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VANES MARTIROSYAN VS. JERMELL CHARLO & GARY RUSSELL JR. CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

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Kelly Swanson

Thank you, operator.  Thanks, everyone, for calling in.  We have a great call this morning and this afternoon actually here on the East Coast to talk about the March 28 SHOWTIME show, CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Show, featuring Jhonny Gonzalez, Gary Russell, Jr. and Jermell Charlo against Vanes Martirosyan.  We have all the fighters joining us today on the call.  We will start with Jermell and Vanes.  But, before we get to the fighters, I’d like to introduce Chris DeBlasio, Vice President of Communications for SHOWTIME Sports to fill you in a little bit about the fight.  Chris?

 

Chris DeBlasio

Thanks so much, Kelly.  I just want to take a quick moment to thank the fighters for being on this call, thank the press for being here, and just say on behalf of Stephen Espinoza, the EVP and General Manager for SHOWTIME Sports, and all of us at SHOWTIME, we’re really excited to get back into it with a nice live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event this Saturday.  As you may have seen in the boxing press, it was about two weeks ago that we announced the addition of a new platform called SHOWTIME Boxing International. The first fight will be this Saturday, March 28; it’s an international fight on the SHOWTIME network live to our subscribers.  So, the first instance is a nice way to kick off our Saturday March 28 boxing coverage, and that’s gonna be the Kell Brook versus Jo Jo Dan IBF Welterweight World Championship fight that’s taking place in Sheffield, England.  SHOWTIME is going to carry that fight live at 6:15 Eastern, 3:15Pacific.  And then, we will take a break during the afternoon hours and then go live at 10 p.m ET./7 p.m. PT SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event with Jermell Charlo, Vanes Martirosyan, Jhonny Gonzalez and Gary Russell.  So, it’s sort of a two- part platform on Saturday with three live fights coming to you, which we’re really excited about.  And we appreciate the opportunity to be in business with the guys on the phone here today.  So, without anything further, let’s get it started.  We welcome you guys.

 

Kelly Swanson

Okay.  And  one quick note — or rather, media, one quick note — we have just sent out the Fight Week Media Schedule, so please look for that in your inboxes, and it will give you the details of what is going on this week for the fight.  Thank you.  Okay, let’s go ahead and open it up.  Actually, let me go ahead and introduce the two guys that are on the call right now.  They want to say a couple words.  First, we have Vanes Martirosyan.  He’s a world-ranked 154 pound contender.  Vanes, you want to say a couple words, tell us how training is going and how you’re getting ready for the fight?

 

Vanes Martirosyan

Training is going great, everything is going good.  We can’t wait to fight.  You know, I’m sure everybody says that before they fight, but we really are ready to go.  We just can’t wait to go.

 

Kelly Swanson

Okay, great.  Thanks so much.  And where are you training?

 

V. Martirosyan

I’m training here in California at Main Event Sports Club.  There’s been a couple of locations we’ve been training, but the major has been Main Event Sports Club, which the media will be at today.

 

K. Swanson

Now, I’m going to move to Jermell Charlo.  He’s an undefeated super welterweight contender.  Jermell why don’t you tell us a little bit about what’s happening in your training camp and how you’re feeling heading into the fight.

 

Jermell Charlo

Training’s been great.  Every time I step in the ring, every time I get ready for a fight, I feel like just there’s never been a time where I repeat myself or do something the same.  I’ve been learning from all my past mistakes.  Every win I’m still learning from.  So, training camp has been good.  Trainer Ronnie Shields, Danny Arnold. I opened my own gym, so I get a little late night extra hours in when I want to.  And, I want to fight with my twin brother.  We’re pushing to fight.  I can’t wait to fight.  Just like Vanes, he’s hungry, he’s ready. I’m  I’m ready.

 

Q

Given both of your positions, as considered as top 10 contenders in the 154 pound weight class, in your mind, do you consider this an elimination fight? Vanes, what are your thoughts about that?

 

V. Martirosyan

I think every fight right now at this point in my career and Jermell’s career should be considered a title fight.  It is — I think it is — an eliminator fight.  I’m looking at this as a championship fight.  Jermell is tougher than any of the champions, so to me, this is a championship fight, and that’s what we got ready for.  And it should be an eliminator fight.  I don’t know if it is or not, but that’s how we’re taking it as, and we’re taking this as a world title fight.

 

Q

Jermell, your thoughts on that – is it an official eliminator or a de facto one?

 

J. Charlo

Same thing with me.  I feel that this is a tough fight.  Every fight is a fight for my life.  And I step in the ring and make sure that I fight with that on the back of my mind.  Vanes is a great fighter — grew up with him. I know what I bring to the table.  And this fight is a fight for manhood, it’s a fight to show who the real tycoon of the sport is in the 154 pound weight division.  There’s a lot at stake, so it’s more than a title fight to me.

 

Q

Jermell, did you say that you grew up with him a little bit?

 

J. Charlo

Yeah, I grew up with him, at least two or three years with Vanes, you know, and his family, his people, you know?  So, I know — we know each other well.

 

Q

Have you guys ever sparred with each other?

 

J. Charlo

Yeah, we’ve sparred with each other several times.

