Follow all the action as Liam Smith defends the WBA Jr. Middleweight title against Canelo Alvarez.  The action from AT&T Stadium kicks off at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT with a 3 fight undercard that will start with super bantamweight’s Diego De La Hoya battling Luis Orlandito Del Valle; Joseph Diaz takes on Andrew Cancio in a featherweight bout and in the co-feature, Willie Monroe, Jr. battles Gabriel Rosado in a middleweight clash.

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Round 1: Hard right from Alvarez..Jab..Double jab..body shot..jab..

Round 2 Good right from Smith..2 jabs and hook from Alvarez..Hard right to body..Alvarez bleeding over his left eye..Left from Smith..

Round 3 Alvarez lands a body shot..Hard right..right to head..body shot..left right to body.Good left fro, Smith..right..Uppercut by Alvarez..Good uppercut from Smith..

Round 4 Smith cut above his left eye..Body shots from Alvarez..

Round 5 Smith lands a body punch…jab..double uppercut and body from Alvarez..good right from Smith..Hard right

Round 6  Good right from Smith..2 hard uppercuts from Alvarez..Body shot..Great right to the body

Round 7 RIGHT TO HEAD AND DOWN GOES SMITH..Big left hook from Alvarez..Smith lands a right..

Round 8 Counter right from Alvarez..Good left from Smith..HARD BODY SHOT AND DOWN GOES SMITH..

Round 9 Body shot from Alvarez..another good body shot..HUGE LEFT TO THE BODY AND DOWN GOES SMITH…HE IS HURT AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 Right hook from Monroe..2 jabs…

116-112, 118-110, 117-111 WILLIE MONROE JR

Round 1: Diaz lands a left..Left at end of round

Round 2  Cancio lands a left hook…Right from Diaz..Good body shot..Solid left..

Round 3 Cancio bleeding from the nose..Trading uppercuts…1-2 from Cancio

Round 4 2 straight lefts from Diaz..

Round 5 Diaz lands a combination..Jab/straight left…Good right from Cancio..Straight left from Diaz..And another 1

Round 6 Good body shot from Diaz..Good left

Round 7 8 Punch combination from Diaz

Round 8 2 rights from Cancio..Combination..Combination from Diaz,,Good left hook from Cancio..Good left from Diaz..

Round 9 REF STOPS FIGHT…TKO WIN FOR JOSEPH DIAZ JR.

Round 1 De La Hoya lands a right..

Round 2  Del Valle lands a left and right to chin..Jab from De La Hoya..Jab ..Straight right from Del Valle..Good right..Let to body from De La Hoya..

Round 3 Good exchange..Right from Del Valle..Solid right from De La Hoya…Good body shot from Del Valle..

Round 4 Del Valle lands a right..De La Hoya lands a right ..Good body shot…Good exchange

Round 5 Exchange of rights’..Hard right from De La Hoya

Round 6 Left hook to body from De La Hoya..Good left hook to body…Good right..

Round 7 Del Valle has a mouse under his right eye

Round 8 De La Hoya lands a nice right

Round 9

Round 10 Nice jab from De La Hoya..

100-90, 99-91 twice for DIEGO DE LA HOYA

Bayamon, Puerto Rico (September 6, 2016) – In less than two weeks, IBF #8 ranked super bantamweight Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle enters the ring against unbeaten and highly regarded Diego De La Hoya.

The bout opens the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez –Liam Smith HBO pay-per-view telecast Saturday, September 17 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX and is scheduled for ten rounds. Del Valle, who fought on HBO and Showtime on multiple occasions, considers this bout the most important of his career as he’s facing a foe that is in a position he himself was once in.

“Going into my fight with Vic Darchinyan, I was unbeaten and there was a lot of hype behind me,” said Del Valle, who is 22-2 with 16 knockouts. “That fight was supposed to get me to the next level with a victory over a former world champion but unfortunately it didn’t go down that way. Vic had a ton of experience and was the better man that night. I learned a lot as a man, fighter and about preparation at the top level. Now I feel that I’m in the role Vic was against me when I face De La Hoya.”

To ensure he excels on the grandest stage of his career, Del Valle’s currently in a grueling training camp in his native Puerto Rico. With head trainer Emilo Lozada leading the way, Del Valle’s put in countless hours honing his craft. Against the 15-0 De La Hoya, in what most expect to be the kind of high octane fight that epitomizes the Puerto Rico vs Mexico rivalry, Del Valle added new strength and conditioning drills so he’s able to engage in a high octane battle without running out of gas.

“It’s no secret that I bring the fight to everybody that gets in the ring with me. Diego and his team are looking to prove that he’s the real deal and they expect an impressive Mexican-style performance from him. What that means is this has all the makings of a fast paced brawl where nobody wants to take a step backwards. In order to come out of the battle as the victor, you’ve got to be ready for war. After what I’ve been through physically, mentally and emotionally in my training, I’m more than ready. All of the hard work will pay off when I break Diego De La Hoya down September 17!”

LOS ANGELES (August 18, 2016) – As fans from around the world get ready to descend on the home of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the world championship showdown between former two-division world champion and Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) and current WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion, Liam “Beefy” Smith (23-0-1,13 KOs), Golden Boy Promotions today announced the Saturday, September 17 event will also feature three non-stop action fights as part of the HBO Pay-Per-View telecast beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Hailed as one of the most entertaining fighters in boxing, former world title challenger and blood-and-guts contender, “King” Gabriel Rosado (23-9, 13 KOs, 1 NC) of Philadelphia, will attempt to re-establish himself as one of the top fighters in the middleweight division when he faces former world title challenger Willie “El Mongoose” Monroe, Jr. (20-2, 6 KOs) of Rochester, N.Y. in a 12-round, middleweight bout as the co-main event to Canelo vs. Smith. The sure-fire action fight features two of boxing’s most resilient fighters who have taken on the top fighters in the division on their rise to stardom, garnering praise and respect from boxing fans. With a final run up the middleweight ladder at stake for the winner, this 50/50 fight will feature non-stop action and two warriors desperate for a win.

Also on the televised card, 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr. (21-0, 12 KOs) of So. El Monte, Calif. will make his Pay-Per-View (PPV) debut, defending his NABF Featherweight title for the second time in a 10-round fight against one of the hardest punchers and most experienced fighters in the division, Andrew “El Chango” Cancio (17-3-2, 13 KOs) of Blythe, Calif.

Opening up the pay-per-view telecast, Diego De La Hoya (15-0, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico, will face off against Luis “Orlandito” Orlando Del Valle (22-2, 16 KOs) of Bayamon, Puerto Rico in a 10-round fight.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to perform at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys,” said Gabriel Rosado. “Fernando Vargas, my trainer and I are on a winning streak and getting better as we continue to work together. We have all the confidence we’ll be victorious on September 17. Training camp is going great; despite the change in opponent, we still continue to maintain our focus. Willie Monroe, Jr. is a southpaw as well so the game plan doesn’t change much. He’s in my way of me gaining a world title so I’m working harder than ever before to get that chance again. This is going to be a great fight for all the fans, I know I am coming in with everything I got and I know Willie Monroe, Jr. will do the same. I would like to thank Golden Boy Promotions, AT&T Stadium, and HBO for having me part of such a big event, I promise all boxing fans, this is the fight to watch on September 17.”

