   “Night With Boxing Legends” NVBHOF Charity Fundraiser
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LAS VEGAS, NV (November 2, 2016) – Attendees for the November 4, 2016, “Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame” Pre-Fight Fundraiser, taking place after the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas weigh-in, have been announced.
The Pre-Fight “Night with Boxing Legends” fundraiser dinner will take place at Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar, located close to the Thomas & Mack Center. Ferraro’s will provide great food, cocktails & a beautiful atmosphere. Two tickets to the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jesse Vargas fight will be auctioned off at the event. All proceeds will go to help boxing organizations in Las Vegas. Don’t miss your chance to support a great cause and meet several Boxing Legends in this intimate setting.
 Each ticket, priced at $75 will include several selections of Ferraro’s Family Recipes of appetizers and one Beer or Wine cocktail.
Below is the list of boxing icons scheduled to present:
Badou Jack – Current WBC Super-Middleweight World Champion
Joel Casamayor – Former Super-Featherweight and Lightweight World Champion
James “Quick” Tillis – Former Heavyweight World Title Challenger
Mike McCallum – Former Light Middleweight, Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion
Shawn Porter – Former Welterweight World Champion
Layla McCarter – Multiple Division Women’s World Champion
Jorge Linares – Current WBC/WBA Lightweight World Champion
Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy – Current IBF Lightweight World Champion
Sharif “The Lion” Bogere – Former Lightweight World Title Challenger
Beibut Shumenov – Current WBA Cruiserweight World Champion
Leon Spinks – Former 2-time Heavyweight World Champion
Christy Martin – Former Women’s Super-Welterweight World Champion
Mark ‘Too Sharp’ Johnson – Former Multiple Division World Champion
Jeremy J-Flash Nichols – Undefeated Rising Start and Welterweight Sensation
Devin Haney – Undefeated Rising Star and Featherweight Sensation
Ashley Theophane – Former Super-Lightweight World Title Challenger
Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant – Undefeated Rising Start and Middleweight Sensation
Kevin Newman – Undefeated Rising Start and Super-Middleweight Sensation
Mikayla Nebel – Women’s Bantamweight Boxer
‘King’ David Sample – Former Lightweight World Title Challenger
Skipper Kelp – Former Welterweight World Title Contender
Tony Weeks – World Renowned Boxing Referee
Kenny Bayless – World Renowned Boxing Referee
Space is limited so be sure to get your tickets in advance to secure access. Please print your confirmation of purchase and bring it to the door for entry. Your purchase helps support the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, a non-profit organization. Once your tickets are purchased, there are no refunds. All media members planning to attend please contact Jon Hait at jhshark@aol.com.
WHO: Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, boxing champs and professionals
WHAT: Pre-fight fundraiser after the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jesse Vargas weight-in
WHY: Fundraising event to help charitable boxing organizations
WHEN: November 4, 2016 from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
WHERE: Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar
Location: 4480 Paradise Rd. Las Vegas, TX 89169 +
Tickets $75 –
For Media Credentials Contact: For Information And Sponsorship Opportunities Contact:
Media Coordinator Jon Hait Chief Executive Officer Michelle Corrales-Lewis
Email: jhshark@aol.com Email: michelle@nvbhof.com
Phone: (702) 277-1020 Phone: 702-3-NVBHOF (702-368-2463)
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Category Archives: boxing
Q&A WITH STEVE “SUPERMAN” BUJAJ
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Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev Media Workout Quotes & Photos
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
Credit: Craig Bennett/Main Events
Click Here for Photos – Credit Craig Bennett/Main Events
Oxnard, California: Yesterday, WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) held an open workout for members of the media in advance of his upcoming “Pound For Pound” showdown on November 19 against Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and distribute live by HBO Pay-Per-View. Also in attendance were Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (28-5, 21 KOs) who will take on James “The King” De La Rosa (23-4, 13 KOs) for the WBA Continental Americas Middleweight Title and Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) who will face Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) for the NABF Light Heavyweight Title on the Kovalev-Ward HBO Pay-Per-View telecast.
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
WBO, WBA, and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion
Kovalev: “I’m excited and everything is going good. I’m waiting for this day, November 19, and I am ready to fight.”
SK: “I don’t have anything personal about him (Ward). I should to win this fight, I only have to prove (to) myself who I am. I am fighting for me first of all, and after this really for boxing fans. This is my boxing career since 11 years old and right now Andre Ward (is) in my way. And he wants to get my titles but I’m still alive.”