 

Q

How often, would you say?  And how long ago?

 

J. Charlo

I can’t really say how often.  I know it was back when we were a little bit younger.  I was younger, still a little boy growing up into a man. So, right now, I don’t even think about how it was, what it was about, or how training was when we were training together. Wasn’t even 19 — I was 17, 16, 17, 18, I mean, those ages.  Here, we face each other because we’re both at the top, and that’s what happens when you’re in the same division.  Never had anything personal or different to say about him.  It’s just work.

 

Q

Vanes, you feel the same way about your times in the ring with him?

 

V. Martirosyan

Yeah, I remember when we used to train.  It was good training.  We were always in competition — me, him and his brother.  We used to go running at Memorial Park every day, and we’d try to see who’d finish the lap first.  It was always competition between us — running and training or what-not.  But it was nothing but love and I respect him, his father, and his trainer, Ronnie Shields.  They’ve been good people to me. But Saturday night, he’s going to be my enemy in the ring. For now, outside the ring, I respect everybody.  Once we step in the ring, it’s a totally different story.

 

Q

Your fight that took place in October was a big win for you against Willie Nelson.  You harnessed a lot of the emotion going into that fight because it had taken place just after your promoter Dan Goossen had passed away and you had his brother Joe in your corner.  It was a lot of heavy emotion that night, and you really came through in a big way that night.  Is it gonna be difficult in any way to sort of get that same emotion behind you?

 

V. Martirosyan

No, because at that fight, we had to forget about a lot of things. Dan passed away.  We were all sad, and we didn’t know what to do.  And we actually thought — ‘should we fight’ or I don’t know if Joe (Goossen’s) going to be there.  I didn’t know what was going on.  There was too much emotion going into that fight.  We kind of got away from the fight a little bit.  But we used it as motivation for our fight.  This fight to me is big. When I lost to Andrade, I didn’t step into the ring 100 percent, and when I came home — when you come home a loser, it’s a bad feeling. I can’t look at my wife, my kids.  I feel like I let them down.  So, right now, I’m just in that mode where I’d rather die than see that again.

 

Q

If you were to win this fight, obviously, you’d be in position for a major world title fight. Are you comfortable with waiting for one of those, figuring those fighters only fight maybe twice a year, or would you want to stay active and take more fights between them? 

 

J. Charlo

You know, winning this fight to me — a world title would be ideal.  A world title is important.  I want to fight for a world title.  I want the world title.  That’s every boxer’s dream and envision whenever they’re young. Fighting for the world title matters and all this extra stuff, but if I’m here building my name and building my brand, that’s just as important. Being a household name throughout the World Boxing Council, everything. That matters to me.

 

V. Martirosyan

The fight, this fight — I’d say like a lot of the champions that are champions right now in our weight class, most of them just run their mouth, starting with Andrade.  A fight like this for me and Jermell, it’s such a big fight for me, you know,  but it’s not only for us.  I mean, it’s for the fans.  The fans are in, and it’s great.  I mean, you rarely get to see contenders like me and Jermell wanting to step up and fight each other.  You know, usually, people will get up to the rankings like we are, they just want to just talk a lot of bad stuff about the champions to get the world title fight.  But, you know, you rarely get to see contenders like that, you know, No. 1 and No. 2  fighting each other when,  you know they really want to fight each other and they both said yes to the fight.  So, it’s a big fight, but I feel like, you know, we’re all gonna be — we’re gonna do our best, and I feel like the fans are gonna be the winners for this fight.

 

K Swanson

Okay, great.  You guys, I think that was your last question, and so we appreciate you taking the time out of your training.  And Vanes, we look forward to seeing you later for your open workout.  And, Jermell, we will see you in Las Vegas later this week.

 

J. Charlo

No problem.  See you, guys.

 

V. Martirosyan – Thank you.  Take care.

 

Kelly Swanson

We’re going to switch the call over to Gary Russell, Jr.

 

K. Swanson

Gary Russell, Jr. will be facing Jhonny Gonzalez for Gonzalez’s 126 pound title, the WBC Featherweight World Championship.  Gary, if you want to tell us a little bit about how training is going, your anticipation to be fighting Jhonny Gonzalez for this world title and what you think about the whole fight in general?

 

Gary Russell Jr.

We had a great training camp. Everything has been perfect, no excuses, no cutting corners.  We’re 120 percent ready for this fight.  We can’t wait be able to call ourself the new WBC World Champion.

 

K. Swanson

Are you doing anything in camp in preparation for this that’s different from your other fights?

 

G. Russell Jr.

No, we’re not doing anything that’s different in preparation for any of the fights.  I think the only difference is, depending on the fight, you want to prepare depending on the opponent that you’re competing against.  So, I think the only difference is the difference in sparring. You want to bring in guys that have a similar style to who it is you’re gonna be competing against etc. That’s the only change that we’ve made so far.  Besides that — basic fundamentals, ring generalship, hand speed, punching power, strength and conditioning, all of that stuff is the same.

 

Q

Gary, were you surprised to get another shot at the title?

 

G. Russell, Jr.

No, I’m not surprised. I got the same Al Haymon Promotions, just Al Haymon in general when it comes to that. He’s my manager, and we know that he did everything in his power to try to make things happen for us, and give us another shot at a world title.  I’m extremely grateful and thankful for this opportunity.

