All posts by FNU47

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

“BELLATOR: MANHOEF VS. SHLEMENKO” OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS HAVE ALL FIGHTERS MAKING WEIGHT PRIOR TO FRIDAY NIGHTS FIGHT ON SPIKE TV

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“I am absolutely looking for the knockout. Any kind of win is a success, but I really want the knockout.” – Alexander Shlemenko
“He has stepped between me and my goal, and the goal is to become Bellator champion.” – Melvin Manhoef 
 

FRESNO, Calif. – Feb. 12, 2015 – Fighters took to the scales and successfully hit their targeted weights Thursday afternoon at the Save Mart Center, the site of tomorrow’s highly anticipated “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” event, which airs LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.

 

“Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” is headlined by an epic middleweight matchup between two of the most dangerous strikers in all of mixed martial arts with former Bellator MMA champ Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) facing fellow knockout artist Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (29-12-1).  The event also features a sure-to-be-thrilling featherweight co-main event between former championPat Curran (20-6) and tournament winner Daniel Weichel (34-8).

 Melvin Manhoef (186 lbs.) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (186 lbs.)

 

Pat Curran (146 lbs.) vs. Daniel Weichel (145 lbs.)

 

 Julia Budd (145 lbs.) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (145.5 lbs.)

 

Chris Honeycutt (170.5 lbs.) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (170.5 lbs.)


Art Arciniega (146 lbs.) vs. Emilio Chavez (146 lbs.)

Blake Watkins (185.5 lbs.) vs. George Zuniga (185 lbs.)

Paul Ruiz (135.5 lbs.) vs. Nicolas Sperling (133 lbs.)

Nick Bustamante (156 lbs.) vs. Luis Jauregui (154 lbs.)

John Paul Elias (205 lbs.) vs. Cody Sons (205 lbs.)

Jonathan Contrestano (155 lbs.) vs. Ryan Tobar (155 lbs.)

Andrew Ramm (160.5 lbs.) vs. Adam Piccolotti (160 lbs.)

Mason Fowler (169 lbs.) vs. Marko Damiani (170 lbs.)

 

PRE-FIGHT QUOTES:

 

Alexander Shlemenko: 

“Melvin [Manhoef] is a fast and strong fighter. He’s the best kickboxer in all of MMA.

“I’m ready for this fight because I think I have great striking and grappling ability. In this training camp I sparred a lot with muay thai guys back home in Omsk, Russia and i also changed my diet to gain more muscle mass to feel much better and stronger.

“I am absolutely looking for the knockout. Any kind of win is a success, but I really want the knockout.”

Melvin Manhoef:

“I’m going to fight Alexander [Shlemenko] hard and aggressively. The accuracy of my punches is what will make me win this fight.

“I’m not looking for the knockout, I want to do three rounds of five minutes of hard fighting. If the knockout comes, then it will come.

“He [Shlemenko] has a lot of speed and back-kicks. He has very good agility and is very well-rounded, but so am I. I think my striking, speed and kicking is better than his.

“I don’t mind if he is too confident going into this fight. He has stepped between me and my goal, and the goal is to become Bellator champion.”

Pat Curran:

“A fights a fight. Everything can go out the window with one punch.

“I’m looking to getting back to being my old self. I am humbled and hungry, you are going to see the old Pat Curran in there with a couple new tricks up his sleeve.

“I’m always looking for the knockout or submission, but i’m ready to go three rounds. I’m prepared for any finish in any situation.

“He [Daniel Weichel] is very hungry right now. He’s a submission specialist and I have a feeling he’s going to come out hard and quick. I’m ready for anything and no matter what it’s going to be an exciting fight, I can’t wait to get back in there.

“I feel him out and bring him into my game. If he comes out strong I’m ready for that and we will match fire with fire.”

Daniel Weichel:

“This fight means a lot to me, like every fight here in Bellator. I will make a statement tomorrow night and will make everyone remember my name.

“I’m well-rounded and my biggest strength is that I can put the pressure for all 15 minutes.”

