All posts by FNU47

Hagler teams with Roach

Hagler family.jpg
(L-R) – The late, great Marvelous Marvin Hagler, his grandson James Jr., and son James

BOSTON (February 15, 2022) – There are few family names in boxing, especially in New England, as universally revered as Hagler and Roach.
They are part of boxing royalty.

There is a new connection as James Hagler, Jr., the grandson of the late Hall of Famer Marvelous Marvin Hagler, has signed an exclusive managerial contract with Fighter Locker, owned and operated by the nephew of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, Boston-based Ryan Roach.

The plan is for Roach to have Hagler fight in Massachusetts, ideally in Brockton, the City of Champions in which Hagler as well as another Hall of Famer, Rocky Marciano, fought out of during their professional careers.

“I was looking for a manager and read about Ryan,” Hagler said. “I looked him up online, talked with him, and met him last weekend for the first time. He is not a greedy person. By far, he offered me the best deal I have ever received. He really wants to help me. Ryan’s a cool dude. I feel good about signing with him.

“Fighting someday in Brockton and Boston means a lot to me, because of my grandfather’s background, and that’s one of the reasons I signed with Ryan. My mother and father are from that area, and I still have a lot of family living on both sides living there. I’ll be the third member of the Hagler family to fight in New England, joining my grandfather and uncle (Robbie Simms).”


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(L-R) – Ryan Roach & James Hagler, Jr.


“I’m excited to be managing James,” Roach commented. “Right away, I was interested in a fighter with the Hagler name. I spoke with James and he’s a good kid who is all in. He wants to prove himself on his own and I get that, because I want to make it on my own terms, not my last name.
“We’re excited to get him fighting in New England. We’re going to do great things together. We plan on having him fight in Brockton, hopefully this summer, to bring boxing back to Brockton.” 

The 31-year-old Hagler, who fights out of Atlanta, didn’t start boxing until he was 24. Why did he start so late?

“My grandfather didn’t want any of us  (in the Hagler family) to box,” James explained. “I wanted to be a boxer since I was 3 or 4. He didn’t want anybody in his family to go through what he did in the Sugar Ray Leonard fight. My father (a boxing promoter in Atlanta) was an amateur boxer who fought in the Olympic Trials. He stopped boxing because my grandfather wouldn’t watch him fight. My father didn’t want to continue fighting.

“There’s a lot of pressure on me fighting because people expect me to be like my grandfather or want me to live up to the Hagler name. I feel good following in my grandfather’s footsteps. When guys fight me, it’s like their championship fight, because they want to say they beat a Hagler for bragging rights. I know that they will always have their best fight against me.”

James (2-1, 1 KO) had a relatively brief amateur career, fighting in Alabama and Georgia, and the southpaw made his pro debut December 14, 2019, in Ohio, when he stopped Michael Widmer in round one. He’s only had two fights since, winning one and losing the other, the latest this past November.

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James Hagler, Jr. in action


Hagler will fight as a super middleweight for now, but he intends to campaign as a middleweight in the same division his legendary grandfather owned for so many years. He does have a dream fight in mind, saying, “I met Muhammad Ali’s grandson (Nico Walsh). I’d love to fight him someday.”

Fighter Locker’s growing stable of gifted boxers also includes California super flyweight Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (21-1, 6 KOs), New York’s ABF American West super lightweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (16-0, 11 KOs), Connecticut’s ABF USA super welterweight Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (18-5-2, 6 KOs), Colorado’s ABF American West super middleweight champion “The Amazing” Shawn McCalman (10-0, 6 KOs), Massachusetts super lightweight Adrian “Tonka” Sosa (12-0, 9 KOs), Florida super bantamweight Daniel  “The Dedication” Bailey, Jr. (10-0, 5 KOs), Massachusetts featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. (4-0, 2 KOs), 2-time Brazilian Olympian & 2016 Olympic silver medalist Yuberjen Martinez, Brazilian Olympian Jorge Vivas, 2-time Dominican Olympian, lightweight Leonel de los Santos (5-0, 5 KOs), Dominican cruiserweight Roki “Rocky” Berroa (2-0, 1 KO), Dominican super welterweight Juan Solano Santos (1-0, 1 KO), Dominican featherweight Orlando Perez Zapata (10-0, 8 KOs), Dominican lightweight Isaelin Florian Henriguez (8-1, 4 KOs),  Florida light heavyweight Robert Daniels, Jr. (6-0, 5 KOs),  Irish light heavyweight Tommy “The Kid” O’Toole (3-0, 2 KOs), Texas super lightweight Miranda “La Alacrana” Reyes (5-1-1, 2 KOs), Massachusetts super featherweight Alex Rivera (3-0, 2 KO), Kansas brothers, welterweight Marcus (3-0, 3 KOs) and super lightweight Marcell (1-0), and Utah brothers, ABF American West lightweight champion Ignacio Chairez (9-0-1, 5 KOs) and lightweight Gabriel Chairez (4-0-1, 2 KOs).

