Tag Archives: lubin

Posted on 10/27/2019

By Robert Aaron Contreras

Erickson Lubin (221-1, 16 KO) was not the only big name of the card—helping bolster a Showtime broadcast that included former champion Robert Easter Jr. and heavyweight upstart Frank Sanchez—but his big left hand was a big reason he headlined the show and more importantly walked away a clear winner over late-replacement Nathanial Gallimore (21-4-1, 17 KO).

Lubin, 24, overcame Gallimore’s heavy fire early in the fight as well as his mind games later in the action to earn a unanimous decision victory. All three judges scored the bout 99-91 for Lubin, who was originally expected to face U.S. Olympic standout Terrell Gausha for a crack at the WBC championship before a hand injury took Gausha off the card. Just this month Gallimore stepped in on short notice. The schedule change did nothing to impede the work put in by Lubin and his new trainer Kevin Cunningham.

Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing Twitter Account

“I had a tremendous training camp,” Lubin told correspondent Jim Gray following his fourth consecutive victory. “Thanks to Kevin Cunningham. We been at it for about 10 weeks. Gallimore, I appreciate you stepping up to the plate. You gave me a tough, tough fight. We gave the fans what they wanted.”

The scorecards turned in, and the fighting seemingly over for the night, Lubin still had some jabs left over for his would-be opponent.

“At first we had Terrel Gausha,” Lubin added. “He pulled out the fight due to whatever he got going on—I think he’s pregnant or something.”

Stepping into the ring with an exceptional KO percentage, it would take a more calculated approach from Lubin to befuddle a sizable junior middleweight like Gallimore. Lubin, giving up two inches in height, relied on his jab to take the opening frame. Gallimore was able to brush Lubin back with a mean right in the third period. But that about concluded Lubin’s trouble for the night.

Often punch-drunk behind massive overhand lefts, Lubin in the fourth round fired away with a lead right hook (a crucial component to a well-rounded southpaw), making Gallimore’s head spin and even knocking his mouthpiece out.

Cunningham, who Lubin teamed up with in 2018 following the American puncher’s lone loss, has a growing reputation as a “southpaw whisperer” of sorts. Years handling former welterweight beltholder Devon Alexander counts as Cunningham’s shining accomplishment. But serviceable as Alexander was, Lubin is a generational talent. After the fight, Cunningham’s new charge could not help gushing over his new lead cornerman.

“Kevin is a real strict trainer,” Lubin said. “And he’s a southpaw specialist. He deals with southpaws very well. We’ve been improving our game everyday.”

On their strategy, Lubin added: “I measured [Gallimore]. And made sure to read body language to see what shots he threw most of the time. And I would time him and I was able to land my power shots because he was opening up.”

Lubin began working in his giant left hand in Round 5, closing out the stanza with violent sequences that again left Gallimore reeling.

The sixth and seventh were all Lubin until action erupted in the eighth inning. Still despite the two-way action the rounds belonged to Lubin. Over the final stretch Gallimore’s best work was a variety of gibes and taunting exercises: throwing his hands in the air as if it was Lubin who was not pushing the pace, or sticking his tongue out. The end of the fight was no different. In the waning seconds of the final round, with Lubin’s combinations careening in from every direction, Gallimore quickly picked up his head from the unending stream of punches and stuck out his tongue, of course as expecting eating more right and left hands for his trouble.

Gallimore, 31, deserves credit for staying in well enough shape to answer the call from a desperate promoter. He, too, is more than deserving of nearly getting shutout. The Chicago transplant, by way of Jamaica, has dropped three of his last four bouts. He has still never been finished inside the distance which is a real cap in his feather having competed against Brazilian puncher Patrick Teixeira, unified champion Julian Williams, and now extending a bludgeoning hitter like Lubin.

Lubin’s win streak has been a renewal from the downfalls of a failed world title shot in 2017 against Jermell Charlo, undefeated since then and now 3-0 with Cunningham at his side.

“I definitely want Jermell Charlo again,” Lubin said. “Whatever my team says, that’s what we’re going to do. But my goal is to get revenge.”

Robert Easter Jr. def. Adrian Granados by unanimous decision

Easter Jr. (22-1-1, 14 KO) and Granados (20-8-2, 14 KO) met in the ring, both having been defeated in their last bout. Granados, after years battling (and failing) against the popularizers of the welterweight divisions, needed a signature win. But Easter Jr., no longer with a title claim at lightweight, denied him that pipe dream, picking up his first win at 140 pounds by way of a unanimous decision on scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 100-90.

Taller, with a longer reach to boot, Easter seared right hands into Granados from the opening bell. His sharp combinations stood in contrast with Granados’ bodywork, which did come to life by the third round, making for even action through the middle stages. The Mexican-born brawler would even outwork Easter in the fifth frame. But when Easter remembered to take advantage of his length, the leverage to the former champ’s punches earned round after round from the ringside panel.

Beginning in the sixth round was when both men laid into each other. It comes naturally for both despite their differing body frames—affirming that that violent streak runs through the heart of all boxers, white, black, short or tall. The war continued in Round 7. Granados’ voluminous assault never let up, even when he was put on shaky legs at the end of the eighth stanza.

It was the same story for the final couple of rounds: shaper combos from Easter versus Granados’ output. The judges knew what they preferred, even if they were too kind to Easter.

Considering the way Granados was recently beat into submission, Easter may not carry exactly a lethal punch above the lightweight limit but again proved nobody is too tough for him.

Posted on 10/25/2019

By: Robert Aaron Contreras

Erickson Lubin’s first world title shot did not take long—aged just 22 when he challenged Jermell Charlo in 2017—but his second will take longer than expected. Originally set to face Terrell Gausha in a WBC eliminator, Lubin (21-1, 16 KO) is still headlining this weekend’s PBC on Showtime bill from Reading, Pennsylvania, but after a hand injury forced Gausha off the card, the Orlando-born popularizer is in line to fight divisional gatekeeper Nathanial Gallimore (21-3-1, 17 KO).

Gallimore, a 31-year-old Jamaican transplant, showed no qualms about answering a late-notice call recently as the second week of October. Gallimore falls short of Gausha’s amateur pedigree but has shown signs of being as equally an athletic jigsaw puzzle, with his pushing six-feet in height and even higher punch output. The title implications become unclear considering Gallimore is nowhere to be seen in the WBC’s top-15 junior middleweight ranking. An honest showing from Lubin at least could still push him back onto the championship stage.

Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/Showtime

Lubin’s first taste at the sport’s highest level did not go as planned. But he has been on a roll since suffering his first professional loss, an early knockout to Charlo. A win this weekend would extend his win streak to three straight—all knockouts.

The resurgence has also coincided with a new trainer. Lubin joined Kevin Cunningham in 2018. Cunningham, who is best known for his longtime handling of welterweight Devon Alexander, has made a career out of rebuilding southpaws.

The results speak for themselves. Lubin and his team are 2-0 in 2019. First competing in February where the upstart became the first man to stop veteran Ishe Smith inside the distance. Smith could not keep up his younger opponent. Lubin especially whipped Smith around in the second round, scoring three knockdowns, initially taking Smith’s feet out from under him with cracking one-twos. A fourth knockdown in the fateful third round signaled the end. In the corner, the referee called a halt to action, unwilling to send Smith out for more punishment.

In June, Lubin was back in the ring competing on the undercard of the other Charlo brother. There, the southpaw puncher overwhelmed a former European champion, the standout Frenchman Zakaria Attou. Sitting on his left hands, Lubin touched up his man early. Attou mostly looked to wrap up after feeling the American’s might overhand left. Finally Attou went down in the fourth round. He picked himself up, but the corner recognized his glassy eyes and shaky legs, and thew in the towel.

The destruction left in his wake makes Lubin a heavy favorite (-2000) opposite Gallimore. The 24-year-old quickly broke into the pro ranks with a real reputation. Never fighting in the mold of the typical “slippery southpaw,” or the reticence associated with that stereotype, Lubin’s game couples his supreme athleticism with a menacing clubbing ability, at his best when probing a stiff right jab followed by throwing his weight into an overhand left, to the head and body.

It was none other than Mike Tyson who took notice of Lubin early on. Lubin was a teenager when the legendary heavyweight convinced him to forego the Olympics and sign a promotional deal. Tyson’s company eventually went under. But Lubin carried on. And by 2016, both ESPN and The Ring Magazine named him their annual Prospect of the Year.

With less fanfare, Gallimore left Jamaica as a preteen and found a home in Chicago. He did not turn professional until his late-20s but carved out a respectable career competing between 154 and 160 pounds. In his most recent outing he helped headline a club show in Atlanta. There he decisioned the hometown man, Antonio Todd.

In 2018, a competitive showing against Julian Williams, who would later unify the super welterweight division, left Galllimore with a majority-decision loss. But the performance pushed him into a title eliminator with Patrick Teixeira that very same year. The parvenu was not afraid to pull the trigger, punching away at the house fighter with abandon. Teixeira remained calculated and counterpunched his way to a clear points win. In all bringing Gallimore’s record to 1-2 over his last three bouts.

Robert Easter Jr. (21-1-1, 14 KO) vs. Adrian Granados (20-7-2, 14 KO)

Deprived of the sweet taste of victory, Easter Jr. is looking for his first win in over 20 months. His bout against Granados also represents his first fight since 2016 with no championship belts on the line.

Earlier this year, Easter saw his IBF share fo the lightweight crown ripped from his grasp by Mikey Garcia. Next he was met with a sizable challenge in Rances Barthelemy, a Cuban switch-hitter. There were two titles on the line but somebody forget to let the boxers know because neither seemed excited to be there. The excruciating 12-round staring contest resulted in a split-draw.

Unlike the Cuban stylist, Granados has the banger mentality to drag a fight out of Easter. Back in 2015, the hard-hitting Amir Imam could not keep Granados off of him and succumbed to his attack in the eight rounds–a giant upset.

The shocking victory secured repeated opportunities for Granados against some of boxing’s biggest names.