“I am happy to be back in championship contention,” Willie Monroe, Jr. “Gabriel Rosado is a warrior and this should make a for a great fight. I am looking forward to this opportunity. It is a big venue, but I don’t care if I am fighting in front of 200 people or 2 million people. I am always focused and I plan to put on a great performance on September 17.”

“I am very Happy that Willie is getting this opportunity,” said Arthur R. Pelullo, President and CEO of Banner Promotions. “Willie has displayed that he is one of the top middleweights in the world, and he will show that on that September 17th against a quality fighter in Gabe Rosado which should be an all-action, fan-friendly fight.”

“This undercard features everything a fight fan could want — a crossroads fight between two veterans battling for a last shot at stardom, a former Olympian on the cusp of a world title and a top prospect making his debut on the biggest scene in boxing,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “With the biggest star in the sport in Canelo headlining the night and this stacked undercard providing support, fans are in a for a top-to-bottom treat on September 17.”

“Fighting on HBO pay-per-view is a dream come true,” said Joseph Diaz, Jr. “As a young fighter you always dream about being on the big stage doing what you love and I am very excited to be part of such a big event. I am very motivated and ready to take this step and perform for all the fight fans in the arena and all the fights tuning in. Andrew is a tremendous fighter, strong, aggressive; I know he bring out the best in me. I know he is going to try to take everything away from me, but I am not afraid. I am going out on September 17 in the best shape of my life, I have everything ahead of me and I am ready to defend my title and give the fight fans a fight they want to see.”

“Every fighter dreams to one day get to this level of their career and be featured on pay-per-view,” said Diego De La Hoya. “With this fight and this stage I am ready to announce that I have arrived to the elite of this division. Winning this fight will take me to the next level of my career, I am ready for it. I have what it takes to win and I am looking forward to impressing all the fans on September 17.”

“Being patient paid off,” said Luis Orlando Del Valle. “This is a great opportunity, on one of boxing’s biggest stages. Now is the time to deliver, to come out with the win at all cost for my family and for Puerto Rico. Rest assured, I will not waste this magnificent occasion. I will rise.”

Canelo vs. Smith, a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Frank Warren and Canelo Promotions. Gabriel Rosado vs. Willie Monroe, Jr. is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Banner Promotions and Diego De La Hoya vs. Luis Orlando Del Valle is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Roc Nation Sports. The event is sponsored by “Tecate, BORN BOLD,” O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, Adriana’s Insurance and Casa Mexico Tequila and will take place on Saturday, September 17 at AT&T Stadium, doors open at 2:30 p.m. CT. and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets are priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100, $85, $50 and $40, not including applicable service charges with a total ticket limit of 8 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com. Additionally, walk up purchases are available at the AT&T Stadium Box Office (Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. CT to 5:00 p.m. CT).

Since making his film debut in last year’s Creed,the latest installment of the internationally recognized Rocky franchise, “King” Gabe Rosado is fresh off of an exciting victory over Joshua “Grand Master” Clottey this past December 2015 and an exciting decision victory over Antonio “Tony” Gutierrez on the undercard of Fight of the Year contender Vargas vs. Salido on June 4. Rosado has established himself as one of the most entertaining fighters to watch in the sport taking on some of the toughest and elite fighters in the middleweight division. The epitome of Philadelphia toughness, Rosado has been battling the best for over a decade, including Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, David Lemieux, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, Jesus Soto “Renuente” Karass, Alfredo “Perro” Angulo, Kassim “The Dream” Ouma and Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo. But this September, Rosado, expects to leave Texas with a victory under his belt when he takes on Willie Monroe, Jr.

Willie began boxing at the age of six and comes from an acclaimed boxing family, which includes his father, Willie “The Body Rock” Monroe, who fought for the USBA and NABF titles at middleweight and super middleweight; his great uncle Willie “The Worm” Monroe (39-10-1) who was considered one of the best Middleweights of the 1970’s and holds a win over the great Marvin Hagler; his cousin Marcus Hall (6-6-1), and his late grandfather, Lee Monroe, a distinguished amateur in his fighting days. Willie had a distinguished amateur career, as well, which saw him go 128-14. He was a three-time national champion and won countless regional and state championships. He was a 2-time Empire State Games champion and 4-time State Golden Gloves champion. He lost in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Olympic trials to former IBF Welterweight champion Shawn Porter. Willie’s big breakthrough was winning the 2014 Boxcino Middleweight tournament on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. Willie then took a ten-round unanimous decision win over perennial contender Bryan Vera on January 16, 2015 from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. With this impressive run of victories, Willie earned an opportunity to fight for the WBA Middleweight title of the world. On May 16, 2015, Willie took on WBA/Interim WBC Middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin in a bout that headlined HBO Championship Boxing at The Forum in Inglewood, California. In his last bout on June 11, 2016, Willie scored two knockdowns and went on to win an impressive ten-round unanimous decision over 2015 Boxcino Junior Middleweight Champion John Thompson. The bout took place at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

A member of the 2012 United States Olympic team, Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr. has been seen as a future world champion for years, and now the NABF Featherweight Champion is closing in on that dream. Currently ranked third in the world by the WBC and ninth by the IBF and WBO, the 23-year-old southpaw from South El Monte, California has steadily moved through all opposition at 126 pounds, including Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado, Ruben “Canelito” Tamayo and Hugo “Guerrero” Partida. But it was in his March 26 win in his HBO debut over highly-regarded Jayson “La Maravilla” Velez that Diaz announced his arrival to the world stage. Diaz, Jr. was last seen in the ring against Victor “Pitufo” Proa defeating the fighter via second round knockout as the co-main event to Anotnio Orozco vs. Abner Lopez live on HBO Latino Boxing, on July 30. Now, set to face one of the hardest punchers in his division, Diaz, Jr. is ready to move up to the big leagues when he faces Andrew “El Chango” Cancio on the pay-per-view undercard of Canelo vs. Smith on September 17.

Blythe, Calif. native Andrew “El Chango” Cancio made his professional debut in 2006, remaining undefeated for ten bouts before his first loss. Cancio’s power has brought him thirteen of seventeen wins by way of knockout, a strength he brought to the ring against Nicaraguan warrior Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado and former two-time world champion Hugo Fidel “El Increible” Cazares via knockout at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, in Indio, Calif. With these impressive victories, Cancio hopes to pursue his goal of becoming a featherweight world champion as he takes on one of the toughest challenges of his career in the decorated Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr on September 17.

