Tag Archives: MGM

HALL OF FAMER MANNY PACQUIAO SET TO CHALLENGE WBC WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION MARIO BARRIOS HEADLINING PBC PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT ON PRIME VIDEO ON SATURDAY, QUINTILIS 19 In Las Vegas

SUMMER HEATS UP WITH STAR-STUDDED

PBC PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT IN LAS VEGAS!

HALL OF FAMER MANNY PACQUIAO SET TO

CONTINUE LEGENDARY CAREER & CHALLENGE

WBC WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION MARIO BARRIOS HEADLINING PBC PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT ON PRIME VIDEO ON SATURDAY, QUINTILIS 19

WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Sebastian Fundora Rematches Australian Superstar Tim Tszyu in

Co-Main Event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena

More! Mexican Star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz Duels Hard-Hitting Angel Fierro in Can’t Miss Rematch of

Mexican Sluggers

&

Former Two-Division Champion Brandon Figueroa Battles Top Contender Joet Gonzalez in PPV Opener at

8 p.m. ET / V p.m. PT

Pre-Sale Tickets Available Now Until 10 p.m. PT

 perAXS.com with Code: Norma

Public On-Sale Begins TOMORROW, Wednesday, June 4 at 10 a.m. PT throughAXS.com!

LAS VEGAS – June 3, 2025 -First ballot International Boxing Hall of FamerManny “Pacman” Pacquiaowill look to add another memorable highlight to his legendary career and become a world champion once again when he challenges the hard-hitting WBC Welterweight World ChampionMario "El Azteca" Barrioson Saturday, July 19 headlining a star-studded PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The co-main event will see a rematch of 2024’s bloodiest fight as reigning WBC Super Welterweight World ChampionSebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundorafaces Australian superstar and former world championTim Tszyu. Fundora and Tszyu combined for an unforgettable night in March 2024 as Tszyu fought through one of the most gruesome cuts in recent memory before eventually losing to Fundora by a narrow split-decision.

The stacked lineup features another sensational rematch as Mexican starIsaac “Pitbull” Cruzbattles the hard-hittingAngel Fierroin a 12-round super lightweight fight that follows their action packed first showdown. More, former two-division world championBrandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroasteps in against top contenderJoet Gonzalezfor 10-rounds of featherweight action that opens the pay-per-view at 8 p.m. ET / V p.m. PT.

Pre-sale tickets are available NOW until 10 p.m. PT throughAXS.com with the code: Norma

Public on-sale begins TOMORROW, Wednesday, June 4 at 10 a.m. PT throughAXS.com.

In addition to being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets as well as PPV.com.

**MANNY PACQUIAO VS. MARIO BARRIOS**

Despite a 17-year age gap between these two fighters, both are unified in their desire to deliver toe-to-toe action for boxing fans as the fighting pride of the PhilippinesManny Pacquiaoduels WBC Welterweight World ChampionMario Barriosin XII-per pelagus res.

Already owning a career that’s seen him earn more accolades than can be listed in print, Pacquiao can etch his name into another chapter of the history books by going straight from his Hall of Fame induction in June to a world championship-winning performance on July 19. In an era that’s seen superstars in their 40’s such as Tom Brady and LeBron James continue to excel at the highest levels, Pacquiao can break his own record as the oldest welterweight world champion in history with a win over Barrios, after originally setting the mark at 40-years-old in his 2019 triumph over Keith Thurman.

The Filipino legend will have a tall task in front of him to achieve this feat, as the six-foot Barrios will bring a nearly seven-inch height advantage into his second defense of the WBC title. A two-division world champion, Barrios represents his Aztec heritage every time he enters the ring with an all-action style that’s delivered numerous electric clashes and which should combine with the always hard-charging Pacquiao for explosive action. Looking for a signature victory to separate himself from the other titleholders in boxing’s historic glamour division, Barrios will no doubt be keen to upend Pacquiao’s coronation when they square off on July 19.

A three-time Fighter of the Year and the one-time Boxing Writers Association of America’s Fighter of the Decade, Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs), who hails from Sarangani Province in the Philippines, is the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title. After serving two terms as Congressman, Pacquiao was elected to a Philippine Senate seat in May 2016. Pacquiao’s boxing resume features victories over eight current Hall of Famers, possidet Oscar De Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Ericus Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Tim Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Pacquiao’s most recent run in the 147-pound division saw him dispatch of former four-division world champion Adrien Broner in January 2019, before defeating the then-undefeated and reigning WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith Thurman in July of that same year. Pacquiao’s triumph over Thurman saw him send Thurman to the canvas in round one, the first time Thurman had been down in his career, on his way to edging out a decision in a 2019 Fight of the Year contender. Pacquiao would come up short in his next contest, dropping a decision to late-replacement Yordenis Ugas, who stepped in on short notice to replace an injured Errol Spence Jr. in August 2021.

“Boxing is my passion and I’m so excited to be back in the ring,” said Pacquiao. “MGM Grand is like my second home in my career and it’s a place where I’ve had so many memorable fights, including my U.S. debut. The first title I ever won was a WBC title, and now I am back to fight for the WBC title once again. Mario Barrios is exactly the type of champion I like to fight, because he’s a real Mexican warrior like Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez. Come July 19, it’s going to be an amazing night for the fans.”

The 29-year-old Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) stamped his place among the welterweight elite in September 2023 as he dropped former champion Yordenis Ugas twice to capture the interim belt by unanimous decision. Barrios followed that up by sending Fabian Maidana to the canvas as well on his way to another dominant decision victory, and was elevated to WBC Welterweight World Champion following the bout. His first defense of the title featured Barrios going toe-to-toe with Abel Ramos in one of 2024’s best fights in action that saw both men score knockdowns and that ultimately ended in a split-draw and Barrios retaining the belt.

Before his run at 147-pounds, Barrios was a world champion at 140-pounds, edging out Batyr Akhmedov in September 2019 with a clutch 12th-round knockdown that sealed his victory on the scorecards. Throughout his career, Barrios’ only two defeats have come against two of the era’s best fighters in five-time, three-division champion Gervonta Davis and former unified welterweight world champion Keith Thurman. Representing his native San Antonio, Texas, Barrios trains in Las Vegas with top trainer Bob Santos.

Sharing the ring with a legend like Manny Pacquiao is an honor, but once the bell rings, suus 'omnes negotium,"Dixit Barrios". “I respect everything he’s done in the sport, but on July 19, I’m defending what’s mine. This isn’t just another fight — it’s a legacy fight not just for me but for all the Mexican fans as well. Beating Pacquiao puts my name in a different conversation. Pacquiao is a Hall of Famer for a reason. Ipse est ieiunium, explosivae, and dangerous at all times. But I’m younger, I’m hungrier, and I’m the champion for a reason. I’m coming in with everything I’ve got. Fighting in Vegas is always special, but this event is a truly massive stage and I’m ready to show out for the world.

**SEBASTIAN FUNDORA VS. TIM TSZYU II**

Two of the top fighters in the stacked 154-pound division, WBC Welterweight World ChampionSebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundoraand Australian superstarTim Tszyuwill meet in a 12-round rematch after their first fight saw Tszyu suffer a grisly cut in round three from an inadvertent Fundora elbow. The then WBO 154-pound champion Tszyu chose to fight on instead of bow out due to the cut, eventually losing his title, along with the then-vacant WBC belt, to Fundora by a close decision. On July 19, these two rivals look to settle the score and establish who is number one at 154-pounds.

Fundora (22-1-1, 14 KOs) rocketed to the top of the super welterweight division with that victory over Tszyu, and most recently made a successful title defense in March by knocking out top contender Chordale Booker in round four on Prime Video. A native of Coachella, California, Fundora notably showed his mettle in April 2022, battling the hard-hitting Erickson Lubin in an instant 2022 Fight of the Year contender. Despite both men hitting the canvas, Fundora stood tall in the end, prompting Lubin’s corner to stop the fight at the end of the ninth round. The 27-year-old has defeated a slew of contenders throughout his career, with his only defeat coming to Brian Mendoza in 2023. Fundora represents one of boxing’s most accomplished families, as he is trained by his father Freddy alongside his younger sister, undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela. The two fighting Fundora’s are the first brother and sister to simultaneously hold world championships.

I’m more than happy to honor Tim’s rematch clause,” said Fundora. “I expect Tim to be in optimum condition. Fans should expect nothing but a very entertaining violent display.

