Los Angeles, CA (June 7, 2021)–Landry Kore has signed a promotional deal with Shapiro Sports & Entertainment, and will make his debut as the co-main event on the Felix Sturm-James Kraft card in Hamburg, Germany, June 19.

Regarded as one of the hottest prospects in European Boxing, Kore (11-0-1 6 KOs) landed the IBO Mediterranean middleweight title with a knockout win over former undefeated Armen Ypremyan at the Versluys Dome in Belgium back in May 2018.

Kore, born in Ivory Coast, recently relocated to Germany to train under the guidance of Dominik Junge, who has trained 2 world champions; Ewa Brodnicka and Raja Amasheh…

“This is a new chapter signing with Shapiro Sports, the 160 pound division is very hot right now in the United States and I know there are going to be opportunities for me,” said Kore. “I want to keep moving up the rankings and improving, I’ve got the capabilities to go all the way. I believe in my own ability and it’s a pleasure to have such a professional team around me.

“I wouldn’t waste anyone’s time if I didn’t believe I could win a world title, this is why I’m here – to win a World Title. There’s no one in my weight category that I fear, I’m ready to fight anyone with the right preparation and notice.

“Landry is a really great prospect with a lot of room to grow. He is now working with an excellent trainer in Dominik Junge, who has produced several world champions, and is really going to be instrumental in his growth. I look forward to moving him fairly quickly up the rankings as he puts everybody on notice at 160 pounds.” – said Shane Shapiro CEO of Shapiro Sports & Entertainment.

Former Middleweight & Super Middleweight world champion, Felix Sturm has tested positive for a banned substance following his title winning fight with Fedor Chudinov on February 20th, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I’ve been tested hundreds of times in my career and always the results were negative,” said Sturm, who has been tested as a professional as well during an amateur career that culminated with an appearance in the 2000 Olympics. “The fact that after two months such news comes and the [Germany boxing commission] wasn’t informed — how can this be? I will bring in the lawyers and open the ‘B’ sample.”

“At first I was shocked,” Sturm told the German news agency SID. “This is all very strange. I was tested hundreds of times tested in my career, with both blood and urine samples. There has never been anything and I have an absolutely clear conscience. I did not work 26 years for this. I always like to fight in the ring like a lion.”

WBA president Gilberto Mendoza told ESPN.com that the status of Sturm’s world title will remain unchanged until such time that the ‘B’ sample test comes back positive.

“[Sturm] will exercise his right to open the ‘B’ sample,” Mendoza said. “I will let every boxer and his team make their defense cases. However, reviewing the past cases all boxers who tested positive have being stripped.”

Super-middleweight warlords Fedor Chudinov and Felix Sturm collide again in their highly-anticipated rematch at the Koenig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, exclusively live on BoxNation tomorrow night (Saturday 20th February) from 7pm.

Undefeated Russian star Chudinov returns to Germany to make the second defence of the WBA Super World Championship that he won on a split-decision against hometown hero Sturm last May and then smashed Britain’s Frank Buglioni over twelve rounds in the first title defence in September.

The hardman from Serpukhov near Moscow has forged a fearsome reputation as a fighting machine with his relentless pressure, non-stop punching and iron strength as he pounds opponent into submission as 10 of his 16 opponents have found out.

Chudinov, 28, will not be afraid of re-entering Sturm’s lion’s den again seeing as he’s fought and won away from home plenty of times previously with his passport also stamped in America, Dominican Republic and London.

A victory for Chudinov will certainly see him looking to unify the title against the hugely popular Armenian based German Arthur Abraham who holds the WBO crown, with also potential showdowns against WBC ruler Badou Jack and IBF Champion James DeGale.

Chudinov said, “I’m ready for Sturm a second time and I know that I can do the same again and emerge from Germany with my record and title still intact. I’m more confident than ever, but I haven’t taken Sturm for granted, he’ll be highly motivated to get his title back in front of his home fans and I won’t let that happen,”

“I thank my fans in the UK for their support and all the good luck messages they have sent me, I seem to have won a lot of new fans when I defeated Frank Buglioni there. Make sure you’re watching my fight against Sturm live on BoxNation tomorrow night and you will see something special.”