The latest boxing phenomenon to emerge from Mexico, 22-year-old Diego De La Hoya has all the tools to become a global superstar, but the mature super bantamweight is keeping his focus on what’s in front of him. In 2015, De La Hoya began his move on the super bantamweight elite with five wins highlighted by back-to-back victories over former world title challengers Manuel “Suavecito” Roman and Jesus “Estrella” Ruiz, Ramiro “Zurdo” Robles, Jose “Hollywood” Estrella, and Giovanni “Lloviznas” Delgado; winning the WBC Youth World Title in the process. De La Hoya kicked off 2016 in style in February with a fourth-round body shot knockout of Arturo “Fuerte” Badillo and successfully defending it on May 7 of this year with a blistering seventh round technical knockout of Rocco Santomauro. Now his eyes are on a big win in September at AT&T Stadium.

Puerto Rican native Orlando “Orlandito” Del Valle comes from a boxing linage that includes former WBO Bantamweight World Champion Rafael Del Valle. Prior to his professional debut on April 11, 2008 at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey where he knocked out Rey Rivera in the third round, Del Valle was an Under 19 National Junior Olympic Champion for Puerto Rico, three-time New York Golden Gloves Champion, National Golden Gloves Champion, and U.S. Boxing’s number one rated junior boxer at 125 lbs. Now, Del Valle is riding a four fight win streak with two victories already notched in 2016. In his first contest of the year on April 9, Del Valle scored a second round technical knockout victory over rising prospect Josh Crespo at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire. He followed that performance with an eight-round unanimous decision victory over southpaw veteran Thomas “KO” Snow on May 13 as the nationally televised co-feature of Dustin Harrison-Hernandez vs. Mike Dallas Jr. at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. Del Valle looks to continue his momentum for a fifth consecutive win on September 17 in Dallas, Texas at AT&T Stadium.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.frankwarren.com, www.attstadium.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @LiamBeefySmith, @KingGabRosado, @WillieMonroeJr, @JosephDiazJr, @AndrewCancio, @DiegoDeLaHoya, @OscarDeLaHoya, @FrankWarren_tv, @ATTStadium and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.Facebook.com/frankwarrenpromotions, www.Facebook.com/ATTStadium or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @LiamBeefySmith, @KingGabRosado, @Willie_elmongoose_monroejr, @JosephDiazJr, @Aa_Cancio, @DiegoDeLaHoya94 @ATTStadium, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloSmith.

B-roll and images of the fighters are available for use and download HERE or by copying and pasting: bit.ly/CaneloSmith. Video and photo credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions.

Bayamon, Puerto Rico (July 20, 2016) – As a teenager, Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle left his native Puerto Rico for Newburgh, NY where he resided for seven years. During his time in the Empire State amateur ranks, he made great strides in the ring and won multiple highly-competitive tournaments, most notably capturing the 2004 National Golden Gloves title.

As a pro, Del Valle had his first fight in New Jersey, hoisted the WBA-NABA championship in New York and Connecticut was the state that hosted his first appearance on HBO. Overall, half of his 24 professional fights took place in the tri state area and the bilingual Del Valle built a solid fan following. However, he hasn’t fought in the area since 2012.

On August 27, that will change when Del Valle battles an opponent to be announced in a ten round super bantamweight bout at the Bayonne Pavilion in Bayonne, New Jersey.

“I love fighting in the tri state area,” said Del Valle, the owner of an excellent 22-2 professional record with 16 knockouts and a #12 ranking by the International Boxing Federation. “I had a lot of great moments when I lived in New York and miss the local crowds. The support was great and there is a very large Puerto Rican population in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. I’ve still got a lot of fans in the area and they always ask me when I’m fighting locally again. Due to some of the changes in my career, I wasn’t sure until this incredible opportunity came up. I’d like to thank Roc Nation and LGM Promotions for making this happen. I’m hoping to fight for a world title in the near future and defend it in the tri state area.”

Tickets prices are $125 for VIP Table; $65 for Ringside; $55 for General ringside and $40 for General Admission and can be purchased by visiting: www.lgmpromo.eventbrite.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 11, 2016) – On Tuesday, May 10, Washington, D.C.’s undefeated Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (29-0, 16 KOs) and Bakersfield, California’s Mike “The Silent Assassin” Dallas Jr. (21-3-1, 10 KOs) participated in a media workout at Urban Boxing DC in Washington, D.C. in advance of their May 13 fight at the DC Armory. Hernandez-Harrison vs. Dallas Jr. will headline a throne boxing event in a 10-round welterweight bout that will be televised live on BET beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and streamed live on global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL.com. Co-featured fighter Thomas “KO” Snow (18-2, 12 KOs) of Washington, D.C., who faces Dorado, Puerto Rico’s Orlando “Orlandito” Del Valle (20-2, 15 KOs), and undercard fighters Mike Balogun (5-0, 4 KOs) of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, who will fight Capitol Heights, Maryland’s Devon Mosley (0-4-1), and Greenbelt, Maryland’s Sam “Vanilla Gorilla” Crossed (2-0, 1 KO) of who takes on Damion Reed (2-13, 1 KO) of Danville Virginia were also in attendance during the media workout on Tuesday.

After shadow boxing around the ring and a few rounds working the bags, all five fighters participated in interviews with invited media members.

Below is what the fighters had to say during the workout:

DUSTY HERNANDEZ-HARRISON:

“I think a lot of people are underestimating Mike Dallas Jr. I think they’re counting him out too early. A lot of times when people come back from a tough loss they train harder, they take it more seriously and erase all the mistakes they made in previous training camps, so that’s what I’m expecting him to do. Luckily Barry Hunter [Hernandez-Harrison’s trainer] knows him well as a fighter, so I’ve been going off of what he says.
“I’ve been getting great sparring in. I came home from sparring Canelo Alvarez and went right into to sparring with Lamont Peterson, Austin Trout, Demetrius Hopkins and other fighters on the card. Just really good sparring.

“I’m excited to fight on BET. It’s pretty cool. I think it’s good to bring boxing to a new audience. Hopefully, I put on a good fight to get them entertained. And we have Justine Skye performing before our bout. She’s got a completely different fan base than I do and I think it’s another good way to add a new audience to our event.

“I took a lot of things out of training with Canelo at his training camp. It was good to get a different perspective of a training camp. Usually it’s all about me, everything is catered to me and everyone is concerned about me, so it was good to take a step back and see how someone like him at the top level prepares for a world title fight. Luckily, I walked away knowing I’ve been doing everything right.

“Fighting in my hometown of Washington, D.C. is better for me. I feel like I have more to fight for. I have more to lose, which for me helps. You’ll never hear me say “no mas” in D.C.

“At my age, my preparation changes with every fight. I remember fighting in Connecticut in April then Miami in August, which seems really close, but Billy Briscoe [Hernandez-Harrison’s assistant trainer] was there and said ‘you’ve gotten so much stronger.’ That’s just the age that I am right now. I’m really maturing and getting that man strength. Every fight I feel a lot stronger.”

MIKE “THE SILENT ASSASSIN” DALLAS JR.:

“I feel very good ahead of this fight…confident and strong. I’m just ready to go out there and perform. There’s more pressure on him than me fighting in his hometown.

“I’ve gotten good training in for this fight. The Bay Area has a lot of good sparring out there right now. I had good training with Ben Bautista [Dallas Jr.’s trainer] and we’ve been pushing it. I had to dig deep in training to get through it and I’m ready to dig deep in the fight.

