SAN ANTONIO, TX (April 16, 2019) – Undefeated NABF Women’s lightweight champion, Selina “Aztec Queen” Barrios (5-0, 2 KOs), returns to the ring April 27, 2019, against former world champion, Melissa “The Shark” Hernandez (22-7-3, 7 KOs). The six-round bout will take place at the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA, as a special feature attraction on the WBSS super-lightweight semi-final card, headlined by Regis Prograis (23-0, 19 KOs) vs. Kiryl Relikh (23-2, 19 KOs).
Barrios, who has defeated three undefeated fighters in a row, last fought in September of 2018. She is eager to get back in the ring against a game opponent like Hernandez, who has been in the ring with many of the best female boxers in the world.
“I have a lot of respect for Melissa Hernandez, who has been a big part of growing women’s boxing over the years,” said Barrios, who resides in San Antonio, Texas. “This fight is going to be a classic Mexican vs. Purto Rican war. No disrespect to her, but I’m coming with straight heat, with the mindset of beating her down. This is the hurt game and that’s what I plan to do to Hernandez when she steps in the ring with me. None of these girls want to see me.”
“We know Melissa Hernandez is a dangerous fighter with a lot of experience,” said Barrios’ advisor Kerry Daigle. “Once DAZN sees this fight we feel it will be the swing bout on TV. Barrios is extremely TV friendly.”
“We believe Selina is the best female fighter in the world,” stated co-manger Colin Campbell. “With that being said, a win against a crafty veteran like Hernandez will surly give us the momentum we need going into our next fight.”
Catch An Encore Presentation Monday At 10 P.M. ET/PT On SHOWTIME EXTREME®
Click HERE To Download Fight Night Photos; Credit Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME
ATLANTIC CITY(April 13, 2019) – Claressa Shields is the undisputed middleweight champion of the world. The 24-year-old Flint, Mich. native delivered the best performance of her career and cruised to a unanimous decision over Germany’s Christina Hammer Saturday on SHOWTIME in arguably the most significant women’s boxing match in history. The judges scored the fight 98-92 and 98-91 twice.
The two-time Olympic gold-medalist Shields (9-0, 2 KOs), who entered the fight holding the IBF, WBA and WBC 160-pound titles, showed off her complete arsenal of skills in the dominating performance and now joins Terrence Crawford, Jermain Taylor, Bernard Hopkins, Oleksandr Usyk and women’s welterweight Cecilia Braekhus as the only fighters to have unified all four major world titles in any weight class.
Christina Hammer (24-0, 11 KOs), who owned the WBO belt entering the fight, had her jab largely neutralized and her defense exploited from start to finish. Shields landed a remarkable 44% of her power punches and landed on 112 total punches compared to just 49 for Hammer. As impressive as her offense was, Shields’ defense and head movement was immaculate as Hammer was able to connect on just 13% of her total punches, 11% of her jabs and 18% of her power shots.
Speaking to SHOWTIME’s Hall of Fame analyst Steve Farhood following the historic night for women’s boxing, the outspoken and emotional Shields held nothing back.
“I am the greatest woman of all time,” said Shields, who nearly earned a stoppage during a barrage in the closing moments of the eighth round. “I did it. She didn’t win a single round. I almost knocked her out. I swear I feel like I’m dreaming right now. Thanks to Christina Hammer and her team. They said she had a hard jab and they weren’t lying. Her jab is off the chain.
“I was just calculating in the first round and after that I started picking her apart,” she continued. “I knew I could hurt her. I thought I finished her in round eight. I thought the fight should have been stopped. She was holding onto me. I just told myself, stay cool, stay cool. I was trying to get the perfect punch to get her out of there.”
Fresh off the biggest win of her professional career, the newly-crowned undisputed champion of the world already has her sights set on another opponent.
“Women’s boxing, we’re on fire. I cannot wait to see the next super fight. Give me Cecilia Brækhus at 154 pounds. That’s who I want next. Either her or Savannah Marshall.”
“I didn’t fight very good or fast,” said a subdued Hammer. “That’s boxing, anything can happen. I wanted this fight. She won, respect to her. She’s a tough, strong woman and that’s all I can say.
“She’s fast, she comes forward. She has fast hands. I couldn’t land my jab as good as I expected. I’ll come back and I’ll be back stronger.”
“I think tonight’s fight will go down in the history books as an epic battle with the likes of Ali-Frazier, Leonard-Hearns and De La Hoya-Trinidad,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “With this dominating and captivating performance to become crowned undisputed middleweight champion coupled with her list of record-breaking accomplishments, Claressa Shields is well on her way to being as revered as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Serena WIlliams, Michael Jordan, Pele and others at the top of their game.”
In the co-featured bout, Jermaine Franklin (18-0, 13 KOs), widely regarded as the top American heavyweight prospect, kept his unbeaten record intact with a 10-round unanimous decision over former No. 1-ranked U.S. amateur Rydell Booker (25-2, 12 KOs). The judges scored the fight 99-91 and 98-91 twice.
