Category Archives: boxing

boxing, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE

SHIPPIN’ UP TO BOSTON: FIGHTNIGHT LIVE TO AIR MURPHYS BOXING CARD, DROPKICK MURPHYS CONCERT ON ST. PATRICK’S SATURDAY

March 14, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

Fan-friendly, FREE Facebook platform with nearly 5.2 million views to feature live access from sold-out House of Blues in the shadows of Fenway Park.

Online: https://www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK (March 12, 2019) – For the second-straight year, **FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast** has something for everyone as the fan-friendly and completely FREE platform celebrates St. Patrick’s Day in Boston with the Dropkick Murphys and Murphys Boxing. Music fans and fight enthusiasts from across the nation and around the globe can catch the Dropkick Murphys in concert and an outstanding card with international appeal on Saturday – via any device where Facebook is available – brought to fans by the promotion born out of the Dropkick Murphys popular Celtic punk band.

The free, interactive series – which has entertained almost 5.2 million fans since its platform premiere in May of 2017 – visits the shadows of Fenway once again to continue its March schedule. The three-show March is part of a 2019 first quarter that showcases an outstanding six-card lineup featuring six different promotions and spanning four cities, which began with three February shows and two March shows already that combined for more than 860,000 views.

“This is my favorite day of the year,” said **Ken Casey,** Dropkick Murphys Frontman and President and Founder, Murphys Boxing. “We have a sold-out venue and an excellent boxing card, and Facebook will give our fans around the world a live look inside on the Dropkick Murphys, Murphys Boxing and FIGHTNIGHT LIVE channels.”

In Saturday’s the main event, NABA Champion **Mark DeLuca** (22-1, 13 KOs) takes on **Jimmy Williams** (16-1-1, 5 KOs) in an all-New England battle of super welterweights. Also seeing action will be NABA light heavyweight titleholder CharlesFoster (17-0, 8 KOs), putting his unblemished mark on the line against battle-tested Chicago native **Mike Jimenez** (22-1-2, 14 KO’s). The stacked card will also see top-tier middleweight contender and Irish favorite **Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan**(29-3, 20 KOs) take on popular New Englander Khiary Gray (16-4, 12 KOs). Meanwhile, Irish nationals clash as **Noel Murphy** (12-1-1, 2 KOs) takes on undefeated John Joyce (7-0, 4 KOs) and undefeated heavyweight **Niall Kennedy** (12-0-1, 7 KOs) is also scheduled to make an appearance, representing The Emerald Isle on its celebrated weekend.

“St. Paddy’s Day in Boston with the Dropkick Murphys is becoming one of our favorite FIGHTNIGHT LIVE traditions, but Saturday’s card may be the finest in the history of our platform in terms of title fights and quality matchups from top to bottom,” said **Mark Fratto**, Principal and Director of Business Development, Linacre Media. “Combine that lineup with a live set from Ken Casey and the Dropkick Murphys, it’s unbeatable, and since the House of Blues is sold-out, we’ll get you inside and up close with Facebook.”

Now in its second season, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast is the fan-friendly Facebook platform that – among other aspects – prides itself on the real-time conversations held between fight commentators and the viewing audience. FIGHTNIGHT LIVE has showcased more than 515 fighters and 16 promotions during 31 live event broadcasts from 18 different cities since May 2017, and in doing so, the interactive platform has generated the loyal interest of fight fans from across the United States and around the globe, including significant audiences in Mexico, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, and even fans in South America, Asia and Australia.

Since May 2017, the numbers on the 30-show FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series showed promise and potential for the new platform with an average of **167,483 views per event** and almost **5.2 million total views** for the franchise. Since Sept. 2018, **Season II shows have averaged more than 269,000 views**.

The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” (594,447) from the Sands in Bethlehem, the Dec. 2018 “Queens and Kings of Queens Card” (379,758) in New York, the Nov. 2018 “Hard Hitting Showtime Collaboration” (372,662), the Dec. 2018 “Roy Jones Jr. Texas Throwdown” (318,886), the Oct. 2018 “Hard Hitting Philly Special” (297,545), the Oct. 2018 hour-long Bareknuckle “Freeview” (292,253), the Nov. 2018 “Titans In The Capital” (256,871), the Sept. 2017 “Real Deal Promotions: Empire State” from Resorts World Casino (225,000), the Feb. 2019 “Raging Babe Philly Special” (203,000) and the August 2017 CES “Super Saturday” from Foxwoods (203,000) all logged 200,000 or more views, and collectively the 30-show series has seen a total of more than **5,191,976 views across all devices.**

In addition to the raw viewership numbers, the fully-interactive, fan-friendly productions have seen **more than 419,000 collective live post engagements** (more than 13,000 per show), including more than 324,000 “likes” or “loves,” almost 56,000 comments and more than 18,000 shares.