INFORMATION:
WEBSITE:  fighterlocker.compunch4parkinsons.com
FACEBOOK:  /fighterlocker, /jameshaglerjr
TWITTER:  @RoachRyan
INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82, @JamesHaglerJr

ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER: Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers  by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.
Fighter Locker uses four creative steps because it believes in “the foundation is everything”: 1. wisely conceived, 2. creatively restrained, 3. Proudly judged, 4. sharply targeted.

UK’s Laura Pain set to Challenge Nigeria’s Mary Abbey for International Title Honours 18th Feb

Former Team GB star Laura Pain is set to challenge for her first International Championship honours, when she faces Nigeria’s Mary Abbey for the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) International Super Flyweight Crown, on the Cestus Events promoted event at City Coast Centre in Portslade, East Sussex this coming Friday, the 18th February 2022.


Pain, who pro debuted just seven months ago in July ’21, is on a fast track for World Championship honours, and quite rightly so as she oozes serious talent from every pore, and what’s more is willing to take on all-comers, as proved by her decision to go toe-to-toe with Mary Abbey, whose record stands at 3-0-0 with all victories coming by way of KO, after her original opponent Ghana’s Leticia Abbott failed to receive her visa in time.


Speaking from her home earlier Pain said, “I can’t wait to get in the ring on Friday.


“I’ve got a tough girl in Mary, but I’m in boxing to climb the rankings and overcome anyone that’s in my way to get to the top.


“I train hard and sacrifice a lot so I’m excited to show my talent and make my mark on the pro scene”


In addition to the exciting Pain versus Abbey World Boxing Foundation (WBF) Championship fight, Promoter Trevor Lake has put together a mouthwatering International undercard that features boxers from Africa, India, Poland and of course the UK.


Main support sees Mark Ellins versus Poland’s Pawel Sowik in an eight round Heavyweight Contest.


Co-Main support sees India’s Sandeep Kumar (5-0-0) in action against Ghana’s Ishmael Nettey (3-0-0) in a six round Super Middleweight contest.


Local Light Heavyweight John Marvin is set to make his professional debut against India’s Nishant Sharma and Londoner Henry Johnson is set to make his debut against India’s Akashdeep Singh, also in action will be Indian Heavyweight  Ranjeet Singh and Parmod Kumar, against yet to be named opponents.


Laura Pain versus Mary Abbey, for the vacant World Boxing Foundation (WBF) Super Flyweight International Championship headlines the Trevor Lake Cestus Events promoted Friday Fight Night event at the City Coast Centre in Portslade, East Sussex this coming Friday, the 18th February 2022.


The event will be streamed live at www.youtube.com/CestusEventsTV


Tickets are available from any of the boxers competing or please call the Cestus Ticket Line on 07473 173634

UNBEATEN RISING STAR CHRIS COLBERT TO FACE UNDEFEATED DOMINICAN OLYMPIAN HECTOR LUIS GARCIA LIVE ON SHOWTIME® SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26 FROM THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS

WBA Super Featherweight Champion Roger Gutierrez Forced To Withdraw After Positive COVID-19 Test
 
Tickets on Sale Now!
 
LAS VEGAS – February 14, 2022 – Undefeated rising star Chris “Primetime” Colbert will now square off against unbeaten Dominican Olympian Hector Luis Garcia in a 12-round WBA Super Featherweight World Title Eliminator headlining live on SHOWTIME Saturday, February 26 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
 
The southpaw Garcia replaces WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Roger Gutierrez, who was forced to withdraw after a positive COVID-19 test.
 
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast kicks off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will feature another unbeaten young phenom in the co-main event. Gary Antuanne Russell, a 2016 U.S. Olympianfaces former world champion Viktor Postol in a 10-round super lightweight bout, while IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Jerwin Ancajas defends his title against unbeaten Argentine Fernando Martinez in the televised opener of the loaded tripleheader.
 
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com.
 
