All posts by FNU47

boxing

“The Bosnian Prince” Armin Mrkanovic gets robbed in West Virginia

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Queens, NY (July 5, 2017) – On June 24th, cruiserweight Armin Mrkanovic went into his UBF All-Americas title bout with Josh Himes, thinking that even though he was fighting in his opponent’s home territory of Moundsville, West Virginia, that he would receive a fair shake.

That was not the case as most ringside observers believed that Mrkanovic should have come out with the verdict, but instead it was Himes who came out with the unanimous decision by scores of 77-75, 79-73 and an inexplicable 80-72 tally.
“Before the fight, I knew I could and would beat him easily.  Before the fight, i was told that my wife got stuck on the road on her drive to West Virginia, and I can admit that I lost the first two rounds,” said Mrkanovic.  “I then clearly won five of the next rounds, so for those two judges to give zero and one round shows that something was not right with the fight.”
Mrkanovic claims that even Himes’ team agreed that wrong man had his hand raised.
“After the fight was over, his trainer apologized to me, and admitted the fight was at worst a draw, but said that I should have won the fight.  The two other cornermen echoed the same sentiments.”
Mrkanovic wanted to view the fight for himself, but has received pushback from the local promotion.
“I asked for a copy of the fight, and the promoter has refused to show me.  He did not want to share for fear that I would be able to look at what happened.  It would have done two things, I would have even a more clear argument plus if there is a rematch, I could further expose Himes’ flaws and be even better the next time around.  It is funny, I was told that there a handful of people filming it to Facebook Live, but mysteriously those videos are gone.  The President of the UBF requested the video, and he can’t even view it.The local paper only mentioned the result of the fight, but made other fight’s more prominent in their story. I was lucky that I was able to download one of those copies to my phone.  I am able to view it, but because the original copy is erased, it is not shareable.”
“My team is working on out options on what we can do about this miscarriage of justice.”
boxing

FACE OFF SAMUEL VARGAS vs. ALI FUNEKA NABA Welterweight Championship

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Samuel Vargas vs. Ali Funeka
Headlines “Face Off” in NABA title fight
Aug. 19 in Brampton, Canada

TORONTO, Ontario, Canada (July 5, 2017) – North American Boxing Association welterweight champion Samuel Vargas has been on boxing’s biggest stage and he’s determined to prove that he still belongs there.
The 28-year-old Vargas (27-3-1, 14 KOs) steps up in one of the most significant fights of his career, August 19, as he defends his NABA title against three-time world title challenger Ali “Rush Hour” Funeka (39-6-3, 31 KOs) in the main event of Lee Baxter Promotions’ (LBP) second event at the Brampton Powerade Centre, “Face Off”, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
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Vargas-Funeka is inarguable one of the highest-level bouts to be staged in Toronto in several years.
“Sam is still at a stage in his career where he’s improving and to challenge a guy who’s been a world title contender for the better part of a decade shows that he’s still hungry and still wants to test himself,” promoter Lee Baxter said.
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The tough-as-nails Vargas, who fights out of Toronto, is riding the momentum of a dominant win by 10-round unanimous decision over Armando Robles (31-5-2, 18 KOs), at LBP’s first Powerade Centre event this past March, as well as a homecoming victory for Colombia-native’s fifth-round knockout this past May over former world title challenger Marco Antonio Avendano (30-10-1, 22 KOs).
An impressive victory over his battled-tested South African opponent will certainly re-position Vargas in the world boxing scene, where he was a little more than year ago, when he fought two of the premier welterweights in the world, former WBA Super World Super Lightweight titlist Danny Garcia (32-0, 19 KOs), and current International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Champion Errol Spence Jr. (15-0, 12 KOs), in losing yet invaluable fight experiences for Vargas against world-class opponents.
“We always have our eye on big fights for Sam. A win over Funeka would really resonate in the boxing world,” Baxter added.
Funeka has some unfinished business in the “Great White North” having lost in 2009 in one of the most controversial decisions in recent memory to Joan Guzman (29-0) in Quebec City. Although many viewers had Vargas defeating Guzman, including HBO’s unofficial scorer Harold Lederman, who scored the bout 117-111 for Funeka and called for an investigation into the judging that soon followed, resulted in a questionable 12-round majority draw for the vacant IBF World Lightweight Championship.
“Canadian fans have always had a soft spot for Funeka,” Baxter noted. “The crowd at the Pepsi Coliseum was on his side and they fell in love with him that night. He deserves this fight as much as Sam does.”
Nonetheless, Funeka has remained a fighting contender ever since, going on the road and battling some of the sport’s top stars. Last year, he upset previously undefeated Russian prospect Viskhan “Little Tyson” Murzabekov (12-0) by 12-round decision in his opponent’s homeland. More recently, the dangerous South African veteran fought a bloody battle with Jeff Horn (15-0-1), who last Saturday upset future Hall-of-Famer Manny Pacquiao to become the new World Boxing Organization (WBO) 147-pound division world champion. Funeka even dropped the tough Australian before being stopped in the sixth round of their fight last December in New Zealand.
Funeka represents a measuring stick for Vargas to gauge comparisons of him against some of the top welterweights in the world.
Will Vargas have an easier time with Funeka than Horn? The answer will be known Aug. 19.
Tickets, starting at $40.00, are on sale and available to purchase through Ticketmaster at this link.
INFORMATION:
Twitter & Instagram: @LeeBaxterMgt

