All posts by FNU47

Introducing undefeated middleweight prospect Eddie Ortiz

Ortiz managed by former Tony Ayala manager Brian Raditz

San Antonio, TX (January 18, 2018) – 26 year-old Eddie Ortiz is trying to be the next in a long line of top fighters from San Antonio, Texas.

In 2010, The 26 year-old started boxing at the age of 18.  He was a lifelong athlete, who wanted to box his whole life, but his parents would not allow young Eddie to begin fighting until he turned 18.
Eddie embarked on a successful amateur career where he went 40-5, and along the way he captured the 2012 National PAL title, 2015 U.S. National title that catapulted him to be ranked number-two at middleweight and also a berth in the 2015 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Ortiz was training at the Zarzamora Gym in San Antonio under the guidance of Tony Ayala, Sr.
Ayala’s son, Tony Ayala, Jr. was managed by Dr. Brian Raditz.  Raditz took over the manager duties of young Ortiz.
Ortiz turned professional in 2016, and is undefeated with a record of 5-0-2 with three wins coming via knockouts.
The only two blemishes for Ortiz are two disputed draws when he fought in Philadelphia.
Ortiz describes himself as a boxer-puncher, who likes to exchange and he uses a lot of movement and footwork.
Ortiz will be in action on February 17th at The San Antiono Shrine Auditorium.
“My next fight is the next step towards my goal of being the top middleweight prospect in Texas, and then being a world champ,” said Ortiz.
Said Raditz, “He is a two-time National champion, he is tall at 6’3″ and I feel he has a big future in the sport.”

2017 M-1 Global Prospect of the Year   Rising flyweight star Arman Ashimov

  Arman Ashimov is shown above putting Rodrigo Melonio to sleep
SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (January 18, 2018) – Rising flyweight Arman Ashimov has been named the 2017 M-1 Global Prospect of the Year.
Ashimov (7-2-1, M-1: 2-0-0), 26, made his M-1 Global debut last July in M-1 Challenge 81, in which he stopped previously undefeated Gadzhimurad Aliev (6-0-0), of Russia, with one punch in round two.
Last November, Ashimov positioned himself for a title shot with an impressive opening-round knockout via punches of Brazilian veteran Rodrigo Melonio (16-3-0) at M-1 Challenge 85.
Five of Ashimov’s seven victories to date have ended by knockout, the other two by decision.
The gifted Kazakh fighter headlines his first M-1 Global event on February 9 against Finnish invader Mikael “Hulk” Silander (17-5-0, M-1: 1-0-0) for the Interim M-1 Global flyweight title, celebrating the opening of the beautiful, state-of-the-art M-1 Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@Vadim_finkelchtein
@M1Global
Facebook:
 
UPCOMING EVENTS:
 
Feb. 9 – M-1 Challenge 87: Silander vs. Ashimov, M-1 Arena, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Feb. 22 – M-1 Challenge 88: Ismagulov vs. Tutarauli, Olympic Stadium, Moscow, Russia

Local standouts highlight loaded undercard for Inaugural Boardwalk Boxing card on Saturday, February 24th at The Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City

Undefeated fighters Darren Goodall, Jahmal Dyer, Frederick Julan, Donald Smith, Omar Kabary Salem highlight packed night of boxing
Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna battles Gabriel Bracero in welterweight main event
 
