Garcia Drops Haney Three Times; Wins Majority Decision

BROOKLYN, NY–Ryan Garcia scored the biggest win of his career as he sent Devin Haney to the canvas three times en-route to a 12-round split decision at Barclays Center.

Round one saw Garcia get off to a fast start as he landed some hard left hooks and backed Haney up. One particular left hook buckled Haney. Haney had a solid round three as he was good with the jab and landed a left hook that sent Garcia back.

The fight turned in round seven when Garcia landed a left hook that deposited Haney on the canvas. Garcia was deduced a point for hitting on the break. Garcia was relentless and hurt Haney several more times in what was a tumultuous round for Haney. In round 10, Garcia dropped Haney for a second time when he lanced a perfect three punch combination in the corner. Later in the round, Garcia hurt Haney again with a perfect left hook to the head. Garcia dropped Haney for a third time with another perfect left hook to the chin.

Garcia landed 106 of 285 punches. Haney was 87 of 214.

Garcia, 143.4 lbs of Victorville, CA won by scores of 115-109 and 114-110. Once card was even at 112-112.

Garcia is now 25-1. Haney, 140 lbs of Las Vegas is 31-1.

“I shouldn’t have put too much pressure on myself to stop him, because every time I hurt him, I went crazy and I couldn’t stop him,” said Ryan Garcia. “I think the ref should’ve stopped the fight. He (Haney) was really hurt. I felt bad, I even looked at Bill to stop the fight. [Regarding the point being deducted in seventh round] The guy was holding me for dear life, and I felt the opportunity to keep swinging while my hands were free. I should’ve knocked him out that seventh round. They stole that from me. I’m surprised he has so much heart and recovery. He got wobbled bad in the first round. I thought it was over. He even hurt me with a hook. At the end of the day, I’m going to fight him, win or lose.” 

“Ryan just shocked the world and proved once and for all that he is the face of boxing and a pound-for-pound athlete in our sport,” said Golden Boy Promotions Chairman Oscar De La Hoya. “Despite all of the talk from armchair psychologists and so-called boxing pundits, Ryan clearly had a plan and executed it.” 

Barboza Decisions McComb

Arnold Barboza Jr. remained undefeated with a 10-round split decision over Sean McComb in a super lightweight bout.

Barboza landed 99 of 443 punches. McComb was 107 of 488.

Barboza, 139.4 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 96-94 and 97-93 while McComb took a card 98-92.

Barboza is now 30-0. McComb, 139.4 lbs of Belfast, IRE is 19-2.

“I felt good. It was a very tricky fight,” said Arnold Barboza Jr., “He was a lefty, tall and he moved a lot. He gave me a lot of trouble, but it was a learning experience. I’ll be back better. We’re going to talk to Oscar and see what’s next.” 

Melikuziev wins Technical Decision over Dibombe

Bektemir Melikuziev won a technical decision over previously undefeated Pierre Dimbombe when cuts from both fighters forced a stoppage.

In round two, Dibombe was cut badly over his right eye from an accidental headbutt. In round five, Melikuziev dropped Dibombe with a straight left. Later in the round , another headbutt caused a nasty cut on Melikeziev’s left eyelid.

The bout was stopped in round eight due to the cut on Dibombe’s right eye.

Melikuziev was 80 of 276 punches. Dibombe was 58 if 237.

Melikuziev, 167.8 lbs of Uzbekistan won by scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74 and is now 14-1. Dibombe, 166.6 lbs of Nantes, FRA is 22-1-1.

“He was a good opponent. Unfortunately, the fight was stopped,” said Bektemir Melikuziev. “During the fight he kept coming forward with his head. There was nothing I could do. I just needed another minute or two in the ring to finish the fight. I slowed down a bit because I felt that my opponent was getting tired.” 

Daniel Jimenez Decisions John Ramirez

Daniel Jimenez upset John Ramirez via 12-round unanimous decision in a super flyweight bout.

In round 12, Ramirez was bleeding over his right eye.

Jimenez landed 191 of 722 pages. Ramirez was 142 of 531.

Jimenez, 114.8 lbs of Catagro, CR won by scores of 117-111 twice and 116-112 and is now 16-1. Ramirez, 114.2 lbs was ranked number-one by the WBA and had a title shot lined up for later in the summer, but that seems to have gone by the wayside and is now 13-1.

“I am very happy to become a champion again. I want to thank Golden Boy for the opportunity,” said David Jimenez. “I am ready to plan for what’s next. I felt great in the ring, and I felt like I was controlling the fight from the second round. Scrappy has a good punch and is a good boxer. Like all fighters, I want to become undisputed.”

Conwell Stops Gallimore in 6

World-Ranked Charles Conwell stopped Nathaniel Gallimore in round six of scheduled 10-round super welterweight bout.

In round five, Conwell opened up a huge flurry that backed Gallimore up. Conwell continued to batter Gallimore until the fight was stopped at 56 seconds.

Conwell, 153 lbs of Cleveland is 19-0 with 14 knockouts. Gallimore, 153 lbs of Des Plaines, IL is 22-8-1.

“I feel good,” said Charles Conwell. “It was the coming back party. I thought he was a tough-game fighter. He came with a lot of experience, but I did what no other fighter has done. I stopped him in the sixth round. I don’t think any other fighter has beat him as bad as I did. He was a tough fighter and I appreciate him for taking the fight. We’re looking to get back in the ring asap, sometime in July or August. I’m back in the gym getting better. The ring rust is off. We’re ready for what’s next.” 

Former three-time world title challenger Sergiy Dereyvyanchenko won a 10-round unanimous decision over Vaughn Alexander in a super middleweight bout.

Derevyancenko dropped Alexander with a body shot in round eight.

Derevyanchenko, 167.4 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 100-89 on all cards and is now 15-5. Alexander, 167.4 lbs of Saint Louis is 18-11-1.

Darius Fulgham stopped Cristian Olivas in round four of a scheduled eight-round super middleweight fight.

The time of the stoppage was 50 seconds of round four for Fulgham, 167.4 lbs of Houston, TX is 11-0 with 10 knockouts. Olivas,

Jonathan Canas won a four-round unanimous decision over Markus Bowes in a super lightweight bout.

Canas, 137.6 lbs of Santa Ana, CA won by 40-36 sores on all cards and is now 4-0. Bowes, 140 lbs of Roxboro, NC is 2-6.

Amari Jones stopped Armei Mbumba-Yassa om round six of a scheduled eight-round super lightweight bout.

Jones dropped Mbumna-Yassa in rounds one and six. Jones ended the fight with a flurry and the bout was stopped at 39 seconds.

Jones, 159.2 lbs of Las Vegas is 12-0 with 11 knockouts. Mbumba-Yassa, 160.4 lbs Remscheild, GER is 10-2.

Kevin Newman II scored a fourth round stoppage over Eric Robles in a scheduled eight-round cruiserweight bout.

Newman dropped Robles in round four and the bout was stopped at 1:53.

Newman, 173.4 lbs of Las Vegas is now 16-3-1. Robles, 177.8 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 9-4.

Pedro Bogarro drooped Shamar Canal in the second round en-route to a six-round unanimous decision in a super lightweight bout.

Bogaro, 135.8 lbs of Sonora, MEX won by scores of 60-53 on all cards ans is now 8-1. Canal. 135 lbs of Albany, NY is 7-1.



Jake Paul Decisions Nate Diaz in Entertaining Fight

Jake Paul won a 10-round unanimous decision over Nate Diaz in an entertaining cruiserweight bout in front of a capacity crowd at The American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.

In round one, Paul hurt Diaz with a left to the top of the head and had him reeling to ropes as he landed a hard flurry of punches. Diaz made a stand in round four as he landed some shots that drove Paul back. In round five, Paul dropped Diaz with a short left hook to the side of the head.

The second half of the fight saw Diaz be more competitive as he was able to get to Paul several times by landing short shots on the inside that snap the head of Paul. There were several toe-to-toe exchanges that thrilled the boisterous crowd at The American Airlines Arena. The battled it out until the final bell.

Paul landed 174 of 491 punches. Diaz was 143 of 392.

Paul, 185 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 98-91 twice and 97-92 and is now 7-1. Diaz, 184.9 lbs of Stockton, CA was making his professional boxing debut.

Jake Paul Quotes

On his training camp for this fight: “I’m a new fighter. The new team we brought in, the new strength and conditioning—- everything was new and I worked harder this camp. It pushed me to my limits. There were moments in the gym where I thought, ‘Damn I don’t even know if I can do this,’ but I just kept on believing in myself and now my gas tank is crazy. I could have kept on going. I could have gone 12 rounds and we are just stepping up and up, and after doing it in three years- I’m happy with myself.”

On what it’s like to fight Nate: “It was fun and I knew he was trying to take breaks so I would pounce on him when he was doing that. We were talking to each other the whole fight.” 