Facebook: /LeeBaxterTattoo
boxing

Taras Shelestyuk & Ruben Villa Successfully Defend Unbeaten Records on Saturday Night

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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. /ORANGE, Calif. (July 3, 2017) – In the “Locked n’ Loaded” main event, welterweight Taras “Real Deal” Shelestyuk (16-0, 10 KOs) made quick work of Jesus Alvarez Rodriguez (15-3, 11 KOs) by knocking him out in the third round Saturday night from Omega Products International in Sacramento, Calif. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shelestyuk and Villa are co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.
For more information, please visit Banner-Promotions.com. 
For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing.
Photo by Carlos Baeza / Thompson Boxing
mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

WOMEN’S FIGHT AT RUMBLE IN BANGOR WILL PROVIDE THE FIREWORKS

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Bangor, Maine (July 3, 2017) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Cross Insurance Center on Saturday night, August 5, 2017 with the fight promotion’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 30: Rumble in Bangor.”  Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a female amateur bantamweight bout to the fight card.  Angela Young (2-2) will meet Jessica “The Black Widow” Borga (5-3) at a fight weight of 135-pounds.

If there is anyone who knows about putting on exciting fights, it is Angela Young.  The wife of Young’s MMA founder Chris Young, a mother, and a full-time nurse, she has brought the heat in all four of her previous contests for NEF, earning several “Fight of the Night” honors.  Young had the crowd on the edge of its seat for her thrilling encounter with Christine Brothwell earlier this year – a fight she won via unanimous decision.  She has never backed down, even when on the losing end of a slugfest like the one she had with Kylie O’Hearn on Cape Cod last year, and it has made her one of the most popular fighters with the NEF audience.  Based on their styles, Young predicts yet another strike-fest full of fireworks when she meets Borga on August 5th.

“I’m beyond excited for the match up with Borga for NEF in Bangor,” said Young. “I respect her as a fighter and even more so for traveling to Maine once again take a fight. Neither one of us are afraid to stand and bang, making this a fight people aren’t going to want to miss.”

Jessica Borga of Florida will make the trip north to compete in Maine for the third time in less than a year.  She made her NEF debut last September and quickly became a favorite of Pine Tree State fight fans.  Last November, Borga put on a dominant performance in Lewiston, winning a unanimous decision over black belt Brianne Genschel.  She has captured multiple regional titles in the southeast portion of the country.  Borga looks forward to returning to fight in front of her Maine fans once again.