Over the last three years, the Mexican-born brawler (now fighting out of Illinois) tussled with Adrien Broner, Shawn Porter, and Danny Garcia. That meeting with Garcia represented Granados’ most recent contest, and to be honest his worst beating to date. Granados came out the gates well, outlanding his superstar opponent in the opening frame. But it was all down hill from there, coming undone in the seventh round for the first TKO loss of his career.

Granados at this point is worse for wear, pegged at nearly four-to-one dog odds against a sharp boxer like Easter, the considerable betting favorite who opened at -600.

Posted on 06/27/2019

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night the NRG Arena in Houston, Texas will be the host site for Jermall Charlo’s WBC Interim Middleweight Title Defense against Brandon Adams.

The fight card will be presented by Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions and will be televised live on Showtime.

The co-main event of the evening will be between Erickson Lubin and Zakaria Attou in a WBC Junior Middleweight Title eliminator.

The undercard will feature fighters such as Eduardo Ramirez, Claudio Marrero, Miguel Flores, Cesar Cantu, and Omar Juarez.

The following is a preview of the co-main event and main event of the evening.

Erickson Lubin (20-1) vs. Zakaria Attou (29-6-2); WBC Junior Middleweight Eliminator

Erickson Lubin is a young professional with a decorated amateur background from the United States. Lubin is a former US PAL Champion and a US National Golden Gloves Champion. Zakaria Attou is fourteen years his elder and has no notable amateur background.

That alone tells you this fight is likely a big mismatch.

Attou will have a slight one and a half inch height advantage over Lubin and has been a more active fighter. The one knock against Lubin is that for a twenty three year old boxer he hasn’t been very active. He only fought once in 2019, once in 2018, and twice in 2017. Attou fought once in 2019, twice in 2018, and three times in 2017.

Lubin also has a clear edge in power. Attou only has seven stoppage victories while Lubin has stopped fifteen of his opponents.

Attou is riding a seven fight win streak, but he has beaten no notable opponents. His most impressive victories have come against Stefano Castellucci, Orlando Fiordigiglio, and Emanuele Della Rosa. His losses were to the unheralded Roberto Santos, Frank Haroche, Ludovic Duval, Jonathan Bertonnier, Faycal Karkour, and Francois Riopedre.

Lubin has defeated the likes of Ishe Smith, Jorge Cota, Juan Cabrera, and Alexis Camacho. His lone loss was a KO loss to Jermell Charlo.

This is a fight that Lubin should win easily.

Jermall Charlo (28-0) vs. Brandon Adams (21-2); WBC Interim Middleweight Title

The main event will be a title fight between the undefeated Jermall Charlo and the winner of Season Five of the Contender, Brandon Adams.

Both boxers are still in their athletic prime at the age of twenty nine years old. Charlo will have a three inch height advantage and about a three and a half inch reach advantage over Adams.

Charlo does appear to have an edge in power as he has stopped twenty one of his opponents while Adams has only stopped thierteen of his opponents.

Charlo fought twice in 2018 and once in 2017. Adams fought four times in 2018, due to his participation in the Contender, but did not fight at all in 2017 or in 2016.

Charlo also has an edge in amateur experience. He had a record of 65-6 as an amateur while Adams only fought as an amateur for two years.

Charlo’s list of defeated opponents includes Matvey Korobov, Huge Centeno Jr., Jorge Sebastian Heiland, Julian Williams, Austin Trout, Wilky Campfort, and Cornelius Bundrage.

Adams has defeated the likes of Shane Mosley Jr., Eric Walker, Ievgen Khytrov, and Tyrone Brunson. His losses were to John Thompson and Willie Monroe Jr.

Adams is a live dog and his win on the Contender included several good prospects, but Charlo is a much more experienced fighter with a significant height and reach advantage over Adams.

Charlo might not stop Adams, but he should win the decision.

Posted on 02/10/2019

By: Hans Themistode

WBA Super Featherweight champion Gervonta Davis (21-0, 20 KOs) made his ring entrance to the song thriller by Michael Jackson. He sure gave one thrilling performance tonight in the ring as he destroyed Hugo Ruiz (39-5, 33 KOs).

The contest started with Davis stalking his much bigger opponent. Ruiz was fighting on his back foot but couldn’t get much of a rhythm. Several combinations landed for the champion as Ruiz began to bleed profusely from his nose. A clean left hook to the head forced Ruiz to take a knee. He managed to beat the count but the referee waved off the contest in the very first round. It was quite the performance from the young star. Davis wasn’t the only one on the card tonight who put on a show for the fans.

Jr Middleweight Erickson Lubin (20-1, 15 KOs) made a major statement tonight in becoming the first man to stop former champion Ishe Smith (29-11, 12 KOs) tonight. The win by Lubin did not come as a shock but the dominance he showed tonight was breathtaking.

Smith held the IBF title in 2013 and has consistently given even the upper echelon fighters a tough test. Coming into this contest Smith was looking to stop a two fight losing streak and vault himself back into title contention. Lubin on the other hand had other plans.

The contest started off tentatively but quickly picked up in the second round where Lubin showed his dominance. A straight left hand landed flush for Lubin and saw Smith crash down to the canvas. From there it became an onslaught as Lubin poured the pressure on. Another combination landed by Lubin saw Smith once again hit the canvas.

As often the case in the career of Smith he continued to pick himself up and fight valiantly. A third knockdown for Lubin seemed to spell the end for Smith but somehow he not only beat the count but continued to fight on as he barely escaped the round. Lubin came out in the third round wanting to put an end to the contest and he did just that as he once again knocked Smith down to the mat. Smith’s trainers stepped in and stopped the contest. After the end of the match the 40 year old Smith retired from the sport marking an end to his almost 20 year career.

Lubin started off his career dominating the competition and quickly won the ESPN prospect of the year award. He then took a major step up in class when he challenged then champion Jermell Charlo and was subsequently stopped in the first round. Tonight proved that he has put that devastating loss behind him.

Defeating Smith in such dominant fashion will place him back in the thick of things in the Jr Middleweight division.

Both Davis and Lubin sent stern messages to their respective divisions tonight with explosive performances. 2019 could become a big year for both of these young stars.

Posted on 10/12/2017

By: Sean Crose

Junior middleweight slickster Erislandy Lara will be defending his WBA super world title this weekend when he faces undefeated Terrell Gausha at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Photo Credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

The bout will headline a stacked card that will be aired live Saturday starting at 10 PM eastern standard time on the Showtime pay cable network. Lara, a 24-2-2 student of the Cuban school of boxing, is a challenge for any fighter. Indeed, some feel he bested Canelo Alvarez in a fight Alvarez squeezed a decision win out of back in 2014. Cleveland’s Gausha, on the other hand, holds a 20-0 record, but has never faced anyone of Lara’ s pedigree. With that in mind, Lara is getting on at 34 years of age and hasn’t fought since January, when he bested Yuri Foreman in a bout some thought shouldn’t even have been made.

Also that evening, the undefeated, 29-0 Jermell Charlo will be defending his WBC world title in the super welterweight division by facing hard hitting 18-0 Erickson Lubin. Charlo will be coming off a streak where none of his last three bouts have gone the distance. Indeed, the man has been looking impressive as of late. For his own part, however, Orlando’s Lubin has stopped three of his own last four opponents within the distance. Some see this as the top fight of the evening, even though it will be taking a back seat to the Lara-Gausha bout in the card’s lineup. Charlo, after all, is on a hot streak…and Lubin has made it clear he’s a man with something to prove.

Still yet another junior middleweight championship bout will be going down in front of Showtime cameras on Saturday, featuring veteran fighter Austin Trout and Jarrett Hurd for Hurd’s IBF world super welterweight title. Trout a 30-3 former division titlist, hasn’t fought in over a year but is looking at a chance to reclaim past glory. Hurd’s name may not be as illustrious as former Trout foes Canelo Alvarez ‘ and Miguel Cotto’s are, but the 20-0 Maryland native has a ten year age advantage and can boast of having knocked out his last six opponents. In fact, the last time a Hurd fight went the distance was back in 2014 when the fighter bested Emmanuel Sanchez on the cards. This isn’t a going to be a battle where bad behavior is to be found in the leadup, however, as both Trout and Hurd are known to be respectful and professional.

Posted on 03/07/2017

Boxing Insider Notebook: Canelo, Chavez, Russell, Lemieux, Thurman, Lubin, and more..
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of February 28th to March 7th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/Showtime

Canelo vs. Chavez Tickets are Sold Out!

Living up to its billing as one of the biggest fights of 2017, the Cinco de Mayo weekend showdown set for Saturday, May 6 between two-division world champion Canelo Alvarez (48-1-1, 34KOs) and former WBC middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs) has sold out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The number of tickets sold, more than 20,000, is among the largest indoor sell-outs in the rich history of Las Vegas prizefights.

“Big fights sell, and as anyone can see from the fact that we sold out Las Vegas’ biggest boxing venue less than 10 days after tickets became available, Canelo-Chavez, Jr. is a huge fight,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO and Chairman Oscar De La Hoya. “Now that T-Mobile Arena is full, we will soon announce venues for showing the fight on closed circuit for fans still planning to come to celebrate in Las Vegas, and fans can of course see the fight in the comfort of their own homes on HBO Pay-Per-View.”

Earlier this week, Golden Boy Promotions announced that Argentinian slugger Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs) will appear on the HBO Pay-Per-View in his first fight in more than a year and a half against Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor (20-4, 14 KOs). The remainder of the Pay-Per-View slate and undercard will be announced shortly.

Canelo vs. Chávez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. Matthysse vs. Taylor is a 10-round fight presented by Golden Boy promotions in association with Arano Boxing and Star Boxing. The event will take place on Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Gary Russell, Jr.-Oscar Escandon Featherweight Title Match Postponed After Escandon Suffers Injury in Training

The featherweight championship match between Gary Russell Jr. and Oscar Escandon, scheduled for Saturday, March 11 at the MGM National Harbor in Maryland, has been postponed after Escandon was injured in training, according to Escandon’s promoter Sampson Lewkowicz.