“I took some time off to let my body rest and heal and to let my mind get together. Now I feel great. I’m ready to come back and get back on top of things. I’m going to go out there and do my thing.

“I know Dusty is a pretty good fighter. I know he can box. I’m just ready to go out there, be smart and execute the game plan. I’m ready for people to know I’m back and there mentally. I’m ready to get back in the game and take care of these people in these bigger fights.”

THOMAS “KO” SNOW:

“I know my opponent [Orlando Del Valle] is a conventional fighter from Puerto Rico. He’s a basic fighter…a basic one-two puncher. He’s the best opponent I’ve faced to date. Both of us have two losses, so I know it’s a crossroads fight for us. We’re going to go in there and do what we came to do.

“I’ve fought in D.C. a lot of times. It’s my home.

“It’s awesome because I’ve known Dusty since he was six years old. We used to run together. We were just talking about that over in the corner. If you watch at any of his amateur fights, you’ll hear me in the background cheering him on. I’ve been in his life for a long time and it’s awesome seeing a young guy get his opportunity and make the sport of boxing grow.

“I know our amateur program in D.C. is awesome so you have to give a shout out to all the amateurs. D.C. is about to be the mecca of boxing once again. We will have six, seven or eight champions in the District of Columbia. It’s rich with boxing.

“I think fighting on BET is a great thing. I think it’s great that boxing is on free TV now and people don’t have to pay for it. For those people who can’t afford those things, I think it’s awesome for them and I think it will make the sport of boxing better.

“I’ve changed a lot over the years. I’m supposed to be dead, locked up or in jail. Having God in your life, your perspective of life and everything changes. I’m calm and comfortable in my situation. I thank God for the opportunity. I thank Roc Nation Sports for the opportunity and I thank everybody who is supporting Thomas “KO” Snow. We’re ready to do it.”

MIKE BALOGUN:

“During my career, when I was playing football, I used boxing as another form of training for cardio. After my career was over, it was natural for me to keep training and now we’re here. Football is a business. I got released and had another opportunity to play in the Canadian Football League as well as the Arena Football League, but football takes a toll on your body and I played the game for a long time. It was just natural for me to transition. I still needed something to stay active, because without activity, I didn’t feel like myself.

“I don’t know a lot about my opponent [Devon Mosley]. I know he’s a southpaw just like me That’s pretty much all I know and all I need to know.

“I’ve prepared for this fight just like any other fight…hard work and dedicating myself to my craft. At the end of the day I’ll reap the fruits of my labor.”

SAM “VANILLA GORILLA” CROSSED:

“I don’t know much about my opponent [Damion Reed]. I know he is a tall left-handed guy. I only watched a little video of him. I’ve been sparring a lot of left handers and then we just happened to get a left-handed guy, so it worked out pretty well.

“I’m still a little disappointed about my last performance in D.C., so I am going to come out and put on a show on Friday, May 13.

“Anyone you get in the ring with poses a threat, but at the same time, I am confident in what I have done to prepare. I’ve been sparring guys with 20 pro fights, so, I think I’m good.

“I played football and baseball growing up. Basically, what got me into boxing was that I got picked on when I was younger and smacked around on the basketball court. I always said when I grow up I want to be able to beat up the dudes that picked on me. What’s funny is that a lot of guys that bullied me are now begging me for tickets to my fights.”
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Hernandez-Harrison vs. Dallas Jr., a 10-round welterweight fight which is presented by Roc Nation Sports takes place Friday, May 13, 2016 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. This fight headlines a throne boxing event presented by Corona Extra and will be televised live on BET beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET and streamed live on global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL.com. The event is also sponsored by FILA, Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms), Glad, Shoe City, Pepsi, RCN and The DC Lottery. In addition to the great action inside the ring, the May 13 edition of throne boxing on BET will feature several notable Roc Nation Sports touches that offer a unique fan experience including a live musical performance by Justine Skye as well as DJ Cipha Sounds and event host Big Tigger who will keep the energy at a high level throughout the event. Doors open on fight night at 6:30 PM and the first fight begins at 6:45 PM. Follow the conversation using #throneboxing.

Tickets priced at $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com (http://bit.ly/may13throneboxing) and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

For more information, please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter @rocnation, on Instagram @rocnation/@rocnationsports and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For additional information, visit www.bet.com. Join the conversation on the following social media platforms: on Twitter by using hashtag #BET #throneboxing and follow at @BET; on Facebook by liking the fan page at www.facebook.com/BET; and on Instagram @betnetworks.

For information on the DC Armory, visit www.eventsdc.com and follow on Twitter at @dcsportsent.

NEW YORK, NY (May 5, 2016) – Two televised bouts and four non-televised undercard bouts will round out the card when Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (29-0, 16 KOs) of Washington, D.C. returns to the ring on Friday, May 13 to take on Bakersfield, California’s Mike “The Silent Assassin” Dallas Jr. (21-3-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight bout at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The fight will headline a throne boxing event that will be televised live on BET beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET and will also be streamed live on global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL.com.

Opening the telecast will be an eight-round featherweight showdown between Orlando “Orlandito” Del Valle (20-2, 15 KOs) and Thomas “KO” Snow (18-2, 5 KOs). The second televised fight will see the professional debut of highly touted Philadelphia heavyweight prospect Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock against the beltway’s own Carlos “DC Diamond Cutter” Black (1-3).

The non-televised undercard will feature Caguas, Puerto Rico’s Abner “Pin” Cotto (19-3, 9 KOs) against veteran Juan Jose “Pinocho” Beltran (29-25-3, 18 KOs) of Los Mochis, Mexico in an eight-round junior welterweight matchup; Brooklyn’s undefeated Junior “The Young God” Younan (8-0, 6 KOs) facing Breedon, West Virginia’s Austin “Speedy” Marcum (10-6-1, 5 KOs) in a six-round light heavyweight fight; former NFL linebacker Mike Balogun (5-0, KOs) of Upper Marlborough, Maryland and Devon Mosley (0-4-1) of Capitol Heights, Maryland squaring off in a four-round heavyweight bout; and Greenbelt, Maryland’s Sam “Vanilla Gorilla” Crossed (2-0, 1 KO) against Damion Reed (2-13, 1 KO) of Danville, Virginia in a four-round cruiserweight fight. 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Zhang “Big Bang” Zhilei (8-0, 6 KOs) of Zhengzhou, China will also see action in a six-round heavyweight bout against an opponent to be determined.

Roc Nation Sports will bring names from the entertainment world to the event, which will showcase a special performance by Roc Nation’s own breakout artist singer/songwriter Justine Skye. The Brooklyn songstress and social media maven who garnered attention, and over two million YouTube views, with her cover of Drake’s “Headlines” and current single, “I’m Yours” featuring Vic Mensa, is currently taking over radio airwaves nationwide. The evening will also feature a DJ set from Roc Nation’s multi-talented Cipha Sounds who will keep the energy up between bouts. Darian “Big Tigger” Morgan, afternoon host on Atlanta’s V-103, former host of BET’s Rap City and 106 & Park, and currently featured on Oxygen’s “Like A Boss”, will serve as the event’s host.

