Tag Archives: Atlantic City Boxing

Posted on 03/13/2019

By: Michael Kane

Deontay Wilder has reportedly been offered a $50 million two fight deal with DAZN.

DAZN have been in talks with Wilder with a view to securing a fight with Anthony Joshua in a heavyweight unification fight.

World Boxing News have reported that in effect Wilder will receive $25m for each fight which will then lead to negotiations for an improved contract for two fights with Joshua in 2020.

Speaking to Sky Sports Matchroom Promotions supremo has said how he will be keeping his part in negotiations to a minimum with DAZN taking the lead due to bad feeling between the Wilder camp and Matchroom/Joshua.

“There’s an opportunity for someone to be, of you like, a mediator to try and get it done,” said Hearn.

“Clearly the relationship between Team Wilder and Team Joshua isn’t the best. I think this is a route that is going to be very beneficial to making that undisputed fight.

“I think any input from me would be a negative one. In terms of trying to move things forward because of the relationship. So I’ll be leaving it in the hands of the broadcasters to try and effectively be a mediator.

“It’s not just about doing a deal with Wilder, it’s about doing a deal with Joshua, for the fight.

“They’ve got their work cut out. But the pieces are coming together. There’s a long way to go, a long way to go.

“We’ll see where it goes. But there is now a strategy in place and a route in place that could lead us to an undisputed fight.

As things stand Wilder is expected to fight Dominic Breazeale, whether this will be shown on DAZN, Showtime or FOX Sports, no one knows.

If this deal goes through, it would leave Tyson Fury with no chance of winning the World Title for at least a year.

Posted on 10/10/2018

By: Kirk Jackson

Ever since suffering his first professional defeat, questions surround the former middleweight champion Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin 38-1-1 (34 KO’s) regarding his next move.

Triple G’s rival Saul “Canelo” Alvarez 50-1-2 (34 KO’s), recently made headlines after announcing his next opponent; seemingly leaving Golovkin with limited options as his main objective appeared to retrieve his titles back from Alvarez via a third bout.

Con mucha emoción les anuncio mi siguiente pelea. Próximo 15 de diciembre en el MSG de New York. Tomando un gran reto más en mi carrera y representando al wbc como campeón de las 160 lbs ahora pelearé por el título mundial por las 168 lbs vs Rocky Fielding actual campeón wba!🥊 pic.twitter.com/h86E4xHDvF

— Canelo Alvarez (@Canelo) October 5, 2018

At the recent World Boxing Council’s convention taking place in Kiev, Ukraine, Golovkin submitted his request for the sanctioning body to order a direct trilogy fight.

Unfortunately for Golovkin, the WBC has other plans. As an alternative, the WBC approved Alvarez’s request to make a voluntary defense and the WBC ordered Golovkin to face WBC interim-champion Jermall Charlo 27-0 (21 KO’s) in a final eliminator.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán explained their reasoning for the decision.

“Golovkin feels left out and I’m very sorry about that. I just read a message from him. You have to understand that boxing is a stage, if the fight is very good [then another is demanded], but they had a war and I do not think it’s something that should happen immediately,” Sulaimán told ESPN Deportes.

“There was a message from Tom Loeffler, from his promoter, the message is not negative, simply that they expected that we would have voted for a direct rematch.”

With Alvarez facing WBA (Regular) super middleweight champion Rocky Fielding 27-1 (15 KO’s) Dec. 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York, that leaves the next opportunity for Golovkin to face Alvarez at some point in 2019.

Here’s where it gets tricky.

Barring injury or any other circumstance, Alvarez more than likely will fight for the first time in 2019 during Cinco de Mayo weekend. Being as Alvarez was granted the voluntary WBC middleweight defense; he can choose to fight someone else other than Golovkin.

It’s speculative and highly possible, Alvarez may face former middleweight champion and fellow Golden Boy Promotions stable mate David Lemieux 38-4 (33 KO’s).

It’s not a fight most boxing purists want to see per say, but it’s a fight that can draw decent numbers as Canelo is one of the proverbial stars, if not the most popular in all of boxing.

Bottom line, Alvarez doesn’t need Golovkin.

Chances are history will favor Alvarez when the topic of these two fighters is discussed. Alvarez destroyed the narrative casted by Golovkin and his head trainer Abel Sanchez leading into their rematch this past September.

Remember, it was Team Golovkin suggesting Alvarez “Ran,” and did not fight “Mexican style,” during their first encounter last year.

And it was Alvarez, taking the fight to the bigger man, applying pressure, walking Golovkin down and making him take backward steps for majority of the fight.

For those believing Golovkin won both fights, it’s an opinion you’re entitled to.

However, history books reflect different outcomes; with the rivals dueling to a draw during the first encounter and Alvarez earning the majority decision in their second encounter.

Both fights were entertaining and highly competitive.

But legacy wise, Alvarez has Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, Erislandy Lara and Gennady Golovkin twice on his resume. Canelo’s resume can be picked apart and dissected just like with any other fighter, but as far as recognizable names go along with fellow champions, he’s set.

Financially speaking, Alvarez can thrive without Golovkin.

Something else to keep in mind, Alvarez can always vacate his belt and fight whoever he wants. Canelo is at the phase in his career where he does not need the distinction of a world title to headline a huge fight.

At this point, his fights are events, spectacles and a world title is not necessary; it’s more so the cherry on top so to speak.

Another question to ponder with the WBC’s recent ruling, does Golovkin really want to go through Jermall Charlo, just to get to Alvarez?

