Category Archives: boxing

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Long Island favorite Tommy “Razor” Rainone looking for big win this Saturday night in boardwalk debut

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Rainone to take on Maurice Chalmers this Saturday at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City

Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna battles Kendal Mena in main event
For Immediate Release
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (March 15, 2016)–This Saturday night at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, Long Island based welterweight Tommy Rainone makes his debut on the boardwalk when he battles Maurice Chalmers in a eight round bout in a featured undercard bout of a 11-bout card promoted by Rising Promotions and Vincent M.Ponte’s Gulfstream Promotions.
In the main event, Thomas LaManna takes on Kendal Mena in a eight round welterweight bout.
Rainone has a record of 24-7-1 with with five knockouts has long been a fan favorite in the Empire state, and the fight with Chalmers will fulfill a venue that has been on the 36 year-old’s bucket list.
“I have fought in Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium, The Legendary Blue Horizon and Las Vegas.  I have been wanting to fight in Atlantic City for a long time and Saturday it finally happens,” said Rainone.
What makes Rainone’s career even more fascinating is that he works a full-time job overnight working for Hilton Hotels in the accounting the department.
That makes for long days, working until the early morning, getting just a few hours of sleep and then going to the gym before his overnight shift.
“I have not had a day off in seven weeks, but I will be ready to go on Saturday night.  I have had pretty good training and sparring. Now I am just maintaining my weight “
In Chalmers, he is facing a veteran who has a record of 14-12-1 with eight knockouts.  Chalmers has knocked off three undefeated fighters, but Rainone is confident that his skills and preparation will be enough to get his hand raised.
“I have seen him once in person.  He defeated an undefeated guy and he was very aggressive that night.  I have seen other fight’s where he sits back and is a counter puncher.  I prepare for anything.”
Since turning professional in 2006, Rainone has been an instant fan favorite, and he feels he owes a lot of support to the many supporters who have stuck by him through his whole career.
“Without a fan base, you don’t get fights.  I will have 100 or so fans down in Atlantic City.  I owe everything to them.”
Rainone believes his popularity is due large in part to him being just an “everyday guy” and his fans can relate to him.
“I always put on a good fight, but I am relate able.  After the fights, I hang out with everybody.  I am humble and I show the fans how much I appreciate him.”
In his last bout, Rainone took one of the step up fights that could have set him up for a major opportunity when he took on former junior middleweight champion Ishe Smith.
Rainone came up just short in that fight, but Rainone wanted to test himself against the former world champion.
“That fight was a tall order.  Ishe is the bigger man and a former world champion.  I am not a junior middleweight.  I tried very hard and I knew if I had won that fought, I would have been ranked in the top-ten.”
Rainone is only planning to fight another couple of years and he still has the goals of every fighter, but he is taking his career fight by fight.
“The goal is one fight at a time.  I am excited to fight in Atlantic City.  I want to fight at Barclays Center and again in Madison Square Square Garden as well fighting for a title back in Atlantic City.”
“I have done this the hard way throughout my career.   I do not know who has done it the way I have.  I have done this on my own without any alliance or any promoter and I am very proud what I have accomplished and I still have more to do.”
Tickets for the March 19th fight card are $50 GA,  $75 Stage (very few remaining)& $125 VIP (SOLD OUT) (Booths of 5 available for $500—SOLD OUT) and are available at RisingBoxingPromotions.com or 609-487-4444.
The Claridge Hotel is located at  123 S. Indiana Ave. Atlantic City NJ

Facebook.com/risingstarboxing
Instagram: @risingpromo

About Rising Promotions:
Rising Promotions was created with the intent of becoming a house hold name with the key objective of Rising Promotions being able to coordinate an array of diversified special events within the sports and entertainment industry, The CEO and partners at Rising Promotions feel that the opportunities for growth are endless. We would like to give opportunities to up and coming professional as well as amateur boxers that other promoters would not readily give opportunity to. The events that Rising plans to coordinate will provide much needed affordable, family-friendly sports entertainment.
boxing, Showtime Boxing

WBC FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION GARY RUSSELL JR. DEFENDS AGAINST IRELAND’S PATRICK HYLAND IN MAIN EVENT OF SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® DOUBLEHEADER ON SATURDAY, APRIL 16 FROM FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO IN MASHANTUCKET, CT

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IBF Super Featherweight World Champion Jose Pedraza Takes On Liverpool’s Stephen Smith In Co-Feature
 
 Live On SHOWTIME® At 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
 
Tickets on Sale Now!
 