 

Q

When you fought the fight against Lomachenko for one of the titles, do you take anything out of that defeat? Whether it’s the experience, or being on that level of the stage that you bring towards this next championship opportunity?

 

G. Russell Jr.

Of course.  One of the main things that we took out of it is, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.  In that particular fight with Lomachenko, we did a lot of things completely different in that fight that we normally wouldn’t do.  We brought other people in.  We let other people take the reigns and be in control of our conditioning. We’ve seen the outcome of that and the side effects of it. We don’t take losses easy, by far. So we’re back on pace.  We have the same team around us that have been here from the beginning of my career all the way up until now. We had the same team way back in motion. We’re ready, we’re focused, we’re determined, we’re driven and we’re just looking to give a good show.

 

Q

Do you see Gonzalez as a much better fighter than Lomachenko, or perhaps a bit of a more vulnerable fighter than Lomachenko or similar? How do you stack up the two title holders?

 

G. Russell Jr.

They’re two very different fighters. Lomachenko has a little bit more hand speed than Jhonny Gonzalez.  Gonzalez is more of a puncher.  Jhonny Gonzalez is more of a dangerous fighter than Lomachenko just because of his punching ability and just him being a seasoned professional, being able to get all these rounds in as a professional.  Lomachenko definitely is a good fighter.  We take every fight serious. You take no one for granted. We definitely said, oh, this is a dangerous fight taking with Jhonny Gonzalez, but we feel as though what we bring to the table will be superior in the end.

 

Q

What specifically did you do differently to prepare for Lomachenko that you wish you hadn’t? 

 

G. Russell, Jr.

We brought someone in for our strength and conditioning.  We’ve known our strength and conditioning was completely different.  Even when it came to the way that we cut weight, it was different.  Leading up to the fight, we were in a sauna for the past two, maybe three days leading all the way up into the fight.  That’s what my strength and conditioning coach wanted me to do.

Anyone that’s seen that fight, whether it was Lomachenko or anyone else, they’ve seen the difference in my punching ability, my endurance, my speed, just me as a person. People knew that that wasn’t the Gary Russell, Jr. that they’d seen the previous 24 fights.And that was some of the things that came up in the Lomachenko fight.  I was completely tired and fatigued in the first round, you know?

 

Q

About Jhonny Gonzalez — he obviously is a guy who is a volume puncher, he’s not afraid to stand in and trade. How does this fight work to your advantage if he does fight a typical Gonzalez fight in your mind?

 

G. Russell, Jr.

I don’t think that he’s going to be able to deal with, once again, my speed.  I think we’ll be able to do it with my speed.  He’s always been slow in the speed.  Even though he’s been a puncher, a lot of punchers have to really sit to actually apply these punches efficiently.  I think he lacks the ring generalship as far as the footwork goes that he would need — the foot quickness. And a lot of his shots are a little wide. So, I’ll be about to outpunch him and be able to punch him between his shots.

 

Q

What did you think of the decision in the Lomachenko fight?

 

G. Russell Jr.

I didn’t think anything of it.  The only thing that registered in my mind was the fact that I didn’t have the ability to perform the way that I normally would have. I never really looked at a decision.  I never looked at how the referee was going about the fight or any of these things.  The only thing that came to my mind was the fact that I just lost my first professional fight, and I sort of saw the reason why I lost — it was because I wasn’t able to do what it was that I normally do.

 

Q

So, you feel that you lost the fight then?

 

G. Russell Jr.

Certainly.  I’d definitely say that I lost the fight.

 

Q

You touched on Al Haymon earlier. Can you explain what his impact is in your career?  And we’ve all seen the moves that he’s been making.  How is that gonna help you moving forward?

 

G. Russell, Jr.

I feel as though the fire is under these managers and promoters. There’s a team effort. You’ll be able to tell your manager or your promoter, ‘Hey, this is my game plan, this is what it is that I want to accomplish this year.’  I wanted to at least be able to contend for a world title.  I want to have maybe four fights this year, maybe six fights this year, etc. Your manager and promoter, where they come in at, they should be able to meet you halfway with their game plan.  If you want to have six fights within a year, etc., your manager and promoter should be able to get it done for you.  We feel as though that Al Haymon is very efficient in doing exactly what it is that we want from him. It’s about who you know, I guess.

 

Q

Heading into this fight, do you feel like you have to give a certain quality of fight to really make fans relate to you and make you a household name?  Now that there’s so many platforms for boxing, do you feel like there’s added pressure to put on an exciting fight, or do you feel like you can still just, methodically box and gain fans from that?

 

G. Russell Jr.

I honestly don’t feel as though that we have to do anything out of the ordinary. You’re going to see the typical Gary Russell, Jr. that you’ve seen the previous 24 fights — hand speed, punching ability, ring generalship and etc. ,A lot of fighters get caught up in the hype, and they feel as though they have to do things a little more to win the fans over,  etc.  That’s never one of my things.  I’m  always to be exciting without being reckless.  And I’m going to do what it is that I’m comfortable doing.

