Tag Archives: boxing

FIGHT NETWORK BOXING PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (Feb. 16-22, 2015)

Fight Network is a 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports. It airs programs focused on the entire scope of the combat sports genre, including live fights and up-to-the-minute news and analysis for boxing, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, professional wrestling, traditional martial arts, fight news, as well as fight-themed drama series, documentaries and feature films.

 

Below find highlights of this week’s programming:

 

Monday, Feb. 16

 

11:00 p.m. ETInterBox Classics: Diaconu vs. Newton – Featuring Adrian Diaconu’s pro debut vs. Mark Newton from Mar. 2, 2001 in Montreal.

Tuesday, Feb. 17

 

6:00 p.m. ETKOTV Boxing Classics – Reliving memorable boxing fights from the past two decades.

 

8:30 p.m. ETFight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

 

11:00 p.m. ETGFL: Best Battles 4 – Highlights from boxing, as well as MMA and kickboxing, events showcasing memorable knockouts and submissions.

Thursday, Feb. 19

 

1:00 a.m. ETKOTV Boxing Weekly Covering all the latest news in professional boxing, featuring full recent fights and highlights from the sweet science.

 

8:30 p.m. ETFight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

Friday, Feb. 20

 

7:30 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. ET Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis on the fight game.

Sunday, Feb. 22

 

7:30 p.m. ETUltimate Classic Boxing: Machen vs. Jones – Featuring heavyweight Eddie Machen vs. Doug Jones from Dec. 2, 1961 in Miami Beach.

 

Monday, Feb. 23

 

1:00 a.m. ETBest of GYM Boxing: Lucian Bute & Troy Ross early days– Profiling early career bouts from top Canadian boxers Lucian Bute and Troy Ross.

 

Information:

 

www.FightNetwork.com

 

Twitter & Instagram @fightnet

 

www.Facebook.com/FightNetwork

ABOUT FIGHT NETWORK:  Fight Network is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to 24/7 coverage, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available in the U.S. on Cablevision in parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, Texas-based Grande Communications, Armstrong Cable in Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, as well as on Shentel Cable in Virginia, West Virginia and portions of western Maryland. Fight Network is also on Roku set top boxes in the U.S. and Canada, streamed live on website KlowdTV.com, and available on all major carriers in Canada and more than 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Adams, Gasparyan, Thompson and Skorokhod advance in Boxcino Jr. Middlweight tournament

