Category Archives: boxing

TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION ANDRE WARD AND UNDEFEATED SULLIVAN BARRERA SET FOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN ON SATURDAY, MARCH 26 AT ORACLE ARENA IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

TELEVISED LIVE ON HBO®

 

NEW YORK, NY (February 9, 2016) – Roc Nation Sports is pleased to announce that Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) will return to the ring on Saturday, March 26, to begin his assault on the light heavyweight division when he takes on undefeated and number one rated IBF light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round bout at Oracle Arena in Ward’s hometown of Oakland, California. The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

 

Tickets priced at $300, $150, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, go on sale Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 5:00 PM PT and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

 

“I don’t really have much to say other than this. On March 26, it will be very simple. I’ll be in a new weight class against a tough opponent but I’m coming with the same approach,” said Ward. “I’ll be in great shape and ready for battle. Sullivan Barrera has had a lot to say lately and I love it. He’s going to have an opportunity to back up every word that he has spoken. These are the type of challenges I like and on March 26, it’s go time.”

 

“We as a team had a tough choice to make – crash the party by taking out Ward first or wait for the mandatory and take out Kovalev,” said Barrera. “We decided that the time is now. Ward will fall first and then we will go after the belts.”

 

“Having cleaned out the super middleweight division, Andre’s next challenge is to become the best light heavyweight in the world, and that challenge begins with the IBF’s number one rated contender in Sullivan Barrera,” said David Itskowitch, COO of Boxing Roc Nation Sports. “With both fighters having their sights set on an eventually showdown with Unified Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey Kovalev, there’s a lot on the line in this fight, but only one man will move on. March 26 is a night of boxing that no fan should miss.”

 

“I’m excited to be on Team Ward as we enter the light heavyweight division. No weapons formed against us shall prosper,” said James Prince, Ward’s manager.

 

On March 26, before a hometown crowd, pound for pound star Andre Ward returns to HBO in his light heavyweight debut against undefeated Sullivan Barrera” said Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “With a perfect record dating back to the age of 12 years old, Andre has risen to every challenge as both an amateur and a professional, including world titles and an Olympic gold medal. Now, he takes on Barrera, one of the toughest challengers as Ward moves up the scale. Boxing fans won’t want to miss it.”

 

Known for his strong character and integrity outside the ring and his warrior’s instinct inside it, Ward’s skill and talent were apparent early in his outstanding amateur career. He racked up every title in the books, culminating with a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. As the only male American boxer to claim Olympic gold since 1996, Ward joined the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya. He turned professional on December 18, 2004, scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Chris Molina at Staples Center in a fight that was televised live on HBO. He has gone on to rack up 27 more victories since then, building an ever-growing legion of fans in the process. After becoming the Ring Magazine and WBA Super Middleweight World Champion, rising to the number two spot on the pound-for-pound list and winning the 2011 Fighter of the Year Award (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America), it was announced that Ward signed an exclusive promotional agreement with Roc Nation Sports in January 2015, opening a new chapter in his storied boxing career. The Bay Area product returned to the ring on June 20, 2015 at the Oracle Arena in front of his hometown fans in Oakland, California and scored a ninth-round knockout over Paul Smith, continuing his unbeaten streak which dates back to when he was a 13-year-old amateur. Ward recently stepped in front of the camera for a completely different role, a part in the New Line/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Warner Bros. feature “Creed.” Fellow Bay Area natives, director Ryan Coogler and the film’s star Michael B. Jordan, reached out to Ward so that he could provide his expertise for the film. In addition to working in front of the camera with Ward, Jordan spent time at Ward’s home gym in preparation for his role as Apollo Creed’s son. Now it’s time for Ward to get back to his day job when he faces the undefeated Barrera on March 26.

