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Tag Archives: David Benavidez
Caleb Plant Wraps Up Final Days of Training Camp, Talks New Opponent
Photo by Sean Michael Ham – Premier Boxing Champions
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LAS VEGAS, NV (September 5, 2017) – Unbeaten middleweight contender, Caleb “Sweethands” Plant (15-0, 10 KOs) is just a few days away from making his SHOWTIME debut this Friday at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Plant will face late opponent, Andrew Hernandez (19-6-1, 9 KOs) in a ten-round bout. Tune inthis Friday on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT).
With just a few days away from the fight, Plant gives is thoughts on facing Hernandez, training, and more, as he wraps up the final days of camp.
On his matchup with late opponent Andrew Hernandez…
“To be honest, it doesn’t matter who they put in front of me, I’ll fight anyone. I was originally supposed to fight Alan Campa, but he pulled out, like most of my opponents. Hernandez recently fought so I know he’s in good shape. I’m happy that he stepped up, but I’m going to put tips on him. There’s no two ways about it, I’m coming out on top.”
On his recent training camp…
“Training camp has been unbelievable. It’s no doubt, one of my best training camps ever. My weight is perfect and I couldn’t be happier with the way I’ve been looking in the gym. My trainer Justin Gamber is doing a phenomenal job, as well as my dad Richie. Larry Wade, my strength and conditioning coach, has got me in tip top shape. We are going to dictate our game plan on Hernandez, and try to get him out of there before the final bell. If it goes the distance, I’ll be ready.”
On making his Showtime debut…
“I’m very excited to be making my debut on Showtime. This is the first of many as I believe I can become a household name on their network. Showtime is looking for their next star and I believe it’s me. I’m going to put on a spectacular performance. Everyone watching can expect to see a very skilled and determined fighter when they see me fight this Fridaynight.”
On fighting in his new hometown of Las Vegas…
“This will be my third time fighting in Las Vegas, the mecca of boxing, and I want to stamp my legacy here. Since moving here from Nashville about a year ago, I’ve been getting some great work with some top-level fighters. Nashville will always be home, but Vegas is where I’m at right now. I have a lot of new fans out here and I can’t wait to put on a great show for them.”
On what a victory will do for his career…
“A win this Friday will get me one step closer to a world title shot. I’m currently ranked WBA #7 and #11 by the IBF. I’m right there knocking on the door. David Benavidez is fighting for the WBC title in the main event, and he’s definitely someone I want to fight. J’Leon Love, who’s world ranked, is also on the card. Both are on my radar. I’m want all the champions in my division. I’m going to be a world champion when I get my opportunity.”
SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TRAINING CAMP NOTES
Unbeaten Rising Contender David Benavidez & Former European Amateur Star Ronald Gavril Battle for Vacant WBC Super Middleweight World Title
in Main Event of SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION® Friday, Sept. 8Live on SHOWTIME at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT
LAS VEGAS (Sept. 5, 2017) – Fight Week is here for the six boxers competing in this Friday’s SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast, headlined by unbeaten rising star David Benavidez and contender Ronald Gavril who will battle for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight World Championship live on SHOWTIME (10:05 p.m. ET/PT) from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas.
The event, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, will feature two additional showdowns in the super middleweight division. Once-beaten J’Leon Love (23-1, 13 KOs) will battle Texas-native Abraham Han (26-3, 16 KOs) in a 10-round bout while unbeaten prospect Caleb Plant (15-0, 10 KOs) takes on 31-year-old Phoenix, Ariz., switch-hitter Andrew Hernandez (19-6-1, 9 KOs), who steps in for Alan Campa for the 10-round attraction.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Sampson Boxing, are priced at $100, $50 and $25, and are on sale Tuesday, Aug. 22. To purchase tickets visit AXS.com or the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Box Office.
The following is a training camp update from each of the fighters on this Friday’s tripleheader.
