Former world champion Fernando Montiel scored a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Sergio Puente in a Super Featherweight bout at Gimnasio Nuevo León in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.

Montiel scored a knockdown in round two from a left hook to the body.

Montiel, 129 lbs of Los Mochis, MX won by scores of 98-91 and 96-93 twice and is now 53-4. Puente, 129 lbs is now 15-1.

Jose Zepeda took out former world title challenger Victor Manuel Cayo in just 87 seconds of their scheduled 10-round Welterweight bout.

Zepeda landed a left that plummeted Cayo into the bottom two ropes and the fight was stopped at 1:27 of round one.

Zepeda, 142 3/4 lbs of Long Beach, CA is now 21-0 with 18 knockouts. Cayo, 142 3/4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 32-6.

Joselyn Arroyo scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Mayela Perez in a Female Flyweight bout.

Scores were 98-92 twice and 97-93 twice for Arroyo, 111 lbs of Guadalajra, MX and is now 17-0. Perez, 109 1/2 lbs is now 11-17-4.

Roberto “La Amenaza” Garcia (35-3, 23 KOs) stalked and beat Victor “Mermelada” Cayo (32-5, 23 KOs) for much of Thursday’s ESPN Thursday Night Fights-televised 10-round welterweight showdown breaking him down with strong punches and relentless pressure. Garcia of Weslaco, Texas walked through everything and anything Cayo had to offer. Cayo of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was able to land shots but that did nothing to slow the steady and relentless pressure punching by Garcia. Cayo was cut over the right eye in the 4th round and he entered the 5th round with a renewed attack and made it competitive, until close to the end of the round when Garcia landed big right hands and a flurry at the bell. Garcia put even more pressure on in the sixth and it overwhelmed Cayo, a nice body head combination sent Cayo to the ropes and a swarming Garcia finished the job prompting referee Telis Assimenios to step in at 2:38 and call a stop to the bout. Garcia is something of a Cinderella story in the making. Never having reached his potential throughout his 13-year boxing career, he was thrust into an ESPN-televised main event on a few days’ notice against Mexico’s Norberto Gonzalez last February and scored an impressive decision victory.

In the 10-round middleweight co-feature, undefeated 2008 Olympian Jonathan “Mantequilla” González (18-0-1, 14 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, got a very close win over Mexico’s Rogelio “Porky” Medina (32-6, 26 KOs). Gonzalez and Medina put on a great competitive match and it was Medina who set the tone early with more accurate punches. Gonzales came on in the mid and later rounds, but Medina was clearly the busier fighter while the punches were equally heavy from both combatants. The scores were 96-94 Medina and 97-93 and 96-94 for Gonzalez.

Back in action after three years, James McGirt (23-3-1, 11 KOs) made quick work of very overmatched Larry Smith Jr. (10-21-1, 7 KOs) of Dallas, Texas with a TKO at 2:55 of round 1. Also on the undercard, Cairo Egypt’s Ahmed Elbiale (4-0, 4 KOs) was both impressive and brutal in his light heavyweight four-rounder against Steven Chadwick Jr. (2-6, 1 KO) of Jacksonville, Florida. Elbiale dropped Chadwick just seconds into the bout with a huge left hook and later with a huge right hook that ended the bout with Chadwick out on the canvass where he laid for several minutes before taken out on a stretcher and to the local hospital. Junior lightweight Juan Carlos Velasquez 12-1 (5KO) outpointed veteran Rogers Mtagwa 27-17-2 (19KO) with a majority decision victory in a one sided affair that had the slick boxing Velazquez boxing nice from distance and keeping the hard charging often wild Tanzanian fighter just out of reach. 2012 Florida Golden Glove Champion Jeff “Rambo” Souffrant 1-0 made a successful debut with a UD win over Jorge Quintero 0-2 from Bogota Colombia. Light heavyweight Vilier Quiñones 8-0(5KO) won via TKO over Edgar Perez 5-9(3KO) at :58 seconds of round one. Light heavyweight knockout artist Yunieski Gonzalez (13-0, 13 KOs) of Havana, Cuba, destroyed Colombia’s Jaison Palomeque (14-9-1, 9 KOs) with a TKO1 win at just :47 seconds of round one, brutal senseless mismatch from the get go. The twin brother of Juan Carlos, lightweight Carlos Ivan Velasquez 12-1 6(KO) took a unanimous decision win over Guillermo Sanchez 13-12-1.

Notables in attendance was Joel Casamayor whom was honored, Riddick Bowe, Sergio Martinez, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Buddy McGirt, and Michael Moore.

Roberto Garcia 146.2 vs. Victor Cayo 150 (third attempt)
Jonathan González 162.8 vs. Rogelio Medina 165.8 (second attempt)
Yunieski Gonzalez 176.4 vs. Jaison Palomeque 179.2
James McGirt Jr. 161.6 vs. Larry Smith Jr. 157.6
Juan Carlos Velásquez 128.2 vs. Rogers Mtagwa 127.8
Carlos Iván Velásquez 133.6 vs. Guillermo Sanchez 133.8
Vilier Quiñones 176.8 vs. Edgar Perez 178.4
Ahmed Elbiale 174 vs. Steven Chadwick Jr. 171.8
Jeff Souffrant 146 vs. Jorge Quintero 145.8

Venue: Hialeah Park Racing & Casino, Miami, Florida
Promoter: Warriors Boxing
TV: ESPN Thursday Night Fights

Tickets for “Noche de Combates,” are priced at $20, $35, $50 and $100 and are on sale now. They can be purchased at ticketforce.com, as well as hialeahpark.com, and also at the Hialeah Park Racing & Casino box office. For more information, call the special Boxing Hotline at 786-483-7444.

