NEW YORK, NY – January 23, 2024 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced the full card and special broadcaster for Most Valuable Prospects V, the first prospects event of 2024, taking place on Friday, February 2 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL available globally on DAZN subscription. Most Valuable Prospects V, headlined by H20 Sylve (10-0, 9KOs) vs. Estivan Falcao (13-2, 7KOs) for the WBC Youth World Championship and presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, will feature super lightweights Orestes Velazquez (8-0, 7KOs) vs. Julian “The Quiet Storm” Smith (7-2, 5KOs) for the WBA International Title. Famed Filipino fighter Ninito Donaire will also join the event as an analyst and expert commentator, bringing his significant experience, success, and signature “flash” to the DAZN broadcast team. 

Tickets for Most Valuable Prospects V are available now via Ticketmaster. 

H2O Sylve and Estivan Falcao will headline Most Valuable Prospects V with a 10-round lightweight bout on Friday, February 2nd, for the WBC Youth World Championship. The 19-year-old phenom Sylve returns to the ring for his very first 10-round fight against Brazil’s Falcao. This fight marks a step up in class for Sylve, after his victory over Adam Kipenga, and his thrilling knockout of veteran William Silva on the Paul vs. Diaz card in August of 2023. With six years of professional fighting under his belt, Falcao will prove a challenge after back to back wins in 2023.

The highly anticipated WBA International Title super lightweight battle between Orestes Velazquez and Julian Smith will take place over ten rounds. Velazquez (8-0, 7KOs), from Cuba, triumphed over Mohamed Soumaoro in September of last year for the WBA International Super Lightweight title with a TKO in the eight round. The Las Vegas-based fighter gained this win six months after going the distance with Marcelino Lopez on the Benavidez-Caleb Plant undercard in Las Vegas, NV, in March of 2023. The inspirational Illinois native Smith (7-2, 5KOs), who is deaf, is a Chicago Golden Gloves champion and will be making his third appearance in the prospects series, where he most recently defeated Julio Rosa (8-3, 4KOs), by majority decision (59-55, 57-57, 60-54). Smith found out he won via sign language and celebrated his hard-fought victory with a heartfelt moment where his mom joined him in the ring.

Rounding out Most Valuable Prospects V will be lightweight undefeated Florida natives Benigno Aguilar (13-2-0, 7KOs) and Corey Marksman (8-0) as they battle over six rounds, and Maricela Cornejo (14-6, 5KOs) will take on Kandi Wyatt (10-4, 3KOs) in a welterweight bout across eight rounds. Cornejo fought Claressa Shields in June of 2023, with only two weeks’ notice before the bout. Despite the short notice, Cornejo took Shields the distance, ultimately losing via unanimous decision. Cornejo has decided to take a new path toward becoming a world champion, competing at welterweight, with Most Valuable Prospects marking only her second fight in this class. 

Providing commentary on these fights will be Nonito Donaire, the former boxing champion in four weight classes from flyweight to featherweight, and the oldest boxer in history to win a bantamweight world title – while being the first three-time champion in that weight class. Donaire also holds the distinction of gaining world championships in three consecutive decades, and is the sixth boxer to do so alongside legends like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Serving as analyst and expert commentator, Donaire will bring his incredible and unique POV to the DAZN broadcast team alongside Wade Plemons, Dan Canobbio and Sibley Scoles, and to fans around the world. The full card will be offered globally via DAZN subscription.

“In May of 2023, I headlined MVP’s very first Most Valuable Prospects event, and now I’m battling for the WBC Youth World Championship less than a year later. It’s an honor to come back to Orlando and represent the series for a second time,” said H20 Sylve. “Most Valuable Prospects has provided so many fighters – myself included – with a platform and opportunity in this sport and I’m looking forward to headlining for a second time. Thank you to MVP, Boxlab, Caribe, and DAZN for the opportunity and make sure to tune in on Friday, February 2nd to watch me give the WBC Youth World Championship belt a new home.”

“Most Valuable Prospects was introduced last year, and since that time we’ve provided up and coming fighters with a platform to display their skills and build their names. We couldn’t be more excited by this first installment of 2024, where we’ll see MVP phenom H20 Sylve battle Estivan Falcao for the WBC Youth World Championship in H20’s first 10-round bout, and Orestes Velazquez and Julian Smith fight for the WBA International Title,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP. “It’ll also be a big night and test for Maricela Cornejo, as she forges her path towards becoming world champion at welterweight against Kandi Wyatt, an important bout which continues Most Valuable Promotions’ support of women’s boxing. It’s truly a card created for the fans, and another great representation for Most Valuable Prospects. Thank you to DAZN, Boxlab, Caribe Royale Resort, and CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy for another year of partnership.”

