boxing, Showtime Boxing

EXCLUSIVE, CANDID INTERVIEW WITH FLOYD MAYWEATHER TO PREMIERE SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME®

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Mayweather Goes In-Depth on Pacquiao Injury, the Possibility of a Rematch and Fighting Beyond Next September

 

SHOWTIME Premiere of World Championship Bout—Mayweather vs. Pacquiao—at 9 p.m. ET/PT Followed by Exclusive Interview and the Premiere of “INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue”

 

NEW YORK (May 7, 2015)—Sports Emmy® Award winning reporter Jim Gray of SHOWTIME Sports® sat down with pound-for-pound champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather for an exclusive and candid interview late Tuesday night, just days after Mayweather dominated Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao en route to a 12-round unanimous decision victory last Saturday night in Las Vegas. The interview will premiere this Saturday, May 9, on SHOWTIME immediately following the network’s premiere of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao (9 p.m. ET/PT).

 

In the interview, Mayweather addresses the claim made by Pacquiao’s camp that the Philippine fighter sustained an injury to his right shoulder that hampered his ability during the bout.  Mayweather also discusses the possibility of a rematch with Pacquiao and fighting beyond his next scheduled event in September.

 

“Absolutely not,” Mayweather told Gray when asked if he could detect a problem with Pacquiao’s shoulder during the bout.  “He was fast.  His left hand was fast.  His right hand was fast and he was throwing them both fast and strong.

 

“Excuses, excuses, excuses,” continued Mayweather, who remains undefeated in his professional career with 48 wins, no losses and no draws.

 

“I’m not going to buy into the bull—… and I don’t want the public to buy into the bull—-.  He lost.  He knows he lost.  I lost a lot of respect for him after all of this.”

 

Mayweather goes on to address the possibility of a rematch.

 

“Did I text Stephen A. Smith and say I will fight him again?  Yeah, but I change my mind,” said Mayweather.  “At this particular time, no, because he’s a sore loser and he’s a coward… If you lost, accept the loss and say, ‘Mayweather, you were the better fighter.’”

 

The compelling interview will air immediately following the SHOWTIME premiere of the welterweight world championship unification bout at 9 p.m. ET/PT.  The interview will be immediately followed by the premiere of INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue, the acclaimed original documentary series from SHOWTIME Sports.

 

# # #

 

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

boxing, CBS Boxing, Premier Boxing Champions

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON CBS FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

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Click HERE For Photos From Esther Lin/PBC on CBS

 

Live On CBS Sports Starting at 4 P.M. ET/1 P.M. PT

 

HIDALGO, TEXAS (May 7, 2015) – Fight week for Premier Boxing Champions on CBS continued Thursday as televised fighters Omar “Panterita” Figueroa, Ricky Burns, Tomoki “El Mexicanito” Kameda, Jamie McDonnelland Austin “No Doubt” Trout spoke to the media at the final press conference before their respective bouts taking placeSaturday, May 9 at State Farm Arena.

 

Here are what the participants had to say Thursday:

 

OMAR FIGUEROA

 

“This is the biggest fight of my career thus far. I have my brother on the undercard and it’s here at home. This is it. I think it’s great for people from the Valley to get a huge card like this here. They haven’t seen this since Vasquez vs. Marquez, so I hope to bring that level of boxing back to the Valley.

 

“I definitely feel more pressure but the good kind of pressure. I’ve thrived on pressure my whole life. I was a pitcher for a long time. I was a closer. So I’ve been in situations where it’s bases loaded and we’re down so many runs and I’ve got to keep the game close. This is what I live for.

 

“I haven’t seen any film of Ricky Burns. Haven’t watched him at all. But from what I’ve heard he’s a tough fighter in great shape, so if we go 12 rounds it’ll be a good 12 rounds. I’m going to go out there and give it my all and win in the most impressive way possible.

 

“It wasn’t difficult to give up my title. I don’t fight for titles. I don’t care for titles. I think they’re just aesthetic things. I’d rather please the fans with a good fight. I don’t care if I win a title at the end of the day, but if the fans are happy, I am happy.

 

“I’m going to be a lot stronger at this new weight. I don’t know what to expect. I’m excited to get in the ring and find out.”

 

RICKY BURNS

 

“When you’re in hard fights, that’s what brings out the best of you. I’m looking forward to getting in the ring and putting on a good performance and win some fans over here.

