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Category Archives: boxing
LaManna decisions Velasquez in Atlantic City
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Jose Haro issues statement on tragic injury sustained by Daniel Franco
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New USBA Featherweight Champion Jose Haro has issued a brief statement regarding the status of his fallen opponent, Daniel Franco, through his promotional representative, Whitfield Haydon:
“I respect all fighters. My heart hurts knowing that my opponent from Saturday night is still in the hospital. I hope he has a full and speedy recovery. Nothing but love, brotha. We put everything on the line when we step inside the ring. I always tell my brother/trainer that I’m a father first, fighter second, and if he ever sees me badly hurt to stop the fight because my kids need their daddy. I’m very grateful that I won but it really doesn’t feel like I won. I always pray that my opponent and myself come out our fight in good health. Let’s go #TeamFranco, you got this!” |
Famed manager Stan Hoffman & World champion Regelio Tuur Ring 8’s June Guest Speakers
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Tuesday, June 20 at O’Neill’s Restaurant
In Maspeth, NY
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NEW YORK (June 12, 2017) – New York State Boxing Hall-of-Famer, manager Stan Hoffman, and former world champion Regelio “Turbo” Tuur will be Ring 8 guest speakers at its June monthly meeting on Tuesday night (June 20), starting at 7 p.m. ET, at O’Neill’s Restaurant in Maspeth, New York. This coming Ring 8 meeting is sponsored by Top Rank and DiBella Entertainment. “Ring 8 is looking forward to having Stan Hoffman and Regelio Tuur as our featured speakers this month,” Ring 8 president Jack Hirsch said. “Stan has managed or advised many world champions over his career, Tuur included. He will have some fascinating stories to share with us. Although Tuur was a world champion as a professional it was his one-punch knockout of Kelvin Banks in the Olympics that many remember him for. It will be nice to hear him relive that and other fights of his stellar career.”
Hoffman, 86, has managed, advised or promoted 38 world champions during nearly 50 years working in the boxing industry. A product of Brooklyn and Bronx, Hoffman still advises some boxes and attends fights, but he enjoys spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren.
Hoffman worked with 38 world champions starting in 1980 with Joe Manleyand later including his first world heavyweight champion, Michael Benntt, as well as others such as Hasim Rahman, Iran Barkley and James Toney.
Suriname-native Tuur (46-4-1, 30 KOs), who fought out of Hoogvliet, Netherlands, was a 1988 Olympian. In 1991, Tuur became the New York State lightweight champion and the following year, he captured the European super featherweight titlist.
Tuur defeated 28-1-1 Eugene Speed by 12-round unanimous decision to become World Boxing Organization (WBO) World Super Featherweight Champion. He held the WBO crown for two years, (1994-1996), successfully defending it six times, before retiring for five years until he made a comeback in 2001.
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ABOUT RING 8: Ring 8 became the eighth subsidiary of what was then known as the National Veteran Boxers Association – hence, RING 8 – and today the organization’s motto still remains: Boxers Helping Boxers. RING 8 is fully committed to supporting less fortunate people in the boxing community who may require assistance in terms of paying rent, medical expenses, or whatever justifiable need. Go on line to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about RING 8, the largest group of its kind in the United States with more than 350 members. Annual membership dues is only $30.00 and each member is entitled to a buffet dinner at RING 8 monthly meetings, excluding July and August. All active boxers, amateur and professional, with a current boxing license or book are entitled to a complimentary RING 8 yearly membership. Guests of Ring 8 members are welcome at a cost of only $7.00 per person.
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Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist and NABF Middleweight Champion Claressa Shields Announces Deal with Salita Promotions
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Former World Champion Brandon Rios Scores Seventh Round Stoppage of Aaron Herrera in Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 & FOX Deportes Action Sunday Night From The Pioneer Event Center in Lancaster, California
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Mario Barrios Remains Unbeaten With Seventh Round Knockout of
Mexico’s Jose Luis Rodriguez
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Unbeaten Prospect Jose Miguel Borrego Drops & Stops Kevin Watts In Round Four
Click HERE for Photos from Nabeel Ahmad/Premier Boxing Champions
(Photos to be added shortly)
LANCASTER, CA. (June 12, 2017) – Former world champion Brandon Rios (34-3-1, 24 KOs) returned to the ring with a seventh round TKO of Mexico’s Aaron Herrera (23-7-1, 14 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes Sundaynight from The Pioneer Event Center in Lancaster, California.
