Category Archives: boxing

FAN FAVORITES ROBERTO GARCIA & ARTUR SZPILKA SHINE AT UIC PAVILION IN CHICAGO ON FRIDAY, APRIL 24

PLUS, UNDEFEATED PROSPECTS & LOCAL FAVORITES ROUND OUT A FULL NIGHT OF UNDERCARD ACTION AS

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON SPIKE TAKES OVER CHICAGO

 

CHICAGO (April 20, 2015) – A slew of local favorites and exciting fighters come to UIC Pavilion in Chicago on Friday, April 24 as part of a stacked undercard topped by hard-punching Roberto “La Amenaza” Garcia (36-3, 23 KOs) battling James Stevenson(22-1, 15 KOs) in the first televised bout and heavyweight bruiser Artur Szpilka (17-1, 12 KOs) taking on Ty Cobb (18-6, 10 KOs).

 

These exciting undercard bouts will precede the Premier Boxing Champions on Spike doubleheader featuring Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (27-0-1, 22 KOs) battling Badou Jack “The Ripper” (18-1, 12 KOs) and Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs (28-1, 25 KOs) taking on Caleb “Golden” Truax (25-1-2, 15 KOs) The televised action on Spike TV begins at 9 ET/8 CT.

 

Keith Tapia (13-0) will be showcased in an eight-round cruiserweight bout,  Ramiro Carrillo (7-0, 4 KOs) takes on Ramon Guevara (10-23-2, 6 KOs) in four-rounds of welterweight action, Maciej Suiecki (19-0, 4 KOs)faces Daryl Cunningham (30-7, 11 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight fight and Semajay Thomas (5-0, 3 KOs) goes up against Jose Santiago (3-5, 3 KOs).

 

Remaining undercard fights will pit Alex Martin (7-0, 5 KOs) against Jonathan Garcia(4-12) in an eight-round welterweight bout, Ricky Edwards (5-0, 2 KOs) fighting Javier Garcia (6-8-1, 2 KOs) in six-rounds of junior welterweight action, Joe F. Quezada (5-0, 4 KOs) battling Edgardo Torres (2-3, 2 KOs) in a six-round lightweight attraction andEddie Ramirez (7-0, 5 KOs) facing Mario Hermosillo (12-19-4, 2 KOs) in a six-round junior welterweight bout.

 

Tickets for the live event, which is co-promoted by Warriors Boxing and Mayweather Promotions, are priced at $151, $101, $51, and $31, not including applicable service charges, and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or UIC Pavilion Box Office at (312) 413-5740. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the UIC Pavilion Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).

 

A veteran of the sport for nearly 15 years, Garcia is looking for his ninth consecutive victory when he fights at UIC Pavilion for the third time on April 24. Born in Mexico, but having moved to Weslaco, Texas at a young age, Garcia was able to pile up enough wins to eventually earn himself a shot at former world champion Antonio Margarito. While he lost that decision, Garcia has rebounded nicely on his curreny hot streak, which includes wins over Breidis Prescott and Victor Manuel Cayo. Garcia will take on the 32-year-oldStevenson out of Baltimore.

 

With only one loss to the undefeated Bryant Jennings on his record, the 26-year-oldSzpilka will look to build on his most recent victory, a unanimous decision in Nov. 2014 over heavyweight star Tomas Adamek. Born in Wieliczka, Poland, he has made a name for himself in Chicago having fought there twice before and picking up knockout victories each time. He will be challenged by the 39-year-old Cobb, out of Wichita Falls, Texas.

 

An undefeated cruiserweight prospect, the 24-year-old Tapia turned pro in 2011 and has not lost since. Fighting out of Santurce, Puerto Rico, he will face the 32-year-old Williamswho fights out of Jackson, Michigan.

 

Having fought four times before at UIC Pavilion, the 24-year-old Carrillo will hope to have the home crowd behind him when he goes for his eighth professional win on April 24. His opponent is the 31-year-old Guevara who was born in the Dominican Republic but fights out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

 

Eager to make his U.S. debut on April 24, the 25-year-old Sulecki has never lost since turning pro in 2010. Fighting out of Warsaw, Poland he faces Daryl Cunningham out of Detroit.

