, and 24-Hour Access to Body Rock fitness. For more information and to book your stay, please visit hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.

Sergey Kovalev Media Workout Quotes

(Oxnard, Calif.) – WBO and IBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev of Russia hosted a media workout at The Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, California on Thursday, July 26, in preparation for his title defense against undefeated light heavyweight contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez of Colombia at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Saturday, August 4. The fight card will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:0 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoter Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, Manager of the Year Egis Klimas, and trainer Abror Tursunpulatov also attended and spoke with boxing media.

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, WBO and IBA Light Heavyweight World Champion:

About his opponent, Eleider Alvarez: “It’s a big test for me. He is very motivated. He’s hungry for this fight and for a victory. He’s undefeated. It’s not an easy fight and I must be ready for what he will bring.”

“He’s dangerous. I cannot say whether I can knock him out or get a victory by points. It’s a good fight for the boxing fans. I never said that I don’t want to fight this guy because he’s very strong. I’m ready for everybody. As a champion, as a boxer, I’m ready for anybody.”

About the importance of this fight: “It’s not the biggest fight in my life, but it’s a big for me because it’s the next chapter in my boxing career. Next time, it will be a harder opponent. He’s undefeated, he’s motivated, he’s hungry. I should be ready for whatever he can bring.”

About his desire to unify the division: “I’m building right now in my mind, my head, my personal championship in my division. In this division, it’s tough. We don’t have the opportunity to make a Super Series (tournament) like Oleksandr Usyk. My congratulations to him and to his team. He’s motivated me.

“We don’t have a tournament series in this division. But in my head, I have a schedule of my tournament, my championship. I am driven to win this championship. I have a picture in my head, I see my goals and my championship win.”

“It’s already started unofficially, between us. Because everybody wants to make unification fights I hope. Everyone who is a champion in the light heavyweight division wants to get all the belts together. We want to see who is first between us.”

About his preparation to face Eleider Alvarez: “I should prove I deserve to be champion. He is a good test for me. I saw a couple rounds in a couple of fights. I don’t spend a long time on this. I see enough to get the style he has. But he will be fighting different because right now, he is getting in shape to fight me. I have a plan, what to do in my head. I have completed my strategy, I will be ready for everything he can bring and inside the ring, after the first or second round, I will make adaptations because I’ll understand what I need to do.”

About his preparation for all his opponents: “If you come inside the ring, you should be ready for everything. For any situation, for any of his tactics. If you have only one plan for the fight, you will be losing, Be ready for an inside fight, outside fight, long distance, short distance, counter attack, anything.”

About his fifth camp training in Oxnard: “Here, there are a lot of guys who can help me with sparring sessions, It’s close to the ocean with a fresh breeze. It’s just your coach, your training. For me it is difficult to make training camp with family living at home. You always need to go somewhere, or my son wants me to play with him. Here it’s training, nap, training, rest. I train on time, lay down on time, nap on time, and keep working.”

About working with trainer Abror Tursunpulatov: “we’ve been working together, we understand each other. He gives me the same boxing study since I was 11 years old. It’s very comfortable. We speak I the same language, it’s easy. I follow his exact instructions. Before this, I did it with all of my amateur experience to the pros. Before, it was enough. But I spent all that amateur baggage. Right now, I need the help of a coach, and Abror helps me.”

About what he’s thinking during a fight: “In the ring, usually I don’t hear anybody. I am focused on the fight and the plans from what we’re doing right now in the gym with my coach. They are already inside of me. Sometimes, if you’re in trouble, you can hear something. Sometimes you even hear advice from the public, the fans! Really. Maybe only three or four times in my experience, not here in America, but in Russia when I was an amateur. I understand myself, whether it was a good round or a bad round.”

About his future opponents: “I am fighting everybody who is ready to fight me, who is available at this point. I never had a choice; do I want this fight or this other guy to fight. Egis (Klimas) or Kathy (Duva) inform me, ‘your next opponent is Eleider Alvarez.’ OK. It’s new, I keep my head and prepare for this guy, because I should be better than him.”

“I don’t think about this, who is next. Because I’m thinking right now about Alvarez. I don’t want to spend time looking behind at this (watching his past fights). He’s busy making plans for me.”