SK: “I don’t have any plans for each fight, just get into the ring and do my job. I must be ready for everything what he (Ward) will bring.”
SK: “I got some experience from my fight against Bernard Hopkins. He showed that never give up. That you should to fight all 12 rounds and hope for your win.”
Question: Do you expect Andre Ward will hold you and use his head?
SK: “Yes I think he will use it and I am ready for this too. It will be wrestling and not fight [laughs].”
SK: “I think he (Ward) will look much better in my fight November 19 because he long time didn’t fight, couple years he had a rest and Sullivan Barrera was first fight when he returned. And with Alexander Brand he was better than against Sullivan Barrera. I accept that he’s going to look much better November 19. In best shape.”
SK: “John (David Jackson) just gives me freedom to do what I want, what I would like to do. You know, just like adjust some things and advice between rounds about technique. Working a lot with mitts. I like work with him and feel comfortable.”
SK: “I don’t think that Andre Ward (will) let me use a lot of body shots because he has great legs and a lot of movements. You know he’s very smart. And I think first part of this fight is going to be a lot mentally, but I should prove that I’m Krusher and that I’m going to do my job. He’s going to do his job, me to do my job.”
SK: “I think my last fight against Chilemba, it was like a similar fight you know, because Chilemba’s a little bit style as Andre Ward. But Andre Ward is Andre Ward, a little bit different and stronger, smarter, undefeated and more motivated than Chilemba. I’m interested what he will bring November 19 to the ring.”
SK: “We agreed two fights before our fight. I was ready last year to fight, but Andre wasn’t ready to fight without two fights at light heavyweight. We sign agreement that two more fights and then let’s fight in 2016.”
SK: “I work out morning time. After this some massage therapy, some treatments, after this some rest, little bit nap, cook the food, take a rest and go again to work out. Today two work outs, this was just the first. My plan was a little broke today because usually my first workout is morning time, but right now already almost 3pm. My interview is a workout [laughs].
Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens
WBA Continental Americas Middleweight Champion
Question: Do you want David Lemieux and the rematches?
Stevens: “We all know I want David Lemieux. The question is, is he willing to fight me? Who else? Tureano Johnson, he was winning the fight, but the fight wasn’t over until the final bell rung, and he got knocked out. Some people say it was a premature stoppage, but me, the ref say, you know… I want to be world champion. That was one of my goals, to become a world champion and become a unified world champion.”
Q: How do you feel about being part of this big card?
CS: “It feels great. Second big card of the year. The first one was Canelo–Khan and now Kovalev–Ward. Opened up the first one and now I’ll open up the second one. It’s a great feeling, great. I’m very honored. It’s a pleasure.”
Q: What are your thoughts on De La Rosa?
CS: “A fight is a fight. You can call it a stay busy fight, you can call it a real, well it’s a real fight in general, but you can call it what you want to call it. A fight is a fight at the end of the day.”
CS: “I’m a different type of breed. I come from Brownsville. I’m just a different type of guy. What people fail to realize is that some people wasn’t raised how I was raised. You know? I’m from an era where you sign up in the US Championships, the National Golden Gloves, you couldn’t pick who you wanted to fight. This isn’t a show fight; this is a tournament. First day you got your Andre Ward, you got Gennady Golovkin, you got your David Lemieux’s. I mean the first day! No finals, no nothing. I fought Ward three times, he gave me my first loss ever. Then the second time I fought him, it was a US Championship semi-finals, then the third one was the US Championship semi-finals again. You don’t know where you’re going to meet these guys at.”
CS: “I will always be the chin checkers, that’s what I do, I check in and I check out, I will always be that. I got rid of Showtime. Showtime’s a thing of the past, that’s when I was with my old team. I’m with JDJ now, I’m the Cerebral Assassin, I got to run this tight ship wisely, instead of recklessly. Wisely, get it?”
CS: “John (David Jackson) makes me more relaxed, you know? Let my hands go a little more. Tells me l’m powerful in both hands, so don’t just look to go in there and knock them out.”
Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk
NABF Light Heavyweight Champion
Gvozdyk: When I first started boxing it was for getting stronger. Then I liked it and it became a hobby. Now boxing is everything. It is my life. It is my job. It is my hobby.
Question: A lot of people don’t know you yet. What would you like them to know about yourself?
OG: I would like to become popular in the ring. I do my best and they supposed to watch it. I hope they’re going to like me.