“I had that good nervous feeling tonight, like before my pro debut,” said Rios. “I was a little jittery but it felt good in there.”
In his first fight in 19 months, Rios showed off his signature exciting style in breaking down the very game Herrera before stopping him late in their welterweight contest. Rios controlled the action from the outset as he showed off his strong inside game while tagging Herrera with hooks and uppercuts.
Herrera received a fair deal of punishment across the early rounds but remained competitive in consistently throwing back against the aggressive Rios, who was able to parry some of Herrera’s shots with effective head movement. Herrera had his best round in the fourth when he changed the tides momentarily by being more active than Rios.
“I’m always ready for whoever they put in front of me,” said Rios. “He was tough and he was swinging hard. I had to be careful and couldn’t go in there crazy. He caught me sometimes but that’s part of the sport.”
The shift did not last long as Rios ramped the pressure back up and began to slow Herrera down with increased body work. Herrera kept fighting back but was clearly tiring late in the sixth round as Rios teed off on him against the ropes with big power punches.
“Next time I get in there I’ll be better,” said Rios. “You’ll see more progress each time I get out there. I still have my same style but I’m adding some more athleticism and head movement to it. I felt like I did well in there.”
The attack continued in the seventh round as Rios stalked Herrera towards the ropes before eventually delivering the pinpoint right hook to the body that put Herrera on the mat. Herrera was unable to beat the count and Rios returned to the win column with a stoppage victory2:11 into the round.
“This is a new beginning and a new chapter in the book that I’m writing,” said Rios. “We’re ready to move forward from here. I’m ready for the next challenge.”
The co-main event of the telecast saw unbeaten Mario Barrios (19-0, 11 KOs) score a sensational knockout of Jose Luis Rodriguez (23-9-1, 13 KOs) with left hook to the body that ended their super lightweight battle in the seventh round.
“I knew that he was going to fight the whole time,” said Barrios. “He was going to stay coming in and I had to keep my distance. I stunned him with an overhand and then I found him on the liver.”
Barrios was impressive from the start, using his length to pick off his opponent with powerful uppercuts in the opening minutes of the bout. Despite taking numerous clean power shots from Barrios throughout the battle, Rodriguez never stopped attacking and was able to occasionally frustrate Barrios with his relentless physicality.
The bout was eventually defined by the powerful body shots that Barrios dedicated himself to delivering throughout the fight. The consistent effort clearly slowed Rodriguez, who took more and more clean punches as the fight went on.
Early in round seven Barrios’ attack finally wore Rodriguez down as a series of punches culminating with the left to the body put Rodriguez on the canvas. Referee Zac Young quickly called off the bout 37 seconds into the round to give Barrios his third straight knockout victory.
“I want to fight everyone in the 140-pound weight class,” said Barrios. “I’m going to take it one fight at a time and work my way up to a world title shot.”
In the opening bout of the telecast, rising prospect Jose Miguel Borrego (12-0,11 KOs) remained unbeaten with a fourth-round stoppage of Kevin Watts (11-2, 4 KOs) in their super lightweight matchup.
Watts was the more aggressive fighter in round one, controlling the action with his jab as Borrego switched stances but threw few punches. Watts continued to have success in round two sticking Borrego with power shots while avoiding the returning punches Borrego threw back.
The third round saw Borrego begin to break through the guard of Watts with powerful left hooks, which seemed to slow the movement of the previously once-beaten Watts, who began to stand and exchange more with his opponent. As the action heated up in round four, Borrego connected with a massive left hook that stunned and bloodied Watts’ right eye.
Borrego kept up the attack and eventually sent Watts to the canvas with another left hand over two minutes into the round. While Watts returned to his feet, Borrego quickly cornered him and delivered another flurry that forced referee Jack Reiss to halt the bout 2:42 into the round. # # #
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.
