Tag Archives: chris

Posted on 01/05/2019

By: Sean Crose

“I see World title fights for me this year, “former WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri says. “The key is being active. I want to fight every other month, so the focus is win on January 18, get another fight in March and just keep building.” Algieri, who took several years off from the ring, returned last November by besting Angel Hernandez in Algieri’s hometown of Huntington, Long Island. Now the 22-3 New Yorker is set to face Danny Gonzalez at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Center on the 18th of this month. The fight will be aired live on the DAZN streaming service here in the United States.

“Words cannot express how excited I am to get back into the ring just seven weeks after my long awaited return to the ring,” Algieri says. “On top of that excitement I will(be) fighting in New York City at the world famous Madison Square Garden that will be seen live on the premier sports streaming network DAZN.” Algieri made his name when he stunned Ruslan Provodnikov for the junior welterweight championship in 2014. His next fight, however, was a one sided loss in the welterweight division to all-time great Manny Pacquiao.

Following two more losses to top names Amir Khan, and Errol Spence, Algieri stepped away from the ring for around two and a half years, working as a nutritionist, sometimes for noted fighters like Daniel Jacobs. Now that he’s returned and has another win on his resume, the 34-year-old vet is eager to move forward in the division of his past glory – junior welterweight. “I will prepare to be my absolute best,” he says. “I will bring my all and I fight with the heart and tenacity that the boxing public has come to know and love. January 18 is going to be a glorious night and I am sure my strong Long Island contingent will be loud and proud!”

Algieri is particularly happy to be facing the 17-1-1 Gonzalez at Madison Square Garden. “If you ask any fighter in the world and they will all tell you – there is just something inherently special about fighting at The Garden,” he says.” This fight represents another step towards my ultimate goal of regaining my World title at Super Lightweight. I understand the magnitude of this event and know that at this stage of my career each fight is the most important of my life”.

Posted on 01/03/2019

By Jake Donovan

James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr. finally get to settle things in the ring.

The pair of British super middleweights and longtime domestic rivals will collide on February 23 at The O2 in London, with the bout formally announced at a press conference held on site Thursday afternoon.

“I’d like to say how personally proud I am of this new relationship between Premier Boxing Champions and ITV,” stated promoter Richard Poxon, whose Poxon Sports will present the event live on ITV Box Office in the UK. “This is a fantastic all British super-middleweight fight that takes us back to the glory days on ITV.

“For the first British event (under the new deal between PBC and ITV), it’s probably the most anticipated event of recent years. This has every ingredient to be a great event. We’re looking forward to the buildup and of course looking forward to a great fight.”

There will be far less at stake than was the case when the two were first on each other’s radar. In the time that has passed since interest in such a grudge match first made the rounds, DeGale (25-2-1) has won, lost, regained and vacated a super middleweight title.

Meanwhile, Eubank Jr. (27-2, 21KOs) will enter fight night barely a year removed from his disappointing points loss to George Groves in their title fight last February. A win would’ve advanced the second-generation boxer into the World Boxing Super Series finals versus Callum Smith; instead, it left him without a career-defining win and a lot to prove.

It also made it easier to finalize terms to face DeGale, a fitting debut for PBC expanding its brand to the United Kingdom four years after its initial U.S. launch in 2015.

“At this stage of my career, big fights, fan-favorite fights are all that I’m after,” Eubank Jr. said during Thursday’s press conference. “This fight has been 4-5 years in the making.”

Of course, being the son of legendary former two-division titlist Chris Eubank Sr. made him recognizable name from the moment he turned pro in 2011. What caught the eye of his upcoming opponent, though, was Eubank Jr’s awareness of those around him at that time.

“This fight has been a long time coming,” acknowledges DeGale, a 2008 Olympic Gold medalist for Great Britain and two-tour super middleweight titlist. “A lot of people have been calling for this fight. Chris has been calling for this fight.

“When the guy first turned pro, he was calling me out. He’s very deluded and now I’ve finally got the chance to deal with this guy, good and proper.”

The moment will come without a major belt on the line. DeGale regained his title in a points win over Caleb Truax last April after suffering a shocking loss to the American in Dec. ’17, which initially ended his 2 ½ year title reign.

His first title win was a historic moment, becoming the first ever Olympic Gold medalist from Great Britian to win a major title in outpointing Andre Dirrell in their May ’15 clash.

The second tour was short-lived and without fanfare or even a single defense. DeGale opted to vacate in order to search for bigger fights rather than be contractually bound to a mandatory title defense versus Jose Uzcategui. Among the bouts discussed was an eventual showdown with Eubank Jr., a fight that was factored into PBC moving forward with its long-discussed plans of launching its brand in the U.K. market.

Both boxers took on separate tune-ups in the interim, each scoring 3rd round knockouts just two days apart. Eubank Jr’s return to the win column came in an uninspiring stoppage of JJ McDonagh last September in Saudi Arabia, on the undercard of Smith’s knockout win over Groves to win the WBSS super middleweight tournament.

Two days later, DeGale claimed an early hit of Mexico’s Fidel Monterrosa in a bout buried deep on the non-televised portion of a PBC on FS1 show in California.

Little was made of either contest, other than marking time for their eventual head-on collision. Whereas such a fight could have arguably declared the best super middleweight in the world a year or two ago, the February 23 clash has become must-win for both boxers.

“We can call this the retirement fight,” DeGale repeatedly insisted during Thursday’s press conference. “Whoever loses, can knock it on the head. Call it a retirement fight because whoever loses, game over.”

The sentiment wasn’t exactly shared on the other side of the dais.

“Speak for yourself, James,” Eubank Jr. quipped of the notion. “James is talking about retirement. That thought has never entered my mind.”

What has entered his mind, however, was getting game-ready for this bout and functionally for the rest of his career. The 29-year old admits to having been self-trained for his past few contests, but will enter this under the watchful eye of a new—and full-time—coach.

“I haven’t really had an official trainer,” Eubank Jr. confessed in regretting past decisions that have left him in must-win territory. “Ronnie Davies has always been with me, but was never my full time trainer, he was more of an overseer. I was basically training myself.

“This fight will be different. I’m training with a man named Nate Vasquez, who has been living with me full-time. He had to fly home for Christmas but is now back with me. It’s great to have a guy working with me full time, fixing the things I need to work on rather than someone just going through the motions. It’s going to take me to the next level.”

It will have to, as Eubank Jr. has yet to land the type of breakout victory that has advanced his career from potential to confirmed greatness. He was aggressively moved early in his career, perhaps not quite ready for “the next level” in dropping a dull 12-round decision to then-rising contender Billy Joe Saunders, who would go on to win a middleweight title.

The path was similar to that of DeGale, who was paired early in his career with Groves when both were unbeaten prospects. Groves won a tightly contested decision, but it was DeGale who would be the first to win a major title in outpointing Dirrell on U.S. soil.

Three successful title defenses followed, including a 12-round draw with Badou Jack in their Jan. ’17 war. DeGale—who turns 33 in February—remained with a belt around his waist, but the majority draw coupled with the upset loss to Truax that following December left the Brit without a win since barely getting past Rogelio Medina in April ’16.

He now enters this grudge match with two straight victories. The former two-time titlist is also equipped with the more proven track record in big fights and—he believes—has far more left to offer the sport, which he doesn’t believe to be the case for his future opponent.

“After he’s lost to me, I’m not too sure where he’s going to go,” DeGale wondered aloud. “Fortunately, we only have seven more weeks to wait. I’m ready to go.”

Posted on 10/25/2018

By: Sean Crose

“The prodigal son will return home for the first time in over 4 years as former World Champion Chris Algieri returns to The Paramount on November 30th, making his long-awaited comeback at the venue where it all started.” With those words, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing announced the return of Chris Algieri, who once held the WBO junior welterweight title before moving on to fight such top names as Manny Pacquiao, Amir Khan, and Errol Spence. New York’s Algieri lost those major fights (which all occurred after he rose up to welterweight), then stayed out of the ring for two and a half years.

Now, with long time issues with DeGuardia and company settled, the Long Islander is set to return to The Paramount, the place where he first earned his reputation as a fighter to watch. “I can’t express how happy I am to be back,” Algieri is quoted as saying. “It has been a long time coming and it is the perfect time to step back into the sport. I am looking forward to returning to the junior welterweight division and win another world title. There are a lot of good fights for me down the line and I can’t wait to be back in the mix on the world stage.”

“I look forward to Chris’ return,” said DeGuardia, “especially in the junior welterweight division, where he has never lost a fight. I am confident we will get him another world title fight very soon”. Algieri surprised many people when he got off the mat and went on to win a decision against the feared Ruslan Provodnikov back in 2014. This led to a major payday with Pacquiao, who thoroughly bested Algieri when they met in Macao later that same year. Algieri went on to battle Khan gamely before being wiped out by Spence in 2016.

Since that time, Algieri has gone on to earn a reputation as a nutritionist who works with other fighters, particularly middleweight heavy hitter Daniel Jacobs. “Algieri decided a couple of months ago that he was ready to make a comeback,” Star Boxing announced, “and re-signed a promotional agreement with his long-time promoter Joe DeGuardia and Star Boxing. The two agreed it was time to return to the roots of Algieri’s career and give back to the loyal Long Island fans.” Algieri has made it clear he’s particularly happy to return to the Paramount in Huntington, New York, where he has won at least eight of his professional bouts.

“I am thrilled to return to the Paramount where my last successful title run began,” he said. “The growth of my fanbase has always been an organically grown, grass roots approach; so it feels only right to give back to my hometown fans in this way”.

Posted on 02/19/2018

by B.A. Cass

There is a disparity in how Chris Eubank Jr. comports himself outside the ring and how he fights once he is in the ring. In a prefight interview, a cool and collected Eubank Jr. told one interviewer that Groves was “ready to be taken out, man. He doesn’t want to be here. I just sense weakness in him. . . . I was telling him you’re not ready. You’re in serious danger here.” However, on Saturday night at the Manchester Arena, Eubank Jr. proved that he was the one who is not ready. Swinging wildly and often missing, he looked worse than amateur. At least a good amateur has his fundamentals intact.

After listening to Eubank Jr.’s trash talking, it was embarrassing to watch him try to box. There were times when he wound up so hard with his left hook that when he missed Groves, his momentum spun him nearly 180 degrees. He left himself open and vulnerable on many occasions, and he seemed to have absolutely no strategy.

What is truly sad, though, is that Eubank Jr. refuses to see reality. Apparently, he trained himself for the Groves fight, which was the biggest fight of his career. The fact that he does not believe he needs to have a trainer should tell us all we need to know about Eubank Jr. He may have determination and guts, but he doesn’t take boxing seriously. He takes himself seriously—that much is clear—which is exactly why he’s such a joke. Aside from Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Eubank Jr. is boxing’s best-known daddy’s boy. As the son of the great former boxer, Eubank Jr. thinks that just being who he is enough to make him great. It doesn’t.