 
UNCASVILLE, CONN (February 15, 2015)Brandon Adams, Vito Gasparyan,John Thompson and Stanyslav Skorokhod all won their quarterfinal match-ups at the Mohegan Sun and advanced to the semi-final round of the Boxcino 2015 jr. middleweight tournament.
All Boxcino bouts were scheduled for 6-rounds.
The tournament is promoted by exclusively by Banner Promotions and shown on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
This card was promoted by Banner Promotions in association with Jimmy Burchfield’s CES Boxing.
Adams, who was a Boxcino 2014 middleweight tournament runner up,scored a 5th round stoppage over Alex Perez in what was an entertaining  slug fest.
The fight saw both guys fight inside and land some thudding shots.  It was Adams speed inside that proved to be the difference as it looked he landed the more authoritative blows and was slowly breaking down Perez.
In round five, Adams landed a booming right that sent Perez to the canvas.  Perez got to his knees before the bout was stopped at 2:47 of round five.
Adams, 155 lbs of Los Angeles is now 16-1 with 11 knockouts.  Perez, 152 1/2 lbs of Newark, NJ is 18-2.
“Alex was very tough.  I appreciate the fight that he brought and it made me step up my game,” said Adams.
“In the end, I loaded up my shots.  I showed that I have the speed and I established the jab.  I had a lot of fun in there.  I am looking forward to the next fight.  I am going, maybe I will take Monday off and I will be back in the gym.”
Vito Gasparyan scored a 6-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Simeon Hardy.
Gasparyan was more active and outworked Hardy and forced the battle on the inside against the taller Hardy, where Gasparyan was able to get the better of the exchanges.
Gasparyan, 155 lbs from Glendale, CA won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56 and is now 15-3-5.  Hardy, 154 1/4 lbs of Brooklyn is now 13-1.
“It was a good fight.  I proved that I belong at this level,” said Gasparyan.
“I am now looking forward to the next fight.  I am going to work hard and take one step at a time.  I felt good and confident in there.  I am dedicating this victory to my trainer Justin Fortune who couldn’t be here after just beating an illness.”
Late replacement John Thompson boxed his way to a 6-round unanimous decision over Ricardo Pinell.
Thompson used his height and reach to keep Pinell at bay.  Thompson was effective with quick combinations that never let Pinell get on track.
Thompson, 154 1/4 lbs of Newark, NJ won by scores of 60-54 on cards and is now 16-1.  Pinell, 154 lbs of San Francisco, CA is now 10-2-1.
“I outboxed him for the most part.  I was able to know a little about him and I went off what I saw on youtube,” said Thompson.
“I saw he had a few bad habits.  Now that I have time to prepare it will be a lot better.  I know I have a lot to work on.  I will take one week off and I will be back in the gym.”
Syanyslav Skorokhod scored a 4th round stoppage over Michael Moore in a battle of previously undefeated fighters.
In round two, Skorokhod started to find the range with power shots with both hands.  Towards the end of the round, Skorokhod landed a hard right that backed Moore up to the corner. In round three, Skorohod dropped Moore with a perfect right hand.
In round four, Skorohod dropped Moore once again with a hard right.  Morre got up only to eat a flurry of punches and the bout was stopped at 1:03 round four.
Skorohod, 153 3/4 lbs of Los Angeles is now 9-0 with 7 knockouts.  Moore, 154 3/4 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 13-1.
“I am glad that I won.  My next fight will be even better,”said a victorious Skorokhod.
“I was prepared for a southpaw and I knew the pressure would be the difference.  Once I applied the pressure, I saw he could not do anything.  I can prepare for any kind of the style being that I train with some of the best fighters at Wild Card Gym.”

Adams will meet Gasparyan while Skorokhod will fight Thompson on April 3 in Corona, California.

In undercard action:

In what was a rock em -sock em affair, Jimmy Williams was able to pound his way to a 4th-round stoppage over Eddie Caminero in a scheduled 6-round Middleweight bout.
It looked like it would be a short and easy night for Williams as he repeatedly hurt Caminero in the first round to the point were Caminero was staggering all over the ring on several occasions.  Caminero was able to gather himself and make the fight a two way brawl with each guy holding on at different points of the fight.
Williams steadied himself enough to land a perfect left hook that sent Caminero to the deck at 32-seconds of round four.
Williams, 156 1/4 lbs of Hartford, CT is now 9-0-1 with 5 knockouts.  Caminero, 157 1/4 lbs of Lawrenceville, MA is 7-9.

Khiary Gray-Pitts battered and bloodied the nose of Rodrigo Almeida in the first round and the bout was halted in the corner following the opening frame of their scheduled 4-round Light Heavyweight bout.
Gray-Pitts landed thudding shots that had Almeida on the defensive from the outset.  Almeida’s nose was bloody and face was bruised up after just three minutes of action and could not continue after the first frame.
Gray-Pitts, 164 1/4 lbs of Worcester, MA is now 5-0 with 3 knockouts.  Almeida, 172 1/2 lbs of Woburn, MA is 1-2.
In the opening bout of the evening, Oscar Bonilla and Angel Martinez battled a 4-round draw in a Lightweight bout.
Bonilla won a card 39-37 while two cards were even at 38-38.
Bonilla, 133 lbs of New Haven, CT is 3-0-2.  Martinez, 132 1/4 lbs of Austin, TX is 5-1-1.
In the walkout bout Ray Oliveira Jr. scored a stoppage after round two of a scheduled 4-round Lightweight bout over Ralph Johnson.
Oliveira is now 3-0 with 2 knockouts.  Johnson is 1-4

Photo by Shane Sims / Banner Promotions

The four quarterfinal heavyweight division bouts will be televised live on ESPN’sFriday Night Fights Next FridayFebruary 20, from Turning Stone Resort Casinoin Verona, NY.
Last year’s Boxcino winner in the middleweight division, Willie Monroe Jr., has become a bona fide contender thanks to his victories in Boxcino 2014. He is currently world-rated No. 3 by the WBA, No. 7 by the WBO and No. 10 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). Boxcino 2014 lightweight champion Petr Petrov is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBA and No. 7 by the WBO

Happy to make Artie Pelullo, or any of the fighters available to you by phone. The pairings for each division, fighter bios (don’t worry they’re brief) and all the participants’ Fight Fax records are available upon request.