 

K. Swanson 

Okay, Gary, thank you so much for being available to answer those questions, and we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day, and we look forward to seeing you fight this Saturday, March 28, at the Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.  Thanks, Gary.

 

*          *          *

 

Tickets for the live event are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50, and $25, plus applicable

fees are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or by clicking HERE. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

 

Gonzalez vs. Russell takes place at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). In the co-main event, Jermell Charlo takes on Vanes Martirosyan in super welterweight action. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

 

For more information, visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jhonnygbox, @mrgaryrusselljr, @TwinCharlo, @LouDiBella and @PearlAtPalms, follow the conversation using #GonzalezRussell, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.
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WORLD CHAMPION JHONNY GONZALEZ & WORLD RANKED CONTENDER VANES MARTIROSYAN ARE POISED TO MAKE THEIR MARKS IN A BIG WAY ON SATURDAY, MARCH 28 AT THE PALMS CASINO RESORT LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

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 MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES AND PHOTOS,

MAIN EVENT SPORTS CLUB, GLENDALE, CALIF.

 

Click HERE For Photos

Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

 

“Once he feels my power in the ring, he’s not going to be able to think in there.” – Jhonny Gonzalez

 

“I feel like this fight is more of a test for him [Charlo], and I have to make sure he fails the test.” – Vanes Martirosyan

 

Tickets Still Available!

 

GLENDALE, Calif. (March 28, 2015) – Current world champion Jhonny Gonzalez and once-beaten world ranked welterweight contender Vanes Martirosyan participated in a media workouton Monday at the Main Event Sports Club in Glendale, Calif., six days prior to their respective upcoming fights on Saturday, March 28, at the The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

 

In the 12-round main event on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® doubleheader, the hard-hitting, current WBC Featherweight World Champion Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KOs), of Mexico City, will defend his 126-pound title against talented once-beaten former world title challenger Gary Russell Jr. (25-1, 14 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Md.

 

In the 10-round co-feature, battle-tested, world-ranked contender Martirosyan (35-1-1, 21 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., will take on undefeated rising star Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (25-0, 11 KOs), of Houston, in an important super welterweight showdown.

 

Here’s what the boxers as well as trainers, Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain (Gonzalez) and Dean Campos (Martirosyan), had to say Monday at the Los Angeles-area gym:

 

JHONNY GONZALEZ, WBC Featherweight World Champion

“First off, I would like to apologize for not participating in the media conference call that took place this morning. I have never missed a conference call before, and I take full responsibility for missing the call. I know how important these calls are and I promise that I will not miss another one.

 

“I have been very focused for the past three months during my training camp. I have been training in the high altitude in Toluca, Mexico.

 

“I have had two title defenses since beating Abner Mares and I am excited and ready for my fighton Saturday.

 

“Ever since beating Mares, I feel like I am finally getting the respect and support from the fans and media that I deserve. I get recognized all of the time now. The recognition motivates me to work harder than ever before and not let my fans down.

 

“I feel like I am in my boxing prime. There is still so much to prove and show to the world that I am still at the top of my game and capable of fighting with the best.

 

“In my fight on Saturday I am going to bring the same energy and intensity that I brought in my fight against Mares.

 

“I know that Gary Russell Jr. has fast and powerful hands. He is a quick and strong southpaw. I know he’s an excellent boxer.

 

“I am going to attack him with my power and speed. Once he feels my power in the ring, he’s not going to be able to think in there. He’s going to run, but if he decides to brawl with us, then we will have something for him.

 

“At this point in my career, he [Russell] is the fastest opponent I have ever faced. He has very fast hands and puts together good combinations.

 

“To prepare for Russell, I am constantly keeping my hands up at all times during my training. I am training that if he throws punches at me, I know how to immediately react and throw shots back at him.

 

“A lot of people are doubting me going into this fight because of the speed of Russell. It’s a great challenge for me and I can’t wait to get in the ring.

 

“I am absolutely looking for the knockout and I believe I will get it. I don’t expect this fight to go the distance. I am going to pressure him from the opening bell, my conditioning and confidence is at an all-time high. I am very anxious for this title fight, I want to fight right now.”

 

 

VANES MARTIROSYAN, World-Ranked Contender

“I am in great shape, training camp has gone great. I am just as excited for this fight as I was when I fought for the U.S. team in the Olympics.

 

“I feel like this fight is more of a test for him [Charlo], and I have to make sure he fails the test.

 

“I used to work with Ronnie Shields [Charlo’s Trainer] for about three years. I am pretty sure they have a game plan for me, but I am a totally different Vanes than the one who used to train with Shields. I hope they are getting prepared for that Vanes because I have changed a lot since then.

 

“Jermell [Charlo] is a good boxer, but he’s a basic boxer. He’s done well with guys that he’s supposed to look good against. There are some guys that he should’ve knocked out that he didn’t. If he hits me I will hit him right back and we’ll see how he handles that.

 

“If I stick to my game plan and everything goes as planned, I will say that it will be an easy fight. We have a B and a C plan if the fight doesn’t go exactly as planned.

 

“All I can do is prepare and go out there and win the fight. After I lost my fight to Demetrius Andrade I felt like a loser. I can’t lose this fight, I’d rather die than go out there and lose again.”