In his post-fight analysis, Prince Naseem Hamed said, “[Eubank Jr.] is not at this level and he is not such a good fighter that he is making himself out to be. He ain’t going to win unbelievable things. Let’s just talk reality, let’s bring it down to where it really is. Let’s talk the truth right now. Is this guy a world beater? No, he’s not. In three years or four years, he still won’t be.”

Achieving excellence in any sport requires not only discipline and skill but the ability to assess and compensate for deficiencies. Eubank Jr. has potential. Presently, however, he is unwilling to look at his flaws or to surround himself with people who will challenge him to improve. Unless Junior makes some drastic changes, Hamed’s assessment will certainly prove prophetic.

Follow B.A. Cass on Twitter @WiththePunch

Posted on 02/15/2018

By: Ste Rowen

On Saturday night in Manchester, an all-British world title fight takes place when WBA super middleweight champion, George Groves 27-3 (20KOs), steps into the ring with IBO belt holder, Chris Eubank Jr 26-1 (20KOs) in the much-anticipated World Boxing Super Series semi-finals.

Both boxers made easy work of their quarterfinal opponents back in October.

At Wembley Arena, ‘Saint’ George Groves knocked out fellow Brit, Jamie Cox in the 4th round with a clinical body shot that kept Cox down for the count and served as Groves’ first defence of his WBA belt, which he won back in April after stopping Fedor Chudinov.

In the pre-fight documentary, still available on the WBSS YouTube channel, Groves said…

‘I don’t like to waste shots so anything I do throw, believe me you’re gonna get hit with it… There’s absolutely nothing there for me to worry about because there’s gaping, gaping holes in that style, in that approach.

He’s a blown-up middleweight who’s come into this tournament to try and build his profile… If he managed to beat me he’ll be the next coming but if he fails he’s gonna have the biggest fall from grace that we’ve had in this country for a long time.’

Away from home and in the heated atmosphere of Stuttgart, Eubank knocked out, walking punchbag Avni Yildrim in the 3rd round of his quarterfinal bout, with a devastating right hook that finished the Turk off, after already forcing his opponent into briefly taking a knee in the first round following an uppercut.

Speaking on his own and his opponent’s capabilities, Chris was in confident mood…

‘It’s more than possible to push through that pain barrier and get up, and I’m sure that he’ll try and use that against me and I’m sure I’ll be prepared for it… It won’t go the 12 rounds, somebody’s getting knocked out. This chin doesn’t have an off button, his does.

I don’t have any hate for the guy, he’s just a guy with a belt that I need to get passed to win the tournament. I keep my emotions out of boxing. It’s nothing personal, it’s just punishment.’

It’s a difficult fight to conclusively call. It could come down to how well Groves weathers the storm in the early rounds and whether his chin holds up as well as it did against Chudinov. Along with being able to slip and counter off the ropes, if Groves is able to fire off the selection of shots we’ve seen in his 6-fight win streak since losing to Badou Jack back in 2015, Eubank will need to do more to protect himself when those huge swinging hooks go amiss.

Eubank may not be pillow-fisted, but he’s lacking that one-punch KO power. Even in his previous bout, the IBO champion constantly landed cleanly throughout the 3 rounds. It’s difficult to envisage a scenario where a seasoned pro like George Groves, gives his semi-final foe so many opportunities to take him out.

The second semi-final takes place next week in Nuremberg as super middle & light heavyweight veteran, Jurgen Braehmer, 49-3 (35KOs) goes up against 23-0 (17KOs) Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith. The winners will progress to a final that’s expected to take place in early June at London’s O2 arena.

On the undercard, and as long as there’s no late injury to either of the main event fighters, WBSS super middleweight injury reserve, Zach Parker, 14-0 (10KOs) will take on 16-6-2 (10KOs), Adasat Rodriguez.
Two British title fights will also be on the undercard as Ryan Walsh takes on unbeaten, Isaac Lowe; and Tommy Langford is up against Jack Arnfield for the middleweight belt.

Both Walsh and Lowe have a mutual opponent on their records in Denis Ceylan who Lowe fought to a disputed draw, in March 2017; Walsh was beaten on a split decision to Ceylan five months earlier.

It’ll be the first time Tommy Langford, 19-1 (6KOs) defends his British title since 2016, after a 1-1 record in 2017. He was comprehensively knocked out by Avtandil Khurtsidze back in April and ended the year with a routine comeback points victory over 11-36-1 Miguel Aguilar. Jack Arnfield is currently on a six-fight win streak including wins over John Ryder, and former junior middleweight world title challenger, Brian Rose.

Posted on 02/12/2018

By: Niki Ross

Last week saw the Matchroom card “British Beef” take place at the London O2 Arena, the main event pitted Olympian Lawrence Okolie against the skilled prospect Issac Chamberlain.

This was promoted as a grudge match between two hungry prospects at the start of their career looking to chalk up the first significant win over a local rival. Unfortunately, despite one of the fighters being nicknamed “Sauce”, the main event of British Beef turned out to be pretty tough to swallow.

All eyes will now be turning to Feb 17th. This fight should be close and action is nothing short of certain. Both fighters look to secure a place in the final of the World Boxing Super Series tournament against Callum Smith and both fighters have had wars in sparring previously. History and bad blood makes this an intriguing fixture.

Chris Eubank Jr is pencilled as the bookmaker’s favourite. His recent wins have been a display of eye watering hand speed and versatile punch selection. He is comfortable lashing in five and six punch combinations which often pass in the blink of an eye. As with most young athletes these days he has also taken to YouTube to help raise his stock with footage of sparring and tearing apart punch bags. Regularly putting the hurt on unwitting sparring partners in a grandiose display of poor sportsman which smells like it has Eubank Snr’s influence all over it.

To the casual fan, Eubank Jr will be an attractive fighter to invest time and money in. Loosely following the Mayweather blueprint, he likes to showboat and entertain with gym clips and cute training montages. Take a look at his boxing record however and you’ll see that its built on soft ground. He’s yet to face an elite level fighter. On his day Billy Joe Saunders is world class and that’s where Eubank Jr came unstuck previously. Since that loss he has failed to up the standard of competition to a level where he really tests himself and learns the crucial lessons about swimming in deep waters. Of his 20 KO’s only one has been a straight knockout, the rest were all TKO’s. Chris Eubank Jr, for all his gusto, lacks knockout power.

George Groves has previously walked the walk and he’s consistently fought tougher opposition. A new partnership with trainer Shane McGuigan has sparked a renaissance in George Groves winning a world title in the process. Unlike Eubank Jr, Groves has punching power which can stop a man dead. Carl Froch went down for the second time in his colourful career when Groves delivered a solid right hand, the Cobra was not a man who was easily hurt.

The physical attributes of both fighters will probably be where this fight is won or lost. Eubank Jr is not a big 168lb’er and his lack of knockout power highlights this. If he maintains a high punch output he should see out a victory, a stoppage is possible, George Groves is not a hard man to hit. Groves on the other hand is the natural super middleweight, he has power, he hits hard. He’s seen off a number of quality opponents and the experience will give him an extra advantage in this fight. If he can withstand Eubank Jr’s ferocious onslaughts his power and experience could prevail in the later rounds. Eubank has a very slim torso, some early body work could take the wind out of his sails if Groves can find his way in.

This is a good match up which will answer more questions than it creates. If Eubank Jr scores an impressive victory he has to be taken serious as a top contender at super middleweight. If Groves picks up the win it cements his status in the divison as a dangerous title holder. His CV is rich with credible opponents and career defining fights. He seldom made it easy for himself, his victories have not always been convincing but he’s come through them and in the process learned more about himself and the sport than his opponent. It is refreshing that with this tournament, boxing has produced such an organic means of crowning the best fighter in a division. For these two fighters however, this fight already brings the gravity of a final, in terms of significance, this fight is the one which neither fighter can afford to lose.

Posted on 01/07/2018

By: Oliver McManus

Off the back of our British Boxers to Watch feature, I spoke to 4 and 0 Cruiserweight prospect Chris Billam-Smith about his career thus far and what the future has in store for him – boxing on Cyclone Promotions shows, the Bournemouth-born fighter has a 100% knockout percentage having defeated (seeing as it’s only four names, I’ll list them all) Russ Henshaw, Aleksandar Todorovic, Jan Hrazdira and Lazslo Ivanyi to the plaudits of the boxing community.

Chris, pleasure to speak to you, first year in the pro ranks – how do you think it’s gone?

It’s been great. A great opportunity me to work with a great team and great people. I had a busy 11 weeks from September to December with 4 fights which is also great, so I’m a lucky man.

You’ve fought four times in three months, are you looking to keep that sort of regularity going into 2018?

A bit more rest would be good! I’m sure it will slow down a bit now as going into 6 and 8 rounders before hopefully fighting for a title towards the end of the year. Whatever the title may be.

What do you make of the quality of fighter you’ve faced? They’ve certainly not been walkovers but you’ve dispatched with them emphatically.

Well you know how the business works. These are guys I’m supposed to be beating so I’m not getting ahead of myself. I’ve just been accurate and timed shots well. But tougher tests will come and I look forward to them especially domestically it’s becoming an exciting division.

You’re nicknamed The Gentleman, where does this come from?

It was Shanes shout. We had a few nicknames chucked about in gym CBSExpress was a close 2nd but Shane said because of my manners and the way I conduct myself. I have my father to thank for that as he is a gent.

How would you describe your fighting style?

I’m not sure really I’ll let you guys (the media)* describe it how you wish. All I know is I’ll be in some great exciting fights.

*for what it’s worth, this is how I described his style; “the youngster already showcasing a full range of skills that are destined to take him far – a prolific body puncher, his right hand hook is ferocious to say least and enough to send anyone crumpling to the canvas.”

Do you think you’re amateur experience helps you transition easily into the paid ranks?

Yeah because as an amateur I was a boxer through and through and boxed as an Elite from my 15th fight after I won the novices so I was always used to boxing good opposition.

You’re promoted and trained by the McGuigan’s who also promote Chantelle Cameron and Josh Taylor – how exciting is the future for Cyclone?

Very exciting. Especially as bit Chantelle and Josh Taylor are on the verge on winning world titles. It’s a great atmosphere in the gym. And we’re all grafting away and loving the big nights.

You’ve sparred both Isaac Chamberlain and Lawrence Okolie – from your experience, who wins that fight?

I sparred Okolie as an amateur so both him and I would’ve improved since then, but Chamberlain I have sparred more recently. I really can’t pick them as Chamberlain is hard to hit clean so will that nullify Okolie’s power? But Okolie isn’t all just saw power he is good at setting shots up too. It is a great fight and one I look forward to watching. If I had to make a decision is edge towards Okolie but no result will surprise.