“Oscar suffered an injury to his back in training and he’ll be ready to go in April,” Lewkowicz said. “He’s very sorry for the delay in the fight, but these things happen in boxing. He’s really looking forward to facing Gary Russell, Jr., but he wants to be completely healthy when they do meet.”

Escandon, a 32-year-old Colombian with a record of 25-2 with 17 KOs, is the mandatory challenger for Russell’s featherweight championship. Jermell Charlo defending his 154-pound title against Charles Hatley will be the co-feature on the rescheduled card.

“It’s definitely irritating,” Russell said. “But injuries happen especially when you have somebody pushing their body to the limit for a fight that is potentially life changing. It’s disappointing. It might not work out for him because I have a little more time to get ready.”

“We’re working with the venue and the network to find the earliest date that we can reschedule the show,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “I feel terrible for the fighters who have been training so hard and now have to wait. Gary is really disappointed, but he understands that injuries are all a part of the sport. But Gary will be ready to go on the rescheduled date.”

David Lemieux Media Workout Quotes

Former IBF Middleweight World Champion David Lemieux (36-3, 32 KOs) hosted a media workout at Sherbatov MMA in Laval, Quebec, the same week he departs for Verona, NY for his upcoming showdown with Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (29-5, 21 KOs). The middleweight bout takes place Saturday, March 11 at Turning Stone Resort Casino televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Lemieux was joined his trainer Marc Ramsay at today’s media workout and spoke onsite about his matchup with Stevens and his training leading up to the mega event for the middleweight titles. Below is what Lemieux and his team had to say at today’s workout:

DAVID LEMIEUX, Former IBF Middleweight World Champion:

”The last time that my opponent spoke so much and I so disliked him, I believe it was Delray Raines. I broke three of his ribs and his nose. It didn’t end up very well for him.

”I couldn’t be more prepared for a fight. I have one objective in mind: I want to take his head off. I am so motivated to put on a great performance on Saturday night. Stevens put a lot of oil in the fire with his disrespectful comments and he will pay for it.

”I had an exceptional camp and we have prepared for this fight very seriously. We are ready for the best Stevens there is, going 12 rounds if needed. I guarantee you that it will be a rough night for him. ”

MARC RAMSAY, Trainer to David Lemieux:

”It is important to go there and deliver a spectacular performance. This is a good challenge. In this fight, we have to execute well what we have prepared to do for the last eight weeks. ”

Tickets for this highly anticipated matchup are still available and priced at $30, $45, $55 and $75 for ringside seats plus applicable fees and are available at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office by calling 315-361-7469 or online at Ticketmaster(www.ticketmaster.com).

Lemieux vs. Stevens is a 12-round middleweight bout for the WBO Intercontinental, WBC Continental Americas and IBF North American Middleweight titles, presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and Main Events, and sponsored by “Tecate, BORN BOLD.” The HBO Boxing After Dark® telecast begins at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Quotes from Keith Thurman and Erickson Lubin After their Victories on Saturday

Keith Thurman is the unified welterweight world champion.

Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) unified boxing’s glamour division with a split-decision victory over Danny Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs) on Saturday, defending his WBA belt and picking up Garcia’s WBC crown on boxing’s biggest stage in primetime on CBS from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

The event, which was produced by SHOWTIME Sports® for the CBS Television Network, marked the highest-attended boxing event in Barclays Center history with 16,533 fans witnessing just the 10th unification in division history.

The close affair, which was only the third time undefeated fighters unified the 147-pound division, was scored 116-112 Thurman, 115-113 Thurman and 115-113 Garcia.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS main event, which was presented by Premier Boxing Champions, was a tale of effective aggression and ring generalship. Thurman came out swinging and was the busier and more accurate fighter in nine of the 12 rounds. “One Time” Thurman was more tactical in the second half of the fight, utilizing lateral movement and working off his jab. Garcia picked up the pace and was more active in the final rounds, but it was too little too late for the previously undefeated Philadelphia native.

“I thought I out-boxed him.” said Thurman, who likely earned a spot on boxing’s mythical pound-for-pound list with the impressive victory. “I thought it was a clear victory, but Danny came to fight. I knew when it was split and I had that wide spread, I knew it had to go to me.

“I was not giving the fight away. I felt like we had a nice lead, we could cool down. I felt like we were controlling the three-minute intervals every round. My defense was effective – he wasn’t landing.”

A former unified champion at 140-pound, Garcia was aiming to be the first fighter in history to unify titles at 140 and 147 pounds.

“I came up short tonight,” said Garcia, who entered the bout with a 7-0 record in world title bouts. “I thought I was the aggressor. I thought I pushed the pace. But it didn’t go my way.

“I thought I won and I was pushing the fight. But it is what it is. I’ll come back strong like a true champion. I would love a rematch to get these titles.”

SHOWTIME Sports analyst and unofficial scorer Steve Farhood scored the fight 116-112 for Thurman.

Undefeated super welterweight Erickson Lubin (18-0, 13 KOs) knocked out Jorge Cota (23-2, 20 KOs) in a WBC 154-pound title eliminator, dropping the previously once-beaten Cota with a flush overhand left at 1:25 (TKO) of the fourth round.

Lubin now becomes the No. 2 challenger to WBC Welterweight World Championship Jermell Charlo, who is due a mandatory bout against No. 1 contender Charles Hatley.

The Orlando-native Lubin landed 47 percent of his power shots across four rounds of shutout boxing.

“I baited him with the jab. I knew he was going to come with the big shots early,” Lubin said to reporter Jim Gray. “I put a few tricks on him, I landed that overhand and it was night-night. I put my hands down to bait him in, I did a squat and then it was night-night. I was ready to follow-up with a right but he was already out.”

At just 21-years-old, Lubin now has an opportunity to become the youngest world champion in boxing today.

“That would mean a lot to me; that would mean a lot to Orlando, Florida,” Lubin said. “This is my second time knocking someone out in front of Ray Leonard. He’s one of my favorite fighters of all time. It’s an honor to do this on CBS.”

Reynoso to Face Valenzuela for WBC Silver Latino Super Bantamweight Championship on April 1st

On Saturday, April 1, at the Arena Jalisco in Guadalajara, México, promoters Eddie Reynoso of Clase y Talento, and Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing will team up to present a night of world-class boxing, televised live on TyC Sports of Argentina.

As part of TyC’s ongoing 25th anniversary celebration of boxing shows, this exciting event will feature a 10-round battle for the WBC Silver Latino Super Bantamweight Championship between Buenos Aires, Argentina’s Roman Ruben Reynoso (19-1-2, 8 KOs) and Sonora, Mexico’s Christian “Molacho” Valenzuela (13-0-1, 8 KOs).

Reynoso has left his native Argentina just twice in his career, but on one of those occasions, fought to a split draw with well-regarded prospect Adam Lopez on ShoBox: The New Generation in July 2016. Like Reynoso, the undefeated Valenzuela has never left his home country, but has stayed busy with 14 fights in his three-year career.

In the chief supporting bout, Argentinean 2016 Summer Olympian Alberto Palmetta will go for his third consecutive victory as a professional against Mexico City’s Luis Montelongo (4-1).

26-year-old Palmetta, a junior middleweight, was one of the most heavily decorated amateurs in his country’s history, in addition to fighting in the 2016 Summer Olympics, he won numerous national and international distinctions including the bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Games. He turned professional in November 2016.

In the televised opener, Novato, California via Uruguay’s Rudy Macedo (3-0, 3 KOs) will face also undefeated Leonel Rodriguez of Mexico in a four-round welterweight showdown. The power-punching Macedo was an amateur world champion, PAL champion and five-time Silver Gloves Champion. He is trained by Nonito Donaire Sr.

The event is sponsored by Tecate beer, “cervezas con carácter.”

“I am proud to be part of this event and to be helping TyC celebrate their anniversary,” said Sampson Lewkowicz. “They have done a tremendous service to boxing throughout their history. Thank you to my esteemed partner, Eddie Reynoso, as well. I’m looking forward to a great night of fights for the fans in Mexico, Argentina and around the world to enjoy.”

Five more exciting bouts are scheduled for the untelevised undercard.

March 10th Philly Fight Night Quotes

Kicking off the Philly Fight Night series Friday, March 10, at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia are 11 fights. Topping the show will be an old-fashioned, all-Philly rumble when lightweights Anthony Burgin and Avery Sparrow collide after an eight-week training camp for each. In the six-round semifinal, Philadelphia favorite Fred Jenkins Jr. meets Roque Zapata, of Culpeper, VA. The first fight will begin at 7:30 p.m., and tickets will be available at the door.

The four fighters and their trainers had this to say about training camp:

Anthony Burgin:

“Camp was great; I feel strong and focused. I am in amazing shape for March 10. It was a benefit for me being in Puerto Rico, not only because of the weather but also for the new things I learned and did there to bring my talent to another level mentally and physically. I pushed my body to limits I didn’t even know my body could go to. Now I am just ready for March 10.

“The feeling of fighting a main event in Philly is unbelievable. I am greatly appreciative to have this big opportunity, especially in my own city where all my friends and family can watch. It’s only the beginning for what’s in store for Anthony ‘Bad Boy’ Burgin.

“Every fight for me is an important fight. There is no added pressure just because I am headlining the card, but never have I been so focused for a fight like this and it scares me as crazy as that sounds. I can’t wait to step in the ring. I have been sparring with Michael Perez and a few other guys from Puerto Rico, just working on the game plan.”

TRAINER Raul Rivas:

“Anthony looks amazing; like he’s fighting for a world title. His conditioning and mindset is very focused.

Avery Sparrow:

“Camp has been the best ever, I feel the best I have felt in my whole career. We worked hard and smart. I have grown from my last fights, inside the ring and out. I got stronger physically and mentally. I feel it’s going to be hard to beat a guy like me when I’m this focused. I’ve been beating guys just off my talent and now that I’m in peak shape you’re going to see the best Avery ‘A Plus’ Sparrow. The fans and boxing supporters are going see that I’m a world-class fighter and one of boxing’s next superstars. I’ve been under the radar from the beginning of my career.

