SHOWTIME SPORTS TO SHOWCASE FIGHTS OF THE YEAR IN APRIL AS PART OF 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

john_david_jackson
NEW YORK (April 6, 2016) – SHOWTIME Sports® presents its latest installment of a year-long salute commemorating 30 years of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® with “Fights of the Year” in April on SHO EXTREME®.

The fourth round of a 12-month tribute will be highlighted by four of the most rousing and unforgettable fights in boxing history:
Jorge Castro vs. John David Jackson I – 1994 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year (Round 9 earned Round of the Year honors)
Paulie Ayala vs. Johnny Tapia I – 1999 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year (Ayala earned Fighter of the Year honors)
Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I – 2005 Consensus Fight of the Year (Round 10 earned Round of the Year honors)
Lucas Matthysse vs. John Molina Jr. – 2014 Boxing Writers Association of America Fight of the Year.

The four celebrated battles will air on “Throwback Thursdays” all month at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO EXTREME and are available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and via the network’s online streaming service. Each fight will be wrapped with brief context and commentary from SHOWTIME Sports ring announcer and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Lennon Jr.

Below is the schedule of SHOWTIME EXTREME premieres for the month of April:
Thursday, April 7: Jorge Castro vs. John David Jackson I
Thursday, April 14: Lucas Matthysse vs. John Molina Jr.
Thursday, April 21: Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I
Thursday, April 28: Paulie Ayala vs. Johnny Tapia I

Castro-Jackson I (Dec. 10, 1994, Castro KO 9) –Castro, thoroughly battered, bloodied and losing by a wide margin, rallies from the absolute brink of defeat to score three knockdowns in the ninth round to overcome Jackson in one of the most dramatic turnarounds ever.

Ayala-Tapia I (June 26, 1999, Ayala W 12) – In some of the fiercest two-way action in the history of Las Vegas boxing, southpaw Ayala hands Tapia his first professional loss in 49 fights and captures the WBA bantamweight title by the scores of 115-114 and 116-113 twice. Game On: As the boxers were being announced, Tapia walked across the ring and shoved Ayala causing a momentary skirmish.

Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I (May 7, 2005, Corrales TKO 10) — After nine intense, back-and-forth rounds, Corrales accomplishes the unthinkable, miraculously regrouping from two knockdowns in the 10th to stop Castillo in the same round (2:06) and etch his spot in boxing lore. After managing to beat the count (and lose a point for excessive spitting out of the mouthpiece), Corrales got Castillo on the ropes and connected with a huge right hand. He continued to unload and Castillo got nailed with a bundle of vicious punches. Moments later, the ref stopped it.

Lucas Matthysse-John Molina Jr. (April 26, 2014, Matthysse KO 11) — A bloody slugfest, in which both fighters were knocked down multiple times, became an instant classic. Matthysse who went down in the second and fifth rounds, came back with a late-fight onslaught to wear down and drop Molina in the eighth, 10th and 11th rounds. The tremendous brawl was as brutal as it was exciting and more compelling to witness than anyone could have imagined.

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Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon and Google. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Prime Video. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.




Matthysse still injured; will not fight May 7

Lucas Matthysse
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former Jr. Welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse is still feeling the effects of his fight with Viktor Postal and will not be able to participate in a proposed bout with Mauricio Herrera on May 7.

He was training and getting ready for the fight, but he felt some discomfort in his eye and he wants more rest,” Said Golden Boy Promotions Vice President Eric Gomez said of the longtime junior welterweight contender and one of the best pure punchers in boxing.

“He’s not going to fight on May 7. He is going to rest more but he is not retiring,” Gomez said. “Mario talked to him about it. What Lucas is going to do is rest, take some more time for his eye to heal and see how it is. In a few months we’ll see how he’s doing and go from there.”




GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS PICKS FIGHTERS TO WATCH IN 2016

Bernard Hopkins
LOS ANGELES (Jan. 20, 2016) – Golden Boy Promotions has a great reputation in the sport as one of the leading promoters as well as a skill for creating and promoting world champions and boxing superstars. Having worked and promoted multi-divisional world champions including: Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, Erik “Terrible” Morales, Juan Manuel “Dinaminta” Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Marco Antonio “Baby Face Assassin” Barrera, Sugar Shane Mosley, Canelo Alvarez, Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse, Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares, Randy “El Matador” Caballero, Abner Mares, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, Danny “Swift” Garcias, Keith “One Time” Thurman, Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs, Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, and Adrien “The Problem” Broner. In 2016, Golden Boy Promotions is looking to the future to usher in the New Era of Boxing spearheaded by current WBC, RING Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs).

For 2015, Golden Boy Promotions received extraordinary media acclaim for exciting fights year-round and was awarded the honors of Promoter of the Year, Event of the Year, Fight Cards of the Year, Fight of the Year, Fighter of the Year, and Knockout of the Year. Also, top prospects Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (19-0, 11 KOs), Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chingonsky” Shabranskyy (15-0, 12 KOs), Jason “El Animal” Quigley (9-0, 8 KOs), and Diego De La Hoya (13-0, 7 KOs) not only graduated into contender territory, but also received honorable mentions for Prospect of the Year while Shabranskyy debuted at number nine on the light heavyweight pound-for-pound list.

Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs), also debuted on the pound-for-pound list at number five in the heavyweight division after defeating former world champion challenger Bryant “By-By” Jennings via seventh-round technical knockout. Other fighters on the divisional pound-for-pound list include Canelo Alvarez, Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas (23-0-1, 17 KOs), Jorge “El Nino de Oro” Linares (40-3, 27 KOs), Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs), Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs), Sadam “World Kid” Ali (22-0, 13 KOs), Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs), Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs), Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (23-0, 15 KOs), Ronny Rios (25-1, 10 KOs), David Lemieux (34-3, 31 KOs), Sergio “Yeyo” Thompson (30-4, 26 KOs), and Jayson “Star” Velez (23-1-1, 16 KOs).

Golden Boy Promotions’ top picks for “Fighters to Watch in 2016” include (in alphabetical order):

WORLD TITLE CONTENDERS:

WBA International Welterweight Champion, Sadam “World Kid” Ali

Sadam “World Kid” Ali: A member of the 2008 United States Olympic team fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, Sadam “World Kid” Ali (22-0, 13 KOs) impressed boxing fans with his unanimous decision victory over Francisco “Chia” Santana in April, 2015 that earned him the WBA International Welterweight Title and also made him the mandatory challenger for the WBO Welterweight World Championship.

Randy “El Matador” Caballero: Indio star Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs) hit the heights of the boxing world in 2014 when he defeated Stuart “Stuey” Hall for the vacant IBF Bantamweight World Championship. In 2015, forced Caballero to vacate the title, however, 2016 looks promising for the fighter as he prepares his big return to the ring on February 5 against Ruben Garcia at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano: Already a respected welterweight contender after bouts against the likes of Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Mexico’s Pablo “El Demoledor” Cesar Cano (29-4-1, 21 KOs) kept his march to a world title going in 2015, as he went unbeaten in three bouts against Jorge “Pantera” Silva, Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu and Silverio “Chamaco III” Ortiz.

Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos: The mandatory

WBC Featherweight World Championship Mandatory Challenger, Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos

challenger for the WBC featherweight world title, Celaya, Mexico’s Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (23-11, 13 KOs) started his journey to become a champion very differently in 2014. Coming off a loss to Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado in February 2014, Castellanos followed it up with a dominant victory over Ronny Rios in October 2014, stopping the then-unbeaten prospect in the fifth round. Castellanos continued to show his power in January of 2015 facing the warrior Rocky Juarez for the chance to win the WBC Silver Featherweight title and become the mandatory challenger for the WBC Featherweight World Championship. Both fighters showed a lot of heart and put on one of the bloodiest fights of 2015, but it was Castellanos’ dominance that was on display as his powerful jabs, brutal uppercuts and well-timed counter-punching knocked down Juarez in the fifth and twice in the 10th round to win via unanimous decision with scores of 118-106, 118-106 and 118-107. Now, Castellanos is the WBC Feather World Championship mandatory challenger.

Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera: One of the truest warriors in the sport today, Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs) continued to show his supreme boxing skills and heart in a decision win over “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy in July to win the vacant NABF Super Lightweight title, and in 2016, big things are expected from Riverside’s “El Maestro” once more.

Tureano Johnson: A native of Nassau in the Bahamas, 31-year-old Tureano Johnson (19-1, 13 KOs) proudly represented his nation in the 2008 Olympics, making it to the quarterfinals in Beijing. In 2010, he turned professional and soared up the middleweight ladder before a controversial 2014 loss to Curtis Stevens. Undeterred, Johnson has since won five fights, four by knockout, and is one of the newest members of the Golden Boy Promotions roster. In his first fight since signing with Golden Boy Promotions, Johnson gave the fans a thrilling performance in the undercard of Gennaday Golovkin vs. David

Antonio “Relentless” Orozco

Lemieux at Madison Square Garden on October 17, 2015. Johnson faced Ireland’s Emmon O’Kane for the IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator, knocking down O’Kane twice in the first round and winning the fight via unanimous decision with scores of 118-108, 117-109, 119-107. Now the Nassau native is next in line for a shot at the unified middleweight championship in 2016.

Antonio “Relentless” Orozco: Unbeaten as a professional, San Diego’s Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (23-0, 15 KOs) made his move to the elite level of the super lightweight division in 2015. In May, Orozco defeated fellow rising star Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor in Phoenix, but the best was yet to come, as he decisioned multi-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto in their October bout at StubHub Center.

Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz: On Dec. 19, at Turing Stone Resort Casino inVerona,New York, Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs) defended his WBA Interim Heavyweight World Championship against one of the toughest fighters in the division, Bryant “By – By” Jennings in a fantastic display of boxing skill with a dramatic seventh round knockout of the former world champion challenger Jennings. Ortiz, dominated the fight early on with powerful hooks, uppercuts and jabs that kept him in

WBA Interim Heavyweight World Champion,
Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz

control of the pace throughout the 12-round heavyweight brawl. The victory allowed Ortiz to keep his undefeated status but also made a loud announcement to the boxing community that a new heavyweight threat had arrived to the division. This fight catapulted Ortiz on the heavyweight pound-for-pound list debuting at number five.

Michael “The Artist” Perez: Undefeated since 2012, exciting New Jersey native Michael “The Artist” Perez (23-1-2, 11 KOs) had one of the biggest years of his career in 2015, as he decisioned always toughMiguel “Aguacerito” Acosta in January and then knocked out Luis “Chespi” Sanchez in six rounds in July to win the vacant NABO lightweight title.

Ronny Rios: After suffering the first loss of his career to Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos in 2014, Santa Ana, California’s Ronny Rios (25-1, 10 KOs) came back more determined than ever in 2015, and his performances in defeating Sergio “El Frio” Frias and previously unbeaten Jayson “Star” Velez proved that this 25-year-old was ready for prime time again.

USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion, Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chingonsky” Shabranskyy

Vyacheslav “Lion Heart – Chingonsky” Shabranskyy: People might have troublespelling the name of Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (15-0, 12 KOs), but among boxing fans, his name spells action, and he continued to deliver the goods in 2015, moving to 15-0 with wins against Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson, Fabiano “Pit Bull” Pena, Paul “Pay Per View” Parker and Yunieski “El Monstro” Gonzalez, the latter three foes owning a combined 34-1-1 record and breaking him into the top 10 light heavyweight rankings on USA Today’s Boxing Junkie and ranking number 12 on the WBC’s rankings.

Patrick Teixeira: Brazil’s best boxing import since beloved former champion Acelino Freitas, unbeaten southpaw Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs) fought twice in the United States in 2015, impressing fans in New York and California with knockouts of Patrick Allotey and Don Mouton that sent a warning to his fellow 154-pound fighters that he was here to stay.

CONTENDERS TO WATCH:

Manuel “Tino” Avila: Fairfield, California’s Manuel “Tino” Avila (19-0, 8 KOs) has long been one of the most exciting prospects on the local scene, and in 2015, he made his name on the national scene with wins over Erik Ruiz, Yoandris “El Nino” Salinas and Jose Angel “Pepe” Beranza, the Salinas fight earning him the interim NABF super bantamweight title.

WBC Youth Super Bantamweight Champion,
Diego De La Hoya

Diego De La Hoya: Highly-touted super bantamweight Diego De La Hoya (13-0, 7 KOs)made the jump to eight and ten-round bouts in 2015 and he continued to impress every step of the way en route to five more victories. In September, De La Hoya won his first pro title, decisioning against former world title challenger Jesus “Estrella” Ruiz for the vacant WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight belt.

Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr.: A member of the 2008 United States Olympic team, South El Monte, California’s Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. (19-0, 11 KOs) won his first professional title in his fifth victory of 2015, as he impressively stopped Hugo “Olimpico” Partida in December to win the vacant NABF featherweight title and an honorable mention as one of ESPN.com’s 2015 Top 20 Rising Stars.

KeAndre “Black Magic” Gibson: 24-year-old welterweight undefeated fighter, KeAndre “Black Magic” Gibson (14-0-1, 6 KOs), who now makes his home in Las Vegas, has become quite popular with impressive victories over John Nater, Jose Hernandez and Nelson Lara. In his second fight of 2015, Gibson faced Jorge Ramos in an eight round fight winning the bout via unanimous decision in the undercard of Canelo-Kirkland on May 9.

Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez: East LA’s Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (19-0, 13 KOs) is known for his exciting style and powerful punches. He is the owner of 13 knockouts in three rounds or fewer and can also box, as shown in his near-shutout victories over longtime contenders Vernon “Ice Man” Paris in July of 2014 and Jorge “Pantera” Silva in October of 2015. A decorated amateur who won the 2009 United States Championship and earned a Silver medal in the 2009 World Championships, Gomez is ready to face the top opposition in the division and chase his dreams of a world championship in 2016.

Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez: A former WBC Youth World Lightweight champion,

Abraham “Chamaco” Lop
Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez (25-3, 21 KOs) picked up two early knockout wins in 2015, halting David “Nene” Rangel and Hevinson Herrera to set up a big 2016 for the Mexico City native.

Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez: Featherweight standout Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez (19-0-1, 14 KOs) returned from three years away from the sport in 2015 and the El Puente product picked up where he left off with knockout victories over former Ghana Olympian Alfred “The Stinging Bee” Tetteh and Jorge “King” Diaz and a draw against Juan “El Pez” Carlos Martinez.

Marcelino “Nino” Lopez: The latest star to emerge from the boxing hotbed of Argentina, Buenos Aires’ Marcelino “Nino” Lorenz (32-1-1, 17 KOs) continued dominating the local scene in his home country, but in October of 2015, he finally got the chance to introduce himself to United States fans when he knocked out David Rodela in three rounds at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Roberto “Tito” Manzanarez: Los Mochis, Mexico native Roberto “Tito” Manzanarez (32-1, 26 KOs) continued romping through the lightweight division in 2015, adding to his stellar record with a decision over Edgar “Lupillo” Ramirez and knockouts of Daniel “El Mulato” Valenzuela and Cristian “Veneno” Lopez.

NABF Lightweight Champion, Marvin “Cachorro” Quintero

Marvin “Cachorro” Quintero: Born in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, but now making hishome in Tijuana, Marvin Quintero is a former world title challenger whose first title fight was a razor-thin split decision loss to Miguel Vazquez in 2012. Since then, the 29-year-old southpaw has won two fights by knockout over Carlos Sanchez and Cesar De la Mora. In September of 2015 the veteran fighter proved he still had what it takes to chase championship gold when he defeated Puerto Rico’s Jeffery Fontanez via fifth-round knockout to gain the NABF Lightweight Title.

PROSPECTS TO WATCH:

Damon Allen: 23-year-old Philadelphian Damon Allen (8-0, 3 KOs) stepped through the ropes twice in 2015, stopping Luis “Yeye” Rodriguez in three rounds at home in Philly before making his Los Angeles debut in November with a decision victory over Oscar Santana.

Nick Arce: Hard-hitting 19-year-old Nick Arce (6-0, 6 KOs) didn’t stick around long for his five wins in 2015, as he knocked out each of his opponents before the final bell. This power and finishing ability has made this featherweight a must see for California fight fans, and the rest of the country should get introduced to him in the coming year.

D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard

D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard: 2015 was a pivotal year for Maryland supermiddleweight D’Mitrius Ballard (11-0, 7 KOs), and he passed his tests with flying colors, showing that he could box as well as bang in decision victories over Josue “Chiquilin” Ovando, Juan Carlos “Chiflado” Rojas and Fabiano “Pit Bull” Pena.

Ivan “Striker” Delgado: Keeping a steady pace throughout 2015, 25-year-old lightweight prospect Ivan “Striker” Delgado (8-0-1, 2 KOs) won five more bouts, and with fans packing the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles to see him fight on the LA Fight Club events, the future is bright for this up and comer.

Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez: 20-year-old Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (12-0, 11 KOs) added four more wins to his perfect pro record in 2015, and while he went the distance for the first time against Darryl Hayes in June, he closed out the year with a pair of second-round knockouts of Luis “Lichito” Lizarraga Jr. and Alejandro Ochoa.

Joet Gonzalez: Former amateur standout Joet Gonzalez (12-0, 6 KOs) is finding his way onto many hot prospect lists after a 2015 campaign that saw him go 4-0 with three knockouts. Included on that slate is a third-round KO of 12-0-1 prospect Marcos Rios in November.

Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis: A swift and ferocious striker, the undefeated Rashidi “Speedy”

WBA Fedecentro & WBC Interim Latin Welterweight Champion,
Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis

Ellis (14-0, 11 KOs) has repeatedly showcased his skills to audiences, most recently with a fourth-round technical knockout victory in Puerto Rico over Victor “Pambele” Gonzalez in March 2015 to claim the vacant WBA Fedecentro and the WBC Interim Latin Welterweight titles. Ellis won his three previous fights via technical knockout, defeating Joseph De los Santos and Joanthony Vazquez in Puerto Rico and Jose Martinez in the Dominican Republic. Later in 2015, Ellis played a key part in the training camp of Golden Boy Promotions fighter and now WBC, RING Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez. The 22-year-old Ellis trained with Canelo as a sparring partner in preparation for Alvarez’s November 21 super fight against Miguel Cotto. After “Speedy” put Alvarez to the test with his notoriously fast fists in training camp, Alvarez defeated Cotto via unanimous decision.

Travell “Black Magic” Mazion: 20-year-old Travell “Black Magic” Mazion (10-1, 10 KOs) is one of the top prospects in boxing, a fact evidenced by his a perfect professional record and knockout ratio, ending six fights in the first round. Now ready for his biggest year yet, Mazion is looking forward to start off the year strong in 2016.

Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete: Now making his home in Los Angeles, 27-year-old Colombia native Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (12-0, 5 KOs) was a stellar amateur before turning professional on May 24, 2013 with a four-round decision victory over Cristian Ciciliano. Two more wins would follow in 2013 for Negrete, but it was in 2014 that he began to get noticed in his adopted home state of California, as he stepped up to the plate four times and hit it out of the park with each appearance, decisioning unbeaten Carlos

Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa

Medina and stopping Pablo Cupul, Gabriel Braxton, Salvador Perez. 2015 proved to be a
busy year for Negrete as he fought five times winning all his bouts via decision excluding the most recent in December, where he defeated Ernesto Guerro via third-round technical knockout.

Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa: After winning the first nine fights of his professional career onthe east coast, Brooklyn’s Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa (13-0, 6 KOs) took his show on the road in 2015 and he continued to show off the skills that have made him a top prospect as he picked up four wins, including a big victory in Los Angeles over David Rodela and Alejandro “Soma” Rodriguez.

Jason “El Animal” Quigley: Former Irish amateur star Jason Quigley (9-0, 8 KOs) began his professional career in the United States in 2014, and he never left, learning his craft in Southern California. In 2015, Quigley scored five more wins by knockout before decisioning Marchristopher Adkins on November 20 and earning an honorary mention by Boxing News Magazine UK as one of the top prospects in the sport.

Julian “El Camaron” Ramirez: 22-year-old southpaw sensation Julian Ramirez (15-0, 8 KOs) kept piling the wins on in 2015, with his victories over seasoned veterans Raul “Bule” Hidalgo and Hugo “Olimpico” Partida setting Los Angeles’ “El Camaron” up for even bigger bouts when 2016 rolls around.

Lamont Roach Jr.

Lamont Roach Jr.: Washington D.C.’s Lamont Roach Jr. (9-0, 3 KOs) nearly doubled his
professional experience in 2015 with four victories that proved this 20-year-old super featherweight prospect is the real deal and a fighter to watch in 2016 and beyond.

Emilio Sanchez: Popular 21-year-old featherweight Emilio Sanchez (10-0, 7 KOs) had a busy year fighting in Golden Boy Promotions’ LA Fight Club series, going 5-0 with three knockouts at downtown Los Angeles’ Belasco Theater. The wins helped build Sanchez’ following and set the stage for another big year in 2016.

Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr.: Hailing from San Antonio, Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr. (4-0, 3 KOs) has been fighting since 2007 and during that time has won eight national championships. In 2012, he qualified to attend the Veles Cup in Kurgan, Russia and took the gold medal in his weight class and was selected as one of seven to go to the 2016 Olympic trails. Decinding instead to become a professional boxer and sign with Golden Boy Promotions in 2014, Tanajar Jr. is now the owner of an undefeated record of 4-0 with three knockouts. Tanajara will look to continue his winning streak in 2015 when he fights on Feb.5.

ABOUT GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by 10-time world champion in six divisions Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the world and has worked with networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, Estrella TV, ESPN, TeleFutura, FOX Sports 1, FOX Deportes, Televisa and TV Azteca. The company has also promoted some of the top boxing events in the history of the sport including De La Hoya vs. Mayweather, Mayweather vs. Canelo and other notable pay-per-view fights featuring fan-favorites Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Marco “Baby Faced Assassin” Antonio Barrera, Erik “El Terrible” Morales and Sugar Shane Mosley. For more information, visit www.GoldenBoyPromotions.com, or follow on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube @GoldenBoyBoxing.




THE ICEMAN KNOCKETH…OUT!

Viktor Postol
CARSON, CALIF. (October 5, 2015) — To the Viktor belong the spoils. The boxing world went Postol on Saturday night as VIKTOR “The Iceman” POSTOL (28-0, 12 KOs), from Kiev, Ukraine, put his stamp on the boxing landscape scoring a 10th-round knockout victory over former interim world champion Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs), from Chubut, Argentina, to capture the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight world title. Postol and Matthysse, world-rated No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, fought in front of a standing room only crowd of 7,025 fight fans at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. The fight was televised live as the main event of HBO Boxing After Dark®. Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and promoted by Top Rank®, Postol, who has spent extensive time training with Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao, took charge of the fight at the outset and dominated Matthysse en route to a near-perfect display of boxing skill and raw power.

The fight will be replayed Tonight! at Midnight ET/PT on HBO2 and Tomorrow! at 11:15 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. The fight will be available on the HBO NOW and HBO GO platforms.

VIKTOR POSTOL, WBC super lightweight world champion

“I was a small boy, 12 years old, when I first went into a boxing gym. Even then my ultimate goal was to win a world championship. I later made a decision to leave the Ukraine and go to America which is the Mecca of Boxing. I went right to the Wild Card Gym. Freddie Roach became my trainer. This was our third fight. It was Freddie and his trainers who taught me the small things to work on and become stronger as a professional boxer. I am a world champion because of Freddie, the world’s best trainer. I mean that. At the Wild Card I did everything he told me to do each and every day. Now I am bringing home a WBC green world championship belt. The people of Ukraine will be so proud. I beat a very strong, powerful champion to win the title.”

FREDDIE ROACH, Hall of Fame Trainer

“Before the last round I told our corner that our opponent was very tired and ready to go out. He was coming in with his head leaning down. We told Viktor, ‘Now is the time for a right uppercut and a left hook.’ Viktor is a good student of the game. He followed the game plan perfectly. This was, really, one of the greatest wins of my career.”

BOB ARUM, Hall of Fame Promoter

“Viktor Postol will be a real force in the 140 and 147 pound divisions. He had a terrific fight tonight. He will be hard to beat. Top Rank will have some big very fights for him.”




Frozen machinery

By Bart Barry-
Postol KO Matthysse
Saturday at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., undefeated Ukrainian junior welterweight Viktor “The Iceman” Postol stopped favored Argentine Lucas “The Machine” Matthysse at the end of the 10th round of their vacant-title match on HBO. It was good to see a favorite lose a match in 2015, of course, but it was unfortunate to see it happen to Matthysse – who remains a fighter’s fighter even after quitting against Postol.

A few years back, an interesting correspondence with a remarkable Buenos Aires writer named Osvaldo Príncipi included this about Matthysse:

“In everyday life, he is a man who looks to go unnoticed. . . . He seeks anonymity and life in a small city. He’s recently divorced, and that bothers him. . . . He doesn’t like to speak with anyone he doesn’t know. . . . But he knows the bottom of every letter of the boxing trade.”

