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GARY RUSSELL JR. KNOCKS OUT PATRICK HYLAND TO RETAIN WBC FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY NIGHT ON SHOWTIME®
Jose Pedraza Remains Unbeaten With Unanimous Decision Over Stephen Smith In IBF Junior Lightweight Championship
Catch The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Replay
This Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT On SHO EXTREME®
Click HERE For Photos From Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (Apr. 17, 2016) – WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. retained his title with a remarkable TKO of Irishman Patrick Hyland Saturdayon SHOWTIME from Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. In the co-feature, Jose Pedraza defended his IBF Junior Lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Stephen Smith.
Tonight’s event was a family affair with Russell Jr. working his brother Antonio’s corner during tonight’s undercard and boxing’s Smith brothers, including current WBO Super Welterweight World Champion Liam Smith, cheering from the crowd.
A relentless Russell brought the main event to a quick halt by registering three knockdowns in the second round, the last of which forced referee Danny Schiavone to end the contest at 1:33. From the first bell, the Washington, D.C. native came out swinging with his trademark hand speed and dangerous power. Russell, a southpaw, successfully broke down—and knocked out—Hyland with multiple vicious right hooks.
“We stuck to the game plan. We stayed sharp,” said Russell Jr., who improves his record to 27 wins, one loss, 15 knockouts.
“I’m ready to fight anyone in the division – Santa Cruz, Lee Selby. We are ready. But what I really want is [Vasyl] Lomachenko. I don’t care if he moves up to 147 pounds. I will go anywhere to get that fight,” Russell said.
“There aren’t many fighters who you instantly know are special,” said SHOWTIME Sports expert analyst Steve Farhood. “The combination of Gary Russell’s hand speed and accuracy instantly shows us that he’s special. That was plainly evident tonight and at times his hand speed was frightening.”
Pedraza (22-0, 12 KOs) remained disciplined and came out victorious during his second IBF 130-pound world title defense. A combination of timing, hand speed and good defense allowed the Puerto Rican native to dominate the 12-round championship fight.
“This definitely was a tough fight but the training really came to advantage in this fight,” Pedraza told SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray. “I knew he was a tough fighter so I was always aware.”
“I had better focus tonight. I had a better training camp,” said Pedraza, referring to his controversial split decision win over Edner Cherry two fights ago. “I knew that Stephen Smith was a great fighter and even after the knockdown, we were very cautious not to rush in.”
“Pedraza won tonight with different weapons. Mostly right hands to the head,” said Farhood. “I had the fight even after eight rounds and once Pedraza dropped Smith in the ninth, he gained momentum that he never lost and he pulled away. It was an impressive performance but also an important one because it erased a lot of the negative criticism Pedraza received in his controversial win over Edner Cherry.”
Pedraza was the more accurate fighter, landing 50 percent of his power punches over the 12-round bout. The Sniper was able to pick his spots and pocket rounds once he figured out the distance. Smith had his moments, but wasn’t active enough.
Brian Custer hosted the SHOWTIME telecast, with Mauro Ranallo calling the action, Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and former two-time world champion Paulie Malignaggi commentating and Jim Gray reporting. In the Spanish simulcast, Alejandro Luna called the blow-by-blow and former world champion Raul Marquez served as color commentator. The executive producer of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was David Dinkins Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.
MARIO BARRIOS DOMINATES IN 2016 DEBUT
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PATRICKY ‘PITBULL’ FREIRE EARNS SHUTOUT VICTORY IN BELLATOR’S HISTORIC, FIRST-EVER INTERNATIONAL EVENT
ALL OF ITALY GOES WILD FOR THEIR HERO ALESSIO SAKARA AFTER KNOCKOUT VICTORY
Credit: Bellator MMA
TORINO, ITALY. (April 15, 2016) – An electric, packed house was on hand Saturday night to bear witness to Bellator MMA’s inaugural international event, “Bellator 152: Pitbull vs. Souza,” at Italy’s largest indoor arena, The Pala Alpitour. The venue, which housed several events during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, provided an incredible atmosphere for the historic card.
In the main event of the evening, Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (16-7) welcomed Kevin Souza (15-5) to Bellator MMA with a unanimous decision loss (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). The matchup between the two Brazillians was well contested, as Souza took the fight on short notice after replacing Derek Camposbecause of injury only a week ago. “Pitbull” spent much of the bout trying to figure out his opponent’s unorthodox style, but in the third and final round, “Pitbull” was able to score a couple solid shots and a takedown to cement his position on the scorecards.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?