The 25-year-old Franklin dictated the tempo throughout and was far more active and aggressive than his 38-year-old counterpart. Booker had his moments, particularly in the early rounds when he landed several flush power shots but the youthful Franklin pulled away in the second half of the fight as Booker tired and Franklin targeted the body. Franklin averaged 54 punches per round to Booker’s 35 and led 146-94 in overall punches landed.
“I think I had a decent performance,” said the Saginaw, Mich. native. “There’s some stuff I could work on. I over-crowded myself a little bit and I was a little over-anxious. He had a lot more experience than me and used it to his advantage. He could see what I was doing.
“I learned to stay more patient because I had him hurt a few times, but once I got over-anxious, my whole game plan went out the window. I started messing up and making crazy mistakes I shouldn’t have. Now it’s back to the drawing board to work on my mistakes and come out bigger and badder next time.”
“I felt he out-hustled me, but it was a lot closer than how the judges scored it,” said Booker. “He was missing me a lot more than it looked. I slipped a lot of shots and hit him clean.
“I knew he would bring the pressure, but he needs a lot of work. He stays too centered with his head. He’s alright. What he has on his side is youth. I’d rate my performance about a seven. I had a training camp injury I was dealing with. I’m going to stay active and come back stronger than ever.”
In the telecast opener, undefeated top-five ranked heavyweight prospect Otto Wallin (20-0, 13 KOs, 1 ND) and Baltimore’s Nick Kisner (21-4-1, 6 KOs, 1 ND) had their 10-round bout cut short when the two heavyweights clashed heads in the opening round. Wallin suffered a gash on the side of his head while Kisner suffered a cut over his right eye, hindering his ability to see. At the advice of the ringside physician in between rounds one and two, referee Earl Brown stopped the fight, resulting in a no-decision.
At the time of the stoppage, Wallin led 14-3 in overall punches landed, 7-1 in jabs and 7-2 in power punches.
“To me, his cut didn’t look that bad,” said a disappointed Wallin, who was making his U.S. debut. “It’s a shame because I trained really hard for this fight and was looking to put on a show for fans in America. I just didn’t have time to get going.
“I’d like to get back in there soon and show what I can do. I’m going to take this as a learning experience.”
“I caught a headbutt and the referee came to me,” said Kisner. “He saw me swiping at my eye and said ‘can you see?’ I said, ‘soon as I get the blood out of my eye, sure.’
“I feel horrible after training so hard. I felt good in the first round. The judges probably gave him the first round, but I always take off the first round. I was feeling like I could get to him eventually. You saw me land my overhand right.”
Tonight’s live event was promoted by Salita Promotions.
An encore presentation of tonight’s tripleheader will air Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available via the network’s On Demand platforms.
Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins called the action alongside fellow Hall of Fame analyst Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez. World-renowned ring announcer and Hall of Famer Jimmy Lennon Jr. rounded out the telecast. The Executive Producer of SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION was Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
# # #
ABOUT SHIELDS vs. HAMMER Shields vs. Hammer will pit undefeated middleweight world champions Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer against each other in a battle to crown the undisputed 160-pound world champion, in what is arguably the most significant women’s boxing event in history. The co-feature will pit Jermaine Franklin taking on Rydell Booker in a thrilling 10-round heavyweight bout and in the telecast opener, heavyweights Otto Wallin and Nick Kisner will battle in 10-round clash. The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION tripleheader will air live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
“Christina doesn’t know what’s coming for her. I’m going to break that Hammer in half” – Shields
Click HERE for Photos from Jose Pineiro/SHOWTIME WBC, WBA & IBF Middleweight Champion Claressa Shields Prepares for Undisputed Middleweight Championship Showdown Against Christina Hammer Saturday, April 13 Live on SHOWTIME®
MIAMI (April 4, 2019) – WBA, WBC and IBF Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shieldshosted a media workout at 5th Street Gym in Miami Thursday as she nears her showdown against WBO Middleweight World Champion Christina Hammer for the undisputed middleweight world championship Saturday April 13 live on SHOWTIME from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
The two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Shields and unbeaten Hammer will look to become the sixth fighter in history to unify all four major world titles in the main event of a SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION (9 p.m. ET/PT).
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are priced at $150, $100, $55 and $35 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster and at boardwalkhall.com.
Shields has been training in Florida for the last week with her trainer John David Jackson, after spending the previous five weeks at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado. Here is what Shields had to say Thursday:
CLARESSA SHIELDS
“Christina doesn’t know what’s coming for her. I’m going to break that Hammer in half.
“When we’re in there, it’s about who punches harder. This is a real fight. Just because she has height, doesn’t mean she’s going to dictate what happens. She’s going to have to do a lot to keep me off of her.
“I have two Olympic Gold Medals, three belts and more coming. I’ll have all the titles at the end of the night on April 13.