David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez
- He trains out of The Summit Gym in Big Bear, Calif.
- His trainer is his father, Jose Benavidez Sr.
- With a victory, Benavidez (age 20) would become the youngest Super Middleweight to ever win a world title and the youngest current world champion.
- He’s very familiar with the gym because his brother Jose Benavidez Jr. (former WBA interim super lightweight champion) used to train there when he was active.
Benavidez on training camp:
“My training camps are always fairly long. I only take a week off after every fight and go back into training. For the first couple weeks, it’s just moving around, then we slowly work into the hard training. For this one, I probably had like a month and a half, two months.”
On his opponent:
“I feel like he [Ronald Gavril] has a really good style for me to showcase my skills, like how I did against Rogelio Medina. With our sparring partners, we have brawlers and we have boxers, as well. Whatever style he fights on that night, I’m going to be prepared for it.”
Ronald “The Thrill” Gavril
- He trains at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas.
- He is a former European amateur standout.
- His trainer is Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (65 years old; former WBA light heavyweight world champion, retired in 1988 with a record of 50-8-1, 39 KOs).
Gavril on training camp:
“I feel really sharp and I’m really happy with how everything has gone during training. This is the opportunity that I’ve worked so hard to get to and I’m definitely not letting it slip by. I know that everything needs to be 100 percent on fight night so I’m pushing myself to be ready to do whatever it takes to leave with the belt.”
On his opponent:
“Benavidez is a strong guy who’s coming in with a lot of support behind him, but I’m not going to let any of that distract me from my preparation. Me and my trainer are going to have a great game plan for him. I know he wants to be active and smother me and we’re going to show him all of the parts of my game.”
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad:
“I got Ronald sparring with the IBF’s number-one super middleweight contender, Jose Uzcategui. He’s giving us good work, too—he can fight. We also sparred Badou Jack for a couple rounds. We’ve got an abundance of guys that we’re working with.
“The way they’re talking about Benavidez, it’s like he’s King Kong. But it’s good—perfect! Ronald is a boxer-puncher, he can adapt. That’s the whole key. He has a wealth of amateur experience. This is our opportunity. We’ve talked about this for a while now, and Ronald is at a point where he’s ready right now…It’s going to be a great fight.”
J’Leon Love
- He trains at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas.
- His trainer is Theo Chambers.
- He’s been in training camp for about five months
Love on training camp:
“My training camp—it’s been months! I started training in April. Being that we had fights fall out, I always stayed in the gym. That’s the hardest part, because I feel like I’ve had bad luck with fights falling out. But one thing I can say—we train our ass off! I just want to go on vacation after this.”
“We’ve had a lot of good sparring—Lionell Thompson and Denis Douglin have been in here working. We’ve had so many sparring partners throughout this camp, and we’ve just been working, working, working.
On his opponent:
“I remember Abie Han from the amateurs. He’s always been a tough fighter. You can’t look past anybody. Everybody comes in that ring to fight. Everybody comes in with a different mode or a different drive, so this may be the drive he has to really come out and explode on the scene and beat me. So, I’m taking him absolutely, positively serious, like he’s a world championship fighter and we’re fighting for the world title.”
Abraham “The Sun City Warrior” Han
- Trains out of his father’s martial arts studio in El Paso, Texas (Han’s Martial Arts).
- He is trained by Louie Burke — 56 years old; former pro junior lightweight, retired in 1985 with a record of 19-3, 12 KOs; won the “ESPN Junior Lightweight Title” on Apr. 14, 1983, with a 12-round unanimous decision against Freddie Roach; also won a 10-round decision against Roach in the rematch on Nov. 10, 1983.
- He has sparred with former world champion Austin Trout.
Han on training camp:
“I train at my dad’s martial arts studio in El Paso – Han’s Martial Arts. I’m sparring mostly with local people from El Paso, and I also sparred with Austin Trout.