MASHANTUCKET, CT (March 15, 2016) – Gary Russell Jr. will return to the ring to defend his WBC Featherweight World Title against Irish contender Patrick Hyland on Saturday, April 16, live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT) from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.
In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, undefeated IBF Super Featherweight World Champion Jose Pedraza will defend against mandatory challenger Stephen Smith.
Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) will be making the first defense of his featherweight world title that he earned after stopping defending champion Jhonny Gonzalez in the fourth-round last March. He was set to defend last November, but was forced to withdraw due to a training injury. If he can get by the extremely motivated Hyland (31-1, 15 KOs), Russell Jr. is in line for big fights with fellow champions and top contenders such as Leo Santa Cruz, Lee Selby, Abner Mares and Carl Frampton.
“I’m excited about being back in the ring,” said Russell. “It’s been a year because of an injury, but I’m feeling great and more ready than ever. I’ll be prepared for anything. I’m looking forward to meeting Mr. Hyland on the 16th and I’m ready to prove I’m the best featherweight in the world.”
“This is a fantastic opportunity to fight for the WBC title, one of the belts that I’ve always wanted to hold,” said Hyland. “It means the world to me to be fighting for this title against a real champion like Gary Russell Jr. I think he’s a great fighter who does everything well so I have to be at my best on fight night. But I know I can beat him and take that belt home to Ireland. I’m just a lad from Jobstown in Tallaght who works hard and loves the fight game. I’ve been trained all my life by my father, may God rest him, and to win a world title will make all of his hard work and effort worthwhile.”
Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) won his 130-pound world title last June when he dominated Andrey Klimovto capture the vacant belt, and he successfully defended it last October in an exciting battle againstEdner Cherry. Both bouts aired on SHOWTIME. Now he faces the mandatory challenger in Smith(23-1, 13 KOs), who has won 11 straight bouts and may present the toughest challenge of Pedraza’s burgeoning career.
“I am in excellent condition, had an extraordinary training camp and am anxious to demonstrate my skills in the ring on April 16,” said Pedraza. “I am truly looking forward to entertaining the fans in attendance and remaining undefeated as I defense my crown against Smith. I am determined to become the next big star out of Puerto Rico.”
“I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity, but the timing couldn’t be better,” said Smith. “I’m excited to get the opportunity to win the world title live on Sky Sports in the UK and on SHOWTIME in America. Pedraza is a quality fighter but I know I will do whatever is needed to become world champion on April 16 and I can’t wait.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $150, $90 and $45 not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available atwww.ticketmaster.com and www.foxwoods.com or by visiting the Foxwoods’ Box Office. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. The Pedraza vs. Smith bout is promoted in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Universal Promotions and Matchroom Boxing.
“This SHOWTIME doubleheader is a can’t-miss event,” said Lou DiBella, Presidentof DiBella Entertainment. “In Russell-Hyland, you have one of the most gifted fighters in all of boxing defending his title against a hungry and tough-as-nails Irishman in the biggest fight of his career. Pedraza is looking to make a statement against Smith, Britain’s number one contender, and to follow in the footsteps of past Puerto Rican superstars.”
A speedy and supremely talented boxer, Russell Jr., was impressive in his fourth-round stoppage of the battle-tested Gonzalez last March. The 2008 U.S. Olympian had scored important victories overVyacheslav Gusev, Juan Ruiz, and Miguel Tamayo before losing a majority decision to Vasyl Lomachenko for the WBO 126-pound title in June 2014. The southpaw, of Capitol Heights, Md., was able to return to his winning ways with a unanimous decision over Christopher Martin that December prior to his coronation against Gonzalez, whom he dropped three times en route to capturing the title.
Leading into his last fight on Oct. 10, in Lowell, Mass., Ireland’s Hyland was dealing with heavy emotions following the death of his beloved father and longtime trainer, and the birth of his first son. The 32-year-old remained steadfast, fighting in memory of his father to stop David Martinez in the eighth round. It was his fourth consecutive victory since suffering his lone defeat, a close and competitive loss to the unbeaten Javier Fortuna for the interim WBA World Featherweight Title in December 2012. Now, presented with another world title opportunity, Hyland seeks to honor his father’s legacy by bringing the championship back home.
The switch-hitting former Puerto Rican Olympian Pedraza backed up his “The Sniper” moniker against Klimov as he picked apart the Russian with superior speed and accuracy on his way to a world title. Pedraza earned a shot at the title in his previous bout with a career-best win over former world title challenger Michael Farenas. The 26-year-old will have title unification on his mind if he can conquer his mandatory opponent on April 16.
Part of a fighting family, Smith’s brothers Callum, Liam and Paul all fight professionally at a high level and he hopes to join Liam as a fellow world champion on April 16. The 30-year-old has fought professionally since 2008 and his only blemish came against featherweight world champion Lee Selby in 2011. Smith earned his title shot with a sixth-round stoppage of Devis Boschiero in September 2015 and will be making his U.S. debut at Foxwoods.
For more information, visit www.SHO.com/Sports, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @MrGaryRussellJr, @PajPunisher, @Sniper_Pedraza, @SwiftySmith, @LouDiBella, @FoxwoodsCT and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports,and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.
boxing, ShoBox, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

PAUL WILLIAMS RETURNS TO BOXING AS A TRAINER

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FORMER WORLD CHAMPION TO TRAIN PROSPECT JUSTIN DELOACH

IN FOURTH FIGHT ADDED TO FRIDAY, MARCH 25,

SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION TELECAST

 

“I’m scared all over again, like this is my first fight.” – Paul Williams

 

Super Welterweight DeLoach Takes on Undefeated Local Favorite Dillon Cook;

Promising  Meets Aaron Herrera in Main Event;

Live on SHOWTIME® At 10:30 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (March 15, 2016) – Former two-time world champion Paul Williams, who’s pro career came to a sudden and tragic end when he was paralyzed from the waist down after a motorcycle accident in May 2012, is back in boxing as a trainer.

