GOLDEN BOY AND DAZN TO PRESENT SPECIAL VALENTINE’S DAY EVENT RISING STAR RYAN GARCIA TO HEADLINE AGAINST FRANCISCO FONSECA

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 1, 2020): Golden Boy and DAZN will present a special night of boxing on Valentine’s Day as rising star Ryan Garcia (19-0, 16 KOs) defends his WBC Silver Lightweight Title in a 12-round fight against rugged contender Francisco Fonseca (25-2-2, 19. KOs). The event takes place Friday, Feb. 14 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

“Golden Boy is proud to present the biggest rising talent in the sport of boxing,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “Ryan Garcia silenced all the skeptics by knocking out a tough contender in Romero Duno, and he did it in just one spectacular round. Aside from being a popular young star who is loved by all women, he’s also demonstrated that he’s a skillful fighter with power in both hands. So, we will have something special for everyone to enjoy on Valentine’s Day when we deliver this great show at Honda Center and live on DAZN.”

Garcia is a 21-year-old contender who has quickly developed into one of boxing’s most popular young athletes. After a decorated amateur career, Garcia debuted as a professional and later signed with Golden Boy in 2016. Since then, he’s passed every tough test put in front of him, including wins against “Ruthless”Romero Duno, Carlos “The Solution” Morales and Jason “La Maravilla” Velez. Now, he’ll look to put himself on the path towards the highest levels of the sport with a win at the same venue where Canelo Alvarez became world champion for a first time in 2011.

“I’m very excited to be in the ring once again,” said Ryan Garcia. “I’m looking to shock the world this year. I’m going to show the boxing world that I’m here forever!”

On the other hand, Fonseca represents a recent wave of young talent from Managua, Nicaragua who have recently had much success in the sport. With fighters such as Felix Alvarado and Rene Alvarado becoming world champions within the past 18 months, Fonseca feels inspired to build off that momentum and upset Garcia. The 25-year-old will return after a tough draw against Alex Dilmaghani for a vacant title.

“Nicaraguan boxing is a the very top right now because we have two world champions representing us right now,” said Francisco Fonseca. “That’s why I will not let my country down. When I face Ryan Garcia, I will expose him on his own territory, and I will deliver him his first professional victory. My manager Rosendo Alvarez and I have been waiting for. We’ve dreamed of fighting Ryan Garcia, and we have the antidote to defeat him.”

“From rising stars to crafty veterans, the lightweight division is poised for a huge year in 2020,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP, North America. “With such an adoring fan base, we couldn’t think of a better fighter than Ryan Garcia to headline this special Valentine’s Day event during Fight Season on DAZN.”

In the co-main event, former three-division world champion Jorge “El Nino de Oro” Linares (46-5, 28 KOs) of Barinas, Venezuela will return in a 12-round lightweight fight.

Welterweight sensation Alexis “Lex” Rocha (15-0, 10 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif. will defend his WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Title in a 10-round 147-pound clash.

Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (13-0, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada will defend his NABF Welterweight Title in a 10-round bout.

Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (18-2-2, 7 KOs) de Tierralta, Colombia will fight Alberto “Impacto” Melian (6-1, 4 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina for the vacant WBA International Bantamweight Title in a 10-round bout between two Golden Boy contenders.

Alejandro “PinPon” Reyes (2-0, 2 KOs), a native of Mexicali, Mexico who trains out of Los Angeles’ Westside Boxing Club, will return in a four-round lightweight battle.

Evan Sanchez (6-0, 5 KOs) of Parlier, Calif. will participate in a six-round welterweight bout.

Opponents for the undercard will be announced shortly.

Garcia vs. Fonseca is a 12-round fight for the WBC Silver Lightweight Title presented by Golden Boy. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Friday, Feb. 14 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for Garcia vs. Fonseca go on sale Friday, Jan. 3 at 10:00 a.m. PT. Tickets are priced at $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at goldenboytickets.com, ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 800-943-4327 and at the Honda Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 5 p.m. PT and Sat 10 a.m. PT to 4 p.m. PT).

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

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying
and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/GarciaFonseca into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.




Canelo drops and Stops Kovalev in 11 to win Light Heavyweight title

Canelo Alvarez won the WBO Light Heavyweight title with a 11th round knockout over Sergey Kovalev at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

It was a tactical fight with Kovalev throwing nothing but jabs, while Canelo was looking to counter hard shots. Kovalev was effective, especially early with that strategy as he was able to keep Canelo at bay.

Canelo seemed to get a little closer in the middle rounds with his counter shots. Kovalev rebounded nicely as he started throwing some power shots.

In round 11, Alvarez landed a left to the chin that stunned Kovalev badly. That was followed up by a crushing right that slumped Kovalev between the bottom and 2nd ropes, and referee Russell Mora stopped the fight immediately at 2;15.

Alvarez, who won a title in his 4th weight division, checked in at 174 1/2 lbs, and the Guadalajara, MEX native is now 53-1-2 with 36 knockouts. Kovalev, 175 lbs of Russia is 34-4-1.

Ryan Garcia made an emphatic statement as he stopped Romero Duno in the 1st round of their scheduled 12-round lightweight bout.

Garcia landed a big right that was followed up by a left that sent Duno on his pants, and the fight was stopped at 1:38.

Garcia, 135 lbs of Victorville, CA is 19-0 with 16 knockouts. Duno, 135 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is 21-2.

Seniesa Estrada defeated Marlen Esparza via technical decision after round nine in a battle of undefeated flyweights to win the WBA Interim Flyweight title.

In round five, the two clashed head very hard and a deep cut opened up on the forehead of Esparza. Estrada was more active and slowly beat down Esparza. With the cut deepening, Estrada could not continue after the 9th round.

Estrada, 110.5 lbs of East Los Angeles won by scores of 90-81, 89-82 and 88-83 to raise her mark to 18-0. Esparza, 111 lbs of Houston, Texas is 7-1.

Blair Cobbs remained undefeated with a stoppage after round six over Carlos Ortiz in a welterweight fight

In round one, Ortiz caught Cobbs with left to the head that forced the glove of Cobbs to hit the canvas for a knockdown.

In round six, Cobbs dropped Ortiz hard with a hard overhand left. Cobbs landed a nice body combination in the round and the could have been the stoppage flurry as Ortiz quit in the corner after the round citing pain in his rib area.

Cobbs, 147 lbs of Las Vegas is 13-0-1 with nine knockouts. Cobbs, 146 lbs of Mexico is 11-5.

The son of the legend, Evan Holyfield needed just 16 seconds to stop Nick Winstead in Holyfield’s pro debut in a scheduled four-round middleweight fight.

Holyfield, 154 lbs of Atlanta is 1-0 with one knockout. Winstead, 156 lbs of Albita Springs, LA is 0-2.

Bakhram Murtazaliev won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jorge Fortea in a junior middleweight elimination bout.

In round four, Murtazaliev had swelling around his left eye. That seemed to wake him as he stated to up his punch rate and came home with the victory by scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110.

Murtazaliev, 154 lbs of Grozny, RUS is 17-0. Forte, 153.5 lbs of Sueca, SPA is 20-2-1.

Tristan Kalkreuth won a four-round unanimous decision over Twon Smith in a cruiserweight bout.

Kalkreuth, 188 lbs of Arlington, TX won by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37 to got to 3-0. Smith, 188.5 lbs of Oklahoma City is 3-4.

Meirim Nursaltanov won a 10-round unanimous decision over Cristian Olivas in a middleweight bout.