“I’ve been working hard and working with Austin (Trout) and that makes a big difference. Austin makes me so much better. He’s been a world champion and he will be a world champion again. His expertise and his knowledge is amazing. He’s been in those situations and he tells me little things along the way and I think that will make all the difference in this fight.”
Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant
- Moved to Las Vegas from Nashville about a year ago to train
- He is trained by Justin Gamber and his father Richie Plant.
Plant on training camp:
“I’ve been living in Las Vegas for more than a year now – since August 24th, 2016. I’ve been in the gym consistently this whole time since my last fight, but my ‘official’ training camp will be seven or eight weeks. We bounce around to a couple of different gyms for sparring. I’ve had good work this camp – great sparring, good strength and conditioning, good gym work, and I’ve had good rest. I have a good diet.
“I know every boxer says, ‘Oh, this is my best camp,’ and a lot of times they don’t mean it. But this has literally been my best camp. Things are very smooth.”
Andrew Hernandez
- He is managed by his wife Jacquie Hernandez and trained by Alan Beirs.
- Alfred Quintana serves as his cut man and strength and conditioning coach.
- A late replacement, Hernandez got the call on Aug. 29 and accepted the fight; contract signed the next day.
- Trains at Gents Gym in Arrowhead, Ariz.
What Hernandez has to say:
“I’ve known my trainer, Alan Beirs, for a while. He actually helped me with my last couple of fights – we’ve only been together maybe six months or so. He worked my corner in February, but we weren’t working completely together. Then when I got back in the gym in March, that’s when we really started working together.
“I train at a place called Gents Gym in Arrowhead, Ariz. I trained there with the Busted Knuckles Boxing crew – that’s Alan Beirs’ crew. We’re all pushing each other to get better and I know they’ll have me ready for fight night.”
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For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @ShowtimeBoxing, @MayweatherPromo, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions
Unbeaten Rising Contender David Benavidez & Hard Hitting Ronald Gavril Battle for Vacant WBC Super Middleweight World Title in Main Event of SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION® Friday, Sept. 8 Live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT
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Presented by Premier Boxing Champions, from The Joint at
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Plus! Two 168-Pound Showdowns as J’Leon Love Meets Abraham Han While Unbeaten Caleb Plant Faces Alan Campa
Tickets on Sale Tuesday, Aug. 22!
LAS VEGAS (August 17, 2017) – Unbeaten rising star David Benavidez and powerful contender Ronald Gavril will battle for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight World Championship on Friday, Sept. 8 live on SHOWTIME in the headlining attraction of a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas.
The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/PT and will feature two additional showdowns in the super middleweight division. Once-beaten J’Leon Love (23-1, 13 KOs) will battle Texas-native Abraham Han (26-3, 16 KOs) in a 10-round bout while unbeaten prospect Caleb Plant (15-0, 10 KOs) takes on Mexico’s Alan Campa (16-3, 11 KOs) in 10 rounds of action.
Benavidez (18-0, 17 KOs) has a chance to make history – at just 20-years-old he is aiming to become the youngest super middleweight champion in history and the youngest reigning world champion in the sport today. Gavril (18-1, 14 KOs) will seek to keep the WBC 168-pound title in the Mayweather Promotions family after it was vacated by his stablemate, Badou Jack.
“This opportunity means the world to me,” said Benavidez. “I’ve been working for his since I was a little kid. It’s all come down to this moment when I’m ready to take this belt and take over the 168-pound division. The time is almost here, and I can hardly wait for September 8. Winning the championship would be enough on its own. But the opportunity to be the youngest in the sport is a major accomplishment and the biggest of my life, so far. I have a tough competitor in front of me, and I know he’s treating it as seriously as I am. I’ve been working for two and a half months for this fight and I’m not overlooking him.”