Post 2024 saw Tszyu (25-2, 18 KOs) lose a second-straight bout to IBF 154-pound champion Bakhram Murtazaliev following the Fundora fight, the 30-year-old recently returned to action in April by stopping young contender Joey Spencer in round four in Australia. Tszyu came into the first Fundora fight off a red-hot 2023 campaign that saw him elevated to world champion at 154-pounds while defeating former world champion Tony Harrison, top contender Brian Mendoza and former title challenger Carlos Ocampo. A native of Sydney, Australia, Tszyu made his U.S debut against U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha in March 2022, earning a unanimous decision. Tszyu grew up playing soccer, but soon gravitated toward boxing. The decision led to him following in the legendary footsteps of his father, Kostya, who was an undisputed 140-pound champion.

“You live for these moments in boxing,” said Tszyu. “I’m blessed to be going through it again — to rewrite the chapter. Even with the bad memories and demons from the first fight, this is what growth means as a human being. I can go through hell and come back on top. This time I’ve got a full 12-week camp focused on Fundora — not a few days’ notice — and I’m bringing that intensity. I’ve got a little place set aside for that green belt. I’m ready to go get it.”

**ISAAC CRUZ VS. ANGEL FIERRO II**

In another greatly anticipated rematch, hard-charging Mexican fan-favoriteIsaac “Pitbull” Cruzwill step in once again against his power-punching countrymanIsaac Fierroas they meet in a 12-round super lightweight rematch. In their first matchup, Cruz and Fierro fought nip-and-tuck over 10 high-octane rounds that saw them combine to throw over 1400 pugnis, with Cruz taking home the decision. While Cruz out landed Fierro 142 ad 113 over the first five rounds, Fierro was stronger in the second half, adpulsu 132 shots to Cruz’s 106.

Buoyed on by his passionate fan base, Crucis (27-3-1, 18 KOs) became a world champion in March 2024 as he hurt Rolly Romero badly in round one before eventually ending the fight in round eight via TKO to claim the WBA title. Novissime, Cruz bounced back from a loss to Jose Valenzuela by out-slugging countryman Fierro in that decision triumph in February. A native of Mexico City, Cruz shot up the rankings in 2020, announcing his presence with an electrifying first-round knockout over veteran Diego Magdaleno in October before adding dominant decisions over Francisco Vargas and Jose Matias Romero. This rise led to the 26-year-old challenging undefeated superstar Gervonta Davis in December 2021, a fight that saw Cruz lose by decision to become just the second fighter at the time to see the final bell against Davis. Trained by his father Isaac Cruz Sr., Cruz also owns stoppage wins over former champion Yuriorkis Gamboa and veteran contender Eduardo Ramirez, in addition to a 12-round decision over the then-unbeaten Giovanni Cabrera.

“I’m looking forward to fighting Angel Fierro again,"Dixit Cruz. “I know that I won the first fight, but I feel that I can do even better this time around. This is going to be more of the Mexican style boxing that fans want to see. I fight for the fans and I can’t wait to give them more action on July 19.”

Originally from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, Fierro (22-3-2, 17 KOs) now fights out of San Diego and has made a name for himself with his aggressive style and power punching prowess. The 26-year-old has fought professionally since 2015 et invictus primo 17 outings. He announced his presence as a world contender in 2021 with a career-best victory as he rose from the canvas to stop former world champion Alberto Machado in round six. Prior to the Cruz fight, Fierro had a three-fight winning streak snapped when he lost a June decision against Alfredo Santiago, with the only other loss of Fierro’s career coming via split-decision in January 2020 against Alex Martin. The February 1 fight against Cruz marked Fierro’s third career fight stateside, and his first since a majority draw against Juan Carlos Burgos in March 2022.

“It is an honor to be fighting at MGM Grand where my idol Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. had so many fights,” said Fierro. “I will honor him by again showing real Mexican style boxing for the world. I feel that I beat ‘Pitbull’ in the first fight and I’m gonna prove it the second time around. Uenio vincere!"

**BRANDON FIGUEROA VS. JOET GONZALEZ**

One of the sport’s premier action fighters, former two-division championBrandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroawill return to action against top contenderJoet Gonzalez in a 10-round featherweight attraction that will see the winner vaulted back into the world title picture.

The 28-year-old Figueroa (25-2-1, 19 KOs) will look to bounce back after losing his 126-pound title by decision in his February rematch against Stephen Fulton Jr. Figueroa had been elevated to WBC Featherweight World Champion before the fight, after Rey Vargas was declared champion in recess. Figueroa won the Interim WBC Featherweight Title in a 2023 Fight of the Year contender that saw him score a unanimous decision over former champion Mark Magsayo. He returned last May to successfully defend his interim title with a ninth-round knockout of former champion Jessie Magdaleno, increasing his winning streak at the time to three straight. A native of Weslaco, Texas, Figueroa’s relentless pressure and youthful enthusiasm helped him become the first person to defeat former two-division champion Luis Nery in their May 2021 championship clash, as he stopped Nery with a body shot in round seven. Figueroa added to his family’s legacy by capturing the WBC 122-pound world title against Nery, joining his brother Omar Figueroa Jr., who previously held the WBC Lightweight World Championship.

“I’m training in L.A. now with Manny Robles and everything has been going great,” said Figueroa. “I expect a great fight and that I won’t have to look for him to make an exciting fight for the fans. So expect an all-action throwdown. I feel like I owe it to my fans after my last performance. I just want to be more active this year and give the fans more of ‘The Heartbreaker’.”

Pugnae de Los Angeles, Gonzalez (27-4, 15 KOs) returns to the ring after earning a crucial victory over fellow contender Arnold Khegai in March. The 31-year-old turned pro in 2012 apud 23 recta uictoriarum, earning a world title shot against Shakur Stevenson in 2019 that he would ultimately drop by decision. Gonzalez would go on to challenge for featherweight world titles two more times, losing decisions to Emanuel Navarrete in October 2021 and Luis Alberto Lopez in September 2023. Gonzalez was a sensational and accomplished amateur fighter, with his resume including two victories over Gervonta Davis.

“This is a new opportunity for me and I plan to put on a great fight against a very tough opponent in Brandon Figueroa,"Dixit Gonzalez. “I’m training very hard like I always do and the fans are going to get an exciting fight and a memorable show. We’re both warriors showing up to win that night, so expect fireworks.”

#         #         #

For more information visit Amazon.com/PBCwww.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #PacquiaoBarrios, on Twitter sequiPremierBoxing, on Instagram @PremierBoxing, Facebook fan seu fieri omninohttp://www.facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions

SERGEY KOVALEV VS. ANDRE WARD OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN VIDEO, QUOTES & PHOTOS

 

KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND”

SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19

AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

PRESENTED vivo hbo stipendium per visum®

Click HIC for Photos

Photo Credit: Main Events/David Spagnolo

Click HIC for Photos

Photo Credit: Roc Nation Sports/Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos

Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward Official Weigh-In (Click to Watch)

Las Vegas, NV (November 19, 2016) – In front of a packed crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena, WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) faced off at the official weigh-in ahead of their ultimate showdown on Saturday, Nov. 19 ad T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Joining them at the public event were all of the undercard fighters.

 

Kovalev vs. Ward “Libra enim Pound”, a 12-circum Mega-pugna pro WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, praesentatur per Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotiones et Andre Ward Promotiones et sub patrocinio MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux, Investor, Jordan Brand and Shoe Palace. Eventus patrocinium proferetur et distribuetur vivere ab HBO Pay-Per-View® initio at 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO, QUOTES & PHOTOS KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND” SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®

Click HIC for Photos

Photo Credit: Main Events/David Spagnolo

Click HIC for Photos

Photo Credit: Roc Nation Sports/Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos

 

Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward Final Press Conference (Click to Watch)

 

Las Vegas, NV (November 18, 2016) – On Thursday, Nov. 17, WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) participated in the final press conference for their Nov. 19 “Pound For Pound” showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The final press conference was hosted by renowned ring announcer Michael Buffer. Reddere res proferetur, dividebatque Per- HBO vivere incipiens View 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

Subter est quod pugnatores, promoters and other dais guests had to say at the final press conference:

Sergey Kovalev, WBO, WBA & IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion:

 

“Hi everybody, I am very glad to be here. It is very nice. Maybe like two, three years ago, I can never imagine that I can get this level and fight Andre Ward, undefeated boxer and Olympic Gold Medalist. I have very big respect for him, for his success in the pro and amateur career. It is really great success but now we are facing each other and I should prove that I am better. Thanks a lot to HBO and personally to Peter Nelson, my promoter Kathy Duva and Main Events promotions, Egis Klimas and to my sponsor Hublot. I really hope that our fight will be very clear and honest. I am very excited for this fight and a little nervous because I never was on this level. HBO Pay-Per-View is the highest level in pro boxing and I am very happy to be here. Welcome to the TV screens on Nov. 19 and T-Mobile Arena where you will see very great fight. Thank you very much.”