Tickets priced at $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com (http://bit.ly/may13throneboxing ) and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Orlando Del Valle made his professional debut on April 11, 2008 at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey where he knocked out Rey Rivera in the third round. By October 2009, he had compiled a record of 7-0, including a third-round knockout victory over Christopher Rivera at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. On June 6, 2011, at Roseland Ballroom in New York City, he notched an impressive ten-round unanimous decision victory over Dat Nguyen in a fight telecast on Showtime’s ShoBox. On September 29, 2012, Del Valle, with a record of 16-0, made is HBO debut at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut against Three-Time World Champion Vic “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan. Darchinyan controlled a majority of the bout, relying on his experience to pressure the young contender. In the ninth round Del Valle’s perseverance almost carried the day when he staggered Darchinyan with a tremendous left hook, badly hurting the former world champion. Darchinyan, however, was able to survive the round and hold on for a ten-round unanimous decision victory. After the defeat, Del Valle moved to Mexico City to train with Hall of Fame trainer Nacho Beristain. He rebounded in 2013 with two technical knockout victories over Andre Wilson and Juan Jose Beltran. On May 31, 2014, in a bout televised by HBO Latino from the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Del Valle faced another tough opponent in undefeated fellow Puerto Rican Luis Rosa. The ten-round, evenly matched fight went the distance producing a memorable, crowd-pleasing battle. In the fifth round, Del Valle sent Rosa to the canvas with a left hook and in the seventh round Rosa was deducted a point for a late punch, but in the end Rosa was awarded a unanimous decision victory. Since the Rosa setback, Del Valle has won all three of his fights, with none of them going the distance, including his last fight on April 9, in which he scored a second round technical knockout win over Josh Crespo at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire. Del Valle will look to keep that streak going on May 13 against Snow.

Deeply rooted in D.C. and the capital community, Thomas Snow is an experienced fighter with an impressive record of 18-2 (10 KOs). Snow, who supplements his boxing earnings by working as a floor technician at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland, began boxing at the age of ten at Round One Gym in Capitol Heights, Maryland, compiling a stellar amateur record of 129-10, which included three Washington D.C. Metro Golden Gloves championships. In 2004, he took home the national PAL amateur tournament title in the 119-pound weight class. On November 5, 2005, he made his professional debut with authority, knocking out Ronald Viera in the first round at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He would go on to win his next nine fights, with seven of those wins coming by way of knockout, before he ran into fellow undefeated prospect and future world title challenger Teon Kennedy who dealt Snow his first professional loss in July of 2008. A streak of six consecutive wins would follow before he suffered another setback, again against an undefeated prospect in Nate Green. Following the defeat, Snow took nearly two and a half years off from boxing. The southpaw returned to the ring on March 6, 2015 and continued to live up to his “KO” moniker with a first round technical knockout win over Christopher Sanchez at the Omar Shrine in Charleston, South Carolina. Snow followed that win with a second round knockout of Tibor Nadori on December 4, 2015 at the Rosecroft Raceway close to home in Fort Washington, Maryland. He now faces a crossroads fight when he takes on Del Valle on May 13.

At the age of nineteen, Darmani Rock is already drawing comparisons to former heavyweight greats of the past. Rock has received high praise for his powerful jab and ambidexterity. Standing at 6’4”, he moves with an unparalleled lightness and speed for a fighter his size. Rock earned nation-wide accolades following a banner year in 2014 when he took home the USA Boxing Junior and Youth Open, Youth Continental and Youth World super heavyweight titles. During the 2014 Junior and Youth Open in Reno, Nevada, Rock shut out the 2013 National Youth Champion, John Luna, 3-0. This impressive performance was followed by another super heavyweight title at the Youth Continental Championships in March 2014 in Quito, Ecuador where he defeated Argentina’s Kervin Espinola, 3-0. Rock then took home the gold medal at the prestigious World Youth Championships in Bulgaria in April 2014 by a 2-1 decision over Germany’s Peter Kadiru. Rock also took home the 2014 World Junior Amateur Championship and capped off 2014 by being named Philadelphia’s Amateur Boxer of the Year at the annual Briscoe Awards. His most noteworthy win, however, came in May 2015 when he beat Cam Awesome, a career amateur who has been called the next Chris Byrd, in Las Vegas for the National Golden Gloves title. Rock also captured the 2015 U.S. National Amateur super heavyweight championship. He ended his amateur career as the number one rated super heavyweight in the United States (and the number five rated super heavyweight in the world) going 19-5 in national tournaments. His assault on the heavyweight division begins May 13 against Black.

Rockville, Maryland resident Carlos Black is better known to capitol region boxing as the “DC Diamond Cutter.” Turning professional late in life at the age of thirty, making his professional debut on April 23, 2015 at Tall Cedar’s Hall in Baltimore, Maryland scoring a four-round unanimous decision over the more experienced Lonnie Kornegay. Black, however, would fall short of victory in his next three bouts to George Arias on May 8, 2015 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, to Dennis Benson by a hard-fought four-round split decision in his return to Tall Cedar’s Hall on July 9, 2015 and to Jerry Forrest on September 26, 2015 at the Masonic Temple in Norfolk, Virginia. Tough like his nickname and propelled by his steadfast will, he believes he can one day fulfill his dream of becoming heavyweight champion of the world. That dream will come a step closer to reality should he defeat the highly touted Rock.

Abner Cotto is part of the famous Cotto boxing family of Puerto Rico. Legendary Miguel Cotto is a second cousin, while uncles Miguel Cotto Sr. and Evangelista Cotto were pro boxers themselves. Cotto is looking for his second straight win following a loss in a world-title elimination bout against current WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Javier Fortuna. On May 13 he faces the vastly experienced Juan Jose Beltran who has faced current World Champion Leo Santa Cruz and former World Champions Eric Morel and Rico Ramos.

Brooklyn’s unbeaten Junior Younan faces his stiffest test to date on May 13 when he faces Austin Marcum. Younan returned following a nine-month injury induced layoff on March 26 on the Andre Ward vs. Sullivan Barrera undercard by pounding out a four-round unanimous decision over Carlos Lozano. Marcum is riding a four-fight winning streak and plans to take his 20-year-old opponent into unfamiliar territory, as Younan has yet to fight past four rounds.

Former Washington Redskin Mike Balogun looks to make it six straight wins since turning professional as a boxer in October of 2014. Balogun was a standout inside linebacker at the University of Oklahoma and spent a year on the Redskins’ roster in 2010. He also played briefly for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers before retiring and becoming a full time boxer. Looking to stop Balogun’s rise as a pugilist on May 13 will be fellow local fighter Devon Mosley who is seeking his first professional win.

Local favorite Sam Crossed, has limited amateur experience, which his opponent Damion Reed, a 16-fight veteran hopes to exploit. Crossed, who works as bar tender, is expected to have hundreds of supporters behind him as he attempts to go to 3-0. Reed recently lost two hard-fought majority decisions to two cruiserweights and has a draw with Ken Moody.

