Tag Archives: Kansas

boxing, CBS Sports Network

U.S. Olympian Nico Hernandez Building Wichita into a fight town

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“KO Night Boxing: History Begins”
Encore presentation this Saturday night on CBSSN
 

(photo by Charles Yellowfeather)
WICHITA, Kansas (March 31, 2017) – Last Saturday night at Kansas Star Arena in nearby Mulvane, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez planted a seed in hopes of growing Wichita into a fight town, as world champions Terence Crawford and Deontay Wilder have already accomplished in the respective hometowns, Omaha (NE) and Birmingham (AL).
More than 3,100 fans purchased tickets Hernandez’ successfully professional debut, stopping Pat Gutierrez in the fourth round.  To put that attendance figure in its proper perspective, Wichita has a population of less than 400,000 and in this hoop-crazed state, the appropriately named “KO Night Boxing: History Begins” went head-to-head with the popular Kansas Jayhawks quintet playing on national television in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball championship, as well as The Wichita Force playing at home in indoor football.
The 21-year-old Hernandez is practically a sports franchise in Wichita, second only to the Wichita State University (WSU) men’s basketball team.  The city turned out in force at a parade honoring Hernandez upon his return home from the Olympics and WSU awarded him an open-ended four-year college scholarship.
 
“KO Night Boxing: History Begins” Encore Presentation this Saturday night
The encore presentation of last Saturday’s “KO Night Boxing: History Begins,” featuring the pro debut of 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist Nico Hernandez, will air this Saturday (April 1), starting at 8:30 p.m. ET, on CBS Sports Network.
“The show was a huge success and Nico, as a pro fighter, produced a more complete body of work than we had expected,” Hernandez’ promoter John Andersen (KO Night Boxing) said.  “I was very impressed.  His amateur background converted to an even better pro style.  It really showed his potential and that’s one of the primary reasons we signed him. We really believed in Nico.  He is the only fighter we have signed, right now; Nico is our stable!  We see things from a different angle than big-time promoters.  We understood that he’s a hometown hero, so we had him headline at home his pro debut on national television (CBS Sports Network).  We produce our shows on television and we enjoy telling stories like Nico’s.  We’d like to come right back to Wichita with Nico fighting in June.”
Lifelong Kansas Sean Wheelock, a non-paid member of the Kansas Athletic Commission that oversees boxing, in addition to calling last Saturday’s fights as a member of the KO Night Boxing announcing team on CBS Sports Network, has a unique perspective on the significance of last Saturday evening’s in terms of local boxing history.
“It was huge for Kansas boxing,” Wheelock explained, “the biggest show in this state since the Tommy Morrison Era (early-to-mid 1990’s).  Morrison was an adopted son, though. Nico was born here and he has a deep investment in the Wichita community.  Drawing 3000-plus for his pro debut, in a non-boxing market, was phenomenal and he has the potential to do what Crawford has done in Omaha and Wilder in Birmingham.  Boxing has strong roots in Kansas and across the Midwest, but MMA has taken over and lately, most boxing in Kansas has been on hybrid shows with MMA and kickboxing.
“Fans were loudly chanting, ‘Nico’ and ‘316’ (Wichita’s area code) before, during and after his fight. I’ve never heard fans chanting for a city like they did, ‘Wichita’, for an individual athlete.  And they were also chanting ‘USA’.  As a native Kansas, I’m proud that this state has become more ethnically and culturally diverse with more Hispanics living in Wichita.  Nico is engaged in the Hispanic community and he is a fantastic kid, too.  Because of his personality and fighting style, he can draw locally from Wichita, throughout all of Kansas, and nationally among Hispanics and Americans across the country because of his accomplishment in the Olympics.”
Hernandez is also fighting in one of the hottest divisions in boxing — 115-pound junior bantamweight/super flyweight — showcasing name fighters such as Naoya Inoue, Roman Gonzalez, Carlos Cuadras, Juan Francisco Estrada and recent addition Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.  Conspicuously absent, however, are top 20 ranked American fighters in this weight class, excluding 36-year-old Brian Viloria, the four-time, two-division (junior flyweight and flyweight) world champion.  The opportunity is right there for Hernandez to quickly establish himself as the preeminent American boxer in this weight class.
“There’s no reason for Nico to fight outside of Wichita for a couple of years as he develops,” Andersen noted.  “I feel that he can win a regional title next year. Our goal is to have him in a world title fight position within three years.  Our goal is to get him 13 to 15 fights and then promote a super fight in Wichita.  He started out in a six-round fight.  I think he’ll only have a couple more and then move up to eight-round bouts.
“Nico doesn’t waste a lot of punches, so the number of scheduled rounds won’t be a problem for him. Another fighter would have punched himself out in two rounds, fighting at home in front of a crowed like he had supporting him, but Nico showed tremendous poise, settling down and putting his punches together very well.  He didn’t chase Gutierrez, he effectively cut off the ring, and his powerful body attack was something he didn’t do as an amateur.  We wanted to see how he reacted to resistance and he passed that test with flying colors.”
Andersen noted that his company has promoted several successful shows, noting the big difference is last weekend’s show featured a world-class fighter in Hernandez.  “Making the Olympics was a big deal for Nico,” Andersen added, “whether he medaled or not.  Nico is to us what Manny Pacquiao is to Top Rank, ‘Canelo’ Alvarez to Golden Boy. We’re lucky to start out with a fighter like Nico.  Fighting in Wichita was risk for everybody but it’s already paying dividends.
“We know who and what we are as a promotional company.  Nico is our top priority, our only fighter right now, and now we have a great opportunity to build off last weekend’s success.  We give Nico all the attention he deserves and he’s going to take advantage of this situation.  And we also discovered that there’s some other talented boxers in this market. Whit Hayden did a wonderful job making very competitive fights.  That’s his history, he never has blowouts.  Whit is one of the most knowledgeable people I know in boxing.  He’s the perfect matchmaker to guide Nico’s career, along with Nico’s father (head trainer) Lewis Hernandez, who we work closely with in many ways, in and out of the ring.”
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @Neonstarmedia, @KONightBoxing
Follow on Twitter & Instagram: @Nicomhernandez
About Neon Star Sports & Entertainment (NSSE)
NSSE is a content company whose focus is creating original and joint venter media properties – unscripted, scripted, events and digital programming – for cross-platform distribution.  In this highly competitive digital age, NSSE specializes in the development and production of corporate branding designed with your target audience and accelerated consumer growth in mind.  Visit us on Twitter @Neonstarmedia or Facebook www.facebook.com/Neon-Star-Media. REV Sports Entertainment Inc. (MAVTV Canada) and Neon Star Media LLC are subsidiary companies of Neon Star Sports & Entertainment Inc.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