“I can’t wait to be back at NEF for 2017,” exclaimed Borga when reached for comment.  “I’ve been waiting to come back and show what I’ve learned. I appreciate Angela Young stepping up to put on a show for everyone.  I’ll be ready and can’t wait to show my improvements.”

“NEF 30: Rumble in Bangor” will be held at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine on Saturday, August 5, 2017. Tickets are on sale now at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com.

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

About New England Fights

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights, wrestling

NEF TO ONCE AGAIN SPONSOR YOUNG ATHLETE AT USM WRESTLING CLINIC

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Gorham, Maine (June 30, 2017) – New England Fights (NEF) announced earlier today that the fight promotion would once again sponsor an athlete at this year’s Brawlin’ Lobsta Wrestling Clinic & Tournament.  The camp is set to take place at the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine (USM) fromJuly 18 to July 22.  As it has done in years past, NEF will select one winner for which the fight promotion will cover tuition to the program.

“This is one of the most important things we do in the community every year,” said NEF matchmaker and co-owner Matt Peterson of Rumford, Maine.  “So many of our promotion’s competitors came from a wrestling background.  Wrestling instills in young athletes a lifelong sense of discipline and hard work, and that is exactly what we want the winner of this contest to take away from the camp this summer.”

Camp instructors Mike Morin and Jon Deupree are both veterans of the MMA cage.  Morin is the head wrestling coach at USM and a two-time All-American during his days competing for the Huskies.  Deupree is an assistant coach with USM and was a two-time NCAA national qualifier.

“Myself and my staff would like to thank NEF for once again sponsoring a local wrestler to attend the Brawlin’ Lobsta Wrestling Camp,” exclaimed Morin. “This is not only directly helping raise the level of wrestling in the state of Maine, it has also helped us at USM jump levels. We look forward to working with all of the wrestlers this year at the camp and in the future.”

Interested contestants are asked to submit a photograph of themselves wrestling to either the NEF Facebook page or via email to newenglandfights@gmail.com along with a brief statement of 100 words or less detailing why they believe the clinic will help them achieve their goals.

New England Fights’ next mixed-martial arts event, “NEF 30: Rumble in Bangor,” will be held at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine on Saturday, August 5, 2017. Tickets are on sale now at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com.

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale

FNU Combat Sports Show: UFC and Bellator Recaps, PFL Preview, Boxing Schedule

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Tom, Tony and Rich recap last week’s major events, including the controversial UFC Fight Night 112 finish and the near double KO at Bellator 180 from Madison Square Garden. We also discuss Conor McGregor calling out Khabib Nurmagomedov for his next opponent in the UFC Octagon. We of course also break down Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn.

 

 

boxing

Chris Eubank Jr. vs. “King” Arthur Abraham IBO Super Middleweight World Championship To air July 15 live on PPV in United States