“When you’re in there with another dog, you can sense it. It just makes the sport more fun and this fight was probably the most memorable yet.”

On his previous loss: “The loss was seriously the best thing. It set me on the path I was supposed to be on and you can’t cut corners in this sport. I was in the gym the day after the loss. I flew back from the Middle East and went to the gym every single day up until this fight.”

Nate Diaz Quotes:

On Jake Paul: He needed a takedown. He needed a choke. He did a good job. He’s a fucking athletic, strong dude and he hits hard and fast, but it ain’t nothing I hadn’t seen before, and I trained with people who were [like that]. These guys can throw down. It’s good shit. […] I should have been throwing punches, keeping him on the outside. I’m not trying to make an excuse, but about a month back I hurt my […] right arm, a bit. I think I should’ve kept to the outside and circled, and done better stuff. But it’s all good. There’s no way I [wouldn’t] show up for a fight because of something like that. You gotta go regardless, no matter what. 

[The chokehold was a] done deal. In a real fight, the fight’s over, and I would have secured the win, but we were participating in a boxing match, and it was a good time, and now I know… I’ve trained my whole career in boxing with pro boxers on the highest level, high as I could get, and I’ve done really well. I’ve never fought in a pro fight, so I thought I’d fuck up anybody. The guillotine… that was too easy. The takedown was too easy too – I got the punch, his whole weight was in my chest. In MMA they smash my head and fuck me up. 

I didn’t think I won. I knew he got the knockdown, but I figured I won a good amount of rounds. 

On his boxing debut: I would’ve liked to have trained like I do – when I’m smaller. I was kind of concerned with getting bigger. I didn’t think he was much bigger than me. 

On facing off with Jake Paul in MMA: Yeah, I think I would fight him. It’s easy to take him down. Two, three, four months [from now], I’m ready to rock. We’re going to talk. 

On returning to boxing: 100%. Talk about experience. […] I didn’t even get cut today. I get cut in every MMA fight I fight in. I have nobody’s [name] in mind right now, but […] next week, get back to me. I’m sure I’ll have a list full of motherfuckers’ asses to whip.

Serrano Defends Undisputed Title with Another Decision over Hardy

Amanda Serrano retained the Undisputed Featherweight Title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Heather Hardy in a rematch of a bout that had the same result in 2019.

Serrano battered and bloodied a tough-as-nails Hardy, who took many hard shots. She was able to get through all 10-rounds.

In round one, Serrano came out ripping hard shots to the body and head that made the nose of Hardy to start bleeding.

In round nine, Hard began to bleed from a big gash in her forehead from an accidental headbutt.

Serrano landed 278 of 739 punches. Hardy was 149 of 557.

Serrano, 124.6 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91 and is now 45-2-1. Hardy, 125.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 24-3-1.

Amanda Serrano

On how tonight went: “It’s another day at the job. It feels good, I wanted to be on this card because I knew there would be a lot of people here wanting to see Jake vs Nate Diaz and that’s why we chose Heather. I just wanted to be here.” 

On Jake Paul: “He’s very on the job. When I was training down in Puerto Rico, I saw him training in the gym. I saw how much he improved. I saw it tonight, he went ten rounds —  he’s a real fighter now.

Chris Avila Decisions Jeremy Stephens

In a battle of former MMA fighters, Chris Avila pounded out an six-round unanimous decision over Jeremy Stephens in a super middleweight fight.

Avila landed 141 of 377 punches. Stephens was 81 of 267.

Avila, 170.3 lbs of Stockton, CA won by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 twice and is now 4-1. Stephens, 167 lbs of Chula Vista, CA is now 0-1-1.

Chris Avila

On the sold-out crowd and live audience energy: It was cool. It was motivating. And it was cool to see a bunch of people out there. And it made me feel good to go out there and show off. And yeah, it was fun.

And it shows you how much Nate brings to the fucking table. That was all Nate Diaz right there. This fan base is crazy. 

On getting ready for this fight with Nate as he got ready for a big fight: It was a long camp so we had a lot of boxing going on and a lot of high level boxing throughout the week. So it was a good camp and everyone got good work and everyone was leveled up. We’re on a good schedule. We’re locked for months. We’re always on the same schedule, but we were locked in. Everyone performed good tonight. It was a good camp.

Sylve Stops Silva with a Body Shot in Round 4

Ashton Sylve remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over William Silva in a lightweight contest.

At the end of round two, Sylve landed perfect left to the body tat put Silva on his back. In round four, Sylve landed another crushing left to the body, but this time Silva did not get up and the fight was over at 2:59.

Sylve,134.5 lbs of Long Beach, CA is 10-0 with nine knockouts. Silva, 134.6 of St. Petersburg, FL is 30-5.

H2O Sylve

On what he wants going forward: “I definitely want to be the best. I think that’s what the majority of the fighters want to be- a world champion.”

On fighting other top fighters in his weight class: “I definitely want to put my name out there. I think after this performance it makes sense, but at the same time I’ll see you when I see you. They are the top guys in the division, so they sort of have the shots now.”

On fighting at AAC in front of a sold out crowd: “It’s always a blessing to fight in front of a crowd and get myself out there and expose myself to a crowd like that. Being comfortable fighting in front of a crowd of, I think they said 20,000 people in attendance. It’s sort of destined for me to be on a big stage and everytime I’m under the lights like that my performance is high class.”

Shadasia Green Decisions Olivia Curry

Top-Ranked super middleweight contender Shadasia Green won a 10-round unanimous decision over Olivia Curry.

Curry had some success early by boxing and moving, but Green took over the second half of the fight as she landed some booming right hands that Curry took but marked up her face.

Green landed 179 of 385 punches. Curry was 99 of 495.

Green, 166.9 lbs of Paterson, NJ won by scores of 100-89, 100-90 and 99-91 and is now 13-0. Curry, 166.7 lbs of Chicago is 7-2.

Alan Sanchez Decisions Angel Beltran

Alan Sanchez scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Angel Beltran in a welterweight bout.

Sanchez landed 149 of 439 punches. Beltran landed 130 of 451.

Sanchez, 147 lbs of Fairfield, CA won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75 and is now 23-5-1. Beltran, 144.4 lbs of Indio, CA is 17-2.

Kevin Newman II won a ight-round unanimous decision over Quilisto Madera in a super middleweight bout.

In round two, Madera began to swell under his left eye.

In round seven, Madera was deducted a point for hitting on the break.

Newman, 161.8 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 80-71 and 79-72 twice and is now 15-3-1. Madera, 164.9 lbs of Stockton, CA is 14-4.

Jose Aguayo won a four-round majority decision over Noel Cavazos in a welterweight bout.

In round three, Aguayo was cut over his left eye.

Aguayo, 148.6 lbs of Ventura, CA won by scores of 39-37 twice and 38-38 and is now 1-1. Cavazos, 149.4 lbs of San Ramon, CA is 2-2.

Luciiano Ramos won a four-round unanimous decision over Cee Jay Hamilton in a junior welterweight bout.

Ramos, 140 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG won by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37 and is now 2-3. Hamilton, 136.9 lbs of Hartwell, GA was making his pro debut.

Alan Sanchez

On the crowd and energy: Yeah, it was great to see a lot of people support. A lot of people from Stockton too come over here and support us. It’s motivating to see a lot of people here.

On getting ready for this fight with Nate as he got ready for a big fight: Well, it’s great, you know, we have a great camp. Everybody’s trained hard. We trained with Robert Garcia, we have good sparring over there. It was a great camp.



Roy Jones, Jr.-trained Kevin Newman vs. Manuel Gallegos headlines RJJ Boxing card in Mexico

LAS VEGAS (June 7, 2021) – Las Vegas-based Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman (11-2-1, 6 KOs), trained by living legend Roy Jones, Jr., is fully prepared to challenge his Mexican opponent, Manuel “Meno” Gallegos (17-1, 15 KOs), THIS tHURSDAY in the RJJ Boxing on UFC FIGHT PASS® 10-round main event for the vacant NBA Americas Super Middleweight Championship, at Benito Juarez Auditorium in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Presented by by Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions and De La O Promotions, the stacked June 10th card will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. To sign-up for UFC FIGHT PASS, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

Newman, whose 4-right win streak was snapped in his most recent fight, last February in Las Vegas to Geno Pilana by way of a close 10-round decision 96-94 X 3), is anxious to showcase his improvements working under the guidance of Jones.

“I’m really looking forward to this fight,” Newman said. “It’s a great opportunity for me thanks to Roy, my team, and RJJ Boxing Promotions to get me back on the path to chase my dream of becoming world champion. I’ve been in the gym with Roy since April of last year, working day in and day out down in Pensacola, Florida. This is my first fight with Roy as my head trainer and having an official camp with him. I’m excited to show what we’ve been working on.