*******************

Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information on concerts and other great events visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.

Trey Lippe-Morrison Headlines March 7 at Buffalo Run Casino!

Miami, OK (February 13, 2015) – Unbeaten heavyweight knockout artist Trey Lippe-Morrison returns Saturday, March 7 at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK when he headlines the “Four State Franchise” fight card.

 

This excellent night of boxing is promoted by Holden Productions and tickets starting at $30 are available by calling 918-542-9400 or going to Buffalorun.com.

 

The son of late heavyweight great Tommy “The Duke” Morrison, Lippe-Morrison is a perfect 6-0 with all six wins coming by knockout. Like his father, Lippe-Morrison is a huge draw with devastating punching power. The 25-year-old Tulsa, OK native scored five consecutive first round knockouts and his journey in the squared circle has been chronicled by various media outlets.

 

“Trey is 6-0 and I’m trying to find opponents that can give him some rounds,” said promoter Tony Holden. “He’s blowing out opponents in the first round and he’s a huge puncher. He really reminds me of his father, who I promoted, and I think Trey’s the real deal!”

 

Lippe-Morrison’s opponent will be named shortly.

 

In the co-featured bout of the evening, popular heavyweight slugger Kenzie Witt of Bartlesville, OKputs his unbeaten record on the line against an opponent to be named. Witt, 3-0 (3 KO’s), is a son of the aforementioned Morrison and Lippe-Morrison’s half brother.

 

Undefeated Jesse “Left Hook” Cook, 14-0 (9 KO’s), will appear on the card in a six round junior middleweight bout. The Seneca, MO based Cook will meet an opponent TBA. Welterweight Jarrett Rouse of Bartlesville, OK is also scheduled to appear in a four round contest.

 

“For March 7th, I’ve put together a card of talented fighters from the Four State area,” said Holden. “I call these guys Four State Franchise. The team is Lippy-Morrison, Witt, Rouse and the Cook Brothers. I have done shows at Buffalo Run Casino for many years and every time this group is on the card, tickets sell out in less than 48 hours. This is the best reaction I’ve got from a crowd in my 25 years of promoting.”

 

Additional bouts and opponents will be announced shortly.

 

GH3 Promotions signs undefeated Welterweight Jerrell Harris

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nutley, NJ(February 13, 2015)-GH3 Promotions is pleased to announce the signing of Jerrell Harris to an exclusive promotional contract.
Harris of Washington, DC. is an undefeated Welterweight who sports a perfect mark of 4-0 with 4 knockouts.
The 20 year-old said upon signing, “It feels great to sign with GH3 and I look forward to a bright future.”

“The number-one factor on me signing with GH3 is that they keep their fighters busy.”

Before turning professional, Harris had am amateur career that consisted of 100 bouts in which he won the World Jr. Olymoics, PAL and Ringside tournaments.  Harris also competed against and won against the Irish National team and the Mayors Cup in Washington.
“I have an all around style.  I can box and I can bang.  It all depends on the opponent.  I am kind of an old school type of fighter and I look up to the likes of Wilfredo Benitez & Thomas Hearns.”
“I want to fight as often as I can and I am ready for a big 2015.  I have been sitting on the shelf for nearly a year.  I think after a couple of tune up fights, I will be ready for the next stage of my career.”
Harris got interested in boxing after his brothers boxed.  Jerrell started at the age of 11.
“My uncle has been the guy who has been by me the whole time.  His name is Gregory Burton but everyone knows him as “B-Bop”.  He has been my biggest motivator since day one.  When anyone has negative things to say, he is the one their and makes me push forward and stay strong.”
“Jerrell has a chance to be a special fighter,”said GH3 Promotions President, Vito Mielnicki.
“He had a great amateur career and he fits in with all of the quality fighters that we have signed from the Beltway are like Antoine Douglas, Jerry Odom and Glenn Dezurn.”