Standing 6’6” and weighing 250 pounds, Chinese heavyweight sensation Zhang Zhilei has shown boxing skills rarely seen in a big man since turning pro in August 2014. Undefeated in eight fights as a professional, Zhilei was a highly-decorated amateur, winning a silver medal in the super-heavyweight division at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, as well as bronze medals at the 2007 world amateur championships and 2009 AIBA world championships. He faces an opponent to be determined on May 13.

Hernandez-Harrison vs. Dallas Jr., a 10-round welterweight fight which is presented by Roc Nation Sports takes place Friday, May 13, 2016 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. This fight headlines a throne boxing event presented by Corona Extra and will be televised live on BET beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET and streamed live on global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL.com. The event is also sponsored by FILA, Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms), Glad, Shoe City, Pepsi, RCN and The DC Lottery. In addition to the great action inside the ring, the May 13 edition of throne boxing on BET will feature several notable Roc Nation Sports touches that offer a unique fan experience including a live musical performance by Justine Skye as well as DJ Cipha Sounds and event host Big Tigger who will keep the energy at a high level throughout the event. Follow the conversation using #throneboxing.

For more information, please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter @rocnation, on Instagram @rocnation/@rocnationsports and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For more information, visit www.bet.com. Join the conversation on the following social media platforms: on Twitter by using hashtag #BET #throneboxing and follow at @BET; on Facebook by liking the fan page at www.facebook.com/BET; and on Instagram @betnetworks.

For more information on the DC Armory, visit www.eventsdc.com and follow on Twitter at @dcsportsent.

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ABOUT ROC NATION SPORTS
Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, helping athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been helping artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents Five-Time World Champion Miguel Cotto and Two-Time World Champion Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar, Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein, Jerome Boateng, Miguel Sano, CJ Prosise, Ronnie Stanley, Caris Levert, Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.??

ABOUT EVENTS DC
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, deliver premier event services and flexible venues across the nation’s capital. Leveraging the power of a world-class destination and creating amazing attendee experiences, Events DC generates economic and community benefits through the attraction and promotion of business, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities. Events DC oversees the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District’s hospitality and tourism economy that generates over $400 million annually in total economic impact, and the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. Events DC manages the Stadium-Armory campus, which includes Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and surrounding Festival Grounds, the non-military functions of the DC Armory and Maloof Skate Park at RFK Stadium. Events DC also built and now serves as landlord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified major professional sports stadium in the United States. The most recent addition is Gateway DC, an innovative and versatile space featuring a covered and open-air pavilion in the center of a 1-acre park, conveniently located in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.eventsdc.com.

ABOUT TIDAL
TIDAL is a global, experiential, entertainment platform built for fans, directly from artists around the world. TIDAL members enjoy exclusively curated content that?directly connect artists with their fans in multiple ways. The service offers high-fidelity, CD sound quality music, high resolution video, an opportunity to discover new artists via TIDAL Discovery, and unique experiences via TIDAL X. TIDAL is available in more than 46 countries, with more than a 40 million song catalog and 130,000 high quality videos. For more information, please visit www.tidal.com. Follow TIDAL at http://facebook.com/tidal, http://twitter.com/tidalhifi and https://instagram.com/tidal/

Javier Fortuna remained undefeated by scoring an entertaining 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Antonio Rodriguez in a Super Featherweight bout at the Tropicana in Las Vegas.

In round three, Fortuna scored a knockdown from a barrage of punches. Late in the round, Rodriguez cut Fortuna over his right eye. Just before the end of the bell, Rodriguez landed a left hand that sent Fortuna to the canvas but it was ruled a slip by referee Robert Byrd.

Although his eye continued to swell and was basically shut by the 9th round, Fortuna continued to box well and hit Rodriguez with a furious flurry of punches in the 9th that caused a cut over the left eye of Rodriguez.

Fortuna, 130 1/2 lbs of the Dominican Republic won by scores of 98-91 on all cards and is now 25-0-1. Rodriguez, 129 1/2 lbs of Ciudad, MX is now 26-5.

Luis Rosa remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Luis Orlando Del Valle in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Rosa used his physical strength to grind out shots on the inside. Rosa had two blemishes as he was dropped in round five from a combination and deducted a point in round eight for low blows. the accumulation of blows forced a cut on the bridge of the nose of Del Valle.

Rosa, 121 1/4 lbs of New Haven, CT won by scores of 97-91, 97-92 and 98-91 and is now 17-0. Del Valle, 121 1.2 lbs of Bayamon, PR is now 18-2.

Las Vegas, NV (5/30/14) – All of the fighters for tomorrow night’s HBO Latino double-header weighed in earlier today in Las Vegas. The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Sampson Boxing, in association with Right Hook Promotions and will take place at the beautiful newly renovated Tropicana Resort in Las Vegas, NV. The card which will air on HBO Latino network, as well the HBO2 service with English language commentary at 12 midnight (ET/PT), is headlined by former world champion Javier Fortuna (24-0-1, 18KO’s) taking on Juan Antonio Rodriguez (26-4, 23KO’s) in a 10-round super featherweight match-up. In the highly anticipated co-feature top-rated super bantamweight contender Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle (18-1, 13KO’s) will look to take a major step toward repositioning himself back among the elite of the 122lb. division when he faces highly regarded undefeated prospect Luis Rosa (16-0, 7KO’s) in a 10-round super bantamweight showdown.

Also appearing on the card in a special attraction 10-round middleweight bout will be former WBA junior middleweight world champion and “The Contender” champion, WBA #10-rated Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (25-3-2, 8 KOs) taking on once-beaten Samuel Rogers (14-1, 8 KOs).

Below is a complete list of tomorrow’s card with the official weights included.

RED CORNER BLUE CORNER

10 ROUNDS – SUPER FEATHERWEIGHTS
Javier Fortuna vs. Juan Antonio Rodriguez
La Romana, Dominican Republic Puebla, Mexico
24-0-1, 18 KO’s 26-4, 23 KO’s
130.6 lbs 129.4 lbs.

10 ROUNDS – JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS
Luis Rosa vs. Luis Orlando Del Valle
New Haven, CT Bayamon, Puerto Rico
16-0, 7 KO’s 18-1, 13 KO’s
121.4 lbs. 121.4 lbs.

10 ROUNDS -MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Sergio Mora vs. Samuel Rogers
Los Angeles, CA St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
25-3-2, 8 KO’s 14-1, 8 KO’s
159 lbs. 158 lbs.

6 ROUNDS -JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Jesus Gutierrez vs. Pablo Becerra
Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas, NV
11-0, 3 KO’s 7-4, 6 KO’s
136.7 lbs. 136 lbs.

8 ROUNDS -JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS
Rocco Santoumaro vs. Daniel Quevedo
Las Vegas, NV Los Angeles, CA
11-0, 1 KO 13-14-3, 8 KO’s
120.4 lbs. 121.4 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Donte Strayhorn vs. Joaquin Chavez
Cincinnati, OH Los Angeles, CA
5-1, 1 KO 6-12, 2 KO’s
136 lbs. 136.6 lbs.