The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” from the Sands in Bethlehem set a new bar with **594,447 views** and the Sept. 2017 DiBella-CES doubleheader carried the series to three-quarters-of-a-million views in just over four months. The Sept. 2017 DiBella card saw **more than 40,000 viewer interactions** including almost 39,000 “likes” or “loves” and the March 17, 2018, Murphy’s “St. Patrick’s Day Clash” set a new high-water mark for shares with 2,182.

The FIGHTNIGHT LIVE page on Facebook has more than 87,000 fans and more than 94,000 followers.

Created and produced by Linacre Media out of New York City, the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series features professional announcers, multiple camera angles, television graphics, replays and behind-the-scenes access and interviews. The streamed shows are available globally wherever Facebook is available. The initiative not only enables fans from around the world to tune in, but also gives up-and-coming fighters a global platform to showcase their abilities, gives promoters an accessible “broadcast” solution and gives sponsors the ability to reach a mass audience via branded content.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Spring 2019 dates will be officially announced in the coming weeks.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE is available online at: https://www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE/

Follow all the action via social media at FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Facebook, @FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Instagram and@FIGHTNIGHTLIVE_ on Twitter, or by using the hashtag #FIGHTNIGHTLIVE. For the latest Linacre Media events and broadcast schedule, follow @LinacreMedia across all social platforms or use the tags #LinacreMediaEvents or #LinacreMediaOnTV.

About Everlast Worldwide Inc.
The preeminent brand in boxing since 1910, Everlast is the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer and licensor of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment. From legendary champions Jack Dempsey and Sugar Ray Robinson to current superstars Deontay Wilder and Dustin Poirier, Everlast is the brand of choice for generations of world champion professional athletes. Built on a brand heritage of strength, dedication, individuality and authenticity, Everlast is a necessary part of the lives of countless champions. Based in Manhattan, Everlast’s products are sold across more than 75 countries and 6 continents. For more information, visitwww.everlast.com.

boxing, USA Boxing

USA Boxing Alumni Association Profile: John “The Quietman” Ruiz

March 14, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

From the projects to owning boxing’s ultimate crown

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 12, 2019) – From the projects to owning arguably the most respected individual title in sports, **John “The Quietman” Ruiz** remains the only Latino to capture the coveted world heavyweight title.

Ruiz, 47, is a proud Puerto-Rican American boxer who grew-up in a Chelsea, Massachusetts. The two-time World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion, defeated USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Famer **Evander Holyfield** in the second of their three title fights, to secure for the first time, the world heavyweight crown.

A decorated amateur boxer, Ruiz compiled a 50-5 record, similar to his final pro record of 44-9-1 (30 KOs) between 1992-2010, including gold- medal performances at the All-New England Championships, USA Boxing National Championships and the Los Angeles Olympic Festival, which elevated him to the No. 1 light heavyweight position in the United States ratings.

Ruiz was also an outstanding all-around athlete at Chelsea High, particularly in football, in which he was an all-star. He started boxing at the age of seven, eventually developing his skills at the Somerville Boxing Club.

“Boxing was the only sport I figured I’d have a good chance of succeeding,” Ruiz (pictured here on far left) explained why he pursued boxing as opposed to football or another team sport. “The other sports you had to go to college, and I didn’t have the grades.”

Ruiz never looked back and no boxer ever got more out of their God-given skills than him. After winning his first tournament (PAL in New Jersey), he became part of the USA Team that traveled to Sweden to compete in a dual-meet.

“Outside of Puerto Rico (he lived there for 6-7 years in his early youth),” Ruiz remembered fondly. “I had never traveled outside of the United States. USA Boxing gave me an opportunity to travel there, Australia, Italy and all over the United States. Even more than how those experiences prepared me for the pro ranks, it gave me a taste of life experience, traveling to places I never would have been able to go to on my own. Amateur boxing also gave me structure and confidence in myself for when I turned pro. I also met so many different people, fighters and coaches, from all over the world.”

In addition to his aforementioned victory at the Los Angles Olympic Festival, which qualified him as a Team USA member to compete in the World Championships in Australia (finished 6^th in the world), perhaps the highlight of his amateur career was defeating **Torsten May**, the 1992 Olympic gold medal winner from Germany, at a dual meet in Florida.