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TENAFLY, N.J.(June 29, 2017) – One of boxing’s most polarizing and exciting young fighters faces a dangerous three-time, two-division world champion, as Chris Eubank Jr. defends his International Boxing Organization (IBO) Super Middleweight Championship against “King” Arthur Abraham on Saturday, July 15, available to watch on Pay Per View in the United States, starting at 2:30 pm ET / 11:30 am PT, live from SES Arena, Wembley in London, England.
“Eubank Jr. vs. Abraham”, promoted by Poxon Sports in association with Team Sauerland, is presented in the United States by Integrated Sports Media and Protocol Sports Marketing, Ltd.
Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Eubank Jr. vs. Abraham” live in the United States on cable and satellite PPV via iN Demand, Vubiquity, and DISH for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. In Canada, the event will be available on television to fight fans that subscribe to premium pay television network Super Channel.
Outside of North America, “Eubank Jr. vs. Abraham” is being distributed to broadcasters worldwide by leading boxing television rights distribution firm, Protocol Sports Marketing Ltd.
Only 27 years old, the British-born Eubank Jr. (24-1, 19 KOs) enters the contest with less experience than Abraham but with power, a mean streak, and meaningful boxing pedigree. Eubank Jr. has won 16 of his last 17 fights by stoppage.
His father, Chris Eubank Sr. (45-5-2, 23 KOs), is a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight and middleweight world champion. Eubank Sr. co-trains and manages his son, in addition to being an idiosyncratic presence in and around his son’s fights, and the British fight scene.
A former Interim World Boxing Association (WBA) Middleweight World Champion, Eubank Jr. captured the IBO title this past February, stopping Renold Quinlan (11-1, 7 KOs) in the 10thround. His July 15th fight versus Abraham will mark the confident young champion’s first IBO title defense.
“Abraham is a strong, come forward fighter,” Eubank Jr. said, “but he’s one-dimensional. He’s very good in that one dimension, but a one-dimensional fighter cannot beat me. I see a lot of holes in his game and I’m going to exploit those holes ruthlessly.”
The IBO No. 1 rated Abraham (46-5, 30 KOs) fights out of Berlin, Germany. “King” Arthur is a two-time WBO super middleweight world champion, as well as a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight world champion. The powerful Armenian has a sensational 18-4 (9 KOs) record in world championships, 7-4 (4 KOs) against former or current world champions. Noted victims during his 17-year professional career reads like a Who’s Who of Boxing in the 160- and 168-pound divisions, including world champions Raul Marquez, Hector Javier Velazco, Jermain Taylor, Robert Stieglitz thrice, and Giovanni De Carolis. Abraham has also defeated world-class opponents such as Martin Murray, Paul Smith twice, Lajuan Simon, Edison Miranda twice, Khoren Gevor, Sebastian Demers, Kofi Jantuah, Kingsley Ikeke, Robin Krasniqi and Howard Eastman.
Four of Abraham’s five career losses have been to world champions Carl Froch, Andre Ward, Stieglitz and Gilberto Ramirez. Stieglitz is the only opponent to stop Abraham, who has won 10 of his last 11 fights, the most recent a 12-round unanimous decision win over Krasniqi (46-4, 17 KOs) this past April in Germany.
“I will make sure that I’m in top shape and ready to secure a great victory,” Abraham remarked. “I know Chris Eubank, Jr. is a good fighter, like his dad. I’m expecting a tough fight, but I am confident I will beat him.”
Also airing live is the 12-round International Boxing Federation (IBF) Featherweight World Championship match as popular Welshman “Lightning” Lee Selby (24-1, 9 KOs) makes his third defense of the title he captured May 30, 2015, when he won an eighth-round technical decision over previously unbeaten Evgeny Gradovich (19-0-1, 9 KOs).
Selby will be challenged by former WBA Featherweight World Champion Jonathan Victor “Yoni” Barros (41-4-1, 22 KOs), of Argentina, who is the IBF No. 1 contender.
Additional PPV fights will soon be announced.
 
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @IntegratedPPV, @SuperChannel
boxing, Ringstar Sports

Ringstar Sports Rising Stars Return to Action Sunday, July 30 as 2016 Lithuanian Olympian Eimantas Stanionis Battles Eridanni Leon & Unbeaten Prospect Money Powell IV Takes on Carlos Lozano from Rabobank Theater in Bakersfield, California

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Plus! The Pro Debut of Jose Balderas & Nigerian Amateur Standouts Efe Ajagba & Wesley Apochi in Undercard Attractions
 
Tickets on Sale Tomorrow!
 