Even if Golovkin faces and defeats Charlo, facing Alvarez afterwards isn’t a guarantee. Just like Golovkin defeating Charlo is guaranteed.

Regarding his professional career, whenever Golovkin stepped in up class and faced elite opposition he struggled. Canelo, Daniel Jacobs and Kell Brook are the examples on his resume that is fairly thin of elite names.

Most observers recognize Charlo as an elite fighter and would like to see him tested further. At age 37, Triple G can ill-afford to put forth a poor performance; especially if it jeopardizes future potential earnings against Alvarez.

To add Golovkin probably does not want to feature as the Litmus test for Charlo at middleweight.

Although in recent interviews Golovkin mentioned spending more time with family and hinted at retirement upcoming, it’s uncertain if long stretches of inactivity while waiting for Alvarez is the path he wants to take.

The only other option making sense is awaiting the winner of WBA (Regular) Ryōta Murata 14-1 (11 KO’s) vs. Robert Brant 23-1 (16 KO’s) later this month. If Murata wins, Golovkin could fight him in Japan, generating a substantial payday and that’s probably the preference.

With the third bout with Alvarez in question, certainly a level of uncertainty, Golovkin may be at a stand-still with limited options and limited time.

Posted on 09/27/2018

By: Sean Crose

HBO has finally come clean and has admitted it’s out of the live boxing business. “Peter Nelson, the 37-year-old executive vice president of HBO Sports, made the announcement that the new network was dropping boxing Thursday morning in a meeting with the HBO Boxing production staff,” writes the New York Times. “This is not a subjective decision,” Nelson is quoted as saying. “Our audience research informs us that boxing is no longer a determinant factor for subscribing to HBO.”

Many saw the move coming. HBO, once the crown jewel of boxing broadcasts, had severely lessened its broadcast of live fights in recent times. What’s more, the biggest names in the business were no longer involved with the network for the most part. Several years ago, HBO’s decision to step away from the sweet science would have been devastating to the sport. With boxing now being aired on many different outlets, however, the impact of HBOs decision may not be particularly significant. For instance, Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing, once a loyal partner with HBO, moved on to a lucrative deal with ESPN long before the announcement of HBOs departure from boxing was made.

What’s more, promoters like England’s Eddie Hearn have moved onto streaming platforms to show their wares. ESPN, and HBO rival Showtime are also in the streaming business when it comes to live boxing – though not exclusively. Add that to the fact that Premiere Boxing Champions, home to some of the most popular fighters in the world, deals mainly with Showtime and Fox Sports rather than HBO, and news of HBO’s break with boxing can be seen more as a formality than as a ground shaking event for the sport. As the Times states: “The decision (of HBO) cuts against a recent influx of investors and broadcasters into boxing, and amid a much wider availability of fights on a variety of digital platforms.”

To men like Hearn, who is hoping to usurp the old guard of the fight game with the streaming service DAZN in the United States, HBO’s decision might even come as something of a small relief. “I think it’s a great time for boxing and to be a fight fan,” the Times quotes Hearn, who now has one less competitor to worry about, as saying.

It’s worth noting, however, that HBO had a tremendous and long term impact on the sport of boxing. Once home to the sport’s biggest names, the network covered countless championship and classic bouts over a forty-year period. No small achievement.

Official Statement from HBO

Our mission at HBO Sports is to elevate the brand. We look for television projects that are high-profile, high-access, and highly ambitious in the stories they seek to tell and the quality of production in telling them.

Boxing has been part of our heritage for decades. During that time, the sport has undergone a transformation. It is now widely available on a host of networks and streaming services. There is more boxing than ever being televised and distributed. In some cases, this programming is very good. But from an entertainment point of view, it’s not unique.

Going forward in 2019, we will be pivoting away from programming live boxing on HBO. As always, we will remain open to looking at events that fit our programming mix. This could include boxing, just not for the foreseeable future.

We’re deeply indebted to the many courageous fighters whose careers we were privileged to cover.

There have been hundreds of dedicated and remarkably creative men and women who have delivered the best in television production for HBO’s coverage of boxing and we are so grateful for their contributions. It has been a wonderful journey chronicling the careers and backstories of so many spectacularly talented prizefighters.

We are a storytelling platform. The future will see unscripted series, long-form documentary films, reality programming, sports journalism, event specials and more unique standout content from HBO Sports.

We are constantly evaluating our programming to determine what resonates with our subscribers. Our audience research clearly shows the type of programming our subscribers embrace. For HBO Sports, it’s programming that viewers can’t find elsewhere.

In keeping with this mission, we’ve accelerated our commitment to storytelling. This has produced landmark shows like “Andre the Giant,” which is the most viewed sports documentary ever on HBO; the acclaimed NFL reality franchise “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cleveland Browns,” which delivered double-digit viewership gains from a year ago; “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel,” the gold standard in sports journalism on television; the powerful docu-series “Being Serena” that chronicled the comeback of tennis icon Serena Williams; and the acclaimed unfiltered talk series “The Shop” featuring LeBron James.

This fall, HBO Sports will present an edition of “24/7” highlighting the upcoming Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson match play plus engaging documentary films like “Student Athlete” and “Momentum Generation” brought to us by accomplished filmmakers. In 2019, we will have the innovative multi-part documentary presentation “What’s My Name|Muhammad Ali” from director Antoine Fuqua in conjunction with executive producers LeBron James and Maverick Carter of SpringHill Entertainment.

Other new ventures will be announced in the weeks ahead as HBO Sports continues to explore new frontiers in sports programming.