ATLANTIC CITY – January 18 2018 – A massive undercard featuring some of the brightest prospects and fan favorites in the tri-state area will be on display on Saturday night,February 24th at The Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City.
The inaugural Boardwalk Boxing card is promoted by Rising Star Promotions.
Last week a mouth watering main event was announced that will pit  Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna taking on Gabriel “Tito” Bracero in a ten-round battle for the WBC Fecarbox Welterweight title.
A trio of six-round bouts will top a ten-bout undercard.
Tommy Rainone (26-8-2, 6 KOs) of Farmingdale, NY will take on Eduardo Flores (23-29-3, 14 KOs) of Quito, Ecuador in a welterweight bout.
Undefeated light heavyweight Frederick Julan (8-0, 6 KOs) of Brooklyn, NY via Paris, France will take part in a bout against an opponent to be named.
Undefeated super middleweight Darren Goodall (5-0, 4 KOs) of New Milford, NJ will fight veteran Edgar Perez (7-22, 3 KOs) of Chicago.
In four-round bouts:
Bryne Green (7-10-1, 3 KOs) of Paulsboro, NJ will fight Tyrone Luckey (8-8-3, 6 KO’s) in a battle of New Jersey based junior lightweights
Jahmal Dyer (4-0, 2 Kos) of Baltimore, MD will take on an opponent to be named in a lightweight bout.
Undefeated junior lightweight Donald Smith (5-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia battles Andrew Bentley (3-2) of Jersey City, NJ.
Mike Rashid of Tucson, AZ will make his pro debut against Demetrius Shaw (0-2) of Wilson, NC in heavyweight bout.
Ernesto Perez of Vineland, NJ will make his pro debut against Steve Moore (0-2) of Orange, NJ in a welterweight tussle.
Omar Kabary Salem (1-0) of Brooklyn, NY will fight pro debuting Cory Weekley of Philadelphia in a middleweight bout.
Osnel Charles (11-8-1 KO) of Atlantic City, NJ boxes against Laquan Lewis (2-8) of Brooklyn, NY in a junior welterweight tilt.
Tickets are available for $150, $80 and $55, and can be purchased online at www.risingboxingpromotions.com.
This event is sponsored by Acos Energy, Designer Wraps, Eat Clean Bro, Calvi Electric, and Alpha Academy.
For more information, ‘Like’ Rising Star Promotions on Facebook.

IMPACT Wrestling Channel to Launch on Twitch

– New channel to feature legacy and exclusive content, including premiere of

Barbed Wire Massacre III –

TORONTO | SAN FRANCISCO – IMPACT Wrestling, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., today announced the launch of a new channel on Twitch, the world’s leading social video service. IMPACT Wrestling’s channel (www.twitch.tv/impactwrestling) will feature a 24-hour live stream and exclusive weekly programming.

The IMPACT Wrestling Channel will launch on Wednesday, Jan. 17 with a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week stream of content that leads up to the debut of Barbed Wire Massacre III on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET immediately following the weekly premiere of IMPACT! on Pop.

The IMPACT Wrestling Channel on Twitch will feature exclusive content, including monthly live events and house shows featuring top stars in professional wrestling. The channel will also feature lifestyle programming showcasing IMPACT Wrestling stars outside of the ring – from diets and workouts to relationships and travel. Twitch will also air IMPACT Wrestling’s live event at WrestleCon in New Orleans, La. on Friday, April 6 at 9:00 p.m. CT. Other exclusive shows on the channel include:

  • Monday nights: Live Audio Wrestling (The LAW) returns with a new weekly video podcast. Produced and hosted by longtime IMPACT Wrestling announcer Jeremy Borash, The LAW will cover all of the latest news in professional wrestling and feature special guest interviews, live calls, chat interaction, contests with prizes, and much more.
  • Wednesday nights: Returning IMPACT Wrestling star Tyrus will host Nuff Said, as the Fox News contributor offers his unique take on professional wrestling, politics, sports and popular culture.
  • Thursday nights: At 8:00 p.m. ET, Josh Mathews will host Mathews’ Megacast with his irreverent second screen perspective on the flagship IMPACT! show Thursdays on Pop.

Programming for the channel will also include past and present episodes of the flagship IMPACT! show, the original weekly show Xplosion, pay-per-view events on a second window, plus over 1,000 hours of original programming showcasing classic content featuring household industry names like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode and many more.

“Our expansion on Twitch marks another important milestone in our digital expansion,” said Ed Nordholm, president of IMPACT Wrestling. “The interactive content and larger-than-life personalities of IMPACT Wrestling are a perfect fit for the platform, whose passionate communities have demonstrated an increased appetite for professional wrestling and live events. As we adapt to new content consumption methods, our partnership with Twitch gives us an opportunity to interact directly with our audience, while engaging and growing our fan base across the world.”

For more information, visit www.impactwrestling.com.