“My association with John goes back to 1990,” added **Al Valenti**, USA Boxing Special Projects Consultant. “I was thrilled that a local kid was honing his skills in the boxing ring. John made an incredible impact on the National Amateur boxing scene in the early nineties; making it all the way to the Olympic Trials in Worcester (MA). Having been involved in the trials was extra special for me because John was such a great competitor and good kid. Boxing history will have a place for John Ruiz, not many survived 36 rounds with Evander. Being the first Latino World Heavyweight Champion was quite an accomplishment for “The Quietman”.

Ruiz turned pro August 20, 1992, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Kevin Parker. During his pro career, he defeated top contemporary names such as Holyfield,**James Thunder**, **Jerry Ballard**, **Fernely Felix**, **Kirk Johnson**, **Fres Oquendo**, **Andrew Golota** and **Jameel McCline**.

History was made March 3, 2013 in Las Vegas, when he became only the second fighter to drop Holyfield en route to his WBA title-winning fight by way of a 12-round unanimous decision, earning him instant notoriety as the first Latino to hold the coveted world heavyweight title belt.

John Ruiz met President George W. Bush in the White House after becoming the first Latino to become world heavyweight boxing champion (Picture courtesy of the Boston Herald)

“I’m very proud to have accomplished that,” he continued, “but my main goal was to provide for my family and I always maintained that goal. Most fighters don’t succeed, but at the end of the day, that’s what pushed me. I don’t really think about being the only Latino to win the world heavyweight title, but, when I hear people talk about it today, I think, wow, I’m still the only Latino to do that.”

Several years ago, Ruiz opened a gym (Quietman Sports Gym) in Medford, MA, not too far from where he grew up in Chelsea and trained in Somerville. It has been a registered club member by USA Boxing since 2012, but, more importantly, it’s Ruiz’ way of giving back to amateur boxing.

“I felt there was a need to help more kids and give them an opportunity to get out of the house and do something productive and fun,” Ruiz commented. “They all have a chance to work on self confidence and one could possibly become world champion. I feel obligated to help kids because I remember years ago when I was in the same position. They need guidance. If I didn’t have all the support I did growing up, I wouldn’t have turned out the way I did. I want to help kids understand how to accomplishment their goals.”

USA Boxing Alumni Association

Created to champion a lifelong, mutually beneficial relations between USA Boxing and its alumni, –boxers, officials, coaches and boxing fans — The Alumni Association connects generations of champions, inspiring and giving back to USA Boxing’s future boxing champions, in and out of the ring.

The USA Boxing Alumni Association is open to anyone who has a love for boxing and would like to stay connected with amateur boxing. Members are granted access to a wide variety of special events hosted by the Alumni Association, including its annual USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Fame reception.

To join the Alumni Association, simply register at alumni@usaboxing.org for a $40.00 per year membership fee. New members will receive a T-shirt, keychain and e-wallet.

Today, John lives in Palm City, Florida. He’s a correctional officer for the Martin County Sheriff Department. “Winning the world title twice as a pro was awesome,” Ruiz concluded, “but I definitely enjoyed the amateurs more than the pros, even though I would have loved to have represented the USA in the Olympics. USA Boxing opened up my mind to different things, taking me off the streets of Chelsea to made me feel……special.”

John Ruiz has always preached, “Follow Your Dreams!” and he’s still doing that today.

INFORMATION: www.usaboxing.orgTwitter: @USABoxing, @USABoxingAlumn iInstagram: @USABoxing Facebook: /USABoxing

boxing, Fox Sports 1, Premier Boxing Champions

Super Welterweight Contender Jamontay Clark Battles Unbeaten Vernon Brown on Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 & FOX Deportes Sunday, March 24 from MGM National Harbor In Maryland

March 14, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

**Super Lightweight Jose Miguel Borrego, Middleweight Prospect Lorenzo Simpson & Super Welterweight Brandon Quarles Step In for Separate Bouts in PBC Prelims on FS1 Beginning at**
**6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT**

**Tickets on Sale Now!**

**NATIONAL HARBOR** (March 11, 2019) – Exciting super welterweight contender **Jamontay Clark** joins the Peterson brothers on a Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes show on Sunday, March 24 from MGM National Harbor in Maryland.