Main Card on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (50-9)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8)

Bellator Women’s Featherweight Feature Fight: Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (4-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (8 p.m. ET)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Art Arciniega (14-4) vs. Emilio Chavez (7-5)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Paul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (Following Manhoef vs. Shlemenko)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Contrestano (4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Mason Fowler (1-0) vs. Marko Damiani (0-1)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
boxing, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

THREE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION ABNER MARES TO FIGHT ON BLOCKBUSTER CARD IN “PBC ON NBC” DEBUT LIVE IN PRIMETIME ON SATURDAY, MARCH 7

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Mares To Face Arturo Santos Reyes From The MGM Grand Garden Arena In Las Vegas

 

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 12, 2015) – Former three-division world champion Abner Mares (28-1-1, 15 KOs) returns to the ring to face 2008 Mexican Olympian Arturo Santos Reyes (18-4, 5 KOs) on Saturday, March 7 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in the primetime debut of the Premier Boxing Champions series on NBC and NBCSN.

 

The fight is part of the blockbuster card promoted by Goossen Promotions featuring Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero and Adrien Broner vs. John Molina, Jr. that will air live on NBC (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT).

 

The Mares-Reyes bout will be televised live on Saturday, March 7, on the NBC show (8:30 – 11 p.m. ET) or on the NBCSN telecast (11 p.m. ET).

 

Marv Albert will call the fights in primetime on NBC alongside analyst “Sugar” Ray Leonard, the six-time world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist. Al Michaels will host.

 

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to fight in Las Vegas on March 7,” said Mares. “This is a fantastic card that is great for me and great for the sport of boxing.  I look forward to putting on a show for the fans and winning impressively.”

 

“It’s a big honor to get this fight against Abner Mares and to be fighting at MGM Grand in Las Vegas,” said Reyes. “Mares is a great fighter. I know what he brings to the table. But I’m going to give it my all on March 7 and shock the boxing world.”

 

The 29-year-old Mares looks to stay at the top of the featherweight division when he steps into the ring on March 7. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and fighting out of Downey, Calif., Mares first tasted world championship gold in 2011 when he beat Joseph Agbeko to win the bantamweight world title. He continued his rise up the pound-for-pound list with wins over Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce De Leon to win world titles at super bantamweight and featherweight respectively. He suffered his only defeat in a shocking loss to Jhonny Gonzalez but has rebounded nicely with back-to-back wins and now looks to return to the top of the sport.

 

An accomplished amateur from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Reyes makes his U.S. debut on March 7 with a chance to immediately make a name for himself stateside.  The 29-year-old was a silver medalist at the Junior World Championships in 2004 and he would go on to represent his country at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Reyes turned pro in 2009 and racked up victories in his first five outings. Fighting almost exclusively in Mexico, he defeated Khabir Suleymanov in 2012 for the super bantamweight title. Most recently Reyes went on the road and lost to Simpiwe Vetyeka in his native South Africa for the vacant international featherweight title. He returns to the ring looking to make an immediate impact in his U.S. debut.

 

Tickets for the live event are priced at $400, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now.  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,  www.nbcsports.com/boxing and www.goossenpromotions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KeithFThurmanJr, @GhostBoxing, @AdrienBroner, @JohnMolinaJr135, @abnermares, @NBCSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.facebook.com/NBCSports.

boxing, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts

GRAHAM BOYLAN RESIGNS AS CEO OF CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP

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(London, United Kingdom | Thursday, February 12, 2015) – Cage Warriors Fighting Championship can confirm that Graham Boylan has stepped down as CEO.

The Cage Warriors Board of Directors was unexpectedly informed of Graham’s decision at a meeting on Tuesday.

Graham played an integral role in the massive growth of the brand in recent years, but the Board remains keen to continue that progress.

While we focus our efforts on the search for a new CEO, we have taken the decision to postpone the event which was scheduled for the Copper Box in London on March 21st.

A new date for this event will be announced in due course, and the patience of our loyal fans is appreciated.

All contracted athletes will also be granted a one-fight exemption from their Cage Warriors deals to compete for another promotion in the meantime.

Thank you for your continued support of Europe’s leading MMA organisation.