OG: My nickname is “The Nail” and that is just a translation of my last name. I have had this nickname since I was ten years old so I am used to that. When I came here everyone started to call me that.
Q: Talk to us about your opponent.
OG: Chilemba is a very strong fighter. Very smart. He is skilled. He has good defense. It is not going to be easy. I am happy with my preparation so far and I am expecting a good fight.
Q: Talk about the transition you made from amateur to pro.
OG: Whether it is amateur or pro boxing, it is still boxing. You just have to get used to some different timing. You have to learn to distribute your power for ten or more rounds. You have to get more power in the pros but basically it is the same.
Q: Talk about your preparation for the fight and the dedication it takes in the gym every day to prepare to one day get to the level of Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward.
OG: I think that if you want to be champion you have to train hard. You are supposed to do your best and train as hard as possible. If you want to be the best, you have to fight the best and you have to train with the best. That is what I try to do. Now Sergey and Ward have both proved that they are the best fighters and now they get to find out who is Pound For Pound #1. I watch them and I try to do the same steps to be like them.
Q: Who do you think wins Kovalev-Ward?
OG: I think Kovalev wins. I know it is like 50-50 fight and it is a very interesting fight for me. It is a fight between intelligence and power.
Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos, JetLux and Monster Products. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.
Follow the conversation using #KovalevWard. FOLLOW US:
| www.kovalboxer.com | @KrusherKovalev | @SergeyKovalev_Official | /thekrusher | /kovalboxer |
| www.andresogward.com | @AndreWard | @AndreSogWard | /AndreSogWard | |
| www.mainevents.com | @Main_Events | @Main_Events | /MainEventsBoxing | /MEBoxingSeries |
| www.throneboxing.com | @RocNation | @RocNation | /RocNation | /RocNation |
| www.insidehboboxing.com | @HBOboxing | @HBOboxing | /HBOboxing | /HBOsports |
| www.mgmgrand.com | @MGMGrand | @MGMGrand | /MGMGrand | |
| www.t-mobilearena.com | @TMobileArena | @TMobileArena | /TMobileArena |
INDIO’S MANUEL MENDEZ IS READY FOR TV DEBUT AGAINST UNDEFEATED VITOR JONES FREITAS ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION TRIPLEHEADER THIS FRIDAY, NOV. 4, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
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WBC SILVER CHAMPION & WBC No. 1 RANKED LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT ELEIDER ALVAREZ IN ACTION DEC. 10
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TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION ANDRE WARD MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES AND PHOTOS
KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND”
SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19
AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®
Click HERE for Photos
Photo Credit: Khristopher Sandifer/Roc Nation Sports
OAKLAND, CA (November 1, 2016) – On Monday, October 31, 2016, Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) participated in a media workout in Hayward, California ahead of his pound-for-pound showdown against WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs). Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” takes place Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Ward put on a full workout session for the media in attendance, consisting of a series of shadow boxing, heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag and then stretching. Also on hand were youths from Camp Sweeney, Alameda County Probation Department’s residential facility in San Leandro, whom Ward spent time speaking with following the workout.
Below is what Ward had to say during the media workout:
ANDRE WARD, Two-Time World Champion:
“I feel that this fight with Kovalev is 50-50. That’s how I approach all of my big fights. I don’t go into the fight thinking, ‘I’ve got a clear-cut advantage here’ or ‘I’ve got to run through this guy.’ Personally, for me, I can’t roll like that. I’ve got to keep myself honest, stay on my grind, keep my head down and force myself to keep working. I truly believe Kovalev is everything they say he is, and I’m everything that I’ve shown over the years.
“There are always different game plans, nuances, different things you’re working on but I respect every fight that I fight. I don’t get caught up in the whole puncher thing, anybody can get you out of there if you get hit right. I don’t think I’d be sitting here in this position right now if I hadn’t had these highs and lows. We’ve got to find a way to get it done, and we’re going to find a way to get it done. I don’t care what he’s got in his gloves, who he’s knocked out or what he’s done. My job is to get my hand raised, and that’s what we’re focused on.
“I have days where I do some type of cardio in the morning – sprints, distant running – then go back to training camp to get some rest and eat. Then we come to the gym and spar and hit the heavy bag. It’s a monotonous process when you’re in training camp, and that’s pretty much every day. Of course we take days off to rest the body and be smart, but it’s really the same thing every day. As you get closer, you start to pull back a little bit so you don’t over train. That’s normally the week of the fight, so up until the Saturday before the fight, you’re full steam ahead. 100 miles an hour.