Nursaltanov, 160 lbs of Merki, KAZ won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 13-0. Olivas, 160 lbs of Mexicali. MC is 16-6.




CANELO VS. KOVALEV UNDERCARD PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 31, 2019): The undercard of the Canelo vs. Kovalev card hosted a press conference featuring Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs), “Ruthless” Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs), Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (17-0, 7 KOs), Marlen Esparza (7-0, 1 KO), Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (12-0-1, 8 KOs), and Carlos Ortiz (11-4, 11 KOs). The event will take place Saturday Nov. 2, 2019 at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s press conference:

Ryan Garcia, Lightweight Contender:

“This fight is a big fight, a big moment, there’s a lot of hype around it. A lot of things have been said about me not taking the fight in September but look, I’m taking it now. It’s a big moment on a big stage, and it had to happen here. You have two hungry fighters and Romero, he’s a big puncher and he’s going to come and try to knock me out. It’s a very dangerous fight. I took a younger fighter who’s up and coming so he’s hungry. Not some old guy, I took a young, hungry, hard-hitting fighter. I want to prove everybody wrong and I probably won’t get the respect end of the day but it’s okay as long as I put on the best show that I can.”

“I just got a lot of haters and they want to see me lose, even if I knock him out and I put on a beautiful boxing performance, they’re not going to respect me but I’m okay with that. I’m okay with just being confident in myself. I have a lot of respect for Romero Duno. Sometimes it confuses me when he wears t-shirts that ‘Ryan Garcia is running,’ so I’m a little confused, but I respect him.”

“I feel like my skills are better. I just feel like I’m going to win fairly easy. I don’t see it going all ten rounds.”

KO? “Ya.”

Romero Duno, NABO Lightweight Champion:

“I would like to thank Golden Boy Promotions for giving me a chance to fight this event, a very big event for me. I would like to thank Ryan Garcia for accepting the match. I wanted to give the fans what they want. They say they want me to fight King Ryan. I was ready [in September], I was always ready. I was born ready.”

“I didn’t imagine that I could be here right now, fighting on a big card like this one. It’s a very big opportunity for me to show the world that not only Manny Pacquiao can make history in boxing in the Philippines. There’s a lot of Filipino fighters that can do that.”

Seniesa Estrada, WBC Silver Light Flyweight Champion:

“I’ve been dealing with a lot of talk from Marlen the last two years, mostly on social media of course, but I do my talking in the ring. Saturday night, she’s going to have a lot to deal with. I love that she’s underestimating me and thinks she’s gonna walk right through me. Saturday night, she’s in for a big surprise.”

“You’re a bad rep to women’s boxing period, you start beef with everybody. There’s little girls watching you too, and you disrespect me all the time. She has a bad ego, bad attitude, she’s disrespectful, she’s just a nasty person with a nasty attitude. Marlen Esparza is delusional.”

“I’m going to be the bully Saturday night, that’s for sure.”

Marlen Esparza, NABO Flyweight Champion:

“I just want to say that I’m extremely happy to be here. It’s such a huge platform for women’s boxing. I’m looking forward to settling this once and for all. There’s been so much said, so much done. Seniesa decided to shove me and disrespect me and disrespect women’s boxing. There’s little girls watching all over the world and I want to show them how we should represent women’s boxing. The entire situation is disrespectful. There’s a time to make contact and that’s on Saturday night. You need to hold yourself in a professional manner.”

“I’m excited to put on a show and I’m excited for the three-minute rounds – it’s huge for us in women’s boxing. I’m excited to do this not just for me but for all the Latinas everywhere.”

“She’s a compulsive liar. She tries to play victim all the time. You’re not the victim here, and then you want to shove me? Which are you, are you the victim or the bully? You need to pick a side.”

Blair Cobbs, Junior NABF Welterweight Champion:

“I’m going out there to impress and show the world – millions around the world – what Blair ‘The Flair’ is all about baby. Woo!”

“I am the most exciting man in boxing today, because it doesn’t matter who you put me in there with – you’re going to see an exciting fight. Knockouts, drag-out wars, you’re going to see blood, action, tears. You’re going to see somebody that’s going to hate me, and the people that hate me are going to rise up and give a great applause.”

Carlos Ortiz, Welterweight Contender:

“I’m very grateful to be participating on such a card with great boxers. There’s a reason why we’re here and I look forward to giving a great fight.”

Eric Gomez, President of Golden Boy:

“As in any big event, you have the undercard and we have all these rising stars that are going to contribute in making this a special event on Saturday night. In the co-feature, Ryan Garcia wants to prove that he can be the next big star in boxing but he’s facing a tough customer in Romero Duno – who knows that with a victory, he’s right in line to challenge for a world title. And, we have two girls who are undefeated and are going to take their fight off of social media and into the ring.”

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events:

“A spot on the undercard is where it starts. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked through our archive and looked at a particular fight and been astonished at who was fighting underneath.”

Bernard Hopkins, Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Business Partner:

“To my left, the future stars, this is your moment. Even though you’re not the headliner of the card, you have the chance to steal the show. You have the chance to be your own main event and be successful. To my right, the same goes to you – especially Blair and everybody that’s putting themselves into a position to one day be a main event. I love this sport, I love boxing, and when you get an undercard that has substance and meaning, it makes me feel even more grateful that I’ve left my DNA heavy in the history of boxing. Pay attention to the undercard very closely because one day soon, you’ll be rooting for them and you’ll be covering them.”

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title
presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. Garcia vs. Duno is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Silver & NABO Lightweight Titles presented by Golden Boy. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,”
Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254,
$854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,
www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez,
https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and
https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying
and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloKovalev to a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy or Main Events where applicable for any photo and/or video usage.




RYAN GARCIA AND ‘RUTHLESS’ ROMERO DUNO FACE OFF IN SPECIAL PRE-FIGHT FEATURE ON FACEBOOK WATCH

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 30, 2019): Rising lightweight star Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) and NABO Lightweight Champion “Ruthless” Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs) faced off in a special pre-fight feature on Facebook Watch to discuss their highly anticipated 10-round fight in the co-main event of Canelo vs. Kovalev.The night of boxing action will take place this Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Social media star Logan Paul moderated the face-off, which highlights the importance of this upcoming bout along with the controversy that surrounded the way it was finalized. As an added bonus, Garcia concluded the feature by turning the tables on Paul and interviewing the YouTube star to discuss his upcoming rematch against KSI on Nov. 9 at Staples Center and live on DAZN. To watch the entire show, click here.

“I took this fight because no prospects want to do this,” said Ryan Garcia. “I want to do it. I don’t want to fight old veterans. I don’t want to fight ex-champions that are already washed up. I want to show everyone what I’m made of, and this is the perfect fight to do this. We’re two young fighters. What other young fighter is doing this?”

“A win over Ryan Garcia would mean a lot to me,” said Romero Duno. “I know that Ryan is very famous, and there are a lot of people who think I can’t beat him. I need to show them that I can fight against a fast boxer like him. It’s going to be a tough fight.”

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title
presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254,
$854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,
www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez,
https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and
https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying
and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloKovalev to a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy or Main Events where applicable for any photo and/or video usage.




CANELO VS. KOVALEV UNDERCARD MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 30, 2019): Following today’s final press conference, Canelo vs. Kovalev undercard fighters staged an open workout for fans at the MGM Resort and Casino. Those participating included Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs), “Ruthless” Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs), Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (17-0, 7 KOs), Marlen Esparza (7-0, 1 KO) and Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (12-0-1, 8 KOs). Canelo vs. Kovalev will take place Nov. 2, 2019 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live excusively on DAZN.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s workout:

Ryan Garcia, Lightweight Contender:

“I’m feeling good. I’m feeling on weight. I’m feeling speed, power, everything feels good. I don’t see this fight going the distance. My main focus is getting the win, whatever happens.”