 

“It’s a very tough fight and we knew that before we took it. Figueroa likes to come forward and be aggressive, but that can be his downside because he takes a lot of shots. We’re prepared for whatever happens on fight night and the best man will win.

 

“Some people think I’ve come over here just to be an opponent but that’s not the case. I had a bad year but it’s all behind me. I’m going to get back to my winning ways.

 

“This is everything I’ve ever wanted to accomplish in boxing. It’s going to be a hard fight but by the time the fight comes it will be just about four weeks that I’ve been in Texas.

 

“I treat boxing as my job, when it comes to training and fighting I always give it 100 percent and leave it all in the ring and hopefully the fans will see that. Omar is never in a dull fight and I’m not one to back out.

 

“We’ve treated this fight exactly the same as any other. Even though we’re in his hometown, as soon as that first bell goes that’s when it’s going to count. It’s just me and him in that ring.”

 

TOMOKI KAMEDA

 

“It is a dream come true to fight on a network like CBS. Millions are now going to get to know me, get to know my style. Boxing is changing and to be part of that is a great honor to me.

“It was not easy to relinquish my world title — I was the first Japanese to hold that title. It’s never easy to give up something that you’ve worked so hard for. But I respect the sanctioning body’s decision, they said I had to relinquish it and so I did. Now, I’m going for another title, and after that maybe unification.

“McDonnell is a good boxer. He knows how to box and knows his way inside the ring. Most British fighters do that, move around a lot. Its not an easy style to face, but my team and I have a great strategy and we are going to win, we are going to win by knockout.

“I love Mexico. I moved there when I was 15 with my family. I did all of my amateur and all my professional career there. I’m grateful to Mexico and all Mexicans for giving me so much.

“My team and the guys at the gym started calling me ‘El Mexicanito’ because I embrace Mexican culture as my own. I love the food, the people and of course the Spanish language. I struggle with it at first, but now I think I got it mastered.”

 

JAMIE MCDONNELL

 

“I think Kameda is a bit scared and a bit intimidated by my size. I genuinely believe I am going to knock him out. I’m too big and too strong.

 

“I’ve been a world champion for a couple of years now. I’m ultra-confident for this fight. It’s the best I’ve ever felt. I’m really looking forward to it.

 

“Kameda is a good fighter and I expect the very best from him. He better expect the very best from me. This is life changing, whoever wins this fight gets propelled up a few levels.

 

“I want the best life possible for my wife and baby daughter. To do that I have to beat him.

 

“My losses were six years ago and I didn’t even really believe in myself at that time. I’ve gone through every experience that you can in that time and I bring everything to the table.

 

“Fans can expect to see a lot of heart. I can take a punch, I can give a punch. It’s an interesting fight and it’s a chance for me to showcase what I’m all about on this great stage here in America.”

 

AUSTIN TROUT

 

“As far as my opponent dropping out at the last minute, disappointment is kind of an understatement. But I’m trying to keep it classy, so I’ll stick with disappointed. I’m not surprised though.

 

“The day I heard that he pulled out it definitely changed my mindset, but I had to find that focus and realize that we still have work to do.

 

“It’s an honor to be part of this whole PBC on CBS card. I feel like this is the resurgence of boxing – brining it back to the golden days. For me to be a part of that was one of my goals when I turned pro. I wanted to be a part of the comeback of boxing.

 

“I’m trying to get a belt. I want my world title back.  After I get a world title I’m going to try and avenge those losses. After I avenge those losses I want another title so I can become an undisputed champion. Once that’s done we can consider moving up to another weight class maybe.”

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @SHOSports, @OmarFigueroaJr, @RicksterKO, @TomokiKameda, @JamieMcDonnell1, @WarriorsBoxPromo and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo andwww.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

Veteran knockout artist Benji “The Razor” Radach returns to the cage to face Ben Reiter at “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove”

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EASY TWEET: Hard-hitting MMA vet @benjyradach returns to face undefeated former @PennWrestling star @BenReiterMMA May 15 #Bellator

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 7, 2015) – One of MMA’s hardest-hitting pioneers will return to action for the first time since 2010, as Benji “The Razor” Radach(21-6) has agreed to replace an injured A.J. Matthews (7-3) in a middleweight preliminary fight against Ben “The Hunter” Reiter (15-0-1).