About opponents unwilling to face him: “It means they are not real champions. They are businessmen. Remember in the past, fighters like Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield, Diego Corrales, I respect these guys. It’s sport. Guys, if you will fight like a real fighter, against everybody, everywhere, if you do your job, this is real boxing.”

About his desire to keep improving: “Some fights, I like myself. Some fights, I don’t like myself – I mean my fights. I didn’t like my last fight. I didn’t like my performance. Right now, I am trying to delete these mistakes and do better every fight. Every fight, something happens. I thought I knew a lot, but something always happens new. I get a new experience from each fight and each preparation.”

About who he would like to face next: “I don’t want speak about anybody except Alvarez. Right now, I have a fight with him and I respect this guy. I’m very happy God gave me this opportunity to get in with this guy to see who I am right now at this point. Who am I, me, myself. I don’t go back. I only look forward. Maybe the one step back and two steps forward. I already did the one step back (laughs), and now only step forward.”

About his life changing visit to the Greek monastery one year ago: “I should visit there every year, for recharging mentally. Every man and every woman should be alone with his Spirit, his God, for two or three days a year. I mean, you should be with God always. But I went there four nights. It recharged me. I cleaned up my mind and body. You follow the prayers. It is a saintly place. I already miss it. Maybe if I have the opportunity this year, I will go again.”

About what the sport means to him: “It’s not be my goal to be famous. I do this boxing not to be famous, not to be a star. I do this for myself. I love this, competing. I still live my life with interest. I travel a lot, I’m meeting people worldwide, I love it. I dreamed about this when I was young.”

About Kovalev-Alvarez: In the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against undefeated contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Saturday, August 4, 2018. In the co-main event, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy’ Chilemba. Tickets range between $50 and $200 and are on sale now through HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com and Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel and World of Boxing and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

FOLLOW US:
#KovalevAlvarez
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Twitter: @krusherkovalev
Facebook: facebook.com/shopkrusher
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Twitter: @eleideralvarez
Facebook: facebook.com/eleiderstormalvarez
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Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Set on 17 acres, with the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will be Atlantic City’s go-to entertainment destination, boasting 2,100 slots, 120 table games, more than 20 first-class restaurants and lounges, and world-class entertainment, including Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, the beachside Sound Waves and the Howie Mandel Comedy Club. The hotel and casino also features the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the Atlantic City Boardwalk, showcasing a brand new elevated menu and state-of-the-art stage, allowing for an amplified level of service and entertainment. Along with an endless array of upscale amenities, including world-class shopping and the brand’s signature full-service Rock Spa and Salon, featuring 31 treatment rooms, the new, music-inspired property offers lavish guest rooms and suites, with stunning views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. From family vacations and business trips to weddings, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City offers an unparalleled experience. Each of the hotel’s guest rooms and suites radiates a contemporary style, including Hard Rock’s signature The Sound of Your Stay® music amenity program, which allows guests to set the mood with complimentary vinyl records or jam out on a Fender guitar in the privacy of their own room. Hotel guests can enjoy high speed, property-wide Wi-Fi, 24-Hour In-Room Dining, towel and chair service at Hard Rock Beach or at the indoor pool, and 24-Hour Access to Body Rock fitness. For more information and to book your stay, please visit hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.
###

Meiirim Nursultanov Cuts Himself No Slack As He Fights His Way Up The Rankings

(Oxnard, California): Before fans at the Etess Arena at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City enjoy two light heavyweight championship bouts, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev vs. Eleider Alvarezand Dmitry Bivol vs. Isaac Chilemba, on Saturday, August 4, Main Events serves up a menu of top international and local prospects on the non-televised undercard.

Among them is Astana, Kazakhstan native Meiirim “The Sultan” Nursultanov (7-0, 6 KOs), who is riding a six knockout win streak while remaining undefeated. He will face Jonathan Batista (17-14, 10 KOs) of the Dominican Republic.

Nursultanov who will turn 25 years old the week prior to his fight, has two goals for his bout. “My goal is not only to win by knockout, but also to deliver a nice win to watch for everyone. For the team, and for the fans,” said Nursultanov.