“He’s going to bring what he has and that’s power. He’s going to come forward, he’s not going to quit, and you’ll see what I do.”

Romero Duno, NABO Lightweight Champion:

“I feel excited for this fight and to be here in Vegas.”

Seniesa “Estrada, WBC Silver Light Flyweight Champion:

“I just know I have a lot of different ways to win. I can adjust to any type of style. Marlen has the same style every fight, so I’m going to go in there and show people all that I can do, different things. I know I trained hard for this fight. I had a two-and-a-half-month training camp, I sparred 110 rounds. I’m prepared mentally and physically, which you have to be when you’re on such a big stage. I’m just mentally prepared.”

“I’m kind of used to Marlen’s trash talk because it’s been happening for the past few years. She does a lot of talking. I don’t talk. She blames me for it, but it’s not me. She’s had beef with many other girls, it’s not just myself. I’m used to it, I just have to focus on what I have to do to win the fight. I’m not sure how it started. She starts beef with a lot of people, it’s not just me, but she started the beef, and we’re going to end it on Saturday.”

“I’m ready. Just some eating to make sure I stay strong and stay ready. Finish up the last couple days of training.”

Marlen Esparza, NABO Flyweight Champion:

Were you angry or surprised she shoved you yesterday? “I think it was a little of both. I didn’t think she had it in her, I think she’s super weak. I think what really got me more angry was this is the first time that women’s boxing is being showcased on such a big platform, I don’t think it was very respectful to the sport. Like, hold it together. I want to push you too, I want to fight you too, but there’s a time and a place on Saturday night. It really pissed me off, and I’m going to save it all for Saturday and I hope she does the same. When you’re on a stage like that, it’s all work so for me, regardless of how I feel, I’m still going to concentrate on what I have to do. If I don’t like you in in normal life, I wouldn’t be standing next to you right now, but it’s work. You should respect the sport and respect that there are little girls watching you. It was insulting and disrespectful, but I can let all that out in the ring.”

Why is this fight so meaningful for women’s boxing? “There are other fighters and a few other big fights that have done the same thing, but we are the first ones doing three-minute rounds. That’s something we really fought for, and I feel like that’s something we needed do to show people what the three-minute round can do for women’s boxing. One, if we want equal pay, we need to do equal work. Secondly, there are a lot of fights that would go completely different if they were two-minute rounds. If you were to take all the men’s bouts, some of the most legendary fights, if it was two-minutes, most of the time, those outcomes wouldn’t be the same. We are trying to represent ourselves as best as possible and I think the real winner will be in a three-minute round.”

How are you feeling? “It’s just the waiting game. Staying focused and realizing that the job’s not done yet. I feel like I’ve been waiting almost my entire career for this fight. So, I’m just anxious but I’m excited. Thank you to everyone for their support. If this is your first time tuning in on a women’s bout, I hope you like it. It’s going to be good.”

Blair Cobbs, Junior NABF Welterweight Champion:

“I got everything that it takes, to steal the show and show the world that Blair ‘The Flair’ is the best. My confidence is instilled in me since day one when I was born. I was born for this moment.”

“I pay homage to all the WWE fans and people that love Ric Flair. Ric Flair is an incredible entertainer and he is one of the guys that I look up to as far as entertainment is concerned. So, when I say ‘Woo!’ that’s where it comes from.”

“I look up to Blair ‘The Flair.’ I look at the video tapes, and I think, ‘Man that guy is really good.’ I wake up in the morning and I think, ‘Wow, that boy is sexy.’ And when I hit somebody, that boy goes down, and I’m like, ‘Wow. I’m shocked.’ If anyone is a fan of Blair ‘The Flair,’ it’s definitely Blair Cobbs, he’s definitely a fan of Blair ‘The Flair.'”

“You can expect action, you can expect quality entertainment, you can expect a more refined technical boxer in the ring and you can expect nothing but action. But what you can really expect is I put out exactly what I’m saying – that I am the most entertaining fighter today.”

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title
presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254,
$854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,
www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez,
https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and
https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying
and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloKovalev to a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy or Main Events where applicable for any photo and/or video usage.




RYAN GARCIA TO FACE ‘RUTHLESS’ ROMERO DUNO IN CO-MAIN EVENT OF CANELO VS. KOVALEV

LAS VEGAS (October 8, 2019) – The Canelo vs. Kovalev undercard will be brimming with action as it features the returns of Ryan Garcia, Bakhram Murtazaliev, Seniesa Estrada, Marlen Esparza and many others. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively as one of the most anticipated events this fight season on DAZN.

“We have put a lot of thought into this long-awaited night, and we’re eager to deliver one of the best undercards of the year,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “This event will feature some of our brightest talents taking on the toughest fights of their careers. With Ryan Garcia, we have a huge star in the making, but he’ll need to get past a tough, hard-hitting contender in Romero Duno to secure his path for a world title. We also have Seniesa Estrada and Marlen Esparza, who will look to final end their rivalry in a fight for the Interim WBA Flyweight Title. So, whether in person or live on DAZN, a new chapter in boxing’s history will unfold on November 2.”

As announced previously, rising superstar Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. will look to unify the vacant WBC Silver Lightweight Championship with NABO Lightweight Champion “Ruthless” Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs) of Cotabato City, Philippines in the 12-round co-main event to Canelo vs. Kovalev. This will be a fight between two of the hardest-hitting lightweights in the Golden Boy stable.

“This is a big moment for me,” said Ryan Garcia. “These opportunities don’t come often. It’s my chance to show what I’m capable of on the biggest stage in boxing. I’m not going to let this opportunity slip. I’m fighting against Romero Duno, the opponent I wanted since the beginning, so I’m going show that I’ve reached another level on Nov. 2.”

“This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for,” said Romero Duno. “I’m so excited to be part of a such a big night as the co-main event of Canelo vs. Kovalev. This fight has been building up for some time. I’ve had my eye on Ryan Garcia for a while now. I promise to do everything it takes to beat him on Nov. 2 and take home a big victory for the Philippines!”

Undefeated Russian prospect Bakhram Murtazaliev (16-0, 13 KOs) will face the biggest test of his young career in a 12-round elimination bout with Jorge Fortea (20-1-1, 6 KOs) of Valencia, Spain for the mandatory position in the IBF Junior Middleweight Division. Murtazaliev was originally supposed to fight Jeison Rosario on September 21 for the #1 position but Rosario pulled out due to an injury. This exciting bout will be co-promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Sampson Boxing.

“I have been waiting a long time for this opportunity. I am excited for my first fight with my new trainer, Virgil Hunter. We will be ready on November 2ndto face Fortea and become mandatory challenger. Thank you to my team Main Events, Krusher Promotions, Kathy Duva, Sergey Kovalev, my manager, Egis Klimas and Virgil Hunter for making my dream a reality.”

According to Fortea, “It’s a moment I have been waiting for whole my life, to be part of the undercard of Canelo vs Kovalev for my US debut is like a dream. I trained 15 years for this. I want to thank Sampson Lewkowicz for making it true, Main Events and Golden Boy for hosting the eliminator. Murtazaliev is indeed a strong and dangerous boxer but I will be ready for that and my skills will prevail. I won’t waste the opportunity to fight for a world title”

Bakhram is a terrific fighter and we are so pleased to be able to give him this great opportunity on such an auspicious night,” said Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva. “With any luck, Main Events and Krusher promotions will have another world champion soon.”