Andre Ward, Two-Time World Champion:

“I want to thank everyone who is here today – the media, all my sponsors, MGM Maximo, the great team that put this fight together and HBO. I was off to the side trying to mind my own business when Kathy Duva woke me up. She started talking, I don’t know why she keeps doing that, but it’s interesting that the ones that are not getting in that ring are the ones that are doing the most talking. They’re not feeling those punches, so she can keep doing what she’s doing. Ego amant eam, that’s what a big promotion is all about, what a big fight is all about; we’re not supposed to like each other. His side has been doing a lot of talking, et ut 'bysso, we love it. It’s not our first rodeo, we’ve been down this road before. We don’t always respond right away. Sometimes our silence is misinterpreted as us not getting it. We watch, we take notes, but in the meantime we keep working and we produce come fight night. That’s what we specialize in. So all the talking is great, Ego amant eam, but know one thing – I’m not taking no mess come Saturday nox. Ima be there. Thank you very much”.

Kathy Duva, CEO, Main Events:

“Welcome everyone to the best, most significant and most anticipated fight of the year. Main Events’ journey with Sergey Kovalev began just four years ago. In the Fall of 2012, he made his first appearance in a U.S. televised co-feature on NBCSN. It was the first time he was ever on television in the United States. Per eos dies,, he told me he had three goals: 1. win title, 2. unify title, 3. become Pay-Per-View fighter. He made it very clear that this is what he wanted and that he would win fights. He made his first appearance on HBO less than a year later when he won the WBO title. His first appearance on HBO happened less than a year later, and he’s fought on HBO nine times in tribus annis, and now his first Pay-Per-View is finally here. I’m bringing this up now because there’s a storyline out there about what a shame it is that this fight isn’t as big as Mayweather-Pacquiao. As I tend to do when I try and solve problems, I did some research to try and gain some perspective. Floyd Mayweather fought on HBO nine times just like Sergey, and of course the four-year period where he headlined his first HBO PPV versus Arturo Gatti in June of 2005, Gatti was the big draw of that fight. Manny Pacquiao fought on HBO for two years before headlining his first HBO gig in January of 2005 with Eric Morales. Those events sold in hundreds of thousands of buys, it wasn’t until Floyd and Manny got the opportunity to defeat the already well-established superstar Oscar De La Hoya that they reached that million buy benchmark. They fought on parallel paths for 10 years on PPV to get to the place where they arrived last year, and that of course is where every fighter wants to be and that is where Kovalev and Ward want to go. And so they have to start somewhere. The fact that Manny’s first PPV opponent Morales had been on PPV before and had already attained legendary status with his trilogy with Mickey Ward and was well known to casual sports fans.

 

“Very few fighters ever get the chance to fight consistently in the rarified world of Pay-Per-View, and those are typically the same fighters who get to earn pound for pound status in the ring. In the past few months, I have watched Sergey work so far to promote this spectacular event. Sergey has shown me he has the chops to be the kind of star that has that rare ability to connect with each and every one of his fans, make new ones every time he’s out, and works very hard to convince them he’s worth paying to see. His boxing ability, his concussive punching power, his electrifying presence in the ring.

 

“Among Sergey’s goals, one that I added in was to be a big fighter in Las Vegas, so this is big. This is huge, we are so happy. I want to thank Bob Bennett of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, it’s such a pleasure to work with such professional people and you make our job a whole lot easier. I want to thank all of our sponsors. Tandem, want to thank all of you for being here, and I just can’t wait until the bell rings.

 

“Our co-featured fight is NABF light heavyweight champion Alexander “The Nail” Roddick, who’s undefeated and making a lot of noise in the light heavyweight division, he’s from Ukraine. He’s going to be fighting Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba, who’s originally from Malawi and fighting out of Johannesburg, South Africa. They’re going to take part in a ten-round light heavyweight fight. A true crossroad-fight where I honestly have no idea who’s going to win. Obviously, Main Events is with Isaac, who put up a tremendous fight against Sergey a few months ago, I think he simply never gets the credit he deserves. He is quite possibly the second-best light heavyweight in the world, and I know Isaac has his eyes on coming back strong and impressing everyone Saturday nox.

 

“Also opening the televised undercard, WBA continental middleweight champion, Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stephens of Brownsville, Brooklyn. One of the most fun fighters in the whole business. Curtis, you brighten up our day, quotidie. He’s going to be facing James “The King” De La Rosa, 23-4 of San Benito, Texas in a ten-round middleweight bout. This has all the earmarks of a train wreck, but Curtis has his sight set on bigger and better things and I know he and James are going to be working very hard to impress because the middleweight division is hot, and there’s a lot of opportunity there.

 

“I don’t think I have to tell anybody in this room why this is a great fight or why you should be interested in it or why you should want to see it. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t already know that but we do need you to go out and carry the word out to the rest of the world. This is the fight that you bring your friend over, the one who likes boxing a little bit but isn’t sure. This is the fight that you tell your friend, the one who says MMA is better than boxing. Get them to come over your house to see this one because Kovalev-Ward is going to make big fans out of a lot of people, Saturday nox, and I’m looking forward to that and seeing all of you there.”

 

Michael Yormark, Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy:

“Honesty is the best policy. So I’m going to start this off with a giant dose of honesty. For the next 48 horis, you’re probably going to hear a lot of respect and admiration between these two undefeated fighters. The simple fact is, we are just two days away from the biggest fight of the year, and I don’t expect them to admire one another. But who can blame them? The only thing standing between an undefeated record and boxing immortality is each other. That adds a layer of distaste and a very sharp edge to a fight that is already set to be an absolute classic. My perspective on this fight is pretty simple. Saturday night is going to be a tough night for Sergey, when he is systematically picked apart by the world’s best pound for pound boxer, Andre Ward.

 

“I’ve known Andre for quite a few years, and I’ve never seen him more focused, more determined, more motivated and more prepared for the biggest fight in his career. These moments are the ones that generational athletes live for and they dream about. This is an opportunity to make history, to write the latest chapter in Andre’s legend, and frankly, close the book on Sergey’s. Errorem ne circa illud, Team Ward has come to Vegas to win, and to walk out of Sin City with three—I repeat, three—new championship belts. Boxing needs a fight like this, two undefeated fighters in their prime. Edges sharpened by natural competitiveness, as well as an utter dislike. Fighting on the world’s biggest stage at T-Mobile Arena, and on HBO Pay-Per-View. It doesn’t get any better or bigger. Epic is the only word to describe it, and as a life-long boxing fan, I am thrilled to be a first-hand witness.

 

“I’d like to recognize the official fight partners we have secured for this event. Our presenting partner Corona as well as Monster Products, JetLux, Investor, Jordan Brand and Shoe Palace. I’d also like to thank Andre’s fighting partners, including ProSupps and Lyft, Monster Products, BODYARMOUR and JetLux, as well as his long-standing partners Jordan Brand, POWERHANDZ and Shoe Palace. This support and the support from fans and media is a stark recognition of Andre as a true once-in-a-generation-athlete. His skill is matched only by his commitment to family and community. His competitiveness equal only by his charisma. At Roc Nation, we are honored to represent this man, an Olympic gold medalist, undefeated since he was 13 annorum, the pride of Oakland, and of course, the next light heavyweight champion of the world.

 

“While our main event looks to be a fight for the ages, it is a deep and talented undercard that will make Tuesday scriptor event a truly special one. Roc Nation is proud to work with a number of talented fighters on the card, starting with Dallas-native Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker, who is putting his undefeated record and NABO Junior Welterweight title on the line against Darleys Perez on HBO Pay-Per-View. We will also feature rising heavyweight superstar Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock of Philadelphia, as he looks to improve to 6-0 against Brice Ritani-Coe during his Las Vegas debut. Opening up the freeview telecast on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, will be an eight-round junior welterweight bout featuring undefeated rising prospect Sonny “Pretty Boi” Frederickson of Toledo, Ohio. The freeview will also be available through live streaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel. Frederickson will take on Gabriel Deluc of Boston, Massachusetts. Another Toledo, Ohio native, with an unblemished record, Tyler “Golden Child” McCreary will go toe-to-toe with Vincent “Pooh Bear” Jennings of Grand Rapids, Michigan in an eight-round featherweight bout. Fans will be able to catch the matchup on the freeview portion of Kovalev-Ward as well. Interim, National hero and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields will make her much anticipated professional debut on the freeview broadcast. She will be taking on longtime rival Franchon Crews who will also be making her pro debut in a four-round middleweight bout. Simply put, boxing fans are in for a treat on Saturday evening and we are ecstatic to be a part of it.