 

A young undefeated prospect and just 22-years-old, Ramirez makes his fourth straight start at UIC Pavilion on April 24. He was a Chicago Golden Gloves champion and a National Golden Gloves runner-up. Born in Aurora, Illinois, Ramirez will face the 28-year-old Hermosillo out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

 

Another young, undefeated prospect, Edwards fights for the first time outside of his home state of New Jersey for the first time on April 24. The 24-year-old from Paterson will take on the 32-year-old Garcia out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

Another staple of UIC Pavilion, all five of Quezada‘s pro victories have come at UIC Pavilion. A 25-year-old out of Alsip, Illinois, he will look to remain undefeated when he takes on the 28-year-old Torres from Vineland, New Jersey.

 

Making his fourth consecutive start at UIC Pavilion in his hometown of Chicago, the highly regarded Thomas will look to start 2015 with his sixth professional win. The 22-year-old was an accomplished amateur who was the 2011 USA Boxing National Champion. His next challenge is Santiago out of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

 

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For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AnthonyDirrell, @BadouJack, @DanielJacobsTKO, @GoldenCalebT, @WarriorsBoxProm, @MayweatherPromo and @SpikeTV and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo, www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions andwww.Facebook.com/Spike.

Hogan Outworks Brunson on CBS Sports Network Night of Boxing


 

Photos by Jesse Kelley

 

Australia via Kildare, Ireland’s WBA #12- and IBF #11-rated “Hurricane” Dennis Hogan (21-0-1, 7 KOs) cruised to an entertaining and workmanlike 10-round decision over Philadelphia’s Tyrone “Young Gun” Brunson (22-5-1, 21 KOs) tonight, in the main event of “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” at the Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minnesota.

 

Fighting in front of an appreciative sold-out crowd, Hogan outworked the careful Brunson in the majority of rounds to win by scores of 96-94, 98-92 and 97-93 and in the process, picked up the World Boxing Association’s NABA-US Super Welterweight Championship.

 

Hogan closed the show well and seemed to hurt Brunson with a series of clubbing shots. But Brunson was able to survive the onslaught. 

Brunson, who seems to have morphed into a counter puncher since his days as the King of the KO 1 earlier in his career, had a good round eight and seemed to hurt Hogan with a right. He kept it interesting throughout by catching Hogan coming in with right hands.

 

Presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with Adam Wilcock’s Fight Card Promotions and produced by David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” was the debut CBS-televised effort from the promotional team.

 

Several thudding knockouts punctuated the rest of the night’s action.

 

In the night’s co-main event, lightweight slugger Ismael Barroso made quick work of Memphis, Tennessee veteran Ira Terry, knocking him out inside of a round. 

The southpaw Barroso, of El Tigre, Venezuela, moved his record to 18-0-2, 17 KOs by flattening Terry (now 26-14, 16 KOs) with a devastating left hand. Barroso’s reputation seems to grow with every frightening performance. Terry tried moving to his left and being elusive, but it only took one shot from Barroso’s cement fists. Referee Mark Nelson began a count when Terry went down, but quickly waved it off at 2:49.

 

In the televised opener, Saint Paul, Minnesota, middleweight prospect Rob “Bravo” Brant (15-0, 9 KOs)made surprisingly easy work of Miami via Colombia’s Dionisio Miranda (22-11-2, 19 KOs), dropping him for the full count at 2:40 of round two. 

Brant showed superior quickness while landing his rangy shots form outside. A right hand started the trouble for the normally durable Miranda. The follow-up volley forced Miranda down and he elected, probably wisely, not to rise. The crowd-favorite Brant remains undefeated and now has a KO win over a quality mid-level opponent on his resume.

 

In what turned out to be a televised swing bout, American heavyweight prospect Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, of Brooklyn, New York, moved his impressive record to 12-0-1, 10 KOs by knocking out Nairobi, Kenya’s Raymond “King Kong” Ochieng (26-19-3, 21 KOs) at 1:40of the very first round. 

Miller placed his heavy, accurate shots inside the wild swings of the game Ochieng and caught him with a strong combination against the ropes. Ochieng went down and referee Gary Miezwa waved it off without counting, probably prematurely.

 

Nevertheless, the charismatic Miller looked like a solid prospect taking out a useful veteran in Ochieng, who had gone 10 rounds with Alexander Petkovic in his last fight and handed 36-1 David Rodriguez a TKO 1 loss last July.