Two of the most exciting and popular female boxers in the sport today will finally settle their heated rivalry as Seniesa “Superbad” Estrada (17-0, 7 KOs) of East Los Angeles, Calif. and Marlen Esparza (7-0, 1 KOs) of Houston, Texas battle for the vacant Interim WBA Flyweight Title. This clash has been building up for over two years as both fighters have been exchanging words over social media and various interviews.

“Thank you to my promoter Golden Boy, especially Roberto Diaz for making this fight possible,” said Seniesa Estrada. “I’m happy to give the fans the fight they’ve been wanting to see. I’m looking forward to representing women’s boxing in a positive way. I’m going to put on a great show and demonstrate my skills, showing things that people have not yet seen from me. Thank you to all the people who continue to support me.”

“My team and I have been pushing for this fight,” said Marlen Esparza. “I know this is what the fans want. Now I’m forcing her to back up everything she has ever said. She knows it’s going to be a long night for her.”

Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (12-0-1, 8 KOs), a fan-favorite native of Philadelphia, will fight for the vacant NABF Welterweight Title against Carlos Ortiz (11-4, 11 KOs) of Torreon, Mexico. Cobbs is an exciting, unconventional fighter who has taken the undefeated records of Ferdinand “Lucky Boy” Kerobyan and most recently against Steve “Manos de Oro” Villalobos.

Rising 17-year-old prospect Tristan Kalkreuth (2-0, 2 KOs) of Duncanville, Texas will return in a four-round cruiserweight fight.

Meiirim Nursultanov (12-0, 8 KOs) of Merki, Kazakhstan will fight in a 10-roumd middleweight battle against Cristian Olivas (16-5, 13 KOs) of San Ysidro, California for the WBC – USNBC Middleweight Title. Nursultanov is a top prospect in the hot middleweight division and is current ranked #10 in the IBF. Olivas hits hard with power in both hands and has never been stopped. This should be an explosive match-up.

Evan Holyfield, the son of legendary Hall of Famer Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield, will make his much-anticipated professional debut in a four-round junior middleweight fight against Nick Winstead (0-1) of Abita Springs, La.

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254, $854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com
and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/,
https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and
https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloKovalev to a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy or Main Events where applicable for any photo and/or video usage.




RYAN GARCIA AND GOLDEN BOY SOLIDIFY THEIR PACT AS THE YOUNG STAR HAS EXTENDED HIS MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 16, 2019): Golden Boy and Ryan Garcia have solidified their pact as the popular lightweight sensation has extended his multi-year agreement with the company. The rising star will make his return in the co-main event of Canelo vs. Kovalev. Additional details will be announced shortly.

Garcia is one of the most exciting and innovating talents in boxing. The native of Victorville, Calif. has an appeal that is already reaching mainstream audiences, demonstrating that his potential for worldwide success is limitless. The 21-year-old pugilist has already defeated tough contenders such as Jayson “La Maravilla” Velez, Carlos “The Solution” Morales and Jose “Wonder Boy” Lopez. But as he gets closer to a world title opportunity, Garcia has extended his contract with Golden Boy in one of the most lucrative deals in history for a boxing prospect.

“One of our defining features as a company is to develop champions and make them into stars,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “From the second we discovered Garcia, we knew he was different. We knew he was special. We knew he could move the needle. Besides his amazing talent, he brings an outside appeal that few fighters can achieve. At the same time, he also needs the right environment to develop, and that environment is with us. Under our guidance, I have no doubt that this young, charismatic fighter will become the biggest star in the sport.”

“Actions speak louder than words,” said Ryan Garcia. “I’m here today to show everybody that I consider Golden Boy my family and that we’re going to be in this together as I fulfill my dreams. Just like I have all the capabilities to become a big star, Golden Boy has all the tools to get me there. But I just want to tell all of our fans: Enjoy the ride!”

About Golden Boy
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company’s in-house production team develops creative original programming for ESPN, RingTV.com and international channels across the globe. The company holds the exclusive rights to top boxers and has promoted some of the biggest and highest grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike through its 2019 partnership with streaming platform, DAZN.




VIDEO: Munguia vs. Allotey // Garcia vs. Sparrow Final Press Conference




JAIME MUNGUIA AND RYAN GARCIA LOS ANGELES PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES,

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (Aug. 13, 2019): Jaime Munguia (33-0, 26 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico hosted a press conference today at the Golden Boy Headquarters in Los Angeles, Calif. ahead of the 12-round defense of his WBO Junior Middleweight World Title against African warrior Patrick Allotey (40-3, 30 KOs). He was joined by co-main event fighters Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) and Avery “A-Plus” Sparrow (10-1, 3 KOs) who will battle in a 10-round lighweight fight. The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Below is what today’s participants had to say at the press conference:

JAIME MUNGUIA, WBO Junior Middleweight Champion:

“I feel very happy to be the main event for this Mexican Independence Day fight. It’s going to be a great day for boxing and a great day for Mexico. My desire on September 14th is to demonstrate everything I’ve been learning with my new trainer Erick Morales. I have a great fighter in front of me and we are going to show it in the ring.”

“We know that Allotey is strong, fast and has a lot of knockouts. We will have to be very careful about that. But, I’ll be looking to give a great show, and I’ll look for the knockout on September 14.”

RYAN GARCIA. Lightweight Contender:

“Thank you to everyone who came here. Out of the three fights I was offered I knew Avery was the hardest. He’s a fast and undefeated counter puncher. He’s smart. I wanted to take the hardest fight I got offered. I’m going to bring my all and train like it’s my last, upping my speed and power. I’m going to bring my experience. I’ve seen a lot of fighters out there, and I’m going to bring those wins into the ring as well. Let’s all get ready! Avery is very fast and that’s what I’m going to have to train for. I know that my experience and my training will help me win this fight. I wanted to take on the hardest fight. I’m not trying to prove anything to myself, but to the people who doubt me and the people who don’t think I can handle this fight.”

AVERY SPARROW, Super Featherweight Contender:

“Thank you Golden Boy and all the fans for making this fight happen. Ryan knows I’m a good fighter and this is a big fight, I have a lot of support and people backing me. I’m on a different level than Ryan Garcia, and he hasn’t been to this level yet. I’ve fought fighters with similar experience before, but we will see what happens on September 14th. I hope to see everyone there.”

ERIK MORALES, Hall of Famer and Trainer of Jaime Munguia:

“I’m very grateful to be working with Munguia. He’s a great fighter and a young fighter with a lot of desire to show. It reminds me of when I was younger. He has been improving over our last two months of working together. I assure you that the Munguia you know will be different, but will also deliver the same explosive style he has. We are showing him and guiding him.”

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

“As always we will have a very stacked undercard for this fight. We are excited to host this fight at one of the most exciting venues in California. Dignity Health Sports Park brings out the best in every fighter, so we can’t wait for the fans to experience this fight. This fight will also include a Mexican fiesta featuring bands and activations from Tecate and Orange Crush. The event will be streamed live on DAZN, where we are committed to making the best fights and giving fans and affordable price to watch. Our partners at DAZN have been instrumental in bringing affordable boxing to the masses and on a global scale.”

