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Chicago Welterweight Looks to Defeat Another Unbeaten Boxer When He Faces Taras Shelestyuk in Main Event Of ShoBox: The New Generation Tripleheader, This Friday, Nov. 4, Live on SHOWTIME®

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NEW YORK (Nov. 1, 2016) – Jimmy “The Truth” Herrera is accustomed to entering the ring as an underdog. The Chicago native is experienced in fighting favored prospects and contenders on the road and has had an inordinate success in these types of matchups, having defeated unbeaten prospects in four of his last nine fights.

So don’t expect Herrera (15-3-1, 8 KOs) to be in awe of his opponent, former Ukraine amateur standout and rising star, Taras Shelestyuk (14-0, 9 KOs) when they meet this Friday, Nov. 4, in the 10-round welterweight main event on ShoBox: The New Generationlive on SHOWTIME® (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) at Omega Products Event Center in Corona, Calif.

The 5-foot-10, 27-year-old Herrera has won three in a row and is 8-1-1 since dropping a close eight-round decision to Adrian Granados in February 2012. One of those victories was an upset seventh-round TKO over one-time highly ranked welterweight and world title challenger Mike “Machine Gun” Jones on Aug. 23, 2014.

Herrera is promoted by Hitz Boxing and co-managed by Cameron Dunkin and Mike Cericola.

Here are Herrera’s responses to a recent Q&A:

What are your thoughts going into your ShoBox debut?
“I’m always up for a challenge, so I’m really excited about this opportunity. I’m definitely ready to compete against another undefeated fighter. I’m coming to show my skills to the world and prove I’m a boxer you have to pay attention to.

“At this point of my career, I want to make a move fast while I’m young. I don’t just want to be a guy with a nice record. I truly believe in my skills and that I can reach the highest level.

“I’ve been getting great help with sparring with the best of the best in Chicago. Sam Colonna, George Hernandez and all the Chicago boxing coaches have been great mentors to me and I am very thankful.”

What do you know about Shelestyuk?
“He was a great amateur fighter and he’s a lefty. That’s pretty much all I need to know. The only thing I can give him is that he has experience, so I’ve got to be careful of that. But it’s nothing new – I’ve seen fighters like that.”

What kind of fight do you expect?
“I expect him to be a boxer with movement. I think he’ll try to box me. I’ll be coming forward, being aggressive. Then, we’ll see what his game plan is.”

What is the key to winning?
“It all depends on the pressure I can apply, throwing the right punches at the right time, the accuracy of my punches. Each punch has to have a purpose. I’m definitely more of a pressure guy. I like Gennady Golovkin’s style, Julio Cesar Chavez is my idol. That is the kind of style I try to fight with.”

On fighting on ShoBox for the first time?
“I’m definitely excited because I know a lot of people will be watching. I’m not nervous at all. The cameras, the bright lights, honestly, I don’t care about. My focus is totally on this fight. This is the type of fight that can open a lot of doors for me.”

Is this your biggest fight and do you feel pressure?
“Yes, definitely, this is my biggest fight — just for all the doors a win would open for me, all the possibilities. There’s no pressure on me. He’s the one representing his country with the weight on his shoulders. I’ve lost before, but that doesn’t make me an opponent.”

Are they making a mistake fighting you??
“I feel like they are making a mistake, but I also feel this is going to be a good test for him. I think Taras took the fight more for himself. But if he doesn’t know now about me, he’s going to find out.”

You boxed amateurs for one year and had 25 bouts. He was a 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist with a boatload of amateur accomplishments. How significant is the experience of fighting amateur?
“Personally, to me, the amateurs are not that important at all. It’s all irrelevant once you go pro. I know some great amateur boxers who made it after turning pro, and some who didn’t. It’s a whole different ballgame. As a pro, I believe I’ve fought better guys than he has. I’ve been tested way more than he has. You can’t take away what he did as an amateur, but fighting with the smaller gloves, with no headgear, is totally different.”

Undefeated cruiserweights Constantin Bejenaru (11-0, 4 KOs, 0-1-1 in World Series of Boxing), of Catskill, N.Y. by way of Moldova, and Steve “Superman” Bujaj (16-0-1, 11 KOs), of New York, will collide in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBC International WBC Continental Americas titles in the co-feature.

The nephew of popular former two-time lightweight world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas, undefeated lightweight Vitor Jones Freitas (12-0, 1 ND, 6 KOs), of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, will be opposed by local fan favorite Manuel Mendez (12-1-2, 8 KOs), of Indio, Calif., in an eight-round bout in the opening match of the telecast.

Tickets for the event promoted by Banner Promotions, Thompson Boxing, Hitz Boxing and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing are priced at $100 (ringside), $70 (reserved) and $50 (general admission) and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900.