 

 

IGNACIO “NACHO” BERISTAIN, Gonzalez’ Trainer

“Gary Russell’s speed and quickness could be a factor for us in this fight. We must find a way to eliminate it.

 

“We need to find a solution to his quickness and do everything we can to win. We feel like we’ve prepared enough and are in a great position to come out on top.

 

“Russell has fast hands and he recovers quickly. He has had knockouts at different weight levels. But we’re working really hard, and on Saturday you guys are going to see a different Jhonny Gonzalez.

 

“Jhonny Gonzalez is a very strong fighter. I think the strength and power of his punch beats Russell’s. I think that will be one of the keys– Jhonny Gonzalez knows how to punch, hard.

 

“I don’t just believe in Jhonny because he’s my fighter, but because he’s fought and trained immensely hard — he knows what he wants.”

 

 

DEAN CAMPOS, Martirosyan’s Trainer

“Vanes is such a quick learner. He is able to pick up everything that I am trying to teach him to accomplish everything that we want to do to win this fight.

 

“We must exploit Charlo’s weaknesses. Charlo is a good fighter, but everyone has weaknesses. My job is to prepare him as best as I can so that he can get in the ring with the best opportunity to win this fight.

 

“I want to supply him with ideas to unlock that final last edge to come out on top. If he is able to do some of the things that we go over in camp, then he will be in a good position for a victory comeSaturday.”

 

# # #

“Gonzalez vs. Russell Jr.”, a 12-round world championship bout for Gonzalez’s WBC Featherweight World Title, is promoted by DiBella Entertainment. In the co-feature, Jermell Charlo takes on Vanes Martirosyan in super welterweight action. The event will take place at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

 

Tickets for the live event are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50, and $25, plus applicable fees are on sale. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or by clicking HERE. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

 

For more information, visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jhonnygbox, @mrgaryrusselljr, @TwinCharlo, @LouDiBella and @PearlAtPalms, follow the conversation using #GonzalezRussell, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

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SHOWTIME® TO TELEVISE KELL BROOK VS. JO JO DAN IBF WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON SATURDAY, MARCH 28, LIVE FROM SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND

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 SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® Brook vs. Dan Airs At 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT

Prior To That Evening’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Doubleheader

 

 

NEW YORK (March 16,  2015) – SHOWTIME Sports® will present the Sky Sports telecast of the IBF Welterweight World Championship between defending champion and hometown favorite Kell Brook and No. 1 challenger Jo Jo Dan on Saturday, March 28, live on SHOWTIME at6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT from the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England.

 

Later that evening, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), WBC Featherweight Champion Jhonny Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KOs), of Mexico City, will defend his 126-pound belt against quick-fisted southpaw Gary Russell Jr. (25-1, 14 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Md., in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.  In the co-feature, from The Pearlat Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas, undefeated world-ranked contender Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (25-0, 11 KOs), of Houston, faces experienced 2004 U.S. Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (35-1-1, 21 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., in a 10-round super welterweight showdown.

 

SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL Brook vs. Dan will replay immediately following the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast.

 

Brook’s upcoming title defense, promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, will be a raucous homecoming for the popular Brit, who last fought in Sheffield in October 2013.  Billed as “Unbreakable” in the U.K., the event is also Brook’s comeback fight after getting attacked while on vacation last September.”

“March 28 will be an emotional night for Kell and the team. I remember being by his bedside in September in a Spanish hospital after that horrific knife attack, it looked like his career was over, Aid Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sports.  “He has shown incredible physical and mental strength and looks better than ever in camp. Fans on Showtime will get to see in my opinion the best 147 pounder in the World light up a 10,000 sell out arena on March 28—don’t miss it!”

 

Brook (33-0, 22 KOs) of Sheffield, England, will be making his first start and initial defense of the 147-pound title he took from previously undefeated Shawn Porter via a 12-round majority decision last Aug. 16in Carson, Calif., on SHOWTIME.  In an impressive performance in his long-awaited shot at a world championship, Brook, 28, won clearly on two of the scorecards (117-111, 116-112) while the third judge had it even (114-114).

 

“After everything that’s happened over the last six months, it feels incredible knowing I will be defending my World title in Sheffield,” said Brook. “I’m not looking past JoJo I know he will bring the heat but I want to get this mandatory defence done and then target those mega-fights that are out there in the division. I know he feels he worked so hard to get into the mandatory position just like I did, but I will be working twice as hard to keep the belt that I earned. After May 2nd, there will only be two champions in the division—myself and Floyd or Manny. I want to unify this division in style. I’m coming for them all.”

 

Dan (34-2, 18 KOs), of Quebec, Canada, has won five in a row and eight of his last nine. The 33-year-old earned the crack at the crown with a 12-round split decision over Kevin Bizier in an elimination bout last Dec. 19on SHOWTIME.  Dan also won a split decision over the then-unbeaten Bizier on Nov. 30, 2013.

 

A native of Romania, the crowd-pleasing Dan, whose full name is Ionut Dan Ion, has lived and trained in Montreal since his pro debut in April 2004.  The only blemishes on the southpaw’s record are a pair of close, controversial decision losses to then-undefeated contender Selcuk Aydin–the first in 2010 and the second in 2011– both in Aydin’s native Turkey.