“Gallegos is a solid opponent wo comes to fight. I’m extremely focused and look forward to going out and putting on a great performance and gaining new fans in Los Mochis. Tune in to UFC FIGHT PASS on June 10th because this is going to be a fight fans don’t want to miss.”

The main event finds 23-year-old Mexican super middleweight Manuel “El Meno” Gallegos (17-1, 15 KOs) matched against his Las Vegas opponent, Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman (11-2-1, 6 KOs), in a 10-round bout.

A dangerous puncher, Gallegos stopped 15 of his opponents in his 17 pro wins. His undefeated record was snapped in his last fight at 17-0, when the 23-year-old last October, when he dropped an 8-round unanimous decision to 10-1-1 (7 KOs) Oziel Santoyo.

“I want to thank RJJ Boxing and UFC FIGHT PASS for the opportunity to fight in front of my countrymen,” Gallegos commented. “I hope my opponent is training hard because I’m coming after him.”

Two other 10-round bouts are on tap. World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino featherweight champion Alan “Cacharro” Solis (13-0-1, 7 KOs), rated No. 12 by the WBO, takes on Pablo “Diamente” Robles (14-2, 9 KOs) In the co-featured event.

Nineteen-year-old Luis “Koreano” Torres (11-0, 8 KOs), the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Silver Lightweight Champion, faces Diego “Pato” Eligio (20-5-1, 8 KOs) in a Special Featherweight Attraction.

Undefeated Mexican super featherweight Ricardo “El Rojas” Bracamontes (6-0, 3 KOs) is scheduled to fight in a 6-rounder against an opponent to be determined.

Also fighting on the undercard, both in 4-round matches, are Mexican lightweights Jose Alberto “Jorjito” Lugo Cota (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Mario “Belocka” Duran (3-2, 2 KOs), as well as Pensacola, Florida middleweight Andrew Murray (2-0, 1 KO) vs. Luis Jesus Alcarez (2-4).

Card subject to change.

INFORMATION:

Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.ufcfightpass.com
Facebook: /UFCFightPass, /KeithVeltre
Twitter: @UFCFightPass, @Keith_Veltre, @RoyjonesJRfa @RoyJonesJrOfficial
Instagram: @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @RoyJonesJrBoxing

ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

Based in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable: NABF super flyweight champion, IBF #8 and WBC # 14 Jade “Hurricane” Bornea (15-0, 10 KOs); two-time world title challenger, bantamweight “Mighty” Aston Palicte (26-4-1, 22 KOs); NABF welterweight champion, WBC #15 and Santiago “Somer” Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs); former NABA welterweight champion Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda (17-3, 8 KOs), former Interim World middleweight title challenger John “The Phenom” Vera (20-1, 12 KO), unbeaten super middleweight prospect Juan “Just Business” Barajas (11-0-1, 7 KOs), and former WBC World Youth heavyweight titlist Alexander “The Great” Flores (18-3-1, 16 KOs).

ABOUT UFC FIGHT PASS®: UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. UFC FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combats sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.



Roy Jones, Jr.-trained Kevin Newman vs. Manuel Gallegos headlines RJJ Boxing card in Mexico

LAS VEGAS (June 2, 2021) – Las Vegas-based Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman (11-2-1, 6 KOs), trained by living legend Roy Jones, Jr., is fully prepared to challenge his Mexican opponent, Manuel “Meno” Gallegos (17-1, 15 KOs), in the RJJ Boxing on UFC FIGHT PASS® 10-round main event for the vacant NBA Americas Super Middleweight Championship, on Thursday, June 10, at Benito Juarez Auditorium in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Presented by by Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions and De La O Promotions, the stacked June 10th card will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. To sign-up for UFC FIGHT PASS, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

Newman, whose 4-right win streak was snapped in his most recent fight, last February in Las Vegas to Geno Pilana by way of a close 10-round decision 96-94 X 3), is anxious to showcase his improvements working under the guidance of Jones.

“I’m really looking forward to this fight,” Newman said. “It’s a great opportunity for me thanks to Roy, my team, and RJJ Boxing Promotions to get me back on the path to chase my dream of becoming world champion. I’ve been in the gym with Roy since April of last year, working day in and day out down in Pensacola, Florida. This is my first fight with Roy as my head trainer and having an official camp with him. I’m excited to show what we’ve been working on.

“Gallegos is a solid opponent wo comes to fight. I’m extremely focused and look forward to going out and putting on a great performance and gaining new fans in Los Mochis. Tune in to UFC FIGHT PASS on June 10th because this is going to be a fight fans don’t want to miss.”

The main event finds 23-year-old Mexican super middleweight Manuel “El Meno” Gallegos (17-1, 15 KOs) matched against his Las Vegas opponent, Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman (11-2-1, 6 KOs), in a 10-round bout.

A dangerous puncher, Gallegos stopped 15 of his opponents in his 17 pro wins. His undefeated record was snapped in his last fight at 17-0, when the 23-year-old last October, when he dropped an 8-round unanimous decision to 10-1-1 (7 KOs) Oziel Santoyo.

“I want to thank RJJ Boxing and UFC FIGHT PASS for the opportunity to fight in front of my countrymen,” Gallegos commented. “I hope my opponent is training hard because I’m coming after him.”

Two other 10-round bouts are on tap. World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino featherweight champion Alan “Cacharro” Solis (13-0-1, 7 KOs), rated No. 12 by the WBO, takes on Pablo “Diamente” Robles (14-2, 9 KOs) In the co-featured event.

Nineteen-year-old Luis “Koreano” Torres (11-0, 8 KOs), the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Silver Lightweight Champion, faces Diego “Pato” Eligio (20-5-1, 8 KOs) in a Special Featherweight Attraction.

Undefeated Mexican super featherweight Ricardo “El Rojas” Bracamontes (6-0, 3 KOs) is scheduled to fight in a 6-rounder against an opponent to be determined.

Also fighting on the undercard, both in 4-round matches, are Mexican lightweights Jose Alberto “Jorjito” Lugo Cota (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Mario “Belocka” Duran (3-2, 2 KOs), as well as Pensacola, Florida middleweight Andrew Murray (2-0, 1 KO) vs. Luis Jesus Alcarez (2-4).

Card subject to change.

INFORMATION:

Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.ufcfightpass.com
Facebook: /UFCFightPass, /KeithVeltre
Twitter: @UFCFightPass, @Keith_Veltre, @RoyjonesJRfa @RoyJonesJrOfficial
Instagram: @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @RoyJonesJrBoxing

ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

Based in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable: NABF super flyweight champion, IBF #8 and WBC # 14 Jade “Hurricane” Bornea (15-0, 10 KOs); two-time world title challenger, bantamweight “Mighty” Aston Palicte (26-4-1, 22 KOs); NABF welterweight champion, WBC #15 and Santiago “Somer” Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs); former NABA welterweight champion Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda (17-3, 8 KOs), former Interim World middleweight title challenger John “The Phenom” Vera (20-1, 12 KO), unbeaten super middleweight prospect Juan “Just Business” Barajas (11-0-1, 7 KOs), and former WBC World Youth heavyweight titlist Alexander “The Great” Flores (18-3-1, 16 KOs).

ABOUT UFC FIGHT PASS®: UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. UFC FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combats sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.



Hunter decisions Rakhmanov again

Keith Hunter won a 10-round unanimous decision over Sanjarbek Rakhmanov in a junior welterweight rematch at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas.

In round three, Hunter dropped Rakhmanov with a body shot.

Hunter, 141 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 98-91 twice and 97-92 and is now 12-0. Rakhmanov, 143 lbs of Las Vegas is 12-3-1.

“I really wanted to stop him but the judges saw the effort I put in,” said Hunter. “I gave it my all and even though we didn’t close the show, I think we stole the show. I think I improved from the last fight to this fight and made more of a statement this time.

“The 140-pound division is stacked and I think I put the rest of the division on notice that I’m here. I’m not going anywhere and we’re definitely a threat.”

Richardson Hitchins won a 10-round unanimous decision over Nick DeLomba in a junior welterweight bout.

Hitchins, 141 1/4 lbs of New York, NY won by shutout scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 11-0. DeLomba, 141 1/2 lbs of Cranston, RI is 16-3.

“I’d rate my performance an 8.5 out of 10,” said Hitchins. “I got hit with little petty shots I could’ve avoided. I thought I could get him out in the second or third round, but I knew he could take a punch.

“He’s fought a couple a big hitters at 147, they knocked him down and he came back up. I knew his game plan was to keep the pressure on me. He was a durable opponent. I wanted to show a different side of my skillset and I think I did that

Genc Pllana scored an upset 10-round majority decision over Kevin Newman II in a super middleweight.

Pllana used his awkward style to thwart Newman and won by close scores of 96-94 on all cards.

Pllana, 168 lbs of Kosovo is 8-1-1. Newman, 167 3/4 lbs of Las Vegas is 11-2-1.