Exciting Slugger Eyubov Calls Out Fellow Prospect: ‘Bring me Yves Ulysse Jr. I Will Run Him Out of the Ring!’

Already one of the most entertaining up-and-comers in boxing and willing to face anyone put in front of him, Kazakhstan-born slugger Bakhtiyar “Bakha Bullet” Eyubov, is calling out a fellow super lightweight prospect that most of his contemporaries try to avoid.

“Bring me Yves Ulysse Jr. next,” said Eyubov. I want to fight him.”
A true warrior, Eyubov says he’s willing to go where others fear to tread on his way to a world championship. “I know Ulysse is considered a difficult opponent and fighters are avoiding him, but I would run him out of the ring. I’ll stop him and get my respect in the division. I am too strong and too hungry. He can’t survive my tenacity!”
Montreal-based Ulysse (15-1, 9 KOs) was last seen in December dominating formerly undefeated Cletus Seldin over 10 one-sided rounds on HBO. The quick-fisted Canadian is currently rated #14 in the world by the IBF.
Eyubov (13-0, 11 KOs) returned to the ring last weekend, but had his stalking of opponent Maurice Chalmers cut short when Chalmers suffered an accidental headbutt. The fight was ruled a No Decision at 1:59 of the first round.
“I will stop him if that fight ever happens,” continued Eyubov. “I hope he doesn’t get intimidated by my confidence. I hope he’s a real man that likes a challenge. We will see.”
Eyubov’s promoter says he’s willing to try and make this interesting showdown a reality.
“This is a great fight,” said Salita. “Bakhtiyar says he wants to prove himself against a tough guy who can get him in the world ratings. We asked him who he wants, and he didn’t hesitate. He wants Yves Ulysse. Fights like this, between two hungry young lions are what boxing is all about. Both these guys are essentially undefeated. Ulysse’s loss was very controversial. It would be a sensational war.”

SPORTS TV VETERAN JAY GLAZER JOINS BELLATOR BROADCAST TEAM

DEBUT SET FOR BELLATOR 192 THIS SATURDAY, JAN. 20 – LIVE ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator announced today that sports television mainstay Jay Glazer will join the Bellator broadcast team. Beginning with Bellator 192, Glazer will host the broadcast desk as Bellator kicks off 2018 on Paramount Network (formerly Spike) Saturday, Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. ET.

 

 

 

Glazer joins reporter Jenn Brown, play-by-play men Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo, as well as color commentators “Big” John McCarthy andChael Sonnen. In addition to his broadcasting duties, Glazer will also appear in upcoming original content produced by Bellator’s digital team.

 

 

 

“I’m excited to welcome Jay Glazer to the Bellator family,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “Jay’s knowledge and experience in sports television speaks for itself and he will be a great addition to our incredible broadcast team. As Bellator moves to Paramount Network, I look forward to having him involved with some of the biggest fights of the year.”

 

 

 

“I have always had a tremendous passion for MMA, where the relationships you develop are unlike any other sport, said Glazer. “And I am very fortunate to be able to continue these relationships with an incredible organization like Bellator. I’ve been friends with Scott for many years, and am ecstatic that he brought me into the Bellator family.”

 

 

 

A trailblazer in the sports media world who broke onto the scene as an NFL reporter for the New York Post, Glazer went on to serve as the NFL Insider for CBS Sports in 1999, and later joined Fox Sports where Jay is currently in his 14th year as the NFL Insider on their award-winning NFL studio show, Fox NFL Sunday. In 2007, Jay was named Sports Illustrated’s “Media Person of the Year.” Glazer also became one of the first mainstream media members to cover MMA when he hosted Pride Fighting Championships on FSN.

 

 

 

Jay is also set to begin shooting his fourth season on the HBO comedy hit Ballers, where he has a recurring role.

 

 

 

A longtime athlete and martial artist, Glazer owns the high profile Unbreakable Performance Center in West Hollywood, where the gym has become the home to many elite athletes, actors, musicians and business people, including Demi Lovato, Wiz Khalifa, Chris Pratt, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture.