That correspondence happened, partially, because Matthysse wouldn’t speak to me for a 2,000-word Lucas Matthysse cover feature in the magazine his promoter owns. It was nothing personal, I gathered; Matthysse is obstinately unavailable.

Television is about myth making, and Lucas Matthysse is not. He is unamerican – in the provincial sense of United States as America; Matthysse is, after all, completely American – as anyone currently plying the craft of prizefighting. From Patagonia, a famously harsh climate of wind, temperature volatility, and wind, Matthysse is a professional athlete in a sense similar to the Brothers Klitschko: he understands the requirements of his craft and does not understand boxing as a metaphor for biological or biblical struggle; Matthysse’s profession is violence, yes, but he feels no more compelled to die in the ring than you feel compelled to die in a cubicle. Saturday, when Matthysse felt injured, ever different from feeling hurt, he quit his job the same way you might quit over an unreasonable business partner or thwarting boss. Rest assured he feels no remorse about it.

Could he have continued? Absolutely. He could have risen at the count of 2, if he so chose. He also could have rolled on his back, rubbed his eye a dozen times, risen and run out the clock till his corner stopped the match, or if he were Kermit Cintron, alternately catapulted himself out the ring or nagged-back at the officious Jack Reiss about an unseen headbutt. He did none of these things because, frankly, he is indifferent to your opinion of him. He is a fighter, not an entertainer, and however boxing regards him – it’s impossible, in this era of a thousand belts, to elect to the IBHOF a fighter who went 0-2 in world title fights – he has fulfilled his obligation to fans often enough that 7,000 Southern Californians showed up for his match with a Ukrainian spoiler known to very few.

Of course he was Ukrainian. He was on HBO, and it’s increasingly difficult to find a match on Comrade Hershman’s network that doesn’t feature a man from the former Soviet Bloc. Some of that is justified – especially if the Soviets keep winning – and most of it is Al Haymon, having overthrown the previous HBO regime in what history will call the Berto Putsch, signing every b-side stiff HBO might have otherwise paid Gary Shaw and Lou DiBella to deliver.

Viktor Postol is a gangly foreigner with a displeasing style who nevertheless won the right way Saturday, and that’s that. His style is awful enough that, were he from anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, he’d have been an essential component in the PBC’s Corpus Christi strategy months ago. Instead he wrestled a shopworn Argentine into something like submission.

A fighter like Matthysse can handle about anything in a boxing ring, so long as he’s allowed to enjoy the rejuvenating act of sinking his knuckles in another man’s flesh. Postol denied him that miller’s chance, and Matthysse wilted. Unable to find time or space where he expected it, or even might tolerate it, Matthysse became mentally fatigued – the mind nearly always quitting first in such confrontations. Rising off his stool to hunt a man he couldn’t find and was tired of stalking, Matthysse probably thought about not-getting a rematch with Danny Garcia, not-getting the benefit of scoring doubts against Zab Judah or Devon Alexander, and what logistics would would cook the carrots of a Manny Pacquiao match his promoter Oscar De La Hoya began to sell last week.

Postol’s trainer, Freddie Roach, certainly saw that. He told his charge Matthysse was ready to go, the Argentine’s exhaustion causing hopelessness causing sloppiness, spilling his chin over his front knee as short aggressors are wont to do against tall defenders; all Postol had to do was aim his punch where Matthysse’s head would drop and let Matthysse do the rest. And Matthysse did the rest.

There’s the pain of torn flesh or cramped muscles or wheezing breathlessness, and then there’s injury. Injury is a nonnegotiable signal sent to the central nervous system. One doesn’t make his living in athletics without knowing the difference.

Did Matthysse feel something injurious as the crackle of a snapping bone? No, likely not. Matthysse felt a pain that registered unfamiliar to a memory that comprises thousands of hours of combat, and that sensation, seasoned by a preceding quarter-hour’s hopelessness, brought Matthysse across surrender’s threshold.

Writing of which, Golden Boy Promotions, never adept at developing talent, recently signed Matthysse, a 33-year-old fighter, to a five-year contract of some sort, there’s almost no chance Matthysse will complete. The Argentine cannot beat Postol at 140 pounds, and the power he relies on will not travel seven pounds to welterweight. He may well win Fight of the Year for his April match with Ruslan Provodnikov – as there haven’t been five good main events in 2015 – an award entitling Matthysse to a gainful rematch, or there’s always the other roster members of the abattoir circuit – Brandon Rios, Mike Alvarado, Marcos Maidana, Josesito Lopez, Diego Chavez, increasingly Timothy Bradley – Matthysse could fight anytime in Carson, Calif.

The Machine’s days as an elite draw or pay-per-view potentiality, though, ended Saturday when Postol put an exclamation point on a sentence cowritten by Danny Garcia and Ruslan Provodnikov.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry




Postol stops Matthysse in 10

Viktor Postol
Viktor Postol captured the WBC Super Lightweight title with a 10th round stoppage over Lucas Matthysse at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Postol dominated the action with his length as he made it difficult for Matthysse to generate consistent offense. In round ten, Postol landed a short right to the chin that sent Matthysse to the canvas. Matthysse sat on one knee until the fight was stopped at 2:58 after referee Jack Reiss reached the 10-count.

Postol KO Matthysse

Postol, 139 1/2 lbs of Kiev, UKR is 28-0 with 12 knockouts. Matthysse, 139 1/2 lbs of Argentina is 37-4-1.

Atonio Orozco remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over former world champion Humberto Soto in a Jr. Welterweright bout.

Orozco was docked a point in round nine for a low blow.

Orozco, 140 1/2 lbs of San Diego, CA won by scores of 98-91 and 97-92 twice and is now 23-0. Soto, 140 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is 65-9-2-1.

Orozco landed 187 of 624. Soto was 184 of 529.




VIDEO: HBO Boxing News: Matthysse and Postol Weigh-In




Video: HBO Boxing News: Matthysse-Postol Final Press Conference




Video: Viktor Postol




LUCAS MATTHYSSE VS. VIKTOR POSTOL FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

<img 2 LOS ANGELES (Oct. 1, 2015) Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas "La Máquina" Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) and former WBC International Super Lightweight Champion Viktor "The Iceman" Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) hosted the final press conference today ahead of their battle for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship. Matthysse vs. Postol will take place Oct. 3 at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. and will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark. The press conference, which was streamed live by The Ring TV, also featured co-main event fighters Humberto "La Zorrita" Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs), a former three-division world champion, and undefeated contender Antonio "Relentless" Orozco (22-0, 15 KOs) who will battle in a career-defining 10-round super lightweight bout to open up the HBO telecast. Non-televised undercard fighters including Julian "El Camaron" Ramirez (14-0, 8 KOs), Mercito "No Mercy" Gesta (28-1-2, 16 KOs), Nick Arce (4-0, 4 KOs), Marcelino "Nino" Lopez (31-1-1, 16 KOs), D'Mitrius Ballard (9-0, 7 KOs), and Kevin "K-Smoove" Rivers Jr. (12-0, 9 KOs) were also present and will have their respective bouts on Saturday live on GoldenBoyPromotions.com, RingTVLive.com, YIPTV.com , UCNLive.com, Facebook.com/RingTV, The Ring TV Channels on Roku, Amazon Fire and on Livestream.com Presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion, the championship event Matthysse vs. Postol will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. Here is what the fighters and their teams had to say about the event on Oct. 3: LUCAS "LA MAQUINA" MATTHYSSE, Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Champion: "I've very excited, I'm happy to be back in Carson to fight at the Stub Hub Center on October 3. "Thank you to Viktor Postol and his team for taking this fight. I can't wait for Saturday." VIKTOR "THE ICEMAN" POSTOL, Former WBC International Super Lightweight Champion: "I'm glad to be here; I've waited for this opportunity a long time. I have been preparing for this fight like no other training camp I've had before. "I've had a great camp. I've sparred with Pacquaio and many other great fighters at the Wild Card Gym. I have all the experience now that people will underestimate. Good luck to Matthysse, and I can't wait for this fight." VADIM KORNILOV, Manager for Viktor Postol: "This is a revenge fight for our team after Lucas defeated Ruslan Provodnikov earlier this year. We know he can brawl with Postol, and we will be ready for that. I think our team can be victorious because we will be prepared for whatever he has in the ring. "He was afraid to brawl Provodnikov, and we are going to force him to brawl on Saturday night." MARVIN SOMODIO, Assistant Trainer for Freddie Roach to Viktor Postol: "Freddie Roach is not here today so I'm still in charge. This is going to be the second time our team has faced Lucas (after facing him earlier this year on Provodnikov's team). On Saturday night, we are not going to let Lucas win again." HUMBERTO "LA ZORRITA" SOTO, Former Three-Division World Champion: "I want to thank my team that has been with me through it all working very hard. "On Saturday night, it's not Orozco or Soto that will be the winner; the fans will be the winners in the ring that night." ANTONIO "RELENTLESS" OROZCO, Undefeated Contender: "These last three months I've worked very hard, thanks to my team for all their support. "I just want to show that I'm ready for the big leagues. "I want to give the boxing fans what they want and deserve with this fight. I know it won't be easy against Humberto Soto. I'm going to prove on October 3 that I'm ready for the big leagues." OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions: "We have a fantastic undercard set for you on October 3. You can watch the non-televised undercard fights live on Yip TV and RingTV Live.com. "Ticket sales indicate we will have a total sell out on Saturday night at the Stub Hub Center. A fighter from Ukraine and a fighter from Argentina are selling out a venue in Los Angeles. That's how you know this is going to be an exciting fight. "Winning this fight would mean that next year Lucas Matthysse could be in line to have the best challenges against fighters like Manny Pacquaio." BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Fame Fighter and Business Partner at Golden Boy Promotions: "We are doing what we announced we would do last year and set out to do: put on the best fights for the fans. Now, we are doing it and you'll see that on October 3 with Matthysse vs. Postol. The last three months of this year you are going to see some exciting fights starting with this event Saturday on HBO." PETER NELSON, Vice President of Programming for HBO Sports: "Thank you to the fighters and their teams. The co-feature will be a great fight; thank you for taking on a difficult challenge. "Golden Boy Promotion's mission, which they have told us repeatedly, is for the best to fight the best. They want to work with anyone in boxing to make these fights. They have proven again and again with their fights this fall that their commitment to doing that is real. "You need to have fighters that dare to be great. People don't watch sports for pre-determined results-they watch for competition and authenticity. HBO is privileged to have Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank as a partner for this event that will no doubt be a great fight." MARIO ARANO, Manager to Lucas "La Maquina" Matthysse: "I've very honored and proud that Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, two of the best promoters, worked together to put this fight on. "The fans will get the best Lucas Matthysse they've ever seen on October 3. Lucas is ready to take this title back to Argentina. "Boxing in the U.S. has suffered from a change. One of the best fighters in the sport has just retired. However, the fans will win because the two best fighters in the sport, Canelo Alvarez and Lucas Matthysse, will take the crown next." JULIAN "EL CAMARON" RAMIREZ, Featherweight Prospect: "I have trained very hard for this and I am ready for the fight. I know my opponent is a strong brawler and I like to brawl it out too. There will be fireworks on Saturday night." MERCITO "NO MERCY" GESTA, Former World Title Contender: "On Saturday night I will show you all who 'No Mercy' is." NICK ARCE, Super Featherweight Prospect: "I want to thank everyone who is here today. This fight is very special to me, this fight is dedicated to Gracie who is battling breast cancer. This fight is for her and I am proud to be wearing pink in the ring." MARCELINO "NINO" LOPEZ, Super Lightweight Contender: "I want to thank everyone for this opportunity. I am grateful to my team for making this fight happen." D'MITRIUS BALLARD, Light Heavyweights Prospect: "I'm looking forward to putting on a great show Saturday night." KEVIN "K-SMOOVE" RIVERS JR., Super Featherweight Prospect: "It's my first time fighting in the west coast and I'm coming to put on a show and take over. I am very grateful and excited to be here." Tickets for Matthysse vs. Postol are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, and are still available. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425. Matthysse vs. Postol is a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion and is sponsored by Corona and Mexico - Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 2:00pm PT and the first fight begins at 2:30 p.m. PT. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins at 10:15 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT. For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.elitboxclub.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TRBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @MatthysseLucas, @ViktorPostol, @PuroOrozco; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MatthyssePostol.