Clarkwill take on Vernon Brown of Chicago in a 10-round super welterweight match that will open the broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. ET. Two-division world champion **Lamont Peterson** takes on former junior welterweight world champion **Sergey Lipinets** in a 12-round welterweight match that will headline the show. Anthony Peterson, Lamont’s brother, battles former junior lightweight world champion **Argenis Mendez** in a 10-round junior welterweight bout that serves as the co-main event.

The Peterson brothers are an inspirational duo that rose from poverty and homelessness in Washington D.C. as children to become professional boxers and reach an elite level in the sport. They will be fighting as the main and co-main event in these nationally televised bouts for the first time since 2006 and will look to put on a show for fans just outside of their hometown.

The 24-year-old Clark (13-1, 7 KOs) was on an impressive roll, having defeated Domonique Dolton and previously unbeaten Ivan Golub, before his match against Jeison Rosario last August. Fighting out of Cincinnati, he dropped a tough unanimous decision to Rosario in the first loss of his career. He will be looking to bounce back against the 29-year-old Brown (10-0-1, 7 KOs), who had a busy 2018 with three victories – two by way of knockout.

The FS1 prelims broadcast will begin at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and feature Mexican slugger **Jose** **Miguel Borrego** (14-2, 13 KOs) clashing with California’s **Jerry Thomas** (14-1-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight match. It will also seeBrandon Quarles (21-4-1, 10 KOs) battling Kansas-native **Aaron Coley** (15-2-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight bout, plus Baltimore’s **Lorenzo Simpson** (2-0, 2 KOs) taking on **Earl Henry** (0-1-1) in a four-round super welterweight attraction.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and HeadBangers Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased by visitingwww.mgmnationalharbor.com/.

# # #

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX, FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, ht
tp://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @MGMNatlHarbor, @TGBPromotions, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

boxing, Fox, Premier Boxing Champions

WBC Welterweight Champion Shawn Porter Retains Title with Split Decision Over Yordenis Ugas in Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes Main Event Saturday Night from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California

March 10, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

**Abel Ramos Tops Francisco Santana By Unanimous Decision In Action-Packed Welterweight Fight**
**& Rising Heavyweight Efe Ajagba Scores Career-Best Victory Stopping Amir Mansour After Two Rounds**

***Former Bantamweight Champion Juan Carlos Payano & Rising Welterweight Prospect Eimantas Stanionis Pick Up Victories in PBC Prelims on FS1***

**Click HERE for Photos from Frank Micelotta/ FOX Sports**
***(Password: FoxSports)***

**Click HERE for Photos from Nabeel Ahmad/Premier Boxing Champions**
***(Photos to be added shortly)***

**Click HERE for Photos from Sean Michael Ham/Premier Boxing Champions**
***(Photos to be added shortly)***

**CARSON, CALIF.** (March 9, 2019) – WBC Welterweight World Champion **Shawn Porter** retained his title with a close split-decision victory over **Yordenis Ugas**Saturday night in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

“The crowd was expecting a big brawl, but that’s not the way this fight needed to go tonight,” said Porter. “The style that we used left the fight close. As the clock ticks, you have to do what’s working. Tonight the foot movement was working and it made Ugas have to reset.”

“I showed tonight that I belong with the elite fighters at welterweight,” said Ugas. “All I can say is that I’m ready to fight any of the top names in the division. I’ll be back.”

The early rounds were defined by Porter using his jab to try to cut down the distance, while Ugas worked power shots and jabs to the body. Porter had some success on the inside landing on Ugas’ chin during flurries, but was unable to hurt the Cuban.

In round five, both men stood in the center of the ring for an extended period of time throwing power punches that had the crowd on their feet. Ugas began to work cleaner on his counterpunching as the fight went on, and Porter focused on movement while trying to snap his jab.

“I was on my toes all night,” said Porter. “I was very focused the entire fight and just listening to my corner. We wanted to out box him and eventually turn it on and press him. But my dad did not think that was the smartest way to win the fight. We fought this way for 12 rounds and no one has ever seen that from me before.”

Porter’s activity clashed with the sharp countering and body punching from Ugas. According to CompuBox, Porter was more active on a per round basis, throwing 42.9 punches per round to 37.4 from Ugas. Ugas held the advantage in body punches landed at 57 to 34, while the two fighters each landed 79 power punches.

In round 10 Porter began to bleed from his right eye due to an accidental head butt, but late in round 11 he landed one of his most significant punches of the fight when he backed Ugas up with a left hook to the head. After 12 rounds, the judges’ scorecards reflected that there were numerous close and hard to score rounds as all three judges agreed on only the fourth and ninth rounds, which went to Ugas and Porter respectively.