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 67 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

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UNBEATEN WELTERWEIGHT TARAS SHELESTYUK SPARRING WITH SHANE MOSLEY FOR HIS SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION MAIN EVENT DEBUT THIS FRIDAY LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

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“A lot of guys won’t spar with him.  Guys are worried that he will make them look bad.” – Shane Mosley

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Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

 

NEW YORK (Oct. 31, 2016) – Promising unbeaten 2012 Olympic Games Bronze Medalist Taras “Real Deal” Shelestyuk (14-0, 9 KOs) will make his main event debut when he faces upset-minded Jimmy Herrera in the 10-round featured attraction of a ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader this Friday, Nov. 4, live on SHOWTIME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from Omega Products International Event Center in Corona, Calif.

 

A 5-foot-10 up-and-coming rising star, Shelestyuk, of Los Angeles, is ranked No. 9 by the WBO and No. 13 in the WBA.  Shelestyuk, who is making his second ShoBox start, averaged 85 punches a round en route to winning his ShoBox debut with a 10-round division over Aslanbek Kozaev on Nov. 6, 2015.

 

The dedicated, hard-working Shelestyuk, who is trained by Eric Brown and spars a few days a week with former world champion Shane Mosley, at Wild Card West in Santa Monica, Calif., possesses solid skills, movement and punching power.

 

Shelestyuk was a member of a vaunted 2012 Ukrainian Olympic team that included featherweight gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko and heavyweight gold medalist Oleksandr Usyk.   The 30-year-old feels he’s still about a year away from competing against the best at 147 pounds and that he first must get by Herrera.    But Mosley claims Shelestyuk reminds him of a bigger Lomachencko and believes he’s already ready for the top names in the welterweight division.

 

Herrera (15-3-1, 8 KOs), of Chicago, Ill., has defeated unbeaten prospects in four of last nine fights and is 8-1-1 overall since July 2012.

 

Shelestyuk, Brown and Mosley spoke to SHOWTIME after a recent workout.  Here’s what they said:

 

TARAS SHELESTYUK:

What are your thoughts going into the fight?
“I’m very excited. It’s been six months since my last fight.  It’s my first headline fight and hopefully not my last one.

 

“I’ve been putting in a lot of work in my training camp with my trainer Eric Brown, and with my physical conditioning coach.  My opponent is a tough fighter.  He’s had some good fights with guys like Mike Jones, Egidijus Kavaliauskas and a couple of other big guys.  He likes to fight and I think it will be a good fight and a good matchup for our styles.”

 

You’re now a ranked fighter; are you happy with the pace of your progression?

“I’m happy with my progression but of course I want to fight bigger names in championship fights and all of that.  I know it’s coming soon.  I enjoy my way of training and developing my skills, but if you see your dream you do anything to reach it and don’t let anything get in your way.’’

 

What do you think of the welterweight division?

“It’s a very good division because there are a lot of fighters, but some don’t want to fight each other (very often).  There are some very good championship fights to be made and hopefully I will be one of them.”

 

Why did you chose to move to Southern California?

“Well, [laughs] mainly because if the great weather, but this is also a good area with a lot of good fighters and a lot of good trainers as well.  When I first moved here my manager invited me out and showed me around and I got in the gym right away.  I was training with Ruslan Provodnikov and got some sparring in with him before a fight that he had and next thing you know, two weeks later I had my pro debut and now three-and-a-half years later here I am.’’

 

Is there pressure on you when you fight?

“I wouldn’t say I feel pressure because everyone around me is supporting me, they believe in me and I believe in them.  My team believes in me and I trust them. I just want to do what I do in the ring, better.  I want to do better for me, for my family and for my friends.’’

 

Do you follow your Olympic teammates?

“I watch fights of the Ukrainian Olympic Team, and I enjoy when the other guys win.  We support each other and we call each other.  It is good for there to be more Ukraine fighters who are champions now.  Next year, I hope to be one of them.”

 

How did it feel going 10 rounds for the first time?

“Last year in November I had my first 10-round fight on ShoBox, I fought with a strong guy and he gave me a very good fight.  I went the 10 rounds and I felt like I could still go two more.  I am ready for 10, for 12, it doesn’t matter.  I feel much better, much more powerful.  I have more speed than I had in my last fight, too.”

 

How did you end up training with Eric?

“I trained with Freddie Roach for about two and a half years when I met Eric at Wild Card West Gym.  I started sparring with some of his guys there.  After my fight with Rodriguez on ESPN in 2015 I asked Eric to train me and we started working.  Now that I’ve fought two fights with him as my trainer, I feel my boxing skills are better, I feel more powerful and I enjoy training in his gym.

 

“All of the trainers help us and they give us advice.  On the days I spar with Shane Mosley he stops and gives me some advice.  I learn a lot from him, being the fighting legend that he is.  I grew up watching him fight as a kid and respect what he’s able to teach me.  Then the next time I try what he has taught me and it works.”

 

Boxing is in your blood; your dad and brother boxed. When you were younger, did you think you were going to become a fighter?

“No, but my father pushed me in a lot of sports. I did gymnastics, soccer for five years, and played chess.  I fought as a kid but it was always friendly.  I always enjoyed the training aspect. To train for soccer sometimes my father and I would run barefoot in the snow and I enjoyed it. So, as a kid, when I first stepped into the boxing gym, it was just so much fun.’’

