Fort Lauderdale, FL (December 29, 2020) -WBA Interim Super Middleweight champion David O. Morrell Jr. beat up Mike Gavronski on his way to a 3rd round stoppage in a scheduled 10-round bout at The Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

The fight was the main event of card that was seen live on FOX.

Morrell is promoted by Warriors Boxing Promotions and Ural Promotions.

At the end of round one, Morrell landed a big combination that was punctuated by a straight left that sent Gavronski down to the canvas. Morrell continued to batter Gavronski with some hard uppercuts and straight lefts. Finally in round three, Morrell landed another blasting left uppercut that forced referee Jack Reiss to stop the bout at 2:45.
Morrell, 170 lbs of Minneapolis, MN is 4-0 with three knockouts. Gavronski, 167.4 lbs of Bellevue, WA is 26-4-1.

“The first time I saw a video of David Morrell fighting, he was 17 years old
and competing against the 2 time gold medal winner De La Cruz. Having worked
with 23 worlds champions including Roberto Duran, I knew David was going to
be a great one. He continues to show why he is already capable of competing
with the very best in the world.” Quote from Warriors COO Luis DeCubas, Sr.

Even though the fight took place at 170 lbs., Morrell Jr. will remain the WBA Interim Super Middleweight World champion.

Morrell, who only accepted the fight on December 4th, did not want to pass up an opportunity to headline on a major network. Morell – Gavronski was scheduled as the main event. Morrell and his team had informed event organizers that there was a possibility that the fight would need to take place above the 168-pound limit, as he was not in training camp, and had only three weeks to prepare. A new agreement for an 170-pound bout was consented to by all sides.

Morrell will continue to campaign in the hotly contested super middleweight division, he will look to fight any of the top contenders.

WBA Interim Super Middleweight champion David Morrell Jr. beat up Mike Gavronski on his way to a 3rd round stoppage in a scheduled 10-round bout at The Shrine Event Center in Los Angeles.

At the end of round one, Morrell landed a big combination that was punctuated by a straight left that sent Gavronski down to the canvas. Morrell continued to batter Gavronski with some hard uppercuts and straight lefts. Finally in round three, Morrell landed another blasting left uppercut that forced referee Jack Reiss to stop the bout at 2:45.

Morrell, 170 lbs of Minneapolis, MN is 4-0 with three knockouts. Gavronski, 167.4 lbs of Bellevue, WA is 26-4-1.

Montiel Stops Kirkland in 1

Juan Macias Montiel stopped James Kirkland in the opening round of their ten round middleweight bout,

In the first 30 seconds, Montiel landed a left hook to the temple that sent Kirkland down. Montiel landed two hard uppercuts and a left that dropped Kirkland for a 2nd tine. Two more hard uppercuts later sent Kirkland down again and the fight was stopped at 1:56.

Montiel, 161.4 lbs of Los Mochis, MEX is 25-4-2 with 22 knockouts. Kirkland, 162 lbs of Austin, TX is 34-3.

Ramos Stops Nelson After 4

Jesus Ramos remained undefeated with stoppage victory over Naim Nelson after round four of their scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout,

In round three, Ramos landed a left followed by a right to the body that put Nelson on the canvas. In round four, Ramos landed a wicked right hook that sent Nelson slumping into the ropes for a knockdown. Nelson was cut under his left eye. The fight was halted by the corner following the frame.

Ramos, 144.4 lbs of Case Grande, AZ is 14-0 with 13 knockouts. Nelson, 143.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 14-5.

Travon Lawson scored an upset 4th round stoppage over Angel Barrientes in a scheduled six-round super bantamweight bout.

Barrientes took the 1st three rounds until Lawson landed several big right hands that sent Barrientes down. Barrientes was unsteady as he got up, and the fight was stopped at 55 seconds.

Lawson, 122 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is 4-0 with three knockouts. Barrientes, 123.4 lbs of Las Vegas is 4-1.

Alantez Fox won a 10-round unanimous decision over Marcos Hernandez in a super middleweight bout.

In round four, Fox was cut on the inside of the bridge of his nose.

Fox landed 123 of 524 punches; Hernandez was 93 of 330.

Fox, 167.2 lbs of Forestville, MD won by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94, and is now 27-2-1. Hernandez, 166.6 lbs of Fresno, CA is 14-4-1.

Chavez Barrientes remained undefeated by stopping Paul Carroll after round three of their scheduled four-round super bantamweight bout.

In round three, Barrientes dropped Carroll with a fight hand. The fight was halted by Carroll’s corner following the round.

Barrientes, 123.8 lbs of Las Vegas is 5-0 with four knockouts. Carroll, 122.4 lbs of Columbia, SC is 4-2.

Radzhab Butaev stopped Terry Chatwood in a scheduled eight-round battle of undefeated welterweights.