 

 

 

Jay also started the first MMA-training program for professional athletes with hundreds of athletes having utilized his training program.  In just the last few years, Jay and his team have trained All Pros Von Miller, Aaron Rodgers, Odell Beckham, Bobby Wagner and Andrew Whitworth.

 

 

 

Additionally, Glazer began a new foundation in 2015 called Merging Vets & Players, which works to match up former combat veterans and former professional athletes in order to help each other through the transition into their new lives away from the playing field and away from the battlefield. Learn more about MVP at www.vetsandplayers.org.

 

 

Glazer is represented by The Montag Group and currently resides in Los Angeles.

 

 

 

Bellator and Paramount Network open 2018 with a bang when Bellator 192 emanates from The Forum in LA on Saturday, Jan. 20. The event features a welterweight world title fight between current champ Douglas Lima and number one contender Rory MacDonald, while “Rampage” Jackson meets Chael Sonnen in the opening round of 2018’s Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix.

2017 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year   M-1 Challenge Lightweight Champion   Damir Ismagulov

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (January 16, 2018) — M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Damir Ismagulov has been selected by mixed-martial-arts fans around the world as the 2017 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year.
Fighting out of Orenburg, Russia, the 26-year-old Ismagulov (14-2-0, M-1: 8-1-0) was 3-0-0 in 2017, all in M-1 Global action, including his M-1 Challenge lightweight title-winning performance, followed by one successful title defense.
Ismagulov, a native of Kazakhstan, started 2017 in grand style, knocking out Morgan Heraod of France, in the third round last February at M-1 Challenge 74.
Last May, Ismagulov faced former M-1 Challenge champion Maxim Divnich (13-2-0), at home, in Orenburg, for the vacant M-1 Challenge lightweight championship.
Their title fight commenced with a “feeling-out process” of simple exchanges of blows with Ismagulov working more with his feet, but the opening round ended with the hometown favorite holding a slight advantage.
Ismagulov, however, dominated the next three rounds and Divnich, whose severely damaged, bloody face showed the ill effects of Ismagulov’s continued assault, was unable to turn things around in the fifth. As the finish neared, Ismagulov failed to submit his game opponent until a barrage of unanswered punched rained on a defenseless Divnich. The referee halted the action with 13-seconds remaining on the clock for a hard-fought Ismagulov win by technical knockout.
After the fight 5,000 fans celebrated, roaring their approval for Ismagulov, who said, “I’m from the Orenburg region. I won the belt! Thanks for coming. I want to thank the MMA Orenburg, my coach,Victor Frolov, who saw me as a talent, and Alexander Shlemenko for believing in me. I thank my coaches, my family, and our fans.
“I’ve proved that a simple guy from a small village without the Internet can become champion. If I can, you can. The belt is in Orenburg, where it should be.”
Ismagulov is shown here in a ground-and-pound attack vs. Rogero Matias da Conceicao
Ismagulov won a hard-fought main event battle against upset-minded Rogero “Karranca” Matias da Conceicao, of Brazil, by way of a non-title, unanimous decision at M-1 Challenge 85.
Ismagulov defends his M-1 Challenge lightweight title February 22, when he takes on his Georgian challenger, Raul Tuturauli (18-3-0, M-1: 6-1-0), in the M-1 Challenge 88 main event at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.

 

 

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@Vadim_finkelchtein
@M1Global
Facebook:
 
UPCOMING EVENTS:
 
Feb. 9 – M-1 Challenge 87: Silander vs. Ashimov, M-1 Arena, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Feb. 22 – M-1 Challenge 88: Ismagulov vs. Tutarauli, Olympic Stadium, Moscow, Russia

FROM THE SHORES OF SEBAGO LAKE TO THE MMA CAGE, HARD-WORK IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR KAM ARNOLD

Lewiston, Maine (January 16, 2018) – Kam Arnold might be the ultimate Maine mixed martial artist from central casting.

 

 

Blue-collar sensibilities shaped his young life. He grew up in a small community where young boys often had to conjure up their own forms of entertainment. And yes, sometimes that meant fighting solely for the sake of fighting.