Your ShoBox fight falls on your father’s birthday; do you have a special present in mind for him?

“It makes me want to get the victory for him.  On his day, he will be sitting and watching my fight so I want to get that victory for him, for my family and for the Ukraine.’’

 

ERIC BROWN, Shelestyuk’s trainer

What kind of camp has Taras had has had and what do you see happening on Friday?

“I see a lot of progression in Taras.  When we first started working together, one of the things was that Taras always had great boxing ability, but he wasn’t a great finisher.  I don’t know if he was gun shy or what it was but he had a tendency of using his talent to get people in trouble but then he would stand back and let them get back in the fight.  So, what we’ve been working on a lot more is getting him to become a better finisher and recognize when he has his man in trouble and how to seize the moment, without being reckless at the same time.  He’s improving at a fast pace.

 

“A lot of guys from Ukraine seem to have similar tendencies because they have long amateur careers and they start picking up bad habits that we need to correct.  Taras had a little bit of that in him but he seems to be making the adjustments very well. He’s an extremely hard worker and you often have to tell him to slow down, you never have to tell him to do more.”

 

Where do you see him in his career as a welterweight?

“It’s a great division.  I’d say that Keith Thurman tops it without a doubt now but there are good fighters like Shawn Porter too.  If Mayweather decided to come back, I think he would be all over this division again.  Canelo is a good super welterweight, but he’s too busy worrying about catch-weights. Undoubtedly in another year, I think Taras will be right there with the best of them.  He’s got a lot of talent, great versatility, great hand speed and foot speed and he’s a good puncher.  Not a devastating knockout puncher but a great puncher nonetheless with both hands.’’

 

SHANE MOSLEY, Former World Champion

How has it been working with Taras and how did you become involved in his training?

“I have been sparring with Taras and he’s looking really sharp.  I’ve been sparring with him for about four or five months now pretty consistently because a lot of guys won’t spar with him. Guys are worried that he will make them look bad; he’s so technical and sharp that they don’t want to spar with him.  So, I go in there with him a lot.  It’s hard to get people to spar with him.’’

 

Where do you see him in the welterweight division?

“He’s on that championship path, that level, but I think once he gets there, he’ll get more sparring partners and will get even better.  He really is a world champion, a world-class fighter. He reminds me of a bigger Lomachenko, sparring with him is just like that.  I see him as a top welterweight champion.  The way he throws his combinations, he’s a smart boxer who works out very hard.  He’s at the gym every single day, whether he’s sparring or not, whether he has some training to do or not.  He’ll even be here by himself just moving around and staying sharp.  His work ethic is really, really strong.

 

How do you like working with Taras?

“I like Taras and I enjoy working with him.  He’s extremely dedicated and that’s hard to find.  I like Taras’ work ethic, his personality, how he takes to boxing.  He loves this sport and he wants to be the best.  He doesn’t like to lose, even in sparring.  I’m impressed with him.  When I sparred with him for the first time I was very impressed at his swing, his power, his ring accuracy, his IQ of boxing.  I was impressed with how hard he worked and his willingness to learn.’’

 

Do you find it unusual for guys to be as dedicated as Taras at this point in their careers?

“It’s unusual in the sense that a lot of fighters want to learn from the top guys but it seems to me with Taras that it’s not fake.  He truly does want to learn about boxing so that he can be the best.  He wants to become a world champion and is working to become one of the best.  If you put Taras in the ring with any big name today and I’d say he would take the victory.  He has a sound mind.  He has the mentality to be at the top.  He’s serious about being the world champion, about being the top fighter.  He’s serious about winning and he’s going to take it all the way to the end.  If you put this guy against Thurman, I’d go with him.  I think he beats Thurman right now.’’

 

Tickets for the event promoted by Banner Promotions, Thompson Boxing, Hitz Boxing and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing are priced at $100 (ringside), $70 (reserved) and $50 (general admission) and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900.

 

In the ShoBox co-feature, undefeated cruiserweights Constantin Bejenaru (11-0, 4 KOs, 0-1-1 in World Series of Boxing), of Catskill, N.Y. by way of Moldova, and Steve “Superman” Bujaj (16-0-1, 11 KOs), of New York, will collide in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBC International and WBC  Continental Americas titles.  Unbeaten lightweight Vitor Jones Freitas (12-0, 1 ND, 6 KOs), of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, will be opposed by local fan favorite Manuel Mendez (12-1-2, 8 KOs), of Indio, Calif., in an eight-round bout in the opening bout of the telecast. Freitas, 23, is the nephew of popular former two-time lightweight world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas.

 

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

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Middleweight Antoine Douglas returns to action against Ernesto Berrospe on Thursday, November 10 at the 26th Annual Fight for Children Fight Night at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.

