Jeremiah Nakathila scored the biggest win of his career by stopping former world champion Miguel Berchelt in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout at The Resorts World Casino in Las Vegas.

In round three, Nakathila dropped Berchelt with a jab. Nakathila continued to apply hard pressure with Berchelt offering little to offset the charging Nakathila. In round six, Nakathila landed a blistering right that sent mouthpiece of Berchelt flying. That was enough to force the fight to be stopped.

Nakathila, 133.6 lbs of Winbook, NAM is 23-2 with 19 knockouts. Berchelt, 135 lbs of Cancun, MEX is 38-3.

Nakathila said, “From the first round, my corner told me to take my time. I know what I have. I knew it would be difficult for him to reach the 10^th round. It wasn’t so easy, but I made it look easy.

“He didn’t really bother me, the way he swung. I just got back to my game plan, and I capitalized.

“Luckily, {he couldn’t continue}. I was going to knock him out or put him to sleep in a bad way. Luckily, he saw it coming and decided he couldn’t come back.”

Added Berchelt, “I’m going to get up. I’m going to rise from this. The great champions are not the ones who fall. The great champions are those who rise, and I will go home, spend time with my family, visit with them, get some rest, and I am going to come back stronger than ever.”

Eduardo Baez Decisions Jose Enrique Vivas

Eduardo Baez won a 10-round majority decision over Jose Enrique Vivas in a featherweight bout.

Baez landed 304 of 783 punches; Vivas was 215 of 818.

Baez, 126.6 lbs of Mexicali, MEX won by scores of 98-92, 96-94 and 95-95 and is now 21-2-2. Vivas, 125.8 lbs of Mexico is 21-2.

Carlos Caraballo won a eight-round majority decision over Luis Fernando Saavedra in a junior featherweight bout.

Caraballo, 120 lbs of Puerto Rico won by scores of 79-73, 77-75 and 76-76 and is now 15-1. Saavedra, 120 lbs of Mexico is 9-7.

2021 U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson stopped Sebastian Gabriel Chaves in around four of their six-round welterweight bout.

In round four, Johnson dropped Chaves with a right hand. Later in the round, Johnson dropped Chaves with a massive left hand and the fight was stopped at 1:42.

Johnson, 142 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 3-0 with two knockouts. Chaves, 143.2 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 5-4.

Josue Vargas survived two knockdowns and a bite to win an eight-round unanimous decision over Nicolas Pablo Demario in a junior welterweight bout

In round three, DeNario landed a right against an off-balance Vargas that put Vargas on the canvas.

In round five, DeMario dropped Vargas with a hard left. Later in the round DeMario was deducted a point for biting Vargas on the shoulder.

Vargasm 142 lbs of Bronx, NY won by scores of 76-4 twice and 76-73 and is now 20-2. Demario, 141.6 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 15-6-3.

Haven Brady Jr. stopped Juan Angel in round four of a scheduled six-round featherweight bout.

In round four, Brady landed a hard flurry of punches and was able to put Angel down with a double right. Brady finished off Angel by dropping him with an uppercut and the fight was stopped at 2:05.

Brady, 127 lbs of Albany, GA is 6-0 with four knockouts. Angel, 126.6 lbs of Chile is 8-3.

Dante Benjamin Jr. won a four-round unanimous decision over Kevin Johnson in a battle of undefeated light heavyweights.

Benjamin, 173.6 lbs of Cleveland, OH won by scores of 40-36 on all cards is now 2-0. Johnson, 174.4 lbs of Wichita, KS is 2-1.

Juan Hernandez Martinez and Arturo Cardenas battled to a four-round draw in a junior featherweight bout.

Each fighter won a card 39-37 and a third card read 38-38.

Gomez, 123.6 lbs of Gomez Palacios, MEX is 2-0-1. Cardenas, 122.4 lbs of Mexico is 2-0-1

Estevan Partida and Adrian Serrano battled to a four-round draw in a lightweight bout.

In round two, Serrano had blood from his nose.

Each fighter won a card 39-37 and a third card was 38-38.

Partida, 133.6 lbs of Merced, CA is 0-1-1. Serrano, 134.4 lbs of Salinas, CA was making his pro debut.

LAS VEGAS (November 23, 2021) – Super bantamweight contender Aaron Alameda will square off against Mexico’s Angel Contreras in an eight-round battle, plus Mayweather Promotions stablemates duel as unbeaten Rock Myrthil faces Kevin Johnson in a 10-round super lightweight tilt, on the non-televised undercard this Saturday, November 27 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas.

The event is headlined by undefeated super bantamweight world champions squaring off as WBC champion Brandon “Heartbreaker” Figueroa and WBO champion Stephen “Cool Boy Steph” Fulton Jr. meet in a title unification live on SHOWTIME® in the main event of the telecast beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.

The non-televised lineup will also see Reno, Nevada’s Kenny Davis Jr. (7-2-1, 3 KOs) in a six-round lightweight duel against McAllen, Texas-native Nelson Hampton (7-4, 4 KOs), the pro debut of 19-year-old Albert Gonzalez as he takes on Washington, D.C.’s Chamar Flowers (1-1) in a four-round featherweight bout and Macon, Georgia’s Mikhail Montgomery (3-0, 2 KOs) in a four-round featherweight fight.

The 28-year-old Alameda (25-2, 13 KOs) will look to return to form on November 27 after back-to-back defeats. Alameda was able to end Luis Nery’s knockout streak in September 2020, losing by decision in a vacant world title fight, and most recently dropped a narrow decision to former champion Angelo Leo in June. Prior to the Nery fight, the Sonora, Mexico native had back-to-back knockouts over Jordan Escobar and Breilor Teran. A pro since 2014, his previous action in the U.S. prior to his two most recent fights saw him earn a sixth-round knockout over Andre Wilson in 2016. He will be opposed by the 27-year-old Contreras (11-4-2, 6 KOs), who most recently scored an upset victory in August over previously unbeaten John Dato. The Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico native has fought three times in 2021, battling the undefeated Jalan Walker to a split-draw in April and losing a decision to Ramon Cardenas in February.

Fighting out of Los Angeles, California, the 29-year-old Myrthil (17-0, 13 KOs) discovered boxing at age 18, after his family relocated from Haiti to the United States. Following a stellar amateur career, Myrthil made his pro debut in January 2017 with a second-round TKO over Allan Varela in Tijuana, Mexico. In September 2019, he won an eight-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Steele in Las Vegas. The performance caught the eye of Floyd Mayweather, who sat ringside for that bout and ultimately signed Myrthil to his Mayweather Promotions outfit. Most recently, Myrthil outpointed Johnny Rodriguez over eight rounds in February 2020. He will be facing the Detroit-native Johnson (9-2, 5 KOs), who now lives and trains in Las Vegas. The 29-year-old returns to action after defeating the previously unbeaten Luis Salazar by knockout in May. Johnson has fought professionally since 2016 and his two career defeats have come to then-unbeaten fighters Richardson Hitchins and Fazliddin Gaibnazarov.

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ABOUT FIGUEROA VS. FULTON
Figueroa vs. Fulton will see undefeated 122-pound world champions in a unification clash as WBC champion Brandon “Heartbreaker” Figueroa and WBO champion Stephen “Cool Boy Steph” Fulton Jr. battle in the SHOWTIME main event Saturday, November 27 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will begin at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and also features undefeated super bantamweight contender Ra’eese Aleem battling Mexico’s Eduardo Baez in the 10-round co-main event. Opening the telecast, unbeaten rising bantamweight contender Gary Antonio Russell takes on Mexico’s Alexandro Santiago in a 10-round showdown.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Xavier Martinez scored a spectacular 21 second knockout over Jessie Cris Rosales in a scheduled 10-round junior lightweight fight at Sams Town Casino in Las Vegas.

Martinez landed a thudding left that was followed by a right that sent Rosales down and out.

Martinez, 130 3/4 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 15-0 with 11 knockouts. Rosales of Cebu City, PHL is 22-4-1.

“I wanted to steal the show,” said Martinez. “[Rolando Romero] did his thing and I knew I had to capitalize on that. I did it in half the time (45 seconds). Everyone did great tonight. Hitchins and Kevin [Newman] both did their thing and I had to follow.

“I’m going to get back in the gym and continue grinding. I want to be the best. I have the best team in boxing right now. As long as they keep lining them up, I’m going to keep knocking them down.”

2016 Haitian Olympian, Richardson Hitchins won a 10-round unanimous decision over Kevin Johnson in a welterweight fight.

Hitchins, 144 lbs of New York, NY won by scores of 96-94 and 97-93 twice, and is now 10-0. Johnson, 143 1/4 lbs of Las Vegas is 7-2.

Hitchins outlanded Johnson 116-86.

“Johnson was a solid fighter,” said Hitchins. “I haven’t been in the ring since April, but I think I did great. It was the fight that I needed. I wanted the win and I got the unanimous decision. I don’t like to rate my performance without going back and re-watching the fight. I could have closed the gaps a little better. I should have capitalized on certain moments a little better.

“I’m going to run the tape back and work with my coach so we can tighten up and come out the best I can possibly be. I’m excited to see what’s next and what my team has planned for me. They’ve guided me in a great direction and I just got to do what I got to do and that’s getting these guys out one at a time until I get that title shot.”

Johnson, who performed admirably, was gracious in defeat despite disagreeing with the judges’ scorecards.