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and promoted by MVP with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed globally by DAZN. The fifth event in the series will continue the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2024. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of Most Valuable Promotions and the Most Valuable Prospects series. 

For more information, follow on Twitter via @MostVPromotions and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @DAZNBoxing.

How to watch DAZN  

• Visit DAZN.com and follow the steps to sign up now
• Once signed up, download the DAZN app to watch on any device
• Go to the app store on your chosen device, search ‘DAZN’ and download the DAZN app  
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• Connect multiple devices to your account to watch at home or on the go  

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

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DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to a ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

NEW YORK (July 1, 2023) – Three Split-T Management fighters will be in action in their native Ohio as Tiger Johnson, Dante Benjamin Jr. and DeAndre Ware will fight at the Huntington Center on ESPN+.

Earlier in the day, Kandi Wyatt will make her third attempt at a world title as she takes on Natasha Jonas for the IBF Welterweight title in Manchester, England (ESPN+).

Johnson will take Jonathan Montrel in an eight-round welterweight bout.

Johnson, the 24 Year-old, 2020 United States Olympian is 8-0 with five knockouts is starting to appear on some top prospect lists. Johnson already has wins over Xaver Madrid (3-0), Esteban Garcia (15-1), Mike Ohan Jr. (16-1) and his last bout when he defeated Alfonso Olvera on April 1st in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Montrel of New Orleans is 15-1 with 10 knockouts. The 33 year-old Montrel has won two in a row, which includes a fourth round stoppage over Aristides Perez on January 14th in Cartagena, Colombia on January 14th.

Johnson was 141.2 lbs. Montrel weighed 140.6

Dante Benjamin Jr. will square off with Mirady Zola in a six-round heavyweight bout.

Benjamin, 21 years-old of Cleveland already has four wins over undefeated opponents in Henron Rendon (2-0), Kevin Johnson (2-0), Corey Thompson (4-0) and Emanuel Austin (6-0). Benjamin stopped Jasper McCargo in two rounds on April 1st in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Zola of Canal Winchester, Ohio is 4-2 with one knockout. Zola is capable as he has already defeated undefeated foes James Quiter (4-0-1) as well as Shaman Baxter (1-0) on January 21st in Newark, Ohio.

Benjamin checked in at 173.3 lbs. Zola was 173.9.

The Toledo-based Ware will fight veteran DeCarlo Perez in a six-round super middleweight bout.

Ware is 15-4-2 with nine knockouts. The 35 year-old has never backed down from a challenge and has had his hand raised over Derrick Adkins (5-1-1), Enrique Collazo (11-0-1) and Ronald Ellis (16-0-2). Ware is coming off a loss to Christian Mbilli on September 9, 2022 in Montreal.

Perez of Atlantic City, New Jersey is 19-8-1 with six knockouts. The 32 year-old Perez has wins over Shamone Alvarez (21-5), Donte Moore (8-0-2), Jamar Freeman (9-1-2), Marcus Willis (13-3-2), Tyrone Brunson (22-2-1), Jessie Nicklow (24-5-3), Jose Ubaldo Cabrera (23-0) and Lanell Bellows (16-1-1). Perez is coming off a loss to Frederic Julan on February 23rd in New York.

Ware weighed in at 167.9 lbs. Perez was 167.5.

Johnson and Benjamin are promoted by Top Rank. The three fights will be streamed on ESPN+ at 6:15 PM ET.

Johnson and Benjamin photos by Mikey Williams / Top Rank via Getty Images.

In Manchester, England, Kandi Wyatt will make her third attempt at a world title when she takes on Natasha Jonas for the IBF Welterweight title.

Wyatt of Calgary, Canada is 11-4 with three knockouts. Wyatt has a win over undefeated Dallia Velazquez (5-0) and her last bout when she defeated Kirstie Bevington on March 10th in Wolverhampton, England. Wyatt lost to Kali Reis and Jessica McCaskill in her two previous attempts at world titles.

Jonas of Liverpool, England is 13-2-1 with eight knockouts. The 2016 Olympian won the WBO Super Welterweight title with a second round stoppage over Chris Namus (25-6). Jonas added the WBC belt with a unanimous decision over Patricia Benghult (15-0). In her last bout, Jonas added the the IBF title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Marie Eve DiCaire (18-1) on November 12, 2022 in Manchester, England.