Hialeah Park & Casino is located at 2200 E 4th Avenue in Hialeah, FL. On fight night, Thursday May 1, 2014, gates will open at 6:30 PM ET and the first fight will be at 7:00 PM ET. All bouts are subject to change.

Roberto Garcia scored a 6th-round stoppage over former world title challenger Victor Cayo in a scheduled 10 round Welterweight bout at Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida.

Garcia applied constant pressure and opened up a cut over the right eye of Cayo in round four. In round six, Garcia landed a big left hook that sent Cayo to the ropes and after a hard flurry on the ropes, referee Tellis Aselmeninos stopped the bout at 2:38 of round six

Garcia, 146.2 lbs of Mexico is now 35-3 with 23 knockouts. Cayo, 150 lbs of the Dominican Republic is now 32-5.

Former Puerto Rican Olympian Jonathan Gonzalez scored a 10-round split decision over Regelio Medina in a Super Middleweight bout.

It was a close hard fought battle with both guys landing shots in close that saw the judges like Gonzalez to the tune of 96-94 for Medina but was overrules 97-93 and 96-94 for Gonzalez

Gonzalez, 162.8 lbs of Puerto Rico is now 18-0-1. Medina, 165.8 lbs of Mexico is now 32-6.

Jeff Souffrant made a successful pro debut by scoring a 4-round unanimous decision over Jorge Quintero in a Welterweight bout.

Souffrant scored a knockdown in the 1st round and cruised to victory by scores of 40-35 on all cards.

Souffrant, 146 lbs is 1-0. Quintero, 145 3/4 lbs is 1-2.

The special Thursday, May 1, edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra will feature former Super Lightweight title challenger Victor Manuel “Mermelada” Cayo (32-4, 22 KOs) and Roberto “La Amenaza” García (34-3, 22 KOs) in the 10-round Welterweight main event.

New PictureThursday’s show, which will take place outdoors at the historic Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Fla., will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN. ESPN Deportes will televise the fights on Saturday, May 3, at 6 p.m. The card is presented by Warriors Boxing.

Commentators:
Joe Tessitore will be ringside with Teddy Atlas describing the action for ESPN2, while studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will present all the latest boxing news and highlights. Delvin Rodríguez and Pablo Viruega will call the fights for Noche de Combates (Fight Night) on ESPN Deportes, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will anchor the studio.

Friday’s show on ESPN2 will include Atlas’ interview with Heavyweight contender Chris Arreola as he prepares to meet Bermane Stiverne for the WBC World Heavyweight Championship on Saturday, May 10, at 8 p.m. live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Friday’s show will also include an interview with Floyd Mayweather Jr. as he prepares for his Welterweight title fight against Marcos Maidana on Saturday, May 3.

Main Event:
The Dominican Republic’s Cayo, who fought current titleholder Marcos Maidana for the WBA Welterweight title in 2010, is coming off a first-round knockout win over Ricardo Veras. García, who hails from Texas, has won his last six fights, including a 10-round split-decision win over Norberto González in his last bout which aired on Friday Night Fights back in February.

“I know Victor Cayo is a good fighter. He’s tough, comes forward. I saw his fight with Maidana – it was a good fight, a tough fight while it lasted,” García’s advisor, Julio Marines said. “He’s a good veteran fighter who’s going to test Roberto, but I believe Roberto stops him in six rounds. I think Roberto is too strong for him. He’s ready to go.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit undefeated Middleweight Jonathan “Mantequilla” González (17-0-1, 14 KOs), against Rogelio “Porky” Medina (32-5, 26 KOs). In his last outing, showcased on ESPN3, Puerto Rico’s González scored a fifth-round TKO win over Jaison Palomeque, while Mexico’s Medina is looking to continue his winning ways following a first-round knockout win over Fortino Lugo.

ESPN Boxing Next Week:
ESPN will exclusively televise the 12-round World Boxing Council (WBC) World Heavyweight Championship fight and rematch between top-rated contenders Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (23-1-1, 20 KOs) and Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (36-3, 31 KOs) live on Saturday, May 10, at 8 p.m. The fight from the USC Galen Center in Los Angeles, will be televised live in the U.S. on ESPN and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates and will be presented by Corona Extra. The fight will also be available on computers, smartphones, tablets, Apple TV, Xbox and Roku via WatchESPN. Read more on ESPN MediaZone.

Upcoming ESPN Boxing Schedule:

Date

Time (ET)

Main Event

Location

Networks

Thu, May 1

9 p.m.

Roberto García (34-3, 22 KOs) vs. Victor Manuel Cayo (32-4, 22 KOs)—10 rounds, Welterweights

Hialeah Park Race Track, Hialeah, Fla.

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN

Sat, May 10

8 p.m.

WBC World Heavyweight Championship: Bermane Stiverne (23-1-1, 20 KOs) vs. Chris Arreola (36-3, 31 KOs)—12 rounds

USC Galen Center,
Los Angeles

ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

Fri, May 16

9 p.m.

Delvin Rodríguez (28-7-3, 16 KOs) vs. Joachim Alcine (35-7-1, 21 KOs)—10 rounds, Jr. Middleweight

TBD

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

Fri, May 23

9 p.m.