 

The popular Williams will work the corner of once-beaten Justin DeLoach (13-1, 7 KOs) when DeLoach faces undefeated super welterweight and local favorite Dillon Cook (16-0, 6 KOs) in the opening eight-round bout of what is now a ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader on Friday, March 25, live onSHOWTIME (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.

 

DeLoach is the first boxer to be trained by Williams, the former 154-pound southpaw who has been confined to a wheelchair since the accident.

“I guess I was being selfish at first,” Williams said.  “I didn’t want to deal with the fight game.  I wanted to be the one fighting.  But that changed.”

 

Williams was reluctant to train fighters for a long time.  It wasGeorge Peterson, who managed and trained Williams from the time the boxer was a skinny kid with little amateur experience until his career ended, that helped persuade “The Punisher” to return to the ring.  Williams trains his pupil at a private gym in his hometown of Aiken, S.C.

 

“You know me, I really didn’t want to do this,’’ Williams said. “But finally after three or four years of George practically begging me to try and do it, this opportunity came along and I decided to give it a shot.

 

“Everything is about timing.  I started thinking about it, George kept asking me and messing with me about it, one thing led to another, and I finally said I’d take a stab at it.
Williams, who is enjoying his new job description, admits there are some pre-fight jitters.

 

“I’m scared all over again, like this is my first fight.  Now, I have to think about everything that Mr. Pete was thinking about when I was fighting.  I have to try and teach Justin what I knew how to do.

 

“George and I accomplished a lot.  He made me a world champion; before that, no one knew who he or I was.  We were just a couple of guys from Aiken, S.C.  We gave fans fights to remember.

 

“I was the fighter the press labeled as ‘Most feared in boxing.’  But that’s over for me now.  I’m jumping into a whole new thing.  It’s been an adjustment but I’m glad I’m doing it.’’

 

In his role as a trainer, Williams’ mindset has changed drastically from his fighting days.  “Look, I always feel good,’’ he said.  “What’s happened has happened.  It is what it is.  This is my first time stepping back into the world.  I love boxing.

 

“What I don’t want to see is a fighter getting hurt.  This is a hard sport.  I know when I was in there I was always going for broke.  But I want Justin, all fighters actually, to come out of the ring the same way they came in.  Win or lose, I don’t want to see anybody get hurt.’’

 

On DeLoach, Williams said, “He’s a good fighter and now he’s in the spotlight.  I want to do my best in the training world to get him at his peak.  I hope he does his best.  I’d love to one-up George with Justin.’’

 

Becoming the best takes strenuous work on a daily basis, and Williams was no stranger to putting in the hours.

 

“I never took a shortcut,’’ he said.  “You take shortcuts, you know what’ll happen.  I took the long road home when I was fighting and fans, fighters, everybody knew what to expect when I stepped in the ring.

 

“Justin isn’t like this, but one thing I know is that fighters think they’re slick.  Well, you can’t pull anything over me.  I’ve been there, seen it all.’’

 

And, as always, he’ll have George Peterson by his side.

 

“I’m just helping Paul,’’ said Peterson, who will serve as Williams’ assistant trainer. “So far, he’s doing great.”

 

It will be the ShoBox and 2016 debuts — and toughest fight to date — for both DeLoach and Cook.

 

DeLoach was a top amateur, competing in the USA Boxing National Championships in 2012.  He won a National Silver Golden Gloves title when he was 13.

 

The 22-year-old DeLoach, of Augusta, Ga., has won three in a row since suffering his lone loss to Cesar Villa on Feb. 6, 2015.  That was before he started training with Williams.

 

“This has been a total blessing, and I say that every day,” DeLoach said.  “Thank God.  He’s the one who brought the two of us together, that’s the main thing.  Paul loves it, just to be back.  I think he was scared at first, his reputation was at stake and so was mine.

 

“But he’s been so helpful – just in the mental side of things. I was already a good boxer but he’s taken me to another level mentally. He’s been pushing me, criticizing me, giving me instructions and picking my brain.”

 

DeLoach and Williams grew up just 30 minutes down the road from each other.

 

“Me and Paul, we’ve known each other our whole lives,’’ DeLoach said. “I’m from Augusta, Ga., and he was right across in Aiken.  We knew each other when I was coming up as an amateur.  He came to my last pro fight that was in San Antonio.  When I saw him, I got so excited.  We started to talk and I said something like, ‘Hey, Paul, wouldn’t it be cool if we got together?’

 

“Once I came home, we started working together and he’s been training me since.  I think we’re going on about three months now.  It’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to work with one of my favorite fighters.”

 

In his last outing, DeLoach won a shutout four-round decision overSantos Benavides last Dec. 12. DeLoach, a pro since March 2013, fought six times that year and four times each in 2014 and 2015.

 

“I’m really looking forward to fighting for the first time for him,” DeLoach said.  “I’ve gone crazy waiting for my break and an opportunity like this to fight on SHOWTIME.  I know it’s not easy fighting in your opponent’s backyard, but with Paul, George Peterson and me and my skills, we are confident it will be a good fight.’’

 

Cook, 25, is from Seneca, Mo., which is located about 20 minutes from Buffalo Run Casino where he has fought six times. A top amateur, he won six Golden Gloves titles, a Junior Golden Gloves National title, a Heartland title and four regional Silver Gloves titles.  He is popular at Buffalo Run and will be making his premium network television debut against easily his most dangerous assignment as a pro. Cook’s brother, Jesse, a welterweight with a record of 15-1-1, will box on the non-televised portion of the event.