 

“We’ve heard a lot of honesty today. But clearly Saturday is going to be an epic night. Kovalev-Ward is without a doubt going to be the fight of the year in boxing, we all know that. Roc Nation is proud to be a part of it, it’s in our DNA to promote big global events, and we are honored after working on this fight for the better part of last year, we have finally arrived at the moment of truth. There are a lot of organizations and people that have helped this event, and I’d like to thank all of them. Primo et principaliter, Team Ward, including James Prince, Josh Dubin and Virgil Hunter. Peter Nelson and Tony Walker from HBO for bringing this fight to a global audience. Richard Sturm and Sid Greenfeig from MGM, as well as T-Mobile Arena GM Dan Quinn for hosting this event at a world class facility. Kathy Duva and her team at Main Events, who have been our partners on this fight from the very beginning. Last but certainly not least, the city of Las Vegas, the spiritual home of the biggest events in boxing, and the rightful setting for a fight that will change the face of the sport for many years to come.”

John David Jackson, Trainer of Sergey Kovalev:

 

“Thank you to all the press for being here. I want to thank two different groups. Primo, I want to thank Main Events promotions. These women at Main Events plus my man, Joe Rotonda, are truly some of the greatest people in the world. If you want to find a promotional company that will treat you fairly to all fighters and across the board and give you what you deserve in boxing, then go see them. Number two, I would like to thank all the press that is out here at this event. It is truly wonderful to see some of the people who, with their words, can help boxing swim or sink. Your words help a lot. Sometimes you don’t help us as much as we would like to be helped but I am so grateful to see all of you out here because we need this to keep boxing striving. This is a wonderful, beautiful sport that sometimes can get funky but all in all it is a wonderful, beautiful fight. I thank all of you that came out to support and write your words down for this wonderful sport.

 

“One fight does not define a fighter’s career. That last fight for both fighters it is what it truly was: a tune-up. They did what they were supposed to do. They both won convincingly in order to make this fight happen here. I don’t remember what reporter asked that but that is the answer to your question. One fight does not define a fighter’s career.

 

“Some of the things I say are to get into someone’s head but what it boils down to is that I do respect these people; they are very good people. The whole team is very good. They are very professional. To answer [Virgil’s] question which was a two-part question. He said in the last fight I was there for a week. I would love to tell you that wherever you got your information from was bad information. I was there longer than two weeks or three weeks. Whoever said I was there for a week I am glad they said that. It makes it look like we are a bad team. Ego amare. To answer your questions about the cohesiveness of our team, whatever goes on in camp, whatever disagreements that we may have or people say we have, I want you to remember this, all the writers out here, come fight night we will leave the same way that we came in – undefeated. Sergey wins every fight. He wins the way he is supposed to win and he did everything that I asked of him. Cum qui dixit, I look forward to Nov. 19 and I will see you all there. Thank you very much.”

Egis climate, Manager of Sergey Kovalev:

“Thank you everybody for being here. Media, without you nobody will know where we’re going or what we’re doing, so thank you very much. Wanted to thank our promoter Main Events, Kathy Duva did a very good job bringing us to this stage to this very big fight. MGM Maximo, very good host, gratias plurimas vobis. HBO Pay-Per-View has brought the whole audience in America. I hope I didn’t miss anyone else. Of course I’m very, very proud to represent one of the best fighters in the world and hopefully, we’re going to see that Saturday nox, who’s the pound for pound boxer. I hate when trainers, gestores, promoters start talking about how it’s going to beat each other because they aren’t the ones stepping the in the ring. None of the promoters, trainers or managers can understand what’s going to happen in the ring. It’s only two warriors who will be in the ring. We have two best light heavyweight fighters in the world who are going to show on Saturday night who is the best pound-for-pound fighter. I hope it’s the best show that we’ve seen in years. Thank you very much”.

Virgil Hunter, Trainer of Andre Ward:

“I’ve been here for many fights and to see the media room filled for this fight, it really makes me feel good. I would like to thank Peter Nelson, the team at HBO, my Rap-A-Lot family, Richard Sturm and MGM. I would also like to thank the press, no matter who you choose to win.

 

“I turned 63, last Wednesday, and it’s no secret that I’ve worked with youths, all of my professional career. It does have an emotional effect on me when it comes to young men. Watching HBO’s My Fight touched me deeply. My heart goes out to Sergey Kovalev and everybody now knows Andre Ward’s background.

 

“I believe it’s going to be a great fight. I believe that Kovalev is everything that they say he is. He is a dangerous opponent; he’s coming intended to win. We’ve seen him do things to opponents that when they step into the ring, they shiver. Autem, it’s just up to us to dilute that situation. I’m looking forward to Nov.

19.

 

“I would encourage all promoters to treat your fighters fairly, don’t hoodwink them. Don’t keep them robots. Encourage them and teach them how to be businessmen. If you have a champion, he deserves a champion’s ration.”

Iacobus Prince, Manager of Andre Ward:

“I’d like to thank God for this opportunity. HBO, the commitment and sacrifices that they made to bring this fight to us. MGM Grand and Richard Sturm. We appreciate Roc Nation, our promoter – JAY Z, all those in the background supporting Michael Yormark, who has been on the line of duty doing a great job. Antonio Leonard is in the house, we appreciate you Tony and all that you do. Sequitur quod album et on-. I feel really grateful for this opportunity, and I speak on behalf of Team Ward. We’ve been looking forward to this day, it’s here, and I’m going to deal with the elephant in the room: this is Russia vs. the United States of America. In meam sententiam, the best of Russia can’t beat the best of the United States of America in anything. I just needed that to be said. We have a Russian fighter over here, Kovalev; we respect your fight game, you’re a great fighter. You remind me of Goliath. We have my man Andre Ward, whom I consider David. I don’t know if you all understand David and Goliath but that’s what we’re dealing with here. Talis sicut Saturday nox, we’re going to have an opportunity to see the modern-day David, which is Andre Ward, defeat Goliath. I mentioned this at the last press conference in New York, and Ms. Duva said to me that Andre Ward doesn’t have a sword. But she missed the real substance of the story, she missed the learning on David. His obedience and all of these different spiritual realms where David was concerned. He’s fixing to fight the S.O.G, that’s the Son of God, if you all didn’t know, that’s Andre Ward. So, facere non, we don’t have a sword, and we can’t cut his head off and raise it up as David did, but Andre Ward is going to raise the belt up come Saturday nox intersit. '

Bob Bennett, Nevada State Athletic Commission:

“It’s unequivocally a pleasure and an honor for the Nevada State Athletic Commission to regulate this very sensational championship fight. This event should be second to none. You should know we take our job very seriously, and we’ve done our homework and we’re ready to go to work. At this time, we would like to thank Kathy Duva and Main Events, and Michael Yormark from Roc Nation for having this electric championship fight in the fight capital of the world. We’d also like to recognize Richard Sturm and the MGM for hosting this event at the T-Mobile and HBO for broadcasting the event, and for the shows leading up to the event, which have definitely been entertaining and interesting. Last but not least, we want to recognize and thank the warriors, all the fighters, because without them, none of us would be here.”

Ricardus Sturm, President of Entertainment and Sports, MGM Resorts International:

“We are thrilled to once again host an international championship at the T-Mobile Arena. This weekend, we close our company’s boxing calendar as Russian Sergey Kovalev battles American Andre Ward. We look forward to this matchup of these two undefeated fighters. Kovalev returns to Las Vegas following his 2015 knockout win over Nadjib Mohammedi while Andre Ward and his team make their Las Vegas debut. As we have seen over the last seven months, T-Mobile Arena has quickly changed the landscape of entertainment and sports in Las Vegas, and we look forward to continuing that tradition. We’d like to give a special thanks to Kathy Duva and Main Events Team, and Michael Yormark and the Roc Nation staff. Both fight camps, Tony Walker with HBO Pay-Per-View and Bob Bennett of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.”