Boxcino 2014 Finals

Petr Petrov (34-4-2, 15 KOs) vs. Fernando Cárcamo (17-5, 13 KOs)—10 rounds, Lightweights

Brandon Adams (14-0, 9 KOs) vs. Willie Monroe Jr. (17-1, 6 KOs)—10 rounds, Middleweights

Turning Stone Casino, Verona, NY

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

*Schedule subject to change

Friday Night Fights and Noche de Combates Social Media:

· Follow ESPN Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like it on Facebook.

· Score the fights round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting App,” an application on the ESPN FNF Facebook page that allows viewers to score the fight round-by-round.

· Follow ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo.

· For the latest ESPN.com boxing news and analysis follow @ESPNBoxing.

Roberto “La Amenaza” Garcia (34-3, 22 KOs) of Weslaco, Texas, says he’s as ready as he can possibly be for this Thursday’s (May 1, 2014) ESPN Thursday Night Fights-televised 10-round welterweight showdown with Victor “Mermelada” Cayo (32-4, 23 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Garcia and Cayo will meet in the main event of Warriors Boxing’s “Noche de Combates” at the world-famous Hialeah Park in South Florida.

In the 10-round middleweight co-feature, undefeated Jonathan “Mantequilla” González (17-0-1, 14 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, will face Sonora, Mexico’s Rogelio “Porky” Medina (32-5, 26 KOs).

Tickets for “Noche de Combates,” are priced at $20, $35, $50 and $100 and are on sale now. They can be purchased at ticketforce.com, as well as hialeahpark.com, and also at the Hialeah Park Racing & Casino box office. For more information, call the special Boxing Hotline at 786-483-7444.

Garcia is something of a Cinderella story in the making. Never having reached his potential throughout his 13-year boxing career, he was thrust into an ESPN-televised main event on a few days’ notice against Mexico’s Norberto Gonzalez last February and scored an impressive decision victory.

That showing has led him to the Cayo fight, which, if he’s victorious, could lead to the high-profile fight he’s been dreaming of through years of inactivity and frustration.

How did you preparations for this fight go?
Training was good. I did my job. I did the right things that I’m supposed to do to get in shape and everything was right. I have no excuses. I’m ready. I’m motivated and positive because I did my job. I fight hard for my family because I want to keep putting food on my table. I have a wife and a daughter and another one on the way. My wife is two months pregnant.

Have you watched any tape of Cayo? What do you think of him as a fighter?
To be honest, I stopped doing that a long time ago. The ones that do that are my trainers, my advisors and my brothers. Even the last fight, I probably only saw a minute or two of the guy. I don’t believe in that. Video is over-rated because you never know who you will face that day, not everybody stays the same for every fight. I train hard and I train smart and I listen to my corner and fight my ass off and that’s it. My coaches press the buttons and I just go out and do it. I just know he’s a very good fighter. Only lost to world-class fighters and that’s it. We have pretty much dead-even record. It’s a very good main event, a good competitive fight. I’ve been working with bigger, taller, faster guys in the gym to get ready. Speed is something I’m not used to. I put a lot of pressure on guys and that’s the way I fight. I fight hard and go all the way and go deep.

It must feel good to be having something of a career resurgence. Tell me how it feels to be in this nationally televised fight with even bigger fights possibly at stake.
I’m very grateful to be able to get these opportunities. There were dry spells in my career and I held on and didn’t get down on myself. I stayed strong and kept busy and stayed in the gym. We bit the bullet in the last fight, took a risk on a few days’ notice and doing that got us to this opportunity.

If you lose this fight, will it be the end of your career?
I see every fight as my last fight, but I don’t know. I never plan that far ahead. I really am taking every day one at a time. I live in the moment. But I’ll try my best. I’m grateful to still be going strong at 34 years young. I feel good because I’m not even supposed to be here.

You’re dropping down in weight for this fight. Was it difficult to do?
I’ve had no problems dropping down. My last four fights, working with my new trainer, Roberto Norris, I’ve been getting lighter and lighter. He’s always told me I’m a welterweight. It’s not that I’m coming back down. I’ve been fighting heavy. I was taking short notice fights above my weight class to stay in the mix. In shape I’m a welterweight, but I didn’t always have time to get ready. I’ve been trying to get a fight at welterweight for years.

How did you connect with your new trainer, Roberto Norris?
I had nothing going on. I had no trainer. I was just working out on my own. I decided to give him a try, so I met with him and told him I haven’t fought in a year, but I believe in god and I’ll work hard and give everything I got. I really like how he trains me and he likes my work ethic and now here we are going on our fourth fight together.

###

The chief supporting bouts Thursday night will feature a trio of recent Warriors Boxing and Miami-based G&A Boxing Promotions’ co-promotional signees, super middleweight southpaw James “Buddy” McGirt Jr., of Vero Beach, Florida, and twin-brother featherweight contenders, Juan Carlos Velasquez and Carlos Ivan “Twin Dream” Velasquez, from Catano, Puerto Rico, now living in Miami.

Having his first fight in over three years, McGirt (22-3-1, 11 KOs) will be taking on Larry Smith Jr. (10-21-1, 7 KOs) of Dallas, Texas in a six-rounder.

As for the Velasquez brothers, Juan Carlos (11-1, 5 KOs) will face a stern test in comebacking former world title challenger Rogers Mtagwa (27-16-2, 19 KOs) of Philadelphia, via Tanzania. Carlos Ivan (16-1, 11 KOs) will be facing an opponent that is still TBA.