BAKERSFIELD, CALIF. (June 29, 2017) – An exciting afternoon of undercard action onSunday, July 30 will be highlighted by a pair of Ringstar Sports rising prospects as 2016 Lithuanian Olympian Eimantas Stanionis (1-0, 1 KO) meets Eridanni Leon (5-2, 1 KO) in a six-round welterweight clash while unbeaten Money Powell IV (2-0, 2 KOs) battles Carlo Lozano (7-6, 4 KOs) in four-rounds of welterweight action from Rabobank Theater in Bakersfield, California.
The July 30 event is headlined by the return of former world champion Victor Ortiz battling Mexico’s Saul Corral in welterweight action. PBC on FS1 and FOX Deportes coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and will feature super welterweight contender Justin DeLoach taking on former title challenger Fernando Guerrero plus 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas in his second pro fight.
Additional undercard action will feature a trio of young fighters making their pro debuts. Jose Balderas, brother of U.S. Olympian Karlos, will make his pro debut in a four-round bantamweight bout, 2016 Nigerian Olympian Efe Ajagba will compete in six rounds of heavyweight action against Tyrell Herndon (6-1, 2 KOs) and Wesley Apochi will step into the ring in a six-round cruiserweight attraction.
“Sunday, July 30 will be a great opportunity for fans in Southern California to get a glimpse of the future of the sport,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO and Chairman of Ringstar Sports. “In addition to Karlos Balderas competing on the FS1 and FOX Deportes portion of the card, fans will get another look at the power of Eimantas Stanionis and the skills of Money Powell IV on their way to future stardom. Fans are going to want to show up early and catch all of the fights on July 30.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Ringstar Sports, are priced at $80, $45 and $30 and are on sale Friday, June 30 for purchase online at AXS.com.
An accomplished amateur representing Kaunas, Lithuania, Stanionis is looking to become the next Eastern European fighter to make a splash in the U.S. The 22-year-old had a 141-19 record as an amateur and earned four senior national championships before winning gold at the European Olympic Qualifier to earn his trip to the 2016 Games. A gold medalist at welterweight at the 2015 European Amateur Boxing Championships, Stanionis was impressive in his pro debut, scoring a first round TKO of Rasheed Lawal in April.
Born in Germany, where his former boxer father was stationed in the military, Powell IVdedicated himself to boxing for good when his family moved back to the U.S. in 2011. The 19-year-old has quickly made a name for himself since then, winning the 2016 Youth Welterweight National Championship to earn the top ranking in the 152-pound division by USA Boxing. Fighting out of Fort Mitchell, on the state line of Alabama and Georgia, Powell made his pro debut with a first round knockout in April and followed it up with another first round stoppage in June.
Balderas made his name by winning numerous tournaments in the Southern California amateur boxing circuit while racking up an impressive 80 victories in 88 fights. In addition, the bantamweight won a National Golden Gloves title in 2013, a Junior Golden Gloves championship, two Adidas National tournaments, a National PAL title and two Junior Olympic tournaments. Jose also advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Olympic trials. Although he is a year older, Jose waited until his brother’s Olympic journey had finished to turn pro so that the two could enter the professional ranks in the same year.
The 23-year-old Ajagba is set to turn pro after beating the odds and making the 2016 Rio Olympics to represent his native Nigeria. Although he lost in the quarterfinals, Ajagba made a splash by delivering a highlight reel knockout in his opening bout against Trinidad and Tobago. The fighter known as “King Kong” also won an African games gold medal during his impressive amateur career.
Orogun, Nigeria’s Apochi was once the captain of his country’s national boxing team, a testament to how far he came since a surprising second place finish in the 2011 Africa Games. The 29-year-old represented Nigeria at the 2013 World Championships before earning a Commonwealth Games bronze medal in 2014.
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Fans can live stream the fights on FOX Sports GO, available in English or Spanish through the FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSportsGO.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku. In addition, all programs are also available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @Ringstar, @FS1, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/RingstarSports andwww.facebook.com/foxdeportes. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions.PBC on FS1 & FOX Deportes is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
wrestling

Queens Wrestling attracts 19 students from 9 states to launch new program.

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The Queens University of Charlotte Wrestling Program was started in April with the hiring of U.S. Olympian Ken Chertow. Chertow is a 3x All-American at Penn State and coached at Ohio State and Penn State while also developing and coaching his Gold Medal Training Camp System.