 

 

“I have two older brothers, and friends who were around all the time that are like brothers. We pretty much adopted them, you know?” Arnold said. “And any time you have that situation, there are fights going on in the yard all the time. I remember one time seeing my brothers rolling around on the stairs in the house, and of course I just had to jump in and get involved in that.”

 

 

Arnold, who turns 25 this month, is more structured but no less passionate today about exercising his grit, guile and strength in such physical encounters.

 

 

Veteran of one, quick knockout win in the New England Fights cage, Arnold returns for another dose on Saturday, February 3 at Androscoggin Bank Colisee. He will confront Kyle Kenney in an amateur bantamweight bout at “NEF 32: Super Saturday.”

 

 

Fighting under the Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) umbrella, Arnold made a dramatic first impression, dispatching Glenn Kasabian in 1 minute, 54 seconds.

 

 

“Glenn’s a tough dude. He’s a warrior. He’s a great guy outside the cage. I have a lot of respect for him. He wanted to stand up with me. It’s one of things where I just flipped the switch,” Arnold recalled. “He’s pretty rangy, pretty tall. I went in there wanting to let him know he was in for a battle, and fortunately it turned out in my favor. I was the better fighter that night.”

 

 

Arnold admittedly was disappointed that the result wasn’t enough to earn the 2017 “NEF Rookie of the Year” award. He vows not to leave any doubt about his potential in the local hexagon when he takes on Kenney, an opponent about whom he knows precious little.

 

 

“Yeah, I was pretty bummed, but I know everybody else busts their ass just like I do,” Arnold said. “I have high expectations for myself, and I want to make a statement with this fight.”

 

 

A native of Casco, on the shores of Maine’s Sebago Lake, Arnold describes a hard-knocks upbringing that clashed with the bucolic, tourist-trap surroundings.

 

Arnold’s family had close ties to a motorcycle club, although he is reluctant to discuss its impact on his life other than to agree that it enhanced his fighting spirit.

 

 

“They’re all genuine people. I will say that. I have an awful lot of people supporting me in this. I would be nothing without them. My father and mother are the two toughest people I know,” Arnold said. “As a kid growing up, I had to be tough. That’s just the way it was. I just come from a blue-collar family. I don’t really want to get into all the details of it, but I just had to be tough. It made me what I am today.”

 

 

In addition to grappling with his older siblings and their friends, Arnold unfortunately was a victim of circumstances that are all too prominent in today’s schoolyards and playgrounds.

 

 

“I was a very small kid for my age,” he explained. “I got bullied a lot in school and had to find a way to manage that. Unfortunately, I got into a lot of fights because I had to defend myself.”

 

 

Arnold learned many of those self-defense techniques through his passion for combat sports.

 

 

He fell in love with professional wrestling, MMA, and especially boxing, although “there weren’t many options to pursue boxing in small-town Maine,” he said.

 

 

While attending Oxford Hills and Lake Region high schools, Arnold briefly took up high school wrestling. It was not until adulthood that he found his way to Lewiston’s CMBJJ, one of the hub facilities that has helped build NEF’s talent base over the past six years.

 

 

“Of course there’s a part of me that wishes I had started this earlier, when I was 18 or 19, like a lot of guys,” said Arnold, who turns 25 this month. “But I’m thankful for where I’m at now, and for Matt Peterson and NEF for giving this opportunity to show what I can do.”

 

 

Boxing and stand-up skills proved Arnold’s bread-and-butter in his debut. He hopes the Kenney fight will give him a chance to exhibit the wider array of lessons he has learned from his training partners.

 

 

Arnold credits former NEF amateur flyweight champion Dustin Veinott with the bulk of his development.

 

 

“I feel like I have the best coaching staff in the state,” Arnold said. “I haven’t really had the opportunity to travel around and cross-train, but I have so much faith in the guys at my own gym.

 

 

“Dustin Veinott has been crucial. I feel like with his knowledge I can go anywhere I want to in this sport. And when you combine that with Jesse Erickson, Travis Wells, Matt Denning, the sky is the limit. They’ve put their belief in me, and I want to show them I’ve earned it.”

