SANTA BARBARA (December 15, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions’ super-welterweight contender, Francisco Santana (21-3-1, 10 KOs), returns to the ring against Sebastian Lujan (43-8-2, 26 KOs) on January 9, 2015 at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California. The 10-round bout will serve as the co-feature to the Darleys Perez (31-1, 20 KOs) vs. Jonathan Maicelo (21-1, 12 KOs). Both fights will air live on ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights”.

Earlier this year, Santana impressed the boxing world when he defeated former undefeated contender Eddie Gomez (17-1, 10 KOs) by way of unanimous decision. Francisco is currently riding a winning streak which spans 9-fights in a row. In his last bout he defeated Luis Alfredo Lugo by way of fifth round knockout. He’ll look to continue on his winning streak against a tough Lujan whose only been stopped twice in his career.

“I’m very excited that my promoter Gary Shaw has brought me back to ESPN.” said Santana. “I know Lujan is a very crafty veteran and I’m not looking past him. These are the type of fights that I have to win if I want to accomplish my goal of becoming a world champion. The Chumash is in my backyard and I want to put on a great show for all my hometown fans that will be there to support me. 2015 is going to be a big year for me.”

“Santana has proven to me that he really wants to take his career to the next level.” Gary Shaw said. “He done everything we’ve asked him to do and now I’m going to push really hard to get him into a big fight. He looked incredible against Eddie Gomez, who was undefeated at the time. That win showed me a lot. Lujan is no pushover so I want him to get though this fight before we start talking about anything else. There is no doubt that this fight will be a crowd pleaser because Santana brings an action style to the ring.”

The ESPN “Friday Night Fights” telecast begins Friday January 9, 2015 at 9:00 p.m. EST / 6:00 p.m. PST from the Chumash Resort Casino in Santa Ynez, Calif. Tickets priced $35, $50, $65, $85, and $95 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Chumash Casino Box office or online at HERE. Doors open at 5:00 P.M, first fight starts at 5:30 P.M.

15rounds.com Photographer Claudia Bocanegra was on hand at BB King’s in New York City to capture the images of the press conference for the much anticipated undercard for Saturday night’s Pay Per View undercard that will Feature Brandon Rios taking on John Murray; Mike Jones and Sebastian Lujan and the rematch betwwen Pawel Wolak and Delvin Rodriguez plus Mike Lee and Glen Tapia

Undefeated Welterweight Mike Jones talks to 15rounds.com Marc Abrams about his December 3rd showdown with Sebastian Lujan as part of the Miguel Cotto – Antonio Margarito II undercard

Philadelphia, PA—Undefeated welterweight contender Mike Jones, of Philadelphia, PA, who faces two-time world title challenger Sebastian Lujan, of Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, in an IBF world title eliminator on the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito card Dec. 3 at Madison Square Garden, has added another strength and conditioning coach to his team.

Rich Meudt, 54, who has been conditioning athletes in various sports for the last 27 years, has been working with Jones for the last two months.

“When Mike started working with me he looked like a new-born calf,” said Meudt, a retired major after a 22-year stint in the Army. “Now he’s a strong bull. His legs are firmer, stronger and explosive. His balance, conditioning and endurance are excellent. He does everything I ask him to do and he exceeds all expectations.”

________________________________________________
*** http://youtu.be/LGoBvT9GyhU
*** Follow Mike Jones on twitter: @boxermikejones
________________________________________________

Meudt was brought on board by fellow-Jones strength and conditioning coach Danny Davis, who has worked with Jones for the last several years and who is also well-known for his longtime association with Bernard Hopkins.

“I brought Rich in to focus on Mike’s legs and conditioning,” said Davis. “Rich has done a great job, bringing in his expertise and knowledge. Mike looks very strong and sharp and he’s a hard worker who wants to go to the highest level and never complains about what he’s asked to do. That’s what makes a champion.”

Jones has responded well to the rigors of the grueling sessions.

“It’s very important to do different things each and every time so that I get a little bit better for each fight,” said Jones, a workout fanatic known for his long training and fitness sessions. “I feel more stable and better balanced. My legs are a lot stronger than they were. That will make me a better fighter and more dynamic as a puncher. I’m in the best shape ever. I believe it’s (the workouts) going to pay dividends on December 3.”

Not satisfied with just adding a new conditioning coach, Jones, who stays in excellent shape and watches what he eats, also added Amy West, a weight management nutritionist, to assist him in getting the most out of his daily eating routine.
ABOUT DEC. 3

The Mike Jones-Sebastian Lujan IBF eliminator is part of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito II world championship telecast, which begins at 9 pm (EST)/6 pm (PT). It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 292 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HDTV for those who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry.

