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Former World Champion Ishe Smith Meets Hard-Hitting Contender Frank Galarza in Main Event of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce TV Friday, Sept. 16 From The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
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TOP LIGHTWEIGHT PROSPECT MASON MENARD TO FACE BAHODIR MAMADJONOV IN CO-FEATURE OF SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATIONQUADRUPLEHEADER
FOURTH FIGHT ADDED TO AUG. 19 SHOBOX
Undefeated Heavyweight Jarrell Miller Meets Fred Kassi In Main Event, Antonio Nieves Faces New Opponent Alejandro Santiago,
Bakhtiyar Eyubov vs. Karim Mayfield In Telecast Opener
Friday, Aug. 19, Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT
From Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.
NEW YORK (Aug. 9, 2016) – Top lightweight prospect Mason Menard will face tough Bahodir Mamadjonov in a 10-round battle in the new co-feature of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, Aug. 19 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed in the West Coast) from the outdoor soccer venue Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.
Menard (31-1, 23 KOs) is coming off a Knockout of the Year contender in his last appearance on ShoBox on April 15 (VIDEO: http://s.sho.com/1NtEYjW).
Undefeated heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (17-0-1, 15 KOs), a consensus Top 15 heavyweight, will take on the experienced Fred Kassi (18-5-1, 10 KOs), of New Orleans, La. in the 10-round main event.
Plus, undefeated welterweight knockout artist Bakhtiyar Eyubov (10-0, 10 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y. by way of Kazakhstan, steps up when he faces veteran Karim Mayfield (19-3-1, 11 KOs), of San Francisco, Calif. in a 10-round battle. In the telecast opener, unbeaten Antonio Nieves of Cleveland, Ohio will square off against new opponent, Mexico’s Alejandro Santiago in a 10-round bantamweight bout for Nieves’ WBO NABO Title.
Nieves was initially set to fight world-ranked Nikolay Potapov (14-0-1, 6 KOs), of Potolsk, Russia, but he withdrew with an injury.
Tickets for the event presented by Salita Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions are available at http://www.rhinossoccer.
“These are the fights I need to get to the top,” Menard said. “My opponent, Bahodir Mamadjonov, is no pushover. He has been in with some quality guys and I have to be able to beat guys like him to get to the top ones. I’m looking forward to getting the job done on August 19th. It’s blessing to be able to fight on SHOWTIME and this time is for the WBO NABO title,” Menard said.”
“I’m excited I’m fighting on ShoBox again. It’s a great opportunity” Mamadjonov said. “Menard is no joke. He’s a credible opponent.
“I’m not going to rush on this fight. I’m not going to lie, I’m always looking for the knockout, but if it goes the distance I’d be ready.”
“I’m war-ready,” Nieves said. “I’m excited to finally showcase my skills on the big stage and let the boxing world know that I have graduated to contender. I feel many don’t see that I’m one of the best 118-pounders out there.
“I’m confident I have what it takes to win, and I’m a better boxer. I’m 100 percent ready for whatever type of fight my Santiago brings. I will box my way to my big shots.
“After this fight, I’ll probably look for a path to a world title shot. I want to bring a title home, just like the Cleveland Cavaliers brought the NBA Championship home,”
“I know I’m a replacement opponent, but I’m always ready,” Santiago said. “I’m always in training camp. I don’t take any breaks from the gym after I fight. I’m a true Mexican warrior. Always ready.
“I am looking to follow the heritage of great Mexican fighters from Tijuana and bring this win and title back home. I am coming to win. Get ready for war.“
Menard vs. Mamadjonov
The co-main event features promising Louisiana lightweight “Rock Hard Mighty” Mason Menard facing his toughest test to date in Bahodir “Baha” Mamadjonov of Houston, Texas by way of Uzbekistan for the WBO NABO Lightweight Title. Both fighters are making their second appearance onShoBox: The New Generation.
Menard, an eight-year pro at the age of 27, is fighting outside of his native Louisiana for only the second time. He’s is ranked among the Top 15 fighters at 135 pounds in the WBA and WBO. In the most noteworthy victory of his career, he made his ShoBox debut at Turning Stone Casino & Resort last April 15 delivering an impressive Knockout of the Year candidate over previously undefeated Dominican Eudy Bernardo with a vicious one-punch knockout. VIDEO: http://s.sho.com/1NtEYjW
Menard floored Bernardo for the first time in his career with a series of rights near the end of the second round. Bernardo beat the count and finished the round, but he had no answer for Menard’s power. With less than one minute left in third, Menard connected with a huge right, knocking Bernardo out before he even hit the canvas.