In round three, Butaev landed a crushing left hook to the body that sent Chatwood down to the canvas rolling around in pain for the 10-count at 1:01.

Butaev, 149.6 lbs of Russia is 13-0 with 10 knockouts. Chatwood, 148.6 lbs of Arkansas is 9-1-1.

LOS ANGELES (December 23, 2020) – Super middleweight contenders Marcos “Madman” Hernandez and Alantez Fox will meet in a 10-round showdown headlining FS1 PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes this Saturday, December 26 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

The telecast begins at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and features undefeated super bantamweight prospect Chavez Barrientes dueling Paul Carroll in a four or six-round special feature, plus unbeaten Radzhab Butaev faces fellow unbeaten Terry Chatwood in a welterweight fight to kick off the telecast.

FS1 PBC Fight Night precedes the FOX PBC Fight Night broadcast that begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is headlined by unbeaten interim WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. challenging Mike Gavronski in a 12-round duel.

The event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and will take place without fans in attendance at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.

Fighting out of Fresno, California, Hernandez (14-3-1, 3 KOs) has faced excellent competition in his career, battling a litany of tough fellow rising contenders. The 27-year-old Hernandez has twice faced former unified super welterweight champion Jeison Rosario, fighting to a draw in their first meeting before losing the rematch. He most recently lost a decision to Kevin Newman in November 2019, a rematch of a fight Hernandez won in 2017. He has taken down then unbeaten fighters in Newman and Thomas Hill in 2016.

The 28-year-old Fox (26-2-1, 12 KOs) was unbeaten in his first 23 fights, moving his way up the middleweight division until dropping a 2017 battle by decision to unbeaten champion Demetrius Andrade. Fighting out of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Fox rebounded with three-straight victories before losing in the U.K. to Liam Williams in December 2019. Most recently, Fox debuted at the full super middleweight limit against Habib Ahmed in a fight that was ruled a no-contest in August.

Barrientes (4-0, 3 KOs) and his twin brother and fellow prospect Ángel were born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and moved to Las Vegas when they were two-years-old. Barrientes and his brother were first introduced to the sport by their father Richard at an early age, with their interest and skill eventually prompting him to open his own gym. Barrientes’ U.S. debut came on the same show as his brother in October as he won a decision over Ivan Varela.

The South Carolina-native Carroll (4-1, 4 KOs) enters this fight with three-straight stoppage victories, having most recently won by TKO over Jayvonne O’Neal in February following two knockouts in 2019. Carroll turned pro in June 2017 with a knockout of Shaquille Harris.

A prolific amateur in his native Khasavyurt, Russia, Butaev (12-0, 9 KOs) now fights out of Brooklyn. The 27-year-old turned pro in 2016 and quickly began moving up the rankings, beating veterans Lanardo Tyner and Silverio Ortiz in 2019. Butaev’s last outing saw him drop a close decision for a vacant WBA welterweight title to Alexander Besputin, which was eventually ruled a no contest after Besputin tested positive for performance enhancers.

Chatwood (9-0-1, 5 KOs) added two victories to his ledger in 2019, stopping James Blake Franklin in April before defeating Juan Ocura in August. The Little Rock, Arkansas native returns to action looking to keep his unbeaten record intact since turning pro in 2016. Chatwood has won seven consecutive fights since a split-draw in 2016.

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Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.
For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

LOS ANGELES (December 22, 2020) – Interim WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. shared insights into his training camp and previewed his upcoming showdown against Mike Gavronski that headlines FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes this Saturday, December 26 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

“Training for this fight has gone really well,” said Morrell. “I’ve been training in Minneapolis with my head trainer Sankara Frazier and my second trainer Adonis Frazier. For my last fight, I had no sparring because of all the restrictions with the pandemic. This time around has been different and I have gotten sparring. I’ve had Maidel Sando helping me with sparring and things have been going great in camp.”

The 22-year-old Morrell won his interim title in just his third professional fighter after arriving stateside from Cuba and turning pro in 2019. Morrell won the belt by defeating then unbeaten Lennox Allen via unanimous decision in PBC’s first fight on FOX after the pandemic this August. Despite that experience fighting during the pandemic, Morrell is not relying on it heading into Saturday, while taking lessons from his time in the ring instead.

“I don’t feel like my experience in ‘the bubble’ is an advantage, because I believe that I can adapt to any situation,” said Morrell. “I just want everything to go right once I step into the ring. That’s what I’m focused on.

“Against Allen I learned to control the timing and rhythm of the fight. I also learned to be calmer and more patient in the ring. Now I feel like I can go 12 rounds with anybody and still feel fresh. I think I know when to slow it down, as well as when to pick up the action and turn the heat up. I’m more confident knowing that I can go a full fight.”