Sturm, from Cologne, hasn’t fought since the loss to Chudinov and for the German great it may be a final shot at world title glory in his illustrious 48-fight career that has seen him win four world titles.

The slick and stylish Sturm has operated at elite level since 2003 and has been involved in a staggering 22 world championship fights although he has rarely fought outside of his homeland.

Known simply as ‘The Fighter’, Sturm will be looking to break his own record as Germany’s only four-time world champion by capturing a fifth title if he gets revenge over Chudinov.

An action-packed card on BoxNation opens with hot unbeaten German super-middleweight Alem Begic in a four round contest against Leo Tchoula; light-heavyweight Konni Konrad takes on Andrej Maurer over six rounds and Germany based Italian heavyweight Francesco Pianeta faces Hasan Olaki, also over six-rounds.

Live coverage will start on BoxNation at 7pm on Saturday night. To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 525, Freeview 255, TalkTalk 415, iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices) for only £12 a month visit boxnation.com or to watch online subscribe at watch.boxnation.com

– Ends –

About BoxNation

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV customers.

Swindon’s red-hot super-middleweight star Jamie Cox is gunning for the winner of Fedor Chudinov vs. Felix Sturm. The supremely confident WBO European Champion will be keeping a close eye on Saturday’s world title showdown, exclusively live on BoxNation, and says he’d have no problems disposing of either of them.

Since making the step up to super-middleweight the Swindon smasher has blown away Alastair Warren, Blas Miguel Martinez and Ferenc Alberts with impressive first round knockouts and has promised to floor Chudinov should the pair meet.

“If they make the fight with Chudinov and it happens in the UK he won’t want to come back ever again. I’ll knock him clean out; I’m too explosive for him and he doesn’t know how to go backwards. I’d happily take on either of them; they’d both get knocked out,” said Cox, who’s rated number four in the world by the WBO.

The unbeaten 29 year-old southpaw stunner is one of the most avoided fighters at 168 pounds in the country and is spreading fear throughout his new division. A brutal body-puncher blessed with a recently re-constructed wrecking ball backhand, Cox says he has the rest of his division running scared.

He said: “Nobody wants to take a fight with me. I’ll fight anybody at any time. At the end of the day I don’t care who it is; put me in there with the best. I want to take on the very best; if anyone thinks I’m an easy world title defence then put me in there with them and see what happens,”

“I’ve been sparring with world champions in the past year and I know how I rated against them. I’m not one to talk about what I did to them but people were there and saw it with their own eyes. This year there’s going to be more knockouts and I’ll become a world champion.”

The former Commonwealth gold medallist has been marked as one of British boxing’s biggest talents and is enjoying life at his new weight.

He said: “I feel a lot healthier and more comfortable at this weight because I can eat what I want. I don’t have to worry about my diet as much so it gives me more time to concentrate on my boxing. I’ve more than proved I can hold my own at this weight but if I ever needed to I could easily make middleweight again.

Chudinov defeated Sturm on a split decision when the pair in May last year to claim the vacant WBA World Super-Middleweight title. Cox is expecting another gruelling fight and is predicting a similar outcome.

He said: “I can see it going the same way as their last fight. Chudinov can only get better with experience and I think Sturm is getting a little bit past his sell-by date so it’ll be a repeat of their last fight; Chudinov wins.”

Watch Chudinov v Sturm II exclusively live on BoxNation on Saturday night from 7pm. To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 525, Freeview 255, TalkTalk 415, iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices) for only £12 a month visit boxnation.com or to watch online subscribe at watch.boxnation.com

BoxNation continually televises the best live International action from around the world and two big world title fights have just been added to the packed schedule with Fedor Chudinov’s rematch against Felix Sturm and Ruslan Chagaev’s title defence against Lucas Browne.