Posted on 08/22/2018

Lou DiBella
Thanks everyone for joining us for this conference call for what should be an amazing, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING card presented by Premier Boxing Champions at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, September 8th. The main event Danny Garcia vs. Shawn Porter is for the WBC World Welterweight Championship. It’s a sensational fight, incredible match up of styles, one of the best fights you can make in the Welterweight division.

It will be the main event of the tripleheader. It will also feature Yordenis Ugas vs. Cesar Barrionuevo in a WBC Welterweight Eliminator. And also an extremely interesting and important heavyweight match up between Adam Kownacki of Brooklyn, New York by way of Lomza, Poland and Charles Martin from Carson, California, the former World Heavyweight Champion.

Obviously an effort by Charles to get back into the big picture in the heavyweight division with one big win. And for Adam an opportunity to defeat a former World Heavyweight Champion and put himself into the immediate title conversation. It’s a sensational card, tickets for the live event, which is co-promoted by my company and TGB Promotions in association with DSG Promotions. They started $50 and they are on sale now.

They could be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 1800-745-3000, they can also be purchased at the box office in Barclays Center. Fights involving Garcia and Porter rank among the highest attended and highest grossing gates for boxing at Barclays Center. So both of these fighters are basically fighting in their homes away from home.

Adam Kownacki is a huge favorite within the Polish community in the New York area. He’s a very big ticket seller and this will be his seventh fight at Barclays Center. So right now tickets are moving incredibly well. The ringsides and the better seats are good to be gone quickly. So people should get on the phone and order their tickets you know for this fight when they can and they were tickets down to $50 so this is an affordable event for everybody.

In addition to being a huge event for Brooklyn and for Barclays Center this is another string of top boxing events in major fights that would be presented by SHOWTIME under the leadership of Stephen Espinoza, doesn’t get better than this. In my mind, this is as good a premium cable fight as you could possibly make.

Again it just continues in a multi-year period of excellence for SHOWTIME. Stephen, why don’t you say a few words?

Stephen Espinoza
Thanks very much, Lou. September 8 will be our 26th live boxing presentation of the year. That’s 26 live boxing events this year and of those we’ve had eight matchups of top five versus top five fighters, and that’s clearly what Danny Garcia vs. Shawn Porter is – two of the top five in the welterweight division. That again will be the eighth time this year alone that that’s happened on SHOWTIME.

We’re also here to talk about the heavyweights, Adam and Charles. Adam is hugely popular with Brooklyn’s Polish community. He’s fighting at Barclays Center for the fifth time. Charles Martin is no stranger to Barclays Center either, having won his heavyweight title there on SHOWTIME back in 2016.

It’s a very intriguing crossroads fight in a division, which has certainly got a lot of attention, a lot of buzz lately. So I think you know that’s all part of a very solid card, interesting card top to bottom. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention Amanda Serrano who is trying to become boxing’s third six-division champion when she fights Yamila Reynoso for the WBO Junior Welterweight World Championship. A little bit of everything as far as high quality fights, we are really looking forward to September 8.

L. DiBella
Thank you Stephen, and as Stephen pointed out there is a terrific undercard featuring loads of New York talent and an incredibly significant women’s fight between Amanda Serrano and for a 140-pound belt, which would be Amanda’s sixth weight class with the title. As Stephen pointed out that would put her there with two other great male Hall of Fame level fighters and make her the first woman to hold a distinction as well as the first Puerto Rican, so that’s a very significant fight.

Let’s get started with the great heavyweight match up. I’m going to first to say a few words about a young man I’m very familiar with, born in Poland, moved to Brooklyn with his family when he was seven, two times New York Golden Gloves champion, rated in the top 10 by the WBC and number 13 by the IBF. Six round knockout recently against Iago Kiladze, he has wins over former title challenger Artur Szpilka as well as a number of other good wins with his record but really a rising young heavyweight close to his big opportunity with his biggest obstacle and a former world champion Charles Martin in front of him.

A. Kownacki
Hey thanks Lou for the introduction. I’m ready to make a statement. It’s a very big fight for me, I’m training very hard and hopefully after this fight I’ll be mentioned as a heavyweight contender. I’m thrilled to be on a great show in Barclays Center live on SHOWTIME and can’t wait. It’s definitely going to be a great night for me.

L. DiBella
Charles Martin only lost to Anthony Joshua in April of 2016. He has couple of knock out wins since then, 6’5″, 32-year-old, top 10 by the WBC at number nine and number 15 by the BF. Charles this is a pretty immediate way to get back into the picture, if you could beat this young contender and he’s looking at you as his biggest resume mark to date. So this is a big night for you, can you say a few words?

Charles Martin
Yes, I can’t wait. I’ve been training hard, doing what I got to do, staying focused, and I’m looking to put on a big show come September 8th and you know keep going up those rankings, trying to get back to my belts. I know it’s going to be a tough fight and that’s what I am training for, so we’ll see nothing new.

Q
When you turned pro did you have the expectation or the confidence that you would reach this level of the sport?

A. Kownacki
My goal was always to be world champion. Winning the New York Golden Gloves was a big thing for me. So after I won that, that’s where I was looking to win the title. With every fight I inch closer so I’m training very hard to reach the dream comfortably.

Q
Charles, what do you have left to accomplish in sport boxing.

C. Martin
I want to show what I can really do in the sport, so I’m just here to show people my skills and that’s what I am going to do on September 8th. I got some stuff to prove so that’s what it is.

Q
What does fighting in New York mean to you personally?

A. Kownacki
I love it. In fact, it’s one of the best feelings. If you can make here, you can make it anywhere. So I want to continue that and keep winning in New York.