Wyatt weighed 146 lbs. Jonas was 146.5 lbs.

The fight will be streamed live on ESPN+ at 2 PM ET

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – (July 19th, 2023) – Natasha Jonas (13-2-1, 8 KO’s) has the chance to become a two-weight world champion on Saturday, July 1st as she faces three-time world title challenger Kandi Wyatt (11-4, 3 KOs) for the IBF World Welterweight Championship on the BOXXER: Crews-Dezurn vs Marshall card taking place at the AO Arena Manchester and airing live and exclusively on Sky Sports.

For Jonas – the first woman to box for Great Britain at an Olympic Games – it’s another chance to make history and follows a blistering 2022 run which saw her capture three world titles in an unprecedented nine months to become unified world super-welterweight champion, a feat which led to her being declared the 2022 Fighter Of The Year by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Wyatt is a three-time welterweight world title challenger and the current WBA Intercontinental champion. She won that title on a visit to the UK in March this year and is confident of carrying that same championship-winning form into her clash with Jonas next month.

The Canadian is no stranger to big challenges: in December 2021 she made a spirited attempt to seize the four world title belts held by undisputed welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill, and the drop in weight places Jonas on a potential collision course with the American.

“Every time I think I’ve done enough in the sport, another opportunity presents itself to step things up. If there’s one thing that I always try and impress upon my daughter and on young people in general it’s to keep going, work hard and try your best,” said Jonas.

“Every camp I am improving, I’m evolving, I’m learning new skills and reaching new levels, so to me it would be foolish to stop now. The best-ever version of Natasha Jonas will be stepping into that ring on July 1.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER’s founder and CEO, said, “I’m very excited to see Natasha Jonas compete at the top of the welterweight division, closer to her natural weight. When you look at what she’s achieved in the last year alone – three world titles and the Fighter Of The Year 2022 award from the British Boxing Board of Control – you know you’re looking at an extra-special fighter. 

“Becoming a two-weight world champion, holding belts in two weight classes at the same time, is an incredibly difficult thing to accomplish, but it’s exactly the kind of challenge which brings out the best in Natasha Jonas. She’s inspired a lot of Britain’s female boxers – not least her fellow Olympian and BOXXER welterweight Lauren Price – and I’m looking forward to watching her write another chapter of her incredible story in Manchester on July 1st.”

BOXXER: Crews-Dezurn vs Marshall takes place Saturday, July 1st at the AO Arena Manchester and airs live and exclusively in the UK and Ireland on Sky Sports. 

The headline bout sees former world middleweight champion Savannah Marshall return to super-middleweight to challenge reigning champion Franchon ‘FCD’ Crews-Dezurn for the undisputed world championship in a clash which will be closely watched by FCD’s friend and Marshall’s bitter rival Claressa Shields.

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.

NEW YORK (March 11, 2023)–Four Split-T Management fighters picked up victories over the weekend.

Friday night in Bethlehem, PA, heavyweight Devon Young remained undefeated with a vicious second round stoppage over Lemir Riley in a four-round bout.

In round two, with Riley leaning in, Young unleashed a perfect uppercut on the jaw that sent Riley face-first and momentarily out cold at 2:50.

Young of AIken, South Carolina is 4-0 with three knockouts. Riley of New Cumberland, PA is 2-1.

Young is promoted by King’s Promotions.

In Wolverhampton, England, Former two-time world title challenger Kandi Wyatt captured the WBA Intercontinental Welterweight title with a 10-round split decision over Kirstie Bavington.

Wyatt of Calgary, Alberta, Canada won by tallies of 98-92 twice and one card had it for Bavington 96-94.

Wyatt is now 11-4. Bavington of England is 7-3-2.

On the same card, junior middleweight Logan Hollier dropped a decision to former world champion Hannah Rankin. Hollier, who is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, is now 9-3-1.

Saturday in Philadelphia, 2021 United States Olympian Oshae Jones remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over former world champion Dahianna Santana in a welterweight bout at the 2300 Arena.

Jones of Toledo, Ohio won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 2-0. Santana of New York is 40-15.

On the same card, super flyweight LeAnna Cruz won a six-round unanimous decision over Devany Cuevas Torres.

Cruz of Allentown, PA won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 to raise her mark to 4-0. Torres of San Antonio is 2-3-1.

Wyatt, Jones, Cruz and Hollier are managed by Brian Cohen.

Devin Haney remained undefeated and retained the WBC Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over former junior lightweight champion Joseph Diaz Jr. at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The fight was very competitive and entertaining as their styles meshed well. Haney trying to box and land hard body shots long right hands from distance. He was able to did that easily over the first three rounds. Diaz started to get going in round four as he started to press forward and land some solid left hands. Haney continued his gameplan and he started to counter Diaz.