“I work hard, really hard. If I was a man, I would probably be one of the most famous boxers out there. There is a gender gap. We all know it. I’m working towards changing that. We work hard, we get less money and less recognition, but the world is changing. We are changing it.
“Hammer has been talking smack but I’m not worried about her. I’m just ready for a fight. She talks about a lot of stuff that has nothing to do with boxing. I’m waiting for her to say she’s going to hit me with an uppercut or something, but it’s more of the same.
“Being here in Florida to finish up camp has really been ideal. I’ve still been working extremely hard, but here I have a little extra space and sunshine. It was time for some new scenery in camp and I think this was the perfect move to take me into fight week.
“I’ve been working on my ‘Ali shuffle,’ this gym inspired me. Don’t be surprised if you see me break it out during the fight. I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve. At the press conference there will be some surprises too — I have an outfit picked that is going to steal the show.”
“This fight is long overdue and I’m just glad I’m going to get my chance to show her what a real champion is. Someone is going down on April 13 and I promise it’s not going to be me.
“People can say they’re not paying attention to you and not studying you, but they’re lying. I’m glad she’s looking at me closely though. Hammer flew one of my friends out there to be a sparring partner, not even knowing that she hasn’t sparred me in years and knows nothing about me. It makes me know I’m on her mind. She can spar with Ann Wolfe and she still isn’t going to beat me.”
# # #
ABOUT SHIELDS vs. HAMMER
Shields vs. Hammer will pit undefeated middleweight world champions Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer against each other in a battle to crown the undisputed 160-pound world champion, in what is arguably the most significant women’s boxing event in history. The co-feature will pit Jermaine Franklin taking on Rydell Booker in a thrilling 10-round heavyweight bout and in the telecast opener, heavyweights Otto Wallin and Nick Kisner will battle in 10-round clash. The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION tripleheader will air live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (March 26, 2019) – Last night at the Okada Manila Hotel and Casino in Paranaque City, Philippines, Prince Ranch Boxing’s female flyweight Casey “Lady Hawaiian Punch” Morton (8-1-3, 1 KO), retained her WBO Asia Pacific title with a split decision victory over Japan’s Chie Higano (8-8-1, 2 KOs). Scorecards read 94-96 for Higano and 97-93, 96-94 for Morton.
“I felt good to come back down to flyweight,” said Casey Morton, “I feel this is the weight where I can make my run toward a world title. Higano was a very tough opponent and I have a lot of respect for her. It’s very difficult to get a win overseas but I was able to do it. Now my goal is to capture the WBO world title. I’m hoping to get my shot by the end of the year.”
“Casey is a natural flyweight and she is best when fighting at this weigh,” said manager Greg Hannley ofPrince Ranch Boxing. “For her to go to the Philippines and pull off another monumental win is just amazing. A world title shot in 2019 is something I can see happening. I know she is ready to become a world champion.”
Morton, who is trained by Nonito Donaire Sr., feels she has the perfect team in place to take her career to the next level.
“With Nonito Donaire Sr. as my coach, I feel he’s the right person to make me into a world champion as a trainer,” Morton Continued. “In addition, my manager Greg Hannley is providing everything I need for these big fights, as well as Victor Conte who has my back every step of the way. The team I have in place now is the best in boxing and I’m grateful for all their support. Together we will go to the top.”
IBF, WBA And WBC Champion Shields To Meet WBO & WBC Champion In Recess Hammer In Arguably The Most Significant Women’s Boxing Event In History
SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION® Live At 9 p.m. ET/PT
NEW YORK – February 12, 2019 – Undefeated middleweight world champions Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer will meet on Saturday, April 13 live on SHOWTIME to crown the women’s undisputed 160-pound world champion. The blockbuster unification from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. will be the main event of SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION live at 9 p.m. ET/PT and is arguably the most significant women’s boxing event in history.
Shields vs. Hammer features two of the consensus top-10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world squaring off to crown only the second undisputed champion in female boxing history.The fight, originally scheduled for November 2018, was postponed due to a now-resolved medical issue suffered by Hammer.
The 23-year-old Shields (8-0, 2 KOs) is a two-division champion who holds the IBF, WBA and WBC 160-pound titles. The 28-year-old Hammer (24-0, 11 KOs) owns the WBO belt, is the WBC Champion in Recess, and has dominated the women’s middleweight division for more than eight years. Shields and Hammer fought on the same card last June on SHOWTIME, with both fighters winning impressively to set up the first undisputed showdown in the women’s 160-pound division.
The winner of Shields vs. Hammer will join Terrence Crawford, Jermain Taylor, Bernard Hopkins, Oleksandr Usyk and women’s welterweight Cecilia Braekhus as the only fighters to have unified all four major world titles in any weight class.
Shields vs. Hammer is promoted by Salita Promotions. Ticket prices and on-sale date will be announced next week by Boardwalk Hall.