Russian ace Chudinov, the WBA Super World Super-Middleweight Champion, will go back to Germany to face Felix Sturm at the Koenig Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, on Saturday 20th February.

The unbeaten 28-year-old shocked the German hero in his backyard last May when he outpointed him over twelve rounds to win the vacant world title. He then came to London and defeated Frank Buglioni in the first defence of his title.

Silent and deadly, Chudinov said: ”The title stays with me.”

Sturm, a four-time World Champion, goes straight back into his rematch against Chudinov and the 36-year-old says he’ll be back to his best.

“I made a lot of mistakes in the first fight, I could only show 20% of myself, but this time I’m ready, all or nothing, I’ll prove I’m still one of the best in the World,” Sturm said.

Then on Saturday 5th March it’s the big men of boxing in action with WBA World Champion Ruslan Chagaev taking on unbeaten challenger Lucas Browne on Saturday 5th March at the Colosseum Sports Hall, Grozny, Chechnya,

With Chagaev v Browne, BoxNation viewers’ will see one of the first elimination fights in the WBA heavyweight tournament that aims to determine one true world champion in the organisation.

Southpaw Chagaev from Uzbekistan is a two-time WBA World Champion and is well know to British fight fans’ after beating Michael Sprott and then Matt Skelton in a world title defence.

The 37-year-old has only lost twice – to Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin – in 37 fights with 21 knockouts and says he’ll do a number on his Australian rival. He said, “I will defeat Browne and ultimately go on to show that I’m the best in the division.”

Dynamite-punching Browne, from Sydney, Australia, who is promoted by British great Ricky Hatton has won all 23 fights and has knocked out 20. The brash and exciting 36-year-old is a hit with

BoxNation viewers with two of his previous UK appearances televised on the The Channel of Champions.

Browne said, “Make no mistake, I’m going over to Grozny to knock Ruslan Chagaev out. I’m not interested in leaving the fight in the hands of the judges so I’m going to bring my two judges with me, my left hand and my right hand.

“I’ve already started the process of turning my body into a machine and I’m going to destroy whatever is in front of me. Travelling overseas to fight doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I’ve done it many times in my career and at the end of the day it’ll be just me and Chagaev in the ring.

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

– Ends –

About BoxNation

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.
For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV customers.

Fedor Chudinov will rematch Felix Sturm on February 20 in Oberhausen, Germany for Chudinov’s WBA Super Middleweight title, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It was close but I lost,” Sturm said. “I have the means and the power to defeat Chudinov. The only thing that counts for me is victory. I made a lot of mistakes in the first fight. I could only show 20 percent of myself, but this time I’m ready. All or nothing, I’ll prove I’m still one of the best in the world.”

Said Chudinov, “The title stays with me.”

LONDON (May 8) – Mexican ace Canelo Alvarez says he is ready to claim the mantle of boxing’s pay-per-view star after Floyd Mayweather hangs up his gloves.

The 24-year-old light-middleweight takes on big-hitting James Kirkland this weekend, live and exclusive on BoxNation, in an edge-of-the-seat thriller in front of 35,000 at the Minute Maid Park in Texas.

Despite refusing to overlook the dangerous Kirkland, the flame-haired superstar is prepared to fill the gap once Mayweather calls it a day following his last fight in September and has even opened the door to a rematch with the money man after his 2013 points loss.

“I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever comes to my career. I work hard, I train hard, I fight the best, and if that’s the role [next PPV star] that I have to take once they’re [Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao] gone, then yes, I’m ready for it,” said Canelo.

“I would love it [a rematch with Mayweather]. It would interest me. I’ve learned more things, there’s more experience, but right now, this fight is what’s more important to me, and that’s James Kirkland on Saturday,” he said.

Canelo is well aware of the threat knockout artist Kirkland possesses having stopped 28 opponents in his 32 wins, with just a single loss on his record.

The former WBC and WBA light-middleweight champion knows that this is a fight that has captivated the boxing public and says he will fight any fighter as long as it appeals to the fans.