 

 

When asked for a prediction about the February fight, Arnold somewhat channeled Clubber Lang’s reply of “pain” from Rocky III.

 

 

“Look for some blood,” Arnold said. “It’s coming. I can’t wait to put on a show.”

 

 

The opening bell February 3 is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are available at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the box office at207.783.2009 ext. 525.

SECOND-ROUND RESULTS    72nd annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship

Central N.E. quarterfinals round action  
this Friday night at Lowell Auditorium

Marlboro, MA light welterweight Nelson Perez after his win last night
Pictures courtesy of Edward Boches / bochesphotogrphery.com
LOWELL, Mass. (January 13, 2018) – The Central New England (Greater Lowell) second-round of the 72nd annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championships concluded last night at historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium with that featured 13 exciting men’s and women’s novice class matches.
The quarterfinals are on tap next Friday night (Jan. 19) at Lowell Memorial Auditorium with novice and open class matches. See the complete 2018 schedule of events below as well as last night’s complete results.
“The first bout (Rodriguez vs. Picariello) of the night was awesome, one of the best I’ve seen in years,” Tournament Executive Director Bobby Russo said. “It was a lesson to be learned for fans: don’t come late! One of the great things about amateur boxing is you never know what the fight of the night will be and last night it was the first.  Rodriguez showed a good skill level, especially for a novice, and Picariello had tremendous determination. He kept coming and they both threw a lot of punches. It was a great way to start the show.”
Season tickets for the remaining seven events are still available and reasonably priced at $75.00 (general admission). To purchase call the Lowell Memorial Auditorium box office at 1.866.722.8881 or order online at www.lowellauditorium.com. Individual event tickets are also available to purchase, starting at $13.00, only $7.00 for students (ID required).
Proceeds from the Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship go towards sending the New England Golden Gloves champions to the National Golden Gloves Championship (starting May 14, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska), in addition to supporting local athletes and area gyms, the Boys & Girls Club, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, cancer funds, scholarships and many other great charitable causes.
Manchester, NH welterweight Apostolus Lolos was a winner last night
 
OFFICIAL RESULTS
 
NOVICE
(Feb. 12, 2018)
LIGHTWEIGHTS (132 lbs.)
Kevin Rodriguez, Lawrence, MA / Intenze 978
WDEC (5-0)
Giovanni Picariello, Medford, MA / Nonantun Boxing Club
Emmanuel Adumbire, Dorchester, MA / Grealish Boxing
WDEC (3-2)
Shane Jordan, Brockton, MA / Everybody Fights
FEMALE LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 lbs.)
Stephanie Khan, Brighton, MA / The Ring
WDEC (5-0)
Marine Krizisch, Cambrige, MA / Nonantum Boxing
LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 lbs.)
Steve Rao, Lowell, MA / West End Gym
WDEC (3-2)
Miguel Rivera, Lawrence, MA / Intenze 978
Robert Tomczyk, Sterling, MA / Palladin Martial Arts
WDEC (5-0)
Scott Nardella, Lowell, MA / West End Gym
Nelson Perez, Marlboro, MA / Upperkuts
WDEC (3-2)
James Quealy, Dorchester, MA / Grealish Boxing
FEMALE WELTERWEIGHTS (152 lbs.)
Emily Jones, Woburn, MA / Everybody Fights
WDEC (5-0)
Samatha Kreitman, Boston, MA / Sweatbox
WELTERWEIGHTS (152 LBS.)
Alexander Lynch, Quincy, MA / Grealish Boxing
WDEC (5-0)
Doug Maguire, Hudson, MA / Hudson Boxing Club
Apostolus Lolos, Manchester, NH / Manchester PAL
WDEC (4-1)
Daniel Richard, Malden, MA / Somerville Boxing Club
MIDDLEWEIGHTS (165 lbs.)
Jordy Artica, Chelsea, MA / Grealish Boxing
WDEC (5-0)
Steve Baez, Lowell, MA / West End Gym
Mohammed Ibrahim, Boston, MA / unattached
WDEC (5-0)
Ethan Marshall, Haverhill, MA / Haverhill Downtown Boxing
HEAVYWEIGHTS (201 lbs.)
Andrew Perez, Methuen, MA / Intenze 978
WDEC (4-1)
Jordan Faulkner, Haverhill, MA / Haverhill Downtown Boxing
SUPER HEAVYWEIGHTS (201+ lbs.)
Jean Fleurissaint, Mattapan, Ma / Boston Boxing
WDEC5
Brandys Nunez, Peabody, Ma / Dullea’s
72nd annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship Schedule
(Lowell Memorial Auditorium – 6:30 p.m. doors open, 7:30 p.m. first bout)
Central New England (Greater Lowell)
Quarterfinals – Friday, Jan. 19
Semifinals: – Thursday, Jan. 25
Championship Finals – Thursday, Feb. 1
New England Tournament of Champions
Novice Class Semifinals – Thursday, Feb. 8
Novice Class Championship Finals – Thursday, Feb. 15
Open Class Semifinals – Wednesday, Feb. 21
Open Class Championship Finals – Thursday, Feb. 22
INFORMATION:
Tournament Executive Director: Bobby Russo
Director of Contestants: Art Ramalho
Chief of Officials: Lauri Purcell
Ring Announcer: John Vena
Venue: Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 Merrimack St., Lowell, MA
Twitter: @LowellGloves