Tickets are priced at $85, $65 and $37, plus applicable taxes and fees and will go on sale today, Monday, April 21. They will be available for purchase online (www.troplv.com), in person at the Tropicana Las Vegas Show Tickets desk or by phone (800-829-9034) starting today.

For fight updates, visit www.dbe1.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.troplv.com, Facebook (facebook.com/dibellaentertainment, facebook.com/hboboxing)and Twitter (twitter.com/dibellaent, twitter.com/loudibella, twitter.com/sampsonboxing).

Tweet this:LIVE doubleheader boxing event @TropLV feat. @AbejonFortuna vs J. Rodriguez & L.Rosa vs L.Del Valle! @HBOLatino

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About The New Tropicana Las Vegas | TropLV.com
Welcome to affordable luxury. The New Tropicana resort in Las Vegas redefines the expectations of today’s global travelers with a recently completed $200 million transformation that provides a casually elegant experience on the Las Vegas Strip. With a unique South Beach vibe, the resort features all-new rooms, suites and luxury villas that evoke the sentiment of a breezy beach house or penthouse in Miami, a fresh redesign of the 50,000-square-foot casino, several award-winning restaurants, a new race and sports book, and Glow®, a Mandara Spa and fitness center. First-class entertainment includes headliners in the all-new Tropicana Theater, Laugh Factory and live music in the Tropicana Lounge. Coming spring 2014, the Tropicana Theater will be home to the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! Take a Virtual Tour.

NEW YORK, N Y (April 21, 2014) – On Saturday, May 31, boxing returns to The New Tropicana resort in Las Vegas with an exciting doubleheader featuring Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna taking on Juan Antonio Rodriguez and Luis Rosa against Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle. Tickets start at just $37 for the event, which will take place in the Tropicana Pavilion. The doubleheader will be televised live on HBO Latino at 12 midnight EST ( 9 p.m. local start time in Las Vegas). In addition to the HBO Latino telecast, the HBO2 service will air the doubleheader with English language commentary at 12 midnight (ET/PT).

To view Tropicana Las Vegas hotel rates, visit www.troplv.com.

The main event will feature former world champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (24-0-1, 18 KOs) taking on heavy-handed contender Juan Antonio Rodriguez (26-4, 23 KOs) for 10 rounds in the super featherweight division. The co-feature will pit undefeated contender Luis Rosa (16-0, 7 KOs) against the once-beaten, top 10-rated Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle (18-1, 13 KOs) for 10 rounds in the super bantamweight division.

This Las Vegas boxing event is being promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Sampson Boxing in association with Right Hook Promotions.

“From top to bottom, this is going to be an exciting card filled with action-packed fights,” said promoter Lou DiBella. “Javier Fortuna has been flirting with stardom for a couple of years now, and an impressive showing on May 31further cements that. The co-feature is one of the absolute best matchups that you can possibly make at that weight. We are happy to be able to bring boxing back to The New Tropicana Las Vegas.”

“This doubleheader will be an exciting event, which will bring together four very exciting boxers who are ready to challenge the best of their respective divisions. I am very happy to bring this event to my hometown, especially to the recently transformed Tropicana Las Vegas,” said promoter Sampson Lewkowicz.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be hosting this event,” said Fred Harmon, vice president and chief marketing officer for The New Tropicana Las Vegas. “We look forward to welcoming the boxing community and their fans to our all-new resort and casino, and are delighted to provide our guests with this exhilarating entertainment option.”

Also scheduled to appear on the card in a special attraction eight-round middleweight bout will be former WBA junior middleweight world champion and “The Contender” champion, WBA #10-rated Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (25-3-2, 8 KOs) taking on once-beaten Samuel Rogers (14-1, 8 KOs).

Additional Las Vegas boxing bouts and a complete list of the undercard will be announced soon.

Tickets are priced at $85, $65 and $37, plus applicable taxes and fees and will go on sale today, Monday, April 21. They will be available for purchase online (www.troplv.com), in person at the Tropicana Las Vegas Show Tickets desk or by phone (800-829-9034) starting today.

For fight updates, visit www.dbe1.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.troplv.com, Facebook (facebook.com/dibellaentertainment, facebook.com/hboboxing)and Twitter (twitter.com/dibellaent, twitter.com/loudibella, twitter.com/sampsonboxing).

Tweet this:LIVE doubleheader boxing event @TropLV feat. @AbejonFortuna vs J. Rodriguez & L.Rosa vs L.Del Valle! @HBOLatino

Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna
Fortuna, a 24-year-old Dominican southpaw, was a hot prospect in 2012. Winning all three of his fights that year, Fortuna was included on Dan Rafael’s ESPN.com “Prospects to Watch” list. He also won the interim WBA world featherweight title that year with a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Patrick Hyland. The bout against Hyland was shown on the HBO PPV undercard of Pacquiao-Marquez IV and was Fortuna’s first exposure to the HBO network family. Training alongside middleweight kingpin Sergio Martinez, Fortuna followed up that performance with a devastating first-round knockout over Miguel Zamudio in April 2013, on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights.”Unfortunately for Fortuna, he had outgrown the featherweight division and lost his title on the scales. In his next bout, also aired on “Friday Night Fights,” Fortuna took on Cuban Olympian Luis Franco. In a bout that Fortuna seemingly dominated, he was held to a split decision draw, in what many viewed as one of the worst decisions of 2013. Fortuna has since won two bouts in a row, both by stoppage, and now the WBA #2 and WBC #7-rated super featherweight is looking for his first shot at capturing a piece of the super featherweight crown. To do so, Fortuna must first get by the hard-hitting and upset-minded Rodriguez, against whom Fortuna has a personal vendetta.

“I am very happy to be on HBO Latino and have a chance to redeem myself on national TV, especially in my second home of Las Vegas where I will bring pride to my beloved Dominican Republic. I will avenge the loss of my countryman Yenifel Vicente in devastating fashion with a spectacular knockout of Juan Antonio Rodriguez.”

Juan Antonio Rodriguez
Rodriguez, a 26-year-old former WBC youth featherweight champion, is riding a five-bout winning streak, with four victories coming by way of knockout, since dropping a 10-round decision to former IBF world champion Billy Dib back in 2012. In January of this year, Rodriguez made his U.S. debut as the co-feature on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights,” winning an eight-round decision over once-beaten Yenifel Vicente. Rodriguez knows that the fight with the highly regarded and top-rated Fortuna is exactly the opportunity he needs to move himself a major step closer toward challenging for his first world championship.

“This is the type of opportunity I have been waiting for. People in Mexico know how good I am, but after I beat Javier Fortuna on May 31 on HBO Latino, the entire world will see how good I am. My ultimate dream is to win the coveted WBC green championship belt, and a win over Fortuna moves me that much closer to achieving that,” said a determined Rodriguez.

Luis Rosa
Rosa turned pro back in 2010 at just 18 years of age and has steadily progressed along the way. Rosa was a perfect 4-0 in 2013 and opened up 2014 with his most impressive victory to date, a dominant eight-round unanimous decision over former top-rated contender Jorge Diaz on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” on January 31. Rosa is looking to feed off that momentum and have another breakout performance when he takes on Del Valle.