“We want to make sure that you’re watching the very best. We strongly feel that the fights we have scheduled for this event are even and will give fans their money’s worth. Avery knows what’s at stake and what can transpire by winning this fight. We are truly excited to be showcasing Munguia on an important day for boxing, especially now that he has a new trainer. We strongly feel this new trainer will bring out the best in Munguia. Munguia is willing to jump around into different divisions and every punch he throws is with bad intention. He’s a hard worker and he’s disciplined and dedicated. He’s also a real pleasure outside of the ring.”

FERNANDO BELTRAN, President of Zanfer Promotions:

“First of all, I would like to tell you that it’s an honor to be here in one of the best boxing companies in the world and with Oscar De La Hoya. I also have lots memories on this podium by being here with Erik Morales. Munguia is a special fighter and he will prove that he belongs on the top and fighting the best fighters out there, such as Canelo and Golovkin. I know everyone will enjoy this fight on Mexican Independence Day.”

Munguia vs. Allotey is a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight Championship presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle,” and Orange Crush. The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 14 at Dignity Health Sports Park and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Tickets for Munguia vs. Allotey are on sale and are priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at goldenboytickets.com, https://www.axs.com/, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at Dignity Health Sports Park Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

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

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/MunguiaAllotey into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.




GOLDEN BOY AND DAZN TO PRESENT A BIG NIGHT OF BOXING ON MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND!

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (Aug. 10, 2019): Golden Boy and DAZN will continue the tradition of delivering pugilistic action on Mexican Independence Day Weekend as Jaime Munguia (33-0, 26 KOs) takes on Patrick Allotey (40-3, 30 KOs) in a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Title at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. The event will take place on Saturday, September 14 and will be streamed live on DAZN.

“We’re excited to be able to continue this tradition that we know many fans anticipate, and this year we’re putting on a series of exhilarating fights that will make for an entertaining night,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “Jaime Munguia is an undefeated world champion who has become one of Mexico’s biggest boxing stars. Meanwhile, Patrick Allotey has an impressive skillset with years of experience under his belt. The styles are guaranteed to make a war. We’ve also put together a full card of action in order to celebrate Mexican Independence Day.”

Munguia is a 22-year-old world champion of Tijuana, Mexico who catapulted to the highest levels of the 154-pound division by knocking out Sadam “World Kid” Ali in May to capture the WBO Junior Middleweight World Title. Since then, Munguia has defended his title against the likes of Liam “Beefy” Smith, Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook, Takeshi Inoue and Dennis Hogan. Munguia will now represent his country on the most important date for Mexican boxing.

“I feel very happy for the opportunity of headlining a card on Sept. 14,” said Jaime Munguia. “That’s the best date for boxing in the entire year. It’s a great date for Mexico because that’s when we celebrate Mexican Independence Day. I’m proud and honored to be representing Mexico in the festivals for my country. I’ll give my best and I’ll try to deliver a great fight for all the people and for those who will see us.”

Allotey is a 28-year-old native of Accra, Ghana who debuted as a professional in 2006 when he was only 16 years old. Though suffering losses against Golden Boy’s Patrick Teixeira and standout contender Kanat Islam, Allotey is coming off six victories in a row.

“I respect Munguia. He is a great fighter,” said Patrick Allotey. “But I’m an African warrior, so you know I’ll be coming to cause a big surprise.”

“I’m very excited for Jaime Munguia’s next fight date as he’ll be headlining on Sept. 14, which is an important date for Mexico,” said Fernando Beltran, President of Zanfer Promotions. “I am very proud because our representative will fight on the most important date for Mexicans.

In the co-main event, rising sensation Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. will take on Avery “A Plus” Sparrow (10-1, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a 10-round lightweight fight.

“Sparrow is basically an undefeated fighter with a good amateur background,” Ryan Garcia. “People in boxing that know boxing will know this isn’t an easy fight. It will not be overlooked.”

“I’m thankful to Golden Boy and Russell Peltz for the opportunity,” said Avery Sparrow. “Ryan Garcia has yet to be tested, and it’s a big step up for him. It’s not much of a step up in opposition for me. It’s his biggest test, not mine. I’m good fighting at 130, but nobody wants to fight me there, so I’m moving up to 135. I look forward to putting on a great show.”

“It’s a difficult fight for Sparrow,” said Russell Peltz. “Once again he has to move up in weight from 130 to 135. None of the 130-pounders want to fight him. However, I am not a big believer that weight difference will determine the outcome. The outcome will be determined by who is the better fighter so long as the judges are fair, and I am sure they will be. Garcia has a prettier record, but Sparrow can more than handle himself.”

Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano (32-7-1, 22 KOs) of Tlalnepantla, Mexico will defend his WBC International Silver Super Lightweight Title in a 12-round fight against Michael “The Artist” Perez (25-3-2, 11 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey. Cano will return from his upset victory over Jorge “El Niño de Oro” Linares, and he will look to fight for a world title at 140 pounds if successful against Perez.

Filipino rising star “Ruthless” Romero Duno (20-1, 15 KOs) will defend his NABO Lightweight Title in a 10-round fight.

Armenian contender Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (17-3, 14 KOs) will return in a 10-round super bantamweight clash.

Alejandro “Pin Pon” Reyes of Los Angeles, Calif. will make his professional debut in a four-round lightweight fight against Jorge Padron (3-4, 3 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico.

Additional undercard information will be announced shortly.

Munguia vs. Allotey is a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight Championship presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle,” and Orange Crush. The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 14 at Dignity Health Sports Park and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Tickets for Munguia vs. Allotey go on sale Tuesday, August 13 at 10:00 a.m. PT. Tickets are priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at goldenboytickets.com, https://www.axs.com/, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at Dignity Health Sports Park Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

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

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting
the link: http://bit.ly/MunguiaAllotey into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.




A partially pandering attempt to reach a new readership via KingRy

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in the mainevent of a Golden Boy-promoted and DAZN-broadcasted card from Indio, Calif., undefeated American lightweight Ryan “KingRy” Garcia (2.3m followers, Instagram) whacked-out hopeless Puerto Rican Jose Lopez in two rounds. If Garcia’s punches occasionally wanted for precision they lacked no malice, and their thrower no cocksuredness, and that recommends young KingRy because few are the prizefighters who start an uppercut after missing in the same flurry with hooks and crosses.

If you think Garcia isn’t yet quite what his socialmedia following believes, friend, you’ve come to the wrong place, as this space hopes to be a KingRy fanpage for at least a few hundred of the words that follow.

Without access to any demographic data for 15rounds.com a hunch tells me we lack a reliable readership among women, 18-24, a lack more pernicious than may first appear because our target demographic repels, or at least frightens, women, 18-24. And if you’re thinking “well, frightening them first sometimes does wonders,” you’re making my point – even while you might be right. Consider this column, then, a partial effort to pander and a partial effort to celebrate the potential of a young prospect; if by chance you are reading this column in the year 2024 and KingRy just failed in his fourth attempt to become a world champion, let’s hope it was a 23-year-old woman whose recommendation brought you here.

Rumor has it young women can be charmed by magic tricks, and while this effort, thus far, is bereft of magic, tricky or otherwise, its author has recently taken to juggling for reasons at best tangential to anything prizefighting but a touch germane to Garcia. Let’s see if the metaphor doesn’t collapse before it inflates.

If our focused vision, the detailed and conscious study of a visual object, happens via the cones of our foveae then most of boxing we watch with the rods of our peripheral vision. In a figurative sense this happens during nearly any pay-per-view undercard because broadcasters and promoters stock these with such swill no adult’s fovea need be wasted. In a literal sense, too, we trust most boxing viewership to peripheral vision, what suspenseful happenings occur while we fix drinks for acquaintances or discuss the weather with their wives.