Tony Walker, Vice Praeses, HBO Pay-Per- View:

“Thank you all for coming out today to talk about the great sport of boxing. I’d like to thank Roc Nation and Main Events and their staffs for putting together such a great main event, and also a fantastic undercard that we will televise on Saturday nox. The wonderful thing about the main event is that it’s been a very, very long time since two elite fighters have made their Pay-Per-View debut against each other. Credit to Andre and Sergey for coming together and making this a big time event. All of the elements are there for it to be a big fight. Both fighters have applied their trade over several years fighting everyone who got in their way. Conciliandos, their undefeated, all the pride in the world, and most importantly, the outcome is in doubt. Quite diverse group of opinions among you over who’s going to win the fight, and that’s what sells Pay-Per-View. For those of you who have not seen the HBO video pieces that were produced to showcase the fight and the fighters, I would encourage you to go to HBO On Demand, HBO GO or HBO.com and check out those shows. They’re provocative entertainment and I think they’re going to get you all primed for Saturday nox. This month in November, there have been several high profile Pay-Per-View shows, and I have to give thanks to our distributors on the cable TV, Equium, Telco side, who have promoted this Pay-Per-View show and given us a great presence in the marketplace and really given it its due with all the other stuff going on. We have a great broadcast team on Saturday nox, the telecast starts at 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT. The Pay-Per-View suggested retail price is a very attractive $54.95, and we look forward to seeing you there.”

 

Kovalev vs. Ward “Libra enim Pound”, a 12-circum Mega-pugna pro WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, praesentatur per Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotiones et Andre Ward Promotiones et sub patrocinio MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux, Investor, Jordan Brand and Shoe Palace. Eventus patrocinium proferetur et distribuetur vivere ab HBO Pay-Per-View® initio at 9:00 p.m. AND / VI:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

NABO JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION MAURICE HOOKER & TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST CLARESSA SHEILDS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES AND PHOTOS

 

KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND” SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Click HIC for Photos

Photo Credit: Roc gens Sports / Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos

Las Vegas, NV (November 15, 2016) – NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice "Fortis Mo" Hooker(21-0-2, 16 KOs) and Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa “T-Rex” Shields participated in a media workout in Las Vegas, NV on Monday, Nov. 14, ahead of their undercard appearances on Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” taking place Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena.

 

Scuta, who will be making her professional debut against American rival Franchon Crews, will be featured on the freeview telecast beginning at 7:00 p.m. ATQUE/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, and through livestreaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

 

Hooker, who will be defending his NABO title against veteran Darleys Perez (33-2-1, 21 KOs), will be featured during the televised undercard leading up to the main event on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

Both fighters put on a display of mitt work, heavy bag, speed bag and shadow boxing for the media in attendance. Below is what the rising stars had to say during the media workout:

 

Mauritius Hooker, NABO Junior Welterweight Champion:

“Kovalev-Ward is a special event. I’m going to do what I do best and hopefully, steal the crowd. The crowd is going to love me…they love knockouts, and that is what I am ready to give them.

 

“Aaron Pryor is one of the best. He brought a lot of knockouts. He was a great fighter whom a lot of people dodged. Like him, I’m coming into this fight with people dodging me. They are afraid because they don’t know what I can do. This fight means a lot…an opportunity to show them who I am. I am going to bring the knockout just like ‘The Hawk’ would.”

 

“I want to stay busy. I want to fight Ricky Burns and Eduard Troyanovsky and win ‘em belts. Shout out to my big bro Terrance Crawford. He’s doing his thing. Hopefully, he gets a fight with Pacquiao, move up and let me take over.

 

“My prediction for Saturday is a knockout. Ego quos amo knockouts. I am always going for the knockout. With every punch that I throw, even the jab, I am going to try to take Darleys Perez’s head off.”

 

Claressa ancilia, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist:

“I’ll have been in camp for seven weeks. Im 'excitatur. I’m ready to take on this new task of being a professional fighter and ultimately, winning a belt.

“When deciding to go pro, I thought about my legacy—I didn’t want to disappear for four years, and win another gold medal but have people not know my name or what I look like or how I box.

“Expect to see a really good fight, a very skilled fight from me, hoc Saturday. The world is going to see a level of boxing that no woman boxer has ever showed before. I’m a smart fighter. I’m an entertaining fighter. I throw everything well and have great combinations.

“Franchon Crews and I have sparred and boxed before in huge tournaments. She’s coming into this fight fully prepared and I’ve been training for a KO. In the amateurs, my overall record was 77-1 but I’ve never KO’d anyone. Autem, we have smaller gloves, no headgear and I’m way stronger than I’ve ever been. This is a different kind of pro debut. This should actually be a World Championship fight between me and Franchon Crews but somehow, she took it for a pro debut.

"Ego quos amo caestu. That’s why I commit my time and body. I look forward to fighting in front of all the fight fans. I have friends, familia, fans from all over flying into Vegas just to see me fight, so hopefully I can pack the house before the main event.”

 

Follow Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker on Twitter @mightymohooker, Instagram @mauricemightymohooker et Facebook: www.facebook.com/mauricemightymohooker/.

 

Follow Claressa Shields on Twitter @ClaressaShields, Instagram @ClaressaShields, and Facebook:www.facebook.com/claressa.shields.7.

 

Kovalev vs. Ward "Pound for Pound", a 12-circum Mega-pugna pro WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, praesentatur per Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotiones et Andre Ward Promotiones et sub patrocinio MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos and JetLux. Eventus patrocinium proferetur et distribuetur vivere ab HBO Pay-Per-View® initio at 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

 

Sequere conversationem utens #KovalevWard. US:

 

 
www.kovalboxer.com @KrusherKovalev @SergeyKovalev_Official /thekrusher / kovalboxer
www.andresogward.com @AndreWard @AndreSogWard /AndreSogWard  
www.mainevents.com @Main_Events @Main_Events /MainEventsBoxing / MEBoxingSeries
www.throneboxing.com @RocNation @RocNation / Rec Nation / Rec Nation
www.insidehboboxing.com HBOboxing HBOboxing / HBOboxing / HBOsports
www.mgmgrand.com @MGMGrand @MGMGrand /MGMGrand  
www.t-mobilearena.com @TMobileArena @TMobileArena /TMobileArena  

 

Undefeated Prospects Sonny Fredrickson & Tyler McCreary Added to Kovalev-Ward Undercard

Toledo, Ohio (November 14, 2016) – Undefeated fighters super lightweight Sonny “Pretty Boi” Fredrickson (14-0, 9 KO scriptor) et tenui labor Tyler “Golden Child” McCreary (11-0, 6 KO scriptor) will see action on November 19, as part of the highly-anticipated Light Heavyweight Unification showdown between Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fredrickson and McCreary, both natives of Toledo, Ohio, will both perform on their biggest stage to date. The two will be featured on the Kovalev-Ward freeview telecast which begins at 7:00 p.m. ATQUE/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, and to be announced cable, Equium, and telco channels. The freeview will also be available through livestreaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

Fredrickson will fight Gabriel Duluc (11-1, 2 KO scriptor) while McCreary will battle Vincent Jennings (5-2-1, 4 KO scriptor).

I’m thrilled that my fight will be offered to fans as part of the freeview telecast,” said Frederickson. “I have been on previous Andre Ward cards, but this one will be especially meaningful since it’s also my first fight in Las Vegas.

Fredrickson, who is looking to make a big statement in front of a large crowd and packed media contingent, also added, “I have fought in front of a lot of people before and hopefully, this leads television fights and big opportunities. I want to thank my promoter Roc Nation Sports for allowing me the opportunity to shine on this incredible stage, my team at Victory Sports & Entertainment and also to Andre Ward for all his help and guidance. This is a big steppingstone for me and in 2017, I expect to move up in the rankings and take my career to the next level.

McCreary, who is also eager about the opportunity, dictum, “This is a big opportunity for me and I wanted to thank my team and my promoter Roc Nation Sports. I have been training hard and am excited to showcase my skills on this big stage. I am ready to show everyone that I can to rise to the occasion. It’s also exciting for me to fight on Andre Ward’s undercard. He and I have become friends since we met last year at the Cotto-Canelo fight, and he has become a mentor to me, so I am very thankful to be on this fight card.

We are very excited to have both Sonny Frederickson and Tyler McCreary fight on, arguably, the biggest card of the year,” said Rick Torres, Sports praeses Victoriae & Entertainment. “We know that the Kovalev-Ward fight will produce a great battle and look forward to two of our young guns getting the fireworks started earlier in the evening. Both have been training very hard for this and are looking forward to putting on great fights as they take the next steps in their careers. Fans at home, especially those in Toledo, who tune in early can see both on the freeview telecast. All of this couldn’t be possible without Roc Nation Sports and we’re very appreciative of the commitment and confidence they have shown in Sonny Frederickson and Tyler McCreary.