Few fighters can inspire a nation the way that Rome’s Alessio Sakara (18-11) had his Italian countrymen rooting for him tonight. The support paid off, as “Legionarius” got the better of Brian Rogers (12-9) in a slugfest for the ages. Crisp, precise, power-punches connected with Rogers putting him on the canvas, forcing the TKO stoppage at 2:29 of round two and making Sakai’s Bellator debut one to remember.
DIVISION ON LOCK? MCKEE’S GOT THE KEY
One of MMA’s hottest prospects, A.J. McKee (4-0) defeated Milan’s Danilo Belluardo (5-2) in front of his home crowd on Friday. Although the audience was raucous in support for Belluardo, they cheered with great appreciation for McKee’s performance and sportsmanship following his victory. During his fight against J.T. Donaldson at “Bellator 147: Thomson vs. Villaseca,” McKee was cut above the eye, the sight of his own blood seemed to cause the 20-year-old to hit the turbo button. Similarly tonight, McKee was on the wrong side of an accidental low blow and after a short resting period, “Mercenary” came out swinging with a torrid pace, ultimately connecting with a left kick to the ribs of Belluardo that sent him falling to the mat. The referee gave him a moment to defend himself but McKee rained down an efficient flurry of ground and pound, earning the TKO at 2:44 of the very first frame. Sending a message to Scott Coker and the very deep Bellator featherweight division that he means business, McKee said in his post-fight interview: “If you ain’t got the belt, I ain’t got my eye on you.”
A STAR IS BORN IN ANASTASIA YANKOVA
Anastasia Yankova (3-0) quickly fought her way into a full mount against Anjela Pink (0-1) and applied a slick armbar submission to hand Pink a loss in her professional debut at 1:35 of the opening round. The young Russian striker has had the Italian fans clamoring to see her in action all week long, and had them on their feet celebrating her first-round victory. Yankova has now finished all of her professional MMA fights via submission and after the bout made it clear that she will be in action sooner, rather than later, “I promise to come back soon and have my second fight in Bellator, Yankova said. “It is really great to be a part of Bellator, I feel really happy.”
HOMETOWN HEROES IMPRESS IN BELLATOR DEBUT
Two Italian competitors who regularly compete with Oktagon, Daniele Scatizzi (7-2) and Daniele Miceli (2-1) kicked things off at “Bellator 152: Pitbull vs. Souza” with a fast paced featherweight scrap. Scatizzi was able to secure a dominant position on Miceli’s back, sinking his hooks in and raining down unanswered strikes, forcing referee “Big John” McCarthy to call a stop to the action at 3:20 of round one and declaring Rome’s Scatizzi victorious by TKO.
Undefeated Rising Star Errol Spence Jr. Makes A Statement In The Welterweight Division With Dominating Fifth-Round Stoppage Of Former World Champion Chris Algieri In Primetime On Premier Boxing Champions On NBC Live From Barclays Center In Brooklyn
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KEITH THURMAN TO DEFEND WELTERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST SHAWN PORTER ON SATURDAY, JUNE 25 AT BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN
FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION JESUS CUELLAR BATTLES FORMER THREE-DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION
ABNER MARES IN CO-MAIN EVENT
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS
Presented By Premier Boxing Champions Live At 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
Presented By Premier Boxing Champions Live At 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
Tickets On Sale Thursday, April 21 at 10 a.m.!
BROOKLYN (April 16, 2016) – An action-packed primetime doubleheader of world title fights, headlined by the explosive, eagerly-awaited clash between welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman and former champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter,will come to Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, June 25.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS presented by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) broadcast will begin with a co-main event featherweight battle between current champion Jesus Cuellar and former three-division world champion Abner Mares.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $25, not including applicable fees, and are on sale Thursday, April 21 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com,
Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs), of Clearwater, Fla., and Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of Akron, Ohio, are both coming off superb 2015 campaigns that solidified the fresh faces among the elite of arguably boxing’s most exciting division. With perennial pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather now retired, the 27-year-old Thurman and the 28-year-old Porter are hungry to stake their claim as the future of boxing.
Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs), of Buenos Aires, Argentina, will make the second defense of his WBA 126-pound title against Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs), a popular brawler from Southern California who has compiled a staggering resume over the past five years while earning titles at 118, 122 and 126 pounds. Cuellar vs. Mares joins a stacked lineup of featherweight bouts that showcases many of the world’s best 126-pounders aiming to unifying one of boxing’s deepest divisions.
“Keith Thurman against Shawn Porter is one of the best matchups that can be made in the welterweight division right now,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Fans in attendance at Barclays Center and those watching on CBS will witness a passing of the torch as the hard-punching world titleholder Thurman and the highly skilled former champion Porter vie to prove who will be the next heir to the throne in the post-Mayweather era of the 147-pound division. The explosive co-main event between Jesus Cuellar and Abner Mares will give fans a fight to remember.”
“Barclays Center has featured many memorable welterweight fights and the long-awaited Thurman vs. Porter matchup promises to become the best one yet,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment.
Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.premierboxingchampions.com
NIKOLAY POTAPOV & STEPHON YOUNG FIGHT TO A DRAW, MASON MENARD STEALS THE SHOW WITH HIGHLIGHT-REEL KO ONSHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION
VIDEO: Menard Knocks Out Previously Unbeaten Eudy Bernardo: http://s.sho.com/1NtEYjW
Catch The Replay Tuesday, April 19, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO EXTREME®
Click HERE To Download Photos
Photo Credit: Rosie Cohe/SHOWTIME®
VERONA, N.Y. (April 15, 2016) – Undefeated bantamweight prospects Nikolay Potapov and Stephon Young fought to a majority draw in theShoBox: The New Generation main event Friday on SHOWTIME from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.
The bout was scored 96-94 Potapov and 95-95 twice.
Potapov and Young were facing their toughest opponents in each other. Potapov (14-0-1, 6 KOs) controlled the pace early with his jab and was the more active fighter, throwing nearly double the punches that Young threw. Young picked up steam and gained confidence in the middle rounds and was at his best when he pressed the action and let his hands go. But the Russian Potapov, who had gone at least 10 rounds in his last six fights, was clearly more comfortable as the fight progressed.
After slowing in the seventh and eighth, Young (14-0-3, 6 KOs) found another gear in an impressive ninth, winning the penultimate round on all the judges’ scorecards. But, even after urgent instructions from his corner, Young couldn’t carry the momentum into the 10th and lost the final round on all three scorecards.
“I am very unhappy with the decision. For every time he hit me, I hit him twice,” said Potapov, who threw 315 jabs compared to just 113 for Young. “I was the much busier fighter. I don’t know what fight the judges were watching. At the very most I lost four rounds.
“I’ve never had a draw before. I feel cheated from a win. I was very happy to be fighting in America but I now feel cheated.”
After the fight, St. Louis native Young was disappointed but knew that he needed to throw more punches.
“I feel like it was a good fight, but I should have got the decision,” Young said. “I hurt him every time I hit him. I let him be busier than me, but as far as the contact, I feel like I landed the more effective punches. That was my strategy.
“I should have come on a bit sooner. That was my plan, but I got a little relaxed in the fight. I came on in the ninth round when my coach told me to get him out of there.
“I most definitely want a rematch. I would like to do that again.”
Once-beaten Louisiana lightweight Mason Menard knocked out previously undefeated Eudy Bernardo with a vicious one-punch KO at2:11 of the third round. VIDEO: http://s.sho.com/1NtEYjW
Facing his toughest opponent to date, Menard floored (31-1, 23 KOs) Bernardo for the first time in his career with a series of rights near the end of the second round. The Dominican Bernardo beat the count and finished the round, but he had no answer for Menard’s power. Less than one minute into third, Menard connected with a huge right, knocking Bernardo (21-1, 15 KOs) out before he even hit the canvas.
“I made a statement tonight. Not many people knew who I was going into this, but they know me now,” said Menard, who landed nearly 50 percent of his power shots. “My speed, power and footwork were the difference.
“I said a prayer for him in the middle of the ring that he goes back to his family healthy.”
Bernardo, who was removed from the ring on a stretcher as a precautionary measure, was taken to nearby Oneida Healthcare where he was awake and responsive.
In the opening bout of the telecast, undefeated cruiserweightConstantin Bejenaru handed Alexey Zubov the first loss of his career in a convincing eight-round unanimous decision scored 77-74, 78-73 twice.