 

San Antonio, Texas, super bantamweight Adam “Mantequilla” Lopez (11-0, 6 KOs) furthered his reputation as an up-and-coming prospect by levelling Saint Paul, Minnesota’s Philip Adyaka (4-5, 2 KOs) with a monstrous left hook at 58 seconds of round two. 24-year-old Lopez was too big and too powerful for the smaller Adyaka. Lopez impressed, showing off his world-class weaponry while banging to the head and body, especially with the left hook. Adyaka bravely tried to rise, but stumbled back into the ropes and the fight was waved off.

In a six-round heavyweight match-up, fan favorite Joey “Minnesota Ice” Abell (30-8, 29 KOs) of nearby Coon Rapids, Minnesota, started his comeback by stopping journeyman Travis “Iron Man” Fulton (22-39-1, 21 KOs) of Cedar Falls, Iowa in three rounds. Out of the ring for more than a year, the southpaw Abell finally shook off the rust and got through with a volley of punches against the ropes, which badly stunned Fulton. The came at 34 seconds with Fulton dazed but still standing. I’m starting over. I want to get a couple wins and hopefully get a big fight here,” said Abell, post-fight. Unfortunately, Abell slipped awkwardly in the first round and reportedly suffered a serious ankle injury.

 

In a four-round, all-Minneapolis super heavyweight showdown to open the night, 316-lb Van “The Man” Goodman, now 4-5-2, 4 KOs, picked up a good win over299-lb Brett Murphy, now 1-1, 1 KO via TKO 2. Murphy was down in round one and twice more in round two. A tidy left uppercut was the finishing shot. The time of the stoppage was 1:38.


MATTHYSSE DEFEATS PROVODNIKOV BY MAJORITY DECISION IN A THRILLER BATTLE AT TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO IN VERONA NEW YORK

 LIVE ON HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®
SOLD-OUT SHOW ALREADY BEING DUBBED CANDIDATE FOR
‘FIGHT OF THE YEAR’
Click Here for Photos
Photo Credit: Emily Harney-HoganPhotos/GoldenBoyPromotionsBannerPromotions
VERONA, NEW YORK (April 18) -Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York was treated to a historic sold out match-up between two of the most exciting gladiators in boxing as Lucas “La Maqina”” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KO’s) took a majority decision victory over “The Siberian Rocky” Ruslan Provodnikov (24-4, 17 KO’s) in a 12-round junior welterweight bout on the split-site doubleheader on HBO Boxing After Dark ®.

Presented by Banner Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, & Arano Box Promotions the action packed night showcased two athletes fighting in the prime of their careers, with a title shot in the 140-pound division likely hanging in the horizon.

Provodnikov was cut badly in round two from an accidental headbutt. Matthysse targeted the eye but Provodnikov walked through every shot. Provodnikov came back later in the round with some solid combinations and landed some furious shots to Matthysse’s head. Matthysse had a nice bounce back round five as he landed some hard jabs to the face of an oncoming Provodnikov.

The war continued through the middle rounds as both fighters went toe to toe while Matthysse landed combinations from distance and Provodnikov went on the offensive and continued to brawl. Provodikov had a strong round eleven as he landed a hard left to the top of the head that buckled Matthysse and the Argentinian was forced to hold on. The two waged a final flurry in round twelve and it was Matthysse the former WBC champion won via majority decision with scores of 115-113 twice and 114-114.

“I think I dominated the fight, I knew I had the best hits,” said Lucas Matthysse. “Ruslan is a tough fighter, he took everything I threw at him. I have a lot of respect for him. There was a point when I thought that they would stop the fight because of Ruslan’s cut, but his team was able to control it. I hurt my hand in the sixth round, but I kept going because I wanted to prove that I am the best in the division and that I am ready for the toughest fighters. I want to move forward and fight the winner of Mayweather-Pacquiao.”

“He is the hardest puncher I have ever fought but I fight as hard as I can to the very end,” said Provodnikov. “I never want the fight stopped. The only time would be when I am on my back.”

Going on before the live split-site HBO Boxing After Dark doubleheader, Patrick Teixeira(25-0, 21 KOs) of Santa Catarina, Brazil faced off against Accra, Georgia’s Patrick Allotey (30-2, 24 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout. Both fighters came at each other aggressively in the first round in an exciting exchange of hard punches. Teixeria put an end to the fight in the second round as he delivered a devastating blow to Allotey’s body knocking him down to win the fight via knockout.

“I am very happy and feel emotional about my first fight with Golden Boy Promotions,” said Patrick Teixeira. “I wanted to make sure I impressed them in my first fight, so I trained very hard to make sure I went the full 10 round. But I am very excited I got the knockout.”