Philadelphia, PA—Undefeated welterweight contender Mike Jones, of Philadelphia, PA, who faces two-time world title challenger Sebastian Lujan, of Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, in an IBF world title eliminator on the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito card on Dec. 3 at Madison Square Garden, feels that this weekend’s Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight will end in a knockout.

“I think somebody’s going to get knocked out,” said Jones, who is ranked No. 1 by the WBO and in line to fight Pacquiao next year if he (Jones) gets by Lujan. “It’s going to be a great war, but somebody’s going to go down and stay down. Both of those guys got bigger, got stronger – obviously Pacquiao got bigger and stronger. I believe it’s going to be a great fight for the fans.” ________________________________________________
*** Follow Mike Jones on twitter: @boxermikejones
________________________________________________
Jones also has thoughts on how he would do against Pacquiao.
“I’m 100% focused on just beating Lujan, but if I were to fight Pacquiao I see myself outboxing him,” Jones said. “I see him coming in like the whirlwind he is but by the time that I fight him I’ll be clicking on all cylinders. I see me beating Pacquiao.”
Jones’ trainer, Vaughn Jackson, also weighed-in on his thoughts about the Pacquiao-Marquez fight.
“If Pacman doesn’t stop him early then Marquez will win a split decision,” said Jackson, who’s in the midst of training Jones for the Dec. 3 fight against Lujan. “Marquez has more skills than PacMan. PacMan jumps off his feet too much. In spite of his age, Marquez is a better all-round fighter who puts his punches together better. Marquez will box his way to a decision if it goes the distance.”
ABOUT DEC. 3
The Mike Jones-Sebastian Lujan IBF eliminator is part of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito II world championship telecast, which begins at 9 pm (EST)/6 pm (PT). It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 292 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HDTV for those who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry.
Tickets for the Madison Square Garden card are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, online at www.thegarden.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. They also are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922).

Philadelphia, PA—Undefeated welterweight contender Mike Jones, of Philadelphia, PA, who faces two-time world title challenger Sebastian Lujan, of Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, in one of the featured fights on the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito card, will be in line for a pair of much-coveted title shots with a win on Dec. 3 at Madison Square Garden.

A Jones victory over Lujan in their scheduled 12-rounder will gain him the No. 1 position in the welterweight rankings of the International Boxing Federation (IBF), currently ruled by Andre Berto, which could lead to a fight for Berto’s title in 2012. He also might possibly be matched with No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world Manny Pacquiao, according to Top Rank’s Bob Arum.

“There are some guys who we could match Pacquiao with,” Arum said at a recent press conference. “Mike Jones (pictured) and Sebastian Lujan are going to be fighting at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 3 for the No. 1 mandatory position against Berto. And the winner of the fight will get to meet Berto down the road, or if that doesn’t come about for any reason, will be ready to meet Manny Pacquiao down the road. But this fight is a very, very important fight for Mike Jones.”
________________________________________________

*** Follow Mike Jones on twitter: @boxermikejones
________________________________________________

“This is an opportunity for me to show the world I am one of the elite fighters out there,” said Jones, who will be fighting for the first time at Madison Square Garden. “I can’t wait until it happens. I’m in the gym everyday, working hard and preparing myself to be the best out there that night.”
A pro since 2005, Jones, 28, has a 25-0 record with 19 knockouts. He is ranked No. 3 by the IBF, No. 1 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) behind champion Manny Pacquiao, No. 2 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), No. 3 by the World Boxing Council (WBC).
Jones currently holds three titles—North American Boxing Association (NABA), North American Boxing Organization (NABO) and WBC Continental Americas, but it’s the world title he craves.
Lujan, 31, scored a big win in his last fight July 1 in San Antonio, TX, when he rallied to knock out Filipino southpaw Mark Melligen in nine rounds after accepting the match on less than one week’s notice.
A pro since 2001, Lujan is 38-5-2, 24 K0s. In two world title fights, he was stopped—due to a badly torn left ear—in 10 rounds by Margarito for the WBO welterweight title in 2005 in Atlantic City, NJ, he lost a 12-round decision to lefty Sergii Dzinziruk for the WBO junior middleweight title in 2006 in Munich Germany.
Lujan has won his last 12 fights.

ABOUT DEC. 3

The Mike Jones-Sebastian Lujan 12-round IBF eliminator is part of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito II world championship telecast, which begins at 9 pm (EST)/6 pm (PT). It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 292 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HDTV for those who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry.

Tickets for the Madison Square Garden card are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, online at www.thegarden.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. They also are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922).

Philadelphia, PA—Undefeated welterweight contender Mike Jones, of Philadelphia, PA, makes his first appearance at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening, Dec. 3, when he faces two-time world title challenger Sebastian Lujan, of Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, in one of the featured fights on the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito card.

The winner of the Jones-Lujan 12-round contest will gain the No. 1 position in the welterweight rankings of the International Boxing Federation (IBF), currently ruled by Andre Berto.