 

Dillon Cook turned pro in August 2012, fought twice that year, seven times in 2013, four times in 2014 and three times last year. Five of his last seven took place at Buffalo Run, including two out of three in 2015. He’s coming off a lopsided eight-round decision overRahman Yusubov last Nov. 14.

 

“I couldn’t be more excited about making my ShoBox debut, right at home, at the Buffalo Run Casino,” Cook said.  “This is a huge opportunity for me, and I plan on putting on a spectacular showing, for all my fans there that night and everyone watching on TV.”

 

In the ShoBox main event, unbeaten super lightweight knockout artist and emerging rising star, Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (16-0, 13 KOs), Houston by way of New Orleans, will meet experienced Aaron “The Jewel” Herrera (29-4-1, 18 KOs), of Valladolid, Mexico, in a 10-round match.

 

Four undefeated fighters will clash in the two other eight-rounders on the telecast: Hard-hitting Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk (9-0, 8 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., faces Nicholas “King Beamen” Givhan(16-0-1, 10 KOs), of Kalamazoo, Mich., in a super lightweight scrap and Ukrainian Ivan “The Volk” Golub (10-0, 8 KOs, 5-0 in World Series of Boxing), of Brooklyn, N.Y., meets Marlon Aguas (9-0, 6 KOs), of Quito, Ecuador, in a welterweight match.

 

Tickets for the event promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Tony Holden Productions are priced at $45, $55 and $75 and are available for purchase at buffalorun.com and at stubwire.com.

 

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside withSteve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall withRich 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 65 fighters who have appeared onShoBox 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.

boxing

AWE–A Wealth of Entertainment continues to bring knockout fights to Boxing fans

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Lucas Browne’s stunning title winning effort was shown live on AWE–A Wealth of Entertainment
 

San Diego, CA – March 14, 2016 – On March 5th in Grozny, Russia Lucas Browne captured the WBA Heavyweight championship with a stunning tenth round stoppage over reigning champion Ruslan Chagaev.
It was a stunning finish to a great fight that saw the WBA Heavyweight change hands.
The bout was seen live and exclusively in the United States on AWE-A Wealth of Entertainment.
The fight was just the latest in great & significant fights that have been broadcasted live on AWE.
AWE has successfully brought boxing fans some of the best and brightest championship bouts from around the globe and with more terrific bouts on the horizon, the network is in the process of securing a plethora of world title and meaningful bouts for 2016.
“Browne and Chagaev was a great Heavyweight championship brawl,” said AWE President Charles Herring.  “The division has not had a championship fight like that in a long time and we are very happy that the viewers of AWE were able to watch it.  Browne now becomes a serious player in the Heavyweight division.  These are the important fights that we at AWE are looking to bring to the great boxing fans in the United States and we will have some announcements real soon about some more championship bouts that we will be televising.”
boxing

KO Artist Jonathan Guzman to Face Daniel ‘Bad Boy’ Rosas for IBF #2 Position at Super Bantamweight on April 29

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Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing proudly announces the IBF has agreed to sanction a super bantamweight voluntary elimination fight between their #7 contender Jonathan Guzman and #14, Daniel Rosas for the #2 position in their ratings.
Under the IBF rules criteria, two of the top five available contenders can compete in a voluntary elimination fight for the second-highest spot in the ratings. Guzman (20-0, 20 KOs) from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Rosas (20-2-1, 12 KOs) from Mexico City, are Sampson Boxing promotional stablemates. The bout is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, 2016, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
“I am excited about the opportunity for both my fighters,” said Sampson Lewkowicz. “My congratulations to both of them. May the best man win and take over the #2 spot with a great organization like the IBF.”
All the necessary contract have already been signed, in compliance with the IBF rules.
About Sampson Boxing
After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.
Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.
boxing, Roc Nation

Non-Televised Undercard Fights For Andre Ward vs. Sullivan Barrera March 26 + In-Arena Entertainment

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ROC NATION SPORTS ANNOUNCES NON-TELEVISED UNDERCARD FIGHTS

FOR ANDRE WARD VS. SULLIVAN BARRERA

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN ON SATURDAY, MARCH 26

AT ORACLE ARENA IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

 

WARD VS. BARRERA AND JOSEPH DIAZ JR. VS. JAYSON VELEZ TELEVISED

LIVE ON HBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® BEGINNING AT 9:45 p.m. ET/PT

 

SWAY CALLOWAY & DJ FRANZEN TO PROVIDE

IN-ARENA ENTERTAINMENT BETWEEN BOUTS

 

NEW YORK, NY (March 14, 2016) – A slate of six non-televised undercard bouts will serve as support when Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) faces undefeated and number one rated IBF light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round IBF number one position and mandatory position eliminator at Oracle Arena in Ward’s hometown of Oakland, California on March 26.  Opening the HBO® telecast will be Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Jayson Velez in a 10-round fight NABF Featherweight title fight.