“Typically, Virgil and I will go through our process together. He watches a lot more film than I do. He’s up until 3:00 a.m.or 4:00 a.m. watching film. As I’ve gotten older, I watch less film. I don’t need to see 10 fights to see tendencies and certain things. I know what I need to see. I may go back and watch a round here and there, but I try and leave room for my instincts. I’m very instinctual. You’ve got to be able to think on the fly thinking on the highest level. I leave room for that. It’s not a checklist you go down. You can’t get into a ring thinking like that. I just believe that who I am and what I have is enough, and that’s what I’m standing on.
“Having young guys like Shakur Stevenson around, it starts to make me feel old because I used to be that guy at Roy Jones’s camp, Floyd Mayweather’s camp, hanging around Bernard Hopkins. You see yourself in them. It’s a little weird, because you’re like, ‘man, now I’m the OG.’ But it’s also a beautiful thing because we need more of that. We need champions and top contenders and just fighters in general to open up the door and allow the young guys on the way to be shown how it’s done.
“I’m honored for Claressa Shields to say that I am her idol. I admire her story, what she’s come from, and think that she’s amazing in the ring. She’s the real deal. I watch her, I pick up things from her. For her to have two Gold medals is amazing. For her to make her pro debut on this fight card is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I think it’s a perfect situation.
“It’s a beautiful thing to be fighting in Vegas. I’m excited. What better time than now in this stage in my career. I’m just excited to continue to prepare so I can do my part to give the fans their money’s worth, those that pay to be there and those paying to watch it. That’s what I’m focused on, and I’m extremely happy to be a part of it. T-Mobile is a new arena, and a new chapter, and to be a part of it is a beautiful thing.”
Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos and JetLux. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.
Follow the conversation using #KovalevWard. FOLLOW US:
| www.kovalboxer.com | @KrusherKovalev | @SergeyKovalev_Official | /thekrusher | /kovalboxer |
| www.andresogward.com | @AndreWard | @AndreSogWard | /AndreSogWard | |
| www.mainevents.com | @Main_Events | @Main_Events | /MainEventsBoxing | /MEBoxingSeries |
| www.throneboxing.com | @RocNation | @RocNation | /RocNation | /RocNation |
| www.insidehboboxing.com | @HBOboxing | @HBOboxing | /HBOboxing | /HBOsports |
| www.mgmgrand.com | @MGMGrand | @MGMGrand | /MGMGrand | |
| www.t-mobilearena.com | @TMobileArena | @TMobileArena | /TMobileArena |
Chicago Welterweight Looks to Defeat Another Unbeaten Boxer When He Faces Taras Shelestyuk in Main Event Of ShoBox: The New Generation Tripleheader, This Friday, Nov. 4, Live on SHOWTIME®
NEW YORK (Nov. 1, 2016) – Jimmy “The Truth” Herrera is accustomed to entering the ring as an underdog. The Chicago native is experienced in fighting favored prospects and contenders on the road and has had an inordinate success in these types of matchups, having defeated unbeaten prospects in four of his last nine fights.
So don’t expect Herrera (15-3-1, 8 KOs) to be in awe of his opponent, former Ukraine amateur standout and rising star, Taras Shelestyuk (14-0, 9 KOs) when they meet this Friday, Nov. 4, in the 10-round welterweight main event on ShoBox: The New Generationlive on SHOWTIME® (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) at Omega Products Event Center in Corona, Calif.
The 5-foot-10, 27-year-old Herrera has won three in a row and is 8-1-1 since dropping a close eight-round decision to Adrian Granados in February 2012. One of those victories was an upset seventh-round TKO over one-time highly ranked welterweight and world title challenger Mike “Machine Gun” Jones on Aug. 23, 2014.
Herrera is promoted by Hitz Boxing and co-managed by Cameron Dunkin and Mike Cericola.
Here are Herrera’s responses to a recent Q&A:
What are your thoughts going into your ShoBox debut?
“I’m always up for a challenge, so I’m really excited about this opportunity. I’m definitely ready to compete against another undefeated fighter. I’m coming to show my skills to the world and prove I’m a boxer you have to pay attention to.
“At this point of my career, I want to make a move fast while I’m young. I don’t just want to be a guy with a nice record. I truly believe in my skills and that I can reach the highest level.