 

Born in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Barrera had an impressive amateur run with a record of 285-27. As an amateur, he was able to earn World Amateur Championships in Germany, Cuba, Venezuela and Central America. During his amateur career he also defeated former Light Heavyweight World Champions Chad Dawson and Beibut Shumenov. Following his defection from Cuba, where he was a member of the country’s national team, Barrera made his professional debut in 2009 with a first round technical knockout win over Anthony Adorno in his adopted hometown of Miami, Florida. He would go on to knockout the first five opponents he faced in his professional career in either the first or second round. Barrera made his television debut in January of 2015 with his appearance on ESPN’sFriday Night Fights, when he scored a fourth round knockout win over former Super Middleweight World Champion Jeff Lacy. Barrera quietly rose through the ratings of the light heavyweight division until he was afforded the opportunity to fight former Light Heavyweight World Title Challenger Karo Murat to become the IBF’s number one rated light heavyweight contender. Barrera seized the opportunity, knocking out Murat in the fifth round on December 12, 2015 in his HBO Latino Boxing debut at the Civic Auditorium in Glendale, California. Sullivan is trained by legendary trainer, Abel Sanchez, who is best known for his work with middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. When he is not at The Summit in Big Bear Lake, California training with Sanchez, Barrera resides in Miami, Florida.

 

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 will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.  Follow the conversation using #WardBarrera.

 

For more information, please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

 

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

JULIO CEJA & HUGO RUIZ READY TO PUT ON ANOTHER SHOW IN SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE REMATCH SATURDAY, FEBRARY, 27, LIVE ON SHOWTIME® FROM HONDA CENTER SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Tripleheader  Headlined By Featherweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz Against Former Titleholder Kiko Martinez

Click HERE To Watch The Full First Fight Via
Premier Boxing Champions YouTube
 
Click HERE For Photos From Their First Fight From
Suzanne Teresa/Premier Boxing Champions
 
ANAHEIM, Calif. (February 9, 2016) – Hard-hitting Mexican warriors Julio Ceja (30-1, 27 KOs) and Hugo Ruiz(35-3, 31 KOs) engaged in a memorable back-and-forth battle for the WBC 122-pound world title last August and they are eager to meet in the ring again to deliver another explosive fight. The eagerly awaited return bout is part of a tripleheader on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Headlining the event is undefeated featherweight world champion Leo Santa Cruz in his first title defense against former champ Kiko Martinez.  Rounding out the televised tripleheader is a 10-round fight betweenundefeatedheavyweights Gerald Washington and Oscar Rivas.
Ceja recovered from a third-round knockdown to claim world title glory with a fifth-round stoppage of Ruiz, and he has promised once again to leave the fans thrilled.
“One thing I can tell you, is that this fight will be as exciting as the first one,” said Ceja. “You don’t want to miss it. War is coming.”
When Ceja and Ruiz clashed in Los Angeles last August, it was the U.S. debut for both and was also on a card headlined by Santa Cruz.
“I knew it was a big step up in my career to get a fight in the U.S.,” said Ruiz, “It was very emotional to be fighting in front of so many Mexican fans on such an important card.”
In an excellent two-way matchup contested in the middle of the ring, Ceja and Ruiz combined to throw 373 power punches in just five rounds, with Ceja benefiting from a 96-67 advantage in power punches landed. It was the sharp-shooting Ruiz who struck the first big blow of the match however, as he caught a lunging Ceja with a perfect left hook that put him down with just under a minute left in the third round.
“He definitely hurt me with that punch,” said Ceja. “I went straight into his hand and to the floor. But thanks to my great conditioning, I recovered fast. I train in the altitude in Mexico and that gives me the strength to fight 15 rounds. I’m working just as hard this camp.”
“I feel like I have the advantage in speed and power,” said Ruiz. “I was looking for the knockout from the beginning and I will do that again on February 27.”
Showing little effect from the knockdown, Ceja made it through the third and had a solid fourth round against the lanky Ruiz. He began to work effectively inside the long reach of Ruiz and buzz him with left hooks and uppercuts. It was a perfectly timed left hook with 58 seconds remaining in the fifth round that put Ruiz down. Ruiz made it to his feet, but Ceja continued to batter him with both hands until the referee, Raul Caiz Sr., stepped in and stopped the fight at 2:34 into the round.
“Ceja came into the fight very aggressively and he put just the right amount of pressure on me,” said Ruiz. “This defeat is behind me now, but I did gain experience from the defeat that I will take into this fight.”
Both men know that there is plenty of work to be done in training camp.
“There is no way to get into a comfort zone against Ruiz,” said Ceja. “Just because I beat him, it doesn’t make this fight easier. He’s smart, experienced and he won’t make the same mistakes again. He’s a guy who works distances perfectly and knows when to attack. We made mistakes in the first fight that we’re going to fix.”
“I’m working on my defense and on putting more pressure on him throughout this fight,” said Ruiz. “I have to be aware of his left hand. The hook hurt me last time so I have been working on getting my right hand up to block it. I have to use my skills to be victorious.”
With a world title on the line once again, expect similar fireworks when these two proud Mexican sluggers share the ring in Anaheim.
“I want all my Mexican fans to come out and watch this fight, you will not regret it,” said Ceja. “I want to keep my belt for a long time and I want the fans to remember my name.”
“This is going to be another very explosive fight,” said Ruiz. “Expect a lot of punches, but this time I will be walking out a world champion.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $27, $54, $104 and $199 and are on sale now via ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster retail locations or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Honda Center Box Office.
For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @LeoSantaCruz2, @MartinezKiko, @TGBPromotions, @HondaCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/SHOSports. Santa Cruz vs. Martinez is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Khan Stops Quaye To Secure WBU Crown