I’ve heard you say you think more free to air boxing would help the sport, how has it benefited your career?

It’s been great. I’ve boxed in Scotland and Leicester so quite a long way from home and the ones who haven’t been able to travel have been able to watch me On TV. I’m getting a great backing and I’ve been stopped by strangers saying nice things to me so it’s great that not only me, but the sport as a whole is getting more exposure.

And finally then what are your plans for 2018, are you looking at any particular title fights?

Keep winning, keep the stoppages coming, keep enjoying myself and improving and get a title before the year is up. It doesn’t matter which one at this stage as it’s still early but I’m ready to get one as soon as obligations like fight in a scheduled 8 rounder are met.

Cheers for speaking to us at Boxing Insider, all the best!

Thank you guys for the interview. All the best

Many thanks, then, to Chris for taking the time out to speak to us ahead of what promises to be an exciting year and, indeed, career in general.

Let me just say that his nickname, The Gentleman, could not be a truer summarisation of his character – a truly humble man, full of manners, and a delight to speak to.

A really exciting fight that I’d like to see the youngster in would be a match-up with Wadi Camacho, potentially for the Southern Area championship, which would provide him with a good opportunity to test his array of skills against a domestic fighter who has stood the test of time.

Posted on 11/28/2017

Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of November 21st to November 28th; covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Holyfield and Arum Headline 2018 Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame Class

Evander Holyfield and Bob Arum headline the 2018 inductees into the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame.

The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) has announced its 25 member 2018 Induction Class, which also includes President Donald J. Trump. This epic event will take place at The Claridge, a Radisson Hotel located at Park Place & Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 1 – 3, 2018.

Atlantic City, New Jersey Mayor-Elect Frank M. Gilliam Jr. commented, “The future of boxing in Atlantic City is brighter than ever. Being the newly elected Mayor of the City of Atlantic City, New Jersey it gives me great honor to be a part of bringing the 2nd Annual Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend back to our Great City. I believe boxing and Atlantic City has always been a natural fit and we see it returning to its glory days, and under my administration, we plan on welcoming it back wholeheartedly: Congratulations to the ACBHOF “2018” Inductees!”

The Claridge Hotel serves as the signature Corporate Sponsor for this knockout weekend, “The Claridge is proud to be in partnership with the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame and to continue to promote professional boxing’s exceptional history in Atlantic City,” says Cem Erenler, Vice President/ Operations & Business Development for TMJ Properties, the owner and developer of The Claridge. The iconic hotel, which is now part of the global Radisson brand first opened in 1930. “Hosting this signature event is in the best traditions of The Claridge, which for more than 80 years has been Atlantic City’s center for exciting events in sports and entertainment,” Mr. Erenler said.

Evander Holyfield stated: “I have many great memories fighting in Atlantic City, and I am honored to be inducted into its Hall of Fame.”

The 2nd Annual Induction Ceremony & Celebration Weekend will honor some of the world’s most prominent trailblazers from the sport of boxing: President Donald J. Trump, José Sulaimán, and Bob Arum are just a few names who will be enshrined with the 2018 induction class. Also expected to be in attendance; current and former boxing champions, and VIP Guests for a fun-filled weekend that’s highlighted by a black-tie evening, and the acclaimed, unforgettable Induction Ceremony.

“The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame is here to stay! The epic success of our 2017 Inaugural Induction weekend was pivotal to our brand value in the boxing and business community,” said Rodrick Green Vice President and Business Strategist for ACBHOF. “We are excited about the economic and sports entertainment impact the ACBHOF will continue to have in Atlantic City. Thank you for your support and be reassured that at the 2018 Induction Celebration the bar will be raised even higher.

Over the next several weeks there will be updates on the schedule of events, room packages and expected VIP appearances on the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame and the Claridge Hotel websites and social media platforms.

“We’re excited about the ACBHOF 2018 Induction Class; I believe our nomination committee did an incredible job in selecting a diverse and richly deserving group of individuals. I’m extremely proud of this class because it contains three remarkable women: Diane Fischer-Cristiano, Jean Williams, and Marian Muhammad. The ACBHOF team along with our partners and sponsors are looking forward to June where we will pay homage to our 2018 inductees,” said Ray McCline ACBHOF President and Founder.

Tickets for Groves-Eubank Jr. Sold Out in Seven Minutes
It took seven minutes to sell out the Ali Trophy semi-final bout between WBA Super World Champion George Groves (27-3, 20 KOs) and IBO-Champ Chris Eubank Jr. (26-1,20 KOs) at the Manchester Arena on February 17, 2018.

Europe’s largest purpose-built indoor arena will be at capacity to witness what promises to be the biggest Super Middleweight night in years.

“This is a sensational start to the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series and the quest for the Muhammad Ali Trophy,” said Roberto Dalmiglio, Comosa’s CEO.

“I said before we went on sale that the fight between Groves and Eubank Jr. represents the boxing event fans cannot afford to miss, and I am happy to say that I was right.”

Said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer: “This is clearly the fight everyone wanted and I am sure this super-fight will capture not only a nation but a generation of fight fans.”

“The build-up is going to be huge and we can’t wait to go to Manchester for a sold out event between two spectacular rivals and world-class fighters.”

“We will work hard over the coming weeks to release extra tickets to meet the huge demand for this fight.”

The build-up to the all-British grudge match begins today when Groves and Eubank Jr. come face-to-face at a kickoff press conference at 2 pm in London.

ITV will be live streaming the press conference on ITV Box Office, YouTube and Facebook.

The Ali Trophy super middleweight semi-final between George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr. will be live on ITV Box Office on February 17.

Lucas Matthysse and Jorge Linares to Headline HBO Card at Los Angeles Forum

Two of the world’s most exciting fighters, Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) and Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares (43-3, 27 KOs), will kick off the 2018 boxing year with a bang as they compete in separate world championship bouts on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, California. This special double main event will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:20 p.m. ET/PT.

The first co-main event will see the 35-year-old Matthysse, an absolutely thunderous puncher out of Chubut, Argentina, facing undefeated Thai superstar Tewa Kiram (38-0. 28 KOs) in a 12-round battle for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship.

“I am honored to be able to fight for a world championship in just my second fight at welterweight,” said Matthysse, a former interim world champion at 140 pounds who has defeated the likes of former two-division champion Lamont “Havoc” Peterson, formerWBO Junior Welterweight Champion Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and former three-division titlist Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto. “I understand I am facing a younger, undefeated opponent, but I am confident that ‘The Machine’ will emerge victorious.”

Since turning pro at the age of 15, Kiram has torn through an astounding 38 opponents, with 28 of them never hearing the final bell. He won the interim PABA Welterweight Championship in just his sixth fight and defended it – and the full PABA Welterweight title – more than 30 times over seven years. This will mark his first fight outside of Thailand.

“I understand not many people know me in the U.S., but they are in for a big surprise on Jan. 27,” Kiram said. “I have never been defeated, and I am fully confident that I will return to Thailand with the WBA Welterweight World Championship around my waist.”

In the second co-main event, Linares, a 32-year-old Venezuelan considered one of the top fighters in the world, will make his second trip to the ‘Fabulous’ Forum in a row to defend his multiple lightweight world championships against the once-defeated Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs).

“I have travelled all over the world to win and defend my titles, and I am looking forward to having my hand raised in victory once again in America,” said Linares, the three-division world champion who holds victories over world champions and contenders such as Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla, Kevin “Mighty” Mitchell and Gamaliel “El Platano” Diaz. “I know that Gesta has speed and power, but he hasn’t been at this level before, and on Jan. 27, he’ll know what it’s like to face a world champion.”

Gesta, a 30-year-old from the Philippines, has not tasted defeat in six fights, beating quality opponents including Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez and former contender Martin “El Brochas” Honorio. Gesta is getting his second shot at a world championship more than five years after dropping a unanimous decision to Miguel “Titere” Vazquez for the IBF World Lightweight Championship.

“I know firsthand how long it takes to get a shot at a world championship, and I will not allow this opportunity to pass me by,” Gesta said. “I understand Linares is a great fighter, but I know I have the skills, speed, power, and great coaching which will get my hand raised in victory.”

“What a way to kick of 2018 – with two of the top fighters in the sport taking on younger, hungry challengers,” said Oscar De La Hoya, CEO and Chairman of Golden Boy Promotions. “It’s not often you get two main events on one card, but that is what we will have on Jan. 27 at the “Fabulous” Forum. This card will help keep the momentum that boxing established in 2017.”

“This is a very important fight for Argentine boxing, for Lucas Matthysse and for Arano Box,” said Mario Arano of Arano Boxing. “Matthysse is ready to be a world champion, and we are more than sure that his win will make huge waves throughout the entirety of the Republic of Argentina and South America.”

“Thailand has never had a Welterweight World champion before,” said Taweesin Terry Laosuwanwat, Manager and Promoter of Kiram. “We are making history here, and Tewa [Kiram] will do anything to win this fight. Tewa has never lost before, and he will keep his undefeated record against Matthysse.”

The remainder of the undercard and the ticket information for this stacked event will be announced shortly.
Jose Lopez to Take on Avery Sparrow in New Co-Main Event on November 30th ESPN Show
Super featherweight contender José “Wonder Boy” López (18-1-1, 13 KOs) of Carolina, Puerto Rico will now take on Avery Sparrow (8-1, 3 KOs) in the new co-main event of the Nov. 30 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at the MGM National Harbor in Maryland. The event will also feature the headlining debut of Lamont Roach, Jr. (15-0, 6 KOs) as he defends his WBC Youth Super Featherweight Title against Rey “Flash” Pérez (21-8, 6 KOs) in the 10-round main event. ESPN3 (English) and ESPN Deportes (Spanish) will air the fights live at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. Undercard will stream on ESPN3 at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. ESPN2 will air the fight at 11 p.m.ET/8 p.m. PT.

López, a 23-year-old contender who is coming off a four-fight win streak, has earned two regional titles since making his debut in Sept. 2011. In 2014, Lopez defeated veteran Leivi Brea to win the Interim WBC Fecarbox Super Bantamweight Title via first-round technical knockout. Two years later, López captured the WBO International Super Featherweight Title by defeating Edgar López Sasso via stunning second-round knockout. López was originally scheduled to fight against Miguel “Miguelito” González, but González was forced to pull out due to an injury suffered in his left arm when sparring.

Sparrow, who is also 23-years-old will took to take advantage of his first co-main event opportunity. The Philadelphian is coming off a four-fight win streak, defeating two undefeated prospects in his last two fights.

Fairfield, California’s Manuel “Tino” Ávila (22-1, 8 KOs) will take on Nick Otieno (31-12, 13 KOs) of Nairobi, Kenya in an eight-round featherweight fight. Ávila will return after his only defeat, which was in a tough battle against Joseph Diaz, Jr. on the Canelo vs. Chávez Jr. undercard in May of this year. The featherweight contender is looking to get back into the 126-pound mix before the year ends.