“I’m very happy with my performance but in the fourth round he poked me in my eye,” said the Albanian Pllana, who fights out of Hagerstown, Md., under the tutelage of former two-division world champion Simon Brown. “For the next three rounds, I was seeing three people. In the seventh round, I finally saw one man and started seeing straight again. My style caused big problems for him but if I didn’t get poked in the fourth round it would have been a stoppage.”

“I don’t have anyone to blame but myself,” said Las Vegas’ Newman, who is trained by future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. and former world champion Bones Adams. “I was in shape and out of focus, period. I beat myself tonight, but I’ll bounce back.”



TOP PROSPECT KEITH HUNTER AND FIVE OTHER SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION FIGHTERS WORK OUT IN FRONT OF LAS VEGAS MEDIA IN ADVANCE OF TRIPLEHEADER

LAS VEGAS – February 26, 2020 – Boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. leaned into the ropes and intently watched his pupil, rising once-beaten prospect and Las Vegas native Kevin Newman II run through a spirited 30-minute media workout on Thursday at Mayweather Boxing Club.

Newman (11-1-1, 6 KOs) is preparing to open Friday night’s ShoBox: The New Generation telecast when he faces Albania’s Genc Pllana (7-1-1, 4 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight matchup live on SHOWTIME (10:45 p.m. ET/PT) from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

In the main event, undefeated rising prospect Keith Hunter will face talented Sanjarbek Rakhmanov in a rematch in a 10-round super lightweight bout. Hunter (11-0, 7 KOs) and Rakhmanov (12-2-1, 6 KOs) first met on February 5, 2019, in an eight-round welterweight contest that resulted in a narrow-split decision victory for Hunter. In the ShoBox co-main event, 2016 Olympian and undefeated super lightweight prospect Richardson Hitchins (10-0, 5 KOs) takes on Rhode Island’s Nick DeLomba (16-2, 5 KOs) in a 10-round bout.

“Avenging the only loss of his career says a lot about Kevin Newman,” said the former four-division world champion and expert boxing commentator Jones, who serves as one of Newman’s trainers and mentors. “He’s not afraid of nothing or nobody and he wants to go and do his thing the right way. He wants to makes sure there’s no blemishes on his record. The loss, if you go back and avenge that loss, then that’s no blemish. You lost but you went back and beat him. You proved that it was just a bad night.

Jones continued: “He cares about what people think about him. He cares about his own career because he wants to keep it clean, and he did that. A great winner has to be a great loser. He was a great loser by coming back and proving exactly what he said was wrong. He said, ‘I’m not making any excuses, he got me, but he won’t get me again. When I get prepared, I’m going to go back and do it the right way.’ And that’s exactly what he did. That’s how you’re supposed to lose gracefully.

“I believe Kevin can go on to be a world champion because he has all the physical attributes. He’s got to have a little more knowledge to go along with those physical attributes and he’ll be a monster. He has great hand speed. He’s very explosive. Good reflexes. Good defensive skills. A few little technical adjustments, and he’ll be anything he wants to be.”

Here is what the fighters had to say on Thursday from Mayweather Boxing Club:

KEITH HUNTER:

“I was born and raised here and this is the mecca of boxing, they say. So with that being said, me coming from Vegas, it’s electric because I have a lot of friends here. They are out here supporting me and they really want to see a young kid from Vegas who comes from not the best area succeed. The love is electric here.

“We’re locked in. This is going to be a good statement. It’s still going to be another step-up even though I already got rid of this guy. So now I have to do it in a better fashion.

“I was preparing for Malik Hawkins so I was really trying to train for a tall guy. But you have to make adjustments and you have to stay in the present moment, so for this camp I just made sure I had premium gas in my tank. I already know my opponent pretty well, but I went back and watched our first fight. I saw that he was leaping in a lot and I was giving him too much, so this time I’m going to make sure he pays every time he leaps in.”

SANJARBEK RAKHMANOV:

“Training camp was very great and smart. I’m very excited for this rematch. For me this fight is better than a title fight. I want to show Friday night what I’ve been working on.

“I understand my little mistakes and my opponent’s mistakes and that’s what I’ve been working on during my whole training camp. I got a lot of good sparring this camp with Jessie Vargas and a couple more undefeated fighters.

“Fans can expect to see a war on Friday night. For fans it’s a rematch, but to me it’s different. This time it’ll be a much smarter fight.

“I’m more excited for this fight than the first fight because I want to redeem myself and climb the rankings after a win on Friday night.”

RICHARDSON HITCHINS

“My training camp was great. We had a tremendous training camp. I’m really not sure what to expect from my opponent. He only has a few choices: He can either come and put pressure on me, that’s not going to work, or he can try to outbox me and that’s not going to work either. He’s got to pick his poison.

“Every show is important, whether it’s on TV or not. I’m definitely looking for the knockout. If it comes, it comes. I can’t predict a specific round, but I really can’t see him going past five with me.”

NICK DeLOMBA:

“I had one of the best camps I’ve ever had. I had a new strength and conditioning coach brought onto the team. He did a phenomenal job with me. I got great work from both my head coach and my assistant coach. We trained hard. We fought smart. We’re ready.

“I want to give a big shout out and thank you to my sparring partners, Jermaine Ortiz from Worcester and Rashidi Ellis from Somerville, Mass. They were my two main sparring partners and they helped me a lot this camp and got me ready for this fight.

“Hitchins is a tough opponent. He’s up-and-coming, he’s 10-0. He’s one of those prospects that are coming up and they are testing him. I am here to put him to the test and see exactly what type of fighter he is. I’m making my debut on SHOWTIME so it’s really important for me to look good. I’ve fought on some streaming services before but nothing as big as ShoBox, so it’s an honor for me and something I’ve wanted to do my whole career. I’m going to go out there, do my best and show that I can take it to that next level.”

KEVIN NEWMAN II:

“I feel good. Just sharpening the tools and working on little game plan stuff. Just making sure everything is in order and the game plan is all worked out. I know my opponent is tall, kind of lanky but at the end of the day the skills pay the bills.

“I don’t feed into all the favored stuff. I mean, that guy has trained just like me for this. I don’t feed into that. I’m just going to try and come as prepared as I can and not focus on anything else.”

GENC PLLANA:

“Training camp has been great, and we are definitely ready for 10 hard rounds. In preparation for this fight I ran a lot more than usual.

“My keys to victory for this fight are to walk him down with my jab and make him feel my right hand.

“It feels good to fight for the first time on SHOWTIME so that people can see how good I can fight. It’s a big platform, but I feel right at home and where I belong.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, Mayweather Promotions CEO

“Roy [Jones] has had a tremendous influence on Kevin Newman. Roy and Floyd Mayweather were his favorite fighters growing up and you can see where he’s patterned his style a lot after Roy.

“It’s a great thing, picking up little nuggets from an all-time great like Roy Jones is a dream come true. He’s been very positive and he’s learned a lot from him. I look to see some of the new things he’s picked up on Friday night.

“It’s a terrific card. I really enjoy these smaller cards than the bigger cards because it’s fun watching these fighters develop in the early stages of their career and watching them grow along the way.

“It’s a tremendous platform to develop your young fighters as far as the exposure that they’re getting, it’s phenomenal. I continue to tell our guys that these opportunities don’t come to you, they have to make the most of these opportunities.

“Each fighter and every fighter has something to prove to themselves and it’s a good opportunity to step-up and develop more fans.”

Barry Tompkins will call the action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

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

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 81 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.



KEVIN NEWMAN AND GENC PLLANA TALK TRAINING CAMP AHEAD OF SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION TRIPLEHEADER FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28 LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

LAS VEGAS – February 20, 2020 – Super middleweight prospects Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman (11-1-1,6 KOs) and Genc Pllana (7-1-1,4 KOs) discuss training camp leading up to their 10-round bout that opens a three-fight ShoBox: The New Generation telecast on Friday, February 28 live on SHOWTIME at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

The telecast is headlined by Mayweather Promotions’ undefeated super lightweight prospect Malik Hawkins (18-0, 11 KOs), who is returning for his second test on the series, this time in a tough matchup against the undefeated Keith Hunter (11-0, 7 KOs). In the co-featured fight, 2016 Olympian Richardson Hitchins (10-0, 5 KOs) faces Rhode Island’s Nick DeLomba (16-2, 5 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight matchup.

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

After closing 2019 with a string of consecutive wins, Newman returns with more to prove as he continues to ascend the super middleweight rankings. After defeating Marcos Hernandez in a rematch in November on ShoBox, Newman makes it clear “revenge is always a great feat, but it’s just a small win in the bigger picture and I have more to prove.” He remains hungry and humble, consistently perfecting his craft and learning from the greats before him, like legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr., former world champion Andre Dirrell, and stablemate Andrew Tabiti.

Kalvin Henderson was originally set to face Kevin Newman in a 10-round super middleweight matchup, but later withdrew due to an injury. 26-six-year-old Albanian Genc Pllana will replace Henderson and go toe-to-toe with Newman inside of Sam’s Town Live.