Vitaly Kopylenko (25-1, 14 KO’s) won an eight round unanimous decision over Lekan Byfield (6-8-2, 1 KO) in a middleweight bout. Kopylenko knocked down Byfield twice on punches that staggered the Atlanta native into the ropes. Kopylenko cruise down the stretch of the fight to win via unanimous decision with a score of 79-72.

“I hurt my shoulder in the first round but I was able to gut it out and land some good shots,” said Kopylenko.

Washington, D.C standout, Lamont Roach Jr. (7-0, 3KOs) faced Carolina, Puerto Rico’s Jose Miguel Castro (4-3, 2 KOs) in a scheduled six-round lightweight bout. Roach dominated the fight early on, winning the bout by unanimous decision.

“It was my first six-rounder,” said Lamont Roach Jr. “I think that I could have knocked him down or made him quit if I would have hit him harder in the beginning but I trained for six round and wanted to make sure I could go the distance. I did want the knockout towards the end, but I didn’t get it.”

Vitor Jones De Oliveira (9-0, 5 KO’s) won a six round unanimous decision over Guillermo Sanchez (15-14-1, 6 KOs) in a lightweight bout. De Oiveira boxed well from the outside and countered the southpaw Sanchez nice and came home with the victory by scores of 59-55 and 58-56 twice.

“It was a good fight. It took me a few rounds to get going but I am very happy with my performance and looking forward to my next fight,” said De Oliveira.

Eddie “E-Boy” Gomez (18-1, 11 KOs) of The Bronx, New York started the night with a technical knockout victory over Jonathan Batista (14-6, 7 KOs) of San Pedro de Marcos, Dominican Republic, when Batista could not answer the bell to start round six in their scheduled 10-round super welterweight bout.

“I feel good, I’m satisfied with the win, but I wanted to show more,” said Eddie Gomez. “I was just getting warmed up, showing my boxing and foot work skills to prove I was ready for the 12-round championship fights.”

Sidney McCow scored a first round technical knockout over Paulo Souza in a scheduled four round welterweight. McCow (3-2, 2 KO’s) of New York, NY pummeled Souza until the bout was stopped at 2:55 of round one. Souza of Somerville, Massachusetts is now 0-8.

Matthysse vs. Provodnikov was a 12-round junior welterweight bout presented by Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico, Live it To Believe It! and Khortytsa Vodka. The live HBO Boxing After Dark split-site doubleheader telecast began at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.banner-promotions.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.turningstone.com follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BannerBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @RuslanProvod,@ TurningStone and become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy FacebookPage,www.facebook.com/BannerPromotions, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxingorwww.facebook.com/TurningStoneResort and visit us on Instagram@GoldenBoyBoxing, @ bannerboxing, @ turningstone and @ruslanprovod.

Will Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Live up to the Hype?

By: Rich Bergeron

Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. (47-0, 26 KOs) and Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) are set to clash on May 2nd, 2015 in one of the most hyped fights in boxing history. This fight is so huge they are even planning to sell tickets to the weigh-in due to crowd control issues. The proceeds will not be going to the promoters or the boxers, though. It all goes to charity. Still, this is a first for the state of Nevada, which traditionally requires that all weigh-ins be free of charge for fans to attend.

The level of anticipation surrounding this fight had a long time to build up. For the better part of the last decade, these two pound-for-pound juggernauts could not make this fight happen for one ridiculous reason after another. As someone who personally attended some of Mayweather’s public workouts in Vegas, I can attest to the fact that the undefeated welterweight champion repeatedly and relentlessly cited Pacquiao’s refusal to undergo Olympic style blood testing when asked about the attempts being made to get this fight signed over five years ago.

Mayweather even came up with a little rap lyric to express the issue in simple terms:

“If you wanna fight the best, you gotta take the test,” he belted out during a sit-up session at one of those open workouts.

Pacquiao changed his tune on the testing and overcame the biggest hurdle of all when he met personally with Mayweather and agreed that he would be the “B” side and should therefore get a smaller split of the purse. As the video above outlines, Mayweather was then able to dominate the negotiation process.

Although pundits still say this fight will be the biggest in the history of the sport, the question must be asked if this pairing is happening too late in the careers of both fighters for it to be as exciting as some experts predict it will be.