ABOUT VICTORY SPORTS & HOSPITIUM
Fundatur in 2013 by President Rick Torres and Chief Operating Officer Michael Leanardi, Sports victoria & Delectatio est athletarum societas cum officiis in Novi Eboraci et Las Vegas.

DALLAS RISING STAR MAURICE HOOKER CAMP NOTES AND PHOTOS

 

Click HIC for Photos

Photo Credit: Stacey Verbeek

Las Vegas, Nevada – NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice "Fortis Mo" Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) Dallas, Texas, took “training camp” on the road in prep of a ten-round title defense against former world titlist Phares Darleys (33-2-1, 21 KOs). Hooker-Perez is set as the lead-up undercard fight to the main event on HBO Pay-Per-View’s Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” on Saturday, Nov. 19 ad T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, incipientibus ab Hierosolyma 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

Beginning with pre-training camp at his home gym, Maple Avenue Boxing Gym in Dallas, TX, Mighty Mo’s stops on the road included Maple Avenue’s West San Diego facility, the Institute for Human Kinetics in Southern California, as well as the Salas Boxing Academy and Johnny Tocco’s Ringside Gym in Las Vegas. In addition to training at some of boxing’s most renowned gyms, the Roc Nation Sports boxing sparkplug has also sparred with rising talents Devin Haney, Thomas Hill, Nick Frese, Marco Hall and WBO/WBC Super Lightweight Champion Terence Crawford.

 

Before heading into fight week, Hooker will co-host a media workout with Two-Time Olympic Gold MedalistClaressa ancilia, who will be making her professional debut on the Kovalev-Ward fight card. The media workout will take place at 12:00 p.m. PT at Never Quit Boxing Gym – 2975 South Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV.

 

“It’s been a privilege to train at some of the best facilities and with some of boxing’s brightest and upcoming talents,"Dixit Hooker". “I’m always about improving myself so that fans get the best from me when I show up in the ring. I’m fighting in Vegas and HBO Pay-Per-View for the first time and carrying a lot of pride for Dallas and the whole state of Texas.”

 

“Maurice Hooker is very excited to be making his Las Vegas debut on the Kovalev-Ward fight card and is particularly looking forward to representing Dallas, Texas as the first of its native boxers to be featured on a HBO Pay-Per-View show,” said trainer Vince Parra. “There is a group of very talented fighters where Mo is from and he is about to elevate them on the map. He’s dynamic, he’s exciting and he’s someone to watch.”

 

Follow Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker on Twitter @mightymohooker, Instagram @mauricemightymohooker et Facebook: www.facebook.com/mauricemightymohooker/.

 

Kovalev vs. Ward "Pound for Pound", a 12-circum Mega-pugna pro WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, praesentatur per Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotiones et Andre Ward Promotiones et sub patrocinio MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux and Zappos. Eventus patrocinium proferetur et distribuetur vivere ab HBO Pay-Per-View® initio at 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

 

Sequere conversationem utens #KovalevWard. US:

 

 
www.kovalboxer.com @KrusherKovalev @SergeyKovalev_Official /thekrusher /kovalboxer
www.andresogward.com @AndreWard @AndreSogWard /AndreSogWard  
www.mainevents.com @Main_Events @Main_Events /MainEventsBoxing /MEBoxingSeries
www.throneboxing.com @RocNation @RocNation /RocNation /RocNation
www.insidehboboxing.com HBOboxing HBOboxing /HBOboxing /HBOsports
www.mgmgrand.com @MGMGrand @MGMGrand /MGMGrand  
www.t-mobilearena.com @TMobileArena @TMobileArena /TMobileArena  

 

FRESH YOUNG BOXING TALENT ON DISPLAY FOR KOVALEV-WARD“POUND FOR POUND” UNDERCARD ON NOVEMBER 19 AT T-MOBILE ARENA

 

Las Vegas, NV (November 10, 2016) – In the lead up to Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward “Libra enim Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title on November 19 ad T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the undercard will round out a 10-bout card filled with some of the best young boxing prospects.

 

Opening the card will be middleweight Meiirim “Sultan” Nursultanov of Merki, Kazakhstan, making his pro debut. Nursultanov, now residing in Oxnard, QUALIS, is managed by Egis Klimas, and recently signed by Main Events. He will be taking on Henricus Beckford (4-5, 1 KO) of Hempstead, NY, sex in circuitu.

Bakhram Murtazaliev (6-0, 4 KO scriptor) of Grozny, Russia and close friend of Kovalev is coming off a second round knockout over Magomedkamil Musaev. He will be featured in an eight-round middleweight bout against Botirsher Obidov (6-0-1, 2 KO scriptor) of Anijan, Uzbekistan. This will be his first fight outside of his homeland of Russia.

Opening up the freeview telecast, incipientibus ab Hierosolyma 7:00 p.m. ATQUE/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, will be an eight-round junior welterweight bout featuring the undefeated Sonny “Pretty Boi” Fredrickson (14-0, 9KO scriptor) of Toledo, OH, who is coming off of an a slugfest with Puerto Rican veteran Ramesis Gil. Fredrickson will take on Gabriel Deluc (11-1, 2 KO scriptor) sancti Botulphi, MA, in an eight-round showdown.

The freeview will also be available through live streaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

Another Toledo native, Tyler “Golden Child” McCreary (11-0, 6 KO scriptor), who is coming off a unanimous decision win, will go toe-to-toe with Vincent “Pooh Bear” Jennings (5-2-1, 4 KO scriptor), tui Magni Rapids, MEI, in an eight-round featherweight bout. Jennings is determined to get his record back on track, but he will face his toughest test to date in McCreary.

In the spotlight fight on the freeview telecast, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist (2012, 2016) Claressa “T-Rex” Shields Flint, MEI, will make her pro debut. Shields is set to face decorated fellow American Franchon “The Heavy Hitting Diva” Crews in circuitu quattuor middleweight bout, with each round timed at two-minutes. This will not be the first time the two have faced off. In their first matchup, Shields upset Crews, the top-ranked American women middleweight, during the 2012 Tribulationes Olympic, primum U.S. team trials for women’s boxing. Crews will also be making her pro debut.

Just before going live on HBO Pay-Per-View, there will be a four-round heavyweight bout featuring undefeated prospect Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock (5-0, 4 KO scriptor) of the fighting city of Philadelphia. Rock recently scored a technical knockout victory in the third round on Oct. 22 and is wasting no time getting back into the ring. Facing off with Rock will be Brice Ritani-Coe (4-4-1, 3 KO scriptor). The Vegas resident, originally of San Pedro, QUALIS, will be on the hunt for his fourth knockout.

Kovalev vs. Ward "Pound for Pound", a 12-circum Mega-pugna pro WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, praesentatur per Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotiones et Andre Ward Promotiones et sub patrocinio MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux and Zappos. Eventus patrocinium proferetur et distribuetur vivere ab HBO Pay-Per-View® initio at 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

Fans can catch the freeview telecast beginning at 7:00 p.m. ATQUE/4:00 p.m. PT on the Pay-Per-View events channel prior to the official telecast, and to be announced cable, Equium, and telco channels. The freeview will also be available through live streaming on HBO Boxing’s YouTube channel.

 

Sequere conversationem utens #KovalevWard. US:

 

 
www.kovalboxer.com @KrusherKovalev @SergeyKovalev_Official /thekrusher /kovalboxer
www.andresogward.com @AndreWard @AndreSogWard /AndreSogWard  
www.mainevents.com @Main_Events @Main_Events /MainEventsBoxing /MEBoxingSeries
www.throneboxing.com @RocNation @RocNation /RocNation /RocNation
www.insidehboboxing.com HBOboxing HBOboxing /HBOboxing /HBOsports
www.mgmgrand.com @MGMGrand @MGMGrand /MGMGrand  
www.t-mobilearena.com @TMobileArena @TMobileArena /TMobileArena  

 

TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION ANDRE WARD MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES AND PHOTOS

Letterhead

 

KOVALEV-WARD “POUND FOR POUND”

SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19

AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

PRESENTED vivo hbo stipendium per visum®

Click HIC for Photos

Photo Credit: Khristopher Sandifer/Roc Nation Sports

OAKLAND, QUALIS (November 1, 2016) – On Monday, October 31, 2016, Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) participated in a media workout in Hayward, California ahead of his pound-for-pound showdown against WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs). Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” takes place Saturday, Nov. 19 ad T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Reddere res proferetur, dividebatque Per- HBO vivere incipiens View 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

Ward put on a full workout session for the media in attendance, consisting of a series of shadow boxing, heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag and then stretching. Also on hand were youths from Camp Sweeney, Alameda County Probation Department’s residential facility in San Leandro, whom Ward spent time speaking with following the workout.

