BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND (November 23, 2023) – The stage is set for another unmissable night of boxing in Bournemouth as local hero Chris Billam-Smith makes a triumphant return to defend his WBO World Cruiserweight Title against Mateusz Masternak on Sunday, December 10^th live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

Billam-Smith captured the WBO crown in May with a fairytale victory over countryman Lawrence Okolie in front of a record-breaking crowd at the Vitality Stadium, home of his beloved A.F.C. Bournemouth.

‘The Gentleman’ will make the first defence of his title at the Bournemouth International Centre against Polish powerhouse Masternak, who returns to the UK for the first time since his 2015 European championship war with Tony Bellew.

And fans have even more to look forward to with the full undercard revealed for the sold-out, south coast show.

As previously confirmed, 2020 Olympic Gold Medallist Lauren Price will face former European Champion Silvia Bortot. Having made history earlier this year by becoming the first female to win a British title, Price (5-0, 1 KO) will be aiming to end 2023 with a statement win against Italy’s Bortot (11-3-1, 3 KOs), who previously went the distance with former unified world champion Mikael Mayer.

Fellow 2020 Olympic Medallist Ben Whittaker has an opponent set for his hugely-anticipated return to the ring. Future boxing superstar Whittaker (4-0, 3 KOs), who has been wowing crowds around the country with his flamboyant and unorthodox style, returns to the scene of his spectacular pro debut to take on Stiven Leonetti Dredhaj (11-2-1, 3 KOs).

Having impressed on previous visits to Bournemouth, Michael McKinson (25-1, 4 KOs) will make the short trip from Portsmouth to take his place on the undercard. The 29-year-old southpaw stopped Lebin Morales last time out at Vitality Stadium and will be hoping a similar victory can set him up for a title run in 2024.

Following his victory over Stanley Stannard in an official eliminator bout during BOXXER’s visit to Bournemouth in May, Lee Cutler (13-1, 7 KOs) will face Obi Egbunike (8-2-1, 1 KO) for the vacant English Super Welterweight Title in a potential show-stealing 50-50 clash.

Southampton light heavyweight Lewis Edmondson (7-0, 3 KOs) joins the bill as he looks to extend his unbeaten record against Dmytro Fedas (8-4-2, 5 KOs). ‘The Saint’ claimed his seventh pro win with a technical decision victory over Petar Nosic on the undercard of Billam-Smith’s world championship winning fight in May.

And fresh from her impressive debut, 18-year-old bantamweight Francesca Hennessy (1-0, 1 KO), the daughter of renowned boxing manager and promoter Mick Hennessy, can continue the perfect start to her professional career when she gets back under the bright lights in Bournemouth.

BOXXER CEO and Founder Ben Shalom said: “The Bournemouth International Centre is going to be rocking on December 10th as we end the year with another spectacular sold-out show on the south coast. We have Olympic medallists, local stars, and some of British boxing’s hottest young talents in action. This show is a real Christmas cracker and one you do not want to miss!”

RETURN OF THE KING: Chris Billam-Smith vs Mateusz Masternak takes place on Sunday, December 10^th at the Bournemouth International Centre and will be broadcast live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA. Tickets for the year-ending, south coast show are already sold out.

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE, Integritas Property Group and Who Dares Gyms.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. came off almost a year layoff to keep his perfect knockout streak intact as he stopped Michael McKinson in round nine of their welterweight bout at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

In round one, Ortiz was cut around the left eye from an accidental headbutt

In round eight, Ortiz landed a hard left hook to the body that dropped McKinson  In the opening seconds of round nine, Ortiz landed a big left to the body.  McKinson was hurt and the corner waved the towel and the fight was stopped at 27 seconds.

Ortiz, 146.6 lbs of Grand Prairie, Texas is 19-0 with 19 knockouts.  McKinson, 146.8 lbs of Portsmouth, ENG is 22-1.

Marlen Esparza Decisions Guzman; Retains Flyweight Titles

Marlen Esparza defended WBA/WBC Flyweight titles with a 10-round unanimous decision over Eva Guzman.

In round six, Esparza was cut on the side of her left eye. Esparza was very pinpoint on her punches and won by scores of 98-92 twice and 99-91.

Esparza, 111.8 lbs of Houston, Texas is 13-1.  Guzman, 109 lbs of Marcay, VEN is 19-2.

Blair Cobbs Drops Hooker 3 times; Wins Decision

Blair Cobbs won a 10-round unanimous decision over former world champion Maurice Hooker in a welterweight bout.

In round one, Cobbs dropped Hooker with a huge three-punch combination that was highlighted overhand right. In round two, Cobbs dumped Hooker again with hard straight left.  Late in the round, it was another straight left that put Hooker down again,

In round six, Cobbs was cut around the right eye from an accidental headbutt.

Cobbs, 146 lbs of Philadelphia, PA won by scores of 97-90 twice and 96-91 and is now 16-1-1.  Hooker who came in over the contracted weight, weighed in at 150 lbs and Dallas, Texas native is now 27-3-3.

“This wasn’t an easy fight, it was a tougher fight than my last one, and this victory for sure has put me in the top ten rankings,” said Blair Cobbs. “I fought a tougher, heavier fighter. He could box and had an extremely long reach, but today I showed that I can go into deep waters, box, and give fans a show. I want to thank god for this performance, there is nothing stronger and greater than god. Today, I showed that I have more to give to the sport of boxing, that even through adversity Blair ‘The Flair’ will come out on top.” 

Melikuziev stops Janjanin in 3

Hard punching Bektemir Melikuziev stopped Sladan Janjanin in round three of a scheduled 10-round light heavyweight bout

In the first 30 seconds, Melikuziev landed a vicious left to the body that put Janjanin down in a lot of pain. In round two, Melikuziev landed some hard shots to the head that sent Janjanin down for a second time.  In round three, it was another vicious left to the body that sent Janjanin to the deck.  The fight was finally stopped when Melikuziev continued to land thudding punches and the fight ended at 2:18.

Melikuziev, 171 lbs of Indio, CA is 10-1 with eight knockouts.  Janjanin, 168 lbs of Boston, MA is 32-13.

“I didn’t know my opponent until recently so we trained to have a good camp and a preparation,” said Bektemir Melikuziev. “After I dropped him with the body shot I was hoping he would keep going, we didn’t come here to end it one punch. We want to make sure we get some rounds in to gain some experience. But he was an awkward fighter, very uncomfortable but I think my training really showed off today.” 

19 year-old Floyd Schofield remained undefeated by taking out Rodrigo Guerrero in round six of their eight-round lightweight bout.

In round three, Schofield landed a right hand that put Guerrero on the canvas for a knockdown. Schofield dropped Guerrero for a second time in round four, and the bout was stopped after round five. The official time was 10 seconds of round six.

Schofield, 133.8 lbs from Austin, TX is now 11-0 with nine knockouts. Guerrero, 134.6 lbs of Mexico City, MEX is 26-15-2.

Alex Martin brushed himself from a first round knockdown to win a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Hank Lundy in a junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Lundy dropped Martin with an overhand left.

Martin, 140 lbs of Chicago, IL won by scores of 98-91 and 97-92 twice and is now 18-4. Lundy, 138.4 lbs of Philadelphia, PA is 31-11-1.

Carlos Nava remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over Rodolfo Hernandez in a scheduled eight-round super lightweight bout.

In round two, Nava dropped Ramirez with a big right hand. In round four, Nava delivered punishment and landed a flurry of punches and the bout was stopped at 36 seconds.

Nava, 138.8 lbs of Pasadena, TX is 9-0 with six knockouts. Hernandez, 135 lbs of Mexico City is 30-11-1.

Figo Ramirez won a four-round unanimous decision over Francisco Bonilla in a bantamweight contest.

In round two, Ramirez was deducted a point for a low blow.

Ramirez, 117.4 lbs of Dallas, TX won by scores of 39-36 on all cards and is now 2-0. Bonilla, 117 lbs of Chihuahua, MEX is now 6-14-3.

Rohan Polanco stopped Dedrick Bell in round two of their eight-round welterweight bout.

Polanco landed a devastating left to the Solar Plexus that sent Bell down for the count.

Polanco, 147 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 8-0 with five knockouts. Bell, 146.8 lbs of Memphis, TN is 31-33-1.

FORT WORTH, TX (August 4, 2022): Golden Boy’s knockout sensation and the pride of Grand Prairie, Texas, Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), and top 10 ranked, undefeated welterweight contender Michael “The Problem” McKinson (22-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain hosted a press conference to discuss their upcoming fight on Saturday, August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas that will stream live worldwide, exclusively on DAZN.

At the press conference, it was announced that their 12-round combat will also be an eliminator fight for the WBA Welterweight World Championship belt in addition for Ortiz’s WBO International Welterweight Title.

Several of the card’s fighters also participated in the press conference including newly crowned WBC, WBA, and Ring Magazine Flyweight World Champion Marlen Esparza (12-1, 1 KOs), and her mandatory opponent, the WBA flyweight world championship challenger of Maracay, Venezuela Eva Guzman (19-1, 11 KOs).

Also in attendance, local fan-favorite Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (27-2-3, 18 KOs) exchanged some lively words with Philadelphia’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-1-1, 10 KOs). Indio, CA’s Bektemir Melikuziev (9-1, 7 KOs) was onsite with his opponent Sladan Janjanin (32-10, 24 KOs) and fighters featured on the undercard also took to the stage to talk about their upcoming bouts, including: Floyd Schofield (10-0, 8 KOs), Alex Martin (17-4, 6 KOs), Carlos Nava (8-0, 5 KOs), and Figo Ramirez (1-0).

VERGIL ORTIZ, JR., WBO INTERNATIONAL WELTERWEIGHT TITLE HOLDER:

“I am grateful for this fight to be an eliminator, it’s just closer to a world title shot.”

“It has been a great camp, staying in Venice, CA running outside by the beach. That the Texas heat shocked me when I landed and walked out of the airport. But after a few minutes, I was thankful because it feels like home, I knew I was home.”

“I have a lot of pride being from Texas and fighting in Texas. A lot of my peers and family are here and it pumps me up.”

“This is boxing, anything can happen. I have respect for all fighters that step in the ring. We all fight for the same thing, we all fight to give our families a better life. And I respect every fighter for it.”
MICHAEL MCKINSON, UNDEFEATED WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“Knowing that this is now a world title eliminator adds more fuel to the fire. This is just the cherry on top.”