Although Nursultanov scored a sixth round TKO in his last bout in Los Angeles, it wasn’t good enough for him. “The fight was not comfortable at all. The opponent was very good, very tough, and his style was hard to deal with. I won by TKO, but I plan to do this faster (on August 4),” said Nursultanov.

“I’m trying to show the best qualities of boxing, but it isn’t always possible,” said Nursultanov. “Every opponent is different. At the last second, he may change a few things. But every fight is getting better and better, so it’s harder for me.”

Nursultanov says he’s checked out his opponent on video, and says the record should not fool anyone. “He’s got losses, but right now in professional boxing, losses are nothing. I get ready 100 percent for every fight,” said Nursultanov.

Nursultanov says he’s excited about appearing in Atlantic City. “I want to add fans in Atlantic City to my collection, fans from this place,” said Nursultanov. “I want as many fans as possible, I need more fans. It’s better for everyone and it helps you grow as a professional boxer.

“So please, everyone, people who are interested in boxing, attention. Please come to see my fight. I’m going to put all of my heart into it to show the Kazakhstan school and how hard we work,” declared Nursultanov.

Nursultanov hopes his hard work will place him at the top of the middleweight division with a chance to fight the bigger names such as Canelo Alvarez, countryman Gennady Golovkin, Americans Daniel Jacobs and the Charlo Brothers, or Billy Joe Saunders. “My goal is to start collecting the championships belts. Right now, I’ll keep growing in the rankings and hope to keep this going into the future,” said Nursultanov.

About Kovalev-Alvarez: In the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against undefeated contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Saturday, August 4, 2018. In the co-main event, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy’ Chilemba. Tickets range between $50 and $200 and are on sale now through HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com and Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel and World of Boxing and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

FOLLOW US:
#KovalevAlvarez
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Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Set on 17 acres, with the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will be Atlantic City’s go-to entertainment destination, boasting 2,100 slots, 120 table games, more than 20 first-class restaurants and lounges, and world-class entertainment, including Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, the beachside Sound Waves and the Howie Mandel Comedy Club. The hotel and casino also features the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the Atlantic City Boardwalk, showcasing a brand new elevated menu and state-of-the-art stage, allowing for an amplified level of service and entertainment. Along with an endless array of upscale amenities, including world-class shopping and the brand’s signature full-service Rock Spa and Salon, featuring 31 treatment rooms, the new, music-inspired property offers lavish guest rooms and suites, with stunning views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. From family vacations and business trips to weddings, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City offers an unparalleled experience. Each of the hotel’s guest rooms and suites radiates a contemporary style, including Hard Rock’s signature The Sound of Your Stay® music amenity program, which allows guests to set the mood with complimentary vinyl records or jam out on a Fender guitar in the privacy of their own room. Hotel guests can enjoy high speed, property-wide Wi-Fi, 24-Hour In-Room Dining, towel and chair service at Hard Rock Beach or at the indoor pool, and 24-Hour Access to Body Rock fitness. For more information and to book your stay, please visit hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.

Dmitry Bivol Los Angeles Media Workout Quotes

(Los Angeles, Calif.) – WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (13-0, 11 KOs) of Russia hosted a media workout at the Legendz Gym in Norwalk, California on Tuesday, July 24 in preparation for his title defense against light heavyweight contender Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (25-5-2, 10 KOs) of Malawi. Bivol and Chilemba will fight in the co-main event on the Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev vs. Eleider “Storm” Alvarez card at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on Saturday, August 4. The doubleheader will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoter Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, Vadim Kornilov, Bivol’s manager, and Gennadii Mashynov, Bivol’s trainer, also attended and spoke with boxing media.

Dmitry Bivol WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion:

About his opponent, Isaac Chilemba: “I’ve seen his many fights. I’ve seen his fight against Kovalev, Gvozdyk, Eleider Alvarez. He fights through all fights, no problem, except Gvozdyk. But he has never been knocked out. He gives me a good experience. He is a good challenge for me. I will be ready.”

About future opponents: “I want to fight the best guys in my division. Now, (Sergey) Kovalev is one of the best guys. Of course, I want to fight with him, but I prefer not to fight a guy from the same country as me. Of course, if people like this fight, then I think it will happen. Kovalev wants to fight against the best, like me. It depends on the boxing fans. If they like it, it will happen.”