 

“Kell has not fought anyone like me,” Dan said.  “I believe in myself and I don’t think he can bring anything I can’t deal with on fight night. I saw his last fight where he won the world title and it was a great performance, but I just let my team study him in depth and come up with a winning strategy.

 

“I have waited a long time to get a world title shot so I am determined to take advantage of this opportunity.  My prediction for the fight is simple –Jo Jo Dan becomes the new IBF Welterweight World champion.”

 

# # #

 

About Showtime Networks Inc.:

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® 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, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

Robert Guerrero – I’m ready to bring another exciting night of action

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10027521_the_ghost.jpg

 

LAS VEGAS, NV (March 11, 2015) – A few days after his inspiring effort against WBA Welterweight Champion, Keith Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs), Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero is already looking forward to his next fight.  Guerrero is today’s version of a modern day gladiator who leaves everything in the ring.  His never die fighting style is what fans of all ages are thriving to see.  Sports fans around the world witnessed a “Fight of the Year” candidate when Guerrero and Thurman left everything in the ring.  Guerrero speaks on his future.

 

“Although Thurman and I went to war, my body is recovering well,” said Robert Guerrero. “As crazy as it sounds, I’m ready to get back to work and start training.  I’m hoping I can get back in the ring by the summer and finish off strong by the end of the year.  If I can get two more fights in this year, I’ll be happy.  I know the fans are looking forward to my next fight, and I’m ready to bring them another exciting night of action.”

 

Bob Santos who co-manages Guerrero stated, “After looking at the fight, I realized Guerrero was fighting a super-middleweight on fight night, which makes his fight with Thurman even more unbelievable.  Guerrero who came up from 122 lbs. went the distance with an undefeated champion who fought most of his career at 154 pounds, that’s incredible.  The fans got to see a true warrior in Guerrero last Saturday, and will get to see him again in the near future.”

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, The University of MMA

UNIVERSITY OF MMA LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT BEGINS AT FIGHT NIGHT 9 MARCH 8 AT CLUB NOKIA AT L.A. LIVE

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Los Angeles, CA – The University of MMA begins it’s 2015 season on March 8, at their regular campus, Club Nokia at L.A. LIVE, withUniversity of MMA: Fight Night 9. Already overflowing with 19 guaranteed explosive matches, Fight Night 9 will feature one of the most diverse fight cards in U of MMA history, including three women’s matches, two University of MMA championship title defenses, and the opening round of the University of MMA’s second-ever lightweight championship tournament. Tickets are now on sale at www.UofMMA.com and www.axs.com.

“The buzz around this show has been tremendous. We’re just as excited as the fighters and fans, and we’re looking forward to launching the U of MMA in 2015 with a boom, not a bang,” said U of MMA promoter Turi Altavilla.

Elite Training Center teammates Roman ‘The Gladiator’ Todorovich and Tommy ‘The Spaniard’ Aaron currently reign supreme in the U of MMA as champions in their respective divisions. At featherweight, newly-crowned king Tommy ‘The Spaniard’ Aaron will defend his belt for the first time againstSergio ‘Surge the Kid’ Perez (Hayastan MMA) who bounds into the match undefeated at the U. The reigning Aaron is also undefeated, riding a four-fight win streak on top of two pankration matches before that.

The University of MMA welterweight belt finds itself in an unusual position, as current champion Roman Todorovich not only returns to defend the belt for an unprecedented second time, but he will defend it against the same former champion from whom he won it, Jarett Conner. The two fought just over one year ago in Conner’s first title defense. Since that time, the man formerly known as ‘Real Talk’ has reinvented himself, and is more motivated than ever to reclaim the championship he feels he should never have lost.

The first match in the quest to fill the vacant University of MMA lightweight championship throne pairs up rising star Julio Lopez (Ruckus MMA) vs. former title contender Pious ‘Voodoo’ Enilolobo, Jr. (BJMUTA/Flying Kick Martial Arts). Lopez is undefeated in his amateur career and has finished all of his opponents, including a first-round submission victory at Fight Night 8. Enilolobo is one of the most dynamic fighters in the U, finishing two of his first three fights in dominating fashion. He previously challenged former champion Derion ‘DC’ Chapman in one of the most anticipated U of MMA matches.

On the opposite side of the bracket, T.J. Scot (Team Lagarto)faces off against former University of MMA champion A.J. Lavarias (Systems Training Center). In his only U of MMA appearance, Scot submitted Lavarias’ teammate, Carnacion Contreras, in the first round to earn Blue Chip Honors on the University of MMA’s Dean’s List. Lavarias is coming back after a year’s hiatus, rejuvenated and rededicated to becoming a champion once again.

 

Several U of MMA veterans will be returning after lengthy hiatus, including Stefani Pogue (Systems Training Center), Cruz Martinez (10th Planet Van Nuys), Thom Landeros (All In MMA), Mike Derderian (10th Planet HQ Fight Team), and Vince Cachero (Systems Training Center). Coincidentally, Derderian and Cachero find themselves pitted against each other at 135 lbs. Schuyler ‘Scorpio Sky’ Andrews (The Guild) makes his second showing at the U, while the most veteran U of MMA fighter, Ryan ‘The Lion’ Lilley (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA) comes in for a record seventh time, fighting the dangerous and experienced Jonathan Quiroz (California MMA).