Harris will be making his GH3 debut on Friday, March 13 at the Space in Westbury, NY.

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Featherweight Glenn Dezurn Jr., undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Jr. Middleweight John Thompson, Jr. Lightweight Wanzell Ellison, Featherweight Jorge Diaz, undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.

Weights from Mohegan Sun (Boxcino Jr. Middleweight Quarterfinals)



John Thompson replaces Cleotis Pendarvis in Boxcino Tournament 

Boxcino Quarterfinals

Ricardo Pinell 154 – John Thompson 154 1/4

Stanyslav Skorokhod 153 3/4 – Michael Moore 154 3/4

Brandon Adams 155 – Alex Perez 152 1/2

Vito Gasparyan 155 – Simeon Hardy 154 1/4

Thompson replaces Cleotis Pendarvis who could not make weight

Eddie Caminero 157 1/4 – Jimmy Williams 156 1/4
Khiary Gray-Pitts 164 1/4 – Rodrigo Almeida 172 1/2
Angel Martinez 132 1/4 – Oscar Bonilla 133

Photos by Shane Sims / Banner Promotions
Promoter:  Banner Promotions in association with Jimmy Burchfield’s CES Boxing
Venue:  Mohegan Sun:
Television: ESPN 2 (9PM)
1st Bell: 7:45 PM
Future contenders step into the national spotlight when the popular single-elimination boxing tournament, Boxcino 2015, makes its season debut, This Friday! February 13, at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. Televised live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, (9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on ESPN2), the four quarterfinal junior middleweight division bouts will produce four winners who will then take a giant leap toward making it to the championship final round and its ultimate prize, the vacant NABA and NABO titles AND a Top-10 world rating by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO). Promoted by Banner Promotions and Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), remaining tickets to the February 13 edition of Boxcino 2015, priced at $125, $65, $40 and $30, including facility fee, can be purchased via www.ticketmaster,com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster outlets or in person at the Mohegan Sun Box Office.

The Official Weigh-In will take place on Thursday, February 12, in the Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre, beginning at 5 p.m. On Fight Night, Doors will open at 7 p.m. with the first bout beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

The four quarterfinal heavyweight division bouts will be televised live on ESPN’sFriday Night Fights Next Friday! February 20, from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY.

Boxcino 2015 has been a great platform for the next generation of boxing champions and stars. The quarterfinal bouts will be six rounds, the semifinal bouts will be eight rounds and the championship bouts will be 10 rounds. This short piece from ESPN’s “Making The Rounds” will detail this week’s battles. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12302492

Last year’s Boxcino winner in the middleweight division, Willie Monroe Jr., has become a bona fide contender thanks to his victories in Boxcino 2014. He is currently world-rated No. 3 by the WBA, No. 7 by the WBO and No. 10 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). Boxcino 2014 lightweight champion Petr Petrov is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBA and No. 7 by the WBO

Happy to make Artie Pelullo, or any of the fighters available to you by phone. The pairings for each division, fighter bios (don’t worry they’re brief) and all the participants’ Fight Fax records are available upon request.

*******************

Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information on concerts and other great events visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.

MEDZHID BEKTEMIROV SIGNS CO-PROMOTIONAL CONTRACT WITH GARY SHAW AND LOU SAVARESE

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 12, 2015)Gary Shaw Productions and Savarese Promotions are thrilled to announce their union to promote one of the most talented up and coming prospects in the light heavyweight division, Medzhid Bektemirov (14-0, 11 KOs).  A devastating puncher with power in both hands, Bektemirov also possesses speed and quickness, making him one of the most talked about fighters in Russia.

 

Born in Makhachkala, Russia, Bektemirov, now resides in the USA, where he trains with Ronnie Shields at the “PLEX” in Stafford, Texas.  A hard worker who practically lives in the gym, Medzhid eats, sleeps and breathes boxing.

 

“I’m telling you right now, Medzhid Bektemirov is one of the most talented fighters I’ve seen in a while,” said Gary Shaw. “He has the rare combination of speed and power.  I’m talking destructive power coming from both hands.  His hooks are deadly and his fast feet are amazing.  I’m going to go out on a limb and say Bektemirov could be the next great fighter to come out of Russia.  I have the greatest amount of respect for Gennady Golovkin and Sergey Kovalev, both are great champions.   Golovkin is a very special fighter and if Bektemirov can reach his level, then we’ll have something special as well.  I believe Bektemirov will be looking to face Kovalev in the not so distant future.”