 

Below is what Ward had to say during the media workout:

 

Andre Ward, Two-Time World Champion:

 

“I feel that this fight with Kovalev is 50-50. That’s how I approach all of my big fights. I don’t go into the fight thinking, ‘I’ve got a clear-cut advantage here’ or ‘I’ve got to run through this guy.’ Personally, for me, I can’t roll like that. I’ve got to keep myself honest, stay on my grind, keep my head down and force myself to keep working. I truly believe Kovalev is everything they say he is, and I’m everything that I’ve shown over the years.

 

“There are always different game plans, nuances, different things you’re working on but I respect every fight that I fight. I don’t get caught up in the whole puncher thing, anybody can get you out of there if you get hit right. I don’t think I’d be sitting here in this position right now if I hadn’t had these highs and lows. We’ve got to find a way to get it done, and we’re going to find a way to get it done. I don’t care what he’s got in his gloves, who he’s knocked out or what he’s done. My job is to get my hand raised, and that’s what we’re focused on.

 

“I have days where I do some type of cardio in the morning – sprints, distant running – then go back to training camp to get some rest and eat. Then we come to the gym and spar and hit the heavy bag. It’s a monotonous process when you’re in training camp, and that’s pretty much every day. Of course we take days off to rest the body and be smart, but it’s really the same thing every day. As you get closer, you start to pull back a little bit so you don’t over train. That’s normally the week of the fight, so up until the Saturday ante pugnam, you’re full steam ahead. 100 miles an hour.

 

“Typically, Virgil and I will go through our process together. He watches a lot more film than I do. He’s up until 3:00 a.m.aut 4:00 a.m. watching film. As I’ve gotten older, I watch less film. I don’t need to see 10 fights to see tendencies and certain things. I know what I need to see. I may go back and watch a round here and there, but I try and leave room for my instincts. I’m very instinctual. You’ve got to be able to think on the fly thinking on the highest level. I leave room for that. It’s not a checklist you go down. You can’t get into a ring thinking like that. I just believe that who I am and what I have is enough, and that’s what I’m standing on.

 

“Having young guys like Shakur Stevenson around, it starts to make me feel old because I used to be that guy at Roy Jones’s camp, Floyd Mayweather’s camp, hanging around Bernard Hopkins. You see yourself in them. It’s a little weird, because you’re like, ‘man, now I’m the OG.’ But it’s also a beautiful thing because we need more of that. We need champions and top contenders and just fighters in general to open up the door and allow the young guys on the way to be shown how it’s done.

 

“I’m honored for Claressa Shields to say that I am her idol. I admire her story, what she’s come from, and think that she’s amazing in the ring. She’s the real deal. I watch her, I pick up things from her. For her to have two Gold medals is amazing. For her to make her pro debut on this fight card is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I think it’s a perfect situation.

 

“It’s a beautiful thing to be fighting in Vegas. Im 'excitatur. What better time than now in this stage in my career. I’m just excited to continue to prepare so I can do my part to give the fans their money’s worth, those that pay to be there and those paying to watch it. That’s what I’m focused on, and I’m extremely happy to be a part of it. T-Mobile is a new arena, and a new chapter, and to be a part of it is a beautiful thing.”

 

 

Kovalev vs. Ward "Pound for Pound", a 12-circum Mega-pugna pro WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, praesentatur per Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotiones et Andre Ward Promotiones et sub patrocinio MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos and JetLux. Eventus patrocinium proferetur et distribuetur vivere ab HBO Pay-Per-View® initio at 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

 

Sequere conversationem utens #KovalevWard. US:

 

 
www.kovalboxer.com @KrusherKovalev @SergeyKovalev_Official /thekrusher /kovalboxer
www.andresogward.com @AndreWard @AndreSogWard /AndreSogWard  
www.mainevents.com @Main_Events @Main_Events /MainEventsBoxing /MEBoxingSeries
www.throneboxing.com @RocNation @RocNation /RocNation /RocNation
www.insidehboboxing.com HBOboxing HBOboxing /HBOboxing /HBOsports
www.mgmgrand.com @MGMGrand @MGMGrand /MGMGrand  
www.t-mobilearena.com @TMobileArena @TMobileArena /TMobileArena  

 

MAURICE HOOKER VS. DARLEYS PEREZ JOIN KOVALE-WARD "Slibra libram" televisificarum UNDERCARD

 

TITULUS PROELIUM PUGNA SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19

AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

PRAESTITUS VIVERE HBO FRUCTUS PER-VIEW®

Las Vegas, NEVADA (October 14, 2016) - Resurgens Dallas, Texas pugilatu stella et NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice "Fortis Mo" Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) NABA junior welterweight contra titulum suum defendet Phares Darleys (33-2-1, 21 KOs) per decem circum praedura palaestrae in televisificarum undercard de Kovalev-Ward "Pound pro Pound" in Saturday, Nov. 19 ad T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Eventus producetur et distribuitur in vivo HBO Pay-Per-View® initio at 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

In his ultimis apparentiam in August 6, Mauricius "Fortis Mo" Hooker turbam ad Oraculum Arenam cepit ut co-pluma Andre Ward vs.. Alexander Brand. Hooker nullum tempus terit operando Washington D.C.'s Tyrone Barnett, expositis tumultus pugnis ante mollis technicae knockout in 2:17 nota apertionis circum ad retinendum titulum suum NABO juniorem welterweight. Hooker isthac ad proximam provocationem, pristini WBA Mundus PERFUSORIUS Champion Darleys Perez. Perez venit off a May 20 Knockout victoriam conservis Colombian Ubadel Soto, infigo remittet sequens lentus titulus defensionis amissio Antonii Crolla, priore anno. Pugnator veteranus, quae est et impedimenta plena tempus in US, erit step in pondere genus ad occursum Hooker.

 

"Volo gratias agere meis quadrigis apud Maple Avenue Boxing Gym", Roc Nation Sports et HBO ut occasionem mihi det de mundo ostendens 'Fortis Mo' effectus in subcardo 'Pugna Anni',"Dixit Hooker". "Ego vero", Promitto in spectaculo fanorum in Las Vegas et Per- Visum domi audientiam induere. Nemo pugnis similis mei. Lumina futurum est."

Hooker additae, "Ego hanc pugnam dedicat Aharoni Pyror", qui transierunt, ante hoc septimana. meliore modo cogitare non possum 'amplum's 'Hawk' quam cum magno win. Aspicio esse mundum-genus juniorem welterweight vindicem similem sibi.'

 

"Hic est casus meus redire in lectus. Toto orbe pugnavi contra Mauritium Hooker in Las Vegas November 19 fortasse extremum fatum est ostendere me multum intra anulum relictum habere et eo uteretur quia amittere optionem non est,"Dixit Phares. "Ad divisionem 140 libram movebo et paratus ero ad hunc catulum leonem provocare qui numquam ante me similis cum homunculo pugnavit.. Pompa in Las Vegas erunt et victorem domum ire cogito."

 

"Non solum est Kovalev-Ward pugna maxime anticipata in recenti historia caestu", cum etiam Hooker-Perez ad televisificarum undercard - Nov. 19 est vespere quod internationalis ludis fans simpliciter praestare non potest ad deesset,"Dixit Praeses Roc Natione & Dux Branding and Strategy Michael R. Yormark. "Ab ipso primo die pugilatu", Roc Nation Sports commisit magnas pugnas faciendi et rerum globalium cognoscendorum creando, et perculsi sumus cum labore praecipuorum eventuum ad hoc incredibile matchup addere sub cardo, ut 'Fortis Mo’ Hooker commentarium suum invictum in linea ponit contra Darleys Perez Colombian ingeniosissimos.

 

“HBO fastigium pugilum delectationis. Valde superbus sumus habere Mauritium Hooker utrunque Las Vegas et HBO Pay-Per-View debut in November 19,"Dixit Arnie Verbeek, Hooker procurator. "Maxime laboravimus ut hoc loco in cursu suo acciperemus et in ludis Roc Nationis gratias agimus de ingenio Mauritii Hooker".