It was always clear to me this fight would happen, but it became obvious that the longer it took to sign the contracts, the better Floyd’s chances of winning would be. Still, Floyd did admit in 2012 that the real reason he didn’t want to fight Pacquiao was due to health concerns. He denied being scared, calling himself “smart” for thinking about his family and his health first. Still, he insisted that the main reason his health would be at risk in that fight was if Pacquiao was really doing steroids, as Mayweather alleged and ended up being sued over. The two settled out of court and the fight is now imminent, so some fans think it’s all water under the bridge. Others are just plain aggravated that we had to wait this long for this bout to come to fruition.

Boxing Legend Marvin Hagler even commented recently that Mayweather waited until Pacquiao aged a little more before signing to fight him. Hagler compared Mayweather’s tactics to Sugar Ray Leonard waiting until Hagler became a little “soft” himself before they signed their fight contract. That bout turned out to be hugely controversial and left Hagler extremely bitter about the sport that made him famous.

So, the May-Pac fight will happen, and Mayweather is the obvious favorite.  To learn more about the gambling side of this story, check out Boxing betting at William Hill site. The biggest payoff for any lucky bettor will be a successful bet on Pacquiao, but it’s easy to wonder if Pacquiao really is too old to win this time out. After all, there are tons of concerns with Manny’s calf muscles seizing up, and he reportedly uses a healing cream that costs thousands of dollars per bottle to address the problem.

Mayweather (38) is actually the older fighter, but the 36-year-old Manny’s fought 17 more bouts in the pro ranks and will likely be the most active puncher “Money” ever faced. Mayweather’s normally spectacular and overwhelming defensive prowess just might be tested.

This fight may not be worth every penny you spend on tickets or the Pay-Per-View feed, but the fact that it is finally happening is still special. It will still be a fight boxing fans everywhere around the world can enjoy and appreciate. It’s ultimately up to the fighters to prove they are both up to the task of making sure this fight lives up to expectations. Chances are, Floyd will do his best to leave the MGM Grand with an uneventful decision win. Let’s just hope Pacquiao has enough left in the tank to make sure this is the most competitive fight Mayweather’s ever been in. It may not be the most opportune time for this fight to happen, but it’s a lot better to get it late than never.

RESULTS FROM MOHEGAN SUN

        

Undefeated junior middleweight  
Tony Harrison rolls to 21st win

 

Aquino shocks Kielczweski,

Farmer wins 11th straight fight

Tony Harrison (L) was too much for Pablo Munguia

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (April 17, 2015) – Undefeated junior middleweight Tony Harrison rolled to his 21st straight victory in tonight’s ESPN Friday Night Fights main event, presented by DiBella Entertainment in association with New Legend Boxing, at Mohegan Sun Arena.

 

Harrison (21-0, 18 KOs), fighting out of Detroit, dropped Pablo Munguia (20-7, 11 KOs) at the end of the second round with a powerful punch. Munguia was examined between rounds by the ring doctor. Referee Arthur Mercante needed only 11 seconds into the next round to determine that the Mexican was unable to be competitive, awarding Harrison a victory by technical knockout.

 

“I’m looking for whoever Al Haymon puts me in with,” 24-year-old Harrison remarked. “I’m from Detroit. I’ve never said ‘no’ to an opponent I was offered, which says a lot about me. We have a lot of heart in Detroit. I’m ready for a big fight. I got him with a step-back overhand right. I wish they had let it go a little longer. I wanted to finish him, but the bell went off.”

 

Danny Aquino (L) and Ryan Kielczweski put on a real show

 

Connecticut fan favorite, Mexican-born Danny Aquino (17-2, 10 KOs), upset previously undefeated Massachusetts featherweight Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (22-1, 6 KOs) by way of an eight-round split decision in an entertaining co-feature event for New England bragging rights. The aggressive-fighting Aquino kept coming forward throughout the fight, as Kielczweski effectively counter-punched. Neither fighter was remotely hurt in the action-packed clash of gifted boxers.

 

Aquino defeated Kielczweski the one time they fought in the amateurs. “Because of his record,” Aquino commented, “this was the biggest win of my career. It was extra special winning my first ESPN fight, too. I think my aggressiveness was the difference. He was moving around and I had to keep putting pressure on him to make it my fight, not his fight. I hope this fight will give me opportunities and I’ll take the best.”

 

“It was definitely a tough fight,” Kielczweski noted. “Making weight definitely took a lot out of me. I think I boxed well, landed the harder shots and blocked most of his. I guess the judges likes his aggression, but I thought I won the fight.”