For more information: visit www.
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“KO Night Boxing” results from Iowa
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WAR In WinnaVegas
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The 29-year-old Haro (14-1-1, 8 KOs), ranked No. 14 by the USBA going into the fight, extended his win streak to seven (6-0-1). He dropped No. 5 USBA-ranked Franco (15-2-3, 10 KOs) with a powerful overhand right in the eighth. Franco beat the count but was floored by a brutal right later in the round and refereeCelestino Ruiz immediately halted the bout. Haro is promoted by Whitfield Hayden Promotions
Irvin Gonzalez captures UBF All-Americas Featherweight Title
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REGIS PROGRAIS SCORES CONVINCING KNOCKOUT OF JOEL DIAZ JR. IN MATCHUP OF PREVIOUSLY UNBEATEN 140-POUNDERS ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME®
Steve Rolls Edges Demond Nicholson & Jon Fernandez KOs Juan Reyes At Turning Stone Resort Casino In Verona, N.Y.
An Encore Presentation Of Friday’s Tripleheader Will Air Monday At 10 p.m. ET/PT On SHOWTIME EXTREME®
Click HERE For Photos; Credit Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
VERONA, N.Y. (June 10, 2017) – Undefeated super lightweight Regis Prograis made an emphatic statement Friday onShoBox: The New Generation, knocking down previously undefeated Joel Diaz Jr. four times in the second round as he stamped his arrival as a legitimate contender in the 140-pound division.
The southpaw Prograis (20-0, 17 KOs), who was making his fourth start on the prospect developmental series, called out the top names at 140 after the second round demolition (TKO 2:55) at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.
The special Hall of Fame edition of ShoBox: The New Generation featured four members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame: ShoBox mainstays Barry Tompkins and Steve Farhood and special guests Al Bernstein and Jimmy Lennon Jr. Tompkins and Farhood will be inducted just down the road in Canastota on Sunday in a 2017 class headlined by boxing greats Evander Holyfield, Marco Antonio Barrera and Johnny Tapia.
The super lightweights, Prograis and Diaz, entered the main event with a combined record of 42-0, but it was clear they were in a different class after the first round. Prograis knocked down Diaz in the opening 30 seconds of the second in an exchange that appeared to be the result of a clash of feet. Regardless, Prograis smelled blood and pounced on Diaz, flooring him again with a straight left midway through the round.
The Houston resident, who relocated from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, knocked down Diaz again just 15 seconds later with a straight left. The fourth and final knockdown, courtesy of a left hook, sent Diaz (23-1, 19 KOs) tumbling back and was enough for referee Mark Nelson to halt the bout with just seconds left on the clock.
It was a convincing statement for Prograis, who landed 62 percent of his power shots in the toughest test of his career.
“Tonight I proved I graduated from ShoBox,” Prograis said. “I’m ready for the bigger stage. I’m ready for the big show. I want to fight best the best in the division. I want (Terrance) Crawford, (Victor) Postol, (Adrien) Broner. I want them all. None of these guys have fought anybody like me. The boogeyman is coming. They better get ready.
“He was tough, he was strong and hit hard, but I went through it. That’s another opponent I ran through. I run through everybody. I’m ready for my shot. I’m coming for everybody at 140.”
Diaz, who became the 164th fighter to suffer his first defeat on the series, was clearly disappointed with his game plan.
“I went out there too hyper, trying to kill him,” Diaz said. “I went out too aggressive. I should have toned it down a bit. I had 10 rounds but I just went out there trying to take him out. I should’ve calmed down.
“I should have used my jab a bit more to knock him down but I came out swinging.”
Super middleweight prospect Steve Rolls managed to maintain his undefeated record with a closely contested eight-round slip decision victory over Demond Nicholson scored 77-75 Nicholson, 77-74 Rolls, 77-74 Rolls.
Rolls got off to a quick start, flooring Nicholson with a left hook in the closing seconds of the first to pocket a 10-8 round. He came out attacking to sweep the second, but the fight appeared to change course in the third when Nicholson hurt Rolls in the final minute with his first meaningful punch of the fight.