“This fight has been a long time coming – since last November. Originally, I was told I would fight Ortiz, Jr. in January and then it was moved to March. Then due to unfortunate circumstances, the March fight couldn’t happen. But I just want to give a big ‘thank you’ to Golden Boy and Team Ortiz, Jr. for giving me the opportunity again. I know I am coming to the lion’s den, and I promise my family and team that I will not disappoint them.”

“I believe in myself, in my hard work, in my rise. I have worked myself the hard way and I deserve my opportunity. I have a lot of people supporting me back home and I promise I will make you all proud.”

MARLEN ESPARZA , WBC, WBA, AND RING MAGAZINE FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION:

“Holding all these belts is something different, it’s something that I have been wanting my entire life but knowing that i have earned them means everything to me; it means that everything that I am doing is good, but I never want to let up, I want to keep improving.”

“Since I was a little girl, since I started boxing, I never had any role models. There weren’t any mothers or fathers who approved of their daughters boxing. There weren’t many girls in the gym, and growing up that way was difficult for me and now I want to be able to change that and make a difference in people’s mindsets.”
EVA GUZMAN, MANDATORY WBA FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGER:

“I want to thank Golden Boy for the opportunity. When I see those belts it represents how far women’s boxing has come along in the sport. I am here to support the rise of women in boxing and boxing in Venezuela.”

“This is the third time I have fought for a world championship. I have won the IBA Minimumweight and WBA Interim Flyweight world championships. Every challenge represents a big responsibility and I am looking forward to advancing the sport for women everywhere.”
MAURICE HOOKER, FORMER LIGHT WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION:

“I feel good. This is another chapter of my life. I am ready. I am prepared. I have been training and staying ready, staying focused. I knew someone would call me up and I had to stay ready to fight.”

“I have been training with Crawford for a while. Everyday we push each other, we work hard. I love working beside him and everyone else, it’s a big family. I am here at this level and I am ready for Saturday night.”

“I have put in all the hard work and I know Blair Cobbs has been putting in all the hard work. I am ready and let’s put on a great show.”
BLAIR COBBS, WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“Maurice Hooker is a tougher fighter, a bigger challenger for me. This guy brings more to the game. He is a great boxer and a great contender. It doesn’t get any better for me.”

“I rise to the occasion. I always have my back against the ropes and this is just another obstacle that I have to overcome.”

“‘Blair the Flair’ is born for greatness, that is how I stay confident. I am born for greatness.”
BEKTEMIR “BEK THE BULLY” MELIKUZIEV, LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“I feel very good, ready. I just want to fight. Thank you all for our support looking for a great fight Saturday night.”

SLADAN “THE MINER” JANJANIN, LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“I have prepared for four months for this fight and this is the best time for me. I have a lot of respect for my opponent. It’s an honor to be here. I have visited a lot of countries in the world but this is the best for me.”

ERIC GOMEZ, PRESIDENT OF GOLDEN BOY:
“It was all strategic, he has arrived and he is ready for any challenge. Like Bernard said, Michael McKinson stepped up. We tried to make other fights and no one wanted to fight him. You have to love Michael McKinson, he stayed ready and he wanted to fight Vergil anywhere. He has a lot of heart, he is a fighter.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, HALL OF FAMER AND GOLDEN BOY PARTNER:

“Vergil reminds me of myself – The Executioner. But this is Vergil’s time now. He’s the real thing, and he’s been chipping at it bit by bit, fight by fight.”

“The fans and his presence you can pick up from walking around town – you can tell that they’re excited for this to happen. And he brings excitement – if you look at his personality and the way he carries himself and what he turns into when the bell rings – it’s easy to promote but hard to get someone to get into the ring with him. We’re going to expose a lot of people when the time comes.”
FLOYD SCHOFIELD, LIGHTWEIGHT PROSPECT:

“What I love about boxing is the fighting. I just love fighting. I was born to do it. My dad raised me to fight, and I love all the blood and punching.”

“My fighting style depends on my opponent. If I need to brawl, box, and bang I will just need to adjust to it. My dad is gonna hate this, but I love to brawl, but I need to listen to my coach and adjust on how they see it on the corner.”

ALEX MARTIN, SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“My career has had a bunch of ups and downs. I took the last fight on two days’ notice and went up two weight classes.”

“It sounds like I will retire Hank Lundy on Saturday. He’s going to sleep.”

CARLOS NAVA, LIGHTWEIGHT PROSPECT:

“It was a great camp for seven weeks, I feel strong, I feel amazing.”

“I am looking for the knock out. I am not going to rush it bit I want to for sure end it in the first three rounds.”

FIGO RAMIREZ, BANTAMWEIGHT PROSPECT:

“I am excited and nervous. I am ready to show off in front of everyone who is coming.”

“It’s a great experience learning from Vergil Ortiz, Jr. and his dad. They run a very tough training camp. It is amazing to be in this Arena, I grew up around it. It’s crazy, it’s dope, it’s a dream come true.”

#

Tickets for Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson are on sale and are priced at $275, $137.50, $82.50 and $44 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com, DickiesArena.com and GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

IRVING, TX (August 3, 2022): The pride of Grand Prairie, Texas, Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), and top 10 ranked, undefeated welterweight contender Michael “The Problem” McKinson (22-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain hosted a media workout to promote their upcoming fight on Saturday, August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas that will stream live worldwide, exclusively on DAZN. Their 12-round fight will be for Ortiz’s WBO International Welterweight Title.

In addition to the main event fighters, combatants from the stacked card also participated in the workout including newly crowned WBC, WBA, and Ring Magazine Flyweight World Champion Marlen Esparza (12-1, 1 KOs), Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (27-2-3, 18 KOs), and Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-1-1, 10 KOs).

VERGIL ORTIZ, JR., WBO INTERNATIONAL WELTERWEIGHT TITLE HOLDER:

“I feel very good. I am excited to get back into the ring. It’s been a year – a really long layoff. I wish we could have been a little bit more active, but we’re here now and ready to make the most out of it.”

“I’m expecting a very tactical fight – almost like a chess match in there. I think fans will get to see how smart I am in the ring.”

“It’s exciting and motivating to be on the threshold to bigger opportunities. It makes me want to work harder.”

“It’s a hometown crowd and I hope we get to pack the house.”

MICHAEL MCKINSON, UNDEFEATED WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“It feels good to be here. Obviously, back in March, unfortunate circumstances happened and Ortiz had to withdraw. But we got the opportunity again, so a big shout out and thank you to Team Golden Boy because they didn’t need to offer it to me again, but they did.”

“It feels good to be in Texas. For me and where I’m from, fighting in the States is big – I get to do it twice and I get to headline both. I’m happy.”

“I’m not going to have to be looking for Ortiz this time around. He’s a young lion, he hasn’t really put a foot wrong, and I’m really here just trying to tame the lion. I’ll win U.S. fans like I did last time.”

“A win over Ortiz changes my life; it changes my city of Portsmouth, my team, my daughter and everyone around me.”

MARLEN ESPARZA , WBC, WBA, AND RING MAGAZINE FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION:

“I’m feeling great about my first ring defense. We had a great camp; we’ve been focusing on this since the last time I was in the ring. We knew we didn’t want to stop any of the momentum, we asked for a quick turnaround, and Golden Boy also wanted a quick turnaround and so far, so good. I’m looking forward to get in there and get it done.”

“It’s going to be an exciting fight, it’s not an easy opponent. We’ve been working hard. It’s going to be somewhat a little different from my end – it’s going to be entertaining.”

“There’s going to be a lot of fireworks for sure. I’ve been practicing a lot of different styles. The fans haven’t seen everything that I can do yet!”

MAURICE HOOKER, FORMER LIGHT WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION:

“I’m confident, and I’m ready to do my job.”

“I’m going to do the same thing that you saw last fight: I’m coming to fight and I’m not cowering down to anybody.”

“Since my last fight, I’ve stayed in camp, stayed training so that I could be ready for anything to come my way. I expect a big crowd and everyone to be there for me.”

“I’m not really worried about what my opponent says. I’m from the hood. They hype me up. My fans can expect a good fight. I’m coming for it all, and I am putting it all out for Ms. Stacey.”

BLAIR COBBS, WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“I’m just focused, locked in, and ready for my opponent.”

“My last fight was a circumstantial lost. It’s not a big deal to me. I am the most exciting man in boxing, and I put on a show no matter if it’s a win or a loss – Blair “The Flair” puts on a great show.”

“I’m more focused and driven. I have a solid team that is better than ever. Blair “The Flair” is looking to be the best fighter he can possibly be every single fight. I made a lot of changes within my camp to make sure that fans get the best entertainment.”

“The guy I am fighting is tall, he’s strong, and lanky. He’s better than the last fighter I fought.”

“There’s no ‘stay busy’ fights, there’s no ‘easy’ fights. This is a hard fight, a big fight, and could easily become the pound-for-pound main event.”

Tickets for Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson are on sale and are priced at $275, $137.50, $82.50 and $44 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com, DickiesArena.com and GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

OXNARD, CA (July 28, 2022) – Welterweight, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-1-1, 10 KOs), who battles Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (27-2-3, 18 KOs), this Saturday, August 6th on the undercard of Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Michael McKinson, has a new team in place. Cobbs is now training in Oxnard, CA with Roger Romo and his core team. Hooker vs. Cobbs, a 10-round bout, will take place at The Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, broadcasted worldwide on DAZN.

Cobbs, who is managed by Greg Hannely, CEO of Prince Ranch Boxing, has his mind set on vengeance after suffering his first loss as a professional.  Here is what Cobbs had to say about his massive fight against former world champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker, his recent training camp, and more.

On his recent training camp:

“This was a very humbling camp. I had to think about things from different perspectives and come up with new ways to get great results. My last fight didn’t go how I wanted, but I’m ready to get back on top. I’ve wrapped up training in Oxnard, CA, with a new team in place as Roger Romo is my new head coach, along with coach Adam and Cecilio. I’m feeling good going into the fight and I’m going to give the fans a great show.”

On his matchup against Maurice Hooker:

“Hooker is a tougher opponent then Alexis. A win in this fight puts me in the top 10 rankings. The Rocha fight passed, I’m already on to bigger and better fights. While he continue fighting easy set ups. Blair “The Flair” remains the peoples champion, with odds stacked against him. Each fight will be an inspiration to people around the world.”