Representing his native Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (16-0, 6 KOs) has quickly shot up the 130-pound rankings, taking on high-level competition in his first 16 pro fights. Already established as a fighter with dazzling boxing skills, Colbert showcased his ability to fight toe-to-toe with an 11th-round stoppage of Jaime Arboleda in December 2020 before most recently besting Tugstsogt Nyambayar in July 2021. The 25-year-old turned pro in 2015 and defeated three unbeaten fighters in his first eight contests. Prior to the Arboleda fight, Colbert scored a highlight-reel first-round knockout against Miguel Beltran Jr. in September 2019 and a dominant 12-round decision victory over former champion Jezzreel Corrales in January 2020.
 
Tall and rangy with good power in his left hand and a dedicated body attack, the 30-year-old Garcia (14-0, 10 KOs) scored the most impressive victory of his career in his last fight, when he defeated Isaac Avelar by unanimous decision in December 2021. The 5-9 Garcia, who sparred with Devin Haney and Rolly Romero for the Avelar win, represented his native San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, in the 2016 Olympics before turning pro in December that year. Garcia is trained by the highly respected Ismael Salas, who has guided a long list of standouts, including Yordenis Ugás, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Nonito Donaire, and Jorge Linares. Garcia will be fighting for just the third time in the U.S. on February 26, having defeated Avelar in Minneapolis. He was zeroing in on facing a top contender in 2022. Now he will get his chance.
 
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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sportswww.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #ColbertGarcia, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.
 

Teen Sensation Hollie Towl Secures European Crown After Battle Royale Against Italy’s Nadia Flalhi

Hollie Towl may only be 18 years of age, but already she is competing at the highest level in the professional game, just as she did as an amateur, winning no less than five National championships as well as many other regional accolades.


Since turning pro in September 2020 the sensational teen has racked up an impressive 6-0-0 record and is the youngest World Champion, of either gender, having secured the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) Featherweight World Championship back in September 2021, with a win over Argentina’s Cristina Del Valle Pacheco.


On Sunday afternoon Towl stepped up a division to challenge and beat former Italian Amateur National Champion Nadia Flalhi to secure the Professional Boxing Council (PBC) Super Featherweight European Championship by unanimous decision; winning every round on judges Carla Fox and Steve Tighe’s scorecards and winning all but three rounds which judge Adrian Thorne scored as drawn on his card.


On paper this was as as close to a genuine fifty-fifty contest you possibly wish for, exceptional amateur careers and both unbeaten as professionals, so no surprise then that the actual fight soon became a full on Battle Royale.


Right from the opening bell both sensational young warriors went into battle, it was breathtaking watching the contest unfold, initially Flalhi took full advantage of her height and superior reach to keep Towl at bay, but Towl is as savvy as they come and it wasn’t long before she used her exceptional ring craft to neutralise the Italian’s height and reach advantage, before letting rip with scintillating flurries and big shots to head and body.


As the fight progressed Flalhi adapted her game plan and drew the feisty teen to the inside, a plan that may have worked on others with less ability, but not with Towl, she was just as happy to go to war up close and took advantage of every opportunity that came her way.


In addition to the sensational Towl versus Flalhi finale of the Boyle Pro Boxing promoted event, the fans in attendance were treated to five further closely matched contests.


Worksop’s Eleanor Coulson extended her record to 5-1-0 after her opponent Aimee Moody was forced to retire at the end of the first with a serious knee injury.


Middleweight Cameron Moran took his record to 2-0-0 with a close victory over the extremely tough Afghan born Londoner Zahir Bennett. Moran versus Bennett was without doubt a leading candidate for Fight of the Night, as with Towl versus Flalhi it was an all action affair.


Cruiserweight Alvis Berzins extended his unbeaten record to 3-0-1 with a closely fought victory over debuting Owen James. After four sensation rounds Referee Lee Murtagh scored the contest 39-38.


Chesterfield Super Middleweight Luke White endured a baptism of fire on his pro debut against Chessington, Surrey hard man Richard Harrison. White securing his first win as a pro by a 40-37 points victory.


Worksop’s Ben Gore made a surprise appearance, following debuting Jayden Harris pulling out the day before, and faced Belfast’s Marty Kayes. Clearly was worthwhile stepping up to the plate for Gore as Referee Adrian Thorne scored the contest in his favour 40-37.


Boxing fans will not have to wait long to watch these young warriors in action again, as Boyle’s Pro Boxing has another event planned at the Shirebrook Leisure Centre in Mansfield on the 26th March 2022, and as with Sunday’s event will be broadcast exclusively live on FITE, in association with KC Sofas, and word is Chris Boyle is contemplating Hollie Towl making her first defence of her WIBA Featherweight World title – watch this space!