“It feels great to be fighting in the main event and it’s been a long time coming. I have a lot of fans all around but there’s no place like home. We are ‘war ready’ and we’re gonna put on a great show for the hometown fans who have been supporting me from the start. I want to give them a knockout because that’s what they deserve. We are not looking for a knockout; we’re just looking to put on a great show and get the win so I can put our city on the map again since Danny Garcia just lost the title. Someone needs to stand up for Philadelphia. I feel I’m the perfect candidate I have the look, skills, power, talent and the work ethic to put the city on my back. All in all it just my time and my city gets to witness the first step in greatness for Avery “A Plus” Sparrow.

“Training at home has been positive. I get to train alongside Bernard Hopkins, Jesse Hart and other top guys from Philadelphia who work hard and push me. They give me good advice and knowledge of the game. We also have the best fighters in the world here so I get the best sparring. By training in Philly, my team and I can’t go wrong. I’m at the point in my life and career where I’ve been through so much there’s nothing negative about anything in my life.

Just waking up in the morning is blessing to me. I could have trained anywhere and still been focused.

“I like Anthony; he’s a good guy, very humble and a good fighter. I just feel like he missed his window. He’s been stopped, he has two losses and he’s just not mean enough to beat a guy like me I’m ready to die in there and I don’t think he is.”

TRAINER Greg Hackett:

“Everyone knows what it is. They are coming to see Anthony Burgin get his head chopped off. This is not a fight; this is an execution. Avery Sparrow looks like a brand new Bugatti on the showroom floor. His ability to focus has been amazing. Anything I ask for, he gives it to me. He turned it up for this fight. Anthony Burgin is a prime duck, ready to be plucked!”

Fred Jenkins, Jr.:

“Camp has been awesome. I can’t wait for this fight. It is everything. It’s not just a fight, it’s do or die. I look at all my fights the same. I go about it as if it’s a fight, it’s boxing. Boxing is fighting. All that extra shit people do, that’s not me, it’s just this is life and death, it’s a fight and I’m gonna get in there and fight the best fight I ever fought. Throughout my life I have been training around world champs and contenders.

“I am not looking past this fight. I look past no one. I’m the son of a man who has been around for a long time and I know they know me. Every opponent is coming to fight and either knows or assumes they know who I am because of my dad. It means a lot to be fighting the semifinal, but you’re supposed to go into every fight the same. It’s not about thinking this fight is more important than that fight. The job is to go in there and win by any means necessary. The object is to win. My goal is to get in there and win every time.

“Zapata is just a fighter who comes to fight. He’s fighting Fred Jenkins Jr. this time and he’s in for a real fight. He has never fought anybody before. He’s fighting somebody now. If you want to know more, come see fight night what I am about. I saw him fight Isaiah Wise and it was a good fight. One thing I noticed was that he threw a lot of punches and Wise was still fighting. Wise was really hitting him but he (Zapata) was out-working Wise. I saw what Zapata can do but I’m a fighter and I’m just gonna get in there and fight until the end. I live for this; I get a kick out of it. I love it. I’m not the bragging and boasting type. I’m a quiet guy but when the heat is on I’m gonna fight.”

TRAINER Fred Jenkins, Sr.:

“Fred looks superb. Whatever Zapata brings to the table we are going to match it. After this fight we are looking to move into co-main event position.”

Roque Zapata:

“I feel honored to be back fighting in Philadelphia. Knowing that my performance is what brought me back and that is what I plan to do, give the fans a fight! Of course, I want to get the win but it’s up to me to see if I can pull the trigger and perform at the absolute best.”

“Jenkins has a lot more boxing experience. It doesn’t bother me at all. All I know is that Jenkins is going to do what he always does best and I’m going to do what I do best. One of us will get the best of the other and on Friday night everyone will see who is better.”

“I am not worried about coming to his backyard or being the underdog. In my MMA days and in boxing I’ve been fighting in the other guy’s backyard a lot and I love it. I know I’ll get the best Fred Jenkins, Jr., that night and it’ll be fun. Being the underdog isn’t something I worry about. I’ve been the underdog in all of my fights. To me it means people are doubting my abilities and that’s fine. I’m used to it.”

TRAINER Eric Zamora:

“He is very focused and hungry for this fight. He’s put in the necessary work to have his hand raised on March 10. We have enhanced his strengths and worked on his weaknesses. Expect to see a Roque like never before.”

Posted on 03/04/2017

Pbc on CBS Results: Thurman Bests Garcia, Lubin Stops Cota
By: Sean Crose

The biggest fight on network television in decades went down Saturday night at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York. WBA welterweight champ Danny Garcia took on his WBC welterweight peer Keith Thurman in a unification battle of undefeated titlists.

Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

The opening bout featured Jorge Cota 23-1 against rising star Erickson Lubin 17-0. The first round started off tentative with neither man showing a willingness to let loose. The second showed each man trading a bit, but the battle remained close. Lubin landed with purpose in the third and in the early fourth Cota was on his bicycle. It did him no good. A single left hook sent Cota down and out at around the halfway point of the round.

After a small eternity – which isn’t good for a network broadcast – it was time for the main event. The crowd was clearly behind Philadelphia’s Garcia, 33-0, but Clearwater, Flordia’s Thurman, 27-0-1, appeared cool as ice. The first round was pretty explosive with both men landing exceedingly hard. Thurman was aggressive from the opening bell, but Garcia held his own.

Thurman was aggressive in the second, as well, but Garcia was able to land hard and was also able to maintain his cool. Garcia subtly became more aggressive in the third and Thurman began slowing down his output. In the fourth Thurman was able to glide through at the end, though Garcia was striking the body well. Thurman controlled the fifth for the most part, but Garcia came on strong at the end.

Garcia landed hard and with frequency in the sixth, taking the round. Thurman grinded his way through the seventh, a round where Garcia was warned for low blows. Thurman continued to dominate through the eighth, but Garcia was still very much in the bout. Thruman ruled the tenth and looked to be pulling away. Not that it was an easy affair for the Clearwater native. Garcia slugged his way into taking the tenth.

Thurman cruised through the eleventh…perhaps too much. I had him winning the round by the skin of his teeth, but it may well have gone either way. It was time for the final three minutes. Garcia landed enough that I gave him the last chapter. Still, it appeared that Thurman had done enough to take the fight by a comfortable margin.

Needless to say, Thurman won by split decision. It was fair, but the fight was indeed close. Garcia was game, but came up short. Thurman looked excellent.

Posted on 03/02/2017

PBC on CBS Preview: Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia, Erickson Lubin vs. Jorge Cota
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night one of the best fights that could be made in the welterweight division will happen at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York as Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia will meet to unify the WBA and WBC welterweight titles.

This is a fight that many fans have been salivating over.

The co-main event of the night will be between Erickson Lubin and Jorge Cota in a WBC Junior Middleweight eliminator. The undercard that will not be shown on CBS will feature high level boxers such as Andrzej Fonfara, Chad Dawson, Mario Barrios, and Heather Hardy.

The following is a preview of the televised CBS card.

Erickson Lubin (17-0) vs. Jorge Cota (25-1); Junior Middleweights

At first glance this fight appears to be a competitive fight.

Both boxers are still relatively young and have good records. Lubin is twenty one years old and eight years younger than Cota, but Cota is still below the age of thirty. Both boxers have very good records with only one loss between them.

However, a closer look reveals that Lubin is the better prospect of the two.

On paper, Cota appears to be the stronger puncher of the two. He has twenty two knockouts for a stoppage ratio of 85%. Lubin has twelve knockouts with a stoppage ratio of 71%. However, Cota has fought nearly his entire career in Mexico against less than stellar opposition.

Cota’s only big win came against Yudel Johnson in 2015, which was his only bout in 2015. Cota had zero bouts in 2016. Cota was defeated by Marco Antonio Rubio.

Lubin has defeated the likes of Juan Ubaldo Cabrera, Ivan Montero, and Daniel Sandoval. Lubin has never tasted defeated and was the 2012 US National Police Athletic League Gold Medalist as well as a former Golden Gloves gold medalist.

Lubin has also been considerably more active than Cota. Cota has only fought once since 2015, while Lubin fought five times in 2015 and four times in 2016.

This is a showcase fight for Lubin to get a win against an opponent with a good record but an empty record.

Keith Thurman (27-0) vs. Danny Garcia (33-0); WBC/WBA Welterweight Titles

Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia will fight to determine who is the best welterweight boxer in the world, outside of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

And maybe outside of Kell Brook and Errol Spence Junior. And maybe outside of Timothy Bradley Jr. and Terence Crawford if he ever decides to make the jump up to 147.

But regardless, this is an excellent fight between two undefeated boxers that are twenty eight years old. They are both known for having some power, as Thurman has stopped twenty two of his opponents and Garcia has stopped eighteen of his opponents.

The winner will have two belts in the division and will also put themselves in a good position to face Floyd Mayweather Jr., if he were to ever end his retirement and not fight a UFC fighter.

Thurman will be giving up about one inch in height to Garcia but will have a slight half an inch reach advantage. Garcia has been slightly more active than Thurman and fought twice in 2016 and in 2015. Thurman fought once in 2016 and twice in 2015.

Both boxers had good national amateur careers. Thurman was a runner up in the US Olympic trials and Garcia was a US National Amateur champion.

Both boxers have an impressive list of defeated opponents. Thurman has defeated the likes of Shawn Porter, Luis Collazo, Robert Guerrero, Leonard Bundu, Jesus Soto Karass, Diego Chavez, Jan Zaveck, and Carlos Quintana. However, Thurman has not had a KO or TKO victory in his past five fights.