The rounds were very close and they took on a pattern of Haney boxing consistently with Diaz flurrying in the middle of the round. Haney was very effective with his right uppercut, with Diaz doing well with the left.

With Haney seemingly up a few rounds going in to the 12th round, Diaz threw caution to the wind, and buckled Haney with an overhand left. Haney did well to recuperate and start to give as good as he received. It was the early rounds that Haney banked plus a few in later part of the fight that got Haney the victory by scores of 117-111 twice and 116-112.

Haney landed 164 of 614 punches; Diaz was 140 of 573.

Haney, 135 lbs of Las Vegas is now 27-0. Diaz, 134.4 lbs of California is 32-2-1.

Love Stops Diaz in 3

Montana Love remained undefeated with a 3rd round stoppage over Carlos Diaz in a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout.

In round two, Love dropped Diaz with a left uppercut that was followed by a right hook. It was the same combination that put Diaz down again in the round. Love dropped Diaz for a 3rd time in the round when he landed a left right to the head. In round three, Love landed a straight left that drove Diaz to the corner. Two more shots later, and the fight was stopped at 1:22.

Love, 143.8 lbs (3.8 lbs over the Contract weight) of Cleveland, OH is now 17-0-1 with nine knockouts. Diaz, 139.8 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 29-2-2.

Mccaskill Stops Wyatt in 7; Retains Undisputed Titles

Jessica McCaskill retained the Undisputed Lightweight Welterweight World Title with a 7th round stoppage over late-replacement Kandi Wyatt.

In round three, Wyatt began to bleed from her nose. McCaskill beat down Wyatt. The challenger stood tough and took all of McCaskill’s leather, and even would get in a nice right of her own.

McCaskill had a big round six as she battered Wyatt. At the end of the round, referee Celestino Ruiz told Wyatt that he had her on a short rope. True to form, McCaskill landed 2 flush rights to start round seven, and the fight was stopped at 19 seconds.

McCaskill, 146.4 lbs of Chicago is 11-2 with four knockouts. Wyatt, 146.2 lbs of Calgary, CAN is 10-4.

Hrgovic stops Ahmatovic in 3

Filip Hrgovic remained undefeated by stopping previously undefeated Emir Ahmatovic in round three of a 10-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Hrgovic dropped Ahmatovic twice. The first came from a chopping right to the head. The 2nd knockdown was similar as it was another chopping shot in the corner. In round three, it was yet another chopping right that put Ahmatovic down again and the fight was stopped at 30 seconds.

Hrgovic, 246.8 lbs of Croatia is 14-0 with 12 knockouts, Ahmatovic, 228.4 lbs of Germany is 10-1.

“From the opening bell, I knew he wasn’t on my level,” said Hrgovi?. “It was a matter of time before he was going down. I took my time. I didn’t rush. He went down twice in the second round and by the third round I knew he was finished. This is why I want big fights. Then you will see my true potential.”

Castro Stops Solis in 2

Marc Castro remained undefeated with a 2nd round stoppage over Ronaldo Solis in a scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Castro dropped Solis with a hard 1-2 combination. In round two, Castro landed a booming right in the corner and out Solis down, and the fight was stopped at 43 seconds.

Castro, 136.4 lbs of Fresno, CA is 5-0 with five knockouts. Solis, 130.8 lbs of Cancun, MEX is 4-3-1.

Austin Williams stopped Quatavious Cash in the 2nd round of their scheduled eight round middleweight fight.

Williams landed a crushing left to the face that dropped Cash. The referee stopped the bout at 26 seconds.

Williams, 160 lbs of Houston is 9-0 with seven knockouts. Cash, 160 lbs of Atlanta is 14-3-1.

Alexis Espino and Rodolfo Gomez Jr. battled to an eight-round draw.

Scores were 77-75 for Gomez and 76-76 twice.

Espino, 167.4 lbs of Las Vegas is 9-0-1. Gomez of Laredo, TX is 14-5-2.

Amari Jones kept his perfect stoppage streak with a 6th and final round stoppage over Timothy Lee in a middleweight bout.

It was a good action fight that saw Jones drop Lee in the opening frame. Jones started to land heavy shots in round five. Jones poured it on in round six and the fight was stopped at 2:40.

Jones, 160 lbs of Las Vegas is 5-0 with five knockouts. Lee, 159.4 lbs of Las Vegas is 5-2.