Shadi Tahboub, Board of Directors, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship
boxing

Cuban amateur star Marcos Forestal Making pro debut tomorrow in Queens, NY Friday, Feb. 13

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(l-R) – Marcos Forestal & trainer Joe Goossen

CORK, Ireland (Feb. 12, 2015) – Celebrated Cuban amateur boxer Marcos Forestal will make his professional debut tomorrow night (Fri., Feb. 13) in a four-round super bantamweight bout against veteran Ignac “The Test” Kassai at 5 Star Banquet Hall in Queens, New York.

 

A three-time Cuban National champion, the 25-year-old Forestal defeated 2012 Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Rameriez 14 months ago in a sensational national championship final.

 

Fighting as a semi-pro in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) for undefeated 2014 team champion Cuba Domadores, Forestal was unbeaten in three WSB matches before defecting to the United States last April.

 

Forestal signed a contract this past October with Ireland-based, International boxing manager Gary Hyde, president of Nowhere2Hyde Management. Hyde also manages present, past and future world champions such as World Boxing Association (WBA) Super & World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight champion and two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist, Guillermo “The Jackal” Rigondeaux (15-0, 10 KOs), WBA Interim cruiserweight champion Youri “El Toro” Kalenga (21-1, 14 KOs), former WBO middleweight champion and current International Boxing Federation (IBF) No. 1 mandatory contender Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (31-1, 18 KOs), and world amateur champion Blagoy Naydenov.

 

“Marcos Forestal is an excellent young fighter who has an action-packed style,” Hyde said. “He has what it takes to become world champion. We couldn’t find a US-based opponent to fight Marcos because they said he was another Rigondeaux and Olympic champion. While he beat an Olympic champion, Marcus wasn’t an Olympian. We flew in his opponent from Hungary. Kasai is a 56-fight veteran who has fought some of the top Europeans like IBF super bantamweight champion Carl Frampton, world title challengers Martin Ward, Bedak Zsolt  and Alexander Miskirtchian, and former European champ Anthony Settoul.”

 

Forestal is a 5′ 8″ southpaw who will campaign in the 122-pound super bantamweight division, the same weight class his fellow countryman and stablemate Rigondeaux rules.

 

“Guillermo Rigondeaux is a super champion and in Cuba I looked up to him like his younger brother,” Forestal added. “He has dominated the super bantamweight division and I will soon join him at the top.”

 

Living in Los Angeles and trained there by Joe Goossen, Forestal’s second pro fight is tentatively scheduled for March 6 in nearby Glendale, California.

 

Follow Hyde on Twitter at @NoWhere2Hyde and friend him atwww.facebook.com/gary.hyde.50?fref=ts.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

BELLATOR ROLLS OUT SERIES OF “FOUNDATIONS” DIGITAL PIECES FEATURING MELVIN MANHOEF, ALEXANDER SHLEMENKO, PAT CURRAN & DANIEL WEICHEL

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WATCH: MUST SEE TV RETURNS TO THURSDAY

Fans have been clamoring about the new “Foundations” video series that Bellator MMA has rolled out, offering an inside look at the lives of the four men who will top the fight card of “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” tomorrow night.

 

Featuring a thrilling middleweight matchup between two of the most dangerous strikers in all of mixed martial arts with former Bellator MMA champ Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) facing fellow knockout artist Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (29-12-1), “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” takes place Feb. 13 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. and airs LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.

In a sure-to-be-amazing co-main event, former featherweight champion Pat Curran (20-6) looks to start the journey to reclaim his belt against tournament winner and submission specialist Daniel Weichel (34-8)

 

Tickets for the event, which start at just $28, are currently available at Ticketmaster.com,SaveMartCenter.com and the Save Mart Center Box Office.