Garcia has won three of his past five fights by stoppage and has defeated the likes of Samuel Vargas, Robert Guerrero, Paulie Malignaggi, Lamont Peterson (questionable), Mauricio Herrera (questionable), Lucas Matthysse, Zab Judah, Erik Morales, Amir Khan, and Kendall Holt.

This is a tough fight to pick and both boxers have been able to come up on the winning end of some close decisions. Thurman however is more comfortable fighting in the welterweight division and doesn’t have the gift decisions that Garcia has.

It will be a close fight and could go either way, but Thurman has a slight edge going into Saturday night.

Posted on 02/22/2017

Boxing Insider Notebook: Canelo, Chavez, Lubin, Lara, Beterbiev, Bute, Braekhus, Svennsson, and more…
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of February 14th to February 21st, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit:Etzel Espinosa- Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

Canelo Alvarez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Mexico City Press Conference Quotes

Two-division world champion Canelo Álvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) and former WBC World Middleweight Champion Julio César Chávez, Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs) today kicked off their four-city international press tour in Mexico City. The event drew thousands of fans and hundreds of media to watch Canelo and Chavez, Jr. in their first face off ahead of their anticipated clash on Cinco De Mayo weekend, Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Below are what the fighters and their teams had to say at today’s press conference:

CANELO ÁLVAREZ, Former Two-Division World Champion:

“It’s a new weight, so I have started to spar with heavier partners, which everyone will notice come fight night. Fights between Mexicans are usually the biggest, and I want this fight to be a mark on the legacy that many fights like this have left behind in Mexico’s fight history.

“I think that a rivalry does exist, and we are both polemic fighters. There have been a lot of comments directed towards me and my character, and I fight for pride to represent my country.

“We are of course are training at 100 percent. I think what makes this fight interesting is that we are both heavy punchers. I’ve been in my fair share of mega-fights, and the boxing ring is my home. I have had the same people in my corner since the very beginning, and I trust Chepo and Eddy to fully support me in my corner.”

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ, JR., Former WBC World Middleweight Champion:

“I’ve been making my way to this fight. My last fight was at 168 pounds. This fight isn’t going to be any different from any other fight that I have had in the past. I want to thank all the people who have come to support me over the years.

“This is going to be a tough fight. Every fight is important, and this one especially because it is between two Mexicans fighting each other for the glory. The fight could not have come at a more perfect timing – both my and Canelo’s names are known throughout the world as some of the best fighters. My two losses against Martinez and Fonfara taught me more than all 50 of my wins. This fight has the potential to open many doors to my future that might have been closed before. I fight for pride – everyone says that Canelo is the best.

“With Nacho Beristain in my corner, I have a lot of knowledge on my side. It’s symbolic because he has his name etched as one of the greats, and this is a tribute to him and is a contribution to Mexican boxing. Canelo isn’t Oscar De La Hoya’s son. I’ve got a great corner. I am going to win this fight.”

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

“Saul was the one who wanted this fight, and my duty as a promoter is to put together the best fights. Mexican boxing is the best, and when you have these two hot boxers who want to give the best to the fans, and we couldn’t pass it up.

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ, SR., Six-Time World Champion Boxerz:

“I foresee a real tough fight. We have seen the best of Canelo, but we have not seen the best of my son. I firmly believe that with a disciplined training camp, Jr. is able to knock out not just Canelo but anyone in his way. I want to thank everyone who has come out to support my son. I can honestly say that this is a dream come true, and we are looking forward to the fight.”

Artur Beterbiev vs. Sullivan Barrera Announced for April 21st

It’s official: Montreal’s Artur Beterbiev (IBF #2 – 11-0-0, 11 KOs) will be in the most important fight of his career, against Cuban-born Sullivan Barrera (IBF #7 – 18-1-0, 13 KOs), for the mandatory challenger position for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heayvweight world title, held by American Andre Ward (31-0-0, 15 KOs). The Beterbiev vs. Barrera clash will take place April 21 in Miami, Florida.

“It is with great pride and confidence that we go into this fight in Miami,” Beterbiev’s promoter Yvon Michel (Groupe Yvon Michel). “In order for Beterbiev to receive maximum credibility, he needs to demonstrate that he can perform anywhere in the world. Because Sullivan Barrera, the only top-rated contender to accept the challenge to face Artur, could not cross the Canadian border, we agreed to have this fight take place in the United States.

“We are convinced that the many Quebecers who still live in Florida, at this time, will come to support Artur, who has made Quebec the adopted home for him and his young family.”

The Beterbiev-Barrera winner will become the mandatory challenger for the IBF light heavyweight champion, who will have until September, at the latest, to face the winner.]GYM won the IBF-ordered purse bid Feb. 2 (2017), winning with a $201,000 (USD) bid to $181,000 for Barrera’s promoter, Main Events. Due to the 75-25 percentage advantage going to the highest ranked fighter, Beterview will earn $188,250 to $62,750 for Barrera.

Ward won the IBF, WBA and WBO light heavyweight titles with a 12-round unanimous decision win over Sergey Kovalev, November 19, 2017, in Las Vegas.

Beterbiev was impressive in his most recent outing, last December 23 at the Lac Leamy Casino in Gatineau, stopping Paraguayan slugger Isidro Ranoni Prieto (26-1-3) in opening round (2:44).

Barrera also displayed tremendous skills during his most recent performance, this poast Dec. 16 in California, shattering the previously undefeated Vyacheslav Shabrankyy (17-0-0), of Ukraine, with a spectacular TKO victory in the seventh round.

More details about Beterbiev vs. Barrera will be announced in the coming days.

Erislandy Lara Gains US Citizenship

WBA and IBO super-welterweight champion, Erislady “The American Dream” Lara, is truly living the American dream since he has now completed all the eligibility requirements to become a U.S citizen. Erislandy, along with his wife Yudi, took an oath of allegiance to the United States today, solidifying their citizenship.

Lara, who made his U.S. boxing debut in Primm, Nevada, in January of 2009, is elated about gaining his U.S. citizenship. He reflects on the long journey it took to become a U.S citizen.

“When I arrived in the United States in 2008, my main goal was to become a citizen of this great nation.” said Erislandy Lara. “It brings me great joy to know that I am now a legal citizen of the United States of America. It’s been a long journey to get where I’m at today, and I couldn’t have done it without my beautiful wife Yudi. Together, we fulfilled all the legal requirements that were mandated to become a U.S citizen.”

“Living in here in the States has been a tremendous blessing to me and my family.” Lara continued. “With hard work, and the help of many good people around me, I’ve been able to provide for my loved ones. My goal is to continue my boxing career with my core team, and someday, God willing, become a Boxing Hall of Famer.”

Internationally-Flavored Full Card Announced for Bute vs. Alvarez

A full card with an international flavor, from top to bottom, has been announced for this Friday (Feb. 24) night’s “BUTE VS ALVAREZ” major event at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (21-0, 10 KOs), defends his title against former world super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (32-3-1, 25 KOs) in the 12-round main event that also serves as the final WBC eliminator to determine the mandatory challenger for WBC and lineal light heavyweight champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (28-1-0, 23 KOs). Alvarez, who lives in Montreal, was a Colombian Olympian and Laval, Canada resident Bute is a native of Romania. Stevenson, Alvarez and Bute are all promoted by GYM.

“This is an excellent overall boxing event and the result will have a significant impact on the career of all participants,” said the President of GYM, Yvon Michel.

“The Martel-Braidwood WBU heavyweight title fight has all the ingredients to be a barnburner, while the NABO middleweight fight may prove that Lafreniere deserve to be named, ‘The people champ’ because of his relentless attack style. Bute and Alvarez in the main event are putting their future on the line with this the most significant light heavyweight fight so far in 2017. The real winners are going to be the boxing fans, who appreciate the evenly matched fights and fighters ready to leave it all in the ring!”

Promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) and Gestev, “BUTE VS ALVAREZ” is a presentation of Videotron and Mise-O-Jeu, at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

Integrated Sports Media will distribute “BUTE VS. ALVAREZ” live in the United States, starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, on cable, satellite and internet pay-per-view via iN Demand, Vubiquity, DIRECTV, DISH and the FITE app for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

In Canada, “BUTE VS. ALVAREZ” will be available to watch, in English or French, on Canal Indigo, Shaw TV and Bell TV; English-only on Rodgers PPV, as well as in many of the top Canadian sports bars.
Outside of North America, “BUTE VS ALVAREZ” is being distributed by leading boxing television rights distribution firm, Protocol Sports Marketing Ltd.

In the 12-round co-feature, Canadian heavyweights Eric “The Hammer” Martel-Bahoeli (14-5-2, 8 KOs) and Adam “The Bogeyman” Braidwood (6-1, 5 KOs) will battle for the vacant World Boxing Union (WBU) title. A former Commonwealth & Canadian title challenger, Martel-Bahieli will be fighting at home in Quebec City. Braidwood, fighting out of British Colombian, is a former football player for Washington State University and in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Popular Quebec super welterweight Sebastian Bouchard, a 2007 Canadian Championships silver medalist, takes on Mexican super welterweight champion Gustavo “Vitaminas” Garibay (13-7-2, 5 KOs) in an eight-round non-title fight.
International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight champion Francis Lafreniere (14-5-2, 8 KOs), also fighting out of Quebec, defends his 10-round bout against Mexican knockout artist Uriel “Big Bang” Gonzalez (15-1-1, 11 KOs). The vacant North American Boxing Organization (NABO) championship will also be the line for the Lefreniere vs. Willis confrontation.

In a pair of off-PPV fights, undefeated Montreal super middleweight Dario Bredidean (11-0, 3 KOs) faces Mexican invader Alejandro Torres (9-1-2, 4 KOs) in an eight-round match, while 2016 France Olympian Christian “Le Solide” M’Billi (1-0, 1 KO) is showcased in a four-round fight against Mexican super middleweight Jesus Olivares (5-3, 3 KOs).