On Saturday night, Great Britain’s Tasif Khan secured both the World Boxing Union (WBU) and Global Boxing Union (GBU) World Super Flyweight Championships at the Cedar Court Hotel in his hometown of Bradford in the United Kingdom.

 

Khan, who only returned to the sport, following a two year sabbatical, just over twelve months ago, put in the performance of his career, in front of a pack house that included a number of British star boxers, such as interim WBA World Lightweight Champion Derry Mathews and former British, Commonwealth, European and WBC World Champion Junior Witter as well as various local dignitaries such as the Mayor of Bradford and local MP Imran Hussain.

 

Khan also received support from the British Army, who turned out in force to watch their man being lead to the ring by the band of the Yorkshire Regiment.

 

After a slow first round, during which both combatants barely threw a shot in anger, Khan proceeded to utterly dominated Accra, Ghana’s Isaac Quaye from the second stanza right through to the sensational sixth round, during which Khan really stepped up the pace and sent the Ghanaian to the canvas three times in very short succession, the last of which was a perfect right to the chin that sent Quaye crashing backwards and prostrate on the canvas in such a spectacular manner that the Ghanaian’s corner-man immediately jumped into the ring before referee Lee Murtagh had barely started the count. NB. Quaye was perfectly fine albeit a little dazed after rising.

 

Following the bout a clearly elated Khan spoke briefly.

 

“This is the greatest day of my life, it’s a dream come true and to be crowned World Champion in front of my home crowd really is the cherry on top.

 

I have to say a big thank you to Isaac (Quaye), he’s a great fighter and it couldn’t have been easy for him to walk into the Lion’s Den with such a partisan crowd shouting out their support for me.

 

Also have to say a big thank you to Stephen (Vaughan) and his team for putting on such a great show for the fans and for believing in me, the same to Rio (WBU Europe President & MBC Vice President Gianluca Di Caro) for giving me the chance to box again and more importantly to fight for the WBU title, I’ve always wanted a WBU belt around my waist ever since watching Ricky Hatton win it when I was just a teen.

 

Huge thanks as well to GBU President Juergen Lutz for allowing me to fight for his title also.

 

Finally I’d also like to thank all my fantastic fans that turned out to support me tonight, as well as the Mayor of Bradford and my local MP Imran Hussain for their support, and last but definitely not least my sponsors; Broadway Solicitors Oldham, Kingsland Business Recovery, Vista Gym Benidorm and 3X Sports, as without you guys I could never have achieved my dream – thank you all so much”