“I’ll fight any style. I’ll be clear – I’ll fight any style. I’m ready and willing to fight anybody, but the fans like this style because that’s the fans, what they go to see. They want to go and see action, and these are the kind of fights where the people will leave happy,” said Canelo.

“Kirkland’s a very dangerous fighter because of his punch. His power is extreme. He can finish the fight with one punch, and then he also throws out of different angles, so it makes it even more complicated, more difficult, but more than anything, it’s that power that he can finish a fight with one punch.

“My goal is always to fight the best in the world, so that the fans get what they want: to see the best fights possible. As long as they’re at the top, I want to fight the best,” he said.

31-year-old Kirkland, who hasn’t fought since his electrifying win over Glen Tapia in 2013, is undaunted at the prospect of facing Canelo and says he is prepared to go toe-to-toe with the ferocious Mexican.

“I can just tell people this when they ask about boxing and what can I bring to the sport or how I picture myself: I am a force of nature that overrides a lot of the people that I fight. When they come with heart, I believe my heart is bigger than that,” said Kirkland.

“When they come with determination, I don’t feel no one has the will power and the drive that I possess. When it comes to speed, I don’t feel as if the opponent is going to be able to adapt, and if they do, I always got a step above my opponent.

“It’s going to be a fight [against Canelo] that you don’t have to worry about if they’re going to run, if this person’s going to be dodging and ducking and looking for somewhere to run and hide.

“Me and Canelo will meet in the middle of the ring and that’s where the fight will take place. We may stay there the whole entire fight if he’s going to come to fight like I’m coming to fight, then that will be the particular fight that the fans want to see,” he said.

Also, live and exclusive on BoxNation at 7pm this Saturday night from The SSE Arena in London, will be a stacked Queensberry Promotions card featuring rising star Frank Buglioni who defends his WBO European super-middleweight title against Lee Markham.

The 26-year-old known as ‘The Wise Guy’ is one of the country’s top emerging talents and is looking to make it an easy night’s work against the tough Markham.

“Camp has been spot on,” says Buglioni. “My spar mates Luke Keeler and Spike O’Sullivan have very similar styles to Markham, only they’re a lot better! Gary Boulden beat Markham yet Luke knocked Boulden out inside a round which puts it all in context. And Spike’s mixed at world level.

“They’ve been preparing me for a gruelling 12 round war. My strength and fitness are at an all time high. I’d never felt better than I did in my last fight and there’s been further improvement since. I’m really looking forward to showing everybody what I’ve added on May 9th – if the fight goes long enough!”

WBO European welterweight champion Bradley Skeete is also back in action as he takes on Brunet Zamora, with the exciting prospect Mitchell Smith up against Cristian Palma for the vacant WBO Intercontinental featherweight belt.

That’s not all from BoxNation who will air a third show on Saturday night when German star Felix Sturm looks to bounce back onto the world stage as he stakes on the hard-hitting Russian and current interim WBA super-middleweight champion Fedor Chudinov.

Canelo v Kirkland is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night at 2am. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com. former multi-time Middleweight champion Felix Sturm will battle Fedor Chudinov on May 9 for a vacant Super Middleweight title.

“I promised to make only big fights from now on. Chudinov is seen as a highly talented and skilled boxer with a lot of punching power,” Sturm said. “But I will take this belt to Germany.”

“We always wanted to make a fight in Frankfurt, but we could never ever imagine that it would be such a big thing,” said Roland Bebak, Sturm’s manager. “Frankfurt is a city of boxing and we’re really enjoying the great interest from the fans.”

ESPN3 will present exclusive live coverage in the U.S. of the 12-round IBF Middleweight title fight between defending titleholder Felix Sturm (39-3-2, 18 KOs) and Sam Soliman (43-11, 18 KOs) on Saturday, May 31. Saturday’s coverage of the undercard bouts will begin at 2 p.m. ET with the main event getting underway at approximately 5 p.m.