On dealing with the first loss of his career:

“It was hard. I didn’t like the stoppage, as people could see I was still fighting back, but it doesn’t matter now, I must win this fight. The result is the result, and now I must earn my spot back. I know I have a new mindset, and I am ready to fight my heart out.”

On fighting on the Vergil Ortiz vs Michael McKinson card:

“Look, Blair “The Flair” has looked at Vergil Ortiz as a future opponent for a long-time, so after I have another spectacular performance, it will only be a matter of time before I face Vergil Ortiz, who I think will win this fight. I think the fans will embrace it, and I want it as well.”

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 3, 2022): The pride of Grand Prairie, Texas, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), and top 10 ranked, undefeated welterweight contender Michael “The Problem” McKinson (22-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain hosted a media conference call to promote their upcoming fight on Saturday, August 6. Their 12-round fight will be for Ortiz’s WBO International Welterweight Title at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and will stream live worldwide, exclusively on DAZN.

Please click HERE to Download the Video and Audio Files from the call. Below are some notable quotes from the media call:

VERGIL ORTIZ, JR., WBO INTERNATIONAL WELTERWEIGHT TITLE HOLDER

“It feels great to be back at home. It’s really hot, but that’s just what I’m used to. It feels great. I’m just ready to fight. It’s been like a year. It sucks that a lot of things happened within that year, and it’s taken a full year to come back around, but hopefully, after this fight, everything’s back on schedule.”

“Well, first off, I saw his fight, and I saw two southpaws with the same style. So it was a bit of a clash of styles. So not only is the opponent that he fought on that day a completely different style from mine, it’s just that there’s nothing that I could take away from that fight because he didn’t fight someone that fought like me. That was a different version of him fighting someone else, so there’s really not a whole lot for me to go off.”

“We were supposed to fight in January, so I was getting ready before that. We were basically in full camp mode right before that. When I train, I’m like 110%. My body was going as hard as I could possibly go. Unfortunately, we didn’t find January; we set a new date in March. And I think with just all those months of just back-to-back with non-stop training, my body just couldn’t take it anymore. This time we had no fall-throughs with the schedule, and this time my body feels great, and we’re ready to go.”

“Fortunately, time is on my side. I’m only 24 years old, and at the same time, I don’t want to be wasting time. You know what that’s like. I should have fought three or four times already, and that’s time we won’t get back. So I try my best to remain optimistic about any scenario, no matter how negative it is. But overall I feel very happy. I’m very excited to be back in the ring and ready to put on a great show for the fans all across the world.”

MICHAEL MCKINSON, UNDEFEATED WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“Over in the UK, I’m known as a tricky southpaw. I don’t think I get enough credit as I’m a very smart southpaw. I’m actually a right-handed lefty; people don’t really know that. You don’t get to 22-0, winning four international titles along the way for not being a good fighter. I believe I’m a very good fighter, but I haven’t had the opportunity to prove that I’m world-class. Along the way, I’ve never had the luxury of picking and choosing whom I get to fight next. I’ve had to take risks from early on and be on the B side from early on to get to where I am right now.” 

“I believe that my rise has been a lot sweeter than most other [fighters]. Somebody tweeted us that this week actually, in my second professional fight, I fought at a cricket ground in Northern Ireland in front of 500 people compared to Vergil’s second fight; he fought on a Canelo undercard. So my rise has been from the very bottom to get where I am. But what people don’t realize is I’m here on merit. Because of everything that’s happened along the way, I deserve my opportunity to fight Ortiz. I’ve earned it the hard way.”

“I’m excited to be in Texas. I’m excited to show more of my ability than I’ve been able to show in my previous fights because in my previous fights, I’ve coasted. Points win against good fighters, but I’ve not been in any trouble. I have not had to dig deep. I’ve not had to go somewhere that I’ve never been before and I know I’m going to have to in this fight. So I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited for Saturday and I can’t wait.”

“I’ll pick one thing out that I’ve got different than everyone he has ever faced. He’s never faced an undefeated fighter like me. He’s never been in the ring with someone that’s never tasted defeat. I’ve never tasted defeat. I don’t know what it’s like to lose. I’m a very proud Englishman coming to the other side of the world, coming to the lion’s den in an attempt to tame the young lion. He’s looked vulnerable in certain fights, but he’s not put a foot wrong, and he’s a great young fighter. But I have a different style than most people, a style that can expose most things in certain fighters. So I know I’ve got a hard fight ahead of me. I’ve got a big task ahead of me, but I know I’m very mentally capable of pulling it off.”

ERIC GOMEZ, PRESIDENT, GOLDEN BOY: 

“At Golden Boy, we emphasize what the fighters have done and what they have learned to get to this point. For me, as a promoter/matchmaker, it’s beautiful to watch a young kid like Vergil develop into a world-class fighter. That’s the part of the job that I enjoy, just watching the progression. Obviously, it was apparent when I saw him as an amateur; he had a lot of power, and he was knocking guys out in the amateur ranks with the bigger gloves. But now, he’s become so much more of a complete fighter. He works off the jab well; he does a good job of setting up the body shots and the counter punches. He’s a complete fighter.”

“Probably if we didn’t have the layoff, he probably would have been fighting for a title now. But obviously, we know we had a little bit of a setback, but now he’s 100%. I was able to go see him at the gym last week. I was very impressed with the combinations he was throwing and what he was working on.”

“Michael McKinson is a world-class fighter as well. This is going to be a very tough fight. It’s not an easy fight for him. It’s a different style, and he hasn’t faced a style like this in a while, but it’s part of the job if you’re going to get to that promised land and get to a world title fight. To have a fighting chance to win, you have to fight the top fighters in the world, and that’s what you have here two top, highly-rated fighters fighting each other. Both undefeated, both young, both hungry. This is what it’s all about. This is what makes our job fun, being able to see these types of fights.”

“Of course, Vergil is a dangerous fighter; you have to respect his power. But he’s also very young, and Vergil needs the experience and fights like these. He needs to be facing the top fighters in the world like Michael McKinson, who’s highly rated in the world. He needs the experience of fighting different styles. If he’s victorious on Saturday night, then he’s ready. He’s ready for any of the top fighters in the world.” 

Tickets for Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson are on sale and are priced at $275, $137.50, $82.50 and $44 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com, DickiesArena.com and GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

OXNARD, CA (July 28, 2022) – Prince Ranch Boxing’s welterweight, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-1-1, 10 KOs), will look to make a successful return after suffering his first career loss when he faces former world champion, Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (27-2-3, 18 KOs), Saturday, August 6th on the undercard of Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Michael McKinson. Hooker vs. Cobbs, a 10-round bout, will take place at The Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, broadcasted worldwide on DAZN. 

“I am going into this bout with my mind on coming out victorious by all means necessary,” said Cobbs. “I and understand that I need to make a statement in this fight to get back on track toward fighting for a world title. At this point in my career all fights are going to be tough, and I must step up my game. This is going to be a great show, and its time for me to show up and show out.”

For those unaware, Maurice Hooker held the WBO super lightweight title defeating Alex Saucedo in Saucedo’s hometown to win the belt. He would be dethroned following that bout by unified world champion Jose Ramirez. Hooker has been viewed as a top-15 super lightweight for most of his career.

“This is a chance for Blair Cobbs to show the world where he is at,” said Greg Hannley, CEO of Prince Ranch Boxing who manages Cobbs. “In facing a former world champion this will tell him a lot about himself and his future. The future is in Blair’s hands and I have faith he will come out on top.”

FORT WORTH, TX (July 26, 2022): Newly crowned WBC, WBA, and Ring Magazine Flyweight World Champion Marlen Esparza (12-1, 1 KOs) of Houston, TX, is set to defend her three world titles for the first time against her mandatory, former WBA Interim Flyweight World Champion Eva “La Ley” Guzman (19-1, 11KOs) from Maracay, Venezuela on Saturday, August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX. The 10-round flyweight event will serve as the co-main event for Vergil Ortiz, Jr. vs. Michael Mckinson.

Also, on the card, Dallas, TX fan favorite Maurice “Might Mo” Hooker (27-2-3, 18 KOs) will face Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-1-1, 10 KOs) of Philadelphia, PA, in a 10-round welterweight fight. Opening the DAZN stream, Bektemir “The Bully” Melikuziev (9-1, 7 KOs) of Indio, CA, will take on Sladan “The Miner” Janjanin (32-10, 24 KOs) of Boston, MA in an 8-round super middleweight event. All fights will stream live worldwide, exclusively on DAZN starting at 5:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. CT / 8:00 p.m. ET. 

Tickets for Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson are on sale now and are priced at $275, $137.50, $82.50 and $44 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com, DickiesArena.com and GoldenBoyPromotions.com

Also on the card and part of The Golden Boy Fight Night: Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson Prelims on DAZN and the Golden Boy Boxing YouTube page, Alex “Chi Town Heat” Martin (17-4, 6 KOs) returns to the ring against the battle-tested warrior Henry “Hank” Lundy (31-10-1, 14 KOs). The 10-round super lightweight fight will be part of the preliminary bouts ahead of the DAZN broadcast hosted by Golden Fight Night’s Beto Duran and Texas rising boxing star Alex Rincon. Additional fights on the card will be announced shortly. 

“I am ready for Eva Guzman. Mandatory defense or title fight, all fights are serious business for me!” said Marlen Esparza. 

“This is the opportunity I have been waiting for to prove I am the best,” said Eva Guzman. “After this victory, the whole world will know I am the most dangerous fighter at 112lbs.” 

“Im ready to show the world I’m still a warrior,” said Maurice Hooker. “I’m ready to give them a fight they will always remember.”

“Blair the Flair is saying absolutely nothing. See you August 6,” said Blair Cobbs. 

“It’s been a long time in training camp, the opponents pulled out, the dates rescheduled, so I am happy to finally have a fight and step back in the ring on August 6 on a big Golden Boy show,” said Bektemir Melikuziev. 

Marlen Esparza was born to make history in boxing. Born in Houston, Texas, Marlen Esparza began her boxing career at 12 years old after growing up in a household that loved the sport. In May 2012, Esparza became the first American woman to qualify to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London, the first year that women’s boxing made its debut as an Olympic event. She would win the bronze medal in the women’s flyweight division. In 2017, Esparza became the first female fighter signed by Golden Boy Promotions. 