Also that night will be an eight-round light heavyweight bout, featuring knockout artist Yunieski Gonzalez (13-0, 13 KOs) of Havana, Cuba, who will put his perfect record on the line against Arpartado, Colombia’s Jaison Palomeque (14-9-1, 9 KOs); and a six-round cruiserweight affair between undefeated Cuban Vilier Quinonez (7-0, 4 KOs) of Havana taking and Edgar Perez (5-8, 3 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In preliminary action, Cairo Egypt’s Ahmed Elbiale (3-0, 3 KOs) will see action in a light heavyweight four-rounder against Steven Chadwick Jr. (2-5, 1 KO) of Jacksonville, Florida; and in the four-round welterweight opener, Bogota, Colombia, via Hollywood, Florida’s Jorge Quintero (0-1) will face Davie, Florida’s pro debuting (and Florida 2012 Golden Gloves Champ) Jeff “Rambo” Souffrant.

Hialeah Park & Casino is located at 2200 E 4th Avenue in Hialeah, FL. On fight night, Thursday May 1, 2014, gates will open at 6:30 PM ET and the first fight will be at 7:00 PM ET. All bouts are subject to change.
ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to it’s credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

The media flocked to a conference held today at The Turf Club at Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida, to discuss the upcoming “Noche De Combates” boxing event, which will be held at Hialeah Park and televised live on a very special edition of ESPN Thursday Night Fights.

In attendance were the event promoters, several of the fighters and key members of the Hialeah Park staff, with a central theme being the building excitement of holding a world-class professional boxing event at the iconic venue.

On May 1, in the night’s 10-round, televised welterweight main event, Roberto “La Amenaza” Garcia (34-3, 22 KOs) of Weslaco, Texas, will face Victor “Mermelada” Cayo (32-4, 23 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In the 10-round middleweight co-featured bout, undefeated Jonathan “Mantequilla” González (17-0-1, 14 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, will face Rogelio “Porky” Medina (32-5, 26 KOs) from Sonora, Mexico.

Tickets for “Noche de Combates,” are priced at $20, $35, $50 and $100 and are on sale now. They can be purchased at ticketforce.com, as well as hialeahpark.com, and also at the Hialeah Park Racing & Casino box office. For more information, call the special Boxing Hotline at 786-483-7444.

Jonathan “Mantequilla” González (17-0-1, 14 KOs)
I’m ready to fight and I feel great. I can’t wait for May 1.

James “Buddy” McGirt Jr. (22-3-1, 11 KOs)
I had three years off, but I’m ready to show my skills. I’m on weight now. I’m hungry and ready to put on a great show.

Yunieski Gonzalez (13-0, 13 KOs)
I’m excited to be fighting in my hometown. I hope to see all the Cubans come out and show their support.

Vilier Quinonez (7-0, 4 KOs)
It’s always great to fight in your backyard. I’m ready and want to fight.

John Brunetti, Sr. (Hialeah Park)
I am excited that Hialeah is hosting this great event. We are all very excited to be doing boxing and we expect a great night on May 1.

Leon Margules (Warriors Boxing)
I am very impressed with all the coverage this event is getting and pleased to be promoting this fight here in Miami. We have nine exciting fights. Get your tickets.

Luis Decubas (Warriors Boxing)
We have great fighters on the card. We are bringing boxing back to Miami at this beautiful casino and racetrack.

###

The undercard will include appearances by Warriors’ and Miami-based G&A Boxing Promotions’ newest co-promotional signings, super middleweight southpaw James “Buddy” McGirt Jr. (22-3-1, 11 KOs) and twin-brother featherweight contenders, Carlos Ivan “Twin Dream” Velasquez (16-1, 11 KOs) and Juan Carlos Velasquez (11-1, 5 KOs), from Catano, Puerto Rico, now living in Miami. The trio will each face opponents that are TBA.

Also featured that night will be an eight-round light heavyweight bout featuring knockout artist Yunieski Gonzalez (13-0, 13 KOs) of Havana, Cuba, who will put his perfect record on the line against Arpartado, Colombia’s Jaison Palomeque (14-9-1, 9 KOs); and a six-round cruiserweight affair, featuring undefeated Cuban Vilier Quinonez (7-0, 4 KOs) of Havana taking on Edgar Perez (5-8, 3 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In preliminary action, Cairo Egypt’s Ahmed Elbiale (3-0, 3 KOs) will be featured in a light heavyweight four-rounder against an opponent still TBA; and in the four-round welterweight opener, Bogota, Colombia, via Hollywood, Florida’s Jorge Quintero (1-1) will face Davie, Florida’s pro debuting, and Florida 2012 Golden Gloves Champ, Jeff “Rambo” Souffrant.

Hialeah Park & Casino is located at 2200 E 4th Avenue in Hialeah, FL. On fight night, Thursday May 1, 2014, gates will open at 6:30 PM ET and the first fight will be at 7:00 PM ET. All bouts are subject to change.
ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to it’s credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

ATLANTIC CITY–Emanuel Taylor scored a terrific eight round stoppage over former world title challenger Victor Cayo in a scheduled ten round bout at Resorts Hotel and Casino

Taylor got things started in round one with a solid right while Cayo tried to work the body. Round two became a battle of the body attacks with Cayo getting the better. Late in the round Taylor landed a solid left hook and nice right on the ropes. Later in the round Taylor landed a blistering barrage of punches that sent Cayo stunned on the ropes just before the bell to signify the end of the frame. Taylor continued to batter Cayo in round three with a combination that featured hard left hooks. In round five, Cayo landed a hard left that sent Taylor to the canvas. Cayo continued to pressure and land hard shots on Taylor.