“I’ve been getting great help with sparring with the best of the best in Chicago. Sam Colonna, George Hernandez and all the Chicago boxing coaches have been great mentors to me and I am very thankful.”
What do you know about Shelestyuk?
“He was a great amateur fighter and he’s a lefty. That’s pretty much all I need to know. The only thing I can give him is that he has experience, so I’ve got to be careful of that. But it’s nothing new – I’ve seen fighters like that.”
What kind of fight do you expect?
“I expect him to be a boxer with movement. I think he’ll try to box me. I’ll be coming forward, being aggressive. Then, we’ll see what his game plan is.”
What is the key to winning?
“It all depends on the pressure I can apply, throwing the right punches at the right time, the accuracy of my punches. Each punch has to have a purpose. I’m definitely more of a pressure guy. I like Gennady Golovkin’s style, Julio Cesar Chavez is my idol. That is the kind of style I try to fight with.”
On fighting on ShoBox for the first time?
“I’m definitely excited because I know a lot of people will be watching. I’m not nervous at all. The cameras, the bright lights, honestly, I don’t care about. My focus is totally on this fight. This is the type of fight that can open a lot of doors for me.”
Is this your biggest fight and do you feel pressure?
“Yes, definitely, this is my biggest fight — just for all the doors a win would open for me, all the possibilities. There’s no pressure on me. He’s the one representing his country with the weight on his shoulders. I’ve lost before, but that doesn’t make me an opponent.”
Are they making a mistake fighting you??
“I feel like they are making a mistake, but I also feel this is going to be a good test for him. I think Taras took the fight more for himself. But if he doesn’t know now about me, he’s going to find out.”
You boxed amateurs for one year and had 25 bouts. He was a 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist with a boatload of amateur accomplishments. How significant is the experience of fighting amateur?
“Personally, to me, the amateurs are not that important at all. It’s all irrelevant once you go pro. I know some great amateur boxers who made it after turning pro, and some who didn’t. It’s a whole different ballgame. As a pro, I believe I’ve fought better guys than he has. I’ve been tested way more than he has. You can’t take away what he did as an amateur, but fighting with the smaller gloves, with no headgear, is totally different.”
Undefeated cruiserweights Constantin Bejenaru (11-0, 4 KOs, 0-1-1 in World Series of Boxing), of Catskill, N.Y. by way of Moldova, and Steve “Superman” Bujaj (16-0-1, 11 KOs), of New York, will collide in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBC International WBC Continental Americas titles in the co-feature.
The nephew of popular former two-time lightweight world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas, undefeated lightweight Vitor Jones Freitas (12-0, 1 ND, 6 KOs), of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, will be opposed by local fan favorite Manuel Mendez (12-1-2, 8 KOs), of Indio, Calif., in an eight-round bout in the opening match of the telecast.
Tickets for the event promoted by Banner Promotions, Thompson Boxing, Hitz Boxing and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing are priced at $100 (ringside), $70 (reserved) and $50 (general admission) and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900.
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.
About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 67 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.
Danny Garcia & Omar Douglas Media Workout Quotes & Photos
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Joshua vs. Molina and Whyte vs. Chisora land on huge December 10 show
AJ welcomes American to Manchester – Whyte and Chisora meet for Brit belt – Yafai in World title action – Quigg returns
Anthony Joshua MBE is set to defend his IBF World Heavyweight title against Eric Molina at the Manchester Arena on December 10, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on Showtime in the U.S.
Joshua puts his crown on the line for the second time and fights his third American in a row having destroyed Charles Martin inside two rounds to rip the title from the St. Louis man in April at The O2 in London and then stopping Dominic Breazeale in the seventh round at the same venue in June, extending his unbeaten run in the paid ranks to 17 wins, all inside the distance.
Molina becomes the latest man to attempt to derail the Olympic Gold medal hero, the Texan is looking to get his hands on the top prize in his second World title tilt after challenging Deontay Wilder for the WBC crown in June 2015. The 34-year-old enters the bout full of confidence after travelling to Poland and knocking out Tomasz Adamek in the tenth round of their clash for the IBF Inter-Continental strap in April.
“I am pleased that everything is now set for December 10 and I can concentrate on getting the business done in the ring,” said Joshua. “There has been plenty of talk about who I may face but all I’m doing is concentrating on finishing Molina in style and putting on a great show.
“Every fight is dangerous in this division and this is no exception. I saw Molina have a great fight with Wilder and he is now coming off a strong KO win against Adamek in Poland.