In 2021, Esparza had a successful year, with an unanimous decision victory against Ibeth Zamora Silva for the WBC Flyweight World Championship and successfully defended her new world championship title against former world champion Anabel “Avispa” Ortiz. On April 9, as part of the undercard of Ryan Garcia vs. Emmanuel Tagoe, Esparza faced her toughest challenge to date, taking on five-division world champion Naoko Fujioka. The fight pitted the #1 vs. #2 in the female flyweight division, granting them the honor of fighting for the first-ever Ring Magazine Female Flyweight World Championship. After 10-rounds of non-stop action from two of the mightiest female fighters in the flyweight division, the judges ruled in favor of Esparza unanimously, crowning her the new WBC, WBA, and Ring Magazine World Champion. 

An accomplished fighter since her professional debut in 2015, Eva Guzman has rapidly risen the ranks to a world championship by defeating some of the toughest fighters in the division. Her first big test came in 2018 when she faced Yaditza Perez for the IBA World Minimumweight World Championship. In 2021, she earned the most significant accomplishment in her career thus far, moving up in weight and fighting in Mexico for the first time against Isabel Millan to claim the crown as the WBA’s newest Interim Flyweight World Champion. The new title had also earned her the honor of becoming the new mandatory to fight Marlen Esparza for the WBA Flyweight World Championship, something she has dreamed of becoming since her professional debut. 

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 20, 2022): The pride of Grand Prairie, Texas, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), hosted a virtual media roundtable to talk about his upcoming fight on Saturday, August 6 against undefeated welterweight contender Michael “The Problem” McKinson (22-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain. The 12-round welterweight fight will be hosted by Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and will stream live worldwide, exclusively on DAZN. 

Tickets for Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson go on sale TOMORROW, Tuesday, June 21st at 8:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m CT / 11:00 a.m. ET and are priced at $275, $137.50, $82.50 and $44 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com, DickiesArena.com and GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

Below are some quotes from the call. To view or download the full recording click HERE:

“Michael McKinson is ranked by the WBO, he’s undefeated, it would look good on my resume if I defeat him. He’s a good fighter.”

“[Spence vs. Crawford] I want my shot with whomever, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“We just made some changes here and there, in terms of my training. Not huge changes, but overall I feel 100% now. We are ready to go. I really want to get back into the ring. By the time I fight this August, it will almost be a whole year. I would love to fight at least twice this year and stay even busier next year.”

“I was very disappointed that I didn’t get to fight [on March 19] especially since we found out I wasn’t able to go on, literally, the week of the fight. It’s not like I wanted to waste a whole training camp and some months before that; that’s not me. I did see Michale McKinson fight that night. I didn’t think too much about it. First of all, he fought someone who had a completely different style than I. But we are aware of how he fights, so we have a little more tape to go off of.”

“My time away will not have any impact on me. These last few weeks in sparring I have been doing really well. I feel great, I feel like I have been fighting every week. So, I don’t think my time away will have any impact on my performance at all.” 

“I don’t feel like I will have a home field advantage at Dickies Arena. Definitely the people will be on my side; but I feel like regardless of where I am at, whenever I land punches the crowd erupts anyway. So I don’t see it as an advantage.”

“I have learned things from all the different coaches that I have been with. Every coach has their own point of view, they all have different styles. One thing that I have learned from Manny is to be really explosive with my punches. Don’t waste time reacting, don’t think about it. Because if you think about it you get stuck and then you can make mistakes.”

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 16, 2022): Knockout sensation and the pride of Grand Prairie, Texas, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), will make his grand return to the ring on Saturday, August 6, taking on top 10 ranked, undefeated welterweight contender Michael “The Problem” McKinson (22-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain. The 12-round welterweight fight will take place at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and will stream live worldwide, exclusively on DAZN. 

Tickets for Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson go on sale Tuesday, June 21st at 8:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m CT / 11:00 a.m. ET and are priced at $275, $137.50, $82.50 and $44 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com, DickiesArena.com and GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

“I am very happy to be stepping back into the ring again,” said Vergil Ortiz, Jr. “I’m ready to show the world once again why I’m ready for a world title.” 

“I’m getting what I deserve,” said Michael McKinson. “I was prepared to fight Ortiz, Jr. before; now, I have been given the opportunity again to prove I am the best in this division.”

“Vergil Ortiz, Jr. is the most exciting welterweight in the world,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO. “We are happy that he is back, healthy, and feels 100%.  Fighting in his home state, I can’t think of a better way for him to make his comeback and put on another great performance for his fans.  He is one step away from challenging any world champion and he will prove it on August 6.”

“I am delighted that this fight has come back around for Mikey,” said Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Boxing. “He suffered disappointment in March when Vergil was forced out of the fight, but thanks to a lot of hard work all round, he was able to fight in LA and gathered valuable experience by making his US debut and all that comes with it – so there will be no surprises for him in Fort Worth. Vergil is an exceptional fighter, one of the best rising stars in the sport, but we believe Mikey has the style to cause him a lot of problems, and this could be his break-out night.”

“First of all we are just happy that Virgil is fit, healthy and ready to get back in the ring,” said Ed Breeze, EVP Rights at DAZN. “Virgil is one of the most exciting fighters in boxing and in Mckinson he will be fighting a serious contender in the division. Expect fireworks August 6th, live worldwide on DAZN.”

“Dickies Arena is thrilled to host the 12-round welterweight fight in what will be one of the most exciting and gripping fights between hometown sensation Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Great Britain’s undefeated Michael McKinson.  Fort Worth is in for an action-filled fight night and Dickies Arena is ready,“ said Matt Homan, President and General Manager of Dickies Arena.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. boasts a perfect knockout undefeated record and is considered one of the most exciting fighters in the welterweight division. Originally scheduled to return to the ring on March 19 in Los Angeles against Michael “The Problem” McKinson, Ortiz, Jr. suffered a medical emergency that forced him to pull out of that fight. Fortunately, the fighter is now 100% healthy to return and is looking to make an impressive comeback in front of his hometown when he faces McKinson at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX. Ortiz, Jr. was last seen in the ring in a fantastic TKO victory against world title contender Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas in August 2021. In addition, he has faced and won against some of the toughest fighters in the division, knocking out contenders like Antonio “Relentless” Orozco, Brad “King” Solomon, and Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker. 

Ranked as one of the top 10 best welterweights in the world, Michael McKinson is an undefeated fighter ready to face any contender in the division. Hailing from Portsmouth, Great Britain, the 27-year-old made his US debut on March 19, defeating Alex “Chi-Town Heat” Martin after a last minute change due to the cancellation of Ortiz, Jr. vs. McKinson. Now a notable name in the boxing scene, McKinson has enjoyed an accomplished career capturing titles including the WBC International Silver Welter Title and the WBO European and Global Welter titles. Now, the UK fighter will be looking to show that he has what it takes to defeat Ortiz, Jr. in his home turf and prove he belongs among the division’s elite. 

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

Alexis Rocha stopped Blair Cobbs in a welterweight battle at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

In round eight, Rocha dropped Cobbs with a hard right to the bottom the chin. In round nine, Rocha had Cobbs in trouble with body shots and then he landed some chopping lefts. A big uppercut drove Cobbs to the ropes. Rocha was relentless until the bout was stopped at 44 seconds.

Rocha – Cobbs was bumped up to the main event after Vergil Ortiz fell ill for his bout with Michael McKinson.

Rocha, 146.8 lbs of Santa Ana, CA is 19-1 with 13 knockouts. Cobbs, 145.6 lbs of Hollywood, CA is 15-1-1.

McKinson Decisions Martin

Michael McKinson won a 10-round unanimous decision over late-replacement Alex Martin in a welterweight fight.

McKinson, 146 lbs of Portsmouth, ENG won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 and is now 22-0. Martin, 147 lbs ofChicago, IL is 17-4.

Bektemir Melikuziev stopped David Zegarra in round two of their eight-round light heavyweight bout.

In round two, Melikuziev landed a perfect left to the body that sent Zegarra in pain to a knee and he did not beat the 10-count at 30 seconds.

Melikuziev, 171.6 lbs of Uzbekistan is now 9-1 with seven knockouts. Zegarra, 172 lbs of Lima, PER is 34-8.

Sanchez Decisions Munera

Evan Sanchez remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Alejandro Munera in a middleweight fight.

In round four, Sanchez dropped Munera with a right hook.

Sanchez, 149.8 lbs of Parlier, CA won by scores of 60-53 on all cards and is now 11-0. Munera, 147.6 lbs of Munera, COL is 6-5-4.

Alex Rincon stopped Luis Sanchez in round two of a scheduled eight-round middleweight bout.

In round two, Rincon dropped Sanchez with a right. Sanchez wobbled to his feet, but was able to continue…for a few seconds, as Rincon landed another big right that sent Sanchez down again, and the fight was stopped at 1:44

Rincon, 154.6 lbs of Dallas, TX is 10-0 with seven knockouts. Sanchez, 155 lbs of San Juan, PR is 9-3.

John Ramirez remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Roberto Pucheta in a bantamweight fight.

In round two, Pucheta had to bleed from the nose.

Ramirez, 117.2 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won by scores of and is now 9-0. Pucheta, 117 lbs of Jalisco, MEX is 10-21-3.

Alejandro Reyes won a six-round unanimous decision over Daniel Evangelista Jr. in a junior welterweight bout.

In round two, Evangelista was deducted a point for hitting behind the head. In round three, Reyes dropped Evangelista with two right hands to the head.

Reyes, 139.6 lbs of Mexicali, MEX won by scores of 60-51 on all cards and is now 7-0. Evangelista, 139.6 lbs of Mexico City is 20-13-2.

Miguel Gaona made extremely quick work over Gilberto Aguilar in a rematch in a scheduled four-roun junior welterweight clash.

Gaona dropped Aguilar with a body shot in the opening seconds, and Aguilar did not get up and the fight was over at 30 seconds.

Gaona, 139.6 lbs of El Sereno, CA is 2-0 with two knockouts. Aguilar, 140 lbs of Mexico City is 0-5.

Dalis Kaleiopu stopped Manuel Lara in the fourth and final round of their lightweight bout.

In round one, Kaleiopu dropped Lara with a right to the head. Later in the round, Lara went down from a body shot.

In round four, it was a three-punch combination to the head that dropped Lara to his knees and the bout was stopped at 2:15.

Kaleiopu, 132.4 lbs of Waianae, HA is 2-0 with two knockouts. Lara, 134.2 lbs of Celaya, MEX is 2-8.