TOP-FIVE Welterweights Neiman Gracie & Logan Storley to Headline Bellator 274 Saturday, Feb. 19

FULL CARD CONFIRMED FOR BELLATOR 274 EVENT

AT THE MOHEGAN SUN ARENA IN UNCASVILLE, CONN.

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LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has confirmed the full fight card for BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley this Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. SHOWTIME will televise the phenomenal main card live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Additionally, nine thrilling preliminary fights will stream live three hours earlier on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3p.m. PT

In the main event of the evening, No. 4-ranked Neiman Gracie (11-2) will strap on the BELLATOR gloves for the 12th consecutive time when he takes on former four-time collegiate All-American wrestler and No. 5-ranked Logan Storley (12-1) in a five-round clash of top-5 welterweights. In the co-featured bout, former BELLATOR Welterweight Champion and No. 9-ranked Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) will return to action and open his 2002 campaign against Alliance MMA product and owner of seven first-round finishes Chance Rencountre (16-4) of Pawhuska, Okla.

The updated and complete listing of bouts can be found below.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley are on sale now at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

BELLATOR MMA 274: GRACIE VS. STORLEY MAIN CARD:

Saturday, Feb. 19 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT 

Welterweight Main Event: #4-Neiman Gracie (11-2) vs. #5-Logan Storley (12-1)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: #9-Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) vs. Chance Rencountre (16-4)

Lightweight Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (31-12-1) vs. Adam Piccolotti (12-4)

Heavyweight Bout: #8-Davion Franklin (4-0) vs.#9Said Sowma (8-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Lightweight Bout: Mandel Nallo (8-1, 1 NC) vs. Nick Browne (12-1)

175-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Brennan Ward (14-6) vs. Brandon Bell (10-10)

Bantamweight Bout: Jaylon Bates (4-0) vs. Chris Disonell (6-4)

Lightweight Bout: #9-Aviv Gozali (6-0) vs. Bobby King (10-4)

Flyweight Bout: #7-DeAnna Bennett (11-7-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-4)

Middleweight Bout: Jordan Newman (3-0) vs. Cody Herbert (2-0)

Lightweight Bout: Justin Montalvo (4-0) vs. Corey Samuels (3-2)

Featherweight Bout: Isaiah Hokit (0-1) vs. Theodore Macuka (1-2)

Welterweight Bout: Orlando Mendoza (0-1) vs. Jonathan Di Lorenzo (1-0)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 // BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

Brandon Valdes steps in to fight Jordan White in main event on Saturday, February 19th at Live Casino & Hotel Maryalnd

TICKETS ON SALE AT AXS.COM  Demond “D’Bestatit” Nicholson takes on Gabriel Pham in Co-Feature Also Jeter Promotions Fighters Brandon Chambers, AJ Williams, Victor Williams and Mansaborie Conde Appearances by Jaqeem Hutcherson, Colby Madison, Thyler Williams, Ahmad Muhammad Jones and Joseph Veazey
Hanover, MD (February 14, 2022) — Brandon Valdes will step in for Gadwin Rosa to take on Jordan White in the 10-round junior lightweight main event for the WBC USNBC Title on Saturday night, February 19th at The HALL at Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover, Maryland. 

Jeter Promotions is back at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland for the 7th time and 1st of 2022 on the heels of a near capacity show on October 23rd. The co-feature is a 10-round super middleweight clash pitting Demond Nicholson (24-4-1, 20 KOs) of Laurel, Maryland battling Gabriel Pham, 15-2 with eight knockouts of Atlantic City, New Jersey. 

White, 24, is a seven year-professional and has wins over Ronaldo Solis (4-0-1), Misael Lopez (11-0), and his last bout when he stopped Joe Perez on October 23rd at The HALL at Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover, Maryland. 

Valdes, 23, of Barranquilla, Colombia, has a record of 14-2 with seven knockouts. The six-year professional has plied his trade in his native Colombia, Mexico and the The United States. In the highest profile fight, Valdes was stopped in six-rounds to former two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Robeisy Ramirez. In that fight, Valdes was ahead on one scorecard at the time of the stoppage. In his last bout, Valdes won an eight-round unanimous decision over Adalberto Garcia Covarrubias on September 11, 2021 in Nuevo, Mexico. 

Nicholson, 28, is a nine-year professional, who has wins over German Perez (11-1-3), Joshua Okine (28-5-1) and Isaac Rodriguez (25-2). Nicholson is coming off a unanimous decision over Victor Darocha on October 23rd at The HALL at Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover, Maryland. 