Salita Promotions Wins Big! Detroit Brawl a Motor City Success on Saturday Night

Detroit Brawl Banner
Promoter Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions wishes to thank the multitude of fans and everyone involved in the great success of his debut “Detroit Brawl” show in Detroit last Saturday, February 6.
Held at the beautiful Masonic Temple Downtown, the well-attended “Detroit Brawl” featured a night of entertaining fights with an old-school Detroit feel. Even Detroit greats Thomas Hearns and Hilmer Kenty were in attendance.
“I was very happy with the entire event,” said Salita. “The fans came out, the fighters fought hard and in that classic venue, it felt like a boxing show from days gone by. I wish to thank everyone from Kronk and especially Javan Hill, as well as Dennis Turner and the staff at the Masonic for all their help. And to the Detroit boxing community in general, who helped get the word out on the show and helped make it such a success.”
Salita, who says this was the first of a series of regular shows, says he won’t rest on the success of the first event for long.
“We are looking at doing the second Detroit Brawl in early spring,” he said. “It is so apparent that this city loves its boxing and I’m proud to be bringing it to them.”
Dates and venue “Detroit Brawl 2” will be announced in the near future.
Results from the inaugural Detroit Brawl
Detroit Brawl Results
Dimash Niyazov (9-0-3, 4 KOs) W6 (UD) James Lester (10-10, 4 KOs)
Scores: 58-55, 58-55, 59-54.
James Gordon Smith (9-0, 6 KOs) KO2 Antwan Robertson (10-15-1, 5 KOs)
Time: 2:21.
Eudy “AK47” Bernardo (21-0, 15 KOs) KO 2 Ben Odamattey (16-13-3, 9 KOs)
Time: 1:18.
Edward Williams (11-1-1, 4 KOs) W6 (UD) Angel Figueroa (4-3-1)
Scores: 60-54, 59-55, 60-54.
James Ballard (6-0, 3 KOs) TKO3 Nathan Bedwell (5-16, 2 KOs)
Time: 1:39.
Emilio Salas (5-1-1, 3 KOs) KO2 Karinn Davis (2-6, 2 KOs
Time: 2:16.
Serdar Hudayberdiyev TKO4 Kevin Shacks (0-2)
Time: 1:33
Kane Heron (3-0, 2 KOs) TKO1 Brian Otey (0-2)
Time: 1:33

Nicaraguan Cristofer Rosales Rapidly Rising in Light Flyweight Division

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (February 8, 2016) – Nicaraguan light flyweight world title contender Cristofer “El Latigo” (The Whip) Rosales is fighting out from the long shadows cast by his famous cousin, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, professional boxing’s new pound-for-pound king.
Rosales (17-2, 13 KOs) headlined a show, promoted by promoter Marcelo Sanchez‘ Pinolero Boxing, last Saturday night in Managua.  He recaptured the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedecentro light flyweight title that he held in 2014 but never defended, defeating Ulises Martin (9-2-1) by way of a ninth-round technical; knockout for his seventh consecutive victory.
“This young man just loves to fight and he is a joy to work with,” Pinolero Boxing spokesperson Michael Schmidt commented.  “He has been extremely active with 19 fights in less than three years as a professional boxer.  With his stablemate, Bryon Rojas, fighting (WBA Super world minimumweight champion) Hekkie Bulder next month (Mar. 19), representing the fourth Pinolero Boxing fighter to challenge for a world title in the past year, it is fair to say that Rosales is highly motivated knowing he has a promoter able to put him in position to challenge for a world title shortly.”
The 21-year-old Rosales, also the reigning Nicaraguan light flyweight champion, is currently world rated at No. 7 by the World Boxing Council (WBC), as well as No. 10 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), and No. 12 by the WBA.
A slick boxer who can also crack, evident by his 13 knockouts in 17 pro victories, Rosales is closing in on his first world title shot against Japanese world champions Yu Kimura (WBC) and Ryoichi Taguchi(WBA), or Filipino Donnie Nietes (WBO).

Undefeated prospect Toka Kahn-Clary Returns to ring this Saturday night vs.  Gabino Cota in Studio City, California

Kahn-Clary picture courtesy of
Top Rank

CRANSTON, RI(February 8, 2016) – Rising super featherweight star Toka “T-Nice” Kahn-Clary(17-0, 11 KOs) returns to action this Saturday night against Mexican opponent Gabino “Flash” Cota (18-5-1, 16 KOs) at Sportsman Lodge in Studio City, California.