Tickets for “BUTE VS. ALVAREZ” are on sale and available to purchase by going on line to www.Videotron.centrequebeccity.cpm/tickets and www.Ticketmaster.ca

Svensson Believes Time Is Right to Dethrone Pound for Pound Queen Braekhus

Klara Svensson (17-1, 5 KOs) believes the time is right for her to dethrone the reigning pound-for-pound number one Cecilia Brækhus (29-0, 8 KOs) when the Scandinavian stars meet for the Unified World Welterweight titles on Friday night at the Oslo Spektrum.

Svensson will enter the lion’s den to face Brækhus in front of her home fans in the Norwegian capital, where despite being the away fighter, ‘The Swedish Princess’ is confident she can upset the odds and secure a historic victory.
‘’This is something I’ve always wanted to do,’’ says Svensson. ‘’It’s not every day you get the chance to fight away from home on a massive show like this. So for me, it’s definitely not a negative to be fighting Cecilia on her home turf.

‘’I know she’s extremely popular in Norway, so I’m not expecting much of the attention to be on me, but I’m just here to do the business, and I’m going to take all of that energy and use it my advantage.

‘’I feel like a lot of people don’t really think that I have much of a chance, which is more motivating than anything for me, and I can’t wait to prove everyone wrong. I don’t think she’s faced anyone with my experience or background, so it’s going to be really different fight for her this time.

‘’There is definitely a sense of freedom for me. All the pressure is on Cecilia. The feeling of being the underdog is not something I have experienced for a long time and it’s a nice feeling actually.

‘‘In Oslo, we are going to see an upset. I’m going to upset the whole Norwegian population. I know everybody is really proud of Cecilia and her accomplishments, and so should they be, but she’s not going to stay undefeated on the 24th.

‘’I feel like there couldn’t possibly be a better timing for me. Three years ago I would have been too inexperienced, but now I’m ready. I’m not here just to here to challenge her, I’m here to hurt her and to take her titles.”

Svensson has been known to get fired up before fights. A bad-blooded build up to her Swedish showdown with Mikaela Laurén saw the Malmo boxer spank her opponent at the weigh-in.

Asked whether we can expect any altercations with Brækhus during next week’s media events, she said: ‘’I think that’s something you just take in the heat of the moment. You cannot plan these things, but we’ll see!’’

The Unified Female World Welterweight Championship contest between Cecilia Brækhus and Klara Svensson is available live and exclusive on Viaplay PPV. For more information please visit: http://www.viaplay.se/ppv

Junior Middleweight Prospect Daquan Arnett Partners with AC Sports Management

Daquan Arnett (15-1, 9 KO’s) has hired Adrian Clark, owner of AC Sports Management, LLC as his primary
representative. Arnett has been out of the ring for 15 month (and counting). He is counting on Clark to get the ball rolling and get his promising career on track.

“I know I am going to be world champion, its just a matter of when. Once an opportunity presents itself, I am going to take full advantage. Bringing on AC is a plus because of how young and ambitious he is. He works in the best interest of the fighters,” said Arnett

Clark, 30 of Dallas, Texas is known for his work with Jerry Belmontes, James de la Rosa, Will Tomlinson (Australia) and most recently, Willie Monroe Jr. He is also the author of the book, Protect Yourself at All Times: A Guide for Professional Boxers.

“Daquan is a world class fighter and a guy who understands the business of boxing. He will be in contention for something big by early next year. I am honored that he thought to hire me.”

Despite the lay-off, Daquan is still young (24 years old) and has stayed in the gym. He is now training in Dallas, TX with friend, Errol Spence Jr.

The fighting pride of Orlando (FL), Arnett was a decorated amateur and since turning pro in 2011, he has put together a solid resumè. In his last 8 fights, four of Arnett’s opponents were undefeated. The only loss of his career came in 2014 against Eddie Gomez.

Arnett is looking to make his return to the ring in April or May.

Erickson Lubin Media Workout Quotes

Undefeated rising star Erickson “Hammer” Lubin hosted media at his gym in his hometown of Orlando Thursday as he prepares to face once-beaten contender Jorge Cota Saturday, March 4 in a 12-round super welterweight world title eliminator on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

Broadcast coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is headlined by the welterweight world title unification showdown between unbeaten fighters Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50 (not including applicable fees) and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is what Lubin had to say Thursday:

ERICKSON LUBIN

“I haven’t stopped training since my last fight on December 10. We have been full throttle since.

“This is a big fight. It is a title eliminator. It is at Barclays Center. It is on CBS. You’ve got Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman in the main event. It is 12-rounds. This is definitely what I’ve dreamed of. This is the kind of opportunity that I’ve wanted. Getting to seize the moment. Going out there, dominating the fight and going on to become the mandatory challenger for the title.

“We always say that we aren’t training for the fight coming up, we’ve training for the title. I’ve prepared for this. To be the youngest world champion, we just saw Gervonta Davis do that and make history like that is a blessing. I can’t wait to go for that.

“The fans can expect straight fireworks. I am going to go out there and dominate the fight. A lot of fighters say they’re going to do something, but I am the type of guy that says it and lives up to it. March 4 fans definitely want to tune in.

[On the “Hammer” ring name] “There are hammers in my hands. They punish and do damage. A hammer with fireworks is dangerous isn’t it?

“It is my first time fighting in Brooklyn. I expect a lot of stars to be there. A lot of people having their eyes on me. I am expecting to become the mandatory for the belt and for everyone to know my name.

“2017 is a big year. To be in this position right now is a great start for the year and to become a mandatory challenger is bigger and becoming a world champion is the biggest. I want to be undisputed.”

Posted on 07/16/2016

PBC on Fox Results: Wilder Obliterates Arreola, Lubin and Diaz Win by Decision
By: William Holmes

Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) series returned to Birmingham, Alabama for another World Heavyweight Title fight featuring the lone American champion in that division, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder.
The Fox Network televised tonight’s fight card from the Legacy Arena and Lou Dibella was the lead promoter.

Photo Credit: Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions

The opening bout of the night was between two time Iraq War veteran Sammy Vasquez (21-0) and former Olympic Gold Medalist Felix Diaz (17-1) in the welterweight division.

Both boxers fought out of a southpaw stance, and it was Vasquez that was backing up Diaz in the first two rounds with a steady jab while remaining out of the range of Diaz. There was more action in the second round than the first, but it appeared Diaz was having difficulty solving the height and range of Vasquez.

Diaz had a solid third round by getting in tight and landing some wild punches and short uppercuts. The difference in power was also evident in the fourth and fifth rounds as Diaz has Vasquez backing up and at times caught him by the ropes or corner with quick combinations.

Vasquez’s punches looked like they were losing it’s snap in the sixth and seventh rounds as Diaz continued to lay traps and pop Vasquez when he came in forward. Vasquez had blood coming out of his nose in the seventh round, and his mouth was wide open in the eighth round and he was visibly tiring.

Diaz knocked Vasquez’s mouthpiece out of his mouth again in the eighth round with several hard combinations. Vasquez’s mouth was bleeding badly and he was taking some hard shots.

Vasquez mounted a small comeback in the ninth round and showed he was willing to take a punch in order to land a punch, but he didn’t appear to seriously hurt Diaz, though he did threaten at times.

The last round featured some hard exchanges by both boxers, but Vasquez’s mouthpiece was popped out again by Diaz and Vasquez lost a point by the referee. Vasquez suffered a bad cut near his right eye in the final round.

It was a good bout with several close rounds but it looked like to this author that Felix Diaz had done enough to win the bout, but the judges scored it 96-94 Diaz, 95-95, and 95-95 for a majority draw.

However, the Alabama Comission recalculated the scorecards and found out the scores should have been 96-93, 95-94, and 95-94 for Felix Diaz. The final round point deduction helped Diaz squeak out the victory.

The second fight of the night was between Erickson Lubin (15-0) and Ivan Montero (20-1) in the super welterweight division.

Lubin, a southpaw, looked in control early with accurate check right hooks and strong body shots. He was walking Montero down in the second round with combinations to the body and head, and several hard left hands.

Lubin was in complete control in the third round, but was warned by the referee twice for low blows in the fourth warned and was told he would be deducted a point if he landed another low blow. Montero was also warned for landing a low blow.

Lubin dominated Montero in the fifth and sixth rounds. He stunned Montero in the fifth round with a straight left hand and did it again in the sixth round with a left hook to the chin preceded by a combination to the body.

Montero clearly needed a knockout in the final two rounds in order to win the fight, but instead he got battered by the more talented Lubin.

Lubin won the decision with scores of 80-72 on all three scorecards.

The main event of the night was between Deontay Wilder (36-0) and Chris Arreola (36-4-1) for the WBC Heavyweight Title.

Even though this bout took place in Wilder’s hometown, the crowd appeared to be somewhat subdued during the ring walk and fighter introductions.

The opening round was a slow round. Arreola circled to his right in order to avoid the right hand of Wilder but threw little. Wilder threw a pawing jab and threw a couple of right hands, but was also pretty passive.
Arreola tried to press forward a little more in the second round but had to eat several jabs in the process and was cut on the bridge of his nose at the end of the round after Wilder made him pay with hard right hand counters.

Wilder landed several hard jabs in the third round that snapped the head of Arreola backwards. Arreola was able to land some body shots, but was stunned at the end of the round.

Arreola was badly wobbled from a two punch combination in the fourth round and went to the mat. He was able to get back up before the ten count, but was immediately attacked by Wilder and badly hurt and wobbly as the round came to an end.

Wilder started off the fifth round aggressively but Arreola still had some fight left in him and kept coming forward despite being badly hurt the previous round. Arreola tried to throw some shots at the head of Wilder,
but most of them were blocked. Wilder was able to land a vicious right uppercut in the fifth round when his back was near the ropes.

Wilder’s jab was extremely accurate in the sixth round. Arreola just was not able to get past that jab and within range to hurt Wilder.

Wilder continued to obliterate Arreola in the seventh round and was showboating while doing so. Arreola went back to the stool on wobbly legs at the end of the seventh and his face was badly bruised.

Arreola had little ot nothing left in the eighth round and had blood streaming from the bridge of his nose. Wilder just continued to land shots at will and the referee looked like he was close to stopping it.