“I’m expecting this to be the toughest fight of my career so far and I will be ready for an all-out war.”
“There is no Heavyweight in the world that has bounced back like I have,” said Molina. “That’s the man that Joshua faces on December 10, and that man is a very dangerous one.
“He’ll fight the toughest Molina that anybody has ever seen, just like Adamek fought the toughest Molina.
“I’m confident. These type of fights don’t shake me up, I’m a very strong mental fighter. I know exactly what I’ve got to do to prepare myself in the amount of time. I know exactly what I’ve got to do, mentally, physically, to go there and perform.
“When you walk out into the atmosphere, half the battle is the mental battle, and if you can stay in the moment mentally you have a shot in any fight.”
There’s a huge card in support of the main event as Dillian Whyte defends his British Heavyweight title against bitter London rival Dereck Chisora in an official eliminator for the WBC title. Whyte makes the second defence of his strap after seeing off fellow Brixton man Ian Lewison in Glasgow last month, while former World title challenger Chisora can get his hands on the Lord Lonsdale belt for the second time.
Scott Quigg returns to action after treatment on his broken jaw following his unification blockbuster with Carl Frampton, and the Bury star moves up to Featherweight as he looks to regain his status as a World champion.
Kal Yafai can become Birmingham’s first World champion but the unbeaten 27 year old faces a tough task to rip the WBA Super-Flyweight title against Luis Concepcion, the two-weight World champion that will enter the ring in his 11th World title outing.
Irish amateur sensation Katie Taylor boxes for the second time in the paid ranks after making her pro debut at The SSE Arena, Wembley on November 26, Heavyweight wrecking ball ‘King Kong’ Luis Ortiz fights in Europe for the second time after clashing with Malik Scott in Monte-Carlo on November 12 and Hosea Burton will defend his British Light-Heavyweight title against Frank Buglioni.
“The Heavyweight division has been turned on its head in the last few months and while many are standing still waiting, I’m delighted to get this huge card up and running in Manchester,” said promoter Eddie Hearn.
“I have spoken to Eric Molina at length and I know this is going to be a big test for Anthony. We saw in the Wilder fight that he can punch and doesn’t give in and is coming off a strong knockout win against Adamek in his back yard in Poland. We have requested an exception from the IBF for this fight and although the plans are for a major unification in the spring this fight requires Anthony’s full focus.
“The card is one of the strongest we have produced, supported by a huge all-British Heavyweight grudge match between Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora which will be an official eliminator for the WBC World title.
“We are delighted to see the return of Scott Quigg who will now campaign at Featherweight and Birmingham’s Kal Yafai has a chance to make history in a brutal fight against World champion Luis Concepcion.
“One of the most exciting Heavyweights in world boxing Luis Ortiz will feature and Ireland’s Katie Taylor will continue to break the mould in front of a sold out 21,000 crowd. The re-scheduled Britsih Light-Heavyweight clash between Hosea Burton and Frank Buglioni is sure to produce fireworks and there will also be further names added in the following weeks.”
Tickets go on sale to Matchroom Boxing Fight Pass members at midday on Thursday November 3 from the Fight Pass members via this link: bit.ly/JoshuaMolina. Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £300 and £500, with Inner Ringside VIP tickets priced at £800 – due to the high demand for the event, tickets are capped at FOUR per Fight Pass member.
Tickets go on general sale at midday on Friday November 4. Tickets priced £40 to £500 will be available from http://www.manchester-arena.com/ and on 0844 847 8000 VIP tickets are £800 and available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing www.matchroomboxing.com.
UNBEATEN WELTERWEIGHT TARAS SHELESTYUK SPARRING WITH SHANE MOSLEY FOR HIS SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION MAIN EVENT DEBUT THIS FRIDAY LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
“A lot of guys won’t spar with him. Guys are worried that he will make them look bad.” – Shane Mosley
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Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME
NEW YORK (Oct. 31, 2016) – Promising unbeaten 2012 Olympic Games Bronze Medalist Taras “Real Deal” Shelestyuk (14-0, 9 KOs) will make his main event debut when he faces upset-minded Jimmy Herrera in the 10-round featured attraction of a ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader this Friday, Nov. 4, live on SHOWTIME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from Omega Products International Event Center in Corona, Calif.