Pham, 32 is a 13 year-professional, has big victories over Michael Glenn (2-0), Chauncey Fields (4-1), Jaba Khositashvili (4-0), Derrick Webster (28-2), Rafael Fernandez Sosa (8-0) and his last contest when he stopped Israel Valerio Nino(15-3) on October 16th in the Dominican Republic. 

In six-round bouts: 

Jeter Promotions signeeBrandon Chambers (6-0-1, 3 KOs) of Gwynn Oak, Maryland fights Paul Carroll (4-2,4 KOs) of Colombia, South Carolina for the ABF USA Featherweight title. 

Jeter Promotions signee and Penn State Graduate, AJ Williams (5-1, 2 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland takes on Brent Oren (4-7, 1 KO) of Harrisburg, PA for the ABF Atlantic Light Heavyweight title  

Thyler Williams (5-0, 4 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on Maurice Anthony (3-3, 3 KOs) of Ypsalanti, Michigan in a junior welterweight fight. 

Colby Madison (9-3-2, 6 KOs) of Baltimore, MD takes on Antonio Robertson (4-7-1, 2 KOs) of Raleigh, NC in a heavyweight bout.  

In four-round fights: 

Jeter Promotions signee, and former Dartmouth star Wide Receiver, Victor Williams (3-0, 3 KOs) of Washington, DC takes on Jeremiah Kendrick (1-0) of Philadelphia in a super welterweight fight. 

Jeter Promotions signeeMansaborie Conde (4-0, 3 KOs) of Laurel, MD takes on pro debuting Malcolm Phillips of Cole Bay, Sint Martins in a middleweight bout. 

Ahmad Muhammad Jones (1-0, 1 KO) of Baltimore, MD takes on Tyree Arnold (1-3) of Philadelphia in a super lightweight bout. 

Joseph Veazey (5-0, 3 KOs) of Baltimore fights an opponent to be named in a welterweight contest 

Jaqeem Hutcherson (3-1) of Forestville, MD fights Jalen Woodmore (0-1) of Pontiac, MI in a super bantamweight contest. 

Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at $65-$150 and can be purchased at AXS.COM 

The HALL at LIVE! is a 75,000-square-foot, three-story multi-use concert and event venue that features some of the nation’s best touring acts, comedians, championship boxing and other show-stopping entertainment. With a capacity of up to 4,800 persons, the state-of-the-art performance venue features three levels of seating: a main orchestra level, intimate loge-level boxes and a plush VIP Level with private bar, lounge and balcony. Each of these options afford spectacular views and immerse audiences in audio visual systems unparalleled in the region.  The $10 million state-of-the-art audio and visual system provides absolute acoustic perfection combined with stunning visual displays. The built-in performance stage, surrounded by massive, high resolution LED screens, is 60 feet wide by 40 feet deep and, from a technological standpoint, rivals the largest and most advanced performance venues anywhere.

The HALL is the largest theater in any casino in the state of Maryland, as well as in Anne Arundel County. The HALL at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland is located at 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, Maryland 21076.  

NEF CELEBRATES TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH RIVETING FIGHT NIGHT IN PORTLAND; RETURN TO L/A AREA ANNOUNCED

Portland, Maine (February 13, 2022) – One new champion and one successful title defense in the amateur ranks and one stunning reversal of fortune at the professional level highlighted New England Fights’ 10-year anniversary card Saturday night.

“NEF 46: Decade of Dominance” was a jam-packed, 15-fight fusillade before another sold-out, energetic crowd at Aura in Portland, Maine.

Mike Murray and Zach Faulkner thrilled those fans with an early “Fight of the Year” candidate in their brouhaha for the vacant 170-pound title. Murray (4-2) applied the lessons he learned in prior losses to Zac Richard and Tim Birkenhead at NEF 40 and 41, respectively, by rallying for a split decision victory over Faulkner (4-2).

On the heels of a unanimous win on the scorecards in his most recent fight, Faulkner set the tone with a thunderous slam in the opening round. He fought out of a guillotine attempt in the second stanza and bounced back from a pair of early Murray takedowns to inflict a fair share of punishment in the third.

Murray turned momentum in his direction by landing a bundle of bombs in round four, and Faulkner’s takedown late in the fifth likely wasn’t enough to seal the deal after Murray connected with a series of body punches.