About his desire to fight in front of a big audience: “I want a lot of people to see me fight. I want a lot of people to enjoy my fights. Who my opponent is, doesn’t matter. This is what I want.”

About his goal to unify the light heavyweight division: “It’s very important for me. It’s every boxer’s dream to be the champion, the unified champion. It’s a big step to dream about. Like (unified cruiserweight champion) Oleksandr Usyk last week, he went for his dream.”

About the need to become better known before a major unification bout: “We need more promotion before our fight. Because I think my skills are ready. I want to show my boxing skills in front of as many people as possible. And the unification fight, if it’s good, gives me that chance.”

About the variables in boxing and why you can’t count on predictions: “I know every boxer have mistakes. And every boxer can be knocked out. It’s not like running, for example, where somebody is a little quicker and somebody is slower. This sport is different. Anybody can knock anybody else out, in any round. And that’s what makes this sport so exciting. You don’t know what to expect.”

About his modesty regarding his athletic talent: “Maybe it’s my nature. Maybe it’s my qualities, they come from within. Probably it is also from my parents, my upbringing and the way they raised me. Also the area where I come from, a lot of the qualities and values back home – not saying things and not answering for your words. That’s why I don’t like to say things that I wouldn’t be able to stand up for and perform. These are the main reasons for why I am the way I am.”

About where his confidence comes from: “I’m not the quickest. I’m not the strongest. I’m not the smartest. I’m not somebody who moves the most. But something in me here, it helps me. I know I have the best manager, the best trainer, the best promoter. Everybody, you think your mother is the best mother. I know my team is the best team. My team helps me.”

About his mental strength and drive in the ring: “I don’t know what it is, but it helps me before a fight, when I take my gloves and I think, it says to me, ‘You can do this. Don’t forget about his power, don’t forget about his speed, you can, you can, just do it. You have a good team to help you, you have a family who believes in you, you can do it.’ And I will go in the ring and have a good performance.”

About the desire to make history in a memorable fight: “I want to make history like Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti, in the type of fight that will never be forgotten from history. No one knows how to write history, but you have to try to do it. It wasn’t even a title fight. But it was a fight that will always be remembered.”

About his role model in boxing: “My favorite fighter is Sugar Ray Leonard, he’s the best.”

About Kovalev-Alvarez: In the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against undefeated contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Saturday, August 4, 2018. In the co-main event, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy’ Chilemba. Tickets range between $50 and $200 and are on sale now through HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com and Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel and World of Boxing and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

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Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Set on 17 acres, with the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will be Atlantic City’s go-to entertainment destination, boasting 2,100 slots, 120 table games, more than 20 first-class restaurants and lounges, and world-class entertainment, including Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, the beachside Sound Waves and the Howie Mandel Comedy Club. The hotel and casino also features the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the Atlantic City Boardwalk, showcasing a brand new elevated menu and state-of-the-art stage, allowing for an amplified level of service and entertainment. Along with an endless array of upscale amenities, including world-class shopping and the brand’s signature full-service Rock Spa and Salon, featuring 31 treatment rooms, the new, music-inspired property offers lavish guest rooms and suites, with stunning views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. From family vacations and business trips to weddings, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City offers an unparalleled experience. Each of the hotel’s guest rooms and suites radiates a contemporary style, including Hard Rock’s signature The Sound of Your Stay® music amenity program, which allows guests to set the mood with complimentary vinyl records or jam out on a Fender guitar in the privacy of their own room. Hotel guests can enjoy high speed, property-wide Wi-Fi, 24-Hour In-Room Dining, towel and chair service at Hard Rock Beach or at the indoor pool, and 24-Hour Access to Body Rock fitness. For more information and to book your stay, please visit hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.

Sergey Kovalev vs. Eleider Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol vs. Isaac Chilemba International Media Conference Call Transcript

Kathy Duva, CEO Main Events:
“Thanks so much for joining in on this beautiful summer day. It is terrific to be putting a show back in Atlantic City. Back in the Etess Arena. Back in a place where a lot of us started out working with our good friends Bernie Dillon, Sharon Pearce and all the other nice people from Hard Rock who we know from way back when. It is always comfortable and feels right for me whenever we end up in Atlantic City where we began. Where we had so many terrific fights. Where Sergey has had so many terrific fights, including his double-title-winning battle with Bernard Hopkins. Where all the great Gatti fights took place. It’s been a while. We’ve been away for four years and we’re really happy to see the city coming back on an upswing. That has a lot to do with the good people at Hard Rock who have hit the ground running in the last few weeks with this newly renovated – to the point of you can’t recognize it anymore – property.