“He had a good jab,” Johnson said. “It was easy to download him. I put the pressure on him and kept listening to my corner, and moved to the right and kept landing. He’s a tough fighter. I’ll give him that, he definitely came to fight. We both had moments throughout the fight. He did a good job of holding as the ref called, he knew how to hold when he was getting hurt.  I think I was the better fighter. He never hurt me. I give him props as a fighter.

“I really want the rematch, but I doubt that will happen. I know I won. I was the better fighter at the end of the day.”

Kevin Newman II avenged his only loss and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Marcos Hernandez in a super middleweight bout.

Newman, 165 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice, and is 11-1-1. Hernandez, 165 lbs is 14-3-1.

Newman outlanded Hernandez 152-97

The revenge felt so great,” said Las Vegas’ Newman, who dropped a unanimous decision to Hernandez on the undercard of Mayweather vs. McGregor in August 2017. “Overall, I dominated. I went to the body every chance I saw an opportunity. A lot of people have never seen me box like that so it’s great to show that side of me. I was a lot more offensive and I kept the attacks to the body.

“I’d rate my performance a B-, I think I could have been busier. I’m going to continue to developing and staying busy in the ring. I don’t think he expected me to come in like I did. We gave the fans a great performance that was TV worthy and I look forward to doing it again.”

Rolando Romero stopped Juan Carlos Cordones in the opening frame of their scheduled eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Romero landed a flurry of punches that sent Cordones to the canvas in the opening frame. Moments later, Romero sent Cordones down for the 10-count with a right hand at 2:14.

Romero, 138 lbs of Las Vegas is 10-0 with nine knockouts. Cordones, 141 1/2 lbs of La Romana, DR is 14-2.

“There’s not much to say. I promised a knockout and I saw the opportunity so I went for it,” said the exuberant Romero, who has previously stated he is the hardest puncher in the world under 147 pounds. “I made him pay for coming in overweight yesterday. Looking ahead, I just plan on dominating whoever they put in front of me.

“I’m growing as a fighter and all I want to do is continue to put on a great performance for my fans and get to that next step in my career. I want anyone whoever wants next!”

IN NON-TELEVISED ACTION

Ava Knight won an eight-round unanimous decision over Luna del mar Torroba in a flyweight bout.

Knight won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice, and is now 19-2-5. Torroba is 12-10-3.

Malik Warren scored a 2nd round knockout over Shauncy Perry in a scheduled four-round junior lightweight bout.

Warren dropped Perry twice in round one with left’s to the body and head respectively. He finished the fight with another left hand in round two at 59 seconds.

Warren is 2-0 with two knockouts. Perry was making his pro debut.

Dylan Price stopped Elias Joaquino in round six of a scheduled eight-round super flyweight bout.

In round three, Price dropped Joaquino with a body shot. In round four, iy was a left that sent Joaquino to the canvas.

In round six, Price landed a blistering combination on the ropes, and the bout was stopped at 1:48.

Price is now 10-0 with seven knockouts. Joaquino is 12-5-2.

Cris Reyes remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over Recky Dulay in a scheduled eight-round lightweight bout

In round three, Reyes dropped Dulay with a right hand to the body. In round four, Reyes landed a left to the body that doubled over Dulay, and referee Tony Weeks stopped the bout at 1:55.

Reyes of Seattle, WA is 9-0 with eight knockouts. Dulay of the Philippines is 11-7.

LAS VEGAS – October 23, 2019 – Up-and-coming super lightweights Richardson Hitchins (9-0, 5 KOs) and Kevin Johnson 7-1, (4 KOs) open up about training camp leading in to their ShoBox: The New Generation co-feature next Friday, November 1 live on SHOWTIME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

In the ShoBox main event, unbeaten Mayweather Promotions’ prospect Xavier Martinez 14-0, (10 KOs) will return to the series to go toe-to-toe with Filipino veteran Jessie Cris Rosales 22-3-1, (10 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight bout. Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman 10-1-1 (6 KOs) will look to put on another show in his hometown in a rematch with Mark Hernandez 14-2-1 (3 KOs) in an eight-round super middleweight bout. In the opening bout of the telecast, Las Vegas’ knockout artist Rolando Romero 9-0 (8 KOs) will face once-beaten Dominican Juan Cordones 14-1, (9 KOs) in a six-round lightweight bout.

Tickets for the Mayweather Promotions’ Sin City Showdown start at $25 and can be purchased at: https://mayweatherpromotions.com/events/.

Brooklyn native Richardson Hitchins returns to the ring for the fourth time this year in his first ShoBox appearance as the 2016 Olympian looks to keep his perfect record intact against Kevin Johnson. His previous fight was in his hometown in Brooklyn, where he earned a stoppage victory on the Wilder vs. Breazeale undercard. He will now venture to Las Vegas for the second time seeking his 10th win. Still just 22 years old, Hitchins has gained invaluable experience training with several notable fighters, including Terence Crawford, Sadam Ali, Luis Collazo, and stablemate Gervonta Davis.

Two-time world champion Davis feels Hitchins has the makings of a star and will be ready for a title shot in no time.

“He’s a great fighter,’ says Davis. “He’s explosive, he’s always had the talent and he continue to get better and better. I can easily see him becoming a world champion across a few different weight classes as long as he continues doing what he’s doing.

“We have spent a lot of time in the gym, he’s like a brother to me, so it’s great to see us push each other. He’s a champion without the belt, and without putting too much pressure on his career I can definitely see him fighting for a world title if not next year, in 2021. He’s been working really hard and I’m excited to see him in his first televised fight on November 1.”

Here is what Hitchins and Johnson had to say ahead of the November 1 match-up:

How has training camp been going in preparation for 11/1? Have you made any adjustments in your camp?

Hitchins: “I’ve been training hard, keeping the same routines. I’ve seen a lot of different styles coming up in the amateurs; the only difference is the rounds. I’ve picked up little tricks and things from training with Tank and a few other elite fighters.”

Johnson: “I’ve been training consistently for about 4 months now. I’ve been focusing on my dieting, strength and conditioning, hitting the bag with speed and power, and learning new moves. Overall my camp has been going very well.

“I’ve sparred with Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, Demarcus ‘Chop Chop’ Corley, and other upcoming guys like Fernando Vargas Jr. I’ve had some great sparring in this camp. I’m looking strong, sharp, and in shape. I’ve been sparring 10 rounds and still have energy to do more at the end.”

What is your game plan going into this fight?

Hitchins: “The plan is to stay composed. Be first with the attacks, be really sharp and aware, and counter or react to anything he plans to put together against me. I’m a completely different fighter from my debut. I’ve spent hours studying and working on my craft. I’m stronger, smarter, way more developed. Overall, I’m just a smarter fighter.”

Johnson: “I want to go in there and have fun, enjoy the moment, make sure that I listen to my coach, and allow my personality shine in the ring. I don’t really think about getting the knockout unless I see it coming. By my experience and my talent, I definitely will see the knockout coming and will hit him with some great shots and expose his weaknesses”.

What do you know about your opponent Kevin Johnson and his fight style?

Hitchins: “I know he’s fast and tries to fight like Floyd. That style won’t work well with me. I’ve seen that style countless times. He looks solid from my previous opponents, but I have noticed he takes a lot punches.”

Johnson: “I watched one of his recent fights and he’s a really good, tough competitor. Everything he does comes off of basic punches, so he is a really sharp fighter. It’s going to be a really good, exciting fight. I think I can definitely take him and get the victory.”

What will a victory on 11/1 do for your career going forward?

Hitchins: “It’s another win for me. It’s another opportunity to grow my brand, especially with my fight being on TV. I’m going to make a statement.”

Johnson: “If I beat Richardson Hitchins big things will come for my career. I don’t know what will come, but I definitely see the future being successful.”

This is your first nationally televised fight. What do you plan to showcase for fans watching at home?

Hitchins: “I know I will look great. To casual boxing fans I will bring a great show, boxing skills, hand speed, the whole package. I have a lot to show. For the fans who’ve seen me before they’ll already know what’s coming. Another great performance and a W.”

Johnson: “I’ve been promoting my fight heavily on all my social media platforms and have been receiving a lot of engagement that is helping grow my fan base. My followers have been telling me that they will be tuning in or coming to the fight, so I will definitely have a big fan base coming to Sam’s Town. I’m excited to have my first fight on TV, but I’m not thinking the popularity. I’m thinking about my opponent and doing with I’m training to achieve. This will just bring me closer to getting a shot at a championship belt.”

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Fans can live stream the undercard fights on Mayweather Promotions’ Facebook beginning at 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET. Bring a minimum of 5 food items to receive a complimentary general admission ticket (limit 1 ticket per person while they last). List of accepted items include mac & cheese, corn bread, green beans, cake mix, cake icing, and mashed potatoes. Tickets for the live event start at $25 and are on sale now. To purchase tickets to the live event, visit: www.mayweatherpromotions.com/events. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 80 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

For more information: visit www.sho.com/sports, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @MayweatherPromo, @mayweathersports, #SinCityShowdown and #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports and www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.

Sam Bowen battered and bloodied Jordan McCorry en-route to a 9th round stoppage in their scheduled 12-round junior lightweight bout at The Leicester Arena in Leicester, England.

The time of the stoppage was 33 seconds of the 9th frame.

Bowen, 129 lbs is now 15-0 with 11 knockouts. McCorry, 129 lbs is now 17-5-1.