Pllana, now fighting out of Hagerstown, Md., stayed active throughout 2019 with seven consecutive fights. In his most recent bout on December 6, 2019, Pllana fought the undefeated Henderson to his first career draw. Although he had just four amateur bouts to his name, Pllana has the determination to climb the super middleweight rankings and one day become a world champion.

Here is what the fighters had to say ahead of their February 28 contest:

On training camp…

Newman: “Training camp has been going great. I’ve always been a hard worker. It’s just in my DNA to have a strong work ethic. Kobe Bryant is my all-time favorite athlete so when the news came to me about his passing it was just extra motivation for me to push myself, give no excuses, and keep that Mamba Mentality alive. We will not leave any stones unturned come fight night.

“Skills pay the bills and ultimately I’m just the better, more skilled fighter overall.

Pllana: “Training camp has been great for this fight. I feel very prepared and ready!

I know that he’s a very slick fighter and that he’s going to come ready to fight. I expect this to be a very exciting and entertaining fight.”

On the impact Roy Jones Jr. & Floyd Mayweather has had on Newman’s career…

Newman: “I’ve known Roy Jones for going on three years now and Floyd Mayweather for over six years. It’s an honor to have the legends who I looked up to as a kid here mentoring me and to have that access to them is invaluable. I’ve been blessed enough to have access to them and as a student in this game it’s only going to benefit me in the end.

“Two of the most important things I’ve learned from Roy is really just learning how to get all the leverage on all my punches and throwing combinations. From a mental aspect, he’s instilled a championship mentality encouraging me to truly, fully believe in myself and my ability. He always says, ‘You have to give something the people will want to watch and that’s through a dominating performance. You gotta entertain people along the way.’

“With Floyd, I’ve been able to pull from his defense. He’s hands down one of the best defensive fighters and it’s an art to watch him in the ring.”

On how it feels to fight on such a large platform…

Newman: “I’m just blessed. To have another opportunity on SHOWTIME, back-to-back, it really just shows me that I’m doing the right thing. This is God’s plan.

“I always come to win. I don’t know much about my opponent. I know he’s going to come to win and so am I, and I want to get the win in style so the fans at Sam’s Town and around the world can really see my talent shine on fight night.

Pllana: “I feel right at home fighting on such a large platform like SHOWTIME. I can’t wait to show the world what I’m capable of as a fighter. My family has made a big impact on my career by continuing to encourage and push me to be the best I can be.

“A win on February 28 will continue to show why I believe that I am the absolute best fighter at 168 pounds.”

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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 81 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/events, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @MayweatherPromo, and on Instagram @mayweatherpromotions, @showtimeboxing, #SinCityShowdown and #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports and www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, or www.bit.ly/sincityshowdown.



UNDEFEATED SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT MALIK HAWKINS TO FACE KEITH HUNTER FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28 IN MAIN EVENT OF SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION TRIPLE-HEADER

LAS VEGAS – January 30, 2020 – Undefeated super lightweight prospect Malik Hawkins returns to the ring to make his ShoBox: The New Generation series debut as part of a three-fight telecast when he faces fellow undefeated Vegas native Keith Hunter in the main event that is scheduled for 10 rounds on Friday, February 28 live on SHOWTIME (10:45 p.m. ET/PT) from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

Two other Mayweather Promotions’ top prospects will face tough challenges, as 2016 Olympian Richardson Hitchins (10-0, 5 KOs) and once-beaten Las Vegas native Kevin Newman II (11-1-1, 6 KOs) both return for their second ShoBox appearances fighting in separate bouts. Hitchins, the undefeated super lightweight prospect, will take on Rhode Island’s Nick DeLomba (16-2, 5KOs) in a 10-round bout, while Newman will seek his fifth consecutive victory when he steps in the ring with undefeated Kalvin Henderson (12-0-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight bout.

Tickets for the Mayweather Promotions’ Sin City Showdown go on sale Friday, January 31 at 12 p.m. PT, start at $25 and can be purchased by visiting: https://mayweatherpromotions.com/events/.

“As we kickstart another year, I’m confident that we will continue to exceed expectations and bring top tier events to the sports and entertainment world,” says Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Our first stop of the year is at our home venue for club shows and a stacked Friday night ShoBox card. These prospects are looking to put on impressive performances to start their year off. They’re putting in the work to take their fight game to the next level, and on February 28 we will see them challenge themselves against tough opponents at Sam’s Town Live and live on SHOWTIME.”

Hawkins, (18-0, 11 KOs) known as “Ice Man” in the ring, fights out of Baltimore, Md., and is coming off the heels of two back-to-back knockout victories. His most recent came via fifth-round stoppage against Darwin Price on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING COUNTDOWN on the Davis vs. Gamboa undercard on December 28. The 24-year-old Hawkins is trained by the highly touted Upton Gym coaches’ trio of Calvin Ford, Kenny Price, and Russ Blakey. Hawkins turned professional in 2014 with a knockout victory, which foreshadowed what was to come from the young fighter. As an amateur, Hawkins amassed an impressive 160-15 record while competing in the 2012 and 2013 National Championships and won a bronze medal in the 2012 Jr. Olympics. Best known for his gritty and powerful fighting style, Hawkins joined the Mayweather Promotions team in late 2019 with a knockout decision win over Al Rivera at Cannery Casino & Hotel.

“It feels great to headline my first ShoBox event,” says Hawkins. “This is something I wanted to do since I was a kid. A win in this fight and the exposure fighting on a platform like SHOWTIME only brings more recognition to my talent and skills and bigger and better opportunities. I have more than myself to fight for. I have the kids who look up to me at Upton Gym. I fight for them they’re my real motivation.

“I can’t say much about my opponent. I know he’s also undefeated. He is a durable opponent and he’s coming to fight, but if you watched my last fight you know I come in to take my opponents 0.”

Twenty-seven-year-old Keith Hunter (11-0, 7KO’s) comes from a fighting background. He’s the younger brother of heavyweight contender Michael Hunter, and his father was a well-respected boxer who sparred with Mike Tyson for many years before his tragic death. Hunter didn’t have a long amateur career, electing to turn professional after just 28 fights

“I feel confident coming into this fight,” said Hunter. “My last two bouts, I defeated Mayweather fighters and I’m confident with the insight I have. We’re both 6-feet tall, but he’s missing components as a fighter. He has trouble fighting on the outside. He is more comfortable on the inside. I feel I’m the better more skilled fighter going into the fight.

“Anytime I get to fight on a big stage like SHOWTIME, I invest a piece of my heart and soul, so hopefully my fans and anyone who watches my fight will see a genuine kid fighting for legacy and not money. This opportunity will help me connect with more people and I’m forever thankful for it.”

Hitchins (9-0, 5 KOs), from Brooklyn, is a former two-time Golden Gloves champion who represented his parents’ home country of Haiti in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. One of boxing’s top young prospects, Hitchins has sparred and trained with several world champions including Terence Crawford and stablemate Gervonta Davis. Just 21-years-old, Hitchins boasts incredible hand and foot speed and the boxing IQ of a veteran contender. Having fought eight out of his 10 professional fights in his hometown, Hitchins will travel to Las Vegas for a second time looking for a statement win in his follow-up ShoBox appearance.

“I’m hungrier than ever,” said Hitchins. “I see my brother Tank winning and prospering and I feel that same energy around me when I’m training for hours in the gym and perfecting my craft. I’m made to be great and I have the right people around me who keep my focus, keep me training at the highest level, and push me outside my comfort zone to be victorious. That’s what will show on fight night when I’m inside the ring.”

“Nice” Nick DeLomba (16-2, 5KO’s), fighting out of Cranston, RI, is coming off a five-fight win streak with three out of five wins by knockout. He’s best known for his slickness and elusiveness in the ring and looks to make a powerful statement in foreign territory as he makes his Las Vegas and ShoBox debuts next month.

“What a great opportunity this is to fight on SHOWTIME,” said DeLomba. “I’ve been fighting my way up to this point and now it’s about showing the world who I am and growing my brand. That’s what I plan on doing come fight night. I take every fight and lesson with me to the gym and train harder than the day before and push myself to really be the best fighter. I know I’m coming in as the underdog, but it’s only going to make me want the win more and to be that guy who gives Hitchins his first defeat.”.

Las Vegas’ own Kevin Newman (11-1, 6KO’s) started boxing when he was nine-years old and built up an amateur record of 25-5 before turning pro in 2014. Impressed by Newman’s skills and technique in the ring as an amateur, Floyd Mayweather signed the rising super middleweight to his stable of fighters in the summer of 2014. Newman made his professional debut on the Mayweather vs. Maidana II undercard, where he fought to a draw against Azamat Umarzoda. Newman returns to ShoBox having avenged the only loss of his career against Mark Anthony Hernandez. Newman defeated Hernandez on November 1 at Sam’s Town Live, redeeming himself from their first matchup in 2017 on the Mayweather vs. McGregor undercard. Newman remains humble and hungry as he climbs the ranks in the super middleweight division.