Nicholson (17-2-1, 16 KOs) carried the momentum to sweep the fourth, but the remaining four rounds featured back-and-forth action and were difficult to score. Rolls (16-0, 9 KOs) was the slightly busier fighter, connecting on 412 total punches compared to 390 over eight rounds, but Nicholson edged his opponent 134-117 in total connects.
ShoBox announcers Tompkins, Farhood and Raul Marquez all had Nicholson winning the final six rounds and edging Rolls 77-74 on their unofficial scorecards.
“What made the difference for me tonight was my jab, my patience, my overall boxing ability,” Rolls said. “I came in to this fight having no doubts. Nicholson was talking beforehand about my last fight, he was talking about my footwork, and I knew he was going to be in for a big surprise. I adapt for each fight.
“I knew I had him from the first round. My corner calmed me down and told me to take my time.”
Nicholson, who has mostly competed at 160 pounds, disagreed with the judges’ decision.
“I’m not going to make any excuses. He won the fight,” Nicholson said. “That’s what the judges saw, but I don’t agree. He hurt me in the first round. He hit me viciously in the head. I was dizzy but I recovered and I went on. I think I did a very good job but clearly not enough.
“I can’t fight at 160 – I’m a 168-pounder. Fighting at that weight drained me. I wasn’t at my best.”
In the opening bout of the telecast, undefeated lightweight prospect Jon Fernandez scored a brutal knockout of Juan Reyes at2:36 of the second round.
Fernandez stepped on the gas from the opening bell, utilizing superior activity and accuracy to pick apart the game yet outmatched Reyes. The pair combined to throw 240 punches in the opening stanza but Fernandez landed his right at will and was clearly the more effective fighter.
The Sergio Martinez protégé had a bloodied Reyes hurt in the opening minute of the second and closed the show in the final minute with a sharp right to the ear that sent Reyes (14-4-3, 2 KOs) falling back toward the canvas. The perfectly placed punch had Reyes seemingly out before he hit the floor.
The Spaniard Fernandez (13-0, 11 KOs) landed a staggering 55 percent of his power shots and 40 percent of his total punches.
“The one-two, one-two was the key to opening the door,” Fernandez said. “The straight right hand is one of my best punches and I caught Reyes in the perfect spot. I hope he is OK. I feel that I am ready for the next level. I’ll fight wherever there is an opportunity, but I believe the big fights are here in the U.S.”
Reyes was responsive but taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
Friday’s tripleheader will replay on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.
The event was co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and AASHA Record Breakers.
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Barry Tompkins called the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer was Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For more information visit www.sho.com/sports
REGIS PROGRAIS vs. JOEL DIAZ JR. FINAL WEIGHTS, QUOTES & PHOTOS FOR SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION HALL OF FAME WEEKEND TRIPLEHEADER LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
Friday, June 9 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.
Click HERE For Weigh-In Photos; Credit Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
Click HERE For Hall of Fame Opening Bell Photos; Credit Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
VERONA, N.Y. (June 8, 2017) – Regis “Rougarou” Prograis and Joel Diaz Jr. made weight on Thursday just hours after the “Opening Bell” to kick off festivities for the 2017 International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend.
The undefeated Prograis (19-0, 16 KOs) and fellow unbeaten Diaz (23-0, 19 KOs) will square off in the 10-round super lightweight main event of a Hall of Fame edition of ShoBox: The New Generation Friday, June 9, live on SHOWTIME (10:30 p.m. ET/PT) from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.
The ShoBox tripleheader will celebrate longtime analysts Barry Tompkins and Steve Farhood just two days before their induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Farhood and Tompkins were joined at the Opening Bell on Thursday by a handful of their fellow 2017 inductees: boxing legend Marco Antonio Barrera, Australian trainer Johnny Lewis, and the wife of the late Johnny Tapia, Teresa Tapia.
In the ShoBox co-feature, undefeated super middleweight Steve Rolls (15-0, 9 KOs) will take on the hard-hitting Demond Nicholson (17-1-1, 16 KOs) in an eight-round bout. In the opening bout of the telecast, Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez’s protégé, Jon Fernandez, (12-0, 10 KOs) faces Juan Reyes (14-3-3, 2 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight matchup.