The other title bout took much less time and left far less to interpretation. Tyler Smythe (4-1) was authoritative in his first defense of the 125-pound strap, dispatching Ryan Burgess (3-3) via rear naked choke at 2:37 of the opening round.

Burgess ended a four-year layoff from the NEF hexagon to challenge Smythe, who won the title with a technical knockout of Caleb Austin.

He pushed the issue early, but Smythe turned the tables on that aggression by throwing Burgess to the mat. Burgess’ attempt at a retaliatory armbar failed, and Smythe ultimately locked in a guillotine choke that ended his night.

In a highlight among the five professional bouts, Carl Langston – winless in six prior pro bouts after an extensive amateur career – avenged his most recent defeat with a rear naked choke of Zac Richard.

The end came 81 seconds after the opening bell, when Richard (1-1), a past NEF amateur champion and decorated wrestler, went for a takedown. He initially succeeded but gave up his back and fell victim to the choke.

Both fighters accepted the 140-pound bout on only a few days’ notice after their initial opponents became unavailable. Richard lowered the boom on Langston with a knockout at 3:52 of the first round in his pro debut back in November.

Langston, who went 7-9 as an amateur and took four of his six pro conquerors to the scorecards, promised a different outcome in his pre-fight remarks, and he delivered.

Aaron Lacey of Bangor, Maine, making his first appearance in the cage since September 2018, improved to 7-2 in the pro main event with a second-round technical knockout to strikes over Bronx bomber and Bellator veteran Jerome Mickle (4-12).  In an emotional moment to end the night, Mickle announced his retirement after nearly nine years of cage competition.

Lacey took advantage of an early takedown to dominate the first round of the 155-pound showcase, then ramped up his ground-and-pound assault to another level in the second chapter before the referee waved off the proceedings at 1:42.

In the sole women’s fight on the card, crowd-pleasing Glory Watson (2-1) continued her winning ways with a rear naked choke of previously undefeated Alibeth Milliron (2-1) at 2:23 of the second round in their 115-pound tussle.

Both women landed early haymakers, with Watson’s facial expressions indicating she was anything but hurt. She further demonstrated that point by taking Milliron to the canvas and narrowly running out of time in her first attempt to turn out the lights.

Milliron made more overtures with the stand-up game in round two. A quick takedown and a series of punches gave Watson another opportunity for the choke, however, and she sealed the deal.

In a battle of two 140-pounders making their pro debut, Nate Grimard exercised top control throughout and breezed to a unanimous decision over Anthony Vasta.  Grimard’s success as a pro comes as no surprise to fans.  He is a former NEF Amateur Featherweight Champion who put together a record of 4-1 in the amateur ranks.

Mohammad Al Kinani also enjoyed a victorious dive into the pro waters, needing only 42 seconds to dismiss Chris Rooney (0-2) via strikes at 155. Al Kinani countered Rooney’s early kick with a flurry, dropping Rooney and subjecting him to another barrage that hastened the stoppage.

First Class MMA stablemates Cody Kilton and Justin Kangas passed muster with the judges in back-to-back amateur bouts.

Kilton (2-1) carved out a unanimous decision over Kaleb Kenney (0-2) at 155. Kangas (1-3) tasted victory for the first time with a split decision verdict at the expense of Jon Assam (2-4). Kangas kept control on the ground through the second and third rounds to put the long-awaited mark in the left-hand column of his ledger.

Three amateur bouts featured the rookie outing for both combatants.

Mike Jolicoeur used an arm triangle to take care of business against Will Smith at 145. In a 125-pound collision, Key Baltazar locked in a rear naked choke at 1:33 of the second round against Quinn Poirier. Baltazar’s team, Nostos MMA, was an undefeated 3-0 at “NEF 46.” Jack Burke punctuated his win over Nick Legrande with a brutal knockout blow at 1:25 of the opening frame in their 265-pound rumble.

Curtis Ouellette (2-3) spoiled Christopher Smith’s debut with a TKO via accumulation of strikes in round three.

Two other amateur scraps produced first-round finishes. Jeff Reynolds (3-2) won by rear naked choke over David McCarty (1-1) at 185, and Ben Grady (3-0) kept his record spotless when Brandon Maillet-Fevens (3-3) couldn’t continue after injuring his arm while blocking a kick.  Reynolds’ win gave his team of Karasu Tengu Academy a perfect record of 2-0 on the night.