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For Immediate Release
Nutley, NJ (October 31, 2016)–Middleweight contender Antoine “Action” Douglas will be in action when he takes on Ernesto Berrospe on Thursday night, November 10th at the 26th annual Fight for Children Fight Night DC at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.
Douglas from nearby Burke, Virginia, has a record of 19-1-` with 13 knockouts, and will be making his first appearance in eight months.
The 24 year-old Douglas won his first 19 bouts, which propelled him to a top-5 world ranking that included wins over Les Sherrington (35-7)m Istvan Szili (18-0-2), Thomas LaManna (16-0). former world title challenger Luca Messi (37-9-1), Marquies Davis (8-0-2) and Colby Courter (4-0).
Douglas is a four year professional, and has captured the Interim WBC FECARBOX, WBA International, WBA Fedelatin & WBO International Middleweight titles.
Douglas is coming off his first professional defeat when he was stopped in 10 rounds by Avtandil Khurtzsidze on March 5th in Bethlehem, PA.
Berrospe of Guadalajara, Mexico has a record of 11-9 with 7 knockouts.
The 30 year-old Berrospe is a 10 year professional,and has a win over previously undefeated Josue Mendoza (7-0-2).  Berrospe is coming off a stoppage defeat to D’Mitrius Ballard on June 11th in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“Camp is great and I am glad to be back in the ring,” said Douglas.  “It did not take long for me to get back in the swing of things.  I got the rust off early in camp and I am ready to go.”
When asked what he is looking for coming off his first setback, Douglas is eager to show he is ready to be one of the top middleweight contenders in the world.
“I want to see crispness and preciseness in my punches.  I am also looking to show good footwork and defense.”
Douglas is not looking to rush anything as he wants to be on top of his game when he is next called upon to fight the elite fighters.
“I want to see where I am after this fight.  I have been working hard and I have been ready to fight yesterday.”

Douglas is now managed by the respected Henry Rivalta

Said GH3 Promotions CEO Vito Mielnicki, “Antoine had a well deserved rest, and now he is ready to finish what he started, and that is to become world champion.  One bad night will not define his career and I believe we have not yet seen the best from him.   It says a lot about him as he fought 21 fights in just 29 months, and then steps in with a guy who took the fight on short notice that nobody wanted to fight and nobody still wants to fight in Khurtsidze.  We have a plan for him to get him back knocking on the door of a world title and we look forward to moving him back in position.”
GH3 Promotions features Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Ronald Ellis, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight Champion John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight’s Kenneth Sims Jr., Jerrell Harris, Arturo Trujillo & Keenan Smith, Heavyweight Ray Edwards & John Luna;  Lightweight’s O’Shaquie Foster & Logan Yoon, Jr. Lightweight Antonio Williams, Bantamweight’s Brent Venagas, LeRoy Davilla & Stephon Young to the GH3 Promotions stable.
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Kanat Islam takes on Patrick Allotey for WBO/WBA Intercontinental and UBC World Junior Middleweight titles this Saturday, October 29th at the Almaty Arena Arena in Almaty, Kazakhstan

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Almay, Kazakhstan (October 28, 2016) –  Saturday at the Almaty Arena in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Nelson’s Promotions presents a bout for the WBO and WBA Intercontinental along with the UBC Junior Middleweight titles as as Kanat Islam returns home to face Patrick Allotey in a bout scheduled for 12 rounds.

Islam of Almaty, Kazakhstan has a record of 22-0 with 18 knockouts.
The 32 year-old Islam was a 2008 Olympic Bronze medal winner and is a 4 year-professional.  He won the WBA Fedecaribe Super Welterweight title with a 1st round stoppage over Humberto Toledo (41-8).  He defended the title twice.
Islam won the WBA Fedelatin Super Welterweight title with a 3rd round stoppage over Emilio Julio.  He made three defenses of that belt, which included a 3rd round stoppage over Francisco Cordero.  He is coming off a 6th round stoppage over Juan De Angel (18-3-1) on May 8th in Lakeland, Florida.
Allottey of Accra, Ghana has a record of 34-2 with 28 knockouts.
The 26 year is a 10 year veteran, who won his first 30 bouts.  In those victories, Allottey has wins over Patrice Sou Toke (15-0) to win the WBC Silver Welterweight title, for which he made 2 defenses and a win over. Patrick Bogere (12-1).
Alottey has won 4 straight and in his last bout, he stopped Sani Yidana Kugblie on June 24th in Accra, Ghana.
In a 6-round light heavyweight bout, Zhanibek Alimkhanuly of Almaty, Kazakhstan will make his pro debut against former world title challenger Milton Nunez (33-16-1, 28 KO’s) of Barranquilla, Colombia.
In a 10-round welterweight bout, Zhankozh Turarov (19-0, 13 KO’s) Kazakhstan will fight Isaac Aryee (24-8, 12 KO’s) of Accra, Ghana.
In a 6-round Heavyweight bout, Ruslan Myrsatayev (9-0, 5 KO’s) of Almaty, Kazakhstan will face Nuch Azumi (4-1, 3 KO’s) of Accra, Ghana.
Ali Akhmedov (7-0-2, 2 KO’s) of Almaty, Kazakhstan will square off with Ali Mammadov (10-2, 2 KO’s) Baku, Azerbaijan in 6-round light heavyweight bout.
Aidar Sharibayev (11-1-1, 9 KO’s) of Almaty, Kazakhstan will take on Juan Ocura(11-6-1, 4 KO’s) of Sabadell, Spain in a 6-round lightweight bout.
Zhuma Zhumabekov of Almaty, Kazakhstan will make his pro debut in a 4-round lightweight bout against Uladzimir Ivanou (0-1) of Minsk, Belarus.
For more information, contact:
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WILLIE MONROE, JR. PRESS CONFERENCE  QUOTES