“I always seek the biggest challenges and set the highest goals. I will be ready like never before and will defeat Christina Hammer on April 13,” said Shields. “Nothing will stop me from becoming undisputed champion and continuing my journey to carry women’s boxing to never-before-seen heights. I want to be the greatest of all time and change the game forever for all women in sports, and April 13 is an important step on that road to history.”
“I have waited a long time for this moment,” said Hammer. “I am bigger, stronger and more experienced than Claressa Shields. I am undefeated and have been a champion for over eight years. I can’t wait to show the world that I am the best and undisputed middleweight champion of the world.”
“SHOWTIME Sports has a long history of featuring the best in women’s combat sports, whether it was with Laila Ali and Christy Martin in boxing, or Gina Carano, Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey in MMA,” said Gordon Hall, Executive Producer of SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION. “More recently, since 2016 we have featured today’s elite with Claressa Shields, Christina Hammer, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano appearing in an industry-leading 10 presentations of women’s boxing. Male or female, SHOWTIME has delivered the best fighters in their toughest matchups, and April 13 will be no different. We have two of the best pound-for-pound female fighters in the world facing each other with all four middleweight titles at stake. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
“The biggest women’s fight of all time is set to take place on April 13 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City,” said promoter Dmitriy Salita. “Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer, both champions, both in their prime, are not only taking on the biggest challenge in their respective careers by meeting each other in the ring, but are breaking barriers for boxing and for women in sports. April 13 is destined to be an electric and historic night of boxing live on SHOWTIME.”
“Shields vs. Hammer is the biggest and most important fight in women’s boxing history – two undefeated unified champions in their prime battling for the undisputed middleweight championship of the world,” said Shields’ manager Mark Taffet. “Christina Hammer is indeed a very good fighter and champion, but Claressa Shields is once-in-a-lifetime. The same intense focus and determination that got Claressa through life, earned her two Olympic gold medals, and won her five world titles in eight pro fights will carry her to victory on April 13.”
“We are very excited to bring world-class championship boxing back to Atlantic City’s Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall,” said Matt Doherty, Executive Director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. “This reinforces the CRDA’s commitment to attract world-class sporting events and increase visitors to our destination.”
Shields was the first American boxer in history – male or female – to win consecutive Olympic gold medals. The Flint, Mich., native turned professional following the 2016 Olympics and became unified women’s super middleweight world champion in just her fourth professional fight. Shields moved down to middleweight for her June 22 headliner on SHOWTIME, defeating Hanna Gabriels to win the IBF and WBA titles and become a two-division champion in just her sixth professional contest. After Hammer was named WBC Champion in Recess due to her medical issue, Shields picked up the vacant WBC title last November with a unanimous decision over Hannah Rankin. She most recently defended all three titles in December against Femke Hermans.
Hammer, of Dortmund, Germany, has been the dominant force in the women’s middleweight division since winning the WBO title in 2010. Hammer became unified champion in 2016 with a unanimous decision over WBC titlist Kali Reis and made four defenses as unified champion. In her eight years as champion, Hammer has lost just a handful of rounds across 16 world title fights. Hammer, who also models professionally and was recently featured at Fashion Week in New York City, made her U.S. debut on June 22 after campaigning mostly in Germany since turning professional in 2009. After being forced to withdraw from the November unification due to the health issue, Hammer won a non-title fight via second round knockout last Saturday, February 9 in Germany.
The undercard for the SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast will be announced in the coming weeks.
NEW YORK (Feb. 1, 2019) – Having eclipsed the four-million views mark to close out the 2018 calendar year, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast opens the first quarter of 2019 with an outstanding six-card lineup featuring six different promotions and spanning five cities, beginning on Friday, Feb. 8 in South Philadelphia.
The free and interactive Facebook series rings its opening bell next Friday at 2300 Arena in South Philly by showcasing an exceptional, standing-room-only card put together by Raging Babe. Partnering with forward-thinking promoter Michelle Rosado on next week’s “Philly Special” featuring several undefeated prospects – including bantamweight Christian Carto (17-0, 11 KOs) and heavyweight Darmani Rock (13-0, 8 KOs) – FIGHTNIGHT LIVE is sure to get its 2019 schedule off to a hot start.
“We’re excited to partner with FIGHTNIGHT LIVE for our debut Philly event,” said Rosado. “The fights on the card and the fighters themselves have captured the attention of fight fans all over, even outside of the Philadelphia area, so we’re thrilled to give people the opportunity to see the fights live.”
Carto meets veteran southpaw Victor Ruiz (22-10, 15 KOs) in the main event, as the 22-year-old prospect looks to continue to make his case as a contender.Rock will fight in the card’s co-feature, while undefeated Marcel Rivers (6-0, 4 KOs) of North Philadelphia meets Derrick Whitley (4-0-1) of Springfield, Mass. in a special welterweight attraction. Amateur heavyweight standout Sonny Conto of South Philadelphia – a recent signee of monolithic promotion Top Rank – will also be featured in his pro debut as part of a seven-bout card.