 

Bellator MMA: Foundations with Melvin Manhoef
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Melvin Manhoef
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Alexander Shlemenko
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Alexander Shlemenko
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Pat Curran
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Pat Curran
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Daniel Weichel
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Daniel Weichel

 

Main Card on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (50-9)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8)

Bellator Women’s Featherweight Feature Fight: Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (4-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (8 p.m. ET)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Art Arciniega (14-4) vs. Emilio Chavez (7-5)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Paul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (Following Manhoef vs. Shlemenko)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Contrestano (4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Mason Fowler (1-0) vs. Marko Damiani (0-1)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
boxing, NBC

DANNY GARCIA VS. LAMONT PETERSON AND ANDY LEE VS. PETER QUILLIN IN BROOKLYN BOXING SHOWDOWNS LIVE IN PRIMETIME ON NBC ON SATURDAY, APRIL 11

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Premier Boxing Champions on NBC Comes to Barclays Center with Two Sensational Main Events

 

– Televised Fights on NBC Start at 8:30 P.M. ET –

 

Tickets on Sale Tomorrow!

 

BROOKLYN (February 12, 2015) – The eagerly awaited showdown between undefeated superstar Danny “Swift” Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) and Lamont Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KOs) will become a reality as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC returns to primetime onSaturday, April 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

 

In the first main event of the evening, middleweight world champion “Irish” Andy Lee (34-2, 24 KOs) takes on the undefeated Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs) in a 12-round world title fight.

 

Marv Albert will call the fights in primetime on NBC alongside analyst “Sugar” Ray Leonard, the six-time world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist. Al Michaels will host.

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50 not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale tomorrow,Friday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center starting onSaturday, Feb. 14 at noon. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

 

“It’s an honor to be fighting back in Brooklyn where I’ve experienced some of the best moments of my career,” said Garcia. “Fans have been asking for this fight for so long and on April 11 I’m planning on giving them the show they’ve been waiting for.  Doing it live on NBC will make it even sweeter.”

 

“This is an amazing opportunity for me fighting in Brooklyn and on national TV in front of millions of people,” said Peterson. “I’m going to go out there and give the performance of a lifetime. Danny Garcia better not underestimate me, because my time is now.”

 

“I’m looking forward to returning to New York and defending my title against Quillin,” said Lee. “I’m at the peak of my powers now. I cannot see myself losing to anyone. I want to be recognized as the best middleweight in the world and beating Quillin will go some way to proving that.”

 

“To be able to fight at home in Brooklyn and win a title on such a big stage is a dream come true,” said Quillin. “I’m honored and excited to be a part of something that is great for my career, but also for the sport of boxing as a whole. I know that I’m going to win on April 11, become champion once again, and then I’m going after anyone and everyone at 160 pounds.”

 

“I am thrilled to be promoting this PBC mega event at Barclays Center in my hometown of Brooklyn,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson and Andy Lee defending his middleweight title against Peter Quillin are two of the very best bouts that can be made in boxing. On April 11, the fans are going to be the biggest winners and DBE is proud to be part of it.”

 

“Quality championship fights are only in Brooklyn in April,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center. “Danny Garcia always brings excitement to our ring and we are delighted once again to have Brooklyn’s own Peter Quillin fighting in Barclays Center. Fans want drama and unpredictable fights, and we are confident our card will deliver that on primetime television.”

 

Now in his fourth year as a world champion, Philadelphia’s Garcia will return to headline at Barclays Center for a record fourth time. Garcia also fought in the main event in October 2012, the first ever-boxing card at Barclays Center. The 26-year-old has taken down some of the biggest names in boxing on his way to an undefeated record, including Amir Khan, Erik Morales, Zab Judah and Lucas Matthysse. He will once again have a chance to prove himself against the best, this time in the long anticipated clash with Peterson.

 

Washington, D.C.’s Peterson is a gifted boxer-puncher with as much heart as talent. Like Garcia, the 31-year-old Peterson is another longtime champion.  Peterson has always faced the best and defeated Amir Khan in 2011.  The only blemishes on his perfect record came against Timothy Bradley and Lucas Matthysse.  He is coming off of two impressive victories in 2014 and now he gets the bout he and the public have clamored for as he takes a shot at beating Garcia in Brooklyn.

 

An accomplished amateur who was Ireland’s sole boxing representative at the 2004 Olympic Games, Leegot his first taste of world championship gold in December 2014 when he defeated Matt Korobov for the vacant middleweight world title with a sensational sixth round technical knockout. The 30-year-old has fought in his home country of Ireland, the UK, Germany and most often in the U.S. throughout his career. His only career losses came against Bryan Vera, which he would later avenge and Julio Cesar Chavez in his first world title fight. On April 11, Lee will fight for the fifth time in New York City, looking to give the primetime national television audience a memorable night.