The fight, from the KönigPalast Arena in Krefeld, Germany, will be the second meeting between the two boxers. Australia’s Soliman won a unanimous decision over Germany’s Sturm in their first bout (a world title eliminator), a result which was changed to a no contest due to Soliman testing positive for a banned stimulant. Sturm went on to win his next two fights, including a second-round knockout of England’s Darren Barker to win the title in December.

About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. The network is currently available to more than 92 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.con, IBF Middleweight champion Felix Sturm will defend his belt against Sam Soliman in a rematch in May 31 in Krefed, Germany.

Soliman, of Australia, got knocked down in the second round but went on to win the world title elimination bout on Sturm’s turf in Dusseldorf, Germany. Soliman won by unanimous decision on scores of 116-111, 114-113 and 114-113, but after the fight he tested positive for a banned substance. The result of the bout was changed to a no decision, and Soliman was suspended for nine months by the German Boxing Federation

“This fight really hurt,” Sturm said of the first meeting with Soliman. “It was heartbreaking. I don’t care that he doped. That’s not an excuse for me. I want to erase all doubts; I want to show the world that I’m by far the superior fighter. I didn’t train like I should have before the first fight. That won’t happen again. I promise I will keep my world title.”

“Getting a world title bout is like climbing Mt. Everest,” he said. “It’s taken me 23 years. You get to base camp and line up at the foot of the summit for your turn to conquer the peak. I’ve paid my dues and I’m ready. I couldn’t have said that five years ago, but now I can. I’m fighting smarter, and I’m jumping out of my skin to hear the referee say, ‘Seconds out.’

“My mission is to bring the IBF middleweight world title back to Australia. This is the title I have been chasing, taking my chances, and earning my No. 1 contender position. A little over 12 months ago I went over to Germany and beat Felix, winning that fight in a unanimous decision. I am under no illusions about the task ahead. I know Felix is going to be more prepared and ready for me this time, but I and my team also learned a lot from our last bout.”

New York, NY (2/25/14) – Top-rated middleweight contender Matthew Macklin is getting a bit tired and frustrated, to say the least, on waiting to hear what direction IBF middleweight champion Felix Sturm is heading for his next bout. Macklin and Sturm’s well documented and publicized history dates back to their first bout, which took place in Sturm’s home country of Germany in 2011. The bout was Macklin’s first world title opportunity and the Irishman made the most of it. Macklin took the fight right to the hometown hero Sturm, who was defending his title for the 10th consecutive time. It was a grueling battle, with Macklin seemingly having the clear advantage after the 12-round championship bout. CompuBox had Macklin averaging 92 punches thrown per round, doubling Sturm’s output. Macklin also landed 127 more punches and outlanded Sturm in 11 of the 12 rounds. Unfortunately though, two of the three judges didn’t see the fight that way, awarding Sturm a split decision and leaving Macklin longing for another shot at the champ.

After Sturm stopped Darren Barker last year to reclaim a piece of the middleweight crown, Macklin and Sturm immediately began trading verbal jabs on Twitter and the long awaited and highly anticipated rematch seemed to be a sure thing. Macklin spoke to promoter Lou DiBella and advisor Anthony Catanzaro and instructed them to make the fight at any and all costs. Macklin began training, anticipating the fight would happen sometime in the near future. Unfortunately though, he continues to wait on the German titlist.

“We met all of his demands, yet he still won’t move forward with the fight,” stated an agitated Macklin. “We agreed to fight him in his backyard for not much money at all. In fact, the purse was less than what I received against Lamar Russ. The money isn’t what matters though. I just want the opportunity to show the world who the better fighter is. I know that I beat him in our first fight and I know that I will beat him again. I believed Sturm to be a great champion and a great warrior, and with everything that was said after our first fight, we felt that he would want this challenge. We are absolutely shocked that he continues to delay and not just come out and accept the fight. We accepted all of his terms, so what is his excuse? We realize that he has made an offer to fight Murray, but I want to publicly come out and say that if Murray doesn’t accept the offer thenwe are ready, willing and able to make this fight happen right now! I know that I won the first fight, but I will assure him that if he gives me the opportunity for this second bout, which I know that I will win again, I will promise to give him an immediate rematch. The ball is in your court Felix. Be the great champion that you say you are and give me, and the fans, the fight they want to see.”