In the night’s swing bout, George Rincón (2-0) of Dallas, Texas will take on Jihad Wise (3-3, 1 KO) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a four-round 140-pound clash. Rincón’s brother, Alex Rincón, was originally scheduled to be in the swing bout, but the welterweight prospect who is currently signed to Golden Boy Promotions was forced to pull out and undergo surgery as he has been diagnosed with appendicitis.

Luther Smith (9-1, 8 KOs) of Alexandria, Virginia will open the night of boxing in a four-round bout in the cruiserweight division against an opponent that will be announced shortly.

Roach, Jr. vs. Pérez is a 10-round super featherweight fight for the WBC Youth Super Featherweight Title and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop, Never Settle.” ESPN3 (English) and ESPN Deportes (Spanish) will air the fights live from MGM National Harbor at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. ESPN2 will air the fight at 11 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Roach, Jr. vs Pérez are on sale and are priced at $75 VIP, $75, $55 and $35, not including taxes or fees. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call the Ticketmaster Contact Center at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.goldenboytickets.com.

Nico Hernandez Injured, Fight Posptoned

Due to an injury suffered by 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez last week at training camp, this Saturday night’s “KO Night Boxing: Gold & Glory” card, presented by KO Night Boxing LLC, has been postponed until February 10, at the same venue, Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas.

The 21-year-old Hernandez was scheduled to headline the event in his hometown against Hungarian flyweight champion Jozsef “Little Red” Ajtai (19-9, 12 KOs) in the eight-round main event for the vacant International Boxing Association (IBA) Americas flyweight championship.

The promoter plans to keep the card intact, as much as possible, and he is hopeful that Ajtai is available to challenge Hernandez for the IBA Americas title.

“Injuries are an unfortunate part of boxing, but the good news is that Nico will be 100-percent ready to go February 10th,” promoter John Andersen said. “I know that Nico feels that he’s letting everybody down but, at the end of the day, all that really counts is his health. He’s a tough kid who has his entire pro career ahead of him.”

“Over the last six months, Nico has become like family to the Hartman Arena staff,” said Hartman Arena Executive Director, Ben Bolander. “We wish the best for him and hope for a speedy recovery, so we can see him back here in February fighting for the title.”

TIckets to the December 2nd event will still be honored at the February 10 event. If ticket holders, are unable to attend the new event date, full refunds will be offered at the point of purchase. Tickets will remain on sale for the February 10, 2018 event date.

Posted on 10/27/2017

By: Jacob Tanswell

It was June 25th 2016, Chris Eubank Jr, was sat in a press conference alongside promoter Eddie Hearn and his father, fresh from inflicting a damaging defeat on British Middleweight Contender, Tom Doran. As usual, Eubank Snr acted his usual maverick self, giving the journalists plenty of material; yet, the son, was his quiet, steely self, contemplating his future. When that topic did come up, the press conference came alive: “If they want it, it’s ready to sign” Eddie Hearn claimed after being asked about a possible well documented fight with Gennady Golovkin; if possible, this lit an ever bigger spark in Senior’s mind. “I genuinely don’t see how my son can be beaten by Ward or Golovkin, who are considered two of the pound for pound best fighters in the world.”

After the press conference and that bold and brash statement, the media starting drawing their own conclusions as if the lucrative fight had already been made. However, days passed and there was still no confirmation of the event, which was set to be on “Sky Sports Box Office.” The situation kept dragging on, until Hearn himself, drew a line in the sand; he gave the Eubanks a deadline. If they had not signed by then, the fight was off. The deadline passed. Abstract demands such as choosing who the commentator would be caused the deal to become well and truly dead in the water. All fans were wondering why the fight had not been made; there was a common opinion amongst boxing fans that the Eubanks had ducked the ferocious middleweight puncher. On social media, they were ridiculed and attacked. This was only emphasised further when IBF welterweight champion, Kell Brook, stepped up two weight divisions and signed the exactly same deal they had rejected for a fight with “Triple G.” How can a welterweight be more willing to fight Golovkin than Eubank? Are they really the warriors which they constantly claim to be?

For months after, talks of any deals involving Junior had become dead. Many were left wondering whether his career would stall due to his dad constantly being in the background, dictating his career. Towards the end of 2016, ITV had announced they wanted to bring big time boxing back to the channel; with Eubank being at the forefront. This enabled Eubank to force his way back onto the scene and establish himself, rightly or wrongly, as a pay per view fighter. The channel’s excutives along with Eubank Senior carefully picked the opponent to start the ITV pay per view platform off.

In a space of a couple of months, Junior had two fights against Renold Quinlan, winning the IBO super middleweight belt and Arthur Abraham, who was a shadow of his former self, who was once considered a dangerous champion. Both had in common a front foot style, coming forward in straight lines. This played to Eubank’s strengths as along with quick combinations and his work rate, he was able to dominate and win convincingly. During this time, his profile, especially to the casuals, was increasing as he was getting exposure on a platform that was open to approximately 50 Million people; to the point where he is arguably the second most well known British fighter behind Anthony Joshua. In these fights, the Eubank’s had made the decision to step up and establish Junior as a genuine super middleweight and go after the champions such as Groves and Degale and earn themsleves a mega domestic showdown. Slowly, but surely, Junior was starting to show he was capable of fulfilling his potential and becoming a British World Champion, replicating his father.

Fast forward to present and Junior is now considered the betting favourite in the Super Middleweight Tournament after putting on the performance of the series so far with a brutal third round knockout over previously undefeated Turk, Avni Yildrim. Many were surprised they chose to join this new knockout format in the division, due to them being previously anxious to step up competition. However, now there is a renewed sense of belief that the Eubanks are coming back to dominate British boxing and them doubters are now starting to believe it.

After progressing to the semifinals of the tournament he will meet the previous favourite and WBA Champion, George Groves, which promises to be a huge domestic fight which could be at a stadium in the UK. It will be his 28th fight and this is of course, the biggest. In his father’s 28th fight, he inflicted a points win over another domestic opponent, coming in the form of Michael Watson. By then, he had already defended his version of a world title 8 times.

Although, Eubank Juniors progression has been more steady than his father, it has given him the necessary time to learn his craft away from the bright lights and attempt to establish himself as an all time British Great, emerging out of his father’s shadows. There is a real sense of momentum and is considered to be riding a crest of a wave as he is now favourite to win the tournament and win the “Muhammad Ali Trophy” as well as pocketing approximately an enormous sum of £50 Million Pounds. As well as this, it could set up other domestic fights such as Callum Smith and the IBF champion, James Degale, which could be a massive unification showdown. And who knows, maybe be ready to box an older Gennady Golovkin? Once criticized for his management of his son, is there an argument to praise him and understand the plan for his son was correct all along?

Posted on 10/11/2017

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) returns to Fox to telecast two bouts in the Fox network in the featherweight division.

The Stub Hub Center in Carson, California has been major venue for boxing on the west coast and will be the host site for Saturday’s card. The PBC actually has two televised cards this weekend as they will be showing three junior middleweight title bouts from New York on Showtime after the Fox telecast.

Photo Credit: Erick Ramirez/Ringstar Sports

The following is a preview of the two planned televised bouts on Fox.

Leo Santa Cruz (33-1-1) vs. Chris Avalos (27-5); WBA “Super” Featherweight Title

Leo Santa Cruz’s only professional loss was a close decision to Carl Frampton, but he was later able to avenge that loss in another close decision.

Santa Cruz will be facing an opponent on Saturday in which he should be a heavy favorite and win convincingly.

He’ll have a slight half an inch height advantage and about an inch in reach. He’s two years older than Avalos, but is still in his athletic prime since he’s only twenty nine years old.

Santa Cruz has been slightly more active than Avalos. He fought once in 2017, twice in 2017, and three times in 2015. Avalos fought once in 2017, once in 2017, and three times in 2015.

Santa Cruz also has a more distinguished amateur background than Avalos. He won the gold medal in the International Junior Olympics and the silver medal in the US National Championships.

Avalos does appear to have a slight edge in power. He has twenty stoppage victories while Santa Curz has eighteen. However, Avalos has gone 2-3 in his past five fights and three of his career losses have been by TKO/KO. His losses were to Mark Magsayo, Oscar Valdez, Carl Frampton, Jhonatan Romero, and Christopher Martin. Avalos has defeated the likes of Jose Nieves, Khabir Suleymanov, Yenifel Vicente, Drian Francisco, and Miguel Flores.

Santa Cruz’s lone defeat was the Carl Frampton, who he defeated in a rematch. He has also defeated the likes of Kiko Martinez, Abner Marez, Cesar Ceda, Vitor Terrazas, and eric Morel.

All of the physicals and all of the intangibles favor Santa Cruz. It’s difficult to imagine him losing this bout.

Abner Mares (30-2-1) v. Andres Gutierrez (25-1-1); WBA “Regular” Featherweight Title

Abner Mares fought Leo Santa Cruz in 2015 and lost to him. If he’s able to beat Gutierrez on Saturday he’ll likely get a rematch against Santa Cruz.

Mares is thirty one years old and seven years older than Gutierrez. Gutierrez will have about an inch and a half in height and about an inch in reach on Mares. Gutierrez will also have the power advantage. He has stopped 68% of his opponents with 25 KO/TKOs. Mares has stopped 45% of his opponents with 15 KO/TKOs.

Mares has the edge in amateur experience. He was a silver medalist in the World Junior Championships and competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics for Mexico. Gutierrez has no notable amateur accomplishments.

Mares losses were to Jhonny Gonzalez and Leo Santa Cruz. He has defeated the likes of Jesus Cuellar, Jonathan Oquendo, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Eric More, Joseph Agbeko, Anselmo Moreno, and Vic Darchinyan.

Gutierrez professional resume pales in comparison to Mares. Gutierrez has competed mainly in Mexico and lost to a past his prime Cristian Mijares. Gutierrez’s notable wins have come against Wallington Orobio, Daniel Diaz, and Salvador Sanchez.

Gutierrez age and power could give Mares problems, as Mares power has not followed him as he has moved up weight classes. But Mares technical boxing superiority and experience fighting on national television should give him an overall edge to emerge victorious on Saturday.

Posted on 10/07/2017

By: Ste Rowen

Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart was the setting for the second Super Middleweight quarter final of the World Boxing Super Series, as Turkey’s Avni Yildrim took on IBO World Champion, Chris Eubank Jr. Stuttgart is said to be home to around 20,000 Turks, but their number, nor the ferocious atmosphere they created, helped Avni, as the IBO champion dispatched Yildrim in impressive fashion.