“We couldn’t be happier to begin our New Year at 2300 Arena with the outstanding lineup that Raging Babe has assembled for the Feb. 8 ‘Philly Special,'” said Mark Fratto, Principal and Director of Business Development, Linacre Media. “We’ve been able to showcase nearly 500 up-and-comers on our platform, and Christian Carto is special prospect who we’re really pleased to feature on Facebook. Darmani Rock always brings the thunder, and watch out for the pro debut of Top Rank signee Sonny Conto as well.”
Now in its second season, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast is the fan-friendly Facebook platform that – among other aspects – prides itself on the real-time conversations held between fight commentators and the viewing audience. FIGHTNIGHT LIVE has showcased more than 450 fighters and 15 promotions during 26 live event broadcasts from 18 different cities since May 2017, and in doing so, the interactive platform has generated the loyal interest of fight fans from across the United States and around the globe, including significant audiences in Mexico, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, and even fans in South America, Asia and Australia.
Since May 2017, the numbers on the 26-show FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series showed promise and potential for the new platform with an average of 166,508 views per event and more than 4.3 million total views for the franchise. Since Sept. 2018,Season II shows have averaged almost 323,000 views.
The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” (594,447) from the Sands in Bethlehem, the Dec. 2018 “Queens and Kings of Queens Card” (379,758) in New York, the Nov. 2018 “Hard Hitting Showtime Collaboration” (372,662), the Dec. 2018 “Roy Jones Jr. Texas Throwdown” (318,886), the Oct. 2018 “Hard Hitting Philly Special” (297,545), the Oct. 2018 hour-long Bareknuckle “Freeview” (292,253), the Nov. 2018 “Titans In The Capital” (256,871), the Sept. 2017 “Real Deal Promotions: Empire State” from Resorts World Casino (225,000), and the August 2017 CES “Super Saturday” from Foxwoods (203,000) all logged 200,000 or more views, and collectively the 26-show series has seen a total of more than 4,329,206 views across all devices.
In addition to the raw viewership numbers, the fully-interactive, fan-friendly productions have seen more than 377,000 collective live post engagements (more than 14,500 per show), including more than 293,000 “likes” or “loves,” more than 46,000 comments and almost 16,000 shares.
The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” from the Sands in Bethlehem set a new bar with 594,447 views and the Sept. 2017 DiBella-CES doubleheader carried the series to three-quarters-of-a-million views in just over four months. The Sept. 2017 DiBella card saw more than 40,000 viewer interactions including almost 39,000 “likes” or “loves” and the March 17, 2018, Murphy’s “St. Patrick’s Day Clash” set a new high-water mark for shares with 2,182.
The FIGHTNIGHT LIVE page on Facebook has more than 86,000 fans and more than 92,000 followers.
Created and produced by Linacre Media out of New York City, the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series features professional announcers, multiple camera angles, television graphics, replays and behind-the-scenes access and interviews. The streamed shows are available globally wherever Facebook is available. The initiative not only enables fans from around the world to tune in, but also gives up-and-coming fighters a global platform to showcase their abilities, gives promoters an accessible “broadcast” solution and gives sponsors the ability to reach a mass audience via branded content.
FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Winter and Spring 2019 dates will be officially announced in the coming weeks.
Follow all the action via social media at FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Facebook, @FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Instagram and@FIGHTNIGHTLIVE_ on Twitter, or by using the hashtag #FIGHTNIGHTLIVE. For the latest Linacre Media events and broadcast schedule, follow @LinacreMedia across all social platforms or use the tags #LinacreMediaEvents or #LinacreMediaOnTV.
About Everlast Worldwide Inc. The preeminent brand in boxing since 1910, Everlast is the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer and licensor of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment. From legendary champions Jack Dempsey and Sugar Ray Robinson to current superstars Deontay Wilder and Dustin Poirier, Everlast is the brand of choice for generations of world champion professional athletes. Built on a brand heritage of strength, dedication, individuality and authenticity, Everlast is a necessary part of the lives of countless champions. Based in Manhattan, Everlast’s products are sold across more than 75 countries and 6 continents. For more information, visitwww.everlast.com.
January 27, 2019 PORTLAND, OR – (January 27, 2019) WBAN is proud to announce the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame (IWBHF), Class of 2019.
This sixth annual induction represents a record breaking number of honorees in the history of this signal institution which has recognized and honored those individuals who have, over the history of the sport of Women’s Boxing, contributed to, advocated for and brought esteem and distinction to the sport in and out of the ring.
Included in this year’s class are seven former boxers: Terri Cruz, Melissa Fiorentino, Lisa Holewyne, Carina Moreno, Bridgett Riley, Wendy Rodriquez and Martha Salazar. The Non-Boxer category includes David Avila, Stephen Blea and Blanca Gutierrez. Pat Emerick and Patricia [Sandy] Martinez-Pino are recipients in the Pioneer Female Boxer and the Posthumous categories, respectively.