 

In addition to the exciting televised lineup, some of boxing’s hottest rising stars will be featured on the non-televised undercard including Roc Nation Sports standouts Maurice Hooker, Daniel Franco, Rudy Puga Jr. and Junior Younan along with 2008 Olympic Super Heavyweight Silver Medalist Zhang Zhilei and local favorite Aaron Coley who will all see action on March 26.

 

Roc Nation Sports will bring names from the entertainment world to the event as well, including notable event emcee, SiriusXM/Shade 45 morning show host of Sway in the Morning, Executive Producer and talent for VH1 & MTV and Oakland-native Sway Calloway, who will serve as the event’s host, and hit master DJ Franzen, resident DJ at Las Vegas’ Hot 97.5 and Drais Nightclub.  Sway and Franzen will entertain together throughout the night to keep fans entertained between bouts at Oracle Arena.

 

Tickets priced at $300, $150, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com (bit.ly/WardBarreraTix) and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

 

On March 26, NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (19-0-2, 14 KOs) risks his unbeaten record against Wilfrido “La Roca” Buelvas (17-5, 11 KOs) of Barranquilla, Colombia in a ten-round junior welterweight bout.  Hooker, rated number seven by the WBO, is coming off of a career-best win on October 17, 2015 against his toughest opponent to date in Ghislain Maduma (17-2, 11 KOs) at Madison Square Garden.  Hooker successfully defended his NABO title with the 10-round decision win over Maduma on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin vs. David Lemieux in a fight that was featured on the event’s “freeview” in the United States and streamed online around the world.  Buelvas, a former WBA Fedebol champion, has won two of his last three bouts by knockout and fought Humberto Soto for the WBC Silver International Super Lightweight title in 2014, going the 12-round distance before losing a decision to the former World Champion.

 

Born and raised in Oak Cliff, Texas, a rough suburb of Dallas, Hooker found a boxing home at Maple Avenue Boxing Gym by way of an outreach program for at-risk youths.  His natural talent was soon noticed resulting in him competing as an amateur, during which time he participated in over 100 fights, compiling a record of 97 wins and only 7 losses, with 67 victories coming by way of knockout.  Hooker turned professional on April 29, 2011, taking on the vastly more experienced Tyrone Chatman (7-1, 5 KO’s) at the Orpheum Theater in St. Louis. After four rounds, the judges saw the fight 40-36, 37-39 and 38-38, making the fight a split draw.  Undeterred, in his next fight on June 24, 2014, Hooker scored his first professional win, knocking out Wilbert Mitchell in the first round at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas.  Eleven wins (eight by knockout) later, he took on undefeated Abel Ramos (8-0, 4 KO’s) on January 17, 2014 in a bout that was featured on ShoBox from the Cook Convention Center in Memphis.  After eight close, hard-fought rounds, the judges saw the fight a draw.  Hooker followed the draw with a six-round unanimous decision win over Adrian Rodriguez Garza (8-2, 6 KO’s) on April 26 at Fitzgerald’s Casino and Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi.  Four consecutive knockout victories would follow before he took on fellow undefeated prospect Eduardo Galindo (10-0-1, 7 KO’s) on June 26, 2015 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas for the vacant NABO Junior Welterweight Championship.  “Mighty Mo” did not disappoint his legion of hometown fans who saw him capture the title with a sixth round technical knockout victory.

 

Hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, California and fighting out of the boxing hotbed of Oxnard, undefeated Daniel “Twitch” Franco (12-0-3, 7 KO’s) meets Mexican veteran German “Panteonero” Meraz(52-37-1, 30 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout on March 26.  Featured for the second time on a Ward undercard, the sharp-boxing Franco will look to improve on his undefeated record against an opponent with literally six times his pro boxing experience.  Meraz is only 29 years old but has already logged an amazing 90 professional bouts and has won four of his last six fights by knockout.  He has fought current World Champion Juan Carlos Payano, Three-Time U.S. Olympian Rau’shee Warren and highly-touted prospect Gervonta Davis, going the distance with all three.

 

Franco began boxing at the age of eight, amassing an amateur record of 67-15, winning the Oxnard PAL Championship in 2006 and the California State Silver Gloves Championship in 2007 along the way.  During Franco’s professional debut on December 18, 2010, he defeated Emanuel Machorro at Club 401 in Ontario, California via a third round technical knockout.  Despite being enrolled as a full-time student at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, Franco impressed early in his career, compiling an undefeated record with two draws in venues throughout California by the end of 2013.  One of those draws came against Alejandro Ochoa at Quiet Cannon in Montebello, California on September 20, 2013, but in a rematch three months later, Franco outmatched Ochoa scoring a six-round unanimous decision victory at Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.  On June 20, 2015, during Ward’s return to the ring at Oracle Arena, Franco saw action in an eight-round junior lightweight bout against Jonathan Alcantara and won by unanimous decision.  A hand injury suffered in that bout kept Franco out of action until December 21when he scored a decision victory over Hector Garcia in Tijuana, Mexico.

 

A promising unbeaten prospect from Salinas, California, Rudy “The Revelation” Puja. Jr. (7-0, 6 KOs)looks to extend his undefeated streak against Carlos “Kalimba” Lozano (7-5, 4 KOs) of Ensenada, Mexico in a six-round middleweight bout.  Puga turned in a career-best performance in his last match-up on February 12 in knocking out Alejandro Osuna (4-2, 2 KO’s) in two rounds at the Double Tree Hotel in Ontario, California.  Now, just a little over a month later, “The Revelation” will step into the ring against a tough opponent in Lozanao, a southpaw who has never been stopped and already has a ten-round decision victory under his belt.