Video: HBO Boxing News: Lucas Matthysse




LUCAS MATTHYSSE FINAL MEDIA WORKOUT quotes

lucas-matthysse
LOS ANGELES (September 30, 2015) Just days ahead of his October 3 battle against Viktor “The Iceman” Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship, Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) hosted a Los Angeles media workout at The Rock Gym in Carson, Calif. on Wednesday, Sept. 30. He was joined by his promoter, the Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya along with co-main event fighter and former three-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico; and fighters featured on the non-televised undercard including former Lightweight World Title contender Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (28-1-2, 16 KOs) and Los Angeles fan-favorite Nick Arce (4-0, 4 KOs).

In the co-main event on Oct. 3, Soto will take on undefeated contender Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (22-0, 15 KOs) of San Diego, Calif. in a career defining 10-round super lightweight showdown.

Also on Oct. 3, undercard fighter Arce is scheduled to fight in a six-round featherweight bout against Juan “Juanito” Hernandez (3-0) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. In addition,Gesta will face three-time world title challenger Martin “El Brochas” Honorio (32-9-1, 16 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico, in a classic Philippines vs. Mexico 10-round lightweight bout.

Here is what the fighters and their promoter had mmto say about their upcoming fights on Oct. 3 just days before the big event:

Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse, Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Champion:

“My inspiration is to be a world champion, to fight the best fights. That’s inspiration for me.

“I have wanted to be a world champion since I was a little boy and Saturday night I will have the chance to make this dream come true.

“I am very happy to be fighting in the Los Angeles area for this fight. It is a great honor for me to have the support of the Latin people here in the United States, coming all the way from Argentina.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“Viktor Postol is a lanky, tall fighter with some great knock outs under his belt and is being trained by Freddie Roach, which I know will get him in great shape. Matthysse with have his hands full with Postol.

“After the 3rd, 4th round, I can see it being a brawl. I can see Lucas Matthysse having to chase down Postol and do some damage. When have you ever seen a boring Lucas Matthysse fight? It’s going to be a fun, action-packed fight.”

HUMBERTO “LA ZORRITA” SOTO, Former Three-Division World Champion:

“It’s going to be a good fight, youth against experience. I think the people who see this fight are going to be the real winners.

“Nothing personal against Antonio Orozco, but I do believe experience will beat youth on Saturday.

“This fight will steal the show because when you put two Mexicans in a ring, they come to fight.”

MERCITO “NO MERCY” GESTA, Former World Title Contender:

“Right now, I know I’m in good shape and 100 percent healthy, so expect a really good fight because Martin Honorio pushes hard and has good form. It’s going to be a good fight.

“I’m training hard for Saturday night and am really proud to represent my country of the Philippines.”

NICK ARCE, Top Featherweight Prospect:

“I’m staying focused, staying on my weight, ready for Friday and ultimately give a great show on Saturday at the StubHub Center.

“There’s a lot of great featherweights out there, and we’re just focusing on our careers. Slowly but surely so when we get to the top, we’ll see who’s there and take them out later on. Golden Boy is one of the great promotional businesses out here right now, and I’m honored to be on the team.”

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Postol are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, and on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

Matthysse vs. Postol is a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion and is sponsored by Corona and Mexico – Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 2:00pm PT and fight times will be announced soon. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins at 10:15 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.elitboxclub.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TRBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @MatthysseLucas, @ViktorPostol, @PuroOrozco; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MatthyssePostol.




HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®: LUCAS MATTHYSSE VS. VIKTOR POSTOL AND HUMBERTO SOTO VS. ANTONIO OROZCO IS SEEN SATURDAY, OCT. 3

Lucas Matthysse
HBO Boxing kicks off the fall with an all-action showdown featuring one of the most exciting fighters in the sport when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: LUCAS MATTHYSSE VS. VIKTOR POSTOL AND HUMBERTO SOTO VS. ANTONIO OROZCO is seen SATURDAY, OCT. 3 at 10:15 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from StubHub Center in Carson, Cal., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Oct. 4 (9:00 a.m.) and 6 (11:15 p.m.)

The doubleheader will also be available on the HBO NOW and HBO GO platforms.

In the headline event, Lucas Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) of Trelew, Chubut, Argentina and Viktor Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) of Kiev, Ukraine, compete for a vacant 140-pound title belt in a 12-round super lightweight fight.

Matthysse, celebrating his 33rd birthday this week, fought the rugged and relentless Ruslan Provodnikov last April, scoring a thrilling triumph in a contest many ringside observers view as the leading candidate for fight of the year honors. The undefeated Postol is a skilled 31-year-old who is embracing the challenge of meeting one of the sport’s most devastating punchers at a venue known for eye-opening outcomes.

Opening the evening is a ten-round super lightweight bout featuring Humberto Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) and Antonio Orozco (22-0, 15 KOs). Soto, 35, of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, is a skilled veteran with three division world titles on his resume and more than three times the professional experience of his opponent. Orozco, a 27-year-old Mexican native who currently hails from San Diego, is seeking national recognition in a highly competitive division.

The Oct. 3 doubleheader kicks off an impressive fall lineup on multiple HBO Boxing platforms. HBO Pay-Per-View® will present blockbuster middleweight bouts featuring Gennady Golovkin vs. David Lemieux (Oct. 17) and Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez (Nov. 21), while a “World Championship Boxing®” card will showcase the 2014 BWAA “Fighter of the Year” Terence Crawford in prime time on Oct. 24 vs. Dierry Jean. Welterweights stars Timothy Bradley Jr. and Brandon Rios collide in an intriguing 147-pound showdown two weeks later in Las Vegas (Nov. 7).

Immediately following the live doubleheader from Carson, HBO will premiere “Road To Golovkin/Lemieux,” a special previewing the upcoming middleweight unification bout between Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux that will air live on HBO Pay-Per-View®.

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

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

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.

® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.




STACKED LA FIGHT CLUB UNDERCARD SHOWCASES THE BEST RISING TALENT IN BOXING KICKING OFF AN ACTION-PACKED WEEKEND OF FIGHTS IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES (September 29, 2015) Golden Boy Promotions will open an intense fight weekend beginning with LA FIGHT CLUB on Friday, October 2 live on Boxeo Estelaron Estrella TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT at the historic Belasco Theater. LA FIGHT CLUB, featuring the next generation of rising boxing stars, kicks off the first of back-to-back fight nights in downtown Los Angeles, followed by the highly-anticipated Lucas Matthysse vs. Viktor Postol card at the StubHub Center on Saturday, October 3. Fans with tickets to the event will be joined by confirmed guests Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions Partner Bernard Hopkins, current IBF Bantamweight World Champion Randy Caballero and legendary boxer Erik “El Terrible” Morales.

In the main event of the evening, Matthysse’s training partner Patrick Teixeira (25-0, 21 KOs) will collide with Don Mouton (13-9-1, 11 KOs) in an exhilarating 10-round middleweight bout. The televised co-main event of the night will feature Brooklyn, New York brawler Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa (12-0, 5 KOs) squaring off against Alejandro “Soma” Rodriguez (24-18-1, 14 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico in an eight-round super lightweight fight, both the toughest match of each fighters’ career. Opening up the LA FIGHT CLUB telecast, Tijuana, Mexico native Antonio “Tony” Gutierrez (18-1-1, 8 KOs) is scheduled for a six-round featherweight against Victor “Sina” Fonseca. (9-5-1, 7 KOs) of San Diego, Calif.

Featured on The Ring TV live stream, Francisco Ochoa (2-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, will face newcomer Edgar Galvez (0-1) of Phoenix, Arizona in a four-round lightweight bout, and Los Angeles favorite Pablo Rubio Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs) is scheduled for a four-round super bantamweight fight against Adrian Rodriguez (1-7-1) of Guadalajara, Mexico. Joshua Franco (1-0) will trade punches with Tijuana, Mexico’s Saul “Bebe” Hernandez (5-7-1, 3 KOs) in a four-round super flyweight matchup; and a four-round clash of super lightweights will kick off the night as Abraham Lopez (1-1) of Rowland Heights, Calif. will take on Galveston, Texas native Andrew Gomez (0-2). Fights can be viewed via The RingTV’s Roku channel, www.ringtvlive.comand on The Ring TV’s YouTube channel. The live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m. PT

LA FIGHT CLUB: Teixeira vs. Mouton is a 10-round middleweight bout and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Friday, October 2 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT., and will also be simultaneously streaming live on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

Tickets, starting at $20 are available for purchase online at www.goldenboypromotions.com or by visiting the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page. For ticket information, email us at LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com.

The “Knockout Experience VIP Package” is also available for an additional $25 upgrade and includes VIP entrance, access to an exclusive lounge offering food and beverages for purchase; a meet and greet opportunity with fighters and celebrities attending the event, past guests have included Oscar De La Hoya, Kate Del Castillo, Mario Lopez, George Lopez, Lucas Matthysse, Randy Caballero and other stars have all made appearances in the past; an automatic entry into the LA FIGHT CLUB grand prize drawing, which can include but is not limited to: autograph gloves, picture in the ring, backstage access, tour of locker rooms, fighter ring walk, tickets to upcoming boxing events and additional merchandise and prizes.

LA FIGHT CLUB is a monthly boxing series featured on the first Friday of each month, with upcoming shows including Nov. 6 and Dec. 4. The series showcases the brightest stars in the sport and present these exciting matchups in a nightclub atmosphere with an original setup. The boxing ring is set on the main floor of the Belasco Theater with on-camera standing room for fans in front of the ring similar to a concert pit, as well as reserved balcony and floor seats. Los Angeles’ own DJ Ray of Big Boy’s Neighborhood spins music during the fights and fans are able to dance and mingle with the fighters when the venue converts into a night club, in a VIP experience not matched by any promoter in the industry.

Media interested in attending the October 2 installment of LA FIGHT CLUB must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are now closed. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,www.facebook.com/TheBelascoLA, http://www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork,visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @belascola and @EstrellaTV, follow the conversation using #LAFIGHTCLUB #BoxeoEstelar.




VIDEO: Hey Harold!: Matthysse vs. Postol




UNDEFEATED ANTONIO OROZCO AND FORMER WORLD TITLE CONTENDER MERCITO GESTA SHARE THEIR HOMETOWN PRIDE WITH TOP PICKS FOR SAN DIEGO

Mercito_Gesta_CF
LOS ANGELES (Sept. 23, 2015) In anticipation of an action-packed card on October 3, we caught up with San Diego based fighters Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (22-0-0, 15 KO’s) and Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (28-1-2, 16 KOs) about their top picks for food, fun and entertainment and how training camp is going in beautiful San Diego where they both are based.

Gesta and Orozco are both featured on the undercard of the Lucas Matthysse vs. Viktor Postol, a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark. Orozco is scheduled to face three-time division world champion, Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35, KOs), of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico and will serve as the 10-round super lightweight co-main event televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark. Gesta will face Martin Honorio (32-9-1, 16 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico in a 10-round lightweight non-televised bout.

Here is what the fighters had to say:

ANTONIO “RELENTLESS” OROZCO, Undefeated Super Lightweight Contender:

What is the best beach in San Diego?

“Coronado Beach is the best beach in San Diego.”

Where do you train in San Diego?

“I train at the House of Boxing Gym, located in the National City area of San Diego.”

What’s you favorite spot in San Diego?

“My favorite spot in the city is Old Town, San Diego, it is full of culture.”

What’s your must-see attraction in San Diego for out of town visitors?

“Too many to list! But I like La Jolla Shores, Cabrillo National Park, and the Downtown Gas Lamp Quarter.”

What do you love most about San Diego?

“Little bit of everything: the scenery, weather, beaches and the people.”

MERCITO “NO MERCY” GESTA, Former Lightweight World Title Contender:

What is the best beach in San Diego?

“If you live in San Diego, you’ll soon come to realize that ALL THE BEACHES here are the best. But, if you ask me, I would say Coronado State Beach. It’s not that crowded, very clean, everyone bikes, nice community, and the historic Hotel Del Coronado is located there as well.”

Where do you train in San Diego?

“I mainly train in the city of Poway, as well as other local gym facilities throughout San Diego.”

What’s your favorite training activity?

“The mitts.”

Are you doing anything different or unique for this training camp?

“Yes, every fight has a different and new opponent, so for every fight there should be a new adjustment that is different and unique for the fight.”

What is the best restaurant for fish tacos in San Diego?

“I would say Cotijas in Chula Vista off of Third and K Street. They not only have the best fish tacos, but also I would definitely recommend for everyone to order the hash brown burrito.”

What’s your must-see attraction in San Diego for out of town visitors?

“This is the finest city! So basically anywhere you go is nice, but I suggest the Cabrillo Monument in Point Loma because from there you can see all of San Diego, up the coast of Cali, and down the coast of Mexico.”