 

In only his 12th bout, Bektemirov captured the WBC United States (USNBC) light heavyweight title with a dominating performance against Randy Griffin (25-4-3, 13 KOs), winning a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision.   Having gone twelve rounds in a professional bout already, Medzhid Bektemirov, has proven he can go the distance if need be.

 

“In 2015 Medzhid Bektemirov will make his presence known to everyone in the light-heavyweight division.”Lou Savarese stated. “This kid reminds me of Mike Tyson with his heavy hands and tremendous speed.  I’ve been in the ring with Tyson and I’m confident when I say Bektemirov reminds me a lot like Mike.  Gary and I are going to put tremendous amount promoting Medzhid.  He will become a household name very soon and we are gunning for that world title.”

 

“I feel very blessed to be promoted by Gary Shaw and Lou Savarese who have been in boxing for many years,” Medzhid Bektemirov said. “I’ve come a long way from Russia to pursue my dream of becoming a champion.  I love to fight and I get great enjoyment when I knockout my opponent.  In every bout, I’m always going to be looking to end the fight early.  The fans want to see knockouts and that is my specialty.”

THREE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION ABNER MARES TO FIGHT ON BLOCKBUSTER CARD IN “PBC ON NBC” DEBUT LIVE IN PRIMETIME ON SATURDAY, MARCH 7

Mares To Face Arturo Santos Reyes From The MGM Grand Garden Arena In Las Vegas

 

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 12, 2015) – Former three-division world champion Abner Mares (28-1-1, 15 KOs) returns to the ring to face 2008 Mexican Olympian Arturo Santos Reyes (18-4, 5 KOs) on Saturday, March 7 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in the primetime debut of the Premier Boxing Champions series on NBC and NBCSN.

 

The fight is part of the blockbuster card promoted by Goossen Promotions featuring Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero and Adrien Broner vs. John Molina, Jr. that will air live on NBC (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT).

 

The Mares-Reyes bout will be televised live on Saturday, March 7, on the NBC show (8:30 – 11 p.m. ET) or on the NBCSN telecast (11 p.m. ET).

 

Marv Albert will call the fights in primetime on NBC alongside analyst “Sugar” Ray Leonard, the six-time world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist. Al Michaels will host.

 

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to fight in Las Vegas on March 7,” said Mares. “This is a fantastic card that is great for me and great for the sport of boxing.  I look forward to putting on a show for the fans and winning impressively.”

 

“It’s a big honor to get this fight against Abner Mares and to be fighting at MGM Grand in Las Vegas,” said Reyes. “Mares is a great fighter. I know what he brings to the table. But I’m going to give it my all on March 7 and shock the boxing world.”

 

The 29-year-old Mares looks to stay at the top of the featherweight division when he steps into the ring on March 7. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and fighting out of Downey, Calif., Mares first tasted world championship gold in 2011 when he beat Joseph Agbeko to win the bantamweight world title. He continued his rise up the pound-for-pound list with wins over Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce De Leon to win world titles at super bantamweight and featherweight respectively. He suffered his only defeat in a shocking loss to Jhonny Gonzalez but has rebounded nicely with back-to-back wins and now looks to return to the top of the sport.

 

An accomplished amateur from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Reyes makes his U.S. debut on March 7 with a chance to immediately make a name for himself stateside.  The 29-year-old was a silver medalist at the Junior World Championships in 2004 and he would go on to represent his country at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Reyes turned pro in 2009 and racked up victories in his first five outings. Fighting almost exclusively in Mexico, he defeated Khabir Suleymanov in 2012 for the super bantamweight title. Most recently Reyes went on the road and lost to Simpiwe Vetyeka in his native South Africa for the vacant international featherweight title. He returns to the ring looking to make an immediate impact in his U.S. debut.

 

Tickets for the live event are priced at $400, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now.  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,  www.nbcsports.com/boxing and www.goossenpromotions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KeithFThurmanJr, @GhostBoxing, @AdrienBroner, @JohnMolinaJr135, @abnermares, @NBCSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.facebook.com/NBCSports.