 

A former world champion looking to reclaim the belt he vacated last year, Quillin will return to the same arena where he won the middleweight belt in 2012 with his star-making, six-knockdown performance against Hassan N’Dam in the first boxing card hosted by Barclays Center. Born in Chicago but fighting out of New York City, the 31-year-old went on to defend that title against strong contenders Fernando Guerrero, Gabriel Rosado and Lukas Konecny. Now, “Kid Chocolate” looks to show off his superstar skills to a primetime audience.

 

Beginning with the first show, Saturday, March 7, at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC, NBC and NBCSN will present 20 live “PBC on NBC” boxing events in 2015. Within the 20 live shows, NBC Sports Group will present more than 50 hours of PBC coverage, including NBCSN pre- and post-fight programming for NBC telecasts. The Premier Boxing Champions series is created for television by Haymon Boxing.  The PBC on NBC will feature many of today’s brightest stars, in their most compelling matches.

 

All PBC on NBC shows will be streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. NBC Sports Live Extra is available for desktops at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available at the App Store for iPad and iPod touch, on select devices within Google Play, and on windows phones and tablets.

 

 

# # #

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing,www.BarclaysCenter.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,  @DiBellaEnt, @DannySwift, @KingPete26, @KidChocolate, @AndyLeeBoxing, @NBCSports and @BarclaysCenter and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions,www.facebook.com/NBCSports and www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. Follow the conversation using #PremierBoxingChampions and #BKBoxing

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

RUBBER MATCH WILL FEATURE THE RETURN OF POPULAR ATHLETE

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Lewiston, Maine (February 12, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine on April 11, 2015 with its seventeenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event.  Earlier today, the company announced the addition of a professional catchweight bout to the fight card.  “Shatterproof 2.0” Derek Shorey (1-1) will meet the returning John “First Class” Raio (2-6) in a “rubber match” at a fight weight of 150-pounds.

 

Shorey won the last meeting between the two at “NEF XIV” last September via first-round submission.  He gained revenge for a submission loss suffered at the hands of Raio when the pair had fought as amateurs two years earlier.  The “NEF XIV” bout was promoted as a retirement match for Raio who had decided to step away from active competition to focus on his family and gym First Class MMA in Topsham, Maine.  Raio says that he has now found the balance in his life to return to the NEF MMA cage.

 

“I retired from fighting last September because I wanted to spend more time with my family,” said Raio.  “They were really supportive during my career and I owed it to them.   I have found a balance with my new job at BIW.  I am able to train, spend time with my family and operate my gym each day.  I love MMA and never stopped training.  I was not happy with the way my last fight ended and when the opportunity to compete against Derek Shorey again presented itself, I couldn’t turn it down.  The idea to fight Derek came from a post on FB that Ben Raven made on Matt Denning’s page a few months ago.  Derek seemed interested in a rubber match. After getting support from my family, I contacted Matt Petersen and he matched us up.”

 

The two previous bouts between Shorey and Raio had been agreed to at the featherweight limit of 145-pounds.  Shorey feels he will have an advantage due to the 150-pound catchweight where he will have to cut very little or even no weight at all.

 

“I’m excited to fight John again,” exclaimed Shorey.  “There’s almost no weight to cut for a fight at 150, so I’ll be fighting him at full strength, and ultimately as the best version of myself that I’ve ever known.  I’m very confident that I will be in the best shape of my life, and due to recent personal events, I think I’m a little colder now than I’ve ever been.  Training at Young’s  MMA in Bangor as often as I can, being a single parent now, will also drastically improve my game, in every aspect of the sport.  John is a really good wrestler and a lot stronger than me, but no one has ever seen what I know I’m capable of, and I plan to change that.”