A decorated American amateur boxer (131-11 record), his career highlighted by a gold-medal performance at the 2010 National Golden Gloves Tournament, Kahn-Clary is a native of Liberia who passed on a shot to make the 2016 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, turning pro three years ago.
Kahn-Clary’s impressive second-round stoppage of Sergio “Cuatito” Lopez (19-10-1, 13 KOs) last November was supposed to lead him graduating to a 10-round fighter.  His promoter Top Rank’s show this Saturday, headlined by Alex Saucedo vs. Clarence Booth, doesn’t have a single 10-round fight, in favor of three 8-rounders including Kahn-Clary vs. Cota.
“That really doesn’t matter to me,” Kahn-Clary said.  “I trained to beat this guy, not how many rounds.  I’m a lot better fighter than I was a year ago.  I’m a lot more relaxed in the ring.  I think more as I’m moving in the ring, adjusting a lot better, and my combinations are coming out a lot better.”
A former WBC FECOMBOX and Mexican featherweight champion, Cota is a dangerous opponent who has knocked out 16 of the 18 fighters he’s defeated as a professional.
“Cota may have lost four of his last six but they were all title fights or on television against name opponents,” Kahn-Clary’s head trainer Peter Manfredo, Sr. noted. “He has some pop, throws a zillion punches and just keeps coming forward.  This is a good step up for Toka.
“Toka is ready for this fight.  He’s had a lot of good sparring. Toka is aggressive, well-conditioned, a good defensive fighter who can crack.  There wasn’t a 10-round fight available on this card but we wanted this fight.  Toka’s still only 23 so there’s no reason to rush things.”
Cota is battle tested having fought world title challengerJonathan Oquendo, Puerto Rican Olympian Orlando Cruzand Russian champion Andrey Klimov.
“I like fighting guys that come to me like Cota,” Kahn-Clary remarked.  “It makes my job easier.  I can setup my punches and fights against guys like this aren’t as much as a chess match.  I’ll be landing hard shots and fans like that better than a chess match.”
Follow Kahn-Clary on Twitter and Instagram @TokaKahnClary, or friend him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/tokakahn.

FNU COMBAT SPORTS SHOW FEATURING AUTHOR JEFF DANIELS

 

Our latest interview with a true class act. Jeff Daniels took to the task of telling his older brother Terry Daniels’ amazing story with a passion for posterity and a supreme sense of attention to detail. Despite having no book-writing experience, Daniels created what he considered to be as classic as a Beatles album when he finished crafting his masterpiece about a bygone era in the sport of boxing and his brother’s battles with some of the biggest names in the heavyweight division. You can buy the book here: http://amzn.to/1WQMNFO, access Jeff’s site here: http://jeffdanielscompany.com/index.php/about-the-author and watch a short YouTube video promoting the book here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PDH_Laa6lY. Jeff shares some insights into the writing process during our interview here and takes us back in time in this amazing episode.

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS MAKE SUPER BOWL 50 PREDICTIONS


Click HERE For Full Article Via premierboxingchampions.com

Click HERE To Read About The All-PBC Football Team Via premierboxingchampions.com


(Former world champ Andre Berto with Denver Broncos Running Back Ronnie Hillman –
Photo via instagram.com/Andre Berto)