FORMER BOXERS
Terri Cruz compiled a 17-7-2 record, over a nine-year career (1999-2008), highlighted by winning the IFBA bantamweight crown over highly regarded Heather Percival in 2005. Cruz’s love of and dedication to the sport brought her out of retirement in 2009 to challenge top ranked Alesia Graf for WIBA Flyweight title, losing a close decision and again in 2011 for another bout with unbeaten Susie Ramadan.
Melissa Fiorentino, a 5’1″ dynamo, imbued with the appropriate sobriquet “Fury”, put up a sterling 17-2 record over a seven-year (2001-08) career during which she stepped in with the top ranked fighters in the featherweight class, including wins over Belinda Laracuente, Esther Schouten, Jaime Clampitt and Cindy Serrano. She capped her career, in January, 2008, winning the IWBF super featherweight title.
Lisa Holewyne fought to a 25-17-2 record over almost eight years (1998-2006) as a professional boxer. A common boxing dictum states, “you are what your record is” and Holewyne is exactly that. Coming to the ring after a four year stint as a pentathlete at the University of Texas, Holewyne quickly established herself as an “anyone/anywhere” lightweight boxer, fighting Sumya Anani twice (when very few ranked fighters would come within a couple of time zones of that matchup), unbeaten Mary Jo Sanders twice, splitting two fights with the formidable Sunshine Fettkether to mention only some of the top opposition Holewyne sought out during a career that should serve as a signpost for any boxer seeking to do the sport the right way.
Carina Moreno was a standout in the flyweight ranks, fighting, over her ten year career (2003-13), 203 rounds while compiling glittering 23-6 record against the best boxers in this competitive weight class. In addition to wins over Eileen Olszewski, Yessica Bopp and Holly Dunaway, she held the WBC and WIBA minimumweight titles for several years. She finished her career still competing against the best in her class, winning the WBA flyweight title against Susi Kentikian in Germany in December ’12, before losing a close decision to Kentikian seven months later in the same country.
Bridgett Riley fought in the ring, for nine years (1994-03), compiling a 15-3 record, exactly how she lived life, in perpetual motion. “Busy fighter” might be an understatement, since from the opening bell, Riley had one gear, full speed ahead. She held the IFBA bantamweight title beating Yvonne Trevino over ten rounds in February ’98 and, in possibly her most remembered bout, Riley KO’d Englishwoman, Alicia Lahsen, in June ’98, after surviving an early knockdown. It was her first defense of the IFBA title. Among Riley’s other pursuits in her active life range from martial arts champion to movie stunt person.
Wendy Rodriguez is another of the West Coast fighters who brought the female bantamweight division to the attention of the boxing public. Along with her co-2019 IWBHF inductee, Carina Moreno, Rodriquez set a standard of competitive excellence in the ring that raised the public perception and appreciation of the division. Rodriquez, in her seven year (1999-08) career put up an exemplary 19-4-3. Early on, (Oct. 2000) she fought an 8 round draw with Margaret Sidoroff and in her penultimate bout, she stepped in with Regina Halmich, (Regina was inducted into the Inaugural Class of the IWBHF in 2014) . Rodriquez finished her career on a high note, revenging an earlier loss to Holly Dunaway in the process of winning the vacant IBA minimum weight crown.
Martha Salazar competed as a professional boxer for 15 (2001-16) years, fighting 18 times and winning 13 of those bouts. It is an unfortunate reflection of the dearth of competition at the female heavyweight level. But for those athletes who posses persistence, combined with a don’t quit attitude, along with, most importantly, ring talent, the top rung of this division is attainable. Martha Salazar has those qualities in world class supply. Salazar won the WIBF heavyweight title via TKO over Pamela London in November ’04 and finished her career winning the WBC crown in a November ’14 by decision over Tanzee Daniel, before relinquishing the title via a close decision to Alejandra Jimenez in the final bout of her career in March of 2018.
NON-BOXERS
David Avila is a prominent and widely followed West Coast boxing writer. His linage to the sport comes from his father who fought a number of times at the Olympic Auditorium in the 1950s. Avila began his journalism career as a writer for the LA Times in the 1990s and is currently working for the Riverside (CA) Press Enterprise and La Prensa newspapers. But, unquestionably, it is Avila’s longtime support for and advocacy of the sport of Women’s boxing and it’s athletes that has earned him this well deserved IWBHF honor.
Stephen Blea, Blea’s reputation as a boxing official has been well documented and has led him to be ranked among the finest in the sport. But it is his myriad additional contributions to the benefit to the sport and it’s athletes that makes Blea singular in the sport. He has been a coach at USA Boxing along with providing his referring and judging skill to that organization. He has coached boxing at the Denver Police department. He has managed WBC Cares for the state of Colorado and overlaid those efforts with a long time, full throated support of the sport of Women’s boxing whenever the opportunity arises.