Ricardo Sandoval stopped former world title challenger Carlos Buitrago in round seven of their scheduled 10-round flyweight bout.

Sandoval dominated the fight, and the fight was stopped after a Sandoval flurry at 46 seconds.

Sandoval, 111.8 lbs of Rialta, CA is 20-1 with 15 knockouts. Buitrago, 113 lbs of Nicaragua is 32-7-1.

El Cajon, CA (August 19, 2021) When Alma Ibarra steps into the ring at Sycuan Casino Resort tomorrow night, as part of DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing event, live on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world will meet a woman who has been dealt as tough a hand as anyone at the poker tables outside the doors of the casino’s Heritage Event Center. They will meet a fighter who has faced adversity at every turn throughout her boxing career and fights now for an opportunity to become the first Mexican female unified world champion.

Ibarra (8-1, 4 KOs) is set to face Canada’s Kandi Wyatt (10-2, 3 KOs) in an eight-round WBA welterweight title eliminator, dubbed the “Thrilla for Caskilla.” The winner of the bout will face Jessica “CasKilla” McCaskill, who currently holds the WBO, WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO female welterweight world titles. The event will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading streaming service for combat sports, starting at 8:00pm PT / 11:00pm ET.

The 33-year-old single mother began fighting at 19 years old. She originally stepped into the ring to lose weight, but soon found her calling between the ropes. At age 25, she gave birth to a son, Matthias, who was born with hemophilia, a condition that prevents his blood from clotting properly, and makes every scratch a medical emergency.

“How can I keep him from being a kid?” Ibarra lamented. “He wants to skateboard. He wants to fight. When I told him he can’t skateboard, that he can get hurt, he reminded me that I get punched in the face for a living. How can I be his hero and then not allow him to do the things that I do?”

Matthias loves to skateboard, and in March 2020, he had a minor accident that landed him in the hospital for two weeks. It was during the time that Ibarra was fighting to qualify to represent Mexico in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The night before her qualifying bout in Veracruz, Mexico, Ibarra received a call to her hotel room from the police. There was a threat against her, and she needed to meet officers outside the hotel to ensure her safety. She did as she was asked, walking out the front door of the hotel and to a waiting SUV that signaled her with its lights.

Once inside, Ibarra quickly figured out that the people that had taken her were not, in fact, the police, but kidnappers, looking for ransom. They drove her to a hotel a few blocks away and took her phone to call her friends and family. Twenty hours later, and a ransom not secured, Ibarra asked for something to eat. Her captors ordered pizza, but the consummate athlete refused to eat it.

“I’m an athlete,” she told them. “I am fighting. I can’t eat pizza.”

The kidnappers who, until then, had been kind, all things considered, became angry, and began roughing her up, slapping her and throwing her against the wall. She stayed quiet from then on out, wondering if she’d survive the ordeal.

After looking at security camera footage, the real police tracked the SUV to a hotel just three blocks away from hers and rescued her.

Ready to get back to qualifying, Ibarra and her manager, Hector Fernandez de Cordova, implored the Mexican National Officials to allow her to fight, but they refused. Despite having been kidnapped and held for over 20 hours, she was deemed a “no call, no show,” and was disqualified.

After the ordeal, she returned to her son’s hospital bedside, and upon his release a week later, she implored Fernandez de Cordova to secure a fight as soon as possible.

“You don’t want to take a little time off after everything you’ve been through?” he asked her.

“No,” she answered. “I have a son and my parents to support. I need money. I need to get back in the ring. I need to break someone’s nose and get this anger out of my system.”

“She’s like Wonder Woman,” Fernandez de Cordova said of his charge. “She is so incredibly strong. She’s my hero and her son Matthias idolizes her.”

She and Fernandez de Cordova saw the light at the end of the tunnel when she defeated Maricela Cornejo in March. Both cried at the decision, not just because she had won, but because they knew the sacrifice and struggle had paid off.

This Friday, she carries the weight of her family, her team and her country into the ring as she seeks to secure the biggest fight of her career. The only thing standing in the way is Kandi Wyatt. Like all other obstacles, Ibarra plans to knock her down on her way to becoming a unified world champion.

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This past Friday night, Kali Reis won the WBA Super Lightweight world championship with a unanimous decision over Kandi Wyatt in an action packed fight in front of a sold out crowd in Saint Petersburg, Florida

The fight will air on Saturday, November 14 on Impact Network to 90 million homes. The start time is 10:30 PM ET.