 

The new addition again finalizes a full nine-bout preliminary card scheduled in support of four main-card contests at “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove.”

 

The night’s featured matchups include undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) against towering Hawaiian scrapper Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike “The Marine” Richman (18-5), welterweights Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (23-13) vs. “Curtious” Curtis Millander (7-1) and bantamweights Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-4).

 

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” takes place on Friday, May 15, at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. The night’s main card airs live on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT local time), while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.

 

Tickets for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” which start at just $50, are currently on sale at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.

 

Doors for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” open at 4 p.m. PT local time, and the first contest takes place 45 minutes later.

 

Fighting professionally since 2001, Radach fought for many of MMA’s biggest promotions, including Strikeforce, EliteXC, the International Fight League and the UFC. Seventeen of Radach’s 21 career wins have come by knockout, and he makes no secret of his intentions when he enters the cage. Boasting past clashed with MMA notables such as Brian Foster, Gerald Harris, Matt Horwich, Chris Leben, Gustavo Machado, Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Scott Smith, among others, Radach put his fighting career on hold in 2010, as he addressed a variety of nagging injuries. Now fully recovered, Radach looks to make a successful return to action.

 

Radach now meets a top undefeated prospect and former UPenn wrestling star Reiter, who fights for the second time under the Bellator MMA banner after spending much of his early career in Peru.

 

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” – Friday, May 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif.

 

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Middleweight Title Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)

Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)

Bellator Featured Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Millender (7-1)

Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Darrion Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael Silva (22-4)

 

Preliminary Card (7:45 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Benji Radach (21-6) vs. Ben Reiter (14-0)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Jordan Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)

 

Dark Bouts (approx. 11 p.m. ET)

 

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: John Yoo (0-0) vs. Albert Morales (1-0)

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Shawn Bunch (3-1) vs. Rolando Perez (7-4)

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Steve Kozola (5-0) vs. Ian Butler (1-1)

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: A.J. Jenkins (17-5) vs. Arlene Blencowe (5-4)

 

boxing

MARIO BARRIOS RETURNS TOMORROW NIGHT IN TEXAS

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Photo By Paul Gallegos

HIDALGO, TX (May 8, 2015) – Undefeated featherweight phenom, Mario Barrios (8-0, 4 KOs), makes his way back to the ring tomorrow night at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas. Fighting in a 6-round bout, Barrios will face a veteran of 42 fights in Arturo Herrera (11-30-1, 6 KOs).

 

Towering over his opponents standing 6’1, Barrios has an electrifying style, one the fans look forward too. Managed by Al Haymon, Barrios will look to use his height and reach advantage against Herrera and remain unbeaten.

 

“Fighting in Texas is something I look forward to being that I’m from San Antonio,” said Mario Barrios, “I’ll have plenty of family and friends making their way out to State Farm Arena tomorrow night to see me fight. I want to thank Haymon Boxing for giving me another great opportunity to showcase my talent in front of my people. I’m going to go in there and dictate my game plan. I’ll definitely be throwing some bombs!”
boxing, UK Boxing

Khan Reigns Supreme – Topples Soloninkini, Now Eyes Further Title Challenges

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Bradford’s sensational Bantamweight prospect Tasif Khan secured his first Championship accolade, the International Masters Bantamweight title, when he beat Georgia’s Mikheil Soloninkini by unanimous points decision at the iconic York Hall in London last Saturday night.

 

What really makes this achievement even more special is that Khan only returned to the ring in January this year, following a two year sabbatical from the sport.

 

On his return in January Khan scored a decisive first round stoppage victory, over the highly experienced Hungarian Richard Voros, in a bout that also took place at the York Hall.

 

Khan followed that win up with an equally impressive first round stoppage victory, over Czech Republic’s Ladislav Miko, six weeks later in Liverpool.

 

Last Saturday, whilst it seems everyone else were preparing for the Mayweather-Pacquiao super fight, Khan was taking part in the biggest fight of his career to date.

 

Right from the off Khan boxed beautifully behind his solid jab to keep his slightly more experienced foe on the back foot.

 

By midway point Khan began to slow the pace, whilst continuing to keep full pressure on Soloninkini.

 

Midway through the sixth round, during a rather hectic exchange Khan was a little slow bringing up his gloves, which opened the door for Soloninkini, who let rip with a big right to send Khan to the canvas.