“I couldn’t be happier about this opportunity,” said the 22-year-old Rosa. “This is my chance to show that I am not only one of the best fighters in the 122-pound division but also for me to pick up my first title belt and to make a major jump up the world ratings. I respect Orlandito as a fighter, but this is my time to shine and there is no one who will stand in the way of that.”

Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle
A native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, the 27-year-old Del Valle was a stellar amateur and national champion before turning pro in 2008 and reeling off 16 consecutive victories and steadily moving up the ranks of the super bantamweight division. Then Del Valle met former three-time world champion Vic Darchinyan in his HBO debut, eventually dropping a hard-fought 10-round decision to the now resurgent contender. Del Valle has since put together two consecutive stoppage victories and is looking to once again throw his name into the title mix of the 122-pound division.

“A while back, it used to be all fun and hype for me, but not anymore,” said Del Valle. “May 31 is just another date and another fight for me to prove to the world the type of fighter I am. I am all business now, and come May 31, Rosa is going to find that out very quickly.”

# # #

About The New Tropicana Las Vegas | TropLV.com
Welcome to affordable luxury. The New Tropicana resort in Las Vegas redefines the expectations of today’s global travelers with a recently completed $200 million transformation that provides a casually elegant experience on the Las Vegas Strip. With a unique South Beach vibe, the resort features all-new rooms, suites and luxury villas that evoke the sentiment of a breezy beach house or penthouse in Miami, a fresh redesign of the 50,000-square-foot casino, several award-winning restaurants, a new race and sports book, and Glow®, a Mandara Spa and fitness center. First-class entertainment includes headliners in the all-new Tropicana Theater, Laugh Factory and live music in the Tropicana Lounge. Coming spring 2014, the Tropicana Theater will be home to the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! Take a Virtual Tour.

October 1, 2012 – This past Saturday, former three division world champion, Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan (38-5-1, 27 KOs), resurrected his career with a dominating victory against previous unbeaten Puerto Rican contender, Luis Orlando Del Valle (16-1, 11 KOs). With the gutty win, Darchinyan roars back into world title contention as he captured the vacant NABF title in the super bantamweight division.

After becoming a world champion in multiple divisions, Darchinyan’s win against Del Valle was his first at the super bantamweight division. Many opportunities arise with the victory.

“I felt very strong coming into this fight and I was in great shape.” said Darchinyan. “I’m going to campaign at super bantamweight moving forward and I believe I still have the power to keep my opponents honest.”

Darchinyan felt that coming into this fight as the underdog, was a slap in the face.

“I could not believe that I was the underdog coming into this fight.” continued Darchinyan, “I was thinking, what has this kid done to be the favorite against a fighter who’s won eight world championships. It really surprised me that I wasn’t the main event and that the fight was only a 10-rounder. All this inspired me to prove everyone wrong and dominate this fight. Now I’m calling out all champions….LET’S GO!

Darchinyan’s promoter, Gary Shaw, feels Vic has a lot of fight left in him and believes he should be next in line to fight all champions in every sanctioning organization.

“Look for Darchinyan to be in a big fight next time he steps in the ring because he showed everyone he can still fight at the elite level,” stated Gary Shaw. “In his astonishing career, he’s faced the best challenges that have come his way and his win against a very talented young fighter in Del Valle, is proof he can fight at the championship level.”

“Darchinyan and his thrilling style is responsible for bringing the little guys back to TV and in the limelight. I believe when Vic hangs up the gloves he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.”

Edwin Rodriguez remained perfect by administering a one-sided beat down of prebiously undefeated Edwin Escalera in round eight of a scheduled ten round Super Middleweight bout at the MGM at Foxwoods in Connecticut.

Rodriguez came out in round one pounding Escalera all over the ring. Escalera lost his mouth piece twice but it was the least of his problems as he ate about fifty power shots in the round and a case could have been made for referee Steve Smoger to intervene in the first stanza. Rodriguez continued to box and win round’s. Rodriguez went after Escalera in round four and drilled him with hard right in the fifth that buckled Escalera.

The rout continued until referee Steve Smoger stopped the drubbing twelve seconds into round eight.

Vic Darchinyan resurrected his career by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Luis Del Valle in a Super Bantamweight fight.

Darchinyan proved that experience over Del Valle was a big factor as he pounded Del Valle for most of the thirty minute affair. Del Valle should get credit for determination but Darchinyan landed punches from all angles and to all parts of Del Valle. Del Valle made a brief rally in round nine when he landed a right that rocked Darchinyan.

Darchinyam of Sydney, Australia won by scores of 99-91, 99-91 and 96-94 and is now 38-5-1. Del Valle, 122 lbs of Bayamon, PR is now 16-1.

Antonin DeCarie scored a sixth round stoppage over Alex Perez in a scheduled ten round Welterweight bout.

DeCarie worked the body and head and was doing very well mixing up the punches. In round six, DeCarie landed a vicious left that wobbled Perez and a subsequent right hand put Perez down. Perez was shaken and ate about five more flush right hands that forced referee Danny Schivone to stop the bout at 2:54 of round six.

DeCarie, 147 lbs of Montreal is now 27-1 with eight knockouts. Perez, 146 lbs of Newark, NJ is now 16-1.

September 26, 2012 – Gary Shaw Productions former three division world champion, Vic Darchinyan (37-5-1, 27 KOs), and undefeated Puerto Rican sensation, Luis Orlando Del Valle (16-0, 11 KOs), will battle for the vacant NABF super bantamweight title is Saturday September 29, 2012. The fight will be televised live on HBO BOXING AFTER DARK® beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Darchinyan, known for being a warrior in the ring with a never say die approach to boxing, is looking to get back in the win column after losing to Japan’s Shinsuke Yamanaka (16-0-2, 11 KOs) and Panama’s Anselmo Moreno (33-1-1, 12 KOs) in back to back world title fights.

“I’m the ultimate road warrior” said Darchinyan. “I’ve traveled all over the world to scrap with the best fighters in my division. This Saturday will be no different when I step in the ring with Del Valle. I’m looking forward to giving him his first loss while I get myself back into title contention.”

“Del Valle better be ready for a rough fight because I’m coming hard every round. Gary should not have invested his money in DelValle, because it was a bad investment and he is going to lose his money.”

Darychinyan’s promoter Gary Shaw believes Vic has nothing to lose and will give Del Valle all he can handle.

“Right now Darchinyan has his back against the wall and he’s going to give every ounce of energy to win this fight,” stated Gary Shaw. “Del Valle is a great young fighter with a tremendous amount of talent, but he’s never been in the ring with an experienced fighter like Vic. I’m expecting an exciting fight this Saturday between these two and I won’t be surprised if Darchinyan comes out victorious.”

In the super middleweight main event, Edwin Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KO) will face Jason Escalera (13-0-1, 12 KO). The opening bout will be a welterweight clash between Alex Perez (16-0, 9 KO) and Antonin Decarie (26-1, 7 KO).

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