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FROM AT&T STADIUM IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS, PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®
Arlington, Texas (September 15, 2016)–Below are quotes from middleweight contender, Willie Monroe, Jr. from  Thursday’s press conference in advance of his bout with Gabriel Rosado.
Monroe will face Gabriel Rosado in a 12-round bout for the WBO Inter-Continental title, which will serve as the co-feature bout to the Canelo Alvarez – Liam Smith WBO Junior Middleweight title bout on September 17th from AT&T Stadium and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.
WILLIE “EL MONGOOSE” MONROE, JR. Former World Title Challenger:

“I come from nothing, and I want to thank my team and my brother for everything.

“We worked hard for these opportunities;  we have gone from fighting out of the garage and living off of food stamps,and now we are on the big stage. This is one of the biggest stage’s,  and I want to thank you all for your support today.”

“KING” GABE ROSADO, Former World Title Challenger:

“I want to thank god for this opportunity, without him nothing would be possible, and I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions. I wasn’t spoon fed coming up, but this is a new and approved Gabriel Rosado.

“Vargas and I work well together. He lit up the fighter in me. I know this is a fight, but this is also entertainment. I’m going to bring a knock out on the 17th.”
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SERGEY KOVALEV VS. ANDRE WARD PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

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NEW YORK, NY (September 6, 2016) – On Tuesday, September 6, No. 2 Pound-for-Pound and WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and No. 4 Pound-for-Pound and Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) participated in an official press conference at Le Parker Meridien in New York City, in advance of their November 19 “Pound for Pound” showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound for Pound” will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets start at $55 and are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

 

Below is what the fighters, promoters and other dais guests had to say at the press conference:

 

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

“It’s a big moment in my career. I want to thank all of the people who are involved with this fight, my promoter Kathy Duva, Roc Nation and HBO Pay-Per-View. Thank you to all of my fans. It will be a fight to remember; one for the history books. I just want to give the fans a really great fight in Vegas and on HBO Pay-Per-View.”

 

Andre “S.O.G.” Ward – Two-Time  World Champion

“I’m grateful to be here today. I want to thank everyone who is associated with this event—the good, the bad, the press, all of it. Obviously HBO, Peter Nelson, Roc Nation, Main Events, everyone who’s associated with it. It’s hard to thank everybody. It’s a lot of people that you guys know of that worked on this fight to get it done. There’s a lot of different nuances that go into getting a fight like this done, but it’s done. That’s what we should all focus on.

 

“I thank God for this opportunity. I thank God for my career and being able to compete at a high level through the peaks and valleys. Sometimes that gets overlooked, a veteran in the game. I’ve paid my dues and I continue to pay my dues. This is just another opportunity. I’ve been in this position before and so has my opponent. It doesn’t matter what the other side says, how they feel, what they say. He’s got to get it done and I’ve got to get it done. When those bright lights come on who it’s all about who executes and who gets it done. I don’t have to throw chairs. I don’t have to cuss. I don’t have to act crazy. I said let’s fight, lets fight. You’re selling yourself. I know that what I possess and what I have is in me, and not on me.”

 

Kathy Duva – CEO, Main Events

“Finally. There was a time when fighters didn’t consider preserving their undefeated records to be paramount to engaging in actual competition. There was a time when undefeated fighters who were heading to the Hall of Fame actually sought out greater and greater challenges as their careers progressed. There was a time when fighters were courageous athletes and not simply cynical businessmen.

 

“The two men who are here with us today—both in their athletic primes, both unbeaten, and, in my opinion, both heading to the Hall of Fame someday—chose to put their 0’s on the line and face each other to find out just which one of them is the very best. That is why they deserve to earn your pay-per-view dollars, this is what pay per view is supposed to be. That is why we should move heaven and earth in order to come to the beautiful T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas where this fight will take place. That is why the winner will earn the title of best pound-for-pound fighter in the ring.

 

“Since Ring Magazine began to keep records of the pound-for-pound fighters there have only been two occasions when two unbeaten top five fighters have competed in the ring for pound-for-pound supremacy. The first was Meldrick Taylor vs. Julio Caesar Chavez Sr. in 1994, the second time was Oscar De La Hoya vs Felix Trinidad in 1999. That means that on November 19th, this will be the very first time in the 21st century that such an event will occur in our sport. Let’s hope this is the start of something new, a throwback to the way boxing used to be when it was at its best. Let’s hope it doesn’t take another 17 years before this happens again. Let’s hope all the up and coming young sweet scientists learn and follow the example of these young great athletes who sit here today.