International knockout artists Cheick Kongo and Alexander Volkov clash on June 26 in headlining bout of “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov”

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B139_Kongo_Volkov

Easy Tweet: “.@kongo4real and @AlexDragoVolkov set to headline #Bellator139 at the @KansasStarArena on June 26. http://bit.ly/1GfVzbx”

 

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 21, 2015) – French striking specialist Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) and former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-5) will stand toe-to-toe in the Bellator MMA cage on June 26.

 

The two sluggers clash in the five-round main event of “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov,” which takes place at Kansas Star Event Center Arena in Mulvane, Kan.

 

The heavyweight slugfest joins previously announced matchups of lightweights Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-3) vs. John “The Natural” Alessio (35-17) and former Bellator MMA featherweight champion Pat “Paddy Mike” Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2) on the event’s featured portion.

 

The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.

 

Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov,” which start at just $17 and include cageside seats for just $97, are currently available at Ticketmaster.com.

 

Kongo, a 6-foot-4 Frenchman, is a striking ace who boasts black belts in both Karate and Kendo. A multiple-time world champion in kickboxing, Kongo now focuses solely on MMA and has built a 4-2 record under the Bellator MMA banner. One of the most imposing figures in all of MMA, Kongo boasts 12 career knockout victories, including the sport’s 2011 “Knockout of the Year.”

 

The 26-year-old Volkov is an eight-time Bellator MMA veteran who rose to the promotion’s highest rank in 2012 as the Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion. Though he would eventually cede the belt to current title holder Vitaly Minakov, Volkov bounced right back with three-consecutive stoppage wins. In his 24 career victories, Volkov has scored 17 by knockout.

 

“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” – Friday, June 26, Kanas Star Event Center Arena, Mulvane, Kansas

 

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (24-5)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2)

Easy Tweet: “.@kongo4real and @AlexDragoVolkov set to headline #Bellator139 at the @KansasStarArena on June 26. http://bit.ly/1GfVzbx”

 

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 21, 2015) – French striking specialist Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) and former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-5) will stand toe-to-toe in the Bellator MMA cage on June 26.

 

The two sluggers clash in the five-round main event of “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov,” which takes place at Kansas Star Event Center Arena in Mulvane, Kan.

 

The heavyweight slugfest joins previously announced matchups of lightweights Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-3) vs. John “The Natural” Alessio (35-17) and former Bellator MMA featherweight champion Pat “Paddy Mike” Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2) on the event’s featured portion.

 

The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.

 

Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov,” which start at just $17 and include cageside seats for just $97, are currently available at Ticketmaster.com.