 

Tevin Farmer (R) won his 11th fight in a row

In the opening televised bout, Philadelphia junior lightweight Tevin “American Idol” Farmer (19-4-1, 4 KOs) won his 11th straight fight, winning a unanimous eight-round decision over previously unbeaten Angel “El Gato” Luna (10-1-1, 6 KOs), of Brooklyn, in a very competitive fight.

 

“I feel great,” Farmer said after the fight. “That’s exactly what I wanted to show. I wanted to show a lot of different dimensions. TV wants guys who can punch and box, the total package, and I showed that tonight. I feel that I’m ready for a top 10 contender and showed tonight that I belong among the best.”

 

Ghanaian southpaw Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen (19-0-1, 12 KOs), fighting out of New York City, overcame a flash knockdown at the end of round six to knock out a gamePaul Gonsalves (7-7-1, 3 KOs) in the following round. Allen connected with a straight left hand punch that landed flush on the Cape Cod light heavyweight’s chin.

 

Unbeaten middleweight Alantez “SlyAza” Fox (15-0-1, 5 KOs), fighting out of Maryland, outclassed Dominican invader Franklin Gonzalez (16-14, 10 KOs) on his way to a second-round technical knockout, trapping his opponent against the ropes and unloaded a barrage of unanswered punches until referee Harvey Dock halted the action.

 

Exciting Houston welterweight Regis “Rougarou” Prograis ran his record to 14-0 (12 KOs), stopping Abraham “Swift” Alvarez (19-8-1, 9 KOs) at the 1:28 mark of the opening round. The promising southpaw prospect put his Mexican opponent down with a viscous, straight left to the body.

 

Former U. of New Haven basketball star Cassius Chaney (1-0, 1 KO) had a successful professional debut, pounding Perry Filkins (0-2) until referee Danny Sciavone stopped the fight 41 seconds into the second round.

 

Unbeaten Florida lightweight Amos “2 Smooth” Cowart used a body attack to stop previously unbeaten Anthony Burgin (8-1, 1 KO), of Philadelphia, in the fifth round.

 

Pictures by Ed Diller / DiBella Entertainment

 

 

COMPLETE RESULTS

(winner listed first each fight)

 

HEAVYWEIGHTS

Cassius Chaney (1-0, 1 KO), Philadelphia, PA                               

WTKO2 (0:31)

Perry Filkins (0-2), Hooksett, NH

 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Lennox Allen (19-0-1, 11 KOs), New York, NY

WTKO7 (1:45)

Paul Gonsalves (7-7-1, 3 KOs). Harwich, MA

 

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Alantez Fox (15-0-1, 5 KOs) Forestville, MD

WTKO2 (2:39)

Franklin Gonzalez (16-14, 10 KOs), Santo Domingo, D.R.

 

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Tony Harrison (21-0, 18 KOs), Detroit, MI                               

WTKO3 (0:11)

Pablo Munguia (20-7, 11 KOs), Distrito Federal, Mexico

 

WELTERWEIGHTS

Regis Prograis (14-0, 12 KOs), Houston, TX

WYKO1 (1:28)

Abraham Alvarez (19-8-1, 9 KOs), Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico

 

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Amos Cowart (11-0-1, 9 KOs), Groveland, FL

WKO5 (1:28)

Anthony Burgin (8-1, 1 KO), Philadelphia, PA

 

JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS

Tevin Farmer (19-4-1, 4 KOs), Philadelphia, PA                               

WDEC8 (87-82, 87-82, 79-73)

Angel Luna (10-1-1, 6 KOs), Brooklyn, NY

 

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Danny Aquino (17-2, 10 KOs), Meriden, CT

WDEC8 (78-74, 78-74, 74-78)

Ryan Kielczweski (22-1, 6 KOs), Quincy, MA

Weights from Valley Forge, PA

Valley Forge, PA (April 17, 2015)

Phillip Jackson Benson 172 – Darnell Boone 171
Jamal James 145.8 – Daniel Sostre 144.5
Milton Santiago 140.4 – Ray Velez 139
Immanuel Aleem 160 – Emanuel Sanchez ???
Dennis Galarza 129.7 – Jesus Lule 131.8
David Grayton 146.6 – Grayson Blake 145.5
Jarrett Hurd 155.5 – Eric Mitchell 156.8
Kevin Garcia 136 – Eric Hall 137
Ivan Golub 158 – Thomas Allen 160