The tude turned once again in round six as Taylor rocked Cayo with a huge left hook. In round eight, Taylor landed a huge right hand that set off a hard combination that was punctuated by a hard right hand that sent Cayo down in the corner. Taylor then landed a big right that forced referee Benjy esteves to stop the bout at 1:11 of round eight.

Taylor, 142 lbs of Edgewood Arsenel, MD is now 17-1 with 12 knockouts. Cayo, 142 1/2 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 31-4.

Magomed Abdusalamov kept his perfect knockout streak by halting former Puerto Rican Olympian Victor Bisbal in round five of a scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout

Bisbal came out strong as he hit Abusalamov with a series of right hands over the first two rounds.

A war broke out in round three as Abdusalamov landing some hard shots with Bisbal giving as good as he was receiving. The two continued to wage war in round four with the highlight being Abdusalamov rocking Bisbal with a hard straight left. Abdusakamov landed a huge ledt that rocked Bisbal again in round five and then dropped with a hard combination and referee Randy Neumann stopped the fight at 1:12 of round five.

Abdusalamov, 226 lbs of Russia is now 17-0 with all wins coming early. Bisbal, 245 lbs of Salina, PR is now 21-2.

Local favorite Thomas LaManna remained perfect by scoring two knockdowns en route to a six round unanimous decision over Joshua Snyder in a Middleweight bout.

Early in round one, LaManna dropped Snyder with a right hand. LaManna then got in a few shots while taking some short shots on the inside. The two traded big shots in an action filled round three. In round four, LaManna caught Snyder with a hard right that deposited the Maryland native on the canvas for a second time. Snyder began pushing the pace in round five as walked down a tired LaManna. Both guys gave a spirited final frame with LaManna getting the better of the action.

LaManna, 157 lbs of Millville, NJ won by scores of 58-54, 58-54 & 57-55 and is now 11-0. Snyder, 160 lbs of Berlin, MD is now 9-9-1.

Scott Burrell scored a six round unanimous decision over Edgardo Torres in a lightweight bout.

Burrell was sharp particularly with the overhand right which he stunned Torres numerous times. In round six, a short combination put Torres down. He recovered enough to eat a solid furry until reaching the final bell.

Burrell, 138 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 60-53, 60-53 & 60-54 and is now 7-1. Torres, 136 ls of Vineland, NJ is 2-2

Samuel Rogers scored six round unanimous decision over Ivan Zigler in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Scores were 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56 for Rogers, 153 lbs of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and is now 13-0. Zigler, 154 1/2 lbs of Virginia Beach, VA is now 7-3-1.

The March 8 edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will feature Victor “Mermelada” Cayo (31-3, 21 KOs), who once fought for the Junior Welterweight title, and Emanuel “Tranzforma” Taylor (16-1, 11 KOs) in the 10-round main event. Friday’s show from the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, and will be available online through WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. The card will also air live on ESPN Deportes+, the new digital extension of ESPN Deportes, and will air tape delayed on ESPN Deportes Sunday, March 10, at 3 a.m. The card is promoted by Sampson Boxing.

Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN2 HD, while studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will provide the latest boxing news and highlights. Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will call this week’s fights for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights) with Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in the studio. Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) will present live interviews and reports for both shows.

Friday’s studio show will discuss the March 9 title fight between Light Heavyweight titlist Tavoris Cloud and Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins, 48, is looking to break his own record in becoming the oldest fighter to win a world title. ESPN.com boxing writer Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) will be at Saturday’s fight from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., covering the fight for ESPN

Main Event:
Dominican Republic’s Cayo has won his last four fights, three by knockout. He won a 10-round unanimous decision over Vladimir Baez in his last fight and enters Friday’s bout with big fight experience, having fought former and current titlists Nate Campbell, Marcos Maidana, Julio Diaz and Lamont Peterson.

Maryland’s Taylor, has won his last two fights and is coming off one of his best wins, a sixth-round TKO over Raymond Serrano. After the fight Rafael wrote: “Serrano started off well enough, appearing to edge Taylor in the first two rounds, but then it was all downhill. Taylor began landing nice short punches when the fighters were on the inside, and did a good job on defense to avoid most of what was coming back. He was really in a groove landing combinations and controlling the action when he badly hurt Serrano against the ropes in the sixth round. With Taylor landing a barrage of unanswered blows, (the) referee stepped in to call off the fight at 1 minute, 42 seconds.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit undefeated Heavyweight Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov (16-0, 16 KOs) against Victor Bisbal (21-1, 15 KOs). Abdusalamov scored a second-round TKO win over Jameel McCline in his last fight, while Bisbal is looking to win his 17th straight fight, following a sixth-round TKO win over Alex Gonzalez.

Follow ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like it on Facebook. Follow ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo. Also score the fights round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting App,” an application on the ESPN FNF Facebook page that allows viewers to score the fight round-by-round.