Morrell’s rapid rise since turning pro will now see him take center stage as the primetime main event on FOX. Despite the speedy ascent, Morrell doesn’t feel any added pressure from the headlining position.

“I show out whenever it’s a big stage, so there’s no pressure,” said Morrell. “I’m just excited and can’t wait for the fans to see me back in action. I’m like anybody else that wants to be a champion and number one, I’m at my best in front of a big audience.

“Like any other athlete with big ambitions, I just want to prove that I’m the best. I want people to be happy to see me win and I have a strong desire to be the best in the world.”

In Gavronski, Morrell will face another opponent who laps him in pro experience, as the 34-year-old Gavronski has faced a slew of veteran contenders, including former title challenger Jesse Hart. Despite Gavronski having 10 times the number of pro fights as his opponent, Morrell still believes he is the one with more to prove.

“From what I’ve seen of him, Gavronski has fought some good fighters with good qualities,” said Morrell. “I think he’ll come in confident knowing that I’m only 22-years-old and have only three professional fights. But I’ll prove to him, and everyone else doubting me, that I’m here for a reason. He’s going to come to win, but so will I. Whoever’s best will emerge victorious.”

The super middleweight division is stacked with stars such as Canelo Alvarez, Caleb Plant and David Benavidez, giving Morrell no shortage of potential big fights in his future. For Morrell, he plans to continue to improve and be prepared when the opportunity comes to face the division’s best.

“The super middleweight division is one of the best in boxing,” said Morrell. “The titleholders right now deserve their recognition. They’ve become champions for a reason. But I’m going to be ready for them when I’m given the opportunity. It’s my job to be ready when that time comes.”

With a chance to close out the year in style on Saturday, Morrell is relishing in that opportunity and the promise of what 2021 could bring both inside and outside of the ring.

“My first goal is to close out 2020 by making weight on Friday,” said Morrell. “My second goal is to get the win on Saturday in spectacular fashion. In 2021, I’ll be thankful to God to continue waking up every day. I want more fights in 2021 though, so one or two months into the new year, I want to get back in the ring. And then all of the projects that my team and my promoter have lined up, I want us to achieve our dreams. Hopefully I’ll be able to bring the rest of my family that’s back in Cuba to the U.S. and have them here with me for it.”

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ABOUT MORRELL VS. GAVRONSKI
Morrell vs. Gavronski will see Interim WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. face Mike Gavronski in the 12-round main event of FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, December 26 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will feature the return of renowned knockout artist James Kirkland dueling hard-hitting Juan Macías Montiel in the 10-round middleweight co-main event while unbeaten young rising star Jesús Ramos battles Naim Nelson in a 10-round super lightweight bout that will kick off the broadcast.

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.
For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

LOS ANGELES (December 15, 2020) – Interim WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. will face Mike Gavronski in the 12-round main event of FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, December 26 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will feature the return of renowned knockout artist James Kirkland dueling hard-hitting Juan Macias Montiel in the 10-round middleweight co-main event while unbeaten young rising star Jesus Ramos battles Naim Nelson in a 10-round super lightweight bout that will kick off the broadcast.

The event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and will take place without fans in attendance at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.

“Cuban sensation David O. Morrell Jr. burst onto the scene in 2019 and followed that up in August this year by putting on a great performance to capture his interim super middleweight title,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “He will look to continue his rapid rise at 168-pounds with a battle-tested challenger in Mike Gavronski. James Kirkland has entertained fans with his aggressive style and prolific power for years, and seeks another chance to face the best in the sport beginning December 26. Adding in the scintillating rising star Jesus Ramos returning to action against Naim Nelson, and fight fans can expect a late present the day after Christmas on FOX PBC Fight Night.”

Morrell (3-0, 2 KOs) arrived in the U.S. last year and immediately began to show the same prodigious talents that made him a standout in Cuba’s iconic amateur scene. In August he became interim champion by scoring a dominant decision victory over then unbeaten Lennox Allen on FOX. Now fighting out of Minneapolis, Morrell made his pro debut there in August 2019, stopping Yendris Valdez in the first round. The 22-year-old followed that up in November 2019, knocking out Quinton Rankin, who entered the fight with a 15-6-2 record and had most recently gone the distance with former champion Chad Dawson five months before facing Morrell.

“I feel very happy about being able to fight before the year is out,” said Morrell. “I want to reach the goals I set for myself and continue to provide for my family. I’m working toward being the best in my division and I know I will get there. I’m also thankful for my team’s efforts and trust in my talent. I’m ready to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

Originally from Bellevue, Washington and now fighting out of Lockport, Illinois, Gavronski (26-3-1, 16 KOs) has won back-to-back fights since dropping a 2018 contest to top super middleweight Jesse Hart in 2018. Gavronski owns victories over Brian Vera, then unbeaten Jake Carr and Geraldo Ibarra, in a career that has also seen him face Tureano Johnson. Gavronski’s 2019 victories came in a decision over Emmanuel Sanchez and a stoppage of Tommy Hughes.