What do you love most about San Diego?

“The weather and the beaches.”

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Postol are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, and go on sale Friday, July 31 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

Matthysse vs. Postol is a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion and is sponsored by Corona and Mexico – Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 2 p.m. on Oct. 3 and the first bout begins at 2:30 p.m. PT. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.elitboxclub.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TRBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @MatthysseLucas, @ViktorPostol, @PuroOrozco; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MatthyssePostol.




VIKTOR POSTOL MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 22, 2015) In preparation for his October 3 battle with Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship, Viktor “The Iceman” Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) hosted a Los Angeles media workout at Wild Card Gym with his trainer Freddie Roach on Monday, Sept. 21. Co-main event fighter Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (22-0-0, 15 KOs); and fighters features on the non-televised undercard: Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (28-1-2, 16 KOs), Julian “El Camarón” Ramirez (14-0, 8 KOs), and Nick Arce (4-0, 4 KOs) also participated in the Los Angeles media workout at Wild Card Gym.

In the co-main event on Oct. 3, former three-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico will take on undefeated contender Antonio “Relentless” Orozco of San Diego, Calif. in a career defining 10-round super lightweight showdown.

Also on Oct. 3, undercard fighter and East Los Angeles legacy Julian “El Camarón” Ramirez will look to keep his undefeated record intact when he faces Mexican contender Hugo “Olímpico” Partida (20-5-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout, and Los Angeles local sensation Nick Arce is scheduled to fight in a six-round featherweight bout. In addition, former world title contender Mercito Gesta will face three-time world title challenger Martin “El Brochas” Honorio (32-9-1, 16 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico, in a classic Philippines vs. Mexico 10-round lightweight bout.

Here is what the fighters had to say at the Los Angeles media workout about their upcoming fights on Oct. 3:

VIKTOR “THE ICEMAN” POSTOL, Number One Contender for the
Vacant WBC Super Lightweight Title and Former WBC International Super Lightweight Champion:

“I am about to face the strongest, most heavy handed fighter I have ever met in the ring. That is the reason I am at the Wild Card Gym with Freddie Roach. This is my third fight with Freddie. When I first walked into the Wild Card, I was struck by the smallness of it all-then I walked around and saw the pictures of fighters and champions. These are the fighters Freddie turned into champions. I saw the blood and sweat on the two rings. I now know the history of the greatest place in the world to train.

“Freddie never changed by style of fighting. Instead he made small important changes-a movement here and there, tweaking things. He and I are together when we go into the ring Oct. 3. We are prepared to fight. We will win.”

FREDDIE ROACH, International Boxing Hall of Fame Trainer, Seven-Time Trainer of the Year Award Winner and Trainer of Viktor Postol:

“Postol doesn’t know it yet but he’s my new favorite fighter. He works very hard in the gym, does everything we ask and he can bring it. We can win this fight. It is a tough fight but I know we can win, and Postol knows we will win.”

ANTONIO “RELENTLESS” OROZCO, Undefeated Super Lightweight Contender:

“It’s a blessing to be fighting on this card on Oct. 3. I’ve worked hard my entire career and I think this is the stage that we’ve been looking for, to be in the undercard of such a big event with Matthysse vs. Postol.

“Fighting Humberto Soto means doors could open for me with my career, and this is what my team and I have worked for.

“Our priority is to win, whatever I have to do to win, whatever the fight calls for, we’re willing to step up and get a win that night. I’m grateful for this opportunity; it’s been a long time coming. I hope to be victorious on Oct. 3.”

MERCITO “NO MERCY” GESTA, Former World Title Contender:

“This is a big opportunity to showcase my skills, my abilities at a big event because it will open up more opportunities for me. Of course, I have to do well in the ring that night. I’m excited and happy to be on the undercard for two of the biggest names in boxing.

“My strategy is to focus on staying on our technique for my opponent. Every opponent is different. I have changed my training focus accordingly since you need to adapt to their style. I need to focus and really follow what my team and me have been working on. Thank you to the boxing fans, particularly the Filipino fans, thanks for supporting me. I promise you an exciting fight for Oct. 3.”

JULIAN “EL CAMARÓN” RAMIREZ, Top Featherweight Prospect:

“I’m a big fan of Matthysse so I am excited to fight on this undercard on Oct. 3. I know my opponent is a brawler so I’ve been working a lot on my boxing and if I have to brawl, then that’s what I’ll do.

“I’m ready to give the fans an exciting fight. I love the fans and they like to see brawls so I’m going to go in there and try to take the guy’s head off.”

NICK ARCE, Top Featherweight Prospect:

“I feel awesome to be on this great undercard of Matthysse vs. Postol. It’s a big venue and it comes with a lot of pressure. At the same time, I don’t let that pressure get to me. I don’t let it bug me. I just stay focused on the game plan and listen to my corner and do what I do best.

“My game plan is to be smart in the ring and to focus-to be aware of everything my opponent throws and what I can come back with. I’m going to be open-minded and don’t be afraid to do work in the ring.”

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Postol are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, and on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

Matthysse vs. Postol is a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion and is sponsored by Corona and Mexico – Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 2:00pm PT and fight times will be announced soon. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins at 10:15 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.elitboxclub.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TRBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @MatthysseLucas, @ViktorPostol, @PuroOrozco; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MatthyssePostol.




LUCAS “LA MÁQUINA” MATTHYSSE HOSTS HIS FIRST-EVER ARGENTINIAN MEDIA WORK OUT

Lucas Matthysse
LOS ANGELES (Sept. 15, 2015) – Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) hosted his first-ever Argentinian media work out on Monday, Sept. 14 ahead of his upcoming fight with former WBC International Super Lightweight Champion Viktor “The Iceman” Postol (27-0, 11 KOs). Matthysse showcased his boxing skills in a workout session open to the public and spoke to the media about his upcoming fight. Matthysse and Postol will square off for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship in a 12-round bout on October 3 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

Today, Sept. 15, Matthysse held a special round table with the media alongside, Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, his manager Mario Arano, trainer Cuty Barrera and fellow fighter Marcelino “Nino” Lopez who is scheduled to fight in the non-televised undercard of Matthysse-Postol. In addition, fellow Golden Boy Promotions fighters, Yamaguchi Falcao and Patrick Teixeira joined Lucas Matthysse for his big day with the Argentinian press.

Presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion, the championship event will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Below is what Lucas Matthysse, his promoter, his manager and trainer had to say about the upcoming showdown on Oct. 3:

LUCAS “LA MAQUINA” MATTHYSSE, Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Champion and Number Two Contender for the Vacant WBC Super Lightweight Title:

“I feel very good, we have been doing a lot of sparring against fighters who are taller and bigger to make sure we are prepared. I think this is important, I want to make sure I am comfortable in the ring against [Viktor] Postol come Oct. 3.

“This is a great opportunity for me. I want to win the title. Winning the title will elevate me to a different level in my career. It will give me a different name and another status in the boxing community.

“This is the opportunity to continue fighting the best and the bigger names in the division.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“The fight against Postol will obviously be complicated, but I know Lucas is preparing very well and he has a great team around him making sure he has good sparring partners.

“I’ve always loved Argentina. The first time I came, it was in 1996, and I left very impressed. I am now working with Lucas and have visited twice this year and that makes me very happy. I really admire this country and have a lot of respect for Lucas and look forward to coming back to celebrate ‘The Machine’ and his world title victory.”

MARIO ARANO, Manager to Lucas Matthysse:

“This is the opportunity that we have been waiting for, we have to thank all who made this fight possible.

“Lucas is well prepared and will end the fight early. I consider Lucas a superior fighter.”

LUIS “CUTY” BARRERA, Trainer to Lucas Matthysse:

“I believe the fight will go the distance and we have made sure that Lucas is prepared.

“We will be victorious on Oct 3. Lucas is ready for this fight and will show everyone what he is capable of as a fighter.”

“Matthysse will give a great fight. As a fighter he surprises me everyday and I am proud to be part of this team.

“Training in Junie is the best place for Lucas. I believe we have shown that in the ring in his last two fights and we will do so again on Oct. 3. You do not need to leave the country, to be champion.”

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Postol are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, and go on sale Friday, July 31 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

Matthysse vs. Postol is a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion and is sponsored by Corona and Mexico – Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 2 p.m. on Oct. 3 and the first bout begins at 2:30 p.m. PT. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.elitboxclub.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TRBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @MatthysseLucas, @ViktorPostol; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MatthyssePostol.




TOP CONTENDERS, PROSPECTS AND FAN FAVORITE FIGHTERS ADDED TO THE MATTHYSSE VS. POSTOL NON-TELEVISED UNDERCARD

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 2, 2015) – Former world title contender Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (28-1-2, 16 KOs) of San Diego, Calif. and top lightweight contender Marcelino “Nino” Lopez (31-1-1, 16 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina have been added to an explosive night of boxing on the non-televised undercard of Lucas Matthysse vs. Viktor Postol on Oct. 3 at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Gesta will face three-time world title challenger Martin “El Brochas” Honorio (32-9-1, 16 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico, in a classic Philippines vs. Mexico 10-round lightweight bout while Lopez will make his U.S. debut in an eight-round lightweight bout against an opponent yet-to-be-named.

In addition, East Los Angeles legacy, Julian “El Camarón” Ramirez (14-0, 8 KOs) will look to keep his undefeated record intact when he faces Mexican contender Hugo “Olímpico” Partida (20-5-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout and Los Angeles local sensation Nick Arce (4-0, 4 KOs) is scheduled to fight in a six-round featherweight bout. Also, the non-televised undercard will feature east coast undefeated fighters D’Mitrius Ballard (9-0, 7 KOs) of Washington, D.C. in an eight-round light heavyweight battle and Kevin Rivers (12-0, 9 KOs) of Cheverly, Maryland in a six-round super featherweight fight. Opponents will be announced shortly.

In the main event of the night Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) will face the undefeated Viktor “The Iceman” Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight World Championship televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. Matthysse vs. Postol is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion. The televised co-main event of the night will feature former three-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico taking on undefeated contender Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (22-0, 15 KOs) of San Diego, Calif. in a 10-round super lightweight fight.

A proud native of Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines, Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta has become a fan favorite not just at home but also in his adopted city of San Diego, California where he lives and trains. Given his action-packed fighting style, it’s no surprise that Gesta has been adopted as a hometown favorite by San Diegans. A 12-year professional, Gesta fell short of victory in his first shot at a world title in the lightweight category against then IBF Lightweight World Champion Miguel “Titere” Vazquez in 2012. Since returning to the ring as a super lightweight in 2014, the 27-year-old Gesta has looked better than ever in stopping Edgar Riovalle and Luis “Vampiro” Arceo. Most recently, Gesta fought world title contender Carlos Molina in April delivering an exciting and evenly matched event resulting in a draw. Now Gesta, is hungry for victory and ready to prove his ring superiority on Oct. 3.

Former three-time world title challenger Martin “El Brochas” Honoriois a tough fighter eager to get back in the ring and prove he is still in the running for world title contention. With a victory over the popular John Molina Jr. and having faced tough contenders like Juan Carlos Salgado, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Antonio “Relentless” Orozco; and former owner of the NABF and WBO NABO lightweight titles and contender for the IBF Featherweight Title, Honorio is ready to upset former world title contender Mercito Gesta on Oct. 3.

A 29-year old native resident of Arribenos, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Marcelino “Nino” Lopez made his professional debut in December 2006 with a win. His winning streak continued from there, lasting seven years until it ended by draw against Sergio Javier Escobar in May 2013 in Lopez’s sixth WBC Latino Lightweight Title defense. Since then, Lopez has added a title victory to his resume as the South American Super Lightweight Champion.

The undefeated East Los Angeles native, Julian “El Camarón” Ramirez, has boxing in his blood. His late uncle was the former WBA and WBC Super Featherweight World Champion Genaro “El Chicanito” Hernandez. Ramirez has been on the fast track since turning professional in 2012. A dynamic southpaw who has the skills to succeed, the 22 year-old Ramirez will fight for the second time in 2015 on October 3 after a thrilling main event showdown headlining the April 2 LA FIGHT CLUB card where he added another victory to his resume with a unanimous decision win over the vicious Raul Hidalgo.

Hailing out of Mexico City, Mexico, Hugo “Olímpico” Partida is seasoned fighter ready to add a victory to his record in his first scheduled fight of 2015. A professional since 2005, Partida has fought for the regional IBF Inter-Continental Super Bantamweight title, the WBC Continental Americans Super Bantamweight title, the WBC Youth World Featherweight Title and has retained and defended the WBC Fecarbox Super Bantamweight title. Looking to take his career to the next level, Partida is ready to face the undefeated Julian Ramirez on Oct. 3.