UNIFIED WOMEN’S SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION CLARESSA SHIELDS DOMINATES TORI NELSON IN THE MAIN EVENT OF SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION FRIDAY ON SHOWTIME® FROM TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO

 Shohjahon Ergashev Shines While Jesse Hernandez Edges Ernesto Garza In Co-Featured Bouts

 

Catch The Replay Monday At 10 p.m. ET/PT On SHOWTIME EXTREME

 

Click HERE To Download Photos; Credit Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME

 

VERONA, N.Y. (Jan. 13, 2018) – Unified Women’s Super Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shields dominated previously undefeated Tori Nelson en route to a 10-round unanimous decision in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation Friday on SHOWTIME from Turning Stone Resort Casino.

 

 

 

Shields controlled from opening to closing bell, sweeping 100-90 on all three judges’ scorecards in the first 10-round distance fight of her career.  The 2012 and 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist out-landed Nelson 225-81 with her total punches, 186-70 in powers shots, and connected at a 44 percent clip with her power shots compared to just 20 percent for Nelson.

 

 

 

“I landed every shot that I thought possible to land,” Shields said. “She was tough, she wasn’t a pushover.  She put on a good fight.”

 

 

 

Shields advanced to 5-0 with two knockouts in what was likely her final fight in the super middleweight division.  The 22-year-old now has her sights set on the middleweight division where she will eventually target undefeated and Unified Women’s Middleweight World Champion Christina Hammer, who was ringside Friday in Verona.

 

 

 

“I have to drop down and see how I feel (first),” Shields said.  “I think I could make 160 easy, I’m going to be bigger and stronger than any girl.

 

 

 

“Hammer just wants to scope.  I think she’s pretty scared to be honest.  She is more worried about me than I am about her.  I’m going to kick Hammer’s ass.  People think Hammer is more skilled than me so I can’t wait to show her that she’s not.”

 

 

 

Hammer, who is expected to fight in a co-featured bout on the next Shields card, was interviewed by SHOWTIME analyst Steve Farhood and expressed excitement to make her U.S. debut and eventually face the American champion.

 

 

 

“It’s a great combination me and her on the same card,” Hammer said.  “I can’t wait to show the fans who Christina Hammer is.  That will be the best fight ever.  It will be the game-changer for female boxing.  It’s our time to shine.

 

 

 

“I’m long-time world champion and I have more experience.  I have longer reach, I’m tall, I have good footwork and better technique than her.  I feel the energy, and I can’t wait to fight against her.”

 

 

 

The former world champion Nelson (17-1-3, 2 KOs) became the 173rd undefeated fighter to suffer their first professional loss on ShoBox: The New Generation.

 

 

 

“I’m not happy because I didn’t win, but other than that I thought I executed pretty well,” said the 41-year-old Nelson.  “I gave her a better fight than she was expecting.