Steven Marcano the programming partner to Impact Network stated “The Reis- Wyatt event was needed for us as we haven’t put a show since February 1st. That card saw Austin Trout headline to a sold out crowd in New Mexico. For this past weekend’s event, I wanted to showcase a championship bout with a crowd, and when this opportunity was presented, we decided to press re-start. We did the show in a smaller venue, and we had to downsize our production because because of the restrictions. We have to make sure that we are able to control the safety of fighters, fans and staff. That is our primary concern. We will be doing shows in 3,000-5000 seat venues as long it permits, and Impact Boxing will do an arena show Super Bowl weekend.. This is why we wanted to start off with a show at a smaller venue, yet still bring a championship fight.”

“We will put our fights in bigger venues and abide by all state and commission regulations. If we feel that the state or commission changes, we will abide.”

In 2021, Impact Boxing will start on January 9th, and following up on February 5th, with a show from an arena in Tampa, Florida that will be a big event that will coincide with the Super Bowl Impact Boxing is committed to airing only premium events.

“We have a great Impact Boxing team, and we have solidified a terrific commentary staff with Antonio Tarver, BJ Flores, Ryan Burton, Marc Abrams and Zach Hirsch. This show came to us quickly, and we aired it because it was a terrific opportunity to put on a great world title bout. In 2021, Impact Boxing’s 36-date calendar is filling up quickly. Stay tuned for high quality events from great venues all over the country. Impact’s sole goal is to compete with the highest level and give the best opportunity for promoters, fighters and all people in the boxing community.”

Look for the return of Stars and Champions hosted by Dan Rafael on January 8th at 10:30 PM ET. Also the Stars and Champions reality series to return that will document the careers of the Impact Boxing team Fighters, Promoters, Commentators and Executives.

On February 5th, Impact Network will launch it’s Super Saturday original programming lineup. On Super Bowl Weekend, which will feature all original programs from 4 PM ET until 7 PM ET, and will return at 10:30 PM that evening with the aforementioned championship fight card.

Over the past few years, the top of sport of boxing has become segmented into de-facto leagues, with three big distributions platforms controlling the all of the high-end fights and fighters.

That is all about to change with the upstart Impact Network entering the proverbial ring of bringing world championship and high-quality fights to the boxing fans.

This Saturday (10:30 PM ET), Impact Network’s 2nd fight night will feature the WBA Super Lightweight fight between Kali Reis and Kandi Wyatt. The card will also feature some highly regarded undefeated prospects such as super middleweight Isaiah Steen as well as heavyweight’s Elvis Garcia and Jeremiah Milton.

Impact Network will automatically become a player in the world of boxing with a reach of over 90 million households in the United States. The outlet will also provide an opportunity for some of the biggest and best promoters in the world to not only be able to build their talent, but also to give a home for their fighters instead on having to compete on another promoter’s affiliated platform.

The fight on Saturday is no exception as Hall of Fame promoter Lou DiBella will stage the world title card.

“This is a great opportunity for the many high-quality fighters and promoters that have been shut out of dates because they aren’t signed to a particular promoter or outlet. Many of these companies can’t survive without any type of output deal, site revenue and sponsorships to showcase their fighters. There are not enough dates to go around for the other promoters, who themselves have great fighters. I’m grateful to have a Hall of Famer like Lou DiBella be involved with this show, and the support we are receiving from the entire boxing industry. Lou’s track record goes without saying, and he has a great roster of fighter’s that will appear on Impact. Impact was scheduled to put on 12 shows in 2020, unfortunately they were knocked out the Covid-10 Pandemic. We are committed to 24 shows in the next year, so that will provide a great opportunity for these promoters to be able to not only survive, but to thrive in promoting their fighters in competitive bouts,” said Steven Marcano, of the SMH Group, the programming partner with Impact Media Group

“Any outlet that is willing to put on great shows and is cost effective is good for the business. There is a scarcity of platforms for fighters. Impact can provide those opportunities. Saturday’s main event is a world title bout featuring Kali Reis, who fought on HBO and most people thought beat Cecilia Braekhus. Isaiah Steen is one of the top prospects and can generate interest from the urban market. Elvis Garcia was a Mexican Olympian who was the main sparring partner for Anthony Joshua and the opener will have Jeremiah Milton, who was a major United States amateur in his own right. This is a show with a lot of talent that is headlined by a female world title bout. These are great shows. Even better is that Impact is on free cable. It is on most cable and satellite providers, and it is a tremendous opportunity for these fighters to get great exposure,” said Hall of Fame Promoter, Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment.

Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, Founder of Impact Network stated:

“I am extremely happy to give the opportunity for young men and women to showcase on Impact also giving the opportunity for athletes who usually would not get this opportunity to be visible to over 90 million homes and be able to secure financial freedom through hard work.”

New York, NY (11/4/20) – Rising, unbeaten super middleweight prospect Isaiah “Zwop” Steen (14-0, 11 KOs), of Cleveland, OH, has been added as the co-featured bout of Friday’s IMPACT Championship Boxing event, which is brought to you by T&K Boxing Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment. The card, headlined by an exciting women’s world title fight between Kali Reis and Kandi Wyatt, takes place this Friday, November 6, from the St. Petersburg Clearwater Marriott, in St. Petersburg, FL, and will premiere on IMPACT Network, Saturday, November 7, at 10:30pm ET.

Fighting in the six-round co-main event, Steen faces hard-hitting Colombian Juan De Angel (22-12, 20 KOs), from Barranquilla. Co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Holden Productions, and managed by Split-T Management, Steen is coming off of a first-round knockout win against Kenneth Council on February 8. Steen and his half-brother, super welterweight contender Charles Conwell, were scheduled to share the spotlight last month on SHOWTIME’S “ShoBox” series, but Steen’s bout was cancelled at the last minute when his opponent pulled out with an illness. Trained by Otha Jones and Roshawn Jones, the 6’2” heavy-handed Steen has stopped seven of 11 opponents inside the opening round. Steen began boxing at the age of seven and built an amateur record of 78-24, before his March 2016 pro debut.

In the main event, Kali “KO Mequinonoag” Reis (16-7-1, 5 KOs), of Providence, RI, will meet Kandi “Krush” Wyatt (10-1, 3 KOs), of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in a 10-round clash with the vacant WBA world female super lightweight title on the line. The winner of this high stakes battle could be in line for unification matches against IBF champion Mary McGee or WBO champion Christina Linardatou.

Elvis Garcia (8-0, 5 KOs) will clash with Dell Long (7-6-2, 4 KOs), of Artie, WV, in an attractive six-round heavyweight bout. Born in Mexico, now living in Indio, CA, trained by Joel Diaz, Garcia returns to the ring following a victory against Hugo Trujillo. He also recently gained invaluable experience working as the “secret weapon sparring partner” that promoter Eddie Hearn referred to with regard to Anthony Joshua’s preparation for his rematch against Andy Ruiz last year. Prior to turning pro, Garcia was an outstanding amateur with a record of 85-10, 42 KOs. After winning gold at the Washington State Golden Gloves, as well as a silver and two bronze medals at USA National Tournaments, Garcia moved to Tijuana, Mexico, where he won the Mexican National Championships and the Mexican Golden Gloves Tournament twice. Long is coming off of an unexpected upset win against Don Haynesworth (16-4-1) on August 29, and he also owns a knockout victory against 13-1 Travis Clark.

Heavyweight prospect Jeremiah Milton (1-0, 1 KO), originally from Tulsa, OK, now based in Las Vegas, NV, will compete in a four-round bout against D’Angelo Swaby (1-1, 1 KO), of Nassau, Bahamas. Milton’s pro debut on August 20 lasted just 75 seconds, ending with a knockout of Dennis Vance Jr. As an amateur, Milton was a super heavyweight silver medalist at the 2019 US Olympic Trials. In preparation for his pro debut, Milton sparred with Luis Ortiz, Joe Joyce and Guido Vianello.

New York, NY (10/26/20) – The IMPACT Network, in conjunction with SMH Group, will present IMPACT Championship Boxing brought to you by T&K Boxing Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment, featuring an exciting women’s world title fight between Kali Reis and Kandi Wyatt. The event takes place on Friday, November 6, from the St. Petersburg Clearwater Marriott, in St. Petersburg, FL, and will premiere on IMPACT Network, Saturday, November 7, at 10:30pm ET.

In the main event, Kali “KO Mequinonoag” Reis (16-7-1, 5 KOs), of Providence, RI, will meet Kandi “Krush” Wyatt (10-1, 3 KOs), of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in a 10-round clash with the vacant WBA world female super lightweight title on the line. The winner of this high stakes battle could be in line for unification matches against IBF champion Mary McGee or WBO champion Christina Linardatou.