See below for Super Bowl 50 predictions from PBC fighters:
Andre Berto: I’ve got the Panthers by a dime. Man, that Broncos’ defense is ferocious! I’ve never seen any team get after a guy like they got after Tom Brady. So how is my boy Cam Newton gonna handle them? Have you seen Cam run? He’s gonna run right over them.
Against the Patriots, that defense was allowed to be ferocious, but Cam won’t allow that. As for [Broncos running back] Ronnie Hillman, he’s my dude; he’s just gotta work on them hands a little bit.
Dominic Breazeale: I’ve got the Panthers winning, 35-21. Cam Newton is just having way too much fun, and at this point, I would have to say the guy is unstoppable.
Omar Douglas: I’m going with Panthers. Cam Newton has played great all season and almost went undefeated. He is not your average quarterback. He can throw the long ball or run it in for a touchdown. And on top of it all, he’s having fun. It’s hard to beat a guy like that!
Omar Figueroa Jr.: I don’t want to give a prediction. I love the Broncos like I love the San Antonio Spurs. But the Panthers are the Golden State Warriors of football right now. I see the Broncos having a really hard time keeping up.
Miguel Flores: Carolina has been smashing everyone, and Denver has been somewhat inconsistent. But after the Broncos’ most recent games and their showing on defense, I will have to stick with the famous cliché: “Offense wins games, defense wins championships.”
The Panthers have shown that they can be great offensively, but their defense hasn’t always been on point. So I’m going with the Broncos in a tight one.
Danny Garcia: I’m going with the Panthers. They’re rolling right now. They’ve got youth and energy, and they’ve got a lot of momentum going into the game. If they just stay focused and don’t party and get caught up [in the hype], they’ll win it.
Terrell Gausha: Panthers, because my bro that I went to high school with plays for Carolina: wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. Plus, I think they are just that good.
Tony Harrison: Carolina Panthers all the way. As a former high school quarterback, I love what Cam is doing for the game. He’s amazing. Also, many people don’t know but my younger cousin, Devin Funchess (pictured above with Harrison while at the University of Michigan), plays wide receiver for the Panthers. So I’m always going with family in any situation.
Julius Jackson: I’ve got the Broncos. They have a better system as far as demonstrating an ability to play as a cohesive unit. That’s what will give them the edge.
Jamal James: I’m gonna have to go with the Panthers, because Cam Newton has been handling business. Plus, that team has kinda been an underdog. But every time people count them out, they come out and refuse to lose, which is something I respect and relate to.
Amir Khan: I would have to say that the Broncos have the veteran leadership in Peyton Manning and they’ve been there before, so they have the better overall experience. But in the end, the youth and explosiveness of Cam Newton will win the day in what will be a hard-fought Panthers’ victory.
Paulie Malignaggi: I’m going with the underdog Broncos. Maybe it’s just going with my heart, but I’m a Manning fan, mainly because his brother is the QB for my New York Giants, so I’m keeping it in the family.
Abner Mares: I’m taking the Panthers. Cam Newton has a style on and off the field that just dominates. It’s the Panthers’ year, Cam is a tremendous leader and QB, and it’s time for a new dynasty to be born.
Shawn Porter: I think this is gonna be a great Super Bowl! It’s a very evenly matched game. Both teams are solid on both sides of the ball and have great quarterbacks. Peyton Manning is trying to solidify his status as an all-time great QB, and Cam Newton is trying to establish himself as a future great. I’m having a really hard time picking a winner, but personally I would love to see Cam Newton and the Panthers win.
Michael Seals: I’ve got to go with the Panthers. I’m gonna take Billy the Kid-Cam Newton-over the Old Deputy Sheriff, Peyton Manning.
Errol Spence Jr.: The Panthers will win because the Broncos’ defense will not be able to contain or stop Cam Newton. And the Panthers’ pass defense is too good for a shell-of-himself Peyton Manning. I went to school with [Broncos defensive end] Von Miller, but I want Cam to win.
Antonio Tarver: It’s a destiny type of year for Cam Newton and the Panthers. I don’t think anyone is gonna stop them. While my heart is with Denver and the wise old veteran Peyton Manning-us old guys gotta stick together-I have to put my money on Cam and the Panthers.
All I pray for is to go out like Peyton Manning: attempting to win it all before I retire. But I have to say the Panthers will win.
Austin Trout: I’ve got the Panthers winning. They’re just playing with great team chemistry and great leadership in Cam Newton. But I’m still J-E-T-S till I D-I-E.
Sammy Vasquez Jr.: It’s simple: Panthers all day. They’ve been on fire. Cam Newton deserves it now after putting in the years with the team and all the hard work. They work together as a team, and that’s a great part of being successful.
Deontay Wilder: I like the Panthers because Cam Newton is just on a different level, a force to be reckoned with.
Thomas Williams Jr.: I’m taking the Broncos simply because of the experience factor. Cam Newton’s year has been phenomenal; he is an MVP for sure. But I think Peyton Manning’s postseason and all-around experience will outweigh Cam’s magic.
This will be just another walk in the park for Manning, who has been in the tougher, more grueling games over the course of his career.
Final tally: Panthers 17, Broncos 4.