Cuban amateur star Marcos Forestal Making pro debut tomorrow in Queens, NY Friday, Feb. 13

(l-R) – Marcos Forestal & trainer Joe Goossen

CORK, Ireland (Feb. 12, 2015) – Celebrated Cuban amateur boxer Marcos Forestal will make his professional debut tomorrow night (Fri., Feb. 13) in a four-round super bantamweight bout against veteran Ignac “The Test” Kassai at 5 Star Banquet Hall in Queens, New York.

 

A three-time Cuban National champion, the 25-year-old Forestal defeated 2012 Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Rameriez 14 months ago in a sensational national championship final.

 

Fighting as a semi-pro in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) for undefeated 2014 team champion Cuba Domadores, Forestal was unbeaten in three WSB matches before defecting to the United States last April.

 

Forestal signed a contract this past October with Ireland-based, International boxing manager Gary Hyde, president of Nowhere2Hyde Management. Hyde also manages present, past and future world champions such as World Boxing Association (WBA) Super & World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight champion and two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist, Guillermo “The Jackal” Rigondeaux (15-0, 10 KOs), WBA Interim cruiserweight champion Youri “El Toro” Kalenga (21-1, 14 KOs), former WBO middleweight champion and current International Boxing Federation (IBF) No. 1 mandatory contender Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (31-1, 18 KOs), and world amateur champion Blagoy Naydenov.

 

“Marcos Forestal is an excellent young fighter who has an action-packed style,” Hyde said. “He has what it takes to become world champion. We couldn’t find a US-based opponent to fight Marcos because they said he was another Rigondeaux and Olympic champion. While he beat an Olympic champion, Marcus wasn’t an Olympian. We flew in his opponent from Hungary. Kasai is a 56-fight veteran who has fought some of the top Europeans like IBF super bantamweight champion Carl Frampton, world title challengers Martin Ward, Bedak Zsolt  and Alexander Miskirtchian, and former European champ Anthony Settoul.”

 

Forestal is a 5′ 8″ southpaw who will campaign in the 122-pound super bantamweight division, the same weight class his fellow countryman and stablemate Rigondeaux rules.

 

“Guillermo Rigondeaux is a super champion and in Cuba I looked up to him like his younger brother,” Forestal added. “He has dominated the super bantamweight division and I will soon join him at the top.”

 

Living in Los Angeles and trained there by Joe Goossen, Forestal’s second pro fight is tentatively scheduled for March 6 in nearby Glendale, California.

 

Follow Hyde on Twitter at @NoWhere2Hyde and friend him atwww.facebook.com/gary.hyde.50?fref=ts.

DANNY GARCIA VS. LAMONT PETERSON AND ANDY LEE VS. PETER QUILLIN IN BROOKLYN BOXING SHOWDOWNS LIVE IN PRIMETIME ON NBC ON SATURDAY, APRIL 11

Premier Boxing Champions on NBC Comes to Barclays Center with Two Sensational Main Events

 

– Televised Fights on NBC Start at 8:30 P.M. ET

 

Tickets on Sale Tomorrow!

 

BROOKLYN (February 12, 2015) – The eagerly awaited showdown between undefeated superstar Danny “Swift” Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) and Lamont Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KOs) will become a reality as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC returns to primetime onSaturday, April 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

 

In the first main event of the evening, middleweight world champion “Irish” Andy Lee (34-2, 24 KOs) takes on the undefeated Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs) in a 12-round world title fight.

 

Marv Albert will call the fights in primetime on NBC alongside analyst “Sugar” Ray Leonard, the six-time world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist. Al Michaels will host.

 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50 not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale tomorrow,Friday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.comwww.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center starting onSaturday, Feb. 14 at noon. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

 

“It’s an honor to be fighting back in Brooklyn where I’ve experienced some of the best moments of my career,” said Garcia. “Fans have been asking for this fight for so long and on April 11 I’m planning on giving them the show they’ve been waiting for.  Doing it live on NBC will make it even sweeter.”