“The advent of sports betting in New Jersey is another big hook that is going to make Atlantic City a destination for boxing again and we’re really happy that we can be part of it. Now that we’re back in New Jersey, we have a truly international card and fighters from all over the world, literally fighting for light heavyweight supremacy. Two world title fights. One, of course, Sergey Kovalev versus Eleider Alvarez. Krusher versus the Storm. We also have Dmitry Bivol versus Isaac Chilemba in another terrific light heavyweight title fight. I’ve said all there is to say. It is a really outstanding card from top to bottom, including our undercard fights but today we’re going be talking just about the fighters in the main event and the co-feature.”

Dmitry Bivol, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion:
“First thing I’d like to say is to say thank you. I’m very happy to box again. Not a long time ago I was boxing in New York City and now I get to box again in the tri-state area. I want to thank, certainly, all the people that put the fight together such as the Kathy Duva, of course, World of Boxing Promotion and Main Events promotion. And of course, my opponent’s team for accepting this fight.”

Vadim Kornilov, Manager of Dmitry Bivol:
“Thank you everybody. It’s a pleasure to be here and I appreciate everybody who took part in putting this fight together. The is another great event and we’re looking forward to a great new casino and fighting live on HBO. It is a pleasure to be part of the Kovalev card again. Definitely, we appreciate Kathy Duva and Andrey Ryabinski and World of Boxing and Main Events for having a great partnership together.”

Kathy Duva:
“Thank you so much Vadim for your kind words. We’ve been working with World of Boxing now for a little over a year and it’s been a pleasure and we look forward to having it continue.”

Question:
“Dmitry, there are no shortage of fans and media who believe that right now, you are the best at 175 pounds. I wonder if you believe that, right now, are you the best at 175 pounds?”

Dmitry Bivol:
“I do not think that now I am the best light heavyweight but I am now one of the best. One of four guys but I hope in not far future, we will know who is the best.”

Question:
“Dmitry, are you on a collision course with Sergey Kovalev. You’re not going to look past your foe August 4th but most people expect you to win. Are you on a collision course with Sergey Kovalev?”

Dmitry Bivol:
“Most likely this fight is gonna happen since both Sergey and I are HBO boxers and as long as that’s what the people want, most likely the fight will happen. Me and Sergey will make sure to give this fight to the people. And as far as it goes for winning on the 4th, of course I do believe in my victory on the 4th of August.”

Question:
“Dmitry as one of the best light heavyweights in the world, do you feel that it’s time that you headline your own HBO telecast before you fight Sergey Kovalev?”

Dmitry Bivol:
“It would be great, of course, to be a headliner. It’s a great status thing but honestly, I don’t really think about that. I’m not really worried about being the headliner. What I want to do is show good fights to the fans and make sure that they like my fights.”

Question:
“What do you think about Isaac Chilemba as a fighter? Do you believe that he could pose any difficulties that you haven’t seen yet as a professional?

Dmitry Bivol:
“I respect Isaac Chilemba because he took many fights against the best fighters like Sergey Kovalev. He fought for three belts with Sergey Kovalev and this fight was 12 rounds. I know he has good experience. He can move backward and he can move forward. He can fight all 12 rounds. Of course, he is serious opponent for me. But I believe in my victory because I have a good team and I have a good training camp. I win my belt and want to keep it long. I don’t want to give my belt to someone.”

Question:
“Kathy, how important is it for Main Events to possibly hold all four of the light heavyweight titles at the same time? Is that a goal of Main Events?”

Kathy Duva:
“That’s certainly a goal of Sergey’s and he’s made it very clear to me that that’s what he wants to do. He wants to do unification fights if he is successful with Eleider Alvarez. That’s what he wants to do next; he’s been very clear about that. That’s what he’s wanted to do ever since he won the first title and I don’t think he’s lost his desire to achieve that goal.”