New York, NY (12/12/13) – Last Saturday, Ireland’s top-rated middleweight contender and world title challenger Matthew “Mack the Knife” Macklin (30-5, 20KO’s) once again put himself back into the title picture with an impressive 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated highly regarded prospect Lamar Russ. The bout against Russ came on HBO, the fourth consecutive bout for Macklin on their airwaves.

With the bout and some much needed rounds behind him, Macklin now has his sites set on once again challenging for a piece of the middleweight crown, and finally having the chance to exact his revenge on former foe Felix Sturm. Sturm, who earlier on Saturday stopped IBF middleweight champion Darren Barker in two rounds, won a highly, if not outright robbery decision over Macklin back in 2011.

“I punched Felix around the ring for 12 rounds in our fight in 2011, only to be robbed in what was described by many, including Lennox Lewis, Al Bernstein, and Andre Ward, as one of the worst, if not THE worst decisions they have ever seen. Seventy-eight percent of German viewers voting online had me winning the fight. German TV had me winning the fight by four rounds. Felix Sturm got Axel Schultz fired afterward because he had me winning. That’s how spoiled Felix is and how embarrassed he was by it all! He knows that I beat him and the boxing world knows that I beat him. He has done well to win back the world title for a record fourth time for a German fighter, so for that I congratulate him. But he knows that we have unfinished business and if he’s a real man then he will give me a rematch like he promised. Actually, if he’s a real man then he should want the rematch for himself,” stated Macklin emphatically.

“Matthew was deprived of a world title belt the first time that they fought in their great but controversial battle in 2011,” said promoter Lou DiBella. “Sturm is a proud champion and I am confident that he will give Matthew his much deserved rematch.”

“We have unfinished business with Sturm,” added Anthony Catanzaro, Macklin’s advisor. “To say the least, the fight warrants a rematch. Revenge will be sweet. It’s a fight we want, a fight we deserve and a fight we will win.”

The first bout between Macklin and Sturm took place in Sturm’s home country of Germany, and was Macklin’s first world title opportunity. The Irishman made the most of his opportunity taking the fight right to the hometown hero Sturm, who was defending his title for the 10th consecutive time. It was a grueling battle, with Macklin seemingly having the clear advantage after the 12-round championship bout. CompuBox had Macklin averaging 92 punches thrown per round, doubling Sturm’s output. Macklin also landed 127 more punches and outlanded Sturm in 11 of the 12 rounds. Unfortunately though, two of the three judges didn’t see the fight that way, awarding Sturm a split decision and leaving Macklin longing for another shot at the champ.

Following the bout with Sturm, Macklin signed with promoter Lou DiBella and went on to challenge middleweight kingpin Sergio Martinez before a raucous sold-out crowd on St. Patrick’s Day at Madison Square Garden in 2012. Macklin gave the champion and top pound-for-pounder everything he could handle and was leading on two of the three judges’ scorecards before being stopped in the 11th frame.

Following the bout with Martinez, Macklin blew away former junior middleweight world champion Joachim in one round on the undercard of the Martinez-Chavez HBO PPV telecast in September 2012 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. Around that same time, Sturm lost his title to Daniel Geale. Geale then lost the title to Barker, who, as previously stated, was stopped in two devastating rounds by Sturm this past Saturday. Now, the stage is set. Macklin met with both promoter DiBella and advisor Catanzaro earlier this week and made it clear that this is the fight that he wants more than anything else. Both fighters have been going back and forth on social media all week long and both seem eager to give boxing fans and insiders the much-anticipated rematch.