Ramla Ali remained undefeated with 2nd round stoppage over Shelly Barnett in a scheduled eight-round super bantamweight fight.

In round one, Ali landed a hard right to the face that sent Barnett to the canvas. A moment later, another right put Barnett down again. In round two, Ali landed a big combination that forced a referee stoppage at 1:23.

Ali, 122.8 lbs of London, ENG is 5-0 with one knockout. Barnett, 122.8 lbs of Toronto, CAN is 5-7-2.

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 17, 2014) – Fighters on the Alexis Rocha vs. Blair Cobbs card on March 19 hosted their final press conference today at Golden Boy HQ in Downtown Los Angeles. The fights are set to take place at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center and will be streamed. worldwide on DAZN. Hosted by Beto Duran, the event featured special interviews with Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins, as they each spoke highly about the fighters on the fight card. In the main event, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (18-1, 12 KOs) of Santa Ana, CA and Philadelphia’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs), who are scheduled to face off in a 10-round welterweight fight, were in attendance as they both took turns taking verbal shots against each other which ultimately culminated in a very heated face off. Additional fighters in attendance also featured on the DAZN stream, were Micheal McKinson (21-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, GBR, Bektemir Melikuziev (8-1, 6 KOs) and Evan Sanchez (10-0, 6 KOs) of Perlier, CA.

Fighters on the Golden Boy Fight Night live stream on YouTube, Alex Rincon (9-0, 6 KOs) of Dallas, Texas, Los Angeles’ John “Scrappy” Ramirez (8-0,7 KOs) and Miguel Gaona (1-0); and Alejandro Reyes (6-0, 4KOs), of Mexicali, Mexico; were also onsite to talk about their developing careers and the excitement of fight week in Los Angeles.

Below are what the fighters and their promoters had to say:

First off, I want to thank God, Robert Diaz and the Golden Boy team for moving me up to the main event,” said Alexis Rocha. “The fight was presented to him last November and we didn’t fight. It wasn’t my fault. Kerobyan was your only notable win. You’re acting like a clown here and there. Let’s remember Blair. Just like there’s clowns in the circus, there’s also lions and tigers there too. Remember this face. You’re one fight from the commentary booth. You’ll be announcing my fights after this.”

“There was no fight offered to me last November,” said Blair Cobbs. “Am I the kind of person to turn down fights? Does Blair the Flair look like he gives a shit… I don’t think so. I actually wanted that fight in November but we couldn’t make it happen. Finally we made it happen. I did not hesitate to sign this contract. Then we waited for Alexis to sign. I’m looking for bigger and better fights. McKinson I have nothing but respect. Me and him are cut from the same cloth. Underdogs fighting big fights, undefeated fighters in the fire. I am so good at it. When I put these young fighters in the fire with me they seem to not look the same. He’s only been tested one time against Brad Solomon and he almost lost. What happened when Solomon fought me with more than two months of training. We got the job done in the fifth round.”

“I talked to him (Vergil Ortiz),” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “He’s back home and he’s feeling better. It’s very unfortunate that it happened so close to the fight. He was ready and looking forward to it. Things happen but we have to look forward to an amazing main event. I actually want to take a moment and thank Cobbs and Rocha for stepping up and willing to fight in the main event. It’s an exciting fight. We have a lot of young prospects who we are looking at that are going to the next level. That’s why this whole card is super exciting. Especially the main event, it’s going to be fireworks. There’s a lot at stake for them but they are ready for the next level.”

“Everybody expects this fight to be exciting,” said Bernard Hopkins, Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Parnter. “To me they match up pretty evenly. This is a dangerous fight for both guys. I’d like to acknowledge Robert Diaz, our matchmaker, for pulling through and making this card work.”

“It’s a dream come true to be here,” said Michael Mckinson. “Unfortunately some things happened on the card but I’m thankful I’m still fighting. The show goes on. I have a lot of people to thank for keeping me on the card. I wish Ortiz a speedy recovery. He’s a young man and health is everything. My full attention goes to Jesus Perez. I had two choices. Spend the last three to four months working on my US debut just to go home and not fight. I’m a fighter. I’m here, I want my US debut. Hopefully I can win some American supporters and impress people on Saturday night.”

“I’m feeling great,” said Bektemir Melikuziev. “I’m feeling confident. I’ve been training in the gym ready to go. What happened [with Rosado] was I made a mistake and paid the price. I got a bit greedy. That’s boxing, one punch can change everything. I’m confident I’ll get that rematch. Even if I have to become world champion first. I just want to prove it was a mistake. I’m on a different level. Congrats to Rosado. I’m looking forward to the fight. Nothing changed for me. I’m still going to bring all the belts at 168 to Golden Boy.”

“Fans should expect a little of everything, boxing, attacking and defense,”said Evan Sanchez. “I can adjust to any fighter. It’s going to be an amazing fight. I feel good. I’ve been out of the gym for awhile because of covid and a shoulder injury. It’s an honor to be here.”

Fans with tickets to Ortiz vs. McKinson do not need to take action to attend Rocha vs. Cobbs, as their tickets and seating locations are still valid.

If a fan purchased tickets directly through the Galen Center, on-line or in-person, for Ortiz Jr vs. McKinson, and do not wish to attend Rocha vs. Cobbs refund requests made by Saturday, March 19th at 3pm PST will be honored, in full by emailing USCTO@USC.EDU. Ticket holders seeking refunds for online purchases via secondary market sites must contact those vendors directly.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests age 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Rocha vs. Cobbs is a 10-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaCobbs

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 16, 2022) – The event on March 19, will continue at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center now headlined by Orange County’s Alexis “Lex” Rocha (18-1, 12 KOs) of Santa Ana, CA against Philadelphia’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight fight streaming live, worldwide on DAZN. In the new co-main event of the night Michael “The Problem” McKinson (21-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, GBR will now face Jesus Antonio Perez (24-3, 18 KOs) from Tijuana, Mexico in a 10-round welterweight fight. Also part of the DAZN live stream, Bektemir “Bully” Melikuziev (8-1, 6 KOs) of Indio, CA will face seasoned veteran David “La Pantera” Zegarra (34-7, 21 KOs) of Lima, Peru in a scheduled 10-round light heavyweight fight. Opening up the stream, Evan Sanchez (9-0, 6 KOs) from Parlier, CA is set for a 6-round welterweight fight against Alejandro Munera (6-6-4, 5 KOs) from Medellin, Colombia.

Also on the card, but featured as part of the Golden Boy Fight Night live stream on YouTube, Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (20-3, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles, CA makes his grand return to the sport for the first time in 2022 by fighting Victor Ruiz (29-12, 16 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico in a 8-round Super Bantamweight fight. Fan favorite, Alex Rincon (9-0, 6 KOs) of Dallas, Texas, will make his will take on Puerto Rico’s Luis Sanchez (9-2, 6 KOs) in an 8-round super welterweight fight. Los Angeles’ undefeated fighter John “Scrappy” Ramirez (8-0,7 KOs) will fight Roberto “Escorpion” Pucheta (10-20-3, 6 KOa) of Jalisco, Mexico, in a scheduled 6-round bantamweight bout. Other fights featured as part of the live stream include two 4-round fights featuring prospects Miguel Gaona (1-0) of Los Angeles, CA, in a lightweight fight against Mexico City’s Gilberto Aguilar (0-4); and Delis Kaleiopu (1-0, 1 KOs) of Walanae, HI in a lightweight bout against Tamaulipas, Mexico’s Manuel Lara (2-7). Local fan favorite, Alejandro Reyes (6-0, 4KOs), will take on Daniel Evangelista Jr. (20-12-2, 16 KOs) of Mexico City in a 6-round super lightweight fight. Finally, opening up fight night, London’s Ramla Ali (4-0) will face Toronto’s Shelly Barnett (5-6-2) in an 8-round super bantamweight event.

Fans with tickets to Ortiz vs. McKinson do not need to take action to attend Rocha vs. Cobbs, as their tickets and seating locations are still valid.

If a fan purchased tickets directly through the Galen Center, on-line or in-person, for Ortiz Jr vs. McKinson, and do not wish to attend Rocha vs. Cobbs refund requests made by Saturday, March 19th at 3pm PST will be honored, in full by emailing USCTO@USC.EDU. Ticket holders seeking refunds for online purchases via secondary market sites must contact those vendors directly.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests age 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Rocha vs. Cobbs is a 10-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaCobbs

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 15, 2022) – Unfortunately, Vergil Ortiz Jr. has had to pull out of this Saturday’s main event vs. Michael Mckinson after being diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis. Vergil is recovering well in hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

“We wish Vergil a very quick and speedy recovery,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “As fighters, our first instinct is to fight whatever we have and tough it out. It takes a lot of courage to admit that something is wrong and get the care that you need. We are confident that we will be seeing Vergil in the ring again very soon.”

More information on the March 19 event will be announced shortly.

HOLLYWOOD, CA (March 10, 2022) – Fan favorite, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) of Philadelphia hosted a media workout today at the world famous WildCard Boxing Club ahead of his fight against fellow stablemate Alexis Rocha (18-1 (12 KOs) on March 19. Their 10-round welterweight fight will be the co-main event to Vergil Ortiz, Jr. vs. Michael McKinson at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles and will be streamed live, worldwide, on DAZN.

Below is what the fighter had to say about his upcoming fight:

“I can’t wait for this fight. I love every single opportunity to get out there and show the world what Blair ‘The Flair’ is all about. Each moment, each day, I am getting better and better. Everyday I am refining my craft, inside and outside of the ring and people are going to see it come March 19.

“Once again, I have to fight against the odds. There are a lot of people that think, Alexis Rocha might win. Let’s see what happens when he fights ‘The Great One.’ I expect that he is training very hard, but Blair ‘The Flair’ is training smart. It doesn’t matter what he does. In that ring he is going to try everything and he is not going to be able to get anything done because I am much, much better.

“It’s a big possibility that this fight may not go the distance. If he comes towards me and gets in my face I am going to shut him down.

“We are going to go in the ring with energy, and be the best that we possibly can which is always the most exciting, the biggest flair, the biggest attraction in boxing. Fans will have to tune in because the main event is the co-main event on March 19.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests aged 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 10, 2022) – Saturday, March 19 promises to be a night full of action as Bektemir “Bully” Melikuziev (8-1, 6 KOs) of Indio, CA returns to the ring for the first time in 2022, to face seasoned veteran David “La Pantera” Zegarra (34-7, 21 KOs) of Lima, Peru. The fighters are set to face off in a 10-round light heavyweight fight as part of the DAZN broadcast. Then, opening up the DAZN broadcast, undefeated fighter Evan Sanchez (9-0, 6 KOs) from Parlier, CA will participate in a 6-round welterweight fight against Alejandro Munera (6-6-4, 5 KOs) from Medellin, Colombia.