Promoter:  King’s Promotions
Venue:  Valley Forge Casino Resort
1st Bell: 6:15

Photo Credit:  King’s Promotions
Tickets for this great night of boxing are $100 for VIP (Includes 2 drinks and food), $75 for ringside and $50 for General Admission and be purchased by clickingwww.vfboxing.eventbrite.com or calling King’s Promotions at 610-587-5950

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR. vs. ANDRZEJ FONFARA AMIR IMAM vs. WALTER CASTILLO OFFICIAL WEIGHTS & PHOTOS 

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®  Live On SHOWTIME® Saturday, April 18, (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) 

From StubHub Center In Carson, Calif. 

SHOWTIME BOXING ON SHO EXTREME Airs Live at 8 p.m. ET/PT

Click HERE To Download Photos From Friday’s Weigh-In
Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR.: 171 ½ Pounds
ANDRZEJ FONFARA: 171 ½ Pounds

AMIR IMAM: 140 Pounds
WALTER CASTILLO: 138 Pounds

SHOWTIME BOXING ON SHO EXTREME:
OSCAR ESCANDON: 121 ¾ Pounds
MOISES FLORES: 121 ¼ Pounds

OMAR CHAVEZ: 159 Pounds
RICHARD GUTIERREZ: 158 ½ Pounds

(SHOWTIME EXTREME Swing Bout)
FABIAN MAIDANA: 146 ¼ Pounds
CORY VOM BAUR: 145 ½ pounds

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“Chavez Jr. vs. Fonfara”, a 12-round light heavyweight bout co-promoted by Goossen Promotions and Chavez Promotions that takes place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). In the co-main event, Amir Imam faces Walter Castillo in a 10-round jr. welterweight showdown. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets for the event are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, are available for purchase online at AXS.com.

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jcchavezjr1, @andrzej_fonfara, @StubHubCenter and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #ChavezFonfara, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog athttp://theboxingblog.sho.com.

Matthysse v. Provodnikov Fight Card WEIGHTS FROM VERONA, NEW YORK

  

Ruslan Provodnikov 139.5 – Lucas Matthysse 139

Vitaly Kopylenko 160 – Lekan Byfield 158
Vitor Jones De Oliveira 135 – Guillermo Sanchez 133
Patrick Teixeira 160 – Patrick Allotey 157
Paulo Souza 150.5 – Sidney McCow 146
Lamont Roach Jr. 132.5  – Jose Miguel Castro 133
Eddie Gomez 149 – Jonathan Batista 149.5

Venue:  Turning Stone Resort Casino
Promoters:  Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Arano Box Promotions
Television:  HBO Boxing After Dark at 9:45 PM ET/PT
1st Bout:  6:50

Photos by Banner Promotions
In what is sure to be an all-action fight to remember and a treat all fight fans are excited for, Argentina’s Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (36-3, 34 KOs) will fight Ruslan Provodnikov “The Siberian Rocky” (24-3, 17 KOs), in what will be the ultimate test for both fighters. Due to unprecedented demand, tickets are now sold-out but fans can catch all the action live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Due to the unprecedented demand to see this surefire “Fight of the Year,” tickets are completely sold out.

Doors on Saturday, April 18 open at 6:00 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 6:50 p.m. and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.
Matthysse vs. Provodnikov is a 12-round junior welterweight bout presented by Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico, Live it To Believe It! and Khortytsa Vodka. Doors are currently scheduled to open at 6:00 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 6:50 p.m. ET and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast will being at9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

ISHE SMITH TO HEADLINE “SIN CITY SHOWDOWN” WHEN HE BATTLES CECIL MCCALLA AT THE PEARL AT PALMS CASINO RESORT ON APRIL 30 LIVE ON A SPECIAL THURSDAY NIGHT EDITION OF ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS

 Tickets Are On Sale Now!

 

LAS VEGAS (April 17, 2015) – Just two days before the historic showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather Promotions will give boxing fans a special treat on Cinco De Mayo weekend when they present the “Sin City Showdown” on Thursday, April 30 headlined by former world champion Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith (26-7, 12 KOs) taking on the hard-fighting Cecil McCalla (20-1, 7 KOs) live on a special Thursday edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights from the Pearl at Palms Casino Resort.