 

Having compiled an exceptional amateur record of 99-8, Puga made his professional debut on September 2, 2011, scoring a fourth round technical knockout victory over Raul Talamontes at the Sports Complex in his hometown.  Back in the ring less than two months later, Puga Jr. raised his record to 2-0 with a first round technical knockout of Jose Jesus Hurtado at the Sherwood Inn in Salinas.  In June 2012, he sent Thomas Turner to the mat four times in scoring a second round technical knockout win at the Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.  After a little more than a year away from the ring, he rededicated himself to the “sweet science” with a vengeance and on February 17, 2014, Puga Jr. made his comeback stopping Charon Spain in the third round with an overpowering body shot at the Salinas Storm House in his native Salinas.  Promotional issues kept Puga Jr. out of the ring for the next year and injuries led to a slow 2015, but Puga Jr. scored a a fourth round technical knockout win over of Katrell Straus on April 24 and a six-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Rojas on November 21, both fights taking place at the Double Tree Hotel in Ontario, California.

 

Brooklyn’s 20-year-old, undefeated Junior “The Young God” Younan (7-0, 6 KO’s) returns to the ring on March 26 after a nine-month layoff to take on Cristian Solorzano (4-7, 3 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico in a four-round super middleweight fight.  Younan has battled multiple nagging injuries since scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Mike Sawyer on the Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale undercard on June 6, 2015 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.  Now 100 percent healthy, Younan looks to make Solozano his third straight knockout victim.  Solorzano, a naturally bigger fighter, has campaigned in the light heavyweight division and is coming off of a knockout win.

 

Younan, trained by his father Sherif, a former professional boxer himself, began fighting competitively at age eight and only two years later was called a “boxing prodigy” by the New York Times.  He compiled an amateur record of 90-5, racking up an impressive series of titles along the way including nine Junior Olympic championships, nine Junior Metro championships, eight New York State Silver Gloves championships and five Regional Silver Gloves championships.  In 2011, he was crowned National Junior Golden Gloves champion and was U.S.A. Boxing’s number one rated junior boxer in his weight class.  Less than a month after his 18th birthday, Younan made his professional debut on November 9, 2013, at the Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn, New York, stopping Kenneth Schmitz in the first round.  Younan would go on to knockout his next three opponents before going the distance for the first time against Azamat Umarzoda on July 2, 2014 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.  He followed that fight with a first round knockout of Marlon Farr on August 13 the BB King Blues Club and Grill in New York on August 13.

 

Chinese heavyweight Zhang “Big Bang” Zhilei (7-0, 4 KOs) joins the undercard on March 26 in a four-round bout against an opponent yet to be determined.  The Silver Medalist from the 2008 Beijing Olympics continues to infuse excitement into the heavyweight division and is coming off of a first round technicalknockout win over David Koswara on February 20 at the Lanzhou Sports Arena in Lanzhou, China.

 

Born on May 2, 1983 in Henan, Zhang began his amateur career in 2003, participating in the World Championships.  A breakthrough came in 2007 at the World Championships where Zhang defeated the trio of Nurpais Torobekov, Rustam Rygebayev and Daniel Beahan en route to the semifinals where he lost to Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov.  By capturing a bronze medal and finishing the competition in third place, he qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.  The Chinese powerhouse nearly reached the zenith of amateur success in the summer of 2008, entering the super heavyweight finals at the Summer Olympics in Beijing against Italy’s Roberto Cammarelle.  It was not to be as Zhang suffered his first defeat of that Olympiad, losing to Cammarelle, but proudly adding to the host country’s medal total with a Silver.  In 2009, Zhang captured a gold medal at the China National Games, an event of equal prestige to the Olympics in China.  2013 saw yet another gold medal winning performance in the China National Games, setting the stage for “Big Bang” to embark on a professional career while basing himself in the United States.  On August 8, 2014, Zhang made his professional debut by scoring a first-round knockout win over Curtis Lee Tate in Fallon, Nevada in a fight that was televised live on ESPN2.  On March 14, 2015, Zhang beat Eric George via a four-round unanimous decision at the Armory in Jersey City, New Jersey.  He followed that with another four-round unanimous decision win, this time over Glenn Thomas on the highly anticipated Cotto-Geale undercard at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 6.  Next came a sixth round technical knockout win over Dennis Benson at The Playground in Atlantic City on August 15.  To end the year, Zhang was featured on the undercard of the November 21 Cotto vs. Canelo mega-fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, where scored a four-round unanimous decision victory over Juan Goode.

 

Local Hayward, California favorite Aaron Coley (12-1-1, 6 KO’s) faces a very stern test in a six-round junior middleweight bout against Urmat Ryskeldiev (11-3-2, 7 KOs) of West Hollywood, California, a Kyrgyzstan native who is undefeated in his last seven fights.