Q
Charles do you think the winner of this fight will be right in line for a title shot?

C. Martin
Yes, possibly, but I’m never looking past my opponents. So I’m right on the money. I got to take care of Adam Kownacki first before anything.

Q
What is in Adam Kownacki’s style which makes him so hard to first of all predict and then to fight?

C. Martin
He is just a good fighter with a lot of heart. He is winning because he is a good fighter. I’m just saying he is a good fighter.

I’m prepared for everything you can possibly think of. I’m coming to minimize everything he brings, that’s what we are working on.

Q
Charles, could you tell us how you think you’ve improved as a fighter since facing Joshua and what lessons did you take from that fight?

C. Martin
Yes, I’m more mature, I’m grown. I’m a grown man. So we’re ready when I get in that ring. When I work out, when I go to training, I’m serious about what I do. I’m taking my craft seriously, so that’s what’s the difference. I’ve grown.

Q
What do you think your advantages are over Adam in this fight?

C. Martin
I’ve come in to win, come in to make a statement. I’m bringing devastation.

Q
Adam how do you view Charles as a fighter and what do you think your advantages are over him?

A. Kownacki
Well, first of all, I thank Charles Martin for pronouncing my name right, I think he is one of the few people that actually said it correctly but I will be in pressuring him all night. I’m a pressure fighter and if Charles Martin is able to give me all then I think it’s going to be a tremendous fight.

Q
Do you want to make prediction for the fight?

A. Kownacki
I do know that it is going to be exciting. There will be lot of fireworks.

C. Martin
No predictions. I like to prove it and I like to show it. Let me show it, no predictions.

Q
Charles does returning to Barclays Center bring back any special memories for you, was that part of the motivation for to take this fight?

C. Martin
Well as far as taking the fight it didn’t matter where we fought, but I love fighting in Brooklyn. I like the Barclays Center big stage, so I am looking forward to it.

Q
What led you to taking the fight with Kownacki?

C. Martin
It’s just who we are fighting with, you got to fight somebody. I haven’t been in the ring often recently but I’ve been in camps and working every day. We have been working really hard

Q
Adam do you feel like this is the final step towards getting that title shot or do you feel like there is more work to be done?

A. Kownacki
As you all see Charles Martin is very focused, so I’m prepared for the best Charles Martin that he brings, and I could beat the best Charles Martin and go for the title shot right after. I am looking at Charles Martin as if he still has the title, as if he is the champion, so I am ready. I am running and doing more workouts. I’m looking at Charles Martin as if he is still a champion, so by beating him it puts me right in o the title shot. He’s a contender and the former world champion so bringing a shot at title would be I think the next step in my career.

Lou DiBella
Adam and Charles I look forward to seeing you guys fight week, and now we’re going to move on to the main event of this great event on Saturday, September 8. Once again it’s 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York for the WBC World Welterweight Championship and frankly Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter don’t really need whole lot of introduction.

Q
A lot of guys who fight Shawn obviously come away from their fights feeling that he uses his head, how much are you preparing for that and how can you kind of combat that from happening to you?

Danny Garcia
I got to go in there and fight my fight. I can’t go in there and basically get caught up in his fight. We have the right sparring partners, short guys around 5’6″ using the head, who come forward. So me and my father got the perfect game plan to get away from the head butt. So yes we have some tricks for that.

Q
How much will you make the referee aware of that?

D. Garcia
At the end of the day I’m not really worried about the referee, it is a fight. The referee does his job and I’m just going to do my job and that’s go in there and fight. So I’m not really worried about his head. I just have to go in there and fight my fight.

Q
What it would mean for you if you’re able to stop him in the fight?

D. Garcia
It will mean a lot, if you avoid the scorecard that’s always a great thing, you don’t even have the judges judge, so it will be great. I stopped people for the first time in their careers so it won’t be the first and it won’t be the last time I did it.

Q
You’ve been involved in close decision before and I know you can’t go into a fight looking for a knockout but how imperative is it for you to try to end this fight before it goes to the cards so you don’t put yourself in those situations again?

D. Garcia
At the end of the day, those fights are growing fights, those type of fights are what makes you a better champion and makes you a better fighter. If you win easy fight all the time you don’t know what you have to work on, you want to improve. So those type of fights show what you got to work on. So I think every fight in my career has been the right fight and I’m going to go in there and use all those fights and all the experience I have had to get this victory.

Q
Shawn can you answer that as well?

Shawn Porter
I plan on going in there and taking care of it in the easiest way. I need to make sure I’m doing everything that I need to do to win the fight decisively and with no question at all that I am the winner.

Q
Do you think Danny can do anything to make you not fight his fight?

S. Porter
I think it’s a psychological thing. I say when you are in ring with me, you know what I am going to bring, and you really got to get yourself going for that. I think a lot of times they get caught up with my work rate and my aggression and they feel like they have to counter that with the same work rate and aggression. I don’t know what game plan they have for me, but I do know that I’ll be ready for anything.

Q
How excited were you or how did you feel when you found out you were going to get this opportunity?

D. Garcia
It was exciting because obviously I want the world championship again, the WBC title was my title to begin with. So it was exciting when I got the call and it was all right away and it’s a fight that I like and I was excited and I said let’s get it on.

Q
Can you talk about your point of view as this being a competition not only between yourself and Shawn but between your dad and also his dad?

D. Garcia
We’re looking at it like another fight. We are not looking at it like your dad versus my dad. This is just Team Garcia versus his team and that’s how we always look at it. So we are just preparing ourselves, working hard every day and again we are going to do what we always do.