“It’s been a great journey for me getting to this point of fighting for a world title,” said Gavril. “I have a great team behind me who pushes me every single day to perform my best, learn from my mistakes and perfect my technique. Those values have gotten me here and I am thankful for such an amazing opportunity. I will go out there and give it everything I have, I can’t leave the ring without the championship belt.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Sampson Boxing, are priced at $100, $50 and $25, and are on sale Tuesday, Aug. 22. To purchase tickets visit AXS.com or the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Box Office.
“In November 2015, I said that I had new blood for our industry David Benavidez, who would be the best and youngest super middleweight champion in the history of our sport,” said Sampson Lewkowicz, Benavidez’ promoter. “We didn’t cherry pick this opponent. He was the next available contender when Anthony Dirrell pulled out. We expect fireworks. We expect to birth a new superstar. The most important thing is to determine in which round Gavril will be knocked out, because I believe that we’re talking about matching a jet plane against a helicopter. So I expect a spectacular performance from Benavidez, who will begin his run as the new blood in boxing and will keep it going until he retires.”
“To be in a position to announce another great card coming just weeks after the biggest event in sports history shows that Mayweather Promotions shows no signs of slowing down,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “We are thrilled to present this fight card on September 9, filled with tremendous talent featuring top contenders in the Mayweather Promotions stable. Gavril has proven to be a tough competitor, he’s on a long win streak with his last four coming by way of TKO, Love making his return to the stage is sure to excite fans, and the always exciting Caleb Plant will definitely put on show. This is what boxing is about, bringing together some of the most exciting talents on one stage.”
After delivering a highlight reel knockout of Rogelio Medina in May, Benavidez has now racked up a perfect 18 wins in 18 starts at just 20-years-old. The younger brother of undefeated Jose Benavidez, David picked up four victories via stoppage in 2015 and continued with four more in 2016 including blasting out previously unbeaten Francy Ntetu in June and tough contender Denis Douglin in August. Most recently, Benavidez began his 2017 campaign with a second-round destruction of Sherali Mamajonov in January. The Phoenix-native will look to make history in the 168-pound division onSeptember 8.
Born in Romania, Gavril won a 165 amateur fights and trained with the National Team before turning pro in 2011 and eventually moving to Las Vegas to train at the Mayweather Boxing Club. The 31-year-old won his first 11 pro fights before dropping a narrow contest to veteran Elvin Ayala. Gavril bounced back emphatically with seven straight victories including then unbeaten Oscar Riojas and once-beaten Christopher Brooker. He scored a third-round stoppage of Decarlo Perez in April ahead of his first world title opportunity.
A once-beaten contender at 168-pounds, the 29-year-old Love bounced back from his lone defeat with three victories 2015 before stopping Michael Gbenga and Dashon Johnson in 2016. The Inkster, Mich., native earned wins over Marco Antonio Periban, Derrick Findley and Lajuan Simon on his way to contender status and will look for another victory to put him in world title contention.
Han is a former champion kickboxer and third degree black Blackbelt who hails from El Paso, Texas and enters this fight the winner of his last three contests, including a first round stoppage in March of this year. A winner of his first 19 pro bouts, the 32-year-old owns a victory over Marcos Reyes in addition to narrow losses to former champion Sergio Mora and former title challenger Fernando Guerrero.
A 2011 National Golden Gloves champion, Plant has begun to make his name in the professional ranks since turning pro in 2014. After picking up six victories in 2015, Plant continued his success with stoppages of Adasat Rodriguez and Carlos Galvan before going 10 rounds for the first time in a unanimous decision victory over Juan De Angel in August 2016. The 25-year-old from Nashville began training in Las Vegas this year and picked up a victory over Thomas Awimbono in February.
Fighting out of Sonora, Mexico, the 25-year-old Campa enters this contest the winner of three of his last four contests, including a victory over then once-beaten Paul Valenzuela Jr. last April. Campa has fought professionally since 2010 and won his first nine fights while also battling top contenders Sergey Derevyanchenko and Jesse Hart.