 

On March 26, Coley will look follow his most recent victory, a unanimous decision over Jeremy Ramos onJanuary 23 at the Marriott on Broadway in Oakland, with another win in front of his hometown fans.  Prior to his January win he scored two unanimous decision triumphs, including his June 20, 2015 performance against Yusmani Abreu (who Ryskeldiev defeated by technical knockout in September) on the undercard of Ward’s last fight.  Considered a promising prospect in boxing circles, Coley’s lone loss came via decision to one of boxing’s hottest prospects in Ievgen Khytrov in a bout that was televised live on Showtime’s ShoBox on April 10, 2015 from The Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, New York.

 

Ward vs. Barrera, a 12-round fight which is presented by Roc Nation Sports in association with Main Events, takes place Saturday, March 26, 2016 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California and is sponsored byCorona Extra, Ticketmaster, Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms), Glad, Lyft, Zappos, BodyArmor, SAN Nutrition, Shoe Palace and The Waterfront Hotel. The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. Opening the HBO telecast will be Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Jayson Velez in a 10-round fight for the NABF Featherweight title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions.

 

For more information, please visit www.rocnation.com, www.mainevents.com,www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation, @main_events, @goldenboyboxing, @cottopromotions and @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation,www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing andwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

 

Follow the conversation on Twitter by using #WardBarrera.

boxing, Ring 8

Trainer Tommy Gallagher Ring 8 Guest Speaker Tuesday night

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NEW YORK (March 12, 2016) – Veteran boxing trainer Tommy Gallagher will be Ring 8’s guest speaker at Tuesday night’s (Mar. 15) monthly meeting, starting at 7 p.m. ET, at O’Neill’s Restaurant, located at 64-21 53rd Drive in Maspeth, New York.

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish menu will feature Corn Beef & Cabbage, as well as Shepard’s Pie.
“Everybody’s Irish for St. Patrick’s Day,” Ring 8 president Bob Duffy said.  “It’s only appropriate that our guest speaker is and Irishman, Tommy Gallagher.  He’s done it all in boxing during the past 40 years.  Tommy’s been a big part of Ring 8 for a longtime and he’s known as a good storyteller.”
Best known, perhaps, for his role in The Contenders reality television series, last year Gallagher was inducted into the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame, which is sponsored by Ring 8.  In addition to being a trainer, he has been a promoter and gym owner/operator.
Gallagher has been involved in the careers of boxers such as Doug DeWitt, Vito Antuofermo, Donny Lalonde, Lou Savarese and Sergei Kobozev, among the more notables.
boxing

      GH3 Promotions signs Bantamweight LeRoy Davila

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nutley, NJ (March 11, 2016) – GH3 Promotions is pleased to announce the signing of Bantamweight prospect LeRoy Davila to an exclusive promotional contract.

Davila, 27 years-old of New Brunswick, New Jersey is the latest prospect o sign with Vito Mielnicki’s growing promotional stable.
“I fought at 108 pounds as an amateur but I will turn pro 118.  I had 60 amateur fights,” said Davila.
“I feel I fit in with GH3 Promotions.  I know a couple of their fighters personally and they are cool guys.  Hopefully I will turn pro in June.  I am here to make a statement.  I am a counter puncher but I can fight any style.”
Said GH3 Promotions Vito Mielnicki, “I am very happy to have signed Leroy.  He is a very talented fighter who I have watched very closely over the past couple of years.  Being that he is from New Jersey, I have watched him grow as a fighter and I believe that he will be a contender in the Bantamweight division.”
Davila is managed by Pete Festa (AR3 Management)
Leroy Davila
Leroy Davila
GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Ronald Ellis, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight Champion John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight’s Hector Frometa, Jerrell Harris & Keenan Smith, , Jr. Lightweight O’Shaquie Foster & Super Middleweight Andrew Hernandez to the GH3 Promotions stable.
boxing

“KNOCKOUT NIGHT AT THE D” FIGHT CARD FOR  MARCH 12 CANCELLED

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LAS VEGAS – “Knockout Night at the D,” the boxing fight card to feature headliners Zab Judah vs. Josh Torres at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC), has been cancelled for Saturday, March 12.
Derek Stevens, CEO of the D Las Vegas and DLVEC, said, “Last night, I received multiple calls from the Nevada Athletic Commission regarding eligibility concerns.  After our discussions, it became apparent the fight card could not move forward. Although I’m disappointed with the situation, I appreciate the phone calls and look forward to working with the Nevada Athletic Commission on future boxing events at the DLVEC.”
Last year, DLVEC launched several successful boxing events, with Stevens leading the charge to bring outdoor boxing back to Las Vegas.
All ticket purchases will be reimbursed. Credit card transactions will be automatically refunded and cash refunds will be issued at their point of purchase.
 
About Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
Located at the corner of Third St. and Carson Ave. across from the D Las Vegas, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center can accommodate up to 11,000 guests and features state-of-the-art stage, sound and lighting. The open-air design is inviting to both tourists and locals and offers the perfect spot for concerts, conventions and other large-scale events. Embracing the uninhibited spirit of Downtown Las Vegas, the new venue plays host to a line-up of curated events including premier concerts, food festivals and more. The venue is also the first entertainment arena in Las Vegas to accept Bitcoin as currency. For more information, visit www.dlvec.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @DLVEC.
boxing, Showtime Boxing

AMAZING SHOWTIME SPORTS® SPRING, 2016 BOXING LINEUP

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Caption: L-R (back row): Bute; Martin, Jack, DeGale, Russell Jr., Mares, Selby, Provodnikov, Quellar, Pedraza.