 

Kongo, a 6-foot-4 Frenchman, is a striking ace who boasts black belts in both Karate and Kendo. A multiple-time world champion in kickboxing, Kongo now focuses solely on MMA and has built a 4-2 record under the Bellator MMA banner. One of the most imposing figures in all of MMA, Kongo boasts 12 career knockout victories, including the sport’s 2011 “Knockout of the Year.”

 

The 26-year-old Volkov is an eight-time Bellator MMA veteran who rose to the promotion’s highest rank in 2012 as the Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion. Though he would eventually cede the belt to current title holder Vitaly Minakov, Volkov bounced right back with three-consecutive stoppage wins. In his 24 career victories, Volkov has scored 17 by knockout.

 

“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” – Friday, June 26, Kanas Star Event Center Arena, Mulvane, Kansas

 

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (24-5)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA ANNOUNCES RETURN TO KANSAS STAR ARENA ON JUNE 26 WITH TWO FEATURED BOUTS IN DAVE RICKELS vs. JOHN ALESSIO & PAT CURRAN vs. GOITI YAMAUCHI

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TICKETS ON SALE THIS SATURDAY

 

EASY TWEET: “@TheCaveman316 takes on @JohnAllesio79  at @kansasstararena for #Bellator139!

Also: Featherweight Faceoff! @PatCurranMMA & @GoitiOfficial”

 

 

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 8, 2015) Bellator MMA has announced plans for a summer return to the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., on June 26 for an event currently titled “Bellator 139.”

 

The first two fights confirmed to take place on the “Bellator 139” main card have been announced with  Kansas’ own David “The Caveman” Rickels (16-3) taking on Pride Fighting Championships veteran John Alessio (35-17) in lightweight action and former featherweight champ Pat Curran (20-7) faces Goiti Yamauchi (18-2).

 

Additional fights, including a main event, will be announced shortly.

 

The event will broadcast live at 9 p.m. EST/ 8 p.m. CST Live and Free on Spike. The preliminary card will be streamed on Spike.com beginning at 7:30 p.m. EST/ 6:30 p.m. CST Tickets starting at $20 go on sale this Saturday, April 11 at 10 a.m. CT, and can be purchased online at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com.

 

A fan-favorite in the Kansas area, Rickels will be making his 14th appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion since 2011. “The Caveman,” a 26-year-old who competed for the 155-pound title against Michael Chandler at Bellator 97, was most recently in action against Davi Ramos at Bellator 130, winning via unanimous decision.

 

Alessio, 35, has not been in action since May of 2014, when he earned a unanimous decision win against Eric Wisely at Bellator 119. The 53-fight veteran has competed professionally since 1998 against the likes of Pat Miletich, Diego Sanchez and Paul Daley.

 

A former Bellator MMA 145 pound champion, Curran will return to action for the first time since his split decision loss to Daniel Weichel at Bellator 133. “Paddy Mike” has been involved in some of the most entertaining scraps in promotional history and will look to continue that trend against Yamauchi.

 

At only 22-years-old, Yamauchi is already making waves in Bellator’s featherweight division. The Japanese competitor holds victories over Mike Richman and Martin Stapleton and has earned 15 of his 18 professional wins before reaching the judges’ scorecards. The upcoming bout with Curran will serve as his toughest test to date under the Bellator banner.

 

THIS WEEK: Bellator Lightweight World Champion Will Brooks looks to defend his title for the first time against former lightweight tournament winner Dave Jansen.  Also on the card, World Champion kickboxer Joe Schilling returns to the Bellator cage for the first time since he produced a Knockout of the Year candidate over Melvin Manhoef last November.  Schilling faces a tough Rafael Carvalho at “Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen,” which airs Live and Free on Spike this Friday, April 10, at 9/8c from the Bren Events Center at UC Irvine.

 

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

 

About Kansas Star Arena

The Kansas Star Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility, is located just off Exit 33 on the Kansas Turnpike and is adjacent to the Kansas Star Casino.  The 42,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Kansas Star Arena is south-central Kansas’ home for big-name national acts such as Journey, Pat Benatar, Championship Rodeo, mixed martial arts events and more. The Arena accommodates up to 6,500 guests for headliner events. In 2014, Midwest Gaming and Travel awarded the Kansas Star more than 25 honors in its annual Reader’s Choice Awards, including “Best Concert Venue” in the state of Kansas. For more information, visit kansasstarcasino.com. Connect with Kansas Star Arena at facebook.com/kansasstararena and www.kansasstarcasino.com/entertain/arena.

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Boyd Gaming is a leading diversified owner and operator of  22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey.  Boyd Gaming and Kansas Star Casino press releases are available at boydgaming.mediaroom.com.