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For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.premierboxingchampions.com
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David Benavidez Promising Fireworks Against Ronald Gavril
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Red-Hot Super Middleweight Contender David Benavidez Does Admirable Job Behind Fox Sports 1 Mic for Brandon Rios’ Comeback Victory Last Sunday
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Lewkowicz Congratulates ‘Pilon’ Lara for Smashing KO of Briones
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Unbeaten David Benavidez Knocks Out Porky Medina in 168-Pound World Title Eliminator Headlining Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 & FOX Deportes from Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas
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Unbeaten Featherweight Jorge Lara Stops
Mario Briones by Third Round Knockout
Click HERE for Photos from Edgar Ramos/Premier Boxing Champions
(Photos will be available shortly)
LAREDO, TX (May 21, 2017) – Unbeaten rising contender David Benavidez (18-0, 17 KOs) of Phoenix, Ariz. knocked out exciting former title challenger Rogelio “Porky” Medina (37-8, 31 KOs) from San Luis Rio, Mexico in a super middleweight world title eliminator that headlined a special Saturday night edition of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes from Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas.
The action-packed main event opened with several crowd-pleasing exchanges in the first pair of rounds. Round three offered more of the same as the rugged pair of pugilists went toe-to-toe giving and receiving each other’s best.
In the fourth round, Benavidez caught Medina with a left uppercut and then followed with a flurry that backed Medina up, but amazingly Medina stayed upright. Medina fought back and engaged Benavidez, but Benavidez landed a sensational seven-punch combination to close out the round.
At the end of round six, Benavidez damaged Medina with an onslaught of offense that buckled Medina into the ropes with referee Jon Shorle ruling it a knockdown. Medina survived the round, but only to eat another bombardment of punches and get dropped for a second time at the end of the seventh round due to a right uppercut to his solar plexus.
Round eight brought a close as Benavidez landed one final eight-punch combo that dropped Medina for a third time and caused Shorle to stop the action at 1:01 into the eighth round.
Benavidez said, “This is just a glimpse of what I can do. I’ve never fought a fighter that pushed me to the full extent like this. Porky Medina is a tremendous fighter. It took everything for me to knock him out, but it was an amazing fight.”
Benavidez continued, “My biggest advantage tonight was my jab. I didn’t throw it as much as I would have liked, but just enough to set him up. I’m looking forward to getting back in the gym and coming back even stronger.”
A disappointed Medina said, “I did my best tonight. The plan was to win, work him from beginning to end, but he moved a little bit more than I anticipated. (Benavidez) did his job and hit me with a few good shots. But I’m going to keep training for my shot at a title and hopefully it will come.”
The win elevates Benavidez into the mandatory position to challenge for the vacant super middleweight world title that will go to the winner of the agreed to Anthony Dirrell vs. Callum Smith clash.
Benavidez concluded, “This makes me more humble and gives me more motivation to work harder. There has never been a super middleweight champion at 20-years old, but I’m going to be the first to do that.”
Televised coverage kicked off with unbeaten featherweight contender Jorge Lara (29-0-2, 21 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico defeating Mario Briones (28-6-2, 22 KOs) from Aguascalientes, Mexico by third round knockout in their scheduled 10-round contest.
In the first round, Lara worked to establish an aggressive pace and punished Briones. The second round began with more of the same, Lara hitting Briones with punches in bunches. Briones was able to hold his ground initially, but a straight left with a little less than one minute remaining in the second frame sent Briones to the canvas. Lara then knocked Briones down for a second time with a wild right hand at the close of the round, but Briones quickly regained himself after time expired and was allowed to continue.
The third round opened with Lara mixing it up to the body before landing an overhand right that further dazed Briones. Lara, smelling blood in the water, swarmed Briones with a barrage of punches and forced referee Lee Rogers to stop the bout at :58 into the third.