“I’m thrilled to collaborate with T&K Boxing Promotions and Steven Marcano to bring an exciting night of championship boxing to IMPACT Network’s wide-ranging audience,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Former world champion Kali Reis will take on highly skilled Canadian Kandi Wyatt for a vacant super lightweight world title and heavyweight slugger Elvis Garcia collides with Dell Long. Boxing fans will also get to see a pair of rising stars in action, including unbeaten Puerto Rican lightweight contender Victor Padilla and Sin City heavyweight Jeremiah Milton. The Reis-Wyatt title fight joins a string of significant female championship fights worldwide. I’m thrilled to have found a home for it on IMPACT Network.”

“We are pleased to be back on November 6 for the live event, which will air November 7, at 10:30pm ET, to IMPACT’s 90 million homes via basic cable,” stated Steven Marcano, of the SMH Group, the programming partner with Impact Media Group. “After discussing with the IMPACT executive team, Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, Royal Jackson and Terry Arnold, we all agreed that we wanted to work with Lou DiBella, who is now a Hall-of-Famer, and he’s brought us a terrific event featuring a female world title fight worthy of IMPACT Network. We were supposed to do another event with Lou earlier this year, but it was cancelled due to Covid-19. IMPACT plans to have a 24-show calendar for 2021 and plans many more shows with DiBella Entertainment. IMPACT Boxing is also excited to welcome boxing great Antonio Tarver, who will call the action from ringside, along with Curran Bhatia and ringside reporter and boxing insider Zach Hirsch.”

“T&K Boxing Promotions is happy to announce that we are working together with DiBella Entertainment on our November 6 event, known locally as ‘All or Nothing’, and we are thrilled that it will be broadcast on IMPACT Network,” said Jesus Escalera, President of T&K Boxing Promotions. “We were all set to present a great show featuring local talent and then Lou DiBella approached us with an opportunity to televise it. Lou also provided us with a tremendous women’s world championship main event, along with other up-and-coming prospects for the undercard. It will be a special night for us, as it is part of the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame’s induction weekend. The Class of 2020 will be in attendance.”

Reis is a former WBC middleweight world champion. Her nickname, “KO Mequinonoag”, which means “many feathers, many talents”, represents her Native American heritage, of which she is part Cherokee, Nipmuc, and Seaconke Wampanoag. In one of women’s boxing’s biggest events, Reis challenged then-undisputed welterweight world champion Cecilia Braekhus in 2018. It was the first women’s bout telecast by HBO World Championship Boxing in its 45-year history. Remarkably, the fight averaged 904,000 viewers, the second highest rating by the network for boxing during that year. Reis has rebounded with three wins in a row.

Wyatt, promoted by Michael Short’s Dekada Promotions, is a former world title challenger, having faced Linardatou for the WBO world female super lightweight title in March 2019. She was a highly accomplished amateur, before her 2014 pro debut, becoming a 10-time Provincial champion, six-time National champion and four-time Ringside World Tournament champion.

Rising lightweight Victor Padilla (8-0, 7 KOs) will be featured in a six-round bout. Trained by Rashiem Jefferson and managed by Carlos Rosario, the heavy-handed Padilla has stopped six of his opponents inside the opening round. Born in Puerto Rico, now living in Berlin, NJ, Padilla turned professional in December 2016, following a stellar amateur career that included three National championships, ending with a record of 90-7.

Elvis Garcia (8-0, 5 KOs) will clash with Dell Long (7-6-2, 4 KOs), of Artie, WV, in an attractive six-round heavyweight bout. Born in Mexico, now living in Indio, CA, trained by Joel Diaz, Garcia returns to the ring following a victory against Hugo Trujillo. He also recently gained invaluable experience working as the “secret weapon sparring partner” that promoter Eddie Hearn referred to with regard to Anthony Joshua’s preparation for his rematch against Andy Ruiz last year. Prior to turning pro, Garcia was an outstanding amateur with a record of 85-10, 42 KOs. After winning gold at the Washington State Golden Gloves, as well as a silver and two bronze medals at USA National Tournaments, Garcia moved to Tijuana, Mexico, where he won the Mexican National Championships and the Mexican Golden Gloves Tournament twice. Long is coming off of an unexpected upset win against Don Haynesworth (16-4-1) on August 29, and he also owns a knockout victory against 13-1 Travis Clark.

Heavyweight prospect Jeremiah Milton (1-0, 1 KO), originally from Tulsa, OK, now based in Las Vegas, NV, will compete in a four-round bout against Robert Brothers, of Titusville, FL. Milton’s pro debut on August 20 lasted just 75 seconds, ending with a knockout of Dennis Vance Jr. As an amateur, Milton was a super heavyweight silver medalist at the 2019 US Olympic Trials. In preparation for his pro debut, Milton sparred with Luis Ortiz, Joe Joyce and Guido Vianello.