The event is headlined by #1 WBO ranked and undefeated heavy-hander, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), of Grand Prairie, Texas taking on #3 WBO ranked, undefeated welterweight Michael “The Problem” McKinson (21-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain in a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title . The co-main event of the night will pit Orange County’s Alexis “Lex” Rocha (18-1, 12 KOs) of Santa Ana, CA against Philadelphia’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight fight. The event will take place at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles, streaming live, worldwide on DAZN.

Part of the Golden Boy Fight Night live stream on the Golden Boy Boxing channel on YouTube, undefeated fighter, and fan favorite, Alex Rincon (9-0, 6 KOs) of Dallas, Texas, will face Puerto Rico’s Luis Sanchez (9-2, 6 KOs) in an 8-round super welterweight fight. Also on the card, Los Angeles’ undefeated fighter John “Scrappy” Ramirez (8-0,7 KOs) will fight Roberto “Escorpion” Pucheta (10-20-3, 6 KOa) of Jalisco, Mexico, in a scheduled 6-round bantamweight bout. Other fights featured as part of the live stream include two 4-round fights featuring prospects Miguel Gaona (1-0) of Los Angeles, CA, in a lightweight fight against Mexico City’s Gilberto Aguilar (0-4) and London’s Ramla Ali (4-0) in a super bantamweight fight against Toronto’s Shelly Barnett (5-6-2). The night will also include popular fighters Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (20-3, 16 KOs), Alejandro Reyes (6-0, 4KOs), and Dalis Kaleiopu (1-0, 1 KO), in bouts with opponents to be announced.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests age 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

SANTA ANA, CA (March 8, 2022) – Orange County’s rising star, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (18-1, 12 KOs) hosted a media workout today ahead of his fight against Philadelphia’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) on March 19. The 10-round welterweight fight will be featured as the co-main event to Vergil Ortiz, Jr. vs. Michael McKinson at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles and will be streamed live, worldwide, on DAZN. Alexis took us on tour of Downtown Santa Ana and then travelled to his gym TKO Boxing Club for a workout where he was joined by his team, his brother world title contender Ronny Rios, and the mayor of the City of Santa Ana, Vicente Sarmiento.

Below is what the fighter had to say about his upcoming fight:

“I am excited for the challenge to face Blair Cobbs. He is an undefeated fighter, I take nothing away from him because he shows a lot of heart in the ring. I have seen him hit the deck, get back up, and win his fight. He’s a good fighter, but I am very motivated to go out there and shine.

“I am not intimated by undefeated record. I put no pressure on myself about that, because last time I put pressure on myself I lost. Since that loss, that 0 went away, and I feel like the pressure got off of me. You put so much pressure on yourself to stay undefeated and really all that pressure can be defeating, mentally.

“He has a unique style; he likes to mix it up. But I feel like I know his weaknesses and his strengths and come fight night, I am ready for whatever.

“I give every training camp 110%. My confidence is through the roof, my training has been incredible, my worth ethic is incredible, the commitment from my team is incredible. And the mind set I carry is one where I know what I want, and I know how to get it. I have dreams, I have desires that I want to go get and I am very motivated.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests aged 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 2, 2022) – Orange County’s rising star, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (18-1, 12 KOs) of Santa Ana, CA will take on Philadelphia’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) as the co-main event to Vergil Ortiz, Jr. vs. Michael McKinson on Saturday, March 19. The duo will face off in a West Coast vs. East Coast, career-defining, 10-round welterweight battle at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles and will be streamed live, worldwide, on DAZN.

“I know what is expected of me at this stage of my career; I’m expected to knock people out,” said Alexis Rocha. “I own and embrace that expectation. I know Blair and have watched him develop. He’s a good fighter, but I am confident I will win in explosive fashion. He’s a southpaw and I’ve sparred with the best southpaws in the world, from Pacquiao to Josh Taylor. I’m ready for this fight.”

“This is my moment to prove that I am a fighter to be feared in the welterweight division,” said Blair Cobbs. “I am ready for this challenge and can assure all my West Coast and East Coast fans that I am here to win and make a name for myself.”

“Both Alexis and Blair are shining stars in the Golden Boy stable,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “They have grown up here, we have developed their careers, and now they are ready for the next big challenge in their boxing careers. I am excited to see what they will both do in the ring and feel that on March 19th we will see a new star emerge.”

After a strong performance and knockout victory over Jeovanis Barraza on the undercard of Munguia vs. Rosado at the Honda Center in November 2021; Alexis “Lex” Rocha is ready to continue his winning streak. A victory over Blair Cobbs could be the career-defining opportunity Rocha has been waiting for to prove he has what it takes to climb the elite ranks of the welterweight division. This wouldn’t be the first challenge the Southern California native has faced. He has successfully defeated tough competitors, including James Bacon, Berlin Abreu, Roberto Valenzuela Jr., and Brad Solomon.

One of the most popular fighters to come out of Freddie Roach’s stable at Westside Boxing Club, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs, was last seen in a spectacular fifth-round TKO victory over the seasoned Brad Solomon in El Paso, TX, in June 2021. Undefeated in his career, except for a draw early on in 2018, Cobbs is no stranger to adversity as he has taken on and defeated tough opposition like Ferdinand Kerovyan, Estevan Villalobos, and Samuel Kotey Neequaye. Now, the undefeated welterweight is ready for the next stage of his career as he faces the fan-favorite Alexis Rocha on March 19.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests age 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

LOS ANGELES, CA (February 22, 2022) – Undefeated, WBO International Welterweight Champion, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), of Grand Prairie, Texas and Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya hosted a special press event today at the Galen Center to promote the upcoming bout between Vergil Ortiz, Jr. and #3 WBO ranked welterweight Michael “The Problem” McKinson (21-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain. The pair are set to collide on Saturday, March 19 at University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Los Angeles. The 12-round fight for Ortiz, Jr.’s WBO International Welterweight title will stream live, worldwide, exclusively on DAZN.

Below are what Vergil and Oscar had to say about the upcoming bout:

VERGIL ORTIZ, JR., WBO INTERNATIONAL WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION:

“I feels awesome putting a card in LA. I have a lot of fans here in LA that have been asking me on social media to come back and I am happy that we are able to do that. I am looking forward to putting on a good show at the Galen Center.

“I always train to go the distance in every fight. I don’t go into the ring looking for the knock out. If the opportunity comes to finish the fight with a knock out I will take it.

“I would love to fight at the very least three times this year. After this fight get back in the ring as soon as possible, stay active. That’s how I feel the sharpest.

“My dad has been training me the whole time alongside Hector Beltran. He’s the one that is always on my a** making sure that I am doing everything right. Now that we have added Manny Robles to the corner, he brings experience and a different point of view. He’s taken fighters like Oscar Valdez and Andy Ruiz to world title fights and hopefully we can do the same.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO GOLDEN BOY:

“As a promoter we have to knock on a lot of doors to get our fighters a fight, and it’s a dream come true when fighters like Michael McKinson want to face one of our guys. Vergil is in a very unique position, being 18-0, 18KOs. World champions know that he’s dangerous, world champions know that if they get in the ring with him there will be a huge possibility that they are going to loose. So it surprised me that McKinson was knocking on Vergil’s door, on our door. It just goes to show you that when you are fighting at this level, you are going to cross paths with great fighters who want to fight the best.

“Vergil has his father who knows the in’s and out’s. He has trained him all his life. It was a breath of fresh air to hear what they were thinking, to come to LA which has great fighters and great sparring. Manny has experience and great knowledge that can be a good second voice for Vergil’s father, who is on the fore front of Vergil’s training.

“Vergil is just getting better and better, and better. I tell every world champion, fight Vergil now. Fight him now because if you wait a year or two, it will only get worse for you because Vergil is very young and just getting better and better. He’s knocking on the door of these champions so it’s going to be very interesting on who he fights next.”

Tickets for the event go on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests age 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

LOS ANGELES, CA (February 4, 2022): Undefeated knockout sensation, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), of Grand Prairie, Texas will make his grand return to Los Angeles, when he faces off against the #3 WBO ranked, undefeated welterweight Michael “The Problem” McKinson (21-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain. The 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight title will take place at University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 19 and will stream live, worldwide, exclusively on DAZN.

“I am excited to return to Los Angeles, my home away from home,” said Vergil Ortiz, Jr. “I have been training in Southern California for my entire career and can’t wait to put on a big show for all my SoCal fans. I am taking on an undefeated, world-ranked opponent in McKinson, but I am ready to show the world that I belong at the top of the division and am ready for a world championship title shot.”

“Firstly, I want to thank everyone behind securing me this opportunity,” said Michael McKinson. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime and I can’t wait to take America by storm. Vergil Ortiz, Jr. is an unbelievable talent that’s captured the eyes of everyone, but I’m about to come with a whole new box of problems. This fight changes my life, but winning this changes my future. This is huge for me, my family and everyone around me, I’ll give it everything.”

With a perfect knockout record, Vergil Ortiz Jr. has rapidly climbed the ranks of the welterweight division. He was most recently seen in an entertaining and fantastic TKO victory against the tough, world title contender Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas in August 2021. The 23-year-old has had an exciting career since his 2016 debut, knocking out contenders like Antonio “Relentless” Orozco, Brad “King” Solomon, and Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker. On March 19, Ortiz, Jr. will be looking to keep his title, undefeated record, and #1 ranking when he faces Michael McKinson at USC’s Galen Center.

Ranked #3 in the welterweight division by the WBO, Michael McKinson is an undefeated fighter ready to put his undefeated record on the line to prove he has what it takes to take over the #1 position in the division. Hailing from Portsmouth, Great Britain, the 27-year-old has had an active career capturing titles including the WBC International Silver Welter Title and the WBO European and Global Welter titles. Now, fighting in the U.S. for the first time, McKinson will be looking to claim the WBO Intercontinental Welterweight title from Vergil Ortiz, Jr. on March 19.