Today Chertow announced his initial recruiting class of nineteen student-athletes from 9 different states – NC, PA, VA, MD, SC, GA, FL, NY and CA.

The Queens Wrestling Team will get together for the first time Sunday, July 2 when they host the Gold Medal Training Camp at Queens July 2-6 as the team will be on campus serving as counselors.

The initial Queens Wrestling recruiting class of 2017 is led by high school All-American Noah Curreri from New York. Noah is a Flo Nationals All American, NY State Finalist and 2x NY State Placewinner with a career record of 133-26.

The Queens recruiting class includes six home state North Carolina wrestlers including two 2X North Carolina State Champions Anthony Toineeta from Cherokee High School and Marcelino Aponte from Jack Britt High School. Another 2x State Champion is Maryland’s Nathan Gainey who is a 3X state finalist and a 2X State Champion from Odenton, MD. Gainey finished his high school career with a record of 139-16.

Below is a breakdown of the entire Queens Roster in weight class order.  

125
Noah Gilbert is a 3x State Placewinner from East Burke HS in Hildebran, NC. Gilbert finished his season with a 49-1 record and finished his career 192-24 making him the record holder for all time wins in Burke County. Gilbert graduated with a 3.5 GPA and is the male athlete of the year at East Burke HS.

Melvin Rubio is a 2x North Carolina State Placewinner at Enka High School.

Alessandro Araujo is a 2x Georgia State Qualifier and transfer student from Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Noah Stoltzfus is a Pennsylvania regional qualifier from Middletown High School.

Nathan Gainey is a 2x Maryland State Champion.

133
Milton Jackson is a North Carolina State Qualifier from Mallard Creek HS with 138 career wins. He was awarded the Senior Male Outstanding Athlete Award winner and won the Excellence Award from Hendricks Lexus Dealership.

Devin Hayes is a California State Qualifier.

141
Daniel Goodwin is a 2x Virginia State Placewinner from Chesapeake, VA with a 4.0 GPA.

Stephon Haliburton is a Florida State Qualifier.

149
Drake Cable is a 2x North Carolina State Placewinner for Robbinsville High School.

Karson Ayres is a California State Qualifier from Fountain Valley, California. He is a 4x league champion and 2x CIF champion.

157
Mack Barnett is a transfer student from Suffolk County Community College in New York.

Steven Hamilton is a South Carolina State Placewinnner from Fort Mill High School.

165
Anthony Toineeta is a 2x North Carolina State Champion from Cherokee High School.

174
Noah Curreri is a Flo Nationals All-American and 2x State Placewinner from New York.

184
Jake Balmas is a North Carolina State Placewinner from Stanfield, NC. Balmas also excels in the Olympic Styles and is a 2x Freestyle state finalist and 3x Greco-Roman state finalist.

197
Benjie Hund is from Marvin Ridge High School near Charlotte.

 286
Jacob Marin is 2017 Florida State Champion at Heavyweight. Jacob finished this year at Wakulla High School with a record of 37-1. Jacob will also be playing Rugby at Queens.

In addition to these 19 wrestlers, the Queens Coaching Staff joining Chertow will include many outstanding coaches including:
-NCAA All-American and Rutgers graduate Tom Tanis
-NCAA All-American and Pitt graduate Zac Thomassueit
-North Carolina State Champion Rob Tate.
-VP of High Point IST Solutions Tim Hennessey
-UNC Chapel Hill graduate and Showmars VP Zach Zitsos
-2x Academic All-American at University of Wisconsin Whitewater Tom Trieloff
-Campbell graduate Paul Renaud,
-Gardner Webb graduate Alex Ventura.

Coach Tanis and Coach Hennessey will also continue to teach at the C2X Commitment to Excellence Wrestling Club in Fort Mill, SC.