 

On the restart Soloninkini when in hard in an attempt to finish the still slightly wobbly legged Khan, however the Bradford lad remained calm and collected, whilst the hyper Georgian continued to come forward throwing huge bombs.

 

During a number of these skirmishes Khan sensibly grabbed hold until referee Lee Murtagh issued the order break. This tactic allowed Khan a little time in order to clear his head.

 

Soloninkini continued to push hard for the final three rounds, however Khan is one seriously cool character, he just got behind his jab and just plain boxed his way out of danger, each time the Georgian made a forceful foray.

 

After ten rounds of first class boxing from Khan, judges Ken Curtis 99-94, Obie Garnett 98-90 and Matt Hamilton 98-91, all scored in favour of the new International Masters Champion Tasif Khan.

 

Speaking from his home earlier Khan spoke about the fight as well as hinted at further Championship forays in the near future.

 

“Yeah, I won my first title.

 

It’s been my dream since I was a kid, winning a title, hopefully this will be the first of many, onwards and upwards.

 

Saying that I don’t want to take away the importance of being the International Masters Champion, that was like winning a World title to me that night.

 

I’ve had a tough two and half years, I’ve come through it, got back fighting this year and now have a belt, yeah I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved.

 

I was absolutely fine coming into the fight, training went well, I went away with Nadeem Siddique one of my coaches, he’s a professional himself. I had a good training camp abroad, went to Greece,

 

Came into the fight brilliant, working of my jab, using my jab more as I felt I had a good chance, I was finding it quite comfortable to be honest, I was finding him quite easily with the jab.

 

He was a tough kid, took some good shots to the body, I found I could walk him down, then I think it was either the third or fourth round I overstretched my right arm, I felt at the time I must have damaged my shoulder, I tried not to show it, but as the rounds went on I struggled to throw big shots.

 

It wasn’t hurting, it did limit me on my shots as the fight went on, but I think I got a little complacent and gave him the opportunity to catch me with a good shot, it didn’t hurt me at all, but had to see that round through, because I had won every single round but that round, I boxed smart and stayed at a distance when I could and other times let him punch himself out.

 

To be honest I feel I could have stopped him, with all the pressure and that decided to just box my way through.

 

I’m really appreciative of my fans as always, they travel down to London in numbers, if all goes well though my next fight will be a lot nearer to home, maybe even Bradford, but I’m always grateful to my fans, even those that are unable to travel to watch me fight in London or Liverpool.

 

Since day one I’ve had good support, a great fan base, but fighting away all the time makes it hard for everyone to be at every fight, so I’d really love to do something big in Bradford, or at least more local and fingers crossed we’ll get a big title on that show.

 

I’d like to thank all my team, Martin Stainsby, Bee, Junior Witter, Rio (Gianluca Di Caro), Johnny Eames and all those that work behind the scene, I can’t forget to mention my Missus, she puts in all the hard work and puts up with me when I’m on a diet and my family, who have all been so supportive.

 

Before I forget I want to make a comment, I’ve been boxing since the age of ten, I made my mind up as the years went on that I wanted to really do something in Boxing, I had no intention of just making up the numbers, I had no option, I want to do well and win titles, I want to put Bradford on the map, winning the International Masters title has put me in the right direction, as such I want to dedicate the win to my eldest brother Tahir Khan, because if it wasn’t for him pointing me in the right direction, he’d keep me fit and take me to the gym, he’s the first person to totally support me in boxing, always been there for me and he’s the one that made all this possible.

 

As I say if it wasn’t for Tahir, I wouldn’t be in boxing and I wouldn’t have this International Masters belt, thank you for everything Tahir, really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.

 

I’d like to say a big thank you to my sponsors, Kingsland Business Recovery in Bradford, Broadway Solicitors in Oldham, Kesser Jewelers in Bradford and Vyomax Supplements from Manchester, they’ve been brilliant getting behind me so I can concentrate on my boxing.

 

Finally I would like to say a huge thanks to Mark Lyons and Billy James-Elliott, who gave me the opportunity to fight for the title on their show.”

 

 

 

 

-END-

boxing

Salita Signs Amateur Standout; Former Olympian; Asian Games Champion Serdar Hudayberdiyev 

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The Salita Promotions stable continues to grow in size, and scope. 
Brooklyn, NY (May 7, 2015)--Dmitriy Salita, the New York City based boxing promoter, is proud to announce a new talent is coming aboard.