Until Saturday the weight of my viewership of Ryan Garcia fell upon my peripheral vision exclusively; probably I caught some of a couple of his matches during some undercard broadcast or other, and (pander alert) I resolved to open an Instagram account to follow his photogenic exploits, but I never cleared a calendar’s moment for him.

Here’s something you already know but may not’ve considered: The rods of your peripheral vision are far better at detecting both motion and its rate than the cones of your fovea. You’re reading this with your fovea, that is, but if while you’re reading this a redfanged predator is creeping upon you it will be your peripheral vision that does the detecting – and there’s a strong argument to be made it is this, your very unconsidered faith in peripheral vision, that allows you to do something decadent as concentrate on words about boxing (ostensibly).

Which is sort of where juggling comes into play. Like most lads raised in New England I’ve gone through nearly all my life without any fascination whatever for motor sports. My first college roommate was from North Carolina, and until I met him I’d no inkling what NASCAR was nor a first inkling how absurdly popular it was. I still don’t watch live auto racing (or, to be fair, live most-any-sport-but-boxing), but I like sports documentaries of all kinds enough to’ve spent a goodish amount of time in March watching programs about Formula 1 (and even more time watching footage of the late Ayrton Senna). Along the way I caught one pattern more than another: Most Formula 1 drivers juggle to cultivate a discipline like: Look with soft focus on the horizon, say halfway up your windshield, while trusting your peripheral vision to detect others’ motions round you.

Despite an abiding fascination with palindromes I’ve no desire to do anything with a racecar but admit the Formula 1 driver’s discipline has a myriad of applications in life. So I bought the juggling balls (leatherskinned hacky sacks, effectively, the better for not bouncing when you drop them hundreds and hundreds of times) and watched the YouTube videos and did the oneball toss then the twoball toss then the threeball flash and then a halfdozen or so hours into the enterprise things made sense and quite apparently it was easier to keep two balls in the air while juggling three than turn the same feat with only two. (And it applies to this discipline, too: Right now I’m keeping soft focus on a wordcount of 1,000 while trusting peripheral vision will tell me if any worthwhile ideas about Ryan Garcia should come swooping in.)

Oh, here they come. What I like about Garcia: He has his new stablemate Canelo Alvarez’s best offensive traits and moreso. What surprises most about Canelo in person, for translating least on television, is his intensity of attack; if he doesn’t appear much faster at ringside he appears degrees more intentional; he very much wants to hurt you with his punches. The first time I covered a fight of his at ringside was the match with Austin Trout, and the experience impressed upon my memory an enduring sensation like “Wow, this dude is physical.” Not even sure what that means exactly, but you get it.

Garcia doesn’t yet have the same effect, his body is still a boy’s, comparatively, but his attack is relatively more intense than Canelo’s for coming from a relatively less-affected place. Garcia appears more loosely wound when defending than Canelo and meaner when attacking. However much of this should be attributed to opponent-quality remains to be gathered. Garcia mayn’t have Canelo’s chin, and best stop pulling it straight back regardless, but he has a prettyboy’s pride and presence, the relaxed posture of a guy who can pull your girlfriend and likes being resented for it.

Garcia’s a Spanish 102 class and an Olympic gold medal from being Oscar De La Hoya, perhaps, but our beloved sport is a lot more than that from being what it was in 1995, when De La Hoya won his 18th prizefight.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter (though not Instagram, alas) @bartbarry




LIVE BOXING: Garcia vs. Lopez Undercard




ANGEL ‘TITO’ ACOSTA LOS ANGELES MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES,


LOS ANGELES, CA (March 19, 2019): WBO Light Flyweight World Champion Angel
“Tito” Acosta (19-1, 19 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico hosted a media workout today at Legendz Boxing in Norwalk, Calif. ahead of his battle against Ganigan Lopez (35-8, 19 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico in the co-main event of Garcia vs. Lopez on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and which will be streamed live on DAZN.

Aaron “Silencer” McKenna (6-0, 4 KOS) and Herbert “Ace” Acevedo (15-2, 6 KOs) all participated in the workout ahead of their fights, which will take place on the undercard.

Here is what today’s participants had to say at the workout:

ANGEL ACOSTA, WBO Light Flyweight World Champion:

“I feel very happy because of the support from Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. I’m delighted for the opportunity to fight on DAZN. I’ve been working hard for this fight. I’ve been in camp since January 27 because I thought I was going to fight on March 16. But then I got the call to fight on March 30. Either way, I’m excited to defend my title for a third time.”

“Training with Freddie Roach has been something else. We’ve had two fights with him, and it’s been really great. My goal right now is to keep defending my title, but if the opportunity to unify presents itself, we will take it. But right now, I’m not thinking about any other opponent. I’m focused on Ganigan Lopez. After that, we can talk about other opponents.”

AARON MCKENNA, Welterweight Prospect:

“It would be great to fight on DAZN. It’s a huge platform, and DAZN has a great audience. It would be great to have that exposure. For this camp, we did 180 rounds of sparring. I’m in the best shape we could possible. I’m the strongest I’ve ever been for any fight. I’ve sparred with Javier Molina and with Alexander Besputin. My plans this year are to fight six times and hopefully to fight for a small belt early next year.”

HERBERT ACEVEDO, Super Lightweight Contender:

“I know I have it in me to be successful, but I never had a management team or a promoter behind me. So, my career was going slow. So we decided to move to a different team to Westside Boxing, and thanks to them we are now with Golden Boy. I’m thankful that I’m working with the right people now.”

Garcia vs. Lopez is a 10-round lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy and Miguel Cotto Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for the event are on sale and are priced at $35, $45 and $55.Tickets will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

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

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and \pasting the link: http://bit.ly/March30DAZN into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.




RISING SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDER EDUARDO ‘ROCKY’ HERNANDEZ AND PROMOCIONES DEL PUEBLO SIGN CO-PROMOTIONAL AGREEMENT WITH GOLDEN BOY

LOS ANGELES (March 12, 2019): Rocky Hernandez (27-0, 24 KOs), the rising super featherweight contender of Mexico City, Mexico, Promociones del Pueblo, one of the leading promoters in Mexico, have signed a co-promotional agreement with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy to make the young pugilist into a global name in the sport of boxing.

Hernandez will make his debut in the United States when he takes on Tanzanian warrior Ibrahim Class (22-5, 10 KOs) in a 10-round fight on the undercard of Garcia vs. Lopez. The fight will take place on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casinoand will be streamed live on DAZN.

“At Golden Boy we are in the business of working with fighters from all over the world and making them into international stars,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “We’ve done it in the past with Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Adrien Broner, Lamont Peterson, Amir Khan, Daniel Jacobs, Marcos Maidana, Deontay Wilder, Abner Mares, Jermell and Jermall Charlo, Peter Quillin and Austin Trout.”

“We are doing it presently with the biggest star in the sport, Canelo Alvarez, along with world champions such as Jaime Munguia, Rey Vargas, Xu Can, Angel Acosta and Andrew Cancio,” De La Hoya continued. “And we have the next generation of stars with Ryan Garcia, Vergil Ortiz, and Lamont Roach, Jr. This company knows how to work with fighters from all kinds of backgrounds, so we’re more than ready to join forces with Oswaldo Küchle and Promociones del Pueblo to co-promote Rocky Hernandez as he begins to make big waves in the stacked 130-pound division.”