Fighting out of the Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles, 19-year-old featherweight Nick Arce is a former amateur standout who entered the professional boxing world in style in November of 2014 with a fourth round knockout of Adalbert Valenzuela. Since then the Los Angeles favorite has fought three times in 2015, never letting his opponent get past the second round. Most recently, Arce impressed fans with a second-round knockout over Ricardo Alvarado on the undercard of Herrera vs. Lundy on July 11 in Los Angeles.

A decorated amateur star, the professional run of D’Mitrius Ballard thus far has been nothing short of spectacular. Just 22 years old, Ballard has shown power, speed and ring generalship all while exciting fans from New York to Texas to his home of Washington, D.C. Coming off a 70- second knockout of Jason Zabokrtsky in March and unanimous decision victory over Josue Ovando in June, Ballard is chasing after more spectacular finishes this year.

Undefeated since his professional debut in 2012, Kevin “K-Smoove” Rivers, Jr. of Cheverly, Maryland is eager to get back in the ring after an impressive technical knockout victories over Stephon McIntyre and Luis Ruiz Lizarraga Jr. earlier this year. The fighter has been steadily moving up the ranks accumulating wins over other stand-out prospects, Xavier Montelongo and Karl Garcia in 2014. Now the 24-year-old fighter is ready to continue his winning streak in his third fight of 2015.

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Postol are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

Matthysse vs. Postol is a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion and is sponsored by Corona and Mexico – Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. on Oct. 3 and fight times will be announced soon.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.elitboxclub.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TRBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @MatthysseLucas, @ViktorPostol, @PuroOrozco; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MatthyssePostol.




MATTHYSSE VS. POSTOL LOS ANGELES KICK-OFF PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Lucas Matthysse
LOS ANGELES (Aug. 6, 2015) – Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Champion and number two contender for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight Title Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) and former WBC International Super Lightweight Champion and number one contender for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight Title Viktor “The Iceman” Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) held a Los Angeles press conference today ahead of their upcoming fight on October 3 for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

Presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion, the championship event will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Below is what the fighters and their teams had to say about the upcoming showdown on Oct. 3:

LUCAS “LA MAQUINA” MATTHYSSE, Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Champion and Number Two Contender for the Vacant WBC Super Lightweight Title:

“I’m very delighted to be fighting for the world title against Viktor Postol and to share the card with Humberto Soto and Antonio Orozco.

“I’m very delighted that the time has come for me to fight for the world title.

“What can I say? I’ll see you on October 3. I am excited to be back in Carson. The fans can expect a great fight.”

VIKTOR “THE ICEMAN” POSTOL, Former WBC International Super Lightweight Champion and Number One Contender for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight Title:

“Thank you to ELITE Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, Top Rank, HBO and my trainers, Freddie Roach. It’s going to be a great event.

“This is my third fight in the U.S. I’m glad it’s happening in Los Angeles at the Stub Hub Center.

“Los Angeles is a second home to me; it’s where my training camp is. I know that Lucas will have more fans there, but it makes me happy to know I will have support there, too on fight night.”

HUMBERTO “LA ZORRITA” SOTO, Former Three-Division World Champion:

“Thank you to HBO, Golden Boy Promotions, and my team for always being on top of my career and my health.

“As the saying goes, third time is a charm. I hope it’s true because my two others fights this year have fallen through. I will be ready and in the best of shape for October 3.

“I want to thank Antonio Orozco for taking this fight. He is a tremendous fighter. It will be a great fight for the fans. The fans that pay for a ticket are going to enjoy it. They’re going to be the winners on October 3.”

ANTONIO “RELENTLESS” OROZCO, Undefeated Super Lightweight Contender:

“Come October 3, I will face a very experienced fighter who will demonstrate why he is a former world champion, and I will show the fans why I am still undefeated. I am sure he will bring his best. I know it will be a fight fans will enjoy.”

ERIC GOMEZ, Senior Vice President for Golden Boy Promotions:

“We are happy to be back at Stub Hub Center. It’s a great venue. Golden Boy Promotions hopes to host many more championship fights there. We are already ahead on ticket sales. Tickets are moving fast, and we are expecting a sell-out.

“We want these fighters to be tested. There comes a time in every fighter’s career where they need to be tested. This will be the toughest fight in Antonio Orozco’s career, and he is putting up his undefeated record against Humberto Soto for it.

“Humberto Soto is always up there in the rankings with the best around the world. He is a hero in Mexico. He wants to be able to fight and become a champion once again. He had a bit of bad luck earlier this year when he was supposed to fight Frankie Gomez. We want to thank HBO for the opportunity to show his fight again. HBO believes in this fight and in Humberto Soto-they believe he will make a good fight on October 3.

“The fans have given him the title ‘The Machine’ and Lucas Matthysse really deserves that title. The last time he fought at Stub Hub Center against John Molina it was determined to be the ‘Fight of the Year’ in 2014 by the Boxing Writer’s Association.

“We constantly get asked by fans on social media about Lucas Matthysse: ‘When is he fighting next?’ and ‘When do tickets go on sale?’ He is one of the top fighters that the fans want to see. Lucas never puts on a dull fight. Lucas is looking to become the world champion, defend the title, and then move on to bigger things.

“He will always put up a good fight. Lucas is the top fighter in Argentina, and in the U.S.. He is becoming one of the top guys here, and around the world.”

VADIM KORNILOV, Manager for Viktor Postol of VK Management:

“Working with Golden Boy Promotions is always good, we never have any problems.

“I know Viktor is kind of an unknown in this equation but he has proven himself before against (undercard of Alvarado – Marquez on HBO). He was a contender back then but no one knew who he was. On October 3, Viktor will show he is not just another fighter from Europe. He has the experience to come on this stage and fight Lucas Matthysse.

“What Lucas did with Molina and Ruslan, you can’t deny that. Viktor will make this a good fight because he won’t let Lucas win by knockout.”

MARVIN SOMODIA , Assistant Trainer for Freddie Roach to Viktor Postol:

“Good afternoon, everyone. Freddie Roach, Viktor’s trainer, isn’t here so I’m in charge today. Thanks to everyone for making this fight. We hope to see you on October 3.”

TONY WALKER, Director at HBO Sports:

“Thanks to everyone, Golden Boy Promotions, and the Stub Hub Center. Whenever we do a fight at Stub Hub, magic seems to happen there. We’ve had great fights there.

“Our ratings have been great on HBO Boxing After Dark and we expect to do great business October 3 with Matthysse vs. Postol and Soto vs. Orozco.

“If you want to see this fight live on the West Coast, you have to buy tickets to watch it in-person at the Stub Hub Center. For those of you watching it on HBO, we will have a great telecast for you on October 3.”

KATIE PANDOLFO, General Manager for Stub Hub Center:

“We are excited to have this fight on October 3. Stub Hub Center is the best place to see a fight in Southern California if not in the country. We look forward to seeing everyone in October for these exciting fights.”

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Postol are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, and go on sale Friday, July 31 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

Matthysse vs. Postol
is a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion and is sponsored by Corona and Mexico – Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 2 p.m. on Oct. 3 and fight times will be announced soon.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.elitboxclub.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TRBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @MatthysseLucas, @ViktorPostol; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MatthyssePostol.




HUMBERTO SOTO AND ANTONIO OROZCO SET AS CO-MAIN EVENT FOR MATTHYSSE VS. POSTOL ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 3, 2015) – Former three-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico will take on undefeated contender Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (22-0, 15 KOs) of San Diego, Calif. in a career defining 10-round super lightweight showdown as the co-main event for Lucas Matthysse vs. Viktor Postol on Saturday, Oct. 3 from StubHub Center televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

In the main event on Oct. 3, Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) will battle undefeated Viktor “The Iceman” Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight World Championship. Matthysse vs. Postol is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion.

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Postol are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

“I feel very excited for my next fight; they always say third time is the charm and after two cancelled fights I’m getting anxious for my return to the ring,” said Humberto Soto. “I’m used to fighting often, but now it’s been almost a year without fighting and as everyone knows, I couldn’t fight in Houston [on May 9] since my opponent was overweight. Then, the opportunity to fight for a new world title and an issue with my knee forced me to decline the fight. I’ve felt frustrated because I had been training really hard.”

Soto continued, “Now, we have Antonio Orozco. I haven’t seen much of his fights, but from what I’ve heard I know he’s very dedicated and holds a winning mentality. Orozco is young, undefeated, and he has to show everyone how far he wants to get in this sport. I’m his test, but I have the experience, and I have to make a statement as to why I’ve been a three-time world champion. I’ll show that I’m ready for this opportunity and for another world title.”

“I’m excited for the fight on October 3 against Humberto Soto,” said Antonio Orozco. “When you put two fighters of Mexican descent at StubHub Center in Southern California you know there will be a great fight. Thanks to Frank Espinoza, Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions and HBO for providing me with this platform. This will be a fan friendly fight.”

“This fight is a career defining event for both Soto and Orozco,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Both fighters have a lot to gain on Oct. 3, Soto is facing a young a ‘relentless’ fighter in Orozco, defeating him will prove that he still has what it takes in the world title game. This is also the toughest test to date for Orozco, going up against a three-division world champion like Soto could set him up for a shot at a world title. Both fighters have a lot on the line, which means Soto and Orozco are sure to make it an all-out war in the ring at the SubHub Center.”

A respected boxer from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) has seen and done it all in the ring in his 18-year professional career. A former three-division world champion, Soto is a dangerous and hungry contender set on adding another title belt in his trophy case. Soto has won tough fights against Juan Carlos Abreu, giving Abreu his first loss, and hard-hitting contender John Molina Jr. Undefeated since 2012, Soto is ranked number seven in the world by the WBC and ninth by the IBF. The 35-year-old is on track for glory once more when he faces Antonio Orozco on Oct. 3.

The undefeated Orozco is a native of Tecate, Baja California, Mexico who fights out of San Diego, and has won seven of his last nine bouts by knockout. Impressive victories over former world champion Stevie Forbes and seasoned fighters Martin Honorio, Ivan Hernandez and Miguel Huerta have propelled Orozco to number seven in the IBF junior welterweight world ratings. Most recently Orozco defeated fellow up and comer Emmanuel Taylor in May of 2015, setting the stage for his the toughest showdown of his career against the former three division world champion Humberto Soto on October 3.

Matthysse vs. Postol is a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion and is sponsored by Corona and Mexico – Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. on Oct. 3 and fight times will be announced soon.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.elitboxclub.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TRBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @MatthysseLucas, @ViktorPostol, @PuroOrozco; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MatthyssePostol.




LUCAS MATTHYSSE TO FACE VIKTOR POSTOL FOR THE VACANT WBC WORLD SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3 FROM STUBHUB CENTER AND LIVE ON HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®

Lucas Matthysse
LOS ANGELES (July 30, 2015) – On October 3, one the most exciting fighters and fearsome punchers in boxing, Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) will take on the dangerous and undefeated Viktor “The Iceman” Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion, the championship event will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Postol are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, and go on sale Friday, July 31 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

Below is what the fighters and their teams had to say about the upcoming showdown on Oct. 3:

“Postol isn’t anything big; he boxes well but that’s it,” said Lucas Matthysse, Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Champion. “I saw part of his fight against Selcuk Aydin but other than that there aren’t very many videos of him on the Internet. I’m not taking him lightly though, because he’s at the top of the rankings for a reason.”

“Postol is tall like John Molina, but Molina came to fight,” Matthyysse continued. “Postol, I don’t think so. He moves his left very well, fights at a distance, seems fast on his feet, and has excellent head movement. Against Aydin he got off to a slow start but then dominated and got the knockout. He’s good, but I’m confident that I’ll be the WBC World Champion.”

“I am glad that I am finally getting my chance to fight for the WBC world title after all those hurdles and delays,” said Viktor Postol, top super lightweight contender. “To get to this fight I had to go through 6 years of hard work and dedication in the gym and in the ring. I am ready mentally and physically to win this fight and bring the world title back to the Ukraine!”

“Lucas was the winning half of the 2014 fight of the year and once again came out on top of what nearly everyone considers the 2015 fight of the year – if fans want action, they know where they’re going to get it on Saturday, October 3,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Lucas knows that a victory here would not only earn him the WBC World Super Lightweight Belt but would establish him as the clear top fighter in the division. With so much opportunity, I fully expect he’ll put on a dynamite show at StubHub Center.”