Tickets for the event, co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and AASHA Record Breakers, are priced at $65 for ringside, $50, $40 and $30 (may be subject to additional fees) and are available at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877-833-SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m., with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
OFFICIAL WEIGHTS
10-Round Super Lightweight Main Event:
Regis Prograis – 139 ½ pounds
Joel Diaz Jr. – 137 ¼ pounds
Referee: Mark Nelson; Judges: Don Ackerman, Tom Schreck, John McKaie
Eight-Round Super Middleweight Co-Feature:
Steve Rolls – 161 pounds
Demond Nicholson – 162 ½ pounds
Referee: Benjy Esteves; Judges: Glenn Feldman, Don Trella, Wynn Kintz
Eight-Round Lightweight Telecast Opener:
Jon Fernandez – 132 ½ pounds
Juan Ramon Reyes – 131 ½ pounds
Referee: Charlie Fitch; Judges: Don Ackerman, Glenn Feldman, John McKaie
FINAL QUOTES:
Regis Prograis
“The person that wins this fight goes up, hopefully, to a title fight. I’m 19-0, he’s 23-0. I feel like this is a real big fight.
“I take all my opponents seriously, but I’m taking this one even more seriously than others in the past. He’s 23-0, and there’s a reason he’s undefeated. He’s good, and he has the best record I’ve ever faced.
“I’m at a stage in my career where every fight can lead to the next big thing and I think this fight may be it for me. I’m patient, but I’m ready for more. I want a shot at a title.
“He’s a brawler fighter, but I have the better punching power, and the speed.
“If I feel like he [Diaz] can’t hurt me from the first round, I’ll probably just walk him down the whole night and punish him.
“Seeing what [Errol] Spence did motivates me, especially the way he did it in his opponent’s hometown. It got me thinking: that can be me one day. We went at it in the amateurs, so I know how good he is, but I’m good too. Just seeing him go over there and take the title away, I know my time is coming next.
“I grew up watching Macho Camacho, Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson, but I watched more Duran than anything. I really liked his style. I learned a lot watching the boxing greats on tape.
“Terence Crawford, Adrien Broner, Victor Postol. Those are the type of guys I want to fight.
“I started boxing in New Orleans, and if it wasn’t for Katrina, I probably wouldn’t be where I am right now. When I moved to Houston, I got into the boxing scene and started taking it seriously. It was a horrible situation [in New Orleans], but it changed my life.
“My family went back [to New Orleans], but not me. I stayed in Houston to box. I feel it’s not time for me to go back home just yet. I’ll come back when I become a superstar, like I’m supposed to be.”
Joel Diaz Jr.
“This is my chance, this is my opportunity. I’ve been told, ‘you only get one chance’, and this is it for me. I know Regis is good, but we’re going to put it on him. I’m going to be on him like flies on shit. This is one of the opportunities I can’t let pass.
“We’re going to break him down mentally, find our way in, and drop the bomb.
“He throws combos, and that’s what I have to take away from him. I have to be on him and be the first to attack. My power will take care of his speed.
“This means a lot to me, getting to show the world who the ‘secret’ is. People haven’t really seen what I have, but there will be no more secrets after tomorrow.
“I’m going to show the world who the real Joel Diaz is. I’m now at the right weight for me and I’m 110 percent. I didn’t waste four weeks of training camp trying to lose weight. I feel strong.
“A world championship after this fight, that’s what I want. This is my opportunity to actually show who I am and I can’t let it go. If I let this go, I might as well go back to school. This is going to open all the doors for me.
“We’ve been ready for this step for a while. I’d like to fight the winner of [Adrien] Broner- [Mikey] Garcia, but we’ll see. I know Broner doesn’t want to fight me. I tried to fight him and he turned it down. He knows I’ll give him trouble.
“I changed trainers. I used to be with Abel Ramos, now I’m with Chris Byrd. With Coach Chris, it’s more defense than offense. Working with Chris is amazing. He was a fighter, so he knows what it takes to step in that ring. He’s been there, so he understands me from a fighter’s perspective and that’s very important for me. The bond we have inside and outside the ring is special.