Queens will host the Gold Medal Training Camp July 2-6 and the entire staff and team will be joining Coach Chertow and the campers. The team members will be serving as counselors creating a very personalized and beneficial experience.
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boxing, Fox, Premier Boxing Champions

Welterweight Jamal James Battles Former Title Challenger Jo Jo Dan in Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 & FOX Deportes Action Saturday, July 15 from NYCB LIVE’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island

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Plus! Unbeaten Prospect Brandon Figueroa Faces Eliezer Aquino in Bantamweight Matchup
 
Coverage Begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT Following
PBC on FOX & FOX Deportes Telecast
 
LONG ISLAND, NY (June 29, 2017) – Once-beaten welterweight Jamal James (20-1, 9 KOs) will meet former title challenger Jo Jo Dan (36-4, 19 KOs) in a 10-round showdown featured on Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes Saturday, July 15 at the newly-renovated NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Televised coverage on FS1 begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, immediately following the PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes show headlined by a welterweight brawl between former world champions Omar Figueroa and Robert Guerrero.
The FS1 show will also see unbeaten prospect Brandon Figueroa (12-0, 8 KOs) competing on his older brother Omar’s undercard as he takes on Eliezer Aquino (19-2-1, 13 KOs) in an eight-round bantamweight attraction.
“I’m excited to be able to get back in the ring on July 15,” said James. “I’m grateful to have the team that I have so that I could fight on this great card in Long Island on FS1 and FOX Deportes. I’ve been training hard and I’m hungry and anxious to get back in the ring and show off my skills.”
“I am back at welterweight for my fight on July 15 and I plan on putting on a good performance so that I can get back in the mix for a world title shot,” said Dan. “I am having a great training camp at the Grant brothers’ gym in Montreal and I’ll be in top shape on fight night. My team and I are thrilled to be part of this event that brings big-time boxing back to Long Island.”
Televised coverage on FOX and FOX Deportes begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and also features unbeaten light heavyweights Marcus Browne and Seanie Monaghan in a 10-round bout and a showdown between Polish heavyweights Artur Szpilka and Adam Kownacki.
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 visitingwww.ticketmaster.com, www.nycblive.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Ticketmaster Box Office at NYCB LIVE. Group discounts are available by calling 516-231-4848.
A tall welterweight at 6’2″, James looks to bounce back after a decision loss to Yordenis Ugas last August in which the 28-year-old accepted the fight on less than a week’s notice. Fighting out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, James was unbeaten in his first 20 fights as a pro including impressive victories over Javier Molina and Wale Omotoso that began his 2016 campaign.
Born in Romania, Dan fights out of Quebec, Canada and has picked up victories in two of his three stateside fights. A pro since 2004, Dan was unbeaten in his first 26 professional starts. He owns two impressive victories over Canadian rival Kevin Bizier and challenged Kell Brook for his welterweight title in 2015. Dan fought twice at 154-pounds, including a challenge of now world champion Jarrett Hurd, before moving back down in weight and scoring a fifth-round stoppage of Jesus Gurrola in March.
The 20-year-old Brandon Figueroa turned pro in May of 2015 by defeating Hector Gutierrez and followed that up by stopping Ricardo Mena, Ramiro Ruiz and Francisco Muro to close out the year. The Weslaco-native stayed busy in 2016, picking up six victories, including five by way of stoppage before starting 2017 with a fourth-round stoppage of Raul Chirino in February and an eight-round decision of Luis Saavedra in May. On July 15 he will fight on the undercard of his brother Omar for the third time.
Fighting out of Higuey, Dominican Republic, Aquino has fought professionally since 2007 and was unbeaten in his first 18 pro bouts. The 30-year-old has previously fought twice in the U.S. heading into this showdown on July 15. Aquino enters this bout having won his last two bouts by way of stoppage.
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Fans can live stream the fights on FOX Sports GO, available in English or Spanish through the FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSportsGO.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku. In addition, all programs are also available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.
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