Central New England (Greater Lowell) 70th annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship Final round results from Lowell

LOWELL, Mass. (February 5, 2016) –  Peter Welch’s Gym in South Boston dominated last night’s Central New England (Greater Lowell) championship final round of the 70th annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship, open and novice classes, at historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium.
Peter Welch’s Gym had seven winners last night: open – Hyde Park welterweight Jennifer Perella and Brookline light welterweight Abraham Nova; novice – Dorchester lightweightJonathen DePina and middleweight Brian Lawrence, East Boston lightweight Claire Duffy light welterweight, Boston light welterweight Katie Gregory and Franklin heavyweight Jared Gately.
Lowell West End Gym and Grealish Boston had the second-most winners last evening with two apiece.
Last night, 15 matches went the distance, including several upsets, along with one technical knockout and a two walkovers.
All CNE finals winners qualified to compete in the upcoming New England Tournament of Champions, also held at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, starting next Thursday night with the semifinals of the novice division.
See the remaining 2016 schedule below as well as last night’s results.
Four nights of Championship Boxing Ticket Package – Tickets for the four remaining events are available to purchase for $40.00 ticket in the balcony.  This special ticket offer includes the semifinals and finals of the Novice and Open class New England Tournament of Champions.  To purchase call the Lowell Memorial Auditorium box office at1.866.722.8881 or order online at www.LowellMemorialAuditorium.com. Individual event tickets are also available to purchase for $17.00, $15.00 or $12.00.   Student tickets are also available for only $7.00 (student ID required).
Proceeds from the Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship go towards sending the New England Golden Gloves champions to the 2016 National Golden Gloves Championship (Salt Lake City, Utah), in addition to supporting local athletes and area gyms, the Boys & Girls Club, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, cancer funds, scholarships and many other great charitable causes.
CENTRAL NEW ENGLAND FINAL ROUND RESULTS
NOVICE CLASS
FEMALE BANTAMWEIGHTS (119 lbs.)
Jennifer Perella (Hyde Park, MA – Peter Welch’s Gym)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Jessica Grohowski (Boston, MA – Boston Boxing)
BANTAMWEIGHTS (123 lbs.)
Marquis Fowler (Lowell, MA – Lowell West End Gym)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Joseph Valdes (West Roxbury, MA – Nashua PAL)
FEMALE FEATHERWEIGHTS (125 lbs.)
Noelle Boran (East Walpole, MA – Boston Boxing)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Nicole Gagnon (Quincy, MA – Peter Welch’s Gym)
LIGHTWEIGHTS (132 lbs.)
Jonathan DePina (Dorchester, MA – Peter Welch’s Gym)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Troy Anderson (Dorchester, MA – Nonantum Boxing)
FEMALE LIGHTWEIGHTS (132 lbs.)
Claire Duffy (East Boston, MA – Peter Welch’s Gym)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Stephanie Khan (Brighton, MA – Ring Boxing)
LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 lbs.)
Nathan Rosa (Lowell, MA – Lowell West End Gym)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Edwin Rozon (Haverhill, MA – Haverhill Downtown Boxing)
FEMALE LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 lbs.)
Katie Gregory (Boston, MA – Peter Welch’s Gym)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Katie Colton (Arlington, MA – Boston Boxing)
WELTERWEIGHTS (152 lbs.)
Kenny Larson (Salem, MA – Somerville Youth Boxing)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Lipi Fernandez (Roxbury, MA – Peter Welch’s Gym)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS (165 lbs.)
Brian Lawrence (Dorchester, MA – Peter Welch’s Gym)
WDEC3 (4-1)
Yancarlos Sanchez (Dorchester, MA – Quietman Sports)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (178 lbs.)
Joseph DaSilva (Gloucester, MA – Gloucester Boxing Club)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Justin DeFlumeri (Merrimack, NH – Nashua PAL)
HEAVYWEIGHTS (201 lbs.)
Jared Gately (Franklin, MA – Peter Welch’s Gym)
WTKO2
Jose Cabrera (Marlboro, MA – Framingham PAL)
SUPER HEAVYWEIGHTS (201+ lbs.)
Ryan Brooks (Weymouth, MA – Grealish Boxing)
Won by walkover
Kyle Davis (Haverhill, MA – Haverhill Downtown Boxing)
OPEN CLASS
LIGHTWEIGHTS (132 lbs.)
Matthew Fontanez (Nashua NH – Nashua PAL)
WDEC3 (3-2)
Brandon Higgins (Chelmsford, MA – West End Gym)
LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 lbs.)
Abraham Nova (Braintree, MA – Peter Welch’s Gym
Won by walkover
Jeremiah Perez (Lowell, MA – West End)
WELTERWEIGHTS (152 lbs.)
Joe Meuse (Millis, MA – Nonantum Boxing)
WDEC3 (3-2)
Xavier Vega (Lawrence, MA – Canal Street Boxing)
FEMALE WELTERWEIGHTS (152 lbs.)
Maureen O’Brien (Hull, MA – Grealish Boxing)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Kimberly Wabik (Everett, MA – Quietman Gym)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – (178 lbs.)
Tayler Mears (Boston, MA – The Ring)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Ian Funk (Fairhaven, MA – Somerville Boxing)
HEAVYWEIGHTS (201 lbs.)
Jesus Flores (Methuen, MA – Canal Street Boxing)
WDEC3 (5-0)
John Roche (Haverhill, MA – Haverhill Downtown)
70th annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship Schedule
(Lowell Memorial Auditorium – 6:30 p.m. doors open, 7:30 p.m. first bout)
New England Tournament of Champions
(all four regions competing)
Novice Class Semifinals – Thursday, Feb. 11
Novice Class Championship Finals – Thursday, Feb. 18
Open Class Semifinals – Wednesday, Feb. 24
Open Class Championship Finals – Thursday, Feb. 25
(all open class winners advance to the 2016 National Golden Gloves Championships, May 16-21, in Salt Lake City, Utah)
INFORMATION:
Tournament Executive Director: Bobby Russo
Director of Contestants: Art Ramalho
Chief of Officials:  Laurie Purcell
Ring Announcer:  John Vena
Venue:  Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 Merrimack St., Lowell, MA
Twitter:  @LowellGloves