One judge saw the fight 117-111 for Ugas, which was overruled by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 for Porter. Both fighters believed after the fight that they had done enough to win.

“There’s no doubt about it, I was robbed tonight,” said Ugas. “After the first round I figured him out and dominated the fight. He had no answer when I was pushing him back. I dominated the fight in my opinion.”

“We fought a good smart fight tonight,” said Porter. “I was consistent and I thought we won a majority of the rounds. We got the win, we’re still champion and we’re looking forward to what is next.”

Additional action, saw a back-and-forth welterweight contest in which **Abel Ramos**(24-3-2, 18 KOs) got a unanimous decision over **Francisco Santana** (25-7-1, 12 KOs) after 10 rounds.

Santana struck first, landing a clean left hook that put Ramos on the canvas late in the second round. Santana had been stalking Ramos around the ring for much of the early action, before catching him in a neutral corner for the knockdown.

“He caught me on a flash knockdown in the second round,” said Ramos. “I didn’t see the punch coming and he caught me a little bit off balance. As soon as I got up, I was good.”

Both fighters were effective in mixing up their attacks, although it was Ramos that held a 138 to 46 advantage in jabs landed, per CompuBox. Santana’s power punching caused Ramos to begin bleeding from his nose in round six, but in round seven Ramos connected with a flurry of shots that appeared to have Santana temporarily out on his feet.

Santana was able to survive the round, but was then out landed 56 to 26 over rounds eight and nine. Both fighters pushed forward in a 10^th and final round that saw them land a combined 68 punches out of 224 thrown. Despite the early knockdown, Ramos was awarded the decision on all three scorecards by tallies of 98-92, 97-92 and 95-94.

“I was very surprised by the scorecards,” said Santana. “I thought I did enough to win. It was very competitive but I was landing more significant punches. I knew he was a warrior who would come back to fight after the knockdown. I don’t know what else to do at this point, but I’ll always keep my head held high.”

“I thought I won the fight,” said Ramos. “I landed more punches. I felt like I was landing all night and I was doing good clean work throughout the fight.”

In the opening bout on FOX and FOX Deportes, rising heavyweight prospect **Efe Ajagba** (9-0, 8 KOs) remained unbeaten and earned the best win of his young pro career by stopping veteran **Amir Mansour** (23-4-1, 16 KOs) after two rounds.

Ajagba was dominant from the outset, knocking Mansour down twice in the first round. He first landed a clean straight right to Mansour that caused him to tumble to the ground. He got to his feet but was then put onto the ground by a straight left from Ajagba.

“I’ve never fought a southpaw in the pros before,” said Ajagba. “Ronnie Shields has taught me a lot and given me the plan on how to fight a southpaw and how to use my right hand against them.”

Mansour made it to the second round but continued to take a beating as Ajagba landed flush to the head consistently. After the round, referee Thomas Taylor took a long look at Mansour in his corner decided to call the fight after two rounds.

“I want to be the best heavyweight in the world,” said Ajagba. “That’s my dream. I’m going to go home and work hard and prepare for the next fight.”

PBC Prelims on FS1 preceded the main card and featured former world championJuan Carlos Payano (21-2, 9 KOs) defeating previously unbeaten **Damien Vazquez** (14-1, 7 KOs) by unanimous decision after eight-rounds of bantamweight action with scores of 80-71 twice and 79-73. Additional action on FS1 saw rising welterweight prospect and 2016 Lithuanian Olympian **Eimantas Stanionis** (8-0, 5 KOs) score a unanimous decision victory over a game **Samuel Figueroa** (11-2, 4 KOs) by scores of 80-72 three times across eight rounds of action.

# # #

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, ht
tp://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports &www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. The event was promoted by TGB Promotions.

boxing, Fox, Premier Boxing Champions

Former Two-Division Champion Danny Garcia Battles All-Action Adrian Granados on Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes on Saturday, April 20 from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California

March 10, 2019 FNU47 Leave a comment

Plus! Heavyweight Contender Andy Ruiz Jr. Faces Alexander Dimitrenko & Unbeaten Super Bantamweight Brandon Figueroa Takes on Yonfrez Parejo in Interim WBA 122-Pound Title Fight To Kick Off Action Beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

Tickets on Sale Now!

CARSON, CALIF. (March 7, 2019) – Former two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia will battle hard-hitting veteran Adrian Granados in a 12-round welterweight bout that will headline the live prime time event presented by Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes on Saturday, April 20 from Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly StubHub Center) in Carson, California.

Heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. takes onAlexander Dimitrenko in a 10-round bout in the co-feature and unbeaten contender Brandon Figueroa battles Venezuela’sYonfrez Parejo in a 12-round match for the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight title that opens the primetime FOX broadcast that begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in association with DSG Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com or at the Dignity Health Sports Park box office from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

“Danny Garcia is one of the preeminent boxers of this generation,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “He’s a champion through and through. His resume is a veritable ‘Who’s Who?’ of the best at 140 and 147 pounds over the last 10 years. He’s hungry to get his title back and he’s willing to go through anyone to do that. Adrian Granados is a tough competitor looking to join the championship ranks and Danny represents the most direct route. It’s the kind of clash that makes for entertaining matches. The fans at Dignity Health Sports Park and watching on FOX and FOX Deportes on April 20 are in for a treat.”

“Danny Garcia knows that he¹s going to have to be on his A-game, as a victory over Adrian Granados puts him back in position to regain his welterweight championship,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Adrian Granados is a fighter thatalways comes to put on exciting fights and holds nothing back against his opponents. The action leading up to the main event is sure to be crowd pleasers. I expect the fans in attendance to bring the energy to Dignity Health Sports Park and those tuning in on FOX and FOX Deportes will be fully entertained as well.”

Garcia (34-2, 20 KOs) has fought and defeated many of the most formidable opponents at 140 and 147-pounds spanning two generations-Erik Morales, Zab Judah, Kendall Holt, Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Paulie Malignaggi and Lamont Peterson among them. Six of his seven opponents in the welterweight division were former or current world champions and 12 of his last 16 opponents overall carried the same distinction. Included in that run was a headlining performance live on FOX in January 2016, when he defeated Robert Guerrero to capture his welterweight title in Los Angeles. Representing the fighting city of Philadelphia, the 30-year-old most recently lost an exciting and narrow decision to Shawn Porter in their September title fight.

“I cannot wait to get back in the ring and put on the Danny Garcia show once again,” said Garcia. “Granados was talking a big game when we first announced the fight and I plan on proving him wrong on April 20. The Southern California fans have always treated me right and I’m excited to give them a great fight.”

Fighting out of Cicero, Ilinois, Granados (20-6-2, 14 KOs) has made a name for himself by delivering tough, action-packed fights against top fighters in the sport, including Shawn Porter and Adrien Broner. The 29-year-old burst onto the scene by shocking then unbeaten Amir Imam via a stoppage victory in their 2015 clash. After a fight last June against Javier Fortuna that ended in a no contest, Granados picked up two-straight knockout wins heading into this matchup.

“This is a huge fight for me and definitely one of the most important in my career,” said Granados. “I’m looking to dominate, look impressive and control the fight. I’ve fought in Southern California before and I’m looking to take advantage of the great Mexican crowd. This is Mexico versus Puerto Rico and Chicago vs. Philadelphia. It’s territorial on a lot of levels and you can expect us to leave it all in the ring.”

Fighting out of Imperial, California, Ruiz (31-1, 20 KOs) was a two-time Mexican national champion at super heavyweight as an amateur, before embarking on a pro career that saw him win his first 29 fights. The 29-year-old lost a close majority decision against Joseph Parker in their 2016 world title fight and rebounded with victories over Kevin Johnson and Devin Vargas last year.

The 36-year-old Dimitrenko (41-4, 26 KOs) is a longtime heavyweight contender who has challenged top fighters throughout his career. Born in Russia but fighting out of Hamburg, Germany, he most recently lost to Bryant Jennings in a back and forth fight in August and owns wins over Derric Rossy, Adrian Granat and Miljan Rovcanin.

The 22-year-old Figueroa (18-0, 13 KOs) most recently delivered a dominant performance in knocking out Moises Flores in the third-round of their January fight on FS1. Representing Weslaco, Texas, the younger brother of former world champion Omar has a five-fight knockout streak that he brings into the ring on April 20.

A former interim champion and title challenger at bantamweight, Parejo (22-3-1, 11 KOs) will look to make his mark at 122-pounds when he battles Figueroa on April 20. The 32-year-old from Venezuela lost a bantamweight world title fight to Ryan Burnett last March, but rebounded to most recently defeat Benjamin Mendoza in February. He won an interim title by stopping Luis Hinojosa in 2014 before losing a split-decision the following year to former champion Zhanat Zhakiyanov.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/foxsports &www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. s