Question:
“Would you rather see it as a unification fight between Dmitry Bivol and Sergey at some time or would you rather see it somebody outside of Main Events?”

Kathy Duva:
“It doesn’t matter. What I have learned in all these years is making fights happen has to do with a whole lot of things that are outside of our control. So, first we have to get through a fantastic card and both guys in very competitive fights on August 4th and then we’ll see what happens when we move on.”

Question:
“Dmitry, after your fantastic performance last time out against a really crafty veteran, have you found you’re getting more attention? Do you feel more pressure going into the Chilemba fight on August 4th?”

Dmitry Bivol:
“Yes, of course. Many more people are asking me questions. Many more people are paying attention to my boxing. I was prepared for that. I wanted to be recognized, but I don’t mind the fact that there’s more attention on me. I still continue to train very hard because mentally I’m a very stable person and I’m a stable fighter. If mentally I’m prepared and I’m physically prepared, then I shouldn’t be worried about any distractions besides concentrating on the fight itself.”

Question:
“Dmitry, is it more important for you to get a stoppage or just a win in this fight against another crafty veteran?”

Dmitry Bivol:
“Most important that people enjoyable fight. Enjoy the fight. That’s most important.”

Jodi Solomon, Manager of Isaac Chilemba:
“I’d just like to say thank you very much to Main Events for giving us this opportunity and as always you’ve been a first-class promotional company and I’m very happy to be working with you again.”

Isaac Chilemba, WBA Light Heavyweight Challenger:
“I would like Dmitry Bivol for giving me this opportunity. I want to thank Main Events and I want to thank my team. I would like to thank my manager, Jodi Solomon, for her good work. I want to thank Roy Jones. I want to thank all the fans, Hard Rock and HBO for this opportunity.”

Question:
“Jodi, I get the sense from a lot of the media and the fans that they really see Isaac as an underdog here. He has had the opportunity to fight for titles before but it hasn’t happened for him. Why do you get the sense that maybe this time will be different? Are we correctly assuming that he is a heavy underdog here?”

Jodi Solomon:
“I think you are correct in assuming he is the heavy underdog. If you look at Isaac’s past and his history, that is when Isaac performs the best. When he has been favored to win, unfortunately, that has been when things seem to go wrong. I am very happy that he is being assumed as the underdog in this fight.”

Question:
“Jodi, what can he do differently? What has he done differently in his preparation so he can get the win here?”

Jodi Solomon:
“As far as I am concerned, I believe Isaac’s speed and agility in the ring, and his experience, will be enough to help him get through the fight. I don’t believe that Dmitry Bivol has faced anyone like Isaac but I do believe that Isaac, in his 32 professional fights, has faced a fighter like Dmitry Bivol.”

Question:
“You have had the opportunity to fight both Alvarez and Kovalev and I was curious, do you have a prediction for how that will go or any comparison about the two of them as opponents?”

Isaac Chilemba:
“They are both tough fighters. One is more of a boxer and one is more of a puncher. The one who will win the fight on August 4 is going to be the one that comes out with their A game. The one that is going to bring their A game will be victorious. I cannot say which one that will be because I don’t know how they are going to be on August 4. But the one that brings their A game will be the winner.”

Question:
“Do you feel pressure in this fight to have a big showing and to put on a big fight because of the importance of this fight for your career and the possibility of fighting the winner of the main event?”

Isaac Chilemba:
“Yes. I am fighting a youngster. He is a hard-hitting young fighter. The only thing I can do is work harder. I want to become a world champion. I rely on my team, Jodi and Roy, to help me bring my A game and this is my chance to showcase my skills. This is my opportunity to show the world what I can do.”

Yvon Michel, Promoter of Eleider Alvarez:
“We are very, very thrilled to be part of this great event. We are thankful to Main Events, HBO and Sergey Kovalev for the opportunity. I want to personally thank Kathy Duva and her team for their great collaboration. Eleider Alvarez was an amateur star in Columbia. He won a gold medal in the Pan-Am games. He turned pro in 2009. He is undefeated with a record of 23-0. He just came back from three weeks training camp in Bogota. He is at the peak of his career. He has his best training camp of his career. He has great talent. He has a great team. He is highly motivated. He is hungry. He has all the ingredients to be the new WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion.”