Blanca Gutierrez is proof positive that the promotion of the sport of boxing begins with whole-hearted empathy, and few promoters in the sport of Women’s boxing can match the personal connection and caring that Gutierrez brings to the sport and it’s athletes. Her father, Javier, was a professional boxer in Mexico and and Gutierrez’s interest and love for the sport came early and fervent. She is the driving force behind Beautiful Brawlers, a West Coast promotional powerhouse, that continues as a prime force behind the recent resurgence in the sport of female boxing.
David Avila and Stephen Blea are the second and third males to be inducted into the IWBHF.
PIONEER FEMALE BOXER
Pat Emerick reduces her outlook on the sport of boxing to it’s most basic, “put one foot in front of the other and be prepared.” If only getting a chance to climb through the ropes was that easy for a female in the middle of the previous century. It wasn’t. Emerick’s opportunities were essentially limited to her hometown, South Bend, IN, where, at 5’4″, 123lbs, after losing her first bout, she reeled off 18 straight wins, highlighted by a TKO win over Jo Ann Hagan in November ’54 before 4,000 fans in Council Bluffs, IA., winning the Ladies World Boxing Association Championship. Emerick becomes the second oldest living IWBHF Pioneer Boxer inductee, born five months after Year 1 honoree Barbara Buttrick.
POSTHUMOUS 2019 INDUCTEE
Patricia “Sandy” Martinez-Pino, who passed away in September of last year, was a longtime leading advocate for the sport of Women’s boxing in this country. She worked tirelessly within the sport, with the AIBA to open up opportunities for females as referees and judges and served with U S Boxing as President (Hispanic), as well as terms as Vice President and Secretary. Her untiring efforts in support of and improving conditions and opportunities for women in the sport will be well remembered and sorely missed and are best described by her co-inductee, Stephen Blea, “Sandy broke down barriers and achieved accolades no woman had achieved in this sport.”
As previously noted, the 2019 IWBHF Class of Inductees is the largest, and quite possibly, the most diverse, in the six year history of the Hall, conceived and formulated in 2014 by Sue Fox, founder and publisher of Women’s Boxing Archive Network (WBAN). Fox envisioned the Hall as a needed addition to the boxing community, a way of honoring those, in and out of the ring, upon whose athleticism, support and advocacy for the sport of Women’s Boxing continues to stand on and progress.
An induction ceremony for the 2019 inductee class is being discussed and details will be announced forthcoming.
Reading, PA (January 3, 2019) – On Saturday night, January 26th, championship boxing returns to the Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania as Phoenix Promotions stages a big Pro-AM card.
In the main event, it will be a 10-round battle for the UBA Bantamweight title as Rosalinda Rodriguez takes on Liliana Martinez.
Rodriguez of Miami has a record of 8-0 with two knockouts.
The 32 year-old Rodriguez is a four-year professional who has wins over two undefeated fighters in Frederica Blanco and Samantha Salazar.
In her last bout, Rodriguez won an eight-round unanimous decision over Crystal Hoy on December 8th in Louisville, Kentucky.
Martinez of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic has a record of 21-18 with 13 knockouts.
The 35 year-old Martinez is a 19 year-professional is coming off a decision loss to Sandra Atanassow on February 3rd in Germany.
In the eight-round co-feature, Hector Camacho, Jr. returns to the ring when he takes on Vladimir Hernandez in an middleweight bout scheduled for eight-rounds.
Camacho, Jr. of New York, has a record of 58-7-1 with 32 knockouts.
Camacho, 40 years-old, is a 23 year veteran of the squared circle.
Camacho went undefeated in his first 34 fights, which included wins over Freddy Curiel (14-3-1), Roberto Nunez (15-3), Miguel Angel Ruiz (21-5-1), Menard Reed (20-1), former world champion Phillip Holliday (36-3-1), Joe Hutchinson (18-1-2), Rocky Martinez (34-4-1), former world title challenger Larry LaCoursiere, Arturo Urena (19-3), Fredd Ladd (45-9), Nelson Estupinan (12-1), Kenny Kost (14-3), Israel Cardona (36-9) & Former world champion Yory Boy Campas(92-14-1).
Hernandez of Denver, Colorado has a record of 10-3 with six knockouts.
The 29 year-old Hernandez is a 10 year-professional has two wins over Danny Valdivia (14-0 & 14-1).
In six-round bouts:
Nicholas Hernandez (9-3-1, 2 KOs) of Reading takes on Jauvan John (3-7-1) of Brooklyn, NY in a junior middleweight bout.
Frank Trader (11-2-1, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia fights Zack Ramsey (8-5, 4 KOs) of Springfield, MA in a junior lightweight bout.
In four-round bouts:
Harold Lopez (4-0-1, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA fights pro debuting Rondarius Hunter in a flyweight bout.
Rakym Dyer will make his pro debut against fellow first-timer Earvin Young of Milwaukee, WI in a welterweight bout.
Martino Jules (5-0) of Allentown, PA will take on an opponent to be named in a featherweight contest.