Q
How difficult was it to swallow having the first defeat of your career?

D. Garcia
It was tough, it was tough, I have a mind of a winner and honestly waking up that day I thought I was going to be the unified champion of the world. I was real confident when it came to the scorecard that I was there to win the fight because I finished the fight strong, and you know what there were a lot of close middle rounds.

He won a lot of the early rounds, but I felt like I pushed the fight, I thought I won the fight, it didn’t go my wat. That got me going again but you know mentally it was tough but you know physically it didn’t affect me, so now it is behind me in the past. I feel good, I’m motivated and this is the same Danny Garcia you want to see. So in my mind I still feel like I kind of have to go out there and prove myself.

Q
You both lost close fights to Thurman, can you tell me how much either of you would like to get a rematch?

D. Garcia
You know I got to get this victory first and then quite frankly, I’ll fight anybody, it doesn’t matter who it is.

S. Porter
Yes, I think the fight against Thurman was very, very close, and I wanted a rematch right away, but that was in 2016. At the time, it was the best fight in the division. It is still that but I’d like to see and fight some other competition first, and trust me I just love to fight.

Q
How would you rate your performance in that fight against Brandon Rios and do you feel like you need to do better than that to beat Shawn Porter?

D. Garcia
I’ll give myself a B, I was off a year before that. I felt like I knocked off a lot of rust, I felt like I’d be really good for being a year off and went and got the knockout, which was the goal. I felt like that was the only way to win that fight if I am knocking him out and that made me so happy so yes I’m back where I need to be and I’m active.

I’m fighting again and you know I always tell people that an active Danny Garcia is a dangerous Danny Garcia.

Q
When you look at the welterweight division do you feel excited about new potential fights that a lot of people are already kind of fantasy matchmaking for both of you guys?

D. Garcia
Yes, definitely, it was exciting to be in a division full of talent. If I get this belt I will fight whoever, the biggest fight, the biggest payday. I will fight anyone.

Q
Lou, where do you rank this event at least on paper among all the other boxing cards that you’ve been a part of in Brooklyn?

L. DiBella
We put on some amazing cards, this is another one and frankly I’m as excited about this one as I’ve been about anyone in a long, long time and I’ve said this main event is a fight that I had loved for years and it’s a fight that sort of was inevitable and it’s now happening and it’s a great fight but you know everything else on this card is important, it has significant history being made.

There’s going to be a major contender either Martin back again or Kownacki in the heavyweight division. It’s a great, great card, headlined by two great champions and Garcia and Porter, and it’s another card in the run of great cards on SHOWTIME in association with Premier Boxing Champions and another great card in the line of Brooklyn Boxing at Barclays Center. So you know it’s continuing to build those brands at the same time.

So it’s going to be a big night for boxing on September 8th, I would hope everybody joins us.

Q
Danny how long did it take you for you to get over your loss to Keith Thurman?

D. Garcia
It took me a little while and at the end of the day I never pictured myself on the wrong side of a decision, but it is what it is. I came back strong against Rios and did what I was supposed to against him and stop him and knock him out. The next two guys up for the title was me and Shawn and that’s how the fight got made.

Q
Can you tell us about the success you had at Barclays Center?

D. Garcia
Yes, definitely it is, I love Barclays Center. I opened up the building and I was the first world title fighter at Barclays Center in 2012 when I knocked Morales out. I fought many epic battles here you know against Morales, Peterson, Judah, Thurman, the list goes on.

Of course a lot of great knockouts there, you have a big fan base in Brooklyn. When I walk through the streets of Brooklyn everyone knows who I am, so that’s my home away from home. I love the atmosphere. I love the people at Barclays Center and it’s my home away from home and I’m excited.

Q
Do you still have any potential future plans to bring a fight back to Philly?

D. Garcia
In a perfect world after this fight I would come back and defend my title in Philly, but we got some work to do come September 8, so we got to get this victory and get the job done and then whatever’s next is next but I would love to bring something to the area.

Q
Shawn, what makes this Danny Garcia very intriguing?

S. Porter
I’m aggressive. I come strong, I come fast, I come hard, and Danny is one that’s a little bit more patient. The fight is a brilliant fight. I’ve been around the block 100 times and coming back to Brooklyn we are both familiar with them and they are familiar with us.

If you want to you know the other intangibles of this fight, it’s two hard hitters, two strong guys, two young guys and that just makes for a very great intriguing fight and it will be just that.

Q
Can you talk a little bit about the style match up, everybody has got to be different, but for both guys is there any fight from your past that kind of lays the blueprint for how this one’s going to go?

D. Garcia
At the end of the day for a lot of people from the amateurs, the pro game, they come forward. I have to go in there and push him back and that’s what I am preparing for and that’s what I wake up every day and get my work done and to be the best that I can be, and perform the best that I can perform.

I’m going to go ahead and make adjustments like a true champion and get the victory and I think that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.

S. Porter
I’m not exactly sure what’s going to happen yet but I’m sure I’ve had previous experience with whatever he brings to the ring. My experience and my knowledge in the ring is what is going to help me through that.

Q
How much does that help you when you had those long periods of inactivity before and still been able to perform at a high level when you go into a fight like this?

S. Porter
If anything I’m healthier, I’m happy and I’m relaxed. I’m fully recovered for anything that I’ve been through and you know the list goes on there. I think that if anything, I’ll have fresh legs late and a fresh mind to get in the ring with Danny. I think in the past just the time in between fights has made me stay hungry. This being for a world championship title and the WBC, plus Danny Garcia is one of the top guys in his division. Everything in this fight has kept me hungry from the moment that the talk began about this fight happening and now we’re like 23 days away from the fight I think and it is coming soon.