Eleider Alvarez:
“First of all, thanks to Kathy Duva, Main Events and Sergey Kovalev for accepting this fight. And thank you to Yvon Michel and my manager. I am very thankful for the opportunity. I am very excited for this fight and the opportunity to fight for the WBO Champion of the World.”

Question:
“There was a lot going on. Eleider was supposed to fight Adonis Stevenson and, obviously, that didn’t happen. How easy was this fight to make?”

Kathy Duva:
“From my perspective it was extremely easy. I gave Yvon a call and he asked for one day. He got back to me and accepted the deal. We had a contract signed in a few days.”

Yvon Michel:
“During that day, I called Eleider and his manager and trainer. We had a meeting. I came back from that meeting with the mandate to go forward. It was that easy.”

Kathy Duva:
“When the guys want to fight each other, it is not that hard when you have two fighters who want to get in the ring and fight.”

Question:
“Eleider, what is it like psychologically facing someone who has so much momentum? It is sort of like going up against Tyson in his prime. What is it like going up against Sergey as the underdog? What is it like for you psychologically?”

Eleider Alvarez:
“This is a big challenge for me. This is something very big. Each time I usurp myself. I had a lot of fights that were against opponents that were not the same quality of Kovalev but I always give 100% in the ring. This is no different. I am going to give 100% and I will be at the top. When the challenge is bigger, I always perform better. If this is the biggest challenge of my career then I will be up to the task.”

Question:
“Eleider, your best punch is your jab. You control the distance in the ring in your last several fights with that jab. However, in the last few fights you haven’t faced a devastating puncher like Kovalev, particularly with the right hand. Are you concerned that you might not be as effective with the jab against Kovalev because of his right-hand punching ability?

Eleider Alvarez:
“My jab is my best weapon so I am going to use it against Kovalev.”

Question:
“Eleider, you said nothing has come easy for you. After being the #1 contender, he defended fighters like Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal and still could not get the fight enforced as the WBC mandatory. Does he view this fight, as Kovalev, as a do or die situation for him career-wise based on how difficult it’s been for him to get his first title shot?

Eleider Alvarez:
“Yes, I think this is my biggest opportunity. I waited for three years and a half for my chance. This is my biggest fight. I never let the past decide me. I’m gonna be ready for this. When I fought Isaac Chilemba, it was a do or die fight. When I fought Lucian Bute, it was the same thing. I had the same pressure when I fought Jean Pascal, so I am used to have the kind of fight that it’s a do or die.”

Question:
“What does it mean to you, Eleider, to appear in Atlantic City on this card, to join all the many other great fighters through history who have fought there and who are now bringing boxing back to Atlantic City? What does that mean for your place in history?”

Eleider Alvarez:
“Yes. Simple, it’s one of my dreams to be on that level. It’s one of my dreams to fight on the biggest scenes of boxing, like Las Vegas MGM, Crystal Palace. The big scene. Then this is something super big for me and it’s another challenge and it represents something very, very big for me, for my career and for all my team.”

Egis Klimas, Manager of Sergey Kovalev:
“I am here. I’m traveling, so I’m sorry. I’m now in different time zone, but anyway, we are very glad and looking forward for August 4. I believe Sergey is coming to the new chapter and he wants to prove he’s a still best light heavyweight in that division. We’re looking forward for August 4th in Atlantic City.”

Question:
“Mr. Kovalev. I just wanted to know, you waited a long time and didn’t fight Adonis Stevenson. Now you have a guy from the same promoter. What can you tell us about Alvarez?”

Sergey Kovalev, Two-Time Light Heavyweight World Champion:
“I can say about Alvarez that I’m waiting for very interesting fight and I am sure that it’s gonna be not easy to fight Alvarez, because he is undefeated and he is a number one in WBC. Stevenson awarded him already like it two or three times and he’s the proof that he [Stevenson] is scared. But I’m not scared him and I’m interesting to fight him and get victory over him. Just get attention on August 4 and be ready. I will defend my title.”

Question:
“Would you still wanna fight Adonis? Do you still wanna fight him?”

Sergey Kovalev:
“I’m ready to fight any champion, because my goal is to get all four titles, to be undisputed champion.”