Arreola survived the eighth round, but his corner wisely went to the referee and told him he was stopping the fight before the ninth round could begin. Arreola showed incredible heart, but Wilder was just too big and too powerful for him.

Deontay Wilder wins by TKO at the end of the eighth round.

Posted on 06/18/2016

PBC on NBC Results: Lubin remains undefeated; Warren becomes World Champ & Smith Jr. KO’s Fonfara in One

By: Matthew N. Becher

Live from the University of Illinois in Chicago, Premier Boxing Champions put on a father’s day card on primetime NBC, featuring title fights, former Olympians and young prospects. The broadcast began with a rematch of last years, very closely contested Bantamweight championship between Rau’Shee Warren and Juan Carlos Payano. A bonus fight between fast tracked, 20 year old prospect, Erickson Lubin and Mexican Journeyman Daniel Sandoval. And a Main Event with championship implications in the Light Heavyweight division between the Long Island construction worker, Joe Smith Jr. and the hard hitting Polish Prince, Andrzej Fonfara.

Juan Carlos Payano (17-0 8KO) v. Rau’shee Warren (13-1 4KO): Rematch WBA Bantamweight Championship

The first fight between these two was plagued with point deductions on both sides and ended in a split decision that many were unhappy with. Warren, a three time Olympian, took his first professional defeat and lost his chance at becoming a world champion.

This time Warren came out working fast, showing his superior boxing skill and hand speed. Payano was left to stalk his opponent and try and make the fight rough when inside.

Warren used a fast jab, to the head and body, countering in the first half of the fight.

The usually more aggressive Payano was forced to fight at Warren’s pace. Payano had trouble getting into any kind of rhythm, never really landing more than one punch at a time. Whenever Payano tried to step up his aggression, he was either smothered or met with a barrage of punches from Warren.

Payano was throwing much more punches in the later rounds, taking the action to Warren. The championship rounds becoming very valuable to the outcome, as Payano predicted they would be.

In the end, it was a close fight, but a fight that Rau’shee Warren ultimately controlled from wire to wire. He was not able to win any Olympic medals in his three trips, but tonight he was able to become a World Champion.

114-114, 115-113 (2x) Warren MD12

Erickson Lubin (14-0 10KO) v. Daniel Sandoval (38-3 35KO):Jr. Middleweight

Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin was supposed to be getting ready to represent the United States next month at the Olympics in Rio. Instead, on his 18th birthday he turned pro, and today he added another win to his undefeated professional record. Lubin started the fight using a strong straight right handed jab that stalled any type of game plan by Sandoval and finished with a flurry, showing that he possesses power in both his hands, appropriately named “Jack” and “Sledge”.

Lubin TKO3 2:36

Andrzej Fonfara (28-3 16KO) v. Joe Smith Jr. (21-1 17KO): Light Heavyweight

In a fight that was in Fonfara’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois, which had Fonfara as an enormous favorite came crashing down within one round. The first round was both men trading a lot of blows, but the hard hitting Smith was able to land a huge overhand right, with one minute left in the round, that knocked Fonfara down. Smith attacked, once Fonfara was able to get up and the fight was stopped. The unknown, union laborer from New York will now become the mandatory to fight Adonis Stevenson for the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship.

Smith Jr. TKO1 2:32

Posted on 06/17/2016

PBC on NBC Preview: Fonfara vs. Smith, Payano vs. Warren, Lubin vs. Sandoval
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois will be the host site for the next installment of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC.

Three fights are scheduled to be televised, with the main event featuring a bout between Andrzej Fonfara facing off against contender Joe Smith Jr. Rau’shee Warren is also scheduled to rematch Juan Carlos Payano for the WBA Bantamweight championship. Rising star Erickson Lubin is also scheduled to fight on the televised portion of the card when he takes on Daniel Sandoval in the junior middleweight division.

The following is a preview of all three televised fights.

Erickson Lubin (14-0) vs. Daniel Sandoval (38-3); Junior Middleweights

Erickson Lubin is only twenty years old and he already has fourteen bouts on his professional resume.

He had a successful amateur career and was considered by many to win a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics but he decided to turn pro instead. Daniel Sandoval is five years older than Lubin, bt will be about one inch taller and an inch and a half longer.

Lubin has been very active since turning pro. He fought five times in 2015 and once in 2016. Sandoval, by contrast, has not been very active and fought once in 2016, once in 2015, and two times in 2014. Additionally, Sandoval has fought mainly in Mexico but he has made an occasional trip to the United States for a fight.

Lubin has not faced anyone of note, but has defeated the likes of Alexis Comacho, Orlando Lora, and Ayi Bruce. Sandoval has one four of his past five fights by stoppage and has defeated the likes of Grady Brewer, Richard Guiterrez, and Gabriel Martinez.

Lubin is a young, hard hitting prospect. Sandoval has not been in the ring with quality opponents, but his thirty five stoppage victories should be of some concern to Lubin. Lubin has ten stoppage victories on his resume.

Lubin is considered by many to be one of the top young prospects in the sport of boxing. Sandoval has the power to score an upset victory, but Lubin has the talent to become a future world champion.

Juan Carlos Payano (17-0) vs. Rau’shee Warren (13-1); WBA Bantamweight Title

This is a rematch of their title bout in 2015 which featured Payano escaping with a split decision victory over Rau-Shee Warren. It was a highly entertaining bout, but many felt Warren should have been declared the winner. Warren also lost two points for fouls in their original bout.

Payano is thirty two years old and three years older than Warren. They have the same reach and Payano is slightly taller than Warren. They both are not known for their knockouts. Payano only has eight stoppage victories while Warren only has four.

Warren has been very active, as he fought four times in 2014 and two times in 2015. Payano has not been as active, but he does have a better resume of defeated opponents. Payano has defeated the likes of Anselmo Moreno, Jundy Maraon, and Jose Araiza. Warren has mainly faced average competition and has defeated the likes of Javier Gallo and Jose lUis Araiza.

Both boxers had successful amateur careers. Payano competed for the Dominican Republic in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Warren is a three time Olympian for the United States and won the 2007 World Amateur Championships as a flyweight.

Many felt Warren defeated Payano the first time they fought but he gave away the fight with his needless fouls. He should be able to avoid the mistakes he made last time and win convincingly in the rematch.

Andrzej Fonfara (28-3) vs. Joe Smith Jr. (21-1); Light Heavyweights

Joe Smith Jr. has a good record, but he has not faced anyone of note.

Fonfara is twenty eight years old and two years older than Smith. He will also have a two and a half inch height advantage.

Neither boxer had any notable success on the international circuit as an amateur, but Fonfara did have success on the national circuit in Poland as an amateur.

Fonfara has been active as he fought twice in 2014 and in 2015. Smith, however, has fought four times in 2014, three times in 2015, and once in 2016.

They both have average stoppage power. Fonfara has stopped sixteen of his opponents while Smith has stopped seventeen.

Fonfara clearly has the edge in quality of defeated opponents. He has defeated the likes of Nathan Cleverly, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Gabriel Campillo, Tommy Karpency, and Glen Johnson. His losses were to Adonis Stevenson in a close bout, Derrick Findley, and Eberto Medina. Smith has defeated the likes of Will Rosinsky and Cory Cummings. His lone loss was to Eddie Caminero in 2010 by TKO.

Fonfara will be fighting in front of a friendly crowd in Chicago and is angling for a rematch with Adonis Stevenson. He should easily defeat Joe Smith and face Stevenson next.

Posted on 06/14/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook :Wilder, Arreola, Canelo, Golden Boy, Lubin, Crolla, Linares, Sosa, and more…
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of June 7th to June 14th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Deontay Wilder to Face Chris Arreola on July 16th

Undefeated heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (36-0, 35 KOs) will defend his title in his home state when he battles two-time world title challenger Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (36-4-1, 31 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, July 16 from Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama with televised coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Wilder returns to the ring after he was set to travel to Russia and defend his title against Alexander Povetkin on May 21 before the challenger failed a drug test that caused a cancellation of the fight. Now, Wilder will showcase his exceptional skills in primetime on network television as he takes on Arreola. It will be Wilder’s fourth defense and third in his home state of Alabama.

“I’m always excited about coming home and being in front of my people where I’m the most comfortable,” said Wilder. “I’ve been traveling a lot, going over to Sheffield, England to train before I was supposed to fight Alexander Povetkin in Moscow. But because of his decision to use a banned substance, the fight didn’t happen. I’m disappointed about that, but it’s not going to stop me from being an active heavyweight world champion. It has also given me the opportunity to again defend my title before my hometown fans. It’s always good to come home.

“This is the longest stretch that I’ve been out of the ring and I’m anxious to get back in and continue my quest to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,” continued Wilder. “This is another fight in that process. I respect Chris Arreola for getting into the ring with me, but we all know who the real champion is and I’m going to prove it. I’ve been training long and hard for a fight and now I’m going to take it out on Arreola on July 16.”

“I’m thankful to Deontay for this opportunity, he has proven a great deal by winning the heavyweight title and by defending it three times,” said Arreola. “I’m very excited to step into the ring with him, put on a great show, be victorious and make history by becoming the first Mexican heavyweight world champion.”

Golden Boy Promotions Issues Statement on Canelo Lawsuit

“We are extremely pleased that not only did the jury find that no contract ever existed between Canelo and All-Star Boxing, but issued a judgment against All-Star Boxing and ordered them to pay Golden Boy’s substantial legal fees.

Over the last five-plus years, many questioned why we wouldn’t just settle the case before trial. The answer is simple: We would not be extorted. It was clear from the beginning that neither Canelo Alvarez nor Golden Boy Promotions had acted inappropriately in any way. We are grateful that the jury was able to see that.

However, it is absurd to think that All-Star Boxing provided anywhere near that amount of value that the jury awarded under a separate claim. We will appeal this part of the decision, and are confident we will win, just as we did on the contract dispute.”