 

“So as I said, finally, I’m quite pleased to officially announce “Pound for Pound” and that on Saturday, November 19th, two of the five best fighters in the whole world will fight each other. WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, who is 30-0, will risk all three of his world titles against two-time world middleweight champion Andre “SOG” Ward, who is also 30-0. The fight will take place in Las Vegas, sponsored by our friends at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, at the beautiful new T-Mobile Arena. Tickets are available now, they’re starting at $155 right now because the box office has already sold out all of the $55 tickets we put on sale. You can only get these tickets at the T-Mobile box office and online through AXS.com. I’m happy to report that tickets at other prices are moving much faster than expected and currently there are very few left at the $755 price point and the $155 price point.

This will be live on HBO Pay-Per-View. The suggested retail price is going to be $54.95. It will be presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions. In addition to the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, the fight sponsors will be Rosneft and Corona.”

 

SERGEY KOVALEV VS. ANDRE WARD

PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

 

Click HERE for Photos

Photo Credit: Khristopher Sandifer/Roc Nation Sports

 

NEW YORK, NY (September 6, 2016) – On Tuesday, September 6, No. 2 Pound-for-Pound and WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and No. 4 Pound-for-Pound and Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) participated in an official press conference at Le Parker Meridien in New York City, in advance of their November 19 “Pound for Pound” showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound for Pound” will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets start at $55 and are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

 

Below is what the fighters, promoters and other dais guests had to say at the press conference:

 

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

“It’s a big moment in my career. I want to thank all of the people who are involved with this fight, my promoter Kathy Duva, Roc Nation and HBO Pay-Per-View. Thank you to all of my fans. It will be a fight to remember; one for the history books. I just want to give the fans a really great fight in Vegas and on HBO Pay-Per-View.”

 

Andre “S.O.G.” Ward – Two-Time  World Champion

“I’m grateful to be here today. I want to thank everyone who is associated with this event—the good, the bad, the press, all of it. Obviously HBO, Peter Nelson, Roc Nation, Main Events, everyone who’s associated with it. It’s hard to thank everybody. It’s a lot of people that you guys know of that worked on this fight to get it done. There’s a lot of different nuances that go into getting a fight like this done, but it’s done. That’s what we should all focus on.

 

“I thank God for this opportunity. I thank God for my career and being able to compete at a high level through the peaks and valleys. Sometimes that gets overlooked, a veteran in the game. I’ve paid my dues and I continue to pay my dues. This is just another opportunity. I’ve been in this position before and so has my opponent. It doesn’t matter what the other side says, how they feel, what they say. He’s got to get it done and I’ve got to get it done. When those bright lights come on who it’s all about who executes and who gets it done. I don’t have to throw chairs. I don’t have to cuss. I don’t have to act crazy. I said let’s fight, lets fight. You’re selling yourself. I know that what I possess and what I have is in me, and not on me.”

 

Kathy Duva – CEO, Main Events

“Finally. There was a time when fighters didn’t consider preserving their undefeated records to be paramount to engaging in actual competition. There was a time when undefeated fighters who were heading to the Hall of Fame actually sought out greater and greater challenges as their careers progressed. There was a time when fighters were courageous athletes and not simply cynical businessmen.

 

“The two men who are here with us today—both in their athletic primes, both unbeaten, and, in my opinion, both heading to the Hall of Fame someday—chose to put their 0’s on the line and face each other to find out just which one of them is the very best. That is why they deserve to earn your pay-per-view dollars, this is what pay per view is supposed to be. That is why we should move heaven and earth in order to come to the beautiful T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas where this fight will take place. That is why the winner will earn the title of best pound-for-pound fighter in the ring.

 

“Since Ring Magazine began to keep records of the pound-for-pound fighters there have only been two occasions when two unbeaten top five fighters have competed in the ring for pound-for-pound supremacy. The first was Meldrick Taylor vs. Julio Caesar Chavez Sr. in 1994, the second time was Oscar De La Hoya vs Felix Trinidad in 1999. That means that on November 19th, this will be the very first time in the 21st century that such an event will occur in our sport. Let’s hope this is the start of something new, a throwback to the way boxing used to be when it was at its best. Let’s hope it doesn’t take another 17 years before this happens again. Let’s hope all the up and coming young sweet scientists learn and follow the example of these young great athletes who sit here today.

 

“So as I said, finally, I’m quite pleased to officially announce “Pound for Pound” and that on Saturday, November 19th, two of the five best fighters in the whole world will fight each other. WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, who is 30-0, will risk all three of his world titles against two-time world middleweight champion Andre “SOG” Ward, who is also 30-0. The fight will take place in Las Vegas, sponsored by our friends at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, at the beautiful new T-Mobile Arena. Tickets are available now, they’re starting at $155 right now because the box office has already sold out all of the $55 tickets we put on sale. You can only get these tickets at the T-Mobile box office and online through AXS.com. I’m happy to report that tickets at other prices are moving much faster than expected and currently there are very few left at the $755 price point and the $155 price point.