 

Continuing to support womens’ MMA, Fight Night 9 features an unprecedented three female fights. Aside from the returning Pogue, all the other ladies are fresh faces to U of MMA fans. Pogue faces Kelli Vanhoy (Millennia MMA), while Daria ‘The Jersey Devil’ Berenato (Systems Training Center) takes on Jasmine Pouncy (Nubian MMA), and Anita Hoehenleiter (JFM Boxing/Systems Training Center) meets Ashlee Grant (Bowman’s Dojo), a world-class karate champion making her long-anticipated MMA debut.

 

“I’m ecstatic about the mix of new names and familiar faces we’re working with,” professed U of MMA matchmaker Jay Tan. “Fans are going to see a whole fresh crop of young stars, starting with this show.”

 

Confirmed matches for University of MMA: Fight Night 9 include:

 

University of MMA Featherweight Championship:
145 lbs. – Tommy ‘The Spaniard’ Aaron (Elite Training Center)vs. Sergio ‘Surge the Kid’ Perez (Hayastan MMA)

 

University of MMA Lightweight Championship Tournament Opening Round:
155 lbs. – T.J. Scot (Team Lagarto) vs. A.J. Lavarias (Systems Training Center)

 

University of MMA Welterweight championship:
170 lbs. – Roman ‘The Gladiator’ Todorovich vs. Jarett Conner (Independent)

 

University of MMA Lightweight Championship Tournament Opening Round:
155 lbs. – Pious ‘Voodoo’ Enilolobo, Jr. (BJMUTA/Flying Kick Martial Arts) vs. Julio Lopez (Ruckus MMA)

 

170 lbs. – Scorpio Sky (The Guild) vs. Lance ‘The Black Ranger’ Bush (Team Lagarto)

 

135 lbs. – Michael Derderian (10th Planet HQ Fight Team) vs.Vince Cachero (Systems Training Center)

 

125 lbs. – Hugo Aranda (House of Champions) vs. Thom ‘The Beast’ Landeros (All In MMA)

 

125 lbs. – Jasmine ‘Tapout Queen’ Pouncy (Nubians MMA) vs.Daria ‘The Jersey Devil’ Berenato (Systems Training Center)

 

135 lbs. – Richie Meister (BJMUTA) vs. Milton Arguello (10thPlanet Van Nuys)

 

145 lbs. – Jonathan Quiroz (California MMA) vs. Ryan ‘The Lion’ Lilley (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA Gym)

 

125 lbs. – Kelly Vanhoy (Millennia MMA) vs. Stefani Pogue (Systems Training Center)

 

205 lbs. – Travis Williams (Elite Training Center) vs. Michael ‘Lazer’ Reyes (10th Planet Van Nuys)

 

165 lbs. – Arsalan Homayun (10th Planet Burbank) vs. Yaskin Solano (Paragon BJJ)

 

170 lbs. – Sergey Martirosyan (Docando/Haystan MMA) vs.Cruz Martinez (10th Planet Van Nuys)

 

155 lbs. – Ashlee Grant (Bowman’s Dojo) vs. Anita Hoehenleiter (JFM Boxing/Systems Training Center)

 

155 lbs. – Ernie Leyva (CSW) vs. Vlad Kochiev (10th Planet Van Nuys)

 

170 lbs. – Danny Llamas (The Guild) vs. Aaron Landry (Ring of Fire Martial Arts Academy)

 

125 lbs. – Sonny Ashton (Smash Squad) vs. Angel ‘The Kraken’ Diaz (Systems Training Center)

 

150 lbs. – Victor ‘The Blitz’ Rivera (Nubians MMA) vs. Lance Lee ‘Vanquish’ (Kings MMA)

 

The University of MMA: Fight Night 9 takes place at 5:00pm on Sunday, March 8, 2014, at Club Nokia at L.A. LIVE, 800 West Olympic Boulevard. Doors open at 4:30pm. Fight card is subject to change. Tickets are now available and can be purchased throughwww.UofMMA.com and www.AXS.com, charge by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX or 888-929-7849, and from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM, Mon- Fri at the STAPLES Center Box Office located at 1111 S. Figueroa St. Applicable fees may apply. The Club Nokia box office will open at2:00pm the day of the event.

 

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

 

CONTACT: Either Jay Tan at jaytan@UofMMA.com and (213) 618-0332 or Turi Altavilla at turi@UofMMA.com and (310) 701-8331.

 

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

 

ABOUT THE University of MMA (www.UofMMA.com): The University of Mixed Martial Arts (aka “The U of MMA”) is a Los Angeles-based fight promotion specializing in high-octane, upscale amateur MMA events. Its mandate is to provide a stage for young, aspiring fighters to hone their MMA skills and develop themselves as marketable personalities and respectable ambassadors of the sport. The U of MMA was founded in 2010, and serves as a scouting show for professional organizations such as King of the Cage and the Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA). Each event is sanctioned by CAMO, which upholds the highest safety standards in the nation for amateur MMA. The team behind the U of MMA collectively has over 20 years of professional promoting experience at the highest level of the sport, including international and domestic events which were broadcast on pay-per-view, cable, and network television in the United States, Japan, and Great Britain. For tomorrow’s MMA stars and champions, IT STARTS HERE!