Q
Shawn earlier Danny said that he gave himself a B for his performance against Brandon Rios, how did you think he fought against Rios?

S. Porter
Honestly prior to the knockout it was a C performance for me, it was a C performance. I thought that he was not as fast and sharp as I expected him to be. If it is Shawn Porter versus Brandon Rios, I would not expect him to go that long. He found the right punch at the right time, he landed it, he knocked him down after that and that was what I needed from Danny in order for me to get in the ring and do what I did.

Danny doesn’t knock out Brandon I don’t get in the ring, and this fight may or may not be happening right now, but I’m ready.

Q
In regard to a Keith Thurman rematch, do you put that out of your mind at this point because he hasn’t fought so long?

S. Porter
Yes, I put it out of my mind, and again no disrespect to Keith, but we haven’t seen him, we don’t know what Keith is going to look like when he gets back in the ring and I would hate for Keith to get back in the ring to be any less than what he was the first time we fought. There’s too many questions and this is why Shawn Porter wins the rematch right now. So I have definitely put the rematch a lot further behind me than it was prior to this fight has been announced but this is the number one thing on my mind right now.

D. Garcia
He’s out because of me. I was the one who broke his elbow, but I just feel like I just feel like he’s not hungry no more since he unified the division. I think he reached the height in his career that he always wanted to reach.

I think he’s married now or he’s traveling the world, so his mind is not in the game. So I just don’t think he’s hungry anymore. I think he passed what he wanted to accomplish. I may be wrong but from what I see that’s how it seems to be.

L. DiBella
Thanks for joining us everyone and we’ll see you on September 8 at Barclays Center.

Posted on 03/13/2018

By: Sean Crose

It wasn’t an easy fight to make, but Vasyl Lomachenko will be facing Jorge Linares for Linares’ WBA world lightweight title this coming spring. The 10-1 Lomachenko, considered by some to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world, is currently the WBO world super featherweight titlist. He’ll be moving up a division to battle the 44-3 Linares, who has held his own title since he bested Anthony Crolla in 2016. Should he win Linares’ belt, Lomachenko will have earned titles in three divisions in a career that spans only a dozen fights. The match will go down May 12th at Madison Square Garden in New York.

What makes this pairing unique, aside from the fact that it involves two strong talents, is that it brings together two powerhouse promotional entities in an era where political warfare rages throughout the sport of boxing. The fact that Linares is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions while Lomachenko is promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions means that both men are in (sometimes) opposing camps. To further complicate matters, De La Hoya and Arum have a relationship that has its own history of ups and downs.

In short, this bout was never a guaranteed thing. And, in fact, it looked for a while as if the match might not be happening at all, as negotiations appeared to have hit rough seas. Things seem to have been finally worked out, though, when ESPN, which showcases Top Rank fights, agreed to push back it’s slated broadcast for the evening of May 12th so that Lomachenko-Linares wouldn’t compete with HBOs replay of the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin II broadcast later that same evening (Canelo-Golovkin II will be aired live on pay per view on May 5th and is – at least in part – a Golden Boy Promotion). Another possible factor in the deal being made was that Linares was reportedly offered a huge some of money (the exact amount was not available at the time this article was being penned) to face the feared Ukrainian Lomachenko.

With the pieces now being in place and the names now officially being signed on the contracts, the fight world can focus on what will surely be a fascinating bout. To say Lomachenko has been dominant in recent performances would be an understatement, as his past several opponents have literally quit on their stools. However, Linares is a skillful vet who hasn’t lost a bout since 2012. What’s more, he’s won his last 13 fights. To make things even more intriguing, there’s no guarantee the impressive Lomachenko will remain as forceful in the ring as he has been, since he’s now going to be moving up in weight yet again. The lightweight division is particularly hot right now, with names like Mikey Garcia (who fought and won last Saturday) and Robert Easter dotting the landscape. And news of Lomachenko-Linares stands to make matters all the more intriguing in the near future.

Posted on 10/19/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Pacquiao, Ortiz, Scott, Russell, Atlantic City Boxing, and more…
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of October 11th to October 18th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Pacquiao vs. Vargas Tickets Available Online

Remaining tickets to the world championship fight between boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade, Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO (58-6-2, 38 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, and defending World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion JESSIE VARGAS (27-1, 10 KOs), from Las Vegas, can be purchased online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets and charged by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267). The Thomas & Mack Center box office will reopen on Thursday. The Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is playing host to the third and final presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on Wednesday.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions and Wynn Las Vegas, the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event will take place on Saturday, November 5, at the Thomas & Mack Center. Remaining tickets are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees.

“Our ticket sales are great with Las Vegas fighters on this card in significant world championship fights. Fans in Las Vegas can still buy their tickets online or by phone,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “And to Mr. Trump’s chagrin, the only drug testing taking place at Thomas & Mack, between now and November 5, will be the ones given by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to the fighters on the Pacquiao – Vargas card.”

Pacquiao vs. Vargas, and its three co-main event world title fights, will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital
distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.

Gary Russell, Jr. Wants to Set the Record Straight

“This is why I don’t like doing interviews because my comments during interviews get manipulated and twisted around. I’ve been sitting back just to see how far this ridiculous article will go” said frustrated WBC World Featherweight Champion Gary Russell, Jr.