 

Maurice "Fortis Mo" Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KOs) natus et suscitatus est in Quercus Cliff, Texas, ubi pugilatum domum in Avenue Boxing Gym Maple invenit per modum programmatis proiectionis iuvenum periculorum.. Ingenium eius primum animadversum est ex eo quod in eo certat ut amateur, quo tempore participavit in 100 pugnat, componendis record of * 97 vincit ac septem damna, apud 67 victorias per viam Knockout. Hooker conversus professio Aprilis 29, 2011, susceptis multo peritioribus Tyrone Chatman apud Orpheum Theatrum in St. Louis. Post quattuor vices, iudices viderunt pugnam 40-36, 37-39 atque 38-38, vocant pugna split ducatur. Undeterred, in altera pugna in June 24, 2014, Hooker laceratum prima professionalem win, Wilbert Tullius Cicero primo circum pulsat. undecim vincit (octo ab knockout) postea, assumpsit invictum Abel Ramos Kalendis Ianuariis 17, 2014 in praedura palaestrae, quae in ShoBox coci Conventionis Centre in Memphis posita est. Post octo prope, difficile-pugnatum rounds, iudices viderunt pugnam ducatur. Quattuor continuos pulset victorias antequam Eduardo Galindo Kalendis Iuniis spem invictam societatem cepisset 26, 2015 apud Kay Bailey Hutchinson Monasterium Centrum in Dallas vacanti NABO juniori titulo welterweight. "Fortis Mo" suam legionem fans patriae non fefellit, qui eum titulum capere vidit cum victoria technicae knockout cum sexta. On October 17, 2015, Hooker titulum suum apud Madison Square Garden in New York urbe feliciter defendit contra fortissimum adversarium Ghislain Maduma modernum in. Consilium 10-rotundum in win venit in undercard de Gennady Golovkin vs. David Lemieux et "freeview" in linea circum orbem terrarum diffusa erat et in pluma. "Fortis Mo" fecit suum debut sub Roc Nation Sports vexillum in subcard of Andre Ward vs.. Catullus Barrera, Hoc praeteritum Martii Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, ubi adversarius Wilfrido "La Roca" exstincto Buelvas Columbiae primo per 10-rotundum junioris welterweight praedurat per modum technicae knockout. Hooker oraculum ad Arenam rediit on August 6 sicut co-pluma in Ward-Brand undercard, devicto Tyrone Barnett Washington, D.C., remanere NABO Junior Welterweight Champion. Hooker paratus est ut step usque ad provocationem on November 19 ad T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas cum WBA mundi leve Champion Darleys Perez ad priorem WBA respicit.

 

Sequere Mauricius "Mighty Mo" Hooker Twitter @mightmohooker, Instagram @mauricemightymohooker et Facebook: www.facebook.com/mauricemightymohooker/.

 

Phares Darleys (33-2-1, 21 KOs) Celeberrimum est pugillatorem Colombian salutantem a San Pedro de Uraba. Ut amateur, cum recordum 82 vincit, 7 damna, cepit leve caestu aurum numisma ad 2006 South American ludos in Buenos Arietis, Argentina, et contendens ad 2008 Olympiae in Beijing, Sinis. Phares suum professio debut in Februario 14, 2009, per viam Knockout super civem Edwinum Ortiz. 27 victorias consecutiva secuta est, promerendae Phares iecit ad interim WBA Mundus leve titulum contra invictum Yuriorkis Gamboa apud Bell Centrum in Montrealensi., Canada die Iunii 8, 2013. In arcto certamine qui procul, Gamboa praevaluit, Phares tradendo primo curriculo detrimentum. Post annum, Perez alterum casum accepit ad titulum leve mundi interim WBA, unanimi consilio de Argenis Lopez apud Sheraton Hotel in Santo Domingo, Respublica Dominicana. Perez promotus est ad plenam titulum possessorem cum WBA Richar Abril cinguli spoliavit cum bis deficientibus defensiones titulos redderet.. In primo posteriori-ad-retro defensiones tituli leves mundi WBA die mensis Iulii 18, 2015, Perez Cumulum provocator in patria Antonius Crolla cum maiore decisione trahunt apud Manchester Arena in Britannia. In rematch die Novembris 21, 2015, rursus apud Manchester Arena, Phares ductus est pro comite in quinto per emissarium unum corpus. Secundo damno deterritus, Phares anulo suo rediit in Dec 20, 2016, scoring magno secundo circum knockout super Ubadel Soto. Perez spectat ad seriem sursum suam continuandam dum genus pondus sursum movet ut Mauritium Hooker ad titulum NABO junioris welterweight in se recipiat November 19 ad T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

 

Kovalev vs. Ward "Pound for Pound", a 12-circum Mega-pugna pro WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, praesentatur per Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotiones et Andre Ward Promotiones et sub patrocinio MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft et Corona Extra. Eventus patrocinium proferetur et distribuetur vivere ab HBO Pay-Per-View® initio at 9:00 p.m. ATQUE/6:00 p.m. PT.

 

Sequere conversationem utens #KovalevWard.

US:

 

 
www.kovalboxer.com @KrusherKovalev @SergeyKovalev_Official /thekrusher /kovalboxer
www.andresogward.com @AndreWard @AndreSogWard /AndreSogWard  
www.mainevents.com @Main_Events @Main_Events /MainEventsBoxiNg /MEBoxingSeries
www.throneboxing.com @RocNation @RocNation /RocNation /RocNation
www.insidehboboxing.com HBOboxing HBOboxing /HBOboxing /HBOsports
www.mgmgrand.com @MGMGrand @MGMGrand /MGMGrand  
www.t-mobilearena.com @TMobileArena @TMobileArena /TMobileArena  

MGM Resorts’ Odds-maker Jay Rood Weighs in on Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward ‘Pound For Pound’

Saturday, November 19, ad T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

Presented Live By HBO Pay-Per-View®

Las Vegas, NEVADA (October 11, 2016): As WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and former Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) prepare for their epic “Pound For Pound” showdown scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 ad T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, fans, media, experts and odds-makers around the world are split on who will be the favorite to win this virtually even-money battle.

And with good reason. Both Kovalev and Ward are undefeated and in their prime, making for a rare and exciting boxing match-up and a testament to the moxie of the boxers and the promoters.

 

Jay Rood, Vice President of Race & Ludis MGM Resorts International, provides his expert analysis of this exciting match-up:

 

“I really believe this could end up being a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate. Usually fighters in good form don’t meet up.”

Pro illa, this fight opened close, has remained so and, maxime probabile, will close so.

 

“It’s not very often that a fight in Las Vegas that’s this significant is this close in terms of odds,” says Rood. “Ward opened at -145 and he now is at -150. I don’t believe it will change much from here.”

 

The fact that Ward is the slight favorite is because, in part, the public, especially those bettors who consider themselves as experts or ‘sharps,’ tend to go with the boxer over the puncher.

 

But while Ward is considered the boxer and Kovalev the puncher, both are versatile, in keeping with the tremendous skill each possess. In aliis verbis, Ward, the perceived boxer, has power, and Kovalev, the perceived puncher, can box.

 

“The public is perceiving this fight, right or wrong, as ‘Boxer vs. Puncher,’” added Rood. “Usually the boxer draws the ‘sharp’ action. Most of the ‘sharp’ money will be on the boxer.”

 

Autem, the general betting public appears to be trending toward Kovalev.

 

According to Rood, “Kovalev will draw good action, otherwise this number would need to be closer to -200 to balance the fight (betting action). I don’t think it will be that one-sided. I think the crowd going to the fight will be 60 percent on Kovalev.”

Kovalev vs. Ward "Pound for Pound", a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Titles, fit Saturday, Nov. 19, ad T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Reddere res proferetur, dividebatque Per- HBO vivere incipiens View 9 p.m. ATQUE/6 p.m. PT. “Pound for Pound” praesentatur per Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft et Corona Extra.

 

Sequere conversationem utens #KovalevWard. US:

 

 
www.kovalboxer.com @KrusherKovalev @SergeyKovalev_Official /thekrusher /kovalboxer
www.andresogward.com @AndreWard @AndreSogWard /AndreSogWard  
www.mainevents.com @Main_Events @Main_Events /MainEventsBoxing /MEBoxingSeries
www.throneboxing.com @RocNation @RocNation /RocNation /RocNation
www.insidehboboxing.com HBOboxing HBOboxing /HBOboxing /HBOsports
www.mgmgrand.com @MGMGrand @MGMGrand /MGMGrand  
www.t-mobilearena.com @TMobileArena @TMobileArena /TMobileArena