“We are very happy to jointly promote Eduardo ‘Rocky’ Herndadez with Golden Boy,” said Oswaldo Küchle, President of Promociones del Pueblo. “We are confident that he will win over a lot of fans in the United States, especially since he has great power in both hands. We at Promociones del Pueblo have had an excellent relationship with Golden Boy for years, and together we will keep giving opportunities in the United States to many Mexican boxers so they can achieve their dreams.”

Hernandez is a 21-year-old puncher who debuted as a professional in February 2014 when he was only 16 years old. Since then, he has fought tough opponents all over Mexico, knocking out 24 of the 27 opponents he has faced. Now, Hernandez will take the next step of his career by fighting in the United States for the first time as he looks to become an international star.

“I’m very delighted to be presented to fans in the United States with Promociones del Pueblo and Golden Boy,” said Rocky Hernandez. “I am preparing very hard to give a great fight to the fans on March 30, and God willing I will walk away with my hand raised. I have a tough opponent in front of me, but I am training very hard”

Garcia vs. Lopez is a 10-round lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy and Miguel Cotto Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for the event are on sale and are priced at $35, $45 and $55. Tickets will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

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

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/March30DAZN into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.




HALL OF FAMER CARLOS ‘KING’ PALOMINO TO BE SPECIAL VIP GUEST FOR EVENT HEADLINED BY RYAN GARCIA VS. JOSE ‘WONDER BOY’ LOPEZ

INDIO, CALIF. (March 8, 2019): Mexican Hall of Famer Carlos Palomino will be the special VIP guest for the explosive boxing event headlined by the 10-round lightweight clash between rising star Ryan Garcia (17-0, 14 KOs) and Jose “Wonder Boy” Lopez (20-3-1, 14 KOs). The fight will take place on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live on DAZN .

Palomino is a native of Sonora, Mexico who became a world champion in the welterweight division. After a short amateur career during his time in the U.S. Army, he debuted as a professional in 1972, fighting at the historic Olympic Auditorium many times as he developed into a solid contender. In 1976, Palomino flew to the United Kingdom to defeat John H. Stacey in his own backyard to become the WBC Welterweight World Champion. He defended the belt several times before losing the crown to another legend in Wilfred “The Radar” Benitez. Palomino then fought Roberto “Hand of Stone” Duran in a legendary battle that he lost by unanimous decision in 1979. He then returned in 1997 for a string of five comeback fights before hanging up the gloves for good.

Palomino will be in attendance for this event to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center. The meet-and-greet is open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to the event.

In the co-main event, hard-hitting Angel “Tito” Acosta (19-1, 19 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico will defend his WBO Light Flyweight Title against Ganigan “El Maravilla” Lopez (35-8, 19 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico in a 12-round battle. Acosta, who is part of a co-promotion with Miguel Cotto Promotions, is coming off a sensational first-round knockout win over Abraham “Choko”Rodriguez in October 2018.

Rising super featherweight Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez (27-0, 24 KOs) will make his debut in the United States when he takes on Ibrahim Class (22-5, 10 KOs) of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in a 10-round clash.

NABO Featherweight Champion Joet Gonzalez (21-0, 12 KOs) will defend his regional strap in a 10-round fight against former world champion Rodrigo “Gatito” Guerrero (26-7-2, 16 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico.

Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (27-1, 17 KOs) will return to the ring after his first world title opportunity in a 10-round super lightweight fight against Jose Rodriguez (25-12-1, 13 KOs) of Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Danielito Zorrilla (10-0, 8 KOs) of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico will participate in an eight-round super lightweight battle.

Neeco “The Rooster” Macias (17-1, 10 KOs) will look to bounce back from his first loss in an eight-round super lightweight fight against Jeremy Ramos (10-6, 4 KOs) of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

Herbert “Ace” Acevedo (15-2, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. will fight in an eight-round 140-pound battle against Alfonso Olvera (11-5-1, 4 KOs) of Tucson, Arizona.

Aaron “Silencer” McKenna (6-0, 4 KOS) of Monaghan, Ireland will return in a six-round welterweight fight against Loretto Olivas (3-0, 1 KO) of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Rommel Caballero (5-0, 4 KOs) of Coachella, Calif. will participate in a six-round super featherweight bout against Luis Lizarraga Jr. (6-12-1, 2 KOs) of Merida, Mexico.

Garcia vs. Lopez is a 10-round lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for the event are on sale and are priced at $35, $45 and $55. Tickets will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

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

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/March30DAZN into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy Promotions for any photo and/or video usage.




RYAN GARCIA RETURNS AGAINST JOSE ‘WONDER BOY’ LOPEZ IN MAIN EVENT OF STACKED GOLDEN BOY CARD


INDIO, CALIF. (Feb. 22, 2019): Popular lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia (17-0, 14 KOs) will look to inch closer to a world title opportunity when he returns against Jose “Wonder Boy” Lopez (20-3-1, 14 KOs) in a 10-round battle that will headline a stacked night of Golden Boy action. The event will take place on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live on DAZN .

“These are the kinds of fights that Ryan Garcia must win to become a world champion,”
said Oscar De La Hoya, CEO and Chairman of Golden Boy Promotions. “He has all the makings of a global star, so it will be interesting to see how he can overcome this challenge. At the same time, Lopez is a tough fighter who really needs a win, so he’ll do everything he can to end Ryan’s undefeated streak. I expect a sold-out crowd at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino to be present for a full card of action and on the best platform in boxing, DAZN.”

Garcia is a rising talent who had a spectacular year in 2018, fighting four times and earning the NABF and NABO Super Featherweight Titles. The 20-year-old native of Victorville, Calif. also made an important change to his stable, adding Eddy Reynoso as his head trainer before stopping Braulio “El Chavo” Rodriguez in his last bout. Garcia plans to demonstrate new skills as he seeks to earn a shot at a title.

“I’m excited to come back for my first fight of 2019,” said Ryan Garcia.”We sold out Fantasy Springs last March when I knocked out Fernando Vargas, and I expect this fight to be exactly the same: a big win in front of a huge crowd. Let’s get this win!”

Lopez is a 24-year-old contender who has earned two regional titles since making his debut in September 2011. The native of Carolina, Puerto Rico has fought the likes of Jonathan “Polvo” Oquendoand Avery Sparrow. Lopez’s biggest win was against Miguel Angel “Miguelito” Gonzalez in April of last year, and he’ll look to prevent Garcia from becoming a big star in the sport.

“I’m very excited for this opportunity,” said Jose Lopez. “Ryan is a great fighter and a top prospect at Golden Boy. I know the challenge that I have in front of me, and I am getting ready to make a great fight. I will get the victory no matter what.”

“This is a great fight for both fighters,” said Miguel Cotto, President of Miguel Cotto Promotions. “This will be a classic battle between two young lions. Anything can happen inside the ring, so you can’t miss this fight.”

In the co-main event, hard-hitting Angel “Tito” Acosta (19-1, 19 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico will defend his WBO Light Flyweight Title against Ganigan “El Maravilla” Lopez (35-8, 19 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico in a 12-round battle. Acosta, who is part of a co-promotion with Miguel Cotto Promotions, is coming off a sensational first-round knockout win over Abraham “Choko”Rodriguez in October 2018.

Rising super featherweight Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez(27-0, 24 KOs) will make his debut in the United States when he takes on Ibrahim Class (22-5, 10 KOs) of Dar es Salaam, Tazania in a 10-round clash. Hernandez is co-promoted by Promociones del Pueblo as Golden Boy looks to introduce yet another future Mexican star to an even larger audience.

NABO Featherweight Champion Joet Gonzalez (21-0, 12 KOs) will defend his regional strap in a 10-round fight.

Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (27-1, 17 KOs) will return to the ring after his first world title opportunity in a 10-round super lightweight fight.

Danielito Zorrilla (10-0, 8 KOs) of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico will participate in an eight-round battle in the super lightweight division.

Neeco “The Rooster” Macias (17-1, 10 KOs) will look to bounce back from his first loss in an eight-round super lightweight fight.

Herbert “Ace” Acevedo (15-2, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. will fight in an eight-round 140-pound battle.

Aaron “Silencer” McKenna (6-0, 4 KOS) of Monaghan, Ireland will return in a six-round welterweight fight against Loretto Olivas (3-0, 1 KO) of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Rommel Caballero (5-0, 4 KOs) of Coachella, Calif. will participate in a six-round super featherweight bout.

Opponents for the undercard fighters will be announced shortly.

Garcia vs. Lopez is a 10-round lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, Feb. 22, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. PT and are priced at $35, $45 and $55. Tickets will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

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

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/March30DAZN into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy Promotions for any photo and/or video usage.




MIDDLEWEIGHT KNOCKOUT SENSATION DAVID LEMIEUX TO FACE TUREANO JOHNSON IN CO-MAIN EVENT OF CANELO VS. ROCKY


NEW YORK CITY (Nov. 15, 2018): Middleweight knockout sensation David Lemieux (40-4, 34 KOs) will look to make a second potential Knockout of the Year performance before 2018 ends as he takes on Tureano Johnson (20-2, 14 KOs) in the scheduled 12-round co-main event of Canelo vs. Rocky. The card will also feature the return of Sadam “World Kid” Ali and will showcase some of Golden Boy Promotions’ best rising stars. The event will take place Saturday, December 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and will be streamed live on DAZN–which, at just $9.99 per month after a one-month free trial, means new subscribers to DAZN will enjoy the entire Canelo vs. Rocky fight night for free.

“Golden Boy Promotions will give fans early Christmas gifts this year as we offer yet another great card to close 2018 on a very high note,” said Oscar De La Hoya, CEO and Chairman of Golden Boy Promotions. “David Lemieux still has his eyes set on Canelo, and that night they will be in the same arena. Lemieux knows that if he loses against Tureano Johnson, he can forget about any shot with Canelo. Also, each of these undercard fights, even the ones featuring Sadam Ali, Ryan Garcia, Vergil Ortiz and Lamont Roach, Jr., could easily be the main attraction of any other event, so fans should not miss out on this great night of action – especially when it’s free for new DAZN subscribers.”

Lemieux is a 29-year-old puncher coming off a spectacular first-round knockout victory against Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan on the televised pay-per-view undercard of Canelo vs. GGG2. The native of Montreal, Canada will look to earn another shot at the middleweight crown in this bout against Johnson.

“I’m extremely ready and looking forward to my next fight against [Tureano] Johnson,” said David Lemieux. “I didn’t take a break since my last fight because I thought that I would be facing Canelo. Training camp has been great. Johnson is a solid opponent. I’m ready for an explosive performance and a great victory to end the year in a great way.”

Johnson is a 34-year-old contender who hopes to fight for a world title despite some setbacks. Johnson’s only losses were against Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens and Sergiy “The Technician” Derevyanchenko. If the native of Nassau, Bahamas can get past Lemieux, he will join a short list of fighters who are worthy of a middleweight title shot.

“David Lemieux is a former world champion, so he’s the kind of guy I’ll have to defeat if I want a shot at the title,” said Tureano Johnson. “I’ve had some setbacks in my career, but I’m feeling better than I ever have before. I’m excited to be part of this platform and will take advantage of this opportunity with a victory against Lemieux this December.”

“We are happy to have David Lemieux fight on December 15 in the Mecca of boxing,” said Camille Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger Management. “He is having a great training camp and is getting ready to bring two sledgehammers to the ring, one in his left hand and one in his right. He’s healthy and ready to go.”

Former WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion Sadam “World Kid” Ali (26-2, 14 KOs) of Brooklyn, N.Y. will make his welterweight return against the rugged and experienced Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (24-7, 7 KOs) of Riverside, Calif. in a 10-round battle.

Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (16-0, 13 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. will fight for the first time under the tutelage of Eddy Reynoso, head trainer of Canelo Alvarez, in a 10-round lightweight battle.

Yves Ulysse Jr. (16-1, 9 KOs) of Montreal, Canada will return in a 10-round super lightweight fight.

Super lightweight knockout artist Vergil Ortiz (11-0, 11 KOs) of Dallas, Texas will return in a clash scheduled for 10 rounds. Opponents for Garcia, Ulysses and Ortiz will be announced shortly.

Lamont Roach Jr. (17-0-1, 7 KOs) of Washington, D.C. will defend his WBO International Super Featherweight Title against Alberto Mercardo (15-1-1, 3 KOs) of Humacao, Puerto Rico in a 10-round fight.

Bilal Akkawy (18-0-1, 14 KOs) of Sidney, Australia will take on Victor Fonseca (17-8-1, 14 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight battle

Additional information on this card will be announced shortly.

Canelo vs. Rocky is a 12-round fight for the WBA Super Middleweight World
Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Matchroom Boxing. Lemieux vs. Johnson is a 12-round middleweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Eye of The Tiger Management.The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, December 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Rocky are on sale and are priced at $1,000, $500, $300, $200, $150, $100, $75 and $50 plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com, www.goldenboytickets.com
or www.MSG.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,
http://www.matchroomboxing.com, and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Rocky87Fielding, @MatchRoomBoxing, and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, www.facebook.com/MatchroomBoxing
and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Rocky_Fielding, @MatchroomBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloRocky.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying
and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloRocky into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy Promotions for any photo and/or video usage.

About DAZN:
Globally, DAZN is a live and on-demand sports streaming service created by fans, for fans, that is leading the charge to provide access to sports anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just one affordable price for access to all the service’s sports on connected devices including Smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN is currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Italy and now the U.S. at just $9.99 per month after a one-month free trial – where it is set to become a must-have service for fight fans, with 100+ fight nights already lined up from Matchroom Boxing, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series, Combate Americas and the newly announced Golden Boy Promotions.




Ryan Garcia to now train with Eddy Reynoso


Undefeated lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia will now train with Eddy Reynoso, who is best known for being the trainer of Canelo Alvarez, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I have followed him and I know he has a lot of talent and potential,” said Reynoso, speaking to ESPN through an interpreter from Alvarez’s training camp in San Diego. “We will start training together [on Thursday].”

“When I see a fighter, I analyze him and his fights, and that’s where I see what I can work on with a fighter,” Reynoso said. “I’ve had a few meetings with Ryan, and he comes off as very disciplined, very happy and dedicated. But he’s a fighter who needs to work on how to go forward, how to go backward, his defense and counterpunching. He has some boxing bad habits we need to take away. We are going to work hard and do as best as we can.”

“He is the best option to help me get to the next level,” Garcia told ESPN. “Reynoso has loads of experience. He has Canelo, and he knows how to handle big fights. He can bring everything we were missing. I said why not pick one of the best trainers in boxing?”

“I’m ready to get better,” Garcia said. “I want to be the best so I am ready to do anything. I’m up for it, and I definitely will be paying attention to everything and listening to everything he says.”

“We watched the first Canelo-GGG fight and we saw what he improved on in the rematch,” Garcia said. “It made sense to go forward with Reynoso. I like his style. Canelo is a counterpuncher, a boxer, and that’s what I am. I felt like Reynoso is the perfect fit for me.”