GH3 Promotions Hector Frometa headlines a stacked undercard on Friday, February 19 at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City

Full night of boxing to take place before terrific ShoBox: The New Generation card, Live SHOWTIME®
John Magda to battle Christopher Brooker in opening televised bout
Nutley, N.J. (Feb. 5, 2016) – It will be a big night of boxing on Friday, Feb. 19, at theAdrian Philips Ballroom in Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City as GH3 Promotions presents ShoBox: The New Generation, live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Four bouts will be showcased on the televised portion. In the main event, Adam Lopez (14-0, 7 KO’s) of San Antonio, Texas, will take on Mario Munoz (16-0-1, 10 KO’s) of Guadalajara, Mexico, in a ten-round battle for the WBA Fedalatin Super Bantamweight title.

In the eight-round co-feature, undefeated super middleweight Ronald Ellis (12-0, 10 KO’s) of Lynn, Mass., will battle Jerry Odom (13-2, 12 KO’s) of Washington, D.C.

In an eight-round super featherweight bout, Lavisas Williams (8-0-1, 3 KO’s) of Rochester, N.Y., will battle O’Shaquie Foster (9-1, 6 KO’s) of a Houston, Texas.

Recently added is an eight-round super middleweight bout between undefeated John Magda (11-0, 7 KO’s) of Rutherford, N.J., taking on Christopher Brooker (7-1, 5 KO’s) of Philadelphia.

The combined record of the eight competitors is an astounding 90-4-2 which equates to a 94.8 winning percentage.

Before the cameras roll, an outstanding undercard has been assembled by GH3 Promotions.

GH3 Promotions Hector Frometa (1-0) of Miami, Fla. via Cuba, will take on Jordan Rosario (0-2) of Jersey City, N.J., in a four-round welterweight bout.

In a six-round junior middleweight bout, Arturo Trujillo (7-0, 4 KO’s) of Easton, Pa., will battle Jeffrey Wright (3-1-1, 3 KO’s) of Milwaukee, Wisc.

In a six-round junior middleweight bout, Anthony Young (11-1, 5 KO’s) of Atlantic City, will battle Skender Halil (8-1, 8 KO’s) of Fort Worth, Texas.

In a six-round heavyweight match, Brendan Barrett (3-0-1, 3 KO’s) of Little Egg Harbor, N.J. will square off with Dan Pasciolla (6-1) of Brick, N.J.

Elijah Vines of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against Danny Rosenberger(0-1-2) of Saint Petersburg, Fla., in a welterweight bout.

Tickets for the GH3 Promotions event are priced at $25, $50, $75, $100 and $150 are available for purchase online at www.Ticketmaster.com and over the phone at 1 800 736 1420.

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom, 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 to the GH3 Promotions stable.