Mamadjonov (19-2, 11 KOs), has been matched against very tough opposition throughout his career. His only blemishes were to opponents with a combined record of 46-0 (38 KOs) – Colombian Darleys Perez in Aug., 2012 and Ghana’s Richard Commey in April of last year. Perez went on to become interim WBA Lightweight World Champion and recently lost a rematch against world champion Anthony Crolla. Commey is set to fight Robert Easter Jr. for the vacant IBF World Lightweight Title on Sept. 9.
This is Mamadjonov’s third start since losing to Commey and his secondShoBox appearance. In his ShoBox debut in April, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nev., Mamadjonov scored an upset ninth-round stoppage (:51) against previously unbeaten Cuban prospect Angelo Santana. VIDEO:http://s.sho.com/2aPfkwp
Nieves vs. Santiago
Also featured in the Aug. 19 quadrupleheader are WBO NABO Bantamweight Champion Antonio Nieves and his new foe, Alejandro “Peque” Santiago
Nieves, (16-0-1, 8 KOs), a prospect at 118 pounds, has stayed active with five fights in 2014, five in 2015, and is fighting for the third time this year. The 29-year-old is coming off his first 10-round performance, a unanimous decision over then once-beaten Oscar Mojica on June 18 in Washington, Pa. A win against Santiago will put Nieves a step closer to his goal of challenging fellow Ohio-native WBA Super Bantamweight Champion Rau’shee Warren.
Santiago, (11-2-1, 3 KOs), of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, is a three-year pro who seldom breaks training camp between fights. He has won three fights in a row since his last loss in November 2014 to fellow Mexican Hector Flores. In his last fight on Feb. 27, Santiago won an eight-round unanimous decision over Mario Lara. This will be his United States debut and the first time he’s fought north of 116 pounds.
Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhoodand former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
IT WILL BE CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION ON SEPTEMBER 10 IN LEWISTON
Lewiston, Maine (August 9, 2016) – In a rare occurrence, two champions from two different weight divisions will square off onSeptember 10, 2016 when New England Fights presents “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS” in Lewiston. Reigning NEF MMA Amateur Bantamweight Champion Johnny Crafts (4-0) will come up in weight to challenge Caleb Hall (7-3) for Hall’s NEF MMA Amateur Featherweight Title.
Caleb Hall was a two-time Maine state champion wrestling for Dirigo High School in Dixfield. He would go on to wrestle for Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, as well as the University of Southern Maine. At “NEF 22” this past spring, Hall captured the vacant featherweight title by submitting Erik Nelson (2-3) in the second round. In the upcoming bout with Crafts, Hall will be looking to not only retain his title, but to also gain a measure of revenge against Crafts who defeated Hall’s teammate Henry Clark (3-2) last fall.
“Johnny’s making a big mistake coming up in weight trying to take my belt,” said Hall. “I will avenge my teammate, Henry Clark, and put him away early.”
Johnny Crafts is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt with Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ). As mentioned, Crafts defeated Henry Clark of the Choi Institute last fall to claim the amateur bantamweight title. On September 10, Crafts hopes to make history by becoming the first competitor to simultaneously hold two championships in two different weight divisions.
“I’m honestly just excited to get in there and have a brutal, fun fight,” said Crafts. “It’s going to be a guaranteed war versus Caleb. It’s less focus on cutting weight at 145 for me and more on the training camp. I’m going to be the most technical and strong I have ever been for this fight.”
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS,” takes place on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525. Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the event.
For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
Steamrolling Through the Super Middleweight Division in Record Time, ‘Boxing Prodigy’ David Benavidez ‘Determined and Ready’ for Whatever Comes Next
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19-year old Antonio “Bang” Williams remains unbeaten with dominating unanimous decision
Photo by Team Williams / Pro Box Management
MIAMI, FL (August 8, 2016) – This past Saturday at the Miami Airport Convention Center, 19-year old Super-featherweight prospect, Antonio “Bang” Williams, remained undefeated with a dominating unanimous decision victory against tough opponent, Brian Santos, improving his record to (4-0, 3 KOs). Scorecards ready 40-36 across the board.
After knocking out his first three opponents within two rounds, Williams goes the distance for the first time in his young career. With the win, Williams, who is signed by Pro Box Management, reflects on getting the much needed rounds as he is ready to get right back in the ring.
“It was great experience going the full four rounds,” said Antonio Williams. “Although I’m always gunning for the KO, every fight comes with a different style, so I know I’m not going to be able to knock everyone out. Santos came to fight and pushed me past the second round. I made the proper adjustments and came out on top. I’m happy with my performance and I’ll be ready to get back in the ring immediately. I’ll be back in the gym waiting on my next fight.”