Serdar Hudayberdiyev, a 2012 Olympian for Turkmenistan, and junior welterweight prospect, is now in the fold. He carried the flag for his country at the Olympics, and Salita expects him to make as much progress, if not more, in the professional ranks.
“He will connect with his community as well as the Russian speaking community in NYC and he is looking forward to representing his people,” Salita said.

Fans can expect to see a seasoned product in his professional debut that will come this summer.

The 28-year-old boxer, named the 2009 Best Athlete of Turkmenistan by the State Committee of Tourism and Sport, is light on his feet and aggressive.  He can lead or counter. He has been working on firming up his jab and setting down on his punches.

He is coming off an impressive showing at the Asian Games in Korea. His nation holds him in high regard and has immense hopes for him.  He currently is  the only professional boxer hailing from Turkmenistan.

He will join future heavyweight star Jarrell Miller, from Brooklyn; cruiserweight contender Junior Wright, from Chicago; fleet fisted Dimash Niyazov from Staten Island; new signee Bakhtiyar Eyubov, a KO hitter from Kazahkstan,  middleweight contender Steven Martinez and other rising stars on the Salita roster.

Please log on to www.salitapromotions.com for more information on the Salita fighters and upcoming promotions.
boxing, CBS Boxing, Premier Boxing Champions

STACKED UNDERCARD COMES TO HIDALGO, TEXAS ON SATURDAY, MAY 9 AT STATE FARM ARENA

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Austin Trout To Face Luis Galarza

 

Plus Top Local Talent & Highly-Touted Prospects Complete Card

 

Coverage of Premier Boxing Champions on CBS Starts

at 4 P.M. ET/1 P.M. PT

 

HIDALGO, TEXAS (May 7, 2015) – A full day of exciting undercard fights come to State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texason Saturday afternoon, May 9 as local fan favorites and top prospects will look to make their marks on the boxing world. This includes former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout (28-2, 15 KOs), who battles Luis Galarza (21-3, 15 KOs) in super welterweight action .

 

 

A former world champion who defeated Miguel Cotto in 2012, the 29-year-old Trout looks to make it three victories in a row on May 9. He also owns victories over Delvin Rodriguez, Daniel Dawson and Rigoberto Alvarez, in addition to his 2004 U.S. Championships gold medal. Fighting out of Las Cruces, New Mexico, he takes on the 33-year-old Galarza out of El Taino, Puerto Rico.

 

 

These fights will support the Premier Boxing Champions on CBS show featuring undefeated star Omar “Panterita” Figueroa battling former world champion Ricky Burns and the bantamweight showdown between Tomoki Kameda (31-0, 19 KOs) and Jamie McDonnell (25-2-1, 12 KOs).

 

 

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $100, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or at the State Farm Arena Box Office. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

 

 

Undercard action will also feature a pair of knockout artists as Rogelio “Porky” Medina (35-6, 29 KOs) takes on Samuel Miller (28-10, 25 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight bout. Undefeated prospect Miguel Flores (14-0, 7 KOs) battles German Meraz (43-34-1, 24 KOs) in an eight round featherweight attraction and Darwin Price (6-0, 3 KOs) faces Juan Ovalle (4-6-2, 3 KOs) in six rounds of super lightweight action.

 

 

Action continues with Steve Lovett (11-0, 9 KOs) battling Eric Watkins (12-8-2, 5 KOs) in an eight round light heavyweight showdown. Plus, Jose Prado (4-1, 2 KOs) will take on Victor Rosas (6-1, 2 KOs) in a four round welterweight tussle while Carlos Velasquez (18-1, 12 KOs) faces Juan Ruiz (24-16, 7 KOs) in an eight round featherweight bout.

 

 

Some of Texas’ hottest prospects round out the card as Omar’s brother, Brandon Figueroa (pro debut) takes on Hector Gutierrez (2-7) in a four round featherweight bout while Mario Barrios (8-0, 5 KOs) looks to remain undefeated against Jose Del Valle (4-10-1, 3 KOs) in six rounds of action in the super featherweight division.

 

 

More Texas flavor comes in the form of a pair of undefeated prospects as Ryan Karl (6-0, 5 KOs) faces Alfred Hall (4-8-2, 2 KOs) in four rounds of welterweight action and Enrique Alvarez (5-0, 3 KOs) battles Alberto Espinoza (3-6) in a four round super welterweight swing bout.