From the first bell Yildrim, 16-0-0 heading into the bout, predictably marched forward with his high guard, whilst Eubank Jr stylishly fought off the back foot and went in search of what is seemingly his favorite weapon, the uppercut. Yildrim threw little and connected even less as Eubank fired off the jab and, with his back to the ropes, threw a clean uppercut that forced Yildrim to take a knee giving the Brit an early 10-8 round.

Into the second Yildrim began to throw more but Eubank stayed on top. The Turk was clearly not confident in straying from what he knows and got him into the tournament, as he continued to plod forward. Round three was more of the same until Eubank began to unload and hit Yildrim in the sweet spot with a left hook, which sent Yildrim swinging and to the canvas, forcing the end of the fight.
Eubank Jr, now 26-1-0, moves onto the semifinals to fight either WBA World Champion, George Groves or highly thought of but relatively unknown, Jamie Cox. Eubank’s record is developing nicely and he’s not afraid to fight his own way, displaying slick moves and high-volume punching since his one and only defeat to WBO Middleweight Champion, Billy Joe Saunders, but he will know that sterner tests are ahead when he steps in to the ring for the WBSS semi-final, touted for early 2018.

Posted on 07/24/2017

By: Thomas Nicholls

As the British Boxing scene continues to grow from strength to strength, this new weekly feature will highlight all the news, views and fight previews from the Great British circuit. Enjoy!

On Saturday night, the enigmatic Chris Eubank Jr defended his IBO Super-Middleweight crown against German veteran “King” Arthur Abraham at the SSE Arena in London. Many had foreseen the outcome of the fight as the cocky, charismatic Eubank dominated his way to a landslide points decision as the weary Abraham had no answer for the Brit’s speed and punch volume.

In victory, Eubank (27) has now confirmed his place in the forthcoming World Boxing Super Series otherwise known as the “Muhammad Ali Trophy”, a mouth-watering eight-man tournament starring some of the main players in the 168lbs division. As third seed, Eubank will have home advantage against unbeaten Turkish prospect Avni Yildirim. Eubank is one of four Britons who will feature in the tournament, alongside Jamie Cox, WBA Super Champion George Groves and pre-tournament favourite, Callum Smith.

Muhammad Ali Trophy Quarter Finals –
George Groves (GB) vs Jamie Cox (GB)
Chris Eubank Jr (GB) vs Avni Yildirim (TUR)
Callum Smith (GB) vs Erik Skoglund (SWE)
Jurgen Braemer (GER) vs Rob Brant (USA)

Elsewhere in the UK, WBO Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders is set to defend his crown against American southpaw, Willie Monroe Jr. Monroe Jr is in the process of resurrecting his career after a defeat to GGG back in May 2015. In the press conference on Monday, Saunders hailed Monroe a “quitter” in reference to his evident surrender against the hard-hitting Kazakh, Golovkin.

Billy Joe Saunders has been concerningly inactive since he was crowned champion in 2015, his solitary defence coming in an unconvincing display against unknown Russian, Artur Akavov. Saunders has frequently vowed to unify the division and promoter Frank Warren has twice come close to finalising a fight with either GGG or Canelo, but Billy Joe’s repeated injury setbacks have for now scuppered those plans. London’s CopperBox arena will play host to the fight with Monroe on September 16.

September is due to be a busy month for Britain’s fighters as the Heavyweight clash between Hughie Fury and Joseph Parker is now back on after a cancellation earlier in year. Originally, the fight was due to take place in New Zealand, but the Manchester Arena is the new venue for the Heavyweight showdown.

Hughie, cousin of Tyson, is a slick point scoring fighter who possesses an impressive 20-0 record at just 22 years old. WBO Champion, Parker will enter the fight as favourite, but the Fury camp are certainly no strangers to the underdog status and they will take courage from Parker’s most recent bout as he failed to topple the uninspiring Romanian, Razvan Cojanu.

Manchester based Hughie has this week claimed that he, for the first time in his career, feels at full fitness. Plagued by health issues throughout his teens, Fury is looking and feeling healthier and is convinced it’s his time to make his mark on the Heavyweight scene and bring the WBO strap back in to the Fury family. “It doesn’t matter where I fight Parker in the world, I know my ability and what I’m capable of achieving and I know I can win the world title.”I don’t like to count my chickens, but the obvious incentive to beat Parker is the big fights out there like a unification against Joshua or Wilder.

“This is what boxing is all about, the best should fight the best and the best fighter will come out on top.”

“Tyson will be coming back and he’ll be out to reclaim his position, we’ll never fight each other, but we’ll rule the division together.”

Meanwhile, we still await confirmation of Wladimir Klitschko triggering his rematch clause with Anthony Joshua, but Eddie Hearn and his Matchroom staff were in Vegas last week looking at potential venues for the fight. Let’s hope we have an announcement in the coming weeks!

Posted on 07/11/2017

Boxing Insider Notebook: Mayweather, McGregor, Abraham, Eubank, Roy Jones Jr., and more…
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of July 4th to July 11th covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Showtime Sports Presents Live Coverage of Mayweather vs. McGregor International Press Tour

SHOWTIME Sports will present the official live stream of the Mayweather vs. McGregor international press tour across digital platforms as boxing legend Floyd Mayweather and UFC superstar Conor McGregor embark on a four-city, three country press tour to announce their Aug. 26 blockbuster event.

The live fully produced HD programs will be available via Facebook @ShowtimeBoxing, theYouTube @ShoSports channel, UFC.com and UFC FIGHT PASS. CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app for mobile and connected TV devices will simulcast all four events live with CBS Sports Network providing live coverage of Tuesday’s event from Los Angeles. The @CBSSports Facebook page will also simulcast coverage.

Mayweather and McGregor face off in Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and London to officially announce their one-of-a-kind matchup taking place on Saturday, Aug. 26 live on SHOWTIME PPV® from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

SHOWTIME Sports announcer Mauro Ranallo will host coverage from Los Angeles with analysis from two-division world champion and SHOWTIME Boxing analyst Paulie Malignaggi, former UFC fighter and current MMA analyst Brendan Schaub and MMA industry veteran Ariel Helwani. Helwani will take over hosting duties in live coverage from Toronto and New York alongside Malignaggi and Schaub. Details on coverage from the London event will be announced shortly.

TUESDAY, JULY 11 – Los Angeles Event
4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT from Staples Center
YouTube Link: http://s.sho.com/2t3bg0Y

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12 – Toronto Event
5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT from Budweiser Stage
YouTube Link: http://s.sho.com/2uGxDLN

THURSDAY, JULY 13 – New York Event
5:30 p.m. ET/ 2:30 p.m. PT from Barclays Center In Brooklyn
YouTube Link: http://s.sho.com/2sFldT2

FRIDAY, JULY 14 – London Event
7 p.m. BST / 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT from The SEE Arena, Wembley
YouTube Link: http://s.sho.com/2t3AcFF

MAYWEATHER vs. MCGREGOR

Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor is a 12-round super welterweight matchup that pits the legendary boxer Mayweather against the all-time MMA great McGregor in an unprecedented event that takes place Saturday, August 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event telecast is produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV.

Jeff Horn Tells TMZ Sports: Pacquiao Knows I Beat Him, Should Be No Argument

Jeff Horn recently told TMZ Sports that there’s no doubt in his mind he beat Manny Pacquiao. He told TMZ that the WBO’s rescoring of his July 2nd fight proves he’s the real-deal champ.

He said that the new information should silence his critics once and for all.

“There should be no argument,” Horn said…”It’s exactly what I felt on the day and Pacquiao said the same thing after the fight that he thought he’d lost. So the decision stands.”

Read more at http://www.tmz.com/2017/07/11/jeff-horn-pacquiao-wbo-rescore-no-argument/

Eubank vs. Abraham Airing on Canada and United Kingdom on Super Channel

In a continuing campaign to make it a network destination for Canadian boxing fans, Super Channel has announced its subscribers across Canada will be able to watch this Saturday’s action from London, headlined by International Boxing Organization (IBO) Super Middleweight World Champion Chris Eubank Jr. against 3-time, 2-division world titlist “King” Arthur Abraham, starting at 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT, live from The SES Arena, Wembley, in London.

Four championship fights on the exciting “Eubank Jr. vs. Abraham” card, promoted by Poxon Sports in association with Team Sauerland, will air live on Super Channel.

Super Channel has recently aired Brook vs. Spence Jr. and Pacquiao-Horn, live from the UK and Australia, respectively.

“We are delighted to have yet another world-class bout to bring to Canadian fight fans,” said Troy Wassill. Dorector of Programming, Domestic Distributors & Sports for Super Channel. “The phenomenal response on social media we had to the Pacquiao vs Horn bout we recently aired, goes to show that Canadian viewers are hungry for more great boxing action and we intend to deliver.”

The 27-year-old, British-born Eubank Jr. (24-1, 19 KOs) is the son of Chris Eubank Sr., (45-5-2, 23 KOs), the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight and middleweight world champion, who co-trains and manages his son.

Eubank Jr. is a former Interim World Boxing Association (WBA) Middleweight World Champion. The rising British star captured the IBO title this past February, stopping Renold Quinlan (11-1, 7 KOs) in the 10th round. His July 15th fight versus Abraham will be his first IBO title defense.

Eubank is also world rated No. 5 by the World Boxing Council (WBC), No. 8 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

The far more experienced Abraham (46-5, 30 KOs), fighting out of Berlin, Germany, Is the IBO No. 1 ranked contender. The tough Armenia-native is a two-time WBO super middleweight world champion, in addition to being a former IBF Middleweight World Champion. Remarkably, he is 18-4 (9 KOs) in world championships, 7-4 (4 KOs) against former or current world champions.

Past world champions Abraham has defeated during his 17-year professional career includes Raul Marquez, Hector Javier Velazco, Jermain Taylor, Robert Stieglitz three times, and Giovanni De Carolis. “King” Arthur also holds victories over world-class opponents such as Martin Murray, Paul Smith twice, Lajuan Simon, Edison Miranda twice, Khoren Gevor, Sebastian Demers, Kofi Jantuah, Kingsley Ikeke, Robin Krasniqi and Howard Eastman.

Four of Abraham’s five career losses have been to world champions Carl Froch, Andre Ward, Gilberto Ramirez and Stieglitz, who is the only opponent to stop Abraham, winner of 10 of his last 11 fights, the most recent a 12-round unanimous decision win over Krasniqi (46-4, 17 KOs) this past April in Germany.

Abraham is the No. 1 ranked WBO super middleweight, WBA No. 4, and No. 7 by the IBF and The Ring magazine.

Welshman “Lightning” Lee Selby (24-1, 9 KOs) makes his third defense of his IBF Featherweight World title, which he originally captured May 30, 2015, taking an eighth-round technical decision over previously unbeaten Evgeny Gradovich (19-0-1, 9 KOs).