Nathan Gorman remained undefeated with a 10-round decision over former world title challenger Kevin Johnson in a heavyweight bout.

Gorman won by a referee’s score of 100-90, and is now 16-0. Johnson is 34-13-1.

Sam Maxwell scored a stunning 10th round stoppage over Sabri Sediri in the final round of their super lightweight bout.

In round one, Sediri floored Maxwell with a left hook. In round two, Sediri dropped Maxwell with a perfect right to the chin. In round three, Sediri began to bleed from his nose.

With his left eye nearly shut, Maxwell somehow landed a huge right hand to the side of the jaw that sent Sediri to the canvas. Sediri got to his feet, but was unsteady, and the bout was stopped at 2:46.

Maxwell was ahead on two of the three official scorecards.

Maxwell, 139 lbs of Liverpool is 11-0 with nine knockouts. Sediri, 139 lbs of France is 10-1-1.

In a battle of undefeated Leicester based super welterweights, CJ Challenger won a 10-round decision over Ky;e Haywood.

Challenger, 153 lbs won by a 97-95 score and is now 10-0. Haywood, 152 lbs is 8-1.

(March 21, 2019) — Two of Great Britain’s most promising young prospects will be showcased live in the United States on Saturday afternoon.

In the main event from Morningside Arena in Leicester, England, Sam Bowen will make the first defense of his British super featherweight title against Jordan McCorry. And, in the co-feature, heavyweight hopeful Nathan Gorman will fight former world title challenger Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson in a 12-rounder.

Bowen-McCrory and Gorman-Johnson will headline a live and exclusive stream beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on ESPN+, the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Bowen (14-0, 10 KOs) is coming off a banner 2018 in which he knocked out Maxi Hughes in eight rounds to win the vacant British super featherweight title and knocked out Horacio Alfredo Cabral in four to pick up the WBO Intercontinental belt. His first British title defense comes against McCorry (17-4-1, 4 KOs), who is looking to rebound from a competitive decision loss to Patrick Kinigamazi.

Gorman (15-0, 11 KOs) is one of Britain’s top heavyweights, a 22-year-old boxer-puncher who is making his 2019 debut after a successful 4-0 campaign in 2018. In his last bout, Dec. 22 in Manchester, England, he dominated former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu over 12 rounds to score a near-shutout decision. Johnson (34-12-1, 18 KOs) is a 16-year-pro who has fought many of this generation’s leading heavyweights, including Vitali Klitschko, Kubrat Pulev, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. He has only been knocked out twice as a pro.

In other action:

Sam Maxwell (10-0, 8 KOs) will square off against Sabri Sediri (10-0-1, 5 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBO European 140-pound title.

In a 10-round battle featuring a pair of unbeaten super welterweights, CJ Challenger (9-0, 2 KOs) will fight Kyle Haywood (8-0, 1 KO).

To subscribe to ESPN+, visit www.espnplus.com.

About ESPN+
ESPN+, which surpassed one million paying subscribers in just five months, is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports), domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie and more), exclusive Top Rank boxing, UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

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

NATHAN GORMAN WILL now take on the venerable American Kevin ‘Kingpin’ Johnson at the Morningside Arena in Leicester on Saturday, live on BT Sport.

Heavyweight contender Gorman has, unfortunately, been victim of late withdrawals of opponents this week, while the veteran Johnson was also due to have his first fight of the year but suffered an opponent withdrawal.

They will now face each other and the match represents a return to the Morningside Arena for the 39-year-old, who fought in Leicester last year, taking Daniel Dubois the full 10-round distance.

Johnson, with 47 fights to his name and 34 wins, has a resume that features a ‘Who’s Who’ of heavyweight boxing, with him having shared a ring with the likes of Vitali Klitschko, Tyson Fury, Christian Hammer, Dereck Chisora, Manuel Charr, Anthony Joshua, Kubrat Pulev, Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois with only Joshua forcing a stoppage in his 13th fight back in 2015.

Gorman can now look to return the compliment to Dubois, who recently stopped his last opponent Razvan Cojanu in the second round, by making a similar statement against Johnson, who forced the young Londoner to rely on the scorecards.

Since turning professional in December 2015, Gorman has become holder of the WBC International Silver title and is regarded as one of the most promising prospects in world heavyweight boxing.

Promoter Frank Warren has made it public that the 22-year-old is just a few fights away from a collision with fellow young heavy Dubois, with the fight expected to take place before the end of the year.

Both must remain in winning ways and the pupil of Ricky Hatton first has to overcome his American assignment.

“Probably the most durable heavyweight in the world is old Kingpin, isn’t he?” responded Gorman to news of his new opponent. “He seems to have been in with everyone so it only seems right that I should fight him too because it will be another experience and another style.

“I know I have been training for a different style and have only had four or five days to prepare for it, but it will be another box ticked.”

Gorman was fully intent on delivering a showreel KO in his first fight of the year, but realises the probability has diminished with Johnson being drafted in, but there remains the incentive of attempting to out-do his domestic rival.

“It will be very hard with him because he can be very defensive and only two people have stopped him. It will probably be a hard night’s work but only time will tell and I’ve just got to stick to my boxing and do the business. I need to get the win, first and foremost, and come out unscathed and healthy.

“Of course that is the aim to better the outcome of Daniel, obviously. I’m not going in there to do the distance and I want to get him out of there, but I’ve just got to let my boxing do the talking.”

Gorman takes on Johnson at the Morningside Arena in Leicester on a bill that features the British super featherweight title clash between the champion Sam Bowen and Scot Jordan McCorry. CJ Challenger and Kyle Haywood fight for the vacant Midlands Area super welterweight title takes place on the same bill. Among the other stars in action include Sam Maxwell, Tommy Fury and Willy Hutchinson.

Tickets are available from £40 are on sale NOW via Eventbrite

Filip Hrgovi? attracted a 43% television market share in Croatia for his heavyweight showdown with former World title challenger Kevin Johnson on Saturday at the KC Dražen Petrovi? in Zagreb, broadcast live on RTL.

This huge percentage of the Croatian television watching public tuned in to see the Rio 2016 Olympic Bronze Medallist dominate Johnson, claiming his seventh professional win and continuing his World title charge.

Hrgovi? is now ranked top ten with the WBA and also holds World rankings with the WBC and WBO. Having been matched aggressively from the start of his career, the 26 year-old is already being positioned for a World title fight, which could come as early as next year.

“These sensational viewing figures are further proof of Filip’s massive star appeal,” said Zeljko Karajica, CEO of 7Sports, the sports unit of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group and Managing Director of the operating event agency MMP Event GmbH. “He is already a huge draw in his native Croatia, and as his career progresses, these numbers are only going to improve.”

“We have a plan in place that will take Filip to the top of the heavyweight division, which is the pinnacle of the sport of boxing,” said promoter Nisse Sauerland, of Team Sauerland. “Not only can he become one of the biggest names in Croatian sporting history, but also a global superstar.”

Croatian heavyweight star Filip Hrgovic (7-0, 5 KOs) continues his World title hunt with a unanimous points win over former World title challenger Kevin Johnson (33-12-1, 17 KOs) last night at the KC Drazen Petrovic in Zagreb.

The WBC International Champion dominated Johnson over the eight round distance and came close to stopping the durable American in the second round with an overhand right landing flush and buckling the Kingpin’s legs.

Johnson beat the count but offered little resistance as Hrgovi? continued to control the fight in the later rounds, and the decision was in no doubt when the scorecards were read out with all three judges favouring the Croatian, 80-71.

Hrgovi?, the 2015 European Amateur Championship Gold Medallist and 2016 Rio Olympic Bronze Medallist, ends 2018 on a high, having previously recorded victories over Sean Turner, Filberto Tovar and Amir Mansour.

“I would like to thank everybody who has supported me,” said Hrgovi?. “I would also like to thank Kevin Johnson. He is a good fighter and he has my respect. I hit him with some big shots and he did not go down.

“I now plan to have a short break and enjoy Christmas with my family, and in the New Year I look forward to getting back in the gym and continuing my World title quest. In 2019, I am coming for all the belts!”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland was ringside watching on as Hrgovi? recorded his seventh career win, and says he was impressed with his fighter’s display.

“That was a good performance from Filip,” said Sauerland. “He will have learnt a lot from those eight rounds. He has already shown great development as a professional, and he can now enjoy a well deserved rest before a big 2019.”

On the undercard, two-weight female World Champion Ivana Habazin outpointed Eva Bajic, avenging her 2013 defeat, while rising German star Leon Bauer climbed off the canvas to claim a unanimous points win over Jorge Silva.

Filip Hrgovi? and Kevin Johnson both weighed in today ahead of their heavyweight showdown tomorrow night at the KC Drazen Petrovic in Zagreb.

Hrgovi?, the Rio 2016 Olympic Bronze Medallist and current WBC International Champion, will be boxing in his hometown for a second time following his knockout win over Amir Mansour in September at the Arena Zagreb.

Hrgovi? will look to continue his World title charge but can expect tough competition from Johnson, a former World title challenger, who has previously shared the ring with Vitali Klitschko, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Heavyweight – 8 Rounds:
Filip Hrgovi?: 105.5 kg
Kevin Johnson: 117.8 kg

The undercard features Croatian female star Ivana Habazin in a rematch with Eva Bajic plus rising German star Leon Bauer against Portugal’s Jorge Silva.