“Antonio showed a lot of maturity in this fight by not punching himself out while going for the knockout,” stated Gary Jonas of Pro Box Management. “We will be looking to get him a few more fights before the end of the year. He has all the ability to be something special in this sport, especially in the super-featherweight division.”
CHINZO MACHIDA SET FOR BELLATOR MMA DEBUT DURING PRELIMINARY PORTION OF ‘BELLATOR 160: HENDERSON VS. PITBULL’
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (August 8, 2016) – Chinzo Machida (3-2) will make his promotional debut in featherweight preliminary action at “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” on August 26 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., against Mario Navarro (4-4).
The fight joins a main card that includes a lightweight main event between fellow superstars Benson Henderson (23-6) and Patricio “Pitbull” (25-3). In addition, undefeated knockout artist A.J. McKee (4-0) clashes with former KOTC titlist Henry Corrales (12-3), while explosive lightweights Saad Awad(19-7) and Derek Anderson (13-2) go toe-to-toe in a matchup that you do not want to miss. Rounding out the televised action is a women’s flyweight encounter pitting Lena Ovchynnikova (11-4) against Jaimelene Nievera (4-1).
During the must-see preliminary portion of the event, Bubba Jenkins (11-2) will look for revenge against Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (24-6-1) in a featherweight rematch. In welterweight action, both Kevin “Baby Slice” Ferguson Jr. and Joey Davis will both suit up for the first time under the Bellator umbrella and make their professional debuts.
“Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” takes place on August 26 inside Anaheim California’s Honda Center, and will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT.
Doors for the event open at 4:45 p.m. PT local time and the first preliminary bout – which streams live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App — begins at 5:00 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at just $30 and can be purchased now on Ticketmaster and at the Honda Center Box Office.
Machida, the elder brother of former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, has only fought five times in his career, but is currently riding a two-fight winning streak. Machida impressively finished Brian Wood via flying knee for Resurrection Fighting Alliance in 2014 and on August 26 Machida will be fighting an opponent who’s currently on the opposite end of the spectrum, and has lost his last two outings. If unfamiliar with Machida’s handy work, look no further than his aforementioned finish of Wood here.
Navarro, 33, has competed almost exclusively in his home state of California, with 7 of 8 fights taking place a short drive from his home in Huntington Beach. A two-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, “Handsome” has competed against Cleber Luciano and Brandon Bender under the Scott Coker-led promotion and will look to get back to his winning ways in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 26.
Complete “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” SPIKE-Televised Main Card:
Lightweight No. 1 Contender Main Event: Benson Henderson (23-6) vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (25-3)
Lightweight Co-Main Event: Saad Awad (19-7) vs. Derek Anderson (13-2)
Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (11-4) vs. Jaimelene Nievera (4-1)
Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (4-0) vs. Henry Corrales (12-3)
Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Chinzo Machida (3-2) vs. Mario Navarro (4-4)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Bubba Jenkins (11-2) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (24-6-1)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Joey Davis (Pro Debut) vs. Keith Cutrone (1-0)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Ferguson Jr. (Pro Debut) vs. Jon Tomasian (Pro Debut)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Gabriel Green (2-0) vs. Alex Trinidad (1-0)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Steve Ramirez (4-1) vs. Ron Henderson (4-2)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Kyle Estrada (3-2) vs. David Duran (3-4)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Segura (4-3) vs. Jacob Rosales (3-2)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Jonny Cisneros (9-4) vs. Andy Murad (12-2)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jake Roberts (6-0) vs. Stephen Martinez (11-4)
Witherspoon takes on Marrone in 2
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SERGEY KOVALEV VS. ANDRE WARD “POUND FOR POUND” SHOWDOWN OFFICIALLY SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®
OAKLAND, CA (Aug. 6, 2016) – On Saturday, Nov. 19 the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer will be crowned. Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs), the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion, and Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) Two-Time World Champion, officially announced their long-awaited showdown following Ward’s victory over Alexander Brand at the conclusion of the live HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast Saturday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Kovalev vs. Ward will take place Saturday, Nov. 19. 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 and is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions.
Kovalev and Ward are currently ranked the number two and number four pound-for-pound boxers in the world, respectively, by The Ring Magazine, making their hotly anticipated fight only the third bout in the history of The Ring Magazine pound-for-pound list to pit two undefeated top-five ranked pound-for-pound fighters against each other. Odds makers and pundits have this fight evenly matched at 50-50 and it is poised to be a sure-fire 2016 Fight of the Year candidate. History will be made on Nov. 19th!