In the 12-round co-feature, the popular Selby will face his stiffest challenge in former WBA Featherweight World Champion Jonathan Victor “Yoni” Barros (41-4-1, 22 KOs), of Argentina, the IBF No. 1 contender.

Also scheduled to air live on Super Channel on July 15th are a pair of interesting 12-round match-ups as highly-touted Kid Galahad (22-0, 13 KOs) defends his IBF Inter-Continental featherweight title against the stiffest test of his young career, Mexican challenger Jose “El Tigre” Cayetano (21-5, 10 KOs), as well as undefeated WBA Continental super lightweight champion Robbie Davis Jr. (15-0, 11 KOs), ranked No. 4 by the IBF, puts his belt on the line versus Michal Syrowatka (18-1, 6 KOs), of Poland.

To see the “Eubank Jr. vs. Abraham” live, as well as more exciting boxing to come, fight fans in Canada can contact their local cable provider to subscribe to Super Channel and all that it has to offer, including premium series, movies and much more, for as low as $9.95 per month.

July 15 Roy Jones Facebook Fight Night Live

Bringing fight fans even closer to the action, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing, Linacre Media and ULTRACAST will partner to stream the Saturday, July 15FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Phoenix showdown not only live in H.D. on Facebook, but in ULTRACAST 360˚ and in ULTRACAST Virtual Reality as well.

Supporters of the Sweet Science can take advantage of the multi-camera FIGHTNIGHT LIVE broadcast on Facebook – completely free wherever Facebook is available – and also check out all of the action in ULTRACAST 360˚ or ULTRACAST VR by downloading the ULTRACAST app and subscribing to the PPV feed for only $.99. Available for IOS and Android, fans simply need to download the ULTRACAST app in the App store or by visiting www.ultracast.com/app.

“We are thrilled about partnering with Linacre Media and FIGHTNIGHT LIVE to provide fans the 360˚ Virtual Reality experience of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing,” said CEO of Ultracast,
Dmitry Kozko.

“Roy and I have always felt that live streaming would take the place of the old platforms of delivering fights,” stated Keith Veltre, CEO & Co-Founder of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions. “To partner up with Linacre Media and showcase our talent live with Facebook is years ahead of anyone else in the industry.

This will give us the ability to reach millions of boxing fans around the world and enable us to deliver our sponsors triple the exposure we would normally get from traditional TV. Mark Fratto, the brains behind this envisioning series, is giving fighters the opportunity to showcase their talent to the world and gain a fan base. We are thrilled that his vision lines exactly where Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions wants to be.”

“We’re excited to be able to capitalize on cutting-edge technology to give the Roy Jones Jr. Boxing audience a ringside seat, live from the greater Phoenix area,” said Mark Fratto, Principal of Linacre Media. “Our Facebook Live series continues to keep fight fans at the forefront, now with not just one – but three – high-quality viewing experiences available.”

ULTRACAST is the premier app for live 360˚ and VR content, broadcasting – or better yet, ultracasting – unique, exclusive perspectives of events to millions of mobile phones, worldwide. ULTRACAST takes viewers ringside at fights, allows them to be part of the back-stage drama, celebrate the win on the podium or feel the front-row excitement of a concert; getting up-close and personal, and going “beyond live”. Get the latest updates with ULTRACAST by following ULTRACASTLIVE on Facebook and @Ultracastlive on Twitter and Instagram.

Promoted by Roy Jones Jr. and Keith Veltre of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions, the July 15 card will bring fans back-to-back championship action. The event will showcase a main attraction featuring NABA Super Welterweight Champion John “The Phenom” Vera Jr. (16-0, 10 KOs) as he takes on the former WBO Latino Champion Daniel Rosario (11-2, 10 KOs) in a 10-round contest live from in Chandler, Ariz. Super bantamweight standout Rico Ramos (25-5, 13 KOs) will go toe-to-toe with Tony Lopez (12-2, 4 KOs) for the vacant NABA Super Bantamweight title as part of a stacked fight card filled with Arizona-area heroes. Additional fights and fighters are subject to change; limited tickets are still available at www.WinGilaRiver.com. A tape-delayed version of the live show will air on BeIN Sports one week after the live show on Facebook.

The numbers on the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series have showed promise and potential for the new platform. The May “Slugfest at the Sun” from Mohegan Sun and the June “Rosemont Rumble” from Chicago drew audiences of 44,000 and 31,000, respectively, with more than 3,000 of hours of LIVE video consumed by Facebook users. In addition to the raw viewership numbers, the fully-interactive, fan-friendly productions have seen more than 15,000 collective live post engagements, including more than 9,000 “likes” or “loves,” more than 5,000 comments and 800-plus shares.

On Saturday night, July 15, live from Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler, Ariz., fans can expect a high-impact, multi-camera streaming experience – now also available in ULTRACAST 360˚ and ULTRACAST VR – complete with graphics, animations, replays, interviews and an announce team anchored by blow-by-blow announcer Miguel Flores of Premier Boxing Champions and analyst Michael Woods of the TalkBox Podcast, NYFights.com and The Ring. Joining the broadcast team once again will be world-ranked light heavyweight Mike Lee. University of Notre Dame alum Lee (19-0, 10 KOs) is ranked No. 12 by the WBO, No. 12 by the IBF, No. 13 by the WBA and No. 14 by the WBC, and will be ringside with Flores and Woods to provide expert analysis. To provide spectators with a fully-interactive ringside experience, commentators will ask and respond to questions from the Facebook audience throughout the broadcast.

Created and produced by Linacre Media out of New York City, the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series features multiple camera angles, graphics, replays and behind-the-scenes access and interviews. The streamed shows are available globally wherever Facebook is available. The initiative not only enables fans from around the world to tune in, but also gives up-and-coming fighters a global platform to showcase their abilities, gives promoters an accessible “broadcast” solution and gives sponsors the ability to reach a mass audience via branded content.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE strap season continues on Saturday, July 29, in Raleigh, N.C., as Tar Heel State undefeated super flyweight Dewayne Beamon competes for the IBO Inter-Continental and UBF World Junior Bantamweight titles. More FIGHTNIGHT LIVE dates will be officially announced in the coming weeks.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE is available online at: https://www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE/

Aloe Blacc to Perform New Single “King Is Born” Live at Mayweather v. McGregor International Press Tour Event in Los Angeles

In anticipation of the unprecedented showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, the global stars are embarking on a four-city international press tour that spans three countries in four days, and brings all the spectacle of this massive event directly to the fans who demanded it.

As a special presentation at the tour’s first event on Tuesday in Los Angeles, GRAMMY-nominated, multi-platinum XIX / Interscope recording artist Aloe Blacc will perform his new single “King Is Born” live at STAPLES Center. Blacc is known for his hit singles “I Need a Dollar,” “Wake Me Up,” “The Man” and “Love Is The Answer,” all of which reflect his quest for social justice. Blacc is currently working on the follow up to his GRAMMY-nominated album “Lift Your Spirit.”

Tuesday’s live performance by Aloe Blacc will be part of SHOWTIME Sports live coverage of the Mayweather vs. McGregor press tour event. Fans can watch live online via Facebook @ShowtimeBoxing, theYouTube @ShoSports channel, UFC.com and UFC FIGHT PASS. CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app for mobile and connected TV devices will simulcast Tuesday’s event with CBS Sports Network providing live coverage from Los Angeles. The @CBSSports Facebook page will also simulcast coverage.

Mayweather and McGregor face off in Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and London on the four-city press tour before returning to training camp to continue preparations for their one-of-a-kind main event matchup taking place Saturday, Aug. 26 live on SHOWTIME PPV® from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Sampson Boxing Signs Undefeated Featherweight Eduardo Ramirez to Promotional Contract

Sampson boxing proudly announces the signing of undefeated featherweight Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramirez of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, to an exclusive long-term promotional contract.

Ramirez (20-0-2, 7 KOs) is a 24-year-old, highly skilled southpaw with fast hands and super defense. He is managed and trained by Manuel Montiel Jr., brother of the five-time world champion Fernando Montiel.

“I am shocked and honored to be chosen to join the stable of Sampson Lewkowicz,” said Ramirez. “My dream of a world title shot will come true now that he is helping me and that was my goal all along. All I have to do is keep wining and my team will do the rest.”

Montiel, who also manages and trains Sampson Boxing super welterweight contender Jorge Cota, was also happy with the deal.

“I am grateful to Sampson for giving us this opportunity with another of my fighters. We have made him a commitment to work hard to always bring Eduardo into the ring in the best shape possible to go all the way to the world championship.”

For Lewkowicz, the addition of Ramirez and partnership with Montiel are another avenue to bring Mexican boxing talent to the forefront. The well-known promoter already works with such names as Jorge “Pilon” Lara and Hugo “Cuatito” Ruiz to name a few.

“I am working hard to bring more Mexican champions to the world,” he explained. “I’m very proud to sign Eduardo and bring him and his team the opportunities they have worked so hard to reach.”

Kenneth Sims Jr. Ready to Complete Performance this Friday Night as Part of ShoBox: The New Generation Triple Header

Undefeated super lightweight Kenneth Sims, Jr. (12-0, 4 KO’s) is looking for a complete performance when he takes on Rolando Chinea (14-1-1, 6 KO’s) of Lancaster, Pa., as the two prepare to meet in an eight-round bout on ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, July 14 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.

The ShoBox telecast features eight returning fighters with a combined record of 94 wins against just four losses.

Dangerous southpaw Keenan “Killa” Smith, (11-0, 5 KOs), of Philadelphia will make his second appearance on the series as he takes on Ivan Baranchyk, (14-0, 10 KOs), a native of Minsk, Byelorussia fighting out of Miami, Okla., who is making his fifth appearance on the ShoBox series.

Plus, undefeated Glenn Dezurn (9-0, 6 KOs) will take on Adam Lopez (16-1-1, KOs) in an eight-round bantamweight clash. In the telecast opener, Joshua Greer (13-1-1, 5 KOs) will battle Leroy Davila (5-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight bout.

Tickets for the event promoted by GH3 Promotions and Tony Holden Productions are priced at $35, $55, $65 and $75 and are available for purchase now at buffalorun.com.

Sims, a 2013 U.S. National Amateur Champion and a 2012 Olympic Trials semifinalist, continues to step up in level of opposition as he meets one of the most dangerous opponents of his career in his second ShoBox appearance.

The Chicago native has stayed active as a pro; he fought four times in 2016 and this will be his third start of 2017. In his last outing, he stopped Israel Villela with a third-round TKO.

The 23-year-old Sims was a sparring partner for Floyd Mayweather (when he was getting prepared for Andre Berto) and Manny Pacquiao (as he was getting ready for Mayweather). He is known for his boxing skills and ability to work the body.