Super Welterweight – 10 Rounds:
Ivana Habazin: 69.9 kg
Eva Bajic: 68.1 kg

Super Middleweight – 8 Rounds:
Leon Bauer: 76 kg
Jorge Silva: 76.3 kg

Super Welterweight – 8 Rounds:
Sladan Janjanin: 69.6 kg
Jorge Silva: 71 kg

Heavyweight – 8 Rounds:
Ivica Perkovic: 119 kg
Zoltan Csala: 115.7 kg

Filip Hrgovi? vs. Kevin Johnson tops an action-packed fight card at the KC Drazen Petrovic. Tickets start from 150 KN and are available via online www.eventim.hr. All the action will be broadcast live on RTL in Croatia.

Filip Hrgovi? (6-0, 5 KOs) has a new opponent set for his heavyweight showdown on Saturday at the KC Drazen Petrovic with former World title challenger Kevin ‘Kingpin’ Johnson (32-11-1, 16 KOs) replacing Ytalo Perea.

Perea was due to arrive in Zagreb on Tuesday, but did not make his scheduled connection from Bogota. Later, it became apparent, despite previous assurances, that he did not possess the necessary documents to travel.

With no time to spare, the call went out for a suitable replacement, and Johnson, currently based in Germany, where he recorded a knockout win last Saturday, was placed on standby earlier this week and arrived in Zagreb today.

Johnson, from New Jersey, USA, challenged Vitali Klitschko for the WBC World title, and has since gone on to share the ring with a number of modern heavyweight greats including Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

“I’m feeling good,” said Johnson. “I’m coming off a knockout win last weekend and I’m still in that fighting mood. I’m in great shape and I’m ready to go.

“I didn’t have to think twice when I was offered the fight. Hrgovi? doesn’t worry me. I’ve been in there with the best, and he’s not the best, so why should I worry about him?

“He’s been training for something completely different so who knows what’s going to happen when we meet in the middle of the ring. It’s hard to predict, but if the opportunity for a knockout comes, I’m going to take it.

“He’s going to need all the support he can get come Saturday because if he doesn’t, there’s going to be a big upset, and whatever the outcome, one thing’s for sure, the fans are going to get their money’s worth, I can guarantee that!”

“Obviously, it’s not ideal for Filip to have such a late change of opponent, but due to the circumstances, we were left with no other option,” said promoter Nisse Sauerland.

“We are, however, delighted to have secured such a high profile replacement. Kevin Johnson has fought the best out there. He always puts on a great show, and I’m sure the fans at the KC Drazen Petrivic will not be disappointed.”

Filip Hrgovi? vs. Kevin Johnson tops an action-packed fight card at the KC Dražen Petrovi? in Zagreb on Saturday, which also features Croatian female star Ivana Habazin in a rematch with Eva Bajic and a full supporting undercard.

Tickets start from 150 KN and are available online via http://www.eventim.hr. All the action will be broadcast live and exclusive on RTL in Croatia.

Jack Catterall won a 12-round unanimous decision over Ohara Davies in a junior welterweight clash.

Catterall, 139.9 lbs won by scores of 118-110 and 115-113 twice, and is now 23-0. Davies, 139.9 lbs is 18-2.

Heavyweight prospect Daniel DuBois remained undefeated by decisioning former world title challenger Kevin Johnson in a 10-round bout.

DuBois, 239 lbs won by a 100-91 score, and is 9-0. Johnson, 256 lbs is 32-11-1.

Nicola Adams won the WBO Interim Flyweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Isabel Millan.

Adams, 111.9 lbs won by scores of 97-93 twice and 96-94, and is now 5-0. Millan, 110.4 lbs is 22-5-1.

Sam Bowen stopped Horacio Cabral in round four of their scheduled 12-round super featherweight bout.

Bowen dropped Cabral in the 4th round, and the bout was stopped.

Bowen, 129 lbs is 14-0 with 10 knockouts. Cabral is 21-3.

Kevin Johnson has new motivation going into his upcoming heavyweight clash with Daniel Dubois.

The boxing veteran shared the news that his father had died just a couple of weeks ago, but vows to continue his preparations for the fight and will use his family bereavement as fuel and cause the upset by defeating his largely fancied opponent.

“It’s given me so much renewed hunger to win this.” He says, alongside his new training strategies which Johnson has included in his day-to-day training regime. The American believes we will see ‘a new Kevin Johnson’ on October 6th.

The former world title challenger has shared the ring with some of the recent best in the heavyweight division including Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Kubrat Pulev and of course a world title tilt at then WBC Champion Vitali Klitschko in 2009.

Now 21 years old, Dubois is quickly becoming the biggest prospect on the heavyweight scene. The young London fighter has knocked out all eight of his opponents to date.

“He’s made a good start” admitted Johnson.

He continued: “But it’s a big transition to make, especially for a heavyweight. There is always a danger that they haven’t seen what an experienced, veteran fighter can bring to them. Let’s see what happens when he steps into that ring against me.

“He’s going to feel the pressure and how does he react to that? You only know whether you can cope with going up levels once you’re in them. It’s a hard business, and many young prospects have faltered because they find they can’t make the next step. He doesn’t know he will make it, he can’t know!”

The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams will be fighting Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Flyweight Title and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

Heavyweight veteran and former World title challenger Kevin Johnson has warned upcoming opponent Daniel Dubois he will be facing ‘a new Kevin Johnson’ when they clash on October 6th at the Morningside Arena, Leicester.

Despite being at the age of 38 years old and over 15 years into his professional boxing campaign, it hasn’t stopped Johnson (32-10-1) from changing his regime and taking a different approach to finding ways to succeed within the sport.

“I’ve been doing strategic work with Richard Dean in the UK, Gary Clark in the US, and Christian Hiller in Germany. I’m experienced and am working in new ways. The mental side is a huge part of it for me now. That’s Richard Dean’s expertise right there, I’ve never worked with anyone better.” said the American.

Johnson’s boxing career has seen him step into the ring a total of 43 times and he has faced some of best heavyweights the division has had to offer in recent years including Tyson Fury and a world title challenge against Vitali Klitschko; something which Johnson believes could prove to be the difference between himself and Dubois (8-0, 8KO) on fight night:

“Look at the facts, he’s fought no-one with anywhere near my experience.” explained Johnson.

He continued: “It’s a massive step up for him. I’ve been in with everybody. He will really have to learn fast while he’s in the fight itself, or he’ll have a bad night.”

Daniel Dubois, who is celebrating his 21st Birthday today, has had a perfect start to his professional boxing career by defeating all eight of his opponents by knockout. Despite what will most certainly be a step up in level for the young heavyweight prospect, he is full of confidence he will beat the veteran American on October 6th.

“I’m happy for him that he thinks that!” chuckled Johnson.

“But, has he accumulated enough skills, abilities to mix at this level? Does he have skills at the next level?

“He definitely will not know until he steps in there. He will feel uncertain, no matter what he says, or what people tell him. He won’t have seen what I will bring. There will be points in that fight where he will feel very unsure, uncertain and unclear, and that is a fact.

“I lost my father last week, and that gives me so much renewed hunger to win this.

“To reiterate; Dubois hasn’t seen anything like me, and the world hasn’t seen anything like the me who has done lots of mental prep.

“The me who has done lots of physical prep and the me who has just lost his father. This is a new Kevin Johnson, but with lots of experience. I really want this, I will be bringing my A-Game.”

‘The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams will be fighting Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Super-Flyweight Title and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

Egiidjus Kavaliauskas won a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Abreu in a welterweight bout at The Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

In round one, Kavaliauskas with cut over the right eye while Abreu was cut over the left eye from a headbutt. In round four, the left eye of Kavaliauskas was cut from a punch.

Kavaliauskas, 146.8 lbs of Oxnard, CA won by scores of 97-93 twice and 96-94 to raise his perfect mark to 20-0. Abreu, 146.6 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 21-4-1.

Andy Vences remained undefeated by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Frank De Alba in a super featherweight bout.

In round nine, there was swelling under the left eye of De Alba.

Vences, 129.4 lbs of San Jose, CA won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92, and is now 21-0-1. De Alba, 129.8 lbs of Reading, PA is 22-4-2.

Gabriel Flores, Jr. remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over James De Herrera in a lightweight bout.

In round one. Flores dropped De Herrera with a left hook.

Flores, 131.6 lbs of Stockton, CA won by scores of 6-53 on all cards, and is now 9-0. De Herrera, 131.2 lbs of College Station, TEX is 4-4.

In a battle of former heavyweight title challengers, Andy Ruiz won a 10-round unanimous decision over Kevin Johnson.

Ruiz, 252.5 lbs of Las Vegas, NV won by scores of and is now 31-1. Johnson, 257.4 lbs of Neptune, CA is 32-10-1.

Santos Ortega won a 4-round unanimous decision over Ivan Martino in a super bantamweight bout.

Ortega, 122 lbs of Sacramento, CA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 2-0. Martino, 120.8 lbs of San Felipe, MEX is 2-2.

Ruben Rodriguez won a 4-round unanimous decision over Richard Howell in a super lightweight battle.

Rodriguez, 140.6 lbs of Indio, CA won by scores of 40-36 twice, and 39-37 and is now 3-0. Howell, 140.8 lbs of Dallas, TX is 2-2-2.

Joseph Adorno kept his perfect knockout streak in-tact by stopping Guadalupe De Leon in round three of their scheduled six-round super featherweight bout.

In round three, Adorno landed a left hook that he followed with a hard two-punch combination that sent De Leon to the canvas. Adorno was all over De Leon, and the bout was stopped at 2:32.