“You’re going to see a more active Joel Diaz and a more defensive Joel Diaz. I’m going to show the world who Joel Diaz is at 140 and trust me, they will ask for more after they see it.”
Steve Rolls
“My last fight on ShoBox [against Steed Woodall in December 2015] was a learning experience. I was knocked down in the third, but I rebounded. You never know how you are going to react in the face of adversity until you are put in that position. I’m glad that happened early on in my career. It taught me a lot.
“I’m know I’m 33, but I feel better than when I was younger. I take care of myself. I have a clean lifestyle. Age is not a thing for me.
“Nicholson has a good jab. I’ve seen him fight before. I’m not sure if he’s made adjustments or if he’s coming with a different game plan. I’m ready for whatever he brings.
“From what I’ve seen, he can fight. He knows what he’s doing in there and it looks like he has some experience.”
Demond Nicholson
“This guy [Rolls] is not as experienced as me. I’m a big step-up for him.
“My last fight [against Immanuwel Aleem] was a big step up, and I fought to a majority draw. It was a slow start, but I’m a fighter, and I soldiered through. That fight really opened my eyes up to better my career, my future.
“Look at what Aleem has done since we fought. He knocked out an undefeated guy [Ievgen Khytrov] that no one wanted to face.
“My experience is going to get us over the hump against this guy. He has a dangerous right hand, but I’m going to take that away from him.
“I’m a natural boxer, but people were calling me a brawler after my performance with Aleem and that’s not who I am. But I get it – I didn’t box at all in that fight. That’s why I had to go back to the drawing board.
“I learned a lot training at Head Bangers in Washington, D.C. with Barry Hunter, Lamont Peterson and all those guys. I’ve learned from Lamont, from Adrien Broner, from Austin Trout. They spar with top fighters and that’s why they perform at the highest level – because they’ve sparred with the best. So I’m doing the same.”
“I have one loss, and that taught me a lot. I had to lose 15 pounds in three days for that fight and that took a toll on me. There are no issues making weight for this fight.”
Jon Fernandez
“This is my second fight with my new trainer Tinin Rodriguez. I always try to get better and changing trainers seemed to be the best path for me. He’s helping me round up the fundamentals of boxing.
“I know I’m tall for my weight class, but I feel OK. I think 130 is my ideal weight, but I might go up in weight in the future. We’ll see. I’m still young and I have a long career ahead of me.
“I used to watch tape of Maravilla when I was growing up. He inspired me to be serious about boxing. He was so good. It’s such of honor to be working with him. I respect him a lot.”
Juan Reyes
“I haven’t fought anybody that tall, but I have a good game plan. I know he’s a volume puncher, but that’s just going to get me excited. It’ll get my adrenaline pumping.
“I’m excited that I’m fighting on TV and in such special weekend, it’s the Boxing Hall of Fame. This is a dream come true. If I beat this guy it could change my life.”
Sergio Martinez – Jon Fernandez Co-Promoter
“Jon is a thinker. He knows when to attack and when to defend himself. He’s truly gifted.
“Some may draw comparisons of him with Paul Williams, but I fought Williams twice and let me tell you they are not alike. Paul was the type of fighter that would get in the ring and go from first, to second, to third gear without thinking. JonFer will read you, will go to whatever gear he needs to be to defeat his opponent. He has a very high boxing IQ.”
Chris Byrd – Diaz’s Trainer
“Joel is an aggressive machine, so my main focus has been on developing his defense. He’s a talented boxer, but his aggressiveness sometimes opens holes in his defense. In this training camp, we worked on that. We have a good strategy going.
“He already knew how to fight, but you just have to push him a little bit on defense. He’s still aggressive as ever, but he needed to think about what’s coming back at him.
“My main thing is life after boxing. I have two brothers that are messed up from boxing. That’s why I focus on defense so much. He has an aggressive style, but he also has talent, good feet and eye coordination. He’ll go on to do great things.
“You’re going to see something special. Regis is good, I give him props, but you’re going to see something special from Joel. And a great fight.”
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Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, @loudibella and @DiBellaEnt or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, and www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.