 

 

After a long career having fought mostly in Mexico, the 26-year-old Medina burst onto the scene with a thrilling knockout over previously unbeaten J’Leon Love in Aug. 2014. The fighter out of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico added two more victories since then and looks for a third when he takes on the 35-year-old Miller out of Arboletes, Colombia.

 

 

An undefeated fighter making his 2015 debut, the 22-year-old Flores out of Morella, Mexico will take on an experienced fighter in the 28-year-old Meraz out of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. Another fighter looking to keep his perfect record intact, the 25-year-old Price out of St. Louis takes on the 27-year-old Ovalle from Mercedes, Texas.

 

 

Representing New South Wales, Austraila, Lovett turned pro in 2010 and has yet to drop a fight in his first 11 bouts. The 30-year-old takes on the 28-year-old Watkins out of Morgantown, West Virginia.

 

 

After picking up his third straight victory in March, the 26-year-old Prado returns to the ring looking for a fourth win in a row. Fighting out of Reynoso, Mexico, he faces the 27-year-old Rosas out of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

 

A 2004 Puerto Rican Olympian, the 30-year-old Velasquez has been perfect since his lone loss to Rico Ramos in 2013. The fighter out of Catano, Puerto Rico hopes for his fourth straight victory when he battles the 36-year-old Ruiz out of Santa Clarita, California.

 

 

Fighting in his home state and representing San Antonio, Barrios looks for his second victory of 2015 on May 9. The 19-year-old hopes to build on his momentum when he squares off against the 25-year-old Del Valle out of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

 

 

The brother of headliner Omar, Brandon Figueroa will make his pro debut at 18-years-old just miles away from his hometown of Weslaco, Texas. His opponent is the 27-year-old Gutierrez out of Mission, Texas.

 

 

A pair of swing bouts feature 23-year-old Houston native Karl battling the 32-year-old Hall out of Jackson, Michigan and the 20-year-old Alvarez from McAllen, Texas who faces 29-year-old Espinoza from San Antonio.

 

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @SHOSports, @OmarFigueroaJr, @RicksterKO, @TomokiKameda, @JamieMcDonnell1, @WarriorsBoxPromo and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo and www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.
boxing

THROWBACK THURSDAY: 10th ROUND FROM CORRALES-CASTILLO I AVAILABLE ON 10th ANNIVERSARY OF LEGENDARY BRAWL

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Steve Farhood Reflects On 2005’s Fight of the Year On The Recently Launched Pound For Pound Tumblr Blog:

http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/

Photo Credit: TOM CASINO / SHOWTIME

 

Thursday marks the 10th anniversary of one of the greatest fights in boxing history – the brutal first battle between Diego “Chico” Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo.  Relive the drama of that classic slugfest – the 2005 Fight of the Year — by watching the epic and deciding 10th round from May 7, 2005.:  http://s.sho.com/1Km78Mn

 

Check out the new Pound For Pound Tumblr blog from SHOWTIME Sports® to read Steve Farhood’s reflections on one of the most memorable two-way battles ever televised on SHOWTIME®.

 

Pound For Pound features coverage of boxing from all angles, past and present, with original content taking the reader inside the ropes through recaps, analysis, lists and facts.  From short form video of boxers in and out of the ring, to shareable editorial posts, photos, gifs and quotes,Pound For Pound gives readers an opportunity to interact, identify and immerse themselves into the events and culture of boxing.

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts

M-1 CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS

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HEAVYWEIGHT:  Marcin “Tybur” Tybura (12-1-0, 4 KO/TKO, 6 SUB)

M-1: 6-1-0, Uniejow, Poland (United Gym)

 

LIGHT HEAVYEWEIGHT: Stephan “T-800” Puetz (13-1-0, 6 KO/TKO, 4 SUB),

M-1: 4-0-0, Munich, Germany (Team MMA Spirit)

 

MIDDLEWEIGHT: Ramasan Emeev (12-3-0, 2 KO/TKO, 6 SUB),

M-1: 5-1-0, Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia (Gorets)

 

WELTERWEIGHT: Vacant

 

LIGHTWEIGHT: Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui (12-2-0, 4 KO/TKO, 7 SUB),

M-1: 2-1-0, Paris, France (Team Duca)

 

FEATHERWEIGHT: Ivan “Buki” Buchinger (29-4-0, 8 KO/TKO, 16 SUB),

M-1: 4-0-0, Gabcikovo, Slovakia (Team MMA Spirit)

 

Upcoming Events

June 6, 2015 – M-1 Challenge 58: Battle in the Mountains 4 in Ingushetia, Russia

Vacant M-1 Challenge Welterweight Championship:

Igor “Chatubinha” Fernandes (18-6-0, 2 KO/TKO, 13 SUB), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

vs.

Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev (14-3-1, 6 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), Anapa, Krasnodar, Russia

 

July 3, 2015 – M-1 Challenge 59: Kharitonov vs. Garner 2 in Astana, Kazakhstan

Heavyweight Superfight

Sergei “The Paratrooper” Kharitonov (22-5-0, 12 KO/TKO, 9 SUB), Moscow, Russia

vs.

Kenny “Deuce” Garner (16-8-0, 9 KO/TKO, 4 SUB), Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA

 

 

Information

www.mixfight.ru

www.wmmaa.org

www.M1Global.tv

 

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews

@VFinkelchtein

@M1Global

 

Facebook:

 

www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244
boxing, Team Fight to Walk

Layoff not a concern for Melson ahead of title fight!

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Melson Left Hook.jpg

New York, NY (May 7, 2015) – Eleven months ago, popular 154 pounder Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson was training for a career changing fight with contender Glen Tapia. Against Tapia, who is considered amongst the top rising stars in America, Melson was taking a significant step up in competition and training like a madman so he’d shine when it mattered most. Unfortunately, an injury forced him out of the bout and a rematch was never scheduled.

 

Between other opportunities not coming through and obligations outside of the squared circle, Melson’s been inactive since a gutsy February 2014 win over Donald Ward. Against Ward, the 2003 West Point grad literally fought with one arm, overcoming a stretched brachial plexus which caused temporary paralysis in his right arm during the last five rounds of the bout.

 

Tomorrow evening at the Westchester Hilton in Rye Brook, NY, Melson returns from the fifteen month layoff to face charismatic Mike “El Cangri” Ruiz. Melson-Ruiz is scheduled for the WBC USNBC junior middleweight title, with the winner likely working their way into the world ratings. Fighting in his first ten rounder and serving as one half of the main event, Melson is confident that he’ll be sharp as ever even with the layoff.

 

“On paper, I’ve been out of the ring for over a year and I know a lot of people see that as a reason for concern,” said Melson. “The truth is I never got out of shape and once my body healed, I was right back in the gym. After suffering an injury during the Olympic Trials, I was inactive for more than two years. Since then, I’ve only lost one controversial decision in 16 pro fights. Personally and professionally, I’ve overcame things more challenging than the inactivity. I have felt fresh throughout training camp and don’t see any problemstomorrow night. The goal is to beat Ruiz convincingly and move on to challenge one of the world’s top rated fighters.”

 

Born in Puerto Rico and based in Long Island, the popular Ruiz has a significant experience advantage in the paid ranks, having faced a number of contenders. Overall, his record stands at 17-8 with 9 knockouts and some insiders believe he’s a step up for Melson.

 

“Ruiz is a tough and battle tested fighter,” stated Melson, who is 14-1-1 as a professional with four knockouts. “He has faced some good opponents and always comes to fight. I know that he’s viewed as a step up for me and I’ve been ready to step up for awhile now. Regardless if it’s by decision or knockout, I’m fully confident that I’ll earn my 15th victory tomorrowevening.”

 

The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with New Legends Boxing. All of Team Fight To Walk’s tickets are sold out but may still be available by calling DiBella Entertainment at 212-947-2577.

 

After his fight with Ruiz, Melson will continue his pledge assist in curing chronic Spinal Cord Injuries by donating 100% of his purse to Team Fight to Walk in support of America’s first trial of its kind.

 

Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two division world champion Paul “The Punisher” Williams, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, Austin “No Doubt” Trout, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Sonya Lamonakis, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., WBA Middleweight champion Danny Jacobs,  WBO Junior Middleweight titlist/2008 US Olympian Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade and fellow 08’ Olympian Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

 

For more information or to make a donation, go to teamfighttowalk.com or Justadollarplease.org. All specific questions about the nature of the Clinical Trial to cure Spinal Cord Injury can be sent to bamstrong1981@gmail.com. Fans can also interact with Melson via Twitter @BoydMelson orFacebook.com/Boydmelson

 

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