Recently, Gary Russell, Jr. did an interview with RingTV.com to promote his September 13th Team Russell All-Star Amateur Boxing show in Maryland. The article was supposed to highlight the work that brothers of Team Russell are doing to mentor young gifted amateur boxers across the country.

Instead, the entire article had a negative undertone that took shots at Russell’s advisor Al Haymon.

Russell felt the need to address the article, starting with the title “Gary Russell Jr. Pushes for Higher Purse” is not true. Russell said, “Yes, in another three years I could end my career so being smart financially is important. But, again, that has nothing to do with Al Haymon”.

It is no secret that before Russell fought Patrick Hyland this past April, he got cut during sparring which is why he had not been in the ring. Russell said, “There was no need, is no need to reference other professional athletes and their careers. As fighters, we all have a mutual respect for not getting involved in one another’s business affairs. I felt like my platform was used as a pawn to promote negativity with Al and among other Haymon fighters”.

The article also said, “Russell was careful to make sure his comments weren’t construed as criticism of Haymon” This was apparently an obvious hidden agenda to create tension within the household. “My father taught us; real men say what is on their mind, use real words, no reason to tip-toe around. The essence our character is loyalty and truth. I’m offended at how my words were twisted to assassinate someone’s character; this goes against all my families beliefs. Unless RingTV.com paid me, I would never do another interview with them” said Russell.

Russell closed by saying, ”Team Russell’s relationship goes beyond just boxing with Al; he is family. We’ve been more than happy with the decisions made collectively regarding the direction of my professional career. We value his opinion and input. Let me be very clear, no one within the Team Russell circle would ever speak negatively about Al in any way – family business stays in-house.”

Malik Scott to Face Luis Ortiz

World ranked heavyweight contender MALIK SCOTT, (38-2-1, 13 KO’s), is headed to the world’s foremost tourist destination, Monte Carlo, on Saturday, November 12 to face feared, undefeated and #1 ranked “King Kong” LUIS ORTIZ, (25-0, 22 KO’s) at the Salle des Etoiles for the vacant World Boxing Association Inter-Continental Heavyweight Title.

“This is the fight I wanted, I picked him, “said Scott. “I told my promoter Tom Brown one of the three, either Anthony Joshua, David Haye or Luis Ortiz.”

“After Ortiz beat Bryant Jennings the media starting talking about his invincibility and that he was the most feared heavyweight and I immediately wanted to fight him. There’s no such thing as unbeatable and I welcome the challenge to prove it.”

“If I’m on my game on November 12, I’ll shut him out. He’s going to gas out early and I’ll put on a boxing clinic,” continued Scott. “Ortiz is my pathway towards a world title opportunity, this is my time to shine and slay ‘King Kong’.”

“Because of his rep this fight will get a lot of international attention and I’ll be looking for full credit when I beat him, no excuses.”

A native of Philadelphia, now residing in Los Angeles, Scott fights under the Sherman Oaks’ based TGB Promotions’ banner.

“Malik has wanted another big fight and this opportunity to face Ortiz comes at the right time,” said TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions. “Malik is fearless and isn’t at all intimidated by Ortiz’s rep, he’s fought or sparred every notable heavyweight over the last fifteen years.”

Known as a true road warrior of the sport, last October Scott traveled to Orlando, Florida winning a dominant ten round decision over former world title challenger Tony Thompson. The previous October, Scott defeated Alex Leapai, also a former world title challenger in Australia.

The heavy-handed Ortiz has stopped his last four opponents, most recently the aforementioned Tony Thompson in the sixth round on March 5, 2016. Prior to that Ortiz brutally stopped former world title challenger Bryant Jennings in the seventh round on December 19, 2015.

Scott vs. Ortiz is presented by Matchroom Boxing in association with TGB Promotions and will be telecast LIVE in the UK on Sky Sports.

Greg Cohen Promotions Signs Rico Mueller

Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions proudly announces the signing of IBF #10-rated welterweight contender Rico Mueller of Germany.

Already the current IBO Inter-Continental Welterweight Champion, Mueller (20-1-1, 14 KOs) is scheduled to face IBF #3 Jeff Horn on October 21 at the Sleeman Sports Complex in Queensland, Australia, in an eliminator for the IBF’s #2 contender position.

With current champion Kell Brook rumored to be moving up in weight, if 28-year-old Mueller is victorious against Horn, he would likely find himself in line to fight top contender Errol Spence Jr., for the vacant world championship, since they would be rated #1 and #2 respectively.

“Big things are happening in my career and I need the right representation to help guide my career,” said Mueller. “Greg Cohen Promotions has a long history of moving their fighters to the championship level and I’m happy to be onboard.”

Cohen says he’s happy to be adding an international talent like Mueller to his promotional roster.
“Boxing has obviously undergone a shift, with a large percentage of its talent now located in Europe. I’m honored and happy that Rico recognized my company for its focus on world talent and I will work hard to put him in the big fights. He’s an excellent fighter with the right work ethic to become world champion.”

Mueller will be in tough against Horn, who stopped one of the most dangerous fighters in boxing, former multi world champion Randall Bailey, in his last ring appearance.

“Rico is tough and he knows the challenge in front of him,” said Cohen, “but he’s a tremendous talent and I see him rolling along to an impressive victory. After that, it’ll be a world title shot against Kell Brook or Errol Spence and a shot at boxing stardom. I’m happy to be a part of this huge time in his career.”