 

In the evening’s co-main event welterweight contender Ashley “The Treasure” Theophane (37-6-1, 11 KOs) will battle Mahonri Montes (29-4-1, 20 KOs). Also featured in televised action is exciting knockout artist Ronald “The Thrill” Gavril (11-1, 9 KOs) duking it out with Eddie Hunter (10-12-2, 3 KOs).

 

Live coverage will begin at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and will also be available through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via an affiliated video provider. In addition, ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates will carry the fights live.

 

Further undercard action features a slew of Mayweather Promotions rising stars including Lanell “KO” Bellows (11-1-1 7 KOs) taking on Tyrell Hendrix (11-6-2, 4 KOs), plus  Juan Heraldez (6-0, 5 KOs), Ladarius “Memphis” Miller (6-0, 1 KO) and Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman (1-0-1) competing in separate bouts against opponents to be determined.

 

Tickets for the live event are priced at $104.50, $79.50, $54.50, $29.50 and $19.50, plus applicable fees, are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling the Pearl Box Office at 702-944-3200.

 

“Headlining in my hometown of Las Vegas is always a great thrill and I will not disappoint all the people who come out to watch me fight,” said Smith. “I have aspirations of getting another world title belt and this fight is my first step towards getting another opportunity.”

 

“I’m thrilled to get back in the ring and show the world what ‘The Treasure’ is all about,” said Theophane. “This is a tremendous opportunity for me and I am going to make the most of it.”

 

“While the fight the whole world is waiting for takes place Saturday, Mayweather Promotions is extremely pleased to put on a great night of fights at Palms Casino Resort just days before,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Ishe Smith is an accomplished former world champion and Ashley Theophane is an exciting welterweight who always comes to fight.”

 

“We’re thrilled to host another great match with Mayweather Promotions,” said Billy Conn, Vice President of Entertainment and Special Events for The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort. “There’s a lot of excitement in the air for boxing fans and this is a great opportunity to see some amazing fighters leading up to the big fight.”

 

After a long career that saw him go from the world of reality television as a star on “The Contender” to competing at the top level at 154 and 160 pounds, Smith, 36, finally put it all together in 2010, beginning a four-fight winning streak that culminated in a decision win over Cornelius Bundrage for the IBF super welterweight world title in Feb. 2013, becoming the first native Las Vegan to ever win a world title.  He subsequently lost his title on September 14, 2013 by a close split decision to the always-tough Carlos Molina. A knockout victory Ryan Davis gave Smith another title shot as he challenged Erislandy Lara in Dec. 2014. Smith fought well but was beaten by Lara via unanimous decision.

 

After an extended amateur career in which he competed in nearly 100 fights,  McCalla is looking to bounce back from his first career defeat when he battles Smith. He dropped a narrow split-decision in Jan. 2015 to Chris van Heerden but had won his previous 20 bouts to start his pro career. The 30-year-old fights out of Baltimore and will make his Las Vegas boxing debut on April 30.

 

An experienced contender from London but fighting out of Las Vegas, Theophane is looking to build on his current four fight win streak when he enters the ring on April 30. The 34-year-old has been in the ring with many 140 and 147-pound contenders including Danny Garcia and Pablo Cesar Cano, losing by narrow split-decision to both. Most recently he dominated Miguel Zuniga on his way to a unanimous decision in Dec. 2014.

 

Sporting a 55-5 record as an amateur, the heavy-fisted Montes looks to make it back-to-back wins when he takes on Theophane. The 25-year-old is experienced beyond his years as he has fought frequently since turning pro in 2006. He earned a shot at former world champion Humberto Soto in 2013 but dropped the bout by unanimous decision. Most recently the fighter out of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico defeated previously undefeated Diego Cruz in Oct. 2014.

 

A threat to deliver a big knockout every time he enters the ring, Gavril hopes to bounce back from his first professional loss when he battles Hunter. The 28-year-old dropped a close decision to longtime contender Elvin Ayala on March 28 but had previously won nine of his first 11 pro fights by knockout. Born in Romania, but fighting out of Las Vegas, Gavril looks to get back on the right track on April 30.

 

The 28-year-old Hunter has lost his last three fights but has certainly faced tough competition having battled undefeated fighters in 13 of his pro fights. Fighting out of Seattle, Hunter will look to pull off an upset on April 30 in Las Vegas.

 

For more information follow on Twitter @MayweatherPromo, @PearlAtPalms and @ESPN and follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, Facebook.com/ESPN and Facebook.com/PalmsPearl.