The quick results from Portland, Maine:

PROFESSIONAL MMA

Aaron Lacey def. Jerome Mickle via TKO (round two)

Carl Lagston def. Zac Richard via rear-naked choke (round one)

Glory Watson def. Alibeth Milliron via rear-naked choke (round two)

Nathaniel Grimard def. Anthony Vasta via unanimous decision

Mohammad Al Kinani def. Chris Rooney via TKO (round one)

AMATEUR MMA

Mike Murray def. Zach Faulkner via unanimous decision

Tyler Smythe def. Ryan Burgess via guillotine (round one)

Mike Jolicoeur def. Will Smith via arm triangle (round one)

Key Baltazar def. Quinn Poirier via rear-naked choke (round two)

Jack Burke def. Nick Legrande via KO (round one)

Jeff Reynolds def. David McCarty via rear-naked choke (round one)

Ben Grady def. Brandon Maillet-Fevens via TKO (round one)

Cody Kilton def. Kaleb Kenney via unanimous decision

Justin Kangas def. Jon Assam via split decision

Curtis Ouellette def. Christopher Smith via TKO (round three)

NEF announced that it will return to the Twin Cities for its next installment. “NEF 47: Good Friends, Better Enemies” will pit Lewiston-Auburn mainstays Jesse Erickson and Matthew Denning in the main event. The card is scheduled for Saturday, April 30 at Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn, Maine. For more details or to get your seats now, go to newenglandfights.com/tickets.

About New England Fights

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

Devar Ferhadi Takes on Khainell Wheeler in Super Middleweight Showdown on March 11th at Wind Creek Bethlehem

Kenny Robles takes on Naim Nelson in Co-feature

James Bernadin battles Kevin Asmat

Plus Undefeated Jonathan Rodriguez, Julian Gonzalez, Quadir

Albright, LeAnna Cruz and James Bernadin
Bethlehem, PA (February 11, 2022)–Super Middleweights  Devar Ferhadi and Khainell Wheeler will appear in the eight-round headline bout of a King’s Promotions card at the Wind Creek Bethlehem Events Center on Friday night, March 11th.

The eight-bout card is promoted by King’s Promotions.

Ferhadi, 27 years-old of Frederick, Maryland via Iraq is 9-0 with seven knockouts. The 10 year veteran has a win over undefeated Vincent Baccus (4-0-1). In his last bout, Ferhadi took an eight-round unanimous decision over Blake Mansfield on June 5, 2021 in Philadelphia.

Wheeler, 28 years-old of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has a record of 6-1 with five knockouts. The three-year pro is coming off his career best win as he took a six-round split decision over previously undefeated Frederick Julan (12-0) on December 2, 2021 in New York City.

In the eight-round co-feature, Kenny Robles battles Naim Nelson in a junior welterweight contest.

Robles, 30 years-old of Staten Island, New York, has a record of 8-1 with three knockouts. The five-year pro has a win over previously undefeated Shawn West (3-0), and his last outing when he won a six-round unanimous decision over Isaac Luna on March 19, 2021 in Tampa, Florida.

Nelson, 31 years-old, of Philadelphia is 14-5 with one knockout. The 11 year-professional has wins over Korey Sloane (1-0), Esteban Rodriguez (5-1-1) and Jerome Rodriguez (6-0-3). Nelson is coming off a 4th round stoppage defeated to undefeated Jesus Ramos on December 26, 2020 in Los Angeles.

In a six-round bout, undefeated James Bernadin (5-0, 3 KOs) of Lancaster, PA takes on tough Kevin Asmat (6-2, 5 KOs) of North Bergen, NJ.

The 29 year-old Bernadin has been on a roll as in his last two fights, he has wins over Osvaldo Morales (4-0) and a first-round stoppage of Edgar Torres (8-2-1).

Asmat, 27 years-old, has a win over Ernesto Ornelas (1-0). He is on a three-fight win streak, with his latest win being a third-round stoppage over Weusi Johnson on June 22, 2019 in Philadelphia,

In six-round bouts:

Jonathan Rodriguez (9-0, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on Jose Flores Chavez (9-13, 5 KOs) of Baja, Mexico in a bantamweight contest.
Julian Gonzalez (5-0, 5 KOs) of Reading, PA takes on an opponent to be named in a junior lightweight fight.
Quadir Albright (4-0, 4 KOs) of Philadelphia battles Antonio Wattell (3-8-3, 2 KOs) of Houston, Texas in a junior welterweight affair.

In four-round bouts:

LeAnna Cruz (1-0) of Bethlehem, PA will square off with Anyela Lopez (2-1-1, 1 KO) of Tucson, AZ in a bantamweight bout.
Thanjae Teasley of Bethlehem, PA and Ajoola Oladeinde of La Plata, MD in a welterweight fight of pro debuter’s.