“My camp has been great,” Sims said. “I feel like I am a lot mentally stronger going into this bout then I was for my last ShoBox fight. I was going through a lot and that was documented. ”

Sims was mourning the loss of close friend and undefeated welterweight, Ed Brown.

“This fight on Friday will be a case of me just going out there and doing what I need to do. I am just going to go out there to box and use my physical attributes, and make this fight easy.”

Sims will be looking to improve on his ShoBox performance when he took a unanimous decision from Emmanuel Robles on Jan 20.

“I think that fight helped me a lot going into this fight. It taught me that I can go eight hard rounds. I want to stay ready, and I plan on getting started earlier in the fight. I am going out there to have fun. That is when I am at my best.

“I will show everyone a big difference on Friday night. I have been working very hard, and I will be in better shape, and overall the fans will see a better Kenneth Sims.”

Said Sims promoter, Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions, “Kenneth has all of the talent in the world, and on Friday I feel he will show it. He has a clear head going into this fight and is extremely focused. Chinea is a very solid opponent, and I feel that will bring the best out of Kenneth on Friday night.”

Posted on 07/05/2017

Boxing Insider Notebook: Pacquiao, Horn, Eubank, Abraham, Joe Smith Jr., and more…
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of June 28th to July 5th covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

ESPN’s Telecast of Battle of Brisbane Between Jeff Horn and Manny Pacquiao Highest Rated Boxing Telecast Since 1995

ESPN’s live telecast Saturday, July 1, of the “Battle of Brisbane” (10 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET) averaged a total live audience (television and streaming) of 3.1 million viewers across the ESPN and ESPN Deportes networks, according to Fast National ratings from Nielsen. It was the highest-rated and most-watched boxing telecast on cable television since 2006 and ESPN’s highest-rated boxing telecast since 1995.

The WBO World Welterweight Championship main event between Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs), the Filipino legend and boxing’s only eight-division world champion, against undefeated No. 1 contender and Brisbane’s favorite son Jeff “The Hornet” Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs) (12 midnight to 1 a.m. ET) peaked during the final half hour of their fight with 4.4 million viewers across both networks. Horn defeated Pacquiao by a controversial unanimous decision.

ESPN

On ESPN, the telecast averaged a 1.6 household rating and 2,812,000 viewers, making it the highest-rated and most-watched boxing telecast on cable TV since 2006. Carlos Baldomir vs. Arturo Gatti on HBO on July 22, 2006, earned a 1.6 household rating.

“The Battle of Brisbane” was also the highest-rated boxing telecast on ESPN’s networks since 1995. Danell Nicholson vs. Darren Hayden on ESPN, on December 21, 1995 earned a 1.7 household rating.
Highest Ratings for Boxing Telecasts on Cable in Last 10 Years

DATE NETWORK MAIN FIGHT US HH Rating
7/01/2017 ESPN Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn 1.6
9/26/2009 HBO Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Arreola 1.4
4/19/2008 HBO Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe 1.3
5/03/2008 HBO Oscar De La Hoya vs. Steve Forbes 1.3
5/09/2015 HBO Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland 1.3

ESPN Deportes
“The Battle of Brisbane” on ESPN Deportes averaged 206,000 viewers, including 308,000 viewers in the final half hour of the event, making it the most-watched fight on ESPN Deportes since Leo Santa Cruz vs. Abner Mares on August 29, 2015, which had an average minute viewing audience of 355,00

Streaming
ESPN’s telecast had a streaming average minute audience of 78,000, with 392,000 unique viewers, and 14.4 million total minutes streamed. Based on all three measures, the fight was the most-streamed boxing event on record on ESPN’s networks. On ESPN Deportes, the telecast had a streaming average minute audience of 1,400, with 7,800 unique viewers, and 253,000 total minutes streamed. Based on all three measures, the fight was the most-streamed boxing event on record on ESPN Deportes. Streaming provided a combined additional 2.6% lift on top of the television audience for both networks.

“The Battle of Brisbane” is available to stream now on the ESPN app.

Chris Eubank Jr. vs. King Arthur Abraham to Air on PPV in the United States

One of boxing’s most polarizing and exciting young fighters faces a dangerous three-time, two-division world champion, as Chris Eubank Jr. defends his International Boxing Organization (IBO) Super Middleweight Championship against “King” Arthur Abraham on Saturday, July 15, available to watch on Pay Per View in the United States, starting at 2:30 pm ET / 11:30 am PT, live from SES Arena, Wembley in London, England.

“Eubank Jr. vs. Abraham”, promoted by Poxon Sports in association with Team Sauerland, is presented in the United States by Integrated Sports Media and Protocol Sports Marketing, Ltd.

Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Eubank Jr. vs. Abraham” live in the United States on cable and satellite PPV via iN Demand, Vubiquity, and DISH for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. In Canada, the event will be available on television to fight fans that subscribe to premium pay television network Super Channel.

Outside of North America, “Eubank Jr. vs. Abraham” is being distributed to broadcasters worldwide by leading boxing television rights distribution firm, Protocol Sports Marketing Ltd.

Only 27 years old, the British-born Eubank Jr. (24-1, 19 KOs) enters the contest with less experience than Abraham but with power, a mean streak, and meaningful boxing pedigree. Eubank Jr. has won 16 of his last 17 fights by stoppage.

His father, Chris Eubank Sr. (45-5-2, 23 KOs), is a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight and middleweight world champion. Eubank Sr. co-trains and manages his son, in addition to being an idiosyncratic presence in and around his son’s fights, and the British fight scene.

A former Interim World Boxing Association (WBA) Middleweight World Champion, Eubank Jr. captured the IBO title this past February, stopping Renold Quinlan (11-1, 7 KOs) in the 10th round. His July 15th fight versus Abraham will mark the confident young champion’s first IBO title defense.

“Abraham is a strong, come forward fighter,” Eubank Jr. said, “but he’s one-dimensional. He’s very good in that one dimension, but a one-dimensional fighter cannot beat me. I see a lot of holes in his game and I’m going to exploit those holes ruthlessly.”

The IBO No. 1 rated Abraham (46-5, 30 KOs) fights out of Berlin, Germany. “King” Arthur is a two-time WBO super middleweight world champion, as well as a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight world champion. The powerful Armenian has a sensational 18-4 (9 KOs) record in world championships, 7-4 (4 KOs) against former or current world champions. Noted victims during his 17-year professional career reads like a Who’s Who of Boxing in the 160- and 168-pound divisions, including world champions Raul Marquez, Hector Javier Velazco, Jermain Taylor, Robert Stieglitz thrice, and Giovanni De Carolis. Abraham has also defeated world-class opponents such as Martin Murray, Paul Smith twice, Lajuan Simon, Edison Miranda twice, Khoren Gevor, Sebastian Demers, Kofi Jantuah, Kingsley Ikeke, Robin Krasniqi and Howard Eastman.

Four of Abraham’s five career losses have been to world champions Carl Froch, Andre Ward, Stieglitz and Gilberto Ramirez. Stieglitz is the only opponent to stop Abraham, who has won 10 of his last 11 fights, the most recent a 12-round unanimous decision win over Krasniqi (46-4, 17 KOs) this past April in Germany.

“I will make sure that I’m in top shape and ready to secure a great victory,” Abraham remarked. “I know Chris Eubank, Jr. is a good fighter, like his dad. I’m expecting a tough fight, but I am confident I will beat him.”

Also airing live is the 12-round International Boxing Federation (IBF) Featherweight World Championship match as popular Welshman “Lightning” Lee Selby (24-1, 9 KOs) makes his third defense of the title he captured May 30, 2015, when he won an eighth-round technical decision over previously unbeaten Evgeny Gradovich (19-0-1, 9 KOs).

Selby will be challenged by former WBA Featherweight World Champion Jonathan Victor “Yoni” Barros (41-4-1, 22 KOs), of Argentina, who is the IBF No. 1 contender.

Additional PPV fights will soon be announced.

Taras Shelestyuk and Ruben Villa Defend Unbeaten Records on Saturday Night

In the “Locked n’ Loaded” main event, welterweight Taras “Real Deal” Shelestyuk (16-0, 10 KOs) made quick work of Jesus Alvarez Rodriguez (15-3, 11 KOs) by knocking him out in the third round Saturday night from Omega Products International in Sacramento, Calif.

Shelestyuk, who is ranked No. 5 by the WBO, predicted a knockout win in his prefight interview with the Olympic bronze medalist (London 2012) saying he planned to be aggressive from the start.

“I didn’t want this fight going the distance,” said Shelestyuk, who attributes the aggressiveness to new trainer Joel Diaz. “Joel and I worked on increasing our punch output and it showed in this fight.”

Shelestyuk, who is from the Ukraine but now makes his home in Los Angeles, rocked Rodriguez in the first round. He connected on a two-punch combination that sent the Mexican to the canvas. In the third round, Shelestyuk struck early and often, earning the knockout win at the 2:05 mark.

Top featherweight prospect Ruben Villa (7-0, 4 KOs) of Salinas, Calif. delivered a beating to overmatched veteran Jonathan Alcantara (7-16-2, 1 KO) of El Salvador. Villa, who swept all three scorecards (40-36), looked equally comfortable fighting on the outside or in the pocket.

“I think this fight showed how versatile I am,” Villa said. “I boxed him well and mixed it up inside without taking any hits. It was a solid performance.”

Villa, indeed, looked the part of an elite prospect. He was aggressive the entire fight, yet was extremely disciplined on the defensive end.

“There’s no doubt I frustrated him,” Villa continued. “I could tell he was having a hard time. I never let him relax.”

Shelestyuk and Villa are co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing

Joe Smith Jr.-The Light Heavyweight Division is Back

Following his recent knockout of boxing legend BERNARD HOPKINS, Long Island fan favorite JOE SMITH JR. moved right into the mix in the light heavyweight division, boxing’s deepest and most exciting.

Working full-time as a union laborer in the New York City area, Smith (23-1-0, 19 KO’s) will take a short break from wielding the sledgehammer as he finalizes training for his upcoming 10-round showdown with fellow highly ranked contender SULLIVAN BARRERA, (19-1-0, 14 KO’s), on Saturday, July 15 from The Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles and telecast live on HBO’s Boxing After Dark (9:50 p.m. ET/PT).

Most recently a new #1 Pound-for-Pound in boxing from the light heavyweight division was heralded as ANDRE WARD defeated SERGEY KOVALEV for the second time on June 17, defending the WBA/IBF/WBO Light Heavyweight Titles. On June 3, longtime WBC Light Heavyweight Champion ADONIS STEVENSON stopped highly ranked contender ANDRZEJ FONFARA.

In addition to those two champions the division is filled with world class fighters and highly regarded contenders including ARTUR BETERBIEV, DMITRY BIVOL, OLEKSANDR GVOZDYK and ELEIDER ALVAREZ .

“It’s true the division is truly heating up and I’m honored to be a part of it,” said the 27-year-old Smith Jr. “The winner of my upcoming fight moves right into the top of the mix in the division.”