Undefeated World Champion Danny Garcia to Fight in Philadelphia on November 12th

Undefeated welterweight world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia (32-0, 18 KOs) will make his first appearance in his native Philadelphia since 2010 as he takes on Colombia’s Samuel Vargas (25-2-1, 13 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on Spike Saturday, November 12 from Temple University’s Liacouras Center. The bout will be Garcia’s final hurdle before a planned massive showdown with unbeaten champion Keith “One Time” Thurman scheduled for the first quarter of 2017.

In keeping with his desire to give back to the community, Garcia is teaming up with Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, to arrange a regional food drive, collecting most-needed items, such as tuna and vegetables. Fans are being encouraged to drop off canned goods at the Liacouras Center (1776 N Broad St) and the DSG Boxing Gym (3731 Jasper St). Additionally, $10 from each ticket sold will be donated and provide 20 meals per ticket for people in need. More information on these efforts and how you can get involved will be announced shortly.

Garcia, a two-division world champion, will battle Vargas in a 10-round non-title bout in his first fight since his exciting win over Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in January. Garcia insisted on staging the fight in his hometown and using the event as a vehicle to raise awareness and money for the less fortunate in the area.

“My dad and I wanted to get one more fight in before the end of the year and there was no doubt in my mind it had to be in Philadelphia,” said Garcia. “My team got it done and it’s a great feeling to fight at home over the holidays. I’m excited to use this opportunity to give back to the community and put on a show on November 12. This city means everything to me. I hope everyone comes out, but shows up with cans of food too. I’m gearing up for a big fight with Keith Thurman next year that’s going to be a can’t miss event. First, I’m going to fight for my city on November 12.”

“Things happen when you work hard and I’m so excited about this opportunity,” said Vargas. “Garcia is a great fighter and he cleaned out the 140-pound division and now he is champion at 147. A win would change my life and everyone around me. This is my time. I can’t fail. This is going to be a Rocky story in Rocky’s town.”

Televised coverage on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and features undefeated rising star Jarrett Hurd (18-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round bout against once-beaten super welterweight contender Jorge Cota (25-1, 22 KOs) and former world champion Javier Fortuna (30-1-1, 22 KOs) battling undefeated Omar Douglas (17-0, 12 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout.

“This win will put me one step closer towards winning a world title,” said Hurd. “The win over Oscar Molina was a big opportunity that has opened a lot of doors and was a great experience. Cota is a tough veteran with a high knockout rate. He is a little wild and I have to look out for that. I’m going to go out there to land nice shots and stick to my game plan.”

“I’m looking forward to this opportunity to fight a good undefeated fighter,” said Cota. “I know that I have the power and skills to beat anybody out there. I’m going to leave it all in the ring and get the victory on November 12.”

“I’m only thinking about winning heading into this fight,” said Fortuna. “Douglas is a good fighter who moves very well. I’m looking forward to this challenge on November 12. I will be a world champion once again.”

“This is the type of fight that I need if I am going to be a champion,” said Douglas. “I plan on putting on a crowd pleasing performance. Fortuna is a decent fighter and I’m going to have to break him down. He is good for four or five rounds but then he slows down. I’m going to set him up to take him out in the later rounds.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DSG Promotions and King’s Promotions, are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $35 and are on sale now. To purchase tickets visit www.LiacourasCenter.com/events or call 800-298-4200.

Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame Update

Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame is proud to announce that the ACBHOF Esteemed Nomination Committee has completed the nomination and voting process. The names of all luminaries, which will be inducted into the First Charter Class of the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame, will be made at a later date in November. This Historic group of Inductees is comprised of Boxers, Trainers, Promoters, Managers, Matchmakers, Historians, Special Contributors, and Posthumous individuals. All have help to make Atlantic City a top boxing destination in the U.S.A.

The ACBHOF founder & president Ray McCline will announce this exceptional group of Inductees via an official press release in mid November to the general public. Mr. McCline states; “My team and I are looking forward revealing the names of the inductees which have had a significant impact on Atlantic City’s rich boxing history, during their respective careers”.

“There are so many potential inductees to consider, yet due to the fact that this is our first class, the selection process had to be streamlined. We feel that Atlantic City was, and will continue to be a major player in the future of this great sport. In the future we will be able to accommodate many more great fighters and special contributors, for years to come.”

The future date and venue of the 2017 Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame induction weekend will be forthcoming. Those interested in being a sponsor, advertisement and/or seeking vending opportunities during the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame 2017 Induction Weekend, are encouraged to contact us at:

Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame
P.O. Box #7221
Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 USA
(P) 609.432.8979
(E) [email protected]

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/acbhof/

Website:
www.acbhof.com

TGB Promotions’ Tom Brown to be Inducted Into the California Boxing Hall of Fame

TGB Promotions’ President TOM BROWN will be inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 22 at the Sportsmen’s Lodge Events Center in Studio City, California.

“Having been a matchmaker and promoter for over 25 years based in the Los Angeles area this accolade means a tremendous amount to me,” said Brown. “I’ve always considered it a priority through my work to act in the best interest of the sport and this induction by my peers is a great honor.”

Other inductees at the ceremonies include Unified Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and his longtime trainer Abel Sanchez. Also being inducted are former world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, broadcaster and renowned trainer Teddy Atlas and former world champions Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez and Louis Espinoza and world ranked contender Shibata Flores. Highly respected father and son referees Raul Caiz Sr. and Raul Caiz Jr. will also be inducted.

Tickets for the California Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony can be purchased for $70 through Don Fraser at (818) 761-4887. The ceremony including lunch starts at 11:00 a.m. in the Empire Room.
The Sportsmen’s Lodge Events Center is located at 12833 Ventura Blvd. in Studio City.