“It’s always good to get that weight off your shoulders,” said Newman of his recent victory over Hernandez. “I work hard day in and day out to be the best me and I follow God’s plan. I understand that there’s more for me on my journey now and I’m past that and I’m looking to the future on February 28.

“I’ve seen Kalvin fight. There isn’t anything particular that stands out about him. I’ve been in the ring with top tier guys as an amateur and a professional and I have fought tougher opponents. I’m always the smarter opponent.

“Fighting on SHOWTIME does a lot for me. It’s not about the win, it’s about how I win. I’m going to put on another dominant performance, something that will set me apart from the rest, and I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity that continues to come my way.

Originally from Fayetteville, Ark., but fighting out of Fort Worth, Tx., Henderson (12-0-1, 8 KO’s) doesn’t have a typical background for a professional fighter. He’s a University of Arkansas alumni who pursued a career in music when he was awarded a scholarship as a percussionist. He never lost sight of boxing since he was first introduced at 15 years old and quickly after graduating in 2012, he shifted his focus back to boxing. Henderson has quickly established himself as one of the faster rising super middleweights in the division and welcomes the challenge to continue his pursuit in becoming a world class boxer.

“Fighting in other people’s backyard is not a big deal,” says Henderson. “There’s no pressure on me to do anything. I take care of business and I go home. I will say that it brings a different motivating factor. It forces me to train harder and it affects my game plan because we can’t leave the rounds too close.

“I’m excited to get in the ring and execute my game plan in front of wide audience. I want to show the world what me and my team already know. I make it hot in the ring. That’s why they call me, ‘Hot Sauce’.”

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

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.



Martinez stops Rosales in 21 seconds

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.



XAVIER MARTINEZ vs. JESSIE CRIS ROSALES OFFICIAL WEIGHTS, QUOTES FOR SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION QUADRUPLEHEADER TOMORROW LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

LAS VEGAS – October 31, 2019 – Four of Mayweather Promotions’ top prospects and their opponents all weighed in on Thursday ahead of Friday night’s ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader live on SHOWTIME (10:30 p.m. ET/PT) from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

Undefeated super featherweight prospect Xavier Martinez (14-0, 10 KOs) returns for his second consecutive test on the developmental series, this time against Filipino Jessie Cris Rosales (22-3-1, 10 KOs) in the 10-round main event, while 2016 Olympian Richardson Hitchins (9-0, 5 KOs) takes on Kevin Johnson (7-4, 4 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight co-featured attraction.

Super middleweight prospect Kevin Newman II (10-1-1, 6 KOs) looks to avenge the only loss of his career against Marcos Hernandez (14-2-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round rematch, and in the telecast opener, rising prospect and knockout artist Rolando Romero (9-0, 8 KOs) faces Juan Carlos Cordones (14-1, 9 KOs) in a six-round super lightweight bout.

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

Barry Tompkins will call the action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

FINAL WEIGHTS, REFEREES AND JUDGES

Super Featherweight 10-Round Bout

Xavier Martinez – 130 ¾ lbs.

Jessie Cris Rosales – 132 ½ lbs.

Referee: Vic Drakulich (Las Vegas); Judges: Tim Cheatham (Las Vegas), Lisa Giampa (Las Vegas), Max De Luca (Calif.)

Welterweight 10-Round Bout

Richardson Hitchins – 144 lbs.

Kevin Johnson – 143 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Jay Nady (Las Vegas); Judges: Adalaide Byrd (Las Vegas), Patricia Morse Jarman (Las Vegas), Dave Moretti (Las Vegas)

Super Middleweight 8-Round Bout

Kevin Newman II – 165 lbs.

Marcos Hernandez – 165 lbs.

Referee: Tony Weeks (Las Vegas); Judges: Kermit Bayless (Las Vegas), Glenn Trowbridge (Las Vegas), Max De Luca (Calif.)

Super Lightweight 6-Round Bout

Rolando Romero – 138 lbs.

Juan Carlos Cordones – 141 ½ lbs.

Referee: Robert Byrd (Las Vegas); Judges: Patricia Morse Jarman (Las Vegas), Dave Moretti (Las Vegas), Ricardo Ocasio (Las Vegas)

FINAL QUOTES:

XAVIER MARTINEZ

“It’s a blessing to be headlining my first show. This is an opportunity I can’t let go. I have to grab this opportunity and make the most of it. I can’t let myself down. I stole the show my first time on ShoBox and now I have to keep it going.

“I like the pace that I’m moving at. In boxing, you have to take it step-by-step. I’m following my team’s plan and I know it won’t be before long that I’m facing top-level opponents.

“My goal is not to play around with my opponent. I would like to get some more rounds in, but I’m not going to force the rounds. If I have an opportunity, I’m going to get him out of there. I think this fighter is a little more aggressive than my last opponent and that will be an advantage for me.

“As long as I listen to my coach and get the win, that’s all that matters. If Rosales comes out strong, the main thing is that I have to use the jab. I have to stay relaxed, stay calm, block shots and look for openings.

“I learned a lot from the Oscar Bravo fight. I was hitting him with everything. Every type of punch. And he just kept coming. I learned right there, that not everybody will just go down. I just kept hitting him, I didn’t get flustered and it eventually paid off. The ref stopped it. I’ve never really been rocked. But I know one day, it will happen. This is boxing. I have a plan for a scenario for the day that it happens. If I get hurt, I can’t panic.

“I’ve grown tremendously as a fighter. I’m mentally stronger. I train better. I watch more film. I’m more disciplined and I’m diligent about honing my craft. I want to get better and I love this sport. It’s my career and I’m treating it that way. I want to be a world champion and I can’t let anything stop me.”

JESSIE CRIS ROSALES

“This is a really special opportunity for me. I know that I need to be aggressive in this fight. I need to put pressure on. I will do my best to hit Xavier as much as possible. I didn’t come all this way to lose.

“I feel that I won my last fight against Tyler McCreary, but I was missing my usual aggressiveness. This time, I can’t leave it to the judges.

“I’ve watched Xavier a lot. He fought a friend of mine, Moralde, in his last fight. We saw the fight, and we know how tough of an opponent he is. I see him as a really good fighter, but I’ve been in tough fights before. I will be ready for him. I am hungry for a win.”

RICHARDSON HITCHINS

“I want to be great. Of course, the money is important and it motivates me. But I want to fight against the top guys that can push me and get me to the top level. I want to move fast but I have to be patient. I trust the process but certain fighters don’t need to be slowed down. Look at Devin Haney and Jaron Ennis. I feel like my skill set is right up there with them.”

“I feel like I’ve only been tested once in my career. People overlook the Tre’Sean Wiggins fight. He’s a good fighter and he’s had some really good results. I was only five fights into my career, and I beat him easily in a unanimous decision. But I don’t feel like I’ve ever been in jeopardy of losing or really faced much adversity in the ring.

“I don’t know much about my opponent. I hear he’s a great sparring fighter in Vegas. He’s a great gym fighter, but who is he fighting? I spar world champions in training.

“Tank Davis and I have a great relationship. We train together and we watch boxing together and study film. He’ll come to the gym sometimes and just watch me and give me advice. I sparred with him when he was preparing for his last fight against Nunez. He’s a world champion so he’s a great person to learn from.

“The process to get to the Olympics was a great experience and it was great for my career. Every fight was a challenge and I fought so many different styles and so many different guys from around the world. Each and every day, fighting some of the top guys in the world was a challenge but it made me a better fighter. It helped my boxing IQ and in the gym I saw things that not a lot of boxers get to see every day. I picked up so many things that I use now. I’m a student of the game. I have so many tricks up my sleeve and I have so much to my game because of that process.

“Fighting Gary Russell in the Olympics was an incredible experience. There was a lot of anticipation and a lot of eyes on that fight. It’s fights like this that will prepare you for the world title fights that I know will come one day.”

KEVIN JOHNSON

“Hitchins is a good fighter. I like his style, he’s a basic come-forward type of fighter. But I feel that there are some holes in his game that I can exploit. I think it’s a good matchup for me.

“I check out my opponents a little bit, but not too much. I don’t want overthink it, I trust my team to put together a solid game plan.

“My last fight against Larry Gomez was a brawl, but I had a lot of fun. When I watched it back, I didn’t think I fought my best fight. I can brawl if I need to, but I would say that I’m a boxer-counterpuncher. I change my styles by the season, that’s why they call me Thunderstorm.

“I feel great. I feel ready. I can’t wait. I love to fight and I love to train. I’m always in the gym. I took a week off after my last fight but I’ve been in the gym ever since then.