“Viktor is a tremendous boxer-puncher, and we give him a helluva shot to beat Lucas Matthysse,” said Boxing Hall of Fame Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, Inc.

“We’re going to work for this fight with the same or even greater responsibility than for Matthysse’s previous fights,” said Mario Arano, President of Arano Box Promotions. “I know Lucas will beat Postol by way of KO. After this fight we want Manny Pacquiao because even Bob Arum has mentioned the possibility of this fight happening. I’m sure our team at Golden Boy Promotions will work to make it happen.”

“After Postol, as the WBC World Champion, Lucas will be more than ready for mega-fights, Arano said. “That’s why we want Pacquiao, hopefully it can happen. If not, we’re ready for anyone. Too bad Mayweather will retire. Honestly, I truly believe the only fighter in the world that can beat Floyd is Lucas Matthysse.”

“We are looking forward to another great event with Lucas Matthysse who proves himself time after time to be one of the best fighters in the super lightweight division,” said Vadim Kornilov, manager for Viktor Postol and President of VK Management. “After the Provodnikov fight in which Lucas came out victorious, this fight is kind of like a revenge fight for our whole team, and we will make sure to not let this one slip away.

“In the last 10 years our company has done a lot to develop professional boxing in the Ukraine,” said Stepan Chernovetskiy, President of ELITE Boxing Promotions. “Viktor Postol has been one of our top prospects and we have done a lot to get him to a world title shot specifically with the WBC, which is one of the most respectable organizations. Viktor is a very good and technical boxer; myself and all of Ukraine will be supporting him in this fight and he has everything in order to win!”

“After giving fans one of the most riveting fights of 2015, Lucas Matthysse returns to face undefeated Viktor Postol, as these super-lightweights battle to capitalize on a well-earned opportunity to win a first world title,” said Peter Nelson, HBO Sports Vice President of Programming. “Having been home to so many memorable fights in recent years, the StubHub looks to have another in Matthysse-Postol, and we are privileged to present it to our subscribers October 3rd on Boxing After Dark.”

One of boxing’s most popular fighters, Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs, 1 NC) has achieved that status with good reason, as his one-punch knockout power and aggressive attack in the ring always makes for exciting bouts earning him the BWAA 2014 Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight of the year honors. Hailing from Trelew, Chubut, Argentina, the former interim WBC Junior Welterweight World Champion, has shown the best form of his career in recent bouts, with wins over John Molina, Roberto Ortiz, and Ruslan Provodnikov not only giving him a three-fight winning streak, but putting him on the verge of winning the WBC Super Lightweight World Championship on October 3.

A boxer with the style to give anyone trouble on fight night, 31-year-old Viktor “The Iceman” Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) refuses to get rattled in the ring. After two recent wins in the United States over Selcuk Aydin and Jake Giuriceo, fans in America are starting to see just how good the Kiev, Ukraine native is. The number one contender for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight Title, Postol has scored professional wins over former world champion DeMarcus Corley and respected contender Hank Lundy. This fall, he hopes to add the name of Lucas Matthysse to the list of fighters he has vanquished on his way to earning him world champion status.

HBO Boxing After Dark’s first event took place at the Great Western Forum on February 3, 1996, headlined by the classic bout between Marco Antonio Barrera and Kennedy McKinney. Now, nearly two decades later, Matthysse and Postol will look to make their mark on California boxing history on Oct. 3.

Matthysse vs. Postol is a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion and is sponsored by Corona and Mexico – Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 2 p.m. on Oct. 3 and fight times will be announced soon.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.elitboxclub.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TRBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @MatthysseLucas, @ViktorPostol; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MatthyssePostol.




Matthysse to battle Postol October 3 in Carson, California

Lucas Matthysse
Lucas Matthysse will take on Viktor Postol for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight title on October 3 in Carson, California and will be televised by HBO, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“There’s a deal in place, and we have the arena reserved. It’s going to be a great fight,” Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN.com after cutting a deal with Top Rank, which co-promotes Postol with Ukraine’s Elite Promotions. “The way I see it, any Lucas Matthysse fight … always calls for action. We’ve seen him in wars. We don’t know much about Postol. The United States hasn’t seen him in wars, but come Oct. 3, people are going to know Postol and know he is a strong fighter.”

“It’s a really interesting fight, style-wise,” said Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti, who negotiated the deal with Golden Boy’s Eric Gomez. “You have a long, tall, strong fighter in Postol, who would give any 140-pounder problems. And Matthysse is clearly one of the top 140-pounders in the world. Just because Postol isn’t well known doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the top 140-pounders as well.”

The fight will headline an HBO-televised doubleheader, although De La Hoya said he is still in the process of finalizing the deal with the network.

“We’re working through it, but it will get done,” De La Hoya said.

De La Hoya said the co-feature will be another junior welterweight bout, this one matching hot prospect Antonio Orozco and veteran contender Humberto Soto, a former junior lightweight and lightweight world titleholder.

“It was a great knockout and it shows you that Postol has the ability to do that, and Matthysse isn’t the hardest guy in the world to hit, so it should be interesting,” Moretti said.

Added De La Hoya, “It calls for an entertaining fight, a fight with a lot of action. This is the perfect fight at the perfect venue. Matthysse is exciting. He’s a power puncher. So it should be a dangerous fight for both guys, which is what Golden Boy is all about.

“I know Postol is a strong fighter, but at the same time, he has that long reach and that long jab, which makes him dangerous. It’s going to be up to Matthysse to break him down, figure him out and make the fight work in his favor.”

De La Hoya said Soto’s knee is healed and that he will be prepared for Orozco.

“He’s had a couple of bad-luck situations recently, but he’s motivated and ready to go,” De La Hoya said. “We feel Orozco is ready for this kind of fight. We feel this is the perfect step for him. It’s dangerous fight for both guys, but it’s a great fight for the fans.




Once again, Provodnikov a hit with television viewers

Ruslan Provodnikov (1024x576)
Philadelphia, PA (April 22, 2015)–For his fourth consecutive fight on HBO, “The Siberian Rocky” Ruslan Provodnikov garnered over 1 million viewers.Ruslan’s fight with Lucas Matthysse averaged 1.243 million viewers and peaked at an outstanding 1.380 million viewers for the clash, which is now a leading candidate for 2015 Fight of the Year.

The bout comes on the heels of Provodnikov’s three previous appearances on the network, where he drew 1.2 million (peaked at 1.4 million) for his 2013 Fight of The Year with Timothy Bradley; his WBO title winning effort against Mike Alvarado that drew 1.232 Million viewers; and his controversial split decision loss to Chris Algieri which drew 1.046 million and peaked 1.1 million viewers.

“Ruslan again showed he is a huge attraction,” said Banner Promotions President Artie Pelullo. “He is without a doubt the most entertaining fighter in boxing today, and it is proven by the ratings for every one of his fights.”




Provodnikov puts on heroic effort in Matthysse bout

Matthysse decision's Provodnikov in a war
Philadelphia (April 20, 2015)– This past Saturday night, boxing fans witnessed a classic bout that saw Lucas Matthysse eek out a close majority decision over Ruslan Provodnikov in a 12 round -junior welterweight clash in front of a sold out crowd at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

The bout, which was televised by HBO Boxing After Dark, has already jumped to the head of the list for 2015 Fight of the Year.

Much of the post fight talk has centered around the courage of Provodnikov, as he fought eleven of the twelve rounds with a severely cut left eye that was due to an accidental headbutt. With blood streaming down the left side of his face, and his eye closing, Provodnikov fought heroically to come back and hurt Matthysse several times during the bout, and in round eleven he landed a left hook that nearly sent Matthysse to the canvas.

Many at ringside, including The Bleacher Report, HBO’s Harold Lederman, Steve Kim of UCNlive.com, & Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, scored the bout even at 114-114.

“I could not be any more proud of Ruslan, said Banner Promotions Promotions Artie Pelullo.

“Saturday night showed that he is the toughest and most compelling fighter in boxing. Saturday’s fight also solidified that Ruslan is the most television friendly fighter in the sport hands down, and there will be many more big fights for Ruslan in the near future.”




Truth and Beauty: Crawford, Piano, Khan, Provodnikov and Matthysse

By Bart Barry-
hdr_00029_1 (1024x767)
FORT WORTH, Texas – This is not the city where Terence Crawford fought Saturday. But it is part of an enormous thing called Metroplex, a collection of cities that comprises Dallas and Arlington, where Crawford did fight, a 50-mile expanse whose population, if counted as one, would tally 6.5 million souls, sitting just behind New York City and well ahead of Los Angeles among the nation’s largest. I stay at the western end whenever I visit Metroplex because it affords more culture-per-square foot than anywhere I’ve found.

There is a symbiotic relationship shared by truth and beauty; beautiful lies are gaudy by comparison, and an ugly truth is at best tolerated, not celebrated, by a person of any aesthetic taste. Terence Crawford has a beautiful way for being truthful, and Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov have truthful ways for being beautiful, and The Kimbell Art Museum, located 17 miles west of Arlington, the city on whose University of Texas campus Crawford untied Puerto Rican Thomas Dulorme on Saturday before Matthysse decisioned Provodnikov on HBO, has such truth and beauty in its architecture and collection one quickly forgives himself for stretching a metaphor that mayn’t even exist.

For years the front of architect Louis I. Kahn’s masterwork went unseen, as construction equipment obscured everything in pursuit of contemporary Italian master Renzo Piano’s pursuit of a Kahn tribute – the second time Piano has made such a thing, and as the first time, Houston’s Menil Collection, succeeded so completely it established Piano as a modern master, the Italian did it again – but with last year’s opening of the Piano Pavilion, across a plaza from The Kimbell, the lovely waterfalls and marble-lined treeways of Kahn’s entrance are available now to the public at every moment of every day, and the nearly priceless collection that resides beneath The Kimbell’s signature half-circles, topping concrete tops that treat water as light, spilling it from narrow grooves, are available to the public during business hours without a penny’s charge.

In all the great state of Texas, The Kimbell comes closest to duplicating Europe’s genius for gorgeous public spaces. That word above, priceless, is pricey anymore – overused as it is by salesmen on every used-up lot. But it is nearer to fitting than cliche when it modifies what The Kimbell comprises; works by Leonardo and Michelangelo and Caravaggio and most every Renaissance master whose name you begrudgingly memorized for that enormous art-history class in the assembly hall where the dullard professor dimmed the lights for her terrible cave-paintings slideshow that dimmed your lights instants later.

Cut the lights, indeed, Terence.

The only word that bubbles to the top for a careful observer of Crawford is composure. Crawford gives entire rounds to his studious ideal. He sees no occasion for studying tape of his opponents, one assumes, because he reads them and calibrates so well in the moment. Crawford has now fought top professionals and found no scenario among them for which he cannot improvise. He is much more like a prime Andre Ward, lately, than Andre Ward is.

Crawford does everything well, and he does everything well in an assured way any opponent must find sapping if not spiritually crippling. Crawford missed Dulorme wide in the opening rounds with his hard punches and found him only with touches, even when spanking the impetuous Puerto Rican with a righthand lead. A left hook to Dulorme’s body towards the end of round 3 changed the match, and Crawford and Dulorme each sensed it, and especially Crawford did.

Crawford, like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao before him, is a natural jewel excavated and polished by promoter Top Rank and its singular capacity for cultivating prizefighters as attractions and achievers. (If you doubt that, ask the lads at Premier Boxing Champions how their Son of the Legend investment looks right now.)

Crawford waited till Dulorme, whose chin is much more reliable when wagging than absorbing – “Sugar Chin” as Crawford’s most colorful trainer, Brian McIntyre, called the Puerto Rican – got too close or too confident or simply forgetful, and Crawford jab-feinted Dulorme’s guard out of position then snapped his head leftwards with a hook and rightwards with a cross, the same elegant 3-2 combo with which Carl Froch cut the lights at Wembley last year, and everything after that was but a chance to inspect Crawford’s poise like he inspected Dulorme’s vulnerabilities, until KO-6.

Nobody who was ringside in this city got to watch what followed in New York on the HBO broadcast, though trust every one of us found the replay on our hotels’ dials Sunday morning. Such sanity in the violence Matthysse and Provodnikov subjected one another to; despite the real damage they did to one another’s bodies and brains in 36 minutes of combat, they embraced like once-separated brothers before the 12th round, and if it were a 15-round fight, there’s plenty of chance the victor would have been the Russian rather than the Argentine. But Matthysse has more class than Provodnikov, if just a wee bit less relentlessness, and Matthysse won Saturday’s tilt the way a prizefighter, a professional combatant, should do it.