L-R (front row): Joshua, Thurman, Wilder, Porter, Povetkin.

 

NEW YORK (March 11, 2016)—SHOWTIME Sports on Friday announced seven live boxing telecasts over a 12-week span, a stacked lineup featuring nine world championship fights and 14 overall matches in boxing’s deepest and most exciting divisions.

 

The full slate of programming is free to SHOWTIME subscribers, and the presentation on CBS is the first Prime Time boxing event on CBS television network in decades.

 

Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports, also announced a summer blockbuster in the making.

 

“This is an incredibly exciting time in boxing, a time for emerging stars to make their mark, and for established champions to break through to the next level,” Espinoza said.

 

“This schedule features high level matchups with champions taking on the highest-rated contenders available, and top-ranked challengers facing one another.  We are thrilled and grateful to the promoters and the fighters themselves who have worked with us these last few weeks to put together such an impressive lineup for SHOWTIME Boxing.  It has to be one of the best we’ve ever assembled.

 

“We have seven live telecasts over a 12-week span that runs the gamut of our SHOWTIME boxing series. It includes nine world title fights, and that doesn’t count a great fight that’s just coming together today, as both Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton have now agreed to a championship matchup to be scheduled for late summer.

 

“All of these events are free to SHOWTIME subscribers, and the June 25 event is the first Prime Time boxing presentation on CBS television network in decades.

 

“Again, thanks to the fighters and promoters for not only making these great matches a reality, but for their cooperation in today’s major announcement.”

See below for details on the events that Espinoza, and the principals involved, are in the process of finalizing.  Additional details on each individual event will be announced in the coming days.

 

Saturday, April 9 – SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL

Main Event: Charles Martin (23-0-1, 21 KOs) vs. Anthony Joshua (15-0, 15 KOs) – IBF Heavyweight World Title Championship

Co-feature: Lee Selby (22-1, 8 KOs) vs. Eric Hunter (21-3, 11 KOs) – IBF Featherweight Championship

Start Time: TBD

Venue: The O2 – London

Promoter: Warriors Boxing & Matchroom Sport

 

Friday, April 15 – ShoBox: The New Generation

Main Event: Nikolay Potapov (14-0, 6 KOs) vs. Stephon Young (14-0-2, 6 KOs) – 10-Rd Bantamweight Bout

Start Time: 10 p.m. ET/PT

Venue: Turning Stone Casino – Verona, NY

Promoter: Salita Promotions

  • Four-fight telecast featuring at least six undefeated fighters.

 

Saturday, April 16 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Main Event: Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) vs. Patrick Hyland (31-1, 15 KOs) – WBC Featherweight World Championship

Co-Feature: Jose Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) vs. Stephen Smith (23-1, 13 KOs) – IBF Super Featherweight World Championship

Start Time: 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT

Venue: Fox Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino

Promoter: DiBella Entertainment

  • Featherweight world title fights in consecutive weeks.
  • Gary Russell Jr. returns to make his first title defense
  • Crucial Super Featherweight bout between defending champ Jose Pedraza and No. 1 challenger Stephen Smith.

 

Saturday, April 30 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Main Event: Badou Jack (20-1-1, 12 KOs) vs. Lucian Bute (32-3, 25 KOs) – WBC Super Middleweight Championship

Co-Feature: James DeGale (22-1, 14 KOs) vs. Rogelio Medina (35-6, 29 KOs) – IBF Super Middleweight World Championship

Start Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Venue: TBD

Promoter: Mayweather Promotions

  • Former champ Bute, fresh off a great fight against DeGale, steps in to replace the injured Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
  • Medina is the IBF’s mandated challenger for DeGale.
  • The winners will meet in an immediate unification.

 

Targeting May 2016 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING – PENDING CONFIRMATION

Main Event: Deontay Wilder (36-0, 35 KOs) vs. Alexander Povetkin (30-1, 22 KOs) – WBC Heavyweight World Championship

Start Time: TBD

Venue: TBD

 

Saturday, June 11 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Main Event: Ruslan Provodnikov (25-4, 18 KOs) vs. John Molina Jr. (28-6, 23 KOs) – 12-Rd Super Lightweight Bout

Start Time: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Venue: Turning Stone Casino – Verona, NY

Promoter: Banner Promotions

  • Induction Weekend for International Boxing Hall of Fame.
  • Main event features two fighters involved in Fights of Year

 

Saturday, June 25 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS Presented by PBC

Main Event: Keith Thurman (26-0, 1 ND, 22 KOs) vs. Shawn Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs) – WBA Welterweight World Championship

Co-Feature: Jesus Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs) vs. Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) – WBA (reg.) Featherweight World Championship

Start Time: TBD

Venue: TBD

Promoter: DiBella Entertainment

  • Thurman cleared to resume training after minor injury
  • Three-division world champ Mares to now face Jesus Cuellar for featherweight title

 

Late-Summer 2016 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

Main Event: Leo Santa Cruz (32-0-1, 18 KOs) vs. Carl Frampton (22-0, 14 KOs) – WBA (super) Featherweight World Championship

  • Frampton the unified 122-pound titlist, will move up to face Santa Cruz for the WBA (super) Featherweight World Championship