Tickets for this great evening are priced at $75, $100 and $150 and can be purchased at
https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/02005C32BCBE3B0D

Italy’s Nadia Flalhi Challenges UK’s Hollie Towl For European Honours Exclusively Live on FITE this Sunday Feb 13th

This Sunday, the 13th February, Westfield, Sheffield’s Hollie Towl will step up a division and challenge Marche, Italy’s unbeaten Nadia Flalhi for the Professional Boxing Council (PBC) Super Featherweight European title, in association with KC Sofas and broadcast globally exclusively live on FITE.


Towl, at just 18 years of age is already the youngest reigning World Champion, of either gender, having secured the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) Featherweight World Crown with a victory over Argentina’s Cristina Del Valle Pacheco back in September 2021, now has her eyes firmly set on becoming the youngest two division World Champion and this weekend’s challenge against Flalhi, for the European crown, is the first step for the exceptionally talented young star in achieving her dream.


The lucky fans that have secured tickets for the SOLD OUT event, that takes place in Worksop, Nottinghamshire in the UK, will be treated to an afternoon of action, as besides the Towl Vs Flalhi European Title fight, there will be five further contests featuring local talent.


Heading up the support card is reigning WIBA International and PBC Commonwealth Middleweight Champion Eleanor Coulson, who faces Londoner Aimee Moody in a six round non-championship contest.


Fellow Middleweight Cameron Moran will be looking to take his record to 2-0-0, when he faces Zahir Bennett, and exciting unbeaten Cruiserweight prospect Alvis Berzins faces a late replacement in Owen James.


Debuting Super Middleweight Luke Wight is set for a baptism of fire when he faces the highly experienced battler Richard Harrison and last but not least fellow pro debutee Jayden Harris is sure to have an action packed maiden outing as he is set to go toe-to-toe with Belfast’s Marty Kayes.


Hollie Towl versus Nadia Flalhi for the PBC European Super Featherweight Championship headlines the Boyle’s Pro Boxing promoted Valentine’s Massacre event, in association with KC Sofas and broadcast globally exclusively live on FITE from 1:30pm (GMT) on Sunday 13th February 2022.


To book your personal ringside seat go to www.fite.tv

Irish amateur standout Tommy Hyde turning pro April 2nd at home in Cork

Tommy Hyde.jpeg
CORK, Ireland (February 10, 2022) –  Three-time Ireland National Champion Tommy Hyde will turn professional April 2nd at home in Ballyvolane, Cork, on a show at The Big Top, Glen GGA Grounds, promoted by his father, renown international boxing manager Gary Hyde.
The 22-year-old Hyde, who participated in more than 100 amateur matches, reached the quarterfinals of the prestigious World Junior Championships in 2015. He was a 9-time National finalist, captured top honors at the 2019 Harringey Box Cup, and was a 3-time Celtic Bux Cup gold medalist.

“Since I started boxing at the age of seven,” the heavy-handed light heavyweight said, “it’s been my dream to box as a professional in Cork, Ireland. I grew up going to world championship shows all over the world and I’ve always wanted to fight at that level. On April 2nd, I will take the first step in getting there. I’ve had more than 100 amateur fights and feel it’s time to make the move to the pros and fulfill my lifelong dream.”

Hyde is training in Springfield, Massachusetts, under Hector Bermudez, who has trained world champions TJ Doheny, Jonathan Guzman, Carlos Gongora, Vince Phillips, Ryad Merhy and Javier Fortuna.

“I am absolutely thrilled to promote a show in which my son Tommy will make his pro debut,” proud father Gary added. “I’ve travelled the world to sign amateur fighters from so many different countries and this kid was in the bedroom next door.”

ABOUT NOWHERETOHYDE:  Founded in 2007 by Gary Hyde in Cork, Ireland, NoWhere2Hyde  offers full services for professional boxers around the world. Hyde has managed numerous world-class boxers during his career including world champions Guillermo Rigondeaux, Youri Kalenga, Nassam N’Dam and Simpiwe Vetyeaka.  He presently manages world-rated European Super Featherweight Champion Samir Ziani (21-3-1, 7 KOs) and Dominican Olympian Rohan Polanco (4-0, 2 KOs).

INFORMATION:
Facebook: /nowhere2hyde, /tommyhyde
Twitter:  @nowhere2hyde, @tommyhyde99
Instagram:  @gary_nowhere2hyde, @tommyhyde1