If Crawford and Matthysse should fight next, and of course they should, HBO’s junior welterweight champion will be a much better one than PBC’s.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry




MATTHYSSE DEFEATS PROVODNIKOV BY MAJORITY DECISION IN A THRILLER BATTLE AT TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO IN VERONA NEW YORK

Matthysse decision's Provodnikov in a war
VERONA, NEW YORK (April 18) -Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York was treated to a historic sold out match-up between two of the most exciting gladiators in boxing as Lucas “La Maqina”” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KO’s) took a majority decision victory over “The Siberian Rocky” Ruslan Provodnikov (24-4, 17 KO’s) in a 12-round junior welterweight bout on the split-site doubleheader on HBO Boxing After Dark ®.

Presented by Banner Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, & Arano Box Promotions the action packed night showcased two athletes fighting in the prime of their careers, with a title shot in the 140-pound division likely hanging in the horizon.

Provodnikov was cut badly in round two from an accidental headbutt. Matthysse targeted the eye but Provodnikov walked through every shot. Provodnikov came back later in the round with some solid combinations and landed some furious shots to Matthysse’s head. Matthysse had a nice bounce back round five as he landed some hard jabs to the face of an oncoming Provodnikov.

The war continued through the middle rounds as both fighters went toe to toe while Matthysse landed combinations from distance and Provodnikov went on the offensive and continued to brawl. Provodikov had a strong round eleven as he landed a hard left to the top of the head that buckled Matthysse and the Argentinian was forced to hold on. The two waged a final flurry in round twelve and it was Matthysse the former WBC champion won via majority decision with scores of 115-113 twice and 114-114.

“I think I dominated the fight, I knew I had the best hits,” said Lucas Matthysse. “Ruslan is a tough fighter, he took everything I threw at him. I have a lot of respect for him. There was a point when I thought that they would stop the fight because of Ruslan’s cut, but his team was able to control it. I hurt my hand in the sixth round, but I kept going because I wanted to prove that I am the best in the division and that I am ready for the toughest fighters. I want to move forward and fight the winner of Mayweather-Pacquiao.”

“He is the hardest puncher I have ever fought but I fight as hard as I can to the very end,” said Provodnikov. “I never want the fight stopped. The only time would be when I am on my back.”

Going on before the live split-site HBO Boxing After Dark doubleheader, Patrick Teixeira(25-0, 21 KOs) of Santa Catarina, Brazil faced off against Accra, Georgia’s Patrick Allotey (30-2, 24 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout. Both fighters came at each other aggressively in the first round in an exciting exchange of hard punches. Teixeria put an end to the fight in the second round as he delivered a devastating blow to Allotey’s body knocking him down to win the fight via knockout.

“I am very happy and feel emotional about my first fight with Golden Boy Promotions,” said Patrick Teixeira. “I wanted to make sure I impressed them in my first fight, so I trained very hard to make sure I went the full 10 round. But I am very excited I got the knockout.”

Vitaly Kopylenko (25-1, 14 KO’s) won an eight round unanimous decision over Lekan Byfield (6-8-2, 1 KO) in a middleweight bout. Kopylenko knocked down Byfield twice on punches that staggered the Atlanta native into the ropes. Kopylenko cruise down the stretch of the fight to win via unanimous decision with a score of 79-72.

“I hurt my shoulder in the first round but I was able to gut it out and land some good shots,” said Kopylenko.

Washington, D.C standout, Lamont Roach Jr. (7-0, 3KOs) faced Carolina, Puerto Rico’s Jose Miguel Castro (4-3, 2 KOs) in a scheduled six-round lightweight bout. Roach dominated the fight early on, winning the bout by unanimous decision.

“It was my first six-rounder,” said Lamont Roach Jr. “I think that I could have knocked him down or made him quit if I would have hit him harder in the beginning but I trained for six round and wanted to make sure I could go the distance. I did want the knockout towards the end, but I didn’t get it.”

Vitor Jones De Oliveira (9-0, 5 KO’s) won a six round unanimous decision over Guillermo Sanchez (15-14-1, 6 KOs) in a lightweight bout. De Oiveira boxed well from the outside and countered the southpaw Sanchez nice and came home with the victory by scores of 59-55 and 58-56 twice.

“It was a good fight. It took me a few rounds to get going but I am very happy with my performance and looking forward to my next fight,” said De Oliveira.

Eddie “E-Boy” Gomez (18-1, 11 KOs) of The Bronx, New York started the night with a technical knockout victory over Jonathan Batista (14-6, 7 KOs) of San Pedro de Marcos, Dominican Republic, when Batista could not answer the bell to start round six in their scheduled 10-round super welterweight bout.

“I feel good, I’m satisfied with the win, but I wanted to show more,” said Eddie Gomez. “I was just getting warmed up, showing my boxing and foot work skills to prove I was ready for the 12-round championship fights.”

Sidney McCow scored a first round technical knockout over Paulo Souza in a scheduled four round welterweight. McCow (3-2, 2 KO’s) of New York, NY pummeled Souza until the bout was stopped at 2:55 of round one. Souza of Somerville, Massachusetts is now 0-8.

Matthysse vs. Provodnikov was a 12-round junior welterweight bout presented by Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico, Live it To Believe It! and Khortytsa Vodka. The live HBO Boxing After Dark split-site doubleheader telecast began at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.banner-promotions.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.turningstone.com follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BannerBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @RuslanProvod,@ TurningStone and become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy FacebookPage, www.facebook.com/BannerPromotions, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing orwww.facebook.com/TurningStoneResort and visit us on Instagram@GoldenBoyBoxing, @ bannerboxing, @ turningstone and @ruslanprovod.




Video: Matthysse – Provodnikov weigh in




Weights from Verona, NY

Matthysse-Provodnikov weigh in 1 (1024x576)

Vitaly Kopylenko 160 – Lekan Byfield 158
Vitor Jones De Oliveira 135 – Guillermo Sanchez 133
Patrick Teixeira 160 – Patrick Allotey 157
Paulo Souza 150.5 – Sidney McCow 146
Lamont Roach Jr. 132.5 – Jose Miguel Castro 133
Eddie Gomez 149 – Jonathan Batista 149.5

Venue: Turning Stone Resort Casino
Promoters: Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Arano Box Promotions
Television: HBO Boxing After Dark at 9:45 PM ET/PT
1st Bout: 6:50

Photos by Banner Promotions

In what is sure to be an all-action fight to remember and a treat all fight fans are excited for, Argentina’s Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (36-3, 34 KOs) will fight Ruslan Provodnikov “The Siberian Rocky” (24-3, 17 KOs), in what will be the ultimate test for both fighters. Due to unprecedented demand, tickets are now sold-out but fans can catch all the action live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Due to the unprecedented demand to see this surefire “Fight of the Year,” tickets are completely sold out.

Doors on Saturday, April 18 open at 6:00 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 6:50 p.m. and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.
Matthysse vs. Provodnikov is a 12-round junior welterweight bout presented by Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico, Live it To Believe It! and Khortytsa Vodka. Doors are currently scheduled to open at 6:00 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 6:50 p.m. ET and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast will being at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.




STUNNING TRIPLE-HEADER LIVE AND EXCLUSIVE ON BOXNATION THIS SATURDAY NIGHT WITH MATTHYSSE-PROVODNIKOV, MATTHEWS-LUIS AND CRAWFORD-DULORME

Lucas Matthysse
LONDON (April 17) – BoxNation will air a stunning triple-fight card live and exclusive this Saturday night with knockout artists Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov facing off, Derry Matthews taking on Tony Luis for the interim WBA world lightweight title and Terence Crawford up against Thomas Dulorme for the vacant WBO light-welterweight crown.

The action will get underway from 7pm BST as Liverpool’s Matthews fights in front of his home crowd at the Echo Arena, taking on 27-year-old speedster Luis, with the promise of knocking out his Canadian foe.

“I can’t’ wait to go,” said Matthews. “I’m fighting for my fans on Saturday night who have stuck with me. It’s not been an easy few weeks with the changes in opponents but I’m delighted to still be fighting for a world title and in front of my home crowd.

“That can only spur me on and help me. I’m going for the knockout on Saturday and anyone who follows boxing knows that I’m always in the fight and make sure people get their money’s worth. Against Luis that will be no different – it’s going to be explosive,” he said.

Talented Liam Smith will also be on the Queensberry Promotions bill as he looks to keep his undefeated record by capturing the vacant WBO Intercontinental light-middleweight title against Buenos Aires born boxer David Ezequiel Romero.

Another Merseyside marvel in Joe Selkirk will also be on the show in a matchup against Spaniard Yuri Pompilio, as he looks to catch the eye and record the 13th win of his career.

‘The Channel of Champions’ will then head Stateside as it brings two blockbuster fight cards starting with the mouth-watering war between two of boxing’s most exciting fighters in Argentine Matthysse and Siberian sledgehammer Provodnikov.

Both men are noted for their hard-hitting with Matthysse having knocked out 34 opponents in his 40 fights, with the no-nonsense Provodnikov scoring 17 stoppages in his 24 wins.

“Ruslan is a great fighter, he comes prepared for a war. My strategy against him will be to make sure to box and keep moving, that is why sparring has been really important in my training,” said Matthysse.

“Fans can expect one of the greatest fights in the division. I know I am ready to win this fight and fans should expect a victory,” he said.

31-year-old Provodnikov, a former light-welterweight champion, is going to let his fists do the talking for him.

“I am glad Lucas and his team are so sure of themselves because I am positive that once I am in the ring my actions will speak for themselves. I am here to win and I will do everything to win this fight,” said Provodnikov.

“No one can stop my will, my will, will not be broken. I fight for an idea, for myself, for the people and to make history. I am fighting one of the best fighters, and I feel like this will make history. I don’t do it for the fame or the money.

“This is going to make a great fight, the fans have waited long, and let the best man win,” he said.

Following the live action from Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York, BoxNation will head south to Arlington, Texas where the 2014 ‘Fighter of the Year’ Crawford will look to continue his momentum against big-hitting Puerto Rican Dulorme.

Crawford is regarded by many experts as the upcoming pound-for-pound king of boxing but knows he will need to be at his best as he moves up to light-welterweight in the hope of becoming a two-weight world champion.

“I feel like I need to use my career momentum to my advantage and I feel like I’ve got the momentum right now. I don’t want to take any steps backwards – I want to keep moving up,” said Crawford.

“I think Dulorme is a good boxer. He’s got a sharp, nice jab, he’s got a nice right hand. He likes to throw the little right hook. He moves well. He switches like me. I don’t have anything bad to say about him.

“Come Saturday I feel like I’m going to make my adjustments in the ring and do what I’ve got to do to get the job done,” he said.

Crawford is adamant the move up in-weight against the naturally bigger Dulorme won’t be an issue either.

“I see myself doing great things in this weight class. I feel like I am going to be stronger. I feel like I am going to be faster. I am getting the experience that I need to be smarter and wiser,” he said.

“I don’t go in the ring looking for any particular fighter, like ‘I want to fight him or I want to fight him.’ I just want to fight the best. My manager, my promoter, if they feel it is the best fight for me, then they will come to me and say this is the fight we want and I will believe in them like they believe in me and we will go forward with the fight,” said Crawford.

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford’s star has risen quickly following a highly-successful 2014 campaign, capturing the WBO lightweight title from Ricky Burns before successfully defending it against Yuriorkis Gamboa and Raymundo Beltran.

Those victories saw him win the Boxing Writers Association of America ‘Fighter of the Year’ award for 2014, with Crawford insisting he has always wanted to push himself and fight the very best around.

“I feel like I had a great year. Going over there to Scotland, where nobody wanted to go, then coming back and fighting Gamboa – tough, tough fight, tough fighter – undefeated and a lot of experience and a lot of backing. Then taking on Ray Beltran – I felt great about my performance and my year,” said Crawford.

“I’ve been telling my manager, Cameron Dunkin, for years I wanted to be pushed. ‘Cameron throw me in there. Throw me in there.’ I just bought my time, waited for the moment, and look at me now,” he said.

BoxNation is stacked with live fight action during April and May, with Ukrainian legend Wladimir Klitschko defending his heavyweight titles against Bryant Jennings next weekend, with Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr back out in action on May 9th, the same night Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez faces fearsome puncher James Kirkland.

That’s followed by the thrilling Gennady Golovkin, who has captured the imagination of the boxing public, as he faces Willie Monroe Jr live from California on May 16th.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) for only £12 a month please visit boxnation.com.

-Ends-
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