IBF Middleweight champion Darren Barker will defend his crown on December 7th against long reigning belt holder Felix Sturm in Stuttgart, Germany according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“We have been in discussions with Felix Sturm’s team since the Daniel Geale fight, and with purse bids approaching they made their intentions quite clear,” said Barker’s promoter Eddie Hearn. “Felix is the fight we want both financially and from a legacy perspective and once we were able to introduce our necessary demands, which included a potential second fight in the UK and neutral officials, then this was an opportunity Darren could not turn down.

“Even though defeat would lead to an immediate rematch in London, we are all confident that Darren will defend his title in style on Dec. 7 in Germany.”

SAN DIEGO, CA –February 5th 2013 – WealthTV has secured the rights to air the bout between the WBA #2 contender Felix Sturm (37-3, 16KO) and the IBF #1 contender Sam Soliman (42-11, 17KO). The contest received 5 out of 5 star rating from BoxRec.com.

WealthTV will air the fight on February 14th at 10 PM ET during WealthTV’s usual Thursday “Fight Night” time slot. It will be the first airing of the February 1st fight in the United States.

The bout was the first non-title fight for Sturm since 2007 as he looked to bounce back from a tough loss against Soliman’s fellow Australian, Daniel Geale. Soliman put his title on the line twelve times before finally losing it to Geale.

Soliman needed to win this fight in order to put himself in line for an all-Australian IBFtitle fight against Daniel Geale. Geale successfully defended his title against another Aussie, Anthony Mundine, a day before.

“Boxing fans will enjoy this world-class matchup that is exciting from start to finish,” stated WealthTV Director of Live Events Tommy Morris, “A fight of this quality should be seen all around the world and we are happy to be the television outlet for the American boxing fan.”

All of WealthTV’s fights can be seen on WealthTV nationally on Verizon FiOS TV channel 169 and 669 in HD, AT&T U-Verse TV channels 470 and 1470 in HD,along with over 100 cable systems across the country as well as on line viewing on numerous connected devices and via www.wealthtv.com.

About WealthTV

WealthTV is the premier lifestyle and entertainment network —the destination for exclusive and original programming, simultaneously transmitted in high definition and standard definition. WealthTV delivers to informative shows to its viewers, providing invaluable insights on what every American dreams of – from travel secrets to fast cars, from outrageous homes to live events, and much more. The network fills a television vacuum by delivering intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking entertainment and always-unbiased news from an insider’s perspective. For more information, please visit www.wealthtv.com

May 31, 2012 – Gary Shaw Productions, Sturm Box Promotion, Grange Old School Boxing and UFA Sports are happy to announce a world title unification bout featuring IBF middleweight champion Daniel “The Real Deal” Geale (27-1, 15 KOs) and WBA Super World champ, Felix Sturm (37-2-2, 16 KOs). The 12-round 160-pound main event will take place in Germany on Sept. 1, 2012, at a location to be announced, with television network SAT1 broadcasting the event to millions around the world.

Said Promoter Gary Shaw, “This event is what boxing is all about. When you get two world champions agreeing to fight each other with no hesitation, you know the fans are going to be witnessing an unbelievable bout. Both guys are hungry to keep their titles and they’re going to leave everything in the ring. Words can’t describe how excited I am about this event. Geale and Sturm are true warriors who are going to “Bring It” come fight night. It’s going to be an incredible night of boxing. The true winners will be the fans.

“In Daniel’s last fight a new Australian superstar emerged,” Shaw continued. “Daniel’s superiority is confirmation that he is on the verge of pound-for-pound status. With the expert guidance of Garrie Fransisco and Bill Treacy managing Daniel’s career, along with Graham Shaw steering his corner, Geale has the right team to take him to middleweight supremacy. It’s an honor to be promoting such a great fighter with a great team.”

After a dominating performance against mandatory challenger, Osumanu Adama (20-3, 15 KOs), Geale will look to extend on a six-fight winning streak. He has fought all but one of his bouts in his native Australia. In his lone start outside his homeland, Geale traveled to Germany and captured the IBF middleweight title against Sebastian Sylvester (34-5-1, 16 KOs). Geale wants to make a statement in this bout as he fights in Germany for a second time.