NEW YORK (March 4, 2013) Just six weeks after a dominant knockout performance in his nationally televised debut, 22-year-old top prospect Emmanuel “The Tranzforma” Taylor will return to battle this Friday night, MARCH 8 against world ranked veteran Victor Cayo at Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

The Taylor/Cayo scheduled ten round junior welterweight clash is the main event this week on ESPN Friday Night Fights.

On JANUARY 25 in front of a sold out crowd at The Paramount in Huntington, New York, Taylor, 16-1-0 (11KO’s) stopped once beaten and highly regarded Philadelphia based prospect Raymond Serrano during the sixth stanza in a bout broadcast nationally on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME®.

Photo by Ed Diller

Tapering down his training in anticipation of this week’s main event, Taylor discussed the Serrano stoppage in their scheduled ten rounder and the upcoming battle against Cayo.

“It was actually easier than I thought it would be, I was thinking a late stoppage. But after the third round I knew I had him, I was hurting him with everything that I threw” said the Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland resident.

“It was a great way to show the boxing world what I was capable of and I’m looking forward to this Friday night against Victor Cayo” continued Taylor who is promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing® and guided by the team of David Price and Doc Nowicki.

“The support I’ve had in the Baltimore area has always been very strong throughout my pro and amateur career and the recognition from the Serrano fight has been great.”

Speaking about Cayo bout, Serrano stated, “I’m very familiar with him, Lamont Peterson, who’s like a mentor to me beat him in 2011. I’ve had very good sparring for the fight with Kermit Cintron, James Stevenson and Demetrius Hopkins, I’m ready.”

“Doesn’t matter where the ring is, Long Island, Atlantic City, I’m going to take care of business.”

“Emmanuel is a very talented prospect who looked outstanding against Serrano,” said DeGuardia. “This is a another step up but I’m confident he’s prepared for this opportunity and is going to give another nationally televised audience a terrific performance.”

Taylor’s amateur record was a stellar 186-26 highlighted with five titles at the National Junior Golden Gloves Championships.

Taylor vs. Cayo will be televised live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights (10 PM Eastern on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, online through WatchESPN.com, and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app.)

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing Inc. is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2012. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook at Star Boxing.

Dominican super lightweight Victor “Mermelada” Cayo (31-3, 22 KOs) knows the dire consequences on his boxing career another loss will have and is training like his future as a top contender depends on it.

Cayo is in the final stretch of his preparations to meet once-beaten Emmanuel “The Tranzforma” Taylor (16-1, 11 KOs) on Friday, March 8, 2013, in the 10-round main event of promoter Sampson Lewkowicz’s “Friday Night Fights” boxing in the Superstar Theater at the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Cayo vs. Taylor will be televised live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights (10 PM Eastern on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, online through WatchESPN.com, and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app.) along with the night’s 10-round, co-featured televised bout between a couple of very promising heavyweights: undefeated Russian powerhouse Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov (16-0, 16 KOs) defending his WBC United States (USNBC) heavyweight title against once-beaten former Puerto Rican Olympian Victor Bisbal (21-1, 15 KOs).

Once rated as high as #3 in the world, 28-year-old Cayo stumbled badly of late, losing by KO to Lamont Peterson in July 2011 and then dropping a shock TKO to shopworn former champion Nate Campbell in March 2012.

Since then, Cayo has righted the ship somewhat with four straight victories over solid, but lesser-known opposition. Taylor, however, represents his first real test at a higher level since the double disasters.

“I know what’s at stake,” said Cayo through an interpreter. “I have to beat this guy and look good if I’m going to fight for a world title. I have trained like everything I worked for is on the line in this fight and in many ways it is.”

Cayo, who started boxing at the age of 11, has spent his entire adult life dreaming of one day wearing a championship belt.

“I have worked my whole life for a shot at a title. I have been very close a couple times and things went wrong. I cannot let Taylor take away my chance for another try. Every fight I fight from now on, I will treat as though it is my world championship fight because if I lose I may never get one. I’m not coming to Atlantic City to do anything but show the world Victor Cayo is one of the world’s best.”

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Headlining the undercard will be Virgin Islands-based “The Hawk Flock”, the sons and nephew of former world champion Julian “The Hawk” Jackson, each of whom is an up-and-coming contender in the respective divisions.

WBC Super Welterweight Youth World Champion John “Dah Rock” Jackson (14-1, 13 KOs), super middleweight contender Julius “The Chef” Jackson (14-0, 10 KOs) and junior middleweight contender Samuel “Rock City Cobra” Rogers (12-0, 7 KOs) will each make appearances.

Also scheduled to appear in separate bouts are local favorites such as Millville, New Jersey, light middleweight Thomas “Cornflake” Lamanna (10-0, 6 KOs), Brooklyn lightweight Scott “Bang Bang” Burrell (6-1, 5 KOs) and a special showcase featuring the son of former heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon, undefeated super middleweight Isiah Seldon (6-0, 3 KOs).

The event is promoted by Sampson Boxing. The main event is presented in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

Tickets start at $40 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, or at the Resorts Casino Hotel box office on fight night.

The Resorts Casino Hotel is located at 1133 Boardwalk in Atlantic City. On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the first bout is at 7:00. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visit sampsonboxing.com or resortsac.com.

About Resorts Casino Hotel

Resorts Casino Hotel is a full destination resort located on the beach and Boardwalk in Atlantic City featuring more than 900 hotel rooms, six restaurants, nightlife, spa, health club and more. This spring, Resorts will debut the iconic Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville bringing a Margaritaville Restaurant, 5 O’Clock Somewhere Casino Bar, new themed gaming area, LandShark Bar & Grill – a year-round beach bar and more to Atlantic City. For more information follow us on Twitter, Facebook and visit our official Web site at www.resortsac.com.