“I’m very grateful for an opportunity in a big fight like this,” said Gavronski. “I’ve watched film on David O. Morrell Jr and I have great respect for his abilities. My team and I have put together a great game plan and we believe it’s going to get me victory and the title on December 26 on FOX.”

Born in Austin and fighting out of San Antonio, Texas, Kirkland (34-2, 30 KOs) has made a name for himself as one of the most exciting and explosive fighters in the sport in a long career that’s only seen him defeated twice. The 35-year-old returned to the ring in 2019 with two knockout victories, his first action since losing to Canelo Alvarez in 2015. Kirkland sports an 83% knockout rate and has previously picked up notable wins against former champion Carlos Molina and Alfredo Angulo.

“Pressure is a blessing,” said Kirkland. “I can’t wait to go in there on December 26 to display all my skills and put on a great performance for all the fans watching.”

The 26-year-old Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs) steps back into the ring after his U.S. debut saw him fight Hugo Centeno Jr. to a split-draw on FS1 in December 2019. Representing his native Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, Montiel had previously stopped Marco Reyes and Gustavo Castro to bounce back from a defeat to former champion Jaime Munguia in 2017.

“I know that a win on December 26 will catapult me into even bigger fights,” said Montiel. “I’ve prepared better than ever before leading up to this matchup. I’m more than ready to make the most of this tremendous opportunity.”

The nephew of welterweight contender Abel Ramos, Jesus Ramos (13-0, 12 KOs) has steadily increased his competition as 2020 has seen him deliver knockouts of Ramal Amanov, and most recently then unbeaten Esteban Garcia in action on FOX in September. The 19-year-old from Casa Grande, Arizona has scored three-straight knockout wins following his only pro fight that has gone the distance, which came in a June 2019 unanimous decision over Kevin Shacks.

“I’m super excited to be back in the ring a day after Christmas,” said Ramos. “I’m looking forward to closing out this year strong. I have a tough opponent in Naim Nelson. He’s been in there with some great fighters, but I’ve been working hard to prepare as best as I can. I’m confident that with the work we’ve been putting in, we’re going to get the result we want and in impressive fashion once again.”

A native of boxing-rich Philadelphia, Nelson (14-4, 1 KO) has challenged WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario Barrios and former champion Mickey Bey throughout a career that dates back to 2011. The 30-year-old won his first 12 pro fights and most recently earned a unanimous decision over Roy McGill in October 2019.

“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to fight this year,” said Nelson. “I’ve done my best to stay safe and healthy amidst the pandemic by continuing to train hard. I never took a break away from the gym. I knew that when the call to step on the big stage, I’d be more ready than ever. I’ve been in this position before against a young knockout artist, and I love these kind of challenges. It’s my job to go in there and use all of my experience to show him another level and bring home the win.”

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Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.
For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

ROSEMONT, ILLINOIS — August 30, 2019 — Bobby Hitz returns to where it all began for Hitz Boxing when the promotion presents the Rosemont Rumble at the Dome on September 21.  The main event features Chicago’s Tommy Hughes and Mike Gavronski, who is originally from Washington but now resides in Illinois. The WBC Continental Americas Super Middlweight Championship title is on the line in the 10-round bout. 

Tommy Hughes (9-1, 4KO) has become a staple on the Hitz boxing shows, bringing out fans from all over the Chicago area, who are enamored by his grit, tenacity and most importantly, his willingness to face tough competition.  In a day and age when boxers and their teams cherry pick opponents, and try to keep their ‘O,’ Hughes has never turned down a bout for being too difficult. He has, however, turned down opponents he and his team deemed not challenging enough. 

After his first loss last summer, via a cut at the hands of a very tough Demar Singleton (10-2-1, 6KO), Hughes jumped right back into the fire, facing fellow Chicago fighter Chris Chatman.  Winning a close majority decision didn’t deter Hughes from accepting a rematch with Chatman, which he also won by majority decision.  

Gavronski (25-3-1, 15KO) will be Hughes’ toughest opponent to date. He’s faced high level competition in Jesse Hart, Dashon Johnson, and Brian Vera, and is eager to make his name in his new home of Chicago.  

“I’m really excited about this show,” said Bobby Hitz, founder and promoter of Hitz Boxing. ”This is what local boxing is.  This show epitomizes what local boxing is all about – if I wasn’t promoting this show I’d  buy a ticket for it.”

The undercard will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Tickets for the Rosemont Rumble start at $50, and can be purchased at hitzboxing.com.  Doors to the Dome, located at 27 Jennie Finch Way, open at 7:00. First bell is at 7:30.