“I started boxing at age 17 and had about 55 amateur fights, but I don’t feel like I’ve been playing catchup. I have more experience than my number of fights shows.”

KEVIN NEWMAN II

“I was nowhere near 100 percent in our first fight. I knew it was a huge stage and a huge card, and I didn’t want to pass up that kind of opportunity. I chose to fight through my illness and I fought to just get through the fight, not to win the fight.

“Hernandez fought the fight that he was supposed to fight. He did what he needed to do. I started off well, and my energy level was good. But I started to fade and my energy wasn’t there as the fight went on.

“I need to be smart. Be relaxed. Be me. I need to go in with a dominating mindset and be the aggressor. I’m an offensive fighter and I need to fight that way.

“This fight is personal. They talked a lot of trash after the fight. Every interview after the fight, I gave him credit and said he won the fight. He chose to take it to the level that makes this rematch personal for me. There’s nothing wrong with trash talk. I’m a trash talker myself, but you just have to back it up. This has been bubbling over for a long time. There was a long list of guys I could have fought, but this was the one I wanted.

“There’s a sense of urgency. There’s a plan for me. We want to be fighting for a world championship before the age of 30. Tomorrow is just another fight, but it’s a step for me to keep building and make my way up the ranks to get to that goal.

“I’m a reserved, relaxed, focused guy. I won’t be too emotional for this fight. I will be under control and the bright light won’t affect me. I will listen to my team and implement the game plan that we practiced in camp.

“I’m a competitor. If a guy beats you, you want a shot to beat him back. This fight is going to be totally different than the first fight. I truly believe that, and that’s the way I trained. I want to dominate and leaving this fight, I want there to be no need for a third fight. I want to beat him that convincingly that there will be no reason for a grudge match.”

MARCOS HERNANDEZ

“Newman made excuses after the first fight. Whether it’s true or not, it’s not my business. It doesn’t really matter. If anybody should have an excuse, it was me. I was fighting my first fight with my trainer, Henry Ramirez. I went from 154 pounds to fight him at 164 pounds. I wanted to fight an eight-round fight, it ended up being a six-round fight. So we really didn’t get anything that we wanted for the fight but I took it anyways and I beat him. And then he made excuses.

“I don’t need this fight again; I’ve already shown I’m the better fighter. I’m doing it because there weren’t a whole lot of options out there and I’m confident I can beat him again.

“Size is his only advantage. He’s bigger than me but he doesn’t have anything else. I hope he’s more aggressive this time. We’ll see what he brings in the first round. We’ll find out what kind of fight he wants this to be, but either way, I’m ready.

“Newman is just another opponent to me. I understand him being upset. I’m the only person he’s lost to. I want to rematch the guys I’ve lost to. I haven’t gotten that yet. I’ve fought much better competition than he has. I’m the only real test of his career, and he didn’t pass it.

“There’s nothing personal about this fight for me. I just want to put another win on my record. The main objective is to get another win. That’s all I’m focused on. The more wins I have, the better I look as a fighter and the better the opportunities I will get.

“The ‘Second Coming’ is going to come in second again.”

ROLANDO ROMERO

“I’m a very unorthodox fighter. I’m very unpredictable. I don’t really get hit and I punch everybody. There’s always room for improvement, but if I know a shot is going to land, I’m going to throw it 100 percent.

“I don’t know much about my opponent. He’s not that much taller than me. I don’t really care about his size. I’ve sparred with guys twice as tall as me.

“I haven’t really been tested yet in my career. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve lost a round. I don’t think I’ll be challenged until I fight for a world title.

“Every show I’m on, I steal it. There’s no doubt about that.

“Boxing helped me become more confident. I’m a lot more confident now than I was as a kid, and I think that’s because of boxing.

“I was very successful in the sport of judo and I didn’t start boxing until I was 17. Both sports are very difficult but they’re different. Judo helps me a little bit, I’m definitely stronger in clenches. I’m used to combat sports, and having the experience of taking care of my body and staying on weight helps me.

“I’m not playing catchup with the late start in boxing. I’ve already excelled and exceeded the fighters I was supposed to catch up to. I feel like they’re playing catchup to me.

“I think my last fight was knockout of the year. I have power in both hands. I think the power just comes from genetics, and with training and repetition and technique. At the end of the day, you can’t teach people how to punch hard. You can amplify it but you either are born with it or not.”

JUAN CARLOS CORDONES

“I got this fight on two weeks’ notice. I was already training in Puerto Rico, but I wasn’t training for a specific fight. I feel good. I feel ready. Losing the weight wasn’t an issue. I feel comfortable at this weight and I feel strong.

“I’m a tall guy. I have a long reach. I like to box and move. I don’t know much about Rolando because I have only known about the fight for two weeks but I know he is a good fighter.

“My last fight in Puerto Rico was not an indication of my skill level. I had a tough time with the weight and I felt very dehydrated. I was not myself during that fight.”

#

Fans can live stream the Sin City Showdown 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 81 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.



KEVIN NEWMAN AND MARK ANTHONY HERNANDEZ TALK TRAINING CAMP AHEAD OF HIGHLY ANTICIPATED REMATCH ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION QUADRUPLEHEADER FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

LAS VEGAS – October 16, 2019 – Super middleweight prospects Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman 10-1-1 (6 KOs) and Mark Anthony Hernandez 14-2-1 (3 KOs) discuss training camp, their first matchup, and the animosity between the camps leading up to their ShoBox: The Next Generation debuts on Friday, November 1 live on SHOWTIME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

The ShoBox four-fight telecast will see Mayweather Promotions’ undefeated super featherweight prospect Xavier Martinez (14-0, 10 KOs) return for his second consecutive test on the series, this time against veteran Filipino Jessie Cris Rosales (22-3-1, 10 KOs).  In the co-featured fight, 2016 Olympian Richardson Hitchins (9-0, 5 KOs) will face once-beaten Kevin Johnson (7-1, 4 KOs), while undefeated Las Vegas knockout artist Rolando Romero 9-0 (8 KOs) opens the telecast.

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

After back-to-back KO performances this year, Newman returns with a vengeance to face the man who owns the only blemish on his record in a rematch with Hernandez. In 2017, with eight professional bouts on his record, Newman appeared on the Mayweather vs. McGregor undercard where he took on Hernandez, a tough rising prospect. After six rounds of what Newman calls, “the worst performance of my professional career,” judges ruled the bout a unanimous decision in favor of Hernandez. Newman took the loss in stride and bounced back with three consecutive wins and looks ahead to the rematch, while Hernandez is focused on repeating history.

Here is what the fighters had to say ahead of the November 1 rematch:

On training camp:

Newman: “Training camp has been going great. We’ve been working hard day in and day out, making sure we leave no stone unturned and working on a solid game plan come fight night.

“My runs and workouts have been a little longer and harder. We’re just focusing on getting better every day and pushing as hard as we can to ensure we get the W in the rematch.

“People are going to see a slightly different version of me this time around. I won’t give away any specifics, but I’m going to shock a lot of people come fight night and they will get the best Kevin Newman.”

Hernandez: “Camp has been great. I have a great team behind me. I expect him to come harder for this fight so we’re preparing for anything this time around. But we will remain smart at all times. There are things I’m taking with me this time around that I’ve learned and practiced in the gym.  I’ve improved since our last fight so he better be ready.”

On what the importance of a win and the rivalry between the fighters:

Newman: “A win in this fight does a lot for my career, but it’s not just the win itself, it’s how I win that will do the most for me. Fans can expect an explosive fight. It will put me in a great place to further my career and get tougher fights, which will lead to the end goal of a title shot.

“There is definitely some animosity between us. A lot has been said, more so on his end than mine, but I just let him and his camp talk. I expect him to fight to win and I’m just going to continue to work hard like I have these past two years since the first fight. We don’t like each other, I can tell you that, so this fight will bring fireworks and I’m just going to let me hands do the talking and get the W.”

Hernandez: “A second win will just prove that I am the better fighter.

“I always come to win; I train to win. My family will be in attendance supporting me and I know his will too, so this will be a fight with both of us having a lot to prove.

“There’s been a lot of talk going into this rematch, but none of that affects me. I’m just working hard and I’m going to come even stronger than the first fight. None of the stuff outside the ring really matters to me. I out boxed him and outfought him in 2017, and I plan to do the same again this time around, mixed with a few other tactics.”

How does it feel to fight on national television?

Newman: “It feels great to return and fight on national television, especially getting to fight on SHOWTIME for the first time in my career. I’m very thankful to Leonard Ellerbe and Floyd Mayweather as well as SHOWTIME for giving me this opportunity. The last time I fought on national television I put on a great display of my talent and skills, so I look forward to doing the same this time around.”

“I’m very excited for this opportunity to redeem myself. I knew this day would come, I just didn’t know when. I’ve won fights since the first fight and had dominant performances in the process, but nothing has filled that void. This is my opportunity to do that, so come November 1, when it’s all said and done, I will be victorious.”