“This is a tougher assignment than the ones Mike had with Jesus Soto-Karass,” said promoter J Russell Peltz, whose company is promoting this match with Top Rank, Inc. Peltz was referring to the two victories Jones (pictured) earned over Mexico’s Soto-Karras, the first one Nov. 13, 2010, in Cowboys Stadium by 10-round majority decision, the second one last Feb. 19 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas by 12-round unanimous decision.

“Mike said that if fighting Lujan over 12 rounds is what he has to do to get a title shot, then he’s fine with it. He knows what he has to do to win and he knows he has to be in the same shape—or better—than he was for the second fight with Soto-Karass.”

Jones: “Lujan puts on pressure, but not constant pressure like Soto-Karass. He moves his head a lot more than Soto-Karass but he throws wide punches. This could put me in line to fight for the world championship.”
A pro since 2005, Jones, 28, has a 25-0 record with 18 knockouts. He is ranked No. 3 by the IBF, No. 1 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) behind champion Manny Pacquiao, No. 3 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), No. 4 by the World Boxing Council (WBC).

Jones currently holds three titles—North American Boxing Association (NABA), North American Boxing Organization (NABO) and WBC Continental Americas, but it’s the world title he craves.
Lujan, 31, scored a big win in his last fight July 1 in San Antonio, TX, when he rallied to knock out Filipino southpaw Mark Melligen in nine rounds after accepting the match on short notice.

A pro since 2001, Lujan is 38-5-2, 24 K0s. In two world title fights, he was stopped—due to a badly torn left ear—in 10 rounds by Margarito for the WBO welterweight title in 2005 in Atlantic City, NJM. Lujan also lost a 12-round decision to lefty Sergii Dzinziruk for the WBO junior middleweight title in 2006 in Munich Germany.

Lujan has won his last 12 fights in a row.

ABOUT DEC. 3

The Mike Jones-Sebastian Lujan IBF eliminator is part of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito II world championship telecast, which begins at 9 pm (EST)/6 pm (PT). It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 292 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HDTV for those who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry.

Tickets for the Madison Square Garden card are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, online at www.thegarden.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. They also are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922).

Undefeated Welterweight contender Mike Jones talks about his December 3rd showdown with Sebastain Lujan

Dan rafael of espn.com confirmed a video interview with Bob Arum on www.15rounds.com that undefeated Mike Jones will take on rough and rugged Sebastian Lujan plus Guillermo Rogondeaux will take on Rico Ramos as part of the Miguel Cotto – Antonio Margarito undercard set for December 3rd in New York.

Russell Peltz, who co-promotes Jones (25-0, 19 KOs) with Arum, said everyone on their team realizes it is a dangerous fight. Known for having a strong chin, Lujan (38-5-2, 24 KOs) is riding a 12-fight winning streak, including a dominant ninth-round knockout of promising Mark Melligen on ESPN2 on July 1.

“I think it’s a lot tougher fight than Mike had with (Jesus) Soto Karass,” Peltz said of the most difficult fights so far in Jones’ career, back-to-back competitive decision wins against Soto Karass in November 20010 and in the February rematch. “(Jones) says if fighting this kind of fight is what he has to do to get a title shot, it is what he has to do. He has to be in better shape than he was for the second Soto Karass fight.”

Said Jones: “Lujan puts on pressure, but not constant pressure like Karass. He moves his head a lot more than Karass but throws wide punches, which I will take advantage of. This will put me in line for a money fight.”

Arum said the third televised undercard fight has not been set yet but that Top Rank president Todd duBoef “was working on it and I can’t say what it is yet because it’s not done.”

Also back in action on the undercard will be junior middleweight Pawel Wolak, although his bout is not scheduled to be part of the HBO PPV broadcast. Wolak’s opponent is not set, but manager Cameron Dunkin said they are OK with the fight not being on the telecast.

I’m trying to do certain things with him but it’s been tough. We wanted (titlist Cornelius) Bundrage, but there wasn’t the money to deliver it and Bundrage is with (promoter) Don King, which is never easy,” Dunkin said. “So I’m trying to get him back out there and keep him active. We wanted him on TV but there wasn’t a spot for him. This fight is the start and we’ll keep him going from here.”

“Excited,” Wolak said. “Unfortunately, (Bundrage) was scared. Canelo (Alvarez) and (Julio Cesar) Chavez (Jr.) aren’t available and worried and there was no (premium) network interest in a rematch with Delvin, so we are going to Plan B. That is why I signed with a competent manager as he knows how to get me where I want to go.”

Said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum: “Wolak wants a title fight. Rather than argue with him we said, ‘We’ll put you in with a second-level guy, but it won’t be on television’ and that way he stays active and I don’t embarrass myself with the televised undercard.”