Making the fight even more intriguing, Kovalev and Ward are polar opposites. The Russian Wrecking Ball Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev is an unbeaten knockout artist sitting atop boxing’s light heavyweight division. With his ferocity in the ring and his charisma outside of it, Krusher is on his way to becoming the sport’s next big star. The last American man to win an Olympic Gold Medal in boxing, Andre “S.O.G.” Ward is already a future Hall of Famer. Known for his strong character and integrity outside the ring and his warrior’s instinct inside it, Ward has not lost a fight, amateur or professional, since he was 12-years-old. Kovalev’s seemingly unstoppable offense-first approach stands in stark contrast to Ward’s slick, defensive style that has been an unsolvable riddle for every foe he’s taken on.
Neither man has faced an opponent like this before. Who will be the next “Pound for Pound” king? Find out Saturday, Nov. 19!
Live on HBO tonight, when asked about whether or not Ward is ready to face him Kovalev said, “I think he is ready. I am ready too. The fight against Chilemba was similar to how it is going to be against Andre Ward. He is a really great champion and he proved this today. I just want to say, let’s do it November 19 on HBO.”
Ward responded, “I am excited, man. I am looking forward to it. I want to be the light heavyweight champion of the world. I got past this step. He got past his step. We will see you in November. I have been doing this for 22 years and if I am not ready to fight the best now then I will never be ready. I have been preparing for these moments since I been a kid. You got to respect Sergey for the way he has gotten to where he has gotten. He didn’t have any soft touches. He wasn’t protected. He wasn’t really pushed by the media. He is a guy who should get a lot more credit than he has. The winner of this fight could possibly be pound-for-pound #1.”
Additional details for the event, including ticket information, will be released shortly.
*The Ring Magazine began publishing pound-for-pound rankings in 1989.
Kovalev, the Russian Wrecking Ball, 33, has been dominating boxing’s light heavyweight division with his aggressive, fan-friendly style since his breakout performance against then-unbeaten Nathan Cleverly in 2013. His rise to boxing stardom has been meteoric, as he has gone from an unknown fighter from Chelyabinsk, Russia to headlining HBO Pay-Per-View in just four years after signing with his first promoter, Main Events. Out of of Kovalev’s 30 career victories 26 have come by way of knockout. Additionally, he has entered into championship rounds only twice in his professional career. Kovalev has always sought to test himself against the best boxing has to offer; he wants to prove in the ring that he deserves that mantle.
Ward, 32, the last American man to win an Olympic Gold Medal in boxing (2004), reigned as the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion from 2009 to 2015 while fighting mostly out of his hometown, Oakland, CA. He announced his intention to move to up to the light heavyweight division in search of a bigger challenge in 2015, shortly after signing with his current promoter, Roc Nation Sports. He has been a top rated pound-for-pound fighter since 2011. Ward is seeking to assume his place and leave a legacy at the top of the sport.
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.rocnation.com/sports | @RocNation | @RocNation | /RocNation | /RocNation |
| www.hbo.com/boxing | @HBOboxing | @HBOboxing | /HBOboxing | /HBOboxing |
NEW ENGLAND FIGHTS SELLS OUT IN BANGOR
Bangor, Maine (August 6, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF) held its most recent event, “NEF Presents Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight,” Friday night at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. The event sold out moments before doors opened to the public. Over 1200 fans in attendance witnessed a wild night of eight professional bouts. The crowd included UFC President Dana White who was in attendance to film a future episode of his web series.
Fight of the night went to Aaron Lacey (2-0) and John Santos (3-4). The two featherweights battled back and forth for a grueling, and bloody, 15-minutes. Lacey was declared the winner by split decision on the judges’ scorecards.
In a rematch from 2014, NEF MMA Professional Lightweight Champion Devin Powell (8-1) took on Jon Lemke (5-6) in a non-title catchweight contest. In a repeat of the first bout, Powell scored the win over Lemke with a first round submission.
Ryan Sanders (11-8) and Derrick Kennington (11-8) were the third fight of the evening to go the distance with Sanders picking up the victory via unanimous decision.
In the bantamweight main event, Brazilian prospect Ricardo Lucas Ramos (9-1) submitted Glendale, California’s Alfred Khashakyan (7-3) in the second round.
The results from Bangor, Maine:
Ricardo Lucas Ramos def. Alfred Khashakyan via rear-naked choke, round 2
Ryan Sanders def. Derrick Kennington via unanimous decision
Devin Powell def. Jon Lemke via rear-naked choke submission, round 1
Aaron Lacey def. John Santos via split decision
David Mundell def. Jarod Lawton via unanimous decision
CJ Ewer def. Ruben Redman via KO, round 1
Derrick Brown def. Brendan Battles via TKO, round 2
Josh Harvey def. Zenon Herrera via TKO, round 1
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 25: HEROES & VILLAINS,” takes place on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525. Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the event.
For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”