“I’m truly thankful to be fighting in this unification bout with Felix Sturm,” Geale said. “My promoter Gary Shaw has promised me the biggest fights and he’s kept his word. Fighting in Germany is a very difficult task, but I was successful there once before when I captured my first world title against Sebastian Sylvester. My goal will be to beat Sturm in his homeland, and bring his title back to Australia once again. I’m fighting for my country and all the kids I train at the Grange Old School Boxing gym.

“I also want to thank my managers Garrie Fransisco and Billy Treacy who, in conjunction with my trainer Graham Shaw, have all worked hard to get me to the top. Right now I’m in the best shape of my life and Graham has seen the improvements in my ability to make adjustments in the ring. I’m fully prepared to give the fans an exciting fight when I step in the ring with Sturm.”

Sturm, who is coming off an impressive ninth-round knockout victory against then-once- beaten challenger Sebastian Zbik (30-2, 10 KOs), is undefeated in his last 14 bouts. He’s best known in America for his fight with Oscar De La Hoya, in which many fans believe he won clearly, but instead lost on a close unanimous decision. With 14 title defenses, Sturm is considered one of the best pure boxers in the sport, and will seek to add another world title belt to his collection.

“Fighting in my native land of Germany is incredible and I can’t wait to show the German fans, once again, what I’m made of,” stated Sturm. “Daniel Geale is a worthy opponent, but he’s never been in the ring with a fighter like me. I fight for the people of Germany and I’m not going to let them down! I will be victorious on Sept. 1.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Ronald Hearns will try to follow in he footsteps and capture a Middleweight championship when he takes on Felix Sturm on February 19th in Stuttgart, Germany.

“We’ve agreed in principle on the terms and we are exchanging the paperwork,” said Hearns’ promoter Lou DiBella of his deal with Arena Box promoter Ahmet Öner, who works with Sturm’s own promotional company on his fights. “We hope to have it signed by Saturday.”

“It’s a tremendous career opportunity for Ronald,” DiBella said. “It’s a shot at a title his father once held so proudly.”

“I think that Sturm is extremely talented. We all know that, but he’s been around for a long time,” DiBella said. “He’s not a huge puncher and Ronald can really punch, so it’s a great opportunity for him. It’s an opportunity he won’t get here [in the United States].

“If Ronald can go to Germany and do well, even if he loses, he can come back here bigger than when he left. He’ll go there and give it everything he has against one of the best middleweights in the world.”

Felix Sturm returned after an almost fourteen month layoff to retain the WBA Middleweight championship with a unanimous decision over Giovanni Lorenzo in Cologne, Germany

Sturm dominated the action with with a stiff jab that was followed up by occasional right hands while Lorenzo never mounted more then a solid body attack.

Scores were 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111 for Sturm who is now 34-2-1 and made the ninth total defense over three title reigns. Lorenzo is now 29-3 and was making his second attempt at a world title.

Former German amateur star Erkan Teper made a successful pro debut with a third round stoppage over veteran Marcel Zeller in a scheduled six round bout.

Teper dropped Zeller with a left hand in round three and bloodied a battered Zeller until the fight was stopped in that same round.

Teper is 1-0 with one knockout. Zeller is now 22-8.

Mike Keta scored a six round unanimous decision over Atila Kiss.

Keta is now 6-1. Kiss is 9-58-3.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBA Middleweight champion will take on Marco Antonio Rubio on September 4th in Cologne, Germany.

“We have negotiated with different fighters from overseas, but for some reason most of them asked for crazy money,” Sturm said. “I don’t know what they’re thinking. Here in Germany I got calls from fighters with decent records who wanted to fight me for free — just for the shot at the title.”

“I feel great at the moment,” he said. “I chose to take a break to spend some time with my wife and my newborn son. It was good not to think about boxing all the time and not to count the calories on every meal. Now I am all fired up to get back into the ring. I cannot wait for my comeback. I am even looking forward to the hard weeks of preparation and training camp, and I will prove that I got no ring rust whatsoever.”