Not resting on the win, Lara said, “I felt great to get back in the ring tonight. This was a fantastic win for me, but there are four champions out there in my division. I’m ready to fight whoever asks me out of those four belt holders.”
The swing bout featured Austin Dulay (10-0, 7 KOs) of Hermitage, Tenn. winning a unanimous decision (59-52, 59-52, 59-52) in a six-round junior lightweight fight against Jose Esquivel (10-6, 2 KOs) from Laredo, Texas.
The final televised fight of the evening showcased Adam Lopez (7-0, 3 KOs) of Glendale, Calif. defeating Jordan White (4-1, 3 KOs) of Landover, Md. by unanimous decision (59-55,59-55, 60-54) in a six-round bantamweight bout.
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The card was promoted by TGB Promotions.
For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com
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MAY 20 IS BOXING BINGE-WATCH DAY WITH SLATE OF TELEVISED BOXING SHOWS FROM U.K. AND U.S.
GET YOUR POPCORN & CORONA READY!
Gervonta Davis Defends 130-pound Title Against Liam Walsh From London, England On SHOWTIME
Gary Russell, Jr. Defends 126-pound Title Against Oscar Escandon At MGM National Harbor on SHOWTIME
Rising Star David Benavidez Meets Rogelio “Porky” Medina in 168-pound Title Eliminator From Laredo, Texas on Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 & FOX Deportes
LAS VEGAS (May 17, 2017) – Let the boxing binge watching begin this Saturday, May 20 when separate shows on SHOWTIME and FS1 deliver six matches running over six consecutive hours. This boxing extravaganza will present a unique opportunity for fans to watch boxing starting at 6 p.m. ET and continue throughout the evening.
“It’s not unusual to spend all day Sunday watching the NFL or to spend the day watching the NBA playoffs,” said Tim Smith, Vice President of Communications for Haymon Boxing. “But it’s rare for boxing fans to be able to turn on the television in the early evening and binge watch great action until late at night. The slate of shows on May 20 will provide that opportunity for boxing fans.”
Kicking off the day will be an action-packed 130-pound championship match with undefeated young star Gervonta Davis (17-0, 16 KOs) defending his title against No. 1 contender Liam Walsh (21-0, 14 KOs) from Copper Box Arena in London, England with coverage beginning on SHOWTIME at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
The 22-year-old Davis is the youngest reigning American world champion in boxing and he will travel to England for his first title defense against Walsh, an undefeated southpaw fighting in his hometown of London.
Immediately following the Davis-Walsh bout, things kick into high gear with three matches originating from MGM National Harbor outside of Washington, D.C. Gary Russell, Jr. (27-1, 16 KOs) defends his 126-pound world title against Oscar Escandon (25-2, 17 KOs) in the main event.
A pair of world title eliminators round out the televised portion of the card. Andre Dirrell (25-2, 16 KOs) and Jose Uzcategui (26-1, 22 KOs) meet in a 168-pound match with the winner set to fight for the interim IBF title and a shot at current champion James DeGale. Two-division championRances Barthelemy (25-0, 16 KOs) takes on Kiryl Relikh(21-1, 19 KOs) in a 140-pound title eliminator with the winner earning an opportunity to fight for a world championship.
Rounding out the night is a pair of Premier Boxing Champions matches on FS1 and FOX Deportes from Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas that start at 10 p.m. ET.
David Benavidez (17-0, 16 KOs), an ascending star, will meet former world title challenger Rogelio “Porky” Medina (37-7, 31 KOs) in a 168-pound title eliminator in the main event. Benavidez will face the toughest test of his career against Medina, a veteran who gave DeGale all he could handle last year. The winner will get a shot at the 168-pound world championship.
Unbeaten 126-pound contender Jorge Lara (28-0-2, 20 KOs) takes on hard-hitting brawler Mario Briones (28-5-2, 22 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight match in the co-feature.
Binge Away!
Premier Boxing Champions Rolls Into May With An Exciting Slate Of Shows
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