Outside of appealing the financial damages, we now look forward to putting this episode behind us and working with Canelo Alvarez to continue his meteoric rise though the boxing ranks.”

Anthony Crolla to Face Jorge Linares on September 24th

Current WBA Lightweight World Champion Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla (31-4-3, 13 KOs) will face WBC Lightweight World Champion Jorge “El Niño de Oro” Linares (40-3, 27 KOs) in a huge unification blockbuster for the WBA, WBC and The Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championships at the Manchester Arena on September 24, 2016, live on Sky Sports.

Crolla will make the second defence of his crown in his hometown fortress following his brilliant knockout victory over Venezuelan danger man Ismael Barroso in May, having ripped the title from Darleys Perez with another body shot knockout in November.

“I’m so excited to have the chance to unify the Lightweight division,” said Crolla. “Jorge is a fantastic fighter and it’s another mountain to climb, but these are the tests that I thrive on and I’ve beaten two great fighters in Perez and Barroso and I’m confident that I can beat Jorge too.

“I’m having to pinch myself after everything that’s happened. I’m fighting the number one fighter in the division for the WBC, WBA and THE RING title; it doesn’t get any better than this. I’m very proud and privileged to be able to bring this fight to Manchester.

“I’ve been a fan of Jorge Linares for years now and he’s technically brilliant at times but like any other fighter, he has vulnerabilities. It’s up to me to expose those vulnerabilities and I truly believe that I can and I will. Linares is a great champion but these are the fights you want to be in boxing for.

“He looked well against (Ivan) Cano last time out but he hasn’t been very active, whereas I’m coming off a career-best performance over (Ismael) Barroso. I really believe I’m coming into this fight in the form of my career and as I’ve shown in the fights against (Darleys) Perez and Barroso, I’m capable of improving my game when I have to.

“The last two nights in the Arena have been unbelievable and I think that we’ll take it to another level against Jorge. He’s boxed all over the world and taken on some of the best – but fighting me in front of a packed Manchester crowd is not something you can prepare for.”

“This is my first unification fight and a great personal challenge for me and my career,” said Linares. “Last year was an unbelievable year; I had the opportunity to fight in England against Kevin Mitchell in front of a crowd of passionate fight fans in one of the greatest fights of my career. This unification fight for the WBA, WBC and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championships is another personal accomplishment for me and a great opportunity for me to fight in England once more, to be in front of a strong fight fan base.

“Crolla is a very strong contender and I know with both our passions for the sport will deliver an exciting fight for all the fans in Manchester. I know that Crolla is coming off a victory against my fellow Venezuelan countryman, so I am coming in with a lot of determination, pride and hunger for a victory.

Jason Sosa Media Workout Open to the Public

Super Featherweight Jason Sosa (18-1-4) is set to fight for the WBA Super Featherweight Title against Javier Fortuna (29-0-1) of the Dominican Republic on June 24th at the Capital Gym in Beijing China.

He’ll be holding a public workout at Victory Boxing and Fitness at 600 Kresson Road in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on Wednesday, June 15th at 1:00 P.M. This event will be open to the public for photos and meet and greet.

Erickson Lubin to Make Primetime Debut on NBC

PBC star Erickson Lubin is set to make his primetime debut on NBC on June 18th. He offered the following quotes about himself in advance of his fight.

On his family’s involvement in his career:

“My family didn’t really want me boxing at a young age. They wanted me to be into other sports. But I loved it so eventually they had no choice. They’re very supportive now and my dad tries to make it to every fight.

“My family is filled with athletes. I have four sisters and two brothers. One of my sisters is a professional dancer and my older brother played football at a high level. Another older brother boxed and got me into the sport when I was about six.”

On his interests outside of the ring:

“I think I would have kept pursuing my basketball career if I hadn’t gotten into boxing. I played small forward in high school. My game was kind of like James Harden. I liked to score and I was tough to stop.
“I’ve always been really into music. My brother is a music producer so sometimes I’ll get on the mic and spit something. It’s just for fun but I like doing it.”

What motivates you and what kind of mentality do you have in the ring?

“I usually don’t get too motivated by specific opponents. I just want to take them out. On fight night, I’m going to be there ready to go.

“I try to emulate the mentality of Kobe Bryant. He’s a killer. He has the strongest mentality in sports. I just want to take my opponent out.

“Other fighters definitely motivate me. I idolized Muhammad Ali and he’s always meant a lot to me. I looked up to fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson and Meldrick Taylor. There are a lot of guys out there now motivating me. Daniel Jacobs is a fighter that I look up to and Errol Spence is a guy that can really fight. Seeing guys perform on a high level makes me want to get to that level as well.”

Quick Facts

Favorite Music: “Rap and Hip-hop. I listen to a lot of Drake.”
Favorite Movie: “Scarface.”
Favorite Television Show: “PBC, because it’s on all the networks.”
Favorite Healthy Food: “Grilled Chicken and fish. I love tilapia. I go to Whole Foods during camp to maintain my diet.”
Favorite Junk Food: “I like every kind of seafood. Lobster, shrimp, scallops, oysters and clams, I love it all. It’s nice to live in Florida.”
Celebrity Crush: “Angelina Jolie. She’s beautiful and a great character. I loved the Tomb Raider movies.”

Phil Lo Greco Loses to Joseph Elegele

Joseph Elegele (16-2 11 KOs) showed his strength and power Sunday night in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce TV as he went toe-to-toe with Phil Lo Greco (27-3, 15 KOs) for 10 hard-fought rounds from The Lakeland Center in Lakeland, FL. Both combatants left it all in the ring, exchanging punches throughout the bout with close rounds that left the audience wanting more.

Elegele of nearby Winter Haven, FL started the bout coming forward, slightly stunning Toronto’s Lo Greco with several flurries of punches that set the tone for a hard fought back and forth battle. The action picked up in round two as Lo Greco came in on the attack early in the round, pinning Elegele against the ropes and continuing to pepper him with punches to the body and the head.

Despite being taken aback by the attack, Elegele came roaring back in the final seconds of round two and out of the corner to kick off round three. Lo Greco remained in the pocket, not afraid to continue to throw wide left hooks as the fighters traded punches back and forth.

As the fight continued, Lo Greco backed Elegele up against the ropes, smothering him with punches despite Elegele’s four-inch height advantage. But round six was completely controlled by Elegele as he threw a combination of bruising punches that very well could have sent Lo Greco to the canvas. However Lo Greco remained in the pocket. In the 10th and final round, Lo Greco came out strong, outworking Elegele, but with less than 20 seconds to go in the bout, Elegele stunned Lo Greco with a barrage of punches up against the ropes. Judges scored the bout 97-95 and 96-94 twice, all for Elegele, the winner by unanimous decision.

Cano to Face Gibson
Golden Boy Promotions is set to bring an Event of The Year to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on July 15, airing live on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar. In the main event, former WBA Interim Super Light Weight World Champion and Mexican warrior Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano (29-5-1, 21 KOs) of Tlanepantla, Mexico returns to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino to face top welterweight contender KeAndre “The Truth” Gibson (15-0-1, 7 KOs) of St. Louis, Mo. in a 10-round welterweight battle sure to bring fireworks to
the Coachella Valley.

Part of the live telecast, former world title challenger Jayson “La Maravilla” Velez (23-2-1, 16 KOs) of Juncos, Puerto Rico will face Nicaraguan warrior and former WBC Silver Featherweight Champion Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado (23-7, 16 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight Fight of the Year candidate.

The exciting fight card will be in contention as one of the best events of the year as the night promises non-stop action from four top fighters willing to leave it all on the mat on July 15.
Part of the non-televised undercard and streaming on RingTVLive.com, Cesar Diaz of Palmdale, Calif. will make his professional debut in a scheduled four-round super bantamweight fight. Undefeated prospect Rigoberto Hermosillo (5-0-1, 3 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. will participate in a six-round featherweight fight and Jhon Leon of Los Angeles will also make his professional debut in a four-round welterweight fight. All opponents will be announced shortly.

“Watching a great fight live at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino is one of the best ways to celebrate summer,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “This card on July 15 will pit veteran fighter Cano against rising welterweight contender Gibson in a main event fight that is sure to please and thrill fans. Additionally, Velez vs. Alvarado will be a can’t-miss event as these two guys give it their all everytime they enter the ring.”

USA Junior Olympic Team Goes to Puerto Rico

A group of the best young boxers in the United States will head to Puerto Rico on Thursday to compete with some of the best amateur’s in the world.

The competition will take place on June 17th and 18th.

13 year-old
Jalil Hackett (108 lbs-Silver Gloves & Jr. Olympic National Champ)

14 year-old’s
Vito Mielnicki (101 lbs-4-time Jr. Golden Glove & Silver National Champion)
Gabriel Gerena (125 lbs–Jr. Golden Gloves National Champion)

16 year-old’s
Luis Morales (114 lbs–Jr. Golden Gloves National Champion)
Rajon Chance (119 lbs–Jr. Golden Gloves National Champion)
Oscar Lopez (125 lbs),
Otha Jones III (132 lbs–4-time Jr. Golden Gloves champion, Jr. Olympic National Champion & 2 time Silver Gloves national Champion,
Gabriel Flores (138 lbs–3-time Jr. Golden Gloves National champion, 3-time Silver Gloves National Champion & Jr. Olympic National Champion),
Harley Mederos (132 lbs–3-time Jr. Golden Gloves National Champion, 4-time Silver Gloves National Champion & Jr. Olympic National Champion),
Kahshad Elliot (154 lbs–2-time Jr. Golden Gloves National Champion, Silver Gloves National Champion, 2-time Jr. Olympic National champion)
Dagoberto Medros will head down to Puerto Rico and train and stay at the Puerto Rican Olympic training Center.

The team will be joined by coaches Willie Moses, Robinson Velez, Gabriel Flores, Edgar Gerena, Bernard Hackett Jr. & Dagaberto Mederos.

After competing and training in Puerto Rico, the team will head to Dallas, Texas for the United States Junior Olympics