Hernandez: “It’s my first time on ShoBox and I’m thankful for this experience. Fans can expect a great fight. He’s a really good fighter and I won’t take anything from him. Moving up again will be a challenge, but I think I can beat him again.”

# # #

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.



UNDEFEATED SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT XAVIER MARTINEZ TO FACE JESSIE CRIS ROSALES FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 IN MAIN EVENT OF SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION QUADRUPLEHEADER

LAS VEGAS – October 1, 2019 – Undefeated super featherweight prospect Xavier Martinez returns to ShoBox: The New Generation for his second straight test on the series when he faces veteran Filipino Jessie Cris Rosales in the 10-round main event of a four-fight telecast on Friday, November 1 live on SHOWTIME (10:30 p.m. ET/PT) from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

Four of Mayweather Promotions top prospects will be on display, as 2016 Olympian Richardson Hitchins (9-0, 5 KOs), once-beaten Las Vegas native Kevin Newman II (10-1-1, 6 KOs) and undefeated knockout artist Rolando Romero (9-0, 8 KOs) will also fight in separate bouts. Welterweight prospect Hitchins will take on once-beaten Kevin Johnson (7-1, 4 KOs) in an eight-round bout, while middleweight prospect Newman will look to avenge the only loss of his career to Mark Anthony Hernandez (14-2-1, 3 KOs), a participant in the 2018 reboot of The Contender, in another eight-round matchup. Romero will open the telecast against an opponent to be announced.

Tickets for the Mayweather Promotions’ Sin City Showdown go on sale tomorrow/Wednesday at 12 p.m. PT, start at $25 and can be purchased by visiting: https://mayweatherpromotions.com/events/.

“This is our second ShoBox show of the year and we’re happy to have made Sam’s Town our home for these events,” says Mayweather Promotions CEO, Leonard Ellerbe. I can’t say enough that this is the perfect setting and platform to showcase our upcoming prospects. Xavier Martinez is one to watch for as he headlines his first ShoBox card. We have a very exciting line-up of fighters, both on and off-television, making for a card that you don’t want to miss.”

Martinez (14-0, 10 KOs), of Sacramento, Calif., has scored six straight knockouts, including a third-round stoppage of John Vicente Moralde in his ShoBox debut in April (Watch KO Here). The 21-year-old turned professional in 2017 in Mexico following an amateur career where he amassed an 85-10 record while competing in the 2012 and 2013 National Championships and earning a ranking as the No. 3 amateur in the country. Best known for his crafty and powerful fighting style, Martinez joined the Mayweather Promotions team in late 2016 with a unanimous decision win over Wilfredo Garriga at Sam’s Town Live.

“I am really excited to get back into the ring,” said the 21-year-old Martinez. “Sam’s Town has become my home away from home and I’ve had a lot of great performances there. I’m really just looking forward to putting on a great performance again on national television and reaching a larger audience. Soon enough everyone will know who Xavier Martinez is.

“Training camp is going great. I’ve added a strength and conditioning coach and a nutritionist. Having someone help me prep my meals and educate me on what’s going into my body has really helped me train better and get my body in the right shape. My energy level for training is different and I feel stronger.”

Rosales (22-3-1, 10 KOs), 27, turned professional in 2008 and started his professional career unbeaten in his first 22 bouts while competing mostly in his native Philippines. Rosales stepped up his level of opposition in 2017, losing to former two-division world champion Jhonny Gonzalez in 2017 and 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist and undefeated prospect Shakur Stevenson in 2019. In his last bout, he lost a close split-decision to undefeated prospect Tyler McCeary. Experienced against top opposition, Rosales’ three losses have come against opponents with a combined record of 96-11-1.

“He’s undefeated, but I have far more experience with better guys so I have that advantage coming into this fight,” Rosales said. “I’m coming off two tough fights and this one is going to be another great fight to test myself as a fighter as well as a good show for the fans. I’m back in the gym working on a couple of things, and I’m coming into this fight stronger and sharper.”

Hitchins (9-0, 5 KOs), from Brooklyn, N.Y., is a former two-time Golden Gloves champion who represented his parents’ home country of Haiti in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, where he lost to team USA’s Gary Russell Jr. One of boxing’s top young prospects, Hitchins has sparred and trained with several world champions including Terence Crawford and stablemate Gervonta Davis. Just 21-years-old, Hitchins boasts incredible hand and foot speed and the boxing IQ of a veteran contender. Having fought eight out of his nine pro fights in his hometown, Hitchins will travel to Las Vegas looking for a statement win in his television debut.

“I’m ready to pick back up where I left off,” said Hitchins. “I’ve remained in great shape since my last opponent fell through back in July, but it worked out because now I get an opportunity to show my talents on national television. My brother Tank [Gervonta Davis] showed me a lot of things this summer and great techniques to sharpen my skills. I’m working hard and getting work in multiple gyms across different weight classes to help me with my speed and power. I’m going to give it my all and deliver with a dominating win.”

Johnson, a Las Vegas resident, started his professional career with four consecutive TKO wins. His past four fights have all come against undefeated opposition including a split decision win over Larry Gomez, who was 8-0 entering the fight, in his last outing in April. Johnson’s lone loss came against 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Fazliddin Gaibnazarov.

“This is going to be an entertaining fight for the fans,” said Johnson. “I predict a fourth or fifth round knockout – that isn’t me being cocky, just me understanding what’s on the line. This is a huge fight for me and I’m going to rise to the occasion. I’m here to expose everyone I step in the ring with. I’ll fight anybody I feel is a good challenge. I’ve seen Hitchins spar Devin Haney and I’ve watched a few of his fights. He did really good, but I was able to identify some opportunities and I feel confident I can beat this kid.”

Las Vegas’ Newman started boxing when he was 9 years old and built up an amateur record of 25-5 before turning pro in 2014. Impressed by Newman’s skills and technique in the ring as an amateur, Floyd Mayweather signed the rising middleweight to his growing stable of fighters in the summer of 2014. Newman made his professional debut on the Mayweather vs. Maidana II undercard, where he fought to a draw with Azamat Umarzoda. He won his next seven contests before dropping a decision to his November 1 opponent, Mark Anthony Hernandez, on the undercard of Mayweather vs. McGregor in August 2017. He has since rebounded with three consecutive KO wins at Sam’s Town.

“I’m thankful to my team for another fight,” said Newman. “This is my third fight this year, and I’m looking forward to putting on a show and really ending this year with a bang. Training camp has consisted of great sparring with A-level guys, including Anthony Dirrell for his fight with David Benavidez. I was able to get a lot of quality rounds in already, and this is just the beginning of my training camp. I’m extremely sharp now so we’re just maintaining that and getting my body into fight shape.”

Hernandez, 26, of Fresno, Calif., is no stranger to fighting under the spotlight. After dropping a split decision to Kyrone Davis in 2017, Hernandez bounced back with the biggest win of his career over Newman on the undercard of the blockbuster Mayweather vs. McGregor event. Hernandez was among 16 professional fighters selected to compete at 160 pounds on the 2018 reboot of The Contender series. He earned a split decision over Danny Valdivia and a unanimous verdict over Quantavious Cash to finish behind champion Brandon Adams and runner-up Shane Mosley Jr. In February of this year, he suffered a setback in a rematch to Jeison Rosario, who he fought to a draw with in 2018, but rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Francisco Castro in his last bout.

“I expect Kevin to come better than he did the first time we fought,” said Hernandez. “The first fight was a clear unanimous decision for me. I didn’t think there was any controversy. He has his reasons as to why he didn’t perform, but that doesn’t matter to me. I went up in weight to take that fight from 154 to 165 pounds so I was also coming in with a slight disadvantage, and now I’m moving up again to fight him again. I out-boxed him and out-fought him the first time and fans can expect a great fight again. He’s a really good fighter, I won’t take anything from him. Moving up again will be a challenge, but I think I can beat him again.”

Rising lightweight prospect Romero, born and raised in North Las Vegas, started his boxing career at age 18 after spending much of his youth competing in Judo. Despite a limited amateur career consisting of just 45 fights, Romero gained the attention of Floyd Mayweather and was signed to his promotional company in November of 2016. He made his professional debut the next month and scored a TKO just over a minute into the fight. With eight stoppages in nine professional fights, Romero packs a heavy punch and will be looking for his fifth straight knockout on November 1.

“It’s been a great year for me professionally,” said Romero. “I’ve been able to gain an even larger fan base since my last performance earlier this year and I’m excited to do what I do best and that’s knocking out the competition and continuing to grow as a fighter. A lot of people have doubted me for my lack of amateur experience, but my power and boxing IQ are undeniable. I’m taking the experience from my last fight and working to correct a few things. My goal is to become the most versatile fighter backed by power.”

Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with fellow Hall of Famer Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

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

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.