This will be live on HBO Pay-Per-View. The suggested retail price is going to be $54.95. It will be presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions. In addition to the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, the fight sponsors will be Rosneft and Corona.”

boxing, CBS Boxing

Light Heavyweight Contender Mike Lee to Serve on Broadcast Commentary Team on CBS Sports Network, this Friday, August 5, at Pechanga

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Undefeated light heavyweight contender Mike Lee will join the broadcast team as a color analyst for this Friday’s (August 5, 2016) CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing quadrupleheader in the Grand Ballroom of the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California.
 
Lee will join blow-by-blow man Alan Massenagle and color analysts Steve Kim and Patrick Ortiz live at 11 pm ET/8 pm PT when Greg Cohen Promotions and Ringside Ticket Inc. (in association with David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions) present four exciting nationally televised professional fights, headlined by WBA #4- and WBO #7-rated middleweight and current WBO NABO and WBA NABA Middleweight Champion, Rob “Bravo” Brant (20-0, 13 KOs) of Saint Paul, Minnesota, in a 10-round battle against Cleveland’s Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick (15-4, 6 KOs).
 
Tickets for CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing are priced at $85, $65 and $50 and are available at www.pechanga.com or by calling the Pechanga Box Office:(877) 711-2946.
 
In the six-round super welterweight co-featured bout, Fort Worth, Texas, slugger Skender Halili (10-1, 10 KOs) will look to keep his perfect knockout record intact against experienced Ghanian veteran (now living in Silver Springs, Maryland) Ben Odamattey (16-14-3, 9 KOs).
In another televised four-rounder, undefeated former amateur world champion Cem Killic (5-0, 2 KOs) of Sherman Oaks, California, via Frankfurt, Germany, will take on pro-debuting middleweight Jerhed Fenderson of Las Vegas.
And in the night’s opening televised bout, red-hot prospect Malik Hawkins (8-0, 7 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland, will look to keep his march to the top of the welterweight division alive against Portland, Oregon’s Sean Gee (3-4).
 
An ambassador for the sport of boxing, Lee (17-0, 10 KOs) is a former Subway national spokesperson and holds a Finance degree from The University of Notre Dame. He also does extensive work and donates most of his fight purses to charitable causes such as the Children’s Memorial Hospital and the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation.
 
The 29-year-old Chicago native has fought on the undercards of some of boxing’s most prestigious events. He was last seen in the ring in June in New York City, where he scored a unanimous eight-round decision over Mike Snider (then 10-3-3).
Lee will join an already stellar broadcast team of experts.
Blow-by-blow man Alan Massenagle is currently known as the “most watched international blow-by-blow boxing announcer on television.” Currently the voice of the World Series of Boxing, Massengale has travelled the globe extensively during his award-winning career, which also includes having served as the most watched Sports Personality in Los Angeles for 10 years. He has also served as anchor for ESPN Sportscenter, Prime Ticket and Fox Sports He received the Golden Mike Award twice for best sportscast in the Los Angeles market, and was honored four times by the Southern California Sportscasters Association.
Long-time boxing journalist Steve Kim is internationally recognized for his commentary and opinion preceding major pay-per-view boxing bouts. Patrick Ortiz is the President of Ringside Ticket Inc. and Lords of the Cage, which specializes in providing Mixed Martial Arts and Boxing events for Tribal Casinos.
 
The night’s five-fight undercard, packed with local prospects and contenders, will be announced shortly.
 
The Pechanga Resort & Casino is located at 45000 Pechanga Parkway in Temecula, CA. For more information, call 1-888-PECHANGA or visit www.pechanga.com. On fight night,doors open at 6 pm and the action starts at 7 pm. All bouts subject to change.
boxing

Rob Brant Wants to Face WBO Middleweight King Billy Joe Saunders on September 17

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Undefeated Minnesota-based middleweight Rob “Bravo” Brant would like to be the contender chosen to face WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders on September 17.

Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs) announced last week he would be fighting on the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Liam Smith undercard on HBO pay-per-view in the United States, and WBO #9-rated Brant (20-0, 13 KOs) says he thinks he’s the right choice to face him.
“I have the utmost respect Billy Joe Saunders as an athlete,” said Brant. “I respect him so much that I would really enjoy giving him a grand welcome to the United States in the middle of the square circle.”
Brant has been on a tear for the last year, scoring important victories on national television, including a “KO of the Year” contending knockout over Decarlo Perez in January. During that time, he also won the NABA Middleweight and WBC Continental Americas Championships.
“Rob Brant is the perfect choice for Saunders in that fight,” said Brant’s promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions. “He’s red hot right now. He’s undefeated and makes for exciting fights and he’s got a fan following from his television appearances. Saunders vs. Brant makes great sense for boxing fans and from a business perspective.”
Cohen says he’s hoping to hear from Saunders’ representatives soon.
About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.
Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.
Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen first made promotional headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.
In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.
Cohen currently promotes WBA Interim World Lightweight Champion Ismael Barroso, Undefeated WBA NABA Heavyweight Champion and world-rated contender Jarrell Miller, undefeated WBA NABA  Middleweight Champion and world-rated contender Robert Brant, former world champion Kendall Holt, as well as current world-rated contenders including long-time elite middleweight “Mean” Joe Greene, top super featherweight Arash Usmanee, Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis; WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Australian lightweight prospect Josh King.
Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including CBS Sports Network, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.
For more information, visit gcpboxing.com. Find us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/GCPBoxing. Twitter: @GCPBoxing.
boxing

Thomas Dulorme returns this Saturday

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Former world title challenger, Thomas Dulorme (22-2, 14 KOs) from Carolina, Puerto Rico, will be back in action this Saturday, June 18 at the Pabellón de la Feria, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.
Dulorme will be facing Mexican, Jesus “Pantera” Gurrola ( 22-8-3, 10 KO’s ) in a scheduled eight round welterweight division bout.
“Right now I’m a free agent. This bout marks my return at the welterweight divison where I first started my career, and was ranked as one of the best in the world. Now you can expect a stronger and faster boxer. At the jr. welterweight division I was ranked in the top positions too, but It was difficult for me to make weight” said Dulorme.
“At this stage of my career, I feel very good both mentally and physically to get back to the winning route. Now after this fight, we will be looking for better options,” said the 26 year old world title contender.
Dulorme has notable victories over former world champion DeMarcus Corley, the rising prospect, Karim Mayfield, who marched unbeaten in 19 starts and world contender Hank Lundy and Charlie Navarro.
In his last presentation, which was affected by a sudden divorce during his training and differences with his team, Dulorme lost a competitive match against one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, Terence Crawford in bout ruled for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) world title at the 140-pound division.
boxing, Raging Babe, women's boxing

BOXING’S TOP WOMEN TO HONOR KATHY DUVA WITH “RAGING BABE LUMINARY” AWARD AT RAGING BABE BRUNCH, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 

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NEW YORK – May 24, 2016 – The weekend of June 11th, boxing’s most influential women will gather for brunch in the Big Apple for the 7th Raging Babe event of its kind, dubbed New York, New York. Attendees will include promoters, network executives, public relations representatives, referees, fighters and others, and come from diverse backgrounds, cultures and levels of experience. Women who have attended Raging Babe events have networked, forged business and personal relationships and have been inspired by the stories of success and persistence shared by the hundreds of attendees over the past few years. There may be no woman that better personifies a story of success and persistence than Kathy Duva, who will be honored with the Raging Babe Luminary Award at the brunch.

Duva, the CEO of Main Events, and a mother of three, has been involved with boxing for nearly forty years, entering the business while in college with her then boyfriend Dan Duva. The Duvas teamed up to promote some of boxing’s top talent over the years under the Main Events banner, including Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Pernell Whitacker, Arturo Gatti and Fernando Vargas, all while cultivating powerful relationships with HBO and other networks. Kathy continued her husband’s legacy after his passing in 1996, becoming one of the most recognized figures in boxing. Most recently, Duva and Main Events have developed one of boxing’s most avoided superstars in Sergey Kovalev.

“Kathy Duva is the perfect honoree for our first New York City Brunch,” said Raging Babe founder and namesake Michelle Rosado. “Boxing, like the ‘Concrete Jungle,’ has so many hard edges, and can be tough to navigate…but like New York City, it is full of opportunity for the right type of person, and Kathy Duva is that kind of person. She’s a headstrong, smart and persistent woman, who has an uncanny ability to endear people to her while not taking any gruff from anyone. It’s our honor to recognize her at the brunch.”

Past Raging Babe event honorees have included the “First Lady of Boxing” Jackie Kallen, Public Relations ace Kelly Swanson, TV trailblazer Claudia Trejo, heart transplant recipient Kennedy Cunningham,  Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame Chief Operating Officer Michelle Corrales-Lewis, and Golden Boy’s Monica Sears. “It’s a privilege to stand in a room with women of this caliber,” said Rosado. “The Raging Babe Brunch started as a concept…something we might try to do yearly, but it’s become such a powerful and valuable event for attendees, we’re growing and doing more than one event per year. We’re able to do this because of the women of boxing that continue to support the event, and of course, thanks to our event partners.
 
The East Coast is well overdue for a Raging Babe Brunch, and I’m so pleased to be able to work with our partners to bring the event to New York City.”

The Raging Babe Brunch is made possible by the generous support of World Boxing Organization (WBO), War Tape, Box Stats, Boss Case (owned and operated by Raging Babe Livvy Cunningham), World Boxing Council (WBC) and Youth Fighting Forward.

For information on attending or sponsoring this prestigious event, please contactmichelle@ragingbabe.com.