“Vergil Ortiz, Jr. is one of the most exciting welterweights to watch in the sport today,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “Since his professional debut, Vergil put the world on notice with his incredible punching power. Now, undefeated, with a perfect knockout record, Vergil is ready to fight against the elite in the division starting with the world ranked Michael McKinson.”

“I am so pleased to be able to deliver this fight for Michael – it really is a life-changing opportunity in so many ways,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director, Matchroom Sport. “Michael has got the style to beat Vergil, who for me is already a top five Welterweight in the world, a brilliant and powerful fighter. There’s only certain styles that can beat him, and Michael has a style to cause Vergil all sorts of problems. The money is always important as it’s a tough sport and you have to make every penny you can, but if Michael beats Vergil, he goes on to make multi-million-dollar purses.”

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

Joshua Buatsi stopped Ricards Bolotniks in round 11 of a scheduled 12-round light heavyweight bout at the Matchroom HQ in Essex, England

In round six, Buatsi dropped Bolotniks with a vicious left hook.

In round eight, Buatsi was deducted a point for a low blow. In round 11, Buatsi landed a booming right that sent Bolotniks to the deck and the fight was stopped at 2:08.

Buatsi, 174 3/4 lbs of Croydon, ENG is 15-0 with 13 knockouts. Bolotniks, 174 1/2 lbs of Riga, LAT is 18-6-1.

“Most importantly I have to thank God for the victory, different fighters have different things that work for them, I made it clear to you lot that that’s what works for me,” Buatsi told DAZN. “In my changing room I don’t need to hear anything, don’t tell me what I did in camp, tell me Josh is written in the bible. That’s what gears me up when I walk down there, what’s written in the bible.
 
“I’m grateful man, Bolotniks big credit to him he pushed me. I think he said Josh hasn’t been past seven rounds before so after seven we’ll see. I was there until 11 and landed a good shot. I worked every round, but I want to congratulate him – he’s a good champion.
 
“When I sat down, I said, ‘Buatsi who told you to empty the tank, you’ve got six left?’ but I’ve worked hard. You see in camp the sparring is hard man, big credit to my sparring partners they know who they are. I do a hard six run then a fresh one gets in so into the second half I said I’ve been here: I’ve done it before I’ve been here many times in camp.
 
“I’ve got a great team, I’ve got a promoter that believes in me, he’s been pushing for fights like this because he knows I can do it. Tonight, I went out there and showed people I can do it, we just build from here.
 
“We all make sacrifices, I don’t want to single myself out, everyone sacrifices to be where they want to be in life. For me, yeah, I sacrificed, I’m always away from my family and I truly miss them but most importantly I want to get to the top. I feel like I’m in the right team with the right people, I’ve got a great promoter who gives me the opportunities I need. I’ll keep sacrificing.”

Cordina Destroys Hernandez in 1st

Joe Cordina needed just 53 seconds to dispose of Joshua Hernandez in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout.

Cordina landed a blistering 1-2 that sent Hernandez down for the 10-count.

Cordina, 134 lbs of Cardiff, WAL is 13-0 with eight knockouts. Hernandez, 132 3/4 lbs of Chicago, IL is 10-4.

“Chris Colbert went eight rounds with Hernandez and what I watched of it, it was quite a tough fight for him,” Cordina told Matchroom. “I watched that fight and a couple others of Hernadez and me and Tony came up with a game plan. We were going through in the changing rooms, and it came off a peach.
 
“I had to prove a point, I said in an interview earlier in the week that I don’t take criticism from people I wouldn’t go to for advice. I don’t really value many people’s opinions so yeah, it’s one of those things, you’re going to get people criticizing and it’s whether you take it onboard or not. A lot of people didn’t take into consideration that I’d been out the ring for 16 months, had an operation of my hand, we proved the point tonight and got him out of there early on.
 
“I always look to just get the win, box, if the knockout is there, I’ll take it. As soon as he threw his first jab, I knew he wasn’t going to catch me with that, my sharpness of feet and head movement would get me out of trouble. I started putting my lead hand downstairs and whipping the right hand over the top and I caught him the first time, I knew he was a little bit wobbly. I didn’t want to rush in and try and get him out of there straight away, I knew if I could catch him twice with it there’s going to be a third time and I did exactly that. We got him out of there in great fashion.
 
“I was watching Fight Camp last year and there was no crowd, but even when there wasn’t a crowd it felt like there was a massive atmosphere. When I saw the first Fight Camp week at home, I thought, ‘oh my god I’m fighting there in two weeks, it’s going to be amazing’. I’m glad that I’m able to tick it of my list now. 
 
“Eddie watched me in York Hall in 2009 and said, ‘you’re going to be a World Champion’. It’s nice to hear that but I’ve got to keep improving, keep pushing on and proving him right. I know I’ve got the ability to be a World Champion very soon, but I’ve just got to keep winning. I’ve got the ability to mix it with any of them, it’s just about taking those steps up the ladder to become a World Champion and that’s what I plan on doing. Maybe have two weeks at home, go back to the gym and see what I want to do with Tony.
 
“I know people say it but if you speak to my S&C coach and Tony this was probably one of the best camps I’ve ever had. That’s with the boxing, plus my S&C, everything just came together. Don’t get me wrong I had to be at home for my new-born son but everything’s coming together now. I’m glad I got the win tonight in great fashion and now it’s time to build on it.” 

World-Rated welterweight Michael McKinson remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Przemyslaw Runowki.

McKinson, 146 1/2 lbs of Portsmouth, ENG won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92 and is now 21-0. Runowski, 146 1/4 lbs of Shupsk, POL is 19-2.

“I’m happy, that was easier than I thought it would be, I didn’t really get out of first gear,” McKinson told Matchroom. “I visibly hurt him a few times, but I boxed to instructions and got the win. To be fair I didn’t think he won a round against me, but he was a tough guy. Him and his team were very confident beforehand, I liked the energy they brought all week, but I just had to show I was a level above, and I was a few levels above – I’m happy.

“They keep giving me harder opposition, they keep telling me it’s a step up and I’m making it look easier and easier. What people forget is I’m learning every day on the job as well; I’m developing and who knows where I can be in a year or twos time. I’m in a position where a lot of boxers dream of being in, all I can do it stay focused, keep learning and keep working my way to the top.

“First time on the A side you know, not many people can say they’ve boxed in Gibraltar and not many people can say they’ve boxed in Eddie’s back garden and done both this year. I can’t moan or complain, I’m really happy and blessed.

“2021 and my career has just started, 21-0 and making it look easy. I really want to keep stepping up, keep challenging myself, keep having more and more tests. I’m still learning but I’m learning quick and finding it easy now. I want opponents that will make me step through the gears, a few times I hurt him there like I can punch, I don’t need to, I boxed to instructions. I didn’t really get out of first gear.

“I believe I’m the best 147 pounder in the country. I like Conor, I get on well with him, but if he can’t get them two guys the Brooks or the Khans, I’m always here. I’ll fight whoever they give me, I’ve never turned down a fight and that’s a fact – I don’t plan on turning down fights. I really do believe in myself, and I believe in my development as well. I’m going to be going to the top I promise you.

“I’m really happy for Liam Taylor because he never really gets a fair ranking and he’s a good fighter so I’m happy he’s got that opportunity. I’m not far behind, I’d like the winner, but I’ll fight whoever makes sense and whoever my management team want to get me next – the answer is always yes. That guy there I just beat took Josh Taylor to points on short notice, he had a full camp against me, his team were so confident talking to me in the hotel.

“Like I said, I make their confidence fade round by round, they don’t call me ‘The Problem’ for no reason. I will carry on being a problem as I step through the levels as the opposition gets better, trust me.

“Josh Kelly has got a lot of ability, he’s a skilful fighter, I like Josh – even after the Avanesyan defeat I still think he’s a top fighter. Florian Marku talks a lot doesn’t he, he didn’t know who I was a few months ago on social media on an interview, he said he didn’t know who I was. At least they’re talking about me now, let him prove himself because I don’t think he’s proved himself at a decent level yet, not saying he’s not a good fighter, but he does need to prove himself as a fighter to be respected. Good luck to all of them, I wish nothing but the best for all my rivals, you know I’m here and I’ll fight anybody.

“Even when we go back to proper arenas and stuff, wait till we get hundreds and hundreds of Portsmouth fans loud and proud. I’ve got great support and it’s always growing; I know there’s a lot of people that didn’t come today but when they’re allowed everyone will see the Portsmouth fans.”

In a battle of undefeated super bantamweights, Hopey Price won a six-round decision over Claudio Grande.

In the closing seconds of the fight, Price dropped Grande with a straight left.

Price, 123 1/4 lbs of Leeds, ENG won by a 58-55 score and is now 5-0. Grande, 121 1/2 lbs of Massa, ITA is now 5-1.

“It was a good performance, considering I had six months outside the ring, which for a young prospect like me isn’t ideal,” Price told Matchroom. “You can spar as much as you want but it’s not the same feeling as when you’re under the lights. Now looking forward, I’ve got Leeds in three weeks, that’s put me in very good stead – you’ll see the best of me in three weeks’ time.

“I remember Dave [Coldwell] shouting at me finish strong, finish strong, and he was just coming in – what we’ve been working on in the gym – I felt like I was catching him with that shot all fight and he just walked onto it lovely at the end and he was gone.

“I’m not fighting these journeyman and people with losing records, that’s a proper fight, he’s 5-0, three knockouts, I’m sure he wanted to be a star over there in Italy. He was coming to win and was defeated, I put a stop to that and gave him his first loss.

“You began to see it, it’s been coming slowly but surely, now over the next year or so you’ll see the best of me.

“I feel like I’m developing more as a fighter under Dave and more as a man – big thanks to Danny Wilson at Boxing Science, he’s making me a lot stronger, and I think you saw it there in the last ten seconds. I’m not just a young kid that people can walk through.

“I want to go right to the top. I don’t want to be a World Champion; I want to be a pound-for-pound star and Dave’s the man to take me there. I’ll keep listening, learning, developing and I promise you I will get there one day.

“I think fighting in Leeds on September 4 shows the confidence and ability – and the confidence my team has in me – to take a fight like that three weeks before and coming through with flying colours, no injuries. I’m ready to go in my hometown in front of 20,00 fans, I’ll steal the show there 100%.

“I’m ready for Zahid Hussain, 100%, I was ready for it back in September and the magic man didn’t turn up. So, we’ll see this time if he comes and if he does, I promise Hopey Price will come out the victor.