Adorno, 131.8 lbs of Allentown, PA is now 8-0 with 8 knockouts. De Leon, 130.8 lbs of Mission, Texas is 9-16-1.

Kubrat Pulev (24-1, 13 KOs) and Kevin Johnson (30-7-1, 14 KOs) both weighed in today ahead of their WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship clash at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria, as did all the undercard fighters for tomorrow’s event.

Here is a list of the official weights from Sofia:

WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship – 12 Rounds:
Kubrat Pulev: 116.0 kg
Kevin Johnson: 111.35 kg

Cruiserweight – 6 Rounds:
Tervel Pulev: 90.89 kg
Jakub Wojcik: 90.35 kg

Lightweight – 8 Rounds:
Danail Stanoev: 61.7 kg
Ivaylo Boyanov: 60.6 kg

Middleweight – 6 Rounds:
Yosif Panov: 72.15 kg
Borislav Zankov: 72.9 kg

Light Heavyweight – 6 Rounds:
Leon Bunn: 80.5 kg
Slobodan Culum: 80.7 kg

Light Heavyweight – 6 Rounds:
Yosko Stoychev: 78.0 kg
Stanislav Sergeev: 80.85 kg

Heavyweight – 6 Rounds:
Albon Pervizaj: 103.2 kg
Lazar Stojanovic: 109.75 kg

Cruiserweight – 8 Rounds:
Kai Robin Havnaa: 88.9 kg
Laszlo Ivanyi: 85.5 kg

Light Middleweight – 4 Rounds:
Evengy Borisov: 69.8 kg
Ilian Markov: 67.8 kg

Bantamweight – 4 Rounds:
Georgi Andonov: 55.9 kg
Stefan Slavchev: 55.5 kg

Limited tickets for the WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight title fight between Kubrat Pulev and Kevin Johnson are available online via www.eventim.bg

Kevin Johnson (30-7-1, 14 KOs) says he will break Kubrat Pulev (24-1, 13 KOs) down and make him quit when they meet for the WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight title on Friday night at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria.

‘’Pulev doesn’t scare me,’’ said the American heavyweight. ‘’He’s a cartoon character. He might look serious but that’s because he’s an ugly dude, and ugly people always look serious. Whereas, people like me always have a smile on their face. It is what it is. I can smile in person and I can whoop ass in the ring.

‘’On Friday, I’m going to break him down and make him quit. He can take a lot of shots but there will come a time when he’s going to say enough is enough. It might be in the fifth round, it might be in the seventh or it might be in the twelfth. It doesn’t matter; all that matters is that I’m taking that belt home!’’

Johnson can expect to face a partisan crowd in Sofia cheering for their national hero, but the 37 year-old plans to use this to his advantage, as he looks to rejuvenate his career with a victory over the IBF mandatory challenger.

‘’The louder they are and the more they cheer for him, the more energy I’m going to get,’’ he says. ‘’They may be shouting his name but I’m stealing that energy, and when his ass loses, what are they going to say then? People better start supporting me now because I know I got fans here. In fact, the president of Bulgaria called me personally and told me I should whoop his ugly ass!”

Tickets for the WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight title clash between Kubrat Pulev and Kevin Johnson are available online via http://www.eventim.bg.

NEW YORK, NY(April 25, 2017) – FITE TV will stream this Friday’s (April 28) “Final Countdown” event, headlined by a heavyweight match of former world title contenders Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev and Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson, live on pay per view, starting at 2 p.m. ET /11 a.m. PT, from Armeec Arena in Sofia, Bulgaria. Encore presentations will also be available to watch.

FITE TV is a Combat Sports Network that features boxing, MMA and wrestling programming. FITE gives viewers the choice to watch the program on line at www.FITE.tv, on their mobile device or on their WiFi connected television using the FITE app. The FITE app can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the iTunes app stores.

“Final Countdown: Pulev vs. Johnson”, promoted by Sauerland Promotions, is available to watch on the FITE app and website for a suggested retail price of $19.99.

Boxing fans may watch the entire card simply by downloading the FITE app and then cast the fight to the big screen by using the instant stream-to-TV function. The FITE app works with any Wi-Fi connected television around the world, iOS and Android devices, as well as streaming devices such as Roku, Chromecast and more. Fans may also watch the fights live on the FITE website at www.fite.tv from any computer.

Hometown favorite Pulev (24-1, 13 KOs) will make the first defense of the World Boxing Association (WBA) Inter-Continental heavyweight title he captured this past December. WBA No. 9 rated Pulev can position himself for another world title shot against the winner of Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko, who handed Pulev his only pro loss in their 2014 International Boxing Federation (IBF) title fight.

“Kevin Johnson is a good boxer who will give everything but he will not succeed,” Pulev said at today’s press conference. “My goal is to become World Champion. I know a loss will set me back a long way, but I’m confident in my abilities. My opponent is an experienced fighter who will be difficult to breakdown, but I’ve prepared for that. On Friday, I want to pit on another great show for the Bulgarian people and then, I want my shot at the world title.”

Johnson (30-7-1, 14 KOs), fighting out of Lawrenceville, Georgia, has fought reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua – the only fighter to stop Johnson – former unified world heavyweight titlist Tyson Fury, former world title challenger Manuel Charr and current European champion Christian Hammer. In 2009, Johnson lost his lone world title fight by unanimous decision to undefeated WBC champion Vitali Klitschko, extending him the full 12-rounds.

“If Pulev thinks he’s in for an easy night,” Johnson commented, “he’s got another thing coming. I’m not Samuel Peter. I’m not here to lie down and collect a check. I’m here to cause an upset. I’m going to take this boy to school and show the Bulgarians what a Jersey boy can do. I’m going to give him an ass whopping on Friday, the likes of which nobody has seen before. We’ve both been through the same obstacles and we’ve both fought for the world titles before, but only one of us is going to get that second shot, and that’s going to be me.

“The woman here are very beautiful and I’m looking to get married. On Saturday, I’m going to be leaving with a new belt and new wife!”

It’s a great weekend for heavyweight boxing,” promoter Nisse Sauerland added. “Kubrat is the mandatory challenger to face the winner of Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF World title. Either they fight him or they vacate the belt. He’s fought hard to get back into this position and he’s risking it all in this fight against a rejuvenated Kevin Johnson. Kevin also knows what’s at stake and what a win would mean for his career. Both men have been training hard and are ready to give it their all in the ring Friday night.”

Additional PPV fights are scheduled on FITE TV on a weekly basis.

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During the last few months, FITE has tripled the viewing time by user and has become a shared-space for die-hard fight fans to stay connected to their favorite sport every day. As a full-fledged TV programming network, FITE televises live pay-per-views and TV tapings on a weekly schedule.

FITE was launched on February 9th, 2016 as a product of Flipps Media Inc, a company that brings digital entertainment content (movies, news and video) on television with its patented tap-to-stream functionality. Flipps Media Inc. is funded by EarlyBird Venture Capital, Tim Draper and LAUNCHub.

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Kubrat Pulev (24-1, 13 KOs) and Kevin Johnson (30-7-1, 14 KOs) came face-to-face at a press conference today at the Hotel Marinela in Sofia ahead of their WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight title clash on Friday night at the Arena Armeec.

Pulev makes the first defence of the WBA strap he claimed with a third-round stoppage victory over former World Champion Samuel Peter in December, and also risks his IBF mandatory position, which would see him in line to face the winner of Saturday’s World title showdown between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko.

Johnson, the former World title challenger from New Jersey, USA, insists he is not there to make up the numbers, and is also targeting a second shot at World honours as he looks to upset the Bulgarian hero in front of his home fans.

‘’Kevin Johnson is a good boxer who will give everything, but he will not succeed,’’ said Pulev. ‘’My goal is to become World Champion. I know a loss will set me back a long way, but I’m confident in my abilities. My opponent is an experienced fighter, who will be difficult to break down, but we’ve prepared for that. On Friday, I want to put on another great show for the Bulgarian people, and then I want my shot at the World title.’’

‘’If Pulev thinks he’s in for an easy night, he’s got another thing coming,’’ said Johnson. ‘’I’m no Samuel Peter. I’m not here to lie down and collect a cheuque, I’m here to cause an upset. I’m going to take this boy to school and show the Bulgarians what a Jersey boy can do. I’m going to give him an ass whopping on Friday, the likes of which nobody has seen before. We’ve both been through the same obstacles and we’ve both fought for World titles before, but only one of us is going to get that second shot, and that’s going to me.’’

Having taken in the sights of Sofia, Johnson also revealed he plans to leave Bulgaria with two souvenirs. ‘’The women here are very beautiful,’’ he said. ‘’And I’m looking to get married. On Saturday, I’m going to be leaving with a new belt and a new wife!’’

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’It’s a great weekend for heavyweight boxing. Kubrat is mandatory challenger to face the winner of Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF World title. Either they fight him or they vacate the belt. He’s fought hard to get back into this position, and he’s risking it all in this fight against a rejuvenated Kevin Johnson. Kevin also knows what’s at stake and what a win would mean for his career. Both men have been training hard, and are ready to give it their all in the ring on Friday night.’’

Tickets for the WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight title fight between Kubrat Pulev and Kevin Johnson on Friday night in Sofia are available online via www.eventim.bg.