Save for a flash seventh round knockdown, Bejenaru (11-0, 4 KOs) controlled the fight from the outset. The Moldova native overcame a four-inch height disadvantage, attacking from different angles and controlling the exchanges on the inside and outside. Zubov (10-1, 6 KOs) never got into rhythm and failed to capitalize on his reach advantage against the active and athletic southpaw.
“He was a good classical boxer, but he’s too straight up and he couldn’t adjust,” Bejenaru said. “It wasn’t as easy as it looked to beat him. I adjusted my style to do that because I knew it would make him hesitate. I knew if I just constantly attacked him he wouldn’t know what to do.”
Zubov and Bernardo are now the 146th and 147th boxers to suffer their first pro loss on the prospect developmental series.
Friday’s three-fight telecast will re-air Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND beginning April 16
Barry Tompkins called the ShoBox action from ringside with Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer was Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughanproducing and Rick Phillips directing.
The Real People’s Champ: Melson making a major difference outside of the ring
New York, NY (April 15, 2016) – WBC USNBC junior middleweight champion Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson is remaining busy outside of the squared circle raising funds, speaking to various groups and helping multiple causes.
Last month, Melson spearheaded a fundraiser at SPiN NYC that netted $5,000. To help fundraising efforts, Melson literally let anybody who donated $50 or more at the event get in the ring with him for three minutes and throw punches at him. The funds were split 50/50 between Team Fight to Walk an BOXER INC. Melson recently joined the Board of Directors for BOXER INC. which is a NYC based nonprofit founded by Melson’s close friend and former amateur boxer Mustafa Abullah. BOXER INC. is a mentorship program through the use of boxing to help develop leadership, discipline and offer exercise to youth at inner-city schools in New York City. Academy Award Winner Susan Sarandon, a part owner of SPiN, helped promote the event on social media and personally expressed her interest in running a second fundraiser this fall.
Less than 24 hours after the SPiN event, Melson was a special guest speaker at the United Spinal Association Connecticut Chapter’s annual gala. The Connecticut Chapter honored Melson’s speaking at their gala by donating $2500 to Team Fight to Walk.
On Tuesday, April 12, Melson, a 2003 West Point grad, headed to the the army base of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. During his time at Fort Bragg, he spoke to Delta Company, 3rd Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne). This Battalion is a PSYOP (Psychological Operations) Battalion in the US Special Operations Command that directly supports the United States Army Special Forces. At the end of Melson’s speech to Delta Company, he was asked to return two more times this year.
This request involves Melson, an Army Reserve Captain himself, returning in July to deliver a speech to the entire 3rd Military Information Support Battalion followed by a speech to the United States Special Operations Command Care Coalition in the fall. The Care Coalition was formed to offer support to Armed Forces members that served in the Navy Seals, Delta Force, Special Forces, or Ranger Battalion, and were injured in combat now facing physical disabilities.
In the last few months, the “Rainmaker” has voluntarily offered his time addressing youth of all ages at multiple tri-state area elementary, middle and high schools as well as delivering a pre-game pep talk to the Johns Hopkins University Women’s Basketball Team prior to their game. Melson, upon invitation, attended the Jewish Youth Organization BBYO’s (B’nai B’rith) annual event in Baltimore. He was partnered with former NFL Quarterback Jay Fiedler as they both took turns sharing their individual journeys as Jewish professional athletes with a few hundred Jewish high school aged teens.
Four days after visiting Fort Bragg, Melson will be in Aston, Pennsylvania for a three day Spinal Cord Injury and Concussion forum. The event features a special exhibition hockey game featuring many former NHL players and other notables helping raise money for both of these physical challenges. The event is sponsored by Johnson&Johnson, a company Melson once worked for. During this event, Melson will speak on Spinal Cord Injuries and perform a ceremonial puck drop to kick the game off.
“The universe continues to conspire. When you follow what is in your heart with divine love, I believe that the universe submits. When this submission takes place allowing its elements to conspire, what is beating in your heart with divine love becomes a tangible space. I just have to keep moving forward with the same type of stamina I needed inside the ring. I can’t get tired. This fight has many rounds to it. Our FDA Approval to begin conducting this study is less than a year out- that round is almost here!