 

 

 

“No disrespect to Claressa, she doesn’t have great power. She has great speed and she overwhelms you with a lot of punches.  My movement threw her off like I knew it would but knowing she was the champion, I needed to just push a little bit more.”

 

 

 

In the ShoBox co-feature, Jesse Hernandez narrowly defeated Ernesto Garza via split-decision in an action-packed fight that was scored 95-94 Hernandez, 95-93 Garza, 97-93 Hernandez.

 

 

 

After a close first round, Garza floored Hernandez with a flush left hand to the nose in the closing moments of the second round.  Hernandez recovered, and while the middle rounds featured tremendous back-and-forth action, Hernandez seemingly had no trouble walking down Garza, who’s punches seemed to lack any real power.  Garza (9-3, 5 KOs) found a second wind and seemed to pick up the eighth and ninth rounds until Hernandez roared back in an excellent 10th and final round that featured 178 total punches.

 

 

 

Hernandez (11-1, 7 KOs) landed 50 percent of his power punches and connected on 40 percent of his punches compared to just 28 percent for Garza, however he threw just 719 total punches compared to more than 1,000 by Garza.

 

“I think it should have been a unanimous decision,” Hernandez said.  “I’ve always been a slow starter and I feel like I lost the first two rounds, especially with the knockdown.  But I won pretty much every round after that, I maybe lost three rounds.

 

 

 

“I’m not completely happy with my performance. I have to control my distance and my range a little bit better.  I need to go back to the gym and work on those things. Before the summer comes I hope to have another fight and I hope it’s on SHOWTIME.

 

 

 

“I give Garza a lot of credit for getting in the ring and knocking me down.  He hung in there for 10 rounds even after I caught him with some good shots.  He was able to withstand those shots, but all that said, I still think it should have been a unanimous decision.”

 

 

 

Garza countered that sentiment.

 

 

 

“I thought it was a bogus decision,” Garza said.  “I don’t understand that last judge’s card.  I was happy with everything that I did.  I executed well and did everything I needed to do to win the fight.

 

 

 

“I’m really disappointed with the outcome.  I felt that I won.  To me, I won a majority of the rounds and I knocked him down.   I know knocking your opponent down usually leads to you winning the fight.”

 

 

 

Undefeated Uzbekistan power-puncher Shohjahon Ergashev handed Sonny Fredrickson the first loss of his career with an impressive third round TKO in the opening bout of the ShoBox telecast.

 

 

 

The win over the top-10 ranked Fredrickson extended Ergashev’s perfect record to 12-0 with 12 knockouts.

 

 

 

The 26-year-old pressed the action from the beginning, negating Fredrickson’s five-inch reach advantage with a steady diet of well-timed, crisp punches.  Ergashev landed a wide left to the head that stumbled Fredrickson in the opening minute of the third and continued to tee-off as his opponent wobbled against the ropes  With Fredrickson (18-1, 12 KOs) unable to defend himself and eating a series of brutal lefts, referee Benjy Esteves stepped in to stop the bout at 1:58 of the third.

 

 

 

All of Ergashev’s 61 connects in the bout were power shots, and he connected on 77 percent of his power punches in the third and final round.

 

 

 

“The ref saved him,” Ergashev said.  “If he let him stay on his feet any longer I would have knocked him out.  He couldn’t handle my power.

 

 

 

“At this stage of my career, I am in the best shape of my life and the best I have felt.  This is my time right now, especially because I am training with Rick (Phillips) and (Javan) Sugar (Hill Steward). That’s what leads to all of my knockout power.

 

 

 

“I’m ready for whatever comes next. I’m ready for more fights in the U.S., and I want to keep getting more exposure to show off my skills.  I’m ready to fight anybody in America.”

 

 

 

Fredrickson, who became the 172 fighter to suffer his professional loss on the prospect developmental series, suffered a jaw injury in the bout and was unavailable for comment.

 

 

 

Friday’s tripleheader will replay on Monday, Jan. 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME on DEMAND® and SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.

 

 

 

Barry Tompkins called the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer was Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

 

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