NEW YORK, NY(April 18, 2017) – FITE TV will stream the April 28th heavyweight clash between a pair of past world title contenders, Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev and Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson, live on pay per view, starting at 2 p.m. ET /11 a.m. PT, from Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria. Encore presentations will also be available to watch.

FITE TV is a Combat Sports Network that features boxing, MMA and wrestling programming. FITE gives viewers the choice to watch the program on line at www.FITE.tv, on their mobile device or on their WiFi connected television using the FITE app. The FITE app can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the iTunes app stores.

“Final Countdown: Pulev vs. Johnson”, promoted by Sauerland Promotions, is available to watch on the FITE app and website for a suggested retail price of $19.99.

Boxing fans may watch the entire card, headlined by the Pulev-Johnson 12-round World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title fight, simply by downloading the FITE app and then cast the fight to the big screen by using the instant stream-to-TV function. The FITE app works with any Wi-Fi connected television around the world, iOS and Android devices, as well as streaming devices such as Roku, Chromecast and more. Fans may also watch the fights live on the FITE website at www.fite.tv from any computer.

“Pulev versus Johnson is another fine boxing event that FITE is now making available to our North American fan base,” FITE COO Michael Weber said. “FITE continues to grow by leaps and bounds and we are very proud of the growth of world class boxing events to complement our current line-up of MMA and wrestling events.”

The 6′ 4 ½ Pulev, fighting at home in Sofia, Bulgaria, captured the vacant WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title in his last fight this past December, in which former world champion Samuel Peters (36-5) retired after the third round.

Last May, Pulev won a 12-round split decision over Dereck Chisora (25-5) to capture the European heavyweight championship. The 35-year-old Pulev has won four in a row since he suffered the only loss of his professional career, by way of a fifth-round knockout in 2014, to then-International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko (62-3).

Pulev was a celebrated amateur boxer who represented Bulgaria at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Currently rated No. 9 in the world by the WBA, Pulev can position himself for another world title shot with an impressive victory over Johnson, the battle-tested veteran fighting out of Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA.

“My number one goal is to fight for the World title and on April 28,” Pulev commented, “I will take another step towards achieving this goal. I’m already training hard to prove I am worthy to fight again for the heavyweight crown.

“Johnson is a tough opponent. You must only look at his resume to tell this will be a real challenge. He has shared the ring with many World class fighters like Vitali Klitschko and Anthony Joshua. I know I will need to be at my best to beat him, but with the help of my coach Ulli Wegner and the support of the Bulgarian people, I’m confident my hand will be raised, and we will be able to celebrate another great night for Bulgarian boxing and another step towards me fulfilling my dream of becoming the Heavyweight Champion of the World.’

Johnson, 37, has served as a dangerous “gatekeeper” in the heavyweight division during his 14-year professional career. He’s fought reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua – the only fighter to stop Johnson – former unified world heavyweight titlist Tyson Fury, former world title challenger Manuel Charr and current European champion Christian Hammer.

Johnson’s most notable wins have been against world title challengers Bruce Seldon (TKO5), Alex Leapai (TKO9) and Albert Sosnowski (SDEC3 in Prizefighter Tournament).

In 2009, Johnson lost his lone world title fight by unanimous decision to undefeated WBC champion Vitali Klitschko, extending him the full 12-rounds.

Additional PPV fights are scheduled on FITE TV on a weekly basis.

– pictures courtesy of Sauerland Promotions –

INFORMATION:
www.fite.tv
Twitter: @FiteTV, #PulevJohnsonPPV
ABOUT FITE TV: FITE TV (www.fite.tv) is a programming network that brings live and on-demand ring sports programs to MMA, wrestling and boxing fans around the world. With only access to a smartphone and a connected TV, with the FITE app, viewers can watch live events, on-demand programming, interviews and fighting sports related movies and documentaries on the big TV screen.

During the last few months, FITE has tripled the viewing time by user and has become a shared-space for die-hard fight fans to stay connected to their favorite sport every day. As a full-fledged TV programming network, FITE televises live pay-per-views and TV tapings on a weekly schedule.

FITE was launched on February 9th, 2016 as a product of Flipps Media Inc, a company that brings digital entertainment content (movies, news and video) on television with its patented tap-to-stream functionality. Flipps Media Inc. is funded by EarlyBird Venture Capital, Tim Draper and LAUNCHub.

ABOUT MP & Silva: MP & Silva owns, manages and distributes television and media rights to some of the most prestigious sports events around the world, with a portfolio that provides over 10,000 hours of programming annually to over 200 broadcasters in 215 countries. MP & Silva also provides complimentary sponsorship, digital and technology services. Headquartered in London and Singapore, it operates worldwide through regional offices in Beijing, Budapest, Dubai, Dublin, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Luxembourg, Miami, Monaco, Munich, New York, Paris, Taipei, Tokyo and Warsaw. In May 2016, MP & Silva created a strategic partnership with Everbright, a leading financial services company in China and Baofeng, an internet entertainment and technology company, specializing in Virtual Reality and digital entertainment, through an investment from Shanghai Jin Xin investment fund (“Shanghai Jin Xin”). For more information visit http://mpsilva.com/

Kubrat Pulev (24-1, 13 KOs) will defend his WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship against former World title challenger Kevin ‘Kingpin’ Johnson (30-7-1, 14 KOs) on Friday, April 28 at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Pulev made a triumphant homecoming on December 3, 2016, fighting for the first time in his home country, and forcing former WBC World Champion Samuel Peter to retire after three rounds in front of a capacity crowd of 15,000 Bulgarian fans.

‘’It was an overwhelming experience for me to receive so much support from the crowd. I could feel the energy surging around the arena, and that gave me the power to win by stoppage,’’ said ‘The Cobra’, who is now looking forward to a second fight on home soil as he aims to secure a second shot at World honours.

‘’My number one goal is to fight for the World title, and on April 28, I will take another step towards achieving this goal. I’m already training hard to prove I am worthy to fight again for the heavyweight crown.

‘’Johnson is a tough opponent. You must only look at his resume to tell this will be a real challenge. He has shared the ring with many World-class fighters like Vitali Klitschko and Anthony Joshua.

‘’I know I will need to be at my best to beat him, but with the help of my coach Ulli Wegner and the support of the Bulgarian people, I’m confident my hand will be raised, and we will be able to celebrate another great night for Bulgarian boxing and another step towards me fulfilling my dream of becoming the Heavyweight Champion of the World.’’

‘’We’re delighted to be returning to the Arena Armeec for what promises to be another great night of boxing on April 28,’’ said promoter Kalle Sauerland. ‘’We have promoted shows all over the World, and I must say, the atmosphere in Sofia was second to none. The support that Kubrat receives from the Bulgarian people is special, and this will help him to reach the top.

‘’He faces a tough test against Kevin Johnson, who having fought many of the biggest names in the heavyweight division, has only been stopped once. Kubrat must prove himself once again, and show that he is ready for a World title challenge.’’

Further details including ticketing information will be announced shortly.

LONDON (24 FEB) American heavyweight Kevin Johnson claims time spent in the company of Tyson Fury will serve him well ahead of a proposed April 25 collision with Anthony Joshua – because Fury is considerably better than the former Olympic champion.

Twenty-six-year-old Fury fights Christian Hammer this Saturday (February 28) at the O2 Arena, live on BoxNation, and Johnson was one of his main sparring partners in camp.

The Atlanta-native couldn’t have asked for a better kickstart to his own preparations.

“Anthony Joshua is a tall, long guy, a good boxer with good strength, and Tyson Fury is a tall guy, a better boxer, a smarter guy, with better skills,” said Johnson. “In terms of preparation, it doesn’t get better than that.

“On a scale of one to ten, I give Fury an eight because he has grown and developed. Peter (Fury) has him working on so many different things and you can see the improvements when he steps into the ring. He’s a young kid as well. He won’t reach his full potential for another couple of years. That’s when he can get a ten. Joshua is at a three right now.”

Johnson, of course, boxed Fury back in December 2012. He lost a unanimous decision after twelve rounds. Since then he has watched the six-foot-nine Englishman improve on a fight-by-fight basis.

“You watch Dereck Chisora against Vitali Klitschko and Chisora looks like an ultimate beast in the ring,” said Johnson, “but then you watch Tyson Fury against Chisora and Tyson makes it look easy.

“I see a lot of improvement in Fury. He’s not doing what he used to do. Before he’d make stupid decisions and give up his size to come in and trade punches. That would allow the other guy to clip him and drop him at times.

“Now he’s boxing and using his height and reach beautifully. That demobilises a lot of opponents before he goes in to land the good blows. As Larry Holmes used to say, ‘Pick ’em apart from the outside and then, when you go in, lay ’em down.’ He’s doing that a lot better now.

“If you watch Fury over the last three or four years, you’ll see the difference. He’s just a lot cleverer now and has cut out the stupid stuff. Peter has calmed him down and has got him to use every one of his physical advantages to make fights that bit easier. I’m impressed. He’s definitely good enough to win a version of the world title one day.”

Whether Fury’s route to the title includes a shot at Wladimir Klitschko or WBC champion Deontay Wilder remains to be seen. The 26-year-old is currently mandatory challenger for Klitschko’s WBO strap, and a summer date has been mooted, but Johnson also likes the idea of Fury and Wilder getting together at some point this year.

“I’ve been in the ring with both Tyson and Deontay and that fight would come down to which one of them could take the hardest punch,” said ‘Kingpin’. “I can’t answer that because I’ve never had the opportunity to take a hard shot from either.