 

“This is an amazing opportunity for me fighting in Brooklyn and on national TV in front of millions of people,” said Peterson. “I’m going to go out there and give the performance of a lifetime. Danny Garcia better not underestimate me, because my time is now.”

 

“I’m looking forward to returning to New York and defending my title against Quillin,” said Lee. “I’m at the peak of my powers now. I cannot see myself losing to anyone. I want to be recognized as the best middleweight in the world and beating Quillin will go some way to proving that.”

 

“To be able to fight at home in Brooklyn and win a title on such a big stage is a dream come true,” said Quillin. “I’m honored and excited to be a part of something that is great for my career, but also for the sport of boxing as a whole. I know that I’m going to win on April 11, become champion once again, and then I’m going after anyone and everyone at 160 pounds.”

 

“I am thrilled to be promoting this PBC mega event at Barclays Center in my hometown of Brooklyn,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson and Andy Lee defending his middleweight title against Peter Quillin are two of the very best bouts that can be made in boxing. On April 11, the fans are going to be the biggest winners and DBE is proud to be part of it.”

 

Quality championship fights are only in Brooklyn in April,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center. “Danny Garcia always brings excitement to our ring and we are delighted once again to have Brooklyn’s own Peter Quillin fighting in Barclays Center. Fans want drama and unpredictable fights, and we are confident our card will deliver that on primetime television.”

 

Now in his fourth year as a world champion, Philadelphia’s Garcia will return to headline at Barclays Center for a record fourth time. Garcia also fought in the main event in October 2012, the first ever-boxing card at Barclays Center. The 26-year-old has taken down some of the biggest names in boxing on his way to an undefeated record, including Amir Khan, Erik Morales, Zab Judah and Lucas Matthysse. He will once again have a chance to prove himself against the best, this time in the long anticipated clash with Peterson.

 

Washington, D.C.’s Peterson is a gifted boxer-puncher with as much heart as talent. Like Garcia, the 31-year-old Peterson is another longtime champion.  Peterson has always faced the best and defeated Amir Khan in 2011.  The only blemishes on his perfect record came against Timothy Bradley and Lucas Matthysse.  He is coming off of two impressive victories in 2014 and now he gets the bout he and the public have clamored for as he takes a shot at beating Garcia in Brooklyn.

 

An accomplished amateur who was Ireland’s sole boxing representative at the 2004 Olympic Games, Leegot his first taste of world championship gold in December 2014 when he defeated Matt Korobov for the vacant middleweight world title with a sensational sixth round technical knockout. The 30-year-old has fought in his home country of Ireland, the UK, Germany and most often in the U.S. throughout his career. His only career losses came against Bryan Vera, which he would later avenge and Julio Cesar Chavez in his first world title fight. On April 11, Lee will fight for the fifth time in New York City, looking to give the primetime national television audience a memorable night.

 

A former world champion looking to reclaim the belt he vacated last year, Quillin will return to the same arena where he won the middleweight belt in 2012 with his star-making, six-knockdown performance against Hassan N’Dam in the first boxing card hosted by Barclays Center. Born in Chicago but fighting out of New York City, the 31-year-old went on to defend that title against strong contenders Fernando Guerrero, Gabriel Rosado and Lukas Konecny. Now, “Kid Chocolate” looks to show off his superstar skills to a primetime audience.

 

Beginning with the first show, Saturday, March 7, at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC, NBC and NBCSN will present 20 live “PBC on NBC” boxing events in 2015. Within the 20 live shows, NBC Sports Group will present more than 50 hours of PBC coverage, including NBCSN pre- and post-fight programming for NBC telecasts. The Premier Boxing Champions series is created for television by Haymon Boxing.  The PBC on NBC will feature many of today’s brightest stars, in their most compelling matches.

 

All PBC on NBC shows will be streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. NBC Sports Live Extra is available for desktops at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available at the App Store for iPad and iPod touch, on select devices within Google Play, and on windows phones and tablets.

 

 

# # #

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing,www.BarclaysCenter.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,  @DiBellaEnt, @DannySwift, @KingPete26, @KidChocolate, @AndyLeeBoxing, @NBCSports and @BarclaysCenter and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions,www.facebook.com/NBCSports and www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. Follow the conversation using #PremierBoxingChampions and #BKBoxing