On Friday, March 8, 2013, promoter Sampson Lewkowicz and Sampson Boxing will proudly present “Friday Night Fights” in the Superstar Theater at the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, an evening of world-class professional boxing that will also be televised on the popular professional boxing series ESPN’s Friday Night Fights (10 PM Eastern on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, online through WatchESPN.com, and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app.)

In the night’s 10-round light-welterweight main event, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic’s long-time top contender Victor “Mermelada” Cayo (31-3, 22 KOs) will face once-beaten Maryland product Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor (16-1, 11 KOs).

In the 10-round, co-featured televised bout, a couple of very promising heavyweights will lock horns, as undefeated Russian powerhouse Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov (16-0, 16 KOs) defends his WBC United States (USNBC) heavyweight title against once-beaten former Puerto Rican Olympian Victor Bisbal (21-1, 15 KOs).

Cayo, once rated as high as #3 in the world, will be looking to continue his comeback against the formidable Taylor. The 28-year-old Dominican Cayo has scored three big victories since dropping losing to world champion Lamont Peterson and former champion Nate Campbell.

22-year-old Taylor scored an eye-opening TKO 6 over highly regarded Raymond Serrano in his last fight and would love the career boost that would surely come from a win over Cayo.

Makhachkala, Russia’s 31-year-old Abdusalamov has distinguished himself as a top up-and-coming prospect in the big man’s division by beating such well-known names as long-time top contender Jameel “Big Time” McCline for the vacant WBC United States (USNBC) heavyweight title and well-thought-of contender Maurice Byarm, both by second-round TKO.

Ponce, Puerto Rico’s 31-year-old Bisbal competed as a Super heavyweight for Puerto Rico at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and reigned as Puerto Rican National Super Heavyweight Champion from 1999 to 2004. Although Bisbal scored a TKO 3 over former world champion Robert Daniels last year, Abdusalamov represents, by far, the biggest challenge of his career.

Headlining the undercard will be Virgin Islands-based “The Hawk Flock”, the sons and nephew of former world champion Julian “The Hawk” Jackson, each of whom is an up-and-coming contender in the respective divisions.

WBC Super Welterweight Youth World Champion John “Dah Rock” Jackson (14-1, 13 KOs), super middleweight contender Julius “The Chef” Jackson (14-0, 10 KOs) and junior middleweight contender Samuel “Rock City Cobra” Rogers (12-0, 7 KOs) will each make appearances.

Also scheduled to appear in separate bouts are local favorites such as Millville, New Jersey, light middleweight Thomas “Cornflake” Lamanna (10-0, 6 KOs), Brooklyn lightweight Scott “Bang Bang” Burrell (6-1, 5 KOs) and a special showcase featuring the son of former heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon, undefeated super middleweight Isiah Seldon (6-0, 3 KOs).

Tickets start at $40 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, or at the Resorts Casino Hotel box office on fight night.

The Resorts Casino Hotel is located at 1133 Boardwalk in Atlantic City. On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the first bout is at 7:00. All bouts are subject to change. For more information, visit sampsonboxing.com or resortsac.com.

About Resorts Casino Hotel

Resorts Casino Hotel is a full destination resort located on the beach and Boardwalk in Atlantic City featuring more than 900 hotel rooms, six restaurants, nightlife, spa, health club and more. This spring, Resorts will debut the iconic Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville bringing a Margaritaville Restaurant, 5 O’Clock Somewhere Casino Bar, new themed gaming area, LandShark Bar & Grill – a year-round beach bar and more to Atlantic City. For more information follow us on Twitter, Facebook and visit our official Web site at www.resortsac.com.

Lamont Peterson secured a future date with IBF/WBA 140 lb champion by stopping Victor Cayo in round twelve of their IBFelimination bout at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas.

Peterson was very solid thoughout the fight as he dictated the fight at his geography by forcing Cayo to fight on the inside where he could effective with good body work. Cayo had some moments by landing some good long right hands.

In the final round, the fruits of Peterson’s labor came to fruition as a worn down Cayo could not withstand the infighting of Peterson and he was dropped after a flurry of punches. Cayo could not beat referee Kenny Bayless’ count and the fight was stopped at 2:46 of round twelve.

Peterson, 140 lbs of Washington, DC is now 29-1-1 with fifteen knockouts. Cayo, 139 1/2 lbs of the Dominican Republic is now 26-2.

Yordenis Desaigne scored a fifth round victory over former two-time world title challenger Edison Miranda after referee Vic Drachulich disqualified Miranda due to low blows.

Despaigne hurt Miranda with a big right at the end of round one. At the end of the second frame, Miranda was docked a point for the first time as he tapped Despaigne low for the first time. Just seconds into round three Miranda was docked for a second time for a low blows. Round four saw Despaigne landed a six punch combination to the head of Miranda as Miranda invited Despaigne to hit him as he kept his gloves at his side.

In round five, another of Miranda’s punches strayed low and Drachulich was quick to pull the plug on the fight just forty-five seconds into the round.

Badou Jack remained perfect by scoring a second round stoppage over Timothy Hall in a scheduled six round Super Middleweight bout.