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” is scheduled to take place onApril 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) will defend the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1).  In addition, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) in a welterweight contest.  Tickets for “NEF XVII” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at207.783.2009 x 525.  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.

boxing, Premier Boxing Champions

DOMINIC “TROUBLE” BREAZEALE RETURNS TO THE RING ON MARCH 7TH AT MGM GRAND ARENA

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Upland, California (February 12, 2015)  -Top U.S. Heavyweight prospect Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (13-0, 12 KO’s) returns to the ring next month in one of the most anticipated boxing events of the year. The “Premier Boxing Champions” series kicks off its inaugural series March 7th in Las Vegas, Nevada on prime-time NBC, and Breazeale is scheduled to be featured on the under card of the Thurman vs. Guerrero and Broner vs. Molina Jr. main-events.
Graphics c/o Bruce Halstead

The last time Breazeale was showcased on NBC is when he participated in the 2012 London Games representing the United States of America in the Super Heavyweight division. Breazeale, who is fresh off of a first-round knockout of his opponent this past December, is ready to return to the ring and is grateful to be a part of history with the sport of boxing returning to prime-time television.

 

Taking a break from training camp out of the Cross Roads Boxing Club in Ontario, California, Breazeale stated the following; “This is a great opportunity for me and I’m truly thankful for it.  I know that I am on the fast track to the Heavyweight world title and I’m always preparing myself in the gym physically and mentally for my next bout.  I have been in camp full-time for about 3 weeks now and I am feeling great.”

 

“When I was told that my advisor Al Haymon was creating the Premier Boxing Champions series and that it would be aired on prime-time television, I was truly excited about it. To be able to showcase my talents on that kind of platform is a great opportunity and I hope I can capture the respect of boxing fans just like Muhammad Ali did”, Breazeale said.

 

Tickets for this amazing night of boxing can purchased at www.mgmgrand.com and are priced at $400, $300, $100 and $50.

 “Here Comes Trouble!“

 

boxing, Fight Network

2005 Fight of the Year: Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I To air Sunday night, Feb. 15 on FIGHT NETWORK USA

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NEW YORK (Feb. 11, 2015) – The 2005 Fight of the Year, featuring Diego “Chico” Corrales versus Jose Luis “El Terrible” Castillo, will air this Sunday night (Feb. 15) on Fight Network USA from 11:00-12:00 p.m. ET as part of its Banner: Best of the Decade series.

 

Fight Network is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to 24/7 coverage, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available in the U.S. on Cablevision in parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, Texas-based Grande Communications, Armstrong Cable in Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, as well as on Shentel Cable in Virginia, West Virginia and portions of western Maryland. Fight Network is also on Roku set top boxes throughout America, and streaming live on website KlowdTV.com.

 

Corrales vs. Castillo I, held May 7, 2005 in Las Vegas, was an epic World Boxing Organization (WBO)/World Boxing Council (WBC) unification fight between a pair of world lightweight champions.

 

Corrales (39-2), who died seven years ago in a motorcycle accident, was dropped twice by Corrales (52-6-1) in the 10th round. Corrales got up off the canvas and he soon connected with a perfect right hand that seriously hurt Castillo. Corrales quickly finished the show as referee Tony Weeks halted the action with Castillo trapped on the ropes, eating a barrage of unanswered punches. Corrales won by technical knockout in a spectacular comeback.

 

To a degree, Castillo got his revenge five months later by knocking out against Corrales in the fourth round, although Castillo came in overweight and no titles were at stake.

 

KOTV Boxing Weekly, covering all of the latest news in professional boxing by featuring full recent fights and highlights, starts Sunday’s entertaining night of boxing at7:30 p.m. ET on Fight Network USA.

 

Ultimate Classic Boxing follows between 8-9 p.m. ET with a middleweight fight between hometown favorite Charley Joseph (32-1-1) and Milo Savage (39-33-8) in their April 25, 1956 fight at Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans. Joseph won a 10-round split decision.

 

Also airing this Sunday evening on Fight Network USA, commending at 9:00 p.m. ET, is a fight from July 6, 2013 in Lazio, Italy, in which local hero Silvio “El Barbaro” Branco (62-11-3), a two-time world light heavyweight champion, defeated former European titlist Juho Haapaja (20-3-1), of Finland, by a 10-round technical decision for the vacant WBC Silver cruiserweight title.

 

Demand Fight Network if your cable or satellite provider doesn’t offer it!