A 5-foot-10 up-and-coming rising star, Shelestyuk, of Los Angeles, is ranked No. 9 by the WBO and No. 13 in the WBA. Shelestyuk, who is making his second ShoBox start, averaged 85 punches a round en route to winning his ShoBox debut with a 10-round division over Aslanbek Kozaev on Nov. 6, 2015.
The dedicated, hard-working Shelestyuk, who is trained by Eric Brown and spars a few days a week with former world champion Shane Mosley, at Wild Card West in Santa Monica, Calif., possesses solid skills, movement and punching power.
Shelestyuk was a member of a vaunted 2012 Ukrainian Olympic team that included featherweight gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko and heavyweight gold medalist Oleksandr Usyk. The 30-year-old feels he’s still about a year away from competing against the best at 147 pounds and that he first must get by Herrera. But Mosley claims Shelestyuk reminds him of a bigger Lomachencko and believes he’s already ready for the top names in the welterweight division.
Herrera (15-3-1, 8 KOs), of Chicago, Ill., has defeated unbeaten prospects in four of last nine fights and is 8-1-1 overall since July 2012.
Shelestyuk, Brown and Mosley spoke to SHOWTIME after a recent workout. Here’s what they said:
TARAS SHELESTYUK:
What are your thoughts going into the fight?
“I’m very excited. It’s been six months since my last fight. It’s my first headline fight and hopefully not my last one.
“I’ve been putting in a lot of work in my training camp with my trainer Eric Brown, and with my physical conditioning coach. My opponent is a tough fighter. He’s had some good fights with guys like Mike Jones, Egidijus Kavaliauskas and a couple of other big guys. He likes to fight and I think it will be a good fight and a good matchup for our styles.”
You’re now a ranked fighter; are you happy with the pace of your progression?
“I’m happy with my progression but of course I want to fight bigger names in championship fights and all of that. I know it’s coming soon. I enjoy my way of training and developing my skills, but if you see your dream you do anything to reach it and don’t let anything get in your way.’’
What do you think of the welterweight division?
“It’s a very good division because there are a lot of fighters, but some don’t want to fight each other (very often). There are some very good championship fights to be made and hopefully I will be one of them.”
Why did you chose to move to Southern California?
“Well, [laughs] mainly because if the great weather, but this is also a good area with a lot of good fighters and a lot of good trainers as well. When I first moved here my manager invited me out and showed me around and I got in the gym right away. I was training with Ruslan Provodnikov and got some sparring in with him before a fight that he had and next thing you know, two weeks later I had my pro debut and now three-and-a-half years later here I am.’’
Is there pressure on you when you fight?
“I wouldn’t say I feel pressure because everyone around me is supporting me, they believe in me and I believe in them. My team believes in me and I trust them. I just want to do what I do in the ring, better. I want to do better for me, for my family and for my friends.’’
Do you follow your Olympic teammates?
“I watch fights of the Ukrainian Olympic Team, and I enjoy when the other guys win. We support each other and we call each other. It is good for there to be more Ukraine fighters who are champions now. Next year, I hope to be one of them.”
How did it feel going 10 rounds for the first time?
“Last year in November I had my first 10-round fight on ShoBox, I fought with a strong guy and he gave me a very good fight. I went the 10 rounds and I felt like I could still go two more. I am ready for 10, for 12, it doesn’t matter. I feel much better, much more powerful. I have more speed than I had in my last fight, too.”
How did you end up training with Eric?
“I trained with Freddie Roach for about two and a half years when I met Eric at Wild Card West Gym. I started sparring with some of his guys there. After my fight with Rodriguez on ESPN in 2015 I asked Eric to train me and we started working. Now that I’ve fought two fights with him as my trainer, I feel my boxing skills are better, I feel more powerful and I enjoy training in his gym.
“All of the trainers help us and they give us advice. On the days I spar with Shane Mosley he stops and gives me some advice. I learn a lot from him, being the fighting legend that he is. I grew up watching him fight as a kid and respect what he’s able to teach me. Then the next time I try what he has taught me and it works.”
Boxing is in your blood; your dad and brother boxed. When you were younger, did you think you were going to become a fighter?
“No, but my father pushed me in a lot of sports. I did gymnastics, soccer for five years, and played chess. I fought as a kid but it was always friendly. I always enjoyed the training aspect. To train for soccer sometimes my father and I would run barefoot in the snow and I enjoyed it. So, as a kid, when I first stepped into the boxing gym, it was just so much fun.’’