There will be an amateur show that begins at 4 p.m., and tickets that that portion of the show only are $25.
Ticket Prices are as follows for Pro Show, that begins at 8 PM
1) $1,500.00 VIP Tables. 2) $150.00 Ring Side Seats. 3) $75.00 Silver Seating. 4) $50.00 Bronze Seating. 5) $25.00 General Admission.
All Tickets can be purchased at At The Santander Arena’s Box Office -700 Penn Street Reading Pa. 19602; Ticketmaster.com and at The Reading Extreme Boxing Club located at 1419 N. 5th Street Reading Pa. 19602.
Having solidified herself as a legitimate women’s star in her own right with her gallant performance against Claressa Shields last June, world champion Hanna Gabriels (18-2-1, 11 KOs) will return to her homeland to face Australia’s Sarah Dwyer on Saturday, January 26, at the Avenida Escazu in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The 10-round battle will be in defense of Gabriels’ WBA Super Welterweight Championship.
Dwyer (3-4-2, 1 KO) is coming off a draw for the Australian Championship against undefeated Tayla Harris in November.
This will be Gabriels’ first fight since the impressive showing against Shields, where she had the women’s superstar down in the first round before losing an exciting and close decision. The fight is being called the Women’s Fight of the Year for 2018.
“I’m feeling amazing training with my husband and just ready to get back,” said Gabriels. “She’s (Dwyer) a warrior will try to come and chop my head off, but we will send her back to Australia quick enough.”
Gabriels’ manager, Hector Cordova, says Dwyer is the first stop of a comeback that includes a return go with Shields and some other big names in women’s boxing.
“I am really proud of Hanna and everything she does for the community in Costa Rica. She is a hero inside and outside the ring; a real-life world success story. Our goal is to unify the 154-lb. division. We want to raise women’s boxing to new heights and eventually rematch Claressa and fight (women’s unified welterweight champion) Cecilia Braekhus. Hanna is the best 154-lb fighter in the world: a point we look forward to proving once again on January 26.”
Promoter Dmitriy Salita says that Gabriels’ name belongs among the best names in the sport. “Hanna is one of the best female fighters in the world. Her world-class skills make her one of the biggest names in all of women’s boxing. January 26 is going to be a great night and will open a door of exciting new opportunities for Hanna.”
“I want to thank all of my fans for supporting me always and showing me love even in defeat,” said the always gracious Gabriels. “That’s what makes me want it more and more. I want to fight Claressa and Cecilia and give my fans all I can before I leave the sport. I also want to thank my team because they’re amazing. Bryan Vasquez, my husband, Hector Fernandez de Cordova, my manager, Pedro Gonzalez and Esteban Quesada, my co-trainers and Dmitriy Salita for lending a hand when needed. I won’t disappoint you.”
In a pivotal year for women’s boxing that saw the sport reach more people than ever before, two-time United States Olympic gold medal winner Claressa Shields continued to soar, as she successfully defended her two world middleweight titles, then added three super middleweight belts before the end of a campaign that earned her the 2018 Christy Martin Award, which is given to the Boxing Writers Association of America’s Female Fighter of the Year.
“I am thrilled and honored to receive the Fighter of the Year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America. It is a dream come true, and it furthers my goal to lift women’s boxing to new levels,” Shields said.
“In 2019 my goals are to become undisputed champion, to be ranked in the top 10 pound-for-pound list regardless of gender, and to continue the march of women’s boxing toward equality with men.”
The 23-year-old from Flint, Michigan becomes the second winner of the award, which was established in 2017. She will be honored at the BWAA’s annual award dinner, which will take place in 2019 at a site and date to be determined.
“In such a big year for women’s boxing, it wasn’t a surprise that there were so many worthy nominees for this award, but in 2018, Claressa Shields took things to a new level by becoming a two-division world champion and successfully defending her titles at both 168 and 160 pounds in Showtime and HBO-televised bouts,” said Thomas Gerbasi, chairman of the BWAA’s women’s boxing committee. “That’s impressive in its own right, but the fact that she’s done this all before her tenth pro fight and under the glare of the spotlight that comes with being the face of the sport in the United States made her a unanimous choice for this year’s Christy Martin Award.”
Joining Roy Jones Jr., Andre Ward and the late Emanuel Steward as members of the USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018, Shields began the year on a collision course with middleweight champion Christina Hammer, but first she finished up her business at 168 pounds by successfully defending her IBF and WBC titles with a shutout victory over Tori Nelson in January.
Next was Shields’ middleweight debut against Hanna Gabriels in June, and what followed was a Fight of the Year candidate that saw Shields rebound from the first knockdown of her career to win a clear-cut decision and the IBF and WBA belts. Soon after, the news came that Hammer had to withdraw from her November clash with Shields due to injury, but “T-Rex” didn’t slow down, as she defeated Hannah Rankin and Femke Hermans to successfully defend her middleweight titles while adding the WBC crown to her trophy case.