“With my last two knockouts I have the full confidence that the sky is the limit for me in this division, I want to achieve my dream of becoming a world champion.”

Smith Jr. is promoted by JOE DEGUARDIA’S STAR BOXING who has developed the heavy handed Long Island native over the last few years into a world ranked contender and holder of the WBC International Light Heavyweight Title.

“Timing is always very important when bringing along a fighter to a higher level,” said DeGuardia. “We started working together a few years ago and our plan was to continue developing Joe’s talents and present him with the right opportunities for success. This is a formula we’ve used many times in the past in building fighters the right way.”

“When the opportunity came to fight Andrzej Fonfara we believed as a team that Joe was ready and he was spectacular in the first round knockout victory. The same with fighting Bernard Hopkins, it was a great opportunity and Joe put on another star making performance.”

“With the Sullivan Barrera fight the stakes are even higher but we feel this is another great opportunity for Joe, back on HBO which has built many stars over the last forty years.”

Oscar Negrete Overpowers Sergio Frias to Take Home NABF Bantamweight Championship

In one of his best performances yet, the still undefeated and newly crowned NABF Bantamweight Champion Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (17-0, 7 KOs) overpowered the rugged and resilient Sergio “Frio” Frias (18-7-2, 9 KOs) with a technical knockout victory in the main event on Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

“I want Caballero next,” said Negrete, calling out Randy “El Matador” Caballero who was scheduled to fight in the main event originally. “Tonight with Sergio Frias, I knew I was winning the fight; it was more of waiting for either the knock out to come about or get the unanimous decision. I felt like my jabs were the most effective, because after watching his fight against Archinean, our team noticed that he didn’t move his head a lot. There’s a couple more of these belts that I need to add to my career.”
“El Jaguar” was focused and in control of the fight, catching Frias on the ropes in several stand and deliver exchanges attacking the body consistently. In the last couple of rounds, Frias attempted to claw his way back, nailing Negrete with a couple of uppercuts that stunned “El Jaguar”. It was a heavy exchange in the eighth round that cause Frias to become unstable, and before the ninth round could commence, Frias’s corner called the fight, awarding the technical knockout win to Negrete.

A slew of VIPs attended the card, which marked the 50th show that Golden Boy Promotions has put on at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino including former IBF and WBO Featherweight Champion, Mexican actor and circus performer Jorge “El Maromero” Paez, NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr., Antonio “Relentless” Orozco, Jesus “El Renuente” Soto Karass, Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera, and Vyacheslav “Lion Heart” Shabranskyy.

In the co-main event, super lightweight contender Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin (19-0, 11 KOs) of Chattanooga, Tennessee participated in a 10-round slugfest against Marcos “El Tigre” Jimenez (22-8, 15 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The two fighters went toe-to-toe with each other, however Martin managed to outclass his opponent.

“He was a tough, very defensive fighter,” said Ryan Martin. “It was hard for me to get him to open up because he would only throw a shot once he knew he could land it clean. This was my first time going the full 10 rounds, and by the eight, I was like ‘darn, he’s still standing?!’ Overall, I felt that I could be more consistent with my style, and I wish I would have listened to my coaches more while I was in the ring, but I am satisfied with my performance and despite not getting the knock out, I’m glad that I got the win.”

Heavy-handed Genaro “El Conde” Gamez (5-0, 4 KOs) from San Diego, Calif. demolished Devon Jones (2-5, 1 KO) of Fairfield, Calif. in a scheduled four-round match-up of lightweights that only made it to the 1:04 mark of the first round. “El Conde” handled his business with two knockdowns: the first with a left hook, the second a finishing blow of an overhand right.

“We were the swing bout, so I tried to send everyone home as early as I could,” said Genaro Gamez. “Of course I’m so excited for this win, I’m trying to keep my knock out streak alive.”

Retaining his unblemished record and champion title, WBC Youth Super Featherweight Champion Lamont Roach, Jr. (14-0, 5 KOs) dazzled the crowd with his skills in the ring against Sonora, Mexico’s Jesus “Chuito” Valdez (20-3-1, 9 KOs) for their 10-round super featherweight bout. Valdez landed impressive uppercuts that sent the crowd gushing for more, however Roach, Jr. went straight to the body, and worked-in his swift power combinations. In the last round, Roach gave a beating to Valdez, chipping away at him with consecutive blows to the head, leaving the resilient Mexican unbalanced. The judges scored the bout unanimously in favor of Roach, Jr. with scores of 100-90, 98-92, and 97-93.

“The icing on the cake would have been if I could have knocked him out, so I feel like this was an okay performance,” said Lamont Roach, Jr. “He was a tough opponent, and he was able to catch me a couple of times.”

Welterweight KeAndre “The Truth” Gibson (17-1-1, 7 KOs) made a comeback from the first loss of his career taking on Zurich, Switzerland’s Dennis “Dennis the Menace” Dauti (14-3, 7 KOs) in eight-rounds of non-stop action. The hungry fighters both pressed on aggressively, engaging in heavy exchanges, however “The Truth” was always a step ahead, utilizing his height and reach to his advantage. Dauti was unable to properly adjust to Gibson’s style, but nevertheless, was able to step into moments of dangerous exchanges. The judges scored the bout at 80-72, 79-73, 77-75, awarding the unanimous decision to Gibson.

“This fight gives me a confidence boost,” said KeAndre Gibson. “Most fighters who come from overseas are pretty awkward in their styles, and he was no exception – he had strange head and shoulder movements that could have become accidental head-butts. I just want to be able to get those tough fights, so I think this puts me back in there.”

Hot off his professional debut, Luis Feliciano (2-0) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and fighting out of Rancho Cucamonga impressed the crowd with his easy conquest over Baltazar Ramirez (3-3, 3 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. In the six-round super lightweight bout, Feliciano displayed his growing ring generalship, preventing Ramirez from landing any significant punches with his effective counter punching. All three judges scored the bout accordingly with scores of 60-54.

“I feel like we came in and we executed the game plan just how we had trained,” said Luis Feliciano. “I wasn’t sure what type of fighter we were getting, and once you’re in the ring styles change. He was a tough guy, and he took a lot of my punches.”

Opening up the card, Philadelphia’s Damon “No Smilin” Allen (12-0-1, 5 KOs) battled ring veteran Gamaliel “El Platanito” Diaz (40-17-3, 19 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round super lightweight match that made it to the sixth round. Allen showed growth from his previous fights, forcing Diaz to taste the mat various times throughout the bout. The doctors called the fight during the sixth round, due to an accidental head-butt, forcing the judges to go to the cards. The scores were 57-56 for Diaz, 58-55 for Allen, and 57-56 for Allen, awarding “No Smilin” the split decision victory.

“I don’t know if it was actually a head butt that he got from me, I just remember going off on him and unleashing my punches,” said Damon Allen. “It doesn’t matter if it was a split decision or if it would have ended unanimously – I was going to win regardless. I love taking on veteran fighters for this reason. I feel that I learn a lot about my skills and how to improve for the better.”

Posted on 06/30/2017

Nigel Benn, What Are You Doing?
By: Greg Houghton

Former two-weight world champion Nigel Benn has recently stated that a contract has been drawn which secures a fight between himself (aged 53) and Steve Collins (aged 52) to take place this year.

Photo Credit: Nigel Benn Twitter Page

Now at the age of 53 Benn has transformed from the animal he used to be, into one of the most gentlemenly and respectful figures associated with the sport. Benn is a British boxing legend and appears to have a wonderful and loving relationship with his son, upcoming prospect Connor Benn. Heart warming scenes have shown the two after Connor Benn’s previous fights kissing and hugging in celebration. Nigel Benn appears to have gotten the balance just right in supporting his son whilst staying away from the limelight of Connor’s career, all the while giving him the room he needs to grow as an athlete and having the complete respect of his son. On camera, Nigel Benn is also an absolute joy to watch in interviews as someone whose wise words and tips for the younger generation of the sport sparkle with joy and pride at the man that his son is becomming.

It has been pressed for a while now that he and old foe Chris Eubank (AKA English) have been planning to fight for a third time. They are both now over the age of 50. Apparent complications in closing the deal (which are very believable based on Jr’s career so far) have meant that Benn has apparently withdrawn from the idea, and instead offered the fight to someone who has beaten them both, Steve Collins.

“For me it’s all about closure, it ain’t about the money. I just want to have a fight, and Steve obliged”

Collins stopped Benn twice when they fought, at a point where Benn was rumoured to be going through serious issues in his home life which hindered his performance. These performances, particularly his last one against Collins, are perhaps the catilyst for Benn wanting to take this fight. In a recent interview with IFL TV, Benn stated “For me it’s all about closure, it ain’t about the money. I just want to have a fight, and Steve obliged”. It’s not surprising Collins, aka The Celtic Warrior, took this fight as he not only beat Eubank and Benn twice, he long after retiring continued to try to book a fight with Roy Jones Jr.

This was one of the greatest eras in British boxing with the top three (Colins, Eubank, Benn) all dying to fight each other and doing so multiple times. The hostility and rivalry between these three, along with top contenders Henry Wharton and Michael Watson, was electric for boxing fans.This period in a way draws parallels to the essence of Ali, Frazier and Foreman in the early 70’s. Some would say that this era in which the three Brits starred is a world away from the state of boxing today, with fighters seemingly being able to vacate belts and back out of fights at will. However, this era happened more than twenty years ago, and these once great fighters, have aged.

History tells us, for the most part, that ageing fighters who were once legendary bring sad moments to the ring, which are difficult for boxing fans to swallow. Watching Bernard Hopkins get dismanteld by Joe Smith Jr, Muhammed Ali get punished by Larry Holmes, these are not fights which any boxing fan really wanted to see. Most recently, watching EnzoMaccarinelli knock Roy Jones Jr out in the fourth round of their fight in December 2015 was like watching your favorite pub burn to the ground in front of you.

If the fight between Benn and Collins were to get licensed, it is not a fight that many boxing fans would want to see at the age these two are at now. Several leaked videos of Nigel Benn in training at the age of 53 show him being lightning fast and looking exceptional for his age. In fact, Benn claims to be capable of “doing things now that he’s never done before”, due to his healthy and stress-free lifestyle of recent times.

Nigel Benn has grown old very gracefully and is a witty, charming and entertaining presence in his interviews. We beg, please Nigel let this fight go for you have nothing to prove. You are one of Britain’s boxing heroes and your work will always be remembered. Stay in shape, stay humble and continue your wonderful work in guiding your talented son to stardom. Let boxing fans continue to marvel in the magnificence that was the era of Middleweight and Super-Middleweight boxing of the 90’s. As Eddie Hutch famously said to Joe Frazier at the Thrilla in Manilla;
“No one will ever forget what you did here”.