“Which one of them could dig down once that hard shot lands? That would be the guy who wins.

“Deontay is a great boxer, you can’t take that from him, but Tyson is a great boxer, too. They’re both at a very similar stage right now. It would be great to see them go at it. Both guys can win that fight with one shot and that’s exciting for the division.”

*** Tyson Fury fights Christian Hammer this Saturday (February 28) at London’s O2 Arena, LIVE on BoxNation ***

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LONDON (11 FEB) American heavyweight Kevin Johnson has expressed his admiration for Hughie Lewis Fury and backed the unbeaten youngster to fulfil his potential and one day win a world heavyweight title.

The 20-year-old Fury, cousin of Tyson, takes a major step up in class on February 21, when he meets Ukrainian puncher Andriy Rudenko over ten rounds in Monte Carlo, and Johnson, who has helped Hughie with sparring ahead of the fight, is amazed at the rate of improvement.

“I fell in love with the kid back in Canada when I first boxed with him,” he said. “He must’ve only been 17 or 18 years of age.

“What I love about the guy is he’s brought a little bit of the American craft and added that to his style. That’s unusual for fighters from over here. Most fighters from Europe tend to be pretty basic – one-two, one-two, one-two-three type of fighters. But this kid has learnt and developed the American way and that separates him from the rest.

“I see things in him that these other prospects don’t have. He has composure, poise and he can throw shots they can’t. He doesn’t just do the A, B, C, basic stuff. He’s always thinking in there and is able to improvise when he needs to. The kid can hit, too. He hits like a horse kicks. You can’t play with him.

“He’s coming up right behind Tyson already and he’s only 20 years of age. That’s incredible. I really do think he has the ability to go all the way.”

As for the test that awaits Fury on February 21, Johnson sees no reason why Hughie Lewis won’t be able to keep his unbeaten record intact.

“This is no easy walk in the park for Hughie,” said Johnson. “If he gets careless and gets clipped, he could get dropped or worse.

“Some people are surprised he’s stepped up so quickly, but I’m not. I always say this to myself: ‘If you plan on being the world heavyweight champion, why the hell would you worry about a guy who is 21-0? He’s not the heavyweight champion. He means nothing to me.’

“Well, I think Hughie is probably looking at Rudenko the same way. He sees him as a guy who is 24-1 and who has been beaten by Lucas Browne. Those are the cold, hard facts. Rudenko is not a world heavyweight champion and he probably never will be. Hughie, though, is good enough to one day win a world heavyweight title, so he should be confident of beating a guy like Rudenko at this stage.

“Does Hughie want to be a champion? If he doesn’t, this fight will be a struggle on February 21. He may find his level and come unstuck. But if Hughie does want to be a champion – and I’m certain he does – he’ll ace this test with flying colours. He’ll show he’s on a different level.”

Unsurprisingly, Johnson is enjoying his time with Team Fury in Bolton and sees the experience as perfect preparation ahead of a proposed fight against Anthony Joshua on April 25.

“It’s like a reality television show here,” he said. “When we’re not in the gym, we’re not in the gym. But when we’re in the gym, it’s about the gym and it’s about training and giving your best. You give everything. There’s no time to mess around with any foolishness.

“These are serious people and we’ve all got serious fights on the horizon. You have to give it your all because you can get hurt if you don’t. I love camps like this. It’s why I got into boxing. The atmosphere is just great. We work five days a week and do unlimited rounds. It just never stops.”

*** Fury vs. Rudenko is part of the ‘Thunderbolt in Monaco’ show on February 21 (Channel 5). Headlining the event will be the WBA Super world middleweight title fight between the fearsome Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and Britain’s Martin Murray ***

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Undefeated Heavyweight sensation Anthony Joshua was diganosed with a stress fracture in his back which will postpone his January 31 bout with former world title challenger Kevin Johnson, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I trained so hard over Christmas and the press conference with Johnson was so lively that I was really looking forward to putting in a great performance,” Joshua said. “It’s bad news for myself and for the fans that have bought tickets. I hope to be able to put on a fan zone at the weigh-in and the fight itself to meet the fans. I will be competing many times this year, but this injury is something that I need to get sorted as soon as possible.”

“It’s disappointing to lose Anthony from this great card, but after receiving news from the [MRI] scan, he was left with no option but to rest his back,” Hearn said. “He picked up a niggle in the Sprott camp and had a good month rest after, but it hasn’t been 100 percent in camp and the results gave him no option. He hopes to resume punching in early February and come back with a bang in Newcastle on April 4.”

WBC #6 rated heavyweight contender Manuel Charr scored a ten round unanimous decision win over former world title challenger Kevin Johnson on Saturday night in front of 5,000 fans at Telekom Dome in Bonn, Germany. Both guys had their moments in a good action fight. Charr was the more aggressive fighter who kept on coming forward while Johnson landed a couple of decent jabs and counter punches.

While “Kingpin” Johnson seemed to land the harder shots – especially in the middle rounds – Charr earned the decision win by his greater level of overall activity. In the end the judges scored 98:92, 98:92 and 97:93 for Charr.

“I am very happy that everything worked out well”, said Charr. “What people have to understand is that I have not only been the main event fighter on this show. I also promoted and organized the whole event with a very small team of good friends. I took a big risk and worked all day and night – in the gym and in the office – to get it done. I want to thank all the people who supported me and the many fans who came to see the show. Not many fighters can fill a big venue like this without TV and without a big promoter.”

Jonson accepted defeat although he said he knew he wouldn’t get a decision in Germany no matter what he did. “I knew I had to knock him out but we are talking about a world rated fighter who is a really tough guy”, said Johnson. “I hit him with a couple of good shots but he kept moving forward. I couldn’t stop him. It’s as simple as that. And we all know that you have to knock out your opponent twice to get a decision win on the road. That’s what I tried to do. But I couldn’t get it done. I have to give my respect to Manuel and his team. They did a great job. And he is a hell of a fighter. He connected with some good shots as well. It was give and take. Congrats to him for his victory.”

In the co-feature of the night world rated middleweight contender Hamid Rahimi scored an impressive first round KO against overmatched Czech journeyman Bronislav Kubin. Although he is clearly no world class fighter Kubin is known to be a durable guy who went the distance with a lot of good opponents. But Rahimi connected with a clean right hand to the chin within the first minute of the fight. Kubin broke the count but he was back on wobbly legs. Rahimi saw his chance and took it knocking his opponent down two more times before referee Jürgen Langos waived off the fight after 1:39 minutes.

“I apologize to all fans who wanted to see a longer fight but I trained really hard for this bout and saw lots of videos of Kubin”, said Rahimi. “I knew he was taking down his hand a little bit after his jabs. So I waited for the right moment and caught him. I would have loved to fight a little longer. But when you see an opening you got to use it.”

Rahimi had made worldwide news in 2012 when he organized and promoted the first ever professional boxing show in his home country Afghanistan labeled as “Fight for Peace”. At the moment there are rumors about a WBO elimination bout between the “peace fighter” and British contender Billy Joe Saunders.

This Saturday (April 12th) WBC #6 rated heavyweight contender Manuel Charr takes on Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson at Telekom Dome in Bonn, Germany. At today’s weigh-in Charr brought 242.5 lbs. to the scale while Johnson weighed in slightly heavier at 244.5 lbs. Both guys left no doubt that they are ready for war. “People may not know it yet but Germany is my country”, said Johnson. “They will love me once I whipped this guy’s a**!”

“I will be the first one to knock out Kevin Johnson”, stated Manuel Charr. “This is my chance to shine and to get closer to another shot at the world title.” Both men have fought for the WBC heavyweight championship before losing to Vitali Klitschko. Johnson dropped a lopsided decision in 2009 while Charr was stopped because of a cut in September 2012. The winner will reenter the title race while it may be all over for the loser.

In the co-feature WBO # 15 rated middleweight contender Hamid Rahimi will take on Bronislav Kubin. Rahimi who made worldwide news in October 2012 when he promoted the first ever professional boxing fight in Afghanistan labeled as “Fight For Peace” weighed in at 161 lbs. His opponent was still on his way to Bonn when the weigh-in ceremony was held.

The show promoted by Manuel Charr’s “Diamondoy Promotion” will take place at Telekom Dome in Bonn, Germany.

On April 12th, 2014, two former foes of WBC heavyweight champion “in recess” Vitali Klitschko square off at the Telekom Dome in Bonn, Germany, when local hero and WBC #6 rated Manuel Charr faces Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson on a show promoted by Charr’s “Diamond Boy Promotion”. Johnson went the distance with the elder Klitschko brother losing a lopsided decision in December 2009 and has lost three of his last four against Tyson Fury, Christian Hammer and Dereck Chisora. Manuel Charr was stopped by a cut when he challenged Vitali in September 2012 but successfully recovered from his sole career loss winning four in a row and collecting a couple of WBC regional titles.

In the co-feature “Peacefighter” Hamid Rahimi will step into the ring against an opponent to be announced. The 30 year old middleweight contender from Afghanistan made worldwide news in 2012 when he organized the first ever professional boxing fight in his hometown Kabul labelled as “Fight for Peace”. Rahimi stopped Said Mbelwa in the seventh round to claim the WBO intercontinental middleweight championship. He was originally scheduled to face Billy Joe Saunders in a WBO eliminator in April but Saunders suffered an injury so the fight had to be postponed. Now Rahimi will fight in Bonn instead to get ready for his elimination bout in England later this year.