Jack dropped Hall with a body shot early in round two. Jack finished Hall off with a flurry of punches that sent Hall down and referee Kenny Bayless stopped the bout at 1:31 of round two.

Jack, 170 lbs of Las Vegas is now 7-0 with six knockouts. Hall, 168 lbs of Athens, GA is now 6-12.

Despaigne, 176 lbs of Miami is now 9-1. Miranda, 174 lbs of Carolina, PR is now 34-6.

Former world champion Joel Casamayor was involved in a minor car accident on Tuesday but has injuries that will force him out his July 28 bout with Jorge Teron but the espn2 televised card will have a new main event with great importance as Victor Cayo and Lamont Peterson will now square off in an Jr. Welterweight elimination bout according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Joel has a bad back and sore ribs. He may have broken a rib or two, but he’s OK,” said Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing. “He’s very, very sore. Obviously, he can’t fight. The doctor told him no training for about a month.”

The winner of Peterson-Cayo will become a mandatory challenger for the Khan-Judah winner. After the July 23 date fell apart, the fight was due to go to a purse bid on July 5.

“Both guys were still training and when the fight fell out (earlier in the week) I called Cayo and told him to stay in the gym,” Margules said. “Then when we had a chance to put it on July 29, I called (Peterson manager and trainer) Barry Hunter and told him we could go to purse bid on July 5 or we could just make a deal and get it done on July 29. They wanted to get the fight on.”

Two anticipated undercard bouts that were tabbed for the July 23rd show that will features a 140 lb unification bout between Amir Khan and Zab Judah are off the card according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

The welterweight bout between Joel Julio and Antowne Smith has been called off for a second time due to a family emergency that Julio has to attend to and the Victor Cayo – Lamont Peterson bout has hit major stumbling blocks concerning contractual language.

The Peterson-Cayo fight, which will determine a mandatory challenger for the winner of the Khan-Judah bout, will now head to an IBF purse bid on July 5, Warriors Boxing promoter Leon Margules told ESPN.com on Wednesday.

Margules, who promotes Cayo, and Golden Boy had reached an agreement on the fight to take place July 23 rather than go to a purse bid.

“But Golden Boy came back to me and wanted to be my partner on Cayo if he won and I said OK, for a couple of fights,” Margules said. “We would co-promote him. Then the documents came back giving them control of my fighter and they wouldn’t agree to a full 50-50 promotion. They came to me in the first place, so if they didn’t want to agree to 50-50, no deal. When I told them that, they said they are passing on the fight. So now it goes back to a purse bid.

“We didn’t pull out of the fight, we pulled out of the deal. When I insisted on a 50-50 deal on the options they wanted to control the fighter during the option period and have final say on my fighter. I said no. If it’s a true 50-50 deal we both have to agree, not them having the tie-breaker.”

The Julio -Smith fight was scrapped again after Julio’s mother and sister were injured in an auto accident in their native Colombia over the weekend.

“I guess this fight is not meant to be,” said Jolene Mizzone, matchmaker for Main Events, Julio’s promoter.

Mizzone said Julio’s mother had broken ribs and that his sister also was injured.

“But he had to go down there to take care of them,” Mizzone said. “He flew down there right away to take care of them. I was giving it a couple of days to see if he was coming back up but he’s not coming back yet. He’s the only down there to care of them, so the fight is not happening.”

Marcos Maidana retained the WBA “Interim” Super Lightweight title with a sixth round stoppage over previously undefeated Victor Cayo at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The bout was competitive over the first four rounds as each guy accomplished what they set out to do. In Cayo’s case it was to move in and out and mix it up when need be while Maidana was looking and at times imposed his will on Cayo.

At the end of round two, Maidana landed a left to the top of the head just as the bell sounded that put Cayo on the canvas. Replays showed that the punch may have come a split second afher the round finished but was still was ruled a knockdown by referee Joe Cortez.

Round five saw the most action with fighters having success with Cayo landing the flurries and Maidana landing the hard shots.

In round six, Maidna landed a good right hand that was followed up by a right to the body that sent Cayo down to the canvas for Cortez ten count at the 1:38 mark of thr round.

Maidana, 140 lbs of Santa Fe, Argentina is now 28-1 with twenty-seven knockouts. Cayo, 140 lbs of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic loses for the first time and is 24-1.

Joan Guzman made amends (sort of) for his poor performance last November when he was bludgeoned by Ali Funeka only to get a gift draw. This time Guzman showed the skills that many boxing insider praised throughout the last half decade as Guzman defeated Funeka by split decision in a fight that was tainted by Guzman’s in ability to make the weight for the bout which originally to be contested for the IBF Lightweight title.

Guzman showed his elusiveness early by showing lightning handspeed and reflexes as he would make Funeka miss and then make him pay. Funeka came forward to throw more then 250 more punches then did Guzman and had some success as he pressed the action but Guzman was efficient was his countering and body punching.

In round six, Guzman landed a huge right to the top of the head that sent Funeka to the canvas. Funeka had some moments going down the stretch but they werent enough as Guzman was very consitant with his combinations and movement.

Guzman won by scores of 116-111 and 114-113 while Funeka took a card by a 114-113 tally.

Guzman was unable to compter for the IBF crown as he weighed in a staggering NINE pounds overweight at Fridays weigh-in. After a financial deal with Funeka’s camp, the fight went on. Guzman, 144 lbs of Brooklyn, NY remains undefeated at 30-0-1. Funeka, 135 lbs of East London, South Africa is now 30-3-3.