Question:
“Sergey, I am wondering, 35 years old. You’ve had these high-level fights and good paydays and have been a long time in this sport. How much do you still love, or how much do you still like boxing?”

Sergey Kovalev:
“I don’t feel that I am old or something like that. It’s just a number for me, 35. God blessed me and gave me an opportunity as still fighting on this level, like a champion, and I’ll be fighting, I hope, ’til I get all four titles. It’s my goal and when I get this goal I am done. That will be like a goal to retire.”

Question:
“Egis, what do you see outside looking in? How much does your guy still like or love boxing?”

Egis Klimas:
“Well, if I see him every day in the gym, working for two, three hours, sparring with a bigger guy and not saying much about it, I think it’s still in him what he had. He’s not complaining. He’s always ready and every time he sees me he’s always asking about possibilities about who’s gonna be next. I think he’s still interested in this sport and I think he’s still gonna bring something to it.”

Question:
“Sergey, I don’t want to disrespect your foe for this fight. I’m wondering, does it get frustrating for you that we, the media and fans, still ask about people like Andre Ward and Adonis Stevenson and guys that are not at the table right now? Is that frustrating for you?”

Sergey Kovalev:
“No, it’s okay, because it already was; this is part of my career, you know, and I understand everything. I got a big experience from Andre Ward, the fight, you know, like and what was around this fight. Also, I’m happy that I’m still fighting, but Andre Ward already retired.”

Question:
“I know you answered earlier about how easy it was to make this fight. Is there now hope that you guys can work together more often and bring us these types of fights, ’cause there was a blockage there for many years. We were not able to get a lot of these fights done because of the way Al Haymon was managing his business. Did you have to get his okay, his approval, in order to get this fight done and do you feel like it’ll be easier from now on?”

Yvon Michel:
“Look, I have a good relationship, I believe, with Kathy. Things are changing very quick in boxing. We are going in a direction where I fit the most to our fighters on short term, but every champion is hoping to become unified champion. There are two champions in the in Main Events stable, there are two champions in ours. Hopefully we will find a ground sometime, somewhere to be able to have this super fight against one another.”

Kathy Duva:
“I certainly feel the same way.”

Question:
“Eleider, you are fighting a guy who has pretty much destroyed everyone he has faced in his career except for Andre Ward. Is there any fear facing a puncher like Kovalev?”

Eleider Alvarez:
“If I was scared then I wouldn’t be boxing. That’s the reason why I picked this sport. Despite the fact that I haven’t faced any world champs in the fight in the past, I have faced guys who were power punchers so it’s not an issue for me.”

Question:
“Sergey, have you fought in Atlantic City before and are you looking forward to fighting there after all the other great names like Lennox Lewis, Ray Mercer and Arturo Gatti? And do how you feel about adding your name to that list appearing there?”

Sergey Kovalev:
“I’m very happy to be in this league of famous boxers in the boxing history. I’m very happy, back to Atlantic City, because I don’t care where to fight, but I am most happy where is famous arenas like Atlantic City, Madison Square Garden. It’s very big motivation to prove that you’re the best and I’m going to show August 4th that I deserve it.”

Question:
“Kathy, how do you feel about bringing the sport back to Atlantic City?”

Kathy Duva:
“The last big, major fight in Atlantic City involved Sergey Kovalev when he fought Bernard Hopkins and so it’s been a while. That was the last time I believe Main Events was there, so we’re really happy to be back. I think I did address it a little bit earlier, but particularly happy to be working with our friends at Hard Rock, Bernie Dillon, Sharon Pearce, and all the other people that we’ve known there for so many years. It’s really nice and comfortable to be back with friends.

“It’s a great show. This is what’s boxing is supposed to be. It’s fun to be a promoter when you get to put on fights like this where the number one fighter in the world is fighting the man in the light heavyweight division. Then you have the best young light heavyweight in the world, another world champion, who’s fighting a real test in Isaac Chilemba. It’s all really … It’s a pleasure and so I look forward to seeing everybody there.”

About Kovalev-Alvarez: In the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against undefeated contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Saturday, August 4, 2018. In the co-main event, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy’ Chilemba. Tickets range between $50 and $200 and are on sale now through HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com and Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel and World of Boxing and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

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Kovalev-Alvarez & Bivol-Chilemba Media Conference Call Transcript