Besides the action in the ring the show on April 12th in Bonn will feature some international music acts lead by German rap superstar Prince Kay One who is co-promoting Charr and will perform live at the “Diamond Boy’s” walk-in to the arena. In addition to that former Monrose lead singer Bahar, rockstar Percial Duke and 80s-pop-icon Fancy will showcase their talent at the Telekom Dome.

For tickets (starting at 15,- Euros plus tax and fees) go to www.koelnticket.de or www.eventim.de or call +49-221-2801.

A pair of former world title challengers will square off on February 15th when Dereck Chisora will meet Kevin Johnson in London according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Johnson comes in with a great record and is name that fans know,” Chisora said at a news conference on Monday in London. “This is by no means an easy fight. He’s taken Tyson (Fury) and Vitali (Klitschko) the distance and he stopped (mandatory world title challenger Alex) Leapai. I’m excited and looking forward to it.”

“Dereck faces the well-respected American Johnson, who Tyson beat on points just over a year ago,” said promoter Frank Warren. “He’s got a win over the current WBO No. 1 Alex Leapai, plus he took Vitali Klitschko the distance in their world title fight. It’s unfortunate that Rudenko pulled out injured. It’s not ideal, but things happen and Dereck’s a pro. But he knows he can’t afford to slip up.

“The name of the game is for Dereck and Tyson to look good and come through winners at the Copper Box Arena and then in the summer I’ll look to get an all-British final eliminator sanctioned by the WBO for the world title in a big grudge match, with the winner going on to challenge for the world title. I’m very excited to be working with Tyson, (uncle and trainer) Peter (Fury) and (promoter) Mick (Hennessy) and making the fights that the fans want to see.”

Said Chisora, “I have to beat Johnson and then Tyson is waiting for me in a world title eliminator, which is a great incentive to really do a demolition job on Johnson.”

“The heavyweight division has been wide open for a long time but not many people have been there to go and smash the titles off the Klitschkos,” he said. “Wladimir promised to fight the winner out of me and Chisora in the first fight and I never got the fight against him. Good riddance to Vitali, Grandpa robot, he wouldn’t fight any real opposition and he retired because he knew I was coming for him. I just can’t wait to get the rematch in the summer against Chisora and then get to take Wladimir’s head off.

“I’m glad that me and Chisora will be a final eliminator. Wladimir can either vacate the WBO title or fight me. I see a 100 percent improvement in Chisora. He’s a lot fitter and stronger, he’s better conditioned and a real athlete now. I’m focused on beating Basile first, then it’s Chisora. The first fight was a good one, but I hope that this fight is one of the best ever all-British heavyweight fights.”

SUNRISE, FLORIDA (Nov. 22) – Fighting in his adopted home state of Florida for the first time since 2012, highly-touted Cuban heavyweight contender Luis “El Mercedez” Ortiz will make his Golden Boy Promotions debut against fellow southpaw Alex Gonzales of Puerto Rico in a featured bout at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla. on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The 10-round bout was added to the fight card after the matchup between Odlanier “La Sombra” Solis and Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson was removed from the card.

In the Golden Boy Live! main event, airing on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes, heavyweight star Antonio “The Magic Man” Tarver returns to action to face Mike Sheppard for the vacant NABA Heavyweight crown. In the co-main event, undefeated bantamweight Randy “El Matador” Caballero makes his Florida debut against local southpaw Jessy Cruz of Miami. Also featured on the card will be unbeaten 2012 U.S. Olympian Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale, who takes on Nagy Aguilera in an eight-round televised bout.

Owner of nearly 350 amateur wins, Camaguey, Cuba native Luis “El Mercedez” Ortiz (17-0, 14 KO’s) is on the fast track to the top of the heavyweight division. Now making his home in Miami, the 34-year-old southpaw has won 10 fights in three rounds or less and he will be looking for another quick finish to entertain his local fans.

“I’m happy to put this deal together between Golden Boy Promotions and Dade Promotions, said Juan Lazaro Jimenez, manager of Luis Ortiz. I am also excited about the possibilities that will see us lead Luis Ortiz to the world heavyweight championship.”

“I’m proud to be fighting for Golden Boy Promotions and Dade Promotions, and I’m going to give a great show on November 26, said Luis Ortiz. “I’ll be looking for the knockout from the opening bell, and as excited as the fans will be, I’m even more excited to be fighting in and representing the United States, which has been my home for the past four years.”

A 1992 Olympian who represented Puerto Rico in the Barcelona Games, Alex Gonzales (20-8, 10 KO’s) is a veteran competitor who can match Ortiz in world-class experience as both an amateur and a professional. Winner of two of his last four bouts, Gonzales has waited for an opportunity like this and plans on making the most of it when he steps in the ring against his unbeaten foe.

Tarver vs. Sheppard, a 10-round bout for the vacant Interim NABA Heavyweight title, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The BB&T Center doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET and the first bell rings at 6:45 p.m. ET. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes bilingual simulcast will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $150 (VIP Tables), $75, $50, $40 and $25, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now and available for purchase at all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BB&T Center box office.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.thebbtcenter.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @AntonioTarver, @randyelmatador, @breazealeboxing, @Topdoggjr, @thebbtcenter and follow the conversation using #GoldenBoyLive, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing. For more information on FOX Sports 1 visit www.FOXSports.com and become a follower on Twitter at @FOXSports, @FOXSports1 and @FOXSportsPR. For more information on FOX Deportes, visit www.FOXDeportes.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes, and check out exclusive images on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.

SUNRISE, FLORIDA (Nov. 12) – It’s a night of heavyweight action at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla. as the Tuesday, Nov. 26 edition of Golden Boy Live! not only showcases heavyweights Antonio Tarver and Mike Sheppard in the FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes main event for the vacant Interim NABA Heavyweight title, but also features two heavyweight showdowns in the undercard bouts. Unbeaten 2012 U.S. Olympian Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale takes on Nagy Aguilera in an eight-round televised bout and veteran contenders Odlanier “La Sombra” Solis and Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson meet in a 10-round non-televised bout for the IBF Intercontinental Heavyweight Title.

In the evening’s 10-round co-main event, undefeated bantamweight Randy “El Matador” Caballero makes his Florida debut against local southpaw Jessy Cruz of Miami. Cruz tops a roster of Miami-based talent featured on the Nov. 26 fight card.

An intimidating force at 6-foot-6, Dominic Breazeale (7-0, 7 KO’s) has taken out all comers in his path since turning pro after the 2012 London Olympics. In his last fight on Sept. 12, the former quarterback showcased his skills with a third-round technical knockout over Jon Hill. Now, the 28-year-old from Glendale, Calif. is ready to step things up on Nov. 26 against Nagy Aguilera.

A native of Santo Domingo, who now calls New York City home, the 27-year-old Nagy Aguilera (18-7, 12 KO’s) has a wealth of experience he plans on using on Nov. 26. A veteran of fights against heavyweight stars Antonio Tarver, Samuel Peter, Chris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek, Aguilera has won three of his last four bouts, a hot streak he takes into the ring against Breazeale.

A six-time Cuban National Champion and 2004 Cuban Olympic Gold Medalist, Odlanier Solis (20-1, 13 KO’s) is one of the greatest boxers Cuba has ever produced. With three consecutive wins since his 2011 challenge of WBC Heavyweight World Champion Vitali Klitschko that ended due to a knee injury, Solis is well on his way back to the top and looking forward to his first fight in his adopted state of Florida, residing in Miami, since 2010.

Ten-year pro Kevin Johnson (29-3-1, 14 KO’s) is a former heavyweight world title challenger who has won seven of nine bouts since extending Vitali Klitschko into the championship rounds during their 2009 fight. Coming off of a knockout over Australia’s Solomon Haumono in April, 2013, the 34-year-old from Neptune, N.J., is ready for his meeting with Solis.

Adding to the undercard action, one of the light heavyweight division’s emerging stars, 26-year-old Thomas Williams (14-0, 10 KO’s) of Washington, D.C., looks to follow up his 2013 wins over Jason Smith, Kevin Engel and Otis Griffin with another big victory in a 10-round match against Yusef Mack (31-6-2, 17 KO’s) of Philadelphia.

Opening the night will be three Miami natives. Junior lightweight Albert Bell (2-0, 1 KO) faces Bayamon, Puerto Rico’s Angel Hernandez (1-2) in a four-round bout. Making their professional debuts in four-round fights will be welterweight Erickson Lubin and featherweight Dennis Galarza facing Moca, Puerto Rico’s Jesus Sosa (0-1) and Arecibo, Puerto Rico’s Harold Torres, respectively.

Tarver vs. Sheppard, a 10-round bout for the vacant Interim NABA Heavyweight title, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The BB&T Center doors open at 7:00 p.m. ET and the first bell rings at 8:00 p.m. ET. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes bilingual simulcast will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $150 (VIP Tables), $75, $50, $40 and $25, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now and available for purchase at all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BB&T Center box office.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.thebbtcenter.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @AntonioTarver, @randyelmatador, @breazealeboxing, @Topdoggjr, @thebbtcenter and follow the conversation using #GoldenBoyLive, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing. For more information on FOX Sports 1 visit www.FOXSports.com and become a follower on Twitter at @FOXSports, @FOXSports1 and @FOXSportsPR. For more information on FOX Deportes, visit www.FOXDeportes.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes, and check out exclusive images on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.