THE WAIT IS OVER – ‘PITBULL’ & SOUZA ARE READY FOR ACTION AT ‘BELLATOR 152’ TOMORROW
TORINO, ITALY. (April 15, 2016) – After Friday’s weigh-ins at the Turin Palace Hotel, all of the “Bellator 152: Pitbull vs. Souza” competitors are set to enter the cage inside of Italy’s largest indoor arena, The Pala Alpitour. The event airs on SPIKE tomorrow, Saturday, April 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
The mixed martial arts portion of Bellator MMA’s first event overseas will also include the promotional debut of Italian fan-favorite Alessio Sakara (17-11), who faces Brian Rogers (12-8) in a light heavyweight matchup and one of MMA’s most promising young prospects, A.J. McKee (3-0), who fights Danilo Belluardo (5-1) at 145-pounds.
Also, Anastasia Yankova (2-0) will make her promotional debut against Anjela Pink in MMA flyweight action and Oktagon competitorsDaniele Miceli (2-0) and Daniele Scatizzi (6-2) will round out the MMA card with a featherweight showdown.
Main Card: (Live on SPIKE – 10 p.m. ET/PT)
Kevin Souza (70.3 kg / 155.2 lbs.) vs. Patricky Freire (70.5 kg / 155.2 lbs.)
Alessio Sakara (92.25 kg / 203.9 lbs.) vs. Brian Rogers (93.05 kg / 205.3 lbs.)
Danilo Belluardo (66.05 kg / 145.4 lbs.) vs. A.J. McKee (65.95 kg / 145.5 lbs.)
Anjela Pink (58.65 kg / 129.3 lbs.) vs. Anastasia Yankova (59.35 kg / 130 lbs.)
Daniele Miceli (76.10 kg / 167.5 lbs.) vs. Daniele Scatizzi (76.2 kg / 168.2 lbs.)
Unbeaten Prospect Stephen Fulton Takes On Undefeated Adalberto Zorilla & Super Featherweight Contender Frank DeAlba Returns To Battle Veteran Mexico’s Daniel Perales
Tuesday, April 19 From Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pa.
Plus Full Night Of Exciting Undercard Action!
BETHLEHEM, PA. (April 15, 2016) – Undefeated super bantamweight prospect Stephen Fulton (8-0, 3 KOs) faces undefeated Puerto Rican Adalberto Zorilla (5-0, 5 KOs) and local super featherweight contender Frank DeAlba (17-2-2, 6 KOs) faces Mexico’s Daniel Perales (6-4-1, 3 KOs) as part of an exciting undercard on Tuesday, April 19 from Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pa.
Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes is headlined by lightweight contender Ivan Redkach (19-1, 15 KOs) will facing off against Puerto Rico’s Luis Cruz (22-4, 16 KOs). Televised coverage begins ay 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with brawling 160-pound prospect Immanuwel Aleem (15-0, 9 KOs) taking on Jonathan Cepeda (17-1, 15 KOs) while Dominican Olympian Junior Castillo (9-0, 9 KOs) faces Delaware’s Kyrone Davis (10-0, 4 KOs).
Fulton and Zorilla will square-off in a six-round super bantamweight bout while DeAlba and Perales meet in six-rounds of super featherweight action.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $108, $83 and $58, not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available atwww.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
Further action will feature a pair of Pennsylvania prospects in their pro debuts as Harrisburg’s Dustin Pague takes on Philadelphia’s Rafael Davis in a four-round welterweight fight, super welterweight Nicholas Hernandez (3-1, 1 KO) in a six-round bout against Newark’s Jamil Gadsden (0-6), Philadelphia’s Emmanuel Folly (6-0, 4 KOs) in four-rounds of lightweight action and St. Louis-native Vincent Cruz (9-0, 6 KOs) in eight rounds of super lightweight action against Allentown’s Jerome Rodriguez (7-3-3, 2 KOs).
At just 21-years-old, the rising prospect kept busy in 2015 as he picked up five victories including his last out in Bethlehem where he defeated previously unbeaten Joshua Greer. The Philadelphia-product will look to open his 2016 with a victory over the unbeaten Zorilla out of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
The 28-year-old De Alba had a 19 fight unbeaten streak snapped in his last outing in which he dropped a narrow majority decision to unbeaten Omar Douglas. Originally from Bayamon, Puerto Rico but now fighting out of nearby Reading, Pennsylvania, he’ll battle the 24-year-old Perales out of Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com
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