“I said it from my second pro fight, I believe there are levels to boxing and my boxing brain is one of the best in Britain. I believe I’m levels above Zahid Hussain.”

Kash Farooq won a 10-round unanimous decision over Luis Gerardo Castillo in a bantamweight bout.

In round five, Farooq was cut under his right eye and Castillo had swelling under his right eye from a headbutt.

Farooq, 117 1/2 lbs of Glasgow, SCO won by scores of 100-90 twice and 100-91 and is now 16-1. Castillo, 116 1/4 lbs of Mexico is 28-3.

“I boxed to the game plan, that was it, you want to get in there and always entertain but I followed the game plan that was it,” Farooq told Matchroom. “I listened to my trainer, and he just told me to box, you couldn’t get any footage of him, so I didn’t know what he was about, I adapted on the night and did what I had to do.

“I showed tonight the other side of me that can box as well. He’s not world class but it’s a different side of my boxing that I showed, he was tough and game. We didn’t know what we were up against.

“If you let anybody hit you, they can punch, he had a bit of sting to his punches, but the name of the game is hit and don’t get hit and that’s what I did in this fight.

“He [Gerardo] can’t speak and can’t hear so it’s something different, people were saying he’s come to win, and this was going to change his life, these types of boys want to win but he was up against me so – I wanted to win as much as he did.

“These boys are coming from nothing, some of them grew up in poverty and it’s a different lifestyle in Mexico – they fight for a living to make their lives better. It’s either me or him and it wasn’t going to be me today.

“It was another learning fight for me, and I’ll progress again, it’s something I picked up – for me it’s just about developing and getting better. This is just another clinical performance by me.

“My job is just to fight, and they tell me what route they’re going to go through. If I had a choice I’d fight [McGregor] but it’s down to them and they’ll make the right decision for me.

“He wants to fight just like I do but he’s got managers telling him what the best options are like I do as well. The next few weeks my managers are going to sit down with Eddie and discuss what the best options are and what route to go down – if it’s that one next then I’m more than happy to take it.

“It is a big fight for Scotland, me and Lee can sell out the SSE Hydro, if it’s the right time and it has a good build me, we can do it. It’s just me and him boxing each other.

“For me I’ll take a few days off but it’s back to training. When I’ll really take some time off is when I call it a day and retire. Now I’ve still got levels to progress, go back to the gym and work on things, it’s a lifestyle in boxing and it a short career, you don’t know when retirement is coming. For me I’m going to put everything into boxing for the next few years of my life.”

Raymond Ford remained undefeated as he stopped Reece Bellotti in round three of a scheduled 10-round featherweight bout.

In round three, Ford landed a right hook that staggered Bellotti. Ford was all over Bellotti and landed a bout 15 unanswered shots and the fight was stopped at 39 seconds.

Ford, 126 lbs of Camden, NJ is 9-0-1 with five knockouts. Bellotti, 125 1/4 lbs of Watford, ENG is 14-5.

“In the third round I was going to start to box and slow it down because I was throwing too many fast, hard shots to hurt him early,” Ford told Matchroom. “My team told me to settle down because we had ten rounds to go and then he came on and ran into the shot. I knew if I didn’t get him out of there when I had him hurt, he was just going to be a tough guy and keep coming forward. When I hit my shot, I had to get him out of there.

“It feels great, one of my dreams that came true, the real dream and goal is to get to these World Championship titles.

“I knew that he [Bellotti] was kind of the bully and everything so I wanted to beat the bully in the fight. I heard a lot about his power, guys saying his power was up there at the top, I just wanted to show I can be a bigger bully and that’s what I did.

“I said yesterday that I was going to handle the pressure. I was just starting to warm up and settle in but the more the fight would have went, the more you would have seen me relaxed and be sharper. I was getting hit by some dumb shots but that was because I was warming up and getting a feel of everything – being back after five months.

“I love it in the UK, all week people have been showing me love so I want to come back and fight here again. I want to be one the greatest to ever do it, not just in my division, I just want to be the best and go down as a legend.

“It’s important to be patient but I feel like I have the skills and I was blessed with the talents I have where I can fight these top guys at a young age. I want to keep stepping up and get these tougher fights.”

Zelfa Barrett stopped Viorel Simion after round five of their scheduled eight-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Barrett dropped Simion with a body shot. Barrett continued to punish Simion and the fight was stopped after round five.

Barrett, 136 1/4 lbs of Manchester, ENG is 26-1 with 16 knockouts. Simion, 139 3/4 lbs of Romania is 22-7.

Michael McKinson says he is aiming to steal the show by “dealing” with Przemyslaw Runowski “in style” when he puts his WBO Global Welterweight Title on the line against the Pole on the final weekend of Matchroom Fight Camp this Saturday August 14, live worldwide on DAZN. 

‘The Problem’ claimed a breakout victory over Chris Kongo as he floored his British Welterweight rival to seal a unanimous decision and move to 20-0 (2 KOs) on the undercard of Dillian Whyte’s huge rematch with Alexander Povetkin in Gibraltar back in March. 

The Portsmouth southpaw, who is trained by his father Michael Ballingall and managed by MTK Global’s Lee Eaton, inked promotional terms with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing the following month and believes he finally has the platform he needs to prove that he is the number one 147lbs fighter in Britain. 

Ranked at No.4 in the world with the WBO, 27-year-old McKinson says it’s his dream to fight at Fratton Park – the home of his beloved Portsmouth FC – in a World Title fight one day, and the undefeated contender can take a step closer to making that dream become a reality by defeating former Josh Kelly foe Runowski this weekend. 

“Before the Kongo fight, I was saying that my career would start on March 27^th, and I really did believe that,” said McKinson. “It was my first fight on the big stage, and I was an underdog. A lot of people picked Chris over me. I was seeing all of the polls on Twitter and stuff like that. Nobody backed me to win. I beat him fair and square. Chris is a good fighter, but I proved I’m a better fighter. My career has only just started. I’m on the big stage finally – it took me 20 fights to get here. I plan on staying here. 

“If you look at my record, I’ve dropped my last three opponents in the first round – they’ve all been unbeaten. I think I’ve dropped six of my last seven, or five of my last six. People do underestimate my power. I can dig, I know I can dig. I will prove that to people in the future. That doesn’t matter though, I’m beating these opponents with relative ease. The knockouts will come, and I reckon when they do come, I’ll get a lot more respect on my name.

“In the UK especially there’s nobody like me. I don’t think there’s anybody on my level. I’m still learning a lot and I’m still developing. Each fight I have I’m just getting better and better. Who knows where I can be in a year or two? At the moment I’m happy with my development and I’m excited for my future. 

“I watched Fight Camp last year and at the time I hadn’t caught my break yet and I was frustrated. I was just thinking, ‘I wish I could get on shows like that’. I’m finally here now. It’s great to be a part of Fight Camp but I’m not here to be a part of it, I’m here to really shine and standout on Fight Camp 3 and that’s what I plan on doing. 

“People look at his only defeat to Josh Kelly but since then he’s bounced back very well. He’s coming off a couple of very good knockout wins so he’s going to be confident. He’s going to be game, and he’s going to try and knock me out. They all do. They’re all confident and game and they all try and knock me out. It’s a fight, as long as I’m prepared to the best I can, it’s a fight I can definitely win. It’s a fight I can definitely look very good in winning too. 

“People that know me know that I don’t like sitting at the same level. I’m constantly trying to challenge myself and get harder fights. This fight is a step up. If I want to be pushing on to these world level fighters, then I’ve got to be dealing with people like Runowski in style.”

McKinson vs. Runowski is part of a huge night of action, Light-Heavyweight star Joshua Buatsi (14-0, 12 KOs) steps up against Ricards Bolotniks (18-5-1, 8 KOs) in a WBA World Title Eliminator, Joe Cordina (12-0, 7 KOs) returns in a ten round Lightweight clash with Joshuah Hernandez (10-3, 8 KOs), Hopey Price (4-0, 1 KO) meets Claudio Grande (5-0, 3 KOs) in a six round Super-Bantamweight contest, Glasgow’s Kash Farooq (15-1, 6 KOs) clashes with Luis Gerardo Castillo (28-2, 18 KOs) for the WBC International Bantamweight Title, the USA’s Raymond Ford (8-0-1, 4 KOs) meets Watford’s Reece Bellotti (14-4, 12 KOs) for the vacant WBA Continental Featherweight Title and Manchester Super-Featherweight Zelfa Barrett (25-1, 15 KOs) joins the card as a late addition. 

EKOW ESSUMAN has declared he is “gunning for” domestic rivals Conor Benn and Michael MicKinson.

Essuman has been frustrated after an injury to double champion Chris Jenkins delayed their fight especially after seeing rivals Benn and McKinson win recently.

The Nottingham boxer explained “When I saw the competition winning it got me itching to show people what I have been working on and how much I’ve improved.

“While I’ve been waiting for the fight to be rescheduled Conor Benn and Michael McKinson have had good wins.

“After I take the  British and Commonwealth title from Jenkins there are a lot of tasty fights out there.

“They are the fights I have to aim for, but as soon as I win those titles they will be coming for the jugular.

“Conor’s matchmaker has been spectacular. They have picked the right opponents to help him build his confidence in what he does.

“No disrespect to his opponents, but a lot of the things they did complimented what Conor does as opposed to putting him in there with a good mover.

“Take Benn v McKinson. Despite Benn’s strengths McKinson would win all day. He is awkward and wouldn’t play up to Conor’s strengths

“I will meet them both. I am gunning for them. It’s just when and where.”

Essuman (14-0, 5 KOs) believes that he will finally face Swansea’s Jenkins (22-3-3, 8 KOs) on a Queensberry card next month.

Normally mild mannered Essuman is even doubting whether Jenkins suffered a perforated ear drum before their scheduled clash in March.

“I have had perforated ear drums before and they clear up in two weeks. When I heard he needed longer I asked myself, ‘Is this guy playing games?’, he added

“I did a lot of rounds with David Avanesyan before he fought Josh Kelly and I remember sitting down with him. I asked him how he coped mentally with the all the postponements over two years.

“He said that it had been a long time, but he was able to work on things that he needed to. That sat with me.

“I have taken that on board and I just have longer to cement the things I need to do against Jenkins.

“By the time I get to fight Jenkins things will be instilled in me and I will do them without even thinking.

“I see myself winning in good fashion. I don’t want to give too much away, but it won’t reach the final bell.”