Your ShoBox fight falls on your father’s birthday; do you have a special present in mind for him?
“It makes me want to get the victory for him. On his day, he will be sitting and watching my fight so I want to get that victory for him, for my family and for the Ukraine.’’
ERIC BROWN, Shelestyuk’s trainer
What kind of camp has Taras had has had and what do you see happening on Friday?
“I see a lot of progression in Taras. When we first started working together, one of the things was that Taras always had great boxing ability, but he wasn’t a great finisher. I don’t know if he was gun shy or what it was but he had a tendency of using his talent to get people in trouble but then he would stand back and let them get back in the fight. So, what we’ve been working on a lot more is getting him to become a better finisher and recognize when he has his man in trouble and how to seize the moment, without being reckless at the same time. He’s improving at a fast pace.
“A lot of guys from Ukraine seem to have similar tendencies because they have long amateur careers and they start picking up bad habits that we need to correct. Taras had a little bit of that in him but he seems to be making the adjustments very well. He’s an extremely hard worker and you often have to tell him to slow down, you never have to tell him to do more.”
Where do you see him in his career as a welterweight?
“It’s a great division. I’d say that Keith Thurman tops it without a doubt now but there are good fighters like Shawn Porter too. If Mayweather decided to come back, I think he would be all over this division again. Canelo is a good super welterweight, but he’s too busy worrying about catch-weights. Undoubtedly in another year, I think Taras will be right there with the best of them. He’s got a lot of talent, great versatility, great hand speed and foot speed and he’s a good puncher. Not a devastating knockout puncher but a great puncher nonetheless with both hands.’’
SHANE MOSLEY, Former World Champion
How has it been working with Taras and how did you become involved in his training?
“I have been sparring with Taras and he’s looking really sharp. I’ve been sparring with him for about four or five months now pretty consistently because a lot of guys won’t spar with him. Guys are worried that he will make them look bad; he’s so technical and sharp that they don’t want to spar with him. So, I go in there with him a lot. It’s hard to get people to spar with him.’’
Where do you see him in the welterweight division?
“He’s on that championship path, that level, but I think once he gets there, he’ll get more sparring partners and will get even better. He really is a world champion, a world-class fighter. He reminds me of a bigger Lomachenko, sparring with him is just like that. I see him as a top welterweight champion. The way he throws his combinations, he’s a smart boxer who works out very hard. He’s at the gym every single day, whether he’s sparring or not, whether he has some training to do or not. He’ll even be here by himself just moving around and staying sharp. His work ethic is really, really strong.
How do you like working with Taras?
“I like Taras and I enjoy working with him. He’s extremely dedicated and that’s hard to find. I like Taras’ work ethic, his personality, how he takes to boxing. He loves this sport and he wants to be the best. He doesn’t like to lose, even in sparring. I’m impressed with him. When I sparred with him for the first time I was very impressed at his swing, his power, his ring accuracy, his IQ of boxing. I was impressed with how hard he worked and his willingness to learn.’’
Do you find it unusual for guys to be as dedicated as Taras at this point in their careers?
“It’s unusual in the sense that a lot of fighters want to learn from the top guys but it seems to me with Taras that it’s not fake. He truly does want to learn about boxing so that he can be the best. He wants to become a world champion and is working to become one of the best. If you put Taras in the ring with any big name today and I’d say he would take the victory. He has a sound mind. He has the mentality to be at the top. He’s serious about being the world champion, about being the top fighter. He’s serious about winning and he’s going to take it all the way to the end. If you put this guy against Thurman, I’d go with him. I think he beats Thurman right now.’’
Tickets for the event promoted by Banner Promotions, Thompson Boxing, Hitz Boxing and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing are priced at $100 (ringside), $70 (reserved) and $50 (general admission) and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900.
In the ShoBox co-feature, undefeated cruiserweights Constantin Bejenaru (11-0, 4 KOs, 0-1-1 in World Series of Boxing), of Catskill, N.Y. by way of Moldova, and Steve “Superman” Bujaj (16-0-1, 11 KOs), of New York, will collide in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBC International and WBC Continental Americas titles. Unbeaten lightweight Vitor Jones Freitas (12-0, 1 ND, 6 KOs), of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, will be opposed by local fan favorite Manuel Mendez (12-1-2, 8 KOs), of Indio, Calif., in an eight-round bout in the opening bout of the telecast. Freitas, 23, is the nephew of popular former two-time lightweight world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas.
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.