 

About Club Nokia: Club Nokia, a multi-use music, entertainment and concert venue–located in the heart of the acclaimed L.A. LIVE sports, residential and entertainment district– accommodates over 2,300 guests. Featuring state-of-the-art acoustics designed for live entertainment, Club Nokia is the perfect venue for emerging music acts and cultural shows while also providing excellent space for corporate events and private parties. The theatre brings the latest technology to music enthusiasts including an innovative interactive experience embedded in foot-controlled floor interfaces, touchscreens, and a large LED installation within the lobby of the Club Nokia space. This interactive experience allows users to scroll through the history and the future of Club Nokia events and interact with pictures, video and text messages submitted by fellow concert fans. Club Nokia has been honored two consecutive years at the annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards-in 2009 as “Best New Major Concert Venue” and in 2010 as “Nightclub Of The Year”; along with a Zagat Award for Best Live Music Club in Los Angeles (2009).
The University of MMA | | info@UofMMA.com | http://www.UofMMA.com
Boxcino, HBO Boxing, Showtime Boxing

“MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO”: STEPHEN ESPINOZA AND KEN HERSHMAN MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

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“We believed this day would come, we worked hard to make it happen and we’re thrilled that it is here.”

– Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager SHOWTIME Sports®

 

“This is the biggest boxing event of all time, we’re confident of that. We couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it and help craft it.”

– Ken Hershman, President HBO SPORTS®

 

Live on Pay-Per-View Saturday, May 2

 

Live Audio Stream

http://www.conferenceplayback.com/stream/55574793/BEYR0220.mp3

 

NEW YORK (Feb. 20, 2015) — It’s a done deal! Undefeated Floyd Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) will fight longtime rival Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) in a Welterweight World Championship Unification Bout live on Pay-Per-View on Saturday, May 2.

 

Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports, and Ken Hershman, President of HBO SPORTS, were made available to the media just minutes after the fight was officially announced by Mayweather via his Shotsaccount.

 

Here are highlights from what Hershman and Espinoza had to sayFriday:

 

KEN HERSHMAN, President HBO SPORTS

 

“This is the biggest boxing event of all time, we’re confident of that. We couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it and help craft it.

“We look forward to May 2. It’s going to be a spectacular night for this sport and for HBO and SHOWTIME as well.

“The Mike Tyson–Lennox Lewis joint pay-per-view fight was a great roadmap for this fight. It showed that this can be done successfully. There’s a lot of mechanics that go into this when two networks are working together, and those mechanics carry forward in terms of how things operate behind the scenes.

“The fight will be held on traditional pay-per-view, nothing out of the ordinary on that front. We’re looking forward to getting going, there’s a lot of hard work ahead of us.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager SHOWTIME Sports

 

“We’re thrilled to be a part of what we expect to be a record-breaking event. This deal is a product of a lot of hard work with some blood, sweat and tears along the way.

“I took this job approximately three years ago; the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight has been a topic of conversation and a goal of not only ours, but of Floyd Mayweather’s since he came over to SHOWTIME a little less than three years ago.

“I believe that the direct line of communication between Floyd and Manny cleared up a lot of doubts on both of their minds and renewed their commitment to getting this fight done.

“We have had significant discussions as to who will make up the broadcast team; it will be an all-star team with a combination of talent from both networks.

“The meeting between Floyd and Manny at the Miami Heat game certainly greased the wheels in getting through the final stages of the process.

“One of the main reasons why this deal got done, as opposed to deals in the past, was because Leslie Moonves [President and CEO, CBS Corporation] was a part of the process. He was deeply committed to making this deal and was someone that all parties in this negotiation really respect. He was really the catalyst for seeing this through and refused to take no for an answer from any side.

“We believed this day would come, we worked hard to make it happen and we’re thrilled that it is here.”

boxing, HBO Boxing, Showtime Boxing

THE FIGHT IS ON!   Floyd Mayweather Formally Announces Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

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Renowned Fighters Agree To Meet in Welterweight World Championship Unification Bout on Saturday, May 2 * Live on Pay-Per-View

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 20, 2015) – Undefeated, 11-time world champion Floyd Mayweather formally announced today the most anticipated boxing match of this generation.  Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, a welterweight world championship unification bout, will take place on Saturday, May 2, live on pay-per-view.

 

This event, which holds the promise of breaking every pay-per-view record in history, is being promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV®and HBO Pay-Per-View®.

 

“I am glad my decision to meet with Manny and discuss making this fight happen helped get the deal done,” said Mayweather. “Giving the fans what they want to see is always my main focus. This will be the biggest event in the history of the sport. Boxing fans and sports fans around the world will witness greatness on May 2. I am the best ever, TBE, and this fight will be another opportunity to showcase my skills and do what I do best, which is win.  Manny is going to try to do what 47 before himfailed to do, but he won’t be successful. He will be number 48.”

 

For more information, follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather and @mayweatherpromo; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions or go to www.mayweatherpromotions.com.